May 12, 2008 /2:30 PM

Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Every year, we take time to remember those from our law enforcement community who gave their lives while serving the people of Delaware. This year, we again had two ceremonies in Dover that paid tribute to these brave officers and recognized the families they left behind.

These heroes answered a call to serve and protect their fellow Delawareans. They knew the risks of the job and yet still made the decision to commit themselves to keeping their neighborhoods and communities safe. Not many of us are willing to put our lives on the line every day, but the men and women we honored did just that.

In order to appropriately commemorate and recognize the service and ultimate sacrifice of the law enforcement officers we remembered, I signed an Executive Order last Wednesday stating that the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Flag be flown or prominently displayed at each of our Delaware State Police facilities. It is my hope that with this public display of remembrance we will ensure that our fallen heroes are recognized every day for their sacrifices. Additionally, I signed a proclamation declaring May 4-10, 2008 as Police Week and May 7, 2008 as Peace Officers Day in the state of Delaware.

As often as I can, I thank our Delaware state troopers and local law enforcement officers for all they do for our communities and our state. We feel safer knowing that these brave men and women are working hard to protect us from harm and taking every precaution to ensure our safety and security.

The men and women of our law enforcement community who laid down their lives in service will forever be remembered for the valor and courage they displayed in the most difficult of times and for the pride they had in the professional life they chose. Please take time to remember these individuals and their families.

April 29, 2008 / 4:00 PM

Arbor Day

One of the cornerstones of my Administration has been the preservation and protection of our natural resources, including our farmland, watersheds and forestlands. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to celebrate Arbor Day with members of Delaware’s Forest Service and their community partners at Redden Forest in Georgetown.

About 30 percent of Delaware is forestland – that’s 375,000 acres. So, we must work together to preserve and protect our trees because they are so beneficial to our environment and our health. Our forests provide us with cleaner water, cleaner air, oxygen, climate moderation, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and wood products. And they are integral in our efforts to slow down the effects of global warming, which has gotten a significant amount of attention in recent years. Delaware’s urban forests also provide many benefits, such as lower energy costs with shade in the summer and windbreaks in the winter, increased property values and reduced water runoff. In fact, studies show that neighborhoods with healthy community forests also experience lower crime rates.

Over the past seven years, I worked to implement strategies from my Livable Delaware initiative because I know how important our farmland and forestlands are to the health of our environment and the health of our residents. Since 2001, we have permanently protected more than 87,000 acres of farmland and forestland from development, which includes 11,000 acres of open space as well as forests. And starting this year, we will purchase our first conservation easements through the Forestland Preservation Program, which I signed into law in 2005, to further strengthen efforts to protect Delaware’s forests.

On Arbor Day or any day, we should strive to become stewards of our natural resources and our environment, because the action we take today will benefit future generations to come.

April 15, 2008 / 2:00 PM

DSP Helicopter Unveiling

Keeping Delaware’s families and communities safe has been one of the most important goals of my Administration, so I was very pleased when we unveiled the Delaware State Police’s new Bell 412 helicopter on April 9. Each day, the brave members of our Delaware State Police log thousands of miles coming to the aid of our residents as they work tirelessly to ensure our safety and security. This aircraft is a great addition to our arsenal of lifesaving and emergency equipment.

One of the most exciting features about the new helicopter is its medical transport capabilities. DSP began providing medical transport in 1970, which has resulted in thousands of helicopter transports at no cost to our residents. In 2004, DSP added a Bell 407 helicopter to its fleet and began providing 24-hour, seven-day-a-week emergency helicopter transport throughout Delaware. And this helicopter is just the next step in enhancing our emergency medical transport service to meet the growing needs of our state.

With the addition of the Bell 412 twin-engine, we have progressed from being able to transport only one patient at a time to being able to transport many patients in one trip. In fact, the larger cabin provides full patient access for medics to treat patients during transport.

Delaware has elevated its emergency transport service to a new level to account for greater homeland security and disaster preparedness needs, which will literally save lives in our state. We are fortunate to have this new addition to our fleet, and I offer continued appreciation, on behalf of all Delawareans, for our brave and committed Delaware State Police troopers.

March 20, 2008 / 9:30 AM

Wallace M. Johnson Community Service Award

Last week, I was honored to receive the Wallace M. Johnson Community Service Award from the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. The award recognized my work to reduce cancer incidence and mortality and increase prevention and screening efforts in the First State. I firmly believe this honor needs to be shared by everyone who has helped me change our approach to cancer treatment and prevention in the state of Delaware.

When I took office in 2001, Delaware had one of the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the nation. Now, I am happy to report that Delaware’s cancer incidence rate has decreased four times as much as the national average, and our cancer death rate has declined twice as much as the national rate. We currently have almost 500 people enrolled in the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program, and we have allocated more than $15 million through FY 2008 for cancer treatment for the uninsured through this initiative. We have also seen an incredible increase in the number of people who are screened for cancer through our Screening for Life program, which pays for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer screenings for the uninsured and the underinsured. But none of our achievements would have been possible without the efforts of the Delaware Cancer Consortium.

In 2001, we approached a vested group of legislators, business leaders, medical professionals, and concerned Delawareans to form the Delaware Cancer Consortium, which was charged with making recommendations to help reduce our cancer rate. Their recommendations included the Clean Indoor Air Act, the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program, Screening for Life, the Nurse Navigator program, and the Delaware QuitLine, among many others. Because of their help and the leadership of chairman Bill Bowser, we have been able to help families and save lives.

Cancer has touched my life personally as it has for many others, so increasing our efforts in the fight against cancer has been very important to me. The recognition I received from the New Castle County Chamber was very special because I consider our work in cancer prevention and treatment a victory for all Delawareans.

March 10, 2008 /2:15 PM

Women’s Day Celebration

Last week, I served as the emcee for the Women’s Day Celebration Dinner, which is sponsored by Delaware Tech’s Alumni Association. I was pleased to see so many notable women gathered to celebrate the achievements of our two outstanding honorees – Dr. Reba Ross-Hollingsworth and Dr. Audrey Doberstein.

Dr. Hollingsworth, who was recently awarded the Governor’s Heritage Award, is a native Delawarean and Dover resident. With her bachelor’s degree from Delaware State College, she began her professional career teaching home economics and science at William C. Jason Comprehensive High School in Georgetown and then moved to Dover High School, where she served as a guidance counselor from 1966 to 1988. Aside from her role as teacher, she has also been a consummate civil rights activist working against segregation, racism, and discrimination and supporting equal opportunities for all. She has influenced changes to the law, which sought the protection of the individual rights and privileges of men and women. She inspires others to take action while still doing so herself.

Dr. Doberstein, who earned her Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, began her career teaching elementary school and college. In 1979, she became the first and only woman to lead a college or university in Delaware when she was named president of Wilmington College. Most notably, she retired 26 years later as the only woman to lead an institution of higher learning in Delaware. Through her leadership, Wilmington College grew from two sites to six and increased its offerings to meet the growing educational needs of our residents. She expanded partnerships, including a successful partnership with Delaware Tech to offer a bachelor’s degree program and graduate studies at the Georgetown campus for adult students. She is a trailblazer for women in higher education in the First State.

I always enjoy spending time with notable women from Delaware because we often share similar stories of perseverance, dedication and strength. Events that celebrate the achievements of women leaders, regardless of their fields, are wonderful reminders of what so many of us have fought so hard for in our own lives.

February 13, 2008 /4:30 PM

Cancer Consortium Retreat

Last week, I had the great privilege of attending the 2008 Delaware Cancer Consortium retreat in Dover. This was the first event of its kind for this group, and I think it was a great success. Not only did the presenters reflect on their accomplishments in the fight against cancer in the First State, but they also discussed their action plans for the future.

The Delaware General Assembly and I created the Delaware Cancer Consortium in 2001 as the Delaware Advisory Council on Cancer Incidence and Mortality, a group comprised of health professionals, business and government leaders, advocates, and concerned Delawareans. When the Consortium began its work, Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the nation. Seven years later, Delaware’s cancer incidence rate has decreased four times as much as the national average, and our cancer death rate has declined twice as much as the national rate.

Many of the innovative programs and initiatives that have resulted from the efforts of our Consortium members are nationally recognized. One of those is the Screening for Life program, which pays for uninsured or underinsured Delaware residents to receive screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer.

At the retreat, Consortium members reported that thanks to their screening program, Delaware’s colorectal cancer mortality is dropping faster in Delaware than in the U.S. They said the screenings were catching the cancer at earlier and more treatable stages, and their efforts increased the colorectal screening rate for people over 50 from 52 percent in 2002 to 74 percent in 2007.

The Consortium continues to develop more of the innovative programs and treatment plans that make Delaware a model cancer-fighting state across the country. For example, we are the only state in the nation that offers a cancer treatment program for the uninsured. I am extremely proud of the Cancer Consortium’s dedication to improving the lives of all Delawareans, and I look forward their future recommendations to save and improve the lives of our state’s residents.