Delaware's Cape Region
Friday, April 25 - Thursday, May 1, 1997
Volume 4, NO. 49
Delaware joins other states in beach replenishment effort
If they are successful, they expect to present
a five-state coalition which should be
enough to make the group a political force
to be reckoned with.
The name of the agency is the Mid-
Atlantic Coastal Partnership and it will meet
at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington to draft
a resolution. "If we combine our influence
we can be more successful in getting the
Army Corps of Engineers to continue with
the beach restoration work that is critical to
all coastal states, where the economy and
quality of life depend, to a large extent,
upon the beaches," said Laurence Dowries,
chairman of the board of directors and chief
executiv e officer of New Jersey Natural Gas
Company.
Frederick said the common denominator
of the groups and states is they are aware
"of the impact a strong coastal economy can
do for the whole state."
"I am drafting a resolution.., that calls for
unanimous support from the Congressional
delegations of the five states," said Thomas
Dennis Forney photo
ByMichael Short
"There is strength in numbers," said
Dewey Beach Mayor Bob Frederick.
Frederick, who is also president of the
Association of Coastal Towns (ACT) will
be one of the people present on April 30
when Delaware joins forces with four other
states to lobby for continued funding for
beach replenishment projects.
Delaware, New-Jersey, New York, Mary-
land and Virginia representatives will all
meet in an effort to combine political clout.
Spring Hawk Watch underway at Cape State Park
The Spring Hawk Watch at Cape Henlopen Stato Park has recorded the passage of more than 1,200 hawks winging
their way north since the beginning of April The daily counts will continue through May from atop the observation
platform on the bunker just north of the park's main bath house parking lot. The osprey shown in this photograph,
which migrated into the area in m/d.March, probably from South American wintering grounds, is making a meal of a
fish while perched on the top of a dead tree near the point of the cape.
Gagliano, the president of the finn, Jersey
Shore Partnership, and a former New Jersey
senator from Monmouth County.
The Mid-Atlantic Coastal Partnership
held its organizational meeting in January.
Participants in the meeting are expected to
be Frederick, Mayor Jim Mathias of Ocean
City, MD., Mayor Megera Obendorf of Vir-
ginia Beach, VA., and Jane Ekstein, director
of Save Our Seashore Inc. of Long Island.
Gagliano and Frederick both support con-
Continued on page 15
Surf fishermencry
"e
foul over dredging
disposal site
By Michael Short
The Delaware Mobile Surf Fishermen are
circulating a petition opposing the use of
the Coral Beds as a disposal site for a major
dredging project in-Delaware Bay. -
The project will deepen the channel in the
Delaware River from 40 to 45 feet deep, a
move that is expected to help Delaware
River ports compete with other ports, many
of which also offer deeper channels.
Deeper channels can accommodate larger
ships and offer a major economic advan-
tage. But part of that dredging means the
dredged bottom material will be dumped in
the area of the Coral Beds, a.prime fishing
area for trout locatedToughly off Broadl0.'ll
Beach.
There is no coral in the Coral Beds,
because the area is so northern. It is named
because a species of worm found in the bot-
tom builds sandy deposits on the bottom,
Continued on page 17
Resort officials tangle over final resort transit decisions
By Trish Vernon
Almost no one came away from the April
22 Resort Transit Advisory Committee
meeting completely satisfied with the final
" plan for this summer's resort lransit system.
The City of Rehoboth Beach is unhappy
that the state will be using 40-foot buses on
its in-town loops, while the Town of Dewey
Beach isn't pleased with the fact that DART
First State's Delaware Transit Corporation
(DRT) officials dashed plans for a direct
Dewey to Rehoboth late night route. The
owners and visitors at 3 Seasons Camp-
ground, however, will still be serviced by
the buses, although not as often and that
may still not sit well with nearby residents
who complained at recent public hearings
about the heavy bus traffic being disruptive
and dangerous.
At the outset of the April 22 meeting,
DRT Planner Bobbie Geier told them a
number of changes were made from their
initial plans "based on comments at the
hearings and from this group."
She proceeded to announce that they are
working with 3 Seasons to provide "some as
yet to be determined level of service," while
they decided, due to concerns raised by
Rehoboth officials, not to establish the
direct Dewey to Rehoboth city hall route
from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Rather, the route
from Dewey to the park and ride lot and
then into Rehoboth will remain in place.
Continued on page 18
Harbinger of summer: parking
permits go on sale in Rehoboth
By Trish Vernon
Now entering its second year of implementation, Rehoboth Beach's residential park-
ing permit system is off to a smooth start.
During a status report made to the city's parking advisory committee on April 22,
city employee Docie Johnson announced that all property owners, verifiable residents,
in-town merchants and out-of-town businesses with city licenses have received their
seasonal permits and forms necessary to apply for additional permits. Thus far, John-
son said, 60 percent of those eligible for additional permits have replied and requested
Continued on page 16
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