Briefly
Milton P & Z to consider
Mill Street variance
The Milto Planning and Zon-
ing Commission will hold a public
hearing on Tuesday, April 9 to
hear Marianne Lester's request for
a variance of the sideyard setback.
Lester's land is located at 311
Mill Street. The variance is so
that a smal! laundry room may be
added to the property. Once com-
pleted, it would be seven feet from
the neighbor's property, rather
than the 10 feet required by the
town ordinance. The hearing will
be held at 7 p.m. in the Milton
Town Office on Federal Street.
Routine stop leads to
arrest for stolen car
A routine traffic stop in Re-
hohoth Beach during the wee
hours of the morning on March 28
resulted in the arrest of two Dover
youtii,>aft a chase by Rehoboth
Beach.#ce and Delaware State
Troopers and recovery of a car re-
ported stolen in the City of Dover.
At about 1:20 a.m., Rehohoth
PEC Keith Banks was operating
radar on Rehoboth Avenue near
State Road when he clocked a
westbound vehicle at 45 mph in a
25 mph zone. The 1990 Chevrolet
station wagon was stopped on Re-
hoboth Avenue Extended outside
the city limits, but as Banks ap-
proached, the driver took off at a
high rate of speed, headed toward
West Rehoboth. Banks pursued
them, with the aid of Cpl. Kenneth
Hardy of the Delaware State Po-
lice, onto Duffy Street, where the
two culprits fled on foot.
The passenger was soon appre-
hended and taken to the Rehohoth
Police Department, where he
identified the driver and was later
released without charge. War-
rants were obtained for the driver,
who was taken into custody later
that day by Delaware State Police
Troop 3.
Jeffrey J. Warren, age 17, of
Dover, was processed on various
criminal charges by the state po-
lice and transported to Rehohoth,
where he was charged with multi-
# traffic violations, arraigned at
Justice of the Peace Court 3 in
Georgetown and released into the
custody of an uncle on $1,050 un-
secured bond pending an appear-
ance in Family Court.
"Some people in our communi-
ty unjustly criticize our depart-
ment for enforcing traffic laws,
particularly by means of radar,"
said Rehoboth Police Chief Creig
Doyle. "This arrest goes to show
there is a lot more happening on
the streets, even in the wee hours
of the morning, than most people
realize. It also proves, once again
that vigilant, consistent enforce-
ment of city and state traffic laws
often results in important criminal
arrests and the recovery of proper-
ty. This time, thanks to PFC
Banks doing the job he is sworn to
do, a Dover resident now has one
of his most valuable possessions
back unscathed - his automobile."
Derrickson named to
parking advisory panel
Donald Derrickson, a former
Rehoboth Beach commissioner
who has
worked to.
ward solving
the city's
parking prob-
lems in a
number of ca-
pacities, is
the fourth
person to be
appointed to
DERRICKSON
the citizens
advisory committee on the new
parking permit ordinance and re-
lated changes in metered areas.
Derrickson joins Sheridan Be-
sosa, Dennis Diehl and Jay Smith
on the panel, with two more posi-
tions to fill, according to-Mayor
Sam Cooper, who is in the process
of contacting other possible mem-
bers.
Before being elected as a com-
missioner, Derrickson served on
the city's first parking committee
in the 1980s, as well as a parking
committee formed by the Re-
hoboth-Dewey Chamber of Com-
merce. While on the board, he
chaired another parking commit-
tee, which, when unsuccessful in
coming up with a feasible plan,
caused him to strike out on his
own. He formulated a plan which
was not accepted by fellow hoard
members in the early I990s.
"I'll do what I can to help, but I
think the city has missed a great
opportunity by not building a
parking garage," Derrickson said,
"especially when all independent
findings point to the need for
one."
In related matters, Smith ap-
peared before the commissioners
during the "listening post" session
prior to the April 1 workshop/spe-
cial meeting, seeking information
on legal ramifications if petitions
calling for public referendum or
repeal of an ordinance are not cir-
culated properly.
"The code says you have to
watch the person sign the petition
and give them access to the ordi-
nance, as well as swear they are
eligible to sign it," Smith noted.
But, he said that during the last
petition effort earlier this year
over the parking permit system, in
at least one instance, a petition
was just left on a store counter for
anyone to sign. "If someone
swears it was signed in his pres-
ence, what can we do if it isn't
true?" Smith asked, referring to
possible sanctions under the crim-
inal code.
He went on to note that in a pe-
tition drive two years ago, there
was "obvious forgery" on some of
the sheets circulated, saying
"something should be done."
Commission Jack Hyde sug-
gested that if a petition drive is put
in motion again, it may be advis-
able to put the circulators on no-
tice that they must attest to each
signature as being that of an eligi-
ble signer.
"If a person is hoodwinked, the
city isn't going to prosecute, but
we need to make it clear that the
people circulating the petition are
swearing they are reasonably sure
" Or ,9
of the s=ners, Commissioner
Rich Sargent added.
Also, before the session ended,
Hyde noted they need to "take the
bull by the horns," when it comes
to suggestions and requests
brought to the floor during the
"listening posts". Rather than just
allowing a matter to slip into
oblivion, someone should be ac-
countable for seeing that some
more formal route is taken, he
said.
DNREC begins work
on Henlopen jetty
The Department of Natural Re-
sources and Environmental Con-
trol (DNREC) has started work on
replacing the groin just north of
Henlopen Hotel in Rehoboth
Beach.
Low bidder on the project, at
$324,730, was Coastal Design and
Construction of Gloucester, Va.,
with. half the money coming from
the bond bill and the other half
from state lodging tax funds. The
groin is presently 287 feet long
and will he lengthened to 318 feet,
with 5,100 tons of stone placed
around the existing steel and tim-
her structure.
The work is expected to be
completed by Memorial Day, with
construction beginning at 7 a.m.
weekdays and 9 a.m. on week-
ends. If necessary, they will be al-
lowed to continue the work
through June on weekdays only
after Memorial Day. While the
work is underway, part of the
parking area next to the Henlopen
Hotel will he closed to the public.
County Council will
not meet April 9
The Sussex County Council
will take an Easter recess on April
9 and will not hold its regular
weekly council meeting. The next
regularly scheduled meeting of
County Council will he at 10 a.m.
on April 16 in the Sussex County
Courthouse.
Sussex County offices will he
closed on April 5 in observance of
Good Friday. COunty offices will
reopen at 8:30 a.m. on April 8.
Controversial projects on
Adjustment Board agenda
The Sussex County Board of
Adjustment will consider two
controversial projects when it
meets at 7 p.m. in the Sussex
County Courthouse on Monday,
April 8.
The Board has held public hear-
ings on two separate proposals
last month to develop a concrete
and an asphalt plant in the
Georgetown area. Both those
hearings lasted for hours and
prompted heavy opposition. Both
were deferred by the board, but
decisions are expected Monday
night.
The board is not expected to
take additional comments on
Monday but is expected to vote on
both projects.
CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, April 5 - April 11, 1996 - 3
Kerry, Kester photo
Meet new Troop 7 officers
Troopers from the Dec. 15, 1995 Delaware State Police Acad-
emy recently joined Toop 7. The officers completed approxi-
mately 500 hours of training before graduation and then en-
gaged in a three-month field training period before being as-
signed to a troop.
Troy Pezzuto is a 1989 graduate of Easton High School in
Pennsylvania. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps
from 1990-94 and has earned 95 college credit hours. "I was in
the Marine Corps for four years," said Pezzuto. "The
Delaware State Police was like a continuation of that for me -
very tight, very professional."
Brian Talley is a 1991 graduate of Dover High School and
earned his bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from
Delaware State University in 1995. "My father was a police of-
ricer, so I practically grew up in a troop," said Ttdley. "I like
that the role you play changes every day." Talley's father,
Larry Talley, retired as a lieutenant in the Delaware State Po-
lice.
David Hall graduated from A.L DuPont High School in 1987.
He attended Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, W.Va.,
where he earned a bachelor of science degree in business ad-
ministration. "I've Hved in Delaware just about all of my life,"
said HalL I like the fact that the Delaware State Police has
such an aura of professionalism."
Colby Cox, is a 1990 graduate of Caesar Rodney High
School He earned a bachelor of arts degree in criminal jus-
tice from the University of Delaware in 1994. "It's just what I
wanted to do all my life," said Cox of police work.
All of the troopers are now working patrol full time. Shown
from 0-r) are Hall, Talley, Pezzuto and Cox.
I I I
The firsL a concrete plant pro- re-drawn.
posed by Wyoming Concrete, County Councilman George
would be located at Gravel Hill Cole agreed that the council dis-
near Besche Brothers Furniture tricts could use some "refining."
and the Delaware Department of Mary Burton, a member of the
Transportation yard. The second audience, suggested having at-
application is for an asphalt plant large county council members.
proposed by County Seat Mated- Bunting opposed the idea of at-
als to be located in the Sussex In- large districts.
dustrial Park in Georgetown. It was pointed out that at-large
voting could concentrate political
Bunting discusses power in areas with large x)pula-
tions and create inequities. County
redistricting plans Administrator Bob Stickels said
Rep. George Bunting (D- that drawing lines from east to
Bethany Beach) discussed his idea west across Sussex, as Bunting
to re-draw Sussex County Council has discussed, also does not guar-
districts with Sussex County antee representation would be
Council Tuesday, April 2. more equal. It could potentially
Bunting has said he would like to mean every member of County
re-draw the lines of the County Council would be elected from
Council members. He has said Western Sussex, he said.
Eastern Sussexisunderrepresent- No action was taken on
ed and said that changing bound- Bunting's proposal.
ary lines could make the districts
more representative of the whole Bike helmet talk may
county. Re-drawing the lines is
only an idea at this point, he said. lead to skateboard ban
"I have felt for a long time that Rehoboth Beach Solicitor Walt
it's" not equitable," Bunting said, Speakman was directed at the
saying that his representative dis- April 1 commissioners meeting to
trict is almost a microcosm of the draft an ordinance banning all
county because it is so large and skateboarding on the Boardwalk
varied, and pavillion.s year round, a mea-
Bunting said he would prefer to sure which will be considered at
see the county vote on changing the April 12 monthly meeting.
the boundaries, explaining that he Presently skateboarding is banned
is big believer in "home rule" and from May 15 through Sept. 15.
said that perhaps boundary lines A discussion of skateboarders
for the State Senate should also be Continued on page 4
