Out & About Magazine - April 2021 - Say Cheese!

Catering to the Charcuterie Craze

Say

Cheese!

Utilizing new technology, Junior League brings the Kitchen Tour to your home

APRIL 2021 COMPLIMENTARY

Poetry & Politics

Deschutes Comes to Delaware

Reimagined!

Find Inspiration For Your Next Kitchen Remodel!

April 2021

Exclusive access to virtually tour the area's most beautiful kitchens Cooking classes & demos from local chefs Scan to purchase Tour tickets and cooking classes! jlwilmington.org/tickets 2 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Your first wax is FREE* Christiana Fashion Center - 3162 Fashion Center Blvd | 302 731 2700 Wilmington - 5603 Concord Pike ( Next to Trader Joe's ) | 302 529 8888 waxcenter.com MARCH 2021 *First Wax Free offer: First-time guests only. Valid only for select services. Additional terms may apply. Participation may vary; please visit waxcenter.com for general terms and conditions. European Wax Center locations are individually owned and operated. © 2021 EWC Franchise, LLC. All rights reserved. European Wax Center® is a registered trademark.

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4 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

2 INSIDE 2

Out & About Magazine Vol. 34 | No. 2

START

19

7 From the Publisher 8 What Readers Are Saying 9 War on Words 11 FYI 13 Learn 17 Poetry & Politics 19 Taking the Lead

FOCUS 24 Artful Eating 29 Kitchen Tour Goes Virtual

24

EAT Published each month

by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact@TSNPub.com Wilmington, DE 19801 Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Digital Services Director Michael O’Brian Contributing Designer Allanna Peck, Catalyst Visuals, LLC, Contributing Writers Jill Althouse-Wood, Danielle Bouchat-Friedman Adriana Camacho-Church, JulieAnne Cross, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Lauren Golt, Jordan Howell, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Ken Mammarella, Matt Morrissette, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Leeann Wallett

31 Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken

DRINK 35 Deschutes Comes to Delaware

LISTEN 41 New Things Afoot for The Collingwood 45 Squeezebox a Music Mecca

31

PLAY 48 Night at the Oscars 49 Fill in the Blanks

WILMINGTON 50 In The City 52 On The Riverfront

On the cover: Jillian Harris, owner of The Cute in Charcuterie, is one the hospitality-industry experts featured during this year’s virtual Kitchen Tour Reimagined presented by The Junior League of Wilmington.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

45

EVENTS CALENDAR

All new inWilmDE.com coming this month.

All new inWilmDE.com coming this month.

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Butch Comegys, Lindsay duPhily, Matthew Loeb, Matt Urban

Printed on recycled paper.

Special Projects John Holton, Bev Zimmermann

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 outandaboutnow.com • contact@tsnpub.com

APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

5

I AM MUSIC I AM

Danielle Johnson Hoochi Coochi

All new inWilmDE.com

START

From The Publisher

SERVICE WITH A SMILE T

his is like gold,” the female vaccinator said with a smile.

It was a soothing smile, the kind that makes you feel as if you’re getting better already. It was a mom’schicken-soup-when-you’re-fighting-a-cold smile. A golden moment, for sure.

In fact, had the vaccinator offered me a choice — say, that first shot of vaccine she held just inches away, or a check worth five digits — I would have chosen the shot. Without hesitation.

Health is everything; the rest is gravy. It’s been my guiding principle for more than a half century. And it has served me well, especially on days when the big picture is blurred by the myopic distractions of everyday. Just bless me with good health.

I’ll figure out the rest.

And with that first dose of “gold,” I was taking a major step in maintaining the good health I’ve enjoyed since COVID-19 invaded our world just over a year ago. Good fortune and following the guidelines — that is what has worked for me.

So, now here I was at Dover International Speedway, getting the first of two shots of the Moderna vaccine. It was an experience that reminded me how impressive Americans can be when we put our minds to it.

The operation was managed by state government in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). An inspiring contingent from Dover Air Force Base provided logistical support. The entire process was run with the clockwork precision of Disney World. Twenty minutes, from arrival to the post-shot waiting area. I waited almost that long at Starbucks for my post-vaccine coffee.

In fact, as I exited the waiting area and made my way back north, I couldn’t help thinking about the team with whom I’d just interacted. Most seemed in their early 20s, a host of Dover Air Force Base personnel, for sure. Every facial expression conveyed reassuring diligence. Until I reached the vaccine tent.

That is when the smile was added.

As I drove, I imagined the young airmen and airwomen back at their barracks, recounting the day together, perhaps sharing

a beer. You know, we did good today, I pictured them saying.

Indeed, they did.

Yet more good needs to be done. Not just by those working to administer the vaccines, but by us. Back in November, polls indicated 40% of the U.S. population would choose not to get vaccinated. Recent polls suggest that percentage has decreased to 30%. The magic number for vaccinations before we reach herd immunity and begin reclaiming our lives? Estimates range from 70-85%.

"We don't really know what that magical point of herd immunity is, but we do know that if we get the overwhelming population vaccinated, we're going to be in good shape," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, during a recent Senate hearing.

I trust Dr. Fauci. Not because I know him, but because he trusts science. And if we can’t trust science, well, we have a grim future. Even should we survive COVID-19.

But it isn’t just Fauci. There are thousands of brilliant scientists around the world saying the same thing right now: The COVID vaccines are safe and three are more than 90% effective. We would be wise to listen.

Why? Because scientists do the math that none of us were good at. They do the research. Follow the facts.

Work the problem.

Then they share that data and empower us to take factbased action. That is what happened that day in Dover.

Fact-based action.

Throughout the process, no one asked me if I was for big government or small. Like an ER physician attending the victim of a heart attack, they simply worked the problem.

I recognize there are some who choose to avoid vaccination because of a bad personal experience. I respect that decision.

However, for all our sake, let’s hope that percentage of the population is under 15%.

Because history shows that the development of vaccines is one of mankind’s “golden” achievements. But don’t take my word for it. Look it up.

— Jerry duPhily

...had the vaccinator offered me a choice — say, that first shot of vaccine she held just inches away, or a check worth five digits — I would have chosen the shot.

APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING About About The War On Words A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse

By Bob Yearick, March 2021

KRESTON WINE & SPIRITS

Est. 1933 Delaware’s Oldest Liquor Store Family-Owned for Four Generations Large Selection of Wine, Spirits & Beer Curbside Service Available MIDDLETOWN 448 E. Main Street Middletown, DE 19709 Tel: (302) 376-6123

WILMINGTON 904 Concord Avenue Wilmington, DE 19802 Tel: (302) 652-3792

KRESTONWINES.COM 8 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

"I am not one to email editors but after discovering your monthly column today, I could not resist. I have found a comrade in arms!

My pet peeve is the misuse of me and I. I find myself yelling at the television on a regular basis, "it's me, not I!" My kids would be happy to confirm that for you.

Now I am not going to say that I have perfect use of the English language because I do not. Apparently, I have a problem with the use of still and yet. Again, that would be from my kids, but they may be right. However, I do strive to do my best and I have an issue with people in the spotlight speaking incorrectly. Listen, Oprah, they did not give it to Steadman and I!!!!!! It is like nails on a blackboard for me.

So, thank you for your column. Now that I have found it, I will be looking for it every month. I think I am going to have to check out your book as well. A new fan."

— Karen Graham "Always enjoy reading about mistakes made by others with good intentions!"

— Dan Tommey

About Music Man The shows must go on, and with people like Arden Gild Hall’s Ron Ozer they will

By Jill Althouse-Wood "Jill, thank you for bringing to light all the hard work Ron Ozer has done for our community and for music and art venues around the country. He is a tireless gem!"

— Cindy Smith Cohen "Constantly amazed and humbled by Ron. He's enriched my life by following his passion for music. I hope Delaware realizes what an asset this single person has been."

— Joe del Tufo

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? SEND US A MESSAGE! contact@tsnpub.com • OutAndAboutNow.com

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A writer/editor’s slightly snarky and relentless crusade to eliminate grammatical gaffes from our everyday communications

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

THE WAR ON WORDS A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse

MEDIA WATCH First, we have a trifecta from the USA Today sports pages: • Gabe Lacques: “. . . Mather is not nearly as interested in the Mariners playing in October than he is making free agents come begging.” The phrase is “not nearly as interested . . . as.”

• Dan Wolken: “Meyer might be as good of an NFL coach as he was in college . . .” The unnecessary and inelegant “of” crops up all the time in phrases like this.

• Mark Medina: “Nelson’s affinity for Popovich stems back from when he worked as one of Nelson’s assistant coaches . . .”

Stems would’ve sufficed, Mark.

• Meanwhile, over at the Philly Inquirer, Jeff McLane gifted us with this: “Reid . . . suggested then that divergent thinking among decision-makers had partly attributed to the Eagles’ regression.”

That’s contributed. Surprising. McLane is a talented, literate writer.

• Several readers alerted us to this headline in the Wilmington News Journal: “Where we're at and where we're going.” Readers suggested dropping at and making it “Where we are and where we’re going.”

• Christopher Lu, Senior Fellow of the University of Virginia Miller Center, while commenting on the federal stimulus program on MSNBC, used irregardless twice. Dictionaries may call it “a nonstandard synonym for regardless,” but I call it a non-word.

And it certainly shouldn’t be used by a man with degrees from Princeton and Harvard.

• Kentucky State Sen. David Carroll, in an email to CBS: “After looking at you’re headline, I don’t think I have anything to say to you . . .” The Republican is another person who is confused by your (the possessive, appropriate here), and you’re, the contraction meaning “you are.”

• A reader reports that President Biden uttered this on CBS: “The former administration wrecked so much havoc.” The correct phrase is “wreaked havoc.”

IRONY/COINCIDENCE A submission from reader Scott Matthews leads us to a discussion of the tricky subject of irony. Too often, writers mistake coincidence for irony. Scott submits an example from the sports pages of the News Journal. In the University of Delaware’s spring football game against Maine, UD running back DeJoun

By Bob Yearick

Lee returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. The TNJ writer called it ironic that the last time Delaware had returned an opening kickoff for a TD was 87 years ago. As Scott points out, there is no irony here, only coincidence.

There are several definitions of irony, but perhaps the simplest is “an event in which what on the surface appears to be the case or to be expected differs radically from what is actually the case.” A couple of examples from the internet may help: • Someone who talks a lot having nothing to say when asked a question.

• A whaling ship being used to save marine animals after a tsunami.

For more, go to the irony website: Isitironic.com. There, you can ask questions about irony and even submit your own example.

Fans of the website can then vote on whether it’s ironic or not.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT. • TNT NBA analyst Kenny Smith commenting about the show on which he appears, Inside the NBA: “We can never be recreated or reduplicated.” Kenny should’ve stopped at “re-created.”

• A radio network report on Airbnbs stated that “many are looking for alternative options.” Pick one, please – alternatives or options.

THE OXFORD COMMA A submission from reader Larry Kerchner makes a case for the Oxford comma. Also called the serial comma, it precedes the conjunction before the final item in a list of three or more items.

Larry points to the menu at an area pub that lists this: INCLUDES BRIOCHE BUN, PICKLE & KETTLE CHIPS. “What is pickle & kettle chips?” asks Larry. Clearly, a comma should follow pickle in this item.

DANGLER USA TODAY’s Andrea Mandell, in story about Naomi Watts and her latest movie, Penguin Bloom: “Bedridden with depression, the film catches up with Sam (Watts’ character) as she struggles to accept her new reality.” It was Sam who was bedridden, not the movie.

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

Word of the Month

Invidious Pronounced in'vidē s, it’s an adjective meaning resentful or envious.

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION? Contact me for a fun presentation on grammar: ryearick@comcast.net.

Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin Book Shelf (hockessinbookshelf.com) or call me at 302-482-3737.

Things worth knowing PRINCIPLES OF UNDERSTANDING

A

s part of its ongoing strategy to increase public awareness, Delawarebased Last Stop to Freedom has released five Principles of Understanding. The Principles continue the organization’s efforts to help establish concrete policies and activities that foster racial equality.

“To do so, we must first agree on some initial facts,” says a recent release by Last Stop to Freedom.

The five Principles: • Understand who built America • Rewrite American colonial history • America needs Truth and Reconciliation • Don’t hate your relatives • Expand Public Law 105-203 (Network to Freedom Act of 1998) For details on the five Principals or learn more about Last Stop to Freedom’s efforts, visit LastStopToFreedom.org

W

ilmington Alliance and JPMorgan Chase have launched the Second Chance Employment Collaborative to connect justice-involved locals with stable career pathways in high-growth sectors like IT and healthcare. The Collaborative brings together Wilmington Alliance, Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Wilmington HOPE Commission, Delaware Center for Justice and Project New Start, and has received a $1 million philanthropic investment over two years from JPMorgan Chase.

The Collaborative will provide justiceinvolved individuals with legal aid and workforce development resources to connect them with in-demand and stable jobs. It will also work directly with employers and connect people with arrest and conviction records with digital skills assessment and training, career coaching and mentorship, as well as apprenticeships for hands-on jobs training. Currently, nearly nine of 10 employers use a past conviction to screen applicants for job opportunities.

"There are roughly 80,000 Delawareans who have a criminal record for low-level crimes,” said Renata B. Kowalczyk, CEO of Wilmington Alliance. “That means they are unnecessarily shut out from accessing sustainable employment to support themselves and their families. Meanwhile, many employers in our state are growing rapidly and in need of qualified talent.

Our goal is to close that gap.”

Visit WilmingtonAlliance.org

BRANDYWINE ZOO SPRINGS FORWARD

T

START

SECOND CHANCE EMPLOYMENT COLLABORATIVE

he new-and-improved Brandywine Zoo welcomes spring with an abundance of activity. Spring Break Zoo Discovery will take place April 3-11, offering kids age six to 12 a tour of the zoo with learning stations positioned along the way. Scouts Days are set for April 17-18 enabling Scouts to lead their own adventures and earn badges.

An Earth Day Celebration will take place on site on April 24 (10am-1pm) and on May 5 the Zoo will host Sip & Stroll (5-7pm), in which adults can enjoy a beer with animal encounters and other activities available for all ages. Visit BrandywineZoo.org

Delaware artist Leah Beach with her new mural.

DISCOVERIES TRAIL CONTINUES TO GROW

T

he Delaware Discoveries Trail has added an 11th location with the introduction of a new interactive piece of artwork at the Delaware Botanic Gardens in Dagsboro.

Designed and painted by local artist Leah Beach of Developing Artist Collaboration, the new location’s artwork was inspired by the bright naturalistic landscapes and colorful plant life that is found throughout the botanic gardens.

“The Delaware Discoveries Trail is a one-ofa-kind experience,” said Liz Keller, Delaware Tourism Director. “As we continue to develop and enhance innovative ways to keep the state top-of-mind with travelers, the trail has increased awareness of destinations among younger travelers and helped drive off-season visitation.”

While exploring the locations along the trail, travelers can submit four of their #DelawareDiscoveries photos at DelawareDiscoveries.com for a chance to receive a limited-edition prize.

UPDATED DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DIRECTORY

D

owntown Visions has created an updated directory for Downtown Wilmington businesses that reflects the changes due to COVID-19. The directory includes retail shops, restaurants and bars, attractions, fitness centers, galleries and event spaces, salons and barber shops, and professional services.

Visit DowntownWilmingtonDE.com/blog

Photo courtesyBrandywine Zoo

APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 11

Things worth knowing LUNCH LECTURE WITH THE PROFESSOR

T

he University of Delaware Arts & Science Department will present the virtual lunch lecture “Why Do People Believe Conspiracy Theories?” on Wed., Apr. 28 at 1pm. UD professor Dr. Joanne Miller will discuss the political and psychological determinants of belief in conspiracy theories in general, as well as the findings of her research regarding belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories. She will also touch on the consequences of belief in conspiracy theories and how to mitigate conspiracy theory beliefs. Visit Poscir.udel.edu

FOOD BANK OF DE CELEBRATES MILESTONE

I

n March, The Food Bank of Delaware celebrated its 40th anniversary while also marking one year of providing COVID-19 food relief to residents throughout the state.

During that time, The Food Bank distributed nearly 18 million pounds of food and 43,000 households were served at 33 mass drive-thru distribution events. To help achieve those numbers, more than 47,600 volunteer hours were donated by community members.

To offer your volunteer services visit FBD.org

GRAND LIVESTREAMS SHOWCASE LOCAL ACTS

T

he Grand continues its series of ticketed livestream concerts by local musicians.

Lyric Drive performs on April 1, Richard Raw and the Word Warrior Band performs April 15, and Jea Street, Jr. performs May 13. All shows start at 8pm. Each performance will be streamed through Vimeo Live and cost $14.99 per device. You do not need a social media account to view the performance. Visit TheGrandWilmington.org

HAGLEY LIBRARY ACQUIRES MAJOR INDUSTRIAL FILM COLLECTION

H

agley has acquired the Cinematic Productions collection, one of the most comprehensive collections from an industrial film company in the country. Cinecraft's clients included a who's who of American industry — DuPont, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Standard Oil Company (Ohio), B. F. Goodrich and Seiberling Tire and Rubber, Republic Steel and Youngstown Sheet and Tube, General Electric Company and more than 100 other companies, trade associations, and government agencies. Celebrities who appeared in these productions include Danny Kaye, Tim Conway, Alan Alda, Merv Griffith, Chet Huntley, Basil Rathbone and Richard Nixon. To explore a portion of the collection, visit Hagley.org

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12 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

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LEARN

Ready to upskill?

There’s still time to complete a Dual-Credit Certificate® in 2021

W

ilmington University’s certificate programs are an affordable, accessible option for expanding your education. Whether you’re a career starter, climber or changer, a certificate can build your resumé and benefit your career at any stage of your professional life. Plus, WilmU makes it easy to apply, enroll, and attend classes. Here are 10 ways a WilmU certificate program can help you reach your educational goals.

1. Choose your path. WilmU currently offers certificates in more than 80 subject areas to match your career path and academic interests, from small business management and health information technology to special education and graphic design. Many can be completed in as little as one year, and most can be completed entirely online.

2. Find career opportunities. WilmU’s certificate programs offer convenient, focused education for working learners. Whether you’re looking to advance in an evolving field, re-enter the workplace, or explore the possibility of a career change, certificates provide a manageable option for upgrading skill sets or acquiring additional training.

3. Add value to a degree. For bachelor’s and master’s degree holders, career-oriented certificates in specialized subjects allow you to customize your degree and stand out in a competitive job market. Since many certificates include courses required by related degree programs, students can often earn them without adding time or expense to their studies.

4. Build a degree from a certificate. Our Dual-Credit Certificate programs enable students to apply the same credit hours they’ve earned through a certificate toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related subject, if they choose to continue their WilmU education.

This “stackable education” option is available in all of WilmU’s colleges.

5. Accelerate an advanced degree. Certain certificates, when earned in conjunction with a bachelor’s degree, can even accelerate your master’s degree studies. In the College of Technology, for instance, a student who fulfills a bachelor’s degree’s elective requirements with the courses that make up the Technology Project Management certificate can reduce the course load, and the cost, for a master’s degree in Information Systems Technologies.

6. Gain some exposure. Even high school graduates can benefit from WilmU’s certificate programs. Those who aren’t yet ready to commit to a degree program, but recognize the value of gaining career-oriented skills upon entering the workforce, may find our Dual-Credit Certificates useful stepping stones to employment or college degrees.

7. Learn from experience. The courses that make up WilmU’s certificate programs are taught by the same instructors who teach the University’s degree programs, experienced professionals and active practitioners who bring real-world lessons and cutting-edge insights to the classroom.

8. Explore timely topics. New certificate programs are regularly added to address emerging industry and community needs. Recent additions include Trauma & Resilience, Artificial Intelligence, Social Media Management, and Data Visualization.

9. Study on your schedule. Course formats and schedule options let you pursue your education at your convenience. Choose from daytime, evening and weekend classes, or 100% online courses for optimum convenience, as well as semester, block or modular schedules. Classes start every eight weeks!

10. Apply today! WilmU does not require standardized test scores, such as the SAT, ACT or GRE, for enrollment. Our open admissions policy is one of the many ways that WilmU makes education accessible to all learners. Ready to choose your certificate?

Go to wilmu.edu/Certificates.

Next classes start May 10!

Upskill with a certificate.

WilmU works with 80+ certificate programs.

Learn more at wilmu.edu WilmU is a registered trademark of Wilmington University. All rights reserved. © Wilmington University 2021 XX APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

APRIL 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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For those working from home or just taking a “remote” day away from the office bustle, there’s no need to cut themselves off from their neighbors. The Falls, with its community-focused design, makes it easy to get work done without being cooped up at home. Resident amenities at The Falls include multiple lounges, study niches and a library. There’s also an area designed specifically as a collaborative coworking space, eliminating the need to pay extra fees for away-from-home desk space elsewhere.

NOW OPEN Apartment living on the Brandywine!

A

fter nearly a year of pandemic living, the concept of “community” can seem far out of reach. We’ve all been hunkered down in our homes, maintaining physical distancing and largely cut off from aspects that made living close to others part of what we loved.

At the same time, many of us have embraced our time in the outdoors more than ever. That bike ride, run or walk with the dog might have been the only “away from home” time we’ve had.

But as things begin to open back up, that feeling of being part of a larger community will be even more important, especially as some of us decide not to head back to the traditional office workplaces and choose to either work from home, a coworking space or the old reliable coffee shop. At the same time, those outdoor pursuits will remain more valuable than ever.

But what if you could find nearly all those things right where you’re living already? That’s one of the major benefits offered

by The Falls, a new Capano Residential apartment community built overlooking the Brandywine Creek in Wilmington’s beautiful Highlands neighborhood. Built on the site of the historic Bancroft Mills, The Falls offers residents luxurious, smoke-free Studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartment homes that feature spacious, open floor plans and fine, upscale finishes, with a full slate of amenities designed to bring residents together and provide easy access to the outdoors.

When work is done – or even if you’re just looking for a break in the middle of the day – the options for fun at The Falls are myriad. Play a quick frame of pool in the billiard room, take in a yoga class in the private fitness studio or hop on the treadmill in the state-ofthe-art fitness center. In the warmer months, enjoy a dip in the pool or just lounge on the sundeck.

And of course, there’s always the soothing rush of the Brandywine and the nearby falls (a relic of the site’s past as a textile mill) to calm you as you relax on the riverside deck. For those cool evenings, gather with your neighbors on the fireside deck or throw some steaks or veggie kabobs on the fire at the grilling station.

With The Falls’ lush location, there’s always the option of adventuring just steps from your door. Just across the river, Alapocas Run State Park offers hiking, biking, rock climbing and rappelling, athletic fields and a playground designed to be fully accessible. Also close by are beautiful Rockford Park and Brandywine Park, home of the Brandywine Zoo. Between its location among these natural wonders and the secure bicycle storage, The Falls makes it easy to enjoy it all, even with your four-legged best friend.

The Falls is dog friendly and even offers a riverside dog walk area and dog washing stations.

For less rugged exploring, make the quick trip into downtown Wilmington to experience a city in the midst of an arts, culture and dining Renaissance.

Whether your preference is Broadway-caliber theater, live music, great works of art, upscale and innovative dining or just finding a great place to gather with friends, Wilmington and The Falls put it all within reach.

For more information on The Falls’ floorplans, amenities and availability, call (302) 650-8100 or visit liveonthefalls.com.

LiveOnTheFalls.com

14 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | PAID CONTENT

Now is the time to

plan your spring

planting!

Gateway Garden Experts are ready to help you create beautiful gardens that are better for nature and better for your family. From flowers to fruits, we have the knowledge and selection for your success!

Gateway Garden Center | gatewaygardens.com (302) 239-2727 • 7277 Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE

16 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START Twin Poets Nnamdi Chukwuocha (l) and Albert Mills.

Photo by Cylinda McCloud-Keal

At the Intersection of Poetry and Politics

By Jill Althouse-Wood

O

ne of the most talked-about features of Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration (besides the fact that we managed a peaceful transfer of power) was the performance of original work by 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman.

In the weeks that followed, it was she, ahead of political power players, who emblazoned the cover of Time.

Garbed in her now-signature color of yellow, Gorman is the sun itself. She checks many of the boxes: She is young, Black, and female — a worthy usher for an administration that has promised to be inclusive. But still: Why all this fuss about a poem on a day when Biden signed a dozen executive orders? Was it a diversionary tactic or was Biden showing the country that he intends to amplify voices that have traditionally been absent from the halls of power?

I called identical twin brothers Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills — known as The Twin Poets, nationally-recognized spoken word artists as well as political figures within Delaware — to discuss this moment we find ourselves in and glean insights on the intersection of politics and poetry.

Chukwuocha and Mills have all the credentials. Poets from a young age, they have been featured on DEF poetry and are the subjects of the documentary Why I Write. After college and the military (Mills is a veteran of the first Gulf War), the brothers chose to serve the Wilmington community as social workers, working with children of underserved populations to keep them out of trouble whenever possible and, failing that, advocating for them in the juvenile justice system.

In recent years, they have expanded on those spheres of influence. In December 2015, Gov. Jack Markell named

them Delaware’s 17th Poets Laureate, a post created to raise awareness of both reading and writing of poetry throughout the state. In addition, Chukwuocha, a former Wilmington city councilman, currently serves as a member of the state House of Representatives, a post he has held since 2018. Mills, too, has been part of the local political conversation with his own run for city council.

If creating art and affecting policy sound like split objectives, the brothers assured me that they are not. “Our art and our social work go hand in hand,” says Chukwuocha “Art is one thing. Our art fuels our actions. It is behind our social work.

That is our framework that we address it from.”

Mills agrees and adds that, as Poet Laureate, they have had access to people such as superintendents of schools and places such as classrooms and detention centers where they witnessed needs ► APRIL 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

17

AT THE INTERSECTION OF

and policy outcomes first-hand. And, too, the men have enjoyed a receptiveness that comes from having qualifications in two different arenas. “People are more open and willing to listen,” says Mills.

The aforementioned rising star (sun!) of Amanda Gorman hasn’t hurt the cause and the reach of the spoken word, either. Her performance proved that poetry does have a place on the political stage.

“Poetry allows that same parsed message to be accepted,” says Chukwuocha. “It allows the conversation to be heard.”

Mills is excited for another reason. “The attention that [her poem] received afterwards, seeing that interest, that has done so much for our writing groups and our kids who want to write poetry,” he says. “I want to be like Amanda. That’s amazing.”

People are more aware and willing to listen, but has the message changed? Since the brothers first became Poet Laureate in 2015, our country has experienced several brutal election cycles, the heightened cries and demonstrations of Black Lives Matters and #MeToo movements, and a worldwide COVID pandemic that has affected all but placed disproportionate health and economic burdens on the most vulnerable in our society.

Chukwuocha denied these circumstances have altered their artistry.

“Our work is rooted in being a voice for our community,” he said.

This declaration was a common refrain in our conversation, and it is a mantra that can apply to both poetry and politics.

“The outside world has looked at what is happening inside of our community, but our voice hasn’t changed,” Chukwuocha said. “We are still speaking about injustices and things that we would love to see changed, both inside of our community and outside of our community.”

The injustices, Chukwuocha clarified, include gun violence, drugs, mass incarceration of Black men, and poverty. “We have an obligation to speak for those who weren’t allowed to speak and for voices that are currently being silenced…young, Black males inside of correctional

POETRY AND POLITICS institutions or in graveyards.” continued from previous page The reach of poetry transcends that of metered messaging or community megaphone; the brothers believe poetry is also a communication tool with the power to deescalate violence before it starts. Mills elaborates: “When we had conflicts (growing up), our mother would make us write our brother a letter. It became a way to express our frustrations, and we know that those tools can help with these children today. If they can give voice to their frustrations, that may prevent an argument that leads to the fight that leads to the shooting.

We can decrease crime. We can use poetry as conflict resolution, anger management, a means to help these children make better life decisions.”

In May of 2020, The Academy of American Poets recognized the work that Chukwuocha and Mills are doing in Delaware and awarded them a sizable grant to ramp up their efforts. COVID was both a blessing and a curse in trying to launch their proposed program Write Now!, a series of workshops, readings, and service projects focused on youth in communities impacted by gun violence and fellow veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The brothers had to pivot from in-person to virtual, which removed red tape, in some instances, to be “in the room” with their intended audiences and participants. Almost a year after the award, they are ready to celebrate April’s Poetry Month and showcase the fruits of their endeavors. On Sat., April 24 they will present a hybrid-style poetry festival — part in-person and part virtual.

With this dual showcase and the current national spotlight on poetry, they hope to engage more people of the community than ever before with their chosen art form. The overarching message seems to be this: Poetry, like politics, achieves its highest calling when it promotes dialog and action.

— Visit TwinPoets.org for more on the poetry festival.

Nemours Estate Opening Day April 1

§ 200 acres of spectacular gardens and grounds § stunning historic mansion

§ vintage cars § events § live music

@nemoursestate © 2021. The Nemours Foundation. ® Nemours is a registered trademark of The Nemours Foundation. J6754 (03/21)

18 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

§ family friendly § learning programs § tours

START

Taking The Lead Terry Strine has made a smooth pass of the baton to Jennifer Cohan, and the new CEO of Leadership Delaware is off and running

By Bob Yearick

J

ennifer Cohan had worked 31 years in Delaware state government and 12 years in academia when she decided to retire from public service last August and step into the world of nonprofits.

She had fashioned an exceptional, trail-blazing career in Dover, serving in numerous leadership roles, becoming the first female director of the Division of Motor Vehicles, and culminating in her appointment in 2015 as Department of Transportation (DelDOT) secretary under then-Gov. Jack Markell.

So what did it take to lure Cohan away from this three-decade-long climb up the government ladder?

“All of my favorite things rolled up into one little nonprofit,” she says.

That’s Leadership Delaware, Inc., a program created by Terry Strine and his wife, Sandy, with the help of former Gov. Pete du Pont, in the summer of 2008. Strine, who was chairman of the Delaware State Republican party from 2003 until 2008, came to du Pont with a seven-page outline of a year-long program of issue-oriented forums aimed at informing and training young Delawareans to be leaders in three areas: their professions, politics, and the non-profit sector. ►

Jennifer Cohan (red suit) poses with the current class of Leadership Delaware Fellows.

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TAKING THE LEAD continued from previous page

Strine got du Pont’s blessing, recruited a board of directors, secured 501(c)(3) non-profit status, then sought nominations for participants in the program from business, political and industry leaders throughout the state. And Leadership Delaware Inc. was born.

Each class is stocked with 18 to 30 “fellows.” Chosen through a rigorous vetting process, they generally range in age from 28 to 38.

The year-long program consists of 20 sessions held throughout Delaware. Fellows participate in 230 hours of classroom time as well as additional hours working on group projects and LDI initiatives. They hear from about 150 speakers, and participate in multiple public speaking exercises.

Tuition for the program is $5,775, and is often covered or shared by employers.

Last October, the Strines officially stepped down.

“We’ve given 12 years of our life to it,” says Terry Strine, who was CEO. “We love it and we’re proud of it, and we’re still physiologically and physically sound and still at the top of our game, but it was time to find a new leader.”

They announced their decision in June of 2019, giving the LDI Board of Directors time to form a transition task force to find a new CEO. A Terry Strine, along with his wife, Sandy, and help from former Gov. Pete duPont, formed recruiter was hired, and a LDI in 2008. Photo provided nationwide search ensued.

Board Chair Penny Saridakis says the recruiter held “conversations in leadership” with community leaders throughout the state to determine possible candidates as well as the scope of skills required.

While dozens of people expressed interest in the job, the field was narrowed to about 10, then three, according to Saridakis.

All-in on Cohan Cohan was a late-comer to the competition, having been recommended to the recruiter by one of the community leaders he surveyed for their thoughts on LDI and its next CEO. She had been a speaker in the program for the past six years, had grown to admire it, and had hired people who were LDI graduates.

Saridakis says once the interviews of the finalists were completed, everyone was all-in on Cohan.

“The transition task force voted for her unanimously, the board voted for her unanimously, and I would say the state of Delaware voted for her unanimously, because as soon we sent out that press release [announcing Cohan’s selection] we got calls and emails from up and down the state, and there were [positive] posts on Instagram and Facebook. I didn’t really realize what a big deal it was that we had hired her.”

A native of Hartly, which is just outside Dover, Cohan officially became CEO in January after serving two months as CEO-elect. She has assumed the reins of the program with enthusiasm.

20 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

“Developing people has always been my passion, or calling, Cohan says another goal is to focus each month’s for lack of a better term,” says Cohan, who has served as an session on a Delaware industry, including agriculture and adjunct professor for 12 years at her alma mater, Wilmington construction.

University. “And I fell in love with this program the first time Leadership Desert I spoke.”

“Construction is near and dear to She says she wants to preserve “all my heart (as a result of her DelDOT of the things that make Leadership job), and what I’ve heard from a lot of Delaware great,” but feels it should the developers is that the workforce be expanded geographically and in Delaware is fantastic, but we don’t conceptually. have a lot of leadership skills and “LDI has an impeccable brand,” she networking ability to get things done,” says, “but the farther you go down south, says Cohan. “We’re facing what I’m the less people are familiar with it. calling a leadership desert. We have tons There’s so much opportunity to expand of talent, but the leadership is missing.” our reach, especially in Kent and Sussex So, Cohan says, one of her major counties. We’ll be doing a marketing goals is to make sure the state has not program in those areas.” only “talented leaders but leaders who She says LDI also will partner with “a have the networking skills” to reach lot more organizations to diversify the legislators and others who can assist in content of the program.”

Sierra Harris says Cohan "encourages us to stretch beyond accomplishing their objectives.

In the works are a teen mentoring what we believe our current limits to be." Photo provided A new class of 17 — 10 women and program — she calls it “Leadership seven men — started in February.

Delaware Junior” — in cooperation with Among the new Fellows is Markevis Gideon, founder Wilmington’s Teen Warehouse and its CEO, Logan Herring, and a Workforce and Leadership Conference in cooperation with of NERDiT NOW, a Wilmington start-up that repairs and resells computers and phones. the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce.

don’t waiT. Heal.

Enroll now.

APRIL 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 21

“We have only had our first two-day session last week,” Gideon said in early February,

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TAKING THE LEAD continued from previous page

“but it’s been extremely transformative.

I’ve already learned a great deal about how our state is operating.”

Another member of the class, Sierra Harris, program Manager with The Teen Warehouse, says Cohan “has led with a positivity and optimism, with enthusiasm, and engagement. She holds Markevis Gideon calls LDI "transformative." us accountable in how Photo provided we show up, challenges us to challenge ourselves, and encourages us to stretch beyond what we believe our current limits to be.”

Says Jaime McNatt, project manager at Chesapeake Companies, of Frankford: “Terry and Jen are both powerhouses. Their enthusiasm in working together through this transition of leadership has only fueled excitement for the program.”

Saridakis also gives a Cohan a rave review: “She’s fabulous. She’s very down to earth and approachable and warm. But she also gives fantastic feedback and recommendations on how they can improve. And she has a lot of energy.”

Strine is “delighted” with the new CEO, comparing the transition to a relay race: “Take the baton and lead on without any interruption whatsoever.”

He says he and his wife “will never retire” and they’re currently "Terry and Jen are both powerhouses," says meeting with small Jaime McNatt. Photo provided groups of alumni Fellows and working on a book that will address many of the subjects LDI has focused on over the years.

Strine also has another task ahead of him, according to Cohan: “I guarantee you I will have him come and speak to the class about the history of LDI.”

A Week of Prix-Fixe Dining at Wilmington’s Premier Restaurants

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May 17-23 Mark Your Calendar Now

LUNCH: 2 courses $15 | DINNER: 3 courses $35

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FOCUS

Businesses cater to customers who love “new”-fashioned charcuterie

By Pam George

An appetizing spread created

by The Cute in Charcuterie.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

24 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

A

t least three days a week, Jillian Harris arranges roses for home delivery.

But the Newark resident isn’t working with flowers. She uses salami slices to craft edible petals.

Harris is the owner of The Cute in Charcuterie, which assembles meat, cheese, fruit, sweets and condiments in an aesthetically pleasing tableau.

The business isn’t the only cottage industry that’s making dough selling meat and cheese. Last year, Luxe Charcuterie and First State Charcuterie opened. Beyoutifully Boarded recently launched in Middletown.

To be successful, these companies must do more than place noshes in a box or on a wooden board. “People don’t realize how much time it takes to make the [arrangement] look pretty,” Harris says. “It has to be visually appealing.”

Although charcuterie is a popular appetizer or even a light meal in the U.S., the term refers to a practical branch of French cookery. Both incarnations, however, involve artistry. ►

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Google “charcuterie” and you will see fullcolor photos of elaborate meat-and-cheese boards. But charcuterie originally focused on meat, not cheese. Think sausage, ham, terrines, galantines, pâtés and confit.

“The French are serious about charcuterie and its rich history and tradition,” says Ross Essner, executive chef at the Columbus Inn in Wilmington. No doubt they would turn up their noses at the items we call charcuterie, he adds.

Classically trained chefs in Delaware also hold fast to the old ways. Take Bill Hoffman, who with his wife Merry Catanuto owns the House of William & Merry in Hockessin.

Charcuterie was born out of necessity, he says.

When there was no refrigeration, cooks found ways to preserve meat and store it in a cold cellar for months.

Charcuterie uses every possible scrap. At the Columbus Inn, the kitchen has made rillettes from salmon bellies, and chicken or duck thighs are cured in fat.

“People found different ways of curing, smoking and manipulating those cuts,” Hoffman says. “It wasn’t just jerky. It was beautiful things that tasted delicious.”

North Country Charcuterie makes it easy to assemble your own platter. Pictured is their Savor the Moment kit.

26 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

Preparing such foods requires butchery skills and more than a little chemistry know-how. Humidity and temperature play a part.

Time is another factor. Some dishes take up to eight days or more to make, Hoffman says. As a result, many culinary schools no longer emphasize what’s become known as the “cold” part of the kitchen.

“It isn’t taught that much anymore,” he acknowledges. “It takes years to master that kind of cooking.” He puts young cooks on charcuterie duty to sharpen their skills.

The savvy diner values true charcuterie. “The appeal of classic charcuterie is that it is something you can’t create at home,” Essner explains. “People are intrigued by and revere the transformation of a pork shoulder into a lovely pâté or a duck liver into a decadent, silky foie gras terrine.”

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When he hears “charcuterie,” he pictures herbaceous duck rillettes paired with thinly sliced French ham and chunks of hard garlic sausage. On the side: cornichons, mustard and olives — items that provide a sharp contrast.

Most consumers, however, picture a shareable plate of meats, cheese and other snacks, such as nuts, crackers, olives and jams.

“I’m completely fine with that,” Essner says. “If the exposure adds to the joy of eating, then I say, ‘So be it.’”

A Boom in Boards Like sourdough bread, charcuterie displays became a frequent refrain on Instagram and Facebook feeds during quarantine.

(The food is typically arranged on boards, many of which have a handle.)

Mar’y Hynson got hooked on charcuterie after using online photos to create a Halloween board. Her friends and family encouraged her to start Beyoutifully Boarded.

Hynson joins Siam Fisaha, who started Luxe Charcuterie in June 2020. Fisaha, a seasoned traveler, first sampled a plate of cured meat and cheeses in 2019 while in Spain. Back home, she began plating similar ingredients for her family, and, with practice, her skills developed.

By the time the 2020 holidays rolled around, Fisaha was delivering more than 100 boxes a week. She has expanded her delivery service from Wilmington to now include Middletown, Delaware City and parts of Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Avondale. ►

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Rastelli’s offers a gift crate full of meats, cheeses, chocolates and other charcuterie favorites.

Harris and her husband were no strangers to smoked meats and cheeses.

They regularly purchased the items in grocery stores for Sunday snacking. “We’ve been doing that for years,” she recalls.

Needing a creative outlet during the pandemic, she began making more elaborate boards for friends to eat at socially-distanced events. She started the cleverly named Cute in Charcuterie in August 2020.

“It’s been really picking up a lot of steam lately,” she says of the orders. She works full-time as a manager but says her side business’s income has potential. “I definitely am making more than I thought I would.”

Downstate, Jenna Bullock started First State Charcuterie in October 2020. “I had been making charcuterie displays for years,” she says. “After several friends and family members asked me where I purchased them, my husband and I thought we might be onto something.”

In February 2021, she left her corporate job to work on the business full time.

To Market, To Market Clearly, these businesses have a niche. Fisaha has delivered boxes for housewarming gifts, birthday celebrations and baby showers. She’s also filled orders for corporate gifts.

The concept also lends itself to holidays.

For instance, Fisaha offered a “spooktacular” Halloween-themed party platter for $45.

On Valentine’s Day, Harris partnered with Painted Stave, a distillery in Smyrna, to offer charcuterie and cocktails. She was ecstatic when they filled 100 orders. Getting into wineries and breweries is the next step, she says.

28 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

Hynson received one St. Patrick’s Day order for “anything green,” such as olives, pickles, green peppers and shamrockshaped cookies.

Along with meat and cheese, these businesses are selling convenience, Bullock adds. Customers don’t need to make an appetizer tray or shop for a gift.

As to the ingredients, the owners take allergies and preferences into account.

The St. Patrick’s Day client, for instance, wanted no meat. Hynson has used turkeybased products — including turkey salami and pastrami — for customers who don’t eat pork.

Bullock typically includes olives, dried plums, apricots, fresh and seasonal fruits, nuts, gherkins and, on occasion, vegetables.

Harris is known for her tomato-andmozzarella skewers. Most boards include something sweet, such as macaroons, wrapped Ghirardelli chocolates or salted caramels.

When Harris first started her business, it took her more than an hour to arrange a board to her satisfaction. “I was focused on getting it right and having it look good,” she explains. Indeed, any charcuterie worth its price will prompt customers to pull out their cameras.

“We really create a masterpiece with each box and display,” Bullock maintains.

“We love to pack our boxes with a variety of options so that the customer can literally create their own combinations and play around with their palate.”

The Cute in Charcuterie 302-722-7319 TheCuteInCharcuterie.com

Luxe Charcuterie 302-358-8932 LuxeCharcuterieShop.com

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Jillian Harris is one of the area's culinary celebrities conducting classes during this year's virtual Kichen Tour. Photo by Joe del Tufo

From Their Homes to Yours Utilizing new technology, the Junior League of Wilmington re-envisions its largest fundraiser, this year fittingly entitled

Kitchen Tour – Reimagined!

D

ue to the pandemic, the Junior League of Wilmington had to cancel its Kitchen Tour last year. This year, instead of physically inviting guests into the showcased kitchens, they are turning the tables so to speak, and bringing the featured kitchens into the homes of the guests.

Call it a 180-degree turnaround with 360-degree views. to product information right at their fingertips. If they By offering virtual, self-guided tours of the nine want to know about an appliance or a light fixture, the kitchens featured this year, Kitchen Tour – Reimagined! not link is one click away. only solves the problem posed by COVID, but also gives And there’s more, says Wheeler. “We’re also so participants additional benefits that were not available excited to be offering live virtual cooking classes this before. All from the comfort of their own homes. year with local chefs,” she says. “This is something we “In years past, tour-goers had only one day to see have never done before and, if it is received well, I can the kitchens on the tour, but this year ticket-holders see us continuing to offer this new feature as a part of have access to the virtual kitchens for a full month,” future Kitchen Tour events.” ► says event chair Tara Wheeler. “They’ll also have access APRIL 2021

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The classes will take place throughout the month in a live, virtual format, where chefs and hospitality professionals: guide their virtual guests through the process of preparing ricotta gnocchi; step through a seasonal-tart recipe; or show how to build a charcuterie board with custom cocktail pairings. The class options are designed to appeal to a variety of participants for a variety of occasions.

Among the local celebrities conducting classes are Chef Robbie Jester of Full Circle Food and Great Big Jerk; Chef Dan Butler of Piccolina Toscana; mixologist Erin Noonan of Magnolia House; and Jillian Harris of The Cute in Charcuterie (Harris also graces our cover this month).

Junior League’s website promises a look at a variety of kitchens of different styles and sizes — all of which offer “unique features, designs, and quality craftsmanship, promising to ignite the imaginations of all who attend.”

For Wheeler, who has worked on two previous tours and is chairing her second this year, it is rewarding (but maybe not surprising) that her team figured out a way to make its Kitchen Tour happen this year.

“This is what the Junior League of Wilmington has always done best — we find new solutions to the issues we’re faced with,” Wheeler says. “The women [in this organization] have always impressed me, and I can’t be more proud to be a part of the League this year.

“No matter what the outcome is for our fundraiser, we know we are putting forth our best efforts to provide a unique, exciting experience in a safe and responsible way.”

Since 2004, the Kitchen Tour has been the Junior League of Wilmington’s largest fundraising effort. Proceeds from the Tour

FROM THEIR HOMES

TO YOURS support the League’s new initiative, continued from previous page Stand Up. Period.

“We are committed to raising awareness of period (menstrual) equality in Wilmington and working towards ensuring individuals have affordable and equitable access to period supplies,” says Jessica Chapple, president of the Junior League of Wilmington. “The funds from the event allow us to bring in specialized speakers to train our members, purchase period supplies to donate at community events, and more.

“Now, more than ever, our community needs us, and we knew we had to find a way to continue our efforts,” Chapple says.

Wheeler says the tour always gets return visitors and feels its ongoing appeal lies in the fact that people enjoy getting ideas for remodeling their kitchens and picturing the kinds of meals they can create in them.

“We hope this year’s tour still brings people together around the kitchen as the heart of the home, despite its virtual nature,” Wheeler says. “Each virtual Kitchen Tour ticket is good per household and we encourage tour-goers to attend the cooking classes ‘together’ from their own homes.”

This year’s tour is sponsored by DuPont, Signature Construction, Giorgi Kitchens & Designs, Craft-way Kitchens, Waterbury Kitchen & Bath, Cheryl Umbles Interior Design, WSFS, Out & About Magazine, Catalyst Visuals and Wheeler Home Concepts.

—Tickets and details about Kitchen Tour – Reimagined! can be found at jlwilmington.org/tickets. Each tour ticket is $30 and includes a complimentary cooking class. Additional cooking classes can also be purchased on the website.

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Recipe For Success Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken evolves from off-season experiment to Wilmington institution

F

By JulieAnne Cross

ried chicken. Two words that are synonymous with comfort. And one word is synonymous with fried chicken in Wilmington: Walt’s.

Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken is a four-restaurant epicurean institution started by a pair of entrepreneurs, Harry Sheppard and Walter Samuels, in 1973.

The duo’s workplace, Idett’s Market, was the birthplace of this legendary chicken enterprise. A vacancy across the street on 22nd and Pine inspired Sheppard and Samuels to open an ice cream parlor.

They did a brisk business with the frozen treats, but off-season, hot chicken rounded out the menu, and eventually wing sales outpaced cones.

By 1978, Samuels had divested from the business but let Sheppard continue using his name. Sheppard

hung a shingle at 527 Vandever Ave., dubbing his new restaurant Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken. This would neither be the last move for the business nor the last phase of its evolution.

The Walt’s family tree now has two thriving branches, each executing the Flavor Crisp recipe.

Symanthia Lynch-Sheppard, president of Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken, became a widow when Sheppard died in 2011 at age 84. She operates a restaurant at 3612 Miller Rd., as well as a new ghost kitchen in Philadelphia.►

Above: Symanthia Lynch-Sheppard, President of Walt's Flavor Crisp Chicken, with a tray just out of the fryer. Photo by Butch Comegys APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SPRING IS4HERE! –8 PM

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS continued from previous page

PM

Larry Fletcher and his wife, Beverly, independently own two Walt’s Chicken Express spots. The 103 N. Lincoln St. location in Little Italy opened in 2003 and 2601 Carpenter Station Rd., in Claymont, opened in 2017.

“Larry was one of my husband’s mentees,” says LynchSheppard. “After 10 years, he started his own business under the Walt’s name. It’s not considered a franchise, but a name usage.”

Diversifying ownership seems only to have solidified the Walt’s reputation and deepened relationships in the community.

“It’s a Delaware tradition,” says Wilmington native Kristina Francis. “My family and I have been going to Walt’s for years.

“The week my brother died, the funeral director brought over Walt’s chicken and I thought it was the best thing ever.

Food brings so much comfort…and it’s the best damn fried chicken in Delaware.”

Make Reservations Today!

Thanks to another family — Delaware’s most famous — Walt’s recently was mentioned on websites for Food and Wine Book Your January Party Now… and Forbes’. …To Receive A $75 Gift Card “When President Biden was vice president, Jill stopped in,” Fletcher says. “The Secret Service would block the street for • For Parties Of 20+ her to pick up. And Sen. Coons and Gov. Carney have been Booked By 12/19/20 customers for years.”

Love of this simple down-home food makes Walt’s a party staple in all strata of Delaware society, from backyard barbecues to Winterthur’s annual Point-to-Point.

Lynch-Sheppard looks forward to the fancy tailgates’ return in May, despite the 4:30 a.m. alarm she sets so she can prepare for 7 a.m. order pickups.

The flavor of the chicken results from the recipe that is – not surprisingly — a closely-guarded secret. Reviewers often Dine-In and Special identify a peppery top note, and Lynch-Sheppard confirms that Take-Out Packages! the chicken is marinated. It is not particularly salty, setting it apart from other takeout menus.

Special NYE Dinner Still, no chicken joint can build renown such as Walt’s has p m $ person pm 75 perCall 5 - 10 without also having killer sides. for Hours, Reservations and Pricing Although Lynch-Sheppard offers slightly different sides than Includes Champagne Toast Fletcher, each has the standard fried chicken accompaniments: mac-and-cheese, macaroni salad (which leans sweet), and ubiquitous slow-stewed collard greens. But standard does not Open At 4:30pm Daily mean conventional.

For Dining In & Carry Out “We do not cook with any meat in our vegetables and especially not pork,” Lynch-Sheppard emphasizes. “That’s one of our trademarks.” *Reservations Are Strongly Lynch-Sheppard’s Miller Road restaurant is so revered Recommended, But Not Required* for banana pudding that people call on Monday to make BOOKING SMALL sure they can get their weekly fix. Sweet potatoes and fried PARTIES NOW! cabbage are other popular sides, with smothered turkey wings as a bonus meat.

2216 Pennsylvania Ave Fletcher’s restaurants offer whole turkeys and get raves for their chicken and slippery dumplings. Whiting is his Wilmington, DE 19806 signature fish.

Each Walt’s differs in capacity. Lincoln Street has no 302.571.1492 tables and Carpenter Station’s small dine-in area is currently (302) 571-1492 www.ColumbusInn.netroped off. Miller Road can seat at least 24, with a meeting and ColumbusInn.net 2216 Pennsylvania Ave. banquet room that can accommodate 55. Dine-in, however, Wilmington, DE 19806 has not yet reopened.

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32 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

The Walt’s experience is a step above a lot of takeout. Close your eyes and you can almost hear “my pleasure,” similar to the polite greeting you receive at Chick-fil-A. Since there are four Walt’s locations, it’s typical for staff to ensure a caller has reached the right restaurant.

Fletcher’s restaurants honor his mentor, Sheppard. “We pride ourselves on our service — the little things, the old school things,” Fletcher says.

Patrons must agree. Combined, the restaurants have more than 600 Google reviews while maintaining a four-star rating.

“I've always loved Walt's for so much more than the chicken, which is certainly the best ever made in Delaware,” says Eric Ruth, former restaurant critic for the The News Journal. “It's also a great business with a good family behind it, and a place that's been instrumental in connecting cultures. Places like Walt's help give Wilmington's food scene some needed soulful charm.”

Angela Florentino prepares chicken wings at Walt's location on MIller Road in Wilmington.

Photo by Butch Comegys.

The Vandever Avenue location continued to serve as the group’s flagship until Lynch-Sheppard moved it to Lancaster Avenue in 2014. The building was scheduled for demolition in late 2015.

The district’s citizens and dignitaries gathered to bid farewell to the storied structure. Harry Sheppard was remembered as a champion of his neighborhood, and a man who gave people opportunities for work and mentorship.

While COVID-19 has been a challenge to all restaurants, Lynch-Sheppard has turned obstacles into opportunities.

“One of the things that we did was acquire a lot of items at a pretty good price from our vendors, because restaurants were closed,” she says. “We did a massive food giveaway in March.

Later, we were able to provide hospital workers with lunches.”

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4 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

DRINK

Based in Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery sells more than 225,000 barrels a year and is available in 33 states with the addition of Delaware this month. Photo provided.

Delaware Debut Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery begins distribution in the First State this month

L

ike most professional brewers, Ben Kehs started out as an amateur with a home- brewing kit. It didn’t take him long to realize he had an unexpected passion for creating beer, and eventually he turned his hobby into a career.

Kehs, who went to Penn State to earn a degree as an information technician, started following that less-followed road from his home outside of Philadelphia to Massachusetts to his current home in Bend, Oregon, where he is a brewer and barrel master for Deschutes Brewery, one of the oldest and most successful breweries in the Northwest.

Deschutes Brewery — named after the Deschutes River, which runs through Bend — was founded in 1988 by Gary Fish, who initially opened a small brew pub and, as his creations became more and more popular in the Northwest, eventually built a separate brewing facility to handle the growing demand, as well as another pub in Portland.

In its first year, Deschutes Public House sold 310 barrels of beer. Today, Deschutes Brewery sells more than 225,000 barrels a year and entering March was available in 32 states. This month, Delaware makes it 33 as distribution has begun throughout the state via Standard Distributing. ►

By Kevin Noonan

APRIL 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

35

Celebrating

84 Years!

DELAWARE DEBUT continued from previous page

The first beer Deschutes brewed is still one of its best sellers — Jubelale, a winter ale. Some of its other popular brands include Neon Daydream summer ale, Chasin’ Freshies IPA, Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond pale ale and Fresh Squeezed IPA. For more information on Deschutes Brewery and its beers, go to DeschutesBrewery.com.

Kehs has worked for Deshutes since 2004 after a short stint at Berkshire Brewery in South Deerfield, Mass. He also applied for a job at Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton and didn’t get it, which was disappointing, but Kehs also said he has “many fond memories of going to Rehoboth Beach as a kid.”

Kehs sat down for a long-distance interview with Out & About Magazine to discuss his career and the brewery he now calls home.

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Deschutes' master brewer, Ben Kehs, says competition in the craft-beer industry forces one to "stay on your toes;" however, he appreciates "the creativity that comes from so many people doing this now." Photo provided.

O&A: You went to college to be an IT. When and how did you veer into becoming a brewer?

Kehs: “When I was at Penn State there were bars there that served craft beers and imported beers and I became fascinated with the different kinds of beer out there, and that led me to home brewing.

But even before that I was fascinated with science — in school I loved biology and I loved chemistry — and while getting started with home brewing I realized I was still passionate about science, and home brewing gave me that general process control and being able to craft something that you literally made. And to have that end product was really appealing to me. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a professional brewer.”

O&A: How did you end up in Oregon?

Kehs: “First, I took a master brewing course at Cal-Davis and that really gave me a more professional setting for brewing and made me more of a student of the process. Then I got a job at Berkshire Brewing Company in South Deerfield, Mass., and I worked there for six months before I was hired by Deschutes and moved to the Northwest.”

O&A: Speaking of the Northwest, that seems to be the cradle of craft beer brewing. Why is that?

Kehs: “I think it started with Sierra Nevada [established in 1979 in northern California] and that helped pave the way back in the 1980s. The Northwest consumes more craft beer per capita than any other part of the country, but I don’t know if that’s a chicken-

and-egg situation — if it was consumers that drove the demand for all the breweries or the presence of all these breweries that made people more open to trying different things.

But you can definitely feel it in the area — craft beer is very much established here and has been for years.”

O&A: Deschutes has been around longer than most craft breweries. What has been the key to its success?

Kehs: “I think that’s very much rooted in Gary’s vision as a brew pub being a place for people to get together. When Gary started this in 1988, he didn’t have plans for expansion and he wasn’t realty looking beyond the pub. He liked the town, and his main goal has always been to provide a place where people can get together. With the timing of everything in the late ‘80s, he pretty quickly saw there was a demand for his beer. That’s when he made the decision to start a new production facility, and in 1993 we broke ground on the [brewery] building we’re in now.”

O&A: Something all craft breweries have to deal with is the incredible growth of the industry, which has led to an oversaturation of the market. How does Deschutes deal with that problem?

Kehs: “It’s a challenge and something we have to be aware of — if you go to the store you see hundreds of different bottles on the shelves, and it’s hard for the consumer not to get fatigued. It’s harder than ever to tell your story and stand out. So, we definitely talk about saturation and what’s going to happen in the future and how we’ll respond to that.

Personally, I appreciate the creativity that come from so many people doing this now, with more and more people involved and the innovation that comes from that. It forces you to stay on your toes and stay current and push boundaries that we didn’t have to push before.

So, in that regard it’s really exciting, but I know it’s a challenge on the sales side of things.”

O&A: Does the fact that Deschutes has been doing this for more than 32 years help you deal with that newer competition?

Kehs: “I think it’s helpful for sure to have that name recognition. People can see that Deschutes name and even if they’ve never tried a particular beer before, they know it’s a risk worth taking because they expect a quality product. So, that has definitely been helpful for us.” ► APRIL 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

37

DELAWARE DEBUT continued from previous page

O&A: The Covid pandemic has really blindsided the hospitality industry. How has Deschutes coped with that?

Kehs: “A portion of our business is draft beer, and that pretty much evaporated. So, we had to keep a really close eye on inventory and stay on top of what’s going on, because the last thing we wanted to do was overproduce and then things shut down and we wind up with a bunch of beer that has to be dumped. So, we’re looking forward to the next couple of months, for sure, with the vaccines rolling out and Oregon in the process of reopening after being shut down over the winter.”

O&A: What does the future look like for Deschutes Brewery?

Kehs: “First of all, we’ll continue to look inward to our core values and what is important to our customers.

And regardless of the volume [of beer produced] or what fashions or styles there will be or what market changes are going to bring, just leaning back to Gary’s vision. If we are able to celebrate culture beer and bring people together, that will definitely be our guiding point.”

Named for the Deschutes River, which runs through Bend, Deschutes Brewery is one of the oldest and most successful craft breweries in the Northwest. Photo provided

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LISTEN The Collingwood have been rocking the area for more than two decades, rewarding their audiences with riveting yet thought-provoking performances.

Photo by Chrissy Tackett-Malinowski

Lovely, Dark and Deep In January, film director and musician Chris Malinowski released his first music video in more than six years. Are new things afoot for his rock band, The Collingwood?

By Jim Miller

O

ne thing Chris Malinowski aims to do when making films and videos is “heighten the mundane.” He emphasizes the idea like one would a mantra.

“I like the idea of taking people from my everyday life, putting them in a scene, and making them a star for a moment,” Malinowski says.

But it’s not just people. Malinowski also enjoys taking a typical domestic item or setting and presenting it in a way that it becomes atypical.

Often otherworldly.

“An empty chair or an empty room… when framed and lit properly can become somewhat immortalized as something other than what it is, while still being what it is,” Malinowski explains. “Like anyone, even a chair can be a star.”

It’s an approach Malinowski incorporated in his 2013 independent film, Yes, Your Tide is Cold & Dark, Sir, and it’s what the film director and musician strived for in December when working on the music video for “Confetti,” the latest song from his critically acclaimed rock band, The Collingwood. ► APRIL 2021

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The video begins in a wooded continued from previous page winter setting with guest musician Jules Corridori singing a cappella around a small fire. Malinowski’s words are heard through Corridori’s voice. In haunting yet enchanting tones, she repeats the line: “Live it hard and make it personal.”

If it sounds like another mantra, perhaps it is. Malinowski’s approach to film compliments the way he has made music with The Collingwood for more than two decades.

“I love creating something I’ve never heard before but, at the same time, something that has some familiarity,” Malinowski says, a notion that sounds like he’s referencing the empty chair that’s a star, yet still a chair.

The end result is music that might first draw comparisons, but ultimately feels daringly distinct. One might hear Malinowski’s intense croon sung over the band’s rhythmic guitar work while watching their 2010 video for “Fuck Yeah, Hollywood” and say it sounds like David Bowie covering King Crimson. The problem is the comparison doesn’t cover all the bases.

With the rest of their work, The Collingwood is at times more punk; other times, verging carefully towards more poppy territories.

Although with most songs clocking in at seven minutes or more, it’s more like their music circles the outskirts of pop. Circumventing in a way.

“Their slinky, spectral, and stagy post-rock contains bits of goth, darkwave, dance-rock, and '70's soul… [and] takes its own sweet time to penetrate your subconscious,” is how veteran music writer Mark Suppanz summarized The Collingwood nearly 10 years ago in a review for The Big Takeover. Like other music critics who have written positive reviews of the band, Suppanz couldn’t resist mentioning the length of their songs.

In that sense, at slightly more than four minutes, “Confetti” is as close in length to a pop tune as The Collingwood gets. But don’t expect to hear it spinning on WSTW or WJBR or any pop-oriented radio station, for that matter. It’s too challenging, exploring what Malinowski called the “darker, ambient” side of the band.

AN UNCOMFORTABLE VULNERABILITY

The song came from a place of despair, the singer admits, recalling how the chords and lyrics for the song came to him one afternoon last fall while sitting in his backyard playing acoustic guitar.

“It felt like a heavy day,” Malinowski says. “We had just lost [my wife’s] mother…. I just felt very flat, very vulnerable at the time and trying to embrace kind of an uncomfortable vulnerability.

“I started to sing to the chords I was playing and started to mess around with some lyrics. When I got to the chorus, I thought, ‘Well, this is actually becoming a song. Maybe I should do something with this.’”

What Malinowski would end up doing was something he hadn’t done since 2014: make a music video. But that wasn’t the original plan.

“I thought, ‘the band hasn’t rehearsed since March—maybe I should just go lay this down by myself,” says Malinowski.

He contacted his friend and fellow musician, Rich Degnars, and booked time at his DaSa Studios to record the song. The two had prior plans to record a full album with The Collingwood last year, but like a lot of things, the pandemic also had plans. The album was unceremoniously put on hold.

In his head, Malinowski heard female vocals on the song and knew he had to find the right voice. It was a component that had worked on past Collingwood songs.

“I’ve worked with Jessica Graae in the past and Gina Degnars,” Malinowski says. “So, it seemed logical that I would use somebody else this time.”

He reached out to his longtime friend, Laura Corridori, whose daughter, Jules, has taken guitar lessons from Malinowski for the past three years. The younger Corridori currently studies stage and song at Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

“I wrote to Laura and I said, ‘Hey, do you think Jules would want to sing on this?’ I had told her in the past that I would bring her in at one point,” Malinowski says. The answer was a definitive “yes.”

CHILLS AND TEARS

The recording session took place a few days before Halloween.

“Jules came and recorded the song with me and Rich at his house,” Malinowski says. “Jules is a really modest 16-year-old young woman, but she has a commanding presence, and her voice is outstanding. As we were recording, she was coming up with her own harmonies. I thought, ‘Man, this is really something.’

“The [chorus] harmony was something that we were listening back to again and again. I said, ‘We got to put that at the beginning of the song,’ and that set the tone for the whole thing.”

In an October Facebook post, Malinowski wrote: “We had guest vocalist Jules Corridori come in to lay vocals on “Confetti” by The Collingwood today. Her voice elicited chills and tears. Unreal… on so many levels.”

The idea of using animals masks was a necessity that became an "artistic choice" in later scenes that were shot for The Collingwood's new video, Malinowski says.

Photo by Ian Mosley-Duffy

Once the track started coming together, Malinowski felt the song was asking for its own video. The gears started turning, and he called two of his colleagues that he’d worked with on his film, Yes, Your Tide is Cold & Dark, Sir. Ian Mosley Duffy came from his home in Philadelphia to work the camera. Colby Bernstein drove down from New York City to edit after filming was complete.

Shot in homes and outdoor settings around Newark and Fair Hill, Md., the video was filmed during two weekends in December.

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Ian Mosley Duffy films Jules Corridori singing by the fire for The Collingwood's "Confetti" video. Photo by Chris Malinowski

“One of the locations where we shot is this private estate in Newark off of Route 896,” Malinowski says. “Our friends have this beautiful, bountiful land with a gigantic fire pit. One of the requests they had was, ‘If you shoot here, you’ve either got to be masked, or keep a distance of six feet.’

I said ‘Well, I'm not going to have people in a video wearing pandemic masks.’ So, we ordered the animal masks based on that request. And it worked because [the sight of] women in animal masks has a kind of pagan imagery to it… And, so, a solution then became an artistic choice.”

With scenes that incorporate elements of light versus shadow — along with what many would regard as arcane symbolism — the video explores Malinowski’s interest in the occult and concepts like the feminine divine.

In several scenes the women in animal masks dance around a fire at night.

“A lot of my friends are female, and I was pretty much raised by women,” Malinowski says. “I have two older sisters and a mother who was working and going to school when we were younger.

“So, I like to honor women and I certainly like to honor my feminine side. And I think that's where a lot of the imagery in this video

comes from. That and the idea of getting back to nature and allowing yourself to be vulnerable.”

As a filmmaker, Malinowski cites Luis Buñuel, Mike Figgis, David Lynch and the early works of Steven Soderbergh as influences. He admits that while personally dealing with the darkness of the pandemic, something creative emerged. And he believes more stuff is on the way.

“The Collingwood has a whole album written,” he says. “So, when the time is right, we will regroup with Rich Degnars and start laying down the basic tracks.

“We flew out to Cincinnati, Ohio, a couple of years ago to work with John Curley from the Afghan Whigs, who we really like.

We’ve recorded a song with him called, ‘I Like What You Do.’ So, we’ve always thought, ‘This will be on the next album.’

“We have probably a good hour’s worth of new material. So yeah, it'll be a new album from The Collingwood.”

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but it sounds like The Collingwood still has miles to go…and plenty of new ideas.

For web: music video https://vimeo. com/503505329

LISTEN Richard Fisher is all about the music.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

Making Noise

Motor City transplant Richard Fisher has built Squeezebox Records into a music-lover’s mecca

By Matt Morrissette

R

ichard Fisher’s lifelong love affair with music, and more specifically vinyl, started at the tender age of 12 when he purchased his first album, Aerosmith’s Get Your Wings, at a record store in his hometown — the fabled musical mecca Detroit, Michigan.

Beyond giving us the automobile and Mr. Fisher, the Motor City gave us Motown Records, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, protopunks The Stooges and the MC5, and more recently, Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs.

It’s there that Fisher got the spark that, decades later, turned into the only record store within Wilmington city limits, SqueezeBox Records. ► APRIL 2021

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 45

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MAKING NOISE continued from previous page

During a stint in the U.S. Army, Fisher met his wife, Kim, a native Delawarean, and they moved to the Small Wonder in 1981 and have called it home ever since. Fisher owned a paint company for more than a decade until, at age 39, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After a life-changing eight-year battle with the disease, Fisher decided to pursue his true passion. So, he and Kim began looking for retail space for a record store.

According to Fisher, it was love at first sight when they found their location on the outskirts of Wilmington’s Little Italy neighborhood.

“We were looking for a nice spot to open a record shop in Wilmington,” Fisher says. “The reason was glaringly straight forward: there had not been a full-fledged record shop in the city limits for a very long time. I knew that if the folks from the city were into music half as much as me, then it would work. As soon as Kim, my wife, saw the garage door at the shop, she knew we’d found the place. We signed on the dotted line and began building SqueezeBox Records at 1901 West 11th Street.”

Opening in 2017, SqueezeBox Records filled not just a niche for local vinyl enthusiasts, but for folks looking to put together a killer home stereo setup through its sale and repair of vintage turntables, amplifiers and speakers. It also quickly became a place for original bands to showcase their music in a live setting — something Fisher hadn’t planned on.

“When we opened, I was under the impression that we would have a nice little shop where you could come in, buy a record or two, and that was the extent of my thoughts on a retail space for vinyl,” he says. “Things didn’t stay that way for long, however. Local musicians started asking questions about hosting live performances, having events, doing record nights, etc. Shortly after, we put the stage in and started having local bands play. Kenny Vanella was one of the first. There have been many others: Kitty Rotten, Pristine Reign, Two Bananas, Blood Money, and Think Machine, to name but a few.”

Another natural progression has been focusing on carrying releases from Jack White’s highly successful and influential Third Man Records label. For Fisher, it was a synergy of great music and getting to celebrate his Detroit roots.

“I’m from Detroit, so it is only natural that I would have some type of connection to Third Man Records,” Fisher says. “I was already grown and gone by the time TMR opened their doors. A few months before we opened the shop, we went to see my younger brother in Detroit. On that trip, I stopped into TMR and spoke with a salesperson about carrying their products.

“After getting back to Wilmington, I made a few phone calls and finally got a hold of TMR Distribution. Ultimately, we got the goahead and have been working with them on various occasions to promote their products. We were surprised when we got a phone call from Cam Sarrett, distribution manager of TMR Nashville, asking if we could host a show on short notice for TMR recording artist Olivia Jean. We agreed. Needless to say, it was a great time!”

Fisher’s personal relationship with Third Man is evident the moment you walk into the store, with TMR having its own dedicated section among the other vinyl. Upon the release of Jack White’s 2018 LP Boarding House Reach, the store hosted a listening party with a giveaway of an exclusive, one-sided, tri-color 45 RPM single by White. More recently, SqueezeBox was one of only 55 independent record stores to participate in the giveaway of a test

After a life-changing health scare, Richard Fisher and his wife, Kim, decided to pursue his true passion. Photo by Joe del Tufo

pressing of the much-anticipated 2021 release of The White Stripes Greatest Hits.

After many failed attempts to assist various local bands with getting their recordings released and distributed through some of his music business connections, Fisher decided to take matters into his own hands, and a new Squeezebox Records’ endeavor was born: a record label.

The first single, already out on streaming platforms, is by local reggae/R&B artist Kenny Vanella, who has newly christened his longtime backing band as Higher Fire.

It features the A-side of “Our Song” with the B-side being “Riverwalk,” both original compositions by Vanella and the latter inspired by Wilmington’s own Riverfront.

Vanella is ecstatic at the opportunity to release his material on vinyl.

“The experience has been really great,” Vanella says. “[Fisher’s] passion and knowledge for music and vinyl is a true blessing, not only for our great city, but to music lovers everywhere.

“His attention to detail on this project has been amazing. He hooked us up with Range Recording Studio in Ardmore (Pa.) as well as Third Man Pressing (Third Man Records’ vinyl manufacturing imprint). All the vibes are right, and we’re just really excited and thankful for the opportunity to showcase our music in this way.”

The vinyl drops in mid-spring. And Fisher hopes it’s just the beginning. “As far as if there will be any others… well, the plan is to record some of Wilmington’s great local artists that have played at SqueezeBox Records until we simply can’t.”

For Wilmington’s growing population of record collectors (a group whose ranks have swelled during the pandemic), Detroit’s loss of Richard Fisher has been our gain. In his charming and unassuming shop, he’s created an oasis for local bands and fans alike and created a space where his passion for life and music is on full display.

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47

WATCH

Night at the Oscars 2021

Presented by

We all have had plenty of time to watch movies the past year. Put that viewing to good use by picking this year's winners. Three winning entries will be selected from most correct answers. Details below.

BEST ACTOR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

BEST ACTRESS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins, The Father Gary OIdman, Mank Steven Yeun, Minari

Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm The Father Nomadland One Night in Miami The White Tiger

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holliday Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman Frances McDormand, Nomadland Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

Judas and the Black Messiah Minari Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7

BEST PICTURE- TIEBREAKER?

The Father Judah and the Black Messiah Mank Minari Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7

48 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

| InWilmDE.com

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami Paul Raci, Sound of Metal LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah

Another Round Better Days Collective The Man Who Sold His Skin Quo Vadis, Aida?

Maria Bakalova, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Olivia Colman, The Father Amanda Seyfried, Mank Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

Collective Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution The Mole Agent My Octopus Teacher Time

Complete this ballot online at OutAndAboutNow.com or snap a picture of your entry form and email to Contact@ TSNpub.com. Top 3 winners receive 4-pack of tickets to Penn Cinema & $50 gift card to Iron Hill Restaurant & Brewery.

P L AY

Fill in the You know the drill: (1) Ask your friends to help “fill in the blanks” by giving suggestions for the missing words needed below.

(2) Once completed, read aloud and watch hilarity ensue.

(3) Got a funny one? Take a photo and send it to us at Contact@TSNPub.com. Best one wins a $50 Gift Card to Pizza By Elizabeths (One entry per person; must be 21 or older to enter). Have fun!

Spring Fever!

It was a (

adjective

for something (

adjective

“Hey you, ( bag of (

plural noun

plural noun

“It’s absolutely ( I looked over at ( (

name of magazine

) Saturday in (

place in Delaware

) to do to help ( )!” shouted (

) and my roommates and I were more than ready

) the winter blues.

verb

), while walking through the front door with a

name of female friend

) in one hand and a full bottle of ( adjective

) in the other.

liquid

) outside,” she said. “Get up! We’re going have a cookout on the patio!”

name of friend

), who was lounging comfortably on the (

noun

), reading a copy of

) “Sure!” we said at the same time.

The three of us walked outside onto the patio and made plans play a quick game of ( on the (

noun

) then grill some (

) on the (

plural noun

“Hey, you all playing lawn games?” shouted ( who was shouting to us from his upstairs ( (

plural noun

“(

noun

home appliance

name of male friend

)

).

), our (

adjective

). “I can bring over a case of (

) next-door neighbor, liquid

) and some

) if you need a fourth player!”

exclamation

)!” I said, “Come on over, you (

much you like to (

verb

noun

)! We’re just getting started and we know how

)!”

And that’s how it began. We partied into the night for at least ( listening to the new album by The ( “This has been the greatest ( times. “(

game or sport

exclamation

adjective

adjective

)(

plural noun

number > 1

) hours: laughing, eating, and

). We were overdue for this kind of fun.

) night in a long, long time!” I said as we all toasted to the good

)! Here’s to four best (

plural noun

) a person could ever hope to know!”

APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

49

THE CITY RELIEF AVAILABLE TO HELP PAY DELINQUENT WATER BILLS

A

s of last month, the City’s Utility Payment Assistance Program, which had been a program for residents 65 years and older since launching in December, is available to all eligible City residents 18 years and older. The program, funded through the federal CARES Act, has income restrictions, though any qualified Wilmington resident who is 18 years or older can now request up to $3,000 to pay their delinquent water/sewer bills.

Funding for the program will be available through December 31, 2021, but will end sooner if funds are exhausted before then. Grants will be distributed

on a first come, first-served basis. Follow this link to complete and submit the online application: WilmingtonDE.gov/utilitypaymentassistanceprogram.com.

For more information, call 3-1-1 and request utility payment assistance or ask to speak to an Account Services representative.

“We are pleased to be able to expand this assistance program to more residents, recognizing that more and more people, regardless of age, are having trouble paying their utility bills,” said Mayor Mike Purzycki. “The pandemic has placed additional stress on individuals and families, so additional financial assistance was certainly warranted, and we hope will help our residents cope as we move toward recovery.”

CITY TO AGAIN CELEBRATE EARTH DAY/ARBOR DAY VIRTUALLY

M

ayor Mike Purzycki, Public Works Commissioner Kelly Williams, and Kathy Klein, Executive Director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary invite you to attend Wilmington’s 16th annual Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration, which will be marked with a series of online events from Monday, April 19 to Friday, April 23, 2021. The celebration, traditionally the largest of its kind in Delaware, will once again be virtual due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The official dates for Earth Day and Arbor Day are April 22 and April 30, respectively. To learn more, go to delawareestuary.org/earthandarbor/.

“Concern for our wonderful yet increasingly fragile natural environment is something that we all share,” said Mayor Purzycki, “and this past year serves as a stark warning of what can result when nature’s delicate balance is disturbed. We come together each year to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day — a valuable reminder that it’s in our mutual best interest to properly care for and protect the Earth so that it — and we — can look forward to a long, healthy future. As we gather virtually on this Earth Day 2021 out of an abundance of caution, let us reflect on how our common home can and should unite us behind the goal of being the best stewards we can be. Please stay safe, and I look forward to seeing everyone in person again this time next year.”

50 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

Mayor Purzycki helps raise money for the St. Patrick Center at its March 17 “Irish Stew Drive Thru” fundraiser.

NEWS YOU CAN USE! TRASH & RECYCLING COLLECTION SCHEDULE

Visit the City of Wilmington’s website for more info about trash and recycling in the City.

To report issues about trash and recycling collection, please dial 3-1-1 or visit: WilmingtonDE.gov/311.

WILMINGTON WORKS Looking for general job information and resources?

Visit: wilmingtonde.gov/government/employment to learn about education and training, labor laws and regulations, how to apply for government jobs, as well as other employment-related information.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY! During this difficult time, there are numerous options on the Riverfront to get out, enjoy nature, and dine from some of your favorite restaurants!

The Riverfront is a perfect venue to enjoy the outdoors and walk our 1.75 mile Riverwalk along the beautiful Christina River! Additionally, the DuPont Environmental Education Center is now open to the public. DEEC’s nature trails, including the eight-mile Jack A. Markell Trail continues to be fully operational! Get out and enjoy some quality time in nature!

RIV

E R WA L K

MINI G LF

Opens in May!

52 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

The Riverfront Market

OPEN

MON-FRI: 9AM-6PM SAT: 9AM-4PM

Stop in and enjoy fresh produce, salads, sandwiches, coffee, pizza, sushi, Mexican,Thai cuisine and much more!

Dine-in or carry out!

DINING OPTIONS RIVERFRONT RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN

for in-house indoor and outdoor dining Banks Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar Big Fish Grill Ciro Food & Drink Cosi Del Pez Docklands Drop Squad Kitchen Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Riverfront Bakery River Rock Kitchen Starbucks The Juice Joint Timothy’s on the Riverfront Ubon Thai

NOW OPEN at the Riverfront Market!

Pachamama Peruvian Rotisserie Serena’s Soulfood

APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Develop Creative Minds All Year Long!

New DCM At-Home Activity Kits Bring the DCM Home!

Order online and safely pick up curbside at the museum!

DelawareChildrensMuseum.org

/DelawareChildrensMuseum

54 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

/DeChildrensMuseum

FOR THE ONE TIP YOU CAN’T MISS, VISIT DONKNOWSBETS.COM.

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2/18/21 3:23 PM

14 APRIL 2021 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM