Morning Star Business Report

Business ReportMorning Star

February 2009

Who can be trusted

With your money?

+ The State of Newspapers in the

First State+Inside The Brick Hotel

Business Report | February 2009

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I didn't choose a difficult pregnancy,it chose me.Bayhealth Announces New Service for WomenPerinatology and Prenatal Genetic Counseling Available for the first time at Bayhealth.Bayhealth Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates at Kent General Hospital brings sophisticated perinatology care for mothers with high-risk pregnancies in addition to the neonatology care currently available for high-risk infants.

PPerinatologists are also known as maternal-fetal medicine specialists and have had extensive training in high-risk obstetrical care. Bay-health Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates is under the leadership of

Perinatologist Garrett H.C. Colmorgen, MD.These sophisticated services include obstetrical ultrasound examinations, related procedures such as amniocentesis and genetic counseling for parents. Kent General can also accept Level II maternal transfers from other hospitals in the region.

Bayhealth Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates is located in the Center for Women and Infants,6th Floor at Kent General Hospital. To make an appointment with Dr. Colmorgen,please call (302) 744-6220.

Need a physician? 1-866-Bay-DOCSVisit us on the web at www.bayhealth.org


[contents] 02/09

32The times

for local media

08 Chamber NewsUpdates on events and local

grand openings

12 DaLe CarNeGIeResolving customer complaints -

the Dale Carnegie way

14 marKeTINGJAYLA BOIRE offers solutions for

tough economic times

16 hIDDeN TreasUreJAMES DIEHL chats with Lynn

Lester about the Brick Hotel

19 FINaNCe

26 INVesTING

JOHN GIROUARD tackles a taboo

subject in retirement planning

27 FINaNCIaLJOY SLABAUGH on opportunities

in new tax law

28 heaLTh rePOrT

32 LOCaL NewsPaPersPATRICIA RIVERA on the state of

local newspapers

34 bUsINess LICeNses

36 bUsINess DIreCTOrY

4


2 0 0 9

H E A L T HG R A D E S®G U I D I N G A M E R I C A T O B E T T E R H E A L T H C A R E ®

H E A L T H G R A D E S®G U I D I N G A M E R I C A T O B E T T E R H E A L T H C A R E ®



H E A L T HG R A D E S®

“As a nurse, my patients are my life and I would have needed to retire from nursing without a knee replacement.” Thanks to Beebe’s skilled orthopedic team, Nancy Ruscoe was back to taking care of her patients only six weeks after her surgery.

Beebe is among the best in the country because of the continuum of care our patients receive, including: pre- operative education, surgical team, post-operative nursing, and physical therapy following surgery.

To find an orthopedic surgeon near you, call the Beebe physician referral line at (302) 645-3332.

Lewes, Delaware www.beebemed.org

Beebe Medical Center has been ranked in the top 10% of U.S. hospitals and is the only hospital in Delaware ranked best in overall orthopedic services 3 years in a row.

• RecipientoftheHealthGradesOrthopedic Surgery Excellence Award™ - 3 years in a row

• OnlyHospitalinDelawaretoberanked among the Top 10% in the nation for OverallOrthopedics

• RankedBestintheDelmarvaPeninsulafor OverallOrthopedics–3yearsinarow

• Five-StarRatedforJointReplacement,TotalKnee Replacement,andHipFractureRepair

InSISt on qUalIty. InSISt on BeeBe.

My new knees gave me new life.

- Nancy Ruscoe, RN, Beebe Medical Center


PUBLISHERBryant Richardson

AdmInIStRAtIonCarol Richardson

EdItoRIAL dIRECtoRdaniel Richardson

ARt dIRECtoRCassie Richardson

ComPoSItIonElaine Schneider

tina ReaserRita Brex

SALESdoris ShentonLaura RogersEmily Rantz

George BeauchampPat murphyRick Cullen

Brandon miller

CIRCULAtIonKaren Cherrix

ContACt morning Star Publications

302-629-9788P.o. Box 1000

Seaford, dE [email protected]@mspublications.com

Focusing on the ambition and innovation that makes Delaware businesses unique.

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VoL. 12 no. 6

from the editor

CoNFESSIoNS oF a daNGEroUS CoNSUMEr

Daniel Richardson

Besides the disappointing Philadelphia Eagles’ loss in the NFC championship

game, the economy has been dominating my thoughts lately. And from what I am hearing out there, I am not the only one.

It is true that there is much to be concerned about and every business owner should be taking this opportunity to re-work their business plans and look carefully at their expenditures, but what re-ally has me afraid is fear.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone say that they are not spending money right now because they are afraid that people won’t be spending money right now. It is easy to see how this logic is contributing to the falling economy.

I can’t blame people for not spending money right now when the national media is constantly bombarding us with bad eco-nomic news. However, many of the reasons for the broader economic collapse in America, such as bad mortgage debt and a failing au-tomotive industry, are not major problems in our market. Sure, those problems have an effect on our market, but I think the main problem in this market is fear.

On a personal note, it may be beneficial for me to be a little more fearful when it comes to spending. Especially spending on consumer electronics. The bad economic news this year did not stop me from getting my wife a brand new iPhone 3G for Christ-mas. In order to do this, I had to switch to AT&T, which meant that I was also eligible for a new phone. Now I suppose I could have just asked for the standard model phone that probably comes free with a contract, but then I would be stuck with it for the next year and a half. I am sure by now that everyone can see that it only made sense for me to plop down another $200 for my own iPhone.

I should mention now that I have two problems: one being the insatiable need to own whatever the latest and greatest electronic device is and the other being my tendency to break whatever elec-tronic device I own. Which reminds me that I have some advice. If you ever get an iPhone, get a case for it. And if you should ever drop your new iPhone a week after get-ting it and break the glass front, do not try to fix it yourself.

I will now be heading to the Apple Store with my head down.

6


dnreC Secretary John a. hughes has announced that delaware will receive $2.55 million from the state’s participation in the regional green-house gas initiative (rggi) auction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions allowances held recently.

the entire 31,505,898 allowances offered by the 10 rggi states were sold at a clearing price of $3.38 per allowance generating approximately $106.5 million for distribution among the 10 states. delaware offered 755,979 CO2 allowances for sale in this second rggi auction. the rev-enues from the sale of rggi allow-ances are dedicated to public benefit purposes as outlined in legislation passed last year by the delaware general assembly.

By law, auction proceeds are directed to energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts to be conducted by the new Sustainable energy utility (Seu) to low income weatherization and heating programs and to carbon emission abatement projects to be conducted in delaware. up to 10 percent of auction proceeds may be used to administer rggi and climate change programs in dnreC.

rggi inc. reported that 69 partici-pants from the energy, financial and environmental sectors took part in the bidding, indicating a strong perfor-mance for rggi CO2 allowance auc-tions. the demand for the allowances was 3.5 times the available supply.

delaware is one of ten north-east states (Connecticut, delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, new Jersey, new hampshire, new York, rhode island and vermont)

pioneering RGGI – the first market-based, mandatory cap-and-trade program in the u.S. to reduce green-house gas emissions. the participat-ing states adopted regulations to cap and then reduce the amount of CO2 that power plants in each state are allowed to emit, limiting the region’s total contribution of atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. under rggi, the 10 states will stabilize power sec-tor carbon emissions at their capped level, and then reduce the cap by 10 percent at a rate of 2.5 percent each year between 2015 and 2018.

rggi intends to hold quarterly auctions during the first RGGI three-year compliance period, Jan. 1 to

dec. 31, 2011. the third auction will be held March 17. By participating in the auction, delaware has met the commitment it made in dec. 2005 when governor ruth ann Minner joined with other northeast gover-nors and signed a Memorandum of understanding. in July 2008, gov-ernor Minner signed into law Senate Bill 263 that authorizes delaware to participate in rggi. the legisla-tion, sponsored by Senator harris Mcdowell and representative Pam thornburg, established the framework for delaware’s program and autho-rized dnreC to adopt regulations to implement the law. On Oct. 15, 2008, Secretary

Delaware expects $2.5m for renewable energy programs

Although still the number one industry in Delaware, high fuel costs and changes in consumer behavior

have contributed to a recent decline in farming. The Business Report will be investigating how some in the industry are changing their business plans to adapt to

this changing economy.

Contact your sales representative today at 302.629.9788 or email [email protected]

AgricultureComing in March

7


chamber news Chamber Phone Key contact Dues* members Fax

Bethany-Fenwick 539-2100 Andy Cripps $205 825 539-9434

Delmar 846-3336 Diane Buckley $60 76

Georgetown 856-1544 KarenDuffield $150 460 856-1577

Laurel 875-9319 Joyce Ramsey $125 125 875-4660

Lewes 645-8073 Betsy Reamer $195 432 645-8412

Milford 422-3344 Jo Schmeiser $165 250 422-7503

Millsboro 934-6777 Fran Bruce $150 260 934-6065

Milton 684-1101 Georgia Dalzell $125 96

Rehoboth-Dewey 227-2233 Carol Everhart $195 1303 227-8351

Seaford 629-9690 Paula Gunson $125 340 629-0281

Central Delaware 734-7513 Judy Diogo $200 868 678-0189

Delaware State 655-7221 Bill Stephano $299 2800 654-0691

* Annual membership cost based on businesses with fewer than 10 employees. For Delaware State and Central Delaware chambersmembershipcostfigureisfor1-5members.ForDelawareStateChamberspecialrateappliesifbusinessalready belongs to another chamber.

Cripps named new exeCutive direCtor

the Bethany-fenwick area

Chamber of Commerce board of di-rectors has named Cripps executive director of the chamber.

Cripps was previously executive director of the chamber in Ormond Beach, fla. under his leadership, the Ormond Beach Chamber grew to more than 900 members and earned the prestigious designation of Certi-fied Chamber of Commerce from the florida association of Chamber Professionals.

a native of north Wildwood, n.J., Cripps served as executive director of the greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2006.

the chamber’s membership more than doubled during his tenure and earned an “excellence in tourism” award from the State of new Jersey.

Cripps holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in public relations from rowan university.

he plans to graduate this sum-mer from the u.S. Chamber of

Commerce’s four-year institute for Organizational Management.

Cripps has more than 15 years experience in public relations and management for non-profit organiza-tions, and has worked in commercial radio and public broadcasting.

he has been married for 15 years to his wife diane, and they have a nine-year-old son Matthew.

GREATER GEORGETOWNTHE

Chamber of Commerce

Visit us on the web at:www.georgetowncoc.com460 Members & Growing!

Feb. 2 - Ribbon Cutting - Edward Jones Co., 505 W. Market St. Georgetown 10 a.m.Feb. 4 - 1st Wed. Georgetown Economic Development Meeting 12 noon, Train Station, lunch providedFeb. 4 - 1st Wed. Georgetown Chamber, Board of Directors Meeting 4 p.m., Train StationFeb. 11 - 2nd Wed. Chamber Informational Breakfast Meeting 7:30 a.m., The Brick Hotel on the Circle, Speaker State Rep Joe Booth, $8 per person at the door, RSVP by Tues. Feb 10th

Feb. 18 - 3rd Wed. Chamber Mixer 4:30-6:30 p.m., The Jefferson School, 22051 Wilson Rd. in GeorgetownFeb. 25 - 4th Wed. Chamber Informational Lunch Meeting 12 noon, Del Tech, Speaker Linda Parkowski Director of Tourism, $10 per person at the door, RSVP by noon, Mon. Feb 23rd

Located in the Georgetown Train Station | Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. | [email protected] Layton Ave. PO Box 1, Georgetown, DE 19947 | 302-856-1544 | fax: 302-856-1577

8


www.hookprgroup.com

the georgetown Chamber of recently held a ribbon cutting at the new offices of hook Pr group located at 105 depot St. in georgetown. from left are Karen duffield, Chamber executive director; debbie hartstein, insurance Market and Chamber president; Patricia rivera, hook Pr group; norma elliott, Chamber; town Manager gene dvornick; annette Silva, hook Pr group; dr. Pat Savini, Sussex tech; and James diehl, hook Pr group.

ribbon Cutting

9


DonationMilford chamber donates to hospice

Jo Schmeiser, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce for greater Milford, recently presented a check for $3,000 to dr. Margery White, vice president and C.O.O. of delaware hospice.

the donation represents a portion of the proceeds from the Chamber’s annual fundraiser, “2008 holiday auction & tastes of Milford.” the event was held on nov. 20 at the Milford Senior Center, where 450 guests sampled specialties of local chefs and bid on a collection of auction items donated by CCgM members.

Chamber salutes

oFFiCers & FireFighters

the Bethany-fenwick area Chamber of Commerce pres-ents the 2009 Joshua M. free-man valor awards Luncheon at noon on friday, feb. 6 at Cripple Creek golf & Country Club in dagsboro.

the event gives Chamber members an opportunity to honor outstanding local police officers and firefighters.

the luncheon is $20 per person and the public is invited to attend. reservations can be made by contacting the Cham-ber at 302-539-2100, ext. 16 by Jan. 30.

debbie Jewell, del-One representative and holiday auction chair; Luanne holland, healthcare liaison for delaware hospice; Barbara Steele, Steele electric representative and tastes of Milford chair; dr. Margery White, delaware hospice COO and vP; and Jo Schmeiser, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce for greater Milford celebrate the check presentation to delaware hospice.

Ask the Experts

Q: Why should I create a Will?

A: The two most common misconceptions for not creating a Will are, “my assets are so small that a Will is not necessary” or “my spouse will receive my assets.” However, few people are worth so little that a Will is not necessary. Add together the value of your home, car, furniture, jewelry, savings accounts and investment portfolio; subtract from this total your personal debts; and the bottom line is generally worth more than you think. Failing to indicate who receives these treasures in your Will can cause friction between family members. Your assets may automatically go to your surviving spouse upon your death, but what happens when your surviving spouse is deceased or if your spouse remarries? What will your children receive? For these reasons, it is important to seek legal advice to assist you in developing your estate plan. Contact the law office of Procino Wells, LLC.

Michele Procino-Wells Attorney at Law225 High Street | Seaford, DE 19973302-628-4140 | Fax 302-628-4150

10


25th Annual Delaware Women’s Conference Dover Downs Casino and Hotel

March 7, 2009 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

“Relax, Reward, Rejuvenate”

Keynote speaker Kathy Dempsey, Author of Shed or You’re Dead®

“How to Stay Alive and Thrive in the Midst of Change.”

• Over30breakoutpresentationsontopicsthatincludeEntrepreneurship,SocialSecurity,Yoga,TheRhythmoftheEarth(meditativedrumming),homeimprovement,cookingdemostrations,financeandmore!

• Over100vendorsandexhibitors!

• DiscountsonHotelstayandHotelGuestswillreceive20%offToppersSpaservicesaswellas$25infreeslotplay!

• SocialsandgatheringssponsoredbyDogfishHeadBrewery!

• Registrationfee($45.00;$55.00afterFebruary28,2009)willincludeabreakfastbuffetandkeynotespeakersession,accesstobreakoutsessions,accesstovendorhall,lunchwithacookingdemostrationandmore!

Formoreinformationonattendingorvendingatthisyearsconference,visitourwebsiteatwww.delawarewomen.orgorcall:

2009Chair,JennHarpel,at302.249.9668

deldot to hold workshop

the delaware department of transportation (deldOt) invites the construction community involved in transportation-related improvements to a workshop to gain insight on construction standards in delaware on tuesday, feb. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Polytech high School in Woodside.

this workshop is being presented in partnership with the federal highway administration and the university of delaware Center for transportation.

Workshop participants will learn about current construction practices and receive guidance on recent changes to deldOt’s Standard Con-struction Details, Standard Specifica-tions, and the new delaware Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MutCd).

this one-day workshop will include presentations on roadway striping, work zone Maintenance of Traffic (MOT), compliance with the americans with disabilities act (ada), placement and end treatment of guardrail, drainage inlets, the re-write of the 2001 Standard Specifica-tions, the new Pipe video inspection Manual, and many other topics.

there is no charge for state and municipal government employees. for all others, there is a registration fee of $15 per person. a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

register early, seating is limited. Online registration and instructions are available at www.engr.udel.edu/outreach/t2/index.html. for more information on the workshop, contact Kelly Mannering at the department of transportation at 302-760-2306.

wu’s rehoboth beaCh site reCeives award

Wilmington university’s reho-both site was honored recently at the Sussex family YMCa’s ‘Strong Kids Campaign thank You dinner’ for their dedication to Sussex County youth.

the university received the 2008 Service to Youth award.Since the rehoboth site opened in 1999,

Wilmington university has provided YMCa summer camp youth with opportunities to utilize their computer lab free of charge. a Wilmington university instructor helps the kids with a variety of computer related projects. this is the second award Wilmington university has received from the YMCa. in 2002 the univer-sity’s rehoboth site won the Building Strong Kids award.

11


Complaints are a necessary part of doing business, and you can ex-pect even more complaints in today's market.

Customers are becoming increas-ingly choosy about how they spend their limited available cash. When they make a decision to purchase a product or service, they expect excellent customer service to accom-pany that purchase.

Some people who complain will be difficult to please, but if your company can develop a consistent procedure employees can use for resolving complaints, you are one step closer to assuring that you deal with the emotional and practical aspects of customer service. these seven steps should form the core of your customer complaint resolution process.

1. greet always answer the phone or greet

people in person as though you are happy to hear from them. Begin in a friendly way. This first step can be more difficult than it sounds. You need to be able to separate previous negative customer service and daily life experiences from your present customer contact.

2. Listenin customer service, you often

hear the same kinds of complaints, so it can be challenging to give each customer's complaint your full atten-tion. if you can truly listen, however, and give each customer an oppor-tunity to vent some frustration, your

customer will appreciate the special attention. Be empathetic. Listen for facts and feelings. Show signs of ac-tive listening.

3. questionsask questions to clarify your cus-

tomer's concerns. again, you need to resist responding until you under-stand your customer and their issues - even if you're familiar with that type of concern. use these three types of questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of your customer's issue -

• Elementary questions capture the basic facts of the problem. these questions give you an opportunity to take some of the emotion out of the customer's experience and complaint.

• Elaborative questions gather more details. these questions give the customer a chance to expand on their issues and feelings. these questions should be relatively short but inquisitive to encourage the customer to talk more about their concerns.

• Evaluative questions help you determine how severely this issue effects the customer. this is also where you evaluate what you can do to satisfy the customer.

4. empathizefind a point of agreement with the

customer. this does not necessarily mean that you agree with the com-plaint, but only that you are able to find common ground. This is where you show the customer that you

heard and understood their concern and that you recognize that this issue is important to them.

5. address the issuenow that you have addressed

and helped diffuse some of the complaint's emotional issues, do everything in your power to resolve the practical aspects.

take responsibility for your or-ganization's role in the customer's dissatisfaction. this is your opportu-nity to turn a lemon into lemonade. People who have their problems successfully resolved tend to choose to do business with those companies again.

6. test questionsask questions to test how well

you have resolved the emotional and practical sides of the complaint. if the customer is satisfied with the resolu-tion, this will make it easier to end the experience on a positive note.

7. follow throughOften, complaints cannot be

resolved completely on the first point of contact. if you need to get back to the customer, do so quickly and be thorough in your response. even if the complaint has been resolved, create a reason to contact the cus-tomer again. For example, find a way to offer added value to the custom-er's experience with the company.

also, look for ways to solve the root cause of problems within your organization. if you can solve some root causes of common complaints, you will experience fewer complaints.

Resolving customer complaintsthe Dale Carnegie way

12


emerging technologies have always been a priority at delaware tech; thus, when energy costs rose and the demand for energy-related jobs increased, it was time for the heating, refrigeration and air Con-ditioning (rha) technology at the Owens Campus to take action.

according to Jim Yeako, de-partment chair of rha, training for a three-course facility energy Management Certificate began in the 2008 spring semester. former graduates of the rha program and building managers for local industries returned to the classroom to broaden their knowledge and learn how to uti-lize energy to better manage their fa-cilities. Penco Corporation in Seaford and the Milford School district have enrolled employees in this training.

The first course, Intro to Energy Management, focused on the princi-ples of energy management and the environmental and financial impact of conserving energy. then robert Light, CeO, and Brian Lisiewski, president and senior engineer, of flexera, teamed up with delaware tech to assist in the instruction of the second course, renewable energy Sources. Students were introduced to the design and installation of pho-tovoltaic systems, wind power, and solar hot water systems.

the hands-on training involved in the course provided real-world experience that is essential for solar voltaic systems.

in January, the third course intro-duced students to efficient ways to

conserve energy in commercial and residential applications, as related to electrical lighting and motors.for more information about the one-year

certificate program or to partner with delaware tech to help conserve en-ergy and natural resources, call Jim Yeako at 302-855-5924.

Students in the renewable energy Sources course offered by delaware technical & Community College recently received onsite, hands-on training for the installation of solar panels at the good for You natural Market in Lewes.

HVaC students get “energized”

13


By Jayla Boire

“What a world, what a world,” cried the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, as she melted away into relative oblivion. Her reign of cruelty was done. Her goose was cooked.

Many marketers are feeling a bit like that doomed crone. Conference rooms are filled with SWOT teams attempting to stop what feels like a big meltdown in the marketplace.

As a marketing professional in chal-lenging times, I’ve found that clients are scrambling. “We need to get better at marketing,” says the CEO. “We need more salespeople,” the sales manager insists. “What the heck happened to my budget?” crows the marketing director.

Better marketing, stronger sales efforts, and an investment in market-ing even in tough times is exactly what they do need--but they may also need to see what’s under the house. Often it’s a client with a problem to solve and an unrecognized value proposition for solv-ing that problem.

When times are tight, service busi-nesses need to offer potential clients a business solution. Let’s illustrate with a look at technology service companies. These companies can provide hardware and software – a commodity. They can coach or consult with clients – a process. Or, they can sit down and help their customers design a complex technology system – providing ideas. The problem with commodities, processes and ideas is that a CFO will never be able to mea-sure impact or return on her investment from commodities, processes or ideas. And she’s not likely to sign a proposal in this business environment if she can’t figure out what she’ll get for the

money and sell it to her colleagues in the executive offices. Don’t get me wrong. There is a place for commodities. Just ask all those web site architects who’ve made their riches designing transaction sites. The problem with commodities is that they are undifferentiated in the marketplace.

Processes are great too. But, that’s just a service that describes exactly what you do: “We work with Fortune 500 companies to help them strategically plan their IT investments.” And then what happens for your client?

Ideas - they’re the complement to a fine strategy: “This program will help you master the Primo Performance mod-el for motivating your employees.” But if a client gets that, what will change? And how much?

Solutions, on the other hand, are ser-vices for which the benefits are obvious to your client: “We design data storage

systems that will reduce the cost of sav-ing, accessing and distributing your data by 25%.” Or, “We make recruiting em-ployees the least expensive line item in the year’s budget.” You’ll know you’re offering a solution when the prospect leans forward and says, “Tell me more about how you do that.”

In order to meet these tough times in the marketplace, I’m encouraging my clients to connect whatever they provide to an outcome or result. That means that executive management have to slow down, stop selling and start strategizing about the value. Do you sell lighting design services and light fixtures? Can you calculate how much energy you can save with an energy efficient system? Are you an accounting firm? What can your clients save in full-time employee costs or time (calculated for its value to their business) if they work with you and no one else? Think strategically, and the Wicked Witch of the West, with all her market power and bullying, won’t stop you from going home to competi-tive strength and success when times are tight.

Jayla Boire is a marketing maven, coach and consultant, living and work-ing in Wilmington.

Marketing solutions: impact when times are tight

marketing

when times are

tight, service

businesses

need to offer

potential clients

a business

solution.

www.rightidea.net

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14


Every business has a great story to tell.

What’s your hook? Our communication philosophy blends marketing and journalism to develop information that perks interest about an organization’s products and services. We can help you reel in clients with: • Web site text that engages and informs

• Brochures, sales letters and other direct marketing pieces that meet your goals

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Wilmington university recently hosted an open house and ribbon cut-ting to officially open the new Middle-town site located on 651 n. Broad street in Middletown.

“three years ago President Jack varsalona began thinking about offering educational opportunities to students in the Middletown and Odessa area,” said dr. Betty Caffo, vice president and provost of Wilming-ton university.

“We soon realized that Middletown was a prime location and began offer-ing evening classes at the Middletown high School.”

When the university learned of space available in the same building as appoquinimink Public Library they took the opportunity. the new Middle-town site has three classrooms all equipped with state of the art wireless technology and multimedia capabili-ties. Students can choose from three undergraduate degrees: a bachelor’s degree in business management, an accelerated degree in organizational dynamics, and a bachelor of science degree in government and public policy; or two graduate degrees: a master of business administration or courses leading to a master of educa-tion degree.

all courses are offered in hybrid format meaning half of the course time is spent online and the other half is spent in the classroom.

“We are launching a new program at the Middletown site known as gov-ernment and public policy,” said dr. Caffo, “this program is in response to a need for such a degree in the area.

We decided to introduce the degree after getting numerous inquiries into whether such a degree existed.”

for more information or to register online, visit www.wilmu.edu/middle-town or call 877-967-5464.

WU hosts open house at new Middletown site

andy Malinosky, ambassador of the Middletown Chamber; Mark Kleinschmidt, president of the new Castle County Chamber of Commerce; dr. Jim Coakley, vice president and chief financial officer at Wilmington university; dr. Pete Bailey, assistant vice president of administrative affairs at Wilmington university; dr. Betty Caffo, vice president and provost of Wilmington university; Karl Kalbacher, director of redevelopment at new Castle County; allen Kyle, new Castle County Chamber of Commerce; State representative quinn Johnson; and Melanie Baldwin, site director of the Wilson graduate Center at Wilmington university.

15


meets modern comfortHistoric charm

Less than 10 years ago, preservationists in george-town wanted nothing

more than for the historic Brick hotel to once again become a hotel and restaurant. in short, they wanted the beloved structure to matter again.

among them was Lynn Lester, then the wife of the mayor.

“Even then, I had a definite interest in it,” says Lester, who today stands proudly over her completely renovated and restored inn. there was, however, one major hurdle back in 1999 – the state of delaware had purchased the building from the Wilmington trust Co. and planned to tear it down for a new Court of Chancery. a grassroots campaign largely organized by the georgetown historical Society eventu-ally saved the hotel – the state instead chose to build the new Court of Chan-cery structure on the opposite side of the Circle. the Lesters purchased the historic structure in 2004 and began discussing what to do with it; ed wanted a professional-type center,

while Lynn wanted to return the build-ing back to its original glory.

“When the Brick hotel was built in 1836, it was an inn and a tavern and that’s what i wanted to do with it,” says Lynn Lester. “i guess you could say i won.”

there may have been disagree-ments at the time, but the Lesters agree now that returning the Brick hotel back to its original use was, in fact, absolutely the right decision.

the new and improved Brick hotel opened on nov. 5, 2008, the day before georgetown’s biennial return day celebration. it was a proud and glorious night for the Lesters, for the town of georgetown and for historic preservationists throughout Sussex County.

“ed and i very much wanted this to be a meeting place for people, where they could come after work and just relax and enjoy one another,” says Lynn Lester. “On the evening of return day, i went upstairs to get freshened up and when i came down

the stairway all of my guests were gathered in the lobby. they were talk-ing, having glasses of wine and truly enjoying one another.

“When i came down those stairs, i got chills and a few tears. that was exactly the kind of place i wanted to have.”

from the very beginning, the res-toration of the Brick hotel was Lynn Lester’s project. from the front desk, to the original guestrooms, to the hotel’s new additions, the hotel was all Lynn Lester, all the time. She pains-takingly searched for period antiques, she diligently oversaw restoration ef-forts, she even worked to incorporate many pineapples, a personal favorite, into the hotel’s motif. throughout the hotel, there is a personal touch that is undeniably Lynn Lester.

“i had a vision when i went into this of what i wanted it to look like. it was all on paper or in my head, but when it all started coming together it was a good feeling,” she says. “i feel very satisfied.”

By James Diehl

16


every room in the Brick hotel is named for a special person or portrays a certain theme. from “the Mayor’s Manor” to “the Baker” to “the gardens Way,” every nook and cranny of the hotel is special is its own unique way. the biggest room at the inn is “Calvert’s Sanctuary,” named for Calvert richardson, for-mer president of Wilmington trust. the room is richardson’s former of-fice on the hotel’s second floor. Then there is floor number three, aptly named tinker hall. the restoration of this floor, from start to finish, is the most impressive in the entire structure.

“When I went up to the third floor for the first time, the first thing I thought was ‘Oh my heavens,’ ” says Lester. “the walls were still there but the old wallpaper was peeling off, the floorboards were coming up and the plaster was falling off the walls. it had not been restored at all since the time it was built in 1836.”

it was quite the project, but today even the third floor of the Brick Hotel stands as a testament to george-town’s pioneers. Yes, even tinker hall is like stepping into a history book. So named for the tinkers who used to peddle their wares in georgetown in the 1800s, the rooms in today’s tinker hall have been updated with all modern amenities. But a certain effort was also made to preserve the history of the floor, complete with original dormers and corridors. Lester has become so intertwined with the Brick hotel that she finds it impossible today to choose a favorite part of her beloved inn. “i just love it all,” she says sim-ply. the Brick hotel offers 14 guest rooms, as well as an onsite restau-rant and facilities for meetings and conferences. for more information, call 302-855-5800.

www.thebrickhotel.com

the Council for higher education accreditation has awarded the 2009 Chea award for institutional Progress in Student Learning Outcomes to dela-ware technical & Community College.

the award was presented at the 2009 Chea annual Conference held in Washington, d.C. at the end of January. Chea established the award in 2006 to recognize institutions that have been exceptional in develop-ing and applying evidence of student learning outcomes to improve educa-tional quality. a committee of experts selected from higher education institu-tions, accrediting organizations and the public judged the winners on the basis of four award criteria: 1) articu-lation and evidence of outcomes; 2) success with regard to outcomes; 3) information to the public about out-

comes; and 4) use of outcomes for educational improvement.

delaware technical & Community College (dtCC) is the state’s only community college.

dtCC’s institutional effectiveness Structure, implemented in 2004, is a comprehensive outcomes assess-ment model designed to provide clear evidence of effectiveness and iden-tify opportunities for improvement in student learning outcomes and edu-cational support outcomes. improve-ments generated as a result of as-sessment activities include changes to curricula and instructional practices, as well as increased services to students. results from the Community College Survey of Student engagement and other assessment tools also are used to improve institutional effectiveness.

Del tech to receive award

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sba announCes new board members

the Small Business alliance board of managers of the delaware State Chamber of Commerce has elected don fulton of george J. Weiner associates and Bill Parks of Colonial Parking to co-chair its board of managers.

the following business leaders have joined its board of managers: Pam Cornforth – executive director, ronald Mcdonald house of dela-ware; Janice giannini – executive partner, Paradigm associates, LLC; Michael reath – general manager, delmarva Broadcasting Company; and Priscilla turgon – president, Pro-fessional Staffing, Employee Training & development.

the Small Business alliance, the largest of the delaware State Cham-

ber of Commerce’s affiliates, strives to improve the competitive position of all delaware small businesses.

state and eeoC Form partnership

governor ruth ann Minner recently joined u.S. equal employ-ment Opportunity Commission Chair naomi earp in signing the universal agreement to Mediate between the State of delaware and the Com-mission. under the terms of the agreement, all eligible charges of discrimination filed with the EEOC naming any department of the State of delaware as the employer/respon-dent will be referred to the eeOC’s mediation unit, as appropriate. this avoids the confrontational aspects and potentially large expense of lengthy litigation.

the state will designate a repre-sentative to handle all inquiries and other logistical matters in order to facilitate a prompt scheduling of the matter for eeOC mediation.

Coons pays tribute new Castle County execu-

tive Chris Coons recently made a special appearance at Wilmington university’s faculty Senate at the new Castle campus. Coons recog-nized Wilmington university’s efforts and praised the university for their dedication to education over the past 40 years. “in grateful recognition of your 40th anniversary i am pleased to present your president, dr. Jack varsalona, with this tribute. i thank and congratulate you for being intel-lectual engineers of our community,” said Coons.

in 2009, trinity transport, inc. celebrates its 30th anniversary, and has unveiled its corporate emblem to commemorate the occasion.

the road moving through the number “30” alludes to the overall corporate theme for the year,

“advancing excellence”. as one team member remarks, “there’s no telling where the road ahead may take us, but as a team we’re commit-ted to keeping our eyes on the road, focused on future goals ahead.”

trinity transport is made up of 65 offices across the United States and Canada, and is consistently ranked

in the top 20 of third party logistics providers nationwide.

trinity provides logistics solutions including but not limited to brokerage of truckload and less-than-truckload shipments, transportation manage-ment software, international trans-portation services, and intermodal solutions to its customers.

trinity’s team looks forward to the next 30 years of success, building on their history while providing an even higher level of service to customers and carriers.

“What sets trinity apart from the other thousands of brokers is this commitment from a team to never

settle for less than excellence,” said Jeff Banning, president, CtB.

as part of its commitment to service, trinity began offering select clients the opportunity to use its new transportation Management Software (tMS), and will be offering the pro-gram on a larger scale by the second quarter of 2009.

the new software will allow trinity to service the full scope of logistic needs as a true 3PL provider.

for more information on the tMS, contact Chris Mcavoy at 800-707-7910.

trinity transport, inc. celebrates anniversary

www.trinitytransport.com

18

[inside]

>The state of credit unions>How the local banks are faring

>Protecting your nest egg>Twofinancialadvisorsoffertheirtwocents

finance


Over 219,000 delawareans and 92.3 million consumers1 nationwide have put their trust and money in local credit unions.

While credit unions offer most of the same financial products and services as banks, their modest stat-ure has sometimes been viewed as conservative and limited. however, through their commitment to consis-tently providing personalized customer service, high-yield deposit products, free financial education, and their responsible lending practices, credit unions created savings in excess of $10.9 billion for their members last year alone.

Simultaneously, the safety and soundness of credit unions has al-lowed the industry to see a growth in deposit accounts during a time when financial institutions are being viewed with great skepticism.

as an industry, credit unions do not participate in sub-prime or predatory lending practices; while other institu-tions plead for bail out funds, credit unions continue to stand strong and remain secure. deposits are insured for up to $250,000 thru the national Credit union administration (nCua), a u.S. government agency. Some credit unions such as del-One here in delaware, offer up to an addi-tional $250,000 in coverage to their members at no extra charge through private insurance underwritten by the excess Share insurance Corp., (eSi).

As member-owned, not-for-profit financial institutions, credit unions operate strictly on the philosophy of ‘People helping People’ and return all excess earnings, after operat-

ing costs, back to their members in the form of lower fees, higher yields on deposits and lower interest rates on loans (as compared to industry standards).

Credit unions also put a large focus on educating members in the areas of budgeting, wise use of credit, finan-cial planning, and personal financial responsibility.

richard ‘duke’ Strosser, CeO of del-One, explains, “Credit unions are one of america’s best kept secrets because we are such responsible stewards of our members’ hard earned money; we don’t spend an exorbitant amount on marketing. We rely on people telling their neighbors

what great service they received at the credit union; or how the credit union helped make their child’s col-lege education a reality; or how the credit union saved them from a bad pay-day lending situation.

More than 90 million people in this country experience the benefits of credit union membership everyday; they understand that credit unions don’t answer to a group of stockhold-ers who sit in an ivory tower and are out of touch with economic realities. the credit union revolution continues to gain momentum as evidenced by del-One’s growth from 15 members at its inception, to more than 30,000 members today.

Credit unions thrive in faltering economy

20


did you know?As the financial crisis of

2008 brought to light, ameri-cans have a big problem when it comes to spending.

the country’s willingness to spend money they don’t have tends to land many americans between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

according to the Consumer Warning network, a watchdog-like investigative group working to protect the public at large, the average american house-hold makes $50,233 annually.

that same household, when combining federal in-come taxes with social security, medical, real estate, and basic sales taxes, has a tax burden of $13,000 per year. that’s considerably more staggering when considering the aver-age american household owes $8,000 in credit card debt and an additional $10,000 in other consumer debt such as auto loans.

add to that the average household owes $69,000 on its real estate mortgage, and the question of how so many americans found themselves in such dire financial straits becomes easier to answer.

Simply put, americans are, and havebeen, spending more than they have.

this is apparent in the aver-age savings rate in the united States, which stood at negative 1 percent in 2008.


By Carol Kinsley

While ordinary folks count dollars to see if there’s enough money to pay their bills as the economy struggles to recover from what has now officially been declared a recession, some big banks are counting millions, even billions, of dollars provided in “bailout” funds under the troubled asset relief Program, or tarP.

according to a list found at www.propublica.org, 315 financial institu-tions as of Jan. 13 have received a commitment of funds totaling $279 billion.

the list — and the total — include three institutions which are not banks: aig is an insurance company, and general Motors and Chrysler, of course, are auto companies.

the remaining half of the $700 bil-lion tarP funds may be released with more stringent requirements imposed by the incoming administration.

President-elect Obama told report-ers in early January: “it is clear that the financial system, although im-proved from where it was in Septem-ber, is still fragile ...”

at the local level, at least here in delaware, loans are still available for qualified borrowers.

ed thomas, president of the Bank of delmarva since 1990, said it’s a misconception that banks are not making loans.

“i can’t speak for the large banks,” he said, “but our bank has never been busier with new loan requests.”

thomas also was quick to point out that it’s a misconception that the gov-ernment has given money away under

tarP. “it has nothing to do with lean-ing on government. it’s an investment. in exchange for the money banks are accepting, the treasury is being given preferred stock that pays dividends of 5 percent. it’s not a gift.”

he explained that preferred stock has priority over common stock and is paid first.

the Bank of delmarva is “a small, local bank,” thomas continued. there are 10 locations, four of them in Sus-sex County.

“We have a competitive advantage of being local and having a better sense of what’s going on locally. We also can be more flexible in restructur-ing loans and dealing with individuals and borrower situations in this eco-nomic slowdown. We are absolutely doing that on a case-by-case basis,” he stressed.

as for loans that have become delinquent, thomas said, “the last thing we want to do is take property back in a situation where property values are falling. none of us want to take property back. Small banks are more willing to sit down and work out a solution that is in the best interest of the borrower and the bank.”

On new loans, credit standards are tighter.

While there are regulatory limits based on certain property types, the problem now is more likely to be that the borrower has less cash flow than when the economy was stronger.

residential lending, that is, home mortgages, are part, but not a large part, of the Bank of delmarva’s busi-ness, so refinancing to take advan-

tage of historically low rates is not a big part of what the bank is doing now.

“We do provide a lot of new money for expansion,” thomas said, “mainly for business, because there’s not a lot of residential construction going on.

“We’d expect home fix-ups to be very robust, but i’ve talked to contrac-tors, including landscape contractors, and none of them are busy. People are just afraid to spend money right now.”

have we reached the bottom? thomas hopes so. “i would say yes, certainly the stock market says so, but i’m just a small bank banker.”

deposits at the Bank of delmarva have grown in the last year. “in 2008 we had about 15 percent loan growth, and deposits grew at about the same rate,” the bank president said.

he noted that one of the smart things the fdiC did was to increase the limit of insured funds to $250,000 per depositor.

the fdiC also gave banks the abil-ity to accept protection on behalf of their customers. “Our bank can offer 100 percent (insurance) regardless of the balance,” he said.

Perhaps the most important factor in dealing with a local bank is that the money keeps working in your commu-nity. County Bank is a locally owned independent bank which has served southern delaware since 1990. Chief Operating Officer Dave Gillan said, “We take deposits and lend locally, so deposits into a local bank stays in the same community. it is important that local businesses support one another.”

The local advantage

22


Rehoboth Long Neck Milford Seaford Millville Georgetown Laurel Lewes Milton226-9800 947-7300 424-2500 628-4400 537-0900 855-2000 877-5000 645-8880 684-2300

Your Hard Earned Money Remains Safe and Sound at County Bank.

Harold L. Slatcher President/CEO

There are a lot of headlines out there about some of our larger competitors who have become caught up in the lure of making risky loans and who are now trying to recover from those decisions.

The security of your nest egg is our most important responsibil-ity. County Bank is a local, FDIC-insured bank. We consistently maintain a cautious, wise and careful approach to managing the money our depositors have entrusted to us, investing only in safe, AA and higher rated investments.

County Bank is as strong as ever. Our investments are solid, our reserves are more than suffi cient, and we are performing well in this challenging economic environment. We continue to invest in our local communities and lend to local businesses. We continue to invest in the education and training of our employees.

We continue to invest in capital upgrades, and upgrades to our technology so that we can continue to provide you, our valued customer, with the quality customer service you deserve.

Our sights are set fi rmly on the future.

Visit our website, or stop in one of our 9 convenient locations in Southern Delaware to learn more about what County Bank can do to help you secure your fi nancial future. We appreciate your continued confi dence, and look forward to working with you.

www.CountyBankDel.com

“We have roots here, not just branches.”

Member FDIC

Harold L. SlatcherPresident/CEO

Your Hard Earned Money RemainsSafe and Sound at County Bank.

There are a lot of headlines out there about some of our larger competitors who have become caught up in the lure of making risky loans and who are now trying to recover from those decisions.

The security of your nest egg is our most important respon-sibility. County Bank is a local, FDIC-insured bank. We consistently maintain a cautious, wise and careful approach to managing the money our depositors have entrusted to us, investing only in safe, AA and higher rated investments.

County Bank is as strong as ever. Our investments are solid, our

reserves are more than sufficient, and we are performing well

in this challenging economic environment.

Visit our website, or stop in one of our 9 convenient

locations in Southern Delaware to learn more about what County

Bank can do to help you secure your financial future.

We appreciate your continued confidence, and look forward to working with you.

County Bank has nine branches, all of them in southern delaware. “We’re a small community bank, but we are very well capitalized,” gillan added.

“We are continuing to lend. i hear that some large banks have pulled in the horns, but we are still lending to qualified borrowers.”

County Bank makes both commer-cial and residential loans, the latter through mortgage companies with which it is affiliated.

“the mortgage department in rehoboth has access to any kind of mortgage product there is,” gillan said.

Particularly last fall, gillan said, the bank has seen an increase in depos-its. “as people watched their equity go down, there was a large influx into our bank. it was a nice push for us.”

another local lending institution is Midatlantic farm Credit. a distant

cousin — or, as government affairs Officer Kenneth Bounds stipulated, — “very distant cousin,” of fannie Mae and freddie Mac, the farm Credit system is a nationwide fed-eration of member-owned retail and wholesale financial institutions that provides credit and related services to farmers, ranchers, agricultural coop-eratives, farm businesses and rural communities.

Midatlantic farm Credit has more than $2 billion in loans outstanding to more than 10,500 members on the east Coast. Midatlantic has seven offices on the Delmarva Peninsula, including offices in Dover and George-town, del.

“The Farm Credit System is profit-able and well capitalized,” J. robert frazee, President and CeO of Mi-datlantic farm Credit, told the na-

tional Press Club, in Washington, d.C. recently.

“in every meeting i’ve been in, ev-ery conversation i’ve had with custom-ers, the main question is ‘will credit be available?’ Between what they hear and see from news reports and are experiencing in isolated cases from some vendors and financial institu-tions, customers understandably are concerned that they may have diffi-culty accessing credit,” frazee said.

“i’m pleased to be able to say that the Farm Credit System’s financial strength means that u.S. farmers, ranchers, agricultural cooperatives, farm businesses and rural communi-ties continue to have access to a com-petitive source of credit to meet their needs. despite the turmoil on Wall Street, farm Credit continues to tap the nation’s debt markets to efficiently bring capital to agriculture.”

23


By annette C. Silva

did you groan at your last 401K or ira statement showing losses? are you wondering how ‘solid’ entities like fannie Mae and freddie Mac could fail? Or why Wall Street’s financial giants Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns were ‘too big’ to fail, yet did? and now, after $45 billion in government ‘loans’, Citigroup sold a 51 percent share in their Smith Barney brokerage business to Morgan Stanley. it’s now called Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. On January 13 Citigroup stock went up 30 cents a share—but don’t bank on it yet. Investors see the finan-cial world evolving almost faster than money managers can keep up. Will another big shoe drop? is our economy turning upside down?

no, but it may be shifting on its axis. “We’re in a new reality,” said Peter Oldziey of Oldziey & associates in do-ver, de. Oldziey, describing the u.S. economy, used the metaphor of the oblivious frog floating in a pot of cold water…before the water began boiling. “the frog was cooked before he knew what was happening.” this is how investors feel these days….Cooked.

“this meltdown was gut-check time for me,” Oldziey said. “i think the only good that will come of this is that we will return to traditional banking, we’ll re-evaluate our personal values and spending practices and, hopefully, the feds will reinstate regulation of hedge funds and short selling. Something has to curtail the unbridled greed that has been rampant in the system.” Oldziey believes the capital market system is strong but that it will take time to

restore confidence and transform an economy based on bad debt.

Oldziey says most of his clients don’t care to learn the arcane language of investment tools, nor do they want to spend hours watching the market. “that’s why they seek a trusted advi-sor.” the key is ‘trusted’. except for the skeptical and very cautious among us who put money under the mattress or buy gold (at an all-time high)—or Cd’s (yielding low interest rates), most clients remain actively (or passively) in the market, according to Oldziey.

But with each passing day and an-other dismal report, financial advisors are doing a lot of coaching, conso-ling and confidence building. “There is good news, but it’s being buried under-neath the weight of the bad.”

Is it all bad news?“there are great buying opportu-

nities out there now,” says Melinda tingle, a Laurel investment counselor with edward Jones & Co. “these are solid companies that produce things that people will always need and these companies are not going away.” tingle reminds investors that even though monthly statements show losses on paper, “you are still acquiring shares, collecting dividends and positioning yourself for the rally—and the market will come back—it always does.”

“turn off the business newsl, stop listening to financial pundits and keep in touch with your advisor. don’t go into a panic,” tingle says.

the magic word for surviving vola-tile markets is ‘time’. “the markets go through hugely significant ups and down - it’s all cyclical,” says Oldziey. (Witness the 1989 recession and the 1999 dot.com bubble as the most

recent examples of market hits.) “the only thing we can control now is our-selves and how we handle what’s go-ing on,” said Oldziey. “A true financial advisor is one who can help clients get through tough times.” right now, he says, no-one can control the geopoliti-cal manipulations. “What we can do when we meet clients is develop a plan that will have some success over time.” there’s that word again. While the current economic picture is full of negatives, Oldziey says his rule of thumb is to counsel clients “to control what you can control, re-think your objectives, work with a trusted advisor and go back to the fundamental ques-tions. “do i believe we will succeed as a capital market economy? Yes. do i think people have to make readjust-ments in their retirement plans? Yes.” does he think a lot of imminent retirees will have to work longer? “Yes”

tingle says the best strategy, and one that she’s always advocated, is to put together a well-diversified, long-term plan tailored to her clients’ short and long-term needs. “Be patient,” is her mantra. She says serious inves-tors have to think in terms of ten-year blocks of (you guessed it, ‘time’) to earn real gains in the market. “the people who play cycles, do ’shorts’ and hedge funds [which Warren Buffet called ‘financial weapons of mass de-struction’] are gambling and that’s not what long-term retirement investment is.” if you want to gamble, she says, that’s okay, but don’t call it investment.

Oldziey agrees with this concept. “Part of the chaos that has been cre-ated in the market is caused by way too much speculation…really on the level of total anarchy,” he said. “that kind of speculation [alan greenspan

Your Money : here today, gone tomorrow

24


called it ‘irrational exuberance’] always leads to a correction or worse.”

So, let’s see….what about that guy who tells you he made $5000 in a two-day trade? is he a savvy, 2:00 a.m. laptop trader? You’ve seen the ads; he buys shares low one day and sells them the next and makes a killing? is he for real? Should we all be doing that? tingle asks, “does he tell you how many times (or how much) he has lost in hedge funds and short selling?” Well….no. But how does the ordinary schlub (those of us who maintain diversified portfolios with stocks, a variety of mu-tual funds, bond funds, treasury notes, etc., etc), compete in a market where hedge fund managers short sell and day traders manipulate the market? “this sector makes up only about 10 per cent of the market,” tingle said.

Well…okay….But does this make you feel better?

Back to the Uptick rule?if the above scenario doesn’t in-

crease your confidence in the market, you’re not alone. there’s something called the “uptick rule” that the Securi-ties and exchange Commission (SeC) eliminated on July 6, 2007. the uptick rule “is a securities trading rule used to regulate short selling in financial mar-kets. it mandates that, when sold, a listed security must either be sold short at a price above the price at which the immediately preceding sale was effected or at the last sale price if it is higher than the last different price.” (definition from Wikipedia.org)

if that sounds like gobbledegook, try this: “Short-biased hedge funds, which mostly use short selling to bet against stocks, gained 34 percent on average last year, according to early estimates from hedgefund-net, which tracks industry performance. that compares with a loss of 39 percent in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index.” (alistair Barr, the Wall Street Journal, January 10/11.)

enter the uptick rule. What the rule previously did was to prevent short sell-ing, fast turnovers (or losses) on hedge funds and the general manipulation dur-

ing a bear market. the uptick rule was originally implemented in 1938 to avoid the perpetration of a financial crime known as a “bear raid”.

the SeC’s 2007 elimination of the rule (which was supposed to be tempo-rary) turned into long term, and some financial market watchers attribute the ensuing market volatility to the lifting of the uptick rule. On September 18, 2008, republican presidential candidate and Senator John McCain said that the SeC allowed short-selling to turn “our markets into a casino.” On October 17, 2008, the new York Stock exchange reported a survey with 85 percent of its members being in favor of reinstating the uptick rule with the dominant reason to “help instill market confidence.” Watch to see if the SeC does reinstate the rule because it affects the entire market.

Investor Stressin addition to her own concerns

about diminished earnings in her port-folio statements, dr. elena Padrell, a Lewes psychiatrist , says she is hearing financial angst from many patients—grievances about having to return to work or deferring retirement because of lost savings. “i see a lot of anxiety about money matters now because people have lost all of their retirement money,” said Padrell. She said she listens, sympathizes and counsels a variety of ways to compensate, consider part-time work and how to live on less (in addition to all of their other prob-lems). “But it’s frustrating; what can you tell people who counted on funds that are no longer there?”

Some good newstingle reminds us that mortgage in-

terest rates are down and that’s a good thing; “People can invest in property at lower prices or refinance their mort-gages with lower rates.” according to rehoboth Beach realtor russell Stucki, people in the Cape region are still buy-ing real estate. “through december 8 and with an average of 257 days on the market, 16 reboboth Beach single-fami-

ly homes sold for prices between $1 mil-lion and $1.5 million,” he said. “Smart shoppers don’t sit on the sidelines when the interest rates are this low.”

in early January, uSa today carried an editorial by ric edelman of edel-man financial group. edelman, who is also the author of the Lies about Money, said “history tells us that prices will recover, but history tells us even more. in each stock market recovery, prices rose shockingly fast. Since World War ii, there have been 13 recessions.” On average, edelman says, the stock market rose 36 percent in the year after each recession.

Why would you trust edelman? Maybe because he’s not the only one saying it. an investors Business daily (idB) online story in early January (“Old Challenges, Bold remedies for a new Year,”). predicted that “heavy construc-tion and engineering companies will benefit from the government’s infra-structure plans.” also, “value-oriented retailers and other businesses stand to continue to benefit as consumers trim spending.” these tidbits are disparate pieces of a big puzzle (in a long mis-sive that discusses the geopolitical landscape re russia’s antics in eastern europe, oil prices, President Obama’s plans and trade deficits), but some helpful hints can be found within the idB piece.

No self-respecting financial advisor is going to use a number (neither 8000 for the dow’s base-line nor 2009 for any imminent rally), but no-one’s saying the picture is not going to improve. every-one is waiting for the new President to push his reinvestment and recovery package through Congress—even those who are opposed to it. But Peter Oldziecy says he “appreciates Obama’s global vision.” [Obama] “seems to know we can’t have an “us vs. them” mental-ity about problems facing the country – we are all in an unprecedented global downturn. time will tell. Meanwhile, manage your money with an advisor you can trust. “Stay calm, look for opportu-nities and file your statements,” says tingle. and breathe deeply.

25


By John E. girouard

It would be so much easier to plan for retirement if you knew when you were going to die. You can’t know, but that shouldn’t stop you from asking yourself the question: At what age do I THINK I’m going to die?

As a financial adviser, I’ve been asking clients this question for years be-cause encouraging people to ponder the imponderable can trigger life-changing conversations that help them make better financial choices.

Death is such a taboo subject that otherwise intelligent people with large estates too often put off writing or up-dating their wills, often with disastrous results for their intended heirs. We don’t like to think about the end, so we pre-tend it’s always going to be some time in the future.

But the future always arrives, on its own schedule. Who hasn’t heard of a cancer patient receiving Last Rites only to live three more years; or the forty-five year-old, vegetarian fitness fanatic who drops dead of an undetected brain aneurism?

I encourage people to discuss their longevity expectations and attitudes with their financial planners because the conversation often reveals flaws in their thinking. I ask my clients to begin by writing on a blank sheet of paper their name and the age at which they guess they will die. Then I ask them to write down the five things they wish they had been known for, had accomplished, had achieved, or been doing in the year before they died.

This is often a sobering experience, and provokes people into converting secret, intuitive feelings into action so that every aspect of planning life’s third act can begin to bend toward making sure those five important things happen before they die.

Your state of mind is the hidden element in planning your retirement finances.

If you are 60 and perceive that you’re going to die soon, you need to face the possibility you might live a couple more decades. If you reach age 65 healthy but

broke, you may become so despondent that you’ll end up fulfilling your proph-ecy. On the other hand, if you’re terrified that you’re going to live to be a hundred and run out of money before you run out of life, you need a plan that comes as close as possible to guaranteeing you won’t end up impoverished, so you can live out your years, however many you’ll have, with peace of mind.

When you tap into the conversation that is bottled up inside your head, you

begin to think about how your life will be viewed on the day you die. If you have an idea of the five things you’d like to be doing or have accomplished by the last year of your life, your financial plan can be put to work supporting your life plan, instead of the other way around.

The question then shifts from, “How much money can I make and how much do I need to live?” to “How can my financial life best help me achieve more of what I value, sooner and safer, with more confidence and certainty?”

John E. Girouard is author of “The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation”, CEO of Capital Asset Management Group in Bethany Beach, DE, and founder of the Institute for Financial Independence, which provides investor-education programs to individuals and financial professionals.

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After a year that saw record volatil-ity, a law has been passed to temporarily waive required minimum distributions for 2009. This response to the market is designed to allow retirees another year of tax-deferred growth, instead of locking in losses by forcing withdrawals.

The Employee Retirement Income Se-curity Act of 1974 was passed to establish laws governing retirement and pension plans. In order to create a revenue stream for the IRS, a law was included that forces withdrawals the year at a minimum amount starting at a certain age. Specifi-cally, owners of individual retirement accounts must begin making withdraw-als the year following the date the owner turns 70.5. According to the Investment Company Institute, $4.7 trillion is being held in IRA accounts and sixty percent of Americans holding IRA accounts are affected by required minimum distribu-tions. Taxing these distributions creates billions in annual tax revenue. It seems highly unlikely the government will make this required minimum distribution waiv-er permanent; the tax revenue is needed too badly. An increase in retirees’ income inevitably raises income levels to or above thresholds where Social Security is taxed. This threshold where a portion of Social Security becomes taxable is $25,000 for a single person and $32,000 for married filing jointly. For retirees living just below this taxable threshold, a required minimum distribution may bump their income up into taxation.

When rules regarding withdrawals were first made, it was assumed that, by the time money was withdrawn, the owner would be in a lower tax bracket than during earning years. In reality, many retirees find themselves in the unique situation of being in the highest income tax bracket of their entire lives. This has necessitated the creation of strategies devoted to best use this forced increase in income.

Some retirees pay for their grand-children’s education by using required minimum distributions to fund 529 plans. Some fund philanthropic work using a temporary IRS law that allows tax-free distributions from IRAs to charitable in-stitutions provided the IRA owner is over 70.5. Others use their required minimum

distributions to fund an irrevocable life insurance trust and thus, leverage tax-free gifting to heirs. For seniors who do not need income from retirement accounts, 2009 is the year to skip a distribution. Not only will this allow one more year for the account to recover from the battering it received in 2008, it provides another year of earning opportunity on the money that otherwise would have been paid in taxes.

For retirees who are using their retire-ment accounts to live and who cannot afford to skip their required minimum distribution in 2009, consider investing in

an investment vehicle structured around withdrawals. Some investments guarantee a set withdrawal amount for either a cer-tain period or even an entire life. In these uncertain times, transferring a portion of investment risk to an institution may be appropriate, especially when retirement assets are limited. In this environment, it is critical to perform due diligence and make sure that any company selected to guarantee retirement assets has a strong balance sheet and holds a stellar rating.

If forgoing a required minimum dis-tribution in 2009 is feasible, by all means take advantage of this anomaly. With the economic forecasts what they are, this may be the last time taxes are waived for many, many years. Use it, or lose it.

Joy Slabaugh is a financial planner in Delmar, Delaware with EST Financial Group. Securities and investment advi-sory services offered through H. Beck Inc.

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nanticoke health Services has promoted Ms. Lisa Wile, rn, to the position of emergency Services director.

as director, Wile is accountable for the delivery of patient care services in col-laboration with physicians and other health care providers at nanticoke Memorial hospital.

Wile has 17 years of nursing ex-perience and eMt experience. She is a graduate of union Memorial hospital School of nursing in Bal-timore, Md. and is working toward a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration.

She is a Basic Life Support instructor, advanced Care Life Support

instructor, Pediatrics advanced Life Support instructor and an emergency

nursing Pediatric Course instructor.

Wile started at nanticoke Memo-rial hospital as virtual in emergency

Services six years ago, transi-tioned to a full-time nurse, charge

nurse and then to relief nursing supervisor. She also has nursing experience in gynecologic oncology, pediatrics and obstetrics.

nanticoke hires new director

DONATION - Cafe azafran recently donated 50 bags of coffee to Beebe Medical Center for employees to enjoy. this is the fifth year that the café, located near the medical center in Lewes, has donated its special blend of coffee for Beebe employees during the holiday period. from left are Café azafran employees Kelly Sharp, Memne Landos and Stephanie Long; President and CeO of Beebe Medical Center Jeffrey M. fried; Chair of the Beebe Medical Center Board of directors Janet McCarty; and Beebe Medical Center executive vice President and Chief Operating Officer thomas Steiner.Wile

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VOLUNTEERS HONORED - nearly 200 volunteers of Beebe Medical Center attended the recent volunteer holiday Luncheon at Bethel united Methodist Church in Lewes. volunteers are an integral part of the Beebe Medical Center team, and many have been volunteers for decades. from left are Jane forgie, who volunteers in the Sunshine Café, and geraldine Matthews, Café Supervisor.

bieber promoted to direCtor

Bayhealth Medical Center re-cently promoted Charlene Bieber, rn, MSn, of Milford to director of home Care & rehabilitation nursing. a Bayhealth employee since 1993, Bieber admitted the first patient to the Inpatient rehabilitation Center at Milford Memorial hospital. Since Sept. 2007 Bieber was responsible for inpatient rehabilitation Center nurses and Bayhealth’s home Care department. in her new role, Bieber is responsible for the overall function of the home Care department and must ensure that Bayhealth meets all regulatory and budgetary requirements while also providing excellent patient care.

29


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nantiCoke promotes barbarba gijanto

Ms. Barbara Jane gijanto Ba, rn, WCC, CWOCn, has been promoted to Wound Care & vascular Ser-vices director.

gijanto will oversee wound care, ostomy, and inconti-nence issues at nanticoke Memorial hospi-tal; including assisting with nanticoke Memorial's outpatient wound care and hyperbaric center. She will also over-see outpatient ostomy patients who are experiencing difficulties managing their ostomy care and will be respon-sible for staff education in wound and ostomy care.

gijanto is a registered nurse, is wound care certified and is a certified wound ostomy continence nurse.

She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and is enrolled at Bellevue university to obtain a master's degree in healthcare administration.

pnC Contributes to health Campus

Beebe Medical Center announces that PnC foundation has contributed $75,000 in support of the construction of a new health campus in Millville. the grant brings the fundraising total for the South Coastal health Campus to $2.8 million.

to improve access to care, Beebe Medical Center will build a 60,000-square-foot health campus on route 17 near Millville.

for more information, call 302-644-2900 or visit www.beebemedicalfoun-dation.org.

bayhealth ranked among top 25 perCent

Bayhealth Medical Center’s home Care was recently named to the 2008 homeCare elite, a compilation of the most successful Medicare-certified home health care providers in the united States. this annual review identifies the top 25 percent of agen-cies, ranked by an analysis of perfor-mance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance. this is the third straight year Bayhealth home Care has been awarded this honor.

beebe honors nurseBeebe Medical Center announces

that Barbara Starr, rn, a registered nurse and faculty member of the Beebe School of nursing, has been honored with the “You Make a differ-ence” award for dec. 2008.

as an instructor at Beebe School of nursing, Starr spends hours as-sisting people with writing objectives and preparing outlines for education certificate programs. She uses in-novative strategies to teach nursing students, and has always been avail-able to answer their questions. She prepares for visits by representatives of the national League for nursing accrediting Commission (nLnaC), which accredits the school. Starr has

also been available for Beebe Medical Center team members who want to be certified, and re-certified, for CPR. Starr also serves as Beebe’s Weight Watchers Leader, helping Beebe team members focus on losing weight to improve their health.

She volunteers at health fairs, given talks on obesity and assisted parents at georgetown elementary School in their program for childhood obesity. Starr personally organized Beebe’s first MS Bike to the Bay team.

Child Care Center reCeives state award

Bayhealth Medical Center’s Child Care & early Learning Center is a 2008 recipient of the delaware quality award’s delaware quality Commit-ment award. governor Jack Markell will present the award at a special ceremony on thursday, feb. 5, at the university of delaware’s Clayton hall.

Since 2000, the Center has been accredited and in good standing with the national association for the edu-cation of Young Children (naeYC). the Center has also received the status of being a five Star Child Care Center in alliance with the State of delaware Stars Program.

in 2001 and 2006, the Center re-ceived the governors award for excel-lence in early Care and education.

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three nurses at Beebe Medical Center's tunnell Cancer Center have earned certification in the field of oncol-ogy nursing.

nancy Jean Burd, rn, and debbie Crowell, rn, OCn, have earned their Oncology Nursing Certification (OCN). isabel Benson, nP-C, aOCnP, a nurse practitioner specialized in cancer care, has earned her advanced certification in oncology nursing (aOCnP).

Crowell has been a registered nurse at Beebe Medical Center since she graduated from Beebe School of nurs-ing in 1999.

She first worked with surgery patients on the second floor until 2001 when she joined tunnell Cancer Center. She presently cares for medi-cal oncology and radiation oncology patients.

Burd has 15 years experience as a registered nurse. She joined Beebe Medical Center more than eight years ago, working first in the hospital’s vas-cular unit where she cared for surgical patients.

four years ago she joined tunnell Cancer Center and works primarily in the infusion Center with patients under-going chemotherapy.

Benson is a board certified nurse practitioner and works with medical on-cologists to provide follow-up care visits throughout patient treatment.

She also sees patients who need immediate attention for acute problems associated with their treatments, and manages the clinical trials program.

Benson joined the tunnell Cancer Center in 1997 as a certified oncol-ogy nurse and was promoted to nurse manager in 2001. in 2007 she became a nurse practitioner after completing her master’s degree in nursing and her

nurse practitioner education at thomas Jefferson university in Philadelphia, and passed the american academy of nurse Practitioners Boards in adult Care.

a percentage of nurses at the tunnell Cancer Center must achieve and maintain certification through The

Oncology nursing Society in order for it to maintain its current comprehensive ranking through the american College of Surgeons.

eleven of the Center’s 23 nurses hold this additional certification and more are preparing to take the exam in 2009.

Oncology nurses earn certification31


With national newspapers dropping in circulation and advertising revenue shrinking, local publishers offer their perspective on the state of local newspapers here in Delaware.

headlines of the newspaper indus-try’s tough fight with slumbering ad revenues regularly pronounce of cuts and closures. good news would seem hard to find -- for it not in our own backyards. Sussex County’s three locally owned weekly newspapers have been bucking a national trend by keeping revenues constant and steadily growing circulation numbers. Owners of the Cape gazette, Coastal Point and Morning Star Publica-tions report that their focus on local needs has helped them hold tight in a shaken industry.

“the big newspapers that are in trouble distribute information that con-sumers are finding in so many other outlets,” said dennis forney, publisher of the Cape gazette. “But no one else distributes the honor rolls, the city council meeting news, the obituaries and all the other milestones that are so sought after and anticipated by communities of readers.”

in fact, nationwide, community newspapers are now regarded as the

sweet spot of the industry. the Subur-ban newspapers of america, a trade association for community newspa-pers, reported for the second quarter 2008 -- the latest numbers available -- a total ad revenue of $482 million, a 2.4 percent decline from the same quarter in 2007. daily newspapers saw a 16.07 percent drop in print ad revenues in that same period, accord-

ing to the newspaper association of america. forney’s assessment is on the money. Community newspapers have less competition delivering news about the local area. and those that are independently owned also have the advantage of being quick and nimble when the going gets tough.

Focus on a geographic areaforney, publisher and president of

The Times for Local MediaBy Patricia rivera

32


Cape gazette, founded the newspa-per in 1993 along with business part-ner trish vernon. from the beginning, their quest was to provide top quality content to residents of the Cape hen-lopen region. With more than 24,000 newspapers published each week, the Cape gazette has become that area’s leading source of local news.

Because local newspapers reflect the economy around them, publishers have seen a reduction in retail and classified advertising.

the Cape gazette, for example, ran four to five pages of help wanted ads two years ago. now they’re down to one and a half pages. Morning Star Publication’s papers in Seaford and Laurel also saw a slight dip in retail ads, likewise at the Coastal Point.

in addition to the woes of the national economy, we’re in a cyclical season. “Summers are always the best,” says Coastal Point Publisher Susan Lyons.

But forney adds that local del-marva newspapers still face a bright future, at least for the next quarter century. “We give people news they can’t get anywhere else and as a result of that we provide audiences what no other medium can provide,” he says. that’s partially because the publishers are very focused on their mission.

“the most important thing for local newspapers to remember for success is that they serve natural markets and that when they begin trying to serve audiences beyond their natural markets they dilute their local audi-ence appeal and then lose economical effectiveness for advertisers,” forney adds.

Give readers what they want, where they want it

the Coastal Point, for instance, realized that it needed to provide its second-home readers in the Beth-any Beach area better access to its content. the newspaper launched in february 2005.

By revamping the Web site to pro-vide greater ease of navigation, better access to archives and advanced searching capabilities, they more than doubled the number of visitors within the first nine months of the launch, to more than 390,000. the hits in that period skyrocketed from 2 million to 9.5 million.

in addition to their online content, they created a local portal that fea-tured information about businesses and municipalities in their coverage area.

“the idea was to create a great val-ue-added feature both for our readers and our advertisers, as it brings every-one together with as little trouble as possible, all in one place,” Lyons said. Coastal Point’s darin McCann said they’re slowly placing more breaking news briefs on their Web site.

their nimble attitude has allowed them to double their circulation in four years and maintain ad revenues.

Diversify offerings, improve products

Morning Star Publications publisher Bryant richardson says since their founding in 1996, he and his wife have always been clear that they run more than newspapers.

“We’re a publishing company,” he says. to complement their weekly newspapers, the Seaford Star and the Laurel Star, they also publish two business-oriented publications and several special publications.

in 2008, they were able to generate enough ad revenue to publish 10 spe-cial sections. they’re improving the look and feel of their products continu-ously. in december 2008, for instance, they redesigned their Business report from a tabloid to a glossy magazine. in the coming months, they plan to redesign their Web sites to sell more online ads. their two weekly newspa-pers have reached a paid circulation of 6,600. While local papers across the nation lose readers, they’ve grown customer loyalty each year.

“We’re very focused and we’re fortunate to have on our staff experi-enced people who know what they’re doing,” richardson says. “We’re going to weather the economic storm.”

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BRIDGEVILLECocked hat farm inc.; 15376 ad-

ams road, Bridgeville; manufacturer-food

gehman, toni L., tLg Cleaning; 15118 Blanchard rd., Bridgeville; pro-fessional and/or personal services

DELmARSvn delaware, LLC; 38375 Old

Stage road, delmar; professional services-real estate broker

DOVERabsolutely fabulous redesign;

2595 W denneys rd., dover; pro-fessional and/or personal services-unclassified

american Maid too inc.; 93 Laurel dr., dover; professional and/or per-sonal services

Bissette, Marshall a., resurrect PC; 271 greenwich dr., dover; personal services-general repairperson

Bray, tracey W., “unforgettable Cel-ebrations” by Larren-Odell; 255 Webbs Ln. apt. e31, dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

Cameron gordon, hi neighbor; 101 Shinnecock rd., dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

Cellco Partnership, verizon Wire-less; 1350 n. dupont hwy., dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

Chupp, donald J., fireside Part-ners LLC; 315 n. State St., dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

CMS Painting LLC; 135 gordon Pl., dover; reconciliation purpose code

County appliance Svc. LLC; 242 northdown dr., dover; reconciliation purpose code

delaware transcription Services; 1548 Persimmon tree Ln., dover; pro-fessional and/or personal services

dover Litho Printing Co., 1211 n. dupont hwy., dover; commercial lessor

eng Properties LLC; 895 Schoolhouse Ln., dover; contractor-residential

hampshire development Corp.; 1149 Lochmeath Way, dover; reconcili-ation purpose code

harris towing group; 5360 n. du-pont hwy., dover; drayperson/mover

hayes, John r., Mediation Services of delaware; 17 freedom dr., dover; professional and/or personal services

Joerg, John M. Jr., Local vertical; 69 Oakcrest dr., dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

Khama LLC, Bistro 13; 517 S. red haven Ln., dover; retailer-restaurant

Lamb, rachel L.; 103 hilldale rd., dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

LSKC dover LLC, the Little School at Kids Cttg. LLC; 105 Mont Blanc Blvd., dover; reconciliation purpose code

Manzar investors; 3500 S. dupont hwy., dover; professional and/or per-sonal services

Morris, Lakeishia, Miracles of Life Childcare; 569 Crawford ave., dover; professional and/or personal services

Old time handyman, LLC; 32 S. governors ave., apt. a, dover; contractor-residential

One Stop Wireless; 1365 n. dupont hwy., dover; retailer-various products

Peru van LLC, tia’s asian Spanish grocery Store; 3847 n. dupont hwy., Ste. 4, dover; reconciliation purpose code

Peterson, Beth, Positive Pups & Ponies; 2066 hazlettville rd., dover; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

qMi global LLC; Ste. 3a-245; 9 e. Loockerman St., Ste. 3a-245, dover; professional and/or personal services

truevend LLC; 146 Creek Bend rd., dover; retailer-various products

GEORGETOWNespecial express ii Corp; 204 n

race St. Ste. C, georgetown; pro-fessional and/or personal services-unclassified

timmons Carpentry LLC; 13635 e Collins Pond rd., georgetown; contractor-residential

ulrich, Meredith W.; 28110 Bryans Store rd., georgetown; retailer-vari-ous products

GREENWOODflying a riding academy; 10116

Shawnee rd., greenwood; profes-sional and/or personal services

Moore amazing Products LLP; 6160 hickman rd., greenwood; recon-

ciliation purpose coderohm, Stephen P., rohm & as-

sociates; 500 deep grass Ln., green-wood; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

HARRINGTONgranny’s Cupboard too; 1224 gun

and rod Club rd., harrington; retailer-various products

Jonos it Solutions LLC; 537 Bloomfield Dr., Harrington; profes-sional and/or personal services

Shannon McKewen; 54 Powell School rd., harrington; professional and/or personal services

Spiral hawk Studio; 1 W Liberty St., harrington; retailer-various products

LAURELJo Brooks equine transport LLC;

129 Oak Lane dr., Laurel; professional and/or personal services

Jordan, rick d., Precision audio; 10661 dorothy rd., Laurel; profes-sional and/or personal services

LEWESantonia davies art gallery inc.;

17432 Slipper Shell Way unit 9, Lewes; retailer-dry goods & apparel

Basic electric; 20 Maplewood dr., Lewes; steam/gas/electric

delaware home & environmen-tal Se; 1546 Savannah rd., Lewes; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

essential Chef LLC, the essential Chef; 34710 riviera dr., Lewes; pro-fessional and/or personal services

gM Construction LLC; 21618 W Conley Cir., Lewes; contractor-residential

J. eric hale; 15894 Willow Creek rd., Lewes; professional and/or per-sonal services

Medtix LLC; 16337 Coastal hwy., Lewes; retailer-various products

Silk & Sands florist inc.; 1007 Kings Hwy., Lewes; retailer-florist

the W i n n group inc.; 16192 Coastal hwy., Lewes; professional and/or personal services

mILFORDabrams-adams of delaware; 2358

Bay rd., Milford; mercantile or collec-tion agency

business licenses34


Blackbird Bed & Breakfast, c/o englinton hall; 700 Se 2nd St., Milford; hotel

Chris and Jenna Computers; 313 Marshall St., Milford; professional and/or personal services

hollywood dogs grooming Salon; 19 nW front St., Milford; professional and/or personal services

ideal nutrition and fitness LLC; 3103i e Brookmyer dr., Milford; profes-sional and/or personal services

quality Concrete Works, qCW; 8 Costa Bella Ct., Milford; contractor-residential

Sea Jewelers inc., eKa Jewelers; 935 n. dupont hwy., Milford; retailer-various products and personal servic-es-general repairperson

mILLSBOROBJ’s Wholesale Club inc., BJ’s

Wholesale Club #197; 26676 Center-view dr., Millsboro; scrap tire fee

Cellco Partnership, verizon Wire-less; 26676 Centerview dr., Millsboro; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

hornberger Masonry LLC; 35471 Pine dr., Millsboro; contractor-residential

Master tax & Business Services, h&r Block; 28417 dupont Blvd., unit 4, Millsboro; professional services-income tax consultant

Minnesota regis Corp., holiday hair #65142; 25935 Plaza dr., Mills-boro; professional and/or personal services

nolen’s Marine Surveying; 26355 W Pintail rd., Millsboro; professional services-engineer

Peninsula health LLC; 26744 John Williams hwy., Ste. 7, Millsboro; pro-fessional services-medical office

Sutch, austin f., austin’s Computer Service; 25889 Kings Ln., Millsboro; personal services-general repairperson

SEAFORDB&J Business Svcs. LLC; 8220

gum Branch rd., Seaford; reconcilia-tion purpose code

B-Line Computer Services; 200 high St., Seaford; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

Cannon, gary e., unique Styles & designs; 301 e. Stein hwy., Seaford;

personal services-barberCollins, amanda, tattoosparkle.

com; 15005 County Seat hwy., Sea-ford; retailer-various products

del Mar Carpet LLC; 23418 gay St., Seaford; contractor-residential

drh enterprises LLC; 6796 hearns Pond rd., Seaford; contractor-residential

gillis, Brian J., Sussex Cleaning & Maintenance; 10271 Old furnace rd., Seaford; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

hand to Plow; 21664 north St., Seaford; retailer-various products

Jed incorporated, Service general Seaford; 809 norman eskridge hwy., Seaford; personal services-laundry operator

Jeff’s total heating & air Condition-ing; 210 n front St., apt. a, Seaford; contractor-residential

Kane, Louis; 23647 King rd., Sea-ford; drayperson/mover

Patient first Medical LLC; 1330 Middleford rd., Ste. 301, Seaford; pro-fessional services-medical office

taylor Sr., Jerry L.; tJ taylor LLC; 4169 Stein hwy., Seaford; drayperson/mover

trotter, darrell; 8750 garden Ln., Seaford; reconciliation purpose code

SmyRNAaccuspect home inspection Service

LLC; 909 Boxwood dr., Smyrna; pro-fessional and/or personal services

all St aBv all ins & fnc agency; 231 Stadium St., Smyrna; professional and/or personal services-unclassified

ewell Cleaning Service; 231 e. north St., Smyrna; professional and/or personal services

i3a LLC; 5819 underwoods Corner rd., Smyrna; professional services-engineer

Paintin Place LLC; 131 W rodney St., Smynra; contractor-residential

rC designs Lawn Care; 61 e Con-stitution dr., Smyrna; professional and/or personal services

trabaudo, John J., ice Cycles; 316 Lisa Ct., Smyrna; retailer-various products

There’s more than one way to do business today.

35


business directoryACCOUNTANTS / BUSINESS VALUATION

Horty & Horty, P.A.doug Phillips, director, CPa302-730-4560fax [email protected] n. dupont hwy.dover, de 19901

ADVERTISING

morning Star Business ReportLaura rogers or doris Shenton302-629-9788fax [email protected] Box 1000, 628 W. Stein hwy. Seaford, de 19973

The Seaford StarBryant richardson302-629-9788fax [email protected] PO Box 1000, 628 W. Stein hwy. Seaford, de 19973

The Laurel StarPat Murphy302-629-9788fax [email protected] Box 1000, 628 W. Stein hwy. Seaford, de 19973

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Sharen E. Hagerty CPS/CAP302-536-1445fax [email protected] 117 William ross LaneSeaford, de 19973

ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

A-ES ArchiTech, LLCeric a. Booth

thomas d. Plotts410-543-4595fax [email protected]@aesarchitech.com110 W. Church St. Salisbury, Md 21801

George, miles & Buhr, LLCMichelle everngam302-628-1421fax [email protected] high St.Seaford, de 19973

George, miles & Buhr, LLCMichelle everngam302-645-1944fax [email protected] Savannah rd., Suite 1 Lewes, de 19958

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY STAFF DEV. TRAINING

Delaware Technical & Community Collegeann del negro ed.d302-855-1665fax 302-858-5457dtcc.edu/owens/[email protected]. 18 Seashore highway georgetown, de 19947

S.C.O.R.E.Kent County herb Konowitz302-745-1315Sussex Countyed [email protected]@comcast.net

CABINETRY

U. L. Harman, Inc.delores Bowles

Jeff riddleberger800-346-4887302-492-3456fax [email protected] Box 56Marydel de 19964

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Central Delaware Chamber of CommerceSandy dale302-734-7513fax [email protected] n. duPont hwy.dover, de 19901

Georgetown Chamber of CommerceKaren Duffield302-856-1544fax [email protected] Layton ave., PO Box 1 georgetown, de 19947

Lewes Chamber of CommerceBetsy reamer302-645-8073Toll Free 877-465-3937fax [email protected]. Box 1, 120 Kings hwy.Lewes, de 19958

Greater milford Chamber of CommerceJo Schmeiser302-422-3344fax [email protected] S. Washington StreetMilford, de 19963

Greater millsboro Chamber of Commercefran Bruce

302-934-6777fax [email protected] Box 187Millsboro, de 19966

milton Chamber of Commercegeorgia dalzell302-684-1101707 Chestnut St.P.O. Box 61Milton, de 19968

Rehoboth-Dewey Chamber of CommerceCarol everhart302-227-6446800-441-1329 ext. 13fax [email protected] rehoboth ave. rehoboth Beach, de 1997

Greater Seaford Chamber of CommercePaula gunson302-629-9690fax [email protected] 221 high St.Seaford de 19973

COMMUNICATIONS

DCI Voice Solutionstanya Wilhelmi410-341-6200fax [email protected] e. Main St.Salisbury, Md 21804

COMPUTERS

Fast Teksgary Schaaf302-491-8808fax 302-491-8804fastteks.com

36


[email protected] P.O. Box 563Georgetown, DE 19947

Z-Tronix Computers & SoftwareAlan Stolzenbach302-628-9661Fax 302-628-7733McbeeWeb.com/[email protected] 22876 Sussex Highway, Unit 7 Seaford, DE 19973

EDUCATION

University of Del. Div. of Prof. & Continuing StudiesTara Kee866-820-0238Fax [email protected] Carter Partnership CenterDel Tech Owens Campus Georgetown, DE 19947

ENVIRONMENTAL

Delaware Solid Waste AuthorityWendy Pizzadili302-739-5361Fax [email protected] S. Bradford St., PO Box 455 Dover, DE 19903

FINANCIAL

Bank of DelmarvaDonald Dykes302-875-5901Fax [email protected] East Market St.Laurel, DE 19956

Del One 7 Statewide LocationsDebbie Jewell302-672-1492

Fax [email protected] Beiser Blvd.Dover, DE 19904

Delaware State Police Federal Credit UnionStephen Cimo302-856-3501 ext. 120Fax [email protected] Box 800Georgetown, DE 19947

Discover BankSherry Berman302-349-4512Fax 302-349-4578www.myDiscoverbank.comsherryberman@discoverfinancial.com502 East Market St.Greenwood, DE 19950

Seaford Federal Credit UnionMary Adams302-629-7852Fax [email protected] Professional CenterRt. 13 SouthSeaford DE 19973

Sussex County Federal Credit UnionPaula CampbellPamela Fleuette302-629-0100Fax [email protected] Box 1800, 1941 Bridgeville Hwy. Seaford, DE 19973

FLAGS AND ACCESSORIES

International Flag SupplyBridget Mayer302-645-1943Fax 302-645-1943www.internationalflagsupply.com

[email protected] Whitehall Rd.Milton, DE 19968

FLORIST

Blossoms Inc..Sandy de ChurchTheresa Pyle302-537-6001Fax [email protected] Garfield Parkway Bethany Beach, DE 19930

FUNERAL SERVICES

Watson Yates Funeral HomeGary Yates302-629-8561Fax 302-629-7961Front & King St. Seaford, DE 19973

GLASS

Mr. Go-GlassBruce Johnston302-629-4947Fax [email protected] North Dual Hwy.Seaford Village Shopping Ctr.Seaford, DE 19973

Mr. Go-GlassChad Davis302-674-3390Fax [email protected] N. DuPont Hwy.Dover, DE 19901

Mr. Go-GlassRic Ross302-645-9340Fax [email protected] Dartmouth Dr., #3Lewes, DE 19958

GRAPHIC/WEBSITE DESIGN

Dean Design/Marketing GroupJane E. Dean302-674-5007877-407-9800 Lincoln, DEFax [email protected] Water St.Lincoln, DE 19960

Hamilton AssociatesHerb G.QuickJocelyn K. Quick302-629-4949Fax [email protected] Box 1431 Seaford DE 19973

HEALTH

Beebe Medical CenterNancy Cummings302-645-3300Fax [email protected] Savannah Rd.Lewes, DE 19958-0226

Heritage At Milford - Genesis HealthCareCheryl Stover302-422-8700Fax [email protected] South DuPont Blvd.Milford, DE 19963

Nanticoke Health ServicesReneé Morris302-629-6611Fax [email protected] Middleford Rd.Seaford, DE 19973

Bayhealth Medical CenterMilford Memorial HospitalEllen Shockley

37


302-430-5034fax [email protected] W. Clarke ave.Milford, de 19968

INSURANCE

Farnell & Gast InsuranceJoe gast, CPCu302-629-4514800-966-4514fax [email protected] W. Stein highwaySeaford, de 19973

Clifford Short InsuranceCliff Short302-856-7773fax [email protected] east Market St.georgetown, de 19947

INTERNET SERVICE & WEB PAGE DESIGN

Delmarva Digitaltim Smith302-875-7700fax [email protected] LaureltowneLaurel, de 19956

LEGAL SERVICE

Sergovic and Carmean, P.A.Joan tyndall302-855-1260fax [email protected] W.Market St.georgetown, de 19947

MEDICAL TRANSPORT

Lifestar AmbulanceMike Parker

800-572-9838410-546-0809fax [email protected] S. tower dr.Salisbury, Md 21804

PAYROLL SERVICE

Payroll Professionalsdonna [email protected] Savannah rd.Lewes, de 19958

PaychexPaige Cohan800-884-2425 ext. 28648fax [email protected] Continental dr., Ste. 106newark, de 19713

PERSONAL CHEF

Abra…ca…dinner! LLCKris etze302-228-6125fax 302-945-4153dinnernmassage.comabracadinner.comkeats1947@aol.comPO Box 142harbeson, de 19951

PHOTOGRAPHY

Eric Crossan Studioseric Crossan877-302-7821fax 877-302-7821ericcrossan.com(through website)Serving all delmarva

PLANTS FOR ALL SEASONS

Jeff’s GreenhousesJeff hastings302-875-3420fax 302-875-9542Main St., Bethel, de 19931

PORTRAITS

Portraits In The Sanddave Koster302-226-9226fax 302-226-8424PortraitsintheSand.combusinessreport@portraitsinthe-sand.com110 White Oak rd.rehoboth Beach, de 19971

PUBLISHING

morning Star PublicationsBryant richardson302-629-9788fax [email protected] Box 1000 Seaford, de 19973laurelstar.com

REAL ESTATE

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.ethel M. Lewis302-227-2541 ext. 470800-462-3224fax [email protected] rehoboth ave.rehoboth Beach, de 19971

Century 21 mann & Sons In-Town Susan giove302-226-3770Joe Maggio 302-841-5331 cellfax 302-226-3772maggioshields.com

[email protected] rehoboth ave.rehoboth Beach, de 19971

Coldwell Banker Resort RealtySkip faust302-227-5000 office302-745-8764 cellfax [email protected] Coastal hwyrehoboth Beach, de 19971

TATTOO STUDIO

Ancient Art Tattoo Studio,Inc.Peggi [email protected] 34410 tenley Ct. #1Lewes, de 19958

UTILITIES

Artesian Water Companygeorge Phillips302-453-6900302-684-2527800-332-5114fax 302-453-6957fax 302-684-5164 [email protected] Churchman’s rd.newark, de 1970228322 Lewes georgetown hwy., unit 4, Milton, de 19965

Tidewater Utilitiesgerard esposito800-523-7224302-734-7500fax [email protected] S. Little Creek roaddover, de 19901

38


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