Out & About Magazine - March 2020

The Warehouse Looks To Inspire Local Teens

The Benefits of Meditative Walking

Reducing, Recycling And Reusing at Home

T H E N AT U R E E D I T I O N

FOR THE

BIRDS

Birders and brewers team up to conserve Delaware’s shores

MARCH 2020 COMPLIMENTARY

Fresh salmon hand cut in-house & roasted on a cedar plank for the perfect flavor. Only at Ted’s.

B E H I N D C H R I S T I A N A M A L L | 3 1 9 4 FA S H I O N C E N T E R B O U L E VA R D N E WA R K , D E 1 9 7 0 2 | 3 0 2 . 3 6 6 . 1 6 0 1 | T E D S M O N TA N AG R I L L .C O M H A P P Y H O U R : M O N - F R I 4 P M - 6 : 3 0 P M ( B A R & PAT I O O N LY )

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2/19/20 4:20 PM

1,982 square miles of living big.

Working in Delaware is serious business. Every day we feed the country, cure diseases, build spacesuits, and finance dreams.

Living here is serious business too. When you want to take a break from a career in one the most innovative states in the country, you can hit one of 17 state parks, hundreds of miles of trails, or unwind on one of the 380 miles of shoreline throughout the state.

When you really want to get away, you’re in the epicenter of the mid-Atlantic – an easy drive to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, and DC.

More opportunities for working. More opportunities for living.

That’s what you can expect from a state our size.

ChooseDelaware.com

12 DECEMBER 2019 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PIKE CREEK • MARKET ST. DOWNTOWN • MAIN ST. NEWARK • BRANMAR PLAZA • TROLLEY SQ.

2 INSIDE 2

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33 Out & About Magazine Vol. 33 | No. 1

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

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

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

49

Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Creative Director Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Digital Services Director Michael O’Brian Contributing Designer Blair Lindley, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Contributing Writers Danielle Bouchat-Friedman Adriana Camacho-Church, Cindy Cavett, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Lauren Golt, Jordan Howell, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Dillon McLaughlin, Ken Mammarella, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Leeann Wallett

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Butch Comegys, Lindsay duPhily, Anthony Santoro, Matt Urban Distribution David Hazardous Special Projects Sarah Green, Bev Zimmermann

START

EAT

8 Worth Recognizing 9 War On Words 10 By The Numbers 11 FYI 13 The Front Yard Revolution 15 A Place to Call Their Own 21 She’s No. 1

49 Curbing At-Home Food And Packaging Waste 55 Bites

FEATURES

DRINK

15 A Place to Call Their Own

FOCUS

51 Something Right About The Play That Goes Wrong 61 Looking Back on the Oscars

26 Rambler Takes Flight 32 Adventuresome Afternoon 33 Fresh Air, Fresh Perspective

WILMINGTON 41 On The Riverfront 44 In The City 46 Art Loop

56 Sips

WATCH

LISTEN 63 Eyebawl Opens Up 66 Tuned In

PLAY 67 St. Patrick’s Loop 69 5 Questions with Colin Quinn

The Warehouse offers city teens skills, exercise and more.

By Larry Nagengast

21 She’s No. 1 Being first has become a habit for Goldey-Beacom’s president.

By Kevin Noonan

26 Rambler Takes Flight Mispillion River Brewing’s Red Knot Rambler hopes to raise funds and awareness for bird conservation.

By Jim Miller

33 Fresh Air, Fresh Perspective Practicing mindfulness outside brings multiple rewards.

By Pam George

On the Cover: Illustration by Matt Loeb.

Printed on recycled paper.

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

49 Curbing At-Home Waste Reduce, reuse and recycle by following these tips.

By Leeann Wallett

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

5

WILMINGTON ALLIANCE: WORKING FOR YOU

Small cities across America have been part of an economic development resurgence led by the private sector who is striving to create inclusive economic environments across urban landscapes. Wilmington is amongst those cities gaining momentum to achieve what Brookings titles an “Innovation City.”

It is predicted that Wilmington, which is strategically located, politically connected and offers a myriad of resource opportunities, is becoming more and more appealing to entrepreneurs, investors, small and midtier companies that seek to create or locate new business in this region. Wilmington is on a precipice starting to demonstrate significant growth, accelerated by fueling several strong foundational policies, and programs that invigorate our economic engine and help drive a robust innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The Wilmington Alliance stands ready to work strategically with partners who are aligned with this vision to become a regional and national emerging small city of growth. We will do this by working hand in hand with organizations such as the National League of Cities, Philadelphia Reserve, and will seek technical support through the learnings of Brookings. Wilmington will continue to emerge as one of the most vibrant small cities in the nation and the Alliance will be there to help that growth occur through the lens of inclusivity.

Part of that strong inclusive and vibrant economic engine is a skilled workforce—a strong landscape stimulates a productive and efficient economy and is paramount to Wilmington’s growth and ability to compete regionally.

Getting the workforce component right has local, regional as well as global ramifications to the state’s economy. To become relevant and be competitive we must be innovative, nimble and responsive while demonstrating the ability to be at the forefront in an ever-changing market.

Generation Programs proudly supported by

Since 2017, the Alliance and its partners have made workforce development one of its targeted strategies increasing the employability and employment of its Wilmington-based citizens into viable, high-growth employers. As part of our partnership with the national organization Generation, a unique provider of solutions for the growing demand and need for workers, the Alliance has engaged over 40 of Wilmington’s largest employers to launch soft skills and targeted job training programs for both the construction and financial services industries in Wilmington. The Generation programming in Wilmington boasts graduates from the Universal Banker as well as the Universal Construction program in 12 months, a 92% job placement rate overall into better-paying jobs. This 100% funded private/public endeavor has created a scalable, replicable model that can pivot quickly to our workforce needs now and in the future. Other verticals are being explored, and the creation of an equitable process to mitigate barriers to employability and employment are being pursued with fervor. We are committed to equalizing this aspect for financial wealth attainment for all our citizens.

Wilmington Alliance and Generation are hoping for more connection between Wilmington residents and life changing opportunities in the City of Wilmington.

Building on what is working and doing more of it!

Wilmington has all the components to support the innovation.

Follow @WilmingtonAlliance

Free!

NO COST TRAINING: Programs are free for students, and many offer paid stipends.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

• UNIVERSAL BANKING 5 Week Program

• PRE-APPRENTICE CONSTRUCTION HELPER 6 Week Program

Learn more about the workforce development programs at: https://usa.generation.org/wilmington-de

Wilmington is on the move— and we are so proud to know, work along, partner with and share in our city’s story!

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK:

WilmingtonAlliance.org

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INCLUSION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CREATIVE PLACEMAKING

START

MEGAN CHEN:

WORTH RECOGNIZING Community Members Who Go Above & Beyond

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IT’S ALL AT THE YMCA Hundreds of classes, personalized fitness plans, child care, saunas, pools and more included in your membership!

Plus, join in March and pay NO JOINER FEE! www.ymcade.org Financial assistance is available.

egan Chen, 17, uses her writing, art, and gardening passions to solve problems.

She is the founder and director of The Urban Garden Initiative (TUGI), a nonprofit aimed at spreading environmental and sustainability education through urban gardening.

She’s also the author and co-illustrator of Finding Tiger, a self-published picture book about implicit bias and stereotyping, and she is an advocate for Megan Chen education reform.

“I think my main motivation is creating and designing solutions to problems that I truly care a lot about,” says the Newark Charter School student. “Instead of simply sitting there and hearing about all of these huge issues in the world today and either not doing anything at all or just sharing what happened in social media, I want to create impact that can leave tangible solutions. If you have the power and capability to create a difference, then you should utilize that power to help others.”

When Chen heard about food deserts—urban communities where it is difficult to find affordable or fresh food—she set up TUGI to teach inner-city kids about sustainability. She has taught more than 500 youths in New Castle County how to start container gardens from seed. She says that besides providing access to fresh, affordable food, TUGI teaches pre- through middle-school students about the impacts of climate change. She hopes that the younger generations will find their own solutions to create a greener, better, safer planet.

Chen’s struggle with culture identity as an Asian American inspired Finding Tiger.

Published in 2018, the book, for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, focuses on a young tiger who overcomes a self-identity crisis. Chen has read her book in dozens of schools in New Castle County and created a curriculum that encourages interactive discussions about the effects of stereotyping and ways to solve the problem. More than 50 schools throughout New Castle County have incorporated her curriculum.

Her advocacy for education reform comes from her experiences with Delaware’s Dual School and New York’s GripTape. The organizations provide resources and mentors to help teens turn project ideas into reality. GripTape gave Chen $500 to help her publish Finding Tiger. The non-profits are part of an effort to transform America’s education system to better fit the needs of students by having them work on projects they are passionate about.

“Through these experiences,” Chen says, “I’ve come to realize there’s a really big disparity between normal, public high school and programs like Dual School and GripTape. I think a balance is needed between what students learn in the classroom and what they learn by working on projects that help them feel fulfilled.”

Zachary Jones, executive director of the Dual School, says Chen has shown students in the program what’s possible. “Her story and progress is impressive. She’s the one who wrote a book and made her project tangible, opening up possibilities in people’s minds.”

Chen, who speaks English, Chinese and French, has received a number of recognitions and awards, including the National NFPW Gold Medal for Environmental Journalism. She writes for several online magazines about the environment, gun control, women’s rights and other social issues.

She plans to pursue a degree in public policy or social entrepreneurship.

For more information about TUGI, visit theurbangardeninitiative.org/about.

— Adriana Camacho-Church

8 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Photo courtesy of Megan Chen

Creating ‘Tangible Solutions’

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

Thank you, Super Bowl The Super Bowl and its endless media coverage proved to be a bonanza for “War.” Examples: • In an ESPN feature, Jerry Jones, the loquacious owner of the Dallas Cowboys, said the charge that he is constantly meddling in coaching decisions is “a misnomer.” Like many people, he apparently doesn’t know that misnomer means a wrong or inaccurate name or designation. What he meant was misconception. It’s truly a case of irony that the way misnomer is used is often a misnomer.

• Mark Mervine, an English teacher at Charter School of Wilmington, reminds us that in Kansas City’s last Super Bowl appearance—50 years ago—Chiefs Coach Hank Stram was mic’d up and was heard to utter this now famous line: “Just keep matriculatin’ the ball down the field, boys.” He thus convinced a generation of football fans that matriculate means to “progress” or “advance.” Not so. It means to enroll as a member of a body, especially of a college.

• And then there was this caption from USA TODAY: “Actor Tony Shaloub is among those who is not sad the Patriots are not in the Super Bowl.” That second “is” should be are; it refers to “those.”

Media Watch The Wilmington News Journal and USA TODAY dominate this month’s errata: • From Delawareonline: “Yet President Trump will still eek out reelection, in part by flipping Virginia.” If Trump does eke out a victory, it will no doubt elicit cries of “Eek!” from Democrats.

• Jarrett Bell in USA TODAY, writing about an on-field altercation between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers: “. . . guard David DeCastro was diffusing the situation.”

Bell thus joins the legion of writers who use diffuse/diffusing to mean defuse/defusing.

• Joe DeCamara, host on SportsRadio 94WIP, referring to the Houston Astros’ World Series title: “They should put an asterik next to that.” For some reason, many people mispronounce asterisk (“asterix” is another popular variation), but a sports talk show host should not be among them. It’s pronounced pretty much as it’s spelled: asta-risk.

Word of the Month

rodomont Pronounced RAH-duh-mont, it’s a noun meaning a vain boaster.

(Wait. Is that redundant?)

By Bob Yearick

• Dr. Donna Patterson, associate professor of history and chair of Delaware State University’s Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy, wrote this in TNJ: “Yet we cannot permit what is at best homogenization and at worse appropriation to turn history on its ear.”

The comparison is best to worst.

• Novelist Lee Child, in Worth Dying For, And I wish I had a dollar for has his hero, Jack Reacher, say: “That old every time I've seen "every barn and that old shed fell right between time" misspelled as one word. the cracks.” Things and people fall through cracks and between slats.

• Reader Mike Dinsmore spotted this in the TNJ sports section: “Stefanie, who scored her 1,000th point earlier this year and is being highly recruited, will take the reigns next season in what will be the final year John gets to coach a daughter.” Stefanie will reign while taking the reins.

How Long, Oh Lord, How Long?

(In which we point out the continued abuse of that most misused punctuation mark, the apostrophe) Reader Jim Berman gives us this unbelievable gaffe from TNJ: “Now the five-month wait begins until Firefly Music Festival kick’s off in Dover for its ninth year.” Even verbs aren’t safe from this ongoing atrocity.

Department of Redundancies Dept.

Mark Medina, in USA TODAY: “The Pelicans expect a sold-out capacity crowd . . .”

Literally of the Month This one comes from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell via reader Larry Kerchner: “Partisanship has literally consumed the House of Representatives.” Don’t think so, Mitch. The House still stands.

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

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

START

by the numbers RESTON K & WINE

SPIRITS

Celebrating 87 Years

BOURBON LOVERS! We Hand Selected a

JACK DANIEL’S SINGLE BARREL!

A few facts about nature in Delaware

25 Percentage of farmland preserved in all three counties.

Only 60 Barrels Were Available in the Country!

We are the ONLY ONE to have this opportunity in Delaware, Pennsylvania & Maryland.

THIS WILL NOT LAST! It’s whiskey as nature intends it—bottled staight from from the barrel at its full proof. Intense, smooth, and remarkably varied. ~ vanilla and toasted oak flavors ~

DELAWARE’S OLDEST LIQUOR STORE FAMILY OWNED FOR FOUR GENERATIONS Large selection of Wine, Spirits, Beer & Growlers

Open 7 Days MIDDLETOWN 448 E. Main Street Middletown, DE 19709 Tel: (302) 376-6123

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

KRESTONWINES.COM 10 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

134 Acres, in thousands, of Delaware farmland permanently preserved by Gov. John Carney.

26 21 98 Acres, in thousands, in the Delaware Park system.

Number of designated bird-watching locations in the state.

40

Number of statewide locations of the Delaware Outdoor Trail, with more than 60 activities.

Number of hiking, biking, running, and mountain biking trails in the state, ranging from .6 to 19.7 miles, and from 3 to 446 feet above sea level.

START STATE TOURISM SETS RECORDS

D

F.Y.I. Things worth knowing

ART MUSEUM FEATURES LOCAL ARTISTS

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or more than 50 years, Margo Allman and Helen Mason have challenged traditional expectations for contemporary art in the greater Wilmington area. The Delaware Art Museum is celebrating these two pioneering artists with Layered Abstraction: Margo Allman & Helen Mason, a Distinguished Artist Series retrospective, in its premier exhibition gallery space from March 21 through Sept.

6. Both Allman and Mason have dedicated their artistic careers to exploring the infinite possibilities of abstraction. Visit delart.org for the latest exhibitions, programs and performances at the museum.

ART CONTEST FOR GRADES 6-12

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ilmington City Council and the Rodney Square Conservancy are inviting students grades 6-12 to be a Rodney Square student artist. The competition is being held in coordination with the current refurbishment of Rodney Square, which in 2011 was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Each design should be the student’s original work (one entry per student). Deadline for entries is April 9. A seven-member jury will decide the winners, with cash and other prizes awarded. The works will be displayed at Rodney Square this spring or summer.

For more on the competition, contact Jim Tevebaugh at jtevebaugh@comcast.net.

elaware tourism experienced a record-breaking year in 2018 as the state welcomed 9.2 million visitors, who accounted for $3.5 billion in economic impact. According to data from the Delaware Tourism Office, visitors paid $545.1 million in state and local taxes and fees, without which each Delaware household would have had to pay an additional $1,562 in taxes. “Tourism is . . . our fourth-largest private employment sector and a vital part of the state economy,” Gov. John Carney said in his State of the State Address.

For visitors to Delaware, the most popular activities in 2018 were, in order, tax-free shopping, dining and beaches.

Visitors spent an average of $346 during their stay in 2018.

WITN22 SHOW SPOTLIGHTS ‘EVERYDAY PEOPLE’

I

ndia Sage Williams, a reporter with WITN22—Wilmington's information television network—is the host of a new talk show on the network, Everyday People with India Sage. The show, Williams says, “uncovers stories of extraordinary people who live in or are from Wilmington, and tells how each guest has found a way to give back or help their community and the world in some way.” Filmed at The Grand Opera House every third Tuesday of the month, the show can be seen live at 8 p.m. on Channel 22. It also can be seen online by going to www.WITN22.ORG and clicking the live cast link. The full episode of the show is available on WITN22WILM YouTube channel.

Search “Everyday People with India Sage.”

ART CONTEST FOR THE COMMUNITY

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CC heARTed is a county-wide art contest and pop-up art show that demonstrates what residents love about their communities. To enter, create a piece of art (any form), snap a picture of it, and submit to nicole.sexton@newcastlede. gov by May 8. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: adults, teens and children.

All art images will be printed on postcards and displayed at Glasgow Park Bank Barn at a pop-up art show on June 5.

TWIN POETS DOC PREMIERS MARCH 4

T

he work and words of Delaware’s Twin Poets is the subject of Art for Life, a documentary film premiering Wednesday, March 4, at Penn Cinema Riverfront at 7 p.m. The film is a follow-up to 2010’s award-winning Why I Write: The Story of the Twin Poets. Art for Life is also the name of the nonprofit established by twin brothers Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Al Mills as they continue to promote the use of art as a powerful tool for effecting social change.

Art for Life, produced by Hearts and Minds Film and TELEDUCTION, picks up the narrative of the Twin Poets.

Chukwuocha is now a Delaware State Representative and the twins have been named Poets Laureate of Delaware.

Seating for the March 4 showing is on a first-come, first-served basis.

BASKETBALL & ART AT BLUE COATS

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he Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, will host ART MADNESS on Saturday, March 21, at the 76ers Fieldhouse. A pop-up art gallery and basketball-themed art competition featuring local visual artists, presented by The Sold Firm, will offer fans the opportunity to purchase artwork, prints, apparel and more from a host of local vendors, in addition to enjoying live painting and art demos.

Artists interested in entering the competition or reserving pop-up gallery space to vend must access the “Blue Coats Events” tab at thesoldfirm.com. Space is limited and will be assigned on a firstcome, first-served basis. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the Blue Coats tip off with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at 7 p.m. For tickets, which include the basketball game and the art show, visit bluecoats.gleague.nba.com.

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to local youth sports programs.

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

My Sinatra SUN | MAR 8 | 2PM | $35-$43

THE PLAYHOUSE ON RODNEY SQUARE

Deadgrass

MARCH 12-15

FRI | MAR 13 | 8PM | $25

Cary Hoffman brings Sinatra to life in concert version of hit off-Broadway show

Your favorite Grateful Dead songs with a bluegrass twist

FRI | MAR 20 | 8PM | $34-$40

SUN | MAR 22 | 7PM | $38

We’re having a party!

The ultimate Jersey Shore rock band!

Scottish Celtic-rock bagpipe band with a show so hot, it carries its own health warning!

Folk music icon and Grand favorite: “genuine wit…poignant and elegant”

Classic Albums Live The Eagles Greatest Hits SAT | MAR 28 | 8PM | $34

Jim Witter’s Piano Men Time in a Bottle SAT | APR 4 | 8PM | $31-$37

Semi-Toned SUN | APR 5 | 3PM | $31-$37

Superfans of The Eagles will love this evening of their greatest hits!

Relive the music of Croce, Stevens, Taylor, and more with this interative concert

If you love Straight No Chaser, you’ll fall for this British all-male a cappella sensation

COMING SOON

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes THUR | MAR 19 | 8PM | $34-$41

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Tom Rush

COLIN JOST THE PLAYHOUSE ON RODNEY SQUARE | WED | APR 22 | 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.

12 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

NATURE

THE FRONT YARD

REVOLUTION Create a thriving ecosystem, one plant at a time

R

By Katie Bohri, Mt. Cuba Center

eusable straws and shopping bags, highefficiency cars and turning off the lights when leaving a room are some of the ways consumers consciously curb their impact on the environment. This spring, consider committing to something that heals the environment: your front yard.

A University of Delaware professor is something of a legend when it comes to researching and advocating for the hidden power of our yards. Dr. Doug Tallamy’s new book, Nature’s Best Hope (Timber Press, 2020), lays out a plan that any person can take into action, whether he or she stewards a hundred-acre wood, a suburban lawn, or a window box in the city. And it’s simpler than you think.

Remember learning about the food web in science class? The ways creatures connect to each other in a thriving ecosystem—an ecosystem upon which our lives depend—has everything to do with who eats who, and the plants that can convert sunlight into food to make up the foundational layer. These plants support all manner of insects and herbivores, which then support birds and other mammals, and on through the web.

Building habitat to support a strong ecosystem can simply mean cultivating the plants that can feed our insects—native plants. These plants support the poster children of conservation, like monarch butterflies and bees as well as the flies and beetles that are equal contributors to the system’s biodiversity.

Building habitat to support a strong ecosystem can simply mean cultivating the plants that can feed our insects—native plants.

Some Plants are Better than Others

Planting natives need not mean ripping out every patch of lawn and replacing it with a wild meadow. That would certainly help the environment, but it may not help the homeowner’s association’s opinion of your lot. Work incrementally to transform your yard into a healthy home for insects or, as Tallamy likes to call them, “the little things that run the world.”

Add a favorite perennial here and there, plant a tree and watch it grow over the years, or add a fruit-bearing shrub to draw birds to the window in wintertime.

Tallamy describes several elements of a home landscape that are powerhouses of ecological support, calling them keystone species. White oak trees, for example, support 534 species of insect larvae, and beech trees support 126 species. These are much better performers than a nonnative tree, like a zelkova, which supports near-zero insects, or an invasive Callery pear tree, which actually takes over the space from native plants.

Trees are the backbones of our landscapes and others add a painterly touch. Adding a favorite tree and perennial to the landscape —even if it’s a decorative container on the front porch— supports the environment and the beauty of our landscapes.

Take Inspiration

Meet the local biodiversity and natural wonder of native plants at Mt. Cuba Center, a botanical garden in Hockessin dedicated to putting the beauty of native plants and ecosystems on display. This spring is the Trillium Trek, where guests can explore Mt. Cuba Center’s lush woodland gardens to find 10 unique trilliums while they last. These fleeting flowers bloom for only a short period of time. The Trillium Trek is on display from April 15-May 24. Plan your visit at mtcubacenter.org.

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START

The Warehouse, in Northeast Wilmington, is a welcoming destination for the city's youth. Photo courtesy of Aimee Dilger

Thanks to many partners, The Warehouse offers city teens the opportunity to develop skills, exercise, check out career options and more

By Larry Nagengast

ith its motto, “For Teens, By Teens,” lettered under its name above the front doors, The Warehouse is a welcoming destination for kids who, for far too long, have had no better place to go.

When it opens during spring break week next month, the building in Northeast Wilmington will give teenagers from throughout the city more than just a new place to hang out. It also will provide a place to exercise, to do homework, to develop artistic talents, to investigate career options, and to develop healthy habits–all in an environment meant to be safer than the city streets where they had been spending their after-school hours.

“This is long overdue,” says 17-year-old Tyler Davis, a junior at Howard High School of Technology. “A lot of people are excited for it.”

Housed in the former Prestige Academy charter school building at 12th and Thatcher streets, The Warehouse is the first piece of the year-old REACH Riverside community initiative to spring to life.

(For more on REACH Riverside, see sidebar.)

The idea for it originated with Logan Herring, executive director of the Kingswood Community Center, who recognized that many organizations, including his own, were offering supervised afterschool programming for children in the elementary grades, but options for teenagers were largely limited to going home alone or hanging out on the streets.

The alternative Herring envisioned would address three key concerns of teenagers–violence in the city, supporting academics and promoting career readiness–while offering a diverse menu of recreational, educational, arts, career and health programming. ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START

JOIN US TO IMPACT CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SIP. SAMPLE. SUPPORT. March 27, 2020 6:30 p.m.

The Delaware Contemporary Tickets include wine, beer and food tastings along with music, dancing, silent auction and fun!

TICKETS:

Call the Central YMCA at (302) 254-9622.

All proceeds support the Downtown YMCA Annual Campaign and directly impacts the lives of youth, adults and families in our community.

16 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

At the start, Herring’s vision focused on Riverside, the community A PLACE TO CALL served by Kingswood–the northeast THEIR OWN corner of Wilmington, the area continued from previous page bordered by the Brandywine on the south, the city line on the north, North East Boulevard on the west and the Amtrak line and the Delaware River on the east. Realizing that this might be more than his own organization could handle, he imagined a collaboration with a handful of supporting nonprofits.

About three years ago, he pitched the concept to Reinventing Delaware, a We get to make a project of the Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation. As lot of decisions. organizations heard about We have input in his idea, it didn’t take long for more groups to what can happen. sign on. Quickly, he had close to 30 partners, and a realization that the project Just being involved had the potential to reach is very important. teens throughout the city.

Momentum grew in the summer of 2018. During the 2017-18 school year, Dual School, an experiential learning project created to give low-income students a chance to develop entrepreneurial projects with a social purpose, began programming at 1313 Innovation in Hercules Plaza.

Some of that first group of Dual School participants became the core team of teens that would push The Warehouse farther ahead.

They spent the summer visiting community centers and other sites that offered services to teens. They explored Riverside, becoming familiar with their neighborhood. They figured out what was available and, more importantly, what was missing. They held focus groups with their peers to learn what teens would want in a place they could call their own.

“We had a lot of challenges,” says Khi’Aire Martin, an 18-yearold Howard senior and member of the planning team. “We had to learn how to work together, to accept each other’s views.” “’For Teens, By Teens,’ that’s very important,” adds Anaya Patterson, a 16-year-old junior from Mount Pleasant High School.

“We get to make a lot of decisions. We have input in what can happen. Just being involved is very important.”

As the concept developed, that motto took on added breadth as the teens worked more and more with adults. In the past year, they met with architects, made presentations to Gov. John Carney and the General Assembly’s Black Caucus, participated in a press conference, and met with state officials and leaders of nonprofit organizations to discuss programming ideas.

Meanwhile, Herring and his fellow organizers kept moving ahead. By January not only had they built their roster of partnering organizations to a whopping 136, but they had also raised about $8 million to get the project off the ground, with $1 million from ChristianaCare and six-figure grants from the Longwood Foundation, WSFS Bank and CSC, according to Melody Phillips, director of operations at The Warehouse. Capital One Bank, which had been left holding the mortgage after Prestige Academy shut down, donated the school building early last year.

Photo Butch Comegys

The stretch drive to completing the project drew strong community support on Martin Luther King Day, as dozens of teenagers and adult volunteers pitched in to spruce up the building and the area outside the property. Indoors, the morning’s highlight was the work of teens painting a brightly colored mural featuring an image of Dr. King and three clenched fists-symbolizing strength, not violence–in what will become the Warehouse’s art room.

As the painting progressed, other teens from the planning team offered tours of the building.

When the renovations are completed, The Warehouse will take up about two-thirds of the main floor. In addition to the art room, its features include a small gymnasium, a workout room filled with fitness equipment, a demonstration kitchen with a double oven and cooktop, a dance room, a theater, a career and education room, study carrels and a conference room. In the center will be a large gathering area, equipped with tables and chairs, where teens can just hang out.

The rest of the main floor, on the south side, will provide office space for The Warehouse’s adult managers as well as for key partnering organizations. REACH Riverside will have its headquarters there. Both the state Department of Health and Social Services and Delaware State University’s Neighborhood Revitalization Project, which are planning expanded operations in Riverside, will have office space. So will Strive, an education nonprofit that focuses on developing character-driven leadership.

The second floor has been rented to Kingswood Academy, an alternative high school program for at-risk students previously housed at the former Holy Rosary School in Claymont.

Artist Jannah Williams, 23, of Camden, stands in front of a large mural of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which she designed at The Warehouse.

Phillips says The Warehouse expects to operate on a budget of $1 million to $1.3 million a year, with a combination of state funding, foundation and corporate grants, and rent payments from partners with office space in the building. “We met our targets for 2020 and now we’re working on raising money for 2021,” she says.

The Warehouse will have a “soft opening” during the week of April 13-17, with an official grand opening to be scheduled later, Phillips says.

Plans call for the teen center to be open weekdays from 3 to 9 p.m. during the school year and from noon to 9 p.m. during the summer months. Office space used by community groups will be open from 9 a.m. Weekend hours will be added this summer or fall, after staffing logistics are worked out, Phillips says. ►

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Photo Butch Comegys

Teens who participate in programs at The Warehouse A PLACE TO CALL won’t have to pay any dues or THEIR OWN fees, Phillips says, but they will continued from previous page have to fill out an application and complete a brief orientation to learn the “For Teens, By Teens” culture. Participants will receive a scannable membership card to use when they check in and to access a schedule of programs.

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The Dual School also anticipates moving some or all of its Wilmington operations into The Warehouse, most likely in the fall, says Zack Jones, the program’s director.

Other partners will offer occasional programming and training activities at The Warehouse. They include Boys & Girls Clubs, Delaware CAN, Delmarva Power, the state Department of Labor, Girls Inc., Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Public Allies, United Way and the West End Neighborhood House.

The teens who have been planning the project for nearly two years can’t wait to enjoy the benefits of the program they have helped to create.

Zorah Rothwell, a 16-year-old junior at Mount Pleasant, expects to be spending a lot of time in the demonstration kitchen, learning how to improve her cooking skills.

But that’s only part of her excitement.

“This is my whole life. I feel like I built this,” she says. “I’m going to be here the whole time.”

A young member of the Fashion Steppers Drill Team, based in Wilmington, goes airborne during a routine at the conclusion of a Unity March held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

At the start, The Warehouse anticipates serving about 250 teens, says Patrick Ryan, its director of programming.

“I don’t know how many we can expect,” says Patterson, one of the teen organizers. “It could be way too many, or only five, but what’s important is that we have the programming that is needed for the kids that do come.”

During the soft opening, The Warehouse will partner with Wilmington’s Department of Parks and Recreation in running a transportation loop that will also stop at the Hicks Anderson Community Center in West Center City and the Brown Boys & Girls Club on the East Side. If that proves workable, the hope is to expand the loop to include stops at other community centers that provide services to teens.

Several shuttle options are under consideration.

As part of its $1 million This is my whole life. grant, Christiana Care donated a 15-passenger I feel like I built this. bus that had been used to I'm going to be here transport employees and visitors between its sites. the whole time.

Also, The Warehouse is talking to the University of Delaware about using electric-powered buses that are part of UD’s experimental energy-saving vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project.

Programming at The Warehouse will be a collaborative effort involving about two dozen organizations–and perhaps more.

Groups that already have their own office space in and around Wilmington have committed to offering teen-oriented services during after-school hours. These include the Christina 18 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

The REACH Riverside revitalization will likely get its second big boost in May, when groundbreaking is anticipated for construction of 74 housing units near the intersection of Bowers Street and Todds Lane.

That will be the first step in the residential portion of the revitalization, says Logan Herring, CEO of REACH Riverside and executive director of the Kingswood Community Center. The phased project will eventually result in the demolition of nearly 300 outdated housing units operated by the Wilmington Housing Authority and their replacement with about 400 new homes, mostly two and three-bedroom units.

Of the first 74 units, 59 would be sold as affordable housing and 15 at market rates, Herring says. Prices won’t be determined until construction is nearly complete.

When it was announced more than a year ago, REACH Riverside (REACH is an acronym for Redevelopment, Education and Community Health) had its total costs estimated at about $100 million, with a timeline of 10 years, perhaps more, for completion. Other components of the plan include construction of a new Kingswood Community Center building and possible expansion of the Eastside Charter School to include high school grades.

Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit consulting organization based in Atlanta, has brought REACH Riverside into its national network of revitalization areas and is providing free technical assistance throughout the project’s planning and implementation.

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Dr. Colleen Perry Keith, who came from Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, calls Goldey-Beacom “an institution with so much history and so much to offer going forward.”

SHE'S NO.

1

Being first has become a habit for Goldey-Beacom’s president

By Kevin Noonan Photos by Justin Heyes

P

erhaps it was inevitable that Dr. Colleen Perry Keith ended up in The First State, since she seems to specialize in being first.

She scored multiple firsts in 2010, when she became the first woman, the first non-clergy and the first Catholic to be named president of Spartanburg Methodist College in Spartanburg, S.C. Then, in 2015, she became the first female president of Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, N.C. And now, in 2020, she is the first female president of GoldeyBeacom College in Delaware.

Keith, 57, was inaugurated as president last July 1, succeeding Dr. Gary Wirt, who retired after 45 years at the school on Limestone Road in Pike Creek. She is now well into her second semester on the job.

“It’s been a very smooth adjustment. Fortunately, this was the third time I’ve sat in this chair, so that helps when you’re adjusting to a new place,” Keith says of her third job as president in the last decade. “As far as the school is concerned, we have a lot of people here at Goldey-Beacom that have long tenures and that has helped me a lot, with the historical knowledge they have.” ►

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Those previous presidencies were a major factor in the decision SHE'S NO. 1 to hire her. After Wirt announced continued from previous page his decision to retire, the school’s board of trustees conducted an extensive national search, led by the Chicago-based firm of Witt/Kieffer. They received almost 200 applications, but Mark Olazagasti, the chairman of the board, says Keith stood above the crowd in many areas, including the fact that she had experience with new experiences.

“Goldey-Beacom had not gone outside of the institution [for a new president] as long as anybody could remember, so we thought it was extremely important to go outside the walls of Goldey-Beacom and expand our vision,” Olazagasti says. “Our desire was to have somebody who was external and somebody who had been through a transition like this before, somebody who had experience dealing with new situations and could handle that, as well as all of the other duties a college president has to deal with on a daily basis.”

“But that was just one part of it,” Olazagasti adds. “Throughout the process, she really stood out. When we first looked at the resumes, she was No. 1. Then, through the interviews, through the first cut, she was No. 1 again.”

“In the end, it was pretty unanimous.”

ON THE ROAD TO DELAWARE Keith is a native of Parish, N.Y., a town of a little more than 500 people–about the size of Dagsboro–located 20 miles north of Syracuse. So, if nothing else, she won’t be intimidated when the first big snowfall of the year hits Pike Creek.

Keith earned an undergraduate degree in political science from SUNY-Binghamton, then a master’s degree in education counseling from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Doctor of Philosophy in higher education administration and student affairs from Ohio State University.

She worked in college administration and enjoyed it, and says she had no desire to be the president of any college, much less three of them. Then a friend of hers, who was involved with Spartanburg Methodist, told her the school had an opening for president and urged her to apply. So, after investigating the school and discussing it with her husband, she did apply, but more as a lark than anything else.

“I was perfectly happy being a college administrator,” she says. “I loved raising money and working with students, and I never really wanted to be at the top. But I thought it might be a good opportunity and it was something totally different, and I liked the challenge of that. But I didn’t think for a second that I would get the job.”

But she did, and once she did, Keith discovered there was an unexpected reward from her new and much more influential position.

“I came to understand that this job helps people,” she says. “It helps make dreams come true.”

I came to understand that this job helps people.

It helps dreams come true.

22 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

But she soldiered on. She got a wig, pinned her tam to it and proceeded with the ceremony, a smile on her face the entire time.

“Luckily, I had already gotten some wigs and I just trimmed them up to look good,” she says with a laugh. “And once I pinned [the tam] on, it stayed on better than it ever has.”

It’s been nine years since then and Keith is now cancer-free, and, in her words, “a huge advocate” for yearly breast exams, which she says saved her life.

PERSONAL vs. PROFESSIONAL The move to Wilmington puts Keith closer to her parents in New York & her son in Washington, D.C.

As for her pioneering status at Spartanburg Methodist and beyond, Keith says she appreciated the significance of it, but didn’t dwell on it; at the time, she was moving to a new home in a new state and was more concerned with geography than history.

“I just viewed it like I would any position I accepted, and that’s to give it 150 percent and leave the place better than when I found it,” she says. “I know other people have discussed [her being the first female president], just like they did at Pfeiffer and now here at Goldey-Beacom, but it really hasn’t had the impact on me that I know it probably should.”

But as she got ready for her first year at Spartanburg Methodist, something happened that had a life-changing impact on Keith–she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery and went through chemotherapy sessions, and then, just before her inauguration as president, her hair fell out.

After four years at Spartanburg Methodist, Keith applied for and was awarded the job of president of Pfeiffer, another school affiliated with the Methodist Church. That made the transition to her new position an easy one.

“They knew me and I knew them,” she says.

Keith was happy at Pfeiffer and they were happy with her, but as she got older her perspective on life started to change, and certainly her bout with cancer influenced the way she and her husband, Barry Keith, looked at things. Family became more and more important and she wanted to be closer to their son, who lives with his girlfriend in Washington, D.C. (she’s still hoping for a wedding and grandkids, she says). Plus, her parents have stayed in upstate New York, and that is a long, long drive from North Carolina.

So, she started thinking about another career change when the position at Goldey-Beacom became open. Keith was familiar with the University of Delaware and Wilmington University, but she knew nothing of Goldey-Beacom. Like millions of other people, her only experience with Delaware had been driving through it on her way to someplace else. ►

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Once again she did her research, investigating the area and the SHE'S NO. 1 institution, which has been in continued from previous page existence since 1886–it was originally called Wilmington Commercial College and was located in downtown Wilmington, with an initial enrollment of five.

“When the job at Goldey-Beacom opened, it was such a good time for me personally, with my son and parents being so much closer than they had been,” Keith says. “At that point in time, we wanted to be more involved in their lives, especially since mom and dad are in their late 80s. We can just hop on a train to see our son, and my parents are now a four to five hour drive away, which is a lot better than 15. We’ve seen more of my parents in the last six months than we had the last couple of years.

“So, it was a good fit on the personal front. And then, professionally, I started investigating Goldey-Beacom and I discovered that it’s really a wonderful little place and very stable. It was a wonderful opportunity to join an institution with so much history and so much to offer going forward. The more I looked into it, the better it seemed, and, in the end, it was an easy decision, even though it was hard leaving [Pfeiffer], where I had made so many friends and where we had accomplished so much.”

Says Olazagasti, “Honestly, in the end, it wasn’t a tough sell for either side. I think we both knew early on that this was a good fit for everybody.”

So, she agreed to become the 14th president in Goldey-Beacom history and the Keith family–Colleen, Barry and their two English Bulldogs, Daisy and Bailey–packed up and moved into their new home on the Goldey-Beacom campus, ready for a new adventure.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Keith came to Delaware with plenty of ideas on how to enhance life at Goldey-Beacom, but before she could focus on increasing enrollment and improving facilities, her first priorities were a little more basic, such as finding a place to buy milk and bread. So, like any other person taking on a new job in a new state, she had to learn her way around and, once again, her experience at different jobs was an asset.

“Because this is the third time that I’ve done this, I’ve learned a few things about moving to a new place,” she says. “Finding doctors and dentists is the biggest thing, and things like finding somebody to do your hair.

Because of my experience, I tried to set that up before I even got here and that helped a lot, since it allowed me to focus more on the job and the school.

But you do have to take care of those everyday things that we usually take for granted.”

As for her agenda for Goldey-Beacom, Keith says her biggest priority is preparing students for life in the 21st century.

“Our mission is really to provide an education that enables students to get and keep and be successful in today’s job market and the job market of the future,” she says. “If you’re looking for career advancement and how you’re going to move ahead, those are the kinds of things Goldey-Beacom does very well.”

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Keith cites what she considers an important statistic–90 percent of Goldey-Beacom students have a full-time job or are attending graduate school within three months of graduating.

Now, she says, the key is to get the word out on the street that Goldey-Beacom is affordable (about $12,000 a year when automatic grants are awarded, which Keith admits is a successful marketing ploy), and also has much to offer in the way of social life and athletics. According to U.S. News and World Report, the median starting salary for a Goldey-Beacom graduate is $52,200.

A NIMBLE CURRICULUM “We have to do a better job marketing ourselves and letting people know who we are and what we can offer them,” Keith says.

“We have to make people realize that we can prepare them for the future, because there are jobs out there now that didn’t even exist five years ago, and five years from now there will be even more changes. We need to look at our curriculum so we can stay nimble.

“So, we want to address the needs of the present and, at the same time, look ahead to the future.”

It was that approach that got the attention of the board of trustees when they were interviewing candidates for the president’s position.

“She obviously had done her homework and was well prepared and she had a plan,” Olazagasti says. “It was important to us that she realized that Goldey-Beacom has a strong foundation and a great history, and we didn’t want somebody who would come in here and rip everything apart and start from scratch.”

Olazagasti’s roots at Goldey-Beacom run deep. He’s a member of the class of 1985 and left the school with a degree in business management, which he used as a springboard to his current career as managing partner of Info Solutions LLC, an IT infrastructure company located on Justison Street near the Wilmington Riverfront. Plus, his father, Milton Olazagasti, who died in 2010, was a long-time soccer coach at Goldey-Beacom and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2018.

“I know first-hand what a great institution Goldey-Beacom is right now, and how bright the future is,” Olazagasti says. “That’s something Dr. Keith realized right away. She saw that we’re on solid ground financially, and that’s something not all institutions can say. And she saw the potential for growth that we have at Goldey-Beacom.”

“It was pretty clear to all of us that Goldey-Beacom is on the verge of doing great things,” Olazagasti adds, “and we’re confident that Dr. Keith is the person to lead us where we want to go.”

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Local activists hope Mispillion River Brewing’s Red Knot Rambler will raise both funds and awareness for bird conservation efforts in Delaware

By Jim Miller

26 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

The Red Knot has become the “poster child” for Delaware’s coastal birds.

Photo Rob Robinson/Delaware Shorebird Project

L

ast fall, the journal Science published a report showing that over the past 50 years, North American bird populations have decreased by almost 30 percent.

Drawing on data collected over decades, scientists confirmed a net loss of approximately 3 billion birds since 1970.

For nature lovers worldwide, the report was alarming and discouraging. Locally, however, a collective of private and public partners refused to take the bad news sitting down.

In an ongoing effort that this year connects Delaware’s birds, beaches, and breweries—three drivers of tourism in the First State—this environmentally-minded partnership hopes to raise both awareness and funds in the fight to preserve local and migratory bird populations.

And now you can help the cause, even if it’s simply by enjoying a pint of local craft beer. In April, Mispillion River Brewing will release the Red Knot Rambler, a red IPA. Proceeds from sales will go toward purchasing more preserved lands for Delaware’s shore birds.

Here’s the story about bird-lovers trying to preserve our beaches, and a beer that is truly for the birds.

FIGHTING FOR FINE-FEATHERED FRIENDS

THE DELAWARE BAY IS RECOGNIZED AS BEING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CORRIDORS IN THE WORLD FOR THE MOVEMENT OF BIRDS. — Sally O’Byrne, Delaware Ornithological Society

“If you want to improve the world, start with appreciating what’s in the world around you and learn from it,” says Sally O’Byrne.

A naturalist at Delaware Nature Society, O’Byrne has spent a large amount of her life learning about and appreciating birds, and her studies and activism have made Delaware a better place for birds.

For more than 30 years, O’Byrne also served two terms as president of Delaware Ornithological Society (DOS). In 2018, DOS awarded her its Conservation Award.

“Sally’s contributions to DOS citizen science are extensive,” wrote DOS Conservation Chair Matt Sarver, citing O’Byrne’s involvement in area bird counts and studies starting in 1993.

“In the early 2000s, Sally’s coordination of the Russell Peterson Refuge Avian Survey was paramount in the creation of the Russell Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge,” Sarver continued, also noting that, before her time at DOS, her wildlife studies along the Christina River in 1979 helped lead to the creation of the Riverfront Development Corporation in Wilmington.

“Sally has been a Delaware Bird-A-Thon Committee member and highly successful Bird-A-Thon participant for the past 11 years, personally raising tens of thousands of dollars for habitat conservation,” Sarver added.

Bird-A-Thon began 13 years ago as an attempt to focus on the plight of the Red Knots, migratory shore birds that stop to feed along the Delaware beaches on their journey back north every spring. Researchers estimate that the average Red Knot doubles its body weight while feeding on the eggs of horseshoe crabs on the Delaware Bay. “Delaware is very important as a migratory flyway,” O’Byrne says. “The Delaware Bay is recognized as being one of the most important corridors in the world for the movement of birds. ►

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo courtesy of the Delaware Ornithological Society

RAMBLER TAKES FLIGHT continued from previous page

Naturalist Sally O’Byrne has been a lead activist in the effort to conserve coastal lands.

“There is a massive migration of shore birds that spend the winters in South America and nest in the tundra [north of the United States]. For many of them, a major stopping ground where they bulk up with food is in the Delaware Bay, and it’s perfectly timed with horseshoe crab eggs. The spawning of the horseshoe crabs is what feeds them.”

In the early-to-mid-‘90s, studies indicated that the numbers of horseshoe crabs and shorebirds were on the decline, a result of development on the bay shores and—although hard to believe— the over-harvesting of horseshoe crabs.

“Smoked eel is huge in Europe,” O’Byrne says. “And with the Jimmy Buffett craze [in the ‘90s], conch chowder became very popular for a while. Horseshoe crab is good bait for either of them.

It really ticked upwards in the ‘90s because of the growing demand for eel and conch. With demand in the Virginias and the Carolinas, they started exporting [horseshoe crabs] out of the state.”

Surprisingly, there is also a medicinal use for the horseshoe crab.

“Horseshoe crab blood has anticoagulant properties that are very unique, making it very important for medicine,” says O’Byrne.

“So there are some big firms in New Jersey where they harvest horseshoe crabs.”

For DOS members, the writing was on the wall: Fewer horseshoe crabs on Delaware beaches meant fewer horseshoe crabs eggs, which in turn meant less food for migrating birds like the Red Knot. The fragile ecosystem revealed its vulnerability.

Through Bird-A-Thon, DOS members hoped to raise funds to buy coastal land that would help preserve the ecosystem and the feeding grounds for migrating shorebirds.

The goal the first year was to raise $17,000 to buy 17 acres of Fowler Beach, just east of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

Bird-A-Thon teams took pledges to see how many birds they could find in one 24-hour period.

“This is an organization whose [previous] major fundraisers had been book sales and bake sales,” O’Byrne admits. “We did not have a history of raising money. We are completely volunteer.”

The event exceeded the goal by raising $21,000.

28 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

“We were blown away by our own efforts because we had never done anything like that,” O’ Byrne says. “Now in our 13th year, we have raised well over $500,000, and we have helped purchase almost 2,000 acres of preserved land in Delaware. That [effort] has been in partnership with The Conservation Fund, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and Delaware Wild Lands. We’ve worked with all three [to purchase the land].“For all of those groups, gathering money in a partnership way creates a match, it creates goodwill, and it makes you have a sense of community. So it’s been a very successful program.”

This year the partnership looks forward to another source to generate funds for buying preserved lands. That source may be on tap at a bar near you.

Later this spring, along with the arrival of thousands of migratory birds on Delaware’s shores, Red Knot Rambler will be released by Mispillion River Brewing, and proceeds of sales will go toward the conservation effort.

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“The Red Knot is a poster child for the shore birds,” O’Byrne says.

It was a perfect match for Mispillion, a brewery fond of naming its beers after wild animals – e.g., Space Otter, War Badger, Lightning Bug—or featuring various comical creatures on their colorful cans. One of Mispillion’s best sellers, Reach Around IPA, has a grinning sloth, its limbs clutching a tree.

For Eric Williams, who founded Mispillion River Brewing on the outskirts of Milford in 2013, there was another reason creating the beer was a good match. As an avid outdoorsman, fisherman, and hunter, Williams values conservation efforts.

“I studied wildlife biology at University of Montana, and I focused on fisheries,” Williams says. “But my passion was always birds and birding. I was very good at picking out which birds were what, from raptors, to ducks, to songbirds.”

But even he admits he did not know how popular the Red Knot is to the international birding community.

“I knew about the Red Knot,” Williams says, “and I knew that the Delaware Bay coastline is conducive to the survival of these birds and their migration. But I didn’t know that people from all over the world come here during the month of May for the bird counts.” ►

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UPCOMING EVENTS WITH

RAMBLER TAKES FLIGHT continued from previous page

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Lauren Bigelow, who has worked at Mispillion for six years under the tonguein-cheek title of “Marketing Ninja,” remembers the day O’Byrne and her team came to the brewery to discuss doing a beer for the project. Bigelow had been meeting with Williams and Mispillion COO Ryan Maloney when fate opened a door.

“It was literally the day we were having a discussion about what organizations we wanted to be associated with in terms of nonprofit work going forward,” Bigelow says. “We talked about how both Eric and Ryan naturally geared towards conservancy efforts because they're both hunters. And they [O’Byrne’s team] walk through the door 10 minutes later.”

It was meant to be. But kismet didn’t stop there.

“That was a weird moment, too,” Bigelow says, a touch of astonishment still in her voice. “We had been talking earlier that day about artists, and Ryan was talking about how he just wished he’d be able to create something like [Delaware nature artist] Richard Clifton had.”

Later, as the birders and the brewers talked about the project, O’Byrne asked the Mispillion team what DOS could do to help make the beer a reality. The topic of package art came up.

“They were like, ‘What was your wish list?’” Bigelow recalls. “And we said, ‘Well, Richard Clifton would be the obvious choice because he has such a reputation for painting local wildlife.” And they were like, “Oh, well, we know him; we can make that happen.”

Photo courtesy of the Delaware Ornithological Society

DOS secured this Richard Clifton painting for the Red Knot Rambler can art.

“And then he did it,” Williams adds.

As the process continued, it gained another partner. Enter Jason Weissberg, the local sales representative for Roy Farms, a major hops grower in Moxee, Wash.

“When Jason heard about it, he said, ‘I want to be a part of it,’” Williams says. Weissberg subsequently donated all the hops for the beer on behalf of Roy Farms. “And we’re still looking for other partners to team up with to celebrate the uniqueness of Delaware,” adds Williams.

The Red Knot Rambler is being brewed with darker malts to give it a bright red hue. It will be put on draft at exclusive accounts and will be sold in stores as 16-oz. can four-packs.

Both the brewers and birders hope it flies off the shelves.

“You go home at night feeling like you've not only just made some great award-winning beers, but that you’ve had a

positive impact, especially when it has to do with something local,” Williams says. “There's a lot of land that is fading away to houses and what-not and our beaches are always very, very fragile. They could go away at any moment.

“Maybe the Red Knot is the bird that helps people understand that we need to make sure that we preserve our coastal beaches.”

Mispillion will host a Red Knot Rambler Launch Party at the brewery on Saturday, April 18, with other events around the state to follow.

O’Byrne looks forward to the party after she returns from bird studies in New Zealand, where she’s spending the second half of February and the first half of March. She’s encouraged by the energy behind the project, but believes it will take a lot more like this one all over North America to get the bird population back to 1970 figures. She says the first step is getting out there in nature.

“There is not enough reflection in the world,” she says.

“There are not enough people who think about their place in the world and how important nature and wildlife is.

“If you take the time to absorb the sights and the sounds and the smells of nature—whether it’s in your backyard, canoeing on the Christina, or hiking in the Rocky Mountains—you will become a more grounded person. You will have a better sense of yourself and your place in the world. And that will help you make decisions about the world.”

The Red Knot Rambler Launch Party will take place at Mispillion River Brewing on Saturday, April 18, with other events to follow statewide. To learn more about the event, go to MispillionRiverBrewing.com. To discover how you can get involved with the Delaware Ornithological Society, go to DOSbirds.org.

REGISTER TODAY TO RACE OR VOLUNTEER!

April 17th & 18th

DELMARVA DASH RUNNING 200 MILES FOR KIDS WITH CANCER AT THE NEMOURS/ALFRED I. DUPONT HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN. WWW.DELMARVADASHRELAY.ORG

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

31

Photo courtesy of Delaware Wild Lands

FOCUS

The rally will include bird walks and ecology tours.

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n Outdoor Adventure Rally will be held at Delaware Wild Lands’ 1250-acre Roberts Farm on Saturday, April 4, from noon-4:30 p.m. It will be the inaugural year of the event, which is a collaboration between DWL, Delaware Nature Society and Delaware Ornithological Society.

“The location of the event is strategic,” says Kate Hackett, executive director of DWL, which owns Roberts Farm, a historic site once slated for development. “[We] are diligently working with other partners, like DNS and DOS, to raise awareness about the importance of natural resources in Middletown-OdessaTownsend (MOT).”

Middletown has grown by 18,000 residents in the past 10 years, according to its Chamber of Commerce, with an overall population of more than 80,000 expected by 2030.

The Adventure Rally is family-friendly and free, with a goal of introducing the three organizations to MOT residents and helping them explore outdoor activities and the many special aspects and outdoor amenities of the area.

“As a group of conservation organizations, we see the future of conservation in Delaware closely linked to the growing population of the MOT area and want to start cultivating a strong ethic of land and water conservation in our area,” says Hackett, whose organization has protected 31,600 acres since its creation in 1961 (DWL manages 21,600 acres of that land).

Activities at the Outdoor Adventure Rally will include bird walks, canoeing, ecology tours, wildlife tracking, an archaeology station, crafts and games. For more information, visit Delaware Wild Lands on Facebook or contact info@dewildlands.org.

— Out & About

32 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

FOCUS

Fresh Air, Fresh Perspective

Practicing mindfulness outside—‘forest bathing,’ anyone?—brings multiple rewards

A group walks through a meadow at Mt. Cuba Center. Photo courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center

By Pam George

W

hen Melissa Layfield is feeling overwhelmed, she takes a timeout. But not in the traditional face-thecorner meaning of that term. Instead, the busy mom of three ditches her shoes and socks and steps outside—no matter the weather.

“I stand in the dirt, grass or snow,” she says. “For a minute, I just look, listen, see and feel. I call it my ‘mindful minute.’ It’s a quick centering practice.” When she has more time, she and her children go on a hike in White Clay Creek Park, which adjoins her backyard.

Layfield and her kids aren’t the only ones marrying meditation and nature. More people are finding solace by taking a mindful stroll in a park, on their street or even in their driveway.

Look, Listen, Savor

Unless you’ve been living without TV, Internet or magazines, you’ve probably heard about mindfulness, which is a part of the self-care or wellness movement.

Layfield certainly knows a thing or two about it. She runs the Walnut Grove Coop, a nonprofit educational organization whose mindfulness programs include a nature camp, STEM camps and healing forest practices (for adults).

Mindfulness is a type of meditation. Traditional meditation, however, focuses on spiritual growth and transcending emotion. If you practice mindfulness, you acknowledge whatever emotion or thought you are having. You don’t judge it.

Essentially, mindfulness is being in the moment. “It’s a state of being fully present—whatever you’re doing,” says Sara Teixido.

“Rather than cooking dinner in a distracted way, I’m present to the color of the vegetables, the aromas and the feeling of the vegetable under my knife. In our fast and confusing world, it’s nice to be able to just be present.”

Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness can help people manage stress, improve the quality of their sleep and even build immunity, which is why so many conventional healthcare providers recommend it.

“I’m always mindful that I need to be more mindful,” says Derrick Kelley, a wine representative who spends most of his day driving to see clients. He also wants to spend more time outside, particularly with his Lab, Delta. “I spend most of my day alone wishing I was on the other side of the windshield.”

Walking meditation or mindfulness can help busy people like Kelley practice mindfulness and get exercise at the same time. ► MARCH 2020

| OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

33

FOCUS FRESH AIR, FRESH PERSPECTIVE continued from previous page

A Walk in the Woods

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A healer who offers reiki and meditation guidance, Teixido schedules her day so that she can walk her dog, Jasper, at least once between client appointments. “It helps me decompress,” she explains. “When you’re a healer, you give time to someone else. It’s important to reset and come back to be present for clients later in the day.”

She frequently walks in Delcastle Recreational Park near her home. She puts away her phone and lets Jasper take the lead. “If he wants to go explore the trees or a deer path, I’m right there with him. I get to see so much more because I see it from his perspective.”

Their off-the-trail wanderings once led her to a mossy area with minute mushrooms shaped like umbrellas.

In Japan, immersing yourself in the woods is known as a shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing.” The key is using your five senses while you’re outside. Longwood Gardens makes it easy to experiment. Its grounds include a Forest Walk that in summer has walls of green foliage and sun-dappled paths.

When Layfield takes her family into White Clay Creek State Park, she encourages the children to see as far as they can see, feel the weather and smell the earth, which has a different aroma depending on whether it’s wet or dry.

By opening her senses, forest bather Rose Giroso has had revelations. “Why did I not notice before that there are 100 colors of green, brown and taupe?” asks the interior designer. A self-professed “park adventurer,” she enjoys experiencing different state parks and arboretums.

Just Do It

If you’re going to take to the trails, however, Layfield recommends getting a map of the park or a GPS app. Many people shy away from large parks for fear that they’ll get lost. You can also walk or hike with someone.

Instead of a park, try one of the area’s many attractions with paths and trails, such as Mt. Cuba Center, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Hagley Museum & Library and Longwood Gardens.

Photo courtesy of the Delaware Art Museum

A woman walks the labyrinth at the Delaware Art Museum.

While Nick Kluger of West Grove, Pa., enjoys walks in Ashland Nature Center, he can practice mindfulness by simply stepping outside his front door in the morning for his daily run. Kluger’s route takes him through the countryside. “I’m keen on paying attention to all of my surroundings—all of the smells, all of the animals, all of the cracks in the road,” he says.

For something more low-key, seek out a site with a labyrinth, a circular path that leads to a center. (See the note below.) The spiral pattern has been found in ancient cultures, and it began appearing on church properties during medieval times.

You can use the labyrinth however you wish, but many choose to view it as a prayerful experience. Teixido has led solstice walks on the Delaware Art Museum’s labyrinth.

“It’s a different kind of mindfulness,” she says. “Each twist and turn that you take is a metaphor for life. As I’m walking toward the center, I am present to those steps that I’ve walked thus far—it’s like a review. The center is a place of retrospection and reflection.”

Leaving the labyrinth is an “unwinding,” she says. “It’s a process that helps you envision what is coming ahead.”

Giroso experienced a profound calmness after walking a labyrinth. “It was an elevated meditation,” she maintains.

Don't have much time to travel? You only need a few minutes to benefit from an outdoor meditation. As Layfield proved with her “mindful minute,” make time wherever and whenever.

LUCKY YOU. O’Sullivan Stout, our classic Irish dry stout is available on tap on Wednesday, March 4.

As a contribution to the MDA Shamrocks Campaign, $1 per pint sold will be donated to MDA. Newark & Wilmington locations only

www.ironhillbrewery.com

Walking Meditation

To do a walking meditation, find a place with room for 10 to 30 paces. Then: 1. Stand at one end of your “path,” with your feet firmly planted, your hands resting comfortably and your senses open.

2. After a minute, bring your attention to the body. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Be present.

3. Walk slowly. Be relaxed. Concentrate on the feeling of lifting your foot and placing it down.

4. At the end of the path, pause. Center yourself, turn and pause again. Return to the starting spot.

5. Your mind may wander. Acknowledge it by saying, “Thinking” or “Planning.” Then return to the walk. Do this for as long as you can, up to 20 minutes.

For a list of local labyrinths, see the end of the story on OutAndAboutNow.com.

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

35

"Never underestimate how much assistance, how much satisfaction, how much comfort, how much soul and transcendence there might be in a well-made taco and a cold beer."

- Tom Robbins

Free philosophy with every order Newark, DE Kennett Square, PA Jennersville, PA Hockessin, DE

Wilmington, DE Middletown, DE

FOCUS

At the Final Rare Plant Auction at Longwood Gardens, attendees can mix and mingle with horticultural experts and view hundreds of plants. Photo courtesy of the Delaware Center for Horticulture

The DCH: Still Blossoming With its final Rare Plant Auction set for April 25, the Delaware Center for Horticulture continues to demonstrate the power of plants

By Danielle Bouchat-Friedman

H

ow do you get people excited about plants? This question has been the challenge for the Delaware Center for Horticulture ever since it was formed in 1977 by a group of volunteers. Back then, it was known as The Wilmington Garden Center and was located on Market Street. An open courtyard next to the Center was used to sell plants to the public.

The excitement factor got a big boost in 1981, when Sir John Thouron, a renowned Pennsylvania gardener, donated a Clivia miniata var.citrina, a rare South African flowering plant. This act of generosity became the inspiration for the very first Rare Plant Auction. The clivia sold for an astounding $1,700 and the plant has become a recurring theme for the event.

The fundraiser and auction grew through the years, eventually being held at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, and, since 1987, at Longwood Gardens.

“The plant world married the organization’s growth,” says Executive Director Vikram Krishnamurthy.

Despite that growth, on Saturday, April 25, the DCH will host its 40th & Final Rare Plant Auction at Longwood. Attendees can mix and mingle with celebrated plant experts Rick Darke and Melinda Zoehrer, and view hundreds of rare plants during the evening’s two silent auctions and one live auction. The live auction will be moderated by Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, N.C. Proceeds will directly impact DCH. ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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…WOULD BE A BIG MISSED STEAK! 38 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS Photo courtesy of the Delaware Center for Horticulture

THE DCH: STILL BLOSSOMING continued from page 37

About Branches

to Chances The auction will include tropicals, perennials, small trees and shrubs. The live auction will feature 10 rare plants.

“It supports all of the greening and education work that we do, things like urban and suburban tree planting, the E.D. Robinson Urban Farm at 12th and Brandywine, public landscapes, and even our Branches to Chances program (see sidebar), which accepts applicants who are unemployed, underemployed and/or previously incarcerated and places them in jobs in the industry,” says Marcia Stephenson, Director of Advancement at DCH. Stephenson says that in the early days, many plants for the fundraiser were sourced from people’s gardens, and volunteers also made trips to nurseries to solicit donations of plants. Now the nonprofit has a plant selection committee of 15 people with expertise who work at horticultural institutions.

“They volunteer their time and use their connections in the industry and solicit donations of plants,” says Stephenson.

At this final auction, there will be a vast variety to choose from, including tropicals, perennials, small trees and shrubs, splendid specimens (large trees and shrubs) and potted plants in large containers or troughs. The live auction—which is returning after a threeyear hiatus—will feature 10 rare plants.

All the plants will also feature a “buy it now” option, so people who see something they really want will need to act fast. People who come to pick up their plants the next day can often score a deal on any of the remaining plants that didn’t sell the night before.

Stephenson says the auction involves year-round planning and loads of volunteers.

“The day before the event, 40 volunteers do the staging and the night of auction another 40 volunteers are plant handlers,” she says. “There are 19 plant experts at the auction to help.”

DCH is the one of few nonprofit membership organization in Delaware that mobilizes and inspires community greening statewide in urban and suburban environments. And while the Rare Plant Auction has been an extremely significant fundraiser, Krishnamurthy says DCH is starting to look ahead to what is next.

“Forty years for any nonprofit to put on a fundraising event is unheard of and we want to go out on a high note,” he says. “But our audience is changing, and we are assessing and strategizing on how to engage younger people.”

He says environmental fluctuations such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, changes in ecosystems and urbanization are influencing DCH. “It’s not just about collecting rare plants; it’s about finding solutions to certain environmental changes.

Plants can play a really important role and the younger generation are really interested in these topics,” he says.

Stephenson feels that the end of the Rare Plant Auction will allow the center to focus on a number of blossoming events.

“We’re not leaving the Rare Plant Auction audience behind,” she says. “We will host smaller events to attract people to the Center.”

One such occasion is Dance for Plants, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, at DCH. It will feature music, food trucks, beer and lawn games. “It is moving the needle in the right direction,” says Krishnamurthy.

Tickets for the Rare Plant Auction start at $200, and include a copy of a Collector’s Magazine, access to hundreds of rare plants, day-of-event access to Longwood Gardens, an open bar and fine food throughout the night, as well as valet parking. Every ticket holder will also go home with a plant. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit thedch.org/rpa.

Branches to Chances is a return to work program sponsored by DCH that accepts applicants who are unemployed, underemployed and/ or previously incarcerated, and places them in entry-level positions in the horticulture industry.

The program is heading into its 12th year, and DCH has increased the total number of graduates from eight to 12, which will include a combination of participants in DCH-employed, seasonal positions and those who pursue post-program employment through job placement.

The full program season is structured as 200 hours of classroom and hands-on training from March to May, including an experimental learning opportunity with DCH or industry partner.

Participants are recruited through criminal justice and corrections partners, work release programs, direct referrals from individuals and social service/direct service providers, through professional greening partners and Branches to Chances alumni. DCH interviews up to 30 candidates and hires trainees following a hands-on job shadowing assessment.

Upon graduation and based on the externship experience, trainees have the opportunity to be employed by either DCH or an industry partner.

“Graduates have gained employment at Atlantic Landscapes, The Davey Tree Expert Co. and the City of Wilmington,” says Stephenson.

As of May 2019, 83 men and women successfully completed Branches to Chances training, and have been placed in horticulture jobs and careers. At the end of this year’s session, close to 100 graduates will have gone through the program. And with sustainable horticulture becoming more prominent with its use in green technology solutions, Branches to Chances graduates are obtaining marketable knowledge and skills in a flourishing industry, making them appealing to local employers.

For more information, visit thedch. org/content/branches-chances.

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

2020

April 20-25 Mark Your Calendar Now

Bardea Food & Drink | Brandywine Room | Café Mezzanotte | Chelsea Tavern Columbus Inn | Crow Bar | La Fia | Merchant Bar | Mikimotos | Piccolina Toscana Tonic Bar & Grille | Walter’s Steakhouse | Washington Street Ale House | University & Whist Club

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

CityRestaurantWeek.com

TAKE TIME FOR

LUNCH

MONDAY – SATURDAY

Bring your appetite.

BURGERS SANDWICHES

MEX SALADS

SUSHI

THAI PIZZA

FRESH

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3 SOUTH MARKET STREET - RIVERFRONTWILM.COM

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1. Amtrak Station 2. Opera Delaware Studios 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 Drop Squad Kitchen 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, DELAWAREHUMANE.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

The Wilmington Police Academy.

APPLY NOW TO BECOME A CITY POLICE OFFICER 100th Wilmington Police Academy begins soon

M

ayor Mike Purzycki and Police Chief Robert J. Tracy urge those interested in a career in law enforcement—and public service—to apply to join the Wilmington Police Department. The hiring process is now underway for individuals interested in becoming a police officer in Delaware’s largest city, with the 100th Police Academy expected to begin this summer.

A fillable application form and instructions for uploading info. required by the WPD can be found online. Applicants may also contact Master Sgt. David Prado at 302.576.3177 or email him at David.Prado@cj.state.de.us. The application period will close on Friday, March 27. The initial screening process will include a written exam, a physical agility test, and interview panels to include a Chief’s interview.

“Now more than ever, a career in law enforcement can provide a wide range of opportunities for growth and development,” said Chief Tracy. “Whether patrolling the streets of Wilmington and answering calls for service, investigating crimes, building trust through community engagement, gathering intelligence or managing personnel, our police officers gain a wealth of experience while serving our city in this noble profession.”

44 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

MAYOR WELCOMES CSC AND FARMERS OF SALEM TO WILMINGTON

M

ayor Purzycki is pleased to welcome Corporation Service Company (CSC), a world leader in business, legal, tax, and domain security and one of Delaware’s oldest and most respected companies, and Farmers of Salem, a regional mutual insurance company founded in NJ in 1851, to the City of Wilmington. “We are very pleased to welcome these two companies to Wilmington to join our growing business community,” said the Mayor. “We are grateful to both of them for expressing confidence in our City and acknowledging the progress we’re making by becoming part of Wilmington’s exciting future.”

CSC will complete a multimillion-dollar renovation to the PA Railroad Building on S. French St. adjacent to the train station this Fall, while Farmers plans to relocate to Wilmington in 2021 and bring more than 50 jobs to 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.

REFURBISHED WILLIAM ‘HICKS’ ANDERSON CENTER REOPENS

M

ayor Mike Purzycki, Parks & Rec Dir. Kevin Kelley, Sr. and Center Dir. Wayne Jefferson joined members of the Anderson family, public officials and community members on Feb. 15th to celebrate the grand re-opening of the newly renovated William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center (WHACC), at 5th & Madison streets in West Center City. The Mayor said Wilmington is proud of the nearly $4 M renovation of the center, which represents the first full-scale interior and exterior refurbishing of the WHACC in many years. The new center features a refurbished gym, aquatic center, game room, kitchen, technology lab, and dance studio.

“The upgrades to this vital community resource have been the crux of our West Center City Neighborhood Stabilization initiative,” said Mayor Purzycki. “Before we began this project, the ‘Hicks’ Anderson Center, from a building or facility standpoint, did not depict a welcoming look and feel. Today, it is a gem for the local community and entire City to enjoy.”

Wilmington’s only community center, which opened in 1972, is named for beloved community activist William “Hicks” Anderson who dedicated his life to causes central to a better quality of life for Wilmingtonians, such as fighting poverty and hunger, and supporting fair housing and improved educational opportunities.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

TRASH & RECYCLING COLLECTION SCHEDULE Visit the City of Wilmington’s website for more info. about trash and recycling in the City. To report issues or concerns about trash and recycling collection, please call the Public Works Call Center at (302) 576-3878 or submit a request for service online at www.wilmingtonde.gov.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR MAR 6

ART LOOP WILMINGTON,

MAR 8

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

MAR 14

5-8 P.M.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE, KING STREET, 11:30 A.M.

MAR 17

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

MAR 27

WPD APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES

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

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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March 6 5pm Start Complimentary Shuttle Service Most exhibitions listed here continue through this month

cityfest

A program of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

Colourworks

COCA Pop-up Gallery

LaFate Gallery

Howard Pyle Studio

Mezzanine Gallery

The Delaware Contemporary

DCAD

Chris White Gallery

RIVERFRONT The Delaware Contemporary 200 South Madison Street 656-6466 • decontemporary.org Artists: Ellen Priest, Graham Dougherty, Ruth Ansel DOWNTOWN Babes Styling Studio 213 N. Market Street 425-5500 • wilmingtonalliance.org Artist: ChaCha Hudson’s SEWcial

Grace United Methodist Church 900 N. Washington Street 887-6254 • iamthevillage.org Artist: “What is Empty”

by Harriet Valk Taylor

Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street 656-7397 • howardpylestudio.org Artist: Group exhibit featuring the works of Carol Mangano

The Grand Opera House 818 N. Market Street 658-7897 • thegrandwilmington.org Grand Gallery Artist: Anthony Sealey “Muted Perspectives”

St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church 1301 N. Broom Street 652-7623 • ststeph.org Artist: Alcohol-Ink Designs

by Lynne Robinson

baby grand gallery Artist: Yakime Brown “Eclecticism”

BEYOND THE CITY

Chris White Gallery 701 N. Shipley Street 428-1650 • chriswhitecdc.org Artist: Growth - DCAD student group show

LaFate Gallery 227 N. Market Street 656-6786 • lafategallery.com Artist: Women’s History Month - “Fab Five” artists

Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market Street 652-0101 • ccacde.org Artist: Eye Shadow Women’s Art Exhibit

LOMA Coffee 239 N. Market Street 540-7872 • lomacoffee.com Artist: Adriana Carolina Ochoa

Colourworks 1902 Superfine Lane (Race St.) 428-0222 • colourworks.com Artist: “A Closer Look” Rose Nilsen The Creative Vision Factory 617 N. Shipley Street 543-3082 Artists: Two Men Art Exhibition- Geraldo Gonzalez & Nathan Smith Delaware College of Art & Design (DCAD) 600 N. Market Street 622-8000 • dcad.edu Artist: Monique Rollins

Mezzanine Gallery 820 N. French Street 577-8278 • arts.delaware.gov Artist: “Not Just a Pretty Face,” Paul Simon MKT Place Gallery 200 W. 9th Street 438-6545 Artist: Story Of A King Who Found His Crown by 7God WEST END & WEST SIDE

COCA Pop-Up Gallery 3829 Kennett Pike, Powder Mill Square, 218-4411 Artists: Group show of local artists Station Gallery 3999 Kennett Pike 654-8638 • stationgallery.net Artists: Group Show - New Paintings by Rosemary Castiglioni, Jim Gears, Kim Hoechst Bellefonte Arts 803C Brandywine Blvd.

762-4278 • bellefontearts.com Artist: March Mash Up Arden’s Buzz Ware Village Center 2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811 • ardenbuzz.com Artists: “Open Gates,” Danny Schweers

Blue Streak Gallery Spaces 1721 Delaware Avenue 429-0506 Artists: “Flossie’s Umbrella,” Rebecca Mott-Lynn

Next Art Loop Wilmington: April 3, 2020

ArtLoopWilmington.org

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EAT

Reusable bags and buying in bulk are two options a growing number of consumers are choosing.

CURBING AT-HOME

FOOD AND PACKAGING WASTE Reduce, reuse and recycle by following these five tips

By Leeann Wallett

W

aste from food and packaging has reached an alltime high.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 30 to 40 percent of food is wasted in the United States. Discarded food often ends up in landfills, where it rots and contributes to the ever-increasing emission of methane, a greenhouse gas known to cause climate change.

In addition, packaging waste such as single-use plastics makes up almost 30 percent of total municipal solid waste generated, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

So what can you, as a consumer, do to help curb your contributions to this growing problem? The answer lies in three simple words: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

For guidance, we got input from five local businesses and individuals: • Karen Igou, owner and operator of Honeybee Seasonal Kitchen in Trolley Square • Vikram Krishnamurthy, executive director of the Delaware Center for Horticulture • Jerry Dorsman, president of the Board of Stewards at Newark Natural Foods • Don Long, planner, Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control • Brianna Hansen, campaign manager at inWilmington They gave us five steps everyone can take to reduce food and packaging waste. ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

49

EAT CURBING AT-HOME FOOD AND PACKAGING WASTE continued from previous page

1.BRING YOUR OWN

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Since 1934

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Only $9.99 per person, Please place your order early!

Order by Sat 3/14. Pickup Mon 3/16 to Tues 3/17.

Come in and explore our eclectic range of meats! We carry many items that are not commonly found in local supermarkets, like our traditional italian meats and game birds!

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50 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Local businesses like Honeybee Seasonal Kitchen and Brew HaHa have made simple but effective modifications to their business models to accommodate the reusable or bringyour-own movement.

Since opening in 2010, Honeybee has been ahead of the game when it comes to reducing its plastic bag use. It has always preferred that customers use their own reusable bags or donate extra plastic bags for those who forget to bring one, which can mean one less bag for the landfill.

It’s a timely shift, because the state plastic bag ban law goes into effect in January of next year. Signed by Gov. John Carney last July, the legislation will prohibit single-use plastic bags to encourage a shift to reusable bags.

Honeybee has also cut down on extraneous packaging by urging vendors to be creative with their packaging. Local favorites like Baba’s Brew kombucha and Walt’s Swarmbustin’ Honey are both available on tap, so customers can either bring-your-own or buy a glass container to fill.

“Walt Broughton, of Walt’s Swarmbustin’ Honey, constructed this unique spigot system attached to the bottom of a five-gallon pail so that customers can fill their jars with honey,” says Igou. “It not only saves customers money, it also reduces plastic waste since these pails can last well over 10 years.”

Honeybee also sells locally made beeswax wrap from Bee Our Guest, based in Kennett Square, Pa. An environmentally-friendly replacement for single-use plastic wrap, beeswax wraps are naturally antibacterial and can last up to a year. Wraps can be used to cover leftovers, including fruits and vegetables, and they even can be used as eco-friendly, reusable gift wrap.

Brew HaHa is also riding the BYO wave. According to its Instagram account, it sold over 2,200 metal straws in 2019.

Plastic straw use has plummeted in recent years, and many local businesses, like Big Fish Restaurant Group, Kid Shelleen’s and Harry’s Savoy Grill, have followed suit. All have a policy of “straws by request” or “straws optional.”

Through the end of March, Brew HaHa will offer 10 cents off your purchase if you receive your drink in a ceramic or travel mug. Proceeds will go to this year’s beneficiary, The Delaware Combined Campaign for Justice, which raises funds to provide operating support for Delaware’s three civil legal aid organizations: Community Legal Aid Society, Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, and Legal Services Corporation of Delaware.

2.BUY IN BULK

Newark Natural Foods cooperative has led the state in healthy and sustainable practices since its inception in 1967. It began as a way for local members to bulk-buy common staples like flour, grains and produce and split it evenly.

Members could buy “quality, mostly organic foods like rice or whole grains in bulk bags,” says Dorsman. Once the bulk item arrived in-store, “members would come in and fill their bags with whatever quantity they wanted.”

Today, the co-op provides that same service in the bulk food section, where all customers (members and the general public) can either bring their own bags or containers or use the provided bags to fill up on pantry items like flour and sugar, grains, granola, even spices and teas.

Each item is priced by the pound and weighed at checkout (the package weight is then deducted from the total amount). Not only does it cut down on packaging waste, it also allows customers to save money and try new ingredients.

“We’ve introduced new linen bags in the bulk food department to cut back on our plastic bag use,” says Dorsman. Like Honeybee, Newark Natural Foods does not use plastic bags at checkout, instead providing paper bags and urging customers to bring their reusable bags.

“We give a small discount for each reusable bag you fill,” says Dorsman. “And if you forget a bag, we also sell reusable ones or sometimes offer reusable bags as giveaways during special events.”

3.GARDEN AND FREEZE

As more Americans become more health conscious, at-home gardening has become an easy way to add fresh, local food to the table during the summer months. While most families don’t have the time or space for sprawling backyard gardens, Square Foot Gardening and container gardening have become popular alternatives.

The Square Foot Gardening Method, created and popularized by American gardener Mel Bartholomew (who wrote a book about it in 1981), is a space-efficient system where gardeners grow plants in one-foot-by-one-foot sections. Similar to Square Foot Gardening, container gardening is a practice in which home gardeners plant in individual pots; it’s ideal for those who have little to no garden space. Most vegetables, herbs and flowers can do quite well in pots, as long as their light and water needs are met.

"The more you can do at home, like gardening, the less waste you'll create," says Krishnamurthy. For example, gardening could potentially save a family a trip to the grocery store or a quarter tank of gas. Gardening could also decrease a family’s dependence on takeout, a major contributor to landfill waste due to its dependence on single-use plastic or Styrofoam containers and plasticware.

Instead of tending to a full garden, Krishnamurthy adds edible plantings to his garden landscape. His vegetable of choice during the winter is rainbow Swiss chard. ►

Opening at 9am on St.Patrick’s Day!

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3/14 Open at 9am at All 3 Locations Kegs & Eggs! $2.75 Pints of Green Beer & Complimentary Breakfast Buffet

3/17 LIVE Irish Bagpipers Polly Drummond 6:30pm Peoples Plaza 8:30pm Dover 6:30-7:30pm

3/17 St. Patrick's Day DJ Dance Party at all 3 locations 8pm-1am $2.75 Pints of Green Beer / $5 Irish Car Bombs / Corned Beef & Cabbage Specials!

MONDAYS

½ Price Appetizers All Day

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$1.50 Domestic Drafts after 7pm

WEDNESDAYS

All You Can Eat Wings $12.99 after 5pm

$1 Off Craft Draft Beers 7pm-Close

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THURSDAYS

All You Can Eat Shrimp $13.99 after 5pm Prime Rib $18.99 after 5pm

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51

Celebrating

84 Years!

EAT

"The more you harvest (chard) the more you produce," he says. (I CURBING AT-HOME FOOD can attest that even after a couple AND PACKAGING WASTE of light frosts, my own Swiss chard continued from previous page kept on producing until it finally succumbed to a bitter cold snap.)

And once the growing season is in full swing, be sure to freeze and preserve your produce. Freezing at the peak of harvest locks in nutrients and makes for a delicious treat during the fall and winter months. Make sure to re-read “Saving the Taste of Summer” from the September 2019 issue of Out & About for guidance on how to freeze and mitigate food waste.

4.COMPOST

Enjoy these daily specials

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At-home composting goes hand-in-hand with gardening. Composting is the process in which food naturally decomposes or breaks down. With the correct amount of air circulation, temperature and moisture, composting is low maintenance and is a simple yet rewarding way to create rich soil, reduce greenhouse gases and decrease food waste.

Krishnamurthy recommends having a countertop container to make composting fast and second nature. "Whenever I meal prep, I throw my extra vegetable matter and eggshells into the container," he says. Once the container is full, he adds it to his backyard compost tumbler.

Compost tumblers or bins are ideal for those who don’t have space for an in-ground compost hole. A compost bin is a blend of 60 percent green matter to 40 percent brown matter. Here’s a chart to get your compost started:

With any compost, it’s important to mix every couple of days and to keep it evenly moist. And for those who don’t generate enough yard waste, DNREC’s Long says “you can place used paper towels, tissues, and even shredded paper in your compost bin.”

DNREC’s Recycling Program within the Division of Waste & Hazardous Substances will again offer compost bins for sale to the public on selected dates and locations in May and June.

For more information, go to: dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/wastehazardous/recycling/composting/.

5.BUY UGLY

Photo courtesy of Misfits Market

Brianna Hansen struggled to get to the grocery store regularly, so she found a way to supplement her fridge and pantry through a produce delivery service that provides directto-consumer subscription boxes.

Imperfect Foods and close competitor Misfits Market send customers weekly or bi-weekly boxes filled to the brim with misshapen and odd-sized fruit and vegetables. Much of this food isn’t fit for sale at grocery stores, which have strict aesthetic guidelines for food items. It’s an overlooked issue that is exacerbated by the need for consumers to have unblemished, standard-size produce.

Both services fill an important role in decreasing food waste. This odd-shaped produce would normally be thrown away, but instead is being resold at a reasonable price and delivered to homes that may not have direct access to fresh, and sometimes local, produce.

As an Imperfect Foods subscriber, Hansen “loved the flexibility in terms of delivery options and the items you receive each week.” Imperfect customers can customize their box size and select from 50 to 60 produce items (organic and conventional) in addition to nearly 200 other shelf-stable grocery items.

She still periodically shops for produce at the store or seasonal farmers markets, but, she says, “these deliveries have shortened the length and reduced the frequency of trips.”

I’m a fan of Misfits Market, which is a similar service that began in the greater Philadelphia region as a way to rescue local, sometimes odd-looking produce from regional farms.

Every other week, I’m sent a box filled with all certified organic and non-GMO produce. For example, the last box I received included apples, butternut squash, celery, kale, onions, two kinds of pear, radishes, sweet potatoes and turnips.

And to close the waste loop, both companies send their deliveries in environmentally-friendly packaging and packing materials that can be either reused, recycled or composted at home or with a curbside recycling provider. Hansen is more creative when reusing her boxes. “I hoard the delivery boxes for friends who are moving,” she says.

Cutting back on food and packaging waste can be as easy as following the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra. It primarily comes down to efficient planning by using a list and not buying more than you eat, along with unique solutions like bring-your-own container or bag, combined with gardening, composting and buying “ugly.”

Misfits Market tagline is "Always fresh, sometimes normal."

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

53

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EAT CITY RESTAURANT WEEK RETURNS

W BITES Tasty things worth knowing

Compiled by Bev Zimmermann

NEW GROTTO WEBSITE FEATURES ENHANCED ORDERING

G

rotto Pizza has launched a new website and mobile platform with a fresh design, easy-to-use navigation and online ordering enhancements. Users will discover their favorite content remains throughout the site, in addition to new features. Guests are now able to find store locations, view their favorite lunch and dinner items, purchase gifts from the Grotto Gift Shop, order online for pickup and delivery, and more. Visit GrottoPizza.com.

CAFFÉ GELATO TAKES OVER HAGLEY EATERY

R

yan German, owner of Caffé Gelato in Newark, has taken over and renamed the Belin House Organic Cafe on the grounds of Hagley. With an official opening set for March 13, Caffé Hagley will feature hand-crafted artisanal favorites from the Newark restaurant and will use produce from Hagley’s gardens. The restaurant will be open every day Hagley is open and will be able to cater on-site events such as weddings and corporate meetings.

The menu, developed from Gelato’s Chef Bryan DeHoff, will feature pastas, pizzas, salads and soups, all made from scratch.

ISLAND FIN POKE NOW OPEN IN TROLLEY

T

he Las Vegas franchise Island Fin Poke Co. has opened on Delaware Avenue in Trolley Square. The menu features Hawaiian-style poke bowls with an islandthemed décor. The menu includes homemade sauces, 25 toppings and sustainably sourced fish. Visit islandpoke.com.

ilmington’s annual showcase of fine dining is back. The 16th annual City Restaurant Week is set for April 20-25, and the current roster of restaurants includes Bardea, Brandywine Room, Café Mezzanotte, Columbus Inn, Crow Bar, La Fia, Mikimotos, Piccolina Toscana, Tonic, Washington Street Ale House and University & Whist Club. Prixfixe, two-course lunches will be available for $15 and three-course dinners will be offered for $35. Cape May is the official beer of CRW, with specials offered at all participating venues. The popular New Jersey shorebased beer is new to the Delaware market.

For an updated list of participating venues, visit CityRestaurantWeek.com.

IMPOSSIBLE CHEESESTEAK PART OF CAPRIOTTI’S MENU

A

fter listening to the growing demand for more variety in their menu to serve different diet and lifestyle needs, Capriotti’s has introduced new sandwich recipes and sizes. The new sizes include a five-inch half sub, an eight-inch, a 10-inch and an 18-inch. The new menu, introduced in February, also includes fresh takes of Capriotti classics, including the BBQ chicken cheesesteak, grilled chicken parmesan cheesesteak, chicken Chipotle crunch cheesesteak and the Impossible Cheesesteak. For more information, visit capriottis.com.

RESTAURANT WEEK IN KENNETT

K

ennett Square Restaurant Week is set for Tuesday-Sunday, March 3-8. It will feature a dozen locations offering a variety of prix-fixe menus, new dishes and special offers. As of press time, participants included Braeloch Brewing, Byrsa Bistro, Café de Thai, The Creamery, Grain, Kennett Brewing Company, La Verona, The Market at Liberty Place, Portabellos, Talula’s Table, Verbena BYOB and Victory Brewing Co. Visit historickennettsquare. com. for a complete list, including menus and offerings, as well as the live music scheduled through the week.

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

2020

SAVE THE DATE

April 20-25

Mark Your Calendar Now!

LUNCH: 2 courses $15 DINNER: 3 courses $35 For info & menus, visit: CityRestaurantWeek.com MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

55

DRINK

SIPS

Here's what's pouring

CAPE MAY BREWING COMES TO DELAWARE

J

ersey-shore-based Cape May Brewing begins distribution in Delaware this month. The brewery, which was founded at the Cape May Airport in 2011, will make its state debut by offering Cape May IPA, Coastal Evacuation, Cape May White and Always Ready. Other varieties, including The Bog, The Grove, Tan Lines and Crushin’ It, will follow later in 2020. Visit CapeMayBrewery.com.

HANGMAN BREWERY DEBUTS IN CLAYMONT

F

irst announced in 2018, Hangman Brewery will kick off operations with a grand opening party from 4-10 p.m. on Friday, March 13. The brewery is located in the Town & Country Shopping Center at 2703 Philadelphia Pike. For more, visit the brewery Facebook page or call 375-6372.

LIMITED RELEASE FROM 10BARREL BREWING

W

hile the country is awash in seltzers, popular West Coast brewer 10Barrel (Bend, Ore.) is going heavy hops with the recent release of Snake Run, a double IPA. Snake Run sports an ABV of 8 percent and has hints of white grapefruit, mango and passionfruit balanced with a soft malt backbone.

P

STOUDTS BREWING TAPS OUT

A

fter a more than three decade run, Stoudts Brewing (Adamstown, Pa.) has decided to close its brewery.

Production has already scaled down and the brewery will cease operations by early spring.

In 1987, with her husband Ed’s support, Carol Stoudt added a 30-barrel brewhouse to an already thriving business that included a 70,000-square-foot antiques mall, restaurant/ pub, and indoor/outdoor bier garden. An onpremise bakery and cheesemaking facility would follow. Stoudts Brewing became synonymous with quality and was one of the most awarded craft breweries in the industry.

Carol’s legacy as a brewer was built on authentic German beers brewed in the timetested Reinheitsgebot tradition.

“This was a difficult decision to make,” said Carol Stoudt, “but we’re not moving enough volume to justify the expense of keeping the brewery open. However, we’re not closing the doors to any business opportunities that could help the Stoudts brand live on.”

Operations will continue as normal for all other divisions of the Stoudts enterprise.

The restaurant/pub is adding a trivia night and Sunday brunch menus, the bier garden will continue to host weddings and events, and the bakery and antiques mall continue to support the local community.

56 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

DELABEAR BEER SPOTTED

PHILLY-BASED HARD SELTZER MAKES LOCAL DEBUT

C

raft hard seltzer Two Robbers is now available at more than 60 on-and offpremise locations throughout the state, including Total Wine and Two Stones Pub. Two Robbers is Philadelphia's first and largest local hard seltzer company. The brand has seen significant growth within the region since first hitting shelves in 2019 and is currently sold at more than 600 locations across the tri-state area. Recently, the company transitioned production to Philadelphia's Yards Brewing to help support increasing demand.

Made with all natural ingredients and without any added sugars, sweeteners, concentrates or other complex ingredients, the hard seltzer offers a light and refreshing taste. The beverage is also low calorie, low carb, and is naturally gluten free. Two Robbers is available in a variety of unique flavor combinations, including pineapple ginger, watermelon cucumber, orange mango and peach berry.

laying off the recent fascination with the black bear that roamed Wilmington streets for several days in January, Wilmington Brew Works has released Delabear, a “double Delaware IPA” that honors the bear and the social media fervor that surrounded it.

The brew, which is triple dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, Vic Secret and Denali hops, was an instant hit in WBW’s taproom and has been one of the brewery’s fastest selling brews.

“I think people initially tried the beer because of the name, but they returned for more, and purchased growlers and crowlers of it because it really was a fantastic beer,” says Wilmington Brew Works COO Keith Hughes.

For Delabear availability as well as other WBW craft beverage offerings, visit wilmingtonbrewworks.com.

BELL’S TAKES LIGHT APPROACH

P

opular Michigan-based craft brewer Bell’s has introduced Light Hearted Ale, a spin-off of their nationallyhonored Two Hearted Ale. The low-calorie IPA checks in at 110 calories with an ABV of 3.7 percent. It is made with Centennial and Galaxy hops, producing citrus and pine aromas. It’s available now at area liquor stores.

WATCH

The play is “a comedy for the audience” but a “tragedy for the actors,” says Michael Thatcher (2nd from left standing). Photo Jeremy Daniel

Something Right About The Play That Goes Wrong West Chester U. grad hits the Playhouse stage in his favorite role

By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald

W

hat if Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python had a Broadway baby? That’s the question posed by the producers of The Play That Goes Wrong. This madcap murder/mystery/theater circus was penned by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields—members of Mischief Theatre Co., a British comedy theater founded in 2008. The production premiered in London in 2012 and was named Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards (also in London).

The touring production now bursts onto The Playhouse stage, with West Chester University alum (class of 2012) Michael Thatcher in one of the leading roles. He plays Robert, an actor in the hapless production.

“Everything that can go wrong does go wrong,” says Thatcher.

“While it’s a comedy for the audience, it’s an absolute tragedy for the actors. The audience is watching [them] navigate obstacle after obstacle, and often, they choose the worst possible solution and stick to it 100 percent.”

The Play That Goes Wrong introduces audiences to The Cornley University Drama Society, which is attempting to put on Opening Night of a 1920s murder mystery, The Murder at Haversham Manor. But as this play’s title suggests, it essentially evolves into Murphy’s Law of theater—an unconscious leading lady, an “undead” corpse, bumbling actors, broken props, missed cues and more. ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

57

WATCH SOMETHING RIGHT ABOUT THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG continued from previous page

More timely than ever.

The Crucible

By Arthur Miller Directed by Ben Barnes

MARCH 5 – 22

ROSELLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS NEWARK, DE | (302) 831-2204 WWW.REP.UDEL.EDU Sponsored in part by:

58 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

Thatcher says that Robert, while one of the most physically demanding roles he’s ever tackled, is also his favorite. Without giving too much away, he says, Robert gets himself in some very precarious and dangerous situations.

“Robert thinks he’s the best actor in the company,” Thatcher says. “If something goes wrong, he feels that the audience won’t notice because his ‘brilliant acting’ will cover it. But his overzealousness often leads to some of the biggest things going wrong, and that’s a lot of fun to play.”

Thatcher also says that prepping for this role required a bit more physical effort. “For most plays, I stretch a little and do a simple vocal warmup. The Play That Goes Wrong is a different beast entirely. Again, it’s very physically demanding, but it’s also a vocal workout. I do strength training and cardio during the day, and then stretch before the show, and my vocal warmup is similar to what I do before a musical. My character rarely leaves the stage, and he’s anything but subtle. I need both my muscles and voice to be ready for a simultaneous sprint and marathon on stage.”

Robert also holds a special place in his heart because, as Thatcher notes, it’s the role he played in his 2018 Broadway debut.

While a student at West Chester, he spent some time in our fair city. “I mostly went to Wilmington to see theater,” he says. “I’ve seen several shows at Delaware Theatre Company and a few Broadway tours at The Playhouse on Rodney Square.

But, I have a feeling my best Wilmington memories will happen while our tour is in town. I have a lot of family and friends coming to see us perform, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing them.”

Thatcher notes that the opening in Wilmington will be a pivotal moment for him—performing on a stage where he used to be in the audience.

And what does the future hold for Thatcher’s career? After this tour ends, he says, he hopes to return to the classics. “I love performing Shakespeare, and have a few favorites I’ve yet to play. Iago and Macbeth are at the top of that list. And my ultimate dream role is Cyrano de Bergerac.”

The Play That Goes Wrong presents six shows running Thursday through Sunday, March 12-15. Tickets are available at TheGrandWilmington.org.

Photo Keith Griner

Ghost-Note offers “a fresh blend of funk, hip hop and world music.”

Ghost-Note On CCAC Stage March 20

As part of its continuing Live @ Christina music series, Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) welcomes funk/ hip hop/jazz ensemble Ghost-Note for a one-night-only performance on Friday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. in its Clifford Brown Performance Space. Tickets are $20 in advance at ccacde.org or $25 at door.

Each season, CCAC has been fortunate to welcome noted artists to this series, including Corey Henry, saxophonist Grace

Kelly, Alicia Olatunja, Gregory Porter, Delfeayo Marsalis, Snarky Puppy and Christian Sands.

"We're thrilled to welcome Ghost-Note to CCAC's stage," says Ray Rhodes, executive director. The Live @ Christina performance series brings international artists to Wilmington in an up-close and intimate setting. "Their music is a fresh blend of funk, hip hop and world music unlike many others. Audiences of all music genres should find their sound both appealing and energizing."

Ghost-Note is headed up by Snarky Puppy’s multiGrammy–winning percussion duo, Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, who describe Ghost-Note as “…an explosion of sound.” Members have performed with the likes of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Marcus Miller, Toto, Justin Timberlake and others.

Formed in 2015, Ghost-Note has released two studio albums —2018’s Swagism and 2015’s Fortified—to critical acclaim and success around the globe. Both albums hit No. 1 on the iTunes Jazz Charts. The ensemble has also mounted headlining tours in the United States, Canada, and Japan and performed at international music festivals and events.

The group’s mission is pushing funk music into the future, building on the legendary musical foundations laid by James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone, but infusing it with their fresh take, adding afrobeat, hip hop, psychedelia and world folklore.

Snarky Puppy played the CCAC series in 2014, but this is Ghost-Note’s first appearance on CCAC’s intimate stage.

This engagement of Ghost-Note at CCAC is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

STEP A FR IK A !

Presented by the Delaware Art Museum at The Grand Opera House

DRUMFOLK

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 8 PM

A story of rebellion...

Feel how the rhythm survived!

Buy tickets at delart.org or call The Grand box office at 302.652.5577. $32–$45.

2301 Kentmere Pkwy | Wilmington, DE 302.571.9590 | delart.org

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

LOOKING BACK ON THE OSCARS Some surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant

By Mark Fields

T

he time between the end of the year and the end of the award season is pretty thin for new releases, and even more so this year. So, while we wait for some new 2020 movies, let’s take a look back at 2019 films through the lens of the Academy Awards, which were presented on Feb. 9. The Oscars get a lot of grief, much of it deserved, for being out of touch, fusty, or predictable. This season’s controversies focused on the underrepresentation of people of color in the acting categories (only one of 20 performances) and the complete absence of female directors.

Nevertheless, the Academy Awards are still the bellwether for film achievement and worthy of analysis for trends in the industry and the artform.

BEST PICTURE, DIRECTOR: Parasite, Bong Joon-ho

A genuine surprise this year was Parasite winning Best Film, as well as Director, International Film, and Original Screenplay. Not only was the Korean comedy thriller the first foreign language film to win Best Picture in 92 years (read ever), the film is also distinctive for being an atypical choice regardless of the use of subtitles.

Parasite boldly mixes genres; has a contemporary yet unfamiliar setting; is brutally honest about the disparities in capitalistic economies; and ends on a note of moral ambiguity. It is, in short,

not the prototype uplifting melodrama that traditionally collects statuettes. The haul of Oscars and the rapturous reception that director Joon-ho received the night of the ceremony seem to hint of a shift. The recent expansion and diversification of Academy membership may be beginning to pay off in terms of diversity of nominees and winners, as well as subject matter and form. The lack of diversity in actors and the neglect of female directors, however, demonstrates that there is still a long way to go. ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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BEST ACTOR AND ACTRESS: Joaquin Phoenix LOOKING BACK and Renée Zellweger ON THE OSCARS There was an air of inevitability continued from previous page about all four actor recipients, all of whom had racked up a number of previous award wins during the season. Conventional wisdom is that to win an acting trophy, the performance must involve one of the following: playing a real person; playing a royal or a celebrity; or playing someone with an affliction or disability. Try to remember an acting winner in recent years who didn’t have one or several of those characteristics.

Phoenix won his first acting Oscar for Joker, the origin story for one of Batman’s most popular adversaries. Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck is not a garden-variety bad guy or even a sociopath, but instead is clearly, straight-forwardly mentally ill. It is a bold and strange choice to make a comic-book villain a sympathetic character. That sympathy makes the film’s violence all the more unsettling. I found the movie deeply disturbing, and Phoenix’s performance—though well played—was difficult to watch. I found Adam Driver’s acting in Marriage Story more compelling, but nevertheless, Phoenix has had a long and accomplished career. This award, like all of the acting wins, seemed like an acknowledgement of a body of work.

So too with Zellweger, who won for her portrayal of the actressentertainer Judy Garland in Judy. Zellweger, the only acting winner this year with a previous Oscar (Cold Mountain, 2003), does not so much imitate Garland during a difficult period toward the end of the star’s life as she does capture her essence. Stripped of her wealth and celebrity by a lifetime of booze, drugs and bad choices, Zellweger’s Judy embodies the entertainer’s contradictions: fragility and determination, pizzazz on stage and pathos off. For Zellweger, who has been out of the limelight herself for a number of years, the verve of this performance was a welcome return, embraced by her movie colleagues. I would have given the statuette to her as well.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AND ACTOR: Laura Dern and Brad Pitt Stunningly, neither Dern nor Pitt have ever won an Oscar, though both have been nominated. Dern finally won for playing a polished but manipulative divorce lawyer in Marriage Story. Although she has had stronger performances in other films, her work here is still worthy. Pitt, a winner for the role of Cliff in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was eminently worthy for this performance as well as many prior ones. His character, an underappreciated errand boy and friend to a washed-up TV cowboy (Leonardo DiCaprio), was fully realized, and corresponded well with Pitt’s relaxed, lived-in acting style. A great merging of character and performer.

BEST ADAPTED AND ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Jojo Rabbit and Parasite Parasite’s final Oscar was for Original Screenplay, an obvious choice for the freshness of its perspective and mixing of genre. Jojo Rabbit was another unconventional film this year, telling the story of a young boy in wartime Germany whose imaginary best friend is Adolph Hitler (truly weird, but it works). New Zealand director and movie iconoclast Taika Waititi wrote the adapted screenplay from Christine Leunens’ novel, and he also directed the film and played the faux Fuhrer. Waititi also made Oscar history by being the first indigenous person to win a major Academy Award.

The general impression from this year’s ceremony is that the Academy appreciates the vital need for change in order to remain relevant in a rapidly-evolving industry. Some of the 2020 awards demonstrate an ability to adapt, but a more inclusive, representative tent in Hollywood is still a work in progress.

EYEBAWL LISTEN

Eyebawl: Erin Silva (front), Brian Bruce and Tyler Yoder at Oddity Bar in Wilmington.

Photo courtesy of Eyebawl

OPENS UP The Wilmington band with an ocular name talks about their history and their recording/performing process

P

By Dillon McLaughlin

inning down a musical style for Eyebawl can be a difficult undertaking. They don’t fit any single genre. They count Modest Mouse, Nirvana, and The Cure as significant influences, but calling them a copy of any of those bands would be a drastic mischaracterization.

Pat McCutcheon, who owns Oddity Bar along with Andrea McCauley, describes them as “upbeat indie garage rock.”

Connor Murray, Eyebawl's label manager with Crafted Sounds, sticks with garage rock, and adds “grungy, high energy.”

Put in simpler terms, Eyebawl excels at polished grunge rock.

I sat down with the band at Catherine Rooney's in Trolley Square, where they were grabbing dinner after a recent Tuesday night practice.

All three members of the group are from the Mid-Atlantic area.

Erin Silva, lead vocalist and guitarist, was born in Frederick, Md., moved to Smyrna as a child, and now resides in Wilmington. Tyler Yoder, the bassist, is originally from Middletown and moved to Newark in his 20s. Brian Bruce, drummer, comes from Delaware County, Pa., but moved to Wilmington when he was 10.

Bruce and Yoder, now roommates in South Philadelphia, met while attending and playing house gigs in Newark, circa 2011. Over dinner at Rooney’s, Bruce says to Yoder, “I saw your old band, [Easy Pyramids] play at a house venue in Newark called Black Gold. That was probably back in 2010 or 2011.”

Silva broke onto the scene in 2013, when a friend booked her for a solo act at Home Grown Cafe on Main Street in Newark (coincidentally, Yoder had a solo gig on the same night). “I’d been writing songs in my room,” says Silva. “He said, ‘you need to play these and also I can pay you a bunch of money [as the booker].’ It was the push that I needed to finally show these songs to people.”

“For the better part of a decade,” says Yoder, “we've all been in the same music bubble and catching the same bands we were separately a part of.” ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Around 2017, Silva decided to build a group using material EYEBAWL OPENS UP from her solo act as a foundation. continued from previous page She turns to Yoder and Bruce and says, “I really didn't ask anyone else. I asked you two and that was that.”

Eyebawl's first EP, 2018's Gutterbawl, was built mostly on music Silva had already prepared. She would come to practice with a song she'd written most of, then Yoder and Bruce would help solidify the idea by developing better bass riffs or shaking up the percussion.

The songwriting process changed for 2019's EP, Never Again.

It was more free-form, fluid, and collaborative from the outset.

Summing up the new approach, Yoder says, “I think because we all have such a big musical past, we all have a pretty good sense of song structure, and really keeping things simple fits the style we play, too.”

Bruce and Silva are quick to agree and add their own thoughts: “We're kind of like, ‘How is this feeling?'” says Silva. “And it's black and white. We always end up on the same page about it.”

Says Bruce: “Usually there's a practice, either the first or second one that we've been working on a tune, where we can all say, ‘Yeah, that's awesome.'”

“Or,” adds Silva, “be like, f___ that,” for a song that isn’t successful.

PERFORMANCE, LIVE AND RECORDED They've certainly made a splash in the local music community. In

Wilmington, Eyebawl regularly appears at Oddity Bar and 1984, and has played at the Jackson Inn and Kelly's Logan House. In Newark, house venues, along with Home Grown Cafe and Deer Park Tavern, were consistent sources of gigs when they were starting out.

McCutcheon is an enthusiastic supporter. “[Eyebawl is] a driving force of local music,” he says. “They're definitely among the best-drawing indie bands in Delaware.”

It's easy to see why. On stage, they’re a cohesive unit. They recognize that a live performance affords them more leeway for experimentation than their recordings, but they don’t abuse that freedom. Above all, says Yoder, “Our set flows as a single piece.

There's no question about what comes next.”

Watching an Eyebawl performance is to see three good friends play refined music they believe in.

It's why longtime fan Lizzie Wilson continues seeking out their gigs, including the one at 1984. When I spoke to her there, she said, “They've known each other for so long and they work really, really well together. They bounce off each other.”

It's an energy their eventual label manager, Connor Murray of Crafted Sounds, in Pittsburgh, loves capturing. Talking about Gutterbawl, Murray says, “[They] didn't sound like anything else we were working with in 2018. Erin's voice was very gritty, the bass had a cool, sludgy tone, and the chops were sharp.”

In the mid-2010s, Murray was a prospective student touring the University of Delaware when he stopped in Rainbow Records and picked up a Grace Vonderkuhn tape. He didn't end up attending UD, but he kept Vonderkuhn’ s name in mind as he worked his way through the University of Pittsburgh.

A few years later, in March of 2018, Murray was doing artist and repertoire work–essentially talent scouting–and he contacted Vonderkuhn to see if she wanted to work together.

Vonderkuhn was already signed with someone else, but she offered an alternative. “She said her friend, Erin, was working on music,” says Murray. “She connected us, and I liked the music.”

w

March

Entertainment Schedule

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With Us! Sat. March 14th DJ Andrew Hugh DJ Willoughby DJ Amaze Justin Taylor Band

9am-2pm 2pm-8pm 8pm-1am 10 pm-1am

&

Tues. March 17th Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh 8pm-1am Live Bagpipers at 10:30pm

OPEN AT 9am BOTH DAYS!

EVERY MONDAY: Showtime Trivia EVERY TUESDAY: Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh EVERY WEDNESDAY: Music Bingo at 8:30pm EVERY THURSDAY: DJ Willoughby EVERY FRIDAY: EDM DJ Dance Party

Live Bands!

FRIDAY: 3/6 3/13 3/20 3/27

As If! Mr. Jinx Under The Covers Chorduroy

SATURDAY: 3/7 3/14 3/21 3/28

Red Hotts Justin Taylor Band Big Rumble Twist Boom

$2.75 GREEN COORS LIGHT • $5 IRISH CAR BOMBS • CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE SPECIAL LIMITED ST. PATRICK’S DAY SHIRTS AVAILABLE MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers ALL DAY!

TUESDAYS ½ Price Burgers ALL DAY! $400 Double LITs

WEDNESDAYS $5 Off All Pizzas ALL DAY! $2 Keystone Lt. Pints & $3 Keystone Lt. Mini Pitchers $1599 9oz. NY Strip Steak All Day $4 Glasses of All House Wines

THURSDAYS ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Wings (5pm-Close) ½ Price Burgers (11:30am-3pm) • $325 Rail Drinks

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

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The timing was serendipitous. “[Eyebawl] had a debut EP in the oven and I was pretty interested, so things moved kinda fast,” says Murray of what would eventually become Gutterbawl. “Their first release went pretty well, and Eyebawl wanted to work with us again for [2019's EP] Never Again, so we helped make it happen.”

ABOUT THE NAME Coming up with the band's name involved a web of emotional associations for Silva, starting with pop culture. Explaining that she has a fascination for illustration as well as music, she says, “I've always liked the show Daria [a spin-off of Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head], and something about the way they drew her eyes resonated with me.” Her fascination with Daria's peepers soon expanded to eyes in general, and that’s apparent in the way she renders them in her own illustrative work. “You can draw an eye and just the way the lid is can express a feeling,” she says.

From there, she connected her illustrative work with her music. “I was writing sad songs at the time,” she says. “So I was like, ‘I bawl’—like crying. That ties up all the weird things I do as creative outlets and puts it in one little package.”

The unusual spelling also had an unforeseen benefit. “It works because if we spelled it like ‘eyeball’ it would be a pain in the ass to find us on the internet,” Bruce says. Silva animatedly elaborates: “Can you imagine? Uncharted territory [on the internet] is so few and far between, I was immediately excited.”

Sure enough, a quick Google search instantly returns Eyebawl's Bandcamp, Facebook, Spotify, and Instagram pages, along with YouTube videos and local press coverage.

LOOKI NG TO THE FUTURE Now Eyebawl is looking for opportunities out of state, plenty

of which exist. So far, they've played in Rochester, N.Y.; at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J.; Baltimore and Frederick, M.D.; Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For future gigs, Silva lists Richmond and New York City as two places they’re keeping a special eye on (so to speak), though their hopes aren’t limited to those two places. According to Bruce, the main deciding factor is financial viability, and there are a few ways they can evaluate that: Can the band afford to travel to the gig?

Does it pay well enough? If they’re working on new, original music, is the writing time they're going to lose to rehearsal balanced out by the benefits of taking the gig?

Ultimately, all three band members agree that new connections are the strongest advantage of traveling for a show. “The first time you might go play a crappy show in New York,” says Bruce. “But then you meet somebody who’ll book you on a show that's a little bit better. And you keep going and the shows get better.”

For now, that might mean their out-of-state shows take place in venues that are half vegetarian restaurant, half bike shop (a venue they've booked in real life on at least two occasions in two cities).

No matter where Eyebawl takes them, the members have plenty of good things to say about Wilmington's musical bona fides. “I think people [we meet traveling] are shocked when they ask [about Wilmington], 'So what's the scene like?” says Silva. “It's actually pretty great.”

Adds Bruce: “I'll always say, ‘This band's from Wilmington.’”

Eyebawl's music is available digitally on eyebawl.bandcamp.com or on cassette from the Crafted Sounds website (craftedsounds.net).

Upcoming live performances include Oddity Bar on Saturday, March 21, 9 p.m.

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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MARCH MUSIC at Kelly’s Logan House FRIDAY, 3/06

Big Rumble Twist- 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/07

Look for these great bands upstairs!

DJ Andrew Hugh - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/13

DJ Willoughby - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/14

ST. PATRICK’S DAY LOOP

Chapel Street Junction - 2 p.m.

Stephanie and Eddy - 6 p.m.

The Thieves - 10 p.m.

TUESDAY, 3/17

Kalai King Irish Experience - 2 p.m.

Cherry Crush Trio - 6 p.m.

DJ Willoughby - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/20

Chorduroy - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/21

DJ Andrew Hugh - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 3/27

Richie D. Trio - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 3/28

DJ Gifted Hands - 10 p.m.

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

LOGANHOUSE.COM Bands and times subject to change.

66 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

LISTEN

TUNED IN Not-to-be-missed music news A TASTE OF STEELY DAN FOR KENNETT FLASH BENEFIT

Countdown to Ecstasy, a popular Philly-area Steely Dan tribute band, will perform a spring concert An Afternoon at the Park with Countdown to Ecstasy at Anson B. Nixon Park on Saturday, April 25. The show benefits The Kennett Flash, a nonprofit performing arts organization based in Historic Kennett Square.

Kennett Flash, which was founded in 2009, puts on more than 200 events per year, ranging from concerts to films and lectures to children’s shows. General admission tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the show. VIP tickets are $40 in advance, $45 the day of the show. Children’s tickets are also available. Gates open at 1 p.m. with show at 3 p.m. For more, visit KennettFlash.org.

RHONDA VINCENT HEADLINES AN EVENING OF BLUEGRASS

The “Queen of Bluegrass,” Rhonda Vincent, will headline The Derrick Lowe Memorial Evening of Bluegrass, Saturday, April 4, at the Milburn Stone Theatre, North East, Md. The concert is hosted by the Elkton Rotary Club.

Vincent began her professional music career at the age of five, playing drums with her family’s band, the Sally Mountain Show. She picked up the mandolin at age eight, the fiddle at age 10, and has become one of the most celebrated bluegrass artists of our time. Vincent has won multiple International Bluegrass Music Awards as well as a 2018 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass will be the evening’s opening act.

The fundraiser is in honor of Derrick Lowe, a beloved community advocate in Cecil County, Md., known for his love of bluegrass and his commitment to youth. Lowe founded An Evening of Bluegrass with the Elkton Rotary Club to raise funds to support local nonprofits.

Ticket are $35 and $45; showtime is 7 p.m. Call 410-2872037 or visit milburnstone.org.

TWEED WITH NEW RELEASE

Tweed, the high-energy Philly-based funk and rock band, will release their first full-length album on March 13. Titled Tweed Moves, the recording will feature eight songs, including the title track “Moves.” The five-piece band formed at the University of Delaware in 2010. For more on the album and upcoming performances, visit TweedMusic.com.

Photo David Norbut

LIVE @ CHRISTINA: GHOST-NOTE!

Scantron has released Electric City.

Headed by Snarky Puppy’s multi Grammy-winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, Ghost-Note is “...an explosion of sound” infusing funk music with their fresh take including tastes of afro-beat & hip-hop.

SATURDAY MARCH 20 | 7:30 pm

NEW EP FOR SCANTRON

Accomplished area guitarist and vocalist Jimmy Everhart and his popular band Scantron have resurfaced with a new EP entitled Electric City. Everhart, a University of Delaware alum, was a familiar face on the area music circuit from 20082012, teaming with percussionist Will Donnelly in the bands Shakedown and Villains Like You. In 2013, Everhart and Donnelly joined the Philly-based Low Cut Connie for a national tour. Tired of touring, Everhart left Low Cut Connie in 2018.

You can listen to the EP at soundcloud.com/scantrontheband.

The band will be performing at Philly nightspots Boot & Saddle on Thursday, April 2, and Johnny Brendas on Sunday, May 31.

For other live performances, see Scantron’s Facebook page.

CHRISTINA CULTURAL ARTS CENTER Clifford Brown Performance Center 705 N. Market Street Wilmington

Tickets $20 | $25 at door Purchase at CCACDE.org This engagement of GHOST-NOTE is made possible through the Jazz Touring Network program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

KAHUNAVILLE REVISITED

A reunion party for the popular but now-defunct Wilmington Riverfront nightspot Kahunaville is set for Friday, April 3, at The Queen in Downtown Wilmington. The music will be provided by Philly-based dance band Pretty Poison along with deejays Gizzmo and Rob Base. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the music starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27 and available at TheQueenWilmington.com.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SOUTHSIDE

Rhythm-and-blues legends Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes make their annual visit to Wilmington with a performance at The Grand on Thursday, March 19. The band has produced more than 30 albums since debuting on the New Jersey shore scene in 1974. Hits include “I Don’t Wanna Go Home,” “Having A Party,” “The Fever” and “Talk To Me.” Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets range $34-$41 and are available at TheGrandWilmington.org.

LONGWOOD GARDENS SERIES CONCERTS

Tickets go on sale March 11 for the 2020 Longwood Gardens Summer Performance Series. The concert series opens the weekend of June 5-6 with a Wine & Jazz Festival in Longwood’s Open-Air Theatre. Key dates of this year’s series include Keb Mo ( June 9), Straight No Chaser ( July 12), Rufus Wainwright with Jose Gonzalez (Aug. 13) and Mary Chapin Carpenter (Aug. 20). Shows are still being added. Visit LongwoodGardens.org for updates, showtimes and ticket prices.

MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

HAVE YOU HEARD OF SOMETHING?

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PARTY TIME St. Patrick’s Loop celebrates 30 years.

Eighties Loop returns in April After a two-month break, the City Loop Series swings back into action this month. The 30th annual St. Patrick’s Day Loop is set for Saturday, March 14, beginning at 4 p.m.

This year’s lineup includes 11 Wilmington clubs: Catherine Rooney’s, Chelsea Tavern, Cavanaugh’s, Crow Bar, Gallucio’s Café, Grotto Pizza, Kelly’s Logan House, Makers Alley, Timothy’s Riverfront, Trolley Square Oyster House and Trolley Tap House. One $10 cover gains you admittance into all 11 venues and entitles you to a discount on Lyft rideshare services. Look for Guinness beer and Tullamore Dew whiskey specials at all Loop venues.

Beginning at noon on March 14, the Irish Culture Club’s 45th St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Hooley will take place in Downtown Wilmington. The parade, which lasts about one hour, begins at Fourth and King streets and proceeds up King to 15th Street. Immediately following the parade, the ICCD’s traditional Hooley will take place at the corner of King & 12th streets. For more information, visit IrishDe.org Saturday, April 18, marks the return of the ‘80s Loop. It’s been more than a decade since this theme was part of the City Loop Series, but Loop officials are taking advantage of the fact that the date is also National Record Store Day and are tying in area shops such as Squeezebox Records and Rainbow Records. Instant prizes will be awarded for those in ‘80s attire and music from the decade will be featured at participating venues. For more, visit OutAndAboutNow.com

—Out & About

68 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

PLAY PLAY

Colin Quinn was once dubbed the “white Richard Pryor” by fellow comedian Chris Rock. Photo courtesy of Loshak PR

5 QUESTIONS WITH COLIN QUINN The veteran stand-up comedian skewers politics with Wrong Side of History, coming to the baby grand on March 27

C

olin Quinn has been poking fun at politicians—and politics in general—for decades. In fact, in the modern era, there may not be another stand-up comedian who can dissect the fallibilities of government and elected officials quite as deftly as Quinn.

“There's something about the human condition of trying to organize,” Quinn says during a phone interview promoting his new comedy show, Wrong Side of History, which comes to the Baby Grand in Wilmington on Friday, March 27. “We're the only species that really does try to get this right and figure it out. And there's just so many things that come up because you're trying to figure it out—so many flaws in human character— which is what's funny.”

Although Quinn started stand-up in 1984, his connection with political satire came to prominence in the late ‘90s as the impassioned and often exasperated host of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update.

In 2002, he moved on to Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, where he and a panel of four other comedians went after politics and social issues like starved sharks attacking unlucky tuna.

The show was smart, daring and controversial—perhaps too controversial for even Comedy Central, which eventually put the kibosh on it after more than 200 episodes, despite the show’s consistent ratings.

With My Two Cents in 2009, Quinn embarked on what has become a series of one-man comedy shows—Colin Quinn Long Story Short (2010), Unconstitutional (2013), The New York Story (2015) and Red State Blue State (2019)—that have focused mostly on social issues, history and politics.

With Wrong Side of History, Quinn continues with that theme from fresh perspectives. In our interview, Quinn talked about his brand of comedy, the importance of writing new material and why his new show is worth trying. ► MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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O&A: Do you feel like this is kind of like a natural evolution? That the people who've been following you are going to say, “Okay, I get it, this is kind of like a series.” Right?

Quinn: Yeah, it better be, for my sake. Because here’s the danger for everybody in comedy: You don't want to be repetitive. On the one hand, you’re talking about themes that you talked about before, because there's only so many themes to talk about. But you want to make sure it's a new angle, a new thing.

You don’t want to be repetitive. That's the biggest challenge —that if I mentioned John Quincy Adams again, it's in a context of, “Oh, he's just mentioning him, but it's a different thought.” You know? So that's the hard part.

O&A: Other than laughs, is there anything else that you hope to get from the audience?

Quinn: Laughs are the most important thing. Laughs first.

But, yeah, by exploring this stuff, I'm hoping to come to some conclusions about life or the system—you know what I mean?

I hope I get things out of this that make me so I can understand things better.

When I was writing the Unconstitutional stuff I was like, “What is it about the Constitution that makes everybody like this damn thing?”

O&A: Why is your show Wrong Side of History worth trying?

Quinn: Because it gets laughs the entire time. And hopefully, I can get to the point—it’s the continuation of what I’ve been about— where if I do enough of the shows, one of them is going to have at least some little answer to something [laughs]. I'm trying. I'm not saying it's happening. I'm just saying I'm trying.

For tickets to Wrong Side of History on Friday, March 27, at the baby grand, go to tickets.thegrandwilmington.org. To read more of this interview and to learn about more things Quinn thinks are Worth Trying, go to OutAndAboutNow.com.

ee

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O&A: I saw Red State Blue State and I thought it was the perfect thing at the perfect time. It's not easy to make John Quincy Adams a punch line, but that's kind of where you're coming from. It's a very intellectual, conversational brand of comedy. Do you ever feel pressure to dumb it down?

Quinn: No, my whole thing is I feel like anybody in comedy should be talking about what they really are interested in. And if people can’t handle the fact that you’re interested in this kind of stuff, then there’s no hope for the whole planet—you know what I mean?

Comedy should be talking about all kinds of stuff. It just happens that I like talking about this kind of stuff. And the challenge is trying to make it funny, so everybody laughs at it. But I would never dumb it down.

appe eH

ns

O&A: In the stand-up world, you've kind of cornered the market on politics. Is that fair to say?

Quinn: I mean, I don't know if it's fair to say, but I like the idea of it: me cornering the market in something. I mean, a lot of other people talk about politics, but I do shows. It's more of a history thing with me, but, yeah—I’ll take it.

Shamrocks, Basketballs & Birthday Candles?

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5 QUESTIONS WITH COLIN QUINN continued from page 69

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r h e lp

St Paddy’s Loop March 14th ALL Day Irish Specials!

Chelsea’s 10th Birthday Party March 14th LIVE Music & DJ

St. Paddy’s Day

March 17th ALL Day Irish Specials!

March Madness

March 19th - April 6th $ 302.482.3333 | ChelseaTavern.com 4 Drafts During ALL 821 N. Market St., Wilmington NCAA Tournament Games!

Brewery of the Month Beer Dinner March 26th Featuring Dogfish Head!!!

for details visit: chelseatavern.com

302.482.3333 821 N. Market St., Wilmington, DE 19801

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DRAG DIVA BRUNCH: IT’S BRITNEY BRUNCH

SUNDAY, MARCH 1

COMEDY IN THE CROWN THURSDAY, MARCH 5 THE BRITISH INVASION EXPERIENCE

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

LARGER THAN LIFE

THE ULTIMATE BOYBAND TRIBUTE

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 RADIO 104.5 PRESENTS

BRIAN FALLON & THE HOWLING WEATHER

THURSDAY, MARCH 12 MICRO-WRESTLING

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 THE FLEETWOOD MAC EXPERIENCE & CRIMES OF PASSION

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

KRUSH A NIGHT FOR NEIL PEARL SATURDAY, MARCH 21

DRAG DIVA BRUNCH: SPICE GIRLS

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

72 MARCH 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

30th Annual presents the

St. Paddy’s Loop!

SATURDAY MARCH 14 11 CLUBS • 4PM START

DELAWARE’S BIGGEST ST. PADDY’S CELEBRATION! CATHERINE ROONEY’S • CHELSEA TAVERN • CAVANAUGH’S • CROW BAR • GALLUCIO’S CAFE GROTTO PIZZA • KELLY’S LOGAN HOUSE • MAKERS ALLEY • TIMOTHY’S RIVERFRONT TROLLEY SQUARE OYSTER HOUSE • TROLLEY TAP HOUSE

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