THURSDAY, JUNe 11, 2009
VOL. 14 NO. 8
50 cents
News DEDICATION - When your career spans 40 years in the medical field, you will notice some changes. Page 3 FOR SALE - The Bridgeville Library is for sale. Get in your bid now. Page 4 SPORTS - Local sports hall of famers are featured at the museum. Page 5 CANTON INN - The Delaware Department of Justice’s enforcement of Delaware’s Nuisance Abatement Act takes action against the Canton Inn. Page 14 WOODLAND - DelDOT tries to make light of the Woodland ferry shutdown, but also issues an apology. Page 25 DOUBLE FATALITY - A child is the second fatality of a head-on accident near Seaford. Page 49 PRISON TIME - A Bridgeville man faces five to 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography. Page 49 FRANKLY SPEAKING - Frank Calio takes on the educational establishment one more time. Page 51
Sports GIRLS’ TENNIS - The Seaford High girls’ tennis team wrapped up its solid season with a banquet last week. Page 41. STARS OF ThE YEAR - A pair of Seaford athletes and a pair of Woodbridge athletes are the 2008-09 Seaford Stars of the Year. Page 43.
Index Business Bulletin Board Church
6 18-21 22
Classifieds
32-38
education
30-31
entertainment
28
Frank Calio
51
Gourmet
26
Health
Letters
8-9
50
Lynn Parks 39 Mike McClure 45 7 Movies 24 Obituaries Opinion 54 Pat Murphy 27 Police 49 Puzzles 48 Sports 41-48 Tides 7 Tony Windsor 38
Attending the dedication of Nesbitt Drive, named in honor of former city of Seaford councilman Marshall Nesbitt, are, from left: city manager Dolores Slatcher, councilwoman Grace Peterson, Lisa Gillespie, operations coordinator for the city’s public works, public works director Berley Mears, councilman Bill Bennett, Nesbitt and his wife, Anne, their neighbor Herb Litchford, Sally Higgins, assistant city manager Charles Anderson and Mayor ed Butler. Photo by Lynn R. Parks
Seaford now has a Nesbitt Drive By Lynn R. Parks
It’s official — Seaford now has a street named Nesbitt Drive. The street in the Seaford Industrial Park was dedicated last Wednesday. On hand for the dedication was Marshall Nesbitt, the former city councilman for whom the street is named. “It is such a pleasure to be honored with such a beautiful tribute,” Nesbitt told the small crowd gathered around
the new Nesbitt Drive sign post. “You certainly deserve this after all your efforts on behalf of Seaford,” Mayor Ed Butler told him. Nesbitt, 86, was elected to the city council in 1968 and served for 24 years, often as police commissioner. He remembers several highlights of his time on the council, including the transfer of ownership of what is now Kiwanis Park from the DuPont Co. to the city of Seaford, the construction
of a new police station on Virginia Avenue and the establishment of a city boat ramp on the Nanticoke. During last week’s ceremony, Nesbitt praised Butler and city manager Dolores Slatcher. He was part of the city council in 1977 when Slatcher was hired. “She has done an outstanding job,” he said. “I am so happy that everything is working out as it should.”
can’t afford them this year.” The 2010 budget also has no wiggle room: With $26,821,364 in expenses and the same amount in expenditures, it balances out to zero. “This was a very difficult budget,” Mayor Ed Butler said. “The department heads were very conscientious in how they worked the numbers.” The new budget contains a 1-cent increase in property taxes, from 26.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 27.5 cents. That increase could be even higher, Slatcher said, depending on the
results of several appeals of tax assessments that were filed Tuesday night. About a dozen people were at the city council meeting to request that assessments on their properties be lowered. The budget also features an increase in electric rates, of 3/10s of a cent. A household using 1,000 kilowatt hours of power will see a $3 increase in its monthly bill. All other fees and rates remain the same as they were last year. The city closed down its pool, on
Seaford passes $26 million break-even budget By Lynn R. Parks
Other than an anticipated water system improvement project, to be paid for by federal stimulus money, the city of Seaford’s 2010 budget contains very little money for capital improvements. “We reduced significantly the needs of the departments,” city manager Dolores Slatcher told the city council before it approved the new budget Tuesday night. “There were some very legitimate capital expenses, but this budget just
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