City of New Castle

First State National Historical Park Will Host Open House for Public Comment on the Sheriff’s House in New Castle

First State National Historical Park Will Host Open House for Public Comment on the Sheriff’s House in New Castle

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
First State National Historical Park 211 Delaware Street New Castle, DE 19720

First State National Historical Park News Release
Media Contact: Lorin Felter, lorin_felter@nps.gov, 215-327-8261

First State National Historical Park Will Host Open House for Public Comment on the Sheriff’s House in New Castle
New Castle, DE – First State National Historical Park (NHP) is requesting your input in developing a rehabilitation and use plan for the Sheriff’s House in New Castle, DE at a public scoping meeting on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, from 3:30-6:30pm at the New Castle Court House and Museum. The National Park Service (NPS) invites you to participate in the project planning process to identify potential uses for the Sheriff’s House, environmental impacts, issues, concerns, and alternative concepts.

Developing a rehabilitation and use plan is our effort to review conceptual plans to see what options exist for the interior of the Sheriff’s House. We are also developing a historic structure report which will inform the design concept plan process. Keep in mind that any rehabilitation will be several years away and contingent upon funding.

The purpose of the scoping meeting is to provide an opportunity for interested individuals and organizations to learn about the planning process and provide their thoughts, ideas, and concerns for the future use and management of the Sheriff’s House. Posters and other information about the Sheriff’s House will be available for the public to review. NPS staff will be on hand to answer questions and to accept public comments. There will not be a formal presentation so interested parties may arrive at any time between 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. to share their thoughts.

Following the meeting, the NPS will accept your comments and ideas for a 30-day period and begin to develop general alternatives for the rehabilitation and use of the Sheriff’s House. By mid-March, the alternatives will be used to conduct an environmental assessment which will be distributed for public review and comment during the summer of 2016.

More information about the project can be found at the park’s planning website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SheriffsHouse. Comments on the project may be submitted by attending the public scoping meeting or by submitting them electronically on the planning website (noted above). All information presented at the public scoping meeting will be uploaded to the website following the meeting. Thank you for your continued interest in First State NHP. Your participation will help shape the future of the Sheriff’s House.

For more information about the park, its programs, and the planning process please contact Superintendent Ethan McKinley at ethan_mckinley@nps.gov.

About First State National Historical Park: First State was designated as a national historical park in December 2014. The seven sites making up the park collectively tell the story of Delaware’s role in the founding of the United States. For more information about the park, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/frst or call 302-544-6363. You can follow First State NHP on social media and share your photos and experiences on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/firststatenhp.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 409 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

Revised Trash Schedule

City Holiday Notice:

Revised Trash Schedule.

Regular Schedule        Revised Schedule

Monday, Jan. 18th       Tuesday, Jan. 19th

Tuesday, Jan. 19th       Wednesday, Jan 20th

No Yard Waste Pick up on Wednesday, Jan.  20th.

Normal Recycle Collection on Thursday, Jan. 21st and Friday, Jan. 22nd

Christmas Tree Recycling

Christmas Tree Recycling

CURBSIDE COLLECTION
Place your tree curbside. Public Works crews will collect trees as teams are available.

• DO NOT block sidewalk for pedestrian use
• DO NOT place the tree in street or alley ways
• DO NOT place tree in bags
• DO remove tree stands, nails, ornaments, garland, lights, etc.

Press Release: Notification of Smoke Testing in Downtown Area

Notification of Smoke Testing

On December 8th & 10th, 2015 workers for the City of New Castle will blow smoke into the sewer lines in the downtown area to locate breaks and defects in the sewer system.  Homeowners do not need to be home and the inspectors will not need to enter your house.  This Smoke is not toxic, will not stain cloths or furniture, has a slight odor, and will not create a fire.

The tests will be conducted by AECOM a consulting engineering firm hired by the City.  The inspectors will be wearing lime vests and will have photo identification cards.  They will need to walk around the front and back of the property to look for signs of smoke coming from area drains.

TEST HOURS:
7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
December 8th & 10th

If you would like additional information or have questions, click on the Notification Notice above, or call Jeff Bergstrom at 302-322-9813.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important effort to improve service to the community.

Shop Small and Continue to Support Local Businesses

Since its founding in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday has emerged as a major event for holiday shoppers who want to support their community.  2015’s Small Business Saturday was bigger than ever!  Let’s all continue to shop locally.

Why Shop Local

The reason so many people are shopping locally is simple: it works.

Studies have shown the benefits of spending with locally owned businesses instead of their chain-store competitors. Local shops typically invest back into the community by using local vendors, employing local people and keeping their profits close to home instead of shipping them to an out-of-town headquarters.

It also results in revenue that supports the services and infrastructure in our own City. If you shop locally in New Castle instead of traveling elsewhere to spend your money, you are not just supporting our businesses, you are supporting New Castle.

You Are Thanking Your Local Shops for Supporting the Local Community

New Castle small businesses owners donate to most of the events that happen through the year here in New Castle – whether it’s a local church bazaar, one of our signature events, or a 5k run to raise money for a worthy cause – most of our businesses, open their cash drawers and checkbooks to help, with enthusiasm, knowing they are helping their community.

Pure Enjoyment

Another reason to shop locally is for the fun of it.  The gift shops, coffee shops, museum shops and even the restaurants have unique Christmas gifts with a local flavor. And if you’re unhappy with the lack of service at many of the big, national chain stores, you may be pleasantly surprised at the personal attention you get by shopping with small businesses.

Stress Free

‘Tis the season to be jolly, not stressed, frenzied, or road-raged. Trade in the hustle and bustle of over-packed malls for a relaxing stroll through your favorite downtown business, New Castle!

The benefits of slowing things down over the holidays can improve your health, well-being and overall mood, especially when schedules are at their fullest.

The less time you spend traveling great distances and drudging through hordes of shoppers, the more time you will be able to enjoy with your family around the fireplace. So maybe it’s time to focus less on leaving the area, and take advantage of the calming convenience of shopping local.

Not just for the Holiday Season

This time of year is a great time to give your loved ones locally bought gifts; but what about the rest of the year?  Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries are perfect occasions to give a gift or gift certificate from a local business or restaurant.

Delaware Bayshore Byway

The Delaware Bayshore is widely recognized as an area of global ecological and historic significance. It is a Migratory Shorebird Site of Hemispheric Importance, a Wetland of International Significance and an Important Bird Area of Global Significance. Its expansive coastal marshes, sandy shoreline, forest, fields and agricultural lands provide habitat for more than 400 species of birds and other wildlife. The Nature Conservancy and the National Audubon Society recognize the region as globally significant wildlife habitat.  The Nature Conservancy has called the Delaware Bayshore “One of the Earth’s most important stopovers for migratory birds.” The small towns along the Delaware Bayshore enjoy a deep and rich heritage, which evolved from the early colonial settlements and thriving maritime industries that thrived on the abundant natural resources of the area.

The Delaware’s Bayshore Byway extends for 52 miles along State Route 9 from the City of New Castle in New Castle County, DE to its junction with State Route 1 east of Dover on the east side of the Dover Air Force Base in Kent County.  It includes two spurs of 2.5 miles each.  The first one connects the Village of Odessa to the Byway via State Route 299.  The second is a loop consisting of Kitts Hummock Road and Bergold Lane that connects the Byway to the John Dickinson Plantation, St. Jones Reserve and the Ted Harvey Conservation Area.  Route 9 is an amalgam of roadways with different local names that loosely parallel the Bayshore.

For more information go to Delawaregreenways.org page on the Bayshore Byway.

11/24/2015 – Press Conference – Preparing for ‘Small Business Saturday’

November 24th 10 a.m. – Noon (Old Courthouse Museum steps – rain or shine):   Prepare for ‘Small Business Saturday’ and Local Shopping in New Castle: Debut of ‘Byway Bucks’ Shopping/Travel Incentives

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, U.S. Small Business Administration officials, State of Delaware representatives, and local leaders will conduct a press conference and small business walking tour.  The event urges local holiday and year-round shopping, and marks the Old New Castle debut of ‘Byway Bucks’ Program.  The ‘Byways Bucks’ is a coupon voucher program offering special dining, shopping and admissions deals along Del.’s ‘Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.’  The event will be anchored by opening remarks on the steps of the newly-minted First State National Historic Park’s New Castle courthouse  –  site of the fugitive slave trials, the transcripts of which informed the layout of the ‘Tubman Byway’s’ route  –  and feature tours of some of the Colonial-era town’s most idyllic shops as they gear up for the holiday shopping season.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway is one of six designated Delaware byways in the state.  The Byways Bucks is a new program endorsed by the Harriet Tubman byway’s coalition and management committee as part of a cultural and economic promotional experience for small businesses along this particular byway.   Part of the overall Delaware Byways Program is to heighten intrinsic resources along or near the byway to promote eco-tourism, local Delaware and American  history, and other cultural events that benefit the travel and their individual experiences.  The Byways Bucks intends to promote the traveler or locals to the resources they have as part of an outreach and community involvement package.

Pennsylvania Couple Donates Kevlar Vest to New Castle City K-9 Officer, Cooper

The New Castle City Police Department received a donation from a Pennsylvania couple to provide a Kevlar protective vest for the department’s K-9 Officer, Cooper.

The couple, Bob and Theresa D’Orazio of Broomall, decided to make the donation after seeing New Castle Officer Paul Allston and his K-9 partner Cooper demonstrate the dog’s drug-detecting skills at a heroin awareness event recently in Exton, Pennsylvania.

The names of the D’Orazio’s three children, ages 48, 28 and 10, will be sewn onto the vest, as they all lost their lives due to tragic events, said Senior Lt. Adam P. Brams, a department spokesman.

Ten Ideas For Improving the Visitor Experience In The City of New Castle

Ten Ideas For Improving the Visitor Experience PowerPoint
In The City of New Castle

Russ Smith 10/10/15
Just by way of introduction, I want to say that I worked forty-two years in the National Park Service, most of them involved with visitor services. In fact, I was the Regional Chief of Interpretation for seventy-some parks of the Northeast Region for thirteen years. I also developed the interpretive planning system now used by the National Park Service. It is that experience which gives me the temerity and the desire to come before you to discuss visitor services in New Castle.

The city’s greatest draw is history. With the creation of the new national park, New Castle is seen as a national resource. While visitation may have been primarily local and regional before, visitors will be coming in greater numbers from all over the country. What will their experience be? Will they feel secure? Will they feel comfortable finding their way around? Will they have a high quality interpretive experience? Will they later recommend New Castle to their friends?

In particular what I want to talk about is what the Park Service calls the Visitor Experience. The Visitor Experience is the totality of set of experiences that a visitor has from his or her first contact with a site until they leave that site. Right now, even though there are some very good efforts going on, the New Castle Visitor Experience could be improved. In particular, it’s fragmented and unfocussed. I’d like to offer ideas in ten areas to enhance the visitor experience.

1. Print Media and Brochures – One of the primary ways that a prospective visitor gets to know about a site is through brochures. These can be divided into pre-site and on-site. Here you see three brochures. There are actually only two, but the third one is a Xerox copy of a previous version of the second because the city has run out of the second one and won’t have more until December. Frankly, this does not create a positive impression in the heaviest visitor use season.

The pre-visit brochure is well-designed and carries a lot of information. What it does not do is provide a single contact for more information. Of course, that is because there is no single contact. It also provides no information on parking. Its worst problem is that there is no source of funding to keep it in print and no one to oversee appropriate distribution/

The on-site brochure literally takes you through New Castle from A through Z. It’s a hardy visitor who makes it through all twenty-six stops. There is no option for shorter tours. Here again, there is no information on parking or where to get further information.
2. Digital Media – Most visitors now probably have their first contact with New Castle through digital media. Here again there is no single point of entry. The city has a newly designed web page that provides a visitor information link. Luckily, if you Google New Castle, Delaware, this is the first site that comes up.

This link takes you to another page that provides a smattering of interpretation and information. However, the visitor has to make a third choice to get further information. There is no email address or phone number for further information.

The best choice of the links offered would be the New Castle Community Partnership’s “Historic New Castle” web site. It contains most of the type of information that visitors need. It even has a very nice map showing areas where they can park. What it doesn’t have is an email address or phone number for further information.
3. Highway Signs – Highway signs aren’t as critical as they used to be because of GPS. However, even GPS users needs reassurance that they are going in the right direction. A few years ago, the Delaware River and Bay Authority, at the request of the then Historic New Castle Alliance, added “Historic New Castle” signs on I-295. The Authority has also agreed to add First State National Historical Park signs after they have erected new sign structures. Deldot has agreed to add one sign on I-95 for New Castle and the park, but someone else will have to pay for it.
4. City Signs – The then Historic New Castle Alliance provided funding for Deldot to erect “Historic New Castle Signs” on area roads. The National Park Service followed up on that idea. Unfortunately, the park’s name change now needs to be addressed.

The city has a handsome set of entrance signs. Unfortunately, this one on Route 9 seems to direct you to the road on the left, which takes you…

…here. Some more directional signs are needed or the entrance sign needs to be re-oriented.

Fortunately, if visitors continue on Route 9, they find this directional sign at 6th and Delaware. This sign is part of the wayfinding system provided by the city and the Trustees of the Common. I should also note that, if you follow Google Maps to New Castle. it will take you to this intersection. This makes this sign and others critical.

Pedestrian signs in town are virtually non-existent. They would be a great help to visitors. They could easily be attached to existing sign structures and would be fairly unobtrusive.
5. Parking – Yes, I’m going to go there. I think this sign symbolizes the quandary the city is in. Where do we want visitors to go?

One point that I would like to make, based on my 42 years of experience, is that visitors will NOT walk all the way from Chestnut Street. It’s just not practical. The only thought I can offer is that it would be very helpful if a way could be found to reserve some spaces on Delaware Street for visitors.
6. Clean convenient restrooms – As any visitor center staffer will tell you, the first question a visitor asks is “Where are the restrooms?” (As the nuns used to tell us, you have to take care of physical needs before you can preach religion.) In New Castle the restrooms are tucked away in Battery Park and I understand that they have has a problem with vandalism. It would be a great benefit to have more convenient located restrooms.
7. On-site Information/Orientation – Once visitors have parked, they generally look around for some sort of a visitor center for orientation and information. One place they are drawn to, no doubt because of the flags outside is the City Administration Building.

Now, if I were a visitor, I would consider myself lucky indeed to run into Kim Burgmuller. However, Kim is working at a real disadvantage. Not only is the setting unwelcome, but she has many other tasks that she has responsibility for. (I call this Fortress Kim.)

There is some recent good news regarding visitor information and orientation with the opening of the New Castle Historical Society’s Visitor Center at the Arsenal. One issue here, however, is helping visitors to find it. This is where pedestrian signs could be useful.

Once inside, visitors find a modern information desk and sales area. Both have been much needed. You can get information from trained staff and pick up an audio tour.

Recently, a film has been added which provides a good overview of New Castle and its story. However, to enjoy the Visitor Center and what it has to offer, visitors have to arrive Wednesday through Sunday from April through October. Also, an important thing to remember is that this is the Historical Society’s Visitor Center, not the City’s Visitor Center. Currently, it doesn’t aim to be the focal point for all inquiries about the town.
8. Convenient Visitor Hours – All attractions in New Castle are closed on Monday and Tuesday and most are closed from November through March. Who hasn’t seen visitors on the street on Monday and Tuesday wandering around, looking sort of lost? I understand that the state is reviewing the days that the Court House is open. I hope other sites can do that as well.
9. Wayside Exhibits – One of my favorite forms of interpretive media are wayside exhibits. They work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and they never take vacation. The town already has a few wayside exhibits in the form of maps provided by the Trustees of the Common and the City. (This one, by the way, is mounted too high to be accessible to people in wheelchairs.)

This is an example of an interpretive wayside in Wilmington. Here, the panel is providing interpretation and orientation for Willington Square. The base design may be familiar to many of you. It’s the type used in most National Parks for about 50 years – very sturdy.

Interpretive wayside exhibits could be very useful In New Castle. In fact, I’m working on one for Fort Casimir right now. It will help visitors envision the fort in 1651 and understand its importance in controlling the Delaware during the early colonial period.

The New Castle Community Partnership has started on an effort to emplace others throughout the historic area. One possible example is here. If a visitor doesn’t have time for a tour or tours aren’t available, a wayside across the street could help the house come alive.
10. Leadership and Coordination – The common elements in all the above concerns are a lack of leadership and coordination for visitor experience efforts in the city. In fact, tourism is only addressed in the Comprehensive Plan as a parking issue. There is no positive direction. My final suggestion is that the City takes up this leadership challenge. There are opportunities to harness creativity and bring stakeholders together. Whether through a volunteer committee, a commission, or a paid employee, the City could do better to provide a high quality experience for our visitors.

***INVITATION TO BID*** City of New Castle 2015 Curb Ramp Installation and Renovation Program will

INVITATION TO BID

Sealed bids for the City of New Castle 2015 Curb Ramp Installation and Renovation Program will be received by the City Administrator until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, 2015, at the City Administration Building, 220 Delaware Street, New Castle, at which time they will be publicly opened and read. Bids received after the stated time will be returned unopened.

The work involves the installation of new ramps and the renovation of existing ramps located in both brick and concrete sidewalks. Sloping for ramps and modification of adjacent areas for smooth transitions to ramps will be required as will detectable warning surfaces (truncated dome blocks). Related work includes maintenance of traffic and demolition and replacement of existing adjacent sidewalks, curbing, and roadway surfaces. Related incidental work includes mobilization / demobilization, saw cutting, surveying, and sediment and erosion control. Upon completion, all ramps installed or renovated shall be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and guidelines.

Bidding documents may be obtained during normal business hours from New Castle Public Services Department, 900 Wilmington Road (Trolley Barn), New Castle. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on Monday, October 19, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Town Hall, 201 Delaware Street, New Castle. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory for all prospective bidders and will be a pre-requisite for submitting a bid.

Bids shall be submitted in a sealed envelope and shall be marked clearly as follows: Sealed Bid – Proposal for 2015 Curb Ramp Installation and Renovation Program. Requirements for a 10% Bid Bond, 100% Performance Bond, 100% Payment Bond and Maintenance Bond, and Contractor’s Insurance are included in the Contract Documents.

Bidders shall submit documentation demonstrating that they have installed a minimum of 100 curb ramps with at least 50 of those ramps in locations with brick sidewalks. Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE) will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids on this contract and are encouraged to do so.

Each Bidder must deposit with their bid a security equivalent to 10% of the bid amount, form and subject to the conditions provided in the instructions for bidders.

The City of New Castle reserves the right to reject any or all bids and makes such award as appears most advantageous to the City.

The City may extend the time and place for the opening of the bids from that described in the advertisement, with not less than two calendar days-notice by certified delivery, facsimile machine, e-mail, or other electronic means to those bidders who have obtained bid packets.

END OF ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS