THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
VOL. 12 NO. 46
Greenwood seniors break ground for $1.5 million center
NEWS HEADLINES Change your clocks
Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. this Sunday. Many fire departments encourage people to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change their clocks because Daylight Saving Time provides a convenient reminder.
By Lynn R. Parks
HERITAGE WEEKEND - Seaford hopes to draw in some of the beach traffic to its first Seaford Heritage Weekend, May 23-25. Page 4 DAYCARE INVESTIGATION - A local daycare was closed after an investigation into an assault on a seven-week-old baby. Page 5 WHOVILLE SPECIAL - IHOP is featuring a special “Who’s at IHOP” menu. Page 6 WWII VETERAN - Like many veterans of World War II, Gerald McPeake looked near-certain death square in the eyes. Page 8 POLICE JOURNAL - Murdered man was involved in home invasion, police say. Page 12 BUS ACCIDENT - Five students are transported to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital following a bus accident. Page 12 STATE SEMIFINALS - The Woodbridge varsity boys’ basketball team advanced to the state semifinals with a pair of wins last week. See page 43 for the game story and page 50 for a special tribute to the Raiders. STARS OF THE WEEK - A pair of Woodbridge boys’ basketball players are this week’s Seaford Stars of the Week. Page 45 ALL-CONFERENCE - Local first team all-conference photos begin on page 43.
INSIDE THE STAR BUSINESS BULLETIN BOARD CHURCH CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD EDUCATION ENTERTAINMENT FINAL WORD FRANK CALIO GENE BLEILE GOURMET HEALTH LETTERS
6 20 24 32-42 23 16 30 59 58 46 54 28 52
LYNN PARKS 18 MOVIES 7 26 OBITUARIES ON THE RECORD 42 PAT MURPHY 55 POLICE JOURNAL 12 SNAPSHOTS 56 SPORTS 43-50 TIDES 7 TODD CROFFORD 25 TONY WINDSOR 58 VETERANS OF WWII 8
50 cents
The Rev. Grace Batten, president of the CHEER board of directors, addresses the crowd, while Arlene Littleton, CHEER executive director, looks on. Photo by Lynn R. Parks.
The Greenwood Senior Center has been housed in an old church, in a former restaurant on U.S. 13 north of town and in its current facility, another former restaurant that is too small to adequately serve the area’s growing population, said Arlene Littleton, executive director of Sussex County Senior Services, CHEER. Littleton was one of several people who participated Monday in a groundbreaking for a new senior center, on U.S. 13 behind the current facility. “We have waited a very long time for this,” Littleton told the crowd of senior center members. “Our new building will be a focal point for Continued to page four
Filing deadline is Friday for openings on western Sussex County school boards By Lynn R. Parks Time is running short for people interested in running for seats on area school boards to throw their hats in the ring. Four seats are available on school boards in western Sussex County and as of Monday, only one candidate, Harvey Hyland, a member of the Laurel School Board, had filed to run. Another candidate, Shawn Brittingham, who has served two terms on the Delmar School Board, said Monday that he planned to file for reelection. “I will be seeking my third term,” he said. Deadline for candidates to file is Friday. Brittingham said that he understands why people aren’t lining up to serve on school boards. “It’s a thankless job,” he said. “Very seldom do you hear a compliment. Mostly it’s complaints about this or that.” In addition, Brittingham said, area schools face funding shortages that make running them the best way possible difficult. “Our schools are under-
funded,” he said. In western Sussex, home to some of the poorest areas in the county, “schools don’t have the student count to bring in enough money.” Brittingham acknowledged that five-year terms might discourage people from running for school boards. In Sussex County, only the Indian River School District, whose school board members serve for three years, have shorter terms. “That’s a long time,” Brittingham said. But on the other hand, “it takes you three or four years to really understand everything that they are talking about,” he added. “Running schools is very complicated. Even now, after 10 years on the board, I sometimes have to say, ‘Stop — I don’t know what you mean.’” Brittingham dismisses the notion that school board members, who receive no salary, should be paid. “I don’t want every village idiot to come out of the woodwork thinking they can get $3,000 or $4,000,” he said. In addition, any salary would have to come out of local funds and “local funding is very tight.”
Brittingham said that he decided to run for a third term because he believes that he is doing a good job. “I had to decide whether I wanted to do this for another five years, and whether I think there is somebody out there who could to a better job,” he said. “I’m confident about what I do.” In Seaford, the seat of three-term member and former board president William Parmelee is up for election. Parmelee did not return a request for comment. In the Woodbridge district, Shawn Bowman’s seat is up for grabs. While Bowman did not return requests for comment, he has indicated that he will not file for reelection. For your information The deadline to file as a candidate for area school boards is 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 7. The Delmar, Laurel, Seaford and Woodbridge school boards all have one, five-year seat open. Elections will be held Tuesday, May 13. For information, contact the Sussex County Department of Elections, 856-5367, or visit www.electionssc. delaware.gov.