Out & About Magazine March 2015

Also In This Issue First State Robotics Just Who is Mickey Donatello?

Juicing: More Than a Passing Fad

sonic sCholars Young musicians embrace their inner rock stars

MARCH 2015 CO M P L I M E N TA R Y VOL. 28 | NO. 1

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MARCH 7 – MAY 24, 2015 There is no love like the love of man’s best friend!

Discover photographs taken around the world by photojournalist Elliott Erwitt as he recorded the relationship between humans and their canine companions.

2301 Kentmere Parkway Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 delart.org

Elliott Ewitt: Dog Dogs is organized by art2art Circulating Exhibitions. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Left: New York, 1999. Elliott Erwitt (born 1928). Gelatin silver print. © Elliott Erwitt / Magnum Photos.

4 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2 INSIDE 2

15 On the Town

Out & About Magazine

41

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

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

our staff Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

53

Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Associate Editor Krista Connor • kconnor@tsnpub.com Director of Digital Media & Distribution Marie Graham Poot • mgraham@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 Matt Amis, Mark Fields, Pam George, Paula Goulden, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, John Leyh, Robert Lhulier, Allan McKinley, Andréa Miller, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden, Matt Sullivan Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk, Les Kipp, Lori M. Nichols, Danielle Quigley, Matt Urban Special Projects Sarah Green, John Holton, David Hallberg

34 what’s inside START

DRINK

7 From the Publisher 9 The War on Words 10 FYI 13 By the Numbers 15 First State Robotics

53 Juicing: A Way of Life

FOCUS 20 School of Rock 27 Golf, Anyone?

EAT 34 Mickey Donatello 39 Food Notes

LISTEN 56 Tuned In

WATCH 59 Reviews 63 Tee Off

PLAY 65 Snap Shots 67 Cajun Crown 71 Irish Spirit

WILMINGTON 41 Art on the Town 46 Theatre N 47 City News 50 On the Riverfront

FEATURES 15 First State Robotics Acronyms abound as this

50-member high school FaMOEly prepares for national showdown in St. Louis.

By Larry Nagengast

20 Rockin’ in the Real World The Wilmington School of Rock builds the next wave of local musicians through the rigors of performance.

By Scott Pruden

27 Golf, Anyone?

With help from area pros and our golf-addicted writer, here’s how to get started.

By Rob Kalesse

On the cover: Mike Oliver, age 11, of the Wilmington School of Rock.

Photo by Tim Hawk

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 Website: outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com

34 Just Who Is Mickey Donatello?

Restaurateur, golf pro, classic Porsche and motorcycle restorer, loyal friend?

The next Major Tom?

By Andréa Miller

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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From The Publisher

IT’S BEEN HOW LONG? Inaugural

issue.

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his month marks the beginning of our 28th year of looking for a worthy cause to promote, a reason to celebrate, or an publishing Out & About. Our 325th issue to be exact. engaging story to share. Sometimes we followed, other times we When this ride began, Ronald Reagan was president, led, but we always tried to be part of the procession.

Mike Tyson was heavyweight champ, and Michael Jackson was Of course, every good story needs a good storyteller. And making music history by landing four songs from the same album for 27 years Out & About has provided a forum for those good —Bad—in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts. storytellers—writers, photographers and designers all discovered Two of those three aren’t around anymore, and Mike Tyson is in our own backyard. now doing a rather sad stand-up comedy routine. I feel fortunate.

Sure, the digital age has created challenges. After all, So the inevitable question that’s posed when you’ve been when this journey began there were no webzines or blogs; no around this long: Did you really expect to be around this long?

Constant Contact, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. In the late Truth is, I never thought ‘80s, print dominated the that far ahead. journalistic jungle and our Like a good road trip, Every good story needs a good storyteller. daily newspaper was the publishing this magazine 800-pound gorilla. Today, has been as much about the And for 27 years Out & About has provided there are more ways to journey as the destination. deliver a message than there a forum for those good storytellers— When the journey is are recipes for smoothies. engaging, you forget about But we’ve learned writers, photographers and designers all the odometer. Before you through the years that it’s the know it, the miles have message that is paramount, discovered in our own backyard. piled up. not the messenger. New Our inaugural issue communication mediums hit the streets in March of 1988 and our immediate goal was to be are not our enemy, they simply provide additional channels to relevant. In print publishing vernacular, that means worth picking up. share the O&A brand.

Sounds simple, and it would be, if attaining relevancy came with Out & About began as a print magazine; today we live online, in a lifetime membership. Maintaining relevancy: that is the challenge. social media, and in the events and initiatives we produce—same So how did we meet that challenge? You, the reader, would message, just a variety of messengers. provide a better answer than I would. I can, however, offer my We may have some wear on our keyboards, but 27 years later humble opinion. we still feel relevant. Then again, you, the reader, are always the Out & About Magazine is still around because we made it a final judge of that. point to become part of the community, not simply write about it.

— Jerry duPhily From our inaugural year, we became a willing partner with those

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START

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

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

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

Close, But Not Quite A reader cites a News Journal story that includes this quote: “The community is going to get angry in a way that is going to illicit voluntary compliance.” The verb the writer was groping for is elicit, meaning to evoke or draw out. Illicit is an adjective meaning forbidden by law or rules.

This reminds us that many words and terms are misused because they sound similar to the correct form. Among them: adverse/averse—adverse is something harmful, as in adverse weather; averse means “opposed, unwilling, disinclined”; defuse/ diffuse—defuse literally means to remove the fuse from (such as an explosive device), while the non-literal meaning is “to reduce danger or tension.” The verb diffuse means to spread out or scatter; hone in/home in—hone means to sharpen, but it increasingly is used in place of “home in,” which means to focus on or target; taken aback/taken back—the latter is incorrect, but it sounds right, and “taken aback” (to be startled or surprised), though correct, sounds a bit archaic; subscribe/ascribe—you subscribe to a view or a philosophy, you don’t ascribe to it. Ascribe is to attribute something to (a cause, a person, etc.); perspective/ prospective—the first is a viewpoint, the second means potential, future, as in “a prospective candidate for the job.”

Them Those Politicians In the absence of a Joe Biden item, we have State Rep. John Kowalko (Newark), who joins those on sports talk radio who think “them” is an adjective as well as a pronoun. Kowalko recently referred to “... them shylocks that they have down there”— referring to Gov. Markell and some others in Dover.

He later apologized for using the ethnically-charged “shylock,” but not for “them.”

P.R. Types, Please Note A comma should not follow a title that immediately precedes a name—e.g., it’s “Chairman of the Board John Doe,” not “Chairman of the Board, John Doe.” Full Circle “My career was sputtering until I did a 360 and got headed in the right direction” —Tracy McGrady, former NBA player.

We’re guessing (hoping?) Tracy meant “a 180.”

Word of the Month

facile Pronounced FAsl, it’s an adjective meaning simplistic, superficial, oversimplified, jejune, glib; e.g., “a facile explanation.”

By Bob Yearick

Oh, Those Objects of Prepositions Once again we have a TV sports announcer who disregards the rule about prepositions requiring objective pronouns. A reader reports that during a golf tournament, the announcer made this comment about one of the pros: “I was talking to he and his caddie…” The reader makes a telling point: “I wonder if the guy would have said ‘I was talking to he’ if he was speaking to just the pro.” He, of course, should have been replaced by him. But, hey, that sounds inelegant, doesn’t it?

Annoying Trends “Welcome in”—used especially by TV and radio hosts, as in “welcome in to the show.” A simple “welcome” would suffice.

“Based off of” instead of “based on.” This is becoming rampant.

“Add on” or “add in” instead of a simple “add.”

And let’s agree to cut down on the use of “awesome” to describe, well, anything that’s remotely impressive. Awesome actually means “inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear.”

Department of Redundancies Dept.

Rufus Bayard, of Greenville, says he has heard the term “unmanned drone” uttered on ABC, NBC and CBS. “Drone,” says Rufus, “by definition is unmanned.”

We also note that adding a time element when referring to a boat or ship’s speed (“five knots per hour”) is redundant, since a knot is one nautical mile (1.15 miles) per hour.

Literally of the Month “Jennifer Aniston not getting an Oscar nomination literally broke my heart”: a commentator on Entertainment Tonight.

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

Quotation of the Month “There is nothing which is really unnecessary or unessential in a wellwritten or well-spoken English sentence. Every word, phrase, and clause is used to convey and impress the author's or the speaker's meaning. This is one of the tests of good speaking and good writing.”

—Richard Wilson, Precis, Notes, and Summaries 21 (1925)

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START FIRE & ICE LECTURE SERIES

BLUE BAND NIGHT

F.Y.I. Things worth knowing

DFVA SETS SPRING ART SHOW Fundraiser for students is March 13-15

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he Delaware Foundation for the Visual Arts will hold its 16th annual Spring Art Show from March 13-15 at Hagley Museum in Wilmington. The show, which raises funds for Delaware students pursuing a career in the arts, will feature more than 60 local professional artists.

Original art will include paintings, sculpture, porcelain, ceramics, jewelry and limited edition reproductions.

This year’s Honored Artist is area artist Steve Oliver, who creates wildlife and nature art that captures each animal's character and personality. Using acrylics, ink or colored pencils, Oliver brings each animal to life in vivid colors and meticulous detail, while surrounding them with a picturesque background or atmosphere.

The show will present an opportunity to win original miniature paintings, 3D creations or jewelry made by participating artists.

Also on exhibit will be artwork by this year’s winners in DFVA’s “Excellence in Drawing Competition” for Delaware High School Students.

Tickets range from $5 to $10.

For more information, visit dfva.org.

Support area nonprofit during Color Cancer Awareness Month

M

arch is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and a fundraiser for area nonprofit Cancer *B* Ware is set for Friday, March 6, from 7-11 p.m. at Klondike Kate’s in Newark.

All funds raised at the event, Blue Band Night, benefit Cancer *B* Ware and the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center for Translational Cancer Research.

It’s "Dress in Blue" Day for Colon Cancer Awareness.

A silent auction will include photographs

by Brian Ware, the originator of Cancer *B* Ware, who passed away due to KRAS Mutation Colon Cancer.

General admission is $15; students pay $10.

A cash bar will be available. Kids are welcome.

Bring your dancing shoes—Tommy Tequila & the Fabulous I Band, Red Planet Groove, and Runaway Train will perform and MC. For more information, visit cancerbware.org.

SECOND SATURDAY MOVES TO THIRD Haiku readings set for Jackson Inn March 21

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his month, Second Saturday Poets will actually be held on the third Saturday, March 21, due to the expectation that a lot of people will be partying at the Jackson Inn on St. Patrick's Day, March 14.

This month’s event, which begins at 5 p.m. at the Inn, will feature the annual open mic haiku reading. Each reader will be limited to a maximum of three haiku.

For information, contact Barbara Gray at graybeg@comcast.net.

Best-selling author to speak at Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard

N

ew York Times best-selling author Daniel Allen Butler will come to Wilmington for the inaugural lecture at the new Copeland Maritime Center at the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard.

“The Lusitania: The Ship That Changed Everything,” the first lecture in the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s 2015 Fire & Ice lecture series, will take place on Sunday, March 1.

Butler’s lecture observes the 100th anniversary of the Lusitania’s sinking by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915, killing 1,198 passengers and crew and launching the United States into World War I. Things get underway at 4 p.m. with a reception, including appetizers and a cash bar. Butler’s presentation will begin at 5 p.m. Advance tickets are $12, and $8 for members, at KalmarNyckel.org. Tickets at the door are $15.

HISTORY BUFFS: CHECK OUT CHRIS Get geographic info on historic Delaware sites

L

ate last month the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs unveiled the updated version of its Cultural and Historical Resource Information System (CHRIS). The webbased system provides data on historic Delaware properties.

Through CHRIS, viewers can explore houses, districts, and National Historic Landmarks listed in the National Register of Historic Places, view National Register nominations and photographs, see how places have changed through aerial photographs dating back to the 1930s, check if buildings have been previously surveyed and digitally mapped in the system, review boundaries of surveyed areas, and download associated survey reports.

Check it out at chris-users.delaware.gov.

10 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WILMFILM FESTIVAL RETURNS IN APRIL View independent films at the Riverfront

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he WilmFilm Festival will return to Penn Cinema on the Riverfront for a third year on April 23-26 with screenings of nearly two dozen movies, including several with Delaware connections.

WilmFilm, produced by Barry’s Events, will show independent films, documentaries, comedies and dramas.

“We’re making it easy for Delawareans— and everyone else—to see the films they want to see, all in one place, in a luxurious theater, over a single weekend,” says Barry Schlecker, owner of Barry’s Events. “WilmFilm presents 'movies that matter'—films that entertain while delivering a compelling message, and ‘movies you missed,’ some great works that didn’t catch everyone’s attention when they were released.”

When complete, the festival schedule will be available at wilmfilm.com, which also will have a link for online ticket purchases.

Admission to individual films is $10.

BELLEFONTE HAPPENINGS Masquerade ball in March, festival in May

T

his year marks the 100th anniversary of Bellefonte Cafe, a laidback eatery that frequently features area musicians and fun events. This spring, don your masks, suits and gowns for the cafe’s second annual Masquerade Ball on Saturday, March 7, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Proceeds will support ARTreach Program for area seniors.

This year's theme for the masquerade is "Forest Fantasie."

Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple. Attendees must be over age 21.

Additionally, the seventh annual Bellefonte Arts Festival will be Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Brandywine Boulevard from Marion Avenue to Rodman Road in Bellefonte.

The event includes street vendors, craftspeople, artists and musicians.

For more information go to letseat.at/bellefontecafe.

GLOBETROTTERS TO PERFORM AT THE BOB Comedic hoopsters face perennial foe March 3

T

he world-famous Harlem Globetrotters have been thrilling millions for 88 years with their comic routines and athleticism. And now they’re coming to the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark on Tuesday, March 3, at 7 p.m.

The Trotters will face their longlasting (and virtually winless) opponents, the Washington Generals. You can join Globetrotter stars after the game for autographs, photographs and high fives.

For more information, visit harlemglobetrotters.com.

BARRELS ON THE BRANDYWINE Final year for Brandywine Valley Wine Trail event

T

he 12th annual and final Brandywine Valley Wine Trail’s Barrels on the Brandywine features tastings of the developing vintage in barrels, buckets, bottles and more.

Each weekend this month, enjoy a tasting at each of BVWT’s four wineries: Black Walnut Winery, Borderland Vineyard, Kreutz Creek Vineyard and Paradocx Vineyard.

After March, the BVWT is replacing passport events with a year-long pass called The Trailblazer, which allows participants to visit whenever they want, as many times as they want, per year, and take advantage of special offers that vary by winery.

Purchase the annual Trailblazer pass at $45, and access to the very last Barrels on the Brandywine month will be included—a $15 value.

To purchase the pass, visit bit.ly/barrels15.

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MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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by the numbers A few springtime facts worth noting

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16 1918 The number of hours of both daylight and darkness on March 20 —the first day of spring (the vernal equinox).

The number of Delaware State Parks.

Get out and explore!

The year Daylight Saving Time was signed into law, only to be repealed seven months later.

It was permanently implemented in 1942.

6

The number of spring flowers that usually bloom first: daffodils, dandelions, lilies, tulips, irises and lilacs.

1784 The year Benjamin Franklin first proposed Daylight Saving Time.

2

ND

The Sunday in March that the United States begins Daylight Saving Time each year.

www.ColumbusInn.net 302.571.1492 Wilmington, DE 19806 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Liz Frick, 17, co-team president of Team "Miracle Workerz," works on the hook that grabs containers on the robot "ToMOEhawk" at Chestnut Run. She is from Ursuline Academy.

Robotics Competition Produces FaMOEly Acronyms abound as 50-member high school team prepares for national showdown in St. Louis

by Larry Nagengast Photos by Tim Hawk

A

fter spending the fall learning the needed skills and devoting January and February to building, testing and practicing, the members of the team called MOE 365 are ready for two months of competition, concluding at a national championship meet in St. Louis from April 22 to 25.

Trying to understand what these 50 high school kids are up to requires a bit of imagination—somewhat like a group of muggles playing quidditch for the first time against Harry Potter and his Hogwarts classmates.

MOE 365 (the letters are an acronym for Miracles of Engineering) is a Wilmington-based First State Robotics team in the FIRST Robotics Competition. (FIRST stands for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.) First State Robotics is a Delaware nonprofit fostering a love of science and technology. As the winner of the FIRST Robotics Competition's Chairman’s Award in 2007, MOE 365 is guaranteed a place in this year’s nationals, but that assurance hardly diminishes their drive for excellence in playing the game this season. ► MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START Hilarious Amateur Comedians…

One Night, One Winner!

We’re on the

ROBOTICS COMPETITION PRODUCES "FaMOEly" continued from previous page

hunt for the

NEXT

great

comedian!

Sam Stevenson, 17, a student at Sanford School and co-team president of Team "Miracle Workerz," remounts the air compressor on"ToMOEhawk."

This year’s game—there’s a new one every year—is called Recycle Rush and its goal is a little more complex than hitting a ball over a fence or kicking one into a net. The playing field, 27 by 54 feet, is filled with plastic buckets, 12 by 17 by 28 inches, and 32-gallon recycling bins, as well as those foam noodles more commonly found in swimming pools. live @ the baby grand The idea is to stack the plastic totes as high as possible, put a recycling bin on top of the totes, then stuff the bin with the pool noodles, which, for the sake of the game, are called “litter.” All in two-and-a-half minutes.

Here’s the catch: No hands allowed. All the stacking and stuffing has to be done by a robot, which the kids on the team have to build.

Tickets for the One more thing: for the first 15 seconds of the game, the robots move autonomously, finale are following pre-programmed instructions with no human assistance. Then the students take on sale control for the rest of the match. now!

And to make it a little more interesting, this isn’t a mere one-on-one competition.

Instead, it’s what the FIRST organization likes to call a “coopertition.” Each side in the game is called an alliance, and it’s made up of three teams and their robots, which have to determine a strategy to work together on very short notice. MOE 365 competes in FIRST Robotics’ Philadelphia region, which includes New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.

Robotics competitions aren’t for everyone, but Haley Chambers, 16, a junior at A.I. du Pont High School, knew it was what she wanted to do after she saw robots in action when her father took her to Take Your Daughter to Work Days at the DuPont Co.’s Chestnut Run facility, where he is a consultant in the seed laboratory. “I fell in love with it, and then my older sister joined the team and I was hooked,” Chambers says.

Now she is spending three nights a week at Chestnut Run, where the MOE 365 team is THEGRAND | 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, 19801 | 302.652.5577 building and|testing its robot,DE named ToMOEhawk.

(Yes, this group understands branding, so they make MOE part of the name of each of their robots, and the team is so close-knit THEGRAND | 818 N. Market Street | Wilmington, DE 19801 | 302.652.5577 that it likes to say, with apologies to Sister Sledge, “We are FaMOEly.”) The group began preparing in the fall, with evening training sessions in their areas | 818 N. Market Street | Wilmington, DE 19801 | 302.652.5577 of interest. MOE 365 cofounder John Larock, a DuPont recruiting manager, heads a team of volunteer mentors who oversee subgroups that have specific responsibilities.

Wilmington, DE 19801 | 302.652.5577 The computer-assisted-design (CAD) team designs the robot, the mechanical team builds it, the electrical team handles the circuitry, the programming team creates the 818 N. Market Street commands that will make it move, and the web/public relations team chronicles and Wilmington, DE 19801 publicizes the entire effort.

“We have a lot of interdependent parts; now we have to put them together,” Larock 302.652.5577 tells team members as they finish dinner in the Chestnut Run cafeteria before starting TicketsAtTheGrand.org on the evening’s work. “Three weeks from now, you’ve got to put your robot in a bag [ready for competition].”

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As each unit works on its assigned tasks, they are aware of the need for collaboration. Hannah Ni, 16, a senior at the Charter School of Wilmington, explains that after she and other members of the CAD team design parts of the robot —its movable arms, for example—they hand off their work to the mechanical team to build it and see if it will work.

If there are problems, it goes back to the CAD team, with suggested modifications.

“For everything the robot can do, if an arm moves or a wheel rolls forward, there’s a program behind it,” says Ben Hylak, 17, a senior at Salesianum School, who started out in electrical and is now in his third year on the programming team.

There’s a lot of trial and error involved in the process, he says. “You have to work out the bugs, and you’re constantly adapting as you see how the game plays out.”

When the whistle sounds and the match starts, a lot of the responsibility for the group’s success is in the hands of Mahesh Gouru, 17, a Charter School of Wilmington senior, who has been designated the driver. He won’t be behind the wheel of ToMOEhawk, because the robot has no steering wheel, but he will be controlling the computer that makes it go.

Members of the program team work on the autonomous program, which will allow the robot "ToMOEhawk" to run 15 seconds by itself.

“We don’t want to reveal too much of our strategy,” Gouru says, “but we call it ‘jaywalking,’ making a pattern like the letter J around the field to sweep up as many totes as possible.”

Yes, there is a lot of strategy involved in the game. That’s why, at the meets, some members of the team are scouting future opponents competing elsewhere in the arena.

Because the game is new every year, Hylak says, “It’s not like basketball or football, where you can look at film of other teams to see what they’ve done before.”

“We have to scout every team that comes to the event—watch the matches and review the video,” Gouru adds.

During the meets, some members of MOE 365 fine-tune the robot between matches; others are detailed to the “mobile pit,” assisting members of other teams that might need support for their robots.

As in any competition, there is a need for referees, and Carol Perrotto, a retired DuPont chemist who is one of the group’s mentors, often gets that assignment.

“There are rules,” she says. “Your hands can’t touch the robot. You can’t deliberately destroy another robot, and you can’t use your robot to pin an opponent in a corner or against a wall.” ►

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START ROBOTICS COMPETITION PRODUCES "FaMOEly" continued from previous page

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MOE 365 has been in operation for 16 years, Larock says, and it is different from many of its competitors in that it draws participants from 15 schools (including home-schooled teenagers). Participants don’t have to be Delaware residents. One member of this year’s team is from North East, Md., and several years ago a team member traveled three days a week from Harrisburg, Pa., to participate in training and robot-building sessions, according to John Wilkens, another cofounder and moderator of the MOE 365 media team.

As the daughter of the group’s founder, Nina Larock, 18, a senior at McKean High School, says she has been part of MOE 365 “since the beginning.”

“Look in the old team pictures and you’ll see me,” she says.

This year she is working on the media team, updating the organization’s website and creating video footage that will be edited into a presentation to be shown at meets so other teams can see what went into putting ToMOEhawk together.

“It’s more than building robots,” Wilkens says. “We’re a cohesive unit.”

Participating in the team “is a great opportunity to meet people. It wouldn’t happen if we didn’t build robots together,” Chambers say. “We spend so much time together that we are family.”

That sense of family extends even to graduates of the team.

Ryan Quirk, 21, a University of Delaware senior majoring in mechanical engineering, participated in competitions with MOE 365 for two years while he was a student at Hodgson Vocational Technical High School. He credits that experience with helping him develop his creativity and his ability to work with others to solve problems.

“Every year at UD, we have a project that requires you to build something,” he says. “Here we learned how to cooperate, how to bounce ideas off each other.”

That experience prompted Quirk to return this year to serve as a volunteer advisor.

“I learned a lot from everyone who was a mentor,” Quirk says. “This is the first year I’ve come back. Why not give back, and help these kids learn some of the things I got to learn?”

18 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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RoCkin’ in tHE ReAL WOrLd The Wilmington School of Rock builds the next wave of local musicians through the rigors of performance

By Scott Pruden Photos by Tim Hawk

School of Rock student Greg McKinnon performs at JB McGinnes Pub & Grille in New Castle. ► 20 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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E I

t’s a Saturday night at JB McGinnes Pub & Grille, nestled in a New Castle strip mall just off Basin Road, and the band is setting up for the evening’s show.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that tonight’s performers are a Doors tribute band, promising a good two hours of the Lizard King’s better known hits and lesser known spoken word pieces. That being the case, 30 minutes into the set, a voice that’s the sonic spitting image of late lead singer Jim Morrison blasts from the amplifiers, backed by a tight rhythm section and a deadon rendering of Ray Manzarek’s signature keyboard and organ stylings. Basketball and MMA wrestling silently play on the establishment’s flat-screen TVs, but all eyes are on the band as they channel the sounds of the 1960s.

But rather than being a band of Baby Boomers, it turns out that not one of the performers is old enough to be served a beer, several aren’t old enough to drive themselves to the gig, and a couple—if asked—would probably prefer to order off the kids’ menu. They’re all students at Wilmington’s School of Rock, and what the audience is hearing is the sound of them passing an exam with flying colors.

That crowd is heavy on supportive friends and family of the performers, but even the regulars, many of whom likely grew up on The Doors or were marinated in them when they were in heavy rotation on FM radio stations like WMMR or the old WYSP, are also impressed. Indeed, a casual listener would be hard-pressed to distinguish the vocals and guitar riffs of Greg McKinnon or Tyler Dill from Morrison himself. ►

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS ROCKIN’ IN THE REAL WORLD continued from previous page

GREAT FOOD, GREAT ATMOSPHERE, GREAT MUSIC

Tyler Dill, 18, channels Jim Morrison at JB McGinnes.

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Three-quarters of the way through the show, Dill tears through “Twentieth Century Fox” while Eric Svalgard, the School of Rock music director, leans in to the sound board operator. “I’m so happy with this show!” he declares.

Just a day earlier and 125 miles north in New York City, auditions were taking place for another show—this one the Broadway version of the 2003 movie that everyone thinks of when they hear the words “School of Rock”—the one that Paul Green, who created the first School of Rock Music in a Race Street walkup in Philadelphia in 2002, says was inspired by his own school. It’s also the movie that’s the basis for a live-action series set to debut on Nickelodeon, the kidcentric cable network.

All of this might be called a School of Rock Renaissance. But don’t sarcastically ask these kids if their teacher will be Jack Black. This is the real world, man, and they’ve got far too much rockin’ to do.

The name Paul Green looms large in the history of the School of Rock for good reason. It was his manic, single-minded, often over-the-top teaching style as founder and supreme overlord of the Paul Green School of Rock Music (PGSORM) that was the focus of the documentary film Rock School. And, Green insisted at the time, it was his style that formed the basis for the Jack Black character Dewey Finn in the 2003 feature film.

22 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Make it someone’s lucky day.

Izzi Sneider, 16, plays the bass during a performance with School of Rock.

Since its inception, the purpose of the school has been to teach kids musicianship and performance using classic rock as the source material. Throughout the year, rotating groups of students perform theme shows based around a single artist, band, style of music or particular decade—David Bowie, all ’80s, “bad” music (where they reinterpret “bad” songs into new versions), and one show featuring any song with a heavy dose of cowbell percussion.

Green was bought out by an investor in 2009, and the school’s name was changed to simply School of Rock. There followed an explosive expansion beyond the first few schools in the Delaware Valley to places like San Francisco, New York City, Austin, and Utah, and eventually to more than 300 locations in the United States and Mexico.

Despite all the noise about Green, the documentary and the iconic movie, the dude did some fine work. An inordinate number of regional and national acts now feature grown-up players who honed their youthful chops under Green’s tutelage. One of them is Eric Svalgard’s daughter, singer-songwriter Madi Diaz. It was her time at the PGSORM that eventually drew Svalgard, a Berklee College of Music-trained keyboardist, into a role not just as rock parent, but as rock mentor.

When Svalgard saw his daughter perform in her first School of Rock show—featuring the paragons of punk rock—he realized what Green was creating.

“When I saw all these 14- and 15-year-old kids doing the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, I just fell in love with the idea [of the school],” he says. “And at that time, 2001, there was nothing like it.

No one was doing anything like that.”

His father had recently passed away, and Svalgard was in the midst of a life reevaluation, wondering what he would end up doing for the next 20 years. At the time, he was earning six figures a year selling woodwork in New York for a Coatesville company.

Then the school’s keyboard instructor abruptly resigned, and Svalgard’s love for Green’s mission led to a volunteer teaching gig at the school one day a week. That day became two, then eventually grew into an official $12-an-hour part-time job.

“I found Rock School. So I started weaning myself from my high-paying job and started working there three days a week,” he says. “And then [Green] sold his first franchise to one of the students’ parents, and that was Downingtown.” ►

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MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS A Little Italy Landmark for 75 Years

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Eric Svalgard (back row) and some of his students. Unlike traditional bands, School of Rock students have to learn how to play with everyone.

Svalgard would go on to serve as music director at the Downingtown location, eventually moving on to open the Wilmington school after being invited to play keyboards with a Frank Zappa tribute band Project Object. That gig not only helped him further refine his keyboard skills, but also reinforced his commitment to keeping things true to the rock spirit. That led him to striking out on his own by opening a new branch of the School of Rock at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House.

“The opportunity to be at the Grand was unique and awesome, and I loved being there—just being surrounded by the opera at the time, an experimental theater group and the First State Ballet,” he says. “I recognized that there were going to be roadblocks.

Rock is not ballet. Rock is not classical music. And although many classical musicians understand rock, they still don’t want to have to hear it in the background. And so it was a difficult marriage for us.”

In 2009, the Wilmington School of Rock relocated out of the city to Prices Corner, where it makes its home in an unassuming office park adjacent to Wal-Mart. “Moving was the best thing to ever happen to the business,” Svalgard says.

Inside, the space couldn’t be more different from that of the Grand Opera House.

Rather than being surrounded by classic opera house architecture, students instead work among posters of rock gods and goddesses, with the walls of one room in the midst of being covered with vinyl LPs. It’s here that the students at the School of Rock have found their home away from home, a place that has taken nascent—or perhaps totally undiscovered—musical skill and turned it to the cause of rock.

The core members of the band Zymology are a perfect example. Twins Bill and Josh Sweren (bass and drums, respectively) and guitarist Brendan Moriak are all School of Rock students who credit Svalgard and his wife, owner and General Manager Carol Forsyth, with opening their eyes to the foundations of rock while significantly boosting their musical skills.

“I had been playing violin, so I’d already been in music and I wanted to play guitar, and my cousin’s friend in Virginia was talking about School of Rock, and I remember I was so confused,” Moriak says. “I was like, ‘You’re in a band? Who’s your lead singer?’ And he said, ‘Well, it changes.’”

That constantly rotating team of musicians and vocalists is part of what makes the School of Rock curriculum special, because rather than settling in with three or four players as in a traditional band, students have to learn how to play with everyone. It results not just in bands like Zymology being formed outside the school, but in the perpetuation of music in kids’ lives long after they might have given it up.

24 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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“If School of Rock wasn’t here, I probably would have just dropped violin and given up music in general,” Moriak says. “I may have continued drums, because I did drums in the eighth grade, but the whole guitar thing and recording music wouldn’t have been there.”

His bandmates agree, pointing out that for many, pursuit of a classical instrument is often considered an end unto itself by parents and music instructors. Even with those who take up guitar—the cornerstone rock instrument—there’s little emphasis on learning how to play in a band. “[Guitar instructor] Chris [Gordon] and Eric both have a lot of experience, which can help with the performance side,” says Bill Sweren.

Drum student Maddie Sneider, who performed in the Doors show, says the School of Rock made all the difference in her continuing with her instrument and improving her performance “It’s gotten a lot better,” she says. “I was just taking lessons. I wasn’t doing anything like this. And then I got kind of bored with that because I wanted to play music and rock out and have fun.”

With traditional lessons, little emphasis, too, is put on the mechanics of actually running a band, and it’s another thing that School of Rock students learn. Josh Sweren has stepped up as his band’s manager.

“I’m the only reason we’ve gotten this far,” he deadpans, and in agreeing, Moriak emphasizes that everyone has his or her own role in the group, whether it’s songwriting, management or tech.

“It’s kind of frustrating at this age when they’re trying to do a band,” says Beth Sneider, mom to Maddie, her twin brother Jacob (bass and guitar) and their sister Izzi (bass), all School of Rock students. “Everyone has different schedules, so if you’re missing a singer for an hour practice then nothing gets done. Here, people will fill in. You can still get so much done.”

The school became so important that the Sneider family eventually chose to relocate from Pennsylvania to Wilmington to be closer to it. All of them—parent and kids—know that the school has made a major positive impact on their lives.

“When you play what you want to play, you feel like there are a lot more things you can play, and then you just get lost in it,” Jacob says.

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MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2/23/15 9:41 AM

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26 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FRIDAY - SATURDAY MARCH 17-19, 2013 2/20/15 9:55 AM

FOCUS

GOLF, ANYONE? With help from area pros and our golf-addicted writer, here’s how to get started

By Rob Kalesse

A

s you gear up for warmer weather this spring, perhaps you’re thinking about trying your hand at a new sport or activity. If so, there are certain questions that will likely come up: Do you want to spend time outside?

Do you want to play with family and friends?

Do you want it to be relatively inexpensive?

Do you want to be able to drink a beer while playing?

Do you look good in plaid?

If you answered yes to all these questions, then friends, it’s time to pick up the game of golf. (And even if you don’t look good in plaid or drink beer, stick with us.)

It’s easier and cheaper than you might think, and there are plenty of local courses and professionals ready to get you started on what can be a lifelong hobby. ► MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo provided by White Clay Creek Counrty Club

FOCUS GOLF, ANYONE? continued from previous page

White Clay Creek Country Club is a 7,000-yard behemoth (from the back tees), that surrounds the grounds of Delaware Park Racetrack and Casino.

I AM A GOLFER I’ll admit, I first tried golf in college because some friends were playing, I knew I could drink beer and smoke cigars while I played, and the idea of zipping around 18 holes in a motorized golf cart sounded like fun.

I refused to acknowledge golf as a sport, though, let alone a hobby worth any real time or effort. Also, the extent of my knowledge regarding the game came solely from Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore. (See “Tee Off...” in this issue).

Then, about five years ago, something happened, and I went from casual golfer to someone who now plays about 50 times a year, watches tournaments on television, and will play in 40-degree weather as long as it’s sunny.

Some would say that I got “the fever,” which most golfers experience at one time or another. You start paying more attention, you skip the beer, you walk the course instead of riding the cart, you zone in, you become more patient, and your score finally drops under 100.

It’s a combination of hitting a few great shots per round, enjoying the people you’re with, making new friends and even business associates, and soaking up the sun in the peace and quiet you can find on a golf course.

There’s something else, though, and I think it’s the fact that at any point in any round, I can hit a shot or sink a putt as well as a pro. Conversely, a pro might hit as poor a shot as I tend to still do (more often than not). If you’ve followed Tiger Woods recently, you know what I’m talking about.

I still remember my longest drive—331 yards on Hole 2 at Rock Manor; my best chip-in—a 60-footer on Hole 5 at Broad Run in West Chester, Pa.; my longest putt—a 35-footer on Hole 1 at ChampionsGate in Davenport, Fla. It’s those shots that will keep you coming back for more.

But if you really want to learn not only how to get started in this game, but understand what it takes to go from novice to breaking 100 to scratch golfer, you need to talk to the local professionals and teachers in the area. And that’s exactly what we did for this story.

SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP For Dennis Taggart, head professional at Ed “Porky” Oliver Golf Club in Wilmington, the game became part of his life soon after he could walk. At age 3, his family moved to Hilton Head, N.C., where his father, Bill, took a position as a contractor in developing the golfing community. That was in the late ‘70s.

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28 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS

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GOLF, ANYONE? continued from previous page

Golfer in a bunker at Deerfield, which is surrounded by the beauty of White Clay Creek Park.

GET A GRIP! Of the three professionals we spoke with, each one cited a correct grip of the golf club, along with posture and stance at address to the ball, as the keys to getting off to a good start in the game.

“When I teach a lesson, I begin by trying to match a proper grip, whether it’s overlapping or interlocking, to what the student feels is comfortable,” Taggart says. “Everything starts with the grip because it’s your only connection to the club, and therefore to the ball at impact.”

As Taggart suggests, the two common grips are the interlocking, wherein the right pinkie and left index finger (for right-handed players) are locked like a chain link around the club (vice versa for left-handed players), and the overlapping, wherein the same fingers overlap each other around the club.

“Too many fingers on the club and you will start to hook the ball,” Tobiason says. “I’ve had plenty of former baseball and hockey players come to me with the baseball grip, where all 10 fingers are on the club. I try to move them away from that as quickly as possible, so they are more comfortable with the club.”

For Kidwell, posture and stance are of equal importance to the grip. “Those are the three fundamentals that 90 percent of amateur or beginner golfers just don’t have when they come through for a lesson. If you’re not aligned properly, the ball is going to go every which way. Adjusting that from the start will save a lot of strokes down the road.”

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If you’re considering taking up the sport, you’re going to want to know what it costs.

Gear can range widely in cost, but fortunately you don’t need a full bag of 14 clubs right from the jump. With just the basics, a starter kit or even some used clubs will cost you about $150, or even less if you do a bit of looking.

“I knew an old guy named Charlie Day, who played DuPont regularly years ago, and he would shoot in the mid-80s all the time with five clubs,” Tobiason says. “So even though you hear about pros using woods, hybrids, all kinds of irons and wedges, you only need a few clubs to get started.”

The driver, a 3- or 5-wood, a 7- and a 9-iron, a pitching wedge and putter are really all you need to get going. A sand wedge is also recommended by our pros, but it’s not a necessity. Starter kits, like TourEdge, are available locally at sporting goods stores like Dick’s or Sports Authority, as well as Golf Galaxy and Golfsmith.

“I know a lot of folks who purchased used, cheap clubs on eBay and other online outlets,” Taggart says. “And most pro shops have a barrel of used clubs they’ll sell you, sometimes for as low as a few bucks per club.”

When you’re ready to get more serious about the sport and are willing to invest $500$1,000 or more on a set of clubs, Kidwell recommends trying out a few different brands or going for a custom fitting.

“You might like a brand or the look of the clubs, but if you come to our golf shop, we can custom fit you based on your height, swing, and so forth,” Kidwell says. “If you’re going to invest that kind of money, you want the clubs that fit properly, just like anything else.”

As for a round of golf, it can cost as low as $20 or as high as $100 (and up). For an average round, I spend between $50 and $75, when you figure in greens fees, a couple of beers, a hot dog at the turn, and maybe a few gambling bucks to my playing partner if I don’t play well.

The thing is, even if you don’t play well or lose a bet while on the course, or skip the eats and drinks, getting outdoors for a solid chunk of time with friends is really what it’s all about.

Hope to see you on the links.

30 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLACES TO PLAY A rundown of public courses from Wilmington to Odessa

By Rob Kalesse

N

ine golf courses can be seen from the roads across New Castle County, whether it’s Rock Manor from I-95 before entering the city, Back Creek from Route 896 in Middletown, or Ed Oliver from Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilmington.

For a quick tour of what each course offers, from layout to greens fees to memberships and playing on the cheap, take a ride along with us from north to south. Each course offers something different for the duffer and the scratcher. (Greens fees subject to change.)

BRANDYWINE COUNTRY CLUB 2822 Shipley Rd., Wilmington 478-2110, brandywinecountryclub.net The course: Brandywine demands that golfers step up their game a bit compared to the straighter local courses like Delcastle and Ed Oliver. Tight fairways abound, many of which are lined on each side by trees, and the par-3 18th hole provides a real challenge to end your round. You may carry your tee shot over the water some 150 yards or more (depending on which tee you play) only to find a very undulating green on the other side.

Greens fees: $40 (winter rates); $65 (weekday in-season); $50 (weekday in-season twilight after 4 p.m.); $75 (weekend in-season); $40 (weekend in-season twilight after 3 p.m.)

Membership rates: $3,700-$4,500 (includes pool and tennis court access) On the cheap: Brandywine doesn’t offer any discount cards or frequent player programs, but sign up for daily deal sites like Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com, which frequently send out offers for discounted rates.

ROCK MANOR GOLF CLUB 1319 Carruthers Lane, Wilmington 295-1400, rockmanorgolf.com The course: Lengthened, redesigned and then re-opened in 2008, “The Rock,” as regulars call it, features enough twists and turns over its 6,405 yards to provide some excitement for the seasoned golfer, but enough straight shots so as to not scare off the novice.

Greens fees: $30-$55 (winter rates through mid-March); $60-$79 (in-season) Membership rates: $499-$2,099 On the cheap: Purchase the club’s Advantage Card—a $35 one-time fee—and get $7 or $3 off greens fees (for 18 holes and 9 holes of play, respectively), as well as 10 percent off merchandise.

The card also can be used at Ed Oliver and Delcastle—all three are owned by parent company Billy Casper Golf.

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS PLACES TO PLAY continued from previous page

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ED OLIVER GOLF CLUB 800 North Dupont Road, Wilmington 571-9041, edolivergolfclub.com

The course: Of the eight public courses in New Castle County, Ed Oliver might be the most approachable for beginners. Located in the heart of Wilmington, “Porky’s,” as it’s known locally, features straight fairways, open greens and few doglegs, allowing new players to get in a round without getting too frustrated.

Greens fees: $20-$39 (winter rates through mid-March); $45-49 (in-season); $20 (super twilight after 4 p.m.)

Membership rates: $699-$1,599 On the cheap: For just $139, the Player’s Pack discount includes three free rounds valid any day, any time, along with five free range buckets, one-hour early twilight access, and the same Advantage Card rates featured at Rock Manor.

DELCASTLE GOLF COURSE 801 McKennans Church Rd., Wilmington 998-9505, delcastlegc.com The course: Nestled in the heart of Pike Creek, Delcastle is another local course that offers enough challenges for the seasoned veteran, but plenty of open space to give newbies a shot at breaking 100.

Greens fees: $15-$40 (winter rates); $30-$55 (in-season rates) Membership rates: $499-$1,799 On the cheap: For just $159, the Player’s Pack discount includes three rounds to be played at any time, a $60 Range Express Card to be used at the driving range just down the road, one-hour early twilight access, and the same Advantage Card rates featured at Rock Manor.

DEERFIELD 507 Thompson Station Rd., Newark 368-6640, deerfieldgolfclub.com The course: Situated on 145 acres of undulating terrain, Deerfield is surrounded by the beauty of White Clay Creek State Park. The result is some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll see while on the links in Delaware, with plenty of tree-lined fairways and secluded greens where the silence of the woods can be deafening.

Greens fees: $35-$45 (winter rates); in-season rates can be found for as low as $20, but during the week are normally $63 from open to 11 a.m. ($74 on weekends), $60 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ($66 on weekends), and $45 after 3 p.m. ($47 on weekends).

Membership rates: $1,900-$3,200 On the cheap: If you plan on spending a majority of your day at Deerfield (highly recommended), go for the VIP Golf Ticket. A $100 value priced at $89, it gives you 18 holes with cart, a basket of range balls, a golf ball and divot repair tool with ball marker, all featuring the Deerfield logo, a bag of golf tees and lunch at the turn (including either a hot dog or Deerfield’s famous Whimpy burgers, with chips and a soda).

WHITE CLAY CREEK COUNTRY CLUB 777 Delaware Park Blvd., Wilmington 994-6700, whiteclaycreekcc.com The course: As Head Pro Ryan Kidwell puts it, “This is not the best course for beginners.” The 7,000-yard behemoth (from the back tees), which surrounds the Delaware Park racetrack and casino grounds, is a monster of a challenge for even seasoned players.

Get there early for your round and tune up on the incredible practice facility, which includes a long driving range, unlimited balls, and two bunkers to work on your sand shots.

Greens fees: $45-$50 (through March 28); $39-$63 (March 29-April 25); $40-$80 (April 26-Sept. 26) Membership rates: $1,500-$3,000 On the cheap: While White Clay can sometimes be on the pricy side, be sure to check out discount tee time websites like GolfNow.com and TeeOff.com.

32 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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BACK CREEK GOLF CLUB 101 Back Creek Drive, Middletown 378-6499, backcreekgc.com The course: A link-style course located northwest of Middletown, Back Creek features small trees but plenty of high, native grass that can add strokes to your game in a heartbeat.

Keep the ball in play to avoid those areas, and it can be a very enjoyable course. There isn’t much water either, save for the two par-3s – holes 8 and 17 – both of which require you to carry your tee shot some 165 yards over the ponds.

Greens fees: $32.50 (weekday winter rates), $25 (winter twilight rates after 12 p.m.); $37.50 (weekend winter rates); $39$46 (in-season weekday rates); $28-$30 (in-season weekday twilight rates, starting at 2 p.m.); $45-$52 (in-season weekend rates); $32 (in-season weekend twilight rates, starting at 2 p.m.).

Membership rates: $999-$2,750 On the cheap: While Back Creek doesn’t feature any particular discount programs, you can sign up for a nice birthday present. Fill out the online form and you’ll be entitled to a free round of golf two weeks prior to or after your birthday, Monday through Friday anytime, or after noon on weekends. (Cart rental additional; must provide proof of birthday.)

FROG HOLLOW GOLF CLUB 1 East Whittington Way, Middletown 376-6505, froghollowgolfclub.com

PiccolinaToscana.com 1412 n. dupont st.

302.654.8001

night

The course: This windswept course just north of Middletown features more than a few arena-style holes, wherein the fairways and greens are surrounded by large, single homes (don’t worry, they’re far enough out of bounds). Be sure to bring a sand wedge, as the Hollow features more than 50 bunkers over 18 holes.

Greens fees: $30-$33 (winter rates); $38-$45 and $48-$55 (in-season rates on weekdays and weekends, respectively) Membership rates: $350-$2,700 On the cheap: Fill out the online form and stay in the know regarding upcoming tournaments, discounted rates and deals at the pub, as well as a free round of golf on your next visit.

ODESSA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB 1131 Fieldsboro Rd., Townsend 464-1007, odessanationalgolfclub.com The course: This seven-year-old course is a combination links style and traditional layout, with plenty of bunkers, trees and water throughout. The par-5 2nd hole is one of the more difficult on a course that offers plenty of challenges, with a dogleg right that brings in a very large lake on every shot from tee to green.

Greens fees: $35 (winter rates); $45-$55 (peak in-season rates); $35 (twilight rates, usually after 3 p.m.)

Membership rates: $1,600-$2,500; $375 for a practice range pass, which allows access to the practice area with an unlimited number of balls for the year.

On the cheap: Odessa National features varying morning, mid-day and twilight rates, and the Victory Golf Pass Book offers many discounts for courses in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The book costs $55 for the year and typically pays for itself in 10 rounds of play.

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complimentary apps happy hour drink specials if you can prove it

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Restaurateur, golf pro, classic Porsche and motorcycle restorer, loyal friend? The next Major Tom?

…Just who is

Mickey Donatello?

By Andréa Miller

Photos by Joe del Tufo

A

sked where he met Michael “Mickey” Donatello, John Schulte responds with a deadpan “astronaut school.”

Donatello, 50, is the kind of guy who could be an astronaut if he put his mind to it, Shulte says. But actually, the duo—creators of the retro Lucky’s Coffee Shop, the modern, sophisticated Corner Bistro, and new owners of the gourmet café Bon Appétit (blocks from each other along the Concord Pike corridor)—became friends in the 1980s through a mutual love for food, drink and golf.

At the time, Schulte was a seasoned golfer who could easily outplay the 20-something Donatello. But the latter surprised Schulte one day by casually remarking, “I like this. I think I’m going to be a golf pro.”

“I watched with growing respect as he actually did it,” Schulte says.

Donatello joined the Professional Golfers Association in 1998 and over the next 14 years moved through the Newark Country Club, the DuPont Country Club, Fieldstone, and Ed Oliver Golf Club. (Among his pupils was Georges Perrier, the famous restaurateur and creator of the Philadelphia dining institution Le Bec-Fin.) That’s “quintessential Mic,” his friends say. Donatello doesn’t follow a formula. Once he discovers what he wants, there’s no challenge he won’t take on—often surpassing others with specialized training, thanks to his acumen and ability to drill down into a subject or activity, according to Schulte.

So in 2002, when Donatello the career golf pro did an aboutface and said he’d like to open a restaurant, Schulte knew he would.

Donatello laid out his concept to Schulte, who by then was an experienced restaurateur with five projects under his belt,

including Scratch Magoo’s in Trolley Square and Tyler Fitzgerald’s in Pike Creek. Within a year, the Corner Bistro, with its clean, contemporary décor and fresh, inventive food, launched. It got a robust reception and has sustained its popularity.

Four years later, Donatello was on the hunt for a place to play out a completely new creative vision. Soon, Lucky’s, with its open kitchen, signature furniture (including a disco ball by the bathrooms) and a banana cream pie suited to the retro diner vibe, was born. It, too, became a Concord Pike icon.

Donatello is always on the lookout for the next challenge.

Take his passion for restoring classic Porsches and motorcycles, for instance. He’s on his fifth Porsche—a 2002 Porsche 911. And he’s on his fifth bike—a 1988 Yamaha FZ-600. “I get one, pour my heart and soul into it, but as soon as it’s done, I don’t want it anymore,” he says.

Schulte knows the signs, and that’s what makes him a great partner, says Donatello.

“Recently, I was spending a lot of time looking for a half dozen chairs for the Bistro bar. I kept sending John pictures and asking him what he thought of this or that. Finally, he’s like, ‘What’s with the chairs? Are you bored?’ Yep. I’m bored.” (Which proved to be perfect timing, because Bon Appétit was about to become available.)

As a young man, Donatello says he never imagined becoming a restaurant owner, but the love was there. He started working at H. A. Winston’s at 16, and stayed until he mastered each job in the house: bar back, receiving, dishes, wait staff, host, bartender, and every station in the kitchen. He went to Antonelli Institute in Erdenheim, Pa., to study photography, but restaurants kept calling him back.

Even as a golf pro, the country club kitchens drew him in. ►

◄ In the midst of another busy day, Mickey Donatello relaxes for a moment at Bon Appétit, the third and latest of his North Wilmington enterprises.

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Donatello’s creative clarity is remarkable, says Mary Austin, longtime friend, golf buddy, sometime housemate, and owner of Mary’s Café in Trolley Square.

He’s a modest man, careful not to inflate his credentials, but on this point, he agrees.

“I walk into a space and I know what it’s going to be, what needs to be done. What people need to see and feel and eat,” he says.

The Concord High School grad, raised in North Wilmington in a DuPont Company family, also understands the local market.

He says Wilmington wants the comfort of home—not too quirky, not too bland.

“People here know good food, so if you’re predictable, they’ll head to a kitschy chain. You can’t create too much novelty either, because they want familiar, not exotic at home. When they want novelty, it’s 30 minutes to Center City Philadelphia.”

Donatello has a recipe for “home” but clearly it’s not set in stone, because the Bistro and Lucky’s are nothing alike. The paradox, the magic that he’s so good at, his friends say, is creating a comfortable experience that resists being cliché or boring through the judicious use of unique, fun, or “wow factor” touches. The touches show up in flavors, décor, operations, messaging, and elsewhere—it’s all fair game.

Case in point: when scouting furniture for Lucky’s, Donatello found an authentic Eero Aarnio white “ball chair” with red interior, a 1960s Industrial Design period classic. It was $5,000, but he knew that piece would come to represent Lucky’s like nothing else. He was right.

He’s a master at pulling off a risk, because he has a way of keeping his touch on everything at once, says Alice Zino, who supplies him with Island Beverage Company teas. For example, at Lucky’s, says Zino, “there’s a lot of pink hair, tattoos and nose rings”—even among front of the house staff.

“That’s common in Philly, but progressive for Delaware,” Zino says. “It works, I think, because of the way the menu is worded.”

Wait, what? Menu descriptions balance out nose rings?

Absolutely, according to Donatello.

The elements come together in a “we don’t take ourselves that seriously” vibe. Guests relax—and have a good laugh over the menu. It includes puns, pirate references, and descriptions like, “that cheese with the holes,” “meaty and cheesy, just like our chef,” and “Really, you’re still reading this?”

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It’s fascinating to watch Donatello put together a concept, a room, even a plate of food, Schulte says.

The key is knowing what you’re good at and what you’re not, Donatello says, and having a stellar team to rely on. That’s why he trusts Schulte’s business savvy, even when it reins in his creative urge. “I wouldn’t dream of doing a thing, not a single furniture purchase, without John’s OK.” It’s also why Donatello has no desire to emulate his idol, Stephen Starr, owner of dozens of over-the-top dining and entertainment venues in Philadelphia, New York City, Ft. Lauderdale and Atlantic City. “Starr is a machine. I love creating an atmosphere, too. But I immerse myself and don’t want to move on too quickly. I never wanted to be that.”

He also wanted a good relationship with his daughters, Tess, 11, and Sydney, 9. Work is busy but flexible, Donatello says. He gets them to extracurriculars; they hang out after school wherever he’s working. When they were young, they’d tag along in the garage as he worked on one of his classic cars, or whatever he was into.

Donatello’s devotion as a father shocks Austin, his friend of three decades.

“He raced go-carts, rode motorcycles, drove fast cars,” Austin says. “He was not a kid guy. When we taught the youth Sports Academy at DuPont, he’d get frustrated. The little ones wiggled, didn’t remember what you told them. I never thought he’d be a kid guy, but today he’s more so than any of my other friends.

He’s a fabulous father.”

Family was a big reason Donatello left golf for food; he and his wife of 14 years, Lori, knew the “no such thing as weekends” life of a pro had to be over when kids came.

The latest Schulte-Donatello venture, Bon Appétit—purchased from longtime friend Louisette Amblard—is a departure.

This time, it’s not about creating a concept; it’s about preserving one.

Why take it over then? The answer illustrates another side of Donatello: he’s quietly and deeply loyal to his friends and community. For 28 years, Amblard gifted local foodies with a bit of her homeland through the authentic French market and café. But it was time to slow down after she took a fall, and Donatello didn’t want Wilmington to lose this treasure.

“The mustards, cheeses, meats, fresh baked goods—it’s comforting knowing this place is here,” he says. “I’m not Mr. Nostalgia, but if I want a really good baguette and pâté, where else am I going to get it?” ►

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Fine, but how does a guy with such a strong vision run ...JUST WHO IS three very different concepts?

MICKEY DONATELLO? continued from previous page Fortunately, he’s not a micromanager, Austin says.

He keeps a pulse on what’s going on by dropping in and installing a light fixture rather than descending on the scene to check up on employees. He hires competent staff and they stick around, in what is a transient industry. He hires staff with less experience so they can absorb his vision. For these reasons and more, they often become “disciples of Mickey,” Schulte says.

egregious mistake, a manager might only knock a drink off the bill, since there are 100 tourists outside waiting for a seat. Says Donatello: “At my place, everyone at the table would eat for free.”

Zino agrees, but adds that Donatello is not a “suck it up, the customer is always right” kind of boss. For example, when Lucky’s had been open a year, Zino saw a couple being very rude to a server. To their astonishment, Donatello invited them to leave and never come back.

With Donatello, expect creativity, expect a passion that sees a project from concept to completion. But don’t expect him to settle into the same thing forever.

Is there another project on the horizon for Donatello?

Yes, [there will be a new project]. What it is, I have no idea. I’ll know it when I see it.

—Mickey Donatello One area where Donatello is absolutely hands on: dealing with disgruntled guests.

“I am happy being in the background when things are going well, but I want to be the one to personally smooth things over” when it goes wrong, he says. For two reasons: he’s the bottom line, and maintaining good relationships with neighbors is important.

It’s different in a town like Ocean City, Md. Even if there’s an

“Yes,” he says emphatically. “What it is, I have no idea. I’ll know it when I see it.”

That’s par for the course for the ex-golf pro.

“Mic is brilliant, charismatic, enigmatic and fascinating every day,” Schulte says. “I could ride on his coattails forever. But one day if he says he’s going to astronaut school, this [restaurant life] will be done and gone. In Mic’s world, it could happen.”

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FOOD NOTES Tasty things worth knowing A PLACE TO REMEMBER Forgotten Mile Ale House to open in Dewey

R

estaurateur brothers Mike and Steve Lucey, who own Ulysses Gastropub in Wilmington and Six Paupers in Hockessin, will open the Forgotten Mile Ale House in Dewey Beach on Memorial Day. The ale house used to be home to the Captain's Table on Coastal Highway.

The 5,500-square-foot building will be an American-style bistro featuring smoked meats.

A WELCOME REVOLT Rolling Revolution food truck festival is this spring

J

oin Delaware's premier food trucks for the first Rolling Revolution Food Truck Rally on Friday, May 1. Mouthwatering Asian cuisine, Hispanic fusion, smoked BBQ, unique sandwiches, a mobile espresso cafe, desserts, and more from gourmet First State food trucks will be available.

This 5-9 p.m. event is sponsored by food truck and mobile vending association Rolling Revolution and the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (DCCA), located at the DCCA on the Riverfront. Local artist Richard Raw will perform a blend of soul, funk, and hip-hop featured on his new album Conversational Piece. Admission is free and a cash bar will be available.

Hockessin’s Drip Café also will be unveiling its new project, The Brunch Box food truck, which will serve at corporate centers, community events, festivals, farmers markets, and more.

Catch a preview of some of the Rolling Revolution food trucks’ offerings during lunch every Thursday at the DCCA's Truckin' Thursdays, happening now.

HELP RAISE MONEY Local Food Exchange moving and needs help

T

he Delaware Local Food Exchange (DLFE) is a Wilmington grocery store that is in the process of moving to a larger space in Trolley Square.

The five-year-old shop has helped put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the area’s farming community, and now it needs help with funding for renovations and equipment.

The Indiegogo.com fundraising campaign began last month, and raised $5,095 of the $25,000 goal in the first two days. The campaign ends March 28.

Donors will receive coupons, organic produce, classes, tours and more, depending on the amount of money donated.

To make your contribution, go to indiegogo.com and search for the store’s name.

PAiRINGS

Grilled Cheese

& Craft Beer SINCE 2010

FARM-FRESH EATERY Newark hotel features bistro and crafthouse

T

he Farm-A-Sea Bistro and Crafthouse is a Newark spot for farm-to-fork meals and microbrews, located in the Four Points by Sheraton, which opened this winter.

The Farm-A-Sea Crafthouse offers Delaware microbrews and new world wines with mixologists shaking up seasonal cocktails and specialty drinks.

FOUR’S A CHARM Newest Two Stones location to open in Hockessin

T

his summer, Lantana Square Shopping Center in Hockessin will welcome the newest Two Stones Pub, making this the fourth Two Stones location opened within four years. The original pub, in Newark, was quickly joined

by Kennett Square and Wilmington spots.

For updates, visit twostonespub.com.

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RICHARD RAW MUSICIAN & COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

Dan Jackson: Manufactured Now - Sunday, May 3

The Robot Zoo Now - Monday, May 25

Gaelic Storm Friday, March 6

Wilm Drama League’s Frogspell Sat, Mar 7 - Sat, Mar 14

Welcome Back to Oz Sat, Mar 7 - Sun, Mar 29

A Taste of the MidAtlantic Sunday, March 8

DSO: Mind, Body & Soul Fri, Mar 13 & Sun, Mar 15

Francis Di Fronzo: Earth’s Sharp Edge • Fri, Mar 13 - Sat, Apr 11

Candlelight Comedy Club Thursday, March 19

Fashion Night Out Thursday, March 26

As Seen on TV Showcase Friday, March 27

Basil Restaurant

Cirqusoria 2 forMasquerade specials Ball Saturday, March 14

Get full details for the events above plus hundreds more online!

inWilmingtonDE.com

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CITY OF WILMINGTON

On the Town

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HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

THE WILMINGTON ART LOOP

FIRST FRIDAY, MARCH 6 5 - 9 p.m. artloopwilm.org

REFRESHMENTS

K

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

DT

DOWNTOWN LOOP

WE

WEST END LOOP

NW

NORTH WILMINGTON LOOP

NC

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ALSO IN THIS SECTION: This Month at Theatre N cityfest

NEW CASTLE LOOP

Healthy Corner Stores Network Workforce Partnership

2/20/15 10:36 AM

Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts 200 S. Madison Street Wilmington, DE 302.656.6466 • thedcca.org March Art Loop will feature the Delaware Fun-A-Day art project, with works by DE artists who created one piece of artwork a day during February. Also featured, an opening reception for an exhibition by DCCA studio artists Scott McClurg & Lisa David, and a demo performance by the Wilmington Ballet.

On the Town STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE ART LOOP.

Film Brothers 205 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Filmbrothers.com

STEP 1: Select exhibitions that interest you.

tion. You may want to walk, drive or take the downtown DART Trolley. A limited number of seats are available on the Art Loop shuttle. Please reserve your seat by calling 302.576.2135 or email jbarton@wilmingtonde.gov.

STEP 3: Meet local and regional artists while enjoying

Zaikka Indian Grill 209 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Zaikka.com

the newest exhibitions to open in Wilmington and the surrounding areas.

STEP 4: Enjoy one of Wilmington’s excellent restaraunt

xVandalize Perception, Smashed Label.

An exploration of shapes and abstractions that appear from layering letter forms and minimal collage. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. through Mar 30.

or nightlife locations. Please visit the food and drink section of inwilmingtonde.com.

STEP 5: Repeat the first Friday of every month!

2nd and LOMA Leasing Office 211 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302-655.0124 2ndandloma.com

FREQUENLTY ASKED QUESTIONS WHERE DOES THE ART LOOP START? The Art Loop is a self-guided, go-at-your-own pace tour that can start at any of the locations listed in this guide. There is no designated route for the Art Loop.

HOW DO I APPLY TO EXHIBIT ON THE ART LOOP? Participating galleries book and curate the exhiinformation provided in this guide.

HOW DO I TAKE THE ART LOOP SHUTTLE? Reserve one of the limited number of seats by calling 302.576.2135 or email jbarton@Wilmingtonde.gov. The bus will pick-up and drop-off at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts.

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Adam Smith’s Furniture is often inspired by the magic of nature, modern architecture and the intricate beauty of wood. Chris Raymond works in multiple media and is most satisfied working where the media intersect. A recurring theme of his work is the dynamic relationship between order and disorder. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m.

On view by appointment through Mar 31.

STEP 2: Map out your choices and select transporta-

bitions and should be contacted directly at the contact

DT

torfbærinn by Kellie Cox

Paintings and illustrations that depict natural landscapes & botanicals by Kellie Cox. Art and nature are Kellie’s passions. Botanicals, both in their simplicity and complexity, provide an endless supply of subjects to paint and share. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. through Mar 27.

LOMA Coffee 239 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.893.2000 lomacoffee.com

Adelyn Duchala is a Philadelphia- based photographer who explores the meaning of home through photographing in upstate New York. Starting with digitally printed images mounted on wood and then working with encaustic, she captured and preserved the nostalgic essence. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 6 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. through Mar 31.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

2/20/15 10:37 AM

Downtown Loop

Artwork by Samatha Silva, Class of 2015

Wheel of Love by Robert Chuck Lewis

Ballerina by Faye Bonneau

Delaware College of Art and Design 600 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.622.8000 Dcad.edu 6th Annual High School Art Exhibition. A showing of some of the best high school artwork. As a part of this show, DCAD awards scholarships to a select number of the most promising high school artists that participate in the exhibition. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m.

On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sat & Sun 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through Feb 28.

The Grand Opera House baby grand Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Thegrandwilmington.org/galleries

Steve enjoys traveling throughout America in a continuous search for animals and scenes to paint. He has sat on a mountain top in Alaska with sheep and been surrounded by caribou in Labrador, Canada. His work is characterized by strong compositions, using detail to accurately capture anatomy and habitat. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Apr 1.

The Creative Vision Factory 617 N. Shipley Street Wilmington, DE 302-397-8472 thecreativevisionfactory.org

The Grand Opera House Mainstage Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Thegrandwilmington.org/galleries

Vibrantly colored and calligraphic abstract paintings by Jenny Singleton that are informed by traditional and contemporary art of the Islamic world, American painters like Thomas Nozkowski and Charline von Heyl, and botanical forms. They suggest dreams and totems, while refraining from explicit storytelling. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Apr 1.

Abstract Realities, Robert Chuck Lewis.

Glitter-art based on the past while glimpsing into the future. Art Loop reception 6 – 9 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Mar 31.

Christina Cultural Arts Center DT 705 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.690.8092 ccacde.org Eye Shadow, a Bebe Ross Coker Brainchild.

An exploration of a broad range of lived themes from a woman’s perspective. Subjects may include nature, self- development, feminism, motherhood, health & wellness, friendship, community, social justice, among others. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view 9 a.m.

– 8 p.m. through Mar 31.

Mezzanine Gallery 820 N. French St. Wilmington, DE Artsdel.org

Symmetry in Paris by Guy Miller

Chris White Gallery Shipley Artist Lofts 701 N. Shipley St. Wilmington, DE 302.312.5493 www.chriswhitecdc.org

I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere by Kathleen Keane

Redding Gallery 800 N. French St. Wilmington, DE Artloopwilm.org A debut exhibition by Anthony Connell.

A collection of recent and memorable paintings by Connell that combines several different mediums including clay, sculpture, found objects, oils and most often acrylic on canvas. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Mar 28.

The Streets of Wilmington, photography by Nicholas McNevich and Brandon Aufiero captures the attitude and spirit of City residents. Collectively they turn a lens on the reality of those struggling while managing to capture the optimism and resiliency that is the source of our hope. Art Loop reception 6 - 9 p.m. On view by appointment through Mar 27.

Flyogi 113 W. 9th Street Wilmington, DE Flyogi.co

Jerry’s Artarama 704 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.268.1238 wilmingtonde-jerrys.com

I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere by Kathleen Keane

Kinetic Imagination, Kathleen Keane. Works include powerful landscapes, joyful gardens, and dynamic seascapes that are unique observations of reality from a colorful and kinetic imagination. Art Loop reception 5 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Sat 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Mar 31.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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How Guy Sees It, Guy Miller, Jr. A series of works on paper that examine society’s expectations of people. He uses figurative depictions to explore topics such as gender roles, substance abuse, and race. Miller is the recipient of a 2014 Emerging Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. through Mar 27.

Planet Her, Alim Smith. AfroFuturism meets fine art. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon - Fri 12 - 7 p.m. through Apr 1.

Plant Her by Alim Smith

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Downtown Loop

West End Loop

artloopwilm.org Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue Wilmington, DE 302.429.0506

Levitea 228 W. 9th Street Wilmington, DE 302.565.9802 leviteawilmington.com

Urban Gestures, Dan Crowley. Mixed media paintings. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Tue – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.

– 4 p.m. through Apr 3.

A collection of movement paintings by Raphael Xavier, an appointed guest professor at Princeton University teaching Hip Hop Dance Practice & Culture. This professional Breaker and Hip Hop artist captures unique visual displays of time on canvas. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. through Mar 31.

Wilmington Library 10 E. 10th Street Wilmington, DE 302.571.7407 wilmlib.org Images of the Southwest, Albert Caporaso.

Nature and landscape photographs of the Southwestern United States. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thu 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fri & Sat 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Mar 31.

Westminster Presbyterian Church 1502 W. 13th Street Wilmington, DE 302.654.5214x121 wpc.org The Queen of the Brush and Pen, Riva Brown. Landscapes, Still Life, Calligraphy, Florals & Culinariana by Riva Brown.

Concert at 8pm: Winter Musical Gala, with Westminster soloists and choir. Art Loop reception 6:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. through Mar 27.

Recommission of a Battleship, #5 by Hiro Sakaguchi

Water Weed Reflection by Riva Brown

Theatre N at Nemours 1007 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 302.576.2565 theatren.org Terrance Vann presents the Official release of his illustration book Killin Time which is a compilation of his personal illustrations and drawings done to test his own creativity.

Vann is also premiering a short film based on his first solo art exhibition Life Through Color directed by Brett Pouser.Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view for art loop only.

Somerville Manning 101 Stone Block Row, Brecks Mill, 2nd Floor Greenville, DE 302.652.0271 somervillemanning.com

Paintings From Six Decades, Jamie Wyeth.

A solo exhibition of works by Jamie Wyeth concurrent with the artist’s major retrospective at the Brandywine River Museum that will offer classic as well as never-before-seen works spanning Wyeth’s career from the 1960s through today. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. On view Tue – Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Mar 7.

Pig by Jamie Wyeth

Colourworks Photo/Art Space 1902 Superfine Lane Wilmington, DE 302.428.022 colourworks.com

Venezia, Elisabeth Bard. Rain, fog and other atmospherics along with the azure lagoon make this ancient city a magical and photogenic site. Elisabeth Bard captures photographs in this labyrinth of the city – that is the magic of Venice. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m.

– 5:30 p.m. through Mar 31.

Through the Garden by Jacalyn Beam

Group Show. Jacalyn Beam, Carol Gray, Virginia Gray. Colorful oil paintings including local scenes gardens and still lifes. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m.

– 5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. through Mar 28.

Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street Wilmington, DE 302.656.7304 howardpylestudio.org

Bellefonte Vintage 901 Brandywine Boulevard Bellefonte, DE 302.762.7878 bellefontevintage.com

Kerstin Tyreus: oil paintings with motives from travels in Europe Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view by appointment through Apr 1.

An Artist’s Whimsy, Janet Riter. Each watercolor represents a personal reflection of her path to finding joy and whimsy in her art while expressing universal themes of life’s imperfections and possibilities. Inspired by the memories of her late husband and mother. Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m. On view Tue – Sat 11 a.m. – 5p .m., Sun 12 – 4 p.m. through Mar 31.

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Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 302.654.8638 stationgallery.net

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

2/20/15 10:38 AM

North of Wilmington Loop

New Castle Loop

artloopwilm.org

Bellefonte Arts 803 Brandywine Boulevard Bellefonte, DE 302.762.4278 bellefontearts.com

Photographers LEBJohnson, and Larry Hinson capture the Joys of Spring through the lens at Longwood Gardens. Enjoy the resplendent orchids and the floating blooms of the water lilly. Jeweler Alice Reid of Etomi’s Treasures creates contemporary wearable art in luminous color choices, inspired the renewal of spring. Art Loop reception 6 – 9 p.m. On view Tue – Fri 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sun 12 – 4 p.m. through Mar 31.

Penn’s Place 206 Delaware Street New Castle, DE 302.322.6334 pennsplace.net A Dress in Time Saves Nine, Jean Norvell.

The “Bit of History” designer creates custom made Colonial Costumes for adults and children, utilizing brocades and traditional fabrics from this time period. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Thu 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fri & Sat 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sun 12 – 5 p.m. through Mar 31.

The Buzz Gallery Buzz Ware Village Center 2119 The Highway Arden, DE 302.547.1401 ardenbuzz.com Joseph “Jody” Patrick Crouse has been painting for 20 years. He just paints and lets what comes out come out; being selftaught he feels there is an artist in all of us that wants to show themselves. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view by appointment through Mar 14.

Winter Warlock by Wendy M

Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery 3625 Silverside Road Wilmington, DE 302.478.1163 talleyvilleFSG.com Wicked Winter, group show. Group show of 18 artists with music by The Young Werewolves.

Our annual eclectic show featuring unusual drawings, paintings, photographs, mixed media, and sculpture, to perk up the dead of winter. Art Loop reception 6 – 10 p.m. On view MWF 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., TTh 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through Mar 31.

visual

Rodney Pratt Framing and Gallery 204 A Delaware Street New Castle, DE 302.322.0222 rodneyprattframing.com

Watercolor—A Magical Evolution with a Surprise Ending, Gloria Stumm. Stumm liberates her ideas by documenting the images she is attracted to with photography & sketching. Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m.

On view Mon, Tues, Fri, Sat 12 – 8 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. through Mar 31.

Blue Heron Gallery 208B Delaware Street New Castle, DE 302.276.0845 www.blueherongalleryde.com New Beginnings, group show. Jan Williams’ photography and Barbara Neville’s pastels are always popular. Keith Hoffman’s landscapes and James McGlynn’s historic buildings fit nicely with the atmosphere of Old New Castle. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Wed – Sun 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Mar 28.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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visual Fringe Wilmington Festival

May 20 -24 | Fringede.org Call for entries open through mar 30 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2/20/15 10:39 AM

Theatre N at Nemours

theatren.org

PRICES: $8 | general admission $6 | seniors and children

*Theatre N reserves the right to change the film schedule at any time. Please visit our website at www.theatren.org for the most up to date information for all film and events at Theatre N.

302.576.2565 Monday - Friday

1007 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 19801

302.571.4075 Nights & Weekends theatren.org IDA

Take 2 Tuesday PG-13 | 82 mins | Tues March 3 | 7pm Subtitles Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.

BELOVED SISTERS

NR | 138 mins | March 6-8 Fri 12pm, 9pm | Sat 5pm | Sun 1pm, 7pm In German with English subtitles

The aristocratic sisters Charlotte and Caroline both fall in love with the controversial young writer and hothead Friedrich Schiller. Defying the conventions of their time, the sisters decide to share their love with Schiller. What begins playfully, almost as a game among the three of them, soon turns serious as it leads to the end of a pact.

THE HOMESMAN

R | 122 mins | March 6-8 Fri 3pm | Sat 2pm, 8pm | Sun 4pm Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy, who in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs to assist her.

Take 2 Tuesday NR | 1 hr 33 mins | Tues March 17 | 7pm English * Venice Film Festival 2013 – Best Film, Best Director * Life for the unassuming John May (Eddie Marsan) has always revolved around his work for the local council in South London, finding the next of kin of those who have died alone. Profoundly dedicated to his work, he believes that everyone deserves a dignified exit, and writes eulogies and organizes funerals for those who wouldn’t have them otherwise.

BALLET 422

PG | 72 mins | March 20-22 Fri 1pm, 7pm | Sat 4pm | Sun 4pm New York City Ballet, under the artistic direction of Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins, boasts a roster of more than 90 elite dancers and a repertory of works by many of the greatest choreographers in the history of the art form. When 25-year-old NYCB dancer Justin Peck begins to emerge as a promising young choreographer, he is commissioned to create a new ballet for the Company’s 2013 Winter Season.

SONG OF THE SEA

PG | 93 mins | March 20-22 Fri 4pm | Sat 1pm | Sun 1pm, 7pm Based on the Irish legend of the Selkies, SONG OF THE SEA tells the story of the last seal-child, Saoirse, and her brother Ben, who go on an epic journey to save the world of magic and discover the secrets of their past. Pursued by the owl witch, Macha, and a host of ancient and mystical creatures, Saoirse and Ben race against time to awaken Saoirse’s powers and keep the spirit world from disappearing forever.

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS 2015

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY

LIVE ACTION – Monday 7pm ANIMATION – Tuesday 7pm DOCUMENTARY – Wednesday 7pm

A woman who studies butterflies and moths tests the limits of her relationship with her lover.

2015 RENDEZ-VOUS WITH FRENCH CINEMA

FOXCATCHER

March 9-11 Live Action, Animation, Documentary

March 13-15 Check the Theatre N website for showtimes.

The selected titles include Eat Your Bones, Gaby Baby Doll, Hippocrates, In the Courtyard, Love at First Fight, Portrait of the Artist, and Stubborn.

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STILL LIFE

NR | 104 mins | March 27-29 Fri 1pm, 7pm | Sat 5pm | Sun 1pm, 7pm

R | 129 mins | March 27-29 Fri 4pm, 10pm | Sat 2pm, 8pm | Sun 4pm The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul – a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

2/20/15 10:40 AM

Healthy Corner Stores Network Comes to Wilmington This year, many of Wilmington’s neighborhood stores will experience a noticeable ‘freshening.’ With the support of the City of Wilmington and innovative programming from The Food Trust of Philadelphia, twenty Wilmington convenience stores, corner stores and bodegas will become inaugural members of the Wilmington Healthy Corner Store Network. Nationally recognized for its nonprofit work in communities across the country, The Food Trust supports corner store owners who want to meet their customers’ demands for healthier options in a way that makes sense for businesses. The initiative is being funded by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the Longwood Foundation, and Nemours, which received funding from Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH), a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which focuses on specific activities to address the leading risk factors for the major causes of death and disability in the United States.

This initiative has been in the works for nearly two years, ever since respected and well-known community activist Konrad Kmetz approached The Food Trust to learn how he might engage Wilmington in the work being done to boost the availability of healthy foods across city neighborhoods. David Palmer, the Project Manager for the Wilmington Healthy Corner Store Network, noted that “It is great to see the enthusiasm and level of participation in preparation that Mr. Kmetz and the neighborhood-level Wilmingtonians who are at the forefront of this movement have lent the initiative since its beginning.

Mr. Kmetz, the Delaware Urban Farm Coalition and others involved in urban farming work in Wilmington came to us with an energy that set the tone for the results that are coming about this year.”

“Improving access to nutritious, affordable food in corner stores will play an important role in bettering the health and well-being of Wilmington residents,” says Yael Lehmann, Executive Director of The Food Trust. “We are thrilled to be supporting the work of such a strong and committed team of partners working together to make the city an even better place to live and do business.”

Unlike other projects whose missions are to assist community groups and to continue funding support into the future, The Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store Network is designed to provide backing to participating stores so that the addition of fresh foods would become self-sustaining contributions to their profitable business models. Once a store demonstrates commitment to healthy change by introducing four new healthy products, it receives additional support in the form of: • A comprehensive marketing campaign for outside the store, so that the store is easily identified as a place where the Healthy Corner Store Network is making fresh food possible; and inside, to make the offerings easy to find and to help customers make healthier choices.

• Intensive training and technical assistance to learn about how to procure, price, promote, inspect, and handle perishable food items.

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CITY OF WILMINGTON

• Select stores will also receive opportunities for shelving, refrigeration units and display items, based on their need and level of commitment.

Additionally, lead stores will also be offered opportunities to become sites for health promotions such as blood pressure screenings and in-store cooking lessons. These lead stores may also host nutrition educators who will hold events on location.

Ivey Ibrahim, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Development, looks forward to helping participating stores and The Food Trust in promotion and advertising the availability of products around the city. “The Food Trust is helping us do something we all agree will be beneficial to neighborhoods across the entire city. They are helping stores to understand how to do something that is good for them and for the customers who support them. The result is a win-win for the city.”

Adele Meehan, President of Union Park Gardens Neighborhood Association and Acting President of the 7th District Neighborhood Planning Council, is among a small but dedicated cohort of community activists who partnered with The Food Trust to help make the project possible. “Konrad and The Food Trust needed volunteers to conduct surveys across the city, in order to get a sense of what residents and store owners would want from a program like this one.” Meehan and her team collected over 250 applications in six short weeks by attending Resource Fairs, Summer in the Parks and other well-attended city events throughout the late summer and fall. “We were glad to help do some legwork to add to the extensive planning and neighborhood mapping that The Food Trust had already done to identify our needs.”

This year, twenty stores will join the Network. Next year, 40 additional stores will be added. “Based on our data, we have identified 80 stores within the city limits which could each take part in the Network,” said Palmer. In cities like Philadelphia, where over 600 stores are involved, stores have developed reputations for specialties, ethnic foods and exotic offerings, which help drive the type of competition for businesses that is both invigorating to the stores’ bottom lines and good for their clientele.”

Recruitment of Wilmington’s corner stores, bodegas, convenience stores and delis will begin in March. To learn more about The Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store Network, please visit: http://thefoodtrust. org/what-we-do/corner-store.

“I am proud of this work being done at the community-level around healthy lifestyles and neighbors supporting neighbors in making good choices,” said Mayor Dennis P. Williams. “This is but one example of Wilmingtonians taking the lead in something that means something to them and will strengthen the entire city.”

To learn about becoming a part of the Wilmington Healthy Corner Store Network, please contact David Palmer, Project Manager, at dpalmer@thefoodtrust.org.

To learn about becoming a part of the Wilmington Healthy Corner Store Network, please contact David Palmer, Project Manager at dpalmer@thefoodtrust.org.

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2/20/15 10:42 AM

CITY OF WILMINGTON

Workforce Partnership Brings Employment Opportunities to City Residents

E

arly last year, the City of Wilmington announced its partnership with the Eastside Rising Initiative to revitalize the East Side of the city by implementing partnerships to remodel and refurbish 125 homes in the Eastside of Wilmington, while training and employing East Side residents to do the work. The initiative is an outgrowth of the Eastside Redevelopers Coalition, a coalition that includes the City of Wilmington’s Department of Real Estate & Housing, the Wilmington Housing Partnership (WHP), Habitat for Humanity, Inter-Neighborhood Foundation, Woodlawn Trustees, Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Center for Community Research and Service, the University of Delaware, and American Baptist Churches.

Mayor Dennis P. Williams’s goals for the Eastside Rising Initiative are to both support ongoing initiatives, to promote a more livable city neighborhood, and also foster an environment where economic development can thrive. The Eastside Community Redevelopers Coalition committed to promoting that a minimum of 30 percent of the construction jobs involving the revitalization of the Eastside go to residents living in the city. Initiative partner Local 55, a residential and light construction trade union, has been the primary partner in enrolling, training and placing members of the Eastside community into employment opportunities. The Mayor has also committed to provide 50 percent of the applicant’s Local 55 annual membership fees in Local 55’s future classes of trainees, while the City’s Department of Parks & Recreation provided transportation for the applicants to and from training.

“We envision a situation where Wilmingtonians who are ready for work can find good jobs with living wages, and where they can also contribute the skilled work necessary to make their very own neighborhoods viable,” said Mayor Williams.

In the year since the Eastside Rising Initiative was announced, particulars related to the intended 30 percent goal are being actively hammered out. In the meantime Wilmington residents from the Eastside have taken advantage of the Initiative’s partnership with Local 55, and have worked on renovation and rehabilitation projects across downtown and other areas of the city. Real Estate & Housing Director Nailah Gilliam, Wilmington Housing Partnership Director

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Steve Martin, and Public Works Commissioner Jeff Starkey, began thinking early on about how they could help the Initiative and Local 55 jump start the process. “We knew we needed to get projects lined up, even prior to the implementation of policies, codes and the introduction of a new way of doing business in Wilmington in the long term,” said Starkey.

“We knew that we were each involved in ongoing projects, where even the very first graduates of Local 55’s training could start working right away,” said Gilliam. “Jeff Starkey got the ball rolling by working with Local 55 to be considered for a demolition project on 4th & Orange Streets.”

Reginald Rinehart was among the very first graduates of Local 55’s training course. Rinehart, 41, is a Philadelphia native who moved to Delaware several years ago and initially worked for Waste Management for years, before being downsized. “I thought I was going to retire from WM,” he said. “I enjoyed my work and saw a long future with the company. I was blindsided by the lay off.” The married father of four, who lives on the 700 block of Vandever Street, was unemployed for four months before hearing about union representative John Blyden’s interest meetings for Local 55 membership at Central Baptist Church. “I somehow got my hands on a flyer, and from the interest meeting, I knew this was for me.”

Rinehart joined the very first class of workers in 2014. For the first five months, he took advantage of every training that was offered by the Local. He stood in the nearly finished project at 515 Vandever Avenue, proudly contrasting his ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of the property, while detailing the work he did to install a floor where there was once only a hole, and talked about windows and walls he installed. “My membership fee at the Local includes as much training as I’d like to take for the entire year, so I became certified in everything that was available,” he said. As a result of his focus and willingness to take the time to get trained, he has earned certifications and gained mastery in OSHA safety, framing, scaffold building, flooring and finishing and hanging, among several other skilled trades. “I thought I would never get through learning how to hang windows,” he said, but Blyden says Rinehart has beautifully A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

2/20/15 10:42 AM

hung at least 60 windows on projects since then, and has worked steadily from the time he joined in February of last year. Blyden explains, “It is of utmost importance to the Local that we make this special partnership one that results in actual jobs. Although this is separate from our traditional Apprenticeship Program, we see the value in providing skilled training for actual jobs in the market, created by the City and Eastside Rising.”

Junior Horrobin is a Jamaican national who came to Wilmington six years ago. Horrobin, unlike most Local 55 members in the Initiative, spent most of his career in the construction field. “My grandmother owned properties, so from the time I could paint, I was learning and perfecting my skills,” he said. The highly experienced carpenter is also a master at electrical, masonry and plumbing work, as well as being certified in lead paint abatement, a program to help families make older homes free of lead hazards.

“I was laid off from a large construction firm here in the city. Every day, I felt the pressure to be successful and to thrive despite my hard times. I took odd jobs on the side to make ends meet.”

Horrobin, who lives in the vicinity of 24th and Market Streets, heard by word-of-mouth that Local 55 was recruiting. He has been working consistently for three months since he joined the Local. Although he is a new member, Blyden considers Horrobin as someone who can mentor his teammates on a construction site and is an example of the diversity of backgrounds contributing to the workforce at the Local.

Forty-eight year-old Tony Sims came to Delaware years ago, but is originally from New York City and has been incarcerated in both Delaware and New York. The married father of four daughters, two step-sons and a grandchild, wondered how to even envision a path toward something better. “I am well known for my former life in the streets. I was making money,” said Sims. “But not all money is good money. What I enjoy most about being a certified member of Local 55 is that I am contributing to my community now, by using my very own hands.” Sims was handed a Local 55 interest meeting flyer in early 2014 and says he knew the minute he sat down in the meeting he would finally be able to go from “having hope for a future, to having something real to think about actually doing with my future.”

Sims’ personality is magnetic and his natural leadership qualities are now being put to use in meaningful ways. In addition to becoming a leader among his peers at the Local, Sims’s neighborhood reputation has made him an example for others in the community. He says he is proud to say to others in his neighborhood, near 10th & Church Streets, “See that, right there? I helped build that. People around the city know me now by my name, not just my street name, and I’m proud of that. I wouldn’t trade this happiness or sense of peace.”

Steve Martin knew there were opportunities to get Local 55 members working right as soon as they were trained. The natural next step was to engage Local 55 in the City’s and Wilmington Housing Partnership’s current projects. “My colleagues in the administration and I knew that, in lieu of the ultimate vision for these types of opportunities to be available citywide, we could use our resources right away to get people to work and to provide examples of how the partnership really works,” he said. John Blyden agrees. “Right away, we were working on visible projects and providing top-quality work, over and beyond demolition and clean-up. We look forward to continuing to employ Wilmingtonians for work within the city.”

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CITY OF WILMINGTON

City Introduces New Housing Mortgage & Counseling Services to Community The City of Wilmington’s Department of Real Estate & Housing recently hosted a gathering of city housing counselling agencies and realtors to introduce them to the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA). The gathering included representatives from Consumer Credit Counseling Services, West End Neighborhood House, Interfaith Community Housing, National Housing Institute, and Housing Opportunities of Northern Delaware. Nailah Gilliam, Director of Real Estate and Housing for the City of Wilmington, convened the group so that these organizations could learn more about NACA’s new housing mortgage and counselling resources, which could have a positive effect on homeownership and neighborhood stabilization across the city.

NACA is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization whose primary mission is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership.

The NACA homeownership and comprehensive counselling programs were developed as an answer to the large subprime and predatory lending industry, which emerged over the past decade. Currently, Bank of America and Citibank have contributed $13 billion dollars directly to NACA’s HUD-approved programs. As a result, NACA is not only a housing counselling program but also a mortgage lender.

Because NACA is privately funded, the organization is able to offer below market rate, 30-year mortgages with no down payment, no closing costs, no fees and no requirements for the borrower to have perfect credit. This lending model, called “character-based lending,” is the hallmark of NACA’s mission to make homeownership the cornerstone for neighborhood stabilization around the country and in American cities.

“The program is not limited to low-to-moderate income families or homes in certain neighborhoods,” said Program Manager Debra White. “We can act as both the housing counselor and the mortgage lender, and are well experienced in preparing our clients for homeownership.”

NACA grew out of the small department of a local union and has grown to be the largest homeownership and advocacy organization in the country. The introductory four-hour workshops required for membership to NACA are preliminary to housing counselling and are held every-other weekend in various locations around Wilmington. City of Wilmington Real Estate & Housing Director Nailah Gilliam believes that Wilmingtonians deserve as many options as possible when deciding to begin the homeownership journey. “Our guest list for this information session included the gamut of nonprofit housing organizations and even a private relator. Ultimately, we want to share resources for the betterment of our city and our neighbors.”

To learn more about NACA, please visit www.naca.com or email Debra White at debrawhite@naca.com.

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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NOW OPEN!

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. Harry’s Seafood Grill / Riverfront Market, HARRYS-SAVOY.COM 7. Delaware Theatre Co., DELAWARETHEATRE.ORG 8. FireStone Roasting House, FIRESTONERIVERFRONT.COM 9. Cosi at the Barclays Crescent Building, GETCOSI.COM 10. Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk 11. AAA Mid-Atlantic Travel Center, AAAMIDATLANTIC.COM 12. Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, THEDCCA.ORG

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13. Justison Landing, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, CURRIEDAYSPA.COM Veritas Wine & Spirits, VERITASWINESHOP.COM 14. Kooma, KOOMASUSHI.COM 15. Delaware Children’s Museum, DELAWARECHILDRENSMUSEUM.ORG 16. Joe’s Crab Shack, JOESCRABSHACK.COM 17. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, IRONHILLBREWERY.COM 18. Public Docks 19. Big Fish Grill, BIGFISHRIVERFRONT.COM 20. Frawley Stadium, BLUEROCKS.COM Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame

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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/ DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG

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27 DART Park-n-Ride Lot 28. Penn Cinema Riverfront IMAX, PENNCINEMARIVERFRONT.COM 29: CrossFit Riverfront, CFRIVERFRONT.COM 30: The Residences at Harlan Flats, HARLANFLATS.THERESIDENCES.NET 31: Stratosphere Trampoline Park, WILMINGTONTRAMPOLINEPARK.COM 32: The Westin Wilmington, WESTINWILMINGTON.COM

Photo by Joe del Tufo

2/20/15 10:45 AM

TAKE TIME FOR

LUNCH 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

Bring your appetite.

BURGERS

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MEX SALADS

SUSHI

THAI PIZZA

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52 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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2/20/15 10:46 AM

DRINK

Juicing: A Way of Life Turning fruits and veggies into liquids proves to be more than a passing fad, thanks to the health benefits

By Krista Connor

T

hree years ago, Alisa Morkides was addicted to sugar and fatty foods. Then, deciding she needed a lifestyle change, she adopted a whole foods diet, which combined with walking several miles a day, enabled her to lose 80 pounds.

Morkides, owner of Delaware’s nine-location Brew HaHa! chain, attributes much of her transformation to juicing fruits and vegetables. As a testament to this, she is opening a new juice bar and clean foods café along with Brew HaHa! Operations Director Ally McKenney.

Called Vim, the boho-meets-Moroccan establishment is slated to open in May in Trolley Square, replacing the current Brew HaHa! there, which will move to a larger building in the Rockford Shops nearby and will include a coffee roastery.

At Vim, all pressed juices will be made-to-order from raw fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the internationallyfocused café menu will feature made-from-scratch soups, brown rice and quinoa food bowls, fresh salads, healthy breakfasts and more.

Vim will be the only juice bar in northern Delaware, with Nourish Juice Bar and Café in Kennett Square being its closest competitor.

Says 57-year-old Morkides: “When I added juicing to my lifestyle, my energy took off, and now when many of my peers are retiring, I’m launching two exciting new businesses and have never been more optimistic about the future. I’m truly living the life of my dreams, and I credit my diet and lifestyle change for all of this.” ►

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

KRESTON & WINE

SPIRITS

Celebrating 81 Years Est. 1933

“A tour of our wine cellar is a trip around the world!”

-Don Kreston, 2nd Generation

Family Owned & Operated.

4 Generations for 81 Years.

Large Selection of Wines, Spirits, & Beers.

MIDDLETOWN 448 E. Main Street Middletown, DE 19709 Tel: (302) 376-6123

WILMINGTON 904 Concord Avenue Wilmington, DE 19802 Tel: (302) 652-3792

JUICING: A WAY OF LIFE continued from previous page

Why Juice?

According to the USDA, two cups of fruit and two cups of vegetables daily are recommended for the average adult, varying slightly by age and gender.

Unfortunately, grabbing an apple on-the-go seems to be the norm, and that’s simply not enough. It’s no surprise that the majority of Americans just aren’t getting the fruits and vegetables their bodies need. The USDA reports that Americans consume about half the recommended intake of vegetables each day, and this comes mostly from potatoes, with only 10 percent coming from dark green and orange vegetables (think spinach, carrots) that are ideal for good health.

Says Jessica Ruggieri, a health coach and fitness instructor at Wilmington’s Central Y: “Most Americans don't like fruits or vegetables, or they don't have time to eat them. In the U.S., we are forced into being people of productivity and that has left us with little time for self-care.”

So why juice?

Well, for one thing, juicing is convenient. It’s a quick and simple way to consume the appropriate daily amount of fruits and vegetables—without having to devour bowlfuls of spinach and carrots in one sitting.

Fresh juice provides minerals and vitamins, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins and much more. Added to your daily diet, it delivers increased energy, a “glowing” complexion, strengthens the immune system as well as bones, and reduces the risk of disease, according to McKenney. Additionally, juicing is believed to sharpen mental clarity, improve sleeping patterns and circulation, detoxify essential organs, lower blood pressure, and more.

Sums up McKenney: “Juicing makes me feel incredibly empowered.”

Latest Fad or Here to Stay?

Juicing is really big right now. The cold-pressed juice market has been estimated at $100 million a year the past few years, and Instagram is full of proudly-posted photos hash-tagged “clean eating.”

That’s a big change from a decade ago, when juicers—and those interested in a holistic lifestyle in general—were rare and considered “weird,” at least on the East Coast. But they did exist, especially on the West Coast, where juicing already was going strong.

Whole foods and juicing have been part of humanity’s diet for millennia, McKenney says. Humankind survived on whole foods until about 100 years ago. That’s when processed foods were introduced, which brought toxins into our bodies, causing disease, says Morkides.

So, she reasons, society’s journey back to unadulterated foods is simply in our nature.

“It’s a return to what we lost and to what our bodies are accustomed to eating. When we drink pure liquid food, such as pressed juices and smoothies, and eat whole foods in their natural state, our bodies rejoice.”

McKenney and Ruggieri also agree that juicing is not simply a trend.

“It’s more of a lifestyle,” says McKenney. “People are more invested in health now than ever. It’s been a lifestyle for decades on the West Coast; now we need to bring it to our community.”

Healthy living must be promoted, Ruggieri says. Obesity has become a health crisis in the U.S. Three out of four Americans are expected to be obese by 2020, and juicing is one way to address this problem.

“What could help keep this going?” asks Ruggieri. “More raw juice bars around to combat the unhealthy choices we’re bombarded with.”

Proud Sponsor of the

54 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

JUICING TIPS McKenney, Morkides and Ruggieri offer a few tips on how to best optimize your juicing experience.

• Use organic fruits and vegetables.

• A juice with two to six ingredients is optimal for good digestion. Juicing can be harmful to digestion when too many ingredients are added to the juice or smoothie.

• Avoid juicing large amounts of fruit. The body processes fruit best when it comes with all of its natural fibers, and juicing removes much of the fiber in the process of removing the pulp or skins of fruit.

Too much fruit juice means the sugars are released too quickly into the blood stream, and the liver has to work extra hard to filter them. Opt for an 80/20 blend of vegetables and fruits.

• To keep the fiber, make a smoothie, which blends the whole fruit or vegetable, including pulp and skins.

• Use fresh herbs, lemon, lime and ginger to give juice fresh flavor without added sugar.

• It’s best to drink the juice right away; otherwise it may develop harmful bacteria.

• Drinking juice before a meal reduces cravings for simple carbohydrates and sweets, and entices taste buds to crave plant-based, whole foods as opposed to heavily processed fats and sugars.

• It’s best to drink juice 30-40 minutes before a meal, or between meals.

• Green juices should be consumed on an empty stomach because they are digested quickly, and anything lingering in the stomach after they are digested can cause bloating and gas.

• New juicers: purchase a mid-priced juice machine that’s easy to clean.

RECIPES AND COMBINATIONS: Ruggieri: “To keep the caloric intake at a minimum, use mostly vegetables like kale, spinach, celery, carrots, cucumber. Add fruit to sweeten—e.g., pineapple, strawberries and oranges. A hint of lemon or ginger helps with flavor. There are many great recipes that will come with your juicer and I recommend trying all varieties. But if you ask me, I love my grapefruit!”

Here’s her favorite recipe: • 1/2 grapefruit • 1/2 cucumber • 1/2 apple • 1 celery stalk • 1 lime • Handful of ice McKenney: “One of our favorite combinations for pressed juice is apple, lemon, cayenne and ginger. This juice is not only delicious and refreshing, but very healthy. Cayenne promotes weight loss, treats heartburn, and improves circulatory problems. Ginger stimulates circulation, reduces nausea and is used in pain management. Lemon improves digestion, helps control blood pressure, helps cure throat infections and promotes weight loss. Apples are a great source of antioxidants, polyphenol and flavonoids, all beneficial for heart health. Apple also assists in cleansing the destructive toxins and waste by-products from the liver.”

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

TUNED IN Not-to-be missed music news WHICH HEROES WILL IT BE? Ninth annual Homey Awards to celebrate best of local music WSTW’s 93.7 Hometown Heroes, a weekly program highlighting the best music from the Delaware Valley, will present the ninth annual Homey Awards on Friday, March 6, at World Cafe Live at The Queen. The best local music of 2014 will be announced, including Album of the Year, Best E.P., Song of the Year, Best Band and more.

Winners will be chosen by the Homey Voting Panel, made up of previous Homey winners, members of the media and others involved in the community. The evening also will include performances of some of last year’s winners and this year’s nominees, including RKVC, Hot Breakfast!, Kuf Knotz, Billy Penn Burger, John Faye and Those Meddling Kids.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Host Mark Rogers broadcasts Hometown Heroes every Sunday from 8-10 p.m.

For more information, visit queentickets.worldcafelive.com.

WINTER BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL IS MARCH 20-22 Eighth annual event set for Claymont The eighth annual Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival, which doubles as a nonprofit focused on maintaining and preserving the bluegrass music tradition, is set for the weekend of March 20-22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Claymont.

The event features two stages, one with national performers and the other hosting newer acts. Expect non-stop workshops and jam sessions all weekend. More than 30 artists and bands will perform, including Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Jeff Scroggins, Donna Ulisse, Special Consensus and Martha & Eddie Adcock.

Tickets range from $10-$30.

For more information visit wilmingtonwintergrass.org.

PUNK TAKEOVER March 16 brings mayhem to Mojo 13 Our Velocity Productions will host a punk show at Mojo 13 in Wilmington on Monday, March 16, featuring Dwarves (Epitaph Records), The Atom Age (Asian Man Records), Gash (with Tibbie X of Reagan Youth), and Sparklefight. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 at ticketfly.com. This is a 21-and-older event. For more information, visit facebook.com/ourvelocityprod.

56 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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New Sweden playing at the 2014 Firefly Music Festival.

2

R2HOP2 BEER & MUSIC FESTIVAL Fordham & Dominion Brewing hosting fourth annual event next month Fordham & Dominion Brewing Co. is counting down to the fourth annual R2Hop2 Beer and Music festival on Saturday, April 25. The event will be held from noon to 6 p.m., rain or shine, at the brewery in Dover. The Bloodshots, River, Stone Jack Ballers and Mike Weyrauch will perform.

In addition to Fordham & Dominion beers, wine from Harvest Ridge Winery and spirits from The Painted Stave Distilling Company will be available. Local food vendors include Babci’s Potato Pancakes, 5K BBQ, 33West Ale House & Grill, Tre Sorelle Dolce, The Delaware Egg Roll and Hot Stuff Paninis.

The event will also include homebrew demonstrations and a keg toss.

Children are welcome. A climbing wall, sumo wrestling, moon bounce and face painting will be available.

Purchase a ticket prior to Wednesday, April 1, and be entered to win the R2Hop2 package sponsored by Dover Downs Casino. It includes a one-night stay at Dover Downs Casino and passes to all Good Libations Tour locations.

General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and VIP tickets are $50, which include a private tent area, preferred parking, a t-shirt, food and an open bar.

Admission is free for children ages 16 and younger.

Tickets can be purchased at the brewery or online at fordhamanddominion.com.

AMERICAN IDIOT

CTC cast to perform rock opera of Green Day’s award-winning album City Theater Company closes out its 21st season with the Delaware premiere of Green Day’s American Idiot from April 10-25. The two-time Tony Awardwinning rock opera is based on Green Day’s Grammy-winning, multi-platinum album of the same name. The rock opera follows three lifelong friends on a search for meaning in a post-Sept. 11 world.

From the suburbs to the city, the trio navigates their early 20s via the punk rock music of Green Day. Featuring the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday,” and the blockbuster title track, Green Day’s American Idiot stars veteran CTC actors Brendan Sheehan and Adam Wahlberg, and marks the CTC debut for local rocker George Murphy.

The performance is directed by CTC Producing Artistic Director Michael Gray, and music-directed by CTC Music Director Joe Trainor.

All shows are at The Black Box at Opera Delaware Studios in Wilmington.

General admission is $25. Limited VIP seating is $40 and includes complimentary drinks, choice seating, and cast-signed programs. All shows are at 8 p.m. except for a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 12. Get your tickets at city-theater.org.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF SOMETHING? Email tuned-in@tsnpub.com with ideas, and they could be added to our list.

UPSTAIRS IN MARCH Every Wednesday:

Gable Music Ventures presents WILMO WEDNESDAYS (7pm) All shows at 8pm unless otherwise noted.

Thurs 5 - JESS LAMB and GINGER COYLE Fri 6 - THE DUPONT BROTHERS Sat 7 - On Screen/In Person Film Series STILL DREAMING (6pm in the Olympia Room) Sat 7 - LIVE AT THE FILLMORE: THE DEFINITIVE TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL ALLMAN BROTHERS (9pm)

Thurs 12 - NORA JANE STRUTHERS AND THE PARTY LINE w/The Holy Broke

Fri 13 - MARCH SINGER SONGWRITER SHOWCASE (7pm) Brian Dolzani, Chelsea Berry, Danny Whitecotton, James Hearne, Nelly’s Echo, Stewart Lewis

Sat 14 - THE RENT-A-COPS AND KRUSH Thurs 19 - GRILLED CHEESE AND CRAFT BEER TASTING w/ Kenny Ferrier (6pm)

Fri 20 - BEN SOLLEE AND BECCA STEVENS Sat 21 - MARY GAUTHIER AND ALLISON MOORER Thurs 26 - HERITAGE BLUES ORCHESTRA Fri 27 - KATEGORY 5’S REWIND TO VINYL SHOW Sat 28 - BRIAN CARROLL AND IAN FITZGERALD w/ Casey Mackenzie

World Cafe Live at the Queen 500 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 302-994-1400 WorldCafeLive.com MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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ENJOY

MARCH MADNESS

B EER S. BPuEd CI ALS 23 o z

Light

& GRIoNGoALsL MeARCIHsMlAaDNEnSSdGAMIPA ES

DU

Celebrating 80 Years!

Stanley’s Tavern

2038 Foulk Road | Wilmington, DE 19810

302.475.1887 | Stanleys-Tavern.com

GET YOUR IRISH ON! Irish Food Menu Starts March 1st

25 BEERS ON TAP!

St. Patrick’s Weekend!

SAT • SUN • MON • TUES 4 Irish Beers On Tap! Guinness, Harp, Smithwick, and Magner’s Specials

BEST RIBS!

2038 FOULK ROAD, WILMINGTON DE • 302 475-1887 • www.stanleys-tavern.com 58 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Kingsman: The Secret Service

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STARS µµµµµ

Colin Firth stars as Harry Hart, an impeccably suave spy, in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Photo Jaap Buitendijk, © 2014 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

KINGSMAN: NOT QUITE ROYALTY Graphic-novel spy spoof full of visual thrills but lacks human touch

By Mark Fields

M

any of the blockbuster films of the last 10 years have been inspired by characters or situations first found in graphic novels and comic books. Heck, both Marvel and DC Comics have studios now. But it’s not just subject matter dominating the creative transfer anymore. It’s also aesthetic. Movies are being reshaped to correspond with the artistic stylings of graphic novels. And I must confess, I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

The latest example of this phenomenon is Kingsman: The Secret Service, a spy spoof drawn from the pages of a graphic novel

by Mark Millar (Kick-Ass) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen). Visually stunning and extravagantly violent and profane, Kingsman is a comic book almost literally translated to the screen.

Colin Firth plays Harry Hart, a proper English gentlemen who is also a deadly and efficacious spy working for a shadowy nongovernmental intelligence agency that operates with a Savile Row tailor shop as its front. He and his fellow spies—Arthur, Merlin, and Lancelot (ever so English, they take the names of Camelot knights as their aliases) pride themselves equally on their clandestine prowess and their upper-crust discretion. ► MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Opening at 10am on St.Patrick’s Day!

Come Try Our Seasonal Craft Beers Over 22 Beers on Tap at the Polly Drummond and Peoples Plaza Locations!

Come Celebrate

St. Patrick’s Day With Us!

$2.25 Green Miller Lite Beer, $5 Irish Car Bombs, Irish Stew and Corned Beef and Cabbage MONDAY 1/2 Price Appetizers All Day

TUESDAY 1/2 Price Burgers All Day $1.50 All Domestic Drafts 7pm-close

WEDNESDAY All-You-Can-Eat Wings $11.99 After 5pm Craft Draft Night: $1 off All Craft Draft beers 7- Close

THURSDAY All-You-Can-Eat-Shrimp $12.99 After 5pm

FRIDAY Prime Rib $22.99

SHOWTIME TRIVIA

DJ - ALL LOCATIONS

Commemorative St. Patrick’s Day Shirts Available!

Enjoy Live Irish Bag Pipers Polly Drummond 6:30pm Peoples Plaza 8:30pm Dover 7:15pm

SATURDAY Craft Bottle Night: $1 Off Craft Bottles All Day

SUNDAY Beef and Beer $8.99 (with Craft Beer $10.99)

8oz. Sirloin Steak $12.99 - ALL DAY!

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: 108 Peoples Plaza (Corner of Rtes. 40 & 896) | Newark, DE | 302-834-6661 8 Polly Drummond Shopping Center | Newark, DE | 302-738-7814 800 North State Street | Dover, DE | 302-674-0144

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½ PRICE LARGE SALADS ON FRIDAYS 11am-4pm!

MONDAYS 1/2 Price Burgers, ALL DAY!

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All Sandwiches and Salads 1/2 Price 11am-4pm

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4pm-10pm

Taco Bar Happy Hour 4pm-7pm

FRIDAYS

1/2 Price Large Salads 11am-4pm Seafood Night!

STOP BY AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW HAPPY HOUR 3-6PM! • $5-$6 TAPAS MENU • $4 HOUSE WINES & SANGRIA • $4 CRAFT BEERS • $2.50 BUD LIGHT, MILLER LITE & YUENGLING DRAFTS

SATURDAYS

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Brunch 11am-2pm

1/2 Price Entrees 4pm-10pm

Steak Night with Prime Rib Specials

1/2 Price Appetizers 10pm-close

158 East Main Street | Newark, DE 19711 | 302-737-6100 | www.klondikekates.com 3. Lobster Bake and Raw Bar every Friday 60 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Photo Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

KINGSMAN: NOT QUITE ROYALTY continued from page 59

Firth and the rest of the cast have a good time in the movie.

Photo Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

The Kingsmen and their newest recruits find themselves combating a megalomaniacal Internet billionaire (Samuel L. Jackson) with a plan for world domination and a fiendish lisp.

Kingsman drolly, and sometimes overtly, trades on all the tropes of spy movies and comics: the unflappable hero, the defective villain, inventively cruel henchmen (this one has prosthetic blades for feet!), fanciful weapons, secret lairs, etc. It’s all very clever and entertaining.

But one aspect of the comic book sensibility that doesn’t translate as well is the graphic, casual violence: people are dispatched in this film with great abandon but little human feeling. The numerous extended fight scenes serve only as tableaux of witty ways to wreak mayhem, and after a while they are just exhausting.

Director Matthew Vaughn has a keen sense of both visuals and rhythm, and his recent cinematic efforts (Kick-Ass and X Men: First Class) vibrate with energy. But I long for the more rounded narratives of his earlier films, Stardust and Layer Cake, which had both style and heart.

Everybody in Kingsman is having a good time though. The cast includes spirited performances from Firth (in a major departure from his usual posh roles) and Taron Egerton as “Eggsy,” the new recruit, with sturdy supporting work from Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and Sofia Boutella as assassin Gazelle. Mark Hamill even has a fun, even explosive cameo as a university professor co-opted by the villain.

After the film, I kept thinking of the chaos theorist played by Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park. Horrified by the idea that the park had so carelessly cloned dinosaurs just because they had the capability, Dr. Malcolm remarked acerbically that “your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

In a parallel way, Kingsman demonstrates that just because technology allows filmmakers to seamlessly make comic books into movies doesn’t mean that it is always a good idea.

Harry helps Eggsy (Taron Egerton) turn his life around by trying out for a position with the Kingsmen, a top-secret independent intelligence organization.

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Countdown to

Cinco de Mayo!

Save the date for the area’s largest Cinco de Mayo Party!

Food & Drink Specials: May 1-5

Watch the tournament games here!

BLOCK PARTY SUNDAY, MAY 3rd

Live Giveaway After the 1st Semi-Final!

GRAND PRIZE!

HDTV

Enter to WIN!

Saturday, April 4 | Live Giveaway at Each Location* Must be present to win. No purchase necessary. See store for details.

» Enter to WIN our Bracket Challenge!

1st Place (each location) | $100 Grotto Card Submit your bracket in store by noon, March 19.

» RAFFLES During the Tournament March 19–March 22

Catch March Madness here!

23oz Miller Lite Draft $4.50 ½-Priced Pitchers $5.50 Sunday-Thursday

» 2 Cuts for $3 » 22oz Coors Light Big Beers $3* *New Castle County locations in the bar/bar area only.

Celebrate

St. Patty’s Day! Saturday, March 14th

Green Beer, Drink Specials & Prizes Pennsylvania Avenue

Join us after the Parade!

Get Your Loop Bracelet Here | Open at 10am

Newark, Main Street

Open at 10am

Prizes for first 20 people 302.478.3939 | 3100 Naaman’s Road | Wilmington, DE MexicanPost.comPennsylvania | facebook.com/Mex.Post Ave

Join us after the Parade on March 16

For a full location listing visit

GrottoPizza.com

62 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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TEE OFF...

WATCH

. . . with six movie comedies set on the links

By Mark Fields

While golf has been described as “a good walk spoiled,” numerous filmmakers have found comedic gold out on the course. As a companion piece to our feature on golf, here are some movies that evoke laughter from even serious students of the game.

The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) Matt Damon plays a disillusioned war veteran and golfer who rediscovers his “authentic swing” through the intercessions of a mysterious caddy (Will Smith). The film, directed by Robert Redford, is beautifully photographed in its re-creation of 1930s Georgia, but it suffers from a familiar and uncomfortable trope where a white protagonist finds salvation from a mystical African American character, a device that Spike Lee has labeled a “magical negro.”

Happy Gilmore (1996) Adam Sandler is an acquired taste, but his self-referential shtick works (mostly) in this loopy story of a hockey player attempting to win enough money from pro golf to save his grandmother’s house. With his unconventional success, Happy becomes a rival of a snobbish golfer (Christopher McDonald) and engages in a little class warfare on the fairway. The best bit: a running gag with an unexpectedly virile (and punchy) Bob Barker.

Tin Cup (1996) Director Ron Shelton and actor Kevin Costner followed their baseball classic, Bull Durham, with a less likely and compelling take on golf. Costner plays a washed-up golf pro who makes a dubious attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open, hoping to win the heart of his rival’s girlfriend (Rene Russo).

The uneven movie displays some of Costner’s hangdog charm and Shelton’s deft screenwriting, but it mostly demonstrates that movie lightning rarely strikes twice.

Caddyshack (1980) The late Harold Ramis directed an all-star cast (Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield and the fantastic Bill Murray) who created a movie that transcends its slapdash rhythms and hammy performances to become a comic classic. It must be acknowledged, however, that the film is really more noteworthy for its singular moments (and a feisty animatronic gopher) than its overall coherence.

Pat and Mike (1952) and Bringing Up Baby (1938) A classic Katharine Hepburn double feature. Pat and Mike features Hepburn as an accomplished golfer who hires a shady promoter (Spencer Tracy) to be her manager. Both comedy and romantic sparks ensue.

Bringing Up Baby pairs Hepburn with a straitlaced Cary Grant in one of the great screwball comedies, the hijinks of which start when the two “meet cute” on the golf course.

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Come Enjoy Our Weekly Specials!

MON:

$5 Off Entrees, Happy Hour All Night, $1 Off Drinks 4pm-close

TUES:

Oyster Day! - Special Oyster Menu with $1 Raw Oysters, Brick Oven Baked Oysters and $5 Oyster Shooters, $2 Pints of Miller Lite and Yuengling

JUSTIN WAL CE MUSICIAN & THRIFTER

4pm-close

WED: WHAT’S #INTUNE THIS MONTH

Jay Farrar Thursday, March 5

George Thorogood Tuesday, March 10

RAIN: A Beatles Tribute Fri, Mar 6 - Sun, Mar 8

Lucero & Ryan Bingham Thursday, March 12

Full details on these events & more at: inWilmingtonDE.com

THURS: FRI: SUN:

$5 Chefs Tapas Menu, $1 Off All Craft Drafts 4pm-close Flat Bread Day All Day- All Gourmet Flat Breads are only $5, $2.00 Off All Our Classic Cocktails 6pm-close $1 Raw Oysters All Day! Sunday Brunch! $4 Make Your Own Bloody Bar 10am-2pm

302.376.0600 109 Main Street, Odessa, DE 19730 Mon: Closed • Tues - Thurs: 11:30am-10pm Fri-Sat:11:30am-11pm • Sun: 10am-9pm

www.cantwells-tavern.com 64 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY

SNAP SHOTS 1.

2.

3.

5.

4.

SHINE A LIGHT ON ‘75 Photos by Joe del Tufo

Not even an unexpectedly persistent snowstorm could stop the 4th Annual Shine A Light show on Saturday, Feb. 21, when a packed house of excited audience members witnessed 60+ local musicians performing more than 40 songs from 1975, all in an effort to raise money for the Light Up The Queen Foundation’s community outreach programs.

1. Mark Kenneally, aka the legendary Dr. Harmonica, cues guitarist Michael Davis.

2. Montana Wildaxe’s Kurt Houff wails during a monster guitar solo.

3. Echoes of Parliament ruled the house during “Give Up The Funk,” led by (l-r) Lew Indellini, Hollywood, Rob Grant and Pete LeRoy. 4. Laura Moss belts it out on Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around And Fell in Love.”

5. A fun-filled evening comes to a close with the majority of the musicians piling on the stage for War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”

Continued on page 67.► MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Don’t waste good drinking time looking for a parking space!

Buy your bracelet here & take the bus to Trolley Square!

Enter to WIN an Atlantic City Weekend Getaway!

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

302.384.8113, ErnestAndScott.com, 902 N. Market St., Wilmington 66 MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY

WHO IS THE AREA’S BEST TALENT?

SNAP SHOTS 6.

2 0 1 5 MUSIKARMAGEDDON

Friday, March 27 • 7pm live @ the baby grand Tickets $5 at the door 16 Local Singer/Songwriters compete in a head-to-head contest to vie for the top prize.

For a full list of competing artists go to

Musikarmageddon.com 7.

ML_Logo_4CP

Photos by Joe del Tufo 6. Bethany Bullington rocked the upright bass on a bluegrass version of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”

7. Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” came to life mightily with the help of (l-f) guitarist Andy Faver, vocalist Joe Trainor, drummer Matt Urban, bassist Christian Salcedo, and guitarist Keith Moss.

THEGRAND 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY

C

ajun rown

Home Grown Café Chef Seth Harvey wins second annual Fat Tuesday culinary contest

w

It was a frigid Fat Tuesday night in Downtown Newark, but a collection of chefs from some of the town’s most popular eateries heated things up with creative cooking in Out & About Magazine’s second annual Cajun Crawl, presented by Abita.

Charged with creating a small plate or appetizer that included Abita beer or root Chef Seth Harvey beer, Home Grown Café Executive Chef Seth Harvey earned the Cajun Crown for best dish. Harvey’s winning creation was jambalaya arancini balls, which featured shrimp and andouille sausage, bell peppers, jalapeños and onions served in a smoked tomato broth fortified with Abita Wrought Iron IPA. Harvey, 36, lives in Wilmington and has been in the food industry for 20 years after studying to be an architect. He operated a farm-to-table restaurant in California’s Sonoma County before joining Home Grown Café last year.

“Chef Seth fits in perfectly with HGC’s local flavor and sustainable produce and is looking to grow friendships with local farmers as well as start our own horticultural venture,” said HGC co-owner Sasha Aber.

Runner-up for the 2015 Cajun Crown was Catherine Rooney’s and Executive Chef Garret Jarman. Jarman impressed the judges with his Shrimp Po’ Boys.

—O&A

The Deer Park Tavern

MARCH

Entertainment Schedule

EVERY TUESDAY:

Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh

EVERY THURSDAY:

DJ Andrew Hugh

Join Us for St. Patrick’s Day!

Opening at 10am on St. Patrick’s Day! $2.25 Green Miller Lite, $5 Irish Car Bombs, Irish Stew and Corned Beef and Cabbage!

EVERY FRIDAY:

DJ Chris

SATURDAYS:

7th- Why Ask Why 14th- Philbilly 21-Universal Funk Order 28th- Southern Tyde

SUNDAY NIGHT: Chorduroy

Every Monday - Showtime Trivia!

Sunday Brunch from 9am–2pm

TUESDAYS ½ Price Burgers ALL DAY! $4 Double LIT’s

THURSDAYS ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Wings (5pm-Close) ½ Price Burgers (11:30am-3pm) • $2 Rail Drinks

MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers (5pm-Close)

WEDNESDAYS - MEXICAN NIGHT! ½ Price Nachos & Quesadillas ALL DAY! $3 Coronas & Margaritas • $1.50 Tacos

302.369.9414 | 108 West Main Street, Newark | www.deerparktavern.com

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MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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presents

SHAMROCK

SHUTTLE SAT, MARCH 14, 7PM 15 CLUBS • $10 COVER • FREE SHUTTLE Delaware’s BIGGEST St. Paddy’s Celebration!

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Photo Tim Hawk

PLAY

IRISH

Tim Jones from Wilmington at Catherine Rooney’s during the St. Paddy’s Day Loop 2014.

SPIRIT Parade and St. Paddy’s Loop a dynamic double-header

Nothing like the one-two punch of Wilmington’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade followed by the Shamrock Shuttle to take the edge off a bone-chilling winter.

The Irish Culture Club of Delaware’s 40th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, set for Saturday, March 14, gets things rolling early with a noon start on King Street in Downtown Wilmington. You can expect traditional Irish favorites such as Kelly’s Logan House and Catherine Rooney’s to be packed within minutes of the parade’s end.

Later that day, the Shamrock Shuttle/St. Paddy’s Loop continues the celebration, with cover charges at many of the venues beginning as early as 3 p.m. Complimentary Loop shuttle service begins at 7 p.m. and runs until 1 a.m.

This year’s Shuttle includes 15 city nightspots representing Trolley Square, Downtown, West End and the Riverfront. A one-time cover charge of $10 gains entry into all 15. For a list of participating venues or questions on the Loop, visit outandaboutnow.com. —O&A

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MARCH 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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