VOL. 15 NO. 10
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010
News RefeRendum - Voters in the Laurel School District on Monday passed the first part of a referendum by a vote of 1214 to 1200. See results on page 3 AVIATIOn - Airport lease is granted for Del Tech to expand aviation program. Page 2 POLICe - Laurel gets federal support for a new police officer. Page 3 HeROeS - Terry Downing finds greatest enjoyment helping with causes. Page 8 demAnd - Laurel property owner demanding action from the town. Page 12 feSTIVAL - Apple-Scrapple Festival this weekend. Pages 33 - 39
Sports 3-1 - The Delmar varsity football team moved to 3-1 with a home win over Archmere last Friday. Page 41 STARS Of THe Week - A Delmar football player and a Delmar field hockey player are this week’s Laurel Stars of the Week. Page 43 STAndIngS - With about a third of the varsity Fall sports season complete, see where the local teams stand in the conference with Henlopen North and South standings and scoring leaders. Page 46
Index Bulletin Board Business ChurCh Classifieds entertainment final Word Gas lines Gourmet heroes letters lynn Parks mike Barton movies
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oBituaries PoliCe Puzzles snaPshots soCials sPorts tides tony Windsor
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Laurel council upbeat as presented with $8 million USDA check
By Tony E. Windsor The atmosphere at Laurel’s Monday night Mayor and Council meeting was upbeat as representatives of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Office stopped by to present a symbolic check for $8 million. The money is to be used for the town’s expansion of water and sewer lines out to US 13. Hailed as one of the most significant economy advancements for Laurel, Mayor John Shwed expressed his appreciation on behalf of the town to Jack Tarburton, State Director of the USDA Rural Development Office, who presented the mock check to the council. Shwed also credited the hard work of town staff, including Laurel Operations Manager Jamie Smith, Public Works Supervisor, Woody Vickers, and Finance Director, Mary Intracaso for the planning and application process for gaining the funds. The engineering firm of George, Miles and Buhr was also credited with helping to obtain the funding. Councilman Donald Phillips said he is aware that the significance of the USDA funding has been expressed, but he feels it is important for the community to be aware of just how important the water and sewer project will be for the future of Laurel and its citizens. He said first and foremost as much as one-quarter of the total cost of the estimated $6.2 million project will be given to the town in the form of a $1.5 million grant, which requires no payback by the town. He said the balance of the project costs will come through a low-interest loan spread out over 40 years. The rate of the loan is 3.37 percent. Phillips said that two existing loans being paid back by the town to cover costs associated with the town’s waste
laurelstar.com
Jack Tarburton, Delaware Director of USDA Rural Development stopped by Laurel Town Hall Monday night to deliver a ceremonial check for over $8 million. Laurel is receiving the money, part of which is in the form of a grant ($1.5 million) and the balance in low interest loan, to extend municipal water and sewer to US 13. Pictured are (left to right): Tarburton, Laurel Council President Terry Wright and Mayor John Shwed. In the back row (Left to right): Councilmen Rangy Lee, Donald Phillips and Chris Calio. Photo by Tony Windsor
water treatment facility have been rolled into the USDA loan in a refinance manner. “By doing this in the way we have, once the project to take water and sewer out to US 13 is completed we will actually be able to pay less in debt service annually than we were paying before the project started,” he said. “We will do this with not a penny of tax increase.” Phillips said in essence, all the revenue gained by the town from the expansion of commercial and residential development out on US 13 will be “gravy” and used to support the town. He said it will enable the town to spread out the tax burden of new water and sewer and not impact the existing tax payers. “This project will help our library and help our school system,” he said. “The increase in our property tax base will do as much as anything in our community to help our school system. This project will provide a great benefit to the community.” The water and sewer project is a first phase of what the town plans to be a two-phase project for water expan-
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sion to US 13. The first phase will take utilities down Delaware 9 from Daniels Street, out to the US 13 at the location of the Royal Farms Store. Not wanting to do major construction in the intersection of Del 9 and US 13, the lines would then move south and cross over US 13 to provide water and sewer to businesses on north US 13, including Laurel Junction and the Station 7 Restaurant. The plan calls for installing a lift station and a water tower on the property at Laurel Junction. A later second phase would involve running water and sewer lines out along Sussex 468 (Discount Land Road) near the Food Lion Shopping Center, north of Phase 1. The two projects would then be looped and provide utilities along both sides of US 13. On Oct. 18, at 7 p.m., Laurel Council will hold a Public Hearing to communicate the project proposal and financing details to the public, as well as give residents and property owners an opportunity to comment. No Public Referendum is required. The Mayor and Council have scheduled a vote on the project for Nov. 4.
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