Delmar DustPan

I guess in writing about California blogs I should include Bake Town . Bake Town is about everyday happenings in Bakersfield, California and the writer's life. It is much more conventional than Nakejen so maybe not everyone in California lives that lifestyle. In fact, it is a blog I encountered prior to starting my blog up and the DustPan is patterned somewhat along the lines of Bake Town. Unlike so many blogs it is not a constant gripe about the same thing on every post. I find it is interesting altho it is conventional and may not be of interest to everyone.

In doing the previous post on Dinah Shore weekend I happen to think that the lifestyle in California is so much different than here. One of the blogs I read routinely is Nakedjen

I think Nakedjen real name is Jennifer Neal. She lived in Seaford, Delaware in the 1970's and 1980's where she attended school and rode horses. She moved away and ended up in Santa Cruz, California. Now in my provincial Eastern Shore mind, nakedjen lives a California lifestyle that I assume everyone in California lives. In reading her blog she apparently likes; naked tree hugging, she is a Holistic Intutive Health Counselor, is a vegetarian, does holistic studies, holistic healing, foot massages, reiki treatment, and she is a feng shui consultant. She also attend anti war protests. With her blond hair could anyone be more California-like. She also writes a very entertaining blog, so take a look at it.

I realised today that this is Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs California. Dinah Shore Weekend is a big lesbian event held each year. When I worked at the Wicomico County Detention Center I first heard of it from some of the female Correctional Officers who were lesbians. Do not misunderstand me, I did not say all female correctional officers are lesbians, a few are however. There was a higher percentage of them in the workforce makeup at the Detention Center as compared to other places I have worked. The newspaper in Palm Springs, The Desert Sun reports it as any other event. As they describe it "Dinah Shore Weekend isn't just about fun, sun and a few thousand of your closest lesbian friends ". I don't think Dinah Shore was a lesbian, she just happen to host a golf tournament with her name on it that turned into a lesbian event.

The Delaware Department of Health has started putting a summary of their health inspection report for Delaware eateries on line. The report is at Food Establishment Health Reports

Among the Delmar places listed are;
Memories Rest. and Lounge inspected 1/5/07 no violations
Perking Cheers/New Dragon inspected 2/20/07 no violations
Delmar Jr-Sr Hi cafeteria inspected 3/19/07 no violations
Express Food Market inspected 3/16/07 no violations
Top Hat Coffee House and Deli inspected 2/207 written up for reheating of hot food, and not controlling pests, reinspected 2/20/7 no violations

In Laurel the Lancaster Meat and Cheese place was written up for four violations.

The NanKing Cherry is blooming. I rarely get cherries from it as the birds beat me to it. For about two weeks a year it looks good with the blossoms.

In todays News Journal was an article about ex-Christina School District Superintendent Joseph wise and his spending habits. See School Audit

You can look at the spending in Audit at a Glance page from the State of Delaware auditors office for an "official" disclosure.

I question why this is coming to light now. There were suppose to be annual audits and they should have exposed these items. It seems funny that the audit groups that apparently did not do their job in the past now are "discovering" these items. Joseph Wise was but part of the problem that occurred in Christina School district and the people that helped cause the problems are still there.

I often think because the Delmar Police Department does not publish their crime reports one day we too will have a major crime issue "develop" in Delmar that no one was aware of.

All bloggers have their favorite subjects and obviously mine is white collar crime. This form of crime costs all of us and it is rarely punished by the court system. In the news Journal was an article about Ruth Fallis of Hockessin who stole a million dollars from Perry Anthony Design Group, a Mill Creek salon. She was their bookkeeper since 1992. She was insulting enough that when confronted with the theft she bragged she was to well connected to go to jail. As crappy as the court system is she probably is right.

Daily the outside world sends Delmar a moving art exhibit. Some will say Delmarites do not appreciate public art but I for one enjoy drinking my coffee in the kitchen and watching the art displayed on various rail cars as they roll pass.


Maybe Norfolk Southern, which doesn't appreciate mobile art, should hire Joe Albero and his graffiti cleaning crew.

I think I can sum up this council meeting as long and boring. It started at 7PM and ended at 10:15PM. Altho, I have in the past complained about the councilpeople wanting to wrap things up by 9PM, frankly I was ready to leave when this one finally wrapped up. As I have said in the past, the Town should go back to having separate council meetings for each side of town and than a joint meeting. Personally, I am tired of listening to Maryland business of annexations, proclamations and ordinance changes and I am sure the Maryland people attending are tired of hearing about Delaware woes. Among the missing were Mayor John Outten and until 9PM Mary Lee Pase.

Some of the items discussed were;

John Cannon and Joe Hollaway from the Wicomico County Council were at the meeting.

Proclamations; Honored Thomas Lee Lathum, Made April the Fair Housing Month, Made April the Maryland Municipal Government Works month, Proclaimed March as Red Cross Month. For those who may read this blog you will know I have a grudge against the American Red Cross from my days in the military and my feelings that it is an inflated bureaucracy, so it did please me when Diane Buckley abstained from voting on making March the American Red Cross month. She did it because the proclamation highlighted not just the support in the form of volunteering but also called for support in the form of contributing money.

The Maryland side had their public hearing on the Real Estate Tax increase that will occur if the tax rate of $.676 per hundred is not reduced. Overall, with the tax rate the same, the Maryland side will haul in more revenue due to real estate reassessment and growth. This is not a nice thing the town does to keep you informed, it is a requirement from the State of Maryland to publish this information in local papers. Delaware does not require this so Delmar Delaware has no public announcement of revenue is going up.

The first reading (announcement) of the budget for the town was declared. I will be making additional posts on this subject in the next couple of weeks. You can review the budget of both Towns and the Utility Commission by going to Town Hall during normal business hours and asking to see it.

The Maryland passed resolution 2007-03-26 giving approval to join the Council of governments being formed in Wicomico County Maryland. Maryland Commissioner Carl Anderton questioned the wisdom of this if the City of Salisbury was to be given two votes instead of the one vote the other members will have. He was talked out of this logical question and the Maryland side voted to be subordinate to Salisbury and join the Council.

Dr. Wayne Bastian and crew from the Delmar Library came to talk about the how poor the library was. During the talk Joey Morris, Fire Chief, cell phone went off and he had to answer it. As some form of justice for this impolite act when he gave his Fire department report later in the evening someone elses cell phone rang during his talk. The library wants money from the town (taxpayers). I will do a separate post on this subject.

The Delaware side transferred monies from the Municipal Street Aid Fund to the General fund.

The Maryland side approved a resolution to annex "Acorn Land", a plot of land out by Wood Creek. There was some question about what would go on this land, no one knew for sure but town houses were spoken of.

The Maryland side increased the parking in a fire lane fine to $75.00. The Delaware side did a "me too" increasing their fire lane parking fine to $75.00.

Chris Walter from the Delmar Revitalization Committee got his agreement passed and now they will fall under the umbrella of the town. He can now receive "start up or seed" money from the taxpayers of the town.

Planning and Zoning
602 East Chesnut wants to have a single family two story house built there.

At Walnut and 7th there will be 4 houses built and the developer will built the road extension.

606 East Grove will have an addition and garage built

The old Furniture Plus/ laundry building on first street has had inquires into purchasing it. The most favorable one was a wood working shop employing two people.


Town Manager report
The lot at 201 East Jewell has had some inquires about purchasing it. The Town Manager said the minimum bid would be the cost the town incurred in tearing it down.

The auditing firm of Trice and Geary and Myers will continue to be the town auditors for the next three years.

The new Director of Public Works never showed up for his first day on the job. They are looking for another Director of Public works.

Comments
Delaware Councilperson Diane Buckley expressed that the meeting was too long, if she had been sitting in the audience in those wooden chairs she would have said more than that. It was like a bad Preparation H commercial.

Maryland Commissioner Joan Tisinger said she was under the impression when the Rite Aid and associated properties were annexed into town there was an agreement that the motel (Delmarva Inn) would be closed after three years. Other council people were not sure.

Delaware Councilperson Mary Lee Pase commented on the portable basketball nets that have popped up with the warm weather. There is danger of children running out in front of a car when they use these things.

Dr Bastian commented about the orange wrapped advertiser papers that are being thrown out in front of everyone homes and than left in the gutter. He asked the town to do something about it.

The Delmar Utility Commission had it's monthly meeting on March 26th. The meeting started late (6:40PM) because Mary Lee Pase and Diane Buckley were not there so we did not have a quorum. Diane Buckley arrived and assumed command.

The good news; the Pine street pump station is working again. The cost to repair the pumps were less than expected (only costing $14,000) to repair). The bad news is the Wood Creek Pumping station now has a pump down.

There has been a problem in billing and collection for the Delmarva Inn, the motel out by Rite Aid. They owed $24,000 due to a billing foul up but payment is expected shortly.

The agreement with the private utility comapany, Tidewater, is progressing. A bulk rate for Maryland users is being worked on by the Town Contracted engineering firm.

Public Works is down to 2 full time employees and one part time employee. If you want a job contact; the town.

The steel plate over the road cut on Foskey Lane may be there for a while as the Harvey Mack Trucking company is trying to work out an easement to develop a drainage swale on the property across the road. Time to call in Dana Breig Probert