Delmar DustPan

Today the descendants of Samuel and Elizabeth Hastings Miller had their 23rd reunion. This years president was Evelyn Callaway and she did a bang up job. The reunion was held at St. George Church and about 50 people attended.

Where but in this area can Jonathan put his camera on a tripod in the middle of St George Road and take 5 to 10 minutes to take pictures and no cars come along to interfere.

The sign in book, get a name tag and sign up for the drawing. Now living on Delmarva every other person you meet is a 32nd cousin once removed, but it nice to go to a reunion where, yes, they are all cousins but they are close cousins.

Rebecca Dickerson after several years absence has returned to the reunion.

At any reunion food is a key item. 23 years ago my wife in the heat of August would fry chicken and put several casseroles in the oven for the reunion. She thought she would be scrutinized by the old women at the reunion. Now after 23 years she has become one of the old women of the reunion, time has a way of doing that. Things have changed now and possible for the better, before, she cooked for three hours for a reunion that lasted three hours. Now everyone picks up chicken, potato salad etc from a fast food place and maybe they will bake a casserole and a dessert.

Rebecca, Miyoko, and Jack eating

Just the sound of eating.

Samuel Miller's father was Isaac Miller (1813 to 1883). Isaac Miller was married twice, once to Leah Culver and than to Eleanor Huston. This year we had a special guest in the form of Gil Kaufman who is a descendant of Isaac Miller and Leah Culver. Gil is looking for information on Mariah Jane Boehm Miller (1837 to 1905) who married John Henry Maddox.

We have a drawing for prizes for different age groups. This year Rebecca Swift was the person who drew the winning names for the prizes.

A special prize was for the couple who have been married the longest. This year the 56 year marriage of Bruce and Agnes Truitt took the prize.

I received today, in the mail, a letter from Biff Lee, well it wasn't really addressed to me it was address to "My constituent(s)". Still it was good to know that he is still alive as I haven't seen him in Delmar since the last election he was in. Since his appearances here are few and far between let me tell those of you who may not know it that Biff Lee is our Delaware State Representative for the 40th District. He lives in Laurel where he is often seen. His letter told me about some of the bills the Delaware 144th General Assembly passed this year. Glad to hear from you again Biff, keep in touch.

The return of WAWA to Delmar. Today is the GRAND OPENING at WAWA in Delmar.

The WAWA president and US Senator Tom Carper shaking hands. Tom Carper lead everyone in the WAWA chant of Give me a W, Give me an A, Give me a W, give me an A, what does it spell? (Thank God it wasn't a hard word) WAWA

Everyone crowded in for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

They decided to have a "hoagie" (The WAWA guy called them that, doesn't he know they are called "Subs" here) making contest between the Delmar town council and the Delmar Fire department. This is the Delmar Fire Department Team

This is the Fire Department Team team in action

This is the Delmar Council in action. Delaware Vice Mayor Michael Houlihan, Delaware Mary Lee Pase, Maryland Carl Anderton, Jr, and Delaware Lonnie Figgs.

The Delmar Council had support from this WAWA person (Maggie). She helped the Council side beat the Fire Department.

No one lost in the contest. The Fire department received a check for $500. The Council received a check for $1,000 to be split between the Library and the American Heart Association. Cheryl Wolk the WAWA store manager is on the right.

Michael Houlihan giving the victory sign

On Looking - Chief Hal Saylor, Lt Robert Remo, Jerome Reid, Luther Hitchens

Photo taking WAWA woman. Notice she also has the ribbon and scissors for the ribbon cutting cermony

Kimberly Layton and Jerome Reid

Kathy Porter, super Avon person, and her friend

On lookers

Some of the on lookers

I picked up this flyer in the Post Office advertising the 55 advantages of the apartments at Pond’s Edge (On the Maryland side of town in Delmar). At first I was going to write sarcastic comments after each of the selling features but than I decided most of the readers of this blog are local people and were taught to spot manure at an early age so I will let the reader make up his/her own mind. Yes, Pond’s Edge can thank me for the free publicity.

55 Fabulous Advantages to Living at Pond’s Edge Apartment & Townhomes

1. Desirable North Salisbury Location
2. Beautifully Manicured Landscaping
3. Spacious Floor Plans
4. Pets Welcome
5. Pet Clean-up Stations
6. Close to DE and MD Beaches
7. 24 Hour Responsive Maintenance
8. Minutes from Shopping
9. Conveniently located off RT 13 and Near RT 50
10. Fun Resident Activities
11. Honorable School district
12. Spectacular Clubhouse w/ Fireplace
13. Clubhouse Rentals
14. Spacious Guest Area in Clubhouse
15. State of the Art Fitness Center
16. Fireplace in every home
17. Fitness Center
18. Swimming Pool
19. Finished Basement
20. Attached Garages
21. Linen Closets
22. Professional and Friendly Staff
23. Private Patios or Balconies
24. Private Center in Clubhouse
25. Washer and Dryer in Every Home
26. All apartments Homes are Cable Ready
27. High Speed Internet Available
28. Thermal Pane Windows
29. 2 inch blinds included on all windows
30. Wall to wall carpeting
31. Stainless Steel Appliances
32. Built in microwave
33. Abundant cabinet space in kitchens
34. Spacious walk in closets
35. Resident referral program
36. Preferred Merchant discount program
37. Short term leases available
38. UPS & Fed Ex package acceptance
39. USPS package acceptance
40. Free Copy service
41. Free local fax service
42. Daily coffee in the clubhouse
43. Daily cookies in the clubhouse
44. Dramatic architectural ceilings
45. Cappuccino Bar in Clubhouse
46. Kitchen Islands
47. Monthly community newsletter
48. detached garages available
49. Fitness Classes
50. Central air Conditioning
51. Close to Peninsula Regional Medical
52. Private entrances
53. Minutes from local State Parks
54. Inspiring Pond Views
55. Generous Parking Areas

Some shots of the construction going on at the Delmar High school.

The BiState Weekly, August 3rd, 1962

Accepts Position on High School Faculty

Wayne C. Bastian of Montgomery, Pa., has accepted a position on the faculty of Delmar High School for the fall term opening in September.

Mr. Bastian, his wife and two children will reside at 407 E. Elizabeth St. within the next few days.

He is a graduate of Lycoming College Williamsport, Pa. and has taught one year at Williamsport High School. He has also served two years in the US Marine Corp.

He will teach Junior High School science and mathematics here.

In today's "News Journal" was an article about Maureen Stewart, a town clerk in Townsend, Delaware, who was arrested for allegedly embezzling over $20,000 in town funds. For the online version of the story click here

I will say Ms. Stewart technique was better than the Harrington financial officer that just wrote checks to herself. Stewart skimmed some of the cash received by the town, but she also manipulated the payroll and her medical deductions, two areas that would not be noticed until the annual audit. She was fired before the theft was discovered for "inappropriate use of office materials". What ever that is. Possibly $20,000 over three years ($6,666 a year), she sold her name and reputation pretty cheap, but maybe that was all Townsend could afford.

Government accounting is very tricky due to the different funds used. You may be doing what appear to perfectly normal and correct accounting than discover that a fund had certain restrictions on it and now you have charges brought up on you. I think school board accounting is one of the worst for this type of thing. In Stewart's case she appears to have simply allegedly stolen the money.

The News Journal today had an article on an increased rate of cancer (on line version) at the beach in Delaware. Supposedly various forms of cancer have a higher rate in the area around the Indian River Power Plant. This area covers from Georgetown down to the state line at Selbyville and East to the Ocean. I do not doubt that living in the area of a power plant increases the risk of cancer. I have to question if the increase in this area is not due simply to the age of the high number of retirees and summer people in Ocean View, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island. Simply put when you get over the age of 60 you are going to die from something and cancer is usually the main killer.

Two interesting comments in the comment section of the on line version of the News Journal;
from Type3particle
The numbers are a farse. The trouble here is that the zips included (of which one is my own) are retirement areas. When you take a long term infection number and compare it to a population who hasn't lived here on average more that a few years then of course your numbers are going to be disportionate - especially considering 80%+ of this population is 65 years or older.

The newspaper was smart to talk to people who have lived here all their lives, but realistcally what was the population of Milllsboro 60, 40, even 20 years ago compared to today? My graduating class from East Millsboro was less than 20 kids.

Lower Delaware's high cancer rate isn't from pollution or smoking or eating hot pockets, its from an aging population, prone to cancer to begin with, coming to Delaware seemingly healthy and getting diagnosed here. Not that I'm proposing it, but if you were to do nothing else except stop the retirees from moving here, I would bet honest money that you'd see the rates return to normal within a decade.

And from Wilmmale88
I am so tired of LOWER Delaware poisoning the rest of the state. I truly believe Delaware should have stopped at the C and D canal and anything south of it should be called Maryland

Please wilmmale88 we in lower slower Delaware agree with you only we think Delaware should have stopped at the C and D Canal and North of the C and D Canal should be called Pennsylvania

It always gets me the way the Code Enforcement officers and the town will select some people, virtually all residential property owners, to write violations on yet; commercial property go Scott free. The old building on the corner of State and Pennsylvania is one example. Are they blind?

Here is another example - Delmar Storage. It has been under construction for over a year. They have this big drainage pond that is of course dry now. When it is filled it is a big mosquito breeding ground for the neighborhood. If you call the State Mosquito Control people in to spray they will walk around your yard and find two teaspoons of water in a birdbath and tell you that is the reason why you have mosquitoes. Totally ignoring the quarter of a block size drainage pond two blocks up the street. Currently Delmar Storage has weeds up over my head. I will however complement them on finally putting a fence around the drainage pond that when full is a child hazard.

Why doesn't the town make them cut the weeds? They ignore the violation of weeds at the old Drive In, also which is in the town limits. They must be examples of Delmar's Business Friendly Attitude - at the expense of the residents.

Yes, It is the old Food Rite

The store has been empty long enough that the spray paint people are using it.

It is on the backside of the store.

When you are walking around Delmar you expect problems on sidewalks that are broken, but this kind of problem on the 400 block of North Second Street always come as a surprise. It is about 4 inches of sidewalk that has lifted due to the utility pole put in the sidewalk.

I noticed this door today on the backside of the nursing home.