Summer m mmer 2022
Magazine
The flag-to-flag victory of
George Alderman Page 48
Inside: • A new welcome at the Centreville Cafe • Anna Biggs: Continuing her family's artistic tradition • Photo Essay: The Flint Woods Preserve
Complimentary Copy
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Greenville & Hockessin Life Summer 2022
Greenville & Hockessin Life Table of Contents 10
Inside the new Delaware Museum of Nature and Science
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Q & A: Dr. Michael Fay
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Anna Biggs: A family legacy of art
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A trip back in time to the beginnings of the automotive industry
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Photo Essay: The Flint Woods Preserve
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The flag-to-flag victory of George Alderman
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A new welcome at the Centreville Cafe
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Greenville & Hockessin Life Summer 2022 Letter from the Editor:
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There are many dynamic people who live or work in the Greenville, Hockessin, or Centreville areas. One of the highlights of this new issue of Greenville & Hockessin Life is writer Richard L. Gaw’s profile of George Alderman. Throughout his half-century career as one of America’s most successful sports car drivers, Alderman took on the most challenging races and tracks. Now, at the age of 90, the thrill of the competition still remains in his memory. This issue also features a look at how Anna Biggs is continuing her family’s artistic tradition but with a modern flair. Writer Lisa Fieldman offers a look at the Greenville jewelry designer’s life as she found her own way to express herself creatively while growing up in a family that left such an impressive legacy of art. Writer Ken Mammarella provides readers with an inside look at the new Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. In May, the old natural history museum reopened following a 17-month and $10.8 million renovation—and visitors are loving the exciting new chapter in the museum’s history. The museum’s major wings focus on Delaware-area and iconic global ecosystems, with exhibits to touch. The museum is a place to explore and learn, with many interactive exhibits. “We want people to explore,” said Cathy Perrotto, the museum’s public engagement manager. The Centreville Cafe is an important part of the community, and new owner Elizabeth Moro has plenty of plans for the cafe, which is located just 500 feet away from her brokerage office at Brandywine Fine Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. “Food is one of the things that connects us. It’s part of our heritage,” Moro said. Gene Pisasale, historian, author and lecturer, offers a trip back in time to the beginnings of the automotive industry, focusing on the Stanley Steamer. A hidden gem of a museum near Hockessin tells the story of the Stanley Steamer. The photo essay subject is the Flint Woods Preserve, a 37-acre canvas of towering oaks, delicate plants and woodland habitat, all under the care of the Delaware Nature Society. We hope you enjoy the stories and photos in this issue of Greenville & Hockessin Life as much as we enjoyed working on them. We welcome comments and suggestions for future stories. The next issue of the magazine will arrive in the fall of 2022. Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com., 610-869-5553, Ext. 13 Cover design: Tricia Hoadley Cover photo: Richard L. Gaw www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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|Greenville & Hockessin Spotlight|
Inside the new Delaware Museum of Nature and Science ‘All sorts of things can happen if you’re open to new ideas’
Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Throughout the newly remodeled Delaware Museum of Nature & Science, visitors are invited to touch and explore many exhibits.
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Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Opening items in the Discovery Gallery include an interactive robot from First State Robotics and interactive wave tank from the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Coastal Research.
Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science/Teresa Bonaddio
This skull came from a whale that beached several years ago in Delaware.
Continued on Page 11
Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science/Teresa Bonaddio
The Delaware Museum of Nature & Science opened earlier this year with a new name and focus.
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By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer
“ s it open yet?” Benjamin Parker, a 3½-year-old from Kennett Square, had been asking that a lot as he and his mother drove along Kennett Pike near Greenville. He was referring to the new Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, and in May, he and his family were among the first to experience the 17-month, $10.8 million renovation of the old natural history museum. “It’s more interactive, kid-friendly, realistic and highly educational,” said his mother, Alysha Parker, who visited the museum weekly with her mother when she was growing up.
“It’s like the whole world is open,” said Alysha’s mother, Carolyn Isakoff, also of Kennett Square. The museum’s major wings focus on Delaware-area and iconic global ecosystems, with exhibits to touch and manipulate, live animals to observe, taxidermied and preserved creatures to look at, lifelike replicas to inspire, tunnels to go through, drawers to open, videos to watch and ambient sounds and evocative lighting to teleport visitors to these environments. The Discovery Gallery in the museum’s core showcases short-term, hands-on exhibits, with the opening material from the museum, the Delaware Mineralogical Society, Continued on Page 12 www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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Delaware Museum of Nature and Science Continued from Page 11
First State Robotics and the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Coastal Research. “We want people to explore,” Cathy Perrotto, the museum’s public engagement manager, said in an interview from the Discovery Gallery. “We don’t give them the answer.” Can visitors match the mineral to the refined product? Can they recognize the classic six simple machines in a modern and complex robotic hand? “It’s very hands-on,” Perrotto said, noting it’s geared to ages 8 and above – including adults with childlike curiosities. What visitors will see, feel and hear Visitor Ari Wiebke, a 15-year-old from Hockessin, interviewed while generating waves in a Discovery Gallery tank, said the creatures preserved in jars were her favorite features. “It was fascinating to learn about the process to preserve them,” she said. “I’m most excited about introducing people to animals and environments that they may have never seen before – tiny snails in a local cypress swamp, deep-sea squat lobsters or even a capybara in the rainforest!” said Liz Shea, the museum’s director of collections and curator of mollusks. “We’ve completely shed that dusty, old museum perception,” Executive Director Halsey Spruance said. “Our focus is on what we know about nature and science, why it matters to us and what we can do to protect the environment.” The museum was founded in 1957 and opened in 1972. The building is 72,000 square feet, with 27,000 square feet for exhibits and the same amount for research. The remainder of the facility is used for museum operations. Some favorites have been retained, including the giant squid suspended over the entrance (now chasing a school of orange roughy) and the walk-over hallway coral reef
Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Visitors are encouraged to crawl through tunnels and pause under bubbles for different perspectives. 12
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Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
The walk-over coral reef is a visitor favorite that has been enhanced for a more immersive experience.
(with repainted features and enhanced with wall and floor murals). The reef, which generated the most questions about its future, has a unexpected use in training service dogs to gain confidence walking over transparent flooring. The rethink is sensitive to visitors with varying needs,
including access for those in wheelchairs, a quiet nook for nursing mothers and those facing sensory overload, closed captioning for people with hearing issues and layered text for different reading levels. Continued on Page 14
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Delaware Museum of Nature and Science Continued from Page 13
Photo courtesy of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science/Teresa Bonaddio
A field station in the Regional Gallery will regularly host activities.
The details behind the scenes The project also included work on lighting, sound, heating, cooling, fire suppression, paving and restrooms. Space has been made for sandwiches, wraps and other refreshments from Jamestown Catering. Outdoors, work has focused on recovery from the 2021 tornado. Renovations involved experts near and far. A whale skull was prepared by Whales and Nails, of Maine. Dixon Studios of Arizona made the landscapes, based on samples of dirt, leaves and other items that museum staffers gathered from across Delaware. At-Mar Glass of Kennett Square hand-blew 23 customized glass jars for specimens. KubikMaltbie of South Jersey fabricated exhibits. JacobsWyper of Philadelphia was the architect, and Bancroft Construction of Wilmington served as the general contractor. On opening weekend, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said he planned to propose a $500,000 grant for the museum. “We have some federal resources to address some of the inequities that we’ve seen in the past couple of years,” TownSquareDelaware reported him saying. “We share the vision of the leadership of this museum to see that the people going into this museum look like the people of our county look like.” Throughout the museum, visitors can now look down (there’s an impressively large floor map of Delaware) at different levels of exhibits (can you find the bottle cap befouling the beach?) and up (one enormous ceilingmounted addition is the skull of a whale that beached in Kent County in 2017). They should not, however, climb the trees. It is permissible, however, to feel the bark and try to 14
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spot the half-hidden creatures. Museum staffers will monitor visitor interest as they develop activities, and there are plans to create audio tours, probably via visitors’ smartphones. “They have great family events,” said Tina Nuse of Unionville, who is sending daughter Samantha to summer camp there for the first time this year. And dinosaurs, of course The Regional Journey Gallery features five local ecosystems, plus space for interactivity. In the other wing, the PaleoZone goes back millions of years to when Delaware was underwater, featuring the fearsome dryptosaurus, the flying “bat lizard” nyctosaur and the aquatic giant mosasaur. Dryptosaurus, thanks to work from students at ShueMedill Middle and Rep. Paul Baumbach, was nominated as Delaware’s official dinosaur. Bones from only two types of dinosaurs have been found in Delaware: dryptosaurus and what is most likely a hadrosaurus that’s New Jersey’s state dinosaur. The Global Journey Gallery highlights the Arctic tundra, the African savanna and the tropical rainforest. Three more areas cover the ocean: shallows, midwater and deep sea. “On the global side, I think the deep-sea dive into the Atlantic canyons will be popular,” said Shea. “It’s an immersive experience that uses real footage and real specimens to explore the ocean. On the Delaware side, I’m excited that we have a whole exhibit about the red knot and how important it is for them to feed on horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay.” Three interactive touring exhibitions have been booked, starting in 2023. They are “Be the Astronaut,” originally set for 2020; “Mindbender Mansion,” brainteasers from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; and “Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs.” In the entrance to the Discovery Gallery, there’s a prominent quote from DuPont Co. chemist Stephanie Kwolek: “All sorts of things can happen when you’re open to new ideas.” The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science is open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is $12.95 for ages 3 and up, $3.95 for ages 1-2 and free under 1, with a $1 discount for tickets purchased in advance online. Admission is free for museum members. For the first year, members of Delaware Art Museum, Hagley, Mt. Cuba, Tyler Arboretum and Winterthur also receive free general admission. Details: https://delmns.org. www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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Changing Landscape in Senior Living Options…
Senior Livings Adapting to Future Needs
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enior Housing has become a leading sector for real estate development, and the industry is expected to only become stronger over the next decade. An aging population and longer life expectancy is boosting the demand for expansion of senior living options. Developing high-quality, desirable senior living communities is not just about an attractive place to live; it’s about creating space where people feel safe, supported, connected and cared for. Selecting strategic geographic locations that enable seniors to engage in the surrounding community and experience amenities outside their walls is also becoming key to a successful community. Site selection plays a key role in a successful senior living. Frank DeMarinis, Leisure Care General Manager (The Vero) When deciding on development opportunities thought was made to not only what senior trends are on a high level but the needs of the local market. Newark downtown is a very attractive and desirable living space, however, seniors often cannot find available housing such as ranch homes or single homes of manageable size and accessibility at reasonable cost. They want to be part of the epicenter but have limited options in a development market heavily focused on townhome and student housing. Our location is integral to local restaurants and shopping as well as life outside the community living space. We are finding seniors in this market also have appreciation for higher level activities and our locality to the University and programs such as Osher Lifelong Learning.
According to the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) 60% of the existing communities are 17-plus years old and not designed to meet customers’ needs. Most senior living communities are 20-plus years old (58%), while only 14.5% are less than five years old. Many older senior living communities were built without the ability to update technology, health, safety or mobility infrastructure, along with smaller units and less of an emphasis on community spaces. New communities are integrating a more hospitality-centered design to facilitate ease of living and social connections, as well as a sense of community among residents and integrate a more hospitality-centered design to facilitate ease of living and social connections, as well as a sense of community among residents. A growing retirement population and lack of inventory presents opportunities but also challenges due to a new wave of seniors being more selective and discriminating in the services they need and embrace. The baby boomer generation often referred to as the next “wave”. Today the eldest of the group are now 75 and within 10 years even the youngest of that cohort will be at least 65. Terri Doody, Leisure Care (The Vero) Having worked in the local senior living industry these past 10 years I can attest there is a strong need for new communities. The senior living options are aging more rapidly then the populations they serve. We are in the market of establishing true “communities” not a “facility”
Senior housing generally services those over 75 years and is typically divided into four categories: independent living, assisted living, memory care and nursing care. A previous model of prevalence has been the Continuing Care Retirement Community Model (CCRC) offering a range of independent living to intermediate care often on a combined campus. Though historically a popular model some challenges include having to physically move one’s residence as their need(s) increase as well as sometimes having to “buy in” defined as a sizeable community fee in addition to monthly rent. Frank DeMarinis, Leisure Care General Manager (The Vero) Having a community with multiple care types available requires an in-depth licensing process. As a brand we offer a more modern approach having an integrated living space for both independent living and assisted living allowing residents to age in place without having to physically move as their needs increase. We license the entire community so that we do not have to further disrupt a resident rather dispatch medical staff to where they are needed. We incorporate hospitality, multifamily and health care all in one. Hospitality services include transportation, housekeeping, entertainment, dining options and other amenities. The multifamily component is focused on a homelike setting and if needed can provide care services such as assistance with bathing, eating and other activities. The senior living sector was challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic with decreasing occupancy, negative press and increased expense. Some communities went into lockdown mode, allowing only essential team members in the building and implementing quarantine protocols for new residents and any resident having left the building. During the pandemic, “needs-based” residents moved in at a steadier pace in comparison to independent living seniors that do not need as much care. Post pandemic we are again seeing the trend move toward residents moving not for
necessity alone but social needs, hospitality and lifestyle. The greatest current and future demand trend for a truly successful community is the High Demand for Direct Care Workers. The senior living industry is already feeling the effects of not having enough direct care workers to provide care to the growing number of seniors. Frank DeMarinis, Leisure Care General Manager (The Vero) Even before covid we were seeing trendsetters like Amazon raising the bar for the workforce. A paradigm change was already in works for “living wage” over minimum wage. The antiquated model of high priced living options serviced by one of the lower average wages per sector of non skilled workforce required a shift. Leading operators recognize “you get what you pay for” and competitive wages not only ensure a consistent skilled workforce but a strong product. I am proud we offer a leading wage to our workforce ensuring the best talent. Our proximity and partnership to the University of Delaware not only is a benefit to Seniors but tapping into educated and ambitious labor force with a desire to grow. As we continue to partner with the University our goal is to give back to the community at large offering internships, educational opportunities and vocational mentorship. Our culinary program offers hospitality opportunities and our wellness program a focus for Health Sciences.
Jump |Greenville & Hockessin Q & A| Continued from Page 18
Dr. Michael Fay F
or several decades, Dr Michael Fay was a respected dentist in the Wilmington area, but prior to starting his career, he was a standout football player at Archmere Academy and the University of Delaware. Recently, Greenville & Hockessin Life met with the Hockessin resident to talk about his life in dentistry, his love of family and a former teammate and classmate who went on to become the 46th President of the United States. Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Hockessin resident Dr. Michael Fay
Greenville & Hockessin Life: You were raised during the 1950s in the Wilmington area, decades before the city began to experience exceptional growth in its economy, before the construction of I-95 and before the real expansion of its suburbs. Give the readers of Greenville & Hockessin Life a glimpse into what life was like when you were growing up. Michael Fay: Life was a lot simpler then, and I am so glad I was a teenager when I was. It was just a different world. After I was born, my parents lived near St. Agnes Church north of downtown, and then they moved to Deerhurst and we lived there until 1947. From then until 1953, we lived in Newport, and at the time, my siblings and friends and I thought nothing of hopping aboard a bus and going to
downtown Wilmington to a Saturday matinee. I’m not sure that children today have that freedom and sense of safety that we once enjoyed. On the other hand, I think the country has evolved in many ways since then and become a fairer place to live for everyone. You enrolled at Archmere Academy in Claymont in 1957 and you were a halfback on its football there for four years. Were those teams competitive? In 1957, our freshman team was 2-2-1. In 1958, we were 2-5, and I have to blame our record on the poor coaching that we received. The next year, my junior year, we were 1-6 and I again blame that on the coaching. Continued on Page 20
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Dr. Michael Fay Continued from Page 18
Courtesy photo
Michael Fay (No. 46) and U.S. President Joe Biden (No. 30) formed part of the backfield for Archmere Academy’s football team in the late 1950s.
One of your teammates on those Archmere football teams was a scholarship student by the name of Joe Biden. Joe and I played together our sophomore, junior and senior years. We were both scrubs as sophomores, and then as juniors, we were not a very good team, but in our last game of the season, we played Friends Central from Philadelphia and were losing 30-0 in the second half. Joe then caught three touchdown passes and made all of the two-point conversions. We still lost 30-24, but the News Journal predicted that we would do well the following year, because we had a good quarterback and Joe was a good pass catcher. It turned out we were the only undefeated high school team in Delaware during our senior year, in large part because we were not only talented, we also had a new football coach by the name of John Walsh, who really believed in all of us. You not only played with Joe Biden during Archmere but at the University of Delaware, where your paths crossed again on the gridiron after you transferred from the University of Notre Dame after your freshman year. Assess Joe Biden as a football player. Joe didn’t have a sprinter’s speed, but when he caught a pass, he didn’t get caught too often. He was over six feet tall and back then, that was a good-size receiver, but he was as skinny as a rail at about 160 pounds. Continued on Page 22 20
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Dr. Michael Fay Continued from Page 20
Did you keep in touch with Joe after college, at Archmere football reunions, for instance? Sure! I used to drive right up his driveway at his house in Greenville when he was Vice President and he would very often answer the door himself. We have a group that has planned several reunions over the past several years, and Joe has hosted every one of them. Many years ago, we held a 40-year reunion, because one of my teammates told me that he was suffering from blood cancer and that he may not be able to make the 50-year reunion. Joe was kind enough to host that event at his Greenville home. The most recent reunion was held at the Vice President’s home at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., when Joe was Vice President to President Obama. Continued on Page 24
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Courtesy photos
Dr. Fay and several of his Archmere Academy football teammates were the guests of another teammate – then Vice President Joe Biden – at Biden’s residence in Washington, D.C.
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Dr. Michael Fay Continued from Page 22
Would you care to share any memories of the 46th President of the United States as a classmate, teammate and friend? There was one time when a bunch of us from the football team walked into the Charcoal Pit on Concord Pike for lunch. At the time, the restaurant was segregated, so one of the waiters came over and told us that he wouldn’t serve our teammate Frank Hutchins, who was African-American. He told us that he would serve Fred but that he would have to eat his lunch outside. So Joe got all of us together and we walked out.
When I was graduating from the University of Delaware in 1966, I signed a contract to coach football and track and teach chemistry at St. Joseph’s in Chester. I signed the contract and after I graduated, I got a notice that I was eligible for the draft. They told me, “We don’t defer you in Delaware for teaching. If you lived in Pennsylvania, you would have been deferred.’ I asked them, ‘What will get me deferred?’ They told me I would get a deferment if I attended either medical or dental school I hopped in my car and drove to Temple University, and ended up in their dental school that September.
When you see your high school football teammate now as the leader of the free world, what goes through your mind? I feel that what Joe has been able to do with his life shines great light on all of us. I remember once, one of our headmasters told a group of us, ‘I have never seen a group of classmates as close as you guys are to each other.’ When we get together now, we rip each other to shreds verbally, but it’s all for fun. We came together through sports, and we remain together out of a respect for one another.
What would you consider the greatest accomplishments of your life? I guess I am most proud of my three sons. The baby of the family is now a dentist in Dover, my second oldest is an attorney in Washington, D.C., and my oldest son, who unfortunately passed away from glioblastoma – ironically the same type of cancer that took Beau Biden away from us -- received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and after a brief time at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, received an MBA and worked for JP Morgan Chase. I am just so proud of all of them.
Following your graduation from the Temple University Dental School in 1970 to the time a hand injury sidelined you in 1996, you were a prominent dentist in the Wilmington area. What led you to pursue a career in dentistry?
What is your favorite spot in Greenville and Hockessin? Quinn’s Café in Hockessin is probably my favorite spot. I go there a lot for breakfast and lunch. You throw a dinner party and can invite anyone you wish -- famous or not, living or not. Who would you want to see around that table? My first choice would be my parents, because they’re not here anymore and I would love to see them. I also have one living brother and sister, and I would love them to be there. I would also invite my wife, my two grandchildren and my children. Once I get past my immediate family, then I would invite all of my extended family. Having dinner with famous people never really interested me. To me, there is nothing more important than family.
Courtesy photo
Fay and Biden (No. 30) were coached by John Walsh, right, to an undefeated season during their senior year at Archmere. 24
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What food or items can always be found in your refrigerator? I would say that there is always fruit and fruit juice in the refrigerator. ~ Richard L. Gaw
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|Greenville & Hockessin Art|
A family legacy Anna Biggs continues her family’s artistic tradition, but with a modern flair
Anna Biggs’ elegant Flying Bird earrings.
First stage of the creative process: carving a custom ring out of wax.
After cleaning, polishing, and setting the stones, this oneof-a-kind ring is complete.
This double pendant necklace by Anna Biggs Designs can be customized to your liking. 26
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By Lisa Fieldman Contributing Writer As a young child, Greenville jewelry designer Anna Biggs had already set her sights on a career in the arts. Following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, Anna began painting early in life. She was only in elementary school when Anna learned that Michelangelo had an apprentice. “I thought, that’s what I’ll do! I’ll drop out of school and be an artist’s apprentice,” Biggs recalled. Obviously, her parents were not on board with that plan, and she continued her education. A summer program at The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) convinced her that that was the best place for her to continue her studies after high school. The irony was not lost on Anna when friends were discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts as a profession. When Anna considered majoring in architecture or fashion design, her parents had a surprising response. Biggs’ parents told her, “You are a painter, and that’s what we are sending you to school for.” During her senior year, Anna was accepted into an honors program and traveled to Italy to study. After the program ended, she remained abroad for an additional year, taking the opportunity to travel through Italy, Germany and Greece. Biggs graduated with a painting/printmaking degree from RISD, but sees her jewelry-making as a natural extension of her interests. “Jewelry is like little architecture, and it’s fashion,” she said. Living in Manhattan after college, Anna worked in a gallery and pursued her art at night. When close friends asked her to design wedding bands for their upcoming ceremony, she was apprehensive. “They didn’t want traditional round bands,” said Biggs. The couple wanted the rings to be like Anna’s surreal paintings. Anna told her friends, “I don’t know the first thing about making wedding bands.” That didn’t stop the young artist. Biggs started making fun prototypes of rings, and they came to the attention of a gallery owner where Anna had an art show scheduled. The
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Courtesy photos Jewelry designer Anna Biggs draws inspiration from nature and architecture.
gallery owner was impressed with the jewelry and, finding out they were her own creations, suggested Anna add her rings to the show alongside her paintings. “That night, I figured out pretty quickly that it’s much easier to get another pair of earrings into a woman’s jewelry box than a painting onto someone’s wall,” she explained. Anna decided to attend The Fashion Institute of Technology to learn the mechanics of jewelry making. She spent the following years living and working among artists in New York City. “We all worked jobs in the industry during the day, had dinner together, then worked from six to midnight for ourselves,” she explained. After nine long years in New York City, it was time for a break, and Anna decided to return to Wilmington for six months. The short break became permanent when Anna met and married her husband, John Seiffert. Back home in Wilmington, Anna worked for a large commercial bank, but that only lasted a few weeks. After experiencing corporate life, she decided to create a business plan and start her own jewelry design business. Continued on Page 28
Prada · Chanel · Hermes · Celine Michael Kors · Kate Spade · Tory Burch Louis Vuitton s and many more!
Ralph Lauren · Gucci · Burberry Louis Vuitton · Alexander McQueen John Varvatos s and many more!
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7185 Lancaster Pike
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat · 10am-6pm, Wed 10am-7pm Sunday 12-4 after Labor Day
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Anna Jump Biggs Continued from Page 27 28
“I asked my father to proofread my business plan before approaching the bank for a loan,” she explained. He read her plan but felt it wasn’t worth jumping through so many hoops for a reasonably small loan, so he offered a substantially larger loan at zero percent interest. “That’s how I got started 30 years ago,” she said. Through juried craft shows and home jewelry parties, her work began to gain attention. Requests for custom work followed. Today she has a busy schedule of shows and maintains her website www. annabiggsdesigns.com where customers can shop for that perfect piece of jewelry. Anna hand carves each item in her jewelry line, whether it’s a piece for production or a custom commission. She sculpts each piece in wax, has it cast in gold or silver, then does all the finishing, polishing, and stone setting. During her downtime between January and March, Biggs carves the waxes for the next season’s designs. Biggs explained, “What makes my work unique is that everything I produce is made from my original sculpture.” She carves between 15 to 20 new waxes and decides which pieces she’ll cast and add to the collection. Continued on Page 30
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Anna Biggs continues to paint as a creative outlet.
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Anna Biggs Continued from Page 28
John Seiffert and Anna Biggs.
Looking at her jewelry line, it’s easy to see that her inspiration comes from nature and architecture. “I traveled a lot before I married, and I love architecture and sculpture from foreign countries,” she said. Biggs even spent a month traveling in Indonesia. “I like submerging myself into a culture, and this has contributed to my designs.” Her love for old hammered and cast ironwork also influences her creative pieces. Of course, flora and fauna are both found as well. One of her more coveted designs is the delicate Canterbury flower represented in a necklace, bracelet, and earrings. Animals, including foxes, bears, and rabbits, also make an appearance in her jewelry line. Popular items are her community charms. “My alma mater is Wilmington Friends School, and I carved a kangaroo as a lark,” she explained. From this, her community charms line was born. The Tatnall gazebo is represented in keychain and cuff links, as is The CentervilleLayton School’s griffin. For many years, Tower Hill School presented its graduates with a tower charm. Biggs gives a portion of the community charm sales back to the schools or organizations they represent. Anna is unique in that she is both left- and right-brained. She is passionately creative, but she also has mastered the business side of her industry. Continued on Page 32
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Anna Biggs Continued from Page 30
Noted botanical artist Ann Atwood Biggs.
“Parents ask me to talk to their child who dreams of being an artist. I always tell them you must take at least three classes in small business,” she said. “You have to understand how a business runs and understand a profit and loss analysis.” This is an area where most artists struggle, but Anna was lucky to have learned early in her career how to track her costs, whether they are materials, labor, or show booth fees. “It doesn’t do you any good to create if you can’t sell your work,” said Biggs. “You have to separate from the passion. When I’m carving my waxes, there’s my passion. But then I have to change gears and have a very precise system for my business. You must learn how to value yourself. Being an artist is not for the faint of heart.” Creativity seems to just flow through the Biggs family. Anna’s mother is the artist Ann Atwood Biggs, known for her botanical watercolor paintings. Mrs. Biggs studied painting with Carolyn Wyeth but put her creative pursuits on hold to raise a family. She encouraged her daughter’s artistic interests and returned to painting once her children were grown. Drawing inspiration from Longwood Gardens, Ann paints exquisite botanical watercolors. She has exhibited at the Philadelphia Flower show and the Station Gallery in Continued on Page 34 32
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Anna Biggs Continued from Page 32
making in college. Through his Greenville. Anna has also continbusiness, Precision Woodworking, ued to paint and accompanies her John finds solutions for people 89-year-old mother on her weekrenovating homes, particularly ly trips to Longwood Gardens. older or historic homes. John hanSharing mother-daughter time and dles each project from design to a mutual love of painting is someinstallation, whether a kitchen thing Anna does to feed her soul. renovation with custom cabinetry Family also connects Anna or the construction of an ornate to Sewell Biggs, founder of the pergola. In older homes, it’s comBiggs Museum of American Art in mon to find everything out of Dover. Sewell was Anna’s cousin square and out of level. and enjoyed taking her to the “I have to think like an engineer. theater and other cultural events How things work and the best way during her childhood. The Biggs Nature can be found throughout Anna Biggs’ paintings. Museum showcases Sewell’s extensive collection of fine to construct,” he said. “He’s very meticulous, very precise,” said Biggs. “He American furnishings and art collected over his lifetime. It is not surprising that one accomplished artisan would does things the old-fashioned way.” Sieffert has renovated marry another. Anna met her husband John shortly after homes in historic Old New Castle and more modern conreturning from New York. John Seiffert is a cabinetmaker struction throughout the Wilmington area. He said, “I want to walk away with confidence that my and woodworker. His first experience with woodworking was in a high school wood shop; he then studied furniture work will last a long time.”
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His specialty is matching period work such as raised paneling. “Everything he does is pure magic. It looks like it’s from another era,” Biggs said. Anna’s busy show season has just started, but she finds time to work on another project close to her heart. She is writing a children’s book about the friendship between a dragon and a child that shares an environmental message. She hopes to acquaint families with local and national resources such as The Nature Conservancy and Ashland Nature Center through her book. Anna’s son, Chas, also shares an interest in ecology and won a national award for a stop motion short about the history of dams and their effect on the environment. It is safe to say that the creative genes continue to flow into the next generation. You can find Anna Biggs Designs at the Lewes Historical Society Craft Show on July 10, the Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Craft Show on August 7-8 and 14-15, and the Hagley Craft Show on October 16 and 17. Visit Anna’s website www. annabiggsdesigns.com for a full calendar and to view her jewelry designs and paintings.
Parrot Tulip watercolor by Ann Atwood Biggs
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Jump |Greenville Continued from Page 36
& Hockessin History|
The Marshall Steam Museum: A trip back in automotive history T
By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer
ake a look at some photographs from the very late 1800s and early 1900s when the transition between horse-led carriages and automobiles was occurring and you may see something … different. Some of these images show proud owners of a contraption called a Stanley Steamer which propelled itself across the landscape in a unique way. The Stanley Steamer holds an important place in the history of the automotive industry–and a hidden
A display near the entrance of the Marshall Steam Museum. 36
Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
“gem” of a museum near Hockessin tells its story. Technology was changing rapidly in the late 1800s. German mechanical engineer Karl Benz created what is considered the first self-propelled automobile in 1885. On June 4, 1896 Henry Ford took his “quadricycle” out for a spin. Two brothers—Francis E. and Freelan O. Stanley— were not far behind. In 1897 they produced their first car, powered not by gasoline or diesel, but by steam. The Stanleys were not trained engineers, but they had strong mechanical skills as well as design creativity. After first
Clarence Marshall beside Stanley Model 76 circa 1950, courtesy of the Marshall Steam Museum.
The Stanley twins in first car, courtesy of the Marshall Steam Museum.
using their talents to produce photographic plates, the patent for which they sold to George Eastman of Eastman Kodak fame, the Stanleys decided that the automobile would be their lifelong focus. The two men sold more than 100 cars between 1898 and 1899, making them the largest domestic seller of automobiles for those years. In 1902, the Stanley Motor Carriage Company came to life. T. Clarence Marshall was a self-taught engineer and served as the sales agent for the local office of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company from 1910 to 1920. His fascination with steam technology led him to begin collecting, operating and restoring these cars, and his interest soon rubbed off on his son Thomas. Clarence constructed a building in 1947 to hold his acquisitions; that structure at Auburn Heights (the Marshall family estate) later became the home of the Marshall Steam Museum. On Clarence’s passing in 1969, Tom continued the family tradition of acquiring and showcasing Stanley Steamers. Tom was dedicated to bringing the cars out in the open for everyone to see. He drove his 1912 30-horsepower Stanley touring car on four transcontinental trips, the furthest of which was an 8,328-mile trek from Yorklyn, Del. to Montreal, Canada, down to Tijuana, Mexico and back in 1972—considered by aficionados to be the longest excursion ever made in a Stanley Steamer. You don’t have to be a car enthusiast to appreciate the amazing vehicles showcased at the Marshall Steam Museum. Adjacent is the Marshall home, a beautiful 1897 Queen Anne Mansion in what is now Delaware’s Auburn Valley State Park, donated to the state by the Marshall family in 2008. The Museum archives note that the venue (proudly operated by the Friends of Auburn Heights, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization) owns “the world’s largest
Tom Marshall and Stanley Mountain Wagon, courtesy of the Marshall Steam Museum.
operating collection of Stanley steam cars.” It is not limited to steamers; the collection has several classic vehicles from the early days of the automotive industry. Some people today may think that Tesla was the first mass producer of electric cars, but the Museum contains one from 1916– roughly a century before Tesla entered the marketplace. The Museum also holds a 1914 Ford Model T and two 1930s era Packards. Executive director Susan Randolph knows her Stanley Steamers and talks about them as if they were old friends. A private tour of the Museum allowed this author to get “up close and personal” with several of the automobiles in the collection, which holds cars powered by gasoline, electricity and steam. Their 1932 Packard is exquisite and was considered the premium quality motorcar at the time. Tom Marshall purchased this car in 1956. A maroon 1907 Continued on Page 38 www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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Jump Steamer Stanley Continued from Page 37 38
Stanley Model K Semi Racer is quite impressive. It could reach a speed of 75 miles per hour, a remarkable achievement for its day. Many of the earliest cars produced in the United States had some things “missing”— like a windshield. A 1910 Stanley Touring Model 71 in the collection does have a windshield, making it somewhat unique among the early motorcars. A royal blue 1916 Stanley Touring Model 725 in the Museum is proof that conserving energy did not start in the 1960s. The car has a condenser which allows it to recycle the steam for reuse on trips. The average Stanley Steamer had a tank which held approximately 40 to 45 gallons and could travel roughly 40 miles without “refueling,” which usually meant stopping at a home or farmhouse asking for water. The realization that these vehicles were powered by the same thing that comes out of Executive director Susan Randolph in the Stanley Model K, which could reach a speed of your kitchen tap gives you a better apprecia- 75 miles per hour. The Marshall Steam Museum has something for people of all tion for the inventive genius of the Stanley brothers. So—how did the Stanley Steamers work? Lighting a pilot ages. A 1/8-size miniature train propels itself around the proplight underneath the car started a fire in the burner beneath erty, giving kids a thrill as they cruise through the landscape on the water tank, using gasoline or kerosene for fuel. It took a real locomotive. There’s even a popcorn machine powered approximately 45 minutes to get the boiler up and running by- what else- steam. The various exhibits take you on a trip for “full steam ahead.” Walking around the Museum, you back in time, to the days when the pace of life was just a bit… can see numerous well-preserved examples of automotive slower. You will find out about the Marshall family heritage steam technology. The cars are in pristine condition; they in the area, including ownership of local mills that produced have been ‘road tested’ on several occasions. Executive paper which sourced the nearby National Vulcan Fiber (NVF) Director Randolph has been a passenger in nearly all of the plant. Although Tom passed away in 2019, his dedication to Museum’s vehicles and her enthusiasm from those rides maintaining a part of our national heritage is shared by the team shines through as you discuss the motorcars of yesteryear and evident everywhere as you walk around the Museum. Continued on Page 40 and how they transformed life in America.
Stanley Touring Model 75 with condenser to recycle steam.
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Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
Tom Marshall’s 1932 Packard outside the Marshall home, courtesy of the Marshall Steam Museum.
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Stanley Steamer Continued from Page 38
The Marshall Steam Museum is committed to highlighting their unique collection in events throughout the year. The first Sunday of each month is Steamin’ Day, where people can ride in one of the cars, on the miniature locomotive, tour the Marshall house and estate and walk on the trails nearby. Auburn Heights After Hours offers a variety of themed games and activities, food and beverages and a tour of the grounds. The website says that Steamin’ Summer Camp gives kids ages 10 to 14 a chance to “fire up a steam-powered locomotive, play interactive games and activities, experience train rides and get a chance to drive our smallscale diesel train…” The camp will run on Friday, July 15 and Monday, Aug.1. Steamin’ Day Railroad, courtesy of the Marshall Steam Museum.
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So, if you’re wondering what it was like to ride around in an antique car and see the countryside at a more leisurely pace, or simply learn more about the roots of transportation in America, the Marshall Steam Museum will be a treat for you and your entire family. Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. His 10 books focus on the history of the Chester County/midAtlantic region. His latest work is “Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution.” His books are available through his website at www.GenePisasale.com and on www.Amazon.com. Gene can be reached via e-mail at Gene@ GenePisasale.com.
One of the many exhibits at the Marshall Steam Museum.
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|Greenville & Hockessin Life Photo Essay|
The Flint Woods Preserve Delaware’s deep forest
The Flint Woods Preserve is a 37-acre canvas of towering oaks, delicate plants and woodland habitat, all under the care of the Delaware Nature Society and made possible by the vision of one family.
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY RICHARD L. GAW
Within the first few minutes of entering the 37 acres of the Flint Woods Preserve that is owned and cared for by The Delaware Nature Society, its purest definition unfurls itself in the form of nature’s glorious and welcome quietude, punctuated only by the chorus of bird songs from the Louisiana Water Thrush, the Scarlet Tanager and the Wood Thrush. Within these first few minutes, this swath of discovery becomes a spiritual bathing and an enveloping walk through tranquility, where sunlight permeates the canopy of massive oak, tulip, hickory and American beech trees -- some of which date back more than 150 years. Long identified as the largest remaining old growth hardwood forest in Delaware, the Flint Woods Preserve in Centreville is adjacent to more than 100 additional acres of private and public land that provides critical woodland habitat for birds and is a popular stopover area for a wide variety of Neotropical birds and home to woodland plants and a restored meadow that all contribute to a valuable natural ecosystem. “There are many trees in this forest that have been preserved in here for a long time, and the larger a forest is, the more important it becomes,” said Joe Sebastiani, the director of Adult Engagement for the Delaware Nature Society. “Birds and plants who depend on interior forests to survive find a lot of space that they need in the middle of the forest and not just at the edge of a forest.
“This is a place where nature is allowed to take its own course, and is completely left alone in order to do so.” The creation of the Flint Woods Preserve was not only a gift from Karen and Peter Flint and their family to the Delaware Nature Society, but a bold vision that reimagined the way land could be preserved in northern Delaware. Peter, the longtime President of the Delaware Nature Society, worked with Director Mike Riska to expand the Delaware Nature Society’s reach – that included three parcels of the Flint Woods Preserve. “The important thing to know is that this is the Flint family’s land,” Sebastiani said. “It is land that they themselves have managed in order to create a biodiverse habitat that includes Continued on Page 46
The Flint Woods Preserve Continued from Page 45
preserving a pristine meadow and forest, placing some of their property under conservation easements and gifting 37 acres to the Delaware Nature Society. “If you look at a map of where the forests exist in northern Delaware, the biggest blocks are the Brandywine Creek State Park, the Red Clay Valley, the White Clay Creek State Park and the Flint Woods Preserve,” Sebastiani said. “For one family to play such
a huge part in preserving this land has been a benefit to everyone.” The Flint Woods Preserve is closed to the public. However, the portion gifted to and maintained by The Delaware Nature Society offers an extensive trail system that is used throughout the year for special guided tours. To learn more about The Flint Woods Preserve and to schedule a tour, visit www.DelNature.org.
The Flint Woods Preserve is an enveloping walk through tranquility, where sunlight permeates the canopy of massive oak, tulip, hickory and American beech trees -some of which date back more than 150 years.
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|Greenville & Hockessin People|
The flag-to-flag victory Throughout his half-century career as one of America’s m sports car drivers, George Alderman took on the most cha tracks. Now at 90, the thrill of the competition still rema By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The visitor was in the wrong place to interview the right person. Throughout the Hockessin home of George Alderman, there are contradictions that are as loud as the racetrack at Daytona moments after the call goes out, “Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines.” Every photograph on the walls that shows Alderman seated in Formula Cooper-Alfas and Lotus 23s and McLaren Chevys should come with sound, and rumble with the reverb as the pictures suggest. Instead, they stand as a silent black-and-white testimony to past achievements. A man of accomplishments should be interviewed in his domain, and in Alderman’s case, it would have been perfect to speak with him in the creature comforts of a former race car driver – among the tools and torn-apart engines of a mechanic shop. Yet George Alderman is now 90, and as it is, he is seated in a comfortable chair, and a temporary cane that came after a minor fall is within arm’s reach. Every wall in the home should suddenly reveal itself to be movie screens, showing films that portray the complete
Courtesy photos
Alderman in a Cooper race car in 1960. 48
Alderman raced competitively from 1956 to 2002.
Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
life of its owner careening around race tracks. It should be able to show footage of he and his wife Marilyn and their children Lauren and Paul on vacation and traveling to races as a family in a motor home. One cannot expect magic to happen every time, so the visitor concedes. He will tell a tale about a life well lived and lift every layer of it slowly, in direct contrast to the way George Alderman drove those cars around the tracks that led him directly into automotive racing history. The trip to Watkins Glen in 1952 Born on April 29, 1932, Alderman lived in Michigan with his grandparents for four years before moving to West Chester and finally to Newark in 1949. After graduating from Newark High School in 1950, he spent one year at the University of Delaware, but began to take an early interest in race cars. Alderman’s lifelong passion was firmly ingrained in him during a trip he made in 1952. “I was involved with a couple of people who were interested in sports cars, and I ended up buying a brand new MGTD and drove it to see the last street race at the Watkins Glen Raceway in upstate New York,” Alderman said. “At
In addition to owning a successful automotive service, Alderman Alderman is one of only 500-plus operated Alderman Datsun-Nissan members of the exclusive Road from 1966 to 1994. Racing Drivers Club.
ry of George Alderman
a’s most successful t challenging races and emains in his memory the time, it was a five-mile course that ran through the streets of Watkins Glen and in the nearby countryside. I was thinking about entering midget racing at the time, but then got deeply involved in sports cars, and joined the Brandywine Motorsport Club.” His timing could not have been more perfect. Following a two-year stint in the Korean Conflict, Alderman returned home to find himself at the ground floor of a sport that saw the 1950s become the official first decade of American road racing. Suddenly, the world of road racing, which had until that time been seen largely on oval tracks driven by specialized cars, became the fertile ground of Alfas, modified MGs, the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford-powered racers. Names that would become very familiar to even the casual racing fans one decade later began to emerge onto the car racing scene: Bruce McLaren. Mark Donahue. Carroll Shelby. Stirling Moss. Riding his MGTD, Alderman entered his first road race at Floyd Bennett Field in Staten Island, N.Y. in 1953. Soon after, he met Lex DuPont, a race aficionado who owned an automotive shop near his family home in Wilmington. “Lex was racing Cooper Formula IIIs and had become an unofficial importer of Cooper race cars from England, so through Lex, I was able to buy my first Cooper race car,” Alderman said. The purchase began a nearly six-decade odyssey: In 1960, just four years after receiving his national racing license, Alderman was Sports Car Club of America Formula 3 National champion in a Cooper-Norton. In 1964, he won his second SCCA National title in a Formula Libre Cooper-Alfa. In 1966, he drove a Lotus 23 to the SCCA NE Divisional Championship. George raced a Lola T70 in the Can-Am Continued on Page 50
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
George Alderman at his Hockessin home. www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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George Alderman Continued from Page 49
series, including 11th at the inaugural race at Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. In 1967, he won the Governor’s Cup at Upper Marlboro, Md. in a McLaren Chevy, en route to another SCCA NE Divisional Championship. In 1967, he was voted into the prestigious Road Racing Drivers Club. He also competed in Trans-Am series races in a Ford Mustang. George also held many overall track lap records (Lime Rock, Conn. in 1963 and 1965; Marlboro, Md, and Virginia International Raceway in 1967). Moving to the International Motor Sports Association, he won the IMSA Baby Grand championship in 1971 in a Datsun 510. In 1974, he again won the BFG Radial Challenge Series championship in an AMC Gremlin. In the 1980’s, he drove Datsun Z cars in the Camel GT series. In 1992, at the age of 60, he finished third in the Dandelion Grand Prix behind his son Paul in an SCCA National race at Lime Rock, Ct. In 1992, he led the winning team in the Nelson Ledges 24-hour race in a Caterham Super 7. In 2002, just two days before his 70th birthday, he competed in his final race at Lime Rock. From 1956 to 2002, Alderman drove everything from openwheeled formula cars to specially-built factory sports racing cars to production-based cars, and became one of the most successful race car drivers in the United States. “Racing a car is all about passing,” he said. “In many ways, it is really no different from other athletic competitions. You want to pass the guy that is in front of you, if you can catch him. In a car, you’re relying on the quality of the engine that you’ve built for the car, so there is more of a challenge to get you to go faster than your competitor. “In the end, it is the hope that you’re faster than the other guy, and while there were plenty of cars that were in the same category as mine, I was often able to beat them.” Marilyn’s Triumph TR3 springs an oil leak In 1961, following her graduation from Oberlin College, Marilyn Miller moved to Delaware to work for Hercules, Inc. On the advice of her co-workers, she pulled her Triumph TR3 into the Alderman Automotive Sports and Racing Car Preparation Company in Newport, where George Alderman had just opened a business to repair sports cars. “She was dating a guy at Oberlin that was a year behind her in school, so when she graduated and got the job at Hercules, he asked her, ‘How are you going to get to work?’ She responded, ‘I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll take a train or a bus.’ “The guy offered him his Triumph, and one day, she called me at the shop and said that there was oil dripping on her foot near the gas 50
Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
pedal. When I looked at the car, I eventually found that there was a hole in the battery box and it was dripping directly on her foot. We were able to fix it and send her on her way.” On November 24, 1962, Marilyn and George were married in Erie, Pa. Eventually, in order to accommodate his growing business, Alderman purchased two acres of Courtesy photo land on DuPont Highway near New Castle, and with- Over the course of his five-decade racing career, Alderman had 50 topin a few years, became ten finishes, 27 tope-five finishes and the founder and president five victories. of Wilmington’s Alderman Datsun-Nissan in 1966. The dealership later became a four-time winner of the Nissan Award of Merit for Outstanding Performance and Dealership Excellence. For several years, Marilyn was a constant stable in her husband’s life that extended to serving as secretary-treasurer of the family business to accompanying him on trips to his races around the country. She even received her SCCA Regional racing license and participated in a few races and hill climb events before Lauren was born. Bitten by the flying bug in the 1980s, Marilyn often flew one of the family-owned planes – the Trinidad Aero, the Piper Saratoga III and later the Piper Seneca III – that she kept at the New Castle County Airport. After selling the dealership in 1994, Alderman established Alderman Automotive Machine, which originally served to support his racing team, but over time, the word had gotten out that the company was building well-performing race engines. They still do; under the direction of son Paul, Alderman has become a well-respected provider of top-quality machinery from the world’s leading manufacturers and services for all kinds of highperformance vehicles. “A lot of people have asked me how I learned so much about automotive machinery and technology, and the truth is that while I have always been handy, it really began when my father would tell me, ‘There’s the tools, and there’s the book. Come and ask me if you have a question,’” said Paul, who was a regional and national car racer from 1989 to 1996. “He knew enough to get me involved with cars early, but he encouraged me to figure out the answers on my own.” Continued on Page 52
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George Alderman Continued from Page 50
The oversized poster at the end of the hall Marilyn Miller Alderman died peacefully at home on May 5, 2013. She was 73 years old. While her presence is visibly absent from room to room in a house that seems entirely devoid of a feminine influence, she is never very far from Alderman; a painted portrait of her rests above a mantle in the family living room, prominent and warm and less than ten feet from the chair he uses to watch car races and keep up with correspondence with his family and his friends. Up until a fall he had at Alderman Automotive Machine momentarily sidelined him a few weeks ago, Alderman would frequently visit the shop to lend a hand with suggestions and tips to Paul and the crew. While the cane he insists is temporary, he admits that his balance is not as great as it once was, and the cane helps. As the visitor prepared to leave, Alderman flipped the cane, got up from the chair and continued the conversation to the family room one floor below, to where a treasure trove of reminders from his long career in racing is stored. Posters of races, framed newspaper stories, trophies whose former sheen is now gray with age, photographs of his family
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Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
and racing colleagues – it was all there, stacked and catalogued like a museum of testimony. Alderman pointed with his Courtesy photo cane down the Alderman behind the wheel of an Alderman hall, to where an Datsun in 1971. oversized black-and-white poster of Alderman in his racing suit took up the entire end wall. Alderman was 42 in the photograph, and he appears fresh from the completion of another race, and his face is dewy from sweat and his eyes twinkle and he smiles a crooked smile, likely with the anticipation that there will be many more races to run. Alderman chuckled at the question that included the word “legacy,” specifically his own. “I don’t really know about any kind of legacy,” he said. “I suppose I just enjoyed working on cars and fixing them up.” “My father is pretty reserved and not one to beat his chest over his accomplishments,” Paul said. “Bragging about his success just isn’t in his nature. When my friends would learn about what my father did, their reaction was usually, ‘You mean your dad is a race car driver?’ Really?’ “I can’t begin to count how many times people would tell me, ‘Your dad is one of the best car racers out there.’ I know he drove a lot of times and won a lot of races, but to me, he has always just been ‘Dad.’” There are over 500 members of the Road Racing Drivers Club, made up of the most successful racing drivers – men and women – from the U.S. and Europe. Members are elected by their peers and include Formula One world champions, Indy 500 winners and champion sports car drivers. “It is a very exclusive club for road racers, and you have to get nominated to even be considered for membership,” Paul said. “You can’t just call up and ask to join. The list of members is a Who’s Who of famous race car drivers, and there are a lot of very good drivers my father raced with over so many years, and they are not on that list. “Dad is on that list.” George Alderman then grabbed an old yellow racing helmet on which his name was inscribed in italics, and led the visitor back upstairs, and one by one, the contradictions begin to vanish. To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
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www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
53
|Around Centreville|
A new welcome at the
New owner Elizabeth Moro takes over and plans plenty of changes By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer On the same day last year, Centreville resident Les Tronzo and real estate broker Ian Bunch separately suggested that Elizabeth Moro buy the Centreville Cafe. Yes, Moro knew it: her brokerage office at Brandywine Fine Properties Sotheby’s International Realty is just 500 feet away. No, her LinkedIn bio lists no restaurant experience. But the cafe meshes with her upbringing as one of 12 children and philosophies expressed in “The Civil Graces Project,” her 2020 book about sharing good food and ideas and building community. “We need to make space for everyone at the table,” she said in an interview at the cafe. “Food is one of the things that connects us. It’s part of our heritage. Maybe we can rehumanize each other when we gather. You can’t be at war with each other when you’re sitting at the same table.” 54
Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
So Moro bought it. She took over the cafe and Montrachet Fine Foods, its catering operation, on Nov. 1, and it’s a good thing she rethought the décor in such a homey way, filled with family treasures and items from bygone eras that she and her husband Vince Moro have collected. That’s because she’s devoting a lot of time there. On one pressured evening before Christmas she stayed working until 2:30 in the morning – and then returned after just an hour-long nap. “We spent so much time here that we wanted it to feel at home,” she said. For customers, too. ‘The Civil Graces Project’ Tronzo, a longtime friend of Vince, made his suggestion when Moro stopped by his garage sale. Moro had recently made news running for Congress in Pennsylvania, a campaign that she dishearteningly ended because of redistricting. “She has so much energy, so much get-go,” he said. “She loves people, and she needed to have some forward motion. So I just threw the idea at her.”
Moro’s life at the time was far from empty. She was working as a real estate broker and on Chadds Peak Farm, her historic home in Chadds Ford, helped by Vince’s ownership of a firm specializing in renovating older homes. (That’s a side gig: his day job is managing intellectual property in electronics.) Both have entrepreneurial backgrounds passed down from their families. She and Vince had also recently started a community organization on their 12-acre farm called the Little Barn of Big Ideas. “We wanted to create a space where people can come together and brainstorm about the big ideas in our community and how we can use our talents, build resources and make a positive impact in areas where we are passionate,” she wrote in “The Civil Graces Project.” The gatherings build on a lifetime of advocacy and activism, plus her college degree and five years of work in public policy. They also build on one of Vince’s creations: Brandywine in White, a pop-up dinner party backing local causes and land preservation. They met at Brandywine in White in 2015.
Her book delineates 20 “uniting principles that uplift us and bring us together to pursue the common ground and make a more perfect union,” she wrote in the first chapter. “You cannot drain the swamp; you can only find a way to redirect the water to be a resource. You cannot solve others’ problems until they are ready to accept your help,” she concluded. “We are not divided; we are diverse. It is this diversity that gives us all the options to find the solutions to the questions we are asking.” New on the menu At the cafe, Moro is collaboratively leading her staff of 11 to many goals, along with ensuring “it’s a fun place to work, for people who love food and people who love people.” The cafe and catering menus are being rethought. The chalked menu board is losing many odd names, although some retain their significance, such as the Lucy (an omelette) for her mother, the Eddy (a breakfast sandwich) for her father and the Beau (a grilled chicken salad) for Beau Biden. Continued on Page 56
All photos Courtesy of Vince Moro
(Above) Elizabeth Moro is the new owner of the Centreville Cafe and Montrachet Fine Foods, its catering operation. She’s also a real estate broker, author and community organizer. (Left) Many items are imported from France, including baguettes, butter, cheese, croissants and jam. www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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Elizabeth Moro Continued from Page 55
Both she and Vince create in the kitchen. She said her signature dishes are the brie soup (a chicken stock, with varying additions) and the Metro sandwich (brie and prosciutto on a baguette, arugula and cornichons optional). Moro said that she wants to encourage customers to make requests. One request has already become a standard: French press coffee. She has applied for a liquor license for the Centreville Cafe, and she hopes to host dinners pairing food and wine, and those initiatives build on Vince’s work at Collier’s of Centreville. In January, Linda Collier helped celebrate a wine dinner at the cafe. She’s emphasizing local suppliers, gourmet items and what Vince calls “a world marketplace” (such as baguettes, butter, cheese, croissants and jam from France). She’s also making room for nostalgic food, like the “penny candy” recalling her Michigan childhood. “Everything has a story,” she said. Key suppliers Local suppliers include the Delaware Nature Society’s Coverdale Farm for greens; D&W Microgreens of Kennett Square for what Moro calls culinary “con-
The cafe’s homey décor includes many vintage items that Moro and her husband Vince have brought from their Chadds Ford home.
fetti”; Phillips Mushroom Farms of Kennett Square and Dawn’s Kennett Square Mushrooms; Hy-Point Dairy of Brandywine Hundred and Woodside Farm Creamery of Hockessin; Baba’s
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www.ghlifemagazine.com | Summer 2022 | Greenville & Hockessin Life
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Elizabeth Moro Continued from Page 56
Quiche with a side salad is a cafe classic.
Many menu items are being renamed, and the menu is being rethought as well.
Brew of Phoenixville for kombucha; Claudio Specialty Foods of Philadelphia for Italian imports; and La Colombe Coffee Roaster of Philadelphia for coffee. Moro believes that smaller suppliers are more responsive to cafe’needs, particularly as Covid-19 and other issues have frayed the global supply chain. Since it was erected almost 200 years ago, the building has been a home, a tavern, an inn, a garden center and a fashion boutique. A historic designation limits some ideas, but Vince would like to square off the L-shaped 2,900-square-foot structure in the back of the half-acre lot to expand operations. A custom table – by Ann Joyce of Springhouse Furnishings, out of old Chester County barn wood – dominates the main dining room. All told, she figures they can seat 80 indoors and outdoors. Behind the scenes, Moro has been working to update the building’s infrastructure. She has created a meeting space upstairs but has no places to host live entertainment. The upstairs tenants – Body Ease Therapy and Ooh La La Makeup Studio – are remaining. Eventually (and admittedly “that would freak people out”) the business will get a single name – Centreville Place – that evokes the newish philosophy of the “third place” for community building and social gatherings. “There’s so much potential,” she said. “It’s a fun place to be. It’s not like work.” 58
Greenville & Hockessin Life | Summer 2022 | www.ghlifemagazine.com
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