Closure for dam reconstruction will last until spring 2021

DOVER, Del. – The dam and associated fishing access areas at Records Pond in Laurel will be closed to public use during reconstruction of the dam from March 2 until the spring of 2021, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today.

Dam reconstruction is being coordinated by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT. More information about the project can be found on the DelDOT website.

The closures include Willow Street, which crosses the Records Pond dam, and all facilities located adjacent to the dam, including fishing piers, parking lots, and adjacent shoreline fishing access.

The Records Pond boat ramp, which is located on Route 13 a half mile away from the dam, will remain open. However, boaters are advised to keep clear of the dam construction area. Boaters should also be aware that the pond water level is expected to be lowered during dam construction, which could affect boat launching and use.

For more information on the Records Pond dam and piers closure, please call the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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Reminder for the week: Youth Academy registration open

DOVER, Del. – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Feb. 17-23 made 1,376 public contacts and responded to 53 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 27 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation: Failure to register antlerless deer.

Fisheries Conservation: No Fisherman Information Network (FIN) number.

Public Safety: Possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, possession of marijuana – civil, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to stop at a stop sign.

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area*, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area*, and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

*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 Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
The 2020 Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Youth Academies are scheduled!

The Youth Academies are free, one-week programs designed to teach youth about protecting Delaware’s natural resources and nurturing the relationship between law enforcement officers and the community. Two Basic Youth Academies are offered this summer: June 22-26 in Kent County and July 13-17 in New Castle County. Applications will be accepted through Friday, May 29, 2020. For more information and to submit your application visit Youth Academy.

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.

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

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DOVER, Del. – Every day, Delaware consumers are protected by the work of the Weights and Measures inspectors at the Delaware Department of Agriculture. When consumers purchase products based on a weight or measurement – like a gallon of gas or a pound of lunch meat – the Department’s Weights and Measures section is responsible for ensuring those measurements are accurate, so consumers get what they pay for.

“Through Inspection and testing procedures our staff ensures the accuracy of all transactions whenever merchandise is bought or sold by weight, measure, or count. The goal is to eliminate the potential for fraud, carelessness, and misrepresentations during transactions,” said Steven Connors, Weights and Measures Administrator. “Not only are we protecting the consumer, but we also protect the business. The last thing a business wants to hear is they have a small error in measurement because that can lead to losses of thousands of dollars.”

The theme for this year’s National Weights and Measures Week, March 1-7, 2020 is “Building Weights and Measures’ Future by Sharing Our Knowledge.” In developing the theme, National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) Chairman Craig VanBuren set three goals: to create a mentoring program to help with succession planning for states; to share the importance of how inspectors protect the consumer; and to develop more training opportunities for weights and measures staff in a rapidly changing technological environment.

Governor Carney issued a proclamation declaring March 1 – 7 Weights and Measures Week in Delaware. The first United States weights and measures law was signed by President John Adams on March 2, 1799.

The work of the Delaware Weights and Measures Section has an impact on virtually every aspect of our lives from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep.

• The weights or volumes of toothpaste, bath soap, cereal, milk, coffee, lunch meat, bread, hamburger, vegetables, soft drinks, and snacks are all regulated by Weights and Measures.
• Meters on the trucks that deliver heating fuel and the pumps that fill the gas tank of cars are checked by inspectors.
• Pricing programs at stores with checkout scanners are checked to ensure that items ring up at the posted or advertised price.
• The amount of time the local do-it-yourself car wash provides to wash the car comes under Weights and Measures.
• Vehicle scales that determine the price the refuse hauler charges for garbage service are inspected for accuracy and correctness by a Weights and Measures inspector.

For more information on Delaware Weights and Measures section, or if you think the gasoline pump at the gas station is incorrect, or the weight or measure of anything is incorrect, visit the Department’s website at https://agriculture.delaware.gov/weights-measures/. Complaints can be submitted using an online form to help the consumer provide necessary information for the complaint to be thoroughly reviewed and investigated.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, (302) 698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

On view from March 6-27, 2020
Free opening reception on Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m.

Wilmington, Del. (February 28, 2020) – Not Just a Pretty Face, an exhibition of pastel portraits by Paul Simon, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from March 6-27, 2020. The artist will host a free opening reception on Friday, March 6 from 5-7 p.m. TANKSLEY, Delaware singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, will perform during the opening reception.

After retiring from a career as a biopharmaceuticals discovery researcher, Simon has devoted himself to creating artwork and volunteering. Always drawn to portraiture, Simon was inspired to create portraits of people he met through his volunteer work for JFS (Jewish Family Services) Village and the Refugee Integration Support Effort (RISE).

Simon typically works from smartphone snapshots and enjoys the challenge of creating a photographic likeness that reveals something about the person’s character. He creates the large close-up views of faces by layering soft pastels on dark paper. The faces fill or often extend past the borders of the page. “I depict them frankly, without seeking to embellish or smooth the images, indeed, welcoming the eloquence of their “seasoned” visage,” Simon said.

Images from left to right: Bearded Man, 2019, soft pastel, 25 x 38 inches

The Mezzanine Gallery is open to the public weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

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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.

Applications for rising 11th or 12th grade student seat are due March 20, 2020 

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Thursday the application period for the student seat on the State Board of Education is open through March 20, 2020. The application can be found on the State Board of Education website.

Governor Carney appointed the first-ever student representative to the state board last year. Dorcas Olatunji, a Charter School of Wilmington student, was appointed to the Board in May 2019. Olatunji’s term expires July 1, 2020.

Click for State Board of Education 2020 Student Board Member Application.

“When we make big decisions that impact schools in our state, it’s important Delaware students have a seat at the table,” said Governor Carney. “I was pleased to appoint Dorcas as our first student representative, and I thank her for her willingness to serve. I encourage rising juniors and seniors to consider applying for this opportunity.”

Olatunji was selected from a competitive and diverse pool of applicants representing all three counties in the state as well as traditional, vocational technical, and charter schools.

“When I was selected as the student representative, I was incredibly excited to take on the role,” said Dorcas Olatunji, Delaware State Board of Education Student Member. “In my time, I’ve learned from education and policy leaders that are truly invested in transforming Delaware education. There’s still some ways to go with student engagement, but I am ready to empower the next student representative to build on the foundation I’ve created.”

One qualified student applicant will be appointed to the Board to serve as a non-voting member. The student must be a Delaware resident and be enrolled in eleventh or twelfth grade at a Delaware public school during the 2020-21 academic year. Applicants who demonstrate a commitment to ensuring quality education for Delaware students will be given priority consideration. 

“The student voice is an important one in helping the Board accomplish our mission of representing the citizens voice in Delaware,” said Whitney Sweeney, President of the State Board of Education. “We have learned from our first student board member and value the insight that a student brings to conversations regarding policies and programs impacting students at all levels across our state.”

The non-voting student seat was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 with the passage of House Bill 455 – legislation sponsored by Representative Stephanie T. Bolden and Senator John Walsh. The Governor annually appoints to the Board an eleventh or twelfth grade student, and a former State Teacher of the Year who also is a current educator. The applications for the non-voting Former Teacher of the Year seat will open later this spring.

The Board’s regular monthly meetings are open to the public and typically scheduled for the third Thursday evening of the month. The Board rotates its meetings to be held in all three counties.