Delaware

90 in 90: Mike Quaranta, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

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90 in 90: Mike Quaranta, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

Over the course of my career, I’ve discovered several famous quotes or passages that have guided me and my thinking.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

Mike Quaranta | PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE TABELING

This is the first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. If you repeat this out loud to yourself every morning before you start your day, you’ll be amazed how clearly you can see things that others try to make cloudy.

When you extend your hand, do it out of humility and for humanity. When you speak, say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Be kind, but be very, very clear with others. Being vague or duplicitous is not an asset.

“When the world is storm driven and the bad that happens and the worst that threatens are so urgent as to shut out everything else from view, then we need to know all the strong fortresses of the spirit which men have built through the ages.”

In 1942, when German U-Boats were destroying our oil tankers off the coast of Massachusetts and New Jersey, and half of our Navy was destroyed at Pearl Harbor, and it was unclear if the Nazi war machine could be stopped, Edith Hamilton wrote this quote in the preface to her book, “The Greek Way.” There will be difficult times at work or in our personal lives when you’ll need to summon up all your experience and training, and lean upon every lesson learned throughout your life, to be at your very best.

“We’re all entitled to our own opinions; however, we’re not entitled to our own set of facts.”

Former U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said this in a debate on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I will never forget it. We live on a very large planet, and there is a lot of noise out there. You need to be a very discerning consumer of information to make wise decisions.

Thomas Paine is quoted as saying, “A real man smiles in times of trouble, gathers strength from distress and grows brave by reflection.”

Listen, learn, take it all in and grow wise.

Every one of us needs to give serious thought to running for elective office.

I raised my hand twice and took an oath as a city councilman and then as a mayor. You don’t have to make a career out of elective office, in fact, I’d strongly recommend against doing that. But if all of us never raise our hand, step up and try, then we get what we get.

Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

Sometimes people do things so absurd, that by reacting, you legitimize or elevate their words or actions. Be disciplined and say nothing.

Step back, gather yourself and whatever facts you can, and keep perspective.

I think the greatest of all leadership characteristics one can possess is perspective.

“Tomorrow,” I say, “I will call on Jim, Just to show that I’m thinking of him.” But tomorrow comes–and tomorrow goes, And the distance between us grows and grows. Around the corner! –yet miles away . . . “Here’s a telegram, sir . . . Jim died today.” And that’s what we get, and deserve in the end: Around the corner, a vanished friend.”

Take a couple of moments to reach out to a family member or friend you have not checked in on for quite some time. The poem Around the Corner, by Charles Hanson Towne reminds us, sadly, what happens when we don’t. I highly encourage you to take the time to read the entirety of this short poem.

“Go in peace.”

My wish for all.

Mike Quaranta is the president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

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Delaware

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Published

9 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

RADNOR, Pa. – Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend.

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews

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Delaware

Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

Published

22 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

noon to 2 p.m. Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

President Donald Trump touted his Trump Accounts for kids platform during his State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, months before the savings account program goes live this summer.

Roughly 63% of parents open bank accounts for the newborns and young children according to The Financial Brand, showing that in general, opening a bank accounts for your child is a good idea.

But what, exactly, are Trump Accounts for kids, and does it make sense for you to open one for your child? Here’s everything you need to know.

Trump Account for kids explained

The IRS explained in a memo Trump Accounts will be available for any children under 18, with $1,000 seed money available for newborns and very young children.

That account will be seeded with federal government funds.

“A Trump account is a type of traditional individual retirement account that is established for the exclusive benefit of an eligible individual and that is designated at its establishment as a Trump account,” read the IRS’ Trump Accounts memo. “Upon an election under the pilot program, $1,000 is paid by the Secretary to the Trump account of an eligible child.

“An eligible child means a qualifying child who is born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029, who is a U.S. citizen, and for whom no prior pilot program election has been made.”

The Trump Accounts website confirms parents do not need to make a contribution, but can deposit up to $5,000 a year into the interest-bearing account.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in comments published Jan. 28 a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an estimated $500,000 by the age of retirement.

When will Trump Accounts for kids lunch, and can I apply in Delaware?

Trump Accounts for kids will go live on Monday, July 5, and parents in Delaware are allowed to apply for the nationwide offering when it opens.

Until then, you can visit the Trump Accounts website to add your name to the email list to get an update when the service goes live.

The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury released Trump Accounts guidance you can read before opening an account.

Problems with Trump Accounts for kids

While opening a Trump Account for your child may seem a good thing, TIME uncovered a few problems with President Donald Trump’s namesake account service.

“The program may be open to every child, but its benefits will flow overwhelmingly to families with the means to contribute thousands of dollars a year. What could have been a leveling tool instead risks becoming a widening wedge between the haves and the have-nots,” read a portion of TIME’s take. “For a family living paycheck-to-paycheck that is unable to add anything beyond the government’s $1,000 seed deposit, the balance reaches just $5,839 by age 18. “

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies echoed much of that sentiment, and said Trump Accounts for kids will have the opposite effect from its stated goals.

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

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