I attended a regional state government conference in Baltimore from Saturday the 2nd to Tuesday the 5th. I returned to host my monthly coffee at Panera on Wednesday morning, the 6th. That afternoon I attended the Deferred Compensation committee meeting in Dover. On Thursday the 7th I attended the fan event for the Sevens professional basketball team on Academy Street in Newark, and then attended a fundraiser for Brenda Mayrack, candidate for State Auditor up in Claymont. On Friday I had a tour of the James T Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna, where I toured both the maximum security and lesser security portions of the prison. I door-knocked the district on both Saturday and Sunday, and on Sunday I also door-knocked with Rep Kim Williams in Murray Manor, a manufactured housing community in her district. That day I also caught a portion of both of the Newark National Little League televised games at Timothy’s in Newark with a LOT of fans.
On Monday I had dinner with Jonathan Kirch, Representative Mike Ramone, and other advocates who have helped bring hands-on CPR training to our public high schools, through a meeting this spring with ALL major stakeholders. On Tuesday I attended a meeting at Fraunhofer, a multi-national scientific research firm whose Newark facility researches and produces vaccines using plants, which obtains much faster results. We met the two new leaders of Fraunhofer’s US operations. I was joined by Representatives Ed Osienski and Mike Ramone, Senator Robert Venables. That evening I attended a portion of a midwifery meeting, and a program by Allan Loudell hosted by Pacem in Terris, held in Wilmington. On Wednesday I had a conference call on reducing gun violence, and one on debt collection challenges, and I attended a fundraiser for Representatives Mike Barbieri and Valerie Longhurst. On Thursday I attended the quarterly meeting of the Delaware Manufactured Home Relocation Authority in Dover, and afterwards met with leaders of the homeowners association of Smyrna’s Bon Ayre manufactured housing community. On Friday I attended a fundraiser at the Courtyard Newark that benefits the Newark Police K9 fund. Today I am door knocking, attending an annual picnic at College Park (for residents of Madison Drive), and the annual fundraiser for Senator Bruce Ennis and Representative Bill Carson in Smyrna.
During these two weeks my aide, Sean Dwyer, has attended a meeting of the residents of Glasgow Court, a manufactured housing community in Bear which is being partially redeveloped, a process that results in many families losing their homes. He also attended a meeting of the College Park community, at which the Newark Police answered questions regarding the trends in crime in their neighborhood. Sean also joined me on the 8th on our tour of the Smyrna prison. Finally, he attended a Construction Briefing by the University of Delaware, to inform Delaware builders of current and planned 2015 construction by the University.
By email I continue to work with the Governor’s staff to identify a superior approach to infrastructure spending. I have raised with the City of Newark and DelDOT several road, parking, and traffic issues that I have heard while door knocking in the district. Sean and I have researched power outages in Christine Manor. I am striving to setup a meeting with the Christina School District to review progress made in Maryland and research conducted by the Justice Center on school discipline. I am also working on a meeting later this month to review MARC train service from Newark down to Baltimore and DC. I continue to learn about the increase in the number of students in our public schools, and the impact of immigrant children placed with family in Delaware. I have researched the rules for toilet height (and other ADA requirements) in doctors’ offices. I have been looking into the situation of a child from the district who has challenges, and what services are available to him and his family.
I have also been submitting candidate surveys to several groups, and finalizing a newsletter to be mailed to district residents shortly. While we have no opponent at this time 1) a political party may submit the name of a challenger to the Department of Elections as late as September 1st, and 2) I enjoy going door to door and meeting people, and asking my simple question: “Do you have any questions, concerns, or complaints?”