Reminder for the week: Hunters should take safety precautions when going
afield by wearing hunter orange and properly transporting firearms

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Sept.17-23 made 1,649 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 644 citations. Officers responded to 42 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Incidents of note:

• On Sept. 18, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers assisted the Wilmington Police Department in the investigation of a fatal boat accident involving an overturned kayak that occurred on the Brandywine River in Wilmington.
• On Sept. 18, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers arrested Donald V. Andrus 2nd, 67, of Smyrna, for one count of disorderly conduct near Woodland Beach. Andrus was arraigned at Kent County Justice of the Peace Court 7 and released on a $500 unsecured bond pending a future court appearance.
• On Sept. 19, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers statewide assisted in the investigation and arrest of a commercial waterman for numerous shellfish and boating violations near Delaware City. The following press release was issued regarding the incident:
  DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrest commercial waterman for numerous shellfish and boating violations
• On Sept. 22, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers arrested two individuals for prostitution-related charges, one of which was also charged with several drug violations, on Port Mahon Road near Dover. The following press release was issued regarding the incident: DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police make arrests for drug and prostitution charges

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Possession of undersized white perch (1), possession of undersized striped bass (1), possession of undersized black drum (1), possession of undersized black seabass (1), and possession of undersized tautog (1). Commercial: Failure to tend commercial crab pots within 72 hours (322), improperly-marked commercial crab pot license number on buoy (171), over-the-limit commercial crab pots (121), crabbing from a vessel not displaying a proper color panel (2), commercial crabbing under a crab pot number not assigned by DNREC (1), and failure to have a commercial license in possession (1). failure to tend commercial crab pots within 72 hours; 171 counts of improperly-marked commercial crab pot license number on buoy; 121 counts of over-the-limit commercial crab pots; two counts of crabbing from a vessel not displaying a proper color panel; and one count each of commercial crabbing under a crab pot number not assigned by DNREC; failure to have a commercial license in his possession;

Boating and Boating Safety: No life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (1), operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (1), no fire extinguisher on board (1), no sound-producing device on board (1), reckless operation of a vessel (1), and no boat ramp certificate (1).

Public Safety: Clamming in a prohibited area (2), disorderly conduct (1), possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance/cocaine (1), possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance/heroin (1), possession of drug paraphernalia not marijuana-related (1), prostitution (1), and patronizing a prostitute (1).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (2), dumping on a state wildlife area (2), operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area (1)*, and destruction of state property (2)*.

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

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.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters that they are required to wear hunter orange for safety during all firearms deer seasons, except when hunting migratory birds. Firearm deer hunters, as well as bow hunters and small game hunters, are required to wear no less than a total of 400 square inches of hunter orange on their heads, chests, and backs combined during firearms deer seasons. Deer hunters concealed inside ground-level blinds also must place 400 square inches of hunter orange within 10 feet outside of the blind and at least 3 feet off the ground during firearms deer seasons.

Current and upcoming hunting seasons include:

• Archery and crossbow deer season, now through Jan. 31, 2019
• Squirrel season, now through Feb. 2, 2019; closed during November shotgun deer season
• Snow goose season, Oct. 3 through Feb. 2, 2019, and Feb. 9, 2019
• Muzzleloader deer season, Oct. 5 through Oct. 14

Hunters also are reminded that transporting a loaded firearm in any motorized vehicle, including ATVs, is prohibited. In the case of a muzzleloader rifle, loaded means that the powder and ball, bullet, or shot is loaded in the bore. A muzzleloader is not considered loaded if the cap, primer, or priming powder (in a flintlock) is removed and the striking mechanism used to ignite the cap, primer, or priming powder is removed or rendered inoperable, or if the muzzleloader is enclosed in a case.

To report hunting violations or accidents please call the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police 24-hour dispatch line at: 302-739-4580 or 1-800-523-3336.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

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

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, 302-382-7167, or Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913

Murder, firearm cases also resolved

A Superior Court judge sentenced Kevin Robinson, 24, of New Castle, to 20 years in prison for raping a child. Investigators believed that in the summer of 2017, Robinson forced the child to perform oral sex on him approximately 8 times. In May 2018, Deputy Attorney General Diana Dunn secured a guilty plea to Rape Second Degree. The judge sentenced Robinson to 20 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 2 years of probation. Robinson must also register as a Tier III sex offender. Deputy Attorney General Jan van Amerongen secured the sentence.

A 54-year-old Townsend man received a 12-year prison sentence for his May 2018 guilty plea to 3 counts Sexual Exploitation of a Child and 3 counts of Dealing in Child Pornography. Deputy Attorney General Periann Doko secured the sentence for Stephen Forbes. Beginning in 2014 and over the course of almost 4 years, Forbes took nude photos of an underage girl. When arrested in October 2017, Forbes also had pictures of other underage children engaged in sexual activity. A Superior Court judge sentenced Forbes to 12 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 4 years of probation. Forbes must also register as a Tier III sex offender. Detectives Austin Jenkins and Detective Darryl Santry of the New Castle County Police Department served as lead investigators on this case.

A 35-year-old man already registered as a Tier III sex offender, was sentenced to 5 years in prison on new charges. Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Anderson secured a guilty plea from Benjamin Willis of Laurel, to 2 counts of Sex Offender Unlawful Sexual Contact Against a Child. In the summer of 2016, Willis had inappropriate sexual relations with a child. A Superior Court judge accepted the plea and immediately sentenced Willis to 5 years in prison, followed by 3 years of probation. DOJ victim advocate Carla Ennals assisted with the case.

A 26-year old New Castle man will spend the rest of his life in prison when sentenced for his conviction for a 2017 murder outside of a dance club in Bear. A Superior Court jury found Elder Saavedra guilty of Murder First Degree and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony in the death of 23-year-old Lester Mateo of Penns Grove, NJ. In March 2017, after getting into a fight with friends of Mateo inside of the El Nuevo Rodeo, Saavedra, who had been escorted out of the club, took the SUV Mateo had just parked, chased him down and struck Mateo with the vehicle, killing him. A Superior Court judge will sentence Saavedra in 2019.

Deputy Attorneys General Alicia Porter and Dennis Kelleher secured a guilty verdict against a Dover man for illegally having a gun. A Superior Court jury convicted Cameron Norwood, 29, of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited and Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited. In September 2017, state troopers located Norwood, wanted for a violation of probation, at the Best Western Hotel in the 1700 block of Lebanon Road in Dover. While executing a search warrant, Troopers found a loaded 9mm handgun in the glove compartment of Norwood’s car. Norwood, barred from having a gun because of previous felony convictions on robbery and weapons charges, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge in November. DOJ administrative specialist Samantha Huey assisted with the prosecution.

Editor’s note: This Take Note guest post is written by Jinni Forcucci, a Sussex Technical High School English language arts teacher and the 2018 Delaware Teacher of the Year. (Photo credit: Shannon Marvel McNaught/Gatehouse Delaware.) 

My family and I live in Rehoboth Beach, DE, and spend each summer visiting our favorite spots along the Atlantic Ocean in Sussex County. Attracted to the tides, the waves, the calm and the consistency of the water’s presence, my sons, my husband and I use these spaces to laugh, to exercise, to commune and to reflect.

One of my most treasured memories of our time on the beach, however, occurred when my youngest son was about five or six. After spending almost an hour sitting on the jetty rocks, looking out over the horizon, Cooper made his way back to where my husband and I sat. My husband, always the consummate observer, could tell that Cooper had something on his mind, so he asked him what he’d been thinking about as he sat on those rocks overlooking the seascape. Through his bleached blond eyelashes, my kiddo looked at us and said, “You know that line where the sea meets the sky? I thought about what I’d find if I went there.”

This past year, as Delaware’s 2018 Teacher of the Year, I feel like I had the chance to visit the space my son imagined on that summer day: the space where inspiration and curiosity abound, where challenges and experiences prompt self-discovery and untapped strength, where sunrises offers a new opportunity to make a difference, and sunsets prompt the rest and reflection necessary to keep doing the important work that benefits the children in our schools and in our communities.

After overcoming the initial shock of being named DE STOY (and please know that I still struggle with imposter syndrome when in the company of so many exemplary educators in our state and from around the nation), I began my journey toward fearless leadership and increased advocacy. And while I’ve always valued and embraced these skills, employing them on a state-wide level was completely new. Former TOYs like Wendy Turner (2017), Sandra Hall (2016), and Megan Szabo (2015) were just a few of the teacher leaders who tried to ready me for the year in store. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for my first meeting held by the CCSSO – The Council of Chief State School Officers in California with the 2018 National Teachers of the Year cohort.

The whole experience was nutso. I’m serious. I was hanging with educational professionals who’d already written and published books, who’d led for racial equity on a national stage, whose impressive resumes made me feel like a Shetland pony in the Kentucky Derby. I had so much to learn from these compassionate, innovative, and gloriously welcoming hearts belonging to educators I now call dear friends and confidantes.

Exhausting and transformative, my time in California solidified what I already knew about this noble profession: teachers are total and absolute rock stars who need more resources and support to help students thrive, and ALL learners benefit when ALL perspectives are valued. Why, then, did I need to go to all the way to CA if I already understood the goals CCSSO was trying to fulfill? Because when one is truly valued, when professional development is housed at Google (that place is magical… for real), when collaboration results in a nation-wide push for equitable outcomes, when heartfelt tears and giggles, that can make your bones hurt, start and end each day, one feels like she just might be able to change the world. So, I came back to our state, and I was ready. Ready to lead DE schools in a direction that embraces culturally responsive teaching and implement strategies that deny institutionalized racism.

In my past 22 years as an English teacher, I’ve committed myself to cultural proficiency as I’ve devoted my days to listening and learning from the valuable voices in my classroom. Fostering an environment that encourages individual truths and communal acceptance, I rejoice when students deny and overcome, with tremendous strength, the pervasive biases that injure and often halt the progress of our Black and Brown children. And while we celebrate growth and progress, there is work to be done.

Supporting me each step of the way this year, DOE’s beloved and devoted TOY coordinator Chris Kenton graciously drove me all over the state as I spoke to pre-service teachers, worked with doctoral candidates, presented to the House and the Senate, trained with DOE staff, and advocated for necessary training in my own district. I’ve also had the indelible pleasure of learning from the influential and tireless commitments of racial equity leaders like Faye Blake, Jacques Bowe and Maria Stecker. Their vital contributions change lives, for they know that the equity lens is the tool that all district, building and teacher leaders must look through when dismantling the systems that have historically hurt our youth. And please know that if this lens is ignored, we will continue to blindly dismiss so many beautiful hearts and minds that have so very much to offer.

In October, I will attend the DE STOY banquet that names the next winner of this humbling award. I will offer advice to the blessed educator who is in for a life-changing year, and publicly thank the state for bestowing this incredible honor on me, a gal from Felton, DE who loves books and yoga and belly laughs. I will leave that banquet with my sons and my husband, knowing that it is my responsibility to help every child visit her/his version of Cooper’s horizon. And I will wake up the next morning, ready to learn and grow from the kiddos who await me in room 837.

For more information on the great things happening in schools across Delaware, sign up to receive Take Note: Education in the First State at http://www.doe.k12.de.us/takenote. Take Note is published the final Wednesday of each month.

State Auditor, R. Thomas Wagner, Jr., has released the Audit Report for the Diamond State Port Corporation Financial Statements for the years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017. The annual financial statement audit was performed as required by 29 Del. C. Section 8786.

The audit was conducted by the certified public accounting firm, Gunnip & Company, LLP, under the direction of the Office of Auditor of Accounts in accordance with 29 Del. C. Section 2906

To view the full report, please visit auditor.delaware.gov, or click here.  For questions regarding the audit, please contact State Auditor Wagner at r.thomas.wagner@delaware.gov.

REHOBOTH BEACH – DNREC’s Delaware Seashore State Park will host its first-ever “Big Truck Day” from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Indian River Marina. Children of all ages will have the opportunity to get up-close and personal with some of the park’s heavy equipment and special-use vehicles at this family-friendly event.

All types of vehicles will be featured, including a beach sweeper, front-end loader, minibus, DNREC dump truck, forklift, a Parks Natural Resources Police vehicle, and an ocean rescue truck. Marina staff will be on hand to greet visitors and answer questions, and children will be able to climb in the drivers’ seats.

If conditions allow, one of the vessels from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Indian River will dock at the marina. Also, a demonstration will be held of marina equipment in action, hauling large boats through the boatyard.

In addition, a car seat check station will be available, where a certified car seat safety technician will perform car seat safety inspections, free of charge.

The event is free with paid park entry. For more information, contact the Indian River Life-Saving Station at 302-227-6991.

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 261