Paul Clark Gets A Primary Opponent!! Bill Shahan's Presser Is Set For Noon Saturday In Bellefonte

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(Middletown Transcipt) Kim Manahan reports ~ Bill Shahan announces plans to run for County Executive

Wilmington — Democrat Bill Shahan, a county Land Use Department employee, said today that he will be announcing his candidacy for New Castle County Executive Saturday at a press conference in Wilmington.
Shahan will campaign against current County Executive Paul G. Clark, also a democrat.This will be Shahan’s first time running for office.

I saw Bill in Wilmington last night and he told me his presser is set for noon in Bellefonte.

Location: BELLEFONTE PARK - WILMINGTON, DE 19809 (CORNER OF ELIZABETH AVENUE & ROSEDALE ROAD)

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A True Picture Of The State Of New Castle County? Some Facts You Will Not Be Hearing From Paul Clark

(Middletown Transcript) Kim Manahan reports ~ Residents express concerns and raise complaints at Civic League panel -
New Castle County union leaders at the Civic League for New Castle County shared their concerns:

...such as being short staffed in areas where more manpower is needed. - "We're short staffed," Dan Tharby, president of Local 349- skilled trades

- Joe Lavelle, a retired county police officer who represents the police officers through FOP Lodge 5, said that he feels a sense of frustration when dealing with the county. A county police officer's starting salary is lower than that of a University of Delaware officer's, he said. The force is also 22 officers short.

- There also aren't enough paramedics in the field, said Local 3911 President Kenneth Dunn who represents the paramedics. There are about 100 personnel total, with only about 85 on the streets

- there was a five-percent raise for all appointed county positions last year and that county council has never amended the executive's budget when put before them.

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Please Ask NCC Council To Deny The Lifting Of Deed Restrictions On 20 Montchanin Road

Update: R12 -015 is tabled until February. Click here to read Janet Kilpatrick's response to my email asking NCC Council to deny the lifting of the deed restrictions.
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www.facebook.com/saveourcounty
From the inbox ~

To: Members of the Civic League and concerned citizens in NCCo.
From: Christine Whitehead, Member of the Board

Lifting deed restrictions on 20 Montchanin Road and in the future rezoning of the parcel for commecial uses.

Last year a group called Save Our County came to the Civic League for help in fighting the Barley Mill Plaza rezoning and the commercialization of 20 Montchanin Road. The Board voted to support them. Both sites are located on Route 141, but this smaller parcel is
important in its own right. It is located at the beginning of Route 100 as it winds its way through the Brandywine Valley. It sits across from 2 cemeteries and churches and at the entrance to Hagley Museum. Mansions that were once large estates (but are now put to charitable uses) surround it. This is not only the route the tour buses take to visit our museums and historic areas, but for many people who grew up in Wilmington and its suburbs, it was the gateway to the fun of exploring the natural wonders of the region when they were young.

Perhaps we should have put a historic overlay on the properties along this route years ago, but none of us thought, I'm sure, that deed restrictions and wealth would not be enough to protect the stretch that establishes the unique historic atmosphere from Greenhill Avenue out Routes 52 and 100.

Now the Stoltz organization is determined to remove the deed restrictions that allowed Columbia Gas to build a low, unobstrusive office building hidden by trees and berms decades ago, so that they can put the property to commercial uses in the
future. This site is part of Delaware's most significant heritage.

http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countycouncil/Home/fileuploads/images/Resolution/2012/R12-015.pdf

I hope we will not sit still and allow commercialization to take over the land piece by piece. What was once preserved by wealth now needs to be preserved by policy, but it will not be unless people speak up.

We need to flood County Council with e mails of objection. Below is a draft that you may want to customize for your own use and send as soon as possible. Be sure if you only contact your own Council Member that you let him or her know in which area you live. Every contact will make a difference, but hearing from people outside the
immediate area affected will mean much to the recipient. Showing up for the Council Meeting on the 24th would be very important. We are in a situation where the Council Members for the immediate area have demonstrated that they are in support of whatever Stoltz wants to do, so others must be convinced to fight for this site. Ask them to say no to lifting deed restrictions and putting on new ones. If you like, copy the message below and use it. Thank you for helping to preserve what makes Delaware special.

Save Our County writes ~

Stoltz's plans for 20 Montchanin come before County Council for a final vote on Tues Jan 24. We have a fundamental choice...

-to preserve the highly protective deed restrictions put in place 43 years ago, or

-to give up these important protections and allow Stoltz to add retail, restaurants and other inappropriate uses at the site

Please read the details below and contact County Council today to demand that the existing restrictions be preserved. Your voice needs to be heard!

Current Deed Restrictions - Stoltz has very limited rights under the current, highly protective deed restrictions at 20 Montchanin. The existing restrictions, which date from 1968/1969, were purposely made much more restrictive than the Office Regional (OR) zoning at the site. They mandate- a single office building, not multiple buildings- traditional office use only- very limited ability to expand...and only to the existing building- a building height of 2 stories maximum.

Stoltz's Proposal - Stoltz is asking the Council to- drop the existing, highly protective deed restrictions that have endured for 43 years- replace them with permissive new restrictions that - expand the
footprint allowed at the site - allow multiple buildings - allow a host of inappropriate uses at the site - envision a potential rezoning of part of
the site to Commercial Neighborhood(CN).

How do you feel about restaurants, retail stores, lodging facilities, drive-ins, banks and funeral homes at 20 Montchanin? Is this your vision for the gateway to the historic Brandywine Valley? Well that and more is possible under the Stoltz plan.

The Facts are Clear - The current deed restrictions are highly protective and must be preserved. Lifting the existing deed restrictions and rezoning the site opens the door to unwarranted and inappropriate uses. And once 20 Montchanin falls, it's easier for nearby properties like the Raskob site and others to be commercialized.

How You Can Help - The incredible beauty and heritage of this area is owned by all Delawareans. Please write or call County Council today to demand that the existing deed restrictions be preserved, and please
attend the hearing at 7 PM on Tues Jan 24 in the City-County Building, 800 French Street in Wilmington. Speakers are encouraged...3 minute max.We can make a difference. Thank you for protecting our community. Your neighbors at Save Our County

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Email for the full County Council is below

tkovach@nccde.org; jmreda@nccde.org; rsweiner@nccde.org; jkilpatrick@nccde.org; phollins@nccde.org; ediller@nccde.org; wepowersjr@nccde.org; gsmiley@nccde.org; jjcartier@nccde.org; tpsheldon@nccde.org; jpstreet@nccde.org; dltackett@nccde.org; jwbell@nccde.org;

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CLNCC Discussion With New Castle County Union Presidents Set For 7PM Tuesday In Bear

On Tuesday, January 17, 2012, the Civic League for New Castle County will host a panel discussion with various union presidents with New Castle County government at their monthly meeting.

AGENDA

Discussion with New Castle County Union Presidents
With some regularity, the Civic League has discussions about County government operations and subsequent costs, and inevitably, taxes. The leadership and elected officials of the County come and talk from time to time, but we have never gotten input from the rank and file employee groups that represent where the rubber hits the road.

Accepting this invitation are:
Kenneth Dunn, AFSCME Local 3911, Paramedics;
Joseph Lavelle, FOP Lodge 5, Police;
Marc Klinefelter, AFSCME Local 1607, salaried positions
Frank Gentry, Local 2270 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Dan Tharby, AFSCME Local 459 - skilled trades

This segment will begin at 7 PM and will include their comments on staffing and funding issues in New Castle County government, from their prospective.

The meeting will be held in the Paris Community Room, Delaware State Police Troop 2, 100 LaGrange Avenue in Bear.
Prepared by
Chuck Mulholland
President, Civic League for New Castle County
378-4216

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DelDOT Secretary Bhatt is the scheduled CLNCC speaker in February - he will attend our meeting at Troop 2 from 7-8:00 PM on Monday, February 20th.
Check the CLNCC web site for more details.

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Occupy The Dream: MLK Day Rally Set For Noon Monday At Spencer Plaza In Wilmington

OBSERVE MLK DAY WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCHES AND OCCUPY DELAWARE
Occupy Delaware joins with African American Churches for King Day:
Call for $100 Billion Wall Street investment in
cities, foreclosure halt, higher ed grants.

UPDATE: Come to the 11AM Rally to Support An East side African-American Heritage Center

Reflecting a broadening support for the Occupy Wall Street Movement in Delaware, a group of African American Clergy and Churches have joined with Occupy Delaware for an “Occupy the Dream” rally at 12 noon January 16, Martin Luther King Day. The rally will take place at Spencer Plaza, in the 800 block of French Street, where Occupy Delaware has maintained an encampment for two months.

Occupy the Dream was launched on December 15 by Rev. Jamal Harrison-Bryant, pastor of the 10,000 member Empowerment Temple in Baltimore and Rev. Ben Chavis, former executive director and CEO of the NAACP in Washington, D.C.
Local efforts have been lead by Rev. Donald Morton, pastor of Perfected Life Church, and Rev. Lawrence Michael Livingston, pastor of the Mother African Union Church, which was founded by Peter Spencer, namesake of Spencer Plaza, in 1813.

The national Occupy the Dream movement is calling for three things to happen that will be faithful action towards the vision of MLK: A moratorium on mortgage foreclosures; more resources being put in to Pell Grants to make college education affordable for more people; and a call for a $100 mllion economic development investment from Wall Street back into the neighborhoods and communities of U. S. cities.

Delaware organizers will introduce a corresponding challenge to the business and political institutions in our state.

Occupy Delaware comprises a broad variety of voices. Anyone in Delaware who is fed up with a national agenda that is rigged in favor of the wealthiest one percent at the expense of the other ninety-nine percent is welcome to participate.

Webpage: http://www.occupyde.org/Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/occupydelawareFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyDE
Declaration of the Occupation of New York City (Occupy Wall Street):
http://occupywallst.org/forum/first-official-release-from-occupy-wall-street/.

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Local Black Heritage On The Line?

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Two local stories of interest this week were the decision by Wilmington's Mayor Baker to allow the Delaware Historical Society to have control over the African-American Heritage Center of Delaware [ Afro-American group not happy with Mayor's Heritage Center with Allan Loudell's blog post] and that two 'angels' have swooped down and put together a last minute plan to save the former #107 school house in Hockessin [Group hopes to raise $201K to save Hockessin Colored School #107 ].

Both stories have uncertain endings.

The black community wants the control of the AA museum to go to city blacks and plan to fight the Mayor and take the issue to the city council [(News Journal) Esteban Parra's coverage: Wilmington's decision on where to house new African-American Heritage Center sparks debate ] while to secure the fate of Hockessin Colored School #107, the angels will still have to raise 100K in public funds.

Vying for keeping the museum on the city's East side has been poignantly covered in letters from Jim Sills, Josie Roy, Harmon Carey, Peggy Shane, John Watson and Kay Lacy ~

Black Heritage Center's location is important
I was born on Wilmington's eastside and grew up during the 1940s and 1950s. As such, I have vivid memories about Market Street. I remember not being able to have a sundae at Govato's, breakfast or lunch at Woolworth's and not being able to go in movie theaters like Loews and Queen. I have other memories about this so called "Street of Dreams" as well. Not all of them are negative but most are because I was black. Recently, I had an epiphany reflecting on the exhibit of Market Street, that the Historical Society consciously or subconsciously failed to portray one of the most defining characteristics of Market Street -- its segregationist history. Now that organization wants to operate the Black Heritage Center in the society's chosen site on Market Street and not in the black community. Where the Heritage Center is and who is involved in the decision making process matters. If the city accepts the Historical Society's proposal over that of the board led by former Mayor Jim Sills, it would represent a travesty. I appeal to the fair-minded members of the Historical Society of Delaware's Board of Directors to listen to the voice of reason and recognize the unfairness of the quest to take over the preservation of Black history and withdraw their proposal. And if they persist, City Council should reject it. Kay Lacy, New Castle

One outrageous meme has formulated around the placement of the heritage center: If we want any white people to visit and appreciate black heritage, put it on Market. If we want only blacks to visit and appreciate black heritage, put it on the East side.

FYI - the East side IS the established home of AA heritage such as the Louis Redding house and People's Settlement Association not to mention Jazz-central Clifford Brown's birthplace: (Hockessin Community News) Andre Lamar reports ~ Delaware author reflects on Wilmington’s rich jazz culture

Steven Leech’s research on Wilmington’s now-defunct jazz scene.
1. During the late 1930s, the thing that really made Wilmington a jazz city was the rise of three artists: Clifford Brown, Lem Winchester and Betty Roché, Leech Said. Brown, aka “Brownie,” was an acclaimed trumpeter who grew up on the East Side of Wilmington. Brown’s style was very impressive, since he was able to hold long notes and was skilled at improvisation. Legend has it that Dizzy Gillespie gave Brown his start, Leech said. In 1949, Gillespie was scheduled to perform at the Odd Fellows Hall on West 12th Street, but one of his musicians didn’t show up. A friend then referred Gillespie to use Brown as a replacement. Gillespie gave Brown a shot and his performance blew him away, Leech said.
“Musicians had problems keeping up with Brownie,” Leech quipped.
...3. Betty Roché grew up on East 12th Street. When singer Ivie Anderson left Duke
Ellington's band in the early 1940s, Duke was on the lookout for a good singer. He found Roché at the Savoy Ballroom in New York, Leech said. Roché also had a small role in the 1943 film “Reveille with Beverly,” which featured music legends Frank Sinatra, the Mills Brothers, Louie Armstrong and others, he said.
4. The East Side of Wilmington was a hotbed for jazz music and the Baby Grand became a premier venue for musicians. Notable musicians graced the stage at the club, including organist Jimmy Smith, singer Dinah Washington and one of the greatest trumpeters of all time, Lester Young, Leech said. Young was responsible for nicknaming singer Billie Holiday “Lady Day,” he said.
5. An urban renewal project in Wilmington during the 1960s brought the demise of the city’s jazz scene, he said. Due to the project, Leech said “the East Side of Wilmington was torn down” and temporarily became a “barren waste land.” The lack of jazz venues forced musicians and singers to get 9-5 jobs.
For Leech, all that remains of the city’s jazz scene are his fond memories of the era.
“Wilmington still hasn’t recovered,” he said. “You go there on any night of the week and look around…it’s a dead city.” To download the “Wedgehorn Manifesto” for free visit www.brokenturtle.blogspot.com.

Plus on the East side: (from this skyscrapercity blog) - the Knotty Pine restaurant at the corner of 11th and Wilson Streets. this restaurant is the oldest continuously operating black-owned restaurant in the city. Over the years, the Knotty Pine has attracted quite a few celebrities, including Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and Lena Horne. Knotty Pine's two famous dishes are well-known mid-atlantic specialties, chitterlings and muskrat.

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NCC Planning Board Chair Heeds Citizen Complaints, Pushes Back Deadline For Public Comment On The 2012 Comprehensive Plan Update To 4PM February 2nd

(News Journal) Melissa Burke reports ~ NCCo growth plan review extended - Land-use map complaints lead to longer public comment period

The community has about three more weeks to comment on the proposed update to New Castle County’s Comprehensive Plan, a blueprint that would guide land-use decisions in the county for years to come. At a hearing on the draft document last week, county planners voted to extend the period for public comment by 30 days after complaints that GIS maps affiliated with the plan arrived too late in the process to allow for sufficient review.The new deadline is 4 p.m. Feb. 2. “They wanted more time to provide detailed, public comments on the record,” said Richard Killingsworth, who chairs the Planning Board and made the motion to extend the comment period.“That is a very basic request. It doesn’t encumber anyone, and we want to hear from the public on these issues.”

“The initial maps were very deficient. You couldn’t tell what was going on,” said Jeff Peters, president of the Pike Creek Valley Civic League.

...David Culver, general manager of land use for the county, could not be reached for comment. He has said the public had sufficient information to submit comments on the plan at the Jan. 3 hearing hosted by the county Planning Board and Land Use Department.

...At Killingsworth’s request, the county last week posted a link to GIS maps among documents related to the comprehensive plan update. The county also included directions for accessing the comprehensive-plan data in the county GIS system, as well as a contact phone number to reach the Land Use Department for help.

The nonprofit preservation group Delaware Greenways didn’t have time to gather and submit formal comments on the plan, said Andrea Trabelsi, the organization’s director of programs and community planner.“It was a really tight deadline at some points in the last year, so we’ll definitely be looking to submit comments with the additional time,” she said.

The planning board now won’t consider the draft plan until its business meeting Feb. 21, Killingsworth said. Next, the County Council reviews the draft and will likely hold its own public hearings and offer time for public comment. The updated comprehensive plan is due to the state in July.

Comment period extendedThe New Castle County Planning Board has extended by 30 days the time for the public comment on the proposed 2012 update of the county’s Comprehensive Plan. The new deadline is 4 p.m. Feb. 2.A copy of the plan is on the county’s website at www.nccde.org. Follow the link under the “NCC Spotlight” area of the home page. For detailed maps down to the parcel level, click on “Draft Documents” and follow the directions to view map layers through the GIS mapping system.All county libraries also have a copy available. Comments on the plan should be sent to compplan12@nccde.org or to NCC Department of Land Use, Attn.: D.J. Guthrie Carter, 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720.

(Dave Carter image taken at 2012 CPU kickoff)

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NCC Council Meetings: Stoltz's Plans For 20 Montchanin Set For January 17th And 24th In Wilmington

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From the inbox ~

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Over the next two weeks, Stoltz's plans for 20 Montchanin will come before the Land Use Committee of County Council (on Tues Jan 17) and the full Council (on Tues Jan 24 for a final vote). Stoltz is proposing significant changes at the former Columbia Gas/MBNA office property at Routes 141 & 100. Please read the details of the changes below and plan to speak at one of the hearings and contact County Council by email or letter.

Current Deed Restrictions - Stoltz has very limited rights under the current, highly protective deed restrictions at 20 Montchanin. The existing restrictions, which date from 1968/1969, were purposely made much more restrictive than the Office Regional (OR) zoning at the site. They mandate - asingle office building, not multiple buildings
- traditional office use only
- a building footprint limited to 1.70 acres
- a building height of 2 stories maximum

As a result, any expansion at the site would have to be added to the existing building and would be limited to ~12,000 sq. ft.

Stoltz's Proposal - Stoltz is asking the Council to
- drop the existing, highly protective deed restrictions that have endured for 43
years- replace them with permissive new restrictions that
- expand the footprint allowed at the site - allow multiple buildings - allow the
commercialization of the site

The current Office Regional (OR) zoning at the site is quite expansive, allowing restaurants, retail stores, lodging facilities, drive-ins, banks and funeral homes--among other uses. In addition, the proposal contemplates a potential rezoning of part of the site to Commercial Neighborhood (CN), which would permit even more intrusive and inappropriate commercial uses.

The new restrictions were introduced without appropriate notice at a Nov 15 meeting of the Planning Board and without a required public hearing contrary to long standing practice and County law. Planning Board members were given all of 5 minutes to read them, and the public was specifically excluded from review and comment.

The Facts are ClearThe current deed restrictions are highly protective and must be preserved. Lifting the existing deed restrictions and rezoning the site opens the door to unwarranted commercialization at the very gateway to the Brandywine Valley. And once 20 Montchanin falls, it's easier for nearby properties like the Raskob estate and others to be commercialized.

The incredible beauty and heritage of this area is owned by all Delawareans. Has the world changed so much that we must lose it parcel by parcel, not for the greater good, but for simple economic gain for a few? When the community gave an inch 43 years ago at 20 Montchanin, the door was opened for those who would take a mile today. Enough is enough.

Please contact County Council to demand that the existing deed restrictions be preserved, and please attend the hearings scheduled for this month. The Land Use Committee meets at 3 PM on Tues Jan 17 and the Council hearing will be at 7 PM on Tues Jan 24 -- both in the City-County Building downtown.

Thank you for protecting our community.

Your Neighbors at Save Our County

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Email address for the full County Council is below

tkovach@nccde.org; jmreda@nccde.org; rsweiner@nccde.org; jkilpatrick@nccde.org; phollins@nccde.org; ediller@nccde.org; wepowersjr@nccde.org ; gsmiley@nccde.org; jjcartier@nccde.org ; tpsheldon@nccde.org ; jpstreet@nccde.org ; dltackett@nccde.org; jwbell@nccde.org

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