Bethany Beach News

Blood donations can mean life for many people, from cancer patients to accident victims. And this summer, the Blood Bank of Delmarva will tour Delaware to make giving quick and easy. The nearest regular donation center is in Salisbury, Md., but locals will get the convenience of the mobile blood donation site coming to the coastal community on two days this month.

Summer has officially arrived, and with that area’s coastal farmers’ markets are starting up. The Fenwick Island Farmer’s Market will start Monday, June 25, at 8 a.m. The mid-week market at the Marketplace at Sea Colony will open Wednesday, June 27, at 8 a.m. And the market in downtown Bethany Beach will start Sunday, July 1, at 8 a.m.

The Indian River Life-Saving Station may be a well-kept secret in the Quiet Resorts, but the programs the Delaware State Parks’ site has to offer hold appeal for residents and visitors alike.

Although Chef Matthew Lehfeldt (pronounced lay-felt), was born in Washington, D.C., he was raised in Iran.

For locals and visitors alike, the summer months around the Delaware beaches often translate to relaxing in the sun, enjoying time with family and friends and, of course, great eats. But one new restaurant in Bethany Beach is offering a dining experience like no other, with a trendy, remodeled atmosphere, a bevy of welcoming employees and a menu that spans the planet. Tia Sexton, owner of 14 Global, has fused these elements into a lunch and dinner locale, serving up one-of-a-kind tapas from around the world.

Sunny afternoons on the beach mean rest and relaxation to hundreds of thousands making their way to the Maryland and Delaware shores each summer, but for a select few, the summertime means hard work. Each and every summer, lifeguards monitor the beaches, putting the lives of total strangers before their own. It’s that dedication and commitment that is handed down, year after year, as local beach patrols host their junior-lifeguard programs.

With the hands on the clock of time quickly lunging forward into the summer season, the Bethany Beach Cultural & Historic Affairs Committee is gearing up for a few months of historical excitement.

The Delaware Supreme Court stood in recess on June 13 after hearing arguments in the appeal of Earl Bradley.

Last August, the former Lewes pediatrician was sentenced to 14 life sentences, plus an additional 164 years in prison, on five counts of assault in the second degree and five counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

As the warm summer season approaches, the temperate month of June brings with it the promise of surf, sun and lounging poolside. But what do many find themselves doing on summer nights? Looking for entertainment, of course! And they can find just that at two local platforms: the long-running entertainment venue of the Bethany Beach Bandstand and the emerging performing-arts showcase of the Freeman Stage at Bayside.

A question similar to this was posed to me in an email from a reader at the end of last summer. He has a good point, in that we don’t hear about dolphin “attacks” per se. So, what’s the danger? Why shouldn’t we interact with dolphins that swim by? After all, both dolphins and people are intelligent, naturally curious and playful creatures. Dolphins may want to investigate us as much as we want to check them out, too.

Turquoise restaurant is kicking things up a notch with bellydancing performances every Wednesday night this summer.

As the Memorial Day weekend ushered in visitors, new and old, to the Delaware beaches, and the warm summer sun continues to shine down on the locals throughout the community, residents and visitors alike are reminded how beautiful and appealing the area can be. It simple to get caught up in our daily routines of work, school, chores and errands, and many forget to take a little moment and breathe. But the Justin W. Jennings Foundation is doing exactly that – giving a little bit of time and solace to those who need it most.

This Saturday, June 2, downtown Bethany Beach and its boardwalk will once again be brought to life with an array of artistic talent, as the 8th Annual Seaside Craft Show features fine crafts from across the country. The juried event will highlight a wide range of artistic media, including paintings, photography, metalwork, woodwork, jewelry, glass, pottery, linens and much more.

In May, the Fenwick Town Council unanimously approved “Fenwick Flicks,” partnering with the Bethany-Fenwick Chamber of Commerce to offer a free monthly movie on the beach in the coastal town.

Those traveling along Fred Hudson Road north of Bethany Beach may have noticed some work in the area in recent weeks. DelDOT maintenance crews have been making a final connection in the path from Delaware Seashore State Park across Fred Hudson Road near McCoy’s Way, which will then tie into the sidewalks near the Salt Pond and Harris Teeter.

One of the noted events of summer in Southern Delaware is the Beach & Bay Cottage Tour, and this year’s tour, celebrating the benefit’s 21st year, is promised to be special. The 21st Annual Tour to benefit the Friends of the South Coastal Library will take place Wednesday and Thursday, July 25 and 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gov. and Mrs. Jack Markell are serving as honorary chairs for the benefit once again.

Anyone who has lived in or visited the Delaware shore for any length of time likely knows that international students make up a large portion of summertime employees in the area. With the workers coming from all over the world, it can be difficult for them to acclimate to a new area, new food, new customs and new laws. But that’s a problem some local businesspeople are hoping to eliminate.

After months of limited traffic, the Indian River Inlet Bridge appears on track to fully open all four lanes by Memorial Day weekend.

In a resort community where the majority of the business is concentrated in four to five months each year, finding success that will last for decades can be tricky. Maintaining a steady and successful “mom-and-pop” operation for a half-century, amid surging competition, could be daunting. But that’s precisely what Kathy Dryden has been doing, carrying on the family tradition at Shore Foods in Bethany Beach since 1962.

Bethany Beach Town Council is looking at acquiring South Coastal Library land for the new water tower. At the workshop May 15, Town Manager Cliff Graviet reviewed the cost-effective plan with council.