Construction will take place along the north side of the canal from Delaware City to just beyond Summit Marina

WILMINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper and U.S. Rep. John Carney today joined Governor Jack Markell, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Collin O’Mara, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Shailen Bhatt and other federal, state and local leaders to announce plans and funding for construction of the first phase of an approximately 14-mile-long shared-use recreational trail along the north side of the C&D Canal, and that ground will be broken on the project next spring.

The first phase of the C&D Canal Recreation Trail, from Delaware City to just beyond Summit Marina, will create approximately nine miles of safe new recreational opportunities where people can hike, bicycle, jog, skate, bird-watch and ride horses. Other activities currently taking place at the canal include fishing, hunting and dog training.

“Developing a shared-use recreational trail along the C&D Canal will not only create a wonderful place for Delawareans to exercise and have fun, but will be a boon to local businesses,” Senator Coons said. “Quite a few Delawareans, including former Congressman Mike Castle, have worked hard over the last seven years to create this greenway, and I’m pleased that today we’re able to announce such a significant step forward in turning this idea into a reality. The C&D Canal is an amazing resource and I look forward to the day when my family and I can join others in safely exploring the beauty of the C&D Canal thanks to the new recreation trail.”

“This recreational trail along the C&D Canal is a project that has been years in the making and is the vision of my good friend Mike Castle. To see it receive the funding it needs to make it a reality is exciting,” Senator Carper said. “The trail will provide a no-cost, safe recreational opportunity in a scenic area that anyone can enjoy. In the long run, supporting projects like the C&D Canal Trail that promote healthy living will decrease our health care costs and save lives. That’s just the type of win-win situation I envision now and years down the road.”

“I’m excited that this recreation trail along the C&D Canal is now moving beyond the planning stages and into construction, which will create much needed jobs here in Delaware,” Congressman Carney said. “This trail will allow more Delawareans to appreciate the beauty of this part of our state, while hiking, biking, or participating in other activities that make up a healthy and active lifestyle. I applaud the effort made by so many community members to make this project a reality, and look forward to its completion.”

“As somebody who bicycles most of the length of the state each year, I know the incredible beauty Delaware has to offer, particularly when it’s not just rolling past your car window. This trail offers a new way to see some of our natural beauty up-close. It gives local businesses a chance to connect with some of the new visitors the trail will bring and connects our state’s recreation opportunities more closely together,” Governor Markell said. “Our delegation, representatives in the federal government, and public officials throughout the state worked with each other to make this trail a reality, and I thank them for it.”

“I’m delighted that Senator Coons, Senator Carper, Congressman Carney, and our state leaders are continuing to work on this wonderful project,” former Congressman Castle said. “It has such great potential. The C&D Canal Recreation Trail means a lot to me and it was always disappointing that we weren’t able to find the necessary federal funding sooner. This has been a true team effort and I’m excited that today we’re taking this step forward together.”

In the three years after a concept plan for the trail was developed in 2006, Delaware’s Congressional delegation secured a total of $2.2 million in Public Lands Highways Discretionary awards from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to go toward planning and building the trail. Earlier this year, DNREC committed $1 million in state funding from the 2011 Bond Bill, and earlier this month, the project was awarded an additional $1 million from the FHWA. Combined, this $4.2 million in funding will enable construction of approximately nine miles of the north side of the trail, from Delaware City to just beyond Summit Marina, including parking and rest facilities, and connecting to existing recreation opportunities at Lums Pond State Park. Additional phases of the trail will be completed in the future.

“This is fantastic and exciting news for Delaware on so many levels,” DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara said. “This new trail will create jobs, connect communities, get people outside and help improve the quality of life in Delaware. Trail related activities are the number one outdoor recreation activity in Delaware. We are so pleased to have this multi-use recreational trail become part of Delaware’s trail network. I thank Delaware’s congressional delegation, the Governor and our state legislators for making this possible.”

“This project is just one more step towards Delaware’s goal of becoming a model for multi-transportation initiatives across the country,” DelDOT Secretary Bhatt said. “I look forward to working with our fellow agencies to help bring the C&D Canal Trail project to life, providing bicycle trails and recreational opportunities for so many in our state.”

DelDOT will be responsible for construction of the trail along the canal, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With the plans complete and funds secured, DelDOT intends to offer bids for construction this fall, with groundbreaking of the project anticipated for spring 2012.

The C&D Canal has been in operation since 1829 and today it is one of the busiest working waterways in the world, with more than 25,000 vessels passing through it each year. The canal is a critical commercial waterway serving the Ports of Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia.

A map of this project can be downloaded here .

NFL-backed law requires more education, formalizes DIAA rules

Photos available for media use on Flickr

DOVER – Junior high and high school athletes and their parents will get more information on concussions and their effects and coaches will be getting more training on how to spot a possible concussion under a law signed Tuesday by Governor Jack Markell.

The new law also formalizes the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association’s existing policy on requiring a medical clearance before athletes who have received a concussion can return to play.

“When you look at the data and the long-term effects of concussions – especially repeat concussions – it paints an alarming picture,” Markell said. “Sports has gone beyond outdated adages about getting ‘dinged,’ ‘playing tough,’ and getting back into the game. Concussion can be serious, potentially life-changing injuries. We’re stepping up and treating them with the seriousness they deserve.”

The Governor was joined at the signing by Philadelphia Eagles legend Vince Papale as well as lawmakers, coaches, student athletes, representatives of the DIAA and medical community.

Under the new law, athletes and their parents will get information on concussions when they sign sports consent forms. Coaches will be required to receive training on how to spot possible concussions. The new law also puts into state law the DIAA’s current rule requiring athletes, who have sustained a concussion or are believed to have sustained a concussion to receive a medical clearance before they can resume play.

Papale said the putting the rule into the law is a good move.
“It is the nature of an athlete to want to stay in the game,” Papale said. “The invincible attitude is why great athletes perform as they do. We need to make sure that when it comes to kids especially, that we look out for their long-term health. We owe them that much.”

An estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million sports-related concussions nationally each year, and the CDC says about 135,000 athletes involved in youth sports are taken to hospitals to be checked for brain injuries.

“My son plays a number of sports, including football,” said Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, D-Middletown, the bill’s prime sponsor. “I think he’s learned a lot of valuable lessons from them, but as much as we like seeing our children do something they enjoy, we need to do as much as we can to make sure our children are safe when they’re playing. I think this law helps us down that path by giving coaches the training they need as well as educating parents and athletes about concussions.”

Rep. Rebecca D. Walker, D-Middletown, shepherded the bill though the House and said she thinks it will help keep young people healthier.

“As a nurse and mother of athletes, I know the importance of ensuring the safety of our young people following an injury,” Walker said. “We need to make sure that our kids no longer will be returned to the fields without being properly and carefully examined. This is the type of legislation that will protect our young people and have an everlasting effect on our athletes’ wellbeing. This type of legislation I came to Dover to introduce and have passed and signed into law.”

Studies have shown that young people can take longer to recover from concussions than adults. And, when someone has suffered a concussion, the odds of getting a second concussion increase – especially if they haven’t fully recovered from their earlier concussion. There’s also a growing body of scientific evidence linking concussions to problems, including memory loss and changes in behavior.

And as athletes become more physically powerful, Sen. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, agreed that protections are needed.

“In my years of playing contact sports, it would seem like this legislation is overdue,” said Booth, who co-sponsored the measure. “The players are bigger, faster and the prevention and attention this bill provides will be a positive step forward.”

The new law also meshes with the NFL’s national effort to encourage greater awareness of concussions and their effects. And Jeff Miller, a senior vice president with the league, praised the state for taking action
“The NFL is changing the culture of sports as it relates the head injuries,” he said. “Laws like the one Governor Markell signs today will do just that by making youth sports safer for the boys and girls who play them.”

NFL Press Release

NFL SUPPORTS DELAWARE IN SIGNING OF SENATE BILL 111, AIMED AT PROTECTING YOUNG ATHLETES

The NFL offered its support and thanks to Delaware governor Jack Markell who will sign on August 30 a law that will protect young athletes.

The law, Senate Bill 111, mandates a more formal and aggressive approach to the management and treatment of concussions. The law stipulates that athletes, parents and coaches must be educated about the dangers of concussions each year and if the athlete is suspected of having a concussion, he/she must be removed from a game or practice and not be permitted to return to play. In addition, a licensed health care professional must clear the young athlete to return to play in the subsequent days or weeks. Coaches must also be trained in these new procedures.

The bill’s co-sponsors include Senator Bethany Hall-Long, Senator Joseph Booth, Representative Rebecca Walker and Representative Biff Lee. The new law will be implemented under the auspices of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Former Philadelphia Eagles player VINCE PAPALE, who inspired the movie Invincible, and NFL Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy JEFF MILLER will join Governor Markell at the signing on Tuesday.

The NFL has actively supported the passage of this law. “It’s important that each state works to protect young athletes from head injury,” said Milller. “Laws like this one are a major step in concussion treatment and prevention, and we applaud the Delaware state government for their proactive stance.”

The law is inspired by Zackery Lystedt who, in 2006, suffered a brain injury following his return to a middle school football game after sustaining a concussion. Zackery, his family and a broad range of medical, business and community partners, including the NFL, lobbied the Washington state legislature for a law to protect young athletes in all sports from returning to play too soon.

In May 2010, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent letters to governors of 44 states that did not have concussion laws urging them to pass a law similar to the Lystedt Law. In the letter, Commissioner Goodell said sports and political leaders can help raise awareness of concussions while ensuring proper and effective treatment.

Since the passage of the Lystedt Law in 2009, 28 states have passed similar laws protecting young athletes with Delaware set to become the 29th.

“It makes me feel proud when I hear about Lystedt Laws being passed in other states,” said Zack Lystedt. “Sharing my story is important.”

To learn more about the NFL’s commitment to health and about the Lystedt Law, visitwww.nflhealthandsafety.com .

SALISBURY, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley and Delaware Governor Jack Markell today launched an important new effort by both states to collaborate and share information across jurisdictional boundaries about violent or potentially violent offenders.  Details of the new initiative were announced at a meeting today on the campus of Salisbury University.

“Criminals and crime have no boundaries,” said Delaware Governor Jack Markell.  “It’s our responsibility to work together across state lines and share information that can benefit citizens of both states, especially as technology allows us to know more and do more.  By working collaboratively and using our collective knowledge, we serve everyone by making our streets and our communities safer.”

“In our continued effort to make Maryland a national leader in public safety and homeland security preparedness, we support effective communication and information sharing across all levels of government and state borders,” said Governor O’Malley.  “The most important responsibilities we have in government are to create jobs and protect the public’s safety.  Working together with our partners across the State, we have driven violent crime and property crime rates down to their lowest levels in recorded history.  By reaching beyond our borders, using innovative technology and sharing information, we will continue to drive the levels down even further.”

Governor Markell and key Delaware officials, including Elizabeth Olsen, Deputy Secretary of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security; Colonel Robert M. Coupe, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police; and Alan Grinstead, Deputy Bureau Chief of Delaware Community Corrections, joined their counterparts from Maryland for the meeting that included Gary Maynard, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Colonel Marcus Brown, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Sam Abed, Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services.

The new strategic partnership will allow parole and probation officials and law enforcement in both states to exchange information with one another on arrests, enabling the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation to take appropriate action if a suspect from Maryland violates the terms of release while in Delaware.  Additionally, law enforcement and public safety officials in both states will be able to prioritize warrant service.

Between January and June of this year, there were 389 people wanted in Delaware with Maryland addresses and just over 1000 people arrested in Delaware that had Maryland addresses.  Additionally, in the past year, 22 youths from Delaware had contact with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.  With this shared information, the Maryland State Police and local police will be able to move more effectively to get the most dangerous suspects off the streets and better track youth currently monitored by the Department of Juvenile Services.  These initial steps could lead to other information-sharing opportunities including information from license plate readers to track stolen or suspicious vehicles and pawn shop databases to locate stolen property.

The new Maryland-Delaware effort is similar to the Safe Streets Program operating in Maryland and Delaware.  Safe Streets programs have been launched in Salisbury, Annapolis and Wilmington.  Safe Streets allows law enforcement officials to share data and hold offenders accountable for their actions through a cooperative effort of law enforcement at the federal, state, county and local level.  Safe Streets uses an innovative security integration model of multi-agency collaboration with federal, state, local law enforcement, public safety agencies, and community partners to aggressively track offenders to reduce drug, gun, and other major crimes.  Through a combination of improved police tactics and practices, modern and enhanced technology, and the integration of expanded community partnerships, the initiative has taken significant steps to reduce crime and promote safer neighborhoods and communities.