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Newspaper Archive of
Cape Gazette
Lewes, Delaware
Jim's Towing Service
June 9, 2000     Cape Gazette
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June 9, 2000
 
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6 - GAPEGAZE'TTE, Friday, June ®,-dne:,t5¢IN)00 VIEWPOINTS Editorial Keep open space purchases rolling "The longest possible view is the best possible view." Delaware's legislature is in the home stretch now toward passing legislation for the session which ends June 30. One of the most important pieces of legislation will be the bond bill where funding for a wide variety of projects will be approved. The bond bill will be very important this year because Delaware continues to be enjoying times of great prosperity. There are many opportunities available to the state to secure open space lands that will create an awesome legacy for the state, its citizens and visitors for the 21 st century. During the 20th century, one of the most last- ing initiatives undertaken by Delaware was the securing for the pub- lic of the majority of the ocean coast lands..Public ownership of those lands has been the centerpiece of the state's thriving tourist industry. If managed well, those lands will only grow in importance in the decades ahead. Most importantly, they are there for all of us to enjoy. As the rapid pace of development continues - as it has for the past 50 years and will for the next 50 years - we as a citizenry must insist that our state use its prosperous times to acquire more of the sensi- tive coastal land for all the natural and cultural and economic bene- fits that will accrue. That's not to say the state is not doing well. It is. But now is not the time to stop. This year should be the most aggressive year of all, because of the money, and because there are many waterfront and marshfront farms on the market due to shifts in farming practices. In terms of land acquisition, the expression 'strike while the iron is hot' has never been more apt. We applaud the good sense the state has shown in acquiring lands along Lewes-Rehoboth Canal that will serve as a buffer for Cape Henlopen State Park and which will also provide many recreational opportunities. Now is the time to add more and improve. Letters Red light cameras could bring relief One of the most chronic problems plaguing Delaware's Cape Region is the number of people who run red lights on Route 1 and the accidents that result. It's all a function of impatience, a crowded highway and the mixture of local people trying to get where they're going and visitors looking this way and that at the many sights along the way. The problem, of course, is that people suffer injuries, cars get bashed and banged and traffic gets jammed. The accident list we publish each week grows longer and longer as the summer season intensifies and it transforms what should be a pleasant experience into a dangerous experience. Now a partial solution has surfaced. Delaware's Department of Transportation is considering installing cameras at intersections to capture photographs of violators. The images would then be used to levy fines. The intent is to reduce the number of red light violations and, consequently, the number of accidents. The technology appears to be reliable and affordable. The powers that be should waste as little time as possible in getting some of these cameras installed and moving forward with the system. Route 1 would be an excellent place to begin. The Weather Picture Hi Lo Pre June 1 84 64 None June 2 93 69 None June 3 93 67 .22 June 4 73 53 None June 5 65 58 None June 6 62 59 .92 June 7 73 55 None !As reported by the Lewes Board of Public Works Power Plant, an official I.S. Weather Station. Dennis Fomey photo John DiGhtcoma stands in his garden in Bay Breeze Estates outside Lewes. Beside him is a fig tree that bears abundant- ly and behind are strawberry and asparagus plants that have also been enjoying the wet spring. We need to get relief from sewer bills Now is the time for families ser- viced by the West Rehoboth Sewer District to write, phone or e-mail, specifically our senator, William • Roth, requesting a $15 million grant toward reduction of sewer rates. Please note our county administrator, Robert Stickels, has also written and made personal contact with the same request. Why? The Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administration has listed 141 federal grants nationwide for water and wastewater improvements and construction. Why are we left out? Fifty million dollars for Mexican Border Projects; ie., El Paso-Las Cruces and Brownsville; $30 million for Alaska Native Villages; $18.5 mil- lion for clean water improvements in Onondaga Lake, N.Y.; $5 million for the City of Welch, W.Va. for water and sewer improvements. I believe about $10 million of the Long Neck Sewer District came from a federal grant, plus many others. This is an election year and Sen. Roth is looking toward re-election. This could be another plus for him among his other achievements for the people in our area. The construction cost of the West Rehoboth Sewer System is about $88 million. Based on EPA funding for affordability of 1 to 1.5 percent of the median house- hold income, the rate for a typical home with 89-front footage should be about $517 annually. The current rate is $675, about 30 percent higher than affordable EPA rate funding assis- tance. The $15,000,000 grant should allow a reduction in rate for the above example to $554. If the $15 million in new money is not possible, then Sen. Roth should request forgiveness of the $ ! 5 million from the $27 million borrowed by the county from the State Revolving Fund Program. I am told 80 percent of this money was awarded to the state from the EPA in the form of a grant. LegislatiOn may have to be intro- duced that would allow for the for- giveness of $15 million through the EPA. Eighty percent of $27 million is $21.6 million, which is more than the $15 million requested forgiveness and will have the same effect as securing new grant funding. It is also important to communicate with Sen. Biden and Rep. Castle. This area will continue to develop, more than anyone may think. The state and local chambers of commerce aggres- sively advertise the beach and tax- free shopping outlets outside the state which will continue to impact our area. In 10 years or less, the current sewer system will require important improvements at an additional cost. The residents of cities of Lewes/Rehoboth should not feel excluded from the need for water and wastewater improvements and will also in time be affected. Therefore, in a way, the West Rehoboth Sewer District is also a concern for these neighborhoods cities. Legislators will be in session about 20 days in June, 15 days in July, 19 days in September and about five days in October before election so the pressure has to be put on now. Please take the time to communicate on this issue today. If successful, the county should be able to reduce an average single home sewer rate by about $50 per month. In addition, County Council will hold a public hearing at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 20 on a proposed budget which will reduce the current front footage rate from $5.31 to about $4.99 per foot. Further, if the $1.5 million relief is obtained and as a result the above- mentioned reduction in the EPA affordability ratio is achieved, Mr. Stickels may then be able to renegoti- ate outstanding loans with the state down to 1.5 percent interest rate, fur- ther reducing the sewer rates. All former members of Citizens for Affordable Sewers should begin letter writing and ask your neighbor and Continued on page 7 Write Now Letters must be signed and include a telephone number for ver- ification. Please keep letters to 750 words or less. Write to Cape Gazette, PO Box 213, Lewes, Delaware 19958 or fax to 645-1664. VOlume 8 No. 3 Publisher Dennis Forney DNFOcapegazette.corn Editor Trlsh Vernon newsroom @ eapegazetle.eom Assoclate Edltor Kerry Kester kester@ eape0azetle.eom News Edltor Michael Short mshort @ eapegazelle.eom News Steve Hoenigmann steveh @ capegazette.eom Jim Cresson Rosanne Pack rpaek@ calxazette.eom Jan Ellingsworth jen @eapegazette.com Janet And relczn/k Photographers Bob Bowden Dan Cook Sports Editor Dave Frederick fredman @dmv.com Sports Writers Tim Bamforth tbamforth @ prodigy.net " Frededck Sehranck Fschranck@ HoleByHole.com Advertising Cindy Forestied cindyf @ capegazette.eom Sharon Hudson Nancy Stenger Joseph njoseph @capegazette.com Maureen Russeg mertsseU @ eapegazetle.com Pat Jones Classified Sandy Barr' Office Menegr Kathy Emery keny@ capegazette.com Webmester Catherine M. Tanzer web@capegaze.e.com Receptionist Kandy Vicary Circulation Harry Stoner Production Coordinator Deidre Sudimak Production Staff Susan Porter Chris Wildt Molly Wingate Laura Kucharik Norma Parks Contdbutors: Susan Frederick Nancy Katz E-meB for news, letters: newsr0om @ capegazette.com E-mall for scNertlslng: produeUon @ eapegazette.eom E-mall to subscribe: sulr, eribe @ capegazette.eom The Cape Gazette (USPS 010294) is published bY Cape Gazette Limited every Friday at the Midway Shopping Center, Highway One, Rehoboth Beach DE 19971. Second class postage paid at Rehoboth Beach, Delawa:re. Address all correspondence to Cape Gaz- ette, PO Box 213, Lewes, Delaware 19958. Telephone: 302-645-7700. FAX: 645-1664. Subscriptions are available at $25 per year in Sussex County; $40 elsewhere. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Cape Gazette, RO. Box 213, Lewes, Delaware 19958. "The empty vessel makes the greatest sound." William Shakespeare