We had our Spring/Easter break from the legislative session this past two weeks. On Monday the 2nd I caught on Facebook Live a meeting on the healthcare benchmark project. On Monday the 2nd and Tuesday the 3rd in the evening I attended the Newark City Council Candidate Forums hosted at the Newark Senior Center organized primarily by the League of Women Voters. On Wednesday morning the 4th I hosted my monthly coffee at Greene Turtle. That evening I participated in a fashion show (I know, see pictures) to support a scholarship program. Thursday the 5th in the afternoon I met with two friends who were facing a legal dispute in New Jersey, seeking my insights. On Friday morning I met with a member of the business community to discuss efforts to improve parking for those with handicaps.
On Sunday the 8th I attended the annual meeting of the Friends Of The Newark Free Library, and that afternoon I attended the Newark Founders Day celebration of the city’s 260th anniversary at the Newark History Museum. On Monday morning I attended a breakfast reception at UD for the Horn Entrepreneurship program. Later that morning I had a conference call for the board of the Delaware Coalition Against Gun Violence, and mid-day had a meeting in Wilmington to discuss plans for bringing the Sandy Hook Promise programming into Delaware’s schools. That evening I attended the monthly meeting of the 23rd Rep District Democratic Committee. On Tuesday I attended and spoke at the gun policy reform rally on UD’s campus (see pictures) and that evening had a conference call with a subcommittee of Compassion and Choices, the national group that promotes end of life options for the terminally ill. On Wednesday morning I had a planning meeting to prepare for the peace walk/rally on Saturday. On Friday I taped two segments for the Comcast Newsmakers program, and a friend stopped by to tape a segment on effective advocacy. On Saturday I attended the 2nd annual Sikh Appreciation and Awareness Month interfaith peace rally on Main Street.
Emails—During the past two weeks there were many emails, despite the legislative break. The top topics are the various bills designed to reduce gun violence, and HB160, the Delaware End of Life Options Act. There have been many emails (and calls) regarding manufactured housing concerns. There have been some emails regarding proposed legislation, including one that assesses an opioid impact fee, on SB90 which expands the Inspire scholarship, HB110 (Delaware Marijuana Control Act), HB165 (direct shipment of wine), a bill to restore the reduced first-time homebuyers transfer tax credit, a bill to add Newark to the County Seat program for PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes),
There have been emails regarding the proposed deal on the Wilmington Port, an update on the behind-schedule last phase of the Tri-Valley Trail, local issues, including the Fairfield/Fairfield Crest Swim Club, emails related to recent and upcoming events.
I have responded to resident questions on a wide range of concerns, including “custom duties” levied by the Feds, more effectively restricting left turns out of Fairfield Shopping Center onto New London Road, teacher assessments for specialized teachers in small districts, a sinking sidewalk matter in Nonantum Mills, the status of a lawsuit involving a proposed development on Valley Road in western Newark, how the county can best address substantial property maintenance ordinance violations (specifically in reference to a property in Chapel Hill), a concern that a mother has for her daughter who is incarcerated in Baylor prison, one about branded Delaware license plates for PTA members, one on solar energy subsidy policy, one on controversy within the autism community regarding a particular type of therapy, concern over the bump track off Possum Park, and the desire for a signal light at Possum Park and St Regis Drive.