Yes, I’m making the prediction. We are going to have a National Monument by the end of the year….

And Tom Carper gets the accolades. They are well deserved. Several of Delaware’s Congressional delegation, commented on Carper’s tenacity once he sets his mind… I believe it was Chris Coons who said, “Carper is like a great big dog with a bone. You either got to decide to let him have it, or put up a hell of a fight to wrestle it away.”

It’s been 235 years, since the three most important people in Delaware were together and traipsed across the property of a Dupont. That first time was Washington, Lafayette, and Greene…. They came to keep the British out of Philadelphia; they tried at least….. 235 years later, Carper, Coons, and Carney….traipsed across the property of AI Dupont… High School, that is,…. for a public discussion concerning this new development.

The new is….. that the Woodlawn trust, a large piece of the Brandywine Valley will be turned over the National Park System free of charge…. Not even a staunch Republican spokesperson like Christine O’Donnell could complain.

With that in place, the First State Park is sure to follow. The National Park Service was out this week, looked it over and approved. National Park Director Jon Jarvis got plenty of praise from constituents there who were excited about the park. One Boy Scout, who’s troop is hosted by the Grace Church which is located in an enclave of the trusteeship, made a few remarks that brought a standing ovation. Up until Joe Jarvis had to leave, there were no negative comments from the audience. Not one. Even from the two people whose properties are completely surrounded by the trusteeship…. High Point Farms and that little farmhouse halfway down on the left of Ramsey Road… That one with the hay rides who gets 30,000 visitors in October….

Due to very short notice, a light turnout was expected in the auditorium of AI Dupont High School off askew of Kennett Pike. Carper was expecting maybe 150… Over 600 showed and many had to stand, willingly through the entire 2 1/2 hour presentation. (The banging doors were loud though, someone should unlock them properly the next gathering, just saying)…

Jon Jarvis said leasing of land to farming is common on National Park Land. If the area was agriculturally sound, it would probably continue to maintain crops or cows. The practice is rather common, he said.

Probably one of the most interesting moments, came when Carper introduced the wry, one of 6 men left who first landed in Nagasaki just after the bomb, former Wilmington mayor Haskell. Haskell brought up August 1914 when the Duponts decided who we’d support in the First World War 3 years before it hit Congress. They decided we’d support France, and that, despite tremendous Germain sympathy in the United States at that time, set our sights to assist Britain and France, and with the help of the Lusitania to persuade the public to go along…..we came to war eventually on their side.

The second point he made, was that the Nagasaki Bomb, Dupont was subcontracted to delve into plutonium separation, including the construction of the Hanover Plant in Washington State… He asked how many knew that and about 14-20 only raised their hands… Really? They built it here?

The star of the Woodlawn Trust, was Bancroft. Many of you may have attended the school he had built, downtown on Pine Street. A man who accumulated a lot of wealth from cotton, and spent in not on himself, but on the city and state he loved. His vision of buying the trust, even commenting that its value would not become apparent until 100 years had passed, was prophetic. It was 103 years ago he bought it. And now, it is getting turned over to the people, as a National Park.

There are two formalities that can be taken. One, though Congress, approved in both House and Senate, and two, by having President Obama sequester it under the Antiquities Act.

RKK did a quick traffic study and determined that in one day, across the entire morning or evening, the National Park status would create 200 more cars. Ramsey road would be the heaviest traveled, with 30 extra cars an hour, and Smith Bridge and others, would only have 5 additional cars each hour… So minimal increase…

Horses would be allowed too.