New Castle DIGEST: Mid-Autumn
City of New Castle News, Information, Interviews & Events
I. October News Round-Up
Gas and Groceries Returning to City of New Castle
The new fuel tanks are in at the gas station on the corner of Frenchtown and Basin Roads in the lot with the Dunkin’. As reported by Mike Alfree, chair of the Trustees’ committee that manages the property, the owners of the incoming Shell station wanted it to open a while a go but were hampered by long equipment delays amid the supply chain crisis. However, barring further slow-downs, it appears fuel may be available within city limits again before 2022 is out.
Meanwhile, in the old Pathmark site in Airport Plaza, a new grocer is moving in: Parivaar Super Market, an Asian grocery store offering fresh fruit and vegetables. Currently located on Christiana Road, on the other side of Rt. 13, the market’s new location will give it more, and more updated, space, while giving New Castilians a closer everyday option for produce and other grocery items. While the site is not quite within city limits, it is a part of New Castle Common and managed by the Trustees.
No definite opening date has been set for either business yet.
Pared-Down Muni Center Proposed as Council Seeks Broader Options
Addressing City Council this month, administrator Bill Barthel offered a detailed survey of the challenges and options that face local governments and institutions as they consider issues of security, workforce retention and citizen/customer service. After noting how several other municipalities around the state have taken advantage of state funds to build new facilities at very little direct cost to their own citizens, and describing the industry-standard security and technological features many have incorporated, he reiterated that New Castle’s current facilities do not meet those standards.
Barthel then put forward an updated proposal for a ‘municipal service center’ that would bring most public-facing city functions together under one new roof. To be sited across Rt. 9 from the police station, the proposed building would offer several advantages, according to the city administrator:
a “one-stop shop” for citizens needing permits, or doing any other administrative business with the city,
workspaces and technology more attractive to a ‘modern workforce,’
greater security for workers, officials and users of the building,
council chambers technologically suited to modern presentations and hybrid-style meetings, and more.
While Council President Platt expressed general support for moving forward to do something, other members of Council had concerns, some of which Russ Smith aptly describes in a short interview, below.
Suzanne Souder took issue with Mr. Platt’s characterization of Council’s use of the Senior center for its meetings as “embarrassing.” She countered that it was an effective use of a space that otherwise sits empty most evenings. However, Mr. Platt continued to imply that the community room was unbecoming of Council.
Mr. Day and Ms. Leary joined Smith and Souder in asking Administrator Barthel for more options to consider before moving forward with anything. Several members of Council - and the public, in their comments - stated that the city had more pressing priorities it should focus on, with sea level rise the most common example offered.
Francis DeAscanis Elected Trustee as Board Hosts New Observers
The Trustees of the New Castle Common are now just one member away from having a full, thirteen-member board once again, after Francis ‘Rocky’ DeAscanis was elected to the body earlier this month. He becomes the second DeAscanis currently serving, joining his brother Chris, who was elected in 2017 to a seat previously held for many years by their father.
Fellow first-time candidate Karen Igou entered the race late but mounted an assertive campaign. She directly questioned whether the Trust was too much of a family affair, among too few families. She also called out the Board’s all-whiteness and mostly-maleness, suggesting diversity was needed and making the case that as a woman she could offer an under-represented perspective.
While some of her statements drew criticism as “identity politics,” Igou also offered new - some thought radical - ideas for the Common and gained real momentum during her short campaign. Win or lose, she was also open about one of her goals simply being to provide competition, so that any candidate standing for the Trustees would need to answer public questions.
Ultimately, DeAscanis’s win was commanding, in a ballot process which Board President Pete Toner injected with unprecedented transparency, permitting press observers throughout. The winner was sworn in by Mr. Toner right after the tally.
At the Trustee meeting prior to the election, in addition to the Weekly’s reporter, there were also a few new observers - namely, Brian Costa of the Consumer Protection Unit at the DE DoJ, along with paralegal Diana Anderson. They were also joined by Barbara Snapp Danberg, a trust planning and administration attorney whom the Board has retained.
Queried by NCT about the nature of its inquiry, a DoJ spokesperson replied that the department “cannot confirm or deny the existence of potentially active investigations.”
Please note that City Topics does not endorse any candidates or campaigns in local elections.
We would also like to extend our sincere condolences to the DeAscanis family on the recent passing of its matriarch, Catherine ‘Connie’ DeAscanis. May she rest in peace.
Final WILMAPCO Transportation Recommendations for New Castle
While this was covered on @CityTopicsDE and in the Weekly, residents should be aware that WILMAPCO has concluded its years-long study into our local transportation infrastructure and presented a detailed report with final recommendations to City Council this month.
You can view the full Final Report here.
While it has been approved by the WILMAPCO Council, the report is considered a ‘draft’ until it is endorsed by New Castle’s City Council. Members of Council expressed interest in giving the public one more opportunity to weigh in before voting on a Resolution to do so.
NCPD Stretched Amid Multiple High-Level Investigations
Following a public comment at City Council which claimed that New Castle City Police simply do not bother with traffic enforcement at intersections like 3rd and Delaware, Chief McCabe was given an opportunity to respond. The chief forcefully rejected the claim, his voice rising a bit as he said he takes any issues citizens have with department staff very seriously. He urged residents to reach out to him directly if they have concerns about NCPD.
In responding, however, McCabe acknowledged that the department is under-staffed and running on all cylinders as it pursues multiple serious investigations. Saying the police do monitor traffic areas reported as problematic by residents, he explained that there simply haven’t been any major issues and that department resources are not best allocated by sitting and watching intersections.
Council President Mike Platt thanked McCabe for his remarks and offered Council’s “full support” for the department.
One major investigation taking up department time is the multi-agency inquiry into the Red Flag Bandits, a group that has been stealing checks and other items from the mail, and which has used violent means to gain access to postal boxes. While McCabe said he didn’t want to warn folks off of using the postal service, he urged extreme caution around sending payments.
II. ‘ICYMI:’ October Media Highlights…
The leaves have turned and begun to fall, bringing Autumn colors and crunchy sidewalks back to New Castle…
October also had a lot of great events going on, with several still to come this weekend (see the Community Calendar below).
The New Castle Senior Center held its annual Harvest Bazaar.
The Hermitage Natural Area hosted a Native Plant Exchange for the Fall.
This year’s River Towns Ride brought over 200 cyclists through New Castle.
There was also Colonial School District’s Homecoming Parade and Festival on October 22 (click image to go to album).
And the New Castle Hundred Lions Club’s annual Halloween Parade, which crept down Delaware Street on October 27 (click image for more).
…
Finally, New Castle artist, entrepreneur and retired physician Dennis Young became a rallying voice in the last month, bringing attention to the impending change in state pensioners’ health insurance. A deal struck between state government and a major insurer would have pushed state retirees into private plans with potential rations on care. Dr. Young became involved with RISE Delaware, a statewide organization he joined for a rally at Legislative Hall in Dover.
Ultimately, the privatization was averted when a Delaware Superior Court judge, weighing a lawsuit from pensioners, paused the plan’s implementation. Now, retirees will keep the current plan for one more year while state agencies and the legislature reconsider the issues. By coming together and raising their voices, citizens successfuly derailed what had been described as a “done deal.”
We’ll drink to that.
III. Catching up with Councilman Russ Smith
City administrator Bill Barthel’s presentation to Council this month about his findings from surveying public buildings around Delaware and a new, under-$6M proposal for a municipal service center to serve New Castle was a bit of a surprise for some members of the body.
Russ Smith is among those who have pushed back, especially expressing dismay at the idea of leaving 220 Delaware Street - the current city admin building - vacant with uncertain prospects. We reached out to Councilman Smith to ask his thoughts on this and a few other topics…
New Castle City Topics (NCT): How would you describe current facilities for New Castle city workers, officials and public meetings?
Russ Smith (RS): They vary. The Police Department is very good. The Administration Office has security issues. I haven’t heard any feedback on Public Works. We have no Council Chambers.
NCT: What are your thoughts on Mr. Barthel's updated, pared-down, municipal complex proposal?
This concept was already being developed when I came on Council. My problem was and is that there has been no real planning process which would identify the issues and develop alternative solutions. We’ve just been dealing with one solution.
NCT: Are there other options for addressing these space issues that you'd like for Council and the city to explore?
From where we are now, I’d like us to go forward with trying to address the security concerns at the Admin Building as Council has asked. I think they can be overcome. I am very concerned with having a large empty building on Delaware St. The only space issue is the lack of Council Chambers (which might also be used as a community center).
NCT: What do you see as New Castle's biggest challenges and/or opportunities that Council needs to address? What are your priorities for the city?
Our biggest issue is sea level rise. The committee that has been formed is a good step in addressing this issue, but we don’t have the resources to address it alone. We will need state and federal aid.
I would like the City to recognize that the Historic Area is an economic engine that can bring not only visitors, but new residents and new businesses here and keep the downtown alive. That is what the conversation about the Tourism Director is about.
NCT: What are your favorite Fall events in town?
Not exactly Fall, but I think the Christmas events are very effective in not only bringing visitors to town, but also bringing residents together. I like to see the all the smiling faces.
NCT: What are the New Castle institutions or organizations that you most enjoy and wish people knew more about?
Separation Day – We need participation from the rest of the state. It’s not just a New Castle celebration. It’s the birth of our STATE.
NCT: How would you like to see the wider state involved?
Representation in the parade and booths on Battery Park would be helpful. I know the former Mayor made some efforts, but they were dropped.
Thanks to Councilman Smith for his time in answering our questions!
IV. Dwelling Among Ghosts and ‘Haunted Houses’
New Castle is a city full of haunted houses and ghosts of the past. Putting aside Spooky Season, and the ‘Haunted History Tours’ offered by New Castle Historical Society each October, this town brims with places that time seems to forget and histories that continue to echo through today.
American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) chronicled the life of small-town and rural America in his time, ruminating in the places that modernity and industry were - even in his time - either constantly renewing or forever abandoning. New Castle has had to reinvent itself many times over the centuries, and with each reinvention, new ghosts join those that walk our streets.
Whether it is the Van Dykes, the Lairds, the Deemers, or the many unknown factory workers, harbor hands, military servicemen, or others, the impressions left by each past iteration of New Castle remain, mingling with our discussions of what it means to be New Castilians now.
In this season of fictional ghosts and spectres, we hope you’ll enjoy Longfellow’s poem “Haunted Houses” as a reflection on the real ones.
All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.We meet them at the door-way, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
Impalpable impressions on the air,
A sense of something moving to and fro.There are more guests at table than the hosts
Invited; the illuminated hall
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear;
He but perceives what is; while unto me
All that has been is visible and clear.We have no title-deeds to house or lands;
Owners and occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands,
And hold in mortmain still their old estates.The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense
A vital breath of more ethereal air.Our little lives are kept in equipoise
By opposite attractions and desires;
The struggle of the instinct that enjoys,
And the more noble instinct that aspires.These perturbations, this perpetual jar
Of earthly wants and aspirations high,
Come from the influence of an unseen star
An undiscovered planet in our sky.And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o'er the sea a floating bridge of light,
Across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd
Into the realm of mystery and night,—So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
O'er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends,
Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss.
V. Community Event Calendar
OCTOBER:
10/29 - Good Will Fire Co. Public Safety Open House, 12-3pm.Check out Good Will's equipment, gear, and tools as well as interactive displays!10/29 - William Penn Day, various events starting 1pm.New Castle Court House Museumcelebrates the340th Anniversaryof Penn’s arrival.1pm: The Recipes and Cookery of Guliema Penn (with Kim Elisee)3pm: Tea with Hanna Penn (portrayed by Jean Norvell)5pm: Music in the Time of William Penn (with the Music School of DE)
10/29-30 -Immanuel on the Green Bicentennial Celebration.A two-day event with various activities planned throughout the weekend.10/30 - FBCDE Trunk or Treat Halloween Party, 1-3pm.Bouncy houses, candy and lots of fun - hosted by theFirst Baptist Church of Delaware.
NOVEMBER:
10/4 - Designer Bag Bingo, 6pm registration, 7pm game-on.
Hosted by the Good Will Fire Co. Ladies’ Auxiliary, at the Fire House on South St.11/5 - Trail Maintenance Party, 9am-12pm at the Hermitage Natural Area.
Help improve the trails while learning about local ecology and enjoying free pizza.11/8 - ELECTION DAY - Delaware polls open from 7am until 8pm.
Congressional & State Legislative Elections. Not all New Castle residents share voting districts - please see this page to find your polling location.
11/8 - Second Tuesday Mix ‘N Mingle at Zollies, 4pm to 7pm.
Tasting events from local brewers and spirits providers and tapas style buffet.11/9 - City Council Meeting at the Senior Center, 7pm.
Note new date this month due to the previous day’s election at the center.11/11 - Veterans Day - Schools and City Offices Closed.
11/12 - Veterans Walking Tours, 11am and 2pm, from IEC on the Green.
Presented by NC Court House Museum, the tour will highlight New Castle soldiers’ graves from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam and tell their stories.11/16 - Hollywood History: Dragonwyck, 6:30pm at NC Court House Museum.
11/23-25 - CSD Thanksgiving Break - Schools Closed.
DECEMBER:
12/10 - Spirit of Christmas and the Library’s Winter Festival & Market!
On-Going Events
Regular Historic Tours at:
New Castle Court House Museum (Weds-Sunday)
New Castle Historical Society (Weds-Sunday)
Read House & Gardens (Thurs-Sunday)
The Perfection of Traveling Exhibit by NCHS at the Old Library Museum, open Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm.
Check out the Fourth Friday Art Loop each month at participating shops and galleries around town square, including the Opera House, Mo’Zart Gallery, Cobblestones Antiques, Landmark Antiques, and many more!
Remember, you can always check our Facebook Events Tab for an up-to-date ‘master calendar’ of what’s going on in town (that’s listed on that site, anyway)…
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