Memos at Random


	A potpourri of miscellaneous news SCRIBBLED IN A REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

The county will not help finance a plan for redeveloping the Brookview Apartments complex, the cornerstone of its initial effort to revitalize a section of Philadelphia Pike, the Claymont Renaissance steering committee was told.

County planner Josh Mastrangelo said that the Gordon administration has ruled out using the community grants program to finance activities that would directly benefit a developer. That part of an application for $45,000 has been rejected, he said at a meeting on July 17, but the county will comply with a previous agreement to finance consulting work that has been done up until now. The Renaissance's consultant, Thomas Comitta said that it is necessary "to use as a marketing tool to interest a developer" in converting the complex into a signature residential area. "In a community that has not has substantial development for the past 10 to 20 years, you have to do it," he said.

The entire Renaissance plan "is not going to fly without Brookside," committee member George Lossé said. He also informed the group that its bid for a $100,000 planning grant from First Union (Bank) Regional Foundation has been turned down. Councilman Robert Weiner said he is sympathetic with County Executive Tom Gordon's position that "private enterprise, and only private enterprise, should be involved" in potentially profit-making development and did not regard it as an indication that county government is backing off from its support of the Renaissance. Comitta said he is working with county officials to determine what aspects of his firm's planning activities are eligible for inclusion in a grant.

POLLUTION LIMIT CHANGE SOUGHT: Sunoco has applied for "an amendment" to its Air Quality Act permit regulating emissions from the sulfur-recovery unit being installed at its Marcus Hook refinery, company spokeswoman Carol Sloan told the Claymont Community Coalition. Indicating that the company is seeking a higher emissions level, she said that without a change, "when we do start up, we may be out of compliance with the existing permit." The Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control will hold a public hearing on the application for a change, she said. Installation of the unit, she said, is on schedule and it is expected to be in operation by Sept. 30. (CLICK HERE to read a related Delsforum article.)

The county redistricting commission got off to a running start at its first meeting, electing a chairman and assigning its six members some homework.

At first glance it would seem that the seven-member panel has an easy job. It is required to divide each of the six County Council districts in half, based on population. Other than to say that the two parts should be as nearly equal as possible, the law doesn't set any significant conditions. "You're required to cut the [district] map in half; how you cut it is up to you," policy director Emily Kneral told the commission. Chairman Richard Przywara then sent members forth to work individually with the Department of Elections to come up with three or four possible configurations to open substantive discussion next time they meet. Deputy director Harry Sholl demonstrated some sophisticated software that enables them to do that.

The tricky part, however, is to carve the districts in a way that at least preserves the political status quo on behalf of the incumbent council members who appointed them as representatives. The two Republicans, for instance, want to end up with new districts likely to elect Republicans. With neither major party mustering a majority of voters and the Delaware penchant for ticket-splitting, the commissioners will be expected to draw some fine lines. Sholl said the county on July 1 had 338,679 registered voters, 44.5% of whom are Democrats, 31.9% are Republicans and 23.5% are list as 'other'. Eligible voters account for 68% of the county's official, as of April, 2002, population of 500,265.

Inevitably, some references to 'councilmanic' districts crept into the discussion. To be politically correct, we'll need 'councilwomanic' ones as well.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED -- WELL DONE: After the official ceremony at the airport, North Gralyn Crest held another for one of its own. The community welcomed Ronald Wesley home from four months of Iraq War duty on July 13. Yellow ribbons decorated street-sign posts for several blocks around his home


	The Wesleys are together again -- just in time for son Brant's fourth birthday. Daughter Alyssa, 6, has her own favorite among the many signs that neighbors placed on their front lawn.

and neighbors turned out en force. They deserved to share in the celebration, according to his wife, Christine. There were a few rough spots and "times when we were a little stressed," she said, but support from those in the neighborhood and fellow parishioners at St. Paul's United Methodist Church made it tolerable. "It seems they were always around when we needed them," she said.

Wesley, a major in the Delaware Air National Guard's 166th Airlift Wing, was navigator aboard a C-130 ferrying troops and supplies into Baghdad International Airport -- nee, Saddam Airport -- from bases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He logged about 300 hours in the air. "We started going in right after they took the field. Some of the planes took small-arms fire, but we were lucky and didn't get any," he said. Wesley, 38, grew up in Penn Acres and graduated from William Penn High School and the University of Delaware. Flying remains a passion -- he has 15 years of it in the military -- but he'll also be glad to return to his job as a geologist with U.R.S. Corp., a Du Pont Co. co\tractor, when the 166th's tour of active duty ends in September.

Delaware Economic Development Office is looking at the old Channin School property on Naamans Road as the site to allow a nonprofit corporation to expand and thus keep it from leaving the state.

Sue Thompson, of the Access Group, confirmed that the site is one of several in northern New Castle County and adjacent Pennsylvania being considered. Among them are the Miller Road Shopping Center and Brandywine Town Center. She said the group could either lease space or construct its own building. Although "all the options are open" at this point, it hopes to make a site selection by the end of summer, she added. Access Group provides government-guaranteed loan financing and related services for persons wanting to attend law school or pursue other advanced professional education. Currently based in Foulkstone Plaza, the company employs about 150 people in medium- to high-paying positions.

Channin Civic Association, meanwhile, has formally declared itself into favoring tearing down the school building -- which is considered not salvageable in any circumstances -- and converting the property into parkland, probably under county auspices. Association president Joyce Coughlin said that followed completion of a survey in which 82.8% of residents of the community were found to favor doing so. The Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred agrees with that position as do state legislators representing the area. "We are very concerned about what is put at the site and the possible traffic problems that may arise if the site is turned into office or commercial space," Coughlin said.

About to be declared surplus by the Brandywine Board of Education, the Channin property is currently zoned residential. State agencies have first call on such surplus properties and it is not clear to what extent the development office would be bound by county zoning.

ANOTHER TOBACCO SETTLEMENT IT IS NOT: Delaware stands to get just $24,000 from Astra Zeneca as a result of the drug company's settlement of a Medicare and Medicaid fraud case, according to deputy attorney general Tim Barron. "It's a fair settlement," he said. Astra Zeneca recently pleaded guilty in federal court to criminal violation of the federal prescription-drug marketing law for giving urologists illegal inducements to prescribe Zoladex, a prostate cancer drug. In addition to a $64 million fine, the company, as part of a plea bargain, agreed to pay the federal government $266 million and to distribute about $25 million among the 50 states. Barron said Delaware is getting an appropriate share of the latter pot.

WHAT DID WE GET?: Like kids on Christmas morning, officers and members of various nonprofit

civic, social and other organizations are eagerly searching to see what Santa, in the persons of state legislators, brought. The stocking is the annual 'grants-in-aid' law, traditionally enacted on the final day of the General Assembly session. Biggest slice of the $38.4 million pie, 28%, went to help support paramedic services in the three counties. Fire companies received 14%.

The two large categories where who you know in Dover pays off are senior centers and civic and neighborhood organizations. Modern Maturity and the Harold J. Weston center came off best in the former category. Brandywine Community Resource Council, which runs Claymont Community Center,

and the Edgemoor Community Center were leaders in the latter. The largest single grant went to television station WHYY. (CLICK HERE to access the entire list.)

This is the view of the east side of Market Street
looking south from just north of Sixth Street as it was
toward the end of the first decade of the 20th Century.
The building just beyond the intersection housed
Jas. T. Mullin & Sons, clothiers. It is now an apartment building.
On the near side is the building that once was the
headquarters and showroom of Delmarva Power & Light Co.

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.