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

Gather ‘round, for I have seen greatness.

With a twist of his lobbed sword, Tiger Woods displayed that one particular moment in time we mortals can only fantasize of experiencing. His back against the proverbial wall, the stone-faced Woods faced down a worthy challenger, stared improbability in the face and magicianed his way into the etched memories of a generation by willing a golf ball to do the near-impossible.

For those of us who saw Woods’ miraculous chip shot on the 16th hole of last weekend’s Master’s tournament, we are the better for it. For those who didn’t see it, you missed a rare peek into greatness.

I worship greatness. Don’t get me wrong, I admire a hard-working attitude and emotionally invest myself into the travails and accomplishments of the classic underdog. However, there is something about true greatness that sends chills racing through my body. I am mystified by that unique ability an individual can have in any one particular field to absolutely electrify the masses, and wonder what it must be like to be that individual for even a moment.

I’ve heard many, including Woods himself, describe that shot he pulled off last week as luck. Certainly, he could not have expected the ball to do a complete change of direction, roll downhill, come to a complete stop on the lip of the cup and somehow put into question all we know about the rules of gravity by just inexplicably falling in to the unforgettable. However, if someone was indeed to make that shot under the most intensified of pressure cookers professional golf has to offer, were any of us truly surprised it was Woods to do it? Could “luck” simply keep happening to one man over and over again?

Or, as I argue, is he just great?

Doesn’t there come a time where we just accept that greatness finds greatness? Isn’t there some validity to the point that greatness is not simply the consistent performance of someone superior to the rest of the world, but also the ability of an individual to freeze time and take away our collective breath through feats of wonder?

Let me give you another example.

I’m sitting around the house the other night, remote control balancing on my gellatinous belly and a showercap full of Rogaine goodness on my head, when I felt a chill. Realizing some of the Rogaine had spilled on the back of my neck, I quickly wiped it off with my tube sock, but was met with a different kind of chill when I saw what was coming up next on ESPN.

They were doing a special on the late Shirley Povich, the legendary columnist of the Washington Post who had made me appreciate excellent writing as a young boy. I was blessed as a child growing up in our nation’s capital. When we weren’t sucking dry air from the humidity or fleeing the wrath of ill-humored drug dealers, we were able to comb through the Post every morning and read Povich, Bob Levy, Thomas Boswell, Dave Kindred, John Feinstein and, well, the list goes on and on. To me, as a youth, the columnists were the newspaper, and I savored every inch of their wit and their unique abilities to tell a story.

That being said, Povich was my favorite.

He was flowery and blunt, romantic and gruff. He could describe a running back breaking through a violent line of scrimmage with a metaphor of a gazelle sprinting through an eternity of wild grass. And yet, the next column he wrote, or even the next paragraph on occassion, he would explain to all of us how an owner or athlete should be taken out back and flogged because of a lack of character.

Now, to tell the truth, there’s a story in my personal life that my father has reminded me of for the past 25 years or so. One morning, while munching on some cereal and reading the paper, I looked to my dad and explained that I really liked this woman who wrote for the Post.

“Who,” he asked, a showercap of some kind of miracle hair growth perched on his own head. “Christine Brennan?”

“No, but I like her, too. I was talking about Shirley Povich.”

Yes, he laughed over this brief exchange, and continues to do so to this day. You know, you’d think he’d get over it. I mean, I’m not exactly the first guy to confuse a guy with a woman in D.C. I remember one time, when hanging out with my friends on East Capital Street ...

But I digress.

The point here is greatness, and one story on the ESPN special told me all I needed about Povich’s brilliance. When Povich heard that the federal government would be financing the new stadium for the Washington Redskins decades ago, he grew irate. He used his column space to write an open letter to the government, condemning them for giving money to a team that was the only professional sports franchise to not have any black athletes. He accused them of supporting prejudice by providing money to the Redskins’ owner. Guess who blinked following Povich’s column?

The Redskins signed their first black player a short time later, and the feds gave the money only after that signing. That’s juice.

And that’s greatness.

Millville project in good hands

Yes, Millville is indeed changing.

It’s easy to get upset at the growth the town will be experiencing in the next few years, and all of us at the paper are a little more than concerned about the changes in quality of life, traffic patterns and the basic drain on infrastructure.

That being said, if the project had to be done — and, let’s face it, a project of this nature was going to be done somewhere around here — Millville officials, and the group putting together the project, appear to be doing it the right way.

The town has hired on an engineering firm to look over all site plans and represent Millville’s interests. Council Member Clifton Toomey is lobbying to protect all the concerns residents had with the project when it was first being approved. And the development group putting together the project, Millville Township LLC, has enlisted a slew of experts on everything from planned communities to traffic patterns.

This won’t be perfect. There will be traffic congestion throughout the process of construction, and traffic slow-down when everybody moves into their new homes. There will be complaints about noise and about dust, and those complaints will be justified at the time.

But, as we stated earlier, a project of this scope was inevitably going to happen at some point, at some location. We feel better about it with the people behind the development, and the steps Millville officials are taking in preserving their interests.

The project will eventually be accepted in this community, and will most likely be a welcomed addition when it is complete.

Meredith thanks the Ocean View voters

Editor:
I want to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Ocean View for electing me for a second term as mayor of Ocean View. I am honored and proud that over 60 percent of the registered voters turned out at the polls; far above the national average for town elections.

I would like to clear up some misinformation generated during the recent campaign. First, all elected officials do take an oath of office in which each official swears to “uphold and defend the Constitutions of my country and my state, so help me God.”

The town has a Personnel Policy Manual that covers all personnel procedures, benefits and work practices, conditions of employment, disciplinary actions, grievances and separation.

It was stated that the town wants to spend $250,000 for a garage. This amount is a budget number for a facility for our public works department. We hope it will cost less and will only award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder.

Annexation has been a big discussion item. Builders do not build and then request annexation. Normally, developers purchase land from local landowners, then request annexation and then build. When the town annexes, it enables the town to control density, construction times and even the types of housing. Yes, we do increase our tax base and receive transfer tax. However, transfer tax monies cannot go into the general budget. These funds can only be used for public safety and capital improvements, not a rainy day fund.

It was suggested that annual budget reports are needed. Budget reports are provided monthly at every council meeting held the first Tuesday of the month. Copies are available at this meeting. If you cannot attend and want a copy, contact the staff at Town Hall. The town is not facing a budget crunch and there are no immediate plans to increase any taxes.

Voting eligibility in Ocean View has been made an issue. Only permanent residents of Ocean View are allowed to register to vote. They do not have to be property owners. Some say if you own property, but do not live here, you should be able to vote. Think about that. If you live here, but own property in another district in Sussex County, can you vote in both districts for county council? If you own property in some other town, or in another state, are you permitted to vote in their elections? I think not. In Ocean View, all property owners and residents are allowed to vote on any referendum.

It was stated that the relationship between the citizens of the town and town government was strained. I haven’t detected this. I feel the town employees and police are responsive and responsible, and the Councilmen represent their districts well. If anyone has any questions or concerns about the town, please contact me at Town Hall (302) 539-9797.

The town and the police department have a Web site. For any information, go to www.oceanviewde.com. Again, thank you for your support and vote of confidence.

Mayor Gary L. Meredith
Ocean View

Fenwick resident disagrees with letter

Editor:
I do not agree with Mr. and Mrs. Griffin’s complaint (April 8th Coastal Point) with the Fenwick Island Town Council’s decision to spend $5,000 on a feasibility study for channel dredging.

Fenwick has the wonderful fortune of bordering both the Atlantic Ocean and the Little Assawoman Bay. After all these years, it is high time to put to rest the pettiness about the “bayside” and “ocean side” residents. We need not waste the time or effort worrying about the size of a neighbor’s house or its location when making decisions for the good of the town.

Instead we should work together to have a more friendly and functional community that protects and appreciates all aspects of our environment.

Bobbi L. Lednum
Fenwick Island