Going Green!

It’s good to be first. In a real estate market that is struggling to get back on its feet, it’s easy to focus on the struggles and hefty competition and much harder to get recognized for doing something positive and out of the ordinary. But that is just what Bob Thornton of SilverWoods has managed to do.

Nothing quite says summer like a Fourth of July barbecue. The word alone can drum up nostalgic smells of summer — charcoal smoke wafting through the air, grilled hot dogs and burgers with perfect seared lines. According to the Sierra Club, 60 million people will be barbecuing on the Fourth, consuming enough energy to power 20,000 homes for a whole year.

Perhaps the greatest measure of the appeal and impact of the “green” movement in today’s society is that there is now an entire television network devoted to green living.

Citizens attended a public hearing last week on an application by NRG Indian River Operations Inc. (NRG) for a permit to construct and operate a new phase of the industrial landfill located at 29416 Power Plant Road, in Millsboro. The hearing was held June 26 by DNREC’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Branch.

It had become somewhat doubtful over the past year that Delaware would ever have an offshore wind farm. But, in a compromise reached this week, it appears the wind park could be built about 12 miles off the coast of Rehoboth Beach by 2012.

The winds of change may soon be sweeping through Delaware with renewed force.

On Monday, June 23, the powers behind the offshore wind farm - Delmarva Power and Babcock & Brown - announced they had reached an agreement.

At a May 29 hearing, the public had a chance to hear about the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC’s) proposed plan for remedial action for the Burton’s Island Ash Landfill in Millsboro, where ash from the Indian River Power Plant was disposed for many years.

The Bay Colony Community Yacht Club was recently dedicated a “Delaware Clean Marina,” only the seventh in the state to receive the recognition by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

As the summer season starts to get under way, those who want to have a good time — though not at the expense of the environment and leaving a bigger carbon footprint — can rest easy knowing that Funland in Rehoboth Beach has gone solar!

Going “green” was a natural progression for Michael Kwiecien of Explorer Homes. He and his family have always recycled and composted, and he describes himself as an “old hippie,” although those days seem far away now as he dons a traditional military hair cut.

The average computer user replaces their computer every two to three years. New television technology is tolling the bell on millions of TV sets across the country, as viewers upgrade to sets capable of displaying high-definition signals. And millions of VCRs are being replaced these days will recordable DVD machines and digital video recorders. So, where do all these devices end up?

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Water Resources held a public information meeting on their proposed Inland Bays Pollution Control Strategy, PCS, Tuesday, May 20, at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

Workers from Delmarva Salvage Company and Tow Boat U.S. removed the damaged research liftboat Russell W. Peterson from the shore at Bethany Beach just after dawn on Friday, May 16, clearing the way for temporary repair and long-term restoration of the town's reconstructed beach, and allieviating any lingering concerns about environmental impacts of the storm-ravaged ship's presence on the coast.

The Coast Guard rescued two people by helicopter Monday when the research boat they were on broke apart and took on water about 14 miles off the coast of Rehoboth Beach, Del. One crewman was pronounced dead Monday after reaching the hospital. The abandoned vessel later beached itself on the shore in Bethany Beach, off Parkwood Street.

At first glance, the house at 116 First Street in Bethany Beach might look like any other construction project in the beach town. Where once there was an outdated beach cottage, now sits a newly constructed, modern house in its place.

The Community Service Group at Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown recently won the Delaware State Gold Medal for its schoolwide recycling program, with the award presented at the SkillsUSA award ceremony. The group is now eligible to go on to national competition, to be held in Kansas City this June.

Most people have heard about the countless contributions they can make to help improve the environment, although many people are still hesitant to jump aboard. Perhaps they feel that their changes will not have a significant impact. Others may not be willing, as they perceive they are picking up the slack of others out there.

On Tuesday, April 29, students, teachers and community volunteers were set to come together to create a new schoolyard habitat at Indian River High School in Dagsboro.

Many U.S. taxpayers will start receiving their 2008 stimulus payments in increments of $300 this week through direct deposit, with $300 or more for many single taxpayers, $600 or more for many couples and $300 additional for each eligible child.

The Bethany Beach Town Council voted 6-1 on Friday, April 18, to adopt the smoking ban the town has spent the last seven months debating and turning into legislation. With the vote, the town became the first in the state of Delaware to ban smoking on a public beach.