THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008
VOL. 12 NO. 47
Annexation vote scheduled April 3
NEWS HEADLINES
Ag Week Inside this Edition
By Lynn R. Parks
mill N ew Alle n feed very spee ds grai n deli
What’s new in western Sussex County farming?
their yields high, sincethan farmers Shore to keep more grain chickens consume By Carol Kinsley here can grow. on the Shore would last which has been “All the crops Allen said. Allen Family Foods, since 1935, is about two months,” Allen’s chickens go Seaford and grain operating from and At full operation, million feed mill bushels of corn building a $15 in back of the family farm through 400,000 meal per week. consoy storage facility Road. Although 50,000 tons of must be brought in from on Wesley Church corn was accepted at Because grain rail capathe United States, meal, the struction continues, other areas of fall. Even soy the mill in the manager of the complex, the are a necessity. con- bilities that remains after extracting Chad Allen, had asked the Farms dry part in from Perdue Salisget the explained the company the process and oil, must be brought facilities in tractor to expedite last season so the farmwhich has crushing Va., and from othInc., open and Norfolk, grain facility another place to get in will bury, Md., and complete, the mill ers would have their loaded trucks so er vendors. Whentons of poultry feed per out quickly with more time in the field. produce 12,000 five days per week. they could spend is that the operation operating of 1.1 milweek, capacity philosophy “Our and growIt will have storage in our expansion will benefit us but the facility is delion tons of corn.that the facility will have ing on the Shore, so they can get in and inforAllen added the Shore, if his signed for farmers, largest dryer on dryer is sometimes an efficient manner. the in harvest fields A out and before crops out of the mation is correct. They can get their than spending needed to remove excess moisture permits rather “It will dry 7,000 when weather line. We hope to make the grain is stored. Allen said. Most dryers in hours waiting easier.” per hour,” hour. per bushels little bushels a 1,000 6,000 their job load holds about have handle 5,000 to “It costs more can A tractor trailer of The plant is expensive. Allen said. “We said. “Eighty percent bushels of corn, in seven minutes. Last every day,” Allenlocal, so the money is goout is a truck in and got out of his from workforce farmer a the economy time local into the year, by the They’d say, workers ing right back him unloaded. to 16 full-time we’d truck, we had I’m done?’ and the start.” Fifteen operate the plant. to ‘Wow! You mean go get me another plant, will be needed the size of the say, ‘Yes sir. Now give an idea of silos are 140 feet To in concrete load.’” have had to wait the tops of the Allen said. The In the past, farmers they could is 228 above base elevation, two, time that their har“receiving leg,” line an hour or transporting tallest point, the be harvesting andwant them to get caught in feet tall. yards of concrete per vest. “We don’t rain and lose yields,” Allen More than 13,000 At nine yards a windstorm or will go into construction. 1,400 truckloads. and the explained. Family Foods dump truck, that’s It benefits Allen companies on the three other poultry
of the conAbout 80 percent the local economy. than $15 million. to cost more money is pouring back intoweek. Photo by Carmill is expected of that feed per The new feed 12,000 tons of is local, so much mill will produce struction workforce the new feed When complete, ol Kinsley
measures to prev
ent a water shor
tage
aptaking a proactive to a relikes the idea of as opposed water to to see been supplying proach to the problem last thing he wants aquifers that have for decades. grantactive one. The stepping in to ration wato take water for Sussex Countians that could prove probis the government like it did gasoline suprel. “It’s very easy In the long run, says Brown. on ter supplies much ed.” But not yet, probdevelopment going do people having plies in the 1970s. And with all the County, being aware lematic. typical homeowner “There are a fewa whole lot yet,” he Sussex So, what can the it’s all about the little bethat’s abundant No not in and around says on Delmarva is the lems here, but the development we’re water. If there’s one thing to help? Brownup over time – things that for of the water supply a peninsula, it’s an essential toolas the gen- says. “With all the Shore, the potential for when living on are on Delmarva, it’s things that add like a drop in the bucket coming more of as well having here on does exist. But I talked to or matter where youthan a few minutes away may only seem agricultural community, of several weeks water problems for the state of Delaware hard to be more it. but over the course helpful. eral public. residents have a water geologist our opinion that we from a body of the plentiful nature of the leaving last years can be incredibly Thousands of new it’s things like not County over themoved [recently] and enough to see serious wawhat But despite “It’s just little and contrary to drinking moved into Sussex won’t live long in Delaware.” built new homes, natural resource, page 3B brand decade. They’ve water – especially Continued on and played on ter problems here says he also many believe, out. all begun in with new families not, but Brown they’ve just Maybe is And water water – can run think that underground new golf courses. from the many “A lot of people there,” says David drawing water be always going toof Sussex Irrigation in LauBrown, owner
Take proactive By James Diehl
SUSSEX REALTORS - The Sussex County Association of Realtors has run out of space in its Georgetown facility. Page 3 WWII VETERANS - Ray J. Elzey Sr. never received any medals for his service. Maybe he could now, but he wants no part of it. Page 8 100 YEARS AGO - In 1908, the graduating class at Seaford High School had five members in it — all male. Page 10 SPECIAL GUEST - The national president of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars visits the Greenwood VFW post. Page 4 LAND USE PLAN - The County's Land Use Plan looks in part at the problem of traffic flowing into the area from a dual-lane Route 404. Page 20 SEMIFINALS - The Woodbridge boys’ basketball team’s season came to a close with a semifinal loss to Newark last week. Page 45 SPRING SPORTS - The high school spring sports season kicked off last week. See page 45 for the Seaford spring sports schedule. The Woodbridge schedule ins on page 47. NEW CENTER - The Seaford Endoscopy Center performed its first procedure on Monday. The center's high definition equipment was used. Page 59
INSIDE THE STAR BUSINESS BULLETIN BOARD CHURCH CLASSIFIEDS EDUCATION ENTERTAINMENT FINAL WORD FRANK CALIO GENE BLEILE GOURMET HEALTH LYNN PARKS MOVIES
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50 cents
OBITUARIES 28 ON THE RECORD 57 OPEN HOUSES 14-15 25 PAT MURPHY 12 PEOPLE POLICE JOURNAL 52 PUZZLES 57 SNAPSHOTS 60 SPORTS 45-51 TIDES 7 TODD CROFFORD 27 62 TONY WINDSOR VETERANS OF WWII 8
PAGEANT WINNERS - The annual Miss Seaford, Little Miss Seaford pageants were held Friday at Seaford High School. Shown (l to r) are Little Miss Seaford first runner up Alissa Mercie, Little Miss Seaford Jenna Beard, Miss Seaford Melissa “Missy” Willey, and Little Miss Seaford second runner up May Renee Wilson. Additional photos and story on page 16. Photo by David Elliott
A public vote on annexation of 240 acres of farmland into the city of Seaford will be Thursday, April 3. Residents of the city, as well as the owners of the two parcels of land, are eligible to vote. Ray Mears and Sons is seeking the annexation of 193 acres of farmland at the intersection of Bridgeville Highway and Hearns Pond Road. And Morris Properties has requested that 46 acres just south of the Mears property, at the intersection of Bridgeville Highway and Garden Lane, become part of the city. Both properties were among six parcels that were overwhelmingly rejected for annexation in a public vote in September 2006. At that time, the property owners were requesting zoning to permit high-density residential development as well as commercial development. This time, they are asking for zoning for single-family Continued to page 17
Lions Club Show starts tonight By Lynn R. Parks The Seaford Lions Club will hold its 69th annual variety show this weekend. Theme of the show, said director Keller Hoch, is “Signs of the Times.” But that doesn’t mean that songs and skits that are part of the show will have anything to do with signs, or the times, he added. “I just tried to come up with something generic, to give the guys something they could fit an act into if they want,” said Hoch. “Skits might be part of that theme, or they might not. You never know.” Tradition, perhaps, dictates how the show will go more than its theme. As usual, the chorus, under the direction of Lions Club member Rob Harmon, and the band, led by Lion Dave Speicher, will play big parts. There will be soloists, including Alison Willey, a 2003 graduate of Seaford High School and the recipient that year of the club’s $4,000 scholarship. There will be funny skits. And once
again this year, the Lion Dancers, including Hoch as well as Lions Jim Blackwell, Jack Lynch, Charles Michel and John Rohlich, will make an appearance. The dancers will perform to the classic rock song, “Splish Splash,” Hoch said. And will they be wearing bath towels? “You could say that,” Hoch laughed. “We will be attired to fit the song.” The show will also include tributes to long-time members Ben Hurley and John Manlove, both of whom who died last year. Hurley joined the club in 1949 and Manlove in 1951, and both participated in the annual show until late in their lives. “We will certainly miss them,” Hoch said. During intermission, Harmon and auctioneer and club president Don Moore will conduct an auction of donated items. Refreshments, provided by the Lioness Club, will be served. The annual show is the Seaford
For your information: The 69th annual variety show sponsored by the Seaford Lions Club will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 13, 14 and 15, in the Seaford High School auditorium. Show time is 7:30 p.m. each night. Tickets cost $7 in advance, $9 at the door. Tickets are available from any Lions Club member and at Home Team Realty, Penco Corporation and the Wilmington Trust bank on Stein Highway, Seaford. Lions Club’s largest fund-raiser, Hoch said. It typically brings in between $7,000 and $8,000, he said. The club also sponsors basket bingos and poker games to fund its annual scholarship, handed out to a Seaford High graduate, as well as assistance to Seaford-area people who can’t afford eye exams and glasses. The club spends about $10,000 a year to help with eye care, the main focus of the Lions International organization.