DOVER – DNREC’s Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Section’s Recycling Program has a new interactive game that travels to Delaware middle schools and helps enlighten students about single-stream recycling. The “Bin It to Win It” game is part of the Recycling Program’s new “Clean the Stream” recycling campaign.

Bin It to Win It brings together teams of students in grades 5-8, and gives them two minutes to sort items by “recyclables” and “trash,” and deposit them into the proper bin. At the end of two minutes, a recycling referee reviews their bins and retrieves any incorrectly-placed items, explaining why the items should or should not be recycled. The team with the most correctly-sorted items will be announced as the winner, with pens made of recycled materials as prizes

“In order to create a more sustainable future for Delaware, we need to educate students on the importance of recycling,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Teaching our students about what goes in the trash and what goes in the recycling bin is the first step toward learning good recycling habits, and we hope they will take their knowledge home to share with their families and friends.”

To find out more about bringing “Bin It to Win It” to your school, please contact Jackie Howard or Don Long, DNREC Recycling Program, 302-739-9403, extension 8.

To learn more about recycling, please visit www.recycling.delaware.gov.

Vol. 48, No. 42

CONTACT: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 28, 2018)—State Rep. Melanie George Smith recently visited the Buena Vista conference/event center, located at 661 S. Dupont Highway (Route 13), southwest of New Castle, to celebrate the accreditation of the museum system of the State of Delaware by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest recognition afforded to museums in the United States. Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the system includes five state museums, over 40 historic properties and the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections.

Developed and sustained by museum professionals for over 45 years, the alliance’s accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.

One of Delaware’s most historic homes, the main section of Buena Vista was built between 1845 and 1847 by John M. Clayton, United States secretary of state from 1849 to 1850 under presidents Taylor and Fillmore, and United States senator from 1829 to 1836, 1845 to 1849, and 1853 until his death in 1856. The home later became the residence of C. Douglass Buck, governor of Delaware from 1929 to 1937 and United States senator from 1942 to 1948. Buena Vista and its grounds were donated to the state by the Buck family in 1965 and now serve as a conference/event center administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-739-7787
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

For Immediate Release

 SAMUEL MCGARVEY TO REPRESENT DELAWARE IN
2018 POETRY OUT LOUD NATIONAL FINALS IN WASHINGTON

Dover, Del. (February 28, 2018) – From a competitive field of 12 Delaware high school students, Samuel McGarvey, a sophomore from Tall Oaks Classical School, earned the title of 2018 Poetry Out Loud Delaware State Champion at the state finals held in Dover, Del. on Feb. 27. The first runner-up was Dounya Ramadan from Newark Charter Jr./Sr. High School and the second runner-up was Richard Matthews from Dover High School.

McGarvey’s final recitation, I Remember, I Remember by Thomas Hood, earned him high marks with the judges.

For his winning presentation, McGarvey will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington with a chaperone to compete at the national championship on April 23-25. Tall Oaks Classical School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry materials. Dounya Ramadan, the first runner-up will receive $100, and Newark Charter Jr./Sr. High School will receive $200 for its school library.

The Poetry Out Loud state 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.

To learn more about the State Finalists and for hi-res photos from the event, please see our page here. For hi-res photos, please contact Leeann Wallett.

About Poetry Out Loud
The Delaware Division of the Arts sponsors the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest program in Delaware schools and the state finals. Competition begins at the classroom level in the fall and culminates with the state finals each spring. Twenty schools and over 2,000 Delaware students participated in the Poetry Out Loud program in the current academic year. The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest competition is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. 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. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.

Banner image: Samuel McGarvey

DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police urge reporting violators

KENT COUNTY – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police concluded multiple investigations into illegal trash dumping on state wildlife areas with the recent arrests of two downstate men in separate incidents.

On Feb. 18, Ibis A. Ayala, 33, of Dover, was charged with four counts of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste on the Division of Fish & Wildlife-owned Woodland Beach Wildlife Area near Smyrna and one count of driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Ayala had previously been issued a criminal summons by Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Feb. 9, 2018 for one count of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste on a different Fish & Wildlife-owned property in Kent County.

Ayala was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover, where he pled guilty, was fined $652, including court costs, and was released.

On Feb. 22, William H. Cloak III, 41, of Felton, was charged with one count of causing or contributing to the disposal or discharge of solid waste on the Fish & Wildlife-owned Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area near Felton.

Cloak was arraigned at the Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover, where he was released on a $500 unsecured bond, pending a future court appearance after transferring his case to the Court of Common Pleas.

Dumping trash on state wildlife areas is an environmental crime. Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police encourage residents and visitors to report violations. Calls can be made anonymously, to 1-800-523-3336.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Vol. 48, No. 40

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Africa, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-382-7167, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

With the passing of Reverend Billy Graham on Wednesday, February 21 2018, President Trump has ordered American flags at all government buildings and facilities be flown at half-staff the day of his interment, this Friday March 2.

In concurrence with the President’s order, Governor Carney has ordered the American and Delaware flags at state buildings and facilities also be flown at half-staff on that day.

Flags are to be lowered to half-staff at the start of business Friday March 2 and are to be returned to full staff at the close of business that day.