2014 Annual Report: Building Better

2014
annual
eport
R
Building Better Neighborhoods
A Message from Councilman Darius J. Brown
Dear Third District Residents:
Within the third district we are a community of neighbors,
whether you are a resident of the Eastside, Village of Eastlake,
Prices Run, 11th Street Bridge, Northeast, Vandever Avenue,
Herring Manor, 7th Street Peninsula or Superfine Lane; we all
are ONE.
As your city councilman, I have worked tirelessly to revitalize
our district by Building Neighborhoods of Opportunity. To
build neighborhoods of opportunity we must address the
challenges facing our neighborhoods; high unemployment rates,
rampant crime, health disparities, inadequate early childhood
education and struggling schools.
It is my goal to support the revitalization of our distressed
neighborhoods into neighborhoods of opportunity – places that
provide the resources and environment that children, youth, and
adults need to succeed. This means high-quality schools and
educational programs; safe streets; quality affordable housing;
employment opportunities; art and cultural amenities; and parks
and other recreational spaces.
Our district is at an inflection point and we must be committed
to leveraging resources; schools, churches, community centers,
government agencies, nonprofits, civic associations, and
businesses in our neighborhoods. It is my honor to serve on
your behalf as councilman for the third district.
The purpose of this “report to the residents” of the 3rd
District, is to keep you informed of our progress and to
continue to define our future goals.
Sincerely,
Councilman Darius J. Brown
Third Council District
DID YOU KNOW??
Labeled as a “tech-savvy City Council
Member” Councilman Brown has hit the
ground running since his 2012 election to
Wilmington City Council.
At the age of 33, the Wilmington-born
Darius Brown has immersed himself in
public service over the past decade by
founding the Young Democrats chapter at
Delaware State University, serving on the
U.S. Senate staff of former Senator and
now Vice President Biden and was a
Leadership Fellow at the Center for
American Progress in Washington DC.
Today, he serves in a public leadership role
in Delaware’s largest city which also serves
as the center of commerce for the First
State. In that atmosphere, Darius is
attentive to issues such as economic
competiveness, workforce development
and the growth of small and large
businesses.
The Council Member serves on the
Executive Board of the Delaware
Democratic Party and was recently
recognized nationally as the Democratic
Municipal Official (DMO) of the Month
for July of 2014.
“I am focused on creating pathways out of
poverty through the creation of ladders of
opportunity by concentrating my efforts
on education and employment,” states
Brown.
Features: Infrastructure
Delaware Voice, submitted by
Wilmington City Council Member Darius J. Brown
Build America, Invest in Wilmington
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that funding for transportation
programs, like repairing or maintaining roads and bridges, will run out before the
summer is over. I am sponsoring a City Council Resolution that urges Congress to
authorize adequate resources for the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Infrastructure
investment is vital to our national transportation network and vital to our City.
For Wilmington, transportation keeps our local economy moving and growing and
ensures that freight gets to its intended destination. The City of Wilmington owns
and manages three fourths of the streets and roads within the City’s borders which
add up to a total of 188 miles of surface infrastructure. In the third council district
alone, which I represent, Interstate 495, US Route 13 (Market Street) and Alternate
US Route 13 (Northeast Boulevard) are critical gateways for the city and are used
multiple times each day by residents and visitors alike.
Locally, the recent closure of I-495 caused a traffic nightmare for those who frequent
the interstate system in Delaware. The 90,000 vehicles that cross the I-495 bridge daily
have been diverted to alternate routes many of which include third district
neighborhoods. Days of bottlenecked traffic and congestion along Northeast
Councilman Brown ‘Infrastructure op-ed lauded by
Boulevard from the 11th Street Bridge to 28th Street northbound has been somewhat
Secretary Foxx and US DOT
alleviated, however the impact on our local streets is worsening each day. Potholes
are becoming craters and big rig trucks are becoming a threat to aging housing stock along Church Street and Spruce Street.
Federal infrastructure investment has serious local implications and that’s why Congress should pass the GROW America Act, which,
over four years proposes spending $199 billion for highway programs and $72 billion for transit programs. The legislation also adds a
rail title that fosters coordination among all the surface transportation modes and authorizes the TIGER grant program which assists
with capital investment in surface transportation infrastructure and includes up to $35 million for project-level or regional planning
grants.
It is imperative that the nation have a multiple year surface transportation bill that provides local economies like Wilmington with the
resources to keep up with transportation needs. It is also important that local officials maintain a strong role in selecting the projects
that will help strengthen and support community growth. Failure to act will force many projects to come to a halt indefinitely and
deplete Wilmington’s transportation budget. Wilmington City Council Member Darius J. Brown is a member of Building America’s
Future, a bipartisan coalition of elected officials dedicated to bringing about a new era of U.S. investment in infrastructure that
enhances our nation’s prosperity and quality of life. Follow him on twitter @DariusJBrown @BAFuture
Features: “Worth More Than A Dollar”
Opportunity Lives in the 3rd District, But We Are Worth More Than a Dollar $
Thoughts From City Council Member Darius J. Brown
Wilmington’s economic growth hinges on the revitalization and sustainability of the third council district. The third district provides
regional economic development opportunities along Interstate 495 and prospective revitalization of several brownfields and
industrial areas. The Northeast Boulevard / Governor Printz Boulevard corridor is a critical commercial and retail hub with the
potential to provide employment opportunities within the city limits which would improve the quality of life ofits residents and
increase the city’s tax base. The third district has the most potential and is the least dense area for residential and commercial
revitalization. Much of the district is located near the city’s central business district, as well as near public transportation,
underutilized waterfront areas, and existing community-based institutions providing social capital. Opportunity lives here but not
as a dollar store haven. This corridor is the opportunity for a quality full-service gas station, a grocery store, banking institutions,
housing, laundromats and pharmacies. I welcome economic development that is also community development. As I continue my
efforts to enact our Build Better Neighborhoods initiative, I felt it was important to comment on entities that could negatively affect
the work of our residents, civic associations, and organizations in my district to improve our quality of life and create sustainable
neighborhoods.
Features: Brandywine Village Fair
Old Brandywine Village, Inc. held its 2nd Annual Brandywine
Village Fair in October in the Brandywine Mills Plaza, Superfine
Lane and 19th Street. This event celebrates Old Brandywine
Village’s rich heritage, cultural diversity, and its place in the City
of Wilmington’s neighborhoods as a gateway to the city with a
day of live music, food vendors, children’s games and exhibitors.
Features: Half In Ten
Councilman Darius Brown Invited to Participate in the
2014 Half in Ten Poverty and Inequality Indicators
Report Conference.
national panel a Washington, D.C. gathering on
November 17th entitled “Building Local
Momentum for National Change:
The 2014 Half in Ten Poverty and Inequality
Indicators Report.” The gathering was a panel
discussion on local and national efforts to reduce
poverty and provide ladders of opportunity for people
to reach more sustained prosperity. Council Member
Brown’s legislation (Ordinance 14-042) to raise the
minimum wage to $10.10 per hour for employees of
companies doing formally bid business with the City of
Wilmington was recently approved by City Council.
According to the Center for American Progress, efforts
to enact policies to cut poverty at the national level
remains frustratingly stagnant around the United States,
but an anti-poverty agenda is building momentum at
the local level.
Featured panelists included: Darius Brown, Councilman, Wilmington City Council;
Sarita Gupta, Executive Director, Jobs With Justice; Julie Menin, Commissioner, New
York City Department of Consumer Affairs; and Debbie Weinstein, Executive
Director, Coalition on Human Needs
That is the focus of this year’s Half in Ten annual poverty and in
equality indicators report, which examines 21 different indicators of
economic security and opportunity to track the goal of cutting
poverty in half in 10 years.
Features: White House Education Visit
The October 16th visit by David Johns was arranged by 3rd District Councilman Darius Brown to highlight a local
model of education success students and staff at Prestige Academy Charter School in Wilmington. They were
excited about the visit by David Johns, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Education Excellence
for African Americans. At the request of Council Member Brown, Mr. Johns, who traveled from Washington to
Philadelphia for a national educational summit last October sponsored by his office, arranged his schedule to allow
for a pre-summit stop in Wilmington.
Mr. Johns met with the students and staff led by School Founder and Executive Director Dr. Jack L. Perry, at the
charter school located at 1121 Thatcher Street in the City’s Eastside community. Prestige Academy is Delaware’s
first all-male public middle school. In accepting the invitation, Mr. Johns said he wanted his time in Wilmington to
be more than just a visit and tour, but rather an opportunity to have a discussion with students about their
experiences and successes as young men of color. Johns said being at Prestige Academy and understanding its
success with educating students helps to further the mission of the White House Initiative on Education Excellence
for African Americans which was created in 2012 by President Obama. The White House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for African Americans (WHIEEAA), in partnership with Ebony magazine, will host the fourth summit
on improving educational outcomes for African American students and better preparing them for college and
careers last October at the University Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Taking a holistic approach to educating
African American children and youths, the summits highlight individuals and organizations that are successfully
supporting educational excellence for African Americans and address ways to create opportunities and empower
parents, grandparents, guardians, and other caring adults in the community to increase the number of African
Americans who graduate from high school prepared for future success.
Council Member Brown said he is proud to highlight a school in his district that is helping to fulfill President
Obama’s mission of restoring the United States to its role as the global leader in education by improving
educational outcomes for African Americans of all ages, and by helping to ensure that all African Americans
receive an education that properly prepares them for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives.
s receive an education that properly prepares them for college, productive careers, and satisfying lives.
Building Better Neighborhoods
H. FLETCHER BROWN BOYS & GIRLS CLUB STARS!!
The Mike Clark Legacy Foundation (MCLF) funded the renovation of
the Achievers Learning & Skills Centers at the H. Fletcher Brown Boys
& Girls Club. The Achievers Learning & Skills Centers will serve
members of the H. Fletcher Brown Boys & Girls Club.
Approximately 80 kids come through the Club’s doors each day.
The Dream Chasers Academic Basketball Program is funded by the
McLaughlin Foundation and recruits top basketball players in the area.
The program has two basic goals: 1) to help these youth become
caring, responsible and productive citizens and 2) ensure that they take
an academic step beyond high school. Students in the Dream Chasers
program at the H. Fletcher Brown Club will participate in basketball
practices and tournaments, as well as use the Achievers Learning
Center to receive academic assistance from the program’s tutors.
The BOSS Program is a new initiative of the MCLF that focuses on technology education. The program will use Scratch, a basic computer
programming language, to introduce Club members to coding. In addition, students in the BOSS program will participate in enrichment lessons that
include exploring careers in technology fields and developing and working on projects to develop their own innovations. The program’s pilot will launch
at the Clarence Fraim Boys & Girls Club in 2014, with the hopes of expanding to the H. Fletcher Brown Club during the next school year.
DuPont gives $1 Million announcement at Brown
“DuPont is proud to contribute and provide leadership to the Capital Campaign,” said
Kullman. This Capital Campaign will give Boys & Girls Clubs’ youth greater access to Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs. The future of DuPont relies on
BIKE&PROJECT
building a strong pipeline of scientists, engineers and business leaders,URBAN
and the Boys
Girls
Clubs can be a feeder for our company and many others if we do this right.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house were held at
the Walnut Street YMCA on Sunday, March 16, 2014,
to launch a “new” Teen Center.
We are very excited about this new effort and think that
the youth and teens in this community will benefit greatly
from this new resource. We intend to roll out a highly
structured and attractive plan for encouraging
participation in the Teen Center.
Claire LaMar Carey, Black Achievers
Director, YMCA of Delaware, Walnut Street Branch
Urban Bike
Project supports
Wilmington
communities by
providing access to
bike cycling as a
healthy, affordable
and practical means
of transportation
and recreation.
In our communities we support… people, youth, safe streets, the
economy and the environment: Bicycling instead of driving reduces
fossil fuel emissions, making our air healthier to breath. Parking and other
facilities for bicycles require less space, leaving more room for parks and
permeable surfaces that can ease the burden on our water ways.
Safe Neighborhoods
Community Conversa
tions with CounCilman Brown
Conversations
Wilmington Police Department Contact Numbers:
Emergencies: 911 Drug Hotline: (302) 888-1800
Help Line Non-emergencies: (302) 654-5151
Crime Tip Hotline: (302) 576-3990
Copies of Reports/Vehicle Releases: (302) 576-3600
Financial Crimes Unit: (302) 576-3676
The Achievement
Center dedication
City Council Member Darius J. Brown hosted a series of meetings to address public safety. Through the Council Member’s Safe Neighborhoods
initiative residents of the Third District gathered to mitigate quality of life issues, these meetings were held at Thomas Edison Charter School, Stubbs
Elementary School, and Kingswood Community Center. “Each area of the district has unique challenges and these meetings provide the opportunity for
my constituency to promote community solutions.” Council member Brown was joined by than Interim Chief Bobby Cummings and officers of
Wilmington Police Department to explain the police deployment plan and engage citizens.
Peace March with Wilmington Peace Keepers
Weekly Neighborhood Walks with
S.U.N. Safe United Neighborhoods
Working Neighborhoods
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE, LIVABLE WAGES
Our economy is stronger when consumers have more money in their pockets and
don not have to rely on help from the government. They’re forced to rely on food
stamps, Medicaid and other forms of public assistance just to scrape by and take care
of their families. If workers made more money, they’d spend it here in Wilmington and
boost our local economy.
Visit to Noramco: Noramco was formed in 1979 to design, construct and manage a bulk active
pharmaceutical ingredient plant in Wilmington, Delaware to support Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical’s
Tylenol® with codeine business. Noramco now contributes to billion dollar affiliate franchises, as well as
to significant 3rd party generic and branded pharmaceutical products worldwide. Noramco, Inc.’s focus
is built on its key strengths. These strengths include advanced manufacturing capabilities, extraction
processing expertise, hydrogenation technology, high-potency barrier technology, alkaloid-based
medicinal analgesics manufacturing, and particle size processing solutions. Noramco, Inc. strives to
improve its process strengths by assessing our position against the top companies in the industry and
best-in-class organizations.
Wilmington City Council Member Darius Brown thanked President Obama for doing
what the Congress has failed to do - recognize that women should earn the same
amount of pay as men for doing similar work. Council Member Brown commented after
President Obama celebrated “Equal Pay Day” last April at the White House by signing
two Executive Orders. The first order prohibits federal contractors from retaliating
against employees who share salary information with each other. The second order directs
the U.S. Department of Labor to establish regulations that require federal contractors to
report wage-related data to the government, thus holding contractors more accountable
for salary differences based on sex or race.
Brown noted the irony of holding a signing ceremony on what is being called
“Equal Pay Day” which Brown said demonstrates to the world the number of days
in 2014 that a woman in the United States has to work in order to have her pay equal
what a male counterpart earned in 2013.
“Why should a woman who works full time make an average of seventy-seven cents for
every dollar that a man makes? It doesn’t make sense that this disparity has been happening for the past decade and we can’t do
anything about it. Most disturbing to me is that our unequal pay standards are a form of systematic discrimination against women
which being condoned by the Congress.”
Brown said he is proud of his fellow City Council colleagues for supporting his Resolution last year urging congressional action on
a law that would assist women in the workforce by simply extending the protections of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. He urged
citizens to start with our own Delaware delegation and then branch out to other states and urge that Congress end pay
discrimination against women.
Livable Neighborhoods
FAIR HOUSING PRESS CONFERENCE
City Council Members Shabazz, Brown, Dorsey Walker and Chukwuocha
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
Ending Housing Discrimination in Delaware
Each April the Delaware Division of Human Relations
(DHR) join other local and national fair housing
organizations to mark the passage of the 1968 Fair
Housing Act. This landmark law passed shortly after the
assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and prohibits
discrimination in the sale, lease, or rental of housing and
any aspect of a credit application. The federal fair housing
act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, disability, and family status. In
addition to the legal protection under the federal law, the
Delaware Fair Housing Act goes further prohibiting
discrimination based on creed, marital status, age, sexual
orientation and gender identity.
GROUND BREKING SACRED HART II
Council Member Darius J. Brown was joined by City
Council President Theo Gregory for a ceremony marking
the start of construction of a new senior housing facility on
Wilmington’s Eastside. The Ministry of Caring broke
ground today for a new 26-unit housing facility for lowerincome senior citizens to be called Sacred Heart Village
II. Brown, who champions his 3rd District as a place where
‘opportunity lives,’ thanked the Ministry of Caring for its
continuing effort to meet the social service needs of
individuals and families, especially Wilmington’s senior
population and those citizens who are living in poverty.
Council Member Brown said Sacred Heart Village II
compliments his district efforts to develop livable
neighborhoods and supports the ongoing work already
underway by various groups and individuals to restore
prosperity to the City’s eastside neighborhoods. He said
people of all ages and abilities should be able to live in
their neighborhoods as long as they would like, but he
noted that too often individuals will say their communities
no longer meets their needs. Brown said the Ministry of
Caring, through this new housing complex, will enable
seniors to continue living in their neighborhood of choice
while insuring a high quality of life.
Cooper’s Run: Habitat for Humanity of NCCo
completed construction of Coopers Run, Dedicates
7-unit townhouse development in the Third District for
homeownership.
Healthy Neighborhoods
Groundbreaking
Ceremony for Northeast
Community Garden was held
Tuesday, July 1, 2014.
A vacant, contaminated site is now the
home to a new community program that
empowers young people to help others by growing
and distributing food. Conscious Connections Inc.,
a Delaware-based non-profit scheduled a groundbreaking
ceremony in early July to debut a new Northeast Community
Garden project. The garden is located on a plot of land at
22 East 23rd Street that is a formerly contaminated,
vacant property that has been used in recent years as a
dumping ground for various materials. City Council
Member Brown said the new garden is a welcome
addition to a community that is engaged in a number
of projects to improve the lives of people living in the
3rd Council District.
In the fall of this year, the new community garden was
tended to by young, at-risk Wilmingtonians who will
grow a variety of vegetables that they will either sell
on-site at below-market prices or give away free to
seniors and needy residents. Matthew Williams
with Conscious Connections said the mission of
the organization is to provide individuals with
the academic and character skills to become
global stewards. According to Williams, the
group’s academic programs focus on the
arts and agriculture and provide an
authentic learning experience that
utilizes project-based teaching
methods.
BrightFields Solar Energy Project Celebration Marks The Start of a Third
Year of Collaboration for the Energy & Sustainability Leaders Roundtable
The Energy & Sustainability Leaders Roundtable held its third year of collaboration
by celebrating another achievement by one of its members - a 176-panel solar energy
system installed at the Wilmington headquarters of BrightFields, Inc., a regional
environmental services firm. Third District City Council Member Darius Brown hosted a
news conference today to congratulate BrightFields, his business constituent, and to
encourage other businesses to join the Roundtable.
The Energy & Sustainability Leaders Roundtable is a membership-based forum created in June of 2012 to engage the business and
development community in reducing members’ energy use and minimizing their environmental and carbon footprints. The
Roundtable’s goals of reducing environmental and carbon footprints are achieved through building construction and operation as well
as through business operations and employee commuting.
BrightFields Chief Financial Officer Don Short, who also served as manager of the solar project, said his firm’s decision to install
panels on the roof of their 15,000 square foot building in Wilmington’s 7th Street Peninsula is consistent with the firm’s environmental
stewardship charter and grew out of the company’s connection to the Roundtable. Short said BrightFields has already established a
recycling program and an on-site vegetable garden, completed building improvements that have already reduced electricity
consumption by 4,182 kilowatt hours annually and is in the process of building a retro-commissioning assessment by Brooks and
Wright Commissioning of Philadelphia.
Learning Neighborhoods
THE 3RD DISTRICT: Where Opportunity AND Education Lives
Council Member Brown Wants Students to Know that Being Educated is Cool!
Council Member Darius J. Brown kicked off ‘Back to School’ and education-related events
in the City’s third council district through his Learning Neighborhoods Initiative.
Brown said his goal is to promote academic success and reduce the technological digital
divide that harms a child’s learning abilities. To that end, he hosted a
“School is Cool Pool Party”
on Saturday, August 23rd at
Prices Pool in the Brown, Burton,
Winchester Park. The event was
co-sponsored by the Wilmington
Department of Parks and
Recreation and Wilmington
radio station WJKS KISS 101.7FM.
Council Member Brown also partnered with Comcast to enroll third district students in the Comcast Internet Essentials program.
Internet Essentials provides discounted Internet service of just $9.95 a month to households in which there is one child who is eligible
to participate in the National School Lunch Program. Follow Councilman Brown on Twitter @DariusJBrown #3rdDistrict.
The Early Learning Academy will serve up to 66 Pre-K students in the 2014-15
school year. The school is the first charter in the state to operate a “STAR Level 5”
program, the highest quality rating granted. The Early Learning Academy will
focus on curriculum alignment between Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade in an
attempt to prepare students for the rigors of the Common Core, adopted by
Delaware in 2010. A school director will facilitate the curriculum alignment, setting
the program apart from all others in the state.
“School iS cool
pool party”
Our Future Child Care: Councilman Brown attended the recognition of Our Future Child Care in northeast Wilmington. Thelma
Jamison (owner/operator) and her staff provide quality early childhood education in the Third District. Through the Delaware Stars
program Our Future Child Care has attained Star Level 5; the highest level of achievement for programs in Delaware Stars. To reach a
Star Level 5, a program must achieve a minimum of a 5.0 on each of the ERS assessments for their program and earn 80-100 quality
points through the verification of quality standards.
Thomas Edison Charter School
Chess Team: Congratulations to
the Thomas Edison Charter School
Chess Team for winning the
national chess championship
held in Dallas, Texas
on May 9 through 11.
Thomas Edison
PONSORED RESOLUTIONS & ORDINANCES
Red. 14-002 A Resolution Authorizing the Department
of Real Estate and Housing to Accept the Donation of
2113 Pine Street from US Bank National Association
Trustee
Rev. 1 Sub. 1 Ord. 13-044 Amend Chapter 35 of the City
Code Regarding the Wilmington Civil Rights Commission
Res. 14-009 A resolution Supporting House Bill No. 105
Regarding Same Day Registration in Delaware and
Encourages the Delaware General Assembly to Vote to
Approve the Legislation
Res. 14-013 A Resolution Supporting the Area Fast-Food
Workers Campaign for Decent Wages and the Right to
Unionize
Res. 14-018 A Resolution Declaring as Surplus and
Authorizing the Disposition of 507 and 517 Shearman
Street to Inter-Neighborhood Foundation
Res. 14-019 A Resolution Authorizing the Department of
Real Estate and Housing to Accept Donation of 934 Pine
Street from US Bank National Association Trustee
Res. 14-024 A Resolution Respectfully Urging the
Congressional Delegation to Move Forward with
Reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act (Perkins Act), which will Help
Better Serve Both Workers and Employers by Focusing
on Areas Where Improvements Can Be Made to Current
Law, Building Upon its Past Successes and Enhancing
Aspects of the Perkins Act
“Civic associations are the
eyes of your community”
JOIN TODAY!
Res. 14-039 A Resolution authorizing the Department of
Real Estate and Housing to accept donation of
1024 North Spruce Street from Mr. Thomas Henry
Resolution 14-050 Accepting the donation of 507
Vandever Avenue from the Bank of New York Mellon
Trust
Resolution 14-051 Accepting the donation of 927 Bennett
Street and 911 Pine Street from the US Bank National
Association Trustee
Nyhema Thomas, president
(267) 977-1387
nyhemathomas@aol.com
Sandra Ben, president
(302) 530-6881
sandraben5426@gmail.com
Ord. 14-042 An Ordinance establishing a minimum wage
paid by those parties who enter into contracts with the
City
Jaehn Dennis, president
(302) 571-1196
vandeveraveca@comcast.net
Kath Laws, president
lawskw@verizon.net