Election Guide Was Created President-Elect RON MACARTHUR PHOTO Day
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A special publication by 2 DATEOCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 8, 2016 ELECTION #GUIDE 2016 Cape Gazette DELAWARE PUBLIC ARCHIVES PHOTO A RARE DOCUMENT shows coun- ty election returns from 1811. Until 1812, all voting took place in the coun- ty seat Georgetown. Return Day trivia • John M. Clayton of Dags- boro, a U.S. senator and U.S. secretary of state in President Zachery Taylor’s administra- MANY HAPPY tion, put Return Day in per- spective in the mid-1800s. He said “that the man who had been to a political meeting in RETURNS Dagsboro, seen Return Day in Georgetown and visited Paris had witnessed the three most interesting sights in the world” • While there are no records of a president participating in the parade, in 2008 then Vice President-Elect Joe Biden rode in a carriage with his wife, Jill, on the rain soaked streets of Georgetown. That year’s event CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP: Town crier Kirk Lawson reads re- was like no other in history, turns from the 2014 election; Sussex County party leaders, in a complete with metal-detector photo from 1988, Republican J. Everett Moore, Libertarian Bob security checks, Secret Service Sigler and Democrat Ken McDowell prepare to bury the hatch- and sharpshooters et; a historical marker on The Circle explains the unique histo- ry of the one-of-a-kind event in the country; and each Return Day, officials of each political party gather to bury the hatchet • In 1965, the Delaware Gen- in Lewes Beach sand. eral Assembly declared Return PHOTOS: DELAWARE PUBLIC ARCHIVES AND RON MACARTHUR Day as a legal half-day holiday in Sussex County • W. Layton Johnson of Election-year event dates back to 1812 Georgetown served as town crier from 1992 to 2012. The By Ron MacArthur General Assembly gave the state's three Residents from all over the county former mayor, county plan- [email protected] counties the right to hold elections came to the county seat via carriage, ning and zoning commissioner, at local polling places. Prior to that, horse, oxen or cart to partake in revelry oing to Georgetown to hear residents had to travel to county seats and hear election results. Return Day World War II veteran and election results is a tradition to vote, and results were not tabulated was born. retired Army National Guard brigadier general in the Army Gthat probably dates back to right away. Today – depending on the weather – when the town became the county seat “But there was a caveat,” said Jim up to 10,000 people crowd into down- National Guard passed away in 1791. Bowden, vice president of the Return town Georgetown for the event. in February 2015. Kirk Lawson But the first official record of a Re- Day Committee. “They had to bring the While many of the old traditions still took over the duties in 2014 turn Day celebration – with many of the ballot boxes back to Georgetown so that take place every two years, in modern to carry on a family tradition. same traditions carried on today – dates residents could return two days later to times the reading of results is symbolic. His great-uncle Ronnie Dodd back to 1812. That's the year when the hear the results.” served as town crier from 1962 n See RETURNS, Page 3 to 1990 and said she was given a job It was also the year that Return Day part of Rosalie Walls’ life lining up parade judges. the ox stand caught fire and That little job took on new was destroyed the day before By Ron MacArthur Born and raised in George- busy – if not more – as when I meaning years later in 1990, Return Day. “The fire was so [email protected] town, she has served on the was president,” she says. when she was voted in as hot the metal roof melted and event's committee since 1972 Her association with Return president less than two months spilled onto the ox,” she said. There aren't many people and was president for 26 years. Day started innocently when before Return Day. “Before “Somehow the committee was who have invested more in Re- And when she stepped down she attended a committee I could say Rumpelstiltskin, able to get another ox on the turn Day than Rosalie Walls – as president, she didn't walk meeting with a friend in 1972. I was nominated. That year spit in time.” perhaps no one since the event away. She's now the corre- Walls, now 82, ended up serv- we really had to pull things began in 1812. sponding secretary. “I'm just as ing on the committee that year together,” she said. n See WALLS, Page 3 Cape Gazette ELECTION #GUIDE 2016 OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 8,DATE 2016 3 which Georgetown is to become the matters either. Returns Mecca of citizens from every sec- Walls To this day, Walls does not hold back. tion of the country, persons begin to “Everybody knew this was security over- Continued from page 2 invade the town.” Continued from page 2 kill,” she said. “It left a really bad taste in The event is steeped in tradition, people's mouths.” Everyone who attends to hear re- and it’s something the committee Being around politicians most of her When Secret Service officials tried sults read by town crier Kirk Lawson works hard to maintain, Bowden said. life, Walls eventually ran for Georgetown to change the parade route for security already knows who won and who lost Bowden said in the early days, if Town Council and lost by 31 votes. “My reasons, she had enough. “I stood my on election night. Democrats won the most races, they friends and relatives cried about it, but it ground, and it all worked out,” she said. As far as anyone can determine, would have an ox roast and give away was really a blessing in disguise because “Return Day was almost ruined for Georgetown hosts the only Return free sandwiches. I'm already good, but don't blame it on the vice pres- Day in the country. Bowden said even If the Republicans won, they would involved in so ident because he would not have wanted as far back as 1860, the event was have a parade. many things,” the way it turned out,” Walls said. labeled unique in a newspaper article “Over the years, the two events she said. She said ever since 2008, the com- in the New York Tribune: came together and have been part The Return mittee has worked hard to get the event “Known only here, it has become of Return Day for as long as people Day that almost back on a strong foundation. an institution of the county, and is can remember,” Bowden said. It had did her in – and While the tried-and-true traditions are inseparably connected with its his- occurred at least by the late 1880s also brought out important to the continuity of Return tory; it is essentially the big day, and because Democratic Delaware Gov. what she calls Day, Walls said the committee is not cannot be approximated, in point of Charles Stockley (1883-1887) rode atop her feisty side averse to trying new events. In the past interest for numbers and notoriety, by a large boat around The Circle during – took place in there have been fireworks, a cooking any other. At early morn of the day on the Return Day parade, Bowden said. 2008. When it contest and the Mummers performed in was announced one parade. Last year, a cornhole tourna- that Vice ment was added the night before Return This Election Guide was created President-elect RON MACARTHUR PHOTO Day. Four bands are scheduled to play and published by the Cape Gazette Joe Biden would Rosalie Walls welcomes this year on Wednesday night. attend, the world a large crowd to the 2014 A reception for invited dignitaries as Walls knew Return Day, her final as was added to the event in 1982. As it got Editorial Content News Editor Page Design president of the event’s it was turned committee. larger, it was moved to different loca- Chris Flood Laura Ritter Jen Ellingsworth topsy-turvy as tions in Georgetown. Now it takes place Ron MacArthur Secret Ser- the morning of Return Day at Delaware vice officials set security protocol into Technical Community College, where it Ad Sales Manager Production Coordinator Cover photo motion. It was U.S. Secret Service vs. was moved in the 1990s. Chris Rausch Norma Parks Ron MacArthur Rosalie Walls. Roads leading to George- Although Return Day takes place ev- town were blocked miles away from The ery two years, work to put on the event Circle, and everyone attending the event really never stops. “At times it can be Advertising Production Cover design had to pass through security checks and overwhelming,” Walls said. Cindy Bowlin Sara Bryce Teresa Rodriguez metal detectors. And once they were But, she says, it's important to keep the Kathy McGinty Christopher D. Foster on The Circle, they were corralled in. traditions alive. “It's not that one tradi- Amanda Neafie Edwin Krumm Website Vendors were moved away from The tion is more important than another. It's Andrew Thomas Eric Lawson www.CapeGazette.com Circle and didn't make any money, Walls the whole day that attracts people,” she Teresa Rodriguez said. The fact that it rained didn't help said. Kristin Sinnott “To get things done for our families and communities, you must put partisanship aside and work together. That’s what I’ll continue to do as your Representative.” -Steve The Smyk Record of working for us..