ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 6, 1994                   TAG: 9405060124
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE                                LENGTH: Long


BETTER NOT BLINK; YOU MIGHT MISS IT

Mimi and Earl Carpenter sat in front of their Sixth Street home in this small Delaware town, joking with friends, marveling at how fast the neighborhood kids grew up, and enjoying the balmy Thursday late afternoon.

Up and down the street, folks in threes and fours also sat on their porches, waiting. Like the Carpenters, they kept an eye peeled for the first sign, the first official van, the first police escort.

They had to be alert. It would be here and gone before there was time to say Tour DuPont, Tour DuPont, Tour DuPont.

"They go by so fast," Mimi Carpenter said. She was right.

At 5:15 p.m., a pack of 100-plus of the world's top racers cruised past Carpenter in about seven seconds. Bicycle spokes sparkled in the sun, the gears of free-wheels whirred. Some racers seemed to be smiling. Or maybe they were clenching their teeth as they headed into the final stretch of the first stage of the race - 69 miles of flat land from Dover to Wilmington.

Carpenter clapped. Her husband took pictures for the local weekly paper, which they own and run. Then they folded up their lawn chairs and went inside.

Tour DuPont 1994 was over for New Castle.

To some in this historic town on the bank of the Delaware River, that's just as well.

"Unfortunately, the city doesn't really advertise the race," said Sgt. Robert Comegys, who handles the traffic every year for the race as it passes through here.

Even though the New Castle police department puts in a lot of work to plan for an event that lasts all of three minutes, he'd like to see the city make more of a big deal out of America's premier bike race passing through its borders. "We could get thousands, if we wanted," he said.

"They don't want 'em," explained Police Chief Scott Rees III. "Certain segments of the town don't want to be bothered."

What? Here's a city, population 5,000, a growing bedroom community for Wilmington a few miles to the north, packed with charm and history, a virtual replica of an early 19th century town, home of some of the first signers of the Declaration of Independence ... and they don't want tourists?

Come again?

"We just happen to be on the route" for the Tour DuPont, City Administrator Robert Martin said. "As far as publicity goes, we just didn't do anything, let's put it that way."

Beneath the picturesque exterior of this city, there's apparently a rift among the denizens as deep as the river channel. The "old guard" in the historical section, listed in the national registry, whose families go back to the days of the War for Independence, who still have high tea on silver service sets, want to hide New Castle from newcomers.

"The old guard doesn't want anyone to know it's here," said shopkeeper Jack Minshull. They apparently keep a tight reign on architectural standards for renovations and additions, they dominate the local visitors' board, and they don't really care about making a buck off the Tour DuPont or other events.

Newcomers, or "nobodies," like himself, said Minshull, who live in the "hysterical" part of town, outside the historic section where homes go for half a million, would like to see a little more boosterism and a little less sticking to tradition for tradition's sake, Minshull said.

He said there used to be about 20 shops on the main street when he moved here in 1960. Now there are four. In a not-so-subtle move, Minshull gave the town's toll-free number - (800) 758-1550 - to a visiting reporter.

Brenda Rogers, who owns the Terry House Bed and Breakfast, said she has no problem staying booked, despite the lack of advertising. Her four rooms were booked several months ago for the four days the Tour DuPont was in Wilmington. "It's always been a quaint little town, and you want to keep it that way," said Rogers, who grew up here and went to Virginia Tech for a degree in hotel management.

Now that she runs a business, though, she'd like more people to know about New Castle.

First settled by Swedes in the mid 1600s, New Castle was founded in 1651 by the Dutch and became a strategic point for commercial shipping. After the British took over, the town was given to William Penn, who first landed on American soil at the foot of Delaware Street in 1682

It was Penn who caused today's rift among the town's residents, in Minshull's opinion. He left a sizable chunk of land to a board of trust, which over the years sold pieces of it to keep the town going. New Castle is still living off that money, Minshull said, and so can well afford to turn up its nose at tourists.

Besides, the town gets enough attention. A favorite of movie producers, the town served as the set for "Dead Poets Society," starring Robin Williams, and will soon be a location for a pirate movie starring Gina Davis. Mercedes Benz likes to shoot its advertisements here, and dignitaries such as President Bush and Vice President Al Gore show up frequently for photo opportunities.

Along with other happenings, like craft shows, flower shows and historic celebrations, the town gets between 10,000 to 30,000 visitors on any given weekend during the summer, Martin said.

And then there's the Tour DuPont. Only a handful of race fans apparently decided to stay here or stroll through during the afternoon.

If Martin has anything to say about it, though, next year will be different. He plans to square off with the "old guard" and advertise the Tour DuPont 1995.

Shortly before the racers came through on Thursday, Martin took a ride over the course where city and state workers had been sweeping much of the day. "I want to make sure it's cleaned up to at least make it look good on television."



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