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FWCCSP RECORD Newsletter of the Friends of White Clay Creek State Park

Friends of White Clay Creek State Park P.O. Box 9734

Newark, DE 19714-9734 www.whiteclayfriends.org

Volume 9, No.1 April 2006

White Clay Bird Walk Scheduled for May 7

On Sunday, May 7, come to White Clay Creek State Park, one of Delaware's top birding locations, to see newly arrived spring migrants in their beautiful breeding plumage. Beginning at 7:30 am at the Chambers House Nature Center on Creek Road north ofHopkins Road there will be a guided bird walk led by Jeff Gordon, a professional bird guide.

A joint program of the Friends of White Clay Creek State Park and the Division ofParks and Recreation, the walk is suitable for birders at all experience levels and is especially good for beginners. This is the sixth year we have had this program, and it is always a huge success. Jeff does an outstanding job of helping people see and learn about birds during these walks.

The event is free and open to everyone, just bring binoculars. For further information or to reserve a pair of loaner binoculars, call (302) 368-6900.

White Clay Friends Organization Wins Two Outstanding Group Awards

On March 1, 2006, the Friends of White Clay Creek State Park were presented with an Outstanding Organization Award by the Delaware Recreation and Parks Society. The award is given annually to an "...organization which has proven exemplary in conducting programs in the field." Wendel Cassel accepted the award on behalfof the Friends.

Earlier, at the Awards Luncheon for the Division ofParks and Recreation on December 2, 2005, the Friends were recognized by the Division as an Outstanding Volunteer Group. This award, accepted by President Andy Urquhart, recognizes the many ways in which the Friends support the park.

In 2005 the Friends provided 3952 hours of volunteer work, equivalent to approximately two additional full time employees. The volunteer hours are spread over about two dozen different projects, some of which, like trail work and reforestation, involve a large number of volunteers and hours. Others are much smaller but are also highly valued. All of these activities contribute to preserving the park and making it a better place for visitors.

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NestCam at Nature Center Now Featuring Phoebes

One of the Friends' nest cameras at the Nature Center is providing excellent views of a pair ofEastern Phoebes raising their young. Currently the female is incubating a clutch of 5 eggs, with hatching expected before long. Raising the young birds is a really great show, a good reason to visit the Nature Center. Weekend hours this year are II :00 am to 4:00 pm. Staffing the Nature Center so it can be open on weekends is another Friends project.

The other nest camera is mounted on a bluebird box. This year the box was moved to a new location that was considered to be more favorable for bluebirds. So far, the box is unoccupied, but there is still time for new occupants to move in.

Wood Products on Sale in Park Office to Benefit Friends

"The Wood of White Clay" -that's the name ofan exhibit of wood products for sale in the Park office.

Three local artisans (Ross Kendall, Tom Mumper, and Bill Walsh) are creating both functional and decorative wood turnings from woods representing tree species that grow in and around the White Clay valley. The bowls, bottle stoppers, coasters, bud vases, platters, etc., are being sold to raise funds for the Friends organization. Many of the pieces are priced between $10 and $40. They make great gifts that provide a reminder ofthe beauty of nature through the patterns of the wood used in the product.

The wood is typically salvaged from fallen or diseased trees, sawmills, and firewood piles. For example, several old and distressed maple trees were removed from the lawn of the Judge Morris Estate last fall. A few pieces were salvaged for future wood turnings before the final cleanup.

People who are removing diseased trees, unusual species, or large diameter hardwoods from their property and would like to contribute pieces of wood to the project are encouraged to call Bill Walsh at (302) 731-5487. The woodworkers are especially interested in pieces with burls, crotches, or other unusual figures (typically the stuff that is difficult to split for firewood).

Special History Supplement Describes Motorcycle Hill Climbs in Creek Valley

Is anyone else old enough to remember those old newsreels ofmotorcycle hill climbs in the days before television? They showed "crazy people" riding their motorcycles up extremely steep slopes until they lost traction, fell, or flipped over backwards.

It turns out that the White Clay Valley provided venues for these events in the 1930s, and they were very popular with spectators. Read all about this interesting aspect of local history in a special newsletter supplement by Andrea Cassel at the end of this issue.

Superintendent's Corner Updates Deerfield Status - Nick McFadden

The biggest news this year (so far) has been the signing of a contract (license agreement) on March 22,2006, with Forewinds Hospitality Group to operate Deerfield Golfand Tennis Club. The agreement is for a period of 10 years with options to extend it at various points during the

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length of the contract. The state purchased the property last September with State Parks taking over the operation on October 1. This included both the golf course and the clubhouse, which had 13 wedding receptions and parties booked through March. This was a completely new venture for us, but, with the expert golf course staff and the facilities management staff from Bellevue State Park, we were able to maintain the quality of the course and the events.

On April 12, Forewinds held a "trial run" of the golf course operation with over 160 "family & friends" teeing off throughout the day. The course was in excellent shape and the weather was great-in the sunny 70s. The course "officially" opened for public play on Friday, April 14, with every available tee time booked, a great way to begin the season.

Forewinds Hospitality has begun renovating the interior and exterior of the clubhouse. They plan to open the restaurant by late May and also plan to have the banquet rooms available for wedding receptions, parties, and conferences by the Fall 2006. State Parks is looking forward to a long and successful partnership with Forewinds.

For information on golf and reserving the banquet facilities, call (302) 368-6640 or check out their website, www.deerfieldgolfclub.com

New Footbridge Completed Over Middle Run

On December 30, 2005, assembly and installation work was completed on a major new footbridge over Middle Run, reconnecting the Tri-Valley Trail in White Clay Creek State Park (Judge Morris Area) with its extension in New Castle County's Middle Run Natural Area. The prefabricated bridge components were purchased by the county and the state from E. T. Techtonics in Philadelphia. The bridge structure is fiberglass, and the decking is ipe wood from Brazil, a very durable and fire-resistant material. The bridge has a 65-foot span and a weight of about 8,000 pounds.

Planning for the project began in November 2004, and site preparation and work on the approach traiJs started in September 2005. Major assembly and installation work was done in a concentrated effort during the week after Christmas, with 14 volunteers installing scaffolding on December 27,21 volunteers installing the bridge structure on December 28, and 12 volunteers installing the deck and cleaning up on December 30. The bridge vendor estimated that installation of the bridge structure would take 1.5 days; our crew finished in 6 hours, the fastest installation yet experienced by the vendor.

This project was completed by a joint Friends, Delaware Trail Spinners, New Castle County, and Delaware State Parks project team under the leadership of Wendel Cassel, the Friends trail work project leader. Project team members included Ken Robinson (Friends & Trail Spinners), John Schwander (Friends & Trail Spinners), Sal Gioia (Friends), David Bartoo (State Parks), and Jonathan Husband (New Castle County Engr.& Envir. Services Manager). Workers came from many groups, including the Friends, the Delaware Trail Spinners, the State Parks Trail Crew, and the UD Wildlife Club, as well as members of the general public. By its completion the project involved more than 500 volunteer hours, contributed by 40 volunteers.

Members Lead Fly Fishing Instruction Program at Park

In a joint program with the park, Friends members Ed O'Donnell and Sam Palermo taught a fly fishing instruction workshop during February. The program was offered on 3 consecutive

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Monday evenings and was very well attended. The workshop provided a sampling of all the issues confronting a new fisherman,

including equipment selection, relationship between artificial and natural flies, fly-tying, fly fishing techniques, license requirements, fishing locations, proper etiquette, and books for additional information-everything needed to get ready for opening day, the first Saturday in April.

Annual Meeting Held at Deerfield

This year the Friends annual meeting was held on March 20, 2006, at the park's beautiful new Deerfield Golf and Tennis Facility, truly a wonderful venue for the meeting. This beautiful, 145 acre property is surrounded by parkland on three sides and at one point approaches very close to the creek itself Acquisition of the property in 2005 was promoted by strong advocacy efforts by the Friends, in cooperation with other local environmental and conservation organizations.

About 60 members and guests were present at the meeting. In a brief business session the following officers were elected to serve for the corning year by unanimous vote of the members present: President, Andy Urquhart; Vice President, Marilyn Sweeney; Secretary, Dick Benson; and Treasurer, Ken Daws. Andy then recognized the contributions of three other members who participate on the executive committee: Lisa Wool, Membership Chair; Jim Ries, Projects Chair; and Wendel Cassel, Trail Work Project Leader.

State Senator Liane Sorensen and State Representative Joe Miro, the two members of the Delaware General Assembly representing the White Clay area, were recognized for their leadership in securing the funds needed to purchase the Deerfield property.

Member Tom Hallenbeck was presented a wooden bowl fashioned from a downed tree in the park, in recognition of his many years of outstanding service to the Friends, both as Projects Chair and as leader of several key projects. Tom will soon be moving to Maine.

The program for the evening was given by Park Superintendent Nick McFadden, who discussed plans for Deerfield and for the rest ofthe park. The golf course is in great shape and will be ready for play in April. The clubhouse facilities will be available for rent for events such as weddings and banquets. Nick announced that the Judge Morris house is also available to rent for events, but is limited to a maximum of 50 people. After the meeting adjourned, people were free to tour the Deerfield facilities.

In response to a question, Nick also mentioned that, if there is a problem anywhere in the park, the number to call is 1-800-523-3336. Give the location and nature of the problem, and a ranger will be called.

Membership Support Appreciated-Keep Renewals Coming!

We thank all of our new and renewing members for their support of our organization. We are now about 430 members strong. There are still some members who need to renew, and we ask that they send in their dues to help us continue to improve and preserve the park. Memberships are $15 for families, $10 for individuals, and $5 for students. No special form is needed - just send dues checks payable to Friends of White Clay Creek State Park to P.O. Box 9734, Newark, DE 19714-9734.

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Calendar

May 6 May7 May 8 June 3 June 12

August 12 August 14 September 9 September 11

Trail Work Migratory Bird Walk Executive Committee Meeting Trail Work (National Trails Day) Executive Committee Meeting with the Advisory Board Trail Work Executive Committee Meeting Trail Work Executive Committee Meeting

Septem ber 17 October 8 October 9 November 5 November 13 December 3 December I J

Newark Community Day Display Trail Work Executive Committee Meeting Trail Work Executive Committee Meeting Trail Work Executive Committee Meeting

Projects and Project Leaders

Adopt-a-Highway: Dee and Dick Benson, 410-398-4180 Adopt-a-Trail: Mike Ott, 738-6652 Advocacy: Andy Urquhart, 239-2471 Birders Guide: Gene Hess, 738-4690, and Andy Urquhart, 239-2471 Bluebird Boxes: Marilyn Sweeney, 235-2548 Judge Morris Garden Maintenance: Doug Kelley, 368-6562 Kestrel Boxes: Andy Urquhart, 239-2471 Historical Booklet: Debbie Keese, 369-9128 Light Construction: Nick McFadden, 368-6900 Member-led Park Programs: Angel Rosauri. 368-6560 Nature Center Staffing: Jim Ries, 239-1658 Nature Center Exhibits: Andy Urquhart, 239-2471 Newark Community Day: Ken Daws, 737-8120 Oral Histories: Andrea Cassel, 737-3319 Reforestation: Christa Stefanisko, 369-1933 Trail Benches: Andy Urquhart, 239-2471 Trail Improvement Work: Wendel Cassel, 737-3319 Water Ice Sales: Open Wayside Historical Markers: Wendel Cassel, 737-3319 Website: Rick Hall, 831-1295 Wildlife Habitat Protection: Andy Urquhart, 239-2471

Executive Committee

President: Andy Urquhart, 239-2471, aurqu@aol.com Vice-president: Marilyn Sweeney, 235-2548, iipurrtycatz@aol.com Secretary and NeWSletter Editor: Dick Benson, 410-398-4180, rbenson@dol.net Treasurer: Ken Daws, 737-8120, wahkegan@hotmait.com Membership Chair: Lisa Wool, 562-9788, Iwool@delawareestuary.org Projects Committee Chair: Jim Ries, 239-1658, dries@udel.edu

Membership Application

Join us! If you are not already a member and would like to join, please return this form with your check

made payable to Friends of White Clay Creek State Park. Annual dues are $5.00 for students, $10.00 for individuals, and $15.00 for families. Any extra donation with your dues would be appreciated and put to good use.

Name(s)

Address

Phone E-mail~----

Friends of White Clay Creek State Park, Inc.· P.O. Box 9734 • Newark, DE 19714-9734

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Motorcycle Hill Climbs

By Andrea Cassel

In the 1930s there was the sound ofmotorcycles roaring up the steep slopes on either side of White Clay Creek north ofNewark. These twice-yearly free events sponsored by local motorcycle clubs were action-packed contests that attracted crowds of up to 2,000 spectators.

The early climbs were held on what was recently the Krapf estate on the west side of the creek, south of Wedgewood Road. In 1934 there were five riders timed racing up the 200-foot hill and then back down. Prizes of $4 for the winner and $3 for second- and third-best times were provided after collecting donations from the crowd estimated at 1000. Cars were parked two abreast on Creek Road, testifying to the popularity of the event.

By 1936 the climbs moved to an area that then was called Blood Root Mountain on the east side of the White Clay Creek, a short distance up the creek from the second dam. Racers came from surrounding states and local clubs to challenge the 118-foot steep incline. Some climbs had as many as 25 contestants and were sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Club. Prize money, though still not very large, was now established before the races. The three timed heats were divided among different-sized cycles with a timer stationed at both the top and bottom of the hill.

A long-time White Clay Creek Valley resident, Eugene "Dick" Robinson was often among the 2,000 spectators and remembers the climbs vividly. He recalled that after the cyclist raced up the hill, he had to walk the bike back down on a series of steep switchbacks to the creek's edge for another heat. Often, inexperienced riders would be going too fast down the path, and momentum would carry them right into the deep water of the creek. "Blub, blub, blub" was all one heard until the rider surfaced. The bike would be at the murky bottom. Eventually, the hill climb organizers paid four people with ropes to stand along the creek and serve as rescuers.

Obviously there were also thrills and spills for the spectators. As riders raced up the hill that was considered one of the most difficult and challenging in the racing circuit, bikes flipped, throwing bikes and riders into the air. There was always the danger that the bikes would come down on the fallen racers.

A concluding highlight of these contests was the spectacular headlong rush ofa cycle and rider crashing through a flaming fence. As described by Dick Robinson, about half-way up Blood Root Mountain there was a flat area. At one end a barricade fence was built by putting two 2x4s in the ground with a double solid fence of 1x6 pine planks placed between. The approximately 30-yard area was roped off, and spectators would ring the outside. One rider would be at the opposite end from the fence, rewing his engine and drinking liquid sustenance that was not iced tea but would help build his courage. Finally the driver would tum the bottle over to show it was empty and signal he was ready; the fence would be doused with kerosene and set on fire. Black smoke billowed up from the fiery fence. The rider would come down the 30 yards lickety split. As he hit the fence, fire, wood, sparks, and smoke would fly everywhere. He would tum around and acknowledge the crowd and ride back victorious.

Riders who performed this feat were often nicknamed "Crash" in the newspaper. One time Ewell "Crash" Buckingham of Newark was reported to have said that he was a "leetle" nervous, but there was ''nuthin'' to it once he got moving. Another crowd favorite was Newarker "Wild Willie" Wooleyhan. He was a frequent champion and even traveled to many east coast states to compete.

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