I. October News Round-Up 📰
Poore and Minor-Brown to Host Community Meeting about Railroad Safety, Nov. 6
On Monday, November 6, New Castle residents have been invited to gather for a special community meeting regarding “emergency preparedness in case of a railroad derailment,” organized and hosted by local State Senator Nicole Poore and local Representative Melissa Minor-Brown.
Following the catastrophic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, in February of this year, local safety officials throughout the country received a wave of calls from residents expressing concern about the safety and oversight of trains moving their communities. This concern arose in New Castle, too, prompting a public statement to City Council and residents in March by Good Will Fire Company Captain Tim Moore.
As we covered at the time, Moore stated that GWFC does not get advance notice of what is moving through town, but has the ability to rapidly request info about the contents of any train that has an incident within their jurisdiction. They also have contingency plans in place through a partnership with County and State emergency management agencies to mobilize the resources that would be needed to contain and clean up such an emergency situation.
The Nov. 6 meeting will feature a presentation from Lydia McPherson-Shambarger, a “government relations manager” at Norfolk Southern, which operates the rail line that runs through the city of New Castle. County emergency preparedness planner Chris Hodgden will also speak how the City and individuals can be prepared.
The event on Nov. 6 will be from 6pm to 7:30pm at New Castle Elementary School. See the flyer in the Community Calendar below (Part V of the Digest).
Thomas Clayton Running Unopposed (So Far) in Trustee Election Set for December 9
The Trustees of the New Castle Common (TNCC) will hold an election on December 9, 2023, at Good Will Fire Co., to elect a board member to help oversee the land and assets managed by the Trust on behalf of the people of New Castle. Trustees serve twelve-year terms once elected to the Board.
Currently, Thomas Clayton, whose previous term as a Trustee ended in September, is the only candidate who has filed to be on the December TNCC ballot. Clayton’s work on the board over the last decade-plus has focused on the Property Maintenance committee and stewardship of the New Castle Public Library. Other residents interested in running may file through November 9 by completing an application at the Trustees’ Penn Farm headquarters.
The Trustees’ voter list is separate from that used for municipal, state and federal elections - residents who qualify must sign up for this voter roll in order to vote (which can be done on election day for Trust elections). In order to qualify to vote, a person must be 18+ and have resided in New Castle for at least one year. In order to qualify as a candidate, one must have been a resident for at least two years.
After the December election, TNCC will have one remaining vacancy on the board to be filled in a subsequent election. But candidates are needed to step up and help to steward this great, unique New Castle institution for the next dozen years.
Recreational Options Expand, with More Planned
The playground at Battery Park reopened on October 10, following months of reconstruction. Local officials including Sen. Poore and Reps. Minor-Brown and Cooke joined members of ONCOR, the citizen group that became the Playground Committee and pushed this first Phase of construction from vision to reality, to cut the ribbon and officially reopen the space.
The kids weren’t waiting on ceremony, though, happily testing out the improvements on the 9th, pretty much as soon as the orange hazard fencing was down. The new equipment includes a large climbing web, a zipline, a variety of swing types, several rockers and more. The Phase I updates also include a larger footprint, a new, ADA-compliant path from the 3rd Street lot, and a soft, fresh bed of mulch (the last thanks to the Trustees of the Common).
The committee is currently planning and pursuing funding sources for the next Phase of the project. That is intended to include a large jungle gym with several bridges, various climbing features and host of other cute doo-dads, with a nautical theme and sail-ship shape inspired by the Kalmar Nyckel.
Turning to outdoor fun for all ages, on October 2, members of Delaware Greenways and County officials opened the first phase of the Commons Boulevard Trail, which will connect to the Jack A. Markell (JAM) Trail that (from our perspective, anyway) starts in New Castle.
A few months ago, the organization also secured federal funding for a trail that will add Newport to the list of neighboring cities with which New Castle has paved, car-free connections. The new path will meet up with the JAM - which starts at South Street, rides north through the Hermitage and then terminates at the Wilmington River Walk - at (roughly) its mid-way point.
“Common” Tradition & New Life at the Hermitage
The Hermitage Natural Area last weekend hosted successful, back-to-back events that not only showed off the vibrancy of the work being done there, but also echoed the original use of the New Castle Common, of which the site became part in 2010.
First, on Saturday, a dozen volunteers joined Hermitage project manager James Sidlowski and others to kick off the Afforestation Project, planting scores of trees in a section of the site’s sprawling meadow that has not been forest before, at least not for a long time. (Hence, ‘Afforestation’ instead of the more familiar term ‘Reforestation.’) The trees planted include Oak, Persimmon and Pawpaw.
A principle of the Town Common in the colonial era was that those who availed themselves of its resources should be careful to ensure they were replenished for future users. (In other words, if you chopped down a tree for lumber or firewood, the right thing to do was to plant or tend another.) Today, the give-and-take between current utility and future preservation continues to play out at the Hermitage, as in other affairs managed by the Trustees of the Common.
Then, on Sunday, the Natural Area hosted a bi-annual Native Plant Exchange for the Fall. Organized by a statewide Facebook group of native plant enthusiasts, the event brought over sixty people to the site’s wide-open entrance area to discover, trade, and freely share plants native to our region. In addition to the wonderful exposure for the Hermitage and New Castle, each of these events also leaves behind numerous native plants to keep filling out the Natural Area itself.
While other things provided for the city by New Castle Common may be better known for making this town the place it is today - Battery Park, the Library on Delaware St., community grants and scholarships, space for Good Will Fire Co., and others - the Hermitage represents a unique asset for the Trust and its beneficiaries. By inviting residents to get out and enjoy the land (and occasionally take plants home with them, and occasionally plant new ones), our Natural Area offers modern New Castilians a chance to experience something close the original meaning of the Common.
Sea Level Rise Task Force loses ‘Temporary’ status, becomes standing ‘Flood Resiliency Committee’
The Sea Level Rise Task Force was created as a temporary sub-committee last year in order to investigate New Castle’s exposure to rising waters, and to recommend and pursue solutions to preserve the city against future flooding challenges. Earlier this year, it secured New Castle a place in a flood prevention program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which will cover the enormous costs of implementing major mitigation measures (likely to include raising the dikes).
This month, the committee was converted into a permanent sub-committee of Council in order to continue its important work. Reestablished as a standing ‘Flood Resiliency Committee,’ the group’s work going forward will include:
coordinating with NRCS and other outside agencies regarding flood prevention and mitigation on behalf of the City,
beginning to consider flooding issues that are not related to rising river waters,
keeping Council and residents informed of ongoing studies and, eventually, construction work, and
continuing to offer recommendations and pursue solutions to these issues.
All previous members of the Task Force, including representatives of the Trustees and Good Will Fire Co., were appointed by Council’s Resolution to continue their work with the new Committee.
Read the full resolution here.
Updates from City Council and Administration
City Council met on October 10 at New Castle Senior Center.
This month’s regular meeting was preceded by a Public Hearing on Ordinance 542. Added to the agenda by Councilman Andrew Zeltt, the ordinance amends the city’s existing code relating to Affirmative Action in order to add certain protected statuses already recognized at the state level.
The code already recognized people’s right to work regardless of their “race, sex, color, handicap, religion, national origin, national ancestry, age [or] veterans status.” The changes made by the Ordinance include “pregnancy” as a factor to consider for sex discrimination, and also add the following characteristics to its protections: “gender, gender identification or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.”
Phil Gross and Rod Miller spoke against the Ordinance, the latter suggesting that it was an example of pandering to “wokeness.” Councilman Zeltt defended the measure, reiterating that it simply aligned city code with state law. David Baldini spoke in favor of the measure, expressing concern that failure to have city code compliant with state and federal law could jeopardize the city’s grant funding prospects.
The Ordinance passed unanimously.
Other Highlights of the Meeting included…
Mr. Barthel reported that city architect Leila Hamroun has completed both plans for the dog park to be sited at the Hermitage, and a security study for the city’s administration office. The city (still) needs to sort out a Memorandum of Understanding with the Trustees of the New Castle Common for the former project. Council will readdress the plan for the Admin Building once it convenes with a full membership following the Nov. 4 Special Election.
The outgoing Administrator also noted that Bull Hill Boat Club has shown new signs of life following the involvement of new people, who are seeking to reclaim the boat yard facility at the end of 2nd Street. They hope to work with the city in order to remove the old dock so that they can obtain insurance for the site and pursue a new lease.
NCPD Chief McCabe addressed the issue of residents smoking marijuana next to neighbors’ homes. With help from a clarifying question by Ms. Souder, he explained that residents are allowed to smoke outdoors on their private property, unless they are within ten feet of a neighbor’s door or window. McCabe noted that police forces are still adjusting to new laws and how best to respond to complaints, and cannot take action unless they witness people smoking too close to a neighbor’s structure.
McCabe also announced that NCPD will hold its annual Adopt-a-Family program this year to provide 3-4 local families some cheerful holiday support, and asked for private suggestions of families they might reach out to.
In her comments, Mayor Leary announced that last month’s New Castle Block Party on the Green, which raised funds to help with a funding shortfall at the Senior Center, brought in nearly $18K, well more than the funds needed. She thanked all of those who organized and contributed to the event.
Good Will Fire Chief David Majewski, Jr., noted that October is Fire Prevention Month and urged residents to check their detectors and extinguishers. GWFC will host a Fire Prevention Open House on Saturday, October 28, with free detectors, and company equipment and apparatus on display.
Further Info:
Watch the 10/10 Council Meeting on YouTube (minutes available ff. approval next month)
Read the full text of Ordinance 542 (Affirmative Action update)
II. Council Candidates Make their Cases
The residents running for New Castle City Council in the Nov. 4 Special Election answered a number of questions this week about their reasons for running, experience and vision for the city. Candidates’ Q&A Responses were published in The Weekly and can also be found here, along with election info, a message from Council President Elect Souder, and a note about why there was no Candidate Forum for this election.
Given the lack of a Forum, New Castle Topics invited the candidates to provide video messages for us to share so voters can still get to hear their core “pitches” - what would essentially have been opening/closing statements - in their own voices. These statements, which were recorded by the candidates themselves and have not been edited, are below.
Brian Mattaway
Alice Riehl
Thanks to both Alice Riehl and Brian Mattaway for taking the time to record, upload and send in their messages. Thanks also to Suzanne Souder for her statement in the election post earlier this week, and to editor of The Weekly Terry Buchanan for organizing the Q&A for the candidates once again.
Please remember to Vote November 4, from 8am to 6pm, at Good Will Fire Company, 401 South Street.
III. ICYMI: Local Media Spotlight 📸
In case you missed it... In October, New Castle offered some stunning Autumn views, neat glimpses into our history, and other great, seasonal odds-and-ends!
Natural Beauty Abounded in scenes shared by the Hermitage Natural Area, on our own socials, and by members of our private New Castle Topics Facebook Group… including a great video of the old Ferry Harbor that you can view here (if you join).
The history lessons on our scrolls this month were no less fascinating, covering a wide range of neat details from New Castle’s past… including shares from New Castle Historical Society, the Delaware Public Archives, New Castle Court House Museum, Good Will Fire Company, and members of the group “Delaware History/All Things Delaware.”
Finally, the grab bag… We also got to enjoy some Witchy wardrobe options at the Opera House, great displays at the Read House and the Window on Delaware Street, creepy dolls from NC Historical Society, a glimpse at a young William Penn from Dr. Abdullah in the Delaware History group, a preview of the Senior Center’s Harvest Bazaar, and more…
IV. A Revolutionary Ghost Story 👻
“John Ross was a Staunch Tory, Alive or Dead!”
In 1777, in the midst of the Revolutionary War, New Castle founding father George Read received a curious missive about his brother-in-law, John Ross, who had died on May 5 of the previous year. Reading that his relative had, according to a friend of the deceased, recently appeared with a thunderous warning from beyond, the famed Congressman was “naturally interested.”
John Ross, himself a son of New Castle, had by the time of the Revolution become a wealthy and respected judge in Philadelphia, noted for his political agnosticism - or, at least, for keeping his politics private. Patriots of the day frequently urged him - in vain - to join their cause, met by Ross “stating that he well knew that no matter who was king, he would always be the subject.” (An 18th Century iteration of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss?”)
The judge was also close friends with ardent loyalist John Kearsley, who was once marched through the the streets of Philly with his hand nailed to a horse cart for his vocal, Tory passion. A pundit of the time noted that, “I was shocked at the spectacle… It is grateful to add, however, that [once he’d been thus paraded] they proceeded to no further violence, thus proving that a Philadelphia mob has some sense of restraint.” Ross and Kearsley were close enough to have promised each other one night over drinks that, whichever died first, he would return to inform the other of what awaited on the ‘other side.’
A fascination with the occult actually ran in the family for Ross, whose 15th century ancestor Hugh had been, according to Kearsley, “a necromancer and wizard.” Through the family, John received a number of treasures gained by Hugh through consorting with spirits and other entities. Among these was a signet ring, a Scotch crystal bearing the Ross coat of arms and - on the underside - a “star formed of three triangles with two circles inscribed with strange letters.”
Following Ross’s death the year before, “on the night of the 20th of January, 1777, Dr. Kearsley saw his friend who had come back to him from the other world.” Kearsley tells of the experience in his own words, from a letter to General William Thompson:
Last Monday night… I went to bed at ten o'clock…
A little before day-break I was awakened by an extraordinary dream, that I was in company with our old friend John Ross, lawyer… I jumped directly out of bed, and by the gleaming light of my fire… I distinctly saw his figure on which, without any fear, I looked with great earnestness.
At this instant the fire burst forth into a blaze, insomuch that I could see him very distinctly, with a paper in his hand, standing, in a speaking attitude, when he began and thus addressed me.
“My dear sir, you and I, in the state of body you are now in, ever lived in the greatest harmony and best friendship. I have been removed from you by the wise and kind providence of God, to a place of peace and everlasting felicity, while you are to remain some time in a world of trouble and great confusion, where you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, accompanied with pestilence, already begun, and famine which will ensue, and continue till your sins abate. These, my friend, are the scourges of sin, the vengeance of God poured forth on the American people for their ingratitude, that superlative of sin which the Almighty always punishes.”
[The specter continued]: “Lest you should doubt the authority of what I now say, I pray you take this paper,” which he held forth in his hand, “and to convince you that I have really made an appearance to you, behold my signature, the initials of my name and profession in your world… I leave them along with this my signet ring, well known to you in the past, cut with the three rampant lions of my family coat… that you may as my steward keep them… to be shown to my friends, but particularly to General Thompson, whom I love, and wish to hint something [like unto] prophecy.”
On thus speaking these words he disappeared, leaving the matter and ring behind him in my hand…
“The matter” found in Kearsley’s hand when he awoke, alongside Ross’s signet ring, was a short letter, apparently written in Ross’s careful script. The letter contained a warning for would-be revolutionaries:
I am sent to comfort you, but also to redeem the land which is now overwhelmed with trouble, a sure consequence of sin and pride, a continuance in which will be a misery, destruction and death.
Believe, O ye sinners, believe and repent!
The sins of ingratitude, willful and corrupt perjury, persecution and cruelty, with the sin of falsehood continually propagated to inflame and mislead the ignorant, has so provoked the vengeance of heaven that the Almighty is to come forth against you with a flaming sword to burn you up and cast you off; and I am risen from the dead to give you this last most solemn warning!
Moses and the prophets have admonished former generations and some have believed and been saved. But if ye will not believe me when risen from the dead, horrid judgments will attend you! Death is but the continuation of the life on earth in another form and in another world.
As Dr. Kearsley urgently shared the tale of his friend’s apparition to all who would hear it, many dismissed his retelling, seeing in its words little more than hopeful, perhaps senile projection on the part of the still-living, still-unpopular loyalist. Yet four years later, as the tale is told, the ghost of John Ross would appear again, this time directly to the General Thompson whom he held in such esteem.
In September, 1781, ten days before the “gallant officer’s” death, as he sat considering Ross’s signet ring, at a writing desk containing the mysterious letter-from-beyond sent to him by Kearsley…
The candles suddenly became dim, and near the fireplace in which there was a fire, a smoke made itself felt, and all at once the form of John Ross became plain.
But all he said was, “Fear not, for it is well with thee, thy time is near,” and with that, the figure moved to the table and caught up the ring that the general had dropped, and then faded away.
Recorded by an “Antiquarian” in upstate New York, the tales of John Ross’s post-mortem, pro-Royalist jaunts have become part of Rossiana, the history of the large, influential and widely interconnected Ross Family. Brother-in-law George Read, himself one of the most visible Patriots of the day, doesn’t appear to have put much stock in his kin’s ominous, ghostly warning of God’s wrath for revolutionaries.
Lucky for us non-British Americans that he did not.
This tale is based upon the “Ghost Story of the Revolution” chapter of Rossiana, a book about the Ross family (p. 174 & ff.). All of the quotations above (with the exception of the The Who quote) come from this chapter, of which this is a summary with a somewhat more modern style. The original and other excerpts from the book are available on the NC-CHAP website.
Ross’s entry on Findagrave.com also served as a source for a few (non-supernatural) details.
V. Community Event Calendar 📅
Check out the Community Calendar on our website for a farther view of the local event scene and to catch additional events as they are added, plus the list of monthly/ongoing events! And please see the Library’s event calendar here (if we added all library events, they’d take over!).
Remaining in OCTOBER… i.e. This Weekend!
10/27 - Movies by Moonlight: Scream (1996), in the Library’s rear garden, 8pm.
BYOB 21+ showing of the 90’s horror classic - bring lawn chairs or blankets!10/28 - GWFC Fire Prevention Open House & Awards, at the Fire House, 11am.
Good Will Fire Co.’s annual Open House and Poster and Essay Contest Awards Ceremony! Company apparatus and equipment on display, live demonstrations & more.10/28 - William Penn Day at NC Court House Museum, 10am-4pm.
Celebrate William Penn’s first landing in America, at New Castle, with tours and other events throughout the day, including:10:15am - Reenactment of the Livery of Seisen Ceremony
11am - Tea with “the Wives of William Penn” - with tea & treats from the Mercury.
3pm - The Suzuki Academy of the Delaware School of Music performs contemporaneous pieces from William Penn’s time.
10/28 - NCLL Trunk or Treat at New Castle Little League complex, 6pm.
10/28 - Halloween Extravaganza at Nora Lee’s French Quarter, 6pm-close.
Food and Drink Specials, Spooky Swing Music and a Costume Contest with Prize.10/29 - Kids’ Halloween Craft Party at Cabernet Candle Co., 2-4pm.
10/30 - New Castle Halloween Parade, organized by the NC Lions Club, 6:30pm.
Parade participation is open to all at no cost; participants should line up at St. Peter’s at 6pm, in order for the parade to start at 6:30. It will proceed down Delaware Street to the grandstand where judges will award cash prizes for costumes in several age categories.
Coming Up in NOVEMBER…
11/3 - Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas, at St. Peter’s, 6-9pm.
Free with 1 canned food item per person! Outdoor showing - guests may bring blankets, fire pits, etc.. Concession stand available to purchase food and popcorn.
11/4 - Knights of Columbus Beef & Beer at the St. Peter’s Gymnasium, 6:30pm.
$25 per ticket. Meal of sliced roast beef, vegetable, salad & rolls. Incl. assorted can beer, wine, soda and water. Music and dancing by DJ Paul Freeberry. For tickets call Michael at 302.562.2702 or Dominick at 302.650.5240.11/5 - Family & Community Day at the Read House & Gardens, 1-3pm.
Celebrate Native American heritage with special guest and Algonkian Living Historian Drew Shuptar-Rayvis. More info about this free event on the Read House’s Events page.11/6 - Community Meeting on RR Safety, NC Elementary Auditorium, 6pm.
Hosted by State Sen. Nicole Poore and State Rep. Mimi Minor-Brown, featuring presentations by reps from the New Castle County Emergency Preparedness office and local train operator Norfolk Southern.
11/8 - Furniture Study Day at the Read House, 9am-4pm.
Led by expert furniture curator Dr. Phillip D. Zimmerman. (Ticketed, daylong event.)11/10 - Designer Bag Bingo, Good Will Fire Hall, 7pm.
Hosted by the Ladies’ Auxiliary, play for chances to win designer handbags and purses, with proceeds benefitting GWFC.
11/11 - Hearth Cooking in the Amstel House Kitchen, 10am-2:30pm.
Hearth cooks will introduce visitors to the recipes and techniques used to prepare meals and preserve foods by people of the 18th century. Demonstrations are free.11/11 - Cruise’N Car Show at St. Peter’s School’s front lot, 10am-3pm.
Free entry. If you have a cool old car, motorcycle, or truck the contest entry fee is $20! We will be voting on the best vehicle there with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners!11/11 - Dobbinsville Community Outreach Day, 2-4pm.
Mayor Valarie Leary and Council members Suzanne Souder and Joe Day will be at the red pop-up tent to meet and talk with local residents, as part of a series of meet-and-greets planned for each New Castle neighborhood.11/25 - Small Business Saturday at the New Castle Historical Society, 10am-4pm.
Featuring Cobblestone Chocolates and other local, small business vendors.11/29 - Natural Materials Donation Drop-Off, behind the Arsenal (all day).
Support the Holiday Greening of New Castle and Arasapha’s Wreath Workshop by dropping off appropriate natural materials for wreath decoration. (More info at link.)11/30 & 12/1 - Arasapha’s Wreath Workshop at the Arsenal, hours vary by day.
Help Arasapha Garden Club create the wreaths that will beautify New Castle for the season. Participation is free and experienced help is available. Visitors may also make personal wreaths (supply dependent) for $30. Hours are 12-7pm on Thursday, 11/30; and 9am-12pm on Friday, 12/1.
MONTHLY & ONGOING Events
Second Saturday Bird Walks at the Hermitage with Delaware Birders, 8am.
Fourth Friday Art Loops at participating shops and galleries around downtown, including the Opera House, Mo’zArt Gallery, The Window on Delaware Street, the Mercury Cafe’s in-house gallery, and more!
Regular Historic Tours at:
New Castle Court House Museum (Weds-Sunday)
Read House & Gardens (Thurs-Sunday)
Second Tuesdays: City Council Meetings at the NC Senior Center, 7pm.
Click here for the many events happening each week at New Castle Public Library.
And click here for New Castle Historical Society’s full event calendar.
Thanks for reading and please have a wonderful month!