Bethany Beach

Bethany Beach Town Council members were set this week to discuss and potentially vote on a series of proposed zoning amendments that have been met with opposition from some property owners in the town. The council has on its May 17 agenda all but one of the amendments, opting to not yet put up for a vote what might be the most controversial element of the package — the proposed rezoning of two residential-zoned parcels to commercial zoning in a nod to their existing and proposed uses.

Developer Jack Burbage was reaching out this week to offer what he says is a more accurate picture — literally and figuratively — of the hotel project he’s trying to bring to downtown Bethany Beach, where it would replace the longtime Bethany Arms Motel.

Last week, the Bethany-Fenwick Chamber of Commerce announced that Kristie Maravalli would become its new director of membership.

The 25th annual CROP Walk will be held this Saturday in Bethany Beach, starting at the bandstand at 11 a.m. The event will kick off with the Nautical Sounds providing entertainment. The actual walk starts at noon, and afterwards there will be refreshments offered at Bethany Beach Christian Church downtown.

Exactly six months after Hurricane Sandy scrubbed the East Coast, replacing basements and roadways with floodwater and debris, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is poised to rebuild Delaware’s Atlantic shoreline.

Last week, the Delaware Attorney General’s office announced that an investigation of Bethany Beach Police Department Lt. Richard Haden by its Criminal Investigations Unit had resulted in his arrest.

The Delaware State Police are seeking the public’s help regarding an incident in which a large rock was thrown through a car window north of Bethany Beach, injuring a 22-year-old woman.

In America, “poor” is relative. It can be easy to take for granted the simple things in life, such as water, when it is abundant in a seemingly endless flow. But, for people across the globe, access to clean water is still an uphill battle and poverty has a whole different meaning.

On Tuesday, April 30, at 2 p.m., chef Charles Oppman will offer a special adult program on Cajun cooking.

Spring has returned, and so have the cyclists, as the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce prepares for the annual Ocean to Bay Bike Tour.

Bethany’s Mind, Body & Sole has added an infrared sauna treatment to its list of services, which also include yoga, ionic detox and reiki.

D’Ortone’s Homestyle Italian Restaurant & Tap will host a dine-and-donate event on Thursday, April 25, from 4 to 9 p.m. during their dinner service, and patrons don’t even have to do anything extra to help raise funds for Justin’s Beach House! The restaurant will donate 20 percent of all the proceeds off regularly-priced menu items to the respite house in Bethany Beach.

The Bethany Beach Nature Center will host its second annual Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is the brainchild of the Bethany Beach Nature Center Club, or BBNC, made up of kids ages 8 and older, under the guidance of nature center Director Lisa Daisey.

The South Coastal Library is growing their digital offerings to patrons, proving it’s no longer your father’s (or mother’s) library.

Registration has begun for the annual Justin’s Beach House Memorial Day Weekend 5K Run/3K Walk. This year’s event will see a few changes, ending the race with a grand finale where the finish line will be on the Bethany Beach boardwalk.

The race takes off Saturday, May 25, at 7:30 a.m.

ResortQuest Real Estate announced this week that Michael Kappes has joined the firm’s Bethany Beach office on Coastal Highway.

How would you like to treat yourself to a relaxing spa night, all for a good cause? Local spas and salons are partnering for the first annual Beauty for the Beach House fundraiser, in memory of Elizabeth Shoemaker and benefiting Justin’s Beach House.

New markets join in Bellefonte, Dover

The Delaware farmers’ market season launches this month, featuring new markets in Dover and Bellefonte, with farmers and markets fresh off a record-setting sales season of nearly $2 million last year.

Following a long-standing tradition, the Southeast Sussex Ministerium will hold an Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service on Sunday, March 31, at 6 a.m., at the bandstand in Bethany Beach. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be held in the sanctuary of St. Ann’s Catholic Church on Garfield Parkway (Route 26).

ResortQuest Real Estate announced this week that Christina Meiklejohn Antonioli has joined the firm’s Marketplace office on Coastal Highway near Bethany Beach.

Sea Colony Tennis Center, located just south of Bethany Beach, has announced it will host a trio of United States Tennis Association- (USTA-) sponsored tournaments in April and May.

By M. Patricia Titus
With its history firmly rooted in the presence of church groups in the resort town, modern-day Bethany Beach is now having to consider how much of a break it wants to give to religious groups when it comes to town fees.

The citizens of Bethany Beach will get a chance to weigh in on a proposal to redevelop the Bethany Arms Motel into a flagship hotel when the town council holds a public hearing on Friday, March 15, at 4 p.m., to hear comment on six proposed changes to town code that would be needed to let the project go forward.

Last week, the Delaware Supreme Court heard an appeal filed by New Cingular Wireless PCS to allow erection of an AT&T cell phone tower on property just south of Bethany Beach.

Last summer, Bethany Dental Associates welcomed dentist Matt Baran into their practice as their newest general dentist. Baran completed his undergraduate degree at Bucknell University and graduated from Temple University, where he did his dental training, and completed his residency at York Hospital in June of last year.

Officials with the National Weather Service are now predicting that a winter storm will impact the area between Wednesday and Thursday, March 6 and 7. According to the NWS on Tuesday:

Melissa King of Bethany Beach — who had been crowned Miss Delaware Teen USA 2013 in November — resigned her crown this week, after a sexually-explicit video that allegedly included her surfaced on the Internet, according to Gawker.com and various online media outlets.

Bethany Beach Christian Church is currently hosting a three-part workshop series on racism awareness. The public is being invited to join in the discussion and learn more on the remaining two Monday-night sessions, continuing March 4 and 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

They perform CPR. They investigate rape cases. They use kayaks to check on residents during hurricanes and floods. They also write grants and keep up with administrative needs, cover shifts, and go above and beyond their call of duty.

The warm-hearted can beat the winter blues this Saturday, Feb. 23 — all for a good cause — by attending the Tropical Icebreaker at Mango’s to support Justin’s Beach House. For $35 ahead of time or $40 at the door, participants can enjoy a Jimmy Buffet-style evening of music, with casual dress and a buffet dinner.