Delmar DustPan

Well tonight wrapped up the week of the sesquicentennial celebration in Delmar. The weather held for the fireworks and the fireworks were great once again. The two Mayors made a few SHORT comments, a decent size crowd was at the High School to listen and watch, the snack bar was open for food and a band played thru out the evening. Overall this week has turned out very well for Delmar.

M's Deli is located in the Stop and Shop (Mystik Convenience store) on Bi-State Blvd tucked back in a small corner of the store. They make good subs, sandwiches, and daily specials. Their number is 410-896-9106. The food is good but what we like best is when you call in your order you talk to an adult who knows what they are doing and is friendly. Teenagers are fine, but after a while you get tire of trying to communicate with someone who is more interested in texting someone than taking your order.

They have daily specials such as tomorrow is Soul Food Sunday in which you can get a Fried or smothered Pork Chop with two sides, roll and a 24 oz corona or 2 liter of soda - $10.

There is a good turnout at the Delmar Block party and car show. There is about 50 cars on display and a number of food venders. Jerry Carr has his historical racing booths set up. He certainly has a lot of photos and newspaper clippings. The Museum is open today and worth a trip inside and the caboose is open.

This is yard sale heaven this weekend. Between those that are in Delmar and those that are in Sharptown for their heritage days, yard sales are everywhere you look. I was down to State Street park about 10AM and they had a nice turnout (particularly when you consider Race weekend in Dover, sunfest and numerous other events). They were sold out of scrapple sandwiches so we had to go out to the Express Food Mart to get one. I picked up a couple of ink bottles at a booth and heard a great story about how the woman had a sister in Panama. It seems the ships passing thru Panama would dump their junk overboard off the coast of Panama and divers in Panama would go out in the ocean and pick the bottles up off the ocean floor. So her sister buys the bottles from the divers and ship them up to her sister here. All of this so I could pay 25 cents for an ink bottle.

From the State Register September 25, 1975

Effective September 26, the Town of Delmar will discontinue twice-a-week trash and garbage collection.

Effective September 30, the regularly scheduled pickup on the Delaware side on Tuesdays will go into effect, with the Maryland side on Thursdays, according to Bob Martin, Town Manager.

To assist residents in disposing of falling leaves containerized leaves only will be picked up from both sides of town on the following Mondays: October 30, 20 and 27 November 3, 10, 17. Residents are asked to leave containerized leaves at the curb by 7 AM on the referred to Mondays.

Maryland residents are reminded that their trash will be picked up on Friday November 28, instead of the regularly scheduled Thursday November 27, which is Thanksgiving day.

Residents with suggestions for the betterment of the town, or for those with complaints are to call call Bob Martin at 896-2777 or 846-2320.

I saw in the paper today where the old Canton Inn had been modified in to a Drag Queen Club called the CandyBar. Each Wednesday through Saturday drag queens take to the stage, excuse me to be politically correct Female illusionist take to the stage. Now Seaford High School is where Miss Gay Delaware 2009, Tisha Towers, graduated from, so perhaps it is of no great surprise the club is in Seaford. It is a wise move on the club's part aiming the club at the Gay Lesbian community as heterosexual males have no laws protecting them (thusly the Canton Inn was closed down) but the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender) community are protected by all kinds of discrimination laws.

The Haunted House will be in the Old Delmarva Aluminium Building this year. They are looking for volunteers to help with it. This year the donations from the proceeds will be made to the American Cancer Society, the Boys and Girls Club of Western Sussex County, and the Delmar Fire Department.

On Saturday;
Starting at 6 AM will be a town wide yardsale, State Street Park will be the center of it with food vendors and a farmer's market.

At 10 AM North Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed and there will be a block party and car show.

The Heritage Museum will be open from 10 AM to 4 PM

At 4:30 PM will be the 5-2-1 Walk at the High School

In the evening at the High school there will be music until the closing ceremonies which will occur about 8 PM

At 8:30 PM there will be fireworks

As previously mentioned if you are a resident of Delmar you can get in free to the Delaware Motorsport Complex which opens at 7 PM. I understand they will hold the races up until the fireworks are over with.

Other area events on Saturday
Sharptown is having Heritage Day starting with a yard sale at 7AM, a parade at 10 AM followed by an art show and the museum will be open 10 to 4.

King United Methodist church is having a fall festival from 10 to 3

The Dutch Country Market (out by Johnny Janosik) 20th anniversary is from 9-3; chain saw carving, apple butter making etc.

Line United Methodist Church has a luncheon starting at 11 AM Oyster Fritters, chicken salad baked goods

The September Planning and Zoning Commission had their meeting tonight. Joy Slabaugh was missing. It should have been a quick meeting but anything involving Woodcreek always drags out ad infinitum. Some items discussed tonight;

Ronald Tarlaian was to be here to discuss selling of the common area at Bridgewood estates. He requested a postponement until a later date.

Sign approval was given to Sportsman's Liquidation. Sportsman's Liquidation is a name brand retailer of fishing and hunting gear (No guns are to be sold) and will be located in the State line Plaza (Foodline). They hope to open October 3rd. they have hired two local people to work for them.


Mark Thomasson representing Delmar Hospitality - owners of the holiday Inn Express - asked for approval of a new lighting design. The lighting is part of a nationwide lighting format Holiday inn express has. It mainly seem to be changing light bulbs to blue or green instead of white. approval was given.


The P&Z commission

Jim Thomasson (PCS Homes)and Steven Fuller (Fuller, Hall & Assoc)came asking for approval of a new design for single family dwelling and approval of a variance change. Well as I said anything concerning Woodcreek is good for at least an hour. I have not seen Jim Thomasson before and I will say Mark Thomasson, from a blogger point of view, is better material because he always argues. Jim Thomasson seems agreeable on things when you listen to him. Does he produce any better results than Mark does - it remains to be seen?

So the single homes dwellings - these homes are to be aimed at the new home, first time buyer (as they do not have an existing house they have to sell first). Instead of row homes, excuse me townhomes, these will be single dwellings, 20' x 46' footprint, two story homes built on a 30' wide lot that will have between 3,600 to 7,000 sq ft. They will have three bedrooms and two baths. The homes will be ten feet apart from one another. They will have a one car garage with a two car pad in front. They will be priced in the $150,000 to $170,000 range.

Well this became a discussion on The Woes of Woodcreek (this could be the title to a novel). The P&Z commission said they would table the request until they (The Thomassons) had a community input meeting. For some reason there was only one Woodcreek resident attending, that person, Lori Dewald, had her leg in a cast but managed to drag it down to the meeting in order to be heard.

Above Jim addressing Lori Dewald. She had the usual range of complaints against PCS Homes and the community meetings they had attended were delayed 3 hours due to Eric who is a jackass. James Henderson, a member of the P&Z Commission and a resident of Woodcreek, also voiced his opinion on Woodcreek, The Thomassons, and PCS Homes. Some where along the way a discussion of a cow in the ditch came in to play. Of interest if you look at the July P&Z meeting minutes you will see the many complaints they have at Woodcreek. Those minutes are not yet posted on the town website, but are available at town hall. Now Woodcreek has serious problems but I have to make light of them as some/most should be handled by their homeower association instead of the P&Z commission, altho the P&Z commission did create thses problems by allowing PCS homes to direct what would be done at Woodcreek. Let those people out there remember Woodcreek and their woes when you hear someone say let the casino be built in Delmar that way we can control what they do.

There was a nice assortment of pastries and cookies tonight at the high school. Dr. Ring gave a talk on the history of the schools in Delmar. It was followed by a tour of the Middle and High schools.

Regardless how hard the citizens try to present a decent image of Delmar there is always one or two people who will destroy any improvement other people make. Last night someone kicked in the door of the caboose uptown. Chris Walters stopped by and patched it back up so it is presentable again. It is bad enough we have the LeCates building, which seems to be a Mayor and Council approved sight for the town. You have to wonder where were the police when it happened?

Over at Reflections on Delmarva's Past there is a good post on a route of the Red Star Coach line. Red Star bus line was one of the first bus lines in the Salisbury area. I think it went out of business in the 1950's. The route described by a map was the Clairborne to Ocean City run. In the years before the Bay bridge there was a Clairborne-Annapolis Ferry we all had to take. The bus would pick you up after you got off the ferry to continue to Ocean City or stops in between. The Red Star Coach Clairborne to Ocean City Route.

From Jon's Trailways History Corner
Red Star Motor Coaches - On July 23, 1952, Carolina Coach acquired Red Star Motor Coaches of Salisbury, MD. Red Star Motor Coaches dated from 1926 and served the eastern shore of Maryland and was the dominant carrier between Philadelphia and Norfolk on the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula. They also ran from Baltimore to the eastern shore and had thru service from Washington to the eastern shore with the Washington-Annapolis portion operated by Capitol Greyhound. After the sale to Carolina, this thru bus arrangement with Greyhound continued until Greyhound finally requested that Carolina apply for rights into Washington when their commuter service to Annapolis ended. At the time of the sale, 38 buses passed from Red Star to Carolina, mostly GM PDA-3702's and 3703's. In mid-April 1964, completion of the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel and the Norfolk Naval Operating Base made the route from Norfolk to Philadelphia made service on the former Red Star main line Carolina's best revenue producer with revenue of some trips in excess of $4.00 per bus mile. Late night companion departures from Norfolk (and the north ends as well) saw schedules to both Philadelphia and New York (with Safeway Trailways operating State Road to New York City) and included assigned bid doubles that carried the same revenue figures. Overhead traffic originating in Wilmington and Camp LeJeune running through the Norfolk gateway was icing on the cake

The Delmar Planning and Zoning Commission will meet tonight at 7 PM at the town hall. From the posted agenda there will be a Public Hearing, for Public Input on the Maryland Comprehensive Plan. Michael Montague will request Sign Approval for Sportsmans Liquidation. Mike or Jim Thomasson will ask for Lighting approval for Holiday Inn Express. Steven Fuller of Fuller Hall & Assoc.will discuss Wood Creek Phase 2- Replacement of Townhomes with single family dwellings.

At 6 PM there will Free dessert and a talk about the history of the Delmar School at Delmar High School. So it is possible to make both events. Altho I doubt it (anything that concerns Woodcreeks fills the meeting room) if the P&Z meeting only last an hour you could be home to catch 'Survivor' on TV by 8PM.

Tuesday night the Indian River School Board passed a resolution against supporting the Del Pointe racino project. I do not have the actual resolution but they feel a casino has no place near school campuses. I applause their conviction. Joe Booth, a casino supporter, said back in June that the Del Ponte Racino would bring in $900,000 in tax money for the Indian River school district. Community morals over money what a unique concept in Delaware today.

Volunteer for 5th Annual Acorn Collection Day on Oct. 10 Collection Sites in Each County

With acorns in abundance this time of year, volunteers are needed for DNREC’s 5th Annual Acorn Collection Day being held from 9 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Oct. 10. Volunteers will collect acorns from places where seedlings would not generally be able to grow – along trail edges, open spaces and roadsides – at two Delaware State Parks and the Smyrna Rest Area.

Acorn Collection Day is the perfect opportunity for families and youth groups to volunteer, gain community service hours and help Delaware’s environment. Since the volunteer event was initiated in 2005, nearly 1,050 pounds of acorns have been collected that supports reforestation projects for DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program.

The acorns will be scattered in reforestation areas to grow on their own, or with the help of program partners, grown into oak seedlings that will be transplanted on privately-owned lands throughout the state. The oak trees will expand wooded areas and forested corridors that provide valuable habitat – shelter and food – for many native wildlife species, including the Delmarva fox squirrel, wood thrush, and Cooper’s hawk. With more than 80 percent of available or restorable wildlife habitat in Delaware on private lands, the program provides a cooperative solution to protecting wildlife habitat.

Three collection sites, one in each county, will have bags and collection materials for volunteers.

New Castle County
Lums Pond State Park
1068 Howell School Rd.
Bear, Del. 19701
Meet at Area 2, first parking lot

Kent County
Smyrna Rest Area
5500 DuPont Highway
Smyrna, Del. 19977
Meet at the building entrance

Sussex County
Trap Pond State Park
33587 Bald Cypress Lane
Laurel, Del. 19956
Meet at second parking lot

Pre-registration is encouraged by contacting Lynne Staub at (302) 735-3600 or by email, Lynne.Staub@state.de.us.

For more information on the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program, visit http://www.fw.delaware.gov/dplap.

Sussex County to hire collections manager, pursue those with delinquent taxes

Georgetown, Del., Sept. 23, 2009: Each year, September marks the deadline for taxpayers to pay their property taxes to Sussex County and its eight school districts. Tens of thousands of people make the deadline and pay their taxes on time. Some, however, don’t.

Sussex County soon will be making a more concerted effort to track down those delinquent taxpayers and collect millions of dollars in back taxes and fees.

County Council, at its Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, meeting, approved a set of policy changes for collecting back taxes, which includes plans to hire a dedicated collections manager to pursue approximately $8.2 million in delinquent taxes and other fees on an estimated 9,482 accounts. Nearly $6 million in property taxes is owed to local school districts, with $900,000 in County property taxes and $1.4 million in County sewer and water fees due.

County officials said Sussex is simply stepping up its collection efforts, but will continue to work with those who are behind in their taxes and sewer and water fees. The County already offers payment plans to those who qualify.

“The County Council recognizes that, in many instances, household budgets are tight and people are hurting financially, particularly in the current economy,” County Council President Vance C. Phillips said. “But this is an issue of equal treatment for all. Sussex County has some of the lowest taxes in the country, and we must all pay our fair share.”

The County already works to collect back taxes and sewer and water payments by using letters, making telephone calls and placing liens on properties in which payment is overdue. Eventually, tax sales are held for properties in delinquency, an option officials said the County will use more often.

Over the years, the County’s collection efforts have been spread among several departments and done as time permitted, County Administrator David B. Baker said. But with Council’s action, the County will now have a full-time employee dedicated only to collections.

“By having one individual focused on collections, the County can more aggressively and consistently address this issue,” Mr. Baker said. The County, in the coming weeks, will look to fill the position with someone trained in collections and debt recovery.

Council also approved, as part of the policy changes, other steps the County will take to claim delinquent taxes. These would include sending an additional warning letter from the County Attorney to those in arrears, posting a list of delinquent accounts on the County’s Web site, and offering a 30-day amnesty on the County’s portion of penalties for those who step forward to settle their debt. The County has not yet set a date for such an amnesty.

SATURDAY NIGHT RACE- DELAWARE MOTORSPORTS COMPLEX US 13 DRAGWAY/DE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY GATES OPEN AT 4:30 RACE STARTS 7:00 ANY DELMAR, DE/MD RESIDENT WITH PROOF OF RESIDENCY RECEIVES FREE ADMISSION ON 09/26/09. COMPLIMENTS OF: CHARLES CATHELL. IN PART OF DELMAR'S SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.

Now this is a nice gesture, I have to wonder, however, how the closing Sesquicentennial remarks on Saturday night are going to blend with the sound of the speedway, but if you wanted to see the dragway and are a resident of Delmar here is your chance.

An excellent program and supper was provided by Delmar School District and The Wildcat Culinary Club tonight. There were two shows given, the first at Five and the second at Seven with supper in between. Between songs various Delmar school Staff members give readings about the history of Delmar. They had some hard acts to follow with the level of singing that was presented tonight.

Delmar High School Chorus did a rousing version of the 'Star Spangled Banner' and 'American Anthem'.

Union United Methodist Church of Delmar did 'I Love Lord', 'It's Another Day's Journey' and 'I love Jesus and that's enough'

The gentlemen did 'Fillimooriay', an Irish railroad song.

The song 'Somebody Praying'

Terri Hurley did 'His eye Is on the Sparrow'

I was amazed at the efficiency of the culinary Club Students. When we left the auditorium there was a long line for food and it kept growing but at 6:45, when we left after eating, there was only five people left in the line so even they should have made the show.

The food was good. You had your choice of Chicken and Crust, Beef and Dumplings, and Ham and Cabbage. I had Chicken and Crust and it was well prepared and tasty. It was well seasoned - I didn't need to add salt and pepper for a change. So many restaurants are putting out boring, tasteless food because they are afraid to use seasonings. My Grandmother use to cook Chicken and Crust and it was almost as good as her's. She however grew her own Chickens and they were scraggy compared to today commercial chickens.

My wife is always concerned about the sanitation of these types of dinners and Terri, who is in charge of the Culinary Club, assured her all the students had sanitation instructions plus they all looked clean with their hair pulled back out of their face and clean white tops.

The Culinary Students kept apologizing for the wait but only Chef Ramsy would have a complaint about the service and the food. I think the stress level in our little town of Delmar is ultra high this week as each group or individuals, who are in charge of an event, try to make it the best they can. I think they have succeed very well.

Marlena Hodgins - Delmar Maryland Commissioner

Miss Delmar made an appearance and Little Miss Delmar was there earlier. Is that Dr. Ring in the background filling in as 'waitstaff'?