News Briefs 07/21/20
Restoring, monitoring tidal wetlands is topic of July 24 meeting
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays’ Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee will meet via online video conference from 9 a.m. to noon, Friday, July 24.
The agenda calls for a presentation from Dr. Ram Mohan, Anchor QEA principal and adjunct professor of coastal engineering at Texas A&M University, on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ pending national guidance document on Thin Layer Placement of Dredged Material to restore coastal wetlands.
The guidance will present planning, design, and construction considerations on how clean dredged material from navigation channels can be reused and applied to improve the health and long-term resilience of salt marshes.
Also on the meeting agenda are short presentations from Alison Rogerson of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Program, and Andrew McGowan, CIB environmental scientist. Both will provide updates on wetland monitoring programs in the Inland Bays.
The second half of the STAC meeting will be devoted to discussion of the Inland Bays Environmental Monitoring Plan, including progress in implementing its recommendations and future monitoring needs.
A draft agenda and instructions on how to join the online meeting can be found at www.inlandbays.org/stac.
Sussex council not meeting July 21
Sussex County Council will not meet Tuesday, July 21. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 28, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
Sussex council approves appointments
At its July 14 meeting, Sussex County Council approved the following reappointments: Planning and zoning commission – Keller Hopkins, District 2; Kim Hoey Stevenson, District 3; and Bruce Mears, District 4. Board of adjustment – John Williamson, District 4.
Dewey approves election officials
Dewey Beach commissioners unanimously approved election officials Rick Baierlein, Ellen Danaher, Stephen Eckermann and Susan Trencher as tally clerks and Robert Day as inspector. The Dewey Beach municipal election is set for Saturday, Sept. 26.
Dewey audit committee meets July 20
The Dewey Beach Audit Committee will meet virtually at 5 p.m., Monday, July 20. A link to the meeting is available at townofdeweybeach.com. Auditor CohnReznick will present the draft audit report; members will discuss and possibly vote to accept the report and supporting documents.
Jacobs sworn in as Acres commissioner
Henlopen Acres resident Jeffrey Jacobs was sworn in as town commissioner July 10. He will serve the final two years of the three-year term of former Commissioner Frank Jamison, who died June 5. Jamison had served as commissioner since 2010.
Jacobs has been a member of the town tree committee and board of adjustment.
Sussex council awards nonprofit grants
Sussex County Council awarded the following councilmanic grants at its June 30 meeting, the last one of the fiscal year: $10,000 to Town of Dagsboro for water meter register replacement; $2,000 to Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation for fire control tower restoration; $3,000 to Town of Bridgeville for park and playground work; $4,000 to Town of Laurel for bandstand renovation; $5,000 to Lewes-Rehoboth Canal Improvement Association for Grove Park dock/canal access project; $11,698 to Southern Delaware Therapeutic and Recreational Horseback Riding for construction of a multipurpose room; and $4,010 to Nanticoke River Arts Council for maintenance and operations.
Delaware Stonewall PAC cancels summer event, seeks support
With the safety of the community a top priority, the Delaware Stonewall PAC board has decided to cancel its summer event for this year, according to an announcement from President Peter Schott.
“This, however, does not mean that our work has ceased. We will still be endorsing candidates who we believe will help us move legislation forward which benefits the LGBTQ community. We will contribute financially to their campaigns. This means that we will be more dependent than ever on your contributions and membership.”
Donations can be made at www.delawarestonewall.org.
Polkamotion by the Ocean 2020 canceled
Due to COVID-19, Polkamotion by the Ocean event organizers have announced the cancellation of this year’s event, which was set to take place mid-September in the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.
The announcement on the event website says the convention center is closed and even if it were to reopen, center officials doubt their ability to manage the mandated restrictions governing indoor gatherings.
“Given these obstacles, all parties agree that the prudent thing to do is to cancel this year’s polka festival in Rehoboth Beach,” reads the announcement. “Since a significant portion of our polka fan base is the most vulnerable to the current virus, we believe this decision is the safest option as well.”
Polkamotion by the Ocean hopes to return to the convention center Wednesday to Saturday, Sept. 15 to 18, 2021. For more information, go to polkamotion.com.
