DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting applications from Delaware artists for participation in a rain barrel painting contest aimed at educating Delawareans on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Artists selected will be invited to paint creative designs on rain barrels that will be prominently displayed in public areas.

To enter the contest, adult artists must complete and submit an application by Friday, March 17, which includes providing a description and preliminary sketch of their design. Watershed Stewardship staff will choose participants in the contest based on their application and design ideas. Once contest participants have been selected, they will have five weeks to finish their barrel painting and submit final photographs and information requested.

Participating artists must be willing to give of their time and must provide materials, including paint and brushes or other application tools, an interpretation of their work and a short biography. In exchange, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section will provide a fully-assembled 55-gallon plastic rain barrel with two coats of primer applied, plus cans of clear top coat. This year’s barrels have been donated by Tidewater Utilities, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Coca-Cola.

Photos of the finished rain barrels will be posted online for public voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org. The barrels also will be displayed at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover from May 31 through July 19. Five finalists will be chosen by online voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org. All five finalists will receive prizes. A professional judging panel will choose the grand prize winner, whose barrel will be displayed at the DNREC Building at the 2017 Delaware State Fair. The winner will also participate in Governor’s Day, Thursday, July 27 at the fair. The winning barrel will then be displayed in a prominent location to be determined.

Applications can be found at www.delawarewatersheds.org. Completed applications and sketches should be emailed to sara.wozniak@delaware.gov or sent by close of business March 17 to:
DNREC Watershed Assessment and Management Section
C/O Sara Wozniak
2430 Old County Road
Newark, DE 19702

For more information, please contact Sara Wozniak at sara.wozniak@delaware.gov or 302-382-0335.

What is a Rain Barrel?
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores water from roofs and downspouts for uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. This stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 48

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting applications from children and student groups in grades K-12 to participate in a rain barrel painting contest aimed at educating young Delawareans on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Selected children or groups will be invited to paint creative designs on rain barrels for later public display.

To enter the contest, young artists must complete and submit an application by Friday, March 17, with a description and preliminary sketch of their design. Watershed Stewardship staff will choose contest participants based on their application and design ideas.

Once contest participants are selected, they will have five weeks to finish their barrel painting and submit final photographs and information requested about their works.

Young artists who participate in the contest must be willing to give of their time and materials, including paint and brushes or other application tools, and provide a short biography. In exchange, Watershed Stewardship will provide a fully-assembled 55-gallon plastic rain barrel with two coats of primer applied, plus cans of clear top coat. This year’s barrels have been donated by Tidewater Utilities, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Coca-Cola.

Photos of the finished rain barrels will be posted online for public voting at http://delawarewatersheds.org/. The barrels also will be displayed at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover from May 31 through July 19. The top five painted entries as chosen by online voters will be displayed at the 2017 Delaware State Fair in Harrington from July 20-29, where they will be voted on again by fair visitors for best painted rain barrel. The five finalists also will be recognized with the first place barrel announced during the annual DNREC Awards program on Governors Day, Thursday, July 27, at the Delaware State Fair.

Applications are available online at http://delawarewatersheds.org/. Completed applications and sketches should be emailed to sharon.webb@delaware.gov or sent by close of business March 17 to:
DNREC Nonpoint Source Program
C/O Sharon Webb
State Street Commons
100 West Water Street, Suite 6B
Dover, DE 19904

For more information, please contact Sharon Webb at sharon.webb@delaware.gov or 302-739-9922.

What is a Rain Barrel?
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores water from roofs and downspouts for uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. This stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 47

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Council will help coordinate crucial public and private services for Delaware families

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney signed Executive Order Five on Tuesday, reestablishing the Family Services Cabinet Council to help coordinate public and private services for Delaware families.

Delaware families continue to face significant challenges – including the high cost of child care; violence and poverty in their neighborhoods; the impact of caring for an aging family member; and the challenges of navigating an economy in transition. The Family Services Cabinet Council will be charged with coordinating public and private services that are often fragmented, and proposing changes to current programs to make the delivery of state services more effective.

Governor Carney will serve as chair of the Council.

Reestablishment of the Council, which was first established under Governor Tom Carper, was an action called for by Governor Carney’s Transition Team in their Action Plan for Delaware. The Council also will work closely with the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Board (GEAR), which Governor Carney created this month to identify cost savings and efficiencies in state government, and to more effectively operate state programs and services.

“Our challenge is to determine whether the programs and services we offer are effective in moving families out of poverty, improving our system of education and creating opportunities for all Delaware families to succeed,” said Governor Carney. “That requires all of us – government agencies, nonprofits and private business – to work together. That also requires that we measure our progress. The reestablishment of the Family Services Cabinet Council will help us do just that, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of Delaware families.”

The Council will be tasked with implementing innovative tools and strategies for addressing a series of specific issues, including: breaking the school-to-prison pipeline; improving access to early childhood education; increasing the availability of affordable housing; improving access to substance abuse treatment; reducing recidivism in Delaware’s correctional system; expanding job training opportunities; and reducing violence in Delaware’s neighborhoods.

The Council will include eight members of Governor Carney’s Cabinet – the Secretary of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families; the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services; the Secretary of the Department of Education; the Secretary of the Department of Labor; the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security; the Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority; the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and the Commissioner of the Department of Correction.

“It is our duty to ensure that our children and our families have the necessary tools to be healthy, prosperous, and safe,” said Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “The reestablishment of this Council will break down silos in state government and allow for a more collaborative and coordinated approach to address some of the most critical issues we face, so that every Delawarean has a fair shot.”

LEWES  – The Pinelands Nature Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park reopened today following tree maintenance work. The trail closed Feb. 17 when Division of Parks & Recreation staff noticed that trees had fallen on – or were leaning over – the trail. Parks staff removed a number of those trees within the trail to ensure public safety.

Most of the trees taken from the trail were in a low-lying area near the trailhead adjacent the Seaside Nature Center Parking area.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor Carney released the following statement after a bomb threat to Siegel Jewish Community Center in Wilmington was cleared:

“The continued bomb threats to Siegel JCC must stop. These hateful actions place a shadow over our state and country. Our law enforcement officials will continue to work diligently to find the individuals responsible and hold them accountable.”