Coastal Point • SHAUN LAMBERT The Ocean View Church of Christ hosted March Madness 2006 on Friday, March 24. The event — focused on local youth — featured praise and worship, games, videos, door prizes and trip to Indian River High School for various sporting events. Not for the weak of heart, March Madness went from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 25.

Coastal Point viewpoint 2006.03.31

District residents approve referendum
Indian River School District Director of Business and Finance Patrick Miller admitted that he had some concerns. For weeks, the district had held more than a dozen meetings to educate the public on issues surrounding its March 28 referendum. Unfortunately, hardly anyone attended.

South Bethany proposes $3.3M 2007 budget
Sussex County engineers have presented a timeline for ongoing sewer work along Old Mill Road, north of Millville. Last week, they warned local residents to expect a detour to Clubhouse Road at least until the end of May.

Dagsboro moving toward moratorium goals
Dagsboro Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) Chair Marge Eckerd reported strong progress at the March 27 town council meeting on the commission’s checklist of matters to be addressed before the town’s building moratorium expires in late July.

Ocean View officials to address readdressing
Sussex County officials started the process more than eight years ago. In all of the un-incorporated areas of the county, they have readdressed properties with five-digit street addresses and plugged them into a county-wide map. Once updated, that map is sent to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), where it is used to screen 911 calls.

Energy hikes steadily approaching
Residents and businesspeople on the Delmarva Peninsula are talking about the issue. Local media outlets have run numerous stories on it since late last year. And Delaware’s General Assembly will spend most of its time next week considering what to do with it.

Options are available to save on power
Ronnie Kweller spends most of every day explaining how to save money on energy costs. The spokesperson for the Alliance to Save Energy, a non-profit Washington D.C.-based coalition founded in 1977 that promotes energy efficiency, said that just switching light bulbs can help. Being energy-conscious when buying new appliances, or thermostats, can go a long way to help someone save on energy costs, as well, she said.

Changes in Fenwick's commercial district
Part-time home owners and seasonal visitors to Fenwick Island may have a few surprises awaiting them when they arrive in the coastal town with warmer weather. For some, the changes will be a total surprise; for others, they will simply be the visual confirmation that time has passed and the town continues its slow transformation.

Fenwick pursues storage for garbage trucks
Fenwick Island residents may be a little closer to bidding a fond farewell to some of their neighbors — not human neighbors, but the town’s garbage trucks, which have sparked complaints about odor and unsightliness at their current storage area within the town limits.

Locals check out Route 26 update from DelDOT
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) officials once again rolled out preliminary plans for Route 26 improvements, from Clarksville to the Assawoman Canal (between Ocean View and Bethany Beach), on March 27.

Ocean View adjustments board grants, denies applications
Officials from Ocean View’s Board of Adjustment made an example out of a pair of town residents on March 16, denying a variance application for a 10-by12-foot shed.

Network offers in-home massage option
Those seeking to enjoy the ultimate in relaxation without even leaving the comfort of home have it even easier these days, thanks to the Delaware Massage Network — a new group that organizes massage therapists providing in-home services in southern Delaware.

Students working overtime at Indian River
Soon, Indian River School District students might get more half-days and might not have to make up days in school missed because of snow, ice or fog. In a presentation made to the district’s board of education on Tuesday, Gary Brittingham said that district students attend school for more hours than is required by the state.

Fundraiser to help burn victim's family
After spending about two months in Crozier Hospital and with burns still covering his upper body from a December accident, doctors finally allowed Matthew “Tucker” Smawley to leave the burn center with his mother for a trip to the mall.

Bethany abandons Maryland Avenue
Bethany Beach Town Council Members voted unanimously to abandon the unopened section of Maryland Avenue at their March 17 meeting, making way for the combining of the town’s latest land acquisitions, the former Disciples of Christ Christian Church and Neff properties, as dedicated a single parcel of open space.

Bethany moves on architecture guidelines
Working against a 180-day clock that started Feb. 10, Bethany Beach officials have plunged directly into the work needed to establish guidelines for commercial architecture before their moratorium on such construction elapses on Wednesday, Aug. 9.

First state loans provide some opportunity
Two and half years ago, New Castle County resident Robert Hensley made a life-changing decision to go into business for himself. He had 10 years of landscaping experience, was tired of working for someone else and was looking for a loan. The problem was banks wouldn’t lend him any money.

Local students to share their love story
Students at Sussex Central High School are preparing to portray love on the stage with a March 31 performance of a student-produced cabaret.

Farestead tackles CIB's conservation plan
For six weeks, Muns Farestad has sat on a Citizens Advisory Committee subcommittee, assessing the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) just more than 10 years since its inception.

County seeking moderately-priced projects
It’s been a few months since Sussex County Council approved the Moderately-Priced Housing Unit (MPHU) program, but with the deadline for the first round fast approaching, the county is reminding developers that they’ll need to submit their applications before April 10.

Obituaries

Virgil James Webb, 95
Joseph Roland Ward Sr., 78
Joyce Lucille Dale Bundick, 69
Charles ‘Doll Baby’ Harmon, 87
Harry Claude Hudson, 87
Ronald T. ‘Britt’ Brittingham, 89
Ethel P. Short, 80
Charles J. Davis, 65
Grover C. Brown, 95
Margaret Jane Reed, 82

Ipod is simply IMazing
I have seen the future, and it’s in a tiny little white box with little white wires sticking out of it.

Gold fever
Fenwick-area resident John Feuerstein seems to be in great shape, for 72, and it may be in large part thanks to his favorite hobby — metal detectoring. The Baltimore native has walked many a sandy beach, getting his exercise and earning a little pocket money in the bargain.

Dublin comes to town
Corned beef and cabbage combined with a glass of Harp. Dublin coddle followed by a dose of Murphy’s Red. Or a slice of shepherd’s pie washed down by a pint of Guinness. If those Irish combinations sound appealing to any Selbyville-area residents, they’re in luck.

Lady Indians come out hot
Indian River’s softball team, like many others in the conference, fought hard toward the state championshi p last year only to fall short. Only two teams make it to the big game, so it’s only natural that a few teams go home disappointed. But the best teams rekindle the flame – for a new season and another chance.

Warhawks playoff window shrinks
Generally, Sussex County Warhawks Head Coach John Boyer is a hands-off coach. He lets his coordinators call the plays and he doesn’t waste too much time hassling with the referees over calls. But the team losing their fourth straight game, 22-18 to the Wicomico Stallions, in the wake of a playoff hunt changed all that.

Tennis team hopes to reverse close scores
The Indian River varsity tennis season began with a lot of hype and promise, following on a 7-7 record last year. They returned seven players and each of them spent the time to improve their game for the upcoming season. The one glaring blemish on last year’s team was the number of matches they lost by one.

Abbott wows them on the field, at 15
Last year was a learning experience for Trevor Abbott, as a freshman. He was a wide-eyed, talented, young pitcher on a conference championship varsity team, and he was just waiting for an opportunity to play and contribute. He took a few cuts from the batter’s box and tossed a few innings of relief — but that was last year.

Lady Indians look ahead to long season
Last year, Indian River’s varsity girls’ soccer team finished with a 14-2-1 record and won the Southern Henlopen championship. They beat Dover 4-3 in the opening round of the state tournament but couldn’t keep up with A.I. DuPont’s speed, losing 4-0 in the second round.

Baseball squad knows they're the hunted
Mistakes decrease a team’s chance at winning any game. A false start can turn a third-and-two into a third-and-seven situation, which in turn limits a coach’s play-calling. They would’ve liked to run and have a possibility at two-down territory but penalties kill. Miss a few free-throws down the stretch in the fourth quarter and you guarantee that team loses or cuts it too close for comfort.

Lady Indians win season opener
Indian River varsity girls’ tennis Head Coach Elizabeth Tiffany knew that this season would be an uphill climb with a gaggle of new players on the team. But win, lose or draw, her players will improve and continue to make strides.

Golfers hope work turn into wins
Last season, the Indian River varsity golf team could do no wrong. They rattled off a 12-5 record while winning 10 of their final 11 regular-season matches. (They lost to Dover by just three strokes.) And they nearly toppled Sussex Tech in the conference championship in what became a two-stroke loss.