Upcoming entertainment in Delaware, and some great local political gossip. Click in for snark and smiles.
Dover Police Officer Acquitted
The video was very damning but it was the jury that heard all the evidence and gave the verdict.
Delaware jury has acquitted a white police officer of assault after he kicked a black suspect in the head, breaking his jaw.
Jurors deliberated for about 16 hours over three days before acquitting Dover police officer Thomas Webster IV of felony assault and misdemeanor assault on Tuesday afternoon.
Webster testified that he didn’t intend to kick Lateef Dickerson in the head in August 2013 and instead was aiming for his upper body. Webster also said he feared for the safety of himself and others because officers were told Dickerson was armed with a gun, and Dickerson was slow to comply with repeated commands to get on the ground.
There’s an open thread on this subject right on this Blog. Even I took a swim in the comment pool on this one.
Upcoming Delaware Events
They call Jeff Dunham,, ventriloquist and winner of America’s Got Talent, “wildly popular” but that’s hyperbole.
But he’s coming to this year’s Delaware State Fair if puppets and people talk are your thing.
HARRINGTON – Jeff Dunham, the popular comic/ventriloquist, will return to the M&T Bank Grandstand at the 2016 Delaware State Fair on July 23.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at www.delawarestatefair.com as his “Perfectly Unbalanced” International Tour stops in Harrington at 8 p.m. Gates will open at 7. Ticket prices are $44 – $59. He last appeared at the fair in 2013.
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The Shorebirds are a great fundraising activity for my church. It’s a nice ride down to Salisbury, summer nights are breezy and balmy, a baseball game can be enjoyed without packed crowds and traffic jams.
So we learn that the Delmarva Shorebirds have reached a development extension with the Baltimore Orioles and this is good.
SALISBURY, Md. — The Delmarva Shorebirds are proud to reach a two-year player development extension with the Baltimore Orioles through the end of the 2018 season.
The agreement was announced by Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and Shorebirds general manager Chris Bitters at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville on Tuesday.
“We are very happy to secure our future with the Orioles for another two years,” Bitters said. “They have been great to us in providing players and field staff that lead to an exciting on-field product, and we have continued to make improvements to ensure that all who play for us can perform at a high level.”
The Shorebirds and Orioles have a lengthy partnership that dates back to 1997. The 2016 season will mark the 20th season in which the two clubs have worked together, and they currently have the second-longest player development partnership in the South Atlantic League.
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Adelle is coming to the Wells Fargo center in Philadelphia on September 9 and 10th.
Tickets are a bitch to obtain.
BOA Settlement Mis-used
Everything about this story smells to high heaven.
First, Delaware got 45million bucks from the Bank of America settlement for alleged mis-use of loan funds before the 2008 financial crash.
What was going on was various financial institutions across the country were “bundling” their mortgages. Such bundles included very shaky loans to home buyers who were no more qualified to own a home and pay a mortgage than my dogs.
What’s even odder is this Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council and just who are these people?
Upon some checking I find that this organization is part of the Delaware State Employees Association and it gets more complicated.
I must wonder why this group is mad at the state of Delaware for daring to spend the money awarded to this state.
“The wrong committed by the General Assembly was compounded when Governor Markell, despite his previous statements endorsing the use of the settlement funds to address the mortgage crisis, signed the budget legislation which, in essence, appropriated the settlement funds as part of the state of Delaware’s general fund,” the complaint reads. “While the hardest hit communities continue to suffer, the defendants have unconscionably seized these funds and withheld relief.”
So Delaware is spending the money to pay bills. I must suppose that the Delaware state employees wanted to get some of that money.
Fact is, none of this should have happened.
Juicy Local Political Gossip
So we hear that there might be a move afoot to have Sussex county Councilman run for President of the council in 2016. Seems that before the first council meeting of a year the five Sussex county council people must elect a President and Vice-President.
Right now Mike Vincent is the President of the Sussex county council with Sam Wilson the Vice President.
Which is also a bit of a problem in that Sam recently suffered a stroke and it’s not clear as to when he might be returning to the county council.
Now I’ve heard that Sam is doing well and it was pointed out that Vance Phillips stayed with the Sussex county council after he crashed in an airplane.
Speculation is what it is and it’s being whispered that perhaps Rob Arlett should be the new President or perhaps, if he might be deemed too new for that position, at least Vice-President to replace San Wilson.
I have heard, personally from a very direct source, that Arlett, if elected, would be happy to serve.
Some youth and verve…..might be time for Sussex county to consider Rob for either position.
Also, in a recent column I offered speculation about a local guy related to an already elected Sussex Republican politico might be running for Joan Deaver’s job.
Only this person does not live in Joan’s councilmatic district. This local guy would be running for, yes indeed, Sam Wilson’s job.
In 2016 eyes will be on Sam Wilson.
How About That Dow/Dupont Merger?
Nobody thinks that this merger is necessarily going to be good for Delaware.
Once upon a time Dupont was mighty and big here in the swamps. This time has passed, Dupont no longer has big manufacturing places in Delaware.
The merger intrigues but it’s likely to have little effect on Delaware.
Rehoboth Beach
Let me end by urging all yon readers to take a ride through Rehoboth Beach because it is decorated prettier than most any town in Delmarva.
Go left off of Route 1 into Rehoboth’s main drag. Keep going.
It’s like driving through Christmas with both sides of the road decorated, rows of trees and poles gaily lighted. The decoration is thoughtful and organized, often just blue and red lights, adding a quality needing but a manger and some straw.
Take that ride tonight.
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I do not respond to comments on my posts. I certainly have no problem with such commentary and, indeed, encourage it. But I’ve written my piece and I don’t want to argue it further.
Please feel free to email me at patfish1@aol.com if you want to send me a special comment or have any ideas or information you want to share.
NEXT : Got a post in pics with young pics of Vance Phillips and Judson Bennett. Some newer Delawareans might not remember these guys but those that do will smile.
