The beginning of the 1970 movie Patton includes a speech to troops by the lead character, in which it is said that one does not win a war by dying for one’s country. But in truth, General George S. Patton, Jr. was well aware of the sacrifices made by those under his command in pursuit of victory in Europe in World War II. This is a story of both.

In late March 1945, as the Allies were closing in on the Third Reich, General Patton initiated a plan to free American POWs at a camp some 50 miles behind German lines. The operation was very risky, a veritable suicide mission. Part of the reason for the mission was to rescue Patton’s son-in-law, Col. John Waters, who had been held at the Oflag Camp near Hammelburg since capture in 1943. Patton put Lt. Col. Creighton Abrams in charge of the operation, who in turn selected Capt. Abraham Baum to command it. A total of 303 soldiers were led by 11 officers.

From the start, the mission had problems. First, Abrams was overruled in his request for more troops, though it is unclear whether more men alone would have made a difference. As they made their way into enemy territory, the group, dubbed Task Force Baum, lacked sufficient maps indicating where they were or the exact location of the prison camp. Further, German spotter planes soon discovered the incursion, which was fatal to the success of the mission later on.

Dr. Samuel B. Hoff

Once the Americans reached the Oflag camp, they opened fire on who they thought were German guards. Actually, the camp housed both Serbian and American POWs, and the Serb uniforms evidently looked like Nazi garb to the Americans. Col. Waters attempted to warn the rescuers of the mistake but was shot himself. Once inside the camp, the raiders quickly discerned two things: they radically underestimated the number of POWs present there, and most internees were not able to walk due to various ailments. The decision was made to allow only field-grade officers to ride back, while others who could escape would have to walk. Col. Waters stayed at the camp after his injury.

On the way back from the raid, Task Force Baum lacked adequate moonlight to see and fuel for the vehicles. Further, because of insufficient reconnaissance, the Americans were unaware that

German troops surrounded their position at night. Once morning broke and the Americans started to move, they were literally sitting ducks. Of the 314 total men involved in the raid, 32 were killed in the battle which ensued, while only 35 made it back across to Allied territory; the remaining troops headed back to the prison camp under the white flag of surrender. One of the unlucky ones forced to return to the camp was Capt. Baum, who was shot and captured. Devastatingly, all 16 tanks and 41 other vehicles involved in the mission were captured or destroyed.

On its face, the raid was an abject failure. Since the camp was subsequently liberated just nine days after the operation, many questioned why it was necessary in the first place. While he offered a rare admission of mistake, General Patton—who was reprimanded by Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower for his role in the operation—nonetheless justified the mission based on the premise that retreating Germans may have slaughtered POWs at Oflag as they did elsewhere. From a military perspective, the mission did have a hidden benefit later revealed by the Nazis: it gave the impression that Allied troops would enter that part of Germany only from the east rather than from the north as well.

Col. Waters recovered from his wounds and went on to a distinguished military career, eventually earning the same rank as Patton, four-star general. Before his tragic death in an automobile accident while in Europe in December 1945, General Patton returned to the United States and gave a speech to assembled troops in Los Angeles in which he paid tribute to those who perished under his command, lamenting the “40,000 white crosses, 40,000 dead Americans.” Buried in a military cemetery in Luxembourg, General Patton’s grave is marked by a simple white cross at the front of an endless landscape of the fallen.

Maybe, as General Patton once actually remarked, “you don’t have to be a corpse to be a hero.” Nevertheless, even he knew it takes both the living and the departed to win wars, and it is the latter’s ultimate sacrifice we pay homage to on this solemn day of remembrance.

Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is George Washington Distinguished Professor of History and Political Science and Law Studies Director at Delaware State University. He visited the Luxembourg military cemetery where General Patton is buried during a 1975 trip to Europe while in high school. Dr. Hoff is a past recipient of a military history fellowship from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In the late ’40s, a veteran Washington secretary named Mary Davis was summoned to help a newly elected congressman compose a speech. Her expectations going into John Kennedy’s office were low. In a future interview, Ms. Davis admitted that she thought the congressman would “stumble around” and “er, ah and um,” his way through the speechwriting experience. She later recalled, “I was never so startled in my life! He sat back in his chair and it just flowed right out.”

Ms. Davis was not unusual in her misjudgment of Kennedy. JFK would be paired against Lyndon Johnson, George Wallace, Nikita Khrushchev and many others. They would all find out the hard way that John Kennedy was a consummate politician, pragmatist, and orator with a first-class mind, but arguably, no one learned that lesson more forcefully than his classic political rival, Richard M. Nixon.

Early in the pivotal election of 1960, Richard Nixon did his best to portray Kenned as glib, inexperienced, naïve and not a particularly distinguished member of the ineffectual debating society known as the U.S. Senate. The Vice President, on the other hand, had eight years of highly visible experience and had served, as he constantly reminded people, “a mere heartbeat away from the presidency.” The Republican candidate could reasonably expect to use the new vehicle of a televised national debate on September 26th to trot out these themes, and effectively clinch his election for the highest office in the land.

Much has been written about items that might have negatively affected Richard Nixon’s efforts, such as his swollen knee, five o’clock shadow, lack of make-up, etc. While all of this might somewhat be true, far less attention has been given to Kennedy’s masterful performance. A study of this provides insights into the man, his political philosophy and perhaps what either party must do to regain or retain the presidency.

Right from the beginning, Kennedy demonstrated that he knew that the Democratic Party was and is a coalition, and acknowledged that by the bullet points he raised. For seniors, he talked about Social Security and health care for the aged, and for rural people, farm subsidies and the TVA.

Kennedy argued that we should pay teachers more and improve educational opportunity for “Negroes,” Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. He paid homage to the icons of the Democratic Party – FDR, Truman and Wilson, and twice invoked the name of Abraham Lincoln.

Nixon, on the other hand, ignored the aged, ethnic and regional interest groups and their signature issues, and spent most of his time defending the administration and highlighting his personal accomplishments. He dared not try to match Kennedy’s flowing rhetoric, and instead conceded that strength by saying twice he “agreed with Kennedy on much of what the Senator said.” The only “icon” Nixon brought up was an aged, tired and retiring Dwight Eisenhower. By not invoking Lincoln, for example, he inexplicably conceded the greatest Republican to Kennedy and the Democrats, who happily included the rail splitter in their pantheon of heroes.

Interestingly enough, later in the debate, when Nixon was given the opportunity once more to attack Kennedy’s inexperience, he wisely decided “not to comment on that.” Kennedy’s strong debate performance had manifestly eliminated a central Republican campaign argument, and Nixon knew it.

Ironically, and in an historical context, many of the things Nixon said were more factually correct. The American economy was fundamentally strong, and Communist Russia could never catch up to us. But this forum wasn’t an exercise in pedagogy, but a campaign debate, and in that, he was hopelessly outclassed. The defeated Nixon, of course, “came back” in 1968 and 1972, and this time could have worn make-up or shaved better, but he wisely knew it was more than that, and chose never to debate in either of those elections.

Kennedy, it should be noted, was not a man who was comfortable with labels. While he was a proud Democrat, he never called himself a “liberal” or “progressive.” His Republican Treasury Secretary, Douglas Dillon, said he was “a conservative,” which I think was going too far. In any case Kennedy, who famously said, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer,” demonstrated an admirable pragmatic streak that we could use today.

So, how would we characterize the politics of John Kennedy, as expressed in this debate? Perhaps it could be seen as a kind of “muscular liberalism.” The issues and concerns, such as health care and equality, are unmistakably liberal, but they were reinforced and imbued, both in the debate and later, by an unmistakable infusion of national pride and commitment to renewal.

America, to John Kennedy, was a nation that was justifiably proud of itself as a champion of freedom. He felt it was, in general, the true hope of this world, and saw no reason to apologize for its occasional mistakes. Throughout the debate, and later as president, Kennedy constantly invoked pro-American and anti-communist themes and arguments. Our system was not just different from theirs, he would argue; it was better, and worth fighting for.

In addition, the Senator voiced concern in the debate about an underperforming steel industry and an underfunded educational system. Kennedy did not concede then, and never would accept, that we as a nation had to accept decline, or that in many industries, our only alternative was to retrain workers (too often, for lower wages in the service industry). A can-do spirit was encouraged, both for the government and its people.

John Kennedy, would go on, of course, to become a well-beloved president, admired by many because of his pragmatism, compassion, insight, and of course, his speaking ability. Ironically, the woman who originally discovered this innate skill would never become a fan. Mary Davis, the secretary who took his early speeches in dictation, called him a “spoiled young man” and quit. Ms. Davis felt that JFK, a man whose father was a multimillionaire, refused to pay her what she felt she was worth. Go figure.

Larry Koch, Ed.D.
Magnolia

Born on May 29, 1917, John F. Kennedy (JFK) grew up to be America’s 35th president. At the century mark of his birth, it is appropriate to assess his contributions to the political and cultural landscape of the nation he led.

The 1960s, when JFK served as chief executive, certainly qualifies as an appropriate middle-point of the century which has transpired from 1917 to 2017. Starting with global politics, there were two world wars before Kennedy was elected in 1960, one of which JFK served in.

When he took over as president, the Cold War was a hot mess. But after the near-disaster of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the thaw with the Soviet Union began with the 1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and continued through 1970s détente and a series of nuclear agreements, including the SALT, START, New START, and ABM treaties, although the latter has been discontinued.

JFK served at a time when most Americans still had a benevolent view of government. There were several reasons for this, which included a budget surplus, no military draft, a healthy economy, and no major scandals. But just as critical to the positive view of government were policies put in place by the Kennedy White House which emphasized service, such as the Peace Corps. Later presidents like Bill Clinton, who idolized Kennedy in his youth, would add to the legacy of service through the establishment of AmeriCorps.

Dr. Samuel B. Hoff

Media coverage of presidential campaigns and of the presidency itself matured during JFK’s time. For instance, presidential debates began as a major campaign event in 1960. Although not repeated again in the general election until 1976, presidential debates are now an integral component of the campaign season. While in office, JFK routinized presidential press conferences, giving chief executives a consistent outlet for stating administration policy, but also augmenting White House accountability to the Fourth Estate. That the nightly news expanded to 30 minutes shortly after JFK’s untimely death was the beginning of the contemporary 24/7, multi-platform media frenzy we see presently, for better and worse.

Unfortunately, two negative military patterns continued after JFK’s presidency ended. First, American intervention in Vietnam in the early 1960s did not end such foreign forays, even with the subsequent searing events of that conflict. While some later wars were justified from the start, others were fought under false pretenses or without U.S. national interests at stake. Second, later presidents were victimized in the same manner as JFK was, namely by an operation planned by a previous presidential administration but run by the incoming one. For JFK, that was the Bay of Pigs mission, intended to displace Fidel Castro’s regime in Cuba. Just at the latter failed mission hurt the Kennedy team at the outset of JFK’s term, so similar tag-team fiascoes occurred at the start of the Bill Clinton (Somalia) and Donald Trump (Yemen) administrations.

The sudden assassination of President Kennedy is one of the first memories of the Baby Boomers born in the late 1950s. Along with later attempts on presidents, that generation has witnessed the rise of terrorism worldwide, ethnic cleansing, and use of chemical weapons in warfare among other travesties. While the United Nations and other alliances were previously able to impact global behavior in a significant way, those organizations are less regarded and successful in stemming political violence than they once were. Conversely, worldwide movements for peace and justice initiated by individuals and private groups embody the altruistic, hopeful spirit which typified the Kennedy years.

Though partly fostered by America’s need to catch up to the Soviets in the space race, the Kennedy years demonstrated the importance of technology to American science and society. Many of today’s inventions owe their etiology to the culture of experimentation and wonder which characterized the early 1960s, as does the academic curriculum which emphasizes STEM.

Even as the 1960s reflect the unfinished aspirations of a country, they likewise represent the positive glow of the man and his times. John F. Kennedy will forever remain young and vibrant in the memories of millions, with rock-star-like popularity, a scion from a well-known, well-to-do family whose style is still envied and copied. Given the occasion, this is a time to celebrate what JFK did accomplish as leader of the free world rather than ruminate about what was lost to history’s shadows.

Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is George Washington Distinguished Professor of History and Political Science and Law Studies Director at Delaware State University. He has taught and published extensively on the American presidency.

In response to Debbie Hilton’s letter to the Delaware State News Opinion page printed on 24 May [“Praying to the ‘right God’”], wherein she extended several congratulatory comments to another letter writer for that lady’s analysis of Islam [“Islam religion is tied with politics and military,” May 13], I am inclined to remark [that] both letters were skewed, although Ms. Hilton’s was self-admittedly less educated.

I was tempted at the time of the initial letter to throw my two cents’ worth into the matter, but I try to constrain myself in respect to people’s beliefs, inasmuch as our Constitution does allow for each of us to have our own faith, or not, as we so choose. However, as a reformed atheist, I never saw anything legally wrong with government-events sponsorship of prayer. I simply chose not to listen, or later, chose to figure they were praying to God as I have come to know God.

Indeed, I agree with Ms. Hilton in referring to Islam as a sect, but so are Christianity and Judaism. For some reason, some people believe “sect” is a dirty word. If she would read her Bible a little more closely, Ms. Hilton would discover that the world’s three great religions are related. Elohim (El) was Yahweh, who was Jehovah, who was Allah. God had many names, and interestingly, the one God can be traced back to Sumer. For someone who believes themselves religious, Ms. Hilton ought to know this.

I also agree with Ms. Hilton and others here that Islam, while being what I consider a religion, is indeed political, and many Muslim states have governments rife with its influence. Tell me what organized religion is not political? The laws of the United States are based upon early Jewish public law, which resembled Egyptian public law and other ancient governments since the dawn of writing; and in my search for God, I read a lot of dusty tomes.

When Ms. Hilton comments on adherents of Islam regarding Christians as infidels, ah, well, long we branded them heathens, pagans and worse. This demonization of people’s belief in intangibles has to stop, or it will lead to our self-annihilation. I think there is something in our DNA that is a little off-kilter in that regard. Having been an atheist, I also learned through personal experience what some philosophers have remarked upon, which is that disbelief is a system of belief. So, understand: we cannot escape what is hard-wired into us.

Regarding the evolution of religions, consider that the Judaism of the first century was considerably different from what it is today, and far afield of the Reformed Movement. Likewise, Christianity, inasmuch as its sects have divided over such hypocritical issues as slavery. It seems to me that there is a church for every sin, and the devil may be in the details. I suppose that is why I cannot be a practicing adherent. It amazes me how many Christians don’t understand exactly why the Jesus figure so infuriated the Jewish priestly hierarchy, or for that matter, how many Jews do not have a sound understanding of what they were “chosen” to do as God’s chosen people. (By the way, I think they did a bang-up job.) If people had a better understanding of ancient times, how their religions have evolved and exactly where they came from, I doubt there would be so many churches, mosques and temples.

People are inherently lazy; they’d rather be told something is true than seek the truth for themselves. Ah, but their truth does not necessarily belong to others; does that make it less than true? Remember, we are addressing intangibles. Maybe some people have been frightened into following the dictates of someone else, someone possibly unworthy of trust. As a U.S. citizen free to pursue these matters, my reward has been in a journey of discovery, whereas some impressionable, twisted and hopeless people have been misled to commit horrible crimes in the names of God.

The radical element of Islam is extremely dangerous, as are most fundamentalists of any cloth, and I will stridently resist any effort to infuse our republic with Islamic society’s more objectionable religious laws, or any other religion’s dogma, for that matter. If people would simply read on this fascinating topic, they would be better qualified to differentiate between the good and evil in themselves, as well as others, and thereby be aptly prepared to meet their maker. Ms. Hilton has a lot of reading to do.

Carol Hotte
Felton

NEWARK — The newly-crowned Colonial Athletic Association champion University of Delaware baseball squad is heading to Lubbock, Texas for the NCAA Tournament this coming weekend.

The Blue Hens (34-21), who have won 10 of their last 11 games, earned the number four seed in the Lubbock Regional and will play Friday at 3 p.m. (EST) against host, top-seed, and No. 3 ranked (D1baseball.com) Texas Tech (43-15).

Friday’s game will be available on WatchESPN.com. The winner of Friday’s game will face the winner of #15 Arizona (37-19) vs. Sam Houston State (40-20), Saturday at 7 p.m. (EST). The losing teams in the first day matchups will meet Saturday at 3 p.m. (EST) in the first elimination game.

Delaware is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time in school history but for the first time since the 2001 season when the Hens competed at the Columbus, Ohio Regional at Ohio State.

“This is not an icing on the cake type of deal, we are going out there to win,” Delaware head coach Jim Sherman said. “We are in a four-team, double-elimination tournament. Our No. 1 guy Ron Marinaccio is throwing really well and we believe in him. Right now, we are swinging the bats well. We are going out there to win and anything is possible. We think we have the right team.”

Blue Hen baseball players react as they are selected to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. (UD sports informaton/Mark Campbell)

Delaware earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the 2017 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title behind four impressive victories in four days. The Hens outscored opponents by a 38-14 margin in sweeping all four games, two against host and No. 2 seed UNCW.

The Blue Hens lead the CAA in both batting average (.313/No. 14 in NCAA), earned run average (4.35), and scoring (7.5 runs per game/No. 16 in NCAA) becoming the first CAA team to pull off that statistical triple since 2002.

Eight Delaware starters are batting over .300 for the season led by CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jeremy Ake, a senior shortstop who ranks No. 2 in the CAA with a .359 average. Five Blue Hens have knocked in 40 or more runs this season while three have 10 or home runs. Sophomore first baseman Nick Patten has a team-high 14 home runs and leads the squad with 52 RBI.

“Texas Tech is a great baseball program and we are looking forward to going down there and playing Delaware Baseball,” said Patten. “We are feeling great. We’ve been getting great hitting, pitching, and defense and we showed that this past weekend. As long as we can keep doing what we do, we can go down and there and play some good ball.”

On the mound, Marinaccio leads the CAA and ranks No. 14 nationall with a 1.85 ERA to go with a record of 4-2 that includes 65 strikeouts in 58.1 innings. Since moving from the closer roll midway through the season, he has a 0.93 ERA and a 4-1 record in seven starts.

“We are definitely playing our best baseball right now,” said Marinaccio. “It’s just baseball, so anything can happen. We are going to be on that field and expect to win. Our defense is playing well and we are hitting well. We feel confident. It’s going to be fun playing in front of a big crowd and a great atmosphere.”

On Monday, the Blue Hens gathered for a celebration as the 35 student-athletes, friends, family members, UD staff, and Blue Hens fans all gathered in the Bob Carpenter Center Club for a watch party. About 20-minutes into the hour-long program which aired nationally live on ESPN2, the Blue Hens saw their name announced, setting off wild celebration.

“It’s always about the kids and their commitment,” Sherman added. “This team really has come together with all the work they have done on the field and in the classroom. That whole commitment is worthwhile, especially with winning the conference championship. It lifts our reputation another level. We always had that great reputation in the 70s, 80s, and 90s and we want to get back to that again.”

Delaware has never faced Texas Tech, Sam Houston State, or Arizona dating back to the program’s inception in 1889. The trip will be the Hens’ first visit to the state of Texas since playing host University of Houston in a three-game set to open the 2012 season.

DOVER — Memorial Day is not for the living, as any veteran of the military will attest.

The crowd that gathered at the Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Triangle in downtown Dover was reminded of that when the names of more than 400 Dover-area veterans who have died over the past year were read aloud Monday morning.

It was a somber task for Tammy Hull, commander of American Legion Walter L. Fox Post 2, and Anna Lopez, commander of Delaware Veterans Post 2, Inc.

That’s because every one of those fallen veterans has their own unique story and the reading of their names served as a tribute and personal thank you to all of them and their families.

“You take each name to heart and it’s very emotional,” said Commander Hull, who alternated reading the names with Commander Lopez. “I’m sure every one of those names has quite a story behind it and we just want to give each individual justice.”

An American veteran salutes during the rising of the U.S. flag concluding Memorial Day services at the Veterans Triangle. (Special to the Delaware State News/Jon Lloyd Jr.)

The ceremony, which took place at the convergence of Loockerman and State streets and Kings Highway, drew a nice crowd despite cool, overcast weather.

Robert Craig, a U.S. Air Force veteran of 22 years, was proud of how the veterans were recognized.

Chaplain Capt. Michael A. Carollo salutes the U.S. flag.

“It was a very good ceremony,” he said. “I think a lot more people should come out for these types of events. Listening to all of the (deceased) names made me feel like crying, but the sky was doing that for me.”

Dover Air Force Base Chaplain Capt. Michael A. Carollo bookended the 45-minute program by offering Invocation and Benediction prayers.

In between, the crowd joined Eugene “Chip” Rosan, Adjutant, American Legion, Walter Fox Post 2, in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance before the National Anthem was played.

Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen served as the guest speaker and remembered a similar day from his childhood.

Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen bows his head during the invocation.

“I remember coming here (to the Veterans Triangle) with my mother and dad some 50 years ago,” the mayor said. “So I’m proud to be here today.”

Mayor Christiansen went on to salute the more than one million soldiers who have died while defending the United States. He said they provided the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

“It really is important because we are on the front lines of defending freedom and have been for many, many years with the presence of Dover Air Force Base,” Mayor Christiansen said. “It even goes back to Colonial times when we sent troops to help George Washington.

“So Dover, over the course of its 300-year history, has been vested in the defense and protection of this country and also in defending the freedoms and values we all appreciate.”

Following the mayor’s speech, Commander Hull and Commander Lopez read off the names of the deceased Dover-area veterans during the past year before representatives from 21 groups presented floral tributes in the Veterans Triangle and offered up salutes.

The Dover Air Force Base Honor Guard then performed a 21-gun salute that echoed off the buildings downtown before Taps was played.

Dover Air Force Base Honor Guard members perform the 21-gun salute.

Commander Hull and Commander Lopez closed out the ceremony as they participated in Raise the Colors as the American flag was hoisted from half-staff to the top of the flag pole.

Then, almost on cue, a misty rain began to fall. As Mr. Craig said, it was like the sky was crying.

DOVER — During the overcast and drizzly Memorial Day ceremony, a somber, solitary bell ting echoed in the park after each fallen soldier’s name was read aloud. Delaware Veterans Coalition President Dave Skocik said he felt a touch of magic as the rain let up and a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace” rounded the memorial stones.

“It was almost magical the way the breeze came by when the pipers were playing,” he said “I felt the breeze on my face for the first time in the day and it didn’t bring rain with it. It feels like sometimes these things happen for a reason.”

On Monday, over a hundred people gathered in Kent County Veterans Memorial Park in Dover to participate in a remembrance service dedicated to Kent County soldiers killed in combat. According to Chapter 850 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, 41 Kent Countians died in Vietnam, Korea and the Middle East.

Although the forecast rain may have kept some at home, members of the general assembly, Mayor Robin Christiansen, Senator Tom Carper and other dignitaries and elected officials were out in force to participate in the ceremony.

Maj. Gen. Carol A. Timmons was the keynote speaker for the event. 59-year-old, Maj. Gen. Timmons, became the Delaware National Guard’s first female commander back on Feb. 12 when she was sworn in — succeeding Gen. Frank Vavala.

Trish Rodriguez of Dover and Vietnam veteran Paul Davis salute after placing a wreath in memory of fallen soldiers during Memorial Day service in Dover. (Special to the Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh)

Civil Air Patrol cadet color guard members from Dover AFB march in with the National Colors at beginning of the Memorial Day ceremony at the Kent County Memorial park in Dover Monday. Special To The Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh

Gen. Timmons served in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Joint Guard, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. A Bronze Star award in 2008 resulted from her leadership while commanding a combat deployment to Afghanistan.

Adjutant General of DelawareÕs National Guard Maj. General Carol Timmons, was the keynote speaker for MondayÕs Memorial Day ceremony in Dover Special To The Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh

At the end of her speech, she made a special tribute to gold-star families and their family members who were killed in combat.

“Their sacrifice serves as a steadfast warning to our enemies that we will never abandon the cause of liberty,” said Maj. Gen. Timmons.

She also made reference to the Bell UH-1 series Iroquois helicopter (better known as a Huey) permanently fixed to a stand in the park. As a command pilot, she’s logged more than 5,200 hours flying C-130Hs, C-141s and Hueys.

“This venue feels more like home than many because I get to look right at the UH-1 Huey, my first flying platform,” said Maj. Gen. Timmons. “The Huey is one of the most symbolic icons of the Vietnam War. Many of my instructors were Vietnam veterans. A lot of them had been under fire and even shot down during the war and they lost friends in combat.”

Civil Air Patrol cadet color guard members from Dover AFB march in with the National Colors at beginning of the Memorial Day ceremony at the Kent County Memorial park in Dover Monday. Special To The Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh

At the chapter 850-organized memorial, Civil Air Patrol cadets acted as the color guard. Time was taken to allow various organizations to place wreaths on the memorial stones in the park after the reading of the names of local soldiers killed in the war. The ornate memorial bell, belonging originally to the Dover Fire Department, was sounded after each name. The bell has been used specifically to mark the names at all events at the Kent County Veterans Memorial Park since 2009.

Concluding the ceremony, Mr. Skocik reminded visitors that Monday was John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday. In light of the ultimate sacrifice that so many Americans have made for freedom and liberty, he invited everyone to ponder Kennedy’s famous inaugural address.

“On a day like today it’s worth remembering to say to ourselves; ‘ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” said Mr. Skocik.

Dover Police and fire Pipes and Drums file into Kent County Memorial Park to play during MondayÕs ceremony. Special To The Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh

Your headline “Trump keeps campaign pledges with $4.1T budget” (May 24) was deplorable. If you were suggesting, despite its controversial cuts, that the budget would eliminate the federal deficit (at the end of 10 years, as claimed), you fail at simple arithmetic.

Even assuming that the economy were to grow more than reputable economists concede, there is no accounting for deficits resulting from reduced revenue. It’s a scam, plain and simple.

Trump’s budget proposes a huge transfer of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the wealthy. (They must be having trouble paying the increased fees and costs at Trump’s resorts.) While reducing taxes on businesses could stimulate job growth, giving more money to rich people will not.

If the idea is to stimulate the economy, give the money to people who will spend it all on goods and services! Speaking of jobs, there is scant (or negative) commitment to improving infrastructure.

The budget takes money from Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security (contrary to Trump’s campaign pledges). It takes a meat axe to programs for children, women, science and medical research (including fighting scourges including cancer, diabetes and outbreaks of epidemics). Needed investments in the environment, public lands and climate change are slashed.

America would be dirtier, dumber and even more unequal under Trump’s budget. Maybe Trump did promise to do that (despite his “Make America Great Again” rhetoric). If this is what your headline was intended to imply, please say so.

Mike Apgar
Dover

DOVER — At Tuesday’s Joint Finance Committee meeting lawmakers made dozens of minor cuts, slashing about $30 million from the state budget, with only eight of the cuts totaling more than $1 million.

Among the votes Tuesday were decisions to eliminate the State Board of Education, lower the funding for 15 health-related programs by 20 percent and defund administrative costs for the medical marijuana program.

Lawmakers expressed displeasure with many of the proposals, although almost every single modification to the budget was ultimately approved.

Budget-writing legislators are scheduled to meet for two more days this week, after which they may have eliminated a shortfall between projected revenue and spending of around $390 million.
About $200 million currently remains, but lawmakers may wait to balance the budget until an updated revenue fore-cast is issued June 19.

Legislators could also undo cuts if Republicans and Democrats come to a consensus on tax hikes in the ensuing weeks. For now, however, the budget is shrouded in uncertainty, and JFC is left waiting as leadership discusses possible tax increases.

Committee co-chair Rep. Melanie George Smith, D-Bear, who was aiming to have the budget finished by the time markup finishes this week, expressed uncertainty about that prospect after Tuesday’s meeting.

“Do you risk making all the cuts now or do you not do the cuts and then run the risk of June, not having a balanced budget?” she said.

Her co-chair, Sen. Harris McDowell, D-Wilmington, the most frequent objector to cuts Tuesday, said he was frustrated with the number of spending reductions.

“We need to hold some of our colleagues’ feet to the fire,” he said of the failure to find agreement on revenue generators. “We can’t tell them what they have to do but we can tell them to make up their mind and do it one way or the other so that we know and don’t have to go through these kind of exercises. This gets worse as we go along.”

The much-maligned cuts could also be a way to force Republicans to the negotiating table, something officials appeared to hint at Tuesday. How well it works remains to be seen.

Office of Management and Budget Director Mike Jackson said the administration of Gov. John Carney has questions about some of the cuts made Tuesday by JFC. Lawmakers previously slashed $51 million based on proposals from Gov. Carney, but Tuesday’s cuts, Mr. Jackson said, could have reverberations throughout the state.

Sen. Nicole Poore, D-New Castle, said lawmakers were “hurting some of our most vulnerable people,” and Sen. McDowell questioned reducing money going to drug prevention programs when the state is in the middle of a heroin “epidemic.”

The list of cuts stems from recommendations made by lawmakers, according to Rep. George Smith.

Though lawmakers believe they can remove the Board of Education with epilogue language in this year’s budget bill, they may have to pass separate legislation to eliminate the group. The board has several responsibilities, including giving assistance to the secretary of education on policy and budgeting.

The Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee reviewed the group in March and recommended some changes in the interest of transparency, but members pointedly chose not to get rid of the board.

Tuesday saw JFC postpone a vote on creating a fee for driver’s education for students in private schools, the only topic on the long list of potential cuts that was not approved.

Rep. George Smith and Sen. McDowell disagreed on several occasions, a rare occurrence that could indicate some frustration and division among Democrats.

Republicans were slower to object to cuts, with Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, stating he was primarily concerned with “placat(ing) the taxpayers.”

“What you do today you can always undo tomorrow,” Rep. Mike Ramone, R-Pike Creek Valley, noted.

Sen. McDowell said the budget still contains some potential cuts that “are less harmful to people,” alt-hough he declined to say what those are.

DOVER — A one-stroke lead in a team golf tournament — with 18 holes still left — isn’t worth much.

But it certainly beats the alternatives.

So Caesar Rodney High will gladly take its one-shot lead after the first round of the DIAA golf state tournament on Tuesday.

The Riders, though, know they still have a lot of work to do if they’re going to capture the program’s fourth state crown in the last seven years.

CR stands at 216, second-place Archmere is at 217 and third-place Appoquinimink carded a 218 in the first round of the state tourney, played at Maple Dale Country Club.

Fourth-place Tower Hill (221) is also still very much in contention at the 36-hole event, which is slated to finish today at Maple Dale.

Indvidually, defending champion Phoebe Brinker is still the player to beat after carding a 71 on Tuesday to hold a four-shot lead. Still just a freshman, Brinker competes for Archmere this season after attending Tower Hill last year.

Four players are tied for second with 75s, including Milford’s Kyle Strassle and CR’s Akira Pavey.

“Coming in, we thought there were five or six teams that had a legitimate chance and we thought that we were one of them,” said Riders’ coach John Newman. “Hopefully the kids are looking forward to tomorrow.”

CR’s two best first-round scores came from two of its youngest players. Pavey is a sophomore while teammate Matthew Miller, who fired a 76, is just a freshman.

Of the 95 players in the field, only 17 scored in the 70s on the cool, overcast day. The wet course and occasionally-windy conditions made scoring difficult.

All things considered, Pavey was happy with his 75. He’s not usually one of the Riders’ low scorers.

Pavey had four birdies in his three-over par round.

“I haven’t really played too well in our nine-hole matches,” he said. “It was a little surprising.”

Pavey said he just wishes he hadn’t finished the front nine with a bogey on No. 8 followed by a double-bogey on No. 9.

“I know I have it,” he said. “But it’s all about putting it together and not making dumb decisions. I’m just trying to play my game.”

“He (Pavey) is a tremendously hard worker,” said Newman. “I’ve seen him play very well so his score doesn’t surprise me.”

Strassle’s 75 comes after he won the Henlopen Conference individual title last week on the same course. The junior finished his round with birdies on the final two holes to earn his place in the four-way tie for second.

Of course, there’s a lot of golf still left to be played.

“There’s some good teams,” said Newman. “We were happy with our young kids today,” said Newman. “We had a freshman and a sophomore that helped us out tremendously. We try to preach ‘team’ all the time. Throughout the season, I think any one of our top-five people are certainly capable of doing some very good things.

“Today it was the young guys. Tomorrow, who knows who it will be?”

DOVER — Dover’s acting city manager on Tuesday presented the council with a recommended fiscal year 2018 budget that includes no property tax increase for the second consecutive year.

The numbers were well-received.

City council members lauded the balanced-budget proposal and what they say appears to be a stream-lined process for them due to Acting City Manager Donna Mitchell’s communication with the city’s department heads.

“It’s nice that we don’t have to be the ones sitting here doing all the slicing and dicing and surgery,” City Councilman Bill Hare said. “(Ms. Mitchell) knows what needs to be done and she did it, and I commend her and her staff.”

The proposed $143,079,600 total spending plan for FY-2018 does include a service rate increase for sanitation operations due to an increased cost in recycling, as well as greater fees for extra-duty Dover Police Department services for events such as NASCAR races and the Firefly Music Festival.

Under the budget draft, sanitation services for Dover residents will jump from $17 to $21 per month, a 23.5 percent increase to cover cost of service.

The extra-duty police special event rate is also expected to increase around $3 per hour for each officer to $68 per hour ($28 per hour for dispatchers standard time), as well as an additional $1 for overhead fees.

Overall, City Council President Timothy Slavin said the budget draft was a good place to start. He and other members of council will continue peruse the entire 306-page budget at special meetings tonight and Thursday.

“I have to tell you that for the first time perhaps in my career, I think we have been presented with a budget which is in alignment with where people want to be within the city,” Mr. Slavin said.

“Ms. Mitchell and her team have done a tremendous task here of making some of those decisions where I think they should be, which is at the department request level, and not just passing them on to council.”

City Councilman David Anderson was also impressed at the proposed draft budget.

“This is probably the best budget I’ve seen in years,” he said.

The total spending plan for FY-2018 is proposed to be $143,079,600, which includes an operating budget of $130,522,000 and a capital investments budget of $12,557,600.

The proposed budget represents an increase of 3.3 percent over the original FY-2017 spending plan, which was $138,472,000.

There is good news for city of Dover electric customers.

A distribution of FY-2016 excess earnings for the electric utility is recommended as a Power Cost Adjustment credit of $.00855. This represents $6.2 million (5.5 percent) of revenue for the utility.

Electric rates for businesses in Dover will be lowered and the average residential electric bill in the city will be down an estimated 4.74 percent per month.

“The proposed budget meets all of our fiscal policies,” Mr. Slavin said. “It holds the line on taxes, it proposes no new taxes, and by and large holds the line on fees. The increase in fees we do see are those enterprises where there’s an outsourcing that’s costing us, like recycling.

“This budget would actually lower the rates of electricity across the city. The budget would fund the cost of living adjustment for our retirees, which I believe hasn’t been done in (11 years). It also solves the funding for the (Dover Police Department) Cadet Program, which has been a source of concern for all of us.”

Mr. Slavin cautioned that there will still have to be several items cut and more added to the budget and it will be up to city council to make those tough decisions.

“I think in past years we’ve all scrubbed up and gotten ready for brain surgery and we may not need to conduct brain surgery on a budget like this, but we should be good doctors,” he said. “We should take a look at the patient and correct what we say that we want to correct and prescribe future actions.

“These hearings are not just about numbers. It’s also a time to identify activities that we want to see completed over the course of the next year.”

The FY-2017 budget was a far cry from 2016, which included a 19.9 percent property tax increase, as well as a 3 percent increase in electricity.

However, it didn’t come without a cost as the city’s Economic Development Office was dissolved.

This year’s budget doesn’t appear to have any of those kinds of major issues, though there is still a lot of discussion that will take place before it is finally put in front of council for a vote next month.

Ms. Mitchell was pleased at the efforts by city staff to put the draft budget together in the wake of former City Manager Scott Koenig’s retirement on March 17.

“The city staff provided a great deal of assistance in meeting the challenges we faced with the presentment of a balanced and policy compliant budget,” Ms. Mitchell said. “The proposed budget
reflects our continued commitment to providing cost-effective, efficient, basic municipal services for our citizens, visitors and business community.”

There is one thing that gave Mr. Slavin some relief.

“Perhaps the biggest thing is it’s not presented as an adversarial budget, it’s a collegial budget and I really want to thank Mrs. Mitchell and her team for putting that together,” he said.

Saleem Shabazz

Matthew Harrington

DOVER — Two Philadelphia men were sentenced to lengthy prison stays after earlier pleading guilty to murder in a 2015 home invasion that left a 52-year-old man shot to death, authorities said last week.

Saleem Shabazz, 23, and Matthew Harrington, 24, each admitted to second-degree murder and received sentences of 34 and 25 years, respectively, in Kent County Superior Court. Shabazz also plead guilty to second-degree conspiracy and home invasion, according to the Delaware Department of Justice.

Both defendants were ordered to spend a year in a halfway house following release from prison, then two years of probation.

Clifton Leager, 52, was killed during a home invasion in the Rodney Village neighborhood on Oct. 17, 2015. Police said the incident unfolded at approximately 1:38 a.m. in the 1400 block of John Clark Road.

Deputy Attorneys General Jason Cohee and Dennis Kelleher secured the pleas, authorities said.

Haley Henwood, 18, of Philadelphia, was shot to death by Mr. Leager’s son 22-year-old Jacob as she waited in a getaway vehicle, police said. He pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide on Feb. 2, and was sentenced to eight years in prison, suspended for time already served.

He was ordered to serve six months of Level IV home confinement, followed by a year of Level III probation and then two years of restitution only Level I probation.

• A 27-year-old convicted murderer from Wilmington was found guilty of assaulting a James T. Vaughn Correctional Center officer in February 2016 and will be sentenced in July.

According to the DOJ, Eric Dolby repeatedly punched the officer after being ordered to return to his cell. The officer suffered a broken nose, broken cheekbones and broken collarbone,
authorities said, and needed a titanium plate inserted in his face due to the injuries.

Dolby admitted to assault in a detention facility, the DOJ said. He was already serving a life sentence for the 2008 murder of a Dover man.

Tanner W. Polce

DOVER —  A recently-elected city councilman who is also the policy director for Delaware’s lieutenant governor was charged with driving under the influence after a crash north of Middletown over the weekend, police said Tuesday.

Tanner Wm. Polce, 26, of Dover, was driving a 2016 Toyota Camry that struck another vehicle after allegedly running a stop sign at the intersection of Del. 71 (Red Lion Road) and Chesapeake City Road at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, according to Delaware State Police.

The 55-year-old driver of a 2003 Honda Accord and a 47-year-old passenger were taken from the scene by ambulance to Christiana Hospital. Both men were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police spokesman Master Cpl. Jeffrey R. Hale said.

Mr. Polce was not injured.

Contacted by a reporter on Tuesday, Mr. Polce, a Democrat, issued a statement acknowledging the incident while questioning the validity of the DUI charge.

“This past Sunday, while visiting with my mother, I was involved in a motor vehicle accident,” he said in the statement. “Thankfully, accordingly to all reports, no one was seriously injured.

“The responding officer issued a citation regarding facts underlying the motor vehicle accident, including a citation for driving under the influence of alcohol. I contest this allegation and look forward to proving my innocence in Court.

“This, however, has been a truly eye opening experience and an even larger learning experience. Throughout the campaign trail, I promised to serve my constituents with dignity and integrity. I vow to continue to serve in that exact manner.

“I ask for your continued support while this difficult situation is resolved.”

Keith Warren, chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, released a statement on Tuesday:

“Tanner Polce was involved in an auto accident on Sunday evening. While I am pleased to learn there were no serious injuries, I am very disappointed that alcohol may have been a factor.”

Mr. Polce’s Toyota Camry was traveling westbound on Chesapeake City Road at the time of the collision, and the Honda Accord was headed north on Del. 71, police said.

Other charges against Mr. Polce included failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to yield right of way, and inattentive driving.

He was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date for arraignment.

Mr. Polce was elected as Dover City Council’s 1st District representative on April 18 and sworn into office May 8. He replaced Councilman James Hutchison, who opted not to run for office when his current term expired.

According to a pre-election biography Mr. Polce submitted to the media, he graduated from Wesley College with a political science degree and earned a Masters of Business Administration degree. He listed his affiliations as adjunct faculty at Wesley, and joint appointment for the School of Business and Political Science Department.

Mr. Polce reported that he’d lived in Dover for approximately 7 1/2 years.

Sixth-seeded Tower Hill knocked off No. 3 Indian River, 2-1, in the DIAA Division II girls’ soccer quarterfinals on Tuesday night.

The Hillers (13-2-1) advance to Thursday’s semifinals where they will face No. 7 Delaware Military, which knocked off No. 2 Newark Charter on penalty kicks.

The Indians finish the season with a record of 14-3.

Baseball

Quarterfinals postponed: Tuesday’s quarterfinal round of the DIAA baseball tournament was postponed by rain and wet field conditions.

Cape Henlopen, the only remaining Henlopen Conference team in the field, will face top-seeded Conrad at 4 p.m. at Wilmington’s Frawley Stadium.

Appo’s Steckline named state’s top player: Ryan Steckline of Appoquinimink High has been named the Gatorade Delaware Baseball Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior left-handed pitcher and first baseman had led the Jaguars to a 16-3 record and a berth in the state tournament. Steckline posted a 3-2 record on the mound with one save, a 1.33 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 36.2 innings through 19 games.

He was batting .390 with 10 RBI and a .561 slugging percentage entering the postseason.

Steckline also volunteered locally to collect more than $20,000 worth of sporting goods to donate to athletes in need and was nominated for Nike’s I Am Sport award.

“Ryan Steckline is an outstanding player in all facets of the game,” said Appo coach Billy Cunningham. “He has been a consistent run producer in the middle of our lineup and has been our go-to pitcher in big games his entire career.”

Steckline has maintained a 3.5 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Monmouth University this fall.

Special Olympics

Del. Games on tap: The 47th annual Special Olympics Delaware Summer Games is being held at the University of Delaware on June 9-10.

Nearly 800 athletes and Unified partners (peers without disabilities) are scheduled to compete in six sports — aquatics, bocce, power lifting, tennis, softball, and track and field — during the two-day event.

A gala opening ceremony takes place Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the Carpenter Center. All events are free and open to the public. For more information visit www.sode.org.

FREDERICA — Cape Henlopen High set out to control the draws on Tuesday night and the Vikings did, just like they’ve controlled girls’ lacrosse in Delaware for nearly a decade.

Cape earned its ninth consecutive girls’ lacrosse DIAA state championship with a 19-7 victory over St. Mark’s at the DE Turf Sports Complex.

The Vikings won the first five draws of the game, which led to five unanswered goals in the first 5:16 of the night. Their advantage quickly built to a 13-4 halftime lead.

The 19 goals were the second-most all-time in a state championship behind only St. Andrew’s total of 20 in 2004.

Senior Evelyn Shoop paced the Vikings with five goals, including four in the first half. Shoop, like the rest of the Cape seniors, ended her career with four state titles and an unbeaten record against Delaware competition.

Cape Henlopen’s girls lacrosse team celebrates on the field after beating St Mark’s 19-7 Tuesday night for the DIAA championship (Special to the Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh)

“Our tradition is based on love,” Shoop said. “Every day we come out and we love each other so much. We’re so supportive of one another. It’s awesome.”

Cape coach Lindsey Eichner credited the Vikings’ success on draws to junior Annie Judge and senior Cailey Thornburg.

Victoria Lockwood of Cape Henlopen looks to pass after being blocked by a pair of St. Marks defenders in the first half of Tuesday nightÕs DIAA championship match. Special To The Delaware State News/Gary Emeigh

“We’re really lucky because we have three or four different girls who can take the draw,” Eichner said. “It’s just a matter of time. We can put them all in for us and see who wins for us. That really was key.”

Viking Evelyn Shoop trying to get possession of a loose ball at midfield.

“Once we get our rhythm going we never stop,” Shoop said.

While Cape winning the state championship is nothing new, this was a personal milestone for Eichner.

Cape midfielder Alia Marshall advances the ball up field in match Tuesday night against St. Mark’s.

It is her first time capturing the title as the head coach after she took over for legendary coach P.J. Kesmodel after last year. Eichner was an assistant coach at Cape in 2016 and also coaches many of the girls during the summer.

“This senior class, I actually first coached them when they were in sixth or seventh grade,” Eichner said. “They know me and they know my style. P.J.’s been supportive the whole year. He’s been with us and if I have a question or anything I give him a call and he’s great.”

Cape Henlopen didn’t just hold a huge advantage in draws controlled, the Vikings capitalized on all that possession to out-shoot St. Mark’s 34-7.

Lindsay Monigle contributed a hat-trick while Thornburg, Chloe Schaeffer, Victoria Lockwood and Kaitlyn Klabe each had two-goal game. Judge won the most draws and also added a late goal.

“It gets nerve-wracking every year because we have to keep it up,” Judge said of keeping the streak of state titles going.

“But it’s a tradition. I love it.”

ROXANA — Once the state tournament begins, seeding means very little.

The No. 11-seeded Milford softball team proved that Tuesday night.

In the 2017 DIAA state championship matchup at Lower Sussex Little League, Milford defeated No. 9-seeded Delmar, 17-9, with the help of five home runs.

“We strive to get one percent better every day,” head coach Sean Brennan said. “We felt like we hadn’t reached our peak, and tonight we did a nice job offensively and we came ready to play.”

Morgan Petty blasted a pair of homers and Megan Fry, C.J. Kohel and Nia Bowe added one each in the team’s 17-run championship performance.

Milford’s Morgan Petty is all smiles as she circles the bases after hitting a home run in Tuesday’s state championship victory over Milford. (Special to the Delaware State News/Chuck Snyder)

“Our kids love to hit, and we just have fun hitting,” Brennan said. “We bring the fun to the game. They’re a fun bunch, they love to hit, so all through the tournament having the first at-bats, we loved it.”

Milford’s C.J. Kohel gets congrats from Coach Sean Brennan after hitting a home run.

Delmar put a run on the scoreboard first, scoring on a RBI double from Haley Rogers in the bottom of the first inning to give the Wildcats the early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second inning, Petty drilled a two-run homer over the outfield fence, scoring Nia Bowe and putting Milford ahead 2-1.

Bucs right-hander Morgan Abbott fires one in.

Petty’s first homer provided Milford’s offense with a spark.

“We talk about having a spark. It’s the spark that creates the fire, and so what’s awesome about these girls is it’s always a different spark every time,” Brennan said before being showered by the Gatorade jug by his players. “We just have so many sparks in our lineup, that it’s always one different kid that sparks us. We talk about that spark, leads to another spark, that leads to another spark, that leads to an explosion of 17-9.”

The next spark came in the bottom of the third inning.

Senior Rajene Bowe led off with a double to left field, and junior Darby Brennan drove in Bowe with a double to center field in the next at-bat.

The back-to-back doubles to begin the inning set-off the explosion Brennan had been referring to.

Fry added a two-run homer to straight-away center, putting Milford up 5-1, and the Bucs were just getting started in the third inning.

Shortstop Megan Fry of Milford scoops up the ball.

Milford Head Coach Sean Brennan sends batting signals.

Bowe’s bloop single to right field and a Petty walk set up catcher Kohel up for a three-run homer to left field. The team’s seven-run third inning explosion gave starter Morgan Abbott enough cushion to remain comfortable in the pitcher’s circle.

“They played amazing,” Abbott said of her teammates. “I couldn’t have done it without them, and they were really crushing the ball.”

Milford’s offense, with a seven-run lead after the third inning, continued to produce runs after breaking away with the early lead.

Petty hit her second homer in the fourth inning, a solo shot to the opposite field.

“We started off a little shaky, but once we got the rally going and we started hitting we got back to playing our ball,” Petty said. “We knew we had to stay laser-focused, stay focused on one pitch at a time, one inning at a time and keep our energy going.”

Milford’s Darby Brennan throws to first base after making the out at second.

Freshman Macey Myers hit an RBI double and Kalaysia Reynolds drove in a pair more runs with a single to right field to finish the fourth inning. One run in the fifth and four in the top of the seventh inning capped Milford’s scoring for the night.

“This is the greatest bunch of kids I’ve ever coached in my entire life,” Brennan said. “I love them to death. It’s an honor and a privilege to coach them.”

Josh Shepherd, Mike Nibblett, Tom Swann, and Rick Passwaters show off the first thresher caught in Delaware this year. (Submitted photo)

Rain, rain, rain seems to be the theme for this spring.

I haven’t seen the sun in days and I am starting to forget what dry sand looks like. The fish don’t care, but I could use a good dose of vitamin D to accompany my vitamin sea.

Memorial Day weekend was crowded as can be at the beach. We saw a lot of decent catches among the madness of wall to wall vehicles.

The flies weren’t even that bad, but the crazy scale was off the hook. This is how it is every year at the beginning of the summer vacation season.

Rick Passwaters and his crew brought the first thresher to the docks in Delaware over the weekend.

“Hooked up on 3 threshers today, the first one hit the line and instantly shot 10 feet into the air 50 yards from the boat,” he said. “Wildest thing I’ve seen in a while. The second one was pretty mild. The the third one got pretty wild on us and was a fun fight. The shark was 164 pounds and caught a few miles from the shipping channel.

“Crew members were Josh Shepherd, Mike Nibblett, Tom Swann, and myself.”

First pout

Dave Laughman was fishing for black sea bass and caught his first ocean pout.

“We were over a sunken sub, in about 160 feet of water, about 42 miles offshore,” said Laughman. “It hit on clam.”

He sent us the picture and we confirmed the identification with a friend of mine at a local college.

Not too many of these are caught in these waters. Ocean pout resemble wolffish, but the markings and distinct difference in teeth made the identification easier.

Ocean Pout (Zoarces americanus) is an eelpout in the family Zoarcidae, and are found off the northeast coast of New England and Canada.

We usually don’t see them this far south. It can survive in near freezing waters due to antifreeze proteins in its blood. These proteins have been used to genetically modify salmon to make them grow faster and has created some controversy over GMO grown fish. By reducing its sensitivity to cold the salmon can grow year round allowing it to grow much faster.

Flounder action

There was some decent flounder action in the Lewes Canal. The hardest part was finding minnows for bait. Stores were having a hard time getting supplied due to the new moon tides over flowing the marshes.

Once that happens, the minnows all head into the grassy areas and catching them is a chore. I know Icehouse bait and tackle received a lot of minnows yesterday afternoon.

The surf produced decent bluefish catches up and down the coast. The catches have been random but when the schools come by the action is fast and hot. Mullet on green mullet rigs have been the best combination.

We still are seeing large blues being caught near Virginia beach so these fish could be here a couple of more weeks. The water temperatures thanks to the cooler weather have been holding around the mid sixties for the most part. Friday we will see our first hot day in a while but that shouldn’t affect the water temperatures too much.

There are also spot being caught near Virginia beach according to Taylor at Lighthouse view bait and tackle. Nice sized looking spot too, so that will be some good action most likely in a couple of weeks. Also probably why there are still large bluefish in Virginia, feeding on spot.

Kingfish and spike trout (small weakfish) are being caught readily from the surf at Broadkill Beach and Beach Plum Island state park. Bloodworms is the bait of choice, and few white perch have been landed as well. Short striped bass action has been good i the surf when the bluefish are not around. Thursday they were right in the wash. We watched some porpoises come through and toss big blues in the air like candy while they were feeding. I guess they like to play with their food before eating.

It is going to be wet most of the week and possibly into the weekend, but the fishing should be okay. The area waters will silt up from run off in the creeks. I would expect the water temperatures to hold in the mid-60s and even lower throughout the week.”

For the sixth straight year, Padua ended Caesar Rodney High’s girls’ soccer season in the DIAA state tournament.

This time the second-seeded Pandas ousted the No. 3 Riders, 7-0, in the Division I state semifinals on Wednesday evening.

CR (13-4), which fell to the Pandas, 6-1, during the regular season, faced Padua in the state finals each of the last three years.

Six different players scored for the Pandas, who led 3-0 at halftime. Padua outshot the Riders, 14-1.

CR goalie Marianna Nuzzo made seven saves in the contest.

The Pandas will be going for the program’s sixth straight state title in the finals.

Baseball

Conrad 2, Cape Henlopen 1: The top-seeded Red Wolves won the DIAA quarterfinal contest on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning at Frawley Stadium.

The eighth-seeded Vikings (13-7) were the last Henlopen Conference team remaining in the tournament.

Cape took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the third before Conrad tied it on a fourth-inning homerun.

Vikings pitchers Zach Gelof and David Erickson combined to limit the Red Wolves to three hits.

Softball

Delmar’s Wheatley tops All-State team: Delmar shortstop Avery Wheatley was named the state Player of the Year to top this year’s All-State softball team.

A total of 12 Henlopen Conference players were chosen for the 21-player first team, including four from Henlopen Conference champion Lake Forest.

The other downstate players on the first team were Lake Forest’s Kerrigan Simpson (first base), Brooke Glanden (third base), Mya Maddox (outfield) and Kaitlyn Stahre (pitcher); Sussex Tech’s Shannon Lord (catcher) and Madison Watson (first base); Milford’s Draby Brennan (second base) and Rajene Bowe (outfield); Smyrna’s Kaelyn Press (outfield); Delmar’s Wheatley; Indian River’s Julia Bomhardt (outfield) and Sussex Central’s Hayley McCabe (pitcher).

Tennis

Brengle falls in French Open: Dover’s Madison Brengle was ousted from the French Open with a 6-0, 6-2, second-round loss to Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky.

The 28-year-old Bacsinszky is ranked No. 31 in the world while Brengle is No. 82.

Bacsinszky won five of 11 break-point opportunities and 14-of-16 net points. Brengle was 0-for-8 on break points and 1-of-2 on net points.

All the races at Dover International Speedway will be in stages.
(Special to The Delaware State News / Doug Curran)

DOVER — It appears as if NASCAR has sided with William Shakespeare that all the world, including Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races, is indeed a stage.

As NASCAR arrives at Dover International Speedway for this weekend’s tripleheader — highlighted by Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism — it will bring with it its new format of racing that breaks the races down into segments.

It is known as stage racing and it will make its debut in all three NASCAR events on the high banks of Dover’s one-mile concrete superspeedway this weekend.

NASCAR announced it would be changing to stage racing just about a month before February’s season-opening race in Daytona, Florida.

Mike Tatoian , president and CEO of Dover International Speedway, believes the move to stage racing is a natural fit as the edgy Monster Energy Drink has become the new title sponsor of NASCAR’s premier racing series this season.

“I think NASCAR has made some bold moves in the past and I think this was a bold one that has been embraced by fans, sponsors and the race teams,” Tatoian said. “All the stakeholders have had a positive reaction to this. I think there’s been that common thread of success. We’re looking forward to it here (in Dover).”

NASCAR races at Dover used to start with a green flag and run until the checkered flag was waved, some 400 miles later since 1997, when the races were shortened from 500 miles.

Of course, there were the unscheduled breaks for caution periods for crashes and debris on the track, but other than that, it was a 400-lap marathon.

That all changes this Sunday, as the AAA 400 will be run in three different stages. The first two stages will consist of 120 laps apiece, while the race to the checkered flag will be 160 laps long.

Caution flags will wave following the first two segments, allowing drivers a chance to pit and resetting the field.

Points will be awarded to the top 10 finishers at the end of each stage throughout the race, adding more incentive for drivers to race harder throughout the day.

The final stage of the race will be concluded just like races have traditionally been. Race points and purses will be paid out based on the final stage, and 40 points will be awarded to the race winner.

“(Stage racing) creates a lot more strategies on the track for drivers and crew chiefs,” Tatoian said. “Under the new format, every point matters and every stage matters. That makes every lap matter.

“What really resonates with me about the stage racing is that it creates not one checkered flag, but creates three checkered flags throughout the race.”

Brad Keselowski, who won the fall race at Dover in his 2012 Cup Series championship season, thinks the changes make perfect sense in today’s professional sporting landscape.

Keselowski helped mold the new race format.

“To me, you look at NASCAR and you look at the way our races were formatted back in the (19)40s and ’50s, it was formatted around endurance, long races, trying to make sure you were there until the end,” he said, “but today’s technology, the teams are just so smart, and if we created motorsports from scratch today, this is exactly how we would have done it, so it’s is something I’m very proud of.”

Driver Denny Hamlin knows the new format will be confusing to some fans at first, but he said not to worry.

“I think that there are a lot of different things within this that you don’t necessarily need to know how a watch works, you just need to know what time it is,” Hamlin said. “I think you’re going to see better racing on the racetrack, and that’s all that matters.”

Jeff Burton, a former driver who is now a television commentator, believes the changes have come with the race fans at heart.

“There’s a reason that playoffs are fun to watch, because there’s a ramification for not doing well and there’s a reward for excellence,” Burton said. “Any time you can put these athletes in that position to excel, it’s more fun for us, the fans to watch.”

So while there might be some fans that still believe that stages should be reserved for musical acts, plays and even long-range rockets, Tatoian hopes they will wait and watch before forming an opinion about NASCAR’s brave new world.

He said Friday’s Camping World Truck Series race will consist of a pair of 45-lap stages followed by a 110-lap final stage while Saturday’s Xfinity Series race will feature two 60-lap stages followed by an 80-lap final stage.

“It allows fans to consume the race in bite-sized nuggets,” Tatoian said. “This format was designed with the fan in mind. The breaks will allow fans to communicate with each other following the stages and we’re looking forward to it.”

CR’s Jared Wagenhoffer scores a goal against Sallies during boys’ lacrosse state semifinal at Dover High School on Wednesday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

DOVER — Down eight goals in the first quarter, it seemed a foregone conclusion Caesar Rodney High’s boys’ lacrosse season would be ending on Wednesday night.

But for the rest of the game, the Riders did all they could to prevent that from happening.

Caesar Rodney cut an eight-goal deficit to three goals in the second half before ultimately falling to Salesianum 16-11 in the semifinals of the DIAA state tournament hosted by Dover High. Sallies started the contest on a 8-0 but the Riders outscored them the rest of the way, just not enough to climb out of the big hole.

“You’ve got to seize the moment and play as hard as you can,” said CR senior goalie Tyler Gross. “Obviously the first quarter didn’t go our way, but I think after that the whole game went our way. I think our effort is really what made that happen.”

Junior Josh Cosden led the comeback attempt with a game-high six goals.

“We just didn’t give up,” Cosden said. “We knew it was going to be tough but we made our run and got momentum. It was just such a great game, a great battle. It’s so emotional, such a tough loss.”

Salesianum will play Cape Henlopen in the championship game, at a time and place to be determined. Cape Henlopen reached the final with a 16-7 victory over top-seed and previously unbeaten Wilmington Friends on Wednesday night.

Caesar Rodney wrapped up its season with a 14-5 overall record.

CR’s goalie Tyler Gross prepares to block a Sallies goal.( Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

The 11 goals were the most Salesianum has allowed to a Delaware team since April 28, 2015, against St. Mark’s. The Riders only scored three against Sallies in the season finale two weeks ago in a 17-3 defeat.

Salesianum also ended Caesar Rodney’s seasons in 2012, 2013 and 2014. But none were this close. The average margin of victory for the Sals in those three games was 11.6 goals and the most CR was able to score was four goals.

This marked the highest goal total for CR against the Sals in recent memory, edging out April 8, 2010, when they scored 10.

“Going down to this team in the past has resulted in a snowball effect,” said CR coach Matt Faircloth. “These guys said that wasn’t going to happen. They popped up on their feet, they fought to the last second. I couldn’t be more proud of the way they battled.”

“If we play to our capabilities we’re able to play with them,” Faircloth added. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure we’re doing the little things and go back to fundamentals.”

The closest Caesar Rodney got to the Sals was 10-7 after a Demetrius Stevenson goal with 8:16 left in the third period. But the Sals answered with a pair of goals to create some breathing room.

The Riders were fresh off an upset victory over No. 3 seed Appoquinimink in the quarterfinals. That came after CR lost to Appoquinimink 16-4 in the regular season.

The win over Appoquinimink and the comeback against Salesianum are two positives for the Riders to take into the offseason.

“It shows that we’re capable of playing to that high of a level,” Cosden said. “We came together and played as well as we could. We’ve been a family this year. This has been such a great year for us.”

“To finish a game that close really says a lot about our team and our effort,” Gross said. “I think every time we’ve played Sallies before since I’ve been here has been at least a 10-goal margin. I think next time these guys play against Sallies they’ll think about this game and play them as hard as they can.”