Delmar DustPan

After my fire Tom my neighbor, became concerned over the tree in his backyard being to close to the electric lines. He had DP&L send someone in to trim the tree. Their job is to remove any limbs near the line not to really trim a tree so I think they make a mess of the trees they work on. Anyway today they "trimmed" Tom's tree.

The Delmar Planning and Zoning Commission held their monthly meeting Thursday night. The only member missing was David Ring who had given previous notice he would not be available Thursday for the meeting. It was a light meeting and some of the items covered were;

Frank Ferrogine of Gateway Subaru came to talk about the new signs going up at his dealership. The commission had the impression the signs would read Gateway Subaru of Delmar. Mr. Ferrogine explained he had to go by the requirements of Subaru for some items on the sign. He also explained that the legal name of the Dealership is Gateway Subaru. "of Delmar" is not part of the legal name. He said "of Delmar" is included in other smaller signs on the cars or elsewhere.

I came before the commission to request my new house design be approved for the old location in Delmar. Approval in the form of a favorable recommendation was given and now the next step is the Delaware Council next Monday.

A draft of the Delaware Comprehensive was received and is up for review.

We swung by Ocean City the morning of the Fireman's Parade and found our daughter (she works for the OC Police department) hanging out on a street corner with the other police waiting to be picked up and taken to the middle of the RT50 bridge to direct traffic for the day.

We went to see the commencement exercises for Class #64 of the Entrance-Level for Law Enforcement Officers. Kara Meeks has been in school since January 2010.

Sixteen graduated out of the 19 who started. As far as photos goes the auditorium could only have been darker if they did it by candle light. There were no Delmar police in this batch.

Kara works for the Princess Anne Police Department

I think all of her family was there plus a number of friends

I think more photo were taken today of her than any other day in her life, but everyone is proud of Kara. She has wanted to pursuit this line of work for a number of years now and she has succeeded. Did I mention she scored the highest and received an award for the best academics out of the class.

Free Food was an added enticement for me to be there

Congratulations Kara!! I would have come to see you graduate even with out the free food

Some of the others who graduated were;
Karnell P. Foster, Cambridge Police
Michael J. Bochmer, Chestertown Police
Charles B. Dayton, Dorchester Co Sheriff
Christopher W. Adelsberger, Easton Police
James Kerr, Fruitland Police
Justin R. Hoban, Ocean City Police
Stephen J. Gulyas III Worcester Co Sheriff
and from the Salisbury Police;
Brandon L. Caton
Jacob L Chambers
Matthew D. Conner
Jason C. Lewis
Timothy C. Robinson
Brendan R. Rogalski
Jason R. Sander
James J. Smith, III

Sam's Club in Salisbury had their official grand re-opening this morning

speeches flag waving etc


some money given away

The store looks good inside - clean and well stocked.

The Davis-Noble-Kinder family reunion is set to take back in Reliance (Bethel United Methodist Church - 2381 Neal's School Rd, Seaford DE 19973) on Saturday Sept 4th. Registration will be 8:30 AM to 10 AM. The program will begin in the Church Sanctuary at 10 AM. Luncheon by Bethel UMC at a cost of $14 for Adults, $7 for children under 6 are free. (I find the lunch is a rip off - a good $8 lunch they sell for $14 - bring your own and find a place to eat on the church grounds) Send reservation fee and number attending to the DNK treasurer by Aug 20: Mrs. Judy Partyka 24084 Deep Branch Rd, Georgetown DE 19947 Phone 302-856-7971

This event only occurs every five years.

Today June 17th In 1862, during the American Civil War period (1861-1865), W.H. Fancher and C.M. French of Waterloo, N.Y. received a U.S. patent for a combined plow and gun (No. 35,600). To the metal plow with wooden handles of ordinary construction, the inventors added the elements of light ordinance, designed for "especially when used in border localities, subject to savage fueds and guerrilla warfare." The share serves as an anchor in the ground to resist recoil, the wooden handles being used to set direction. Projectiles could be grape shot or balls of one to three pounds weight. The combination was proposed to give those in agricultural pursuits to have at hand an "efficient weapon of defense at very slight expense in addition" to that of a plow. It would certainly get that mule or ox to step up the pace.

Today in 1966 USAR SSgt. Gene Karl Hess, from Townsend DE, was on an operational airlift support mission in a C130E "Hercules" aircraft that departed Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam en route to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa . Others on board the flight were the crew, consisting of LtCdr. Ralph B. Cobbs; ADJ2 Curtis D. Collette; YN2 Jack I. Dempsey; ADR2 Stanley J. Freng; Ltjg. Edward L. Romig; AN M.J. Savoy; and Ltjg. Donald E. Siegwarth. All were assigned to the 7th Air Transport Squadron. Also aboard the aircraft were U.S. Air Force personnel SSgt. Robert A. Cairns; Capt. Connie M. Gravitte; SSgt. Oley N. Adams; and A1 Larry E. Washburn, and one other individual.

About 30 minutes into the flight, when the aircraft was 43 miles northeast of Nha Trang, the crew of a naval gunboat cruising off the South Vietnam coast observed the C130 explode and crash into the South China Sea. No hostile fire was observed, and the exact cause of the crash could not be determined. The vessell arrived at the crash scene only minutes after the impact and began an immediate search. The accident took place so swiftly that it must be assumed all aboard perished instantly. Some debris and wreckage have been recovered including parts of the aircraft and personal belongings. Only one body was recovered from the crash site. The others are listed as "Dead/Body Not Recovered."

NEWS RELEASE
Attorney General Biden’s Office announces 99-count indictment in embezzlement case

Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden’s Office announced today that it has secured the indictment of William Hitch, Jr. on 99 felony counts of theft and other charges related to his embezzlement of more than $150,000 from the Laurel School District dating back to September, 2001.

Investigations conducted by the Delaware Department of Justice and State Auditor’s Office revealed that Hitch, former Finance Director for the Laurel School District, on regular occasions over a period of eight years made unauthorized payments to himself of overtime and additional duty pay. Hitch was indicted by the Sussex County Grand Jury for theft, misusing computer information, and misuse of public information.

“Attorney General Biden is committed to protecting Delawareans from fraud and abuse, particularly when they are victimized by individuals who are in a position of trust,” stated Timothy Mullaney, Director of the Attorney General’s Fraud and Consumer Protection Division. “This defendant is charged with abusing his authority to steal from taxpayers for personal gain. We are acting to ensure that he is held accountable for his actions.”

Specifically, the indictment charges Hitch with:
1 count of Felony Theft of $100,000 or more
12 counts of Felony Misuse of Computer System Information
86 counts of Felony Tampering with Public Records (one for each unauthorized payment)

Hitch resigned his position from Laurel School District in December, 2009. He turned himself in to Capital Police in Georgetown on June 11 and appeared before Superior Court Commissioner Alicia Howard, who set $108,000 unsecured bail. Hitch subsequently posted bail and was released. A Case Review hearing has been scheduled for July 19, 2010.

The Delaware Department of Justice reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the state bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

If you’re looking for temporary-seasonal work – the Delaware State Fair will hold a job fair on Saturday. The job fair runs from 10 to noon at the Exhibit Hall at the fairgrounds on Route 13 in Harrington.

Joseph Dixon Died today, 15 Jun 1869, (born 18 Jan 1799). He was an American inventor and manufacturer who pioneered in the industrial use of graphite and many other innovations. As a printer and a photographer, he designed a mirror into a camera that was the forerunner of the viewfinder, patented a double-crank steam engine, evolved a method of printing banknotes to foil counterfeiters, and patented a new method for tunneling under water. As a manufacturer and entrepreneur, Joseph Dixon produced the first pencil made in the U.S. and was responsible for the development of the graphite industry there. When he died, the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company was the largest manufacturer of graphite products in the world.

Joseph Dixon is the founder of the Dixon Ticonderoga Company. For an interesting story of "The Pencil" click here


In my work as a census taker the "government" requires us to use a Number 2 Medium pencil in filling out the census form. Naturally their pencils were Skilcraft labeled. The 1938 Wagner-O'Day Act required the federal government to buy certain products made by the blind, thereby creating jobs for them. Today there is a full line of cleaning and office supplies under the brand name Skilcraft.

So why is a no. 2 pencil so special? I know you (the same as I) have stayed up late at night thinking about this intriguing question. A pencil’s writing core is made from graphite and clay. The more graphite in a pencil core, the softer the grade and darker the markings will be. The more clay in a pencil core, the harder the grade and lighter the markings will be. In the United States we use a number to indicate the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil, for example the no. 2 pencil is a soft/hard black. It is soft enough to make writing easy but the marking is still dark. Everyone knows that no. 2 pencils are used for standardized testing. The markings of a no. 2 pencil are dark enough for the computer sensors to read the scoring sheets and hard enough keep its point for an extended time.

My preference in pencils are Mirado Black Warriors They are billed as the smoothest writing pencils in the world due to the wax impregnated in the ceramic/graphite material. It also uses California Incense Cedar as the holder and is topped with a Genuine Pink Pearl eraser , and still made in the USA - can you ask for more?

An interesting blog on pencils is Pencil Revolution. Altho no longer active it contains good information on pencils.

So there is your trivia for the day - use it well.

Today in 1992 At a spelling bee in a Trenton, New Jersey school, U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, corrects a student's spelling of 'potato' by telling him it should have an 'e' at the end. The man could be a blogger with that spelling ability.

Today is both Flag Day and the 235th birthday of the U.S. Army. For me it is an additional day of celebration because it is my mother's birthday. I won't be mean and say she is as old as the flag but I think she helped Betsy Ross do some of the sewing on it. Happy Birthday MoM!!

Flag Day is suppose to be a time when Americans reflect on the foundations of our nation’s freedom. Our flag is an enduring symbol of our country’s ideals. We remember our loyalty to our country, and reaffirm our belief in liberty and justice. For most, Flag day means nothing. Most tend to be more familiar with Cinco de Mayo than our Flag day and they spend more time celebrating Cinco de Mayo - no I am not talking about illegal immigrants I am talking about native born Americans. Those same people tend to lose Flag Day as it is in that time period between Memorial day and Fourth of July and they only ask why people are sticking a flag out in the middle of June. But think about the personal freedoms we have been blessed with and those personal freedoms our own government takes away from each day while the incumbent office holders do nothing to prevent it. Today deck your homes out, put on a Chinese made American flag motif Tee shirt and remind your friends TODAY IS FLAG DAY PEOPLE GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

Traditionally, the president issues a proclamation observing Flag Day, although the current occupant of the White House hasn’t seen fit to do that this year; the last Flag Day proclamation on the White House’s Website is from 2008. I would think the Chinese would encourage him to make more of Flag day so they can sell more American Flags to us. He did however recently talk about Haitian Flag Day - bless his heart. There is still time for him to issue a proclamation on the USA Flag Day. I went into the White House site to look and see if he had issued a proclamation and didn't find one. I tried to sign up for email updates from the white house but was unable to decipher those random letters you have to enter to prove you are a human. They are in black and white, interestingly, but for an old person are difficult to read. I finally gave up. I will have to rely on that staunch support of President Obama, Frank Calio, to keep me straight on the President's doings.

Despite the lack of recognition by the White House, I'm encouraging you to show proper respect and allegiance to the flag of the United States, in accordance with the proper rules of etiquette. Today is also a great day to ride around Delmar and look and see who is flying the flag or not flying the flag. Our Police Department seems to miss certain official flag flying days, not to mention other Federal, state and town government buildings lack the Flag.

Jimmy Dean, a country music legend for his smash hit about a workingman hero, “Big Bad John,” and an entrepreneur known for his sausage brand, has died. He was 81.

His wife, Donna Meade Dean, says her husband died at 7:54 p.m. Sunday at their Henrico County, Va., home, south of Richmond.

She tells The Associated Press that he had some health problems but was still functioning well, so his death came as a shock.

Born in 1928, Dean was raised in poverty in Plainview, Texas, and dropped out of high school after the ninth grade. But he went on to a successful entertainment career in the ’50s and ’60s.

In 1969, Dean went into the sausage business, starting the Jimmy Dean Meat Co. He sold the company to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984.

Picked Up from "This Day in Delaware History"

June 14, 1950 The Mumford Sheet Metal Works of Selbyville built a frying pan 10 feet in diameter with an 8 foot handle to cook the chicken at the Delmarva Festival held in Dover.

Today's facts were compiled by historian Roger Martin and brought to you by the Delaware Public Archives

Kayla Martell is the Official Hostess of the first State. As Miss Kent County–Kayla Martell was crowned the new Miss Delaware this weekend. Her hometown is Milford, and she is currently attending Marymount University and majoring in communications. Martell’s platform is support for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation -- she has alopecia herself, and she’s been bald for 10 years. “I wear a wig in the competition,” Martell said. “You can still be beautiful. You shouldn’t doubt yourself.”
Check her out on the Miss Delaware Blog.

The 61st Delmarva Chicken Festival will kick off this year at Delaware State University in Dover on June 17th (Thursday) starting with a carnival at 5 p.m. Delaware Governor One Eyed Jack Markell will be there - come and see both sides of his face. The main events will be on Saturday with tractor and car shows plus a "Meet the Politicians" at the MLK Student Center. The bands on Friday are; 5:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Anonymouz Soul and from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The Honeycombs (Oldies, Contemporary, Standards). The bands on Saturday are; 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Nothin’ But Trouble Band (blues) and from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Draw (Classic Rock Band).