Ocean View

The Ocean View Town Council held its monthly workshop on Tuesday, July 27, at which they discussed a proposed revision of existing town code.

It’s one thing to go on a mission trip to a foreign country, or even to another state, but the mission of helping people in need in your own community is something altogether different.

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.

Delaware State Police this week were investigating a crash in which an Ocean View man allegedly struck a DSP patrol car while driving under the influence.

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.

The Ocean View Town Council met on Tuesday, July 13, holding a public hearing for their 2010 comprehensive land use plan. The council voted 4-1 to approve the plan, following a discussion in which some residents expressed concern about future commercialization of the town and others expressed a desire for progress.

In a move Mayor Gordon Wood said was welcomed by himself and Police Chief Ken McLaughlin, the Ocean View Town Council voted unanimously after its executive session on July 13 to spend up to $7,000 for a study of staffing needs at the Ocean View Police Department. The study is to be performed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

For people fresh off the Beach & Bay Cottage Tour, or for those just looking for an inexpensive way to do lunch for a good cause, the women of Ocean View Presbyterian Church will be having their Heavenly Luncheon fundraiser Wednesday, July 28, and Thursday, July 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is one of their major fundraisers of the year that will help to fund the many local, national, and international missions that they support.

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.

The Town of Ocean View will send out letters regarding its updated comprehensive land-use plan to affected property owners. Mayor Gordon Wood suggested this week that, even though there have been public hearings and a first reading of the plan, the town has not yet done a good enough job in getting information about the changes out, including letting the people know of changes from residential to commercial designations that could possibly affect them.

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.

Every evening, the Mease family sits down for dinner and conversation in their home at the Villages of Clearwater, off Kent Avenue. On one occasion in April 2009, the topic was the recession and the reality of hunger that some children experience during the summer, when school breakfasts and lunches are no longer available. The family talked about what they could do in their community, and Danielle Mease – then a junior at Indian River High School – had the idea to conduct a food drive.

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.

Homegrown lawyer Meghan M. Kelly recently accepted a position in Ocean View, close to her home town of Dagsboro. Kelly will be assisting Steven P. Norman at the Norman Law Firm, formally known as Sussex Title and Escrow, located near Blockbuster and Papa John’s.

Running a seafood market is not exactly how David and Beth Long envisioned spending time as grandparents, but nevertheless, the opportunity came knocking on their door.

“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.

An observant motorist last week alerted police to an apparent theft of gas from a vehicle. Ocean View Police said a motorist reported a suspicious person to an Ocean View police officer on patrol, leading to the arrest of a 35-year-old Dagsboro man in the case.

This past weekend, 15 local athletes from the Mighty Marlins – a community-based team from Ocean View – competed in the summer games for Special Olympics Delaware.

A proposal for commercial rezoning of Parcel 6 on land near the intersection of West Avenue and Route 26 was once again a subject before the Ocean View Town Council, at the council’s regular monthly meeting on June 8.

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.

Ocean View Councilman Perry Mitchell has officially filed to run against incumbent state Sen. George Bunting in this fall’s primary election for the Democratic nomination for the District 20 senate seat.

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.

The Ocean View Town Council on May 11 voted unanimously to revise non-exempt police officers’ salaries, effective the first day of the pay period following the approval of the resolution. New entry-level officers will see an increase of $2,000 per year, current privates will see an increase of $2,000 per year, and current PFCs will see an increase of $1,500 per year.

This weekend, residents and visitors alike can enjoy the revived Ocean View Homecoming – a long-held tradition that hasn’t been formally celebrated in the town since the 1960s. It will be brought back to life this Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at John West Park.

The sixth annual Gardening for the Bays Native Plant Sale is set for Saturday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the James Farm Ecological Preserve in Ocean View (off of Cedar Neck Road). Five nurseries will offer thousands of native plants; trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses and flowers, along with advice and expertise.

Sherri Hudson was recently named Lord Baltimore Elementary School’s Teacher of the year. Hudson, a third-grade teacher at LB, has been at the school for seven years. Prior to that, she taught first grade for three years at Phillip Showell Elementary School and for three years at Georgetown Elementary.