Out & About Magazine - June 2018

A Seat at Talula's Table

What's Happening on the Riverfront

Wilmington Brew Works Sets Up Shop

G R E AT E R W I L M I N G T O N

GET OUTDOORS Your summer adventures start here JUNE 2018 COMPLIMENTARY

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WILMINGTON 1968 EXHIBITIONS JUNE 30 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2018 This summer, the Museum reflects on the 50 years since the National Guard occupation of Wilmington with a trio of civil rights-themed exhibitions: photographs by Danny Lyon, drawings by Harvey Dinnerstein and Burton Silverman, and a commissioned work by renowned artist Hank Willis Thomas.

Visit delart.org for exhibition info or Wilmington1968.org for a list of city-wide programs.

2301 Kentmere Pkwy Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 delart.org

Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement includes 57 photographs and is organized by art2art Circulating Exhibitions. Sponsored

by DuPont, Bank of America, and WSFS Bank. Left: March on Washington, August 28, 1963. Danny Lyon (born 1942). Gelatin silver print, 20 x 16 inches. © Danny Lyon, New York & Magnum Photos, New York / Courtesy Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

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2 INSIDE 2

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Out & About Magazine Vol. 31 | No. 4

Published each month by TSN Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

30 39

Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Senior Editor & Digital Media Manager Krista Connor • kconnor@tsnpub.com Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. matt@catvis.biz Graphic Designer Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. tyler@catvis.biz Contributing Designer Ryan Alexander, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Contributing Writers Adriana Camacho-Church, Mark Fields, Pam George, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Dan Linehan, Mike Little, Dillon McLaughlin, John Murray, Kevin Francis, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Scott Pruden, Leeann Wallett

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Rebecca Parsons and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Tim Hawk, Anthony Santoro, Matt Urban Distribution David Hallberg Special Projects Sarah Green, John Holton Interns Mathew Brown-Watson

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65 START

WATCH

9 The War on Words 11 F.Y.I. 12 Worth Recognizing 15 What Readers Are Saying 17 Quick-Stepping Into History 19 Tribute to Local Legends 25 Veteran Volunteers

57 Rockin’ the First State 61 Reviews

LEARN

LISTEN

10 Olympic Quest

30 A Refuge for All 36 Outdoor Destinations Worth Trying

70 Firefly Through the Camera’s Eye 73 Five Questions with Bruce & Sam 76 For the Record with The Naked & Famous

EAT

PLAY

39 Talula’s Table 45 Bites

78 Five Questions with Chris D’Elia

FOCUS

DRINK 65 Wilmington Brew Works 68 Spirited 69 Sips

WILMINGTON 46 In the City 50 On the Riverfront On the cover: The Clarke-Fields family enjoys nature at the DuPont Environmental Education Center.

Photo by Joe del Tufo Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 outandaboutnow.com • contact@tsnpub.com

FEATURES 25 Veteran Volunteers A unit of the State Parks system gives vets a chance to learn skills that can lead to new careers.

By Larry Nagengast

30 A Refuge for All The DuPont Environmental Education Center, at the end of the Riverwalk, provides respite for bald eagles, turtles, frogs—and humans.

By Krista Connor

36 Outdoor Destinations Parks, trails and activities worth trying this summer, courtesy of our staff and contributors.

73 Five Questions with Bruce & Sam Area jazz and folk duo talk beat boxing, beach trips, and their inaugural album, out June 1.

By Krista Connor

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

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

Phillies Faux Pas Long-time readers Walt DelGiorno and Debbie Layton are calling out Phillies TV play-by-play guy Tom McCarthy, and incidentally, his boothmate, Ben Davis.

Walt points out that McCarthy noticed that a runner on first base and the first baseman were having a conversation and he asked Davis if he wanted to “go down there and tell them ‘no fratenizing.’”

Davis replied that yes, he would tell them “no fratenizing.” As Walt points out, they both dropped the r in the word fraternizing.

And Debbie caught Tommy Mac observing that a manager “. . . must have saw something.” Like many media talkers (see Rick Williams item below), he has trouble with the present and past perfect of several verbs. “. . . must have seen something” is correct.

And then I heard this uttered by sometime radio color man Kevin Stocker: “The amount of runs scored by the Phillies . . .”

Use “number” when referring to plurals.

Media Watch • A reader contributes two: Anchor Rick Williams, on 6ABC, commented about a suspicious package thusly: "If a bomb had went off. . .” That should be gone off, of course. And NBC News Anchor Lester Holt signs off with "We appreciate you spending time with us." That should be “your spending time with us”; it’s the act he appreciates, not you.

• Reader Janet Strobert discerned a dangling modifier in this TV testimonial ad for Shannondell, the retirement home near Valley Forge: "As an actor and director, this theater captivated me when I first moved here." The theater is not an actor and director. The sentence should properly read: “As an actor and director, I was captivated by . . .”

• And this was the subject line on an email from Delaware Public Media: “You're Reliable Source for Delaware Debates.” Your is the possessive needed here, not the contraction for you are.

How Long, Oh Lord, How Long?

(In which we cite misuse of that most abused punctuation mark, the apostrophe) An invitation to a charity event sponsored by a Baltimorearea school began “Golf with the Raven’s.” I responded: “With the Raven’s what?”

By Bob Yearick

Department of Redundancies Dept.

Willie Geist, on MSNBC, spoke of “a small handful of supporters.” Handful: “a small quantity or number.”

And see the photo below right.

Hard to Believe, Harry (The phrase used by late Phillies broadcaster Richie Ashburn when he alerted his late boothmate, Harry Kalas, to an egregious event on the field) We had to put this one here because it’s from the normally well-edited People Magazine, making it especially glaring: “The Mask of Zorro star, 57, proved that him and Griffith, 60, are the friendliest of exes . . .” The writer, Nigel Smith, should know that it’s “he and Griffith.”

Thanks to reader Rose Zannetti for this.

And sometimes not so silently.

At top of sign, "Closed" would have worked just fine.

And finally . . .

I have to take exception to one of the “36 commonly misused phrases” recently posted by Granite Media Group, a California company. Among the usual “I could care less/I couldn’t care less,” “try and/try to,” “360-degree turnaround/180-degree turnaround” was this: “Hone in vs. Home in—Like many of these examples, both of these are correct in their own way. [Ed. Note: No, they are not.] When you hone in on something, you’re focusing in and, theoretically, becoming distinctly better at it—like a skill or trade.”

This is so wrong. For starters, “hone in” is not a legitimate phrase. Hone simply means “to sharpen” and should never be followed by in—or any other preposition. Too often, it is substituted for home in, which means to target, or move toward a goal. This post by a respected journalism site just encourages such semi-literacy.

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

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

Word of the Month

adonize Pronounced AD-uh-nyz, it’s a verb meaning to make more attractive; to spruce up.

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

Buy The War on Words at the Hockessin Book Shelf, on Amazon, or by calling Out & About at 655-6483.

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LEARN

PHOTO BY SA GRIFFIN 305

Wilmington University’s Dr. Janice Wardle and students Manon Neal, Stephanie Moore, Hillary Sinclair, and Nichelle Scott embarked on the trip of a lifetime to Colorado’s Olympic Training Center.

OLYMPIC QUEST

Four local graduate students get the Olympic treatment

C

alling it “a childhood dream,” Manon Neal got a running start and then cartwheeled—right on the very mat where U. S. Olympic gymnasts train!

“I was achy the next day, but it was so worth it,” she says. “That was the closest I will come to fulfilling any Olympic aspirations.”

The cartwheel was just one of the many highlights for Neal and three other Wilmington University graduate students who, last October, spent five days at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, participating in the TEAM USA Experience.

The four are students in WilmU’s Master of Science in Management (MSM) program. Besides Neal, who is studying for her MSM with an Organizational Leadership concentration, the group included Stephanie Moore (Human Resources), Nichelle Scott (Healthcare Administration) and Hillary Sinclair (Organizational Leadership).

They used the TEAM USA Experience, which was developed by the OTC in partnership with various colleges and universities, as a part of their thesis for an independent study project that combines research, theory and practice to solve real-world business challenges.

In this case, the challenge was to assist the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation in meeting their funding goals for 2020.

Because the U.S. government does not fund their participation in the games, persuading private citizens to contribute to their Olympic effort

is critical. According to Sarah Hammer, a four-time silver medalist in cycling, Olympic athletes must pay for their own training unless they’re funded by an organization, which rarely happens unless the athlete is an almost-guaranteed medal winner.

Neal, Moore, Scott and Sinclair were presented with a two-fold task: first, developing a campaign to motivate 1 million individuals to donate $100 each to the Foundation by 2020, and second, engaging 350 million people via social media to support Team USA 2020.

As part of the immersive experience, the group toured the 40-acre OTC campus and used the athlete dorms and dining halls. They also observed the athletes training, and heard from current and former Olympians about the challenges of competing in sports at a world-class level. As a result, the WilmU students gained a deep respect, bordering on awe, for not only the athletes but also everyone associated with the Olympic program.

On their last day, the students presented their recommendations to Olympic officials. Perhaps the most significant proposal was to increase the postings on the Foundation's website to make it more of an influencer. Apparently, the Foundation has picked up on this suggestion, because since the visit, website posts have increased in frequency from one every two or three days to at least one daily.

Another idea that generated enthusiasm was “20 for 20,” which encourages Americans to donate $20 for 20 months leading up to the 2020 Summer Olympics. These and other recommendations are still being considered.

The trip left each member of the WilmU group with her own unique impressions. Neal states, “I was excited that my research could possibly benefit Team USA, and I look forward to having an invaluable realworld experience to put on my résumé. I left the OTC feeling that my small contribution made me a part of something so big.”

While other universities have been invited to visit the OTC, WilmU was the first to incorporate it into students’ thesis work. And the Olympic committee has invited the University to send another group of students this fall.

As for this group, Stephanie Moore probably sums it up best: “This trip will be something I’ll talk about for years, and I will be grateful forever.” Learn more about Wilmington University at wilmu.edu.

Follow the Olympic team at teamusa.org.

You are different.

So are we.

Experience the WilmU difference.

Apply today, start September 4.

wilmu.edu/StartNow 10 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START O&A READERS CONTEST

W

F.Y.I. Things worth knowing

Compiled by Mathew Brown-Watson

JUNE KICKS OFF KEEP DELAWARE BEAUTIFUL

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THE TWISTED VINTNER IS JUNE 14

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he Concordville-Chadds Ford Rotary will host its eighth annual Twisted Vintner event from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at the Concordville Town Center in Glen Mills, Pa. Attendees will enjoy a Homemade Wine Competition & Taste of The Town feature, which will provide them with a wide assortment of fare from participating restaurants, wineries, and breweries, as well as homemade wine from participants in the competition. The event also includes a silent auction as well as music and dancing.

Proceeds will benefit the ConcordvilleChadds Ford Rotary Club’s many community programs and organizations, such as CASA, Rachel Kohl Library, Disabled Veterans, Darlington Arts Center, the Brandywine Youth Club, and more.

Tickets are $60 in advance and $65 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at twistedvintner.org. For more information or an updated list of vendors and sponsors, contact ccfrotary@gmail.com or visit the Twisted Vintner Facebook page.

his year marks the 20th anniversary of the Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup campaign, which begins this month in The First State with Keep Delaware Beautiful.

The Great American Cleanup is an annual undertaking for an estimated 20,000 communities nationwide. More than 5 million volunteers and participants get involved every year with the purpose of creating a positive impact on the appearance of their communities.

Through volunteer events and education programs, parks, trails, shorelines and waterways are cleaned, trees and flowers are planted, and community gardens are renewed—all in keeping with the overall purpose of the Keep America Beautiful initiative, which is to end littering, improve recycling and beautify American communities.

To get involved in this campaign or to register an event in the month of June, visit keepdelawarebeautiful.com. For more information on the overall mission and scope of Keep America Beautiful, visit kab.org.

BETHANY BEACH CRAFT SHOW

T

he 14th annual Bethany Beach Seaside Craft Show will take place on Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the boardwalk.

Sponsored by the Bethany Beach Cultural and Historical Affairs Committee, it features a juried fine arts craft show with more than 100 vendors participating in myriad categories, including decorative painting, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, photography, pottery, textiles, wearable art and wood. Music will also be provided by Notes on the Beach from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit townofbethanybeach.com.

ho’s ready for another challenge?

Last month, here in FYI we asked three questions with answers scattered in articles throughout the magazine.

Congratulations to Paula Di Netta, Bryson Dean and Sam Strobert for getting them right! (For the curious, answers were: 1.

A 16-pg. handwritten letter 2. He’d get off the boat around 2 p.m. to sell the morning’s catch 3. Teach.)

And now for the June challenge.

Ready, set, read: 1) What date is the Delaware Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame’s first induction ceremony?

2) DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, celebrating 30 years this summer, was founded by whom?

3) What’s the name of the seven-mile trail that will soon stretch from New Castle to the Riverfront?

Email answers to contact@tsnpub.com with the subject line “Contest” by June 19 for a chance to win prizes.

44TH ANNUAL ST. ANTHONY’S ITALIAN FESTIVAL

T

he 44th annual St. Anthony’s Italian Festival begins Sunday, June 10, and continues until Sunday, June 17, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 901 N. DuPont St., Wilmington. The festival is sponsored

by St. Anthony of Padua Church, with proceeds benefitting the church.

As usual, the festival offers a wide selection of authentic and delicious Italian cuisine, combined with virtual tours of Italy made available by choosing a meal or snack in one of the many outdoor eateries.

Daily admission is $5 for ages 1461. Children under the age of 14 are free provided they are accompanied by a parent or guardian, and anyone over the age of 61 get in free. There is an eight-day pass available for $12 pre-festival at the parish office through Friday, June 8, or $15 on the opening day of the festival. For more information, visit stanthonysfestival.com.

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WORTH RECOGNIZING

Community Members Who Go Above & Beyond Inspiring hope in troubled teens and young adults

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THIRTY EVENTS

FOR THIRTY YEARS!

OutAndAboutNow.com

hase Marvil began posting inspirational messages on Instagram five years ago, when he was just 15.

Little did the teenager know that this small act of kindness would affect not only people in Delaware, but the world over.

After seeing too many unkind and self-defeating messages on people’s timelines, the resident of Greenwood, a quaint town in southern Delaware, posted such phrases as “You are loved,” “You are not alone,” and “You can do this.”

Then one day he received a message from a girl in California who was having a bad day and needed someone to talk with. Shortly afterward, another person contacted him, then another. It soon spiraled from there.

Realizing the momentum his posts were generating, Marvil founded “The Inspiring Project” in December 2013. It’s a social media campaign focused on promoting hope and inspiration for teens and young adults struggling with bullying, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

The project encourages people to post positive quotes and messages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Using the #theinspiringproject, anyone can see these posts.

“Your post can potentially be the one to change or potentially save someone’s life,” says Marvil, a student at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown. “You don’t need to be anyone in particular to make an impact.”

Besides helping 75,000 followers on social media, Marvil says he’s helped an additional 25,000 people through donations and events he has organized with local schools, festivals, businesses and organizations to increase support and awareness.

“I have a relationship with these people,” he says. “They’re just not a number for me. I set time aside to interact with them.” He receives numerous thank you letters from folks throughout the U.S. and other countries.

Marvil received the 2017 Governor’s Award and the 2016 Teenager of the Year Award from Kiwanis International. He has also been recognized by local charities and the University of Delaware.

Since the project’s inception, he has raised $2,000 from the sale of bracelets he designed that are emblazoned with the phrase “I Won’t Give Up,” as well as caps, t-shirts and sweatshirts sold at public events and on his website “The Inspiring Project.” He’s donated $1,500 of it to The Foundation for a Better Tomorrow, Delmarva Teen Challenge and the Boy and Girls Club. He used the remainder to cover the cost of information material he hands out and to purchase his online merchandise.

Over a year ago he organized IMPACT Night, a monthly program held at Bridgeville Library, where kids get together for games, music, food, and to make new friends. When a teen needs extra help, Marvil encourages him or her to talk with a trusted adult.

“I have seen Chase welcome tweens, teens, and young adults into the program (IMPACT Night),” says Karen Johnson, Bridgeville Public Library Director. “[He] [comforts] them when they [reach] out with difficult stories. Whether we are playing games, making a craft, or just hanging out, his message remains the same—acceptance.”

In 2015 Marvil organized an event called “Inspiring Wall” at Woodbridge High School, where 800 index cards with inspirational quotes were displayed on a wall. Soon after he and his friends spread the event to other schools in the Woodbridge School District.

Raised with mottos such as “Give Before Receiving,” Marvil says he couldn’t do everything he does without the support of his parents, friends, and community.

In the fall, he plans to attend Wilmington University in Georgetown to major in marketing.

For information on The Inspiring Project, go to theinspiringproject.com, Facebook or Twitter.

Photo provdied by Chase Marvil

CHASE MARVIL:

— Adriana Camacho-Church 12 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Separation Day IN HISTORIC NEW CASTLE

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FRIDAY & SATURDAY

JUNE 8th & 9th

Join us in celebrating one of delaware’s oldest traditions!

FRIDAY 6-9:30pm

kicK-off party SEPARATION DAY

Live Music by Big Package • Craft Beer • Food Trucks

SATURDAY

11am-10pm

Celebrating Our 242nd Year of Independence from Pennsylvania and the British Crown Admission charged Noon-5pm

PARADE • BBQ • LIVE MUSIC • FIREWORKS 11AM START

NOON-5PM

FIVE BANDS! MUSIC STARTS NOON

START AT 9:30!

BAND LINEUP: Federal Street, 330 Hemi, Blues Cat Blues, Element K, Special Delivery

ALL DAY!

Kids Rides & Attractions • Games • BBQ Wings Competition Custom Cars • Food & Drink • Craft Vendors • And More!

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING About Saying Goodbye to a Staple at Stanley’s After 46 years, bartender Linda Marshall served her last customer on May 24

By Rob Kalesse, May 2018

Build Your Own

Poké Bowl High-quality, sushi-grade fish and fresh veggies in an authentic Hawaiian-style poké bowl

Happy retirement Linda congratulations — Joe Musacchio Linda - what a great story! You are one of my favorite people!

Love you and congrats!

— Leigh Wilson Perillo

Follow Us!

Congrats Linda and the best of luck as you move on to other adventures!

— Kirk Bailey Sr.

@eatpokebros

eatpokebros.com

About A Village in the City Involved residents have infused Trinity Vicinity with a unique sense of community for nearly 150 years

By Dillion McLaughlin, May 2018 Way back in time, Trenton Place was also known as “honeymoon row” because of the large number of newlyweds that bought their first homes there. I lived at 1008 back in the 90’s and a long-time resident shared that information with me.

— Heather Marvel Craig About Worth Recognizing: Ismael Medina

By Adriana Camacho-Church, May 2018 CONGRATULATIONS, Ish! You have a bright future. I'm proud of you my friend. Keep goin, I believe in you.

— Mery Ag Felicitaciones y Éxitos (Congratulations and success) — Marlene Aguinaga About 5 Questions with the Loveable ‘Queen of Mean’ Lisa Lampanelli

By Mathew Brown-Watson, online May 2018 We already have our tix!! Can’t wait!

— Donna Peterson

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

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See Summer in a New Shade Explore summer gardens bursting into color, grow your knowledge in our classes, or join us for special events.

mtcubacenter.org/out 3120 Barley Mill Rd. Hockessin, Delaware

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Author Jon Springer was an assistant editor at Out & About in the 1990s.

QUICK-STEPPING INTO HISTORY A new book chronicles the quick rise and precipitous fall of Delaware’s only Major League team

By Rob Kalesse reelance journalists are always on the lookout for the next great story, just as Major League hitters look for a 3-0 fast ball down the middle. For writer Jon Springer, 1989 University of Delaware grad and assistant editor at Out & About in the 1990s, that fast pitch was delivered in 2003. It came in the form of the Wilmington Quicksteps, the lone big-league baseball team in the history of the First State.

Springer wrote an in-depth story about the Quicksteps for the March 2003 issue of O&A, and now, 15 years later, that story has spawned a book: Once Upon a Team: The Historic Rise and Epic Fall of the Wilmington Quicksteps. Released last month by Sports Publishing, its 200-and-change pages chronicle Wilmington’s storied squad, its players and its place in local lore.

Springer, who has lived in New York since 2003, says he randomly came across the Quicksteps in a Manhattan book store when he picked up a copy of A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life and Times of John Montgomery Ward. The book included a passage in which Ward, a baseball player and manager from the late 19th century, spoke of his minor league team from Lock Haven, Pa., playing the Wilmington team. In the story, the Quicksteps were referred to as

F

the “U.S. Amateur Champions of Baseball,” which Springer later found to be true of the 1883 squad, rather than the 1884 team that eventually went pro.

PLAYING .800 BALL “Having lived in Wilmington for four years prior to that point, I was fascinated by the idea of a professional baseball team in the city back then, or ever, for that matter,” says Springer. “I knew how much effort it took to get the Blue Rocks franchise here in 1993, so I had a feeling that Wilmington’s pro baseball history was spotty at best. When I found out that the Quicksteps only lasted one year at the pro level after finishing with a record over .800 as a minor league team, I knew there was more to the story.”

In Once Upon a Team, Springer explains how clubs changed year after year, cobbling together players of all skill levels, and sometimes changing leagues or even folding due to low attendance and financial struggles. In the fledgling days of amateur and professional sports, a functioning team only survived if it was properly funded and could find a viable place to play. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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QUICK-STEPPING INTO HISTORY continued from previous page

“Each season was different,” Springer says. “You had a mix of aspiring pro players and guys whose only alternative was a lowpaying factory job. Players were drinkers and carousers looking for any way out of working a ‘real’ job. But the ’83 team had an excellent manager named Joe Simmons, who knew how to select good players. He brought in guys like Oyster Burns and Dan Casey, who would go on to eventually play in the majors.”

(Casey, by the way, would later serve as the inspiration for Ernest Thayer’s legendary poem, “Casey at the Bat.”) That ’83 squad would win 50 of 62 games, constituting the “epic rise” of the club that played its games at Wilmington Ball Grounds (also known as the Union Grounds Ball Park at what today is the corner of Banning Parkway and Lancaster Avenue, just off South Union Street). The Quicksteps even held their own against Major Leagues teams who passed through the northeast corridor.

“Because of the city’s geographical advantage, being so close to Philly and Baltimore, and on the way to New York and D.C., they had scrimmages with some pretty good big-league teams,” says Springer. “They even beat the mighty Brooklyn Atlantics (before they became the Dodgers), so they proved they were capable of playing with the best.”

A .111 ‘WINNING’ PERCENTAGE The following season, however, that taste of success turned sour when the franchise moved up to the Union League, a professional rival to the early National League. That precipitated the “historic fall” described in Springer’s book.

The team became embroiled in a player war between the two leagues, which included contract disputes, teams stealing players, crooked umpires, and even one player falling down an elevator shaft (some teammates believed he was drunk at the time). They posted a .111 “winning” percentage—the lowest ever recorded at the professional level—were quickly replaced by another team and died of financial ruin shortly thereafter.

Despite the unfortunate ending to the Quicksteps story, Springer paints a romantic picture of Wilmington before the turn of the century. Older city residents and Delaware historians alike will recognize plenty of familiar names and places, including Delaware Chief Justice Edward W. Gilpin and socialite Henry Tatnall, as well as companies like Repauno Chemical (a precursor to du Pont) and Harlan & Hollingsworth (an old railroad and trolley car manufacturer).

For Springer, a lifelong New York Mets fan who has written a book about that team, it’s the game’s nuance and the quirky stories and characters that he always found captivating while growing up on Long Island.

“The rules of the game, the uniforms and corresponding numbers, and even the stadiums where the teams played were always things that piqued my interest growing up,” he says.

“Even the Civil War’s influence on the game fascinated me, and is reflected in the Quicksteps name, which refers to a doubletime march that soldiers used on the battle field.”

The hardcover book is available on Amazon for $24.99, while a Kindle version goes for just under $15. Springer says it is also available at bookshops in the Wilmington area, including Barnes & Noble.

18 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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L-R: Paula Wolkind, George Wolkind and Steven Leech are among the founders of the Delaware Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Photo Dennis Dischler

TRIBUTE To local legends Fifteen contributors to the state’s rich rock ‘n’ roll history will be enshrined next month in the new hall of fame

By Larry Nagengast

T

im Cleary remembers the formula for success in the music world succinctly spelled out by Wilmington-area guitarist Johnny Kay, who briefly hit it big in the early days of rock ’n’ roll, playing “Rock Around the Clock” with Bill Haley and the Comets in 1954.

“Johnny told me, ‘it’s 90 percent luck and 10 percent talent,’’’ says Cleary, who played with Kay as members of Al Santoro and the Highlighters. Cleary now sings and plays bass with the Dover-based Glass Onion band.

Back in the day, there was plenty of talent in Delaware’s rock music scene, but not much in the way of luck, leaving little but

fading memories of the pioneering acts that define the state’s rock ’n’ roll heritage.

That’s why George and Paula Wolkind and a half-dozen associates have banded together to create a Delaware Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

For now, the hall remains virtual—the nonprofit group hopes a benefactor will offer a suitable site—but it does have a website, delawarerockandrollhalloffame.com, and a Facebook page.

But the lack of a brick-and-mortar location isn’t stopping the founders from organizing the hall’s first induction ceremonies on Sunday, July 15, at the baby grand in Wilmington. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Dennis Dischler

TRIBUTE TO LOCAL LEGENDS continued from previous page

George Wolkind is president of the hall of fame.

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The biggest names in the state’s rock history—George Thorogood and Johnny Neel come to mind—aren’t in the inaugural class, but their day will come, perhaps as early as next year, says George Wolkind, whose musical past includes a stint as lead singer for the Newark alternative rock group Snakegrinder in the early ’70s.

“We’re focusing on the ’50s and ’60s, honoring folks who are getting older while we can—while they’re still vertical,” he says. “Sadly, we’ve lost some already.”

The Delaware music scene in those years was vibrant, to say the least. Haley, who lived on Foulk Road, just over the state line in Pennsylvania, had a strong local following. And, while Dick Clark’s Philadelphia-based American Bandstand TV show became a national weekday afternoon phenomenon, local teens would dance on two shows on WVUE, Channel 12, in Wilmington. One was hosted by Grady and Hurst on weekdays, and the other by Mitch Thomas, Delaware’s first African-American DJ, on Saturdays, according to local rock historian and hall board member Steven Leech.

In fact, Leech says, when the Diamonds made “The Stroll” a top-10 national hit in 1958, Clark made a point of crediting teens from Thomas’s show with creating the popular dance.

Delaware’s rock stature grew in the 1960s, Leech says, largely due to the efforts of Wilmington producer Vinnie Rago, whose Richie and Universal labels featured recordings by local artists. Many of those songs got regular play on WAMS, the Wilmington AM radio station that compiled its own weekly list of hits.

None of the Delaware artists of the era produced a national Top 40 hit. The closest anyone came was Teddy and the Continentals, a doo-wop group whose recording of “Ev’rybody Pony” reached 101 on the Bubbling Under chart in September 1961, Leech says.

Teddy and the Continentals will be among the 15 artists and contributors who will be inducted into the hall this year. Other inductees (see pg. 23) include individuals and groups who captured their 15 minutes of fame while recording for little-known labels and bands who enhanced their standing over time by playing covers of Top 40 tunes.

Leech has fond memories of the group because Teddy Henry, the lead singer, attended Conrad High School with him during the 1960-61 school year. Leech recalls serving on a dance committee at the school and asking Henry to bring the Continentals to perform a set during the annual Sadie Hawkins Dance. “They began to sing a cappella, then the live band picked up a couple of chords,” Leech recalls. “Teddy stopped everything, talked to the drummer about tempo, and they started singing again. It was great for a high school dance, an experience I’ll always remember.”

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Henry didn’t return to Conrad the following year—this was when “Ev’rybody Pony” was getting national play—and Leech never saw him again. He died in 1984.

While the local rock scene built momentum in the 1960s, two of the biggest names of the generation passed through Wilmington but attracted little attention while here. Reggae icon Bob Marley lived in the city in 1965 and worked for a time at the Chrysler auto assembly plant in Newark. On Nov. 22 of that year, Bob Dylan married Sara Lownds, a Wilmington resident formerly known as Shirley Noznitzky.

Brief visits by Dylan and a short sojourn for Marley aren’t likely to qualify them for membership in the Delaware hall, but that’s not a big concern of the Wolkinds, at least not for now.

“The problem with any hall of fame,” George says, “is that you can’t get everybody in at the same time. You have to space it out.”

For the first year, Paula adds, “we’re honoring the little people … people who are sitting in our back yard who haven’t gotten the applause that is due them.”

“These are the forerunners, the pioneers. We want to honor them first,” says Leech, who hosts “Even Steven’s Boptime,” playing music from the ’40s through the ’60s from 6 to 10 Saturday mornings on WVUD-FM, the University of Delaware radio station. His extensive history of the early days of Delaware rock is posted on the hall’s website.

The website consists of far more than words. It’s a musical memory lane, featuring not only photos of many performers but also images of their 45 rpm discs, with many of the images providing links to recordings of their songs.

The Wolkinds would like to eventually find a physical site for the hall but there are no prominent rock venues in the state with space available and “we’ll need to raise a lot of money” to make a permanent location possible, George says.

“We want a place where people can come in, press a button, and up pops music from the Sin City Band,” he says. Having a building would also make it possible for older musicians to give lessons, “to show the younger folks how to play jazz, how to play blues, how to play rock.”

Chuck Durante, a Wilmington lawyer who helped the Wolkinds with incorporating the organization, has been involved with three similar ventures in the state—its sports, track and basketball halls of fame. Only the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame has a permanent home, at Frawley Stadium on the Wilmington Riverfront.

A physical presence may not be essential, Durante says. “Unless you have a substantial array of visual displays and a need to hold archival materials, the virtual hall is the path to follow.”

Nevertheless, George Wolkind says, some people are already looking for the hall, whose official address is the Newark-area apartment where he and Paula live.

“Two guys came to our apartment complex, and they tell the manager they’re looking for the Delaware Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. The manager calls me, and I come down and say ‘this is the hall of fame.’ They said they had seen some construction down the road and figured that might be it. I said, ‘if you want a hall of fame, give me a donation and we’ll put it toward construction.’ So they gave me 10 dollars.”

Paula Wolkind hopes that kind of spirit can build, and seeing 35,000 hits on the hall’s Facebook page in its first three months is fueling her optimism. “We’re floored to see so many in the community reliving their memories,” she says. “Music makes people happy. It brings people together. It’s our last refuge.”

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Delaware Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2018 Teddy and the Continentals, a doo-wop group from the early 1960s, headed by Teddy Henry and backed up by Donald Jackson, Lawrence Davis, Gerald Hamilton and Eugene Calloway. With Jerome Jefferson as their instrumentalist and arranger, they had a national hit with “Ev’rybody Pony” in 1961, and later opened for Bill Haley and the Comets and St. Elizabeth High School when Haley tried to revive his career in the early 1960s.

The Five Diamonds, another ‘60s doo-wop group, included Leonard Griffin, William Loper, Jimmy Smith, Coleman Griffin and Chick Lloyd. Managed by Wilmington DJ Mitch Thomas, the group recorded four songs on the Treat label in New York City and once performed at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Andy and the Gigolos, led by Andy Ercole, recorded a song for a new dance called “The Bug” on Vinnie Rago’s Universal label. Ercole also produced records on his Dandy label, including a tune called “Bop Diddle Widdle.”

Vic and the Versatiles was led by Vic Holveck, who had been with Andy and the Gigolos. Formed in the mid’50s and rising to prominence a decade later, the group didn’t do any commercial recordings, concentrating on playing at clubs, weddings and other social events. Its strength was more pop than rock, Leech says, playing tunes like Tom Jones’ “Delilah.” Until a few months ago, Holveck had been giving music lessons at the Accent Music store on Kirkwood Highway near Newark.

The Hurricanes, another ’50s band, was led by Richie Immediato and featured Joe Allegro Sr., who played with and backed up bestselling rock and pop groups like Danny and the Juniors, the Platters and the Shirelles. Allegro still plays regularly at restaurants and clubs in New Castle County and New Jersey.

Lue Cazz, better known today as Lou Casapulla of Casapulla’s Sub Shops fame, recorded several songs in the ’60s, including a dance tune called “The Walk” on the VeeJay label and “Change Your Ways,” on the California-based ArtTone label.

The Continettes, whose name was part of Rago’s effort to brand them with the Continentals, was a girl group made up of Valerie Robinson, Ventie Jean Williams, Shirley Lewis Larke, Debbi Badson, Jackie Hazzard and keyboardist Linda Powell.

Robinson, Leech says, made it big in another area, going to medical school and becoming a surgeon in the Chicago area.

Al Santoro and the Highlighters started as the Starlighters in 1951 and continued playing for some 50 years. Johnny Kay, Bill Haley’s former guitarist, was a mainstay with the group, and Tim Cleary was the band’s bassist from 1979 to 1999. For many years the group got top billing at St. Anthony’s Italian Festival, and Cleary says Santoro would frequently book the band for four gigs in a weekend, moving from club to club, with weddings and festivals in between. The group featured a big band sound, but Kay’s presence helped the Highlighters do covers of rock tunes from Haley’s era, Cleary says.

Lisa Jack built a strong reputation as a blues singer in the ’70s, leading a group called Lisa Jack and the Boys in the Back.

The Watson Brothers Band, led by Gary and Wayne Watson, were a dominant force in Delaware’s club scene in the 1970s and ‘80s. Wayne Watson got his start with the Enfields, a popular band in the late ’60s.

The Sin City Band started in 1974 when Scott Birney and a few friends from Delaware moved to New Hampshire and started playing gigs at Moose lodges and VFW halls. They returned home a year later and soon were traveling to clubs in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in a 1966 GM school bus, Birney says. Members come and go, but the band is still active, playing a mix of blues and country at weddings, parties and, on Monday nights, at Argilla Brewing Co. near Newark.

Larry Tucker, a veteran Delaware musician, still heads his own band, playing a mix of blues, reggae and dance music.

Bill Stevenson, longtime owner of the Stone Balloon, Newark’s legendary rock palace of the 1970s, is being honored as a supporter of Delaware’s rock scene. Sharing supporter billing with Stevenson is Don Bunnell, owner of the old Buggy Tavern on Marsh Road in Brandywine Hundred, another popular venue for rock performances. A third supporter being inducted is Charlie Gibb, known for his photographs of Delaware’s leading rock musicians.

Details for the Delaware Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame’s first induction ceremony from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 15, at the baby grand, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, are still being finalized. For ticket information, check the July edition of Out & About or visit the hall’s page on Facebook.

Background information on the inductees was provided by George and Paula Wolkind, Steven Leech, Scott Birney and Tim Cleary.

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Members of the Veterans Conservation Corps pause during work on Prime Hook Beach in Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge. Top row, from left: Joe Yawn, Jim Jackson, Robert Terry, Noah Favors, Drew Jackson. Bottom row: Glenn Catchings, Mark Kammer, Austen Minner. Photo Anthony Santoro

VETERAN VOLUNTEERS A unit of the State Parks system gives vets and their kin a chance to learn skills that can lead to new careers

By Larry Nagengast

A

t one time or another during their search, jobseekers have often heard that volunteering for an organization that matches their career interests can open the door to a paying position.

For military veterans and their families, a program in Delaware is proving the validity of that axiom.

The Veterans Conservation Corps, a unit of the Delaware State Parks system, is giving veterans and their kin a chance to learn skills that can lead to new careers.

Now in its third year, the program has trained 35 volunteers, and five of them have moved into fulltime positions as State Parks employees, while others are finding work in environmental fields, according to Karen Minner, the program director.

“Veterans, especially those who are transitioning back to civilian life, can have trouble finding work,” Minner says, “even though they have a strong work ethic. They like to complete the mission, to get the job done.”

Out & About’s volunteerism series is being developed in cooperation with the state Office of Volunteerism, and we hope it will show readers how they can improve their communities by volunteering their time and talents. For information about volunteering opportunities throughout the state, visit VolunteerDelaware.org.

For more information about volunteering in Delaware state parks, go to destateparks.com, and click on the link to Volunteering & Friends’ Groups. That page includes links to more information about the Veterans Conservation Corps and the various Friends’ organizations.

Visitors to Facebook can also find pages for the Delaware State Parks Veterans Conservation Corps and Friends of Wilmington Parks.

As a military spouse, Minner understood the situation well. “I knew that a lot of work needed to be done in the parks, and being out in nature has a healing property about it when it comes to mental health, so I thought veterans would benefit from working on environmental projects,” she says.

So, three years ago she wrote a grant application to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency through which AmeriCorps national service programs are funded. The one-year grant allowed her to bring five volunteers on board. Seeing the success of the program’s first year, she applied for larger grants for 2016-17 and 2017-18, winning approval for 15 volunteers each year. For 201819, she’s hoping for another expansion, this time to 20 volunteers.

Participants in AmeriCorps programs are considered volunteers, Minner explains, but they essentially work fulltime for 11 months.

For their service, they receive a cost-of-living stipend and health insurance, plus an education award, which can be used to pay tuition or to pay off college loans, if they complete their service. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Anthony Santoro

VETERAN VOLUNTEERS continued from previous page

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Gary Focht, Earl Bowman and Ian Silva take a break from building trails.

In addition to veterans, the grant guidelines permit the hiring of their sons, daughters and spouses, as well as the sons, daughters and spouses of current military personnel, Minner says.

“Being in the military, I was always outside,” says Mark Kammer, a 54-year-old Magnolia resident who served in the Army for 26 years, including tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he was wounded in 2003. When he learned about the program in 2015, he immediately thought, “I could dig this, being out in the woods.”

Kammer applied, became one of the first participants, and, at the end of his volunteer term, landed a “fulltime seasonal” position with the State Parks system. He’s now the supervisor of the southern team of the Veterans Conservation Corps, a group of AmeriCorps volunteers who works primarily at state parks in Kent and Sussex counties.

The team’s tasks are varied, Kammer says. Recent projects have included repairing damaged boardwalks, helping to manage hunts to control the deer population, installing fencing to protect turtles at Delaware Seashore State Park during the mating season, and removing invasive species from parklands.

During the spring and summer, his team’s efforts tend to be concentrated on clearing new park trails and keeping existing trails clean.

“It’s great work, and by being in the parks, I feel like I’m giving back,” Kammer says.

During his training period, Kammer picked up several certifications, including for the use of chainsaws and to serve as an interpretive guide in the parks. More significantly, he went through wildfire training and learned enough to be called upon in 2016 and 2017 to fight fires in Colorado and Idaho.

“In the past I had watched the wildfires out west [on television] and I thought fighting them would be pretty cool,” Kammer says.

Now that he’s had that experience twice, he’s expecting to be called upon again if more break out later this year.

Earl Bowman of Smyrna became a member of the Veterans Conservation Corps a year after Kammer, and it took him exactly one day to realize he had found his niche.

After serving two years in the Delaware Air National Guard, Bowman, 26, was working as a driver for a non-emergency ambulance service in 2016 but was becoming frustrated because he didn’t see much opportunity for advancement. At his mother’s suggestion, he applied for the program.

That October, with other candidates, he went on what he described as “a one-day tryout” at Killens Pond State Park near Felton.

“We’re in a training exercise on how to remove invasive plants, and some person walks by and says, ‘you people do amazing work.’

To think that someone you didn’t know would walk up and say that to you, I just realized the importance of what I would be doing,” Bowman says.

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He spent the first half of his volunteer term on the southern team before moving onto the northern team in March of 2017.

He made a strong impression on park supervisors and landed a fulltime seasonal position last August, starting work the day after his volunteer tour ended.

Now he’s supervising the northern team, whose recent projects have included building a new trail at White Clay Creek State Park near Newark.

“It’s been fun,” he says, “and it’s something different almost every day.”

Bowman has received numerous awards for his exceptional service, Minner says, including a citation as National Conservation Corps Member of the Year.

Lela Otto, who serves as program manager for the conservation corps, takes pride in her work in setting up training for the veterans and makes sure they meet all the requirements of their volunteer commitment. The most satisfying aspect of her job, she says, “is watching veterans blossom. They become more proud of themselves as they get to where they want to be.”

Veterans live with a lot of demons, Minner says. “Most have seen horrific things [in combat] and the Veterans Administration can be a monster to deal with sometimes,” she says, “so working in the parks can be very therapeutic for them.”

Kammer is grateful for the opportunities the conservation corps has offered him as he creates a post-military career.

“With this program,” he says, “the state parks people will point you in the right direction.”

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(5-8pm) Michael Melloy, Ellen Muenter and Dave Thompson of Friends of Wilmington Parks work in the Jasper Crane Rose Garden in Brandywine Park.

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If you’re looking to make friends, why not join a friends group, especially one that supports a program that matches your interests?

You can find friends groups in many areas. Those that support libraries, parks and museums are among the most common.

“We do the things that the state doesn’t have the time or the money in its budget to do,” says Michael Melloy, interim executive director of Friends of Wilmington Parks, echoing a refrain commonly expressed by leaders of these organizations.

The nonprofit group covers a massive swath of park acreage, supporting activities at Brandywine Park, Rockford Park, Alapocas Run State Park, H. Fletcher Brown Park and along Kentmere Parkway. Together these sites are sometimes called “the Bancroft Parks,” in recognition of William Poole Bancroft, the 19th-century Wilmington industrialist and conservationist who donated some 200 acres as parkland within the city and at least 1,300 acres north of the city in the Brandywine Valley. ►

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Members of the Friends group put in more than 1,600 volunteer hours last year, and they’re on track to top 2,000 hours in 2018, Melloy says.

Key projects include working in Brandywine Park’s Jasper Crane Rose Garden, removing invasive plant growths and welcoming visitors to events at the parks, including those sponsored by the Friends.

The Friends’ rose garden team has about 20 members, according to its leader, Ellen Muenter of Chadds Ford. April and May are the team’s busiest months, with plenty of weeding, pruning, mulching and landscaping to do before the Friends’ largest fundraiser, the annual Jasper Crane Rose Garden Party, scheduled this year for 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 8.

Maintaining the garden is practically a year-round activity, with an ongoing need for “deadheading”—cutting off the dead flowers so new ones can bloom, says Muenter, who has been volunteering with the Friends for four years.

“Those roses can be little prima donnas,” she says.

Some of the Friends’ most significant habitat restoration work took place last spring, when another 20 volunteers spent parts of 13 days clearing an area at the foot of Rattlesnake Run in Brandywine Park. Much of the project involved removing invasive ivy from the lower three feet of trees, Melloy said.

While a love of gardening and the outdoors motivates many members of the organization, not all of the volunteer work requires getting down and dirty, Melloy says.

This summer, in collaboration with Gable Music Ventures, the Friends are sponsoring nine free summer concerts in Rockford Park (Mondays from 6:30 to 8 p.m.) and 10 free summer concerts at the Sugar Bowl Pavilion in Brandywine Park (Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m.), as well as four Foodie Fridays at the Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park.

Friends volunteers will serve as hosts for all these events.

“Two years ago, we went from six events to 55, and this year we’ll have more than 100,” Melloy says. “We’re growing, and we’ve got great volunteers, but we will always welcome more.”

28 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A REFUGE FOR ALL The DuPont Environmental Education Center and Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge, at the end of the Riverwalk, provide respite for bald eagles, turtles, frogs—and humans

By Krista Connor Photos by Joe del Tufo Bill and Hunter Clarke-Fields with their children, Maggie and Soro.

30 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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aturalist Dakin Hewlett has discovered a way to take nature into the city of Wilmington rather than waiting for people to venture outside its boundaries. Hewlett is watershed education coordinator at the DuPont Environmental Education Center (DEEC), located at the end of the Riverwalk on the Wilmington Riverfront within the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge.

During warmer months, Hewlett rides a bicycle contraption dubbed the Nature Mobile up and down the Riverwalk, providing pop-up environmental education activities. You’ll find her two to three times a week this summer at various spots along the trail— outside the Riverfront Market or Dravo Plaza, for instance.

From a hefty box attached to the bicycle, she’ll unveil local ecological finds for passersby: turtle shells, animal furs, live macroinvertebrates, along with watershed maps and binoculars with field guides. By doing this, she introduces community members to their environment, trails, waterways, and not least, the DEEC.

“People really love the idea of having a roving naturalist cart and are often surprised to learn about what animals and plants call their watershed home,” says Hewlett. “I make sure there is a little something for both kids and adults. The best feeling is when I get to know some of the names and faces of the community members that I see repeatedly.”

The Nature Mobile is just one example of community outreach implemented by the DEEC, an extension of the Delaware Nature Society (DNS).

Located within the urban wildlife refuge where 212 acres of tidal marsh adjoin the Christina River, DEEC is the city’s most natural space where the city, river, and marsh meet. This makes it an ideal outdoor education destination for children, especially kids who live in the city with little to no access to parks and wildlife.

Says John Harrod, DEEC manager: “We’re able to work with people who may not have the ability to go to, say, Bombay Hook, or some of the other Delaware Nature Society sites just north of here.” ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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3 0 2 - 5 7 1 - 1492

A REFUGE FOR ALL continued from previous page

Maggie and Soro Clarke-Fields check out the wonders of the Nature Mobile.

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With this mindset, last year the DNS developed the RENEW program (Reaching and Engaging through Nature to Empower Wilmington), which is anchored at the DEEC. RENEW connects Wilmington youth to nature-focused STEM programs and activities, and conducts outreach programs in Wilmington schools, city parks and community centers. These programs even include internships for high schoolers, and the DNS is developing other work-ready programs and activities to further train Wilmington teens in jobs that span many fields, including environmental and scientific.

Those projects are just a start. At DEEC, a variety of school and summer options based onsite, along with kids’ field trips, outdoor projects and more geared for children ages 6-12, are some of the site’s most popular programs (See pg. 35 for details).

There’s a little something for adults, too. Zumba fitness classes, education tours about recycling, outdoor adventures for 20-to30-somethings, pre-happy hour kayaking—the list continues at delawarenaturesociety.org.

Many visitors choose to bypass the sign-up sheets and pursue their own activities. The site is open Tuesdays-Sundays yearround, and trails like the quarter-mile boardwalk around the pond are favorites for casual visitors like walkers, joggers and birders.

Depending on the time of year, visitors will find bald eagles, beavers, ospreys, dragonflies, turtles, butterflies, all types of frogs, wild rice, and hibiscus, among other wildlife and plants.

Harrod says the DEEC sees an estimated 60,000 people annually, many of whom are curious travelers who ventured from I-95.

“It’s not only a refuge for wildlife, but a refuge for people, too,” says Harrod. “I see people come here to get away from the busyness that’s right next door in the city.”

According to the National Wildlife Refuge Association, 80 percent of Americans live in or near densely populated areas. Yet the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge is one of just a handful of such nature-centered getaways in the country. The first, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia, was founded in 1972, with a similar mantra: preserve, protect and educate. There’s a reason they’re so rare. Getting both of the vital ingredients required by the title—a city, obviously, and an appropriate tract of land outside the urban center—is often a lucky coincidence.

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What makes Wilmington’s wildlife refuge especially uncommon is its marshland. While Delaware has quite a few marshes, both salt water and brackish, this is a tidal freshwater marsh. The water type allows major diversity within wetland plant life, which provides optimal conditions for wildlife.

“This is rare,” says Harrod. “Here, you’ll find a lot of great plants you wouldn’t necessarily find elsewhere. They’ve been lost through development over time.”

One example is wild rice, which by July will bloom to 10-foottall stalks. But decades of industrial and residential development in Delaware and along the East Coast has resulted in much of this valuable wildlife habitat being destroyed or replaced by its less biologically-diverse cousin, the salt marsh.

a riverfront staple

The DEEC opened in 2009 as part of a massive Riverfront renovation.

The refuge’s potential was recognized years ago, when it became a major player in the Riverfront’s decades-long renaissance.

“It’s part of the revitalization of the Riverfront,” says Harrod. “I was not here in the ‘80s, but I’m told by people who were that the Riverfront was an industrial wasteland.”

The Peterson refuge, named for the former Delaware governor recognized internationally as an activist and environmentalist, was part of the blueprints when a 1995 governor's task force began to turn things around. The task force founded the Riverfront Development Corporation to oversee the Brandywine and Christina Rivers, and an extensive marsh restoration process began in 1998. It enabled native vegetation to flourish and promoted a wetland habitat for wildlife. Gradually, shorelines were stabilized, water channels were reverted to their historic natural patterns, and wildlife nesting platforms, and of course trail systems, were put in place. The DEEC opened in 2009. ►

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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To date, one of the center’s biggest challenges is limited walkability because of the wet marshland. But now, the longanticipated Jack A. Markell Trail will remedy this issue by giving pedestrians, birders, runners and cyclists more trail space. The seven-mile path will connect the Wilmington Riverfront with New Castle’s Battery Park. As of press time, the final trail installment was a bridge at the DEEC, still under construction. The trail is scheduled to open in August.

Says Pam Lilly, DelDOT deputy director of community relations: “We believe the number of trail users will be off the charts once it is opened” because the trail will support both transportation and recreational needs.

For perspective, she says trail counters on the recreational Michael Castle Trail at the C&D Canal gauge 75,000 to 100,000 hits a year. She expects an even higher use on the Markell Trail because it opens opportunities for cyclists to bike to work—and more.

Bike Delaware Executive Director James Wilson agrees. “This is a new and permanent asset—Delaware's biggest-ever investment in bicycle infrastructure,” Wilson says. He expects it to draw thousands of visitors and travelers to the Riverfront.

The DEEC functions as a Wilmington trailhead, with easy access to restrooms, parking, bike racks, and water fountains.

And of course, it’s the gateway to the buzz of restaurants, bars, and music venues within the growing city just beyond the cusp of the tranquil marsh.

“A lot of visitors are surprised about what they see right here,” says DEEC’s Harrod. “It’s unique that you can stand here in nature with this kind of wildlife and see the city.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING 5/24/18 8:41 AM

AT THE DEEC TRAILFEST SATURDAY, SEPT. 22; 10 A.M.-2 P.M. Celebrate the finished Jack A. Markell Trail this fall with Trailfest, an outdoor event presented by Delaware Greenways and Bike Delaware.

With music, bike demonstrations, and activities for all ages, featured fun includes a slow-paced, family-friendly recreational ride along the trail and a 50-mile Trailfest Challenge Ride tying together the Markell Trail and the Michael Castle Trail along the C&D Canal.

AND SIGN UP FOR THESE CAMPS: AGES 6-8: THE ENCHANTED GARDEN JULY 16-20; 9 A.M. – 12 P.M. Dig in the dirt for earthworms and plants to create your own terrarium, explore the garden for snails and butterflies, climb the waterfall rocks and play games in the garden.

WILDLIFE REFUGE SAFARI JUNE 25-29; 8:30 A.M.-3 P.M. Hike the new Delaware Greenways trail and be the first to search for insects, birds, fish, and mammals in the tidal marsh.

THE MAD SCIENTIST JULY 23-27; 8:30 A.M.-3 P.M. Mad scientists will unite to invent, design, and create. Every day has a new challenge campers have to science their way through.

MARSH MASTERPIECES JULY 30-AUG. 3; 8:30 A.M.-3 P.M. Let DEEC and the beautiful tidal wetlands be your artistic muse. Sculpt, draw, build, upcycle trash into a treasure, learn nature photography, and more.

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DEEC TRAILBLAZERS AUG. 6-10; 8:30 A.M.-3 P.M. Hike, bike and paddle your way through the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge and discover a remote area of the marsh that is seldom seen. Cast nets, canoe, set up trail cameras, use a spotting scope and GPS to unlock the secrets of the marsh and more.

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OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS

ROCKWOOD PARK Tree-lined paths for energizing walks of varied distance, lots of grass that's ideal for lounging in the sun, a historic 18th-century mansion to explore and, on the last weekend in June, the nationally known Ice Cream Festival.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

— Larry Nagengast, Contributing Writer

BOMBAY HOOK I try to swing by Bombay Hook whenever I have a shoot in the area, sometimes at the crack of dawn and sometimes as silhouettes of the ubiquitous great blue herons usher in the night. It's a dynamic place, sometimes silent and meditative, sometimes teeming with tens of thousands of snow geese or other wildlife. But it is always worth the trip. The $12 annual fee is one of the best deals out there, and the $4 daily pass will get you hooked.

— Joe del Tufo, Contributing Photographer

TRAP POND STATE PARK

BRANDYWINE CREEK STATE PARK On either land or water, it’s hard to beat this 933-acre gift from nature. On land, you have hiking, biking, jogging, picnicking or just sitting and reading or contemplating the (usually) gently-flowing creek or surrounding flora, fauna and the occasional heron. On the water, there is canoeing, kayaking, tubing and fishing for smallmouth bass, bluegill, and crappie in Brandywine Creek, and for trout in Wilsons Run. — Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

CANALFRONT PARK Located along the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, the Canalfront Park is home to the Lightship Overfalls, the former boathouse of a U.S. Life-Saving Station, tennis courts and picturesque walking paths. It’s also a hub for community activities, including weekly yoga, festivals and movie nights.

— Pam George, Contributing Writer

BRANDYWINE PARK

This southern Delaware gem has picturesque biking trails, a popular sand beach and an array of camping options, including sites for tents and RVs, as well as cabins. But the lake itself, the northernmost cypress wetland in the United States, is the biggest draw. Paddling among the trees feels like traveling into an earlier epoch. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent.

Brandywine Park is good for my soul any time of the year. Delaware’s largest urban park runs along the Brandywine River between Augustine Road and North Market Street. Its cherry blossom trees and picturesque water fountains (the Josephine fountain is currently under repair) add to the enchantment of a budding rose garden. Picnic tables, trails, and a suspension bridge (fun to ride a bike on) and free concerts at the park’s Sugar Bowl pavilion, heighten summer days. The park is home to the only zoo in the state, and its llamas, goats, and other animals and reptiles delight the young at heart. It has playgrounds, a dog park, and athletic fields that keep the place bustling with activity. Several memorials, including a Vietnam Memorial, grace the landscape.

Cobblestoned Monkey Hill—not a fun road to drive on—is used for winter sledding and for the Wilmington Grand Prix. Fall transforms the 178 acres into a tapestry of colors and cool breezes. In the winter, snow-covered holly trees add specks of red to a quiet white landscape. And the Brandywine Arts Festival takes place at the park every September.

— Dan Linehan, Contributing Writer

— Adriana Camacho-Church, Contributing Writer

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NORTHERN DELAWARE GREENWAY This paved, multi-use path wends its way through a variety of state, county, and city lands from Bellevue State Park near Claymont to Brandywine Park at the edge of downtown. Though paved, the greenway offers some aerobic challenges to those on bike or foot, especially in the Alapocas section, but the scenery is beautiful throughout its 10-mile length. The Northern Delaware Greenway will soon be paired with the Jack Markell Trail that, once opened later this summer, will provide a similar route from the Wilmington Riverfront south to New Castle. delawaregreenways.org

WILDERNESS CANOE TRIPS, INC. This is the best way to see the scenic Brandywine River, and you can do it at your pace—set a speed record or float leisurely down the river.

There are two trips available. The 6-mile trip starts at the Brandywine River Museum and costs $65 for a canoe or tandem kayak and $55 for a solo kayak. The 12-mile trip starts at Brandywine Picnic Park at Lenape and costs $75 for a canoe or tandem kayak and $65 for a solo kayak. You can also rent a tube for a short ride from Smith’s Bridge to Thompson’s Bridge for $20 per tube. Transportation is provided from Wilderness Canoe at 2111 Concord Pike to the drop-off points and at the pick-up point at Thompson’s Bridge. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance and a waiver must be signed beforehand. One more thing—no alcohol is allowed. For more information, call 654-2227.

— Mark Fields, Contributing Writer

— Kevin Noonan, Contributing Writer

COVERDALE FARM PRESERVE RUSSELL W. PETERSON WILDLIFE REFUGE I'm always surprised by people who say they've never been to the Wildlife Refuge on our city's waterfront or those who swear they never knew it existed. It's an architecturally and environmentally stunning and tranquil parcel of land, tucked along the river just past the bustle of riverfront shops, restaurants and hotels. It houses extensive fish and wildlife habitats surrounding the winding paths, rock gardens, and resting spaces around and even "into" the marsh. Atop the bridge is one of the prettiest views of the city I've seen.

— Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer

Enjoy the beauty of the Northern Delaware Piedmont by visiting Coverdale Farm Preserve in Greenville. With rolling hills and panoramic views of the countryside, this farm has live animals, vegetable gardens and farm-based education programs to delight all ages. Sign up for the community-supported agriculture (CSA) program for fresh produce each week or attend one of the educational programs or farm events throughout the year. Prices vary, so check out the calendar here: delawarenaturesociety.org/CoverdaleFarmPreserve.

— Leeann Wallett, Contributing Writer

THE CHESTER VALLEY TRAIL Chester County, Pa., boasts an extensive network of trails for walking, running and biking. The Chester Valley Trail, reclaimed from abandoned rail beds and stretching 14 miles from Exton in Chester County to King of Prussia in neighboring Montgomery County, is the jewel in the crown.

Bordered by public parks, lush vegetation and featuring a mostly flat incline, the CVT makes a perfect day trip from Delaware. Dining options near the trail—including Red Star Craft House in Exton Square Mall and World of Beer at Exton Main Street on the west end, a Wegman’s supermarket along the way, and the full bounty of King of Prussia Town Center to the east—make for a more pleasant visit when you’re ready to carbo load, refuel or refresh. More info at chestervalleytrail.org.

— Scott Pruden, Contributing Writer

WHITE CLAY CREEK PRESERVE For local walks and hikes I often go to Lums Pond or any of the various White Clay Creek State Park trailheads, but recently I was reintroduced to the preserve of the same name, located in Landenberg, Pa. Approximately three miles of hiking trails run through the northern part of the park with varied terrain, meadows, wooded trails and wildlife. These trails connect with paths in White Clay Creek State Park on the Delaware side, and at least one path leads directly to the Nature Center at the state park (1475 Creek Rd, Newark). Venturing through the Pennsylvania preserve and even back into Delaware provides a fresh perspective of the vast amounts of nature on our doorsteps. One preserve trailhead is off Arc Corner Road, though the official address listed on the website is 405 Sharpless Rd., Landenberg—take your pick!

— Krista Connor, Senior Editor & Digital Media Manager JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT

Talula's is "validation that restaurants could succeed in Kennett," according to one observer.

Around Talula’s Table, Kennett Square Flourishes The lauded and much coveted space, part “modern general store” part fine dining experience, serves as the cornerstone of the borough’s restaurant scene

By Scott Pruden Photos by Jim Coarse

I

t’s 1:30 on an uncharacteristically hot May afternoon in Kennett Square, and Talula’s Table is well into the second shift as what owner Aimee Olexy likes to call its function of “a modern general store.”

If what immediately comes to mind is the old-fashioned one-stop shop for dry goods, meats and other provisions, you’re not too far off the mark. But whatever general store you’re imagining—whether from your own experience or classic media representations—chances are this spot exceeds your expectations.

Early in the day, the seats just inside the front window would have been crowded with patrons enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee, while the working folks lined up for a fresh-baked pastry and a hand-prepared caffeine fix. Later this afternoon, the 9-to-5ers will congregate toward the back of the shop,

picking up prepared dinners or perhaps a bag of artisanal pasta and a house-made marinara.

At this moment, it’s calmer. Late lunch-goers are still filing in, but the lunch rush is over. A neighboring shopkeeper is greeted with exuberant hugs from the staff. Tourists, who may have spent a sweaty morning at nearby Longwood Gardens, lean in the door, perhaps intimidated by the reputation of Talula’s evening prix fixe dinners as what Vogue magazine called “the toughest reservation in America.” But they are pleasantly surprised by the welcoming vibe, as well as the prepared sandwiches and salads. Meanwhile, a couple lingers over a laptop and smartphone at the family-sized farm table that forms Talula’s physical and emotional core, as well as the shop/ restaurant’s namesake and what serves as the centerpiece of a growing and thriving Kennett Square dining scene. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT AROUND TALULA’S TABLE, KENNETT SQUARE FLOURISHES continued from page 39

Owner Aimee Olexy was met with skepticism when she opened Talula's some 10 years ago.

Kudos from The New York Times

So, if all you know of Talula’s is the fine dining destination that requires dinner reservations for its 12 seats a year to the day in advance and has been lauded by the likes of Condé Nast Traveler and the The New York Times, you haven’t had the full experience.

You also don’t understand why the ripples set in motion by its opening more than a decade ago continue to spread change in this tiny Pennsylvania borough of just over 6,000 residents.

Before the success and accolades, however, Olexy had to fight what might be the small business person’s biggest enemy —skepticism. In the beginning, Kennett Square locals simply didn’t think the Talula’s Table concept would work, and it had very little to do with the elusive dinner reservations at the eponymous farm table. Instead, the townsfolk were dubious that there would be enough business to justify her planned hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day of the week.

“People would be like, ‘why are you open on Sunday?’ Even operators [of other businesses] in town would say, ‘Oh, you don’t need to be open Sunday. Nobody comes,’” says Olexy. “But if I’m going to be the modern general store, we’ve got to be open every day of the week. You know, if you’re going to bring it, you’ve got to bring it. But I definitely got the funniest areas of pushback that I never would have expected insofar as the areas like when people would come and what they’ll eat.”

She chalks up part of that to both a widespread misunderstanding of the restaurant business, and people underestimating her commitment to food.

But get it they have, says Mary Hutchins, executive director of the downtown development organization Historic Kennett Square.

“Aimee set the stage,” she says. In what was once a landscape of fast food and old-style taverns, Talula’s “was validation that restaurants could succeed in Kennett. When they came and sort of put their stick in the ground and said, ‘We believe in Kennett,’ that was a turning point. It really captures the best of both worlds—that small-town charm along with the national recognition.”

Eight-Course Meals

That recognition, generated primarily by Talula’s unique eightcourse dinner that limits the number of guests to a maximum of 12, booked a year in advance, has been priceless, Hutchins says. “That’s huge for a small town to have access to that kind of media.” ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT AROUND TALULA’S TABLE, KENNETT SQUARE FLOURISHES continued from previous page

Reservations are needed a year in advance for a seat at Talula's farm table.

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Then, of course, there’s the table itself, which has become iconic not just for the hard-to-get dinner seats, but for the communal experience it provides to patrons the rest of the day. While it’s possible to find a semi-private two-top in the front of the store, the majority of Talula’s seating is in the center of the space in one of the 12 mismatched chairs surrounding the farm table. In the beginning, the arrangement fueled even more skepticism that breakfast and lunch customers wouldn’t sit at a communal table and would instead prefer to maintain their own space.

“People were like, ‘Who’s going to want to sit down with strangers and have their meal?’” Hutchins says. “And now we do it all the time and never think about it. And it’s almost sort of set the stage for some of the other restaurants in town, like Kennett Brewing Co., with their tables kind of open like that, where you’re usually sharing tables with another party.”

Now, after 10-plus years of people sitting at that table, it’s become a gravitational center around which much of Kennett’s social and business growth has developed.

“We’ve had people meet around the farm table and get married,” Olexy says. “I feel like we’ve trained people that it’s OK to sit next to this guy. They didn’t have options before.”

And now that there is more competition—specifically the triple threat of Wegman’s, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s having opened within a 15-mile radius—she hopes customers will still choose her community table over the lonely supermarket café table.

Some of those who have broken bread at Talula’s have gone on to remarkable things beyond marriage, she notes. “The Creamery folks sat around the community table and something got in their bloodstream and they said, ‘This is cool. Let’s expand on this good feeling we have.’”

What resulted was a warm-weather pop-up beer garden in a formerly vacant industrial space that emphasizes a community vibe with local brews, food trucks and an inviting atmosphere.

“It’s the same thing—you’re sharing tables and you don’t hesitate to ask, ‘Can I sit here,’” Hutchins says. “You just pick up a conversation with a stranger, which just enhances that whole sense of community. We would definitely be diminished without Talula’s Table and without Aimee being so creative in doing what she does.”

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5/24/18 12:00 PM

Father's Day, Sunday, June 17

Serving our a la carte menu and Father's Day specials Half-price select bottles of wine 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

An Eight-Course Feast

Whether you heard about them from culinary magazines or your neighbor down ww theww street, wwdinners at Talula’s Table are legendary for both the level of cuisine served and the ww ww unpretentious, family-like atmosphere. ww a It’s a combination that makes getting seat at the table extremely challenging.

Should you be so fortunate, here’s a taste of what you’d experience during the evening’s eight courses either at the Farm Table (complete parties of 8-12 guests, in the main room) or Chef’s Table (4-8 invited guests, seated in the kitchen): Radishes and anchovy butter, sweet peas, sea salt, teeny wheat crisps

Father's Day menu available Friday & Saturday, June 15 & 16

1314 Washington St., Wilmington To reserve: 302.655.9463 domainehudson.com

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Green eggs and ham, spring asparagus emulsion and truffle Seared scallop, lemon artichoke aioli and crispy leaves Pasta “primavera,” handmade pasta, foraged spring delights, pecorino Spiced spring lamb, roasted strawberry, mint, cucumber and poppy yogurt Crispy duck, sweet onion-barley risotto, carrot and black pepper Beehive Creamery’s Barely Buzzed, honey and nut bark Rhubarb and lemon custard, warm lavender madeleines

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TTHHEERREAEALL

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5/24/18 11:59 AM

SUMMER IS HERE! COME COOL OFF AT THE MEXICAN POST!

We have Margaritas

The finest Mexican food, award-winning margaritas, and over 65 kinds of tequila.

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302.478.3939 | 3100 Naamans road | MexicanPost.com | facebook.com/Mex.Post

PERFECT FOR YOUR PHILLIES TAILGATE PARTY! Celebrating 60 Years!

WEDNESDAYS 4PM – 7PM, JUNE TO AUGUST

Fresh Produce Arts & Crafts Food Trucks Beer Garden Live Music

Casapulla’s SUB SHOP “Home of the Classic Italian Sub” 3rd Generation Owned & Operated!

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514 CASAPULLA AVE. • ELSMERE

(Corner of N. Market & 18 th St., Next to the Brandywine River)

OldBrandywineVillage.org

(302) 994-5934

44 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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5/24/18 9:06 AM

EAT

FOOD NETWORK RECOGNIZES FAT RICK’S BBQ

F

BITES CHEF TIM HUNTER OFFERS GRILLING CLASS

at Rick’s of Wilmington was included in the Food Network’s recently announced list of the top 45 BBQ spots from coast to coast.

Now in its 28th year, Fat Rick’s has remained the place to go for great barbecue. It offers great classic barbecue fare like Carolina pulled pork, Texas beef brisket, Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs, and honey BBQ chicken with a side of coleslaw—all available for take-out at the brick and mortar location on 1401 Foulk Rd., Bldg. 1413. Or, if you’re hosting a large gettogether, Fat Rick’s is available for catering.

For more information, visit fatricksbbq.com.

S

ITALIAN RESTAURANT OPENS IN WILMINGTON

Tasty things worth knowing Compiled by Mathew Brown-Watson

harpen up your grilling techniques for the barbeque season with Tim Hunter, executive chef of the Food Bank of Delaware at the Newark location and Instructor for the Culinary School.

Chef Hunter hones his students’ grilling skills in preparation for the backyard parties and summertime cookouts that are just around the corner. The aptly named “Let’s Grill Out” class is available Thursday, June 14, from 6-8 p.m. at 1040 Mattlind Way, Milford, and Thursday, June 28, 6-8 p.m. at 14 Garfield Way, Newark. Enrollment is $35 per person with a maximum class capacity of 20 people.

To register online, visit jotform.com.

SHOPRITE EXPANDS FREE FRUIT FOR KIDS PROGRAM

I

n April, ShopRite announced it was expanding its Free Fruit for Kids program to an additional 54 stores, which would bring the total of participating locations to 125 in the supermarket’s six-state area (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland).

Children 12 and under are provided with a free banana, clementine or other seasonal fruit while shopping with a parent or guardian. The program is one of many initiatives ShopRite has designed to encourage a lifetime of healthy eating habits for children.

To find a participating ShopRite location near you, visit shoprite.com.

DELAWARE BURGER BATTLE ANNOUNCES NEW BENEFICIARY

T

he seventh annual Burger Battle returns Saturday, Aug. 25, from 123:30 p.m., on the grounds of the Cauffiel House, 1016 Philadelphia Pike.

This year the proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of Delaware, an organization providing nutritious food to Delawareans in need, and Delaware ProStart, a program that provides high school students with the culinary and management skills needed for a career in the restaurant/food service industry.

The Delaware Burger Battle has donated more than $47,000 to Delaware non-profits since the event began six years ago, and last year’s beneficiaries received funds exceeding $10,000.

Those attending the Burger Battle will be able to enjoy all the burger samples they can eat from participating restaurants. There will also be beer and wine available, which is included in the adult ticket price, and soft drinks as well as other non-alcoholic beverages for youth and designated drivers. Attendees will receive three tickets to vote for the restaurants whose burgers they felt were the best of the day.

Restaurants interested in participating can contact JulieAnne Cross at ketchup@ deburgerbattle.com. For more information and ticket prices, visit deburgerbattle.com or facebook.com/deburgerbattle.

B

ardea Food & Drink is slated to open its doors this month at 620 N. Market St. in downtown Wilmington.

The name Bardea stems from the Italian term for goddess of food and drink, which underscores the theme of the 120seat restaurant that will celebrate Old World traditions while using ingredients from Delaware Valley farms.

Bardea will serve lunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner from 5-9 p.m. weekdays, and 5-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

To learn more, visit facebook.com/ Bardeawilm.

FRENCH RESTAURANT COMING SOON TO CITY

O

pening soon on Market Street, the brasserie Margaux aims to bring casual French fare to the revitalized downtown area. Co-owner Soufiane Lailani hopes that Margaux will fill a demand for French cuisine in Wilmington that has long been missing. The new restaurant will be in the former Delaware Trust building, now known as The Residences at Rodney Square, 902 N. Market St. Renovations have been extensive at Margaux, and expectations are that it will accentuate the renaissance that is ongoing in the area.

To follow the progress of Margaux, visit facebook.com/margauxrestaurant.

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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THE CITY

M

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DRIVES CITY CRIME NUMBERS DOWN

ayor Mike Purzycki and Chief of Police Robert J. Tracy last month issued a cautiously optimistic report on improving crime trends in Wilmington. Based on crime data for January 1, 2018 through May 7, and 2018 versus 2017 year-to-date statistics, the Mayor and Chief noted that shooting incidents in Wilmington are at a level not seen in almost a decade.

When Chief Tracy was hired in April 2017, he expressed optimism that his policing reforms would begin to produce lower crime numbers in about one year. “Neither the Chief nor I know whether these improving numbers will continue throughout the year,” said Mayor Purzycki. “But it’s encouraging to know that the WPD’s new emphasis on community engagement, intelligence-led policing, directed patrols and instituting the CompStat methodology are producing better results than we have seen in the past few years.”

Chief Tracy said shooting incidents and the number of shooting victims have both dropped 61% over the same time last year. Including all categories— murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft and auto

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theft—crime in Wilmington in 2018 is down 8% compared to the same time period in 2017.

“The men and woman of the WPD operate every day as though our most important asset is the community,” said Chief Tracy. “We’ve worked hard to win the trust of citizens and to keep that trust. We will continue to actively seek their assistance in curbing crime, which we feel is a huge factor as to why crime trends are moving in the right direction.”

Mayor Purzycki said one of the more encouraging crime statistics he’s reviewed in recent weeks is how the decrease in the year-to-date 2018 violent crime incidents compares to similar periods during the years 2008 through 2017. Year-to-date numbers from 2018 versus the same dates from 2008 through 2017 show shooting incidents trending downward by an average of 35%.

Citizens can track the crime numbers for all of Wilmington and particular neighborhoods on a regular basis by reviewing the WPD’s CompStat reports, which are published on the City’s website at http:// bit.ly/WilmDECompStat.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

5/23/18 1:22 PM

NEWS YOU CAN USE! SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT Having a block party or other special event this spring?

You can apply for permits online here: http://bit.ly/ WilmDEEventsPermit

FESTIVAL SEASON It’s June, which means summer break for the kids and the beginning of festival season in the City. It’s a busy month of food, music and culture, starting with the return of the Delaware Art Museum’s outdoor Backyard Bash on June 1. The 42nd Annual Greek Festival at Wilmington’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church runs from June 5-9, followed immediately by St. Anthony’s Italian Festival from June 10-17. The Friends of Wilmington Parks will sponsor the 11th Annual Jasper Crane Rose Garden Party on June 7 in Brandywine Park, and David Bromberg brings his Big Noise Music Festival back to Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park for two days, June 8-9. Friends of Wilmington Parks also brings back its Free Summer Concert Series, with shows at Rockford Tower on June 11, 18 & 25, and at the Sugar Bowl in Brandywine Park on June 13, 20 & 27. Finally, the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast—the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival—celebrates its 30th year in Rodney Square from June 20-23.

2018 YOUTH CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS Mayor Purzycki and Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Kelley congratulate the 400 young men and women who have been selected for the 2018 Youth Career Development program, and wish them the best of luck with their jobs and internships this summer. The names of this year’s participants can be found online at http://bit.ly/YouthCareerWilmDE.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

06_WilmSection.indd 9

WILMINGTON WORKS Looking for general job information and resources? Visit https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/employment to learn about education and training, labor laws and regulations, how to apply for government jobs, as well as other employmentrelated information.

CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS Looking for a community organization or civic association in your area? Visit: http://bit.ly/WilmDECivicAssoc

MARK YOUR CALENDAR JUNE 1

WILMINGTON ART LOOP

JUNE 4

WILMINGTON ETHICS COMMISSION MEETING

JUNE 7

WILMINGTON BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMISSION

JUNE 12 WILMINGTON TREE COMMISSION MEETING JUNE 17-23

30TH ANNUAL DUPONT CLIFFORD BROWN JAZZ FESTIVAL For more meetings and events in the month of June, visit https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/.

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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5/23/18 1:22 PM

821 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801 302.482.3333 • ChelseaTavern.com

sm okin ’ joe’s

Bos to n Din n e r 12 1st flight & food every tue , 5:3 0 pm to 7:3 0 members get: $

st

Th urs. , Ju ne 21 6pm - 10pm person $ 75 per gratuity inclu ded

MeMbers ONLY beer speciaLs 20 % OFF aLL beer! aLL daY! eVerY daY! 20 % OFF aLL beer diNNers!

20 Visits = persONaLized Mug 50 Visits = $ 50 giFt card 100 Visits = $100 giFt card

in cl udes : • 3 Special Sm okes • Pre miu m Open Ba r • Bosto n Th em ed 4 - Co urse Din ner Rese rva tio ns Require

pm

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lmi ngton 902 N. Market St., Wi ndScott.com estA Ern | 3 .811 .384 302

Tuesday s 8pm to 10pm right after FLIGHT CLUB Prizes, Give-aways & EVER changing Drink Specials!

821 N. Market St., Wilmington 302.482.3333 | ChelseaTavern.com

Sunday, june 17th

brunch 10 -3 am

the patio is open!

pm

dinner 4pm-9pm

302.482.3333 • ChelseaTavern.com 821 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801

302.384.8113 • ErnestAndScott.com 902 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801

48 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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5/24/18 11:14 AM

S

FUN ON THE R RI E M VE M U

RIV

R

E R WA L K

MINI G LF

THURSDAY & SUNDAY DINNER CRUISES

MONDAY – THURSDAY 10AM – 9PM

SUNDAY BRUNCHES

FRIDAY & SATURDAY 10AM – 11PM

PRIVATE CHARTERS

RiverboatQueenWilm.com

DAILY SHUTTLE SERVICE FAMILY NIGHTS WEDNESDAYS ON THE WATER

SUNDAY 12PM – 8PM

WINE CRUISES

RiverwalkMiniGolf.com

W i l m i n g t o n R i v e r Ta x i . c o m

For all events and venues ~ RiverfrontWilm.com

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5/16/18 9:07 AM 5/23/18 1:30 PM

FUN FOR THE

FAMILY

RIVERWALK MINI GOLF

550 Justison St. • 425-4890 • riverwalkminigolf.com Hours: Monday thru Thursday – 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday – 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday – 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

DELAWARE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

550 Justison St. • 650-2336 • DelawareChildrensMuseum.org Hours: Monday – Closed Tuesday thru Thursday – 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday – 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Riverwalk Mini Golf is back again this year, offering a fun time for family, friends, and business teams—or a place to simply practice your short game. This year the snack shack will feature water ice, soft pretzels, eight flavors of soft-serve ice cream, and more. Golf is open seven days a week—weather permitting—for $8 per person and free for kids 3 and under..

The Delaware Children’s Museum is an educational and interactive destination for a day of family fun. In addition to their permanent exhibits and rotating programming, the DCM is hosting several family events this summer: Summer Kick-Off Friday, June 15, 5-8 p.m.

Start the Summer with outdoor activities like a kiddie car wash, obstacle courses, and much more!

Dog Days of Summer Friday, July 27, 5-8 p.m.

The DCM’s service animal expo, with learning opportunities and hands-on demonstrations from local veterinary groups, shelters, zoos, and farms!

End of Summer Bash Friday, August 17, 5-8 p.m.

The museum hosts a luau with both indoor and outdoor events and obstacle courses, culminating with the popular “soda geysers”!

Star Wars Science Saturday, Sept. 2, 12-3 p.m.

One of their most popular days of the year! Star Wars characters visit for a day of science and space exploration, along with plenty of photo opportunities with the characters.

ALTITUDE TRAMPOLINE PARK

510 Justison St. • 397-8142 • altitudewilmington.com Hours: Monday thru Thursday – 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Friday – 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saturday – 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Altitude Trampoline Park features high-energy equipment such as trampolines, a foam pit, a rock climbing wall, and much more entertainment for families, groups, and individuals.

DUPONT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER AND WILDLIFE REFUGE 1400 Delmarva Lane • 425-3929 • Duponteec.org Hours: Monday: Closed Tues-Fri: 11:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m.

Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday: Noon – 4:00 p.m.

The DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge on Wilmington’s Riverfront features a state of the art four-story, 13,500-square-foot facility and is operated by the Delaware Nature Society. It is located on the edge of the 212-acre Peterson Refuge on the tidal Christina River, where the city, river and marsh meet.

The Education Center showcases the many species of amphibians, birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and native plants that make their home in the refuge. Visitors are able to explore the interactive exhibits, join a guided tour, or participate in a variety of free and low-cost programs for students, youth groups, adults, families and teachers.

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5/24/18 2:32 PM

Other Features On The Riverfront COMING SOON

CONSTITUTION YARDS BEER GARDEN

308 Justison St. 407-5192 • constitutionyards.com Hours: Monday - Closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Friday – 4 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Saturday – 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.

Sunday – 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The Riverfront’s 30,000-square-foot beer garden is back for another summer. Located at Justison Landing along the Riverwalk, Constitution Yards features a diverse selection of beer and cocktail options, backyard BBQ fare, live music, and tons of space for games and fun, including Big Jenga, corn-hole and badminton.

RIVERFRONT MARKET

3 South Orange St. 425-4890 • rivefrontwilm.com Hours: Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. *Closed Sundays Riverfront Market is a bustling public market tucked in an historic warehouse on the banks of the Christina. Offering guests free parking, the Market occupies a beautifully restored historic warehouse, which features vaulted ceilings, heavy timber construction and exposed brick walls.

Inside, the Market boasts a European-style marketplace, with local farm goods and casual café eating. Vendors occupy the ground floor of the building, where they sell fresh produce, meats, seafood, baked goods, flowers, coffee, pasta, sushi, Thai foods, gourmet treats and more. A second-story balcony provides seating for visitors who want to hangout and eat, or meet with friends.

Jack A. Markell Trail

Starting this August, the Jack A. Markell Trail will be open and ready for use, connecting the Riverfront to New Castle via the seven-mile path. Ideal for cycling or walking, its trailheads are located at New Castle’s Battery Park & 8th Street, and the DuPont Environmental Education Center (DEEC) on the Wilmington Riverfront (1400 Delmarva Lane). The trail is expected to become part of the East Coast Greenway, a 2,900-mile trail linking the major cities of the eastern seaboard between Canada and Key West.

As of press time, the final trail installment—a bridge at the DEEC— was still under construction.

DelDOT representatives estimate that the number of trail users will be off the charts because it will be used for both transportation and recreational.

Says Bike Delaware Executive Director James Wilson: “This is a new and permanent asset—Delaware’s biggestever investment in bicycle infrastructure.”

He expects it to draw thousands of visitors and travelers to the Riverfront.

The DEEC functions as a Wilmington trailhead, with easy access to restrooms, parking, bike racks and water fountains.

Celebrate the new city gateway at Trailfest, to be held at the DEEC on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The outdoor event presented by Delaware Greenways and Bike Delaware includes music, bike demonstrations and activities for all ages. There will be a slow-paced, familyfriendly recreational ride along the trail, and a 50-mile Trailfest Challenge Ride tying together the Markell Trail and the Michael Castle Trail along the C&D Canal.

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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5/24/18 2:33 PM

Ongoing Events Family Night on the River Taxi

ADVENTURES ON THE RIVER TAXI 7/2/2013, 5pm/6pm/7pm

Bring the kids downNights to the Riverfront Tuesday/Thursday Family every join Tuesday and Thursday night Delaware in Tuesday night our Nature Guide from Nature Society to June, July & August for a 45 minute ride night enjoy an evening experience and learn about local Wildlife. Thursday on the Christina River. $15 per family of of family 4. funReceive on theariver! coupon for 10% off at Molly’s Family Night Cruise+times are 6your p.m.ride! and 7 p.m. and leave from Dravo Ice Cream Deli after riverfrontwilm.com Dock. Cost is $16 for a family of four. Each additional person is $4.

Dravo Plaza Dock

Wednesday on the Water Wine Cruises Enjoy a 1 hour wine tasting on the river, Wednesdays in June, July and August! Cruise by the scenic Christina River up to the I-495 bridge while enjoying hand selected wines. This unique outing is perfect for happy hour or an after-dinner drink! Cruise times are 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. and leave from Dravo Dock. $20 per person. Cruises must be 21 years old or older, proper ID is required at the time of cruise. Reservations must be made in advance and are paid in full at the time of booking. No refunds.

530-5069 • Wilmwaterattractions.com

SHIPYARD SUMMER CONCERT SERIES The Shipyard Summer Concert Series has been a staple on the Riverfront since 2000, and each year it has grown. This year the series moves to Tubman-Garrett Park to accommodate larger crowds.

It will take place every Thursday in July and August for a total of nine events. Since the series offers a wide variety of performers, there’s sure to be a concert for every musical taste.

Riverfrontwilm.com

KALMAR NYCKEL SAILS SAILING DATES:

Wilmington Riverfront (Dravo Plaza) June 23-24/ June 29-July1/ Sept. 15-16 Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard- July 5/ September 20-23 Historic New Castle- August 25-September 2 Lewes- June 1-3/ August 15/22

In addition to public sails along the Christina River and in Lewes, the Tall Ship of Delaware once again returns to the Public Dock at Historic New Castle.

The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation will once again host the popular Pirate Festival from their shipyard on Saturday, July 7th. The festival includes a day of maritime fun on land at the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard and Fort Christina Park as well as on the ship itself. Activities include tours of the ship, pirate demonstrations, scavenger hunts, face painting, games for kids, a beer garden and more.

429-7447 • kalmarnyckel.org Copeland Maritime Museum, 1124 East 7th Street 52 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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5/23/18 1:35 PM

WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS FRAWLEY STADIUM

THE RIVERBOAT QUEEN

700 Justison St. Located on the dock just behind Iron Hill Brewery along the Riverwalk 827-3344 WilmWaterAttractions.com

Experience wining and dining on the water! The Riverboat Queen offers weekly scenic Sunday brunch and Thursday dinner cruises. Locals and visitors alike can enjoy the outstanding cuisine, professional and friendly crew, and comfortable ambiance aboard this wonderful cruise. Enjoying brunch, lunch or dinner is the perfect way to entertain. With a wide array of onboard features to choose from (various meals/outing types), it’s easy to find a cruise to suit your dining needs.

Choose from amenities that may include: plated dishes, buffet spreads, public seating arrangements, private tables, upgrade packages, full-service cash bars, brunch, spacious observation deck, with a rooftop lounge, DJ entertainment, live bands, casual atmospheres, and more formal atmospheres. Cruises can accommodate individuals, families, small and large groups for any special event!

HOME GAMES (For more info go to Bluerocks.com) JUNE June 5-7 Vs Lynchburg June 8-10 vs. Frederick (Fireworks June 8) June 25-29 vs. Lynchburg (Fireworks June 29) June 30 vs. Winston-Salem JULY July 1-3 vs. Winston-Salem (Fireworks July 3) July 13-16 vs. Salem (Fireworks July 13) July 24-26 vs. Salem July 27-29 vs, Buies Creek (Fireworks July 27) AUGUST August 3-5 vs. Frederick (Fireworks August 3) August 14-16 vs. Lynchburg August 20-22 vs. Down East August 24-26 vs. Salem (Fireworks August 24)

FOR A FULL LISTING OF EVENTS, PLEASE LOG ON TO:

RIVERFRONTWILM.COM JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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1. Amtrak Station 2. Opera Delaware Studios/City Theater Co. 3. Wilmington Youth Rowing Assn., WYRA.ORG 4. Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park 5. Residences at Christina Landing 6. Bank’s Seafood Kitchen & Raw Bar / Riverfront Market, BANKSSEAFOODKITCHEN.COM 7. Delaware Theatre Co., DELAWARETHEATRE.ORG 8. Docklands Riverfront, DOCKLANDSRIVERFRONT.COM 9. Cosi at the Barclays Crescent Building, GETCOSI.COM 10. Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk 11. AAA Mid-Atlantic Travel Center, AAAMIDATLANTIC.COM 12. The Delaware Contemporary, DECONTEMPORARY.ORG

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13. Justison Landing, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, CURRIEDAYSPA.COM Veritas Wine & Spirits, VERITASWINESHOP.COM Starbucks on the Riverfront Riverfront Pets, RIVERFRONTPETS.COM 14. Del Pez Mexican Gastropub, DELPEZMEXICANPUB.COM Goju Training Center, GOJUROBICS.COM 15. Delaware Children’s Museum, DELAWARECHILDRENSMUSEUM.ORG Riverwalk Mini Golf, RIVERWALKMINIGOLF.COM 16. Joe’s Crab Shack, JOESCRABSHACK.COM 17. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, IRONHILLBREWERY.COM 18. Public Docks

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Visit RiverfrontWilm.com for info on events happening at the Riverfront!

19. Big Fish Grill, BIGFISHRIVERFRONT.COM 20. Frawley Stadium, BLUEROCKS.COM Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame 21. Chase Center on the Riverfront, CENTERONTHERIVERFRONT.COM 22. Dravo Plaza & Dock 23. Shipyard Center Planet Fitness, PLANETFITNESS.COM 24. Timothy’s Restaurant, TIMOTHYSONTHERIVERFRONT.COM Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, MOLLYSICECREAM.COM Ubon Thai Restaurant 25. Wilmington Rowing Center, WILMINGTONROWING.ORG 26. Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge/

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DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG 27 Riverfront Commuter Lot, RIVERFRONTWILM.COM/PARKING 28. Penn Cinema Riverfront IMAX, PENNCINEMARIVERFRONT.COM 29. CrossFit Riverfront, CFRIVERFRONT.COM 30. The Residences at Harlan Flats, HARLANFLATS.THERESIDENCES.NET 31. Altitude Trampoline Park, ALTITUDEWILMINGTON.COM 32. The Westin Wilmington, WESTINWILMINGTON.COM River Rock Kitchen, RIVERROCKKITCHEN.COM 33. Delaware Humane Association, DEHUMANE.ORG 34. Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard/Fort Christina Park, KALMARNYCKEL.ORG Photo by Joe del Tufo

5/23/18 1:40 PM

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B alanceFitnessTr aining. c om 56 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Firefly has become one of the biggest music festivals on the East Coast. Photo Joe del Tufo

rockin' the first state Eight summer festivals—six of them in Wilmington— celebrate the performing arts from now until September elaware—and Wilmington in particular—has a long tradition of festivals lauding the performing arts and an impressive musical heritage that includes such iconic artists as Bob Marley and Clifford Brown, who both performed and lived in the city. Festivals began to spring up years ago in tribute to such artists, and in recent years the festival tradition has expanded, most notably to the state capital, where Firefly has become one of the major celebrations on the East Coast.

Firefly is one of the highlights for June, along with the DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, which marks its 30th anniversary.

Founded by city Acting Director of Cultural Affairs Tina Betz, it was originally called Jazzin’ In the Square and was an idea she convinced then-mayor Dan Frawley to pursue. He agreed—as long as she could raise the funds. The idea met with much naysaying, but Betz pushed forward almost single-handedly, and Clifford Brown is now the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast.

“Each year that I have had the privilege to curate the Jazz Festival, my guiding philosophy has been to let the art form breathe rather than keeping it in a closed, airtight box that is sealed by what some call ‘tradition,’” says Betz.

“I’m not knocking tradition, but to survive, remain relevant and fresh, jazz music, as do all the arts, cannot be stifled by the boundaries of ‘this is the way it should be done,’ but needs to be allowed to evolve and to explore and give a platform to the vast and diverse contributions of artists—both young and established.”

In the spirit of such perseverance and originality, here are eight music festivals that will once again rock the First State this summer: ►

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Lobster Boil!

Saturday, June 23rd $ 39.95 per person 1¼ lb Whole Lobster 5pm – 10pm ½ dozen little neck clams Tarrgon Fingerling Potatoes Pancetta Green Beans Corn on the Cob Lobster Hush Puppies Coleslaw Blueberry Cobbler

302.777.2040 | TonicBarGrille.com | 111 WesT 11Th sT. LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS

FATHER’S DAYweekend • Saturday, June 16th – PAUL CULLEN FROM BAD COMPANY A night of amazing food, jazzy wine & great music

• Sunday, June 17th – FATHER’S DAY DINNER

WATCH

BACKYARD BASH Friday, June 1; 6-10 p.m.

Delaware Art Museum ROCKIN' THE FIRST STATE continued from previous page 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington The museum’s annual outdoor event returns with more sound, food, art and fun. The event features local musicians, food trucks from Rolling Revolution, family-friendly art activities, face-painting, arts vendors and lawn games. Guests are welcome to set up their own chairs or blankets in the Copeland Sculpture Garden. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for non-members, free for youth members (ages 10 and under) and $5 for youth nonmembers.

BROMBERG’S BIG NOISE MUSIC FESTIVAL Friday and Saturday, June 8-9 Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park 815 Justison St., Wilmington bignoisefestival.com Bromberg’s Big Noise is a Mid-Atlantic music celebration on the Riverfront. The intimate festival gives off a private party vibe without the usual large crowds. A wide selection of food and beverage options will be on hand, as well as artisan vendors from all over the country. Musicians include Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Los Lobos and more – plus event namesake David Bromberg & the Big Band, of course.

FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Thursday-Sunday, June 14-17 The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway 1131 N. Dupont Highway, Dover fireflyfestival.com This iconic annual festival will rock the Woodlands for the seventh year.

This year such superstars as Eminem, The Killers, Kendrick Lamar and others are scheduled to perform. The festival attracts tens of thousands of festival-goers and has become a summertime tradition for many. Patrons can support charity by helping fundraise with some cool rewards. For instance: Raise $750 and meet a Firefly artist; raise $1,250 and receive two free general admission tickets to the festival; raise $2,500 and receive two free VIP passes.

For more information on ticket prices, lodging, and transportation options, see the website.

THE DUPONT CLIFFORD BROWN JAZZ FESTIVAL Sunday, June 17-June 24 Rodney Square 1000 N. Market St., Wilmington cliffordbrownjazzfest.org Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival has been a Rodney Square tradition that highlights exceptional jazz music and has grown into the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast.

The festival honors Clifford Brown, a native Wilmington jazz trumpeter who was tragically killed in a traffic accident in 1956 when he was only 25. The festival, which aims to keep Brown’s legacy alive, showcases a stellar lineup of artists who pay tribute to Brown as well as jazz music.

Artists include The Lao Tizer Band featuring Chieli Minucci, Eric Marienthal and Karen Briggs, Sammy Miller and The Congregation, Sidewalk Chalk and more.

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SHADY GROVE MUSIC FESTIVAL Saturday, July 15; 11 a.m.

2126 The Hwy, Arden shadygrovemusicfest.com Originating in 2002 as a festival that featured mainly up-andcoming national rock bands, this has evolved into a music fest designed to promote local, original talent from the tristate area.

This year’s lineup is not yet announced, but it undoubtedly will be stocked with talent.

This rain or shine festival is family friendly (but leave the pups at home). Attendees should bring a lawn chair or blanket. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and proceeds will benefit the Arden Club’s Gild Hall restoration fund.

THE LADYBUG MUSIC FESTIVAL Friday and Saturday, July 20-21 • Downtown Wilmington Saturday, Sept. 22 • Downtown Milford theladybugfestival.com Gable Music Ventures’ free “Celebration of Women in Music” is back for the seventh year. The successful female-fronted festival has jumped from 300 attendees in 2012 to 10,000 last year. And women aren’t taking the lead only on stage – in 2017 approximately 70 percent of event staff was female, including sound engineers and stage managers.

Among the dozens of performers, headliners include Nalani and Sarina on Friday, and on Saturday, Lauren Ruth Ward, Grace Vonderkuhn, Hoochi Coochi, and Angela Sheik. Friday night stages will be set up outside The Lofts at 2nd & LOMA, and Saturday the festival will be on the 500 block of Market Street.

Additionally, Gable Music Ventures and Downtown Milford, Inc. have come together to bring The Ladybug Festival to Milford on Saturday, Sept. 22. See the website for updates.

PEOPLES’ FESTIVAL 4PEACE TRIBUTE TO BOB MARLEY Saturday, July 28; 1-10 p.m.

The Queen Theater 500 N. Market St., Wilmington peoplesfestival.com This one-day, indoor-outdoor music festival is a tribute to Bob Marley and the virtues he believed in: peace, love and unity. The 24th annual event will take place both outside The Queen Theater as a free street festival, and inside the theater for a ticketed price.

Headliners will perform inside. For the lineup, visit the website.

RIVERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL Friday-Sunday, Aug. 3-5 Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park 815 Justison St., Wilmington riverfrontbluesfestde.com Featuring live performances from artists serving up blues, along with jazz, Americana, folk, rockabilly and more, this 21st annual festival is a music-lover’s paradise. Artists include Vanessa Collier, Johnny Sansone and Robert Kimbrough, Sr., among nearly a dozen others. Individual day passes along with a threeday weekend pass bundle ticket are available online. Three-day weekend passes will not be available for purchase onsite.

—O&A

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Recline ON THE

RIVERFRONT showtimes and tickets at

www.penncinema.com 60 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Book Club

4

STARS  Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen play long-time friends and book club members. Photo Melinda Sue Gordon / Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

THE QUEENS OF CLUB Veteran actors breathe life into senior-set rom com

By Mark Fields

E

xpectations can be a perilous thing. Go into a movie with high hopes, and it’s very often difficult for the actual images on the screen to compare to the ones you conjured beforehand in your head. This is even more of a problem in modern America, where every new feature is promoted to death on every conceivable media platform.

But sometimes expectations can work to a movie’s advantage, and that’s the case with Book Club, a senior-oriented comedy with an all-star cast but also a tiresome premise and an utterly dreadful trailer. I went into this film with the lowest of expectations, and although it’s no Oscar contender, Book Club manages to be a sweet, funny, sexy and romantic diversion for moviegoers of a certain age (this critic included).

Book Club depicts the long-standing relationships of four women: Vivian ( Jane Fonda), a successful and defiantly single

hotel owner; Diane (Diane Keaton), a recently widowed mother with co-dependent adult children; Sharon (Candice Bergen), a long-divorced federal judge; and Carol (Mary Steenburgen), a vivacious Junior Leaguer in an unfulfilling marriage. Originally friends in college, they have remained together for 40 years through their monthly book club.

All a little too comfortable in their personal routines, the four get shaken out of their complacency when Vivian selects Fifty Shades of Grey as their next club reading assignment. Soon, ostensibly inspired by the lurid bestseller, Vivian, Diane, Sharon, and Carol are embarking on new sexual and romantic adventures that are as delightful as they are implausible. Of course, this creates the opportunity to introduce a male quartet of interests for our leading ladies: Don Johnson, Andy Garcia, Richard Dreyfuss and Craig T. Nelson. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

P L AYI N G THIS MONTH Nemours Building 1007 N. Orange Street

June 1 - 3

RGB

How To Talk To Girls At Parties

Fri 5:30 | Sat 2, 8 Sun 12

Fri 8:15 | Sat 4:45 Sun 3, 6

AFI Top 100 Films

Sophie’s Choice

#91

Sat 10am

June 8 - 11

The Rider

RGB

AFI Top 100 Films

Fri 5:30 | Sat 2, 6 Sun 12, 6

Fri 8:30 | Sat 3:45, 6:15 Sun 3 | Mon 7

Sat 10am

#90

Swing Time

The premise is laughable (and not in a good way), but Book Club THE QUEENS OF CLUB is more than redeemed by acting continued from previous page chops and winning personalities of its stars. Seeing this seasoned but exceptional cast breathe vibrant life into this lightweight material with superb comic timing and character depth is like watching a film acting class. I particularly enjoyed Jane Fonda as the lively —but in truth, fearful—Vivian, and Andy Garcia as relaxed, selfconfident airline pilot Mitchell (Keaton’s love interest).

The direction by Bill Holderman (a producer making his directorial debut) doesn’t particularly impress, but he knows enough to get out of the way of his stars. The screenplay by Holderman and Erin Simms is full of trenchant one-liners about romance among the aging, but one suspects they play funnier than they are written, thanks to each actor’s winning delivery.

There is no great art here, but in a cinematic season chock full of lithe superheroes and youthful rom-coms, it’s refreshing and entertaining to have a film that aspires to meet some of the rest of us where we live. I’m not quite Book Club’s core demographic (though I can see it from here), but I still appreciated the effort to broaden the movie landscape even just a little bit.

Also playing in multiplexes in June: It’s the season of sequels. Ocean’s Eight—Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett in a distaff extension of the popular heist movies, June 8; the longawaited follow-up to a Pixar classic, The Incredibles 2, June 15; and the latest dino-saga, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, June 22.

June 15 - 18

Back To Burgundy

Fri 5:30 Sat 1:15, 7:30 | Sun 3

Lean On Pete

AFI Top 100 Films

Fri 8:30 | Sat 4 Sun 12, 6 | Mon 7

Sat 10am

Bringing Up Baby

#88

June 22 - 25

Let The Sunshine In

Fri 5:45 | Sat 12:45, 6:30 Sun 3 | Mon 7

American Animals

AFI Top 100 Films #87

Fri 8:30 | Sat 3:30, 9 Sun 12, 6

12 Angry Men

Sat 10am

Special Screenings

Ballet in Cinema: Manon

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Wed June 20 • 7 pm

Sat June 2 & 16 • 11pm

For more information and tickets, visit

TheatreN.com

AT THEATRE N: RBG, JUNE 1-10

This revelatory documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the esteemed Supreme Court Justice, actually manages to cover new ground and unfamiliar biographical details. Director/producers Julie Cohen and Betsy White are perhaps a little too in awe of their formidable subject, but Ginsberg nevertheless makes for a fascinating story of groundbreaking accomplishment and legal acumen. The film includes an extraordinary level of access to the jurist herself as well as a gamut of respectful “talking head” interviews.

Coming to Theatre N in June: Back to Burgundy—French family drama set in wine country, June 15-17; Let the Sunshine In—romantic comedy by Director Claire Denis and starring the luminous Juliette Binoche, June 22-24, and the ongoing countdown of AFI’s Top 100 films of all time (including Swing Time and Bringing Up Baby), every Saturday. theatren.com.

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OUTDOOR S UM M E R M OVI E S In Nemours Plaza between the Brandywine & Nemours Buildings.

Films Start at Dusk!

Tuesday, June 26

Caddyshack Tuesday, July 17

Jaws Tuesday, August 21

Raiders of the Lost Ark For more information and tickets, visit

TheatreN.com JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

Craig Wensell (second from left) and his Wilmington Brew Works team (L-R): Keith Hughes, John Fusco, Dan Yopp and Derek Berkeley.

BREWING UP BUSINESS IN WILMINGTON The city’s first brewery since 1954 opens in a neglected part of town

By Kevin Noonan Photos by Joe del Tufo

C

raig Wensell had a bellyful of the corporate life. He was used to being his own boss and he chafed under the structured life he was living. So, he decided, as legendary bluesman Muddy Waters once sang, to live the life he loves and love the life he lives.

As a result, Wensell is the owner of the soon-to-open Wilmington Brew Works on Miller Road in north Wilmington.

It joins a growing group of breweries sprouting up all over the state and the country. But Wensell’s is different because his is the first production brewery in the city since 1954, when Diamond State Brewery closed its doors, and he’s creating his business in a neglected part of town that is far from the bright lights of the Christina Riverfront and the hustle and bustle of Market Street.

“That’s an old perception that we’re hoping to change,” Wensell said. “I did feasibility studies, I did my homework, and I think this is a fantastic opportunity. The building is beautiful and this area is hungry for something like this. To me, the time and place are perfect.”

Reviving those neglected areas of Wilmington has been a point of emphasis for the administration of Mayor Mike Purzycki. So, when city officials heard that Wensell was looking for a place to set up shop, they approached him about the site on Miller Road, which is owned by Ralph and Rose Pepe.

The 11,000-square-foot building is a brownfield—a contaminated property that gets federal aid to clean up potential hazards so it can be redeveloped. Wensell was drawn to its unique-for-Wilmington architecture. It has a red-tile roof and Spanish flair that make it look more like a hacienda than the industrial shop it once was. It used to house the HarperThiel Electroplating Company back in the day when Gaylord’s department store and Jack Lundy’s Jewish delicatessen were the big attractions in that part of town, but the building has been vacant since Harper-Thiel left it in 2000.

Wensell had hoped for a May grand opening, but weathercreated delays have pushed that projection back to June. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Spanish architecture of the building is rare for Wilmington.

GOOD BUZZ

“But it’s already creating a lot of good buzz for Wilmington on the whole and for the northern section of the city in particular,’’ Purzycki says. “Anticipation is high that it will be successful and a popular attraction for nearby neighbors as well as for patrons citywide and regionally.

“If you have a good product to offer and a pleasant and safe setting for people to enjoy themselves, then the location of a business becomes less important. This new business fits nicely into our administration’s mission to strengthen city neighborhoods, which can become stronger when they are near other popular amenities.”

Wensell plans to add food courts and live music as his business grows and he’s already in negotiations with pizza and taco vendors, among others. As for his beer, he plans to produce only 500 barrels a year, which is far fewer than the big breweries that produce them by the thousands—Dogfish Head, the reigning king of Delaware breweries, produces about 260,000 barrels annually. Wensell will brew the popular IPA and different seasonal beers, but his specialty is sour beer, which is intentionally made acidic or tart. Wilmington Brew Works will also serve non-alcoholic drinks because Wensell wants to make it a family-friendly destination.

At least one new neighbor hopes Wensell’s patrons will be hungry as well as thirsty. Domenico DeCicco is the owner of Hotspot, a casual restaurant located in a strip mall adjacent to Wilmington Brew Works, and he’s thrilled about the imminent arrival of a new business in the Miller Road area.

“And it’s not just me,” says DeCicco, who has owned his restaurant for three years. “I have a lot of customers come in here who ask when it’s going to open, and you can see that they’re excited about it. There’s nothing like that around here, a place where people can get together and have a good time and maybe listen to some music, and it’s going to be good for my business and the whole area in general.”

DeCicco said Wensell has already stopped by his shop as he gets to know his new neighbors and he’s already made a favorable impression.

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Wensell will be inviting customers to enjoy food courts and live music soon after the June opening of Wilmington Brew Works.

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD

“He’s very friendly and very personable and I know he’s going to do well there,” DiCicco said. “This is something we’ve needed around her for a long time and I’m glad he’s the one to do it.”

Wensell’s road to Wilmington was a long and winding one, with some interesting side trips. He grew up in Oklahoma and got his undergraduate degree at Oklahoma State and his master’s degree in Music Performance at Florida State. He was an assistant professor of music at Columbus State University and also spent many years as a freelance musician (he plays the bass) and played all over the United States and Canada, including a stop where all musicians dream of playing—Carnegie Hall in New York.

He has also used his hands in another occupation—he’s a licensed aircraft mechanic and served a two-year tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2009-2010 with the Army National Guard as a Black Hawk Helicopter crew chief.

After his tour of duty, Wensell continued to work in the aircraft industry, but he found himself doing more paperwork and less mechanical work and he hated being chained to a desk instead of being in a shop or concert hall. More than anything, he missed being his own boss as he had been during his touring musician days—although, as a married man with three children, he knew he couldn’t resume that vagabond lifestyle.

Eventually, he decided to try turning one of his passions into something profitable. Like millions of Americans, he had been an avid home-brewer for years. So he went professional and created the Bellefonte Brewing Company, which he operated out of his home before moving into a small brewery space on Old Capitol Trail. Wensell sold his interest in Bellefonte last fall and moved on to the underserved northern Wilmington area.

And the rest, as they say, is geography.

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| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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5/24/18 9:21 AM

Celebrating

80 Years! Spirited DRINK

Our recommendation from an area pro

From Paul Shireman, who next month will celebrate his 12th anniversary as a bartender at Buckley’s Tavern

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ne Wednesdays: 15% OFF 750mls of Wi Thursdays: $2 OFF Growler Fills

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SANGRIA

I find making drinks fun. Kind of like having a chemistry set, only nothing is going to blow up or set you on fire. One of my favorites for a warm summer evening on the deck is sangria.

Forget those memories of insipid sangria sold in a big jug that you drank back in college. Sangria isn’t difficult to make yourself. You don’t need specific esoteric ingredients, and you can make a single glass —you needn’t commit to a whole pitcher.

• For a red sangria, I muddle together a few slices of lemon and orange in a cocktail shaker, add about 2 1/2 ounces Grand Marnier and crushed ice, and shake it. Strain it into a glass of ice and top it with chianti (my personal preference) or pinot noir.

STOP by for food truck friday!

Friday, June 29th

• For a sangria using white or rosé wine, I muddle together three chopped strawberries and 1/2 lemon, sliced, in a shaker. I add 1 ounce St. Germain and 1 1/2 ounces white rum and shake with crushed ice. Strain it into a glass of ice and top it with rosé or a pinot grigio.

wilmington 522 Philadelphia pike -

Now, these recipes are not set in stone. I added a few raspberries to the red sangria, and that was delicious, too.

Experiment with whatever brandy or liquor you have, and whatever fruit you like—there is so much in season right now, and there are no wrong answers.

uors.com 302.764.0377 - pecosliq 68 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

BRIMMING HORN AWARDED SILVER MEDAL

B

SIPS

Here's what's pouring Compiled by Mathew Brown-Watson

rimming Horn Meadery’s founder, Jon Talkington, returned victorious after taking part in the American Mead Makers Association Conference and the Mazer Cup International (MCI) Competition, held in March in Colorado.

Brimming Horn’s Freya's Kiss mead was awarded the silver medal in the Traditional-Semi category.

The Mazer Cup International is a premier event, with 450 entries in the commercial category and 700 in the home mead makers category. Meaderies from all over the world send in their meads for a chance to win a coveted medal.

Talkington also was honored to take part as a judge in the home mead makers competition—allowing him to indulge in the wares of some of the best home mead makers in the world.

Brimming Horn Meadery is located as 28615 Lewes-Georgetown Hwy. For more information, visit brimminghornmeadery.com.

BILL AIMS TO BOOST CRAFT ALCOHOL INDUSTRY

T

he Delaware State Senate unanimously passed House Bill 373 on May 10, which allows Delaware's craft alcohol producers to sell each other's products for on-site consumption.

It’s hoped that the new legislation will boost the already booming craft alcohol industry in the First State by introducing a greater variety of craft alcohols to distilleries, wineries, and breweries, making a visit to each of them more appealing for everyone.

16 MILE RELEASES COLD BREW COFFEE

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6 Mile Brewing Co., best known for its variety of specialty ales, is trying its hand at a different kind of cold brew—coffee.

The Georgetown brewery introduced its first cold brew coffee, “Jacked Up Java,” at the first 16 Mile Farmers Market of the season on May 16. The coffee is made with Peruvian beans with a medium roast, bringing forward the distinct flavors of the bean. The 24-hour steeping process results in a smooth, non-acidic, caffeinated beverage that’s refreshingly tart with a sweet finish.

16 Mile’s cold brew coffee will be offered as is or infused naturally with flavors such as orange, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.

The coffee brew will be served on tap from 7 to 11 a.m. weekdays at the Gnarly Barley mobile tavern, located on the brewery property. Starting this month, the brew will be available in 12-ounce glass bottles at the tavern as well as other local retailers.

For more information on 16 Mile, visit 16milebrewery.com.

GREENE TURTLE SAYS GOODBYE TO PLASTIC STRAWS

L

ate last month The Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille franchise began going straw-free in an effort to protect marine life. Over 500 million plastic straws are used each day in the United States. By going straw free, The Greene Turtle restaurants will save more than 7 million plastic straws from entering the ecosystem. Biodegradable straws will be available for certain beverages and upon request.

In support of the restaurant’s effort, Diageo, a global leader in the beverage alcohol industry, will donate $1 of every bottle of Naked Turtle Rum sold at restaurants to the Sea Turtle Conservancy to help promote awareness about the different species of sea turtles and the various threats to their survival.

DOGFISH HEAD RELEASES ‘MIXED MEDIA’

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rom May until September, Dogfish Head will be running a beer-wine hybrid called “Mixed Media.” It’s a complex ale brewed with a distinct Belgian yeast strain combined with late-harvest Viognier grape must from Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Washington.

Grape must is the freshly crushed grape juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems from the fruit.

The results of the concoction yielded a beer that is appealing to both pinot grigio lovers and the ardent ale drinker alike. The flavor is crisp, dry and tart, a refreshing addition to Dogfish Head’s summer season offerings.

Mixed Media is available now at most places where Dogfish Head is sold. For more information, visit dogfish.com.

JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FIREFLY THROUGH T Twenty One Pilots Maggie Rogers Foo Fighters Trombone Shorty

Reflections on the annual happening in Dover by someone who has been there for almost all of them Text and Photos by Joe del Tufo I remember laughing to myself when the first rumors surfaced about a music festival in Dover. In the town that I grew up in that had 1.5 malls, a shopping center to cruise around, a whole lot of NASCAR, and not much else? But there it was, at first as a chaos of traffic and then instantly a game-changer. An actual “scene” in the middle of the same forest I used to wander as a kid. It became its own space with its own culture that extended beyond the music—a temporary camp town with great food, fun, Dogfish, arcade games and leisure sports, those messy, delicious Island noodles and dance parties that went deep into the night.

Trying to collect the memories I gathered over the years there is not a simple task. As a concert photographer, much of it does revolve around the music. But I know that for many of my friends and family, the music was the framework for an almost utopian experience in the Woodlands of Firefly.

For me, some of the best moments were new discoveries. In 2013, I’d never heard of Twenty One Pilots, but I’ll never forget their stage-climbing, crowd-surfing drummer theatrics. Beyond the circus act, their songs were catchy and made people rabid, in the best of ways. Other relatively unknown acts gracing the Firefly stage included Courtney Barnett, Sturgill Simpson, Run The Jewels and Imagine Dragons—whose debut album would then go platinum many times over. One of my favorite sets at Firefly, and one of the few I watched entirely, was (the then unknown to me) San Fermin playing the now-retired Forest Stage, awash in colored lights that framed the woodlands canopy.

And there was also Eden, an incredible blend of traditional singer-songwriter and EDM artist, with his infectious down-beat

Kendrick Lamar

Citizen Cope Cage The Elephant

M83

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H THE CAMERA’S EYE Paul McCartney

anthems. And the delightful Maggie Rogers, who lived in Delaware for a time. And Mondo Cozmo. Even Kendrick Lamar (one of the 2018 headliners) and Ellie Goulding played on smaller stages at Firefly. Also Snoop Dogg in a haze of pot smoke and bobbing heads on the smaller Porch stage.

There have been many other highlights: Cage the Elephant, both times—that is what a rock band should sound like and its frontman should exude; Citizen Cope playing an acoustic Treehouse session in the forest that I will never forget; Vita and the Woolf, who played the most remote stage in the fest, only to have it filled by lead vocalist Jen Pague’s otherworldly voice summoning people from every corner; Tom Petty, whose hits just kept coming; Trombone Shorty and Childish Gambino, who brought everything they had; Matt & Kim, unpredictable and entertaining, and of course catchy as hell; Steve Aoki playing a midday set after being rained out the previous night, chucking massive sheet cakes into the crowd, and honorary Delawarean Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters blistering their way through all their hits before covering Alice Cooper, The Stones, Van Halen and Queen in their encore.

And the crazy stuff. Like the WTF moments of pure insanity that were the 30 Seconds To Mars set. Fetty Wap’s set was so bad it’s now legendary. And the massive three hours of perfection above 90,000 sets of eyes that was Paul McCartney’s set. Honestly, those goosebumps are still on call.

But I admit that the one memory that stands out at Firefly is idiosyncratic: the glorious M83 set in 2016, and walking through it after shooting from the pit, glowing in the reflected colors from the stage. It was an elemental music that drifted like a soundtrack over the tens of thousands blissfully singular within its spell. And that is what Firefly is to me, an experience of people connecting, awash in a haze of light and color and motion, celebrating something that I suspect even they do not understand.

This year we’ll get Eminem, Kendrick’s return, Killers and Arctic Monkeys again. And Mike D from the Beastie Boys! But also the surprises. What shape will they take in the sounds and colors of the woodland night?

Steve Aoki Courtney Barnett

Tom Petty

Matt And Kim

Imagine Dragons

Childish Gambino

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Day!

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JUNE

Entertainment Schedule EVERY MONDAY: Showtime Trivia EVERY THURSDAY: DJ Willoughby EVERY FRIDAY: EDM DJ Dance Party

LIVE BANDS! FRIDAY: Fri- 6/1 Chorduroy

THE BIGGEST DECKS IN NEWARK WITH THE BEST DRINK SPECIALS!

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Photo Krista Connor

LISTEN

Sam Nobles, left, and Bruce Anthony have been playing music together for nearly a decade.

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH BRUCE & SAM Area jazz and folk musicians Bruce Anthony and Sam Nobles—known as a duo as Bruce & Sam—talk beat boxing, beach trips, and their inaugural album, out June 1

By Krista Connor

B

everages in hand and seated comfortably in a quiet corner at Greenville’s Brew HaHa!, Bruce Anthony and Sam Nobles interact with an ease and understanding that can only come from nearly a decade of friendship and professional collaboration.

Both musicians, who make up the jazz, blues and folk duo Bruce & Sam, have been playing since they were young. Anthony, 63, picked up a guitar for the first time when he was 12; the 28-year-old Nobles discovered piano at age 10, and played bass and upright bass in his teens.

Despite the 35-year difference in their ages, they had an almost immediate musical chemistry.

They met through Nobles’ brother, also a lifelong musician, when Nobles was in high school and sporting, Anthony laughingly recalls, some memorable dreadlocks. He saw Nobles perform for the first time in 2006 when the teenager played bass at the Urban Bike Project in Wilmington.

“He was playing some Weather Report and Herbie Hancock stuff, but he was too young for collaborating. But I said, ‘That boy can play right there. I’m gonna keep my eye on him,’” Anthony says.

A few years later, the two met again during one of Nobles’ performances with the University of Delaware Jazz Ensemble.

“He was playing bass again, and I was like, ‘I need to play music with him.’ He was killing it,” says Anthony.

“After that, we started working together,” says Nobles.

“Eventually he said, ‘Bring your bass out, you can sit in on a couple of tunes’—and before we knew it, we were gigging.”

Individually, both are mainstays in the Delaware music community, and they’re among the few who have made their passion a fulltime job.

“He’s probably one of the only people I know doing it fulltime,” says Anthony, adding: “Small Wonder Sam.” For them, fulltime gigging in Delaware requires near-constant flexibility, something their laid-back personalities seem to thrive on. At any given time, you’ll see Nobles playing with local bands like fiancé and the Rob Zinn group, while Anthony’s out soloing at various eateries and events. Nobles, especially, is a veteran in the Newark community; his previous instant-hit college and post-college groups Diego Paulo, Mean Lady and Travel Songs sprouted there.

But the two artists come together for gigs at least three times a week at area restaurants and events, Nobles typically playing upright bass and Anthony on guitar. Bruce & Sam are creating a shared name for themselves at repeat venues like 8th & Union Kitchen during weekend brunch, or at Rehoboth’s Chesapeake & Maine. And they’re not just background noise—people are coming out specifically to hear them.

Now the duo is slated to release their first album, on Friday, June 1. Titled Bruce & Sam, it’ll feature more than a dozen songs, half of which will be originals by Anthony, and half will be covers. ► JUNE 2018 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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While Anthony drinks white wine and Nobles sips coffee, they give us us some insight into what makes their partnership a success:

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH BRUCE & SAM continued from previous page

O&A: As a duo, do you prefer to stick to covers, originals or both? What are some of your favorites?

Anthony: When we play together we concentrate on old covers, but we’ve been playing a lot of music I’ve written as well. I would say 80-90 percent is jazz standard covers, with two-three original tunes per show.

Nobles: We do “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Smile,” by Charlie Chaplin, a lot of Bill Withers like “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lovely Day;” Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind,” “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

Anthony: As far as originals, there are different styles in some of the songs I write. One of the songs is called “The Good Life,” and it’s more of a self-biography, talking about ups and downs; that’s kind of poppy, I would think—is it poppy?

Nobles: Yeah, yeah, poppy, funky.

Anthony: It’s original, and nobody can take that away. There’s another song called “Bellefonte,” it’s instrumental, it’s like a country boogie, one that you’d hear three guys playing on the porch. Foot stomping—it’s not jazz, is it?

Nobles: Nope.

Anthony: It’s a very country tune.

O&A: How do you think you complement one another with the blending of your musical backgrounds?

Anthony: Well, I’m an old guy [laughter], he’s a young guy, first off. I’m an old black man, he’s a young white guy. And we’ve been playing together for eight years. You don’t see that. You could go

MONDAYS All Day

O&A: You brought up your age difference. How does that impact your music, if at all?

Anthony: You wanna answer that, dude?

Nobles: Sure, unless you got an answer.

Anthony: Musically, it’s timeless, especially the jazz stuff. It’s timeless. Sam plays like an old person, I play like a young person sometimes. The age thing doesn’t come into play while we’re playing.

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anywhere—I don’t think it’s being done. He’s solid. What I think about him: I can go anywhere, paint any kind of picture, and he will be the canvas. I can use any color, and he will be the light that shines on it. He’s consistent. He’s a bass player. So if I make a mistake, I have to follow him. But he will allow me to make a mistake, and then come back home. Okay, your turn [laughter].

Nobles: I think just playing together for so long, there’s so much unspokenness that happens between us. There’s definitely a chemistry.

For example, when one of us is soloing on stage, then done soloing, it’s usually just out of the corner of your eye that you’ll know it’s time to move on. We both give each other a lot of room to talk, musically.

Anthony: I’ve been going through some stuff, some really heavy stuff the past couple of weeks. I’m trying not to be bitter about it, and I can’t talk about it, but when I start playing, he knows, he hears it. I started using the wah-wah pedal—you know, the sound effect, wahhh, wahhhh, cry all the time.

Nobles: It’s definitely a place we get to express. And that’s really nice, because not every musician lets you stretch out like that. And we’re always turning each other on to new stuff, too. We have this little beat box. And it’s not much. Just provides a beat. It’s very subliminal. It’s not taking over everything. We introduced it a couple years ago and now we do it all the time. Playing the beats, having funky, sometimes hip-hop-sounding beats. So that’s developed with us.

Prime Rib Special Every Week after 5pm! Thursday $18.99, Fri and Sat $22.99

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O&A: Your chemistry, empathy and respect for each other really is palpable. What is it that makes you get along so well?

Anthony: He’s very patient.

Nobles: Bruce, too.

Anthony: Really, I can’t say. I’ve only known another guy, a sax player I used to play with… these kind of people I’m gravitated towards. They’re holistic people. The chemistry, I don’t know what it is. But it’s working. This guy could be anywhere in the world if he wanted to.

He’s young, he could go anywhere. I’m lucky to have him play with me in Delaware. I just think he’s a good person and it comes out in his music.

Nobles: Thank you. Likewise. We have a lot of fun. I think it shows when we’re playing. We enjoy hearing what the other plays, the surprises that come out, and we laugh while we’re playing. We really have a good time. To play as often as we do, and it always feels fresh and fun. It’s pretty special.

Anthony: Psht, yeah it is. We drive to the beach a lot together for gigs at Chesapeake & Maine and the farmers market in Rehoboth, so we’re up and down Route 1 a lot.

Nobles: We always have a good time driving there. We usually have some catching up to do with what we’ve been doing that week, what solo gigs we’ve had, what strange encounters we’ve had.

It’s always fun to cruise down there, listen to good tunes—old blues recording, old-timey stuff.

O&A: Can you talk about the album out June 1, Bruce & Sam? And what are your plans for the future as Bruce & Sam? Nobles: The album should be between 12 and 14 songs. Half are original, and half covers — the originals are Bruce’s originals. We’ll be selling CDs of the new album at our shows and will also post the album to stream on Bandcamp [the link will be available through Facebook].

Anthony: I like staying in Delaware, it has been continuously getting better for me. The Bruce & Sam thing is getting better and better—people are saying, ‘This is something I want to go see,’ as opposed to being a background person in a restaurant. When it’s a ‘Bruce & Sam thing,’ people are coming out to see Bruce and Sam. Find them on Facebook: Bruce & Sam.

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Nobles: Bruce, you’ve played so much, so many places, you have a lot of advice I admire, and the way you play in a room without drowning people out; some musicians don’t understand that philosophy and say, “I’m gonna be as loud as I want to be.” Bruce is such an adaptor of the room. That’s one of the many reasons people love his sound. He fits right in the right place without blowing anybody out. That’s something I appreciate and try to incorporate.

Have you heard about our newest location on

Something For Everyone.

Photo courtesy of Bruce & Sam

Bruce & Sam play regularly at local bars and restaurants like 8th & Union Kitchen, Chesapeake & Maine, the Greenville Brew HaHa! and more.

SEE THEM PLAY: Every Sunday brunch, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 8th and Union Kitchen Every Friday, 5-8 p.m., Chesapeake & Maine June 13, 5:30-7 p.m.: JCC Poolside Summer Concert Series June 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Rehoboth Farmers Market June 30, 5-8 p.m.: Brew HaHa! Greenville July 16, 6:30-8 p.m.: Rockford Park Summer Concert Series July 28, 5-8 p.m.: Brew HaHa! Greenville JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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JUNE MUSIC

LISTEN

at Kelly’s Logan House Look for these great bands upstairs!

FRIDAY, 6/01

Party Foul - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 6/02

Chorduroy - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 6/08

John Fazio with Jim Cesca - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 6/09

Bad n Ruin - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 6/15

Element K Duo - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 6/16

Italian Festival Saturday with The Stereo Giants - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 6/22

Victoria Watts Duo - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 6/23

Sidepiece - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 6/29

The Cover Ups - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 6/30

Cassidy and Jimmy - 10 p.m.

1701 Delaware Ave. Wilmington, DE 19806 (302) 652-9493

LOGANHOUSE.COM Bands and times subject to change.

FOR THE RECORD

Thom Powers of The Naked & Famous WITH

“For the Record” is a periodic feature in which musicians discuss powerful influences and what they’ve been listening to lately.

Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith, part of the trio including David Beadle, will perform at The Queen on Friday, June 29. Photo courtesy of The Naked & Famous

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By Krista Connor

uckland, New Zealand’s electro-pop natives The Naked & Famous are known for their synth-heavy catalog, with albums like Passive Me, Aggressive You (2010) and In Rolling Waves (2013). So a compilation of stripped-down, acoustic renditions of their favorite tracks in a new album, A Still Heart, may have come as a surprise to some. But after more than a decade of performing, the band decided to offer audiences a more intimate, lyrical look at their music in the March release.

The album came on the heels of the departure of two original members, Aaron Short (keyboards) and Jesse Wood (drums), leaving behind the now-trio of Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards), Thom Powers (vocals, guitars) and David Beadle (bass). Shortly after the transition, they launched A Still Heart Stripped Tour, an international journey that will stop at The Queen in Wilmington on Friday, June 29, at 7 p.m.

Out & About caught up with Powers via email to get a take on his most influential albums, all of which, he says, “hold a place in my heart.”

Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral

Before TNAF, I was a Hot Topic teenage suburban goth tragedy. Fashionably late to the mid-2000s, I missed Emo and was instead stuck in the mid1990s, although I think meshgloves made their way into both eras. At the time, my friends and I had limited “dial-up” internet access so I don’t take full responsibility either way—times were tough.

The light at the end of my dark puberty tunnel was Trent Reznor scream-singing, “I wanna f*** you like an animal.” The Downward Spiral is a dynamic, compelling, and challenging listen. Nothing about it is intended to make one feel comfortable. It stood out against the rising tide of aimlessly angry bro-rock that dominated the ‘90s. Despite not knowing much about him, Trent Reznor was the first tangible musical character that sent me on a path. He’s still a hero to me today. ►

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The Mint Chicks — Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!

The Mint Chicks were the band. This is around the time Alisa and I were cultivating what would become The Naked And Famous’ first two EPs, This Machine and No Light. All the Auckland bands wanted to open for them. They were edgy and DIY yet were being played on both pop and alternative radio. And as far as anyone could tell, they hadn’t compromised. Their sound was both totally unstable and tight. While they definitely influenced TNAF sonically, their attitude and selfsufficiency was what inspired us the most. You can find our cover of their hit “Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!” online.

Bon Iver — Blood Bank EP

A blend of “organic” (this word makes me cringe 50 percent of the time) and studio-manipulated, or “unnatural,” instruments is something I look for in music. I love it both as a listener and a musician. When you consider that at one point in history, an acoustic guitar was a marvel of technological progress, the word “organic” starts to seem a little misleading. My assumption is that Justin Vernon agrees, in part, with this sentiment . . .

It’s probably not too obvious, but this EP had a huge impact on me in production decisions on Passive Me, Aggressive You. My introduction to double-tracked vocals came from TV On The Radio, but Bon Iver is what compelled me to use it in my own music. And while my introduction to the “harmonizer” came from Imogen Heap, “The Woods” was the final straw. I have to get in on this! I thought to myself.

Alt-J — An Awesome Wave

I spent many happy hours procrastinating to this record. It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

The band had finished our first world tour and were working on our sophomore album. I needed something to obsess over. This ticked all kinds of boxes that I didn’t even know were on the checklist. I’m not often one for “quirky,” but An Awesome Wave had a constant emotive tug. Its bittiness was heartfelt. A curious album —a grower, but immediate all at once.

Luna Shadows/The Chain Gang Of 1974

I was trying to think of a pivotal album that fueled me while Simple Forms was coming together, but if I’m honest, the richest musical experience I had was working with two other artists: Luna Shadows and The Chain Gang Of 1974.

Luna put out her first EP, Hallelujah California, in 2016. It was my first foray into something more traditionally “pop.” The whole experience was eye-opening and creatively challenging. We’d listen to other pop acts and scrutinize what went into the recordings. By the time the EP was finished the lines between genres had blurred a little more for me—at least from a studio perspective.

Simultaneously, I was working with The Chain Gang Of 1974. Kamtin [Mohager] was already an acquaintance because we’d previously toured together. We were at similar places in life when we began working on his album—both a little lost and needing something to believe in. We became fast friends. I’ve always been ambitious to be seen as a producer outside of my own band and this was a safe environment to do it. I trusted Kam’s taste and he was in no short supply of ideas and energy in our sessions. He was also patient with me. Switching between artist and producer was a role I had to practice.

The Naked & Famous will perform at The Queen in Wilmington on Friday, June 29. For tickets, go to thequeenwilmington.com.

EVERY SUNDAY

DRAG DIVA BRUNCH WEDNESDAY, 6/6 MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

W/KEVIN DEVINE (SOLO) & HALF WAIF

SATURDAY, 6/9 DAVE HAUSE

W/NORTHCOTE & NATHAN GRAY

FRIDAY, 6/15 PORCH CHOPS & LOVE MINUS ZERO SATURDAY, 6/16 START MAKING SENSE:

TALKING HEADS TRIBUTE

SUNDAY, 6/17 JJ GREY & MOFRO SATURDAY, 6/23 LIZ LONGLEY FRIDAY, 6/29 THE NAKED & FAMOUS W/ZANDER HAWLEY

COME SEE A SHOW & ENJOY A GREAT SELECTION OF

CRAFT BEER!

FOLLOW US @QUEENWILMINGTON #QUEENWILMINGTON JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY PLAY

Chris D’Elia performs June 8 at the Grand Opera House. Photo courtesy of WME Entertainment

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH COMEDIAN CHRIS D’ELIA With help from social media and Netflix specials, his popularity is booming

By Mathew Brown-Watson

C

hris D’Elia is a comedic tour de force on social media, earning him a loyal following that continues to grow.

“To me it’s a no-brainer and it’s fun and it’s funny for me to do jokes that I wouldn’t even necessarily do,” says D’Elia. “It’s a different medium. I love it, I like social media, it’s fun for me and it translates to ticket sales.”

And he certainly isn’t the man to mess with on social media, either. Just ask Logan Paul. D’Elia roasted the YouTube sensation in May, with one tweet from the comedian garnering more than 660,000 likes and nearly 150,000 retweets—numbers exceeding even those of a typical Twitter tirade from President Trump.

D’Elia’s career has been on an upswing with the release of his second Netflix stand-up special, Man on Fire, in 2017, his recurring role on NBC’s The Good Doctor and his soon-to-bereleased movie, Life in a Year.

Out & About had the opportunity to ask him some questions before he embarked on his summer tour, Follow the Leader, which makes a stop in Wilmington on Friday, June 8, 8 p.m., at the Grand Opera House.

O&A: You won praise for your crowd work during your standup routine. How do you survey a crowd to find the best targets?

D’Elia: I don’t really do it beforehand. I mostly just do it when I get on stage, I just kind of feel it out and wait for something to happen. I get a lot of people that heckle me or call out and I actually hate that.

So, I’m kind of happy to put people in their place when they do that.

I mostly just wait for something to happen. I’m not on stage waiting for something to happen, but if it does that’s when I’ll go for it.

As comedians, we’ve dealt with it enough and I think I do find the fun in it, you know, which is why I think that sometimes it seems that I like to do it. There is a part of me that likes to do it, but I’d rather just do my material.

But if I’m on stage and if something happens or if somebody is wearing something stupid in the front row, it’s almost like I can’t not comment on it. But I don’t do it before I go on stage.

I just feel like a lot of the time people in the crowd just don’t get that the comedian is the professional and that they’re going to be the one that comes away as the winner. It’s hard to lose up there if somebody heckles you.

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O&A: Since starting your weekly podcast, Congratulations with Chris D’Elia, in February 2017, it has climbed to a top 30 position on the US Comedy Podcast Chart.

Do you find it to be a good outlet for thoughts and frustrations, and do you utilize it to test any new material?

D’Elia: When I first started my podcast I thought, “look, I do stand-up and I talk for an hour on stage. I do it all the time, . . . almost every night.” But a lot of that is material and when I started doing the podcast I thought, comedians are doing podcasts and maybe there’s a way for me to streamline my fan base and do podcasts and give them something to listen to weekly. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it or not, to talk for an hour just on anything that came to mind in that moment.

But I started doing it and after the first few episodes I was like, “oh, man, I really like this. It was really, really fun and it helps me streamline not only my fan base but my way of thinking and my humor.” And it gave me an outlet to kind of just talk through stuff that I think is funny which is how I write material anyway.

Now I have the pressure of doing this one hour a week and I film it and I put it up an hour later on iTunes and all places where podcasts are available. And you know, I’m fortunate that it became really popular. But now it’s very cool because it feels like to me my fans know me and my humor even better.

With stand-up, specials that come out on Netflix or if I put out a video on YouTube of me at the Laugh Factory or whatever it is, they are very few and far between because I’m working on it for a year or two years, even. But the podcasts make them feel like they have a connection with me and I have a connection with them.

Things have become sayings and I put some of the stuff that I said in my podcast in my act. And it’s really helpful for me in expressing what my humor is and letting the people who listen to me know what brand of humor I have, and they feel like they’re a part of it.

The way I write material is I just of kind of walk around my house and I start talking out loud. Whatever I think is funny I’ll say on stage. But I’ll also talk about it with my friends. I get a lot of material when after a comedy set I’ll go to the diner with my friends and we’ll just be bullshitting around – that’s kind of what my podcast is, only without my friends. So, I’ll get material that way and then I hone on stage after that, because I’m just kind of like talking out my ass on the podcast.

O&A: Is your upcoming film Life in a Year a departure from your previous comedic acting experience and is there any other type of genre you’d be interested in trying?

D’Elia: That is a straight drama. I think they were looking for a comedic element in the movie because the movie is about Cara Delevingne’s character dying of cancer. It’s really dramatic. So I think they were looking for some sort of levity with my character . . . it’s a really dramatic movie, which is totally why I wanted to do it.

Because, you know, there’s funny movies and funny TV shows that come out, but to me it always feels like the best version of any comedy that I can do is stand-up. Because that’s me, those are my jokes, my thoughts, what I think is funny. If I’m going to be in a movie, it’s a collaborative thing and I don’t mind being in a collaborative thing.

But the best distilled, most pure version of what I think is funny is going be on stage. So, I tell my agent if there’s ever anything interesting to come along like a drama or something that’s very specific that I wouldn’t necessarily be known or thought of, or cast immediately for, then I want to do that. And they came to me with that movie idea and I was like, I definitely want to do that.

The whole goal for me is to be an action movie star. I look at guys like Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves and even Nicolas Cage. Those movies are the movies that I want to do 100 percent. I’ve always wanted to do that, so I’m trying to bug my agents to book things where I’m running with a gun.

O&A: Your recent Twitter feud with YouTube star Logan Paul received a lot of attention, most notably your tweet, “At least when my career dies you can film it and put it on YouTube.” As a comedian, how do you view social media as a tool to get your comedy out there?

D’Elia: I think what comedians have learned in the past year or two is something that I loved about social media from the get go: It’s an extension of your audience. When you tweet something, when you put something on Instagram, you’re doing it to an audience.

And I think that comedians, a lot of comedians that I know and even my friends, they look at it as, “oh, I got to do this, I got to do this too, this is the world now where I want to do stand-up, but I got to do this because it helps.” But that’s not how I look at it. When I tweet or post something it’s an extension of me. ► JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY FIVE QUESTIONS WITH COMEDIAN CHRIS D’ELIA continued from previous page

The people who come to my shows follow me on those platforms and its fun for me to engage with them.

Some of these guys are in Paris. I’ve never been there, and this is how they see me, and this is how they know me. And I like that, I like that it’s global. I like that people can find out about comedians through things like Instagram.

I think some comedians try to be funny on Instagram the way they’re funny onstage and it’s just a different medium, so it doesn’t translate. I’d like to try and figure out how to use something to my advantage in the best way possible when it comes to humor.

That’s why it’s different on Twitter, it’s different on Instagram, it’s different on Snapchat or whatever.

My favorite part about Twitter is talking shit. Instagram for me is about making funny videos or pictures. I always feel like for me jokes, like writing actual jokes, to me I feel corny doing it. So that’s a good thing for Twitter, because it’s joke writing.

But for me, if somebody is going to talk shit, especially somebody like him with that following, I’m the underdog [and] this is awesome. It’s also just funny anyways because I’m the underdog to a 24-year-old, and I’m this 38-year-old guy.

When he wrote me that shot I was, “oh come on, man.” It’s also what I do for a living. You talk about heckling – you’re doing what I do for a living and you don’t do this for a living and now I have a minute to think about my comeback. I have to do it in a second on stage for hecklers.

The whole thing about comedy is that it looks easy because it has to look easy because then it’s funnier. People fancy themselves as the funny person. so they think, “I can do it.” Maybe you could do it, but you don’t do it, so you’re not going to be able to do it. I could run a marathon, but I don’t because I don’t practice.

O&A: Your appearance on the Hot Ones YouTube series where you ate a progression of increasingly spicy wings barely phased you, where other guests can’t complete the challenge, or they break into heavy sweats. Do you enjoy eating hot foods and how did you feel the next day?

D’Elia: I like hot foods and I expected it to be a lot tougher than it was. I always put hot sauce on my food. I didn’t really study the show till I did it, and then I did it and he was like, “most people can’t get through it.” I was kind of surprised by that. I don’t know, maybe I have a strong palate.

But I like hot foods and you know, afterwards is tough because you go to the bathroom and it’s not comfortable. I think also some of the other ones were hotter than [what was supposed to be] the hottest one. Maybe it has to do with the way your mouth is, but number seven or something was the worst one and then it got easier. But yeah it was fine, I like those foods. It was fun, and I can’t believe how many people watch that show. It’s amazing.

For tickets to Chris D’Elia’s show at the Grand Opera House on June 8, visit thegrandwilmington.org.

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80 JUNE 2018 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Friday, July 20: 5:30–8PM

Spread your wings and enjoy a tropical evening with the animals.

Watch free-flight parrots from Animal Behavior & Conservation Connections, sip tropical drinks and savor tasty treats while strolling through the zoo!

Must be 21+ Purchase online today! www.brandywinezoo.org or call 302-571-7747 Ext. 228

Members: $30* Non-members: $40* Designated Drivers: $20 *Receive 2 drink vouchers with each ticket purchase Additional drinks may be purchased

.

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

Sponsored by:

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