PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEFall, 2007 | ||
| My favorite memory of this last year in Dewey Beach is looking down the middle of Route 1 on Unity for Beauty Day
one Saturday in May and seeing some 70 of our friends and neighbors-all
in bright red T-shirtsworking together to plant flowers and trees to
beautify our town for the future. A close second was seeing everyone
having a great time at the Happy Hour afterward, all celebrating what
we can accomplish when we work together in a spirit of camaraderie and
good will. In the Civic League, we can be pleased by what we have accomplished over the past year of revitalization and renewal. Our Board has been expanded with new energy and talent, while retaining town elders who have contributed much throughout the history of our town. We have a new website full of information on important issues, summaries of town meetings, newslinks, and a calendar of events. We have improved our ties to the town's business owners and sought to make the town more tourist and resident friendly by working with them. We have hosted monthly Happy Hours at local businesses and also a Lifeguard Appreciation Lunch on July 4. We hosted a forum at which all the town council candidates debated the issues on August 18. And through a ready corps of dedicated volunteers, we have worked with the town maintenance staff to care for the plantings from Unity for Beauty Day, and scheduled another planting event for October 13. Of course, the last year has not always been a "day at the beach." Some controversial issues have arisen and others have resurfaced as we debated the future of the town under the Comprehensive Plan, considered options for the re-development of Ruddertowne, grappled with difficult business license fee issues, considered how to improve parking and roads, examined the conversion of residential properties to businesses and hotels to condominiums, considered ways to reduce noise and congestion, and tackled other issues important to our town-often through long and sometimes contentious town council and committee meetings. Through all this, the goal of the Civic League has been to educate, inform, and improve the quality of the debate, and we will keep trying to do so. We all have significant financial and emotional investments in Dewey Beach; but it is a special place dedicated to the "good life", and we should always remember that the reason we are here is to have a good time. So as we move into a new year, and close out another summer, we will continue to try to work hard to solve our problems and prepare our town for the future, always remembering to stop at the end of the day to celebrate those sunsets over the Bay, enjoying each other's company and friendship, and proud of what we have done together. We hope you will find ways to join in this effort, to let us know how you feel about important town issues, and volunteer to help out whenever you can. Thanks to all of you, to our Board members, and of course to our commissioners and many committee members, for your many contributions to our special community. David Main President | ||