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

HISTORIC HIGHWAY DESIGNATION SOUGHT: Philadelphia Pike has been nominated for designation as a state historic highway. If approved by Delaware Department of Transportation, that will confer additional preservation protection to various structures along the roadway between Wilmington and the state line north of Claymont. The application prepared by Dianna Mescher lists 19 historic buildings, the Citi Steel and General Chemical plants and the mile marker on the Robinson House property as worthy of consideration. The road itself, it said, has been in use since 1679.Parts of some of the buildings date back 300 years, the application said.

¨    ¨   ¨

WHERE THEY COME FROM: The University of Delaware and West Chester (Pa.) State University continue to be the main suppliers of teachers to the Brandywine School District. But, according to a report presented recently to the school board, this academic year's 67 new hires hold degrees from 27 other colleges, including one in China. Delaware accounted for 16 and West Chester 10. Twenty-three came with advance degrees and 25 with four or more years of teaching experience, human resources director Doris Stevenson told the board. Fifty-eight teachers resigned or retired but only one gave acceptance of a new job as the reason for leaving, although eight did not cite any reason.

ATTENTION, SHOPPERS: The stores don't make a big point of informing customers about it, but Shop Rite supermarkets will back up their 'guarantee' to station baggers at all checkout lanes during normal hours with a 10% discount coupon to be used on  a future trip. Anyone who  finds a bagger missing can  go to the customer-service counter to claim the coupon. But don't let on you're aware of the deal as your go through the line. Cashiers have been instructed to call another employee, including a supervisor if necessary, to make up the absence.

¨    ¨   ¨

THE NEW AND THE OLD:

Smith Bridge in Brandywine Hundred is beginning to look like a covered bridge again and workmen build a roof atop the structure. The wood they are using is imported from Africa and is said to be the strongest and most durable in the world. The replacement bridge is expected to be finished in December.	The legends above the entrances of the Public Building opposite Rodney Square in Wilmington have disappeared. This one used to read 'CITY HALL'. The other said 'COURT HOUSE'. The building now belongs to M.B.N.A. Bank, which hasn't said what it is going to do with it.

¨    ¨   ¨

HELP WANTED:  County Councilman Robert Weiner said he plans to introduce legislation that would direct Council to take out newspaper help-wanted advertisements any time it is unable to find a candidate to fill a vacancy on a board or commission within 60 days. As Delaforum previously reported, slightly more than half the seats on those bodies presently are vacant. Weiner said that hampers "the proper functioning of county government." Most of the positions are unpaid. Council has the responsibility for some of the appointments while the county administration, which would not be bound by the resolution, has responsibility for others.

¨    ¨   ¨

ROCKWOOD PARK BARN TO BECOME A VISITOR CENTER:  The planned $5.2 million three-story visitor and education center at Rockwood Park will be a combination of providing facilities for practical uses with historic preservation, Gary Rose, county government's chief of special projects, told the Nov. 14 meeting of the Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred. The work will take about 18 months to complete and add about 8,000 square feet to the 9,000-square-foot barn and water tower on the former estate. "We will keep it as historically correct as we possibly can," he said. Classrooms in the center are expected to help attract more school classes to tour the county park's Victorian mansion.

¨    ¨   ¨

A letter from our mutual fund provider said we no doubt appreciate "the benefits of quality professional management" during these times of "market volatility." That sort of makes you wonder if passengers aboard R.M.S. Titanic were enthralled with the professional management that vessel enjoyed during its maiden voyage.

¨    ¨   ¨

LEFT TURNS MADE EASIER: Area residents have been wondering why a vividly-marked left-turn lane suddenly appeared on Grubb Road, after its recent resurfacing, at the entrance to only one suburban community along the way. That community happens to be Clair Manor and Clair Manor happens to be where re-elected state Representative Wayne Smith lives. Pure coincidence, said Delaware Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Williams. The lane "is new only in the sense that the striping provides for a left turn where the old striping allowed for by-pass traffic on an intermittent basis," he told Delaforum.

Providing room for the lane was  a condition for subdivision approval, a county process which occurred long before Smith, or anybody else, moved in. Regarding the absence of turn lanes elsewhere on Grubb Road, Williams said, "Widening to provide [them] would have impacted the project in a number of ways including additional construction costs, right-of-way acquisitions, ...  the need for storm water management, and generally more disturbance to the existing character of the road which the public seemed to want to preserve." One political pundit observed with regard to conservative Republican Smith that it is hoped that easier turns to the left will apply only when he's driving home and not while he's in Dover legislating.

¨    ¨   ¨

DIRE CONSEQUENCES:

		If that's what happens to the violators, think of all the bad things that might befall their cars in this parking lot at 10th and West Sts. in Wilmington.

¨    ¨   ¨

A feasibility study looking to the possibility of establishing a 'Nativity model' school in Wilmington is expected to be completed around the turn of the year. Such a school could open as soon as September, 2003.

 The schools are faith-based middle schools intended to motivate and prepare low-income children in urban areas to qualify for admission to and to succeed in the academic environment of private college-preparatory high schools, according to the Rev. Thomas Curran, president of Salesianum School. The model, which has proven successful in several cities, was devised by the Jesuit religious order, but over the past 30 years has been used by a variety of sectarian and non-sectarian sponsors. The tuition-free schools offer offer same-sex education to no more than 60 students in the fifth through eighth grades. Operated independently, they have an extended school day and Saturday and summer activities.

Brendan Kennealey is conducting the Casson Foundation-financed study to determine if there is a need for such a school here, are resources available to support it, and who is best able to conduct it.  A graduate of Salesianum and Boston College, he taught in such a school and, at age 26, was founding principal of the one in New Bedford, Mass. Curran said that, if it decided to go ahead with the project, it most likely would involve the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, who own and operate Salesianum. It is not intended, however, to compete with any existing or planned school.  (Click here to access additional information about the model and to read about some of the schools.)

Return to Delaforum home page