THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2007
VOL. 12 NO. 32 NEWS HEADLINES TRIPPING - Got some time on your hands? You won’t believe what one area resident did with his extra time. Page 2 FOOD BANK - National food supplies have been dwindling this year, but local donations are keeping the cupboards full. Page 5 VETERANS - ‘If you messed with them, they’d cut your head off.’ Page 8 FRAUD - A year-long Joint Federal Investigation nets dozens of arrests for identity fraud. Page 9 PARADE - The Seaford Christmas parade, set for Saturday, Dec. 1, will feature seven high school bands. Page 16 POLICE - A home invasion and a handyman charged with fraud are among the items. Page 18 BULLETINS - Holiday items, including Santa’s hours, are found in the Bulletin Board. Pages 20 - 22 HEALTH - Formed in 2006, the Sussex Child Health Promotion Coalition works to address issues impacting the health of children. Page 39 ALL-CONFERENCE - The Henlopen Conference all-conference football teams were recently announced. See photos of local players named to the first team starting on page 41. SEAFORD CHRISTIAN - The Seaford Christian girls’ basketball team looks to build on last season’s success. Page 45
$500
HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY See page 28 for details
26 Shopping Days until Christmas
INSIDE THE STAR AUTO ALLEY BUSINESS BULLETIN BOARD CHURCH CLASSIFIEDS ENTERTAINMENT FRANK CALIO GENE BLEILE GOURMET HEALTH LETTERS LYNN PARKS
49 6 20 24 32-35 28 54 44 17 36 51 14
MOVIES 7 OBITUARIES 26 31 ON THE RECORD PAT MURPHY 19 PEOPLE 40, 48 POLICE JOURNAL 18 SNAPSHOTS 52 SPORTS 41-47 TIDES/WEATHER 55 TODD CROFFORD 25 TONY WINDSOR 23 VETERANS OF WWII 8
50 cents
Nanticoke Memorial administrator wants hospital to offer more services By Lynn R. Parks For the second year in a row, Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Seaford, has posted a loss. The challenge of fixing the hospital’s financial woes — of what he called “righting the ship” — is part of what attracted administrator Mark Rappaport to his new job. “We have our financial challenges,” said Rappaport, who took the reins as hospital administrator October 29. “Fixing them will mean working together with the hospital staff, medical staff and hospital board.” And, he said, he has no doubt that that process will succeed. “This hospital is in its adolescence, and it is going through some growing pains right now,” he said. “Those pains are not pleasant. But the hospital will come out of it all as a solid hospital. If I didn’t believe that, I would not be here. Closing down hospitals is not what I do.” In June, at the close of its fiscal year, Nanticoke posted a loss of $1.8 million, 64 percent more than the $1.1 million loss it posted in June 2006. So far this fiscal year, Nanticoke “is doing
Mark Rappaport took over the reins of Nanticoke Memorial Hospital Oct. 29. Photo by Lynn R. Parks
better than the previous year,” Rappaport said. “We are still running somewhat at a loss, but we are doing better.” “Businesses go through cycles, and we are having a down cycle,” added hospital spokesman Tom Brown. “But I would leave if I didn’t think that we could make our way through this.” Getting the hospital back on sound financial footing is “about growing our services,” Rappaport said. That means providing medical care that attracts an increasing number of patients. “There are people leaving the area for services that we should provide,” he said. “We need to bring new services here or expand the services we already provide.” In particular, the hospital would like to hire at least one, maybe two, more orthopedic surgeons. In July, the hospital requested that the state downgrade its emergency department, after it could no longer guarantee that an orthopedic surgeon would be available to treat emergencies 24 hours a day. That means that patients needing emergency orthopedic care have to be taken Continued on page four
Seaford may soon have a new grocery store By Lynn R. Parks Seaford could soon have a new grocery store. The city council Tuesday night approved preliminary plans for commercial development on U.S. 13 that would include a 50,000-square foot grocery store. Garth Jones, engineer for the Becker Morgan Group, an architecture and engineering firm in Dover, represented the developer, Seaford 36 LLC, at a public hearing before the council’s vote. He was unable to say what grocery chain is planning to come to Seaford. The development, which would also include three other stores, ranging in size from 6,000 square feet to 8,400 square feet, is planned for land north of the Wal-Mart and east of Clark’s Pools. The property backs up to the proposed Gallery Pointe commercial and residential development. The city council’s OK for the project did not come without stipulations, however. A request by the developer
that the existing 37-acre parcel be subdivided to allow for commercial development on its south side and residential development on its north side ran into difficulty when city manager Dolores Slatcher pointed out that the north parcel does not have any access. To the west, the Circle J property, former site of the Seaford Fence Company, stands between the property and U.S. 13. To the south, the 14-acre plot planned for the new grocery store stands between it and the Sussex Plaza (Wal-Mart) shopping center. “If we subdivide that now, that parcel will be landlocked,” she said. “We can’t subdivide something without access.” The council agreed to allow the subdivision, but stipulated that only after Becker Morgan obtains access easements to the property will the required subdivision document be signed. The sketch plan for the commercial development was approved with the stipulation that its parking lot be
increased. Current plans call for 305 parking spaces and city code requires 363 parking spaces. And the developer’s plan for parking for the planned residential development also came under fire. The developer wants to build four 16-unit apartments and two 18-unit apartment buildings on the north section of the property. City code requires 150 parking spaces for the 100 apartments; the developer’s sketch plans have 158 parking spaces. But Councilman Mike Vincent argued that 1.5 parking spaces per apartment, the city’s code requirement for nearly 40 years, are not enough. “If all these apartments are occupied by two people, and each person has a car, where will they all park?” asked Councilwoman Leanne PhillipsLowe. “There’s no on-street parking. They would have no place to go.” City building official Josh Littleton said that the city’s operations commitContinued on page four