November 2022 - Game Time!

Legend of Porky Oliver

Where to Watch the Games

The Staying Power of Stanley's Tavern

WILMINGTON ALLIANCE:

Connecting, Collaborating and Community Building ARTS IN THE PARKS

October marked the end of our Arts in the Parks 2022 programming, and we’d like to thank our sponsors, vendors and local artists who made this season such a special one. Our drumming circle, one of the inaugural park activities, continued to bring out a devoted audience. Held every Tuesday evening throughout the summer, these sessions brought professional musicians together with community members in evenings of creative collaboration.

Our Outspoken! Open Mics, hosted by local poet Anthem, were a popular venue for creatives to express their authentic voices. The SO.CO Night Art Markets, held in partnership with The Sold Firm, drew a large audience and were a space where local artists could showcase their work.

Additionally, we were able to form many new partnerships this summer, using our Rock Lot to host programming from organizations like The Grand Opera House and the ACLU of Delaware.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us in the parks this summer. Stay tuned for the opening of the Art O Mat at the corner of 7th & Washington Streets! We can’t wait to see you in 2023!

Thanks in part to the support of the independent bookstore Books & Bagels, our revamped Lending Library was a huge success!

We added over 250 diverse, inclusive, and empowering new books to our library, with more continuing to arrive by mail thanks to the support of our online book drive.

From The Publisher

I’ve been an incorrigible Phillies fan for more than a half-century, so you can bet your rally towel my son and I were in the crowd when the Phillies smoked the Braves on Sat., Oct. 15, to advance to the National League Division Series after an 11-year-drought. It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve probably watched 75% of the games during that drought — much like the tens of thousands of Phillies diehards throughout the Delaware Valley. Which made me recall this column, written in October of 2008, a magical season for Phillies faithful. And though it’s been 14 years since I composed this piece, it could have been yesterday. So, I thought I’d reshare it.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

FROM THE PUBLISHER/NOV 08

Iknow little about the guys from Hammonton (N.J.) who sit one row in front of me at Citizens Bank Park, but six to 10 times a year we’re the best of friends.

The “Hammonton Four” are built like fire hydrants and remind me of Vince Papale’s sandlot football buddies in the movie Invincible. They ride Phillies opponents like a stand-up comic, yet manage to keep most of their material G-rated.

“I hear ankle bracelets going off,” Sal yelled during an August extra-inning game against the hated Mets. “We know you’re on house arrest, time for you Mets fans to go home!”

Sal’s family has had season tickets for three generations, so coming to games isn’t as much treat as it is a ritual. So are the high-fives the foursome doles out for everyone within arm’s reach when things go the Phillies way. High-fives were frequent this season.

I couldn’t tell you the names of the couple who sit directly behind me, but I do know this: They idolize Chase Utley, and the husband keeps a first-rate scorebook.

“We used to bring our kids when they were (your kids’) age,” they once told me approvingly, noticing that my kids were my regular companions. “Now our kids bring their children.”

You can’t choose your family, but you sure can choose your favorite team. The irony, however, is that for many of us, family helped define that favorite team. The conversion began when we accepted that first invitation to the game.

Which is fine, because at its core being a fan is about carrying on tradition and neighborhood pride. I’ve never understood the fan

who has no connection to Texas yet swears he’s a Dallas Cowboys diehard. The allegiance rings hollow; the passion a bit forced.

Not so for the lifer. We were branded “fan for life” during our formative years and our commitment to the “hometown” team often surpasses the players we cheer. Then again, we’ve been committed longer.

So as a committed Phillies fan for more than four decades, I beg to differ that the recent playoff crowds at Citizens Bank Park were the “loudest ever.” Phillies crowds are always deafening when the stakes are high.

I remember thinking the 700 level was going to collapse during Game One of the 1980 World Series. And I will never forget the electricity charging through the crowd when Curt Schilling struck out the first five Braves he faced in Game One of the 1993 National League Championship Series.

I’ve been lucky enough to witness the Phillies’ three previous World Series — 1980, 1983 and 1993 — and I was in the stands for Game 5 this year. Trust me, the Phillies faithful broke the loud meter every time.

Which is how it should be. We’re committed win or lose, but give us a winner and our collective passion might scare you.

After all, being a fan is an experience best enjoyed in the company of others. Wave a solitary rally towel and you’re enthusiastic. Wave one in unison with 45,000 others and you’re a game changer.

— Jerry duPhily

THE WAR ON WORDS

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

THE INVASION OF HERE’S AND THERE’S

The news media has succumbed to the common man’s misuse of here’s and there’s with plurals. Some recent examples, the first three from The Philadelphia Inquirer:

•A subhead above a story about the Phillies: “Here’s 12 thoughts on a flagging playoff push.”

•Another subhead: “The Eagles will have needs next season and here’s some players who may be available.”

•E. J. Smith, also writing about the Iggles: “There’s plenty of snaps up for grabs in the running back room.”

•Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY: “There’s intangibles, for certain.”

•Delawareonline: “There’s still three months of hurricane season left.”

MEDIA WATCH

•In USA TODAY, Jenna Ryu’s interview with Constance Wu made it sound like the actor was talking to herself: “Speaking to Wu by phone, she seems at peace.”

•Gina Mizell in the Inky: “Battier’s wife, Heidi, is a Villanova alumnae.” That’s the plural. Being a female, Heidi is an alumna

•Lacques again, noting that 10 Kansas City Royals were unvaccinated: “That’s more than double the amount of unvaccinated players on any team that preceded them [into Canada].” With a plural (players), use number ; amount is for quantity.

•Ousted Nebraska Football coach Scott Frost uttered the intrusive of, saying: “I have no doubt about how good of an athlete he is.”

•On Sunday Today with Will Geist, the host couldn’t resist adding a syllable to Preventive Services Task Force, making it Preventative Services Task Force.

•Janis Mackey Frayer, NBC News correspondent: “Putin is not likely to change his tact.” Similarly, a subhead in the Inky: “New tact sought in meth OD cases.” Tact is not short for tactic. It means discretion. Tack and tact are often confused when discussing strategy. Derived from sailing, tack is a course of action.

•Josh St. Clair, writing about House of the Dragon in Men’s Health: “King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) continues to age and develop totally gross-looking legions across his back and arms, an obvious portend for a diseased kingdom on the edge of civil war.” The king has lesions (wounds, sores), and portend is not a noun; it’s a verb meaning to foreshadow. Portent is the noun.

QUEEN ELIZABETH BEQUEATHS US THESE

The death of the longest-reigning British monarch produced fodder for “War,” courtesy of our ever-vigilant readers.

•From a WDEL report: “As Queen Elizabeth lays in state . . .” That should be lies Lays means to place or put.

By Bob Yearick

•From the Associated Press’s Kevin Schembri Orland: “Flowers and wreaths have crowded the door of Villa Guardamangia where Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent months at a time between 1949 and 1951, following the death of the woman who would go on to serve for 70 years as Queen Elizabeth II.” Quite a trick — serving for 70 years after death.

•Several readers noted references to the queen having been coronated. The proper verb is crowned Coronated is an improper back formation of the noun coronation.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL FOLLIES

According to a reader, MNF play-by-play guy Joe Buck commented that a runner “could have ran” in a different direction, and “leaders have to play good.” Run and well, Joe.

Meanwhile, son Steven heard color man Troy Aikman say players were going “mano y mano,” instead of the correct mano a mano — a common mangling of the Spanish expression among exjock announcers. Mano y mano means hand-and-hand, while mano a mano means hand-to-hand.

LITERALLYS OF THE MONTH (courtesy of reader Maria Hess)

•President Biden spoke thusly about the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ian: “America’s heart is literally breaking.”

•On CBS Sunday Morning, Jane Pauley had this unique and wordy take on the fall TV season: “Our choices are quite literally almost limitless.”

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.

•In USA TODAY, Barbara VanDenburgh wrote that William Shatner’s book, Boldly Go “. . . taps into his joy and sense of wonder as he reflects back on his extraordinary life.”

•Mark Kennedy, of the AP, in an obit for Patti LuPone’s brother: “In addition to his sister, Mr. LuPone is also survived by his wife, Virginia, his son, Orlando, and brother, William.”

•USA TODAY’s always reliable Bob Nightengale: “They (Padres) have holes at three different positions.” Different: a word that’s often used needlessly.

Things worth knowing

DELAWARE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES ANNUAL AWARDS

Since 2017, the Delaware KIDS Fund’s Camping Out for Coats campaign has raised enough money to purchase more than 10,000 coats for 10,000 elementary students at 18 different schools. This year marks the sixth year of the fundraiser and on Nov. 11 a Camp Kick-off will take place from 5-9pm at Operation Warm Newport Headquarters (10 S. James St., Newport).

Those interested in supporting this effort to provide kids in need of a brand-new coat can camp overnight at Operation Warm Newport, camp at home and make an online donation, or attend the Camp Kickoff and provide a $10 minimum donation. The Camp Kick-off will feature bonfires, food and drink, live music, a silent auction and fire-side chats with local community leaders. Visit CampingForCoats.com.

The Delaware Restaurant Association (DRA) honored Robert Lhulier and Bill Irvin of Wilmington’s Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar as Restaurateurs of the Year during its 20th annual Cornerstone Awards last month in Dewey Beach. Each year, the DRA celebrates and honors the contributions of Delaware’s restaurant industry and the ways restaurants enrich and serve their communities.

Dennis & Carolyn Forbes of Cool Springs Fish Bar & Restaurant in Dover received The Cornerstone Award, given to restaurateurs who embody the spirit of hospitality and have become integral members of their communities. Michelle Souza of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Ryan Ennis of Beyond the Bar United received Industry Impact Awards. For more, visit DelawareRestaurant.org.

FOOD BANK OF DELAWARE’S THANKSGIVING DRIVE

The Food Bank of Delaware’s annual Thanksgiving Drive began Oct. 10 and continues into this year’s holiday on Nov. 24. You can help the more than 100,000 Delawareans who have difficulty affording food by hosting an in-person food drive, conducting an online fundraiser, or simply donating food or money.

Some of the organization’s most-needed items are instant mashed potatoes, canned gravy, pie filling and crust, canned vegetables, cranberry sauce, stuffing and frozen turkeys. Visit FBD.org.

IN THE YEARS

The Wilmington Handbell Ensemble, the only community-based handbell ensemble in the Wilmington area, will celebrate its 23rd season with a series of December performances. The ensemble, led by artistic director Kerry Dietz, is a sponsored ministry of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Membership is by audition or invitation and the group draws from various church bell choirs in New Castle County.

Performances include Dec. 4 at Ebenezer United Methodist Church (Newark), Dec. 8 at First & Central Presbyterian Church (Wilm.), Dec. 10 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church (Wilm.) and Dec. 17 at Westminster Presbyterian Church (Wilm.). Performances will be livestreamed at WPC.org. For performance times and other performances, visit WilmingtonHandbellEnsemble.org.

VISIONS

Those who shop online at select downtown Wilmington retailers will receive free shipping on items purchased through Dec. 31, 2022 courtesy of Downtown Visions. At press time, participating retailers include Al’s Sporting Goods, LaFate Gallery, Morgan’s of Delaware, Poppycock Tattoo, Shoe Tech Shoe Repair, Spaceboy Clothing, Three Kings Kustoms and Town & Shore Handcrafted. For a current retailers list, visit DowntownWilmingtonDe.com.

The campsite at Operation Warm Newport.

FIRST STATE BALLET THEATRE’S HOLIDAY TRADITION

First State Ballet (FSBT), Delaware’s only professional ballet company, will present its 20th production of The Nutcracker at The Grand Dec. 16-18. The company’s first performance of this Tchaikovsky holiday classic in 2002 featured two professional guest artists. This year’s production will feature FSBT’s company of 21 professional artists from around the world who live, work and dance in Delaware. More than 35 students from The School of First State Ballet Theatre will round out the cast. Tickets range from $20-$57 with a Sugar Plum Tea set for Sunday, Dec. 18 (12:30-1:30) before the 2pm matinee. For showtimes and tickets, visit TheGrandWilmington.org.

FALL FUN AT MOUNT CUBA CENTER

Mount Cuba Center, the renowned botanical garden located in Hockessin, will offer two unique opportunities to engage with nature on the center’s bucolic rolling grounds. Nature Play Day on Saturday, Nov. 5 (10am-4pm) allows guests to participate in a variety of outdoor activities including kite-flying, navigating a nature obstacle course and touch-a-truck and tractor. Nature As Therapy on Saturday, Nov. 12 (10am-noon) is a workshop in which participants learn about the history and numerous benefits that result from engaging with nature. Certified horticulture therapist Kathy Andrzejewski will share information about horticulture therapy and will provide participants with a take-home took kit containing a variety of interactive horticulture-based activities to use on their own. This class will include a lecture and outside activities. Visit MtCubaCenter.org.

NATION OF INVENTORS EXHIBITION AT HAGLEY

Though the damage to Hagley Museum’s Visitor Center caused by Hurricane Ida delayed its opening, the much-awaited Nation of Inventors Exhibition opened in October and now is ongoing as part of regular Hagley Museum admission. The exhibition celebrates the spirit of ingenuity by taking visitors on a journey from the early years of the patent system (1790s) through the “golden age” of American invention (late 1800s). The exhibition features more than 120 patent models from Hagley’s unique collection highlighting the diverse stories of inventors from all walks of life. Hagley is open year-round except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For hours and admission fees, visit Hagley.org.

BMW CHAMPIONSHIP DELIVERS A WINNING WEEK FOR DELAWARE

Attendance at August’s BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club surpassed 126,000 over four days, according to event organizer Western Golf Association. The tournament also reached an international television audience of 16 million people, delivering a welcome lift to Delaware businesses and boosting the state’s profile as a place to stay and play.

“An event of this magnitude is good for the many businesses that benefit, but it also helps boost Delaware’s image in the minds of so many people around the world,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “The people who came to Delaware not only got to see great golf, but they also saw that Wilmington is a great place to visit and explore and can be a world-class setting for major sports events like the BMW Championship.”

BMW players, VIPs, staff, and volunteers accounted for close to 1,500 room nights during their stay, and countless other fans also poured into town to patronize hotels, restaurants and shops in and around the city.

“We saw how excited the fans were this week. They were amazing,” tournament winner Patrick Cantlay said at a press conference after his victory. “And this golf course provided great theater, especially coming to the last hole. And it was a great feel and great energy all week.”

Patrick Cantlay at Wilmington Country Club.

Photo by Lindsay Rudney duPhily

An 1878 caddy for baking powder.

A scene from FSBT's The Nutcracker.

Photo byTisa Della-Volpe

IT’S BACK! CITY LOOP SERIES RESUMES DECEMBER 10

The City Loop Series resumes with the Ugly Sweater Santa Crawl set for Saturday, Dec. 10 (8pm start). The 41-year-old Loop Series is a collection of costumed bar crawls that has become one of Wilmington’s most-enduring nightlife traditions.

This year, the non-profit group Motorcycle Santas is teaming with Loop organizer Out & About Magazine for the Ugly Sweater Santa Crawl. Partial proceeds from the event will benefit Ronald McDonald House.

The 2022-23 Loop Series will also include the 34th annual St. Paddy’s Loop on Sat., March 11 and a Feb. 2023 Loop with a theme to be determined by online vote. For participating venues and other details, visit OutAndAboutNow.com.

A SWEET CIDER RETURNS FOR DESSERT

I f you love apple pie and are a fan of hard cider, have we got good news for you…

Wilmington Brew Works is teaming up once again with “That Pie Girl” Amy Watson Bish for — you guessed it — That Pie Girl’s apple-pied-flavored cider.

The hard cider was such a sell-out success after its debut last year, that the WBW team was intent on bringing it back. Its initial run went on tap last month at the brewery last month. It will go back on draft this month (before Thanksgiving) with another 144 bottles on sale to go.

“Every sip of That Pie Girl’s Apple Pie cider tastes as if you’re eating the pie of its namesake,” says John Fusco, WBW’s vice-president of creative and brand marketing. “Cinnamon, allspice, and cloves greet you on the aroma and through the finish, as a touch of caramel and vanilla add a touch of sweetness.

“Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays for enjoying cider. While a dry cider pairs very well with the main course, we set out to craft a cider that would pair wonderfully with dessert, with help from Wilmington's Favorite Pie Girl, Amy Bish!”

Visit WilmingtonBrewWorks.com.

Photo: Norma Jean Roy

RIVERFRONT

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

Artists: RECYCLED, John Breakey

Bridge Art Gallery @ New Castle County Chamber of Commerce 920 Justison Street 353-4527 • bridgeartgallery.net Artist: Creative Mithila Art Exhibition

DOWNTOWN

2nd & LOMA Leasing Office 211 N. Market Street 655-0124 • 2ndandloma.com Artist: It’s Just Paint: Beverly Ross Motorcycle Drippings Art

Chris White Gallery 701 N. Shipley Street 475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com Artist: “Serious Play” solo art exhibit by Roderick Hidalgo

Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market Street 652-0101 • ccacde.org Artist: Sheila Exum

City of Wilmington’s Redding Gallery 800 N. French Street 576-2100 • cityfestwilm. com/redding-gallery Artist: World Traveler Collection by Bryant Small

Delaware College of Art & Design 600 N. Market Street 622-8000 • dcad.edu Artist: Constance M. Simon: The Making of Art & Artists Gallery at 919 919 N. Market Street 298-1542

Artist: Landscapes, Light and Other Things. Large and Small Paintings of John R. C. Dorchester

Gallery at Grace Church 900 N. Washington Street 331-0719 • gracechurchwilmington.org Artist: Phat Vuong

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street 658-7897 thegrandwilmington.org Grand Gallery: The Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography baby grand Gallery: The Madwoman of the Bog by Beth Trepper

Mezzanine Gallery at the Carvel State Building 820 N. French Street 577-8278 arts.delaware.gov Artist: Maia Palmer: Making the Invisible, Visible

Spaceboy Clothing 706 N. Market Street 225-9781

Artist: 1st OPEN HOUSE event and Clothing Drop

UAE Open Studios 1500 N. Walnut Street cityfestwilm.com

Artists: Studio Artists Cony Madariaga, Freddy Ruiz, JaQuanne Leroy & Stef Hamill

Next Art Loop: Friday, Dec. 2, 2022

WEST SIDE

Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street 656-7304 • howardpylestudio.org Artist: Group show by The Studio Group artists

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue 429-0506

Artist: “Something to Crow About-” Paintings by Sarah Yeoman & William Spiker, Sculpture

Delaware Art Museum James H. Gilliam, Jr. Studio Lobby 2301 Kentmere Parkway 571-9590 • delart.org

Artist: Vantage Point: A Point of View of Veterans by Jane Quartarone

Kevin Melloy Studio 110 South Union St 425-4900

Artist: Kevin Melloy Caribbean artwork & Joshua Morton “Path of Least Resistance”

BEYOND THE CITY

Arden Buzz Ware Village Center 2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811 • ardenbuzz.com Artist: Nina Silverman: ‘Nature’s Place’

COCA Pop-Up Gallery 3829 Kennett Pike, Greenville 218-4411

Artists: Group show of local artists

The Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike 654-8638 • stationgallery.net Artist: “Sunlight Event,” Michele Green

Visual Storytellers

By JulieAnne Cross

Filmmakers Leroy Bryant II and Elijah Richardson Jr. became acquainted in the mid-‘90s during their years as New Castle County Police officers.

Filmmaking was not on their radar at the time, but eventually the duo developed artistic aspirations. Their first project was to use their experiences as first responders to create a fictional comic book. From that humble beginning 17 years ago, they evolved into visual storytellers, pursing their dreams as co-founders of a film production company, Rich-Ant Enterprises, LLC. Bryant, a Wilmington native and resident, is a Del Tech alumnus whose mother emigrated from Italy. He spent seven years as an international food business entrepreneur, living in Salerno for a time before splitting his time between Delaware, Italy and Canada. His company, Allegra Desserts S.A.S. (known in the U.S. as Divina Desserts), had grown to become the second largest dessert manufacturer in Southern Italy.

Richardson, a West Virginia University alum, has been a Delawarean since 1994 and currently lives in Wilmington. He has spent years inspiring area youth, serving as unit director of the Appoquinimink Boys & Girls Club.

The movie bug bit the duo when a news item caught Bryant’s attention.

“Eli [Richardson] and I were working on a comic book that was a fictitious account of a law enforcement scenario,” he says. “On the news was a guy from Puerto Rico who claimed to be the second coming of Jesus. I thought, ‘What if Jesus were to come back a second time…who would believe it?’”

He called Richardson and said, “We need to write a movie,” thus putting the pair on the creative path that would lead to film production.

STUDYING THE GOSPEL

They had known each other a dozen years or more, and the subject of screenwriting had never come up, but Bryant’s pitch persuaded Richardson.

Their next stop was the public library.

“We got books on screenwriting, we got software,” Richardson says.

They acknowledge that David Trottier’s The Screenwriter’s Bible is, to this day, the most important acquisition in their toolbelt.

They used what they learned to begin writing “The Second Coming,” a modern telling of the biblical account of Jesus. Seven months later, they had a too-long screenplay. They cut more than 10 percent of it and submitted it to a prestigious Los Angeles screenwriting competition.

“The competition, Writers on the Storm, involved some names we recognized,” Bryant says. “They actually offered feedback to the competitors. That was important to us, because we still, at that point, didn’t know what we were doing.”

Within about two months, they learned they had placed in the quarterfinals, beating out 910 other screenplays.

Since that time, they’ve dedicated themselves to numerous aspects of visual storytelling, from penning comics to screenwriting, to financing a movie and hiring a crew, to directing and producing.

Whether they’re writing, producing, or directing, Leroy Bryant and Elijah Richardson are partnering to make their dreams come true

Local filmmakers Elijah Richardson (l) and Leroy Bryant.

A key moment for the Rich-Ant’s history occurred when the partners attended a week-long Hollywood Film Institute course in New York City in September of 2011. The accommodations — in The Bowery neighborhood of Manhattan, a part of town once considered “skid row” — left almost as much of an impression on the budding screenwriters as the instruction.

“It was an experience,” says Richardson. “It was one of those moments where you gotta do what you gotta do. We actually stayed in a hostel, and you slept in a tiny twin. It reminded you of a storage unit and it was not even close to that size.”

Richardson describes the program, led by founder Dov Simens, as an opportunity to learn how to write, as well as how to become directors and producers. The sessions covered contract negotiations and distribution deals, giving the participants an accelerated primer on the business without the time and tuition required for a film school degree.

Says Bryant: “Dov Simens actually pulled us aside and shared with us things he did not share with rest of the class. Seeing our materials, he felt that we had a little bit of talent.”

Simens shared what the filmmakers refer to as “The Blueprint” — step-by-step instructions for getting a film from script to screen. Says Bryant: “It was almost as if Dov Simens was a gatekeeper and said, ‘You guys are ok, here’s the key.’”

But having The Blueprint did not mean immediate success for the twosome.

Bryant explains that the timeline for a film project can be many months, even years, and Rich-Ant perpetually has multiple projects in the writing, evaluation and execution stages. Overlapping of creative projects is unavoidable.

According to Richardson, they returned from New York, “shelved” much of what they had learned previously, and just started writing again.

Around the same time as the 2011 course, the screenplay for “Yesterday Mourning,” a story of a man determined to conceal his Nazi soldier past, was one of their works-in-progress. The story, which required a great deal of historical research, was ultimately expanded and published as a paperback novel in 2019.

Also in the works was a Bigfoot-inspired concept of the “found footage” movie variety. Within a few years, what was initially dubbed “Wild Man of the Woods” and would turn the pair into filmmakers themselves, thanks to The Blueprint.

“It worked just the way [Dev Simens] said it would,” Bryant marvels.

Now feeling confident about the writing, they secured funding from their families, hired local talent and a small crew, and got permission to film on a private wooded property in Montchanin.

“Wild Man of the Woods” became Creature in the Woods — their first full feature film, written, directed and produced by Bryant and Richardson. It premiered at The Queen in Wilmington in 2016, and was picked up by Summer Hill Entertainment, which published it to DVD in 2018.

Once there were some successful projects on their resumes, other work came their way. They were tapped to write a number of screenplays for hire, and they did two rewrites for Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning television and movie producer Lee Levinson.

When pressed for origin dates of even their most successful projects, the partners can’t always agree, and the back-and-forth nature of film projects contributes to the fuzzy timeline. But they

see eye-to-eye where it counts.

“We are in love with the chase,” Bryant says. “It’s the journey for us. Once we reach milestones, we forget them and sometimes don’t even celebrate them.”

Despite their first endeavor — the comic book — being only half written and as-yetunillustrated when the cinematic siren lured the authors away, an original law enforcement tale did eventually become reality. So they are, in fact, published comic book authors.

A VEGAN ZOMBIE RISES

Tagged on IMDb.com as “Action; Adventure; Horror,” Creature in the Woods is not the only frightful film coming from Rich-Ant Enterprises. They are currently in pre-production for Night of the Vegan, the big-screen incarnation of a zombie story that first took root in 2009, and which was published as a 60-page, hard-bound graphic novel last year.

While wordsmiths are traditionally advised to write what they know, neither Bryant nor Richardson are vegan. However, scary stories are foundational for both of them.

Richardson hearkens back to 1979. “I was 12 and Phantasm was out,” he says. “My friends were older than me. I snuck out and went with them. I was scared to death. I had nightmares, and to this day I really can’t comfortably watch Phantasm.”

That same year, Bryant also caught Phantasm, but it was another film he saw during his annual visit to Italy that made a stronger impact. It was Zombi 2 by Lucio Fulci, a director known for spaghetti westerns, giallo films, and horror movies.

“I did see the same movie that year and it had much the same effect on me. But my first foray into zombie movies . . . my older cousins took me to see Zombi 2. Up to that point, I was nine or 10 years old and hadn’t experienced much in the way of movies.”

Asked if horror is a preferred genre for these writers who once aspired to “whodunits,” Richardson says, “Horror is just the genre you find easiest to break into Hollywood with. You can make a micro-budget movie easier. We have written drama, comedy and dark comedy, crime, action, psychological thrillers. We’ve even pitched a cooking competition — we haven’t pigeonholed ourselves.”

The monsters in Night of the Vegan are the result of a science experiment gone awry. They are of the slower-moving variety, and the atrocities they commit are somewhat mitigated by the fact that the reanimated corpses crave plants, not flesh. And the government, rather than any creature, is the real villain.

The human characters in the living-dead fable include Willie, a mobster in witness protection, and the object of his desire, the sweet-natured waitress, Linder.

Rich-Ant’s experience with Night of the Vegan has been full of turnover, fits and starts. Nine years after its inception, the screenplay breathed new life. After prior studio interest became a nonstarter, it landed at Buffalo 8, known for such films as BlacKkKlansman, a biopic from Spike Lee, and Street Gang, a documentary about Sesame Street that’s bound for HBO. ►

Night of the Vegan began as a graphic novel. Film production is scheduled to begin in mid-2023.

Financing is under way, and production is set to begin by the middle of 2023. The farm-centric shoot was recently moved from Delaware to Georgia, where a tax credit for filmmakers increases the locale’s appeal.

The on-screen talent is under consideration now, and casting may determine whether Bryant and Richardson end up directing. If they get a “wish list” actor, that player could push for his own director, which would mean the Delawareans would step back and executive produce.

Optimally, the film might debut by Halloween 2023, although it could be pushed to the end of 2023 or early 2024.

ALTRUISTIC ATTITUDE

Not content to simply become creatively successful, Bryant and Richardson have altruistic goals for this movie and future projects. They hope to shelter and employ displaced veterans and the homeless, and arrange for immediate and longer-term support for these individuals.

That unselfish attitude has helped make a fan of Rev. Dr. Christopher Alan Bullock of Canaan Baptist Church in New Castle. Calling himself “a friend, supporter, pastor and fraternity brother,” he has witnessed Bryant and Richardson’s trajectory.

“I think the most important thing about these two gentlemen is that they exemplify the power of faith and persistence,” says Bullock. “They had a dream, and they never gave up on that dream. And they pursued it with faith in themselves, faith in God, and faith in their talent.”

The partners are in a good place right now. Bryant is able to devote time to his wife and college-age daughter while pursuing the business of creating. Richardson divides his time between Rich-Ant Enterprises and his job as a behavior interventionist specialist at Warner Elementary School. He has cast his adult daughter and young grandchild in his cinematic endeavors.

The pair’s ultimate dream involves a Hollywood icon and ties Richardson’s old life with his new one.

“I would like to write for Denzel Washington,” says the career youth leader. “He’s been a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Club for decades. He says the Club saved his life growing up. Plus, I love the way he acts, his skills; his presence is incredible.”

Adds Bryant: “I have to say my dream is his dream and vice versa.”

As usual, the pair are in lockstep.

Time Traveling

By Jim Miller

W ilmington’s new 24-room boutique hotel, The Quoin, may be rooted in an historic Victorian-era brownstone and cleverly harken back to vintage styles of the 20th century, but make no mistake — the establishment offers something fresh and exciting for Delaware. Imagine Wes Anderson re-making The Great Gatsby, but set in the early ‘70s, and you’ll have the seed of an idea for what to expect before you enter. Color in the rest of the picture once you experience the inviting warmth and fine-tuned detail of the 155-seat The Quoin Restaurant & Bar, where bartenders fix uber-craft cocktails paired specifically to seasonal dishes served from an open kitchen. Ascend four floors and you’ve arrived at the city’s first rooftop bar, which offers views unique to visitors and residents alike.

►

Philly artist Reverend Michael Alan speaks about his captivating mural art that audiences will experience when the Simmer Down cocktail lounge opens at The Quoin hotel

Reverend Michael Alan at work in The Quoin's Simmer Down lounge. Photo by Matthew Williams

And soon The Quoin will be unveiling its cocktail lounge, which is set to be an underground sensation in more than one way. One flight of stairs below street level, Simmer Down mixes mystique and cozy charm, while offering yet another shift in time and place.

Without question, a principal aspect of the room’s allure are the ornately decorated wall murals, upon which locally and internationally known references mix and mingle with more obscure elements of ancient lore — all of it looking centuries old.

Picture Indiana Jones somehow stumbling upon a Middle Eastern cave etching of a stretch limo and you get the gist. Mischievously mysterious.

Towards the end of last month, we asked Philly artist Reverend Michael Alan, an illustrator with more than a quarter century of experience creating murals, what it was like to work on these walls and the inventive thinking that took place before the brush tips touched the surface.

Here’s what he had to say:

O&A: Just walking into Simmer Down is a transportive experience. Before you started illustrating this mural, what were some of the ideas you discussed with the hotel’s designers from Method Co.?

Alan: The room has great bones. The textured walls and vaulted brick ceiling were features Daniel Olsovsky, the project’s visionary [of Method Co.], wanted to accentuate from the very beginning. Some of our initial inspiration came from cave painting, ancient cultures and catacomb art.

In addition, we also wanted to show our reverence for Wilmington and the Delaware Valley — not just by depicting landmarks on the wall, but embracing regional folk-art styles like Fraktur painting.

Considering the space would be a bar, we also wanted to make the mural conservational and frankly, fun. That’s when we started to layer on the more surreal imagery.

O&A: After a quick look, it appeared as if the Simmer Down illustrations were informed as much by local landmarks and pop culture as by classic mythology and symbolism. Is that how you see it and, if so, is there a particular Easter egg that is your favorite?

Alan: Yes, the mural is an amalgamation of all those things.

Classical and ancient art has always been inspirational to me, so it was fun to reference those styles when painting on an old wall and connect with techniques that have been used by muralists for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s also

interesting to me that all ancient art was pop culture at some point, this work is a continuation of that tradition.

Of the Easter eggs I am willing to reveal, the Ecce Homo, or more commonly known on the internet as “Restoration Jesus,” is at the top of my list. It still makes me giggle to think about, and I pray someone, some day will restore my painting of the restoration into something even more hilarious.

O&A: How much does your spirituality influence your art?

Alan: Faith is extremely important to me, and religion is something I turn to not only for visual inspiration but for personal solace. While painting the mural, I was constantly convening with deceased family and my angels; streamed Mass with my mom on the weekends; and said maybe thousands of Hail Marys.

O&A: You have been hired by spirits companies to create label illustrations. And here you are creating designs for a new cocktail lounge. Is there something about the creativity of craft culture that attracts you?

Alan: There’s something about a paycheck that attracts me.

I know my way around the kitchen, and a bar, so there is a level of personal interest when brought on to a project like this. I am just flattered that people appreciate my work enough to want to use it for things that are meant to bring joy to others.

O&A: How long did it take you to complete the mural and was there any specific part of the process that was more challenging than the rest?

Alan: The mural took about six weeks to complete to this point, however I don’t think it will ever be complete. I hope, as the years go on, we keep adding to it.

The most challenging part was editing down all the ideas Daniel and I were continually coming up with. As one area was painted, that would spiral into more ideas and more ideas. Everyday there was a new “we have to get that in the mural” [moment].

O&A: What is your current project and/or what's next?

Alan: God only knows, but probably more painting.

The Quoin is located at 519 N. Market Street. Management hopes to open Simmer Down this month. For dinner or hotel reservations, call (302) 446-5600.

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Playing Dress-Up

By Lauren Golt

If you’ve visited Wilma’s, the downtown Wilmington restaurant that includes New Orleans-inspired cuisine and duckpin bowling, you’ve likely seen the large-scale portrait of “Wilma” herself. Colorful, bold, and full of texture, the painting of the restaurant’s red-haired namesake hangs on the wall, next to the bar. (Actually, this is a reproduction; the original hangs on the second floor.)

With the same full, curly locks seen in the restaurant’s logo, the woman in the painting looks strong, confident, a little sassy, and somehow, familiar. Her face, beautifully highlighted and shadowed, with rosy cheeks, strong brows and full lips, is actually a self-portrait of artist Lauren Peters.

The Face of Wilma

In November 2020, construction for Wilma’s (located in the former Ernest & Scott Taproom space at 900 N. Market St.) was underway. The branding, inspired by a print of a red-haired woman found on Etsy, was finalized with plans to show the different personalities of “Wilma” inside the space. In the bowling area, she’s eclectic and funky, and in the restaurant she’s refined, like the hostess of a dinner party.

Looking for someone to bring “Wilma” to life, Sarah Lamb, vice president of design and marketing for The Buccini/Pollin Group, commissioned Peters to create an oversize portrait to hang near the bar.

“I met Lauren socially and started following her on social media,” says Lamb. “Shortly after, she had an exhibit and I fell in love with the concept of exploring new personalities through selfportraits, and her use of color and patterns. Lauren was already in the habit of assuming new personalities through her paintings, so it made perfect sense!”

Finding Her Way Back to Art

Wilmington artist Lauren Peters, 41, was an art major in college but after graduation found herself working in other industries. In 2015, she re-introduced herself to her former passion: painting. Peters rented a studio in The Delaware Contemporary and started working at the Somerville Manning Gallery.

“Being at Somerville taught me so much about the art business,” Peters says, “I also learned a lot by just being around artists. It made me think, ‘I could do this myself.’”

At The Delaware Contemporary, studio artists take turns showing their work in the Elizabeth Denison Hatch Gallery, located on-site. With the date of her first exhibition on the calendar, Peters got to work. She painted, sketched, made pieces out of felt fabric, created an object out of paper flowers and a white dress… but the work felt disjointed.

“I knew I needed a cohesive body of work for that initial exhibit,” she says. ►

Wilmington artist Lauren Peters finds her way to art through self-portraits

Lauren Peters in the studio with Wilma. Photos courtesy Lauren Peters

The Start of Self-Portraits

“I was flipping through magazines and came across a piece by British painter Chantal Joffe,” Peters says. “I was just obsessed. Her paintings are so bold and loose, which is what I aspire to be. I just fell in love with the way she painted people and herself.”

Instead of painting someone else’s portrait, Peters decided to try using herself as the model. “Painting myself gives me full control,” she says. “I don’t have to worry about the depiction because it’s me depicting myself.”

On day one, Peters got dressed and stood uncomfortably in front of the mirror. She knew this wasn’t going to work, so she went in a different direction. “I took a bunch of selfies on my phone and had them printed. That made it feel like I was interpreting a photograph, a persona, instead of staring at myself in a mirror,” she says. “It separated me from the self-portrait.”

Playing Dress-Up

As Lauren played with different poses and angles, she incorporated wigs and costumes, giving the pieces a new level of color, texture and personality.

Then she discovered Rent The Runway, a website that rents out designer clothing, and found a way to incorporate fashion into her

work without blowing her budget.

“I rented these ridiculous pieces, just to wear in photos: lots of fake furs, a Victoria Beckham coat, a beautiful lace top from Monique lhuillier. It’s fun to play dress-up,” she says.

Peters says she’s loved fashion since childhood. “I always liked bold colors and prints but being a bit of an introvert, it’s difficult feeling confident wearing them in the world,” she says. “So, I’ve created a loud alter ego in the paintings.”

Mixing Media

Loving the faux fur pieces she discovered on Rent The Runway, Peters found a way to incorporate the material into her work. For an exhibition last April, she paired her self-portraits with mirrors she decorated with fake fur and deconstructed pieces of clothing.

“Creating the mirrors was a nice break from painting myself, but they also helped expand the visual language of the self-portraits,” she says. “As people walked around looking at the paintings, they caught glimpses of themselves, their own self-portraits.”

Aware that continuously taking photos of and painting herself could potentially be bad for the psyche, Peters takes breaks to try new subjects and formats. For example, she recently finished a collection of gouache (opaque, water-based paint) still life paintings and is currently working on a largescale floral oil painting.

On The Horizon

In June 2021, Lauren left her position at the Somerville Manning Gallery to become a fulltime artist.

“After I sold a few paintings and survived the pandemic I thought, ‘I’m going to dye my hair, quit my job and really do this,” she says.

With plans to show her work in two East Coast galleries and upcoming shows in Wilmington and Jenkintown, Pa., Peters has no plans to slow down.

“I still feel like I’m getting better as a painter,” she says. “For my show in July, I’m hoping to have at least two six-foot paintings. That’s one of my goals.”

She’s also thinking about ways to make her art more immersive. “I love the idea of growing the area around the paintings. What if all the walls were lined with faux fur and then there was one huge painting that had faux fur?”

Always looking for ways to create art outside her comfort zone, Peters has big plans for 2023.

“Every day I get to be a full-time artist. I feel lucky.”

Lauren Peters says painting self-portraits gives her full control. "I don’t have to worry about the depiction because it’s me depicting myself."

The Kid From 31st Street

Wilmington’s own Ed ‘Porky’ Oliver had a personality as big as his game, but his impact on the sport during a golden age for golf is often overlooked

By Kevin Noonan

Most people in Delaware know about the Ed “Porky” Oliver Golf Course in Wilmington. Not as many know the story of the legendary golfer for whom it is named.

Ed Oliver, a Wilmington boy through and through, was one of the best players in the world during the most legendary era of golf history, when giants like Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead dominated the sport. And hanging with them, stroke for stroke, was Ed “Porky” Oliver.

Oliver’s career spanned three decades, from the early 1930s to the early 1960s. That’s when professional golf came of age and became the huge spectator sport that it is today. Oliver was one of the spectators’ favorites because he was an entertainer as well as a go-for-broke golfer. ►

In his day, Ed "Porky" Oliver drew some of the biggest galleries on the PGA Tour.

Photos courtesy of John Riley

It’s also a fact that Oliver has never received his just due in golf history. Officially, the PGA says Oliver won eight events in his career, with 22 second-place finishes, 17 third places and 145 top-10 finishes. Three of those second-place finishes came in Major events — the PGA, the U.S. Open and the Masters. And he won the Western Open in 1941 — beating, among others, Hogan and Nelson — when that tournament was considered a Major until it was supplanted by the Masters. He was also chosen for three U.S. Ryder Cup teams, including 1953, when he was paired

That’s an impressive resume, and it doesn’t even include all the other tournaments he won in those barnstorming days. Still, Oliver is rarely mentioned among the Hall-of-Fame golfers against whom he competed — and often beat — and that’s something that riles John Riley, a local writer and former captain of the University of Delaware golf team who also happened to be a boyhood friend of Oliver’s children. Plus, his father, Curt Riley, was a prominent local golfer in the 1930s who competed with and against Oliver many times and used to regale his son with tales of the legendary Porky.

Pied Piper of the PGA

John Riley was instrumental in getting Greenhill Golf Club rechristened the Ed Oliver Golf Club in 1983, an idea that was first floated by legendary sportswriter Al Cartwright in 1962. Riley has also written a detailed book about Oliver’s career, titled How He Played the Game: Ed “Porky” Oliver and Golf’s Greatest Generation. And to prove Oliver was a key part of that generation, the book’s cover shows Oliver posing on a golf course with Sam Snead and Byron Nelson.

“He had a tremendous impact on the game,” Riley says. “Everybody absolutely adored the guy. He was like the pied piper, the way he connected with people. He had a magnetic personality and he used to get the biggest galleries on the PGA Tour.”

Part of his appeal was the fact that Oliver wasn’t your typical country club member who played with the rich kids — he was blue collar, not blue blood. He was born in 1915, grew up on the streets

From left: Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Ed Oliver.

of Wilmington, and got his start in golf working as a caddy at the old Wilmington Country Club — which eventually became Greenhill Golf Club, which eventually became Ed “Porky Oliver” Golf Club.

There were better golfers on the PGA Tour of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, but there were none who enjoyed the game or the gallery as much as Porky Oliver. He interacted with the fans and bantered with them and entertained them with his assortment of trick shots. And then he’d tee off and one of the biggest hitters on the PGA Tour would slam a long drive, and the fans would ooh and aah.

And it wasn’t just the fans. The media loved him, too. More importantly, Porky Oliver was loved and respected by the other golfers, including some of the greatest the game has known: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen and, a little later, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.

Riley interviewed Player for his book, and the Hall-of-Famer said this: “I played with Porky many times — he was a wonderful golfer with a wonderful sense of humor. I wish these young tour players today could have seen him play.”

Sam Snead, who saw first-hand Oliver’s rapport with fans, once said he wished there “…were newcomers with the natural ability to play to a gallery like Porky Oliver.”

And Peter Trenham, the historian for the Philadelphia PGA who saw Oliver play, said this about the popular appeal of the Wilmington golfer: “One of the most colorful players to ever play the game… Oliver had many accomplishments, but his greatest impact was his role in attracting fans and helping to popularize the golf tour.”

Finally, this from Ken Venturi, a former championship golfer and longtime television announcer: “Porky Oliver was the greatest ambassador to golf who ever played.”

You’re in the Army Now

Unfortunately, Oliver was as well known for his bad luck as his bubbly personality, lowlighted by the 1940 U.S. Open at the Canterbury Golf Club outside of Cleveland. He tied for the lead after the final round and was ready to begin a playoff with Lawson Little and Gene Sarazen for the championship of the most important golf tournament in the world. However, he was disqualified because he teed off too early due to a mix-up. The decision was universally criticized by the media as well as other golfers, including Little and Sarazen.

“That bothered him for the rest of his life,” Riley says. “He was at the peak of his career and he was mentioned with the biggest names in golf, and winning the Open would have really added to his legacy.” ►

From left: Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Ed Oliver.

That legacy got sidetracked when Oliver lost five years of his career while he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Oliver had won four tournaments the year before his induction in 1941 — including the Western Open, which was considered to be a Major tournament at the time — and he was selected as the PGA rookie of the year. Then his career was put on hold for the duration of the war.

“He was one of the top five players in the world when the draft got him a full year before Pearl Harbor,” Riley says. “And I think that definitely affected him after the war. Even though he still competed at a high level, he didn’t win at the same rate as he did before the war.”

Riley points out that during the time Oliver was in the army, his three best-known contemporaries — Snead, Nelson and Hogan — combined to win 62 PGA titles. It’s fair to assume that Ed Oliver would have won his share of those titles, too.

“He went into the Army before any of the other golfers who were drafted, and he stayed in the Army longer than anybody else on the Tour,” Riley says. “That definitely should be considered when you look at Porky Oliver’s career — his prime years were spent serving his country.”

Dancing With the Stars

Oliver certainly didn’t get rich in an era when a top 10 finish sometimes only paid a couple of hundred dollars. (As a comparison: Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris tied for second place in the 2022 U.S. Open and each pocketed $1,557,687, then doubtlessly returned to the kinds of homes befitting young millionaires.) Oliver finished second in the 1952 U.S. Open and pocketed a total of $2,500, which, after expenses, barely gave him enough money to make it back home to Wilmington and his modest row house on E. 31st Street.

Still, to quote the great Muddy Waters, Porky Oliver loved the life he lived and lived the life he loved. He got to play golf on the best courses in America and he also played in Europe, South America and Asia. Plus, Oliver rubbed elbows on the golf course with other sports heroes like Joe Louis, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Roger Maris, Paul Hornung, Babe Zaharias and Rocky Marciano, as well as entertainment icons like Bing Crosby, Bob Hope,

From left: Ben Hogan, Ed Oliver, Johnny Weissmuller and Frank Stranahan.

Johnny Weissmuller, Jackie Gleason and Dean Martin. And they all loved him.

Not bad for a kid from 31st Street.

But even his biggest fans acknowledge that Oliver, even with the long layoff from competitive golf, should have been more successful than he was. Oliver was wildly inconsistent throughout much of his career and tended to fade in later rounds of tournaments. Of course, his less-than-peak physical conditioning didn’t help his endurance — he didn’t earn the nickname of “Porky” because he stuttered like an animated pig.

That nickname actually started as “Porkchop” because of Oliver’s legendary appetite, but there’s a good chance you never heard the nickname by which he was mostly known in his hometown — “Snowball.” That reportedly came from his strong arm and ability to pelt other kids during winter snowball fights.

Tragically, Oliver’s career and life ended way too soon. A heavy smoker, Oliver was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1960 and returned to his home in Wilmington to live out the rest of his life, although he continued to play golf for as long as he was able.

Porky Oliver died in 1961 at the age of 46, but thanks to people like John Riley, his legacy will live forever. To order Riley’s book, How He Played the Game to www.olivergolfbook.com.

Ed Oliver (l) and colleagues have some fun as marching golfers. Oliver sacrificed prime years of his golfing career for service in the Army.

By Pam George

Lori Ewald has grown accustomed to the raucous sound of sports fans. The High Five Hospitality marketing manager’s office is next to the company’s Buffalo Wild Wings in Stanton. “Every time the Phillies score, the whole place goes nuts,” she says. “I run over, and all these guys are wearing Phillies jerseys.”

And whether they’re cheering or booing, it’s all good. The fans have made Buffalo Wild Wings a goto place for sports watching — and it’s not the only one.

Local proprietors say the number of people who watch sports in bar or restaurant is returning to pre-pandemic levels. For instance, Grotto Pizza’s Sunday bar traffic is about 85% of what it was before 2020, says Jeff Gosnear, vice president of the Rehoboth Beach chain.

But the playbook for success takes effort — and it’s not cheap.

Sports give some restaurants a winning edge Game On!

Sports-friendly Versus Sports-Centric

A big-screen TV or two is a staple in most bar areas. For instance, the new Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon in north Wilmington has five bar screens facing the dining room. Dorcea in Mid-Town Brandywine has six, a remarkable amount for the restaurant’s size. In Newark, Grain Craft Bar & Kitchen is not a sports bar per se, but this is where UD fans go to watch the game, says co-owner Lee Mikles.

However, more than a few establishments specialize in sports. In Brandywine Hundred, for example, Stanley’s Tavern has offered must-see games on TVs for decades. In the late 1980s, patrons flocked here for the Monday Night Football party featuring former Eagles middle linebacker Bill Bergey. All of Grotto Pizza’s bars are known as Grand Slam to indicate that they cater to fans. One Lewes location, however, has Grand Slam in the restaurant’s title.

Some sports-centric spots might surprise you. While the Logan House is known for live music, the Trolley Square site has

11 screens on the main floor and five upstairs. “There’s always been a big push for us to be the sports spot in Trolley — no matter what the sport is,” says general manager Joe Mujica.

The number of TVs in the space often tells the story. Buffalo Wild Wings, for instance, has as many as 100 screens in a single location, and the new Home Base Delaware on Concord Pike, which opened Sept. 1, has 30. In Hockessin, Throwbacks Sports Lounge has 15.

Why does the count matter? For the hardcore fans, a choice is key — not every resident or visitor roots for Philly teams and sports aren’t limited to football and baseball. “There’s a 99.9% chance that your game will be on,” Ewald says of Buffalo Wild Wings’ broadcasts. (Curling competitions might be the exception to that rule.)

The more screens, the more you can offer something for everyone. One group of friends comes to the Logan House on Saturdays to watch everything from the Sixers to college games on the various TVs. Other groups have members cheering on different teams. ►

A group of fans at Stanley's Tavern cheer on their beloved Eagles during a Sunday night game against the rival Dallas Cowboys.

Photo by Butch Comegys

There’s a reason tailgating is so popular.

While Throwbacks does not serve food, owner Ace Haney offers complimentary pizzas for Eagles games. Nearby are Asian, Italian and Mexican restaurants, and customers can bring their purchases into Throwbacks for the game.

McGlynns Pub, located in Pike Creek, Glasgow and Dover (and soon Wilmington), has a game menu with $10 nachos, $8 wings, $8 pretzels and free popcorn. Dorcea in Wilmington also has a special menu for Sunday games, and selections have included cheesesteak spring rolls, nachos and French dip. “The items are only available on Sundays,” says owner Tony Bomba. “They’re so good that we have people asking for them during the week.” Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Like Dorcea, Home Base boasts an elevated menu, says owner Serge Zborovsky, whose first HomeBase is in New York. For example, burgers are made with short rib, brisket and chuck, and vegan dishes include General Tso’s cauliflower. There is also a section for gourmet grilled sandwiches.

“We provide a pretty polished product,” says Zborovsky, a University of Delaware graduate who wants to open more Home Base locations in the state.

ON! continued from previous

Phillies fans watch their team take down the Braves at Grotto Pizza on Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilmington.

Photo by Butch Comegys

Wilmington

Lewes

Rehoboth Beach

Ocean View

South Bethany Beach

Not surprisingly, beer specials are a tradition during football season. Grotto offers $4.50 Miller Lite Big Beers all day, every day. Coors Light Big Beers are $4.50 on Saturday and Sunday; Blue Moon pints are $3.50 for Monday Night Football, and Yuengling pints are $3.50 for Thursday games.

However, beer discounts aren’t a guaranteed draw. In Hockessin, many of Haney’s customers prefer craft brews over bargain beers.

Upping The Ante

There are other ways to attract sports fans. Kid Shelleen’s in Trolley Square has an NFL Loyalty Club that is free to join. Members get $15 back for every $100 spent at the restaurant during the regular season. They redeem their reward at the season’s end.

Grotto runs the Pig Skin Pick ‘Em Contest at participating locations. Guests get a form from the sports bar, circle the predicted winner and submit it to the bartender. Players receive one point per correct prediction to win prizes.

The restaurant also participates in the Delaware Lottery’s Sports Pick, which offers a clear advantage.

“Sports betting brings people into the bars earlier,” Gosnear says. “We begin to get active between 10 to 10:30 a.m., compared to 12:30 to 1 p.m. before sports betting.” ►

World Cup fans at Catherine Rooney's. Photo by Butch Comegys

tickets. Now customers can make their purchase come to his bar and have a drink. Bomba also doesn’t participate, but he has heard his customers talking about their bets and checking their phones for scores.

Pay To Play

Appealing to sports buffs is “an expensive process,” says Steve Torpey, owner of Stanley’s in north Wilmington. At present, businesses need DirecTV to show the NFL Sunday Ticket. Haney pays nearly $4,000 for the service. Since the fee is based on fire occupancy, Stanley’s pays almost $10,000 a year. However, only out-of-market games are available. So, another provider is needed to broadcast local teams and college sports.

And the cost might go up. DirecTV paid $1.5 billion per year for Sunday Ticket rights, which end after the 202223 season. Disney, Apple and Amazon have all submitted bids to become the new broadcast rights owner of the prized package.

If the contract goes to a streaming service, Haney and Torpey worry they will need to buy equipment to accommodate the new provider’s services. And will there be enough bandwidth? Mujica is also nervous. “Being an older building, we may have to work on the networking and wiring,” he explains.

If a streaming service lands the agreement, customers may not need to travel to a bar or restaurant; they can watch at home. But will they? “There’s such a vibe and an energy” watching it with other people,” Ewald says. “It’s hard to compete with the atmosphere.”

No sooner does she finish that sentence than she hears a roar in the Buffalo Wild Wings next door. “Oh, they’re hooting and hollering,” she says, ending the call. “I gotta go over there.”

WHERE TO WATCH THE GAMES

It’s been an historic fall for Philly sports fans.

The Phillies ended the longest current NL post-season drought and fought their way to the World Series. As of press-time, the Eagles are the only undefeated team in the NFL at 6-0. And though it’s early, the Flyers started their season 4-2.

As if that’s not enough for sports fans, World Cup Soccer arrives later this month. So, we felt it would be timely to compile a list of great places to watch the games. Play on!

1937 Brewing Company

Delaware Park, Wilmington: 800-41-SLOTS

Number of TVs: 20 in restaurant & 1 at the bar

Beers on Tap: 15 house-brewed; Bottles/Cans: available Game Specials: No NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup: Yes

2SPizza Open Soon!

168 Main St., Newark: (544-5887)

Number of TVs: 6 Beers on tap: 12; cans: 20 NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

2SP Tap House

95 Wilm/W. Chester Pk., Chadds Ford: (484-840-8736)

Number of TVs: 6 Beers on tap: 12; Cans: 20 Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

BBC Tavern & Grill

4019 Kennett Pk., Greenville: 655-3785

Number of TVs: 9 Beers on tap: 16; Bottles/Cans: 40-50 Games Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: No, Hulu Live World Cup Soccer: Yes

Big Fish Grill

720 Justison St., Wilmington; 652-3474

Number of TVs: 9

Beers on Tap: 8; Bottles/Cans: 27+ Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Buffalo Wild Wings

Christiana: 999-9211; Newark: 731-3145; Bear: 832-3900; Middletown: 285-0000

Number of TVs: Avg. 90 at each location

Beers on Tap: 24-32 beers on tap; Bottles/Cans: 24 Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes + Prime for Thursdays World Cup Soccer: Yes

World Cup Soccer: Yes

Chelsea Tavern

821 N. Market St., Wilmington: 482-3333

Number of TVs: 10 indoors + One 85-inch outdoors

Beers on tap: 33; Bottles/Cans: 250

Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Deer Park Tavern

108 W. Main St., Newark: 369-9414

Number of TVs: 21

Beers on tap: 23; Bottles/Cans: 30+ Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Dorcea

1314 Washington St., Wilmington: 691-7447

Number of TVs: 6

Beers on Tap: 14; Bottles/Cans: 24 Game Specials: yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes

World Cup: Yes

El Toro Cantina

1934 W. 6th St., Wilmington: 543-5621

Number of TVs: 5 Beers on Tap 8; Bottles/Cans: 20 Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Phillies playoff fever at Grotto Pizza (Pennsylvania Ave., Wilm.). Photo by Butch Comegys

Gallucio’s

1709 Lovering Ave., Wilm: 655-3689

Number of TVs: 6

Beers on tap: 8; Bottles/Cans: 24 Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen

Newark: 444-8646; Trolley Square: 647-7982; Bear: 440-4404; Kennett Square: 484-886-4154

Number of TVs: 12 Beers on Tap: 24; bottles/cans: 60+ Game Specials: No NFL Sunday Ticket: Newark only World Cup: Yes

Grotto Pizza

Concord Pike: 888-2222; Newark: 369-0600

Pennsylvania Ave: 777-3278

Number of TVs: 15-25

Beers on tap: 10-14; Bottles/Cans: 16-22 Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Home Base Delaware 4723 Concord Pk., Wilmington: 482-1378

Number of TVs: 30 Beers on tap: 13; Bottles/Cans: 15 Games Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Wilmington: 472-2739; Newark: 266-9000

Number of TVs: 4-8

Beers on tap: 15-16; Bottles/Cans: 17-23 Game Specials: No

NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Kelly’s Logan House

1701 Delaware Ave., Wilmington: 652-9493

Number of TVs: 18, including a big screen

Beers on Tap: 22; Bottles/Cans: 20+ Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Kid Shelleen’s

Trolley Square: 658-4600: N. Wilmington: 308-3560

Number of TVs: 8+

Beers on Tap: 13-16; Bottles/Cans: 50+ Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

McGlynn’s Pub

Pike Creek: 738-7814; Newark: 834-6661

Number of TVs: 21-32

Beers on Tap: 24; bottled beers: 50+ Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes

World Cup Soccer: Yes

Mexican Post

3100 Naamans Rd., Wilmington: 478-3939

Number of TVs: 5

Beers on Tap: 5; Two Margarita Taps; Bottles: 17+ Game Specials: yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Moneyline Sports Bar & Lounge

Delaware Park, Wilmington; 800-41-SLOTS

Number of TVs: 37

Beers on Tap: Six + 1937 brews; Bottles/Cans: 16 Game Specials: yes (plus drawings on select dates)

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes (if not conflicting with football)

Eagles football fan Suzanne Dada at Stanley's Tavern. Photo by Butch Comegys

Rockford Tavern

1705 Lovering Ave., Wilmington; 668-1242

Number of TVs: 10

Beers on Tap: 6; Bottles/Cans: 60+ Game Specials: Yes NFL Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Stanley’s Tavern

2038 Foulk Rd., Wilmington: 475-1887

Number of TVs: 40

Beers on Tap: 25; Bottles/Cans: 70+ Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Stitch House Brewery

829 N. Market St., Wilmington: 250-4280

Number of TVs: 9

Beers on Tap: 12; Cans: Crowlers to go Game Specials: No NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Veteran Stanley's bartender (32 years) cheers on the Birds. Photo by Butch Comegys

Throwbacks Sports Lounge

721 Ace Memorial Dr., Hockessin: 635-7459

Number of TVs: 15 Beers on Tap: 35; Bottles/Cans: 30+ Game Specials: Yes

NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Tonic Seafood & Steak

111 W. 11th St., Wilmington: 777-2040

Number of TVs: 9 Beers on Tap: 16; Bottles/Cans: 24+ Game Specials: No NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: No

Trolley Square Oyster House

1707 Delaware Ave., Wilmington: 384-7310

Number of TVs: 16 Beers on Tap: 16; Bottles/Cans: 26 Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

Two Stones Pub

Newark: 294-1890; Wilmington: 439-3231; Hockessin: 239-2200; Middletown: 378-8199; Kennett Square: 610-444-3940; Jennersville: 610-345-5689

Number of TVs: 6-10 Beers on Tap: 20; Cans: 20 Game Specials: No NFL Sunday Ticket: No World Cup Soccer: Yes

Washington Street Ale House 1206 Washington St., Wilmington; 658-2537

Number of TVs: 10

Beers on Tap: 24; Bottles/Cans: 30+ Game Specials: Yes NFL Sunday Ticket: Yes World Cup Soccer: Yes

High fiving the Fightin' Phils at Buffalo Wild Wings in Stanton. Photo by Butch Comegys

Photo by Tim Hawk

Marcus Miller Clifford Brown Jazz Festival

Pride of the Neighborhood

By Ken Mammarella

The bride and groom had their first date at Stanley’s Tavern. And her father met her mother there. Such connections are common at the landmark establishment.

“They’re not a fluke,” said owner Steve Torpey, whose involvement goes back 48 years. “I hear them all the time. It’s been the meeting place here in Brandywine Hundred since 1935. It’s a friendly, comfortable place.”

The building, at Foulk and Grubb roads, dates to the 1920s, and the first liquor license was issued in 1935 to Bill Patton, for a business called Bill’s Place. Stanley Minakowski bought it in 1947 and renamed it. Bill Brooks bought it in 1972 and doubled the building’s size. It was sold in 1982 to a group of doctors, and Torpey joined the partnership a year later. He bought them out in 2012. All along, there’s been a ham sandwich. The $12 Stanley’s Original is a “½ pound of ham, rye bread, grilled or cold, add cheese if you like,” the menu says. ►

Stanley’s Tavern has been a Brandywine Hundred mecca for more than 70 years

People have been coming to Stanley's Tavern for decades. At right, a shot of the original bar in 1949.

his pair of Eagles season tickets — lower level, 35-yard line — are auctioned off to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware. Add in a golf tournament, and Stanley’s has raised $2 million over the last 35 years for the nonprofit, he said.

However, there’s nothing special for Monday night football, because staffing shortages spurred Torpey to close the place on Mondays. Similarly, supply-chain issues in the last few years have been troublesome, encouraging Stanley’s into making their own brisket and corned beef, and devoting the better part of a week to re-create their cornbread when their vendor was AWOL for six weeks.

Problems from the pandemic forced Torpey to end his planned retirement and navigate the recovery for Stanley’s with son Michael, the general manager, and wife Carol, the retired controller.

Although it’s called a tavern, 70% of Stanley’s revenue is in the food, Torpey said.

Golfing legend Arnold Palmer poses with the Stanley's Tavern staff in the restaurant's kitchen.

Their best seller is the burger (beef, turkey and plant-based, starting at $12.50), with the build-your-own version offering 29 choices for toppings, cheeses and rolls (or “on the grass”).

They’re also known for their wings (with a choice of sauces) and baby back ribs (Torpey’s go-to meal), available alone or in six combos, and with four sauces and two dry-rubs.

Their best seller used to be the salad bar, which was a casualty of pandemic cleanliness regimes. The pandemic also spurred Stanley’s to increase social distancing among dining groups, giving it a capacity today of about 300, including its upstairs banquet room, which used to be Minakowski’s apartment.

They set up temporary outdoor dining under a tent in the parking lot, and Torpey plans to by next spring to make that a permanent and nicer setup, under an awning, with planter boxes to define the space and stamped concrete or pavers to upgrade the asphalt.

The menu is filled with classic pub fare, prepared well, and served with a smile. “The staff stays very consistent,” Torpey explained. “So when people come in, they recognize the staff, the staff recognizes the customers, and it’s just that ‘Cheers’ factor, where everybody knows your name and you’re glad you came.”

Stanley’s employs about 55 people, with a half-dozen working there for more than 30 years, plus another 10 for more than 20.

“We’re one big family,” Sue Lilley, an employee for 35 years, said of the staff. “We take care of each other.” Lilley works front of house, as a server, bartender and banquet room staff. She’s recently widowed and feels that her shifts allow her to “get out of the house and be with people.”

As a tavern, it has a full complement of spirits, including 25 beers on tap, with Miller Lite the most popular, and 10 on rotation. Special events highlight new releases, such as Tröegs’ Mad Elf ale. They sometimes buy extra barrels to age, letting customers compare new and older releases.

“Stanley’s is a neighborhood pub,” Torpey said. “Maybe large for what you think a neighborhood pub is, but that’s what we’re really about: A bunch of really good people trying to serve at the highest quality we can to local people, and it’s become that meeting place here in North Wilmington.”

Stanley's Tavern owner Steve Torpey (right) with son Michael, who serves as general manager for a statt of more than 50. Photo by Butch Comegys

Finding Their Game

By Matt Morrissette

Photos courtesy Joe Hoddinott/Twisted Irons CBC

Launched in early 2021 with the tongue-in-cheek slogan “your game deserves a better beer,” Twisted Irons Craft Brewing Company represents the culmination of more than two decades of dreaming, planning, and friendship between its founding partners, David Markle and head brewer Matt Found.

As coworkers in information security at a bank in the late 1990s, the two men bonded over a love of craft beer and a mutual interest and frustrating lack of skill at golf (hence the ironic name of both the business and its slogan). They began discussing opening their own brewery as early as the mid-2000s as Found’s brewing was coming into its own, but they deferred their dream until their life and financial situations aligned to make the brewery feasible.

Though opening during an unexpected and sustained Delaware craft beer boom, Twisted Irons has managed to find its niche among its friendly competitors and neighbors in Newark (including Midnight Oil Brewing Company and Autumn Arch Beer Project). Though quality beer is the priority, the brewery has gained attention through its robust calendar of events, which leans heavily on music.

►

Former work colleagues and golf pals David Markle and Matt Found may have scored an ace with Twisted Irons Craft Brewing Company

Live music and a robust calendar of events have made Newark's Twisted Irons a popular gathering spot.

“Twisted Irons focuses on creating well-balanced beers of many styles – ‘many styles’ being the key,” Markle says. “The experience of going into a brewery with 12 beers on tap and seven are IPAs will never happen here.

“Here, you’ll find various stouts (including a dry Irish, an oatmeal, and a Russian imperial), a doppelbock, a Belgian wit, a tripel, and a golden strong ale. We also have various IPAs (including a true West Coast-style), a dunkel, a selection of lagers and pilsners, an Oktoberfest, a few sours, and even an English bitter on nitro (why… just because no one else has one!).”

In their brief time of being open, Twisted Irons has already developed several flagship beers that keep their regulars coming back and the Delaware craft beer community buzzing.

“We do have several flagships,” Markle says. “Our first was and still is Flyover State of Mind IPA. This is our “Midwest” IPA that combines the best parts of an East and West Coast style creating a malt-forward beer that perfectly balances the bitter

of pineapple puree for good measure). This is our cancer beer where we donate a dollar per pint sold to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. A few other fan favorites include I’m a Little Teacup Short and Stout and the Bitter End (a great ESB).”

Twisted Irons Craft Brewing Company has also tapped into the local music community to build its audience. Several nights a week revolve around music along with a variety of local food trucks. In addition to featuring live bands most every Friday and Saturday night, the brewery hosts weekly music video bingo on Wednesdays and a growing open mic on Tuesdays hosted a pair of popular local musicians, brothers Tony and Carlos LaBoy.

The open mic features players and singers of all skill levels and styles and something of a house band to flesh out the sound.

Twisted Irons founders Matt Found (l) and Dave Markle are enjoying their venture into the craft brewing industry. In the background is Twisted Irons bartender Eddie Kowalski.

and both originals and well-worn classic rock covers in a genial and supportive atmosphere. The open mic has quickly developed a beloved cast of regular participants and fans.

“We were delighted when Tony and Carlos approached us about hosting the open mic night,” Markle says. “It’s been a great fit for our schedule, and the musicians and fans seem to really enjoy the time to get out and just play. It was always a goal to have music as a big part of our draw.”

When asked about the success of the open mic, the LaBoy brothers are quick to give the credit to one another with Carlos describing himself as a “stagehand” and calling Tony, “the brains of the operation.” Both agree that Twisted Irons is the perfect place for the weekly event and see nothing but growth potential.

With a successful year under their belts and the pandemic mainly in the rearview mirror, Twisted Irons Craft Brewing Company is focused on the future with big plans for the fall and winter months. In October alone, they have an outside movie night, a Halloween party, and a children’s trunk-or-treat event in their parking lot planned beyond their usual stacked event lineup.

More importantly, the brewery has a myriad of seasonal beers ready to hit the taps.

“We are so excited about fall and winter beer releases like our Russian Imperial Stout, Baltic Porter Lager, a new Christmas beer called Noelle’s Noel, as well as a Belgian Dubbel,” Markle says.

Though it may be too late for their golf games, by building a community around Found’s brewing skills and local music, Markle and Found may have figured this whole brewery thing out.

Flyover State of Mind, a "Midwest" IPA, is one of Twisted Irons' flagship beers. And the original can illustrations by marketing director/artist Joe Hoddinott have become so popular some customers are collecting the cans.

TUNEDIN

AREA MUSIC PROGRAMS BENEFIT FROM SHINE A LIGHT

If music is the universal language, then Wilmington is working towards being more fluent — metaphorically speaking.

In October, the Light Up the Queen (LUQ) organization awarded a total of $30,500 to three music education programs that assist Wilmington youth in underserved communities.

The funds were primarily generated by the Shine A Light concert held March 5, the 10th show in the benefit’s series. With the exception of the pandemic year of 2021, the Shine A Light concert has brought local performers and audiences together for an annual rollicking night of music at The Queen since 2012.

AN ELECTRIC HIT FROM SUG DANIELS AND JOHN FAYE

Two area artists who met during rehearsals for this year's Shine A Light concert have teamed for a new single.

Sug Daniels and John Faye will release “Lightning In A Bottle” on Wednesday, Nov. 16 on all major streaming platforms. The upbeat number sparkles with positive vibes, while addressing the efforts of two artists who are from diverse backgrounds and cultures but embrace commonality.

In addition to being working musicians who share November birthdays, Daniels and Faye both launched their careers in Delaware then eventually moved to Philadelphia for more opportunities to perform regularly.

You can catch Daniels perform in her new hometown Wednesday Nov. 16 (same date as the single release) at Kung Fu Necktie starting at 7:30pm.

Meanwhile, Faye will reunite with his longtime bandmates of The Caulfields here in Wilmington four days prior on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Theatre N. The show will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of their second album, L, and will also feature additional performances from Hot Breakfast, Cliff Hillis and the Forward Thinkers and Olivia Rubini.

Tickets and more info at TheatreN.com.

LUQ Board President Tom Williams says this year’s distribution of funds signals a change of strategy for the organization while maintaining the goals of its core mission. In prior years, LUQ ran its own music education programs at The Queen and at area schools.

“The pandemic gave us the opportunity to do a serious review of our mission and our effectiveness,” Williams says. “It became clear that our money would be better spent if we could give it to organizations with established, qualified programs that fit our mission.

“From the past year’s show, we were able to contribute $30,500 of support to community organizations providing meaningful music education programs to underserved children in our community.”

The three recipient organizations were Kingswood Community Center ($15,000 towards its partnership with Wilmington Children’s Chorus), Reed’s Refuge Center ($12,500 towards its Young Professionals Program), and Christina Cultural Arts Center ($3000).

“Pulling together 60 to 70 musicians and making sure the Shine A Light is a musical success is like having a big chocolate cake in front of me,” says the concert’s musical director Tony Cappella. “Handing a check for programs that nurture talent to those who do not have the means to pursue their talents is the icing on the cake.

“Shine A Light has been one of the most rewarding projects for me. This next year will bring in new younger musicians and some older talent that will make for another epic event!”

The 2023 Shine A Light concert will be held Sat., March 4 at The Queen and will focus on nostalgic hits from 1983.

For more information about Light Up The Queen and its mission, visit LightUpTheQueen.org.

Representatives of the Light Up the Queen organization with members of Reed's Refuge Center.

TICKET

Fill in the

You know the drill:

(1) Ask your friends to help “fill in the blanks” for the missing words needed below.

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

(3) Got a funny one? Take a photo and send it to us at Contact@OutAndAboutNow.com

$50 Gift Card to Pizza By Elizabeths (One entry per person; must be 21 or older to enter). Have fun!

THE WIVES OF CENTREVILLE

Have you been watching the The Wives of Centreville ? It’s amazing! The Hollywood Reporter calls it “the ( adjective ending in -est ) show on TV” and a reviewer from People said it is “so ( adjective ), I can’t stop ( verb ending in -ing )!”

My favorite cast member is ( female friend’s first name ), the wife of famous Delaware ( occupation ) ( full name of male friend noun ). She is such a ( adjective ) ( animal ) — and a ( adjective ) shopper, too! In the last episode, they showed her at a posh store, trying on a designer ( animal )-print jacket. When she found out it cost ( number > 1 ) dollars, she rolled her eyes and said, “What do I look like? A ( adjective ) ( noun )?!”

Another wife, ( second female friend’s first name ), is also entertaining to watch. She’s always the life of the party, with a ( adjective ) ( cocktail ) in one hand and a pair of ( plural noun ) in the other. They showed her at her daughter’s wedding at the bar doing shots of ( liquid ) and dancing on the ( item of furniture ).

Then, there is ( third female friend’s first name ), who always seems to get the short end of the ( noun ). She’s just had a bad break-up with her ex, who she caught having an affair with a well-known ( occupation ) from ( Delaware town ). It was so scandalous !

There’s a new episode tonight called “A ( adjective ) Secret.” You definitely should watch it!

THE CITY

MAYOR COMMENTS ON THE PASSING OF FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WALSH

F ormer longtime City Council Member Loretta Walsh passed away on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at the age of 73, less than a month after stepping down from Council for health reasons. Mayor Purzycki issued the following statement upon learning of Walsh’s passing:

“We learned this morning that Loretta Walsh passed overnight. On behalf of a very grateful City, I extend condolences to her daughter Robin, her son-in-law Michael, her grandchildren Jack and Allie, and to Loretta’s entire family and large circle of friends and supporters. In a way, it was a blessing that many of us were able to come together in City Council to wish Loretta well in her retirement and express our affection and respect for her. Residents throughout Wilmington had the opportunity on the occasion of her retirement to tell Loretta they appreciated how she always fought for them and the City of Wilmington. Now, sadly, we come together to mourn her passing and celebrate a life devoted to her supportive family and to her beloved City.”

WFD CONTINUES TO DIVERSIFY

Mayor Mike Purzycki congratulated Wilmington Fire Chief John Looney on bringing together one of the most diverse fire academies in City history. This month, when the 42nd WFD Academy opens, it will feature a diverse group of recruits that includes 8 Black males, 8 White males, 1 Black female, and 2 Hispanic males, or a 58% minority participation class. These individuals were selected for the academy from the hundreds that applied.

The 19 recruits have received a conditional offer of employment, which is contingent on the successful completion of the academy along with passing a complete medical examination and a criminal background check.

“Our primary focus is to recruit the most outstanding individuals to become Wilmington firefighters,” said Chief Looney. “Recruitment into a line of public service that potentially carries severe consequences as well as tremendous rewards is not necessarily easy, but the WFD supports the Mayor’s call to make sure the doors to public service are open to everyone. We’re committed to making sure our department reflects the community it serves and provides the highest standards of firefighting.”

The Mayor also pointed to the Wilmington Police Dept.’s last academy—the 101st—which graduated in August as another example of the City’s commitment to diversify Wilmington’s public safety landscape.

BVD BARBER SALON’S CHESS ON THE SQUARE

Chess players of all skill levels are invited to participate in the 7th Annual “Chess on the Square” event, to be held Saturday, November 12 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Wilmington Library. This FREE chess tournament and chess learning event is sponsored by BVD Barber Salon owner Terrone Warren, Council President Trippi Congo, and Lisa Flowers. Mayor Mike Purzycki thanks the organizers for staging this annual event, which is popular with chess players of all ages. The Mayor also thanks Council President Congo for his sponsorship of the annual event. Warren owns the BVD Barber Salon on W. 8th St. and organizes the tournament each year with Lisa Flowers. This year’s FREE tournament will feature multiple chess tables and simultaneous games at the Wilmington Library on East 10th Street. To register for the tournament, visit www.chessonthesquare.org, email chessonthesquarewilm@gmail.com or call 302.420.2152.

2022 WILMINGTON AWARD AND ACCESS WILMINGTON AWARD RECIPIENTS

Mayor Mike Purzycki, and Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo, honored six City residents with the 18th Annual Wilmington Awards and two local organizations with an Access Wilmington Award during a public ceremony on Thurs., Oct. 13, 2022, at the Louis L. Redding City/County Building in Downtown Wilmington.

Mayor Purzycki joined other elected officials, community partners, and assorted guests to cut the ribbon on the new $26M Southbridge Wilmington Wetlands Park. The award-winning 20-acre stormwater management facility and community park bordered by A St., Walnut St., and Garasches La. in South Wilmington took 16 years to complete.

Mayor Mike Purzycki, Matt Ford, Charles McDowell, Denara Charles (Caring Hands Phlebotomy Services, LLC), Debra Mason, Constance McCarthy, Apostle Andre Harris, Michael Kalmbach (Creative Vision Factory), Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo.

Restaurants and

DuPont Environmental Education Center

Riverwalk Holiday Lights

Riverfront Rewards and App