Coastal Point • RUSLANA LAMBERT Chai takes a little ‘alone’ time outside Yuppy Puppy in Bethany Beach on Monday.

Coastal Point viewpoint 2006.07.21

Co-op rate under 10 cents
Despite rising temperatures and growing concern in the Middle East region, the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce has solidified a rate of 9.897 cents per kWh without a demand charge for the 76 members of its electric cooperative.

Wichmann censured despite support
Ocean View Town Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday to censure Bill Wichmann, despite overwhelming public support shown for the councilman at the meeting. Mayor Gary Meredith cast the deciding vote to censure Wichmann for 12 charges related to the violation of town procurement codes, organizing a cover-up and threatening a town employee.

South Bethany looks at code enforcement
Code enforcement issues topped concerns from citizens at the South Bethany Town Council meeting on July 14.

IRSD prayer suit draws plenty of attention
Nearly two years after the Jewish Dobrich family complained about Indian River School District’s religiously “exclusive” environment, bloggers, civil rights organizations and discussion forums on the Internet have cast a national spotlight on the First Amendment case the Dobriches filed in federal court in early 2005.

Fenwick kicks off child ID program
The Fenwick Island Police Department has become the first police department in the state of Delaware to engage in a full-fledged digital child identification and safety program.

Swanson files for sheriff spot
Eric Swanson, a former Delaware State Police official and criminal justice teacher, filed last week to run against Sheriff Robert Reed in November’s election. Reed has held the spot since 1998 and will seek re-election to his third term in November amid controversy about the duties of the sheriff’s office.

The Agenda

Power plant could be boon for energy, more
A recently-announced $1.5 billion project at the Indian River Power Plant holds an incredible amount of promise, both for Sussex County and the rest of our state.

The future of the Middle East is happening now
While crisis in the Middle East is not new, it now has a new look.

Guest column
Stopped at the light in Millville recently, I noticed the Volvo in front of me sported a bumper sticker that read “I’d Rather Be Sailing.”

Coastal towns consider recycling programs
South Bethany residents seeking convenient recycling options may want to go ahead and sign up for the Delaware Solid Waste Authority’s new statewide curbside recycling program.

Rental tax ordinance introduced in town
Ocean View Town Council introduced an ordinance on Tuesday that would implement a rental tax in the town, but council members worried about its enforcement. The tax would charge landlords 3 percent of gross rental receipts but would likely also translate into higher rental rates within Ocean View.

School district’s Owens taking on state job
Indian River School District Personnel Director Michael Owens will leave the district at the end of this month and take a job with the Delaware Department of Education, he told the Coastal Point.

Fenwick Island home to unique yacht club
Founded in 1961, the Fenwick Island Yacht Club is not a typical yacht club: it has no clubhouse, no boat slips, nor a precise address, but does have many enthusiastic members. An association of about 90 families, the Fenwick Island Yacht Club gathers on now-disappearing Seal Island several times a year to race catamarans, sunfish, double-sail mono-hulls and kayaks.

Millville couple hits pair of milestones
Jacqueline and Noble Simpson of Millville recently held a “60-80 Celebration Party,” in commemoration of their 60th wedding anniversary and Noble Simpson’s 80th birthday.

Real estate corner
How many times have you based a decision on your first impression? If you’re like most people the answer is “many times.” That old cliché, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” may be sage advice, but there’s no denying that first impressions matter.

Fenwick candidates introduce themselves
The five candidates vying for three Fenwick Island council seats in the upcoming Aug. 5 election paraded in front of a full meeting room at town hall on Saturday, introducing themselves to their potential constituents at the annual meet-the-candidates event and general meeting of the Fenwick Island Society of Homeowners (FISH).

Rain shortens Camp Barnes benefit race
For many years, the Camp Barnes Benefit Stock Car race has been a highlight of the area’s motor-sports shows.

Obituaries
Preston Lee Hudson, 82
Edward McGue, 70
Larry K. Pruett, 43
Mauricelene D. ‘Penny’ Mondell, 65
S. Margery Jarmon, 90
Ronald J. Carrara, 62

A family affair: 4 the Shore
Janet and Mark Fisher, along with their family, are pretty hands-on with 4 the Shore Furnishings, a Williamsville furniture store they opened in May. More than occasionally, the two owners sell a couch or a wicker chair, walk outside, load the piece of furniture onto the truck and deliver it to the customer — often on the same day it was purchased.

Tour time
It’s one of the hottest tickets in the area each summer, as lovers of beautiful homes and coastal décor take advantage of the rare opportunity to enter into otherwise private abodes, and see some of the best and most beautiful of the area’s dwellings.

Legion team breaks out of slump
Post 28’s Sussex East Legion baseball team halted a three-game skid by picking up a pair of wins behind hot hitting and timely pitching by utility infielder C.J. Bell, and Cody Jensen and Trevor Abbott, in an abbreviated doubleheader against Delvets on July 16.

Lower Sussex gets on offensive roll
Following an opening-round 4-2 loss to Georgetown in the Major League Little League All-Star tournament, Lower Sussex head coach Greg Moffitt admitted that his team wasn’t loose enough to win the game.

Lower Sussex junior girls gone in two
The Lower Sussex Junior League Softball All-Star team made three errors. Four balls got past the catcher and five Nanticoke All-Stars reached base on walks.

Lower Sussex slaughters Seaford 15-4
Led by homerun hitters Louis Castro, Elijah Forman and Corey Showalter, Lower Sussex slaughtered Seaford in Delaware District 3 Junior Little League tournament play 15-4 at the Millsboro baseball complex Monday night (July 17).

Sussex teams battle for berth in Series
Very soon, senior league softball teams from all over the world will descend upon Roxana’s Pyle Center for a chance to win a Little League championship.

Watkins story continues with another first-time win
Super Late Model pilot Richard Jarvis, based out of Ocean Pines, Md., was a lucky man at Georgetown Speedway last Friday night, July 14. The 27-year-old racer earned $2,500 for his first-ever Georgetown Speedway win.

Pony Penning a memorable time
When I was a young girl, coming to the beach each summer for a few weeks, there was one thing I always wanted to do that we simply never did. Each summer, we swam in the waves, built sandcastles, chased down the ice-cream man, flew a kite, went crabbing in the Assawoman Wildlife Refuge, ate seafood and made the much-looked-forward-to trip to Funland on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach.