be Careful With That Hatchet...

November 5, 2004 5:36 AM

Maybe the rest of the United States could take a lesson from Delaware's long-standing tradition of Return Day. Return Day started in the 1800's, when residents of Sussex County would gather in the County seat two days after the vote to hear the election returns announced, close out their races, and start looking ahead to the next election. It has grown to a day-long festival featuring a ceremonial burying of the hatchet and a parade in which opposing candidates for each race have to share a carriage. Of course, sometimes the hatchet-burying is only ceremonial. This year's campaign for Governor was ugly and so, apparently, was yesterday's carriage ride. On the other hand, in a local County Council race, now in a recount with a difference of three votes, the trailing candidate was heard to joke to the leader yesterday "Lynn, I can't stand this. Why didn't you just beat the hell out of me so I didn't have to do this?" Oh yes, and Punkin' Chunkin' starts today.
posted by mmahaffie (8 comments total)

The race took a strange turn on Tuesday when Gov. Minner accused Mr. Lee of injuring her in a freak hand-shaking incident the day before.

Excellent.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 5:56 AM on November 5, 2004

Where you bury the hatchet is critical.
posted by nofundy at 6:03 AM on November 5, 2004

Poor lady. The old bag let me buy beer on Sundays so she got my vote. Yeeeehaaaaa!
posted by Dr_Octavius at 7:06 AM on November 5, 2004

I was pleased with the ban on cigarette smoking in indoor public spaces. That opened up quite a few restaurants that Karen and I had not been able to try out in the past.
posted by mmahaffie at 8:02 AM on November 5, 2004

Wow! Return Day! I marched in the Return Day Parade every year for six years. I thought it was a regular national holiday. Then, I moved out of Sussex County for college, never went back, and totally forgot about Return Day.

Until just now.

mmahaffie - a dear friend of mine who makes the beer at a brewpub in Bear was terrified that the smoking ban would bankrupt them because of their proximity to state lines, but as it turns out, they are making more money because of a new-found family clientele that they couldn't bring in before.

I got scolded by WS Lee's wife once. My parents were having septic tank problems and Mrs. Lee let her little white dog run across the yard. He got covered in shit and I got an earful for my parents' lack of waste disposal maintenance.
posted by jennyb at 11:40 AM on November 5, 2004

(Self-link warning) Just an update on the close local council race I mentioned. After two recounts, Jud is 3 votes down and trying to decide whether to go legal. There's a great photo of him realizing just how close he came that I found in our local paper....

jennyb: An update. Bill and Mary Lee are divorced now, though they still both attend the same church in Rehoboth (A gay-friendly church, I might add). She's in a big fight with cancer just now.
posted by mmahaffie at 6:43 AM on November 6, 2004

Thanks for the update. I'm sorry to hear about her cancer. Now that you mention it, I think I remember my mom (who attends the same church) telling me that Mary Lee was ill.

Small world. Last night I met a woman whose brother graduated from Cape (my alma mater and facilitator of so much Return Day parade marching) and whose parents live on Rt. 24. I wonder if you and I know each other? I'm sure we know a handful of the same people.
posted by jennyb at 10:13 AM on November 7, 2004

Small world indeed. Did you march for Barry Eli? I saw him yesterday at a spaghetti dinner down at Epworth, in Rehoboth. My lovely wife plays in his new Community Band. We've been Lewes residents since about 1987. I came here in 1986 to work at WGMD (pre-right-wing-talk-days). I'm a state employee now.....
posted by mmahaffie at 7:29 PM on November 7, 2004