June 2023 - Happy Trails

FRI

Iris Dement

FRI | JUNE 9 | 8PM | $67-$82

Charismatic purveyors of catchy, contagious, multilayered funk

Pat Metheny - Side

SAT | JUNE 10 | 8PM | $49-$79

Reinvented the traditional jazz guitar sound for a new generation

Colin

FRI | JULY 14 | 8PM | $35 Comedian you know from MTV, SNL, Comedy Central and more

TUES | SEPT 26 | 6PM $40-$80

Beloved Disney Junior characters and favorite Marvel Super Heroes live on stage for a jam-packed, concert-style show with singing, dancing, acrobatics, and more.

FRI | OCT 6 | 7PM

Originally from Illinois, Pinky Patel is a PTA mom turned creator, comedian, and personality with a fan base of over 5 million.

With great food and more!

A lively, after hours fundraiser at the zoo.

Enjoy a variety of beer, wine and spirits from numerous vendors, light fare provided by local restaurants, and topped off by Hy-Point ice cream. Food and beverages are included in admission ticket.

Live music by Spokey Speaky. Brew at the Zoo is a fundraiser for the Delaware Zoological Society. Your ticket purchase helps further the Zoo’s mission of conservation and education. Advanced tickets will be available online or at the Zootique Gift Shop.

An online Silent Auction will begin on June 7 at 8 AM. YourCharityAuction.com/BrandywineZoo,

Thank you to our Sponsors: Exelon, Kizmet Studios, Wegmans

Thank you to our Vendors: Bellefonte, Dogfish Head, Liquid Alchemy Beverages, Stitch House Brewery, Bonefish Grill, Grain, Peco’s Liquors, Wlmington Brew Works, Del Pez Mexican Gastropub, Hangman Brewing Company, Santa Fe Mexican Grill, Diamond Chiropractic, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Franks Wine and Sassy Bee.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

Barbara Walker Story

Clifford Brown Jazz Fest

Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

Director of Publications Jim 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 Writers Adriana Camacho-Church, JulieAnne Cross, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Lauren Golt, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Ken Mammarella, Matt Morrissette, John Murray, Kevin Noonan,

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

Special Projects John Holton, Cullen Robinson, Bev Zimmermann

MEDIA WATCH

THE WAR ON WORDS

A

monthly column in

which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse

•Reader Joan Burke submits this from fox29.com: “The Delaware State Police announced the arrest of a man who they say tried to disarm a state trooper while he was intoxicated at a school in New Castle County.” The unfortunately worded sentence implies that the trooper was intoxicated — at a school yet.

•One of reader Debbie Layton’s pet peeves is the unnecessary use of “what.” She came across this in a News Journal article about moving out of your parents’ house: “It can be very frustrating for the parents and the young adult to be in a more dependent position than what their age dictates.”

•Mike Freeman in USA TODAY: “Fritz Pollard is an historic figure who in 1923 became the first Black quarterback in the NFL.” If h is the first letter of a word and it is pronounced (hat, happy, historic), use the article a. If the h is silent (hour, honest, herb), use an

•Jarret Bell, in USA TODAY, wrote a sentence that went badly awry at the end: “Britt (Reid) came to the Chiefs with a record that included previous jail time stemming from drug abuse, a road rage incident, and had undergone drug rehab treatment.” Aside from the redundant “previous jail time” and “drug rehab treatment,” the sentence lacks parallel structure. Possible edit: “. . . a record that included a road rage incident, a stint in drug rehab, and jail time stemming from drug abuse.”

•Our correspondent in Bemidji, Minn., Cathy Marchand, sent us this headline from the Bemidji Pioneer: “If legalized, law enforcement needs funding to address impacts of cannabis use.” Pointing out this dangler, Cathy asks, “If law enforcement gets legalized?”

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.

I must, perforce, call out a redundancy in the May “War.” In it, I urged readers to defend the language and, specifically, the misuse of nonplussed with this opener: “Gird your loins for battle , fellow Word Warriors.” Girding one’s loins is in itself preparation for battle. In the Bible, it meant to pick up your robe and tie it around your waist, making it easier to run. In modern times, it means to prepare for any confrontation, like asking the boss for a raise, or sharing a meal with someone whose politics are the opposite of yours.

Word of the Month

Pronounced AP-uh-them, it’s a noun meaning a terse, witty, instructive saying.

MATT MEYER COMES KNOCKING

County Executive (and newlywed) Matt Meyer likes to stay in touch with constituents through emails. Recently, a couple of those missives mentioned his door-to-door campaign back in 2016, and both were in need of some editing (errors in italics; corrections in parentheses):

By Bob Yearick

•“When I decided to run for New Castle County Executive, me and my team of volunteers (my team of volunteers and I) knocked on nearly 10,000 doors in just six months.”

•“When knocking on doors and meeting Delawareans in their communities, people of all backgrounds agreed we needed more transparency in government.” (This implies that the people whose doors were being knocked on were doing the knocking. A rewrite would look something like this: “While knocking on doors and meeting Delawareans in their communities, I found that people of all backgrounds agreed that . . .”)

FOOD FOLLIES

O&A contributing writer JulieAnne Cross points out that it’s Belgian waffles, not Belgium . “We don't say France fries or Britain tea or India takeout, so I don't get why people do this,” says JulieAnne, adding, “drives me bananas.”

PREPOSITION PEEVES

•Bored of: The traditional expression is bored by or bored with.

•Embarrassed of. One is embarrassed by or embarrassed with

•Standing on line. Except in New York and a few other places, one stands in line. This expression is particularly troublesome since the advent of the internet, where everyone is online.

HOW LONG, OH LORD, HOW LONG?

(In which we address the ongoing abuse of the apostrophe)

Last month the Kentucky Derby gave us another example of apostrophe abuse when the horse Two Phil’s came in second. He was named after the fathers of owner Phillip Sagan Jr. and retired jockey Jerry La Sala — Phillip Sagan Sr. and Phil La Sala, respectively. In other words, two Phils I count it a karmic victory for the English language that the horse didn’t win. Follow

Explore the Future of Finance with WilmU’s FinTech Certificates

Financial technology, or “FinTech,” is changing the way that banking does business. The rise of encrypted transactions, mobile payment apps, digital lending, blockchain networks, and other advances has automated and improved the delivery of financial services for businesses and consumers. It has also created an entirely new career path.

If you work in financial services, or are aiming for a job in the field, Wilmington University offers two FinTech-focused certificate programs that can help you prepare for the future of the industry and ascend to the next level in your profession.

The FinTech certificate and the Cybersecurity and FinTech certificate combine coursework from the University's College of Business and College of Technology and tap the experienced, engaged faculty from both to deepen your knowledge, equip you with in-demand skills, and boost your resume.

The six-course certificate in FinTech builds on this foundation with an in-depth study of Python programming, big data and data visualization, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Given financial technology’s reliance on cloud computing and electronic transfers, as well as its vulnerability to ransomware attacks, data breaches, and other computer crimes, the seven-course Cybersecurity and FinTech certificate provides training in network operations and information assurance. “Knowledge of cybersecurity should be a part of any financial professional’s tool kit,” says Stuhlman.

Stuhlman, WilmU's academic director of finance and accounting, states that FinTech is a "major disruptive force, a $100 billion industry that exists entirely in cyberspace and is causing a reinvention of financial systems."

Each of these interdisciplinary undergraduate-level programs cover the fundamentals of FinTech, including surveys of the industry’s trends and disruptions, the effect of payment systems, the role of machine learning and artificial intelligence, the current regulatory framework, cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin), and blockchain technology.

As the #1 most affordable private, nonprofit university in the region, WilmU makes education accessible. The University is recognized for excellence in eLearning, offering more than 150 degree and certificate programs available 100% online to accommodate busy schedules, as well as advising, tutoring, and other student support services for remote learners. The rolling admissions process allows you to submit your application at any time, and admission is guaranteed for most WilmU academic programs, with no SAT or ACT scores required.

Through WilmU’s exclusive Dual-Credit ADVANTAGE™ feature, students who complete a FinTech certificate can apply the credits they’ve earned toward a bachelor’s degree program in a range of related business or technology subjects. “These certificates are stackable credentials that can quickly enhance one’s resume,” says Stuhlman.

WilmU’s FinTech certificates deliver the cutting edge in financial technology, and can help you take the next step toward your education and career goals. To learn more and apply, please visit wilmu.edu/Business

"In financial services today, FinTech isn't an area you should know—it's an area you must know."

–Dr. Donald Stuhlman, FinTech Program Chair

SEPARATION DAY CELEBRATES HISTORY AND COMMUNITY

One of the state’s longest-running traditions returns June 9-10 with the Separation Day celebration in Historic New Castle. The event recognizes Delaware’s “separation” or declaration of independence from Pennsylvania and the British crown — an event that took place 247 years ago.

Separation Day festivities begin on Friday evening with an outdoor block party at The Wharf, featuring live music by Too Tall Slim & The Guilty Pleasures, food trucks and a beer/wine garden. Saturday commences with a Colonial-inspired parade at noon followed by an afternoon of activities in Battery Park featuring a vintage market, games and rides for kids, food/drink and live music from 1-9:30pm. Bands performing include Stone Shakers, Jack in the Back, Kategory 5 and What The Funk. The celebration culminates with fireworks over the Delaware River at 9:30pm.

Admission on Friday and Saturday is free, with ride tickets available for purchase on Saturday. Visit SeparationDayDe.com.

Things worth knowing

FORMER DU PONT COMPANY HEADQUARTERS REBRANDED AS MARKET WEST

Five blocks of Downtown Wilmington that formerly constituted the 3 million-square-foot footprint of the DuPont Company’s headquarters will now be known as Market West. The complex, with the Nemours Building (1007 N. Orange St.) serving as its flagship, will be marketed by the Buccini/Pollin Group as a mixed-use campus offering luxury accommodations, modern co-working space, dining, live entertainment, luxury accommodations, and convenient parking.

Market West is the only mixed-use development and redevelopment of this scale in Delaware’s history, totaling more than one million square feet of office space, 553 residential units, 88,500 square feet of retail, and 1,170 public parking spaces.

FIND THE HIKER!

Delaware has made great strides in expanding its trail system. Read all about the progress on page 38. In honor of the state’s trailblazing, we’ve invited a hiker to take a walk through this month’s issue. Tell us what four pages our hiker has stopped to take a rest and we might buy you lunch. Three winners will be selected from those who answer correctly by June 10. Email your answer to Contact@TSNPub.com.

Congratulations to last month’s winners of the Find

The Bikes contest: Kristie Gilford, Ellen Callahan and Olga Crowther. Ladies, lunch is on us!

“Market West is the culmination of 25 years of acquiring and repurposing the former Dupont worldwide headquarters complex,” said Chris Buccini, co-president of the Buccini/Pollin Group. “While we continue to honor and respect the century-old history of these buildings, we are ecstatic to introduce Delaware’s premiere live-workplay neighborhood. At Market West, a new history will be created in the century to come.”

DIAMOND STATE MASTERS REGATTA

Wilmington Rowing Center, in partnership with USRowing, will host the 31st Diamond State Masters Regatta June 24-25 at Noxontown Pond in Middletown. Created by Wilmington Rowing Center board members Howard Smith and John Schoonover in 1991, this year’s event will feature approximately 50 races each day. Visit DiamondStateMasters.com.

MarketWest meets.

iswhere thecity

O&A file photo/Butch Comegys

GRAIN EXCHANGE DEBUTS IN NEWARK'S STAR CAMPUS

OMG Hospitality recently opened its sixth Grain restaurant concept with the debut of Grain Exchange on University of Delaware’s STAR campus. STAR is a University Research Park with a mix of University and Industry innovators.

The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and was designed for people in the office park to gather and collaborate, says Lee Mikles, who coowns OMG Hospitality with Jim O’Donoghue.

“Being in a University Research Park and the FinTech Building, we wanted the space to celebrate Delaware Innovation,” says Mikles. “We had local Delaware artist Ed Schmidt design WPA-style posters highlighting eight Delaware Innovations with Precision Color Graphics printing them. It’s a really cool wall of Delaware innovations that we hope we can add to over the years. Celebrating Delaware has been core to who we are since we opened.”

DELAWARE-CENTRIC CRAFT BEVERAGE FESTIVAL ON TAP FOR SMYRNA

COLLABORATION LEADS TO NEW CITY MURAL

United Neighbors, a collaborative of residents, stakeholders, and leaders from both sides of I-95 through Wilmington, with support from Wilmington Mayor Michael S. Purzycki, have installed a mural on the Delaware Avenue Bridge. The mural was created by professional artist and local muralist Christian Kanienberg and can be viewed when crossing Delaware Avenue on the I-95 overpass bridge, between Jackson and Adams Streets.

United Neighbors has completed five murals on bridge overpasses between Jackson and Adams streets over the past four years. The intent of the mural installations is to grow the communities together and “bridge” the gap between the neighborhoods that I-95 divided back when it was introduced. The mural artist for the final bridge mural on Delaware Avenue was selected by a committee of local business owners, elected officials, neighborhood residents, and the City of Wilmington.

“The design is meant to marry metaphors to all of Wilmington and the larger state of Delaware as a whole,” says Kanienberg.

The second annual Smyrna Craft Beverage Festival is set for Saturday, June 3 from noon to 6pm on the grounds of How Do You Brew (58 Artisan Drive, Smyrna). Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Restore the King, the effort to repair and bring back to public display the King Gambrinus statue. The 140-year-old sculpture of the icon of brewing was mounted on Wilmington’s Diamond State Brewery from 1888 until 1962 and has been in storage since it was broken in 1978. Tickets range from $39-$49 with designated driver tickets at $10. Visit HowDoYouBrew.com.

Things worth knowing

Friday, June 2, 2023 5pm Start

RIVERFRONT

The Delaware Contemporary

200 South Madison Street

656-6466

decontemporary.org/upcoming-exhibitions

Artists: Event takes place on June 9th: Opening event for Summer 2023: Radius and A Mid Summers Night Thing by Ken Mabrey

SUMMER 2023

RADIUS

June 9 - August 27, 2023

“Radius” defines a circular region from a center point of origin. For our upcoming summer exhibition season, The Delaware Contemporary serves as the center point of origin, with a radius encompassing the 250 miles surrounding our Riverfront Wilmington home.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:

5 - 8 PM: Brandywine Valley

SPCA Pet Adoptions

6 PM: Summer Kick-off

Balloon Drop

6 PM and 8 PM: Dance

4 Life presentations

DJ Skinny White

FOOD TRUCK: Hummingbird

Island Cuisine

BEACH TIME BAR SPECIALS:

Dogfish 60 IPA and Orange Crush Cocktail

DOWNTOWN

Chris White Gallery

701 N. Shipley Street

475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com

Artist: “Wilmington and Beyond” featuring Edward Loper Jr. with Dakeim Tolson and Jefiah Bordley

Next Art Loop: Friday, July 7, 2023

WEST SIDE

Blue Ball Barn

1914 W Park Drive

353-5679

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery

800 N. French Street

576-2100 • cityfestwilm. com/redding-gallery

Artist: “Out of This World” featuring the art of Kiara Florez

Delaware College of Art & Design

600 N. Market Street

622-8000 • dcad.edu

Artist: Multiplicities

Gallery at Grace Church

900 N. Washington Street

655-8847

Artist: Together Apart Group Exhibition

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street 658-7897

thegrandwilmington.org Grand Gallery: Paintings by William Spencer baby grand Gallery: Eo Omwake “Paintings from 2020-2023”

Mezzanine Gallery at the Carvel State Building

820 N. French Street 577-8278 delarts.org

Artist: Patterns for Saturn, Aaron Eliah Terry

Spaceboy Clothing

706 N. Market Street

225-9781

Artist: Brain Wave

Artist: “Only in Dreams” by Kiara Florez

Delaware Center for Horticulture

1810 N. Dupont Street

658-6262 • thedch.org

Artist: Green Art by Four Artists Go Green

Blue Streak Gallery

1721 Delaware Avenue

429-0506

Artist: Painting Mt. Cuba- Five Artists; Five Viewpoints

Howard Pyle Studio

1305 N. Franklin Street

(978) 460-8120

Artists: Artists Group Show by the Studio Group Artists

BEYOND THE CITY

Arden Buzz-Ware Gallery

2119 The Highway, Arden

981-4811 • ardenbuzz.com

Artist: David Ashworth Burslem: When Pigs Fly-Sculptural & Imaginary Landscapes

Bellefonte Arts

803-C Brandywine Blvd

547-2573

Artist: Let’s go to the Beach!

The Station Gallery

3922 Kennett Pike

654-8638

Artist: “Color & Whimsy-” Group Show

A program of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

presented by

Photo by Tim Hawk

Marcus Miller Clifford Brown Jazz Festival

Stepping Up!

Stepping Up!

Honoring his grandmother’s legacy, Antoine Mapp enables Philly youth to beat the odds through the Sixers Stixers and West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad

Music saved my life,” says Antoine Mapp.

By Jim Miller

He’s not exaggerating. While he was growing up in on Philadelphia’s West 46th Street in the ‘90s, there were plenty of times when the temptations of joining gangs or dealing drugs knocked at Mapp’s door — and where violence and death lurked right down the street.

“I just had a lot of situations where I was nearly locked up,” Mapp says, “or I was at practice and just missed where guys came down and shot the block up.”

By “practice,” Mapp is referring to his long-standing commitment to the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad (WPSDS) which he has been a member of since his grandmother, Elsie Wise, founded the group in June 1991. ►

Photos by Zach Larsen, Delaware Blue Coats

Antoine Mapp (at front, left) and his team of Sixers Stixers play every home game for the Delaware Blue Coats as well as the 76ers.

Mapp recalls his grandmother starting the group to help keep her grandkids and the area youth — two young girls in particular — out of trouble. At the time, Mapp was just 11, and the neighborhood didn’t have basketball courts, arts programs or youth clubs.

“If you went down [past 39th Street] to play basketball, you had to fight in order to get back home,” Mapp says, “or you got chased or you got jumped because you weren’t from around there. And if you weren’t from there, you weren’t allowed to come down there. That’s what we were dealing with when I was growing up.”

In 2000, Wise handed the WPSDS keys to Mapp, making the then college junior the head of the squad. The change in leadership came with its own rewards and challenges, Mapp says, along with constant reminders of the high stakes at hand.

Three days after Christmas that same year, the Lex Street massacre took place. Ten people were shot, and seven killed — all over an argument about a car. To this day, the incident holds the ugly distinction of being Philadelphia’s deadliest mass murder.

And it all happened just three blocks from where Mapp grew up.

“I knew majority of the people that were there and a couple of them were my friends,” Mapp says solemnly.

“The drill team got me through good times and bad times,” he adds.

‘Pay You to Save You’

For the next decade, Mapp helped steer the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad through its own share of ups and downs. But it wasn’t until 2012 that a chance encounter and ensuing showdown proved to be a turning point in the group’s evolution.

In March of that year, Mapp and his squad were invited to perform at the grand opening of Xfinity Live!. Their drum-anddance routine went off without a hitch; however, immediately after they were done, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot, Swoop, instigated an unscripted drum battle between Mapp’s squad and the Philadelphia Eagles Drumline, who also had performed earlier. The crowd loved it.

“Drum battling is one of the things we like to do,” says Mapp’s trusted comrade, 43-year-old Johnny Hall, who has been with

Mapp says his role with the Sixers Stixers has allowed him to put money in kids' pockets, fund scholarships and change lives for the better.

WPSDS for 31 years. “It’s like a team sport. Competition is competition.

“But the difference with our style is we will play and do steps, too. And that gives a whole other definition and outlook on what we’re presenting to you as far as the music and the dancing goes. All [the Eagles Drumline] did was really just play. So, by playing and dancing at the same time, we pretty much had one up on them.”

Members of the Philadelphia 76ers management happened to be in attendance. They were so impressed by the lively backand-forth between drumlines that they contracted Mapp and his squad to become the “Sixers Stixers,” a name bequeathed to them by upper management.

“When we heard that they were scouting us out, man, we were jumping and screaming and through the roof because we were so excited,” says Hall.

“It was a real good feeling because we always dreamt of being on a bigger platform than we were. We always wanted to open for big artists, concerts and things of that nature. But we never thought that we would be on a bigger platform playing for a professional NBA team.”

For Mapp, the extra work meant making WPSDS and the Sixers Stixers a full-time job. For the past 10 years, he has recruited the best of his West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad to perform as the Stixers during halftime for all of the Sixers’ 41 home games — plus, in more recent years, they brought their show to the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington during home games for the Delaware Blue Coats.

Becoming the Sixers Stixers also opened the door to other

opportunities, like playing at events for Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, and organizations like the University of Pennsylvania as well as brands like Disney World, Nickelodeon, and Showtime at the Apollo.

“I love the 76ers for giving us this opportunity, because the 76ers changed our lives,” Mapp says. “The 76ers were the first [organization] to pay us and, for that, I will always be grateful to them. I will always be in debt to them. It’s always going be my family.

“They are really saving kids’ lives in the community by them signing the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad. They don’t know how many lives they saved.

“They have allowed me to put some money in these kids’ pockets and help fund scholarships.”

Mapp calls the model “Pay You to Save You,” a means to help the younger WPSDS members who are struggling with the same temptations, pitfalls and threats that he faced decades ago.

Mapp says the Sixers Stixers gig has led to hundreds of WPSDS members getting into college via scholarships the organization has helped provide and through mentoring.

“I have kids that have started their own businesses,” he says. “I have kids that joined the armed forces. I also have kids who were in the program that have come back to help and mentor kids. And the results have been very fruitful.

“We have our tragedies, too. I have had kids that were murdered. I have had kids that murdered people. I have had kids that [are] in jail right now.

“The goal is to save them all. But you can’t save them all. It’s just hard.” ►

What Might You Do? Christian Robinson

The Wise Way

Now 43 years old, Mapp reflects on 2020 — the first year of the pandemic — when it seemed like the organization was going to come to an end.

“In 2020, I lost 11 family members,” he says. Six of those deaths were COVID-related, he adds, and four were murders.

The final death that year was the most devastating. Wise – Mapp’s grandmother and the person who helped shape his life more than any other person — died of cancer on Dec. 2 at the age of 92.

“It was the hardest year of my life,” Mapp says. “Lost family. Lost all my income. Didn’t know what direction my drumline was going to go. The only thing that was keeping me sane was that my kids — the steppers and the drummers — kept reaching out to me and were like, ‘Can we practice on Zoom?’

“And we just practiced on Zoom until it was safe to go outside again in groups.”

His grandmother was gone, but she had always been a fighter, and her spirit remained strong in the organization she started.

“She did so much for that community and neighborhood from bringing in resources and bringing jobs and doing turkey drives,” Mapp says. “We’d do a Christmas party every year at Presbyterian Hospital, where we’d serve 125 underprivileged kids. She was just a bundle of resources.”

In addition to being the founder of WPSDS, Wise also served as president of the West Powelton Concern Community Council and was a member of the People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corp. In 2015, that organization named an affordable housing apartment building after her and two other community activists.

In Wise’s Philadelphia Inquirer obituary, Bernadine Hawes, chair of the People’s Emergency Center CDC, paid this tribute: “Her energy and passion for the West Powelton area was not surpassed by anyone . . . She was one of those unsung heroes.”

Mapp says his grandmother’s undaunted approach became known as “The Wise Way” — a work ethic she instilled in WPSDS members from the start.

“Keep your head up, and if you believe the dream, you’ll become the dream,” Mapp says. “That was The Wise Way.

“I watched [WPSDS members] grow from boys to men,” he says. “I watched them go from dealing drugs to becoming churchgoing folks, to becoming stand-up fathers, and becoming mentors and community activists in their respective communities.”

The Wise Way worked for him as well.

“That’s why I’ve stayed so long with the drum squad,” Mapp says. “It has saved my life, changed my life, and helped me become a better man.

“It helped me become a better father. It helped me with my biggest fear, which was public speaking. Today, I’m not afraid to get in front of anybody and talk. I can talk and perform in front of 20,000 people night in and night out.

“It definitely helped me become just a better person all the way around.”

WPSDS continues to stay busy. There are currently 35 members; the youngest is 4 and Mapp and Hall are the oldest. Between the WPSDS and the Sixers Stixers, the squads performed 369 times from June 2021 to June 2022. One day they performed at seven events.

“I do so many community events and people ask me all the time, ‘Why are you doing community events? You’re bigger than that now,’” Mapp says. “No, I’m never too big for anything dealing with the community.

“West Powelton was built to save the community.”

Getting in Line

Hall, Mapp’s childhood friend who joined WPSDS when he was 12, agrees.

“Our organization became so strong because, as we were growing up, we saw the things that [Wise] did for us and that were instilled in us — showing kids that there are other things out here that you can do besides doing negative things and hanging around the negative.

“The drill team was a big part of that. It helped us stay on the straight and narrow so we already knew that it could help any other person dealing with family situations, the peer pressure, what your friends think about you, and things of that nature.

“We’ve tried to show people that by playing drums and marching on a drill team, you

could still be a cool person. People still could look at you in a good way and see that you're doing positive things. And it also helps you in the long run with your everyday life.”

In addition to running practices three days a week from 5 to 8 p.m., WPSDS leaders make sure the younger kids are keeping up with their homework. Mapp stresses the necessity of good grades to stay in the program.

But the time is spent in other ways as well. “Sometimes we even get to talk about personal things that are going on in our lives,” says Chris Green, a 22-year WPSDS veteran who started when he was 10. “We have a lot of girls in the program, but with the guys — a lot of these guys may not have a father figure around to help them understand things about growing up. And they ask for advice.”

Twenty years ago, Kiaheem Simmons was a South Philly kid in need of that kind of mentoring. His father died of a brain aneurism, leaving 13-year-old Simmons in search of answers and options.

“I grew up in a rough part of Philadelphia where there was a lot of people dealing drugs and stealing,” he says. “That’s where my head was when I joined.”

He says Mapp and the drum squad “opened my mind to something different.” His father had passed away in January of that year, and by September he was playing the snare and learning steps.

“If I could say, Antoine, he raised me, man,” Simmons says. “He was that father figure, that godsend.

"The whole experience showed me that there is a better way. That was something I wasn’t used to, to see kids my age on a positive note.”

What does he think would have happened had he not joined the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad?

“I’d probably be dead or in jail right now, honestly,” Simmons says. “Because all the guys I grew up with, half of them are either in jail facing life or dead. I’d be somewhere bad.”

Green can relate to Simmons’ story. And he feels that the need for the squad is even more urgent than it was two decades ago when he and Simmons joined.

“Man, I think for kids growing up today, it’s 30 times harder than when I was growing up,” he says. “Yes, I kind of grew up in the era of social media, but it wasn’t as big as it is now. It has a huge influence on younger generations. And the music and the things that they see on the street. Then you have incidents of police violence against young men in our community

“There are a lot of things that we feel we are pressured to do. And many of these kids still need to worry about food. It’s just so hard right now.”

Yet he sees hope in organizations like the West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad and the Sixers Stixers.

He likes the fact that the organization takes bold stands, marching against gun violence or for drug awareness. It makes a difference, he says.

“I didn’t have my father growing up,” Green says. “It was like, yeah, I listen to my mom. I love my mom to death. But a lot of things I was trying to search for as a young black guy, I couldn’t relate to anything. Until I saw this, and it really changed my life.

“A thousand percent.”

Raising Its Game

As competition increases, Delaware Park Casino & Racing undergoes major renovation to improve the experience

By Kevin Noonan

Photos by Butch Comegys

Like most new owners, they wanted to make the place their own. They wanted to put on a new coat of paint and replace the carpets and change the furniture and make things brighter and shinier and, at the same time, warmer and cozier. But they didn’t just want to make it different — they wanted to make it better.

For the first time since 1995, Delaware Park Casino & Racing has had a major facelift that allows it to keep pace with many of its new neighbors. In this case, though, it wasn’t a matter a keeping up with the Joneses as much as keeping up with the Ballys and Borgatas and Harrahs and Sugarhouses and all of the other, mostly-newer casinos in the mid-Atlantic region. ►

Delaware Park GM Terry Glebocki took over in March and has guided a major transformation of the casino.

“That’s always the case, no matter what business you’re in,” says Terry Glebocki, who took over as general manager at Delaware Park in March. “You need to be competitive, you need to be current, and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”

Delaware Park was owned by the Rickman family for 38 years until they sold it to the Clairvest Group and Rubico Gaming LLC, a private equity firm, in 2021. And that’s when the decision to spend $10 million to revamp the casino was made.

Glebocki was hired in the middle of the renovation process (completion is schedule for mid-July). She has more than 30 years of financial management experience and her last job was as chief operating officer at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. In her almost-two-year stint as CEO, Ocean Casino became profitable after years of losing revenue. In her final year at Ocean Casino, the business posted a gross operating profit of nearly $25 million, after losing $12.4 million the previous year.

Part of that dramatic turnaround — which is even more impressive since it came during the Covid pandemic — was to refurbish and update the casino. While Glebocki was CEO, Ocean Casino spent $15 million on the property to improve the casino and other amenities. So, she understands the process through which Delaware Park has been going.

“What I learned the most from my last job is that the people who really know what needs to be done are your guests and your employees,” she says. “And if you ask them, they’ll tell you how you can make it better and how you can make it fit their needs. And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing here.”

Looking to the Future

It goes back to competition. Delaware Park’s casino opened before casino gambling was legal in Pennsylvania and Maryland, so the monopoly they once enjoyed is gone. Plus, more and more people are sitting at home and playing casino games on their cell phones and other devices.

Statistics released by the American Gaming Association show what an impact legalized gambling in Pennsylvania and Maryland have had on Delaware. In 2022, the First State earned $491.8 million, an increase of $1.8 percent from the previous year. However, Pennsylvania earned $5.3 billion, an increase of $10.6 percent, and Maryland brought in more than $2.2 billion, an increase in 14.3 percent. And in the fourth quarter of 2022, Pennsylvania’s revenue rose 8.4 percent and Maryland’s rose 34.8 percent, whereas Delaware’s revenue fell 3.7 percent.

That mostly-positive trend has been felt around the country. In the fourth quarter of 2022, commercial gaming in the U.S. had a revenue of almost $15.9 billion, an all-time high and an increase of 1.7 percent year-over-year. The two other legs of the casino stool — sports betting and iGaming — also had record profits.

“Our industry significantly outpaced expectations in 2022,” says Bill Miller, CEO of the American Gaming Association. “Simply put, American adults are choosing casino gaming for entertainment in record numbers, benefitting communities, and taking market share from the predatory, illegal marketplace.”

But Delaware Park still has to fight for its share of the legal

marketplace, and there are plenty of other casinos fighting for those gambling dollars.

“We think the biggest challenges right now that casinos are facing is the saturation in the market and the economic downturn,” says Gina Mancino, the casino’s vice president of marketing. “Saturation means that there are so many options for casino gambling in Pennsylvania and Delaware and, as a result, we need reasons for guests to choose Delaware Park Casino & Racing.

“We rely on guests to visit and use their entertainment dollars here to enjoy their choice of gaming,” Mancino adds. “With the cost of gas, housing and food skyrocketing in the past several months, guests have fewer entertainment dollars to spend.”

Plus, they have more places to spend them. Add in the fact that many people got used to staying at home during COVID, and it was clear to Delaware Park management that it couldn’t conduct business as usual. The racing side of the business remains unchanged and the brew pub won’t be affected, but patrons will notice a definite difference when they walk through the casino.

“The new ownership group, along with our president and general manager, felt strongly that a renovation and property refresh was critical to the overall success of Delaware Park Casino & Racing,” Mancino says.

“Our goal is to make the property more modern ►

Delaware Park GM Terry Glebocki says customer input was critical in planning the casino's $10 million upgrade.

and comfortable for our existing guests, as well as to attract new guests that have not yet visited the casino. Additionally, we wanted to add new amenities and offerings to attract new audiences and VIP guests.”

Behind the Times

Once the people in charge at Delaware Park decided an upgrade was essential, they hired an architect from the center of the gambling universe — Las Vegas, Nev. And in case you doubt Paul Heretakis’ Las Vegas credentials, the building where he works is located on Dean Martin Boulevard.

Heretakis has decades of experience redesigning and rejuvenating casinos, and as soon as he walked into Delaware Park, he knew what the problem was.

“It was very old and faded a bit, and right away we’re thinking about how we can modernize this place and give the customers a better experience,” Heretakis says.

But what kind of experience? Heretakis says that’s the key question, and the first one he asks himself whenever he evaluates a new client.

“Who do I want to be?” Heretakis says. “It’s OK to be McDonald’s — they make a lot of money. So, really, who are you? What do your customers want?”

The answer, of course, is not McDonald’s. Delaware Park isn’t spending $10 million to renovate so they can serve McRib sandwiches once a year. This was a necessary and inevitable move that pushes the Stanton casino into the 21st Century.

And to make that move, Delaware Park and the professionals who designed and executed the recent renovations used public opinion and feedback to guide their process. To Heretakis, that was a refreshing approach.

“A lot of the times, the [casino owners] are all about ego,” he says. “They’re rich guys who know nothing about their customers. I don’t think anybody ever told the customers that your opinion matters.”

Despite the flashing lights and glitz

of a casino, most of their comments were about simple things.

“They want comfort, they want cleanliness and they always want great service, and that’s something that doesn’t change,” Glebocki says. “Convenience is important, too. They

want convenience to the amenities — to their food and beverage, to the rest rooms, to parking. Those things are very important.”

One thing they did was double the size of the VIP bar. And there's another small change that could have a big reaction from bettors — slot machines will mostly be clustered in carousels instead of stretched out in long rows as has been done historically.

“Patrons really don’t like sitting in long rows of slot machines,” Glebocki says, “so with the carousels we have a lot more spacing and there’s a lot more room between you and the person at the next machine, rather than under the old traditional style.

“Everything changes,” Glebocki adds. “Styles change, and what was here worked for many, many years. But I think it was time for a nice facelift, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

Slots are now clustered in carousels instead of stretched out in long rows.

PRESENTED BY DOGFISH HEAD CRAFT BREWERY

By Ken Mammarella

Photos by Butch Comegys

“Shared-use paths and trails are no longer an addon at the end of the project planning,” says Dave Gula, principal planner who’s worked at the Wilmington Area Planning Council since 2005. “They have become a driving force for some projects, and communities accept that these trails are amenities that should be included in almost every project.”

“The trend is that there are very few projects today that are planned with no bike/ped elements included, and in many cases that becomes the focus as we work with the community to plan.”

“Ten years ago, when large bike trails and pathways were proposed near established neighborhoods, we often faced resistance to them — ‘those will bring outsiders, potential troublemakers, to our community.’ I used to counter that argument by explaining that you rarely see someone steal a TV and carry it away on a bike, but concerns persisted, and we often had to keep a barrier of some kind in place

between the trail and the neighborhood.

“Then, a few years would pass, and those communities would come back to us asking for a connection to the trail. This was before the pandemic, at which point our trail network saw its highest usage rate ever, and that has only declined slightly as we have come to the ‘new normal.’ Now when we begin a new study, we generally hear about the needs for connectivity to existing trails and improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.”

Aundrea Almond, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer’s chief of staff, agrees, showing a map where neighborhoods have asked the county for safer connections to the Delcastle Recreational Area.

Roth exemplifies how bike trails have transformed Atlanta, which Wilmington lawyer John L. Williams knows firsthand.

“When I was in law school, I biked in Atlanta every day from my apartment to campus at Emory Law,” he says. “Biking took 10 minutes, and driving would have taken 20 minutes

A rendering of the proposed Wilmington Loop that would connect the Jack Markell Trail with the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail.

Shared-use paths and trails are no longer an add-on at the end of the project planning. They have become a driving force for some projects.

– Dave Gula, WILMAPCO

because of terrible rush hour traffic and parking.”

A study for the county concluded the Newport River Trail could produce the same game-changing stat: It’ll be faster for bicyclists to get between Newport and the Wilmington Riverfront than motorists.

Trail construction, maintenance and improvements are not cheap. The Markell Trail cost $26 million, and the county in 2022 received an $822,800 federal grant to improve it with art, signage explaining cultural and environmental highlights along the way and “more cool things,” Meyer says.

The county has applied for $25 million in Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity funding from the federal government for the Newport River Trail, with Meyer explaining the cost includes building on wetlands and ensuring that the trail can accommodate first responders using motorized carts that are nicknamed gators. And there are hopes for amenities like bike racks, benches and fix-it stations.

“Some of this sounds expensive,” Meyer says. “Some of these numbers are big, but in terms of health, environmental benefits and cost savings for low-income residents who are looking at $40,000 to buy a new car, it’s a no brainer that it’s a benefit for the community. You build this stuff, and it lasts for generations, and it transforms our community. It’s a great investment.”

For four months before the pandemic, MassTrails studied the benefits of four Massachusetts trails. It, not surprisingly, reported only good news: up to $9.2 million for businesses near trails, $2.8 million in healthcare savings by trail users and $2.2 million saved related to greenhouse gases.

Multi-use trails improve safety, advocates say, because they reduce or eliminates encounters between pedestrians and bicyclists and motor vehicles. That’s a particularly tough issue for Delaware. In 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015, it had the worst record for pedestrian fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And for most of the last 25 years, it was among the worst 10.

“We have a crisis on our roadways,” Gov. John Carney said when he announced his fiscal 2024 budget with a safety initiative that includes a traffic education and enforcement unit for State Police.

“We have a pedestrian safety issue on our roads,” Roth says. “The more people you can get off the road and onto a path biking for transportation, that’s huge. That’s fantastic.”

“In his free time, Meyer likes to ride his bike,” his official bio says, but he’s not yet safely commuting to county offices in Corporate Commons. He offers anecdotes of proposing to his wife, Lauren Cooksey, while biking on the Markell Trail and bicycling from downtown D.C. to Reagan National Airport in the Virginia suburbs.

“I think there’s a vision where you could do something like that here,” he adds. “I don’t know how many enthusiasts like me would do it, but a family could pack a couple of backpacks on a beautiful day like today and ride their bikes to the airport. Get an Avelo flight down to Florida or Nashville. Go away for the weekend and come back and ride a bike home.”

Multi-use trails give residents and visitors an option to walk, run or ride while avoiding a motor vehicle encounter.

There’s a Trail for That

Delaware Greenways profiles 18 trails in New Castle County in the Trail Library page of delawaregreenways.org. All are for pedestrians and bicyclists; some accommodate in-line skaters, and one is listed for equestrians.

Auburn Valley Trail: 1.2 miles of asphalt in Auburn Valley State Park.

Battery Park Trail: 3.7 miles of asphalt along the Delaware, in and near Old New Castle.

Brandywine Trail: 2.9 miles of crushed stone, also for equestrians, in Brandywine Creek State Park.

Creekside Trail: 2.6 miles of packed earth along the Brandywine in Brandywine Creek State Park and the Beaver Valley unit of First State National Historic Park.

Delcastle Recreation Loop: 1.7 miles of asphalt in the Delcastle Recreational Park.

East Coast Greenway: 38 miles of mixed surfaces, in various sections, part of a route planned to connect Maine to Florida.

Fox Point Riverview Trail: 2.6 miles of mixed surfaces on the Delaware in Fox Point State Park.

Glasgow Park Loop Trail : 2.7 miles of asphalt in Glasgow Park.

Jack A. Markell Trail: 5.5 miles of mixed surfaces, including an elevated boardwalk, between the Wilmington Riverfront and New Castle. It includes interpretive kiosks, bike repair stations, bike racks, benches and seasonal bike rentals.

James F. Hall Trail: 1.8 miles of asphalt that never crosses a road yet connects three Newark parks.

Michael N. Castle C&D Canal Trail: 8.7 miles of paved surfaces along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Usage is estimated at more than 200,000 a year, according to Delaware Greenways.

Mill Creek Greenway: 3.8 miles of asphalt in Pike Creek.

Northern Delaware Greenway Trail: 10.4 miles of asphalt between Bellevue State Park and Brandywine Park. The trail and Delaware Greenways itself began out of opposition to plans to turn a golf course into shops.

Oval Track: 1.2 miles of crushed stone around a pond in Bellevue State Park, with 20 exercise stations.

Oversee Farm Trail: 1.1 miles of mixed surfaces near Auburn Valley State Park.

Pomeroy Trail: 4.4 miles of asphalt along White Clay Creek and in and near the state park.

Rockwood Park Loop Trail: 1.2 miles of asphalt in Rockwood Park and Museum.

Talley Day Park Loop Trail: 1.2 miles of asphalt in Talley Day Park.

The Castle Trail combines with the Ben Cardin Trail to provide a 12.4-mile connection between Delaware City, Del. and Chesapeake City, Md.

Paths to the Future

Trails

envisioned, being studied, in planning and under construction

Many big projects with multi-use paths are planned or under way or being in New Castle County

• The Wilmington Loop, also called the Wilmington Life Sciences Loop for businesses on its western side, wraps around the city, following Route 141 and a mix of streets and trails elsewhere, with half of its 15.6 miles already existing. New sections would reach out to the Amazon warehouse near Newport (and all those jobs) and follow the rivers around Wilmington’s East Side, better connecting the historic Seventh Street peninsula and the beleaguered East Side to the rest of the city.

• The 1.95-mile Newport River Trail was first envisioned in 2014 to connect downtown Newport to the Wilmington Riverfront. It’s in the final design phase. Harvey Hanna, which developed Amazon’s warehouse near Newport and owns other properties nearby, is poised to make commuting convenient for cyclists. “Once a trail is in place, we would definitely add bike racks where appropriate,” says Ryan Kennedy, marketing vice president.

• The Commons Boulevard Trail Pathway connects 10,000 jobs in the Corporate Commons area to the Wilmington Riverfront. The first quarter-mile is done. If fully built, it would also link New Castle County’s main office building and its Hope Center and Christiana Hospital to Wilmington.

• The Iron Hill Park to Glasgow Park Corridor Pathways would connect several parks and the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, in and south of Newark.

• The Newport to Newark Pathways are being planned. The latest map for New Castle County’s Connecting Communities Initiative shows one path leaving Newport and splitting into northern and southern forks. The contractor’s final report and cost estimates are due in August.

• The reconstruction of the Route 896 interchange with Interstate 95 that just began includes multi-use paths crossing the interstate.

• The latest plan for Concord Pike nixes “major bicycle facilities” because of traffic volumes and speeds and limited right of way, but “over than 100 smaller trails, pathways and bike/ped connections are being planned,” says Dave Gula, principal planner with the Wilmington Area Planning Council.

To say a trail connects Points A and B misses the point. These projects connect to each other, embracing Glasgow, Newark, Newport, Wilmington, New Castle, Brandywine Hundred, the Northern Delaware Greenway (Delaware’s oldest and longest trail) and the popular Jack A. Markell Trail. Add Claymont to the list, if all the trails proposed for Electric Arc Park are created, according to Brett Saddler, executive director of the Claymont Renaissance Development Corp.

Connecting Communities, an initiative that County Executive Matt Meyer launched in 2018, goes further. A map on the initiative’s landing page shows a path between New Castle and Delaware City (preferably along the water, away from the dangers of Route 9) that links to Lums Pond State Park and the Michael N. Castle C&D Canal Trail. From the canal, trails head north to Newark and south to Middletown. Arrows point toward trails in Pennsylvania and hoped-for trails in Maryland. The 11 projects also include work on Augustine Cut-Off to improve access to Incyte and Trolley Square.

“This is really a passion project for me,” Meyer says. “Former County Councilwoman Lisa Diller defined county government as ‘public safety and dirt.’ That’s what we do. And when you think about dirt, you think about use of land, how the use of land changed in the past generation or two and where the use of land is going.” He hopes Connecting Communities will allow people to “move seamlessly and safely, walking biking, maybe e-biking. Our job working with DelDOT is to build that system.”

SUMMER GUIDE 2023

Photo courtesy of Riverfront Development Corporation

OPEN, INVITING, & EXCITING!

Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Blue Rocks are celebrating their 31st season on the Riverfront this summer, with great baseball, family-friendly activities, giveaways, fi reworks, and more.

For the season schedule and to purchase tickets, please visit

BlueRocks.com

The 2023 Riverfront Wilmington Lunchtime Event Series

The sounds of live music and entertainment will occur along the Christina River during lunchtime this Summer. The Riverfront Wilmington Event Series will occur every Wednesday in June, July, and August from 12:15 pm -1:15 pm at Hare Pavilion. Guests will be treated to comedy, yoga, jazz, rock, pop, blues, & folk while enjoying the unique scenery along the Riverfront.

June 7 - R&B Nic Snow

June 14 - Comedy Corner

Ty Jamison

June 21 - Country Guitarist

Carly Twigg

June 28 - TBD

July 5 - TBD

July 12 - Soloist

Bob Colligan

July 19 - Acoustic Guitar

Anthony Jesson

July 26 - Flamenco Guitar & Vocal performance

Paul Sedacca & Begoná Gomez

August 2 - TBD

August 9 - Brass Duo

Jonas Chen

August 16 - Skip Barthold

On the River Music

August 23 - Comedy Corner

August 30 - TBD

RIVERFRONT SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Our popular Concert Series will once again return to Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park each Thursday evening from 7-8:30pm from July 6 through August 31.

July 6 - Swing That Cat (Swing, Cabaret Jazz, and Splash of Bourbon Street)

July 13 - UD Steel Band (Summer Island Steel Pan Band)

July 20 - Stacey LaChole & the BlacSoul Band (R&B, Pop, Soul, Gospel, Funk, and Jazz)

July 27 - Sean Reilly (Vocalist in the Sinatra Style)

August 3 - Sunset Riders (Southern Rock & Country)

August 10 - Jimmy Pritchard Band (Blues)

August 17 - Gerry Timlin (Family Night with Irish Folk Music)

August 24 - Best Kept Soul (R&B, Gospel, Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop, and Rock)

August 31 - Blues Reincarnation Project (Blues & Rock)

THESE CONCERTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE AND FEATURE A VARIETY OF POPULAR LOCAL-AND-REGIONAL ACTS CELEBRATING VARIOUS GENRES:

ATTRACTIONS

Water Attractions

Our friends at Coastal Boat Tours are back again for their first full season on the Christina.

They have two ships, The Brandywine Tour Boat and Pau Hanna Tiki Boat. They offer tours of the river, cruising past the city and port and out to the Delaware River, as well as happy hour cruises, private charters and more. Details

DuPont Environmental Education Center

The DuPont Environmental Education Center provides a 13,000 square foot facility along the 212-acre Peterson Wildlife Refuge, where guests can explore the marshes and look for various species of amphibians, birds and fish.

They offer guided tours, weekly drop-in classes, and have easy access to the Jack A. Markell Bike Trail.

Delawarenaturesociety.org/centers/dupont-environmental-education-center

Delawarenaturesociety.org/centers/dupont-environmental-education-center

Delaware Children’s Museum

In addition to its weekly rotating STEAM programming and fun permanent exhibits, the museum is bringing back monthly special events for the Summer. The Summer Kick-Off will take place on Friday, June 16, with indoor and outdoor activities, live music, and more. On Friday, July 21, guests are invited to check out dogs and other service animals at the Dog Days of Summer Event. They will wrap up Summer with an end of Summer Bash on Friday, September 1. All events are from 5-8pm.

DelawareChildrensMuseum.org

Fin Bike Rentals

The Riverfront is one of the best places in the area for a bike ride, and we have the best bikes for you to rent!

Our Fin bike rental service onsite at the Riverfront is as convenient as it gets — whether you are visiting the area; you live nearby and don’t have a bike (or it’s not convenient to get here with your bike); or you simply want to go on a spontaneous spin. Reservations & Info: Bikes available 7am-6pm; last rental 5pm. Make your reservation by following the directions www. FindF.in.

Location & Parking: Bike Rentals are located on the Riverwalk between Riverwalk Mini Golf and Taco Grande. Parking is available in the Public parking lot at 601 South Madison Street, Wilmington, DE.

FEATURES

Restaurants and Beer Garden

Banks’ Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar

Big Fish Grill

Ciro Food & Drink

Constitution Yards Beer Garden

Delaware Duck Café and Catering

Del Pez

Docklands

Drop Squad Kitchen

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Riverfront Bakery

River Rock Kitchen

Starbucks

Taco Grande

Timothy’s on the Riverfront

OPEN

MON-FRI: 9AM-6PM

SAT: 9AM-4PM

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

Dine-in or carry out

RIVERFRONT MARKET

Sip Your Way to Wellness

Juices and smoothies turn produce into tasty, nutrient-dense powerhouses

By Pam George

In 2008, Kamil Bass-Walker replaced processed foods with fresh, natural products, a practice known as “clean eating.” Soon after, his brother Hassan was diagnosed with diabetes, and Bass-Walker wanted to help the 10-year-old avoid insulin dependence. Not only did the food need to benefit the boy’s body, but it also had to taste good. Enter juicing, the practice of extracting the liquid from fruits and vegetables.

Today, Hassan is a regular “juicer,” and Bass-Walker owns Eat Clean Healthy Café, which has locations at 225 N. Market St. and in DE.CO Food Hall, both in Wilmington. Of course, Hassan can’t rely on juice alone. “He knows how to eat to take less insulin,” Bass-Walker explains. But the siblings have witnessed juicing’s benefits — and they are not the only ones.

Lauren Crist, for instance, started juicing after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which can affect the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

“I met with a nutritionist who recommended starting the day with juices,” recalls the Brandywine Hundred resident. As a result, she avoided infusion therapy.

Juices aren’t all about health benefits, however. Some people drink them because, well, they taste good. Regardless, produce-centric beverages are big sellers. To be sure, things have changed since 2015 when Alisa Morkides of Brew HaHa! fame opened and closed Sunna Juice & Café in Trolley Square. She was ahead of her time. Today the Brew HaHa! in Greenville carries Nourish, a Kennett Square-based maker of organic juices. And coffee shops, breakfast spots and grocery stores offer specialty juices — and their creamy cousin, the smoothie. ►

Kamil Bass-Walker, owner of Eat Clean Healthy Cafe, has seen family members benefit from juicing. Photo courtesy Kamil Bass-Walker

A Fruitful Start

Juicing involves the removal of nutrient-dense juice from fruits and vegetables. The age-old practice gained traction in the 20th century with the emergence of exercise trends. For instance, TV exercise guru Jack LaLanne, who died at age 96, had a juice bar in his first gym, which opened in 1936. In the 1970s, the popularity of health food stores offered juices as unappetizing wheatgrass.

In the 21st century, health-conscious baby boomers and Generation Xers turned to juices as an easy way to get vitamins and nutrients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, adults should consume 1½-to-2 cups of fruits and 2-to-3 cups of vegetables daily, but only one in 10 meets the requirements.

Lanice Wilson appreciates juicing’s nutritional benefits. “While journeying to a healthier lifestyle, I became intrigued by the amount of produce that went into one 12-ounce serving,” says Wilson, who owns the Juice Joint 2.0 in Chancery Market Food Hall. “I quickly realized I could drink far more fruits and vegetables than I could ever eat. My love affair with juicing deepened.”

Fortunately, manufacturers now prioritize taste as well as the health benefits, notes Francine Covelli, a chef and the owner of Nourish, which wholesales USDA-certified organic coldpressed juices.

As a result, consumers “woke” to wellness have welcomed the addition of juices to mainstream menus.

“The inspiration behind First Watch’s fresh juice program came from our team constantly traveling and identifying trends before they hit the mainstream,” says Shane Schaibly, senior vice president of culinary strategy for the chain, which has two Delaware sites.

“Our team noticed the growing popularity of juice and saw an opportunity to broaden our beverage offerings and introduce guests to another, healthier option,” he says. In 2015, the Floridabased chain introduced Day Glow, a blend of carrot, orange and lemon juices with a hint of ginger juice. Next was the Kale Tonic with kale, Fuji apple, English cucumber and lemon.

First Watch has a full line of healthy juices, like its Morning Meditation.

The Kale Tonic doesn’t taste like liquid greens, so it’s easy for parents to sneak healthy foods into their kids’ diets. Crist, for instance, now whips up drinks for her toddlers. Because they prefer less acidic flavors, she adds yogurt to create more of a smoothie. “It’s like sherbet or ice cream to them,” explains Crist, who also makes popsicles with the juices.

The Smooth Solution

Smoothies, meanwhile, hit the popular marketplace in the late 20th century. What’s the difference? The former is a blend of whole fruit or vegetables with liquid, such as milk, yogurt or plant-based milk. Consequently, smoothies retain fruit or vegetable fiber, which promotes gut health. That’s a boon unless you can’t tolerate a high-fiber diet.

Smoothies aren’t as nutrient-dense as juice, which is concentrated, but many consumers choose a smoothie for the taste and texture. For instance, at Java Bean Café in Claymont, smoothies are an attractive option for guests who don’t want coffee, tea or sugary sodas, says partner Joe Pilkus.

“Students at Archmere Academy and people on the go really enjoy them,” he says. “We also get a fair number of folks who finish their workouts with one of our smoothies.”

The café’s creations are named for their dominant color. For instance, the purple smoothie contains blueberry, strawberry, banana and oat milk, while the green has spinach, apple, banana and almond milk. No additional sugar is added. Excess sugar can also be an issue with some juices.

“We don’t like to go over 10 grams of sugar — some of them are 8,” Covelli says.

Smoothies can be creative as well as colorful. For example, consider Eat Clean’s Smooth Chocolate with banana, cocoa powder, cayenne, peanut butter, agave and almond milk. Granola and honey are in the Green Dream, which includes strawberries, mango and spinach.

One of the Juice Joint 2.0’s most popular smoothies is the BPB&J (banana, peanut butter and housemade strawberry jam) — a throwback to Wilson’s childhood.

If you’re watching your weight, determine a smoothie’s calorie content before ordering or assembling the ingredients.

Buy or DIY

For Crist, starting the day with juice is ideal. Others follow their inner guide. For instance, BassWalker says some Eat Clean guests order juice if they are on a cleanse to shed whatever toxin they believe has built up in their bodies.

“Some have had a rough weekend with a lot of fun food, and they just want a green juice to start the day,” he explains. “It varies.”

But most buyers understand the

Largest Selection

degree of nutrients they can get from a bottle of juice versus preparing fruits and vegetables, Covelli says. And like BassWalker, her target audience lacks time to do it themselves.

Nourish is available in a variety of locations, including Brew Ha! Ha! in Greenville and HiLo House in Wilmington, which carries all 10 flavors. Houpette sells a customized juice that Nourish made just for the Greenville boutique. Covelli explains that since the shop specializes in skincare and cosmetics, the juice benefits the skin.

Eat Clean and Nourish make cold-pressed juices, which boast the maximum amount of liquid without traditional pasteurization. Since raw cold-pressed juice has a short shelf life — up to four days — the bottled juices are submerged in cold water under high pressure to kill pathogens. Because glass can’t withstand the process, manufacturers must use plastic.

Cold-pressed juicers are known as masticating juicers; an auger forces the produce against stainless steel mesh. Juice Joint 2.0 only uses Green Nature Juices, which produce a juice with a better color, higher yield and flavor, Wilson says.

The machines are on the pricy side, and the process takes time. Crist uses the quick-acting centrifugal juicer at home to blend produce she’s grown in her garden or purchased at nearby Marini Produce.

To serve two adults and two kids, she’s blended half a watermelon, half a lime, three apples, two cucumbers and a dash of turmeric for a “very refreshing juice.”

Her children aren’t the first to grow up with juices and smoothies.

“We know Gen Z and Millennial customers, in particular, have a strong interest in purchasing our juices,” says Schaibly of First Watch. “These customers are almost equally split between men and women, across generations.”

Like lattes and espresso, juices and smoothies are part of the modern lifestyle and the culinary landscape. Covelli agrees: “Fresh cold-pressed juice — done well with good, clean, organic ingredients — is always going to be something that people are going to want.”

Concerts For Conservation

Summertime music events, including a Deadfest, help support the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance

By Steve Lanahan

The Brandywine Valley is what is known as a watershed. Rain that falls in the valley flows down to Brandywine Creek to start the journey to the Atlantic Ocean. The watershed covers 330 square miles and is home to more than 300,000 people. It is the primary drinking water source for much of New Castle County, so conservation efforts are needed to keep water quality high.

Sometimes support for such critical efforts can come from unexpected places. Take music, for example. And more specifically, the Summer Music Series sponsored by the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance (BRC).

The weekly concert series, at the Myrick Conservation Center, in Pocopson Township along Route 842, features a mix of local bands and styles of music. The free events often attract 300 people, who come for the music, the food trucks, and the beautiful natural surroundings. They are held most Thursdays in July and August from 7 to 9 p.m., and are expected to start this year on Thursday, July 6.

Deadfest is another musical event at the Myrick, one that has been ongoing since 2010 and has grown from

small crowds to sell-out events. This concert is distinct from the Summer Music Series in a number of ways, one of which is that there are no bands. Each song has a different lineup of musicians and performers. This once-a-year event will be on Friday, Sept. 8 .

The BRC — sponsors of the concerts — is a collaboration among three watershed conservation associations: the Brandywine Valley Association (BVA), the Red Clay Valley Association (BCVA), and Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (TLC). ►

Above: Rob Grant (front) and area musicians have been producing the Deadfest benefit concerts since 2010. Photo by Kevin Matsanka

THREE-FOLD MISSION

The BRC mission is threefold: watershed conservation, environmental education, and land preservation. Put simply, the goal of its watershed conservation efforts is to have drinkable, fishable, and swimmable waters available to all. Environmental education comes through science and STEM-based nature programs. These aim to connect children with the outdoors and the natural world, away from electronic gadgets. Land preservation protects and enhances biodiversity.

CEO Jim Jordan is proud of the many initiatives the BRC has taken on. In particular, he cites the miles of streams the group has restored. “These streams are the primary source of drinking water for the city of Wilmington and northern New Castle County,” Jordan says.

He also notes the organization’s Red Clay Valley and Brandywine Clean Ups. “The Red Clay Valley Clean Up covers over 98 miles of streams and roadways in both Pennsylvania and Delaware,” he says. “In the history of this event 18,489 volunteers have collected 431 tons of trash.

Another accomplishment: “The thousands of children that participate in our school and summer camps programs each year. This generation is our future, and our natural world will be in their hands.”

The mission of the BRC can be traced to 1945, when veterans back from World War II found that their streams, specifically the Brandywine, had been polluted from industrial discharges and agricultural runoff. No strangers to teamwork, they got together and began to clean up and preserve the Brandywine

member and musician Pat Bruner to offer a simple suggestion: “Buy tickets early. It amazes me every year that the event gets marketed heavily as ‘This will sell out,’ and then it sells out, and then everyone is scrambling for tickets. Mark your calendar for the date of the show and buy your tickets when they go on sale.”

Jordan speaks highly of Grant’s leadership. “Rob has taken our music program to a whole new level by bringing in some incredible local bands and musicians.”

Deadfest can be challenging for the musicians. “Every song is a different lineup made up of musicians from different bands,” Grant says. With intentionally limited rehearsals, the performers are forced to rely on listening to each other, which creates some synergetic music.

Deadheads seem to be a BRC kind of audience. To start with, says Jordan, “you gotta love the tie dye and Volkswagen buses. And as we know, most Deadheads are conservationists at heart.” As a result, he says, many join the BRC after attending a concert.

The goal for this year is to raise $100,000, which would be a record for the event.

BRC has put its fundraising to good use. It now owns more than 1,000 acres of land, including six preserves open to the public. It also has conservation easements on an additional

1,400 acres. It sponsors school and camp programs for between 10,000 and 13,000 students each year.

In addition, there are two ongoing projects to preserve properties which are scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. There are also four stream restoration projects in various stages. Included in those projects is an assessment of the entire Red Clay West Branch and its tributaries.

— More information about the BRC and its events can be found at brandwyineredclay.org.

BRC's annual Deadfest draws more than 1000 guests annually. Photo by Kevin Matsanka

TUNEDIN

CLIFFORD BROWN JAZZ FESTIVAL BOASTS A DYNAMIC LINE-UP

From Tuesday, June 20 to Saturday, June 24, at Wilmington’s Rodney Square, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival — the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast — will present one of its most cutting-edge and eclectic line-ups in the festival’s 36-year history.

The nightly headliners alone speak to the festival’s wide reach. Wednesday (June 21) sees Benin-born Angélique Kidjo, an artist who Pitchfork says “was sourcing from the roots of African rhythms long before they came into vogue as international signifiers of taste and worldliness.”

On Thursday (June 22) it’s Cory Wong, of Vulfpeck fame, who headlines with his brand of high-energy jazz-funk. Friday (June 23) sees the return of Kem, Motown’s smooth jazz sensation.

Then on Saturday (June 24) the festival closes with saxophonist Kamasi Washington, who continues to broaden the definition of jazz. Washington’s last studio LP, Heaven and Earth, found its way onto countless numbers of Best of 2018 lists, including those of NPR, Mojo, Consequence, Pitchfork, Stereogum, GQ and Complex

The festival kicks off Tuesday (June 20) with a special event at Delaware Theater Company: Yesterdays, a premier dance piece by Leon Von Brown.

For a full festival schedule, visit CliffordBrownJazzFest.org.

PAT METHENY RETURNS TO THE GRAND ON JUNE 10

Since the mid-70s, Pat Metheny has helped redefine what he interprets “jazz guitar” means in the modern context.

Metheny has performed with artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Milton Nascimento, Ornette Coleman and David Bowie and he’s composed for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras, and ballet pieces and even the robotic instruments of his Orchestrion project.

For tickets and more info, visit TheGrandWilmington.com.

Saxophonist Kamasi Washington

Pat Metheny

BOOTLESS STAGEWORKS HOSTS EP RELESASE SHOW FOR J.D. WEBB

As the front man for Howl Train, Cadillac Riot and The Holdup, Jason Webb has been making his mark on the Delaware music scene for more than 15 years. This month he does so as a solo artist under the more formal version of his name, J.D. Webb.

On June 3 at Bootless Stageworks, Webb releases his first solo EP Royal St. Ann Burgundy with a live performance of those songs joined by his band The Good God Damn. The show starts at 8pm with an opening set from Big Skull.

In January, Out & About produced a feature piece about the upcoming EP. In it, Webb said, “I think, as a songwriter, that it has taken me a long time to where I really speak my mind in lyrics.”

Tickets to the show are available via Eventbrite. Bootless Stageworks is located at 1301 N. Broom Street, Wilmington.

MEGA & BRIGHT CORNERS PLAY THE QUEEN ON JUNE 9

The Queen continues to give local bands a stage with a June 9 show that sees MEGA teaming up with Bright Corners.

MEGA jump-started 2023 with the release of its foursong Grand Ultimate EP. The prog- rock quintet kept busy in recent years with regular shows at Dew Point Brewing Co. and the now-defunct Jackson Inn.

For tickets and more info visit TheQueenWilmington.com.

Chris Maloney (l) and Phil Matarese of MEGA.

J.D. Webb

Giving Music a Whirl

PinWheel musicians juggle full-time jobs and artistic ambitions

By JulieAnne Cross

lucky few of us can turn artistic ambition into a career that pays the bills. For most, art — be it sculpting, dancing, writing, or music — exists as an avocation that requires balance with a full-time job.

The five musicians of PinWheel, a Newark-based indie band, are forced to worship at the altar of the shared calendar, carving out limited times to hone their craft and perform it.

Guitarist, vocalist, and full-time chef Jamie Brancaccio, of Wilmington, coordinates his band’s schedule with kitchen life, finding a daytime job cooking for a retirement community after years of working in restaurants. His peripatetic career as a chef, which started when he was still a Middletown High School student, once pulled him away from Delaware, as far west as Pittsburgh and as long as eight years in Baltimore.

Delaware’s 1 a.m. last call can be especially troublesome for musicians who work in restaurants, which often continue seating dinner guests as late as 10 p.m.

“Baltimore was easier because we’d close by 11 or 12 p.m., and shows would go on with the last band at 1 a.m.,” Jamie Brancaccio adds. “When I moved back to Delaware, I was focused on getting a job that made that easier. The latest I ever leave is 8:30 p.m.”

PinWheel features Brancaccio’s brother, Joey, on drums. He recently got lucky when he was moved to first shift at his job as an area leader at a manufacturing facility in Elkton.

“It’s a lot easier for me to make shows and practices now,” he says. “But for most of the band’s history, I

was on second shift and I was using vacation days for shows.”

Rounding out the group are Brandon Ledeker on lead guitar, Rolland “Rolly” Butler on bass, and the newest member, Eric Longoria, who joined late last year and plays keyboard.

Longoria — the only member who isn’t yet in his 30s — says that his job in production at a Newport technology firm gives him Friday through Sunday off, while Ledeker manages a store and creates the staffing schedule. Butler drives a cement truck, a daytime gig. ►

PinWheel guitarist-vocalist Jamie Brancaccio. Photo by Michelle McBride Minner

Holding It All Together

Scheduling practices and shows for a band with five members and their individual schedules is challenging, but they have years of practice overcoming obstacles, and they share the load. Jamie Brancaccio takes the lead on bookings, while Joey Brancaccio focuses on merch, artwork, and their online presence.

It’s not just timing that creates an obstacle; travel time is also a consideration. The band considers itself “Newark-based” and practices there. But Jamie Brancaccio lives in Wilmington, while Ledeker lives in Elsmere and Butler hails from North East, Maryland.

The band formed in 2018, and logistics were an immediate challenge — but not a barrier.

“We were running all over New Castle County and meeting up in apartments,” Joey Brancaccio says. “Me and Jamie linked back up musically after he moved back from Baltimore and me and Brandon had been playing in bands together since we were 14. When Jamie came back, the three of us got back together and started writing songs. We started playing out almost immediately.”

It’s the Music that Matters

Early gigs, at Wilmington’s now-defunct 1984 and neighboring Oddity Bar, were just those three members — two guitarists and a drummer. At first, the band performed sans bass, until Butler picked one up for the very first time.

“I tried,” Butler, still the bass player, says.

When Joey Brancaccio recalls that the mostly self-taught musicians’ attempt at instrument switching was “loathed by the

community,” the whole band laughs.

Band members say they grew up on punk rock, and “all things in the alternative sphere.” Nineties nostalgia is in their wheelhouse and they say they’ve been “known to cover Built to Spill, and compared to Radiohead and Pavement at times.”

Michael Koh Bleinberger, executive producer of Koh Show Live, a music show (a complement to his Koh Show booking agency) that streams every Monday on YouTube, has had PinWheel on regularly since February, and has been booking them at venues since the live music world began to reopen in May 2021.

“PinWheel is the rock band we all need right now,” he says.

PinWheel members say they grew up on punk rock. Photo by Michelle McBride Minner

“They’re a little bit grunge, a little shoegazey, and there’s some punk in there, too, but PinWheel is really about emotion and energy. There’s an element of danger with PinWheel — not that they’ll mug you after a show, but that they might go off the rails and give you something completely unexpected. They’ll lead you into chaos to create a feeling of ease on the other side, and I’m along for the ride.”

PinWheel’s members even help Koh with his show.

“I do a lot of the video and Jamie does the camera switching,” Joey Brancaccio says.

Koh Show Live isn’t PinWheel’s first foray into live streaming. During the early pandemic years, they live streamed from various locations. The footage and audio of one show turned out well enough that it still lives on YouTube.

“We used some of those recordings and put out a release at that time,” Joey Brancaccio says. “While it was a bummer that we couldn’t play anywhere, and 1984 shut down, from a production standpoint, we used the time to keep grinding.”

Back to Life

While their schedule sometimes takes them to places like New York, and they’ve played downstate — at Mispillion River Brewing in Milford — the Wilmington area has embraced PinWheel the most. Dew Point Brewing in Yorklyn and Hangman Brewing in Claymont have hosted the band.

The band is satisfied with its Delaware bookings, and Jamie Brancaccio remarks that some out-of-state gigs have been less than rousing successes. “Somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Connecticut, we were playing with a band from New York,” he says. “No one was going to be there. The owner was great, but he had some issues and he was doing shots with us.”

Later, he says, the owner “comes out shouting about the bands being disrespectful because the toilets were clogged. He ran out and left. We drove four-and-a-half hours to get there to play for two other bands and a bartender.”

Back at home, the Jackson Inn Farewell Show on March 25 was stacked with a schedule of 11 bands, and the Koh Show booked PinWheel for the sweet hour of 10 p.m., alongside widely known groups such as The Bullets, Kitty Rotten, and MEGA. Attendance at the 12-hour event was estimated at 600 to 800.

Joey Brancaccio says, “That’s the one that’s going to resonate in my head for a while. It was packed from the stage to the exits. We’ve had some good shows, but that one was kind of emotional.”

All in Good Fun

Another historic gig remains on scenesters’ minds: 2019’s Rocktoberfest, the final pre-pandemic installment of an annual tradition at 1984, which never reopened after COVID-19. Back in the day, bands were invited to embrace Halloween musically by performing tributes to bands they loved.

For Andrea McCauley, former co-owner of Oddity Bar, what stood out about the event held right around the corner from her own establishment is that PinWheel (with a few friends joining the band for the night) performed as the Flaming Lips.

The Flaming Lips tribute, in many ways, could be seen as the perfect representation of the band’s musical leanings. That band’s biggest hit may be most memorable for its chorus that draws out and repeats the word “Vaseline.” ►

State Line Liquors

Says Jamie Brancaccio: “I was a big fan of The Flaming Lips, but I also wanted to use ‘She Don’t Use Jelly.’ I didn’t always wanna be playing moody, sad songs. That song sticks out as not being sad.”

His brother agrees that the band does, in fact, gravitate toward sadder, somber tunes, adding, “but at our heart, we want to make something fun.”

For a band closely associated with ‘90s nostalgia, they are not stuck in the musical past. Their influences have grown with contemporary artists.

Wet Leg and Ty Seagall are heavy in Joey Brancaccio’s listening rotation and Tropical Fuckstorm has his brother’s attention of late.

“I was into Mike Krol for a minute — he’s garage-punk-psych adjacent,” adds Joey Brancaccio.

What’s in a Name?

As for the band’s youth-evoking name, Jamie Brancaccio takes the credit.

“I had the name in my brain for years and years,” he says, “I was at a college party and we were playing a word game. The English major in me jumped out and I said my favorite word was ‘pinwheel.’ It was the most colorful word I could think of.”

Ledeker says that in his previous band, it took the group four months and 50 to 60 proposed band names before settling on one, whereas “PinWheel” worked right off the bat.

Jamie Brancaccio likes that the word has the “least connotation possible,” while his brother says the band avoids any actual imagery of a pinwheel when it comes to the art created for their music and gigs.

Six months on the heels of their last album, PinWheel is making another. “Pineapple Zest” is expected to be released on cassette this month.

Says Joey Brancaccio: “We're working with Dan August of Red Birds for an album cover and Sam Williamson of Flat is helping with cassettes. Also, Mike Koh is helping with recording. It's a very local effort that we're excited about.”

A record release show is in the works, and the band has a show at Oddity Bar on Tuesday, June 6.

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(One entry per person; must be 21+ to enter; due by the 21st of each month.). Have fun!

BLAST OFF!

“This is ( full name of friend ) of ( cable network channel ) coming to you live from the ( full name of former President ) space center in ( town and corresponding state ) for a historic moment in America!

Just minutes from now, the USS ( last name of 2nd friend ) will blast off from the ( adjective ) launchpad behind me and become the country’s first privately-owned manned space ( vehicle ) to head to moon and back.

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Sounds like the countdown has begun…!

THE CITY

CITY SUPPORTS AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CENTER OF DELAWARE

Mayor Purzycki’s Administration has transferred ownership of five properties, including historic buildings that once belonged to the New Castle Leather Co. and the Allied Kid Co., to the African American Heritage Center of Delaware, a group that plans to create an African American Heritage Center on the City’s East Side.

“Today is a great day, and I hope this is the first day of something very special,” said Mayor Purzycki, before signing the agreement on May 3. “We are very happy about this arrangement, we think there are great possibilities ahead, and we have a good team to work with. This is going to be a wonderful project, and while the process took longer than we hoped it would, everyone wanted to make sure that we did this right. And I believe we did.”

The most recognizable property, at 1043 Clifford Brown Walk, formerly 11th & Poplar streets, has been referred to as the

Allied Kid Building on E. 11th St. It served as the main office building for two world-renowned leather companies — New Castle Leather Company, founded in Wilmington in 1901, and later the Allied Kid Company – from the time it was constructed in 1917 up until 1977. The 3-story stucco brick building in the Spanish colonial Mission Revival style, a unique style for Wilmington, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It serves as one of the few reminders of Wilmington’s once thriving leather industry.

MEET BARRY—WPD’S NEW TRAUMA AND WELLNESS DOG

Mayor

Purzycki and Police Chief Wilfredo Campos are pleased to introduce Barry, the WPD’s new Trauma and Wellness Dog. Barry, an 18-mo.-old English Labrador Retriever, began his police dept. service in May.

The WPD Trauma and Wellness Dog is an extension of WPD’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)/Peer Support Team, which is available to sworn and civilian police dept. employees to help mitigate the effects of critical incidents and promote overall health and wellness. In addition to providing support for WPD staff, the Trauma and Wellness Dog supports the Victim Services Unit, and by extension, those affected by crime in Wilmington.

Barry’s handler, Lt. Harold Bozeman, is the commanding officer of the department’s new Community Engagement Unit, as well as the CISM/Peer Support Team.

“Barry’s arrival signals once again how much Chief Campos and our police officers are in tune with the needs of the civilian and sworn members of the force as well as the importance of continually improving community and police relations,” said Mayor Purzycki. “I welcome Barry to the force and look forward to his service to the department and community.”

Mayor Purzycki signs paperwork transferring the historic properties for historic reasons. Joining the Mayor are (from left) former Mayor James H. Sills Jr., Helen Foster, Rev. Lawrence Wright, and Andrew Taylor, Esq. Behind the Mayor on the screen is the former Allied Kid Building, one of the transferred properties.

‘WILMINGTON’S FUTURE BUILDERS’ PROGRAM CELEBRATED

Mayor Mike Purzycki and Joseph Jones, Ed.D, Superintendent of the New Castle Co. Vo-Tech School District, celebrated the early success of a program that prepares City teens and young adults for construction industry jobs. The “Wilmington’s Future Builders” (WFB) program, which kicked off last summer and has 20 participants, is a partnership between the City and the School District. It’s part of Mayor Purzycki’s Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan, which has committed millions of dollars to improve City neighborhoods and hire local small and minority businesses to help build new affordable housing.

The WFB program provides young people ages 16-24, who may be disconnected from school/work, with supportive services so they can obtain skills and be hired for construction jobs. WFB connects them with mentoring employers for projects to enhance and restore properties on the East Side, where the City’s Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan began last year. WFB offers classroom instruction, vocational training, and on-site experience to participants, all of whom are paid $1215/hour while in the program, depending on experience. From mid-July 2022 through Feb. 2023, participants earned more than $55,000 in wages.

“I’m impressed by how the ‘Wilmington’s Future Builders’ program has, in a short period of time, positively affected our young people by connecting them to the supports they need to obtain meaningful employment while at the same time helping to transform distressed communities,” said Mayor Purzycki. “We want our young people to be successful, and participants in this initiative most certainly will be as they learn to take on more and more responsibility in a work-like setting and acquire the skills that will enable them to begin new careers in construction. The participants are not only learning skills that will last a lifetime, they are learning that building can be a joy in and of itself – and the pride that comes from constructing something new can never be taken away from you.”

Anyone interested in participating in the “Wilmington’s Future Builders” program or who’d like more info. should contact Colleen Conaty at (302) 995-8060 or email colleen.conaty@nccvt.k12.de.us.

NEW MURAL ON DELAWARE AVE. OVERPASS

United Neighbors, a coalition of City residents, stakeholders, and leaders, with support from Mayor Mike Purzycki, have completed the latest in a series of murals along I-95 bridges. The new mural, created and installed last month by professional artist and local muralist Christian Kanienberg, covers both sides of the overpass bridge on Dela. Ave. between Jackson and Adams streets, a prominent space for people traveling to and from downtown Wilmington. “I am grateful to United Neighbors for its ongoing efforts to beautify the City by adding important themes, colors, and fun impressions,” said Mayor Purzycki. “Christian and I had a chance to discuss his design because this particular bridge art will be viewed frequently by residents and visitors alike as they travel along this gateway to the City.”

(From left) Rich Przywara (Woodlawn Trustees), Colleen Conaty (WFB Supervisor),Marcus Barkley (Howard High), Ty’Leir Scruggs (Howard High), Darius Vialva (Howard High), Mayor Purzycki, Marvin Newton (Chief Mechanical Construction), Dr. Jones (NCCVT Superintendent), and Mike Przywara (Asst. Principal Howard High).