THURSDAY, APRiL 30, 2009
VOL. 14 NO. 2
Seaford pool will not open, council says
News remember mom - Mother’s Day gift ideas, pages 15-17. ferry - Just when you gave up hope, the Woodland ferry is running again, but for how long? page 3 honors - Seaford Library pays tribute to its many volunteers. Page 4
By Lynn R. Parks
farming - Allen Family Foods’ first session attracts 72 growers. Page 9
Watershed Conservancy Inc. said the conservancy had purchased the 196-acre parcel across from what was then DuPont in the 1990s. The land was typical of Seaford and Sussex County. Ralph Keene, former DuPont chairman, said he used to walk the area and had always thought what a great place it would be for a nature trail. Then at a meeting at the DuPont plant, when the discussion turned to how the company could be more environmentally friendly, he suggested creating a nature trail and opening it to the public. Eventually the project was approved and funded, and Keene was one of the small group of people who did the work. “Before the trail was created,” he said, “there had
The Seaford Community Pool will not open this year. After operating it for more than 20 years, the city of Seaford has decided to shut it down. The city council voted Tuesday night to permanently close the pool, traditionally open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The vote was unanimous. “For all the kids, this is a real tragedy,” said city resident Ricky Schliser, who addressed the council before its vote. He warned that with no public swimming pool in the city, children will start swimming in the river, where there are no guards to help them out if they get in trouble. Council members cited a tight budget as the reason for closing the pool. Last year, the pool lost $32,000, Mayor Ed Butler said. City manager Dolores Slatcher said that before the pool could open this year, the city would have to spend $2,500 to repair its drains. That money was not in the budget, she said. The city had projected an operating cost of $53,000 for the pool in the 2010 budget. That included no capital expenses, something that Slatcher said would eventually be inevitable. The pool deck needs work, she said, and the roof on the pool building needs replaced. Last year’s pool revenues totaled just over $20,000. “A pool is never a money-making proposition,” said councilwoman Leanne Phillips-Lowe. “But there is too great a gap between revenue and costs.” Phillips-Lowe said that attendance at the pool has been declining. Last year, the pool had 2,200 visits in June, 400 of them by pool members. By August, that number had dropped to 700 visits, 150 of them by members. “I would drive by there in the evenings and there would be no one in the pool,” Phillips-Lowe said. Councilman Rhea Shannon pointed out that the city has four other pools: at the Seaford Golf and Country Club, the Seaford Swim Association pool west of town and two indoor, at the Methodist Manor House and at the Western Sussex Boys and Girls Club. All four are privately owned. Last summer, the pool at the Boys and
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Police - A mother and son are charged with a robbery. Page 39 starry - Scenes from Starry Starry Night at Del Tech. Page 50 tea time - Calio rips into the TEA Party goers on page 51. For another perspective see page 55.
Sports
volunteers honored - Nancy Brown (left) and Betty Bevans are the newest inductees in the Nanticoke Health Services’ 5,000 hour hall of fame. They were among Nanticoke volunteers who were honored Thursday night. Story and more photos on page 14. Photo by Lynn R. Parks
stars - A Seaford track and field athlete and a girls’ tennis player are this week’s Seaford Stars. Page 43
Trail named in honor of coach Vince Morris will be remembered
oPening - Josh Vazquez of Seaford Moose delivers a pitch during opening day in Bridgeville. See sports for Woodbridge Little League pictures. Photo by Mike McClure
Index Auto Alley 30-31 Business 6 Bulletin Board 18-20 Church 22 Classifieds 32-35 Education 26-27 Final Word 55 Frank Calio 51 Gourmet 35 Health 36-37 Letters 54
Lynn Parks Movies Obituaries Opinion Pat Murphy People Police Puzzles Sports Tides Tony Windsor
13 7 24 54 21 40 39 48 41-48 7 38
50 cents
for sharing courage and strength By Carol Kinsley
“Coach Vince Morris was probably the strongest and smartest person I’ve ever known,” said Andrew Hoffman, a member of Morris’ cross country team at Seaford High School for four years. Morris fought two kinds of cancer, he explained, both leukemia and lymphoma, losing the battle in Hoffman’s senior year. Hoffman and his sister Jennifer, who is on the team this year, turned out April 25 for a 5k walk/run at Chapel Branch on a trail there which was renamed in honor of Morris. There were a number of brief ceremonies on that bright Saturday morning. Welcoming visitors, Marlene Mervine of the Nanticoke River