New Castle County News Update

John Cartier sent this along ~

Volunteers are needed at New Castle County's Rockwood Sleep Under the Stars this Saturday October 26th!  Can you help?

There are many fun volunteer openings and your help would be much appreciated! See below for more information.  If you have any questions or would like more information simply contact Susan Eggert ( seggert@nccde.org or (302)395-5651) or Sonya Phillips (snphillips@nccde.org or (302) 395-5608.

These opportunities are great for individuals, corporate teams and groups such as school service groups, National Honor Society, sororities and fraternities, etc. Events are also a fun way to satisfy school service requirements!

Volunteers will help youngsters enjoy fun games and crafts, ride along on the hayrides to keep everyone safe and happy (3-8pm), help load camping gear into wagons, assist with parking, haunt the Haunted Trail. Haunted Trail (dress in your scariest garb to give campers a thrill and chill, 6:00-9:30pm, Minimum volunteer age is 18 for this opportunity).  Click HERE for more information!  Or open the attached flyer.

Sign up to volunteer today!  Click on or cut and paste the below link to get to the brief registration form.

https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?AP=1687731439
 Shifts:
*    All Day (approx 7 hrs with varying start times)
*    Morning (approx 8:30am-12pm
*    Afternoon (approx. 11:30am-3pm)
*    Evening (approx. 2:30-5pm)
*    Late Evening (approx. 5 - 9:30pm)


Can't volunteer? Come Sleep Under The Stars at Rockwood Park! It is all Free!

• Camp Check in is between 10 am - 5:30 pm.

• Children games and activities 12noon - 5pm; Museum Tours are 1 pm - 5pm; hayrides are 3 pm - 8pm

• Haunted Ghost Tours are 6:30 - 9pm.

• Family movie begins at 7:30pm.

• For More information visit: www.nccde.org/specialevents

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New Claymont Library Opening Day Celebration

October 26, 2013

10am - 5pm

Come celebrate the grand opening of the new Claymont Library at 400 Lenape Way!

10am - Silly Joe

11am - Ariel the Mermaid

12pm - Jitterbugs

1pm - The Minion from Despicable Me

2pm - Illstyle and Peace

3pm - The Juggling Hoffmans

4pm - PAWS

For more information please visit the Claymont Library Page.

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Check out NCCTV if you can get it. I can only get the City of Newark's (22) and Wilmington's leased access (28) channels on my Comcast feed ~

NCCTV is your No. 1 source for news and information on New Castle County Government, where County Executive Tom Gordon puts citizens first. 

NCCTV is available on Comcast Channel 22 and Verizon Channel 29. In this video, County Executive Gordon and Councilmen Bob Weiner and John Cartier attend the annual, autumn cleanup of Talley Day Bark Park in Brandywine Hundred.

** NCC-TV This WEEK ** TALLEY DAY BARK PARK

Hosted by NCC Councilman Bob Weiner with Tom Gordon and John Cartier

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Also, Tonney Gardner starts as Acting Chief of Administrative Services for New Castle County

County Executive Tom Gordon has hired longtime DuPont Co. manager Tonney A. Gardner as the new Acting Chief of Administrative Services for New Castle County.
Gardner began his new job on Monday with orientation in the morning, and Chief Administrative Officer David Grimaldi introduced Gardner to general managers in the afternoon.  Andria Smith has been serving as Acting Chief Administrative Officer since Gordon returned to office. She has returned to her previous role as purchasing manager.
Per Delaware Code, Gardner will serve as Acting Chief of Administrative Services pending approval by New Castle County Council.

“Tonney [pronounced Tony] is another great addition who brings impeccable talent and skills to my administration,” County Executive Gordon said. “He comes to us from DuPont, a blue-chip company with a rich history in Delaware.”

“He holds an MBA from Drexel University and spent 22 years at DuPont, where he’s had responsibility over half a billion dollars in annual purchasing,” said CAO David Grimaldi. “We are very proud to have him join our team.”

Gardner, a William Penn High School graduate, said the opportunity to join New Castle County seemed like a perfect fit given his experience and his ideas.

“This is totally fresh,” Gardner said. ”I’ll be able to have more of an impact by working for the County. I know County Executive Tom Gordon’s track record and understand the high level of expectation.”
Gardner was most recently a sourcing and logistics consultant with DuPont Corporate Sourcing in Wilmington. Prior to that, he was strategic environmental buyer at the same site and he also served as site manager at the DuPont Edgemoor Plant. Gardner joined DuPont Performance Coating in 1993 as a research associate and worked his way up.Gardner earned a Master’s in Business Administration (Global Management) from Drexel University in Philadelphia and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a Minor in Mathematics from Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, N.J.

Gardner and his wife of 14 years have two children, a girl and a boy. The 49-year-old graduated from William Penn in New Castle, Del. in 1983.

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And Hockessin Community News reports ~ New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon cuts capital recovery fees on new construction

.....for those wondering why the News Journal hasn't reported about this new initiative yest, word is that the beat reporter called around asking whether the Executive has the legal authority to do this. He does. Still no story. Is that proof the news team at the News Journal just can't bring themselves to publish anything positive about the Gordon administration?

Speaking of economic development, it's good to see this Resolution before Council tonight ~

R13-230: AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF ONE PURCHASE ORDER CONTRACT TO WADLEY-DONOVAN GROWTH TECH, LLC FOR A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A DEMOGRAPHIC AND INDUSTRY CLUSTER ANALYSIS FOR THE NEW CASTLE COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOTALING $49,500.00. Introduced by: Mr. Smiley, Mr. Cartier 

Plus, a very interesting Ordinance is being introduced tonight ~ 

 º13-081: TO AMEND NEW CASTLE COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 2 (“ADMINISTRATION”) ARTICLE 2 (“COUNTY COUNCIL”), REGARDING
LEGISLATIVE AGENTS.

Introduced by: Mr. Bullock

 Date of introduction: October 22, 2013

SUBSTITUTE NO. 1 TO ORDINANCE NO. 13-081

TO AMEND NEW CASTLE COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 2 (“ADMINISTRATION”) ARTICLE 2 (“COUNTY COUNCIL”), REGARDING LEGISLATIVE AGENTS

 WHEREAS, in order to promote open government regarding public influence, County Council has determined that any draft legislation prepared by a legislative agent, on behalf of an Executive or Legislative branch department, agency, official or employee, will contain the name of the person preparing the legislation and the client represented by the person.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNTY OF NEW CASTLE HEREBY ORDAINS:

Section 1. New Castle County Code Chapter 2 (“Administration”), Article 2 (“County Council”), Division 2.02.300 (“Registration of legislative agents”) is hereby amended by adding the material underscored, as set forth below.

Division 2.02.300. Registration of Legislative Agents… Sec. 2.02.305. Violation and penalties Authoring of legislation by legislative agents.

 Any legislative agent who drafts legislation for an Executive or Legislative branch
agency, office, department, official or employee shall include on the initial and all subsequent drafts the name of the person and his or her employer, client or other interest represented if other than for the person him or herself.

Sec. 2.02.305 306. Violation and penalties… Section 2. This ordinance shall become effective upon passage by New Castle County

This means no more hidden authorship of bills in New Castle County! Tell your council rep you want them to vote for this bill. It's such a shame the General Assembly didn't get this far in the  Ethics/Lobbying bill package the Governor rolled out two years ago.

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