Delmar DustPan

In looking at the search string of people accessing my blog I see that a number are looking for information on the Del-Mar-Va Model Train Club. They do have open house tomorrow from noon till five and next weekend on Saturday, 11 to 5, and Sunday, Noon till 5.

An Orchard requires a lot of work. This man is pruning and tying branches back today at his orchard on North 2nd Street.

From the January 12th 1945 edition of the Bi-State Weekly

F. O. AYDELOTTE REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION

Flight Officer Roy R. Aydelotte, is missing in action according to word received by his wife, Mrs. Irma Wootten Aydelotte, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Aydelotte. He was a navigator on a B-24 Liberator Bomber, and had recently been decorated with a Distinguished Unit Badge for his bombardment group's action over Vienna. He had been overseas only seven weeks when he was reported missing. The last letter his wife received from him was written on December 19, 1944.

F.O. Aydelotte is a graduate of the Delmar Delaware High School and before his entry in the service was employed at the Seaford duPont plant. His wife is a member of the faculty of the Milton, Delaware public schools.

F. O. Aydelotte has a brother, Pfc. Irvin J. Aydelotte, 19, who is in a hospital in England with wounds received in combat in France on October 8.

From the January 12th 1945 edition of the Bi-State Weekly


WOUNDED DELMAR SOLDIER RECUPERATING IN ENGLAND

Wounded in the left leg by machine gun bullets while attacking German positions, near Nancy with his infantry unit, Private James M. Brittingham, 33, of Railroad Ave. Delmar, is recuperating at the 128th General Hospital in England.

Pvt. Brittingham "is making a satisfactory recovery from his wounds" according to his ward surgeon, First Lieutenant William P. Rumsey of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. "He will be returned to the United States for final hospitalization."

"We were on the side of a hill about 50 yards from a village when German artillery opened up," said Pvt. Brittingham. "I continued forward until hit by machine gun fire."

After company aid men returned the Private to a battalion aid station, he was moved to an evacuation hospital and soon transferred to a general hospital for an operation before being flown to England for further hospitalization.

Pvt. Brittingham, who has been awarded the Purple Heart, is the son of Matilda Coffin of Dagsboro, Delaware. His wife Mary, and three sons, James, Louis, and William, live at the Railroad Ave. address.

From the January 12th 1945 edition of the Bi-State Weekly

PFC. ROBERT ADKINS WOUNDED

Mrs. Riley W. Adkins has been informed by the War Department that her son, Pfc. Robert Adkins, 19, had been wounded in Germany on Dec. 19.

He is a member of the 378th Infantry, 95th Division and received his training at Fort Benning, Ga, and was a member of the ASTP at Carnegie Tech.

Prior to his induction in October, 1943, he attended Delmar Delaware High school, and was sent overseas the latter part of July.

He has a brother, Billy, living at home.

On January 12th 1909 the schooner Adeline Townsend was rounding Cape Henlopen on a voyage out of New York City, the visibility was limited and the lookout did not see the Steamer Mohican that had just entered the ocean bound from Philadelphia to Norfolk. The Mohican cut the schooner in half. Seven crewmen lost their lives and wreckage washed up on the Delaware Coast for the next couple of days.

From the January 12th 1945 edition of the Bi State Weekly

SGT PET CULVER RETURNS TO STATES

Mrs. Blanche Culver and Mrs. Elias Culver went to Long Island, N. Y. last Sunday, January 7, to visit their husband and son, Sgt Pet Culver, who had arrived at the Cantonian Hospital the previous Wednesday.

Sgt. Culver was wounded on October 30, 1944, while serving with the "Blue Devil" 88th Division of Lieut-Gen. Clark's Fifth Army. He had been overseas eleven months.

His trip to the States was made by plane. He flew from Naples, Italy, on Saturday, December 30, to Casablanca, North Africa, and after three days, to Mitchell Field, New York. latest news is to the effect that he has been moved from Long Island to Moore's General Hospital near Asheville, N. C.

My wife went for a job interview with Piedmont Airlines yesterday. Actually it was more like a cattle call as they had 35 people interviewing for two jobs. The personnel person said he was surprised that many showed up, as six months ago there were only seven people interviewing for the same job. I am sure any government job that is posted now days must have a hundred or so people applying for it. Now that many people applying for a job doesn't really come as a surprise given Bay Liner closed down and it is right after New Years when a number of temporary Christmas season workers are layoff (I am sure many people drew unemployment instead of seriously looking for a job over the holidays). It does however indicate the problem on Delmarva and the nation in general, we do have a problem people. Just look at some indicators; Gold today is $896 per ounce, in 1998 it was $288 per ounce. Oil today is between $92 to $100 a barrel, in 1998 it was $11.91 a barrel. The Canadian Dollar, in 1998, was worth seventy cents in U.S. money, today one Canadian dollar is worth 98 cents in U.S. money.

So how did we get in this fix? As a non thinker, living in Delmar, I would have to say it is credit. The US Government has pushed easily credit for a number of years. God knows they print money with nothing to back it. They lower interest rates to keep the easy credit rolling and individuals take their cue from the government and are up to their eye balls in debt. How many people, if they are laid off, could survive more than four weeks without a paycheck?

Now I am not going to turn this into a post to vote for Ron Paul, but you should. You don't really think electing another lawyer as president is going to do any thing for us do you? There is this little you tube thing if you want to hear him talk finance
Ron Paul

We have unsustainable entitlement programs. We have runaway federal and personal debt. We have no sensible energy policy. Why do you think the dollar is dropping? Because everyone sees us as a bad investment. Yet we talk about expanding our army, playing world policeman and paying for everyone to have health care. We are in the terminal phase of a credit collapse. Today the news was blaring out about Bank of America bailing out Countrywide Financial Corporation. Countrywide gave bad mortgages, so instead of being punished, they are being bailed out and the CEO of Countrywide will receive more money in the bailout than the total income of everyone in Delmar - for making bad decisons. We simply cannot afford this anymore and until we address this with real hard choices it will get worse and worse until we are a second level world country. Now I will admit Delmarva has always been on a level with third world countries but I do think it is going to get worst.

A couple of days ago 7,500 people showed up to apply for 350 jobs at WalMart in Atlanta.

You can not help but notice the number of houses for sale in Delmar now days. There must be about 40 previously owned houses on the market plus all the new construction. In the 2 towns with a combined total of about 2,000 older homes this would mean about 2% of the houses are for sale.

A number of those houses have been for sale for a while now and I think it is due to simple greed that the houses are sitting on the market. Ten years ago a house that was selling for $60,000 is now being offered at $200,000. I have noticed in the past 3 months several of those $200,000 houses have dropped their selling price to a $150,000. Maybe in another 6 months they will be back to the $60,000 level.

A smattering of For Sale Signs on the Delaware Side of Delmar








Over on the Maryland side of town more For Sale Signs.

Jack was born last night at PRMC to Jeremy and Rebecca from Pocomoke. I think the child was about 15 minutes old before all the relatives had to hold him.

Today in 1939 the SS Waukegan crashed into the St. Georges bridge killing two bridge tenders.

From the Bi State Weekly January 20, 1939

BRIDGE CRASH BLAMED ON CANAL CURRENT

John Lloyd Reyolds of the S. S. Waukegan, which crashed into St. George's bridge in the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal last Tuesday, causing the death of two bridge tenders, testified "unexpected currents of strength and direction" were to blame for the collision.

Captain Reynolds was called before a Maritime Commission board of inquiry investigating the collision in which the 6,000 ton freighter crashed the 260 foot steel span and two 180 foot towers into the canal.

The ship was traveling full speed ahead, the Captain said, but this was not a factor in the accident.

Upon entering the canal, he testified, he and Pilot F. Leroy Taylor found the ship was not responding properly at slow speed of less than six knots an hour and permission was obtained from Belford H. Brown, canal dispatcher, to advance to full speed - "something less than nine knots an hour".

At the advanced speed, Captain Reynolds, continued, "the vessel handled well and satisfactorily past a right hand curve and a left hand curve with in some 5,000 feet of St. George's bridge, where we blew for the lift to rise."

"The vessel responded perfectly to its helm until within approximately 1,200 feet of the bridge, when the bow suddenly sagged off to starboard. The pilot ordered a left wheel without response and the vessel continued to shear even against a full opposite helm.

"the pilot ordered the port anchor dropped with 15 fathoms of chain but it had no effect."

Asked if the speed of the vessel could have been responsible, the Captain replied "the speed had nothing yo do with it. It was due entirely to the soft mud bottom of the canal." He added a second anchor was dropped and took hold shortly before the crash.

The St. Georges span opened for traffic in January 1942, after having been rammed by the vessel three years before. The importance of the bridge's completion at this time could not be underestimated, as renewed use of the canal meant that ships didn't have to travel out into the ocean where the German U-boats patrolled.

From the Milford Chronicle Feb 6, 1942
THRONGS "INSPECT" NEW BRIDGE AT ST. GEORGES

Despite the wintry weather throngs of motorists continue to inspect and "try out" the new $2,500,000 bridge spanning the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal at St. Georges.

The bridge was opened last Saturday morning without official ceremony due to war conditions.

To gain a closer inspection many motorists park their cars on either side and walk over the span which extends some 540 feet over the canal.

From New Castle County Gazette Feb 6 1942

Three years and three weeks after the government freighter Waukegan crashed into the north tower of the old draw bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware canal at St. Georges toppling the whole structure into the water, the new mile long $2,500,000 fixed span was officially opened by Gov. Walter W. Bacon on Saturday.

The bridge, largest “tied arch” crossing in the world, not only spans the federal waterway, but the entire town of St. Georges. There were relatively few residents of the once prosperous Canaltown on hand at the ceremonies, which were devoid of any pretensions, because of the gravity of the time.

Soldiers with bayoneted rifles patrolled the main span and two sandbag shelters perched at the top of the bridges are grim reminders of war.

The bridge is “army property” Col. H. B. Vaughn, district engineers’ office, explained and will be maintained by the engineers. Saturday ceremonies merely dedicated it to public use.

Distance of the actual span over the canal is 540 feet in length and the navigation clearance in 135 feet. The span is one of the highest along the South Atlantic coast. Only the Cooper River Bridge at Charleston, S. C. which is 137 feet high and the new Potomac River span near Morgantown, Va. Which towers 165 feet in the air, are higher.

The bridge actually passes over St. Georges. The north approach is beyond the old town limits and the south approach is also outside the community. St. Georges once busy main street is now a dead end. Residents have to travel nearly two miles to go a distant that was formerly little more than two city blocks. Property assessments have dwindled and business fallen off thousands of dollars. The town discarded its charter about a year ago, there now being no need for self government.

Hundreds of motorists, many from distant points on the peninsula, traveled to St. Georges over the week end to view the new span.

From the New Castle County Gazette Feb 27, 1942
23 St. Georges residents claimed property injury due to bridge.
Seeking damage awards due to devaluation of their properties because of the construction of the St. Georges bridge

There is a meeting tonight of the Delmar Concerned Citizens at town hall at 7 p.m.

From the January 10, 1947 edition of the Bi-State Weekly

FORMER TEACHER PASSES AT HOME HERE

Miss Molly Elizabeth Ellis, age 39, died at her home on Grove Street, Wednesday of last week following an illness of several months.

Funeral services were held at the home on Saturday at 2 p. m., and were conducted by Rev. J. W. Townsend, pastor of First Methodist Church and Rev. Ralph C. Jones of Salisbury, District Superintendent, and a former pastor here. Interment was in the First Methodist Cemetery.

Miss Ellis was a member of the Delmar Delaware High School faculty where she taught Latin and French. She was a graduate of the school and also of the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.

A daughter of Arthur W., and Lulu Stephens Ellis, she had resided in Delmar all her life, and leaves a wide circle of friends, who with her family, mourn her passing. Her death came at 6:45 p.m. Jan 1, 1947.

Surviving are her parents and the following uncles and aunts; S J Ellis, Harry H. Ellis, G. Wm Stephens, Ira W. Stephens, Mrs. Dallas G. Elliott and Mrs. J. Walter Griffin.

Flags were at half staff at Delmar High School for the death of Dustin Bruch and Kyle Dixon.

Today is Rebecca Mae's birthday. Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Gail Black!!!!

From the Salisbury Times January 8, 1940

FINED AFTER CRASH INTO POLICE CAR

Delmar- Jan 8 - James W Evans, of Delmar, was fined $100 and costs by Magistrate Patrick H. Hearn of Delmar Delaware late Saturday night for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Evans was arrested by Chief of Police J. Roland Lecates of Delmar on Saturday night after Evans had driven his car into the back of the Chief's car while proceeding west on State street. The Chief testified that he was driving slowly when a car struck him from the rear. He stopped and went back to the Evans car and found Evans in a drunken condition. Damages to Chief Lecates car were estimated at $15.

In 1877 on January 9th the Schooner Addie Blaisden loaded with potatoes hit the Joe Flogger Shoal in Delaware Bay. She freed herself but due to ice damage was most severely damaged and had to be towed to Delaware City.

Born: 19 July, 1935, in Florida.

Died: 7 January, 2008, in Havana, Cuba, aged 72.

PHILIP Agee was a former Central Intelligence Agency officer who turned against the agency and spent years exposing undercover American spies overseas.

Agee, whose disillusionment with his work at the CIA led him to embrace leftist views, had spent nearly four decades as an avowed enemy of US foreign policy and particularly of the covert intelligence work that supported it. Deprived of his American passport and expelled from several countries at the request of the United States, he had lived for the most part in Germany and Cuba, where he operated a travel website.

His 1975 book, Inside the Company: CIA Diary, infuriated US officials by identifying about 250 officers, front companies and foreign agents working for the US. His example inspired several more books and magazines, including Covert Action Information Bulletin, written by close associates, and sometimes with Agee's help, which published the names and often the addresses of hundreds more agency officers working undercover around the world.

for additional items in his ob click here


Philip Agee is survived by his wife, Giselle Roberge Agee, a former ballet dancer from Germany, and two sons from his first marriage. His first marriage, to Janet Agee ended in divorce.

Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and here are the people!

I read in yesterday's paper about Warren Squires dieing. Mr. Squires was a teacher at Wicomico Senior High School from 1956 to 2000. I remember him from High School, didn't realize he taught 44 years, hard to believe anyone would want to put up with High School students for 44 years. He taught a drafting class I took at Wicomico Senior High school back in 1961. He was always well liked and had a good sense of humor. When I went to school he usually taught Industrial arts or coached sports. I think one of the differences between teachers that teach elective subjects and those that teach the core education subjects is the elective teacher is usually liked whereas the core education subject teacher isn't. It must be because the students choose those subject rather than the core subjects that are mandatory.

I understand one of Delmar's finest, Ed Ferro, has a birthday today. Happy Birthday Ed!!!!