Millville

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.

Several communities along White’s Neck Road not included in the original Millville Sanitary Sewer District, including West Ocean Farms, White’s Neck Village and Bowerset could soon see county sewer. Sussex County Engineer Mike Izzo presented to county council on Tuesday, July 20, a proposal to bring service to the remaining areas because they have come in under budget for the project.

It was that time again this week: time for Ecumenical Vacation Bible School. In the Bethany Beach area, ecumenical means several churches working together for this annual vacation tradition, and the time in the middle of summer that some kids look forward to all year long, where they will once again meet new friends, meet new teachers and, for some, be introduced to Jesus Christ for the first time.

At the old Millville post office, a new Italian restaurant has caused a flurry of attention from locals and visitors alike. Perucci’s is a little bistro owned by Lynn and Jim Rickards, the former owners of Bethany Beach Diner.

It was a “happy occasion” on Thursday, July 1, as Millville Mayor Don Minyon and Deputy Mayor Gerry Hocker broke ground on the latest phase of Millville By the Sea, along with officials from the large scale development’s new builder, Virginia-based Christopher Companies.

The towns of Ocean View and Millville joined forces this week in a workshop to discuss public safety. Ocean View Town Councilman Bob Lawless opened up the discussion by saying that there is a “natural relationship there,” between the two towns. He explained that Ocean View doesn’t want to make a profit on public safety service but, rather, wants to cover their costs, with the end result being a “win-win” for both towns.

Those interested in listening in on public safety discussions between the towns of Ocean View and Millville will get their chance on Tuesday, July 6, at 6 p.m., when representatives from the Millville and Ocean View town councils will meet in a joint workshop to discuss “the providing of public safety services to the Town of Millville from the Town of Ocean View.”

On Monday, June 28, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) held an informational public workshop on the Route 26 Detour Routes Project. DelDOT officials were on hand to answer questions and to explain the process of both the detour project and subsequent mainline project.

On Saturday, July 3, from 8 a.m. to noon, the Town of Millville will hold its first community-wide yard sale and merchant sidewalk sale.

The Millville Town Council met on Wednesday, June 16, and held a public hearing and vote on the possible rezoning of four applicants’ properties from C-1, commercial, to C-2, large-scale commercial, zoning.

The long-awaited Route 26 Mainline improvements project can’t happen without some preliminary work first being done on the back roads that will be the detour routes while the larger project is under way. And while right-of-way acquisition for the Mainline project has started and will continue until the spring of 2012, the Route 26 Detour Routes Project is set to start this summer.

“Farm-to-table.” The popular term in the culinary world refers to dishes that include local, seasonal and fresh ingredients – preferably from area farms. Chefs build entire menus around the philosophy, and farm-to-table dinners in restaurants are becoming frequent.

Good Earth Market & Organic Farm and Plate Catering, however, are giving the concept a twist.

Officials from Ocean View and Millville this week discussed the fate of a group of lots located in a “no-man’s land” between the towns, in which some of the lots – all located within the Country Estates community – are only partially in Ocean View and others exist in unincorporated Sussex County, being neither in Ocean View nor in Millville.

Extending some public safety services to Millville is once again a topic of conversation in Ocean View, as the town prepares a response to a request from Millville Mayor Don Minyon to “discuss the details of Ocean View’s possibly providing public safety services to the Town of Millville. The topic is set to be discussed at the June 8 Ocean View town council meeting.

Richard Bloch is more than just a stage magician. Presto, chango! He has transformed a garage and workshop on Atlantic Avenue in Millville into a charming 50-seat theater where magic, music and more will be featured nightly beginning June 17.

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.

This Saturday, May 29, the South Coastal Delaware AARP chapter will sponsor the Third Annual Artisans Fair at the Millville Fire Hall, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Dozens of craftspersons from the area will be featured in the event, which aims to raise scholarship money for local high-school students.

On Wednesday, May 19, the town of Millville hosted Delaware’s First Lady, Carla Markell. Mayor Don Minyon extended an invitation to Markell during the Sussex County Volunteer Day on April 24, to come back, spend more time with volunteer groups in the area and learn more about their work.

Beebe Medical Center’s Millville Emergency Center will officially reopen Memorial Day weekend, starting its 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week summer schedule. The center will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, and will remain open until the Tuesday after Labor Day.

Four property owners have put in applications to the town of Millville to be rezoned from C-1 to C-2 commercial zoning designations. The properties, which are along the Route 26 corridor, are all currently zoned C-1 – for mixed residential and light commercial use.

In 2006 – when Jerry Richard first opened Steakhouse 26 in the Millville Town Center – the establishment quickly became a favorite for beachgoers and locals alike. The dimly lit restaurant reflected the look of an urban, fine-dining steakhouse. But, a struggling economy and inflation in the beef industry now has the place singing a different tune. Now, simply known as “twenty-six,” Richard’s restaurant blends a fresh, coastal menu, raw bar and a newly hired chef with a local staple, while retaining some of the aspects that customers have grown to love.

The Millville Planning and Zoning Commission met Monday, April 12, to review four commercial rezoning applications.

Advertisements on television, radio and in magazines recognize Verizon Wireless as one of the largest and most rapidly growing telecommunications providers, and with a new store location popping up in Millville recently, many of their local customers can breathe a little easier.

At the March 23 Millville Town Council workshop Greg Hastings, of G. A. Hastings & Associates presented to council, for their review, a 3-D rendering and quarter inch preliminaries of the proposed addition to town hall.

The 2nd Annual Bingo Fundraiser for the Indian River High School (IRHS) Music Department will be held on Friday, March 26, at the Millville Volunteer Fire Hall. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and games will start at 7 p.m.

The “graying” of Sussex County is not news. The fastest growing county with its (mostly) mild climate, favorable tax base and close proximity to the beach and many major cities, is a popular destination for many recent retirees looking to enjoy their golden years. And with that brings new challenges. As the specialty of “elder law” has grown in the past 20 years or so, lawyers like Robert Morin at practices like the law office of Susan Weidman in Millville and Millsboro, are more in demand than ever.

A mere second can sometimes be the difference between life and death, and Michael West can attest to that. Early Saturday morning, an unfamiliarity with the area paired with heavy rains and a rising tide almost spelled disaster for West, when his Chevy Tahoe plunged into the water behind the Creekside Community in Millville. Fortunately, quick thinking by Deidre Nowak, a New York schoolteacher in town at the time, West escaped with his life.

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Millville Volunteer Fire Company will be holding a homemade Easter candy sale at the fire hall Saturday, March 27, starting at noon.