Kathleen Becker, a senior from Red Lion Christian Academy, won Delaware’s Poetry Out Loud state competition on February 25, 2014, held at the Smyrna Opera House. Becker’s recitations of “Sestina: Like,” by A. E. Stallings, “Channel Firing,” by Thomas Hardy, and “every single day,” by John Straley earned her high marks with the judges. The first runner-up was Idalis Stamas from Polytech High School, and the second runner-up was Kellina Moore from Appoquinimink High School.

For her winning presentation, Kathleen will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC, with a chaperone to compete for the national championship April 29-30, 2014. Red Lion Christian Academy will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Idalis Stamas, the first runner-up will receive $100, and $200 goes to Polytech High School for the purchase of poetry books.

Walmart provided $25 gift cards for all sixteen student finalists. At the National Finals, The Poetry Foundation will be awarding up to $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends, with a $20,000 college scholarship awarded to the Poetry Out Loud National Champion.

The state Poetry Out Loud competition, sponsored by the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition.

On Monday, February 24th, at approximately 4:15pm, a Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement agent was conducting a routine administrative check at South Dupont Liquors located at 157 S. Dupont Highway in New Castle when he noticed two young males inside.  Upon checking their identification one of them was discovered to be only 18 years of age.  Both subjects were acting suspicious and further investigation revealed that both subjects were from New York and were in Delaware to purchase a large amount of alcoholic beverages to transport back to New York in order to avoid state taxes.  Both subjects had in their possession a large amount of cash and a lengthy shopping list of various types of alcoholic liquor that they intended to purchase.  The agent arrested both individuals and they were charged with the above stated offenses. A total of $6,830.00 in cash was seized and both were later released to pending a future court date.

Bond agencies continue to measure Delaware’s credit risk favorably

In their review for the state’s upcoming bond sale, Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, Fitch Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service have all awarded Delaware a triple-A credit rating, the highest rating possible. All three ratings agencies highlight Delaware’s financial history and responsible governance in their reports. S&P attributed the state’s continued credit stability to Delaware’s prudent fiscal management and healthy reserves, while Moody’s said Delaware is in a strong position relative to its peers. The State has proudly received triple, triple-A ratings since 2000, managing to maintain that status even through the Great Recession and a challenging national economy.

“These ratings affirm the success we have had in addressing our budget challenges while adhering to high standards of fiscal responsibility,”  Governor Markell said. “This announcement means taxpayers will continue to benefit from lower costs for important projects that create jobs and improve quality of life in our state, including construction at schools, libraries and other facilities. There is more work to do to strengthen Delaware’s economy, but we are on the right track.”

The ratings were released as the state prepares to take bids on $225 million in general obligation bonds on Thursday, February 27th.  The bonds will be sold to finance capital construction projects, for example, school projects in Laurel, Smyrna, Red Clay and Woodbridge, libraries in Wilmington, Claymont, Lewes and Greenwood, a new state police troop and various other projects that improve the quality of life in Delaware.  The triple-A rating reflects a low credit risk which minimizes the return investors demand and minimizes the cost of these capital projects for Delawareans.

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Contact:

Angela Moffett-Batty
Community Relations Coordinator
Delaware Department of Finance
302-577-8522
angela.moffett@delaware.gov

• This year’s theme is “Trees are Terrific… In Cities and Towns!”
• Free pine seedlings offered to all contest participants

The Delaware Forest Service’s 2014 Arbor Day Poster Contest is now open to all Delaware students in grades K to 5. Public, private and home schools are encouraged to participate as well as after-school groups and youth organizations. Posters are due by April 4th, 2013. This year’s poster contest theme  – “Trees are Terrific…In Cities and Towns!”  – is dedicated to the important role that trees play in our communities and schoolyards. The Arbor Day Poster Contest is designed to help teachers incorporate trees into classroom learning and help students foster an appreciation for nature all around them. As in previous years, the Delaware Forest Service will provide all participating classes with free loblolly pine seedlings, which will be delivered to schools for planting during the last week of April.

• Complete Arbor Day Poster Contest guidelines and rules.
• Teacher lesson plan and activity guide.

State Judging Critteria
On a scale of 1-5, the following criteria are used to judge posters on the county and state level. These should be kept in mind when submitting posters:

• Use of Theme
• Originality
• Neatness
• Artistic Expression

Judges will be selected by the Contest Coordinator and judging will take place at the Delaware Department of Agriculture in Dover. Winners will be announced in early April.

Prizes Awarded to Winners
A winner for each county (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex) will be selected for each entry category (Grades K, 1-2, 3-4, and 5). From these 12 winners, an overall state winner will be selected to represent Delaware as we celebrate Arbor Day 2014. Please note: the National Arbor Day Foundation is no longer hosting a National Poster Contest for fifth grade winners. The Delaware Forest Service is committed to continuing the Arbor Day Poster Contest at the state level.

County winners receive:

• $25 gift card
• ceremonial tree planting held at their school
• invitation to the State Arbor Day Ceremony (attended by the Governor)
• “Tree inspired” children’s book
• winning posters will be reprinted on canvas, framed for display, and given to winner as a keepsake
• winning posters will be displayed online

In addition to the previous prizes, the State Winner will receive an additional $25 gift card.

Please visit the DDA Forest Service website to see the 2013 Arbor Day winners.

Posters must be received by April 4, 2014. Entries should be mailed or delivered to:

Ashley Peebles, Contest Coordinator
Delaware Forest Service
2320 S. DuPont Highway
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 698-4551
Email: ashley.peebles@delaware.gov

The poster contest is designed to supplement student learning in other subject areas by increasing their knowledge about how community trees have a direct impact on Delaware’s health and well-being.  Schools are a perfect setting to incorporate the role of urban trees into a wide range of subjects. Community trees are working trees that provide a variety of important natural benefits:

• provide beauty that can enhance neighborhoods
• shade streets and schoolyards
• create habitat and food for wildlife
• improve air quality and moderate air temperatures
• muffle noise and create privacy screens or windbreaks
• improve water quality by filtering runoff into streams and rivers
• reduce energy consumption

The Arbor Day Poster Contest also offers students the opportunity to plant their own pine seedlings as a great extension of their lessons about trees.

Teachers and parents who are interested in programs designed to increase their knowledge of trees, the many important functions of community trees, or to learn about grant opportunities to make their schools more “green,” visit www.plt.org.

Website link for 2014 Arbor Day Poster Contest Registration and Information
This link will help teachers and individual participants to:

1. Register a class for participation in the contest
2. Reserve free loblolly pine seedlings
3. Access the poster  guidelines and rules
4. Download a curriculum guide.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Deadline to register and reserve free seedlings: March 14th
• Deadline to submit posters for state contest: April 4th
• Arbor Day in Delaware: April 25th
• Seedling delivery: Week of April 28th

The lecture “Henry Gawthrop of the 4th Delaware,” originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at the New Castle Court House Museum in New Castle, Del., has been postponed. The event will be rescheduled in the near future.

Following is information on the original event:

Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Henry Gawthrop of the 4th Delaware. Lecture by Justin Carisio on the Quaker officer who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Presented by the New Castle Court House Museum and the New Castle Historical Society. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. 7 p.m. Admission $5. Free for New Castle Historical Society members. 302-323-4453.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone:  302-736-7413
E-mail:  Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web:   http://history.delaware.gov