THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008
VOL. 13 NO. 17 NEWS HEADLINES
50 cents
City increases cost of electric
BOATING - Margie Wilson of Delmar has spent her summer recovering from serious injuries because of the negligence of another boat operator. Page 2 CEREMONIAL SOIL - A groundbreaking was held early Wednesday to set the stage for the construction of a new library. Page 5
By Lynn R. Parks
VETERAN TOM SAWYER - He witnessed the worst pain and suffering that one nation could inflict on another. Page 8 WORST NIGHTMARE - What happened on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge early Sunday is the material for nightmares for those already nervous about the crossing. Page 9 FUEL SERIES - How bad are farmers being hit by the high cost of fuel? Would you believe a $30,000 monthly fuel bill? Page 12 YOUTH VOLUNTEERS - These young people are helping to improve the quality of life in their hometowns. Page 10 WOODLAND FERRY - The new ferry for Woodland is in the water. The date for the “Tina Fallon” to start carrying traffic is getting close. Page 20
The cost of power is up for the city of Seaford. Tuesday night, the city council voted to pass those costs on to consumers. With the July bills, increases in the cost of electricity to the city will be reflected in the Purchased Power Cost Adjustment Clause (PPCAC) portion of the statements. City manager Dolores Slatcher said that the average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity will pay $25 more in July. She forecasted that after August, the increase will go down to $14.50 a month. In addition to the higher power costs, city electric customers also used “significantly more kilowatt hours” in July than they normally do, Slatcher said. “Many people will get a double whammy when they get their bills,” she said. “People are going to be extremely unhappy with this.” And, she said, some people will have trouble paying their bills. “There are some people we are going
SENIOR SOFTBALL - The District III Senior League softball team was eliminated from the World Series semifinals with a narrow loss to Latin America last week. Coverage begins on page 45.
AFRAM FESTIVAL - Jada Evans, Seaford, reads the Maya Angelou book, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All,” during the pageant at the 11th annual Eastern Shore AFRAM Festival, held last weekend in Nutter Park, Seaford. Jada was crowned Little Miss AFRAM. Story on AFRAM and related photos on page 29. Photo by Lynn R. Parks
EASTERN REGIONALS - The District III Big League softball team advanced to the Eastern Regionals championship before losing a pair of games to Connecticut. Page 47
‘Forensic Files’ TV show featuring episode on ‘95 attempted murder
OPINION - Local police have their hands full keeping our communities safer. What else could be done to help? Page 62
INSIDE THE STAR BUSINESS BULLETIN BOARD CHURCH CLASSIFIEDS EDUCATION ENTERTAINMENT FINAL WORD FRANK CALIO GOURMET HEALTH LETTERS MIKE MCCLURE MOVIES
6 21-24 26 34-41 56 44 63 42 14 57-59 43 51 7
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OBITUARIES 27 OPEN HOUSES 14-15 OPINION 62 25 PAT MURPHY 54 PEOPLE POLICE JOURNAL 18 PUZZLES 24 SNAPSHOTS 60 SPORTS 45-52 TIDES 7 TODD CROFFORD 43 42 TONY WINDSOR VETERANS OF WWII 8
By Tony E. Windsor It has been almost 13 years since Brenda Kaye Robinson suffered a horrific attack in her Laurel mobile home which left her close to death. In the years following the attack she was forced to live under a cloud of uncertainty. Early on in the case, police arrested a Prince George’s County, Md., man for the brutal crime. However, he was eventually released from prison after DNA evidence showed no connection to the crime. In September 2005, 10 years after the crime occurred, Mark R. Eskridge, 46, of Laurel, who is serving a life sentence in Cambridge, Md.,ß for a rape in 2002, was found to be guilty of Robinson’s 1995 attack. Ironically, it was DNA evidence that released one man from prison, but it was also DNA evidence that enabled
police to conclusively identify Eskridge as Robinson’s assailant. It is this type of forensic evidence that law enforcement agencies are using daily to help build cases in crimes throughout the country. It is also stories of how forensic evidence is used to help law enforcement agencies solve crimes that has attracted a national television crew to Seaford in the next two weeks to spotlight Robinson‘s case. “Forensic Files,” a documentarystyle television show, demonstrates how science can be used to help solve crimes. According to Chip Selby, a producer for the show, each episode profiles a single case, from the discovery of a crime, through the police investigation, forensic analysis of the evidence, arrest and trial. He said the stories are told through a series of on-camera interviews with
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people involved in the case. “We also show the forensic experts demonstrating their scientific work they provided to help solve the case,” he said. It was while filming an episode of “Forensic Files” in the Harrington area earlier this year that Selby said he learned about the Robinson case. The show was investigating the 1991 murder of Dorothy Donavan that went unsolved until DNA evidence led to an arrest in April 2008. “We were having lunch with state police detectives while shooting for the show and they told us about the Robinson case,” he said. “They explained how DNA evidence played a major part in both helping lead to the release of one suspect and the eventual arrest of the man who committed the crime.” Selby said the case is a perfect fit for the type of show that Forensic Files Continued to page four