Delmar DustPan

Since you have received your Sussex County Tax Bill and the School District tax is usually the largest item on it, you may want to see who you are supporting with that money. The website Delaware Spends has the payroll figures for Delmar School District employees and Sussex County Vo-Tech Employees. Their pay for the year is only thru June of 2009 but it also give their pay rate.

Select 2009 as pay year
Branch School District
Department: Delmar School District
Sub agency : Delmar School District
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or

Select 2009 as pay year
Branch School District
Department: Sussex County Vo-Tech
Sub agency : Sussex County Vo-Tech
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Earlier this week I was doing volunteer work at a genealogy society and a young black man came in and asked for help with his family tree. Now we don't do people's family tree but we do help them do their family tree. In this case this man's last name was Joyce. He said his Great Grandfather was Charles Joyce and he was a a mix of Irish and Indian. Now I was not able to provide that much help at that time but I did do some research on the name the next day and found this family to be a good example of race and the census.

Now my impression of how census takers determined race back in the 1800's and first half of the 1900's was they looked at the person and decided what race that person was. Unlike the politically correct method (and I will say better method) today of asking the person what race they are and letting that be it. Obviously there is a wide range of skin colors from lily white to ebony black and it was a judgement call for all of those in the middle. A number of family histories were skewed when the census taker would put down race as Indian because he thought they looked like an Indian, giving rise to family histories where there was a Indian princess married into the family.

The Joyce family is a prime example of this. Charles A. Joyce in the 1900 census was living in Dames Quarters in Somerset County Maryland. He was living with his parents. This is how the census taker recorded the family;
John Joyce, Black, age 50, Oysterman
Lizzie Joyce, White, Age 56
Charles A. Joyce,son, white, age 29, Oysterman
Mary e. Joyce, daughter, Black, age 18

In the house next to them was Joseph Joyce listed as black, age 24, Oysterman. I assume this was a son of John Joyce due to being next door and his age fits in between Charles and Mary. Of Note, in 1900 John and Lizzie Joyce had been married 30 years so it is not likely this was a marriage where they both had children from previous marriages.

So there you have it, a census taker decided from this one family the husband was black, the mother was white, one son was white, one son was black and one daughter was black. Maybe he was crosseyed and just couldn't decide. Do you doubt this determination was based on shades of color.

Moving forward to the 1920 census Charles A. Joyce is married and living on Upper Ferry Road near Allen, Maryland. The Census taker recorded his family as;
Charles A. Joyce, mulatto, Age 49 farmer
Mary E. Joyce, Mulatto, Age 45
Rubin C. Joyce, Mulatto, age 17
Stanley Joyce, mulatto, age 13

In the 1930 census; Charles A. Joyce and his wife Mary E. King Joyce are recorded as black.

So there you have it in 1900 he was a white, in 1920 he was a mulatto in 1930 he was a black.

His brother, Joseph, fared a similar way. In 1900 he was listed as black, but in 1910 he was listed as white and again in 1930 he was listed as white.

The Joyce family in Somerset County goes back to 1685 with Francis Joyce (listed as white) being the first with that surname. Both Charles A. Joyce and Mary King Joyce were active in the Friendship United Methodist Church in Allen.

How often do you get a chance for your name to live for immortality? Other than your name being carved on a tombstone, for most of us, that is about it. Delmar is having it's 150 year birthday celebration and it is selling souvenir booklets. Currently the committee is still accepting patron ads or full, half, or quarter page ads. You know these booklets will be saved by everyone who buys one. A hundred years from now someone will open the booklet and see your name on one of those ads - if you buy an ad now. Kinds thoughts will be given to your memory and your family and they will think what a patriotic person and proud supporter of Delmar you were. Time is running out. This offer will not last much longer.

The price of ads are;
Full Page $100.00
1/2 Page $50.00
1/4 page $25.00
Business Card size $15.00
patron $5.00
Contact Marlena Hodgins or Marcia Elliott, or Melanie Boltz or Doug Niblett


This Photo is of Delmar Delaware Councilperson Mary Lee Pase counting out her $5.00 for a patron ad. Now, we all know how tightfisted Mary Lee is when it comes to money, but even she bought an ad as she was pretty sure it was the only way she will achieve immortality. You can see from the photo she is going thru a real witches Sabbath of emotions parting with that money.

Over at the Mourning Constitution there is an interesting post and photo of Obama, Gates, and Crowley. It is interesting Crowley is seen helping Gates down the steps while Obama walks on by himself. I wonder if it was Crowley who needed help walking if Gates would have helped him or would Gates be walking by Obama's side sucking up.

August 9th at 5:30 PM starts the 2009 Senior League Softball World Series for girls 14-16 at Roxanna, Delaware. Put it on your calendar to see at least one game. Laurel, Delaware will be the District 3 Host team in the Senior Softball World Series. Laurel has been the host for 5 out of the 6 years the Senior League Softball World Series has been held in Delaware. This is really a big event with teams representing the various sections of the United States and from the outside world and it is free, all you have to do is find Roxanna Delaware. The teams playing this year are:

USA West - Northwest/Mile High Little League, Butte, Montana

USA Southwest - West Ouachita Little League, Calhoun, Louisiana

USA SouthEast - Damascus Community Little League, Damascus, Virginia

USA East - Haverstraw Little League, Haverstraw, New York

USA Central - District 11, South Bend, Indiana

Latin America - ASOFEM Little League, Maunabo, PR

Host - Delaware District III Champions - Laurel Little League, Laurel, Delaware

EMEA - Europe, Middle East, Africa - Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) , Ramstein, Germany

Asia-Pacific - ILLAM Central Little League, Makati City, Philippines

This is a laid back Sussex County affair. The softball fields are out in the middle of a corn field, unless the farmer has planted something different this year. Parking is free and there seems to be adequate space to park. Seating is on first-come, first-served basis, they have bleachers but bring your lawn chair if you would like. As always, admission is free.

Interestedly among the hotels/motels listed for visiting teams is the Delmarva Inn & Convention Center. Apparently the Holiday Inn fell thru on being listed. The Delmarva Inn & Convention Center was the only non-Delaware motel mentioned on their list. In previous years Delmar must have impressed visiting teams once they arrived at the Delmarva Inn & Convention Center .

I received from the US Census bureau a survey last week, called the American Community Survey. Now I about pissed a squid worm because when I looked at the envelope it was stamped "Your response is Required By Law". Typical weenie government threat, always a law and always a threat of life in jail, $10,000 fine or the taking of your first born child. I figure if it isn't one of the ten commandments or written specifically into the Constitution than it is bull shit. So I actually start filling out the survey, It starts with "The US Census Bureau chose your address, not you personally, as part of a randomly selected sample". One of the first questions asked for is your name and phone number - so much for the not me personally crap. So I continue answering questions as best a near alzheimer person can and they ask the name of everyone in the house, income level, education level, et cetera.

About three days later after receiving the survey I receive a postcard asking me if I had completed the form as it was important to the United States that I do. Well I don't know what I have done to have made God’s shit list and receive this survey but America you can rest easy today as I have put it in the mail.

Colonial times were just a beehive of sexual activity. From fornication to sodomy with animals it was indeed a busy time, based on court records. Each year about 40 cases of unlawful fornication would be reported by the church to the Accomack Court System. The offenders would be taken into custody and whipped and fined. In part this was so the county would not have to support bastard children. Once the court decided parents they could fine those individuals for the up keep of their bastard child. Many cases were indentured servants whose term of indenture were extended by the courts. Just a few cases from the October 24 1667 court session.

From the Accomack County Virginia Court Records for October 24 1667

William Abchurch admitted committing fornication; ordered that the sheriff take him into custody and give him 20 lashes on his bare back and then 19 more when the court saw fit.

Ordered that Mary Scading receive corporal punishment for the sin of fornication.

Anothy Lowe admitted committing fornication with Mary Wallner; ordered that he be given 20 lashes on his bare back.

Ordered that Roger Burkum, who committed fornication with Mary be taken into custody and receive 20 lashes upon his bare back.

Nicholas Melichopp was guilty of fornication with Mary Barton. Ordered that the sheriff take him into custody and give him 20 lashes upon his bare back. Ordered that he remain in custody till posting a bond for good behavior and paying court costs.

Ordered that Mary Barton be taken into sheriff’s custody and receive 20 lashes upon her bare back for committing fornication with Nicolas Melichopp.

The whipping of Nicolas Mellichopp and Mary Barton were removed when their mistress agreed to pay their fines.

Ordered that Nicholas Mellichopp and Mary Barton each serve their mistress, Mrs. Ann Toft, six months for having their fines paid. Barton was to serve two extra years (for fornication), and Nicholas to serve one and a half years for fathering the child. He was to serve one year for the 1000 lbs tobacco paid at his request to Robert Hill and his wife for nursing the child according to the agreement with his mistress. He also paid court costs.

Nicholas Millichopp and Mary Barton, condemned for having a bastard child pleaded that they were married in England but could not prove it. They confessed that they did not enter the country as man and wife, and did not declare themselves so until some months after living with Mrs. Ann Toft. They said they concealed their marriage at the advice of Mr. High, who had brought them in and sold them for their times of service. The court considered this case and the testimony of Mr. Browne, who bought the servants from Mr. Baugh, and the testimony of Col. Edm. Scarburgh, who bought them from Browne for Mrs. Toft. Nicholas and Mary had presented themselves as a single persons in no way related and came “by two different names, living as unconcerned in their mistress’s service until their fornication was discovered.” The precedent of accepting this marriage only on their say so would encourage “all whores and rogues” to make similar claims. It was fraud on the part of Mellichop and Mary Barton to conceal a marriage, for single servants were more costly to purchase. After pretending to be married they were admonished, were prevented from living together, and were told they would suffer the consequences of fornication if the act was proved. The grand jury having convicted them, and the concealing of their (supposed) marriage being a threat, the court ordered that “Nicholas Mellichopp and Mary Barton be from their own mouths condemned as fornicators and not to be accounted as man and wife,” Even if they were to bring proof of a marriage, they would be accounted as single because they had entered the country that way, had twice affirmed it, and had not claimed it until their fornication was discovered. They would not be allowed to live together until they served Mrs. Ann Toft for their full terms plus time for fornication and debt. It was their own deceit that “occasioned this censure which ought only to bring damage to the vheats and deceivers themselves.”


From February 18 1667/68 court proceedings

Elizabeth, the wife of Edward Moore was prosecuted for “unlawfully departing from her husband and companying Thomas Smith, with whom she consulted and had designed to run away” and take with her several possessions of her husband, who complained to the court, He requested protection for his life and estate from the “impious and impudent actions of his wanton wife,: who he turned over to the court for justice. Ordered that the sheriff take Elizabeth Moore into custody, give her 30 lashes upon her back, and send her to Bridewell to be whipped and worked until her husband desired her release.

Taken from the series of “Accomack County, Virginia, Court Order Abstracts” by JoAnn Riley McKey

Sussex County begins issuing annual property tax bills


Georgetown, Del., Aug. 5, 2009: Sussex County is taking its annual tax billing into the digital age, printing fewer paper bills this year to collect money that will fund local government services and schools.

This month, the County’s Treasury Division will issue more than 167,000 annual tax bills for the 2010 fiscal year, totaling an estimated $100.6 million in revenue. However, the County will print and mail only 129,000 paper bills. The remaining 38,000 will go ‘virtual,’ through computers, to mortgage lenders, requiring no paper, postage or time to distribute.

Amanda M. Bennett, director of the County’s Treasury Division, said 2009 is the first year that certain property owners will not receive a paper copy of their statements. The County has shifted to a paperless billing system for those property owners whose taxes are paid by mortgage lenders, through what is known as escrow accounts. Property owners with escrow accounts have their taxes collected as part of their mortgage payment. They can view their tax bills online, and can still request a paper copy of their account’s status, if needed.

“We have reduced the number of paper copies printed by almost 25 percent,” Ms. Bennett said. “That represents a significant savings, almost $21,000, in the amount of paper, time and postage that goes into producing and mailing these documents. That’s a big savings, especially in these tighter financial times, and I hope that number only increases in the future.”


Annual tax bills include County property taxes, as well as County sewer and water, tax ditch and street lighting fees, where applicable. Additionally, tax bills include local school district taxes, which are collected by the County, but turned over to the State. Delaware law requires Sussex County to bill property owners for school taxes on behalf of the eight public school districts within the county. Approximately 10 percent to 14 percent of the typical residential tax bill is for County property taxes.

Bills began mailing in the first week of August, and will continue throughout the month. Payment is due by Sept. 30.

Sussex County accepts tax payments by cash, check, money order or credit card. Taxpayers have different options to make their payments. These include:

THROUGH LENDER
Many taxpayers have their annual taxes paid out of an escrow account by their mortgage lenders. If these taxpayers have any questions regarding the status of their escrow accounts, they should contact their lenders.

ONLINE
Payment can be made on the Internet, with the use of most major credit cards or by check. Go to www.sussexcountyde.gov/e-service/propertytaxes/ and select “Make a Payment” on the left side for more information.

BY MAIL
Property owners can mail their tax payments using the return envelopes included in their statements. Bills should be addressed to the Sussex County Treasury Division, PO Box 429, Georgetown, DE 19947. All payments sent by mail must be postmarked by Sept. 30 to avoid the 1.5 percent penalty, per month, on unpaid balances.

IN PERSON OR BY TELEPHONE
The County’s tax office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The office is located on the second floor, Room 252, of the County Administrative Offices building, 2 The Circle, in Georgetown. For more information, call (302) 855-7760.

Now we all know we live in an agricultural area, that why we creep along behind huge farm harvesters that take up both lanes of the road and we all know we have to live and let live in this world, but there is no reason too think we should have to smell and put up with nuisance insects and possible rodents in town. That stuff is for the county.

To some degree the Planning and Zoning Commission created the problem (Carl Anderton was not at that meeting to keep them straight) by approving the use of the warehouses for packaging of watermelons.

From the January Planning and Zoning minutes.

Sperry Van Ness- Timco Worldwide leasing 503 S. Maryland Avenue, Delmar, MD
Mr. McClellan, from Sperry Van Ness, stated that Timco Worldwide would like to use
the existing site and do some modifications to the building, creating 2 new loading doors and to stabilize the loading area. In stabilizing the receiving area, they would in no way be disturbing the stormwater area. He said that the Wicker Outlet owns and operates out of the building now. The truck traffic will stay on Foskey Lane. Chairman Houlihan said that the site is zoned Light Industrial and the proposed use (warehouse) is within the legal uses of the property. The trucks and open buses will be hauling watermelons. The Commission cannot deny their use of the property. He did express his concern with the heavy traffic of the watermelon buses during harvest time coming from the residents who live close by.

Mr. McClellan explained that there will be a little more traffic on Foskey Lane during the harvest period, which will be approximately 6-10 weeks long, with the deliveries being from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All truck and bus traffic will go down Foskey Lane. There will be no more than 10 tractor trailer trucks and 20 buses for about 8 weeks. All outbound traffic would be screened by the front of the building. No trucks would be staying overnight. He said that while this is not a 24 hour/7 day a week operation, it will be a year round operation. They will be bringing in and shipping out other produce throughout the year. There will be dumpsters on the property that will be maintained and will be for any damaged product. He also said that the Wicker Outlet plans on staying and would be using a different part of the building. Chairman Houlihan said that this will be a new business for Delmar, and a business that is allowed to operate in a light industrial zone. Commission Member Ferro made a motion for approval for Timco Worldwide Produce Distribution Co., to lease 503 S. Maryland Avenue, Delmar, Maryland. Commission Boyan seconded the motion which passed with 6 ayes and 1 absent.

At the February Delmar Maryland council meeting there was a discussion on this operation and generally it was felt the town was not interested in having it in town, however by then TIMCO had withdrawn from the project.

From the February Maryland Council meeting
Commissioner Anderton reported that Timco Worldwide is a produce distribution company that was interested in going into the old Casein building. He said that he personally has made several calls to Sperry Van Ness, who is the agent for Timco. In these conversations, he informed them of his concerns ranging from the truck traffic, to the modifications they had planned on doing to the building. They did have a meeting scheduled for this past Friday. Before the meeting, Sperry Van Ness contacted Commissioner Anderton and told him that they did not have enough
growers for them to proceed with the lease agreement with Casein. And, Commissioner Anderton reported, that right before this meeting, he was called and informed that Sperry Van Ness would not be here this evening. They have no reason to further the discussions with the Town.

So after all of that discussion and plan changing, in July the operation started up, without a business license, and their first business effort was modifying school buses into watermelon buses, which had not been discussed at all and was not allowed in their lease. Now as it happens Carl Anderton is next door to the operation so he has personal knowledge of what is going on.

In a July 14th letter from John McClellan of Sperry Van Ness (after the operation started up) he stated they were ceasing the watermelon bus production and saw no problems with their watermelon packing operation. He said he understood the possible friction that may occur when residential housing is next to light industrial area but Timco is complying with all the regulations.

Well lets see - certainly it would have been nice if someone mentioned this in the July Joint council meeting as maybe some citizens would have spoken up. Certainly Sara Bynum King and Mayor Doug Niblett were addressed in the letter from Sperry Van Ness. There are other issues in addition to WoodCreek to discuss at Town Council Meetings. So are they really complying with the regulations. They have trucks idling with their headlights on after 11PM at night. Carl said he has been down to talk to the drivers telling them to turn their engines off. The operation is continuing well past the 7AM to 7PM discussed in the meetings. Isn't there a noise ordinance in Delmar? Why do they keep passing laws and ordinances if the town doesn't enforce them? If you throw a party at your house that goes pass 11 PM the police would be all over your ass (unless you invite them too). The trash and broken watermelons are not being disposed of daily and returned to the fields (you wouldn't have that smell if they were).

I understand William Hardin (Town Employee) is going down each morning now and making sure they have removed the broken melons from the night before. I also understand he will be returning each night to verify there are no broken melons or trash in the area from the daytime operation.

This is not a good operation to have in town - simple as that. If TIMCO had listened to the comments they would not have pursued it. Apparently Leonard Kraus of Kraus Development LLC, who owns the property, could care less about living conditions in Delmar. Why isn't the Maryland Mayor doing somethin about it? Is Carl Anderton the only one who gives a shit on that side of town? So how are we going to shut the operation down? They have a seasonal lease but by the time you take legal action the season will be over. It looks like the Maryland Avenue people will just have to put up with it, unless they raise hell with town hall.

A reader called my attention to an explanation for a word and I thought I would mention a little about Etymology. Etymologies are not word definitions but are explanations of what our words mean and where they originally came from. There are today a number of websites that deal with this, two reasonably good ones are; Take our word for it which is defunct but still good to look thru and Etymology Online. Look to their sidebars for more sites. Etymology is of interest to those of us with too much time on our hands and a desire for truly useless trivia. Since I speak Eastern Shore those sites rarely have an explanation for Trying to piss a squid worm, Mung-ye, or Whole nother but nevertheless I find them interesting.

Well we have entered the second half of the dog days of summer (from mid-July through mid-August.) The sultry humid heat from the rains we have had has made gardening unbearable except for the very early morning hours and they were veiled in fog this morning. If you try for anything later in the day the humidity and the heat will definitely knock you out, plus you will be eaten alive by mosquitoes. With the rain we have been having it takes until the afternoon before your grass is dry enough to cut and by then you might well have another downpour. I have been cutting up a couple good size limbs that tore off my trees in the storm from three days ago.

Since early summer I have been taking bee pollen capsules daily. I think it reduces some of the itch you receive from bee, wasp and mosquitoes stings and bites. It doesn't stop them from attacking you and you certainly feel the sting or bite but I think there is some mild reduction in the itch and irritation.

Incidentally, the “dog days” came from the Greeks and Romans who believed Sirius, the Dog Star, was the cause of all this hot, sultry weather. They thought when the Dog Star begins to line up with our Sun that they combined their energy to make the weather even hotter.

So take a tip from your dog and just find some shade and lay there.

I stopped by American Casein Co., on Maryland Avenue, this morning and surprised by the watermelon operation they have going on there. I thought this had been settled some time ago in the Maryland Town Council and that there would be no produce operation going on in the Wicker Outlet/cheese plant warehouses. But there it was - smell and all.

So what happened to the objections of smell, flies, noise, and traffic that the citizens had before that now makes it Okay?

Broken melons and Flies - and it would seem also broken promises from the Maryland Council.

Yes in the 19th Senatorial District (northern part of western Sussex County and Central Sussex County - relax Delmar you are not in it) today is the day they will select from four candidates for the late Sen. Thurman Adams office, who held the spot for 37 years - yes once someone is elected in Sussex County it is a lifetime job. The only way we could get rid of him was to send the angel of death for him. I should submit a few more elected officials names in my prayers to the angel of death. The four people are; Republican state Rep. Joe Booth of Georgetown; Democrat Polly Adams Mervine of Bridgeville; Independent Party of Delaware candidate Matt Opaliski of Greenwood; and Libertarian Wendy Jones of Milton.

Now as shown on her campaign posters, Polly Mervine is the daughter of Thurman Adams. This apparently is her only qualification for the job. In Delaware however that is enough to be elected. We will see if you can fool some of the people some of the time or all the people all of the time as the possible 26,000 voters turn out today.

UPDATE: Unofficially, Joe Booth won with 4,335 votes. Polly Mervine had 2,083 votes.
Independent Party of Delaware candidate Matt Opaliski of Greenwood was third with 408 votes, and Libertarian Wendy Jones of Milton had 56. So about 7,000 voters out of a possible 26,000

I had a couple of interesting encounters with some retail store employees today. First, we went to the Baskin Robbins store in South Salisbury to pick up an ice cream cake. I noticed the clerk didn't ring the sale up on the cash register, she just took the change out of the cash register and gave it to us. It was also a dollar short so we called her attention to that. Now it could have just been a mistake but I always notice those little ways clerks will rip off their employer by not ringing the sale up and pocketing the money. Like I said there may be a legitimate reason for it but usually there is not.

Second, I stopped by the liquor store in Delmar Commons and picked up a six pack of Milwaukee's Best. The store is usually run by Indians (dot, not feather) and every thing goes smoothly. Today they had a white guy clerking. He rang my $2.99 purchase up as $5.99 so I told him I didn't think that was right. Once he got that corrected he put my six bag in a bag and didn't give me my penny change. Calling his attention to that he picked a penny out of the "Take a penny" container and gave it to me. Slovenly attitude, would have never happened if the Indians were there.

So the moral of the story is hire immigrants they do better customer service and apparently are more honest then the native born Americans.

Well it is the time of the year to break out your Jello molds and crockpots, family reunions are going on every weekend. We have one this upcoming weekend. The annual Miller- Hastings family reunion will take place at St. George Church. The potluck lunch will have fried chicken, baked ham, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, and the old standbys of any family reunion. We use to have it outside but frankly the heat and the flies at Cherry Beach over in Sharptown just got to bad and we moved it inside. As I have gotten older I to have developed a liking for air conditioning. So next Saturday the descendants of Samuel and Elizabeth Hastings Miller will have their 25th reunion. It is a short affair, about three hours, so we do not get many family members from the western shore of Maryland and Virginia as the ride over is longer than the reunion. They have always liked the short reunion.

Family reunions are fun times when people gather on the land their ancestors (the entire family was from the St George Church area) cultivate and celebrate their shared heritage, pull out their most treasured memories, and affirm each other as valued members of the family. They also like to share their most embarrassing memories of you as a young child with everyone.

Now this upcoming reunion for this side of the family is fairly peaceful. There are some other sides of my family that family gatherings, like weddings and funerals, can easily degenerate into something ugly and old grievances are hashed out in the most physical way. This is the same side of the family whose code word for going to jail is; "going to a family reunion," as when your aunt says "Oh, the boys are attending a family reunion and can't be here today." Like they say; you can pick your nose, you can pick your whiskey but you can't pick your family, so enjoy those family reunions.

The Delaware Office Of Auditor of Accounts issued their followup report on the INDIAN RIVER MARINA. Altho not pointed out as any thing wrong the report mentioned At The Indian River Marina (run by DNREC) DNREC allows DNREC employees to rent the Indian River Marina cottages at a 50% discount.

The cottages in Prime Season rent for $1,800 a week for regular folks. However if you are a DNREC employee you get for $900? So what is wrong here. As a Delaware tax payer, who supports both the employee and the marina, I have to pay full rate, but the public servant gets it for half price. Maybe I am miss understanding this. Delaware elected officials and Delaware state employees have a very plush arrangement. Here the Woodland Ferry hasn't worked right in some time but the State employees continue to be rewarded.

This morning my computer did one of those constant "Updates" that it does. I now have Explorer 8, what ever the hell that is. I noticed when I went into this blog my links are now at the bottom of the blog page as opposed to the side. Should takes me a few weeks to figure that one out.