Update—August 10th to 23rd

On Friday the 16th I attended a meeting in Wilmington with colleagues and developers of a program called GunBail, designed to reduce the number of firearms on the streets of communities. On Saturday I attended the City of Newark Pop Up Beer Garden in Olan Thomas Park (it was hot!), and afterwards I attended the annual Picnic in Dickey Park sponsored by the Newark Police and benefiting the Newark PAL center (it was still hot!). On Sunday the 18th I attended an interfaith vigil promoting diversity and a reduction of gun violence at the Calvary Baptist Church (guess what—still really hot!).

 

On Monday the 19th I met with colleagues and representatives from UD to discuss regional rail service to the expanding Newark train station. Afterwards I met with a solar panel firm to discuss the state’s renewable energy policies. On Tuesday I had a call with a representative from FutureNow to discuss possible 2020 legislative initiatives. That afternoon I attended the bill signing for HB65, which improves the process for homeowners to obtain approval for rooftop solar panels. On Wednesday afternoon I had a call to discuss net neutrality. Afterwards I attended a public meeting on the Rodney stormwater pond/park, and after that I attended a meeting to discuss the proposed master plan for the White Clay Creek State Park. On Friday I attended the 50th anniversary celebration for the Newark Methodist Preschool on Main Street.

 

Emails—Over the past two weeks emails have covered many issues and topics, including on the local service fee task force which I co-chair.

 

There have been emails on the grant-in-aid process for the state assisting non-profits, about an upcoming historical marker unveiling on School Hill, about gun violence prevention legislation, about issues with Delaware’s prisons, about scams and what people can do when they receive suspicious calls, about the Port of Wilmington/GulfTainer, requesting House tributes, about Medical Aid in Dying, regarding letters of support for various projects, about cyber-attack preparation, about affordable housing, about a manufactured housing problem, about a land swap with DelDOT, and about invasive vegetation harming our landscape.

 

Many emails were with DelDOT, about a drainage problem threatening two homes in the district, about the Main Street Rehabilitation project, about DelDOT’s priority list for state-maintained street repaving in the district, about a road repair matter on Paper Mill Rd, about anti-immigration stickers being posted in Newark, about road closures in the greater Newark area (and proper placement of signs), about trimming vegetation interfering with sight-lines at community entrances, about DelDOT community road ratings, and about the Casho Mill underpass.

 

There have been many emails with and about DNREC, mostly on the White Clay Creek State Park master plan.

 

I have had some emails with DHSS, including about permitting restaurants to permit non-service dogs in outdoor seating areas, about a resident’s deceased husband’s bad experience with a hospice organization and the VA, about vaping health risks, and about DHSS/OMB’s work on reviewing Medicaid reimbursement rates.

 

I have also been working with a resident whose disability benefits are threatened, coordinating with the offices of Senator Tom Carper and Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester.