Millville

An unnamed storm that lashed the area with high winds and heavy rain late last week caused significant beach erosion and flooding along the Delaware coast and inland bays. The late-September storm, despite falling during hurricane season and exhibiting counterclockwise rotation, was not classified as a tropical system but as simply a low-pressure system and therefore was not named.

The Board of Directors for the Center for Inland Bays bypassed a resolution put forth by the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and instead passed a different motion, with a vote of 3-2.

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Carolann Wicks, state and local officials, residents and others were on hand at a Sept. 17 event to unveil the design for a new bridge over the Indian River Inlet and present the selected design/build team — Skanska USA Civil Southeast — to the public.

Residents, business owners and others who make regular use of Beaver Dam Road between Peppers Corner Road and Substation Road west of Ocean View are likely to get to know alternatives to the popular route very well in the coming months. Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) officials announced Sept.

The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center mid-week was monitoring a developing storm system off the eastern United States that threatened to bring heavy rain, gusty winds, and prolonged higher-than-normal tides to the region for the next several days.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, many area professionals and residents had their questions (and prayers) answered as state and local officials unveiled the new plans for the long-anticipated Indian River Inlet Bridge project.

For Kay Ryan, running for representative for the state’s 38th District will be like an extension of the last seven years of her life before her retirement.

It’s hard to miss the Little Red School House, complete with an antique school bell on top, on Bayard Road. The building, which blends in with the scenery and looks as if it were an actual restored school house, was, in fact, built just 20 years ago by owner/teacher “Miss Debbie” Jahnigen and her family.

By popular demand, Old World Breads is now available at Good Earth Market in Clarksville. On Fridays and Saturdays, Steve Kogler’s Old World Breads, famously known and sought-after at the area farmers’ markets — especially for the cinnamon shorties — will be sold at Good Earth on Route 26.

A 51-year-old Millville man shot and killed himself near his home in Ocean Air Park on Sunday morning, Sept. 14, after police arrived at his home in response to reports of a domestic incident between him and his wife.

Update, Sept. 6, 7:14 p.m. -- With Tropical Storm Hanna clear of the Delmarva Peninsula as late afternoon and evening arrived on Saturday, residents and visitors alike turned out by the dozens to check out the storm-tossed waves of the Atlantic and see what, if any, damage had been left in the storm's wake. By and large, the answer to that question was none -- a puddle here, a pile of pinecones and twigs there, and mild to moderate erosion to the front sections of the area's reconstructed beaches.

The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center is continuing to monitor the movement of Tropical Storm Hanna, which is forecast to track along the East Coast this weekend and bring gusty winds and heavy rain to Delaware. Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Hanna to pass just to the east of Delaware’s coast on Saturday. However, as the storm’s center moves northward, the system is expected to reach far enough inland to spread heavy rain and strong winds across Sussex County. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches, with winds up to 40 mph, are possible. Gusts could reach 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

With two months of construction behind them in the multi-year work to extend central sewer service along Route 26 through Millville, business owners along the busy road said in March that fears of major traffic tie-ups seriously impacting their bottom line hadn’t really come to pass.

Officials at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center announced Wednesday that they were closely monitoring Tropical Storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Delaware State Police announced Tuesday, Sept. 2, that they are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a Millville man who is wanted in connection to a residential burglary that occurred on July 28.

Delaware Electric Cooperative is asking all Delaware Electric Co-op members to voluntarily conserve or limit energy usage between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, when its membership is expected to be using the greatest amount of electricity and, as a result, when the cooperative expects to be purchasing power from the market at extremely high prices.

As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and business partners Pauline Blasena and Sandy Wilgus are bringing the adage to life. Earlier this month, Wilgus teamed up with Blasena’s Millville shop of antiques and collectibles, Lavender and Lace, bringing her country- and beach-themed artwork, as well as pieces from other area painters.

There’s not a brick or any mortar in sight, yet Justin’s Beach House will be welcoming its first guest this September, just in time for the Make-a-Wish Triathlon at Sea Colony.

Ocean View police have filed 56 charges each against a pair of suspects in connection with a widespread series of thefts throughout the Ocean View area in the last two months. Additional arrests in the cases and more than 100 charges against the initial two suspects alone are expected in the coming days.

When Rick Hundley and his wife woke up on July 21 and discovered that their Cabriolet convertible had been replaced in the driveway of their Bethany Lakes home by two bicycles, they were pretty sure it wasn’t a guerilla statement on “green” transportation. They reported the theft to the police.

The renovation and expansion of the South Coastal Library and Joshua M. Freeman Cultural Center is proceeding on a schedule that should allow for a “grand” reopening in the spring of 2009. Please drive by the Kent Avenue location to see the progress being made (for your safety, please do not enter the “fenced in” construction area).

The Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce’s (BFACC) 30th annual award-winning Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival features jewelry, art glass, pottery, sculpture, watercolor and oil painting, basketry, woodworking and much more. And the event is bigger and better than ever this year, according to the Chamber.

The Millville Volunteer Fire Company will be holding a Texas Holdem Poker Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 23, at its firehouse on Route 26. Entry fee is $100, with two $25 re-buys available.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Dealing begins at 7 p.m. You must be 21 or older to attend. Up to $80,00 in prize money paid out depending on player participation.

It was Monday morning, the start of a new work week at Mike & Paul’s Auto Repair on Route 26 in Millville. Owners Mike and Kerry Blizzard were swamped with customers needing help with their cars. And they weren’t the only ones looking for help at the business.

The Route 26 roadway improvement project planned for the 4 miles between St. George’s Church in Clarksville and the Assawoman Canal is now expected to begin in 2011 and conclude in 2014, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation’s (DelDOT’s) current schedule and funding, with work slated to be completed in one-mile sections.

Earlier this month, a group of developers finally brought forth to the public one of the most innovative communities the area has seen in decades. The long-anticipated homes of the Millville by the Sea master-planned community were unveiled at the development’s open house, giving curious homeowners and potential buyers a peek at what’s in store.

With a contract for the design and construction of the new Indian River Inlet Bridge expected to be awarded in July, Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc. is the apparent winning design-build team for the project, which could start construction in early fall, to carry traffic no later than December 2011.

According to George Economos, the sycamore trees in front of his home in Millville are landmarks. They are part of the town’s history and deserve preservation. They greet the visitor on the way to the beach and let them know they are almost there.

Troopers seek information on suspect

The Delaware State Police mid-week were investigating a robbery that occurred Monday, June 30, about10:15 p.m., after a person imposing as a police officer allegedly stopped a motorist and took their wallet.

With a contract for the design and construction of the new Indian River Inlet Bridge expected to be awarded in July, Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc. is the apparent winning design-build team for the project, which could start construction in early fall, to carry traffic no later than December 2011.