Sports
Biz
Godfather of Sussex Soccer returns to River Soccer
Father-daughter team brings new energy
Page 54
Page 22
APRIL 14, 2023
THE LOCAL VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
Ocean View man pleads no-contest to child sex offenses By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter A former Ocean View real estate agent charged last year with unlawful sexual conduct and related charges pleaded no-contest this week to three separate charges of third-degree sex offense and endangering the welfare of a child in Sussex County Superior Court. Michael Paul McDowell, whom Ocean View police arrested last spring, gave up his right to a trial and will not receive additional jail time, but will be on parole without GPS monitoring. He will be evaluated, registered as a sex offender and undergo counseling. He may not have contact with any of the girls who accused him of the unlawful sex offenses and may not be around anyone younger than 18, except for his own teenage daughter. The maximum penalty he could have received for each incident was one year in jail and up to $2,300 in fines. If he violates the terms of his probation, he faces that maximum penalty. In April 2022, Ocean View Police charged McDowell with 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct, sexual solicitation of a child and related charges. In court on Wednesday, April 12, McDowell, dressed in a light blue button-down shirt and dark slacks, was not handcuffed. He entered Courtroom No. 3 walking with his lawyer, Chris Hutchison, and stood still, facing the judge, his ears and the back of his neck reddening as two teenaged girls, both his accusers, read statements detailing their experiences. After they spoke, he did not look at them, apologize or reply. One of the girls, through sobs, said McDowell inappropriately touched her for the first time when she was 9, but she didn’t realize anything was wrong with what he’d done until she See MCDOWELL page 9
Volume 20, Issue 15
FREE
Spring has sprung
Special to the Coastal Point • Marian Dowling
Spring flowers decorate the meridian in downtown Bethany Beach on Garfield Parkway.
Reddington wins second term as Ocean View mayor By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter Ocean View Mayor John Reddington won a second three-year term by a 175-88 vote in the Saturday, April 8, election, defeating newcomer Randy Robust by 87 votes. A total of 263 votes were cast. “I am very happy. It’s been a long day,” Reddington, 75, told the Coastal Point shortly after the poll closed at 5 p.m. on Saturday and results were posted on the Town’s website. “I was out there all day, from 8 this morning until 5, freezing, but I’m happy to be reelected and I’m looking forward to being mayor for the next three years,” the Boston native said.
He spent time talking to Robust during the day and got to know him better, he said. “He is a very nice guy. I think he should look at volunteering in the town or serving on a committee or board,” Reddington said. Also winning a seat on the town council was Joseph “Jay”Tyminski. He was originally challenged by Dick Jennison, but Jennison withdrew from the race just days before the election. Tyminski will represent District 3, succeeding current Councilman Tom Maly, who was ineligible to run again this year because he has served two consecutive three-year terms. During his campaign, and at the Town’s meet-the-candidates forum, Reddington
called Ocean View a special place where history meets the present and residents celebrate all that is good in life. He has proudly served as mayor, he said, and feels the town is a special place. It’s no accident it has been voted Delaware’s safest town several years in a row, he said. Together, town leaders have accomplished much during his three-year term, he said, including better drainage, new sidewalks, improvements to John West Park, concerts and movies in the park, holiday events, beautification and purchasing land to develop into open space, as well as trying to accomplish everything in the comprehensive plan that residents asked for. See REDDINGTON page 4