6th Annual White Clay Creek Fest!

Newark, DE- White Clay Wild and Scenic Program in partnership with Delaware State Parks, United Water, Friends of the White Clay Creek Park, and other local organizations are pleased to announce the sixth annual White Clay Creek Fest scheduled for May 3 (rain date: May 4^th) from 12 to 4 p.m. at Carpenter Recreation Area, White Clay Creek State Park, just minutes away from UD north campus. Creek Fest celebrates the many ways to enjoy and protect the White Clay Creek, a National Wild and Scenic River.

Visitors are encouraged to come early for a 10:15 a.m. pre-Fest hike lead by the Pennsylvania Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve.  Hikers will trek down to the main stem of the White Clay and have the opportunity to look for and learn about stream life with a Stroud Water Research Center Educator, so wear old sneakers or bring a pair of boots along. There will be a shuttle available to take hikers back up to Creek Fest, or you can hike back up with a guide.

Visitors of all ages will enjoy live music by Almost Fab and be amazed at the power and precision of the Free-Flight Bird Encounter by Animal Behavior and Conservation Connections. Falafels from Newark’s Home Grown Café, pizza from Wood Fired Pizza, finger foods from Midnight Munchies Food Truck, and ice cream by UDairy Creamery are sure to satisfy. Local artists, including jewelry makers and writers, will be present selling their goods, and rain barrels will be available for purchase from Camels Hump Rain Barrels. Creek Fest has fun and educational activities for children of all ages, including an opportunity to start your very own Watershed Passport! Fly tying, gardening tips, environmental discussions and much more are part of this exciting day!

This is a free event; however, park entrance fees are in effect. More information about White Clay Creek State Park is available by calling the Chambers House Nature Center at (302) 368-6560, the White Clay Creek Park Office at (302) 368-6900, or by visiting destateparks.com.

Winter in White Clay Watershed

It's another snowy day in the White Clay Creek watershed. Spring is (hopefully) just around the corner, but here are some fun facts about snow to hold you over until the weather warms up.

• An average snowflake is made up of more than 180 billion water molecules.
• Did you know there's a snow phobia? It's called chiophobia, and it's the intense fear of snow.
• There's a connection between snow and snacks! People tend to buy more cakes, cookies, and candies than any other food when a blizzard is on the forecast.
• The highest snowfall ever recorded in the U.S. in one year was 31.3 meters (102 feet) in Mount Rainier, Washington between February 1971 and February 1972.
• The most snow in one day in the U.S. was 76 inches in Silver Lake, Colorado in 1921. That's more than 6 feet falling from the sky in a single day!

Want to know how this winter stacks up to other winters throughout history? Thus far, this winter is in the top 5 snowiest winters in the White Clay Creek (the winter of 2010 is #1). As of February 17th, total snowfall at the New Castle County Airport was 49.4 inches. That's a lot of snow! So until spring returns, get out and enjoy a snowy White Clay winter day!

Demolition of Curtis Mill smokestack paves way for new park in Newark, Delaware.

Posted: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:42 am By Al Kemp akemp@newarkpostonline.com

One of the oldest structures in Newark, the former Curtis Paper Mill smokestack off Paper Mill Road disappeared last week.

In a demolition that seemed gradual and sudden at the same time, crews with steel pry bars ascended on hydraulic lifts and pulled the centuries-old smokestack down – along with the flue inside – sending crumbled bricks crashing to the ground.

By the end of the week, nothing remained on the fenced-in site but a pile of rubble.

The demolition of the former smokestack was a big step forward in Newark’s plan to build a vast network of parkland and trails, city officials said.

While completion of all three phases of the parkland project is years away, officials hope to complete a preliminary plan for the former Curtis Mill site within a week, according to Parks & Recreation Director Charlie Emerson.

“It’s been a long time in coming,” Emerson said. “It’ll really clean up the site, and we’re really excited about what it’ll look like when it’s done.”

Emerson anticipates contracts to build Phase 1 of the park will go out this summer, with work beginning in the fall and continuing into 2014.

Part of that process is the implementation of a remediation plan approved by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control.

The Curtis Mill property is a brownfield site, a name given to former commercial or industrial properties whose redevelopment may be complicated by the presence of environmental hazards.

The Curtis Mill remediation plan involves excavation and relocation of contaminated soil, followed by “capping” with a layer of asphalt.

By late 2014, Emerson said, the seven-acre site on Paper Mill Road will have a parking area, an interpretive kiosk, trail access to White Clay Creek and a restored meadow area planted with native flora.

Phase 1 will cost the city $1.1 million, which was included in the capital budget.

The paper mill was built in 1789 and went through a succession of owners before production ceased in December 1997.

The red-brick smokestack was viewed by some as an eyesore and by others as an icon of the town.

Mayor Vance A. Funk III remembers well the day the smokestack quit smoking.

“Some people would say it’s something worth saving because of the historical value,” he said.

However, structural problems as well as hazardous materials made restoration of the smokestack a losing proposition, financially.

Emerson said a lot of thought was given to saving the red bricks from the smokestack, but most of them were far too fragile.

Still, some vestige of the old smokestack will be salvaged, he said.

“We are saving about four pallets of bricks for use in the plaza area,” he said.

The second phase of the master park plan will include improvements to Kershaw Park, a small piece of land directly across the creek from the paper mill site. The land is currently home to a gravel parking lot.

The third and final phase is the most ambitious and consists of the development of a large piece of land off Old Paper Mill Road, which was bought by the city decades ago but has remained an open field.

Slated for the site is a 45-car parking lot, a multi-use turf field, a ball wall court, a playground, a bicycle jump park, walking trails and a picnic pavilion. It would also include a skate spot, which is a small area with concrete jumps for skateboarders.

Follow reporter Al Kemp on Twitter: @Al_NewarkPost

Check out photos on Newark Post Online.