THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2006
VOL. 11 NO. 3
50 cents
NEWS HEADLINES TOP HONOR - The Delmarva Poultry Industry honors a local man with its most prestigious honor. Page 10 OPENING DAY - It’s now official - Nanticoke Little League has its opening day. Page 20 DAY OF PRAYER - Residents turn out to pray during a national event. Page 21
Players in the Nanticoke Little League
THE TOPS - A city of Seaford employee receives an honor during a ceremony at Delaware Tech. Page 24
NEW TRAIL - With bikers waiting, a new trail opens at Trap Pond State Park. Page 26 STRIKE OUT - The committee is making final plans for the annual Western Sussex Relay for Life. Page 30 MOTHER’S DAY - Still looking for that special gift for mom? Here is some help. Pages 33-35
The Palmer house on Phillips Street in Seaford has been flying two flags with yellow ribbons for their son and brother, Cpl. Cory Palmer. Photo by Ronald MacArthur Bikers are ready to hit the new park trail
THE HOSTS - Local Soroptimists pull out all the stops to host the regional spring conference. Page 42 SEAFORD EAGLES There was a time when Minor League ball was anything but minor in this area. Page 44
Seaford Eagles display at the Seaford Museum
SPRING SPORTS - The high school spring sports season is winding down. Inside sports
INSIDE THE STAR BEHIND PAGE ONE BUSINESS
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BULLETIN BOARD CHURCH CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD ENTERTAINMENT GOURMET HEALTH LETTERS
28 16 56 29 31 41 38 55
LYNN PARKS MOVIES OBITUARIES OPINION PEOPLE POLICE JOURNAL SNAPSHOTS SPORTS TIDES/WEATHER TODD CROFFORD
15 7 17 66 15 14 65 45-53 67 17
Seaford’s Cory Palmer dies in service to his country By Lynn R. Parks and Ronald MacArthur Cory Palmer’s birthday was yesterday. The 2002 Seaford High School graduate would have been 22. But there was no celebration. Palmer, the son of Charles and Danna Palmer of Seaford, died this weekend after being wounded May 1 in a roadside bombing in Iraq. Palmer’s uncle, Ralph Palmer, also of Seaford, said on Monday that one Marine was killed outright in the explosion and that Cory was badly burned. He added that Charles and Danna Palmer were in Texas, where they flew to meet their son after learning that he had been injured. Cory died while being flown from Germany, where he was taken after the incident, to a burn treatment facility in San Antonio. Cory joined the Marine Corps in February 2003, after attending West Virginia University. He was a corporal, stationed at Camp LeJeune, N.C. He had been in Iraq for five weeks, on his
second tour there as a member of the 2nd Recon Battalion, A Company, 1st Platoon. He is the second Seaford High School graduate to be killed in Iraq. Ryan Long, who Cpl. Cory Palmer graduated in 1984-2006 1999, was killed April 3, 2003, when a car at a checkpoint where Long was a guard exploded. Since the start of the war in Iraq, more than 2,420 soldiers and Marines have been killed. More than 17,600 soldiers and Marines have been wounded. Montine Willin of Seaford is Danna Palmer’s sister and Cory’s aunt. She
described her nephew as a “lively, fun and life-loving young man.” “Anything Cory did, he did wholeheartedly,” added his grandmother, Kristina Swain, also of Seaford. Willin said that everyone in the family is experiencing “deep grief.” “The loss is too great to bear,” she added. “There was so much more that everybody had planned with Cory.” Palmer and Michael Bleile were classmates and played on the Seaford High soccer team. Bleile, who is a student at Salisbury University, Salisbury, Md., said that he saw Palmer about two years ago, after Palmer had completed his basic training. “He told me all about being in boot camp, and I was pretty much amazed at what they put you through,” Bleile said. “He told me that he wanted to be a guard at Camp David,” the presidential retreat west of Washington, D.C. Bleile said that Palmer, who played midfield, had to work hard to make the soccer team in his senior year. “He worked his tail off, running and everyContinued to page 12