THE MEZZANINE GALLERY TO EXHIBIT RHYTHMIC CHAOS BY SUSAN BENARCIK

For Immediate Release

The Delaware Division of the Arts Mezzanine Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of works on paper and small sculptures by Susan Benarcik during the month of March.  Rhythmic Chaos will be on view from March 4-24, with an opening reception on Friday, March 4 from 5-7 p.m.

Benarcik, a sculptor and printmaker, is inspired by the rhythm, harmony, chaos and balance in the patterns and shapes designed by nature. Rather than recreating the work of nature, she borrows forms from nature and transforms ordinary materials into dimensional sculpture and patterns that possess a balance of symmetry, imperfection, and consistent ‘otherness’. Benarcik’s love of horticulture and design inform a series of botanical drawings of fictitious plants that are also included in the show.

Learn more about Susan Benarcik with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series.

The Mezzanine Gallery, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington. The Gallery schedule of upcoming artists through August 2016 is now available on our website.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts

The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit artsdel.org or call 302-577-8278.

Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov
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Reminder for the week: Wildlife, fishing, boating area visitors asked to respect natural resources

DOVER – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Feb. 15-21 made 1,067 contacts with anglers, boaters, hunters and the general public, including 18 vessel boardings for boating safety and fishing regulation compliance checks. Officers responded to 31 complaints and issued four citations, three of which were related to the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail, where there is an increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence.

Citations issued this week by offense category included the following, with the number of charges in parentheses:

Wildlife Conservation: Failure to tag antlered deer (1), trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (2)*, and damaging state property on a state wildlife area (1)*.

* Citations issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

Are you AWARE?
DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind visitors to state wildlife areas, fishing piers and boat launching facilities that these areas are closed to the public from sunset to sunrise unless a person is actively and lawfully engaged in fishing, hunting or boating in accordance with state regulations and individual wildlife area rules. Individuals not meeting these requirements who are found in these areas between sunset and sunrise face fines up to $100 for trespassing after hours.

Wildlife area visitors also are reminded that it is illegal to operate motor vehicles – including motorcycles, cars, trucks and SUVs – off established roadways in state wildlife areas. Violators found to have caused damage also will be cited for destruction of state property. In addition, operating a motor vehicle that is not licensed for use on established public roadways – including ATVs – is prohibited both on and off-road on state wildlife areas.

“With recent heavy rains and changing temperatures, the ground is especially vulnerable to damage from vehicles operating off-road,” said Sgt. John McDerby of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police. “Doing ‘donuts’ or four-wheeling in wildlife areas is irresponsible and illegal behavior that damages essential wildlife habitat, as well as generating unnecessary work and expense to repair the damage.”

Other noteworthy general rules and regulations to remember include:

• Camping, swimming, fires, target shooting (including paintball) and dumping or littering are prohibited in state wildlife areas.
• Dog training is permitted only within established dog training areas or during open hunting seasons for the game animals that the dog is being trained to hunt.
• Hunting is permitted only in specified areas and only during designated hunting seasons.
• Firearms are prohibited on state wildlife areas from March 1 to Aug. 31, except during legal hunting seasons or as authorized by the Division of Fish & Wildlife.
• All state wildlife areas are designated carry-in, carry-out for trash.

For more information on individual wildlife areas, including the rules and regulations specific to each wildlife area, wildlife area visitors are encouraged to check out Delaware wildlife area maps. These maps are available in hard copy at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Media Contacts: Cpl. John McDerby, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 60

Expanding opportunity means ensuring that all Delawareans can maximize control over their own destinies, and over the destinies of their families. To do so, we must address our state’s high-rate of unplanned pregnancies. When people become parents accidentally, we know the future for them and their children may be diminished. Mothers and fathers drop out of school and leave the workforce and too often, their children have fewer opportunities.

Helping women achieve their own goals and become pregnant only when they want to means access to effective contraception that works for them. Top medical organizations have made clear that the new generation of IUDs and implants, long known as Long Acting Reversible Contraception, or LARCs, are 20 times more effective than other methods. But Delaware’s health care system is not prepared to make these methods easily accessible to all women. Providers are not trained to place these contraceptives or properly bill for them, and we see misunderstandings about medical eligibility. In my State of the State address, I announced that Delaware would work to change this.

To improve access, we have joined with the national non-profit Upstream USA to form a public-private partnership called Delaware CAN, Contraceptive Access Now. Supported by significant private funding and our Division of Public Health, we have begun training and providing technical assistance to health centers like the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center in Wilmington. With their help, and by the end of 2017, we will ensure that the nearly 200,000 women of reproductive age in the state get access to the full range of methods, and that they can pursue their personal goals while becoming pregnant when they and their partners choose.

By increasing access to high-quality reproductive healthcare, we can improve opportunities for women and their children —and that, will keep Delaware moving forward.

Wilmington, DE – In his weekly message, Governor Markell highlights an initiative announced during his State of the State address to increase access to high-quality reproductive healthcare for women in an effort to improve opportunities for women and children.

“Expanding opportunity for our people means ensuring that all Delawareans can maximize control over their own destinies, and over the destinies of their families. To do so, we must address our state’s high-rate of unplanned pregnancies,” Gov. Markell said. “By increasing access to high-quality reproductive healthcare, we can improve opportunities for women and their children —and that, will keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/d4NWDdnWu0U
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Increasing Access to Healthcare to Expand Opportunity for All Delawareans

“Trees are Terrific…and Forests are Too!” That’s the theme of the Delaware Forest Service’s 2016 Arbor Day Poster Contest, which is open to all children in grades K to 5 in Delaware public, private, home, and charter schools. After-school programs and youth groups are also eligible. The deadline for poster submission is April 8, 2016. For more information, email contest coordinator Ashley Peebles or call 302-698-4551.

Teachers and schools can register for the contest, sign up to receive free tree seedlings for their school, and access the 2016 Arbor Day Poster Contest Guidelines at the Arbor Day Poster Contest Event Brite Registration Link.

A total of 12 winners will be selected: one from each county (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex)  in four separate grade categories (grades K, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5). From these county winners, an overall State Winner will be chosen.

County winners receive:

• $25.00 gift card
• ceremonial tree planting held at the winner’s school
• invitation to the State Arbor Day Ceremony (attended by the Governor)
• “Tree inspired” children’s book
• winning posters will be reprinted on canvas and framed for display as a keepsake
• winning posters will be displayed online
• The State Winner will receive all of the above plus an additional $25.00 gift card.

  A complete gallery of the 2015 Poster Contest Winners can be viewed online.

Judging will take place at the Delaware Department of Agriculture and winners will be announced in early April.

Posters will be evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5 on the following criteria:

1. Use of Theme
2. Originality
3. Neatness
4. Artistic Expression

This year’s theme is designed to increase knowledge about forests and forest resources and the Arbor Day contest can be a great supplement to a K-5 science unit. The goal is to help children learn about the numerous benefits of trees and their direct impact on community health and well-being. Schools are a perfect setting to incorporate the role of urban trees into the everyday curriculum. Trees provide beauty while providing habitat and food for wildlife. They also improve air and water quality, muffle noise, enhance property values, moderate air temperatures, mitigate soil erosion, and reduce energy consumption.

All participating classes will receive free loblolly pine seedlings! Seedlings will be delivered just in time for planting in late-April.