90th Year, Issue 5 © 1999 February 26, 1999 Newark, Del. • 50¢ City could THIS WEEK purchase old paper mill site By MARY E. PETZAK NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER ewark's city council came back out of executive session N on Monday night to announce they were authorizing the city man­ ager to pursue the purchase of the old Crown Vantage site on Paper Mill Road. "This include the seven-plus acres of land as well as the build­ ings," said city manager Carl Luft. "The deal is subject to environmental evalu-ations but barring something unforeseen, I think we can come to terms." The price asked by Crown Van­ SPORTS tage was not disclosed. Luft said the city had not yet decided how to use the property. "It has significant r.ecreational and cul­ tural possibilities, as well as historic HODGSON, ST. opportunities," said Luft. Luft said a water storage facility MARK's was unlikely on such a small site. DOMINATE See MILL, 4 .,.._ WRESTilNG. 15 Carleton Apts. blaze TOURNEY investigated BEGINS State Fire Marshall William Pre­ ston said the fire that tarted in a first TODAY. floor apartment in Building 2600 of 15 Carleton Apartments on Monday night is still under inve tigation. INDEX NEWARK POST PHOTO BY HEIDI SCHEING "The fire spread quickly upward and across the roof," said Preston on More and more people are using the train service at Newark Train Station opened in 1997, prompt­ NEWS 1-5 Tuesday. "We're assessing utilities ing DeiDOT to seek funding for three additional round-trips each weekday. and other evidence at the scene." POLICE BlOTTER 2 More than 80 firefighter from I 0 OPINION 6 companies in New Castle County struggled to contain the blaze that LIFESTYlE 8 More trains coming to Newark raged out of control for two hours at the apartments off Marrows Road in THE ARTS 9 By MARY E. PETZAK "There were 7,168 trips in January 1999 and Newark. DIVERSIONS 10 6,198 in January 1998, an increase of 15.7 per­ According to spoke person John NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER cent," said Williams. Farrell, Aetna Hose, Hook and Lad­ CROSSWORD PUZZlE 11 The budget presented by Transportation Sec­ der Company of Newark was first on EWARK COULD HAVE THREE SPORTS 15-18 retary Anne P. Canby reflects a 4.7 percent the scene. "The first apparatus more trains added to the currertt daily increase in DelDOT spending, with 38. l percent arrived three minutes after the alarm PEOPlENEWS 12 N schedule if the General Assembly of the total spending planned for preservation which came at 5:58 p.m." said Far­ approves the Department of Transportation's and maintenance of the state's existing trans­ rell. "We got numerous calls all at OBITUARIES 19 proposed FY 2000 operating budget. portation system. once." CLASSIFIEDS 22-28 According to Mike Williams, the budget calls Other proposals for FY 2000 include: full Farrell said the fire was already for an additional round-trip train between staffing around-the-clock seven days a week at going strong when Aetna arrived. Newark and Wilmington in the late morning, the the Transportation Management Center; three "Response time was not a factor," early afternoon, and the late evening. "The exact new shuttle bus routes in the Churchman's Farrell said. "It had already gained times cannot be determined until Septa coordi­ Crossing area; improved ditch maintenance in headway when our firefighters nates thier schedule with Amtrak," said Sussex County and better mowing in New Cas­ arrived." Williams. tle County; operation and maintenance of the Kenneth Farrall, Newark City Fire Currently there are 17 round-trip trains run­ new Route 1 toll facility at Biddle's Corner; and Marshall and an Aetna firefighter, ning each weekday between the two cities ·dur­ starting Integrated Transportation Managell!ent said his company saw the fire before ing the morning and evening rush hours. System (ITMS) measures in Dover, Church- they got to it. "We were corning from Williams said current ridership is averaging 358 TRAINS, 5 ..... 7 99 462 00002 3 trips a day. See See FIRE, 2 ..... PAGE 2 • NEWARK Po T • FEBR ARY 26, 1999 Visit us on the World Wide Web NEWARK POST ·:· IN THE NEWS Can we help? Offices: The paper's offices are PouCE BRIEFS located conveniently in the Rob­ scott Building, 153 E. Chestnut Hill Rd. , Newark, DE 19713. No anthrax in letter 7110, ext. 138 or Delaware Office hours are 8:30a.m. to 5 Crimestoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. p.m. weekdays. The FBI has determined that a Phone: (302) 737-0724 letter received at the Planned Par­ Addicted son Facsimile: (302) 737-90 19 enthood center in Newark on Feb. 22 did not contain the deadly bac­ accused of theft e-mail: [email protected] terium anthrax. According to David On the Internet: Greenberg, president of Planned The parents of an 18-year-old http://www.ncbl .com/post/ Parenthood of Delaware Inc., emer­ heroin addict told Newark police on To subscribe: Call 737-0724 or 1- gency workers were brought in and Feb. I 0 their son had stolen jewelry, 800-220-3311 . Cost'-is $15 .95 the center on Delaware Avenue was cash and eight blank checks from per year to New Castle County closed for the day after the letter their Newark residence. The parents addresses. To begin a subscrip­ arrived in the regular mail. Green­ believe the son, who recently was in tion , simply call. berg said the letter had the return a detox center but signed himself out, address of a fictitious surgical pawned the jewelry and cashed four To place a classified: Call1-800- of the checks to buy drugs. They did 220-1230 instrument company. FBI officials said the threat was not know the son's whereabouts. To place a display ad: Call 737- Arrest warrants were pending. 0724. similar to more than 30 such letters sent to abortion clinics and Planned HE STAFF of the Newark Post is Parenthood centers across the Unit­ No arrests in fight Tanxious to assist readers and adver­ ed States. NEWARK POST PHOTO BY TOM SHEWBROO KS tisers. Reporters , writers, editors and Jeff Troy, supervisor of the FBI's University Police reported no salespeople can be contacted as listed : Wilmington Agency, said they arrests followed a disturbance Firefighters struggled for hours to control the blaze. James B. Streit, Jr. is the publisher of received a call about the letter on involving -800 persons outside the the Newark Post. He sets policies and Monday afternoon. 'The procedure Trabant Student Center around 1:20 manages all departments in the Newark for such a call is to contact the Depart­ a.m. on Feb. 20. According to Cap­ office. Call him at 737-0724. ment of Natural Resources and get it tain James Flatley of University Residents lost ·everything Mary E. Petzak is the editor. She leads into their laboratory," said Troy. Police, officers from the Newark, the news staff and re ports on govern­ Greenberg said the clinic's staff Delaware State, New Castle Coun­ had started," he said. ment, education and police news. Con­ was "shaken up" by the threat but ty, Newport, Elsmere, Cecil County ...... FIRE, from 1 Eight of the apartments in Build­ tact her at 737-0724. no one was harmed. No abortions or and Elkton police departments ing 2600 were destroyed and two in Chris Donahue prepares the sports the old fire station on Academy and surgical procedures are performed · stood by while his officers cleared could see the flames in the air as we Building 2500 had minor damage. pages of this newspaper. The sports the crowd. Flatley said a fight start­ "The fire walls did their job and editor is seldom in the office, however, at the Newark center. came by Newark High School," he he checks in frequ ently. Leave mes­ ed inside at a function hosted by K.i said. contained the fire mostly to one sages for Chris at 737-0724. Robbery on Upsilon Sigma and then continued A resident who lives near the building," said Preston. outside. Additional police were complex agreed events happened Resident Rosa Hernandez said Sharon R. Cole is a staff writer and called when the crowd refused to that she was not home when the fire general assignment reporter. Contact Madison Drive quickly. "One minute I was looking her at 737-0724. disperse. It took about 30 officers out my kitchen window and every­ started. "I had gone to Wilmington Newark Police are investigating and several K-9 units to clear the thing seemed fine and the next for a while because I heard about Denise Wilson is the office manager area. Flatley said there were no and ed itorial ass istant who processes a robbery in the unit block of Madi­ minute I looked out of my living the Anthrax scare in Newark," said most press releases . She prepares obit­ son Drive on Feb. 18 around 11 :50 injuries reported except some corn­ room window and I saw eight-foot Hernandez. (See police briefs). uaries and People briefs. She is assist­ p.m. The victims told police a sus­ plaints about the effects of pepper flames coming out of the roof (of She was paged by a good friend. ed by Kathy Burr. Contact her at 737· pect described as ?- tall, black male spray used by police. the apartments)!" said Bonnie Per­ "She told me ' Rosa you better go 0724. approached them as they were due. home and get your cat because there Phil Toman has been the paper's arts walking in the parking lot behind FOR THE RECORD Eventually fire companies is a huge fire in the building next to edito·r since 1969.