Bethany Beach News

Town of Bethany Beach, Delaware

Population:

  • 943 (2006 Census)

Town council meetings:

  • Third Friday of the month, 7:30 p.m., town hall meeting room

Planning & Zoning meets:

  • Monthly, on the Saturday after the council meeting, 9 a.m., town hall meeting room

Elections:

  • Second Saturday of September, noon to 6 p.m., alternating slates of three and four seats, with two-year terms; mayor selected from among town residents serving on the council by the council after each election, with a one-year term

Town office:

  • 214 Garfield Parkway, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, year-round; (302) 539-8100, fax (302) 539-8149; P.O. Box 109, Bethany Beach, DE 19930

Web site

General e-mail inquiries

Town Council 2007-2008:

  • Carol Olmstead, Mayor
  • Tony McClenny, Vice-Mayor
  • Jerry Dorfman, Secretary-Treasurer
  • J. Robert “Bob” Parsons, Council Member
  • Steve Wode, Council Member
  • Tracy Mulligan, Council Member
  • Joseph T. “Joe” Healy, Council Member

Town Manager:

  • Cliff Graviet

Town Clerk:

  • Lisa Kail

Administrative Staff:

  • JoAnna Nichols

Finance Director:

  • Janet Connery

Building Inspector:

  • John Eckrich

Public Works Director:

  • Brett Warner

Code Enforcement:

  • Barry English

P&Z Chairperson:

  • Lew Killmer

Standing committees:

  • Planning & Zoning, Board of Adjustments, Budget & Finance, Communications, Cultural and Historical Affairs, Charter and Ordinance Review, Traffic and Parking, Board of Assessment, Audit, Stormwater and Drainage, Intergovernmental Relations, Commercial Architecture Design Review

Police:

  • Michael Redmon, Chief

Town Solicitor:

  • Terence Jaywork

Emergency:

  • 911

Non-emergency police contact:

  • (302) 539-1000

Beach patrol:

  • Joseph Donnelly, Captain
  • The Beach Patrol is on duty daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and weekends throughout September; daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends and holidays 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Trash pick-up:

  • Summer Collection – May 31, 2007 through Sept. 30, 2007; Zone I (East of Rt. 1): Mon. Wed. & Fri. (in alley where applicable); Zone II (West of Rt. 1): Tues. Thurs. Sat. (at street); Commercial Dumpsters: Mon. thru Sat.; Residential Dumpsters: Mon. Wed. & Fri.
  • Winter Collection: Begins Sept. 30, 2007, and continuing through winter months; Entire Town: Mon. & Fri. (streets & alleys); Commercial Dumpsters: Mon. (Wed. as needed) & Fri.
  • Free Cleanup: April 19-30, 2007; Oct. 18-29, 2007; large trash items (furniture, appliances) will be collected at no charge during these times

Curbside recycling:

  • A townwide voluntary curbside recycling program through DSWA has been instituted beginning in 2008. Property owners may sign up through town hall. Pick-ups are weekly during the warm months and bi-weekly during colder months. A $32 annual fee is included in annual billing from the town.

Police arrest third theft-rink suspect

Delaware State Police this week made one additional arrest and filed hundreds of additional charges against the suspects in an extensive theft ring that was operating in the Ocean View and Bethany Beach area in recent months.

Bethany approves funding for park design

Three years after completing the purchase of undeveloped property on the opposite corner of Route 1 from the town hall and agreeing to some sort of open-space or park use, Bethany Beach officials may finally be ready to start making some concrete decisions on how the property will someday look and operate.

Bethany nears end of summer season

Despite rumors of a substantially slower-than-usual summer season, Bethany Beach has been a relatively busy town this summer, according to Town Manager Cliff Graviet. Graviet gave Bethany Beach Town Council members an update on the season thus far at their Aug. 15 council meeting, providing reports on everything from beach repairs to parking revenue and public safety activity.

North Bethany lifeguard first of her kind

Lifeguards are an essential part of summertime enjoyment, providing safety, reassurance and security to vacationers and beach-goers alike. At the head of each lifeguard patrol is the captain, a strong individual who carefully measures the capabilities of their crew, keeping them attentive and reliable.

New church dedicated on Route 17

The Most Reverend Michael A. Saltarelli, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, was downstate Aug. 14 for the dedication of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a mission church of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Bethany Beach.

Police crack Ocean View-area theft ring

Ocean View police have filed 56 charges each against a pair of suspects in connection with a widespread series of thefts throughout the Ocean View area in the last two months. Additional arrests in the cases and more than 100 charges against the initial two suspects alone are expected in the coming days.

Theft victim gets back some items

When Rick Hundley and his wife woke up on July 21 and discovered that their Cabriolet convertible had been replaced in the driveway of their Bethany Lakes home by two bicycles, they were pretty sure it wasn’t a guerilla statement on “green” transportation. They reported the theft to the police.

Jazz Funeral to be hosted by ‘Friends of Summer’

For 23 years, the “Friends of Summer” have mourned the passing of the summer tourist season at Bethany Beach, Del. The town known as the “Quiet Resort” is the idyllic location where each year a group of faithful mourners respectfully lay to rest their beloved summer season on Labor Day.

Progress continues on library’s construction, fundraising and activities

The renovation and expansion of the South Coastal Library and Joshua M. Freeman Cultural Center is proceeding on a schedule that should allow for a “grand” reopening in the spring of 2009. Please drive by the Kent Avenue location to see the progress being made (for your safety, please do not enter the “fenced in” construction area).

Bethany Beach to host disaster workshop Saturday

Hurricane season is again upon us and early indications are that it may well be a very active one. Hurricane and disaster planning is essential and should be a family event.

Chamber’s arts festival expands

The Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce’s (BFACC) 30th annual award-winning Bethany Beach Boardwalk Arts Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival features jewelry, art glass, pottery, sculpture, watercolor and oil painting, basketry, woodworking and much more. And the event is bigger and better than ever this year, according to the Chamber.

Millville fire hall to hold poker tournament

The Millville Volunteer Fire Company will be holding a Texas Holdem Poker Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 23, at its firehouse on Route 26. Entry fee is $100, with two $25 re-buys available.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

Dealing begins at 7 p.m. You must be 21 or older to attend. Up to $80,00 in prize money paid out depending on player participation.

Life deserting loop canal

There is something fishy happening in the Bethany Beach Loop Canal — or rather something fish-less.

For about six weeks, the manmade canal has had significantly low dissolved oxygen levels. That means that, for fish and other aquatic life in the water, it is getting harder and harder to get the oxygen they need to survive. So, it seems many have simply left.

Bethany to host disaster preparedness workshop

Hurricane season is again upon us and early indications are that it may well be a very active one. Hurricane and disaster planning is essential and should be a family event.

Bethany officials discuss town's finances

The Bethany Beach Budget and Finance committee met on July 25 to do a final review of the 2008 budget, review the first quarter budget for 2009 and to preliminarily discuss the budget for 2010. The group also discussed at length the plan for funding the construction of an eight foot extension of the boardwalk on the east end.

Dune fence vandalized

At least one person in Bethany Beach apparently thinks the town needs a better view of its shoreline — and they weren’t prepared to wait. Town Manager Cliff Graviet reported to council members on July 18 that an unknown person or persons had relocated a bench to the top of the dune at Third Street sometime prior to the morning of July 17.

Scene set for Bethany Beach elections

Bethany Beach voters will have a chance to go to the polls this September to make their voices heard, as this Tuesday’s deadline to file to run for one of four available seats on the town council passed with seven candidates filing applications with the town.

Three of four incumbents — Steve Wode, Tony McClenny and Jerry Dorfman — filed for re-election.

Bethany Beach joins canal walkaway effort

t’s been a major focus in Ocean View, and now Bethany Beach has become the final partner in a new “Big Four” for the area: the four communities joining an effort to bring a pedestrian and bicycle path to the edge of the Assawoman Canal that would traverse three towns and one private community.

Wider beach, wider boardwalk in Bethany?

The Bethany Beach Town Council took its first major step on Friday, July 18, toward a major facelift one of the town’s major attractions — its boardwalk. The council on a unanimous vote of all seven members approved having Town Manager Cliff Graviet proceed with engineering documents created toward the eventual goal of widening the boardwalk to the east by 8 feet.