As mentioned last week, security was amazingly tight at the Return Day event in Georgetown on Thursday, Nov. 6. People thronged into the small Sussex County town and then, in the rain, faced long lines leading to The Circle area in front of the courthouse where the security admittance was handled.

    Our son Don and his wife Helen were among those braving the conditions for a view of the historic event, with Vice President-elect Joe Biden, also re-elected to a seventh term as a senator, being the center of attention. He was among the Delaware political candidates in the historic biennial parade featuring both winners and losers in the just-completed election.

    Don and Helen saw Congressman Mike Castle and his wife arrive to join the parade group. The congressman started to raise the barrier to go through. A security man stopped him. Mike explained who he was but that didn’t do any good. The security guy was obviously not a Delawarean.

    Mike, a seven-term congressman as well as a former two-term governor, could have raised a big fuss about the incident but that isn’t his way. He backed off, went somewhere else and apparently found someone who recognized him.

    Only because this Return Day was so different from any other in the custom’s long history was there anything like this security overkill happening.

    I have heard that not all winners and losers paraded despite the long-established custom of both doing so. That’s disappointing.

    *****

    The Terry Campus of Delaware Technical & Community College, still aglow from its $310,000-plus take from the 2008 Gourmet Gala, is recognizing major contributions by both Bayhealth Medical Center and Marilyn Chabbott in the form of classrooms being named for them. Each gave $60,000 to the fund to be used for scholarships. Marilyn, along with husband George, is continuing a practice of backing the annual Gala event.

    *****

    The “60 Minutes” Sunday night show pulled off the coup of having the first TV interview with President-elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. I thought both presented themselves very well. There is a calmness about the next president that is reassuring. He carefully weighs his responses to questions. If he can maintain his unflappable attitude it will serve him well.

    If there is one characteristic and skill he possesses with former presidents FDR, JFK, and Reagan, it is the ability to communicate. That factor obviously stood him well in the election.

    One of the reasons that the accomplishments of President Bush are not as well recognized and appreciated as they deserve to be, a situation which I expect history will rectify to an extent, is that he did not communicate as effectively as he needed to do.

    Last weekend’s summit meeting on the world’s economy, attended by top representatives of 20 nations, is a case in point. If there is follow-through by the attendees the meeting might well be recognized later as significant in tackling the current global economic problems.

    *****

    The Kent County Theater Guild’s production of the comedy “Drop Dead!” which has final performances Friday and Saturday, had a pleased audience laughing uproariously Friday night. Over the years the make-up of the casts and management have changed but the quality of the performances has continued.

    This season the Guild decided to listen carefully to the wishes of is audiences and has scheduled a string of four comedies.

    “We have heard what you want and have put together a downright fun season of comedies for your enjoyment,” said the chair of the board of trustees, Necia J. Beck, in a letter on the program.

    Good move.

    *****

    Another stage group, this one at Saint Thomas More Preparatory School, went back to the long ago TV series featuring Maxwell Smart and his telephone shoe for its presentation last weekend. The 27 students in the cast did a fine job.

    *****
    Suggestion for someone who would like to produce a beautiful Dover book: Start next spring and photograph through the year the many flowerbeds and succession of seasonal flowers that are the pride of the Capital City. I doubt there is another city in the country with such a profusion and variety of flowers.

    *****

    Mary and I stopped in on Sunday afternoon to sample the food at the new McGlynns Pub on Silver Lake. It’s a different style from the fondly remembered Blue Coat Inn formerly on the site but is likely to achieve its own brand of popularity. We enjoyed the experience.

    *****

    Ollie: “Hello? Funeral home?”

    Funeral Home: “Yes.”

    Ollie: “My wife, Olga, died.”

    Funeral Home: “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. We’ll send someone right away to pick up the body. Where do you live?”

    Ollie: “At the end of Eucalyptus Drive.”

    Funeral Home: “Can you spell that for me?”

    Ollie (after pause): “How ‘bout if I drag her over to Oak Street and you pick her up there?”