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Ron MacArthur has lived and worked in Sussex County all his life. As a journalist for more than 35 years, he has covered everything from county and town meetings to presidential visits. He also has a unique perspective having served as an elected official and lived on both sides of the county.
Contact Ron at ronm@capegazette.com
Recent Posts by Ron MacArthur
Sun shines on us all, including Sheriff's Office
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 26I was watching a NOVA special on PBS the other night about the sun. It's incomprehensible to me there are people out there smart enough to ...
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What is Bodie running for?
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 09Eric Bodenweiser of Georgetown, who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign to unseat 19th District Sen. Joe Booth, is acting like be wants to get ...
Cheapest gas in town
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 29Riding the roads, this is the cheapest gas I've found – at the Dash In in Long Neck. With the price nearing $4 a gallon, even a few cents savings ...
Take it to the bank, I'm winning the Mega Millions
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 29I'm going to be a happy man Saturday, March 31. My life is going to change forever. I'm going to win the estimated $640 million Mega Millions ...
This is worth about 250 words
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 28The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words could apply to this photograph taken March 27 in Georgetown. It shows a Sussex County Sheriff's ...
Getting lost in the solitude of Ponders Tract
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 26It's easy to get lost in the solitude of Ponders Tract in the Pemberton Forest Preserve near Milton. The 10 miles of trails offer the rare chance ...
Timing is everything
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 19You never know what you might run across when you are out and about in the Cape Region. This past Sunday I thought a great photo might be one of ...
Storm of '62 devastates Delmarva and Jersey coasts
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 12I've been researching and writing about the Storm of '62 for several weeks. It's amazing to look at photos of the devastation the Storm of the ...
We do it because we care
By Ron MacArthur - Feb 09Why would sane people change into their bathing suits in the dead of winter and then run into the freezing Atlantic Ocean? Every year thousands do ...
The Super Bowl: When commercials are entertainment
By Ron MacArthur - Feb 06The game is over, and now it's time to pick and choose the best commercials. Most people I've talked with said this year's multi-million ads were ...
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Sussex County hotbed of the prayer debate
By Ron MacArthur - Jan 26Sussex County appears to be the hotbed of the never-ending struggle of separation of church and state. There is a big bulls-eye right in the heart ...
UPDATED: On Blockhouse Pond
By Ron MacArthur - Jan 23Blockhouse Pond Park in Lewes is home to Canada geese and other members of the animal kingdom, if you look hard enough.
It's good to have Dan Kramer back
By Ron MacArthur - Jan 19Dan Kramer has broken his silence. The Greenwood resident has taken on the role of Sussex County Council watchdog over the past two decades and ...
Vintage photos help bring stories to life
By Ron MacArthur - Jan 09We tend to forget it, but the stories and photographs we work on at this newspaper are part of history the day after they are printed. Decades ...
Fighting Sioux are now no-names
By Ron MacArthur - Jan 05I've always been fascinated with the ongoing debate over sports teams with Native American names and mascots. Although many schools and even some ...
Cupcakes steal the show
By Ron MacArthur - Jan 04I'm probably the last person in the area to see the movie “Mayor Cupcake.” It was a big hit at last year's Rehoboth Beach Film Festival and made ...
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George discovers true meaning of Christmas
By Ron MacArthur - Dec 24George was a cantankerous man who came across as rough and tumble. A hardened World War II veteran, he parachuted in some of the most ferocious ...
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Mutual combat between two public servants
By Ron MacArthur - Dec 20Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips and Sheriff Jeff Christopher have a lot in common. They are both conservative Republicans, have been ...
Help Portrait preserves memories forever
By Ron MacArthur - Dec 12Many people find great ways to help those in need this time of year. From food and toy drives to free dinners, people get in the spirit by giving ...
It's not prime time for Delaware Bay residents
By Ron MacArthur - Nov 28As sand was being pumped onto beaches in Lewes and Dewey Beach over Thanksgiving weekend, residents of Primehook Beach once again faced flooding ...
Going to the extremes in debate over Jusst Sooup
By Ron MacArthur - Nov 09The recent decision by the Sussex County Board of Adjustment to deny Jusst Sooup Ministries the opportunity to serve soup at its new location in ...
‘Moneyball:’ A look behind the scenes of America’s pastime
By Ron MacArthur - Oct 21The movie “Moneyball” is making big bucks as one of the top movies of the year. It’s a highly entertaining film with great acting that rips away ...
Nature's palette of colors
By Ron MacArthur - Oct 18After two days of intense rain, on Oct. 14 the sun peaked out long enough to reveal the colors of fall in the Shenandoah. Last week leaves were at ...
An island of hope and tears
By Ron MacArthur - Sep 23More than a third of the current United States population can trace their ancestry to immigrants who first arrived in America through the federal ...
Greeting immigrants to America for 125 years
By Ron MacArthur - Sep 23If you want to visit the interior of the Statue of Liberty over the next two years, you better act quickly. The statue is scheduled to be closed ...
Court will determine Sussex council's prayer policy
By Ron MacArthur - Sep 19In this politically correct world, Sussex County Council does something so far off the PC chart that it doesn’t register. Council starts each ...
They come and they spend money
By Ron MacArthur - Sep 16Thousands upon thousands of people come to the coastal resorts of Sussex County each summer. They bring with them traffic congestion, some rude ...
The best rock songs of all time
By Ron MacArthur - Sep 09Over the Labor Day weekend, I listened to the top 500 rock hits of all time on radio station Cool 101.3 in Milford. Although I didn’t hear all the ...
Extreme week comes to an end
By Ron MacArthur - Aug 31What a week; what a weekend. The week started with the door knock for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” last Monday and ended with a hurricane ...
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Is there a way to keep business in the county?
By Ron MacArthur - Aug 22Awarding bids is a tricky business. Sussex County, just like all other governmental agencies, is obliged to award bids to the company that meets ...
The lure of the mountains
By Ron MacArthur - Aug 12Shenandoah National Park, established in 1935, was developed to provide outdoors activities and access to the mountains for those living on the ...
The fate of West Rehoboth hangs in the balance
By Ron MacArthur - Aug 04Sussex County officials have a tough decision facing them concerning a conditional-use application filed by the West Rehoboth Community Land Trust ...
Living history at Bull Run
By Ron MacArthur - Jul 25More than 8,000 reenactors from all over the United States took sides to recreate the Battle of Bull Run (or First Manassas) during the sweltering ...
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More information needed on county legal matters
By Ron MacArthur - Jul 18Sometimes reporting on government can be very frustrating, especially when it involves legal matters and executive sessions. Sussex County ...
Lessons learned in the watermelon field
By Ron MacArthur - Jul 11Growing up in the Seaford area, local summer jobs were hard to come by. About the only place we could work was at the Laurel Farmers’ Auction ...
Sunsets over Delaware Bay
By Ron MacArthur - Jul 01Many locations throughout the United States claim they have the most spectacular sunsets. No matter where you go, it's still hard to top the ...
Just stopped in to see what condition these conditions are in
By Ron MacArthur - Jun 29Trying to figure out land use in Sussex County is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube. To most people it makes no rhyme or reason. Drive down ...
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Another reason a Sussex County planner is needed
By Ron MacArthur - Jun 03Do Sussex County officials need more training? Are county officials getting good legal advice? If so, are they listening to it? These are hard ...
The calm before the Memorial Day crush
By Ron MacArthur - May 27I was witness to the calm before the storm this morning (Friday, May 27). Taking a bicycle ride between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. from Lewes into ...
Woodland ferry could be up and running – maybe
By Ron MacArthur - May 26It appears a resolution has been reached to get the Tina Fallon back in service sometime around the beginning of summer – maybe. The Woodland ...
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Woodland ferry: From manpower to thruster power
By Ron MacArthur - May 26The history surrounding the Woodland ferry is a fascinating one that involves an infamous family, murder and possibly even a kidnapping gang. The...
A connection to the historic Woodland ferry
By Ron MacArthur - May 26It seems we can find a connection to just about anything if we really look hard enough. Growing up in Seaford, I always had a fascination with ...
The Civil War in Richmond
By Ron MacArthur - May 20The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar, a new museum along the James River in Richmond, Va., provides a unique look at the conflict ...
A look inside the Pentagon
By Ron MacArthur - May 19For someone who lives to take photographs, being told not to take any is akin to being told not to breathe. So is the case when you visit the ...
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Time for another look at public participation policy
By Ron MacArthur - May 18I’ve written about the controversial Sussex County Council public participation policy several times since it was enacted nearly two years ...
Historic park marks the reunification of the nation
By Ron MacArthur - May 16The McLean House in Appomattox Court House, Va., is one of the most important landmarks in United States history. It's there on Palm Sunday, April ...
It really is all about the economy
By Ron MacArthur - May 05Most Americans are almost giddy over the death of public enemy number 1, Osama bin Laden, and it is great news that the mastermind behind the 9-11 ...
Lewes landscapes
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 26The clouds on April 26 provide a stunning backdrop to familiar Lewes landscapes.
Washington's Mt. Vernon
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 21When asked, George Washington would call himself a farmer – not the first president or a war hero. He spent as much time as possible – when not ...
Deaver or Cole?
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 20It seems two Sussex County Council members exchanged identities during the April 19 meeting.
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Make a plan to hire a planner
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 19Sussex County, the largest and fastest growing county in Delaware, has been without a certified land-use planner for about two years. Although ...
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It’s time for Sussex County parks and recreation
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 13Sussex County offers many services, but the one obviously lacking is parks and recreation, which includes cultural and historical activities and ...
What do you get for your Sussex County taxes?
By Ron MacArthur - Apr 07The state of Delaware is now the largest employer in the state, and it’s a safe bet that Sussex County government – with more than 500 employees – ...
The art of contrast
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 31Brought up and trained in black-and-white photography, my eye can still see the beauty of black and white. Some images, old barns and buildings ...
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County council is the committee
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 30The Delaware Open Meetings Law states that all gatherings of a quorum of members of a public body, whether formal, informal or through video ...
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Sheriff, supporters on same track?
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 21I’m confused, which is not unusual. It’s pretty clear Sussex County Sheriff Jeff Christopher is not interested in expanding the current office ...
PRIME HOOK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 17Photos over the past two years tell the story of the embattled shoreline near the small town of Primehook. The destruction of the marsh stands in ...
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It’s true: Planes and Walmart trucks
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 17Here is one for the “for what its worth file." I’ve found two truths to hold up almost all of the time. Look up. No matter what time of the day ...
Sheriff Christopher summoned to council chambers
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 11There’s a new sheriff in town and he’s kicking up a ruckus. I knew there would be some trouble coming after I heard Jeff Christopher speak ...
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Living on a merry-ro-round
By Ron MacArthur - Mar 10I’ve written dozens of stories involving residents who live in Sussex County’s numerous manufactured home parks. Those stories have covered a ...
To back in, or not to back in
By Ron MacArthur - Feb 22There are two distinct types of people – drivers who pull in and park and those who back in to park. Why is that? There seems to be no rhyme or ...
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In this economy, every dollar helps
By Ron MacArthur - Feb 07Every dollar in the Sussex County till helps a little, and $177,800 helps a lot. The Sussex County engineering department was able to negotiate ...
