Out & About Magazine - March 2019

City’s Union Street a Culinary Melting Pot

Strength in Numbers for West Side

The Juice Behind the Pickleball Revolution

MARCH 2019 COMPLIMENTARY

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

Tips &

Other

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BEER DINNER, March 25th Kennett Square Location

More beer Less humans*

6 courses, $60, 6:30 pm Want more than Two Stones? How about Six Stones? Prepare yourself for a universal, powerful, soulful, reality bending, time-stopping, mindful GAUNTLET of delicious food and beer pairings. With our chefs... it'll be a SNAP! Call us at @ 610.444.3940 for tickets"

*It would be correct to say “fewer humans”. But it wouldn’t sound as good.

All 5 Locations open at 10 am St. Patty’s brunch from 10-2!

St. Patty’s day is on a Sunday - so let’s forget about Monday. The same great service as always, with food and beer specials to celebrate the holiday.

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STOMACH PAIN, ACHES, CRAMPS Colon cancer is tough to spot. Knowing the symptoms can save your life. No matter your age, if you’re having symptoms like bloody stools, cramping, and weight loss, talk to your health care provider or visit HealthyDelaware.org/signs.

DON’T IGNORE THE SIGNS.

–– A not-for-profit arts organization ––

“A BIG, FAT HIT!”–NEW YORK POST

MARCH 7-MARCH 10

COMING SOON!

THE PLAYHOUSE ON RODNEY SQUARE

An Evening with Lucia Micarelli FRI | MAR 29 | 8PM | $34-$39

An Evening with David Sedaris THUR | APR 4 | 8PM | $43-$50

Classic Albums Live Abbey Road FRI | APR 5 | 8PM | $34

Fresh off her first PBS concert special, this violin virtuoso and singer will leave you amazed.

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers.

Celebrating 50 years since the recording of The Beatles’ milestone record Abbey Road, played cut for cut.

Better Than Bacon Improv SAT | APR 6 | 8PM | $23

Blue Suede Shoes The Premier Elvis Bash SAT | APR 6 | 8PM | $34-$39

Invincible: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson SAT | APR 6 | 8PM | $33-$40

Better Than Bacon performs completely unscripted improv games, which are driven by your suggestions.

Legendary Elvis performers team up to bring you the most riveting tribute to the “King of Rock & Roll” that you won’t soon forget.

Hailed the #1 tribute to Michael Jackson worldwide.

Invincible captures the spirit and essence of seeing him live.

Judy Garland

WORLD’S GREATEST ENTERTAINER

FRI., MARCH 22, 8PM SAT., MARCH 23, 2PM & 8PM FRI., MARCH 29, 8PM SAT., MARCH 30, 2PM & 8PM

TheGrandWilmington.org | 302.652.5577 | 302.888.0200 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.

All tickets subject to box office service charges. Artists, dates, times and programs are subject to change.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

3

“Tipsy” takes on a whole new meaning when you drink and drive.

And after you’re busted, you’ll get a suspended driver’s license, pay thousands of dollars in fines and receive possible jail time.

A DUI will always cost you. It’s not worth it.

Don’t let a DUI redefine you.

Find a safe ride home.

ArriveAliveDE.com/DriveSober

M Lar

2 INSIDE 2

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Out & About Magazine Vol. 32 | No. 1

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

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

Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com

37

Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. Creative Director Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. Contributing Designer David Hallberg, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Contributing Writers Adriana Camacho-Church, Mack Caldwell Mark Fields, Kevin Francis, Pam George, Lauren Golt, Jordan Howell, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Dan Linehan, Mike Little, Dillon McLaughlin, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Leeann Wallett

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes, and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Lindsay duPhily, Tim Hawk, Anthony Santoro, Matt Urban Distribution David Hazardous Special Projects Sarah Green, Bev Zimmermann Interns Paige Dana, Emily Stover

71 START

WILMINGTON

7 From The Editor 9 War on Words 10 Worth Recognizing 11 FYI 12 By The Numbers 13 What Readers Are Saying

45 On the Riverfront 48 In the City 50 Art Loop

LEARN 8 Human Trafficking Crisis

FOCUS

WATCH 53 The Arts of March 57 Movie Reviews 59 Crossword Contest

DRINK

15 Get A Jump On Spring 23 Creating A Community

60 Sips 61 Harpoon Brewery 64 Spirited

EAT

LISTEN

31 The Evolution of Union St. 37 The Debut of El Camino 43 Bites

65 The Wasted Arrows 68 Tuned In

PLAY 71 Pickleball Anyone?

77 Irish Spring

FEATURES 15 Get A Jump on Spring A package of sunny suggestions, from gardening tips, attracting bees and 10 big spring events.

23 Creating A Community West Side Grows building momentum in the neighborhoods.

By Larry Nagengast

31 Something For All Tastes Wilmington’s Union Street has become a culinary melting pot.

By Leeann Wallett

38 South of the Border in North Wilmington Platinum Dining Group debuts El Camino in Brandywine Hundred.

By Pam George

On The Cover: Spring Forward cover illustration by Tyler Mitchell.

71 The Pickleball Revolution Our intrepid reporter finds that this racquet sport is a dilly.

By Mike Little

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 outandaboutnow.com • contact@tsnpub.com MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

5

HONK!

THE FAMILY EVENT OF THE YEAR

THE UGLY DUCKLING MUSICAL

STUDENT TICKETS

$20 APRIL 17 - MAY 12, 2019 music by George Stiles book & lyrics by Anthony Drewe directed by Bud Martin

FUN FOR ALL AGES STUDENT TICKETS $20

Group (10+) & student discounts available

This heart-warming re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” tells the story of Ugly, a plucky little bird who gets picked on by the other farmyard animals because he’s different. Pushed out of the flock, he embarks on an adventure across the marsh, meeting an array of characters who teach him that it takes all sorts to make a world, and that he is much more than just his fowl looks. Honk! is a miraculous musical that should be seen by every parent and child everywhere and anyone who can relate to the plight of an outsider trying to fit in.

200 WATER STREET / WILMINGTON, DE 19801 / 302.594.1100 / DELAWARETHEATRE.ORG SHOW SPONSOR:

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BY: This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

18 OA - Honk full page ad.indd 1

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2/21/19 10:20 AM

From The Editor

O&A File Photo / Jim Coarse

START

REMEMBERING JACK CRIMIAN

O

n Feb. 11, six days short of his 92nd birthday, Jack Crimian passed away, and we lost a remarkable man and a world-class storyteller.

John Melvin Crimian was many things: devoted husband and father, loving (and loveable) grandfather and greatgrandfather, Army paratrooper near the end of World War II, and a damn fine auto body repairman.

But the long-time Claymont resident will be remembered by most of us as a talented pitcher who spent parts of four years in the Major Leagues and 11 in the minors, a career from which he mined a treasure trove of stories he shared with Out & About readers in our August 2017 issue.

Throughout his career, Jack had a Forrest Gump-like knack for encountering famous names and playing a part in significant events. He was a minor leaguer in spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida, when Babe Ruth made one of his last public appearances. “Everything stopped when Ruth showed up, and we all went over to him,” Jack remembered. A few months later, Ruth died of throat cancer.

Crimian threw the pitch that Roger Maris hit for his first Major League home run—a grand slam—in 1957. While with the St. Louis Cardinals, Jack became friends with Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst. He pitched against Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle, striking out the Yankee slugger five of the 11 times he faced him. In a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jack threw to first base 10 straight times, trying to pick off

Jackie Robinson. ‘I had him twice, but they wouldn’t call him out,” he claimed.

Jack was a gentle soul, but make no mistake—he was a competitor. In 1963, five years after retiring from organized baseball, he joined the pitching staff of Brooks Armored Car, the vaunted powerhouse of the highly competitive Delaware Semi-Pro League. Even without his long-gone fastball, Crimian went 24-0 for Brooks over three seasons. He called it his most enjoyable time in baseball.

Before writing that O&A story (“A Baseball Life”), I had never met Jack Crimian, and I spent only a few hours with him in person and on the phone. But, like almost everyone who met him, I felt an instant bond. He was a salt-of-the-earth guy who was as comfortable as an old baseball mitt and his keen memory produced vivid tales from his playing days.

Jack lost his beloved wife, Mary, in 2010. And every day after that, for as long as he was able, he would drive to her grave at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Middletown, set up a folding chair, and, as he said, “talk to her for a while.”

Now they are reunited, and his four children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren can take solace in that, and in the comment Jack made near the end of our last interview: “I wouldn’t trade the life I’ve had for anything.”

— Bob Yearick MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LEARN

WORKING TO STOP THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING CRISIS Wilmington University’s Human Trafficking Awareness certificate will be the first of its kind in the U.S.

H

uman trafficking is the denial of basic human freedoms and rights to any individual through force, fraud or coercion.

In 2017, more than 8,700 cases of human trafficking were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH), according to the Polaris Project, which tracks such statistics, representing a 15.6 percent increase over 2016.

Think human trafficking exists only outside of your area? Think again. Since 2007, more than 300 potential victims of trafficking actions or behaviors have been identified in Delaware through communications to the NHTH*. Since Delaware passed legislation to strengthen the penalties for human trafficking in 2014, several cases have been reported and arrests made.

Over the last few years, Wilmington University has established itself as the leading resource for educating Delaware professionals about human trafficking, which many sources call a 21st century pandemic. Several undergraduate courses in human trafficking have been offered since 2015. According to Dr. Johanna Bishop, the University’s director of behavioral science programs, “Over 300 students have completed these classes at WilmU and are now going out into the community, into social service industries, having developed knowledge in recognizing and responding to suspected cases of human trafficking.”

Now WilmU is increasing its efforts and its offerings. In Fall 2019, Wilmington University will offer an 18-credit certificate in Human Trafficking Awareness. It will be the only one of its kind in the country.

Bishop emphasizes, “This certificate program legitimizes the academic study of trafficking as a human problem demanding the attention of experts in criminal, social and psychological services fields.”

While the new six-course program promises to be a sought-after credential for professionals in human-services-related fields, it will also be appropriate for and accessible to everyday citizens who want to get informed and help to combat this devastating crime.

The certificate can be earned as a stand-alone credential, or as a Dual-Credit Certificate® that earns students academic credit toward a WilmU bachelor’s degree in a variety of fields of study.

Bishop hopes the certificate will bring attention to the existence of trafficking, and knowledge of its indicators, to all members of the community. She states, “Creating awareness of human trafficking is essential to eliminating trafficking altogether.”

Further, she notes that raised awareness “will enable all those working on the front line and dealing with humans in crisis to know how to respond to, and investigate, suspected human trafficking cases.”

Those interested in pursuing WilmU’s Human Trafficking Awareness certificate can find more information at wilmu.edu/ BehavioralScience. The University will also host the Annual Human Trafficking Symposium on June 12 and 13, 2019. Professionals attending one or both days may be eligible for continuing education credits for health, school, social services and legal professionals. *

Source: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/delaware

Get to Know WilmU on Your Schedule Our regularly offered webinars let you learn from the source about:

Undergraduate programs Graduate programs Financial aid Transfer process Application fees are waived for webinar attendees!

8 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Learn more: wilmu.edu/VisitUs

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

Media Watch • A reader submits a paragraph from Public Domain Review that reads, in part, “. . . which would become important after the passage of the Embargo Act that lead to the War of 1812.” Led, the past tense of to lead, is often misspelled this way.

• Brian Truitt, USA TODAY columnist, committed this sentence in a review of Golden State by Ben H. Winters: “Winters uses a lot of familiar tropes and turns, from the well-tread pairing of the grumpy law-enforcement veteran and an ambitious newbie to an ultimate dénouement . . . but the real nuance in Golden State lie in the author’s imaginative details.”

Where to begin? Let’s start with the redundancies: familiar tropes and ultimate dénouement. “Trope” describes commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés; so it is, by definition, familiar. A dénouement is the final (ultimate) part of a play, movie, or narrative. Then there is the verb lie.

This should be lies, since it is linked to the singular noun nuance, not, as the author apparently thinks, to details. Oh, and welltread, while not strictly wrong, is not as common among strong writers as well-trod.

• Reader Meg Morgan, of Hockessin, spotted this in a story by the Wilmington News Journal’s Karl Baker: “Schnatter’s comment drove a wedge between he and other board members at the pizza company.” Prepositions (e.g., between) require the objective pronoun; in this case, him.

• Jimmy Butler of the 76ers, as quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “If it would have went in, we would have won.” The fiery Sixer thus joins the countless sports figures—both players and TV and radio personalities—who confuse the past tense of go (went) with the past participle (gone).

• David Murphy, in the Inquirer, writing about Alshon Jeffery: “His Eagles teammates saw the wide receiver laying face down on the field . . .” That would be lying, meaning prone. Laying means putting down or setting in position. A common, and regrettable, mistake.

• Terry Plowman, founder and editor of Delaware Beach Life, submits this from Delawareonline: “As the first snow storm of 2019 approaches, weather forecasts are honing in on how much snow Delaware could see.” Pointing out that “homing in” is correct, Terry writes: “Sadly, this is one of those terms that descriptivists are coming to accept. Apparently the ‘homing pigeon’ concept escapes most people.”

Word of the Month

allicient Pronounced uh-LISH-uhnt, it’s an adjective meaning having the power to attract; appealing.

By Bob Yearick

• Reader Larry Kerchner reports that Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton, in an MSNBC interview, said that “Trump is on to more bigger things.” Ah, the dreaded double comparative.

• Finally, a reader saw this in a Fox News online report: “Two Target employees Photo Ian Yearick eventually came to help diffuse the situation.”

As noted previously in this column, the word is defuse, meaning literally to “remove the fuse from (an explosive device) in order to prevent it from exploding,” while the non-literal meaning is to “reduce the danger or tension in.” Diffuse means to “spread or cause to spread over a wide area or among a large number of people.”

Department of Redundancies Dept.

I called Kohl’s the other day and got this recording: “Please enter in the last four digits of your Social Security number.” This is similar to the tendency of radio and TV talk show hosts to “welcome in” guests. In is unnecessary in both cases.

Pronunciations Just as February inevitably brings snow and cold, so too does it give us TV weather forecasters who call for artic conditions. The word is spelled a-r-c-t-i-c, and it’s pronounced ark-tic. Artic is not a word.

Similarly, sportscasters have taken to shortening “versus” to verse, as in “the Patriots verse the Rams.” Maybe they think that since it’s often abbreviated as vs., the pronunciation can be shortened. Note to them: it can’t.

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

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

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

Quotation of the Month In the long run, the usage of those who do not think about the language will prevail. Usages I resist will become acceptable . . . .

Yet those who care have a duty to resist.

—John Ciardi, columnist, poet and translator (d. 1986)

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

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WORTH RECOGNIZING

Community Members Who Go Above & Beyond

HARRIET DAVIES: Taking Care of the Caregivers

F

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10 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

or 14 years, Harriet Davies, 78, has offered companionship and support to strangers who are on their final months of life.

When she steps into their homes, the Milford resident lets them know she is there to chat, play board games, or go for a walk with them. She also helps them eat a meal, take a drink, or even go to the bathroom.

While there, she is serving two purposes: While caring for the patient, she also is giving the main caregiver a break.

Harriet Davies “In almost all cases they are respite visits so that the person who is the caregiver can get out to do something that they want to do,” says Davies.

She is one of approximately 375 hospice volunteers in Delaware. On average, there are 378 patients per year, says Volunteer Coordinator Rolanda Sutton-Greene. Davies, who works mainly out of the Milford office, visits one to five patients a week for two to three hours each. So far, the former teacher has cared for 57 patients; the youngest was a 23-yearold, while the oldest are in their 90s. Her patients have included a former student and the parent of two former students.

She has put in more hours—480—than any other hospice volunteer. She serves in several capacities: patient visits, office work, community education, and Camp New Hope, a program for children who have lost a loved one, says Sutton-Greene.

For her service, Davies received a 2018 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award in the Human Needs category.

“We’re so very lucky that we got her,” says the wife of a patient that Davies cared for.

(In respect for the privacy of the patient and caregiver, their names will not be used here.)

“He looked forward to her coming,” she says about her husband, who became partially blind toward the end of his life. “It was nice to know he had another voice to listen to and another topic of conversation.”

When Davies visited the man, she would take off her shoes, sit and knit while they shared stories about people they both knew in Milford. They ate Reese’s Pieces and listened to ABBA, his favorite pop group from the ‘70s. “I felt comfortable if I needed to go shopping or to an appointment,” says his wife. “I knew he was happy and in good hands.”

Another caregiver says that when her husband, a former fire chief, got too sick folks stopped visiting him, so Davies took him around his town in his wheelchair to see and talk to people. “She was a blessing,” says his wife. “He loved her to death.”

Davies, who has a master’s degree in guidance counseling, taught middle school in the Milford School District for 33 years, and taught for 10 years at Delaware Tech in Georgetown. She retired in 2005. That same year she noticed an ad in the Avenue United Methodist Church bulletin asking for Delaware Hospice volunteers, and she signed up for the two days of training.

“I thought that even though it would be a stretch, it might serve as a bit of a payback for the care my mother had received from another hospice in Pennsylvania,” Davies says.

Being a hospice volunteer is both humbling and enriching, she says. And it has changed her view of death. “I think of death as part of the natural order of things now,” she says. “It’s a part of life I am relatively comfortable with.”

When not at Hospice, Davies hikes, goes on bike rides with her grandson, and plays the oboe at her church and at the Dover Symphony—where she has volunteered to play for nearly 30 years.

— Adriana Camacho-Church

START

F.Y.I. Things worth knowing Compiled by Emily Stover & Paige Dana

DAM SPOTLIGHTS LOCAL ARTISTS

T

he Delaware Art Museum recently announced the inaugural year of the Distinguished Artist Series, a core part of the museum’s vision to highlight local artists and welcome diverse audiences. The program celebrates artists who have—for 50 years or more—impacted contemporary art in the greater Wilmington area through their artistic practices, teaching, and support for the community and its various institutions.

The Distinguished Artist Series will begin on Saturday, March 23, with a two-person exhibition of paintings by Edward Loper, Sr. and Edward Loper, Jr. Edward Loper, Sr. lived his entire life in Delaware and taught generations of local artists. His son is equally prolific. He is the former head of the Visual Arts Department at Christina Cultural Arts Center and he has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the region. The Lopers on Film exhibit will end on May 12, while The Loper Tradition exhibit will end on Aug. 4. On Sept. 7, an exhibition of the late Mitch Lyons will follow. Visit delart. org for more information.

A DECADE OF GREAT DAMENESS

A

decade ago, Sharon Kelly Hake created Great Dames, an organization designed to help women find their paths in careers and in life.

On Wednesday, April 24, from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Great Dames will host a 10-year anniversary event at Hockessin Memorial Hall to celebrate the organization’s accomplishments.

There will be live music, dancing, “exciting announcements,” and an opportunity to network and connect with other women in the area. Cost is $95 and dinner is included.

For more information, visit greatdames.com.

FAME SUMMER REGISTRATION

R

egistration is now open for FAME, Inc.’s CORE and STEMulate® Change programs. Aimed at students in grades 7-12, the Core STEM Initiative provides more than 220 hours per student of intensive, advanced STEM instruction that builds upon what students learn in their home schools. The STEMulate® Change Outreach Initiative—mainly for students in grades 4-6, aims to ignite students’ interest in STEM and encourages them to see themselves as Scientists, Technicians, Engineers and Mathematicians. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 5, and applications will be available on the website until that date. The program dates are June 17-July 25. Visit famedelaware.org for more information.

STATE EMPLOYEE ART EXHIBITION

T

he Delaware Division of the Arts will host the free Annual State Employee Art Exhibition until March 18 at the Art Center/Gallery at Delaware State University, Dover. The reception and awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 17, at 1 p.m. in the Longwood Auditorium, Bank of America Building at Delaware State. Cash prizes will be awarded in several categories, including: Adult – Amateur, Intermediate, Professional; Youth/Teen; Best of Show, and People’s Choice. There also will be an Art Education Aware of $200 for reimbursement for arts instruction and materials. For more information, visit arts.delaware.gov.

ART & SOUL AT DEL. CONTEMPORARY

T

he Delaware Contemporary will host the 40th anniversary of Art & Soul, an art auction and contemporary affair inspired by the spirit of the 1970s art scene. The auction will be Saturday, March 23, from 7-10 p.m. The VIP pre-party will run from 6 to 7 p.m. Event attendance helps The Delaware Contemporary continue to support local artists, foster the creativity of area youth through classes and workshops, and build a welcoming venue for art lovers and art learners alike. Cocktail glam attire is suggested, vintage '70s inspiration optional. For more information, visit decontemporary.org.

Scott Duffey

WILMU INTRODUCES CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM

T

he new Criminal Justice Program at the Brandywine Campus of Wilmington University was introduced with a twohour presentation at the Concord Pike facility on Jan. 30 by Dr. Raymond Carr, director, and Scott Duffey, associate director. Together, they have 64 years of experience in law enforcement, including extensive service in the FBI and as instructors at the federal, state and local levels.

At the presentation, Carr and Duffey discussed active shooter situations and the need for a plan when such situations arise.

Through the Criminal Justice Program, they are conducting one-day to two-week specialized courses that are tailored for those who attend. Besides active shooter situations, their classes cover such subjects as cyber security, violent crimes, gangs, terrorism, and high school safety, as well as a vulnerability assessment. Further information is available by email at CJI@wilmu.edu or by calling 268-1556.

YWCA LAUNCHES DIALOGUE ON RACISM

Y

WCA Delaware and its many partners have kicked off a six-week Dialogue to Action concerning racism that will continue through Saturday, April 6. Each Dialogue to Action group will include the same 8-12 individuals, who will discuss racism and then put solutions to end racism into action. The groups are steered by trained facilitators using an established successful curriculum. The groups culminate with a large Action Forum on Sunday, April 14.

The forum will be used to further develop specific ideas that can be implemented.

The Dialogue to Action groups will be held on various days of the week, at venues throughout New Castle County. Kent and Sussex counties will be included later in the year. To learn more, visit ywcade.org.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

11

START

by the numbers

12 415 A few notable facts about healthy lifestyles

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The percentage of Americans who eat at least 1-1/2 servings of fruit a day.

The number of pounds of vegetables the average American consumes per year.

1600

23 25.8 58

The number of calories the average person burns in a day.

The percentage of adults in America who get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.

The number of pounds of lettuce the average person consumes in a year.

The number of gallons of water the average person drinks in a year.

START

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

Book Your Banquets Today in Our Great Banquet Space!

About The War on Words

By Bob Yearick, February 2019 First off, I’m a fan of the “The War on Words” column in Out & About. Keep up the good work.

Regarding your comment on Dan Patrick’s use of “verbal” (“a verbal love letter”), an accepted definition of verbal (2nd in my Collins English Dictionary and 3rd in Webster’s Online) is “spoken rather than written.” I think you can give Dan a pass on that one.

— Steve Chilcote About More Than A Coffee Shop In just six years, Greg Vogeley has established Drip Café as one of Hockessin’s favorite gathering places

By Pam George, February 2019 I have been to the Newark location and been very happy. I try something different each time so far I have loved everything!!!

— Bernadette Bowman Davis Nice article. Good to see a young man with the right attitude and work ethic succeed in a field where many fail.

— Mary Ann Bernacky About Chef on Wheels Full Circle Foods aims to bring restaurant quality to meal delivery

By Dan Linehan, February 2019 Just tried them for the first time this week and we were surprised at how great every dish was! Kids ate it, even had some leftover most days for lunch so it really stretched out well. The food is flavorful and the bags it comes in are of nice high quality. After just one week we highly recommend it and are looking forward to next week’s selections!!

— Lisa Buck About Leave ‘Em Smiling Earth Radio brings an infectious groove of positive energy to a growing—and dancing—audience

By Kevin Francis, February 2019 An incredibly original and authentic band. Each member contributes so much raw talent and ingenuity to this one of a kind, brilliantly harmonized and collaborative music sensation!! Love them!

— Kimberly Lane

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

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GET A JUMP ON SPRING! D

on’t look now, but spring is nearly upon us—it officially arrives on March 20. Thank goodness, right? Almost everyone is looking forward to warmer weather and longer days, to getting out in the yard and digging in the garden, to visiting one of the nature centers, public gardens and state parks that surround us.

And what about bees? They may not be top-of-mind with you, but are you aware that the entire specifies is in danger of being wiped out? And you can do something about that threat.

So if you’re ready to turn off Netflix, Hulu and your Kindle and step outside to enjoy one of the many activities that sprout up in springtime, read on. The next few pages cover all of the above and more, as we help you get a jump on the season. ►

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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16 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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GIVING NATURE A HELPING HAND Make this spring a great time for the birds, the bees, and you Grow you own bouquet in your yard. Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center

Here in Delaware we have a beautiful variety of landscapes to enjoy, from forests and grasslands to dunes and beaches, and endless possibilities for the home garden. Here are 10 tips to make the most of the spring thaw.

1. Get To Know a Local Tree - The giants of the plant world surround us, lining our streets and shading our homes, and many have been alive longer than you. Pick a tree that you see each day and get to know it by looking at its leaves, feeling its bark and identifying its species. The Arbor Day Foundation has a handy guide for identifying trees at arborday.org/trees/whattree/.

2. Make Structural Repairs and Upgrades - The woody plants and hardscape of your garden provide structure that persists year after year. Evaluate the hardscape while you have a good view of it, before the spring growth covers up everything. See what needs to be repaired, upgraded, or renovated, and consider new spots for garden beds, trees, or walls and paths.

3. Visit a Botanical Garden for Inspiration - We’re in America’s Garden Capital, where places like Longwood Gardens, Nemours Estate, Hagley Museum and Library, Winterthur Museum, Gardens and Library, Mt. Cuba Center and others have created a culture that inspires gardeners and nature seekers alike. Find the garden closest to you at americasgardencapital.org/.

4. Divide and Transplant Perennials - Many perennials can be split in half with a garden spade without any damage to the plant. Dividing perennials like this before they break dormancy promotes plant health and growth, and is a great way to get “free plants” for your garden and to share with friends.

5. Eliminate Unwanted Plants - Early spring soil is moist, making tugging out plants relatively easy. Take this opportunity to thin out plants that spread aggressively, and to get rid of weeds before they get big and mean.

6. Save the Bees - Wild bees, that is! There are around 200 species of wild bees found in Delaware, and they’re essential pollinators for crops and wild plants. Adding a variety of

wildflowers to your garden that bloom throughout the season will make sure that bees always have something to eat, and leaving flower stems up through the winter instead of cutting them back will give them a place to live. Popular native wildflowers that support bees and other pollinators are tickseed, baptisia, coneflower, spike gayfeather, native asters and goldenrod. (For more on bees, see “Saving the Bees in Your Backyard,” on the next page.)

7. Go Native – Planting native plants in your yard is one of the best ways to support the insect life upon which our ecosystems depend. From white oaks to black-eyed Susans, these plants are the foundation of our ecosystem and provide food and shelter for wildlife and beauty for humans. Find native plants at a spring plant sale, like the one at Delaware Nature Society’s Coverdale Farm Preserve, which takes place May 3-4.

8. Consider the Caterpillar – Butterflies are beautiful, and they come from caterpillars, which need food (not nectar). Help them along by planting native plants, with plenty of foliage for munching. This is for the birds, too. Caterpillars are the best baby bird food around, and it takes more than 5,000 caterpillars to sustain a single clutch of chickadees. That’s a lot of baby food.

9. Know your Watershed - The Brandywine River may seem far away from your garden, but it’s what supplies our drinking water, and the runoff that flows from our landscapes feeds that body of water. Find out more about your watershed here: delawarewatersheds.org/find-your-watershed-address/ 10. Grow Your Own Bouquet - Plant now to create beautiful summer and fall bouquets. A hand-picked bouquet from the yard is the best way to bring the outside in while keeping blooms in the landscape to support pollinators. You’ll know that everything’s local and seasonal, and get a close-up look at the delicate beauty of nature’s bounty.

—Kathie Bohr, Marketing and Communications manager at Mt. Cuba Center.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo courtesy of Margot Taylor

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Margot Taylor's Dancing Tree Estate in Kennett Square.

Bees are vital for many food crops.

A SELF-SUSTAINING GARDEN

SAVING THE BEES STARTS IN YOUR BACKYARD

No watering, no weeding. Here’s how.

Kennett Square landscape architect Margot Taylor has created an ecologically sustaining garden on her estate, called Dancing Tree. It is one of just two private residences in the country certified by the Sustainable SITES Initiative, which offers a comprehensive rating system designed to distinguish sustainable landscapes, measure their performance and elevate their value.

Taylor’s gardens need little-to-no watering, weeding, or supplemental nutrients. If you would like to try creating your own maintenance-free garden, here are her tips: • She suggests planting by “building communities” in your garden with plants in 3 categories: Bunching, Runners (ground cover) and Accents (splashes of color). You can also use containers for color accents.

• Capture rain water in a cisterns or rain barrel. They will fill up quickly, and you can use to water plants, clean tools, or fill a birdbath rather than your treated water supply. Ultimately you are helping slow the rate of stormwater runoff .and conserve freshwater supplies.

• Seek inspiration! Do you like the look of a meadow or a forest?

Do you like an arrangement you see at a gardening center? Ask someone that works there how to recreate it- they will be flattered!

• Re-purpose materials! When digging up your garden- especially in a city- you may find brick stone, and bits of metal. Make it a part of the landscape. Sculpt, play, experiment.

• Have fun designing, planting, and caring for your garden- Let go, there is no right or wrong. Make room for a place to sit, pause, dream, and admire your work.

Here are some plant suggestions for tight spaces- all available commercially- to get started: Full Sun: Bunching: Blue-eyed grass, pink muhly grass, dwarf fountain grass Runners: Plumbago, wild strawberry, golden rod Accent: Perennial ageratum, asters, butterfly weed, summer annuals or bulb, and why not put them in a colorful upright container!

Shade: Bunching: Pennsylvania sedge, cinnamon fern, alum root Runner: violets, false Solomon’s seal, golden ragwort Accent: wild geranium, woodland phlox, Indian pink, wood aster, Spanish bluebell and scilla (bulb) —Bev Zimmermann

As you’ve probably heard, the bee population is at risk. Beekeepers have reported up to a 90 percent colony die-off, according to Greenpeace. Bees are among the world’s most important pollinators, and are vital for the majority of food crops across the globe.

Here are a few practical steps to help save them and replenish the species this spring, starting with our own backyard.

Kill the Pesticides Cutting out pesticides in gardens and yards will greatly benefit bee populations, because they are major culprits in the mass die-off of bees.

Reverse Habitat Loss with Pollinator Gardens The second biggest cause of bee disappearance is habitat loss due to urbanization and other factors. With habitat loss, bees simply can’t locate natural food sources.

Fortunately, planting flowers that bees love, whether in your garden, front yard, backyard, or even in pots on your apartment porch, will help create a new habitat for them.

Start with These Five Plants These bee-friendly plants are native to Delaware and easy for knowledgeable landscapers to get their hands on: 1. Scarlet bee balm – A tall, clump-forming perennial that flourishes in sunny and slightly shaded areas, it needs moist soil to grow.

2. Calendula – Some of the first flowers to bloom in spring, these are bright orange or yellow, easy to grow and low-maintenance.

These are especially important for foraging bees.

3. Black-eyed Susan – Needing full sun to partial shade, these perennials bloom in dry to moist soil starting in June.

4. Various goldenrod species – Depending on the type, goldenrod can bloom from summer through fall, typically preferring full sun and well-drained conditions.

5. Various sunflower species – From giant sunflowers to ox-eyed sunflowers, these grow in full sun to part shade conditions.

More bee-friendly, springtime planting and landscaping ideas are available at Borsello Landscaping, 720 Yorklyn Rd., Suite 5, Hockessin.

For more information, go to borsellolandscaping.com.

— Mike Borsello, owner of Borsello Landscaping FEBRUARY MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SPRING FORWARD

Ten area traditions that will help you forget about winter

W

hile March brings the first day of spring, it’s April and May we count on for sunnier, warmer weather. Spanning those two months are these 10 events that offer indoor and outdoor enticements, including food, drink, entertainment, flowers and plants, that should put the cold and snow in your rearview mirror.

1. CELEBRITY CHEFS’ BRUNCH Participants in the hit TV show Top Chef will join other awardwinning chefs for the 22nd annual Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch on Sunday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DuPont Country Club. The event Photo Tim Hawk benefits Meals on Wheels, a statewide meal delivery program that provides food and care to senior citizens who are home-bound. For more information, visit mealsonwheelsde.org.

2. MAKER FEST AT HAGLEY The Maker Fest is for artists, scientists, tech enthusiasts, educators, students, hobbyists, and those who just want to experience all this event has to offer. The Hagley Museum and Library will host the festival Photo courtesy of The Hagley Museum on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual event brings together a large variety of creative artists who will be showcasing and demonstrating their artwork or crafts. Featured work will include 3D printing, woodworking, robotics, fiber art and more. Admission is free to Hagley members and kids 5 and under. Non-members pay $5 for adults and $3 for youth 6-18. For more information, visit hagley.org.

18 FEBRUARY 20 MARCH 2019 2019| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

3. ENJOY THE WILDFLOWERS AT MT. CUBA Say goodbye to snow and hello to spring at Mt. Cuba Center’s Wildflower Celebration on Sunday, April 28, from 10 a.m.4 p.m. Guests are invited to walk Mt. Cuba’s trails and take Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center in the flowers that bloom for only a few weeks after the ground thaws. Enjoy live music from the Flatland Drive Bluegrass Band and guitarist Jenn Minor. Food and drink will be available from many vendors, and there will be activities for all ages, including demonstrations, informative stations, lawn games, crafts, and for the first time this year, a plant sale. Free parking is available at 1003 Old Wilmington Rd., and guests can choose to walk on a path or take the shuttle to get to the event. For more information, visit visitwilmingtonde. com.

4. DELAWARE MARATHON The 16th annual Delaware Marathon Running Festival takes place on Sunday, April 28. Runners will gather at 8:30 a.m. at Wilmington’s Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park, located near Martin Luther Photo Tim Hawk King Jr. Boulevard, next to the Amtrak train station. Runners may participate in a marathon, half marathon, 5K, four-person relay, or kids fun run. Everyone who crosses the finish line will receive a medal. This year, the design is a compilation of Wilmington landmarks – and it is also a bottle opener! For serious runners, there’s a second medal to earn, called the BFD. Just run any length race on April 28, any length race in Fredrick, Maryland, on May 4-5, and the Baltimore 10-miler on June 1, and you will receive the BFD medal. To register for this event or get more information, go to runsignup. com/Race/DE/Wilmington/DELAWARERUNNINGFESTIVAL.

Photo courtesy of Delaware Nature Society

5. NATIVE PLANT SALE MAY 2-4 Delaware Nature Society is hosting its annual Native Plant Sale, which will include more than 300 wildflowers, shrubs, ferns, trees and aquatic plants. The sale will include rare and unusual plants, as well as plants that thrive in different conditions, such as drought tolerant, and greenery that will attract wildlife, like butterflies and birds. The sale will take place at Coverdale Farm Preserve over three days. On Thursday, May 2, the sale is open only to members, from 3-7 p.m. It’s open to the public on Friday, May 3, from 3:30-7 p.m., and Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit the events page on delawarenaturesociety.org.

6. DOVER DAYS FESTIVAL On Saturday, May 4, enjoy a fun-filled day, starting at 9:30 a.m., in Downtown Historic Dover. That’s when the 86th annual Dover Days Festival will take place, kicking off with the “biggest parade in Kent County,” led by Gov. John Carney as grand marshal. There will be moon bounces, food and merchandise vendors, and games for all ages. Other Photo courtesy of Delaware Villages activities include traditional maypole dancing, antique automobile rides, and reenactments from the Revolutionary War, WWII, and the Civil War. The festival will also include a colonial artisan village, showcasing the history and heritage of the First State. For more information, visit the events and festivals page on visitdelawarevillages.com.

7. POINT-TO-POINT IS MAY 5 Point-to-Point at Winterthur, perhaps Delaware’s grandest tailgating tradition, returns for its 41st year on Sunday, May 5. As one of Delaware’s only steeplechase horse races, this event draws equestrian lovers from far and wide. Pointto-Point is also a vast picnic Photo Tim Hawk spread across the marvelous rolling hills of Winterthur, and gaining a spot to tailgate requires a reservation. Other activities include pony rides for the kids, a best-dressed contest (no hat contest this year) and a carriage parade. Festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit winterthur.org.

Photo courtesy of The Wilmington Flower Market

8. WILMINGTON FLOWER MARKET The Wilmington Flower Market returns on Mother's Day weekend, May 9-11, as it has every year since 1921, at Rockford Park. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. In addition to plants and flowers, there will be items from the merchants and craft vendors for sale, and there will be carnival rides and games for the kids and live music. Also, Rockford Tower will be open to the public on these days, and guests are welcome to walk up the steps to the top for a view of the festival grounds and nearby neighborhoods. Proceeds benefit multiple children’s charities across Delaware. For more information about the event and its causes, visit wilmingtonflowermarket.org.

9. A DAY IN OLD NEW CASTLE Saturday, May 18, will mark the 95th year the state’s oldest town has held “A Day in Old New Castle,” an event that reflects on some of the historic moments and places that have shaped the town’s Photo Don Blake 368-year history. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., public buildings and many private residences will be open so guests can learn the history in each place. They can also enjoy the thriving gardens while trying out the traditional period games, taking carriage rides through town, and watching reenactments with actors in full period costumes. For more information, search this event on visitwilmingtonde.com.

10. BELLEFONTE ARTS FESTIVAL A decade ago, a group of people created a festival to showcase the amazing artists and musicians who live in the little town of Bellefonte, north of Wilmington off Philadelphia Pike. Now the Bellefonte Arts O&A File Photo Festival has grown to more than 56 artists, and their work and much more will be on display Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (rain date Sunday). The festival includes not only art but antiques, music and a food court for guests to enjoy. This event is for all ages, and a “kids korner” is set up for the young guests, while there is a beer tent for adults. There will be free parking at Mt. Pleasant Elementary and along the streets of the town, with the exception of Brandywine Boulevard, where vendors will set up. For more information, visit bellefontearts.com.

FEBRUARY MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Sarah Lester is director of the Cornerstone West Community Development Corp., the economic development arm of the West End Neighborhood House.

CREATING A COMMUNITY West Side Grows Together, a 10-year revitalization project, has united several Wilmington neighborhoods to focus on making dramatic improvements

By Larry Nagengast

T

Photos by Jim Coarse

here’s strength in numbers.

Wilmington’s West Side—that stretch between I-95 and the B&O Railroad tracks, from Lancaster Avenue north to Pennsylvania Avenue—consists of at least five distinct neighborhoods: Cool Spring, Tilton Park, Hilltop, Little Italy and The Flats, each with a distinct personality.

For years, they endured as enclaves, proud of their traditions but relatively powerless to counter trends that threatened urban communities throughout the nation—vacant and blighted housing, drug dealing and a range of lesser crimes, parks no longer safe places for children to play and neighborhood businesses steadily shutting down.

That’s changing now. Neighbors are starting to think about more than the three or four blocks closest to home and are realizing the strength they have when they work together.

It’s the result of a collaborative effort called West Side Grows

Together, a 10-year revitalization project coordinated by a steering committee whose members represent 27 community organizations, businesses, neighborhood groups, churches and residents from all those neighborhoods.

“It’s the difference between a neighborhood that is going downhill and a neighborhood that is rebuilding,” says Paula Roddy, a Little Italy resident who was instrumental in the recent renovation of the city’s Father Tucker Park, across the street from St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

“Every area of the city needs something like this to knit the community together,” says John Constantinou, owner of Walter’s Steakhouse, a landmark on Union Street in Little Italy for 25 years.

Through West Side Grows Together, his business and others on Union and Lincoln streets have received grants of matching funds from the state’s Neighborhood Building Blocks Fund to improve their facades or install security cameras. ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The new facade at Walter's Steakhouse.

West Side Grows Together “got us to the table where we normally wouldn’t be able to sit,” says Lottie Lee Davis, pastor of the Be Ready Church of God at the corner of Fourth and Rodney streets. From the steps of her church, Davis can look south across Fourth Street to a refurbished park, once a haven for drug dealers and now a pleasant playground for neighborhood kids, and a half-block where ramshackle buildings have been razed to make way for a redevelopment project that will include new retail shops and 20 units of affordable housing, including six for people with disabilities.

“With West Side Grows, we have partners we normally would not have had,” Davis says. “When we went to the city [to advocate for the park and the redevelopment], they were there for us.”

With a population of nearly 12,500, the West Side Grows target area accounts for about 20 percent of Wilmington’s population. It’s a diverse cross-section, about 45 percent AfricanAmerican and 40 percent white, with about a quarter of the residents identifying themselves as Hispanic. About 92 percent of its residents are employed, but a little more than 20 percent are living below poverty levels.

Five Key Areas

Two grants from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation—$100,000 for planning in 2012 and $750,000 for project funding the following year—got West Side Grows Together started. Since then, the program has focused on five key areas— economic development, affordable housing, parks and gardens, youth opportunities and crime prevention—while building a cadre of neighborhood leaders and fostering community spirit.

Currently coordinating the effort is Sarah Lester, director of the Cornerstone West Community Development Corp., the economic development arm of the West End Neighborhood House, but policy decisions are made by the community’s steering committee.

“It’s a flat organization. Everyone at the table has an equal voice,” says Henry Smith, a Cool Spring resident and retired state Department of Health and Social Services manager who led the group for its first five years. That makes for an interesting dynamic—with leaders of landmarks like St. Anthony’s, St. Francis Hospital, and community hubs like West End, the Latin American Community Center and Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center on equal footing with civic association representatives and owners of small businesses.

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Union Street's new markings, including a bicycle lane and diagonal parking, have increased parking space and reduced average vehicle speed.

When the program was announced six years ago, Luigi Vitrone, founder of the Little Italy Neighborhood Association and owner of Pastabilities Restaurant, said, “This program is only going to be as good as the people who are involved in it.”

So far, those people have been quite good, says Paul Calistro, executive director of West End Neighborhood House. “We’re bringing neighbors together, we’re bringing organizations together, we’re capitalizing on their strengths,” he says. “None of this works without great people.”

Here’s a look at some of what West Side Grows Together has accomplished: Economic development: Using matching funds from the Neighborhood Building Blocks program to help finance façade improvements and buy security cameras has helped the business environment, especially on Lincoln and Union streets, Lester says. The initiative creates synergies throughout the area, with businesses not wanting to fall behind when they see their friendly competitors down the street sprucing up their storefronts.

In addition, West Side Grows coordinated the “Better Block” initiative, a project that tested alternate configurations for parking and sidewalks along Union Street. After tests on a couple of blocks, the result was a redesign that resulted in back-in diagonal parking on much of the east side of the street, a marked bicycle lane in front of the diagonal parking, and the elimination of one of the street’s three lanes for through traffic. The changes have increased parking spaces by about 15 percent and average vehicle speed has dropped by about 4 miles per hour.

“With diagonal parking, more spaces are available. All in all, it’s had a very positive impact,” Constantinou says.

“With the bike lanes, people can walk on the sidewalks again,” says 13-year-old Brenden Cephas, a volunteer who passed out flyers in the neighborhood to promote the Better Block demonstrations and helped with set-up when the events were held.

“Now I see more people walking on Union Street, going to Acme or Walgreen’s and coming back with their groceries,” Roddy says.

Next up in economic development, Lester says, will be a focus on Fourth Street, a key connector to downtown Wilmington whose storefronts reflect the Latino, Caribbean, African-American, Chinese and Italian heritages of Hilltop and Little Italy residents. ►

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FOCUS CREATING A COMMUNITY continued from previous page

Some of the 144 rebuilt units in The Flats.

The first big step on Fourth Street will be the redevelopment project at Fourth and Rodney. Collaborating with United Cerebral Palsy, Interfaith Housing, the Wilmington Housing Partnership and the Federal Home Loan Bank, Davis says she is close to assembling $2.5 million in funding needed for the first phase of the $10.5 million project, and hopes construction can start in June.

“This is the first redevelopment the community has had in 20 years,” she says. When complete, there will be 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail space on Fourth Street, apartments on the second floor, and owner-occupied homes facing Third Street.

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Affordable housing: “Maintaining housing stock, eliminating blighted buildings, increasing home ownership—all these things keep the housing market stable,” Calistro says.

The most visible improvement area has been the redevelopment of The Flats, the century-old rental community owned by the Woodlawn Trustees. The first two of six phases—144 units out of about 430 in the entire project – have been completed, financed largely through low-income housing tax credits from the state, according to Rod Lambert, Woodlawn’s president and CEO. Many of the completed units face the west side of Union Street, adding to the neighborhood’s appeal to visitors.

And there have been other pockets of redevelopment in the area as well: gutting and rehabbing old homes, building new units on vacant lots, and rehabbing a deteriorating apartment complex. Including some properties outside the West Side Grows boundaries, Calistro says Cornerstone West has worked on about 400 housing units, both owner-occupied and rental.

Lifetime Little Italy resident Chris Malloy is a beneficiary of one of those Cornerstone West initiatives. He bought a new townhouse on DuPont Street behind St. Francis Hospital and across the street from his father’s iconic neighborhood business, Bernie’s Original Italian Water Ice and Pizza.

Malloy, 31, had been living in an apartment over his father’s shop when he saw that Cornerstone was building the affordable housing units. He had been working a series of jobs but had no credit. He went to West End, learned about the state-sponsored Stand

By Me credit counseling service, followed the advice he was given and, after a couple of rejections, finally qualified for a loan. The house was listed for about $145,000, he recalls, but he paid somewhere between $130,000 and $135,000 after qualifying for several grants and subsidies.

“I go out every morning and sweep up the streets. It’s like family out here,” he says.

Cornerstone “has literally revitalized this part of the neighborhood. All the other people had the same [financial] problem. We all came onto this block at the same time, all of us with hope and a dream.”

Another ongoing initiative focuses on the area between Lancaster Avenue and Sixth Street, where 10 low- to moderate-income homeowners are receiving up to $20,000 in free repairs and improvements in exchange for promising to remain in those homes for at least five years. Three of the projects have already been completed, Lester says.

Parks and gardens: Resident involvement, right down to having children select the playground equipment, was a key component in arranging $1.4 million worth of improvements to Father Tucker Park and the parks at Fourth and Rodney streets and on Connell Street.

“There was a lot of deviant behavior, and kids stopped coming,” Davis says of the park at Fourth and Rodney. “The city wanted to take out the equipment and fence it up, but that didn’t get a good response.” Since the upgrades have been completed, park usage has soared and drug-dealing and other negative activities have been minimal, she says.

In the Tilton Park area, civic leader Rob Pfeiffer oversees the nearly 60 community garden plots at the old Rodney Reservoir.

But he takes greater pride in some of the work he’s done outside his own neighborhood, helping residents develop community garden plots in open spaces on Delamore Place at Second and Fourth streets. Last summer, he says, neighborhood kids helped assemble the frames for raised garden beds and helped spread fresh soil and compost.

In the works for West Side Grows are improvements to Cool Spring Park and Tilton Park, a place where Pfeiffer likes to “crank up the barbecue” and grill burgers and hot dogs for youngsters in the neighborhood. “You’ve got to give the kids some love,” he says.

Youth opportunities: In the fall of 2013, as West Side Grows was getting started, leaders at the area’s three community centers—West End, Hilltop and the LACC—contacted the Delaware office of Teach For America, hoping to locate teachers to work with children on their homework in their after school programs. That didn’t work out, but TFA Manager Catherine Lindroth followed up on those calls to create a program called the Summer Learning Collaborative that now operates at those sites, at other centers around the city and throughout the state—more than 20 locations overall. The program has received national recognition for its progress in reducing summer learning loss among low-income children.

Also with support from West Side Grows, the Mother African Union Church established an after-school program called Ujima, derived from the Swahili word for collective work and responsibility, and a seven-week summer reading program called Freedom School, based on a curriculum created by the Children’s Defense Fund. Freedom School serves more than 100 students a year, in kindergarten through high school, providing them with a free book to read every week.

“We teach the joy and fun of reading,” says the Rev. Lawrence Livingston, the church’s pastor. Also integrated into the program are anti-bullying and anti-drug messaging, and sessions focusing on music, dance and the arts.

“For many children, these are the first books they ever had,” Livingston says. And, after pre-testing and post-testing participants, he says that some youngsters gained as much as 24 months of reading proficiency over seven weeks last summer.

Crime prevention: Initiatives in the other four areas have created what Lester calls “crime prevention through environmental design.” In other words, improving lighting, adding security cameras, making businesses and parks more attractive and giving youths more positive outlets for their energy all contribute to putting more eyes on the street, making the neighborhoods less tolerant of criminal activity. ►

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Capt. Wilfredo Campos, who directs patrols throughout the city’s West Side, grew up in the neighborhood and has seen its impact. He quickly points to the park at Fourth and Rodney as a great example.

“It’s a point of pride,” he says. “It used to be a place to hang out. Now, once the community sees the investment, they want to keep it clean.”

From 2017 to 2018, he says that what the FBI classifies as “Part One Crimes”— murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary and theft—dropped by 7 percent within West Side Grows territory. The number of shootings dropped by 69 percent – from 16 to 5—and the number of shooting victims fell from 19 to 5.

He attributes much of the overall crime drop to the park improvements, the addition of security cameras and the growing trust between residents and police, who are now spending less time in patrol cars and more on foot, getting to know the people in the neighborhood.

Campos makes it a point to attend community meetings, usually bringing his patrol officers with him, and doesn’t hesitate to give residents his phone number and email address.

Moving forward, West Side Grows Together has much more to do. In addition to focusing on Fourth Street, plus the improvements at Tilton and Cool Spring Parks, Lester says the group will be watching the state’s plans for modernizing Interstate 95—trying to ensure that however that massive project turns out, the West Side’s interests will be considered.

That’s a challenge, she admits, but it’s a lot easier when dozens of organizations and more than 12,000 residents share the same focus.

“We’ve got some muscle now,” Calistro says. “If you can’t fill the room, you’re not going to be heard.”

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EAT

One of the tasty, Asian-inspired dishes offered at 8th & Union Kitchen. Photo Jim Coarse

FROM RED GRAVY TO THAI CURRY A gradual evolution has transformed Wilmington’s Union Street into a melting pot of cuisine from throughout the world

By Leeann Wallett

D

on’t look now, but the famed “Restaurant Row” in Wilmington’s Little Italy has evolved into a multicultural mix of ethnic favorites. It was a gradual evolution that started decades ago, spurred by affordable real estate, a welcoming development corporation, and a growing and diverse population. Now, Thai curry, Mexican tacos, requesón cheese and vegan specialties dot menus along Union and Lincoln Streets.

Italian cuisine naturally continues to maintain a strong presence in a neighborhood whose roots can be traced to the height of Italian immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Extending the length of Union and Lincoln Streets and bounded by Fourth Street to the south and Pennsylvania Avenue to the north, Little Italy became the epicenter of authentic Italian food.

M. Fierro & Sons, for example, has been part of the west side community since 1928, when Michael Fierro, a Napolitano, began making cheese in the basement of Matassino’s grocery store. The business grew quickly, beginning with the first shop at Sixth Street between Lincoln and Union. It has since expanded to its current location—a welcoming beacon at 1025 N. Union St., off Pennsylvania Avenue.

In addition to its core offerings like ricotta, mozzarella and scamorza (a South Italian cow’s milk cheese), M. Fierro & Sons now serves South American cheese products like queso fresco and requesón, a creamy, spreadable cheese originating in Brazil and Portugal. ►

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

The change to a multicultural destination started in the late 1980s or early ‘90s, when a slew of new restaurants like Bangkok House (1988), Walter’s (1993), El Toro (1994) and Eclipse Bistro (1996) opened their doors.

Mukun Cronin first began working as a server at Bangkok House restaurant at 104 N. Union St. The owners were close family friends, and when they decided to retire 10 years ago they offered to sell the business to Cronin.

“Back then, Bangkok House was the only Thai restaurant in Delaware,” says Silinda Cronin, Ms. Cronin’s daughter. “When offered the option to purchase the restaurant from the previous Mon – Sat, 11am-9pm • (302) 777-4417 owner, she couldn’t pass it up. Mom wanted to continue the tradition so that Delaware could continue to have authentic Thai food.”

624 Union St., Wilm • www.ElToroDE.com The restaurant has a loyal following who love its traditional pad EL TORO CANTINA STYLE GUIDE Thai and crispy, boneless duck served with various sauces. To keep up with the ever-evolving restaurant business, Bangkok House will offer at-home delivery through GrubHub starting this month.

Another step in the evolution occurred in 1996, when Jose Humberto Gomez opened El Toro, at 624 N. Union St. “There PRIMARY MARK - FULL COLOR were no other Mexican restaurants around,” he says, and it took him almost a year to get customers. Now, he has a loyal clientele who have been coming to El Toro for more than 15 years.

Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, Gomez knew he’d eventually become a chef. “My mother and grandmother inspired me to cook,” he says. Mexican culture, like many others, stresses the importance of tradition, especially in its food – an integral part 5 COLOR PRINT of its identity and heritage.

Gomez moved to the United States around 1987 for a better life and began working at his cousin’s restaurant in Georgia. Like many others before him, he eventually moved to the First State.

“There were a lot of opportunities here,” he says. “El Toro was a great real estate deal that we couldn’t pass on.”

PRIMARY MARK - 1 COLOR At first, he kept the menu simple—rice and beans, tacos, enchiladas and carnitas. It took time, but after a while both locals and the burgeoning Latin community began to crave El Toro’s authentic Mexican food.

From the beginning, Gomez wanted to expand. Last year, another real estate opportunity presented itself a block away from his original location, at 1934 W. 6th St., and Gomez expanded to El Buy a $100 Certificate and get an extra $20 Toro Cantina, a full-service restaurant and bar.

The original location is still open for takeout and delivery, with for yourself or someone you love!1 COLOR PRINT a large delivery radius—a rarity in Delaware in the age of thirdparty delivery services. As for El Toro Cantina, it celebrated its first Buy a $50 Certificate and get an extra $10! anniversary last month with live music, food specials and a special visit by Mayor Michael S. Purzycki.

FROM RED GRAVY TO THAI CURRY continued from previoius page

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1934 W. 6th Street, Wilmington (302) 543-5621 Mayor Purzycki participates in El Toro Cantina's first anniversary celebration.

32 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

For Reservations, call 302-654-9780 or go online, 8thandUnion.com

Photo Jim Coarse

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Walter's has been serving fine beef like this for 26 years.

Among Union Street’s more established restaurants is Walter’s Steakhouse, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. The latest Constantinou food business to serve Delaware, it began with a small sub shop opened by the patriarch, George Constantinou, way back in 1941. The business stood at the corner of Lincoln Street and Shallcross Avenue, where Scalessa’s Old School Italian Kitchen now resides. When Sophie’s Sub Shop closed, George decided to introduce a new concept to the area: Constantinou’s House of Beef, a steakhouse that lasted more than 25 years at its Trolley Square location. When House of Beef closed in 1986, John Constantinou, George’s son, knew he wanted to stay with the family business.

Not long afterward, John opened Walter’s Steakhouse at 802 N. Union St., the concept marking a subtle nod to his father’s House of Beef. In the early ‘90s, there were a handful of well-established "convenience-oriented" restaurants, as Constantinou calls them, anchoring the dining scene. They included Pan Tai, Mrs. Robino’s and Pala’s Cafe. But there were few "destination-oriented" restaurants like what Walter's (and Eclipse Bistro) eventually would become.

As one who has watched the changes on Union Street, Constantinou says, “There are so many positive things happening in the area. Little Italy has evolved and it’s exciting to see the wealth of new restaurants opening here.”

Why Union Street?

In the ‘90s, Union Street consisted of restaurants that focused largely on “red gravy and sauce,” says Carl Georigi, owner of Eclipse Bistro, at 1020 N. Union St. “There was nothing contemporary or upscale at the time in the area.”

Eclipse, the first restaurant to be part of the Platinum Dining Group, has remained an anchor at Pennsylvania Avenue and Union Street. (A full-service hospitality group, Platinum now includes five restaurants, a retail market and catering company.)

Georigi believes Eclipse has lasted more than 20 years because of its loyal customer base and his emphasis on quality “hospitality and not just service.”

Georigi fell in love with the Eclipse location because of its proximity to Pennsylvania Avenue and how quickly his customers could access his restaurant from Hockessin, Greenville and nearby Pennsylvania.

Lee Slaninko, owner of neighboring bakery Sweet Somethings Desserts, had a similar experience: He was drawn to Delaware, specifically Union Street, when looking for a space to expand his Kennett Square dessert shop. ►

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Photo Jim Coarse

FROM RED GRAVY TO THAI CURRY continued from previoius page

Part of the dessert case at Sweet Somethings.

“In 2004,” says Slaninko, “I could find a building with a full walk-in (refrigerator) and parking. At the time, it was relatively inexpensive to open a business in Delaware.”

Over the years, he has seen a resurgence of “Restaurant Row” on North Union Street, with long-time mainstays like Eclipse, Ristorante Attilio and Mrs. Robino’s, and newcomers like 8th & Union, El Toro Cantina and V-Trap Kitchen & Lounge.

“Union Street has become a destination, and not just a pass-through to Kirkwood Highway,” says Slaninko. In addition, he sees an increase in pedestrian traffic and the sense of community that emanates from the neighborhood, something that also attracted new owners Kristin and Milton Bowen of V-Trap Kitchen & Lounge.

The newest member of the West Side community, V-Trap will open at 607 N. Lincoln St. in the former Bistro Jacques space and become one of few all-vegan restaurants in Delaware. The Bowens, who own the well-known Nude Food truck, decided to open V-Trap because they wanted to be somewhere that “didn’t already offer vegan options,” says Kristin Bowen. “We love that the restaurant is easily accessible to the neighborhood.”

Bowen understands that veganism is not for everyone, but she wants to change the perception that vegans only eat salads and raw vegetables.

In fact, the menu reads more like a gastro-pub’s, with such favorites as loaded chili nachos, mushroom and pepper cheesesteak, fiesta tacos and buffalo cauliflower.

34 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Specializing in Authentic Thai Cuisine

Bangkok House since 1988

Photo Jim Coarse

Mon: Closed | Tues- Thurs: 11:30 a.m-9:30 p.m Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m | Sun: 4 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Open for Lunch at 11:30 a.m.

8th & Union Ktichen bills itself as an American gastropub.

“We want our food to look good and taste good,” says Bowen.

“And though it doesn’t necessarily look healthier, who wouldn’t want to eat a [vegan] cheesesteak?”

Plans for the restaurant include transforming the space into a place that “the community can use and enjoy,” including family- and kid-friendly events like cooking classes, date nights and live music.

Growing the Little Italy Corridor

Many of those interviewed for this article mentioned the work of Cornerstone West Community Development Corporation (CDC), housed in the West Side Neighborhood House, as one of the main drivers of business and economic development on Union and Lincoln Streets.

“They’ve had a huge impact on the neighborhood and have taken concrete steps to revitalize the area,” says Brian Ashby, coowner of 8th & Union at 801 N. Union St., which opened in 2015.

“I was familiar with the area,” Ashby says. “I owned property nearby and had early knowledge of some of the upcoming real estate development projects happening around Little Italy.” He saw great potential in the location because of these revitalization projects and incentives led by Cornerstone West CDC. As part of its economic development plan, Cornerstone West CDC’s goals are to support existing businesses, attract new businesses to the area, and make the area around Union and Lincoln Streets a destination. For example, it aids businesses and restaurants with small business loans through its Grow Delaware Fund and its Launcher program.

“There has been momentum behind the economic development occurring on Union and Lincoln Streets,” says Sarah Lester, director of Cornerstone West CDC. This momentum is fueled by the recent Flats development on Union Street and the Tsionas Properties Galleria Shoppes at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., both well underway. In addition, last year West Side finished the restriping of Union Street, which helped to slow traffic and improve pedestrian and bike safety.

“A benefit of slowing traffic on Union Street is that drivers and passengers can actually see the street-level improvements that have been made,” says Lester. She says a study has demonstrated that this minor change can increase the attractiveness of an area, or, in the case of Little Italy, the “corridor,” as Lester calls it.

“Our goal is to bring more people to the area and further enhance the perception of Little Italy as a dining destination,” she says. ►

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EAT 8th & Union, Wilmington | 302.652.6780 | WalterSteakhouse.com FROM RED GRAVY TO THAI CURRY continued from previoius page

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

Luigi Vitrone, founder of the Little Italy Neighborhood Association and owner of Pastabilities Restaurant at 415 N. Lincoln St., has worked tirelessly to make Little Italy a destination for local businesses and restaurants.

The neighborhood benefited from a federal grant Vitrone received in 1995 to improve streetscaping, add smart lights and curb cuts, and most important, to install the iconic Little Italy archway.

As for the influx of diverse restaurants now in Little Italy, Vitrone believes “the more the merrier.” He grew up in Brooklyn, where “restaurant rows” were common.

His Pastabilities is a quirky neighborhood fixture located in a colorful row home on Lincoln that’s a stone’s throw from the archway. Since its opening in 1988, Vitrone has made everything from scratch.

On its website, Pastabilities assures customers that “there are no shortcuts... we spend hours making sauces, pasta dough and desserts. When we say homemade we mean Luigi made it, by hand, right here in our kitchen.”

If all of this has made you hungry, check out the variety of cuisine offered by restaurants and food businesses along the Little Italy corridor: American: 8th and Union; Chef Rock’s Kitchen & Catering; Eclipse Bistro; Walter's Steakhouse Asian: Bangkok House (Thai); China Garden Restaurant Bar: Dead Presidents Pub & Restaurant; Rocco Italian Grill & Sports Bar; Stone Oven Pizzeria Bar & Grill Italian: Luigi Vitrone’s Pastabilities; Mrs. Robino’s; Ristorante Attilio Mexican: El Toro and El Toro Cantina Other: Kozy Korner Restaurant (breakfast); Locale BBQ Post (barbecue); V-Trap Kitchen & Lounge (vegan) Sandwich: Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, Yatz’s Subs and Steaks South and Central American: El Maná Restaurant (Puerto Rican); Christa-Bell's Caribbean Cuisine Food Businesses: M. Fierro & Sons (Italian and South American cheese products); Papa’s Food Market (imported goods and deli); Sweet Somethings Desserts (pies, cakes and more).

EAT

Shrimp tacos will be one of several types of tacos offered by El Camino.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER IN NORTH WILMINGTON Platinum Dining Group debuts El Camino Mexican Kitchen in Brandywine Hundred

By Pam George Photos by Justin Heyes

ehind Platinum Dining Group’s Trolley Square headquarters is a one-room building that serves as a conference room. It’s an airy space with windows, a glass conference table, a beverage fridge and white brick walls decorated with the logos of the hospitality company’s restaurants: Eclipse Bistro, Redfire Grill & Steakhouse, Capers & Lemons and Taverna.

The keen eye, however, will spot a new brand in the mix: El Camino Mexican Kitchen.

If all goes as planned, El Camino will open early this month in The Concord, The Buccini/Pollin Group’s mixed-use development in Brandywine Hundred. A second Taverna will open here in the spring.

Because El Camino is Platinum Dining Group’s first Mexican concept—and the first to open in the new complex—it’s getting the lion’s share of attention. A table in the conference room is covered

B

with the final choices for the tableware and servers. There are imprinted caps, T-shirts and colorful woven baskets for homemade tortilla chips. Post-It Notes indicate the use for each dish. Wood platters, for instance, will hold ceviche or street corn. Large round plates are for enchiladas and the taco salad.

El Camino is coming alive when at least two elevated takes on Mexican fare have said adios. Cocina Lolo in Wilmington closed last year. The phone number and website for La Pina Valley Cantina in Glen Mills, which opened in early 2018, are currently down.

Carl and Lisa Georigi, the founders of Platinum Dining Group, aren’t worried.

“There’s a lot of talent at this table, and there’s a lot of vision,” said Carl Georigi at a recent meeting to discuss El Camino. “As restaurant owners, we have a responsibility to do due diligence. It’s our investment.” ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SOUTH OF THE BORDER IN NORTH WILMINGTON continued from previoius page

Exploring New Territory The Georigis are the well-known faces behind Platinum Dining Group, which they formed in 2007 when they already had two restaurants under their belt.

Their portfolio now includes Eclipse Bistro in Wilmington’s Little Italy, Redfire Grill in Hockessin, Capers & Lemons near Greenville, and Taverna in downtown Newark. “Platinum Dining Group was always intended to be a multi-concept, multi-location company,” Carl Georigi says.

Two of the restaurants have an Italian flavor. The second Taverna will make three. That’s not surprising. When Georigi was 23, he managed more than 90 people at Sfuzzi, an urban version of an Italian trattoria in Philadelphia. The Georigis met in 1991 while Carl was working at Café Bellissimo, near Prices Corner.

The couple toyed with the idea of a French restaurant or sushi spot for their next endeavor. But they kept returning to Latin cuisine. “Everyone loves Mexican food,” Georigi says. “It’s as popular as Italian food.” And just like Italian food, there is a wide range of styles and price points.

The couple traveled to southern California, San Antonio, Miami, and Chicago to research Mexican restaurants.

They tried Tex-Mex, traditional Mexican, and modern Mexican. They were drawn to the menus in such restaurants as Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill in Chicago, Stephen Starr’s El Vez in New York and Philadelphia, and Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran’s Lolita in Philly. In short, says Lisa Georigi, “It’s not what you would typically find in Wilmington.”

Meanwhile, they’d been looking at spaces in Brandywine Hundred, which is primarily populated with chains and grub pubs. “North Wilmington is well within our circle of influence,” says Carl Georigi.

The Buccini/Pollin Group’s livework-play development approach to the old Concord Plaza site, located off Route 202, was appealing. They liked the site so much that they signed a letter of intent in February 2015, about two years before the old office buildings were demolished to make way for structures with retail on the bottom and apartments on top.

Chefs Jeff Matyger and JD Morton display nachos on a 14-inch pizza tray.

A Lighter Touch of Latin The Georigis, who collaborate on interior design, decided on El Camino’s atmosphere before fine-tuning the menu. But forget renderings or swatches. They keep their ideas in their heads and to themselves. They don’t even tell most employees.

But you can expect lots of windows—including glass doors that open to the patio— high ceilings, light wood floors and open spaces. Pops of pink and green will enliven the mostly black-and-white backdrop. Instead of art, look for natural materials on the wood and white-painted brick walls. Pendant lights have an Aztec influence.

The bright sensibility extends to the menu. “I don’t like that heavy feeling you get when you eat Mexican food at many places,” Georigi says.

El Camino represents the first time that Jeff Matyger, Platinum Dining Group’s corporate chef, and JD Morton, executive chef of El Camino, have immersed themselves in Latin cuisine. The chefs, however, know their craft and their company.

Matyger was the executive chef at Capers & Lemons before opening Taverna in Newark. Morton has led the kitchen at Eclipse, the group’s flagship restaurant, for six years. Food writers have followed Morton’s path with interest since 2012 when he was selected as a semifinalist for a James Beard Foundation Award. At that time, Morton was with Domaine Hudson.

The chefs spent a year developing recipes, and together with the Georigis, they made a six-hour tour of Latin concepts in Philadelphia. Back in the kitchen, they’ve plated and tasted their dishes multiple times. “We went through six or seven guacamoles,” Georigi says. “We went through four or five renditions of nachos. Each one was equally good.” But they kept re-making the dish until it was just right.

For each tasting, the chefs prepared the food as though they were in a fast-paced kitchen on a busy Saturday night. “Jeff and I could take a half hour to prepare one dish for Carl and Lisa, but that’s not realistic,” Morgan says. The assembly has to be doable in real time, Matyger agrees.

The appetizer section, which has about 14 options, is sprinkled with shared plate options. Morton is proud of the albóndigas (meatball) appetizer. “It’s a play on chicken tinga with chicken, pork, mint and parsley—it’s aromatic and fresh,” he explains. “We serve them in chipotle-tomato sauce with cilantro, shaved onion, and cotija cheese.”

Nachos will come in a 14-inch pizza tray. The chefs went through several plating styles to find one that gave “love” to each chip, Georigi says. “That’s how much attention we pay to each dish.” Consequently, you won’t wind up with a pile of unadorned chips at the bottom. ► AUGUST MARCH 2018 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT SOUTH OF THE BORDER IN NORTH WILMINGTON continued from previoius page

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Serving Excellence

Mexican street corn will be on the menu.

The menu includes tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. Grilled mushroom tacos and black bean enchiladas are among the vegetarian selections, while sea bass tacos will appeal to pescatarians.

Main plates will feature sea bass served Veracruz style. (Heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine, Veracruz flavors include tomatoes, olives and capers.) Not many Latin-themed restaurants have barbacoa—slow-cooked meat with citrus, herbs, and spices. You will find it at El Camino.

For the staples—guacamole and salsa, for instance—it’s about “keeping it fresh, keeping it simple and making sure the flavor is on point,” Matyger says.

The restaurant will serve lunch, during which diners can find salads and sandwiches. “It makes good business sense to be open for lunch and dinner,” says Georigi, who’s followed that approach with his other restaurants. He’s counting on visits from workers in surrounding offices.

For the beverages, the Georigis tasted up to 40 cocktails.

The final bar menu has eight specialty margaritas and 10 specialty cocktails. There will be 30 bottled and canned beers, including non-Mexican brands. Five beers will be on tap. More than 100 tequilas will adorn three glass shelves to form a tower on the bar’s center island.

Warm and Welcoming Georigi acknowledges that he feels some trepidation about opening a new concept in a new area. It helps that many residents are familiar with the group’s other restaurants, and there are already people living in The Concord’s apartments.

One is a Platinum employee.

The area is populated with the retirees who bought homes in communities like Tarleton and Chalfonte when those developments were built. There also are families who moved in when the retirees moved out. There should be something for everyone. “El Camino’s prices will be affordable and approachable; it’s definitely a place where you could come for lunch or dinner seven days a week,” Georigi says.

“You can’t imagine the amount of work that has gone into this particular restaurant,” he says. “We want to make sure our guests are blown away.”

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Commemorative St. Patrick’s Day Shirts Available!

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

SATURDAYS

SUNDAYS

$1 Off Craft Bottles Beef and Beer $9.99 All Day Steak Night $13.99 Prime Rib $22.99 after 5pm

www.mcglynnspub.com

EAT

BITES Tasty things worth knowing Compiled by Paige Dana

NEWARK WINE & DINE EXTRAVAGANZA

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ine & Dine is a culinary and wine event featuring an array of tasty delights prepared by the chefs of downtown Newark's restaurants, complemented by fine wines from around the world. On Saturday, March 24, from 12-5 p.m., 17 restaurants will create a special menu to showcase their culinary abilities. The first 2,000 attendees will receive a complimentary commemorative wine-tasting glass and wine pouch. Attendees must be at least 21 years of age with proper I.D. to participate in wine tastings. For more information, visit enjoydowntownnewark.com.

A TASTE OF KENNETT

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fter a successful debut, the Afterthe-Bell program at Kennett Middle School is back for round two. The non-profit organization, which provides free after-school programs for middle school students, will be hosting A Taste of Kennett in the loft at Holly Peters Rug Studio (109 S. Broad St.) on Friday, March 22, from 7-10 p.m. There will be live music, open bar and cuisine from local restaurants. Tickets are $70. For more information, visit afterthebell.org.

2019

WILMINGTON RESTAURANT WEEK

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ifteen of Wilmington’s premier restaurants will be featured in the 15th City Restaurant Week, set for April 8-13. The format is quite simple: two-course lunches for $15 and three-course dinners for $35 at each of the participants throughout the week. For a list of the participating venues, visit cityrestaurantweek.com.

SONORA AT THE DAVID FINNEY INN

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elissa Ferraro, owner of Outlandish Food Truck, just started her biggest endeavor yet, opening Sonora at 222 Delaware St., New Castle—site of the former David Finney Inn. Ferraro, who attended the University of Delaware and Culinary School of Philadelphia, intends to continue creating food with exceptional flavors, or, as she calls it, “gourmet comfort food.” For more information, visit sonoradfi.com/about.

TONIC BAR & GRILLE HELPS YOU SUPPORT YOUR TEAM

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ow you can support your favorite school team through Tonic Bar and Grille. An app, available for iPhones or on Google Play for Androids, directs users to a home screen where they can click on a support option. This option will then take users to a team support page where they can enter personal information, including what team they represent. Customers who show the page to their Tonic server on Saturdays before 5 p.m. and all day on Sunday can donate 20 percent of their bill to their team. For more information, visit tonicbargrille.com.

LEWES OYSTER FESTIVAL

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enefiting the Greater Lewes Foundation and Delaware Wild Lands, the Lewes Oyster fest will be held on Saturday, April 6, from 1-5 p.m. at the Beacon Motel. The Event will include music, beverages, and more. For more information, visit leweschamber.com.

VEGAN EATERY OPENS IN WILMINGTON

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ilton and Kristen Bowen started sharing their ideas of healthy and delicious food for people on-the-go with the Nude Food Truck. As the idea continued to grow, they wanted to build a place where other chefs could expand on their own dreams while creating a comfortable place for people in the community to come together. Located on 607 N. Lincoln St. in Wilmington, V-Trap Kitchen and Lounge will open in midMarch and offer a mix of multiple regions and traditions, including Italian, Mexican, classic American and Indian. For more information, visit vtrapkitchen.com.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Celebrate 40 years of THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY!

ART AUCTION AND CONTEMPORARY AFFAIR Saturday, March 23, 2019 | 7 - 10 PM VIP Pre-Party | 6 - 7 PM

Celebrate our 40th anniversary at this glamorous fundraiser inspired by the spirit of the 1970s art scene! This dy-no-mite era of our inception paved the way for a permanent presence of contemporary art in Delaware that remains alive and strong today. Your attendance helps us continue our longstanding work to support local artists, foster the creativity of area youth through classes and workshops, and build a welcoming venue for art lovers and art learners alike. Cocktail glam attire is suggested, vintage ‘70s inspiration optional.

VIP PRE-PARTY HIGHLIGHTS: Studio 54 inspired lounge featuring specialty bar of vintage wines and ‘70s signature cocktails.

VIP lounge playlist curated by music journalist and disco historian Christian John Wikane.

Guest appearance by The Leslie Brothers, disco duo of the hit song Toob Soxx.

Special awards presentation.

All VIP guests receive a commemorative anniversary gift.

MAIN EVENT HIGHLIGHTS: Art auction exclusively on display for this event! Auction bidding will be available online from 3/11 - 3/23 culminating in a digital silent auction and LIVE auction of five selected works of art at the event. Auction powered by Paddle8.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: Margo Allman, Ruth Ansel, Dennis Beach, Gina Bosworth, Seonglan Boyce, John Breakey, Moe Brooker, Jeffrey Chapp, Caroline Chen, Graham Dougherty, Timmy Graham, T.A. Hahn, Wendy Hatch, Nanci Hersh, Natalie Hutchings, Tendai Johnson, Michael Kalmbach, Haeley Kyong, Michael Lindeman, Virginia Lockman, Henry Loustau, Wesley Memeger, Shawn Baron Pinckney, Rick Rothrock, Tia Santana, Lynda Schmid, Connie Simon, John Singletary, Sanaz Sohrabi, Stan Smokler, Han Wang, Simone Welsh, Zhihui Xie, and Colleen Zufelt.

Live music by Special Delivery. This seven-piece band will draw you to the dance floor with the hits and forgotten gems of the ‘70s!

Open bar PLUS gourmet appetizers and dinner buffet by Caffe Gelato.

PURCHASE TICKETS: decontemporary.org/art-and-soul ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY 200 SOUTH MADISON STREET, WILMINGTON, DE, 19801 | 302.656.6466 | DECONTEMPORARY.ORG

TAKE TIME FOR

LUNCH

MONDAY – SATURDAY

Bring your appetite.

BURGERS

SUBS SANDWICHES

MEX SALADS

SUSHI

THAI PIZZA

FRESH

FRUIT

E AT OR WE ALL

S TA R V E

EASY IN & OUT

FREE

WIFI & PARKING

3 SOUTH MARKET STREET - RIVERFRONTMARKETWILM.COM

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

13. Justison Landing, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, CURRIEDAYSPA.COM Veritas Wine & Spirits, VERITASWINESHOP.COM Starbucks on the Riverfront Riverfront Pets, RIVERFRONTPETS.COM 14. Del Pez Mexican Gastropub, DELPEZMEXICANPUB.COM Goju Training Center, GOJUROBICS.COM 15. Delaware Children’s Museum, DELAWARECHILDRENSMUSEUM.ORG Riverwalk Mini Golf, RIVERWALKMINIGOLF.COM 16. Joe’s Crab Shack, JOESCRABSHACK.COM 17. Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, IRONHILLBREWERY.COM 18. Public Docks 19. Big Fish Grill, BIGFISHRIVERFRONT.COM

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Visit RiverfrontWilm.com for info on events happening at the Riverfront! Photo by Joe del Tufo 20. Frawley Stadium, BLUEROCKS.COM Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame 21. Chase Center on the Riverfront, CENTERONTHERIVERFRONT.COM 22. Dravo Plaza & Dock 23. Shipyard Center Planet Fitness, PLANETFITNESS.COM 24. Timothy’s Restaurant, TIMOTHYSONTHERIVERFRONT.COM Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, MOLLYSICECREAM.COM Ubon Thai Restaurant 25. Wilmington Rowing Center, WILMINGTONROWING.ORG 26. Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge/ DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG 27 Riverfront Commuter Lot, RIVERFRONTWILM.COM/PARKING

28. Penn Cinema Riverfront IMAX, PENNCINEMARIVERFRONT.COM 29. CrossFit Riverfront, CFRIVERFRONT.COM 30. The Residences at Harlan Flats, HARLANFLATS.THERESIDENCES.NET 31. Altitude Trampoline Park, ALTITUDEWILMINGTON.COM 32. The Westin Wilmington, WESTINWILMINGTON.COM River Rock Kitchen, RIVERROCKKITCHEN.COM 33. Delaware Humane Association, DEHUMANE.ORG 34. Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard/Fort Christina Park, KALMARNYCKEL.ORG 35. Jack A Markell Bike Trail 36. Constitution Yards Beer Garden, CONSTITUTIONYARDS.COM 37. 76ers Fieldhouse, BLUECOATS.GLEAGUE.NBA.COM

THE CITY

WILMINGTON GOES HIGH-TECH Two Downtown Office Buildings are First in State to Earn Digital Connectivity Distinction; City Opens New Web Portal to Help Telecom Providers with 4G & 5G Tech Advancements

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wo office towers in Wilmington’s downtown business district—1201 and 1313 N. Market St.— are the first in Delaware to earn Wired Certification, the international standard for cutting-edge internet connectivity in office buildings. Mayor Mike Purzycki joined Gov. John Carney and New Castle Co. Executive Matthew Meyer, as well as McConnell Johnson Real Estate partner Scott Johnson and Arie Barendrecht, CEO and founder of WiredScore, for last month’s announcement.

The two buildings, owned and managed by McConnell Johnson, join over 1,700 Wired Certified buildings worldwide that offer topnotch tech capabilities, which legislators and business leaders feel is important to the city’s growth and ability to attract new tenants.

Both N. Market St. properties achieved WiredScored’s certification’s highest level — Wired Certified Platinum.

Also in February, Mayor Purzycki invited telecom companies to visit the City’s new small cell application center at www.

WilmingtonDE.gov/smallwirelesspermit so the City can assist them with the installation of small cell technology in Wilmington’s

48 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

public rights-of-way. The new site is available to vendors such as AT&T, Verizon, Crown Castle and others who would like to improve or add to their 4G communications and data technology systems, as well as prepare for the next wave of 5G technologies.

“Wilmington’s goal is to become a smart City,” said Mayor Purzycki. “This means having more technology and data available to improve government efficiency and services, as well as to ensure that businesses and citizens have the latest and most advanced technology available to them. Companies will now be able to install infrastructure on poles owned by the City, State or Delmarva Power to support additional and much-needed 4G and 5G technology.”

Wilmington now has an extensive and fair permit application and review process available to companies that wish to install small cell wireless systems in the public rights of way. Mayor Purzycki said the City wants these companies to be successful in deploying systems as needed to fill any data transmission gaps that exist, while also protecting the interests of citizens, neighborhoods and the City.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

NEWS YOU CAN USE! WILMINGTON WORKS

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

CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS

Looking for a community organization or civic association in your area? Visit: https:// www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/ city-offices/constituent-services/civic-andneighborhood-organizations.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Ashley Christopher, Mayor Purzycki, Dr. Mishoe, Tanya Washington, Larry Meli, Earl Cooper/Allen House Studios.

MAR 1

CITY HONORS DR. WILMA MISHOE OF DSU AT 76ERS FIELDHOUSE

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s part of the City’s celebration of Black History Month, Mayor Purzycki joined the Delaware Blue Coats in honoring Dr. Wilma Mishoe, the first female and current President of Delaware State University. At a ceremony on February 7 at the new 76ers Fieldhouse, before the Blue Coats took on the Long Island Nets, Dr. Mishoe was presented with a customized Blue Coats jersey and a key to the city. “For the past two years, through our HBCU pride and awareness celebration, we have helped focus the community’s attention on the history, pride and academic offerings of HBCUs—especially our own Del. State—while encouraging young people to reach a new level of educational achievement,” said Mayor Purzycki. “As we increase the number of young people who attend college, we are forever changing young lives and our communities for the better.” Both Mayor Purzycki and Dr. Mishoe have family ties to DSU. Dr. Mishoe’s father, Dr. Luna Mishoe, was DSU’s president for 27 years beginning in 1960, and Joseph Purzycki— the Mayor’s younger brother—was the first white man ever named as head football coach at an HBCU when he was hired as Delaware State’s head coach in 1981.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

ART LOOP WILMINGTON HBCU WEEK BLACK TIE CELEBRATION DINNER (HOTEL DUPONT)

MAR 2

STORMIN’S BASKETBALL REUNION CLASSIC (76ERS FIELDHOUSE)

MAR 14

MAYOR PURZYCKI’S BUDGET ADDRESS & STATE OF THE CITY

MAR 16

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

MAR 24

56TH ANNUAL CAESAR RODNEY HALF MARATHON

For more meetings and events in the month of March, visit: https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

49

presented by

March 1 5pm Start Complimentary Shuttle Service (see website)

cityfest A program of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

DCAD

St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church

Wilmington Public Library

the baby grand

Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery

The Sold Firm

Mezzanine Gallery

Station Gallery

The Delaware Contemporary

RIVERFRONT The Delaware Contemporary 200 South Madison St. 656-6466 • decontemporary.org Artists: Henry Bermudez, Tia Santana, Joshua Hollingsworth and Studio artists Verna Hart and Richard Remenick.

DOWNTOWN 2nd & LOMA 211 N. Market Street 655-0124 Artist: J. Carr PaintingsExploration of the Psyche Through Figurative Art Christina Cultural Arts Center 705- 707 N. Market St. 429-0101 • ccacde.org Artist: “Eye Shadow” Women’s Art Exhibit City of Wilmington Louis L. Redding Gallery 800 N. French Street 576-2100 • wilmingtonde.gov Artist: Fourth Dimensionalism, Timmy Graham Colourworks 1902 Superfine Ln. (Race St.) 428-0222 • colourworks.com Artist: San Miguel de Allende, Kathe Morse Toni & Stuart B. Young Gallery at Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) 600 N. Market St. 622-8000 • dcad.edu/gallery Artist: Pre-Closing Reception for “Ellen Durkan: Behind Her Iron Gates”

Grace United Methodist Church 900 Washington St. 655-8847 • Gracechurchwest.com Artist: “Girls Can Do Anything!”

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market St. 658-7897 • thegrandwilmington.org The Grand Gallery Artist: Matthew Glick baby grand lobby artist: The Visions of eleven photographers of the Brandywine Photo Collective LaFate Gallery 227 N. Market St. 656-6786 • lafategallery.com Artist: Women’s History Month Art Exhibition Academy for Peace 203 N. Market Street 384-0156 janeairmacklin@aol.com Artists: Multiple artists and mediums MKT Place Gallery 200 W. 9th Street 438-6545 Artist: Prima Facie by Paul Simon The Sold Firm 800 B N. Tatnall Street 345-1192 Artist: Love & Perseverance Art by Alfredo Wilmington Public Library 10 E 10th Street 571-7400 • wilmington.lib.de.us Artists: John Keaton

WEST END Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Ave. 429-0506 Artists: Carol Lesher & Susan Meyers Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin St. 656-7304 • howardpylestudio.org Artists: “Glowing Against the Winter Sky” I Am Art 2411 Lancaster Avenue 507-9445 Artist: Alaina Merley and Ashley Paul St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church 1301 N. Broom St. 652-7623 • ststeph.org Artist: “Transformed by Terrain” Rosemary Luckett BEYOND THE CITY Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery 3625 Silverside Rd. 478-1163 • www. talleyvilleFSG.com Artists: Wicked Winter Art Show Arden’s Buzz Ware Village Center 2119 The Highway programs@ardenbuzz.com Artist: The Art of Mark V. Turner Station Gallery 3999 Kennett Pike 654-8638 • stationgallery.net Artists: “A Way of Seeing” Jacalyn Beam

Next Art Loop Wilmington: April 5, 2019

ArtLoopWilmington.org

MAR

CH 7

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Inherit the Wind

BY JEROME

LAWRENCE AND ROBERT E. LEE DIRECTED BY SANFORD ROBBINS

A crackling courtroom drama becomes a brilliant boxing match between two of the greatest legal giants of the twentieth century. This fictionalized account of the famous Scopes “monkey trial” of 1925, when a Tennessee science teacher is on trial for teaching Darwin’s theories of evolution, dissects the issues of church vs. state and fundamentalism vs. freedom of belief — cultural conflicts still hotly debated in our world today.

Presented by Delaware’s professional acting company performing at the University of Delaware

ROSELLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS | NEWARK, DE (302) 831-2204 | WWW.REP.UDEL.EDU 52 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Supported in part by:

WATCH

Hoochi Coochi, playing a past Homie Awards. Photo Joe del Tufo

Be Aware the ARTS of March Several organizations are celebrating milestone anniversaries

By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald

H

appy anniversary to Delaware Arts! This marks the milestone anniversaries of some key agencies, including the Delaware State Arts Council’s 50th, the Delaware Division of the Arts’ (DDOA) 30th and the Delaware Arts Alliance’s 10th.

Planning is underway for a number of “happenings” throughout the year to mark the impact of the arts in Delaware over the past five decades. The celebrations will culminate in a special edition of the Arts Summit in Dover on Monday, Oct. 28, capped off with the Governor’s Awards for the Arts later that evening. Watch for more details later this year.

Artists, patrons and fans alike are encouraged to join in the merriment and the memories. In February, the DDOA launched the festivities with a survey designed for anyone to share personal stories, recollections and anecdotes of the impact of arts in their lives. To submit your story, visit arts.delaware.gov/30th-anniversary.

Meanwhile, the Arts continue apace . . .

GABLE MUSIC…BUSY AS BEES Gable Music has been busy planning several live events for music lovers this spring. Here’s a rundown of just a few: Songstress/rocking pianist Noelle Picara will open for Braxton Hicks when they hit the stage at Logan House on Friday, March 1, at 7 p.m. (Later in the month, Braxton Hicks depart for Austin and the Texas Indie Fest.)

Look for a songwriter showcase at Wilmington’s newest performance venue, I Am Art, on Saturday, March 9, at 7 p.m.

The lineup includes local favorites like Joy Ike, Darnell Miller, Ava Awitan and Jeremy Hebbel, performing in the round.

Tickets are $10.

The WSTW Homey Awards return to Wilmington to honor our musical “best of the best” at Theatre N on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for this popular annual event, recently dubbed “Delaware’s Music Prom” by local artist Joe Trainor. ►

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

53

WATCH BE AWARE THE ARTS OF MARCH continued from previous page

Next up, popular folk duo The Honey Badgers (Erin Magnin and Michael Natrin) celebrate their new CD release with a performance at The Queen on Friday, March 15. They’ll be joined by performances from musical friends Earth Radio and Hot Breakfast!

Also on March 15, Logan House doors open at 7 p.m. for Delaware’s preeminent and favorite indie blues band, Hoochi Coochi, with rock, soul and “sass” duo SIRSY playing in the Ladybug-presented #LiveMusicforEarlyBirds. The show is free, but you may want to get there early. This musical power combo will undoubtedly (and deservedly) pack the house.

EXPERIENCE FUN-A-DAY… CREATING ART EVERY DAY

Something For Everyone.

WVUD.ORG 54 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

In February, Delaware artists were given a challenge to “create a piece of art each day for a month,” as part of the national community-centric art project called Fun-A-Day. More than 200 participants answered the call, and their collective artistic journeys will be part of Delaware Fun-A-Day 2019 at the Center for the Creative Arts (CCArts) in Yorklyn.

The free Opening Night Party on Friday, March 8, from 4 to 8 p.m. combines food (vegan and vegetarian), drinks, and music, as well as thousands of works of art from nearly every medium. The non-juried exhibit will remain at CCArts through Sunday, March 17.

“This event is an opportunity for any person—regardless of age, skill level or creative medium—to shake off the rigidity of ‘structured art’ and just have fun creating again or for the first time,” says Meredith S. Keating, lead organizer for Delaware Fun-A-Day 2019.

Keating has been a contributor in and champion of Delaware Fun-A-Day for the past eight years. What moved her then and still grips her today is the mental, emotional and physical rewards of participation. “Mentally, there's nothing better than persevering through a creative challenge like this,” she says. “Emotionally, you're either releasing or embracing your fear of the unknown—your limits as a creator, how much you can do. And physically, by the end of the month you've produced amazing new work which developed your skill set, enhanced your portfolio, prepared you for a new show, or simply allowed you to try something new.”

Department of Music Photo courtesy of Delaware Fun A Day

Bruce Tychinski, trombone, and Julie Nishimura, piano Tuesday, March 19, 8:00 p.m.

Wind Ensemble

Thursday, March 21, 8:00 p.m.

Symphony Orchestra Concerto

A Fun-A-Day exhibit. This year, the exhibit features 253 creators from all over Delaware.

Delaware artists have enthusiastically embraced the project. The first Fun-A-Day in 2011 included 34 artists; this year’s exhibit features 253 creators from all over the state.

Six-year participant Ashley Messatzzia enjoys the interaction among varied artists.

"I love that Fun-A-Day is such a widely inclusive art event,” she says. “It brings artists together that you might not otherwise see."

Past Fun-A-Day co-lead organizers Colleen Master and Monika Bullette love what the event brings to artists and fans alike. “As I evolved from a spectator to a participant to an organizer, Delaware Fun-A-Day kept me motivated to be creative,” says Master. “It’s a labor of love to organize, but making art accessible to our community is so worthwhile.

Blending all ages and skill levels is truly inspirational.”

Says Bullette: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you start a creative practice? One day at a time. Colleen and I found it extremely gratifying to see people carve out moments to create each day and come together to celebrate the fruits of their labor."

Visit delawarefunaday.com for details on the organization and associated events.

WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL AT THE BABY GRAND

Delaware playwright Greer Firestone has penned a new musical, making its World Premiere in Wilmington. Judy Garland “World's Greatest Entertainer” runs for six performances: Friday, March 22, through Saturday, March 30, at the baby grand.

The plot is based on the iconic television show This is Your Life. Set in 1961, just weeks after Garland’s legendary Carnegie Hall performance, the story unfolds as Judy and guests Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Liza Minnelli perform more than 20 tunes from the American Songbook, including Get Happy, My Way, That’s Amore, The Trolley Song and more.

Bucks County native Jenny Lee Stern plays Judy Garland. Stern, a Broadway veteran, was an original Broadway cast member of Rocky, The Musical, appeared in A Christmas Story and toured nationally with the cast of Jersey Boys. Additional cast members are Kaylan Wetzel as Liza Minnelli, Luca Ellis as Frank Sinatra and Eric Richardson as Dean Martin. The performance is directed by S. Lee Lewis, with musical direction by David Zipse. Choreography is by Dann Dunn. Playwright Firestone also appears as emcee Walter Mitchell.

Firestone has been a performing arts reviewer for more than 35 years, currently working with BroadwayWorld.com. He has produced and directed numerous works and has even written a historical novel, Alexei and Rasputin. The production is sponsored by Heart In The Game, a non-profit founded by Firestone that provides free EKG screenings and trains Delaware students in CPR/AED. Tickets for Judy Garland “World's Greatest Entertainer” are $37 at thegrandwilmington.org.

and composition Competition Concert Friday, March 22, 8:00 p.m.

Women in Music concert

Saturday, March 23, 8:00 p.m.

PEN Trio Guest Artist Recital

Wednesday, March 27, 5:30 p.m.

Master Singers, University Singers and Concert Choir

Wednesday, March 27, 8:00 p.m.

Jazz Ensembles I and II

Thursday, March 28, 8:00 p.m.

Serafin and Friends

Tuesday, April 9, 8:00 p.m.

Jazz Ambassadors—

The United States Army Field Band Friday, April 12, 7:00 p.m.

Percussion Ensemble

Monday, April 15, 8:00 p.m.

Tiger Lily Music

Tuesday, April 16, 8:00 p.m.

Still breathing

contemporary music ensemble Friday, April 19, 8:00 p.m.

MUSIC.UDEL.EDU MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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52 JANUARY 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

WATCH

Fighting with My Family

3

STARS µµµµµ

Jack Lowden stars as Zak Knight and Florence Pugh stars as Paige in Fighting with My Family. Photo Robert Viglasky, courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.

FUN WITH FORMULA This tale of unlikely success in the WWE is predictable, yet entertaining

By Mark Fields

D

espite being based on a true story, Fighting with My Family still manages to draw on virtually every cliché of every underdog sports movie ever made.

An experienced viewer of such films—if he were so inclined —could call out each upcoming scene—in advance—with fair accuracy: the childhood expression of a dream, check; the surprise opportunity to achieve that dream, check; the tension with a loved one over one’s priorities, check; the give-it-up lecture from a world-weary former star; the digging deep montage, check, and double check.

Yet, this light-hearted domestic drama about a British family devoted to wrestling entertains not in spite of its predictability, but maybe because of it.

Saraya (Florence Pugh) and Zack (Jack Lowden) are a close sisterbrother pairing within a family of quasi-professional wrestlers in the English hinterlands. Father Ricky (Nick Frost) and mother Julia (Lena Headey) barely scrape by with their comically small-potato wrestling matches and a ragtag training camp. What they lack in talent they make up for with oversized hopes for their children’s success in World Wrestling Entertainment, or the WWE (spoken of in awe-filled tones usually reserved for deities and extraterrestrials). ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

57

FUN WITH FORMULA continued from previous page

Florence Pugh stars as Paige in Fighting with My Family.

In a twist of fate that would be implausible if not true, Zack and Saraya are given the opportunity to audition for WWE, but only Saraya is selected. The rest of the film plays out in expected form (see above). But Fighting with My Family is rescued from being tiresome by the game spirit of the director, Stephen Merchant, and his winning cast, especially Pugh, who invests the Saraya with a blend of pluck and befuddlement.

Vince Vaughn plays Saraya’s WWE coach with a familiar but credible crustiness. Even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson makes several appropriate cameo appearances as himself.

Director Merchant, who also wrote the screenplay, may be familiar to American audiences as a tall, geeky actor on The Big Bang Theory, Table 19, and his own HBO comedy series, Hello Ladies. He clearly understands the rough-and-tumble optimism of the British lower classes, and some of the movie’s most resonant sequences are those where the opulence of American capitalistic enterprise is starkly contrasted with the main characters’ pedestrian lives across the pond.

But don’t let that passing comment obscure the fact that this film, like its WWE milieu, exists primarily, even exclusively, to entertain. Fighting with My Family does that remarkably well, even though the outcome here, just like WWE Raw, is scripted well in advance.

Opening in March: Captain Marvel, first Marvel-verse movie focused on a female superhero (Brie Larson), March 8; The Aftermath, romantic melodrama set after World War II with Keira Knightley and Alexander Skarsgard, March 15; Dev Patel and Armie Hammer star in a tense reallife drama about a terrorist attack on an Indian hotel, March 22; and director Tim Burton’s live-action take on the Disney classic, Dumbo, March 29.

58 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Photo courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

WATCH

WATCH

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

DELAWARE'S HOLLYWOOD CONNECTIONS 1

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SOLVE & WIN! Take a photo of your completed puzzle with your phone & email to: Contact@TSNPub.com. Five winners will be selected on March 22 from the pool of correct submissions. Prizes include lunch, dinner or movie tickets.

ACROSS 1. “ER” nurse 6. Became Mrs. Focker 8. Name of Fast Times at Ridgemont High character played by #9 Across 9. Beverly Hills cop 11. Horror writer/director from Alapocas to Hollywood 12. Save the Last Dance guy 14. Played Billy Campbell on Melrose Place 15. Starred on Broadway in American Idiot 16. Oscar-winning director of the short film God of Love 17. Title of M. Night Shyamalan’s movie filmed at the Delaware/ Chadds Ford border 18. Played Jack Nicholson’s interpreter in The Departed

DOWN 2. New Castle native who went from One Life to Live to Crash 3. First name of the character played on “Parks & Recreation” by #5 Down 4. She left Nicolas Cage in Las Vegas 5. Went from deadpan assistant in Parks & Recreation to hosting the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Awards 7. The One Day at a Time gal who married Edward Van Halen 10. Name of the lead singer of the band Green Day, who was played by #15 Across 13. Played Two-fer on 30 Rock

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

SIPS

Here's what's pouring Compiled by Emily Stover & O&A Staff

KRESTON’S SIGNATURE BOURBON

K

reston Wine & Spirits’ custom-made bourbon by Maker’s Mark is now available at both Kreston locations.

The Kreston bourbon began with a fully matured Maker’s Mark whiskey, then a new flavor profile was created by adding10 custom-wood finishing staves to the barrel.

Since last October, the bourbon has barrelaged in Maker’s limestone cellar. Call the Middletown store (376-6123) or Wilmington location (652-3792) to reserve a bottle.

STITCH HOUSE TURNS ONE

S

titch House Brewery (829 N. Market St., Wilm.) celebrates its one-year anniversary this month and a birthday bash is planned for Saturday, March 30.

The celebration begins at 6 p.m., a special brew will be released and live music will be provided by the Stone Shakers.

WORLD-CLASS COLLABORATION

F

or almost 200 years, Brouwerji RODENBACH has been crafting and perfecting internationally known beers.

Now, for the first time in its storied history, the renowned Belgian brewery has agreed to a collaborative brew—with Delaware’s own Dogfish Head, no less. The move is “a monumental step forward in bringing a unique sour beer to consumers who are seeking a refreshing alternative to what is currently available on the market today,” says Brewbound, the craft brew industry webzine. It also makes sense since RODENBACH has been the inspiration for many sour beer producers and Dogfish’s SeaQuench Ale, a session sour, is one of the fastest growing beers in the U.S. The tentative release date for the first RODENBACH-Dogfish Head sour is 2020.

60 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

CHADDSFORD WINERY RAISES FUNDS FOR ST. JUDE

S

ince its founding in 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been dedicated to researching cures for diseases and saving young lives. On Thursday, March 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Chaddsford Winery will host a fundraiser for the nationally known organization. The event will offer wine tastings, light appetizers, special pricing on take-home wine and raffle items. Tickets are $50, with proceeds benefiting St. Jude, including 15 percent of every Chaddsford Winery purchase. For information or tickets, visit eventbrite.com and search St. Jude Wine Event.

26.2 BREW DEBUT

M

arathon Brewing Company, a subsidiary of Boston Beer Company, is expanding availability of 26.2 Brew, a crisp-body ale with slight citrus and wheat notes that is a tribute to the Boston Marathon. A touch of coriander adds a slight spice to complement the pink Himalayan sea salt found in the ale. It will be available in the Delaware market starting March 4. You can try it on tap at all Buffalo Wild Wing locations. It’s available in package stores at Kreston Wine & Spirits, Peco’s Liquors, Fairfax Liquors and Total Wine & More.

SPIKED SELTZER ADDITION

H

ard seltzers continue to gain in popularity throughout the U.S., offering consumers in search of low-calorie alcohol options an alternative to light beer. The popular Truly Hard Seltzer brand, which already boasts four berry-based flavors (raspberry lime, wild berry, blueberry & acai, and black cherry) will introduce Truly Rosé to the area this month. The beverage-maker describes its Rosé as “delicately sweet, a tad tart and fruity with a hint of California grapes.”

Truly Hard Seltzers are 5 percent ABV with 100 calories and one gram of sugar in a 12-ounce can. Truly Rosé will be available this month at both Total Wines & More locations as well as Kreston Wine & Spirits, Fairfax Liquors and D&H Liquors.

DRINK

For more than 30 years, Harpoon has been brewing beer in Boston (above). In 2000, the company opened a second brewery in Windsor, Vermont. Photo courtesy of Harpoon Brewery

Harpoon: Still Evolving The regional manager for the Boston brewery discusses its culture, its recent collaboration with Dunkin’ Donuts, and how a Harvard lacrosse coach ended up selling one of the East Coast’s longest-running IPAs

N

ot many American craft breweries can say they’ve been around for more than three decades. Harpoon Brewery is one that can.

Born in Boston in 1986, Harpoon arrived on the scene just two years after Jim Koch started brewing Sam Adams and three years after Portland’s D.L. Geary, which today is New England’s oldest craft brewery.

The brand quickly attracted a following, including Bruce Bickford, who attended several Harpoon beer festivals at the Boston brewery.

At the time—2011—Bickford was the lacrosse coach at Harvard—a prestigious job, especially for someone in his mid-20s. But the festivals, and the people at Harpoon, changed his career trajectory.

“I didn’t come in with beverage background,” says Bickford, now 33. “I thought I wanted to be a lacrosse coach.”

After forming a connection to former Harpoon CEO Rich Doyle, who just happened to have played lacrosse at Harvard (before Bickford’s coaching tenure), and meeting some of the Harpoon people, he decided to sell beer.

“I got to know some people who work there, and I definitely saw it as a place I would want to work,” Bickford says. “A lot of coworkers are people who would be our friends outside of work if we all didn’t work for the same company. Our culture is awesome, and I saw that right off the bat.”

In just four years with Harpoon, Bickford worked his way up to his present position: Southeastern Regional Manager, working out of Baltimore. It’s gratifying to him that the company continues to innovate—like its recent porter collaboration with Dunkin’ Donuts, a collaboration that made beer industry headlines.

O&A reached him by phone, and here’s what Bickford had to say about the culture, the history, and the future at Harpoon.

O&A: Harpoon got started in 1986, right there at the beginning of the craft revolution. What important lessons do you think have been learned in that time?

Bickford: Yeah, we started brewing in 1986, and the realm of craft beer has really shifted in that time. ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Official Whiskey of the 29th Annual

SAT, MARCH 9, 8PM

OutAndAboutNow.com

[After college] our cofounders traveled in and around Europe and saw how those breweries were ingrained in those communities with delicious beer. They wanted to bring some of those offerings and some of that culture [to Boston]. An early part of the craft beer movement was to bring some of the European styles— Bruce Bickford holds a 20-pound lobster at Yankee stuff the Europeans had been brewing for Lobster Co., a seafood market located next door to Harpoon’s Boston brewery. hundreds of years—to the U.S. That has obviously evolved, but a few things are still true. It’s great being a long-tenured craft. We’ve been around for a while, so there are a lot of things that we’ve learned over the years as far as attention to quality and what consumers are looking for.

But then you also have to stay relevant because beer is constantly evolving. So we’ve stayed on top of that as well, even though our IPA has been around since 1993, and some of our seasonals—like Winter Warmer—since ‘88.

O&A: So is it safe to say the IPA is the flagship of the operation?

Bickford: Yes, the IPA is a little under half of our business. We are a flagship company. And we were one of the first IPAs brewed on the East Coast back then. So [we were brewing] an IPA in ’93 when consumers were used to things not as hoppy and not as dark as our 5.9 percent, 42 IBU IPA. Adding a ton of hops was not the norm back then.

Our IPA started as a summer seasonal when we launched it and was a tribute to the Pacific Northwest. One of the hops we use is grown in that climate—Cascade—along with Apollo, which are the bittering hops. And the toasted malts. We were actually the first brewery to have our employees take the malts home to have them toast them in their ovens [laughs].

State Line Liquors Family owned & operated Since 1933 — 4 Generations!

Great selection of...well... just about everything!

—Yelp Over 3,000 Different Beers Growler Bar with 35 Taps Wine, Spirits & Beer Tastings Gourmet Food & Cheeses 1610 ELKTON RD, Route 279 . ELKTON, MD • WWW.STATELINELIQUORS.COM OUTSIDE MD. (800) 446-WINE, IN MARYLAND (410) 398-3838 62 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Photo courtesy of Bruce Bickford

HARPOON: STILL EVOLVING continued from previous page

O&A: Harpoon’s motto is “Love Beer, Love Life.” What does that mean to you?

Bickford: What that means to me is liking good beer, but also liking a good time, because beer brings people together.

We’re a very social brewery. We are an open-door brewery.

We have tours seven days a week. We have a great beer hall that overlooks downtown Boston and the Boston Harbor. We have three festivals a year at our Boston brewery and one at our Vermont brewery.

We put a lot of attention on creating great beers, but we ultimately started as consumers, not as home-brewers. So we like to make beers that we want to drink and that we enjoy.

Celebrating

O&A: You say “beer brings people together.” On that note, it’s interesting that a couple of years ago Harpoon became employeeowned. Since you’ve been there for a while, what did you think of that move and how has it affected morale?

Bickford: It’s been great. That happened in the summer of 2014 and I think it brought out a sense of security, because there were a lot of [brewery] acquisitions happening around that time. And it was very assuring that there was a lot faith [placed] in our employees and what we do. When we work festivals and when we are in the marketplace, we are the face of our brand. That’s an important part of the business.

It also means you put a little bit of extra effort into everything you do, because ultimately we’re all working towards the same goal.

Enjoy these daily specials

ALL MONTH LONG!

Photo courtesy of Harpoon Brewery

O&A: What has the reception been for the Dunkin’ Donuts partnership?

Bickford: It’s a great partnership. It’s another example of making beer fun. We’ve got to continue being creative with our partnerships.

We’re a 33-year-old Boston company, and they’re a long-tenured Boston company as well.

We brewed their espresso roast with a porter, and it’s been a great way to bring those two things together and shine some additional light on the brand, for each side.

80 Years!

Harpoon made beer industry headlines with its collaboration with Dunkin’ Donuts late last year.

O&A: It seems lately like a Boston sports team is winning a championship every six months or so. How has the success of Boston sports impacted Harpoon?

Bickford: We sell a lot of beers at Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium, but aside from the sales aspect, it’s great visibility and great energy in the city. It’s another opportunity to get our beer at another occasion.

If you ever go to the brewery, there is a picture from when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, and one of the players is pouring a growler of Harpoon into the Stanley Cup and drinking out of it.

It’s pretty awesome.

We want to be there when people are celebrating. It’s about loving beer and loving life—drinking Harpoon around great times.

s Mondays: 15% OFF Craft Beer 6-Pack $50 Tuesdays: 15% OFF Whiskeys over

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uors.com 302.764.0377 - pecosliq MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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now available A Totally Unique Bourbon Custom-Made by Maker’s Mark for Kreston.

Spirited Our recommendation from an area pro

We recently worked with the experts at Maker’s Mark to explore new expressions of their signature whisky…

From Joe Renaud, Beverage Director, Home Grown Café We started with fully matured Maker’s Mark whisky and created a new flavor profile by adding 10 custom-wood finishing staves to the barrel.

Since last October, that whisky has barrel-aged in Maker’s limestone cellar to extract a unique taste profile.

If you are a fan of Maker’s Mark and craft distilling, here is an opportunity to drink something that is truly one-of-a-kind.

STOP IN FOR YOURS TODAY!

KRESTON WINE & SPIRITS

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

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

JAPANESE OLD FASHIONED

As our desire to try new libations expands, so does the selection of liquors available to do that with. Japanese whisky has slowly been infiltrating the market. I wanted to blend the “new,” while paying homage to the classic cocktails.

With that in mind, I took Japanese whisky, Asian pear, ginger root, and black walnut bitters. A twist on an Old Fashioned, but making it into something a bit more modern. What you end up with is a perfectly blended balance of flavors, highlighting spices mixed with a nutty yet sweet profile.

Things you’ll need: • 2 oz. Japanese whisky ( I use Toki) • 1 slice Asian pear • 3 small slices of ginger • 3 Sash Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters Muddle all ingredients for about 2 minutes. Next, stir with ice until chilled. Strain into a fresh glass with new ice and garnish with a brandied cherry. *Yes, Japanese whisky is spelled this way Cheers!

64 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

LISTEN

Norbut and the band have just survived a lineup change and are n the process of recording their first album. Photo Marcus Russel Price

BLUE-COLLAR BALLADEER With his band, The Wasted Arrows, and his photography, David Norbut seeks authenticity while portraying a working-class life

By Mack Caldwell

D

avid Norbut leads me outside. “First and foremost,” he says, “you need good lighting.” He speaks in a low, deliberate voice.

It’s a bright and pleasantly mild day in January. We’re at the Brew HaHa! in Greenville. In the parking lot are Teslas, BMWs, women in jogging clothes, men in scarves, students with laptops, all en route to get their morning jolt, or perhaps to read poetry, laugh, and work on their computers, all in a sophisticated setting— the modern coffee shop.

This is far away from the Delaware that Norbut captures both in his music and his photography: an isolated Delaware of rural landscapes and tight-knit relationships, of loss and pain, of early mornings at the Wilmington docks with massive ships, giant machinery, trucks and truckers. A surprising hint of the desolate Southwest also colors his work.

Norbut is the lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter for The Wasted Arrows Band, a Delaware-based blues and country-tinged rock trio of Norbut, Pete Daly on drums and Peter Stanko on pedal steel.

We walk to the edge of the building. There is a tall pine tree, out of place for a parking lot. Norbut tilts his head down, staring at the sidewalk. After a moment, he says, “Right here is good.”

Since he is a photographer himself, I assume he’s led me somewhere worth capturing. I take out my old Nikon and aim it at him. He’s about 5 foot 10 and his hands are covered in rings. He has black sunglasses on and a long beard. He reminds me of a weathered cowboy—rugged, shaped and marked by the world around him.

Outside of his artistic endeavors, Norbut works at the Port of Wilmington. “It’s chaos,” he says, “Everywhere you turn there’s forklifts and tractors and trains and boats and tugs and giant ships.

You gotta stay on your toes. You gotta stand your ground. There’s a lot of dirty language and a lot of tough characters.” He pauses.

“I think it gives you a little bit of your own character...being in an environment like that.”

The docks are in his blood. His father and brother worked there. “There’s an authenticity to the working-class people that always attracted me,” he says. ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

65

LISTEN

He tries to capture this gritty, hard-scrabble, self-reliant life in his music, which is analog, just as his band is simple: acoustic guitar, drums, pedal steel—the instrumental pillars BLUE-COLLAR BALLADEER continued from previous page of country music.

“There’s something about the breath of the voice and the strum of the guitar and the drums,” he says. “Playing with your hands, working with your hands.”

In their song “Death Bells,” Norbut sings about the rain-soaked funeral of a lost loved one.

“I hear the wails/The cries of the children/Smell the earth on this pine box.” It’s an Americana burner filled with the imagery of roads, gold dust, a white dress and a crow cawing.

SOUTHWESTERN INFLUENCE

Drummer Peter Daly’s favorite Wasted Arrows’ song is “Arizona,” titled after a state where Norbut has roots. He and his wife have made frequent trips to visit family there.

He proposed to her in Sedona in 2006. “I always joked with my wife, ‘I’m going to propose to you in the desert one day,’ and I finally did,” he says. He is influenced by everything there, from the landscape to the Native American culture.

“Dave loves the desert, he loves Arizona,” says Daly, who met Norbut almost a decade ago at a photoshoot for Daly’s previous band. They pulled up to the shoot location at the same time. Norbut was driving a black Chevy Silverado and had long hair and tattoos. Daly complimented him on his truck, and they hit it off.

“It’s nice to meet someone else from the area who I had some things in common with,” Daly says over the phone. He pauses, then adds, “I never felt like I really belonged in Delaware.”

While Norbut’s influences are southwestern, Daly’s heart lies somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. He wears cowboy boots and a lot of denim. “I just feel comfortable. That’s just me. Some people make comments about it.”

The Wasted Arrows was born from a tragedy. Norbut had taken a hiatus from music in order to pursue photography. The death of his wife’s father brought him back.

He went to Arizona for the last time in June of 2016 to spread his father-in-law’s ashes.

LIKE THE SUN RISING ON YOUR NEW WEBSITE

https://catalyst.design

66 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Photo David Norbut

Norbut shot this portrait of himself, with the desert floor in the background, in the passenger mirror of a car.

A SAD TIME

It was a profoundly sad time. “I really didn’t feel like interacting with people. I was trying to capture the desert and the void that I felt from the loss.”

His photos during that period were devoid of the street life and animated characters that usually inhabit his work. A dilapidated building sits among cacti. Shadows loom over a canyon.

He took a portrait of himself there in the passenger mirror of a car; the reflection of himself is out of focus, but the desert floor to his right is in full view.

When he returned he began writing the music that would eventually be distilled into The Wasted Arrows. “It’s stories of me being a dock worker. Getting up in the morning in the dark. Going to work at the same docks. Going to the same dive bars.”

It’s his life at its most honest.

Norbut, Daly and Stanko have just survived a lineup change and are in the process of recording their first album.

“We’re just sort of, you know, gearing up for the next chapter of whatever is going to happen,” says Stanko over the phone. He first joined in the fall of 2017, originally playing keyboard after posting an ad on Craigslist. He eventually used his tax refund to buy himself a pedal steel, a fundamental part of their new sound. “[Stanko] heard me always wanting a pedal steel or slide,” says Norbut. “He’s been teaching himself how to play it. He’s amazing. We started incorporating that into the new sound, right as we were starting to catch the wave that I wanted to be on.”

Stanko calls the pedal steel “a crazy, complicated contraption.” It’s a solid steel bar with 10 strings and foot pedals. It looks industrial, as if it was coughed up by a coal-powered machine. It’s an American staple, producing swooning voice-like metallic sounds, often to the accompanimentof a broken-hearted outlaw on his way to a lead-filled end.

“With Pete being on pedal steel, that definitely adds an element of that old school country sound that I love so much, and I know Dave does,” says Daly.

That’s what The Wasted Arrows is channeling with a pedal steel—America stripped down, on the edge of a new horizon. “We want to take these classic ideas but do them with our spin on it,” says Stanko.

Norbut doesn’t want to play the main stage at Bonnaroo or the Super Bowl. He doesn’t want fireworks, dancing sharks, or VIP passes—the glamour and excess of entertainment.

A perfect concert to him is an old barroom, a capsule of Americana, ‘70s and ‘80s memorabilia on the wall.

“Old photos, old dollar bills hanging, weird lighting, velvet Elvises,” he says. “A dive bar with a really good singer-songwriter, with a really good band, some pedal steel, acoustic guitars, harmonicas, good drums, good bass, no cover, no cover bands.”

Recently, the band has found a home that pretty much fits that description: The Jackson Inn, the well-known, cozy tavern on Lancaster Pike.

I adjust the settings on my camera. Norbut puts his hands in his pockets. “Just relax,” he says. “It’s hard to be authentic.”

Check out The Wasted Arrows on the band's Facebook page: The-Wasted-ArrowsBand-245722079395299.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MARCH MUSIC at Kelly’s Logan House FRIDAY, 3/01

The Thieves - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/02

Look for these great bands upstairs!

Photo Elias Muhammad

The Way Outs - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/08

Photoshop Hotties - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/09

ST. PATRICK’S DAY LOOP Stephanie and Eddy - 4 p.m.

Click with Cassidy - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/15

High Reeper - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/16

Chapel Street Junction - 2 p.m.

Shotgun Betty - 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, 3/17

LISTEN

TUNED IN Not-to-be-missed music news WRITERS IN THE ROUND

Four local songwriters—John Bunts, Paul Donovan, Aaron Nathans and Laura Kuhne—will showcase their original music at Hagley Museum & Library in an interactive session that lets the audience in on the creative songwriting process. Writers in the Round will take place Thursday, March 28, at Hagley’s Soda House (298 Buck Rd., Wilmington). The show is produced by The Acoustic Jam, a music showcase provider, and modeled after Nashville’s Bluebird Café, which has earned international acclaim for its focus on songwriting. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members, and include a drink ticket. Visit Hagley.org.

WILMINGTON BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

Claymont will be the place to be for area bluegrass music lovers as the Wilmington Bluegrass Festival returns to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 630 Naamans Rd., on the weekend of April 12-14. Featured performers include Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Carolina Blue, Travers Chandler & Avery Country, Free Range, Flinthill Express, Rockdale Boys, River Bones and Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike. There will be two stages, a series of workshops and a gospel show on Sunday. For showtimes and ticket information, call 7304065 or visit WilmingtonWintergrass.org.

The Kalai Irish Experience - 1 p.m.

The Meghan Krauss Trio - 5 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/22

Stereo Giants - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/23

Party Fowl - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/29

Frisky - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/30 Jumper - 10 p.m.

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

LOGANHOUSE.COM Bands and times subject to change.

68 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

WILMINGTON BAND RELEASES NEW EP

Hollow Pledge, a hard alternative/punk rock band located in Wilmington, will release their first EP, titled Intervention, on Sunday, March 10. The band consists of drummer Mike Preston, bass guitarist James Elliotte, lead guitarist Pat Daniels and rhythm guitarist/lead vocalist Julio Tirado. For more information, visit facebook.com/hollowpledgeofficial.

ST. PATRICK’S BASH AT KENNETT FLASH

Beyond The Pale will be celebrating 20 years of Celtic music with the annual St. Patrick’s Bash at the Kennett Flash, 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, on Saturday, March 16.

Their passion for music is expressed through a powerful mix of traditional and original Celtic tunes and dynamic original songwriting. For more information, visit kennettflash.org.

APRIL 13, 2019 - 8AM

HUNDREDS OF EXCLUSIVE RELEASES

Remember Jones

AMY WINEHOUSE TRIBUTE

Remember Jones will perform Back to Back to Black, a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse, on Friday, March 15, at 8 p.m. at the Queen.

Back to Back to Black is a revival of the entire 2006 Grammy-award winning album Back to Black and features Jones with a 12-piece band plus an opening set of super-soul originals from Jones. For more information, visit thequeenwilmington.com.

BREATH CONCERT TOUR

Desert Dwellers will perform at Arden’s Gild Hall, 2126 The Highway, on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m., with special guest Bunk Buddha, for their Breath album tour. Breath is the electronic duo’s newest album, set to be released in late April. Desert Dwellers consists of Amani Friend and Treavor Moontribe, who began their careers as independent music producers and DJs in the deserts of New Mexico and California. Bunk Buddha is an eclectic three-piece electronic band from Baltimore. For more information, visit ardenconcerts.com.

FREE RSD POSTER WITH FIRST 100 PURCHASES FREE RSD T-SHIRT WITH PURCHASES OVER $100 (302) 368-7738 54 E. MAIN ST. NEWARK, DE

FIREFLY THURSDAY PRE-PARTIES

The Firefly 2019 Thursday Pre-Parties will take place at The Great Atlantic Campout in the Woodlands of Dover on June 20.

The pre-party features artists such as Louis The Child, Gryffin (DJ Set), Saint Motel, Ripe, Emo Nite and more. Access to the North and South Camping Hubs will be limited to only those with GA, VIP or SVIP Weekend Admission Passes. Weekend Admission Pass holders who are staying at local hotels or driving in can access the Thursday Pre-Party programming at the South Hub. For more information, visit fireflyfestival.com.

STATE FAIR EXPANDS LINEUP

The Delaware State Fair recently announced four more performers for its 2019 Summer Concert Series.. The Grammywinning duo Sugarland will perform Thursday, July 18. Other confirmed performers include Dan + Shay (Monday, July 22), Bethel Music (Tuesday, July 23), Darci Lynne (Wednesday, July 24) and Brantley Gilbert (Friday, July 26). In total, the series will feature 10 nights of musical entertainment in celebration of the fair’s 100th anniversary. The fair will be held at the fairgrounds in Harrington from July 18-27. For tickets or updates on more acts, visit delawarestatefair.com.

MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

HAVE YOU HEARD OF SOMETHING?

69

w

MARCH

Entertainment Schedule EVERY MONDAY: Showtime Trivia EVERY TUESDAY: Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh $2.00 Vodka and Tequila Drinks 8pm-Close!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day All Weekend with Us! SATURDAY, 3/16/19: OPEN AT 9AM!

DJ Willoughby 12pm-8pm • It’s All Good at 10pm

EVERY THURSDAY: DJ Willoughby EVERY FRIDAY: EDM DJ Dance Party

LIVE BANDS! FRIDAY:

3/1 - Under the Covers 3/8-Mr. Jinx 3/15- Stereo Giants 3/22-Hot Bed 3/29-Ha Ha Charade

SATURDAY:

3/2-Bumping Uglies 3/9-Cherry Crush 3/16-It’s All Good 3/23-DJ Fest 3/30-Kalicade

SUNDAY 3/17/19: OPEN AT 9AM! $4.00 Make Your Own Bloody Bar Bar • Ron Settle Acoustic: 10 am-1pm • DJ Willoughby: 12pm-8pm Live Irish Bag Pipers: 10:30pm • $2.75 Green Coors Light • $5 Irish Car Bombs • Corned Beef and Cabbage

MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers ALL DAY!

TUESDAYS ½ Price Burgers ALL DAY! $4.50 Double LITs

WEDNESDAYS - MEXICAN NIGHT! ½ Price Nachos & Quesadillas ALL DAY! $3.25 Dos Equis Lager and Margaritas • $2 Tacos $15.99 9oz NY Strip Steak All Day

THURSDAYS ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Wings (5pm-Close) ½ Price Burgers (11:30am-3pm) • $3.25 Rail Drinks

Next time you stop in don’t forget to sign up for our Ashby Hospitality Groups VIP Loyalty Program!

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

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GET YOUR IRISH ON! Irish Food Menu Starts March 4th Irish Dancers Sat. March 16th 5pm Parade Day! Sun. March 17th 1pm St. Patrick’s Day! BEST RIBS!

2038 FOULK ROAD, WILMINGTON DE • 302 475-1887 www.stanleys-tavern.com 70 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

JOIN US FOR MARCH MADNESS!

PLAY PLAY

A pickleball net in the gym at the Western YMCA, which hosts twice-weekly open sessions.

THE PICKLEBALL REVOLUTION Our intrepid reporter finds that this racquet sport is a dilly!

By Mike Little Photos by Anthony Santoro

A

merica has had more than its share of inventors, visionaries and geniuses. And I’m not talking about the ones who invented superfluous stuff like the telephone, the airplane or Facebook. I’m talking about the ones who invented sports.

You know, real game-changing visionaries like Abner Doubleday (baseball, or so many say), James Naismith (basketball) and Walter Camp (“the father of American football”). If it weren’t for these guys, we might all be tuning in to Monday Night Macramé.

And now we can add a new name to this pantheon of immortals.

Or a trio of names, actually. They’re Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, and it’s thanks to them—and their attempt to find a way to entertain their kids on a lazy summer Saturday afternoon on Bainbridge Island, Washington, back in 1965 – that we can all relish the great paddle sport of pickleball.

Yes, pickleball – which, you may have guessed, is not played with an actual pickle. Legend has it that the game derived its briny name

from Pritchard’s pooch Pickles, although Pritchard’s wife says the name came from the mixed rowing crews found on pickle boats.

At any rate, it’s a sport that, as they say, is sweeping the nation, or at least the 55+ portion of the nation. But despite its popularity, my search for it on my TV sports channels proved fruitless. (Interesting note: According to the U.S. Supreme Court, because they have seeds, pickles are technically a “fruit of the vine,” although, because they are made from cucumbers, they are generally known as a vegetable.)

So, in order to write this story, I was left with one appalling option: I would have to play the cursed sport myself.

Let me say right here that I’ve reached that delicate age where a game of touch football would probably shatter me like Mr. Glass in the M. Night Shyamalan film Unbreakable. Which is just another way of saying that when it comes to sports, I prefer to retire to the safety of my sofa and just watch. ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY THE PICKLEBALL REVOLUTION continued from previous page

Mike serves as his partner, LaVaughn Jones, prepares for the return.

8 to 88

And guess what? Turns out that pickleball – with its small court (less than half the the size of a tennis court), light ball and paddles, and underhand serves (which make both serving and returning far less intimidating)—is the perfect activity for old geezers like me.

It’s also ideal for kids. And plenty of younger adults in fighting fettle are also taking the pickleball challenge. All of which means that, regardless of whether you’re 8 or 88, pickleball could just be your bread and butter.

It combines elements of badminton, tennis and ping pong, and (to put it as simply as possible) involves using a paddle made of solid wood or composite material to hit a modified Wiffle ball over a net that’s not quite as high as a tennis net. It can be played indoors, or outdoors on tennis courts, or anywhere else that will accommodate the portable net.

And the best part? You can find pickleball being played at dozens of locations all over Delaware and nearby areas of Pennsylvania. It even turns out that my own go-to fitness center, the Western YMCA in Newark, hosts twice-weekly open pickleball on its basketball court for anyone who wants to learn and play.

I showed up at the Western Y determined to become an overnight pickleball sensation, but first I had to learn the rules.

Most of them are similar to other racquet or paddle sports: only the serving team can score points, the serve has to drop into a certain area, etc. Also, you can’t step into the area in front of the net (“the kitchen’). A few of the rules on serving are a bit arcane, but worry not. First timers will find plenty of people on hand to help them with the finer points.

Most games are doubles matches. After some relaxed volleying I joined a foursome and almost immediately the immortal phrase “not as easy as it looks” came to mind as I proceeded to make a garish lampoon of myself, flailing about haplessly and sending balls spinning willy-nilly in every direction. And that’s when I wasn’t whiffing and missing the ball completely, like Stevie Wonder in a batting cage. Part of it was sheer lack of coordination and part of it was adapting to the pickleball itself. I learned that a perforated plastic ball just doesn’t have the same lively bounce as a tennis ball.

72 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Mike, getting the hang of a new sport.

PATIENCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT

And while serving underhanded is less intimidating than doing it tennis style, dropping the ball into that (seemingly) postage-stamp-sized quadrant on the other side of the net was an exercise in vexation. I couldn’t decide whether to swear or dissipate in a fog of shame, but the other players were saint-like in their patience and unfailingly encouraging.

Another problem was mobility. As one of my opponents, John Weiss, would tell me later, “At first it was like my feet were encased in cement. Now I’m finding my balance and moving around more.”

Weiss’ story is one I heard over and over again. A transplanted New Yorker—he and his wife moved to Delaware to be closer to their kids—he first learned about pickleball from a 77-year-old friend in his 55+ community. Weiss had reservations about taking up the sport, until, that is, his wife, tired of him sitting around the house, said, “Get off your butt and go do it.”

Weiss used to play handball, and it was then he learned never to underestimate older folks. “I was young, and I thought I was pretty good,” he says. “Then I ran into this guy, he had to be 30 years older than me and his ass was as wide as the court. And let me tell you, he taught me a thing or two.”

COMPETITIVE OR NOT COMPETITIVE?

Weiss says he doesn’t want pickleball to “be a competitive thing.” He’s had run-ins with people who take the game very seriously—including “a table tennis guy with a wicked spin”—but says, “I’m just here to have fun. I’m not here to cut your throat.” And good thing—he could have cut mine in a New York minute.

I also spoke to LaVaughn Jones, a very active (and imposingly bulked-up) 65-year-old weight-lifter with a fascinating backstory.

In 1979, a far svelter Jones won the National Championship in Artistic Roller Skating, and this after having only taken up the sport seriously the year before.

A series of leg injuries put an end to his roller-skating ambitions, but he stayed in shape. He never went in for tennis. “I always thought it was a rich man’s game,” he says. And he had never held a racquet until three months ago, when a friend at the YMCA asked him to play pickleball. ► MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY

“What’s pickleball?” he asked.

Since then, Jones has become an avid player, and unlike THE PICKLEBALL REVOLUTION Weiss, the former roller-skating champion still harbors a continued from previous page healthy competitive streak. ”I want to win,” he says. “Every time they hit the ball my way, I want to slap it back so they can’t get it.” Toward that end, he’s trying to learn some ping pong tricks: “I want to put some spin on the ball,” he says. “I’ve got a little spin, but I have a long way to go.”

Jones has to up his game, because, in his words, “I’ve played against some younger guys and they take it very seriously. Some of them are in their 20s, and they’ve got to beat you.”

But, he says, “I’m getting better and better. All you have to do is keep on playing.”

Speaking of the younger set, I ran across a Wunderkind in Steve Taylor, a 20-year-old brand newbie (“Today is the first time I’ve ever held a racquet,” he told me) who proceeded to demonstrate—by leaping, smashing and generally covering the entire court himself— the fantastic possibilities of the sport.

Pickleball has definitely caught on at the Western Family YMCA. According to pickleball program Coordinator Terri Rex, the Y’s Youth Director is considering starting a league.

Rex herself has been pickleballing only a few months. When her boss told her she’d be running the pickleball program, she said helplessly, “But I don’t know how to play.” To which her superior replied, “Get online and learn.”

Me, I’m beginning to love the game. I face some challenges. For one thing, I’m mildly ambidextrous and I have a disconcerting tendency to switch the racquet from hand to hand so as to never have to volley backhanded, which makes my fellow players look at me funny and probably doesn’t improve my game much. But I can’t seem to stop it.

That said, I’ve settled on serving right-handed and I’m beginning to surprise myself with some sustained volleying. As Jones says, practice makes perfect, and I feel as if I’ve gone from being in a real pickle to actually relishing the sport.

Interested in finding a game near you? Check firststatepickleball.org, which promises to keep you abreast of “pickle events” and “local court news.”

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74 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

13TH ANNUAL

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PRIX WEEKEND

FRI-SUN | MAY 17-19, 2019 “The Wilmington Grand Prix has become one of the premier cycling events in the nation.”

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MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

75

presents the

SAT. MARCH 9, 8PM 29th Annual

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PLAY

(L-R) Stan Sykora, Gina Sykora, photo-bomber, Ron Coppola and Mindy Coppola at Trolley Tap House for the St. Paddy’s Loop 2018. Photo Anthony Santoro

IRISH SPRING City goes all out when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day

T

he celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is big in Wilmington. So big, in fact, that this year the festivities span two weekends.

Wilmington’s annual rite of spring kicks off with the 29th annual St. Paddy’s Loop on Saturday, March 9, beginning at 8 p.m. This is the first time in Loop history that the St. Paddy’s Loop is happening on a different day than the Irish Culture Club of Delaware’s annual parade. However, with the traditional St. Patrick’s Day falling on Sunday, March 17, Loop venues thought it wise to space things out.

Ten clubs will participate in the Loop, with a one-time $10 cover gaining you admission to all venues. Your admission wristband also will display a discount code, entitling you to special pricing for Lyft ride-share services. In addition,

Guinness beer and Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey specials will be featured at all Loop venues. For the complete Loop roster, visit OutAndAboutNow.com A weekend later, the Irish Culture Club’s 44th St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Hooley will take place on March 16. The parade, which lasts about one hour, begins at Fourth and King streets at noon and proceeds up King to 15th Street. Immediately following the parade, the Irish Culture Club’s traditional Hooley will take place at the corner of King & 12th streets. Tickets to the Hooley are $20 for those 21 years or older and entitle you to a commemorative mug with unlimited beer until 4 p.m. For more information, visit IrishDe.org.

— Out & About OCTOBER MARCH 2017 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

77 71

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Friday April 5th at St. Elizabeth’s Grant Hall in Wilmington Doors open at 6:00 / Bingo begins at 7:00 $25 in advance / $30 at the door We will play 20 rounds with 20 gorgeous handbags, along with a variety of amazing raffle baskets, for our lucky winners!

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78 MARCH 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A Week of Prix-Fixe Dining at Wilmington’s Premier Restaurants

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April 8-13 Mark Your Calendar Now

8th and Union Kitchen | Bardea Food & Drink | Cafe Mezzanotte | Chelsea Tavern | Columbus Inn Domaine Hudson | Ernest & Scott Taproom | Green Room | La Fia | Mikimotos | Piccolina Toscana Tonic Bar and Grille | University and Whist Club | Walter’s Steakhouse | Washington Street Ale House

LUNCH: 2 courses $15 | DINNER: 3 courses $35

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