His name is Bernard Osher, he is listed on the Forbes Magazine’s billionaires’ list, he plans to give away his entire fortune and he just donated $1 Million to the Delaware Academy of Lifelong Learning. The University of Delaware of course agreed to rename its lifelong learning academies upon receipt of this generous grant and it seems there is another million dollar donation coming in the near future.

The southern campus is now located on Savannah Road in the heart of Lewes, Delaware. The Lewes academy started 2010 with 454 members. Classes began this September with more than 50 different courses and 50 faculty members. Members take classes from yoga and pottery to applied ethics, history and humanities.

This grant could not have come at a better time for the Lewes Institute which is at the peak of its popularity. The existence of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a huge reason why many Baby Boomers find Lewes a wonderful place to retire. Now that they have some free time, they’re taking classes, traveling and teaching others in a creative educational environment.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 18th, 10 am – 4 pm, artists all over Lewes, Delaware, will open their studios to the public. This is the 12th annual tour and as many as 300 people typically take advantage of this chance to see local artists at work.

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What a thrill to meet Capt. Willie Dykes, Pilot of the WBOC Chopper 16 tonight at the Canalfront Park in Lewes, DE. He was the Mystery Guest for tonight’s meeting of the “Lewes Walks for Fitness” program. No one knew who the mystery guest was until we saw his helicopter buzzing us as we gathered at Lewes Beach. Then we got to meet him, see all the great video technology in his helicopter and get our picture taken. If I sound like an excited kid it’s because just last night Bill and I were watching one of his segments and Bill said “what a nice guy and what a great job”! He does segments on the small towns all over DelMarVa that are the best part of the local news on WBOC.

Imagine my delight when I opened the September 2010 issue of Coastal Living magazine and found my town – Lewes, Delaware – named as one of the “best little beach towns”! The article mentions some of my favorite places like King’s Ice Cream in the heart of Historic Lewes. It recommends a long walk on the beautiful beach that extends from the town beach all the way to the Maryland border if you’re up for a 25 mile walk!

Compared to Cape May, New Jersey, the article continues “the historic town that shares the mouth of Delaware Bay, and the ferry that crosses it, Lewes (population 3.127) has the same coastal character and historic preservation tendencies as Cape May, only with fewer tourists and more affordable real estate”.

No matter where you look, the pictures are worth a thousand words and I always try to travel with my camera in hand.

The new canalfront part was opened just this year as a result of a real grass roots effort by the local citizenry who wanted to preserve the canal for enjoyment by everyone and not allow commercial development to dominate.

Coastal Living found that neighbors in Lewes are likely to be in the late 50s who actively participate in the local arts community and regularly take trips to Washington, DC, New York or Philadelphia, all within a 2 – 3 hour trip. I can vouch for that! Baby Boomers are flocking to Lewes, Delaware, and loving the life they find when they get here.