Padua Academy senior Stella White, an aspiring journalist with a passion for human rights, yesterday became the first and only Delaware recipient of the National Federation of Press Women’s Communications top award.

White’s 1,000-word article in response to last fall’s shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue published in her school’s digital newspaper, Padua 360, earned her the most prestigious award for high school journalists.

White wrote The Reality of ‘Never Again’ only hours a shooter gunned down 11 people at the Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill, PA.

The article she submitted to her journalism instructor – her first draft – was the very same version that won yesterday’s top national award, almost to the word.  “So, it was just whatever I felt in that moment I tried to get down on my laptop. And really, the final piece was almost unchanged,” she said at the ceremony. White served as editor of Padua 360 this year.

“I’m not used to writing opinion. My specialty, I guess you could say, is to write about people stories. So, writing something so deep and meaningful to me was a bit scary. But I kind of just let my emotions take over and just let my heart really dictate this piece,” said White.

Lydia Timmons, a University of Delaware Department of Communications assistant professor and a presenter at the ceremony, said the award of excellence is “truly the best of the best.” The National Association of Press Women and the Delaware Press Association presented the award to White in Padua’s media and television classroom, where she was surrounded by fellow journalism students – of whom some also received awards this year.

After carefully reviewing 1,600 submissions — hundreds of articles, TV and radio tapes, news and sports photography — three judges selected White’s opinion piece as the very best piece of high school journalism in the nation.

White’s article can be found here.

White also first received the top award in the state for her essay and a national first place award in the “opinion” category. White was the only Delawarean to land first place among the 23 categories of journalism.

“I think it (winning the top award) is truly a reflection of how important it is. I mean I’m a little tentative to cover such important things because I feel like I’m not qualified. But it is an indicator to me that I am just part of the voices that we need to raise up. And we all need to raise our voices, even if it’s just a single piece.”

An advocate for free press, she added, “Journalism is the backbone of democracy and an opportunity to give a voice to the silenced. As I continue learning and writing I hope to help others find their voices as well.”

In presenting White her award today, Timmons said, “Telling the stories of people and this tragedy and to write about it in a way that really moves not just your community, but the state and the national judges is an amazing thing. We are really proud of you.”

An impressive ten Padua students received 1st Place Awards in a variety of categories in statewide competition this year, and of those 10 entries, five received national awards.

1st Place – OPINION
Stella White “The Reality of ‘Never Again’”

3^rd Place – NEWS/FEATURE PHOTO 
Emily Malone “The Future of Calling in a Text Message World”

3^rd Place – VIDEO FEATURE STORY 
Missy Marazzo “Faithful Friends Animal Society” Padua Academy Wilmington, Delaware

Honorable Mention – BEST NEWSCAST: RADIO OR TELEVISION 
Missy Marazzo, Rebecca Baker, Keeley Dugan, Meghan Doyle, Summer Gearhart, Gabriella DiSabatino “PATV Jan. 28, 2019”

Honorable Mention – VIDEO SPORTS STORY 
Madison Hildreth “Marathoners at Padua”’

“You truly are an amazing group of accomplished young women, and we think you have the potential to light up the world with all of your amazing talents,” said Katherine Ward, co-director of the National Federation of Press Women’s National High School Communications Contest.

White is not sure what her career path will be, but she’s confident she will pursue her love of writing. “I definitely will continue to do journalism in some degree. I am not completely set on a career path, but it’s definitely something that I’m very much interested in, and I don’t think I will ever stop writing.”

The post Padua Senior Wins Prestigious Journalism Award appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Ricky Singh – in front with glasses and red cap – takes a selfie with other climbers who made it to the top of Mount Everest last week

Greenville’s Ricky Singh is a physically ambitious person. As his 50^th birthday loomed, he set out to complete 50 full marathons in 50 states before he celebrated the half-century mark.

But Singh achieved that goal three years early. So he turned to an even loftier goal – what he called “the next item on my bucket list” – literally scaling Mount Everest.

In a year with a record number of deaths on the infamously treacherous climb, Singh says he decided to attempt the summit on a day with questionable weather conditions. This way he would avoid the long waits that caused some hikers to lose so much oxygen and lead to their deaths.

“We (Singh and his Sherpa) went one day ahead on the 21st, when the weather was less than ideal so we had little or no crowds.  The choice was going in bad weather and risking life and limb or going in good weather and waiting behind all the traffic.  I chose bad weather.  And lived to tell the story.”

Because Singh summited when few others did, he was able to spend 20 minutes on top of Mount Everest. “We took a break there and had a chocolate bar there along with some water. We sat down and put the heavy backpack with the oxygen cylinder down and took a breather. Then we admired the world from up there and then got back to the business of trying to get down safely.”

The legendary Himalayan peak is roughly 28,579 feet above our state’s highest point, said by the Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) to be a mighty, “around 450 feet” area of Ebright Road in North Wilmington.*

Greenville’s Ricky Singh, left, at the peak of Mount Everest with his Sherpa, Phurba Sherpa. Singh’s phone died before he reached the top. Luckily Phurba had enough left on his to take this one picture.

On May 21, the Stonewold resident stood “at the top of the world,” having successfully and safely (despite suffering frostbite in his fingers) reached Everest’s summit after spending two months in Nepal preparing. Singh has now climbed a mountain 65 times what is available in his home state. 

Now back in Wilmington, Singh told us earlier today this was his fifth trip to Nepal, where he climbed to base came four times and a higher point, called Camp 3, just last year.

Singh, who owns Speedy Gas stations on Kirkwood Highway and Philadelphia Pike as well as a 7-11 franchise on South Main Street in Newark, used his Garmin Tracker throughout his six-week climb so family and friends could pinpoint his locations on a map.

Singh trained for years to reach the peak of Mount Everest. This year’s climb was his fifth on the mountain. He reached Camp 3 in 2018 and the peak only this year.

In notes to them, he expressed “emotions of joy, relief, happiness, satisfaction but also of sorrow, disbelief, anger and sadness,” referring to this spring’s human toll on the mountain. At least 11 climbers have died and reports and videos from the mountain show crowds of hikers backed up at the summit.

“Passing the dead bodies and the dying were the toughest and still to date are the toughest scenes to forget,” said Singh.  “A lot of the people that have died this season were among the many people that I had met and gotten to know at base camp.”

Still, Singh was awed and felt “blessed” by the experience.

“They say that on a good clear day, you can see the curvature of the earth from the summit.  I craned my neck to look but was too tired to tell if the earth was flat or curved. I guess will just have to believe my science teacher that the earth is round.”

Singh continued:

At the summit, there was no fireworks or epiphanies or transformations.  It was just bitter cold and windy and I was super tired.

Sat down and took signs out that I had made only to realize that my phone battery was dead. Luckily my guide, Phurba had just enough juice for one summit picture. Got mild frostbite on 3 of my fingers trying to get to the summit and back, but that is indeed a small price to pay for a lifetime bucket list goal.  

Reflecting on what must be among the most extreme experiences one could encounter on Earth, Singh wrote of how close the end can be. “All of a sudden you realize how fragile life is. Makes me want to hug my family and friends even closer and keep them close to my heart.  #Everest2019Done”

Camp 4 – the last stop before dozens of spring 2019 climbers would attempt to reach the peak of Mount Everest

Singh told TSD that he has run ultramarathons and also climbed other significant peaks in Nepal, including Lobuche Peak in September 2017, and Mount Manasalu – the eighth highest mountain in the world – in Sept 2018.

Singh was unaware if any other Delawareans had summited the great mountain. Let us know if you know a Delawarean who has climbed Mount Everest.

Singh on another trip to Nepal in May 2018

*In case you were wondering, Delaware is not the flattest/shortest state.  That honor belongs to Florida, with their puny 345 Britton Hill.  According to our friends at DGS:  “It’s a common misconception that Delaware’s High Point at Ebright is the lowest of all US States’ high points. This was based on a question in the popular trivia game Trivial Pursuit. In fact, Florida has the lowest high point at 345 feet (Britton Hill, on the Panhandle, near Lakewood). Actually, Delaware would have the third lowest high point if Washington DC became a state (Fort Reno at 429ft).”

The post Exclusive: Delaware Man Summits Mount Everest appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

American Idol fan favorite Margie Mays released her first original song “Over Again” on Friday

Fresh off her star turn on ABC’s American Idol, Tower Hill grad Margie Mays has released an original single – her first. Mays’ quirky, effervescent spirit shines through in the new pop tune “Over Again,” which the singer calls ‘a bittersweet, but oh-so-lovely ode to love.’

Early listeners are rating the song a winner, saying it is catchy, upbeat and has vocals that rival the best singers on the radio. In fact, on the morning of its release, “Over Again” landed on Spotify’s “New Music Friday Germany,” a list of the top songs the music streaming service recommends to its listeners there.

Spotify’s “New Music Friday Deutschland” included Margie Mays’ first original song (at the bottom of the larger screenshot) in their recommended lineup. Katy Perry also released “Never Really Over” (highlighted in green in the smaller screenshot) on Friday, landing the pair of singers on the same Spotify playlist.

The singer/songwriter and American Idol fan favorite was thrilled with the unexpected promotion of her new release. “It’s a big deal to be on any Spotify playlist. To be on one of this grandeur is amazing. And I have no idea how it happened,” she said.

Proud as she is to have her first song out on Spotify, the thing that makes Mays is most proud is that her listing is right alongside Katy Perry’s new song, “Never Really Over,” released the same day. One of three American Idol judges, Perry took a liking to Mays, showing a special, almost kindred affection for the Delaware dynamo throughout the competition.

Mays is having some fun on social media with her own ‘American idol’ Katy Perry, who released a new single with a similar song title the same day as Mays

“The fact that we dropped songs on the same day, and that our songs are about the same exact thing and almost share a title is an amazing coincidence,” said Mays.

Mays wrote and produced “Over Again” independently – with the help of friends back in 2017. Thinking the song would be well-received, she waited to record a final, studio version until after she had built up followers. “I didn’t have much of a fan base then. But once American Idol happened, I got everyone to help me pull it together.” She says it takes a lot of personal effort to get a song done without a record label.

Mays has released other cover versions of songs by other artists. But this is her first totally original effort.

Mays says she hopes the American Idol producers pick up her new release, as she hopes to return to the stage again next season. “I knew it would be a perfect first release — kind of my announcement to the world that I’d love to go back.”

Here is a link to “Over Again” on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/over-again/1463719567?i=1463719569

Here is a link to “Over Again” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3vKSWXOqyZQlS8Ef1cTQX4?si=X_CD3fNoR4a9qcDB_dz21A

The post American Idol Alum Margie Mays Releases New Single, Lands on Spotify Playlist appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

After wiping away tears, guests at this year’s Kind to Kids Spring Celebration breakfast were still left with profound optimism for the future.

That emotional rollercoaster resulted from the extraordinary testimony of two ‘Rising Star’ awardees – foster care system youths who refuse to let themselves be defined by the pain and trauma of their childhoods and insist on reflecting only hope and promise.

Both credited the support of the nonprofit Kind to Kids as instrumental in giving them a second chance at life.

The Governor and Mayor ‘offer’ the former foster youth a job

King was so impressive in his remarks, that both the governor and the mayor of Wilmington half-jokingly offered him a job in their administrations.

Rashawn, a rising sophomore at Delaware State University, credits his ability to overcome life’s obstacles to his faith in God. His remarks highlighted the May 31 breakfast with 12 speakers in all and two other award recipients: Delaware’s First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney and Nemours Health System.

Rashawn’s remarks graphically transported the audience to a place of unimaginable despair. As a young adolescent, King endured terrible abuse and was moved about to the homes of multiple family members. Eventually, Rashawn was placed in foster care at the age of 16.

He then endured more difficult times in foster care, bouncing around between ‘good families and bad families’ while earning his high school diploma at Smyrna High School.

Remarks from former foster youth move guests

An accomplished musician, King didn’t seem to take note that he was also a gifted writer until guests in the Hotel DuPont Gold Ballroom stood at their feet for several minutes following his remarks.

To anyone who has invested in me, just thank you. It’s greatly appreciated.

I first would like to thank God for this great opportunity. I also would like to thank Kind to Kids — they have shown tremendous support and relentless love and kindness toward me.

I would like to briefly share a passage from a Psalm written by King David. It reads, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Although I have experienced many challenges as a child and as a foster youth, I have always found comfort in knowing that the Lord is my Shepherd. King David of the Bible is very special to me for many reasons, but the most important reason amongst these is that David was a musician who worshipped the Lord. And he also was an abandoned child.

In times of trouble, he hid behind his songs from his heart and hymns to God. He did this so often that there is a 150-chapter book that includes these love songs to God.

And like David, I have found solace in a hymn. This hymn reads, “In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief and often escaped the tempter’s snare by thy return. Sweet Hour of Prayer.”

That is my foster care experience.

And I would just like to say one last thing. Being a foster youth was very interesting — a very interesting chapter in life. It was bittersweet. It was beautiful, but it also was unfortunate.

But I will say that I’m not just a foster youth because I was placed in a foster home. I’m a foster youth because when my mother and father forsook me, it was the Lord, and only the Lord who was willing to take me in.

Mayda Berrios, a rising sophomore at Delaware State University and a former foster care youth, and 11-year-old Amir Phillips, who is in the Kind to Kids after-school club at Stubbs Elementary also received awards and spoke movingly to guests at the breakfast.

Following Rashawn’s remarks, Dept. of Services for Children, Youth and their Families Cabinet Secretary Josette Manning said, “Sharing the stage today with Mayda, Amir and Rashawn has been the highlight of my week, if not my year, if not my entire career.”

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki was noticeably moved by each of the student’s speeches. He said, “I’d like to thank Mayda, Rashawn and Amir for lifting our hearts today. Reshawn I’ve got an opening for a speechwriter. I know it’s a little early in your career. But if I deliver that speech, I’m getting elected to everything!”

The post Delaware State Student Inspires by Leaving Boyhood Trauma Behind appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

The first phase of a major new luxury apartment community in North Wilmington was celebrated yesterday by executives of the Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG) and public officials, who heralded the development as the state’s first of its kind.

The complex combining retail, restaurants, office and residential uses, will eventually include six apartment buildings and involve $200 million in investment, according to Chris Buccini of BPG.

The Concord is the largest mixed-use project in New Castle County

The Concord at 3575 Silverside Road is the largest mixed-use project in New Castle County and marks the first BPG project outside of Wilmington city limits. Three apartment buildings are open with 50% rented, and two restaurants are already serving customers: the Platinum Dining Group’s El Camino Mexican Kitchen and Taverna Rustic Italian.

The design team created the urban-suburban development to foster a walkable, bikeable mixed-use village in Talleyville.

BPG will begin construction on two more apartment buildings in the fall, one of which will include additional retail. When fully completed, The Concord will include 341 apartments. Fifty companies occupy office space at the 45-acre site, and BPG hopes to announce two new fitness groups as tenants in the coming weeks.

A double-decker clubhouse and other modern amenities

The Concord offers upscale, modern amenities including a private pool and outdoor courtyard, a two-story resident clubhouse complete with a game room and media center, as well as a two-story fitness center, Hub by Amazon package receiving, and a dog washing station.

One and two-bedroom apartment homes are also equipped with a keyless access system allowing residents to unlock their apartments with a smartphone. 

BPG acquired the 55,000 square foot office park near the active Concord Pike corridor 14 years ago. When a major tenant moved out of the Plaza two years ago, and with enough unoccupied space to raise nine buildings to make way for new ones, the design team spent a year trying to imagine what it could be.

Eventually, they decided to develop what they hope will be the first of many mixed-use, walkable communities in that area.

“There’s nowhere in the world that we want to make better than New Castle County,” said Chris Buccini at yesterday’s ribbon cutting. “It’s where we were born and raised, and we have an incredible and immense amount of pride for our community. The Concord is the epitome of what The Buccini/Pollin Group has been trying to do in our home of New Castle County over the past 25 years,” he said.

In addition to the Platinum Dining Group restaurants, existing tenants, including Manhattan Bagel, Bright Horizons Daycare, and an array of specialty medical offices, offer residents modern conveniences within walking distance.

“This is a huge leap forward in changes to the Concord Pike in a very positive way and hopefully sets the tone for more redevelopment projects to come down the pike,” said Councilperson Dee Durham. 

Durham said she has a vision of a bike/pedestrian path that would connect The Concord to Weidner Law School and a tunnel that will allow people to get across Concord Pike to the National Park.

Pictures in this article are a mix of those taken by TSD and Joe del Tufo of Moonloop Photography.

The post Developer Says ‘Concord’ Mixed-Use Development will be $200 Million Project appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Last night, under the lights at Kelly’s Field in West Chester, sixteen 6th graders and one 5th grader did what no other Wilmington Wings lacrosse team has done in their league’s history — they won the championship. 

Now in its 30th year, Wilmington Wings was formed in 1990 as a way to help younger kids – boys and girls – learn to play competitive lacrosse. They are the only Delaware squad to participate in a league that for nearly three decades has been dominated by teams with high caliber talent in Pennsylvania and New Jersey — teams with players who feed into large, historical powerhouse school programs in greater Philadelphia.  

The success of the Wings program has now helped put Delaware on the map as a source of great college-bound talent itself.

The Wing’s opponents last night – the West Chester Lacrosse Club – were previously undefeated. Coach Rick Cobb said the game was a very physical, close contest against a highly talented team that had beaten the Wings twice in the regular season. The Wilmington Wings participate in the Chester County Lacrosse Association. 

“I was thrilled for the kids because I know how hard they have worked to achieve this success. The pure joy on their faces when the clock hit zero was priceless to see. The field was littered with their equipment because they threw their helmets and sticks into the air. It was truly an amazing night,” he said.

Will Christopher’s buddies and teammates chuckle as he kisses the championship trophy

Cobb has been coaching Wings for 27 years. His team has gone to the finals twice and lost both times – until last night.

Cobb credits the boys’ success with staying true to the team’s philosophies: to play hard, play smart and play as a team. “The most important goal is to teach life lessons through lacrosse, and when we adhere to those philosophies we are true champions,” he said. 

But he added that this season the team had a special edge: one of the parents on the team, Rob Buccini, offered time for the team to practice at the new indoor full-size lacrosse field at the new 76ers Fieldhouse. “That was significant because we never missed a practice. We practiced two days a week and played games two days a week,” said Cobb.

Wilmington Wings 5th and 6th grade coach Rick Cobb with his son Chris, who was also on the championship team.

The Wings were down 1-0 in the first quarter last night. But when they scored their next goal, they never trailed again, winning by a comfortable margin of five.

Casey Allen, Luca Pompeii, Sam Duch, Nathan Sutty, David Astfalk, Luke Spoor, among other offensive players, scored goals. The defense led by Will Christopher and Balthazar Buccini kept West Chester on its heels all night, only allowing 4 goals. 

“Goalie Peter Morgan played fantastic in the net for us. He had a number of critical saves that kept the momentum in our favor,” said Cobb. After the championship, the boys headed to Dairy Queen to celebrate.

Kids in the program come from a number of different schools – public, private and parochial. And for those who go on to play high school lacrosse, Wings offers the opportunity for kids to form friendly bonds with future opponents. Cobb says that’s a critical driver of sportsmanship as boys and girls develop as athletes. “We play community sports to develop a relationship with our friends and neighbors, and the Wings are an excellent example of just such a program.”

Cobb noted that Wilmington Wings founder Carol Spiker has been the driving force behind the popular Wings Wings program. Spiker started the league as a way to help her son gain valuable coaching experience as a young lacrosse player. Paralyzed from the waist down since 1998, Spiker continued her involvement with the program until only a few years ago. “I can tell you she is a big, big part of this story. We carry her initials on our uniforms,” said Cobb.

The post Wilmington Wings Team Beats PA’s Best to Win First Championship Ever appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Governor Carney signed HB 23 into law last week and handed the bill to Charter School of Wilmington grad (’18) Minnie Proud, who generated the idea for the legislation.

Delawareans will now be able to support pediatric cancer research with the tick of a box thanks to legislation spearheaded by a former high school student.

House Bill 23, originally created as mock legislation by Charter School of Wilmington student and now graduate Minnie Proud, was signed into law last week by Governor John Carney. The legislation, which received unanimous bipartisan support, adds the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation to a roster of Delaware nonprofits that taxpayers can designate as recipients of their annual state tax refunds.

Proud was acknowledged as the bills key champion, said she never imagined the idea would become law after proposing it during a week-long ‘government camp’ as a high school junior in 2016.

Governor Joh Carney, Lt. Bethany Hall-Long (far right), B+ Foundation’s Joe McDonough (holding document in back row) along with his wife Chris and their daughter Ali McDonough, State Rep. Kimberly Williams (front row holding signed bill), a B+ Hero (the youngster) and her mother as well as Minnie Proud and her family.

The rising sophomore at the Carroll School of Business at Boston College was one of about 100 students who participated in the American Legion’s Girls State program in Dover, where she learned about civics, citizenship and the workings of the state legislature.

As part of the program, the high school students act as delegates and are required to propose one piece of legislation about an issue that is important to them.

With years of volunteer service to the B+ Foundation guiding her thought process, Proud introduced a resolution to amend Title 30 of the Delaware Code relating to personal income tax passed unanimously in both the model House and Senate.

“To have Minnie Proud introduce this bill in Girls’ State and for it to actually go through the process and become a law – it’s just so special,” said Joe McDonough, who started the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation after his son, Andrew, died from leukemia at the age of 14. 

Governor Carney with Andrew McDonough’s parents, sister and a family friend

The B+ Foundation joins 21 other Delaware charitable organizations including the Food Bank of Delaware, the Delaware National Guard, Juvenile Diabetes Fund and White Clay Creek who are eligible for the taxpayer ‘tick-off.”

Proud first supported the B+ Foundation by participating in the annual 5K race each year. Eventually, she served on the planning team for Charter School of Wilmington’s “Charterthon,” an all-night dance marathon to raise funds for the organization. Her senior year, Charter joined with Cab Calloway School of the Arts tor a year-long effort that raised over $82,000 for the B+ Foundation.

Serendipitously, Proud shared the story about her mock legislation at a subsequent Charterthon planning meeting, and classmate Olivia Rattenni mentioned that her representative to the State Legislature, Kimberly Williams, was supportive of policies affecting children and families.

So Proud reached out to Representative Williams, and not only did Williams express interest, but she ended up sponsoring the bill. She said the legislation is a great example of how the legislative process brings everyone together for the common good and how even students can affect change.

“I am inspired by Minnie and Olivia for their creativity for this legislation. Young people should never be afraid to make their voices heard because I believe they truly can make a difference,” said Representative Williams. “They have the power to shape policy and discussions around critical issues in Delaware. Delaware is truly a special place in that the general public has direct access to their legislators — you can email, call, advocate at Legislative Hall or see us out in the community.”

Proud said she considers the B+ Foundation as a ‘way of life’ more than a cause and she is proud the state legislature embraced her idea.

“This is such an exciting day. I’m in awe of the leadership and bipartisan support that went into making HB 23 a reality. I am so grateful to Representative Kim Williams for not only championing the Bill but also for her generosity in making sure that all of us were included in every step of the process.”

The post Idea Born at Girls State Helps Delawareans to Be Positive at Tax Time appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Entering the vestibule of the new Taverna restaurant in north Wilmington, guests will feel as though they are stepping into a large, dimly lit win barrel. The rounded entryway sets the stage for a completely new look for Carl and Lisa Georigi’s newest restaurant in their growing empire – their second Taverna in the state.

“We thought it would give people a great feeling to step into a wine barrel before they formally enter the restaurant,” said Carl Georigi.

As if opening one new restaurant wasn’t enough work, Carl Georigi just opened his second new restaurant in as many months, expanding the Platinum Dining Group dining franchise to six and doubling the customers they can serve in north Wilmington, where they are operating for the first time. “It’s all the stress of opening one restaurant times two.”

Taverna Rustic Italian on Silverside Road opened this month right next door to El Camino at The Concord, which started serving diners at the end of May. The two Platinum Dining Group restaurants are the anchor retail tenants in the mixed-use development that will eventually include 350 apartments and other retail establishments.

Taverna will have the exact same menu – from food and beverages to pricing – as the successful restaurant by the same in Newark, which opened three years ago. Like the Main Street location, the new Taverna will also feature wine on tap. “We have a lot of North Wilmington residents who have children who attend UD who have eaten in Newark store. It was really important to us that they have the same experience that they had at the Newark store. So the consistency is a priority,” said Georigi.

Presented the opportunity to open two new restaurants at The Concord this season by developers Buccini/Polling Group, Georigi quickly concluded that Silverside Road dining scene was well suited for another Taverna.

“Our Taverna concept in Newark has been wildly successful, and I think it works just about anywhere. It’s a warm comfortable setting, the food is comforting and exceptionally prepared. It’s just a restaurant people have taken a liking to. So, when we looked at the overall concept of the Concord, in creating a life center, it just made perfect sense.”

Georigi calls Taverna a ‘neighborhood meeting place’ with a seemingly humble menu that suggests a rural approach to refined Italian cooking.

“Where Capers & Lemons (their restaurant in Greenville) is a more modern take on Italian favorites, the word ‘rustic’ lends itself to a more authentic, traditional approach to all the plates and dishes. Our lasagna is traditional ricotta and meat lasagna – straight forward. Here at Taverna we have chicken parmesan over pasta. Great ingredients, simply prepared.”

On the night we visited the new Taverna our group ordered the Mediterranean Salad with a special request for grilled salmon, Baked Salmon, Spinach Ricotta Agnolotti, and Ahi Tuna. “The tuna was cooked perfectly. The blend of the herb crusted tuna, spinach, potato, capers and chili oil was refreshing and delicious,” remarked one guest. “Regarding the agnolotti dish, our diner friend remarked, “The pasta itself was quite nice – silky with a just-cheesy-enough filling. And the portion size and presentation were very good.”

Our friend who ordered the Mediterranean Salad remarked that the shallot dressing was “fresh and light – the lettuce was crisp and the salmon perfectly cooked. A terrific meal.”

A variety of reclaimed and recycled materials give an earthy, inviting feeling to the restaurant to give it a look that it’s been there for a long time. Recycled barnwood, reclaimed brick walls, long barn timbers over the kitchen and the cap walls, and cylindrical light fixtures for the banquets that are made with cement all enhance the rustic Italian charm the Georigis looked for when creating the aesthetic for their newest eatery.

“We built it to look older. With time it will continue to grow into its space, and it will look even better with age,” said Georigi.

The post Second Taverna Makes for Platinum Dining North Wilmington Duo appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Paine’s Park Skatepark in Philadelphia

Construction will begin in September on a $600,000 skate park, the first of its kind, in Wilmington. The new skate park will be disguised as a public park and will feature a street plaza course design with a bowl.

The park will be built on land given to the City by the State Transportation Department and will be located on the City’s west side at Liberty and Lower Linden Streets near Maryland Avenue. 

Renderings are not yet available because the City is issuing public bids for design and construction this month.

 
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said the long-delayed park will be welcome news to the local skateboarding community. “A skate park has been the dream of Kevin Kelley (Parks and Recreation Director) and others for more than 20 years,” he said. “It was discussed, debated, planned, shelved and revived a few times in that order in the past two decades, and now we’ve finally reached the day when Kevin has the pleasure to join me in making this announcement.”

This skatepark is located in the Historic 4th Ward Park- Atlanta, GA

 
Kevin Kelley was a member of Wilmington City Council in 2001 when he first proposed the idea of a skate park. He spoke at the City’s announcement unveiling the new facility. “It may have taken longer than any of us expected, but soon people of all ages will enjoy a new City recreational facility that will feature a long overdue skate park. My thanks to everyone who has supported this idea in the past and will assist us as we move forward.”
 
“We are excited that this project is finally closer to becoming a reality for the City, and are happy that we could assist with providing a safe and convenient location for the park to call home,” said Delaware Transportation Secretary Cohan.

The post $600,000 Skateboard Park Coming to Wilmington appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Antiques Roadshow landed on the grounds of Winterthur today to greet 2,000 American collectors eager to learn more about their family heirlooms and garage sale finds, hoping that their treasures might hold exotic stories and fetch lofty values.

The popular, long-running PBS television program taped three episodes in 10 hours of appraisals today, filming only the most valuable and storied antiques for episodes that will run sometime next year.

Ticket holders were given precise windows for their visit. Starting at 6:30 am, hundreds lined the sidewalks outside of the galleries with anticipation, their arms full of old paintings, furniture, jewelry and more. Long queues didn’t seem to matter much, as fellow show fans enjoyed sharing stories behind their antiques with each other while they waited.

This was the first time the hit show– with 7 million viewers weekly – has visited Delaware. Last year the show introduced new venues – other than convention centers – to its lineup, and Winterthur Estate and Garden, home to one of the nation’s most famous and extensive collections of American antiquities, furniture and decorative arts, was understandably tops on their list. (In April, we explained why Antiques Roadshow chose to film at Winterthur.)

Roadshow-goers at Winterthur today traveled to Wilmington from all over the U.S. – we encountered antique-enthusiasts from Indiana, Texas, Virginia and California.  A common theme was the added bonus of being able to visit the spectacular gardens now in bloom at Winterthur.

Local show watchers were of course well familiar with Delaware’s landmark, and they were thrilled that one of their favorite TV shows came to their home town. Winterthur’s Mark Nardone said, “These are our people. It’s an amazing opportunity for our members.”

Beth from Wilmington brought two watches she inherited for appraisal, and she was surprised to learn that her mother’s Swiss watch was nearly as valuable as her father’s Hamilton watch. “I didn’t think it was that valuable. I think he said it was between $700 and $900 and I had no idea it was that expensive because I was with my mom when she bought it, and I know she didn’t spend a whole lot on it,” she said.  

Like the thousands eager to learn from the professionals at some of the top auction houses and antique shops in the country, Beth found her appraiser to be extremely knowledgeable. “He explained things to me really well, and he seemed really interested in the articles, too.”

The watch appraiser was particularly enamored with her father’s mid-century Hamilton Watch Company wristwatch, which he said was in ‘fabulous’ condition and seemed undamaged. “This was the first electric watch, and the body style of it sort of has this space-age look. It was just totally different than anything that had been produced in the watch world up to that period. So, it’s sort of that George Jetson style – like the old TV show. It was made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania probably around 1957.”

Donald and his wife Debbie live right across the street from Winterthur and are huge fans of Antiques Roadshow. (Lovers of history, Donald also volunteers aboard Delaware’s Tall Ship the Kalmar Nyckel.)  They brought a Springfield trap door gun from 1897 (appraised at $600 – $700), a 1920’s Tiffany clock (appraised at $150), a decorative Chinese enamel foo lion from 1915 (appraised at $1,000) and a small glass container – part of a vanity set that Debbie found in her grandmother’s attic – that was appraised at $10.

Donald inherited several guns from his uncle, who used to collect guns when he was an officer in the Marine Corps. He appreciated hearing from the experts today. “I thought it was very informative. I thought this part of the gun (the tip) was a bayonet, but actually, it’s a cleaning method. All these years I thought it was a bayonet.”

Seventy appraisers covered 23 specialties ranging from Ancient Art to Clocks, Dolls, Pottery & Porcelain, Rugs & Textiles and Watches.

Nick Daws, with Heritage Auctions in New York, evaluated pottery and porcelain today. “At Roadshow, we each have our own specialties – we sit at different tables. But it’s a fraternity, and appraisers will bring things from one table to another because they know that there’s a strength of knowledge at a particular table. I sit at Pottery and Porcelain, but I just talked about an automobile mascot to someone, and I actually wrote a book about automobile mascots.”

Each person could bring two items for appraisal. For most, that made deciding what to bring difficult. 

Appraisers who found an item to be interesting or have a good story then pitched show producers. One of the appraisers told us that the crux of the show’s popularity rests on the stories behind the objects. “Don’t assume that your object is worth $35,000! When we pitch something, it’s not necessarily about the value. Sometimes we pitch something because it’s a fake, and we can learn from discussing it. But many times, we’re pitching something because you have a really interesting story to tell. And sometimes we have some really great information to share about your object that we would love to tell you on camera.”

Several made this a two-day experience by purchasing tickets to the Antiques Roadshow cocktail party and Q&A session at the Delaware Contemporary last night. For those like Donald and Debbie, that opportunity to hear from the show’s producers and a few of the auctioneers made the experience more complete. “It’s been just fantastic. What a great opportunity. We went to the event last night and then today – it’s been wonderful.”

His wife Debbie added, “We were just super excited that it was going to be taped in Delaware. I mean, we’ve watched the show for years, and you love it. And to have it here at Winterthur, on the grounds, I think makes it even better. Because Winterthur is a jewel of Delaware. So for them to come here is really awesome.”

The post Collectors Throng to Winterthur for Antiques Roadshow appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Two college lacrosse standouts from Wilmington were named to the 2019 Division III First Team All-American list – Abby Manning and A.J. Witherell

Lacrosse is experiencing an explosion in popularity and is now one of the fastest growing sports in the country. 

Delaware, punching well above its size, has certainly helped both propel and participate that growth, with youth programs sprouting up across the state. At the high school level, Delaware is fast becoming a breeding ground for top national-caliber talent.

Further cementing the state’s reputation as the home of elite lacrosse talent, two Delawareans have been named NCAA First Team All Americans: Abby Manning, a Tower Hill grad who just finished her junior year at Wesleyan University, and Andrew “A.J.” Witherell, the Salesianum product who finished his Washington and Lee career as the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Abby Manning helped lead the Wesleyan Women’s lacrosse team to the NCAA tournament for their first time in her freshman year. 

Abby Manning – Tower Hill School ’16 / Wesleyan ’20

After a banner three-sport career at Tower Hill culminating in her selection as DIAA Lacrosse Player of the Year in 2016, Manning enrolled at the Middletown, Connecticut school to study neuroscience and play both field hockey and lacrosse, which she has continued to do every season since.

Manning’s presence had an immediate impact on the team, as she has led the Cardinals to the NCAA playoffs each season at the school.  Prior to her arrival, the women’s lacrosse team had never appeared in a playoff game.

“Abby made an impact at Wesleyan from the first time she stepped onto the field,” said Wesleyan coach Kim Williams. “Even as a first year, Abby was a player that teams have had to worry about.”

Manning was the leading goal scorer and total points scorer this season for the entire NESCAC conference.

Manning and teammates make it to the Final Four

This year, Wesleyan made it to the NCAA Final Four, beating some of the best teams in the country to get there. That included taking down the top two-ranked teams, Gettysburg and Washington and Lee, before falling to the eventual national champion Middlebury in the semifinals.

Along the way, Manning broke the all-time single-season goals and total points record at Wesleyan and is now the second leading scorer in team history and with sights set next year to end her career as the all-time leader. 

She was also the leading goal scorer and total points scorer this season for the entire New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), widely viewed as the most competitive Division 3 conference in the country. Manning delivered 69 goals and 15 assists for a total of 84 points, besting the previous Wesleyan season record of 63 points. 

Manning broke the all-time single-season goals and total points record at Wesleyan and is now the second leading scorer in team history.

Manning also led her team in draw controls this year with 79 and still broke scoring records despite being routinely “face guarded” in most of her games (which basically means a defensive player ‘man-marks’ an opposing player, following them all over the field trying to prevent the other player from even getting the ball).

Manning says the most important asset for her game has been developing stick skills. “You can make up for other areas if you have good stick skills,” she says. She plays wall ball four times a week for 15 minutes year-round to help her quicken her release from anywhere on the field when she’s shooting. “Other teams think that’s a huge threat,” she noted.

She also says that she’s not nearly the fastest runner on her team. But she does possess a quick first step. “I was lucky to be gifted with a pretty quick first step. Being explosive is one of the most important things on attack.”

The rising college senior credits part of her dual-sport success as well as choice of college to her experience at Tower Hill.  “The school’s motto is Multa Bene Facta, meaning many things done well – the school encouraged us to get involved in a lot of areas, and I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to play two sports at the D3 level. That goes back to THS and getting us to spread our wings into different areas.”

Manning also praises her coach Williams, for her leadership in building a strong program, recently attracting other top recruits to Wesleyan.

Williams says she most admires Manning’s desire to “work so hard at her craft” and improve, despite the success she’s already achieved.  “One of the things I love most about Abby is what an incredible student of the game she is,” said Williams.  “She absolutely loves lacrosse.  She loves watching film and spends countless hours watching our film and always trying to figure out how she can be a better player, pushing her standards higher and higher.”  

That devotion isn’t lost on her teammates. Williams added, “Abby is so highly looked up to on our team, and now across the country. She was a huge driving force in our team’s journey to the Final Four this year, and we can’t wait to see what her senior year will bring.”

This summer, Manning, who plans to go to medical school, has scored a position doing research at the DuPont Experimental Station-based biotech start-up Prelude Therapeutics (which recently announced a $60 million investment). She’s also looking forward to her senior year and another shot at the national title.

“We have a lot of returners, and all the younger players really stepped up in the national tournament,” she said.  “Keeping focused on our goals will be important – and keeping in mind why we all love playing so much in the first place.”

Senior Attackman for the Washington & Lee Generals, A.J. Witherell was named Division III First Team All-American for the third year in a row this year.

A.J. Witherell – Salesianum ’15 / Washington & Lee ’19

Like Manning, Witherell garnered national attention for his high school play at perennial powerhouse Salesianum, where he helped lead the Sals to multiple state championships. 

Also, like Manning, the Wilmington standout was a multi-sport threat, lettering and capturing All-State laurels on a three-time state championship soccer team.

A.J. Witherell and his teammates wore pink jerseys in the spring of ’05 during the annual ‘Savannahstrong’ game against Caesar Rodney. Witherell was First Team Midfield as Junior and First Team Attack as Senior.

Following a legendary four-year career at the Lexington, Virginia school, Witherell was recognized as the 2019 Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) South Region Offensive Player of the Year, Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year, and a US Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) First Team All-American.   

This was the third year in a row Witherell claimed the ODAC Player of the Year Award, making him the first player in the conference’s 39-year men’s lacrosse history to have done so.

Witherell led the Generals in scoring this spring with 83 points on 46 goals and 37 assists, making him the program’s all-time scoring leader with 317 points – a record that had stood since 2001 (290 points). 

W&L Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Gene McCabe calls Witherell a great team leader – tremendously unselfish and ‘always put our team above self.’

Closing his career as his school’s all-time leading scorer is less an accolade than an inspiration. “Having the points record is just a reminder for me of how much effort I poured into my career at W&L to get to that point. And it’s a constant mental reminder for myself to put that type of passion and energy into everything I do,” Witherell said. He has taken a position as an investment banking analyst at Harris Williams in Richmond, Virginia.

The attackman also finished first in Washington and Lee history in goals scored (191) and second in assists (126).  He added 185 ground balls and 47 caused turnovers.  He claimed the school’s scoring record thanks to an assist from his younger brother Taylor (a rising junior at W&L), also a Salesianum graduate.

Witherell credits exceptional coaching as having an influential role in his experience and success in high school and at W&L. As the Player of the Year earned his third All-American distinction last month, Generals Coach Gene McCabe earned the league’s top coaching honor for the second time in 13 seasons.

“A.J. is a special player – a generational type player,” says Coach McCabe. “He is the consummate student-athlete, a great team leader, a student of the game, tremendously unselfish and always put our team above self. A.J. was a true pleasure to coach and a great person. He will surely be missed next season.”

The Witherell family turned out for this milestone game in April 2019. W&L’s all-time scoring leader, A.J. has enjoyed playing on the team with brother Taylor, #31.

“At W&L, Coach McCabe, Coach Koch and Coach Corrigan were all pivotal in refining my game as well as the team’s chemistry and cohesiveness. But I would say that my most influential coach was Dan Deckelbaum. I trained with him a lot in high school, and he really took my game to the next level. We stayed in touch throughout my college career, and he was someone I could talk to if I needed some coaching guidance,” said Witherell.

Even with all of the impressive records, Witherell is most proud of the fact that he was selected team captain – twice. “W&L is full of talented leaders and our team especially had some incredible people. So being voted by my teammates as Captain for my last two seasons was a great honor, and I hope that the experiences and things I learned in that position I can carry with myself through the rest of my life,” he said.

Team captain for the W&L Generals for two straight seasons, Witherell says he’ll miss seeing his teammates every day. “The teammates I had at W&L and Salesianum will be great friends for life.”

With lacrosse being a major part of his life for 16-plus years, Witherell says he already misses having a competitive outlet with his best friends every day. “The teammates I had at W&L and Salesianum will be great friends for life – being able to just hang out playing lacrosse whenever we felt like it was pretty awesome, and it’s a little more difficult to find the time for that in the real world.”

Delaware-bred lacrosse standouts continue to pour into top national collegiate programs.  Notably, putting paid to the notion that Delaware junior lacrosse has truly arrived, even the University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team, which had rarely looked for home-state recruits, will be joined by DIAA All-State selection Tommy Bloom of Sanford School next year.

The post Tower Hill’s Manning and Sallies’ Witherell Named NCAA First Team Lacrosse All-Americans appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

A yard waste site serving Pike Creek and Hockessin will not be closing its gates as had been scheduled.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) had planned to shutter the site on June 20, but intervention by Representative Mike Smith will keep the site open – and offering a free option for residents to drop off their yard waste for recycling.

Smith worked with Senators Dave Sokola and Jack Walsh and Representatives Mike Ramone and Kim Williams to secure funding to keep the site operational for the next year.  Funding was included in the recently approved Bond Bill, which funds capital improvement projects throughout the state.

Smith says that he will continue to work on finding for a new, alternative location for the site, and that citizen calls and emails were key in getting this lifeline.

The post Polly Drummond Road Yard Waste Site Remains Open … for now appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Richard Brisita snapped this picture at 7:40 this morning standing in line at the Delaware City DMV to get a free 5-digit tag.

Lines formed down sidewalks and wrapped around corners at four Delaware DMV locations this morning as hundreds turned out to scoop up a limited supply of 5-digit tags.

By 10 am, three locations – Wilmington, Delaware City and Georgetown were all out of the free 5-digit license plates. And Dover ran out before lunchtime.  

“The fact that we ran out of plates in 3 locations as quickly as we did – that’s a first for us,” said Shelley Koon, chief of communications of the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.“We didn’t realize this was going to happen until the last 48 hours. The media were calling our office and DelDOT, and it generated an enormous amount of interest in the giveaway and sale.”

Koon said traditionally DMV offers a statewide release of 5-digit tags at Christmas time to help ease the cost for many who buy the plates as a gift. At those events (usually held in November) they never run out the first day, and they often have 5-digit tags at some offices two weeks after the release.

Marinah Carver, a marketing specialist for the Division of Motor Vehicles, showed customers today samples of the porcelain plate (in her left hand) and the stainless steel plate (in her right hand).

Richard Brisita, a 28-year-old two-car owner from Claymont, stood in line at the Delaware City DMV today. He already has a black and white stainless steel 5-digit tag and a blue and gold tag but says he has wanted to “trade up” to 5-digit black and white porcelain tags for the last six years.

Today was his lucky day.

“Every time I heard of an event at DMV or somewhere else, I would go, and they were always sold out. Today I arrived at the Delaware City DMV at 7:40, and by the time I walked inside, I got ticket number C147. Today I finally got mine,” said Brisita.

When asked why it was so important for him to land a black and white tag, Brisita remarked, “To me, this is just a Delaware thing, and everyone wants one. They’re just fascinating, and they make the car look good.”

Delaware DMV reports that the first in line at the Dover location arrived at 2 am, and the first in line at Delaware City staked their spot at Midnight. People sat in beach chairs, brought coolers of food and drink, and many brought a good book or a friend along to keep them company.

And they waited.

A look from inside the Delaware City DMV before doors opened. Photo by Glenn Jordan.

Others who landed tags said the lines were ‘really insanely long’ — much longer than usual for a DMV giveaway. But at the Delaware City location, all of the registers were open, so people were processed quickly once doors opened.

Because black and white tags in either finish are made to order, only blue and gold 5-digit tags were distributed today. Those who own the title to their cars left with 5-digit tags that they can pay to convert to black and white.

For those who do not own their cars outright, the Delaware DMV reserves 5-digit tag numbers in their name while drivers process paperwork with title holders. The Delaware Historic Tag company will then produce the porcelain black and white tags for $115 each. (Stainless steel and porcelain cost the same.)  

DMV’s Koon says she won’t know how many 5-digit tags were distributed today until tomorrow. She added that because many plates are put “on hold” and are awaiting titles from lien holders, “There is no real way to look in the system to see what we actually assigned to customers.”

John Wakefield, who runs Delaware Tag Traders, says today’s release will most likely flood the market, but it won’t cripple the value of the 5-digit tags. “Values for 5-digit black and white tags will be soft for a couple of months. But over the next few months the interest in the secondary market will climb as most will hold onto the tags they purchased today,” he said.

Wakefield says values for 5-digit black and white tags range from $700 for a higher number to $1500 for a lower number or one with repeating numbers.

The post Droves of Drivers Turn Out for Five Digit Plates appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

The first new LED light with smart sensor technology was installed today at 7th and Monroe Streets in Wilmington

The City of Wilmington today unveiled big plans to repower the entire town, replacing thousands of traditional street lights with LED lighting and “smart” technology in an effort to make the city brighter, cleaner, and safer.

Using sensors that attach directly to the light poles, the smart technology can monitor street traffic and trash collection, air quality, available street parking and even detect and pinpoint the location of gunfire.

The first wave of the conversion commenced today with the installation of new LED lighting at the corner of 7^th and North Monroe Streets, where Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, Wilmington Public Service Commissioner Kelly Williams and representatives from Delmarva Power provided a demonstration of the project, named “ConnectWilmington.”

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, Commissioner of Public Works Kelly Williams, and Delmarva Power Region President Gary Stockbridge display one of the new LED Smart lights that will be installed in neighborhoods throughout Wilmington

Working in partnership with the company, the city eventually plans to convert all 7,050 street lights to the longer lasting LED lights, and many of those will also include smart sensor technology.

Commisioner Williams says the desire for better lighting started with residents. “The one thing I love about this project is that this was a grassroots request for brand new lighting. This really came from the community, and it’s a request we are able to fulfill. It’s going to change what the city looks like.”

Existing street lights last about 5 years. But the new, efficient LED lights will last 10 years, saving the City an estimated $150,000 annually in energy costs. The new LED lights also will consume about one-third of the energy used by traditional lights and help neighborhoods reduce their carbon footprint.

Delmarva Power is providing upfront funding the smart sensor technologies and their installation for the first 50 lights in order to test their functionality and potential value. An existing tariff administered by the Public Service Commission will cover the installation of the LED lights.

Mayor Purzycki said he was particularly excited about the prospects of what enhanced lighting and smart technology on light poles could do for the city.

Mayor Purzycki called the smart LED lighting a ‘tremendous opportunity,’ saying the technology will give the city a new look and feel and improve public safety efforts.

“If you brighten up the neighborhoods and make it high noon all the time, this will help with a lot of things not the least of which is crime, property crime, and violent crime. It’s much more important than anyone can imagine. It will change the way the city looks, feels and it will give a sense of the city moving forward.”

The Administration has legislation pending before City Council that would enable the City to convert all street lights – the city owns 1,750 and Delmarva owns 5,300.

Currently, homeowners have to call the City to report street lighting outages. The new LED lights will have a self-reporting feature that Delmarva Power Region President Gary Stockbridge says will greatly improve efficiency.

“Just the lighting itself and the ability to control it (the lights can also be dimmed or brightened) and to know when they are out – those things are great up front wins and can immediately add value to residents,” he said.

According to Delmarva, the smart city and sensor-based technologies might include:

• On-street parking monitoring to provide residents and visitors with ideal times for parking and available parking locations.
• Traffic management systems to transmit information about traffic flow, making daily commutes more efficient and time-saving.
• Emergency situation management and public notification systems to help first responders make more informed decisions and accelerate emergency response by accurately directing personnel to emergency locations and keeping the public informed.
• Firearm detection that directs police to a specific location during calls for service.
• Air quality, weather and noise monitoring and data collection to develop solutions to quality of life issues.
• Radiation detection readings that can be used by emergency personnel.

Stockbridge says Delmarva is also optimistic about yet untapped technology. “I don’t even think the Mayor and I yet understand all of the potential opportunities that may come out of this with the smart city technology.”

When asked whether some might find aspects of the data collection to be an intrusion of privacy, Stockbridge replied that the benefits far outweigh those concerns. “Any time you put in a network that collects data, people may be worried about that. The concern is maybe there. But we are a utility with State oversight with our Public Service Commission and data collection will be closely monitored.”

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Delmarva’s Gary Stockbridge

The first phase of the project is occurring in West Center City and along stretches of Washington Street, Baynard Boulevard and North Market Street near Brandywine Village. A joint letter from the City and Delmarva Power addressing the LED lighting project has been mailed to residential and business property owners near the demonstration areas to explain more about the joint effort.

The post New Smart LED Lights Will Make Wilmington Safer, Brighter appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

For the first time ever, Delaware’s magnificent Bellevue Park in North Wilmington is adding a beer lovers festival to their summer entertainment lineup.

The Inaugural Delaware Beer Fest taps its kegs this Saturday, July 13^th at Bellevue State Park’s Figure-8 Barn and will feature 25 national and local breweries and more than 50 selections of beer. 

Local favorites pouring their brews include Bellefonte, Fordham and Dominion, Big Oyster, Crooked Hammock, Iron Hill, Liquid Alchemy and 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

The Inaugural Delaware Beer Fest will host its event at Figure 8 Barn at Bellevue State Park. Upper left photo: Bellevue Hall, the former mansion of William du Pont, Jr.

The event will also feature other regional and national brands including

Bells Inspired Brewing
Blue Earl Brewing
Blue Point Brewing Company
Conshohocken Brewing Company
Evil Genius Beer Company
Golden Road Brewing
Goose Island Beer
Guinness
Monument City Brewing
NKS Distributors – 3 beer brands
Rebel Seed Cidery
Samuel Adams
Tall Tales Brewing Company
Total Wine & More – wines from 4 different vineyards and 4 types of liquor
Union Craft Brewing
Yards Brewing Co.

For those who were able to snag any of the 350 VIP tickets, which are now sold out, barn doors will open at Noon. Regular admission ticket holders ($45) are invited from 1 to 5 pm.

Already 800 tickets have been sold to the event, but tickets are still available to the public. Organizers say the 32,000 square-foot facility can hold well above 1,000 people. If you have not been to Bellevue (800 Carr Road, Wilmington) in the last several months, be aware that there are construction detours that will impact your driving route to the park. Directions here.

The event fundraiser was planned by longtime Delawarean Dennis Carradin who says it’s been a personal goal of his to always give back. Proceeds will benefit four locally-based nonprofits, including the Trauma Survivors Foundation, which Carridin, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, founded after the Newtown shooting in 2013. The foundation works with and provides education to first responders, military and others who have been in traumatic incidents such as shootings and natural disasters.

Other organizations which will benefit from proceeds include the Ministry of Caring Millennials Committee, the Wilmington West Rotary Club and the 302 Phalanx Foundation.

Guests can sample different brews all afternoon long from brewers and other wine and spirits vendors offering 2-ounce pours, take a bite from tasty treats crafted by local food vendors, and even enter a raffle with a chance to win a Caribbean vacation.

Festival organizer Carradin said the bucolic Bellevue Park was an ideal venue for this major new event. “I want people to find out how truly special some places are here in Delaware. I have always liked Bellevue Park and how cool this barn is.”

Food trucks will offer ‘pub grub delicacies’ such as BBQ, Asian-fusion creations, hot dogs, pretzels and dessert. Food trucks include:

• Cajun-Sno
• Uncle John’s BBQ
• The Little Guy That Cooked
• Ole Tapas
• Koi on the Go

Carradin says this is one festival where people will have a really great time. “We have people playing music all day – a mix of DJ and live music, life-size beer pong, life-size Jenga, and beer fest trivia games. Nothing over the top, but great food, awesome people.

 “We wanted to make the Delaware Beer Fest like your fondest craft beer drinking memory. The more friends you bring, the bigger laughs you’ll have, and the memories will just get better,” he said.

The post This Weekend’s First Bellevue Beer Fest Already Brewing a Buzz appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

One year ago, Wilmington’s Margie Mays walked into an audition that was the beginning of her adventure in the national spotlight. This week Mays returned to her hometown for the first time since her quirky, sizzling star turn on the hit ABC TV show American Idol.

And Mays’ local “victory tour” will also be the first time the Tower Hill grad performs professionally in front of a Delaware audience.

Mays’ performances will include a concert at the Queen Theatre and judging a Teen Idol contest. The California-based singer kicked off her home stand today by opening a charity golf tournament at Hartefeld National, singing the national anthem to the delight of players and organizers.

Margie Mays will pack her bags to return to Wilmington for two appearances on August 2 and 3

During lunch at the Sojourner’s Place charity golf outing, Mays navigated the crowd to hug well-wishers and extended family members, many who flew in for the occasion and she was seeing for the first time since Idol’s end. Eleven-year-old cousin Wyatt Etshman captured the sentiment of everyone saying, “You should have won. You were the best!”

Sojourner’s Place provides shelter and an array of individualized services for homeless men and women in Wilmington.

As we walked to find a shady spot to conduct our interview, table after table of dining golfers smiled at Mays, who was wearing a cute black and white checked romper and her signature tennis shoes.

“It’s been amazing. This is the first time I have been home. You witnessed the first person to recognize me, which was awesome and cool. It’s crazy. I love doing these shows, even kicking off this charity event. I feel like my time is now and I am running with the momentum.”

Who better to judge Delaware Teen Idol

Mays returns to Los Angeles later this week and then flies back to Wilmington to judge the finals of Delaware Teen Idol on Friday, August 2^nd for AIDS Delaware. The annual event showcases teens from 13 to 18 who will perform original works of poetry, songs, rap, dance and the spoken word on topics such as steering clear of drugs and addressing violence. The event, which starts at 6:30 pm at the Delaware Theatre Company, is open to the public. Tickets are $10.

After she agreed to the Teen Idol gig, Mays decided to plan a hometown show, which will be held at Wilmington’s The Queen theatre on August 3^rd. General admission tickets are $20.

A hometown concert on August 3rd

Mays’ father helped her line up a band – Sticks & Stones – and she plans to send them a setlist of eight or nine songs, which will include new cover songs plus at least two original songs. One is a brand-new song that she hasn’t yet released, and no one has ever heard.

“I don’t want to bore people with a set of 15 songs. But it will go fast, and it will be good. And of course, I will be singing songs from the show (American Idol). That’s what people want to see. That’s like going to a Rolling Stones concert and not seeing hits like Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

The concert will actually feature three American Idol contestants from the 2019 season. Mays assembled the event herself, asking contestants Seth Lyon and Taylor Van Cleave to perform from 7 pm before she takes the stage at 8 pm. “They were both in my group night on American Idol. So we became friends. Those two live close by – on the East Coast. So I Instagram messaged them and invited them to play a 20-minute set each.”

For fan favorites, perhaps the best hour will be before the show when Mays does a meet and greet, signs autographs, and poses for pictures. For $35, VIP Ticket holders can come from 6 to 7 pm. She says she will also try to hang around for a bit after the show, but she says when concerts are over, venues can cut short opportunities. “I just want to make sure everyone gets their time,” she said.

Margie recalls that her first big performance in Modesto, California after American Idol was a thriller for her. “That was a hit. People came all over. It was amazing. I do the box, and it is super fun. We had some fans who had been watching American Idol for 15 years and they bring posters, towels, lots of things with autographs from contestants even 15 years back. It’s pretty beautiful.”

New original single hits 100,000 streams on Spotify

Since wrapping up her time as a top 20 contestant on this year’s American Idol, Margie has released a new single, Over and Over Again, which last week hit over 100,000 streams on Spotify, and she continues to juggle multiple ideas and projects. Because she is her own stylist, booking agent and PR manager, Mays does it all herself. “I do everything by choice. It’s just more efficient and I’m waiting to hit a moment where I realize it may be too big for me to take care of on my own.

“I have been very, very, very busy. I’ve always been an overachiever. I’m almost neurotic. My mind is always going 24/7, and especially since I am my own team –  I’m thankful my boyfriend is even still with me – I’m always thinking about what I’ve got to do next. And I’m very goal-oriented, and I go-go-go until that day comes.”

The question she is always asked concerns the one thing that made her American Idol’s most popular contestant who didn’t crack this year’s top 10.  ‘Did you plan to do the box? Did you plan to be silly?’ Mays says the answer is no.

“Of course, I didn’t plan that. The TV producers kind of won the lottery ticket on me. I think I have quirky mannerisms, and when I walked in for my audition before the show – the one to get cast for the show a year ago, July 25^th, 2018 – I did a little bit of that, but I was not goofy. I came in and sang real dang songs. No one knew that was going to happen later when I sang in front of Katy Perry and the other judges. I had no idea. It was the perfect storm.”

The post Idol Star Margie Mays Performs at Charity Golf Tourney in Advance of Wilmington Concert appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

July 9: Phillies All-Star JT Realmuto. Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos

The dog days of summer are here, at least if you’re a sports fan.

For the most part, one season blends into another seamlessly over the course of a year, and there are even times when a baseball game, football game, basketball game and hockey match are all played on the same day.

But not now.

There had been an extraordinary amount of excitement recently in the world of sports – the women’s World Cup, Wimbledon, the NBA free-agent frenzy and baseball’s All-Star game. Now, not so much. We have the British Open golf tournament starting up, but, let’s face it, even though the British Open is one of four Major events, most people don’t really care about it unless they’re die-hard golf fans or Tiger Woods is near the top of the leaderboard and in contention going into the final two rounds.

Also, the second half of the baseball season is gearing up, but the Phillies have been trending down, and there doesn’t seem to be much buzz around this team in the middle of July, when pennant races start to heat up. That lack of interest and faith is a marked change from the first month of the season when everybody was still fired up about the signings and trades that brought in Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura.

The Phils got off to a great start and led NL East for the first quarter of the season and Citizens Bank Park was packed once again as it appeared the Phillies were finally back on the winning track.

Well, the last time we checked, they were 8 ½ games out of first place. And nothing you see about this team makes you believe they’ll make a run for the division title. They still have a legitimate shot at a wild card playoff berth, which would be a big step up for a team that lost 96 games just two years ago.

But with all the hype that surrounded this team at the start of the season, along with the hot start to the season, the Phillies have been a major league disappointment so far.

The National League Pennant race as of 7-19-19

The Eagles are starting training camp soon, but take it from somebody who covered 30 or so training camps over the decades: it’s basically boring, especially since the fans don’t get much of a chance to see their heroes in action, or, as is the case nowadays, inaction. It used to be different, when the Eagles held training camp at West Chester University and Lehigh University. Thousands of fans would flock to camp on a daily basis, and back then NFL teams used to actually block and tackle each other in camp.

In fact, when Dick Vermeil was the coach in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Eagles sometimes had three practices a day and they put on pads and hit at every practice. Of course, that was before we knew about the damage to the brain that all of that hitting caused, and because of that – and because of all the money these guys make now – teams don’t really hit at all during camp. That’s good for the players, naturally, but not much fun for the fans.

But even that doesn’t matter now, because the Eagles have camp at their practice facility in South Philadelphia and will open only one training camp practice to the general public. And that is a disgrace. Big-money supporters and sponsors can watch just about all of the practices, but the regular guy who used to take his family to camp is now shut out.

Remember that the next time the Eagles tell you how much they care about their fans. Of course, they’ll gladly sell you a Carson Wentz jersey for $180.

The University of Delaware will also open its summer football camp soon, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding this team. For one thing, they’ll be playing in a refurbished Delaware Stadium as the program finally gets in step with the 21^stCentury. Plus, the Blue Hens should be pretty good this season, their third under coach Danny Rocco.

But that’s about it for most sports fans. And as hot as its been lately, it makes more sense to stay inside with air conditioning and a frosty beverage and watch a good movie – or even a bad one.

The post As Pennant Races Heat Up, Playoff Hopes Fading for Phillies appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

The days when spiritual exploration of the eastern tradition required a visit to a guru at a remote ashram are long gone.  Meditation has gone mainstream.

That couldn’t have been more clear based on the hundreds of local meditation advocates and practitioners who gathered for a national initiative last week to raise awareness about the health benefits of the practice and join a collective meditation live-streamed across the country.

Last Wednesday’s America Meditates, broadcast from Denver, brought together Americans in churches, schools and town halls in 120 cities.  The event was led by meditation expert Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who guided the Delaware devotees at John Dickinson High School and around the country through a peaceful, 30-minute meditation.

Meditation now rivals yoga as one of the most popular types of complementary health practices in the U.S – so says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A report generated last fall by the organization indicates that meditation among American adults increased more than threefold from 4.1% in 2012 to 14.2% in 2017.

That dramatic change and the growing acceptance of meditation was noted by many who attended last week’s nationwide exercise.

Hockessin resident Swany Yeleswaram has been practicing meditation for several years and recently became certified as a meditation teacher. He said that several large-scale crises and personal suffering could be aided effectively by meditation.

“We are facing an opioid crisis, large numbers of people who are depressed, and you have other health issues that are linked to stress, anxiety and mental health issues that can be aided by meditation,” he said.

Yeleswaram is also a member of the Art of Living Foundation, a volunteer-based educational organization founded 40 years ago, which organized the local Americas Meditates event. Their workshops aim to help participants reduce stress, raise their energy and provide a clear, positive state of mind.

They also hope the growing practice of meditation will help reduce violence across communities. “There are studies that indicate that when 1% of the community meditates, it actually benefits the entire community,” said Yeleswaram. “There are a lot of intangible benefits that come out of meditation, and that’s the reason we think meditation can be part of the solution.”

Kennett Square, PA, resident Madhuri Karode quit her job as an IT professional a few years ago to focus on teaching meditation full time and says acceptance for the practice has grown in recent years. “When I learned meditation 18 years ago, it was not popular. People would say to me, ‘Why are you meditating? What’s wrong with you?’”

Karode now teaches meditation to the general public, university students and prisoners in Delaware’s Department of Corrections. She leads stress management and resilience training classes for officers, staff and inmates at Delaware’s Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution and detention centers in Philadelphia. She said the meditation techniques in penal institutions are more like life skills that help inmates better handle stressful situations they face every day.

Benefits reported to Karode by the staff and officers from DOC include improved sleep, increased energy levels, increased calmness and relaxation as well as “increased awareness of the nature of their own mind, emotions and the discriminating faculty available to every individual,” she said.

“We also had an officer share that his mindset changed so much as he practiced the techniques regularly that he was able to also motivate himself to be disciplined about the food he ate and go to the gym regularly. As a result, he lost a lot of weight and was feeling really good physically and mentally,” said Karode.

Shipla Garg, MD, board-certified in family practice and palliative care, works at the Wilmington VA Medical Center and says the benefits of meditation are long lasting. “It is possible to improve memory and learning skills through meditation,” she said.

Garg also maintains that meditation decreases the aging process and chronic health conditions. Symptoms like lack of sleep, pain, anxiety, depression and symptoms of PTS can experience tangible improvement with meditation, she says. “Studies show that meditation decreases the level of inflammatory markers in our body. So that leads to a reduction in all of these chronic health conditions,” she said.

Those passionate about the benefits of meditation are aware of the skepticism many still have about the practice. But they say the gradually improved awareness of the health benefits and the fact that nowadays many will know at least one friend or relative who meditates will slowly help change perceptions.

“People have different ideas of what meditation might be,” said Garg. “Some people think that it is to be thoughtless, which is very difficult. In my opinion, learning the technique, which is very simple and effective, is very helpful in promoting the message that anyone can meditate.”

The post Delaware Gathering Demonstrates Country’s Growing Embrace of Meditation appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

After Friday night’s episode of the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, people across America now know what legions of faithful fans of Mrs. Robino’s came out on this sweltering summer night to celebrate: the restaurant has enjoyed generations of success because of food and family.

It had been five months since the show’s incomparable host and food-tester Guy Fieri visited the landmark Little Italy eatery and hundreds of longtime patrons couldn’t have been prouder of the recognition and being on site as the episode aired for the first time.

Decked out in a pretty black dress and sandals as host of the viewing celebration, chef and fourth-generation owner Andrea Minuti Wakefield said she had to turn away customers all week who tried to make a reservation for August 2nd. When you run a beloved establishment that’s been serving happy diners for 80 years, there’s going to be no shortage of customers excited to see one of their favorite places featured on national television.

And that was certainly the case as 175 lucky diners enjoyed dinner prior to watching the DDD episode, which aired at 9:00 pm. While she was an exuberant host of the festivities, Wakefield still had a restaurant to run and hungry patrons to serve.  Her time on the floor welcoming customers was intermittently speckled with disappearances into the kitchen, evidenced by the poofs of white flour on the front of her dress. “They needed me back in the kitchen to help make pizzas,” she said with a smile.

Just as any busy night, waiters streamed out of the kitchen, dashing to tables with large trays of ravioli, homemade lasagna, Italian Porkette and Robino’s classic spaghetti dish – the runaway menu favorite. “Andrea, we only have two trays of spaghetti all day,” screamed one waiter as he flew past Wakefield during the peak of the dinner rush. Turns out he was joking. “Our wait staff likes to have fun – they-re always joking. Of course, we would never run out of spaghetti,” she said.

When video of Wilmington landmarks started rolling at 9 pm sharp on large flat-screen TV’s placed throughout the restaurant for the occasion, diners were quickly mesmerized. Then the camera zoomed in on the old green and red Robino’s sign that has graced Union Street in Little Italy for eight decades.

Fieri asked Wakefield to make two dishes – beef ravioli and beef braciola – from scratch. Typically, the high energy personality prefers to interact while filming with as few people as possible, like owners and a head chef. But in this case, he caught sight of Wakefield’s brother Joey Minuti making row after row of handmade beef ravioli using an ancient pasta making machine and couldn’t resist the opportunity to start cracking jokes about the monotony of the effort. He pretended to videotape Minuti with his iPhone and said things like, “I’ve already screened four new shows for The Food Network. I just got back from the mall where there was at a shoe sale, and I just returned from washing my Camero.”

When Fieri asked Wakefield about the generations of customers her restaurant has served, she replied, “We get a lot of birthday parties, christenings, family celebrations, and we even get parties when people die.”

Fieri loved that.

He knew that this was a place – in his vernacular – that was “the real deal.”

Fieri taped episodes at six restaurants in Wilmington in February. This was his first time visiting Delaware since the program began airing in 2007.

Rebekah Powell, who lives in West Chester, said she and her family have been coming to Robino’s since before she was born. “My mom always tells the story about how I was very little and seemingly enjoying a delicious plate of spaghetti and I got red sauce all over her white shirt. As I got older, I fell in love with the food and fell in love with their sangria, which is probably one of the best drinks I have ever had. And then my mom messaged me on Facebook to say Triple-D was coming to Robino’s, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh – I love Food Network, I love Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and the fact that Guy Fieri was here – it was just so exciting.”

Rebekah‘S parents Jim and Robin Powell started dining at Robino’s 30 years ago, when they first started dating. Jim said, “This place is family.”

Rebekah said that right after their family placed their dinner orders, they noticed that Guy Fieri ordered the Beef Braciole. “So we ordered one of those for our table and it was so good! This place has been around forever, I mean, there’s just so much history. You can taste it in the food and see it in the décor. It’s just awesome,” she said.

Wilmington resident and Archmere alum and parent Jim Pace has been coming to Robinos for 40 years – first with his family as a young child, now with his own. “A gentleman on the radio once said that ‘It wasn’t that the Eagles or Phillies were all that good. Over the years there were big moments, low moments. But it was all about the people you were with and the things you celebrated.’ And that’s what makes this restaurant special. It’s generational, it’s comfortable.

“It’s the events that are celebrated here – whether it’s first dates, high school graduations, christenings, Sunday dinners with mom – that’s the stuff that makes a place special, and that’s what Wilmington has always been about. Wilmington is very colloquial and people know where to gather.”

Pace, like just about everyone else there on Friday night, said they were glad Robino’s made the Triple-D hit list. “You know, it’s fun getting the recognition. Wilmington doesn’t always get the press. This is probably the biggest thing to happen here in a long time. It’s kind of good to get the plug, and Robino’s deserves it.”

The post Mrs. Robino’s Serves Up a Full House for Triple D Watch Party appeared first on Town Square Delaware.

Delaware’s Open Net Foundation recently participated in the largest national tournament in the country while raising money for Juvenile Arthritis.

Some of Delaware’s best local high school ice hockey players recently laced up their skates to face off against some of the toughest competition in the country while raising funds to support other youngsters who can find the simple act of walking extremely painful.

Five top players from St. Mark’s and Salesianum were invited to join a special mid-Atlantic team – known as Delaware’s Open Net Foundation – to compete in Boston’s “Chowder Cup.” The annual hockey tournament is hosted by the New England Pro-Am League, which regularly attracts top talent from across North America. The Open Net Foundation team tied their efforts on the ice to raising funds for the Juvenile Arthritis.

Last month’s tournament featuring players ages 17 – 19 is the largest tournament of its kind, with many teams featuring current Division 1 players and prospects.

The 18-player Open Net Foundation team was assembled by invitation only from a dozen elite hockey clubs across five states. Open Net Foundation Coach Vince Falkwoski, head coach of University of Delaware D2 Ice Hockey Team, and assistant coach Bob Stroik led the recruitment efforts.

Team Open Net Foundation competed in a field of 96 teams from Canada to Florida, and they were thrilled with their 2-1-0 result. They closed their final Chowder Cup appearance with an exclamation point, posting a 10-0 victory over Tribe Black at the Canton Ice House. Based on the number tiebreaker of goals allowed, the team did not advance to the finals.

“We were shocked with the way we played. I don’t think anyone expected us to play that well,” said St. Mark’s rising senior Graham Kline. “When we went into this tournament, we didn’t think we would come out with that record.”

The record the players are most proud of is their fundraising totals for Juvenile Arthritis. In order to participate, each player was required to raise a minimum of $325. Donations are still coming in, but to date, $6,300 has been raised.

The local students who participated on Open Net Foundation’s team include

Graham Kline – Newark, St. Mark’s 2020
Nicholas Falkowski – Newark, Salesianum 2020
Kelly Stroik – Fair Hill, MD, St. Mark’s 2020
Dylan Johnson – Landenberg, PA Salesianum 2019
Matt Crane – Chadds Ford, PA Salesianum 2018

Kline said his participation in the national tier 1 tournament was exhilarating. “The hockey itself was incredible and the tournament was so much fun. The competition was something else – nothing compared to what you can get locally.”

St. Mark’s Senior Kelly Stroik has been playing the sport since he was three years old and says he can’t even begin to count the number of tournaments he has participated in.

Stroik, who plays any position on Forward, was invited to play on a New England team in last year’s Chowder Cup but was excited to become part of a local team this year. “Being on a team with people you know, it’s a lot more fun. After the tournament people were saying how fun it was to play at such a high pace.”

The Open Net Foundation was established by Chadds Ford, Pa resident Richard Roux, and board members Al Gallo and Mark Olazagasti in 2004 after Roux learned that his daughter Lindsay was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis.

Since then the Open Net Foundation has sponsored student-athletes in several events to fight childhood diseases and illnesses, and they have given to Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital, Autism Delaware, and other Delaware and local children related nonprofits.

Uniforms were donated by team sponsor Info Solutions, a local IT Management and Consulting company, and players covered their own travel expenses. Monies raised above the tournament fees all will be directed to the Arthritis Foundation.

This was Defenseman Nicholas Falkowski’s third appearance at the Chowder Cup. As the team’s top fundraiser, the rising Salesianum senior says the combined aspect of supporting Juvenile Arthritis made this year unique. “I really thought it was important because I have always loved playing hockey all my life, and to be able to play and fundraise really warmed my heart,” he said.

Falkowski says the hand-picked nature of this year’s roster was an added a bonus. “I’ve played on tournament teams (at the Chowder Cup) before. But this year most of us knew each other a little bit, so we had great chemistry. We all just clicked on the first day, winning against a pretty good team, and our success continued from there.”

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