This week: Bike dangers, a look at some tragic local history and other news
There was plenty for both optimists and pessimists in the digital pages of the Delaware Independent this past week.
On Friday, we wrote about efforts to make Delaware's roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Pessimists might hone in on a recent study indicating Delaware is particularly deadly for cyclists, compared with other states, and the many pedestrian crashes here. But there are efforts to fix the problem, and some are calling for even more ambitious changes to make Delaware a great place for pedestrians and less car-focused.
One terrible local tragedy, a train explosion in Greenwood, is fortunately more than a century in the rearview mirror. But it's quite the story as revealed by newspaper accounts from the time; a key moment in the town's history.
There are problems, like high levels of poverty in western Sussex County, and then there are people who are doing something about the problems, like Latoya Harris of Bridgeville. Here is the story of her new nonprofit.
Lest we be too uplifting, we then brought readers back to earth with this.
If you're reading this on our website, we'd like to suggest signing up for our email newsletter to get local news stories like these in your inbox. Facebook and Google are useful ways to stumble across local news, but they're not very reliable and you may miss a number of articles.
In other news:
A month after Greenwood Town Council voted to order the Pit Stop bar demolished, it's still standing and it's unclear what will happen next. The town finalized its decision at an August 25 meeting, giving owner Gerald Wells 30 days to begin demolition. Town Manager Janet Todd said at the town's Sept. 8 meeting that they sent notice to Wells about the deadline, but they have heard nothing from him and he has not applied for a demolition permit. If Wells doesn't start demolition by Sept. 24, the town can start fining him $100 a day, Todd said.
Seaford School District is holding a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Thursday, Sept. 9, at Seaford Middle School from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is a second-dose event following an earlier clinic, but people are welcome to come and get their first dose as well. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can register at https://mhealthsystem.com/Seaford.
The annual powwow held by the Nanticoke Indian tribe is Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11-12 at Hudson Fields in Milton. It’s a new location for the festivities this year, which have been a local tradition for more than 40 years. Events will be held 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days, and will include customs, traditions and history of the tribe as well as a car show on Saturday. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for ages 11-17; children 10 and younger get in free. Find more information here.
Greenwood will hold its last farmers market of the season on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m in the town hall parking lot. This was the first year for the farmers market in town. It will wrap up with jams, jellies, and produce from vendors, and food from Craft Cooking Co.
Learn about George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison and other innovation notables via a Chautauqua history program in Lewes (Sept. 9-10) and New Castle (Sept. 11-12). The actual historical figures, being dead, are not scheduled to attend but actors will stand in for them. Chautauquas are educational programs featuring re-enactors, taking their name from the historical programs held at Lake Chautauqua in New York starting in the 1800s. The events will be livestreamed from Lewes and New Castle; you can attend in person in New Castle and at some events in Lewes. For more information, click here.
The 45th annual Gary P. Lister Bottle & Cork Ten Miler/5K on Saturday, Sept. 11, starts on Dagsworthy Street in Dewey, goes through Rehoboth Beach and finishes up back at Dagsworthy Street. Onsite registration opens at 6:30 a.m. The 10-mile run starts at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K starts at 7:40.
The Department of Transportation is creating a couple of local dead ends from 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19 to 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 at Woodland Ferry in Seaford, which will be closed for annual maintenance. The department appreciates the patience you may or may not display.
Milford is holding an outdoor festival on Saturday, Sept. 18. The Riverwalk Freedom Festival will include a beer garden, car show, duck dash, live entertainment, fireworks over the Mispillion River, a patriotic pet parade and more. (Unpatriotic pets need not apply.)
Sharptown, Maryland, just downriver from Seaford, is also holding a festival Sept. 18. Barbecue, ice cream and of course scrapple are on the menu for Sharptown Heritage Day. Townwide yard sales start at 7 a.m. and scrapple egg and cheese sandwiches will be available at the Asbury Church Main Street fellowship center. The Main Street Museum will be open in the morning as well. Other plans include a parade, a pickleball tournament, bands and fireworks.
A third festival competing for your attention on the 18th is the Dog Days of Summer Festival in Milton from 2 p.m. to 7. This event benefits Doggone Happy Animal Rescue, Milton Fire Department, and the Milton Community Food Pantry. It includes local craft beer, food stands, vendors and live music. General admission tickets are $25.