The Coastal Point encourages the exchange of ideas. Letters to the editor must be signed by the author with phone number included for purposes of verification. Please send your letters to P.O. Box 1324, Ocean View, DE 19970.

Darin J. McCann

Emergencies everywhere
Water? Check. Toilet paper? Check. Beer commercial twins bikini calendar? Check. Canned goods? Check.

Yes, many of us went through that very checklist while awaiting the snow storm of last weekend. The realization that every one inch of snow carpeting our coastal region is like six inches anywhere else (little snow or ice removal equipment, a high level of poor drivers, lack of experience, fodder for a column) sends us spiralling into a mode of hibernation and storage. We become chipmunks, reliant on the goods we have burrowed away in our sleep capsules until the wintery night melts into spring.

Wow, that was either flowery prose or just insipid lameness seeping from my keyboard. I guess you could look at it either way. My unquestioned mastery of the English language, combined with a general insensitivity ...

But I digress.

So, like everybody else, I stored. There was bottled water as far as the eye could see, enough toilet paper to mummify Shaquille O’Neal and mountains upon mountains of glorious Spam. “Bring it on, Mother Nature,” I shouted at the sky. “Let’s see what you got.”

(Yeah, I’m much more brave in my column than in real life. Truth be told, as soon as the first snowflake hit the ground I was scurrying under my bed with a flashlight in one hand and a bottle of Bushmill’s in the other. My one trip outdoors that day was a ... nope, can’t think of one trip outdoors at all Saturday.)

But I did need to venture out from my safe and warm home on Monday to get back to the business of the Coastal Point. By that point I had already heard that our publisher had been hospitalized over the weekend with an illness, so I was mentally prepared for the extra work I was about to ... well, quite honestly, heap on Beth Long and Carolyn “Smoke” Fitz. I’d just get into the office, make sure the old heater was cranked up and call Susan at the hospital for a rundown on what she needed from us minions. Easy as pie, right?

Of course not.

While I was sitting at Susan’s desk and getting the lowdown from her on the hellacious schedule she typically maintains on Mondays, my eyes began to race through her e-mails. I guess I could say I was seeing if anything pertinent for the daily operations of the paper were in her files, but that wouldn’t be entirely true. What I was looking for was dirt. Pure blackmail to hold against the publisher when I inevitably tick off the wrong person in my column.

What I found was worse. Much, much worse.

There was an e-mail from Fitz. The message said she was very sick and would not be coming into work that day, but she would have access to her e-mail so we could send things to her at home. Many people would have viewed this as a challenge — an opportunity to show what they are made of and seize the day. A chance to demonstrate what they can do and change some misconceptions about themselves. Me? The only thing I came close to having to change was my pants.

With our other advertising rep out with a broken foot, and Beth up to her eyeballs in work, I frantically looked around the office to see who was left to help out with sales. Reporters.

Dear God.

I love reporters, don’t get me wrong. I was one for a long time, and everybody who knows me knows I love myself more than a person has a right to — I mean, let’s face it, I’m all that and a bag of chips (stop laughing). But reporters should never get involved in sales. Not just because of the ethical ramifications, mind you, but because none of us have any math skills or artisitic flair. At all.

I’ve watched Sam Harvey get lost counting his quarters for a cup of coffee and Tricia Titus not be able to tell the difference between 10 inches of copy and 74 feet when writing a story on the next big bake sale in Bethany. Two extremely intelligent people — two people completelely befuddled by arithmetic. And our newest reporter, John Denny? He covers sports. If it’s not a batting average or free throw percentage ... oh boy.

Somehow, we managed to divy up the responsibilities among everybody in the office and get most of it handled. We even enlisted Susan’s daughter, Emily, to help in our mission. However, for someone as obsessive compulsive as I, it was not an experience I wish to re-live.

Thank God I had all that Spam.

In an interview with Point reporter Sam Harvey this week, Rep. Gerald Hocker stated that the best way to preserve open space is to allow farmers the opportunity to actually make a living by farming — as opposed to circumstances forcing them to sell off lots to keep afloat. In another piece in this week’s paper, the fragility of the farming business was once again brought to focus with the dawning of a fungus appearing in Delaware soy crops.

Add in the influenza that struck poultry farms in the state last year, a county council more interested in transfer taxes than quality of life, land costs escalating through the roof and prices for crops not escalating along with inflation rates, and it’s easy to see why we’re watching much of our rural landscape disappear into a wave of housing developments and office parks.

This is not a situation isolated to our community. Farming across the nation has taken a giant hit with every passing generation not as interested in taking over the family farm and federal commitments to agriculture dwindling by the second. Does it affect all of us? Probably not.

On second thought, it probably does.

Let’s go back to the correlation of a hurting agricultural climate in our community and the lack of open space so many of us bemoan. We complain about traffic from so many more people living here, cookie-cutter developments and the lack of a rural setting. Rep. Hocker was right. It all goes back to farmers not getting the incentives and aid needed to continue the traditions and benefits of the American farmer.

Something needs to be done.

Certainly the county and state could earmark some money for agricultural boosts, but neither one of them has enough resources to really make a big difference. What is needed is more federal funding and allotments.

Forecasters recently projected that this nation will be facing its largest deficit on record this year — nearly $250 billion, according to some. Granted, we are in a war, and deficits happen in times of war. But we need to look out for our own at some point.

Also, we at the Coastal Point would like to thank our readers and advertisers for all your support during our first 52 issues. If the first year is indeed the toughest, thank you for all you have done to make it as painless as you have.

The Social Security crisis can no longer be ignored
Editor:

The News Journal printed a letter headed “Bring government workers to program.” As a newspaper, it would seem that there should have been a note giving the facts on the matter. The pertinent facts are: 1) Public Law #98-21, enacted in 1983, placed members of Congress and all new federal employees under Social Security; and 2) employees of thirty-five of the 50 states are covered under Social Security; 3) the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), enacted in 1977, also greatly reduced Social Security benefits of all those workers who earned pensions as federal, state, county and municipal employees. These legislative acts which have been in effect for over 20 years have not rescued Social Security. Rather they have been responsible for significantly reducing the retirement income of many public servants by cutting the Social Security income that they had earned through previous employment. I might point out that the GPO and the WEP were passed in record time, less than 70 days from introduction to signing by the president. Keep in mind that many of the people affected by the legislation are the postal employees that deliver your mail and the teachers who educate your children.

The National Association of Retired Federal Employees, (NARFE) and several teachers’ organizations have been working hard to get GPO and WEP repealed. In spite of having a large majority of the House of Representatives and a significant number of Senators as cosigners of the bill to repeal GPO and WEP, certain committee chairmen have kept the bill from a vote on the floor. Congress treats Social Security like a sacred cow but does not hesitate to cut benefits of smaller groups such as federal retirees and teachers. More federal retirees need to voice their objection to having benefits that they have earned taken from them. They can do this in two ways, add their names to the membership rolls of NARFE and write their representative and senators in Congress.

Walt Berwick
President, Federation of Delaware NARFE Chapters

Fannin will be missed by those at SDSA
Editor:

It is with much sadness that I will say goodbye to Tim Fannin, Principal of Southern Delaware School of the Arts, when he retires this summer. Although I am happy for him, moving to Florida to be with his children and new grandson, Titus, I am sad for our SDSA children. It will be a great loss.

My children were lucky enough to be invited to attend SDSA the first year it started. Alyssa was in first grade and Cory in fifth. It was with much trepidation that we accepted the invitation. Cory already went to an excellent school, with an outstanding principal and staff. Also, I was P.T.O. president at Phillip C. Showell, so that made it even harder to leave. But, after much thought, we decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

When I walked into the “new” School of the Arts building (the old Selbyville Middle School) that summer, I was stunned by the condition of the building. It had been sitting empty since the new SMS opened. There was a lot of water damage where pipes had burst, walls needed to be painted, floors and ceilings needed to be replaced. The library, gym, cafeteria, stage, etc. all needed to be totally redone. I though I had made the worst mistake of my life. How could all of this work get done in one summer?

Enter Mr. Fannin and his army of workers. As P.T.O. president for 5 years at Phillip Showell, I had seen a hard working staff. Never did I imagine the amount of support we would receive. The IRSD custodial and maintenance staff, Mr. Fannin and his family, the new SDSA staff, parents, students and volunteers from many area businesses, worked day and night, all summer long, to get the building ready.

We built, painted, scrubbed, anything that needed to be done we did. In September, we had a school that anyone would be proud of. Each classroom was beautifully decorated and ready to go. We still had a lot of work to do in some areas, such as the gym, cafeteria and library.

Then we started on the outside. We landscaped, and then started work on a playground. With the help of the town of Selbyville, parents, students, staff and area businesses, the P.T.O. raised over $30,000 for a beautiful playground. We also raised money for a school sign out front. One of the teachers started a flower garden out back, which she tended all summer. Each student that spring made a stepping stone to display in the garden. We also have a pond in the side yard that was put in by another teacher and his helpers.

It didn’t stop there. Thanks to much hard work, in addition to a wonderful gym, cafeteria and library, we also have a wonderful dance room, drama room, stage and band room. The students put on shows and plays that would rival any Broadway show.

We have a wonderful team of dancers, actors, singers and a variety of bands, including a performing Roadshow and Steel Drums that are fantastic! At SDSA, there is truly something for everyone.

At SDSA there is never a shortage of new ideas (or helpers) and we continue to improve and expand every year.

Mr. Fannin has been there through it all and with his leadership and dedication has made SDSA a school to be proud of. The person who steps into his shoes needs to have some really big feet.

SDSA, “Where Imagination Takes Flight” and it is you, Mr. Fannin, who taught us to fly!

You will truly be missed!

Anne M. Devine
Aka: Bubbles

Homecoming of Marine a memory to last
Editor:

On Dec. 26, a homecoming took place in Clarksville for Captain Phillip N. Ash (USMC). He had come home from Iraq in September and home to Delaware, with his wife Denise and one of their two daughters, Sidney (their oldest daughter, Krista, was visiting her grandmother in North Carolina).

Captain Ash is currently stationed at Twentynine Palms, California and was able to come home for a brief visit for the first time in several years.

During his visit home, his mother had a homecoming/Christmas party for him and invited many old friends, school coaches and teachers from his years at Indian River High School. Many of those invited influenced Phillip in ways that were unknown at the time. Even Phillip’s first employers from Warrens’ Station were there which was a very welcomed pleasure for Phillip.

At the party, Captain Ash was honored by Senator George H. Bunting and the full Delaware Senate for his service to his country. A Senate tribute was presented to Captain Ash and after Senator Bunting read the tribute, Captain Ash simply stated that it was his “honor and privilege to lead such a fine group of men and women as he has in the United States Marine Corps.” He asked that we not forget the job these men and women are doing for us and that we remember that they fight for us all, regardless of political party.

As another holiday season is gone and a new year has begun, it is our hope that we all can “come together” and remember the job our armed services are doing for us. We thank all who welcomed Phillip and his family home and appreciate all those who called to express their disappointment at not being able to attend.

Throughout this year we pray that everyone has a safe and happy 2005. Our prayers especially go out to all those families with loved ones serving in our armed forces. Thank you all for the sacrifices you make and the commitment you keep in protecting the United State of America.

Family and Friends of C
Captain Phillip N. Ash (USMC)