June 2024 - Rolling on the River

St. Anthony's Italian Festival Turns 50

Your Summer Guide to the Riverfront

A Tasty Debut: Pizza Week is Here!

Megan McGlinchey has been key to the Riverfront's success. Her biggest task awaits.

Winterthur Celebrates American Artistry with Summer Craft Event July 19–21, 2024

Spend a summer day—or the whole weekend—exploring Winterthur while shopping for artisan-made crafts and gifts.

Some of the region’s most talented craftspeople will present their outstanding wares, including antiques and collectibles, furniture and home décor, upcycled items and architectural salvage, high-quality handmade crafts, vintage clothing and jewelry, artisanal and small-batch gourmet goods, original art in a variety of media, garden items, and much more!

Artisan Market reflects the mission of Winterthur by showcasing local artisans through a variety of handmade crafts relating to art, textiles, ceramics, glass, woodworking, antiques, edibles, and gardening. Each of these categories connects to Winterthur’s past, and we invite you to share a bit of your own history with us during this special weekend.

Lost in the Lavender, Sarah Bourne Rafferty, Atwater Designs; Snow, needle felted white labrador retriever dog, Tracy Shue, Walking Olive; and berry baskets, Jeff Stambaugh, Avant~Garden Pottery

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735

800.448.3883

winterthur.org/ArtisanMarket

Focus

Published each month by TSN Media, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Contact@TSNPub.com Wilmington, DE 19801

At the Beach

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

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS Amy Watson Bish

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Adriana Camacho-Church, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Roger Hillis, Catherine Kempista, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Larry Nagengast, Ken Mammarella, Mary Ellen Mitchell, Matt Morrissette, Kevin Noonan, Bob Yearick

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

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

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Bauer, John Holton, Bev Zimmermann

July 11

August 8

September 12

5PM–7:30PM

The Brandywine Zoo invites you to Sip & Stroll through the zoo and enjoy a laid-back eve at our Thursday night happy hour series Adult beverages will be available from Bellefonte Brewing and others, as well as food from local vendors, and ice cream from Hy-Point. This family friendly event will have animal encounters, live music, and fun for all ages! Limited number of tickets will be sold. Drink and food purchases sold separately. Check out our web site for more fun-filled events!

THE WAR On Words

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language

WHERE ARE THE EDITORS?

Lots of close-but-no-cigar entries this month.

• Bryan Alexander, in a USA TODAY review of A Man in Full: “Je Daniels knew he was headed to unchartered territory portraying larger-than-life Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker . . .” No, Daniels was headed to uncharted waters. However, he could have chartered a boat for the trip.

• Ignoring the rule about prepositions requiring objective case pronouns – in this case, me – Stephen Borelli wrote in USA TODAY: “To my wife and I, Dana is the ideal sports mom.” e next day, e News Journal reprinted the story without correcting the error.

• Patricia Talorico, in e News Journal: “Downtown Wilmington was abuzz with activity this past Saturday night. e streets were teaming with people . . .” at’s teeming – full of people or things; crowded.

• Reader Luann Haney came across this in TNJ online: “Health care providers and Delaware lawmakers remain divided over a proposal to create a hospital cost review board to help reign in service costs.” at’s rein in. Apparently, editors do not reign at TNJ.

• According to reader John McDermott, e Philadelphia Inquirer described Manatawny Still Works as being “nestled on the banks of the Manatawny Creek, a tribute of the Schuykill River.” e writer meant tributary, of course. Also, the rst l is missing from Schuylkill.

• Josh Tolentino, in e Inky (about University of Virginia runner Gary Martin): “Martin hopes his dedicated regiment and improved focus will pay o this weekend when he . . . competes in the 128th Penn Relays.” A regiment is a military unit, typically divided into companies, squadrons, or batteries. Josh should have written regimen or regime. Both refer to a course of life that follows a speci c diet, exercise plan, or other health practice.

• Saving the best for last, here’s a trifecta from e Inky’s Bedatri D. Choudhury, writing about late-night talker Seth Meyers: “As a self-confessed ‘biased East Coaster,’ the Philly audience is his favorite kind of audience . . . Meyers’ Miller eater show is part of a tour that coincides with the 10th anniversary of him joining Late Night as host.” First, “self-confessed” is a tautology. Confessed works ne. Second, the opening phrase

Word of the Month

Pronounced sa-LAR-a-dee , it’s a noun meaning swiftness of movement.

creates a misplaced modi er that describes the Philly audience, not Meyers. Finally, it should be his joining Late Night.

FAST . . . AND BIG!

By Bob Yearick

Couldn’t resist including this from an online description of legendary pitcher Bob Feller: “Standing a modest 6’ and weighing 185 lbs., Feller’s fastball was variously clocked between 98.6 mph up to 107 mph.” Personally, I wouldn’t call a 6’, 185 lb. fastball “modest.”

HURTS MY EARS

Philadelphia Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni was of-ing all over the place in his assessment of rst-round draft pick Quinyon Mitchell: “ e thing that always kept coming up is how good of a person and how good of a teammate and how hard of a worker [he is].” Once again: of is super uous and intrusive in such phrases.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.

• Reader David Hull submits this from e Sarasota HeraldTribune: “'Ramblin' Man’ is the Allman Brothers Band’s rst and only Top 10 pop hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the U.S. Cashbox Top 100.” As David points out, “If it’s the only time, it is, by default, the rst time, the last time, and all the times in between.”

• CapitalOne sent this email to me: “ anks for being such a great customer! To show our appreciation, we’re o ering up an exclusive o er just for you.” Wow! ey’re not only o ering an o er, they’re also o ering it up, it’s exclusive, and it’s just for me. I feel so special!

• Subhead in a story in TNJ: “In uential in uencers.”

• From a police report on WDEL “ e car was traveling at a high rate of speed.” Speed: the rate at which an object moves.

HOUSEKEEPING

In the April column, I referred to “SUV” (sport utility vehicle) as an acronym. As reader Angie Martin points out, it isn’t, because it’s not pronounced as a word. It’s an initialism.

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Contribute $100 or more to the Brandywine YMCA through my donor page and I’ll present my fun and informative discussion on grammar to your group. Contact ryearick@comcast.net for more information. Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin BookShelf, at Huxley & Hiro Booksellers on Market Street, or on Amazon. Or email me at ryearick@comcast.net.

FYI

Things Worth Knowing

A SLICE OF LIFE

In honor of Pizza Week (June 3-8) and the 50th anniversary of St. Anthony’s Italian Festival (June 9-16), we’ve hidden four pizza slices in this month’s issue. Tell us the page numbers we’ve slid the slices and you could win lunch. Email your answer by June 20 to Contact@TSNPub.com with the subject line: Slide Me A Slice. We will choose three winners from correct submissions. Congrats to Elizabeth McGeever, James Metzger and Ryan Rice for nding the missing buses on pages 22, 31, 55, 63 in our May issue. And remember, Pizza Week is the perfect time to try a new pie!

The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast, returns to Wilmington’s Rodney Square for its 37th year June 19-22. This year’s lineup features Chief Adjuah (formerly known as Christian Scott), Jonathan Michel, Black Wonders Quintet, Linda May Han Oh, Joshua Redman Group featuring Gabrielle Cavassa, Dupont Brass, Incognito, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Grace Kelly, and the Clifford Brown Festival Orchestra. Performances begin at 5:30pm Wednesday through Friday; Saturday’s music starts at 1pm. Visit CliffordBrownJazzFest.org.

IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY AT KRESTON’S

Fans of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia can stop by Kreston’s Wine & Spirits in Wilmington on ursday, June 27 to meet Glenn Howerton for a special Four Walls Whiskey bottle signing event from 6-7pm. Brought to you by the gang — Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day — Four Walls is a mix of smooth, triple distilled grain and malt Irish whiskeys blended with bold American rye.

SEPARATION DAY CELEBRATES HISTORY AND COMMUNITY

One of the state’s longest-running traditions returns June 7-8 with the Separation Day celebration in Historic New Castle. e event recognizes Delaware’s “separation” or declaration of independence from Pennsylvania and the British crown — an event that took place 248 years ago.

Separation Day festivities begin on Friday evening with an outdoor block party at e Wharf, featuring live music by Blue Cat Blues, food trucks and a beer/wine garden. Saturday commences with a Colonial-inspired parade at noon followed by an afternoon of activities in Battery Park featuring a vintage market, games and rides for kids, food/drink and live music from 1-9:30pm. Bands performing include the All American Band, JD Webb & e Good God Damn, Fuzaholics and What e Funk. e celebration culminates with reworks over the Delaware River at 9:30pm.

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

WILMINGTON GREEK FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR 49TH YEAR

Opa! Festival season o cially kicks o with the Wilmington Greek Festival on Monday, June 3 through Saturday, June 8 from 11am to 11pm each day on the grounds of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (808 N Broom Street). Take a trip to the Old Country and indulge in homemade traditional Greek foods while enjoying live music and dancing. Visit HolyTrinityWilmington.org.

A TOAST TO OUR STATE PARKS

Wilmington Brew Works has teamed with Delaware State Parks and the Delaware Tourism Office to celebrate state parks throughout all three counties with the creation of a commemorative beer. Adventure Awaits, a Belgian-style wit bier, will be offered in fourpacks with each can representing a different state park — Bellevue, Trap Pond, Fort Delaware and Cape Henlopen. WBW plans to produce the beer throughout the summer. Visit WilmingtonBrewWorks.com.

COOL OFF AT THIS TASTY TRADITION

Iscream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! And there’s no shortage of the frozen treat at the OldFashioned Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park, set for Saturday, June 29. Get your licks in while enjoying a day dripping with fun: live music, kids’ activities, family entertainment, a maker’s market, food trucks, beer garden, fireworks and more. Visit NCCDE.org/ICF.

GET OUTSIDE AND RIDE

The Delaware Interscholastic Mountain Biking League is a project of the nonprofit National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) whose goal is to make biking accessible to youth from all communities and create a life-long love of riding. Students in grade 6-12 can join one of several teams across the state and learn what it takes to build a successful racer. For those new to mountain biking, the league is offering “Try-It-Rides” in June and July, giving students a chance to discover biking through games and activities (no mountain biking experience required). Learn more at DelawareMtb.org.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2024

5pm Start

Next Art Loop: JULY 12, 2024

DOWNTOWN

2nd & LOMA

211 N. Market Street 655-0124 • 2ndandloma.com

Artist: Beyond the BrushPaintings & Crafts by Agi Brady

Chris White Gallery

701 N. Shipley Street 475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com

Artist: Authenticity, Soft Girl Era Art Series: Act iii by Shonté Young-Williams

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery

800 N. French Street 576-2100

cityfestwilm.com/redding-gallery Exhibit: Verses from the Abstract

DE.CO Food Hall

111 W. 10th Street 510-2762

Artist: Autumn Leaf Co. by Dierra Cooper

Girard Craft & Cork

224 W. 9th Street (774) 292-1854

Artist: Andy “Wine”-hol by Brian Mills

Huxley and Hiro Booksellers

419 N. Market Street (971) 386-8294

Artist: Ethereal ItaliaA Journey through Timeless Beauty by Jeffrey Ronald

John William Gallery 1313 N. Market Street 585-317-5409 • johnwilliamgallery.com

Artist: Su Horty | Transitions

Mezzanine Gallery

820 N. French Street

577-8278 • arts.delaware.gov

Artist: Beyond the FacadeArchitectural Portraits by Don James

The Grand Opera House

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

Grand Gallery: “Artisan Intelligence: The Creative Mind” by Kristi Zerbe baby grand Gallery: “Rocks Cry Out” by Tanya Bracey

Urban Artist Exchange

Open Studios

16th & N. Walnut Streets 493-7614

Artist: Hikmatullah Kharoti

RIVERFRONT

The Delaware Contemporary 200 S. Madison Street 656-6466 • decontemporary.org

Exhibitions: RADIUS - ArtSource Invitational Show; Free Your Mind by Theda Sanford, ARC 24, Shapeshifters, When Irruptions are Portals, LIMINA, Mixed Messaging and works by Jennifer Small

WEST SIDE

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue 429-0506

Artists: Lennart Shapovolinko’s papier-mâché sculptures, Jewelry Show, Julie Cohn Tip to Toe

Howard Pyle Studio

1305 N. Franklin Street 656-7304

Artist: Howard Pyle Studio Group feat. Helen Farr Sloan

The Music School of Delaware 4101 Washington St 762-1132 • musicschoolofdelaware.org

Artist: Whispers of Nature by Flavia Loreto

BEYOND THE CITY

Lumen Studio & Gallery 1601 Concord Pike, Suite 89 545-3204

Exhibit: The Naked Truth Group Show

Arden Buzz-Ware Gallery 2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811

Artist: Color Bloom by Susan Benarcik

Bellefonte Arts

803-C Brandywine Blvd 547-2573 • bellefontearts.com

Exhibit: Garden Art Exhibition feat. Garden-centric Art of various mediums

Finist & The Owl 811 Brandywine Boulevard 786-228-6638

Exhibit: Cab Calloway School of the Arts Middle School Photography for Beginners Class of 2023-2024

Centreville Place: Market & Cafe

5800 Kennett Pike 521-8789

Artist: M.Coty Designs annex featuring Alison Begala

Suite M Gallery

5714 Kennett Pike 598-3490

Artists: Friends, painting and throwing feat. Ashley Jones and Mary Chitsaz

M.Coty Designs

5808 Kennett Pike 545-5437

Artist: “Art in the Garden” by Mary Coty

The Station Gallery

3922 Kennett Pike

654-8638 • stationgallery.net

Artists: Hints of Summer - Group Show

Art LoopWilmington .org

Greater Wilmington is blessed with an abundance of delicious pizza shops and restaurants. And with it being the 50th anniversary of the St. Anthony’s Italian Festival, we thought it would be fitting to celebrate the area pizza scene as well as the festival. "Try A New Pie" is the theme of the inaugural Greater Wilmington Pizza Week, so make it a point to visit a new pizza shop. We have rewards for those who do.

Café Riviera 4737 Concord Pike, Wilm. | CafeRivieraDe.com

Gallucio’s Italian Restaurant 1709 Lovering Ave, Wilm. | Gallucios-De.com

Grotto Pizza Penn. Ave & Concord Pike, Wilm. | GrottoPizza.com

Nick’s Pizza 1903 Newport Gap Pike, Wilm. | NicksPizza302.com

Mazzella’s Italian Restaurant

729 Philadelphia Pike, Wilm. | Mazzellas.net

La Pizzeria Metro

3101 Miller Road, Wilm. | LaPizzeriaMetro.com

Pizza by Elizabeths

3801 Kennett Pike, Wilm. | PizzaByElizabeths.com

Pizzeria Mariana 140 E. Cleveland Ave, Newark | PizzeriaMariana.com

Prima’s Pizza 7454 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin | PrimasPizza.net

V&M Bistro 1717 Marsh Rd, Wilm. | VMBistro.com

2nd Place:

3rd Place:

A Year to Celebrate

St. Anthony’s marks a trifecta of milestones in this year, including the 50th anniversary of the Italian Festival

By Catherine Kempista

Celebrate

The annual St. Anthony's Festival has been a regional attraction for half a century. Out & About file photo/Les Kipp

Located in Wilmington’s Little Italy neighborhood at the corner of Ninth and Dupont Streets, St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church is a landmark not only for its soaring Romanesque Revival-style architecture but also for the central role it has played in the lives of its community members for a century.

Remarkably, 2024 marks not just one but three significant milestones for the St. Anthony’s community: the 100th anniversary of the church’s founding and charter, the 70th anniversary of the founding of its grade school, and the 50th anniversary of the St. Anthony’s Italian Festival.

According to Pastor Rev. Mark Wrightson, OSFS, the key to the church’s longevity especially when other parishes have had to consolidate or close — boils down to “adaptation.”

“We've been able to allow ourselves to adapt to what the current need is, so that we can continue to serve,” says Wrightson.

St. Anthony of Padua Church grew out of a desire to provide a parish in the Diocese of Wilmington to serve the needs of the growing Italian immigrant population that started settling in the city in the late 1880s.

According to A Labor of Love by Cari DeSantis, “Primarily Catholic, these new Americans wanted a place to worship that understood their cultural and religious traditions. They wanted a church of their own.” >

e groundswell of support led then-Bishop John J. Monaghan to appoint Father J. Francis Tucker, OSFS, the rst American-born Oblate, to establish a parish for the community in 1924. Tucker, who spoke Italian, quickly got to work raising funds and forming committees for his new national parish, which would be de ned by its Italian culture, not by neighborhood boundaries. e rst mass was held in a temporary structure on Christmas Eve, 1924.

“Father Tucker was a tremendous fundraiser, marshalling amazing levels of support at the beginning of the parish’s life,” says Anthony Albence, parish trustee for St. Anthony’s and steering committee member for the Italian Festival. “He had a lot of connections in the community and just brought people together.”

A testament to the power of the strong ties of community: Descendants of many of the church’s founders and early community members are still involved with St. Anthony’s 100 years later.

Adam DiSabatino is a fth-generation descendant of Ernesto DiSabatino, a St. Anthony’s founder and owner of Ernest DiSabatino and Sons, Inc., known today as EDiS. Ernesto and his company managed the structural work of building the church, alongside countless volunteers who donated their time and artisanal talent to the project.

Unwind by the Brandywine.

A 1926 photo of Father J. Francis Tucker with Ernesto DiSabatino during church construction. The wagon reads Ernest DiSabatino & Sons. Photo courtesy EDIS

PRESENTED BY DOGFISH HEAD CRAFT BREWERY

AN EVOLVING LEGACY

“I take great pride in the legacy the family has left in the city of Wilmington and look forward to the future legacy we can also provide,” says DiSabatino, vice president of EDiS. “When I go into the church, see the stone masonry, and look at some of the stained-glass windows that have the names of my relatives, it creates an immense sense of pride that our family has been here for 115-plus years.”

DiSabatino’s story is commonplace in the St. Anthony’s community, as many can point to generations before them who were either involved in the early days of the church, the founding of the school, or the first years of the Italian Festival.

“I've been here since birth,” says Judy White, principal of St. Anthony of Padua Grade School. “So, all of my sacraments, all of my children's sacraments, my wedding, everything [happened here].”

For more than 23 years, White has been an integral part of the grade school, serving as a counselor before becoming principal. For her, the key to both the parish’s longevity and the school’s success is its ability to evolve to meet the needs of the community, like when she implemented comprehensive special education services for students in 2016, becoming the first diocesan elementary school to do so.

“We saw the need as it was growing,” says White. “And so, for me with a counseling background, when I became an administrator and realized that every year we would have to ask for one or two children to leave because we didn't have the means to help them — that bothered me immensely. And so, it became part of a Middle States goal.”

With dedicated funding and staff resources, the grade school, which serves between 180-200 students annually, provides some level of special education services for about >

A Fred Comegys' photo of Columbia Alsia making meatballs in 1985.

Photo courtesy St. Anthony's Parish

40 students with an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or accommodation plan.

For White, these innovations, along with a focus on connection to its Wilmington community and the loyal support of legacy families, have ensured a strong grade school for 70 years.

Although most Delawareans associate St. Anthony’s Italian Festival with its rides, games, and specialty food, many don’t realize it’s the parish’s largest fundraiser for the school.

“Without the festival, I don’t feel like I would have the school that I have, with all of the services we provide,” says White. “We are so grateful to the families that help us run the festival year after year.”

GATEWAY TO SUMMER

Celebrate With Us!

Join us for a special DelNature 60th Anniversary event highlighting and supporting our work to ensure clean water.

Wetlands Solstice Celebration & Fundraiser

Originally organized by parish families and run solely by volunteers, the Italian Festival has evolved from a volunteer-led event with a handful of rides and games and homemade Italian delicacies to an annual summer staple, attracting 60,000 people over eight days to festival grounds that encompass nine city square blocks. is year’s event will run from June 9-16.

Albence, a fourth-generation member of St. Anthony’s, has had a front-row seat to the growth of the festival.

DuPont Environmental Education Center

Thursday, June 20, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Ages 21+ | $100 per person

Enjoy lite fare and a birds-eye view of the marshes and the Christina River as the sunsets on the longest day of the year.

“(My dad) used to do all the signs for the festival by hand in our garage,” he says. “So, it's hard to believe we’re here 50 years later, and now, it has passed on to our generation.”

As the festival has evolved, so have some of its features, including advanced security measures, an admission fee, increased midway rides and games, and a greater use of vendors. Volunteers are still incredibly important to festival operations, and 60-70 are on hand each night of the eight-day run.

Despite the changes, a key feature of the event remains its family-friendly environment.

“For me, when my kids were little, all of the volunteers were parents and their families, and you feel comfortable letting your kids run,” says White. “It still holds true today.”

For the 50th anniversary, patrons can expect the same

A group of kids jumpin' for joy at the St. Anthony's Festival.

Photo by Jen Adkins

festival atmosphere they have come to expect with a few changes, including cashless transactions, an advanced ticket purchasing option through Eventbrite, and some food trucks on site. Local restaurants and food vendors, including Piccolina Toscana, La Casa Pasta, Luigi & Giovanni, Bella Cucina, and Il Pomodoro, alongside the ever-popular panzarotti stand, will serve up Italian meals and delicacies.

And for its 50th year, Majestic Midways will be back with their full slate of rides for all ages and midway games.

“It’s like coming home each year,” says Scott Inners, president of Majestic Midways. “St. Anthony's works very hard to bring people together in a good, fun, safe atmosphere.”

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, MORE MILESTONES

As the St. Anthony’s community celebrates its trifecta of anniversaries this year, parish leaders have an eye to the future, embarking on a capital campaign to address parish needs.

Work on one of the identi ed needs, an enhanced audio-visual system for the church, was completed earlier this year in advance of Easter services. Additional projects include replacement of paving in front of the school, replacement of the oor in Fournier Hall, and repairs to the church’s original 1926 roof, among others.

St. Anthony’s will continue to celebrate milestones over the next two years, with the anniversary of the laid cornerstone of the current church in 1925 and the rst mass in that building on Palm Sunday, 1926.

For many current parishioners, these anniversaries also celebrate the accomplishments of their family members in service to the church that provided a spiritual home for the Italian American community.

“Our focus in the centennial is stability and sustainability of the parish in the 21st century,” says Albence. “We're looking at how we maintain and care for, how do we treasure and nurture these resources that have been gifted to us by our ancestors. And how we can be the stewards of them going forward.”

— For more information on St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church and the Italian Festival, visit sapde.org.

The Festival is the primary fundraiser for St. Anthony of Padua Parish.

A Chance To Dream Big

Four Youth Productions expands horizons for Wilmington’s underserved youth

SBy Mary Ellen Mitchell

ince 2019, when Out & About last wrote about the mission and progress of Four Youth Productions, this inspiring non-profit has expanded supplemental STEAM education opportunities for Wilmington’s underprivileged youth in grades K-12. STEAM education integrates art with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), to encourage curiosity, dialogue, critical thinking, and creativity to solve problems. Through an interactive, hands-on approach, STEAM education has been shown to help students identify their strengths and interests, build confidence, and increase enthusiasm for learning. >

Photos by Joe del Tufo

Four Youth Productions students on a field trip to photograph bald eagles, cormorants and other wildife at Conowingo Dam in Maryland.

Executive Director eresa Emmett, a former professional photographer and photography instructor, founded Four Youth in 2013 on four essential pillars: education, mentorship, employment, and scholarships. Emmett believes that the younger students are when they’re exposed to STEAM education, the earlier they nd their passion.

“We believe in teaching above,” Emmett says. “For example, I’ve heard 5-year-olds chatting about bioluminescence. And we have a third-grade student who is planning to work in environmental science one day.” e e ectiveness of this approach is re ected in Four Youth student test scores, which show, on average, a 36% increase in knowledge of STEAM subjects.

“We nd that students naturally care more about their grades when they have a goal in mind,” Emmett says. “ e chance that they’ll pursue higher education is also greater.”

One former student, Braheem Wilson, now in college pursuing a nursing degree, says, “I was involved in Four Youth’s after-school, weekend, and summer programs from sixth grade through high school. Over the years, Ms. Emmett and her team helped me identify my strengths and interests, which helped guide my college and career decisions.”

Four Youth classes and workshops are led by University of Delaware professors, graduate students, and seniors, along with STEAM industry professionals who donate

their time and talent. A recent grant from the Longwood Foundation enabled Emmett to expand her leadership team from six to nine members, which include certi ed teachers and STEAM subject matter experts, many of whom she met through a collaboration with the UD Department of Engineering.

In addition to creating, executing, and expanding Four Youth’s curriculum, the leadership team continually networks to nd teaching and mentorship support for the nearly 450 students in Four Youth programs during the current school year alone.

Whether it’s a shoebox projector, a glow-in-the-dark atom model, or a replica windmill, everything students create as part of a Four Youth STEAM project goes home with them, to encourage recall of the lesson and further their engagement with experiential learning.

Bright, Inviting Headquarters

Four Youth is headquartered in part of a historic former our mill, built in 1762, on Super ne Lane in the Old Brandywine Village section of Wilmington. Board President Raphael Dahan, a graphic designer and postproduction artist, designed the interior with a mix of bold, contemporary, and retro-style furniture and xture nds to create a bright, highly organized, and well-equipped facility, with a bit of a whimsical air.

Students can visit headquarters any time they wish,

to chat with the leadership team members or use the technology equipment, supplies and workspace including the modern kitchenette and photography studio, which is available for lease to local photographers to help support overhead costs.

Photographers also have access to high-quality photographic printing, processing and digital imaging services right next door at Colourworks, a small business and longtime Four Youth supporter.

Advancing in e Arts

Since inception, Four Youth has integrated photography and cooking with science and engineering, but over the past three years, Emmett and her team have expanded art o erings to include painting, papermaking, ceramics and mixed media.

rough workshops led by professional guest artists, students have been learning new techniques to conceptualize and create. One sixth grade student says, “Working with the local artist Amir Campbell was a lot of fun, because he showed us how to use random items to create a portrait, and we learned about value. It looks good,

and it has a lot of color.”

What’s more, through a partnership with local cable station DETV, Four Youth students will go behind the scenes on Saturdays for mentoring by communication professionals on topics such as digital literacy, broadcast journalism and videography. DETV will provide certi cates of achievement to workshop graduates.

Connecting with Nature

“One of our guiding principles is listening to our students and adapting to ful ll their needs,” Emmett says. She cites an example from a few years ago, when many of the K-8 students, especially those whose parents work full-time, expressed increased feelings of disconnect from nature. To address this shortcoming, Four Youth collaborated once again with professors and students from UD to create and administer new environmental science and engineering o erings.

Four Youth classes and workshops take place in a variety of settings: From headquarters on Super ne Lane to local schools and community centers, and recently, with the new environmental studies curriculum — outside.

Uriel Rosiles Pedraza uses a 600mm lens to capture bald eagles at Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge in Smyrna.

anks to local photographer Joe del Tufo of Moonloop Photography, integrating art with environmental studies was a natural progression. del Tufo has been donating his time and expertise over the past two years to lead Four Youth students on wildlife photography excursions.

For example, in January, he brought a group of aspiring young photographers to Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Stevens, Pa., where they captured stunning shots of snow geese in ight, with an infrared camera that he taught them to use. e Wilmington-based La ey-McHugh Foundation has provided support for the photography excursions.

To highlight students’ work from the wildlife excursions with del Tufo, Four Youth will host an exhibit and sale at the Delaware Children’s Museum this fall, on soon to-beannounced dates.

“Our students are thrilled for this opportunity, which was made possible, in part, through our rst National Endowment of the Arts grant,” Emmett says.

By exhibiting and selling their work, as well as partnering with local businesses to serve as professional event photographers, Four Youth students develop their entrepreneurial spirit while supporting the Four Youth scholarship fund, which is invested to bene t students who need the most nancial support for college.

Ty'sha Hampton shooting on a snowy path at Bombay Hook Wildlife Refuge.

Dr. Bobby Buka: The Dermatology Specialists

A Fresh Crop of Ideas

In summer of 2022, the Four Youth leadership team brainstormed ideas for giving city youth even more opportunities to interact with nature. Board member Sam Seo, a horticulturist with a focus on urban forestry, created the idea for e Urban Sense Garden, which would encourage children to use all ve senses to observe and enjoy a wide variety of plants and owers.

“We installed the Urban Sense Garden at omas Edison Charter School in fall of 2022, and hundreds of city kids have been enjoying it since then, even those who aren’t enrolled in a Four Youth program,” Emmett says. “Our environmental science and engineering students monitor and care for the sensory garden as part of their training.” is year, to augment the sensory garden, Seo and Dahan developed e Urban Sense Project, an interactive play and nature observation area in the space adjacent to the sensory garden. e Chichester Foundation, along with national nonpro t Justice Outside, provided funding, while omas Edison Charter School endorsed repurposing a large part of the schoolyard.

e Four Youth leadership team, with assistance from volunteers, is in the process of augmenting the garden with oversized drums, chimes, and a bell, as well as a group of birdhouses Dahan is building for the area that will be called “Tweetville.” A wildlife camera will be installed for students to record the number and type of avian visitors.

“We observed that children at play like to jump from one object to another and move in a circular path,” Emmett says. With this concept in mind, Jason Gaskill of the Davey Tree Expert Company’s Wilmington location, donated various-sized tree stumps, which will be arranged in a circle. Gaskill also crafted a naturalistic outdoor table and chairs for children to use. Large trees and seven additional gardens will be planted to further enhance the space.

“We’re also installing a life-sized chess board with seating for up to 36, which can serve as an outdoor classroom or novel way for kids to play chess, a game which is a school specialty,” Emmett notes.

Art in e Garden

Four Youth students recently hosted an Art in the Garden exhibit, where they displayed their work in celebration of the grand opening of e Urban Sense Project.

“For Art in e Garden, we received our rst grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts,” Emmett says.

Local artist Amir Campbell created a mural on-site, with found objects of George Washington Carver, a prominent Black agricultural scientist, horticulturist, and botanist who developed novel methods to prevent soil depletion in the early 1900s.

“We have many more community-based initiatives in the works,” Emmett says. “Be sure to follow along.”

— For more information, or to enroll in Four Youth or volunteer/donate, visit the website: FourYouth.org, or nd them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Delaware: Open For Business

The First State is gaining national attention for community development through programs like Launcher and the determination of neighborhood entrepreneurs

By Mary Ellen Mitchell

Since 1883, West End Neighborhood House (WENH) has offered programs, services, support, and advocacy to enhance quality of life for thousands of residents on the West Side of Wilmington. But don’t let the name fool you. WENH’s mission has expanded in recent years to include communities throughout Delaware.

The West Side, which includes Little Italy, Cool Spring/Tilton Park, Hilltop and The Flats, was devasted by construction of Interstate 95 in the 1960s. The interstate bisected the city, and hundreds of residents and businesses in the path of construction were displaced, leading to deterioration of the area and decades of disinvestment. >

Members of the Launcher crew (l-r): Savion Thompson, Naseem Matthews, G'Jurel Jones and Kristin Bowen. Photos courtesy West End Neighborhood House

Thanks to the community development efforts of WENH programs, the West Side has made an incredible comeback over the last 10 years and now encompasses more than 300 successful small businesses.

Operating from a modest brick building nestled in the heart of the Little Italy neighborhood, the 140-year-old nonpro t powerhouse o ers a lifeline to low-income Delaware residents seeking assistance with housing, education, employment, and family services.

“I’m especially proud that no one who comes through our door is ever turned away,” says Executive Director Paul Calistro. “If we don’t have the answer under our roof, we won’t give up until we nd someone who does.”

WENH’s e ort to continually adapt to the changing needs of Delaware communities is exempli ed by one of their newest initiatives, the Launcher program.

e Genesis of Launcher

Launcher follows a nationally recognized, proven community development model created in the early 1990s by Mihailo Temali, of St. Paul, Minn.

Temali grew up on the East Side of St. Paul, where he watched once vibrant neighborhoods fall into decline from decades of systemic disinvestment and consumer ight to big-box retail in the suburbs in the 1980s. After college, he set his sights on nding a solution to alleviate concentrated poverty at home. He learned that relying on sporadic development from outside investors doesn’t go far enough to improve the lives of residents. In many cases, it creates fear of displacement and mistrust of outsiders.

At play were two key observations he made regarding all low-income neighborhoods: High unemployment is the result of limited job opportunities, and many residents have talents in a variety of areas.

Then came an "Aha!" moment: With proper training, resources and support, skilled residents with energy and ideas could own and operate small businesses to help support their families, fill vacant storefronts, create jobs, and build lasting economic growth.

One success led to another, and Temali’s buildfrom-within model became the foundation for the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) of St. Paul, which he founded in 1993 to support neighborhood entrepreneurs in four key areas: training, lending, technical assistance, and real estate.

After graduation, held at Wilmington University, Launcher entrepreneurs can attend workshops for specialized assistance through the Launcher Business Lab. Individualized coaching and support are ongoing. Entrepreneurs can reach the small business experts at Launcher and WENH “any time for any reason,” says Launcher Program Manager Naseem Matthews. “We stay closely connected to our graduates through regular engagement.”

In the ensuing years, NDC became synonymous with community development done right. To join forces with like-minded practitioners, Temali went on to create the Build From Within Alliance (BfWA), which has expanded over the last three decades, now encompassing members from 50 neighborhoods in 30 cities across the nation, including Wilmington — through Launcher.

The Power of Launcher

Since 2017, Launcher has helped 324 Delaware entrepreneurs start or enhance their small business and ignite economic growth by creating nearly 900 jobs — initially on the West Side, but with recent expansion into the communities of Bear, Claymont, Dover, Georgetown, and New Castle.

Through the Launcher Training Program, a rigorous 12-week course offered in spring and fall cohorts in both English and Spanish, students learn all aspects of owning and operating a small business, such as business plan development, sales and marketing, operations, taxes, insurance, and payroll.

Classes take place at WENH and partner organizations throughout New Castle County, including the Bear Library, Claymont Library and Community Center, and the Route 9 Library & Innovation Center in New Castle.

Launcher entrepreneurs receive financial support through partnerships with many banks and nonprofit foundations. “We also can also assist with nontraditional lending,” he says.

For example, Kiva Delaware was launched in May of 2022, through a partnership between WENH’s Cornerstone West CDC and local nonprofit Wilmington Alliance, as a Hub of Kiva US, to provide alternative access to capital for those with lower incomes and credit scores. In just two years of operation, Kiva Delaware has awarded loans to 25 small businesses throughout Delaware, 84% of which are minority-owned, and 53% of which are women-owned, totaling $188,500.

“Another collaborative partner — M&T Bank — worked with us to simplify their micro-loan application, enabling small business owners to quickly and easily secure amounts of $5,000 to $15,000 at zero percent interest,” Matthews says.

Launcher also relies on experts within the community for guidance. These trusted partners include resources at Delaware State University and Wilmington University, as well as accountants, realtors, and lawyers.

Lighting the Way From Wilmington

In recognition of Launcher’s success in the First State, the BfWA chose Wilmington to host its 2024 convening — a four-day, spirited event held in early May.

“Launcher is a shining >

Mayor Purczycki (2nd from left) cuts the ribbon at Hell's Bakery on Union St., a beneficiary of the Launcher program.

Ellen Cappard opened her Wilmington business, Books & Bagels, after completing the 12-week Launcher program.

example of how quickly and robustly we can generate scale and create impact,” Temali says. “Members of the alliance from Alaska to Florida were all amazed at what they’ve accomplished here in Delaware. And while we’re learning from them, they’re learning from us.”

With nearly 150 attendees representing BfWA members from across the country, the convening provided a valuable opportunity for learning, fellowship, and support.

“The energy and passion of entrepreneurs who embody the personality, culture and ethnicity of a neighborhood creates a ripple effect, which can gradually change longstanding negative perceptions,” Temali says.

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, and U.S. Sen. Chris Coons addressed the convening with upbeat messages that noted the success of community development through entrepreneurship in Delaware and throughout the country.

Sponsors of the convening included Barclays, Capital One, Comenity, Discover, the Fulton Forward Foundation, Starbucks of Middletown Crossing, the U.S. Small Business Administration, TD Bank, and the WSFS Cares Foundation.

The event, at Barclays’ headquarters on the Wilmington Riverfront, kicked off with the bank’s sixth annual Small Business Week Vendor Fair, which enabled 40 Launcher graduates to showcase their ideas, products and services in a fun and demonstrable way. Barclays and Launcher also partnered to host a Small Business Pitch Competition, awarding five small businesses over $22,000 in prizes that ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, for start-up and improvement capital.

The remainder of the convening was held at WENH, where BfWA members attended insightful case study presentations and participated in break-out sessions to share ideas and discuss challenges and opportunities.

Small businesses powered by Launcher, such as Nick’s Pizza, Lucky Shot Coffee Company, along with members of the Wilmington Kitchen Collective provided specialty food and beverages for the event.

Both days concluded with walking tours of some small businesses backed by Launcher on the West Side, including Hell’s Belles Bake Shop, The Juice Joint 2.0, and Dino’s Ice Cream & Water Ice Store.

Sarah Lester, CEO of WENH’s Cornerstone West CDC, highlighted additional revitalization projects, including a greatly improved parking design implemented in the commercial corridor that has made it easier than ever to shop and dine on the West Side.

Attendees also learned about the West Side Grows Innovation Grant, which offers $10,000 to help West Side business owners with storefront improvements and equipment needs. Taco House & Pizza, a recent grant recipient, was highlighted on the tour.

“Nearly 45% of Launcher entrepreneurs are new to America,” Calistro says. “This would make West End Neighborhood House’s founder, Emily Bissell, proud of how we’re carrying out her mission. Emily started West End in the Forty Acres neighborhood to help immigrants assimilate into the community and find work.”

Indeed, from the West Side and beyond, Wilmington communities are invigorated by those who dare to dream. They provide towing services and hair care. They’ve opened boutiques and beauty bars, as well as some of the best and most ethnically diverse culinary establishments in Delaware.

— For a comprehensive directory of small businesses powered by Launcher, and for more information, visit LauncherDe.org. To learn more about the history, people, and programs of WENH, visit WestEndNeighborhoodHouse.com.

to the

RISING CHALLENGES

With a history of handling difficult tasks, Megan McGlinchey now takes on the $100 million Riverfront East project

FBy Bob Yearick

Tufo

or 28 years, the Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware has been transforming what was once an economic and environmental wasteland on the west bank of the Christina River into a business, residential, dining, and entertainment center.

For 27 of those years, Megan McGlinchey has been a key player in the billion-dollar facelift that has spawned apartments, condos, office buildings, hotels, restaurants, an environmental center, a riverwalk, and much more.

She arrived in November of 1997, after earning a master’s in public administration from the University of Delaware, and three years after receiving a business administration degree from the University of Miami. While attending Miami, McGlinchey interned for two summers at the Delaware Economic Development Office, where she met Mike Hare, who would become RDC’s deputy director from 1995-2008. In ’97, the RDC was expanding its staff, and Hare recommended her to his boss, Mike Purzycki.

Says Hare: “I told Mike, ‘she would be ideal. She’s

extremely competent, and she knows the city and the issues.’” McGlinchey applied, and was hired as an executive assistant, reporting to Purzycki. “The rest,” Hare says, “is history.”

Indeed. Over the following two decades, McGlinchey became something of an RDC Swiss Army Knife, managing a variety of projects and jobs, whether it involved the DuPont Environmental Education Center, the Wilmington River Taxi, logistics of large-scale events at the Chase Center and other Riverfront facilities, or temporarily running the dayto-day operations at the Delaware Children’s Museum.

Photos by Joe Del

Right: RDC Executive Director Megan McGlinchey stands along the Jack A. Markell Trail, enjoyed by pedestrians and cyclists since its completion in 2018.

A NO-BRAINER

In 2014, her record of dedication and efficiency earned her the deputy directorship (Hare had moved on to the Buccini/Pollin Group by then), and in 2016 she succeeded Purzycki, who resigned to begin the first of two terms as Wilmington’s mayor.

Choosing her to lead the RDC eight years ago was a no-brainer, according to Peggy Strine, chair of the corporation’s board of directors. “Megan’s selection as executive director was a unanimous decision,” Strine said

at the time. Today, she says, “Megan’s strong collaborative leadership style works well in her executive director role. She and her team, with the support of the board, are dedicated to continuing to generate and maintain business development as well as enhancing the environment at the riverfront to make it a place where people who live, work or visit have a great experience.”

Purzycki fully endorsed his deputy’s promotion. “I depended on Megan for 19 years,” he says today. “She made me look good any number of times. She had great instincts >

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END OF THE SUMMER PARTY

area races. Following in his footsteps, so to speak, his oldest daughter joined Ursuline’s track and cross country teams at an early age and was part of championship teams in high school. Her father began volunteering as a coach at the school in 1983, when Megan was 10, and continued to serve on the sta until 2008. When McGlinchey returned from Miami in 1994, she joined him as a volunteer coach at the lower school and they served together for 14 years.

McGlinchey was inducted into the Ursuline Alumnae Hall of Fame in 2018, and she will become chair of the school’s board of directors in July. She also serves on the boards of the Ministry of Caring, the Delaware Children’s Museum, the Pilot School, and the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, and she’s honorary chairperson of the Brandywine Zoo’s Capital Campaign.

FAMILY TIME

for the overall sense of what the riverfront could be.”

In accepting the job, McGlinchey said she was “grateful to be chosen” and “honored to play a small part in the transformation of our city.”

DEEP ROOTS

e reference to “our city” was no mere boilerplate response. McGlinchey’s Wilmington roots run deep. She was a year old when her parents, Jack and Mary Lou Manlove, moved to a house near to the Delaware Art Museum on Bancroft Parkway. Her mother, who still lives in that house, was a nurse at St. Francis Hospital, and McGlinchey’s father worked at the U.S. Post O ce in Rodney Square.

Megan and her younger sister, Nellie, experienced a thoroughly Irish Catholic upbring, much of it centered on St. Ann Parish, where Mary Lou often volunteered. A Salesianum graduate, Jack participated in the early morning Perpetual Adoration Program, was later accepted into the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and, of course, rooted for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

eir two daughters were enrolled in Ursuline Academy’s Montessori School at the age of three and became, as McGlinchey says, “Ursuline lifers.” Encouraged by their parents, they embraced the school’s motto — serviam — “I will serve.”

“Giving back to the community is something that was instilled in me and my sister from an early age,” McGlinchey says. “It’s always been important. My mom was always active at St. Ann’s. She was on the parish council, and at Ursuline she was in the Mothers Guild and on the committee for the fashion show.”

Jack Manlove, who passed away three years ago, caught the running bug of the 1970s and participated in many

Of her extensive nonpro t volunteer posts, she says, “I have a hard time saying no. If someone asks me to get involved, I usually agree. It takes a lot of juggling.” at juggling includes family time. She and her husband, Brian, a founding partner of e Westport Maven Group, a public a airs strategy and consulting rm headquartered in Wilmington with o ces in D.C. and Philadelphia, live in North Wilmington with their daughter, Norah, a junior at Ursuline and a forward on the basketball team.

At the o ce — on the ground oor of the Chase Center — McGlinchey is focused on what she has called “our big project, our ambitious project”: the $100 million Riverfront East. Unveiled in May of 2021, it’s aimed at reviving the “other side” of the Christina River. e project will cover 86 acres of the South Market Street corridor bordering the Southbridge community. It will include 1.9 million square feet of o ce space, more than 4,000 >

McGlinchey overlooks the the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge from the deck of the DuPont Environmental Education Center.

Artist rendering of the redevelopment of the east side of the Wilmington Riverfront. Courtesy of Friends of Riverfront Wilmington

residential units, 350,000 square feet of retail space, almost 9,000 structured parking spaces, and 650 onstreet parking spaces. It also encompasses more than 13 acres of open space and common areas for recreation and entertainment.

e RDC had hoped to begin the project last year, but now McGlinchey is looking to this summer for groundbreaking. She says the rst phase will consist of infrastructure — a new road network and riverwalk, with development by private parties to follow. She says no tenants have signed on as yet. at would include retail stores, which have a dismal and disappointing history on Wilmington’s Riverfront.

e location has proved challenging for stores looking to lure customers from Christiana Mall and other suburban sites. L.L. Bean and Dress Barn are among the national chains that failed.

“It’s o the beaten path, and we just didn’t have enough to get people to make it a destination. And then the online craze started,” says Purzycki. “It’s a tough sector to crack.”

Still, the Riverfront’s restaurants, convention center, baseball stadium, hotels, children’s museum, market, and other attractions bring some three million people to the area every year, and its condos and apartments are home to about 2,100 people, according to the RDC.

And the ROI is looking good. e RDC contracts the University of Delaware to conduct a scal impact study every ve years to show what the public investment

generates back to the state and the city. McGlinchey says the study shows that, “Every year, $33 million goes back to the state and $8.5 million to the city in the form of property taxes, business franchise tax, and head tax. Public investment from 1996 to when we did the last report in 2022 was $550 million, and every dollar has been returned.”

Purzycki, who is a member of the RDC Board, sees a bright future for the Riverfront, and he says most of the credit goes to McGlinchey.

“Megan has just taken everything a step farther, made everything better,” he says. “Everywhere you look there’s progress being made, and it’s all driven by our executive director.”

A portion of the Jack A. Markell Trail, a 5.5-mile pathway named after the former governor that connects the Wilmington Riverfront with New Castle.

SUMMER GUIDE 2024

Photo courtesy of Riverfront Development Corporation

The Wilmington Riverfront and Christina River play host to Delaware Cruises and Paradise Tiki Tours. Enjoy public and private cruises for any occasion! For full details, visit: DelawareCruises.com

The DuPont Environmental Education Center

The DuPont Environmental Education Center features a 13,000 square foot facility on a 212-acre freshwater tidal marsh on the edge of the Peterson Wildlife Refuge adjoining the Christina River. The sprawling marsh is home to wildlife such as American bald eagles, wood ducks, American beavers, dragonflies, river otters, and eastern painted turtles. Open to the public, year-around with a visitor center featuring panoramic views and most notably access to the trailhead of the Jack A.

Banks’ Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar

Big Fish Grill

Ciro Food & Drink

Constitution Yards Beer Garden

Delaware Duck Café and Catering

Del Pez

Docklands

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Riverfront Bakery

River Rock Kitchen

Starbucks

Taco Grande

RIVERFRONT MARKET

OPEN

Timothy’s on the Riverfront

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

Stop in and enjoy fresh produce, salads, sandwiches, Peruvian Rotisserie and much more!

Dine-in or carry out

Steak Tacos at Del Pez

For full details, visit: DelawareChildrensMuseum.org

Fin Bike Rentals

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

Our Fin bike rental service onsite at the Riverfront is as convenient as it gets — whether you are visiting the area; you live nearby and don’t have a bike (or it’s not convenient to get here with your bike); or you simply want to go on a spontaneous spin.

Reservations & Info: Bikes available 7am-6pm; last rental 5pm.

Bike Rentals are now available at two locations: on the Riverwalk between Riverwalk Mini Golf and Taco Grande and at the DuPont Environmental Education Center. Public Parking: 601 South Madison Street.

Summer Kickoff Party

June 22nd & June 23rd • 12 – 3PM

Featuring the Taco Grande Margarita Garden, Music, Ice Cream, Bubbles, Face Painting and other Kids Activities. A special appearance by Magician, Bubble Artist, and Actress, Meadow Perry as seen on the CW’s Masters of Illusion! Appearances by 93.7 WSTW and 103.7 WXCY. Location: Taco Grande, Iron Hill Beer Garden and Riverwalk Mini Golf

Tuesdays Sip & Putt at Riverwalk Mini Golf

July 9th, August 13th • 5PM – 7PM

Sip, putt, and bite your way through 18 holes on one of the best mini-golf courses in America! Must be 21 to participate.

Summer Lunchtime Concert Series

Free concerts will be hosted every Wednesday this summer at Hare Overlook Pavilion! Featuring local artists performing jazz, rock, pop and R&B. 12:15 – 1:15PM

JUNE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES LINEUP

JUNE 5th: AJ LOVE MUSIC | JUNE 12th: DJ Shady Lady

JUNE 19th: SongBird TheGoddess | JUNE 26th: Vic Kozar Acoustic Stylings

Thursday Children’s Hour • 11am - 12pm

Hosted at Hare Overlook Pavilion, kids will engage with storytellers, read to pets, play musical instruments and enjoy the scenery of the Wilmington Riverfront!

June 13th: We Kids Rock • July 11th: PAWS for People • August 15th: Story Time

Little Farm Petting Zoo

June 19th: 3– 6PM • July 20th: 12 – 3pm • August 17th: 12 – 3pm

Where farm life meets Riverfront life! Located in front of Delaware Children’s Museum

Step into the Little Farm Petting Zoo on select dates and meet a diverse group of animals including alpacas, goats, sheep, bunnies, guinea pigs, miniature donkeys, chickens, ducks and many more!

For a complete list of events this summer, visit: Riverfrontwilm.com or stay up to date with the Riverfront Wilmington Weekly Newsletter!

Beach Events

Beach Events

Concerts, festivals & fun through July

SBy Amy Watson Bish

ummer days are here at last, and they’ll be anything but lazy. From lively festivals to electrifying concerts, there’s plenty to do. Here’s our guide to making the most of your summer at the Delaware beaches.

Bethany Beach Seaside Craft Show

Saturday, June 1 | Bethany Beach

Experience over 100 exhibitors at this annual juried ne crafts show along the scenic boardwalk and ocean-lined streets of downtown Bethany Beach. Sponsored by the Cultural and Historical A airs Committee, the show also features live music by the Joe Baione Trio.

— Visit TownOfBethanyBeach.com

17th Annual Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival

June 1 & 2 | Lewes Historical Society, Lewes

Close to 70 regional and local sea glass and coastal-themed artists will feature everything from jewelry and home décor to sculptures and paintings. Bring your favorite pieces of sea glass and learn its history, walk through an amazing collection of sea glass on display, or observe one of the glass-blowing demonstrations o ered throughout the weekend. Live music, food, children’s activities, and educational exhibits will also be available.

— Visit HistoricLewes.org

Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week

June 2-7 | Coastal Delaware

Coastal Delaware Restaurant Week is the premier dining event in Delaware. Dozens of the area's nest restaurants showcase their talents and give diners an opportunity to sample the best cuisine Coastal Delaware has to o er. A portion of the proceeds bene tes local rst responder groups including Rehoboth and Dewey Beach Police Departments, Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, Home of the Brave, and Tunnels to Towers. Diners will enjoy menu discounts or pre- xe menus at restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Lewes, and Coastal Delaware. Visit the website below for a full list of participating restaurants.

Mead, Metal and Viking Festival

June 7-9 | Brimming Horn Meadery, Milton Party like it’s 793! Delaware’s only Viking and heavy metal themed event celebrates the start of the Viking Age in the West with a party at the Brimming Horn Meadery. is festive weekend includes Viking reenactors, live music, food and craft vendors, and every Viking's favorite drink...mead!

— Visit RigrCra s.com/PartyLikeIts793

Analog-A-Go-Go

June 8 | Dog sh Head Brewery, Milton

Normally held in November, Dog sh Head is shaking things up by moving its annual event to the start of summer. is year’s festival is all about music: listen to stellar tunes while exploring pop-up record shops and music-related treasures, all while tasting beer and spirits samples. In addition to Dog sh Head, ve guest breweries will be pouring on-site, including Dewey Beer Co., Other Half Brewing and more.

— Visit Dog sh.com/Analog-A-Go-Go

Sunrise Fest: Rhythm & Rhinestones

Saturday, June 8 | Schellville, Rehoboth Beach

Dress in your most sparkly summer out t and get ready to shine at Schellville's newest event featuring music, food trucks, local artisans, summer sledding on their tubing hill and more. And you'll no doubt be dazzled with the live performances by contestants from this season of NBC's e Voice — Julie Roome, Karen Waldrup and Delaware's own Olivia Rubini.

— Visit SunriseFestDe.com

Rehoboth Beach Pride Film Festival

— Visit CulinaryCoastRestaurantWeek.com

Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight

ursday, June 6 | Freeman Arts Pavilion, Selbyville Soul legends Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight come together for a captivating evening of timeless hits including “Lady Marmalade,” “You Are My Friend,” “I Heard It rough the Grapevine,” and “Every Beat of My Heart.”

— Visit FreemanArts.org

June 14-16 | Cinema Art eater, Lewes

e Rehoboth Beach Film Society, in partnership with CAMP Rehoboth, presents this annual lm festival spotlighting a diverse range of documentaries, features, and a series of shorts to celebrate cinema and National PRIDE month.

— Visit RehobothFilm.com

33rd Annual Lewes Garden Tour

Saturday, June 15 | Lewes

Take a self-guided tour of several select private gardens throughout Lewes, plus enjoy a food tent and Garden Market in Zwaanendael Park with gardenrelated items for sale during the hours of the tour. Sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.

— Visit LewesChamber.com

At left: Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. Photos courtesy VisitSouthernDelaware.com

2nd Annual Lavender & Lambs Festival

Saturday, June 15 | Brittingham Farms, Millsboro

Spend a relaxing day strolling Brittingham Farm’s lavender field, while tasting lavender ice cream by The Frozen Farmer and sipping on lavender wine by Salted Vines or lavender beer by Revelation Brewery. You’ll also enjoy picking your own lavender bouquet, live music, vendors, and sheep shearing and fleece dying demonstrations.

— Visit BrittinghamFarms.com

2nd Annual Lookout Music & Arts Festival

June 22 & 23 | Schellville, Rehoboth Beach

Two days of outdoor fun, live music, art, food and beverages at Schellville! The festival will host three bands per day on the main stage, family-friendly activities, local artisans, plus much more!

— Visit SchellBrothers.com/Promotions/Schellville

The City of Lewes Annual Juneteenth Celebration

Saturday, June 22 | George H.P. Smith Park, Lewes

This free community event, hosted by Lewes African American Heritage Commission, celebrates African American heritage and culture and features food trucks, dancers, live music and more.

— Visit LewesChamber.com

Annual Running of the Bull

Saturday, June 29 | Starboard Restaurant, Dewey Beach

Every year hundreds of people gather at the Starboard dressed in red bandannas to celebrate, then parade through the streets of Dewey, and onto the beach where they are chased by “the bull” (two people in bull costume) for several blocks. The chase concludes with a bullfight played out at the Starboard, followed by festivities into the night. Proceeds benefit the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company.

— Visit TheStarboard.com

44th

Annual Sandcastle Contest

Saturday, July 6 | Towers Road Ocean Beach, Dewey

From mermaids and dolphins, to pyramids and traditional castles, admire sand creations by teams and individuals at this annual event hosted by the Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce.

— Visit VisitSouthernDelaware.com

74th Annual Cottage Tour

July 9 & 10 | Select homes around Rehoboth Beach (TBA)

The Rehoboth Art League’s popular self-paced tour features select homes in the Rehoboth Beach area with a variety of landscapes, interior and architectural designs, ranging from historically significant to contemporary and sleek. Some homes have quite an evolving history and many homeowners showcase memories, artwork, and collections in creative ways. As parking can be limited, the Art League provides a shuttle service to each location for ticket holders.

— Visit RehobothArtLeague.org

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Monday, July 15 | Freeman Arts Pavilion, Selbyville Grammy-nominated New Orleans icon and his bandmates always give an explosive performance that blurs the lines between funk, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock.

— Visit FreemanArts.org

Jimmie Allen

Tuesday, July 23 | Bottle & Cork, Dewey Beach

Delaware’s own Jimmie Allen is back home to share his blend of down-home country and modern R&B with fans. He’ll be performing cuts from his new album Tulip Drive alongside older hits.

— Visit BottleAndCork.com

The Struts with Special Guest Barns Courtney

Tuesday, July 30 | Bottle & Cork, Dewey Beach

Platinum-selling Brit glam rockers The Struts return to Bottle & Cork with their Pretty Vicious tour. Supported by velvet-edge punk rocker Barns Courtney, the new tour serves as a celebration of the journey so far between The Struts and their beloved and ever-loyal Strutters.

— Visit BottleAndCork.com

KANSAS

Wednesday, July 31 | Freeman Arts Pavilion, Selbyville Fans will hear KANSAS classics such as “Carry On Wayward Son,” “Dust in the Wind,” “Point of Know Return,” “Play the Game Tonight,” “Hold On,” deep cuts, and much more.

— Visit FreemanArts.org

Thrill riders at Funland amusement park on the Rehoboth boardwalk.

Being Bright About the Sun

Expert advice on sunscreens and more

Skin cancer related to sun exposure is a big deal.

By Ken Mammarella

“Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States,” the Illinois Department of Public Health writes. “More than 90 percent of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.”

“One in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer,” the World Health Organization says in citing Skin Cancer Foundation statistics, “and one in every five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.”

That’s why Out & About spoke to Dr. Bobby Buka, a dermatologist who founded The Dermatology Specialists, a practice with 50 locations, including ones in North Wilmington and downtown Wilmington, and a helpful blog at TheDermSpecs.com/blog. He co-wrote one textbook on skin care and co-edited another, and he is a clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Hospital. >

What’s our personal skin-care regimen for when you go outside?

I’m a pretty simple regimen kinda guy. I wake up, brush my teeth, then find a moisturizer with SPF 30 that stays on all day. I personally love Fig 1 and DUNE as my go-to brands.

How should people apply sunscreen? What application mistakes concern you?

The classic teaching is a shot glass full (2 ounces) per area — for example, 2 ounces for arms, 2 ounces for chest, etc. — but no one really measures that way. I’d like a thin coat across body surface areas, which should easily blend without any “whitening.”

Sunscreens either block the sun physically (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) or chemically (avobenzone, ecamsule, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene). What are the pluses and minuses of each type?

My favorite kind of sunscreen is the one that gets used. Physical blockers like zinc and titanium act as tiny mirrors reflecting light off the skin’s surface. They are more notorious for the chalky effect many of my patients can’t stand. Alternatively, chemical sunscreens (avobenzone) interact with UV rays through absorption, causing a molecular shift in the active ingredient. These go on smoother but typically wear off a bit sooner than their physical counterparts.

What other ingredients should consumers seek out — or avoid?

I would avoid two chemical sunscreens, oxybenzone and octinoxate. These are older agents that have been banned in several states and other countries based on their harmful impact on coral reefs.

Most sunscreens are creams. What do you think about aerosol sprays, foams, sticks and powders?

Here again, my favorite vehicle is the one that gets used. True, sprays and foams can be a bit quicker to apply to a full body or a squirmy 3-year-old, but find a formulation that best matches up with your day.

What misconceptions about sunscreens do you hear the most and want to correct?

The biggest myth is that sunscreen only needs to be applied when you go to the beach or in the summer months. The same UVA and UVB rays are shining down on us wherever we are, even on rainy days! The Dermatology Specialists have placed free sunscreen dispensers in Rodney Square near the farmers market to help encourage sun protection and skin cancer prevention every day.

Dr. Bobby Buka says its important to think about skin protection year-round.

Besides sunscreens, what else do you recommend to protect the skin when outdoors?

I’m a big fan of some of the newer insect repellants, namely Picardin. is was used in the Australian Army for years, and just recently became available in the U.S. While there is minimal toxicity from low percent DEET, picaridin is safer and is superior in its ability to keep away all versions of ying and crawling pests.

What do you recommend as relief for sunburn?

Topical cooling agents like aloe and even mentholcreams can be helpful with the symptoms of pain and itch, but my most novel suggestion here is the use of antiin ammatories like ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) after a sunburn. Not only will these over-thecounter analgesics help with pain, but they also stave o free radical damage caused by ultraviolet rays. is is critical to preventing chromosomal damage at the cellular level, which data suggests may help prevent the development of early skin cancers.

— Physician-founded and physician-led, e Dermatology Specialists was established in 2019 and has since grown to become the largest dermatology group in New York City. With over 100 providers, they manage 500,000+ patient visits annually across 50 locations. Bobby Buka is a board-certi ed dermatologist, founder and CEO of e Dermatology Specialists. Visit online at eDermSpecs.com.

From Fox Point to Slower, Lower

Former Wilmington

restaurateur Kevin Reading

has found firm footing at the beach

When Kevin Reading was growing up in Gainesville, Florida, he’d never heard of Delaware, let alone pictured himself owning not one but four restaurants there. Indeed, as a teen, he held a bat, racket or ball, not a whisk. “I was all about sports,” he says.

Nevertheless, Reading is opening Abbott’s Grill this month in Paynter’s Mill, a residential and retail community just off Route 1 in Milton. This is Reading's third Abbott’s location. The first, situated in a Milford strip mall, closed after 10 years and is now occupied by Benvenuto, an Italian restaurant. The Abbott's in Laurel, Delaware is still open.

Reading also owns Brick Works Brewing and Eats in Smyrna and Long Neck, a community between Rehoboth and Millsboro. However, most longtime New Castle County diners remember him as the trailblazing owner of Fox Point Grill, an unlikely foodie destination between Governor Printz Boulevard and Philadelphia Pike.

Throughout Reading’s career in Delaware, he’s been unafraid to take chances, and some might see the new restaurant as another risk. The Milton building has housed three previous eateries, and the most recent, Sydney’s Restaurant & Lounge, closed on New Year’s Day after opening in 2020. (Sydney’s had no link to Sydney’s Side Street, Sydney Arzt’s former downtown Rehoboth restaurant.)

Reading isn’t worried. “I’ve been in some interesting, challenging locations,” he notes. And that includes Wilmington. He’s confident that Milton is ready for Abbott’s, and his intuition is often correct. >

By Pam George

by Tiffany Caldwell

Kevin Reading at his Abbott's operation in Laurel, one of four restaurants he owns in Delaware. Always up for a challenge, Reading is now opening a fifth venture.

Photos

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The Path to the First State

Reading showed drive at the tender age of 12. He quickly ran through the tennis ranks at his community’s clubhouse until an adult beat him. According to the rules, players had to wait 10 days before a rematch.

“I waited 10 days and one minute to walk to his door and rechallenge him,” he recalls. “I said: ‘If you don’t play me in three days, I’ll take your spot on the ladder.’”

Impressed with Reading’s grit, the man offered the boy a dishwashing job at his restaurant, a chophouse with an attached nightclub featuring women in Playboy bunnylike outfits. It was hardly an appropriate environment for a tween. But it was a different time, says Reading, who was more impressed by up-and-coming Steve Martin, who played the banjo and twisted balloons.

By the time Reading was 15, he’d bussed tables and shucked oysters. Once he was 17, he waited tables. “I got a taste of the tipping world,” he says. By age 24, he was overseeing servers and specializing in tableside preparations. In short, he was the face of the restaurant. In his 30s, he helped open Ta-Boo in Palm Beach, a celebrity hangout.

Eager to know every job in the business, he enrolled at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Why Philly? He’d moved to the area because his girlfriend was at Widener Law School. >

Going against the grain is not a bad thing, says Reading, and he has spent

Breaking New Ground

At culinary school, Reading met Delawarean Anthony Stella, and the two class co-valedictorians considered opening a restaurant. Stella found space in an East Lea Boulevard strip mall across from a Goodwill store. News Journal food critic John Hawley Lopez described the Wilmington suburb as the “edge of a gritty industrial district.” It was, he noted, an “audacious gamble.” But the nearby Paladin Club, a condominium community, was touted as the anchor of neighborhood revitalization.

Stella decided to y solo with L’Osteria Cucina Italiana on Marsh Road, while Reading opened Fox Point Grill in 1995. From the start, Reading featured surprising specials for the mid-1990s, including emu, ostrich, antelope, quinoa, soft-shell crab, a sausage of the day and rare tuna.

Reading hired Andrew Hooven, a former Roosevelt Island peace o cer, to handle pastry, and Josh Grapski, a student at e Restaurant School, joined as sous chef. e two relationships would lead to future partnerships. e developers’ promises turned out to be empty; the area did not explode. While Fox Point Grill had faithful followers willing to travel, most of the income came from catering. In 2000, an unattended pot on the stove caused a re, and Reading never reopened.

Finding Opportunity in Rehoboth Beach

Looking back, Reading says that if the re had not destroyed Fox Point, it might still be open to handle catering. When the fire erupted, he was in Rehoboth Beach working at Espuma, which he’d opened in May 1999.

Reading’s partner at Espuma was Wesley Overturf, who’d also worked at Fox Point. But shortly after Espuma debuted in downtown Rehoboth Beach, they split, and Reading took over, undoubtedly leading to the decision not to rebuild Fox Point.

Espuma made waves by serving such dishes as braised lamb breast with octopus daube, white bean puree and eggplant-sorrel gratin. It was among the few restaurants that stayed open all year to keep the sta employed and meet the need for o -season dining.

Next, Reading opened Sweet Dreams Bakery on Coastal Highway to leverage Hooven’s talents. But in 2004, Hooven su ered a brain aneurysm and needed time to recover. Reading elected to turn the bakery into Nage, an eclectic restaurant.

People questioned his choice to open a ne dining establishment on the highway. “I had a good feeling about it. Sometimes going against the grain is not a bad thing,” he said in a 2016 interview.

Intent on making Nage a success, Reading sold Espuma to Jay Caputo in 2004. (It closed in 2016.) Meanwhile, Grapski and Reading had reconnected at Reading’s wedding, and the former sous joined the

operation. In 2006, they opened a Nage in Washington, D.C., and Abbott’s Grill in Milford.

Breweries and Comfort Food

e deal for a D.C. Nage was good, but Reading wasn’t crazy about the Marriott Courtyard location. In 2010, he and Grapski parted ways. Grapski got the Nage restaurants; Reading kept Abbott’s.

Nage became part of La Vida Hospitality Group, which now includes Crooked Hammock Brewery, Taco Reho, Big Chill Surf Cantina and Big Chill Beach Club. Grapski is the managing partner. After a short tenure as Fork & Flask, Nage closed in 2022 when La Vida re ned and focused its brand on the beachy lifestyle. ( e company also has locations in Myrtle Beach.)

Meanwhile, in 2013, Reading opened an Abbott’s on Broad Creek in Laurel, formerly a Georgia House restaurant. In 2016, he and his partners debuted Brick Works Brewery in Smyrna, and in 2019, Brick Works unveiled a second location in Taormina Square, then a new shopping center.

“I claim that I have a bad case of restaurant ADHD,” Reading says. “As I’m getting older, I’m trying not to do that as much, but I really love opening new places.”

Abbott’s in Milton is proof of that. In addition to Sydney’s, the space was once home to Kindle, which relocated to downtown Lewes, and Pilot Town Fish Co., a Jay Caputo project from 2016 to 2017.

Reading had toured the vacant space between tenants for a brew/ distillery, but the landlord wouldn’t change the layout. As a result, Reading decided to put Abbott’s in an established spot because the brand would be familiar to locals. In addition to the Milford restaurant, Abbott’s had been a Milton Farmers Market vendor.

Sydney’s guests know the twostory dining room has lousy acoustics >

and can get loud. Reading addressed those concerns by installing textured wood on the wall to absorb sound. e menu at Abbott’s will be the same at both locations, and Brick Works will continue to have its menu. Both feature comfort food with a twist, although the brewpub has selections that complement beer.

Rooted in Sussex

Since his days in Wilmington, Reading has quietly nurtured the next culinary generation. In 2014, the late Matt Haley gave Reading a shout after the James Beard Foundation honored Haley with the Humanitarian of the Year Award. When the founder of SoDel Concepts came to Delaware in 1999, “Kevin Reading is the rst guy who put his hand out to me,” Haley told e News Journal

Nage was the culinary proving ground for inventive chefs who wanted to push boundaries. Consider Hari Cameron, a James Beard semi nalist; Sean Corea and Tom Little, who own Lewes Oyster House; and Ryan Cunningham, now with SoDel Concepts.

“I really enjoyed my time with Kevin,” Cunningham says. “He brought out the best in me every day, and I still work to this day to not disappoint him. Although I don't work for him, I will always be a soldier in Kevin Reading’s army.”

His in uence isn’t only on chefs. Grapski, now on the administrative side of the industry, says Reading taught him about people. “On the team front, treating them with respect and earnest care will always return in spades in the respect and care they show for your business. On the guest front, focusing on hospitality and building relationships not only is a major key to success, but is also the magic of enjoying the hospitality industry we are dedicated to.”

Reading is certainly dedicated to the industry and southern Delaware. “I just love it down here,” he says. Wilmington’s loss is Sussex County’s gain.

A New Chapter

James Everhart says Cosmic Guilt is his 'retirement band.' With their reputation growing, his plans might have to change

By Matt Morrissette

The experience of seeing Philly’s Cosmic Guilt live for the rst time is a heady one. With a live lineup featuring as many as 10 musicians decked out in pristine vintage western wear and a sound that’s equal parts Americana, psychedelia and chamber pop, a person could be forgiven for mistaking the band for a very pleasant and talented cult that stumbled into the venue fresh from California’s Laurel Canyon or Bakers eld circa 1970.

e band’s leader and primary songwriter is Delaware’s own James Everhart. Perhaps best known for a six-year tenure as Low Cut Connie’s ery lead guitarist during the band’s rise to national prominence, Everhart was a xture of Newark’s original music scene during the halcyon days of East End Café and Mojo Main. Everhart has also released a series of acclaimed garage rock singles and records under the moniker of his musical alter ego, Jimmy Scantron, over the last decade.

Cosmic Guilt’s Delaware roots run deep. Everhart’s longtime friend and frequent collaborator, George Murphy, has shared guitar duties with Everhart in both Cosmic Guilt and Scantron. CG also features the talents of Delaware natives Tyler Yoder (Fiancé and Milieu Lust) on bass, Jillian Bruce-Willis (Gozer) on percussion, and Pat Kane (Kid Davis and the Bullets) on pedal steel and mandolin.

Cosmic Guilt’s self-titled debut record in 2022 landed in the Philadelphia member-supported radio station WXPN’s Top 25 of list for that year for good reason. e band creates a template of lush and layered harmonies, orchestral interplay between twin guitars and pedal steel, mandolin or harmonica, and a plaintive brand of songcraft that contains knowing nods to classic country and folk traditions while simultaneously having the lyrical and sonic anxiety of the modern world.

“My main in uences for this band are Fairport Convention, Lee Hazlewood, e Byrds, e Mamas and the Papas, Paul McCartney and Wings, and various British folk-rock nuggets from the ‘60s and ‘70s. I just love big, orchestral rock music,” says Everhart.

On his contribution to the band’s creative dynamic, guitarist George Murphy adds e Flying Burrito Brothers, e Sir Douglas Quintet and Michael Nesmith’s ( e Monkees) First National Band to the list of artists one can nd in Cosmic Guilt’s DNA. Murphy also credits Scott Birney’s (of Delaware’s legendary Sin City Band) radio show at WVUD for introducing him to these and other relatively obscure cosmic country artists during his formative years.

With their reputation growing via singles in regular rotation on Philly’s WXPN, sold-out headlining shows at venues such as Johnny Brenda’s and Arden Gild Hall in North Wilmington, as well as coveted opening slots for Father John Misty, Sharon Van Etten, and e Walkmen, Cosmic Guilt just released their second full-length, Palace of Depression.

e album is named after the infamous Vineland, New Jersey building made from salvaged materials during the Great Depression. It was recorded at Hi5 Studios in Kensington, and the band used live performances to get the feel of the rhythm section followed by the overdubbing of other instruments to capture unique sounds in their natural space. e result is both a continuation of and a signi cant leap beyond their well-regarded debut record.

To celebrate the release of the new record, the band has a mini-tour on tap featuring a release show at the always hot-and-raucous First Unitarian Church in Philly on the o cial release day of May 31. Other dates will be in Atlantic City and Baltimore with more to be announced.

ough Everhart describes Cosmic Guilt as his “retirement band with gentle music that’s easy on the ears and the soul,” a deep listen to the band’s new album reveals a group that’s just hitting its stride and discovering new layers in its identity.

James Everhart (front, center) and his band Cosmic Guilt have been selling out area venues. Photo by Bob Sweeney.

The City

FREE LIVE MUSIC CONTINUES AT UAE AMPHITHEATER

M

ayor Mike Purzycki and Cultural A airs Director Tina Betz invite you celebrate the power of live music at Wilmington’s beautiful Urban Artist Exchange (UAE) Amphitheater, located at 1509 Cli ord Brown Walk in Wilmington’s East Side Historic District. e 2024 UAE Summer Music Series of FREE outdoor concerts continues with three performances in June, all on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Visit cityfestwilm.com for updates, directions to the UAE, and information on parking and wheelchair accessibility.

WEDS., JUNE 5...............MALINA MOYE WEDS., JUNE 12...................BIRKHEAD WEDS., JUNE 26.....MICHAEL MWENSO

WILMINGTON MARKS INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE DAY

Mayor Mike Purzycki and Cultural A airs Director Tina Betz joined Cheryl Mack, owner of the Bridge Art Gallery, Jessica Bell, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, Benet Burton of the Public Arts Steward Program, sculptor Rick Rothrock, and University of Delaware Poet-in-Residence Dr. Traci Currie at an event in April to commemorate the rst-ever International Sculpture Day in Wilmington. With Rothrock’s own work, Rendezvous, serving as the backdrop in Freedom Plaza outside the Louis L. Redding Bldg., Mayor Purzycki proclaimed Saturday, April 27, 2024, as International Sculpture Day in Wilmington.

In his Proclamation, the Mayor noted that appreciating sculpture “is easily done when surrounded by the wealth of beautiful sculptures that Wilmington and the surrounding area has to o er, such as works honoring historic gures, somber war memorials, abstract works along the Riverfront, and the unique treasure that is the Copeland Sculpture Garden at the Delaware Art Museum.”

International Sculpture Day was created in 2015 by the International Sculpture Center (ISC), a member-supported, nonpro t arts organization based in Hamilton Township, N.J. It’s a day set aside to celebrate the unique impact of this visual art form on the public.

At the April event, Director Betz announced a new self-guided tour of Wilmington’s more than two dozen public sculptures. at tour can be accessed online at cityfestwilm.com/public-sculpture-map.

Jeffrey Attakorah of Blues Reincarnation Project entertained the UAE Amphitheater in May.

Mayor Purzycki proclaims Saturday, April 27, 2024, as International Sculpture Day in Wilmington.

Rendezvous by Rick Rothrock outside the Louis L. Redding Bldg. (800 North French Street)

MERCEDES

FIELDS HONORED WITH STREET RE-NAMING

Mayor Mike Purzycki ceremoniously designated a stretch of the 200 block of N. Madison St., where the late community activist Mercedes Fields lived, as “Mercedes M. Fields Way” in May. Fields, a xture in the community and a ectionately dubbed “the Matriarch of West Center City,” passed away in March 2020 at the age of 79. She was the mother of City Council Member Bregetta Fields, who represents the 5th District.

“Today we honor the late Mercedes M. Fields for an extraordinary life of service to the people of Wilmington,” said the Mayor. “She was a very special woman who dedicated herself to this community. There is a warm place in my heart and the hearts of many others for Mercedes and this street renaming, which is something only mayors get to do. This is a very special one for me, as it is for a lot of people. This is truly an act of love and affection for a caring woman who served the people of our City with distinction for over 40 years.”

Mercedes Fields, a native of Louisiana, settled at Second & Madison streets in 1970, making Wilmington her home. She soon made her mark on the community, working to turn around a neighborhood devastated by the construction of I-95 and the 1968 riots, and later by crime and disinvestment. She was a mover and a shaker who became a crucial voice and advocate for the residents of West Center City.

Fields became a fixture at the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center beginning in 1981, where she started as a Community Outreach worker and later became an “exceptionally dedicated and reliable” Family Matters Coordinator. She implemented and organized numerous events, including clothing and food drives, senior luncheons, and fitness events, and “The Santa Workshop,” among others. In addition, Fields was active in neighborhood associations and planning councils, serving for a time as president of the West Center City Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee, focusing all the while on bringing neighbors together.

Celebrating the late Mercedes Fields at 3rd and Madison streets.

Mercedes Fields with her daughter, City Council Member for the 5th District Bregetta Fields, as Bregetta filed to seek elective office in 2020.

Keeping It Local

Bellefonte Brewing remembers its roots while building a brand it hopes will continue to grow

By Kevin Noonan

They didn’t make a conscience decision to honor their home state. It just sort of developed that way, beginning with Orange Street Ale. Then it was Small Wonder IPA and Diamond State Stout and Bellevue Blonde and Claymonster Dark Ale and the one that hit closest to home — Kiamensi Kolsch.

“We started doing that at the beginning and one way or another they became our main branded beers, so we sort of stuck with it,” Joe Jacobs, co-owner and head brewer at Bellefonte Brewing Company, says of the local branding.

“And we’re doing more of that at our Marsh Road location,” Jacobs adds. “We have a Windy Bush Blond Ale for the neighborhood up there. And we’re going to try to work with Arden this year and hopefully collaborate and make a special beer for [the annual Arden Fair at the end of the summer].”

The Marsh Road location — situated in the Plaza III Shopping Center and flanked by Classic Barber Shop and The Comic Book Shop! — is the second brew pub owned and operated by Jacobs and his friends. The first, which opened in 2016, is located in an industrial park off Old Capitol Trail in Marshallton, less than a mile from Kiamensi Road. >

Rob Boyle, co-owner and CEO of Bellefonte Brewing Company.

Photos by Joe Hoddinott

“It’s almost like two markets,” says Brandon Walker, a co-owner who oversees much of the sales and operations for the company, along with marketing director Sarah DeFaviis.

“There is a different kind of people up there [Marsh Road] than we have down here [Marshallton],” adds Walker, a Salesianum School and University of Delaware graduate. “Even though they’re only 15 or so miles from each other, you get a different client base, and you even see that in beer sales.”

Oh, yeah, the beer. Bellefonte Brewing Company began as a dream for Jacobs, who, like most professional brewers, began as an amateur one, making beer for family and friends.

“Home brewing led to having parties at the house and giving away everything for years,” Jacobs says. “So, at one point, I thought it was worth trying to make into a business. I was home brewing for about eight years before we got together, and it just sprung from that and putting together a team that I could make it happen with.

“I really just wanted to have a hobby when I moved back to Delaware,” adds Jacobs, who has a degree in engineering from the University of Delaware. “I figured it would be something that would keep me home more, rather than being out — which has now led to the opposite, but that’s OK.”

Jacobs says he knew his beer was ready for the marketplace when he concocted what is still Bellefonte

Brewing Company’s best-selling beverage — Orange Street Ale.

“That beer is unlike any other beer,” Jacobs says. “It was something that people didn’t recognize completely, but it was a style of beer they remember from the past, with a new twist on it. It’s not a hoppy beer, it’s not a sour beer, it’s not a fruity beer. It just fills something that was missing from this area.”

When Jacobs first started the business he partnered with Craig Wensell, who later opened his own brew pub, Wilmington Brew Works on Miller Road. They used a Kickstarter campaign to help out with the initial financing, raising about $20,000. And their choice for the location of what would become Bellefonte Brewing Company was an interesting one — it’s in a former garage/warehouse tucked away in an industrial park in Marshallton and only a small, easy-to-miss sign by the road (“Turn Here for Beer”) indicates the existence of a brew pub whose neighbors include a tent rental agency and a construction firm.

So, to spread the word, Walker focused on the internet and social media to promote their beer, as well as forming partnerships with other local businesses.

In February 2020, the business expanded and opened its new place on Marsh Road. Like most businesses in the hospitality industry, things were difficult during the pandemic, but the partners persevered. The new location gave them some much-needed extra space in which to hold events as common as live music and comedy shows and as diverse as male revues and micro-wrestling. The Marsh Road brew pub is 6,000 square feet with a capacity of around 250 people, whereas the Old Capitol Trail store is just 2,500 square feet with a capacity of about 100. Jacobs gives much of the credit for that to CEO Rob Boyle, the third co-owner of the business.

As for the future, Bellefonte Brewing Company wants to stretch out, but the partners never want to roam too far from their roots.

“I definitely think we have to focus on a bigger picture,” Walker says. “We’ve done well and managed to survive >

Bellefonte co-owner and president Brandon Walker.

by taking advantage of our local markets here. But it is a very saturated market and there are a lot of options when it comes to craft beer and a lot of our business comes from repeat customers in the tap room.

“So, I would love to see us expand our distribution side of things, and I don’t know if we were doing that as aggressively as some other businesses, because we have that local market that’s kept us alive for so long. But I would definitely like to see us widen our footprint. I don’t necessarily care if we make it out to California, but I’d like to see us at the local beaches and in Philly and places like that.”

— For more, visit BellefonteBrewingCompany.com.

Bellefonte creations always keep it local.