a few hotels are being converted into condos to accomodate for the huge demand for houses down at the beach. hotel rooms are becoming more scarce. dewey beach is seeing more and more people every year, and business is doing well down at the beach.

The heat is on to find a room in Dewey this summer
3 hotels are being converted to condos -- a loss of 175 units


DEWEY BEACH -- If you usually stay in Dewey Beach's hotels or motels, finding a place to lay your head this year just got a little harder.

During the off-season, three hotels closed, and they are being converted into condominiums.

The loss of Marina Suites, Dewey Beach Suites and Southwinds means 175 of the 648 rooms in Dewey Beach have disappeared, a loss of 27 percent.

With high occupancy rates in Dewey Beach last summer, more people will have to either rent homes or condos in Dewey, or look outside of town.

For the remaining motels and hotels open this summer, there's not much room for more vacationers.

"Summer is summer. When you're full, you're full. We can't get any busier," said George Metz, owner of the Sea Esta Motels on Del. 1 in Dewey. With high gas prices predicted for the summer, he expects an extra busy summer and fall.

"People travel locally," Metz said. "We're a tankful of gas away from several major cities."

Carol Everhart, executive director of the Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the loss of rooms will have its biggest effect this summer on holiday weekends.

"On the most popular weekends, it's going to be more challenging to find accommodations right in Dewey Beach proper," she said.

Jaclyn Deldeo checked into the Sand Palace Motel in Dewey on Friday evening. A Delcastle High School senior, she was at the beach for a prom.

Deldeo says she travels to the beach nearly every weekend during summer.

She said she didn't have any problem getting a reservation for a room this weekend. But with beach season officially starting next weekend, she'll start making reservations early.

"We're going to have to plan ahead," she said. "It's kind of a bummer, because what if it's a last-minute thing, and you decide to go down the beach?"

Parking at greater premium

Everett Wodiska, general manager of the Sand Palace Motel, said he has not seen a increase in early bookings.

That may change as word spreads that more than 25 percent of the hotel and motel rooms in town have disappeared.

With occupancy around 98 percent during summer, Wodiska sees the fall and spring of 2007 as time to increase business.

"There's not much movement that can be made in-season," he said. Sand Palace occupancy rates are 100 percent on summer weekends. "But even if the same number of people show up [in the fall], there are less places for them to stay. It's going to be hard on the tourists."

Wodiska predicted more people will stay at Del. 1 hotels outside Dewey, meaning more cars driving into town and looking for the few, precious parking spots. He said he'll be keeping a closer eye on his lot to make sure non-guests don't hijack it.

Condo boom not over yet

The condo push may continue in Dewey, taking its biggest entertainment complex with it.

Highway One LLP, a partnership of eight people who own Ruddertowne -- The Rusty Rudder, The Lighthouse, Crabber's Cove and Baycenter -- have filed an application with the town to convert the site into condos during the next five years.

The application came after Dewey Beach Mayor Courtney Riordan said restricting conversions of businesses into residential space could be considered.

Alex Pires of Highway One said he doesn't predict a big impact from the off-season conversions. He said it was rare for both Marina Suites, once owned by Highway One, and Dewey Beach Suites, a current Highway One property, to be totally booked last summer.

"I don't think it makes any difference because they never are all sold out," he said. "The number of nights in Dewey when all the rooms were sold out were very few last year, so I think it's a fallacy that this is going to be a big problem."


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060520&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=605200318&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Sand Palace Motel General Manager Everett Wodiska checks in Delcastle High School senior Jaclyn Deldeo, 18, on Friday.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060520&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=605200318&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
A construction crew works in April on turning the Southwinds motel into a condominium complex. The owners of Ruddertowne have filed an application to convert their site, too.


HOW TO GET A ROOM IN DEWEY BEACH

•Call the Chamber of Commerce at 227-2233. The staff can tell you late in the week what is available.

•If no hotel rooms are available, consider house rentals or condominiums.

•If you're open to staying outside Dewey, look at hotels and condos beyond town limits, perhaps on Del. 1 or in Rehoboth Beach.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060520/NEWS/605200318/1006

Whoa, does that mean that they're GETTING RID of Ruddertown, or just putting condos in front of it? :eek2:

Yep - the Rusty Rudder has been sold for condos!

Another thing I heard was that Seacrets was sold for Condos down the street in OC, MD

Now THAT pisses me off!

the bethany beaches should get a much-needed widening.

Southern resorts ready for more sand
Bethany, South Bethany waiting for replenishment projects


Bethany Beach resident Bill Sanderson has confidence that what winter storms and winds took from the beach, the gentle breezes of summer will return.

But to see Bethany's beach now, some visitors might be skeptical.

"I don't think they have any faith in Mother Nature," he said.

Bethany and its neighbor, South Bethany, are the last of Delaware's public-access, oceanfront towns awaiting major, federally designed beach renourishments.

Rehoboth and Dewey beaches were rebuilt last summer and now sport beaches more than 150 feet wide. In addition, there is a man-made dune with beach grass and sand fencing. They are designed to build a dune that will protect the fragile shoreline from future storm damage. Fenwick Island got additional sand last fall, in a similar federally-funded project.

Between Bethany and South Bethany, the project would rebuild two miles of ocean beach. Under the federal proposal, the rebuilt beach would be about 150 feet wide.

"We're very concerned," said Bethany Beach Mayor Jack Walsh. "No question it's a priority in our town. ... The beach protects us."

Municipal and state officials are waiting to see whether Congress will have money to help pay for the large-scale beach rebuilding project.

Walsh said he is pleased with the efforts of Delaware's congressional delegation to push for the federal dollars for the project. But he also said his town is competing with other projects nationally, including those designed to rebuild the storm-damaged Gulf Coast.

"We have $3.3 million and would love to have another $14 million to help complete" the federal share of the project, Walsh said.

The total cost to do both municipal beaches is estimated at $27 million. The Army Corps of Engineers designed the beach protection projects and oversees the work. The state covers 40 percent of the cost.

The federal share is $17.57 million. The state's cost is $9.55 million.

"It's a big number," Walsh said.

"We've got a long way to go."

Town officials are working with a Washington lobbyist to help win support for the project beyond Delaware's congressional delegation, he said.

In addition, they are urging property owners and visitors to write to Congress asking for support of a beach protection project, Walsh said.

Meanwhile, the beach is holding its own.

Anthony P. Pratt, the state's shoreline and waterway manager, said Bethany is in better shape this year than in some years past at the start of Memorial Day weekend.

Beaches along Delaware's ocean coast always lose sand during the winter but, typically, the sand returns and the beaches widen as summer progresses. Strong nor'easters, hurricanes and tropical storms, however, can sweep away much of the built-up sand in a matter of hours.

Pratt calls the movement from a winter beach to a summer beach "normal seasonal adjustment."

But he, too, is concerned about the future of Bethany's beach.

Looking ahead

If the funding is federally approved, the quickest any beach repair likely would begin in Bethany and South Bethany would be January, he said. If no money comes, "we'll weather another winter and hope for the best" with next year's appropriations, Pratt said.

The last time Bethany's beach had sand pumped in was in 1998. State officials did that work, with money from the state lodging tax.

Sanderson is optimistic that the beach will recover in the days and weeks ahead. He walks it every day and said he has already noticed an improvement, even from last week. He said the sand loss is most noticeable near the rock piles that were installed to help hold the sand. At the north end of town, the rocks are exposed. In the past, they would have been covered, he said.

Pennsylvanians Randy Clemson and Jackie Zehner said they didn't notice much sand loss this year.

"There's more sand than there has been in other years," Jackie Zehner said.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060526&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=605260345&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
After the usual loss of sand over the winter, the beach in front of the boardwalk in Bethany Beach is much more narrow than those just replenished in Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. Summer wave patterns usually bring more sand, but the resort town is banking on a rebuilding project, too.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060526/NEWS/605260345/1006

here's an article on the changing restaurant scene at the beach as more year-round residents make an impact on the economy.

(this thread is starting to become a good place to post articles of the beach area, so i think i'm going to continue to do this.)


Beach dining takes a turn for the simple
Restaurants respond to demand for good meals at reasonable prices


Up and down the coast, the Delaware shoreline shifts season by season, changing shape subtly with each new wave and every puff of wind.

Just inland, in the towns that draw tourists by the thousands to relax and dine, the tides of change are also reshaping the resorts' restaurant industry, sometimes gently, at other times with pressure that's steady and strong.

Change has always been a part of beach dining from season to season, from year to year, but in recent times change is being guided by a new kind of calculus, restaurant owners say. Diners' tastes have always been prone to shift, but today those shifts are being influenced more than ever by such seemingly unrelated forces as gas prices, rapid development, electric bills and even parking spaces.

"I think the days of spending $30 and getting a huge plate with a little teeny thing in the middle are gone around here," said Jamie Davis, who just opened a casual seafood restaurant called JD Shuckers in Angola.

He and other restaurant owners say today's pressures have brought a new kind of dynamic to the dining business here, one that's pushing more restaurants out of the towns and onto the Coastal Highway, and creating a more competitive market that rewards simplicity and value over refinement and exclusivity.

"As an American public, I think we're kind of frustrated and done with [restaurants] being snotty," said Spencer Derrickson, co-owner of the Rehoboth Beach restaurant Abstractions. "They don't need to be stressed out by a server, or [worry] they have the proper fork."

Even as diners seek more casual alternatives, they're still in pursuit of the excitement and flair that has come to define beach dining, demanding that restaurant owners find ways to blend both. As a result, owners say, beachgoers have more options than ever for getting good, inventive food at decent prices.

Upscale revolution's old news

It wasn't always that way. In the 1980s, a revolution in upscale, cutting-edge dining was sparked in Rehoboth Beach, eventually spreading south to other resort towns and even influencing the refinement of the restaurant scene in Wilmington. The less-sophisticated predecessors of these high-end restaurants remained, but relatively few new restaurants rose to take the middle ground of mid-range dining with modern sensibilities.

The quest for familiar comforts that followed the terrorist attacks of 2001 helped change all that, and in recent months, the added pressure of rising prices for gasoline and electricity added impetus to a shift toward casual dining, owners said. Some of the most successful restaurants of recent years weren't the high-dollar, high-concept destinations that drew the foodies to the coast in the 1980s and 1990s, but places such as Lewes' Blue Plate, a savvy update on the diner concept, and such straightforward favorites as Jake's Seafood House.

"You want people to come back. You don't want to hit them one time with a big pop," said Anthony Di Domenicis, who co-owns two Adriatico restaurants -- one in Rehoboth, the other on the highway -- and is opening a casual restaurant on Del. 1 called Wahoo Raw Bar & Crab Co.

According to a study by Technomic, a food industry consultant, diners have been cutting back on spending at restaurants this spring -- 22 percent said they aren't ordering as many side dishes, compared with 10 percent last November. Even last December, the news wasn't upbeat -- 40 percent reported they are dining out less frequently.

As a result, customers are "gravitating towards food sources that they view as offering a good value," the Technomic report said.

While the resorts have kept an upscale dining edge -- especially in Rehoboth and Bethany -- the beach in recent years began to see relatively fewer restaurants open with expensive menus and exclusive attitudes.

"I think people are going more middle of the road with that," said Jim Paslawski, who owns Blue Plate and just opened an Irish restaurant called Finbar on Rehoboth Avenue. "You kind of want the diners to come back again and again," so it's crucial now to keep it affordable for families and young couples.

The parking issue

Ironically, to build on the success they found with casual dining, some restaurants had to leave the towns where they first found it.

As Rehoboth's restaurant reputation and popularity grew, so did the number of people hunting for parking in the square-mile town. Rather than battle for a spot and then trudge the kids four blocks to eat, families find it easier to head out to Del. 1, where there's not a meter maid to be found, restaurant veterans said.

"It's more competitive because of the parking-space issue," said Alison Blyth, who has owned two of Rehoboth's trend-setting restaurants -- La La Land and Yum Yum -- and now runs Go Fish!, a British fish-and-chips-and-seafood shop near the boardwalk. "Rehoboth has shot itself in the foot totally because of that."

Some of the restaurants maintained their locations in town when they headed out to the highway, but in other cases, they left the old property behind. While such restaurants as Jake's and Adriatico still have their downtown locations, such longtime beach classics as La Rosa Negra in Lewes forsake the city life altogether.

On the highway, they have a chance for far greater profit -- as the cars that swamp Jake's each weekend will prove -- but in some foodies' minds, they have lost the unmatched ambience a downtown location provided. On the highway, they are also closer to the shifting population center as more people choose to live in the area year-round and new housing appears outside town centers.

Extended season

The year-round residents in those homes are seeking something more practical and affordable than the upscale restaurants could offer, owners said.

"A lot of people are stretching their wallet to get the town homes and have to stretch their wallet to get the entertainment," Derrickson said.

The growth helped support an ever-growing influx of national chain restaurants, and led more restaurants to stay open in the off season, owners said. The rising gas prices are also cutting into profits, according to Technomic, so as owners respond to the pressure to stay affordable, many are realizing they must stay open past the summer.

"It used to be, years ago, back in the late '80s, there were only a few restaurants in the town that were open year-round," Di Domenicis said. "You can't eat fine dining every night, and at one point around here, that's all you had."

The chains only reinforced the notion that restaurants had to work to keep their prices down in this market, Blyth said. But through it all, restaurateurs say, they recognize that the need to provide excitement remains. Some have tried to create product with value and excitement by exploring themes, from Finbar's Irish attitude to a slew of restaurants that flaunt a faux-tropical ambience. Even family-friendly Rehoboth Avenue is now home to a Hooters.

Bigger ideas found more room to roam out on the highway. First came Grotto's Grand Slam, and in recent years, the beach has seen the arrival of lumbering places like the Tokyo Steak House & Sushi Bar.

The quest for excitement was also answered by a rising number of ethnic restaurants, which had not been a widespread beach phenomenon -- in recent years, vacationers have seen the arrival of Thai, Cuban, Chinese and Japanese cuisines.

"I think the public in general is trying new things," said Derrickson, whose Abstractions restaurant served Japanese fare. "What I see down here is all the new restaurants like mine or Confucius [a Chinese restaurant] are succeeding well because they're new and different. ... People really want to experience food in a different way, I think."

Just because people seek more value and less stuffiness doesn't mean beachgoers are willing to settle for the ordinary.

'"I think people are more educated about their foods," Paslawski said. "They tend to travel more, so they're more aware of different things."

Above all, they come to the beach to relax, and are seeking restaurants that help them achieve that simple goal.

"We don't need any other pressures," Derrickson said. "People just want to kind of cut loose a little bit.''


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060528&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=605280324&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Alison Blyth serves Scott Tutak (left) of Rehoboth and Geoff Birkett of Avondale, Pa., at Go Fish! in Rehoboth.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060528&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=605280324&Ref=V2&Profile=1003&title=1
Alison Blyth owns Go Fish! -- a British fish-and-chips-and-seafood shop near the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060528/BUSINESS/605280324/1003

an article about the first weekend for the beach.

Life's a (packed) beach
Even gas prices around $3 don't stop Memorial Day weekend fun


REHOBOTH BEACH -- It was the kind of early afternoon tourism planners dream of -- the sun was out, the sand was warm with a slight cooling breeze off the Atlantic and the beach off Rehoboth Avenue was packed.

There was barely room Saturday for Mike Miranda and Nina Filippelli to find a spot, catch the rays and enjoy the extra-long Memorial Day weekend.

"I used to go to Ocean City [Md.] until Mike brought me here," said Filippelli, who is from Baltimore. "But Ocean City can get too crowded. Rehoboth is a lot more relaxed and there are good restaurants here."

This year, Miranda, Filippelli and other folks hitting the beach will have more sand to enjoy, but there's a trade-off.

About 60 feet of beach between the shoreline and the boardwalk is off limits -- fenced off to let dune grass, planted as part of a state-federal beach replenishment project on man-made dunes, take root. But Miranda, of Crofton, Md., said he doesn't mind.

"I've been coming here long enough that I remember when you could walk up under the boardwalk," Miranda said. "But, it's a good thing. You don't have to go down steps anymore. You can walk right down the dune to the beach."

Despite gas prices around $3 per gallon, people were heading to the beach. There was a steady flow of traffic along Del. 1 through the morning and into the early afternoon.

In some cases, people used alternative transportation to make the trek.

Ken Iobst of Silver Spring, Md., had friends drive him over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the western edge of the Eastern Shore. He then biked the rest of the way to Rehoboth Beach for an annual family reunion.

"We like it because the beach is clean and because there's a good family quality here -- for any kind of family," he said. "This is a very open and accepting community."

Iobst and his relatives spent the afternoon under a big beach umbrella playing Yahtzee, rolling their dice into an upended Frisbee. It was an item that Stacey Iobst, who lives in Montgomery County, Md., said almost didn't make the trip.

"With the weather we've had the past couple of years, we almost forgot to pack it, but I'm glad we did. It's a perfect day," she said. "We really like it here. It's clean and family-oriented."

At Indian River Marina, folks were getting ready for an opening weekend on the waves.

Newark resident Joe Noble Sr. and his friends were gathered around his boat "Miss Donna," testing fishing lines for a Sunday bluefish tournament. Noble, an insulation contractor, spends his winters working so he can spend more of his summer on the water. And even with soaring prices for marine fuel, he says that's the plan this season.

"I work hard for six months and put in a lot of overtime over the winter so I can do this," Noble said. "Summer means no overtime, so I can enjoy this as much as possible."

Boaters, like Mark Somerville of Dagsboro, are coming up with resourceful ways to deal with the high price of gas. Somerville was working on his boat, the "Mara B," in the marina's parking lot, getting her ready for sea. He said he plans to buy gas tanks so he can stock up when prices are better.

"It's going to be tough this year," Somerville said. "You may not see as much activity on the weekends if there are 4- or 5-foot seas because that's hard on fuel economy. There may be more people coming down through the week if the seas are better. ... I've already told my family we might be floating [in the inlet] more this year."

But, like Noble, Somerville said he's looking forward to a summer on the water.

And it's not just Delawareans. A hearty group of boaters known at "The Pennsylvania Navy" were readying their boats for the water, too.

"It's a lot of work," said Randy O'Boyle of Allentown, who spends many weekends here with family members who live in the area. "There are some people with 'For Sale' signs on some of the bigger boats because of the fuel. But we like it and are going to be out as much as we can."

Somerville shared that sentiment.

"If it looks busy now," he said, glancing out on the marina and other boaters readying their vessels in the parking lot, "you should have seen it over the past couple of days. It's been a beehive of activity as people have come down to get their boats ready."


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060528&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=605280363&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Visitors pack Rehoboth Beach on Saturday for the long Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060528&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=605280363&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Visitors in town for the long Memorial Day weekend packed the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk Saturday.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060528&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=605280363&Ref=H3&Profile=1006&title=1
Playing Yahtzee on the beach on Saturday are (from left) Wayne Iobst, Ken Iobst, Paul Iobst, Nathan Fraser, Adam Iobst and Stacey Iobst. The Montgomery County, Md., family was in Rehoboth Beach for an annual family reunion.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060528/NEWS/605280363/1006

thanks to the moderators for renaming this. there are some developments going on in our small state worth discussing. places like newark, dover, the beach towns, and other places are also feeling the effect of condos, revitaliztion of downtown, etc. delaware's small enough that i think we could pull this thread off without getting too broad.

a delaware institution is being sold. fortunately, i believe happy harry's will keep their name on the stores.

Drug giant Walgreen buys Happy Harry's
Keeping name part of 'transparent' change


The worldwide march of corporate consolidation will reach one of Delaware's most recognizable homegrown businesses this summer as Ogletown-based Happy Harry's drugstores merges with national powerhouse Walgreen Co.

The deal announced Monday is being hailed as a "transparent" change not likely to be noticed by Happy Harry's legions of local customers, but still revived the concerns that surface each time Delaware's cultural and commercial identity is reshaped by modern pressures. In years past, Delaware has seen the loss of such institutions as Wilmington Dry Goods, watched as local businesses gave way to national names, and most recently saw local banking giant MBNA bought out by Bank of America.

The leader of the privately held, family-run Happy Harry's said Delaware shouldn't expect the end of an era with the merger. "I actually see it as a beginning in a lot of ways," said Alan B. Levin, chairman and CEO. The Happy Harry's name will remain at all but the company's Pennsylvania stores, and the broad reach and corporate leverage of Walgreen might bring consumers such services as 24-hour locations.

"It wouldn't be surprising to me if they did" open round-the-clock stores in Delaware, Levin said.

The deal includes all 76 Happy Harry's stores in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, as well as its corporate office and distribution center in Ogletown. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Walgreen expects to continue accepting all prescription insurance plans taken by Happy Harry's, the companies said.

Some reductions are eventually expected in Happy Harry's work force of 2,700, of which 2,154 are in Delaware. Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen -- which runs 5,222 stores across the nation and generates more revenue than any other drug store chain -- may cut jobs at Happy Harry's operations in Ogletown, said Walgreen spokesman Michael Polzin.

Levin said he expects about three-quarters of the 200 office and distribution employees to stay on. He said any reductions that do occur will come gradually. Levin has signed a three-year contract to remain as chairman of what will be a Walgreen subsidiary.

Few changes expected

Most customers will see little difference at their local store, said Levin, whose father, Harry, and mother, Diane, founded the chain in 1962 in Brandywine Hundred. Since then, the chain and its trademark image of a smiling Harry Levin have spread north to Pennsylvania, east and west to New Jersey and Maryland, and south to Sussex County, where construction of three more stores will proceed as planned.

"It's a company that takes great pride in what we do," Levin said.

Levin said Walgreen's powerful presence and broad reach will mean greater convenience for Happy Harry's pharmacy customers.

Levin predicted a stronger company will emerge from the merger, due to be completed this summer.

"It was an opportunity to ... dictate terms to our benefit," Levin said.

It was Walgreen's largest acquisition in 20 years.

"Retail acquisitions are rare for us, but Happy Harry's presented a unique opportunity and is a solid strategic fit," said Walgreen CEO Dave Bernauer.

With seven stores in the Philadelphia area, including one near the Delaware border in Aston, Pa., Walgreen is the fourth largest drugstore chain in that market, according to the Drug Store Distribution Analysis & Guide.

However, the company has no stores in Delaware or Cecil County, Md., where Happy Harry's is the dominant chain.

That means Walgreen has no overlapping stores to close.

Customers left with questions

After hearing the news, some customers feared "the demise of a Delaware tradition." Some Delaware customers still see Walgreen, despite its size, as a relatively unknown commodity, with a reputation yet to be proved -- unlike Happy Harry's.

"Isn't Walgreens from farther west?" wondered Ann Gilliano, a longtime Happy Harry's customer in Dover. "I work with seniors and one of them told me about it. They love Walgreens, the prices are so much cheaper, but I never heard until it was mentioned in a conversation."

Others lamented yet another loss for Delaware's shrinking cultural identity and yet another homogenization of society at large.

"What is the world coming to?" customer Stacey Inglis-Baron of Fairfax wrote in an e-mail. "Delawareans embrace their Happy Harry's. We don't shop at CVS or other national discount mass-merchants. ... First MBNA, now Happy Harry's, next Wilmington Trust, or maybe the Hotel du Pont will become a Hilton property."

The sale has been under consideration for about a year, and was driven by the same economic realities that prompted consolidations among other regional businesses, from banks to insurers, Levin said.

"It really kind of started as more a less a response to their desire to come to Delaware. And I was talking to and he and I have known each other for a while and thought we might have something to discuss. ... It didn't get serious until about four months ago."

[B]A homegrown chain

The far-reaching local chain's modest beginnings go back 44 years, when Harry and Diane Levin opened a 600-square-foot shop called the Discount Centre at 1709 Marsh Road. "They did it together," Alan Levin said. "She was a buyer -- she used to buy all our jewelry and gift items. In addition to that, she used to handle the books early on."

Diane is still alive, but no longer has an active role. When Harry Levin died in 1987, he left Alan in charge of a chain with fewer than two dozen locations. By the end of the century and after years of expansion, few Delawareans could claim to have never seen Harry's smiling face.

Last year, Alan Levin said that his father was successful because of his love of people, his aptitude for dealing in a cash business and his entrepreneurial spirit.

"He'd shoot from the hip and nine times out of 10, he'd hit a bull's-eye," Levin said. "He loved cash. He had an innate ability to look at a cash statement and know how we were doing that day."

Levin wasn't always on the path to leading the family firm. He served as a deputy attorney general in Delaware and as an executive assistant and counsel to Sen. Bill Roth in the 1980s. But he said Monday's deal does not clear the path for a revival of his political career.

"Absolutely not," he said Monday. "Years ago I would have said yes. The further away from it, the happier I am.''

Not for sale

In 2003, Alan Levin declared that the company is not for sale, saying the chances were slim for a buyout.

"I like being responsible to the customers and to employees," he said at the time.

In today's retail environment for drugstore chains, a sale is now the best way to meet that responsibility, he said.

"What has changed has been the [insurance] reimbursements, [which] have changed dramatically. It has become more difficult to find pharmacists. And quite frankly, I wasn't willing to compromise on our service to our customers or our employees."

"It's harder to meet your expenses with the reimbursement we're getting now," and bigger chains are more willing to tolerate tight margins because it means the potential of increased market share, he said.

The merger is subject to approval by the Federal Trade Commission, which will check into potential antitrust issues raised by Happy Harry's regional presence. In the meantime, customers such as Dover resident Mary Schinck, who said she has relied on Happy Harry's for many years of prescriptions, look ahead with some uncertainty to a new future for an old friend.

"Hopefully, it'll be OK," she said.

they're tearing down the balloon in newark to make way for condos. what will the kids do on thursday nights now?

i'm going to take a picture of the stone balloon tomorrow as they tear it down.

The walls come tumbling down
100-year-old Stone Balloon demolished for condominiums


NEWARK -- There was no ceremony or parting words.

Just the sound of the orange demolition machine as it began clawing into the wall of the Stone Balloon tavern on East Main Street.

A large crowd gathered Tuesday to watch the 100-year-old building come down. As the familiar walls crumbled, they snapped photos on their digital cameras and cell phones.

Owner Jim Baeurle will replace the tavern with a 54-unit project called the Washington House Condominium, as well as retail and office space.

Demolition could take several days. Construction is set to start in July.

"To me, the emotional part was on Dec. 17, saying goodbye to the staff and customers," Baeurle said before the demolition. "But now we turn the page and bring to Main Street what I tried to do for two years. The excitement outweighs the sadness."

University of Delaware students, residents and business owners had mixed emotions.

Travis Duke, 22, a UD senior from Wilmington, went to the Balloon every Thursday night for two years. His dad went there in the 1970s to watch George Thorogood perform.

"I'm upset," he said. "You can't really replace the Stone Balloon with condos. It was a one-of-a-kind type of place."

But Walt Charowsky, 66, who put down a deposit on a condo, said he can't wait to move in. When he first came to Delaware in 1971, he could never get into the packed bar.

"I finally get to get in," he said. "I like little towns where I can walk to get my newspaper in the morning."

Tish Chikotas, who spent 19 years as office manager at the Balloon, clutched the old credit card machine in her hands. "It's something for eBay," she joked.

The demolition site will be fenced and guarded to stop souvenir-seekers. Stone accents from the old building will be incorporated into the facade of its replacement.

"Whatever's left that is salvageable will be made available to the public at some later date," Baeurle said.

The Stone Balloon was opened by Bill Stevenson in 1972. Stevenson said he will miss his former stomping grounds.

"I don't think people will ever realize how much fun we had at this building," he said.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060606&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=60606010&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
A giant claw rips apart a front wall of the former Stone Balloon tavern on East Main Street in Newark on Tuesday. Construction starts in July on the Washington House Condominium, named for the building's first tenant, a hotel.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060607&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606070365&Ref=V2&MaxW=298&border=1
Tiffany Koontz (left), 22, and Sarah Jost, 23, both recent graduates of the University of Delaware, watch as the historic building, once called Merrill's Tavern, comes down.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060607&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606070365&Ref=V3&Profile=1006&title=1

a small article from late 2005 about the stone balloon. this gives a little insight to non-delawareans on how famous the balloon was.

With the December closing of the Stone Balloon, Delaware loses a part of its musical history


When Newark’s Stone Balloon shuts its doors for the final time on Saturday, Dec. 17, it will take with it the memories of more than 33 years of musical performances. But the stories, it seems, have a life of their own.

Founder and former owner Bill Stevenson remembers that sweltering August night in 1974 when a young Bruce Springsteen wouldn’t leave the stage. Elvin Steinberg, who took over the bar in 1985, recalls bumping into Ray Charles in his upstairs dressing room after Charles’ appearance that same year. Current general manager Tim Tully can still picture the 100-plus kids on the roof of what is now the Learning Station, all hoping to get a glimpse of Metallica when they played in 1989.

Today’s customers, many of them UD students, are too young to recall any of these shows. For them the Balloon has come to symbolize Thursday Mug Nights, long lines, overflowing toilets, and DJ dance parties. The thrill of discovering a new band on stage is long gone.

Current owner Jim Baeurle, 42, remembers when Train played the Balloon two years ago. Though it was a sold-out show, Baeurle says only 12 of the tickets were sold to students. “It’s a different kid that goes to the university now,” he states. “It’s a tougher school to get into, and [the students] don’t go out as much. When I went here we’d be at the Balloon three or four nights a week.”

Baeurle will be tearing down the Balloon and replacing it with condos. He says one of the main reasons he decided to close the bar is the lack of support for live music. “It’s dramatically less than what it was 10 years ago,” he says. “When I grew up, you followed a local band wherever they played, because you felt like you needed to support that band. That’s completely evaporated now.”

Baeurle says the immediacy made possible by downloading has also hurt business. “There are so many other ways to get music now,” he says. “People might like a song but they don’t want to invest anything in the band. They don’t even want the album—they just like one song. I can’t tell you how many albums I bought based on one song where I ended up falling in love with the band.”

Mastering the Middle Man

If Baeurle had been running the Balloon in the ’70s and ‘80s, he wouldn’t have had to worry about the fate of live music. It was flourishing, and the Balloon was the best place in Delaware to find it. National acts like Cheap Trick, Hall & Oates, Todd Rundgren, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Average White Band, Canned Heat, and David Crosby all paid visits, while local bands like Jack of Diamonds, Dakota, and Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers cut their teeth in front of packed crowds.

By the mid-‘80s, owner Bill Stevenson, who had run the bar since it opened in February 1972, was facing money troubles. He sold the Balloon to a group of local investors who attempted to transform it into a cabaret-style venue. The makeover didn’t go over well with customers and soon the owners were looking for a way out. They sold the bar to Elvin Steinberg, who quickly restored the Balloon’s reputation for cutting-edge music.

“Elvin Steinberg saved the Balloon,” says Stevenson, now 57, who had a major falling out with the investors. Among the acts Steinberg booked during his tenure: Ray Charles, Joe Jackson, Iggy Pop, Metallica, Joe Walsh, and Violent Femmes. Steinberg also was responsible for bringing in Love Seed Mama Jump, an energetic rock band that quickly won over audiences.

A key to Steinberg’s success during this time was his mastering of the middle agent structure. Middle agents would acquire tour schedules and identify gaps between dates, allowing smaller venues in nearby cities to score big names. For bands, it’s a chance to squeeze in an extra show and make more money.

In his new book, Stone Balloon: The Early Years, Bill Stevenson tells the story of how he almost got the Rolling Stones to play the bar because of this strategy. The band was looking for a nearby location to play a few songs the night before their Philadelphia concert in September 1981 and had contacted the Stone Balloon. Much like the Metallica show years later, there was to be no advertising or mention of the Stones’ appearance, or the gig was off.

The night of the show, Stevenson arrived at JFK Stadium early to meet the band. They were preparing for the following night’s performance, but a wind storm had kicked up, making their sound check impossible. Stevenson hung around for four-and-a-half hours trying to persuade the band to forget about their sound system and come to Newark. At 11:30 p.m., he realized it was a lost cause. “Every time I see something about the Rolling Stones, I think of what could have happened,” he writes.

A Step Up from Other Places

Stevenson writes that the Stones selected the Balloon because of the bar’s reputation as a first-rate rock club. It’s the Balloon’s definitive characteristic over four decades of presenting live music.

“There’s not a better gig in terms of crowd participation,” says Jefe, lead singer and guitarist in Burnt Sienna, a local cover band that started playing the bar in 1997. “A lot of places you’ll play, people are only into it at their own leisure. But at the Balloon, they know what to do from the get-go.”

Tommy Conwell, a former DJ on WYSP whose group, the Young Rumblers, was a popular crowd-draw in the late ‘80s, remembers how well the Balloon treated its bands. “Playing the Balloon was a big deal for a band like us,” he says. “It was a step up from most of the places we had played.” To show his appreciation for the local artists that have played the bar, Baeurle has invited Conwell and all five of the original Rumblers for a headlining performance on the Balloon’s last night.

The death of the club represents not only the loss of a local institution, but a loss for the area’s live music scene. Baeurle expects smaller Newark venues like East End Café and Deer Park Tavern to pick up the slack, but admits it won’t be the same on Main Street. “There’s definitely a void now,” he says.

—The Stone Balloon will hold a three-night farewell beginning with its final Mug Night on Thursday, Dec. 15. A “Newark Locals Goodbye” featuring a book signing with Bill Stevenson and a performance by Club Phred will be held on Friday, Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, the Stone Balloon closes its doors for the final time with “The End of the World as We Know It,” featuring performances by the Snap and Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Tickets for Thursday and Friday are required and will be sold at the door. Tickets for Dec. 17 can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
Train takes the stage at the Stone Balloon, circa 2003 Photo by Rob Gibson

Behind the Balloon

Former owner Bill Stevenson booked Bruce Springsteen to play the Balloon in 1974 after being blown away by The Boss’s performance at New Jersey’s Stone Pony (though Stevenson says the bar itself was a dump). Springsteen was paid just $2,500—considered then to be a huge figure—for a show that lasted five hours and well past closing time.

Meatloaf, who weighed more than 300 pounds during his heavier days, required the use of oxygen tanks during several Balloon performances because of his breathing problems.

As he recalls in his book, Stone Balloon: The Early Years, owner Bill Stevenson had plans to seduce Pat Benatar when she played the club in 1980. Benatar, however, ended up getting engaged to one of her band members the night of her performance.

An unknown Jane’s Addiction opened for Iggy Pop during a show in the late ‘80s, but got booted after urinating on a wall and stage-diving in their underwear during Iggy’s set. They hold the distinction of being the only band that’s ever been kicked out of the Balloon.

During Metallica’s legendary 1989 show, a crowd surge knocked down the metal railings near the stage, leaving exposed nails near the pit. Remembers Tim Tully, who was a doorman at the time: “We had to send all the bouncers and bartenders down there so nobody would get impaled.”

Before Eddie Murphy's musical performance in the early ‘90s, former owner Elvin Steinberg was surprised to see him hanging out inside the Balloon. After a closer look, Steinberg realized it was actually Eddie’s brother Charlie (of Chapelle’s Show), who was busy playing pinball.

Months before Cracked Rear View took off and sold 12 million copies, Hootie & the Blowfish played the Balloon to an audience of about 20 people and were paid just $600.

George Clinton and his P-Funk band were notorious for stealing. Prior to a performance a few years ago, current owner Jim Baeurle was warned by D.C.’s 9:30 Club to lock up any valuables. “We secured everything,” says Baeurle. P-Funk still managed to break into the Balloon’s phone line and run up nearly $400 in long-distance calls.

http://www.out-and-about.com/article.php?articleID=1117

demolition is in progress. i took these pictures this evening.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/5153/dscf4499a6jy.jpg

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/3629/dscf4500a2at.jpg

here's a small rendering of washington house, the condo that will replace the stone balloon. it's a midrise that will have 54 units i believe. the front of the building, which will face main street, is facing the lower left corner in this rendering. the condos will stretch back all the way to delaware avenue.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/6310/stoneballooncondos8xk.jpg

A couple other developments in the state:

The Promenade at Middletown, a mixed use development downtown which will contain low-rises and mid-rises. Retail will line the sidewalks in downtown Middletown, and condos will be on the floors above the retail.

http://premier.homebuilderdev.com/hbbid_images/HB1197_Images/Prom%20cover%20sm.JPG

http://admin.homebuilderdev.com/hbbid_images/HB1197_Images/prom-terrace%20view.JPG

http://admin.homebuilderdev.com/hbbid_images/HB1197_Images/prom-town%20view.JPG


Luxuary condos on the riverfront in Milford. The Mispillon River waterfront has been neglected, and this will turn the riverfront into a more desirable location. The devlopers want to take advantage of the small-town feel of Milford (it is a small town, after all), and will make the condos tie into downtown Milford. A walking path will go over the river and through a proposed nature preserve, aloowing people to walk from the condos to downtown.

http://www.downtownmilford.org/Business%20Directory/FisherHawke.jpg


Dover is also seeing some developments. A convention center has been suggested, and it would host Delaware State basketball, as well as a minor league hockey team if possible. Some midrises are also proposed for Dover, and I even know of one that will begin construction on Lockerman Street soon (can't remember the name, though; "____an Plaza").

I give thumbs down to the Stone Baloon demolition. I really wish the new project would somehow incorporate the century old structure into the new building. Its just sad to see such a delaware landmark go.

the facade is being incorporated into the new condos. they've torn down everything they wanted to tear down, and have left only the very front of the building.

the worst part about seeing the balloon come down is that there's one less bar in newark for the college kids, and one of the better ones at that. the new kids will never experience a mug night on thursdays. preserving the facade is nice for historic reasons, but it would've been even nicer to see the balloon still around so that ud was just like it was when i went to school there (2000-2004). the stone balloon was a dump, but it was our dump. (i said this same exact thing when the vet came down a couple years ago).

i'll have to stop by in newark and take a picture of the balloon as it sits now. i drove by it a couple nights ago, but i didn't have my camera and it wouldn't have turned out as nice since it was dark.

the facade is being incorporated into the new condos. they've torn down everything they wanted to tear down, and have left only the very front of the building.
Sounds like a great blend of "old and new". I'm sure this project will definitely turn some heads.

Sounds like a great blend of "old and new". I'm sure this project will definitely turn some heads.

unfortunately, the rendering up near the top of the page isn't too big, so you can't see the facade incorporated into the building. in fact, it doesn't even look like they put the facade into the rendering.

here's a picture of a rendering, which was hung up on the stone balloon sign outside of the building.

http://www.newarking.com/images/balloon/2balloon.jpg

They have now torn down everything they wanted to tear down of the Stone Balloon. All that is left is the stone facade from the Washington House Tavern that existed a hundred or more years ago.

From this in November:
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/113/dscf2898a8by.jpg

To this yesterday, June 16:
http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7766/dscf4615a5lu.jpg

I'm going to miss the Balloon.

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/6078/dscf3005a6nj.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/2811/dscf2943a5jl.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/9086/dscf3016a8ak.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/2154/dscf3017a3vo.jpg

renovations to rehoboth beach's downtown and main road are complete.

Rehoboth dedicates downtown
Merchants happy 4-year revitalization project is over


REHOBOTH BEACH -- With the dust settled, the mud puddles evaporated and the sun shining in a cloudless blue sky Friday, Rehoboth Beach officials were more than ready to cut the ribbon on the city's new downtown business district.

The trauma of four winters of construction and the stresses of finding the money to complete the $34.05 million downtown revitalization left Mayor Sam Cooper temporarily at a loss for words.

"What a glorious day," he said, over and over. Then, as the words came back: "It's been a long time coming."

Area merchants couldn't have agreed more.

"We're thrilled to death that the project is almost over," said Trey Kraus, the owner of Carlton's, a Rehoboth Avenue clothing store. "I was just reviewing some old photos ... the difference is extraordinary."

Kraus said although his business suffered during the construction, the end result provides much more space for pedestrians.

"We're really excited about the future ... the architectural details ... really set this downtown streetscape apart," he said.

The project has been a decade in the making, starting when Rehoboth Beach Main Street, the nonprofit downtown association, urged city officials to undertake a revitalization of the central business district.

Even before that, city officials repeatedly talked about burying the unsightly tangle of overhead power lines that hung over Rehoboth Avenue.

Cooper said city officials repeatedly asked for price quotes on burying the utilities but were always stopped by the expense. But with a massive downtown revitalization, city commissioners also decided it was time to upgrade the infrastructure of Rehoboth Avenue, he said.

"I'm still awed with the view without the power lines and poles," Cooper, a lifelong native of Rehoboth Beach, said.

He said he looks at this project as a once-in-a-lifetime retrofit that should keep the city current for the next 50 years. The last time the city underwent a significant renovation of Rehoboth Avenue was when the railroad tracks were removed from the center of Rehoboth Avenue, he said. That was sometime after 1928, when passenger train service ceased in the city. Train tracks down the center of Rehoboth Avenue still appear in a map of Rehoboth Beach from 1938.

Gone with this project are the overhead utilities, the mature crab apple trees in the center of Rehoboth Avenue, the hundreds of individual parking meter posts and the old concrete bandstand -- built in the months after the destructive March storm of 1962. The new streetscape starts with a traffic roundabout at the main entrance to Rehoboth Beach complete with a replica of the old Cape Henlopen lighthouse in the center. The view to the ocean is almost unobstructed. The individual meters are replaced by specialized, digital meters every few feet. The crab apples have been replaced by smaller trees.

An open pavilion, with seating that faces the ocean, takes the place of the old concrete bandstand.

On Friday, as the project was dedicated, the Cape Henlopen High School Jazz Band had the honor of being the first to play in the new pavilion. Their opening number was "The Star-Spangled Banner." Once the dedication was over, they played big-band favorites that harkened back to the days when Rehoboth Beach was the fashionable resort for Washingtonians and the late Sammy Ferro's big band played nightly at the old Henlopen Hotel a few blocks to the north.

The streetscape project started in September 2002 with breaks each summer. For many merchants, the most arduous part of the massive job came in October 2004, when work started on the final two sections from Second Street east to the boardwalk.

By some estimates, businesses that stayed open during the fall, winter and spring construction period saw business fall off by as much as 28 percent.

And last year, city officials were worried that the final phase of the project would not be finished because of state funding shortfalls.

Cooper gave special thanks to Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., for his help securing federal dollars to complete the work.

"Without you, we would have been sitting here with our thumbs somewhere, I guess," Cooper said.

State transportation officials provided $16.3 million for the project, the city paid $10 million and the federal government provided $7.75 million, said Carolann Wicks, state secretary of transportation.

Carper said although Rehoboth is known as the Nation's Summer Capital, "we really haven't had a boulevard worthy of that."

The improvements changed that.

"Wow!" he said, as he looked over the finished project. "What a boulevard. What a street."

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060617&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606170332&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Citizens attend the dedication ceremony Friday for Rehoboth Beach's new downtown business district. The project cost $34.05 million.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060617&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606170332&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Scott Rafferty of Virginia Beach, Va., attends the event many people have waited for years to occur.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060617&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606170332&Ref=H3&Profile=1006&title=1
Officials cut the ribbon at Friday's event, but funding concerns had some worried last year that the project wouldn't be completed.


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060617/NEWS/606170332/1006

dare i say that Alison Blyth (owner of that fish 'n chips joint) has a MILF factor? i'll sticky this, btw.

Rehoboth is my hometown.. I can't wait to get down and see all the new renovations.

dare i say that Alison Blyth (owner of that fish 'n chips joint) has a MILF factor? i'll sticky this, btw.

thanks for pinning this. it looks like this will generate some interest as it is drawing some attention from non-delawareans (albeit some are former delawareans).

I've been looking for renderings of the midrise condos and hotels that are planned for downtown Dover, but haven't found any yet. I did find an old article about the plan on building several midrises in Dover:


Developer wants hotels in Dover


DOVER — When developer Michael Zimmerman talks about the capital city’s downtown, he still has visions of a bustling area with condos and a hotel.

But the leap from vision to reality is still tied up in the art of the deal, and Zimmerman says he’s still amassing the downtown property he needs to make things happen.

“It takes time,” said Zimmerman, who, for instance, is still negotiating to close a July purchase of the Loockerman Street building that once housed the Dover Newsstand. “You just have to keep going until you have enough to make something happen.”

Zimmerman said he’s looking at a city block on Loockerman Street that once housed the newsstand and former Capitol Office and Supply Co. building as the site for a 75- to 100-unit apartment and condo complex. He said the project might include some ground-floor retail footage, but he’s leaning more toward residential development.

“There’s plenty of retail space downtown already,” he said. “We need to start generating the kind of foot traffic that will create a need to fill that space.”

Mary Skelton, a member of Main Street Dover’s board of directors, said she agrees with the notion of bringing residential development downtown.

“He’s got a good track record of getting things done when you look at the office buildings he’s already done, the dorms at Wesley College and his plans for that area,” she said. “We do need residential development downtown with a good mix of housing and diversity, and it sounds like it would bring that.”

Zimmerman’s development company recently completed Malmberg Hall, Wesley College’s new 90-room “wellness dorm,” that requires students living in it to agree to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Zimmerman’s plans also call for an annex for the college at South Governor’s Avenue and Division Street.

“We’ve got a lot of plans in various stages of development for downtown,” he said.

Zimmerman’s plans for the Capitol Office and Supply Co. site originally called for a downtown hotel, but parking was a problem.

Now he’s shifted his sights to the Citizens Bank building at State and Loockerman streets.

“If I can get my investors to go along with it, we’d build onto that,” Zimmerman said. “We could get a Hotel du Pont effect in downtown Dover.”

If that plan fails, Zimmerman said, he still wants to build a 20- to 50-unit hotel downtown.

“You get people who are coming down here for the General Assembly and on government business as well as parents coming to visit their kids in college, and it will be convenient for them,” he said.

Skelton, who also is executive director of the Kent County Tourism Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she thinks Zimmerman’s plans won’t overtax the market.

“I think a plan including retail and a hotel downtown is a very, very good mix,” she said. “Mike is a good businessman who knows how to market his properties.”

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20051012&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=51012003&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Developer Michael Zimmerman wants to build a hotel at State and Loockerman streets in Dover.

--------------------------------

Here is another article on Collegian Plaza, to be built on Lockerman street in downtown.

Zimmerman planning downtown condo project


Though Mike Zimmerman’s long-awaited Collegian Hotel won’t be built where the developer had originally planned it, he’s moving forward with a new project on the site.

A 144-unit mixed apartment/condo complex has been discussed with planning officials, Zimmerman said, and a sign now rests in front of its future home.

To be built on the former Capitol Office site and its two adjacent lots at 114-B W. Loockerman and the Dover Newsstand property, which the developer now owns, the seven-story brick building would feature retail shops on the first level and a 188-space underground parking garage.

“It’s going to be a really good-looking building,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman’s previous plan called for a six-story combination condo/garage complex and an adjacent hotel/apartment complex, to be called The Collegian.

The combination project didn’t work because the developer would’ve needed a more spacious site, he said.

“It’s not that it hasn’t worked out, we just haven’t secured the right location,” he said. “I know where I want it to go, I guess I just have to pace myself sometimes.”

Since the Downtown Dover Development Corporation didn’t award the developer a site next to The Duncan Center for a proposed luxury apartment complex, he wanted to move on a project that would address home ownership.

“We’ve seen study after study … it’s like paralysis by analysis,” he said. “They all say the same thing – that we need to see more people living downtown.”

Getting people downtown important

Mayor Steve Speed said both the hotel and apartment/condo complex have advantages.

“With condos, you get home ownership and year-round, consistent occupancy,” he said, “and those folks would tend to frequent business right down the street.”

Having a hotel downtown would bring people who don’t live in Dover to the downtown businesses, which would hopefully pique their interest, Speed said.

“I guess it all just depends on what effect you’re looking for,” he said.

Dover Hardware owner Bob Berglund said it doesn’t matter which project is built, as long as it attracts more people to Downtown Dover.

“Anything that is going to bring that much density in a small space and you get people, great,” he said.

Zimmerman said the project must go through the Historic District and Dover Planning commissions before he proceeds with demolition and construction.

He has applied for a demolition permit for the 114-B property and plans to do so for the Dover Newsstand property.

In other Zimmerman news, the Dover Planning Commission approved the developer’s privatized student center project.

Two, four-story buildings will be situated at the southeast and northwest corners of Division Street and Governors Avenue.

The $3 million buildings, which will be named Z-Annex and M-Annex halls in honor of the developer and his partner for the project, Constantine Malmberg III, will house retailers catering to Wesley College students on the first floors and apartments on the remaining three.

Additional townhouses could be built adjacent to the buildings to address the homeownership issue, but are not a part of the approved plan, Zimmerman said.

“I’ve pledged to help do whatever needs to be done to address the issue,” he said. “I’m working on acquiring additional sites in that area.”

Pending City Council approval, because the sites must be re-zoned, Zimmerman said, construction should begin in six months.

Here's an article from The News Journal about developers building self-sufficient, walkable towns below the canal. The M.O.T. area is where the most growth in general is taking place, and it's also the area where most of these walkable towns are proposed.


Can old, new Main Streets get along?
Activists fear developments will sabotage revival efforts


Officials approving new -- but old-fashioned -- developments often exult their promise: self-sustaining communities where residents can walk from their front porches to the supermarket, pharmacy or park.

On another day, the same leaders extol efforts at downtown revitalization, encouraging folks to return to the city center to shop and eat on Main Street.

The contradiction seems inherent -- and it troubles community activists in the Middletown area, where both types of building are moving forward.

Huge new subdivisions such as Westown and Bayberry are planned for open tracts on the outskirts of town in what is known as the "neotraditional" style.

They include a mix of housing and neighborhood-type retail stores, with front porches, sidewalks, gazebos and plenty of space for parks.

The idea is to erect "walkable" communities that will curb traffic and sprawl by keeping residents from needing to leave their neighborhoods for milk or a haircut.

The question is, though: How do they mesh with coinciding efforts to revive downtowns such as Middletown's Main Street? Could residents be left with a Main Street that no one supports surrounded by clusters of expensive housing built around miniature town centers?

"It's a real risk that the offerings that they are putting forward as 'amenities' are in reality going to thwart the efforts of the Main Street revitalization in Middletown," said Leann Ferguson, vice president of the Southern New Castle County Alliance, a civic group that monitors land use south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.

She questions whether the southern New Castle County market can support existing retail and proposed commercial development in the new communities.

Lorraine Dion, Middletown's Main Street manager, isn't worried, though.

"They're trying to recreate our downtown," she said. "We have a structure that's here already. ... People are going to come. They love to have a center of their community."

Ferguson is left wondering whether the center of Westown won't be competing with the center of Middletown.

"I want to see numbers. I want to see some real consultant studies about what is really sustainable," she said.

New Urbanism

The potential clash is a national issue developing since the neotraditional developments gained momentum in the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the New Urbanism reaction to sprawl. The movement aims to create compact communities where people can live, work, shop and play without getting into their cars.

That is supposed to be a better lifestyle than cookie-cutter tract housing carved around cul-de-sacs where children have no parks to play in and parents have little option but to drive to strip centers along traffic-clogged highways.

The New Urban vision was linked to cities large and small. Advocates wanted to build new neighborhoods to draw people and money back to their center cities, where suburban flight had left vacant storefronts, empty office buildings and deteriorating housing. Officials in places such as Providence, R.I., embraced the movement and now tout its successes.

But much of the development under the New Urban label -- including most of Delaware's -- isn't in cities.

Rather than creating new homes through redevelopment or infill, builders are erecting massive neighborhoods on corn and soybean fields far from true urban centers, although often close to what used to be small rural centers.

And that, critics say, is just sprawl gussied up in a fancier package.

It is what bothers Ferguson about Bayberry and Westown, two huge integrated communities designed to be self-sustaining.

The Village of Bayberry is a planned 2,500-home community on 1,600 acres of farmland straddling Boyds Corner Road several miles north of Middletown. Developer Jay Sonecha plans two mixed-housing neighborhoods and a town center with homes, offices, retail and community space.

At the same time, Rick Woodin's Westown project calls for a mixed-use development on 2,500 acres off U.S. 301 on greenfields that Middletown annexed.

Supporters say that such communities on open land don't constitute sprawl if built correctly, noting there isn't enough land in cities available for infill development to meet the demand of the housing market.

And that means there is a need to build on greenfields, they argue. The key is building self-sustaining villages -- in other words, creating new urban areas.

New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner, a smart-growth advocate, said building residential and commercial together will contain growth.

"We have to stop building the suburban sprawl shopping centers on the outskirts that gut, take the heart out of downtown," he said.

Southern New Castle County Alliance President Chuck Mulholland said building neotraditional projects in the wrong place, particularly far outside town, could be disastrous for the small businessman.

"You can only build so much commercial," he said. "You can overshoot and end up ruining things for more than just yourself."

Tidying up Main Street

At risk is Middletown's budding effort to spruce up and support the businesses hanging on along Main Street.

The town is in the midst of a $3.5 million to $4 million streetscape project. When complete, Main Street's utility lines will be underground and visitors will walk by old-fashioned streetlights on restored brick sidewalks.

Dion, who is working with property owners to recruit and retain a successful mix of niche businesses, also organizes monthly special events to bring residents and visitors downtown for music, art, food and shopping.

She thinks one new project, Chetty Builders' Promenade, may help, serving as a magnet to draw shoppers -- and residents -- to the old town center.

Chetty plans a $75 million, 18-acre project on East Main Street between Catherine Street and the post office. Designs call for 10 movie screens with up to 200 seats each, upscale retail shops, restaurants and 273 condominiums. In addition to retailers such as Talbots and Old Navy, Chetty executives have said they hope to attract a grocer, a fitness club and a popular chain coffee shop.

Another project calls for a 32-lane bowling alley in the Middletown Square Shopping Center on North Broad Street. The $15 million project, dubbed Mid-County Lanes, is the work of builder Verino Pettinaro and the management group at First State Lanes in Fox Point. They also have suggested incorporating bumper cars and miniature golf.

Dion thinks projects such as Chetty's Promenade could help Middletown's Main Street businesses. Shoppers could walk from the project to downtown, where they would find a mix of unique businesses.

Dion sees the Bayberry and Westown developers' efforts to duplicate a Main Street business district in their neighborhoods as a recognition of downtown's value.

"What it shows to me is the approach works," she said. "I don't look at it as competition."

The difference is the type of businesses. Dion's vision for Main Street is a mix of specialty shops and cafes, unique and personalized merchandise and service that shoppers won't find at the chain or big box stores the projects likely will attract.

But Dave Carter, a community activist and alliance member, fears the new projects could draw customers away from Main Street.

"There's this mad race that everybody is going to develop everywhere, and I think we are getting to a saturation point," he said.

Weiner said the answer is building in the right places.

"You can't stop growth," he said. "They think that the answer is to say 'no' to growth period, whether it is infill or whether it is greenfield."

Weiner advocates New Urban projects if they are done correctly. He sees flaws in some Delaware efforts, considering them hybrids of traditional neighborhood developments because they are not transit-oriented, lack affordable housing or are missing other key elements.

"You have to understand all the components," he said.

The answer, he said, is to regulate better to ensure the right kind of development.

"These projects are not for everyone. They are not for every place," Weiner said.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060620&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606200358&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Christa and Louis Pederson were among the people drawn to Middletown's Main Street on Friday for "An Evening of the Arts."

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060620&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606200358&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Karen Somerville sings jazz and gospel during "An Evening of the Arts" on Friday in Middletown.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060620&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606200358&Ref=H3&Profile=1006&title=1
Lester Barrett sings at "An Evening of the Arts." The event brought people to Main Street in Middletown.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060620&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606200358&Ref=V4&Profile=1006&title=1
Rendering depicts proposed 2,500-home mixed-use community.


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060620/NEWS/606200358

Here's an article from a couple months ago about the Village of Bayberry. It will be a massive construction, and the population of the town will be 6000 by the time it's done. The Village of Bayberry will feature a 70+ acre public park, and over 8 miles of walking paths to connect places within the community to each other. Retail will also be included in the development to make the place self-sufficient.

It has to be a typo where they say a 2400 foot high sledding hill will be built. the highest point in Delaware is 448 feet. Maybe they mean 2 400 foot high hills? Even those will be pretty big for Delaware.

Bayberry would include park and grocery
Labeling his idea 'smart growth,' developer dismisses residents' concerns about flooding, strained infrastructure


Developer Jay Sonecha found his field of dreams on 1,600 acres of corn and soybeans in southern New Castle County.

He and his business-partner wife, Kashmira, spent a decade acquiring land and planning what they envision as a new phase in Delaware development: a self-sustaining community where residents of all ages and income levels can walk to schools, stores, doctors' offices, parks and civic centers.

Sonecha will soon present plans for The Village of Bayberry to County Council for final approval. His company, Blenheim Homes, aims to break ground by year's end.

If approved, the 2,500-home Bayberry would be one of the state's largest subdivisions, transforming the land straddling Boyds Corner Road into a 6,000-person community -- 20 times that of nearby Odessa.

The project -- which has a senior community with assisted living and nursing care, 70-acre central park, academic campus, grocery store and eight miles of walking and bicycling paths -- will take a decade to complete.

County Council members approved preliminary plans in October 2004. Sonecha still is working out details, including cost of the homes.

Supporters hail Bayberry as an example of "smart growth,'' which aims to reduce problems caused by sprawl and the sort of development favored by Livable Delaware, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's long-range land-use policy.

Critics label it the "City of Bayberry," charging the mammoth project will overwhelm already stressed roads, schools and other infrastructure.

"We don't like it because, ultimately, we have to answer a question of what the impact will be on residents of Delaware," said Leann Ferguson, vice president of the Southern New Castle County Alliance civic group.

But Sonecha sees it as better than the decades of unplanned sprawl that have left Delaware with disconnected clusters of vehicle-dependent subdivisions and strip malls.

"It's really change they are resisting," Sonecha said. "This isn't a question of, 'The development won't occur.' It's what type of development will occur."

Ambitious plans

Inspired by master-planned communities such as Celebration, Fla., and Kentlands in Gaithersburg, Md., Bayberry includes two mixed-housing neighborhoods and a Town Center with homes, offices, retail and community space.

The neighborhoods, one on each side of Boyds Corner Road, would range from apartment/condominiums and town homes to 4,000-square-foot houses. Of their 1,300 acres, 600 would be open space.

A 70-acre park includes two lakes, 2,400-foot-high sledding hill, soccer fields, tennis courts, trails, a clubhouse with pool and neighborhood pocket parks. Sonecha would reforest 100 acres and plant 85,000 trees and shrubs. The north side would have smaller lots, grid-like streets and an area similar to the University of Delaware mall.

Bayberry has won the backing of the Delaware Institute for Planning & Design. In a 2004 letter to County Council, the group called the project "a worthy example from the school of neotraditional design" that will "protect the environment and the landscape.''

Flooding feared

Critics have trouble picturing how such a massive project could fit in their rural community. Their unimproved country roads already are congested, their classrooms overcrowded. During heavy rains, runoff from the Bayberry fields flood their streets and yards. They worry about drainage nightmares after homes and asphalt cover the farmland.

Joe English, whose home is across Shallcross Lake Road from the Bayberry property, pulled out stacks of photographs showing water rushing across Shallcross to his Greylag neighborhood. "For every gallon we get now, it looks like we will get 16 gallons" once the land is developed, English said.

Sonecha argues his drainage system will improve the neighbors' storm-water problems.

He plans to recharge 50 million gallons a year by catching and running water into the ground rather than off-site. More than 3 miles of landscaped depressions in the ground would funnel water to the lake or other facilities. He would plant 5,000 rain tanks to collect retention pond overflow.

'Fair share' of road costs

Project opponents such as English and Ferguson don't trust the plan will work, pointing to stormwater problems at Sonecha's Bay Pointe neighborhood a few miles north. Nor do they think roads could handle the traffic from 6,000 residents.

The Institute for Planning & Design also wants to see detailed transportation plans. Road upgrades, members said, need to occur before or shortly after development begins -- not after problems start. Sonecha touts his road plans, which he has refined since the group's 2004 review. Plans include fixing existing trouble spots, such as a dogleg on Shallcross near Grand View Farms, and improving sight distance at a difficult turn. He will pay to rebuild a half-mile of public road.

But Ferguson likens Sonecha's written agreement with state transportation officials to a "blank check," saying its vague language may leave the burden on taxpayers.

The deal calls for Sonecha to pay a "proportionate share'' of road improvement costs based on traffic created by his project.

There are no dollar figures because the timing is premature, he said, noting the pending decision on upgrading U.S. 301. The route chosen will affect Boyds Corner Road's projected traffic counts. "Jay, like the other developers in the area, is going to pay his fair share," attorney Pam Scott said.

Wilton plan fizzled

A project of such a large scale has another danger -- that it won't build out to its promise.

Thirty years ago, developers had a similar dream for Wilton, east of Bear. Leon Weiner & Associates planned 3,200 single-family homes, apartments and town houses and a school, shopping mall, town center, pool and tennis courts. Residents would have to leave only for work.

The project stalled and some land was sold to other builders. Without the anticipated population, the Colonial School District opted not to build a school, and condos went up instead.

In the late 1980s, Weiner tore down the town center, tennis courts and pool, saying residents weren't using them and they were costing him money.

Today, the 1970s dream of a self-sustaining community is a Wal-Mart bordered by apartments and town homes.

Sonecha said his phased project -- averaging about 250 homes a year -- will adjust with the market. And he promised to deliver on amenities, saying the park will be built early on.

The developer said most people haven't seen anything like Bayberry, so they don't know what to expect.

The completed project, he said, will speak for itself.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060406&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=604060365&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
An artist's rendering depicts the proposed Village of Bayberry.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060406&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=604060365&Ref=H1&Profile=1006&title=1
The proposal awaits New Castle County Council's approval.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060406&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=604060365&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
This area near Joe English's home off Shallcross Lake Road, across from the proposed Village of Bayberry, is prone to flooding. "For every gallon we get now, it looks like we will get 16 gallons" once the land is developed, English said.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060406&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=604060365&Ref=V3&Profile=1006&title=1


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060406/NEWS/604060365

weddings are helping the beach towns' economy greatly. beach weddings have been getting very popular in the past 5 or 10 years, and the beach towns still don't take advantage of it and advertise in the region about the possibilities of beach weddings.

Saying a sandy 'I do'
Wedding bells mean dollar signs for businesses at the beach


Right now, stressed-out brides-to-be around the country are dreaming of the day they will stand before the rolling surf, hold hands with their man, and vow their abiding love -- with their feet planted firmly in Delaware sand.

Until then, there's plenty of money to be spent -- rooms to rent, flowers to buy, photographers to hire and limos to line up -- and plenty of money to be made.

Delaware's resorts are increasingly looking to weddings as a big-ticket moneymaker -- and constantly seeking ways to make the market even bigger. Someday, tourism promoters hope, Delaware will be known as the destination for weddings in the mid-Atlantic.

In many ways, businesses argue, it already is. Some hotels that cater to weddings are sold out for the year, and more businesses are tailoring their services and goods to the wedding market.

"I think the catering has really expanded because of beach weddings," said Sally Green, a wedding planner at Silk & Sands Florists in Lewes. "There's more photographers. There's just more of everything."

In other ways, merchants say, Delaware is missing out on a chance to make the beach-wedding industry even bigger by failing to make its marriage laws friendly to out-of-state residents and by not being more aggressive in spreading the word.

Either way, there's a lot of money at stake. Weddings held at beaches and other resorts -- known as "destination weddings" -- account for nearly one in five weddings or 408,000 a year, according to The Wedding Report, which publishes annual industry statistics. Their appeal is tied partly to couples' increasing affluence, said Karen O'Neill, director of the Southern Delaware Tourism group. As couples marry later in life, disposable income rises, and "destination" locales gain allure.

For 2006, the average U.S. wedding is predicted to cost $26,800 -- not including all the money spent by guests. Weddings are expected to contribute $60.8 billion to the economy this year. All that potential profit creates formidable competition among destinations.

Web sites such as Weddingsatthebeaches.com and Delawarebeachweddings.com aim to help brides -- and in turn, Delaware businesses -- by guiding them toward services. This year, Lewes resident Nancy Stenger Joseph created a guide called Delaware Beach Weddings for circulation at bridal shows. The response was good enough to prompt plans for two more issues next year.

"It's the first thing I've ever done where I had advertisers calling me after it came out and grumbling, 'Why didn't someone call me?' That just doesn't happen in advertising," she said.

The marketing efforts do strike their target among brides, who see the Delaware resorts as a wedding destination that's economically appealing, geographically well-situated and even romantically inclined, wedding planners and beach promoters say.

"It felt like home in a way to me," said bride-to-be Kristi Dietrich, a Pittsburgh resident whose wedding is set for Oct. 5 in Rehoboth. She has spent vacations there since childhood, and saw Rehoboth as a good "neutral" location for both families. "It's a very calming place. It's not as overwhelming a place as Ocean City," Md.

While the Delaware beach-wedding phenomenon isn't new, it is becoming an increasingly important facet of business, merchants and innkeepers say, even during normally busy summer months. "I'll tell ya, July is a nightmare," Green said. "I get calls every day for weddings, and people needing help with resources."

Some beach businesses specifically target the wedding market, but the potential for profits at an array of beach businesses has caught the attention of the local chamber of commerce and tourist groups. "It just keeps trickling down," said O'Neill, whose group won a Governor's Tourism Award last month for promoting the beach as a wedding destination.

Using the airwaves

The opportunity for even more Sussex-style promotion has even gained the attention of those in the county building in Georgetown, where Clerk of the Peace George Parish uses open-air time at a local radio station to tout his "memorable marriage" ceremonies, held "anytime, anywhere, any day of the week."

The office officiated about 450 weddings last year, only some of which were at the beach.

At the Corner Cupboard Inn in Rehoboth, where brides and grooms can stroll back to their reception after a seaside ceremony, innkeeper Leslie Inkster says Delaware's strengths lie in its relatively noncommercial ambience. Others point to the beach's solid reputation as a destination for top-notch food and safe fun.

"We've had a lot of people trying to do this from California," she said, noting that Delaware is seen as a good central coastal location, "and it's a nice beach. It's not Ocean City, it's not Virginia Beach."

Resort towns say they work to be as accommodating as possible. In Rehoboth, city officials ask only that couples give them notice, and follow a few rules -- no amplified music, no tiki torches, no alcohol, no catering, according to Greg Ferrese, Rehoboth city manager.

"Usually the people on the beach are very, very, very accommodating," said the Rev. Rodney Palmer, who has 61 weddings on the beach scheduled this summer. "They usually just slide right out of the way."

But in the end, making Delaware's resorts a wedding destination depends on a willingness to more actively foster that growth.

'A little intimidating'

For one, Delaware's laws are seen as unwittingly interfering with the beach wedding business.

"For out-of-staters, it's a little intimidating to get the license sometimes, because you have to come in person," Stenger Joseph said. Marriage licenses expire after 30 days, and there's a four-day waiting period for nonresidents, demands that don't help make Delaware weddings easier for a couple that's already facing a tight schedule and budget, Palmer said.

"There's some sentiment that we should maybe take another look at this," said Parish, Sussex's clerk of the peace, possibly as part of next year's legislative agenda.

And many business owners and wedding professionals said more facilities are needed, including large venues that could compensate for hotels that see weddings as a less profitable option than other events.

For instance, conventions drive profits at the Atlantic Sands hotel in Rehoboth, said Tim Goff, director of sales and marketing, "so we have to turn away a lot of weddings. ... Hotel-wise, there's not many places that can accommodate a wedding."

Delaware's image in the nation's conscious could also use some burnishing. "When I think of Delaware, I don't think of romance," said Kathryn Gabriel Loving, a New Mexico author whose "100 Best U.S. Wedding Destinations" never came close to Delaware.

"People like uniqueness, so if you can bring out the uniqueness of the area" and promote it, that image could improve, said Shane McMurray, who runs The Wedding Report.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060624&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606240311&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Monique Roberson and Sie Langley, both of Baltimore, exchange wedding vows earlier this month at Rehoboth Beach.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060624&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606240311&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Monique Roberson's father, Keith, leads her down a sandy aisle in Rehoboth Beach. In Rehoboth, city officials ask only that couples give them notice, and follow a few rules, its city manager said.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060624/NEWS/606240311/1006

this is off topic, but relevant. i felt it was worthy enough to post about, yet didn't merit a new thread.

the delmarva peninsula has been getting walloped with rain in the past 3 or 4 days. sunday was the worst, with up to 11 inches on rain in one day falling in the area. the weather channel was reporting live from seaford this afternoon and evening, because of the widespread flooding.

here's an article and some pictures of the flooding. more pictures will most likely be available tomorrow, wince the rain has continued and so has the flooding.

Storm wallops Sussex
Rescue crews turn to boats to reach some trapped motorists, residents


Jack English knew he was in trouble early Sunday morning.

He kept waking up to the sound of his Seaford basement sump pump trying to keep up with the downpour outside.

As dawn broke, it got worse.

At first, he found a few inches of water on his basement floor.

Then, all of a sudden, things changed fast. His backyard was completely flooded and the rising water blew out his basement window. Water started pouring in.

"It sounded like a waterfall," he said.

In no time at all, his 8-foot-high basement was full and another foot or two of water filled his back door entrance.

"I was evacuated by the fire department," he said.

It didn't take long for English to head back home to assess the damage and begin cleaning up.

He had a pump going, sucking out the water from his basement. "I'll probably be here all night," he said.

Sunday's storm started around 3 a.m. with the typical thunder and lightning of a humid, early summer storm.

Then, it rained and rained and rained.

Over the course of six to eight hours, 7 inches fell in Bridgeville, more than 8 inches in Georgetown and nearly 6 inches in Laurel.

Ronnie Marvel, a spokesman for the Seaford Fire Company, said the rain woke him up three or four times in the early morning.

The fire company had its first official sign of trouble at 7:30 a.m., when a crew responded to a call about a person trapped in a car by rising water.

Conditions were so bad, Marvel said, the crew couldn't reach the person. "A lot of the roads were impassable," he said.

As the morning went on and the rain continued to fall, rescue crews turned to boats to help the stranded.

An estimated 300 people were evacuated from homes at Mobile Gardens, Holly View and Hastings Estates mobile home parks off Brickyard Road southeast of Blades.

Among them were Tyesha Ross, 15 and her brother, Tyrone, 14.

"It kept raining nonstop," said Tyrone, a student at Seaford Middle School. Out on the street, "the cars were floating."

The brother and sister went out and found the water was up to their waists.

They knew it was time to leave when the power went out, said Tyesha, a student at Seaford High School. They were rescued by boat and taken to a temporary shelter at the Blades Fire Department.

"People who lived there a long time, they said they'd never seen anything like this before," Tyesha said.

Growing concern

Nearby, Juanita Roman woke up about 9 a.m.

"All I saw was water," she said.

She and her husband, Jamie, managed to walk out of their neighborhood to waiting fire crews. They had their dog, Swende, and a kitten, Silk. They waited at the firehouse for Jamie Roman's father to arrive.

Juanita Roman said it could take several days before power and water are restored in the area off U.S. 13.

Meanwhile, in Seaford, concern grew throughout the day as water levels rose in the Nanticoke River and nearby Williams Pond. As a precaution, 110 residents of Lifecare at Lofland Park rehabilitation center were evacuated to nearby Nanticoke Memorial Hospital.

The worry was that a dam at the pond might not hold and would cause flooding at the rehabilitation center.

The pond is connected to Hearns Pond upstream.

So much water was flowing into Hearns Pond that state environmental officials, who manage the area, were keeping a close eye on the dam there. It washed out in August 2001 after an 8-inch rainfall.

At the Seaford Wal-Mart, a team of Swift Water Rescuers from nearby Salisbury, Md., helped rescue people trapped in the parking lot. Water was up to the tops of some cars.

By 9 a.m., Mary Lukaszewski looked outside to see pools of water were creeping toward her home. Her rain gauge showed 7.83 inches of accumulation.

"We are surrounded by water," said Lukaszewski, one of dozens of weather watchers for The News Journal. "I've got sea gulls on my front lawn right now."

'It's pouring'

The soybean fields around her home on the Seashore Highway between Bridgeville and Georgetown were under water, retaining ponds were overflowing, and storm ditches were backing up, she said.

"It's pouring -- I am watching the rain gauge and it looks like a meter at a gas tank," Lukaszewski said. "It's just a torrential rain."

Sunday's downpour in Sussex County and neighboring areas in Maryland was the culmination of a weekend marked by wet weather. Several motorists were trapped in their cars on flooded roads, and firefighters were forced to use boats to rescue people from their homes.

According to the University of Delaware's weather monitoring network, 8.36 inches of rain fell in Georgetown; 5.88 inches fell at the Laurel Airport and 7 inches fell at the Bridgeville wastewater treatment plant.

As much as 11.4 inches fell at Federalsburg, Md., just west of Seaford, according to the National Weather Service.

All that rain flooded fields and drainage ditches and caused a rising stream of water in the Nanticoke River and its tributaries. As a precaution, highway crews blocked several bridges.

Eventually, bridges at Craigs Mill Road and Woodland Road washed out, said Sussex County spokesman Chip Guy. In addition, the road crossing Williams Pond and the bridge at Hearns Pond were closed.

When Hearns Pond's dam broke during a summer storm in August 2001, millions of gallons of water rushed through and ripped away a section of U.S. 13A. The road was rebuilt, however, as was the dam.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060626&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606260355&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
DelDot crews work earlier today on Sussex 542, which was washed out during the storm.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060626&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606260355&Ref=V1&Profile=1006&title=1
Railroad tracks that have been undermined by floodwater and trucks are strewn Monday along the banks of Craigs Mill Pond in Seaford.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060626&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606260355&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Sunday's deluge forced hundreds of Seaford-area residents out of their homes, including those at Mobile Gardens east of Blades.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060626&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606260355&Ref=H3&Profile=1006&title=1
Water rushes over the road at Williams Pond Dam in Seaford on Sunday, prompting the precautionary evacuation of a nearby rehabilitation center. Environmental officials were keeping a close eye on Hearns Dam, upstream, which washed out after similar heavy rains in 2001.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060626&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606260355&Ref=V4&Profile=1006&title=1
A Salisbury, Md., special operations team helps evacuate people from the Wal-Mart in Seaford on Sunday as they move across the store's flooded parking lot with an inflated raft. By late afternoon, most roads leading into and out of Seaford were closed, according to the Delaware Department of Transportation.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060626/NEWS/606260355/1006

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and here are some pictures from a photo gallery online:


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060625&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=606250804&Ref=PH&Item=1&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Alisza Phares, 11, left, and Megan Hibbs, 11, paddle around their neighborhood, Wilmar Village, after rain flooded the community Sunday.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060625&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=606250804&Ref=PH&Item=2&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
A Salisbury, Md., special operations team uses an inflatable raft to move Wal-Mart workers from the building across the flooded parking lot Sunday in Seaford.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060625&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=606250804&Ref=PH&Item=3&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
An SUV was stranded Sunday in the flooded parking lot of Wal-Mart on U.S. 13 in Seaford.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060625&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=606250804&Ref=PH&Item=4&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Traffic attempts to navigate Stein Highway in Seaford as flood waters pour onto the highway from an adjacent field Sunday.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060625&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=606250804&Ref=PH&Item=5&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
A stranded car gets a push out of flood waters Sunday just off of Stein Highway in Seaford.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060625&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=606250804&Ref=PH&Item=6&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Flooding on the corner of Washington and Linden Streets in Seaford.

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Flooding at the corner of Washington and Linden Streets in Seaford.

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Flooding in Wilmar Village in Seaford on Sunday.

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Danny Lake makes a phone call Sunday from the front steps of his residence in Wilmar Village in Seaford.

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Rising waters Sunday in a tributary of the Nanticoke River threaten the Lifecare at Lofland Park healthcare facility.

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Ambulance crews arrive at Lifecare at Lofland Park healthcare facility in Seaford to assist with the complete evacuation of its residents Sunday.

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Employees and ambulance crews work to evacutate the residents at Lifecare at Lofland Park healthcare facility in Seaford on Sunday.

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Flooding along Pine Street in Seaford Sunday.

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Floodwaters rise beneath a bridge along North Main Street Sunday in Bridgeville.

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Tina Griffith's yard turned into a lake Sunday on Shore Road next to Hearns Pond.

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Rains flooded the parking lot Sunday at Grotto Pizza along U.S. 13 in Seaford.

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Will Vanderwende wades through floodwaters Sunday at a home on Shore Drive near Hearns Pond north of Seaford.

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Floodwaters surround Tina Griffith's Outback catering business Sunday adjacent to her home on Shore Drive next to Hearns Pond north of Seaford.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=BL&Date=20060625&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=606250804&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

some flooding pictures from around the state. a couple pictures are from just over the border in pennsylvania, but the pictures ran in our newspaper in wilmington so i'll include them anyway.

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Station Way Road in Chadds Ford is blurred by running water on Wednesday.

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Route 1 is covered by water in Chadds Ford Wednesday.

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Floodwater is 6 feet deep in a parking garage along West Newport Pike in Stanton.

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Dave Stella walks halfway down the steps to the flooding on West Newport Pike in Stanton.

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A live fish left behind on Barley Mill Road after flood waters from Red Clay Creek receded around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

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DelDOT workers remove debris around 12:30 p.m. along Barley Mill Road between Mt. Cuba Road and Rolling Mill Road.

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DelDOT workers remove debris around 12:30 p.m. along Barley Mill Road between Mt. Cuba Road and Rolling Mill Road.

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The News Journal/Matthew Jonas
Bob Robbins, of New Castle, drives his Ford F-250 pickup through a flooded section of Del. 34 near Del. 141 in New Castle on Wednesday.

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Kevin Heiss, 15 of Claymont, takes a break from his detailing job at Don Juan Dealership to ride his bike through high water on Stanton-Christiana Road early Wednesday.

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Red Clay Creek flooding on Del. 82 at the Center for the Creative Arts.

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Red Clay Creek flooding at Del. 82 and Snuff Mill Road

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Red Clay Creek flooding on Yorklyn Road at the NVF plant.

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Red Clay Creek is swelling to the level of this bridge on Del. 82 near the NVF plant.

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"I need a boat," said Sylvia Smyth of Elsmere, standing in flood water just outside her front door on Forest Avenue.

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A Wilmington resident tries to keep a storm drain clear as flood water makes a river out of Greenhill Avenue.

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Water covers Greenhill Avenue at Seventh Street in Wilmington.

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Diver Chevrolet workers moved out the new cars as the flood waters moved in.

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An SUV plows through high water on Maple Street near Fenwick Park in Elsmere.

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Louis Albino drives his ATV through the deep water on Maple Street in Elsmere.

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Increasingly heavy rain sends three schoolchildren running for shelter on Linden Street in New Castle.

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Ronald Miller, 11, drives the lane in driving rain in New Castle's Washington Park. His soggy playmates included (from left) Alamp Anderson, 9, Jaylen Green, 10, and Kevin Mason, 11.

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A pedestrian looks for shelter after getting caught in a sudden downpour in Elkton, Md.

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Gina Winzinger and John Stephens make their way through the rain back to jury duty at the Cecil County Courthouse.

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A bicyclist hustles through driving rain on Howard Street in Elkton, Md.

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Residents watch as water swallows vehicles along Commons Boulevard in New Castle.

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A stranded motorist tries to get back into her car on Airport Road in New Castle.

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A passing SUV sprays area children playing in the flood waters on Airport Road in New Castle.

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Rob Horan and his daughter Andrea, 19, paddle a kayak down Station Way Road in Chadds Ford, Pa., where U.S. 1 was closed due to flooding.

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Tiffany Drake checks under the hood of her car, which was stalled in waters overflowing from Red Clay Creek near Ashland. Drake said it was her first car -- "I haven't even made the first payment yet." She called 911 and was helped out of the water.

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Deep water from the Brandywine surges over Smith Bridge Road near the newly rebuilt covered Smith Bridge on Wednesday, just before the road was closed to traffic due to the flooding.

the state of delaware now has commercial flights. for a time, we were the only state without any commercial flights, but now atlantic southeast will have some planes land at the new castle county airport. i believe the only flights right now are 2 each day to atlanta. hopefully this short list will be expanded to other cities.

Today, you can go anywhere Delta goes
Airline subsidiary begins service from New Castle


For the first time in six years, a major airline has landed in Delaware.

Today, Delta Air Lines' subsidiary, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, will begin operating two flights a day to its hub in Atlanta, where travelers can catch one of more than 1,000 flights a day that the company operates there.

Until Delta agreed to open operations at New Castle County Airport, Delaware was the only state without commercial airline service, forcing customers to drive to Baltimore or Philadelphia, or charter one of the many private jets based here.

Business and government leaders turned out Wednesday for the official unveiling of a touched-up terminal, new baggage claim and a 40-seat Bombardier RJ 200 jet, which is a step or two up from the propeller driven craft used in 2000, the last time an airline tried to offer regular passenger service in Delaware.

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said business leaders have been needling her for years about the lack of airline service in the state. The topic also found its way into most conversations Minner would have with companies that were thinking about relocating to Delaware, she said.

Companies shuttling workers around the country are likely to be regular customers, said Tracy L. Yakutchik, Delta's station manager at the airport. But the service also should attract vacationing families because they can park for free at the airport, she said.

Debbie Ferriera, of Evansville, Ind., said that she will use the service often when visiting her father in Dover. Ferriera and her father, Fred Busch were at the airport to drop off a rental car when they noticed a celebration for the new service.

"I'm always looking for some way to get me closer when I fly," Ferriera said.

Cool but Zimmerman will take a long time builiding his project and parking is terrible in dover. Why dont they start builidng high rises away from the downtown where they have land like off route 8 or something. And whats the project they are builiding on governors by wesley. Is it zimmerman or malmberg who is builiding it i dont know. And heres some development pics taken last summer with the project of malmberg hall at wesley college sadly its one of the tallest builidings in dover or at least of what ive seen.http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8408/picture0014cx.jpg
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7483/picture0028yu.jpg
Here it is finished the whole project cost about 8 million.
http://www.wesley.edu/news-events/acadvill/images/malmberg_ext_056.jpg

^^ I think it might be Zimmerman, but I'm not too sure. I know Zimmerman is working on Collegian Plaza on Lockerman Street, and Robert Duncan has a couple projects as well.

Here's an article on developing downtown in both Dover and Middletown. I think both towns have some nice potential. At any rate, it could give people something nice to do in another place other than the northern and southern ends of the state (Wilmington and the beaches).


Main Streets require time
Dover, Middletown leaders try to get everyone on board


Patrons exploring Dover's downtown business district pass a dozen vacant storefronts. Some have been empty for weeks, others haven't hosted a vibrant business for years.

Twenty-five miles to the north, Middletown's core has a different problem. Buildings are full, but many house businesses that don't draw customers downtown -- storefront churches, professional offices, a primarily mail-order business.

Both towns' leaders hope Main Street programs will revive struggling downtowns.

To do that they must motivate self-interested or overworked business owners to act in the town's best interest. They must unite landlords, businessmen, residents and officials in a shared vision.

Sometimes that means convincing a landlord not to rent to a business that doesn't fit the Main Street plan or urging a shop owner to stay open later when a festival is expected to draw visitors downtown. Or it could mean persuading officials to change code to crack down on eyesores.

"There's no way to make everybody happy," said Lorraine Dion, hired in 2004 as Middletown's manager in the town's second attempt at a Main Street program. A 1997 initiative fizzled. "You have to get people to partner together."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation developed the commercial district revitalization program in the 1970s.

The approach combines historic preservation with economic development to restore struggling downtowns. Today, about 40 statewide, citywide, and countywide programs with more than 1,200 active Main Street districts exist across the country.

These two midstate towns are taking different approaches with a similar goal: a robust shopping and dining district that draws residents, visitors and their money downtown.

Dover

Main Street Dover was the state's pilot program in the early 1990s. In 1995, City Council created a special taxing district to fund it. The program struggled, going through six managers in seven years -- including Dion. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on studies and plans in the past decade as businesses came and went.

Today, many storefronts on and around Loockerman Street remain empty.

"It's not an overnight thing," Ed Perez, who became town manager in 2002, said of revitalization.

Board President Paul Lakeman of Main Street Dover acknowledges slow progress in the past but believes the program is on a better path. The difference, he said, is improved communication between his organization and other government and civic groups, such as the Greater Dover Committee and Downtown Dover Development Corp.

The groups are cooperating on yet another plan. This revitalization study, which Lakeman estimates will cost about $50,000, aims to develop a shared vision for the groups and business owners. It should be finalized by early fall.

Although Lakeman would welcome some chains downtown, he isn't counting on them as a catalyst to revive Dover.

"You cannot expect a white knight to come in from out of town, set up shop and be your savior," he said. "You create a place for people to come downtown and the big stores will follow."

Dover's challenge has been figuring out how to create that place. Downtown already boasts some destination stores, such as the Army-Navy Store and Raubacher Gallery. But it also recently lost key businesses, such as Fleischer's Bakery, and could be losing more. The building housing Dover Hardware Co., a downtown mainstay, could be demolished as soon as next year for developer Michael Zimmerman's $14 million mixed-use project, which will feature condominiums and apartments as well as commercial space.

Lakeman thinks the project could bring another element that has been missing in Dover's revitalization attempts: people.

Retail follows rooftops, he said, noting that an influx of condo/apartment residents would bring year-round customers to the business district.

Raubacher Gallery owners Chris and Rebecca Raubacher are optimistic, too.

The Raubachers, who have been in business downtown for about 25 years, including six at their current West Loockerman location, think projects such as Zimmerman's that bring more residents downtown will help.

"With more residential downtown, you are going to have more traffic for, say, Saturday shopping," Rebecca Raubacher said. "Right now, the whole basis for this downtown street is state employees coming in for their lunch."

The couple have backed their faith with a substantial investment. They gutted the 12,000-square-foot former Dollar General store, putting in apart- ments and shops, including their own. They have renovated other buildings in the area, too.

"I think in the next two years you are going to see some major development happening on Loockerman Street," Chris Raubacher said.

Middletown

Central to Dion's Middletown plan is working with property owners to change the town's business mix.

"We can have a plan to get people downtown, we can do a marketing campaign, we can do grants, have a recruitment plan," she said, but "the bottom line is property owners are independent. Business owners are independent."

Unlike a mall, where shopping center owners can dictate when stores open and other operating protocol, Main Street managers have no authority over their business owners. They can make allies, though.

"Property owners decide how a business looks and who comes in as tenant," Dion said. "A property owner can determine almost anything they want to with the lease they write."

A recent demographic study showed 80 percent of Middletown residents commute at least 15 minutes to work, Dion said. That means the customer base needs shops that are open in the evenings and on weekends.

"You need to be open when they are here," Dion said.

Property owners also can help Dion fulfill her business plan for the town.

She envisions filling current offices and other businesses that don't generate traffic with a gourmet bakery, niche bookstore, coffee shop or more speciality gift shops.

"You want businesses that are going to cause people to linger. We don't want to compete with the box outlets," she said.

But change takes time. With no current vacancies, Dion must plan ahead, encouraging landlords not to renew leases for undesirable businesses or wait to sign new tenants until they find those that will be most successful for downtown as a whole.

Elizabeth Barbato, who opened The Purple Sage gift shop downtown 19 months ago, said Dion's efforts are working.

"My business has increased. It's been good," she said. "The Main Street is a big part of that. There are [special events] the third Friday of every month. It's encouraging people to come down."

Barbato does all of the things Dion urges: She stays open until 7 p.m. nightly and later for special events. She changes her attractive window displays regularly. She offers coupons and plans special events such as tea tastings.

Adrian Scott Fine, director of National Trust for Historic Preservation's Northeast field office, said Main Streets across the country are evidence of the program's success.

"It encourages people that there are reasons for them to come downtown, shop downtown, live downtown," he said.

Middletown is developing a recipe that works, too, Dion said.

"They go to DisneyWorld for Main Street USA. We have Main Street here," she said.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060707&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=607070354&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
The order of the day is barbecue and steel band music at Main Street Dover's Summer Solstice Party, an event that helped draw people downtown to Loockerman Street.

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Marina Spangler and Jackson Paradee, both 5, dance to the music of Veronica's Youth Steel Orchestra of Baltimore at the Summer Solstice Party. Main Street Dover was Delaware's pilot program in the early 1990s.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060707&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=607070354&Ref=H3&Profile=1006&title=1
Enjoying downtown Dover's Summer Solstice Party, along with a little ice cream, is McKenna Healy, 2, helped by her mom, Sheri Healy. They live in Dover.


MIDDLETOWN

A 1997 Main Street initiative fizzled. Today, stores are occupied, but many by businesses that do not draw customers downtown. A recent study showed most Middletown residents commute to work. The town's manager is working to bring in eateries and gift shops and convince store owners to stay open late.


DOVER

Main Street Dover was the state's pilot program in the early 1990s. The program struggled, going through six managers in seven years. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on studies and plans as businesses came and went. Today, many storefronts on and around Loockerman Street remain empty.


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060707/NEWS/607070354/1006

Damnit dover has a festival when im not there for college. And that development is being built by Zimmerman i remeber now. Its going to be apartments with stores on the bottom. Sucks I hope they dont start building it soon i used that lot for parking.

Here are a couple articles about growth downstate. The first article is about the Collegian Plaza, which will be a midrise in downtown Dover. The second article is about expanding the Beebe Medical Center because of rising population down at the beach.


Big plans for downtown Dover
Seven-story building would include retail, residential, parking facilities


DOVER -- Developer Michael Zimmerman has big plans for little Loockerman Street, where his proposed seven-story Collegian Plaza would tower over downtown Dover and possibly spark a long-awaited boom in the commercial district.

Zimmerman, who has developed numerous properties in and around Dover, is purchasing the Dover Hardware and former Dover Newsstand buildings and has received permission to demolish them and an adjacent vacant building.

In their place, Zimmerman plans to build a mixed-use building that will contain 125 to 140 condos and apartments -- the exact mix hasn't been decided -- as well as retail space, a swimming pool and spa and 188 enclosed parking spaces.

The first floor of the building will be set up for retail use, and the second level on the Loockerman Street side will be equipped for a restaurant. An outdoor swimming pool and spa will be in the building's center courtyard.

Zimmerman said the apartments or condos will be aimed at "young professionals and empty-nesters, people that want to walk to church, walk to the restaurants, bars, walk to the library -- and walk to work."

An infusion of people living downtown could breathe new life into the commercial district, which has been struggling since the advent of shopping centers and malls in the 1960s.

"We've always been of the opinion that one of the ways we can revitalize downtown is to put some people on the streets, other than the people that come down here to work and go back home in the evening," said Paul Lakeman, president of the downtown revitalization group Main Street Dover Inc.

Having more people living downtown is expected to create a need for other businesses that could fill vacant storefronts.

"You'd want to be able to have a bite to eat someplace or be able on a Saturday morning to sit down and have a cup of coffee and read a newspaper or book," Lakeman said, adding that people from New Jersey and points north who have moved to Delaware might be attracted to a downtown environment.

Helen Haughey, co-owner of Bell, Book and Candle, a Loockerman Street shop, said she and fellow owner Diana Welch are "very excited about it because it will go up exactly across the street."

"We think it will bring in a new influx of residents and also it'll increase foot traffic," Haughey said.

The Collegian Plaza plan has raised some concerns about its height -- at seven stories and more than 70,000 square feet it would dwarf everything else downtown -- but Zimmerman said it is easier to criticize a project than to build one.

"You don't hear about [people who think it's a good idea] in the newspapers. All you hear is the negative. If someone wants to come design my building for me they're more than welcome to, but with that responsibility comes the mortgage," Zimmerman said.

"Take a look around Dover and ask who's done the buildings around Dover: It's been me and my partners," Zimmerman said. "At least I have the dreams and I'm spending the money."


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060711&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=607110332&Ref=V1&Profile=1003&title=1

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060711&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=607110332&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Collegian Plaza would replace the Dover Newsstand and Dover Hardware on Loockerman Street.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060711/BUSINESS/607110332/1003


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Beebe expansion treats frequent 'Code Max'
Lewes hospital making room for aging baby boombers and growing population


LEWES -- It's often busy and crowded in Beebe Medical Center's emergency department.

So busy, in fact, that Dr. Paul Cowan frequently examines patients in the hallways.

"That shouldn't happen," he said. "You have to have a place where you can talk to the person in the privacy of their own room."

It's not just the sunny beaches drawing more people to Sussex County -- and, in turn, to Beebe's emergency room. From 1990 to 2005, the county's population jumped from 113,000 to 176,000, a 56 percent increase, according to Census records.

Many new residents are in their late 50s and early 60s, older baby boomers on the verge of retirement and in need of -- or soon to be in need of -- more health care services. The University of Delaware's Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research has found that the likelihood of hospitalization grows for men and women as they surpass 50.

It's the inverse of the creed, "If you build it, they will come." The people already are coming, so Beebe is responding with a $35 million expansion project, expected to be completed by October 2007. A new three-story hospital wing at the main Savannah Road facility should help doctors triage patients more quickly. An enhanced cardiovascular program will enable heart patients to get treated at Beebe rather than being sent to another hospital. Patients also will benefit from a larger cancer center, opening this fall.

Beebe joins other Delaware hospitals in responding to community needs and demands. Christiana Care Health System is undergoing its largest expansion since opening 20 years ago, a $126 million project that has expanded its emergency room and added a Center for Heart and Vascular Health, among other things. In 2004, Bayhealth Medical Center underwent a $50 million expansion, including a new cardiac surgery program at Kent General Hospital. That same year, Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford doubled the size of its emergency department adding 13,000 square feet at a cost of $4 million, just a year after adding a $6 million cancer care center.

"Emergency rooms are where you face the pinch the most, especially in Sussex County where the population is growing so much," said Tom Brown, vice president of corporate development at Nanticoke. "You're going to see ERs expand. You're building for the future."

Beebe's emergency department regularly descends into a situation known as "Code Max," said Dr. Erik Stancofski, a general surgeon at Cape Surgical Associates in Lewes.

That means no beds are available for new patients.

The patient volume in the department jumped from about 27,000 in 2000 to about 36,000 last year. About 40,000 patients are expected to be seen this year.

Some of the increase is a result of seniors in need of emergency surgeries for appendicitis, bowel obstructions and gall bladder problems. But overall population growth has led to a spike in the number of trauma cases due to beach and car accidents, Cowan said.

Either way, the typical wait for non-urgent ER patients is two hours, though it can reach up to five hours during peak times, said Fran Needham, a nurse and director of the emergency department.

"There's a lot of people walking by," Needham said. "We try to talk to patients in a way that can't be heard by everybody. But it's a real challenge."

The emergency room, which will double to 36 beds, last grew from 12 to 18 beds in 1999. The project also will double the size of the emergency department floor to almost 19,000 square feet and include a separate area for psychiatric patients. The extra space will allow doctors to better separate patients in dire straits from those who don't need time-subsuming acute care.

As part of the enhanced triage, the department also will expand a service that uses wireless computers to operate a system that tracks every patient -- including their medications and services -- while they're in the ER.

"The older you get the more medical problems you have and the more likely you are to end up in the ER," Cowan said. "Our volume has increased dramatically and this expansion should help us handle that."

Expanded cardiac care

Another key component of Beebe's project will be the expansion of its cardiovascular program, specifically the addition of open-heart surgeries, angioplasties and stent placements.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in Delaware, according to the Centers for Disease Control, accounting for 2,033 deaths -- or about 29 percent of deaths -- in 2001, the most recent year for which data are available.

For years, though, Sussex County cardiologists have sent patients in need of these heart procedures to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md., or Christiana Hospital in northern New Castle County.

"Some of those kinds of patients are going to stay here now," Stancofski said.

The demand for angioplasty and stent services has been driven by an aging population in Sussex County.

"Often times folks can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure, such as stenting," said Rick Schaffner, chief operating officer at Beebe. "But if you want to have that service you have to have open-heart surgery as a companion program."

Beebe plans to hire 31 employees, including 24 nurses trained in cardiology care. And a new department for nuclear cardiology, which uses a small amount of radioactive substance to evaluate heart disease, is being established to help Beebe's cardiologists in diagnosing heart disease.

Located directly above the critical-care unit will be a new 42-bed medical-surgical unit, where more patients can be cared for at once or treated quicker for a medical condition.

"The rooms are set up in such a way that if we have space, we can have one patient in the room, and if it gets crowded we can put a second patient in," said James Monihan, a former Beebe vice president and current consultant who is overseeing the expansion project.

Cancer center's new space

Also expanding is the hospital's Tunnell Cancer Center, which received the highest approval award from the Commission on Cancer in December.

The cancer center has grown from 11,254 visits in 1995, when it opened, to more than 30,000 visits two years ago. This year, it expects 55,000 visits.

The center is moving from the main hospital to the entire first floor of the Medical Arts Pavilion at the 37-acre Beebe Health Campus on Del. 24 in Rehoboth Beach.

"It's a service unfortunately that a lot more people need to use," Schaffner said. "For us to grow, we really needed to grow that space. And with its location, it's a much easier access for the majority of folks."

Covering 30,000 square feet, the new center will be nearly triple the size of the existing 11,125-square-foot facility. It will feature new radiation equipment, a new linear accelerator and additional examination rooms.

Nineteen chairs will be available for patients undergoing chemotherapy, and the area surrounding each chair will provide more space for caregivers and family members.

That's important, said Arline Simpson, a breast cancer survivor from Lewes who had chemotherapy at Tunnell.

"Some patients are there for a long period of time, so the people who come with them should be comfortable," she said. "We need to know that they're there for us, so it needs to be convenient."

The hospital's Vision 2005 fund-raising campaign is helping to finance the overall $35 million project, which is being completed by the Wohlsen Construction Co. of New Castle. Pledges so far have totaled $12 million, with bond financing covering the rest of the cost.

"Eventually, we'll outgrow this expansion too," Stancofski said. "But for the time being, it will certainly be enough."



http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060711&Category=HEALTH&ArtNo=607110301&Ref=AR&Profile=1113&title=1
The expansion at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes is expected to be completed by October 2007.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060711&Category=HEALTH&ArtNo=607110301&Ref=V2&Profile=1113&title=1
The new wing will have more space for emergency care, critical care and 42 additional medical/ surgical beds.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060711&Category=HEALTH&ArtNo=607110301&Ref=H3&Profile=1113&title=1
New construction at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes will create more space to better handle the needs of a growing and aging population in the area.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060711&Category=HEALTH&ArtNo=607110301&Ref=V4&Profile=1113&title=1
Emergency department physicians like Dr. Tom Shreeve will see ER space double.


A look at the Beebe Medical Center expansion:

• The project will total $35 million, including $7 million for new health-care equipment.

• The new wing at the main hospital on Savannah Road in Lewes will add 57,000 square feet of space.

• The emergency department will expand from 18 to 36 beds.

• The critical care unit will expand from 12 to 20 beds.

• An additional 42 medical/surgical beds will be available directly above the new critical care unit.

• The Tunnell Cancer Center will relocate to 30,000 square feet of space in the Medical Arts Pavilion, about five miles from the hospital.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060711/HEALTH/607110301/1113/SPORTS03

Here's an article on building an arena in Dover to act as a home for the Delaware State basketball teams and a minor league hockey team. The hockey team seems to be guaranteed on the condition that an arena is built. Delaware State has been looking for a better home for years, and this might be the best time for them to get approval, now that they are one of the premier teams in the MEAC.


Momentum building for civic center in Dover
State starts to put in money toward home for DSU basketball


DOVER -- Building a civic center and public arena in Dover isn't a new idea -- it's been kicked around since the mid-1980s. Getting the financial commitment to make such a facility a reality has been a struggle.

But state lawmakers changed that in the early hours of July 1, when they put a $4 million down payment on the estimated $56 million project in the state's capital budget.

The Delaware Civic Center Corp. (DCCC) received $2 million in new funding and now has access to $2 million awarded in 2005 that had been put on hold while the Bond Bill Committee reviewed information about the project, expected to be built off U.S. 13 behind Lowe's.

Overall, the DCCC will ask for $40 million from the state, with the remainder coming from a $20 million bond sale through Kent County Levy Court. Construction is expected to begin next spring.

"You almost want to say, 'It's about time,' " Rep. Donna Stone (R-Dover South) said. "The city of Dover and Kent County Levy Court have been on board with this for some time now, and we're finally putting money forward. I definitely do think this is up and running now."

In a January report requested by DCCC from Chicago-based C.H. Johnson Consulting, the 7,500-seat civic center's primary tenants would be Delaware State University's men's and women's basketball teams and an East Coast Hockey League minor-league franchise. The city of Dover has received a letter of intent from the league on a franchise, contingent on completion of the civic center.

The arena would be built partially on land owned by the university. The DCCC would use the land as part of a 99-year, $1-a-year lease with the school.

Using Delaware State University land was the favored choice, corporation chairman E. Stuart Outten said, because it allows for an additional 417 parking spaces and also provides DSU a chance to build its own privately funded football stadium using infrastructure for the civic center.

DSU still is discussing how it would fund a facility to replace 6,800-seat Alumni Stadium, in use since 1957. Its cost would be about $50 million, said Rep. Richard Cathcart (R-Middletown), who also serves as DSU’s vice president for purchasing.

While the arena’s total cost is projected at about $56 million, another $3.8 million would be spent by DSU to build locker rooms and offices, the report said. DSU will not cover any portion of the arena’s funding.

Long time coming

For Outten, a Dover businessman, the project he’s led for 11 years looks to have the backing it needs. Outten was appointed DCCC chairman in 1995 by former Gov. Tom Carper. The corporation was created in 1991.

He said the development of the state and its ability to attract businesses in the future is one reason why building an entertainment destination in its capital city is crucial.

“Delaware has been a small state with a small population, and it’s growing,” Outten said. “As we’ve started to grow in population, we need to have the infrastructure that will be appealing to people who can bring their businesses to Delaware.”

Since the mid-1980s, the cost – estimated then at just more than $20 million – has been surpassed only by the need for such a facility, supporters say.

The real benefactor, DSU, has favored the civic center because it needs to replace Memorial Hall, its 24-year-old, 3,000-seat on-campus gym.

The civic center, which will have 20 luxury boxes and 300 higher-priced club seats, is projected to stage 146 events a year beginning in 2010 (2010-11 school year) and draw 393,400 spectators the first year.

According to the C.H. Johnson report, the arena will bring in $2.8 million in revenue and amass $2.4 million in expenses in fiscal 2011, its first year. It would generate a profit from the start, with an anticipated income of $165,000 the first year. By 2015, it’s expected to bring $24.5 million in economic impact to the city and 450 new jobs, the report said.

Stone, the Dover legislator, said inclusion of the money in the capital budget bodes well for the civic center, but she believes pressure will be needed to keep money flowing in the future.

“Every year, we’re spending money on projects up in New Castle [County] and Wilmington,” she said. “I’m not saying they’re bad projects – they’re all very worthy – but it’s about time we started paying attention to things that people need here in the state capital, as well. This will be an asset, not just to DSU but to the whole community.”

Said Outten: “It’s not going to be the cure-all, but it’s another jewel in the enticement for people to relocate here and bring better salaries to the area.

“Right now, people here say, ‘Let’s go to Washington, D.C. or to Baltimore.’ Now, they may say, ‘Let’s stay home.’ ”

Questions linger

DSU, which was granted a seat on the DCCC by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner in 2004, still has questions, despite indications the project will be funded.

In October, the university released its 10-year, $297 million master plan. However, it does not include any sports facilities for basketball or football, even though DSU wants to build those during the 10 years, Cathcart said. While the university has discussed other projects, like a field house for basketball, nothing has been planned.

When DSU joined the DCCC, the corporation initially pitched a $75.1 million conjoined arena and 14,500-seat football stadium. In 2005, the Bond Bill Committee said it would support only a standalone arena, although the land usage plan allows DSU to add a privately funded football stadium.

“There are so many unknowns at this point,” Cathcart said of the civic center. “Our question is, ‘When does it get built?’ We can’t start construction for another year, so it’s a minimum of six years away.”

Cathcart reiterated the school’s first desire is for a new basketball facility. At the civic center, DSU could average 5,000 fans for 10 to 13 men’s home games a season, DSU athletic director Chuck Bell said.

In the meantime, there has been discussion about moving men’s and women’s basketball to the equally small Rollins Center at Dover Downs as a temporary home until a new facility is built. Bell said a new arena would allow DSU to offer financial guarantees to play nonconference teams in Dover rather than on the road, as it does now.

“Where do you get the money to finish [the arena]?” Cathcart said. “Is it six or eight years? We need to see if we can wait that long. We have to sit down and make some hard decisions.”

DSU president Allen L. Sessoms, through a spokesman, declined to comment.

One stumbling block for future funding could be the departure of Bond Bill Committee co-chairman Rep. Roger Roy (R-Limestone Hills). He is retiring after the November election.

However, Roy said now that the committee has committed to the project, it likely will get the money it needs in future years.

“I think it shows we’re serious about doing it,” Roy said. “You do the best you can with the money you’ve got. No project got all the money it needed.”

With $8 million in hand since the project was first allocated funds in 1992, Outten said the DCCC will meet July 25 to decide how to proceed. One of the first issues will be designing the civic center. While Wilmington-based architects Moeckel Carbonell Associates helped with original conceptual designs, Outten said the project will be open to bids.

The corporation also will begin looking at selling naming rights to the arena at an estimated $150,000 a year, the report said.


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/SPORTS/607140365/1002

Here are a couple articles reflecting what's going on in Delaware recently.



Milford's annexation plan threatens lifestyle
Minner-backed Livable Delaware densities challenged in review


MILFORD -- Howard Webb has worked the family farm on Cedar Neck Road southeast of Milford since he got back from Vietnam 30 years ago.

Now 60, Webb wonders what is to become of his 120-acre Del-Acres Farm, where he's growing about 250 head of beef cattle and tending to a stand of corn.

"You live in the area your whole life, and you just hate to see it destroyed by the city, and that's what it amounts to," Webb says of Milford's growth plans, which could surround his farm with suburbia.

The city wants to annex 900 acres east of Del. 1 to accommodate Elbert G. Fannin's Country Life Homes, which plans to build houses on 600 acres, in the process displacing two other farms.

And Milford is dangling densities of up to eight homes an acre -- four times what Sussex County zoning would permit Fannin and far beyond state guidelines for farmland.

State planning officials have objected, setting up another test of Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's Livable Delaware policies -- this one literally in the backyard of the Milford native and resident.

Minner's policy attempts to direct development to designated growth zones served by utilities, roads, schools and sewers -- and away from more remote farm tracts. State plans want development west of Del. 1, leaving the farmland to the east alone.

Webb was among 200 people who turned out May 22 to oppose an amendment of the city annexation plan to include the area east of Del. 1. The frustrated crowd watched City Council vote 7-1 to usher the plan on for state planning approval.

He and other residents see the plan as just the most recent entry in a ruthless, rudderless rush to extend city boundaries and suck up the proceeds that come with growth.

"The city has no limits to where they want to go and how they get there," said Pat Visioli, 76, who moved from Morris County, N.J., in 2002 to a house on Bucks Road near the area eyed for annexation.

Indeed, aggressive annexation policies have meshed with other factors to push the city to the edge of startling growth.

As recently as 2001, Milford was recording as few as 12 new housing starts a year. That has exploded to 300 to 350 units a year since, and plans in the pipeline envision roughly 14,000 residential units by 2020.

By Census Bureau count, the population of the city grew by 3.96 percent -- from 6,927 to 7,201 -- during the five-year period that ended June 30 of last year. The contemplated growth surely would push the population beyond 20,000.

And that would apply a whole array of new pressures on already strained services provided by the city, the Milford School District and the Carlisle Fire Company.

"It's bleak. It's scary," said school Superintendent Robert D. Smith.

City Manager Richard Carmean defends the city's plans and says critics overstate potential problems.

"If in 20 years we've reached 20,000 people and things have been planned right," he said, "I don't think we'll lose our open space and our identity as an agricultural community. There's still plenty of open spaces in Milford."

Plenty of reasons to move here

Like it or not, Milford has become a hot spot for resort-area settlers, Carmean said.

That's because it is located within 25 minutes of Sussex County's beaches, but far enough away to avoid the area's traffic and congestion on a day-to-day basis.

As housing costs in Sussex County towns such as Millville and Ocean View have spiraled, Milford has become desirable as a lower-cost, reasonably close alternative.

"The whole east coast of Delaware has now been discovered," Carmean said.

And that means change is coming to a community first settled in 1680 and founded in 1787.

Milford straddles the Mispillion River, which also serves as the dividing line between Kent and Sussex counties. From its inception until well into the 20th century, it was a thriving port and shipbuilding community -- and home to six governors including Minner.

The city has three historic districts -- one north of the Mispillion, marked by Victorian and Georgian architecture, and two south of the river that point to the city's shipping history and feature Federal, Greek and Gothic Revival buildings erected as the city grew southward.

The city has almost completely recovered from a catastrophic fire that destroyed seven downtown buildings along South Walnut Street in May 2003. If plans come to fruition, two big, new residential developments will go in on land along South Walnut Street at the city's south end.

Carmean said the two Walnut Street sites and others in the growth pipeline are in the best interests of the city. Development is inevitable, he says, and without aggressive annexation, the city would miss out on the proceeds of growth outside its borders.

The city, for instance, levies impact fees of $600 per unit for water and $650 for sewer services -- along with an annexation fee of $2,500 with $100 extra for every acre beyond the first five. Developers, Carmean said, are required to cover all costs for linking their developments to city infrastructure.

"If a sewer line has to go three miles," he said, "they have to pay for it."

City Councilman Irwin Ambrose says developments in unincorporated areas would draw on services provided by the city. Annexation, he said, gives the city a chance to plot its own future.

"If we didn't, we'd be like an island surrounded by all these developments that we have absolutely no control over and no revenue source from them," he said.

Webb thinks the annexation would do anything but look out for his best interests. He sees images of three-story condominium buildings casting shadows on the corn, lima bean and barley fields that mark the area.

It's not a far-fetched notion.

Country Life Homes already is building Hearthstone Manor on the east side of Del. 1 with three-story condo buildings rising on what mostly was agricultural land before it was annexed by the city several years ago.

Eventually, Hearthstone Manor will host 1,100 single- and multifamily units, and a second Country Life Homes development slated to go in just west of it, Hearthstone II, will match that number.

Critics allege nepotism a factor

Critics charge that the city has laid out the red carpet for Fannin and Country Life.

Increasingly, they cast Carmean as a puppeteer holding the strings of compliant City Council members who have seen few development proposals they didn't like.

For example, the city planning commission rejected Hearthstone II, in a 5-2 vote, in May, with members citing problems with the proposed density of nine units per acre and a shortfall of open space. But on July 10, the City Council rejected the commission's recommendation on a 7-1 vote, ruling that the density was appropriate.

Carmean, 58, a former city police chief, acknowledges that the critics consider him and Fannin, a longtime friend, to be "the devil incarnate."

"But he gets nothing nobody else gets, and that's the bottom line," he said.

Carmean said the council has vowed not to give Fannin the city's R-3 zoning, which would allow a maximum density of 16 units per acre. The city's R-2 zoning allows only four units to an acre.

But to meet Fannin part way, the city is drawing up an alternative -- R-3A -- that would allow four units by right, but permit a developer to earn up to four additional units by meeting expanded open-space standards and other requirements.

Carmean embraces high-density developments because they cut into the number of tracts needed for residential uses. Annexation opponents want no more than four units per acre.

"We could have lived with two units to the acre. I don't think anybody would object to that," said Gerald A. Burbage, 59, who lives in the 33-acre Hidden Meadows subdivision just east of Del. 1 and on the western edge of the proposed annexation area.

"It's not that we're against everything that they do," said Gerald Burbage's wife, Joanne, 61. "But we are opposed to it happening before the infrastructure is available."

Other residents are equally leery of plans for the Dugan Farm, which is included in the annexation block as a proposed relocation site for Milford Memorial Hospital.

That land also is critical to Fannin's plans because property must be contiguous to city boundaries before it can be annexed. The city needs to take in the Dugan Farm to get to the acreage under contract for sale to Fannin.

Visioli and his wife, Penny, live across the road from that farm, having moved from New Jersey after a hunt for a quiet retirement home.

Visioli says he would be hard-pressed to oppose a hospital -- even with the new roads and traffic that would come with it. But he notes that hospital officials have said the facility's present site on Clarke Street in south Milford should be adequate for the foreseeable future.

He says the Dugan farm should be annexed to the city only if institutional zoning limited to a hospital is part of the package.

"I'm not going to be against the hospital," he said, "but I am against it if they plan to flip it and use it for something else."

Need for services for new homes

The debate shifts today to Dover, where the state's Preliminary Land Use Service will hold a morning hearing on Milford's proposed comprehensive plan amendment. If the state rejects it, the city would be barred from annexing the property.

"It's not a done deal yet," said Constance C. Holland, Minner's planning chief. "If Milford and the developer want a certified plan, they'll have to make sure all the state concerns are addressed."

Holland said the state supports the concept of the annexation, preferring that the growth occur inside of a city that has its own police, fire and sewer facilities.

That's preferable to the 785-unit subdivision Fannin had requested under Sussex County's cluster development ordinance, which limited density to two units per acre.

"We felt this should be master-planned within a local jurisdiction like Milford because we felt we could get a better plan, more open space and more consideration on who was going to take care of police, fire, and who would shovel snow when the winter comes," Holland said.

But the densities contemplated by Milford go way beyond the Livable Delaware guidelines for rural land east of Del. 1.

Holland said she would not consider an amendment to the city's land-use plan that would allow for densities beyond what's currently allowed by Sussex County codes -- two units per acre.

Holland said the amendment also would be dead on arrival without provisions for transfers of development rights, which would allow for additional density in exchange for leaving another rural tract undeveloped.

The City Council rejected that requirement out of hand May 22.

Jim Caulfield, Country Life's senior vice president, said the Lewes-based company has big plans for Milford.

Last summer, the firm said it would build a "lifestyle mall" on 105 acres at Del. 1 and Del. 30, at Milford's south end. The city has since annexed the property, and Caulfield said studies on the feasibility of what could be a $400 million project are under way.

Rita Kirk, 59, thinks Milford growth has been haphazard and is already out of control.

But she collected petition signatures in support of the mall project because her fellow residents need a place to shop without driving to Dover or Rehoboth Beach, she said.

"There are a lot of people who, with the price of gas, are not on the high end," she said. "To get in the car and drive to the mall is a lot of money for them. Then you have to deal with the traffic. There's a lot of reasons why I was for the mall."

Caulfield said that's true for many who come to Milford as a result of job recruitment by the city and state governments.

"Can you imagine the difficulty if everybody coming is going to have to have a four-acre estate," he said. "What's going to happen to the secretaries? What's going to happen to people with salaries of $20,000?"

In all its annexations, the city has included no new zoning for business, industrial or office uses. Most of the land is zoned for houses -- and that will place added pressure on police, fire and school services.

Growth in and around the city has pushed the 3,900-pupil Milford School District to the brink of crisis, prompting talk of double shifts at Milford Middle School within a couple of years.

Traditionally, the district, whose service area goes beyond the city's boundaries, had grown by no more than 10 to 12 students a year, and a University of Delaware study last year actually forecast a short-term decline in enrollment.

As it turned out, the district picked up 147 new students in September, and its two elementary schools are 144 children over capacity.

Despite six portable classrooms, the high school also hosts more students than it's designed to hold.

Smith says that, even with voter approval of a referendum in the fall, it would be 2009 or later before new schools might be put online.

"We did a thorough look, and we need as many as two elementary schools, a new middle school and a major addition to the high school," Smith said. "We built one new school, but we also took one down, so we haven't added any new space in 27 years."

Caulfield said the scope of the Country Life projects will only be as big as city fathers -- and the state -- allow.

"You continually have competing interests," said Caulfield. "Some people just want to have the big view of the farm across the road, and some people don't like the smell of cows."

And that is what worries Webb.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060726&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=607260383&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
A 2003 fire gutted this area of South Walnut Street in Milford. Now two large residential developments are proposed for along the street.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060726&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=607260383&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Hearthstone Manor, east of Del. 1, is bringing more than 1,000 new homes to Milford, which annexed the once-agriculture land several years ago. The development includes three-story condo buildings.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060726&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=607260383&Ref=V3&Profile=1006&title=1

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/NEWS/607260383/1006


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In 3 months after sale, BofA cut Del. jobs
Nearly 800 positions lost after buyout


Bank of America eliminated nearly 800 jobs in Delaware in the three months after completing its buyout of MBNA Corp., according to data released Tuesday by the state labor department.

Bank of America employed 10,208 in Delaware as of March, the most recent data available, said George A. Sharpley Jr., senior economist with the Delaware Department of Labor. That's down 794 employees, or 7 percent, from 11,002 in December when the two banks were still separate. Before the buyout closed on Jan. 1, Wilmington-based MBNA had 9,733 employees and Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America had 1,269 Delaware credit card workers, according to Sharpley.

The disclosure marks the first time figures for Bank of America's employment in Delaware have been publicly available since the buyout. Bank of America officials won't give employment figures for the state.

Bank of America officials have also declined to say how many jobs they are cutting in Delaware in connection with the buyout of MBNA, which had been the state's largest private employer.

But based on the first-quarter employment data, job cuts at Bank of America don't appear to be as severe as some had feared, Sharpley said. He cautioned it's difficult to draw conclusions about the economic impact of the downsizing because data for the rest of the year aren't available.

Peter J. Bernota, an official with the Delaware Economic Development Office, said his agency continues to expect that the job loss in Delaware connected with the buyout will be "under 2,000" -- significantly less than the 3,000 to 4,000 that some analysts had forecast.

"We do not see the worst-case scenario playing out," Bernota said.

The state data show employment at the two banks' Delaware operations was declining before Bank of America completed its purchase. The number of jobs fell 1,238, or nearly 11 percent, from June 2005 to March of this year, Sharpley said. In June of last year, the combined employment was 11,446 -- 10,148 at MBNA and 1,298 at Bank of America.

Bank of America announced its plan to buy MBNA for $35 billion on June 30 last year. But it didn't complete the buyout until Jan. 1 because it needed time to win regulatory clearances. Sharpley said workers may have moved to other employers after the buyout was announced, rather than risk losing jobs after the deal closed.

"I think some people saw the writing on the wall," Sharpley said.

Bank of America has said it's cut 4,000 jobs nationally, so far, as it combines its credit card operation with MBNA's. The jobs lost have ranged from highly paid executives to call-center workers. In total, the bank plans to eliminate 6,000 positions nationally. Bank of America says the cuts are necessary because of overlap between the two credit card operations.

Bank of America spokesman Ernesto C. Anguilla said the bank "will maintain a vital work force and significant operations" in Delaware, noting that Wilmington is now home to the bank's credit and debit card unit. He declined to say what level of Delaware employment the bank expects to maintain.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060726&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=607260348&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Bank of America has said it has cut 4,000 jobs nationally, so far, as it combines its credit card operation with MBNA's.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/BUSINESS/607260348/1003

Delaware is missing out. :sleepy:

Reports show Del. misses out on venture capital


A national survey shows Delaware companies were left out of the millions of dollars in venture capital money that flowed into the region in the past three months.

According to The MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association based on data provided by Thomson Financial, 34 venture capital deals, worth a combined $274.8 million, were done in the Philadelphia metro region in the quarter ended June 30.

Yet, in an area that includes eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, none of the companies receiving funding in the April-to-June period were from Delaware.

This statistic should raise concerns, said James O'Neill, a University of Delaware professor and director of the school's Center for Economic Education & Entrepreneurship.

Venture capital funding, in which investors pump money into an early-stage company, often in exchange for a stake in the business, is the lifeblood of companies that aren't at the point in their development where they raise money by selling stock or issuing bonds.

Without venture capital to pay for things like equipment, leases and research and development, new businesses are hard-pressed to grow to the point where they can hire significant numbers of workers, O'Neill said.

That could spell trouble for a state looking to add jobs and diversify its economy to be less dependent on a handful of major employers like DuPont and Bank of America.

"I think there's capital out there for Delaware companies, but there's a limited number of VC companies who play in the Delaware space," said Robert Harman, president and CEO of Solstice Software, a Claymont-based software company that boasts national clients like Wells Fargo and Metropolitan Life.

In the past few years, Solstice has attracted $10 million in investments from Core Capital Partners, a Washington D.C.-based venture capital firm that manages $370 million in capital.

Yet, despite Core's location within a 2-hour drive of Delaware, Solstice is the only Delaware company Core Capital has invested in.

"We don't see a lot of opportunities in Delaware," said William Dunbar, a Core Capital managing partner.

Dunbar says his firm would like to do more deals in Delaware, but says the state has a shortage of veteran entrepreneurs with a track record of running successful early-stage companies.

However, some in Delaware's business community say reports don't fully reflect the state of business vitality in Delaware.

Some venture capital deals aren't publicized, so they aren't included in these reports, said David Freschman, president of the Delaware Innovation Fund, which funds early-stage Delaware companies.

"The main thing we need to focus on in Delaware is that the entrepreneurial climate here is improving," says Kyle Buzzard, who directs the Delaware Economic Development Office's Entrepreneurial and Small Business Support Center of Excellence.

The groundwork is being laid now for what could turn into future deals, said Bob Dayton, president of the Delaware BioScience Association.

Dayton points to a meeting last month in which a New York City venture capital fund interested in nanotechnology came to Delaware and met with five local companies.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060729/BUSINESS/607290317/1003

Are the two 22 story towers the tallest buildings going up now? :?

Are the two 22 story towers the tallest buildings going up now? :?

They won't be the tallest. Wilmington's tallest is 1201 Market Street (formerly the Chase Manhattan Centre) at 331 ft tall. The Christina Landing towers will be a little under 300 ft I believe (exact heights are somewhere in the Wilmington Development News thread).

I might move to Delaware long time from now when I'm retired, but that's just for financial reasons.

I might move to Delaware long time from now when I'm retired, but that's just for financial reasons.

Sussex County, specifically near the beaches, is becoming a very popular regional retirement area.

Ahhh, life at the beach. http://209.85.12.232/5359/75/emo/surf.gif


Time rides 'round & 'round at Funland
Fire engines and carousel horses carry generations of memories on the Rehoboth Boardwalk


REHOBOTH BEACH -- In the constantly changing, swirling sea of life, it's reassuring to know there are a few constants.

The sun rises every morning. Ocean waves always creep up and crash down on a few clueless bathers. Hungry, cackling seagulls never fail to dive bomb on dropped boardwalk French fries.

And the same kiddie-size, cherry-red fire engines and banana yellow boats still go around in circles every summer at the venerable Funland.

"I remember the boats and the fire trucks. They were all here when I was a kid," says George Hunsicker, 37, as his 2 1/2-year-old twin sons Jake and Josh board one of the seven boats, which date back to at least the early 1940s.

"My dad came here as a kid," says the Lewes resident, who can't believe the rides are still delighting children.

For more than six decades, the land between Delaware and Brooklyn avenues on the Rehoboth Boardwalk has housed an ageless, noisy, dazzling emporium of entertainment that some believe is better than a trot through a chocolate factory and more thrilling than unwrapping birthday gifts.

Inside the sand-colored, concrete building -- well beyond the thwacks and kerplats of the Frog Bog and the steady thump-thump-thumping of the Whac-a-Mole arcade games -- lies the heart and soul of the Funland family amusement center that never fails to quicken the pulse of vacationing children, teenagers and even a few adults.

Here, there and everywhere are rides! rides! rides!

Since Eisenhower was in office, the bullet-shaped silver rocketships have soared and landed with pint-sized pilots, and vacationers have climbed aboard the merry-go-round to bop up and down on aluminum horses and listen to the clunky, organ-heavy carousel tunes.

Toddlers still clamor to clang the bells on the World War II era hook and ladder fire engines and dip their tiny hands into the clear pond of the circular boat ride.

Giant tea cups continue to spin in dizzy circles just as they did in the mid-1960s, and the groovy dune buggies and motorbikes are still making the same high-pitched beep-beep-beeping noises they did when they were purchased new in the Brady Bunch-era 1970s.

In many ways, time has come to a screeching halt at Funland.

And that's just the way visitors and the Fasnacht clan, who have been tending to happy, sweaty families since they bought the operation in 1962, like it.

For the Hunsicker family, summer isn't summer without a trip to Funland. Walking through the landmark amusement complex is like taking a trippy Rockwellian stroll down memory land.

Karen Hunsicker, George's wife, also visited the landmark as a child and is amazed at the longevity of the Funland rides.

"The boats are the main thing I remember," the 39-year-old says. "They're exactly the same. Well, except for, maybe, a couple of layers of paint."

Parents relive childhood fun

It's a sweltering, saltwater-taffy-melting Friday evening and Funland is in full swing with hundreds of stroller-pushing adults and bouncy, adrenaline-pumped children.

Just how many people will trot through the doors this night is anyone's guest.

"We're clueless on the gate," says operations manager Randy Curry, whose father-in-law Don Fasnacht is one of the Funland founders. "It's between a half million to a million [people] each summer."

Marlies Venute of McLean,Va., snaps photographs of her two towheaded granddaughters Carolyn and Kathleen as they giggle on the sparkly motorcycle and dune buggies that look like kiddie-size props from a Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach party movie.

"They love any ride," Venute says. "We used to come here with our kids."

Venute's "kids" are now 36 and 40 years old and have long outgrown the rides, but her family still loves Funland.

"Now, we're here with our grandchildren," she says.

It's a tale that Al Fasnacht has heard often since he and his brother Don and their parents began operating Funland 44 years ago.

"There's hardly a night goes by that a family doesn't say to me, either the father or the mother, 'I remember when you put me on this ride, now you're putting my kids on it,' " says Fasnacht in James Lilliefors 2006 book "America's Boardwalks" (Rutgers University Press), which includes a chapter on Rehoboth Beach.

"People like seeing the same faces year after year. I have mothers coming up and hugging me, and I don't know who they are. It's kind of weird."

But the fun at Funland actually predates the Fasnachts.

From 1939 through 1961, the amusement center was owned by Anthony "Jack" Dentino, who called the boardwalk attraction the Sports Center.

According to Lilliefors in "America's Boardwalks," Dentino opened the site with a single concession called Spill the Milk -- a type of bowling game played with wooden milk bottles and a baseball. He eventually added batting cages and Skee-Ball games and installed many of the original rides that remain in the park, including the helicopters, boats, fire engines, the carousel and the rocketships.

Fasnacht, whose family had owned a picnic park in Mechanicsburg, Pa., was vacationing in Bethany Beach in 1961 when he stopped by the Sports Center and admired the helicopter ride.

He chatted with Dentino. Later, Fasnacht's late parents, Esther and Allen, decided to purchase the site. But during the off-season, the Great Storm of March 1962 slammed Rehoboth and ripped out much of the boardwalk.

The original Sports Center arcade, which sank 16 inches in the sand, was the only building still standing.

The Fasnachts still went ahead with deal. They dug the rides out of the sand, rebuilt the site and opened six weeks later. The operation was christened Funland.

Now, four generations of the family help run the amusement center from Mother's Day weekend until the Sunday after Labor Day.

Park maintenance is key

Most of Funland's 18 rides begin operating at 1 p.m., except for the 26-year-old Haunted Mansion, which opens at 6:30 p.m.

But well before the first ticket is collected, Randy Curry and other red polo shirt-wearing Funland workers -- they number close to 100 -- make a sweep through the amusement center carefully inspecting belts and motors on each ride.

Many of the rides may be vintage, even antiques, but they are immaculate and well-maintained, just like the amusement center's grounds.

Curry spies a tossed ice-cream wrapper and doesn't stop talking as he bends down to pick up the trash.

Walking over to the nine hook and ladder fire engines, one of the park's oldest rides, he admires the sturdy workmanship. Manufactured by the Pinto Brothers Co. of Coney Island, N.Y., the ride has been at Funland since about the 1940s, but was probably built a decade earlier.

The aluminum and wooden bodies of the red fire trucks and the attached yellow ladders are in pristine condition. "I painted these, maybe, in the mid-'80s?" Curry says.

Before the start of the season, there are some touch-ups done to the seats and steering wheels, which get the most wear.

"The sea air and the salt takes a toll on all the stuff," Curry says.

Many of the fire engines have original wheels, but not all. And the clanging bells have all been replaced over the years.

Parts can be hard to come by, Curry says, and some of the original pieces have had to be modified. Pieces of vintage Pinto Brothers fire engines now sell on Internet auction sites for $1,500 and more.

While the aluminum horses on the carousel, or merry-go-round as it's known at Funland, haven't been painted in about 20 years, the saddles, blankets and stirrups get frequent paint dabs.

The ride was manufactured in 1959 by the Alan Herschel Co. and took a hit during the storm of 1962, but it remains in fine form. New scenery was added a few years ago, patterned after work done by a carousel maker from the early 20th century.

No tickets are ever collected from any adult who stands next to a child and protectively wraps an arm around them while on the merry-go-round. That's been a long-standing Funland rule.

And a child who cries and wants to get off any Funland ride is immediately given their ticket back.

Occasionally, children will step into the water of the boat ride or try to hop off rides, which usually last about two minutes. Operators, who must be 16 and older, are trained to be on the lookout for jittery children.

Curry says there have been no serious injuries while the four generations of the Fasnacht family have run the park.

There never has been a roller coaster at Funland, and while a few thrill rides have been added over the years, the vintage rides still have an endearing appeal.

Curry says it isn't hard to figure out why.

"They are very simple. There's not a lot to them, but they're made well," he says standing near the boat pond. "It's a tradition. It's doing its job, it's providing fun, so why change? Kids will have just as much fun on one of these as the new-fangled equipment."

Later that evening, as if to prove Curry's point, Stephanie Daverio of Williamsport, Pa., says her daughter Zola, 3, can't get enough of the boat ride.

"She's been screaming for the boats," Daverio says.

Changes creep in slowly

Yet, not everything has stayed the exactly the same at Funland.

In 1989, a $600,000 overhaul was done in the offseason. The old white, wooden Funland building was torn down and replaced with the present concrete structure.

The slightly creepy, smiling white clown face that used to grace the outside of the building and greet boardwalk strollers was moved inside and is attached to the front of the jungle gym.

When the Haunted Mansion was built in the late 1970s for the Fasnachts, they also commissioned two statues -- a mermaid and a Keystone clown traffic cop -- to decorate the boat ride and the motorcycle rides.

"They're kitschy," Curry says, but admits "we were not impressed with either one."

The family also had to make some modifications to the mermaid, which was initially too scantily clad.

"We had to put more seaweed over her breasts," Curry says. "They were more exposed. That wasn't quite right for kiddieland."

But the biggest change throughout the seasons has been an increase in prices.

In 1962, a ticket for a ride was 10 cents. It stayed that way until 1986. The price was eventually increased to a quarter. This year, a ticket is 30 cents.

The cheapest rides are the boats and fire engines -- each is one ticket or 30 cents. Some of the rides for teenagers and adults, such as the Haunted Mansion and swinging pirate ship ride known as Sea Dragon, are five tickets or $1.50.

The rides at Funland are still an affordable bargain to Karen Hunsicker.

"I enjoy watching them have fun," she says as her two boys, Jake and Josh, finish up their boat ride and their sister, Sarah, 6, and cousin Kayla Hunsicker, 10, get ready to ride the tea cups.

"They enjoy it as much as when we were kids."




http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060730&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=607300380&Ref=AR&Profile=1005&title=1
Roman Dongarra, 2, of Catonsville, Md., rings the bell of the fire engine he's riding at Funland in Rehoboth. The ride is one of the park's oldest, dating back at least to the early 1940s.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060730&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=607300380&Ref=V1&Profile=1005&title=1
Funland has been a part of the Rehoboth Boardwalk for more than six decades.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060730&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=607300380&Ref=H3&Profile=1005&title=1
Families mingle and parents look on as the Funland merry-go-round spins on the boardwalk.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060730&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=607300380&Ref=V4&Profile=1005&title=1
A storm swept the Delaware coast in 1987 and damaged the Rehoboth boardwalk. The Great Storm of 1962 also damaged the boardwalk. The original Sports Center, now Funland, was the only building left standing.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060730&Category=LIFE&ArtNo=607300380&Ref=H5&Profile=1005&title=1
The huge white clown face that once graced the front of the park now smiles from inside.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/LIFE/607300380/1005


BONUS PICTURES FROM A SLIDE SHOW:

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Delaware has the cleanest beaches in the country! :) :cheers: :)

Delaware beaches cleanest in U.S.


Delaware's swimming beaches were the cleanest of any in the country last year, according to a report released Thursday by two national environmental organizations.

U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Natural Resources Defense Council found Delaware had the fewest beach closings for bacterial contamination in 2005. The results were included in a report titled "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches."

Carl Grimm, owner of Bayberry Flowers on Rehoboth Avenue, gave Rehoboth Beach's water a passing grade.

"I always go in. It seems fine to me," said Grimm. "The only thing I hear about are the jellyfish."

Overall, NRDC tallied more than 20,000 closings or health warnings at ocean, bay or Great Lakes beaches nationwide, the highest number since the study began 16 years ago. About 8 percent of beach water samples taken nationwide violated health standards in an NRDC survey.

Representatives of the nation's publicly owned wastewater treatment plants cautioned that the 2005 results represent continuing efforts to expand and toughen testing programs, rather than deteriorating water quality.

Unmentioned in the Delaware findings is a permanent warning against swimming in Delaware's Inland Bays because of chronic pollution in Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay and Little Assawoman Bay.

"A day at the beach should not turn into a night in the bathroom, or worse, in the hospital," Nancy Stoner, director of NRDC's Clean Water Project, said in a written statement. "There have been significant advances over the last two decades that we should be using to protect beachgoers, but the EPA is dragging its feet in implementing them."


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060804&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=608040348&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
The sand and surf at Rehoboth Beach are filled with people Thursday as the heat wave continues. Delaware's ocean beaches had the fewest closings for bacterial contamination of any in the country in 2005, according to the newly issued report "Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches."

READ THE REPORT

To see it in English or Spanish, including state-specific information, go to www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/nttw.asp

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/NEWS/608040348/1006/SPORTS03

^^ I've got some fond memories of those little boat rides. :)

Delaware is seeing some of the highest immigration rates in the country.

Immigration on the rise in Del.
Census figures show 40% jump in five years


Giovanni Panza employs about a half-dozen Mexican and Brazilian immigrants in his restaurant near Newark, Soffritto Italian Grill, but it's not because he's an immigrant himself.

"I don't put a line between who's an immigrant and who's not," said Panza, a native Italian who grew up in Venezuela before coming to the United States 14 years ago. "When you have a need for someone, you put an ad in the paper or on the marquee. It is the immigrants who come and knock on your door for a job."

The number of immigrants seeking work and a better life in Delaware has boomed in recent years, according to a survey released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The state's immigrant population jumped 40 percent between 2000 and 2005, one of the biggest increases in the nation, the American Community Survey found. Within the state, New Castle County has seen the biggest growth in immigrant residents.

"It's a continuation of a long-term pattern," said Edward Ratledge, director of the University of Delaware's Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research.

Immigrants made up an estimated 8 percent of Delaware's population in 2005, continuing a steady climb from 6 percent in 2000 and 3 percent in 1990, the survey data show. Nationally, the figure increased to 12 percent in 2005, up from 11 percent in 2000 and 8 percent in 1990.

The findings provide the most detailed look at the state, the counties and the city of Wilmington since the 2000 Census. The annual survey of 3 million households nationwide covers race, immigration and education. It does not include people in group quarters, such as dormitories, barracks and prisons. Results are available only for areas with a population of 65,000 or greater.

Among the survey's other findings:

• Immigration has had a big impact in New Castle County. Immigrants make up 9 percent of the county's population, compared with 6 percent in Sussex and 4 percent in Kent. Nearly two-thirds of New Castle County's immigrants are not citizens. The figure is 57 percent in Sussex and 47 percent in Kent.

• Most of the immigrant growth has come from Latin American countries. The number of Latin American immigrants increased 60 percent in New Castle County, to 17,918. In Kent and Sussex counties, which were combined because of their small populations, the number of Latin American immigrants grew 30 percent, to 8,181. The second largest immigrant group, Asians, increased about 26 percent in all counties, to 17,060 statewide.

• In Wilmington, the immigrant population grew 41 percent, to 5,157 people in 2005. Of those, 71 percent are not citizens, compared with 62 percent in 2000.

Not all noncitizens are here illegally, said Maria Matos, executive director of the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington. Many have work visas and resident-alien status. Matos couldn't say how many and the Census survey does not include that count.

Panza said he checks workers' legal status before he hires them to make sure they are here legally. Those immigrants who pay taxes and stay out of trouble should be allowed to stay, he said.

"Grab everybody else and send them back," Panza said. "They are the ones who give everyone else a bad reputation."

Seeking greater opportunities

Not everyone can get the documents necessary to live and work legally in the United States, Matos said, but they want the same economic opportunity that has drawn immigrants for hundreds of years.

One such undocumented immigrant is Guadalupe Ubaldo, who was visiting the Latin American Community Center on Tuesday. She is 22 years old and illegally crossed the border from Mexico to the United States in September 2003. She agreed to the publication of her full name because it is a common Mexican name that would be difficult to track, she said through Matos, who translated for her.

Ubaldo came to Delaware with a friend and decided to stay because the jobs and wages are good, she said. She is studying English and hopes to become a waitress. Her husband, who came here illegally five years ago, started washing dishes in a restaurant and now is a cook.

The couple has a 2-year-old boy and a 6-month-old girl, Ubaldo said. The children are the main reason they continue to live here and why they want to become American citizens, she said.

"She worries that if she's deported or something happens with Immigration [and Customs Enforcement], her children, who are U.S. citizens, will be kept here and separated from her," Matos said. "She believes they'll have more opportunity here than they would have in Mexico."


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Hector Juarez, who emigrated from Mexico, buses a table at Soffritto Italian Grill near Newark. The restaurant's owner, Giovanni Panza, says he employs about six immigrants from Mexico and Brazil.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060816&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=608160352&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Giovanni and Stefania Panza are both originally from Italy.


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060816/NEWS/608160352

Delaware's truly a jewel. That plan for those 2,500 homes is truly impressive.

"The Greatest Rock and Roll Bar in the World" turns 70. :cheers:

70, but ageless
Celebrating a big birthday, the Bottle & Cork shows no signs of slowing down


DEWEY BEACH — It’s late Saturday afternoon and everything is running like clockwork at Dewey Beach’s Bottle & Cork.

Freshly sunburned (and showered) regulars begin streaming in, ready for the Saturday tradition of Jam Session, a bash that’s drawn Delawareans and tourists to the Cork ever since its inception about 40 years ago.

In the middle of the crowd is Stacy Fahey, 27, of Hockessin. She’s been coming to Jam Session ever since she was legally allowed.

And she follows the same schedule every summer Saturday, like many of Dewey’s weekend warriors.

She spends the day at the beach, heads back to her beach house for a quick shower and makes it to the Cork before the 5 p.m. kickoff to avoid the lines.

There’s no need for Fahey to call her friends and see where they are going.

Everybody knows.

“All of our friends are here,” she says. “You know you’ll see everyone you know. It’s always the same.”

With its cover bands, cold beer and raucous party atmosphere, Jam Session is still the Cork’s biggest draw.

“It’s ageless,” says Alex Pires, one of the partners of Highway One, a group that owns the Cork, along with other Dewey Beach hot spots like the Rusty Rudder, the Lighthouse and northbeach. “If you go there on a Saturday for Jam Session, it’s all ages. People who are up against the wall on the outside, they’re 40, 50, 60 years old. The people closer to the band are in their 20s, and the people in the middle are in their 30s. I think that’s pretty cool. It’s hard to find a bar like that.”

That diverse crowd will certainly be represented at the Cork Sunday as the legendary bar at the corner of Del. 1 and Dagsworthy Street celebrates its 70th anniversary with a party that will include Foreigner as the entertainment.

“We basically liked music”

If you’ve never been inside, it would be hard not to laugh at the bar’s proclamation that it’s the “greatest rock ’n’ roll bar in the world.”

With its off-gray paint job and plain facade, it looks more like a doctor’s office than the wild bar it is.

But once inside, you find a unique venue that’s part roadhouse and part concert hall, complete with unforgiving concrete floors, old, banged-up cash registers and a giant stage.

Somehow, it all comes together and works. But it wasn’t always like that.

It was a different beast in early 1937 when Harry and Virginia Shaud bought Jack’s Cafe for $7,500 and renamed it the Bottle & Cork. The name came from a bar in Pittsburgh they had heard of, the Cork & Bottle.

The Highway One group bought the bar for $2.3 million in 1989. (Twenty years earlier it had been sold for $128,000.)

It was the first purchase for the group, and Pires says they had no designs on buying up Dewey’s bars and restaurants as they have in the ensuing 17 years.

“We basically liked music and liked the Cork. I figured we’d have it for a couple of years and then sell it,” he says. “It was really innocent.”

Since then, Pires and his partners have renovated the bar several times, raising the roof, upgrading the bars, adding air conditioning and even allowing draft beer to be sold after years of selling beer only in cans -- cans that are usually thrown to the floor and crushed by their customers.

It’s that dive-bar feel that makes it a great place to let loose, even if it is open only a handful of nights out of the year.

Pires thinks it’s the schedule that adds the bar’s mystique. “It’s closed fully for nine months of the year, and when you look at the three months it is open, it’s open very little,” he says. “When you add it all up, it’s open maybe 20 hours a week just for the summer. It makes it an easy place to fall in love with.”

It also has long-running traditions that add to its charm, especially for customers who have been going there most of their adult lives.

• At 5 p.m. every Saturday in the summer, a World War II era siren sounds, letting people know Jam Session is beginning. “You really can’t hear it well inside, so if you can hear it, you’re late,” Pires says.

• Employees give out free cans of beer to the people closest to the stage during Jam Session so the loyal die-hards won’t lose their spot if they want to get another drink.

• The logo of a dancing man and woman has remained for more than 50 years, and it’s featured on the back wall behind the stage along with the bar’s name. Pires says the idea for the logo and the name on the back wall came from Tipitina’s, in New Orleans.

• The Big Guy, the signature drink of the Cork, is harder to find these days. The mind-bending mix of Captain Morgan rum, vodka, creme de almond, orange and pineapple juices was pulled from the drink list years ago, but old-time bartenders will still make it if you ask for it. “You can’t drink two because you’ll end up in Kansas,” Pires says. “We used to make them frozen and we had to stop. People were going into comas. It was like a coma machine. We only had the machine for a couple of years, if that.”

Hitting the big time

It was in the late ’50s when the bar’s music began to gradually move from Dixieland and swing to rock. And under the Highway One ownership, the Cork has emerged as a venue for national music acts, more so now than ever.

It’s hosted an eclectic mix of musicians, including the Dave Matthews Band, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Blondie, Live, Robert Palmer, Matthew Sweet, Joan Jett, Cracker, Better Than Ezra, RatDog, G. Love, Ziggy Marley, Dickie Betts, Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox 20.

The Dave Matthews show in the early ’90s was an especially long night for Pires and his staff.

“I remember the agent calls and says, ‘You’re charging $5. You know you can charge more than that,’ and I told him, ‘We only charge $5. People don’t wait to pay too much for a band they haven’t heard too much about.’ ”

Matthews, who was on the verge of signing with RCA Records, drew many more than the 800 fans the Cork can hold. Fans had driven up from Matthew’s home base in Charlottesville, Va. and swarmed the Cork.

Pires got a call from Cork manager Joe Adams. Pires said he could only hear madness in the background. Fans were climbing the walls to get in. “It was a nut house,” Pires says.

On another memorable night, the drummer for Hootie & the Blowfish was found making out with the underage daughter of a Cork employee.

“He was chasing him down the street ready to kill him,” Pires says, still shaking his head at the memory.

Even though the Cork hosts national acts like this year’s guests Robert Randolph and Dwight Yoakam, the biggest draw is actually the local cover bands.

Love Seed Mama Jump bassist Pete Wiedmann has a soft spot for the Cork because it’s the only real band-orientated spot in Dewey.

“It’s not just a bar,” says Wiedmann, who estimates he’s played the Cork about 50 times in 10 years. “It’s a place you specifically go to see a band.”

And even though the Cork added air conditioning this summer, it’s still one of the sweatiest stages around. Wiedmann remembers going through three shirts in one show. He was so hot, his sweat poured into his guitar, shorting out his pick-up. “And that’s the Bottle & Cork,” he says.

It’s that same bar where his father, Fred, used to take his then girlfriend, Roseanne, in the early 1950s.

“It was a great place for courting,” says Fred Wiedmann.

He remembers Shaud’s bar as a place where men in shirts and ties danced with their women, drinking martinis and mixed drinks.

Music was part of Saturdays long before Jam Session. An organ player and a drummer would help get the crowd dancing. (And, no, the band wasn’t called Love Seed Grandmama Jump.)

“The music was much quieter than it is today,” Fred Wiedmann says, laughing.
On the lookout

Former town commissioner Alice Walsh, 75, of Dewey Beach, met her husband at the Bottle & Cork in the early ’50s, and, of course, they and the Wiedmanns aren’t the only ones who found love at the Cork.

No matter the age, men and women walk into the Cork knowing that love might be right around the corner, Pires says, after years of bearing witness.

“They walk inside and say, ‘There’s got to be someone in here who likes me,’ ” Pires says.

He and his staff see it every weekend. Whether it’s housemates flirting with each other, older women scouting younger men or older men looking at young women way out of their league.

“Everybody thinks they’re young in there. That’s the funny part of it,” Pires says. “The 65-year-old on the wall sees a 22-year-old walk by and thinks, ‘If I wanted to, I could.’ She thinks it’s her grandfather, but he doesn’t think that. He’s at the Cork. He’s wearing the same clothes he did back when, and he’s thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I could do some real damage if I wanted to.’

“Only at the Cork.”


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060818&Category=ENTERTAINMENT&ArtNo=60817027&Ref=AR&Profile=1005&title=1
The Cork’s Jam Session has been around for 40 years. Every summer Saturday night it’s the place to be for hordes of Dewey Beach regulars.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060818/ENTERTAINMENT/60817027/1005/LIFE


As a bonus, here are the pictures from the photo gallery:

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=1&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
A cocktail waitress makes her way through the crush of revelers.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=2&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Full Effect performs at a recent jam session.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=3&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
The Cork circa 1950. In the late ’50s, the bar’s music began to gradually move from Dixieland and swing to rock.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=4&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
The Cork circa 1950. Harry and Virginia Shaud bought Jack’s Cafe in 1937 for $7,500 and renamed it the Bottle & Cork.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=5&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
The Bottle & Cork in the 1960s.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=6&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
The old outside wall in 1985.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=7&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
The Bacon Brothers performed there in 2003.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=8&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Dwight Yoakam performed earlier this summer.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=9&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Robert Randolph performance in July.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=10&Maxh=280&MaxW=550
Shooter Jennings earlier this summer.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=BL&Dato=20060818&Kategori=ENTERTAINMENT&Lopenr=818003&Ref=PH&Item=11&Maxh=300&MaxW=550
Soul Asylum performed in August.

Gore will be expanding greatly in the next 5 years or so.

Gore plans to build 3,000-job facility
Office-manufacturing project to occupy three parcels in Glasgow


In an ambitious project that could bring as many as 3,000 jobs to Delaware, Newark-based W.L. Gore & Associates wants to build more than a million square feet of office and manufacturing space off Del. 896 in Glasgow.

The company, which makes industrial, electronic, medical and consumer products, said it can't say for sure what might be manufactured at the 153-acre site between Del. 896 and Del. 72 south of Old Cooch's Bridge Road near Sunset Lake. The expansion has been in the works for years, but Gore and New Castle County officials said construction is unlikely before 2010.

"They are a Delaware company doing long-range planning," said Lisa Goodman, an attorney for Gore. "This is a large facility, and Gore's plan is to get the facility approved so that when they are ready to use it, the plan will be approved and ready."

The project, called Glasgow Commons, would be spread across three separate parcels surrounded by commercial property, residential areas, Glasgow High School and state parkland. Gore wants to build a total of 714,576 square feet of office space and 931,581 square feet of manufacturing space.

"I view it as a positive," said Judy McKinney-Cherry, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. "Once the site plan is done, as their business model allows them to expand they have a ready-to-go site."

Gore employs 7,500 people in 45 facilities worldwide and has been consistently ranked by Fortune magazine and other publications as one of the best places to work. It employs 2,700 in Delaware and eastern Maryland.

The jobs created by Glasgow Commons would range from engineering and administrative positions to skilled labor and janitorial.

"It will be a mix of everything," Goodman said.

The company's Delaware plant focuses on electronics. Gore spokesman Ed Schneider said the new site may be used for other divisions or its rapidly growing medical devices segment, which makes surgical products such as sutures and stents.

The company submitted exploratory plans to the county Department of Land Use last year, but the project remains in the early stages. There are many hurdles to overcome, including increased traffic at the site and on U.S. 40 and Del. 896.

Some intersections that would be affected already are at congestion levels above state standards during peak hours.

Residents in the area said they are most concerned about Old Cooch's Bridge Road, a narrow, two-lane road not designed for heavy traffic. It is used as a shortcut from Old Baltimore Pike to Del. 896.

Bought in 1999

Goodman said the company purchased the land in 1999 with an eye for expansion. The company would not disclose how much it paid, but an estimate based on the tax stamp in the Recorder of Deeds Office puts the price at close to $6 million.

It isn't clear how many of the 3,000 jobs would be new or how many could be transferred from other Gore facilities. The company is based in Newark and in 2004 moved 300 of its employees to a plant in Elkton, Md., sparking speculation that Gore would slowly pull out of Delaware.

Goodman said the company has no intention of leaving the state, and she also scuttled rumors that Gore would secure the development approvals and then sell the parcels for profit.

Initial county reviews of the plan recommend that Gore build and maintain its own sewer, which would require a permit from the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The complex is expected to produce more than 2,000 gallons a day of wastewater.

But the biggest challenge will be solving traffic problems.

The exploratory plan calls for access to two of the tracts from Old Cooch's Bridge Road. However, an engineering study conducted last year recommended that road not be used because it is only 20 feet wide with no shoulders or sidewalks.

There are similar problems with access to the third tract from GBC Drive, which borders the property on the south and provides an entrance for Dade Behring. Engineers found that road has curves, obstructions and lacks paved shoulders and sidewalks.

The study recommends Gore either pay for building a connector road from Del. 896 to Del. 72, or contribute money to a long-standing plan by DelDOT to extend Reybold Road as a connector. That would allow traffic to enter the sites from the east and west along an interior road.

"That would be good," said Carol Griffith, who has lived on Old Cooch's Bridge Road since 1968. "All the neighbors are upset with this."

Griffith said she's watched the road become more congested over the decades -- and more dangerous.

"I've had to have some [asphalt] added to my driveway just to turn around," she said. "And we don't ever walk on this road anymore."

Her neighbors, Ellen and Ralph Young, agreed.

"We have to sit here a long time before we can pull out into the road," Ellen Young said. "This little road just can't handle any more."

Goodman couldn't say whether the company would build or help pay for a connector road. She said Gore will seek a waiver from County Council because many of the intersections around the proposed development do not meet traffic standards set by the state.

A waiver would allow the company to build the facilities without complying with county law that requires surrounding intersections to maintain an acceptable level of traffic flow.

Can't fix intersections

She said that, even if DelDOT and the company made improvements, some of the intersections -- such as Del. 72 and Reybold Road or Del. 896 and Four Seasons Parkway -- still would not meet traffic standards, according to the engineering study.

"There is nothing a company like W.L. Gore could do to fix all of the intersections along the corridor," Goodman said.

She pointed to waivers that were granted to other large developments, such as Christiana Hospital in Stanton and AstraZeneca complexes east of Newark and in Fairfax.

Mike Williams, spokesman for DelDOT, said the agency in 2000 began a 21-year program to improve U.S. 40 and the roads that feed it. Prompted by growth in the suburban Bear area, the program has three phases that are seven years each.

Although many projects have been funded and completed -- including sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and intersection improvements -- projects such as a Newtown Road-Reybold Road connector are slated for later phases and do not have cost estimates.

No firm plans

Williams said the cash-strapped agency has no way of predicting when, or if, all the work would be completed.

"We'd love to say we'd fund it as quickly as possible, but we can't say that," he said.

DelDOT must set priorities, Williams said, and Gore's proposal does not automatically mean the roads around the site are moved to the top of the list.

"There are many other locations that are worse off," Williams said. "Just because an intersection [is failing] for two hours a day doesn't justify the expense to improve it."

Goodman said Gore is examining the transportation issues and will put together a traffic mitigation agreement, which includes methods to alleviate traffic at peak hours similar to AstraZeneca's program that staggers shifts and coordinates ride-sharing.

"It's still too early to say what will get recommended," Goodman said. "There are a number of potential solutions to relieve any impact, and Gore is willing to look at all of them."

Gore held a round of meetings last year with neighborhoods and civic groups, and wants to hold more in the fall.

That's welcome news to David Marshall, president of the 7&40 Alliance civic group.

He said he's pleased that Gore will create new jobs for Delawareans, but worries about the future of the U.S. 40 corridor.

"Route 40 has become a series of stop lights," he said. "The state needs to get those intersections back up to passing. It's all about quality of life."

County Councilman David Tackett, whose district includes the Gore land, said the county will have to work closely with DelDOT to limit the impact.

"I would just like to see that land preserved as much as possible because there are a lot of natural resources over there," he said. "Certainly, if the county could get it as part of our open space, it would be a win-win for the community."

Too expensive now

A county purchase isn't likely, said Jonathan Husband, an administrator with the county Special Services Department.

He said the county tried to buy 88 acres of the property in 2001, hoping to lease the surrounding state parkland near Sunset Lake and preserving the whole area as open space.

"That was going to be our Glasgow Park," he said.

The county and the company hammered out a sales agreement for $4 million, which Husband said was "a reasonable offer." But former County Executive Tom Gordon did not want to pursue the sale, he said.

The county later spent $15 million for the nearly 300 acres that is now Glasgow Park along U.S. 40. That met the long-range goal of building a park in the area, but it didn't stop the county from taking a second look at the Gore property.

Husband said they asked Gore again about the same 88 acres. Gore said yes, but this time the asking price was $20 million, according to Husband.

"We backed off," he said. "Even with the price of real estate now, that was one hell of a jump."

County Executive Chris Coons is taking special precautions to make sure he doesn't get near the Gore project.

That's because Coons has a conflict of interest: His stepfather, Bob Gore, is the inventor of Gore-Tex fabric and chairman of the board. Coons worked as an attorney for Gore for eight years and has other family and friends who still work there.

He has filed memos with county departments reviewing the plans stating he does not want to be informed about anything relating to the plan. He said he won't take part in decisions or discussions about Gore.

"The public needs to have confidence that our land-use process isn't affected in any way by the personal or private interests of any elected officials," Coons said.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060819&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=608190322&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Carol Griffith says residents on Old Cooch's Bridge Road are upset about the prospect of more congestion on the two-lane road.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060819&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=608190322&Ref=V3&Profile=1006&title=1
A map of the area.


W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES

HEADQUARTERS: Newark

PRODUCTS: Industrial, electronic, medical and consumer products

FACILITIES: 45 facilities worldwide; 17 manufacturing plants near Newark and Elkton, Md.

EMPLOYEES: 7,500 people, with 2,700 workers in Delaware and eastern Maryland


http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060819/NEWS/608190322/1006/NEWS

^^^ Gore expanding is great news for the Delaware job market. Though the BoA job cuts weren't as bad as expected, its always nice to see job-growth from sectors such as this.

^^ Gore expanding is great news for the Delaware job market. Though the BoA job cuts weren't as bad as expected, its always nice to see job-growth from sectors such as this.

3000 new jobs is huge. What does that translate to- maybe 9000 people, including spouses, kids, etc? This will help the metro area a good amount I think.

If it's true that Gore has 2700 employees now worldwide, and will be adding 3000 in Delaware alone, then they must have a new product that they anticipate will be a revolution in it's respective industry. Either that, or Gore's current products are extremely successful. I'll have to look into if their publicly traded or not; I know they're privately owned, but maybe they have some stock available. Something good must be on the horizon.

On a side note, my parents live near Hockessin and their next door neighbors are the heirs to the Gore fortune. I'm not sure exactly of what the deal is with the Gore money and whatnot, since I don't want to pry into their family business. They live a relatively humble life, in your typical suburban house, but apparently they're sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars. I met the wife of the Gore founder, Genevieve, 5 or 6 years ago at a confirmation party for the daughter of Genevieve's son. She had a chauffer for her Bentley and everything. She's dead now, so her son, which lives next door, must have some of that money.

The News Journal feels that Gore's expansion is going to be a big thing for Delaware. Here's an article from today. I still think that investors and Gore itself is being overlooked; They will also benefit from this expansion.

Also, I was incorrect. Gore has 2700 job in Maryland and Delaware, not worldwide. Gore employs 7500 worldwide.


Gore expansion a shot in the arm for Del.
Proposed project in Glasgow would add nearly 3,000 jobs


In the years since it moved the bulk of its operations across the Maryland line to Elkton, W.L. Gore & Associates has seen business blossom: Annual growth is in the double digits, its Gore-Tex fabric has become a household name and sales have reached nearly $2 billion a year.

But Delaware -- where the company was founded in Bill and Vieve Gore's basement in the late 1950s -- has been essentially locked out: It claims just 225 workers of the company's 7,500 worldwide work force at the company's headquarters and electronics division in Newark.

All that could change in coming years if the manufacturer of high-tech products follows through on a preliminary plan that would bring 3,000 jobs to a Glasgow business park that could house 1.6 million square feet of offices and warehouse and manufacturing space in nine buildings on three parcels.

The company said it will have a firmer grasp on its expansion plan by 2008. But if it comes to fruition, Gore's growth could provide an economic shot in the arm for the state. Gore would become a major employer in the state on par with DaimlerChrysler and General Motors, which employ close to 2,000 workers each.

"A venture of that magnitude would be an extremely positive outcome for Delaware and, of course, people in Maryland who would be able to work there," said Ed Simon, senior director of labor market information at the state Department of Labor.

The move, along with growth in its Maryland operations, could more than double its employment base in the region from 2,700 to nearly 6,000.

While the Newark-based company has seen substantive growth in the use of its products in the fabrics, electronics and industrial markets, it is the medical devices field that is fueling the need for more space.

"We have been actively hirings for the last couple of years primarily to meet the needs of the growing medical business," said Ed Schneider, Gore spokesman. "The other businesses have been enjoying growth as well, but not as dramatically."

Its growing medical devices division, based in Flagstaff, Ariz., makes stents, grafts, patches and other products that use the company's core plastic, known as ePTFE. Some of the products are commonly used in less-invasive surgical procedures.

In growing the division, Gore is taking advantage of a health care industry analysts say is booming largely because of the aging population and advances in technology. Medical-device makers are searching for ways to reduce invasive surgeries, which can speed recovery times. At the same time, the products can reduce health care costs for insurance companies, hospitals and, of course, patients.

"There are a lot of opportunities for them to succeed because there are unmet needs in the health care arena," said Debbie Wang, an analyst at Morningstar in Chicago.

The medical devices industry grew 9 percent last year, according to Global Insight, an economic research firm. Since 2000 the industry has increased production an average of about 4.7 percent a year.

The market is enormous. Stents alone, for instance, make up a $5.5 billion industry.

"It has always done very well the past few years," said Tom Runiewicz, industrial economist at Global Insight in Philadelphia. "It's recession-proof."

Making up for losses

As it grows the division, Gore has shifted some of the work from the medical-devices facilities in Arizona to Gore's Elkton plants. The company has increased employment in Maryland, currently at 2,500, and plans to add about 100 people a year for the next several years.

But there has not been any growth in Delaware. In 2004, the company moved 288 workers in the Newark electronics division to facilities in Elkton.

But if the company decides to expand and build more plants in Delaware, the future could potentially change Delaware's role in the company and manufacturing in the state.

"We certainly want to make sure that W.L. Gore would expand in Delaware if their business shows it makes sense," said Judy McKinney-Cherry, director of Delaware Economic Development Office.

John MaCamant, editor for Medical Technology Stock Letter, an industry newsletter based in Berkeley, Calif., said building more space to grow is a smart decision for Gore in a highly competitive industry.

MaCamant said companies in the medical-devices industry sometimes acquire space in case they decide to acquire some other companies or they want to sell their business.

"It is almost a business model of choice in the drug-devices industry that you build yourself of certain size," he said.

Still, Schneider, said the company, at least right now, has no plans to move away from Delaware.

Staying home

If anything, he said, the potential expansion would diversify Delaware's manufacturing base within Gore.

"It is important to recognize that this is our home, this is where we were founded and we have absolutely no plans to move from our original location," Schneider said.

The company hopes to make a decision by 2008 on whether to develop the Glasgow properties, where, over the long term, it could add 3,000 employees. For Delaware, the timing could be important. The state has gone through rounds of job cuts in recent years related to, among other things, DuPont Co.'s downsizing and Bank of America's purchase of MBNA Corp.

"I don't know if they would rival the lost income from MBNA job losses, but at the very least, they will offer better-than-average wages and it will be a real boost to the economy," said Mike Helmar, economist at Moody's Economy.com, a research and consulting firm in West Chester, Pa.

An overview and history of the company:


W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES

HEADQUARTERS: Newark

PRODUCTS: Industrial, electronic, medical and consumer products

FACILITIES: 45 facilities worldwide, 17 manufacturing plants near Newark and Elkton, Md.

EMPLOYEES: 7,500 people, including 2,700 workers in Delaware and Maryland



TIMELINE

1957: Bob Gore, a sophomore at the University of Delaware, suggests the use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape to insulate wire. Tests show that the tape offers significant advantages over earlier insulation methods.

1958: On Jan. 1, Bill and Vieve Gore begin the enterprise in the basement of their home.

1960: The company receives its first major order: 7.5 miles of insulated ribbon cable for the city of Denver.

1961: The Gore team moves out of Bill and Vieve's home and into the first plant at 555 Paper Mill Road, Newark.

1963: The company's first patent, U.S. Patent 3,082,292, is issued to Bob Gore for the "Multiconductor Wiring Strip."

1967: First Flagstaff, Ariz., plant opens.

1967: Gore U.K. begins manufacturing wire and cable in Dunfermline, Scotland, in a rented building.

1969: Gore cable finds its way to the moon on July 20, 1969. Astronauts Edwin Aldrin Jr. and Neil Armstrong install seismographic equipment connected to the moon lander with a small, lightweight, high-temperature cable manufactured by Gore. The Gore-NASA relationship began with the use of Gore cables in NASA's ground-control equipment.

1969: Bob Gore discovers GORE-TEX. Gore's expanded PTFE products kick off in 1970.

1971: The discovery of GORE-TEX spawns a new industrial product line. A Gore customer newsletter introduces sealant products.

1972: GORE-TEX fiber is first manufactured.

1975: Gore makes its first sale of vascular grafts to a surgeon in Virginia.

1976: Gore receives the first commercial order of GORE-TEX fabric, the first waterproof, breathable fabric. Early Winters is the first customer. The 1977 Early Winters catalog advertises its GORE-TEX rainwear as "possibly the most versatile piece of clothing you'll ever wear."

1979: GORE-SEAM tape is introduced, eliminating the potential for leakage through seam holes in GORE-TEX garments.

1981: Gore fiber is used in spacesuits worn by astronauts in NASA's inaugural space shuttle mission, on shuttle Columbia.

1985: The medical products division receives Britain's Prince Philip Award for Polymers in the Service of Man.

1986: The medical products division celebrates one million implants.

1990: GORE-TEX fabric is worn by an international team traversing Antarctica.

1996: 89 U.S. patents, a record number, are issued to Gore.

2000: Chuck Carroll becomes president and CEO of Gore. Bob Gore remains chairman of the board of directors.

2002: Gore's first minimally invasive medical product is approved for use in the United States. Approval of the Viabahn Endoprosthesis is followed by approval of the Excluder Bifurcated Endoprosthesis later that year.

2005: Terri Kelly succeeds Chuck Carroll as president and CEO.

C&D Canal project has money to get started
Castle says $4.6 million is available for recreation trail


Not long after the dignitaries cleared out Tuesday morning, brothers Ryan and Jared Kukawski, ages 9 and 6, respectively, walked down the gravel road along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal under the Reedy Point Bridge.

They had yellow plastic shovels and a plastic bag with a few fossils -- including the state fossil, belemnite -- they had found in a sandy pile just off the road. They had come from Middletown with their parents, Don and Jennifer, to spend a day together before school starts and schedules get crazier.

"It was really fun," Jennifer said.

And it was just the kind of excursion officials hope will become more common when the $19 million project creating the C&D Canal Recreation Trail is complete.

The Kukawski family had trouble finding the gravel road at first -- no signs point visitors to it -- but they eventually found it and parked in a little pull-off. They hiked past the microphones and cameras and on to the fossil site just a few minutes before Rep. Mike Castle arrived to announce that $4.6 million was available to kick-start the 2-year-old trail project.

"Virtually 100 percent of the state has driven over it, but probably less than 1 percent has been down here," Castle said later. "You have to be a Boy Scout to find it. There are no signs, there is no parking, there are no restrooms. People don't know if it's public property or private property and they're a little nervous about it.

"We want to make it more accessible. ... It's like a jewel ready to be shined up."

A long process

Castle has been working the idea for about two years with members of Delaware Greenways, the Army Corps of Engineers -- which has authority over the canal and the 9,000 acres included in the trail plan -- his Republican colleague in Congress, Maryland Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, state transportation officials, representatives of New Castle and Cecil counties, Delaware and Maryland environmental departments, and Delaware City, St. Georges and Chesapeake City, Md., officials.

A similar -- but much smaller -- project is in place already along the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts, where visitors can hike, bike, attend nature seminars or learn about the traffic using that 7-mile canal.

This project, if fully built, would create 29 miles of trails on both sides of the canal, including repairs or replacements for 10 fishing piers, trail markers and restrooms. New access gates would be part of the package, and motor vehicle use of the area would be limited to emergency and official vehicles.

On a day like Tuesday, with sunshine on the water and low humidity in the air, it was hard to imagine the canal banks as crime scenes, but they have been demeaned that way many times.

Decomposing bodies have been found, people have been shot, all manner of old appliances have been dumped, and no one knows what all has happened on the remote roads and trails that stretch along the canal and branch off into underbrush.

Ernest A. Shepard, who lives on the north side of the canal and serves on the Chesapeake City town council, has seen plenty of trouble and believes the trail will bring much of it to an end.

"You know when you see them driving after dusk they're up to no good," Shepard said. "There's nothing to see down here after dark. They're either here for drugs or drinking parties. And there's so little law enforcement. ... That will change."

The money collected so far -- about $1.3 million of it in fines imposed on the Delaware City oil refinery when Motiva owned it -- is about half the cost of Phase 1, which would build 16 miles of trail on the north side of the canal from Delaware City to Chesapeake City.

Delaware's share of this early money is $2.9 million. The federal money -- $1.7 million -- has been approved as part of the $139.6 billion House Transportation Act, which still must be reconciled with the U.S. Senate's transportation budget, a move Castle and his aides believe is likely. Castle staffer Jeffrey Dayton said the hope is that construction will begin sometime in 2007.

The project is a bargain for taxpayers, residents, tourists -- all of whom will have greater access to land the public already owns, Castle said.

"If you wanted to buy 9,000 acres of land in New Castle County, what would the price be?" Castle said. "This will open the area up to thousands of people a month. ... Everybody ought to be able to enjoy it."

A home for wildlife

The area is home to much wildlife -- quail, box turtles, deer, migratory ducks and geese, to name a sampling.

"This is an important corridor for many species to move across the state," said Rob Hossler, program manager for the state Division of Fish & Wildlife. "There are not many places that have long corridors with water and habitat on both sides.

Any kind of development in such areas raises concern about disturbing that wildlife.

"We had some people really concerned about a change in the tranquility of the area," said John Hughes, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. "But my answer to that is: This area isn't all that tranquil. We've discovered television sets and refrigerators. We can't keep ahead of it. But we will be able to when we have a handle on this project. ... We've learned from the parks that the type of people who use facilities like this are the kind you want here. They solve problems. They take their litter out with them."

The terraced terrain around the canal will allow hunting and jogging to take place at the same time, Hughes said. Horseback riding, dog training, fishing all will continue.

But it won't be pristine territory.

"This is still a disposal site," Hughes said. "They still have to dredge the canal. We're not going to make this an environmental paradise. But the use of it -- a long, long hiking, biking path -- is rare."


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U.S. Rep. Mike Castle announces Tuesday the raising of $4.6 million for the first phase of the planned C&D Canal Recreation Trail along the canal under the Reedy Point Bridge outside Delaware City.


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An artist's rendering shows skaters, bicyclists and horseback riders using the planned C&D Canal Recreation Trail.


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Possibly lower gas prices? Okay by me.

Ethanol plant may be built in Claymont
Refinery faces hurdles; gas prices could be cut


A Pennsylvania energy company is eyeing a Claymont industrial site for Delaware's first ethanol plant, which would require changes to a key state environmental law.

Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based FSI Energy said the former General Chemical Corp. plant on the Delaware River is one of five sites around the country it is evaluating for a refinery that would turn corn into ethanol, an additive mixed with petroleum-based gasoline. An ethanol plant in Delaware could bring down prices at the pump and provide a local supply of ethanol for refiners, such as Valero, which operates the state's only refinery.

But FSI faces a hiccup in the form of the Coastal Zone Act, which was passed in 1971 to prevent construction of such plants near waterways like the Delaware River.

The company, which would need legislation passed to amend that law, is lobbying a group of prominent state officials, including House Speaker Terry Spence, who formed a task force this year to study bringing an ethanol plant to the state.

Company officials said they have not signed any agreements with General Chemical and details of the potential plant have not been revealed. But Tommie Little, a lawyer working on the ethanol task force, said FSI Energy already has discussed investing as much as $100 million in the plant.

"It was discussed by many people and we had a meeting as a result of that up in Claymont," said Little.

Company officials denied putting a dollar figure on the project but have met with task force members and politicians. General Chemical officials were unavailable for comment.

Laurel Ridge Republican Rep. Robert Valihura Jr., said estimates show construction of the plant would employ 500 people over a two-year period. He also said the plant would create about 50 permanent full-time jobs.

"It would make it one of Claymont's larger employers," said Valihura. "They would be good-paying jobs and jobs that would be open for all kinds of employees unlike certain jobs -- they would be jobs that most folks would be able to qualify for."

Hurdles on the horizon

Delaware's Coastal Zone Act explicitly prohibits any new heavy industries being built on former industrial sites, called brownfields. The General Chemical site, which was shut down in 2003, produced sulfuric acid, sulfur and related products for more than 90 years. In 2002, the state fined General Chemical $475,000 for environmental violations.

"As wonderful as the ethanol plant might in fact be, that is not a fact that we consider when assessing projects," said Phil Cherry, environmental program administrator for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, who had been contacted by FSI in June. "The Coastal Zone Act prohibits heavy industry -- it's an outright prohibition."

In order to get a waiver, FSI Energy would have to get an exemption from the law. Only the General Assembly can grant such a waiver.

State Sen. Catherine L. Cloutier, R-Heatherbrooke, and Valihura said they would support legislation in favor of a waiver if the Claymont community supports an ethanol plant.

"When it comes down to it, we can't have an industry going in there that is going to add pollution and ruin the environment," said Cloutier. She said she wants more information on the environmental impact of such a plant.

Claymont resident Brett Saddler said the community needs more information on emissions from the ethanol plant and its impact on the environment.

Lower gas prices may result

In pushing for an ethanol plant, state officials have joined a bandwagon spreading across the country as higher gasoline prices pinch the wallets of Americans.

"I have an obligation as an elected official in the state of Delaware to explore and research other energy sources to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," said Spence.

Having an ethanol plant in Delaware may contribute to some reduction in the price of gas in the state for consumers. The closer an ethanol plant is to a refinery, the less the transportation costs that would be added to the cost of the fuel.

"All things being equal ... an ethanol plant in Delaware could mean lower local prices," said Cathy Rossi, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "But ethanol is not the long-term solution of our fuel needs because of the energy it takes to produce it."

All gas refineries must use ethanol after federal legislation mandated they move away from a previous additive, MTBE.

Valero could benefit

While there are obvious hurdles to clear, an FSI plan could be furthered by several factors.

Valero Energy Corp., which owns the oil refinery near Delaware City, has expressed an interest in purchasing ethanol produced in Delaware, Little, the attorney, said.

"That creates an immediate market," he said.

Valero officials said they have not made any final decisions on purchasing ethanol from Delaware producers, but that they would consider it. FSI would not comment on any talks with Valero.

And Cloutier said there are federal funds available to help clean up the General Chemical site.

Next month, Spence's task force on ethanol is organizing a six-day hearing in front of the General Assembly on the benefits of bringing ethanol and other biofuel manufacturers into Delaware.

FSI, Valero and a variety of environmental experts are expected to testify at the hearings.

Spence plans to introduce legislation in January that would be based on recommendations from the hearings.

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A Delaware tradition: A funeral to mourn the end of Summer.

Bethany bids farewell to summer
New Orleans-style jazz funeral benefits Habitat for Humanity


BETHANY BEACH -- This year's funeral procession up the boardwalk was more joyous than last year's.

The Dixieland bands still played for a fallen friend, in this case summer.

The mourners still wept as they walked four blocks alongside a casket holding a mannequin representing the waning season.

But the weight that Hurricane Katrina placed on this small Sussex County resort town last year -- Katrina hit days before the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral -- was cast off.

"Last year, everyone was struck by the tragedy that occurred in New Orleans," said Paul Jankovic, chairman of the 21st Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral. "This year, it is a little easier to handle. It's a little more joyous."

In 2005, the event, which imitates New Orleans-style funerals, raised nearly $5,000 for the American Red Cross. This year, the event raised money for Habitat for Humanity, which will aid in rebuilding New Orleans as well as contributing to efforts in Sussex County.

"They're the next logical group of people to take after Red Cross," Jankovic said. "They are involved in the rebuilding of New Orleans and, of course, they help people right here in Sussex County -- and they are really a good group of people."

Ted Fischer, who chairs fundraisers for Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, said they were honored to be chosen as this year's recipients.

"We're trying to help out the best we can," Fischer said, adding the group has built 23 homes in the county since 1991.

This year, the event held its first silent auction, which raised about $2,000 for Habitat for Humanity. The auction featured gift certificates and merchandise from local businesses and restaurants and was held on Friday, just as the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto flooded Bethany Beach's streets.

"The wind was just howling and people still came out," Fischer said. "It was amazing."

As it has for the past 21 years, the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral said goodbye to summer with its offbeat, Louisiana-style festivities. People began lining the sides of the narrow boardwalk in anticipation of the parade, which was kicked off by two bands: the Jazz Funeral Irregulars and the Dixie Cats. The bands were followed by scores of people dressed in black, some crying, some waving at spectators.

"I'm curious to see" the parade, said Susan Bailey, as she toted her 15-month-old daughter Elise in a baby carriage.

Although Bailey, of Rock Hill, S.C., said she was going to miss the beach weather, she said she wasn't too sad to see the summer go. "I'm more of a winter girl," she said. "I'm ready for fall."

Josie Cilea, of Rehoboth Beach, got help from her husband, Frank, who pulled her up onto a lifeguard tower on Central Boulevard to watch the parade.

"I've seen it advertised every year and I've never gone," she said. "So this year I said, 'Let's go check it out.' "

Chris Sabin, of Ocean View, participated in this year's event with the Red Hat Society's Grande Dames of Sussex County. It was the group's third appearance.

"It's a great privilege to walk in this parade each year," Sabin said. "It's a great way to end summer."

For Sabin, who lives in Sussex's resort area year round, the event has another special meaning.

"We hate to see the warm weather leave us, but we are happy to have our town back," she said.

As the procession made its way to the bandstand, Bethany Beach's lifeguards celebrated their own goodbye. Many gathered on the beach near the bandstand, waved at the spectators and then jumped into the ocean.

"It's a celebratory send-off for the summer," said Joe Donnelly, lifeguard captain. Monday was the last day Bethany's lifeguards will work weekdays until next season. "It's something that has been going on way before I was here and it will probably go on way after I'm gone."


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Bethany Beach's "funeral" for summer Monday on the boardwalk mimics New Orleans-style jazz funerals. This year's event raised money for Habitat for Humanity, which will help in rebuilding New Orleans as well as contributing to efforts in Sussex County.


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Mourners carry the body of summer. Scores of people were dressed in black with some individuals crying, while others waved at spectators.


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Cindy Sciotto, of New London, Pa., and her daughter Samantha, 3, dance at the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral on Monday.


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Bethany Beach lifeguard Tom Fox hangs out with Red Hat Society's Grande Dames of Sussex County members (from left:) Shirley Lee, Barbara Farrell and Justine Florczyk before the funeral.

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Could Delaware's first National Park be a National Historic Trail?

Re-enactors hope to inspire a new national historic trail
600-mile march led to final victory of Revolutionary War


On the gravel shoulder of Old Baltimore Pike on Thursday, Mike Fitzgerald smoked tobacco from a bone pipe, his wiry, gray hair pulled into a ponytail beneath a black, English-style cocked hat. His red wool coattails shuddered as an 18-wheeler tore past at 50 miles an hour.

He stood in the faded footprints of the 8,000 French and American soldiers who marched the same path 225 years before.

Those troops trekked more than 600 miles from Newport, R.I., to Yorktown, Va. They were led by men named Washington and Rochambeau. And when they reached their destination, they drew their weapons, fought a battle and established a nation.

Now, many years later, three middle-aged men are re-creating that journey. They will reach Yorktown in 29 days. And when they arrive, they will draw their weapons, re-enact a battle and, they hope, inaugurate the longest national historic trail east of the Mississippi River.

Thursday, Fitzgerald, Dave Holloway and Dave Fagenberg crossed from Delaware into Maryland, nearly 400 miles into a journey that began in June and will last until October.

Four years ago, Holloway, a Navy veteran and longtime Revolutionary War re-enactor, decided to march to Yorktown.

"I wanted to do it to honor the French," he said. "We couldn't have [won the war] without them."

He didn't know it at the time, but Holloway wasn't the first one to think the route was worth walking.

In 1999, a group of re-enactors formed the W3R Association and convinced legislators to introduce legislation that would require the National Park Service to study the feasibility of designating the route a national historic trail.

There are 12 such trails in the continental United States and only two lie east of the Mississippi River.

In July, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., introduced a bill that would designate the W3R Trail, officially called the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, a national historic trail. It is a simple bill, with no money attached. The value, supporters say, is in the designation itself.

"The states are reluctant to support [the trail], until it is designated a national historic trail," said Ralph Nelson of the W3R Association of Delaware. "They say, 'Well, why don't we wait until it's been designated.' "

The Delaware Department of Transportation already has made plans to put up nearly 50 signs to mark the trail, Nelson said. He and other supporters hope the legislation, co-sponsored by Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Rep. Mike Castle, will motivate other states to do the same.

The trail should not cost much, since it will follow existing roads. Officials haven't calculated the cost of marking the entire trail, but Nelson expects DelDOT to spend about $20,000.

The trail will add to Delaware's rich history, an aspect of the state that draws visitors from all over the country, said Dina Reider of the Delaware Economic Development Office.

"I'm seeing it as becoming an iconic type of thing -- where people want to go that route, much as they do on the Appalachian Trail," she said.

No one expects many of those tourists to actually walk the whole thing, though.

Most of them will drive it.

Nearly all of the 600-mile trail -- which stretches across nine states -- is paved. That makes for an easy drive, but a challenging walk.

"We've gotten used to the traffic," Fagenberg said. "Dave puts his flag out on narrow roads so [drivers] can see us coming."

Most drivers give the men plenty of room. Some of them wave. Others honk.

Fitzgerald usually responds with a crisp salute.

When he first envisioned the trip, Holloway, now nearly 60 and wearing a hearing aid, said no one believed he would do it.

Every aspect of the project, he decided, would be paid for privately.

Only when he acquired a trailmate did he silence the critics.

Fitzgerald was one of the hundreds of re-enactors Holloway e-mailed, but the only one to respond. And he did so with enthusiasm.

"Usually you get to do it for a weekend," said Fitzgerald, a seasoned re-enactor who has appeared in several documentaries. "Once [Holloway] set the bug in me, I said 'Even if you don't do it, I will.' "

Fagenberg, an independent insurance consultant from Kansas, made the group a trio.

Other marchers join along the way. Some stay on for a day, others for a week. Two re-enactors from Maryland, one from Delaware and another from Connecticut joined Thursday.

The trip already has become more significant than any of the men ever imagined.

"What's really blown us away is that every day we have 10 or 20 people come up to us and say thank you," Fitzgerald said. "It's humbling. We're just three guys walking down the road."

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Revolutionary War re-enactor Mike Fitzgerald (second from right) salutes to acknowledge a passing motorist Thursday along Old Baltimore Pike.

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Traffic at the beach will be an absolute nightmare next Summer. Hopefully it's a lot better in 2008 than it was in 2005 or 2006.

'Difficult' Del. 1 expansion begins today
Adding lanes to 2.7-mile stretch outside Lewes could tie up resort-area traffic until April 2008


State transportation officials don't just expect traffic along the Del. 1 resort corridor to be bad during the next two years. They expect it to be so steering-wheel-gripping, brake-riding, head-pounding bad that they aren't even bothering to sugarcoat their prediction.

Today, a construction project gets under way that will last through the summer of 2007 and be complete by April 2008. For residents and visitors, store owners and the service industry, it means more time in traffic, delays and great displays of patience -- in short, a major inconvenience.

"We're not pulling any punches on this," said Darrel Cole, a spokesman for the Delaware Department of Transportation. "It's going to be very difficult. ... We're going to be very blunt. It's going to be bad."

But for the folks in charge of emergency services -- from police and volunteer firefighters to county paramedics and ambulance crews -- what lies ahead in the next 19 months is the stuff of nightmares.

Under the construction plan, at least two lanes in each direction will be open. But the lanes will be segregated from work areas by temporary concrete walls, commonly called Jersey barriers.

Lewes Fire Chief Bill Buckaloo can picture a typical summer Saturday, complete with bumper-to-bumper traffic. Then, a fire. Motorists, well-schooled in making way for emergency vehicles even in the heaviest traffic, will have nowhere to go.

"You might as well just turn the lights and sirens off," he said. "There's not going to be really a place for them to go if the traffic is gridlock."

The work directly affects a 2.7-mile stretch from the Del. 1 intersection with U.S. 9 at Five Points, near the entrance to Lewes, south to the intersection with Del. 24. In addition, some access roads are part of the job.

Even emergency crews south of Indian River Inlet -- where there will be no construction -- often bring patients to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes and they, too, could be tied up in traffic -- both coming and going, Buckaloo said.

"DelDOT says that they will work with us," he said. "But I don't know what they can do for us."

Years in the making

The $9.7 million project will be paid for with federal dollars, Cole said. The key is to improve both safety and traffic flow on the busy corridor. A-Del Construction Company will do the work.

The project has been planned -- in one form or another -- for years and was first set to start earlier this year. Resort-area drivers got a brief reprieve when a transportation agency funding issue caused a delay. The highway, Delaware's major coastal corridor, averages about 70,000 cars a day during peak times, and traffic volumes have been increasing by about 5 percent every year, Cole said.

A third lane was added from the Delaware State Police barracks south to Del. 24 two years ago, as part of an interim traffic improvement. That lane was created mostly from shoulders and turning lanes. In addition, traffic engineers did more to control traffic-light timing to help traffic flow north and south.

The improvement, even on summer weekends, was dramatic.

But most everyone knew that fix was temporary.

Under the construction plan, a permanent third travel lane will be added, along with a shared-use bus, bike and turning lane. Sidewalks will be added along the southbound side of the construction area and two pedestrian signals and crosswalks will be built across Del. 1.

"Any construction, it's a pain," said Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, who represents the area and has pushed state transportation officials to keep the project on the table. But "when it's done, it's a lot better project. In the end, it will be worth it."

Schwartzkopf said he and other area legislators will meet with transportation officials this month for a detailed briefing on the construction project, the schedule and plans to keep the public informed.

Transportation officials believe the highway is nearing or exceeding capacity and that causes delays and safety issues, especially during the summer. Transportation officials first pointed out safety concerns in their Year 2000 Highway Safety Improvement Program.

"This has now become the metropolitan area," said Rehoboth Beach resident Walter Brittingham, a business owner. "It is very congested. ... It's just plain gridlock here."

Working in phases

The first phase of work is set for September through March, and will include the shoulder of the southbound lanes from Kings Highway at the Home Depot store south to Del. 24. The right lane will be closed to traffic.

One the northbound side, the shoulder and turn lane will be closed to traffic from Brian Drive to Melson Road.

During the second phase of construction, expected to be completed in late spring of 2008, work will be done in the median and cause travel restrictions on both north- and southbound lanes.

Cole said highway officials are urging resort travelers to avoid delays and take alternate routes. They will use automated signs at key intersections such as the U.S. 113 and Del. 1 split at Milford to urge motorists to take other routes.

"Our biggest concern [is] the out-of-state visitors," he said.

It is difficult to let them know traffic could be even worse than they expect, he said.

To keep local residents informed, the department is setting up a working group that will host quarterly meetings. The first of those meetings is set for 10-11:30 a.m. Oct. 4 at Grotto Pizza's Grand Slam Restaurant, 1200 Highway One, Lewes.

Transportation officials plan to maintain access to all businesses and residences during construction, and will post signs to make sure motorists know how to reach the businesses.

Meanwhile, they are encouraging bicyclists to avoid the highway during construction and use Plantations Road as a safer alternative.

While this project is permanent, many believe it, too, will be only a temporary fix.

It likely is the last major improvement to the highway, so once it's complete planners will have to look at other options to alleviate congestion, said Rep. Joseph Booth, R-Georgetown, who represents the Lewes area.

No easy solutions for backups

Booth said most residents he has talked to already expect delays and backups. He said the biggest issues he's heard are from the emergency crews.

"Is there a solution? I don't have one," said Rehoboth Beach Fire Chief Harry Miller. "It's pushed us, basically."

There are few options to move about in an emergency, Miller said. But at least in the case of medical emergencies, Rehoboth crews can call on helicopters to move the seriously ill or injured to medical care quickly, he said.

That isn't something Rehoboth crews have much experience with because they are near Beebe Medical Center, he said.

But in life-or-death situations when traffic is a problem, they will be an option.

"We'll use helicopters," he said. "That's one of my solutions."

Another option both the Lewes and Rehoboth companies have discussed is double dispatching -- sending crews from both stations with the idea that whichever makes it through the traffic first will handle the call, Buckaloo said.

Both companies also are thinking about their traditional mutual aid agreements. In the past, Lewes and Rehoboth, which share one substation on Del. 24, were the first to assist each other in emergencies because the two communities are so close.

But if traffic is heavy, it might be quicker and easier to get help from Bethany Beach to the south or from Indian River to the west, Miller said.

James Moynihan, an administrator at Beebe Medical Center, questioned why the work has to be such a big deal.

"In reality, all they're doing is building a shoulder," he said. But the barriers and closing make it "a terrible, terrible disruption."

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Traffic moves smoothly Saturday in the Midway area of Del. 1 between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, where a widening project scheduled to begin today is expected to cause nightmares for drivers.

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Dover's downtown will get a new restaurant/bar. Does this imply that Dover will now have a decent nightlife? :shocked:

I think Dover's downtown is on the verge of seeing a big boom, with the mid-rises also proposed. :)

Lunch by day, party by night
New restaurant in Dover will have two personalities


DOVER -- For the past 14 years, the empty windows of the Priscilla Block Building have been a conspicuous symbol of everything that ails downtown Dover's commercial district.

But next month, the lights will go on again in the century-old building at State and Loockerman streets.

"It will either be the biggest success story or the biggest flop in history," said Brett Hencley, who with a silent partner from New York will open The World Famous Loockerman Exchange on the building's ground floor.

The World Famous Loockerman Exchange -- "World Famous" is part of its formal name -- takes its moniker from the Loockerman Exchange, a bar and restaurant that occupied the building until 1992.

Hencley is keeping many of the details under wraps, but he promises the new Loockerman Exchange will have two distinct identities, one in the daytime and the other at night.

"During the day, you can come here and have a power lunch. It will be a comfortable place to do business," Hencley said, adding that it will be "extremely classy, very swank."

At night, The World Famous Loockerman Exchange will put on "its other face, which is going to be the most classy and wildest party you can go to any night of the week, but it's not where you feel mobbed."

The establishment will enforce a dress code, and troublemakers will not be welcome.

Hencley, a real estate agent who came to Dover while serving in the Air Force, said he soon learned that Dover residents in his target demographic -- professionals ages 23 to 50 -- go to the beach or nearby cities such as Washington if they're looking for a vibrant nightlife scene.

The more Hencley researched, the more he figured there was a market for a similarly vibrant nightspot here.

Undeterred by the naysayers

"When I initially walked into the [Priscilla Block] Building in early spring, I had my vision, I knew what I wanted. I walked into this one, and it was exactly what I was looking for," Hencley said.

Hencley heard the naysayers -- "There isn't enough parking" was a frequent refrain -- but he didn't let them dissuade him.

"Dover's negative by nature. Small towns are," Hencley said. "I'm from a town of 4,000 people. ... When you start, people want you to fail."

However, many downtown merchants and city officials say they want to see Hencley succeed.

The Priscilla Block Building occupies a prominent location in the heart of downtown Dover, and having a thriving business there is seen as a key to revitalization.

"I think bottom-line, from Main Street's perspective, everybody's talking about it," said Paul Lakeman, president of the board of the downtown revitalization organization Main Street Dover.

"Everybody's excited about the fact there's going to be something, No. 1, in that building, and No. 2, there will be a new face on Loockerman Street," Lakeman said.

"It's going to bring people downtown at lunchtime, and it's going to have an impact in drawing people into the stores that are currently there," he added.

That could act as a catalyst for other entrepreneurs to open businesses downtown, leading to what Lakeman called "a domino impact."

"It makes it a little bit easier for the next guy to take on that opportunity," he said.

Hencley, who has signed a five-year lease to occupy the building, said The World Famous Loockerman Exchange will employ about 30 full- and part-time workers and will be open at least six days a week.

He could not provide an opening date, but said the goal is to open next month. "Everything is on or ahead of schedule," he said.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060913&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=609130323&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Brett Hencley is opening The World Famous Loockerman Exchange in downtown Dover.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060913/BUSINESS/609130323/1003

Traffic at the beach will be an absolute nightmare next Summer. Hopefully it's a lot better in 2008 than it was in 2005 or 2006.



I wonder what happened to the Alternate Route 1 plan. I know a few years back there were talking about doing a limited access road just west of Plantation rd.
I think adding lanes is a lame solution to the traffic problems on Rt. 1. No one has asked me, but my solution would be to put a bridge at the end of Long Neck Rd. that connects over to the Inlet Bridge. This would give people heading south on Rt 1 a good direct route to Bethany Beach and South.

If you don't believe me, look here and follow Route 5

http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Milton,+DE

This would give south bound traffic a new route which would alleviate much of the problems around Lewes and Rehoboth.

You may now thank me for soliving this entire areas traffic problems
:)

^^ There is some talking going around about making US Route 113 a limited access highway from Milford to probably the Maryland border. Then, people heading to Bethany Beach could just get off at State Route 26, and people heading to Fenwick Island could get off at State Route 54.

If they ever did do that, they should just go all-in and make Route 1 limited access from Dover to Milford. Might as well get rid of every one of those traffic lights and cross-streets.

The Blue Rocks signed a two-year Player Development Contract with the Kansas City Royals, the original affiliate of the Blue Rocks from 1993 to 2004. Winning ways will be back again! :cheers:

Blue Rocks become a Royals affiliate again
Team had been Kansas City affiliate from 1993 to 2004


The Blue Rocks announced today that the franchise has signed a two-year player development contract with the Kansas City Royals - rekindling a 12-year relationship that lasted from 1993 until 2004.

The Rocks spent the last two season as a high Class A affiliate of Boston Red Sox.

“Part of my job is to listen to the fans and our corporate community,” said Blue Rocks president Matt Minker. “Blue Rocks fans are very knowledgeable and pay attention to performance and roster moves. I was interested over the last three weeks of the season as fans approached me suggesting we bring back the Royals. Blue Rocks fans want to win and expect to win.”

With the Royals, Wilmington had the best winning percentage (943-728, .564) in all of full-season minor league baseball. During that time, the Blue Rocks qualified for the Carolina League playoffs 10 times and won four Carolina League titles, the last coming in 1999.

“Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore called me Saturday morning and asked if we could meet on Monday,” Minker said. “Dayton told me he could be at the ballpark by noon. I was overwhelmed when Dayton, owner Dan Glass, assistant GM Dean Taylor and farm director J.J. Picollo all arrived. I interpreted this interest as a great show of class. It is unheard of for a major league team to make such an overture to a minor league team. It is great to be wanted. We met for over four hours, exchanging philosophies and making sure we were all on the same page.”

“We are extremely delighted to be reunited with the Wilmington Blue Rocks organization,” said Moore. “The relationship we had with Matt Minker, the Blue Rocks staff and the community was outstanding and we look forward to continuing it. The Royals are dedicated to providing players with high character and ability who will embrace the Wilmington community.”

In their two-year affiliation with the Red Sox, the Blue Rocks were 24 games under .500 in regular-season play (127-151, .457) and made it to the first round of the playoffs last season.

To date, 84 former Blue Rocks have made it to the major leagues with 83 of those players coming from the Kansas City Royals minor league system. Former Blue Rocks in the majors include Johnny Damon, Jon Lieber, Carlos Beltran, Sal Fasano, Mark Ellis, Angel Berroa, Mike Sweeney and Zack Grienke. The lone Boston product to make the majors was Anibal Sanchez, the opening-day starting pitcher for the Rocks in 2005. He was traded to the Marlins in the offseason and threw a no-hitter for Florida earlier this month.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060920/SPORTS05/60920029


Royals agree to return to Wilmington
Blue Rocks sign two-year contract


When the Blue Rocks announced two years ago they were becoming a Boston Red Sox affiliate, owner Matt Minker said the two were a good fit.

The Red Sox were coming off a World Series championship and have many fans in the area.

But two years with the Red Sox produced back-to-back losing seasons and one brief playoff appearance. So on Wednesday, Minker announced that the Kansas City Royals were back in Wilmington.

The Rocks and Royals have agreed to a two-year player development contract through the 2008 season. Kansas City was the Blue Rocks' original parent club from 1993 to 2004. The relationship produced 83 major league players.

But leaving the Red Sox was not easy for Minker.

"I lost sleep over this," he said. "I wanted to make sure what I did was right for the community, and for the ballclub."

Last Saturday, Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore called Minker. And while many of these deals are done by phone, Moore said he wanted to talk in person.

Two days later, Moore met Minker outside Frawley Stadium and brought some influential friends, including Royals president Dan Glass, assistant general manager Dean Taylor and farm director J.J. Picollo.

"I was overwhelmed when I drove up to the ballpark," Minker said. "It was just such a sign that they wanted to be back in Wilmington, and there's nothing much more than someone making you feel wanted. I feel the Kansas City Royals really wanted the Blue Rocks, and that meant a lot to me."

Minker said that several in the Kansas City organization, including former Blue Rocks managers John Mizerock and Jeff Garber, backed a return to Wilmington.

Former Blue Rocks who came through the Royals system to get to the major leagues include Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, Jon Lieber, Mike Sweeney, Mark Ellis, Sal Fasano and Angel Berroa.

Former Boston prospect Anibal Sanchez was the Rocks' opening-day starter in 2005. He pitched a no-hitter for the Marlins earlier this month.

Kansas City's high Class A team the past two seasons -- the High Desert Mavericks -- played in Adelanto, Calif., near Los Angeles.

"They referred to Wilmington as their flagship minor league club," Minker said. "They all said the same thing: 'We gotta get back to Wilmington,' that it was the heart of their minor league system."

Minker said three major league teams were interested in Wilmington: Boston, Kansas City and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

This season, the Blue Rocks won the first half and reached the playoffs. But in their two years with Boston, the Blue Rocks had the first back-to-back losing seasons in team history. The Blue Rocks led the Carolina League in attendance for the ninth straight season, but recorded their lowest average attendance -- 4,525 fans per game, down almost 300 from last year.

"The difficult part," Minker said, "was the won-loss record and the number of no-shows [among fans] we had the last three weeks of the season, when players were promoted to AA and not immediately replaced."

Dennis Staiger, of Kennett Township, Pa., has been a season-ticket holder with his wife, Sandy, since 2000.

"I think it's great," Dennis Staiger said of the Royals' return. "We liked Kansas City because they developed their players more and the guys made it up to the majors."

Sandy Staiger also likes the move.

"I am not saying the Red Sox guys didn't play hard, they certainly did," she said. "There was just a different feel."

Blue Rocks general manager Chris Kemple looks forward to working with the Royals again.

"The Red Sox were great to deal with. The players they sent through here were tremendous," Kemple said. "Our merchandise sales were higher, and it will be higher than anything we'll sell with the Royals. We know that. But ultimately it came down to what the fans wanted, and that was to reunite with Kansas City."

"This wasn't a negative Boston thing," said Minker, "and I'm not down on Boston and I do wish them well. Kansas City just stepped up to the plate."

High Desert went 73-68 this year in the California League and had some former Blue Rocks, including pitcher-turned-first baseman Mike Stodolka, who hit .284 with a team-high 33 doubles in 115 games. The team was led by first-year manager Jeff Carter and hitting coach Boots Day, who was a hitting coach for the Blue Rocks.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060921/SPORTS05/609210348/1002/SPORTS

Delaware is #2 in the amount of moves into the state compared to the amount of moves out of the state. Delaware continues to grow. When does everyone think we'll be hitting the 1 million mark?

Delaware: the relocation state
For inbound moves, we're No. 2 in the nation


If you've noticed more people moving into your neighborhood than moving out, you're not alone.

With an influx of retirees, people moving for jobs and those seeking a lower cost of living, Delaware finished high in national moving company Mayflower Transit's 2006 ranking of its customers' most popular relocation destinations.

The state tied with D.C. for the second-highest percentage of inbound moves, at 63 percent, trailing only South Carolina at 64 percent. The ranking compares the percentage of moves to the state against moves from the state.

"We're seeing a lot of people moving out of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and into Delaware," said Bob Reeves, executive vice president for Sinclair Moving & Storage, a Mayflower agent, based in West Berlin, N.J.

Sinclair used to handle three or four residential moves a month into Delaware, Reeves said.

The company now handles between six and 10 such moves a month. Most are people relocating from Camden, Gloucester, Burlington and Atlantic counties in New Jersey and from Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania, he said.

A survey by the American Moving and Storage Association, an industry trade group, also shows Delaware is a popular destination.

In 2004, the most recent year for which the group's figures are available, 2,154, or 52 percent, of the 4,148 moves to and from Delaware were inbound. The group's figures are based on moves as reported by nine major interstate carriers.

Claude Powe and his wife, Phantasia, are among Delaware's new residents. The couple moved from Mobile, Ala., and decided to settle in New Castle County, about a 40-minute drive from the U.S. Coast Guard station in Philadelphia where Claude, 28, works.

They liked Delaware because they found the area less congested than Philadelphia, and found a bigger apartment at a lower rent here, he said.

Delaware's lack of a state sales tax was another bonus.

"Tax-free is very nice," Claude Powe said. "That's an added incentive I wasn't even aware of."

Figures compiled by the Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research at the University of Delaware show 9,106 more people moved into the state than moved out in the period from July 1, 2004, to July 1, 2005.

Sussex County had a net gain of 4,071 during the period, followed by Kent County with 3,828 and New Castle County with 1,207.

The center forecasts Delaware's 2005 population of 840,692 will swell to 1,035,060 by 2030.

The state's new residents are coming from a number of distinct groups, said Edward Ratledge, the center's director. They include retirees moving to Sussex County attracted by Delaware's relatively low property taxes, and working-age people from New Jersey and Pennsylvania willing to trade a longer drive to work for lower housing prices in places like Middletown and Smyrna.

State Treasurer Jack Markell said he is not surprised by the Mayflower survey's findings.

Markell said that when he speaks to groups in Sussex and Kent counties and asks how many have moved into Dela-ware in the past four years, he's met by a flurry of raised hands.

"It certainly reflects the fact that we have a good quality of life," Markell said. "But, what does it mean for policymakers going forward?"

Markell says state officials need to consider what the influx of new residents, many of whom are retirees, might mean for the state.

Among the possible ramifications, Markell said, is the state may have to spend more on health care to meet the needs of an aging population with fewer people in the work force paying the payroll taxes needed to support the increased spending.


http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060926&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=609260340&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Julius Strickland, a mover with Sinclair Moving & Storage, sets down a container Monday for Phantasia Powe. She and her husband, Claude, are among the many new residents of Delaware.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060926&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=609260340&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Phantasia Powe, 22, and her husband, Claude, settled in Delaware because it was less congested than Philadelphia, where Claude works.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/NEWS/609260340/1006/NEWS

Delaware is #1 in North America (US and Canada) for economic freedom. :) :)

For 4th straight year, Del. is tops in 'freedom'

Delaware has topped an annual ranking for "economic freedom" for the fourth consecutive year. The First State got high marks in a report prepared jointly by the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Dallas-based think tank and the Fraser Institute, a Canadian research group. American states and Canadian provinces were ranked according to how much governmental regulatory and tax burden they impose, with states and provinces that impose the lightest burden scoring highest. Delaware was No. 1, outranking Alberta, Canada; Colorado, North Carolina and Georgia in the top five. Neighboring states didn't fare as well on the survey. New Jersey was No. 26, Pennsylvania was No. 27 and Maryland was No. 36 on the list, which evaluated all 50 states and the 10 Canadian provinces. The Dallas research center advocates private solutions to public policy issues.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060927/BUSINESS/609270332/1003

Here's a picture of the Collegian Plaza site on Lockerman Street in dwntown Dover.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9149/dscf5868ddng2.jpg

And here's a bonus picture of Legislative Hall from Capitol Square.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6454/dscf5869ddvu5.jpg

Pertaining to the Colonial route to Yorktown: maybe this is the first step towards our first site in the National Register of Historic Places?

Del. dedicates route of march to Yorktown
Historic W3R stretches across nine states and Washington


On a shaded lawn near Cooch's Bridge on Friday, Gen. George Washington described just how close he came to losing the American Revolution.

He talked about a 620-mile march he and 2,000 of his soldiers made in 1781. He talked about the 5,000 French troops that joined him. And he talked about the battle in Yorktown, Va., that ended the war.

Washington, as played by Dean Malissa, an actor at the American History Theater in Philadelphia, made his remarks during a ceremony held to dedicate the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R), a historic trail that follows the route taken by Washington and the French general Comte de Rochambeau on their way to Yorktown 225 years ago.

The ceremony, which was attended by Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte, a crowd of re-enactors and a handful of local officials and politicians, doubled as a kick-off for Delaware's Revolutionary Weekend, an event that features lectures, ceremonies, re-enactments and a musical.

New Castle County Executive Chris Coons said such events serve to remind Americans of the cost of independence.

"Take a moment and imagine what this journey must have been like," Coons said. "This time now, perhaps more than any other, is a time to remember that freedom is never free."

Levitte said thinking about the march reminds us that the fight to protect democracy is as important today as it has ever been.

"The lesson of Yorktown," he said, "is that we have to defend the ideals of liberty, freedom and democracy that we invented together 225 years ago."

Robert Selig, a historian who studies the Revolutionary War, said the march to Yorktown could have lost the war as easily as it won it. Washington, he said, started the march not knowing whether he would have the crucial support of the French navy when he reached Virginia. Ultimately, the navy made it, and Washington won the battle.

Selig called 1781 a "miracle year."

Washington "was marching on faith," he said.

Thousands of soldiers joined him -- so many, that by the time they reached Delaware, they were spread across 65 miles. They brought along thousands of animals -- horses, oxen and chickens -- on a trail that crossed through 26 miles of Delaware.

The Delaware Department of Transportation recently marked the route with bright red-white-and-blue signs. On them are printed "W3R," the abbreviation used for the route.

Legislation is pending to designate the W3R, which stretches across nine states and through Washington a national historic trail. Such a designation would bring the route under the oversight of the National Park Service. But until that happens, it is overseen and promoted by state chapters of the national W3R organization.

Kim Burdick, who runs that organization, said the lack of a federal designation has made it hard to secure funds for things like signs. But officials and residents in Delaware, she said, have been very helpful. "How can we fail? Everyone in Delaware is helping us," she said.

When DelDOT purchased and hung the 37 signs that mark the trail, Delaware became the fourth state along the route to mark it.

Burdick is confident other states will follow the example.

"If we can make it work here," she said, "then [other states] will know they can make it work, too."

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060930&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=609300315&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
Debbie Moss, 12, of Newark, plays a fife during the ceremony Friday at Cooch's Bridge, site of a Revolutionary War battle.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060930&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=609300315&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1
Re-enactor Ron Roberts, dressed as a French officer, crosses Cooch's Bridge on Friday.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20060930&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=609300315&Ref=H3&Profile=1006&title=1
French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte shakes hands with Gov. Ruth Ann Minner during the W3R dedication ceremony Friday.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060930/NEWS/609300315/1006/NEWS

I think I'm the only one that reads this thread. Oh well.

Here's an article about adding 600 houses, towenhouses, and condos to the town of Lewes. Apparently the houses will be built in a manner so that they blend in with all of the historic houses. It's been done before (some nice blending of old with new in Dover for instance), but we'll see how it goes. I'd like to see renderings of this.


600 homes proposed for Sussex County farm
Developer says plan would blend in with Lewes; neighbor not so sure


For decades, the rolling cornfields on the farm of the late Mayor Otis Smith served as a reminder of the time when Lewes was a center for fishing, farming and ship commerce.

But this week, a land design group is hosting a series of public sessions to describe their plan for building 600 homes on those 231 acres off Gills Neck Road.

They will ask city officials to annex the land -- minus 91 acres already in city limits -- giving developers access to services like central water, sewer and police protection. The lots and building sizes would vary from single-family homes to duplexes and town homes. There would be no commercial center.

"We want to meld into the existing fabric of Lewes," said Matthew J. Peterson, with Element Design Group.

In the end, he said, the hope is to have a development that looks and feels very much like Lewes' residential and historic area.

But some area residents are concerned.

Susan DuBre and her husband own four acres that border the land.

DuBre said her first concern is the density of the project.

There are 2,300 homes in Lewes now. The addition of 600 houses would be a 26 percent increase.

"It's basically like taking Bridgeville and plopping it in the city of Lewes" over the course of a few years, she said. The rest of Lewes developed over 375 years, she said.

DuBre said she knew the Smith property would eventually be developed, but she assumed the plans would be similar to what local developer Paul Townsend has done with some of his family's old farms. The Townsend developments are single-family subdivisions with upscale homes that sell in the range of $600,000 and up.

"I guess I had prepared myself for one thing," only to find something else proposed, she said.

Still, Peterson said their goal is to work with area residents to come up with a plan that city officials and residents can agree on.

Smith, who died in 2001, was the city's longtime mayor, a former president of Beebe Medical Center and a benefactor of the University of DuBre said she knew the Smith property would eventually be developed, but she assumed the plans would be similar to what local developer Paul Townsend has done with some of his family's old farms. The Townsend developments are single-family subdivisions with upscale homes that sell in the range of $600,000 and up.

"I guess I had prepared myself for one thing," only to find something else proposed, she said.

Still, Peterson said their goal is to work with area residents to come up with a plan that city officials and residents can agree on.

Smith, who died in 2001, was the city's longtime mayor, a former president of Beebe Medical Center and a benefactor of the University of Delaware College of Marine Studies labs in Lewes.

Smith owned Seacoast Products, a business that included a commercial fishing fleet and a fish processing plant on Lewes Beach. The company grew and expanded to include fleets around the world. The local landings of menhaden, an oily fish that was ground into meal for use in chicken feed, made Lewes the largest commercial fishing port in the nation during the 1940s and 1950s. The business employed 500 Lewes residents.

Smith was elected mayor in 1950 -- a position he held until 1968. He later moved his business to coastal Louisiana.

His wife, Hazell Smith, still owns the farmland, where prize Hereford cattle were raised and horses were kept, according to Sussex County property tax records. She is working with a local group to develop it.

Peterson said the name of the proposed development, Showfield, comes from the days when the Smiths hosted horse shows on the property.

Under zoning regulations, developers could build 328 homes on the the 91 acres that lie within city limits. An additional 560 houses could be built on the 140 acres outside the city limits.

Although they could build 888 homes, developers are proposing 600 homes that would resemble existing homes. The project also includes a bike trail that would ultimately link to a network of off-road trails that would link Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.

Peterson said that over the course of the meetings, many people have asked about and expressed support for the trails.

The hope, he said, "is to end up with a development that looks like a town."

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS/610040372/1006/NEWS

The Hercules Research Center near Route 48 will be seeing a small expansion.

Lab opening marks 75th year of Hercules center
Celebration puts the focus on growth


As Hercules Inc. struggled in recent years to find its niche in the competitive specialty chemicals industry, many of the headlines about the Wilmington-based company were about downsizings that shrank its Delaware work force from a peak of 3,000 about 20 years ago to about 640 today.

On Wednesday, the focus was on growth, as the company celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Hercules Research Center off Lancaster Pike in Mill Creek.

In front of an audience of about 100 people, including Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, Hercules unveiled a new $5 million facility and announced plans to expand its business making coatings for pharmaceuticals, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs.

The announcements come as Hercules' stock price has risen almost 33 percent in the past year. Shares closed at $15.87 on Wednesday, up 9 cents.

The new 10,000-square-foot paper applications building, which includes a small-scale paper-making operation to test paper made with Hercules' chemicals, is part of $15 million in improvements at the center.

Plans for the 110-acre complex include renovating laboratories and building a new powerhouse farther uphill from Red Clay Creek. The current powerhouse flooded in 2003 when the creek overflowed its banks.

Hercules received a $2.3 million state grant last year for improvements to its research center in return for maintaining at least 400 jobs at the complex. About 400 people currently work at the site and plans are to add 50 more in the next year. Workers in the chemical industry average $80,600 a year, according to the Delaware Economic Development Office.

The research campus opened in 1931, when Hercules moved its research operations from Kenvil, N.J., to be nearer to the company's Wilmington headquarters. The company was incorporated as Hercules Powder Co. in 1912 as a result of the federal court-ordered breakup of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.

Hercules, which employed 4,650 worldwide at the end of last year, spent almost $41 million on research and development in 2005, according to its annual report. The company posted a net loss of $29.8 million, or 27 cents a share, last year.

Making chemicals for the paper industry is a growing part of the company's bottom line. Its paper chemicals business had revenues of almost $1 billion last year, about half of the company's $2.07 billion in 2005 sales.

Hercules also said Wednesday it will expand its presence in the $400-million-a-year market for coatings for pharmaceuticals and vitamins.

The new Aquarius coating venture will sell coatings directly to pharmaceutical and vitamin makers.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20061005&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=610050350&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Technicians Kelly Lloyd (left) and Charlene White work in the new paper lab at the Hercules Research Center.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/BUSINESS/610050350/1003

I read in the Newark Post that The Washington House condos will be 6 stories tall instead of the original 4 stories. The number of units will be about the same, and a parking garage will be built underground I believe.

Some restaurant owners are banking on the expectations that Dover's nightlife will finally blossom.

Dover nightlife to get spicier
Restaurants to add some flavor to downtown


DOVER -- At night, when the restaurants are full of people and glowing with light, quiet city streets can come to life.

The food brings people; the people seek fun; and suddenly the once-barren streets become a place where businesses thrive.

That brighter potential for downtown Dover comes into sharper focus this fall as three more Loockerman Street restaurants -- each sensing that the time is right -- open their doors after dark.

One, the Red & White Club, is already serving dinner two nights a week. The popular lunchtime spot, 33 West, opens in a few weeks. And Loockerman Exchange, shuttered for 13 years, returns to the bar scene late this month, with dinner to follow a few weeks later.

In some ways, it's the kind of news Dover has heard before -- many other restaurants have tried, and failed, to survive the lonesome downtown nights. This time, businesses hope, there's more momentum -- and more potential. In the past year, 10 new businesses have opened on the street and three more are "great candidates," said Ed Perez, executive director of Main Street Dover, a group working to revitalize the area.

Still, many "For Lease" signs linger.

"We still have a ways to go, but progress is in the works," said Margaret Law, owner of the restaurant at 25 W. Loockerman that operates under the name Café Bleu for lunch and the Red & White Club for dinner. "I feel very good about it."

About a month ago, heartened by lunchtime successes, Law and chef Susan Dempsey began serving entrees on Thursday and Friday nights, quickly drawing a following with such French classics as duck confit, cassoulet and pommes puree.

"That's what we're about," Law said of chef's cream-and-fat besotted dishes. "Don't come if you have a cholesterol problem."

Just down Loockerman, 33 West's owner and chef Brandon Pelton has heard customers gripe about the lack of downtown dinner destinations. "Now, whether they act upon it and come down here for dinner, that's a different story," said the Dover High grad.

If they do, it could provide a foundation that encourages other retailers to extend their hours and increases downtown's attractiveness to investors, Perez said. "There are a lot of people in the background assessing these properties ... and trying to see if it's feasible to open a business in them," Perez said.

Loockerman's foot traffic could also get a boost next year, when a building full of condos, apartments and shops is scheduled to be built. A Wilmington retail consultant is devising a redevelopment strategy, and other specialists are hunting down prospective investors.

Prospects for downtown Dover have always been complicated by its historic status, and the maze of regulations and code requirements continue to make it difficult to find the right kind of owner and the right kind of businesses, Perez said.

"I think downtown needs to be kept to a higher standard than anything else," said Brett Hencley, co-owner of The World Famous Loockerman Exchange. "I think you have a great mesh of everything from college students to professional business people. You need to find a way to mix, to cater to all."

"You have to remember," Perez said, "these people are competing with the businesses out there on [U.S.] 13, with the mall," Perez said. "There's no magic bullet. It's ongoing. There's still a lot of work to be done."

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20061024&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=610240327&Ref=AR&Profile=1003&title=1
Margaret Law (left), owner of the restaurant at 25 W. Loockerman St. that operates under Café Bleu for lunch and the Red & White Club for dinner, is positive about downtown Dover. Next to her is chef Susan Dempsey.

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The Red & White Club, is already serving dinner two nights a week, after Law and Dempsey were heartened by some lunchtime successes.

A NIGHT OUT

Three more restaurants along Dover's historic Loockerman Street each will have nighttime hours:

• The Red & White Club (aka Cafe Bleu), 25 W. Loockerman. Now open for dinner. Features country French classics, fine wine, in casual cafe setting. Dinner 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Thu.-Fri. Reservations required. Call 678-WINE.

• 33 West, 33 W. Loockerman St. Expected to open for dinner in a few weeks. Dinner dishes may include homemade cheese ravioli, crab dip and nachos. '"I guess you could classify us as your neighborhood bar and grill," said owner Brandon Pelton. 735-9822.

• The World Famous Loockerman Exchange, Loockerman and State streets. Expected to open late this month, with dinner menu to follow. Expect a "couple cool entrees, appetizers, soups, really good sandwiches," said co-owner Brett Hencley. 363-1625.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/BUSINESS/610240327/1003

In case anyone doesn't know, there's a proposal by a private developer to build a huge wind farm off the Delaware coast. It would call for 500 wind turbines. Right now it's just a vision, and the University of Delaware is polling a small number of people around the state to get their opinion. My dad was selected as one of the 2000 people selected, and so I got the chance to see their booklet and renderings of the project.

There are four renderings, showing what the wind turbines would look like from various distances. The distances proposed are 0.9 miles offshore, 3.6 miles offshore, 6 miles offshore, and 13.8 miles offshore. From the closest perscpective (0.9 miles), the wind turbines are in plain and clear view. From 3.6 miles, they are still pretty clear to see, but are obviously smaller. From 6 miles, the tubines look like a forest of little sticks. From 13.8 miles, the turbines are not visible. (I'll have to see if i can scan in these pictures of the renderings.)

There are three places proposed as biulding sites: The Delaware Bay from Slaughter Beach to Lewes; a north Ocean site from Cape Henlopen to Delaware Seashore State Park; and a south Ocean site from Indian River Inlet to the Maryland border.

Delaware is adding jobs at a higher rate than the rest of the country. Even with almost 2000 layoffs from the MBNA/Bank of America merger, Delaware still gained more than 7000 jobs this year. :) :) :) :)

Despite MBNA layoffs, Del. sees gain in jobs
Boost from other sectors helps keep unemployment down


Despite job losses in the financial services sector, Delaware may see a gain in employment this year, state labor officials said Friday.

Layoffs at Bank of America following its takeover of MBNA Corp. in January were expected to weaken job growth this year. State labor economists estimated job gains would be less than 6,000, down 600 jobs from a year ago.

But labor officials said Friday they are revising their estimates because of gains in other sectors of the economy. They are projecting as many as 7,200 new jobs by the end of the year.

"The overall job market and the economy has been relatively strong," said Ed Simon, director of labor market information at the state Department of Labor.

"Six months ago, I would have said you have the cutbacks in financial services, but the job market has been able to add jobs in other areas to more than offset that," he said.

The state has seen strong employment trends in sectors such as health services, construction, and business and professional services, which include everything from temporary agencies to accounting firms.

"Our forecast for Delaware looks better than it was before," said Rebecca Seweryn, economist at Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, Pa.

Moody's boosted its forecast for Delaware employment gains this year from 6,600 jobs to 7,260.

Seweryn said the forecast was revamped because Bank of America laid off fewer people than expected. Earlier in the year, analysts had expected as many as 3,000 layoffs after the Bank of America takeover, but state officials have said fewer than 2,000 jobs have been lost.

In the meantime, the state has been seeing an increase in new jobs.

Delaware added 8,200 jobs, a rise of 1.9 percent, compared with October a year ago, according to state data released Friday.

The state continues to create jobs at a faster pace than the nation, which experienced a 1.4 percent rise in new jobs last month compared with the same month last year.

The state's unemployment rate dropped to 3.6 percent in October from 4.4 percent in October 2005.

Low interest rates and more stable gas prices in recent months also are contributing to a stronger employment market this holiday season, economists added.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061118/BUSINESS/611180317/1003

Wow. Who knew that Delaware was doing so well. I knew the state was a business hub. But I think I underestimated it. What kinds of jobs is Delaware gaining?

When is the lockerman exchange going to open damnit. I want to go there its gonna be the best bar in town.

When is the lockerman exchange going to open damnit. I want to go there its gonna be the best bar in town.

Soon, I think. It was supposed to open sometime in November from what I understand. I don't know what the holdup is.

How is the nightlife in Dover? It can't be too great. Where does everyone go on Fridays and Saturdays?

Have you been down Lockerman Street recently? Have they started work on Collegian Plaza at all?

Off topic, but what do you think about Wesley's semifinal loss again this year? You go to Wesley, right?

Bank of America is selling almost the entire Ogletown site. It looks like they'll be utilizing their Deerfield complex north of Newark and the downtown Wilmington buildings.

BofA to sell office campus in Ogletown
Massive Crozier Center complex was original home of MBNA


In another move that further dismantles the former MBNA empire, Bank of America plans to sell its Crozier Center office campus in Ogletown.

The approximately 443,000-square-foot complex on Del. 4 and Del. 273 will be put on the market in mid-January, the company said Tuesday. The asking price was not disclosed.

The property includes the site of the former supermarket building where the underdog credit card company that became the giant MBNA America Bank got its start on March 17, 1982. Bank of America bought MBNA on Jan. 1.

People familiar with the complex said large areas have been vacant in recent months. With its credit card operations based in Wilmington, Bank of America is the largest private employer in Delaware, with about 10,000 employees.

"It has nothing to do with jobs," said Betsy Weinberger, spokeswoman for Bank of America. "We've been doing our consolidation since April."

Weinberger said the bank will lease 85,500 square feet in the complex after the sale. The bank will rent the Blue Wing from the new owner for a call center, she said.

The bank does not release employment figures. But based on the size of the Blue Wing, it could house more than 700 people. The sale will mean a small number of employees will be relocated to other bank sites, Weinberger said.

The Bank of America Child Development Center building will not be sold and will stay open as a day care center, she said.

Charles M. Cawley, founder of MBNA and the person who spearheaded the construction of the massive complex, said of all the former MBNA properties still used by Bank of America, the Crozier Center is the least efficient. The downtown Wilmington complex and the Deerfield campus, north of Newark, are excellent facilities, he said.

"To some old MBNA people, it might have some sentimental value," Cawley said. "But in business there isn't any sentiment. If I have any sentimentality about the buildings, it's that I'd like to see them used for good purposes."

Pete Davisson, a partner with Jackson Cross Partners, a real estate services company in Wilmington that has handled the sale of some Bank of America properties, said the buildings could be used for something other than business. Medical offices are a possibility, he said.

In April, Bank of America announced it would vacate seven buildings in Dover and New Castle County and move the employees to downtown Wilmington, dumping more than 800,000 square feet of office and industrial space on the market. Most of that was in New Castle County. In its annual report on commercial real estate in the county on Tuesday, Jackson Cross Partners said the commercial office market has absorbed that space this year without serious disruption.

One of the buildings in that divestiture included the sale of the 19-acre Greenville Center on Kennett Pike (Del. 52) and Del. 100. The 138,000-square-foot building was constructed by Columbia Gas Systems Inc. It is currently under contract to a major national investor, according to Davisson, who is handling the sale.

That deal is scheduled to close later this month. The price was not disclosed, but it is said to be less than an earlier contract on the property. In August, a group had a contract on the campus for $32 million. That deal fell through.

The other showcase property is the stately former Daniel L. Herrmann Courthouse on Rodney Square in Wilmington. The state has shown an interest in buying back the 1916 landmark building. In the state's fiscal 2007 Bond Bill, lawmakers charged Jennifer "JJ" Davis, director of the Office of Management and Budget, with negotiating with "a private institution regarding the potential acquisition of properties throughout the state." She is to report back to the Legislature's Bond Bill Committee at the end of January.

So far, there's nothing to report, said Bert Scoglietti, director of policy and external affairs with the management and budget office.

Bank of America also put 55 town houses near its downtown Wilmington headquarters on the market this year. Nearly all the houses, which MBNA bought and rehabilitated for employees to rent, have been sold.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20061213&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=612130381&Ref=AR&Profile=1006&title=1
The Crozier Center in Ogletown began as a strip shopping center.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20061213&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=612130381&Ref=V2&Profile=1006&title=1

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061213/NEWS/612130381/1006/NEWS

Here's another article from today's paper. It's mainly about the national economy, but it talks about UD's future president and the potential relationship between the school and state businesses.

Steeped in tradition -- and spending
As U.S. economy shifts from manufacturing, area colleges grow more important


WILMINGTON -- Higher education will play an even greater role in attracting high-paying jobs to Delaware and is a crucial part of the state's transition from manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy, a panel of experts said Tuesday at a forum in Wilmington.

The region's 88 colleges and universities and their 370,000 students form a backbone of the region's economy, they said.

"The key to successful competition is having a highly educated work force and to be at the leading edge of education," said Thomas Morr, president and chief executive officer of Select Greater Philadelphia, at a meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

The area's colleges prepare the region's work force, develop pioneering technology used by local industries and attract companies to the region, said Morr, who heads the arm of the chamber that recruits companies.

If the audience of about 200 at the Center on the Riverfront needed a reminder of how much business and higher education intersect, they needed only to flash back to earlier this month.

On Dec. 1, the University of Delaware named Patrick Harker, dean of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, one of the nation's top business schools, its 26th president. It was a move Delaware business leaders widely hailed as a sign of the school's willingness to forge closer ties with the state's businesses. Harker will assume leadership of the 20,380-student university July 1.

Higher education is "a very critical piece to our future competitiveness" and will play an even greater role as the 11-county Philadelphia region, which includes New Castle County, continues its transition from manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy, Morr said.

In Delaware, the state's four-year and two-year colleges and universities, which have an enrollment of almost 41,000, are an asset that economic development officials use to persuade companies to locate here, said Judy McKinney-Cherry, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office.

"We're able to say that no matter where you are in the state, you have access to quality education and training," McKinney-Cherry said.

UD President David P. Roselle has been part of the team of economic development officials that met with companies interested in relocating here, she said.

Jack Varsalona, president of 10,400-student Wilmington College, said his school works hard to dovetail its curriculum to the demands of the state's businesses. The college's faculty includes about 500 adjunct professors, who bring a real-world knowledge to the classroom, Varsalona said.

"Real-world knowledge changes a lot faster than textbooks," he said. "The ivory tower no longer exists."

Area colleges and universities also are major employers and spenders in their own right.

In Delaware, the state's colleges and universities employed 10,309 people as of April, according to the Delaware Department of Labor. That's not far behind Bank of America, the state's largest private employer, which had 11,700 Delaware workers as of January.

These jobs are high-paying, with an average salary of $50,820, topping the average wage of $46,414 for all industry sectors, according to the Department of Labor.

Local colleges and universities also generate significant revenue for the state. A 2003 study by the University of Delaware showed the school's students and faculty spent almost $409 million in the First State in 2003, with an overall economic impact exceeding $735 million. The university has about 4,000 employees and an operating revenue of $617.2 million as of fall 2006.

The Greater Philadelphia chamber plans to study the economic impact of the region's colleges and universities, Morr said, and release its findings next year.

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University of Delaware students and faculty spent more than $400 million in the state in 2003 -- a major contribution to the regional economy.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061213/BUSINESS/612130342/1003

Delaware is having trouble gaining the interest of venture capitalists.

Del. small businesses find investors scarce
Venture capital firms not paying too much attention to state


PRINCETON, N.J. -- It was 2:14 p.m., and the busboys had just finished clearing away the lunch plates when Charles Saller finally got to launch into the pitch he'd waited all day to make.

Like the eight entrepreneurs who preceded him to the podium that day, Saller had eight minutes to tell his company's story to the audience of venture capitalists who'd gathered in the ballroom of the historic Nassau Inn to scout for promising biotech companies.

"Imagine the lunch you just had contained a deadly pathogen," the founder and president of Analytical Biological Services Inc. told his audience.

Saller compressed years of hard work into his allotted time: How the world's leading pharmaceutical companies were clients of his Wilmington company; how its Biosomes division was working with tiny particles that could help those companies tell if the new drugs they were developing could by absorbed by the body, and how those particles also could detect deadly bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.

Saller finished his talk earlier this month at the Bio-Life-Tech conference with this: He needs $3 million to bring the Biosomes technology to market and spin it off into a separate company.

Venture capital firms, like those whose interest Saller wants to attract, invest in companies in exchange for an equity stake and a seat on the board of directors.

Although some invest in startups, they typically put money into companies that are further along in their development, like Saller's 16-year-old company.

Saller is one of numerous entrepreneurs from Delaware who travel to conferences along the East Coast hunting for the venture capital they need to fuel expansion, launch new products and hire more workers.

Finding those dollars is crucial to Delaware.

The state is working to add jobs and diversify beyond the handful of large employers -- chemical companies, banks and pharmaceutical companies -- that have traditionally formed the backbone of its economy.

As large companies shed jobs -- or move them overseas -- smaller, tech-oriented businesses like Saller's, which has 15 employees, are becoming an increasingly important source of new jobs.

"We need more VC money flowing into the state," said Ernest Dianastasis, chairman of First State Innovation, a newly formed group of Delaware business leaders that aims to expand the state's high-tech economy.

But some say Delaware's small size, big-company history and a culture that hasn't always been supportive of entrepreneurs have made finding venture capital a challenge. Others say it's also because of a shortage of companies that have advanced to the stage where they interest venture capitalists.

Venture capital firms that voluntarily submit data to Thomson Financial did no deals with Delaware companies in the first half of 2006, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree Report, which is based on data from Thomson Financial,

Those firms reported just five deals worth a total of $11.9 million in 2005.

Venture capital funding in Delaware peaked at almost $300 million in 2000-2001, most of which went to Juniper Bank, a credit-card issuer that was acquired by Barclays PLC in 2004.

Those are numbers smaller companies can only dream of.

"Delaware is a tough place to find venture capital," said Barry Marrs, founder and chief executive of Newark-based Athena Biotechnologies Inc.

Since founding the company in 2005, Marrs has raised more than $1.5 million from "angel investors" -- the wealthy people who typically fund companies in their earliest stages -- but none from venture capital firms.

Marrs had discussions with several out-of-state venture capital firms interested in investing in his company, but they wanted him to relocate to their state, something he didn't want to do.

A shortage of deals

Jeff Davison is a general partner with Newark-based Inflection Point Ventures, the oldest venture capital firm in Delaware.

The firm, which specializes in investing in information technology companies and semiconductor companies, has three venture funds with a total of $103 million in capital.

Since Inflection Point started in 1994, all but two of its deals have been with companies outside Delaware. Of the 25 companies currently in its portfolio, none are based in Delaware.

Davison would like to do more deals here, but says a shortage of new companies in the sectors in which he likes to invest forces him to look elsewhere.

"There aren't a lot of deals to do in Delaware," he said.

Delaware has plenty of advantages, such as a business-friendly state government, the presence of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and proximity to the venture capitalists in Philadelphia and Baltimore who like to be within a reasonable drive away from the companies in which they invest.

But Delaware's small size means the state won't be able to compete with Silicon Valley or Boston when it comes to attracting venture capital money.

A realistic goal would be four or five deals a year, said Dean Miller, a partner at PA Early Stage, a Wayne, Pa.-based venture capital firm.

"You just need the right-size expectations," Miller said.

And as Delaware's high-tech startups grow, they'll expand to the point where they can attract venture capital dollars. Many venture capital firms don't want to do deals below $5 million, said Anne Cavanaugh, a principal in Leading Technologies Inc., a Wilmington-based firm that invests in tech companies.

David Freschman is a president of the 11-year-old Delaware Innovation Fund, which has invested more than $5 million in 21 companies, mostly in Delaware. He's also managing principle of Innovation Ventures LP, a year-old venture capital firm with $13 million to invest in companies up and down the East Coast.

When it comes to VC money, "You can never have enough, but it's improved dramatically from what we had a few years ago," Freschman said.

Innovation Ventures announced recently that one of the companies it is funding, a business software and service company called Business Intelligence International, will move its headquarters to Wilmington.

Freschman is at the front of a movement in Delaware to get more venture capital funds flowing into the state.

One of First State Innovation's aims, Dianastasis says, is to raise between $5 million and $10 million from wealthy Delawareans that would be distributed to startup Delaware companies. The investments would prime the pump to help these companies grow to the next level where they could attract the interest of venture capital firms.

Jack Markell, Delaware's treasurer, has talked about investing more of the state's $6.5 billion public employee pension fund in venture capital, including investments in Delaware companies.

The state has to do a better job of touting its entrepreneurial successes and being more forgiving when entrepreneurs flop, which they sometimes do, Freschman said. "You've got to support your entrepreneurs whether they win, lose or draw," he says.

Time will tell

As for Saller, the Delaware biotech entrepreneur, his day in Princeton didn't result in any venture capitalists handing over any $1 million checks.

But Saller walked away pleased with his presentation and with something that could be just as valuable, a handful of business cards from potential investors.

"I won't really know until I see the results," he said.

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Bob Brown of Analytical Biological Services in Wilmington works on the company's Biosomes technology.

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Analytical Biological Services' President Charles Saller needs $3 million to bring the Biosomes technology to market.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20061217&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=612170348&Ref=H3&Profile=1003&title=1
Charles Saller (left) speaks with potential investor Anne Cavanaugh of Leading Technologies Inc. and Bob Dayton of the Delaware Bioscience Association at a conference earlier this month in New Jersey.

VENTURE CAPITAL DEALS IN DELAWARE:

1999: 2 deals for $16.8 million

2000: 4 deals for $134.6 million

2001: 2 deals for $164.6 million

2002: 3 deals for $19.9 million

2003: 1 deal for $400,000

2004: 1 deal for $2.1 million

2005: 5 deals for $11.9 million

2006: No deals*
*For first two quarters of 2006.

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers/ National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree Report based on data from Thomson Financial.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/BUSINESS/612170348/1003

Here's a small article on the proposed wind farm out in the ocean.

Firm can submit Del. wind power proposal
Offshore farm would supply 600 megawatts


The state will allow Bluewater Wind to submit a proposal to build a 600 megawatt wind farm several miles off Delaware's ocean shore.

Several companies are expected to submit bids to the Public Service Commission by Friday to provide 400 megawatts of electricity to Delmarva Power on a long-term basis. It's an effort to stabilize the energy market after the state deregulated the energy industry in May, leading to a 54 percent increase in electricity rates for residential customers last spring.

After reviewing a draft of the proposal, Delmarva told Bluewater it had the potential to provide more power than Delmarva needed at various times, and it did not comply with state guidelines.

Bluewater said it needed to build big to make the project economically feasible. On days when the wind is light, it might take all of its turbines to generate the 400 megawatts specified, the company argued.

Bluewater appealed to the commission Tuesday in Dover. The commission, and a representative of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, unanimously instructed the company to go ahead with its submission.

"They definitely wanted an opportunity to see that bid and be able to compare it, and make sure it complied. But they weren't committing to that," said Bruce Burcat, commission executive director.

Other companies that will submit bids include NRG, which is offering to add a coal gasification facility that offers an additional 580 megawatts of electricity to its Indian River plant, and Conectiv Energy, which is seeking to build a 360-megawatt plant, or a smaller 180-megawatt plant, in an undisclosed location.

"Bluewater Wind is delighted that the citizens of Delaware will have the opportunity to have an offshore wind park be considered as one of the new power generation sources required by state law," said Bluewater spokesman Jim Lanard.

Delmarva spokesman Tim Brown said Delmarva will cooperate with the commission.

"We just want to move forward and get the best decision in the best interest of customers," he said.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061220/BUSINESS/612200343/1003

Soon, I think. It was supposed to open sometime in November from what I understand. I don't know what the holdup is.

How is the nightlife in Dover? It can't be too great. Where does everyone go on Fridays and Saturdays?

Have you been down Lockerman Street recently? Have they started work on Collegian Plaza at all?

Off topic, but what do you think about Wesley's semifinal loss again this year? You go to Wesley, right?

Sorry its been a while since a response I keep on forgetting about this part of the forum its so big.

Nightlife in Dover is ok I just usually bar hop with my friends we go to the lobbyhouse, WT smithers, and Irish Mikes. So its not to bad it could be better. I have no idea where the Collegian Plaza is lol I'm not acquainted with the city and when I do go out I'm not on lockerman street. Zimmerman hasn't started on any of his projects yet. And for Wesley loosing oh well it happens I'm not a huge wesley football fan but hey are teams good hopefully next year we win he championship.

Sorry its been a while since a response I keep on forgetting about this part of the forum its so big.

Nightlife in Dover is ok I just usually bar hop with my friends we go to the lobbyhouse, WT smithers, and Irish Mikes. So its not to bad it could be better. I have no idea where the Collegian Plaza is lol I'm not acquainted with the city and when I do go out I'm not on lockerman street. Zimmerman hasn't started on any of his projects yet. And for Wesley loosing oh well it happens I'm not a huge wesley football fan but hey are teams good hopefully next year we win he championship.

Lobbyhouse, WT Smithers, and Irish Mike's: where are these?

The Lockerman Exhange is just a block away from Collegian Plaza. Walk down Lockerman Street from the Lockerman Exchange, and you'll see the gap between buildings on the south side of the street.

Lobbyhouse, WT Smithers, and Irish Mike's: where are these?

The Lockerman Exhange is just a block away from Collegian Plaza. Walk down Lockerman Street from the Lockerman Exchange, and you'll see the gap between buildings on the south side of the street.

Smithers is on state street, Lobbyhouse and Irish Mikes in on the main street in Dover I forget what the street is called but its the main one. Lobbyhouse is a restaurant and bar thats is off the road in some building. Sorry I'm not good with street names.

Smithers is on state street, Lobbyhouse and Irish Mikes in on the main street in Dover I forget what the street is called but its the main one. Lobbyhouse is a restaurant and bar thats is off the road in some building. Sorry I'm not good with street names.

Are you referring to Division Street as the main street?

The old MBNA property near 141 and 52 was sold.

Real estate group buys former MBNA building
Bank of America sells 20-acre surplus property for $20.6 million


A prime piece of suburban real estate once owned by credit card bank MBNA has been sold to a Pennsylvania real estate company.

Stoltz Real Estate Partners LLC of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., bought a nearly 20-acre office campus on Montchanin Road (Del. 100) in Greenville from Bank of America for $20.6 million.

The property, which was acquired by Bank of America in early 2006 after it bought MBNA, is considered one of the most desirable office campuses in the state. Built as the headquarters for Columbia Gas Systems Inc., the property was bought by MBNA in 1996. The bank did a complete renovation of the 138,196-square-foot building.

Pete Davisson, a partner with Jackson Cross Partners, a real estate services company in Wilmington, was among those who handled the sale for Bank of America. Officials at Stoltz could not be reached for comment Monday.

Davisson said Stoltz plans to lease the building to office users. Deed restrictions prohibit further development of the land. Davisson said the new owners are permitted only to build a 15,000-square-foot addition to the building.

The $20.6 million sale price was significantly reduced from the $32 million an investment group proposed paying for the property in August.

That group, whose investors included two du Pont family members and other prominent Greenville businessmen, backed out of the deal in October. One of the investors said in November the deal fell apart when the lead tenant the group was negotiating with indicated it needed more time to make a decision.

Davisson said he felt the approximately $152 per square foot the new owners paid for the property was a decent price because the building was vacant. Buildings that don't have tenants tend to be priced lower, he said.

Stoltz Real Estate Partners owns and manages more than 11 million square feet of retail, office, industrial and multifamily residential properties nationwide. In Delaware, Stoltz properties include the Greenville Center and Powder Mill Square shopping centers on Kennett Pike in Greenville and the Society Hill Apartments on Naamans Road in Claymont, according to the company's Web site.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070109&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=701090338&Ref=AR&Profile=1003
Just sold by Bank of America, this former MBNA office building on Montchanin Road in Greenville was built as the headquarters of Columbia Gas Systems.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070109/BUSINESS/701090338/1003

There was a transaction in Newark. Nothing big to report, but it happened.

On another note, the foundation is popping up for the Washington House condos up the street.

Newark Main St. site is sold
New Castle company buys Galleria for $7.2 million; tenant changes not expected


NEWARK -- One of the city's premier retail locations has changed owners, giving its new proprietor access to thousands of college students and cars that pass by each day.

The three-quarter-acre Galleria property, on Main Street adjacent to the main campus of the University of Delaware, was recently sold to Greggo & Ferrara Inc. of New Castle for $7.2 million, according to real estate records. The sellers are Galleria LLC, a group of local real-estate investors.

No immediate tenant changes are expected at the two-story, 35,000-square-foot shopping center, which is fully leased with 10 occupants. Built in 1996 on the site of the old State Theater, the Main Street Galleria now includes a bookstore, cafe, bar-restaurant and branches of two Delaware-based businesses -- Grotto Pizza and Brew Ha!Ha!

"A property like this, a well-located, well-built property that is fully leased is quite hard to find right now," said Charles J. White Jr., president of Stoltz Realty Brokerage Co. of Wilmington, which handled the transaction on behalf of the buyer. "When a property like this goes on the market, there are multiple bidders."

The property also is near a planned condominium project at the site of the old Stone Balloon, and includes a parking lot at the rear that is run by the city. An estimated 25,000 cars pass its entrance each day, and much of the university foot traffic bound to and from Main Street walk nearby.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070113&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=701130315&Ref=AR&Profile=1003
The three-quarter-acre Galleria property, on Main Street adjacent to the main campus of the University of Delaware, was recently sold to Greggo & Ferrara Inc. of New Castle for $7.2 million, according to real estate records.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070113&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=701130315&Ref=V2&Profile=1003
Built in 1996 on the site of the old State Theater, the Main Street Galleria now includes a bookstore, cafe, bar-restaurant and branches of two Delaware-based businesses -- Grotto Pizza and Brew Ha!Ha!

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070113/BUSINESS/701130315/1003

Delaware fell a couple spots, but UD is still a good value school (for Delawareans, at least).

UD ranks 15th for value in public schools


The University of Delaware again made Kiplinger's list of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges, which recognizes schools that provide strong educational programs while also keeping costs reasonable.

UD was ranked No. 15 -- down from its No. 13 spot last year -- among four-year public universities in the February issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was first, followed by the University of Florida, the College of William & Mary, and the University of Virginia. Schools were ranked on qualities including student-faculty ratios, admission, retention and graduation rates in addition to costs and financial aid for in- and out-of-state students.

An annual pricing report by the College Board showed that tuition and fees for in-state students attending four-year public schools in Delaware increased by $396, or 6 percent, this fall to an average of $7,410. Tuition at UD rose 5.5 percent this year, compared with an increase of 4.9 percent from 2004-05 to 2005-06.

UD President David P. Roselle said the school is able to control costs for students and parents in part through fundraising. UD recently completed an effort that raised more than $431 million.

"If [money] wasn't coming from the endowment, it would have to come from tuition, so anything that you do in terms of the endowment is a gain," Roselle said. "The current endowment income is four times as big as it was just a few years ago, so if the question is 'What are you doing to keep expenses down for kids?' The answer is we raised a lot of money to help the students."

Roselle said strengthened academic programs and distinguished faculty are what help make UD a good investment for students.

"I like this particular rating more than I like most ratings, and the reason is they really do try to look at what you're doing; it's not a reputational kind of rating like so many of them are, and I find that sort of refreshing," he said. "They're actually looking at what people are doing, what they're charging and other issues."

The rankings are available in the February issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance and on the magazine's Web site, www.kiplinger.com.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS/701140348/1006/NEWS

There are lots of Delaware stories in the newspaper today.

#1: Someone crashed into Skid Row in Newark. It would be a shame if the rowhouses had to be destroyed because of this. I guess that would also put an end to Skidfest as well.

Car rams historic Newark building


Nearly three dozen people were displaced Friday after a car rammed their historic apartments in Newark.

Two residents were out on one porch of the Academy Street homes -- a local landmark -- when the car ran into that and another porch shortly before 3 a.m., authorities said. Both residents escaped injury.

The apartments, dominating the first block of Academy St., were deemed uninhabitable. Authorities could give no estimate of how long repairs might take.

The frame row homes, from 28 to 34 1/2 Academy St., were built in the late 1800s, when most houses in the city were built of brick. Their continuous use has been credited for the homes' endurance, but lack of maintenance and repair in 1981 led the city to declare them substandard.

But in 1983, after much work, they were deemed to have enough historical and cultural value that they were accepted for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Much of their damage Friday centered on where and how the unidentified driver hit them.

The driver suffered minor injury but declined medical attention, said John H. Farrell IV, spokesman for Aetna Hook, Hose & Ladder Company of Newark.

The driver had turned onto Academy Street from Delaware Avenue, and -- for no known reason -- failed to straighten his wheels and kept turning right into the building, he said.

As the car careened into the building, it hit and broke the pipe that feeds water to the apartments' sprinkler system and damaged two of the apartments' porches, Farrell said.

Inspectors from the city water and building departments were called to the scene. The crash also prompted a brief closure of Academy Street.

The broken pipe sent water into the buildings, damaging at least three of their basements, Farrell said. Part of the basement wall of the apartment at 32 Academy St. was left bowed after the crash and building officials are expected to determine the extent of structural damage.

With no water feeding the sprinkler system -- safety equipment that is required by the city for the rental properties to be occupied -- all the buildings were declared uninhabitable.

"There were 35 residents displaced," Farrell said.

No information was available late Friday about any assistance the city or emergency agencies might be providing evacuees.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/NEWS/701200363/1006/NEWS



#2: Delaware's job growth is slowing down.

Del.'s job growth declines
Planned layoffs have analysts saying fall may continue into '07


Delaware wrapped up 2006 with gains of 6,700 jobs, but it's not expected to create as many this year, state labor analysts said Friday.

Last year's gains fell short of the the 7,400 jobs gained in 2005, according to preliminary figures the state released Friday. The decline was mostly because of declines in the credit card industry following the purchase of MBNA by Bank of America.

Delaware lost 2,700 jobs in the credit card sector, but because of gains in retail banking, ended the year with a loss of 1,300 jobs in financial activities.

The state increased its total number of jobs in 2006 by 1.5 percent, That's slightly higher than the national average of 1.4 percent.

The state's unemployment rate for December was 3.4 percent, down from 4.6 percent in December a year ago.

Still, Delaware's ability to create jobs will be tested this year as it braces for announced and potential layoffs at manufacturing plants including DaimlerChrysler's Newark plant, which employs 2,100 people. Analysts are speculating Chrysler will close the site because the Dodge Durango is not selling and the plant is not used at full capacity.

"We have the rate of growth slowing down a little bit, but we still have the state outperforming the U.S. slightly," said Rebecca Seweryn, an economist at Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, Pa. She is projecting gains of about 6,000 jobs next year.

"If the Chrysler plant does shut down near the end of the year, that would take a large toll on that gain," Seweryn said.

Within the past two weeks, Avon Products Inc. said it plans to gradually eliminate at least 350 and shutter its distribution center in Newark by 2009, and Sears said it will layoff 120 people by the end of this year at its Fashion Distribution Center near Newport. On Thursday, Bank of America said it will let go of 100 administrative and tech support workers in Newark.

"Despite the layoffs, I believe we will have job growth this year, but it will be more modest than we have seen in the past couple of years," said Ed Simon, director of labor market information at the Delaware Department of Labor.

Simon said he is concerned about the state's construction industry.

"The key unknown is the real estate and construction market," he said. "Right now, things have slowed down quite a bit in the real estate market, which will eventually cut down on construction jobs and related occupations."

There was a decline of 300 jobs in construction between November and December 2006, partly due to weather conditions.

But builders say construction is holding steady so far this year.

"We have not seen a slowdown," said Edward J. Capodanno, executive director of Delaware's chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, which is involved in commercial and industrial construction. "But some time toward the end of the second quarter, there will probably be a slowdown."

Steven W. Bomberger, president of Benchmark Builders, said he thinks the real-estate market in Delaware already has bottomed out.

"As far as the rest of the year, I think it's going to be less than last year, but it will be flat," said Bomberger. "I don't see it getting worse than it already is."

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/BUSINESS/701200322/1003




#3: Delaware is at the top in corporate tax policies. :)

Del. tops in corporate tax policies, poll says
Magazine praises state's fair treatment, ranks N.J. at bottom


In some people's minds, the only thing better than having another reason to make fun of New Jersey is having another reason to defend Delaware against criticism.

Both sentiments were validated this week when CFO Magazine rated New Jersey's corporate tax environment among the worst in the nation, and Delaware's among the best.

In fact, the assessment ranked Delaware unmatched in the country for being "fair and able" to resolve the "gray issues" of taxes at the auditor level. Delaware swept second place in the report's other three categories -- overall impression of the tax environment; the positive influence of revenue policies on corporate decisions to locate or expand; and the independence of the tax-appeals process.

"There's a culture of fairness and equal treatment. I think that's throughout state government," said Patrick Carter, director of the state Division of Revenue. "It's more, 'What can we do to help you stay in Delaware, to make things work better.' "

Some states were pummeled in the CFO State Tax Survey for "aggressive state auditors and inconsistent tax regimes." California and New Jersey were tagged as the worst offenders in nearly every category of the survey, which was based on corporate tax officials' views.

California also won the dubious title of "most aggressive state" in two areas -- levying sales and use taxes, and forcing businesses to file consolidated tax returns. New Jersey earned animosity for a "negative influence" on expansion plans, as well as for having "unfair" tax auditors.

Unpredictability earned many states bad marks, making it clear chief financial officers don't have many positive feelings for governments that change the rules suddenly when revenues head south. "They're looking for consistency," Carter said. One local CFO said they also appreciate a modicum of efficiency.

"Whenever there's an issue with a taxing authority, the person on the paying side wants that resolved as soon as possible. That's not always the case" in other states, said Jim Vincenzo, CFO of Delaware's TheaterXtreme, a home-theater retailer with franchises across the country.

When firms face tax complications in Delaware, "you get it resolved quickly, you get it resolved amicably and fairly," said Vincenzo, who also has served as CFO of Remington Rand and a Boston-based cinema chain.

The state also tries to apply that approach to the area of franchise taxes, said Rick Geisenberger, assistant secretary of state and director of corporations. "We work with them when there's a problem, when there's an issue; if they haven't properly filled out forms," he said. "It's not uncommon for us to consider waiving penalties."

The survey was overseen by KPMG, which polled 5,500 tax directors nationwide, getting 282 responses.

In 2004, the last year CFO Magazine conducted the survey, Delaware was not ranked in the top five in any category -- either good or bad.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/BUSINESS/701200330/1003

The state is looking to build a parkway or limited access highway for local traffic just west of Route 1 near Lewes and Nassau. I was down in Lewes yesterday, and personally, I would make the DE Route 1/US Route 9 intersection an overpass. If you had Route 1 pass over Route 9, Route 1 traffic wouldn't have to stop, and people who would use Route 9 could exit off of ramps and then get onto Route 9.

Del. 1 plan in Sussex meets with skepticism
Residents say road may hurt existing community


Sussex-area residents learning about three options for a new road to parallel Del. 1 expressed concerns Monday about how the four-lane limited-access highway will affect the existing communities, the environment and local landmarks.

"It's going to change our life," said M. Freeman, a vegetable farmer who worries that one of the plans will cut through his field. "Plus we don't think it will do us any good."

Monroe Hite III, the state transportation department's manager of what has been dubbed the Western Parkway Project, said the goal is to be prepared for anticipated development in Sussex County. The Lewes-Rehoboth Beach-area project has no cost estimate yet and probably will not be built for another 10 to 15 years.

"Somebody's going to be impacted," he said in response to resident concerns. "Our job is to minimize those impacts."

Each of the three alternatives presented by the Delaware Department of Transportation would include a four-lane partially controlled access highway from Del. 24 to Five Points and an overpass at the Five Points interchange. They are:

• Orange alternative: Widen Plantation Road. Has the least impact on farmland and natural resources. Construction costs are less. Would have narrow lanes and no median.

• Green alternative: Create a new road. Impacts fewer properties. Reduces traffic on Plantation Road. Impacts the most natural resources. Construction costs are high and historic resources may be directly affected.

• Yellow alternative: Create a new road. Less natural resource impacts than the green alternative. Reduces traffic on Plantation Road. Construction costs are high, and historic resources may be directly affected.

Fondella Dunmoore, 76, worries that the orange alternative will get too close to the Israel United Methodist Church, where she worships.

"They're talking about messing with our church," she said.

Hite said DelDOT is aware of the church's proximity and is taking that into consideration.

Gai Allen, 48, said she favors the Plantation Road plan because it would not affect people living in Jimtown, a long-established community.

"I think it's unfair to impact those who have been there longer and not those who are new to the area," she said. Allen lives in Maryland, but has relatives who live in Jimtown.

DelDOT has stressed that the project will not be a bypass for Del. 1; it will be designed for local traffic, not overflow from the major thoroughfare.

The Western Parkway project is one of the recommendations from the State Route 1 Land Use and Transportation Study, a joint DelDOT and Sussex County effort.

This was the second public workshop about the project. The first was in November of 2004. DelDOT will present more details at another workshop in six to eight months.

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http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070123/NEWS/701230352/1006/NEWS

Here's an article on the Washington House Condo, the midrise going up in Newark. Loose ends are still being tied together regarding retail at street level.

I still would have liked to see the Stone Balloon around. That place was an institution. A college bar in a college town is better than upscale condos in a college town. I bet that these residents that move in once it's finished will be shocked -shocked!-, when they hear drunk college kids walking around at 2 AM. They'll be complaining about how college kids are up all night in their college town, and these people who moved in and are living right in the middle of it all want to get some sleep!

Newark seeking deal with condo developer


NEWARK-- Before deciding whether the owner of the former Stone Balloon nightclub can hold on to a special liquor license, Newark City Council wants Jim Baeurle to come to an agreement with the city on restrictions for the wine-tasting business he wants to open.

Council voted 7-0 Monday to extend Baeurle's taproom on/off license for 60 days. Members asked him to meet with the city's attorneys to talk about possible hours and products for sale at the operation, to be located in the Washington House condominium complex.

Baeurle wants to open a wine sales and tasting bar in retail space that is part of plans for the 54-unit complex. He holds a license to sell alcohol for on-site consumption and for carryout, a type no longer issued in the state, from the Stone Balloon, which he closed in 2005.

The timeline for the downtown project, 115 E. Main St., has been pushed back. Baeurle wants the city to extend the time he has to reopen without losing the license. He has already obtained an extension from the state until December.

Calling the proposed wine business "a high-end amenity to a high-end building," Baeurle proposed that City Council place conditions on the license prohibiting amplified music from the business and allowing only the sale of beer and wine after 9 p.m.

"I don't want to give the store away," he told the council. "At what point do you all get comfortable with moving forward?"

He said too many restrictions would hinder his ability to make the business viable.

"I think we all want this to succeed," Baeurle said. "The model that has succeeded offers a full variety of things just because not everybody drinks wine."

Council members and some residents, however, worried about how the use the space could change if its ownership were to change hands in the future.

"I think what we're getting at is people who bought in that building running to us and saying when they purchased in the building they were told that a fine wine store would be in the bottom," Newark Mayor Vance Funk said. "They want reasonable assurance that it will be what they were promised."

"I can imagine this area could morph into ... just another bar on Main Street with beer and nachos," said Patrick Hart, who lives on West Main Street. "We don't know what this is going to morph into."

Baeurle initially presented his plan in November and was granted a 60-day extension to prepare more information for the council.

Councilman David Athey said he was disappointed that Baeurle did not offer more details about the business Monday.

"We're not talking about wine," Athey said. "We're talking about the value of your license."

At the beginning of Monday's meeting, the council held a moment of silence and a color guard ceremony in honor of police Chief William Nefosky, who died last week. Four Newark officers in dress uniforms marched into Council Chambers carrying flags of the nation, state and city.

City officials, most wearing black ribbons pinned to their lapels, read a statement memorializing Nefosky and a message from New Castle County Executive Chris Coons. State Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark South, read a proclamation in Nefosky's honor from the House of Representatives.

City Manager Carl Luft said he has yet to begin the search for a new chief out of respect for Nefosky's family, members of which attended Monday's tribute. "It will be handled in the future, but I want to give it some time," Luft said. "It's a very difficult time for everybody."

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070123&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=701230357&Ref=AR&Profile=1006
An artist's rendering shows the Washington House condominium project on East Main Street in downtown Newark.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070123/NEWS/701230357/1006/NEWS

The Skid Row rowhouses will be saved. Skidfest lives for another year!

Historic buildings in Newark to be fixed
Apartments damaged when rammed by car


NEWARK -- The owners of a group of historic downtown apartments are working to repair damage caused when a car rammed into the structures.

Two porches and the pipe that supplies water to the apartments' sprinkler system were damaged in the accident, which occurred in the early hours of Jan. 19. About 35 residents were displaced for several hours because no water was feeding the sprinkler system, which the city requires for occupancy of rental properties.

"All the repairs were made immediately," said Carroll Izard, whose family owns the apartments. "Most were superficial; nothing happened to the interior of the houses other than some water in a couple of the basements, which was pumped out immediately."

The broken pipe sent water into the buildings, damaging at least three basements, fire officials at the scene said. City officials inspected work done to fix the sprinkler system and let residents return to their homes, Newark building director Tom Sciulli said.

Amanda Taylor, 23, who lives in one of the apartments with her boyfriend, said residents were told to leave about 3 a.m. and allowed to return by late afternoon.

"I think [the car] just hit under the porches," she said, while sitting on her own porch Tuesday morning. Pieces of latticework were missing from two adjacent porches Tuesday, leaving a gap that revealed the damaged stone.

The frame row homes, 28 to 34 1/2 Academy St., were built in the late 1800s, when most houses in the city were made of brick. Although used continuously, lack of maintenance and repair by previous owners led the city to declare the homes substandard in 1981.

In 1983, after much work, they were deemed to have enough historical and cultural value that they were accepted for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Officials said the driver, who suffered minor injuries but declined medical attention, hit the buildings after failing to straighten his wheels while turning onto Academy Street from Delaware Avenue.

Barbara Izard, Carroll Izard's wife, said the family, which has owned the apartments for about 20 years, is making plans to repair the damaged porches using the original stone.

"We're very proud of sticking to the historical rules," she said. "We treasure the property, and it's immediately being taken care of. It's all in the process."

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/NEWS/701310353/1006/NEWS

Delaware is considering building the first offshore wind farm in the United States. The wind farm would also be one of the biggest in the world if it was built in entirety.

Clean and renewable, but untested
Proposal would be first offshore wind park in U.S.


REHOBOTH BEACH -- With the frigid late-January wind whipping off the ocean, it wasn't much of a day to stroll the boardwalk or sit on the beach. But it would have been a great day to generate electricity from the first offshore wind farm in the country.

If 200 wind turbines had been sitting offshore, the wind would have spun them at maximum speed, generating in 24 hours about 500 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 500,000 homes for one day.

Bluewater Wind, a New Jersey company, wants to build such a wind park 10.5 miles off the coast of this seaside city or seven miles off Bethany Beach to provide Delaware residents a new source of electricity. Supporters point out that production would be free of the pollutants or heat-trapping "greenhouse gas" emissions associated with conventional power plants, and fueled by abundant, and free, Atlantic Ocean winds.

"You have the Saudi Arabia of wind off your shores," said Peter Mandelstam, the company's president. "It's very windy and the waters are shallow."

The project, now competing with two other power plant ventures, has developed a following across Delaware and would be one of the largest in the world, if approved. Supporters include some of the top politicians and many environmental groups, backed by a University of Delaware-sponsored survey that found broad support for wind energy.

But others warn that offshore wind ventures, generally, and Bluewater in particular are sailing into uncharted regions. Bluewater has drawn criticism for submitting a bid based on undisclosed or unproven answers to questions about costs, reliability and effect on birds, fish and other aquatic life and environments.

"It's not so much the prediction that something drastic is going to happen, but not enough information has been gathered to even do a logical risk assessment," for offshore wind farms, said Susan Nickerson, executive director of the Massachusetts-based environmental group Nantucket Soundkeeper.

Offshore wind power involves "a range of issues -- fishing, tourism, economics, visibility, environmental impacts on bird life, fish, marine mammals," Nickerson said.

Bluewater and wind power advocates generally say wind power already has proven itself a good neighbor.

American wind power production ranks third globally, trailing only Germany and Spain, and accounts for about 20 percent of the world total, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, based in Belgium.

Denmark, the world's fifth-largest wind energy producer, has meanwhile sunk billions of dollars into offshore wind and late last year published a study that found wind farms can be developed without significant harm or risk to birds or aquatic life, provided sites are chosen carefully and with adequate precautions.

Wind advocates say the findings add to wind power's allure as a way to make energy without the pollutants and carbon-dioxide emissions of conventional power plants. Those features have gained increased attention as world governments wrestle with calls for cuts in heat-trapping carbon-dioxide emissions linked to global warming and climate shifts.

"It's made people sit up and put wind into a whole, fresh, new point of view," said Guy Dauncey of British Columbia, president of the Sustainable Energy Association and author of the book "Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Climate Change."

Delaware found itself looking for a new approach last year after alarming increases in costs following deregulation of the wholesale electricity market in 1999. The deregulation lifted price caps in May, leading to a 59 percent increase in the cost of residential electricity.

The bid is one of three for the Delmarva project. The others are a coal gasification plant proposed by NRG Energy, and a natural gas plant proposed by Conectiv. Four state agencies, advised by Delmarva, are expected to make their final decision by late spring or early summer.

"We have a huge stake in this decision. We can set an example for the rest of the country by selecting the one energy option that provides the greatest long-term financial and environmental benefits," Delaware Audubon Society, one of the state's oldest environmental groups, said in a position paper supporting Bluewater Wind, released last month.

"Wind energy is not a futuristic, niche technology," Audubon leaders wrote.

Details of plans not made public

If it opened today, Bluewater Wind's project off Delaware would rank as the largest offshore wind farm in the world. If completed as company officials hope in 2012, it would likely be the second largest, behind a planned project off the coast of the United Kingdom. There are 17 offshore wind farms worldwide, all off the coasts of Europe.

Bluewater Wind made the bid in response to a request for proposals to provide 400 megawatts of electricity to Delmarva Power. The state required Delmarva to seek the bids as part of an effort to provide a long-term, Delaware-produced source of energy.

"We've looked carefully at it," said Tim Brown, spokesman for Delmarva Power.

One concern: Wind turbines rely on weather, operating at full capacity only part of the time. Company officials say the average electricity output throughout the year, including the less windy summer months, would be less than half of what it was on that day last month.

Critics say the link to weather forces overinvestment. Wind farms have to be large enough to collect sufficient electricity even when winds are light, pushing developers to plant hundreds of turbines to assure minimum output.

"What's happening is people don't understand how you can 'firm up' wind energy," Dauncey said. "If you have hydropower, you can store water behind a dam."

Yet details about Bluewater's capacity plans remain out of reach to the public, as do the details of the two power plants competing for the lucrative deal. Although confidentiality claims are now under review by all three bidders, Bluewater excluded information about the generating capacity and costs of its project from public versions of its application.

Other storms lie ahead. Around Nantucket Sound, some opponents say a project to put 130 turbines in federal waters would mar the offshore horizon and disrupt fishing, ferry traffic and navigation.

Similar complaints have come ashore in Delaware.

"A lot of people are against it because it will ruin the view of the horizon," said Robert Littleton, co-owner of Clarksville-based Bobs Marine Service Inc. "Myself, I would think the wind mills would be a better way to go because you get rid of all the coal ash. I suspect that a lot of people who are opposed have houses on the beach."

Littleton referred to huge old and new stockpiles of ash at NRG's Indian River power plant near Millsboro, where DNREC recently announced plans for a major, utility-financed cleanup to stop pollution from trickling into the river.

When the wind isn't blowing

Over lunch at Arena's Deli last month, some Rehoboth Beach residents said they're not bothered by the possibility of having 200 wind turbines 11 miles offshore. Renderings, created by RPS of England and supplied by the company, showed the turbines barely visible in the distance.

"It goes so far out, I don't think it's going to make a difference," said Emily Gilmore, a server at the restaurant, examining a rendering brought into the restaurant by a News Journal reporter. "People like seeing things out there. 'Ooh, I see a ship.' Now they'll say, 'Ooh, I see a windmill.' "

Another server there, Dawn Kasow, said: "I couldn't see it without my glasses."

But the renderings released to the public were produced by Bluewater Wind and based on a consultant's "visualization."

NRG, another company competing for the contract to provide power to Delmarva, said in its filing with the Public Service Commission, and in a full-page ad in The News Journal, that the turbines wouldn't produce enough power on hot, high-demand days. The company also argued that in this age of more hurricanes, a wind farm isn't a good idea.

"There are several ironies when NRG raises the question of the ability of wind parks to withstand hurricane-force winds," said Jim Lenard, spokesman for Bluewater Wind. He said hurricanes are great for harnessing the wind; when they get too intense, the company turns the turbines off and angles them so the wind slides right by.

"Hurricane-force winds that NRG is talking hypothetically about in the North Atlantic would almost only occur with global warming precursor events, to which NRG is a contributor with its many fossil fuel plants throughout the United States," Lenard said.

Lenard said his company's turbines would operate 85 percent of the time, and that there would be plenty of other sources of electricity to make up for the time that the wind isn't blowing.

Dave Bayless, a professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio University, said wind power is inexpensive, but fossil fuel electricity is easier to control. When there's a need for more electricity, companies simply burn more coal or natural gas, he said. Wind turbines, on the other hand, generate electricity only when the wind is blowing, he said.

Wind power, he said, can be part of the solution, as long as utilities plan ahead to have fossil fuels available when the wind isn't blowing very hard.

"There's plenty of room for wind right now. You do have to be careful with managing your loads, and have something as a backup when you need it," Bayless said. "Utilities do that really well."

To save birds, 'Keep your cats inside'

The Bluewater Wind project is one of just a few planned offshore wind projects in this country. Besides the Massachusetts project, there's a 40-turbine project being considered off of Jones Beach, located on Long Island.

New projects cannot proceed, however, before the U.S. Minerals Management Service issues Environmental Impact Statement requirements for alternative energy projects along the nation's Outer Continental Shelf.

That document, due as early as next month, will establish the rules for evaluating and approving wind power sites. Final regulations are unlikely to be adopted before September and could face challenges.

"What we're finding is, we have very little baseline data on Nantucket Sound on which to even base a judgment about the degree of risk," Nantucket Soundkeeper's Nickerson said.

Concerns about wind power stretch from the tip of the big turbine blades, some 440 feet above the water, to foundation sediments 60 feet below the surface.

Awareness of the hazards came the hard way. Earlier-generation, faster-spinning wind turbines built in California's Altamont Pass whack thousands of birds from the sky each year.

But studies in Denmark, based on slower-moving and more-modern turbines, found that "Under the right conditions, even big wind farms pose low risks" to birds, mammals and fish.

"Wind turbines do not kill birds," Dauncey said. "If you want to stop killing birds, keep your cats inside and turn off some of the lights in the city" on towers and other structures.

Although underwater construction work, such as pile-driving, annoyed or frightened away marine mammals, those populations returned later, the Danes found. Fish populations changed and generally increased, congregating around and exploiting new, hard structures amid the shifting sediments.

"The Danes were very careful to specify that the findings they were reporting were specific to just two wind farms they studied," Nickerson cautioned. "You have dramatically different conditions in other locations. The dynamics of each site are very unique, and there are significant gaps with regard to what the impacts might be."

Mark Jacobson, associate professor of environmental engineering at Stanford University, said as many as 40,000 birds are killed each year from wind turbines in the United States, but far more are killed by communications towers, he said.

A renewable source of energy

Bluewater's Mandelstam formerly worked for the City of New York building affordable housing. But he credits reading in 1989 "The End of Nature," Bill McKibben's early book on global warming, with changing his life's purpose.

Mandelstam opened a solar nonprofit, but realized quickly what a small part solar would play in the solution. He believed wind power could have a more immediate impact.

He started Arcadia Windpower, which built the Judith Gap wind park, a 181-megawatt facility, in Montana.

Bluewater Wind is a subsidiary of Arcadia. The Delaware project would be the company's first venture into offshore wind farms, but the company is not the first to propose a site off Delaware.

Winergy Power of Hauppauge, N.Y., submitted an application in 2002 to build a 306-turbine, 1,101-megawatt wind farm 3 1/2 miles off the coast of Bethany Beach. The proposal attracted interest from environmentalists, but was criticized by coastal landowners worried the turbines would blot their view.

Winergy officials said their application with the federal government has lapsed. "We're ready to submit" again when the government says it's OK, said company spokesman Mark Treiser.

Mandelstam's project boasts a team of companies experienced in building offshore wind farms abroad, including Fluor, the world's second-largest engineering company, and Ramboll, a large European engineering firm.

One fan of offshore wind power is Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. He said he'd like to see both a wind farm and a coal gasification facility, although he added, "I don't know if that's achievable."

"If wind power off Delmarva (Peninsula) is an economically viable project, when the wind blows, how hard the wind blows, how often throughout the year the wind blows, my hope is wind power will be part of the mix of electricity generation for Delmarva in the early part of this century," Carper said.

The state will require utilities to get 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2019. That would work in Bluewater Wind's favor, being potentially the only major source of clean energy in the state. Company executives say opening the proposed wind farm would provide the utilities with all of the renewable power they need to comply with the law.

Utilities, however, also have the option of buying renewable power from out of state.

Bluewater Wind faces a potential hurdle in the form of a point system set out by the Public Service Commission as a way of evaluating the bids.

Critics, like Treasurer Jack Markell, say the point system puts too much emphasis on price and not enough on price stability and environmental concerns. Wind farms have high startup costs, but advocates say they pay for themselves in the long run.

As for the point system, "I go where opportunities are good, and I live with the situation," Mandelstam said.

Company officials aren't afraid to talk up the dire consequences of global warming to help make their case. If the current projections are right, one-third of Delaware could someday be under water.

Mike McCabe, a former deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a consultant to Delmarva Power, said if Delawareans want to stop global warming, they have to start making changes.

"Delaware has a tremendous amount to lose, if the projections are right," McCabe said.

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There are only 17 offshore wind parks in the world, including this one in the North Sea off the coast of Denmark. Bluewater's proposed wind park off the Delaware coast would be the first of its kind in the U.S.

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DNREC recently announced plans for a major utility-financed cleanup at NRG Energy's Indian River power plant near Millsboro. Critics of wind power note that such plants can generate electricity even when the wind isn't blowing.

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http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070211/NEWS/702110347/1006/NEWS

While Wilmington has not had the best success recently with the MBNA merger, Newark is in a worse situation. Newark will most likely lose 2 major employers in the next couple of years.

Job losses underline need for new business
Potential closure of Newark plant reverberates in region


NEWARK -- Each job lost in the Newark area could represent one less sandwich for James R. Malin to sell at lunchtime or one less employee-recognition certificate for Joanne Finley to frame.

Within two years, Avon will cut at least 350 jobs and close its local distribution center, which Finley can see from the front windows of her art shop just outside the city limits. Speculation has been circulating for months that Chrysler might shut down its local assembly plant, located a few blocks away from Malin's Market and Deli on South College Avenue.

"People don't realize how big and how far back that goes," said Malin, who delivers food to all seven gates at the Chrysler complex, which employs about 2,100. "I'd hate to see an import come in and take over, but that's an option. UD, with all the money they've got, they could buy it and put a half-dozen motels there. There's endless capabilities to what that building could do for this economy, given the right hands."

To find the right hands, the city may need to take a more active approach than in the past. Newark and most other cities in Delaware lack an employee or department dedicated to economic development. Wilmington is the most notable exception. Observers say having a local advocate is increasingly important to finding and competing for new business.

"Even if they get good news from Chrysler ... you could keep a full-time economic development person busy just preparing for diversification purposes and maybe even getting a little prepared for a worst-case scenario," said Mark M. Sweeney of McCallum Sweeney Consulting, a corporate site-selection firm. "That's a double-edged sword, having a dominant employer like that. It's a tremendous positive impact on the community, but it all presents a risk for serious disruption if something goes wrong."

Each county in the state has its own economic development group, and officials at those organizations say projects often are filtered to them through the state Economic Development Office. At the local level, they work with mayors, city managers and planning directors.

"We don't have the luxury of actually chasing down individual projects," said Daniel Wolfensberger, director of the Central Delaware Economic Devel- opment Council, which serves Kent County. "We have done it in the past, and if we are given the charge to do it again, we have no problem at all doing it that way. That's a good way of identifying that type of industry."

'Highly competitive'

Seaford has an economic development and information technology manager whose duties include cultivating clients for the Ross Industrial Park, networking with real estate agents and serving as an information source for volunteers and nonprofit groups.

"I don't know how actively involved they were in going out and recruiting," said Trisha Booth, who started in the position two weeks ago. She said predecessors "were there in the assistance of clients coming in, people coming to us."

Delaware's size allows the state to act efficiently on economic development, even at the local level, said Dina Reider, spokeswoman for the Delaware Economic Development Office.

She said speed was a factor last year when Bank of America decided to maintain MBNA's bank charter in Delaware following a major overhaul of the state's bank tax. The legislation offering up to $15 million in tax breaks for banks with charters here raced through the General Assembly in a few weeks.

Delaware Economic Development Director Judy McKinney-Cherry said the budgets of small communities may not allow for hiring an economic development director.

"I think that if the community is very clear, if the leadership and elected officials within a community are very clear on what it is they're looking for out of economic development -- and that means many things to different people -- then I think they should hire if they're really clear on what they want," she said.

But Sweeney, whose firm has worked on projects for companies including Dollar General and Nissan, said developers expect cities to make courting them a top priority.

The firm in recent years worked on a Dollar General distribution center project that went to Marion, Ind., a city with a population equivalent to Newark's. Having a full-time staff member in charge of development, in addition to working with the county's economic growth council, helped Marion win the project, Sweeney said.

"It's highly competitive, it's deadline-driven, and the decisions are very comprehensive and complex," Sweeney said. "That puts a lot of demand for a professional who knows the community, and has a lot of information, and can communicate it quickly and effectively. It doesn't lend itself well to someone who has economic development added to a job description."

Local participation is "critical" to successful economic development projects, particularly at the beginning and end of the process, when companies desire a quick turnaround for gathering information about incentive packages, available land and local services, Sweeney said.

"We ask a lot of questions for any size project," he said. "Maybe a city does not want to do proactive marketing, but even if you want to be in a position to reactively market to someone who has an interest, you need to be prepared."

Drop in interest

Economic development in Newark is coordinated through the planning department. The Downtown Newark Partnership focuses on recruiting and retaining businesses in the area around Main Street, and the city has incentive programs including tax breaks and help in financing utility lines to offer to developers.

"Over the very recent past, because of changes in the economy, we've gotten less inquiries than we used to," Planning Director Roy Lopata said. "If we hear of something, we reach out, but at the moment we haven't done a lot because we've been focusing on downtown and the industrial parks."

Lopata said the city, which has a population of about 30,000, is too small to support a full-time economic development director. He said most of his time is spent with developers.

"We have a one-stop-shopping approach," he said. "Someone can come to us and get all the rules and regulations and incentives, and get assisted through the development review process, and we can hold their hands as they go through it, which they need a lot of, especially if they're from out of state."

City and county officials are talking about new initiatives or programs to attract developers. Those measures include additional incentive packages or partnerships with the University of Delaware, Delaware Technical & Community College and the Delaware Technology Park.

"It's in the best interest of a municipality to get involved in trying to recruit smart, progressive, environmentally responsible, well-paying jobs that leverage the assets of our area," Newark City Councilman Paul Pomeroy said. "Newark, in my mind, should be a hub of economic activity, and I think there is more we can do to highlight all the assets and attributes we have."

The New Castle County Economic Development Council, a committee of the county Chamber of Commerce, is talking to local companies that do business with Chrysler, Avon and other major local employers that are downsizing. Bank of America confirmed last month that about 100 administrative and tech-support workers will be laid off from its facilities near Newark.

"We just want to understand what they think might be some issues and opportunities down in the Newark area," chamber President Mark Kleinschmidt said. "If you're a business and doing 50 percent of your business with Avon, selling product to them, where can we find a replacement customer that might be able to [work with] their business? How can we expand their marketing strategy to reach new customers and maybe get into new lines of business?"

Another auto project unlikely

If Chrysler, which pays Newark more than $300,000 annually in property taxes, does leave town, the best-case scenario would be to attract a similar company to the complex, Mayor Vance Funk said. The fate of the plant is expected to become public this week when Chrysler announces a plan to recover from declining sales.

Funk said the city has asked Sen. Tom Carper, who as Delaware's governor worked for 18 months to save the GM Boxwood Road plant in the early 1990s, about arguments to make for keeping the Newark plant open and ways to deal with a shutdown.

Members of Delaware's congressional delegation and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner met last month with officials from Chrysler and the United Auto Workers to discuss the fate of the plant.

"Obviously, you really have to hope you can recruit some other auto manufacturer," Funk said. "The place is really updated, the work force is here. I don't know that anything else makes sense."

But such projects are rare and highly competitive, said Jerry Paytas, director of research for GSP, a Pittsburgh-based government relations and economic development consulting firm.

"Everybody wants it, and they're one of the big prizes because they are generally good facilities to have," Paytas said. "But the automobile industry right now is restructuring and has been restructuring for a long time, so it's hard to keep them, and that makes it a difficult basis for a strategy."

Relocations of large companies are also unusual and present equally stiff competition, Paytas said.

He said many local officials put themselves in a bad situation by offering extensive incentives to attract a project that is expansive but not necessarily a good fit for the community.

"You have all these elements but one piece is missing, and it's being more strategic to find how that fits into the broader economic picture rather than just pursuing every possible relocation," he said. "There's two basic ways to grow an economy: to export more or to take the things you used to import and start making them internally."

To find the right match, it helps to have an employee focused on economic development, either within a planning department or as part of a separate agency, Paytas said.

"That person can be the primary point of contact who identifies sites for them, to kind of do the sales or how you pitch or market the region to those companies," he said.

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Employees of Malin's Market and Deli, located just a few blocks from the Newark Chrysler plant, prepare takeout for customers. If the auto facility is shuttered, many businesses in the city would suffer.

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Kathy Berkheiser (left) and Valerie Salyer make sandwiches at Malin's. A substantial portion of sales come from autoworkers.

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Liz Wilburn ladles homemade tomato cream soup at Malin's Market and Deli, which counts on Newark Chrysler plant employees as a big part of its lunch crowd.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070212/NEWS/702120353/1006/NEWS

Well, it's official. Chrysler is leaving. It would've been nice if they stayed, but such is the way of business.

What does anyone think will be done with the land? Does anyone think another company will come in? Maybe one of the Japanese car companies will use the plant.

2,100 autoworkers to lose jobs by 2009
Chrysler plans to shutter Newark plant no surprise


Losing traction to automakers with more fuel-efficient models, DaimlerChrysler said Wednesday it will close its Newark assembly plant as part of a plan to restructure its unprofitable U.S. division.

Like its counterparts General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., Chrysler is struggling to compete against Asian automakers that have more efficient plants and popular products. The company has struggled with a bloated inventory and a portfolio heavily tilted toward SUVs and trucks at a time when consumers are looking more for smaller vehicles.

The closure of the Newark plant, where the failing Dodge Durango and luxury Chrysler Aspen sport utility vehicles are assembled, will mean the loss of 2,100 jobs and will reverberate throughout Delaware's economy. State officials estimate the plant contributes $800 million annually to the state's economy and supports 400 jobs at related businesses.

Flicker of hope remains

Under its plan, Chrysler will reduce production at the plant by one shift this year and "idle" it by 2009. Before it closes, the plant is expected to start producing a more fuel-efficient hybrid version of the Durango, leaving state officials, who lobbied the company to keep the plant open, a glimmer of hope.

"The current plan to idle the plant in 2009 provides us time to work with the company on new models and flexibility," said state Director of Economic Development Judy McKinney-Cherry.

State officials insist there is still hope the plant won't close because Chrysler said it would "idle," not "shut down" the plant.

But the company used the word "idle" in its announcement because it can't use the terms "shut down" or "close" under its national labor agreement with the United Auto Workers. The contract expires in September.

"We have three years to prove to them we need to stay open," said Sam Latham, president of the AFL-CIO in Delaware, who retired from Chrysler after about 39 years.

Doing so likely would require the company to bring in a new model. Sales of the Durango and other gas-guzzling SUVs have slumped in recent years as prices at the pump spiked.

After peaking in 1999 with the sale of 189,840 Durangos, only 70,606 of the vehicles were snatched up by consumers last year, despite dealer and manufacturer incentives. Last year, the company's sales fell 7 percent and the company reported a loss of $1.5 billion.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp., with its fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles, overtook DaimlerChrysler for third place in U.S. market share.

'We had to bite the bullet'

To combat the company's slide, Chrysler President and CEO Tom LaSorda outlined the restructuring plan during DaimlerChrysler's annual meeting Wednesday in Auburn Hills, Mich. -- the first time the meeting has taken place outside Germany.

LaSorda said the company will cut costs and reduce capacity at its plants to bring the company back to profitability.

"We had to bite the bullet and reduce production," LaSorda said. "The status quo is clearly unacceptable."

The company plans to cut total production capacity at its plants by 400,000 vehicles per year.

In addition to cuts at Newark, Chrysler will eliminate a shift at a Warren, Mich., truck plant and cut a shift at its St. Louis South plant next year.

A Cleveland, Ohio, parts distribution center will shutter this year, and there will be other reductions in capacity at powertrain, stamping and component operations.

About 4,700 hourly workers in the U.S will be affected this year. Other cuts during the next three years will mean roughly 13,000 lost jobs, 13 percent of Chrysler's work force.

"The overall objective of the restructuring ... is to guard and improve the future of DaimlerChrysler and the Chrysler Group," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of DaimlerChrysler. "We are very much aware of the hardships that come along with the restructuring ... but we do believe that, ultimately, it's better for the Chrysler Group."

According to its plan, the company will introduce 20 new vehicles by 2009 and retool 13 other models.

Later this year, it will release a hybrid version of the Durango, its first hybrid SUV.

Part of the difficulty in selling the Durango is that its design is dated. It's not large enough to compete with newer full-size SUVs. And it consumes more fuel than smaller crossover utility vehicles, which are built on car chassis.

Inventory levels for the Durango in January were the highest in the industry with 179 days' worth sitting in showrooms and parking lots such as the one near the Port of Wilmington. Last month, the average number of days other large SUVs sat in inventory was 86.

The Chrysler Aspen, which entered the market last year as a luxury SUV, also is struggling, despite being laden with incentives by the company.

Still, Delaware's work force is among the most productive in the company and state officials hope they will have another shot at convincing Chrysler to bring other products to the state after 2009.

"It has been done before," said Bruce Belzowski, senior research associate at Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation at the University of Michigan. He mentioned GM, which, in 1992, announced it would close its plant near Newport in three years, but then turned around and brought in new products. Today, the three sports cars assembled at the plant are among the most popular niche cars on the market.

"I wouldn't be optimistic, you are going to have to do some real work here to turn this around if it is possible at all," he said.

Betting on the hybrid

For state officials, hopes of keeping the plant open beyond 2009 may be pinned to the success of the 2008 model year hybrid Dodge Durango.

To assist Chrysler as well as other U.S. companies, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said he plans to introduce legislation that would provide $100 million a year for five years for the development of a lithium ion battery for a hybrid plug-in vehicle.

"The state made really good-faith offers here, but the bottom line is the car is not selling," Biden said. "I am not sure what offer could have been made to keep the shift other than buying 100,000 Durangos."

Biden also wants to raise the cap on the number of hybrid vehicles that are eligible for tax credit. Only 60,000 vehicles are currently eligible.

"Sometimes miracles happen," said Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. "The plant will remain a viable operation until 2009 and we have almost three years to work with DaimlerChrysler, state government and the state delegation and DaimlerChrysler's work force to help return DaimlerChrysler to profitability."

Cheers on Wall Street

News of the restructuring was cheered by Wall Street, where analysts have looked for signs that DaimlerChrysler would follow Ford and GM in announcing major restructuring plans.

"Closing plants is certainly a step in the right direction; they were plagued with the overproduction last year," said Alex Rosten, auto analyst at Edmunds.com.

The company's stock rose 8 percent, settling at a 52-week high of $69.78 on the New York Stock Exchange.

But for workers, many of whom had worked at the plant for decades, word of the restructuring brought questions and fear.

"In the past, when we got in trouble like this, we got another product and that is what saved us," said Ed Booth, of New Castle, who has worked at the plant since 1989. "Now there is no talk of a new product and that is scaring us."

Chrysler officials would not provide details about possible agreements for workers at plants affected by layoffs.

Chrysler is still working with the United Auto Workers to iron out details, LaSorda said.

"In the next few weeks, we will be bringing those to the work force," he said.

LaSorda said the benefits offered to those laid off will not necessarily mirror the generous packages offered to General Motors and Ford workers.

"There will not be a widespread approach," LaSorda said. "It will be targeted to specific regions where the reductions will take place. We are looking at all alternatives and we will negotiate it with [Canadian Auto Workers] and UAW."

Laid-off union workers are expected to receive unemployment benefits and a percentage of their pay for several months and then enter the company's jobs-bank program, which pays them full pay and benefits. Once in the jobs bank, the workers may be given opportunities to transfer to other plants within the company.

"Maybe the international union will negotiate a buyout. Some of them will leave through attrition and the ones that remain will be working or go through a jobs bank," said Latham of the AFL-CIO. "Either way, the employees will be taken care of."

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The loss of the Chrysler plant will be a blow to Newark and the state.

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Chrysler Group President Thomas LaSorda breaks the news Wednesday.

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Dodge Durangos

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The Newark DaimlerChrysler plant currently employs about 2,100 people and is a major contributor to the local economy.

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http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070215/BUSINESS/702150354/1006/NEWS

Rumors are flying about who will grab the Chrysler land in Newark. Some people speculate and /or want the University of Delaware to buy it. I think the best fit would be for a company like Toyota or Honda to come in and use the property.

The juiciest rumor right now is that UD will buy the land and build a new football stadium that would seat 40,000 to 50,000, and then would move up to Division 1-A. It would be nice, but it will never happen. Moreover, Delaware is getting smoked in the CAA in basketball, just imagine how Delaware would do in a conference like the ACC in basketball or football. (Well, Delaware could hold it's own in ACC football if it had a great year, but it's not like it matters.)

Despite rumors, UD has no plans for property


NEWARK -- University of Delaware officials haven't expressed interest publicly in the 244-acre Newark property Chrysler is likely to vacate two years from now. But observers say UD could play a key role in filling that space.

The university's presence in Newark augments the local talent pool for economic development and provides natural opportunities for partnerships with businesses interested in moving into the area, said William Latham, an economics professor at UD. Latham said one example is the Delaware Technology Park, a collaboration between the state and UD that offers office space and support to established and fledgling technology companies.

"That kind of activity, it's a resource," Latham said. "For a long time, and we're talking about decades, the DuPont company relied upon the faculty in the engineering department here to work with them and help solve their problems, and those lessons went into production facilities not just in Delaware but all over the globe."

Avon and Bank of America, both just outside Newark, also have announced their respective plans to close and downsize. Moving forward, the city has a "golden opportunity to leverage the assets we have here," including UD, City Councilman Paul Pomeroy said.

"Progressive, high-tech, biotech industries are going to be the industries of the future, and Newark is a natural place to grow and expand this sort of business opportunity," Pomeroy said.

UD President David Roselle will retire later this year. Business and government leaders have said successor Patrick Harker's track record as dean at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School gives them confidence UD will take an expanded role in attracting new business opportunities to Delaware.

But for now, at least, that role won't include assuming the plant's property on College Avenue, which is across the street from UD's sports complex and within walking distance of its main campus.

Spokesman Martin Mbugua said there are no plans involving the plant.

"We don't have anything right now to [say] about Chrysler," he said.

Enrollment at the university, the state's ninth-largest employer, remains steady even though applications have increased in recent years. Building projects in the planning stages, including a new enrollment-services building, an undergraduate science facility, residence halls and a parking garage, are slated to be constructed on sites within the campus footprint.

But that hasn't kept local residents considering the fate of the Chrysler complex from expressing opinions similar to Leola "Lee" Galvin's.

"Maybe the university will buy it," said Galvin, who has lived in Newark since the 1960s.

"I know there are all these rumors that the university will buy the plant, and that's just not true as far as I'm concerned," Newark Mayor Vance Funk said.

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University of Delaware officials say they have no plans -- at this time -- to acquire the Chrysler property when the manufacturer shuts down the plant.

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http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070218/BUSINESS/302180009/1003

here's a little article about thw wind farm. One downside to wind power is that wind typically is slightly stronger at night, which would mean that energy would have to be stored until the next day. Is this true regarding wind? Solar energy would be more beneficial in terms of getting the energy directly to the consumer without storing it.

Wind farm would not always meet power goal
194-megawatt average short of lawmakers' target


A wind farm proposed for Delaware's Atlantic Coast would power the region only halfway toward a 400-megawatt goal, documents show.

Papers filed with the Public Service Commission put Bluewater Wind's average generation at 194 megawatts, enough output to meet the daily power needs of 216,000 homes. The farm's peak output could reach 600 megawatts under good conditions.

The report further complicated a complex power-generating competition among three companies vying for an electric-supply contract with Delmarva Power. In ordering the process last year, lawmakers set a goal of 400 megawatts.

Bluewater critics argue that the proposal is hampered by the wind farm's cost (more than $1.5 billion to build) and reliance on ideal weather conditions. The company wants to install 200 turbines, each nearly 400 feet tall, in federal water several miles off Rehoboth Beach or Bethany Beach.

"We're not going to deliver 400 megawatts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week" said Rob Propes, Delaware project director for Bluewater. "But there will be times when we could."

But Bluewater's supporters insist that low long-term operating costs and pollution-free operation could allow it to compete with NRG Energy's plan for a 600-megawatt plant burning gas made from coal near Millsboro.

None of the bidders -- the third is Conectiv's proposal for a natural gas-fired turbine at its Hay Road power complex in east Wilmington -- have released details about project costs or potential rate effects. Evaluations are scheduled for release by Friday.

Debate in recent weeks has focused on claims about the reliability and environmental impact of the Bluewater and NRG projects.

"I think the public needs to get better educated on this right now. It's become a 'Green' versus 'whatever' issue," said Sen. George H. Bunting Jr., D-Bethany Beach, whose district includes the Bluewater and the NRG sites.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070220/NEWS/702200348/1006/NEWS

The foundation of the Washington House condo building is starting to form.

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A couple old articles on various roads in Delaware: the discussion about an expressway through Sussex County along the current Route 113 and a route marking the underground railroad in Delaware.


Underground Railroad may be resurrected
UD grad students hope to make the route taken by runaway slaves a historic highway


NEWARK -- After escaping from points south, runaway slaves entered Delaware and faced "the gauntlet," the dangerous journey east from the state line to Camden. From there, the path diverged: head north toward Pennsylvania by land or east to find freedom by water.

After the Civil War, the secret paths were no longer needed. The landscape changed. Open fields gave way to buildings. Creeks were traversed by bridges, and dirt paths became concrete roads. Old homes were torn down or found new life as museums.

Peel back the layers, and the trail thousands of slaves took through Delaware on their journey north in the early 1800s is still there. Researchers are collecting stories, letters, diary entries and maps and using them to create a road they hope will become a state highway honoring those who ran and "rode" the Underground Railroad.

"As you're driving on the route, it doesn't look the same as it did and we're kind of connecting the dots of how to improve it by making a scene that tells the story," said Sarah Beetham, one of a group of University of Delaware graduate students working on the project. "It's not just presenting the sites. We want to make it more emotionally involved by actually telling a story from the point of view of people seeking freedom."

David Ames, a professor and director of UD's Center for Historic Architecture and Design who is overseeing the state highway project, said that in thinking about the Underground Railroad, "people get very literal ... they think tracks and stations."

The path he and his students are creating has neither. Travelers who make the journey from the Choptank River in Maryland to the Pennsylvania border will follow routes 10, 15, 9 and 299, passing more than 20 sites connected to the Underground Railroad. The landmarks include houses, churches, fields and vacant lots.

"We are not pointing out one particular Underground Railroad route, but using contemporary roadways to touch on as many sites as we can to give people a sense of the passage from west to north and from the south to the north," said Debra Martin, preservation planner for the city of Wilmington.

The city is administering the National Parks Service grant funding the state scenic highway project for the Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware, a nonprofit organization that promotes the history of the period.

"It's not a historic route, although some of the road may have been there and some of the routes may have been traveled," Martin said. "But it's the best way we have right now to connect the sites we know about or the sites we think we're going to find more information on."

Official designation as a scenic and historic highway would come after the project is evaluated by the state. Researchers hope to have the nomination completed within the month. The Delaware route is being designed to connect to an Underground Railroad trail that winds through Maryland's Eastern Shore. The route would also connect to the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway, which runs along Del. 52 from downtown Wilmington to the Pennsylvania state line.

"The program is not a signing program; we don't just sign the roadway and say 'goodbye' and 'good luck,' " said Maria Andaya, who manages the scenic and historic highway program for the state Department of Transportation. "There's a lot of work afterward. After it gets designated, we require development of a corridor management plan. The plan will detail a list of actions and strategies on how the sponsor, in this case the coalition, will enhance and preserve and promote the byway."

Few written records

The researchers scanned letters, diaries, newspaper stories and other documents looking for stories about those who participated in the Underground Railroad network in Delaware. Many of the accounts make only vague references to towns or buildings; other spots appear to be referenced using a code.

"They had to be so secretive, so you can see why people never had a written record," Beetham said. "There is a lot of debate about what happened at which sites and where and which part. So many things included in our route are there because someone told a story."

Delaware was a slave state, but was the farthest north and had a large number of free blacks, which provided freedom seekers with help and natural camouflage, Ames said. The group calls the first part of the proposed state highway route, from the Maryland state line to Camden, "the gauntlet," because they say it was the portion where runaway slaves were most likely to get caught.

Some of the names and stories link several sites. The Hawkins family, a husband, wife, and six children, escaped slaveholders on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the 1840s to find freedom in the north. During their travels through Delaware, they were aided by John Hunn and Thomas Garrett, two of the state's most prominent Underground Railroad supporters.

One of Hunn's neighbors in Middletown turned the family and Hunn into the magistrate. The Hawkinses were arrested and taken to the New Castle Jail, but eventually freed by a judge. Hunn and Garrett were prosecuted, convicted and fined.

Along the proposed highway route, travelers will pass by Camden Friends Meeting House, where Hunn worshipped and is buried; Great Geneva and Wildcat Manor, two Hunn family homes that were possible stops on the Underground Railroad; and the site of the former Hunn farm, now a vacant lot along Del. 299.

"It's almost like espionage today, with safe houses, contacts, getting messages that you don't know where they came from so you couldn't give away sources," Ames said.

Telling story still possible

The men and women who traveled through Delaware to escape slavery came mostly from other states, including Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. They benefited from family and community connections, including with free blacks.

"Enslaved people were not completely isolated on the plantation like they were in the Deep South; in the border states, their lives were very, very different," said Kate Larson, an author and historian of the Underground Railroad who is a history professor at Simmons College in Boston.

"There was a lot more movement, there was daily interaction with free black people, so there was a lot more fluidity to everyone's lives. ... It was a very complex society and people moved around and that proved to be very important for people trying to move away."

Houses with secret rooms or tunnels and famous names like Garrett, Hunn or Harriet Tubman are what come most easily to mind when thinking about the Underground Railroad. But Larson said anyone can see part of the story simply by looking out a car window and using some imagination.

"People who ran away, they traversed the landscapes and many of the landscapes are still there and people can see them, particularly in the more undeveloped areas of Delaware," Larson said.

"Those are places where some great stories can be told of people running away and being exposed to the elements and being exposed in open fields, and even forests, and dogs chasing after them. ... Telling the story along this route is still going to be possible and people are still going to appreciate what happened back then. The point is to tell the stories, whether you have to tell them in front of a shopping mall or not, because this is a great story."

Route 'part of a greater network'

In a parking lot of a Dunkin' Donuts on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Ames gets up from the driver's seat of a UD minibus and turns toward the students sitting in the back. They are in Maryland on an early weekend morning to drive that state's Underground Railroad route and see how it connects to the proposed Delaware byway.

"I have an assignment for you all," Ames said. "What this is all about, this scenic highway work, is the traveler's experience. Take in the scene as if you are a traveler new to this area. You're doing research work into the Underground Railroad but you haven't traveled it. I want you to react to it."

The all-day trips aren't new to the researchers, who are all master's or doctoral students at UD in fields such as historic preservation and art history. They've been driving the route in segments for several weeks, taking photos and paying attention to the ease of navigation, the view along the roads and how all of those qualities could come together to create a narrative.

"You can see how the Delaware route is part of a greater network, part of a greater context," graduate student Ann Fangmann said. "You can't think about it as a single entity, just this state. Our part was part of a greater route."

"Being a black person, a lot of my history is left out," graduate student Keonna Greene said. "We can give people some opportunity at least to see that part of history they never knew about. We can help by bringing that part of American history to life."

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UD student Keonna Greene of Newark takes photos at the New Castle Courthouse museum. Abolitionists Thomas Garrett and John Hunn were tried at the courthouse in 1848 for helping runaway slaves.

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University of Delaware students Andrea Harf (left) and Ann Fangmann keep logs of sections of the Underground Railroad they have researched while standing outside the New Castle Courthouse museum.

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University of Delaware professor David Ames and students research the Underground Railroad route. The students are trying to get the route designated as a scenic and historic highway.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070224&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=702240340&Ref=V4&Profile=1006
Samuel Burris

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070224&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=702240340&Ref=H5&Profile=1006
Thomas Garrett

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Harriet Tubman

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070224/NEWS/702240340/1006/NEWS

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Milford bypass plan off track, critics say
Plan upsets residents, lawmakers


Apparently, something big was lost in translation.

It was a relatively simple Senate resolution in 2000 calling for a traffic study to ease north-south traffic congestion from Milford to the Maryland line.

It has turned into a $7 million black eye for DelDOT, and a potential nightmare for residents of the small town of Lincoln in Sussex County who could lose their homes to a new road.

George H. Bunting, D-Bethany Beach, called for the study of a new limited-access highway in a "substantially new transportation corridor" from the end of Del. 1 at Dover Air Force Base south to the state line.

The resulting study -- now into its fourth year -- has opted for using the Del. 1-U.S. 113 corridor, adding bypasses of Milford, Georgetown and Millsboro.

But after spending $7.5 million, DelDOT still faces heavy opposition to the bypass options in all three locations and has yet to settle on a route. And state officials admit there is no way the state can now afford a road that could cost more than the $900 million invested to complete Del. 1 from Christiana to Dover.

Bunting is not alone in marveling at how things got so far off track.

"What I was looking at was an interlocking highway that would tie into [Del. 1] at Dover and run south to the Maryland line, about 50 miles," Bunting said. "It was not to build these bypasses in the individual towns. ... We've spent millions of dollars on where to go with these bypasses, and it's as controversial as all dickens."

The evolving plans for a Milford bypass exemplify the morass DelDOT had waded into at Bunting's invitation.

The agency's two favored -- the purple and green alternatives -- would link Del. 1 and U.S. 113 along routes passing right through -- and over -- the unincorporated community of Lincoln.

David L. Wilson Sr., whose property would be taken, says neither choice can be tolerated.

"I'm not concerned about my home," said Wilson, 57, owner of Wilson's Auction Sales and a lifelong Lincoln resident. "I'm concerned about a community being divided for a highway that's not going to be adequate."

Michael Williams, a DelDOT spokesman, defends the process.

The initial feasibility study drew strong support from many Sussex County officials, some of whom worked on it with the Baltimore-based engineering firm of Whitman, Requardt and Associates.

"The feasibility study showed a number of possibilities for a north-south road," Williams said, "and it indicated that building the new alternative routes off U.S. 113 was the best choice."

But after dozens of meetings of working groups over the last four years, DelDOT still is entertaining discussions on dozens of prospective alternative routes. More discussion on the Milford end of the project is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday nights at Lincoln and Milford.

Rep. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, is caustic in his criticism of DelDOT, which he says has spent $496 million on outside consultants in the last 10 years.

"That's an incredible, incredible amount of money to look at projects that we cannot fund," Booth said. "We can't fund them in six years, 10 years or 20 years, so why not make proper use of the taxpayers dollars for projects we can fund?"

Booth said the number of Georgetown routes had been whittled to nine at one point -- only to be increased by two new ones in recent weeks. He says DelDOT so far has spent $7.5 million of its $10 million budget for the project sorting through the alternatives.

"Something is just not right here," said Booth, who sits on the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee. "We're just wasting our time. DelDOT has an idea where this thing should go. Why don't they just tell us the next time and save $10 million?"

So far, only money for the alternative route study has been appropriated. DelDOT still would need to come up with money to acquire right of way and build the road. Currently, the agency faces a shortfall of hundreds of millions of dollars for needed road projects, and nothing is budgeted for building the bypass through 2012.

Nowhere has the route selection process been more fractious than in Milford, where determined residents are opposing the two routes preferred by DelDOT and pushing for a route that the agency rejects out of hand.

In addition to dividing Lincoln, Wilson said either of the DelDOT routes would come close enough to four bodies of water -- Hudson, Clendaniel, Cubbage and Cedar Creek Mill ponds -- to be a detriment.

Skip Picus of Milford is a member of DelDOT's working group, but he's at odds with the agency, too. He and a close friend, Joseph Warnell, are pushing a route known as the brown alternative, which would connect U.S. 113 and Del. 1 along a largely straight line between Milford and Lincoln.

Williams said that alternative had been rejected because it would either have to go through wetlands, which the feds won't allow, or a subdivision already under construction, which DelDOT can't afford.

But Picus, 65, owner of a downtown Milford shoe store called Lou's Bootery, maintains that the route would be viable if it was moved just a few hundred feet to the south.

"Move 100 feet south and you've got highland," he said. "You're not going through the marshes. Why didn't they take a look at that?"

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070225&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=702250341&Ref=AR&Profile=1006
David Wilson of Lincoln said the bypass proposal would divide his community, with one road passing behind Christian Tabernacle Academy.

http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070225&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=702250341&Ref=V1&Profile=1006

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070225/NEWS/702250341/1006/NEWS

Here are a couple articles on growth in Delaware.:)

Newborns, immigrants swell Del. population
NCCo has more foreigners than Kent, Sussex counties


Eleven years ago, Mexican natives Elvia and Jose Carbajal moved with their three children into a town house in Canby Park.

"When I moved into my house, only three or four Mexican families were living in the neighborhood," Elvia Carbajal said. "Now, most of my neighbors are Mexican or Puerto Rican or Salvadoran, some from Honduras. They come here to work."

The Carbajals are among thousands of immigrants who have settled and are continuing to settle in New Castle County. Population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show the county has absorbed most of Delaware's immigrants since 2000. The county gained more than 10,500 foreign immigrants between 2000 and 2006, even while it lost about 1,800 people who moved to other parts of the country, the figures show.

Meanwhile, Kent and Sussex counties saw their populations swell with 35,000 people who came from elsewhere in the United States and just 2,800 from foreign countries, according to the estimates.

The migration patterns -- plus what demographers call a "natural increase" of about 25,700, as births outnumbered deaths -- lifted the state's population to 853,476, an almost 9 percent increase since 2000.

Ed Ratledge, director of University of Delaware's Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research, said the annual county population estimates show long-term trends continuing.

New Castle County has taken several economic hits in the past few years, Ratledge said, such as the sale of MBNA to Bank of America and cutbacks at DuPont Co. Population loss in the northern part of the county has been partially offset by growth below the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, he said.

"New Castle County is growing slowly, but don't tell that to the people south of the canal," Ratledge said.

The growth in Kent and Sussex counties isn't mainly from foreign immigration.

Bob and Annie Hall don't need Census numbers to know that. They moved from Cape Cod to Lewes a little more than a year ago and started the Sussex County Newcomers Club, which organizes social outings so people can get to know one another and the area.

"There's lots of newcomers, that's for sure," Bob Hall said. "Every few days, we have somebody contact us. They want to find out a little about what's available, what's going on."

For one man, risk was worth it

The latest figures do not identify foreign immigrants by ethnicity or nation of origin. But the 2000 Census and the experience of immigration workers show that most of those coming to New Castle County are from Mexico, while those moving to Sussex County are from Guatemala.

Guillermo Llerena came to the United States from Peru about 10 years ago.

Llerena considers himself blessed because, unlike many other immigrants before him, he didn't have to spend 12 back-breaking hours a day working in mushroom houses or poultry plants. He entered the country illegally and didn't speak English, but he landed a desk job with an insurance company.

There, he learned computer skills, picked up some English and saved his money.

"I was afraid because at first I didn't know what I was doing, but I took a risk, because he who doesn't risk doesn't prosper," said Llerena, of Wilmington. "It's normally so hard for immigrants who come to this country, but for me, this was a great experience."

His risks paid off.

Llerena, now a legal resident, owns Manos Latinas Peruvian restaurant on Kirkwood Highway in Roselle, near Elsmere. It opened two years ago.

Americans, he said, seem to like the food -- something he takes pride in, considering he worked in a "five-star" gourmet restaurant in Peru.

Seeking a better life for family

The Carbajals' life in Mexico was difficult.

Jose Carbajal worked, legally, at southeastern Pennsylvania's mushroom farms for 11 years while Elvia stayed in Mexico with their children. He sent money to them every month and came back once a year around Christmas to visit.

"In Mexico, it's very difficult to find a job," Elvia Carbajal said. "We needed to find something better for our family. You work for your kids."

That desire has made central New Castle County a magnet for immigrant families, said the Rev. Thomas Stout, pastor of Elsmere Presbyterian Church.

"This is a place where you can buy a house and raise a family, which is what Elsmere has always been," Stout said. "Folks are coming from all over the place."

St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic parish in Centreville has seen a huge increase in Hispanic worshippers and a few years ago added a Spanish-language Mass that draws about 250 people.

"Most of them are pretty young, lots of children swarming all over the place," said the Rev. John Hynes of St. Catherine.

"If they're here very long, they're ready to buy houses."

That's good news for the neighborhoods around the church, he said. Most young Anglo families want big, new houses on large lots, but the small, 40-year-old ranch-style houses in the Elsmere area are perfect starter homes for immigrant families, he said.

The growth in immigration has created a vocal backlash, with Elsmere Town Councilman John Jaremchuk at its center. Jaremchuk has proposed ordinances aimed at emptying the town of "illegals," as he calls them. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for a state legislative seat, using illegal immigration as his main platform.

Elvia Carbajal said anger at illegal immigrants affects her and many others who are here legally.

"People say, 'Are you Mexican? How did you come here?' " she said. "I don't think that's fair. I don't know why some people don't think about the background of their own families. They came from Germany and Italy."

Llerena said immigrants will continue to come to the United States as long as there are opportunities here.

"We come for a better life," he said. "We're working hard."

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Guillermo Llerena owns Manos Latina Restaurant near Elsmere. He emigrated from Peru about 10 years ago.

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http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070322/NEWS/703220349/1006/NEWS

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Del. economy expected to grow this year
State in Fed's positive territory, but pace slower


Delaware's economy should experience moderate growth for nine months but the pace of that growth may be slowing, according to the forecast released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Fed's leading economic index for Delaware was 1.7 in January, down from 2.2 in December and 2.8 in November. The Philadelphia Fed calculates the index using a range of data, including initial unemployment claims, the unemployment rate, housing permits, vendor delivery times, payroll employment, and hours worked in manufacturing. Numbers above zero indicate the economy should experience growth during the next nine months. Numbers from 1.5 to 3 indicate moderate growth, and a number above 3 indicates strong growth.

"It still is positive," said Rebecca Seweryn, an economist with Moody's Economy.com. "We're still expecting growth in Delaware in 2007. It's just that we expect growth to be slower than before."

Initial unemployment claims in Delaware fell for the fifth month in a row, and housing permits rose for the third month in a row, the Fed index reflected.

But vendor delivery times were negative in January, indicating an economic soft spot. The Fed assumes that when orders pick up, delivery times for those goods should also increase; a drop in overall delivery times shows a decrease in orders.

"The unemployment rate has been the good news" for Delaware, said the Fed's senior economic analyst, Jason Novak. "It's considerably lower than the national rate."

Delaware's unemployment rate was 3.4 percent in January, down from 3.8 percent in January 2006, Novak said.

"That's pretty significant," he said.

The national unemployment rate dropped slightly from 4.7 percent in January 2006 to 4.6 percent a year later, after fluctuating for a year.

"The United States hasn't really moved much. Delaware has just continued to drop," Novak said.

Economists recently scaled back their outlook for Delaware's economy after the state released disappointing numbers on employment growth. State labor analysts said in February that Delaware added 5,100 jobs last year, falling 1,600 short of the 6,700 jobs expected in 2006. That was down from 7,400 jobs added in 2005 and 9,200 in 2004.

The discrepancy between the job growth and unemployment numbers could be a reflection of more Delaware residents working out of state, Novak said.

Also, Delaware's labor force has grown more slowly than the national average, meaning fewer people looking for jobs, Seweryn said.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070321/BUSINESS/703210346/1003/business

The condo project in Middletown (I'm assuming they're talking about the Promenade at Middletown) is running into some opposition.

Middletown delays vote on condos

MIDDLETOWN -- The Middletown Town Council put off voting on final plans for a 276-unit condominium complex on the town's east side Monday night as residents again expressed worries over density, property values and parking.

No residents asked Mayor Ken Branner Jr. for a meeting after the council approved preliminary plans last month, but a few dozen showed up with concerns before town leaders approved final plans that would put 13 three-story buildings along Del. 299.

After asking developer Ken Kenshaw if he would mind if the council tabled the vote, Branner asked the developer's engineer, Colmcille DeAscanis, to look into expanding parking in the subdivision beyond the approximately two parking spaces per unit planned; how much residents could pay in condo fees; whether deed restrictions could limit renters; and what amenities would be included in the clubhouse and playground.

Before the three council members present voted unanimously to table the vote until the May meeting, some residents focused on whether the condos would draw owners or renters.

Residents have expressed concern that renters may be less likely to maintain their properties, thus degrading the quality of the adjacent subdivision. Branner noted that about 15 percent of homes in Willow Grove Mill and Middletown Crossing are rented.

One woman Monday night even suggested that renters were a "a different caliber of people," a remark that provoked a rebuke from Branner and an audible rumble from some in the crowd.

Branner assured residents the project's builder, Anderson Homes, was reputable and has committed to quality condos, though the 27-acre parcel's density could allow for even more dense development.

The mayor again assured residents the development would include no subsidized housing. "It cannot happen," Branner said.

DeAscanis said the project aimed to condense the quality that owners would get in single-family homes spread over scores of acres.

"It's not meant to be a lesser product," he said. "It's just a different product."

Dwayne Geames, a 35-year-old Willow Grove resident, came to the meeting with questions about density.

He said he hadn't heard of the project, which would change his backyard view, when he bought his house recently.

Geames said he's concerned about the development's effects on school crowding and traffic, but that he generally supports the condos as proposed because it would allow people who can afford the estimated $200,000-plus price tags a slice of the American dream.

"I don't have a problem with people coming in," he said.

The council also tabled a proposed policy for dealing with requests made under the state Freedom of Information Act. The proposed ordinance, criticized by open-government advocates, would formalize a patchwork of copying fees already on the books and add labor costs.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/NEWS/704030381/1006/NEWS

Here are a couple articles on Newark's growth and future growth.

Newark Bert's moving, Caffe Gelato expanding


Bert's Compact Discs on Main Street in Newark will be moving to a new location this spring, allowing for an expansion of Caffe Gelato.

After leasing on a month-to-month basis for two years, owners of the store decided not to renew their lease, said Bert Ottaviano, president of Bert's Music.

He said they are "basically waiting for the weather" to move the store, which first opened at 90 E. Main St. in 1993. "We're trying to sell as much stuff so there's less to move."

While a new location has not been determined, Ottaviano said he is certain the store will be reopening.

"We're still working on it," he said.

Ottaviano has another store on Concord Pike in Brandywine Hundred.

Richard Handloff, a co-owner of the Newark building, said he didn't know of any timetables for the move or the expansion.

"We have not given any notice," he said.

On Caffe Gelato's Web site, there are downloadable blueprints showing the renovations and expansion. Handloff said it was not surprising that the plans have been publicly released.

"We've been discussing it for a long, long time," he said.

Ryan German, owner of Caffe Gelato, said the renovations will probably begin by late spring or early summer, and won't be finished until fall.

The expansion will open up the dining room of the 7-year-old restaurant, allowing for 16 new seats, for a total of about 80 seats.

"We're just going to spread the tables out and make it more comfortable," German said.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070403/BUSINESS/704030321/1003


[B]Mapping out Newark's future a team effort
Network formed to attract, retain jobs


Fueled by expected job losses locally and the prospect of thousands of new jobs being created in nearby Aberdeen, Md., the Newark area's economy is ripe for a transition. Making sure the changes are positive is going to take focus, teamwork and a diverse group willing to work together.

That's the philosophy behind The Greater Newark Network, a new partnership between the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and local government, business and education leaders. Designed to supplement existing efforts, the group is trying to identify roadblocks and leverage assets to economic growth in the area.

" 'Network' is the key word," said Mark Kleinschmidt, president of the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. "We didn't want to create a whole new committee. All the groups exist in their own niche and the network brings them all together. Delaware is a small place, and getting the right people to get to know each other is a recipe for success."

Representatives from the city, county, the University of Delaware, Delaware Technical & Community College and area businesses have been talking for about a year about coming together to work on development.

"Job growth and retention in a 21st-century economy are a top priority," said Newark City Councilman Paul Pomeroy, who initiated the discussions that led to creating the network. "I wanted to get a group of folks together to start talking informally about what more could be done in the area."

At the same time, the Chamber of Commerce was trying to figure out how to become more active in helping the county's 12 municipalities promote economic development and market themselves.

"Wilmington is the only city with an economic development department," Kleinschmidt said. "And the work they're doing is just that, promoting their attributes. We looked at the chamber and said, 'We have this Economic Development Council, what's the best way of maximizing our resources?' "

Starting in 2009, thousands of high-paying, high-tech jobs will come within 25 miles of Newark thanks to the Base Realignment and Closure plan. While jobs are being added in Aberdeen, Avon will close a local distribution center and Chrysler plans to vacate its plant on South College Avenue in Newark.

"We have to start planning for the future," Pomeroy said. "The worst time to try to get new business is when your back is up against the wall."

Kleinschmidt and Pomeroy said the changes can be turned into opportunity if the right people make the right connections to foster business growth, retention and development. The network plans to start talking about ways it can make an impact through monthly meetings with the New Castle County Economic Development Council. Work groups will be established to look at issues including zoning and marketing.

"As this network becomes more active, other people who have an interest in furthering Newark into the 21st century can step up and say, 'I can play this role,' " Pomeroy said. "This is not intended to be something overly rigid; it's designed to be fluid."

In addition to supporting state and local development efforts, the group also hopes to promote the Newark area as a corridor for high-tech businesses in the vein of companies such as W.L. Gore and Dade-Behring.

"It's very natural ... to think about the infrastructure we have around here and to develop it appropriately to encourage knowledge-based industry, not so much focused on sprawl issues but more on higher wages and [businesses with] smaller space needs, that's the idea of this," said Michael Bowman, president of the Delaware Technology Park and a member of the network.

"This helps us partner with the various organizations in the area that can provide the kind of information a business might need when they are considering relocating in the area," said Ray Lopata, Newark's planning director. "A big part of this is attitudinal; how are we letting the wider business world know about our community, how are we trumpeting our successes and making sure people in the region, and nationally and internationally, recognize that this is a good place to bring their business?"

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070404/NEWS/704040371/1006/NEWS

Comcast is adding 800 jobs in Delaware, using an old MBNA building.

These jobs will be in customer service, however. Anyone that has Comcast knows how great their customer service is. :|

Comcast to create 800 jobs in Christiana
Support center needed for expanded services, products


Comcast Cable, a division of Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp., plans to open a customer support center that will bring 800 new full-time jobs to the Christiana area during the next 12 months.

The move represents the latest action in the battle between giants Comcast and Verizon, which are competing in Delaware and nationwide to provide television, telephone and high-speed Internet service. Comcast is expanding beyond its traditional business as a cable TV company to offer telephone service, and Verizon is expanding from phone service into television.

The support center, at 300 N. Wakefield Drive off Chapman Road, will handle customer service, sales and support for all Comcast products and services.

The jobs will range from entry-level positions to management jobs.

"The center is totally related to the growth of all of our product lines," said Michael Doyle, president of Comcast Cable's eastern division. "We have two new businesses we introduced to the customer in the last five years -- that's Internet and telephone."

The center, which will operate around the clock, will be part of the company's eastern division, Comcast's largest, with more than 16,000 employees. The division has 5.4 million video subscribers, more than 2.6 million high-speed Internet subscribers and almost 500,000 telephone customers.

Comcast, the nation's largest provider of cable, entertainment and communications products, has been facing increasing competition for television subscribers from Verizon and AT&T.

Meanwhile, Comcast has been making serious inroads into telephone services. Comcast's fourth-quarter earnings tripled based on new customers for its Internet and telephone services.

Competitors expand services

Verizon, Delaware's largest phone service provider, is spending $23 billion to deliver television service through its fiber-optic network. Verizon began offering television service to areas of Delaware in December.

AT&T, the nation's largest phone service, is rolling out its Internet-based television service, called U-verse, in 17 markets. Delaware is not among those markets. The company was unable to give a date when the service would be offered here.

U-verse is part of a $4.6 billion investment by AT&T through 2008 to expand its consumer services.

"AT&T has entered the video market," Susan Baranyi, spokeswoman for AT&T. "Consumers finally do have a choice. Customers for so long have only had one option."

Doyle said the increased competition has only made Comcast stronger. He said the company has been transformed in the past seven years.

Delaware was chosen for the Comcast expansion largely because of the location of the building, which is close to I-95 and the University of Delaware.

The company did not receive any financial incentives from the state, he said.

Building used by Bank of America

Comcast has taken a 10-year lease on a 115,000-square-foot building with American Financial Realty Trust of Jenkintown, Pa.

The building was last occupied by Bank of America, which used it as a call center. It has been vacant since Dec. 31, according to Anthony J. DeFazio, director of public relations with American Financial Realty.

The center will join Comcast's four existing call centers in the Philadelphia region, including an 800-seat call center on U.S. 13 near New Castle. The eastern division also operates a customer service center in Dover that employs about 80 people.

Doyle said the new center will encompass a large range of positions and salaries, but he would not be more specific.

Within a year, Comcast will employ 2,300 people in Delaware, including service technicians, Doyle said.

"We're not done in the state of Delaware," Doyle said.

http://cmsimg.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070418&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=704180390&Ref=AR&Profile=1006
Comcast's customer support center will be in a 115,000-square-foot building previously occupied by Bank of America.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070418/NEWS/704180390/1006/NEWS

Here are a couple pictures of the Collegian Plaza site on Lockerman Street in Dover. This are moving slowly, but it looks like progress is being made.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3226/dscf7916zge8.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3997/dscf7917zhz3.jpg

The Lockerman Exchange at the intersection of Lockerman & State Streets is now open for business.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/8097/dscf7921znu7.jpg

Christiana Mall will be a mall of the future from this proposal.

Mall adds Web ease, regains anchor
'Epicenter' touted as first in U.S. to debut at Christiana in 2008


When people shop on the Web, it's often because the selection is better, the products are cooler and the transaction is nearly effortless. With just a click, the goods are on their way to your front door.

That's the kind of shopping experience that Christiana Mall hopes to capture next year with its new Epicenter, a collection of 60 or 70 online merchants, catalog retailers and brand-name stores that will take over the vacant Lord & Taylor department store.

Ultimately, its developers say, the 180,000-square-foot center will create a new type of shopping experience, eliminating some of Internet shopping's disadvantages while embracing its assets.

Designed to enhance shopper flow, maximize selection and showcase products, the center will let customers purchase items -- or record them for later consideration -- by using an electronic point-and-click device.

In some cases, the customers can then tote their purchases home. In others, they can request free home delivery, allowing retailers to minimize on-site stock, and giving shoppers a break from lugging bags and boxes.

"You can't have an out-of-stock with this technology," said Antony H. Lee, chief executive officer of Convergent Retail, the Connecticut company that chose the Christiana Mall as the place to unveil its concept.

The Epicenter's tenants have not been signed, but Lee promised a selection of goods that has never before been seen in a "brick-and-mortar" retail setting. The center is scheduled to open in the middle of next year, filling one of the mall's two vacant anchor stores and putting it further on course toward changing its approach to mall retailing.

Across the country, malls have been seeking to reinvent themselves amid competition from the Internet and "big box" discounters, adding entertainment options, restaurants and even museums. The Epicenter aims to boost Christiana's appeal by broadening access to Internet goods while erasing the physical disconnect that can discourage Web purchases.

Christiana shopper Shiela Russo, of Felton, has had plenty of difficulties with Internet purchases, mostly because they arrived with problems that could have been resolved if she could have inspected the goods before buying.

"I'm a huge shopper, online and magazines," said Russo, 30. "I think it's a great idea."

Other shoppers wondered whether the selection would be unique enough to make it worth abandoning the Internet's greatest advantage -- at-home shopping. The Epicenter's goods will also be available online, but some shoppers know that with some items, there's nothing like seeing it before buying.

"It depends on what kind of stores they have," said Christiana shopper Jenna Piontkowski, 21, who predicted the Epicenter might be a tough sell for people who shop online specifically to avoid a trip to the mall.

Mall picked for sales numbers

Up to a hundred similar centers are planned during the next several years, Convergent Retail said. Christiana was chosen in part because its sales are typically among the nation's best, Lee said.

"This particular mall is a spectacular mall," he said. "It's spectacular in terms of its sales and its demographics, and it's in a tax-free state."

The center may end up giving greater shopping options to people who don't use the Internet, and boost profits for retailers who lose out when shoppers are hesitant to buy online.

Carol Kaufman-Scarborough, a professor of marketing at Rutgers School of Business in New Jersey, said her students are among that demographic: "They'll look online, but they don't necessarily buy online," she said. "That really addresses a big problem. Plus, it's awfully efficient. You don't have to worry about stocking all that merchandise."

'People will be curious'

"It's certainly a unique way to use space that's vacant to bring in these retailers that shoppers ... may not be familiar with," said Patrice Duker, spokeswoman for the International Council of Shopping Centers. "Certainly it's the first of its kind. They're certainly going to generate some traffic, because people will be curious about it."

Much of the success will rely on tenant selection, said Britt Beemer, retail analyst and chairman of America's Research Group, a South Carolina consumer research company.

"The consumer's not going to give you a second or third chance," he said. "Now, it's one strike, you're out."

Merchants also must be sure to rotate the products on display, and sustain the image that the Epicenter carries the latest and greatest, he suggested.

Lee said Convergent Retail has been in discussions with more than 50 "e-tailers," catalogs and brands.

Adding vehicle traffic

The mall has been operating without two of its four anchor stores since last year, but projects around the mall could make the traffic-choked area even more of a challenge in the coming years.

Next to the mall, a developer has been given the go-ahead to build a million square feet of retail space, a center that would rival Christiana Mall in size. The state Department of Transportation has said it will upgrade the I-95 interchange near the mall.

The mall also is planning a renovation and expansion that will include 200,000 square feet of retail stores and restaurants. The now-vacant Strawbridge & Clothier store is scheduled to become a Nordstrom department store in 2011.

http://cmsimg.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070518&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=705180360&Ref=AR&Profile=1006
This artist's rendering depicts the Epicenter, which will house dozens of online retailers in the former Lord & Taylor space at Christiana Mall.

http://cmsimg.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BL&Date=20070518&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=705180360&Ref=V2&Profile=1006
This rendering depicts the possible interior of the Epicenter, planned for Christiana Mall. No tenants have been signed, but the collection of online merchants is expected to open next year.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/NEWS/705180360/1006/NEWS

people on delawareonline have been bad mouthing this idea.

people on delawareonline have been bad mouthing this idea.

Yeah, I don't quite get it myself. I don't see how this will be any different than a place like Borders, Best Buy, etc, where you can buy the products in the store or online. As one woman said, some people buy stuff online specifically to avoid driving somewhere. Of course, one good thing about this is that rather than carrying everything that you buy home, you can have it shipped for free. But why does a new future-mall need to do this? Why can't companies do this already?

yeah i'm still kind of confused why nostroms or however you spell that store isn't moving in until like 2010. thats the most ridicious thing i've ever heard waiting so long for a anchor store to fill a space. aren't they suppose to be adding on to the mall again?

A new expressway will be coming to Delaware. Middletown will get a bypass, and Route 301 will have much easier access to the Maryland line.

DelDOT unveils final U.S. 301 bypass plan; residents still upset


The Delaware Transportation Department on Thursday announced a final route for the $590 million new U.S. 301 bypass and connecting spur, despite opposition from Middletown-area residents.

The bypass, as previously announced, will be a four-lane, limited-access tolled highway running from the Maryland state line to north of Armstrong Corner Road, west of Middletown, then continuing northeast to Del. 1 north of the Biddles Corner toll plaza and south of the C&D Canal.

A two-lane spur route will connect Armstrong Corner Road to the southern base of the Summit Bridge.

Funding, however, is still up in the air.

"This route will fundamentally improve transportation in southern New Castle County," said Transportation Secretary Carolann Wicks. "It addresses current congestion, safety concerns, and future transportation needs as well."

Despite holding 65 meetings with civic associations and community groups, the department's choice still has residents upset.

"None of us want this spur to go through," said Andye Daley, who lives in the Chesapeake Meadow subdivision and heads the Middletown Corridor Coalition, which opposes the department's plans. "We feel this is a road of convenience rather than necessity."

The group has suggested that DelDOT instead upgrade Del. 896 to address traffic growth, and use the savings to improve existing roads in Middletown and build a pedestrian and bike path where the spur would have gone.

"We're not saying don't fix the problem, but there's absolutely no need for a new road to be built," Daley said.

Wicks said that with a project of this magnitude, there's no way to make everyone happy. The state contends this is the best option to reduce projected congestion in the rapidly growing Middletown area. It also is expected to improve safety: Between January 1999 and May 2006, 776 crashes occurred in the project area south of the canal, according to DelDOT.

Residents question the department's desire to move forward with a plan now, considering DelDOT's dire financial situation.

With the transportation department facing a $1.5 billion construction shortfall, there's no money in the next six years -- even if the Legislature approves gas tax and vehicle fee increases to generate $1.2 billion in new revenues -- to build the bypass.

Wicks said by the end of the year, she will present Gov. Ruth Ann Minner with a report on toll options, including the possibility of leasing or privatizing the road. The state could borrow against future tolls to fund the project. Completion is at least 10 years out.

However, Wicks said, several million dollars have been set aside in the department's draft six-year spending plan to purchase property for the U.S. 301 plan and other projects.

The new bypass route will require about eight homes and five businesses to be torn down, with 132 properties directly affected, said project manager Mark Tudor.

Earthen barriers also will be built between the road and subdivisions, such as Airmont and Chesapeake Meadow, to address noise concerns, he said.

A final environmental impact statement should be issued this summer, allowing the state to move forward with permits and federal approval this fall.

Yea Christiania Mall has gone down hill, and lockerman sucks. Collegian Plaza still has no signs of building, and Zimmerman is starting on his pub on silver lake.

Yea Christiania Mall has gone down hill, and lockerman sucks. Collegian Plaza still has no signs of building, and Zimmerman is starting on his pub on silver lake.

Lockerman Exchange sucks? I'm a little surprised, since it got hyped up so much. It is Dover, though. Nightlife isn't going to be that great because the population is smaller and there aren't too many young people. Also, the beach is less than an hour away, and boozing down there is much more entertaining.

Off topic, but I hear that they're going to build an Iron Hill Brewery in Kennett Square. Have you heard anything about this? That would be pretty nice for Kennett. Of course, that will be the only thing to do in Kennett Square once built.

Lockerman Exchange sucks? I'm a little surprised, since it got hyped up so much. It is Dover, though. Nightlife isn't going to be that great because the population is smaller and there aren't too many young people. Also, the beach is less than an hour away, and boozing down there is much more entertaining.

Off topic, but I hear that they're going to build an Iron Hill Brewery in Kennett Square. Have you heard anything about this? That would be pretty nice for Kennett. Of course, that will be the only thing to do in Kennett Square once built.
Really, haven't anything about it. I guess I have to read the local paper more. I know the genesis health care building will be the tallest building in Kennett. And as for Lockerman, on weeknights no one is there. But on weekends the place is so crowded its very hard to move around, and it just is kinda week. Ill be at the beaches sometime this week, and since I'm 21 I can finally enjoy the nightlife of Delaware beaches.

I came across this in the May issue of the Business Ledger of Delaware. They seem to get their information much sooner than the News Journal. I'll have to start reading that more.

I'm confused as to where this project is, because there's only a small sliver of land between Elkton Road and the train tracks near Main Street and Delaware Avenue. Will this be on that sliver of land? Will it be on the other side of the tracks, off of Forest Lane and next to the Rodney dorms?

The article also discusses some other small projects in Newark, including Amstel Square, at the intersection of Elkton Road and Amstel Avenue, and some apartment buildings near Clayton Hall.

Regarding other Newark projects, the Washington House midrise seems to be doing nothing. The foundation is all that they have had there for months now. Something called "Pike Park" is going up along South Chapel Street. A couple houses were moved in from the roads, a new little road was built, and I think some townhouses are going to be built along Chapel. They seem to be utilizing the land in between the houses, which just sat there unused beforehand. I don't if this is all part of the PiKA frat house, though, which is right on that corner. And, I don't know if there is going to be a park or not.

Newark Council approves Lang project


The Newark City Council approved a new retail and residential use at the Grainery Station on Elkton Road. Council members said they hope the project leads to what one councilman referred to as the “renaissance of that general area.”

The “Millyard” project by Lang Development Group calls for the demolition of the existing L-shaped Grainery Station at 100 Elkton Road, just west of the Delaware Avenue intersection.

In its place will be built a new brick and stone building with about 8,700 square feet dedicated to commercial uses and nine, two-story apartments making up the upper floors.

Developer Jeff Lang said the existing structure - a home over the years to an offloading area for grain and a variety of restaurants and shops - could not be preserved. “The present building has a great deal of maintenance issues, structural repair issues,” he said.

The design of the new building resembles that of two other Lang Development Group projects in Newark: Pomeroy Station on E. Main Street and Madeline Crossing on Elkton Road.

Madeline Crossing, which houses the offices of The Newark Post and Delaware Business Ledger, is a mixed-use commercial building that also has student housing.

A 55-space parking lot will be split into two parts with parking on both sides of the building, much like the current layout. Two parking places will be dedicated to each apartment, said Lang.

Lang said he envisioned this project fostering the extension of Newark’s vibrant downtown area into Elkton Road, which could, in turn, become more pedestrian-friendly. “I think what this project could begin to do is reshape our thinking towards Elkton Road,” he said.

Several of the city councilmen agreed with Lang and his vision for the area. “This will have the effect of essentially wrapping Main Street around the corner and starting it down the road. I think that is a positive,” said Councilman Doug Tuttle.

Councilman Jerry Clifton said, though he supported the project, he found the proposed building design to be “a little plain.” “I can’t say it’s a design that really brings me in or draws me in,” he said.

Councilman Paul Pomeroy encouraged the developers to take into account that the Millyard will be one of the first buildings people see when they turn onto Elkton Road from Main Street. He said he supported the project and saw it as the start of “the renaissance of that general area.”

The end of Elkton Road nearest Main Street has seen some changes, recently, with council’s approval of a project to redevelop the corner of Amstel Avenue and Elkton Road, longtime home of The Trap restaurant. When completed, the Amstel Square project will add retail space and 22 apartments to the area.

DelDOT has completed a study of Elkton Road and made recommendations for improvements, though the project has not yet been funded. The proposal calls for a two-lane roadway with a center turn lane and more pedestrian-friendly amenities in the section of Elkton Road from Apple Road to Delaware Avenue.

Council also voted to approve a development project known as CampuSide that calls for 10 townhouse-style apartments to be built on land south of the George Wilson Center. The nearly one-acre lot is across the street from the University of Delaware’s Courtyard by Marriott Hotel and Laird Campus.

Three single homes at 279, 281 and 285 New London Road will be demolished for the project to proceed. In place of the homes, developers will erect two buildings - one with six apartments and one with four apartments.

http://www.ncbl.com/articles/2007/06/14/development/devt.21.txt

Here are a couple articles on two separate proposed expressways.

DelDOT, lawmakers dispute bypass
Milford legislator wants to block U.S. 113 project


DOVER -- Legislative budget writers and the state's Transportation Department are on a collision course over plans to build a bypass for U.S. 113 around Milford that would bisect Lincoln.

There was no argument about plans involving the currently stalled Indian River Project, however, as lawmakers voted to add language to the capital budget epilogue incorporating Senate Bill 148, which refines the rules for the state's design-build construction program. The epilogue is wording that gives departments specific instructions on how money is to be spent.

Overall, Transportation Secretary Carolann Wicks said there won't be big changes in the highway building plan for the budget year that starts July 1, although there may be alterations as the six-year building plan moves along because of reductions in planned tax increases, tolls and fees sought to support it.

If the Bond Bill and a package of fee increases recommended last week are OK'd, the Delaware Department of Transportation will have a combined $425.38 million in state and federal money to work on its building and maintenance program.

About $7 million of that is planned for continued development of the U.S. 113 project.

But that turned into a potential deal-breaker as members of the Bond Bill Committee and transportation officials argued behind closed doors for almost 90 minutes on Monday over language that Rep. V. George Carey, R-Milford, wants inserted into the capital budget that would prohibit construction of a controversial bypass east of Milford.

A DelDOT advisory committee had voted against that bypass, which some members feared would split the Lincoln community and potentially lower property values, but the agency overruled the panel.

Wicks and her staff have also countered that Carey's language is both constitutionally suspect and might jeopardize federal funding for the overall project to build bypasses around Georgetown, Millsboro and Milford.

Rep. Vincent Lofink, R-Bear, co-chairman of the Bond Bill Committee, said the panel has given the department a Thursday deadline to develop language of its own or face the possibility of Carey's wording being added to the capital budget's epilogue.

"Maybe cooler heads can prevail," Lofink said. "But one way or the other, the Bond Bill Committee will work this out by Thursday."

Work on the bill needs to be finished by then to give legislative and administration staffs a chance to proofread the bill, double-check its numbers and get it printed so it will be ready for debate and a vote when lawmakers meet to end the current session on Saturday night.

Carey is adamant that a solution spare Lincoln the bypass that would split the community.

"If they want it down in Georgetown, that's fine, they can have it," Carey said. "DelDOT is doing this against the 15-11 vote of their own advisory committee not to do it. I've got petitions signed by over 1,500 people that say they don't need this in Milford and Lincoln."

Will Fox, a Lincoln resident who opposes the bypass option, said he supported the actions of Carey and other legislators who are fighting the plan.

"They are our elected representatives," said Fox. "The problem with DelDOT is there is an appointed leader who is acting unilaterally and is unrepresentative of the local people."

Wicks said she's worried that eliminating the Milford bypass could threaten the project's federal money and that it could lead to future traffic headaches.

Wicks said the idea is similar to the Del. 1 bypass around Dover -- which has spared the city massive weekend traffic jams, especially on beach weekends -- while allowing the city to keep growing and developing. If potential problems are not dealt with early, she said, the area could someday resemble the congested U.S. 301 corridor in lower New Castle County.

"We need to look at the situation and be responsible not only today, in 2007, but 20 years down the road," she said. "U.S. 301 is a great example of what can happen when we fail to plan ahead properly."

Indian River Bridge

Earlier this year, DelDOT announced it would rebid the Indian River Bridge project after threats of lawsuits caused it to back off an initial award of the $130 million construction project to a Florida-based construction company and Canadian engineering firm.

A group backed by organized labor questioned the award because the construction-engineering team that offered the lowest price on the project lost on scores for handling technical aspects of the project.

The revised wording approved Monday clarifies sections of state and federal laws for the project. It also weights how scores for price and technical aspects are factored into an award.

When the last proposals were scrapped, DelDOT officials said the delay could push completion of the span back to 2011 -- a year later than planned. Wicks said revised packages should be submitted by August or September at the latest.

"This [revision] has met with the approval of the Federal Highway Administration. We wouldn't have gone forward without that," Wicks said. "We think it clears up any ambiguities that may have existed and will allow us to proceed with a process that the Federal Highway Administration not only approves of, but encourages."

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070626/NEWS/706260380/1006/NEWS

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Residents speak out against 301 spur
DelDOT, Middletown community group tangle over part of $600 million project


MIDDLETOWN -- Transportation officials got an earful Monday from residents who would be affected by the so-called "spur" of the proposed new U.S. 301 route bypassing Middletown.

Members of the Middletown Corridor Coalition want the Delaware Department of Transportation to scrap plans for the spur, which would break away from the new U.S. 301 north of Middletown as the bypass continues northeast to Del. 1.

Instead, they want the spur considered separate from the nearly $600 million project. They would also like DelDOT to consider widening U.S. 301 from Armstrong Corner Road to Mount Pleasant -- an alternative the group says could save taxpayers about $50 million. DelDOT estimates the savings to be $38 million.

But forgoing the spur would require widening U.S. 301 from Peterson Road to Mount Pleasant to meet expected traffic in coming years. That would save an estimated $20 million, but still fall short of the agency's goals to improve safety and reduce congestion, according to DelDOT.

Mark Tudor, DelDOT's project manager for 301, also said the state may not save that much.

"From a cost perspective, upgrading 301 is not necessarily the cheaper alternative, because you don't have people paying a toll to help fund an improvement," Tudor said. A spur would have to compete with other projects for funding, Tudor said.

John McTaggart, who lives along Armstrong Corner Road, sees the safety of the existing U.S. 301 as the most important issue. He totaled a truck on that road, he said, adding: "I've had friends who have died on that road."

Sen. Steve Amick and Rep. Richard C. Cathcart both said they'd push DelDOT to answer the residents' concerns. How the road would be funded hasn't been determined. DelDOT officials are to submit a final proposal to the federal government later this year.

"The rest of the 301 project -- fantastic," said Patrick Daley, who along with his wife, Andye, conducted a presentation and questioned DelDOT officials who attended. "But we feel that we've not seen an opportunity to comment directly on the spur publicly until tonight."

The two-hour meeting at the New Castle County police station on N