The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 17

The News Journal, Wilmington, Del. RM. UPDATE For a 4:30 p.m. update of today's news, go to: Friday, Oct. 4, 2002 Section Police report B3 Obituaries B4 Ex-neighbor testifies that Ira Einhorn spoke nonsense B2 News tips for Local: newsdeskdelawareonline.com or CityState editor Jean Buchanan, 324-2882 Fence, road will make air museum accessible again Air Force grant provides money to separate building from DAFB planes that now are exhibited on an apron outside the historic hangar that houses the museum.

Those planes will include the first C-141 Star-lifter to roll off the assembly line and a C-54 Skymaster that participated in the Berlin Airlift. "The next step for the foundation is to get some public support for the buildings we need to put these planes in," Leister said. Reach James Memweather at 678-4273 Of jmenhweatriermlelawareonline.cank but the road and the fence should be done by late spring," Leister said. The money for the project was passed along by the Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, the parent organization for the base and 11 others grouped to provide global mobility for the U.S. armed services.

It was made available through the Air Force's reallocation process, which collects unspent money from various agencies at the end of each fiscal year and passes it along to organ Nielsen, a base spokesman. Museum officials said the windfall reflected the museum's status as "one of Delaware's most prominent museums and a premier tourist attraction" before the public was shut out. The museum attracted 55.000 visitors in calendar 2000, but, as of the end of August, had only about 6,000. The foundation's money-raising effort will continue, Leister said, as part of a plan to build a hangar to house three of the museum's 26 vintage izations that need it. In 1997, the museum, which previously limited itself to Dover Air Force Base history, was designated as the national museum for the Air Mobility Command.

But, typically, Air Force money for major physical improvements for museums is limited to the U.S. Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio, of which the Dover museum essentially is a branch. "It was their turn, and it just kind of got allocated to them," said 2nd Lt. Scott "This was the first time we ever got anything from the command level," museum director Michael D. Leister said Thursday.

The 16-year-old museum did receive some local "fallout money" from DAFB several years ago for a sign-making machine, he said. The Air Mobility Command Museum Foundation had mounted a drive to raise up to $850,000 for the project, but now will not have to wait until that effort is realized. "This is just an estimate, fense identification cards and their escorted guests. With $744,000 from the Air Force, a fence around the museum and a dedicated access road from Del. 9 will be built at the south end of the base.

The museum then would be a physical entity unto itself and, as such, not necessarily subject to heightened security otherwise in effect at the air base. By JAMES MERRIWEATHER Dover Bureau reporter The Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base could be accessible to the public as early as next spring, museum officials said Thursday. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the museum has been limited to visitors with Department of De rt plfe ml mm New Castle Mayor's court is revived City plans new use for old forum Aggressive tactics lead to more drug and alcohol arrests By MICHELE BESSO Bear Bureau reporter Increased police enforcement has led to an increase in drug and alcohol charges in Newark this year, while assaults and theft charges have dropped. Alcohol and drug use offenses have risen nearly 15 percent this year, with Newark police making 876 arrests, compared with 561 in 2001, according to police statistics from January through Sept.

21 for both years. The number of criminal charges in assaults and thefts, on the other hand, has dropped from 269 in 2001 to 184 in 2002. Newark Police Chief Gerald T. Conway attributes the rise in arrests for crimes such as alcohol, drugs and sex offenses to more aggressive policing and more investigations. "When University of Delaware students return to campus, the amount of drinking definitely increases," he said.

"Intoxicated students are also more likely to become victims, especially if they're walking late at night." Newark Councilman John Farrell said the city needs to convince newly arriving young students that drinking "is not the norm in Newark." In some cases, it is against the law, which requires people in Delaware to be 21 to drink. An 11-member Mayor's Alcohol Commission was appointed in November by Mayor Harold F. Godwin to develop a plan to combat underage drinking and alcohol abuse. It recommended a number of changes that the City Council approved, among them limiting happy hours from 4 to 9 p. "Some of the senior students have become a little more aware of alcohol problems, but younger students coming from home have this idea they are going to come and party, and that causes a very large problem in town," Farrell said.

Conway said that a $30,000 grant the police department received this year See NEWARK B2 The News JoumaLROBERT CRAIG Newark Police Cpl. Scott Smith patrols the city as University of Delaware students change classes. A $30,000 grant from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety has allowed the department to focus more on drug and alcohol offenses. Crime-fighting technology As criminals become more sophisticated, high-tech tools are necessary to catch the bad guys. A few of the crime-fighting devices used by Newark police are (clockwise from front): Night-vision binoculars to allow surveillance in the dark.

Fiber-optic scope, which allows the user to see into small places such as a gas tank for a drug search, or under a door in a hostage situation. Infra-red, hand-held thermal imager allows people to be watched from heat patterns. It can be used at night. A 35 mm single lens reflex camera. A digital 8mm video camera that also can take digital still photos.

By EDWARD L. KENNEY Staff reporter Residents who repeatedly violate codes in the city of New Castle soon might have to answer to the mayor, and they will have to address him as "judge." The city is gearing up to reactivate its Mayor's Court, which went into hiatus in 1993 and was used mostly for traffic offenses. City officials agreed to discontinue it after they determined that Justice of the Peace courts could more efficiently handle driving violations. This time around, the city wants to use its court to help strengthen its code enforcement, hearing cases against people charged with ordinance violations such as letting their grass grow too high or not cleaning up after their pets. Traffic violations will not be heard.

The current administration has placed emphasis on property upkeep. For instance, it recently passed ordinances prohibiting residents from parking their cars on their lawns or leaving trash cans out too long. The court will help make sure people comply with the rules. "The residents asked us to come up with specific ordinances to help enhance the quality of life," Council President Christopher J. Castagno said.

"Now we need a way not only to enforce them, but to go through the magistrate process." Charlotte Houben of Washington Park often has spoken out about code-enforcement issues at City Council meetings, but is skeptical about restarting the court. "I'd have to see it to believe it," she said. "I have to know that there's going to be bite here." The court will be held on a trial basis, Castagno said. "We're going to evaluate it after six months to see if it's a cost-effective way to enforce the ordinances," he said. The Mayor's Court in New Castle goes back to at least 1917, when the city charter was overhauled after die cily uicuigeu fioni a system of town commissioners to mayor and council.

And it likely started many years prior to that, said Mayor John F. Kling-meyer, who has served as mayor all but one term since the 1970s. "At one time it was a pretty wide-ranging court," Klingmeyer said. "You have the power to jail people. You sent them to the county jail.

I always did have the power, but I never sent anyone to jail. But if people fail to appear, that is one of the threats." Although the Mayor's Court was discontinued in 1993, the city has kept it on the books as law so it could maintain the option of re- New theater opening today in Wilmington A concession stand operated by Sugarfoot Fine Food will sell food and drinks. Tickets can be pur City's only film house will show independent and foreign flicks gerous Lives of Altar Boys," a coming-of-age tale about two Catholic high school boys, will run Oct. 11 and 12. Mayor James M.

Baker said he is thrilled that Wilmington has its first theater since the Rialto Theatre, located in the 200 block of Market Street, closed in 1982. "It makes the city more exciting," he said. "It's nice to have another entertainment venue for our resi- Wilmington's Communications Director John Rago said officials are committed to bringing movies back to the city. The Friday Night Independent Film Series ran to sold-out crowds from February through June. The first Wilmington Independent Film Festival was held last month.

The new theater is on the first floor of the old 14-story Dupont Co. Nemours Building, which now is an apartment and office com- The theater is owned by the developer and operated by the city's Cultural Affairs Office. Alexis Pineault, owner of Alexis Hair Design in the nearby Hotel du Pont, said the new theater was a start to revitalizing downtown. "As a business owner, I'm glad to hear it, but it will take more than a movie theater to make people from the suburbs overcome their fear of crime 4 of open Friday and Saturday nights and will feature independent and foreign films. The films start at 8 p.m.

and cost $7. "Sunshine State," set in Plantation Island, is a story about longtime residents who must choose between selling to real estate By ADAM TAYLOR Staff reporter Wilmington's first movie theater in 20 years opens today with an 8 p.m. showing of "Sunshine State." The Theatre at Nemours is downtown at .11. i chased at the box office from 7 to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from the theater's Web site at www.the-atren.org or by calling the city's Cultural Affairs Office at 576-2135 during business hours.

Parking across the street at the CityCenter lot is $1 for moviegoers. iNMHHnMuui iwytu it.t ttt ataylofdelawareonline.com. liui aim lamuxi uctid. The 221-seat theater will be island pristine. "The Dan- the city to enjoy." CityCenterWilmington.

night," she said. Wilmington lawmakers divided on crossing guards' pay "These are the people who are on the front line in the rain, sleet and snow for our kids. It seems to be that they're being trampled on. Councilman Norman M. Oliver The crossing guards got back pay for 1998 and 1999, when they were not part of a union, said William S.

Montgomery, chief of staff for Mayor James M. Baker. They were not given back pay for 2000 because they became unionized and their contract did not have a parity clause. The other unions that represent city workers have parity clauses, which call for them to get salary increases in the same amount received by other unions. The city has a long- who are on the front line in the rain, sleet and snow for our kids," he said.

"It seems to be that they're being trampled on." Montgomery said the administration appreciates the crossing guards' work. "The amount of money is not the sticking point here," he said. "The issue is that they are looking for parity in a year when they did not have a parity clause." Dinah Davis-Russ, president of Local No. 1102, the union that represents the city's white-collaiworkers and negotiates contracts for the crossing guards union, Local 1102B, said the guards deserve the money. Oliver introduced a resolution asking administration officials to reconsider their stance, but it was tabled and did not come to a vote at the council's last meeting.

A resolution introduced Thursday by Councilman Norman D. Griffiths encouraging the council to stay out of the matter passed 12-1. Reach Adam Taylor at 324-2787 or ataylordelawareonline.com. By ADAM TAYLOR Staff reporter Wilmington City Council members are divided on whether the city should give $1,315 in back pay to each of its 38 crossing guards. The crossing guards are the only group of Wilmington's 1,000 employees that did not get three years of back pay in recent settlements with the city that stemmed from a retroactive pay raise given to Wilmington's police officers in 2000.

standing practice of giving nonunion workers the same salary increases as union employees. The back-pay settlements to all city workers cost Wilmington about $4.6 million, according to city finance records. Councilman Norman M. Oliver said the $50,000 it would cost to give the crossing guards their third year of back pay is the right thing to do. "These are the people See COURT B2 If.