The delaware gazette 12 11 2013 by I-75 Newspaper Group

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Man fined for incident with bicyclists STACY KESS

skess@civitasmedia.com

A Radnor man accused of causing a group of bicyclists to crash on Troy Road Aug. 27 and then assaulting one of the cyclists pleaded no contest to the charges and was ordered to pay $1,180.56 in restitution and $300 in fines Tuesday. William Hamilton, 52, was also ordered to serve nine months probation, during which time he must complete anger management courses he voluntarily started and 15 hours of community service. Hamilton was accused of causing a group of cyclists to crash into each other when he abruptly stopped in front of them after passing, causing cyclist Joseph Coleman injuries, before exiting his vehicle and punching cyclist David Chambers of Powell. After the incident, Hamilton was charged with misdemeanor assault, misdemeanor aggravated menacing and disorderly conduct. Hamilton originally entered a plea of not guilty, but changed his plea to no contest Tuesday. Judge David Gormley found Hamilton guilty of assault with

STACY KESS | Gazette

Defendant William Hamilton and attorney O. Ross Long hear the sentence given by Judge David Gormley, while David Chambers, of Powell, and Jeff Jackson, of Delaware, cyclists involved in the incident with Hamilton look on from the gallery.

a fine of $250 and disorderly conduct with a fine of $50, but dismissed the menacing charge. Hamilton will also pay restitution to Coleman, court costs and fees. “Had this proceeded to trial, the facts would have been

very much contested by Mr. Hamilton, but he wants to put this whole thing behind him,” said defense attorney O. Ross Long. Long said his client had been attempting to safely pass when a cyclist in the group of 12

cyclists deliberately swung out into the middle of the road and gave Hamilton a hang gesture. “Bill wanted to talk to them and say, ‘Please don’t move over when I’m passing to the side’,” Long said, acknowledging that an physical alterca-

tion between Hamilton and Chambers occurred. “This wasn’t anything that he planned or set out to do.” Hamilton apologized to the cyclists, many of whom attended the sentencing Tuesday, and said that he just wanted to have a conversation with the cyclists that day. “That conversation may not have been of a friendly nature, but it wasn’t intended to be of a physical nature,” he said. Chambers also spoke at the hearing. “We’re just out to ride bikes, enjoy the weather,” he said. “We’re not out to frustrate drivers; we’re not out to delay drivers.” After the sentencing, Chambers and several of the other cyclists involved in the incident spoke about their experiences that day and with drivers and cyclists in general. Chambers said he recalled Hamilton pulling in front of the cyclists, who were riding in a single line, causing their wheels to hit and the riders to crash. “I was in the back and avoided the crash,” he said. See FINE | 2

Hunters take fewer deer during 2013 season DUSTIN ENSINGER densinger@civitasmedia.com

Deer harvests were down in Delaware County and across Ohio during the first week of gun season, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Delaware County hunt-

ers checked 393 whitetailed deer from Dec. 2 to Dec. 8, a nearly 37 percent decline from the 2012 haul during the first week of gun season. Across the state, deer harvests were down 13 percent. John Windau, a spokes-

person for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, attributed the drop to several factors, including a smaller deer population across the state after several years of record high deer harvests. “The herds in many counties are down some-

what, and that is by design,” he said. “The goal of the Division of Wildlife is to maximize recreational opportunities while also keeping in mind we have to minimize conflicts,.” Windau also said an earlier muzzleloader sea-

son contributed to the drop in kills during gun season. “We are seeing some of that playing into it as well,” he said. Hunters using multiple weapons has also played a role in the lower numbers, Windau said.

“A lot of that 13 percent was picked up earlier on in the seasons,” he said. Throughout the first 67 days of deer season, harvests in the county are down 28 percent. Throughout Ohio they are down 27 percent.

Delaware Community Chorus schedules concert at St. Peter’s DUSTIN ENSINGER densinger@civitasmedia.com

The D e l a wa re Community Chorus (DCC) is ready for its biggest concert of the year. The DCC is set to hold its annual holiday concert, this year featuring Australian and classic Christmas Carols. “We do a lot of little side things, but our major two concerts are one in December and one in May,” said Charlee Murphy, a DCC spokesperson. The concert will be held at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Dec. 22 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 45 W. Winter St. in Delaware. Music will include Vivaldi’s Gloria and Roman’s Christ the Lord is Risen! Allelulia! Musicians from the Central Ohio Symphony will accompany the chorus. A didgeridoo, an Australian Aboriginal wind instrument , will complement the Christmas Carols from Australia.

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The Delaware Community Chorus is scheduled to perform at 3 and 5 p.m. on Dec. 22 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 45 W. Winter St. in Delaware.

“It should be very inspirational and uplifting,” Murphy said. The DCC is led by Daniel D. Hursey, who has grown the chorus in the five years he has been at the helm. “To have somebody with this music creative ability to teach us so much has been a really exciting thing for all of

INDEX

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City of Delaware Fire Department | Submitted

The Delaware Fire Department took this photo after they extinguished a fire at the Robert Owens home at 120 Helen Court.

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Opinion................................... 4 Weather.................................. 2 Obituaries.............................. 5 Calendar................................. 6 TV Listings............................. 8 Bulletin Board....................... 6 Comics................................... 8 Classifieds............................. 9 Sports..................................... 11

us,” Murphy said. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased from any chorus member, at the door or online at www.delawarechorus. com. “It would be a great way to relax and just sit back and enjoy some nice music and be totally in the spirit of the season,” Murphy said.

WEATHER

Home fire causes $75K in damage GARY BUDZAK

gbudzak@civitasmedia.com

A home fire that took place Dec. 5 and caused $75,000 in damage is still being investigated, officials said. Around 9:45 p.m., the fire was reported at 120 Helen Court, said City of Delaware Fire Chief John Donahue.

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“We were on the scene 6 minutes after that,” Donahue said. “Upon our arrival, smoke was lying real low to the ground because of the weather we were experiencing.” A crew of three engines, a ladder truck and a medic unit responded. Firefighters initially entered from the first floor.

“I went ahead and pulled them out because we had a fire in a basement,” Donahue said. “The concern was of first floor collapse.” The bulk of the blaze was put out in 30 minutes, and declared completely out in 55 minutes. “It took us longer to See FIRE | 2

INSIDE

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Woman shortens 49-inch hair for Locks of Love

MAIL 40 N. Sandusky St., Suite 203 Delaware, OH 43015

Pair of Bishops named to all-region football teams

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2 Delaware Gazette, Wednesday, December 11, 2013 www.delgazette.com

WEATHER

‘Beautiful’ awards recognize district GARY BUDZAK

gbudzak@civitasmedia.com

The Olentangy Local School District was among the winners at the annual Keep Delaware County Beautiful (KDCB) awards presentation on Dec. 5 at Preservation Parks’ Deer Haven Preserve. The KDCB coalition is a recycling and litter prevention program of the Delaware General Health District (DGHD). “We’re thrilled to be recognized by Keep Delaware County Beautiful (KDCB) in this way,” district spokesman Devon Immelt told The Gazette. “We have a lot of exciting programs in the district, and it’s always nice when another entity in community recognizes the work that takes place here in Olentangy.” Roy Jacobsen, a thirdgrade teacher at Oak Creek Elementary, received the Environmental Educator award. “Jacobsen was nominated by the Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District for being instrumental in planning and installing an outdoor classroom at his school,” said a news release issued by the DGHD. The outdoor classroom included an outdoor garden, pavilion, footbridge and numerous learning sites.” In addition, the entire district received the Business Award. Olentangy Local hosts

DGHD | Submitted

The Keep Delaware County Beautiful Awards included (left to right back row): Kenton Beachy of Drug-Free Delaware, Bob Harter and Matt Wallschlaeger of the Big Walnut High School habitat project, Julie Lover of ReStore, Brad Wolfe, KDCB coordinator Jenifer Way-Young, Bill Boyd of Boy Scout Troop 701. Front row are Boy Scout Troop 701 members Daniel Smith, Grant Bartlett and Dauren Mason.

four of Delaware County’s 15 recycling drop-off locations. “The district also placed signs and worked with the Delaware, Knox, Marion, and Morrow Solid Waste District Solid Waste District to place netting at Olentangy Liberty High School and Wyandot Run Elementary School to keep litter from blowing out into the community,” the DGHD said. “If we didn’t have a place for these recycling drop-offs, we would be in a world of hurt,” KDCB coordinator Jenifer WayYoung told The Gazette. The other award winners were: Big Walnut High School teacher Matt Wallschlaeger and Bob Harter (Going Green Award); Drug Free Delaware and Boy Scout Troop 701 (Community

Stewardship Award); Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore of Delaware County (Recycling Award); Delaware Hayes High School Green Committee (Litter Prevention Award); Brad Wolfe (Garrison-Brown Award). Way-Young said that if anyone “would like to have a litter cleanup once the weather breaks, they can contact me and we can give them some ideas, or if they have a place in mind, we can provide them with clean up supplies. If they would like to have a recycling drive, or promote recycling in their part of the community, we can help them with that as well.” For more information, call 740-368-1700 or visit www.delawarehealth.org.

Dem ends bid to be Ohio’s lieutenant governor JULIE CARR SMYTH AP Statehouse Correspondent

COLUMBUS — A Democratic lieutenant governor candidate in Ohio who faced hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal tax liens dropped out of the race Tuesday, saying his financial troubles were taking away from debate on important policy issues. State Sen. Eric Kearney, a Cincinnati attorney, said in a statement that he would no longer be gubernatorial contender

Ed FitzGerald’s running mate as FitzGerald challenges Republican Gov. John Kasich next year. “This has come to be a distraction from a discussion of the vital issues facing Ohio, and the choice voters must make in this election,” Kearney said. “The stakes are too high: We need a change of leadership to move Ohio in a new direction that puts more Ohioans back to work and builds a better future for our children.”

Kearney, his wife, Jan-Michele, and their Cincinnati publishing business, KGL Media Group, owe roughly $700,000 in state and federal tax liens. A foreclosure proceeding, credit card debt and unpaid workers’ compensation premiums also had been revealed in a series of bruising media reports, which also highlighted conflicting accounts about how much FitzGerald knew of the details before Kearney’s selection.

nificant pain for several weeks. It was his first injury in 25 years of riding. Chambers said accidents between drivers and cyclists occur because “we go slow and cars go fast.” He said everyone on the road needs to be more careful and watch for others – cyclists and drivers – on the road. “The most important thing to do when you drive is drive,” he said. Jeff Jackson, of Delaware, was also in the group of cyclists involved in the collision. He came to the sentencing hearing to sup-

port his fellow cyclists, Chambers and Coleman. “We all drive cars too,” he said. “We’re not trying to make enemies, we’re trying to make friends. We’re trying to make (Delaware County) a bike-friendly place.” City prosecutor Mark Corroto, an avid cyclist, said he wants “people to know we’re going to pay attention to these (cases) a little closer.” He encouraged motorists to think of cyclists as if he or she was a family member. “You’d take care to go around them,” he said. “The cyclists are somebody’s family out there.”

of the fire. Ironically, the residents at the address, the Robert Owens family, were recently involved in cases with the Delaware County Board of Elections regarding whether they live at the Helen Court address or

above the Owens Law Office, 46 N. Sandusky St. Friends of the family report that the Owens “have lost all of their earthly belongings.” Donahue said an insurance investigator visited the home on Dec. 9.

Fine From page A1 He came to a stop next to Hamilton’s vehicle door, he said. Chambers said he was hit in the side of the face when Hamilton exited the vehicle. Coleman, who was riding toward the back of the group, said his front wheel touched the back wheel of the bike in front of his, causing him to fall. “At the time of the incident, we were doing a little better than 25 miles per hour,” he said. Coleman said he was lucky to not break any bones, but was left with significant bruising on his hip and shoulder, road rash on his elbow and sig-

Fire From page A1 control because it was in the basement and we wanted” to be sure the fire was out, Donahue said. “When you have stuff collapsed, you don’t have visibility.” There were no firefighter injuries, and no one was home at the time

WEATHER FORECAST TODAY’S ARTIST

LOCAL FORECAST

Bryan Skedell, a student from Carlisle Elementary in Delaware, drew this self portrait and today’s weather picture.

TODAY: Partly cloudy with slight chance of light snow. Highs around 25. Wind chill around 14. South southwest wind 7 to 14 mph, gusting to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation near 35 percent. TONIGHT: Partly cloudy with chance of light snow. Lows around 7. Wind chill around -6. West northwest wind 7 to 14 mph, gusting to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation near 35 percent. Thursday Day: Partly cloudy. Highs around 16. Wind chill around 3. West wind 8 to 13 mph.

SUNRISE, SUNSET Sunset today: 5:06 p.m. Sunrise Thursday is at 7:45 a.m.

Holiday collection

Julie Datko | Submitted

Carol O’Brien, Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney, and Kyle Rohrer, First Assisting Prosecuting Attorney, display some of the items collected by the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office for Delaware charity People In Need. The prosecutor’s office “adopted” a family through People In Need with two young daughters for their donations. The prosecutor’s office also collected for the Common Ground Free Store, which is having an event where donated items are put out for parents to “shop” for their children’s holiday gifts. “Between the two, we collected a combination of food, clothing, toys, and household items,” said Julie Datko, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.

www.delgazette.com Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Delaware Gazette

LOCAL/STATE

Lots of Locks for Love

STACY KESS

skess@civitasmedia.com

Joyce Edwards has been growing her hair out for 45 years. The 76-year-old Delaware woman had the occasional trim at home, but she hadn’t had a cut since the day her late husband asked her to grow it long. “My husband asked me many years ago (to grow it) because I had children and I always kept it short,” Edwards said. “He’s been gone 12 years and I decided it was time to make up my mind to cut it.” With 49 inches of hair from new growth to tip, she decided with a bit of urging from friends that it was time to go to the salon. “I did have in mind that if I got if I got it cut, it would be for Locks of Love,” Edwards said. “I wouldn’t do it any other way.” She made an appointment at the salon at the Delaware Area Career Center North Campus, which offers free cuts to those who donate their hair to the national charity that makes wigs for children and adults with medical-related hair loss. “I’ve been excited all week,” said DACC cosmetology senior Kennedy Hites, the student chosen to perform the cut. “I have too,” Edwards said. Hites took care to remove the thick bun Edwards wore, then brush out the lengthy locks. Then she and instructor Roxanne Ames brought out a yard stick to measure the hair. Locks of Love requires a minimum donation of 10 inches of hair growth for donation. When Hites tied off Edwards’ hair, the pony tail measured 15 inches. “I’ve never cut hair this long, and neither has my instructor,” Hites said. “This is remarkable. I’ve never seen hair this long so to cut it and to work with it is just amazing as a cosmetologist.” It was also Hites’ first Locks of Love cut. Ames said though the salon has only done half a dozen Locks of Love cuts in the 14 years she’s been an instructor, it’s always wonderful to be a part of it. “I want the kids to see how they can pay it back with a simple cut,” she said.

Obama shakes hands with Raul Castro PETER ORSI Associated Press

PHOTOS BY STACY KESS | Gazette

Delaware Area Career Center cosmetology instructor Roxanne Ames and cosmetology senior Kennedy Hites use a yard stick to measure customer Joyce Edwards’ hair. Edwards chose to donate some of her hair to Locks of Love for her first professional haircut in 45 years. In all, her hair measured 49 inches before it was cut.

Ames shows Edwards and Hites the 15-inch pony tail that Edwards is donating to locks of love. Edwards said donating her hair was an important part of the cut.

Hites trims up Edwards’ freshly washed hair after cutting off 15 inches for Locks of Love. Edwards said she has to wash her hair in a basin sink because of the length. “It feels lighter,” she said. “Change is good.”

Missing adults, children found alive in Nevada

Negotiators seek modest budget agreement

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Two adults and four children who were stranded in sub-zero temperatures in a Nevada mountain range for nearly 48 hours were found alive and well on Tuesday by search crews, authorities said. The discovery came after a cellphone forensics team picked up a signal from the missing woman’s phone and diverted rescuers to the area. A searcher with binoculars spotted the group’s Jeep about the same it was seen by a Civil Air Patrol crews, Civil Air Patrol Col. Tim Hahn said. A ground team then retrieved the couple and four young members of their families. Authorities said the Jeep had rolled over but it could not be immediately determined if the engine still worked. However, the group was able to build a fire. Their decision to stay with the Jeep probably saved their lives, said Paul Burke, search and rescue coordinator who directed the effort Tuesday for the Nevada Department of Public Safety. “They stayed together and that was the key that allowed them to live through this experience. You don’t see that that often in search and rescue,” said Burke, who has worked search and rescue in Alaska.

Associated Press

ANDREW TAYLOR DAVID ESPO

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WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic negotiators reached out for a budget agreement Tuesday to reduce automatic spending cuts aimed at programs ranging from parks to the Pentagon, risking a backlash from liberals and conservatives that highlighted the difficulty of compromise within divided government. Officials said that under the emerging agreement, an estimated $65 billion in automatic spending cuts would be restored through the end of the next budget year, which runs to Sept. 30, 2015. The increases would be offset by a variety of spending reductions and increased fees elsewhere in the budget totaling about $85 billion over a decade, enough for a largely symbolic $20 billion reduction in the nation’s $17 trillion debt. Among them is a requirement for federal

workers to make larger contributions to their own pensions, as well as an increase in a federal security fee that would add $5 to the cost of a typical round-trip flight. “We’re not there yet but we are working out details and I’m hopeful,” Sen. Patty Murray told reporters at midday as she walked into a meeting with fellow Senate Democrats. The Washington lawmaker, who is is her party’s negotiator in talks with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said she hoped to be able to announce an agreement by day’s end. The officials who described the deal under discussion did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to speak on the record. The same was not true of conservative organizations, who attacked the proposal as a betrayal of a hard-won 2011 agreement that reduced government spending and is counted as among the main accomplishments of tea partyaligned Republicans who

came to power earlier the same year in the House. Americans for Prosperity issued a midmorning statement saying that GOP lawmakers should uphold current spending levels. Otherwise, the group said, “Congressional Republicans are joining liberal Democrats in breaking their word to the American people to finally begin reining in government overspending that has left us over $17 trillion in debt.”

HAVANA — It was the briefest of moments, just seconds, two presidents shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries amid a gaggle of world leaders together to honor the late Nelson Mandela. It would hardly have been noteworthy, except the men locking hands in Johannesburg were Barack Obama and Raul Castro, whose nations have been mired in Cold War antagonism for more than five decades. A single, cordial gesture is unlikely to wash away bad blood dating back to the Eisenhower administration. But in a year that has seen both sides take small steps at improving the relationship, the handshake stoked talk of further rapprochement. “On the one hand you shouldn’t make too much of this. Relations between Cuba and the United States are not changing tomorrow because they shook hands,” said Geoff Thale, a Cuba analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, a U.S.based think tank. He contrasted the moment to a 2002 development summit where then-Mexican President Vicente Fox asked Fidel Castro to leave to avoid having him in the same room as U.S. President George W. Bush. “What’s really striking here is the contrast,” Thale said. “It’s a modestly hopeful sign, and it builds on the small steps that they’re taking.” Not everyone was so happy about it. “Sometimes a handshake is just a handshake, but when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like Raul Castro, it becomes a propaganda coup for the tyrant,” said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a CubanAmerican congresswoman from Florida who until January 2013 was chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Obama and Castro’s encounter was the first of its kind between sitting U.S. and Cuban presidents since Bill Clinton and Fidel shook hands at the U.N. in 2000. It came as Obama greeted a line of world leaders on his way to the podium for a speech at the memorial. Obama also had a cheek-kiss for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The two have clashed over reports the National Security Agency monitored her communications, leading the Brazilian leader to shelve

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a state trip to the U.S. earlier this year. In another potentially uneasy exchange, Obama briefly greeted Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose refusal to sign a security agreement with the U.S. before year’s end has irritated the administration. Obama adviser Ben Rhodes said the handshakes were not planned in advance and didn’t involve any substantive discussion. “The president didn’t see this as a venue to do business,” he told reporters traveling back to Washington aboard Air Force One. By shaking Castro’s hand, Obama sent a message of openness that echoes a speech he gave at a Democratic fundraiser in Miami last month. “We have to continue to update our policies,” he said then. “Keep in mind that when (Fidel) Castro came to power, I was just born. So the notion that the same policies that we put in place in 1961 would somehow still be as effective as they are today in the age of the Internet and Google and world travel doesn’t make sense.” As president, Obama has lifted limits on how often Cuban-Americans can visit family back on the island, and how much they can send home in remittances. He also reinstated “people-to-people” cultural exchange tours to Cuba. The result is more than a half-million U.S. visitors to the island each year. Cultural, sports and academic exchanges have become commonplace. Just Monday, a huge ship docked in Havana carrying hundreds of Semester at Sea students under a U.S. government license. But Obama has also argued that Washington’s 51-year economic embargo on Cuba should remain in force, and his administration has imposed tens of millions of dollars in fines on international companies for violating the sanctions. Cuba’s imprisonment in 2009 of U.S. government development subcontractor Alan Gross put relations back in a deep freeze. Gross remains jailed, but this year Washington decided it would no longer let the case stand in the way on areas of common interest. The U.S. and Cuba have held multiple rounds of talks on restoring direct mail service and immigration issues, with more scheduled for January. Diplomats on both sides report cordial relations and call each other at home.

4 Delaware Gazette, Wednesday, December 11, 2013 www.delgazette.com

OPINION

Many will face hard choices on transportation The new year will begin with a grim start for many of Delaware County’s less affluent residents, particularly senior citizens. Starting Jan. 1, customers of the Delaware Area Transit Agency (DATA) who utilize DATA’s demand response service will find their fares increasing as much as five-fold in some cases when new rates take effect. One senior citizen has told The Gazette her round-trip ride to her part-time job will increase from $4 to $22, using DATA’s demand response service. DATA was recently redesignated from a rural transit system to an urban transit system. The change will cost DATA about $700,000 in federal funding, or about one-third of the transit systems’ operational budget. In the past, DATA was able to use a portion of its federal funding to subsidize demand response trips. Now the transit system will have to charge passengers the full cost of the trip. To ease the burden for DATA users, the transit system will not change the cost of fixed routes, which are $1. Users over 65 and under 18

are charged a fare of 50 cents. As it applies to Delaware County, the federal designation of “urban transit system” is flawed. Delaware County may have more than 170,000 residents, but we remain a rural county. A massive system like Columbus’ Central Ohio Transit Authority has large area to cover, but COTA has scores of vehicles, scores of routes and thousands upon thousands of riders (all packed into an area with a high population density), with a 0.25-percent sales tax to help pay for it all. DATA has bus routes, too. All but one are concentrated in the city of Delaware and one travels along U.S. 23 south of the city. A large percentage of the county is not covered. DATA could seek a levy, but the DATA board has not discussed option. Levies do not always pass. When they do, money is not always quickly collected. Meanwhile, the senior citizen riding to her part-time job will see her annual income plunge by $2,808 a year (assuming she works a three-day week) and similar DATA riders face equally hard choices.

Mismanagement contributed mightily to Detroit’s decline U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes has ruled that Detroit, Mich., may seek to protect itself from its creditors under Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy protection, thus making this once proud city the largest municipality in American history to go bust. The city is $18 billion in the hole thanks to its debt and long-term liabilities, such as pensions it could not afford and people abandoning the city in droves, which led to an erosion of the tax base. It didn’t have to be like this. There were signs of Detroit’s decline that began as early as the 1950s, but politicians don’t like telling voters “no” when it comes to government freebies and benefits. They want the votes. Last September, the Detroit Free Press printed an extensive analysis of the city’s financial history over the past 60 years. It found that instead of making difficult economic and political decisions, which might have strengthened Detroit’s financial foundation, “…amid a huge exodus of residents, plummeting tax revenues and skyrocketing home abandonment, Detroit’s leaders engaged in a billion-dollar borrowing binge, created new taxes and failed to cut expenses when they needed to. “ S i m u l t a n e o u s l y, ” reported the newspaper, these leaders “gifted workers and retirees with generous bonuses. And under pressure from unions and, sometimes, arbitrators, they failed to cut health care benefits — saddling the city with staggering costs that today threaten the safety and quality of life of people who live here.” Most of the recent mayors of Detroit have been

Democrats. Some have gone to jail on corruption charges, but they don’t get the same level of attention from the national media as they might have had they been Republicans. Stirring the political pot to avoid perpetual oneparty rule would have been a good way to reduce corruption and the problems Detroit has experienced under Democrats. Washington, D.C., which has had only Democratic mayors and a majority Democratic city council since the 1960s when Congress gave residents the right to vote for their local leaders, is another city with several corrupt politicians. As in Detroit, Washington, D.C.’s policies appear to have ensured a permanent underclass Democrats can count on for votes, as long as government handouts keep coming. While there have been periods of economic growth in Detroit over the past 50 years, politicians did not use the money wisely and many opportunities to alter the city’s downward trajectory toward more benefits, higher debt and the discredited notion that constantly raising taxes would stop the bleeding were missed. The one flaw in the Free Press analysis is this line: “Although no one could see it at the time, Detroit’s insolvency was guaranteed.” It isn’t that no one could see insolvency coming; it is that they refused to do so. Their attitude was “eat,

drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.” And so Detroit has succumbed to financial ruin. There is a grand lesson here not only for other urban cities faced with similar problems, but for states and especially the federal government that don’t want to deny anyone anything, especially in an election year. The lesson is an obvious one, buried deep in our Puritan ethos: You can’t spend more than you take in, as though tomorrow will never come. If you do, your tomorrow might just look a lot like Detroit’s. Last summer, Beyonce visited Detroit where she performed a live concert and recorded a video reminding the city of its illustrious past. The song she sang

in the video was Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” while behind her a huge neon sign read “Nothing Stops Detroit.” Bankruptcy might. Direct all mail for Cal Thomas to Tribune Media Services, 2010 Westridge Drive, Irving, TX 75038. Readers may also email Cal Thomas at tmseditors@tribune.com.

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To contact Gazette newsroom staff, call 740-363-1161 and dial an extension listed below. BUCKEYE VALLEY SCHOOLS, COUNTY GOVERNMENT: ■ Dustin Ensinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 344 SUNBURY, BIG WALNUT SCHOOLS: ■ Gary Henery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 372 COURTS, POLICE, DELAWARE CITY SCHOOLS: ■ Stacy Kess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ext. 312

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www.delgazette.com Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Delaware Gazette

OBITUARIES

Obama hails Mandela as ‘last great liberator’ ALAN CLENDENNING CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG — Amid cheers and song for the prisoner who became peacemaker, President Barack Obama energized tens of thousands of spectators and nearly 100 visiting heads of state Tuesday with a plea for the world to emulate Nelson Mandela, “the last great liberator of the 20th century.” Obama’s eulogy was the rhetorical highlight of a memorial service in which South Africans celebrated Mandela’s life with singing and dancing, often during dignitaries’ speeches. They also booed their own president and were chided by a top government official who said: “Let’s not embarrass ourselves.” Lashing rain lent a freewheeling aspect to the memorial, with people taking shelter in the stadium’s wide hallways, where they sang antiapartheid anthems from the 1970s and 1980s. Foul weather kept many away, and the 95,000-capacity stadium was only twothirds full. Obama implored people to embrace Mandela’s universal message of peace and justice, comparing the South African leader to Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. Mandela spent 27 years in prison under a racist regime, and promoted forgiveness and reconciliation when he was finally freed. “We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again,” Obama said. “But

Matt Dunham | AP

President Barack Obama acknowledges applause before speaking at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto near Johannesburg, Tuesday.

let me say to the young people of Africa, and young people around the world — you can make his life’s work your own.” He hailed Mandela, who died Thursday at 95, as the unlikely leader of a movement that gave “potent voice to the claims of the oppressed and the moral necessity of racial justice. “ “Born during World War I, far from the corridors of power, a boy raised herding cattle and tutored by the elders of his Thembu tribe, Madiba would emerge as the last great liberator of the 20th century,” Obama said, referring to Mandela by his clan name. Obama, who like Mandela became the first black president of his country, said he was inspired by Mandela as a student. The speech was greeted with thunderous applause, and many heads of state and other foreign dignitaries gave a stand-

ing ovation. Obama pointed out that “around the world today, men and women are still imprisoned for their political beliefs, and are still persecuted for what they look like, or how they worship, or who they love.” Among the heads of state and government were some from countries like Cuba that don’t hold fully democratic elections. On the way to the podium, Obama shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro, underscoring a recent warming of relations between their countries. Other attending leaders criticized for their human rights records were Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema and Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh. In contrast to the wild applause given to Obama, South African President Jacob Zuma was booed.

POLICE REPORTS Delaware City Police Dec. 9 • Unruly juvenile at Dempsey Middle School, 599 Pennsylvania Ave. • Burglary occurring on Dec. 3 to a residence in the 100 block of E. Central Ave. • Possession of a controlled substance at a motel in the 1700 block of Columbus Pike. • Lukas M. S. Stokes, 18, of Sunbury: possession of marijuana near Stratford Rd. and Spring Lake Ct. • Felony theft from

a residence in the first block of David St. A related forgery occurred in the 100 block of S. Sandusky St. • Menacing occurring between Nov. 16 and Dec. 9 in the 500 block of Apple Valley Circle. Dec. 10 • Levita Chervon Morgan, 27, of Delaware: falsification, obstructing official business, open container and warrant at a traffic stop in the 1300 block of Sunbury Rd. Aaron Jonay Wess, 24, of Delaware, was also

charged with obstructing official business. City of Powell Police Dec. 9 • Breaking and entering in the first block of Grace Dr. Delaware County Sheriff’s Office Dec. 9 • Domestic dispute on Bay Harbor Dr., Berlin Twp. • Identity theft of a resident of Lake Trail Dr., Orange Twp. • Breaking and entering at a business on E. Powell Rd., Orange Twp.

DIVORCE FILINGS Lisa R. Curcillo, 230 Tarheel Drive, Delaware and Corie G. Curcillo, 554 White Oak Place, Worthington Jennifer Repasky, 3676 Sutton Place, Powell and Michael Repasky, 7015 Kellogg

Drive, Powell Nancy V. St. John, 2027 Tulip Way, Lewis Center and James T. St. John, c/o BMV Bank of NA 2735 E. Parleys Way Suite 301, Salt Lake City, UT Christina Marie Starr,

SAN FRANCISCO — Even as Silicon Valley speaks out against the U.S. government’s surveillance methods, technology companies are turning a handsome profit by mining personal data and peering into people’s online habits. The industry’s profit machine has become tarnished by revelations that the National Security Agency trolls deep into the everyday lives of Web surfers. As a result, companies including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are becoming more aggressive in their attempts to counter any perception that they voluntarily give the government

Many South Africans are unhappy with Zuma because of state corruption scandals, though his ruling African National Congress, once led by Mandela, remains the front-runner ahead of elections next year. Mandela’s record after he was elected in the first all-race elections in 1994 has faced some criticism, most of it indirect because he is such a revered figure. He did not push for major restructuring of the economy, fearing it could alienate whites who still control most of South African industry. Today, the country struggles with economic inequality, though Mandela’s moral stature sets him far apart from his successors. “Mandela was a very humble man, and he gave himself to the world. He sacrificed time with his family for us and for me. It is a privilege to be here, it is a humbling experience,” said 35-yearold Dipolelo Moshe, who works for a marketing company. She had a South African flag draped over her shoulders and carried a big photo of Mandela as she stood in line at the stadium. Rohan Laird, the 54-year-old CEO of a health insurance company, said he grew up during white rule in a “privileged position” as a white South African and that Mandela helped whites work through a burden of guilt. “His reconciliation allowed whites to be released themselves,” Laird said. “I honestly don’t think the world will see another leader like Nelson Mandela.”

POWELL - Louise A. Brown, 86, of Powell, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013, at Riverside Methodist Hospital with her family by her side. Louise is survived by her daughters, Mary Louise, Linda, Debbie, Carol, Sherri, son, Kevin; sons-inlaw, Steve, Fred, and Bill; daughter-in-law, Yolaunda; 10 grandchildren, Michelle, Tonya, Matthew (April), Tami (Jarod), Tiffany (Brian), Mitchell, Danny, Ashley, Clinton, and Brittney; 9 great-grandchildren, Megan, Steven, Kyle, Jake, Travis, Dylan, Rylee, Carter, and Ella; and her longtime friends, Joe and Margaret Ryan, Lois Voss, and Connie

304 Rumsey Road, Columbus and Joey Lee Starr, 9952 Arnold Place, Columbus Sheila M. Sinno, 426 Landings Loop E., Westerville and Ahmad E. Sinno, 426 Landings Loop E., Westerville

constitutes an ‘advanced persistent threat,’ alongside sophisticated malware and cyber-attacks,” Smith wrote. The industry’s latest salvo came Monday with the release of an open letter to President Barack Obama and the introduction of a new website calling for more stringent controls on electronic espionage.

Belcher. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold A. Brown, her parents, Chet and Mary Ervin, her brothers, Fred and Bob Ervin, and her granddaughter, Kristin Harding. Louise loved family gatherings, playing cards, and shopping. The familywill receive friends from 6-8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, 2013 at Schoedinger Worthington Chapel, 6699 N. High St. (1/2 mile south of I-270), where funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013. Interment to follow at Berlin Township Cemetery, Cheshire Road. To share memories or condolences, please visit www. schoedinger.com.

death notice GARDEN GROVE, CALIF. - Thuy Thi Thu Lu, 41, of Garden Grove, Calif., died unexpectedly from injuries sustained in a truck accident on Interstate 71 near St Rt 521 in Delaware County on Friday evening,

Dec. 6, 2013. Survivors include her husband Hoang Truong. Services are being planned in California. SnyderRodman Funeral Center has been entrusted with the care of her local arrangements.

deed TRANSACTIONS FROM: Leibrand, Steven H TO: Federal National Mortgage Association 376 Western Dreamer Drive Delaware $110,000 FROM: Huff, Aaron C & Tenille M TO: Lawings, Corey A & Staci A Fountain Avenue Delaware $108,900 F RO M : Bishop, Charles W III Lisa Jo TO: Gibbs, Hugh L 135 N Main St Ostrander $105,000 FROM: Hill, Gladys M

TO: Godby, Russell & Deanna 5788 Ohio 61 Sunbury $100,000 FROM: Sherman Lakes Estate LLC T O : NVR Inc 5919 Mcclellon Drive Galena $95,000 FROM: Johnson, Eric W Deborah J Rumsey TO: Lindsey Marty C & Susan O Adams Road Galena $94,000 FROM: Alexander, Paul N TO : C D SG Investments LLC 103 W Winter St Delaware $93,000

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access to users’ email and other sensitive information. Microsoft’s general counsel, Brad Smith, warned in a blog post last week that the U.S. government’s online surveillance efforts “threaten to seriously undermine confidence in the security and privacy of online communications.” “Indeed, government snooping potentially now

Louise A. Brown

Sadly missed by your family, Keith & Tina, Todd & Cheryl, Missy, Judd and Georgia

Tech firms vie to protect personal data, profits MARCY GORDON MICHAEL LIEDTKE

obituary

DEADLINE TO PLACE ORDERS IS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2013.

6 Delaware Gazette, Wednesday, December 11, 2013 www.delgazette.com

CALENDAR

TODAY IN HISTORY In 1792, France’s King Louis XVI went before the Convention to face charges of treason. (Louis was convicted, and executed the following month.) In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state. In 1912, movie producer Carlo Ponti was born in Magenta, Italy. In 1928, police in Buenos Aires announced they had thwarted an attempt on the life of President-elect Herbert Hoover. In 1936, Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson; his brother, Prince Albert, became King George VI. In 1937, Italy announced it was withdrawing from the League of Nations. In 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; the U.S. responded in kind. In 1946, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established. In 1961, a U.S. aircraft carrier carrying Army helicopters arrived in Saigon — the first direct American military support for South Vietnam’s battle against Communist guerrillas. In 1981, the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians at the hands of army troops. The U.N. Security Council chose Javier Perez de Cuellar (hahvee-EHR’ PEHR’-ehs day KWAY’-yahr) of Peru to be the fifth secretarygeneral. Muhammad Ali, 39, fought his final fight, losing by unanimous decision to Trevor Berbick in Nassau, Bahamas. In 1997, more than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth’s greenhouse gases. In 2008, Bernie Madoff was arrested, accused of running a multibilliondollar Ponzi scheme. (Madoff is serving a 150year federal prison sentence.) Ten years ago: U.S. health officials reported an early flu outbreak had hit all 50 states and was widespread in 24. A German court freed a Moroccan accused of supporting the Sept. 11 alQaida cell in Hamburg, saying there was new evidence he did not know about the plot. A new second home for the National Air and Space Museum opened in Chantilly, Va., some 28 miles west of the original’s home in Washington, D.C. Five years ago: Former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Madoff was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that destroyed thousands of people’s life savings and wrecked charities. (Madoff is serving a 150-year federal prison sentence.) The remains

of missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony were found six months after she disappeared. (Her mother, Casey Anthony, was acquitted of murder in her daughter’s death.) A suicide bomber killed at least 55 people near Kirkuk, Iraq. Former Teamsters Union president Ron Carey died in New York at age 72. Former pinup model Bettie Page died in Los Angeles at age 85. One year ago: In an act the White House called “highly provocative,” North Korea used a longrange rocket to launch a satellite into orbit. The Michigan Legislature gave final approval to a contentious bill making it illegal to require non-union workers to pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services; the bill was quickly signed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder amid angry protests by union members and their supporters. A Florida judge denied defense requests to end 24-hour GPS monitoring of George Zimmerman while he was out on bond in the fatal shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (TAG’-leeuh-boo) overturned the suspensions of four New Orleans Saints players in the league’s bounty investigation but said their involvement in a scheme to reward hard tackles was detrimental to the league. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Jean-Louis Trintignant is 83. Actress Rita Moreno is 82. Former California state lawmaker Tom Hayden is 74. Pop singer David Gates (Bread) is 73. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is 72. Actress Donna Mills is 71. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is 70. Singer Brenda Lee is 69. Actress Lynda Day George is 69. Music producer Tony Brown is 67. Actress Teri Garr is 66. Movie director Susan Seidelman is 61. Actress Bess Armstrong is 60. Singer Jermaine Jacksun (new spelling as of 2013) is 59. Rock musician Mike Mesaros (The Smithereens) is 56. Rock musician Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) is 55. Rock musician Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones) is 52. Actor Ben Browder is 51. Singermusician Justin Currie (Del Amitri) is 49. Rock musician David Schools (Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic) is 49. Actor Gary Dourdan (DOOR’-dan) is 47. Actress-comedian Mo’Nique (“The Parkers”) is 46. Actor Max Martini is 44. Rapper-actor Mos Def is 40. Actor Rider Strong is 34. Actress Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit”) is 17. Thought for Today: “A technical objection is the first refuge of a scoundrel.” — Heywood Broun, American journalist (1888-1939).

Girlfriend wants charges dropped against Zimmerman ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors are considering whether to move forward with domestic violence charges against George Zimmerman even though his girlfriend is asking them not to do so. Without a witness willing to testify, prosecutors can still use law enforcement reports, 911 calls and other witnesses to build a case. But such cases are more difficult to prove, State Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Lynne Bumpus Hooper said. Zimmerman filed an affidavit from his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, saying she doesn’t want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. The affidavit was filed with a motion Monday asking a judge to change the terms of his bond so he can have contact with Scheibe. Zimmerman was acquit-

ted of any crime last summer in the 2012 shooting death of 17-yearold Trayvon Martin, a case that sparked a nationwide d eb at e about race and selfd e f e n se Zimmerman l a w s . Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, was accused of racially profiling the black teen, but said he shot Martin to protect himself. Zimmerman was arrested last month after Scheibe accused him in a 911 call of pointing a gun at her, smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside. Zimmerman also called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her. and blamed her for the broken table.

TODAY CIVIC Delaware County Records Commission meeting When: 9 a.m. Where: Delaware County Commissioner’s Office conference room, 101 N. Sandusky St., Delaware C A N C E L E D : Delaware City Board of Zoning Appeals When: 7 p.m. Where: City Council Chambers, City Hall, 1 S. Sandusky St., 2nd floor Powell planning and zoning commission When: 7 p.m. Where: Municipal building, 47 Hall St. Scioto Township Board of Trustees When: 7 p.m. Where: Community Center, 3737 Ostrander Road, Ostrander Troy Township Zoning Commission When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Troy Township Hall, 4293 U.S. 23N (April 11, July 11 and October 10) GAMES Eagles FOE No. 376 bingo When: Doors open at 5:30 p.m., games start at 7 p.m. Where: 127 E. William St. GROUPS Willis High School alumni When: 9 a.m. Where: Corner Café, 535 U.S. 36E Powell Sertoma Club When: Noon Where: Liberty Tavern, 50 S. Liberty St. Contact: Dave Betz, 614-202-0235, or powellsertoma.org AMVETS Post. No. 104 When: 8 p.m. Where: 419 London Road SUPPORT Sunrise Group Open chairman’s choice/last week speaker AA When:

7 a.m. Where: St Peters Episcopal Church, 45 W. Winter St. Contact: 800870-3795 or aacentralohio.org AA daily meeting When: Noon Where: William Street United Methodist Church, 28 W. William St. Contact: 740363-4466 Ladies Night Women’s Group Open discussion AA When: 6:30 p.m. Where: First Baptist Church, 12259 N. Old 3C Highway, Sunbury Contact: 800870-3795 or aacentralohio.org Lifetree Cafe When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Pathway Church of God, 201 Pennsylvania Ave. Contact: lifetreecafe@ meadowpark.org Grief Share Support Group When: 6:45-8:45 p.m. Where: Genoa Baptist Church, room 212 Cost: $12 workbook fee Contact: Pastor Chris, 740-965-5548 ADHD Pa re n t Support Group When: 7 p.m. Where: Hayes County Building room 213 Contact: 740-5487880 Clean and Sober Rotating format/last week open speaker AA When: 8 p.m. Where: Ohio Wesleyan HamiltonWilliams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave. Contact: 800-870-3795 or aacentralohio.org SENIORS 9 and 18 Hole Traveling Golf League When: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Locations change Contact: 740-369-5133 Ranco Retirees When: 11 a.m. Where: Cracker Barrel, 60 Fourwinds

Drive, Sunbury HEALTH Fifty-Fifty Club Walking When: 7:15 a.m. Where: Royal American Links Golf Course, Miller-Paul Road Adult Walk-In Clinic When: 7:30–9 a.m. Where: 3 W. Winter St. Quick Flu Clinics When: 7:30–9 a.m. Where: 3 W. Winter St. Pregnancy Test WalkIn Clinic When: 8–9 a.m. Where: 3 W. Winter St. Stroller Strut When: 9:30-11 a.m. Where: Delaware Community Center YMCA, Indoor Track, 1121 S. Houk Road, Delaware Contact: 740-203-3051 or rhanafin@ymcacolumbus.org Person in Charge Class When: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Where: Sunbury Community Library, 44 Burrer Drive, Sunbury Grace Medical Clinic Free weekly clinic for children and adults who can not afford traditional health care When: 6:308:30 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. for registration Where: Andrews House, 39 W. Winter St. Contact: andrewshouse. org Free Community Yoga Class Bring yoga mat When: 7 p.m. Where: Perfect Harmony Fitness, 2 1/2 N. Sandusky St. Contact: 740-513-6705 LIBRARIES Baby Time When: 10 a.m. Where: Orange Branch Library, 7171 Gooding Blvd. Contact: 740-549-2665 or delawarelibrary.org Toddler Time When: 10 a.m. Where: Powell Branch Library, 460 S.

Liberty St. Contact: 614888-9160 or delawarelibrary.org Toddler Time When: 11 a.m. Where: Orange Branch Library, 7171 Gooding Blvd. Contact: 740-549-2665 or delawarelibrary.org Baby Time When: 11 a.m. Where: Powell Branch Library, 460 S. Liberty St. Contact: 614888-9160 or delawarelibrary.org Delaware County Historical Society Research Library and Nash House Museum When: Open 10 a.m.noon and 1-5 p.m. Where: Cryder Historical Center, 157 E. William St. Contact: delawareohio history.org Holiday Card & Cookie Party When: 4 p.m. Where: Ostrander Branch Library, 75 N. Fourth St. Contact: 740666-1410 or delawarelibrary.org Yoga for Kids When: 4:30 p.m. Where: Orange Branch Library, 7171 Gooding Blvd. Contact: 740-549-2665 or delawarelibrary.org Holiday Card Making When: 6 p.m. Where: Orange Branch Library, 7171 Gooding Blvd. Contact: 740-549-2665 or delawarelibrary.org Great Geek-Out When: 7 p.m. Where: Delaware Main Library, 84 E. Winter St. Contact: 740-362-3861 or delawarelibrary.org Holiday Card & Cookie Party When: 7 p.m. Where: Ostrander Branch Library, 75 N. Fourth St. Contact: 740666-1410 or delawarelibrary.org

Eastern snowstorm brings closures, delays BEN NUCKOLS ERIKA NIEDOWSKI Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A snowstorm pushed into New England on Tuesday, making for messy travel conditions after causing widespread school and government closures in the nation’s capital and elsewhere along the Eastern seaboard. With snow totals measured in inches instead of feet, the storm was more nuisance than menace, but it was timed to hit morning and afternoon commutes in the densely populated Northeast. Hundreds of transportation crews were out treating and plowing highways in New England, where up to 4 inches of snow was expected in some places. State police in Connecticut said there had been more than 80 crashes by late morning, with eight minor injuries. Public schools were closed in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and parts of Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Some schools in Connecticut were closed, while a few districts in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts planned early dismissals or canceled afternoon activities. Flight delays were reported in Philadelphia and New York City-area airports. In Washington, snow was falling at daybreak,

Patrick Semansky | AP

A man walks on a snowy road in Towson, Md., Tuesday. Residents along the East Coast and in the Appalachians woke up to snow Tuesday and government workers and students in the Washington, D.C., region were told to stay home as the area saw a round of snow that came just a few days after some parts already got several inches.

but traffic problems failed to materialize as many workers stayed home. Non-emergency federal employees were granted an excused absence and others were told to telecommute, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The snow was expected to end before the evening commute in Philadelphia, which was socked by a surprise 8-inch snowfall on Sunday. New York City, which was forecast to get 3 to 5 inches, suspended some parking rules to facilitate snow removal. In Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, meteorologists predicted the snow would taper off around the time commuters headed home for the day, but roads and sidewalks were expected to remain slick. In Ohio, overnight snowfall made the morn-

ing commute slow and messy in central and southwest parts of the state. Outside Washington, traffic was light Tuesday morning. With temperatures hovering around freezing, highways that had been plowed and treated were passable, but conditions began to deteriorate after 8 a.m. as the pace of the snowfall increased. The usually bustling Springfield Metro station was nearly deserted. Those who did have to work said the lack of traffic made the slushy roads easier to navigate. “I wish it was like this all the time — minus the snow,” said Maelin Traylor, 28, of Springfield. “The traffic was wonderful.” Rick Hemphill, a retired deputy court clerk, had a busy Tuesday morning ferrying family members

to and from their jobs in rural Washington County, Md., through several inches of fresh snow. He said he grew up driving in snow in mountainous western Maryland. “Snow is snow,” Hemphill said as he refueled his four-wheeldrive vehicle near his Hagerstown-area home. “The closer you get to the city, it gets worse because they get it less often.” In Newark, N.J., on Tuesday morning, a squad of cheerleaders ages 11 to 15 was looking forward to escaping the cold as they waited for a train to take them to Florida for the national cheerleading championships. Luckily, the trains were generally on time despite the weather. “We’re just worrying about the sunshine, that’s it! We don’t care about the snow. We don’t care about anything. We just need to get down to Walt Disney World,” said director Tosha DowneyPlant before the squad broke into a cheer. Tuesday’s storm offered up a sense of levity and fun for Rachel EzekielFishbein compared with Sunday’s squall, which hampered her travel plans to Baltimore for a wedding. Schools in her hometown of Cheltenham, just north of Philadelphia, were closed. “Got the call from school at 5 a.m., rolled over and went back to sleep ‘til 9,” she said.

www.delgazette.com Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Delaware Gazette

COMICS & MORE

BLONDIE

By Dean Young and John Marshall

BEETLE BAILEY

By Mort, Greg and Brian Walker Today’s answer

RETAIL

By Norm Feuti

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

HI AND LOIS

By Chris Browne

Written By Brian & Greg Walker; Drawn By Chance Browne

THE BRILLIANT MIND OF EDISON LEE

By John Hambrock

BABY BLUES

ZITS

By Jerry Scott & Rick Kirkman

By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PARDON MY PLANET

CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

By Vic Lee

RHYMES WITH ORANGE

Hank Ketcham’s

DENNIS THE MENACE

by Dave Green

By Hilary Price

THE LOCKHORNS

By Bunny Hoest & John Reiner

By Bil and Jeff Keane

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8 Delaware Gazette, Wednesday, December 11, 2013 www.delgazette.com

COMICS & MORE

Enduring the messy divorce Dear Annie: I was marhis truck and am making ried to a verbally abusive half of his house payment so narcissist for 10 years. Two my kids have a place to stay separations and three counwhen they see him. I have selors later, I decided to 10 pages of documentation leave him. That was in June. from all the horribleness I I recently met someone have lived through. who makes me believe I hope my parents someAnnie’s there are good people out day will warm up to the new there. But my soon-to-be ex Mailbox man who treats me so well. I and my brother have been have given up on my brothscreaming from the rooftops Kathy Mitchell er. Meanwhile, my ex keeps that I am a cheater, and that & Marcy Sugar telling me how he is doing my husband’s behavior was “the right thing” by letting perfect. This hurts me so deeply I my children see me, because all cannot describe the pain. of his friends tell him not to. Of I bent over backward for this course, he never was involved man for years, but he always has with the kids. He’s using them for to “win.” Due to my brother’s leverage. badmouthing me and my unwillI pay for all of the children’s ingness to fight, my parents barely expenses and their health insurspeak to me. My ex is irresponance, and I see a counselor regusible about money, so I paid off larly. But every week, my ex or my

brother contacts me and tries to make me feel like a terrible person for leaving. Will it ever stop? -Exhausted in Wisconsin Dear Wisconsin: We hope so, but you have to be strong. Until the divorce is final, your husband (and brother) will try to wear you down so you will return. As long as the children can be used to pressure you, your ex will do so. We know you are tired, but you need to fight back a little harder. Let your parents know exactly what is going on, and let them see the documentation. Make sure you have a good attorney who will see that the kids are protected and have access to both of their parents. Don’t push your new relationship. It’s too soon for your parents to accept. And keep seeing your counselor. It will help.

Horoscope HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013: This year you open up to many plausible changes. You seem to go with the flow rather than fight the inevitable. Your creativity grows in bursts. Some of you will seek new avenues of self-expression as well. If you are single, you could meet someone who might serve as a muse. You will love the poetic tie here, but take a hard look at the relationship and its possibilities. If you are attached, the two of you might start acting like newfound lovers. You also might choose to update your mutual responsibilities; both of you have changed. Count on ARIES for excitement. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHHH Others don’t hesitate to challenge you. You might feel as if you need to adapt to an authority figure’s wishes. You could go overboard in your response. Don’t worry; this person anticipates that you will stand firm in support of your beliefs. Tonight: All smiles. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHH When given some perspective, you might think someone’s idea is hogwash. You can be sure that, regardless of whether you say anything, the other party can see your facial expressions and/or hear the tone in your voice. Be diplomatic. Tonight: Get some extra R and R. GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

HHHH You work well with people in general. You’ll find out how caring certain associates can be. Thanking someone for his or her support will mean more than you realize. Express yourself in a way that others will identify with you. Do not act like a boss. Tonight: Where people are. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHH Tension increases no matter what you choose to do or how you try to change your thoughts. You could be a little too tolerant of someone who makes heavy demands on you. Know the possibilities, and realize that you need to relax in order to think clearly. Tonight: Could be late. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHHH Keep reaching out to a dear friend. Once you connect, you can relax. You might have been worried about a situation involving this person. Recognize how fortunate you are, especially with interpersonal matters. Tonight: Let your imagination go wild. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHH Use your intuition when dealing with a person who is fundamental to your wellbeing. You might need to have a discussion with him or her involving your welfare. Opportunities pop up out of the blue that encourage this talk. Remain optimistic. Tonight: Be a duo. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH Others will be challenging. You could have a strong initial reaction, but that will pass. You might be too

concerned about a personal matter. For the time being, remain on topic and trust that the right time will come to work through this issue. Tonight: Return calls and emails. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH Emphasize cooperation rather than willfulness. You often get caught up in wanting things to go a certain way. You could hear news that initially might not make you happy. Give yourself some time and you will react differently. Tonight: Try to clear off your desk. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHH Let your fiery side emerge, and it will bring you a better sense of direction. At first, a conflict might seem inevitable between you and someone else. A sudden change will encourage a resourceful solution. The pros and cons of a risk need some thought. Tonight: Say “yes.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHH Stay on top of a difficult situation. You might want change involving a personal matter. Trying to force what you want will not work. Allow someone some time to understand where you are coming from. At that point, this person will be more receptive to you. Tonight: At home. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH Communication excels and allows greater give-and-take. At the same time, an opinion of yours is transforming. You could be surprised at how off a snap judgment might be.

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Today’s Word Sleuth Answers

Today’s Cryptoquip Answer: My mother really hates going to the gym. She usually calls the machines there dread-mills.

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Use your high energy to get some holiday shopping done. Tonight: Get together with a friend. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HH Take time to go over your holiday gift list. You will be much happier if you honor the amount you can spend on each item. You also could come up with a creative idea that might be more fun than a present would be. Follow your imagination. Tonight: Shop, then join a friend. BORN TODAY U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (1943), actor/rapper Mos Def (1973), singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (1926)

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