.++• Greater Newark's Hometown Newspaper Since 1910 .++• 93rd Year, Issue 7 ©2001 March 6, 2002 Newark, Delaware • 50¢ Views of On the job seaside on State tourneys at DelDOT. exhibit. under way. Page 6 PAGE ., Page 12 UpFRONf Keene Elementary already over capacity effect, the district has been .Weasels Parents say devel­ unable to comply, due to a lack of classroom space. opers plan more Parents at the meeting were ·on the . concerned that developers are than 3,700 new planning to build an estimated homes in district's 3,700 new homes in Christina internet district's southern portion over southern portion the next few years, further By JIM STREIT crowding the school. By KATY CIAMARICONE NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER "Someone needs to sit (devel­ opers) down and tell them, 'Hey, NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER N Monday, I ran into this is causing a problem, ", said Edgar Johnson at the eene . Elementary Anthony Monico, parent of two O Keene students. "I urge you to McDonald's restaurant K School, open only six near our offices here in the months, is already take your concerns with urban beautiful Robscott Building. bursting at the seams. sprawl to your state representa­ Edgar is the University of Parents who attended a recent tives, so they can take them down Delaware's athletic director. As Christina District town meeting to Dover." a result, he's at the school on Route 40 ·in But the problem is not a new stuck right in Glasgow wanted to know why one, according to George Evans, the middle of the school is 87 students over Christina school board president. the "who's wor­ capacity. They also claimed stu­ "Every year, school boards thy to follow dents are lacking textbooks, across the state lobby for legisla­ Tubby classroom space, and personal tion that new developments come Raymond" con­ attention from their teachers. with land acquisition for new troversy. District school board mem­ schools," he said. "But it hasn't I call it a bers have waived a state law lim­ helped; the developers object to controversy iting the number of students it." because assigned to a classroom to 22. In Delawareans are the three years since the law took See KEENE, 3 ~ passionate about their Blue NEWARK POST PHOTO BY KATY I Hens football. Sports fans gen- eraJly are quick to let their Pike Creek Fitness Club celebrated "National Turn Off Your TV Week" with a free Family Day on March Par k·In g ma Ch ·In es no t armchair observations be 2 featuring 1heir new kids' fitness arena. Area parents and kids tried out the new supervised climbing . known whether others WaJilU'l;L..J.c.....ooII.;;w;.;;;a.;.;.II,:..' w~at~c ;,;,;he;;.;;d:..;d;;.;;a;,;,;n=.ce=-=an:.:.:d:....:..:.:m=a :..:rt :.:ia:.:..1 .=art:.::s;..;,;de;;.;.m;,;;o;;.;.n;,,:s.:;,tr.;:.at;,;;i ;;.;.;.:.!...=.an:.:.::d~a::..;:v.::.e ..::th:.:.::e:...;k:.::i .:.:ds=-' ..:::a~re;.:n:;::a~a:..:w:.:.o:.:r.::.ko:.:u:.:t .:... ___..... ---I ~L-..._--IL.:!I._..... ..........-..I ....... ..!L _ _ L&.~_~-_...... -----' ncar WCIr analyses or nOlo When it comes to Delaware .... " ".UR"" ••••1I" •• U. R fans, this tendency is amplified A Wilmington nominating district ing which took place this week. exponentially. Merchants and Newark resident Jean White Add to this the fact that a said she understood that the new long-term, successful and per­ residents com­ eliminated for two school boards system was put in Lot 1 as a pilot sonable coach must be plain. about Lot 1 project to see how it worked. "The replaced and the mixture is The lines were redrawn asa result of a 1996 redesign of Lot 1 allowed for the more flammable. Population numbers have statute stating that the Commissioner of Elections old system (with a lot attendant) to Mention Harvard and an arking lot integration "is had to reapportion the school board nominating dis­ the next best thing to a be put back if the new one did not explosion happ~ns~, shifted to Bear-Glasgow area P tricts based on the 2000 census figures. This is the work," White said. 'There's a fair There's a disuu:o'ing aspect parking garage" in By CHRISTINE E. SERIO first time the districts have been reconfigured since downtown Newark and parking amount of dollars proposed for to this issue, one that surfaces they were created in 1980, based at that time on these additional machines and more frequently as World Wide machines make lot integration NEWARK POST CONTRIBUTING WRITER 1970 census numbers. more fmancially feasible. That's shelters - and that doesn't include Web usage increases. Population growth in the southern parts of the staff time." In our brief luncheon the message city staff and city • econfiguration of the nominating districts county's school districts and population loss in the parking committee members At the meeting on Monday exchange, Edgar related how for elections to the school boards in northern portions has led to a shift in the lines of night, White said she always anonymous Internet po stings expressed on Monday night to Christina and Colonial Districts will leave school board nominating districts. about 30 merchants and residents. believed the "lowest tech system have aggravated an already two veteran school board members without seats. Two of the seven Christina District boardmem­ to do the job works best;" in this volatile situation. John Corrodin, operator of the The new districts, which were drawn up and bers currently come from the Wilmington area. But, Days of Knights fantasy store on case, that's an attendant in a booth. He complained, as well he passed by the New Castle County board of elec­ if the plans are approved, only seat A will remain In response to remarks from should, how people post com­ Main Street said he is chairman of tions, still need to be approved by the state school and seat B will shift to where the population has the Downtown Newark city staff, White also commented ments on the Internet posing as board of education. grown, in the Bear-Glasgow area. The combined that she was disappointed to hear him. Readers then believe the Partnership'S Merchant The new lines will leave George Evans, current population of seats A and B in the Wilmington area Committee. "I never met one mer­ the city was upset that people opinions - some of them outra­ Christina School District school board president, is four percent less than 117, and does not support parked in the Wilmington Trust lot geous - are, in fact, Johnson's, chant in . favor of the parking and Ken Schilling, current president for Colonial two seats, Manlove said. r for free and avoided Municipal though they really belong to (arrangement) in Lot 1," Corrodin School District's board, without seats when their If Evans wants to serve on the school board told city councilmembers on Feb. Lot 3 adjacent to it. "What does it weasels hiding behind the terms expire. under the new district lines after his term expires in matter - I thought any parking anonymity of the net. 25. "I sent you a petition signed by "The nominating districts, which are within the 2005, he would have to run against Brenda Phillips, 50 downtown merchants opposing downtown was good if they're Most of us have heard or school districts themselves and determine where a whose term in seat A expires in 2006. Evans, who spending dollars on Main Street," "read stories about this problem the automated parking system." person has to reside in order to run for a school has served on the Christina board for 21 years, said Corrodin asked council to table said White. in the national media. board seat, were reconfigured based on the census," he would not run against Phillips. Lost dollars on Main Street Luckily, most people don't the bid proposals to purchase said Elaine Manlove of the Department of Evans questioned whether the lines should be Parking Revenue Machines as were behind the criticism and sug- put much stock into statements Elections. 'The requirements are that the districts redrawn at all. '"The question is, is there a need to jnade in those infamous chat well as Multi-Space meter · be contiguous and as equal in population as possi­ Shelters until after a public hear- See PARKING, 3 ~ -rooms. ble." See SCHOOL VOTING, 2 ~ : But we do tend to interpret j:-mails and Blue Hen bulletin :,board postings as fact. ' We shouldn't. Child's play can sometimes become a work of art Cab Calloway School of the Arts. Ed, try to find out who did it. INDEX Red Clay students Students could write the They try all different places - works alone, in teams, or as a first they try the dentist's office, NEWS 1-3,5 honored with class. Representatives from because they think the dentist did Children and Families First, a it because of candy on the teeth," POLICE REPORTS 2 stagi~g of their local non-profit organization that he said. 'Then they go trick-or­ sponsors Child's Play, read treating anyway and they see the OP,INION 4 original works through all the submissions from principal taking candy." Delaware students - 2,600 this Next, he's working on a story LIFESTYLE 6 By KATY CIAMARICONE year, including poems, songs, called "The Adventures of Roboman," about a robot that has DIVERSIONS 7 NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER stories, essays and manuscripts - chose the 100 best, and sent those a myriad of gadgets and gizmos, PEOPLE 8 t looks like J.K.