Delaware
‘Unwanted’: Officials oppose national park designation at Delaware Water Gap spot
SANDYSTON – A resolution is being prepared in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate which would put the state Legislature on record opposing the redesignation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
The resolution is being proposed by District 24 state Sen. Parker Space and Assembly members Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort and will collectively call the redesignation proposal “unnecessary and unwanted” by residents in northwestern New Jersey.
Inganamort attended a Saturday information session on the proposal via Zoom and told the crowd that the resolution was being prepared.
On Monday, he said, “You really have to hand it to Sandy Hull and the Delaware Water Gap Defense Fund for their 24/7advocacy to protect the Water Gap as it is. It was a pleasure to join this meeting virtually and I look forward to partnering with them in their advocacy.
“Part and parcel, we’ll be going to our colleagues in the Legislature to explain why this designation is unnecessary and unwise,” he wrote.
Space noted the proposed change “is not necessary and would upset the recreation area’s original mission and still puts uses such as hunting and farming at risk. A new designation that translates into prohibitions and restrictions on currently allowable activities in the recreation area would have a negative impact on our region.”
Fantasia, who is in her first term in the Assembly, recalled that in her previous elected position as a Sussex County commissioner, that board “officially opposed this redesignation for multiple reasons. The fear that this redesignation will disregard the rights of local property owners, and eminent domain will be used by the federal government to acquire private and State property adjacent to the Delaware Water Gap.”
Nearby on the northern end of the recreation area are state-owned High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest. At the southern end of the park in Warren County is Worthington State Forest, which visitors to the park must drive through along Old Mine Road.
Any redesignation of the park must be approved by an act of Congress and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, whose Congressional district crosses northern New Jersey and includes the northern half of the recreation area, has also expressed opposition to any redesignation.
“As I’ve said from day one, designation of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area as a National Park requires significant local input because it directly impacts many North Jersey townships, boroughs, and residents,” he said in a written statement.
“I have full confidence in the mayors and local governments of the Fifth District and their ability to best represent the views of our constituents. Based on input from local officials and residents, it does not seem that the proposal has the necessary local support to move forward,” he added.
Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, and New Jersey Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., D-7, have also expressed concerns about the redesignation campaign and expressed support for the “No Park” movement. Kean’s district includes the southern half of the recreational area and Cartwright’s district includes all but a tiny part of the Pennsylvania side of the park.
There were about 70 people who attended the Saturday session in person at the Sandyston Municipal Building. Numbers of those attending via Zoom were not available.
The redesignation proposal is being pushed by John Donahue, who retired from the National Park Service as superintendent of the recreation area. His website also claims support from Sierra Clubs in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as other environmental groups such as the Appalachian Mountain Club and the New Jersey Highlands Coalition.
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His revised proposal would designate the Delaware River and some of the land on both sides of the river, as the National Park, while the remainder of the nearly 70,000 acres of the park would be designated a national preserve.
The park stretches from near the New York- Pennsylvania border downriver to just south of the geological formation known as the Delaware Water Gap, an opening in the Kittatinny Ridge which allows the river to continue south.
The northern peak of the gap is known as Mount Tammany, while the Pennsylvania side peak is called Mount Minsi.
The 70,000 acres of land and water actually have within its borders three designated units of the park service. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs along the Kittatinny Ridge and crosses the river at the gap, before continuing south.
The river itself is also designated the Middle Delaware Recreational and Scenic River. While a separate unit of the NPS, the river is part of the recreational area’s administrative responsibility.
The revised proposal for the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve eliminates the recreational and scenic river as a separate unit and includes the river within the national park designation. The remainder of the land would get the “preserve” designation.
In 2023, the recreation was the 17th-most-visited unit, with more than 4.2 million “recreation visits”, a decline of 173,684 recorded visits, or 3.9%, from 2022.
While there was dip in numbers last year, it was still nearly 25% higher than the 2019 attendance of 3.37 million. In 2022, the recreation area ranked 14th on the NPS list, and ranked 15th in 2021.
Should the recreation area get redesignation, Donahue said his goal is “to place this gem of our national heritage into the jeweled crown of the national park system where it has always belonged.”
And, his website claims, redesignation as a ‘national park’ would be the first in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and increase visitation. It would also eliminate the farmland on either side of the river, allowing the forests to reclaim the land.
Those fields are currently leased by the NPS to local farmers for field crops such as corn, hay and soybeans, and there are strict regulations for “no till,” meaning the fields are not plowed and use of pesticides and fertilizers is highly regulated.
One lesee, however, said that if the land is allowed to go fallow – no further crops grown – it will be taken over by non-native and invasive species long before forests would get a chance to stretch onto the land.
Among other “Our Park” talking points are increased prestige which the group claims will mean increased funding, and increased visitation.
Local impact
While local businesses do get trade from visitors, the amount of vehicles creates traffic jams on weekends, said local mayors at Saturday’s meeting.
Lafayette Mayor Alan Henderson said traffic on Route 15, a main route which leads from eastern New Jersey across mid-Sussex County, linking with Route 206 which provides entry to the park, backs up on weekends.
Milford, Pennsylvania, is at the northern end of the park, where Mayor Sean Strub said, “there’s only three ways in or out of the borough, and on weekends (traffic is) at a standstill” and many are large recreation vehicles which drive across lawns as they make turns.
He also noted that the Route 209 bridge over the Sawkill Creek (within park boundaries) is crumbling and there are no plans from the park service to repair or replace it.
Sandyston Mayor George Harper Jr. said he remembers how the park was created when land was “grabbed for Tocks Island.” The island was the name of a project to build a multi-use dam on the Delaware River by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
Most of what is now the Water Gap park was purchased or taken by the government for not only the lake behind the dam, but for surrounding acreage which would become a “recreation area” around that lake. The burgeoning environmental movement of the 1960s forced the government to abandon the dam and the land was converted into what is today’s 70,000-acre recreation area.
“I see no benefit to Sandyston to take this from a recreation area to a national park,” he said. “Frankly, there’s no benefit to anyone in this.”
The redesignation idea is just a couple of years old, and any formal action would require Congressional funding of environmental impact studies required for national park and national preserve designation which would take several years, and then a final vote in Congress.
Slithery intruder makes appearance on beach
A huge snake was spotted making its way across the beach in Ocean City, Maryland. Luckily, the reptile was not venomous.
It could be one of your worst nightmares.
You’re enjoying a summer day in the water when you feel something brush past your leg. You turn, and there’s a snake.
While the chances of that scenario playing out are highly unlikely, there is a good chance the waters you enjoy playing in are also inhabited by snakes.
The danger level might not be as high as Florida’s, but it’s still something to be aware of when you go into the outdoors.
Here’s a look at the snake-infested lakes and ponds in Delaware, according to worldatlas.com.
Nanticoke River
The Nanticoke River runs 64 miles from southern Delaware to the Chesapeake Bay, winding through marshlands, forests, and farmland along the way. The habitat is perfect for the Northern watersnake. The snakes are nonvenomous, but they will defensively strike if you corner them or try to hold them.
The Brandywine
This is where you need to be very careful. The Eastern copperhead is a confirmed and documented presence, and a small group exists at Alapocas Run State Park along the water near Wilmington. The snakes won’t chase you, but if you step too close or don’t see them, they will strike. You should watch your step near log piles and rocky outcrops.
Millsboro Pond
Millsboro Pond is the home to perch, black crappie and frogs, which is the perfect food for snakes including northern water snakes, plain-bellied water snakes, queen snakes and common ribbon snakes.
The Eastern copperhead lives in southern Sussex County, which includes the pond. However, sightings are rare. It’s something to watch out for when you are at the pond.
Lums Pond
The pond, located in Lums Pond State Park, has numerous varieties of snakes. However, the inlets and small islands are perfect for northern water snakes to bask in the sun. The snakes thrive on fish and amphibians and benefit from the surrounding forest and wetlands.
One snake to watch for is the ringneck snake. It has a mild venom and its teeth have trouble puncturing human skin, but for those with venom allergies, you should treat it like any other venomous species.
Trap Pond
Trap Pond, located in Trap Pond State Park, is noted for its cypress swamp. The bald cypress trees and the tree’s root structure provide a great hiding place and basking spot for eastern garter snakes and northern water snakes.
Silver Lake
Located in Dover, Silver Lake is lined with trees and vegetation, making it a great place for snakes. The northern water snake is seen here, but eastern kingsnakes are also occasionally seen in the wooded areas of the lake.
Garrison Lake
Garrison Lake is a popular spot in Kent County for fishing and boating. The marshy areas and dense vegetation are perfect habitats for northern water snakes, eastern garter snakes and eastern rat snakes. The wetlands are attractive to snakes due to the abundance of prey and the availability of cover.
Red Mills Pond
Red Mills Pond, located near Lewes, has a rich biodiversity supporting numerous amphibians and small mammals, which attract snakes. Among the snakes you may see in and around the pond are the northern water snake, eastern ribbon snake and eastern ribbon snake.
Del lawmakers discuss bill requiring teachers work with valid licenses
The bill is a response to revelations a school therapist fabricated his credentials before he was charged with sexual abuse of a child.
Delaware Online/The News Journal won the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism for its reporting revealing hundreds of invalid teacher licenses in Delaware.
The work by reporters Kelly Powers and Esteban Parra led to lawmakers proposing a bill that would tighten licensing requirements for public school employees and penalize districts that retain unlicensed staff.
The judges cited the work for “meticulous and thorough reporting” and “a fair and balanced presentation of the situation.”
The A‑Mark prize honors excellence in watchdog and accountability reporting. It is backed by The A‑Mark Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit supporting investigative and unbiased social‑issue journalism, in partnership with the Maryland‑Delaware‑DC Press Association.
“The reporting from Kelly Powers and Esteban Parra reflects the very best of investigative journalism in Delaware – thorough, fair and impactful,’’ said Mike Feeley, executive editor of The News Journal and Delaware Online. “We are proud to see their work awarded with the inaugural A-Mark Prize in a highly competitive field.
“I congratulate all of Delaware Online’s award winners in this year’s MDDC Awards for their commitment to journalism that strengthens our communities,’’ Feeley said.
Delaware Online/The News Journal won a total of 18 awards May 8 at the MDDC Press Association’s annual conference.
The MDDC Awards recognizes news publications from Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. For each category, a first- and second-place winner is chosen based on circulation divisions. A part of the largest-circulation division, Delaware Online/The News Journal competes against news sites like the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Banner and Washington Post.
Here is the list of winners, with links to the stories that took home the prizes.
Best of Show
- News-Driven Art or Illustration: Luis Solano, “American’s deadliest habit”
First Place
Second Place
- Feature Story: Non-Profile: Xerxes Wilson, “Why this Delaware prison is making tattooing part of its educational programming”
- Sports Feature Story: Brandon Holveck, Martin Frank, “Eagles’ Saquon Barkley’s historic season built on selflessness, generational athleticism”
- Local Column: Critical Thinking: Xerxes Wilson, “Broken bones, brick walls and searching for accountability”
- Sports Photo (Feature): Benjamin Chambers, “Delaware wins 61-31 against UTEP in Conference USA regular season finale”
- Public Service Reporting: Krys’tal Griffin, “While these Delaware riders depend on Paratransit, the service still lags post-pandemic”
- Breaking News: The News Journal staff, “Delaware State trooper killed by shooter prevented other deaths, state officials say”
- News Page Design: Luis Solano, “American’s deadliest habit”
- Page 1 Design: Stephanie Lindholm, “Musical haven in Delaware”
- Continuing Reporting: Kelly Powers, Shane Brennan, “Your property taxes are changing. What Delaware homeowners should know about new laws”
- General Website Excellence, The News Journal
What to know about jury duty in Delaware
Here are some tips and information about what to do when you receive a jury summons in the mail in Delaware.
A lawsuit seeking to represent all people locked up by Delaware claims that prisoners are routinely left to “marinate” in a high-concentration pepper spray.
The lawsuit filed May 7 in Delaware Court of Chancery seeks an injunction barring correction officials from using the spray until leaders enforce rules the lawsuit says require staff to decontaminate prisoners after they are targeted.
In interviews, state prisoners have frequently described officers’ use of so-called OC spray, a more concentrated form of pepper spray only available to law enforcement, as cruel. Prisoners say the spray is deployed unnecessarily, recklessly, frequently and causes intense burning on the skin and through the respiratory system.
“Imagine taking a glass bottle, smashing it up and grinding it up and snorting that up your nose, then times that by 1,000,” said a former prisoner, William Davis, describing being sprayed during a previous interview about a similar use‑of‑force lawsuit involving Sussex Correctional Institution. “I felt it burn for days.”
Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request show OC spray — short for oleoresin capsicum — is used hundreds of times a year and is a frequent issue in Delaware prison lawsuits. The new ACLU lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all Delaware prisoners and focuses on what happens after someone is sprayed.
The lawsuit claims officers routinely ignore training, policy and clear health risks by failing to properly flush and clean people after using OC spray. It argues the practice violates Delaware’s constitutional ban on “cruel” punishment.
Prisoners allege they were sprayed while handcuffed, naked or already subdued, including one who said officers sprayed him through his cell door while he was locked inside, and another who said he was forced during a strip search to touch his genitals and then his mouth after being sprayed.
In each of these episodes, the lawsuit states that prisoners were not properly decontaminated, some were left unattended, returned to a contaminated cell, left in clothes drenched in spray and some were not allowed to shower for a day or more after.
“Refusing to decontaminate prisoners is cruel because it subjects them to hours of needless suffering. Prolonged exposure is also potentially deadly,” the lawsuit states.
Delaware Department of Correction officials did not respond to requests for comment.
The allegations of the lawsuit are built partially on declarations from eight named plaintiffs in Delaware prisons. Additionally, it leans on video and deposition evidence from two other excessive force cases the ACLU is litigating on behalf of Delaware prisoners.
In those other cases, several officers have testified in depositions that they had not decontaminated individuals they sprayed and were unaware if others had, the new lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also cites Department of Correction training materials turned over in other lawsuits. Policy and training documents outline that OC spray is only to be used when no reasonable alternative is available, not as retaliation or punishment and in short bursts from a safe distance.
A training presentation describes the health risks of OC spray and says sprayed individuals should be moved to fresh air, assessed for medical conditions and repeatedly flushed and wiped to decontaminate them.
It notes that people who have been sprayed must be monitored. It underscores these instructions with a red skull and crossbones.
Other litigation: New lawsuit claims excessive force used by Delaware officers during September prison raids
In interviews, prisoners have reported that officers would “empty the can” in long bursts directed closely at their face. The named plaintiffs in the new lawsuit include asthmatic individuals who said they were denied their inhaler after being sprayed.
Besides pain, OC spray can cause difficulty breathing, gagging, heart distress and blindness. It can also induce a feeling of suffocation and helplessness, according to a department training presentation. Failure to decontaminate can cause blindness, respiratory failure and skin conditions, the lawsuit states.
If sprayed too close, the OC molecules can cause what’s known as “hydraulic needling of the eyes” where the spray causes lacerations, the complaint states, noting that multiple prisoners in other states have died after being sprayed.
The lawsuit also claims that officers deploy OC spray in numerous ways, which include a grenade, fogger, spray, muzzle blast rounds, as well as pepper balls fired from a weapon similar to a paintball gun.
One of the named plaintiffs was shot numerous times by a pepper ball gun, rupturing the globe of his right eye. A separate lawsuit filed on behalf of that prisoner was dismissed because he didn’t address written complaints about the episode through prescribed channels inside the prison.
Rather than seeking damages for federal constitutional violations, the lawsuit asks only for an injunction forcing changes to decontamination practices. And instead of following the typical federal-court path for prisoner-rights cases, it was filed in Delaware’s Court of Chancery — the state’s business court, where cases tend to move more quickly.
It names Department of Correction Commissioner Terra Taylor as its lone defendant, claiming that the department has knowingly failed to follow its own policy regarding the spray’s use.
It also cites a deposition given by Taylor in other litigation in which she states there is no specific process for decontaminating those targeted with OC, that she hasn’t taken any steps to require officers to do so, and that she doesn’t believe there is an obligation to do so.
Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com.
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