Newark Life Spring/Summer 2022

Spring/Summer 2022

Newark Life

Magazine

John, Karen and Georgia

Projects with paws Page 42

Inside • Sean's House: A place of hope and help • The new Newark Library • Q & A: Dwayne Adams, Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness

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Newark Life Spring/Summer 2022

Newark Life Table of Contents

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Wooden Wheels Service and Repair combines bicycles and beer

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18 28 34

The new Newark library

42 48 60 64

Photo essay: Canine Partners for Life

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A mine, a tavern, and an historic area Q & A: Dwyane Adams, Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness 18

Sean’s House: A place for hope and help Planning our downtown, together Newark Empowerment Center

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Newark Life Spring/Summer 2022 Letter from the Editor:

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In this issue of Newark Life, we feature stories about everything from the plans for a new Newark library to a place of hope and help for young people struggling with mental health challenges. We look at a longtime Newark business with a new offering and a story about significant aspects of an historic area.

We are pleased to offer an in-depth look at the planning taking place for the new Newark Library.

Delaware’s libraries are increasing access to technology with Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots that can be checked out and kiosks for confidential digital meetings, like telehealth sessions. Planning for a new Newark library moved forward in February when the state announced $4 million in federal funding for the project. Much more money is needed, but the changes already taking place at the Newark Free Library are exciting as offerings are continually expanded to better serve the community.

We also feature a story about Sean’s House, which has quickly become a place of hope and help for people dealing with mental health challenges. Sean’s House is a unique safe haven right in downtown Newark for young people to learn about mental health. The goal is to reduce the threat of suicide.

In the story, “Newark: A mine, a tavern and an historic area,” we look at several different interesting aspects of the history of the area.

We also have a story about how the Newark Charrette brought stakeholders and citizens together to develop a framework for potential zoning revisions that will help chart a path forward for the city. The charrette was a multi-day hybrid meeting where stakeholders and citizens shared views and opinions and collaborated to develop potential planning and design solutions that seek to address these concerns.

We feature a story about Wooden Wheels Service and Repair, which is now combining bicycles and beer with the first microbrewery in Newark.

The Q & A in this issue is with Dwayne Adams, the founder and executive director of Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness, which has been in Newark for the past three years.

We hope you enjoy these stories, and we always welcome comments and suggestions for stories to highlight in a future issue of Newark Life. We’re already looking forward to bringing you the next issue of Newark Life, which 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: Jim Coarse www.newarklifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Newark Life

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|Newark Business|

Wooden Wheels Service and and beer with the first m

By Drewe Phinny Contributing Writer Robbie Downward, David Ferguson and Chris Denney are enthusiastic mountain bicyclists who have decided to take their love for the sport to another level in the form of Wooden Wheels, a smart, savvy business located at 208 Shoppes at Louvres Drive in Newark. k.

They debuted the current version n of the venerable Newark business around und six months ago, with a new location ion after success at several other locations ons through the years.

“We used to come up here when our shop was in the (Newark) Shopping ing Center,” Downward explained. “That hat was years ago. We were at Fairfield eld Shopping Center. Then, before that, hat, we were behind Starbucks on Main ain Street.”

Denney explained that Tom Harvey vey was the longtime owner of Wooden den Wheels until 2017. The current owners ners then reopened the business in 2018..

Over the past few years, Downward ard and Denney have found that the popularity of cycling is a natural complement to enjoying a glass of beer, whether it be after a trail ride or while waiting for a bike to be repaired. So a microbrewery seemed like a good idea. The internet played a factor in their plans.

“With the brewery side of things,” Downward said, “you can’t fight the Internet, so you may as well adapt. In a retail market, we needed to come up with a different way to bring in commerce and the community.”

A microbrewery became the perfect fit for what they were looking to do.

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“The community can help us, so we’re trying to do as much as we can for them,” Downward explained. “In Delaware, if you brew beer on site, you can sell it with a brewer’s license and a special-use permit, without having a liquor license and without having to sell food.”

Wooden Wheels can brew beer on site and offer it to customers. The owners are awaiting approval from the city to b be able to sell the beer, and the hope is th that that could happen this summer.

Th The idea of combining breweries and bik bike trails is a popular trend right now, the Wooden Wheels owners said. “It’s bee been happening all over the place, alth although not so much in our region,” Do Downward said. “A lot of trail-oriented com communities are focused around the loc local biker and they make money off of iit. It’s not a brand new idea, by any me means.”

Th The “Wooden Wheels” name has bee been a respected one in Newark for approximately 45 years. Not many bus businesses are a fixture in the community for that long.

“T “The last one I remember was Post House,” Downward said. “They were around for 55 years.”

Downward said that the Post House was on the list of Newark’s oldest businesses, and Wooden Wheels might be among the ten oldest businesses in the city, too.

Originally, the name was Wood AND Wheels.

“It was up in Kennett. Reed Rollins took it over and renamed it Wooden Wheels,” he explained. “We kind of changed the name for legal reasons to Wooden Wheels Service and Repair.”

In a world where speeding cars pose challenges for bike Continued on Page 12

nd Repair combines bicycles microbrewery in Newark Photo by Drewe Phinny

There are plenty of biking accessories available at Wooden Wheels Service and Repair.

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Wooden Wheels Continued from Page 10

travel and recreation, there are those who treat that community with the proper amount of respect and caution.

Downward noted that there are a lot of Amish traveling the roads in horse and buggies in the countryside, so people are pretty mindful of those that they share the roads with.

The range of bike rider demographics is as wide as you can imagine. “We’ve got ‘em all,” Downward said. He explained that there are riders on push bikes who aren’t even old enough to be in kindergarten yet, and on the other side of the spectrum there are riders who are in their seventies.

Parties and events are a big part of bicycling as recreation, and the social aspect of the activity is continuously increasing. This past April, the Four Years Party was very successful and more is yet to come. People come together to ride, to socialize, or to work on maintaining the trails.

Downward explained, “We bring different groups of people together. I’m president of the local mountain biking club so the trail maintenance is all volunteer. Groups go out into the local parks and fix trail issues, trim branches and take

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care of general clean-up.”

For those who would rather experience a smoother ride, there’s an entire paved trail from Chesapeake City to Delaware City. On the other hand, road riding is more demanding for fitness.

“You’re always pedaling,” Denney said. “No real brakes, always going, with a lot more variables. It’s a full body workout.”

Wooden Wheels is affiliated with Trail Spinners of Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, which is a member of the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Their marketing literature says it all: “We enhance and protect great places to ride mountain bikes. Our focus is on more trails close to home. By 2025, we aim to partner with 250 new communities for more great local trails.”

As for the beer production, Downward said, “We brew about 20 gallons at a time. We’ll probably brew twice a week, 20 gallons at a time. Two 15-gallon fermentors…that’s Continued on Page 14

Photo by Drewe Phinny

The indoor seating area for the microbrewery.

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Wooden Wheels Continued from Page 12

four sixtels, eight pony kegs of beer. Each sixtel will hold about 45 beers.”

Besides Downward, Denney and Ferguson, there are two other contributors who deserve a mention for their participation.

“Scott Partridge, an ESL professor at the University of Delaware, has an interest in brewing as a hobby, and he is a customer who was interested in helping us out,” Downward said. “Tim Cole is also a customer of ours, and he’s letting us borrow his equipment.”

All of the space at Wooden Wheels is carefully utilized specifically to serve patrons and visitors— from bikes, equipment and accessories to the microbrewery accommodations, which include an indoor seating area toward the back of the store as Continued on Page 16

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Photo by Drewe Phinny

Wooden Wheels is located at 208 Shoppes at Louviers Drive in Newark.

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Wooden Wheels Continued from Page 14

well as open-air seating on the rear balcony.

Downward and Denny love what they do. They’ve been riding for years and their enthusiasm is obvious. They are good ambassadors for a recreational activity that is increasing in popularity, especially in the Newark area. And with the addition of a microbrewery, they are “serving the cycling needs of Delaware and they are keeping the ride alive since 1976…Rider owned and rider operated, always.”

Wooden Wheels Service, Repair and Sales 208 Louviers Drive, Newark, Delaware 19711 (302) 368 – BIKE (2453) Open every day but Monday

Photos by Drewe Phinny

Above: Biking trails abound in the Newark area.

Below: All space is utilized to service, repair and sell bikes.

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|Around |NewarkNewark| Life|

The new Newark library A ukulele, ideas for a new building and better access to tech are here or on the way

Games, musical instruments and household devices are among the items in the Library of Things collection at the Newark Free Library.

By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer What do a ukulele, a stud finder and a jigsaw puzzle have in common?

They can be checked out at the Newark Free Library, as 18

Newark Life | Spring/Summer 2022 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

part of the new statewide Library of Things.

They are also part of major changes at this library specifically – and elsewhere in Delaware.

Planning for a new Newark library moved forward in February when the state announced $4 million in federal Continued on Page 20

Courtesy Photo

“Newark was a pioneer in the Library of Things…in the 1980s,” manager Pam Stevens said.

All photos Courtesy of Pam Stevens, Newark Free Library unless otherwise noted

The Newark Free Library was dedicated in 1974 and remodeled in 2003. $4 million in federal money has been allocated for a new library.

“We’re helping to redefine what libraries mean to our community,” New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said.

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|Newark Life| Jump Continued from Page 20

Newark Library Continued from Page 18

funding. Of course, much more money is needed.

New this year at libraries across the state are Tonieboxes, playful devices that tell stories and sing songs to kids.

Delaware’s libraries are also increasing access to technology with Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots that can be checked out and kiosks for confidential digital meetings, like telehealth sessions.

“Libraries are changing a lot,” New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said when the Library of Things was announced in Newark. “We’re helping to redefine what libraries mean to our community.”

Library of Things The Library of Things – things that are not books and other media – is a new name but not a new concept.

“Newark was a pioneer in the Library of Things, in loaning out art prints, Polaroid cameras and vinyl records in the 1980s,” said manager Pam Stevens.

“This project was an idea of the Friends of the Newark Free Library,” said New Castle County Councilwoman Lisa Diller, who kick-started it with a $2,500 county council grant. “They are the brains behind the idea.”

The statewide Library of Things initiative started in 2018, and the state’s 33 public libraries now have more than 270 different items (more than 830 items, counting duplicates). Thanks to the Delaware Division of Libraries network, most can be transferred between libraries.

Some, like the pressure washer in the Library of Things in New Castle, must be checked out and returned there.

The state catalog puts them in seven groups: games and sports; health and wellness; household; miscellaneous; musical instruments; STEAM kits; and technology.

STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. A guide posted at https://lib. de.us/things breaks down the collection and links to the catalog.

Library of Things collections “follow individual libraries’ missions,” said Sarena Deglin, the state’s administrative librarian for emerging technologies. Newark, for instance, has a partnership with Days of Knights, the Main Street game store, which is why it has most of the state Library of Things jigsaw puzzles. And it also hosts live gaming programming.

New Castle – home to America’s oldest continuously operating house and garden tour – this spring set up a gardening-oriented Library of Things collection. It’s also partnering with local garden clubs and the University of Delaware’s Extension for programming.

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Tonieboxes, tech and health, too

includes more than 500 Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots. The initiative aims to bridge The Tonieboxes are the digital divide by an idea from state Rep. helping underserved Bryan Shupe, whose families access what’s children enjoy them online, particularly and who convinced homework.

Many the company to donate libraries already have three for each library. hotspots in their parkThe basic box is acces- A library card allows access to items held at dozens of libraries statewide. ing lots. sorized with figurines The kiosks are for telehealth visits and other situations – such as Mickey Mouse, Elmo and the actor LeVar Burton calling for privacy and high-speed Internet access, such as – who share stories or songs associated with them.

Some partnerships are statewide for the Library of Things, job interviews, legal appointments and meetings with govsuch as for blood pressure monitors with the American ernment representatives.

“This is the first statewide library-led telehealth initiative Heart Association.

“Each library gets to know their community, but the in the country,” said Nick Martin, emerging tech and telepower of the state connection means everyone can share,” health consultant for the Delaware Division of Libraries. The $650,000 project began in 2021, with Newark scheduled said Michelle Hughes, an administrative librarian.

The Telehealth Kiosk and Device Loaning Initiative Continued on Page 22

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Newark Library Continued from Page 21

to get a one-person kiosk. Most kiosks hold two, but Newark doesn’t have the room for a bigger version, said state librarian Annie Norman.

Funding for a new library The idea of a new library got a big boost in February, when Gov. John Carney announced $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for libraries in all three counties.

The announcement quoted multiple elected officials on how libraries have grown beyond just books and how investing in libraries means investing in the future.

This quote from Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long represents a modern definition of a library: “Our libraries are so much more than a place to check out

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Magazines and newspapers are in the back of the library.

books. They really are gateways for learning and discovery and allow our communities to come together and access so many vital services.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the central role libraries serve in our communities,” Carney said. Projects receiving such federal funding must enable work, education and health monitoring – and respond to issues created or exacerbated by

Newark Life | Spring/Summer 2022 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

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Newark Library Continued from Page 22

the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

There is $4 million for a new Newark library in the federal program, and Carney is recommending another $4 million in the fiscal 2023 bond bill. Much more money will be needed: the new 27,500-square-foot library Southern New Castle County Library was budgeted at $27 million.

“The Friends of the Newark Free Library will need to raise at least $1 million,” said Judy Taggart, a board member and past president. “We also need to show what the community wants in a library.”

Taggart – also a member of the county library advisory board and the Delaware Council on Libraries – said her wish list includes more parking and meeting spaces for large and small groups.

“Everybody wants a new library,” said Diller. “It’s a multi-year process to get one.”

The library welcomes entering patrons with a table of featured books and the checkout and return area.

Your input will be sought The state Division of Libraries’ latest master plan includes increasing the total square footage of libraries statewide by 50 percent and increasing flexible and outdoor spaces.

Continued on Page 26

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Tables are scattered throughout.

Newark Library Continued from Page 24

The Newark Free Library, with a size of 26,500 square feet, is called a regional library, as are the libraries on the Kirkwood Highway and in Hockessin.

“In the last master plan the consultants were suggesting we start building to 70,000 square feet!” Norman wrote in an email. “Not sure we’re there yet but I hope Newark can expand beyond current plans for 45,000 to maybe 50,000 square feet? Still very early in the planning.”

The state will fund up to 50 percent of the cost of a new library, with the $4 million in federal funding counting in the other half. Money for a new Newark library could come from the county (which runs it), the city, foundations, businesses and people.

“I have no doubt that they’ll raise it,” Norman said.

“We have started a needs assessment to evaluate the need for the project,” said Carrie Casey, the county’s general manager of community services. “No site has been identified, and there will be ample opportunity for public engagement at the appropriate time.”

The current site is walkable from downtown, and that’s a big plus among planners these days. But access by motor vehicles can be awkward because there’s only one entrance (on Main Street, and it’s one-way), Library Avenue is divided, and both roads are often busy. The three acres span from Main to Delaware Avenue, with only a small grassy space st the

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Delaware end, opposite Newark High School, that’s not taken by the building or the 100 or so parking spaces. So a bigger library on this site, with more parking, would have to be a multi-story building.

“If they decide to build there, they’ll make it work,” Norman said, and she believes in thinking big about libraries, noting that a consultant recently assessed desires for outdoor spaces at libraries statewide. (Look for a performance gazebo

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Left: The library, of course, is dominated by filled bookshelves.

in Rehoboth.) “What we do continues to evolve,” she said. “Space should be flexible because we don’t know what’s coming next.”

Many locations in the past If the consultants’ ideas are followed, the Newark library could become the state’s biggest public library, topping the Wilmington

Institute at 46,000 square feet and the Brandywine and Route 9 libraries at 40,000 square feet. A library division website also posts a plan for enlarging the Bear library from 25,000 to 60,000 square feet.

The four buildings that make up the University of Delaware Morris’s Library together dwarf these public libraries. Anyone may enter Morris and use items in it, but most Delawareans must pay $25 a year to check items out. UD students, of course, and students at Delaware State University and Delaware Technical Community College can check out items from Morris for free.

Newark’s library has a long history of moves, according to Jane M. Tripp’s “History the Newark Library,” posted on https://friendsofthenewarkfreelibrary.com.

The first written record of a library in Newark is from around 1860, with it moving among various businesses until 1920, when it settled in the Newark Academy Building on East Main Street.

In 1932, it was made a free public library instead of a subscription library, where users paid membership fees.

In 1957, St. Thomas Episcopal Church at Elkton Road and West Delaware Avenue was purchased and converted to a library. An adjacent house was added as a children’s library in 1964.

In 1969, the Library Commission purchased the library’s current site, with the library dedicated in 1974 and expanded in 2003.

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|Newark History|

Newark:

A mine, a tavern and an historic area

By Gene Pisasale Contributing Writer In terms of its historical impact, the City of Newark has played an important role in the development of local industry and also in the creation of our nation’s republic.

Iron Hill historical marker, courtesy of the New Castle County Department of Parks and Recreation.

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One spot provided a strategic raw material in construction; two others saw troops march past during the Revolutionary War. The area has been a part of colonial settlement since the early 1700s. In subsequent decades, travelers going to and from Philadelphia and the Chesapeake Bay frequented the region, making it a desirable location for settlement and commercial development.

When early settlers wanted to make something sturdy, they searched the hills for iron ore. Just south of Newark stands Iron Hill at 328 feet in elevation, making it the highest individual geographic feature in the state. Indians had lived in the area for many centuries; they quarried jasper from Iron Hill to make arrowheads.

In 1701, the hill was included in the 30,000-acre Welsh Tract, granted by William Penn to a group of settlers fleeing religious persecution in Wales. Welsh Baptists were rejecting intolerance in their home country. They were drawn to the area, where they purchased large plots of land. Many of these Welsh settlers were familiar with ironworking and related techniques – several were skilled miners and ironworkers – and soon started open pit mining operations on Iron Hill. Mineral extraction continued there until the late 19th century.

The village of Glasgow developed at what was and still is an important crossroads in an area called Pencader Hundred.

The name Pencader means “highest seat” in Welsh. This is where the first log meeting house in the region was built in 1703. A Presbyterian church was established shortly thereafter. The Welsh Tract Primitive Baptist Church remains active and is accepted as the earliest Old School Baptist Church in America. It is one of Pencader’s most noted historic sites.

Below: Welsh Tract historical marker, courtesy of the Delaware State Archives.

Above: Aiken’s Tavern Historic District historical marker, courtesy of the Delaware State Archives.

Map of the region where the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge occurred believed to be drawn by British Major John Andre.

Aiken’s Tavern Historic District comprises the center of the village of Glasgow, just south of Newark. The district includes the site of the tavern, an important landmark at the time of the Revolutionary War. After a prolonged sea voyage in August 1777, during which many men and horses died, British General William Howe sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and landed his troops at the Head of Elk (today’s Elkton, Maryland). Howe’s army approached the area near Iron Hill from the south and west on his quest to capture the city of Philadelphia. General Washington had sent General Maxwell to defend the area with instructions for his volunteers to harass the enemy and block the British capture of the colonial capital. Washington ascended Iron Hill to observe enemy troop movements prior to what he knew would be a conflagration. On September 3, 1777, the bloody skirmish at nearby Cooch’s Bridge occurred, with British forces emerging the victors. The tavern was used as Howe’s headquarters and Pencader Church was a temporary field hospital.

The battle area is a Pencader Hundred landmark, the site of the only Revolutionary War event in Delaware. The state acquired the home of Thomas Cooch. Located just west of the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Route 896, the home was listed on the National register of Historic Places in 1973.

It is located just west of the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and Delaware Route 896.

Continued on Page 30

Washington’s Reconnaissance historical marker courtesy of the Historic Markers Commission 1932.

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Newark history Continued from Page 29

Some historians believe soldiers from both sides are buried in scattered unmarked graves around the area. One fascinating element of the battle is that British Major John Andre is believed to have drawn the map detailing the British lines of attack on the region. Andre became infamous for treason and was later captured as he plotted with traitor Benedict Arnold to take over West Point. He was later hung as a spy.

This crossroads area surrounding Newark grew steadily over the years. It was notably much busier after the completion of the New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike in 1818, later replaced by U.S. Route 40. Many of the surviving buildings in the historic district date from roughly the same time period. Aiken’s Tavern was demolished in 1832, but the area around it has several historical markers.

The Aiken’s Tavern Historic District also includes the cemetery and former site of the Glasgow Methodist Church. The graveyard is the subject of local folklore. One tale has black slaves being buried inside the cemetery wall, in the far eastern corner. Another has unknown Revolutionary War soldiers buried, in a line, in unmarked graves inside the wall all along the eastern edge of the Continued on Page 32

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British Major John Andre.

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Newark history Continued from Page 30

cemetery. A diary from a Hessian soldier states that the locals were kept busy continuing to bury unknown dead soldiers outside the wall of the church after the battle.

While popular belief has suggested that Newark has played a minor role in our nation’s history, these sites tell another story. The Battle of Cooch’s Bridge has gained more attention by historians as a significant lead up to the Battle of the Brandywine during the Philadelphia A photograph of the Thomas Cooch House, courtesy of the Campaign of 1777, University of Delaware Library. a pivotal year of the American Revolution. Historic markers and two cannons near the home of Thomas Cooch help to tell the story- and they are waiting there for you to see.

Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. He has written ten books focusing mostly on the history of the Chester County and Philadelphia area. His latest book is Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution. His books are available on www.Amazon.com and through his website at www.GenePisasale.com. Gene can be reached via e-mail at Gene@GenePisasale.com.

A monument to the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge.

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|Newark Life Q&A|

Dwayne Adams, Founder Founde Director, Breaking Barrie The story of Dwayne Adams is the story of resilience.

Severely injured by a stray bullet in 1998, Adams overcame the harrowing experience to become a world champion rower, and in 2005, he began Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness, which has been in Newark for the past three years.

Recently, Newark Life sat down with Adams to discuss the tragedy that he went through, his refusal to let it defeat him and the organization he operates to set others on a pathway of self-growth.

Newark Life: Your first fell in love with rowing when

you saw it on television, during an Olympic broadcast in the 1980s. Describe what you saw, and what was going through your mind at the time.

Adams: While I knew that the Olympics occurred every four years, I can’t say that I watched it avidly. One night, however, I was glancing at a track and field event, when suddenly, it was interrupted by a rowing event. What is this?

I thought. The broadcasters were introducing the participating countries, and all of a sudden, the race begins, and I am on the edge of my seat and I am moving with the rowers in their boats. I could feel myself getting revved up and I could Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Dwayne Adams, left, executive director of Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness, with trainer Joshua Wilson and member Courtney Everett.

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der and Executive riers Rowing & Fitness see the boats jockeying for position.

I had never had that feeling before, but just like that, it became a distant memory that through a miracle, somehow came back.

The beginning arc of what becomes every person’s greatest story does not always begin beautifully. Take the readers of Newark Life back to the evening of July 19, 1998. You had just arrived at your mother’s house in Philadelphia.

I was off to meet the kids of a woman I had begun dating a few months before. I sat on the front steps of my mother’s house debating whether I wanted to go or not. And then, Bang! My ears started ringing and I couldn’t open my eyes and I asked ‘What happened?’ I realized that I had been shot in the face. I turned and crawled up the steps and began banging on the door. My mother came to the door but she couldn’t see me because I was on the porch floor.

I screamed, ‘Mom, someone shot me!”

With one arm, my mother dragged me into the vestibule of her home and called the police. I heard the neighbors in the background, yelling “Look at all of that blood!” The paramedics soon arrived, and grabbed me by each arm and walked me out the door and walked me down five steps because the stretcher couldn’t fit in the front door. They got me into the ambulance and all I heard were loud noises.

Through all of the noise, I heard one voice tell me quietly, “It’s not time for you to go. I want you to breathe.” Just when I heard it, the paramedic put a mask on my face, and I just became calm, and we headed to Temple University Hospital.

What happened next?

When we arrived one of the doctors said, “Dwayne, we are going to open your eyelid, and if you can see my light, squeeze my hand.” I saw the light, and squeezed his hand.

Then everything went quiet, but I knew I wasn’t in heaven because I could still feel the presence of others around me and the sound of the machines.

The next thing I felt was a hand taking mine and squeezing it and letting it go. I knew it was my mother’s touch, sending me a prayer for whatever was about to happen.

When I woke up the next morning, a doctor asked me, “Dwayne, can you hear me?” I told him that I could.

“Dwayne, you are at Temple University and you were shot and a bullet entered your skull. The bullet is still inside of you. We removed one eye and you have lost vision in the other eye.”

At the time my vision was so bad everything looked like clouds. Even the doctors in their white coats looked like clouds, and when they first started talking the clouds came together as one, and when they finished talking, the four clouds separated.

As you were recuperating in rehabilitation after you lost your left eye, a woman suggested several forms of fitness for people with disabilities. She mentioned the sport of rowing. Talk about how that one recommendation changed your life.

It was beautiful and ironic, because her recommendation came so many years after I first saw rowing at the Olympics.

She had first suggested tandem bike riding. I didn’t want to be on the back of a bike. Then she suggested tandem roller skating and weightlifting and then rowing. The feeling I had many years before came back to me, and not too long afterwards, I found myself being driven along Kelly Drive and to the boathouses along the Schuykill River.

I saw athletes with several disabilities there – amputees and those with cerebral palsy, for instance – and soon I was in a boat and rowing in the river. An instructor told me, “I know that you are strong, but we need to teach you the technique first.”

Nine months after I left the hospital, I took part in my first regatta, and I finished in second place. I was upset, because I didn’t win. That became the drive that began the rest of my life.

Describe the sensation of being on the water during those early sessions. It must have been freeing in many ways, yes?

It was actually beyond freeing. When I was out on the water, I could see the cars going by on Kelly Drive. I could see the fishermen along the banks and other boats, but all Continued on Page 36 www.newarklifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Newark Life

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I could hear was my breathing, my partner’s breathing, the oars dipping in and out of the water, and the ducks and the geese. I could hear nature and feel the wind. After going through something so traumatic, to be placed in a scenario like this, I couldn’t have asked for more than that. This was nature. This was God. You would go on to row on both adaptive and able-bodied teams, earn a spot on the U.S. Adaptive Rowing Team, and earn a medal at the 2002 U.S. Championships in Spain.

Do you ever view your success in rowing as both a series of accomplishments but also a statement to your resilience?

No. I prayed and went to church prior to my injury, but the power of my faith that gives me that resilience has climbed to another level in the years since. To those who do not see the real me, I am blind, because that is what they choose to see. I have faced many challenges, but they have always been met with the fact that I will not give up. I am in a rowing race for my life now, and am I going to give up? No. I always say that the bullet that entered my skull was a blessed bullet. It may have left me with partial sight in one eye and no sense of smell, but it has enabled God to elevate me higher and that has transcended to everyone around me, including my trainers here at Breaking Barriers.

Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness is built on the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. You founded the organization in 2005 in Philadelphia, moved it to Wilmington and opened up your Newark location three Continued on Page 38

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Breaking Barriers Continued from Page 36

years ago. How did these principles figure in your vision to begin the organization?

These principles of our organization are in place because they aren’t what I see at many other organizations. I asked myself, “Why can’t I have a kid from the inner city who doesn’t have it as well as a rich kid from the suburbs rowing together?” I believe that it can all be done under one roof, under one mission.

Here, you see Black, Hispanic and white. We have adults coming in from different backgrounds who may have had some initial reservations and are now working alongside each other. It’s the concept that is breaking barriers through fitness.

Breaking Barriers is truly diverse not only in its members, but in its programs: youth training, group training, fitness for seniors and veterans, core strength and more. Describe the advantages of membership here, as opposed to joining a health club facility.

In far too many health clubs, individuals come to get their work out in, but here, it’s about family. I just saw a mother

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here who was working out while her young daughter was enjoying herself meeting some of the other members. At another club, that young girl may be thought of as a nuisance, but here, one of our other members stopped her workout to play with the young girl.

You are a well-sought-after public speaker. What is the message you share with others?

Public speaking has been another blessing for me. I have never taken a course in giving speeches, nor have I ever written a speech. What I speak about is based on what the program’s message is about, but it comes from the heart, and it comes from my life experiences, and it simply takes off from there.

Too many people deliver nothing more than a pre-written speech. I can’t do that. I need the audience to feel what I feel. I always try to put me in them and them in me. I always thank everyone for allowing me to be a part of them.

What is your favorite place in Newark?

That’s easy. Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness.

You decide to host a dinner party, and can invite anyone you wish – living or not, famous or not. Who would you love to see sitting around that table?

The first person I would like to see there is my father, who passed away in a drowning accident when I was three. I would also like to invite Muhammad Ali. I always felt that in front of the camera, he needed to do what he needed to do, but away from the camera, he was a different person, and I could learn so much from this man.

I would also like to invite Warren Buffet, just to listen to him and the directions he might point me in. I would also invite Continued on Page 40

Courtesy photo

Trainers at Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness provide one-on-one sessions with members.

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Breaking Barriers Continued from Page 39

Jay-Z, who elevated himself from the ‘hood to become a successful businessman. I would also like to see Michelle Obama at that table, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sheila Johnson, the co-founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts and the first African-American woman to become a billionaire.

That dinner would cover everything from spiritual growth to business and finance to life.

What item can always be found in your refrigerator?

Cranberry juice.

Breaking Barriers Rowing & Fitness is located at 101 Peoples Drive, Unit #1, Newark, Del. 19702. To learn more, visit www.breakingbarriersde.org, or call 302-722-5445. To contact Dwayne H. Adams, email dwayne@breakngbarriersde.com.

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|Newark Life Photo Essay|

Projects with Paws As part of their decade-long commitment to Canine Partners for Life, Karen Kral and John Sherman have opened their Newark home to puppies that now serve as lifelines to people all over the country Photos by Jim Coarse Text by Richard L. Gaw Georgia, a yellow Labrador puppy and for the moment a resident of Newark, has already in her 12-week life hung out at Harrington Beach on the campus of the University of Delaware, pranced along Main Street, explored the James Hall Trail near the Newark train station and visited the UD Creamery.

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Georgia’s constant companions on these Newarkian journeys have been Karen Kral and John Sherman, who are volunteer puppy raisers for Canine Partners for Life (CPL), a national organization headquartered in nearby Cochranville, Pa. that provides training for dogs who become full-time service or companion dogs for individuals with physical or cognitive challenges all over the country.

Continued on Page 45

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Canine Partners for Life Continued from Page 42

Georgia is the tenth puppy that Karen and John have helped provide early training for. In their decade-long partnership with CPL, they have also worked with Digger, Banditt, Samba, Cheeky, Bela, Rebi, Kathi, Blue and Dawk, many of whom received formal training and were then connected to their owners.

While Karen and John will only share their “puppy home” with Georgia for about four months, the time they spend with her is crucial to her development and future role as a service or companion dog. They are responsible for raising the puppy in accordance with all CPL policies and procedures, including housebreaking, crate training, vet visits, reinforcing good manners, teaching basic obedience commands and socializing the puppy in public locations every day.

“The puppies need to be well-trained, because they will eventually be living with their recipient all the time, and they need to be able to focus and help that person,” Karen said.

“When we are taking one of our puppies on a walk and mention our role at Canine Partners for Life to friends and passers-by, the one thing I most often hear is, ‘I could never give up a puppy like this,’” John said.

“My usual response to them is, ‘Well, you have to remember that this is not a pet. This is a project.’ We’re following a one-inch thick training manual and we have to maintain strict adherence to it.”

Continued on Page 46

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Canine Partners for Life Continued from Page 45

Tonya DiPilla, CPL’s associate director of development and communications, said that volunteers like Karen and John are responsible for the first rung of training that eventually connects companion and service dogs to their eventual owners.

“All of our dogs go through two full years of training before they become a service or a companion dog, and every single puppy that goes through our program begins their training with people like Karen and John,” she said. “Without these volunteers, these partnerships would not be possible. We can’t continue to place service dogs without people like Karen and John, who are so selflessly giving up so much of their time to build that puppy’s very foundation.

“It’s a huge commitment, but it’s very rewarding at the same time, because they are a part of this huge partnership that changes somebody’s life.”

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One of the biggest thrills John and Karen receive is when they attend graduation ceremonies for dogs that have gone through the entire CPL training program.

“The first ceremony we went to, someone told us, ‘Don’t forget your tissues,’” Karen said. “The recipients begin to tell the audience what the dog has meant to them so far, and more importantly, what their life was like before their dogs came into their lives. They share stories of not being able to leave their home or not being able to walk upstairs, or having to rely on a friend or a family member.

“While every dog is in some way an emotional support for us, these dogs are that and so much more.”

“When we hear people say, ‘This dog has made my life worth living again,’ it tends to get very emotional for Karen and me,” John said.

“We’re glad to be a part of this community.”

Become Involved.

Canine Partners for Life is a worldwide organization that works with several volunteers in Delaware. To learn more about opportunities such as providing early training for puppies, visit www.k94life.org, or call 610-869-4902.

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|Newark Spotlight| All photos Courtesy of Sean’s House unless otherwise noted

A place of hope and help

Sean’s House is a unique safe haven for young people to learn about mental health and reduce the rate of suicide

By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer Eight words explain why Chris Locke founded Sean’s House: “This is what Sean wants me to do.”

Sean’s House is a unique safe haven in downtown Newark for young people to learn about mental health and reduce the threat of suicide.

Sean Locke was a “kid who looked like he had everything,” said Chris, his father. He was voted as having the best smile at St. Mark’s High School. He captained the University of Delaware basketball team. And he lost his battle with depression 19 days before his 24th birthday.

Continued on Page 50

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Below: Sean’s House is named for Sean Locke, who lost his battle with depression just before his 24th birthday.

Right: Sean’s House is a new place in downtown Newark for young people to learn about mental health. Nic Snow performs at Sean’s House’s 2021 Music Night, sponsored by Karins and Associates.

Far right: Chris Locke, Sean’s father (striped shirt), helps members of the Indian Grad Student Association learn about Sean’s House resources while gathering for a meal provided

by Taverna on Main Street.

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Sean’s House Continued from Page 48

Although Chris didn’t know that his son was depressed and feels he wouldn’t have known what to do if he had, he knows now that he has a mission with the development of Sean’s House.

“Sean knew that I was the type of person who was just not going to let it lay there,” Chris said.

Sean’s House is a 24/7 place of hope and help at 136 W. Main St., a house that Sean rented with friends while he was studying at UD. Since it opened in the fall of 2020, staff members and volunteers have presented programs to 20,000 people in the community. At the house, about 8,000 people have used its resources, including its library on mental health, and 1,500 have been helped by its volunteer peer support specialists. And 45 have been saved from their suicide crises.

Continued on Page 52

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The UD chapter of Athletes InterVarsity meets Tuesday evenings at Sean’s House.

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Sean’s House Continued from Page 50

Chris, who’s 62 now, was 44 when he lost his best friend to suicide. He was still unprepared when he lost Sean 14 years later.

“I believe that was his message to me to change what was going on,” Chris said about the note that Sean left before his death. “It was the first time he ever opened up to me. I was a Neanderthal when it came to mental illness and suicide. I think one of the reasons why Sean did not come to me was I would have said all the wrong things. I would have told him to suck it up.”

Three objectives for UnLocke the Light Sean’s House focuses on ages 14 to 24, which Chris called “the most stressful time in life.” People as young as 10 and and as old as 32 have sought help. Chris called Sean’s House unique in the country and it has generated interest about replicating its best practices.

“We’re looking to make this kind of a bellwether for people to use in other locations,” Chris said.

Sean’s House grew organically, Chris said. In his spirit, the Locke family began the SL24: UnLocke the Light Foundation. When 3,000 people showed up for two basketball games that raised $200,000, they knew there was community support for an ongoing project. They came up with the house.

Continued on Page 54

Photo by Ken Mammarella

Chris Locke and his family began the SL24: UnLocke the Light Foundation.

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Sean’s House Continued from Page 52

“After the Lockes lost Sean, their lives were forever changed. They wandered aimlessly and sometimes still do,” Chris told city council before its vote to OK zoning for the house. They decided the way to fight mental illness was to “remove its most powerful tools: darkness, guilt and silence.”

The foundation has three objectives: • Educate high school and college students to the signs of depression, remove the stigma of depression, and make available resources to help people with depression and the real threat of suicide • Assist high school and college athletes with the transition from a life of sports to a life without sports free from depression or with the tools to manage depression. Over 30 percent of [Division 1] athletes will deal with depression either in their last year of playing or the year right after playing and • Create a safe haven where high school and college students receive professional help and speak to peers about their struggles with depression and the threat of suicide

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Members of the UD cross country team bond at a backyard program.

Dozens of peer support specialists Sean’s House was originally built in 1910 for John R. Downes (the elementary school is named for him) and for decades was the home and office of Dr. Arthur Mencher.

Continued on Page 56

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Sean’s House Continued from Page 54

“We need to let these young adults know that it’s OK to talk about their feelings and thoughts,” Nina Warren, Mencher’s granddaughter, wrote to council.

It costs $250,000 to $300,000 a year to run Sean’s House, and while its services are free, there is no government funding and funding is placed solely on contributions from local residents, businesses and other non-profits.

The house operates with a staff of two (Scott Day and Tianna Wagner), plus assistance from several UD graduate psychology students who live there and are around a lot to provide risk assessment and advice. And 150 peer support specialists – most having fought depression, anxiety, eating disorders, assault, the pressure of being a student athlete or other stressors – have been trained and volunteer for various shifts.

These peer support specialists “have a basic education of how to help other people struggling with mental illness,” Chris said. “After they leave us as volunteers, their training will affect them professionally. And when they become parents, they’ll be able to have those conversations.”

“We use our own lived-in experiences,” said peer support specialist T.J. Roche, a UD junior psychology major who became depressed after a shoulder injury meant he could no longer swim competitively and was not Continued on Page 58

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Paws for People sends three or four dogs a week to Sean’s House for pet therapy.

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Sean’s House Continued from Page 56

satisfied with assistance from the university wellness center.

“We tell our stories to empower their lives.”

Roche praised the eight or 10 young people he’s had conversations with at Sean’s House.

“It takes a lot of courage and vulnerability to spill to a stranger,” he said. “People are scared to feel their emotions.

But it’s OK to not be OK.” “It’s so incredibly validating and empowering to use what I learned in my mental health journey,” said peer support specialist Madeline Riordan, a junior majoring in medical diagnostics. “In a way, I’m helping myself by being a peer.

I’m still healing.” She recalled one moving encounter with a high school student. “He left visibly lighter, standing taller and thanking me profusely.”

“Our job is to listen,” said peer support specialist Alli Burns, a junior psychology and human services major. It’s also about sharing experiences, she said, referring, for example, to the stressors of social anxiety from being sent home during the pandemic and then returning to classes. “I can say ‘I’m also experiencing that.’” One telling time was with a young

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person at the house saying “In the past, she felt shut out,” Burns said. “Now she felt heard.”

“Sometimes people cry. Sometimes they can’t express themselves. Sometimes they just want to talk. And I’ve walked in their shoes,” said Day, the executive director of the house, referring to his own depression and suicidal thoughts.

Some young people who come to the house have abused their bodies with alcohol, street drugs, medications, food and sharp objects, he added.

A flyer posted in the house explains its 24/7 emergency support: “ Every night, at least one trained individual stays in the house. … Their job is to sit and talk with you to make sure you’re OK. … ‘Emergency support’ is a purposely openended term. … Our goal is to make sure that even in the middle of the night, you never have to feel truly alone.”

“Sean never was able to say, ‘I’m dealing with something, I need help,’” Chris said. “And he never showed it. That’s why this place is here. That’s why Sean’s Place is here - to have that first conversation - and then we will assist you to get you the help that you need.”

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|Around Newark|

Planning our Downtown, Together Newark gathers residents and stakeholders to develop framework for change

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The City of Newark Planning and Development Department hosted a charrette, called “Planning Our Downtown, Together,” in Council Chambers and virtually via Microsoft Teams from March 21 to March 25.

In recent years, proposed landuse projects have raised questions about building height, scale, density, configurations, and parking.

To address these concerns, the City of Newark is reviewing its Zoning Code for potential revisions to the BB (Central Business District) and RA (Multifamily Dwelling-High Rise Apartments) Zoning Districts.

The charrette was a multi-day hybrid (in-person and virtual) meeting where stakeholders and citizens shared views and opinions and collaborated to develop potential planning and design solutions that seek to address these concerns. In advance of the charrette, the key stakeholders were invited to provide their

input to shape charrette activities.

On Day 1 of the charrette, the events focused on the downtown’s issues and opportunities through a virtual walking tour and open house. On Day 2, the team and public generated ideas and framed the design solutions that could address the issues and build upon the opportunities. Days 3 and 4 were devoted to refining these potential solutions and outlining the framework for zoning updates. On Day 5, the team presented the major findings from the week, which included the basic tenets to amend the zoning ordinance supported by concept plans and diagrams that reveal how development could look.

For the BB District, a key basic tenet is to keep the base height at three stories and permit bonus stories up to seven stories for projects that advance the City’s planning policies and goals. These goals are for more street-level plazas and public space, affordable housing, and homeownership. For the RA District, the team recommends keeping the maximum base height of seven stories and removing the current conditional provisions that permit up to ten stories.

In addition, other basic tenets include strengthening the city’s architectural standards that would improve the downtown appearance and vitality. Examples include requiring architectural elements that reduce the appearance of mass and bulk, emulate city character, and promote street activity. The team also recommends moving forward with the current Parking Committee recommendations to reduce the amount of parking Continued on Page 62

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Newark Charrette Continued from Page 61

required with a new development project and to make better use of the existing parking supply through shared parking policies, way-finding signage, and other parking management strategies. These and other basic tenets resulting from the charrette will be refined and included in a report to City Council.

Later this spring, the city’s consultant, AECOM, will present the charrette final report to City Council. After direction from Council is received, AECOM will work with city staff to draft revisions to the Zoning Code for a review and recommendation by the Planning Commission and for formal consideration by the City Council. The proposed revisions to the Zoning Ordinance will first be presented as a preliminary draft for review and comment and then resubmitted as formal proposed revisions. All meetings of the Planning Commission and City Council regarding the charrette report and Zoning Ordinance revisions will be open to the public.

To learn more about the process and to watch or listen to the public meetings that occurred during the charrette, and to keep apprised of upcoming meetings please visit newarkde.gov/zoning.

If you have questions, please contact the City at planning-dept@ newark.de.us.

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|Newark Community| Founded in 2007, The Newark Empowerment Center helps provide a helping hand to an underserved population.

On the eve of his retirement, Friendship House Assistant Executive Director Marc Marcus reflects on the Center’s mission, and the transformations he has witnessed there

‘We walk with people as much as we can’

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 This is a profile of one man’s 30-year odyssey of decency and selflessness for his fellow brothers and sisters, that for reasons the reader will soon understand must begin with the hardened facts of reality.

In statistics compiled in 2020 by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 1,165 Delawareans experience homelessness on any given day. Of that total, 136 were family households, 78 were veterans, 43 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 267 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

According to the Housing Alliance of Delaware, an agency committed to working in collaboration with its partners and stakeholders to end homelessness, the numbers are even higher. “Each year, more than 3,000 people will experi-

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ence homelessness in Delaware,” its website reads, and the homeless can be found “sleeping on streets, in cars, abandoned buildings, emergency shelters and transitional housing programs.”

But this is also the story about Marc Marcus, and the influences that have led him, the organizations he has led and the many people he has helped over the past three decades.

A native of Stanton, Marcus grew up beneath the enveloping influence of his mother Mary, who spent her life dedicated not just to her family but to her community and her church.

To the young boy, his mother’s dedication toward others was inspiring, and he carried that lesson with him when he became the owner of a furniture service company and furniture rental business in New Castle and Stanton.

The act of selflessness was infectious, and as Marcus was about to enter his 50s, he felt the calling to share it with others far less fortunate.

‘Being of service to them’ “I had been in business a long time, and the church I was part of – St. Mark’s United Methodist Church -- was hiring a

Courtesy art

The Newark Empowerment Center is one of four empowerment centers throughout Delaware that serves as many as 4,000 clients a year, under the guidance of Friendship House.

minister to do visitation,” Marcus said. “I was on the interview committee and decided I really wanted to take on the job, so I resigned from the committee and took the job. I had enjoyed being in business for a long time, but I wanted to have a little more interaction with helping people and being of service to them.”

Soon after, Marcus began volunteering with Friendship House, a Wilmington-based agency founded in 1987, providing assistance and advocacy for the homeless population of Delaware, and seven years later, Marcus began to take a step back from business and became a volunteer at Friendship House.

It was there where Marcus met Bill Perkins, the agency’s long-time executive director.

“I learned so much just by watching the way Bill interacted with people and the selfless way he did it, especially for those who were experiencing homelessness and had lost all of their foundation and support,” Marcus said. “I saw Bill begin to build these individuals up and champion them, and just listen to them.”

As Friendship House grew, so did Marcus’ role at the agency. He joined its board of directors, became the board’s vice president and eventually was named assistant executive director. Quickly, he found himself at the helm of an organization that serves more than 10,000 people annually with the support of community and faith partners and programs and initiatives; provides free clothing to the community; offers financial support to those struggling with rent, utilities and medical bills; offers transitional housing for those re-entering self-sufficiency; and operates four empowerment centers that work with over 4,000 clients every year.

One of those empowerment centers is on Main Street

Courtesy photo

The staff at Friendship House.

in Newark, on the second floor of the Newark United Methodist Church.

An empowerment center grows in Newark In 2007, Richard Waibel, a longtime member of Newark United Methodist Church, led a small group of members of other places of faith and agencies in Newark to create the Empowerment Center inside the church on Main Street.

In the 15 years since the doors first opened, the Newark Empowerment Center serves as a lifeline to an often marginalized and invisible population.

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Financed in part by donations from the Newark community, the Newark Empowerment Center staff meets with an average of 30 people a day – about 700 a year. The Center provides hospitality, a sanctuary from the elements, hot beverages and bag lunches, mail and phone service, assistance with getting identification, bus tickets to job interviews and consultation and referral on everything from financial assistance to medical needs to finding transitional housing.

For many who seek the services of the Empowerment Center, their first step through the doors is the most difficult, largely because they arrive carrying the invisible scars of shame, guilt, sadness and desperation that often accompany their predicament. Whether a client is seeking information about jobs, transitional housing or any other service, Marcus said the Empowerment Center is not a place of judgment, but of listening.

“Our mission for everyone is to say, ‘Here is where you are and we’re willing to support you where you are right now,’” Marcus said. “When they first walk in, some will share much of their lives and some do not.

It doesn’t matter. We will still work with them, and we will get them to understand that someone truly cares for them. We let them know the Empowerment Center is a place where they can share what they want, and we will work wherever they are and whatever they are doing.”

“The church is very focused on the needs of those who live in Newark area, but having Friendship House and the Newark Empowerment Center here makes it much easier for us to help reach people where they are, that gives them the infrastructure that we don’t have,” said Robert Cappiello, business manager at United Methodist Church. “It is a wonderful partnership.”

One of the largest initiatives Marcus has created for Friendship House and the Newark Empowerment Center has been the Code Purple program, which provides shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Newark, Wilmington and Middletown when temperatures reach 20 degrees or below. In the more than one dozen years the program has been in Newark, Friendship House has had up to eight area churches open up their doors and provide sleeping arrangements.

‘Tomorrow is a new day’ After 30 years spent at Friendship House, Marcus will retire in May, and he and his wife plan to spend their next several years seeing where their RV will take them. As he prepares for the next chapter of his life, Marcus occasionally reflects on some of the many people who walked through the doors of the Newark Empowerment Center, whose stories evolved from despair to hope.

One story was that of a woman in her 60s who had once established a career working at a bank and raising a family in a middle-class lifestyle.

After being laid off, her life crumbled, and she spent her days along Main Street and her evenings sleeping in hallways and on people’s couches.

During most of her visits to the Newark Empowerment Center, she was disruptive and promptly asked to leave. She was a frequent visitor in 66

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Courtesy photo

Marc Marcus with Friendship House Executive Director Kim Eppehimer

local court for various infractions in Newark, and was eventually moved to a mental health facility.

“After her stay, she returned to the Newark Empowerment Center to visit, and our manager at that time – who had known the woman for several years – did not recognize her,” Marcus said. “She told us that she was slowly piecing her life together and had moved to transitional housing.

“That’s what Friendship House and the Newark Empowerment Center do. We tell people that ‘Tomorrow is a new day and tomorrow could be the day something different happens.’ We walk with people as much as we can.”

“The most common question I am asked in regards to Marc’s retirement is, ‘Who will replace him?’” said Friendship House Executive Director Kim Eppehimer. “My answer? No one. Marc is a very special and unique person to me and our organization, and although many of his day-to-day responsibilities will be parceled out and shared with colleagues throughout our organization – and we will indeed hire appropriate staff to carry Continued on Page 68

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this load – no one can take the place of Marc Marcus.

“From his humble leadership to his incredible gift of grace, Marc has made me a better person, our organization more gracious and loving, and all those he touched along the way more aware of the beauty of themselves and those around them.”

“Whether it is Friendship House or the Newark Empowerment Center, we treat everyone who arrives with respect and dignity, and we want them to know they have a place to come to, especially at a time when they have no place to go to,” Marcus said. “Many feel shame about having to come here. Many feel they do not matter. Many feel they don’t deserve anything. We are

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Friendship House Assistant Executive Director Marc Marcus, right, with volunteer Olivia Daniel and United Methodist Church Business Manager Robert Cappiello at the Newark Empowerment Center.

here to help them build back all they want to work on in whatever areas we can.

“This is a place where everyone is valued.”

The Newark Empowerment Center is located at the Newark United Methodist Church, 69 East Main Street. To learn more about the Center and Friendship House, call 302-652-8133, email info@friendshiphousede.org, or visit www. friendshiphousede.org.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

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