The late Harold “Jack” Peterman ran for the Kent County Levy Court on the promise that he could solve the problems facing the Kent County Wastewater Treatment Plant in his neighborhood. And he did just that.
While his initial pleas for support were stymied, Commissioner Jack Peterman forged ahead with plans to fix a problem at the wastewater treatment plant by tackling it head-on. The plant was spewing an awful stench that reached as far as Dover when the wind blew from the east.
In the Milford and Frederica areas, the stench was a common item, talked about and felt by almost everyone. Most certainly, it prevented any form of business or residential growth from thriving in his neighborhood. That also included other parts of the county.
Commissioner Peterman looked for a solution and found one in the “Tiny Bubble Diffuser” system. Now, he had to convince the other commissioners to buy into the project solution. At the time, I was the Levy Court president.
With the waste treatment plant manager, Commissioner Peterman and I traveled to New Orleans to witness the process firsthand. Convinced that this new process was a possible game-changer, I came back a supporter of Mr. Peterman’s solution to a system that is in place today.
Together, we worked to get the four votes needed to move forward. Not only did the tiny bubble diffuser system work to process Kent County’s waste; it cleared the atmosphere of a stench that prohibited people from using their yards for outdoor activities, and promoted the construction of new homes and the general use of the outdoors for recreation.
The solid waste left over was processed into a useable product that benefited all. Since then, the county’s population has been able to enjoy central Delaware’s many possibilities for growth and prosperity. Mr. Peterman, proud of his accomplishment, even held outside events at the treatment plant where he served hot dogs and hamburgers.
We owe it all to the dogged determination of one man … Harold “Jack” Peterman.
Don Blakey, a friend forever
Dover