Sports
Biz
Fun
Bowen hears his name called by Phillies
Fresh Fish offers … you guessed it!
Family enjoys 50th year in Bethany
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JULY 18, 2025
THE LOCAL VOICE OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
Volume 22, Issue 29
FREE
Recreational cannabis sales to start Aug. 1 By Susan Canfora Staff Reporter After a long wait, the sale of adultuse recreational cannabis is set to begin on Friday, Aug. 1, with Best Buds in Georgetown being one of the only area dispensaries not prohibited under local ordinances. In Sussex County, many towns have
banned it — including Ocean View, Millville, Fenwick Island, South Bethany, Bethany Beach, Dagsboro, Millsboro Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach. It is also banned in Middletown, Odessa and Elsmere in New Castle County, and in Camden in Kent County. When, in 2023, the Ocean View Town Council banned sales, cultivation,
manufacturing and testing of marijuana in town limits, and prohibited the sale in retail stores and use in smoking lounges, public comments at council meetings included some objections to the bans — one by a man who said it was an act of ignorance. Hearing that, Delaware Marijuana Commissioner Joshua Sanderlin, during a recent conversation with the Coastal
Point, said businesses don’t want to be where they aren’t wanted and they don’t want to fight to exist, but he believes much of local officials’ concern is unfounded. “I think a lot of the anxiety toward the industry is based on preconceived
See SALES page 3
Beebe to host Q&A on Millsboro emergency department By Laura Walter Staff Reporter When Beebe Healthcare last presented plans for a new Millsboro emergency department and walk-in urgent-care clinic, residents packed the Millsboro Town Council meeting room and spilled into the hallway. Clearly, people were interested. This month, the public is being invited to an in-person Q&A with Beebe President and CEO Dr. David Tam to learn more about the forthcoming Millsboro project, on Thursday, July 31, from noon to 2 p.m. at Millsboro Town Hall. There are two virtual options for public participation, for those who can’t attend in person. YouTube allows people to watch online for free at www.youtube.com/@TownofMillsboroMeetings. Zoom allows people to watch and participate or ask questions at www.zoom.us (Meeting ID 826 4579 4371, Passcode 652998). See BEEBE page 5
Special to the Coastal Point • Marian Dowling
The flowers in Bethany Beach have become every bit as iconic as Chief Little Owl and the boardwalk.
Fenwick officials to demo several mitigation projects By Kerin Magill Staff Reporter “Resiliency” may sound like a buzzword, and it’s one that’s been bandied about quite a bit by coastal towns — particularly as they deal with persistent flooding issues. But the word has taken
on new meaning in Fenwick Island as the Town moves forward in seeking answers to its bayside flooding problems, despite elimination of a potential federal funding source. In February, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that the Building Resilient In-
frastructure & Communities (BRIC) grant program was being canceled. FEMA officials said the program was “wasteful and ineffective” and that the cancelation was part of a shift in federal disaster planning responsibilities. As a result, communities across the country — including Fenwick Island —
were forced to seek alternative funding for current or future projects involving issues such as flood control, wildfire prevention and upgrading building codes. See PROJECTS page 5