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As the years roll on it seems there are fewer and fewer local citizens immediately recognized by many people when only their first names are used.
If you said “Crawford” a generation ago, for example, it almost surely was Dover Mayor Crawford Carroll you were talking about.
In current times if you refer to “Hutch” it pretty much has to be the former mayor and current City Council member, Jim Hutchison, being mentioned.
But a couple of generations ago if you said the name “Muriel” it was very likely to be understood that the person in question was one of the community’s best known leaders, Muriel Schwartz. She and her step-mother, the late Reba Schwartz, ran the Delmarva Peninsula area’s small chain of movie theaters developed by Muriel’s father, the late George Schwartz.
What is now the ten-year-old Schwartz Center for the Arts on State Street is the restored and remodeled building which once housed the Schwartz-owned Capitol Theatre. Older local residents fondly remember the times they spent there.
That movie house also achieved some notoriety in 1972 over the showing of the controversial adult movie “Deep Throat.” The mayor, the above-mentioned Crawford, tangled with Muriel and Reba over its local screening.
Muriel, now well into her 90’s, has been known for her stylish dress and her fondness for cars. Her active role in the community includes having served as president of the board of Kent General Hospital, now part of Bayhealth Medical Center.
Mary and I remember well the night many years ago when we returned one night to our apartment in the Landmark building at 6 S. State St. where we lived for 10 years, renting the place from Muriel. We happened upon a leisurely late evening discussion about the “old days” in Dover among Muriel, Reba and the late Karl Dorzback.
We have often mentioned that we wish we had somehow been able to tape that interesting talk among three people who knew everybody and what they had done and shouldn’t have done.
Muriel still goes to her office in the Landmark building and we enjoyed a brief visit with her there the other day. We have always appreciated her friendship and her kindness to us. She is a special lady.
*****
That word “Capitol” above reminds me that there is a “Welcome to Dover” sign on north-bound U.S. 13 near the bridge over the St. Jones River which refers to Dover as the “capitol” of the state.
As the years roll on it seems there are fewer and fewer local citizens immediately recognized by many people when only their first names are used.
If you said “Crawford” a generation ago, for example, it almost surely was Dover Mayor Crawford Carroll you were talking about.
In current times if you refer to “Hutch” it pretty much has to be the former mayor and current City Council member, Jim Hutchison, being mentioned.
But a couple of generations ago if you said the name “Muriel” it was very likely to be understood that the person in question was one of the community’s best known leaders, Muriel Schwartz. She and her step-mother, the late Reba Schwartz, ran the Delmarva Peninsula area’s small chain of movie theaters developed by Muriel’s father, the late George Schwartz.
What is now the ten-year-old Schwartz Center for the Arts on State Street is the restored and remodeled building which once housed the Schwartz-owned Capitol Theatre. Older local residents fondly remember the times they spent there.
That movie house also achieved some notoriety in 1972 over the showing of the controversial adult movie “Deep Throat.” The mayor, the above-mentioned Crawford, tangled with Muriel and Reba over its local screening.
Muriel, now well into her 90’s, has been known for her stylish dress and her fondness for cars. Her active role in the community includes having served as president of the board of Kent General Hospital, now part of Bayhealth Medical Center.
Mary and I remember well the night many years ago when we returned one night to our apartment in the Landmark building at 6 S. State St. where we lived for 10 years, renting the place from Muriel. We happened upon a leisurely late evening discussion about the “old days” in Dover among Muriel, Reba and the late Karl Dorzback.
We have often mentioned that we wish we had somehow been able to tape that interesting talk among three people who knew everybody and what they had done and shouldn’t have done.
Muriel still goes to her office in the Landmark building and we enjoyed a brief visit with her there the other day. We have always appreciated her friendship and her kindness to us. She is a special lady.
*****
That word “Capitol” above reminds me that there is a “Welcome to Dover” sign on north-bound U.S. 13 near the bridge over the St. Jones River which refers to Dover as the “capitol” of the state.
Two dictionary definitions fit in here.
“Capital” means “A city or town that is the official seat of government of a state, nation etc.”
“Capitol” means “The building in which a state legislature meets.” We also have a U.S. Capitol building in Washington, the capital of the country.
The sign needs a correction.
*****
A big blister which appeared on my left foot – I still don’t know how it got there, possibly an insect bite – occasioned a visit last week to Eden Hill Express Care. Patients are handled there on a walk-in basis for non-life threatening illness or injury. It is open seven days a week.
It wasn’t my first visit there, and I was again impressed by the friendly and expert service. Even though many people were there when I arrived I didn’t wait long. It’s a handy alternative to going to the hospital’s Emergency Room for minor medical problems.
*****
Driving north on State Street the other day I came to the traffic light at Water Street, near Christ Episcopal Church. The light was red. I stopped. Several cars went by on Water Street, heading east. After waiting for a bit and looking to my left, where there is an office building close to the corner, I made a legal “right turn on red.”
But I also pulled out just before a Dover Police car entered the intersection from the left and almost hit me. I quickly saw the colorful blinking lights behind me and stopped.
“Do you know why I stopped you?” the officer asked.
I said “I guess it was because of that turn. But I looked and didn’t see a car.”
He commented that he wouldn’t expect that I would knowingly pull out in front of a police car, which is certainly true. He also agreed that visibility at that particular corner was limited.
It would probably have ended right there if I had had my current insurance card in my car, but I couldn’t find it. When I checked our other car later there it was.
Moral: It pays to have the proper insurance proof in any car you drive.
It really wasn’t an unpleasant encounter. The officer was understandably doing his duty. But it was an educational experience, which will be concluded once I go to Justice of the Peace Court to show that I did have the insurance.
*****
This is a follow-up to a recent mention here of the informal group which, about 20 years ago, used to meet for breakfast at Captain John’s restaurant near the corner of Court Street and U.S. 113. Woody Miller and Nick Fisfis ran the restaurant, which has seen a few other names and owners since. It is now closed.
I talked to Elestine Cooper, who along with Debbie Berry were the only two women who came, and we agreed on this partial list of breakfast goers: Crawford Carroll, Joe Malago, John Still, Jim Hutchison, Bob Reed (who always sat in what could be considered the chairman’s chair and was often called “Coach”), Gene Sterling, Horace Cook, Sen. J. Allen Frear and John Friedman.
Sorry for any names missed.
*****
A three-year-old went with his dad to see a litter of kittens. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his mother that there were two boy kittens and two girl kittens.
“How do you know?” his mother asked.
“Daddy picked them up and looked underneath,” the boy replied. “I think it’s printed on the bottom.”
