State Representative Robert Valihura and Senator Cathy Cloutier said they will tell the Delaware Economic Development Office to cease and desist from its effort to locate an office building on the Channin school site.

"We'll tell them it's over and that's that," Valihura told officers of the Channin and nearby civic associations at a meeting on Aug. 21 called to muster political and media support for their efforts to secure the site on Naamans Road for a park. As Delaforum previously reported, the development office wants to offer it to the Access Group to prevent that scholarship-financing company from leaving the state. "I'm all for [keeping] 200 jobs, but this project [adversely] affects thousands of people," Cloutier said. "The right thing for us to do is [to] stop it." County Councilman Robert Weiner said he will follow up and seek to have county government purchase the site and put a park there.

The development office was given the lead role in determining the future of the site by an amendment to the state's capital budget act. Valihurs said that was intended to take the decision away from the Brandywine school board, which would have been required to sell it to the highest bidder in, first, the public and then the private sector. He was critical of the school district's previous administrations for "letting it the building) rot" after the school was closed during the transition to a consolidated desegregated district in 1978. He said his preference now would be for the district to tear down the building but to keep the property in the event it is needed for educational purposes in the future.

Youth football, baseball, softball and soccer teams have used the site for several years and leagues providing those sports have said they want to continue doing so. Channin Civic Association favors that, according to vice president Nick Fuhs and Mary Bramble, who organized an anti-office building petition drive. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

¨   ¨   ¨

FOCUS SHIFTING: The Claymont Renaissance wants to "start off with some little successes" to demonstrate viability before concentrating on redeveloping the Brookview Apartments complex as the centerpiece of its proposed core project along Philadelphia Pike. Councilman Robert Weiner told a steering committee meeting on Aug. 21 that he supports a previously reported decision by County Executive Tom Gordon not to help finance planning the Brookview project.. James Smith, assistant general manager of the county Department of Land Use, said that was mostly because there is no plan to relocate present Bookview tenants, most of whom have low incomes and are members of racial and ethnic minorities.

Weiner introduced developer Greg Pettinaro who confirmed he is interested in looking into the possibility of his firm 'revitalizing' Pike properties at Manor Avenue and Maple Road. But he said he would approach those projects "as a demonstration of what we can do" with a view toward  eventually taking on Brookview. Renaissance consultant David Wilk cautioned against losing sight of that goal. "That is the only way to truly achieve a transformation of the community," he said. "If we want the Claymont Renaissance to be a success, Brookview has to be part of it." Weiner noted that some other small projects are in the offing, including Dunkin Donuts and Wawa outlets and renovation of the former 'Fish-o-rama' store.

¨   ¨   ¨

EASY TRANSITION: Delaware Department of Transportation said the changeover to a Delaware-managed E.Z. Pass system in November will be painless. Present customers will simply exchange transponders by mail. They will get prepaid mailers to return the present ones. It has not yet been decided whether people who sign up after the switchover will be charged for their devices. Delaware will not impose a monthly service charge as New Jersey does, according to DelDOT spokesman Robert King. Discounts on E.Z. Pass-paid tolls on Delaware Route 1 and the Delaware Turnpike will still be granted. Delaware is dropping out of a New Jersey-based consortium because of billing and other problems with that system.

¨   ¨   ¨

WHERE ARE WE?: How many of these northern Delaware place names do you recognize? Or, more challenging yet, to how many could you direct someone? If you can handle 12 or more, you're a native or an accepted alien. Fewer than six, you are typically  geographically-challenged outlander. Click on the name to see if you're right.

¨   ¨   ¨

PARTIAL ANSWER: M.B.N.A. Bank reportedly confirmed that it will convert the former Public Building into offices and move its corporate headquarters across 11th Street when the work is finished.. However, details about how the building's outward appearance will be changed are still shrouded in official secrecy. As Delaforum has previously reported, partial demolition has been underway for several weeks but its extent could not be determined. William Montgomery, Mayor James Baker's chief of staff, reportedly expressed pleasure at what has been done so far and confidence that the bank "will do a good job. But city spokesman John Rago has maintained that no redevelopment plan has been filed. (CLICK HERE to jump to previous article)

¨   ¨   ¨

LIBRARY GROUP REACHES ITS TARGET: Private funds raising for the Brandywine Branch library has been completed, but the Friends organization is still accepting major memorial and other gifts and commemorative bricks are still available. James Conrad, head of the financing campaign, said that County Executive Tom Gordon provided the final amount to reach the Friends' $2.5 million goal so that it would qualify for a Longwood Foundation  'challenge grant' of $500,000. Conrad would not say how much county money was given, but did say that the drive "came close [to] but didn't quite make" its goal. Delaforum was not immediately able to obtain the figure from Gordon's office or the Department of Community Services.

Inscribed bricks, which are offered in return for a $100 donation, are being laid in the Colonnade of Freedom on the north side of the library in Talley-Day Park. So far, Conrad said, 1,901 bricks have been installed and another 275 are ready to be put into place. Potential donors have until Aug. 31 to join that group. In all, the colonnade floor will consist of 4,000 bricks. It is filled now with plain bricks that can be replaced by the inscribed ones. The next set, he said, will be put in place in the spring or early summer of 2004. County government put up $3,940,000 in capital funds to finance construction and initial socking of the library. The state also provided capital funds.

¨   ¨   ¨

BRANDYWINE HIGH PRINCIPAL APPOINTED: Rick Gregg will return to the Brandywine School District as principal of Brandywine High School. Formerly principal of Concord High, he has been director of instruction for the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District since 2000. He succeeds Alfred DiEmedio, who is retiring. A native and resident of Newark, Gregg has a bachelors degree from the University of Delaware, a masters from Wilmington College and is pursuing a doctorate at the university. A classroom teacher for eight years, he also has coach volleyball and softball, directed school plays and served as advisor to the National Honor Society and other extracurricular activities.

¨   ¨   ¨

LINES SOLIDIFYING: The commission charged with splitting New Castle County Council districts in two in order to effect expansion from six to 12 at the 2004 general election is confident enough of its

None of the districts are final until the full panel agrees to recommend them and County Council votes on the recommendation in October. Przywara said posting the preliminary drawings will allow the public to comment before the process reaches the decision point.  CLICK HERE to access previous article.

¨   ¨   ¨

THE WAY IT WAS:
The Du Pont Building and 10th and Market Sts. have lost some of their preeminence since this post card appeared in 1915, The building in what is now Rodney Square was the courthouse. The Du Pont Building, which was identified on the card as the Du Pont Hotel, continues to house the Du Pont Co.'s central offices and the hotel.               This is another in a series of 'then and now' views of Wilmington. It draws on the extensive collection of local picture post cards accumulated by Terry Craig. Current views of the same scenes are Delaforum digital photos. See previous views in this series.

What is your opinion about the topic of any of these articles?
Click here to express your views.