Home Care In Milton, DE

“We saw a gap in the marketplace for delivery of fresh flowers to the North Texas area.”

Milton De La Paz VP of Airline Relations Dallas Fort Worth International Airport .…on DFW Airport partnering with Qatar Cargo to deliver 12 tons of fresh-cut flowers to the airport each week.

Stop and smell the roses this Valentine’s Day—and you may just have a nearby airport and cargo service to thank.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport worked with Qatar Cargo to launch a special cargo operation last spring to make sure Texans got fresh-cut flowers “that are hours old instead of days.” The special cargo flight flies in around 12 tons of fresh-cut flowers from Bogota, Colombia, each week. Once they land, the airport’s cold chain facilities ensure they can be raced fresh across the state to florists, distribution centers, and supermarkets.

Before the special flight, that type of flower supply “was historically done by trucks that took far longer and resulted in products with significantly reduced shelf life,” Milton De La Paz said in a statement. “With our state-of-the-art cold chain facilities and strategic location, DFW is well-equipped to bring in-demand imports to the Metroplex and the state. Qatar Cargo seized the opportunity to supply the region with fresh flowers direct from Colombia.”

In Bogota, the flowers are loaded onto a Boeing 777-200F aircraft and flown directly to DFW Airport. The cargo ranges from roses and carnations to assorted bouquets. Direct delivery to DFW means around 2 to 3 extra days of additional shelf life for consumers in the region, the airport said.

In December 2023 alone, fresh-cut flower imports to the U.S. were valued at $149 billion, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, as analyzed by WorldCity. The Qatar Cargo partnership is just one way DFW Airport is focused on “growing its handling of temperature-sensitive products,” leveraging its industry-leading cold chain facility, the airport noted.

In other floral-related news, Dallas just ranked No. 6 for number of flower delivery services and No. 11 for average monthly Google searches for local flowers in a new report, showing North Texans’ growing demand for fresh-cut blooms.

The Qatar Cargo flight helps ensure a steady supply of roses, carnations and more to meet that regional interest – especially around special occasions like Valentine’s Day.

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After nearly a decade in business, 302 Bicycles in Milton is set to close Saturday, Dec. 9.

Owner John Lehne said he is closing the shop because he is battling adenocarcinoma, a form of gastrointestinal cancer. In addition, he said, the shop’s lease is up at the end of the year, and he did not want to have the extra stress of going through a renewal or looking for a new home.

Lehne said he found out the news in April, when he ended up in an emergency room after his sodium tanked and doctors found fluid in his abdomen. After the fluid was drained, tests found cancer cells. Other tests found adenocarcinoma in his stomach and the lining of his abdominal wall, he said.

Lehne said of his prognosis, “It’s not great. The only advantage is that I’m young and I’m healthy other than the cancer.”

He said the survival rate varies, but that 5% of those with it live for five years or longer.

“It’s treatable but not curable right now,” Lehne said. “I’m young, I should be in that 5% at least, if not getting 10 to 20 years. We’re looking up on that aspect of it. But you never know. I’d rather have the free time and enjoy what I can while I can, and hopefully it doesn’t get worse.”

Lehne has been taking chemotherapy treatments every two weeks at Tunnell Cancer Center and has done nine rounds so far, with three to go. From there, he said, it will likely move into treatments via pill or some kind of immunotherapy.

Of the support he’s received, Lehne said, “The community has been awesome.”

Earlier, 302 Bicycles did a bracelet fundraiser that helped with copays, the Killens Pond Disc Golf Club also hosted a fundraiser, and people who have frequented the shop have offered condolences and support.

The business has been pretty supportive of the community in Milton, and Lehne said that will continue right to the end, as he plans to do his usual fundraiser for the annual Holly Festival, which will occur the same day the store will close.

The shop grew out of 302 Fitness, a personal training business Lehne started in 2013; 302 Fitness closed in 2020 after its operation was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2014, Lehne had started 302 Bicycles as a side business of 302 Fitness. The store was originally 50 square feet and mostly did bicycle repairs. Over time, the store grew to 2,000 square feet and had bicycle inventory, accessories and repair. Later, the business got into selling supplies for disc golf, in which participants navigate a course and try to put a flying disc, like a Frisbee, into a basket.

Lehne said where the pandemic might have hurt 302 Fitness, it was good for 302 Bicycles.

“All you could do is bike,” he said.

As the store closes, Lehne said most items will be discounted between 10% and 25%. He said the hope is that he could turn over the space to another bike shop, but that is still to be determined. Lehne said he plans to bring some of the stock to another bike shop he owns in Chincoteague, Va.

Lehne said he views the future as a mix of excitement but also fear of what may come of his diagnosis. He is sad the shop is closing, mostly because he won’t be around to serve people in communities like Milford, Georgetown and Millsboro, who will now have to drive to the beaches to get their bikes repaired.

“I never thought I’d be closing until I got diagnosed,” he said. “I figured this would be the last job I ever had.”

MILTON, Del. - Lavender Fields at Warrington Manor is under contract to be sold to new owners. Recent history in Sussex County has many convinced that farm sales frequently end as new housing developments, which cause grief among nearby residents and raise frustrations with overdevelopment and criticism of slowly-changing infrastructure. This time, however, the land and farm are said to remain of the same purpose, and maybe get even better

CoastTV News spoke with the current owner of Lavender Fields, Marie Mayor, who bought the farm in 2002 with her wife, Sharon. Mayor had no farming background and spent almost 40 years working for the Department of Education at federal and state levels before purchasing the farm. She said they received a lot of help from other farmers in the area, especially when they were getting started, and that the fields today were built from scratch.

"It's just been a pleasure to be here," Mayor told CoastTV News. "I love the pastoral scene, the less commercial the better."

They worked to restore the farmhouse on the property and built a storefront, where visitors can purchase lavender plants and products along with home decor. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Mayor said visiting the farm was a safe outdoor activity many were drawn to, as it was a place they could take a nice walk through the field or labyrinth and bring their kids for a reason to get out of the house.

Sharon passed away a few years ago, leaving Marie the sole owner of the fields. She recently decided to sell the property and started the process.

"I'm going to miss so many components here," Mayor said, "but I'm not going to be a farmer in my 80s!"

Marie told CoastTV News that she'll celebrate her 77th birthday next month. She's ready to move on from the full-time work required to run the fields, but she won't go far, as she's planning to relocate nearby to another home in Milton. In her "second retirement," she's hoping to travel and continue gardening, but on a smaller scale.

The Lavender Fields buyer is not a developer planning to build a new neighborhood or shopping center, but a young woman Mayor says has a lot of energy.

Cait Spieker Gee grew up in Milton. Though she eventually moved out of state, she came back after having children and the family currently resides in Lewes. While studying to take the bar exam this upcoming February, Gee reached out to a local realtor, as she was interested in pursuing a real estate focus. Gee offered to stage houses, and was given the contact information for Mayor.

Gee said the two women instantly hit it off and she fell in love with the farm. She talked to her husband and sisters and decided to buy it.

Both Mayor and Gee are excited to keep the farm's current charm. Gee has plans to continue current operations like producing Soap Fairy products, maintaining flower and zen gardens, running a market and more. Mayor said Gee may make the property even better, and Gee shared plans to expand the event space and use it more often for birthday parties, retreats, weddings, festivals and is even considering adding yurts to the edge of the property and signing up for Airbnb. She'd also love to host an outdoor movie night for families. A fire pit is in the early plans for this fall and winter to keep folks who visit warm.

"I brought my oldest and he was just so happy, running around looking up at the sky, and at all of the flowers. That's what I'm excited for,” Gee said. “My little one isn't walking yet, but he crawls through the lavender and loves it. This is an awesome place to grow up, so to see them get to live in that environment is what I'm most excited about."

Gee became emotional when discussing these plans, especially when it came to pursuing partnerships with local hospitals and support groups, as her father is battling cancer and she, herself, has suffered through a miscarriage. Starting retreats for women and others who have experienced loss is a cause close to her heart. Using Lavender Fields as a space where people are free to relax and be themselves is something about which she feels passionate.

"I want people to be free to walk around it, feel the magic of it," Gee said. "They can feel the healing elements of the space. I want this to be something to benefit the community."

Though the sale is not officially final, a contract has been signed. Inspectors will be at the property Monday morning, but Gee isn't in a hurry, as she wants to ensure Mayor can take the time needed to find the right fit for her next home and her next chapter.

"I want everyone to feel seen and heard here," Gee said. "The farm motto is 'grow through what you go through.'"

MILTON, Del. - 144 single family homes are about to be built in the new Schell Brothers "Miralon" community. This over 70-acre property is not the first spot to get new homes in the small town, but is drawing concerns from neighbors on Cool Spring Road.

Eleanor Allen lives directly beside the entrance to the new community. She is concerned about the influx in traffic on the already dangerous bend on Cool Spring Road, where the one entrance and exit to the development meets.

"Maybe they shouldn't have bought this spot because of the dangerous curve I've had many of accidents in front of my home." said Allen.

But other neighbors like Paulette Hardy said the property is in the right place to bring more to the growing town,

"I'm happy to see it growing. It's a lovely town, a lovely area. I had no idea that the Milton zip code was so huge because I know we're right on the Lewes line, but grow away!"

Further down the street, soon-to-be owner of the Milton Lavender Fields said that she has been trying to work with Schell Brothers to find solutions to alleviate some of the traffic concerns and environmental impact of construction like extending the bike path from Hudson Park, down Cool Spring Road.

"I think an excellent way to promote eco-friendly practices in development is to commit to a new project that benefits existing residents and land preservation with each new neighborhood. The bike trail extension is a great example of an eco-friendly project because it will reduce traffic and vehicles emissions by making the bike trail more accessible." said Cait Spieker Gee. "We can welcome new neighbors while also defending Sussex from over development."

According to Schell Brothers, houses in the Miralon development will go on sale this week.

Another development nearby is getting worked on in Milton. Workers were cutting down trees for the proposed Cannery Village apartment complex. The complex is planned to have 96 apartments and is a part of the third phase of expansion for the already existing Cannery Village neighborhood.

After months of speculation, it can now be deemed official: Po’ Boys Creole Restaurant in Milton has changed hands.

The good news is those hands have been prepared to carry on the nearly decade-long tradition of New Orleans-style cooking that Miltonians have grown accustomed to. New owner Chase Nelson worked under founding chef/owner Mike Clampitt during Clampitt’s time at Baywood, and Clampitt himself will be helping with the transition as Nelson prepares to reopen the restaurant Wednesday, Oct. 4.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., Nelson grew up in Rehoboth Beach and has spent much of the past decade working at Eden in Rehoboth Beach. He said he had recently moved to Milton, and shortly after the move, he heard Clampitt was trying to sell Po’ Boys. He immediately put in a call to inquire, and Clampitt, who has been in the restaurant business for 40 years, was excited to hear of Nelson’s interest.

“I wanted someone who would be able to take over; not just take it over in terms of the name and the recipes, but also make it their own,” Clampitt said. “It couldn’t have been a better person to take it over. When he messaged me, I knew exactly what he was messaging me about.”

When asked why he’s decided to leave now, Clampitt said, “Age. It was time. Mentally and physically, it was time to move on and do something different.”

Clampitt owned Po’ Boys with his wife Melissa.

Nelson said he wants to keep the Cajun/Creole-style cooking that Po’ Boys has become known for, but he will also add some of his own wrinkles. He said he’d like to add some voodoo rolls – an egg roll with crawfish tails – and an alligator roast, which Nelson sees as an event similar to a pig roast. When asked what alligator tastes like, Nelson said, “Like chicken.”

“Just something fun and something you don’t see around here,” Nelson said. “I want to keep the crawfish boils going when they are in season and just keep bringing in fresh seafood, fresh food and putting my own spin on it with that Cajun/Creole kind of flair.”

Po’ Boys is known for being a small space, which Clampitt said he liked because it allowed him to both introduce himself to customers easily and allow them to watch him work. Over the years, he said he’s always been asked about expanding, but it was not something he was really interested in. Nelson said for the time being, he wants to keep Po’ Boys as is, but in the future, if the opportunity arises he’ll consider expanding, but that is not on the table right now.

“I like the hole-in-the-wall style concept,” Nelson said. “It’s a great starting business for me.”

The good news for fans of Po’ Boys is nothing else is due to change. It will still have the same staff and same menu. Clampitt said he will be around at first to help Nelson with the transition.

When asked about his future plans, Clampitt said, “Don’t know. I’m just going to rest for a bit. Sleep has been really good these last two days.”

Of taking over, Nelson said, “I think there’s definitely a lot of pressure. I always know Mike has a level of excellence and a standard you have to work to, so the pressure is there. But I like the pressure, and I’m willing to take it on and build on top of what he’s done.”