South Bethany News

South Bethany Town Council members on Oct. 8, in a 2-3 split vote, refused to institute a moratorium on building permits for which the floor-area ratio (FAR) excludes an enclosed area at or below 6 inches above ground level.

The South Bethany Town Council discussed possibly changing the town’s recycling and trash collection schedules for the coming year at their workshop on Thursday, Sept. 23. With more and more people recycling and trash tipping fees possibly increasing by 50 percent, the council discussed ways in which they might adjust their schedule to see some savings.

The South Coastal Library is again hosting their popular book club series on one Wednesday each month, from 1 to 3 p.m. The theme for this series is “It’s Literary.” Previous book club series have discussed historical mysteries and foreign translated books.

Delaware State Police on Monday, Sept. 27, were asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect in the robbery of the PNC Bank inside the Giant grocery store in Millville.

The South Bethany town council held a brief meeting on Friday, Sept. 10, and residents took the opportunity during “Citizens’ Privilege” to voice their opinions on the proposed park project near town hall.

Tropical Storm Earl made landfall near Western Head Nova Scotia around 10 a.m. according to officials. Severe tropical storm conditions are affecting a large part of the province. Meanwhile, coastal Delaware is pleasant with sunny skies.

An issue that has divided citizens of South Bethany in recent months also divided the town council on Friday, Aug. 13.

The Friends of the South Coastal Library will host its largest book sale ever on Thursday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; on Friday, Aug. 20, from 1 to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Aug. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will be held in the meeting room of the library, at 43 Kent Avenue in Bethany Beach.

Online volunteer registration is now open for the 25th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 25. Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the cleanup spans the First State’s 97-mile eastern coastline and includes river and ocean shorelines, as well as wetland and watershed areas.

On Wednesday, July 28, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman (both D-Del.) and Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) announced that $8.172 million in federal funding would be provided to repair the Bethany Beach and South Bethany coastline following damage from the nor’easter and Hurricane Ida in November 2009.

Summertime is in full swing, and many have been heading to the shore for a relaxing getaway and time with family and friends. But the increased number of vacationers inevitably leads to higher volume of traffic on the roadways.

Bringing to a close discussions dating back to February, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Collin O’Mara recently announced that the agency has finalized a consent agreement with NRG Energy Inc. that will permanently shut down a third coal-fired electrical generating unit at the Indian River Power Plant in Millsboro by the end of 2013.

Whether doing cannonballs off the boat, taking off from the dock on a personal watercraft or swimming in the open bays, it’s nice to know how clean that water really is. And the Center for the Inland Bays’ second Recreational Water Quality Indicator Report can help in navigating the use of some of the local inland bays.

Outstanding architecture, astounding landscaping, inspiring home furnishings and stunning design have all combined to make particular homes and dwellings some of the most sought-after and admired ones in the area. Next week, guests on the 19th Annual Beach & Bay Cottage Tour, to benefit the Friends of the South Coastal Library (FOSCL), will once again have the opportunity to witness it all and visit 10 exceptional homes throughout the Bethany Beach/Fenwick Island area.

After introducing a proposal at their July 9 meeting, South Bethany town council members could vote as soon as next month to purchase outright the property adjacent to town hall known as Richard Hall Memorial Park – for the sum of just $32,000.

“It doesn’t make any difference … whether you are in a pool, or the ocean. It only takes a matter of seconds.”

With the controversy leading up to a planned-but-scrapped May referendum vote on the issue still fresh in their minds, will South Bethany officials move this week to definitively open the way for an enhanced park next to the town hall?

First, the South Bethany Town Council got a new look. Now its workshop meetings are seeing a little bit of change, too. At the council’s first workshop since the May elections, new Mayor Jay Headman introduced two new segments to the workshop agenda – both for public comment.

Newly elected South Bethany Town Council Member Sue Callaway hasn’t always lived at the beach full-time. For most of her adult life, she has been fighting for children, and she was part of the founding team of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

With the town’s 2010 council and mayor elections complete, South Bethany’s town council took on a different face on June 5, with new mayor Jay Headman and two new council members, Sue Callaway and George Junkin. But those changes themselves served to bring back a familiar face for those who’ve attended council meetings in South Bethany: Bob Cestone.

When South Bethany Mayor Jay Headman kicked off the town’s reorganizational meeting on Saturday, June 5, a new era had officially begun. Headman was recently elected to replace Gary Jayne, who had served as mayor of the town for the past six years and had stepped aside only after reaching the end of his allowed two terms without at least a year’s break.

As of Saturday, June 5, South Bethany will have a new mayor and two new council members, with the election on Saturday, May 29, of Jay Headman as the town’s next mayor and council newcomers George Junkin Jr. and Sue Callaway, as well as the re-election of incumbent Councilman John Fields.

At 3:35 p.m., National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms moving into central and southern Delaware. Officials said the storms will be capable of producing small hail and gusty winds. In addition, very heavy rain will fall from these storms and will cause water to pond on roads and fill poor drainage areas.

South Bethany residents will go to the polls on Saturday, May 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the town hall, to elect a mayor and three council members.

This year’s candidates for mayor, with a two-year term of office going to the winner, are Joseph “Jay” Headman and Robert A. Youngs, both current council members whose current terms are to expire in 2011.

DNREC officials said this week that the Assawoman Canal dredging project is “closing in on completion.” An extension has been granted for work to continue through May 28, and if dredging is not complete by that date, DNREC has requested additional time to get the project finished this season, said Ariane Nichols of DNREC’s Division of Soil and Water Conservation.