Dollars & Sense

Few things say “summertime at the beach” quite like a fresh bushel of steamed crabs smothered in Old Bay and piping hot corn on the cob, which is precisely what Joe Parsons had in mind when he decided to open Steamers, Millville’s soon-to-be summer hotspot.

For Dana Banks, owner of The Parkway Restaurant in Bethany Beach, the most exciting thing about taking over the Royal Zephyr restaurant in Ocean View is the fact that she’ll be able to cook like she cooks at home.

When you’re one of the most recognized and acclaimed breweries and restaurants in the state, you’re bound to turn some heads. When your beer is awarded high honors among nearly 3,000 others hailing from 646 breweries that span 58 countries, you’ve got a gift.

The South Coastal Health Campus, Beebe Medical Center’s newest project, set to cater health care advantages and convenience to patients in the lower Sussex region, received a financial boost from the Freeman Foundation this week in the form of $250,000.

With half of April already gone, many of the area’s restaurants are opening up again and looking forward to the 2008 summer season.

It would be difficult to find anyone familiar with the Delaware resort area who has never seen or heard of Rhodes 5&10 — the all inclusive store on the main strip of Bethany Beach, next to the downtown bank branch. What even those familiar with Rhodes might not know is that the store that has been a local landmark since the spring of 1969 got its start from the social unrest of the 1960s.

With St. Patrick’s Day celebrations fresh on the minds of both the Irish and the Irish-for-the-day, it’s a good bet people riding down Route 26 this past week noticed the bright assortment of green dresses in the window of Ashley’s Bridal.

As they head south on Route 1 through Fenwick Island, the white words “Country Store,” set off by the red barn-like storefront beckon people to come in and check out what all the fuss is about. It takes an equally big sign to stop them from heading for the store’s doors in the winter, when it is traditionally closed.

New commercial construction has begun in Bethany Beach, with plans to accommodate a few more businesses. By summertime, the owners of the Connor Mall, next to DiFebo’s restaurant, intend to bring a few more stores to Bethany Beach, including Rita’s Water Ice.

Welcome to CoastalPoint.com 2.0! If you’ve visited our Web site in the last few weeks, you’ll already have noticed the appearance of the first phase of months of behind-the-scenes work by our staff on The Point’s Web presence.

The next time local Harley enthusiasts are riding down Route 113, they might consider making a pit stop at the Haus of Trikes, formerly of Ocean City, Md., and convert their bikes to “trikes,” by adding a third wheel.

John Himmelberg never thought he would be where he is today — a Washington, D.C., lawyer and Bethany Beach homeowner who represents fruit and vegetable farmers as a farm lobbyist. But when you look at the history, it was kind of in his blood. After all, Himmelberg’s grandmother ran a grocery store in Washington, D.C.

After a five-hour public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 19, the Fenwick Island Board of Adjustments denied five proposed variances requested by Lenape Tribe LLC that would have allowed mixed commercial and residential development, including a projected Starbuck’s with drive-through capabilities, at the corner of Dagsboro Street and Coastal Highway – the site of the former Libby’s family restaurant.

Operating a business can be a difficult and stressful task, between managing employee relationships, balancing time and budgeting finances. But thanks to the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce and four-year business partners Mike Nally and Colby Cox, all of that is about to get a little easier.

It’s been a long, enjoyable road for Dottie Wells, associate broker with Long & Foster. Over the years, she’s had her hand in a number of acclaimed real estate businesses, but it’s with the aforementioned that has helped combine her passion for this line of work with a beautiful area she now calls home.