Delmar DustPan

I drove by the RT13 produce stand, down by the TigerMart, and saw the advertising signs are gone. I guess the Town Code enforcement Officer and Councilperson Diane Buckley succeed in convincing him to remove them. It would be nice if Councilperson Buckley spent as much time on problems on the side of town that elected her as she does on Maryland problems. Maybe those old eyesore buildings uptown would be torn down.

Apple-Scrapple Festival October 13th and 14th, Bridgeville Delaware

In the last year we have had a whole flock of kids moving into the neighborhood. Once again we get to see sidewalk chalk art when we go walking. I like it as it adds a little color to the neighborhood and will eventually wash away, if it ever rains again.

The classic police dead body outline

another body, this one filled in.

Mason Dixon Auction has been having a yard sale and flea market both inside and outside for the past few weeks. With the fog they are delaying setting up outside.

Outside in the fog

Inside yard sale, no fog

Over at the Nursing Home Yard Sale. I think fog must be worst than rain for a yard sale. With rain you just pack up and go home, with fog you stay hoping it will burn off shortly but while you are waiting all the items you are trying to sell become damp.

The Laurel Campgrounds is one of the better known campgrounds in our area. It is off Camp Road, north of Laurel. It is no longer functioning as a church campground and is now under private ownership and is a year round residential community. It is known by a number of names; Laurel Campgrounds, Laurel-Bethel Campgrounds, Delmarva Camp, etc. Like most of the Church Campgrounds it was going down hill as a campground by the end of the 1940's. Automobiles played a major part in closing down the campgrounds as people could go farther a field for entertainment.

Delmarva Campgrounds, incorporated 1879

About 1915, the cottages.

About 1915, in center area. People who did not own a cottage would pay a nickle to enter the campgrounds and spent the day and evening. There was a a large auditorium in the center surrounded by trees where religious sermons were given. Food concessions were available.

About 1915 with the auditorium in background surrounded by a circle of cottages. It had the classical Church Campground layout.

Today, the auditorium is gone and now it is an open playground area for the residents.

Front of a Cottage. The cottages were one and a half story units. This one has a number of details still left on it from the sleeping pourch, to the detailing with rick-rack and gingerbread work on the front gable.

Front of a cottage. As you can see by these photos the same fate has befallen these cottages as the older houses in Delmar and Laurel. People have tried to expand them by adding lean to type shed to the back of the buildings, closing in the porch, installing siding over the old weather boards, and eliminating the gingerbread that once was there.

Front of a Cottage. As you can see the second floor leads to an open veranda porch with square post balustrade and plain rails. Today there are about 45 units left in the campground.

No body's backside look good. The road Cottage Circle road runs around the backside of the cottages and is not the best view of the campgrounds. You can however see the density. I can only think, due to age and the way the community went from only being used two weeks out of the year to year-around private residences, this site has flown under the radar of the Public Health Department and DNREC in regards to water wells and sewage.

Some people own two cottages and connected them for added space.

The campgrounds has about 15 acres and the land is owned by the Downs Grounds Association. The cottages are individually owned. I read somewhere that if you want to buy a cottage approval has to be given by everyone in the association before it can be sold. The campground is eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

The campground was responsible for Laurel organizing a volunteer fire company after a great fire in June of 1899 and a subsequent fire that destroyed 38 cottages and an auditorium at the Laurel Compgrounds (Del Mar Va Camp).

From The Bi-State Weekly July 20, 1945

Delmarva Camp, one of the largest and most successful religious institutions of its kind on the peninsula will return to its old status of an all Methodist event this year when it is opened on August 5 to continue to August 25.

The camp is directed by a board of trustees and in former years was in charge of the pastor of the Methodist church at Laurel. For some years past, however, it has been conducted by evangelists and ministers of other denominations. A Pentecostal minister was in charge of the camp for the last two years, and before that the Rev. George Cook, an evangelist, directed it, with Harold H. Vignuelle of Wilmington, in charge of music.

The camp program this year will be in charge of the Rev. F. D. Milbury, pastor of Centenary Methodist Church, Laurel. He will have numerous ministers from that area as speakers at service held every day in the week during the three week period.

The music on Sunday will be in charge of Mrs. W. T. Jones, organist at Centenary Church, Laurel, and during the week, Mrs. Catherine McQuay will be the pianist. The Centenary Church Choir and quartet, and the Christ-Methodist Church trio will render special musical selections and assist with the regular musical program.

On the opening Sunday, Aug. 5, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Mulligan, district superintendent of the Dover district, will be the special speaker at three services, at 11 a. m., 2:30 p. m. and at 6 p. m. Other services on the opening day will include class meeting at 10 a. m., led by William Boyce; Young People service at 7 p. m. led by Mr. Milbury and a song service at 7:30.

Other speakers for the opening week of the camp will include: Dr. Franklin B. Bailey of Christ Church, Laurel; the Rev. J. W. Townsend of First Church, Delmar; the Rev. Walter G. Stone of Mt Olivet Church, Seaford; the Rev. S. B. Bradley of St. John’s Church, Seaford; and the Rev. John Trader, of Trinity Church, Salisbury, Md.

Reprinted from the October 6th 1950 edition of the BiState Weekly

RIGBIE COVE GRILL TO OPEN SATURDAY

The Rigbie Cove Grill, located in the Rigbie Hotel at Laurel, will open Saturday night, October 7th for the Fall and Winter season.

Hearn's Band will again furnish the music for both round and square dancing. The well-known Eastern Shore Combination has gained much popularity in the past few years and is fast becoming the most outstanding square dance band on the Shore.

According to an announcement by Garland Bloodsworth, manager of the Rigbie Cove Grill, there will be no admission charge, no cover and no minimum. All persons however, must be at least twenty-one years of age to gain admittance.

Music will be furnished from nine until twelve o'clock each Saturday night and reservations can be made by calling Laurel 3277.

There is article in this weeks edition of "The Laurel Star" about John Ryall. John is currently a policeman in Laurel and on October 1st he was promoted to Patrolman First Class. The article stated John had came to work with the Laurel Police Force when he was 19. He has 34 years in law enforcement, but not all with Laurel. As many of you may remember he was with the Delmar Police Force for a number of years. I am not sure but he may have been with the Delmar Police force more than once. I think he may have worked with most all of the town police forces in Western Sussex County. Any way congratulation John Ryall.

On Sunday, October 7th from noon to four there will be an open house at the Delmar Fire Department. Part of the ceremonies will be the dedication of the Memorial to pass Station 74 members who have lost their lives.

It will also be a good time to buy your ticket to the Delmar Sportsman Give A Way. The donation/ticket is $25.00 and the drawing will be November 3rd.

Just a reminder the Delmar Police Auction will be Saturday, October 27th 2007 starting at 10 AM but you can inspect the items at 8 AM. Besides the confiscated vehicles there are bikes and a variety of items from hand tools to radios. Bikes go very cheap, like $5 would be an average price. The vehicles really vary in condition but almost all of them are started and running the day of the auction. The current price of scrap metal tends to set the bottom limit for bids.

Delmar accident leaves 1 dead and 3 injured Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:44:38 -0400

A 7 year old died in a two car accident last evening west of Delmar. State Police are continuing their investigation but say a car driven by 30 year old Stacey Messick of Laurel was westbound on Old Race Track Road and failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection with St. Georges Road. Messick’s car collided with a car driven by 39 year old Deanna Karpavage of Delmar. Messick’s car overturned and her son, 7 year old Dylan Deshields was ejected – he was pronounced dead at the scene. Both drivers and Messick’s daughter were all treated for non-life-threatening injuries at area hospitals. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in this crash.

I received this from Owen Richardson and am posting it as received.

My neighbor was showing me the damage that has been done to the statuary in her garden by vandals this summer. Now it may not be a large amount of money in damages, but it does hit the budget up considering it is to replace a mess made by other people. Some items were purchased on vacation trips and had a sentimental value to them.

Broken Pedestal

Broken Pedestal

Broken Wing on Angel

Broken Sun Dial

Headless Angel

Broken Statue

On November 10th Delmar Heritage Day will occur. The street downtown will be closed and Delmar will have a party. They are selling booth spaces at $25 a space. Contact Chris Walters 302-462-5011 or Bonnie Adkins 410-896-2246.

This Saturday from 7AM to 2 PM there will be a yard sale at Delmar Nursing Home. There is a charge of $10 a spot. Call Gin Mackley at 302-846-3077

From the October 2, 1930 Wicomico News

The old Masonic Hall, erected in 1901, was purchased by the Loyal Order of Moose, when the new Masonic Temple was built on State Street and the old building has been greatly improved. The balcony in the first floor which was originally an opera house of the old regime, has been removed and an additional floor has been laid, giving the building three large rooms and making it a three story structure. The first floor will be used for social purposes, the second has been leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to be used by it's employees in sports and social activities, while the third floor is the lodge room of the Moose.

The building has been newly wired and the exterior will be shingled, with the exception of the front which will be of brick. the cost of these improvements is estimated at $4,000.

The Moose Hall stood on what is now the parking lot for Town Hall. In 1978 the Delmar Fire Department did a control burning of Moose Hall. Below are some photographs of the burning I took at the time.

Over the years these are the ten most frequently occurring complains or concerns that I have heard in town meetings from the residents of Delmar. A hint for those candidates running for office in the upcoming Maryland election, pick 3 or 4 of these to run on and you will have a ready made audience to listen to you. The ten items are in no particular order, they are voiced at public meetings as the problem du jour .

1) Water; When they turn the faucet on they want water to come out of it and they want clear, odor free water.
2) Trash Pickup; They want all the trash they put out at curbside picked up. They don't want it scattered around the street when it is picked up and they want their trash cans put back in an orderly fashion, not tossed all over the place.
3) Sewer; When they flush the toilet they want for it to go away with no backups or odors.
4) Safety; They want to see the police. They want their property protected from damage. They want to feel safe.
5) Animal control; They don't want dogs and cats running thru their yard.
6) Teenagers; They don't want them bunched in groups or taking over the parks or wandering around town in groups and they want them quiet.
7) Street upkeep; They want the potholes fixed, they want the streets and gutters sweep. If a road cut is made they want it repaired in good fashion and in a timely fashion.
8) Neighborhood/town upkeep; They want to see run down buildings torn down or fixed up. They don't want tall grass and weeds growing in their neighborhood. They don't want drug areas.
9) Town employees; There are too many. What are they doing? Why aren't they doing more?
10) Traffic/Parking; Areas in town are being taking over by too much parking (school, woodcreek). Can't get down a street because of parking. Too many trucks running down streets. People parking in fire lanes.

October 2nd, Tuesday, at 10 AM Sussex County Council Meeting
October 3rd, Wednesday, at 8PM the Parks and Recs Committee meets at Town hall. This is your chance to have an input on basketball, skateboarding, little league, or just general comments on our parks.