Patrician Griffin wins leadership scholarship
Patricia Walther Griffin of Lewes, state court administrator for Delaware, recently was awarded the Robert L. Doss Jr. memorial scholarship to attend an executive leadership program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. The scholarship is awarded by the National Center for State Courts, the national Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators to a member of the court administrators’ conference who has demonstrated leadership through significant contributions to the field of court administration. Through this scholarship, Griffin will attend the weeklong Women and Power: Leadership in a New World program at the JFK School of Government at Harvard in May 2010.

Citizens to expand ATM access in Delaware
Citizens Financial Group Inc. announced it will expand customer convenience by branding automatic teller machines at nearly 500 Sunoco APlus convenience stores in 13 states throughout the East Coast. The machines will be surcharge-free for all Citizens Bank and Charter One customers. The machines will be owned and operated by EDC, one of the largest and most recognized nationwide service providers. The project is expected to begin in May and be completed in June.

Roadhouse to host fundraiser for KSI
Kent-Sussex Industries Inc. is having a fundraiser at the Roadhouse Steak Joint in Rehoboth Beach the evening of Thursday, March 18. The Roadhouse will donate 10 percent of its proceeds when customers advise their servers they are there in support of Kent-Sussex Industries Inc. Those unable to attend can mail donations to KSI, 301 N. Rehoboth Blvd., Milford, DE 19963.

Delaware Tech offers real estate course
Delaware Technical & Community College offers a course for real estate agents to obtain the skills and knowledge to become real estate brokers. The 27-session course, which is approved by the Delaware Real Estate Commission, will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning March 22. Graduates of the program will receive a certificate of completion and be eligible to sit for the Delaware broker licensing exam. This course is taught by real estate professionals Heidi Balliet, a real estate lawyer with Tunnell & Raysor P.A. in Georgetown, and William Ferreri, broker/owner of Bay Coast Realty in Rehoboth Beach. Balliet and Ferreri also teach the real estate prelicensing course at Del Tech. For more information, call 854-6966.

Liberty Tax waives tax fees for service workers
Liberty Tax offers free tax preparation for service professionals during its annual Appreciation Days. The company has offered free tax preparation for first-time customers who are service professionals since 2000. Each week in March, a select group is honored at participating Liberty Tax offices throughout the United States. This year’s Appreciation Days are for police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians until Sunday, March 14; for nurses and hospital workers from Monday, March 15, through Sunday, March 21; for military workers and veterans from Monday, March 22, through Sunday, March 28; and for volunteers and nonprofit employees from Monday, March 29, through Sunday, April 4. Liberty Tax Service provides computerized income tax preparation, electronic filing, refund loans and online filing through eSmart Tax. For more information, call 302-734-1850 or 302-678-3101.

Blooming Boutique to host party March 18
Blooming Boutique in Lewes will host a bead-lover, chocolate-lover party from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 18. There will be chocolate martinis, chocolate fountains, chocolate coffee from Notting Hill Coffee of Lewes and other chocolate items. There will be special bead and in-store promotions during the party. Trollbeads has created a Haiti Empowerment Program, and these beads will be offered at the party, as well as breast cancer empowerment beads. The beads are a universal fit to all brands of bracelets. The proceeds are being donated to the Habitat for Humanity foundations in charge of rebuilding Haiti after the earthquakes. Blooming Boutique currently carries a variety of bead lines and has a few more lines coming this spring. Call 644-4052.

Event to raise funds for medical foundation
As part of a monthlong charity event at the Brick Hotel on The Circle in Georgetown, Beebe Medical Center CEO Jeffrey M. Fried and Beebe Medical Foundation Executive Director Alex Sydnor will be guest bartenders from 6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, March 16. The Brick Hotel will donate a portion of the proceeds to Beebe Medical Foundation to support Beebe Medical Center programs and services. Beebe Medical Foundation is among a dozen local nonprofit organizations that are taking part in the Brick’s charity fundraisers. Representatives from each organization will tend bar for three hours on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evenings during March and then share in those proceeds.

Senior employment program seeks agencies
Senior Community Service Employment Program is seeking nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and government agencies to host individuals 55 and older for on-the job-training. The program runs for 20 hours a week from three months to a year. This program is free to organizations and government agencies. For more information, contact Roy L. Hazzard at 856-7761, Ext. 109.

Merchants’ Attic set for March 20
Merchants’ Attic I will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 20, at Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. There is no admission fee; however, donations for the benefit of the chamber’s event fund are welcome. For more information, call 227-2233.

Coldwell names top producers for February
Coldwell Banker Resort Realty recently announced the firm’s top producers for February. For the Rehoboth branch, the top listing and top selling agent was Skip Faust, and the top overall agent was Paul Fedynich. For the Lewes branch, the top listing agent was Barbara Dugent, and the top selling agent was Dolores Desmond. The top overall agent was Ellen Somori. The Rehoboth office can be reached at 227-5000, and the Lewes office number is 645-2881.

Millsboro chamber to meet March 18
Greater Millsboro Chamber of Commerce’s March membership meeting will be at noon, Thursday, March 18, at the Slower Lower Delaware Restaurant on Main Street in Millsboro. The speaker for this meeting will be Millsboro Public Works Supervisor Kenny Niblett, who will discuss the construction and completion of the town’s new wastewater treatment plant and the construction of a new water treatment plant. RSVP to 934-6777 by Monday, March 15.

Resort chamber to host social media program
The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce will host a seminar at 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 16, at the Bellmoor Inn. Dave Burris will facilitate the seminar, Introduction to Social Media: What It Is, What It Isn’t & How Can You Benefit From It. Burris is the publisher of the digital magazine Coastal Sussex Weekly and a 14-year veteran of the Lewes, Rehoboth and Dewey small-business community. He is a social media instructor in Delaware and has presented to chambers of commerce statewide as well as the Small Business Administration. The event is open to chamber members. RSVP to Kate Bell at 227-2233, Ext. 11, by Friday, March 12.

IRS offers programs for tax preparation
Taxpayers seeking tax preparation assistance should look into the Internal Revenue Service-sponsored, community-based, volunteer tax return preparation programs. The government sponsors the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers free tax help to people who earn less than $49,000, non-English-speaking individuals and those with disabilities. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program offers help to taxpayers who are 60 and older. Call 800-906-9887 for local volunteer tax preparation site information. Find an AARP tax-aid site by calling 888-227-7669 or visit aarp.org.

Azura Clothing, Hobos to host fundraiser
Azura Clothing and Hobos Restaurant and Bar will be co-hosting an afternoon of fashion and food to benefit the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders in support of its Haitian earthquake relief efforts. The event will be from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 13, at Hobos Restaurant, 56 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach. Hobos will offer a four-course gourmet luncheon with signature cocktails, and Azura Clothing - at 139 Rehoboth Ave. - will entertain patrons with a fashion show previewing the best of its spring and summer 2010 collection. Tickets are available in advance for $35 per person or $40 at the door. A portion of proceeds from the sale of tickets and clothing will be donated to Doctors Without Borders. Reserve a table at Hobos by calling 226-2226; reach Azura Clothing at 226-9650.

Innkeepers offer March Madness discounts
The Association of Delaware Shore Inns and Bed and Breakfasts innkeepers in the Delaware beaches area are offering discounts and specials for visitors during March. Discounts will be available at stays at the association members’ bed and breakfasts, and there will be discounts for massages, tours of the local vineyard and exclusive discounts at participating restaurants for guests only. For details, visit deshorebnbs.com/specials.

Giant voluntarily recalls Boar’s Head meat
Giant Food is alerting customers to a voluntary recall by Boar’s Head of its Boar’s Head Salame Panino, 8 ounce, because of possible concerns about salmonella. Upon learning of the recall, Giant removed Boar’s Head Salame Panino 8 oz. UPC 0-0424211607-1 from sale. To date, Giant has received no reports of illness due to consumption of the product. Customers who have purchased the affected product should discard any unused portions and bring their purchase receipt to Giant for a full refund. Customers looking for additional information are encouraged to call Giant’s customer-service line at 888-469-4426 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or visit giantfood.com.

Vendors needed for bridal show
Delaware Today magazine and Delaware Bride are holding the fifth annual Beach Bridal Show from noon to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, April 25, at the Baycenter in Dewey Beach. Make My Day Event Planning is sponsoring the event and will coordinate the fashion show. Booths are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at $400. Call 302-504-1342 or email lsanderson@delawaretoday.com. For more information, visit delawaretoday.com.

Safety seminar and expo set for March 15-17 in Ocean City, Md.
The 33rd Annual Delmarva Safety Seminar and Exhibition will be Monday through Wednesday, March 15-17, at the Clarion Resort Hotel in Ocean City, Md. The event is sponsored by the Delmarva Safety Association in cooperation with the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, trade associations, state and federal agencies, and area businesses. The safety seminar is designed for managers, supervisors, safety professionals and other operating personnel. In addition to timely topics and expert speakers, representatives from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, and Delaware Consultative Services will be exhibiting and available to answer questions on regulatory matters. For information, call 856-7303 or visit delmarvasafety.com.

Legislative brunch set for March 24
Fisker Automotive Inc.’s Chief Operating Officer Bernhard Koehler will be the keynote speaker at the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Brunch and Manufacturing Conference Wednesday, March 24, at the Sheraton Dover Hotel. Fisker Automotive Inc. recently purchased the former General Motors Boxwood Road plant in Wilmington. Online registration is available at dscc.com. Registration is $50 for members and $75 for nonmembers. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Call 302-655-7221 for more information.

Workshops help people search for and find jobs
Three free workshops are available to help people search for and find new jobs. The workshops will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays, March 16 and March 23, at Greenwood Public Library. Topics for the first workshop will be overcoming the trauma of job loss and maximizing resources for a job search. The second workshop will cover résumé writing and understanding the interview process. The final workshop will include one-on-one consultations and mock interviews. Registration is limited to 20 participants per workshop. Call 856-5815 to register. The workshops are sponsored by DelMarVa SHRM, Delaware Innovation at Work and the Sussex County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

BIE urges teachers to register for program
The Delaware Business, Industry, Education Alliance, in partnership with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware Department of Education, is coordinating a teacher externship program for Delaware educators for the summer. This exploration program will place educators inside the business community to gain knowledge about the academic skills students must achieve to be able to fulfill the requirements of tomorrow’s workforce. Educators will have the opportunity through insider conversation to reflect upon the effectiveness of their curriculum to achieve improvement in student learning. Businesses statewide will host educators for 18 hours the week of June 21. Open to all Delaware certified educators, this intense three-day learning experience awards 25 professional development hours toward renewal of continuing-education requirements. To register, call Lori Aldrich at 302-836-4591, email laldrich@bie.k12.de.us or visit bie.k12.de.us