Briefly
Gazette files complaint
with Attorney General
The Cape Gazette has requested
the Attorney General's Office de-
termine whether the Cape Hen-
Iopen School District has violated
the Freedom of Information Act
by failing to disclose district ex-
penditures as they pertain to for
mer Director of Instruction Nancy
Feichtl.
The Cape Henlopen Board of
Education voted on Monday, May
12, 1997 to accept Feichtl's retire-
ment - more than three months af-
ter the district suspended her. Fe-
ichtl's current contract was slated
to expire June 30, 1998, but with
last week's agreement, the board
will allow her contract to expire
June 30, 1997.
Neither the district nor Feichtl's
attorney, Jim Griffin, have re-
leased terms of the financial set-
tlement of Feichtl's contract. The
Cape Gazette requested, under the
Freedom of Information Act, co-
9.peration from the district in re-
lbasing the financial terms of the
agreement.
The district's attorney, David
Williams of the Wilmington law
firm Morris, James, Hitchens &
Williams, responded in a Friday,
May 16 letter to the newspaper,
"You know the district has not re-
fused to disclose the information.
Rather, I told you that we will
look at the controlling law and ad-
vise the district as to whether it
may disclose the information con-
sistent with the privacy rights of
the affected employee." At this
point, the district has still failed to
release the information.
The Gazette's position is that
the taxpaying public has the right
to know how any funds are spent
by a public body such as the
school district. It is not seeking
any information about the settle-
ment other than that pertaining to
financial terms. According to
Becki Millman, board president,
the board voted only to accept Fe-
ichtl's retirement, not on a settle-
ment agreement.
A spokesman from the Attorney
General's Office said the newspa-
Clarifications
In last week's edition, a story
pertaining to Nancy Feichtl's re-
tirement from the Cape Henlopen
School District incorrectly stated
the school board voted not to roll
over Superintendent Suellen
Skeen's contract. The board did
not take a vote on the matter. Her
name was not submitted along
with the other administrators
whose contracts were rolled over.
A brief in the May 16 edition
incorrectly reported that David
and Christine Hastings, owners of
the Jolly Trolley, had agreed with
the Town of Dewey Beach not to
make stops in residential areas.
The Hastings report they are still
negotiating with town officials
and nothing is signed and sealed.
per's complaint will likely be sent
to the district by Friday, May 30.
Following its receipt of the letter,
the district will have 10 days in
which to respond to the Attorney
General's Office. That office will
then determine whether the dis-
trict has violated the Freedom of
Information Act.
Police arrest two
during checkpoint
Through a combined effort be-
tween the Delaware State Police
and the Rehoboth Beach Police,
officers arrested one person for
drunk driving and another for a
child restraint violation on Tues-
day, May 29. The police staffed a
checkpoint on Rehoboth Avenue
between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.,
where 385 vehicles passed
throu.gh.
Lewes ad hoc zoning
committee to meet
There will be a meeting of the
city of Lewes Zoning Ad-Hoc
Drafting Committee on Wednes-
day, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. The
meeting will be held within coun-
cil chambers of city hall located
on East Third Street. The public
is welcome to attend.
Delaware corn planting
running behind average
Delaware's most recent Crop
Progress and Condition Report,
for the week ending May 18,
shows planting of corn for grain to
be "under the previous year aver-
age and well under the five year
average." The same is true of
tomatoes, snap beans, melons and
sweet corn. There hasn't been
much rain lately, evidenced by the
fact that there were 5.5 days "suit-
able for fieldwork" during the 7
day period. "Topsoil moisture
was two percent very short, 16
percent short, 80 percent ade-
quate, and two percent surplus.
Delaware farmers have prepared
71 percent of their fields for plant-
ing," according to the report. The
cool spring we've been having, up
until this week, is evidenced by
progress in the state's strawberry
fields. The crop report indicates
that as of May 18, 78 percent of
the strawberry plants have
bloomed compared to 92 percent
at this point last year and 93 per-
cent for the five year average. For
those of you interested in pastures,
the report shows that eight percent
were in fair condition, 88 percent
were considered good, and four
percent were considered excel-
lent.
Spence discusses HB285;
eyeing governorship
Terry R. Spence, Speaker of the
House for Delaware's House of
Representatives for 17 years,
spoke to Lewes-Rehoboth Rotary
Club on Monday, May 19 about
House Bill 285. Guided by
Spence, the legislation intended to
bring more safety into Delaware's
public schools, is now law. "I
think our schools are safer as a re-
sult and I think our streets would
be safer if we had more police of-
ricers showing a stronger enforce-
ment presence." HB285 requires
that weapons and assault offenses,
among others, occurring in public
schools, must be reported to the
Delaware State Police for investi-
gation and possible action.
Spence displayed a broad array of
weapons confiscated from public
school children in Delaware in-
cluding guns, butcher knives,
brass knuckles and more. "People
from all cultures, economic back-
grounds and ethnic backgrounds
have told me time and time again
that they want safer schools for
their children. This law does that
and I'm told it's making a differ-
ence." Spence., a Republican, said
following the meeting that many
people have talked to him about
running for governor of Delaware
in 2000 and he is giving it serious
consideration. Jockeying for posi-
tion for a run for the state's top
seat started two days after the
1996 election of Gov. Tom Carper
to his second and final four year
term at Return Day in George-
town. Supporters of Lt. Gov.
Ruth Ann Minner passed out pins
at that point stating "Minner
2000." The 2000 election is al-
ready shaping up to be a wide
open and exciting affair.
Schroeder allocates funds
for Rt. 1 cosmos plantings
37th District Rep. John
Schroeder said this week that he
has approved allocation of $6,000
from 37th District Suburban
Street Aid money for the planting
of decorative flowers along Route
1. Joe Lesley, right-of-way devel-
opment administrator for
Delaware Department of Trans-
portation (DelDOT) said that two
large beds of cosmos bipinnatus
will be prepared beginning in ear-
ly June.
"Cosmos is a multi-colored
flower - white, pink and off-red -
that thrives in dry, hot conditions
and will begin blooming in about
the third week of July and contin-
ue past the first hard frost, which
in the beach area can come as late
as early December," said Lesley.
He said the work will begin with
fumigating, digging up and
mulching the beds followed by
seeding. One of the beds will be
located in the rising area of medi-
an strip on the north side of the
Route 1 Nassau overpass - the
gateway to Delaware's resort area
- while the other will be in the
grassy area defined by the
"jughandle" at Five Points that
carries traffic eastbound on Rt. 9
back on to northbound Route 1.
Rehoboth gives Sydney's
expansion green light
The Rehoboth Beach Board of
Commissioners granted a certifi-
cate of compliance to Sydney Arzt
during a special meeting May 15
to expand her Sydney's Blues and
Jazz Restaurant in two phases.
Any restaurant serving alcohol
• wishing to expand or change its
floor plan must first go before the
board for permission before seek-"
cAp_E GAZE..'r.., li'day ., .May.23 - .1. y 29111 7 -3
Angie Moon photo
Brush fire south of Dewey Beach
Brush fires burned on a windy afternoon Friday, May 16
just south of Dewey Beach and north of Indian River Inlet.
Rehoboth Volunteer Fire Company was assisted by Lewes,
Milton and Bethany Beach in squelching the blazes, which
spread easily due to the dry conditions. No one was reported
injured.
ing Alcohol Beverage and Control
Commission (ABCC) approval.
Arzt first plans to add bath-
rooms and convert the adjacent
building which previously housed
Boston's into a new dining room.
The second phase calls for relocat-
ing the bar to where the present
dining room is located on the east
side of the restaurant and convert-
ing the present bar area to dining.
She will also enclose the patio for
dining purposes and offer access
from Rehoboth Avenue, and when
the work is completed she will be
able to accommodate 48 addition-
al dining seats.
The board stipulated that she
must begin all of the work within
the year.
I
off, and adding office space.
DSWA to hold hazardous
waste collection May 31 ,:
The Delaware Solid Waste Au-
thority (DSWA) will hold a spe-
cial collection of household haz-
ardous waste (HHW) on Saturday,
May 31 in Rehoboth Beach. The
event will be in the parking lot be-
hind the fire station on Rehoboth
Avenue and will operate from 8
a.m. to 3 p.m.
In the event of incement weath-
er, citizens can call (800) 404-
7080 to check for cancellations.
Residents may also call the above
number if they have questions re-
garding what materials are haz-
ardous.
Rehoboth board turns
down Paternoster variance
The Rehoboth Beach Board of
Adjustment denied a request on
May 16 from Emily Paternoster
for a variance to allow her to
maintain a nonconforming porch
at 93 Sussex Street.
"The board found no hardship
involved," Building Inspector Su-
san Frederick explained, noting
that the porch was an increase to
an already nonconforming use of
the property as there are more
buildings already on the lot than
allowed by pi'esent zoning code.
Also, there was no proof that she
was replacing a porch that had
previously existed there, as Pater-
noster claimed.
Paternoster was ordered to tear
down the porch built without ben-
efit of a building permit. No fines
were issued.
The board did, however, grant a
variance to American Legion Post
5 to expand its building at King
Charles and Laurel sts., which is
on land zoned open space. While
one board memb said he could see
no basis for hardship, the fact that
the land is zoned open space
forces the Legion to apply for a
variance any time it wishes to
. change the building. The Legion
will add 135 square feet to the
back of the building, squaring it
Cape Gazette offices
closed for Memorial Day
The Cape Gazette business of-
rices will be closed on Monday,
May 26 in observance of Memori-
al Day.
Regular offices hours resume
Tuesday, May 27. There are no
changes in news or advertising
deadlines for the May 30 edition.
First plovers
found at Cape
Delaware's first piping plover
nest of the season has been found
at Cape Henlopen State Park
prompting park officials to close a
short section of beach to pedestri-
an and vehicular traffic. The nest
was discovered May 12 along the
beach in the Gordon's Pond area
of the popular park. As a result,
approximately two-tenths of a
mile of the beach has been closed
and will remain closed until any
chicks which hatch are able to fly
on their own. The beach will re-
main open to the north and south
of the nest to accomodate surf
fishing vehicles.
Typically, each nest produces
rive to seven eggs. The eggs take
about 25 days to hatch and chicks
are usual!y able to fly within an-
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