Alma Roach runs for Sussex County Recorder of Deeds

Alma Roach

Georgetown’s Alma Roach announced Tuesday, Jan. 26 that she is seeking the post at the Sussex County Recorder of Deeds.

“I just feel with my experience in the use of records, it would bring something new to the office in quite some time,” she said.

Roach is the first challenger to emerge in a position held by John Brady. Roach announced her plans for the row-office seat at a Georgetown rally for Frank Shade who officially announced Tuesday, Jan. 26 his bid for the 37th House District seat – a seat held by Rep. Ruth Briggs King, who won a special election in September.
Roach is a title searcher with the Georgetown-based law firm Fuqua & Yori.

“We need to preserve history of the office, but at the same time, move ahead with a contemporary office. We need to remember the recorder of deeds office is the heart and soul of Sussex County and its history,” she said.

Roach is planning rallies and fundraisers in March, when she will officially announce her bid.

Frank Shade to run for the 37th District

Democrat Frank Shade, president of Punkin Chunkin for seven years, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 37th Representative District, a seat held by Republican Ruth Briggs King.
In a special election last year, Briggs King won the seat, topping Georgetown attorney Democrat Rob Robinson, who won the nomination in a vote of the Sussex County Democrats.
Shade, 61, lives in Nesbitt Station just outside Lewes and is Sussex County director of purchasing and fleet management. From 2002 to 2008, Shade served as president of the Punkin Chunkin Association, and, by choice, Shade said did not seek another term.
Instead, he became a Punkin Chunkin trustee and director of promotions and media. Under his presidency, he said Punkin Chunkin has earned an international reputation. Shade plans to announce his candidacy at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Georgetown’s Brick Hotel. Later that day, he will announce at 2 p.m., at The Buttery in Lewes.

Delaware Democrats castigate Rep. Mike Castle

Delaware Democrats are calling Republican Rep. Mike Castle a hypocrite.

The thrashing comes after a release was issued by Castle’s office Thursday, Jan. 7, crediting him with helping the state acquire $5.2 million that Democrats say were stimulus funds.

Not so, says Castle’s Legislative and Communications Director Kate Dickens. “Nothing we released or announced were stimulus funds. They were regular appropriation funds,” she said.

Dickens said funds for the homeless came from the Omnibus Appropriations Act in 2009. She said about $500,000 were included in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010. At one point, Castle did oppose the homeland security measure because it did not include sufficient funds for rail or transit security, she said. Later, she said, Castle ended up approving the bill.

Delaware Democratic Party Chairman John Daniello said, “In Congress, he does nothing to help create jobs and fix the economic crisis President Bush generated, but back in his district, he takes credit for projects opposed.”

Dickens said Democrats and some reporters need to do their homework. “Again, they’re not checking stimulus funds, they’re not checking their facts,” she said.

Milton mayor responds to recent crime increase

Milton Mayor Don Post said increased community vigilance would improve safety in the wake of recent crimes.

“Basically, the sad thing is this is what’s occurring everywhere throughout Delaware. I think a lot of it is a bad economy producing an increase in crime. The only thing I hope is that Neighborhood Watch will continue to strengthen and to be more diligent,” said Post. He urges residents to increase community awareness.

Milton Police Chief William Phillips said he is considering a police substation or new police station for Shipbuilder’s Village, the residential development where some crimes have arisen.

“Sometime appearance calms the storm,” he said. “In our world, it seems there are fights about three things: sex, drugs and money.”

Sussex agency helps solve credit, mortgage woes

Shown at the grand opening are (l-r) Rony Peralta; Carlos Herrera, housing clinic director; Angus; Diana Bernal, credit clinic director; Rashmi Rangan, DCRAC executive director; and Jenna Fenstermacher, clinic coordinator-Public Ally.

DCRAC opens office in Georgetown

Title and payday loan officers and pawn shops in Sussex County – look out. Sussex County now has an office where Cape Region residents can learn to fix their credit, hold onto their homes and even dust off their resumes – all free of charge.

The Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council Inc. (DCRAC) opened a Georgetown office on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the Georgetown Professional Park – an appropriate location next to the county’ social security and unemployment offices.

Founded in 1987, DCRAC aims to educate and advocate for equal treatment of under served populations when it comes to obtaining credit. Largely based on outreach, the council helps people become responsible and educated consumers through educational seminars on budgeting, credit counseling and first home-buyer advice. With two offices in Kent and New Castle counties, DCRAC executive director Rashmi Rangan said, a Sussex County office was long overdue. Plus, all clinic directors speak both English and Spanish. Rangan said because of the demand in Sussex County – parts of which have some of the highest foreclosure rates in the state – DCRAC decided to set up shop. Foreclosures are now creeping east toward Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany. Although the nonprofit agency is designed to help low-income residents, Rangan said she is seeing more and more eastern county residents who need DCRAC’s services.

“The landscape is changing. I never dreamed I would see people needing help holding onto their homes with $150,000 mortgages,” she said. On Monday, a tax clinic helps residents tidy up their income tax problems. On Tuesday, a credit clinic helps residents repair their credit and learn to budget. On Thursday, a housing clinic helps first-time homebuyers and those facing foreclosure.

“Today, a half a million dollar mortgage is not unheard of. We’re seeing these people face foreclosure. These are people we never considered for our traditional clients,” said Rangan. “I fear this economic climate is only going to get worse. Our services in Sussex County are needed more than ever,” she said.

For more information, call 1-877-825-0750, or visit: dcrac.org.

Milton council: Let the police chief do his job

At a Monday, Oct. 5 Milton Town Council meeting, the council decided to table a proposal to enact objectives and goals for Milton Police Department Chief William Phillips. Phillips was put on administrative leave for six months after internal department complaints arose regarding his leadership. The council, however, reinstated the chief at a Sept. 3 public hearing with a 3-1 vote. At the council meeting, with a 4-2 vote, council agreed to table the objectives for six months to allow the chief to regain his leadership and organize the department.

Drowning in Milton

Shipbuilders Village, a residential development in northwest Milton, constantly floods during heavy rains. For five years, residents in the back of the development along Spinnaker often wade to their cars to get to work, or they wake up to find runoff covering their front doorsteps. Milton Mayor Don Post pledged to take care of the problem in a May letter sent to residents. Nothing has been done yet. Now, the Town of Milton is swimming in a legal puddle over obtaining easements to pump the water out of the drowning development.

John Brady revived at Democratic Jamboree

Sussex County Recorder of Deeds John Brady, who, last year, gave up the GOP and registered as a Democrat, turned up at the 2009 Sussex County Democratic Jamboree, Saturday, Aug. 29. After collapsing from low-oxygen levels on July 28, Brady lost 45 pounds from being hospitalized and from a better diet.

Doctors told him his heart was only pumping at 20 percent capacity, causing his oxygen level to drop. They also inserted a pacemaker.

Brady said he’s feeling much better, although not 100 percent. The Cape Region’s hot weather hasn’t helped him recover any faster, however. “The weather isn’t helping. But, I’m trying to do my best,” said Brady. He was mum on whether he plans to seek another elected office seat.

A second Democrat considers House race

Frank Shade

Frank Shade, president of Punkin Chunkin for seven years, said he would consider entering the race for the 37th Representative District, should that seat become available.

Rep. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, who holds the seat, announced his candidacy last week for the 19th Senatorial District seat, an election just three weeks away. If Booth is victorious, Shade, a Democrat, said he’d jump in for the Democratic nomination in the potential House race.

“I feel this is the correct thing to do. I feel I have a good rapport with the people in this area,” said Shade. “I feel my leadership abilities that I demonstrated in my life so far made me think this it the right thing to do.”

Shade, 60, lives in Nesbitt Station just outside Lewes and is Sussex County director of purchasing and fleet management. From 2002 to 2008, Shade served as president of the Punkin Chunkin Association, and, by choice, Shade said did not seek another term. Instead, he became a Punkin Chunkin trustee and director of promotions and media. Under his presidency, he said Punkin Chunkin has earned an international reputation.

Shade moved to the Cape Region in 1990 and was one of 10 paramedics hired to set up a countywide paramedic program for the Sussex County Paramedics Division. He also sits on the boards of the Delaware Autism Foundation and the Sussex County Cancer Survivors Fund.

“I feel I have a good face and name recognition that will make me a good candidate,” he said.

If the 37th District seat becomes vacant after the Monday, Aug. 3 Senate election, Democrats will have to determine a candidate in caucus. Sussex County Democratic Party Chairwoman Pat Ewing is out of town and unavailable for comment.

Who will fill Sen. Adams’ shoes?

Sussex County Republicans and Democrats are planning to nominate candidates for a special election to be held within 41 days after Sen. Thurman Adams’ death, Tuesday, June 23. Adams – Delaware’s longest serving lawmaker and a conservative Democrat – held the 19th Senatorial District seat since 1972.

Rep. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, seems to be winning over Republicans, prior to their nomination. Republicans Dave Wilson, a Bridgeville representative, Ruth Briggs King with the Sussex County Association of Realtors, and Eric Bodenweiser of Bodie’s market, have also expressed an interest in the seat.

It appears as if Adams’ daughter Polly Mervine has her eye on the seat for the Dems. Other Democratic candidates could include former Sussex County Councilmen Lynn Rogers and Finley Jones, along with DelDOT employee Jim Westhoff.

Lt. Gov. Matt Denn has yet to set a date for a special election, but is expected to by the end of the week.