cape Gazette VIEWPOINTS TUESDAY, MAY 3- THURSDAY MAY 5, 2011 7
Letters ))
Continued from page 6
raine ZeUersl
I have been very frustrated
since at least 2003 when I present-
ed what I thought were good ar-
guments for removing the restric-
tions for April and October. I have
been met with all sorts of excuses,
obfuscations andsimple untruths
over the years.
Commissioner Zellers has cut
through to the chase. I have been
told the mayor wouldn't allow
easing of the restrictions onto the
agenda. (I am not aware the may-
or said this nor that he unilaterally
controls the agenda.) I have been
told the committee can't move
forward until they figure a new
system of frees and penalties, that
the issue could not proceed with-
out a decision on dog parks, that
there can be no assurance of ap-
propriate enforcement, and that
visitors will not follow the rules
anyway. None of these have any-
thing to do with the span of the
Boardwalk restrictions. They exist
or don't exist regardless of the
timeframe.
I humbly request the mayor and
commissioners vote favorably on
eliminating the restriction for
April and October. Thank you,
Lorraine ZeUers.
Rol k Sb'eimer
Overwhelming support
makes walk successful
More than 2,000 people gath-
ered in Wilmington and Lewes
April 9-10 to support Autism
Delaware through the fast annual
Walk-Race for Autism. Corporate
sponsors, walkers, ruuners, ex-
hibitors and volunteers all came
together in the effort and success- ' ! ;; ":: ..... , i:..,: .... ' " ' .... ..... ' ..... " ....
fully raised more than $170,000 to : :
support individuals and families
affected by autism throughout
Delaware. '
The Walk-Race for Autism is : , :,,:" ?L,?::, ;i ,ii/, ...... "
• , ~" . i III ' iii I I " i ,i ; i ~ II immw ~., q ,' i,l , i
held as part of Autism Awareness
Month in Delaware and across the
country. The event featured a
walk through Bellevue Park in -:
Wilmington April 9. A 5K walk, as
well as a 57( race, a half-marathon
and a Kiddie K were held in
Lewes April 10.
This is the first year for the
Walk-Race for Autism as a com-
bined, weekend-long, statewide
event. The level of support from
throughout Delaware was incredi-
ble. It was tremendously moving
to see so many come out to show
their support for families strag-
gling with autism.
The Walk-Race for Autism was
created as a result of the 2010
merger of Autism Delaware and
the Lower Delaware Autism Foun-
dation, now united under the
name of Autism Delaware. The :
event combined Autism
Delaware's Walk for Autism and
LDAF's Race for Autism into a " . " "' " -- " / i ".: .'. "i./ OetAW^Rem aC.ARCHty
THIS PHOTOGRAPH, macle al/ a Sus xCouray roadin 1915, shows flat tke -
new event that spanned the
breadth of Delaware. l)a th(maho tul . tor. to
Our staff and volunteers
worked so well together to create
not just a fundraiser, but a tree illdi al gwl)l),,
community-building event.As the :.:,,~~J~:l .I~, ,l~. r~..:.~M.. ~~~¢ollex:t~to~~~;m~78.;
parent of a child with autism, . ". , .....
there is nothing like the feeling of
coming to the Walk-Race and see- Hour', recreational programs such News Journal, Casale Construc- tal and Wilmington Trust. Finally,
ing so many other families like as camp, bowling, Lego Club, and tion, Comcast Spotlight and numerous community organiza-
yours. It really hits home that Teen/Tween Asperger's GameWRDE, Irish Eyes Pub & Restau- t.ions made donations to support
you're not alone. Then you look Night; and POW&R, the adult rant, and WSTW/WDEL. Addi-the first Walk-Race for Autism.
around and realize just how many services program that provides tional event supporters include For more information about the
people are there, and you feel like adults with opportunities to vol- Bear-Glasgow Dental, Blue Cross Walk-Race, please Visit de-
we can accomplish anything to- unteer, intern, and work in the Blue Shield of Delaware, Jolly' lautism.org or contact Associate
gether! community. Trolley, Lorne and Sharon Solway, Director Teresa Avery at 302-224-
The funds raised will support The event could not be possible NRG Energy Indian River power 6020.
Autism Delaware's many pro- without the generosity of many plant, Pyramid Educational Con- Teresa J Avery, MBA
grams. These include support donors and sponsors. This year sultants, Tybout Redfearn & Pell, associate executive director
programs like the Parent Coffee the event was sponsored by The Horizon Services, Peninsula Den- Autism IX4mmm
Redistricting is one of the
purest actions a legislative body
can take.
- John Engler
he all-important de-
ceunial blood sport
known as legislative
redistricting is upon
us. Delaware is spared the con-
gressional version by virtue of
its size, but the redrawing of
Delaware General Assembly and
Senate districts already promis-
es great entertainment value
Majority Leader Pete
Schwartzkopf of Rehoboth
Beach has apparently decided to
unilaterally ignore a state law
that mandates that census data
reflect where inmates actually
"reside, and not where they are
incarcerated. This because a
software update in the mapping
program called Maptitude
would cost the state $70,000.
That's less than a dime per
person to accurately reflect the
residence of Delaware's citizen-
ry....a modest outlay, and quite
justifmble when compared with
some of the specious folly our
politicos have been known to
waste tax dollars Let's look
at some history.
In 2001, the Republicans con-
trolled the process in Legislative
Hall and followed a time-hon-
ored tradition dating back to
18t2 when Massachusetts Gov.
Elbridge Gerry signed a bill that
redistricted Massachusetts to
benefit his Democratic-Republi-
can Party. .
One particul ly contorted
district that year resembled the
outline of a salamander, thus
giving us the sobriquet "gerry-
mander" to describe similarly
egregious map drawing.
Although remapping is ideally
supposed to acknowledge exist-
ing municipal boundaries, the
2001 remapping split both
Georgetown and Lewes among
differing legislators as popula-
fion growth in Sussex County
gave rise to the Rehoboth area
14th District, currently repre-
sented by Schwartzkopf.
The 2010 census again
showed a significant population
shift in Delawa re favoring Sus-
sex County and other points
south of the Canal with the like-
lihood the coastal and capitol
gions will gain districts at the
expense of New Castle County.
But this time, the Democrats
hold sway in Dover, and
Schwartzkopf is leading the re-
districting process. He has
promised to consider public in-
put in the process, but he also
promised public input regarding
casinos and pursued his own
agenda anyway, so reconcilia-
tion of his words and deeds re-
mains to be seen.
Both Lewes and Georgetown
are pushing to beunified in a
single district each; community
organizers point out that the
Hispanic population in
Delaware doubled in the decade
since 2000 and including all of
Georgetown in a single legisla-
five distaict would allow a
stronger voice for this group.
This brings us back to Pete
and his lack of intestinal forti-
tude to fix Maptitude. The ger-
rymandering/redistricting this
year is being crafted as we said
at the start by a computer pro-
gram called Maptitude which
has issues that would cost 10
cents per person to fn¢, assuring
accurate population data that
complies with state law.
Pete, this is the .wrong place to
save money, Take some of the
$70 million the revenue gums
just found - and get the software
fight. Make sure people are
placed in contiguous districts
with similar interests and needs.
When you're talking about the
basic structure for our represen-
tative system of government,
this is no time to pinch pennies.
Fix Maptitude and do thejob
right.
"Money often costs too muck"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
. Many thanks to the Christiana
board of education for remind-
ing us that you can stand on
principle, but you can't spend it.
Facing complaints from teachers
who were being forced to trans-
fer out of Glasgow High School
and Stubbs Elementary to com-
ply with transformation require-
ments under Race to the Top,
the board opted to opt out of the
Race memorandum of under-
standing, saying the process was
flawed.
Wasting no time, Education
Secretary Lillian Lowery and
Gov. Jack Markell announced '
that the state would rescind the
$11 million in federal funding
that Christiana was due to re-
ceive under the Race to the Top
funding formula. Arne Duncan,
the U.S. Secretary of Education,
also chimed in to chastise the
board's decision.
Having received 11 million rea-
sons to rethink its position, as
well as state and federal scold-
ing, the Christiana board unani-
mously reversed itself and is-
sued a stirring reaffu'mation of
its faith in the Race to the Top
program objectives. When mon-
ey talks, everything else walks.
Bob Love has been a reporter for community
newspapers and a campaign strategist for
local, state and federal candidates. He is a
former planning board member and charter
school board president. Reach Love at
.ralove.cg@gmail.com.
