Newark News

Artist Rachel Milano answers questions from a few Girl Scouts -- including Hannah Jones , 7, and Sarafina Mustafaa, 8 -- at the dedication of Milano's artwork at FilmBrothers studios in Wilmington.

It looks as though a Talleyville-area couple who were cited for having a pile of sticks and twigs in their yard have taken the 'instant' out of New Castle County's instant ticketing program. Damon and Roy Morris sued the county in 2010, saying the program was unconstitutional and violates due process because the $50 fine for a variety of property-code violations must be paid before an alleged offender can appeal a ticket. A U.S. District Court judge ruled in the county's favor in April, but then the county had a bad day before a three-judge panel in the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia in December. The appeals court judges have not yet ruled on the matter, but their comments were so blistering that the county stopped issuing instant tickets within days after the hearing. 'This is patently an unconstitutional procedure,' Judge Dolores K. Sloviter said, according to a court recording of the proceedings. 'Anybody who has had Civil Procedure 1 or Common Law 1 will know you can't do this. ... You're charging people before they've had a hearing. Whether it's $50 or $1,000, the Constitution says you shouldn't do that.' The case has implications elsewhere in Delaware as well. News of the case caused Newark to halt the practice and Wilmington officials are deciding what to do. In response to the court's concerns, changes to county law will be introduced at Tuesday's County Council meeting. If the changes are approved, a ticket would no longer have to be paid before an appeal hearing. The Morrises and their attorney, Thomas C. Marconi, declined comment, as is standard procedure when a case is pending. County spokesman Jim Grant declined comment on the case, but said the proposed changes to the instant ticketing program will improve it. Attorney Richard Abbott, who was not involved with the Morris case, said he has argued with county attorneys about the constitutionality of the instant ticketing system for years. 'It's about time that some common sense from the Third Circuit got into the mix to end this practice,' Abbott said. 'Because county attorneys didn't do their homework, they end up with an embarrassment like this, when the Third Circuit effectively laughs them out of court.' If the county's changes to the system prompt a settlement with the Morrises, the court may drop the case. The county has issued 19,459 instant tickets since the program began in July 2008. Nearly $2.9 million in fines were issued. Of that amount, almost $2 million has been collected. The county obtains a lien against the property and attaches the debt to the owner's tax bill if instant ticket fines grow past $500, county acting Chief Financial Officer Ed Milowicki said. Grant said he couldn't say whether the county would have to refund any of the money from the tickets because of the case. Before the program began, residents who violated the county's property-maintenance code were charged criminally. But that process took time, so months often went by before an offender had to cut his grass or clean his yard in order to comply with the law. Instant ticketing was designed to quicken the process. The fine was reduced from $200 to $50 in an effort to speed things up as well. In a statement, county officials said the instant ticketing program accomplished that. 'We believe this administrative enforcement program has been an improvement over the alternative of criminal charges in the Justice of the Peace Court,' the statement says. Before the practice was suspended, violators had 10 days to fix the problem. If they did, the case was closed. If they didn't, they had 30 days from when the $50 ticket was issued to pay it. The fine doubled to $100 if the ticket remained unpaid. If someone wanted to appeal the ticket, the fine had to be paid in full before the appeal could be heard by a county administrative hearing officer. The $50 was refunded if the person who got the ticket won the appeal. Under the proposed new law -- which would remove the word 'instant' -- the ticket would not have to be paid in order to appeal it. A new $20 hearing fee would be charged if the person lost the appeal. The fine would still double to $100 if the ticket isn't paid in 30 days. Unchanged is a separate law requiring that anyone who appeals the administrative officer's ruling to the Licenses/Inspection Review Board pay a $500 fee. The fee is not refundable, even if the person who got the ticket is exonerated. The Morrises refused to pay that fee, so they couldn't appeal, which led to their lawsuit. Grant said the county is considering reducing that fee to $250, which would be refundable if the appeal is successful. During the December appeals hearing, county attorney James Edwards noted that Wilmington and Newark have similar programs. Judge Sloviter intimated that they could be unconstitutional as well. Wilmington's instant ticketing program started in May 2007. Newark began issuing instant tickets in 2009. Newark Mayor Vance Funk said the town in December stopped making people pay the tickets before an appeal could be heard. An ordinance to stop that practice entirely is being drafted by the town's attorney, he said. Funk said he's always been troubled by the immediate issuance of fines. 'You just can't tell somebody they have to pay a fine before they have their day in court,' Funk said. In Wilmington, 32,935 instant tickets have been issued. The fines have totaled nearly $2.3 million, of which $1.4 million has been collected. Unlike the county's law, Wilmington's does not give offenders 10 days to fix the problem before the fine is assessed. The fines are issued on the spot. City officials said they were not aware of the suit against the county until this week. 'We ... have not determined at this time whether we need to alter our instant ticketing law,' Wilmington spokesman John Rago said.

“Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Do you know what you’re getting for that special someone?” The annoying TV or radio pitch person goes on to push flowers, dinner for two, candy, gold-dipped roses and every other cliched gift to the point that you want to gouge your eyes out with Cupid’s arrow. Don’t do it. And don’t be the cliche who hates cliches – that grouch who detests Valentine’s Day. This year, zig when they zag and do your own thing this weekend, on Tuesday, next weekend or whenever you celebrate with one of the nontraditional activities listed below. Dinner by chopper How rad would this be: Tell your wife the two of you will be having dinner at Annie's Paramount Steak & Seafood House, which is at 500 Kent Narrows Way North in Grasonville, Md., right on the Chesapeake Bay. Wait until the day of the date, and then pretend to lose your car keys. All of a sudden, the house starts rumbling and then a helicopter lands. In your backyard. To take you to the restaurant. That’s one of the zillions of scenarios that Horizon Helicopters Inc., 2035 Sunset Lake Road, Newark (368-5135; www.horizonhelicopters.com) can set up for you. Scheduling coordinator Julie Keating said that couples typically leave from Horizon’s launching pad to take off in the Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter to get to one of the five standard dinner destinations: Annie’s ($1,400), the Bay Bridge Restaurant in Annapolis, Md. ($1,300), the Christiana Hilton in Newark ($1,200), the Tilghman Inland Inn in Tilghman Island, Md. ($1,500), Tangier Island, Va., in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay ($3,000) and the Tidewater Grill in Havre De Grace, Md. ($1,200). The trip includes a one-hour wait at the restaurant, and for anything over you’ll have to pay $90 extra. It’s also quite a bit extra to have the helicopter land in your yard. “This is a unique gift for the person who has everything. A lot of people have it on their bucket list,” Keating said. “A lot of people see it in the movies.” Get some ink It’s been almost 17 years to the day since Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee got married four days after they began dating. No one was surprised when the “Baywatch” actress and Motley Crue drummer bucked tradition and exchanged tattoos instead of wedding bands. But when Anderson had “Tommy” tattooed on her ring finger and Lee got “Pamela” etched onto his most private of parts, well, that was something a little different. While there’s no need to go to that extreme, it would be pretty cool to add some more permanence to your relationship – married or not – with some kind of tattoo. David Scott, owner of American Art Tattoo (1101 Capitol Trail, Newark; 454-8001, www.americanarttattoo.com), said he’s seen an uptick in business from couples who want to have a small- or medium-sized heart with a banner and their names tattooed on each other. Something like that would cost about $60 a piece. “I find when they come in as couples, they don’t go ridiculously elaborate,” said Scott, who’s been in business for 22 years and does everything from traditional tattoos to new-school and Asian designs. These days, tattoos are about as mainstream as the Foo Fighters, and Scott said he inks up professionals like doctors all the time. The reason for the change, he said, is the advances in safety, sterilization and licensing and a Delaware law that makes it illegal to do tattoos without certification. Visit a psychic Are you going to end up marrying each other? Can your relationship withstand his obsession with fantasy basketball? Better yet, what should you get her for Valentine’s Day? These questions and more could be answered through one of the countless psychic advisers up and down the state. Stanton-based psychic reader and adviser Mrs. Nicholas (that’s what she goes by) said she sees an uptick every year around this time at her spot at 417 Main St. (994-3327). She charges $45 for a session that lasts between 30 minutes and an hour. Mrs. Nicholas, who has been in business for 35 years, said couples and other Valentine’s Day visitors come with “basically questions. ‘Should I buy him something, is he going to call me?’ Everybody’s different,” she said. Love on a roll Relationships can get messy. And that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Take a sushi-making class together for a fun experience that also might come in handy on a future Valentine’s Day. Get a jump on the holiday this weekend, when Stingray Sushi Bar & Asian Latino Grill (59 Lake Ave., Rehoboth Beach; 227-6476, www.stingrayrestaurant.com) hosts Sushi 101 from noon-2 p.m. Sunday. Or have a late date and a similar class at Mikimoto’s (1212 N Washington St., Wilmington; 656-8638, www.mikimotos.com) from noon-2 p.m. Feb. 19. Our very own Eric Ruth, who took the class at Mikimoto’s recently with his wife, described it as “kind of fun and romantic, in a messy way.” He said couples share tables and get schooled by a laid-back and wise-cracking chef who helps make the evening a memorable one. Mikimoto’s supplies the materials for making sushi rolls, including sticky rice, seafood stuffing and seaweed wrappers. The best part is that you get to take home whatever you make. And even if you screw up the presentation, it’s still going to taste good. The cost to take a class at either restaurant is $45 per person. Tickets are available at www.cherrytreegroupevents.com. That’s amore It’ll always be a little bit cool to be into Frank Sinatra, but when Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia’s Palace of Hip, hosts an evening of tunes and style dedicated to Ol’ Blue Eyes and his pal Dean Martin, it’s time to go out and buy a nice hat and a bow tie and light up some cigars. On Tuesday, the venue at 1201 N. Frankford Ave. will host the Valentine’s Day Lover’s Ball with Frank & Deans – Ron Gallo and Bill McCloskey of the Philly band Toy Soldiers, who will sing Sinatra and Martin with a backing band. The show gets stated at 9 p.m. (doors open at 8). Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door and are available at www.ticketfly.com. For more information, visit www.johnnybrendas.com. Couples massage Obviously, plenty of couples will give each other massages on Valentine’s Day, and a large number of loved ones will buy their significant other a gift certificate for a rubdown. But why not leave it to the pros? La Dolce Vita Spa For Wellness (2 W. Main St., Middletown; 449-1496, www.ladolcevitaspaforwellness.com) offers a one-hour couples massage for $150 that boats two massage therapists who do their handiwork while the two lovebirds lay side by side. Afterward, they get to chill out for 20 minutes in the room while enjoying cheese, crackers, champagne and fruit and lounging on reclining chairs. “And they are in la-la land,” owner Chris Sateriale said. If you’re further downstate, set up a massage for two at the Ocean Retreat Day Spa (210 Savannah Road, Lewes; 645-6868, www.oceanretreatdayspa.com). The spa offers up a whole menu of Valentine’s massages, including the “Le Plat Principal Couples Massage.” For $200, you can get two 60-minute Swedish massages with take-home aromatic oil that includes chocolate-covered strawberries, champagne and souvenir champagne flutes. Bump it up to 90 minutes each for $280. Have a heart Mention The Franklin Institute to anyone who’s been there more than once, and there’s a 99.9 percent chance that the words “giant heart” will be spoken during the exchange. That’s because the oversized replica of a human heart, which visitors walk through like a maze while learning about sections of the organ and how they work, has been a mainstay at the museum at 222 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, since 1954. Of course, the heart is just one of the many attractions there, and if you go now you’ll catch the “Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs” exhibit, which continues through April 15. For admission prices and hours, call (215) 448-1200 or visit www.fi.edu. Start a love train On Tuesday, climb aboard one of the Wilmington & Western Railroad’s antique steam locomotives as it morphs into the Royal Blue Buffet Dinner Train. During the pleasantly rocky, definitely romantic ride the eats will include fresh fruit, salad, crab dip, braised beef with mushrooms, various vegetables, cakes, cookies and coffee, tea, soda and water. The train gets rolling at 6:30 Tuesday at the Greenbank Station, 2201 Newport Gap Pike, Prices Corner. Tickets are $65; $30 for kids 2-12. Reservations are required, and seating is assigned. Call 998-1930 or visit www.wwrr.com. Come Dancer, come Cupid The BlueBallRoom at Independence Mall, 1601 Concord Pike, Suite 10, Fairfax is hosting a Cupid’s Masquerade ball from 8-11:30 p.m. Saturday. It’s suggested that you wear a mask and something red. Admission is $15, and there will be a cash bar and some hors d'oeuvres. Call 984-2583. Love bug Valentine’s Day isn’t just for lovers. It’s also for the broken-hearted or, even worse, the poor, freshly dumped soul who was jettisoned by a real cheapskate who didn’t want to buy a V-Day gift. New York’s Bronx Zoo, of all places, has just the thing. For a $10 donation, you can name one of their 58,000 hissing cockroaches after your ex. The official documentation can then be sent out to all your friends or, for the stalker in you, the dude or chick who dumped you. For a little more, you can take it to the next level and send a Cocoa Roach – hand-painted, artisanal chocolate roaches – to a loved one or a former loved one. Send one for $25, two for $35. Visit www.bronxzoo.com/roach.

Whether you're looking for a slick nightclub filled with DJs and cover bands, a retro '80s "barcade" or a new low-key watering, there are plenty of new spots that have popped up across New Castle County.

Pedestrian struck, killed by van in Newark: A man was trying to cross the eastbound lanes of Chestnut Hill Road when he was struck by an eastbound 2009 Ford Econoline van driven by a 30-year-old Gregory A. Maahs of Newark.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs Office, 302-739-9902, or Brad Ballas, KW Solar Solutions, 877-42-SOLAR, brad@kwsolar.net . WILMINGTON - Governor Jack Markell and DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara joined a group of Delaware solar companies and volunteer firefighters this morning to cut the ribbon for a new 50 kilowatt solar power system on ... (more)

Shekinah Ravizee, of Chesapeake, Va., tucked an unusual package into her belongings when she returned to Delaware State University in Dover after Christmas break: Three prom dresses. The 21-year-old senior majoring in music education brought them back for the Fairy Godsisters Mission, a group collecting dresses to give to high school girls who otherwise couldn't afford to go to their high school prom. Ravizee, daughter of a single parent, understands the cause intimately. With the family on a tight budget, she wasn't going to her junior and senior proms until her best friend found a shop selling dresses for about $50. 'I know what it's like to be financially unstable and at some point be told, well, you may not be able to go to the prom,' she says. When her fellow DSU Approaching Storm band member, Quira (pronounced Keera) Parker -- a flag girl -- asked her to donate dresses back, Ravizee -- who plays the piccolo -- was happy to oblige and talked her sister, Achaia, into donating her dress, too. Ravizee plans to be at the group's March 4 event at the Christiana Hilton in Newark that invites all high school women -- who do not have to provide any kind of financial information -- to buy a prom dress for $10. The price covers the cost of setting up the show. Parker, a freshman from Wilmington majoring in elementary education, helped found the Fairy Godsisters as an auxiliary to the Fairy Godmothers, a charity her mother, CoKo, belongs to, by recruiting people and asking them to donate their dresses. 'Basically, prom is a big deal,' Quira says. 'It kind of makes or breaks your high school career. I went to mine, and I would like other high school seniors to experience it as well.' She wore an aquamarine gown, and had her hair and nails done for the event. 'It's like your life is branching out and you're growing up,' she says. 'It's an elegant formal. You get to sit and eat and they have nice meals for you, and the music is good. You get your picture taken. You feel like a princess for the whole day.' Now, 17 DSU students participate in the Fairy Godsisters, including Parker's roommate, Monet LeMon, 18, of Newark, who is majoring in art management. Her own prom dress was 'a deal' she got for $35 at J.C. Penney, she says. The more the girls talked at DSU, the more involved they became, LeMon says. And, the more they did, the more fun it was. 'I feel like I'm a hero to these girls because they will be part of a night to remember because of what we did,' LeMon says.

With David Lee Roth back in the saddle, the album's 13 tracks feel more than a little bit familiar... Eastbound Del.

Michael Early, 24, was arrested last week after an investigation and execution of search warrants from Newark Police Department and the University of Delaware police at his home in the 200 block of Ruth Ellen Court and at another home where police say he was storing stolen property.

The power of the Internet protest is growing with each example of what can happen when thousands of people line up online against a seemingly faceless organization.

This man who did not want to give his name helps his daughter collect what's left of her things from her apartment.

Iron Hill School was part of P.S. du Pont's "separate but equal" experiment for educating blacks.

Syl Woolford, 68, of Newark, sits at an original desk inside the Iron Hill Museum, which was once a school for African American students.

Most of its services -- 71 percent -- are for birth control and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Four-year-old Christian Reyes lives at Exceptional Care in Newark. ''That's me!'' he exclaimed as he saw his image on the back of a digital camera.

Kids LOL and OMG each other all the livelong day, but ask them to decipher the XLVI of... A Newark woman who was getting off a DART bus Thursday night on Old Baltimore Pike near Christiana was killed after she was struck by a minivan.

No matter the vibe you're looking for, there's a new bar that will probably deliver in New Castle County Whether you're looking for a slick nightclub filled with DJs and cover bands, a retro '80s 'barcade' or a new watering hole to catch the Super Bowl this weekend, there are plenty of new spots that have sprouted across New Castle County.

The Delaware Division of the Arts has announced the fiscal year 2012 winners of its individual artist fellowship grants.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY: Two men are being sought by state troopers for trying to rob a pizza store employee in Bear on Monday night.

31, 2012--University of Delaware Police have arrested Mark A. Miller, 26, of Newark, on burglary and theft charges after a man was seen entering vehicles parked on the University's south campus and removing items on Saturday, Jan.