•:• Greater Newark's Hometown Newspaper Since 1910 •••• 90th Year, Issue 35 ©1999 October 8, 1999 Newark, Del. • 50¢ District TillS seeking IN SPORTS principals ST. MARK's NIPS By SHARON R. COLE NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER NEWARK IN. ack of teachers are a perennial issue in the L Christina District each LOCAL SOCCER year but some schools opened this year without a principal. Acting principals currently han­ ACTION. dle the head administrative duties at three of the district's 28 schools. 18 Christiana High School, Kirk Middle School and Stubbs Elementary School are presently being run by director of student services Tom Downs, curriculum supervisor Dave Nichols and Leasure Elementary assistant HOW DOES -A principal Cheryl Arnold, respec­ tively. SCHOOL REAllY As of this week, the odds that See PRINCIPALS, 5 .... GETITS 10· NAMEt What's . -- with the IN TH~ NEWS water? SCHOOL People ask the DISTRICT darndest things By MARY E. PETZAK WELCOMES NEWARK POST STAFF PHOTO BY HEIDI Pet ow.ne_rs in th.e ~piscopal Diocese of Delaware celebrated the feast. of St. Francis of Assisi honored NEWARK POST STAFF WRITER by Chnsttans for h1s love of all living things, with a Blessing of Ute Animals at the Cathedral &burn of St. John last Sunday. though they do not all WPYS TO affect a decision on the There were no lion~ lying down l~mbs , ..b~ plenty pussycats ami dogs came fer spiritual comfort. with _of • pcoming bond referen­ In return_ for ~e.havmg themselve! dunng _a bnef se~ee ," the animals received a blessing and certifi· SPEND. eate saymg, I ve been blessed. Followmg Ute semce, boUJ pets and humau enjoyed refreshments. dum to borrow funds to purchase 3 a Newark reservoir site, q~Je stions are already coming in thick and COUNTDOWN TO YEAR 2000 fast about water supplies and costs in general. City staff answered some of the NEWS 1-5 first ones presented by residents Homeowner concern and others at the most recent city POLICE BLOTIER 2 council meeting on Sept 25 . OPINION 8 According to city finance direc­ tor George Sarris, property taxes LIFESTYLE 10 over Y2K varies will increase approximately $20 to $34 per year for the average DIVERSIONS 12 listing_ of all its computers,.whether or not they are household in Newark if the bond CROSSWORD PUZZLE 13 By MEGHAN AFTOSMIS compliant and what can be done, if anything, to fix referendum for the land purchase ..................................................................... -the system. But none of the patches the company is passed. All property owners, SPORTS 18-1 NEWARK POST CONTRIBUTING WRITER offers are guaranteed. individual and corporate, within Most people are simply patching their computer the city limits get one vote each in PEOPLENEWS 16-17 ocal homeowners ha':e bee. n facing their per­ the bond referendum on Nov. 2. sonal Y2K problems m a number of different pr?blems ~ow, and they will run into them again, OBITUARIES 7 said Dwight Morgan, president of Morgan City staff assured residents L ways. Some ru:e upgrading their computer there are "no strings" attached to Computer Services Inc., adding that even some of software, o~ downloadmg a patch to make their sys­ CLASSIFIEDS 25-32 the brand new Pentiums have Y2K problems. the $ L7 million funding approved tem compliant. Some are starting over and buying for the city in the state bond bill T~m Snorf, ~ Newark resident, said he began ~ew computers, and others are simply doing noth­ passed by the General Assembly mg. working to flx his computer at home in May and has spent about $1,000. this summer. ''We have to use it for ~f p~ople interviewed in a random survey by the the reservoir and \ve have to use it Uruversity of Delaware, about 60 percent said they "I bought several different versions of software to check my computer at home. I found probably by July 1, 2001 ," said Sarris. had co~puter_s at home ..And just over 52 percent of _ ''That's it." them srud their computer already was Y2K compli­ about 95 percent will fail because of the Windows settings," Snorf said. "I've got it down to about four Sarris explained that water rates - ant. will increase approximately $22, Compliance for Y2K is a hard thing for comput­ more programs that I still need to flx." Then there are those that have gone beyond their from $37.85 to $55.12, per quarter er manufacturers to guarantee. Most have offered for 20,0CX::r gallons of water to pay upgrades or patches to carry over or flx systems. 7 99462 00002 3 For example, Toshiba America's web page offers a See Y2K, 5 .... See WATER, 4 .... ~ .......... 1 •"' ,,q , i%( 1'. I .. •• ,. - •'1'-JJ. • '.1\'' I I • ( r i ! f • ~ 1 'f ' PAGE 2 • NEWARK PosT • OcTOBER 8, 1999 Visit us on the World Wide Web • NEWARK PosT ·:· NEWS PouCE BRIEFS of September. According to police, Gamer Shoplifter take~ items is suspected of committing four burglaries from two stores and thefts in Newark and surrounding areas of New Castle County. Anyone with Two-state joyride ends in long rap Newark Police charged Sheila V. information is asked to call Detective Wortham, 30, of New Castle with shoplift­ Patrick Corcoran at 366-7111. sheet for 14-year-old from Elkton ing on Oct. 1 around 4:55 p.m. Wortham allegedly took clothing and sneakers val­ Newark police charged a 14-year-old Cleveland Avenue, he ran into a car ued at more than $360 from DOTS and Student caught on ~lkton boy with numerous offenses on which pulled in front of him in an Save on Sneaks in the College Square bet. 2 arQynd 8 p.m. after he took his attempt to stop him. The young driver Shopping Center. camera in thefts grandfather's car and went for a damag­ then backed up, hitting the car behind Police charged a 16-year-old student on ing ride. him and two others in the roadway Shouting results in disor­ Sept. 27 around 2 p.m. with the theft of According to Newark Police, the before continuing north on New two bookbags at Newark High School underage driver with two passengers London Road. He was fmally stopped derly premises charge after he was ~aught on a security video ages 14 and 13 were in the 1988 red near Fairfield by University of camera. Cadillac when it ran into the back of a Delaware Police. Shortly after midnight on Oct. 1, vehicle stopped for traffic on Elkton The boy is charged with driving Newark ·Police charged Gregory Berman Road in front of the Getty Service without a license, two counts of failure and Kevin A Kriss, both 19, with a disor­ Copy Maven sign·stolen · Station in Newark. All three juveniles . to stop at an accident, two counts of derly premises at a residence on Church jumped out and the two passengers ran failure to report an accident, inattentive Street. Officers reported a very large party Sometime between Sept. 29 around 4 away. The driver ran back to the vehicle driving, reckless driving, improper with people yelling and shouting obsceni­ p.m. and 7:30a.m. on Sept. 30, unknown and drove away, strikipg the other vehi­ backing and underage consumption of ties at the location. suspect(s) removed a sign valued at $400 cle a second time. alcohol. He was turned over to his fam­ . from the sidewalk in front of the Copy On New London Road near ily pending a court appearance. Maven on Main Street. Police are investi­ Fight results in trip gating. to emergency room started on Route 272 in Maryland was entering Newark. South College Ave. Newark Police report two groups of Honda turned over on its The chase ended when the Blazer stuck Sometime between 3:30 and 9 p.m. on men got into a fight as they ]eft the Stone roof on S. College Ave. a utility · pole guide wire on Delaware Sept. 22, unknown suspect(s) broke a win­ Balloon around 12:15 a.m. on Sept. 24. Avenue at South Chapel Street. Both the dow and entered a residence on South Officers said the fight was broken up by Sometime between 12:30 and 3:15a.m. driver and passenger were apprehended College Avenue. Taken were a CD player, agents of the Delaware Alcoholic on Oct. 3, unknown suspects on South after a brief chase. Maryland officers said TV and stereo with a total value estimated Beverage Commission who were working College Avenue pushed a 1989 Honda the suspect vehicle deliberately rammed at $800. in the area. Civic over onto its roof causing $1,500 in 1996 and 1998 Crown Victoria police The fight began again in the parking lot damage. Police are investigating a report cruisers at Casho mill Road and 0' Daniel and one man was pushed to the ground and of a 1986 Ford pickup with PA license Avenue during the pursuit. Six vehicles damaged in struck in the head with a mug. He was plate #21226625 seen in the area by a wit­ parking lot break-ins taken to Christiana Emergency room ness. Anyone with information is asked to where he received 15 stitches for the call police at 366-7111. Over five dozen bottles Sometime between 8 p.m. on Sept. 20 tnjury. Police arrested Michael A. and 7 a.m. on Sept. 21 , unknown persons Cassano, 21, of New Jersey, and David P. of medicine taken broke into six vehicles parked on Wharton Senkyr, 22, of Pennsylvania, for disorder­ Drive. Total damage and property loss was ly conduct and assault.