After 10 years on council, Bethany Beach mayor says goodbye

Jack Gordon likes to think Bethany Beach hasn't changed a lot.

The mayor of the coastal town has owned property there since 1990 and served on the council for the past 10 years. He sat in the sun room of his home on Tuesday, looking out onto placid green marsh and another it's-too-early-for-this-heat August morning.

His reasons for not seeking another term in the Sept. 8 election are undramatic — "10 years is a long time" — and he looks forward to traveling with his wife, Joan, without scheduling trips around meetings.

Gordon started out as a secretary and treasurer, then went on to become vice mayor. For the last four and a half years, he has served Bethany Beach as mayor. Over those years, Gordon said, the sleepy town atmosphere has been maintained as much as the town's financial viability. 

"Bethany hasn’t grown," Gordon said of the town's size. "It's still one square mile here, and we feel the flavor of that one square mile is the same as it was in 2008," when he joined the council.

During his tenure, Gordon, along with the town council, pushed to widen Garfield Parkway through the Streetscape project, install a new water tower, replenish the beach and keep homes from becoming "a big salt box" through an ordinance that encourages pleasing architectural and cottage features. 

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Gordon led the re-establishment of the Association of Coastal Towns (ACT), a group of seven Delaware towns, from Lewes to Fenwick Island, that lobbies for beach communities, on issues like canal dredging and sea-level rise.

"One of the biggest things was getting the political impetus behind the idea of replenishing the beach, primarily through Sen. (Tom) Carper," Gordon said. 

Bethany Beach council member Rosemary Hardiman has worked with Gordon since he become mayor four years ago.

"When everyone is fighting, nothing gets done. Jack has the ability to move people forward, and he puts the town and its citizens first," Hardiman said, adding that he was open to listening to other's opinions.

"If will of the council is different, he’ll go along with that," she said. "I think the reason so much has been accomplished under his leadership is because of that."

That has been shown through the town's continued financial viability, increased flood resilience, and working with other towns on issues important to the coastal community through Gordon's part in reinvigorating ACT, Hardiman said.

The town is currently installing pervious asphalt onto Atlantic Avenue to combat flooding. Gordon hopes the future council will do the same on South Pennsylvania Avenue.

In all of this, Gordon is proud to have maintained the quiet family atmosphere of his community. "We don't have what you'd call a nightlife," he said.

He has concerns over sea-level rise and feels WiFi service needs to be improved within the town.

He may not be mayor in a few months, but Gordon doesn't plan to make a complete exit from town activities. He'll still attend monthly meetings when he can.

Joan Gordon is volunteering for SEAs the Day, a weeklong beach event for soldiers and veterans recovering from injuries they sustained while serving the country.

Jack Gordon wants to help mentor participants in the veterans court treatment program, which allows veterans who committed nonviolent crimes to expunge their records and or avoid jail time by completing treatment programs.

The Gordon's charity work is part of why Beth Eller, co-manager of Maureen's Ice Cream and Desserts, believes Bethany Beach has improved over the last decade.

"He has done many things that have been thought about by previous mayors but not instituted," Eller said of Gordon. "He’s taken the bull by the horn and pushed forward with the things that needed to be done."

That includes banning tents and canopies earlier this year, Eller said, adding that he has also frequented and promoted local businesses. Whenever Maureen's brought a need or issue to the council, Gordon was receptive. 

"Bethany has become a better town since he’s been mayor," Eller said. "It’ll be sad to see him go."

Adds Gordon: "It's been a wonderful experience being part of the council, being involved in trying to keep the town the way it is, which is a wonderful place to live."

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