More than 40 people attended the regional community meeting sponsored by County Executive Tom Gordon Thursday night at the old Millcreek Fire Co. Hall. It was the second of four regional, community meetings scheduled to take place in early to mid-May.
These meetings were scheduled to highlight advances made by the County in public safety, technology, land use, and assessment.
The New Castle County Department of Land Use's Alan Desrosiers, an Assessment Technician, gave an overview of the Over 65 Exemptions available to seniors as a tax break.
Other Land Use officials were in attendance to answer questions people might have about other Land Use issues.
Executive Assistant Daniel Scherquist gave a demonstration of how the County's new, state-of-the-art website worked, including an overview of the GIS Mapping and the abundant information it had on land use issues.
New Castle County Police Cpl. Irvin Watson gave residents valuable tips on burglaries and property crimes. That included a discussion on the latest crime, so-called distraction burglaries, Watson said. This is when one person poses as a salesman at the front door while his accomplice breaks into your back door and robs an unsuspecting victim. "It's OK to be rude these days," he said.
NCC Paramedic Cpl. Lorraine Williams gave residents an overview of how the Vial of Life program worked. The Vial of Life contains important, medical information about a person and can be stored in the wallet, purse, glove compartment, and your refrigerator door.
Public Safety Director Joe Bryant said he was pleased with the turnout at Millcreek Fire Hall, and he hoped to see even bigger crowds at the next two meetings, both scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. They are:
• May 14, 2014 – Appoquinimink Library, 651 N. Broad Street 19709, Middletown, DE
• May 15, 2014 – Gilliam Building, 77 Reads Way, New Castle, DE