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        <title>Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/</link>
        <description></description>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/bethany-beach-2026-events/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/bethany-beach-2026-events/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>Bethany Beach 2026 Events</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



With summer just around the corner, we are looking forward to the many events that take place in Bethany Beach starting in May  Warmer Spring weather encourages visitors and locals to explore local shops and businesses, while community programs and outdoor events began to pick up as the temperatures increase.  As summer arrives, the town’s iconic bandstand hosts regular live music performances, drawing crowds to the boardwalk for evening entertainment by the ocean. Family-friendly events, beach activities, and weekly traditions create a vibrant atmosphere, while local markets and art-focused gatherings highlight the creativity of the area. Together, these spring and summer events showcase Bethany Beach as the lively yet quaint seaside destination full of entertainment, relaxation, and community spirit.  Head to the Town's Website for more
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/freeman-foundation-awards-20k-to-food-bank-of-delaware/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/freeman-foundation-awards-20k-to-food-bank-of-delaware/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>Freeman Foundation awards $20K to Food Bank of Delaware</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Coastal Point





The Carl M. Freeman Foundation has awarded a $20,000 donation to the Food Bank of Delaware to support its food distribution efforts in Sussex County, in an effort to help ensure local families have access to nutritious food during a time of growing need.


“On behalf of the Food Bank of Delaware, thank you to the Carl M. Freeman Foundation for their generous $20,000 investment in our food distribution efforts,” said Cathy Kanefsky, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Delaware. “This support helps ensure families across Delaware have reliable access to nutritious food when they need it most, and it strengthens our ability to respond to the rising need with dignity and care. We are deeply grateful for the foundation’s continued partnership and commitment to our community.”


Freeman Foundation representatives noted that food insecurity continues to affect households across Delaware as families navigate rising costs and economic uncertainty. The Carl M. Freeman Foundation’s support will help the Food Bank of Delaware meet increased demand while continuing to serve neighbors with compassion and respect, they said.


“Access to healthy food is fundamental to the well-being of individuals and families,” said Michelle Freeman, president of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. “At a time when many families are struggling to put food on the table, we are proud to support the Food Bank of Delaware and the essential work they do every day to care for our community. Their commitment ensures help reaches people when they need it most.”





The Carl M. Freeman Foundation has a long-standing commitment, they said, to supporting “organizations that strengthen communities across Delaware and beyond. Its partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware reflects a shared belief that neighbors thrive when basic needs are met with dignity and care.


“The Carl M. Freeman Foundation commits its time, talent, and treasure to facilitate, support and promote innovative community-based leadership and giving. We seek to honor our founders’ legacies and passions by endorsing excellence and leveraging resources. Generally, we limit donations to communities where the customers, employees, and vendors of Carl M. Freeman Companies work, live and play.”


To learn more about the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, visitwww.carlmfreemanfoundation.org.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 14:27:00 -0500</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/ocean-view-police-dept-gets-active-in-blue-envelope-program/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/ocean-view-police-dept-gets-active-in-blue-envelope-program/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>Ocean View police Dept gets active in Blue Envelope Program</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Coastal Point, Susan Canfora


Delaware.gov


The Ocean View Police Department is participating in Delaware’s Blue Envelope Program, designed to share critical information with officers who stop vehicles with disabled drivers or passengers.


“The day we got the envelopes here at the police station, we had people coming up to the counter and asking for them, which I think is pretty cool. It’s another tool we can use to help determine how police react,” Police Chief Kenneth McLaughlin said, adding that the light blue envelopes are available there, as well as at Delaware State Police barracks and other participating agencies. The DSP and Delaware Health &amp; Social Services are also publicizing the program on their websites.


“The first lady who picked up an envelope here said, ‘My son is autistic, and he freaks out from lights and sirens. They are really disturbing to him,” McLaughlin said.


“We are aware of that,” he noted of such concerns. “We are heavily involved with Special Olympics here at the police department, and we have a lot of autistic kids. They wear headphones if they can’t handle any kind of loud noise, and they don’t like flashing lights. It stimulates them in a negative way.


“So, officers can say, ‘It’s nighttime. These light are bright. The ones on the back of the police car will flash, but I can turn the front ones off because there is a person in there that might be impacted,’” he said. “If somebody is deaf, they can just hold the Blue Envelope out the window.


“Because of the Blue Envelope, police might have to do something different at a traffic stop,” McLaughlin explained. “The last thing we want to do is scare an autistic kid or get into a screaming match with a driver who is deaf because they couldn’t hear us. It’s a proactive measure that we are taking. Somebody somewhere along the line had good idea,” he said.


Drivers are asked to place their driver’s license, proof of insurance, vehicle registration and emergency care plan details in the Blue Envelope, or to keep their driver’s license in a wallet but place it in the envelope with the other documents if an officer stops the car.


Printed on the outside are tips for interacting with police, including keeping hands on the steering wheel if stopped, listening to the officer and telling the officer there is a Blue Envelope in the car, but not reaching for anything without the officer’s permission or driving away before the officer is finished.


Also printed are circles to be checked, indicating the type of disability, effects of the disability and if the driver or passenger uses an interpreter, needs a mobility aid or communication device, or has seizures.


The free initiative “aims to promote safe, clear and respectful communication between law enforcement and drivers with autism and other disabilities. It is designed for people with autism, a communication difference, sensory difference, mobility limitation or other disability or medical condition. … The Blue Envelope quickly communicates important disability-related information and considerations to police officer,” the Ocean View Police websites states.


The DSP website at www.dsp.delaware.gov praises the initiative for promoting “safe, clear and respectful communication by helping law enforcement understand that a driver may have a communication difference, a sensory need, mobility limitations or other difference related to their disability. … It signals to officers that the driver may use or need additional supports, such as a communication device, extra processing time, clear instructions or reduced sensory input. It ensures fair application of the law and is not designed to allow an individual to escape justice,” it states.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:39:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/dogs-on-the-beach-where-and-when-you-can-bring-your-furry-friends/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/dogs-on-the-beach-where-and-when-you-can-bring-your-furry-friends/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>Dogs on the Beach: Where and When you can bring your furry friends</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Delaware Today, Shannon Marvel McNaught





Fall is for the dogs at the Delaware beaches.


The rules relax come September, allowing man's best friend to accompany their owners on the sand and in the surf once again.


Here's what to know about dogs in each Delaware beach town, but keep in mind: There is a statewide law requiring dogs be leashed at all times, except on their owner's property or on private property with permission. Otherwise, service (not emotional support) dogs are generally exempt from these rules.


Bethany Beach


In Bethany Beach, dogs are prohibited on the beach and boardwalk from May 15 to Sept. 30. They're permitted all day in the off-season from October 1st through May 14th.


Delaware State Parks


Whether dogs are allowed on state park beaches is complicated.


By Delaware law, dogs are not allowed on state park swimming beaches between May 1 and Sept. 30. That includes the south side beach at the Indian River Inlet and the Tower Road/New Road beach in Delaware Seashore State Park, the main beach at Cape Henlopen State Park and the southernmost beach at Fenwick Island State Park.


Dewey Beach


From the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through the Sunday following Labor Day (Sept. 7 this year), dogs are permitted on Dewey Beach before 9:30 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m. only. In the off-season, they're allowed on the beach all day.


Rehoboth Beach


Rehoboth Beach does not allow dogs on the beach or boardwalk in the summertime, from May 1 to Sept. 30. They're welcome in both places in the off-season.


Lewes


From May 1 to Sept. 30 in Lewes, dogs are only allowed on the beach before 8 a.m. and after 6:30 p.m. After that, dogs are welcome on the sand all day.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:29:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/south-bethany-opts-not-to-restrict-tents-on-beach-for-now/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/south-bethany-opts-not-to-restrict-tents-on-beach-for-now/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title> South Bethany opts not to restrict tents on beach, for now </title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Coastal Point, Susan Canfora





Tents and other shelters on the beach in South Bethany won’t be regulated by a town ordinance, but beachgoers will be asked to practice etiquette, and to not block others’ views of the ocean or present safety hazards.


The South Bethany Town Council made that decision at their Friday, Aug. 8, meeting, with Mayor Edie Dondero saying polite practices will be encouraged in postings on bulletin boards and in e-mails while the town manager and staff “continue to monitor the situation.”


At the council’s July meeting, Councilman Bob Shields had started the discussion, but he was out of the country and not able to attend last week’s meeting. Dondero said town officials have received considerable feedback about the matter, with about half of those responding calling for the Town to pass an ordinance regulating shelters and the other half saying it isn’t necessary.


“They are pretty evenly split down the middle,” the mayor said, adding that the Charter &amp; Code Committee was asked to compile potential regulations. Councilman Mark Giler, a member of that committee, said the rules in place in other towns were considered, but that many who complained about shelters were referring specifically to how many they saw during the Fourth of July weekend.


Councilman Randy Bartholomew objected to passing an ordinance and instead suggested beach etiquette be emphasized.


Dondero said that, while large tents are annoying, they are not a public safety or health matter.


“This is a town government. This is not a homeowners’ association. This is not a civic organization, and we do not address annoyances. … Other towns have different issues than we do, so while other towns have ordinances against tents and cabanas, they have different issues. We are one of the least crowded beaches. … There are a couple weeks in July when beach space is at a premium.


“As much as we may not like it, this is a public beach. This is a not a private beach. … Public funds are spent to maintain our beach. We have to accommodate the public. It doesn’t mean we have to accommodate things that are dangerous,” she said.


Dondero said she dislikes hearing music playing when she’s at the beach, because she likes to listen to the sound of the waves and cries of seagulls while she’s reading, “but we can’t stop others’ enjoyment.” She said it also isn’t reasonable to expect lifeguards to take their eyes off swimmers or to call police away from their duties “to argue with some bozo who doesn’t want to take down his tent.”


But Councilwoman Cindy Van Horn said tents’ anchoring devices in the sand can be dangerous and that she has seen children trip over them. She said the council has to consider the size of the beach — especially since sand has been lost due to recent storms and more erosion will happen during winter. She suggested tabling the matter until spring, when the council “can look at the beach and have a better idea of if beach replenishment will be funded.”


Replenishment funding throughout the area is a particular concern now after cuts to federal funding for a wide range of programs — particularly those addressing problems related to climate change. Federal funding often makes up the bulk of the funding for the projects, with state funding usually making up the rest. But state officials have increasingly called for a local cost share from municipalities as well.


At the July council meeting, Shields said shelters “occupy a lot of space on the beach and often don’t have anybody sitting under them.” He suggested not allowing large shelters with anchoring mechanisms that stretch out on the sides, as well as only permitting small tents.


He said the Town of Bethany Beach doesn’t allow structures except umbrellas, while Fenwick Island only allows up to 10-foot-by-10-foot tents with all anchoring devices contained inside the footprint. Under recently adopted ordinances, Ocean City, Md., allows up to 10-foot-by-10-foot tents, but only if they are open on all four sides, with anchoring within the footprint, and only if erected after 10 a.m.


He suggested South Bethany similarly restrict structures to those that are no larger than 10 feet by 10 feet, with all anchoring inside. The Town already requires any such structures to be erected behind lifeguard stands.


Shields said Ocean City officials had been discussing restrictions and put them into effect in late June. Fenwick Island officials talked about it, too, and did set restrictions, Councilwoman Chris Keefe said. She said that about half the time, she notices tents have only coolers inside and the tent users themselves are sitting outside.


“They put their chairs around the tent, which is really crazy and obnoxious, and it drives everyone crazy. … They are using a lot of space they shouldn’t use. The only problem with any of these regulations is who regulates it? Is somebody going to go around with a measuring tape? I don’t want to put this on the lifeguards. Not a good idea. … And is there a fine? What is this? How does this work?” Keefe asked.


At the July meeting, Dondero had said she didn’t believe there was a need for restrictions and that other towns have more crowded and sometimes more narrow beaches, boardwalks “and less real estate in a lot of ways than we do,” she said.


“There is nothing more annoying than spreading out and putting chairs around it,” she said, “but my feeling is you can’t regulate common courtesy. I don’t think we have a need for restrictions at this time, and my biggest issue is enforcement. This is going to fall to the beach patrol, and I think that is an unfair ask of them. We want them with eyes on the water. We don’t want them turning around, measuring tents or space between tents or getting into altercations with folks. … There are already things they are checking for that [are] taking their time away from the water,” Dondero said.


She said the beach patrol captain is also concerned about enforcement and asked her, “Am I supposed to arm each lifeguard with a tape measure?”


Other than during the Fourth of July weekend, which the mayor called “just Crazy Town, U.S.A.,” she said she doesn’t usually see many tents on the beach in South Bethany.
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    <pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:42:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/task-force-meeting-to-help-small-restaurants/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/task-force-meeting-to-help-small-restaurants/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>Task force meeting to help small restaurants</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Coastal Point, Susan Canfora


Members of the Small Restaurant Regulatory Reform Task Force will begin meeting this week to work on ways to make it easier for small businesses to open without being faced with the same requirements imposed on those operating large establishments.


State Sens. Gerald Hocker and Russell Huxtable are among the 15 members of the task force, said state Rep. Jeff Spiegelman, a Realtor, who initiated it. Representing Townsend, Smyrna and Clayton, he said he has heard complaints from clients at his family’s real estate agency, The Moving Experience, but the concerns aren’t limited to northern Delaware.


“The problem is all throughout Delaware,” he said. “I’ve had clients in Sussex County. We are dealing with codes in place well before COVID, with regulations way before COVID happened, but during COVID there was a rise in delivery. During COVID, everybody learned the convenience of take-out and delivery from places like Grub Hub and Door Dash, and there was a real culture change. Since COVID, more and more people have continued that practice of getting take-out from smaller restaurants.


“This idea for the task force came from my clients trying to move from a catering business, where people are operating out of their houses into their first brick-and-mortar stores, or from a food truck into a brick-and-mortar. After COVID, it became more common to open smaller restaurants — 1,500 or 2,000 square feet, with mostly take-out and a couple tables.


“I noticed the cost. The regulations and overhead are almost the same for a 1,500-square-foot restaurant, and it creates a considerable barrier to having more food choices for Delawareans and to let people open small restaurants,” Spiegelman told the Coastal Point this week.


The cost for an exhaust hood and deep-fryer suppression, required by Delaware code, is based on the size of the fryer the restaurant owner is installing, but both small and large restaurants are required to have the same hood. That can be expensive, and smaller, independent restaurants don’t have the financial backing of large companies that have franchises, he said.


Task force members will study what other states are doing and determine if new legislation is necessary in Delaware to help, or whether regulations and best practices can be altered, he said.


Gray said task force members want to ease regulations.


“The fire marshal, for example, requires any restaurant to have a sprinkler system, and that is a lot more costly. You have to pay for the sprinkler system to be designed and approved, and then built, and you have to have inspections. The goal is reducing unnecessary burdens. By June 1, 2026, the task force will identify the unnecessary burdens created by regulations and take concrete steps to ease the burdens and determine what state funding, if any, will be necessary to ease these burdens,” Gray said.


Spiegelman — who said there are more than 2,100 eating and drinking establishments in Delaware, employing about 50,000 people — called for prudent regulation but worried, “We have gone overboard.”


House Republicans co-sponsoring the initiative include Gray and fellow representatives Rich Collins, Valerie Jones Giltner, Tim Dukes, Shannon Morris, Mike Smith and Lyndon Yearick.
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    <pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:52:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/south-bethany-considers-allowing-tentscabanas-on-beach/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/south-bethany-considers-allowing-tentscabanas-on-beach/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>South Bethany considers allowing tents/cabanas on beach</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Coastal Point, Susan Canfora





Despite objections from Mayor Edie Dondero, the South Bethany Town Council will ask the Town’s Charter &amp; Code Committee to review what size cabanas, or tents, should be allowed on the beach.


Tents — discussed during the Friday, July 11, council meeting — were situated on the beach during the Fourth of July weekend, when the beach is particularly crowded, Councilman Bob Shields said, adding that they “occupy a lot of space on the beach and often don’t have anybody sitting under them.”


He suggested not allowing large tents that have anchoring mechanisms that stretch out on the sides and only permitting small tents.


He said the Town of Bethany Beach doesn’t allow structures except umbrellas (it also allows &quot;baby tents&quot;) and Fenwick Island only allows 10-foot-by-10-foot or smaller tents with all anchoring devices contained inside the footprint. After recent changes in its beach rules, Ocean City, Md., allows up to 10-foot-by-10-foot tents and only if they are open on all four sides, with anchoring within the footprint and only if erected after 10 a.m.


Shields said that, often, nobody is in the tents and they occupy prime space close to the ocean.


He suggested South Bethany restrict structures to those no larger than 10 by 10 feet, with all anchoring inside. The Town already requires tents to be located behind the lifeguard stands.


One councilman asked about Shibumi beach shades, and Shields said they can be annoying but they don’t block others’ views as much.


Shields said Ocean City officials have been discussing restrictions and put them into effect in late June. Fenwick Island officials talked about it, too, and set restrictions, Councilwoman Chris Keefe said. She said that, about half the time she notices tents, they have only coolers inside and tent owners are sitting outside the tent itself.


“They put their chairs around the tent, which is really crazy and obnoxious, and it drives everyone crazy. … They are using a lot of space they shouldn’t use. The only problem with any of these regulations is who regulates it? Is somebody going to go around with a measuring tape? I don’t want to put this on the lifeguards. Not a good idea … and is there a fine? What is this? How does this work?” Keefe asked.


Dondero said she doesn’t believe there is a need to restrict tent sizes or how close together they can be. Other towns have more crowded and sometimes more narrow beaches, boardwalks “and less real estate, in a lot of ways, than we do,” she said.


“There is nothing more annoying than spreading out and putting chairs around it, but my feeling is you can’t regulate common courtesy,” Dondero said. “I don’t think we have a need for restrictions at this time, and my biggest issue is enforcement. This is going to fall to the beach patrol, and I think that is an unfair to ask of them. We want them with eyes on the water. We don’t want them turning around, measuring tents or space between tents, or getting into altercations with folks. … There are already things they are checking for that are taking their time away from the water,” Dondero said.


She said the beach patrol captain is also concerned about enforcement and asked her, “Am I supposed to arm each lifeguard with a tape measure?”


“Sometimes the difference between 8 feet and 10 feet is not that obvious. … I do know Bethany, for one, has code enforcement officials who can walk on the beach and check on this. We don’t have that. We have one guy. … We just don’t have that like Ocean City does, like Bethany does. So, it would fall exclusively to the lifeguards. And what happens when folks don’t comply? Then we have to call a police officer and take an officer away from a call or whatever they are doing and tell somebody to take their tent down,” Dondero said.


Other than during the Fourth of July weekend — which the mayor called “just Crazy Town, U.S.A.” — she said she doesn’t see many tents on the beach.


Keefe suggested adding wording to signs on the beach that list rules.


“We don’t have anybody enforcing any of those rules. They are more like suggestions for people to behave correctly,” Keefe said.


Shields recommended referring the matter to the Town’s Charter &amp; Code Committee and asking for feedback from other town officials, but Dondero said officials “won’t come up with an answer to the enforcement issue.”


“Do we want to put this burden on the beach patrol? We have to make that decision, because that is what this boils down to,” she said.


But Shields said dogs aren’t allowed on the beach during the summer, and there are other rules, as well, that don’t require code enforcement officers.





“Put those signs up, and people are expected to comply with them. Who enforces those things?” Shields asked.


The council agreed to refer the matter to the Charter &amp; Code Committee.


The council this week presented a resolution to former councilman Tim Shaw, who was greeted at the council meeting with a friendly “You’ve been here before” by one council member as Shaw stepped forward to be honored.


Dondero read the resolution, which states that Shaw dedicated years of service to the Town, serving in several positions during his time on the council, supporting the staff and being an invaluable resource.


Shaw thanked the council, and Dondero said the council was sorry to lose him.


“Don’t go too far away,” she said.


Code revisions get OK


The council adopted on first reading an ordinance outlining general code revisions of town ordinances.


Dondero explained that, during the last year, “We have been working with the firm General Code to do a review of the Town’s ordinances and to do some housekeeping on the ordinances, to look for errors, contradictions, antiquated terms … to bring our code up to date.”


She said the ordinance update covers specific changes to the various changes in town code.


“If I were to read through all of these, we would be here for the better part of the morning,” she said at the council meeting, which began at 9 a.m.


Keefe asked about a reference to parking and said fines were lowered “for certain things.”


She asked about “fines dealing with parking issues, and towing and storing vehicles that have gone down to $300” and asked why a lower number was chosen. Town Manager Maureen Hartman said the fines were discussed with Police Chief Jason Lovins and wording changed “to clean it up.”


“It was just cleaned up from past discussions we have had,” she said.


Dondero said town officials have been working on this for the past year, that it has been reviewed by General Code, three lawyers, the chief of police and staff, and that she hoped it was ready to adopt.


Councilman Mark Giler asked about wording concerning competitive bids being “not more than $10,000” and also said he’d like to see masculine pronouns changed to gender-neutral terms.
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    <pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:10:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/south-bethany-approves-food-trucks-for-town-events/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/south-bethany-approves-food-trucks-for-town-events/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title> South Bethany approves food trucks for town events </title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



By unanimous vote, the South Bethany Town Council this week approved on second reading an ordinance to allow food trucks on Town property.


Councilwoman Chris Keefe, at the Friday, June 27, council meeting, said the trucks will be allowed at Town-sponsored events only.


“We’ve had to adjust the ordinance to allow that. The ordinance changes the definition of a food truck — a large vehicle or trailer licensed and equipped to cook, prepare and sell food. We added a sentence to this ordinance saying licensed trucks that have received prior authorization from the Town to participate in special events sponsored by the Town and held on town property. Before, they we were not allowed at all, but that doesn’t prevent having food delivered to homes,” she said.


Approving the ordinance on second reading means the ordinance will become part of the town code, Keefe said.


Before the vote was taken, Councilman Mark Giler, with a smile, referred to himself as a “foodatarian” and said he would vote for the ordinance but asked why it is needed. Keefe said it is “another option for events like holiday events, storyboard events, get-togethers.”


“It would be nice to have that, instead of trying to get food delivered,” Keefe said.


Mayor Edie Dondero said those attending Town events would appreciate an ice cream truck, for example, at the Town’s annual tree-lighting ceremony.


“Now, what’s the menu?” Giler joked.
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    <pubDate>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:43:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/the-33rd-annual-beach--bay-cottage-tour/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/the-33rd-annual-beach--bay-cottage-tour/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title>The 33rd Annual Beach &amp; Bay Cottage Tour</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
We’re proud to share with you that The Leslie Kopp Group will continue as the Presenting Sponsor of the 33rd Annual Beach &amp; Bay Cottage Tour Once again, ticket purchasers can experience the tour in person or explore the beautiful homes virtually at their convenience.


Sneak Peek courtesy of Beach &amp; Bay Cottage Tour


For $50, the Combo Ticket gives you the chance to visit 6 specially selected homes in person, plus virtual access to all 10 homes on the tour.  In-person tours will take place on Wednesday, July 23 and Thursday, July 24.  If you’d rather explore from home, the $35 Virtual Only ticket lets you view all 10 homes online. Virtual tours will be available from Sunday, July 13 through Sunday, August 3. 


In-person and virtual tickets are on sale now, with all proceeds benefiting the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach. Click the link for a sneak preview of the tour, and visit the Beach &amp; Bay Cottage Tour website for more information: Beach &amp; Bay Cottage Tour.
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    <pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2025 11:51:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/fenwick-business-leaders-asking-for-employee-parking-break/</guid>
    <link>https://www.delawarebeachretirement.com/blog/fenwick-business-leaders-asking-for-employee-parking-break/</link>
        <author>leslie@lesliekopp.com (Leslie Kopp)</author>
        <title> Fenwick business leaders asking for employee parking break </title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Credit to: Coastal Point, Kerin Magill





A committee advocating for Fenwick Island business owners will ask the Fenwick Island Town Council later this month to offer parking passes to businesses at a reduced rate, as one way to help alleviate employee parking issues in the town.


Fenwick Island’s Business Concerns Committee discussed the move at its Tuesday, May 6, meeting.


The group, chaired by Council Member Kurt Zanelotti and comprising current and former business owners and residents, will ask the council at its May 23 meeting to consider offering parking passes to businesses in town at a reduced rate of $450 — a 10 percent reduction from the standard $500 rate for seasonal parking passes that are available to residents.


At the April town council meeting, Mayor Natalie Magdeburger made a presentation reflecting potential open spots on side streets around town where employees might be able to park, but for the most part, the available spots would not be practical for employees of town businesses.


During that meeting, Magdeburger urged the business community to work together to find a solution to the perennial employee parking issue. For several years, the council has encouraged business owners to work together to come up with a system of sharing parking spots between businesses. For example, a business that is open primarily early in the day could offer parking privileges to employees of neighboring businesses that are open at night, such as restaurants.


That concept has stalled in the past because town regulations prohibit any money from changing hands for such arrangements. Despite that restriction, the idea has not been rejected by the business committee.


During Tuesday’s Business Concerns Committee meeting. Scott Mumford, former owner of Warren’s Station Restaurant, said he felt the committee is “moving in a good direction now. When it comes to business-to-business parking, I think we’re in a better place,” Mumford said, adding “there is an ordinance in the town that needs to be addressed,” referring to the pay-to-play prohibition.


Mumford was the first to broach the idea of reduced fees for parking passes for businesses, calling it an “olive branch” that the Town could offer the business community.


Zanelotti said an earlier suggestion of offering businesses a rate of $250 for a seasonal parking pass was discussed, but with the idea that the passes could only be used on certain side streets. That was not practical, he said, “because we’re not Bethany. We don’t have lots of street parking.”


He said the parking woes for employees have increased in recent years, in part because more employees are driving to work than in years past, when many were teens who bicycled to work from their families’ summer beach homes.


Today, Zanelotti said, employees are more likely to be J-1 international student workers or older employees who drive to Fenwick Island from surrounding communities.


“The workforce has changed,” he said. “College kids,” who once represented a large segment of the summer workers, “are going to Europe in the summer or whatever.”


Tim Collins, owner of the Southern Exposure clothing store, told the committee members that he feels they and the council need to consider whether parking restrictions on side streets between 4 and 10 p.m. are counterproductive.


“If the Town is going to stick with the restriction between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., they need to do something [to help] business employees,” Collins said.


“Two things need to happen,” Mumford said: asking the town council to consider offering passes at a reduced rate of $450 to business owners, and that there be no restrictions on where and when those passes can be used.


“We need to get the ball rolling,” Mumford said.


Of the suggestion on the table at the committee meeting, he said, “It’s a simple gesture from the Town to say, ‘We hear ya,’ and it would ease some of the parking problems.”


In other business, Committee Member Lucy Wilder said the plans for the upcoming Cruise Around Town event, scheduled for May 31, are moving forward.


The next meeting of the Business Concerns Committee is scheduled for 9 a.m. on June 3.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 16:12:00 -0400</pubDate>
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