Hocker grateful for work of others with seminar
Editor:
I am writing to express my gratitude to the Ocean View Police Department, the Citizen Auxiliary Patrol (CAP) and the Millville Volunteer Fire Department for organizing the very informative seminar on disaster preparedness held at the Millville Volunteer Fire Hall on Thursday evening, Sept. 25.
The publicized and free presentation was superbly emceed by Elliot “Doc” Flick of CAP, with introductory remarks made by Ocean View’s Honorable Mayor Gordon Wood and myself. In addition to Mayor Wood, Ocean View’s Senior Councilman William “Bill” Wichmann was in attendance, and it was through his efforts that disaster preparedness became a priority subject of discussion.
Ocean View Chief of Police Ken McLaughlin provided insight from the police perspective, while Bob George of Citizen Corps offered preplanning advice and shown a video presentation provided by Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA). The keynote speaker was Wendy Carey, a coastal hazard specialist with Delaware’s Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service, who gave a highly informative and captivating PowerPoint presentation on the birth, life cycles, similarities and differences of hurricanes and nor’easters.
Also in attendance were Ocean View’s former Mayor Gary Meredith and current South Bethany Mayor Gary Jayne, with their wives.
Although the weather was storming, the attending citizens filled every available seat and came from Bethany Beach, Clarksville, Dagsboro, South Bethany, Ocean View and Millville areas. Additionally, several lucky citizens walked away after the event with door prizes provided by DEMA, Citizens Corps, Retiree and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Civil Air Patrol, who all had free informational displays at the seminar.
All participants and attendees should be commended for their interest and commitment to disaster preparedness, for it is not a question of if a disaster will happen but a statement of when.
Rep. Gerald Hocker
(R) 38th District
POWs give their version of pledge
Editor:
In remembrance of the prisoners of war and those missing in action, the “Prisoner of War Pledge of Allegiance.”
“I pledge allegiance to the flag” – I am an American, I was a prisoner of war, I have served my country; I need no one to tell me what allegiance I owe… to my flag… to my home.
“Of the United States of America” – This is my country. I have fought for it. I have been imprisoned for it. I have died for it.
“And to the Republic for which it stands” – This flag stands for me, for love; my love for my family, my love for my friends. I did not forsake it when I was beaten, when I was starved or when I was killed.
“One nation under God, indivisible” – I am one man, I have one country, and I worship one God. Under God I was captured; under God I was saved; under God I have no fear.
“With liberty and justice for all” – My allegiance is to liberty, to justice.
My flag represents the best of myself – my effort, my home, my country. I will pledge allegiance to the flag. I will pledge under the love of God. It is my right, my privilege to the flag, my duty. I have earned it. Tell me not how! I have given you much. I am an ex-POW. Take nothing more from me.
“I pledge allegiance to the flag.”
Nicholas Tos’ques
Wilbur Reid
Ex-POWs from the Korean War
Biden heading to active duty with office strong
Editor’s note: The following letter from Delaware Attorney General Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III was addressed to citizens of Delaware and forwarded to the Coastal Point for publication.
Later this week I will be reporting for active duty with the United States Army as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard.
I have known that this deployment was a possibility for the past year. When I learned that my deployment was likely, I actively began a process that lasted several months to develop a plan for how the Delaware Department of Justice will function during my deployment.
While I am deployed, I plan to be in contact with my senior leadership as often as my duties and the Army will allow. However, I have full confidence in the entire Department to continue to work effectively and to meet my objectives over the next year.
I have the finest senior leadership team of any Attorney General in this Country. My senior leadership, including the chief deputy attorney general, chief of staff and division heads, are all exceptionally qualified and experienced prosecutors and managers. I am confident that my team will implement my plans and initiatives while I am deployed.
My senior leadership consists of the following individuals:
· Chief Deputy Attorney General Richard Gebelein: 35 years of public and private service; former Delaware Attorney General and retired Delaware Superior Court judge after 21 years of distinguished service; retired colonel in the Delaware Army National Guard.
· Chief of Staff Teresa Mason: 26 years of service in the public and private sectors; former bank executive, New York City sheriff; former prosecutor (Bronx District Attorney’s Office) and New York State Tax Enforcement assistant commissioner.
· State Prosecutor Richard Andrews: 25 years of experience prosecuting criminals; served in leadership positions in the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Delaware for 19 years, including service as chief of the Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney.
· State Solicitor Lawrence Lewis: 15 years of service to the Delaware Department of Justice, in addition to private practice; previously supervised the Civil Division’s Government Services Group; represented several state agencies in complex commercial transactions.
· Fraud and Consumer Protection Division Director Timothy Mullaney: 32 years of public service experience including: former U.S. Marshal for Delaware, retired lieutenant from the City of Dover Police Department, and former county attorney for the New Castle County Law Office.
· Family Division Director Patricia Dailey Lewis: 20 years of experience in the field of family and child advocacy and protection; served as head of the Child Protection, Child Support and Consumer Protection intake units. She serves as an adjunct professor of family law at Widener Law School.
Over the past several months, my senior leadership and I have met at length to review how the Department of Justice will operate while I am deployed. During that time, we have worked together to establish clear and detailed objectives for each division for the next year. These include:
· Programmatic priorities: We will work to establish a Delaware Department of Justice Homicide Unit, expand our successful Nuisance Abatement, Community Prosecution, and Child Predator programs, and fully implement our recently-announced Senior Protection Initiative.
· Legislative priorities: We will propose a constitutional amendment on bail, which will permit bail to be denied for certain violent and dangerous offenders. We will urge the General Assembly to pass the false claims legislation I proposed last year. This legislation will help us combat fraud against government contracts and programs and allow Delaware to receive additional funds from Medicaid fraud recoveries. We will also propose legislation that provides full financial recovery for victims in criminal cases, enhances penalties for those who violate our environmental laws, and increases penalties for criminals who carry concealed deadly weapons.
· Budget priorities: We have worked ahead in preparing the Department’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal. Our budget request for next year will include new funding for critically-needed staff positions to support existing and new initiatives, including a Department of Justice Homicide Unit and our successful Nuisance Abatement and Senior Protection programs. We will also request funding for new support staff positions to ease the crushing workload in several of our units.
I am grateful, as I know are all the members of my unit, for your kind thoughts and prayers. I am honored to serve with such dedicated men and women in the Delaware National Guard, and equally honored to serve with my exceptional team at the Delaware Department of Justice.
When I have completed my deployment, I will look forward to returning to my family and continuing the work toward my objectives as Attorney General of this great state.
Beau Biden
Attorney General
Dagsboro resident puts support behind Markell
Editor:
All across our nation, Americans are feeling squeezed by higher energy prices, food prices and a generally higher cost of living. The presidential candidates on both side of the fence are hitting these issues hard in speeches and on talk shows every day; however, these promises of real change seem very far away.
That is why we need to look seriously at the governor’s race here in Delaware. Jack Markell has thought seriously about these issues, and even took the time and energy to publish a book about his plans.
Delawareans have never had so much information about a candidate’s plans for the state before they spend even one day in office. Not only are his plans detailed in writing, but, more importantly, Markell is eager to be held accountable for making change real – something rarely heard of among politicians. Jack has the plans and the energy to take Delaware in a new direction.
Delawareans have been given an incredible amount of information about Jack’s vision for the state and, as voters, it is our duty to consider his detailed plans and make the right choice in November.
Thank you for your consideration.
Lee I. Dogoloff
Dagsboro
yART sale a hit, thanks to many
Editor:
We would like to thank the community for the wonderful support for our second annual yART Sale on Labor Day weekend. We were so happy to have so many people come out and support our local artists.
This year’s raffle proceeds all went to the Rehoboth Summer Children’s Theatre. This is a non-profit organization that brings free theater to Bethany Beach every summer; $550 were raised.
We would like to thank the artists who donated their work for the raffle: John Donato donated a framed print; Jill Thomas a framed print; and Martha and Forrest Bogan a ceramic bowl.
They were all beautiful pieces, and we thank you very much for your kind generosity!
And thank you, Marco from Made by Hand, for your beautiful music!
Julie and Nick Kypreos
Bethany Beach
Reader observing many issues in election
Editor:
The media served us well in exposing Barack Obama’s pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, as preaching such extremism as accusing the government of creating HIV to wage genocide against African-Americans. Voters are helped whenever candidates’ affiliations are revealed and, in this case, even the candidate was helped to see things clearly and he severed ties.
So why the relative silence surrounding Sarah Palin’s church?
The Wasilla Bible Church actually promoted an event in September designed to “pray away the gay” – that is, to change gay people into straight. The program was presented by James Dobson’s fanatically anti-gay and politically active group, Focus on the Family. Palin has refused to answer whether she agrees with her church’s belief in this matter.
The best science tells us that sexual orientation probably begins in utero and is certainly in place as early as 2 and 3 years of age. Peer-reviewed, mainstream scientific reports have found “ex-gay ministries” not only without scientific basis, but potentially harmful. (Confer studies by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.)
We should know whether these candidates are as anti-scientific and homophobic as the Bush administration has been.
Douglas Marshall-Steele
Milton
Mulligan encourages participation in group
Editor:
For some years, the Town of Bethany Beach has had a Communications Committee. This letter provides information about serving on the committee.
In the past year, the committee met six times and considered such areas as providing information to citizens, obtaining input from citizens, and updating of the town website. These are consistent with the committee’s purpose as established by the Town Council: “The purpose of the Communications Committee is to support the Town Council in providing and facilitating timely exchange of information between the Council and Town Government and the public on matters of general interest and concern in order to promote effective dialogue, understanding, public trust and confidence.”
Appointment of members for the next year will soon be made.
Anyone who wants to explore serving on the committee or who wants to work or comment on the above areas related to Bethany Beach may contact me (as I currently chair the committee) or the town hall. The town hall number for this is (302) 537-3771 and e-mail is admin@townofbethanybeach.com.
My phone is (240) 687-3841 and e-mail is tmulligan@comcast.net.
Additional information, including minutes of meetings, is available on the town’s Web site at http://www.townofbethanybeach.com/index.asp?nid=141.
Tracy Mulligan
Bethany Beach
Steele gets in on political conversation
Editor:
Let’s us look at some facts and then you can decide where the blame should be.
Financial:
•www.query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3D6123BF932A2575AC0A9659C8B63&scp=1&sq=september%2011,%202003&st=cse
If that is too much to type, go to Google and search New York Times archives, then type in their search area, “September 11, 2003 by Stephen Labaton” You will find more of the following story.
“Rep. M. G. Oxley (R), chair of the Financial Services Committee and Republican Sen. R. Shelby, chair of the Senate Banking committee stated that at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, “irregularities, which have been going on for several years, should have been detected earlier by the regulator.” Fannie’s chief executive, endorsed the “administration’s approach outlined today.” Rep. Barney Frank, Democrat from Massachusetts and Dem Rep Mel L. Watt “are not facing any kind of financial crisis.”
•www.online.wsj.com/article/SB122247015469280723.html
Great article on where some of the money is/was going during this bail-out.
ACORN – “one of America’s most militant left-wing “community activist groups.”
Google “ACORN” and/or “LA RAZA” You will get a wealth of information that will upset you.
•www.gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/09/bush-called-for-reform-of-fannie-mae.html
The above article chronicles the current administration’s attempts to reform Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae from 2001 until this year. There are 17 attempts this year alone. There are number of quotes from President Bush asking for reform.
If you have trouble reading all of that and you want to be entertained as you learn, then go to this Web site and see it in video form: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5tZc8oH—o
Or just educated: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNM6HHJTUMM&feature=related.
Energy:
•www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE48N7AA20080924?feedType+RSS&feedName=environmentNews&rpc=
REUTERS Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:29 pm EDT: “Gore urges civil disobedience to stop coal plants” This is the headline from the man who won the Nobel Peace Prize. He wants to stop coal plants that “do not have carbon capture and sequestration.” “But no commercial-scale project exists anywhere to demonstrate the technology,” partly because it is expected to “increase up-front cost by 50 percent.”
• “junkscience.com”
Media bias:
• www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/us/politics/26ads.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin
A new entity that you might be interested in is the Caesar Rodney Institute. Their Web site is www.CaesarRodney.Org “Advancing Prosperity through Liberty” This is the first think-tank that is in Delaware. It was charted in April this year. Please give it a look. One of their ideals is to get “open government” in Delaware. When your representative or senator signs a bill, sponsors a bill, votes for a bill, votes against a bill or sponsor legislation, you will be able to go to a website and find out exactly how they voted.
Enough for now!
Harry Steele
Bethany Beach