Thursday, June 13, 1985

• Despite scattered rain throughout the weekend, the 37th annual Delmarva Chicken Festival was ruled a huge success. Festival Chairman Robbin Gray said the attendance figures were near record levels. He said the rainy weather might have actually helped the event held on the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center grounds. “People couldn’t go anywhere else, so they came here,” Gray said. Last year’s event was canceled because of an avian flu scare.  

• Jermaine Wright and Whitney Collier landed the largest fish in last weekend’s Wicomico Recreation and Parks Fishing Derby held in Salisbury City Park. More than 200 youngsters ages 15 and under participated in the event, held Saturday in a steady rain. Shannon Baker had the second-largest fish in the girls division; Brian Banks caught the second-largest fish among the boys.

• The Salisbury City Council approved an $11.9 million annual budget for fiscal 1986, which keeps the property tax rate at $1.50 per $100 of assessed value. The budget includes a 5 percent hike in sewer and water rates, which will generate about $190,000 and keep the city sewer system self-sufficient. Council President Norm Conway pointed out that while the city’s tax rate has remained flat for the past 15 years, spending will increase by $860,000 and be paid for by a $10 million in the assessable tax base. Employees will receive a 5 percent cost-of-living increase, but the budget also calls for a limited freeze on city hiring.

• Perdue Farms Chairman Frank Perdue said the company will be divided into two regional groups to manage sales and improve distribution. All fresh poultry markets from New York through New England will be serviced by the company’s Northeast Division, which will b e based in Salisbury. Harry L. Palmer will head the division as a Vice President. The Philadelphia, Central Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and Norfolk markets will be serviced by the Mid-Atlantic Group, which will be based in Raleigh, N.C. James R. Smallwood will head that division as a Vice President.

• The 1965 Class of the former Salisbury Colored High School held its 20-year reunion in a two-day affair held at Christopher’s On The Plaza. The reunion officers included: Shirley Mapp Dashiell, Harry Perdow, Vance Elbert, Sandra Dashiell Harris, Yvonne Silver White, Wanda Wright Wallace, James Collins, Robert Davis and Leonard Morris.

• Hank Janczyk, Salisbury State College’s popular lacrosse coach for the past three years, announced that he has taken the same position at Ohio Wesleyan University. Janczyk has guided the Sea Gulls to the NCAA Division II playoffs for two of his three years as coach. SSC has beaten Ohio Wesleyan in eight of their past 9 meetings, but the teams aren’t scheduled to play one another in 1986.

• A major distribution center for the Seven-Up Bottling Co. will be moving from Denton to Salisbury, according to Edward G. Banks, Seven-Up’s local attorney. The company will soon be building a 15,000-square-foot building on a vacant lot at the corner of Fitzwater Street and Marine Road. Seven-Up General Manager James PArson said about 30 jobs will be created at the facility.