HOI Newark Groups Seek Temporary Quarters HO! by Neil Thomas
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Gore presented prestigious British a~ard/ 14b Ann K. Bartle to retire from St. Mark's wins Yellowjacket Christina/ 3a wrestling toumanlent/ lb Vol. 75, No. 28 December 18, 1985 Newark, Del. LIB ' RY DEC ~ 3 1985 Nursery, Girls Club face crisis HOI Newark groups seek temporary quarters HO! by Neil Thomas If the Newark Day Nursery and the Newark Girls Club can survive the next three years, it is possible they will share a beautiful new home. Veteran Santas take The University of Delaware board of trustees voted Friday to pride in their work provide the organizations use of a four-acre parcel of land on the south side of Wyoming Road for by Bi II Clark the token rent of $1 per year. A $2.5 million, 11'1,000 square foot facility complete with gym u Pont Co. engineer Bob Dudek, nasium aQd swimming pool is en- 27, leaves his family's Pike --visioned fbr 'the site. ' -·· • Creek Valley home, telling his However, both organizations 2- ahd 4-year-old sons that Dad- are in a state of crisis trying to dy will be at work for a few hours. find· temporary quarters during But rather than heading to DuPont's those interim years. Louviers site, Dudek drives to the Chris They have been housed in the tiana Mall and slips into the mall's suite West Park Center for the last of offices through a back door. three years, but the City of The person who emerges 20 minutes Newark is returning the former later bears no resemblance to Bob school to the Christina School Dudek. But children of. all ages im District. The district is faced mediately recognize this distinguished with rapidly expanding enroll looking gentleman with a flowing white ment and plans to fully reopen beard and outlandish red suit. West Park as an elementary Suddenly everything is right with the school in September 1986. world. Santa Claus has come to town. The Newark Day Nursery and the Newark Girls Club must vacate the building next spring, A Buffalo, N.Y., native, Dudek began and neither has been able to find his Santa career at an urban shopping a temporary home. mall while he. was a student at the "We are in a crisis here," said Rochester Institute of Technology. The Ellen Benner, director of extra spending money was nice but he Newark Day Nursery, which pro discovered the inner-satisfaction was Bob Dudek as Santa Claus. Photo/Linda Gra u vides day care for more than 90 even nicer. "I really enjoyed the dif "And you don't really understand that, area youngsters. ferent types of kids that you get. I liked it I think, until you're behind that mask and "We're having a very rough and a blue windbreaker - was seated time. It's really kind of a roller that year; it sort of gave me a good feel with a visitor in the court in front of J .C. you see parents looking at you, you see ing for the holiday season." the children looking at you - you see the coaster - one minute we think Penney's. we have nothing, the next we Following graduation, Dudek and his Santa coordinator Frank Ciuffetelli ap puzzlement in their eyes. bride moved to Delaware. Fortunately "The quality of the suit makes a big .think we have some options to proached to inform Dudek that he might look at. for him, the same firm that managed the have to appear without padding. difference for me," continued Dudek, Santas in Rochester also served the who at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, has a com "If we don't find any tem This was bad news for Dudek. porary space, we won't be in Christiana Mall. So Dudek simply picked "Everybody's looking at Santa Claus," manding presence, "not so much the up where he had left off in New York. pants and the jacket. The most important operation at all. If the Day he said after Ciuffetelli left. "Santa's got Nursery closes in June 1986, That was five years ago. On this par to be looking his best or else children will part is the hair and the beard - as long ticular Saturday morning in late as those are full and don't really look like that's the end of 25 years of begin to wonder, 'How come this Santa history in Newark.'·' November, he was to star in a production doesn't look like the same one I saw wigs. When I know the wig is not the way that kicked off the mall's holiday shopp yesterday, or last week, or last year?' So I want it to be. I'm not a full Santa." ing period. With an hour until showtime, it's important for me to have a good ap See CRISIS/4a the mustachioed Dudek - wearing jeans pearance when that suit is on. See SANT A/2a. INDEX FACT FILE KEEP POSTED . N ewarkers ........ 3a News .............. 4a Schools ............ 6a Post deadlines altered Community ........ 8a Staying in touch The NewArk Post will alter its production and.publica <:;burch ........... 12a tion schedule because of the Christmas and New Entertainment .... 14a Newark residents are represented Year's holidays. The Post will be published Sunday, by six memb!'!rs of City Council and Dec. 22 and Sunday, Dec. 29 . Because of that the Qpinion ........... 20a a mayor. newspaper advertising and editorial deadlines will also Sports ............. lb be altered. Please try to have all material in to the Lifestyle ........... 8b 1st District - John R. Suchanec, newspaper offices as early as possible. The offices will 110 Tanglewood Lane, 737-7989. be open Saturday, Dec. 21 and Saturday, Dec. 28 to ac University ........ lOb 2nd District - Louise Brotheers, 95 cept material. The NewArk Post is located in the Classified ......... 15b E. Park Place, 368-1443. Robscott Building at 153 E . Chestnut Hill Rd., Newark, 3rd District- Betty L. Hutchinson, telephone 737-0905 or 737-0724 . 311 Apple Rd., 368-4487. 4th District - Orville A. Clark, 153 Madison Dr., 368-2346. Christina School District 5th IJistrict- Ronald L. Gardner, 5 students will begin their Lynn Dr., 731-4616. winter holiday at the end of Council won't meet 6th District - Olan R. Thomas, 81 school Friday. Students will E. Cleveland Ave., 731-5247. not return to school until Newark City Council will not meet Monday, Dec. 23 Mayor - William M. Redd, 110 Thursday, Jan. 2. because of the holiday season. The .next regular Sypherd Dr., 731-4321. meeting of council will be Monday, Jan. 13. 2a The NewArk Post Dec.11.1- COVER STORY ~--=·······--~i Santaask Rob isn't Dudek made of nearovernight Newark. Just as he slowly shapes himself into jolly St. Nick. · Photos/Linda Grau SANTA/ from la Besides looking good, he wants 'You have to be able to respond to be alert and follow certain rules. He explained that he'll try to overhear a parent's conversa to most any situation. You have tion with the child who's next in line, hoping to catch his or her name. "So when it's the boy's or beard-tuggers ... and very shy children.' girl's turn, I'll say, 'Hi, Lisa,' and the child will say, 'How did Santa know my name?'" during that three-minute period I mired how beautifully Santa Dudek said his " number one possibly made that kid's day. I trimmed his family's tree. " The rule is to let the kids talk first. made his season, possibly. He tree was brought into the house · You say, 'Hi. How old are you?' was able to see Santa. Not me, but we went to bed without :. Then ask what they came here personally - but Santa." decorating it. When I woke up • for. the next morning- boy, there it "Secondly, I'll make something was with the lights and the or a secret between me and the It was 10 p.m. - time for all naments. That was exciting. Modoi N Reg. kitls. 1'11 tone my voice down a good boys and girls to be in bed. " I can remember the first time VR2100 t588.00 little and say, 'Can you do Santa Having just changed from his I snuck out of bed and went down a special favor? Can you leave Santa suit, Wayne Cooper- an the steps," said the Wilmington me a glass of milk and some avuncular-looking gentleman native who now lives in cookies?' Or 'Can you leave a with l! bald pate - seated Meadowood. " I looked through NEW 1986 Modal RCA 12" •4·HIId perform •nce ... eight hour VHS DIAGONAL MEASURE ncordlng /pleyback ... progremmin9 SAVE carrot for the reindeer?' When himself in a comfortable chair in the railing and it was my father thll'susltrthaneveri they know that Santa's trying to the bowels of the Christiana •14 D•y/4 Event Prog rammtble whh $100.00 RCA 19" ~~:~~:~ trimming the tree.!" PERSONAL PROT ABLE Slmpllfieddlrectlnputol Program 0111 NOW ONLY ' :-ask them a specidl favor, they Mall. When Cooper and his wife were &Cont inuous Repeat • really get high on that." The dean of the mall's six San •t57Channel0utrUTunlng COLOR TV raising their four daughters, a •D itlc:tAccusCh•nneiSelection •Automatic Color Control Thirdly, Dudek is careful not to las, Cooper, 52, pulls four shifts a visit with Santa was a real fami •SiowMotlon lnSP&EP • promise anything. " A four-year week. During the day he is a •CibltCompttlble •Automatic Color Tracking ly affair. Once - thanks to a pa •12·func:tlon Wire less TV / VCR Remote •Super Accu Filter Black $239 old girl asked for a trip to Disney code inspector with the New Cas tient St.