When/Where: Friday, November 4th, 6 to 9 pm at the Rollins Center, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino

Our annual fundraising dinner has arrived, so let’s not forget to reserve our tickets in helping this stupendous cause. We have the honor of having Retired Navy Captain Robert E. Clark II serving as our keynote speaker. He’s a former Commandant with the U.S. Naval Academy and currently the President at Wesley College in Dover, Delaware. Dinner tickets are $100 and include entertainment by Jim Snyder and the Stardust Knights and national award-winning singer/recording artist Sara Ann Garrison.

Tickets may be ordered by mailing a check made to the: Friends of Delaware Veterans, Inc., c/o the Commission of Veterans Affairs, 802 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 100, Dover, DE  19904 (The cutoff date for dinner reservations is November 1st.)

Earn program credit for 8- person sponsor tables at $1, 000: Patriot Sponsor (one only) e.g. “The XYZ Bank Veterans Trust Fund Dinner,” for a yet unspecified cost. A special Patriot trophy will be awarded and the sponsor’s name will be mentioned in media releases. It includes an 8-person head table. Platinum Sponsors ($5,000) includes a plaque and an 8-person table near the front. Gold Sponsors ($1,000) includes an 8-person table. Silver Sponsors ($750) includes five tickets. Bronze Sponsors ($500) includes three tickets. (Event sponsorship deadline is October 21st.)

Please don’t forget that one hundred percent of contributions of the Friends are tax deductible and, because the facilities of the Commission of Veterans Affairs are used to support the effort, one hundred percent of the contributions are returned to veterans without deductions for overhead, salaries or other purposes. The Friends’ purpose is to help get the word out and raise funds for the Veterans Trust Fund.

For more information about the Trust Fund, please visit: www.DelawareVeteransTrust Fund.com. Or contact Ms. Sherri Taylor @ 302-257-3117/ sherri.taylor@delaware.gov.

vet-trust-fund-dinner-in-color

-Listing of museum activities through December 2016 also included-

(DOVER, Del.—Oct. 13, 2016)—On Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at 5 p.m., the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., will host “Distilling in Delaware,” a lecture on the history of distilling in the First State by Mike Rasmussen, co-founder of Painted Stave Distilling. Presented in coordination with the museum’s exhibit “Wine and Spirits in Delaware: Producing, Preserving, and Presenting,” the program will include a tasting of some of the company’s products. Note: The program will be held on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Admission is free but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Oct. 21, 2016.

Founded in 2011 by Ron Gomes, Jr. and Mike Rasmussen, Painted Stave Distilling crafts premium spirits in small batches by utilizing ingredients sourced from regional farms and by blending traditions of the past with today’s creativity and state-of-the-art technology. The distillery is housed in a 1940s-era movie theater located at 106 W. Commerce St. in Smyrna, Del.

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.

Following is a schedule of Zwaanendael-Museum-sponsored special events through December 2016. All programs take place at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Museum hours from Nov. 1 to March 31 are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. From April 1 to Oct. 31, museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. All programs listed are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Zwaanendael Museum special events through December 2016

Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016
“Distilling in Delaware.” Lecture on the history of distilling in the First State by Mike Rasmussen, co-founder of Painted Stave Distilling in Smyrna, Del., plus a tasting of some of the company’s products. Presented in coordination with the museum’s exhibit “Wine and Spirits in Delaware: Producing, Preserving, and Presenting.” Program at 5 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Oct. 21, 2016.

Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016
“Mysteries of History.” Walking tour explores the unusual tombstones of St. Peter’s cemetery in Lewes. Tour leaves from the museum at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016
“Preservation50—‘Preserving Large Metal Artifacts Outdoors.’ ” Lecture by Michael D. Leister, former director of the Air Mobility Command Museum. Presented in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Nov. 4, 2016.

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016
Return Day. Museum open 10 a.m.–Noon only due to this Sussex County holiday.

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016
Dutch-American Heritage Day. Celebrate the anniversary of Nov. 16, 1776 when an American warship sailed into the harbor of the Dutch island of St. Eustatius in the West Indies and was greeted by a friendly salute, the first ever given by a foreign power to the flag of the newly-independent United States. Activities from 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. will include Dutch crafts, historical information and, at 2 p.m., “How Did a Rocky Dutch Island Seven Square Miles in Area Become the Catalyst for American Revolution?,” a lecture by Stuart Forman. Lecture held on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator).

Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016
“A Revolutionary Game of Cat and Mouse: Henry Fisher, HMS Roebuck and the Delaware Bay.” Lecture by historic-site interpreter Andrew Lyter. Part one of “Ship to Shore Saturdays,” a four-part series that chronicles local Lewes history. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Nov. 18, 2016.

Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
Thanksgiving Day. Museum closed.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016
“Hospitality Night: ‘The Holiday Pickle.’ ” Learn how to make pickles and explore the history of the pickle and its significance to season; and enjoy the museum trimmed for the holidays by the Sussex Gardeners. Presented in partnership with the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. 5–8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016
“Tour Zwaanendael Museum.” Enjoy the museum’s festive holiday-décor. Event held in conjunction with the Lewes Historical Society’s Christmas Tour of Lewes.

Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016
“Ship to Shore Saturday.” Lecture by historic-site interpreter Kaitlyn Dykes. Part two of a four-part series that chronicles local Lewes history. Program at 2 p.m. on the museum’s 2nd floor (entry via staircase; no elevator). Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than Dec. 9, 2016.

Zwaanendael Museum exhibits and displays

Thru Dec. 31, 2016
“Wine and Spirits in Delaware: Producing, Preserving, and Presenting.” Exhibit features objects and graphics from the 18th to the 21st centuries that illustrate Delaware’s wine and spirits trade.

Ongoing
“A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798 to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century.

Ongoing
“Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Display explores the DeBraak, a shipwrecked 18th-century British warship including a photo of the hull recovery, reproductions of items aboard ship, and a model of the vessel.

-End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Division for the Visually Impaired, Advisory Council to Host Technology & Community Resource Fair Oct. 17 in Dover

NEW CASTLE (Oct. 13, 2016) – The Division for the Visually Impaired (DVI) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council (VRAC) will host the 2016 Technology & Community Resource Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Ave., Dover.

The resource fair, which is open to the public, will be expanded this year to include rehabilitation organizations and community resources. Technology exhibitors will demonstrate the latest assistive products, which enable people who are blind or visually impaired to have immediate access to printed materials and other information. And vendors from the community will offer information on such services as personal finance and health.

“The resource fair is a fantastic way to connect Delawareans who are blind or visually impaired with assistive technology and services that can enhance their quality of life,” DVI Director Elisha Jenkins said. “By adding community resources and service providers to this year’s fair, we are providing exposure to additional education, training and employment opportunities. I am grateful to the members of the Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council for their partnership in growing the fair each year.”

Vendors include:
•Microsoft
•Comcast
•Nurses Next Door
•PNC Bank
•Modern Maturity Center
•Walgreens (will provide flu shots)
•Division for the Visually Impaired

For more information on attending or becoming a vendor, contact Alice Johnson at the Division for the Visually Impaired at 302-255-9818 or Alice.Johnson@delaware.gov.

The Division for the Visually Impaired is one of Delaware’s oldest state agencies having celebrated its 100th year of providing services to people who are blind or visually impaired in 2009. DVI provides a holistic, integrated service approach – serving more than 1,000 individuals each year from infants through senior citizens. The agency works in partnership with the consumer and the community to improve the safety, education and employment of Delawareans who are blind or visually impaired.

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell).

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Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.

DOVER, DE – Three years after it was created, the Division of Public Health (DPH) Office of Animal Welfare (OAW) celebrates today the accomplishments of OAW, including those of Director Hetti Brown.

Brown, who will be leaving Dec. 2, 2016 to move to the Midwest, expressed her appreciation to the OAW team and its many supporters. “It has been a privilege to work with such a great group of people,” said Director Brown. “I have also been lucky to work with so many legislators and animal advocates over the years as we created this office. Moving was a difficult decision and I will miss Delaware. I am confident that OAW will remain strong and that DPH will select an accomplished successor.”

A list of OAW accomplishments include:
• Launched the first statewide animal control and cruelty enforcement unit, Delaware Animal Services (DAS), with a centralized case dispatch function. DAS receives, and responds to, more than 1,000 calls per month concerning stray, endangered, or abused animals.
• Created a statewide Lost and Found Pet Registry and licensing database to aid in reuniting owners with lost pets and tracking rabies vaccination and dog licensing records. To learn more, visit AnimalServices.Delaware.gov.
• Reformed the state emergency response and sheltering program for animals affected during disasters, and developed a State Animal Response Team of more than 100 volunteers.
• Implemented several critical updates to the State Spay & Neuter Program, including a statewide campaign with a website (www.FixedandFab.com), online applications and easy payment options, and new grant program offered to non-profit shelter and rescue groups. The number of clients served has doubled since implementation.
• Published regulations and developed an oversight function for the Shelter Standards Law. Now all shelters receive annual inspections and persons conducting euthanasia in shelters are state-certified.
• Developed state training and certification requirements for animal control officers and cruelty investigators.
• Hosted annual Delaware State Spay Days, providing free surgeries and rabies vaccinations to pet owners with low incomes.
• Launched the Second Chance Program, which teaches adjudicated youth how to train and handle sheltered dogs who need behavioral training before transitioning into their new homes
• Successfully advocated for new laws to prohibit animals from being left in vehicles in dangerous temperatures, increase adoption opportunities for animals seized in cruelty investigations, protect outdoor dogs in inclement weather, improve dangerous dog case management for a more fair and equitable process, and prohibit inhumane euthanasia procedures in animal shelters.

“We are so proud of the Office of Animal Welfare and the job done by Hetti Brown the past three years,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “We will miss her skills, work ethic, and expertise. DPH is soon launching a search for her successor as we celebrate the work of the office so far.”

“Hetti has been the architect of so many improvements in animal welfare in the past few years,” said State Senate Pro Tem Patricia Blevins. “Delaware animals are better off because of her and her team. We will miss her.”

Added Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf, “Hetti has dealt with all challenges thrown her way with poise and a deep love of animals and the relationship that people have with them. I am sorry to see her go and grateful for her hard work these past three years as we celebrate OAW’s success.”

OAW offers a variety of programs and services, including:
• Spay and Neuter Services: provides low-cost sterilization and free rabies vaccination to persons receiving public assistance. Residents of Delaware may apply at www.FixedandFab.com.
• Animal Shelter Oversight and Euthanasia Technician Certification: conducts annual inspections of all animal shelters and investigations concerning possible violations of the Shelter Standards Law. To view inspection records or submit a complaint, visit http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/oaw/animalshelterstdsoversight.html.
• Emergency Animal Sheltering and Disaster Response: a team of over 100 volunteers, named the State Animal Response Team, who assist with animal evacuation, emergency sheltering, search and rescue, and veterinary support during emergencies. Learn more about volunteering here.
• Delaware Animal Services, 24-hour Hotline 302-255-4646: provides animal control, rabies control, and cruelty enforcement statewide, administers the state dog licensing program, and manages the state Lost and Found Pet Registry. To learn more about DAS, residents can visit Animal.Services.Delaware.gov.
• Animal Control and Cruelty Agent Certification: regulates training and certification requirements for all persons acting as an Animal Welfare Officer in the state, and conducts training for officers who wish to be certified
• Delaware Animal License plate: the plate sells for a one-time fee of $50, and $35 of each sale is allocated to the Animal Welfare License Plate Fund. Revenue is used to provide spay and neuter surgeries for community cats, low-income pet owners, and to supplement spay and neuter funds for Delaware shelters and rescues.
• And more….

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

DOVER, DE – Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart today approved the Delaware Compensation Rating Bureau (DCRB)’s workers’ compensation amended rate filing, which recommends no changes in the overall levels of residual market rates and voluntary market loss costs for 2017.

“I hope this is the beginning of a period of rate stabilization in the workers compensation market,” said Commissioner Stewart. “I want to thank my staff, the Ratepayer Advocate and the DCRB for their hard work to keep the rates at their current overall level. I also want to recognize the General Assembly and my fellow members of the Governor’s Workers Compensation Oversight Panel and the Workers’ Compensation Task Force, whose efforts over the past few years are now bearing fruit.”

The Commissioner’s independent actuaries and the state’s Ratepayer Advocate examined the DCRB’s original filing and agreed on the amended rates approved by the Commissioner.

The DCRB’s amended filing No. 1603 may be found at

http://www.delawareinsurance.gov/departments/safety/dcrb.shtml

For more information contact Jerry Grant at 302-674-7303 or jerry.grant@delaware.gov.

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