Delmar DustPan

I have had several inquires about where to buy Hayman Sweet potatoes. we bought ours at a produce stand on RT50. It closed down for the winter shortly after we bought them. That said Razor Edge sent in information that Blue Crab bay Co. sells Haymans. They sell them for $14.99 plus shipping of $8.50 for an 8 pound box.

Turner Hill Produce (410-742-0759) sells them for $18 a box (about 34 lbs) I don't know if they ship.
Harris Market in Salisbury MD usually also has them but I don't know if they ship.

The first actual water system for Delmar Delaware and Maryland was created on October 9, 1911 when the Maryland and Delaware councils gave a franchise to Hugh T. Downing of Philadelphia to create a water works in the two towns. By July 1913 the Delmar Water Works system was in operation. The well and storage tank was located in the North West part of Delmar Delaware (same location as today). My guess is this location was selected because of an existing ice plant, built in 1907 next to the railroad. The ice plant supplied ice to the rail cars loaded with produce. Since an ice plant needs good water to make the ice they must have had an existing well that supplied that “good” water and the Delmar Water Works decided to duplicate that supply source.

The system in 1923 had a 100,000 gallon storage tank (standpipe) that was 12’ by 115’, a 20’ by 40’ pump house, four wells, two Deming Triplex pumps, 44 fire hydrants and five miles of pipe. It was know as the Delmar Water Works. There were smaller water systems in Delmar prior to this one but they served very localized areas and not the entire town. The standpipe served the town from 1913 until about 2000. As with any water tower it was a landmark and reference point for the town. The water mains serves both sides of town. Each town at that time was approximately one half square mile in size.

Since fire was a driving force for the water system (The town had two major fires, one in 1892 and another in 1901) scattered thru out the 1911 franchise are references to the fire department requirements; “The system of water works constructed under the franchise proposed to be granted shall be built so as to provide for an ample protection against fire…”, “would be 33 pounds per square inch of water pressure for domestic purposes and water pressure to throw a stream of water through two hundred feet of hose with a one inch nozzle to a height of at least 30 feet.” “a standpipe will be constructed to insure sufficient pressure of water in case of the breaking out of fire”, and “20 Fire Hydrants will be supplied”

The water rates spelled out in the 1911 franchise were;
The town will pay $20 per fire hydrant, per annum
Individual Customers would pay;
For one spigot, per annum $6.00
For each additional spigot, per annum $1.00
For stationary wash stand, per annum $1.25
For bath tubs, per annum$2.50
For horse trough per annum $4.00
For stables (first cow or horse) , per annum$1.00
For stables (each additional cow or horse) , per annum $1.00
By Water Meter per 1000 gal. per annum $0.30

Tomorrow is Black Friday, not a day I plan on driving anywhere around the Wal-Mart/Target complex in North Salisbury. For those who do plan on being there, think about having lunch in Delmar, after all there is only so many people that Chili's and Applebee's can hold.

Some of the places you can sit down, order a sandwich or meal, and regroup your thoughts are;

Delmar Diner - On Rt13 prior to the State Line traffic Light on left
Pizza Boys/ Hardee's - also On Rt13 prior to the State Line traffic Light on right

Bistro 54 - After the RT13 traffic Light on the right, (Serves Mixed Drinks)
Delmar Pizza (Italian restaurant) - after the RT 13 traffic Light on the left (serves alcohol)

Goodfellas Italian Restaurant - In town at State and BiState (the other Delmar traffic light)
Sweet Delights Bake Shop - In town at State and BiState (The other traffic light) - good place for a sugar injection.

Linda's Railroad Cafe - Opposite the railroad tracks
Top Hat Cafe - Opposite the railroad tracks

Well, of the Republican Candidates, I would have to say I lean toward Ron Paul. He is in favor of most of the things I am in favor of, not that I have any hope of him actually coming thru and doing them if he is elected president. The first election I voted in was the 1964 election in which Lyndon Johnson, Barry Goldwater, and George Romney (Father of Mitt Romney) ran. I think I voted for Goldwater simply because I have an affinity for Arizona. Of the people elected to office I think I have been disappointed in all of them. In spite of this I do still vote in the elections in a continual hope that one day one of them will actually do what they say with their election promises. It is pitiful for some one to say they are not going to vote in an election because nothing is going to change regardless of your vote. Did you see that big 5% turnout of Delmar Maryland people voting in this past election?

I will wait and see how far he goes in this election, I guess my backups are Huckabee, McCain, Romney and Thompson.

Mostly Cajun likes to put Cajun Jokes in his blog and I had to copy this one over to share with you.

Boudreaux's Thanksgiving Dinner
Boudreaux, him, he calls his son who’s working in California. “Son,” he says, “me an’ yo’ momma is gittin’ one a dem divorces. After all dese years, me, I’m tired a puttin’ up wit’ her crap.”

“But Pop,” stammered the son, “you and Momma wuz good wit’ each udder….”

“Mais, no, son,” says Boudreaux. “Me, I’m tired a’ dis crap. We gittin’ a divorce. I’m so mad, I cain’t talk, me. You call your sister in Arizona an’ tole her what’s happenin’….”

“Pop, don’t you do nuttin’. Lemme call Sis,” said the son.

A little while later, Boudreaux’s phone rings. “Bon jour,” he says.

“Pop, me an’ Sis is gonna be there tomorrow. Don’t you and Mom do nuttin’ until we get there.”

“Okay, son,” says Boudreaux. He hangs up the phone and turns smiling to his wife Clotile. “Hon,” he says, “Boaf our kids is gonna be here for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and they payin’ dey own way!”

As you may know a lot of people are mad about the tolls paid in Delaware to use I-95. Joe Long sent me an E Mail about this article by Michael Dresser who did an article on ways to avoid I-95 and the toll. Now the interesting part, in the article he said Curt Kinder of Green Cove Springs, Fla. wrote Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner to protest the turnpike's tolls and backups. The Delaware Turnpike spokesman Robert B. King replied to him stating "I would hasten to point out that deliberate toll evasion within this state, as in most other states, is illegal and subject to enforcement,". When Robert King was called about his statement he took the traditional State Employee tactic of pointing the finger to someone else, in this case turnpike official P. J. Wilkins had told him it could be a ticketable offense. Finally calling the the Delaware State Police, Cpl. Jeff Whitmarsh said motorists are free to choose toll bypass routes.

At 5 in the morning on November 21, 1889 the Steamship Manhattan collided with the four masted schooner Agnes Manning about eight miles off the Fenwick Island Lightship. At first it was not thought there was that much damage and the Agnes Manning sailed on. The Manhattan sank in 15 minutes and the Schooner Agnes Manning limped on to Philadelphia. As the crew realized the ship was going down faster than expected panic set in and eight crewmen and three passengers lost their lives in the accident. The schooner Van Name and King picked up the survivors.

An 1883 advertisement for bricks from the M. H. German & Co of Delmar Delaware

I understand the Maryland election results are;
Mayor Doug Niblett received 57 votes, ran unopposed so he continues as Mayor
Luther Hitchens with 39 votes will continue as Commissioner
Marlena Hodgins with 36 votes will be a new Commissioner

Reginald Lizotte received 19 votes
Chris Pittas received 28 votes

There was 67 voters plus one absentee vote out of 1,300 register voters. So about 5% of the registered voters voted in this election.

There will be a special Maryland council meeting on December 10th to swear in the newly elected people.

Today in 1966 the musical "Cabaret" opened at the Broadhurst Theater in New York City. Now I don't know anything about the play, but the movie "Cabaret" is one of my favorites. It came out about 6 years after the play and of course had Lisa Minnelli (in possibly the only role she is known for), Michael York and Joel Grey in it. My favorite song from the movie is "Tomorrow Belongs To Me".

Today is the day Delmar Maryland people! Get out there and vote at the Town Hall from 7 AM to 7 PM.

My daughter, Susan, has been letting her hair grow for quite a while in order to donate it to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is an organization that provides wigs to children with long term medical loss of hair problems. Last night was the night, so she went to a saloon (About Faces) in Salisbury to have it cut it, packaged, and mailed it off to "Locks of Love". She still has enough left for it to be shoulder length.

I think it was a nice gesture Susan made. Locks of Love does have it detractors however, mainly they will sell the hair if it is not of the quality to make a wig and cancer patients, because the hair loss is temporary, may not always receive a wig.

This week is election time for the Delmar Maryland side of town. The people running are Luther Hitchens, Marlena Hodgins, Reginald Lizotte, and Chris Pittas. I rode around this morning to see if I could see any campaign signs, below are a couple.


I would have rode around a while longer looking for signs but frankly the Maryland side of town has such bad streets I gave up. The streets seem to be one mass of road cuts, pot holes and deteriorating patches. I think the worst street on the Delaware side is better than the best street on the Maryland side of town. Yet, I rarely see any one show up to the Joint Council to complain about Delmar Maryland Streets, maybe they are happy with them - who knows.

Tuesday November 20th from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM the Delmar Maryland General Election.

Of course the 22nd is Thanksgiving and Town Hall is closed the 22nd and 23rd.

Altho not in Delmar, on Saturday November 24th at 12:30 PM is a free production of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" given by the First State Children Theatre Company at the Laurel library.

While driving between Selbyville and Gumboro yesterday I remembered that, that was an area that has a number of whale wallows. Whale Wallows are depressions in the ground, usually with a sandy rim around it. They tend to be circular or elliptical and oriented in a southeast to northeast direction. The name comes from the way people thought they developed. Back in ancient times when this area was flooded by oceans it is thought that they were formed by whales being stranded in these areas and they wallowed around as the water receded. There are other thoughts on their formation such as chunks of ice coming to rest in that area and melting after the last ice age, or meteors showers hitting the ground. Like a drainage pond they usually have water in them unless it is a dry spell as this past summer. They have a wide range of bugs, frogs and plants and are considered wet lands. They are not restricted to Delmarva and are in New Jersey, and the Carolinas. The name I am familiar with is Whale wallows but they are called by other names such as Delmarva Bays, Carolina Bays, kettles, sink hole, potholes, or vernal pools. Perhaps JWC of the blog The Shores of Delmarva will do a post on them as he gets out into the woods more frequently than I do.

Located North of Frankford, Delaware on Clayton Street is the camp meeting grounds for the Antioch African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1890 the trustees purchased the church from a white congregation. They started an annual camp meeting that continues today. It was known as “Big Camp” or “Frankford Camp”. Originally they used covered wagons to live in during the meeting and later built wooden "tents'. Today there are about 33 units left. They are of the classic camp meeting style of a story and a half wooden building. The camp layout is also of classic design with the units in a circle around the meeting "tent" or "Bower".




The "Bower"

Inside of the "Bower"










Closer to home, Mt. Nebo Church (West of Delmar) had camp grounds at one time. they were called the Fruitlands Camp Meeting Grounds. The Campgrounds, once situated southeast of the church, were abandoned at the end of the camp meeting era. No tents or other buildings remain. Any information, comments or photos of this camp would be appreciated.