August 2022 - An Ace for Wilmington

Building Connections at DE Nature Society

Reimagining a Vital Block of Downtown

Something's Brewing in Middletown

An Ace for Wilmington This month's BMW Championship: Teeing up a major economic boost

AUGUST 2022 COMPLIMENTARY

PIKE CREEK • MARKET ST. DOWNTOWN • MAIN ST. NEWARK • BRANMAR PLAZA • TROLLEY SQ.

A Celebration of our state craft producers Presented

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sat. august 27

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debeerwinespirits.com

What’s holding you back from building what’s next?

Some have taken a wait-and-see approach toward their next move.

But we never stopped building, healing, and making Delaware.

And when it comes to the value and quality of education that Del Tech provides, there’s never been a better time to join us.

Start a conversation with an academic advisor today.

Visit dtcc.edu.

6 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

2 INSIDE 2

Out & About Magazine Vol. 35 | No. 6

START 9 From the Publisher

26

11 War on Words 13 FYI 15 Play The Numbers 16 Learn 17 Worth Recognizing 19 Art Loop Wilmington 21 Delaware Nature Society Needs You 26 Building Lifestyle on Ninth Street

FOCUS 29 An Ace for Wilmington

29

33 BMW Championship Schedule of Events

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 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, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Leeann Wallett Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Butch Comegys, Lindsay duPhily, Joe Grace, Matthew Loeb, Special Projects John Holton, Cullen Robinson, Bev Zimmermann

EAT 34 An Ode to Tomatoes

DRINK 41 Something’s Brewing in Middletown

WATCH 45 New Light Theatre

PLAY

34

49 Fill in the Blanks

WILMINGTON 50 In the City 52 On the Riverfront

On the cover: Justin Thomas at the 2021 BMW Championship. Thomas is one of only current players on the PGA Tour to have played Wilmington Country Club, the site of this year’s BMW Chamionship.

Photo by Charles Cherney/WGA

41

EVENTS CALENDAR

All new inWilmDE.com coming this month.

All new inWilmDE.com coming this month.

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Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 outandaboutnow.com • contact@tsnpub.com AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

7

Wilmington Alliance is excited to announce that our annual Yes, Wilmington! event will be in person for the first time in two years!

Reimagining Diversity and Inclusion: Prioritizing Workforce Equity

JOIN US!

Friday, October 28, 2022 8:00AM - 12:00PM Riverfront Events 760 Justison Street Wilmington, DE 19801

Keynote Speaker Michael O’Bryan Founder, Humanature Distinguished Resident Fellow, The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University

Get ready to become energized and excited for the work being done to make Wilmington a more equitable city! After the keynote, there will be a panel discussion focused on local, regional and national perspectives.

CONTACT RENEE@WILMINGTONALLIANCE.ORG TO BECOME A SPONSOR

GET YOUR TICKET NOW! www.wilmingtonalliance.org

8 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START

From The Publisher

VALUE PROPOSITION

R

emote work is one thing. Mailing it in is another.

I can’t be the only the only who feels far too many of the perfectly healthy are mailing it in these days.

Without question, COVID-19 was a gut punch. Its impact will linger for years, especially psychologically.

Which provides a convenient — and somewhat logical — excuse that serves as a catch-all for those who chose to use it: Blame it on COVID. Ignore my auto insurance claim for two months — COVID Bill me for services I never had with you — COVID Forgot to put meat on my Italian sub — COVID

I don’t mean to pick on the restaurant industry, but I’ve had so many takeout orders butchered over the past two years, I’m ready to say: “Go ahead, throw whatever you want in there. Just keep it to 30 bucks.”

I get it — to a degree. It’s challenging. You’re stretched thin.

But please understand, we’re all stretched thin.

COVID-19 wasn’t something a select group experienced while the rest of us were joyriding on SpaceX with Elon Musk. We endured COVID, too.

In fact, our signature product is named Out & About, a resource that encourages people to, yes, get out and about. For more than a year, suggesting such behavior was almost illegal. We know challenging.

And so do those who lost someone to COVID. As do long-

haulers. And front-line workers. Imagine where we’d be if those on the front lines had simply gone through the motions.

So, instead of using the pandemic as an excuse, why not view it as an opportunity? Every business you know needs help, so instead of just showing up, try showing off.

Separate yourself from the pack by displaying that your employer is lucky to have you. Rather than lobbying for a day off, figure out how to fill a void. Instead of being part of the problem, be part of the solution.

In short, add value.

Or, use this opportunity to redefine yourself.

I can’t think of another period in my lifetime when it seemed as if everything was on the table.

Want to change careers? Options abound. Want to work from an RV? Just get the work done. Want to restructure your life? Join the crowd.

I realize these approaches require optimism. And our current political climate — not to mention our meteorological climate — doesn’t inspire glass-half-full thinking. But while it’s been exasperating, we’re working our way past supply-chain delays, inventory-driven high prices and eternal waits.

Many of us in the business world are finding people who help us do more with less. Many others are reinventing themselves into something better than they were. American Can-Do, if you will.

The world is moving on. Those who help us move forward will prosper. Those mailing it in, well, you may be missing an invaluable opportunity.

— Jerry duPhily

Every business you know needs help, so instead of just showing up, try showing off.

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10 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START

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

CONTEST TIME! It’s time again, dear readers, for another challenging grammar contest. And this time we’re offering multiple prizes.

Below, in italics, are 210 words of total fiction, 15 sentences in all. Each sentence contains at least one language error. It may be a redundancy, or it may be erroneous grammar, punctuation, or spelling. Your job is to correct the errors. You may do this any way you choose. For instance, you may reproduce the three paragraphs and insert your corrections, or you may simply list the 15 corrected sentences.

Send your entry to ryearick@comcast.net (no snail-mail entries, please). Include your name and address. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Iron Hill Brewery, a copy of The War on Words book, and a copy of my novel, Sawyer. The second place winner will receive copies of the books. Deadline is Aug. 15.

Good luck to all you intrepid contestants.

Where did you get your degree from? Personally, I graduated Slippery Rock University. It is one of the most unique universities in the country, and I exalted in becoming an alumni. Now that I have earned a undergraduate degree, I am in the throws of trying to figure out my future.

I had a bout with COVID-19, but I’m now hail and hearty, and I believe I’m a shoe-in to be drafted by an NFL team. Despite my daring-do on the football field, I know I have a tough road to hoe to become a top pick. I have already visited many teams, including the San Francisco Forty-Niners. I am a friend of Coach Smith, and I have visited the Smith’s many times at their home. There is a real connection between Coach Smith and I. He calls me “son”. He has given me a peak at what the NFL is really like. Now I have a whole, entire, new prospective on my future.

I also excel at golf, where I have recorded three hole-in-ones. I played yesterday, and after hitting a ball into the rough, I had to play it as it lied. It was hot, and I would have drank some beer, but I have a tryout tomorrow.

MEDIA WATCH •Marcus Hayes, in The Philadelphia Inquirer: “A college roster is comprised of powerless young men whose entire future depends on their coach.” The whole comprises the parts, so

By Bob Yearick

Marcus should have written: “A college roster comprises powerless young men . . .”

•Headline in Delawareonline: “COVID brought weddings to its knees — but they're back with wild trends.” Switching from plural to singular and back again could give a reader whiplash.

•Headline on ABC’s Good Morning America: “Russian troops amassing in Ukraine for new offensive.” The troops were massing (assembling into a mass or as one body). To amass is to collect or accumulate for oneself, as in amassing a fortune.

LITERALLY OF THE MONTH Kudos to Frank Kummer, in the Inky, who made a clever and oh-so-rare accurate use of the word in describing the National Museum of American Jewish History’s plan to install an 8-foot-tall, 16-foot-wide OY/YO sculpture. The YO will face Fifth and Market streets in a welcome-to-Philadelphia-style shout-out. The OY will face the museum as if in a lighthearted wink toward the Yiddish word signaling exasperation, jubilance, grittiness, or struggle. Here’s what Kummer wrote: “Yo, Philly! Or Oy, Philly! Soon, it might all depend on your perspective. Literally.”

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT. •Garry Smits, of the Florida Times-Union, writing in USA TODAY about Texas A&M dropping out of the Gator Bowl: “An alternative replacement team is being considered.” Make up your mind, Gare — is it an alternative or a replacement?

•New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that a firefighter killed in the line of duty was mourned by “his fellow colleagues.”

HOW LONG, OH, LORD, HOW LONG? (In which we point out the continued abuse of that most maligned punctuation mark, the apostrophe) Isabel Hughes in The News Journal: “While the devices are not fix-all’s, studies have shown cameras and light can reduce crime.”

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

Word of the Month

pot-valiant Pronounced POT-val-yuhnt, it’s a noun meaning a person displaying boldness or courage while drunk.

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 on Amazon, or email me.

Beach please.

jacklingo.com

Coastal Delaware Sales & Rentals Scan to view active listings!

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Who’s Up For A Ride?

Bike ThroughThree Historic River Towns

@ 10th Annual

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Pick Your Distance • All Ability Levels Medals Awarded Based on Distance Post-Ride Party: Live Music, Food, Beer & More

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For details & to register, visit RiverTownsFestival.com

12 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START Things worth knowing

THE QUEEN TO HOST HOMETOWN HEROES

D

elaware Public Media and host Mark Rogers will honor the local music scene with the 13th presentation of the Hometown Heroes Homey Awards at The Queen Theater in Downtown Wilmington Aug. 7 at 7pm. Awards will be presented in 28 categories. Visit TheQueenWilmington. com for ticket information. For those who can’t attend, you can listen at DelawarePublic.org or WMHS 88.1FM in Wilmington or WDDE 91.1FM in Dover.

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

T

CELEBRATING DELAWARE’S BEER, WINE & SPIRITS TRAIL

T

he 12th annual Delaware Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival returns to the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village in Dover on Sat., Aug. 27 from 4-7:30pm. The event is the only statewide festival for the state’s craft alcohol industry and features producers on the Delaware Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail.

The event features more than 70 product for sampling, live music by Blue Cat Blues and Too Tall Slim, a vendor marketplace, food trucks, lawn games and more. Admission is limited to 500 with private tables and VIP options. Visit DeBeerWineSpirits.com

MISSION-DRIVEN DINNERS DELIVER FOR INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT COALITION

A

t a ceremony at Le Cavalier last month, IRC x Wilmington, a series of benefit dinners featuring celebrity chefs working alongside local talent, presented a $100,000 check to the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC).

The Wilmington dinners, which were part of a national campaign, ran from Dec. 2021 thru March 2022 and featured acclaimed chefs such as including Ashley Christensen, Tom Colicchio, Gregory Gourdet, and Andrew Zimmern working with area chefs from Bardea, La Fia, Le Cavalier, Stitch House, and Wm. Mulherin’s Sons.

Le Cavalier chef-partner Tyler Akin is a founding board member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

Proceeds benefit the IRC’s mission of supporting independent restaurants and bars nationwide.

he Open Streets Wilmington program continues its tour of city neighborhoods with the next installment set for Sat, Aug. 20 at Fourth St. (between Union St. and Greenhill Ave). Open Streets closes designated city streets to motor vehicle traffic for a three-hour stretch and encourages the community to use that space to walk, bike, run, roller blade or simply socialize. The initiative is a collaboration between Urban Bike Project, West Side Grows Together and the Open Streets steering committee. The 2022 campaign continues Sat., Sept. 17 at Delaware Ave. (between Union St. and Brinkle Ave.) and concludes Sat., Oct. 15 at Baynard Blvd. (between 18th St. and Concord Ave.). Visit OpenStreetsWilmington.org

Andrew Zimmern (center left, glasses & beard) with the Bardea team at IRC x Wilmington. Other visiting celebrity chefs pictured: Gerald Allen (far right); Khoran Horn (left of Allen).

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 13

DIVISION OF THE ARTS ANNOUNCES 1ST ROUND OF PROJECT SUPPORT

D

elaware Division of the Arts is investing nearly $3 million in more than 110 arts-and-community organizations that will serve Delawareans statewide with arts programming and services, arts education, and arts marketing and promotion. This first round of funding for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2022 includes: General Operating Support, Project Support, Arts Stabilization, StartUp and Education Resource grants.

"Artists and arts organizations state-wide have been on the cutting edge of innovation and community impact over the last two years. As they turn to a new phase of recovery from the shutdowns related to Delaware's public health emergency, it is critical that the Delaware Division of the Arts continue our significant investment into the sector," said Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. "This investment in the creative workforce—artists and organizations alike—enhances education, stimulates local economies, and enriches our communities."

“Delaware’s financial support of our artists and arts organizations is engrained into the fabric of what we do at the state level,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock. “Our roster of artists and arts institutions makes the state attractive for our residents, employers, and employees who spend their free time and money to enjoy the many experiences available to them.

Supporting the arts makes sense any way you look at it.”

THE GRAND APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

P

BIG LIFT FOR WILMINGTON DRAMA LEAGUE REVITALIZATION PROJECT

T

he Wilmington Drama League received a major boost as it begins its 90th season. The community theater has been awarded $510,000 from the Delaware Community Reinvestment Fund for the revitalization of its building, which dates to 1939. WDL also received an additional $300,000 for future projects.

The theater will resume its season Oct. 14-23 with a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. Visit WilmingtonDramaLeague.org

WILMINGTON WRITERS CONFERENCE

T

he Delaware Art Museum and Brevity Bookspace are teaming up to present a weekend of engaging literary programming, featuring the return of the virtual Wilmington Writers Conference as well as an in-person conversation and book signing in partnership with the National Book Foundation.

On Sat., Aug. 6, The Wilmington Writers Conference, a signature summer staple, returns. This year’s virtual offering, which costs $10 to attend, will feature a keynote speech and writing workshop by Delaware author Ethan Joella, whose debut novel, A Little Hope, has been praised by outlets such as The New York Times and The Today Show. Joella will be joined by Saliym Cooper of Brevity Bookspace, who will also be teaching a special writing session.

On Sunday, August 7, the Museum and Brevity are partnering with the National Book Foundation to host a free event welcoming National Book Award–honored authors Clint Smith (How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America) and Kali Fajardo-Anstine (Sabrina and Corina, Woman of Light) for “Rewriting American Memory,” a conversation about intergenerational histories amongst Black, Latinx and Indigenous peoples. The conversation will be followed by a book signing at the DelArt Store, where guests will have the opportunity to meet Smith and Fajardo-Anstine and purchase their books. Registration is open at delart.org.

am Manocchio has been named by The Grand’s board of directors to succeed Mark Fields as the performing arts center’s executive director. The appointment will take place in September when Fields steps down after serving 16 years in that role.

Manocchio first came to The Grand in 2006 as director of development and segued into the role of director of community engagement in 2009. She has overseen all The Grand’s outreach-and-education programs with the community, including Stages of Discovery (school matinees), Summer Explorers, and The Grand Galleries (rotating visual art exhibitions). These programs serve more than 30,000 youth and adults annually. In 2021, she was named managing director when Steve Bailey stepped away from that position.

“I am thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to take on this leadership role for The Grand,” says Manocchio. “Having worked side by side with both Mark Fields and Steve Bailey over the past 16 years, I feel well prepared to guide this institution into its next chapter. We have lots of room to grow in our community, and we’ll do so in the most impactful and creative ways imaginable.”

Prior to her Grand tenure, Manocchio had worked in development positions for The Curtis Institute of Music, American Symphony Orchestra League, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

14 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM= | InWilmDE.com

Pam Manocchio

Play The Numbers!

Win Cool Stuff!

Teeing It Up 1. How many public golf courses are there in Delaware?

4. What percent of the prize fund does the winner receive?

12 16 24

15% 18% 20%

August 8 Preseason football wagering

2. How many years has BMW been the title sponsor of this PGA tournament?

18 21 25

5. How many years has First Tee Delaware existed?

August 31 Football parlay card wagering

10 15 25

6. What is the average cost of a round (18 holes) of golf at a public course?

3. What is the lowest one-day score at a BMW tournament?

$38 $50 $70

58 60 62

1. Select your answers 2. Take photo of this page 3. Upload at: OutAndAboutNow.com/Numbers 4. Or complete online: OutAndAboutNow.com/Numbers Five winners randomly selected from correct answers win a 4-pack of Instant Games tickets.

Last month's winners: Heather Abbott, Gustavo Gomez, James Hanson, Shayna Moon, Dennis Doyle

delottery.com It’s the Law: You must be 21 years of age or older to play Sports Lottery. Play Responsibly: If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems Helpline: 1-888-850-8888 or visit deproblemgambling.org.

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

15

LEARN

Celebrating the WilmU Class of 2022

Unstoppable amid a global pandemic, family obligations, numerous challenges, and uncertainties

O

n May 22 and 23, 2022, Wilmington University awarded more than 2,400 academic degrees during its 51st Commencement ceremonies at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.

Graduates ranged in age from 18 to 73 and hailed from more than 80 countries, representing Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. With a turn of the tassel, they proudly joined a growing WilmU alumni network of more than 65,000 members.

Commencement addresses given by graduating students emphasized themes of determination and persistence and recalled the support and guidance received from caring faculty and staff.

Dr. Lakeisha Mathews, who graduated with a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership, reflected on the challenging journeys that she and her fellow graduates endured throughout the pandemic.

“We read a plethora of books and journal articles. We diligently listened to lectures, podcasts, and TED Talks, and as a result, we have proven ourselves intellectually worthy of the credentials being bestowed on us today … However, our feats do not stop there. We have not only proven ourselves to be scholars, but we have also proven ourselves to be survivors who completed our educations during a global pandemic.”

Jackson Brandwene celebrated his Bachelor of Science degree in Law, Policy, and Political Science. A student-athlete for the Wildcats’ soccer team, Brandwene completed his degree in just over two years instead of four, with a 3.98 GPA. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native emphasized the importance of questioning the status quo and asking the right questions. “The world will not wait for us to feel prepared or to come across critical answers,” he said. “It is our duty to find the right answers, but first, we must find the right questions. Thanks to Wilmington University’s incredible faculty and staff, and the support of those around us, we are far better prepared to ask the right questions and craft a better future for generations to come.”

A university that works for you.

Jessica Purdy, who earned a B.S. in Liberal Studies, reflected on the collective strengths of this year’s graduates. “Personally, being an international student-athlete started as a daunting prospect, but I’m delighted I trusted WilmU with this. Because of the challenges we have faced throughout our academic journeys, we have learned to focus on the positive aspects and view the negative simply as trials.

We are resilient, hardworking, and determined to keep striving for the best. That is how I want the Class of 2022 to be remembered.”

Maintaining their studies during a world crisis, the Class of 2022 certainly faced difficulties. But they persevered, chased their dreams, defeated the odds, and, indeed, became unstoppable.

“Commencement is always meaningful to us,” notes University President Dr. LaVerne Harmon. “Seeing our graduates come together, knowing that they reached their goals despite the pandemic, made it truly special. During their time with us, many were working, raising children, supporting their communities, and finding ways to juggle their obligations and schoolwork. We are so proud of our graduates and wish them the best in their next chapters.”

Commencement Speakers: Jackson Brandwene, B.S. in Law, Policy & Political Science Dr. Angelica Carter, Doctor of Business Administration Dr. Robert Gregor Jr., Doctor of Nursing Practice Victoria Grubowski, B.S. in Health Sciences Dr. Lakeisha Mathews, Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership Robert McManus, M.S. in Cybersecurity Elena Mingioni, dual-degree, M.S. in Nursing & MBA Jessica Purdy, B.S. in Liberal Studies Dr. Michele L. Warch, Ed.D. in Educational Leadership

Next classes start August 29!

Apply today at wilmu.edu

WilmU is a registered trademark of Wilmington University.

All rights reserved. © Wilmington University 2022

XX AUGUST AUGUST2022 2022| |OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 16

START

WORTH RECOGNIZING

Community Members Who Go Above & Beyond

A SOBERING LOOK AT ADDICTION Penny Rogers turns anguish into action with Face the Facts

By Adriana Camacho-Church

P

enny Rogers had a family secret. Her son Vincent, 23, was addicted to heroin. Before that, it was prescription drugs for pain. He died of an overdose in 2017.

People judge the parents and the addict, Rogers, 55, says. “If a child is diagnosed with cancer there is no shame in announcing it to the world.”

But addiction is often viewed as a character flaw instead of a medical condition.

“So, for me it was a secret I didn’t share,” she says. “Once he was dead, and as I sat at the funeral home, I knew I had to start there. I put he died from an overdose in his obit. If I had to sum up all of my goals, it would be to be loud. To be loud about the (addict’s) and parent’s needs.”

Rogers believes almost everyone who dies from a drug overdose used drugs to escape some form of mental illness or distress.

After Vincent’s death, Rogers, a director at Pike Creek Dental, had two choices: Get up and stay busy or stay down and die. During that time of raw grief, Rogers got a dinner invitation to Strano and Feeley Family Funeral Home in Newark.

“How can you turn down dinner at a funeral home,” Rogers says with a laugh.

Funeral home owner Karen Feeley and manager Aldo DiNatale asked Rogers, “What can we do? We are burying too many addicts.”

In 2021, the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic set another record with more than 107,000 overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every five minutes. It marked a 15% increase from the previous record

set the year before. In Delaware, 515 people died of a drug overdose in 2021. The death toll is the highest in state Penny Rogers history.

In May of this year, 42 people died in Delaware due to a drug overdose. It was the most ever in a single month.

“They are the homeless, the rich, the 12-year-old,” says Rogers. “They are the mom and dad getting high and die … and their baby is strapped in the car seat.”

In 2018 Rogers, Feeley, and DiNatale founded Face the Facts, a non-profit addiction resources center. It now has 15,461 followers worldwide online.

Face the Facts connects people to treatment programs and services. The group collaborates with both state health agencies and addiction recovery organizations. Partners include the Delaware Dept. of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Hero Help, Phoenix Used Clothing, and Limen Recovery and Wellness.

Face the Facts also helps families cover funeral costs for those who died from a drug overdose. Since 2020, the Vincent Tambourelli Family Assistance Fund has paid for about 30 funerals by raising funds and collecting donations.

To mitigate the rising rate of overdose deaths, Roger says it may help teaching third and fourth graders about the perils of drug abuse and who to talk to. “Parents also need to know … where do I turn if my kid is getting high?”

Joanna Champney, Director of DHSS’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, says getting the right treatment is also important.

“People often seek to medicate their mental health issues and emotional distress with substances, so it is important for programs to address both issues,” says Champney. “Mental illness and substance-use disorders often both present at the same time for an individual. That means we should screen people for both types of needs and we should also offer care in an integrated way.” ► AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 17

A SOBERING LOOK AT ADDICTION

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Rogers says one of her greatest continued from previous page regrets is wishing she had known about the different mental and social services available when Vincent was alive.

On the third Wednesday of each month, Face the Facts holds a support group meeting at the funeral home. Attendees include folks in recovery, parents who have lost a child or have a child in active addiction, adult children whose parents are addicts or have died, and parents who want to educate themselves.

Face the Facts also holds weekly meetings in Kent County at the Code Purple Men’s Shelter and in September will hold meetings in Sussex County (location soon to be announced).

In May of this year, Rogers received the Oxford House Award for her volunteer work, contributions, and dedication to the addiction community. The Oxford House is a network of sober living houses throughout the state.

In 2020, Face the Facts helped initiate the first Overdose Awareness Day event in Delaware. Overdose Awareness Day is held globally on August 31, providing the international community the opportunity to grieve in public for those lost to addiction. It aims to educate, give support, and have addiction recognized not as a failure of morals or of willpower, but as a chronic global disease. The event originated in Australia in 2001.

This year the Delaware Community Response Team (DCRT) is collaborating with Face the Facts to host the popular event at Delcastle Recreational Park. DCRT will provide training and distribution of Narcan, a medication used for the emergency treatment of an opioid overdose. Last year, the City of Wilmington lowered flags to half-staff to commemorate the lives lost to drug overdose.

At the park, parents will have the opportunity to write the name of their child on a paper feather, ring a bell as they say the child’s name, and then place that feather on a giant set of wings, says Rogers. “It sounds small. But some parents have never said their child’s name at an event or in public.

— For more information on Delaware Overdose Awareness Day visit Delaware Overdose Awareness Day | Facebook or email overdoseawarenessde@gmail.com — For more information on Face the Facts visit Face the Facts Home | Facebook or email facethefactsde@gmail.com

DELAWARE OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY Plus more great clubhouse amenities that offer endless opportunities for socializing with neighbors. * Prices, terms, and availability subject to change without notice or obligation. See Community Sales Manager for more information. Illustrations are artists concepts and may vary in detail from Floorplans and specifications.

Information while deemed accurate at publication is not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.

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Friday, Aug. 26 (5pm-7:30pm) Delcastle Recreational Park 2920 Duncan Rd, Wilmington, DE 19808 The Delaware Community Response Team is partnering with Face the Facts to host its annual Overdose Awareness Day. DCRT will provide training and distribution of Narcan, a medication used for the emergency treatment of an opioid overdose. This will be a free family fun event including activities for children as well as remembrance activities for those lost to overdose. There will be over 40 local resources, guest speakers, and an honorary ceremony. There will be food trucks, music and prizes.

Friday, Aug. 5 5pm Start

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RIVERFRONT Bridge Art Gallery @ New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Office 920 Justison Street 347-249-2184 • bridgeartgallery.net Artists: “Raising Men” featuring the art of Maria Lupianez The Delaware Contemporary 200 S. Madison Street 656-6466 • decontemporary.org Artists: OUTSIDE IN- Discover Space by Leanna Bacani

DOWNTOWN 2nd & LOMA 211 N. Market Street 655-0124 Artist: LiVnSoL Art Loop

by Brian Hearns

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery 800 N. French Street 576-2100 • cityfestwilm. com/redding-gallery Artist: Donna Usher Delaware College of Art & Design 600 N. Market Street 622-8000 • dcad.edu Artist: Valeta on DCAD’s new second floor gallery.

Mezzanine Gallery at the Carvel State Building 820 N. French Street 577-8278 arts.delaware.gov Artist: Jamaican Journey

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Chris White Gallery 701 N. Shipley Street 475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com Artist: of color: Kasmira CadeSeymour, Rising Phoenix, and Shannon Woodloe

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Visit or Join and

Fun for the whole family.

The Brandywine Zoo, a great place to take the kids and visit the wonderful world of wild animals.

Take advantage of the exciting things that the Zoo has to offer. Special events throughout the year for the whole family to enjoy and participate in together, educational programs and camps for the kids to learn about the animals and conservation while having fun, and informational insights into the animal world and the importance of preserving their habitats from our experienced Zoo Keepers.

Also, enjoy shopping for unique gifts at the Zootique, or having a great treat at the snack bar.

Did you know: The sex of the young Radiated Tortoise is determined by the temperature of the eggs during incubation.

Cool temperatures produce males, while warmer temperatures (around 87 degrees F) produce females.

The oldest known radiated tortoise, Tu’i Malila, was said to have lived 188 years.

Come visit ours... today!

brandywinezoo.org • 302.571.7747 Brandywine Park, Wilmington, DE • FREE PARKING

The Brandywine Zoo is managed by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation with the support of the Delaware Zoological Society

START

Volunteers are encouraged to assist with the Ashland Hawk Watch, which DelNature has been conducting since 2007. Photo by Joe Sebastiani (Adkins photo below by Jim White)

It Takes More Than A Village New Delaware Nature Society leader Jennifer Adkins is relying on plants, animals, a waterway, a high-tech tower and you

By Ken Mammarella

J

DelNature owns 617 acres and manages 1,924 across Delaware. The four biggest sites are Abbott’s Mill Nature Center near Milford, Ashland Nature Center near Hockessin, Coverdale Farm Preserve near Greenville and the DuPont Environmental Education Center, on the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington.

“The new executive director is a shepherd of the whole organization,” said Coverdale site manager Michele (Wales) Quinlan, one of three dozen DelNature staffers.

“Between the pandemic and the crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and social injustice, connecting with nature is more crucial than ever,” Adkins said. “I’ve come to believe the most important outcome of our work is not the rivers, forests or wetlands we restore, but the relationships we restore with them and each other in the process. I love that connectivity is so central to our mission, and that we have such unique and special places to offer people for building these connections.”

To build those connections, Adkins is relying on the staff, 200 volunteers, lots of flora and fauna, plus inanimate objects.

Here are some of the most interesting (that includes you, too).

The Tower Is Listening A Motus tower (“motus” is Latin for movement) at the DuPont Environmental Education Center listens 24/7 for animals with radio-tags. It has detected 135 tagged animals, including several rare birds and bats. DelNature is partnering with the University of Delaware and Delaware Audubon to track purple martins, America’s largest swallow. “This will help us identify the areas in which they spend most of their time,” DelNature says. “These high-value areas can then be protected.”

Beaver Deceivers American beavers are masters at creating shallow pond habitats, but their dams can sometimes flood agricultural and residential land. At Abbott’s Mill, DelNature is partnering with the Sussex County Conservation District, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Tax Ditch program to install “beaver deceivers” that allow beavers to construct their dams but maintain water levels behind the dam to a safe level. ► AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

21

Photo DelNature

ennifer Adkins brings a lot to her new job as executive director of the Delaware Nature Society. She has a background in environmental leadership (at American Rivers and the Jennifer Adkins Partnership for the Delaware Estuary), two degrees from the University of Delaware (in economics and environmental and energy policy) and experience with DelNature staff (on the Clean Water for Delaware campaign and the lower Christina and Brandywine Rivers Remediation, Restoration and Resilience plan.)

Photo by Michele Wales

IT TAKES MORE

THAN A VILLAGE Livestock Land Managers continued from previous page Cows, sheep, goats, chickens and turkeys help manage the land regeneratively by eating what grows in pastures and fertilizing the land with their manure. Grazing by cows and sheep and browsing by goats limit seed production and encourage regrowth. Chickens and turkeys scratch the ground for food, opening the surface for air and water transfer. The birds also eat damaging insects and seeds — but don’t discriminate between “good and bad” insects and plants, the society says. “Eventually we will grow our animal-to-acreage ratio to eliminate the occasional needs to machine-mow the fields, leaving them the key stewards of Coverdale’s pasture land.”

Photo DelNature

Prescribed Burns Since 2010, DelNature staff have been trained how to set their managed lands on fire, and they do so regularly in a partnership with Delaware Department of Agriculture, the Delaware Forest Service and local environmental nonprofits. Such prescribed burns remove thatch buildup left from mowing, which leads to increased plant diversity and makes the meadows better resemble Mother Nature’s creations.

A Waterway-Based Byway The Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway, with the Ashland Nature Center at its heart, is the first byway in the nation based around a watershed. “This unique model strengthens the communities’ ability to protect the water quality of Red Clay Creek by preserving the land in the watershed,” DelNature says. More than 90% of Delaware’s waterways are considered polluted — the highest percentage in the country.

Rice to the Rescue Wild rice is an annual marsh grass that helps filter the water, acts as a buffer to the land and provides food for wildlife at the DuPont Environmental Education Center. (People can eat it, too, with Minnesota lakes its most famed source. “Though wild rice mimics conventionally grown rice in many ways, it isn’t actually a true rice — it’s an aquatic grass, “thespruceeats. com says.) In the spring, look for 22 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Photo by Jim White

Meadows At Coverdale Farm Preserve, DelNature has converted 80% of what were historically cool-season grass hayfields into more biologically diverse native upland meadows. The meadows provide habitat for a diversity of invertebrates, including pollinator insects; grassland nesting birds, such as field sparrows and common yellowthroats; and American kestrels (one of 700 species of greatest conservation need in the 2015 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan).

Photo by Jim White

Native Plants Sales of native plants occur every fall at Coverdale Farm Preserve. DelNature praises these plants for many reasons, including how they “are easy to grow and care for without using extra water or chemicals. Plus, their seeds, berries and leaves are great food for birds, butterflies and pollinating insects.”

Committed residents can use native plants to create certified wildlife habitats, which provide food, shelter, water and places to raise young for native fauna.

Ospreys These large, black-and-white birds winter in Central and South America and raise their young on great fishing in spots like the area surrounding the DuPont Environmental Education Center.

This year, a pair has nested on the railroad bridge over the Christina River, and the best place to view the nest is the flyover entrance way to the nature center.

Hawk Watch Since 2007, DelNature has partnered with Delaware Ornithological Society and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division for the Ashland Hawk Watch, which tallies their fall migration, September through November. Volunteers make sure the watch occurs daily, and visitors can watch and learn from the watchers. Hawk watches from around the western hemisphere depict how raptor populations fluctuate.

Replacements for Ash Trees Ash trees (Fraxinus sp.) at Ashland Nature Center and Abbott’s Mill Nature Center died recently, due to the invasive and exotic emerald ash borer. In spring of 2022 volunteers planted 90 trees, including American sycamore, silver and red maple and black gum in the floodplain of the Red Clay Creek. “After surveying the dead trees at both sites, we decided to remove all trees that could possibly impact the trails and teaching area,” DelNature said. ►

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The museum is closed August 18-21 for a private event.

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23

Photo by Jim White

chartreuse flower heads. By fall, stalks can reach 10 feet. “You can see it, enjoy it and understand why wetlands are valuable,” said John Harrod, DelNature’s director of outreach.

IT TAKES MORE THAN A VILLAGE continued from previous page

AUG 4: MEGAN KNIGHT AUG 18: KID DAVIS & THE BULLETS SEP 1: PRISTINE RAEIGN SEP 15: WHAT THE FUNK SEP 29: NIC SNOW SHOW TIMES: 630-8PM, RAIN OR SHINE Presented by

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Behind the Bellevue Community Center THIRD FRIDAYS featuring live music, kids activities, food trucks, craft beer and more!

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Perennial Pastures A major effort involves acres of perennial plants at Coverdale Farm Preserve. “Whether in pastures, vegetable production fields, hedgerows or other arable locations on the farm, we are working to install and manage stable, year-round, living root systems below ground and year-round vegetation above ground.” Such systems reduce soil erosion, create habitat for wildlife, provide nearly year-round nutrition for livestock and increase the opportunity to sequester carbon below ground.

Photo by Michele Wales

at Glasgow Park

NEWCASTLEDE.GOV/ FARMERSMARKETS

You Anyone can help the society’s mission by buying and eating produce and other foods from the Market at Coverdale.

The market focuses on food grown with environmental integrity, supports local small businesses, reduces food waste by using less-than-perfect produce and highlights seasonal eating. More concerned people can commit to becoming master naturalists through DelNature's partnership program with the University of Delaware, which involves classes, field trips and an annual 40-hour project.

“We hope to create a citizenry that is fluent in Delaware’s environment, aware of the challenges facing it and willing to do something about it through volunteerism,” the society says of these stewards of nature.

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Danielle Johnson Arden Shady Grove Photo by Joe del Tufo

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25

Rob Herrera (3rd from right) at Faire Café with some of the crew (l-r): Carley Shoemaker, Stephen Taylor, Mike Day, John Sheetz, Carolina Hailey.

Building Lifestyle Robert Herrera and partners are reimaging a vital block of Downtown Wilmington

By Ken Mammarella Photos by Joe Del Tufo

26 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

START

R

obert Herrera “romanticizes what America’s downtowns can become.” And in Wilmington, he turns that romance into reality.

His latest venture is downtown’s Faire Café, a community-nurturing space in the first building he bought. He and his partners are also adding apartments nearby, expanding The Mill (more space for co-working downtown and establishing a space in Pittsburgh) and thinking a lot about experiences.

“The more we are in a digital world, the more we will crave experiences,” he said. “Too many developers are building vertical suburbias. We’re not. We’re building a walkable community.”

He knows that downtown Wilmington is walkable — he walks to work from Happy Valley — and the cafe’s address (219 W. Ninth St.) generates a Walk Score of 89 out of 100. That’s the good.

The bad is how the area suffered in 2020 after the death of George Floyd, when social unrest degenerated into ransacking and decimation.

Herrera hopes he’s building a community at the café, as “a brand that makes you belong,” he said. “Faire is a lifestyle,” the opening announcement proclaimed.

This stretch of Ninth Street has a whole new look and feel.

The lifestyle starts with interior design by Dallas Shaw, heavy on a rattan and dried florals, accented with textured walls and dishes that look artisanal but are actually unbreakable. A life-size wicker motorcycle is striking, and a half-dozen swings “give it to the ’Gram,” Herrera said.

The lifestyle continues with an eclectic menu of sandwiches, toasts, bagels, salads and snacks, plus coffees and cocktails, perhaps enhanced with syrups and bitters. Some menu items honor local places, and some honor local people, such as the Weathers (spinach salad, named for partner Steve Weathers), the Snowberger (kale salad, named for partner Rob Snowberger), and the Herrera (prosciutto sandwich, named for you know). Ironically, Herrera prefers the Silverfox (chicken sandwich), but at 36, he is too young to be a silver fox.

Expect the menu to change. “I like to empower my staff to be creative,” he said, and he also wants them to offer samples to customers and encourage conversations about the food (and everything else).

The lifestyle also includes the music: Spotify’s Sunny Morning during this interview. Staffers have also made playlists, including a folky-rock Coffeehouse Creative from bar manager John Sheetz.

Herrera, Weathers and Snowberger bought the long-vacant building in 2016 from the federal government. They then bought six more buildings, giving them almost-complete ownership of the block bounded by Ninth, Orange, Girard and Tatnall streets. Buccini/Pollin Group owns the last one. ►

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

27

BUILDING LIFESTYLE

continued from previous page Herrera and his partners’ buildings now include 24 apartments Nemours Building. It has since (there’ll be 44 by year-end) and seven commercial tenants. They own expanded to 98,000 (in the Nemours three (the café; Girard Craft and Cork, an upscale package store; and Building and The Mill Concord in Blitzen, a seasonal bar). Their tenants include the DeCoursey Beauty North Wilmington).

They’re adding another 33,000 square feet downtown that Lounge, a salon; Red Brick Partners, a marketing firm; WhyFly, an internet service provider; and the NERDiT Now Foundation, will include podcasting suites and a rooftop terrace. And they’re committed to creating another Mill in which refurbishes old computers and Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill district. donates them to the poor to help bridge Herrera’s client WeWork is probably the digital divide. the most famous co-working company, When Blitzen opens in November, it but he said the concept easily goes back will stay open year-round, Herrera said. to the 1989 founding of Regus, and And to complement the bar, the café will it has evolved all along. Co-working add later hours. It now closes at 6 p.m. is increasingly popular because such Tuesdays-Fridays and 3 p.m. Saturdays. spaces can more easily adapt when Herrera grew up in Dover outside forces disrupt businesses. and earned a bachelor’s degree in “If DuPont doesn’t know what architecture and a master’s degree in the world will be like in 10 years, how infrastructure planning from the New could a startup?” he said. That’s why Jersey Institute of Technology. He then The "Little Italy" toast at Faire Café.

Mill leases are as short as a month, with worked as an architect for six years in spaces and configurations adjustable.

New York, including a long stint commuting from Wilmington.

Happy hours, formal events, ping-pong games (conference “Jurgita is the source of all my inspiration,” Herrera said of his wife, who wanted to stay in Wilmington to be near familly. “You can rooms are sized for the tables, too) and chance hallway encounters add value. “In co-working, you build a community,” he said. do so many things when you have a partner in life.”

And sometimes that community moves with you. WhyFly, for Projects for WeWork and other assignments around the nation and world taught him a lot that he would use in both The Mill and instance, started in The Mill. And When NERDiT settles in, it will mark the first time in more than 20 years that this block is filled. in the block with Faire.

He created The Mill with Chris Buccini and Dave Pollin. The And that’s the way to build a community. co-working space opened in 2016 with 12,500 square feet in the

28 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

FOCUS

Ready for a Closeup Business and community leaders, not to mention the host Wilmington Country club, are poised to super-size the economic impact of the 2022 BMW Championship

By Bob Yearick

I

f all goes according to plan, the 2022 BMW Championship, scheduled for Aug. 16-21 on the South Course of the Wilmington Country Club, will be more than just a golf tournament. Both the club and the area’s movers

and shakers are hoping it will register about an 8 on the economic Richter Scale.

The penultimate stop in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs, the tournament

will bring the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings to Wilmington to determine the final field of 30 for the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. ► Above: Patrick Cantlay during the final round of the 2021 BMW Championship. This year, the 70 top players in the FedEx Cup standings are coming to Wilmington. Photo by Charles Cherney/WGA AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

29

READY FOR A CLOSEUP

continued from previous page Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau (GWCVB), puts a higher figure on it: “Priceless.”

“While the primary focus of coverage will be golf, many of those media outlets will be looking for travel and recreationrelated footage and information to feature on our area as well,” says Boes. “That will put Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley as a destination in front of literally millions of potential visitors.”

Super-Sizing the Impact

Last year, the BMW Championship brought more than 100,000 fans to Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md. Photo by Charles Cherney/WGA

That lineup of top pros is expected to attract up to 130,000 spectators for the six-day event. Some 2,100 volunteers will be on hand to help assure that the tournament runs smoothly. Four hundred credentialed local, regional, and national media cover the championship each year, and NBC and the Golf Channel will televise it.

All of this will pump an estimated $30 million into the area’s economy. With the Hotel Du Pont serving as tournament headquarters, that includes $3 million in lodging, or 30,000 room nights. According to publicists for the tournament, the media coverage represents about $28 million in advertising and public relations value. Jennifer Boes, executive director of the Greater

“It’s going to be a great revenue generator for our hotels and restaurants,” she says. “I also think our museums and retail businesses will see increased foot traffic. It’s our hope that the tournament can serve as an introduction to our area for the tens of thousands of golf fans that will be in our region for the event, and we can entice them to return as visitors. It is all very exciting.”

Boes and her five-person staff have marshalled all their technology and know-how to super-size the impact of the BMW Championship. During the tournament, the GWCVB will run a digital display campaign that targets visitors via geo-fences surrounding the WCC and several Wilmington area hotels.

Visitors inside these virtual fences will be served ads on their mobile phones, designed to drive clicks to a BMW Championship landing page on VisitWilmingtonDE.com. The landing page will be a one-stop location for visitors to find area dining, attractions, itineraries, golf courses, and other activities.

The page also will promote the GWCVB’s new Wilmington

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& the Brandywine Valley Discount Pass, a digital coupon book containing discounts at area restaurants, attractions, and retail locations. The pass is free and delivered by text message — no apps to download. The GWCVB also will promote the pass via its social channels during tournament week.

Rounding out this fusillade of promotional initiatives is a press kit, distributed to the 50 media outlets who attended the June 27 media day, which tees up an extensive list of story ideas. The pitches cover local restaurants, museums, and parks, and, of course, area golf courses. In addition, the kit touts some significant facts about Delaware — e.g., no sales tax; 67 percent of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated here; there are 3,054 acres of public gardens in Greater Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley.

A rendering of the first tee on Wilmington Country Club's South Course, where the tournament will be played. It will be the first professional golf tournament held at WCC.

The WCC

The hub of all this activity, of course, is the venerable Wilmington Country Club and its South Course.

The WCC was established in 1901, with its original 18 holes covering 135 acres. After relocating in the 1950s, the club brought in renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. to design the South Course, which opened in 1959. Playing over 7,500 yards from the championship tees, the course has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the best in the U.S. While the BMW Championship is the first professional event to be held at WCC, the club has hosted several amateur competitions, including five other USGA events: the 1965 and 1978 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1971 U.S. Amateur, the 1978 U.S.

Girls’ Junior, and the 2003 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The club also hosted the 2013 Palmer Cup competition between Europe and a United States team that featured Justin Thomas, who would go on to win the 2019 BMW Championship.

This year’s BMW came to Wilmington through a serendipitous confluence of history and the WCC’s well-earned reputation.

The club is a member of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary. To help recognize that milestone, the GAP asked Western Golf Association, which runs the BMW Championship, to hold the tournament at a member club. Western agreed, and WCC was on the short list of candidates.

“Western Golf came to tell us about the event, and they

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

31

READY FOR A CLOSEUP continued from previous page

Tom Humphrey, right, vice president of the WCC board, is chairman of the event. Penn State sophomore Frank Yocum is an Evans Scholar who often caddies for Humphrey and will work the Aug. 17 Pro-Am. Photo by Lindsay duPhily

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looked at us and we looked at them and decided that it was a go,” sums up Tom Humphrey, chairperson of the tournament and vice president of the WCC board. “Because it was the BMW Championship and is so prestigious, it was hard to say no. And when we learned the economic impact on the county and state, we decided it was something we needed to do.”

Making the event a reality meant overcoming two major, unexpected hurdles. First, there was COVID-19. The two sides held their initial meeting in the first week of March 2020, and the pandemic shutdown hit the next week.

“We were able to conduct most of our discussions by phone,” says Humphrey, “but the PGA Tour still needed to come in and look at our golf course.”

Then, in August, a tornado tore through the area, sundering 350 trees, some of them two centuries old, and destroying bunkers on the South Course. The club shut down the course, removed the damaged trees and repaired the bunkers, then put in eight new tees and 12 bunkers.

The PGA then was able to inspect the course and grant its imprimatur, and the two parties signed the contract in October of 2020.

The Chairman

Having established his bona fides in both the corporate world and on the golf course, Humphrey seems an ideal choice to head up the tournament. During a 28-year career at DuPont, he served as president of DuPont Asia Pacific LTD and later as president of DuPont Health and Nutrition. After retiring in 2002, Humphrey found more time to hit the links. A one-handicap, he has finished second in a few national senior tournaments and won the Delaware Senior Championship in 2018.

So he speaks with some authority when he calls the South Course “stern.”

“The fairways are narrow, and the greens are large and undulating, with bentgrass,” he says.

But Humphrey and the committee knew that even the South Course would not be especially challenging for the big hitters that would attack it in August.

“They hit it so far that they would just blow over what we had,” he says. “So we added back tees and those 12 bunkers, most at about 325 yards from the back tees, to give them something to think about.”

A temporary driving range was another addition, because, says Humphrey, “the one we had just wasn’t long enough.”

The course was closed from March 2020 until May 1, 2021, and it will be closed again, of course, during BMW Championship week, but club members have responded positively to all of this privation. They were given first shot at volunteering to work the event, and 450 of the club’s approximately 750 members stepped up, according to Humphrey.

Adding to the appeal of the tournament is the fact that all proceeds benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to award full college tuition and housing scholarships to deserving youth caddies. Since 2007, the event has raised more than $35 million for the scholarships.

Scholarly Quadruplet

Frank Yocum, of Garnet Valley, Pa., a caddie at WCC and a Penn State sophomore, is an Evans Scholar. The scholarship is especially providential for Yocum and his family; he is a quadruplet, and his three siblings are all at four-year universities (his two sisters at Penn State, his brother at Temple), thus representing a potential national-debt-sized dent in their parents’ bank account.

“The Evans Scholarship has allowed me to pursue a world-class education and is giving me so many opportunities that I could not even have dreamed of,” Yocum said at the tournament media day. “I plan to receive a five-year integrated master’s in accounting while obtaining enough credits to sit for my CPA exam."

Yocum will be among 30 Evans scholars who will caddy at the pro-am event on Aug. 17. Pairings will be announced at a party in the Longwood Gardens Conservatory the night before. (The party is closed to the public.)

Choosing Favorites

Humphrey and the committee are hoping for good weather and a course that is “firm and fast” for the pros. As for the potential winner of the four-day main event, Humphrey mentions Daniel Berger, Patrick Rodgers, and Thomas, the 2019 BMW champ who played the course during the Palmer Cup nine years ago.

With the club and area businesses poised to make a great impression on all who participate in or attend the event, Humphrey was asked if the tournament might return to the WCC sometime in the future.

“We won’t know until it’s over,” he says. “First off, we want to find out if the members enjoyed it and had fun. Was it worth giving up the course for a week? Then Western Golf will have to decide whether it was good for them. And certainly BMW, too.

“My sense is everybody’s going to feel really good about it. So at some point in the future they might want to come back.”

The 2022 BMW Championship joins a growing list of recent developments that have amped up the region’s nationwide profile.

The comings and goings of President Joe Biden have provided a significant bump, of course, but the list also includes the burgeoning downtown dining scene, the once-again-resurgent Riverfront, and events such as the Firefly Music Festival, which returns next month to The Woodlands at Dover International Speedway.

So, while the return of the BMW Championship in the next few years would be gratifying, for right now, Wilmington and environs are basking in the national spotlight and bending every effort to take full advantage of it.

Schedule of Events Tickets for the Aug. 16-21 activities at Wilmington Country Club were going fast at press time, but some general admission may be available at BMWchampionship.com.

Those interested in volunteering for the event can also use the website to add their names to the wait list.

Below are the events open to ticketholders and the TV schedule: Tuesday, Aug. 16: 6:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. — Professional practice rounds 8 a.m. — Gates and ticket office open Wednesday, Aug. 17: 6:30 a.m. — Gates and ticket office open 7 a.m. — Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am Thursday, Aug. 18: 9 a.m. — Gates and ticket office open 10 a.m. — Round 1 competition Friday, Aug. 19: 9 a.m. — Gates and ticket office open 10 a.m. – Round 2 competition Saturday, Aug. 20: 7 a.m. — Gates and ticket office open 8 a.m. -- Round 3 competition Sunday, Aug. 21: 7 a.m. — Gates and ticket office open 8 a.m. — Final round competition

TV Schedule: Thursday, Aug. 18: 3-7 p.m. — Golf Channel Friday, Aug. 19: 3-7 p.m. — Golf Channel Saturday, Aug. 20: 12-3 p.m. — Golf Channel 3-6 p.m. — NBC Sunday, Aug. 21: 12-3 p.m. — Golf Channel 2-6 p.m. — NBC

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

33

Ode to the Tomato Dressed up or down, this fruit is a Delaware favorite

O

By Pam George

n a sweltering day, I traveled to Marini’s Produce in Brandywine Hundred to find a juicy tomato and white bread. I wasn’t thrilled about the latter, but an overwhelming number of Facebook friends insisted that white bread is the preferred platform for Delaware’s unofficial summer dish: the tomato sandwich.

My admission that I’d never experienced said sammy — which also includes mayonnaise, salt and pepper — prompted a slew of open-mouthed emojis. I prefer a protein between bread slices., but I was willing to give it a try because, hey, it’s tomato season.

34 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

EAT

The SIW farmstand in Chadds Ford has more than 50 types of tomatoes, including heirloom varieties. There are more than 1,000 tomato plants on the farm. Photo courtesy SIW

As any home grower can attest, the flavor profile between just picked and shipped tomatoes is dramatic, equaled only by a strawberry in season versus one from South America. In August, sliced fresh tomatoes and sweet corn are standard side dishes, and the simplicity of the tomato sandwich demonstrates that power of locally grown products.

But several factors have turned the ubiquitous backyard crop into an epicurean delight. For one, there are more varieties available than in the past. For another, they’re versatile. So, while area chefs might munch tomato sandwiches before service, their tomato specials are works of art.

Elevating the Ordinary

Although a Delaware favorite, tomatoes are not the state fruit. That honor goes to the strawberry. But they should get top billing, area chefs maintain.

“We have a really good climate here for tomatoes,” notes Bill Hoffman of The House of William & Merry in Hockessin,

who never buys grocery store tomatoes.

The soil affects the flavor, explains Jason Barrowcliff, executive chef at Brandywine Prime in Chadds Ford.

Compare it to grapes and coffee beans, which vary depending on where they’re grown. Discovering the differences appeals to consumers.

“People love tomatoes like they love oysters — they love the variety and different flavors,” says Barrowcliff, who once had 600 tomato plants, including Pork Chop, which yields yellow fruit for months.

The public’s awareness has created a demand for diversity.

SIW in Chadds Ford offers more than 50 tomato varieties, from the Brandywine to the Hawaiian Pineapple to the Black Pear. There are red, pink, green, striped, yellow and orange tomatoes. Some are fat and yielding, while others are firm and oblong.

While SIW’s offerings are extensive, multiple varieties are also available at farm stands throughout the area. ►

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Bill Hoffman of The House of William & Merry gets tomatoes from multiple sources, including SIW, Coverdale Farm Preserve, Bright Spots Farm and friends and customers — not to mention his backyard. Photo courtesy Bill Hoffman

In addition to SIW, Hoffman shops at Bright Spots Farm, an urban agriculture program, and Coverdale Farm Preserve, part of the Delaware Nature Society. The Centreville Café is currently showcasing Coverdale’s tomatoes on sandwiches and in signature dishes.

Sometimes customers gift a chef with their bounty. For instance, William & Merry customers have brought Hoffman heirloom varieties.

By definition, heirlooms must have originated at least 50 years ago, according to Burpee. The seed company compares heirlooms to prizewinning horses. Hearty hybrid tomatoes, meanwhile, are workhorse mules.

“Nobody messes with them; nobody modifies them,” Barrowcliff says of heirloom varieties. “You might clean out your grandfather’s tool shed and find seeds from 50 years ago that he saved — and they’re still able to produce.”

Hoffman is fascinated by the heirloom culture. “There is this underground club for people who have these rare seeds, some of which they can trace back to the 1800s,” he says.

A Sweet or Savory Sensation

The varieties encourage chefs to experiment. For example, Hoffman has paired Cherokee Purple tomatoes with bluefin tuna. The rich, somewhat smoky flavor complements the fish. He’s also strained tomato juice through a filter for

days to get a “pure elixir of tomato juice.” He mixed it with oyster juice, warmed it, and poured it over petite Raspberry Point fried oysters from Virginia.

“It’s a beautiful light but focused flavor of tomatoes,” he explains.

Softshell crabs benefit from a tomato vinaigrette that includes crab fat and other seasonings.

“You name it, I’ve done it,” says Hoffman, who once organized a multicourse tomato dinner to raise money for charity.

As a solo caterer, Robert Lhulier — now executive chef at Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar in Brandywine Hundred — won raves for the multicourse tomato dinners he offered at summer’s end. For August, he crafted a limited menu of dishes featuring the “ripest, brightest tomatoes” for Snuff Mill’s clientele.

Like Hoffman, there isn’t much that Lhulier has not done with tomatoes, including making dessert. Inspired by JeanGeorges Vongerichten, the French chef, Lhulier once hollowed out a tomato and blended the pulp with quinoa, candied ginger and almonds. He then stuffed the tomato with the mixture, drizzled honey on top and baked it. The finishing sauce consisted of tomato juice, butter and honey.

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For August, Robert Lhulier created a menu of tomato dishes at Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar. You might spot a yellow taxi tomato with watermelon, cherry tomato, Bulgarian feta, pickled red onion and chili lime.. Photo courtesy Snuff Mill

Try This at Home

Home chefs don’t need to get as fancy. A salad, for instance, is an easy way to savor fresh tomatoes. Among the most popular is the caprese, made with tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil and seasonings. (Some add balsamic vinegar.)

Reportedly, the dish was invented by an Italian patriot at the close of World War I to salute his country’s red, white and green flag. ►

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Bill Hoffman at The House of William & Merry has dressed caramelized Berkshire pork belly and crispy East Coast oysters with tomato-oyster essence, bronze fennel-tomato salad and basil oil. Photo courtesy Bill Hoffman

Panzanella, available at Ciro Food & Drink on the Wilmington Riverfront, is another Italian favorite. The Tuscan salad includes bread that soaks up the juices. Many people add kalamata olives.

Patrick Bradley, who oversees Jamestown Hospitality Group’s culinary operations, tosses tomatoes with watermelon and roasted jalapeno.

Sometimes, he tops it with crabmeat. To add interest, he’ll use a variety of colored tomatoes.

“It becomes much more interesting a salad even though it’s simplistic,” says Bradley, who is often seen at Tonic Seafood & Steak and Park Café.

Lhulier would agree. He uses multiple colors to produce a mosaic on a sheet of puff pastry brushed with olive oil. On top, he sprinkles herbs, parmesan, sea salt and a drizzle of more olive oil. He recommends cooking the flatbread at high heat — up to 425 degrees — to keep the tomatoes from making the dough soggy. Bake until the crust is golden and the tomatoes are brown.

If you want to get back to basics, do like Bradley and eat a tomato like an apple. If the chef wants something more substantial, he’ll slap together a tomato sandwich.

Alone or with bread, the tomato is Bradley’s madeleine (Proust’s symbol of the past that arises unintentionally.) And after trying the tomato sandwich, I can relate.

“It’s almost a memory,” Bradley agrees. “It’s a summertime feeling, tasting a tomato at this time of year.”

In short, it’s a juicy bite of nostalgia.

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Historic Odessa Brewfest All Proceeds Benefit Historic Odessa Foundation

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Something’s Brewing in Middletown The craft beer scene is coming on strong in this burgeoning community

DRINK

By Pam George

W

hen Kevin Schatz decided to turn his passion for homebrewing into a profession, he didn’t look far for a brewery site. He and his wife, Dawn, had lived in Middletown for more than a decade. And Dawn, a licensed clinical social worker, had a business on Main Street with a dilapidated two-car garage.

With a can-do attitude, Schatz renovated the 500-square-foot space and opened Volunteer Brewing Company during the town’s 2017 Peach Blossom Festival. “We sold out of beer in an hour,” he recalls.

Five years later this month, Volunteer Brewing has become part of the MOT (Middletown-Odessa-Townsend) landscape in more ways than one. The brewery now has a taproom next door in the 200-year-old former home that the company purchased and renovated.

When Volunteer Brewing opened, it was the only brewery in the Middletown-Townsend-Odessa area. Now there are four, and that’s a plus for local hopheads and tourism. ► Above: Volunteer Brewing Company owners Kevin and Dawn Schatz with their Dead Poets IPA. Photo by Joe Grace AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

41

Location, Location

SOMETHING’S BREWING IN MIDDLETOWN continued from previous page

Like many MOT residents, the Schatz family moved to the area for the schools and the sense of community. Those advantages also appealed to Paul Hester, who with his wife bought a home in Middletown shortly after graduating from college.

When Hester decided to leave his cybersecurity position at JPMorgan Chase & Co. to open a brewery in Middletown, he knew his market well. “Middletown has a high level of commercial and residential growth, which you can see just by driving around,” he says. “Still, to this day, projects are popping up.”

The corporate executive didn’t rely on his opinion before opening First State Brewing Company in 2020. He also studied marketing materials citing the desirable demographics.

“Middletown checked all the boxes,” he says.

Unlike Schatz and Hester, Andrew Kulp was unfamiliar with the area when he moved his family from Roanoke, Virginia. The former nuclear engineer had been working as an assistant brewer at Roanoke’s Big Lick Brewing Company.

“I learned a lot because the brewer was also the owner,” says the Virginia Tech graduate. “I had the opportunity to ask a lot of questions.”

He quickly discovered that if he wanted to make a viable living, he needed to own the brewery, and if he was going to become an entrepreneur, he wanted to do it near family in Allentown (Pa.) and Havre de Grace (Md.). Middletown offered affordable housing.

Plugging Niches

Kulp, who grew up in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, partnered with high school pal Justin Lovuolo to start JAKL Brew Works, which is a blending of their initials. The brewery opened in 2021 on Patriot Drive, the same street as First State Brewing Company.

Each brewery has a distinct personality. JAKL is so small that visitors will rub elbows with the owners, who are doing multiple jobs. Kulp feels this adds a personal, casual touch to the atmosphere.

First State is a licensed microbrewery. “We are allowed to sell food, but we don’t have to,” Hester explains. Food, however, has become a draw thanks to Nicholas Carr, formerly the executive

Volunteer offers a wide variety of beer options. Photo by Joe Grace 42 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

Photo by Jeffrey Horne

First State Brewings' taproom is 3,000 square feet and features a 50-foot bar.

chef at Big Oyster Brewery in Lewes and Hester’s buddy since fifth grade. The menu includes poutine, charcuterie, tacos and sandwiches, including an apple-scrapple grilled cheese and a cheesesteak with onions braised in witbier.

“A lot of people come for the beer and leave talking about the food,” Hester says. However, they also learn a thing or two about beer. Hester and two other employees are certified cicerones, which is to beer what a sommelier is to wine. Joseph Spearot, the quality manager, is an advanced cicerone.

“We’re the only brewery I’ve ever heard of that opened day one with a quality manager,” says Hester, who formed his business in 2014 but did not open until 2020. “We have the mantra of continuous and never-ending improvement.”

First State Brewing, which won a gold medal in the 2022 U.S. Open Beer Championship, is also focused on distribution.

The beer is available throughout Delaware and in Maryland and Philadelphia areas. The brewery recently debuted its products in Washington, D.C. JAKL plans to can beer once the volume increases, but it will only be sold in the taproom.

Meanwhile, Crooked Hammock Brewery is a lifestyle brand with an easy, breezy backyard vibe and a family-friendly menu.

To Give and To Receive

Crooked Hammock Brewery opened in 2019 on Auto Park Drive. It is the second of three locations; the first is in Lewes, and there is one in Myrtle Beach. For its first expansion, La Vida Hospitality Group looked for an up-and-coming area, says Rich Garrahan, managing member of operations for La Vida Hospitality Group.

“The mayor at the time was working hard to make Middletown grow, so we felt really supported by the government there,” he recalls. “We felt like it was a really business-friendly town, and we wanted to go to a town that would embrace us.”

The other brewers would agree. “The town was really willing to work with us,” says Schatz.

When he decided to open Volunteer Brewing within the town limits, there was no defined zoning for breweries.

But government officials willingly accommodated Schatz as the town’s only brewery and the zip code’s first. The town was also receptive to Schatz’s purchase and renovation of ► AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

43

SOMETHING’S BREWING IN MIDDLETOWN continued from previous page

Lewes-based Crooked Hammock chose Middletown as the first place to expand its casual craft beer concept. Photo courtesy Crooked Hammock

the 200-year-old home next door. The state has also been helpful.

In 2020, Volunteer Brewing received a $49,330 EDGE Grant from the Division of Small Business.

The favorable government response is appreciated. But customers have the final vote of confidence, and their reaction has been positive — a line of revelers wrapped around the building when First State Brewing celebrated its first anniversary.

“We weren’t expecting it,” Hester says. “There’s been tremendous community support.”

Garrahan says beer enthusiasts embraced Crooked Hammock in Middletown as soon as it opened. “They were starved for craft beer, and they didn’t have a lot of options. We’ve had lines out our door for new beer releases.”

Schatz wants to return the favor to his hometown and his place of business. Giving back to the community and nonprofits is so important that he named his business Volunteer, and not all the philanthropic initiatives involve beer. The company has helped plant trees and clear brush.

“People get to meet outside the brewery setting,” he says.

Putting Middletown on the Map

The breweries’ customer base includes more than locals.

People are crossing the Delaware River and the canal to spend the day in the four locations.

“That’s the nice thing about Middletown with the breweries popping up; we get a lot of people who are brewery hopping. They get a flight and move on,” says Kulp.

“Middletown is now a destination,” adds Schatz. “We didn’t have that before, and it’s great.”

Both brewers want their establishments to feel like a neighborhood hangout, a vibe that is becoming more needed as the population explodes in the MOT area and the farms on the west side of Middletown give way to houses.

“As an area grows, there are people who know less and less about the community,” Schatz says.

Initially, Volunteer Brewing was only open one day a week, and customers spilled out of the garage and into the yard.

“They would run into people they hadn’t seen in years,” Schatz says. “It felt like a small town in a backyard. The breweries can still capture some of that small-town feeling.”

44 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | InWilmDE.com

Presenting meaningful social issues on stage before a live audience is something New Light Theatre has sought to do from its inception in 2018.

WATCH

Photo by Lena Mucchetti

Keeping The Light On New Light Theatre’s adaptation of RENT is set to entertain and educate audiences new and old

By Jim Miller

I

n the world of pop culture, sometimes art earns a second life.

Take Kate Bush’s title track from her 1985 hit album Hounds of Love, which was fervently rediscovered this year by new, younger audiences after it was featured in the fourth season of Stranger Things. The show’s spotlight on the song propelled the decadesold album to the top of the Alternative charts, resulting in Bush’s first Billboard No. 1 album.

That type of pop-culture rediscovery, albeit on a smaller scale, is what the Delawarebased New Light Theatre hopes to generate when it brings the ‘90s rock musical RENT back to the stage in late August.

“It’s certainly beloved by people based on a nostalgia factor as well as others who have discovered it later,” says New Light cofounder and Artistic Director Lena Mucchetti. “I think there is a celebration of ‘otherness’ in RENT. If you don’t feel that you fit in with the mainstream in a time when things feel so divided, [then] the idea of celebrating community and finding your family — and celebrating counter-culture like RENT does — really speaks to people if they find it at the right point of their lives.”

When RENT first hit the stage in the 1996, it refreshed the concept of the Broadway musical, presenting American audiences with timely and relevant social issues in a dynamic and

provocative way not seen since the hippie, counter-culture rock epic Hair, which debuted in 1967.

In addition to the critical acclaim and long-running success it achieved, RENT also broke new ground as the first Broadway rock musical to deal with the topic of AIDS as well as other previously unexplored LGBTQ themes.

More than 25 years later, Mucchetti and her New Light Theatre cast and crew believe that reviving RENT offers an opportunity to revisit those themes and view them in a contemporary light — amid a political climate that has presented challenges to the LGBTQ community. ► AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM 45

KEEPING THE LIGHT ON continued from previous page

“We’ve come across it in rehearsals, saying, ‘Wow, this was so long ago, and we haven’t moved the needle as much as we wish we had on these types of issues or attitudes,’ which is unfortunate that we have to keep trying,” says Mucchetti. “Maybe meaningful storytelling will move that [needle] for somebody who gets to witness it.”

Presenting meaningful social issues on stage before a live audience is something that New Light Theatre has sought to do from its inception. In the summer of 2018, Mucchetti and her husband, Tom, teamed up with longtime theater friend and actor Newton Buchanan to produce the rock musical Next to Normal, working with both professional and student actors to explore themes revolving around mental illness.

That first production ended up raising enough money for the theater to make a financial donation to The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, which focuses on finding new treatments for a variety of brain disorders. The experience was both gratifying and illuminating for the three co-founders of New Light.

As Mucchetti recalls, “We kind of looked at each other and we were like, ‘we just found the mission statement… we could do this moving forward.’ And [New Light] has been worth all of the headaches that come with running a theater company — that we weren’t sure we wanted to take on before — because it took on this deeper meaning and this new energy.”

Over the last few years, all New Light productions have followed a similar path. For example, in 2020 its Othello partnered with the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and with last year’s production of Citizen: An American Lyric, they found an ally in the Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow.

Appropriately, this month’s presentation of RENT has a partner in AIDS Delaware.

“We’ve got 3,000 to 4,000 Delawareans living with HIV AIDS, so in that way RENT is still relevant,” Mucchetti says. “But, also at the core of the show there is the celebration of life in the face of something scary.”

With RENT, as with the last few productions, the showrunners invited a representative from the partner organization to educate the cast, Mucchetti says. They have discussed ideas like how to portray roles respectfully and truthfully; how to be better advocates in the community; and, in this case, what does it mean to be living with HIV AIDS? “Hopefully, it’s not just a night of entertainment, but it’s also walking away learning something and feeling a little more for the people in your community,” Mucchetti says.

And for those still feeling isolated and/or disenfranchised due to COVID or other recent strife, there may be something even more available.

“Whether you were a teenager in the ‘90s or an infant, and then found it later as a teenager in the 2000s,” Mucchetti adds, “there is something in there that is going to speak to you and comfort you about the idea that you can always find your community, you can find your family, you can find people who will celebrate and accept you and push you to live life with love.”

— From Aug. 19-28, New Light Theatre brings RENT to the E.O. Bull Center Mainstage in West Chester. For tickets and more info, visit NewLightTheatre.com.

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THE CITY BoA GRANT SUPPORTS YOUTH CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

W

ilmington’s 2022 Youth Career Development Program (YCD), which helps younger City residents develop valuable work skills and prepare them for a successful career and future, received a $100K grant from Bank of America to help employ 275 young people in numerous professions and internships this summer.

In addition to the financial support, BoA provides Better Money Habits® financial literacy sessions, run by bank Bank of America representatives present a $100,000 check to the Parks employees, to all YCD participants. The sessions break down and Recreation 2022 Youth Career Development Program at an event at financial topics like budgeting, building credit, borrowing, the Stubbs Early Education Center in Wilmington on Thursday.

Photo by WITN 22/Stimpson investing, and more in a fun and interactive way. As they earn their first paychecks they are learning and receiving tools they -can use to set goals for future financial success.

“The continued financial commitment over the past seven years and financial literacy programming from Bank of America has been impactful for the program and our teens,” said Mayor Purzycki. “We appreciate Bank of America’s generosity and continued support of the future of the City of Wilmington and our residents.”

The grant is part of Bank of America’s philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. Recipients were selected for their commitment to addressing basic needs and workforce development for individuals and families.

ETHICS COMMISSION TRAINS CITY WORKERS

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ayor Mike Purzycki has announced that every full-time City employee in City—more than 900 in all—completed extensive ethics training in FY 2022 as offered by the City’s independent Ethics Commission.

“At the start of my Administration in 2017, we reconstituted the Ethics Commission so that as we strived to achieve excellence in public service, we would conduct ourselves and the business of City government with the highest standards of accountability, principle, integrity, and values,” said Mayor Purzycki. “Thanks to the work of the Ethics Commission and the Department of Human Resources we have embraced ethics and the importance of ethical practices in government as never before.”

The employee ethics training included topics like conflict of interest, prohibited political activities, the receiving of gifts, abuse of office, and an understanding of the City’s Code of Ethics. The training was offered both live and virtually over the first part of 2022. For more info. about the Ethics Commission, visit: www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/boardscommissions-and-committees/wilmington-ethics-commission.

50 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

LONG TIME CITY DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN

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ilmington said goodbye to a long-time City employee in July when Director of Constituent Services Jen Prado stepped down after a 16-year career assisting constituents to maneuver through City government programs and services.

Jen became Constituent Services Director in 2017, but long before then had been known throughout the City as a person residents and businesses could turn to when they needed City government guidance.

Jen provided valuable assistance to three Mayors and numerous members of City Council over nearly two decades as she interacted daily with the public. Not only was Jen able to help the public understand what the City had to offer them, but she also informed City administrations what wasn’t working properly within the government and how to fix it.

Jen begins a new chapter of her career with the City of Newark, where she’ll supervise tax and utility billing services. We wish Jen and her family the very best and thank her for her many years of dedicated service.

Mayor Purzycki and outgoing Constituent Services Director Jen Prado

YOUTH POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATES 24

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ayor Purzycki and Police Chief Robert Tracy congratulate the 24 young men and women who graduated from the WPD’s annual Youth Police Academy on July 1. The participants, who were joined by parents and family members, were awarded certificates of completion during a ceremony held at the Chase Fieldhouse, along with members of the Wilmington Police Department’s command staff, Honor Guard, and those officers who assisted during the academy program.

Academy staff also recognized several participants with special awards recognizing leadership, physical fitness, and sportsmanship during the twoweek program held at the Police Athletic League of Wilmington from June 20 - July 1. One special honor awarded to a participant was the Terrence Newton Positive Impact Award, recognizing consistent effort and positive engagement Youth Police Academy 2022 graduates. and carrying the namesake of the late principal of Warner Elementary School.

“It is wonderful to see how much these young men and women gained from participating in this program, and to hear how much they have learned about law enforcement and community service,” said Chief Tracy.

“It is also rewarding to see the friendships they have built with our police officers, who served as their mentors and role models for the past two weeks.”

“The WPD Youth Academy is a fantastic opportunity for young people who are interested in law enforcement, or who may simply benefit from positive interactions with our police officers, to gain first-hand experience about the challenges and rewards associated with police work,” said Mayor Purzycki. “I congratulate all of the graduates and thank the many WPD officials who put this program together each year, as well as JPMorgan Chase for their continued support.”

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Restaurants and Beer Garden Banks’ Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar Big Fish Grill Ciro Food & Drink Constitution Yards Cosi Del Pez Docklands Drop Squad Kitchen Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Riverfront Bakery River Rock Kitchen Starbucks Taco Grande The Juice Joint Timothy’s on the Riverfront Ubon Thai

RIV

E R WA L K

MINI G LF

RIVERFRONT MARKET

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

• 18 HOLES OF MINI GOLF • SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM • BIKE RENTALS TO TOUR THE RIVERWALK.

RIVERWALKMINIGOLF.COM Riverfront Rewards and App Each month, the RDC is presenting a different offer for our loyal guests. For simply spending money at your favorite Riverfront attractions, you can receive free passes, discounts, and other rotating offers. Check out https://riverfrontwilm.com/rewards/ for each month’s offer.

Additionally, download our free Riverfront App for a virtual map of the riverfront, exclusive information and more.

52 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Monthly Summer Events, Rotating Programming, and $119 Membership for the Entire Family!

Develop Creative Minds at Delaware’s ONLY Children’s Museum!

/DelawareChildrensMuseum

/DeChildrensMuseum

DelawareChildrensMuseum.org 54 AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Our popular Summer Concert Series will once again return to Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park each Thursday evening from 7-8:30pm from July 7 through August 25.

These concerts are free of charge and feature a variety of popular local-and-regional acts celebrating various genres:

August 4 - Gerry Timlin (Family Night with Irish Folk Music) August 11 - Stacey LaChole & the BlacSoul Band (R&B, Pop, Soul, Gospel, Funk and Jazz) August 18 - Voodoo DeVille (Blues, Boogie & Swing) August 25 - Best Kept Soul (R&B, Gospel, Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop and Rock)

Lunchtime Summer Concert at Hare Pavilion

Wednesday, August 17th featuring singer and guitarist Bob Colligan

AUGUST 2022 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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