Drivers and business owners may get some relief on Route 26, as lane closures will now begin later each evening, although work on Sunday nights has been added. The project’s Construction Management Team tweaked the hours this week to improve travel but also give contractor George & Lynch the time it needs.

Sussex County residents will have to wait until at least next week before hearing whether the County will grant conditional use for part of a farm in Harbeson for an outdoor country music festival.

South Bethany was built between bayside canals and the Atlantic, so it could use some protection from high water. And, recently, the South Bethany Town Council has poured hours into creating an ordinance that would allow homeowners to raise their houses a few feet, without trapping them under the current height limit.

Despite recent discussion of the idea, the Sussex County Council may decide not to create its own code of ethics, following a presentation by the Delaware Public Integrity Commission’s (PIC’s) legal counsel.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter : Rob Arlett, candidate for the District 5 Sussex County Council seat, speaks to constituents at his campaign launch on Tuesday, July 22, at the Clayton Theatre.

Frankford resident Rob Arlett jumped on the road to the Republican primary election as he launched his campaign for the District 5 Sussex County Council seat on July 22 at the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro.

Just coming from another kickoff event in Laurel, Arlett introduced his wife, one of his two sons and his father to a crowd of supporters. Emphasizing his love of family and faith, the owner of Beach Bound Realty became an ordained minister in order to marry his niece to her fiancé.

“We love Sussex County. It’s a great place to raise a family, worship and have a business.”

Going up against 16-year incumbent Vance Phillips, whom Arlett never mentioned by name, the challenger said, “It’s not about the opponent, but about the people.”

“Public politics is a dirty word. My job, my responsibility, is to make it a positive thing. We need better people involved,” he said. “We need more good people involved in the process. The campaign is not about ‘Rob,’ it’s about you.”

“We know the rest of the state is all fouled up. I gotta make sure that doesn’t happen to Sussex County,” he said, emphasizing small government and keeping “government as far away from the people as possible.”

He said he hopes to “preserve the past and plan for the future,” describing the disheartening lack of opportunity for young people.

Those big yellow buses are getting a slight shake-up this fall. The Indian River School District has planned new start times for each school. Buildings will split into a “First Start” or “Second Start” schedule, nearly one hour apart, to improve transportation.

For years, the women at Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club have been rallying together to raise money for breast cancer research.

“Ellen Stephens started this back in 1997,” said Judie Davis of “Rally at the Creek,” noting that the event has grown steadily over the years. “In 1997, they had 52 players and the donation was $850. Last year’s donation was $25,000.”

Though the Pyle Center sees plenty of action throughout the spring and early summer, hosting Little League and other games, the lights are about to get a little brighter in Roxana.

For the second consecutive year, the Pyle Center will play host to both the Senior League and Big League World Series for softball, kicking off on Sunday, Aug. 3.

Hi, I’m Darin, and I’m addicted to Netflix.

Coastal Point • File Photo : Two stand-up paddleboarders enjoy a night ride near the bridge in Fenwick Island during a stand-up paddleboard event held last year.Have you tried it, yet? Stand-up paddleboard is one of the hottest new sports. It doesn’t require much gear, and it lets you enjoy lakes, rivers or the ocean. Aside from having a great time, stand-up paddleboard’s biggest reward is that it gives you a terrific full-body workout and develops core strength.

The rewards, however, come with challenges. In this sport, it’s important to understand that, while it looks simple, looks can be deceiving. Along with lacerations and whacks to the head and other body parts from falling, overuse injuries are a big issue. Your back, knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders and elbows are all at risk because of the increased demand placed on them from being in a stand-up position while using your body’s force to push the paddleboard forward.

Back injuries are amongst the most common problem, because of the constant bending and pushing motion required to maneuver the paddle and propel your paddleboard. They are a part of your core and a significant stabilizing mechanism for your body. Improper technique often leads to back strain and disk problems.

Rotator cuff and shoulder injuries are also extremely common, because stand-up paddleboarding makes a big demand on these muscles. Doctors are seeing patients complaining of burning sensations from the elbow and shoulder into the hand, while other patients are complaining of numbness from the shoulder to the fingers.

Coastal Point • File Photo : The Town of Bethany Beach hosted a Day of Commemoration on Friday, July 27, 2012, to celebrate the anniversary of the twinning of Bethany Beach with Periers, France. Above, then-Mayor Tony McClenny and members of the Bethany Beach Cultural & Historical Affairs Committee enjoy the proceedings with Julianna Murphy (purple dress, front and center), her sister Alessandra (yellow) and father, Jay.On Sunday, July 27, the Town of Bethany Beach will celebrate Périers Day, in observance of the twinning of the towns of Bethany Beach and Périers, France. Downtown Bethany will be themed to be reminiscent of a street in France, with artists drawing caricature sketches on the boardwalk from 3 to 6 p.m. and French/jazz band La Vie en Rose performing on the bandstand at 5 p.m.

Périers, located in Normandy, France, was liberated by the U.S. Army’s 90th Infantry Division on July 27, 1944. The liberation came almost two months after the D-Day landing on Utah Beach. The twinning or “sister city” relationship between the two towns was established in August of 2010.

The commemorative program is free and will take place before the evening concert on the bandstand. There is no rain date. For more information, visit www.townofbethanybeach.com or call Events Director Julie Malewski at (302) 539-8011, ext. 123.

Coastal Point • Submitted: Gallery One’s new Show, “Stops Along the Way,” will open at the gallery in Ocean View on July 31, with a reception to meet the artists planned for Aug. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m.

“When Gallery One artists are asked what inspires them, the answer is overwhelmingly ‘What I see around me — the dunes, the beach, the sea, the bays and marshes, the beach cottages, the landmarks,” organizers said. And for the August theme, “Stops Along the Way,” the 15 artists travel Route 1 from Ocean City to Milton and show the viewer each of their neighborhoods.

Peggy Warfield’s collage “The Boardwalk” depicts the icons of Ocean City: Trimpers’ Ferris wheel, Thrashers fries, Kohr Brothers’ frozen custard, Dolles’ saltwater taffy.

A row of quaint cottages in soft yellow, shell pink and sky blue stand watch over the grassy dunes and the river by the Indian River bridge as Laura Hickman uses pastels to depict “Inlet Cottages.”

Peggy Warfield’s, ‘The Boardwalk,’ a collage, will be featured during Gallery One’s new show, ‘Stops Along the Way.’ Below, Lesley McCaskill’s, ‘Down on the Farm,’ a watercolor.Delaware is spotted with historical farms. Lesley McCaskill’s watercolor “Down on the Farm” shows an old red barn that is now a petting farm and vegetable and fruit stand.

Dale Sheldon’s acrylic shows a row of blue, green and purple kayaks on the beach in Lewes, as “Lewes Beach Kayaks” wait patiently for paddlers.

“The Dewey Tower,” a watercolor by Dianne Shearon, is reflective of the history of the beaches of the Atlantic. She asks the viewer to take a moment to remember and be thankful that towers like this guarded and protected the area.

After the outbreak of hostilities between the states in 1861, authorities in Washington soon acknowledged that the war would last longer than originally believed. Consequently, they called for men to join the Union army for a three-year enlistment.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter : Kathy Jankowski was honored by South Bethany Town Council for serving two years as mayor.The Town of South Bethany honored former mayor Kathy Jankowski with a reception and proclamation before the town council meeting July 11.

“It’s great! I’m surprised. I figured people have better things to do on a Friday,” Jankowski mused.

Her successor, Mayor Pat Voveris, read a proclamation honoring Jankowski’s two years at mayor, from 2012 to 2014, including “exemplary leadership after Hurricane Sandy.”

The council and residents in attendance applauded her service.

Jankowski had already served on the town’s Planning Commission and Community Enhancement Committee, and as president of the South Bethany Property Owners Association.

She ran for mayor because “I felt like it was my time,” she said.

Jankowski was mostly inspired by “the people. I just love the people and working with them and the town staff.”

Now spending several months per year in Florida, she said she “didn’t feel right doing it remotely.”

Downtown Millsboro’s Blue Water Grill is looking to reopen soon, following an electrical fire on March 28 that forced the restaurant to temporarily close for repairs. Months later, Blue Water is now set to host a job fair to hire staff, with the restaurant’s reopening in sight.

“We’re looking for every position,” said Jess Wiggins, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Josh.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden announced recently that his office is sponsoring a Delaware Military & Veterans Resource Fair on Wednesday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Delaware State University in Dover. The free one-day event is open to active and reserve members of the United States military and Delaware National Guard, veterans and their families.

Coastal Point • Submitted : EcoBay Kayaking Adventures is now offering SUP Camp at James Farm. Pictured, instructors Mary Harmon and Carley Collins stand with EcoBay's first-ever group of SUP campers.A decade ago, Lisa Daisey launched EcoBay Kayaking Adventures as an enthusiastic 26-year-old. Now in business a decade, Daisey still doesn’t need any added reasons to get excited about going to work every day — but after adding stand-up paddleboarding instructor May Harmon to the team to help run their first ever SUP camp, she’s got one anyway.

“It’s hard to do it. It’s consistently challenging,” said Daisey, who also owns Juice Box on Route 26 in Ocean View, of being an entrepreneur. “To make it 10 years — especially starting when I was 26 — I was like, ‘I just wanna take some people out kayaking,’ and now I have people calling every year, so it feels good. I would not be able to do what I do without all the amazing help I get to work with every day.”

As always, EcoBay offers its two-day kayak camps at James Farm, in addition to the its various other kayaking and SUP ventures, but now it also offers a daylong day-camp for stand-up paddleboarding, as well.

“They’re just thrilled. This is their dream, their bucket-list item for the summer,” said Harmon, who joined EcoBay as a Paddlefit-certified instructor. “I love teaching SUP to these kids. I love sharing my passion for fitness through the most empowering sport I have ever done in my life.”

Coastal Point • File Photo : District III parades their banner during the opening ceremonies for last year’s World Series, held in Roxana.It’s that time of year again, when the Pyle Center goes from a local venue for softball to an international one, as the Little League Softball World Series is set to make its way back to Delaware for the 11th consecutive year.

“I think it’s good for the community, and you can see it in the crowds — they keep coming back year after year,” said longtime Lower Sussex Little League president and current Vice President Bruce Layton. “It’s a good community function that brings everybody together.”

For the second year in a row, Roxana will host both the Senior League and Big League World Series, after hosting just the Senior League series for the first nine years. The larger venue calls for more lights and more coverage from ESPN, necessitating adding lights to Bruce Layton Field for television broadcasts.

“The only thing different is we got more games on ESPN,” explained Layton after noting that this year should feature six televised games — four on Friday, Aug. 8, and two on Saturday, Aug. 9.

By now you may have heard of the “Skateboard Cop.” And before you make any assumptions on what that is if you have not heard of it, let me clarify — it is not the sequel to “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” featuring a portly Kevin James, who needs to learn how to skateboard in order to save yet another mall from yet another absurd premise, solidifying my long-held theory that Adam Sandler isn’t even trying anymore and is, in fact, just messing with us now.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark : Millsboro pitcher Rachel Hudson gets her team out of a bases loaded situation for out number three with a play at the plate late in last Tuesday night's second game.As two evenly matched teams vying for a Big League Softball World Series bid, it’s no wonder that Millsboro and Laurel need an odd number of games to determine which team will represent host District III in next month’s Little League World Series in Roxana.

Millsboro led what was supposed to be a 12-game series 4-2 heading into a tripleheader last Monday, July 21, but lost all three games of the series, to fall behind 5-4. However, the team would bounce back in another tripleheader on Tuesday, July 22, winning the first two games of the night before falling in the third and allowing Laurel to even the series at 6-6, necessitating a final matchup between the teams this Friday.

“I think the first game took the steam out of us, kind of put the momentum in their court, and we didn’t recover after that,” said Millsboro coach Monroe “Monnie” Hudson of the Monday-night series after the third consecutive game on Tuesday. “The girls did a great job tonight. They bounced back, and they pulled out the first two, which is huge.”

“We had some timely hits. The girls just came out and fought,” added head coach Guy Wilkins. “They’re warriors. They’re battlers. They’re gonna do everything they can do to win a game, and backs were against the wall, so they came out and played great softball.”

Some of those timely hits came from some timely hitters, as centerfielder Alexis Burger and catcher Morgan Smith took turns knocking each other home for key runs in Tuesday’s wins.

Coastal Point • R. Chris Clark : The River Soccer College Showcase team comprises elite student athletes in both the local area and as far as Dover and Easton.For years, prospective college soccer players from the area have had to travel over the Bay Bridge or up north to Pennsylvania for a chance at playing on their state’s Olympic Development Program team or to garner attention from college coaches.

However, thanks to River Soccer, local players now have another option — which is not only more convenient, but also more affordable, while offering a different spectrum of competitive advantages that many programs do not.

“Around here, we noticed that the ones that really shine, they have to go across the bridge or start heading to Philly, and it’s a lot of money,” said River Soccer Director Allison Bescak. “We’ve got kids that are leaving these amazing programs. We’re keeping it on a low-cost scale and really pushing the college aspect.”

Some of the premiere girls’ high school soccer stars are coming from not only local schools including Indian River and Sussex Tech, but from northern schools such as Dover, and Maryland schools as far as Easton, as well. Even with the mix of rival schools, Bescak said that the team meshes well.

“They all come together for this team,” she explained, “for the greater good of getting each other into college.”

The Delmarva Shorebirds are back down to .500, at 16-16 on the second half of the season (as of Coastal Point press time on Wednesday, July 23), after losing three consecutive games to Washington Nationals’ affiliate the Hagerstown Suns.

The Delaware Department of Justice announced on July 15 that the State of Delaware would be moving forward in retrying former state senate candidate Eric Bodenweiser on charges stemming from allegations that he had unlawful sexual contact with a boy more than 20 years ago, when that boy was as young as 10.

During road construction, drivers can wait in traffic for a minute or 10. But what about fire trucks and ambulances that don’t have a minute to spare?

Submitted to Coastal Point • Delaware State Police: Emergency personnel responded to the scene of an accident on Route 113 in Frankford on Monday, July 14. The driver of the vehicle, Charles Campbell, was pronounced dead later at Atlantic General Hospital.A 26-year-old Dagsboro man was killed in a crash on Monday south of Frankford, during a police pursuit that sought him as a suspect in a home-invasion robbery earlier that morning in Dagsboro.

Delaware State Police said that both Dagsboro and Frankford officers were actively pursuing a stolen Ford Explorer that was being driven at a high speed southbound on Route 113 by Charles A. Campbell, 26, of Dagsboro around 10 a.m. on July 14.

They said Campbell lost control of the vehicle south of Frankford, near Cat Mans Road, causing it to drive over the concrete island and through the grass median before entering northbound lanes of Route 113. The 42-year-old Harrington man driving a Mack 10-wheel cargo/box truck northbound in the left lane of Route 113 attempted to slow down but was unable to avoid the SUV, police said. The two vehicles met in a nearly head-on collision in the left lane, according to the DSP.

After the impact, police said, the Explorer rotated counterclockwise and overturned multiple times, landing on its roof in the grass median. Campbell, who was not properly restrained, according to police, was ejected from the vehicle and landed in the grass median. They said the truck rotated counterclockwise and slid sideways, coming to rest across both northbound travel lanes.

Property owners will keep a few dollars in their pocket after the Indian River Board of Education voted recently to reduce the school district’s property tax rate by 5 cents. The tax rate for the 2015 fiscal year decreased from $2.743 to $2.693 per $100 of assessed value.

Incumbent John Atkins has filed for reelection to serve as representative of the 41st District in the Delaware House of Representatives.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Dignitaries and people with history with the Clayton Theatre help Joanne Howe, owner of the Clayton, reveal a historical marker on Monday, June 14. The Dagsboro’s Clayton Theatre this week unveiled its new Delaware Historical Marker, celebrating the theater’s 65 years in business, along with its unique nature and its historical impact on the community.

“It literally started with a question,” said Dagsboro Councilman Brian Baull, who was instrumental in getting the historical marker placed for the theater. “My wife Amy and I decided one day to go out and look at a bunch of historic markers throughout Sussex County. We wound up by Seaford and the Maryland-Delaware line, and looked at a bunch of them along the way.

“On the way back home, I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat if we got one of those for the Clayton celebrating its 65th anniversary? I wonder what you have to do.’”

With that thought, Baull sent an email to the Delaware Archives, and, he said, “the stars aligned.”

After providing the theater’s history — courtesy of “Memories of the Clayton Theatre: A Look Back,” written by Sandie Hancock Gerken, the daughter of one of the original owners — Baull said he also contacted state Sen. Gerald Hocker and state Rep. John Atkins to find funding for the marker.

Coastal Point • Laura Walter: Kelly Kline is the new director of the Selbyville Public Library.Returning to serve her childhood library as its director, Kelly Kline sees the past and future coming together at the Selbyville Public Library.

“I see a town that’s really proud of its history and wants to be involved. I’d like to give them the chance to have lots of things to be involved in,” she said.

“I’ve always wanted to work in a library. I’ve always wanted to be a librarian,” said Kline, whose dream finally came true with this position. She had been an event planner at Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club, having graduated from Indian River High School and then from the University of Delaware, with an English degree.

She now brings both planning experience and love of literature to Selbyville.

“I want to plan events … start bringing more patrons in and have more things for people to enjoy,” especially for teens and adults, she said.

“We have a very active children’s program. Shelly Purnell has really taken the ball and run with it. I’d like to continue [and] double our efforts for next summer,” Kline added.

Inspired partly by the Frankford Public Library, Selbyville’s revamped adult program will begin with the Stitchers needlecraft group (Aug. 6 at 1 p.m. — pre-register with the library and bring materials).

Bethany Beach Books is offering locals and visitors the chance to find the ever-elusive Waldo in downtown Bethany Beach. Those who wish to participate in the free family-friendly activity can stop by any of the 25 participating Bethany Beach shops and pick up a “passport” before starting their search.

Special to the Coastal Point • Monica Scott: This algae bloom in Salt Pond created quite a stir recently.To Pat Sned, whose home backs up to the Salt Pond, a large apparent algae bloom that caught her eye about a month ago seemed a little out of place. She said that, in her 15 years of owning her home, she had never noticed anything like it.

“It’s quite extensive” she said, of the yellowish muck that sits on the edges of the southeast corner of the Salt Pond. What Sned can see out her back door in the Villas of Bethany West is the area where the Bethany Loop Canal meets the Salt Pond, coming from the Bethany Beach side (behind the Army National Guard building on Route 1).

“The people from DNREC came, and they said it isn’t so unusual that it’s growing here, but none of us had ever seen a growth like that. I have not seen any growth, and never algae. My concern was “what has changed?”

She said Bethany Beach town officials and DNREC came out, but she was told the water was too shallow for them to use their machines to cut the algae.

John M. Hodgson, 67, of Millsboro, died July 7 as a result of the injuries he sustained in a July 6 crash south of Greenwood, Delaware State Police announced this week.

This has seemingly been a summer that everyone has been waiting for — and that is for a variety of reasons.

For starters, almost all of us were daydreaming of summer weather throughout our long, harsh winter. By the time we got hit with another snow storm on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone was just about fed up with the cold stuff and ready to feel sunshine meet faces.

Some words are simply synonymous with others, for one reason or another.

A good deed gets noticed

Editor’s note: The following letter was addressed to “Jo,” possibly from Ocean View, and was sent to the Coastal Point for publication.