Sports
Extra!
Mumford wins state championship
Students get into the paper
Page 51
Page 31
MARCH 1, 2024
THE LOCAL VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
Volume 21, Issue 9
FREE
CRI’s Stephenson: Offshore wind is not optimal By Mike Smith Staff Reporter David Stephenson, executive director of the Center for Energy & Environment at the Caesar Rodney Institute (CRI), spoke at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach on Monday, Feb. 26, about what he described as the perils of offshore wind.
Two IRSD teams qualify for Robotics world competition
According to Stephenson, CRI believes other options like solar and nuclear power may be more optimal for the region than offshore wind farms proposed by State of Maryland offshore wind policies that have spurred the planned development of such projects off the Maryland and Delaware coast. Stephenson’s primary talking
points were that coastal towns should not accept community benefits packages — which he calls a “good neighbor” payment — upfront, and that it’s a conflict of interest that they’re being offered by wind-power companies as the federal BOEM considers final permitting for U.S. Wind’s Momentum and MarWin projects. He also expressed concerns about the impacts
of wind farm towers coming closer to shore. “The big issue tonight is what is going on in Delaware,” said Stephenson on Monday. “How can we stop that development of offshore wind or onshoring of cables here in Bethany?” he said as a preview before the library disSee STEPHENSON page 2
Moon over Delmarva
Long Neck,Millsboro Middle teams to compete Two IRSD teams triumphed at the Delmarva VEX IQ Robotics Championship on Sunday, Feb. 25, securing their spots at the VEX IQ World Robotics Championship in May in Dallas, Texas. The competition held rigorous challenges and showcased the skill of young robotics enthusiasts from the Delmarva region. IRSD had 16 teams qualify to compete in Sunday’s Delmarva Robotics Championship in Wilmington. There were only two bids awarded to the Delmarva region to Worlds — one elementary and one middle school — and IRSD teams clinched both. Long Neck Elementary School ECJLK Robos team #83539B was awarded the Elementary Excellence Award and the Teamwork Champion Award, earning the elementary bid to Worlds. Millsboro Middle School Gear Heads team #21353A came home with the Middle School Excellence Award, the Judges Award and second place in See ROBOTICS page 5
Special to the Coastal Point • Marian Dowling
We still don’t have enough physical evidence to profess it is made of cheese, but we get a pretty darn nice shot of a full moon over the area earlier this week.
No tax hike in Ocean View — but next year looks different By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter Ocean View Town Council members said at their budget workshop on Tuesday this week that they were
pleased taxes won’t increase this year, but Town Manager Carol Houck warned that there will likely be a hike next year. “I anticipate a 1-cent increase” through the 2029 fiscal year, “and I
don’t foresee our ability to not increase the tax rate” in the 2026 fiscal year, Houck said at the Feb. 27 workshop on the Town’s 2025-fiscal-year budget. “We have maintained the tax rate for the third year in a row, and getting
to the current rate included a 3-cent reduction three years ago. We’re proud of that and all we have been able to accomplish,” she said. See BUDGET page 3