Out & About Magazine May 2017

Serving Up Sustainability

of Generosity

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

NATURE CALLS 16 great area destinations

MAY 2017 COMPLIMENTARY

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Hooked on Delaware's Bay Shore Region The Grassroots Movement of Eugene Young One Comedian's Frightful Debut

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BELLEVUE STATE PARK IS TURNING FORTY! Come celebrate with us and the Friends of Bellevue State Park on Sunday, July 2, with a day full of familyfriendly activities and events. Complete a park-wide scavenger hunt for prizes while enjoying food trucks, ice cream, face painting, and animals from the Brandywine Zoo. In the evening, enjoy a free concert featuring Kategory 5 playing the hits of the 70s and 80s while adults can visit our craft beer garden on the patio. End the evening with a guided hike through the estate and an introduction to observing the night sky.

Established as a state park in 1977, Bellevue State Park was once the home of William DuPont, Jr., a bank executive and a prominent figure in thoroughbred horse racing and breeding. The estate features a large mansion home, nine-furlong racetrack, the Figure Eight Barn, extensive stables and paddocks, and a firstclass clay court tennis center used by DuPont’s wife, Margaret Osbourne, a champion professional female tennis player. Originally constructed in 1855 as a Gothic stone castle, Bellevue Mansion was renovated by DuPont in the 1930s to reflect the architectural style of Montpelier, his childhood home. In addition to the Bellevue estate, Bellevue State Park also hosts the mansion and grounds of Daniel Cauffiel, a real estate advisor for the DuPont company, and the historic Mount Pleasant Meeting House.

FOLLOW @DESTATEPARKS FOR MORE OUTDOOR FUN! YOUR OUTDOOR ADVENTRE STARTS HERE!

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SPRING’S GETTING GREENER. Stop by your local Delaware Lotter y Retailer for your chance to win instant green.

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“Hammered” takes on a whole new meaning when you drink and drive. And the headache doesn’t stop there. You’ll get jail time, a suspended driver’s license and thousands of dollars in fines.

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

Don’t let a DUI redefine you.

Make sure you have a safe ride. For a list of ride options near you, text SafeRide to 99000.

ArriveAliveDE.com/DriveSober

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Out & About Magazine

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Vol. 30 | No. 3

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

Mailing & business address: 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

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Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net Associate Editor Krista Connor • kconnor@tsnpub.com Director of Digital Media & Distribution Marie Graham Poot • mgraham@tsnpub.com

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9 The War on Words 11 F.Y.I. 12 By the Numbers 13 What Readers Are Saying 14 O&A Photo Contest 15 Worth Trying 17 Eugene Young’s Nonprofit 21 The Mothers’ Space 25 Uber & Lyft in Delaware

57 Unexpected Grillables 60 Bites

LEARN

WATCH

Contributing Writers JulieAnne Cross, Mark Fields, Pam George, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Leeann Wallett, Robert Lhulier, Mike Little, Allan McKinley, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Kevin Noonan, Scott Pruden, Matt Sullivan

10 Message of Hope

67 Reviews 71 Six-pack Cinema

Contributing Photographers Jim Coarse and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Tim Hawk, Anthony Santoro, Matt Urban

47 Art on the Town 52 On the Riverfront

Creative Director & Production Manager Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. matt@catvis.biz Graphic Designer Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. tyler@catvis.biz Contributing Designer Ryan Alexander, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

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Special Projects Sarah Green, David Hallberg, John Holton Intern David Ferguson

FOCUS

DRINK

FEATURES 17 A Grassroots Movement After falling just short in his campaign for mayor, Eugene Young advocates for social change through Network Delaware, a new nonprofit coalition.

61 The Creamery 63 Sips

LISTEN 64 Tuned In

PLAY

29 Wilmington Grand Prix Preview 34 The Great Outdoors 73 Stand-up Comedy 77 Considering Legalization 40 Hooked

34 The Great Outdoors Here are 16 wildlife and recreation destinations we think are worth exploring.

O&A Staff

40 Hooked More and more Delawareans and tourists are heading to the bay shore region to enjoy the state’s ‘quieter, wilder side.’

By Krista Connor

73 Have No Fear, Dave Chappelle Our man tries stand-up. It is not a total disaster.

By Mike Little

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 Website: outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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By Larry Nagengast

WILMINGTON

On the cover: An owl takes flight at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

Photo by Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography

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

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

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

Department of Redundancies Dept.

• Associate Editor Krista Connor came across this gem in the Wilmington News Journal: “The predictions are ‘certainly far from a lock,’ Shafer said, stressing how unpredictable this storm has been to predict.”

• From a synopsis on Fandango for the film Slamma Jamma: “A recently released ex-inmate (Chris Staples) with a gift for basketball negotiates life on the outside . . .” Being released definitely qualifies him as an ex-inmate.

Media Watch • “There will be less coaches at Indian River High School [because of budget cuts].” —WDEL’s Sean Greene. Repeat after me, everyone: Less for quantity, fewer for number (and plurals).

• Comedian Kathleen Madigan, quoted in TNJ: “And the fact that you said that makes me certain you have never drank a box of wine and took an Ambien.” Using drank where drunk is correct – common mistake. But took? Unforgiveable. It’s taken. Am assuming her wit is superior to her grammar skills.

• From TNJ, courtesy of contributing writer Larry Nagengast: “Everything about downstate Delaware's trout fishing experience is manmade, from the fish that are brought in every year to the ponds where they are released.” Never mind the danger of the “everything from to” construction, how does one make a fish?

• During the March snowstorm, DelDot spokespeople referred to “snow and ice laying on trees and power lines.” Lying (resting, reclining) is correct. To lay is to place or put.

Literally of the Month: ESPN commentator describing Clemson football fans after the Tigers beat Alabama for the national championship: “They were literally living and dying with each play.”

Readers Write Joe Huston, of West Marlborough Twp., Chester County, Pa., notes what he calls “a perennial irritant”: “. . . to hear someone say that one is ‘chomping at the bit’ (to take a big bite out of) rather than properly ‘champing’ (to work nervously in anticipation).”

So noted, Joe.

By Bob Yearick

Problems, we’ve got problems English is chockablock with words and terms that are problematic, confusing, hard to understand (see “begs the question” from last month’s column). Cases in point: Podium/lectern. Many people use the term podium when they mean lectern. A podium is a platform upon which a speaker stands while speaking. Think of it as a stage. It often is a stage. In fact, you can have a lectern on a podium on a stage.

Ironic (or not). Irony is a word and concept that’s often misunderstood. It’s a figure of speech that has several definitions, but for our purposes this will suffice: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. Also, irony is often (usually?) unintentional.

For instance, Facebook is rife with comments like this: “Your an idiot.” Now, that’s ironic. Another: the sign announcing, “The Procrastinators meeting has been postponed.”

A statement that conveys an unusual circumstance is not necessarily ironic. One online example: An employer provides free lunch for employees the day after Thanksgiving. Unusual, maybe. Not ironic.

The definition is a bit subjective, as evidenced by the fact that there is a website where you can vote on whether a statement is ironic: IsItIronic.com.

Until/till/’til. Until, as we all know, indicates when something will happen, begin, or end. Till means the same thing as until. It is not an abbreviation, and indeed precedes until in the history of our language. Do not use an apostrophe with it, and avoid ‘til, which top dictionaries and style guides consider an error.

And finally . .

Sad news for the literate world: We lost a champion in March when Washington Post Copy Editor Bill Walsh, just 55, passed away.

He was the ultimate language authority.

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

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

Word of the Month

diktat Pronounced dik' tät, it’s a noun meaning an order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent.

Quotation of the Month “Unnecessary words waste space and the reader’s time, and they make strong writing weak.”

—Gary Blake & Robert W. Bly, The Elements of Technical Writing (1993)

Buy The War on Words paperback at Ninth Street Books in Wilmington, the Hockessin Book Shelf, on Amazon, or by calling Out & About at 302-655-6483.

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LEARN

A MESSAGE OF HOPE:

TAKE THE FIRST SMALL STEP Amanda Potopchuk talks about advocacy with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The WilmU student works to change lives as a career counselor and community volunteer.

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hen Amanda Potopchuk speaks to students as part of an Opiate Awareness program, she starts by telling them that no one wants to be a drug addict. Then she tells them how she became one. The child of a loving, middle-class family from Williamstown, N.J., Potopchuk says, “My parents were ignorant of the dangers of painkillers.”

As a teenager, she became addicted to prescription drugs and attended her prom and high school graduation under the influence. When doctors would no longer prescribe painkillers, she turned to heroin. At 20, estranged from her family and deep into the drug scene, her wake-up call came when a fellow user died of an overdose.

Following treatment, she relapsed on her 21st birthday and ended up in a psychiatric hospital because treatment programs for addictions were scarce. “I lost a portion of my young adulthood,” Potopchuk says. Her childhood friends moved on with their lives but she didn’t even know how to write a check.

“I didn’t know who the president was,” she says. “I was in my own bubble and completely unaware of the world.”

After completing treatment, she worked at a camp for persons with developmental disabilities. It turned out to be the boost she needed to get her life on course. “They took a chance on me and it paid off,” she says. She knew that education was the key to advancement and took courses for six years to earn an associate degree.

“In our society,” she says, “we want instant gratification, but there is value in the small things—getting my first A on a paper and getting on the dean’s list were major accomplishments.”

As she was earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychology — online at Wilmington University—she found an accepting and supportive environment. As a current student in WilmU’s Administration of Human Services graduate program, Potopchuk shares her experiences with classmates. She encourages constructive conversations about substance abuse because, she says, “Shame and stigma are killing people.” She feels that WilmU faculty understand working students and students who have life challenges, like being in recovery.

“It’s important to surround yourself with people who can help you get better,” she says, adding that she plans to graduate with her master’s in January.

Potopchuk works as a career counselor with young adults, many who have substance use and abuse histories. “Never doubt what you can do in life,” she tells her students. “There’s no reason you can’t achieve your goals. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Addiction is a lifelong disease, so remain vigilant.”

As a community volunteer, she advocates for a national prescription monitoring system to address prescription drug abuse and addiction. Recently appointed to the Gloucester County (N.J.) Addictions Task Force, she continues to carry a message of hope.

“Take the first small step,” she says. “I never thought in a million years I’d be where I am today.”

Graduate Studies Fair June 7

Apply for FREE at this event.

Learn how you can advance your career on your time and budget. wilmu.edu/GradFair 10 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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F.Y.I. Things worth knowing Compiled by David Ferguson

DAY AT THE MARKET

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n Saturday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., First State Flea is hosting its monthly flea market at Glasgow Park in the Bank Barn. FSF provides the platform for local vendors and entrepreneurs to promote and sell their goods and services. FSF had its grand opening of 2017 at Glasgow Park in March with 20 vendors and 800 visitors. The markets will be held the first Saturday of each month for the rest of the year at the park, 2275 Pulaski Highway, Newark. For more information or to find out how to become a vendor check out firststateflea.com.

LUNCH FOR A CAUSE

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he Markevic A. Johnson Educational Fund Committee is hosting its 16th annual Markevic A. Johnson Scholarship Luncheon on Saturday, May 6, at noon at the Christiana Hilton Hotel in Newark.

The committee was founded to commemorate the life of Keisha Marie Kid and to honor men and women of distinction in the community, civic and non-profit leaders, elected officials, and local church congregations. Kidd, an advocate of quality education, was a graduate of Delaware State University and passed away shortly after the birth of her son, Markevic.

The luncheon will also raise proceeds for Markevic and two other graduating seniors pursuing a college education at Delaware State or Wilmington University in the fall.

Tickets are $40 and will include lunch and refreshments. For more information and to order tickets, go to markevicajohnson.org or email markevicajohnson@gmail.com.

TO THE TOURNAMENT!

INAUGURAL YORKLYN DAY

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he Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Delaware will host a golf tournament on Friday, May 19, at the Eagle Creek Golf Course, 442 13th St., Dover.

Tickets to the tournament are $75 and will include access to the greens, golf cart, lunch, dinner, social, score sheets, gift bag, driving range and games. Extras include prizes, auctions and a putting contest. Proceeds go to providing support and community services for the families of active military personnel who are deployed worldwide. In case of rain, the event will be moved to Friday, June 9. More information and registration can be found at facebook.com/DelawareAASRGolf.

INTERACTIVE CONFERENCE

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he Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (DESCA) is hosting its First Annual Bio-Based & Renewable Chemicals Conference on Wednesday and Thursday, May 10 and 11. Keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. The event will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing the bio-based industry and will offer attendees the opportunity to interact through panel discussions and workshops hosted by industry experts and thought leaders. The conference will take place at The Carriage House in Rockwood Park, 4671 Washington St. extension, Wilmington. Tickets are $95 and will cover both days of the event and will include breakfast and lunch. For the full schedule and to purchase tickets, go to desustainablechem.org/news.

DEWEY ARTS FEST

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he Dewey Business Partnership will host its sixth annual Arts Festival on Saturday, May 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dagsworthy Street in Dewey. More than 40 artists, crafters and students will display their work. The event will include live music and food trucks. A non-profit, The Dewey Artist Collaboration, will be on site displaying art from Dewey artists along with adult refreshments via a pop-up beer garden. The event is free, with parking included. To find out more, go to the events page on facebook.com/Deweyartsfest.

unday, June 4, the community of Yorklyn will mark the first ever Yorklyn Day. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., guests can learn the history surrounding Yorklyn and celebrate with live music, food trucks, artisans market, children’s art show, antique autos and train rides, crafts, and more. The event is free, but some activities may require a small fee. Proceeds will benefit the Center for the Creative Arts, the Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve, and Delaware State Parks. Parking will be provided at H.B. Middle School. Free shuttles will run to take guests to and from the event. More details and information can be found at yorklynday.org.

BENEFIT BIKE RIDE

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n Sunday, May 7, hundreds of bicyclists will gather for a ride in Exton, Pa., to benefit the Pennsylvania Center for Adapted Sports (PCAS). This Cinco de Mayo Benefit Bike Ride and Walk offers scenic 25- and 50-mile road rides for avid cyclists and proves that you don’t have to be able to see or walk to ride a bicycle.

Some cyclists will use specially adapted bikes that they pedal with their arms; others will use crutches, wheelchairs, or whatever means necessary to join the ride. Proceeds will go to PCAS, a non-profit that hosts athletic programs designed to improve the health of people with disabilities. For more information check out cincodemayoride.org.

DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY EXHIBIT

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rom May 5 until Aug. 6, The Delaware Contemporary will exhibit work from world-renowned artists Wendell Castle and Nancy Jurs, who work with wood, ceramics, and mixed media to create stunning sculptures, ensembles, and objects.

The opening reception of the exhibit will take place on Friday, May 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. and will be free for members of the museum and $10 for non-members. Then, on Sunday, May 7, from 1 – 3 p.m. there will be a free for members ($20 for non-members) champagne ceremony to further celebrate the exhibit. The Delaware Contemporary is located at 200 S. Madison St., Wilmington.

More information on the exhibit can be found at decontemporary.org/then-and-now.

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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by the numbers A few facts about May worth knowing

74 The average high temperature in Delaware this month.

8 MILLION The expected number of tourists who will visit Delaware beaches, starting this month.

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386 5/14 Number of years ago this month that colonists from Holland set foot in Delaware in what is now Lewes, and established a community.

Sadly, the colony, called Swaanendael, meaning “Valley of Swans,” was not long lived.

Mother’s Day—the day we celebrate all of our hardworking and caring mothers. Shouldn’t we be doing that every day?

17 21.4 The average number of days with sunshine in Wilmington in May. Say goodbye to April showers and hello to May flowers.

BILLION The estimated amount, in dollars, that Americans spent on Mother’s Day last year.

That’s a lot of flowers!

12 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING About Bring on Breakfast!

The roundup of the area’s best (By O&A Staff, April) Great article on where to get breakfast! But...Scalessa's needs to be on the list. Might be the best breakfast sandwich in town. Go with the homemade biscuit. Choose between bacon, sausage, and scrapple. $4.95. Enormous. Delicious.

— Bruce Fox, Delaware This is not a real list without Libby's!

— Cassandra Marshall, Wilmington About A Victory for Diversity A profile on Delaware’s new congresswoman, Lisa Blunt Rochester (By Kevin Noonan, April) Thank you for printing this wonderful article about this fantastic woman! At Padua, Lisa is a superstar. We are so very proud of her for having the courage and determination to make this nation a better place for all people. When Lisa makes her bid for president of the U.S., and you can bet that she will, she will have thousands of Padua Sisters from the alumnae to all of her future Padua Sisters helping her make it happen! But for now, we are so very happy she is representing the people of Delaware in Congress with grace and grit.

— Cindy Hayes Mann, Padua Head of School, Wilmington I searched all over the place, and can find little information on any of her actual positions on issues…aside from inferring that she is pro-choice, and for same-sex marriage, virtually all of her positions are "unknown." As these things seem counter to what the Catholic church supports, I'm struggling a bit to understand the excitement.

— Eric Klier, Delaware About Swinging for the Fences From the Publisher (By Jerry duPhily, April) I very much enjoyed reading the Blue Rocks article (Swinging for the Fences) in Out & About earlier today. To me, before Frawley Stadium in 1992 there was Mitchell Associates, Moeckel Carbonell and the Delaware Theatre Company back in 1985. Mayor Dan Frawley later referred to us as the Pioneers of the Riverfront and I corrected him and told him we were the Scouts.

— Lou Rosenberg, Principal, Mitchell Associates, Chadds Ford, Pa.

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

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MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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O&A READERS PHOTO CONTEST

Photo Joe del Tufo

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Send us your best shots of wildlife and outdoor scenes.

ove the great outdoors? Then here’s your chance to showcase your favorite Delaware outdoor destination in our inaugural Instagram contest, and win a prize in the bargain.

Whether you’re an intrepid explorer or backyard birder, a camper or a fisherman or woman, a boater or a hunter, just whip out the trusty smartphone—or an actual camera—and start capturing the natural wonders The First State has to offer. We’re talking forests, ponds, seashores, fields, and, of course, wildlife.

Then share your best shots with the hashtag #OandAoutdoors from May 1-17 for a chance to be featured on @outandaboutmagazine’s Instagram. Among these submissions, winning photos will be published in our June issue and prizes include annual passes to Delaware State Parks and gift cards to local restaurants.

What are we looking for? Originality, high resolution photo quality and most important, a photograph that conveys why this spot is special.

And if you need some ideas for new places to find beautiful scenery and fascinating wildlife, check out this issue. It’s chockablock with descriptions of outdoor attractions.

The contest is sponsored by SweetWater Brewing Company and Out & About Magazine.

One note: O&A contributors are not eligible.

— O&A

WONDER AND WHIMSY THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF W. HEATH ROBINSON MARCH 4 – MAY 21, 2017 Wonder and Whimsy: The Illustrations of W. Heath Robinson features over 65 illustrations, designs, and drawings created by Heath Robinson from the collection of the William Heath Robinson Trust (UK). This exhibition is made possible in Delaware by the Emily du Pont Memorial Exhibition Fund. Additional support was provided, 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. | Second Adventure – The Air-Ship. The Aeronaut, 1902, from The Adventures of Uncle Lubin (London: Grant Richards, 1902). Pen and ink, with watercolor, 9 13/16 × 7 11/16 inches.

2301 Kentmere Parkway Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 delart.org

14 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Worth Trying Suggestions from our staff, contributors and readers

Three Albums from the City of Chicago

Learn-to-Row Courses for Adults

Although Chicago has long been known as a stellar music town that has launched many notable acts, here are a few outliers worth seeking out: The first, Like A Ship… (Without A Sail), is perhaps the most obscure. Recorded in 1971 by Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth For Christ Choir, this uplifting gospel album has earned praise from artists such as Jim James and Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood. I first heard the album last month during a late-night party, and immediately felt that our gathering had been elevated. Hear for yourself.

Up next is Sonny Cox, who never became the world-renowned saxophonist that he probably deserved to be, but did succeed later in life as an accomplished high school basketball coach. Nevertheless, his musical talent and magnificent energy can be felt on his aptly-titled 1966 release, The Wailer.

Last but not least is Raw Sugar (Live), by Sugar Blue, who is perhaps best known outside of Chicago as the harmonica player who added the smoldering and iconic lines to the Rolling Stones’ 1978 hit “Miss You.” Raw is further proof of the master’s soulful yet often mercurial performance style.

For many people around the world, rowing is a fresh and exciting way to get fit and have fun while doing it. Wilmington Rowing Center, located on the Christina River, gives people an opportunity to enjoy the sport. WRC offers learn-to-row courses for adults over the age of 18. These courses are two hour sessions spread out across five days, designed to give prospective rowers an introduction to the sport. The basics of sweep rowing are taught by an experienced coach. By the end of the course, participants will be able to join the rowing club and may choose to practice on their own.

— Jim Miller, Director of Publications

— Tess Beardell, Senior at Wilmington Friends School

Ravanesi Pizzeria Napoletana

Dewey Beer Company

I was recently introduced to this gem by a friend/client and I can't stop talking about it. Located in an unlikely strip mall in Glenn Mills, it pumps out some of the best woodfired, brick oven pizza I've ever eaten. Bring your own bottle of wine or growler of beer and ask for the sopressata piccante pie. ravanesipizza.com.

Dewey Beach runs on beer, so why Dewey doesn’t have more breweries is beyond me. However, the one the town does have is definitely worth checking out. Dewey Beer Co. at 2100 Coastal Highway is home to some of the most flavorful beers to come out of Delaware. Craft beer expert or not, the DBC produces fresh, clean and delicious beers. What’s more, the brewery doubles as an eatery with dishes that complement each of the house-made beers on tap. The rotating Batch Series, which focuses on highly aromatic IPAs, is the pride of DBC and the limited (almost secretive) Barrel Aged variety is an absolute kick. Be sure to swing down south, grab a brew and check the place out before summer crowds kick the kegs.

—Matt Loeb, Creative Director & Production Manager

—David Ferguson, Intern

Have something you think is worth trying?

Send your suggestion to Jim at jmiller@tsnpub.com.

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r e c n a d

Unleashthe

within

Rie Aoki First State Ballet Theatre

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With a bottom-up approach to public policy, what Young wants to do now amounts to turning “the Delaware Way” on its head. Photo William Moree

LEADING A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT After falling just short in his campaign for mayor, Eugene Young continues to advocate for social change through Network Delaware, a new nonprofit coalition

By Larry Nagengast

C

andidates who lose elections tend to take either of two paths afterward: the road to oblivion or the roundabout that leads to one failed race after another.

Eugene Young, after finishing second to Mike Purzycki by 234 votes in the eight-way Democratic primary for Wilmington mayor last September, is trying to pave a different route—one he hopes will lead to success.

Young, 34, is the board chairman of Network Delaware, a new nonprofit coalition of community organizers, leaders and activists that is trying to spur grassroots involvement to advocate for social change throughout the state. He has a “day job” too, working as advocacy director at the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit whose executive director is Ashley Biden, daughter of former Vice President Joe Biden.

Network Delaware is “very unique in this moment,” says Elizabeth “Tizzie” Lockman, advocacy director for the Christina Cultural Arts Center and vice-chairperson of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission.

The organization is an outgrowth of the political campaign, Young says, a collaboration of volunteers who “doubled down and said ‘we’ve got to get involved’” following their disappointment with the outcome of the November elections.

A week after the election, he says, “about 65 people came out, just to get together, and started to look at ways this could work.” By the end of January, he was able to launch the operation, getting it off on a high note with a rally-like meeting that drew about 300 to the Christina Cultural Arts Center. ►

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Lockman met Young about 10 years ago, when the St. Mark’s High School and University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate was organizing a basketball league for Wilmington kids and she was cutting her teeth with several nonprofits in the city.

They reconnected two years ago, when he returned to Wilmington after spending two years as an advisor to Cory Booker, first while Booker was serving as mayor of Newark, N. J., and then as a U.S. senator.

Almost from the beginning, she says, she recognized that Young, being both progressive and charismatic, “was somebody who was going to be able to do whatever he wants.”

What Young wants to do now amounts to figuratively turning “the Delaware Way” on its head. Rather than having business and foundation leaders meeting at the table with a bipartisan assemblage of political power brokers, Network Delaware would take a bottom-up, grassroots approach to developing public policy.

While proponents of the Delaware Way tout the relative ease with which key stakeholders in government, business and nonprofit circles can assemble to hash out issues in a small state, Young notes that, with this closeness, “it becomes very easy for a small group of people to become exclusive.”

As it starts out, Network Delaware has no causes. The nature of those causes will evolve, Young says, as the organization listens to its members and learns their concerns.

To those familiar with issue-based organizations, Network Delaware’s mission can be confusing, says Lockman, who is doing some policy advisory work for the group. “They ask, ‘What are we working toward?’ But it’s not a specific issue. It’s building the community, linking it to the civic process and giving them the tools” to become advocates for their causes.

“We’re focusing on what people’s concerns are and finding solutions for those concerns,” Young says. “A lot of people don’t care because their voices aren’t being heard. Our goal is to amplify their voices.”

In some respects, Network Delaware’s intended growth trajectory mirrors the strategy Young employed as the young man who grew up on the city’s East Side and morphed from an unknown political quantity into a near-winner in the race for

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Photo William Moree

Young launched the six-tiered nonprofit with the goal of creating social change and commuity leaders.

Wilmington’s highest office. During the campaign, Young and his volunteers knocked on doors throughout the city and churned out position papers on issue after issue.

While the other candidates in the primary had pockets of support in particular neighborhoods—Purzycki, for example, dominated the upper-income areas on Wilmington’s west side, with help from a campaign urging Republicans in those areas to switch party affiliation to vote in the primary—Young’s voters were distributed throughout the city, indicating diverse support by ethnicity and income levels.

Similarly, Network Delaware is drawing members from diverse backgrounds. “We’ve got people of extremely high socioeconomic means and resources to people in poverty, and everything in between,” Young says. In terms of their politics, he says, “we have progressives, we have libertarians, we have some conservatives.”

The organization’s big tent, he adds, “allows people to interact with those who they might not have necessarily met before.”

Everybody has a role to play. “If you’re about justice, if you’re about creating a better community, then you’re with us,” Young says.

SIX WORKING GROUPS

What remains to be seen is what the new group will be able to accomplish. It is organized into six working groups, or “pillars,” each one with a distinct role: base building, an economic opportunity incubator, an electoral politics committee, a leadership development pipeline, a public policy and research institute, and a nonviolent movement building group.

Base building represents the core of the network—getting involved with people on a block-by-block basis, learning about their needs and identifying potential community leaders—while the economic opportunity incubator will focus on training entrepreneurs and developing new small businesses, with a focus on economically troubled neighborhoods.

The electoral politics committee will not only identify, recruit and mentor candidates for public office. It will also develop an “information hub” with political profiles of each lawmaker’s district and a report card system to track voting records of elected officials.

“We’re going to train people to be organizers. We’re going to train people to be candidates. We want to be community-led but outcome driven,” he says.

Serving as a public official is hard work, Young points out.

Just as important as holding legislators accountable for their votes is to “provide cover and support when they do the right thing.” If lawmakers suspect that their constituents don’t care, they will be less likely to stick their necks out on controversial issues, he says. ► MAY 2017 2015 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The leadership development pipeline will train leaders for LEADING A Network Delaware and other GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT organizations, while the public continued from previous page policy and research institute would examine issues, develop a repository of laws passed in other states and adapt these laws to fit Delaware’s context.

The nonviolent movement building group, according to the organization’s website, “will plan resistance to nationalist, authoritarian and undemocratic narratives and actions, while building a unifying vision.”

Having such a unit in the organization doesn’t make Network Delaware part of “the resistance,” the mushrooming array of issueoriented groups that have expanded or been birthed since the November elections, Young says.

But, he adds, “If you’re not doing what’s right for the community, for the people in this country, we’re going to resist. I don’t believe in blind resistance. We will go issue by issue.”

While the organization may be grassroots and somewhat populist in its approach, that doesn’t mean it’s not business friendly, Lockman says. “It’s pro-business, it’s pro-growth. We just want to make sure everyone has access.”

Young hopes to see Network Delaware grow in numbers, reach and influence. In his view, improving communities is a shared responsibility, with each individual having a role. “If I’m not working to impact the lives of those in our community, whatever happens to them impacts me anyway,” he says. “If I’m in New Castle and a child in Dover is not getting educated, or a family in Milford can’t break out of poverty, that will impact me, whether I like it or not.”

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ACHIEVING SYSTEMIC CHANGE

Building a statewide network is no small challenge. Building one that has genuine influence is an even greater task.

“When you’re trying to achieve deep systemic change, there’s definitely not an immediate payoff,” Lockman says. “But I have a good amount of faith that it is going to work.”

At this time, it’s fair to say that Network Delaware’s evolution as an organization could well be a significant factor in determining Young’s political future.

During the mayoral campaign, Purzycki and Young occasionally traded sharp barbs, with Purzycki questioning whether Young had the experience necessary to handle the job. Despite their differences during the campaign, Young now describes their relationship as “very cordial.”

While there was some post-primary speculation that Purzycki might offer Young a position in his administration, that never happened. “If he thought there was a role for me, he could ask, and I would consider it,” Young says. “I want him to be successful.”

For now, Young isn’t thinking about another campaign, even though he has gotten some mentions as a possible senatorial candidate if Tom Carper doesn’t seek re-election in 2018, or as a repeat mayoral candidate in 2020 if Purzycki doesn’t try for a second term.

Young’s current priorities are his work with the Delaware Center for Justice and growing Network Delaware. “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now,” he says.

“It takes a lot out of you to run for office. I put my family through enough,” he says, referring to his wife, Nicole, who earned her Ph.D. during the campaign and is on the business faculty at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., and his daughter, Madison, who celebrated her second birthday in March.

“Anything I do, I have to be sure, I have to feel it in my gut,” he says. “It’s not a plaything. It’s not about wanting power, prestige or money. It has to be something you believe in.”

20 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Libbie Fiechter (left) and Courtney Loughney, founders of The Mothers' Space. Photo Angie Gray

Bridging the Gap Wilmington-based perinatal support program The Mothers’ Space is a judgment-free place where moms can slip off their shoes, relax with yoga, and receive guidance from licensed women’s health professionals

By Krista Connor

T

he only noise in the yoga studio, a bright, naturally-lit space despite the roiling tempest outside, is a continuously humming om playing from the instructor’s smartphone, while class participants like Rachel Stargatt and Courtney Loughney bend earnestly into a downward dog pose.

That is, until a baby lets loose a howl from his face-up position on the mat beneath his mother, prompting a chain reaction of infantile gurgles and squeals throughout the room. This can only be ignored for a second or two before yogic focus is broken by broad smiles and laughter from the moms. Strikingly, in this Itty Bitty Yogis class, nobody rushes her baby out of the studio with that familiar head-tuck of embarrassment so often seen of moms in public. Instead, the instructor prompts mothers to calm their babies with kisses until, impressively, om is once more the only sound in the room, besides the rain.

Here, at The Mothers’ Space on the outskirts of Wilmington, moms are offered a rare retreat. For prenatal care to mothers of babies in the 18-month range, whether they’re breast-feeding or bottle-feeding, exhausted or energetic, women are encouraged to arrive and simply exist in the judgment-free space. They have access to expert counselors and consultants, workshops and

classes. The atmosphere is refreshingly honest and humorous and above all, an active counter to societal taboos and unrealistic expectations. As founders Libbie Fiechter and Loughney put it, it’s a place for unwashed hair, sore nipples and soft bellies, where it’s okay if you can’t orchestrate a Pinterest craft in the afternoon and a beautiful dinner in the evening.

Says Fiechter: “We wanted to be a safe place to go, where someone is not going to come up to you and say, ‘Put your boob away’ if you’re nursing.”

Really, within reason, all that’s banned at The Mothers’ Space are the tired expressions “enjoy every second” and “it goes by so fast.” What’s encouraged? Openness, understanding and eating—at any time.

Fiechter and Loughney, both mothers of three children under the age of 7, are committed to the benevolent proverb “it takes a village,” which, in this case, comprises 200 curious moms during The Mothers’ Space’s inaugural week at the end of March. That’s a lot, considering attendance was garnered by word-of-mouth alone. But in an urban sprawl inflamed by 21st century disconnect, the reach for something sacred—in this case, women empowering other women—is as necessary as ever. ► MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Loughney, who is technically on maternity leave with her 8-week-old son, is a registered yoga instructor with a master’s in education and the founder of another Wilmington business, Le Petit Yoga for moms and kids, which she piloted in 2013. Fiechter is a registered yoga teacher who gave up a career in development and construction—a career she loved—to stay home with her children and now run this business.

Barefoot and smiling, Fiechter and Loughney will invite you to slip off your shoes, drink a cup of something caffeinated and commune with one another before or after a class. The space, seconds from Hagley Museum and Library at 162 Stone Block Rd., is a modestly-sized addition to a historic stone building. It’s a tapestry of pastels, whites and soft grays akin to stepping into—admittedly—a Pinterest dream, with yoga pants welcome.

“Sometimes getting out of the house is really scary and really hard,” says Fiechter.

“Sometimes you just need a place to go, but Target isn’t necessarily the right place.”

Take Stargatt, who heard about The Mothers' Space from her lactation consultant, and tries to get to the space twice a week with her baby Calvin.

“Staying home with a baby can be isolating, and I've found the space to be very relieving of that,” she says. “It's really nice to have a place to take him that is low stress. I don't have to worry about where I'm going to feed him or ‘what if he starts fussing?’”

The Mothers’ Space is designed in three parts: First is support groups like 4th Trimester Moms, Formula Feeding Group, and, on weekends, Working Mom’s Group, all of which feature guided discussion. Next, workshops, which are a separate entity at three hours long, led by a selection of the area’s leading experts on post-partem health.

Finally, scattered throughout the week are classes that typically revolve around yoga for moms and babies and toddlers, along with physical therapy and Mama Baby Bootcamp classes. There’s also Bubbles and Shit class (yes, that’s its name), a strictly sensory experience for crawlers and walkers with a guided discussion for moms.

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Krista Connor

Downward dog—with baby—at Itty Bitty Yogis class.

“Theres so much pressure for moms to do all these structured, educational activities, but when you have a 9-month-old or 1-year-old, you don’t need to be doing certain activities—you’re not a bad mom,” says Fiechter. “My husband was asking if the class name is really on brand, and while I’m not sure if we have a brand, we do have a sense of humor.”

Don’t think it’s all bubbles and shit, though. Loughney and Fiechter and their panel of licensed experts also tackle grim topics like perinatal mental illness, including postpartum depression. In fact, that’s what drew the two founders together more than three years ago. They met at a “mommy and me” play group and bonded over each other’s stories of isolation and undiagnosed postpartum depression after the birth of their first children. It was a time, Fiechter says, when it seemed that professional and peer-related dialogue about conditions like PPD or D-MER wasn’t common.

Back then, Fiechter’s therapist simply told her she needed more sleep. The women puzzled over this lack of support for perinatal moms, which was astonishing, considering that one in five mothers experiences perinatal illness.

Prompted by the disturbing silence on the topic, in 2015 Loughney and Fiechter formed 4th Trimester Support group, bringing the mind/body concepts of yoga to mothers of newborns in a nurturing setting that evolved into The Mothers’ Space. Now, in Delaware, multiple perinatal, emotional and mental health programs do indeed exist for moms, but it could be argued their structures are a little more formal and formulaic when compared to The Mothers’ Space. Walking in barefoot, for instance, likely isn’t encouraged.

Bringing in licensed experts to lead workshops and classes is one of the most essential components of The Mothers’ Space.

The all-female team includes local licensed therapists, social workers, psychologists, physical therapists, lactation consultants, a registered nurse, and registered yoga instructors.

“We brought them to one place,” says Loughney. “While if you go to the doctor they might refer you to someone over here or there,” and soon a mom is jumping around making appointments —or more realistically, skipping the appointment and neglecting herself. Not here.

“The programs give me an opportunity to really be present as a mother,” says Stargatt. “It's also really nice to talk about the more challenging aspects with other moms. Yet Courtney and Libbie don't take themselves too seriously, and I think that vibe carries throughout the space.”

Jokes aside, the power duo will continue pioneering for women’s wellness in Delaware, growing the space that, at the end of the day, “is a place where it’s okay to not be okay,” says Fiechter.

Classes and pricing: drop-ins are welcome at $17 per class; get a 10-class pass for $125; monthly memberships are $96. For moms who will attend more than two events a week, the founders recommend the monthly membership. For more, visit themothersspace.com.

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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24 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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An app on your smartphone puts a ride at your fingertips. Photo courtesy of Lyft, Inc.

HA I L , Y ES !

Uber and Lyft lead a ride-hailing revolution in Delaware

By Rob Kalesse

I

t was an early Sunday morning and a torrential downpour had moved into the northeast corridor. Heather VanDeveer, returning home from a trip to New York, watched the rain drops pelt the window of her SEPTA R2 commuter rail car from Philadelphia to Wilmington. Regrettably, she hadn’t arranged for a ride, and it was too early to call family or friends without feeling guilty.

So she fired up the Uber app on her smartphone, and by the time the train pulled into the Amtrak station at 100 French St., a ride was waiting to take her to Trolley Square. Sans jacket or umbrella, she was able to skip down the steps and into the back of a warm, dry Toyota Camry.

VanDeveer’s driver offered her a bottle of water after her long (and somewhat hungover) trip. Parched, she inhaled it and thanked him. Ten minutes later, she was at the front door of her apartment.

She tipped the driver $5 on top of the $9 ride.

A year prior, VanDeveer would have had to wait on a bus or try to hail or call a cab. But thanks to the technological advancement of rideshare apps like Uber, she had a handy option. And it’s one that more and more riders are taking advantage of now that both Uber and Lyft are operating in Delaware. The result is a ripple effect that impacts commuters, the economy, and cab companies and car services. Since Uber arrived in Delaware in 2015—first in Wilmington and Newark, and shortly thereafter in Dover and at the beach—the freedom to come and go at a moment’s notice has become a reality. ► MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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& EV E R

Photo courtesy of Uber Technologies Inc.

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Uber and Lyft offer a flexible work opportunity that fits around drivers' lives.

500 UBER DRIVERS

“We’ve seen riders in Delaware quickly embrace Uber as an easy, reliable way to get a safe ride at the push of a button,” says Craig Ewer, regional communications representative for Uber, which launched in San Francisco in 2009 and now operates in 570 cities worldwide.

“Uber offers a unique, flexible work opportunity that fits around drivers’ lives, not the other way around,” says Ewer. “More than 8,000 people rode with Uber in Delaware from January through March, with roughly 500 active drivers in the state.”

Lance Charen, a resident of Forty Acres, says he first encountered Uber in San Diego in 2014, when traveling for business. He has since switched careers and no longer travels as much, so he decided to go into the Uber business for himself. Charen began working for the mobile app company as a driver in October of 2015, and he couldn’t be happier with his experience so far. (Drivers simply hop on the app, make themselves available, and wait to be connected with local riders, after which they pick them up and then drop them off at their destinations.)

“I love it, it’s a blast,” Charen says, before ending the phone interview because a customer had just pinged him for a ride. Later that day, he says, “I’ll never get rich doing it, but I’m between gigs right now, so it’s a way to supplement my income. It’s great extra money, I see some really cool stuff, and I come away with the best stories after meeting interesting people.”

Charen typically operates as a driver during the busier hours –Friday and Saturday evenings, or on weekday mornings when commuters and business travelers are looking to get to and from the local train station or the Philadelphia airport. One of his more interesting rides came in Philly.

“This couple hops in and they’ve obviously been fighting, and it gets to the point where the female says she’s had it with her fiancé, and right near Rittenhouse Square, I hear a ping against the back window of my car,” says Charen. “She took off her engagement ring, threw it at her about-to-be-ex, and that was it. I had to ask him to get out, because she had ordered the car. It was awkward, but I drove her to a nearby bar for a drink, and she tipped me handsomely.”

Charen says he is often on the clock all night when working between Wilmington and Philadelphia, though not all rides end with a big tip. In fact, according to many drivers (Charen included), tips are infrequent. Uber doesn’t currently offer in-app tipping (unlike Lyft), so tips must be paid to the driver in cash. If a rider doesn’t have cash, the driver goes tipless, but Uber still takes its 25 percent service fee off the total cost of the ride.

As for fares in general, with UberX, Uber’s most popular and cheapest option, rates vary depending on the time and day. However, there is typically a $2 base fare, $2.10 booking fee, and then a cost-per-mile and cost-per-minute. Says Ewer, “Riders are given an upfront fare, so they always know what they’ll pay before they ride; there’s no math to do and no surprises.”

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One 2.5-mile trip across Wilmington on a Wednesday afternoon near lunchtime cost roughly $8-$11, with a minimum fare of $6.10, and a cancelation fee of $5. While anyone with a smartphone can start an Uber account as a rider, drivers must undergo a thorough background check before signing up. Additionally, all vehicles must be 10 years old or newer, must be a four-door, truck or minivan, and must pass a state vehicle inspection, as well as other requirements, before being approved for service.

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As with all profitable enterprises, competition is inevitable, and in 2012 Lyft launched in San Francisco, making its way to Delaware in early 2017. While Lyft does not disclose market-specific data, the company touts itself as the fastest growing ridesharing company in America, according to Communications Manager Scott Coriell.

“At the beginning of 2017, we announced we would expand to 100 new communities, and as of [late March], we have already exceeded that goal,” Coriell says. “We get great reviews from riders and our drivers love the fact that passengers can tip within the app, something that is exclusive to our program.”

Christine Frick, a Bellefonte resident, started driving for Lyft last October to make extra money after falling into some debt with her daughter’s college bills. The holidays were approaching, so Frick had some retail offers, but she chose the flexibility of becoming a rideshare driver.

“I actually went to sign onto Uber online and somehow ended up on the Lyft site,” Frick says. “They offered me a mentor to get started, checked out my car, did a background check, and I got started soon after. I really love it. My day job goes from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., so I have some time in the morning and after work to offer my services.”

Frick says she will sometimes park near the Philadelphia Airport, open a book and start reading as she waits for a ride request. She’s taken couples to the Hotel DuPont and single riders into the city. Many times, she doesn’t know if the riders tip her until she gets her monthly statement. But the fact that she doesn’t have to handle money makes her feel safe.

“People ask me, being a 60-year-old woman, if I’m worried about something going wrong or afraid someone would rob me,” Frick says. “But it’s so well-tracked that it’s almost impossible.

Between the GPS they use and the credit card authorization to pay for the ride, it’s a pretty safe side job.”

THE RIDESHARING EFFECT

Local cab companies failed to respond to phone and email requests for comments regarding the growing popularity of ridesharing apps, or more important, what cabbies might be doing to keep up with the competition. The lack of response might speak louder than words.

But not all car companies are running for the hills. Sean McDevitt, president of Spirit Transportation, Inc., in Newark, often gets questions from clients about Uber and Lyft taking over the car service market. He feels his company can coexist with the rideshare apps, because they service a different clientele.

“We do mostly corporate airport transportation for executives, VPs and what have you, who in most cases don’t want to be driven by a random person off the street,” McDevitt says. “However, it seems like Uber has crushed the late-night ride market, something I, honestly, want nothing to do with.”

Bars, restaurants and hotels have noticed the dip in the number of cabs outside their establishments. Joe Mujica, general manager of Kelly’s Logan House in Trolley Square, remembers a time when calling a cab for an intoxicated patron or group of girls looking to get home safely was the norm a few times a night.

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“Back in the day, drunk people would ask us to call them cabs all the time,” Mujica says. “It took time to make sure they knew where they were going, where the cab was going to be, or if they even had cash. The nice part about something like Uber is it’s linked to a credit card, so it’s easy for you to call for a ride, tell them exactly where to take you, where to get you, and pay for it, especially nowadays when people don’t carry much cash.”

Spencer Derrickson, owner and operator of the Sandcastle Motel and Heritage Inn, both in Rehoboth Beach, says he hasn’t seen a cab outside either location in more than a year. Even around downtown Rehoboth, he estimates that Uber pick-ups outnumber cabs by 10 to 1.

“Especially at the beach, during the height of the season, you could wait 30 minutes or more for a cab, while Uber is usually close by and picking you up within 10 minutes,” Derrickson says. “For our business, there is no accountability with Uber. With cabs, we’d have to call them in and then be on the hook if the cab showed and the patrons had tired of waiting and left. Now it’s all between the Uber driver and the rider. It takes our concierge out of that equation, which is a good thing.”

Derrickson says the only ride in Rehoboth that has an advantage over Uber or Lyft is the Jolly Trolley, since it runs on a constant loop and picks up patrons every 15 minutes for just a few bucks.

On a personal level, Derrickson, who spends his winters near Orlando, uses Uber frequently, even for trips to the Philadelphia Airport from downstate. “I’ve taken Uber everywhere: from my house in Florida to the theme parks, and from my place in Rehoboth to the airport in Philly when I’m flying out,” Derrickson says. “Uber drivers are usually pretty nice, down-to-earth people who will chat it up for an hour or so, and it’s just a cleaner, simpler ride that is either on par with the cost of a car service, or cheaper. It’s really ideal.”

On the tail of Uber and Lyft are other car services, including Sidecar and Rideguru, but both have yet to get the wheels rolling in Delaware. For now, most First-Staters who like to get somewhere quickly, conveniently, and on the cheap go with Uber or Lyft.

Down the road, more competition may make it even easier for commuters, tourists, and bar-hoppers to catch a ride.

28 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Kick-off Party at Brandywine Park A world-class party in the park featuring live music by Special Delivery.

(5/19 5-8pm)

3.

RIDE THE COURSE Join Urban Bike Project on a recreational ride of the Grand Prix course. Must be age 9 or older. Voluntary donation.

(5/20, 9:30am registration)

4.

FREE RIDES Obstacle Course, Rock Wall, Giant Slide, Moon Bounces & More…

All Free!

(5/20, noon-5pm)

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5.

COURSE CAFES

Enjoy lunch and watch the races with a table right on the course at Cavanaugh’s, Chelsea Tavern, Ernest & Scott, DiMeo’s, La Fia, Merchant Bar and more!

(5/20, noon-5pm)

4/21/17 10:58 AM

6.

WATCH WORLD-CLASS CYCLING Ever see 100 bikes sprint thru a Downtown at 35mph?

Pros racers from 13 countries and 33 states will be on hand for this nationally-ranked event.

(5/20 noon start)

7.

JOIN THE GOVERNOR’S RIDE

S TO ENJOY

Choose between rides of 15, 31, or 62 miles through scenic Brandywine Valley.

(5/21 8am)

8.

TAKE THE FITNESS CHALLENGE Kids can win prizes by completing a series of fitness games & activities located all along Market Street.

(5/20, noon start)

MOUNTAIN BIKE STUNT SHOW

10.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

You don’t have to be a race fan to enjoy six blocks of free family fun.

Watch the races, have a beer, and let your kids enjoy the rides.

(5/20, noon start)

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9.

Mike Steidley, 12-time national champion and one of the most accomplished stunt riders in North America, returns to Wilmington by popular demand.

(5/20, shows throughout the day)

4/21/17 11:00 AM

20 17

Produced by:

FRI, MAY 19 5-8PM

MONKEY HILL TIME TRIAL & KICK-OFF PARTY

Live music by Special Delivery, Food Truck Convoy & Craft Beer Garden in Brandywine Park while pro and amateur cyclists tackle the climb at Monkey Hill. Bring your cowbell!

SAT, MAY 20 NOON-5PM

PRO CYCLING & DOWNTOWN’S BIGGEST STREET FESTIVAL

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SUN, MAY 21 8AM

GOVERNOR’S RIDE & GRAN FONDO

Spectacular 15, 31 and 62-mile bike rides through Brandywine Valley cultural attractions.

All rides start/finish at Delaware Art Museum and include Post-Ride BBQ with Delaware craft beers.

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The Great Outdoors Wildlife and recreation destinations worth exploring

N

ow that warm weather has finally arrived, get up from bingeing on Stranger Things or Orange Is the New Black and get out and enjoy one or more of these natural attractions that our state has to offer and that staff members recommend. You just may find some heretofore unknown gems here.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge at sunset. Photo Joe del Tufo 34 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Hagley Museum

The grounds are a delight for hikers, bikers and photographers. Explore the woods at night to look for signs of nocturnal life. Walks last about an hour. Pre-register by calling 761-6963 no later than 4 p.m. the previous business day; $4 per person. Starting in June, Wednesday evenings are given over to bicyclists and walkers.

Visit areas normally closed to foot traffic—$2 per person, free to members and children under 5. Bring a picnic or dine at the charming Belin House Organic Café. Entrance is off Rt. 141 near the Tyler McConnell Bridge.

— Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Lums Pond State Park

The only thing my dogs love more than the dog park is Lums Pond State Park in Bear. This beautiful treasure offers an off-leash dog area, and there are trails, fields and water access points for your furry friends to run and swim. Be aware that the off-leash area is not accessed through the main entrance.

You can find the entrance on Howell School Road by turning onto the road marked with the Pony Express sign. Just remember to bring extra towels to dry off your canine companions.

— Ryan Alexander, Contributing Designer

Mount Cuba

At about half the size of other former duPont estates such as Longwood Gardens and Winterthur—and slightly more difficult to find—the Mt. Cuba Center is an often-overlooked gem, which is a shame since its wildflower collections and nature paths are unique in this region. In fact, the center boasts collections of trillium and hexastylis that are of national significance, accredited by the Plants Collections Network.

Although not affiliated with the Center, the Mount Cuba Astronomical Observatory is an interesting neighbor to the gardens. It’s Delaware’s only public observatory. Both the center and the observatory offer night classes, and if you time it right, you may be able to do a “Tasting on the Terrace” at the center, then bounce over to the observatory to catch a glimpse of the heavenly wonders above. Located on Barley Mill Road near Hockessin.

— Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Bellevue Park

For the energetic, there are hiking and jogging trails, paved and unpaved cycling paths, a 1-1/8-mile fitness track, and tennis courts. Want a more sedentary activity? Try your luck at the catch-and-release pond stocked with bass, catfish, and sunfish (but make sure you have a fishing license). Or check out the stables; you may catch riders exercising their horses. And don’t forget that picnic basket. Off Carr Road north of Wilmington.

— Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOCUS THE GREAT OUTDOORS continued from previous page

Fort Delaware

Many residents don’t realize Delaware has its very own Civil War fort, much less its very own island. A trip to Pea Patch Island, site of Fort Delaware, will introduce you to this intriguing part of state history. You reach Fort Delaware by catching a ferry on Clinton Street in Delaware City. It’s a half-mile ferry ride to Pea Patch. Once there, I recommend the following: Take a picnic lunch (no food service on the island) and enjoy the tranquility of this unique getaway. Hike the easy .8-mile path around the perimeter of the grounds – especially if you’re a bird watcher.

Explore the fort itself and learn the role Fort Delaware played in the Civil War (it once housed as many as 9,000 Confederate prisoners) and World War I. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday, May through Labor Day, then weekends into midOctober. Same-day tickets ($12 adults; $7 kids 12 and under) can be purchased at the ferry ticket office, 45 Clinton St. Also, Fort Delaware offers ghost tours throughout the month of October.

Reserve early; they sell out. Destateparks.com.

—Jerry DuPhily, Publisher

Valley Garden Park

Valley Garden Park, one of the best little-known parks in Delaware, is tucked along scenic Hoopes Reservoir in the heart of Chateau Country, near duPont family mansions and museums.

Walking down from the parking lot is like that moment in young adult fantasy novels where the plucky main characters step through the wardrobe. Every time I'm there, I half-expect to catch a glimpse of a satyr or unicorn. First date slam dunk tip: lie back together on the park’s verdant grass by the softly gurgling creek underneath a cherry tree, and dream.

— David Hallberg, Special Projects

Aquatic Resources Education Center

Located at 4876 Hay Point Landing Rd. in Smyrna in the beautiful Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, the Delaware Aquatic Resources Education Center (ARE) features several ponds and inlets, a 940-foot boardwalk that spans a tidal marsh, and an abundance of local wildlife. The ARE is perfect for a day trip of fishing or for capturing some of Delaware’s aquatic ecosystems and avian population. The ARE hosts activities for educators, field trips for students, and events to introduce kids (and adults) to Delaware’s coastal ecosystems.

For more information stop by the ARE office or check out dnrec.delaware.gov.

— David Ferguson, Intern

36 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Huck and a Hike at Iron Hill Park

Iron Hill Park, at 1337 S. Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, is a challenging disc golf course and a cardio-level hike combined into one enjoyable outdoor experience. This course has been called “the best on the East Coast in terms of challenge and overall disc golf experience,” and this certainly holds true. Once you wrap up your round, your legs will remind you that you just completed a “champion level” hike as well.

— Matt Loeb, Creative Director

Brandywine Springs Park

Visit this park off Newport Gap Pike and you’ll discover far more than a pleasant path for strolling. The site was actually an amusement park at one time, reaching its peak during the Edwardian era until it closed in 1923. Prior to its time as an amusement park, tourists were drawn to the site because of mythologized curative powers of the spring. A sprawling and lavish hotel was built—twice—and twice burned down, so unfortunately there are no hotel remains today. Thanks to the nonprofit Friends of Brandywine Springs, though, the trails are clear, safe and peppered with fascinating markers to pique the imagination, encouraging visitors to envision more than the already-intriguing amusement park foundations that still exist on the historical nature walk. Even cooler, the site still undergoes excavation digs with the Archaeological Society of Delaware. Picnic by the stream, go for a run—or dip your hand into the water for a chance of that ancient cure.

— Krista Connor, Associate Editor

Tubing/Kayaking/Canoeing on the Brandywine

My husband decided to invest in a decent river tube a couple of years ago, and we’ve gotten our money’s worth. The trip involves two cars: one parked at the destination and one at the start. We bring some snacks and life jackets, and take off from the area near the intersection of Brandywine Creek Road and Smith Bridge Road near the Delaware/Pennsylvania border, and stop at Thompson Bridge in Brandywine Creek State Park. It’s a pretty gentle trip—sometimes too gentle if the river is really low.

If you’re looking for an organized trip, or canoeing and kayaking on the Brandywine, Wilderness Canoe Trips Inc. offers everything you need, including transportation. wildernesscanoetrips.com.

— Marie Graham, Director of Digital Media

Urban Wildlife Escape

Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge on the Wilmington Riverfront will give you an outdoor fix on a pleasant spring or summer day. I recommend taking a stroll on the Riverfront and add a quick visit to the Wildlife Refuge. It’s one of the few urban wildlife areas in the country and the surrounding views are worth the trek up the Riverwalk. The employees and volunteers share educational facts about the native plants and wildlife that flourisharound the facilities. They also offer some great summer camps that our kids really enjoy.

— Matt Loeb, Creative Director

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FOCUS THE GREAT OUTDOORS continued from previous page

White Clay Creek Mountain Bike Trails

The many trails of this park have always been a go-to of mine for a morning run, but the mountain bike trails that include shallow dips in the creek, dense patches of trees and open fields are absolute treats.

Whether you’ve been riding your entire life or just picked up a bike yesterday, White Clay Creek has a trail that will provide miles of fun for you. Many of the trails have some steep climbs and equally as steep descents and can be a bit dodgy depending on the weather; some may even be closed. Your best bet for finding a fun ride suited to your skill level would be to stop into your local bike shop and ask about recent trail conditions and where you can find a map of the different routes.

— David Ferguson, Intern

Alapocas Run State Park

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This park is truly a hidden gem of the city, easily accessible, and has options for a few different activities. On the other side of Brandywine Creek, behind Rockford Park and the Delaware Art Museum, it boasts quite a few trails. Take the forest trails from the Alapocas Ball Fields for a nice nature hike with a few vistas of Brandywine Creek and the surrounding area. Or take the path along the creek to enjoy the water running through short falls and rocks. The park also features Blue Ball Barn, the Can-Do Playground and a rock climbing area. The Northern Delaware Greenway Trail runs right through it, so don’t forget your bike.

— Tyler Mitchell, Graphic Designer

38 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Krista Connor

Cape Henlopen State Park

This sprawling refuge of dunes and pine forests is a respite from the surrounding commercialized development, and one of my favorite places to visit in Delaware regardless of the season. I opt for the less-crowded, unpolished stretch of beach at Herring Point, and I never miss the bayside sunset accented by views of the Breakwater Lighthouse, The Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse (pictured) and Lewes. Cape Henlopen also features walking and cycling trails, and new this season, a revamped campground that includes updated amenities, a camp store and more.

— Krista Connor, Associate Editor

Brandywine Park

Not to be confused with Brandywine Creek State Park, Brandywine Park is nestled in the city of Wilmington along the north and south banks of the Brandywine River, between Augustine Cutoff and King Street. It includes walking trails, offleash dog areas, a beautiful fountain, monuments and gardens, a zoo, and plenty of places for fishing (catch-and-release) and picnicking. It is particularly beautiful in the spring when the trees and gardens begin to bloom.

— Marie Graham, Director of Digital Media

Ashland Nature Center

Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin is the headquarters for the Delaware Nature Society. It’s a great place for any nature lover, but I have found it to be a particularly nice spot for exploring with my kids. It has plenty of well-marked, easy-to-hike trails, small streams and meadows to play in, views of the Red Clay Valley, bathrooms, and a place to fill up water bottles. (The last two attributes should never be taken for granted!) There’s a hummingbird garden, a butterfly house, a bird blind where you can watch quietly as birds fly right to you, and the staff at the nature center is always eager to engage little naturalists-in-training.

— Marie Graham, Director of Digital Media

A Scenic Ride Through World-Class Attractions

6th ANNUAL

DELAWARE

GRAN FONDO SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017

Wilmington Grand Prix Weekend (May 19-21)

WILMGRANDPRIX.COM

MARCH 17-19, 2013 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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HOOKED More and more Delawareans and tourists are heading to the bay shore region to enjoy the state's 'quieter, wilder side'

By Krista Connor

Herons at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Joe del Tufo

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Delaware’s bay shore region between Delaware City and Dover is a continually-growing mix of outdoor recreation, wildlife preservation, fishing and crabbing, and now, at historic Fort DuPont, major development.

Now, the interconnectedness of Bombay Hook, Rt. 9, Delaware City, Fort DuPont and the Michael Castle Trail should prompt visitors to return again and again to discover all the area offers.

H

ead south from Wilmington or Newark to the banks of the C&D Canal, and everything changes. The world is a flatter, more breathable place, and the ratio of landmass to development is in stark contrast with the state’s northern reaches, at least for now. Veer off Rts. 13 or 1 to moody Rt. 9, also known as the scenic Bayshore Byway. You’ll be greeted by an unrefined beauty, featuring watchful waterside towns set back from the road. I make the drive to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge one recent spring morning, sharing the lanes with binocular-clad birders and backroad-cruising motorcyclists in pursuit of their contrasting hobbies.

This area, known as the Delaware Bay shoreline and internationally recognized for its ecological significance, stretches from Pea Patch Island to Cape Henlopen, although the 30-mileplus stretch along the coast between Delaware City and Dover is of particular interest right now. Its expansive coastal marshes and forests provide diverse habitat to many species, including thousands of migratory shorebirds that each year at this time flock to the area to rest and feed on their way north from South America.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s launch of the Delaware Bayshore Initiative (DBI) a few years ago is enhancing the region’s growing reputation as an outdoor destination. DBI Coordinator Anthony T. Gonzon, Jr., says that raising awareness of the bay shore region is a collaborative effort with conservation and wildlife partners like Delaware City’s American Birding Assn. and the Delmarva Ornithological Society. What’s more, the completion of the C&D Canal Michael Castle Trail and major developmental plans at Fort DuPont are turning heads from all directions.

“Experience it. We like to say, ‘Come explore Delaware’s quieter wilder side,’” says Gonzon.

One budding trend, aside from photography, cycling and birding, is water-themed adventure: canoeing and kayaking in the area’s tidal creeks and rivers. Take Blackbird Creek Reserve in Townsend, for instance, which now has an updated boat launch, thanks to DNREC. “If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can even take the creek all the way out to the Delaware Bay,” says Gonzon. Duly noted.

BOMBAY HOOK AND THE MAY SHOREBIRDS Bombay Hook, celebrating 80 years this year, is active as ever in creating a haven for migratory birds. At the refuge, I embark on an enjoyable 12-mile wildlife drive, witnessing a carnival of creatures —ducks, woodpeckers, and, as promised at the information center, resident herons and egrets perched rigidly in the brackish waters.

Tiny turtles scuttle across sun-drenched paths. It’s not hard to imagine why Bombay Hook attracts on average 100,000 visitors a year, primarily birders and wildlife photographers, according to Outdoor Recreational Planner Tina Watson. Although a new subset of enthusiasts is building: young families from surrounding neighborhoods that are cropping up in the area, says Watson.

Though the largest wildlife preserve around, Bombay Hook isn’t the only one. Situated off the Bayshore Byway, smaller tracts of preserved land punctuate the marshes and estuary. They include

A safe haven for wildlife, Bombay Hook celebrates 80 years in 2017. Photo Joe del Tufo

Augustine Wildlife Area, Woodland Beach, and Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area, totaling well over 3,000 acres. While equipped for hunting, the spots are also ideal for hikes, birding and photography, particularly at Thousand Acre Marsh and on the Port Penn Trail.

Gonzon says a new wildlife viewing platform at Port Penn, the Ashton Tract, has become “wildly popular.”

Meanwhile, this month, it’s the migrating shorebirds that swoop in to steal the show, alongside a supporting cast of horseshoe crabs.

“If there’s one thing you need to witness on the bay shore, this is it,” says Gonzon.

He recommends viewing the migrating birds—which feed on horseshoe crab eggs—at Slaughter Beach, the DuPont Nature Center in Mispillion Harbor, or Kitts Hummock, toward the middle or end of May, around high tide.

“There’s no other spectacle like it, certainly in the East, probably in the world,” says Gonzon.

AMERICAN BIRDING ASSN. BOOSTS ECOTOURISM

In this region, it’s easy to see why feathered creatures in particular come to mind, especially since the American Birding Assn. moved its headquarters from Colorado Springs to the Central Hotel in Delaware City in 2014.

Delawareans may remember the antiquated hotel for ghostly visits and decay until the ABA moved in and refurbished it.

The small port town’s proximity to larger cities along with its biodiversity made it attractive to the 13,000-member organization.

President and Delaware native Jeff Gordon and his wife Liz live in an apartment above the headquarters.

Liz Gordon estimates 2,000 more birders have visited Delaware City as a result of the ABA’s relocation. And with its presence, locals are learning to keep an eye to the skies. At least 100 species can be spotted in the immediate area in just half a day.

Says Bill Stewart, the ABA’s director of conservation and community: “The entire Delaware City and Port Penn area has changed significantly in the past five years,” owing in part to additional access to natural areas that were once off limits, such as DNREC’s Ashton Tract at Thousand Acre Marsh and Port Penn impoundments.

Hidden partly in the shadow of all this development, Pea Patch Island is a longstanding spot for birding and photography. When I take the ferry ride to Fort Delaware, I catch sight of various bird species—and the island provides a gorgeous windswept landscape for photography. ► MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Krista Connor

HOOKED continued from previous page

Pea Patch Island is known for its fascinating role in history at Fort Delaware, but it's also a place of natural beauty.

A NEW “TRAIL CITY” REPUTATION

During my education about all things fowl and swamp, I learn that an ecotone is the spot where different habitats come together, like where a forest meets a meadow. These spaces are rich with diversity. One could make that connection with Delaware City, where the C&D Canal merges with the Delaware River.

Really, Delaware City’s reputation as a sleepy town is only a disguise. Underneath, there’s a subtle buzzing. You hear it in the rumble of the river ferry headed to Pea Patch Island, the newest catch of crabs rustling in their baskets hauled in from the marina; it’s in the swoosh of a cyclist on the expanded Michael Castle Trail; the alert calls of birders brought into town by the ABA, huddled in clusters with their binoculars aimed high; the voices of kids in line at the Ice Cream Parlor; patrons opening and closing the doors adorned with bawdy humor at Lewinsky’s on Clinton and Crabby Dick’s. It’s impossible for this meeting place of recreation and livelihood, hobbies, history and home to be anything other than this: an eccentric waterfront prize and the pin on the map from which everything else emerges. And now, Delaware City Manager Richard Cathcart is proud of his town’s new branding as an outdoor destination.

“It’s quickly becoming known as a trail city. It’s become pretty obvious,” Cathcart says.

In fact, development of a one-mile trail on the Fort DuPont side, called Dragon Run Trail, is in the initial master plan stages and should be constructed within 18-24 months, says Cathcart. The route will run along the east side of town toward Rt. 9, connecting to the Branch Canal Trail, which links to the approximately 14mile Michael Castle Trail.

42 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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BBC

Photo Krista Connor

TAVERN & GRILL The bay shore region’s dynamic landscape is an irresistible invitation to naturalists, photographers and explorers.

The trail twists like a hazy maritime dream through the wetlands, where you’d feel that local lore runs deep, amid swaying tall grass and bobbing fishing boats. Homes worn and faded by sun and time emerge from the isolated banks of the canal, and waterways diverge into streams and bogs. The trail is a totally new perspective to entering Delaware City—far more alluring than driving in.

The Branch Canal Trail was completed last June, and now the connected Castle Trail runs uninterrupted along the canal from Delaware City to Chesapeake City, Md. The path brims with wildlife and lush, at times almost tropical, foliage. Mimosa trees hover over the trail, and electric blue indigo buntings—and herons, and maybe even an eagle, or falcon, or chickadee—can be spotted.

With this byway in particular in mind, it’s no wonder Delaware was ranked the third most bicycle-friendly state by the League of American Bicyclists in 2015.

DEVELOPMENT AT FORT DUPONT

Inarguably the biggest burst of change in the Delaware City area is the total overhaul of the 322-acre Fort DuPont State Park. Until now, the park, located just south of Delaware City off Rt. 9, had seemed under the radar (and a favorite picnic and exploration oasis for this writer). It comprises trails and still-standing military structures that span two centuries and that played roles the Civil War and World War II. ►

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Now, though, the development of a live-work-play-stay community divided into eight districts is HOOKED transforming the fort and its continued from previous page historic buildings. Residential districts with waterfront views will be built for single-family, townhome, duplex and apartment living.

Homes in this phase will go for $290,000 to $500,000, though later options will include some $500,000-plus residences, says Jeffrey D. Randol, executive director of Fort DuPont Redevelopment & Preservation Corporation.

In addition to housing, entertainment and business opportunities will make up an area called the Marina Village district, which will boast a 120-slip marina, restaurants, shops, a boutique hotel, and multiple hiking trails and other outdoor recreation options.

The first phase consists of 100 homes and will be completed over a five-year period, says Randol. The first sample homes should be up by next spring. Other projects within that five-year period include retail spaces, the marina, office space, a performing arts center, a conference center, and a brewery located in one of the old bunkers. Overall, Randol says, the project may represent approximately 500 residents—and maybe more.

“This project is a living community without end,” Randol says.

The community, annexed by Delaware City, will potentially be big enough to double the town’s population of 1,700. A pedestrian bridge will tie the towns together across the Branch Canal.

Redeveloping Fort DuPont will require a seven-foot-high levee to protect the low-lying property. Thus far, the state has contributed $4 million taxpayer dollars to fund the project.

TRADITIONS ENDURE: FISHING & SEAFOOD

Besides the burgeoning activity around hiking, biking and birding, there are plenty of opportunities for fishing and boating in the bay shore area, Gonzon says. “We make it easier for the public to get to creeks and streams and rivers, have access to beaches.”

He says the fishing piers at Woodland Beach and Port Mahon in Kent County, in addition to Bowers Beach, Broadkill Beach and Beach Plum Island, are fishing havens.

“They put you right where the fish are, and the chance of having a successful fishing outing is really nice,” Gonzon says.

That’s certainly true for Wiso’s Crabs & Seafood, situated on the cusp of Delaware City and the marsh, intersected by the Mike Castle Trail. Just one in a community of seafood mainstays like Kathy’s Crab House and Crabby Dick’s, Wiso’s conveys its nautical theme with a baffling assortment of anchors, fishing nets, helms, buoys and rope that decorate the eatery.

A pile of wooden crab mallets and paper towels wait on the counter for hungry patrons, but not for long. People arrive in droves to pick up their orders.

Owners Bob and Joanne Wiso, who sit at the narrow window bar for a quick chat with me, say that hundreds of bushels of crabs are sold to “tens of thousands” of people each season. Bob —typically referred to as “Cap” or “the Captain” (“Even I call him that,” says Joanne)—expects at least two shipments of crabs a day from Cape May and other regional suppliers during the season.

Most customers’ first order of business is to stop and talk with the Captain and Joanne—my car broke down last week, so-and-so is still in the hospital, I’m heading out on the water tomorrow. The Captain never fails to chat, patting almost everyone on the shoulder.

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44 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Separation Day IN HISTORIC NEW CASTLE

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

JUNE 9th & 10th

Photo Krista Connor

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

Wiso's Crabs & Seafood has been a Delaware City mainstay since the 1980s.

FRIDAY 5:30-10pm

kick-off party Live Music by Special Delivery

Craft Beer • Food Trucks • People’s Choice Wing Competition “They’re all our friends,” says Joanne.

“Some started coming in here with their parents when they were kids, and now they’re grown adults.”

Celebrating Our 241st Year of Independence The couple is always busy. The from Pennsylvania and the British Crown.

Captain checks his watch in anticipation of the next arrival of crabs, then in one long breath recommends the crab cake for lunch and tries to set me up with the guy behind the counter.

The Captain, who grew up in the building that is now Crabby Dick’s, started crabbing when he was a “young lad” of 12, he says, selling $1 dozens to friends and family. He opened his first seafood shop in 1970, after graduating from the University of Delaware with a business degree, although he skipped the graduation ceremony to go crabbing. His budding PM seafood empire was already a local legend.

Now his team sources seafood from five states. Wiso’s has even caught the eye of at least one former President—George H. W. Bush, who took a ride on the ship Wiso II in 1988 for a news program.

The Wisos’ success in keeping people coming back is no mystery.

“We got the ambiance here,” says the Captain. “We’re just an old crab shack, but Games • Kids Rides & Attractions that’s what people like. And what keeps Food & Drink Craft Vendors • Pony Rides them coming back? Well, they love us.”

Beautiful Baby Contest • DJ Music • And More!

He laughs and checks his watch. Time for another shipment of crabs.

Visit bombayhook.com for information about events, bird walks, school outings, and more. Go to delawarecity.delaware.gov, dnrec. state.de.us and fortdupont.org for updates on Localand shops continue toinexpand.

Brandywine Coffee Roasters opened in the back of Trolley Square Brew HaHa! in June. Photo Joe del Tufo, Moonloop Photography development initiatives the area.

SATURDAY 11am-10pm

SEPARATION DAY

PARADE 11AM START

CONCERT

BY MIKE HINES & THE LOOK (8 )

FIREWORKS START AT 9:30!

ALL DAY!

SepDayDE.com

DECEMBER MAY 2017 2015 || OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Unleash Unleashthe the

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Terrance Vann INdependent Artist #inWilm

May 2017 • #inWilm

within

Hetty Feather

OperaDelaware Festival

Rolling Revolution Night

Cinco de Mayo Street Fest

Orange is the New Musical

Wilmington Flower Market

DSO w/ Sergei Babayan

Wilmington Bach Festival

Lucero

John Gorka

WCL at The Queen’s Farewell

Wilmo A-Go-Go

May 3-May 14

May 11-May 13

May 5-May 7

May 12

May 5

May 12 & 13

Basil RieRestaurant Aoki First State Ballet Bromberg’s Big Noise Theatre Festival UDairy Grand Opening

Wilmington Grand Prix 2 for specials May 19-May 21

46 APRIL 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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inWilmDE.com inWilmDE.com 4/21/17 8:42 AM

CITY OF WILMINGTON

The 6th Annual Ken Segal and Geraldo Gonzales Show at The Creative Vision Factory.

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HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE REFRESHMENTS

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LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

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DOWNTOWN LOOP

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WEST END LOOP

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WEST SIDE GROWS LOOP

ART LOOP WILMINGTON FRIDAY, MAY 5 5 - 9 p.m. artloopwilm.org

cityfest

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Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org LaFate Gallery 227 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.lafategallery.com

Award-winning Folk Artist Eunice LaFate, is best known for her “folk people” images.

This Exhibition will feature a range of LaFate’s beautiful Jamaican landscapes and foliage, rendered in vibrant Acrylic. Oil, and Watercolor paints. Art loop reception 5 – 8 PM. Tuesday – Saturday 11 AM - 4 PM through May 31st.

ART LOOP WILMINGTON

FRIDAY, MAY 5 5 - 9 p.m.

cityfestwilm.com/artloopwilmington cityfest The Delaware Contemporary 200 S. Madison Street Wilmington, DE www.decontemporary.org

The pioneer of the art furniture movement and the mastermind of mixed-media and ceramic sculpture. Wendell Castle and Nancy Jurs, the internationally recognized art couple famed for their innovative sculptures, will display early and recent works beginning May 5 through August 6. The exhibition, Then and Now, will showcase their flawless grasp of art, design, and technology.

Opening reception, Friday, May 5, 4 – 5 PM; free for Friends of the Museum; $10 walk-ins, The Carole Bieber and Marc Ham Gallery.

Title: “A ‘Couple’ of Artists Artist names: Natalie Embiscuso and Benjamin Fillion Description: Local couple Natalie Embiscuso and Benjamin Fillion make their artistic debut with vivid acrylic ink paintings, photographs, hand-made jewelry and more from a collection inspired by world culture, music, nature and their travels together. Art loop reception 5 – 9 PM. On view 6 AM – 5 PM. (Mon – Fri) 7 Am – 2 PM (Sat) through May 31st.

Studio 605 605 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.luigic.com Rampage World Tour; Local hip hop duo Chuck and Lock and local artist Franco Ciuffetelli are coming together to release the new album Rampage World Tour along with Color Pencil Artwork inspired by the album.

Chuck & Lock will be performing. Art loop reception 5 PM – 9 PM. On view Monday Friday 9 AM – 5 PM through May 31st.

ArtzScape 205 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.aladycproductioncompany.com

The Creative Vision Factory 617 N. Shipley Street Wilmington, DE www.thecreativevisionfactory.org

William Mills exhibit promotes fun for the culture. Art loop reception 6 PM – 9 PM. On view through May 26th.

The 6th Annual Ken Segal and Geraldo Gonzales Show celebrates two artists whose work depicts the joyful and the everyday with intensity and delight. Both artists use dazzling palettes to illustrate moments of laughter, connection, humor, and contemplation. Art loop reception 5 PM – 9 PM. O n view Mon – Fri 10 AM – 5 PM trough May 26th.

2nd & LOMA 211 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.2ndandloma.com

Jerry’s Artarama 704 North Market Street Wilmington, DE www.wilmingtonde-jerrys.com

Artist Craig Hable explores color and balance as a means to express his artistic vision. The pieces selected represent this exploration over the preceding twelve months. Art loop reception 5:00 PM – 8 PM. On view Mon – Fri 9:00 – 5:00 PM through May 25th.

Loretta Pyle Whomsley, was born an artist, Loretta has always been drawing and creating art since her earliest days. Studying at the Philadelphia Museum School, Fleisher Memorial and other venues. Art Loop reception 5 PM – 8 PM. On view Mon – Sat 9 AM – 6 PM, Sunday 11 AM – 5 PM through May 31st.

48 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

4/21/17 7:50 AM

Downtown Loop Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE

Gallery 801 801 N. West Street Wilmington, DE

Color Pops Two by Su Knoll Horty” “Su Knoll Horty’s latest paintings offer an intriguing spectacle of color and form, which she calls “Color Pops.” Knoll Horty’s paintings consist of sudden bursts of color, which explore lyrical fluidity in all its measures. Art loop reception 5:30 – 8 PM. On view 9 AM – 5 PM through May 28th.

Pegasus ArtWorks is the after-school arts program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware, providing services and opportunities for Club youth to explore multidisciplinary, innovative art experiences. This exhibit will display some of the program’s most recent creations.

Art loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view 8 AM – 4 PM through May 6th.

Artist Ave Station 800 N. Tatnall Street Wilmington, DE www.artistavestation.com

The Wilmington Police Athletic League 3707 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.palw.org

Love & Faith, Jasmine Brown and Racheal Myers will be showcase a mix of portraits and art on canvas. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 9:30 PM. On view through June.

“Honoring Our Mother Figures” will exhibit mixed media works created during a two month living installation promoting literacy through art by Outsider Artist, Ms. REMilano, and the attending youth at The Wilmington Police Athletic League. Art loop reception 4 – 8 PM. On view 10 AM – 6 PM through May 26th.

Mezzanine Gallery 820 N. French Street Wilmington, DE www.artsdel.org

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

Pastel Progressions, Nicholas Serratore, the Delaware Division of the Arts is pleased to present a selection of pastel landscapes by Nicholas Serratore. Art loop reception 5 – 7 PM. On view 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM through May 26th.

Paintings done by Studio members based on the Sea and Sky. Come see one of our artists give a painting demonstration! Painting: Northeast Harbor, ME. Watercolor by Doris Davis-Glakin. Art loop reception 5:30 – 8:00 PM. On view by appointment through May 31st. To schedule a private tour of the Studios, where Howard Pyle painted, wrote, and taught from 1883-1911, call 302.656.7304.

Grand Opera House – Mainstage Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.thegrandwilmington.org/grand-galleries

Oldbanks Café Bistro 1711 Delaware Avenue Wilmington, DE www.oldbankscraftbistro.com

The Pacem in Terris Traveling Peace Exhibition features art created by Delaware youth.

The exhibition was conceived as a dialogue between our younger citizens and us— they showing us the world they want to live in, and us, understanding their vision. Art loop reception 5 PM – 8 PM. On view Mon – Fri 10 AM to 5 PM through May 30th. Nights and weekends subject to staff availability.

Las Santas Muertas by Ken Segal. Ken graduated from the Tyler School of Art of Temple University, in 1985. For a decade he developed 3D graphics and animation software for architects and engineers. Ken refers to his work as “experiments” and his religious-oriented paintings as “modern icons.” Art loop reception 5:00 – 8:00 PM. On view 11:00 – 1:00 AM through May 31st.

Grand Opera House – Baby Grand Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE www.thegrandwilmington.org/grand-galleries

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Ave Wilmington, DE 302.429.0506 Inspired Landscapes, Sarah Baptist, Lisa Bartolozzi, Mary Page Evans, Gloria Fox, Lele Galer, Susan Myers, Barbara Nevilee, Eleanor Schimmel, Steve Tanis, Kerstin Tyreus, Paula Rubin-Wexler Gallery II Artifacts, Molly Sanger Carpenter a variety of artists paint and draw landscapes in different medium. Art loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view Tues – Fri 10:00 – 5:00 PM; Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM through May 30th.

Terron Mitchell’s creations are three dimensional works called sculptural paintings.

These unique creations are carved from pine wood and stained with beautiful colors. These creations are designed to take you on an unforgettable journey of shapes and colors. Art loop reception 5 PM – 8 PM. On view Mon – Fri 10 AM to 5 PM through May 30th. Nights and weekends subject to staff availability.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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West End Loop

artloopwilm.org

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North Wilmington Loop

artloopwilm.org The Delaware Center for Horticulture 1810 N. Dupont Street Wilmington, DE www.thedch.org Below the Canopy This collaborative show with students from 4Youth Productions, Davey Tree, and Delaware Center for Horticulture, brings images of the lives of trees and countless lifeforms that depend on them. 100% of proceeds goes toward college funds for students. Art loop reception 5:30 – 8:00 PM. On view Mon – Fri 9 AM – 5 PM through May 26th.

The Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE www.stationgallery.net New Pastels, Laura Hickman. Laura returns to the Gallery for her first solo show since 2001. In addition to scenes from Bethany Beach, Laura’s most recent pastels feature views of Tangier Island in the Chesapeake. Art loop reception 5 PM – 8 PM. On view Mon – Fri 9 A – 5P; Sat 10 AM – 3 PM through May 26th.

Blue Ball Barn 1914 W. Park Drive Wilmington, DE sites.udel.edu/art-in-science Art in Science, Art in Science is geared toward highlighting the cutting edge research at the University of Delaware that spans all disciplines in order to educate and engage the local community and spark interest in STEM activities in underrepresented student populations. Art loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 PM. On view 8 AM – Sunset through June 4th.

Arden’s Buzz Ware Village Center 2119 the Highway Arden, DE www.ardenbuzz.com Exploring China, Lynn Maniscalco. “For me, Photography is visual storytelling. My intention is to involve viewers, to communicate with them and for them to respond emotionally.

My goal is to reflect life in our world by capturing and preserving moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.” Art loop reception 6 – 9 PM. On view by appointment only Mon – Sat 8 AM – 8 PM through May 31st.

Bellefonte Arts 803 Brandywine Blvd Bellefonte, DE www.bellefontearts.com Group show celebrating Moms and Motherhood featuring Watercolors by Sally Petrillo, and a variety of other mediums by local artists. Art loop reception 5 – 8 PM. On view Tues – Fri 11 A – 5 PM, Sat 10 – 4 PM, Sunday 12 – 4 PM through May 30th.

50 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

4/21/17 7:52 AM

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

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MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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1. Amtrak Station 2. Opera Delaware Studios/City Theater Co. 3. Wilmington Youth Rowing Assn., WYRA.ORG 4. Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park 5. Residences at Christina Landing 6. Harry’s Seafood Grill / Riverfront Market, HARRYS-SAVOY.COM 7. Delaware Theatre Co., DELAWARETHEATRE.ORG 8. FireStone Roasting House, FIRESTONERIVERFRONT.COM 9. Cosi at the Barclays Crescent Building, GETCOSI.COM 10. Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk 11. AAA Mid-Atlantic Travel Center, AAAMIDATLANTIC.COM 12. The Delaware Contemporary, THEDCCA.ORG

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13. Justison Landing, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, CURRIEDAYSPA.COM Veritas Wine & Spirits, VERITASWINESHOP.COM Starbucks on the Riverfront 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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20. Frawley Stadium, BLUEROCKS.COM Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame 21. Chase Center on the Riverfront, CENTERONTHERIVERFRONT.COM 22. Dravo Plaza & Dock 23. Shipyard Center Planet Fitness, PLANETFITNESS.COM 24. Timothy’s Restaurant, TIMOTHYSONTHERIVERFRONT.COM Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, MOLLYSICECREAM.COM Ubon Thai Restaurant 25. Wilmington Rowing Center, WILMINGTONROWING.ORG 26. Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge/ DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG

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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. Stratosphere Trampoline Park, WILMINGTONTRAMPOLINEPARK.COM 32. The Westin Wilmington, WESTINWILMINGTON.COM River Rock Kitchen, RIVERROCKKITCHEN.COM 33. Delaware Humane Association, DEHUMANE.ORG 34. Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard/Fort Christina Park, KALMARNYCKEL.ORG Photo by Joe del Tufo

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EAT

Grilled oysters are ready to eat when the shells pop open.

Unexpected Grillables A three-course grilling journey that includes oysters and angel food cake

By Leeann Wallett

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his summer, think outside the grill marks. Oysters, angel food cake, even salads can become “grillables” (my unofficial term for that which can be grilled).

Here’s a menu that takes less time to prepare and grill than it takes to let your coals turn white.

Starters

Begin with a grilled Caesar salad. Grilling romaine makes the leaves more tender, less bitter, and a touch smoky. To prepare, halve lettuce heads, brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place them cut side down over a direct mediumheat fire. For extra points, grill some hunks of leftover baguette

or French bread to make croutons and toss together with the lettuce and dressing. Visit your local farmers market for fresh lettuce; most New Castle County farmers markets open the first week of May and are open through October/November. For more details, visit dda.delaware.gov.

Wow your dining companions with a dozen grilled oysters.

Throw them directly on the grill—whole or shucked. In both preparations, the heat will poach the delicate oysters in their own juice. They’re ready to eat when the shells pop open (if whole) or after a couple of minutes (if shucked). The key is to make sure not to overcook them. A tender, slightly undercooked oyster is better than an overcooked one. And if you or your guests are oyster purists, save a half-dozen to eat raw. ► MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT Quality Price Service

Since 1934

UNEXPECTED GRILLABLES continued from previous page

For this starter, I sought advice from restaurant manager and oyster buyer George L. Esterling IV of George & Sons Seafood Market in Hockessin.

NATIONAL BBQ MONTH! Bachetti’s is Your Place for the Freshest Meats and the Best Marinades, Steak Sauces and Rubs!

Yes, we’ll cater your summer picnic!

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State Line Liquors Since 1933 — 4 Generations!

www.statelineliquors.com

Spring wines are here including a great selection of Rosé Special Events and Tastings Gourmet Food & Cheeses

George or Dave (the night oyster shucker) will be able to recommend oysters based on your preferences in salinity, flavor, and price range. For more information visit George & Sons Seafood Market, 1216 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, or georgeandsonsseafood.com.

Mains

Family owned & operated

Visit us on the web for details

• How do you buy a grilling oyster?

“Look for a deep cup,” says Esterling. The deeper the cup, the more poaching liquid remains when cooking.

• When are oysters ready to eat? “Wait for the shell to go dry. The rim will still look wet, but the oyster is just about ready to serve.”

• What would you serve with the oyster?

“I wouldn’t top it with anything. However, I love beurre blanc (a French butter sauce).” Traditional oyster accoutrements include lemon, hot sauce, horseradish and mignonette (a vinegar condiment laced with minced shallots and fresh cracked black pepper).

RANKED #2 Best Beer Retailer in the USA ratebeer.com

Offering the areas largest variety of seasonal beers.

GROWLER BAR 35 TAPS! 1610 ELKTON RD, Route 279 . ELKTON, MD OUTSIDE MD. (800) 446-WINE, IN MARYLAND (410) 398-3838

Open 7 days a week

Put the “grilled” back into grilled cheese. Think about it: Why do we call it “grilled” cheese, when technically it's pan-fried? Either way, Janssen’s Market is the go-to place for bread and cheese.

Stick to a loaf that slices thick and will hold up to high heat. Then, head over to the cheese counter and ask for a cheese recommendation. On the day I went, Cheesemonger Liz DiTeodoro recommended fontina, an Italian semifirm, cow’s milk cheese. “Fontina has an earthy flavor,” she says. “It’s an excellent melting cheese and is perfect for grilled cheese.” Fontina can be paired with a strong jam or a freshly cut green apple for texture. Grill with a weight on top—a brick, a cast iron pan, or whatever you have on hand.

If you want to go all out, Kitchen and Company carries an item specifically made for grilling grilled cheese (and other fun recipes). It’s called the “Toas-Tite,” a retro gadget designed for campfire cooking.

This 1940s kitchen tool looks like a flying

58 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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KRESTON WINE & SPIRITS

Est. 1933 A Delaware Tradition.

Grilled bananas are an easy-to-prepare dessert.

tool looks like a flying saucer on a stick; its purpose is to create sealed sandwiches (or pies), much like the popular Hot Pockets.

To use, butter two slices of white bread and place one slice on the Toas-Tite. Layer with two slices of American cheese and top with the remaining slice of bread. Close the grill and pull away the excess bread. Toast for a minute on each side or until golden brown. Pick up a Toas-Tite at Kitchen and Company, Center Pointe Plaza, 1307 New Churchman’s Rd., Christiana. For more information, visit kitchenandcompany.com.

Dessert

Make dessert fast, simple, and easy to clean up. As long as the grill is still hot, try these easy-to-prep desserts, the perfect complement to a long grill session.

Grilled bananas are easily prepared before dinner. Slice a banana in half and place into a foil packet. Add your favorite campfire toppings—marshmallows, chocolate chips, walnuts, etc.—and seal the packet well. Leave to roast for 5 to 6 minutes (or until melty). Top with ice cream for a grilled banana split.

Not a fan of bananas? Try your hand at grilled angel food or pound cake (save time, buy store-bought). Place individual slices of angel food cake on the grill until toasty, but not burnt. Enjoy with fresh strawberries, grilled pineapple, and/or ice cream for a satisfying end to a grilled meal.

Drinks

Add some flair to your summertime drinks by grilling the garnishes. Citrus fruit—limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits— are best grilled with a touch of sugar or simple syrup glaze for a perfectly caramelized exterior. Think grilled pineapple mojito, grilled citrus sangria, grilled margaritas, and so much more. And for non-alcoholic drinkers, opt for grilled lemonade.

Grilling season is upon us, so why not try something different? Round up your friends and family and try some fresh new recipes. Need a place to grill? Check out your nearest Delaware State Park picnic location at destateparks.com for more details.

KRESTON WINE & SPIRITS

Est. 2003

4 Generations.

Family Owned.

Join Us for The

FIVE-NINETEEN CHARITY EVENT Friday, May 19, 6:30-9:30pm at Harry’s Savoy Ballroom 2020 Naamans Rd, Wilmington

Wine-Spirits-Craft Beer Tasting, Great Food, Silent Auction Tickets: $60

Available at both Kreston locations

A Fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Celebrating 84 Years MIDDLETOWN 448 E. Main Street Middletown, DE 19709 Tel: (302) 376-6123

WILMINGTON 904 Concord Avenue Wilmington, DE 19802 Tel: (302) 652-3792 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT NATIONAL HONOR FOR LOCAL RESTAURATEUR

BITES I Tasty things worth knowing Compiled by David Ferguson

FOOD TRUCK NIGHT MARKET

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or the third year in a row, Rolling Revolution, a local organization of food trucks, will host a Food Truck Night Market at The Delaware Contemporary, at 200 S. Madison St., Wilmington. On Friday, May 5, from 5 – 9 p.m., guests can enjoy local art and creative cuisines while more than 10 food tucks cook up a variety of flavorful dishes. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, sponsors of the event, will serve craft beers for guests to sip as they tour the art exhibits. The Food Truck Night Market is open to all ages and admission is free. For more information on the event check out facebook.com/therollingrevolution.

CELEBRATING CITY PUBLIC GARDENS

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he Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) and Wilmington’s public gardens will host a picnic supper on Thursday, June 8, from 5 - 8 p.m. Guests will start with a wine and cheese pairing as they stroll through Goodstay Gardens before moving to the newly renovated Jasper Crane Rose Garden in Brandywine Park for light bites on the Brandywine River.

Gardening experts will be available along the way to teach and answer questions about gardening. The evening will conclude with dessert at the DCH gardens in Trolley Square, where guests can learn about the DCH’s newly installed green roofs and rain gardens. Tickets are $15 if purchased before Friday, June 2; after that the price will be $25. To register for tickets and for more information visit thedch.org.

n March, local restaurateur Xavier Teixido was honored at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Public Affairs (NRAEF) Conference in Washington D.C. Teixido, owner of local favorites Harry’s Savoy Grill, Harry's Seafood Grill and Kid Shelleen’s, received the Ambassador of Hospitality award for his unwavering commitment to his community. Known throughout the U.S. for his work in the hospitality industry, Teixido is on the board of the Delaware Restaurant Association and has chaired both the National Restaurant Association and the NRAEF. For 26 years, he also has chaired and organized the state’s annual Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation dinner, which raised more than $1 million to fight childhood hunger in Delaware. More information on Xavier Teixido’s restaurants can be found at harryshospitalitygroup.com.

WEDNESDAY BIKE AND HIKE AT HAGLEY

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he Hagley Museum, 200 Hagley Creek Rd., Wilmington, is bringing back its Bike and Hike series this summer. Every Wednesday from June through August from 5–8 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. in September, guests will get to bike, hike, or jog a three-mile loop from Hagley’s Visitor Center to Eleutherian Mills.

Guests can also explore parts of the 235acre property not usually open to visitors.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, sponsors of the events, will have some of its brews on hand the nights of June 21, July 12, Aug. 2, and Aug. 16. Guests can pack their own food or purchase a picnic tote and meal from the Belin House Organic Café at Hagley for $20 if ordered before 3 p.m. on the Tuesday prior to the event. General admission to all Bike and Hikers is $2; members of museum and children under 5 are free. There is also free admission to Special Olympics of Delaware athletes and their families. Guests are advised to use Hagley’s main entrance on Route 141.

For more information and to plan a visit, check out hagley.org.

FIESTA CINCO DE MAYO

O

n Saturday, May 6, from 2–10 p.m., Fiesta Cinco de Mayo will take over downtown Wilmington between Fifth and Sixth streets on Market.

There will be live Mariachi music, Folkloric, Aztec, and other traditional dancing and other entertainment. Street tacos, food vendors and a beer garden will be on site. Kids can dive into activities that include creating piñatas, kites, maracas, tissue flowers and facemasks. Guests will have the opportunity to learn the history of Cinco de Mayo and the origin of the celebration—the 1862 Battle of Puebla. A pageant will take place to crown the first ever Miss Mexico Delaware. At the close of the night there will be a performance by a 16-member band. Information about the celebration and more upcoming events can be found at facebook.com/peoplesfestde.

RODNEY SQUARE FARMERS MARKET

E

very Wednesday from May 3 through Oct. 25, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., The Downtown Wilmington Farmers Market will be back in Rodney Square. Each week the Square will be filled with vendors offering fresh local produce, plants, herbs, flowers and baked goods. There also will be handmade jewelry, arts and crafts. Café-style tables and umbrellas will provide guests with a relaxing place to sit back, indulge in a tasty breakfast or lunch, and enjoy some live entertainment. More information can be found at downtownwilmingtonde.com.

60 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

There will be more options for both grown-ups and kids at TKC, starting this month. Photo Kelli Cohee

Kennett Creamery, Round 2 After a successful kickoff in 2016, the beer garden and community space is gearing up for an even better second season

I

t took more than a century, but a Kennett Square property that started as a dairy has finally found its calling—as a beer garden.

In 1902, Theodore Pennock founded the short-lived Eastern Condensed Milk Co. on a plot of land on Birch Street.

By 1907, the company was no more, but the building and grounds of the creamery lived on through the next century.

Throughout the years, it was bought and sold many times as a creamery and dairy plant before being purchased in 1960 and transformed into a cannery for mushrooms.

In 2011, the cannery was gone and the building and property left in a state of decay. Then, Mike and Dot Bontrager purchased the 30,000-square-foot property and its factorysized buildings. They had no predetermined plans or visions for their purchase, but after five years—in June of 2016—they opened The Kennett Creamery.

But, belying its name, TKC is devoid of any milk condensing or pasteurization operations. Instead, it’s a thriving beer garden.

Open evenings on Thursday and Friday and afternoons into evenings on Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer, the property now acts as a massive community space for all to enjoy.

Its inaugural season was a great success, offering guests a choice of 16 beers on draft or in cans as well as a list of wine and cocktails.

A rotating selection of food trucks was on site every night with meal and snack options. Local art and live music were regular occurrences. Strings of lights provided ambiance after the sun

had set as guests relaxed at the dozens of picnic tables and lounge chairs. Children played in sandboxes. More active guests played games like Jenga or bag toss.

Now, as it prepares to open for its sophomore season, TKC aims to make this summer even better. All the favorites from 2016 will return, joined by a few additions. On the previously unused west side of the property will be a Family Garden featuring kids’ games and the possibility of a water feature. A TKC-owned food truck will be nearby to make it easy for families to watch their kids while getting a meal.

There will also be new locally prepared food options along with the food trucks from last year. Additionally, TKC is reaching out to the community to get involved—urging local musicians, artists and food vendors to participate.

The Bontragers have been gratified with the response from their first season and are looking forward to this year’s opening on Friday, May 26. “Whether it’s families or groups of friends playing games together or people bringing their dogs to relax with a brew and listen to live music, we sought to create a community atmosphere that felt like a backyard BBQ where everyone was welcome,” says Mike Bontrager.

TKC is located at 401 Birch St., Kennett Square. More information can be found at kennettcreamery.com.

— David Ferguson MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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4/21/17 10:12 AM

Celebrating

80 Years!

Late Night

Bar Deals Enjoy these daily specials

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62 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

SIPS

Here's what's pouring Compiled by David Ferguson

AN ORAL HISTORY OF BEER AT HAGLEY

I

n March, The Hagley Museum revealed a beer and craft brewing oral history project, which explores the topic through interviews with brewers and brewery owners from Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. The project covers all topics of the brewing process, including the stages of brewing, canning and bottling, distribution, retail sales, and the politics surrounding regulation of the alcohol business. The Hagley team conducted more than 20 interviews with brewing industry professionals to gather the information for the project. The interviews include brewers from Dogfish Head, Iron Hill, Mispillion, Stewarts and 3rd Wave.

The interviews can be found online at digital.hagley.org/craftbrewing.

BLUE EARL BREWERY’S SECOND ANNIVERSARY

B

lue Earl Brewery in Smyrna will celebrate its second anniversary outside of the brewery, at 210 Artisan Dr., Smyrna, on Saturday, May 13, from noon – 9 p.m. The award-winning Delicious Craving Food Truck will serve up bites alongside the Wandering Chef Catering Cart all day long. Delaware bands Lower Case Blues and Cadillac Riot will provide entertainment. And, of course, Blue Earl beer will provide cold brews. A limited edition beer release is also in the works to celebrate two years of success for Blue Earl.

Admission is free. For more information, go to blueearlbrewing.com.

O

M

ichigan-based brewery Founders Brewing Co. is making its debut in Delaware this month.

According to the brewery, Delaware’s craft beer fans have been asking for a long time for Founders to distribute in the First State. Founders has teamed up with Standard Distributing Co., which distributes beer from many breweries, including Delaware’s own 16 Mile and 3rd Wave, to help get Founders beer on shelves in Delaware. Standard’s Craft Manager, Ted Stewart, says, “We at Standard Distributing Co. are very excited to partner with Founders Brewing.

Founders is a great addition to Standard’s craft brand portfolio and brings a lineup of award-winning beers to Delaware. There has been much anticipation for the arrival of Founders and we can’t wait to get it into consumer hands. We look forward to a strong partnership for years to come.”

Fans can expect to find Founders’ yearround, seasonal and specialty lineup in bottles, cans, and kegs beginning this month. Select limited release beers, including those from the Barrel-Aged Series, may also be available at craft retailers following the launch. For more information, go to foundersbrewing.com.

OWL'S BREW RADLER

FOOD BANK OF DELAWARE AND TWO STONES PUB BBQ n Thursday, May 18, at 6 p.m. guests can join the Food Bank of Delaware (FBD), Two Stones Pub and 2SP Brewing Company for an evening of beer, barbeque, music and games.

The event will take place at 222 Lake Dr., Newark, the future site for the FBD, and will feature food prepared by chefs from Two Stones and students from the culinary school at the FBD. Guests can look forward to beer provided by 2SP and music performed by the Newark-based band Zodiac Jack. All proceeds will benefit the FBD’s Creating a Bold Future Campaign, which will allow the FBD to move from its current location to the new, larger site and will, as a result, help efforts to end hunger in Delaware. For tickets and for more information, check out fbd.org/2spbbq.

FOUNDERS BEER LANDS IN DELAWARE

NEW FODO SOUR BEER

D

over-based brewery Fordham and Dominion recently overhauled its Fordham line, which resulted in catchier bottle graphics and the release of some exciting new brews. One of those is a seasonal concoction and FoDo’s first sour ale—The 11th Sour. Brewed using lactobacillus, fermented on house ale yeast, then aged on Concord grapes, The 11th Sour is zingy and refreshing and at only 3.8 percent alcohol, FoDo guarantees this beer will be “a perfect fit for all your spring and summer adventures.” Look for The 11th Sour in stores or swing by the FoDo Brewery at 1284 McD Dr., Dover, to see what else is in the works. More information and FoDo’s full line of beers can found at fordhamanddominion.com.

A

rriving in time for spring is a new brew that aims to please cyclists and craft beer drinkers alike. Basing its brews on a 1920s style of beer, the Radler, Owl’s Brew has taken session ales to a new level. Each beverage in Owl’s Brew Radler series is a combination of beer and tea— including hibiscus, black, chai, or white—and provides a crisp and refreshing beverage to be enjoyed on a sunny afternoon, during a long bike ride, or by the barbecue with friends this season. With brews like The Blondie, which is a wheat beer brewed with English breakfast tea, or the Short and Stout—a chocolate stout brewed with chai tea—Owl’s Brew has a beer for a variety of pallets. Based in New York, Owl’s Brew innovated the concept of brewing tea as mixers for spirits. It was only this year that they began offering their teaplus-beer beverages of the Radler series.

Be sure to look for Owl’s Brew Radler on shelves or check owlsbrewradler.com for more information.

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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4/21/17 4:43 PM

MAY MUSIC at Kelly’s Logan House

Look for these great bands upstairs!

FRIDAY, 5/05

Daryl Freda - 6-9 p.m. (Tiki Bar) Deathwvrm, High Reeper & The Golden Grass - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 5/06

Velvet Tones - 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, 5/07

Point-to-Point After Party with Chorduroy - 4 - 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, 5/12

Matt & James - 6-9 p.m. (Tiki Bar) Special Delivery - 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, 5/13

Radio Halo - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 5/19

Angelee - 6-9 p.m. (Tiki Bar) MEGA with Travel Songs - 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, 5/20 SideArm - 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, 5/26

Kalai King - 6-9 p.m. (Tiki Bar) TBD - 10 p.m.

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

LISTEN

TUNED IN Not-to-be-missed music news STEVE LEWIS BAND DATES

The Steve Lewis Big Band has been around for a while— since 1999. And impressively, the 17-piece ensemble retains 90 percent of its members, including five saxophonists, four trombonists, a pianist, a bassist, drummers and vocalists.

Drummer, band leader and eponym Steve Lewis is guiding the group into its 17th season this year.

“This band can swing and play anything,” says Lewis. “I usually don’t like to brag, but the band is excellent.”

Band members range in age from 30s to 80s, and they play favorite tunes from the 1930s and 1940s as well as the more modern big band sounds of Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Count Basie. The group often plays at retirement homes and summer festivals, including a show at Ingleside Apartments lobby in Wilmington on Thursday, May 25, at 7 p.m., a concert at Maris Grove in Glen Mills, Pa., on Wednesday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m., and at Battery Park in historic New Castle on Wednesday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m. Visit stevelewisbigband.com for more.

BALDCYPRESS BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL

Five bands from across the mid-Atlantic region will perform at this year’s Baldcypress Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, May 20, at the Roman Fisher Farm at the Great Cypress Swamp in Frankford (24558 Cypress Rd.). The event is a benefit for Delaware Wild Lands (DWL), Delaware’s oldest and largest non-profit land conservation organization. DWL owns and manages 10,500 acres of the swamp. Craft beer and wine, food trucks, craft vendors, tours of the cypress swamp and more will be available.

Bands include Blue Crab Crossing, The High & Wides, Flatland Drive, Free Range, New and Spare Fools and more. For tickets and more info, go to Eventbrite.com.

ROGER MCGUINN AT GILD HALL

Roger McGuinn—leader of the influential 1960s group The Byrds—will perform at Arden Gild Hall on Saturday, May 13, at 8 p.m. McGuinn was on the leading edge of music, combining the rock beat of the Beatles with the folk sensibilities of Bob Dylan, to create the genre known as folk-rock. His solo career began in 1973 and has produced 10 albums, a Grammy nomination, and extensive touring. In addition to touring, he has been spearheading his acclaimed Folk Den Project—workshops and educational seminars covering aspects of rock history, musical techniques, and more. Tickets are $40-$45. To order, go to ardenconcerts.com.

Bands and times subject to change.

64 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DAVID BROMBERG PERFORMS

In celebration of his new album The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But The Blues, Wilmington’s own Americana singersongwriter David Bromberg (and his band, David Bromberg’s Big Band) will perform at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park on Saturday, May 20. The performance is part of the one-day Bromberg’s Big Noise festival, featuring six nationally-acclaimed groups.

Bromberg’s storied career includes collaborations with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Garcia, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon and The Eagles. He’s considered by many “the godfather of Americana.” This is Bromberg’s 18th album, the latest in a solo career that began in 1971 after his selftitled debut. Produced by three-time Grammy winner and former Dylan sideman Larry Campbell, it’s Bromberg’s first album since 2013 with cuts from the blues genre.

The multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter found his inspiration for the album when he heard Willie Nelson repeat a quote from Texas fiddler Johnny Gimble: “There’s only two kinds of music—the Star-Spangled Banner and the blues.”

Through Bromberg’s playing and gift for interpretation, along with Campbell’s tasteful horn arrangements, the record reaches electrifying heights as well as intimate acoustic moments, breathing fresh life into the songs of Robert Johnson, Bobby Charles, George “Little Hat” Jones, Ray Charles and Sonny Boy Williamson, among others.

The festival, from noon-8 p.m., will feature Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Dr. John, Anders Osborne, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams and Front Country, along with food trucks, merchants and more. Tickets are $44-$88. Visit bignoisefestival.com.

Main Street Newark

Coming Soon

State Street Kennett Square

MUSIKARMAGEDDON SOLO WINNER

At the baby grand’s third annual Musikarmageddon Solo competition on April 1, singersongwriter Kaloni Baylor was the winner, besting 15 other local original artists. The competition was tough, and Baylor, a mesmerizing pianist and vocalist, was head-to-head with acoustic guitarist Joe Campbell in the final round. Look for a story about Baylor in next month’s issue of Out & About.

Summit North Marina C&D Canal

Sat-Sun Brunch Live Music

Your Neigbborhood Spot MeetAtGrain.com MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Premieres May 5 |

Tickets On Sale Now

Penn Cinema + Escape to the movies

| www.penncinema.com

Escape to the movies at Wilmington’s only locally-owned and independently operated multiplex, featuring 15 state-of-theart screens including the state’s only IMAX® Theatre.

302.656.4314 | 401 S. Madison Street | Wilmington, DE 19801

- NOW SERVING -

BEER & WINE! OVER

75 OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM

©2017 MARVEL STUDIOS. IMAX© IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF IMAX CORPORATION.

78 APRIL 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

The Promise

4

STARS µµµµµ Christian Bale and Charlotte Le Bon in The Promise. Photo Jose Haro, courtesy of Open Road Films

HISTORICAL ROMANCE FULFILLS ITS PROMISE Human drama enriches story of Armenian genocide

By Mark Fields

R

omance movies often use history as a mere backdrop, to provide exotic settings in which to place beautiful actors wearing elaborate period costumes acting out their emotionally gratifying stories. The public loves to see powerful emotions exhibited in attractive surroundings. Sadly, the actual history in these films is often given short shrift. Every once in a while, however, the filmmakers have a little more on their minds and use the romance as a conduit for telling a far more compelling and significant story. That, thankfully, is the case with The Promise.

Starring the very compelling trio of Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon and Christian Bale, The Promise is set during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire and the beginnings of World War I. The Turkish majority, allied with Germany, began a systemic cleansing of its Armenian population in what most historians now consider to be the first modern genocide. It is believed that 1.5 million Armenians were killed during and after the war, an assertion of fact that the modern Turkish government still refuses to acknowledge.

The Armenian genocide is surprisingly little known today, though the parallels to more contemporary tragedies such as Rwanda, Bosnia and Syria make it horrifyingly relevant. ► MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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4/21/17 10:36 AM

WATCH HISTORICAL ROMANCE FULFILLS ITS PROMISE continued from previoius page Photo Jose Haro, courtesy of Open Road Films

SPECIAL “CUT WORK” 3PM SHOWTIME with AFTERPARTY at IRON HILL!

Oscar Isaac and Charlotte Le Bon in The Promise.

Join us for this FUN FILM SERIES that pairs LOCAL BREWERIES with CLASSIC CULT MOVIES!

$20 Tickets Include: Movie Admission, Beer Samples, Meet-and-Greet with the Brewer, and Popcorn!

Proceeds to benefit Pink Boots Society.

Presented by:

Penn Cinema - 401 S. Madison St., Wilmington LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: www.penncinema.com/moviesontap

Writer-director Terry George (who dramatized another historical tragedy with his 2004 film Hotel Rwanda) has again in this circumstance used a personal story in the foreground to give emotional resonance and context to a historical event that can be difficult to truly grasp.

Isaac plays Mikael, a poor villager of Armenian heritage living in eastern Turkey (when it was the Ottoman Empire). With the dowry money provided by his betrothal, Mikael leaves home to study medicine in bustling modern Constantinople. There he encounters a world very different from his own: vibrant but also tottering on the edge of war. He meets Ana (Le Bon), an Armenian artist and her companion, Chris (Bale), an enterprising American reporter for the Associated Press. Complications, both personal and political, quickly develop.

But George never sacrifices the import of the larger societal tragedy in telling the stories of these people. In fact, they serve as a sympathetic lens through which we witness the horrifying plight of the Armenians, a plight that has painful echoes in today’s headlines. George deftly finds the narrative balance between the individuals at the heart of this story and the sweep of history in which they live.

Beyond the inherent power of the story, The Promise is a very well-made film, with effective photography— both beautiful and brutal—from Javier Aguirresarobe, and a resonant score from Gabriel Yared. The supporting cast, many of them actual Armenians, help create a world within the film that is at once familiar and quite new.

The Promise is not a film destined for box office records, and perhaps not even awards, but it is one of those rare films that deserved to be made, and now it deserves to be seen.

68 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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T H I S M O N T H AT

OVER 30 DIFFERENT SIXTELS IN STOCK!

SUMMERFEST

CONSHOHOCKEN

Saturday, May 20 Noon -4pm

Ghost Bear Blonde Ale

Sample Beers from More than 20 Breweries!

BREWERY

10

.99

Nemours Building | 1007 N. Orange Street

May 5 - 7

4 - 16 oz Cans

Food & Giveaways!

SCHOFFERHOFER Grapefruit

KROMBACHER

9

.99

12 - 12 oz Bottles

9

.99

The Salesman

6 - 12 oz Bottles

Fri 2, 8:30 Sat 4 | Sun 12, 6

The Dinner

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

Rocky Horror Picture Show Sat 11 pm

May 12 - 14

www.BrewersOutlet202.com Route 202 – One Mile N. of DE/PA Line Mon–Sat 9–9, Sun 10–5 • 610-459-8228

Truman Fri 2, 8:30 Sat 1, 4 | Sun 12, 6

Contemporary Color Fri 5:30 Sat 7:30 | Sun 3

Stop Making Sense Sat 10 pm Sun 8pm

May 19 - 21

Finding Oscar Fri 2 & 8:30 Sat 4 | Sun 6

Growing Up Smith

Fri 5:30 Sat 1, 7:30 | Sun 12, 3

Rocky Horror Picture Show Sat 11 pm

May 26 - 28

A Quiet Passion

The Sense of an Ending

Fri 2, 5:30 | Sat 1, 7:30 | Sun 3

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

For more information and tickets, visit

TheatreN.com MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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4/21/17 2:07 PM

Join Us To Watch All The Pro Baseball Games! $12.50 Bud & Bud Light 16oz Aluminum Can Buckets Come Try Our Seasonal Craft Beers Over 22 Beers on Tap at the Polly Drummond and Peoples Plaza Locations!

$15 Corona & Corona Light Bucket of Bottles Rail Vodka Drinks $3.50 • Captain Morgan drinks $3.50 • $2.50 Bud and Bud Light Drafts

MONDAYS

½ Price Appetizers All Day

WEDNESDAYS

TUESDAYS

½ Price Burgers All Day $1.50 Domestic Drafts after 7pm

All You Can Eat Wings $11.99 after 5pm

FRIDAYS

THURSDAYS

All You Can Eat Shrimp $12.99 after 5pm, Prime Rib $18.99

Prime Rib $22.99, $2.50 Taylor’s Grog 7pm-close DJ DANCE PARTY

INTERESTED IN HOLDING A GUEST BARTENDING EVENT? CALL ASHBY HOSPITALITY (302)894-1200 108 Peoples Plaza (Corner of Rtes. 40 & 896) | Newark, DE | 302-834-6661 8 Polly Drummond Shopping Center | Newark, DE | 302-738-7814 800 North State Street | Dover, DE | 302-674-0144

SATURDAYS

$1.00 Off Craft Bottles All Day

SUNDAYS

Beef and Beer $8.99, Steak Night $12.99

All Locations!

Be our friend on Facebook!

www.mcglynnspub.com

Spring & Summer Specials Monday

Tuesday

1/2 PRICE BURGERS YUENGLING: $3

FULL RACK of RIBS: $18.99 RIB COMBO: $18.99 BUD LIGHT: $2.75

Wednesday

2 CRAB CAKE DINNER: $15.99 1/2 PRICE BOTTLE OF WINE COORS LIGHT: $2.75 * Spring & summer Specials In House Only & End at 10pm

Sunday

Thursday

CRAFT YOUR OWN PIZZA: $5 SAM SEASONAL: $5 Friday

ORANGE CRUSH: $5

Sun Night “IN THE BIZ”

$1 OFF ALL CRAFT BEER PINTS AFTER 9PM

Happy Hour mon-fri * Bars only

FULL RACK of RIBS: $18.99 RIB COMBO: $18.99 MILLER LITE: $2.75 2 for 1 WINGS

* 8 pm until Closing Bars Only

$1 Off Draft Beer, House Wine & Well Liquor Drinks

Drink Specials 11am-7pm Food Specials 3-7pm

2038 Foulk Rd, Wilmington, DE 19810 • (302) 475-1887 • www.stanleys-tavern.com 70 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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CINEMA SIX-PACK...

WATCH

and a shoT

IT’S NOT EASY BEING THREE Six films featuring love triangles

By Mark Fields

Brooklyn

(2015)

Set in the 1950s, this charmer from director John Crowley tells the story of Eilis (Saoirse Ronan), an Irish village girl who emigrates to America to find work and opportunity. Despite her profound homesickness, Ellis gradually makes a life for herself in the quaint and heavily Irish New York borough and even falls in love with a native. Called back to Ireland by a family emergency, she finds herself caught, not only between two men but between two worlds. Ronan, as delicate and beautiful as porcelain, holds the screen throughout. And Yves Belanger’s lambent cinematography and Michael Brook’s stirring score help make this intimate film even more lovely.

I Love You, Man (2006)

Realtor Peter (Paul Rudd) is facing his impending marriage to Zooey (Rashida Jones) without an obvious candidate for best man, because he has zero male friends. He finally connects with Sidney ( Jason Segal), and launches a full-on bromance that unintentionally threatens his wedding plans. The plot of this romantic comedy is predictable and its stereotypical view of male and female gender roles obvious, but the chemistry between Rudd and Segal is consistently amusing, as is Rudd’s patented “stunted male” persona.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

This Spanish curiosity is from the oeuvre of Woody Allen, who built his reputation on the comic documentation of the romantic aspirations of New Yorkers. In this refreshing alternative, Allen explores the adventures of two young American women traveling in Spain. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) both fall under the spell of a colorful libertine artist (Javier Bardem), but respond quite differently. The love triangle becomes a rectangle when the artist’s tempestuous exwife enters the dynamic. Penelope Cruz won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as that capricious Maria Elena.

Wedding Crashers (2005)

John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) are horndog bachelors who pursue new sexual conquests by, well, crashing weddings. But when they invite themselves to the wedding party of the Treasury Secretary’s daughter, they become entangled in that family’s affairs far more than they intended. This slight but funny film features Wilson and Vaughn playing perfectly to type, as well as great character work from Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour as the Secretary and his wife, Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher as the guys’ complicated love interests, and a fierce young Bradley Cooper as John’s entitled romantic competitor.

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

Coming on the heels of Speed, this romantic comedy solidified Sandra Bullock’s reputation as the Hollywood It Girl of the 1990s.

In this film, Bullock plays Lucy, a hopeless romantic stuck in a dead-end job…and a dead-end life. When she is mistaken for a coma patient’s fiancé (don’t ask), Lucy gets caught up in a life of affection for which she has always yearned. Peter Gallagher is the coma patient, and Bill Pullman is the brother for whom Lucy is very likely the better match.

Casablanca (1942)

The classic Hollywood romance features Humphrey Bogart as cynical saloonkeeper Rick and Ingrid Bergman as his former lover Ilsa thrown together again in wartime French Morocco along with Ilsa’s husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Julius Epstein’s taut, wry script (an Oscar winner) poignantly etches their heart-rending romantic triangle, while the story is enhanced by a sterling supporting cast that includes Dooley Wilson, Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, Conrad Veidt, and the terrific Claude Rains as Captain Renault. Here’s looking at you, kid.

And a shot…

The Salesman (2016)

Screening May 5 - 7 at Theatre N.

Directed by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Fahradi (who won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2014 for A Separation), this searing contemporary drama follows the story of husband and wife actors facing a family tragedy at the same time as they are preparing a stage production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. For a full schedule and more information, go to theatren.com.

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Deer Park Tavern

w

MAY

Entertainment Schedule

EVERY MONDAY: Showtime Trivia EVERY TUESDAY: Jefe & DJ Andrew Hugh EVERY WEDNESDAY: DJ Willoughby EVERY THURSDAY: Karaoke w/ The Vigilantes

FRIDAYS:

Mother’s Day - May 7th

Make Your Reservation Today! Every Mom Gets a Carnation!

MONDAYS ½ Price Appetizers (5pm-12am)

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

WEDNESDAYS - MEXICAN NIGHT! ½ Price Nachos & Quesadillas ALL DAY! $3 Coronas & Margaritas • $2 Tacos $15.99 9oz NY Strip Steak All Day

SATURDAYS:

5/5-Spokey Speaky

5/6-Jimmies 80’s Tribute

5/12- Pet Cheetah

5/13-Mimic

5/19- TBA

5/20-Triple Rail

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HAVE NO FEAR, DAVE CHAPPELLE Mike Little on stage at 1984. He went one-for-two and wants another shot.

Our man tries stand-up. It is not a total disaster.

By Mike Little Photos by Anthony Santoro

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tand-up comedy is the most frightening thing you can do this side of warding off a pack of starving wolves with a foam bat. I know, because I recently agreed to perform a stand-up gig at the Wilmington bar 1984 (“Over 30 classic arcade games. Pinball. 21 craft beers”) as research for an article on amateur comedy for this stellar publication.

As the date approached, I began to lose sleep. I twice asked the editor to allow me to write about jumping out of an airplane instead. A sadist, he refused. I considered other alternatives—e.g., splitting town in the dead of night and moving to Moose Jaw, Canada. No stand-up there. Moose don’t do comedy clubs.

I should declare up front that I find the whole concept of amateur stand-up comedy inexplicable. What perverse instinct motivates a sub-species of homo sapiens to willingly risk public humiliation in a foolhardy attempt to amuse a potential lynch mob of other homo sapiens? And for zero pay?

People want to laugh, and some people are willing to pay big bucks to laugh along with a professional comedian. But there are plenty of other people just as willing to go to comedy open-

mic nights to laugh at some poor schlub squirming helplessly on stage. Delaware is home to approximately a half-dozen bona fide comedy clubs and dozens of bars, clubs, and restaurants that host open-mic nights for wannabe comedians. Which is not to say that the amateurs who show up at these venues aren’t serious about their comedy. They’re not up on stage risking life and limb on drunken whim. And they are legion.

Many people think they’re funny, and some actually are funny. But funny at the water cooler and funny on stage in front of a pitiless horde of laugh-hungry cynics are two very different propositions. To be a good comedian, you have to own your audience. Most of us can’t even afford to rent one. Stage comedy requires all kinds of talents, such as timing, rhythm, and the development of a unique comedic persona. You also have to decide what form of comedy you’re going to adopt. Actor and comedian T.J. Miller once defined the types of comedy as “sketch, improv, writing, acting, music, and badminton.” He forgot to add just saying to hell with it and telling jokes you stole from Carrot Top. ► MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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PLAY HAVE NO FEAR, DAVE CHAPPELLE continued from previous page

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The author says he survived “paroxysms of pure existential dread” prior to his debut.

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I originally intended to fire off some cheesy one-liners of the Rodney Dangerfield variety.

One went, “I’m so old my idea of an exciting night out is going coffin shopping.” Another was, “I hate myself so much I had to outsource some of my self-loathing to South Korea.” But delivering zippy one-liners is both a difficult and rather outmoded form of comedy, which is why it’s referred to in comedic circles as “pulling a Titanic.”

As I ran through my options, I became increasingly terrified. I spent a sleepless night trying to decide if the joke “I ordered the western omelet. Unfortunately, I forgot to say hold the shootout” was funny or not. In the cold light of day I realized it wasn’t. I actually considered “So I’m captured by pirates and the captain orders me to walk the plank. And I’m like, ‘Sure, where’s the leash?’” And I had to give up on “If at first you don’t succeed, Russian Roulette is probably not your sport” because it was a variation on a joke by Steven Wright. The last thing I wanted was for some Steven Wright scholar in the audience to stand up, point a quivering finger at me, and cry, “joke thief!”

One thing to be said about stand-up comedy: it tells you who your real friends are. Real friends are willing to suck it up and come to lend moral support. I have no real friends. I showed up at 1984 with just my girlfriend in tow, and it was obvious she’d have preferred attending a funeral: she was dressed in black. Fortunately, the crowd didn’t appear hostile. There wasn’t a heckler in sight, and I didn’t spot a single rotten vegetable lurking about the premises. And my fellow performers were supportive.

Situated at the center of an unprepossessing strip mall, 1984 is a cozy enough establishment with a horseshoe bar in its center and the much-vaunted array of arcade games lining one wall. The stage, at the front left of the bar, is big enough to support your average bar band.

There were maybe two dozen people in the audience the night I performed, and they were polite enough to stay off the arcade games during the night’s entertainment, thus sparing us amateur comedians from having our efforts drowned out by the sounds of exploding race cars and heavy machine gun fire. The show itself was a seemingly ad hoc affair that took its good old time opening. It was hosted by a comedian who cracked a few jokes before welcoming each new “entertainer” onto the stage.

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After putting my name on the list of that night’s comics I had a chance to chat with Jia Din, who has been doing amateur standup for five years at clubs in Wilmington and Philadelphia. Din performs a wonderfully hangdog form of stand-up. She stands on stage, adamantly refusing to make eye contact, and delivers devastatingly funny lines about the emptiness and sadness of her life. When I told her I liked her shoe-gaze shtick she said, “It’s not a shtick. I try to look at the crowd but… “ Din leaves a lot of sentences unfinished. When I asked her why she does stand-up she told me, in her deadpan way, “Basically I’m lonely and I have no friends and this is as close to making friends as I get.” I think she was serious. That said, hers is as rational a reason for doing the completely irrational as any I’ve heard.

I suffered paroxysms of pure existential dread as my moment approached. But when my name was called and I mounted the stage, a strange thing happened: I was calm. My mind didn’t go completely blank, as opposed to Donald Trump’s just before he tweets. I started with the true story of a girlfriend who told me she was breaking up with me because, in her words, “I belong to the world.” To which I’d replied, “What are you, a National Park?” It got laughs. I gained confidence. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I was beginning to see why people did this. I was the King of Comedy. A God of Guffaws. Move over, Dave Chappelle.

Then I told a joke that flopped. The crowd was completely silent. And I realized I wasn’t the King of Comedy, just another schlub standing before a Supreme Court of hanging comedy judges pleading a case that had more holes in it than a donut shop. The room swam before my eyes. I detected what appeared to be a rotten tomato in the shadowy glow of the Walking Dead pinball machine.

I prayed to God to please, please, let me self-combust.

Then I remembered Sam Kinison’s dictum, “Comedy attacks, man,” and went back on the offensive. I launched into a long bit about how the World Health Organization has stated that hope is a disease that afflicts almost 82 percent of the human population—a number that could skyrocket should optimism ever go airborne. The crowd laughed. I tossed in some jokes about what a misanthrope I was, and how I was the only kid on my block with A Child’s First Book of Human Atrocities. Again they laughed. I was saved.

I did not want to leave the stage at the end of my routine. I finally understood why amateur comedians risked failure for no pay. Making people laugh is more addictive than crack. One hit of applause and I was hooked. So, I went back to 1984 the following week.

And I totally tanked. Bombed. Went down like the aforementioned Titanic. Standing there was both demoralizing and terrifying, and brought back unpleasant memories of my second-grade teacher and first heckler, who dashed my comedic hopes by writing on my report card, “Mike wants to be the class clown.” That “wants” still rankles.

Except—and this is the truly scary part—that debacle of a few weeks ago didn’t cure me. I hanker for another shot.

Last month, eternity welcomed Don Rickles into its bosom, prompting me to think perhaps it was some cosmic sign that a space had been cleared for me among the universe of comedians.

I lie awake at night thinking up new bad jokes. Like the one that goes, “I’m easily distracted. When I set my mind to a thing, it generally bolts off to urinate on the nearest bush.” Or, “I had to give up beer because it was giving me terrible hangovers. So, I switched to nonalcoholic beer but had to give that up because it was giving me terrible nonhangovers.”

Yeah. I can hardly wait. I’m going to step back into the spotlight and absolutely slay ‘em.

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MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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76 MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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RECONSIDERING MARIJUANA HB 110 offers Delaware a chance to be a leader in the Mid-Atlantic region

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ixy-one.

That is the percentage of Delawareans who are in favor of the state legalizing marijuana, according to a poll conducted by the University of Delaware last September.

Stats like that have gotten the attention of state legislators, who in March introduced House Bill 110, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. If HB 110 passes into law, it will allow state residents over the age of 21 to purchase up to one ounce of marijuana at licensed dispensaries for recreational use—not just for medical purposes, as the current law specifies.

In effect, it would make Delaware the ninth state in the country to legalize marijuana. And while the First State may have missed its chance to be first to legalize, it would be the first in the Mid-Atlantic region—an important distinction that legislators say would lead to increased tourism, as it has been shown to do in other states.

Other positive economic drivers include the creation of additional jobs at dispensaries, cultivation facilities, product manufacturers and laboratories. And then there’s the estimated $22 million in tax revenues and licensing fees Delaware could collect in the first year alone.

Not a bad first step for a state that is millions of dollars in the red.

“House Bill 110 creates an entirely new industry in our state,” said Rep. Helene Keeley, the primary sponsor of the bill, during the press conference announcing the bill’s introduction.

Back in October of 2014, Out & About looked at what was going on in Colorado after the majority of voters there approved legalization in the general election of November 2012. We spoke with, among others, Rachel K. Gillette, a Colorado attorney and then-executive director of the state chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws.

“We’re going to see the benefits of [the legal market], including a safer product that is overseen by regulatory agencies and tested in certified laboratories,” Gillette said. “You don’t see the benefit of any of that when all of the control is with drug cartels, black market drug dealers, and street-level drug gangs.”

On the subject of the black market, legalization has been shown to have some positive effect on deterring crime in Colorado. A 2016 report, Marijuana Legalization in Colorado: Early Findings, compiled by the Colorado Department of Public Safety, shows that the number of marijuana arrests decreased by 46 percent between 2012 and 2014.

Moreover, the report says, “in terms of court filings, the total number of marijuana-related filings declined 81 percent between 2012 and 2015, from 10,340 to 1,954.” This includes decreases in felony filings (down 45 percent) and petty offenses (down 88 percent).

That is a lot saved in time and costs for both enforcement and the courts.

Meanwhile, the total revenue Colorado received from taxes, licenses, and fees increased from $76 million in 2014 to $135 million in 2015 to more than $200 million last year.

Quite an amount of growth, no pun intended.

Perhaps not surprisingly, polls show the majority of Colorado residents have a favorable view of legalization. In a 2016 election poll, residents were asked what kind of impact they thought legalization had on the state’s economy. Take a guess at how many said it had a positive effect…

You got it: 61 percent.

The same percentage of the population that, in Delaware, supports legalization.

Coincidence? Sure. But, the point is, despite the challenges that legalized marijuana presents, perceptions are changing, both in states looking to legalize and in those that already have.

Research indicates that the legal marijuana industry could reach $22 billion by 2020. And with each passing year, more states are making the move toward legalization.

The momentum is building across the country.

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, Delaware can lead . . . or follow.

—Jim Miller, Director of Publications

MAY 2017 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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IN DELAWARE

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