Out & About Magazine December 2014

Also In This Issue Why Not an Experiential Gift?

Cocktails to Impress Your Holiday Guests Can't-Miss Selections From Area Wine Experts

Bringing Back Main Streets Delaware communities find synergy with national revitalization program

DECEMBER 2014 CO M P L I M E N TA R Y VOL. 27 | NO. 10

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brewing awards

victoria, bc

2013

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Give the Gift of fun.

Chances are, no two people on your holiday gift list are exactly alike. Luckily, with PLAY 3®, PLAY 4®, POWERBALL®, MEGA MILLIONS®, HOT LOTTO®, INSTANT GAMES, DELAWARE CASH 5®, and MULTI-WIN LOTTO®, Delaware Lottery offers a variety of games with different styles of play, so you can choose just the right game to fit everyone perfectly.

You must be 18 years old to play. Delaware Gambling Helpline: 1-888-850-8888.

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The Wizards of Winter

Ivy League of Comedy

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Trans Siberian Experience

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11 8PM | $31

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13 8PM | $26 ADULT/$22 CHILD

Deck the halls with gales of laughter… tra-la-la-ha-ha

Vince Guaraldi melodies by acclaimed Eric Mintel Jazz Quartet

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13 8PM | $27-$33 Spectacular prog-rock celebration of the season in the spirit of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Ma

Sponsored by

Paula Poundstone

Margo Rey

Kathy Griffin

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 8PM | $30-$37

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18 9PM | $21

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 7PM | $59-$71

Spontaneous, “too funny for words” comic returns to The Grand

Classically trained vocalist crosses genres for popular After-show Cabaret

Goddess of gossip uses sharp, candid wit to skewer celebrity culture

TheGrandWilmington.org | 302.652.5577 | 800.37.GRAND | 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

THEGRAND

All tickets subject to box office service charges.

Artists, dates, times and programs are subject to change.

THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY GRANTS FROM THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF THE ARTS. A STATE AGENCY DEDICATED TO NURTURING AND SUPPORTING THE ARTS IN DELAWARE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

Arden Concert Gild, The Green Willow, Brandywine Friends of Oldtime Music, and the Latino Community Advisory Council are valued partners for many performances in the 2014-15 season.

Host your next Business Meeting at TheGrand Call 302.652.1179 www.thegrandwilmington.org/Rentals/Special-Events

4 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Ro La

2 INSIDE 2

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Out & About Magazine

43

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

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

our staff Publisher Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

75

Contributing Editor Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net

Director of Sales Marie Graham Poot • mgraham@tsnpub.com Creative Direction & Production Management Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. matt@catvis.biz Graphic Designer Tyler Mitchell, Catalyst Visuals, LLC. tyler@catvis.biz Contributing Designer: Ryan Alexander, Catalyst Visuals, LLC Contributing Writers Matt Amis, Krista Connor, Mark Fields, Pam George, Paula Goulden, Rob Kalesse, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, John Leyh, Robert Lhulier, Andréa Miller, John Murray, Larry Nagengast, Scott Pruden, Matt Sullivan Contributing Photographers Joe del Tufo, Tim Hawk, Les Kipp, Lori M. Nichols, Danielle Quigley, Matt Urban Special Projects Sarah Green, John Holton, David Hallberg

35 what’s inside START

WILMINGTON

FEATURES

7 The War On Words 9 By the Numbers 10 FYI 13 Great Dames 15 Worth Trying 16 Stuff It! 17 Experiential Gifts

43 Art on the Town 48 Theatre N 50 City News 52 On the Riverfront

16 Stuff It!

LISTEN

17 The Experiential Gift

FOCUS 22 Bringing Back Main Streets

56 Business Is Picking Up 60 Tuned In 61 Travel Songs 62 Christmas Cheer

EAT

WATCH

29 Chadds Ford Tavern

65 Reviews 69 Down, On Main Street

DRINK

PLAY

35 Winter Warmers 39 Experts’ Holiday Favorites 71 Santa Crawl 41 Language of the Wine Snob 73 Firkin Face-off 75 Snap Shots On the cover: Wilmington’s Market Street.

Photo by Matt Urban.

Some stocking stuffer ideas brought to you by the O&A staff.

This holiday season, give the present of Go. See. Do. Learn.

By Krista Connor

7

Director of Publications Jim Hunter Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com

22 Bringing Back Main Streets Several New Castle County communities are taking an organized approach to making their downtowns vibrant and economically successful.

By Larry Nagengast

56 Business is Picking Up Engineer and guitarist Scott Lawing hopes to grow his Zexcoil brand— with the help of some well-known musical friends.

By Larry Nagengast

Editorial & advertising info: 302.655.6483 • Fax 302.654.0569 Website: outandaboutnow.com Email: contact@tsnpub.com DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/25/14 8:42 AM

WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL 12.12.14 • 6 PM – 10 PM • CAFÉ FREE - $10 • CASH BAR Celebrate the holiday season at the Museum! Browse hand-made items from 19 local artisans, tour the collection, and enjoy a blend of holiday and pop music performed by the University of Delaware’s a cappella group Vocal Point.

Visit delart.org for details.

2301 Kentmere Parkway Wilmington, DE 19806 302.571.9590 delart.org

A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE

Clockwise from top-left: Artwork by Diane Podolsky, Pam Levin, Maureen Kamerick, and Marcie Tauber

SAVE THE

RESTAURA

DATE

NT WEEK

JAN. 19-2

5

More than 80 boutiques featuring everything from handmade to fair trade, metaphysical to medieval, and fashion to funky.

70 award-winning restaurants offering cuisines suited for any palate and price range.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a family member or lunching with friends in between shopping trips,

Downtown Newark is the Delaware Destination of Choice!

6 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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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.

In The New Yorker, of all places, we found this in a story on ballerina Misty Copeland: “I met a friend of hers, eighty-yearold Raven Wilkinson, an elegant older woman . . .” Eighty and older? Ya think?

“The point is is that”: a lawyer on Imus in the Morning, talking about gun control. The “double is” continues to rear its ugly— and redundant—head.

Commerce, Maybe. Grammar, No Way The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce website published a bio of the “Business Woman of the Year,” noting that “Her and her husband . . . love history, antiques, people and animals.” Her is a possessive. She would have been the correct pronoun.

Media Watch • In a letter to the News Journal, the chairman of Delaware Democrats wrote: “It is not our fault they [Republicans] have ran candidates with no messages....” The chairman was groping for have run here.

• Democrats aren’t alone in their confusion over the present perfect verb tense. Take sportswriters, for instance—like Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Brown told the team that ‘their friend, their teammate’ has went through an incredible, personal tragedy.” That would be “has gone.”

• Peter MacArthur on WDEL: “Less young people are driving nowadays.” People is plural, therefore fewer is required here.

Unfortunately, for many people, the word “fewer” simply doesn’t exist.

• Similarly, the consistently grammar-challenged Mika Brzezinski, on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, uttered this recently: “Next, a report on a state that is reducing the amount of prisoners being executed.” Again, a plural—prisoners—means that number is the word Mika should have chosen.

• The almost-infallible Ray Didinger, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a sportswriter, committed this error recently as a 94.1WIP talker: “I don’t know if that’s the tact he [Eagles Coach Chip Kelly] will take.” The word Ray wanted was “tack,” which is of nautical origin and means course or approach. Tact, of course, means diplomacy, discretion. Tact’s similarity to tactic (scheme, maneuver) probably has something to do with this common mix-up.

By Bob Yearick

• Not “media” exactly, but a reader reports that, in a program for a Delaware Theatre Company production, Executive Director Bud Martin said: “Thank you for welcoming my team and I.” It’s “my team and me,” the latter being the object of the verb “welcoming.”

How Long, Oh, Lord, How Long?

(In which we document the continued abuse of that most misused punctuation mark, the apostrophe).

Once again, we go to our default culprit, the News Journal.

In a story in the Oct. 26 edition, one of our readers found this: ..."with it's growing prosperity . . .” That should be its (the possessive—no apostrophe).

And an online NJ photo had this caption: “The Newark Halloween Parade makes it's way down Main Street on Sunday afternoon . . .” See previous comment.

Misnomers • It’s vale of tears, not “veil,” as some people think. In this ancient idiom, "vale" means "world."

• Methodology is a popular “synonym” for “method,” especially in corporate America, where language is pummeled daily.

Methodology means "the science or study of method."

• Any equestrians out there? How about horsemen and horsewomen? Ah, but I repeat myself. Anyway, I have always believed that those flared-at-the-thighs riding pants favored by riders (along with short, black jackets and black helmets) were called “jod-furs” and spelled similarly: Jodphurs. Not so, according to a recent “Usage Tip” from Bryan Garner. Seems the spelling is Jodhpur and pronounced JOD-puhr. The name (almost always used in the plural) is derived from the city of Jodhpur, India. According to Garner, the error even pervades the horse-riding industry.

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

Word of the Month

chimera

Pronounced kī méera, it’s a noun meaning an illusion or fabrication of the mind; especially an unrealizable dream, a fancy. E.g., “Economic stability in that country is a chimera.”

dary meaning in clothing and fashion:

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THE PERFECT GIFT FOR GRAMMAR LOVERS! See below for store and online locations.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS

8 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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by the numbers A few holiday figures worth noting

1843 The year the first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned

by Sir Henry Cole in London. They depicted a family drinking wine.

113

s a tm s i hriNN vE

The height, in feet, of the world’s biggest snowman, built in Maine in 1999.

822 The number of homes, per second, that Santa would have to visit to deliver all the world's presents on Christmas Eve, according to U.S. scientists.

1882 The year electric tree lights were invented by Edward Johnson, a business associate of Thomas Edison.

E

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hE t t a

Wed., Dec. 24th 2pm – 8pm

Now Accepting Dinner Reservations ~ Special A La Carte Menu ~ Festive Entrees

The number, in millions, of trees sold during the Christmas season in the U.S.

12.3 The number, in billions of dollars, spent by American consumers on Black Friday last year.

302.571.1492 www.ColumbusInn.net 2216 Pennsylvania Ave. Wilmington, DE 19806

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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START FUSION SPONSORS FUNDRAISER Help raise funds for a customized bike for a 6-year-old with a disability

F.Y.I.

J

Things worth knowing THE SNOW QUEEN SET FOR DEL. ARTS CONSERVATORY Performances are Dec. 13, 14

M

embers of the Delaware Arts Conservatory are hosting a theater performance of The Snow Queen, which is based on an original Hans Christian Andersen book that inspired Disney's Frozen. This is the third annual performance, slated this year for Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13 and 14, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Backstage passes after the Saturday evening show are available for $5 per person. Meet some of the cast and see the sets, props, costumes, sound and light booth, and more. At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, join the Snow Queen herself for hot cocoa, cookies, and pictures for $10.

For more information, visit delarts.com.

UD’S REP THEATER GROUP PRESENTS MACBETH Performances end Dec. 7

T

he University of Delaware’s Resident Ensemble Players are in the last week of performing Shakespeare’s Macbeth at Thompson Theatre.

Directed by Leslie Reidel, the play will be presented Thursday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 7.

For more information, visit rep.udel.edu.

DELAWARE ART MUSEUM HOSTS WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL Monthly event is Dec. 12

C

elebrate the holiday season at the Delaware Art Museum’s Art is After Dark winter arts festival on Friday, Dec. 12. Finish (or start) your holiday shopping at this event, which features 19 area artisans. Tour festive works in the collection and enjoy a blend of holiday and pop music performed by the University of Delaware’s a cappella group, Vocal Point.

Cash bar and snacks are available. The event is from 6-10 p.m.

For more information, visit delart.org.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEETHOVEN Party at Music School of Delaware

C

elebrate Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 16 and 17, at the Music School of Delaware in Wilmington.

Join cellist Lawrence Stomberg and pianist Neal Kurz for a performance of Beethoven’s five sonatas for piano and cello, followed by a birthday party, complete with delicious food, cold beer and cake.

Tickets are $15 for both nights; students and senior tickets are $9. A single night ticket is $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors.

For more information, visit musicschoolofdelaware.org.

oin Fusion Fitness in Newark in raising funds for 6-year-old Hayden Schlenner, who has cerebellar hypoplasia. His condition limits his mobility, requiring him to use a walker much of the time. Fusion is raising money to provide an adaptive recreational bicycle for him. The goal is to raise $1800 through challenge participation and individual donations by Saturday, Dec. 6. The fundraiser is through Preston's March for Energy, an organization whose members raise funds for customized bicycles for children with disabilities.

For more information on Preston’s March for Energy, visit prestonsmarch.org.

Donations can be made through the website or by contacting Fusion owner Nick DeCaire at nic@fusionfitnesscenter.com.

A BLUE RIBBON GARDEN TheDCH wins award for greening efforts

T

ransformed from an abandoned lot between row homes, the Secret Garden is located in Wilmington’s Hilltop neighborhood. It serves as an outdoor classroom piloted by The Delaware Center for Horticulture to engage, inspire and educate preschoolers in underserved neighborhoods.

The Secret Garden, maintained primarily by the supervised children, is a recent Blue Ribbon Award Winner in the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Gardening and Greening Contest. The award recognizes gardeners and organizations whose greening efforts greatly enhance neighborhoods and landscapes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. TheDCH Secret Garden won in the Children’s Garden category.

The garden, transformed 18 years ago from unused urban space, is the centerpiece of a year-round horticulture and environmental education program of TheDCH for Ministry of Caring preschools.

10 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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REMEMBERING BLUE HEN BEER Memorabilia celebrate its would-have-been 25th anniversary

I

n 2015, the late, great Blue Hen Beer would’ve been 25. In honor of that memory, official t-shirts, posters, art prints, drinkware, and coasters featuring the Blue Hen Beer label are now available.

Launched in May 1990 by Jeff Johnson, Blue Hen Beer won several awards for its traditional lager, chocolate porter, and black and tan varieties. In 1998, the brand was sold to Philadelphia's Independence Brewing, which ceased all operations two years later.

All memorabilia may be purchased at BlueHenBeer.com.

* Plus enrollment fee

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Westtown - Rt. 3 1646 West Chester Pike West Chester, PA 19382 (610) 431-1410

WINTERFEST ALE RELEASE PARTY Stewart’s Brewing Co. hosts event Dec. 21

S

upport your local brewery at Stewart’s Brewing Co.’s Winterfest Ale Release Party on Sunday, Dec. 21.

Beer for December is Winterfest, Dark Helmet: The Imperial Schwarzbier, Smoked Porter, Off-Kilter Scottish Ale, Big Bear Amber Ale, Amarillo IPA, Stumblin' Monk Abbey Tripel and assorted vintage Barleywines. ​ Visit stewartsbrewingcompany.com for more information.

Where Wilmington Works out ymcade.org DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 1:50 PM

Retail Wine Shopping at its Best!

Free wine tasting

Fresh seasonal cuisine.

Rustic elegant charm.

Free Wine Tasting every Saturday Every Saturday (1-5pm) 1-5pm

Retail Wine Shopping at its Best!

Season’s Greetings...

Holiday Gift Ideas10am -9pm; Closed on Sunday Monday-Saturday Gift Certificates 5810 Kennett Pike (next to Buckley’s) Gift Baskets made to order Centreville, DE 19807 Wine School Classes www.collierswine.com (302) 656.3542 Bottle of the Month Club colliersconcierge@gmail.com Colliers Case – 12 bottles to please (302) 367.5390 your palate and your pocket – $99

Introducing:

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5810 Kennett Pike (next to Buckley’s) DE 19807 Fund Raisers Wine EducationCentreville,Educational

Menu(302) Planning Special Events www.collierswine.com 656.3542 Chef Consultations Corporate colliersconcierge@gmail.com (302) 367.5390 Food & Wine Related Travel Privite Wine Tastings Winery Appointments and Tours Charity Events 12 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Join us every Tuesday and Wednesday for our 3 course prix-fixe menu for $32 Happy hour 4:30 - 6:30 Live piano every Friday & Saturday Brunch every Sunday 423 Baltimore Pike | Chadds Ford, PA 19317 610.388.7700 | thegablesatchaddsford.com

11/24/14 2:27 PM

START a twO-Night aLumNi eveNt

decemBer 16 & 17, 7pm

Beethoven’s complete sonatas for cello & piano

dr. Lawrence stomberg cello + alumnus Neal kurz piano

Beethoven’s Photo Paul Pruitt Photography

B i r t h day B a s h beautiful + delicious + cold + birthday music fOOd Beer cake!

ONLy $15/$9 for both nights!

You’re

(or $10/$5 for one) Tanya Whye is flanked by Delaware's first lady, Carla Markell (right), and Great Dames President Sharon Kelly Hake.

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(302) 762-1132 or brownpapertickets.com

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Wilmington Branch concert hall

Tanya Whye’s mattress recycling business is Great Dames' pick in entrepreneur contest A Wilmington woman’s mattress recycling business bested 40 other entrepreneurial proposals to win Great Dames, Inc.’s “Remarkable Ideas Competition. ”Tanya Whye, founder and president of Delaware Green Mattress Disassembling & Recycling, LLC, was winner in a competition that attracted contestants from women-owned enterprises in six mid-Atlantic states.

Delaware first lady Carla Markell was on hand to announce the winner on Nov. 10 at Pizza By Elizabeths in Greenville.

She was joined by Great Dames President and Chief Executive Sharon Kelly Hake in presenting more than $35,000 in cash and services to the winner.

Whye's proposal involves recycling mattresses and box springs while creating jobs for first-offenders. Whye, who said she was “humbled” by the award, was inspired to create her business model while earning an MBA degree in environmental stewardship at Wilmington University.

She and four other finalists competed Oct. 5 at Pizza By Elizabeths, giving five-minute pitches in a format based on the TV show "Shark Tank," but with a positive spin. All finalists won business-mentor partnerships and membership in a new "Great Dames Community of Remarkable Entrepreneurs," to start with a free workshop, Hake said.

Judging the pitches were Betsy Leroy of Pizza By Elizabeths; Mona Parikh of Start It Up Delaware; Anne Shehab of Golden Seeds, which funds women-led enterprises; and Susan Leath, president/publisher of The News Journal, a contest sponsor.

Judges and guests all got to vote.

—Bob Yearick

Invited!

4101 Washington Street, Wilmington, DE 19802 (302) 762-1132 • musicschoolofdelaware.org Programs are made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

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GreenFreedomTravel.com

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Call Us Today For More Info: (302) 502-2724 14 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 2:29 PM

Worth Trying Random suggestions from our staff and contributors

Skyr

Workflowy

I recently returned from a trip to Iceland, and while there I got hooked on the Icelandic version of yogurt: a skim milk, high-protein, cultured dairy product called Skyr. Before bidding adieu to the Middle-earthen landscapes and sweeping fjords, I was assured by some Icelandic friends that it’s available at select Whole Foods markets in the United States—including this area. Embrace your inner Viking and stop by the Glen Mills, Pa., store for some healthy deliciousness. Siggi’s, an Icelandic-style skyr made in the USA by Iceland native Siggi Hilmarsson, is also available and tastes even better.

Forget the awful name, this program/ app/ life-organizing tool is straightforward and essential. There are plenty of these kinds of apps out there (Evernote is another good one), but where Workflowy shines is in its simplicity, speed and logic. Use it as a reference, to-do list, a shared document or a personal (and private) search engine. Or use it like I do, as extra storage for your brain. Check out workflowy.com.

—Joe del Tufo, Contributing Photographer

—Krista Connor, O&A Staff Writer

Ubon Thai Cuisine

The Fletch Book Series

From the same cooking family that runs Jeenwong's in the Riverfront Market comes this elegant upscale restaurant in the former Shipyard Shops, next to the Christina River walkway. It's my favorite among the few Thai restaurants in the area.

Start your meal with a familiar Thai appetizer such as satay (grilled meat on a skewer with spicy peanut sauce) or spring rolls. Or try something more unusual, such as dancing shrimp or Penang meatballs. Then on to either a distinctive stir fried or curry entree, which balance the flavor and heat well. There's a well-stocked bar with several rotating microbrews. On Wednesday nights, Ubon features live music. 936 Justison St., (next to Timothy's) 656-1706.

In 1985’s Fletch, Chevy Chase brought his brand of wise-aleck humor to the film’s title character, Irwin Maurice Fletcher, a witty investigative reporter who utilizes impromptu aliases and goofy disguises for his undercover research. But years before Chase’s Fletch was passing himself off as Ted Nugent, Arnold Babar, and John Cocktosen on the big screen, author Gregory McDonald had completed seven books in the Fletch series and earned a reputation as a crafty mystery writer. In fact, his first two, Fletch and Confess, Fletch, won backto-back Edgar Allen Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America.

McDonald proves throughout the series that he possesses the quick pace for comedy, yet the sense to allow each mystery unfold slowly. There is a similar dichotomy in his title character: Fletch is a clever detective who tells small fibs to get to a larger truth. The books are relatively quick reads, with the witty dialogue driving the action. At times, however, the experience strikes a stark note: You never really know what Fletch is thinking, let alone feeling, which is perhaps another reason Chase was a good pick for the part. Fletch himself is somewhat of a mystery.

Look for Fletch at Ninth Street Books, Market Street, Wilmington.

—Mark Fields, O&A Movie Reviewer

—Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Have something you think is worth trying?

Send an email to Jim with your suggestion by scanning this QR code ► (jmiller@tsnpub.com)

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11/24/14 1:21 PM

START Uno

Invented in 1971 by a barbershop owner in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Uno is a classic American card game in which sudden reversals of fortune are part of the play. Simple rules make it easy for both young and old, and 108 cards allow for up to 10 players. Thus, it’s an ideal and fun pastime over the holidays when the relatives are in town.

—Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Delaware Lottery Tickets ($1–$5)

Who doesn't love finding theses guys in their stockings? Instantly amp up the suspense with a few scratch-offs. You may end up spreading some serious Christmas cheer! — Staff

Build-Your-Own Six Pack (Various pricing)

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 ($9.95)

Language lovers will treasure this collection of The War on Words columns (OK, maybe I’m slightly prejudiced). A lesson on every page. Order yours at outandaboutnow.com.

— Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Stuff It!

Give something every beer geek will be happy to receive: a six-pack sampler of craft beer. Choose the most obscure brands, their favorites, or keep it holiday themed with winter seasonals from different breweries. Go at it alone or get some help from staff at Premier Wine & Spirits or State Line Liqours, just to name a few.

—Tyler Mitchell, O&A Graphic Designer

Stumped for gift ideas?

Try these budget-friendly suggestions.

A good candle

Wing & Root Gifts (Various pricing)

Local and handmade, the all-natural products at Wing & Root Gifts are ideal for the stocking. It’s my go-to for earthy and rustic-chic gift baskets, body and facial scrubs, bath salts and other natural products like lip balm and natural sprays. Order a product already made or create your own custom order. Prices are affordable and each item is made with creativity and care.

Visit wingandrootgifts.weebly.com to view products, and to order, email wingandrootgifts@gmail.com.

— Krista Connor, Contributing Writer

One that I look forward to every winter is the Forest Fir candle made by Linnea’s Lights, and sold at Terrain at Styer’s. It is what winter should smell like—pine and magic. shopterrain.com — Marie Graham Poot, Director of Digital Media

Pure Bread 2015 Pups Calendar ($15)

The 2015 PureBread Pups Calendar is a great addition to any stocking. It features more than $120 in coupons to use throughout the year and you get to see a new adorable pup each month. This truly is the gift that keeps giving! Calendars can be purchased at any PureBread location. — Kelly Loeb, Special Projects

16 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Experiential Gift

This holiday season, give the present of Go. See. Do. Learn.

Text and photos by Krista Connor

I

t’s gift-giving season.

Yes, loved ones enjoy opening a wrapped box to reveal that new sweater, electronic device or piece of jewelry.

But how about considering a present that takes them somewhere, challenges them, inspires them, gives them something to talk about until next Christmas?

From the sky to the stage and lots of places in between, here are a few area experiences that make great holiday gifts. They’ll love you for it. Plus, there’s a good chance they’ll want you to tag along.

You’re welcome. ► DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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The Tea Room

An afternoon trip to a tea room to play Lady Mary, Lady Edith or Tom Branson for a day? Downton Abbey fans would be delighted. Even if they’re not fans, who wouldn’t love this refreshingly off-the-grid dining experience? Sophisticated service, a vast array of tea options, Victorian décor and scones with lemon curd and fresh clotted cream. Try these three options: British Bell Tea Room offers soups, salads, tea sandwiches, scones and pastries, all served on china with silver, crystal and looseleaf tea in a relaxing, candlelit environment.

Reservations required. 890 Peoples Plaza, Newark; 836-1802; britishbelltea.com, 836-1802.

The Estate Tea Service at the Hotel du Pont is available every day, featuring specially-created blends of tea from nearby estates in the Brandywine Valley, including Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, and Nemours. Afternoon Tea seatings are at 3 and 3:30 in the Green Room. This month only, enjoy a special Victorian Holiday Tea— upscale tea offerings along with classic tea A cranberry scone at British Tea Room is just one of many delectable options. sandwiches, scones and pastries for $30.

Victorian period dress is encouraged but not required. Reservations required. 42 W. 11th St., Wilmington; 594-3154, hoteldupont.com.

Mrs. Robinson’s Tea Shop is open every day but Monday. Choose from more than 100 varieties of tea to take home. On select days throughout the year, English Cottage-Style High Tea is offered. An award-winning pastry chef and tea expert provide this cozy, threecourse English High Tea for $29.95. Reservations required. 108 N. Union St., Kennett Square, Pa.; 484-732-8140; mrsrobinsonstea.com.

THE EXPERIENTIAL GIFT continued from previous page

Go Ape!

FINE FOOD MAKES A FABULOUS GIFT This holiday, surprise everyone on your list with something special from Janssen’s Market.

From unique cheeses and gourmet fare to delicious bakery treats, we have something for everyone!

WWW.JANSSENSMARKET.COM 3801 KENNETT PIKE, GREENVILLE, DE 302.654.9941

Give your giftee the opportunity to embrace his or her inner primate. Lums Pond State Park’s new addition, Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course, is Delaware’s first and only zip line and treetop adventure course, offering five zip lines, rope ladders, 42 crossings, two Tarzan swings and more, sending your recipient all across the 200-acre park. This two-tothree hour treetop adventure is $35 for kids and $55 for adults. 1042 Howell School Rd., Bear; 368-6989, destateparks.com.

The Annual or Season Pass

You can’t ever go wrong with an annual or season pass. So here are a few suggestions to match all sorts of personalities: Mt. Cuba Center is a botanical garden whose curators value native plants with a commitment to protect natural habitats. Season passes include: unlimited admission on Fridays and Saturdays (April 18 – Nov. 1); guest passes; one Mt. Cuba Center Selections plant; an e-newsletter, 10 percent off Ecological Gardening Certificate courses, and 10 percent off regularly-price plants at Gateway Garden Center. Pass prices start at $35. Mt. Cuba also provides an extensive education program, including classes in ecological gardening, native plants, conservation, art and wellness. For more options, see our Brandywine Treasure Trail suggestion below. 3120 Barley Mill Rd., Hockessin; 239-4244; mtcubacenter.org.

Longwood Gardens offers access to dozens of acres of flowers and gardens, along with special events, outdoor performances and horticulture education opportunities. Need we say more? Passes range from $30-$500. See our Brandywine Treasure Trail suggestion below for more options. 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, Pa.; 610-388-1000; longwoodgardens.org.

The University of Delaware’s award-winning Resident Ensemble Players, the university’s official theater group (better known as the REP), offers performance gift certificates. “They’re easy to purchase and add a dramatic flair to your gift-giving,” says the website, and we agree. You choose the number of gift vouchers and the gift recipient chooses the show. Roselle Center for the Arts, Newark; 831-2204; www.rep.udel.edu.

18 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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90 POINT A season pass to Longwood Gardens (left) or Delaware State Parks (pictured: Cape Henlopen) are perfect for nature lovers.

The annual State Park Pass sticker allows your gift recipient’s vehicle and its occupants free, unlimited, year-round entry to 14 state parks. The pass is $27 for Delaware vehicles– see website for others. Division of Parks and Recreation Dover Central Office: 739-9220; www.destateparks.com.

A Weekend on the Trail

Send (or take!) your recipient on a weekend food or drink adventure throughout the scenic Pennsylvania-Brandywine area, or go gallivanting around the state of Delaware.

Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2013 91 Points - $12.99

Celebrate the Holidays and make your shopping easier with Premier's NEW 90 Point wine section!

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail's Penns Woods Winery in Chadds Ford produces award-winning wine.

The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail is a series of six wineries within a 50-mile radius, conveniently located near sprawling historical estates, rolling hills and quiet parks, and quaint shops, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts—the perfect excuse to spend a weekend wining and exploring. Utilize the trail’s lodging partners’ special "Sip & Stay" year-round wine package. Visit the website at brandywinetrail.com and click "Where to Sleep" for more information. BVWT P.O. Box 234, Lewisville, Pa.; 610-444-3842.

The Delaware Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail is a group of 17 breweries, wineries and distilleries throughout the state (mini road trip, anyone?). You might be pleasantly surprised to find all the possibilities that the Small Wonder has to offer. Just download a passport from the website, select a couple of B&Bs and scenic stops, and go! Delaware Tourism Office—99 Kings Highway, Dover; 1-866-284-7483; visitdelaware.com.

Let the gift recipient indulge in a taste of the First State as he or she embarks on the Delaware Culinary Trail. It’s similar to the other trails, and all the recipient has to do is download a passport and pick which of the 24 iconic restaurants he or she would like to visit, then narrow down a list of accommodations and sightseeing spots. It makes for a great weekend of dining and exploring. Delaware Tourism Office—99 Kings Highway, Dover; 1-866-284-7483; visitdelaware.com. ►

All staff favorites, these wines are all rated 90 points or better by Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and similar publications.

LIMESTONE | P. 302.996.WINE 2052 Limestone Rd | Wilmington, DE 19808 ( Limestone Shopping Center next to Buffalo Wild Wings) NEWPORT | P. 302.999.1500 2 West Market St | Newport, DE 19804 (Next to James Street Tavern in Newport on Rt. 4)

PremierWineSpirits.com DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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302.655.8600 toscanatogo.com

Okay, this one will take longer than the weekend, but it’s the perfect choice for summertime adventurers.

The Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport will THE EXPERIENTIAL GIFT continued from previous page admit your recipient to 11 attractions for one price.

The passport includes one-time admission to top area attractions from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2015. Destinations are the Brandywine River Museum, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, Delaware Historical Society, Delaware Museum of Natural History, Hagley Museum and Library, Longwood Gardens, Mt. Cuba Center, Nemours Mansion & Gardens, Rockwood Mansion & Park, and Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library. Tickets are $45 for individuals and $95 for a family of two adults and up to three children. Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau —1-800-489-6664; visitwilmingtonde.com.

Kalmar Nyckel Sailor’s Volunteer Fee 302.777.2040 th 111 West 11 , Wilmington om DeepBlueBarAndGrill.c

Office Parties LOunge Parties HOuse Parties HOLiday dinners festive gatHerings new year’s eve Parties cOrPOrate LuncHes

We understand how offering to cover the fee for a loved one to work without compensation might sound like a bizarre gift. However, how many people can claim they know how to sail a tall ship?

The recreated version of the 17th century Kalmar Nyckel is maintained and sailed mainly by a volunteer crew. More than 300 volunteers support the ship, education program, and Kalmar Nyckel Foundation annually. Most important: no experience is required to start.

Volunteer crew-training classes are conducted twice a year. Winter classes are at the Kalmar Nyckel shipyard in Wilmington for nine all-day Saturdays from mid-January through mid-April. A two-and-a-half week spring class in Wilmington and another in the summer in Lewes are also available. Experienced sailors can choose other options. Session fees start at $106. Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard—1124 E. 7th St., Wilmington; 429-7447; kalmarnyckel.org.

AMC Dine-In Theatre

Tasty cuisine and the alcohol of choice while relaxing and watching the latest films on the big screen? We’re in.

The new Painter’s Crossing AMC Dine-In Theatre in West Chester, Pa.—the only one around—offers two styles of dine-in experiences. For casual diners, check out the Fork & Screen option. If you’re looking for a more upscale experience, opt for the Cinema Suites, which includes personal recliners. Both options offer extensive menus and seat-side service. 112 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, Pa.; 610-558-4814; amctheatres.com.

Classes & Lessons

A gift certificate for classes or lessons, honed specifically to the recipient’s interests, sounds like a superb, personalized present to us.

A pottery class at the Center for the Creative Arts in Yorklyn means your recipient will explore basic handson techniques in the studio, create one piece of pottery with the help of expert ceramists, and leave proudly with a finished piece of art. Other classes, including photography, fabric, music, dancing, yoga and jewelry-making, are also available. Or you can gather some Center for the Creative Arts offers pottery classes, of your closest friends and family and among many others. gift them with an art party at $165 for a group of six ($25 per additional person). If pottery isn’t your group’s thing, other themes include wine glass or plate-painting, and mosaic, mirror or jewelry-making. Party guests are welcome to decorate the room and bring their own food and beverages. 410 Upper Snuff Mill Row, Yorklyn; 239-2434; ccarts.org.

20 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Perhaps your recipient would appreciate a gift card for a few Krav Maga lessons. At Krav Maga Glen Mills, they teach this form of self-defense that was created by the Israeli military. It has gained popularity in the U. S. as a form of both exercise and selfdefense. There are no rules—all techniques focus on strategies and effectiveness in real-life conditions and situations. 1731 Wilmington/ West Chester Pike Glen Mills, Pa.; 610-459-1933; kirkspma.com.

A cooking class at Celebrity Chefs Cooking in Wilmington, a recreational cooking school, will give the giftee a demonstration or hands-on opportunity to cook four-course dinners, instructed by master chefs. Paired wines are offered free of charge with each course. Menus include sushi and tempura, filet mignon and varieties of seafood entrees, along with salads, soups and desserts —and the recipient takes home the recipe. Independence Mall, 1601 Concord Pike, Wilmington; thebrandywine.com; 427-COOK. Or how about a few Delaware Rock Gym classes or membership? Intro to climbing classes are regularly offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. at the Delaware Rock Gym in Bear, and by appointment during the week. The class includes two hours of instruction, harness and belay-device use, a day pass, and a coupon for 10 percent off any equipment purchase from the pro shop. The intro class is $35, and membership fees start at $45. The Delaware Rock Gym is at 520 Carson Dr., Bear; 838-5850; derockgym.com.

Take it to a whole new level. Really. Horizon Helicopters, Inc., provides helicopter introduction flight lessons, custom private charters, dinner and scenic tours, a flight school and more.

If you think your giftee would be up for it, our recommendation is to book an intro flight—yes, she or he would learn how to fly

the helicopter. Intro flights are $225, and available to anyone.

The flight includes a brief Horizon tour, an introduction in the simulator (an on-ground, computerized flight experience), a program chat, and 30 minutes of airtime with one of the certified flight instructors. Scenic tours over Winterthur, Longwood Gardens and Montchanin; an Eastern Shore Tour over the Chesapeake, North East, and Elk Rivers, or a custom tour of choice are also available for up to four passengers. 2035 Sunset Lake Rd., Newark; 368-5135; www.horizonhelicopters.com.

Give your giftee the opportunity to fly a helicopter with Horizon Helicopters.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Back Main Streets Several New Castle County communities are taking an organized approach to making their downtowns vibrant and economically successful

By Larry Nagengast

I

f you grew up a generation ago in a small town, or if you’ve seen It’s a Wonderful Life a dozen times, you have a good idea of what Main Street is supposed to look like: a broad street with wide sidewalks, a red brick colonial town hall on one corner, an imposing bank with a clock tower on another, a clothing store, a grocery, a bakery, a drug store, an ice cream parlor, a movie theater, the post office, a church or two, and perhaps the offices of the local doctor, lawyer and insurance agent.

Back when strip malls and megamalls were still developers’ dreams, Main Street was the focal point of town, the place you went to shop, to work, or maybe just relax—to see and be seen.

Thankfully, the Main Street ideal—the belief that historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts represent the core of our communities—still endures, even if those cores don’t look quite like we (or our parents) remember them.

Following the blueprint of the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, communities as large as Wilmington and as small as Delaware City and New Castle are revitalizing

their downtown business districts, strengthening these commercial cores while preserving their heritage.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all,” says Diane Laird, state coordinator for Downtown Delaware, a resource center housed in the Delaware Economic Development Office to provide oversight and technical assistance for Main Street programs. “[The] Main Street [program] provides a proven model that can be tweaked to the individual town’s needs. We’re following it in Newark’s own way,” says Ricky Nietubicz, administrator of the Downtown Newark Partnership, the city’s Main Street affiliate.

Newark is one of four New Castle County communities with active Main Street programs. The others are Wilmington, Middletown and Delaware City. In addition, New Castle and Wilmington’s Southbridge community and the Lincoln/Union Business District on the city’s West Side have established units known as “commercial district affiliates,” something Laird likes to call “Main Street Lite.”

“I do my work in black and white and they bring it to life in color” is how Laird likes to describe her work.

The activities in participating communities are adding varied splashes of color, most of them bright. ►

◄ In Wilmington, Downtown Visions has created a Façade Improvement Program. Photo Matt Urban DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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BRINGING BACK MAIN STREETS continued from previous page

Downtown Visions

In Wilmington, for example, Downtown Visions has created a Façade Improvement Program that, through October, had given facelifts and new signage to 38 buildings in the city’s business improvement district, with seven more projects in progress or about to begin. Those projects have resulted in removal of ominous security gates that had been installed in the wake of the 1968 riots that followed the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “The security gate removals and renovated facades have made a remarkable difference on Market Street,” Laird says. “The gates were not only looking bad but they were telling us we have a reason to be afraid. Removing them not only makes the street more beautiful, it also conveys a stronger sense of safety.”

In Delaware City, the Main Street effort is emphasizing a commitment to promoting ecotourism. Newark takes pride in infill development projects whose design complements existing architecture. Middletown, meanwhile, is promoting its arts scene, especially the Everett Theatre and the Gilbert W. Perry Jr. Center for the Arts. The rapidly growing community is striving to establish a mix of retail and dining options to enhance its downtown’s stature as a destination for residents.

“Retail and dining are what you want to get the pedestrian traffic going,” says Tracy Skrobot, program manager for Middletown Main Street.

A Four-Pronged Approach Main Street programs take a four-pronged approach to community revitalization: organization and partnerships; promotions that create a positive image; design that creates a pleasing, positive atmosphere and economic restructuring.

Organizations typically take the form of a public-private partnership with a board of directors made up of business and government representatives and residents. Although the groups rely significantly on volunteers, they should have a paid executive director. In the most stable organizations, most or all of the director’s salary is underwritten by the local government, Laird says.

For example, in Newark, Nietubicz is a city employee, and in Middletown, the town government provides office space for the Main Street program while funding Skrobot’s salary.

Main Street programs employ a variety of financing mechanisms. Businesses in the area served by the Downtown Newark Partnership pay a higher annual fee for their business licenses, while Wilmington’s Downtown Visions levies a special assessment on all businesses in its service area. Delaware City’s organization relies on donations, memberships and fundraisers, with technical support but no financial assistance from the town, according to Mark Chura, the program’s part-time manager.

Promotions are a key to making downtown business districts attractive. Recurring events, including Winterfest, Community Day and Restaurant Week, are popular in Newark. Downtown Visions sponsors Wilmington’s Farmers’ Market on Rodney Square and promotes a host of other events.

The Traditional and the New Design and economic restructuring often go hand in hand, so preserving a community’s traditional architectural features helps attract new businesses that are essential to making a downtown strong.

In Newark, Nietubicz says, “there’s a design culture, and developers take the process seriously.” The result, Laird says, has been a series of projects resulting in “buildings that are not historic but fit with the historic context even though the design might be more contemporary.”

The bottom line, of course, for all Main Street communities is economic restructuring.

Since its launch in 2007, Wilmington’s Downtown Visions program has become a vital force in street-level economic development, recruiting new businesses for the Market Street corridor, helping them cut through red tape at city hall, and providing training in marketing and social media, among other things.

24 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Matt Urban

Newark received the Great American Main Street Award in 2011.

Before the Main Street program began, downtown business owners were often at odds with each other, competing more often than collaborating. Now they see things differently.

“We need more people downtown, period,” says Julia Han, owner of the Sports Connection. “Whether you’re a restaurant, or selling sneakers, or fixing shoes, the number one issue for everybody is having more people. If I can bring five people to my business and you can bring five people to yours, and an office can bring five more, soon you’re talking about a great change,” she says.

“The idea that you’re on your own is shattered. If people enjoy being on the street, there will be more traffic for your business.”

Middletown’s Skrobot describes her relationship to local businesses succinctly: “My job is to get feet on the street. Their job is to get them in the door and to keep them there.”

The need to strengthen their business districts is what has prompted New Castle and Wilmington’s Southbridge and Lincoln/ Union areas to become Main Street “commercial district affiliates.”

The Historic New Castle Alliance received affiliate status in 2009, according to Valarie Windle, the group’s volunteer leader.

The organization will soon rebrand itself as the New Castle Community Partnership, a name that she says better reflects collaboration among the city’s business, residential and cultural interests and removes the perception that it is officially tied to historic attractions in the downtown area.

Preserve and Promote “We have to develop downtown as a more viable destination, with more shops and restaurants,” she says. “We have great history to offer, great cultural activities to offer, but a lot of people don’t know we’re here. We’ll fall by the wayside if we don’t preserve and promote our businesses.” ►

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- THIS HOLIDAY SEASON -

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DECEMBER 3-21

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“

the house!

Peace on Earth? Joy to the World? Not this December! In the sequel to his Off-Broadway hit comedy My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy!, comedian Steve Solomon returns to Wilmington with all new stories of Christmases and Hanukkahs past, complete with bickering parents, motherly guilt trips, and teenage daughter drama.

Once everybody arrives home the riotous holiday celebration begins, where if you’re under age 55 you still sit at the kid’s table and 35 overfed people share one couch.

FOR TICKETS: 302-594-1100 www.DelawareTheatre.org 26 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo Les Kipp

BRINGING BACK MAIN STREETS continued from page 25

Delaware City has used recreational actitivies like the annual River Towns Ride to bring visitors to town.

Like the larger Main Street groups, the New Castle organization has several special events and fundraisers, like the “Wine About What Ales You,” a festive beer and wine activity in January. It is taking a more active role in traditional New Castle events, including A Day in Old New Castle and Separation Day, and collaborates with Delaware City on the Route 9 Yard Crawl, a miles-long yard sale in late April, and the River Towns Ride, a bicycling activity on the first Saturday in October.

Southbridge’s program is in its infancy, says organizer Travis Smith. Key community needs, he says, are to promote businesses in the neighborhood, especially along New Castle Avenue, Heald Street and A Street, and to improve employment opportunities for residents. Once the volunteer group gets organized, its first project will be the creation of an online portal that will describe Southbridge’s history and provide a directory of the businesses located there. He hopes to involve adults in doing the research and teenagers in editing the portal’s video components.

“We’ve got a dry cleaner, a Christian bookstore, a market, and churches. We’re the connection to downtown Wilmington and to the riverfront,” Smith says.

“We want to show the sense of community that lives on here, that Southbridge is a place where we can live, share, grow and love,” he says.

The Lincoln/Union Business District became a Main Street affiliate last year, following completion of the West Side Grows redevelopment plan for the larger area that stretches from I-95 west to the B&O Railroad tracks and from Lancaster Avenue north to Pennsylvania Avenue.

“More Green” “The plan recommended starting a ‘Main Street-type’ program, and our staff said, ‘Let’s not do “type,” let’s do the full program,’” says Aimee Lala-Milligan, program manager for West Side commercial district revitalization.

“People want a more walkable, more beautified, more green commercial district,” she says.

The first step in that direction was taken in August through a “better block” event, for which the 600 block of Union Street received a three-day makeover, featuring angled parking spaces and potted plants and outdoor seating on the sidewalks to show what the street would look like if made more pedestrian-friendly.

A larger event is being planned for the spring, followed by a “celebration of the flavors of the neighborhood” event next summer, Lala-Milligan says.

Main Street efforts are never complete, Laird says. They are a program, not a project, something that must endure and become sustainable.

It is essential that their managers remain optimistic. Delaware City’s Chura embodies that characteristic. “Delaware City is a work in progress. It has a lot of potential,” he says.

“There are new businesses opening, but we’re not quite there yet.”

DELAWARE PROGRAMS AMONG 1,631 NATIONWIDE Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation created the Main Street program in 1977, the initiative has grown to include 1,631 local programs, according to the National Main Street Center. Seven are in Delaware: Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, Delaware City, Dover, Rehoboth Beach and Milford.

Rehoboth, in 2009, and Newark, in 2011, have been honored with the Great American Main Street Award for exceptional programming.

According to Diane Laird, state coordinator for Downtown Delaware, the state’s Main Street programs have been helpful in creating jobs in participating communities. A study of six communities (all those listed here except Delaware City) that had programs operating from 2005 to 2010 found that they averaged four new business starts and 14 new jobs per community per year, or 25 new businesses and 83 jobs statewide per year.

With Main Street programs typically having an annual budget of $120,000 to $150,000, Laird says “that’s a pretty low investment” for the number of jobs created and the overall increase in economic activity.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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28 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Chadds Ford Tavern co-owner Kevin Bradley (pink shirt) talks with customer John Brady as Kelsey Verica works behind the bar.

IF THE WALLS COULD TALK New owners give fresh start to Chadds Ford Tavern, a gathering spot with a rich and colorful past

By Andréa Miller Photos by Tim Hawk

W

hat do George Thorogood, the Underground Railroad, a British call box, and Andrew Wyeth have in common? They all figure into the rich history of a 211-year-old tavern that new owners Kevin Bradley and Mike Rocco have poured heart and soul into in an effort to return it to its former glory as a low-key, high quality spot for musicians and artists, singles and families, foodies and lovers of fine wine.

Chadds Ford Tavern re-opened Sept. 24 to a warm welcome by locals, who had been anticipating the Tavern's return for almost two years and now stack the bar three-deep on Saturday nights.

In its heyday—the 1970s—the Tavern was home to a colorful cast of bankers and bikers, artists who birthed the Brandywine School of Art, Civil Rights activists, and Viet Nam vets fresh off tours of duty, with a healthy smattering of famous performers. So says Tom Drane, a beloved local who turned the Tavern keys over to Bradley and Rocco after more than four decades of ownership.

To hear Drane tell it, becoming the spot to be just kind of happened. ► DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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EAT IF THE WALLS COULD TALK continued from previous page

Limoncello Restaurant

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Bradley's credentials includes the Philadelphia Restaurant School, the renowned Suzanna Foo’s, and years as a sommelier.

When he bought the Tavern in 1967, the Chester, Pa., native was a 25-year-old newlywed.

His siblings helped him scrape together $35,000 for the property, and he manned the establishment every day, morning and night, single-handed. In lieu of hiring staff, his wife would cook a pot of meatballs at home to sell at the Tavern.

By the 1960s, the Chadds Ford area was already “chateau country,” thanks to several factors, including the growth of the local milling industry, which spurred economic development the early 1800s, according to the Chester County Historical Society. Then, in 1859, a railroad spur was laid through Chadds Ford to support local industry, and it also improved access to the countryside for affluent city dwellers, who began building summer homes in the area. In 1898, Howard Pyle opened a summer art school where the Brandywine School of Art tradition was born. The school attracted students from across the country, including N.C. Wyeth, from Massachusetts, who came to study and never left.

In contrast, the Tavern’s immediate surroundings were decidedly modest —an African American community that had sprung up out of an Underground Railroad stop.

The Tavern itself was a rough-and-tumble “juke joint” speakeasy whose clientele was its “Little Africa” neighbors.

Hence the Tavern was situated at a cultural crossroads that mirrored the nation’s Civil Rights Movement. And here the coming together of disparate worlds happened organically, with one of the Tavern regulars, Willard Snowden – a onetime sailor and drifter, according to Drane. Snowden was an African American who modeled for Andrew Wyeth. N. C.’s son, Andrew was a cornerstone of the Brandywine School of Art who often developed close friendships with the subjects of his paintings.

“Andy used to drop off Willard with $20, and he’d hang out at the Tavern. The next thing you know, artists started dropping in,” Drane recalls. Wyeth and his son, Jamie, were regulars, as were “Abraham Lincoln artist” Rea Redifer, Frolic Weymouth, and others. The place had an egalitarian vibe: no matter who was on the next barstool, you were just guys having a drink, Drane says.

By the early 1970s, there was enough cash to hire kitchen help. Live music a few nights a week soon followed. George Thorogood was a regular in the rotation back then. An early Thorogood album jacket includes a gritty image of liquor bottles from the Tavern bar, according to Bradley “The Voice” Hendrix, who in 1979, at the age of 17, manned the Tavern’s turntables. He recently returned to DJ Tuesday nights.

Sometime later, Drane bought a British-style call box (reminiscent of the Dr. Who Tardis), and placed it by the road, hoping to attract visitors. With increasing regularity, the invitation was answered by performers like comedian Rodney Dangerfield, actor Robert Goulet, the Hooters’ Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman, country singer Lee Greenwood, and southern rocker Marshall Tucker.

“Local lore has it that Mick Jagger stopped in when he played the Spectrum,” Hendrix says. “I personally saw Huey Lewis come in for the roast beef when he was touring with his first big hit, ‘Do You Believe in Love.’” ►

30 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Drane modestly attributes the tavern’s popularity as IF THE WALLS COULD TALK a hangout for out of town continued from previous page musicians to location and timing, as much as anything. There were several entertainment venues nearby, like Longwood Gardens, the Valley Forge Music Fair (closed in 1996), and The Brandywine Club, (closed in the 1980s) that featured major performers. Many would stop in for a bite, because 40 years ago, he says, the corridor between Rt. 202 and Kennett Square was nothing but corn fields.

Mostly, the stars came to relax, not perform. But occasionally, pop-up entertainment happened, especially when The Brandywiners performed at Longwood, Hendrix says. The troupe, peppered with Broadway and off-Broadway actors, would take over the back room and spontaneously break into songs from the night’s show.

Pro sports figures hung out, too. Members of the Broad Street Bullies were regulars in the mid-‘70s, when the Flyers took home the Stanley Cup back-to-back: guys like Bernie Parent, Rick MacLeish and Bill Barber. Dick Vermeil, the former Eagles coach, was and is a regular, as were two of his linebackers—Wilmington native Kevin Reilly and Frank LeMaster.

The heyday had passed by 2009, and the property went into decline. Drane had leased it out to someone who turned it into a neglected diner, and a string of bad reviews led to its closing long before the three-year lease was up.

But the great vibe is back, says the front-of-the-house-partner Bradley, whose credentials include Philadelphia Restaurant School, the renowned Suzanna Foo’s, and years as a sommelier that took him behind the scenes at scores of top establishments.

Today, the Tavern is once again host to an eclectic clientele who are comfortable with each other. The guy on the adjacent bar stool who starts up a conversation might be a local songwriter or a multimillionaire who runs a large corporation. The man in the corner booth might be Bam Margera of Jackass fame (he recently stopped in for a burger). The gathering around the outsized wooden table might be a grandma’s birthday party, or a contingent of the du Pont family.

The space is casually appointed with copper ceilings and bar countertop, stained glass accents, and Early American hunt style furniture. There aren’t a lot of pictures from the former heyday— it was never the kind of place that welcomed celebrity snapshots.

There are, however fine paintings and lithographs on the walls— most from artists who have frequented the establishment.

The ambiance didn’t happen by accident, says quiet-but-notsilent-partner Rocco, a restaurant veteran who opened Rocco’s in Wilmington and Mike and Nick’s Italian Sports Bar in Hockessin.

Bradley had a clear vision, intending to create something special, Rocco says, and the pair made it happen with a lot of attention and elbow grease. For instance, Rocco built a rustic wood partition between the bar and dining room, and Bradley built some of the tavern chairs.

Drane, happy to see the tavern in good hands, still comes in to help regularly—repairing a piece of equipment, offering advice, chatting with guests—whatever it takes to foster the special atmosphere associated with the tavern for decades.

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Chadds Ford Tavern, 1400 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, Pa., is open 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. daily. Come for the wine list. Bring an appetite: Guests can get an appetizer or house salad for about $4. Veal Champignon topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and Madeira cream sauce is under $25. Then settle in for the music (DJ tunes Tuesdays; live music Wednesday through Saturdays).

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

Cocktails To Impress Your Holiday Guests Recipes from five experts will help make your party a success

By Rob Kalesse

Y

ou say you’re hosting a holiday gathering?

Of course, other folks in your circle of family and friends have the exact same idea. So how do you make your shindig stand out?

Well, start with a cool Evite, a smorgasbord of delicious food, and—the clincher—some of the

The Finnigan —Bill Hoffman, co-owner and executive chef, The House of William & Merry, Hockessin Interestingly enough, this is the only hot cocktail on our list, and also probably the most labor-intensive. Bill Hoffman microwaves two ounces of Hine cognac with a half-ounce of wild cinnamon gastrique, which he makes in-house, insisting it’s not too difficult to make.

“A gastrique is basically vinegar, sugar and fruit or vegetable — in this case raw cinnamon bark—and can even help with digestion,” Hoffman says. “I use champagne vinegar in my gastrique because it provides a nice tangy flavor profile.”

best, most creative cocktails—which you mix up. For the latter, we present these five seasonal drinks, provided by chefs and bartenders at some of our local dining and drinking spots. They’re sure to have the whole party toasting your hosting prowess.

For the gastrique, Hoffman starts by simmering a half-cup of sugar, two ounces of cinnamon bark and a quarter cup of water until the mixture begins to bubble. He cooks it down, reducing the sauce by about one-third, then adds the champagne vinegar. Once it gets to a syrup consistency (after an hour or two), he strains the liquid.

As for the garnish on the Finnigan, Bill uses muddled ginger in the bottom of the glass, pouring the cognac and gastrique over top, then transfers that mixture to a separate glass, where, waiting on the bottom, is orange confit.

Confit is French for cooking food in oil, grease or sugar water, the latter of which Bill uses with navel oranges. He slices them thin (about ¼-inch), removes the seeds, and places them in simple syrup (a cup of sugar melted into a cup of water on medium heat). ► DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK

KRESTON WINE & SPIRITS

Celebrating 81 Years

He then places the orange slices in the warm mixture, COCKTAILS TO IMPRESS keeping the heat low, until the pits YOUR HOLIDAY GUESTS are translucent. “You can leave continued from previous page them in the liquid and eat them cold and they’ll dissolve in your mouth,” he says. “They serve as a different twist on the standard orange you’d find at the bottom of an Old Fashioned, and they are a nice treat to snack on when you’re done with the drink.”

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—Robert Lhulier, chef, University & Whist Club, Wilmington Since his days working at the legendary Chef’s Table at the former David Finney Inn in Old New Castle, Robert Lhulier has been pleasing guests with his personal take on the Brandy Alexander. Now at the University & Whist Club, Lhulier still relies on this classic during the holiday season.

“I started drinking Brandy Alexanders in my 20s and really fell in love with them around Christmas time,” Lhulier says. “But I wanted to sort of put my own spin on things, and bringing in egg nog seemed appropriate for the time of year.”

Lhulier replaces the fresh cream with a scoop of quality French vanilla ice cream, like Häaagen-Dazs or Breyers, along with three ounces of good store-bought egg nog, like Hy-Point or Wawa Gold.

He dumps those ingredients, along two ounces of brandy and one ounce of crème de cacao, into the blender and lets her rip.

“You definitely want to have a good balance of the ingredients, so I usually go with equal parts booze to ice cream to egg nog,” Lhulier says. “Otherwise you might end up with a headache in a glass or a thick milkshake. It’s a great drink that I like to sip on while decorating.”

The Coquito —Chris Baittinger, chef, Meals for Shields, Wilmington A classic holiday cocktail that’s popular in Puerto Rico, the Coquito (pronounced co-key-toe) is another egg-nog-like drink that features rum, evaporated and condensed milk, cream of coconut and seasonal spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Chris Baittinger first tasted the drink at a holiday party in the Bronx, where his now-ex-wife’s family gathered and decided to test him. “Her Uncle Emilio made me a strong one to see if I could handle my alcohol,” Baittinger says. “I’ll tell you, it’s a sneaky drink that catches up with you quick.”

Baittinger’s recipe calls for a bit of work, beginning with boiling two or three cinnamon sticks in two cups of water until the water turns yellow. Once strained, add 12 ounces of evaporated milk and 14 ounces of condensed milk, along with four egg yolks, and return to the heat.

Simmering on low, constantly stir the ingredients into a “brown muck” for about 10 minutes, then add 15 ounces of cream of coconut, cooking for three minutes before removing from the stove. Then add four cups of white rum (or bourbon, if you so choose), along with a pinch of nutmeg and salt.

“Let it cool and definitely drink it chilled,” Baittinger says. “It’s like no other egg nog you’ve ever tasted, and if you happen to be a bourbon fan, replace the rum with some Maker’s 43. Those vanilla notes add a lot of good flavor to the drink.”

36 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Autumn Margarita —Brandy Willever, bartender, Ulysses Gastropub, North Wilmington A margarita might feel like more of a summertime drink, but not in this particular concoction, a favorite of Brandy Willever. The trick, she says, is infusing a bottle of Jose Cuervo with all the right fall flavors.

“We use apples, pears, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom for the infusion.

That way all those sweet but natural flavors bring life to the drink, and we don’t have to rely on triple sec, sweet-nsour or lime juice.”

Allow the flavors to infuse for about a week, then combine about four ounces of the tequila with two ounces of orange juice and two ounces of apple cider, shake and serve over ice. The result is reminiscent of applesauce topped with cinnamon.

THE CRAN BEFORE THYME —Ben Muse, general manager, Two Stones Pub, North Wilmington

AR’

Whether you buy the gelatinous, canned version or go the fresh, sautéed route, cranberry sauce seems to make an appearance at nearly every holiday meal this time of year.

That being the case, Ben Muse, of Two Stones Pub, likes to take one of his favorite classic cocktails, the gin and tonic, and infuse it with a little sweet and tart for the holiday season.

He takes your average amount of Hendrick’s Gin (about two ounces), adds 1.5 ounces of tonic, a half-ounce of fresh lime juice, then mixes in an ounce of cranberry simple syrup, which you can easily make at home.

For the syrup, Muse starts with roughly four ounces of fresh cranberries, heating them in equal amounts water and sugar, until the cranberries start popping open. He then adds fresh thyme for a slightly savory flavor profile, and lets the ingredients steep for about 15 minutes.

After that, simply strain the elements, put the cranberry simple syrup into a jar and seal it. If you make the syrup around the first week of December, it should last you all month, provided it’s kept cold in the fridge.

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DRINK

Area Wine Experts Pick Holiday Favorites

I

t’s the season to give and, yes, to celebrate. Whether it’s an office holiday party, Christmas dinner with the extended family, or New Year’s Eve with good friends, here are some choice wine suggestions from local people in the know.

From Ed Mulvihill, Peco’s Liquors

From Michael Whitwell, Premier Wine & Spirits

• Dry Creek Valley Vineyard’s Meritage ($24.99) The Meritage has long been a favorite of mine. A Sonoma County Bordeaux blend that is sure to impress this holiday season, this fullbodied red has wonderful notes of cocoa and red berry, balanced with silky smooth tannin. Great for holiday gift giving or for pairing with your holiday feast. At this price, it’s a steal.

• Le Grand Courtage Blanc de Blanc ($24.99) When I am shopping for holiday wines for friends or family, they should be like any other present: unique, personal, fun, and have a little story to them—like Le Grand Courtage Blanc de Blanc —a crisp, bright, delicate sparkler with a silver-embossed label and “Happy Holidays” hand-etched on the bottle.

• Dry Creek Valley Vineyard's Endeavour ($65.99) This wine comes from the same great vineyard and is a Cabernet for the true Cabernet lover. Only 298 cases were produced for the 2011 vintage, meaning get some while you can!

This is a true expression of just how good Dry Creek Valley cab can be. It’s elegant, full flavored, and masterfully balanced. Drink now or cellar for years to come. Cheers!

• Desparada “Borderlands” ($34.99) This unique blend of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals comes from an up-and-coming winemaker, Vailia Esh, of California. Only 94 cases were made, which makes it a hard-to-find delight. This bold but delicate red comes in a fitting bottle, a design that expresses a whimsical nature yet also suggests a certain daring. If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind gift that is bound to surprise, look no further.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DRINK 4019 KENNETT PIKE

AREA WINE EXPERTS PICK HOLIDAY FAVORITES continued from previous page

From Linda Collier, Collier’s of Centreville • Meyer-Fonne Alsace ($19.99) The Meyer-Fonne is a wonderfully versatile wine for the holiday. It shows fruit, orange blossom, and is a little musky and dry. It will be great with tapas, sushi, paella, lobster and Alsace-brined turkey with a Riesling gravy.

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From Jeff Kreston, Kreston Wine & Spirits • Feudo Di Santa Croce Primitivo di Manduria LXXIV 2010 ($14.99) A burly, brambly red, underscored by tarry smoke and underbrush notes, offering flavors of blackberry coulis, herb-marinated black olive, grilled mushroom and ground spice. This shows muscles that recommends it to short-term cellaring, made accessible by integration and balance. It’s one of the 2014 Top 100 wines of the year by Wine Spectator and 91pts. Drink now through 2024. Only 8,000 cases made.

From Rick Ostrand, State Line Liquors • Bugey Cerdon “La Cueille,” Patrik Bottex ($21.99 bottle) This wine is from a little-known area east of Lyon, France, on the way to the Alps. It is mostly Gamay that is fermented in tanks and put into bottles halfway through fermentation (methode ancestrale). This creates a lightbodied, fizzy wine with bright fruit and a slightly sweet finish that is just plain delicious.

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• Telegramme Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($49.99) The Telegramme is from the Rhone area and is deep, elegant, raspberry, cherry, garrique and white pepper and perfect for the holiday table, whether you are having herb roasted turkey, grilled lamb or coriander-crusted duck.

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• Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Estate 2012 ($54.99) This is a great wine from the heralded 2012 vintage in Napa. John Williams has, once again, crafted a rich yet delicate wine.The fruit exhibits subtle dusty flavors of black olive and cedar along with cassis. Good acidity gives a nice structure to this organically grown wine.

It can be enjoyed today and will age quite well for several years.

40 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WINE SNOBS A key to knowing what they're talking about ACIDITY refers to the tartness of a wine. High-acidity wines might be described as crisp or racy, while those with low acidity are called soft, and wines with too little acidity are often described as flat.

ALCOHOL in table wines usually ranges between 13 and 15 percent.

The amount of alcohol determines a wine’s richness, body, and intensity of flavor. Wines with low alcohol feel light-bodied, while wines with too much alcohol often taste overripe and imbalanced.

BALANCE describes the harmony (or lack thereof) among all the elements in a wine. A balanced wine is a progression of fruit, acids, alcohol, and tannins, with nothing too prominent.

BODY is all about how the wine feels in your mouth. "Light body" connotes a thin feeling in your mouth. "Medium body" means that a wine is full-flavored, without being too heavy. "Heavy body" means the wine has a robust, round and very rich feel.

COMPLEXITY refers to the aromas and flavors in a wine and how they interact with each other. The more layers of flavor and aroma, the more complex the wine and the higher its quality.

CORKINESS is the most common flaw in wine, is caused by a tainted cork. Corked wines smell and taste of wet, musty, or mildewed cardboard.

FINISH describes a wine’s aftertaste, be it fruit, acidity, oak, or tannins. Generally, the longer the flavor lasts after you swallow, the better quality the wine. However, there are also not-so-great wines with long finishes.

LEGS (OR TEARS) are the trickles of wine that run down the inside of a glass after you swirl it. The legs are clues to how much alcohol or residual sugar the wine contains; thicker, slower legs indicate a wine with more alcohol or residual sugar.

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SWEETNESS OR DRYNESS levels refer to the presence or lack of sugar in wine. Wines range from bone dry, with no residual sugar, all the way to dessert-sweet in style. Off-dry wines have just a hint of sweetness. Most table wines are dry to off-dry.

TANNINS come from the skins, seeds and stems of the grapes and also from the barrels. Usually found in red wine, tannins taste bitter and make your palate feel fuzzy, puckery, or even dry if there’s a good deal of tannin. Wines high in tannins are often described as firm, and those without a lot of tannins are called soft.

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—O&A DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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ROB PFEIFFER HEAD BREWER & AFICIONADO

My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish... Dec 3 - Dec 21

Big Little Art Show Friday, December 5

CTC: James Joyce’s The Dead Fri, Dec 5 - Sat, Dec 20

Eleutherian Mills Twilight Tours Tuesdays: Dec 9 - Dec 30

Cirque Dreams Holidaze Tues, Dec 9 - Sun, Dec 14

Ivy League of Comedy Thursday, December 11

Winter Arts Festival Friday, December 12

The Wizards of Winter Saturday, December 13

FSBT presents The Nutcracker Sat, Dec 20 - Sun, Dec 21

Sing A Long: Sound of Music Friday, December 26

NYE: David Bromberg Quintet Wednesday, December 31

Basil Restaurant

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Get full details on the events above plus hundreds more at: 64 OCTOBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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inWilmingtonDE.com

11/24/14 10:59 AM

CITY OF WILMINGTON

On the Town

Painting by Lindsay Florence at The Grandy Opera House Mainstage Gallery

w

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

THE WILMINGTON ART LOOP

FIRST FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 5 - 9 p.m. artloopwilm.org

REFRESHMENTS

K

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

DT

DOWNTOWN LOOP

WE

WEST END LOOP

NW

NORTH WILMINGTON LOOP

NC

12_Wilmington_ArtLoop.indd 1

ALSO IN THIS SECTION: This Month at Theatre N cityfest

NEW CASTLE LOOP

What Car Sharing Means For The City City Works on Rebuilding City Homes

11/24/14 11:00 AM

Downtown Loop

artloopwilm.org Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts 200 S. Madison Street Wilmington, DE 302.656.6466 • thedcca.org Coming soon. Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m.

On view Tue, Thu – Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun 12 – 5 p.m., Wed 12 – 7 p.m.

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

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

STEP 1: Select exhibitions that interest you.

DT

w

lolahSoul creates uniquely modern and sophisticated designs simply inspired by the metal itself to create wearable art. Saquan Stimpson, a photojournalist by training, navigates the ever-changing, unpredictable world of photographing assignments. His lens will provide a glimpse of local favorites including Delaware’s own WNBA Elena Delle Donne. On view by appointment through Dec 31.

STEP 2: Map out your choices and select transportation. You may want to walk, drive or take the downtown DART Trolley. A limited number of seats are available on the Art Loop shuttle. Please reserve your seat by calling 302.576.2135 or email jbarton@wilmingtonde.gov.

STEP 3: Meet local and regional artists while enjoying

Bloomsberry Flowers 207 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.654.4422 bloomsberryflowers.com

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

STEP 4: Enjoy one of Wilmington’s excellent restaraunt

Out on a Limb, Kenneth W. Kreider. Driftwood and Seaglass creations. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Dec 31.

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

STEP 5: Repeat the first Friday of every month!

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

FREQUENLTY ASKED QUESTIONS WHERE DOES THE ART LOOP START? The Art Loop is a self-guided, go-at-your-own pace tour that can

Monique Kendikian-Sarkessian, A Philadelphia artist who creates vibrant oil and encaustic wax paintings that express the joy found in revealing the divine in everyday life. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. through Jan 30.

start at any of the locations listed in this guide. There is no designated route for the Art Loop.

HOW DO I APPLY TO EXHIBIT ON THE ART LOOP? Participating galleries book and curate the exhi-

bitions and should be contacted directly at the contact information provided in this guide.

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

44 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Longwood Waterlilies Path Of Life

by Monique Kendikian-Sarkessian

LOMA Coffee 239 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Lomacoffee.com The UrbanPromise academy students and their teacher provided all the work in this selection. it’s the pick of the crop from several young artist located in Wilmington.

Works include a variety of styles, including Japanese ink painting, conceptional art pieces and photography. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 6 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. through Dec 30.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

11/24/14 11:01 AM

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

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

Texture et Couleur, Yakime Akelá Brown.

Returns to The Grand with a new collection of his signature colorful abstract creations. This exhibit will feature acrylic and mixed-media paintings with a wide-range of bold, vibrant hues, tactile surfaces and a slick finish. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Jan 6.

The World of Neaka, Neaka Natay. Artwork that is a reflection of the artist’s artistic journey through healing that is depicted in bold and colorful mixed media abstract designs. Art Loop reception 6 – 9 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through.

Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 302.690.8092 ccacde.org Jetty’s Edge at Herring Point

by Leah Van Rees

The Grand Opera House Mainstage Gallery 818 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Thegrandwilmington.org/galleries Lindsay Florence. The work of Lindsay Florence is large scale representational oil paintings, with a focus on detail and bold saturated colors. Much of her work captures a sense of solitude and is heavily influenced by the natural world. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Dec 2.

Water Ties: Cape to Crest, Leah Van Rees. The paintings examine and exaggerate small details of landscapes and seascapes with specific elements illustrated through use of intricate pattern, variety of brushstroke, opacity of paint, and vivid colors. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. through Dec 31.

Chris White Gallery At Shipley Lofts 701 N. Shipley Street Wilmington, DE 302.312.5493 chriswhitecdc.org

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

DT

A Vision for Wilmington’s Creative District, Wilmington Renaissance Corporation. This interactive exhibit brings to life the concepts that will help create a Creative District in Wilmington. Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m.

On view by appointment through Dec 19.

A selection of Mixed Media work by Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellow in Crafts, Nancy Josephson. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. through Dec 24.

La Siren Spirit Head

by Nancy Josephson

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

Diverse Array of Folk Art & Culture, Eunice LaFate. 2014 Recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Arts, featuring her recent miniature series, Kwanzaa Culture. LaFate’s Folk art is rendered in acrylic, oil, watercolor and mixed media. Art Loop reception 5 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Sat 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Dec 31.

Redding Gallery 800 N. French St. Wilmington, DE Artloopwilm.org Blue Sky Farm by Dylan Straub

Spaceboy Clothing 711 N. Market Street Wilmington,DE 302.388.7120 spaceboyclothing.com

Urban [Color] Sprawl, Julia Anne Colette Szczecinski. This collection of abstract and surreal oil paintings, as well as mixed media collages, is full of dynamic energy and lush color expressed in an eccentric variety of styles designed to keep the eye fully engaged as well as the mind. Art Loop reception 5 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. through Dec 31.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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The Redding Gallery presents the annual FRAMED photography exhibit with seven local photographers. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Dec 30.

Gallery 919 Market 919 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE Carspeckenscott.com

Love Triangle by Chad Cortex Everett

From the Nightclub to the Club of Enlightenment. The Artwork of Chad Cortez Everett. The auto-biographical show illustrates the life of artist Chad Cortez Everett through his paintings that document club scenes in Baltimore, MD and his later paintings based upon personal enlightenment. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. through Dec 31.

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Downtown Loop

West End Loop

artloopwilm.org FLYOGI 113 W. 9th Street Wilmington, De 302.298.0926 www.flyogi.co

Tilton Cool Café 1139 A W. 7th Street Wilmignton, DE 302.425.4900 dorksandforks.com

Where I’m From exhibit will showcase art from youth attending The Ferris School. Art Loop reception 6 – 9 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. through Jan 5.

Art work and music by Will Jolly with Poetry Slam. Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m. On view by appointment through Dec 7.

Wilmington Library 10 E. 10th Street Wilmington, DE 302.571.7407 wilmlib.org

Melloy Gallery 1139 C W. 7th Street Wilmington, DE 302.425.4900 facebook.com/melloygallery

European Favorite & Wyoming Wranglers, Gary A. Bryde. Photographs from Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Wyoming featuring the variety of human faces and emotions. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thu 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fri & Sat 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Dec 30.

Live Radio Christmas Show and Art. Check out Dan Sanchez and Brian Wild’s www. dorksandforks.com show and recent art by Kevin Melloy and other neighborhod artists that make great gifts! Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m. On view by appointment through Dec 30.

Where I’m From by Xmanik

Recommission of a Battleship, #5 by Hiro Sakaguchi

Caribbean Christmas by Kevin Melloy

Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street Wilmington, DE 610.644.5440 howardpylestudio.org

Theatre N at Nemours 1007 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 302.576.2565 theatren.org Theatre N will feature local illustrator Sean Henry in December. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Dec 5 only.

The Howard Pyle Studio

by Carolyn Anderson

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue Wilmington, DE 302.429.0506

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

Photo by Alexis Mpaka

Annual Jewelry Show featuring Caryn Hetherston, Pamela Levin, Maxine Rosenthal and Susan Schulz. Seeking The Extraordinary Paintings with Eo Omwake, Jill Wilcox, Barbara Kittle, Louise Rollieri, Joyce Berger, Carolyn Langdon, Marion Schwab, Kitty Haily, Dottie Verne, Dave Weiss, Wes Memeger, Mia Muratori, Vicki Vinton, Joan Carilli and Norman Tomases. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Tue – Fri 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through Jan 17.

Colourworks presents the third annual Cecil College Student show. Students will be available to discuss the technical and creative processes of their work. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. through Dec 3.

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

Kalmar Nyckel Foundation 1124 E. 7th Street Wilmington, DE 302.429.7447 kalmarnyckel.org To The Sea: A collection of photographs by KALMAR NYCKEL volunteer crew member Andrew Hanna. The images relate the beauty and adventure of sailing a 17th-century square rigger. Join us as we celebrate the opening of our new Copeland Maritime Center! Art Loop reception 5:30 – 9 p.m. On view Sat and Sun 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through Dec 28.

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TWO DAY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE! Great Art , Food, decorations, and ornaments all made by all of the members of the Studio!!!

Friday Loop night and Sat. 12/13, 11-3 Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view by appointment through Jan 1.

Last Snow on Buck Run

by Peter Sculthorpe

New Works, Peter Sculthorpe.

Peter Sculthorpe celebrates 30th years of exhibiting with Somerville Manning Gallery with a new collection of masterful watercolors and oils featuring scenes from Pennsylvania, Maine, Oregon, and Newfoundland. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. On view Tue – Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Dec 20.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

11/24/14 11:02 AM

North of Wilmington Loop Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike Greenville, DE 302.654.8638 stationgallery.net

Winter Coat by Lynne Lockhart

Burslem Stoneware 1801 Green Lane Wilmington, DE 302.494.3487 delawarebyhand.org/alanburslem

Art Works for The Holiday. Exciting new work by nineteen artists will be included in our holiday show featuring paintings, drawings, ceramics, art glass, sculpture, jewelry, lamps, wood carvings, ceramic bird baths, Ugone lamps and hand-crafted ornaments.

Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. through Dec 24.

Shadow Box, Alan Burslem. See Burslem’s recent stoneware creations. Art Loop reception 5 – 9 p.m. On view by appointment through Dec 25.

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

Blue Heron Gallery 204 B Delaware Street New Castle, DE 302.276.0845 blueherongalleryde.com

Jo.LLy Sisters Crafting (Joanne Smeltz and SaLLy Greenberg) present gorgeous hand knits and handmade paper bead jewelry.

Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. On view Tue – Sat 11 a.m. – 5p .m., Sun 12 – 4 p.m. through Dec 31.

Holiday Rush, Sue Poskitt. A New Castle artist whose talents were only made public when she moved from Delaware to Massachusetts. Her watercolor florals are a pleasant surprise to the locals and are featured for December. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Wed – Sun 12 – 4 p.m. through Dec 30.

Apricot and Blue Magnolias by Sue Poskitt

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

Rebecca Stier features intricately hand painted scarves, Elaine Field’s woven ceramic vessels captures the imagination, Karen Pontari of Dogwood Designs offers bracelets with Czech glass tile rectangles and Baroque pearl seed beads woven on leather and Terry Zink’s elaborately adorned repurposed cigar boxes. Art Loop reception 6 – 9 p.m. On view Tue – Fri 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sun 12 – 4 p.m. through Dec 31.

Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery 3625 Silverside Road Wilmington, DE 302.478.1163 talleyvillefsg.com

In progress by Bruce Gulick

New Castle Loop

artloopwilm.org

Big Little Art Show!!, Over 50 artists both local and national, too many to list! Over 100 artworks all measuring 6 x 8 inches in a wide variety of styles and media including oil, acrylic, graphite, watercolor, photography, silkscreen, metal, mixed media. Art Loop reception 6 -8 p.m. On view Mon, Wed, Fri 10 a.m. – 5p.m., Tue, Thu 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. through Jan 3.

Penn’s Place 206 Delaware Street New Castle, DE 302.322.6334 pennsplace.net Two Turtle Doves...and a Twist! Sami and Paula. Celtic inspired art meets Steampunk and funk...entwined with gorgeous wire wrapping technique. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Thu 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Fri & Sat 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sun 12 – 5 p.m. through Dec 31.

Cactus Wren Gallery 406 Delaware Street New Castle, DE 302.328.7595 cactuswrengallery.com

Celebrate the Season. Opening for our 10th holiday season, we want to recognize the tremendous talents of our more than 100 Native American gallery artists. These jewelers, carvers, potters and fine artists each exhibit special skills in creating pieces that can be enjoyed as part of a collection, worn or displayed. Art Loop reception 5 – 8 p.m. On view Tue – Sat 10 a.m.

– 5 p.m., Sun 1 – 5 p.m. through Dec 31.

The Buzz Gallery Buzz Ware Village Center 2119 The Highway Arden, DE 302.547.1401 ardenbuzz.com Ellen Durkan’s Forged Fashion.

Ellen Durkan is a local artist and blacksmith who exhibit her large detailed drawings alongside her wearable forged fashion. Art Loop reception 5:30 – 8 p.m. On view by appointment through Dec 14.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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Theatre N at Nemours

theatren.org

PRICES: $8 | general admission $6 | seniors and children 302.576.2565 • Monday - Friday

1007 N. Orange Street Wilmington, DE 19801

302.571.4075 Nights & Weekends theatren.org

No Cover | Concessions for sale

LOW DOWN

DIPLOMACY

A look at the life of pianist Joe Albany from the perspective of his young daughter, as she watches him contend with his drug addiction during the 1960s and ‘70s jazz scene.

A historical drama that depicts the relationship between Dietrich von Choltitz, the German military governor of occupied Paris, and Swedish consulgeneral Raoul Nordling.

MAGICAL UNIVERSE

JINGLE BELL ROCKS!

A documentarian strikes up a friendship with reclusive artist Al Carbee, whose Barbie-doll photography gains acclaim and interest over the course of this project’s 10-year history.

An exclusive backstage pass into a fascinating underground world of alternative Christmas music. Starring an eclectic cast of characters - The Flaming Lips, Run DMC, John Waters - plus two dozen amazing & original songs.

FORCE MAJEURE

LAGGIES

R | 114 Minutes | December 5-7 Fri 9pm | Sat 2pm & 8pm | Sun 5pm

NR | 77 Minutes | December 5-7 Fri 1pm | Sat 5pm | Sun 2pm

R | 118 Minutes | December 12-14 Fri 4pm, 10pm | Sat 2pm, 8pm | Sun 5pm Swedish with English subtitles A family on a ski holiday in the French Alps find themselves staring down an avalanche during lunch one day; in the aftermath, their dynamic has been shaken to its core, with a question mark hanging over their patriarch in particular.

NR | 84 Minutes | December 19-21 Fri 1pm, 10pm | Sat 2pm, 8pm | Sun 2pm

NR | 84 Minutes | December 19-21 Fri 4pm | Sat 5pm | Sun 2pm

R | 99 Minutes | December 26-28 Fri 1pm, 7pm | Sat 5pm | Sun 1pm In the throes of a quarter-life crisis, Megan panics when her boyfriend proposes, then, taking an opportunity to escape for a week, hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika, who lives with her world-weary single dad.

ART AND CRAFT

POINT AND SHOOT

When one of the most prolific art forgers in US history is finally exposed, he must confront the legacy of his 30-year con.

An American sets out with his motorbike to find both adventure and his sense of manhood, leading him on an extraordinary journey he could not have imagined, including fighting in the Libyan Revolution.

NR | 89 Minutes | December 14-16 Fri 1pm, 7pm | Sat 5pm | Sun 1pm

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JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT TO WATCH PRO FOOTBALL ON THE SCREEN AT THEATRE N!

NR | 83 Minutes | December 26-28 Fri 4pm, 10pm | Sat 2pm, 8pm | Sun 4pm

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

11/24/14 12:30 PM

WHAT CAR SHARING MEANS FOR YOU AND YOUR CITY Ever wonder how car sharing benefits the environment and the cities we live in? Since 2000, Zipcar has been making city living easier and reducing CO2 emissions – by providing our members with access to the benefits of car ownership available by the hour or by the day, without the cost or hassle.

Zipcar’s mission to reduce personal vehicle ownership means more people can get around cities without owning a car or families can manage with just one vehicle. By reducing the number of cars on the road, Zipcar has witnessed some pretty significant results.

In addition to being an affordable and convenient way to replace or supplement car ownership, there’s a breadth of environmental impacts each shared car can make on you and your city.

Take a peek and see how the way you choose to get around makes a difference.

CITY OF WILMINGTON

THE ZIPCAR IMPACT

HERE’S THE FACTS SO YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF. It’s expected that Zipcar members save more than

15

MILLION GALLONS

The average car sharing household reduces the number of cars they own by

14 OUT OF20

50%

of the healtiest cities are Zipcar cities.

of gas each year.

On average, car sharing members drive

Members of Zipcar and car sharing report an increase of other modes of transit including:

40% 46%

fewer miles after becoming a member

In North American cities, about

900

Zipcars are hybrid or electric vehicles.

26%

public transit

walking trips

10%

bicycling trips

In North America, car sharing programs average

49

Find Zipcars near you by visiting zipcar.com/outandabout

Each shared car takes about

15

personal cars off the road.

In 2013, Zipcar members reduced total CO2 emissions by about

935

MILLION POUNDS

MEMBERS

TO EVERY VEHICLE

SOURCES Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts of Car Sharing in North America.

June 2010, Susan Shaheen & Elliot Martin Car-Sharing: Where and How It Succeeds, Ch. 4. Transit Cooperative Research Program, Report 108; Transportation Research Board 2005. Adam Millard-Ball, Gail Murray, Jessica ter Schure, Christine Fox, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Assoc., and Jon Burkhardt, Westat Car-Sharing: Where and How It Succeeds, Ch. 4. Transit Cooperative Research Program, Report 108; Transportation Research Board 2005. Adam Millard-Ball, Gail Murray, Jessica ter Schure, Christine Fox, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Assoc., and Jon Burkhardt, Westat [4] Car-Sharing: Where and How It Succeeds, Ch. 4. Transit Cooperative Research Program, Report 108; Transportation Research Board

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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2005. Adam Millard-Ball, Gail Murray, Jessica ter Schure, Christine Fox, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Assoc., and Jon Burkhardt, Westat [5] The Impact of Carsharing on Household Vehicle Holdings: Results from a North American Shared-Use Vehicle Survey.

March, 2010, Elliot Martin, Susan Shaheen, Jeffrey Lidicker, [6] Strategic Analysis of Carsharing Market in North America.

January 2010, Frost & Sullivan America’s Top 20 Healthiest Cities, Melanie Haiken. September 2011, Forbes.com http://www.go-green.ae/greenstory_view.php?storyid=27

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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CITY OF WILMINGTON

2102 N. Locust Street, before (left) and after (right) participating in the Facade Improvement Program.

Restoring Neighborhoods

By Repairing Homes

T

he quality of life in any neighborhood is directly impacted by the appearance and upkeep of its homes. Since the 1970’s, the City of Wilmington’s Department of Real Estate and Housing has administered funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the City’s Facade Grant Program, Senior Minor Repair Grant Program, and Home Repair Loan Program.

“Each year, Housing and Urban Development allocates funds to the City,” says Director of Real Estate and Housing Nailah Gilliam. “Since we are able to determine our own goals and budget for these programs from that allocation, the City can respond quickly to changing housing and community development needs and adjust the budget accordingly from year to year.”

To begin understanding what resources are available for minor and emergency home repairs, it is first important to know how the programs work. As Shamika Ponzo, Acting Rehabilitation Division Director explains, “Many times seniors and homeowners with the greatest needs are suffering unnecessarily because they may not understand that these programs are designed to prevent the added burden of repaying a loan. Our programs are tailor-made for low-income families and senior citizens in such a way that repayment is not a factor that would ever result in losing your home.”

FACADE GRANT PROGRAM The City designates a portion of its federal housing funds for facade improvements. Rather than working on one house at a time,

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these funds provide repairs to the exterior of a larger block of homes owned or occupied by low-to-moderate income residents who live in close proximity to a new housing development. Funds under this program are awarded as non-repayable grants.

The 1800 block of West Third Street is one of this successful program’s latest projects. Several years ago, the block was demolished by a gas main leak. The Wilmington Housing Partnership developed six townhomes on the site to replace the lost properties.

While work proceeded, the Department of Real Estate and Housing approached homeowners and landlords across the street and invited them to improve their porches, repair handrails, replace doors, and install planters so that the entire block would be rejuvenated.

The homes surrounding Jazz Court Apartments, a project underway on Walnut Street, is another neighborhood that will be able to benefit from the Facade Grant Program.

SENIOR MINOR REPAIR GRANT PROGRAM A portion of federal funds allocated to the City are also set aside for the Senior Minor Repair Grant Program. The program, which is managed by Ingleside Homes, enables Wilmington’s senior citizen homeowners who qualify to receive funding for improvements that will keep them in their homes. Improvements can include modifications and minor repairs that are necessary for the safety of seniors, such as grab bars and ramps. Similar to the Facade Program, grants awarded do not have to be repaid by the recipient.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

11/24/14 11:06 AM

HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM The largest portion of the federal funds that the City of Wilmington receives for homeowner upkeep goes to the Home Repair Loan Program. Homeowners who qualify for these loans often need roof replacement, heating, electrical, plumbing, and even structural work. Funds are allocated to the owner through deferred loans, which means owners are not required to make monthly payments to the City. Repayment is only required if there is a change in ownership of the property or the owner makes a change in his or her primary residence. “For low-income families, banks are not always an option when funding is needed for critical home repairs. Bad credit or an unbalanced debt-to-income ratio might mean a leaky ceiling, faulty plumbing, or serious electrical problems that may persist for months or even years,” says Director Ponzo. “We have worked with city homeowners who have lived in their homes with little or no heat or have had rain leaking into their home from a hole in the roof for years because they didn’t know there was a truly affordable option to repair these serious problems and live more safely and comfortably in their own homes.”

The Home Repair Loan Program requires that owners find their own contractor to do the work. The City, in turn, assigns a Rehabilitation Specialist from the Department of Real Estate and Housing and inspectors from the Department of Licenses and Inspections to oversee and inspect the work. “Owners sign contracts and are bound to spend their loan only on the approved work. The City partners with owners to insure the work is up to standard and code.”

Gilliam and Ponzo are just two members of a team of housing improvement and development professionals who identify opportunities where the City can help families live more safely. “Our team is very passionate about what we do. We urge anyone who has housing repair needs to contact us and learn what is available,” said Director Gilliam.

City homeowners interested in learning about these and other programs are encouraged to contact the City’s Department of Real Estate and Housing at 302-5763000. Qualifications vary by program, but all require a review of the owner’s mortgage and a title to verify ownership.

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

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Mayor Williams & Delmarva Power Working to Light Up Wilmington

CITY OF WILMINGTON

There are many factors that contribute to a person’s sense of safety in their neighborhood. One of the most fundamental amongst them is a well-lit street.

Darkness creates an ideal environment for crime and vandalism to thrive. Absence of light in open public spaces not only creates a feeling of insecurity, but is also an impediment to pedestrian and traffic safety. In order to address these concerns, Mayor Dennis P. Williams and Delmarva Power are working to turn on every streetlight in the City of Wilmington, and to empower our neighborhoods to have the tools to light up their streets.

Earlier this year, Delmarva Power launched a new streamlined process to help residents report streetlight outages. “With safety as our top priority, we now have a more efficient mechanism for citizens to alert us to problems,” shared Nick Morici, Media Relations Manager for Delmarva Power. The system consists of an online, interactive map where a member of the public can zoom in on the location of the outage and identify the light that is out. With just one click and the inclusion of some basic contact information, Delmarva Power is promptly notified of the issue.

Delmarva Power’s online tool works hand-in-hand with the City of Wilmington’s Report It-Resolve It app, which provides residents of Wilmington with a free and efficient way to report civic issues, including streetlight outages, potholes, graffiti, and much more. Residents and customers can upload a photo or video and mark the geographic location on a map. Upon successful submission of the request, the user will receive an email confirmation, as well as a unique tracking number and service request number, so that progress can be monitored.

“The combination of these two technologies provides citizens with the tools to light up their neighborhoods and create safer environments,” said Sgt. Cecilia Ashe, who leads the Wilmington Police Department’s annual National Night Out. National Night Out is a police outreach event that is held once a year to increase awareness about police programs in the community. “Well-lit neighborhoods are one of the most effective deterrents to crime, because everyone ultimately can feel safer where they live, work, and shop.”

To use Delmarva’s new online streetlight outage reporting tool: • Visit: http://www.delmarva.com/pages/connectwithus outages/streetlightoutage.aspx • Zoom in on the light you would like to report To use the City of Wilmington’s Report It-Resolve It app: • Download the free Report It-Resolve It app from your cell phone provider’s app store • Open the app and click “Submit a Report”

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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. Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, THEDCCA.ORG

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

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21. Chase Center on the Riverfront, CENTERONTHERIVERFRONT.COM 22. Dravo Plaza & Dock 23. Shipyard Center Planet Fitness, PLANETFITNESS.COM 24. Timothy’s Restaurant, TIMOTHYSONTHERIVERFRONT.COM Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream, MOLLYSICECREAM.COM Ubon Thai Restaurant 25. Wilmington Rowing Center, WILMINGTONROWING.ORG 26. Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge/ DuPont Environmental Education Center, DUPONTEEC.ORG

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

Photo by Joe del Tufo

11/24/14 11:08 AM

DECEMBER

RIVERFRONT EVENTS MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH, AND I’M HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS* December 3-21, times vary Peace on Earth? Joy to the World? Not this December! In the sequel to his Off-Broadway hit comedy My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy!, comedian Steve Solomon returns to Wilmington with all new stories of Christmases and Hanukkahs past, complete with bickering parents, motherly guilt trips, and teenage daughter drama. Once everybody arrives home at Grandma’s house, the riotous holiday celebration begins, where if you’re under age 55 you still sit at the kid’s table and 35 overfed people share one couch.

Delaware Theatre Company DelawareTheatre.org ART ON THE TOWN* December 5, 5pm Sponsored by the City of Wilmington, Art on the Town is a great way to view the exhibitions in our galleries and visit the artist studios during our extended gallery hours.

JAMES JOYCE’S THE DEAD* December 5-20 Come in for some craic this holiday season! CTC transforms the Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios into an Irish pub from December 5 – 20 to celebrate James Joyce’s The Dead. Based on the famous short story, this musical by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey tells the tale of a holiday party where love and loss collide amidst an evening of rousing anthems, poignant ballads, saucy jokes, ceili dancing, and plenty of pints. The Dead won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical.

City Theater Company in the Black Box at OperaDelaware Studtos City-theater.org BEGINNING BIRDING IN DECEMBER* December 6, 8:30am Scan the marsh and Christina River for something more than Mallards and Canada Geese. Poke through the woods to see a very different variety of birds than what was there in the summertime. Bring binoculars or borrow ours. Dress for the weather.

DELAWARE TODAY’S WOMEN IN BUSINESS LUNCHEON* December 9, 11am The Women in Business events recognize the accomplishments of the businesswomen profiled in Delaware Today’s Women in Business editorial feature. Seek new ways to connect, grow, achieve success, and expand business opportunities by attending the Women in Business Luncheon! Keynote Speaker Linda L. Ammons, counsel to the president for legal education at Widener University.

Chase Center on the Riverfront DelawareToday.com PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT AT DEEC* December 12, 6:30pm Set mom and dad loose to have dinner along Wilmington’s Riverfront while you stay at DuPont Environmental Education Center and have all the fun with games. Dinner provided.

Parents receive a coupon for Timothy’s Riverfront Grill. This month’s activity is natural holiday crafts- Celebrate the coming holidays with creative arts and crafts.

DuPont Environmental Education Center DuPontEEC.org

*FEE REQUIRED

RECURRING EVENTS

OUTDOOR ICE SKATING ALONG RIVERFRONT WILMINGTON! OPENING DECEMBER 13 Hours: Monday-Thursday: 4pm-9pm Friday- 4pm-10pm Saturday- 11am-10pm Sunday- 11am-9pm

THE ART OF YOGA* Wednesdays in December Class covers beginning yoga, personalized attention to postures, and meditation. Spend your lunch hour on the Riverfront relaxing from the work day!

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts TheDCCA.org ART SALAD Thursday, December 4 & December 11 A free lunchtime discussion forum featuring artists, historians, educators, and curators share multipoint perspectives into the world of contemporary art.

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Art TheDCCA.org

RIVERFRONTRINK.COM 54 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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A VISION FOR

WILMINGTON’S CREATIVE DISTRICT

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ver the last three years, Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) has been working with our partners (City of Wilmington, Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Quaker Hill Neighborhood Association and the Chris White Community Development Corporation) to develop a Creative District in the Downtown/Quaker Hill/West Center City neighborhood.

This creative district will support downtown revitalization by leveraging the high concentration of arts organizations and millions of dollars of investment along Market Street to provide an enhanced sense of place in the area immediately adjacent to downtown. T h e v i s i o n i s a community of artist-owned properties with living spaces above galleries, studios and performance spaces. It will include beautification and artistic projects to engage the current residents and community members.

Modeled after Paducah, KY’s renowned artist relocation program, Wilmington’s Creative District will have a major impact on the whole city. Building on vacant lots and land, the Creative District will create homeownership opportunities for artists. The Creative District will also complement artist initiatives described in neighborhood-based strategic plans, which call for artist housing, artist-related business development and arts-related programming. Lastly, the program will target artists to help provide ownership and entrepreneurial opportunities that might not otherwise exist for them.

WRC engaged urban planning firm Interface Studio to work with a steering committee of volunteers to develop a vision plan for the creative district, which is bounded by 4th, 9th, Market and Washington streets. The artist live/work component will complement the live/work rental program for artists nearby at Shipley Lofts.

The Creative District’s Steering Committee has brought in additional community partners to create an implementation plan focuses on the following areas: Organization, Community Engagement, Programming, Real Estate and Marketing.

WILMINGTON’S CREATIVE DISTRICT EXHIBITION

Art by Sachi

Art on the Town The Wilmington Art Loop Friday, December 5 Chris White Gallery, 701 N. Shipley Street • 5:30 pm

T

his interactive exhibit brings to life the concepts that will help establish a Creative District in Wilmington’s Downtown and Quaker Hill neighborhoods.

Exhibit visitors will have the opportunity to call out the creative assets within Wilmington and beyond and design the elements of “The Rock Lot” – a public space that could be used as a tranquil park, outdoor performance venue or community gathering space. Live music and refreshments will be served.

Sponsored in part by Chris White Community Development Corporation, Delmarva Power and the Delaware Art Museum

GET INVOLVED To learn more about the Creative District, or to get involved visit: BigIdeasWilmington.com Sign-up for WRC’s monthly newsletter: Big Ideas Update and Blog. These two vehicles (along with WRC’s LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) will keep you up-to-date on all things WRC and Creative District.

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LISTEN

MADE IN DELAWARE

Scott Lawing makes his pickups in a spacious workroom in his Newark home.

BUSINESS IS PICKING UP Engineer and guitarist Scott Lawing hopes to grow his Zexcoil brand—with the help of some well-known musical friends

By Larry Nagengast Photos by Tim Hawk

56 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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isten to Scott Lawing for a while and you’ll soon know more than you’ll ever need to know about the arcane world of electric guitar pickups.

It doesn’t take much to get him started on pole pieces, wire coils, magnetic pulses and polarity.

But what else would you expect from a 51-year-old engineer with a Ph.D. from MIT who has been playing guitar for 35 years?

Lawing, however, does much more than talk about pickups.

He makes them too, in a spacious workroom in the rear of his Newark home—and he thinks that his products, marketed under the Zexcoil brand—are better than many others on the market.

Why? Well, Lawing isn’t about to spill all the details. Coca Cola’s formula is still a secret, isn’t it? But a quick explanation of how pickups work and how they’re put together can help make the differences as clear as a Stratocaster blasting clearly without a hint of annoying hum.

To produce sound, an electric guitar senses the vibrations of the strings magnetically and routes an electronic signal to an amplifier and speaker. The sensing occurs in a magnetic pickup mounted under the strings on the guitar’s body. The pickup consists of a coil wrapped with thousands of turns of fine wire around a magnet or pole piece. Many electric guitars have two or three different pickups located on the body. Each pickup will have a distinctive sound, and multiple pickups can be paired, and wired in various combinations, to produce additional variations. There are many types of pickups. For example, some pickups extend a single magnetic bar or pole piece under all six strings. Others have a separate pole piece for each string. Most often, an iron alloy called alnico V, a mix of aluminum, nickel, cobalt and other metals, is used to make the magnet.

Since the pickup is a magnetic sensor, it “picks up” not only the vibration of the string, but it can also be susceptible to external magnetic noise, mostly emanating from AC power lines — what is commonly referred to as “60-cycle hum.” Pickups can be made to cancel 60-cycle hum by utilizing multiple coils that capture the external noise signal at opposite polarities.

Lawing’s Zexcoil pickups use six coils, whereas most conventional pickups use one or at most two. (The name Zexcoil, he explains, is a play on the German word sechs, for the number six, which is pronounced “zex.”) But he doesn’t align the coils as in conventional pickups, arrayed directly underneath each string and perpendicular to each one. Rather, he arranges six coils so they run in a diagonal fashion across the body of the guitar, slightly overlapping so each magnet rests underneath two strings.

The pickup consists of a coil wrapped with thousands of turns of fine wire around a magnet or pole piece.

This alignment, Lawing says, enables the pickup to cancel 60-cycle hum effectively and also to capture more precisely the sounds made by each string.

Lawing makes a variety of pickups, primarily for Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars. The pickups typically found in these guitars only have one coil, so they tend to exhibit a lot of 60-cycle hum.

One of the holy grails for guitarists is a hum-canceling pickup that captures the tone of these vintage pickups, and this tone is largely a result of their alnico pole pieces. “I can do something that has the response characteristics of alnico V, but by using different materials. We have something else in the core of the coil,” he says, being careful not to give away his secret.

“The pickup is a sensor, but it’s also a filter. It picks up the tone, and it alters it, it colors it. One of the things I’ve learned is that the main driver of that coloration is the properties of these pole pieces,” he says. “By manipulating the properties of the pole piece, you can change your tonal coloration all over the map.”

Most of Lawing’s sales are to musicians who want to retrofit their guitars with a new set of pickups. “They change them just because they can,” he says.

However, given the wide range of musical genres that can be played on an electric guitar, it’s not always easy to determine which style of pickup would be best for a particular musician. To help guitarists make their selections, Lawing offers advice on the frequently-asked-questions page of his website, www.zexcoil.com, and responds promptly to those that are emailed to him.

He started making pickups in 2007, when he and his wife, Claire, were living in Phoenix, where he worked for Dow Chemical. He was still “early in the process” of trying to design a better pickup when Dow transferred him to Delaware in April 2008 and the couple settled in Newark.

“Claire believed in it the whole time. Sometimes she believed in it more than I did,” he says. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this if she wasn’t as supportive as she has been.”

Business has been growing steadily, he says, “but we’re really just a mom and pop shop with a good idea.”

As of now, virtually all Zexcoil sales are made online. He currently sells about 50 pickups a month (most electric guitars require a set of two or three pickups, depending on the model).

Basic pickups cost about $100 each; sets of three range from $285 to about $420, depending on their features. ►

Lawing playing a Fender Telecaster with Zexcoil Pickups.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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LISTEN

Give a Legendary Gift!

BUSINESS IS PICKING UP continued from previous page

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Lawing is exploring the idea of creating a pickup that he can place in retail distribution, through music shops and guitar dealers, but he says he will have to find a way to streamline the production process so he can sell them at a lower price.

He has hired a subcontractor to wind the wire for the coils of the pickup. The rest of the process involves mounting six coils on a circuit board, inserting spacers for positioning, removing the spacers and replacing them with pole pieces and, finally, mounting magnets on the bottom of the unit. It takes about an hour to make a single pickup, he says, but the gluing and drying time between each step spreads the process over four or five days.

As the business grows, Lawing has continued working part-time in his professional specialty, chemical mechanical polishing, while also playing lead guitar in a tribute band, In The Light, which usually creates and performs one show a year. This year it was The Who, performed at World Cafe Live at the Queen in June. Previous ventures included Queen and one based on Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti album.

While he’s working at home, Lawing admits he is “waiting for the phone to ring” with a huge order or an endorsement that could propel him into the major leagues of pickup manufacturing.

Actually, he says, the phone has rung “a couple of times” with something big, but some of his better customers are reticent about using their names in endorsements.

One of his better customers, Lawing says, is Walter Becker, half of the songwriting team at the core of the rock band Steely Dan. “I think he’s got at least one of just about everything we make,” he says.

Another big booster is blues guitarist Anthony Stauffer, who operates the Texas Blues Alley, a website that offers guitarists lessons and a place to talk about their passions and their gear. Take a close look at the videos on the site, Lawing says, and Zexcoil pickups will be visible on almost every guitar Stauffer is playing.

That sort of visibility, he says, is helpful in building the business.

“We’re in the black, but not hugely in the black. It’s sustaining,” he says. Pausing briefly, he adds, “now, if one of these big guys calls …”

58 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 3:04 PM

IT’S BACK

$15 2 - CourSe LunCh

mondAy Through frIdAy

11:30AM - 4PM

HARRY’S SAVOY GRILL 2020 NaamaNs Road • WilmiNgtoN, dE • 302.475.3000 • WWW.haRRys-saVoy.com

WHAT’S #INTUNE THIS MONTH

RKVC MUSICIANS

Art Alexakis: Songs & Stories Purling Hiss w/ Thunderhank A Charlie Brown Christmas Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Wednesday, December 3 Saturday, December 6 Saturday, December 13 Thursday, December 18

Get full details for the events above, plus hundreds more at: inWilmingtonDE.com

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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TUNED IN Not-to-be missed music news GRACE VONDERKUHN, POST-KIND OF CREATURES The now solo artist will release EP in January

Photo Nichole Fusca

Wilmington musician Grace Vonderkuhn, previously of the now-disbanded Kind of Creatures, is focusing on an eponymous solo project.

“After writing and playing in several bands, I decided to take a different approach. I’m on my own. The songs are recorded at home on an eight-track. The whole operation is very DIY,” says the Newark native.

In January, Vonderkuhn will release an eponymously-titled EP, available on vinyl, cassette, and for download. The songs are an eclectic mix of lo-fi garage rock, psychedelic, and dream pop, she says.

She describes the music as “Lots of electric guitar and distorted bass, as well as some softer, vocally driven tracks.”

Two singles (“Nowhere to Go” and “God Bless Your Soul”) are already online at soundcloud.com/gracevonderkuhn. Stay up to date with Vonderkuhn at Facebook.com/gracevonderkuhn and look for her upcoming music video for “Nowhere to Go.” Vonderkuhn is also a bassist in area band This Blows, which will perform at Oddity Bar on Saturday, Jan. 17.

PURLING HISS WILL PLAY ARDEN Philadelphia band to perform Dec. 6 Purling Hiss, a Philadelphia punk band, will be at Arden Concert Gild on Saturday, Dec. 6. Area groups St. James and the Apostles and Thunderhank will join them. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 day-of.

ODDITY BAR WELCOMES TREEWALKER Alternative band scheduled to perform Dec. 5 Peanut Butter Jams welcomes

Trout Fishing In America COUNTDOWN TO NOON! WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31 • 11:30AM

TreeWalker, an Elkton, Md.,-based alternative indie rock band, released their latest album, October Winds, this fall.

Songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Kirby Moore, drummer Patrick Milner, guitarist Chris Harris and bassist Brandyn Mark played in various bands in the area before connecting last year, when they recorded a five-song EP, Long Night, and later, Ocean Winds, made up of 11 original tracks.

Check them out at Oddity Bar in Wilmington on Friday, Dec. 5, at 9 p.m., or Gracie’s Café in Elkton at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.

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

60 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Photo provided by Travel Songs

UPSTAIRS IN DECEMBER All shows at 8pm unless otherwise noted.

Dec 3 - 4W5 Blues Jam (7pm) Dec 4 - Jonathon Boogie Long The Travel Songs Project tells the story of the Q’eros people of the Andean Highlands of Peru.

TRAVEL SONGS: PERU FILM DEBUTS Inter-cultural documentary to premiere at Theatre N The Travel Songs Project, a venture made up of area musicians, aims to bridge cultural gaps and create a common ground through documenting art forms from around the world. Members film the experience of music in various countries, sharing unique cultural attributes and universal commonalities.

Members of the project are: producer Zachary Humenik; photographer and score director Samuel Nobles; camera operators George Murphy and Colin Shalo; sound engineer Tyler Holloway, and production assistant Tyler Doherty.

They traveled to Peru last summer to film their first documentary, Travel Songs: Peru, which premieres Saturday, Dec. 20, at Theatre N in Wilmington.

The screening starts at 8 p.m. and project members will conduct a Q&A postpremiere. Tickets are $8 ($6 for seniors).

An encore event will take place at the same location and time on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

—Krista Connor

Dec 5 - Honey Child (Nancy Josephson, Kathleen Weber, Natalee Smith and Jake Heck) Dec 6 - Peanut Butter and Jams welcomes Suzi Shelton (11:30am), Atlas Gray w/ The Chronicles Dec 10 - Classical Revolution Delaware (5pm), The Unsung Hearos Open Stage (7pm) Dec 11 - Kategory5’s Rewind to Vinyl Show Dec 12 - The Porkroll Project Dec 13 - Peanut Butter and Jams welcomes Two of a Kind (11:30 am), Runnin’ Late Holiday Show Dec 17 - HUMP NITE with The Sermon! Classic Soul, Funk, Jazz & Beyond (7pm) Dec 18 - The Hold-Up w/ The Hello Strangers Dec 19 - Gable Music Ventures presents December Singer Songwriter Showcase w/ C. Lynne Smith, D. Corridori, Hot Breakfast!, Kenny Ferrier, Kevin McCove, Sarah Koon (7pm) Dec 20 - Peanut Butter and Jams welcomes We Kids Rock Band’s Holiday Show (11:30 am), Burlesque-A-Pades, A Christmas Shimmy!

Dec 27 - Grilled Cheese and Craft Beer Tasting (3 pm), Xtra Alltra & Friends Dec 31 - New Year’s Eve with Plow United, Mikey Erg, The Headies, Goddamnit (10pm)

World Cafe Live at the Queen 500 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 302-994-1400 WorldCafeLive.com DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/25/14 10:02 AM

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WHEN YOU BUY $25 IN HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS TO USE ON A FUTURE VISIT

Want some Christmas cheer?

Here are some area holiday and New Year’s Eve shows we recommend

MAD-SWEET PANGS

Area band Mad-Sweet Pangs is performing a holiday show on Saturday, Dec. 20, at World Cafe Live at The Queen. Tickets are $9 and doors open at 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 24 - DECEMBER 31 VALID FOR HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS SHOWN

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal U.S. residents age 18 or older. Void in FL, NY, RI and where prohibited by law. Not valid in Canada or Mexico. Promotion Period runs 11/24/14 – 2/28/15. Blazin’ Bonus® Coupon Distribution Period runs 11/24/14 – 12/31/14, or upon distribution of all Blazin’ Bonus coupons, whichever occurs first. Blazin’ Bonus coupons available only while supplies last. Redeem original Blazin’ Bonus coupon (no copies or facsimiles accepted) 01/01/15 through 02/28/15 at a participating U.S. Buffalo Wild Wings® location to use toward purchase of food or non-alcoholic beverages. Obtain one Blazin’ Bonus coupon for every $25 in holiday gift cards purchased at participating Buffalo Wild Wings locations (not applicable to gift cards purchased online) (gift card cannot be used for four (4) hours after purchase) during the Blazin’ Bonus Coupon Distribution Period. To obtain official rules and a Blazin’ Bonus coupon without gift card purchase, visit www.bwwbonusentry.com and follow instructions for submitting a SASE by 12/31/14. Each request must be mailed separately. Limit four (4) Blazin’ Bonus coupons per person regardless of method of participation.

See www.buffalowildwings.com for official rules, prize details, odds, and limitations. Sponsor: Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. 5500 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 1600, Minneapolis, MN 55416. ©2014 Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. BWW2014-2385_US Display from 11/24/14 − 12/31/14

PLOW UNITED On New Year’s Eve, Delaware band Plow United – along with Mikey Erg, The Headies and Goddamnit – are performing at The Queen at 10 p.m. Tickets are $16. The show is all ages.

THE SPRING STANDARDS On Friday, Dec. 26, the Spring Standards are playing a sixth annual Boxing Day show at Arden Gild Hall alongside Tim Meren. Members of the Spring Standards grew up in Arden. Now a nationally-recognized trio, they perform every year in their hometown.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door.

WE KIDS ROCK BAND Get ready for the holidays with this Peanut Butter and Jams event featuring We Kids Rock Band Holiday Show on Saturday, Dec. 20, at The Queen. We Kids Rock has a mission: to create fun, upbeat musical experiences for families. The band features catchy originals as well as traditional favorites in fun musical styles, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, punk, ska and country. Doors open at 11 a.m. and tickets are $10 for kids and adults.

RUNNIN’ LATE Runnin’ Late, a six-piece Wilmington band, will bring a mix of favorite holiday tunes and original songs to World Cafe Live at the Queen on Saturday, Dec. 13. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7.

62 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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DUELING VENUES! Celebrate the holiday season at Our Velocity Productions’ second dual-venue event at Oddity Bar and 1984 in Wilmington on Saturday, Dec. 27. Enter at either venue, pay admission, and receive a bracelet that will allow you to go in and out of both Oddity and 1984. This event is for ages 21 and over.

Performing musicians include Gozer, Katie Dill, Picture Perfect, Bitchin Camaro, Widow Maker Social Club, Old Baltimore Speedway and more. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $8 before 9 p.m. and $10 after 9.

Food donations will be accepted for the Food Bank of Delaware (urgently needed: dry goods, peanut butter, canned fruits, canned meats and canned vegetables).

CARTOON CHRISTMAS TRIO & THE WILMINGTON CHILDREN’S CHORUS On Sunday, Dec. 21, join the Cartoon Christmas Trio and The Wilmington Children’s Chorus for a holiday show at The Queen. The Cartoon Christmas Trio was started in 1995 by bassist Rob Swanson for the sole purpose of playing music from classic Christmas cartoons. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10.

A CELTIC TRIO The Green Willow Folk Club, a Delaware organization dedicated to the preservation and growth of Celtic and British Isles folk music, is celebrating the holiday season with A Celtic Trio, featuring America’s premier player of the hammered dulcimer, Maggie Sansone, joined by Sharon Knowles on Celtic harp and Andrea Hoag on traditional fiddle.

The concert will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Ball Barn at Alapocas Run State Park in Wilmington.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 at the door. Ages 17 and under are free with an adult. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. E-mail concert ticket reservations to reservations@greenwillow. org or call 456-3242.

DAVID BROMBERG QUINTET WXPN welcomes the David Bromberg Quintet on New Year’s Eve at The Queen.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the all-ages show starts at 10. Bromberg, a multiinstrumentalist, singer and songwriter, plays a variety of genres, including bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll. Tickets range from $40 to $57.

—O&A

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Buy $50 and Receive an Additional 20% 1007 N Orange St, Wilmington (302) 658-7050 • CafeMezzanotte.net DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 3:10 PM

Gift Cards 10 CARD

$

BONUS

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Valid January 1 - March 31, 2015

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Spend New Year’s Eve on the Riverfront!

Receive a FREE

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Call Timothy’s for info on New Year’s Eve Packages including a discounted room at the new Westin Hotel on the Riverfront!

for every $50 in gift cards purchased between November 15 & December 31

Open Bar, DJ & Dancing, Hors O’Dourves & Party Favors

*Bonus card has a value of $10 to be used for food and beverages after it is activated. The card is valid from January 1 to March 31, 2015.

Guests will receive one $10 bonus card for every $50 in gift cards purchased.

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For a full location listing visit

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Make Your Reservations Today!

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY TODAY! 302.429.7427 • 930 Justison Street • Wilmington, DE TimothysOnTheRiverfont.com

64 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Foxcatcher

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STARS µµµµµ Steve Carell plays John du Pont; Channing Tatum is Mark Schultz. Photo Fair Hill, LLC.

WRESTLING WITH REALITY John du Pont/Schultz story: strong acting in “incomplete film experience”

By Mark Fields

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he tragic saga of the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz by John du Pont captivated the American public when it happened in 1996. The sordid tale, brought to the screen in Foxcatcher, would seem to have all the ingredients for a gripping cinematic adaptation: the juxtaposition of the wealth and privilege of the du Ponts with the workaday existence of blue-collar athletes; the thrills of competition on the Olympic level and the feverish atmosphere of intense training; and of course, three really juicy acting roles in du Pont, Schultz, and his younger brother, Mark.

Let’s start with those performances, because all three are remarkable. Steve Carell, who has made a career playing genial average Joes, is virtually unrecognizable as the self-indulgent and disturbed John du Pont. With transformative (though occasionally distracting) make-up and similarly altered vocal patterns and physical carriage, Carell feels almost other worldly as the man of leisure turned aspiring wrestling coach. From the outset, the viewer senses that this man is more than a bit off.

Mark Ruffalo as Dave Schultz and Channing Tatum as Mark are much-changed as well. Both actors are usually graceful, even lithe performers. Here, they have bulked up to become plausible as life-long wrestlers: muscular, hulking. And their powerful physical presence reflects the brothers’ stolid lack of social skills. These are men who relate to the world mostly through their bodies.

The three are drawn together by their shared fixation on wrestling. Mark and Dave, both gold medal winners in the 1984

Olympics, have quickly disappeared from the public spotlight.

Meanwhile, du Pont has created a world-class wrestling facility at his family estate, Foxcatcher. He convinces Mark to come there to train for a repeat bid in Seoul in 1988. The two isolated men form a strange bond that is strained when brother Dave shows up. The shifting tensions of this triangle form the heart of the film.

We know the outcome of this tripartite drama, of course, but director Bennett Miller (Moneyball, Capote) nevertheless creates a foreboding atmosphere, aided by composer Rob Simonsen’s eerie score. Miller shoots the film with a muted palette, full of autumnal colors and moods; and he uses a lot of medium and long shots that create emotional distance between the viewer and these opaque characters.

And that’s the ultimate problem with Foxcatcher. The director, and screenwriters E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, seems to accept the premise that all three of these characters’ inner lives are unknowable. That may be true in the real biography behind this story, but it makes for an incomplete film experience. We know the facts of the case, but we want to understand why people behave the way they do, even if it is just postulating on the part of the filmmakers.

Without any directorial insight, Foxcatcher is reduced to a chilly, glossy dramatization of a sad, all-too-American story. Although the performances are worthy, we are left far short of victory by pin; this film feels more like a forfeit.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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

MONDAY 1/2 Price Appetizers All Day

COME BRING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH US!

New Years Eve Party with DJ Dance Party, Champagne Toast, & Party Favors!

EVERYDAY!

$10 Buckets of Miller Lite or Coors Light 6pm-Close

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

Don’t Forget to Book Your Holiday Party!

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

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

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

FRIDAY Prime Rib $22.99

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

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

8oz. Sirloin Steak $12.99 - ALL DAY!

Gift Cards Make GREAT GIFTS!

66 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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WATCH

Photo Universal Pictures International

The Theory of Everything

3

STARS µµµµµ Felicity Jones is Jane Wilde and Eddie Redmayne stars as Stephen Hawking in Academy Award—winner James Marsh’s The Theory Of Everything.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HAWKING

Biopic of renowned physicist both delights and frustrates

By Paula Goulden Stephen Hawking, the subject of the new biopic The Theory of Everything, is worldfamous as the author of A Brief History of Time and other books that make theoretical physics more approachable for the general public. But he is equally renowned for living and working for more than 50 years though completely disabled with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a progressive neurological disorder that leaves victims’ brain functions completely unaffected but paralyzes them physically, effectively imprisoning them in their own bodies.

Directed by James Marsh (Shadow Dancer), The Theory of Everything is an unusual depiction of love and courage, as well as science. It traces the relationship between Hawking and his first wife, Jane, from their first meeting when both are graduate students at Cambridge, around the time when Hawking started to have the symptoms of what turned out to be ALS. Although the doctors tell Stephen he has two years to live (or perhaps because of this), Jane insists on marrying him.

But as their family grows (ALS doesn’t rob its sufferers of sexual function—as Stephen puts it, “It’s automatic”), we watch Jane’s tension grow as she finds herself with sole responsibility for her increasingly disabled husband and three small children. As different caregivers become part of the family, both Jane and Stephen develop feelings for other people and, surprisingly, Stephen is the one who exits the marriage first. Today, both he and Jane are married to other people, but they remain friends.

Time is a sub-theme of the movie, in obvious and not-so-obvious ways. Not only does much of Hawking’s work in physics involve time (Did time have a beginning? Over his career Hawking has changed his mind), but the grim medical prognosis versus the reality of how much time he has left clearly influences the course of Jane’s and Stephen’s relationship.

It also influences Hawking’s work; he has said that the prospect of an early death has urged him on to make several intellectual breakthroughs so that he is now regarded as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein.

The movie is both extraordinarily good and extremely unsatisfying at the same time. Felicity Jones (The Invisible Woman) portrays Jane with great sensitivity, so we can empathize with Jane’s emotions; but as Stephen’s ALS progresses he is able to show less and less of his feelings. Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables) gives a remarkable performance that captures both Hawking’s brilliance and his humor, as well as his clear-eyed appraisal of his situation (as when we see Stephen observing Jane’s growing fondness for the man who helps her care for him). This leaves the question of what keeps Stephen going despite the physical and emotional challenges. The movie tries to address that but does so in a way that doesn’t fully satisfy.

The devastation of ALS limits its victims’ interactions with the world, and we as onlookers yearn to better understand Hawking’s inner life. Unfortunately, at the end of The Theory of Everything, that understanding remains elusive.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 11:27 AM

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11/24/14 11:28 AM

DOWN, ON MAIN STREET

WATCH

Six movies that probe the good and the bad —mostly the bad—of small town life

By Mark Fields

Some people (I’m talking to you, John Mellencamp) celebrate the simple pleasures of small towns. Others, such as this writer, couldn’t wait to hightail it out of their village and make for the action and adventure of the city. Whichever camp you fall into, you’re sure to enjoy these cinematic explorations of small town life.

Young Adult

(2011)

Charlize Theron plays Mavis Gary, an alcoholic, divorced writer who returns to her hometown in a delusional attempt to reclaim the glory of her high school years, including her former boyfriend. The problem: he is now happily married and a new parent. Directed by Jason Reitman from a screenplay by Diablo Cody, this dark comedy doesn’t really hang together but still features some trenchant writing and a great supporting performance from Patton Oswalt as Mavis’ self-appointed conscience.

Pleasantville

(1998)

Thanks to a mysterious remote control, two discontented modern teenagers find themselves stuck in Pleasantville, a fictional TV town where everything is black-and-white and, well, pleasant. The teens’ contemporary sensibilities gradually start to change the TV hamlet and its residents, literally introducing color into their monochromatic sit-com lives. The terrific cast includes Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Joan Allen, William H. Macy and Don Knotts.

Mystic Pizza

(1988)

When it was first released, this film was praised for its poignant distillation of the awkward transition from high school life to adulthood for three girls who work in a Connecticut pizzeria. Now it’s best remembered for launching the Hollywood careers of Vincent D’Onofrio, Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor, and a coltish, effervescent teenager named Julia Roberts. Star power aside, Mystic Pizza still retains appealing charm and a coming-of-age story that doesn’t settle for obvious tropes.

Local Hero

(1988)

Peter Riegert is a too-slick-for-his-own-good oil executive sent to an isolated berg on the Scottish coast to con the locals into a deal that would turn their town into an industrial port. But the quirky denizens of Ferness are fully aware of the scheme and have ambitions of their own. Unapologetically offbeat, the gentle but resonant fish-out-of-water comedy was written and directed by Bill Forsyth, and also features Burt Lancaster and Peter Capaldi (the latest Doctor Who).

The Last Picture Show

(1971)

A simply astonishing cast (Jeff Bridges, Cybil Shepherd, Ellen Burstyn, Ben Johnson and Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman) portray residents of a hard-scrabble West Texas town in the 1950s in this acclaimed film directed

by Peter Bogdanovich. Based on a starkly beautiful novel by Larry McMurtry and shot in black and white, The Last Picture Show captures the painful precipice both between adolescence and maturity, and between staying home and leaving for good.

It’s a Wonderful Life

(1946)

The ultimate small-town movie and a Christmas classic rolled into one, Frank Capra’s tribute to homespun virtue still resonates nearly 70 years after its release. James Stewart plays George Bailey, a modest man unaware of the indelible effect he has had on his community. That is, until an angel shows him the light by erasing George’s life from history, with devastating results. The cast includes Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Thomas Mitchell and Lionel Barrymore as the odious banker, Mr. Potter.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/25/14 9:55 AM

PLAY

SHOW SOME

SPIRIT Have an ugly sweater?

It could pay off at this year’s Santa Crawl

T

here’s something about seeing a Santa cap that makes you smile.

And there’s something about seeing someone sporting a tacky holiday sweater that makes you chuckle. Fortunately for those attending this year’s Santa Crawl, both fashion statements will gain you free entry into any of the 16 participating nightspots.

Once again, Out & About Magazine is teaming with the crew at Ugly Outfitters to add an entertaining twist to this holiday bar crawl, set for Friday, Dec. 12. In fact, not only will wearing an “ugly” holiday sweater gain you free admission, you could be a winner as Ugly Outfitters cruises around the Loop awarding instant prizes to sweaters that make a statement.

Of course, those wearing a Santa cap or dressed in holiday attire will also get in free. The bottom line: Show some spirit, otherwise you pay a $5 cover.

This year’s venues include: Anejo, Catherine Rooney’s, Chelsea Tavern, Club Lavish, Dead Presidents, Ernest & Scott, Famous Tim’s, Firestone, Gallucio’s Café, Grotto Pizza, Kelly’s Logan House, Latin Fusion Nightclub, Satsuma, Shenanigans, Timothy’s Riverfront and The Wicked Vine (formerly The Blue Parrot).

Public shuttles begin at 8 p.m. and will run until 1:15 a.m. Partial proceeds from the Santa Crawl benefit Wilmington Children’s Chorus.

For complete Loop information visit outandaboutnow.com. And if you need help locating an ugly sweater, visit uglyoutfitters.com

C

i atV

s.b

iz

we pri vid

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nt eo

—O&A DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 3:29 PM

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72 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 2:55 PM

Photo O&A

PLAY

The winners, Team Sabotage Stout: Matt Loeb and Marie Graham Poot.

Cheers to the Victors O&A inaugural Firkin Face-Off proves a tasty affair

N

othing wrong with a little friendly intra-office competition, especially when the challenge is who can make the best beer.

So last month during Wilmington Beer Week, two teams of Out & About staffers put their talents to a taste test at Cromwell’s Tavern in our first (and we hope annual) Firkin Face-Off. Both teams were operating with a freshly-brewed Twin Lakes beer that they put in a firkin and sought to enhance by adding ingredients.

The team of Matt Loeb (creative director) and Marie Graham Poot (director of digital media) put their creative stamp on the Twin Lakes Tavern Stout by adding a concentrated mixture of espresso, vanilla, bourbon and toasted orange peel. In the other corner was the team of Jim Miller (director of publications) and Tyler Mitchell (graphic designer), who worked their magic with a Twin Lakes Jubilcious Winter Seasonal by adding fig (dried and fried), honey (harvested by Twin Lakes brewer Rob Pfeiffer), cascade and centennial hops.

The winner? The Loeb-Graham team by a margin of 31 votes to 19, though the voters and non-voters had no problem throwing down both batches.

“I think the key to our victory was a little bit of risk-taking, and going heavy on flavor,” said Graham. “We wanted to make sure you'd really be able to taste whatever we added.” ”I think we could have used more hops to give a more pronounced aroma of hops and maybe less figs,” said Mitchell.

“We also may have considered using spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg instead of figs to give a more ‘winter warmer’ taste and give the beer a less fruity flavor.”

“Both beers turned out really well,” added Graham. “I think our stout took center stage because it had a sort of dessert-like quality, and was unique tasting.”

—O&A DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 4:05 PM

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74 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/25/14 9:57 AM

PLAY

SNAP SHOTS 1.

2.

3.

2.

4.

5.

Photos by Lori M. Nichols 1. From left: Kalia Kelly of Frederick, Md., Bianca Velazquez of Wilmington, Jasmine White of Philadelphia, Domenic Maccarella of Hammonton, N.J., and Ashley Jones of Marlton, N.J., at FireStone during Out & About’s Halloween Loop. It was the 35th anniversary of the Wilmington costumed bar crawl.

2. Wilmington residents Dana Gallagher and Christian Tasker pay a tribute to The Flinstones dressed as Pebbles and Bam Bam. 3. Michael Lavin, of Wilmington (left) and Paul Kline, of Brookhaven, Pa., at Timothy’s Riverfront.

4. Melissa Brewer, dressed as Poison Ivy, laughs as Dakeim Tolson dances at FireStone. Tolson was dressed as the Martin Lawrence character Jerome. Brewer and Tolson are from Dover.

5. Sarah Allen (Catwoman) and Lars Hindsley (Batman), both of Christiana, were a dynamic duo on this Loop night.

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 3:14 PM

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76 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/24/14 11:50 AM

PLAY

SNAP SHOTS 3.

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. Mat Falco of Philly Beer Scene, Brittney Thomas of Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company, Mike Contreras of Dogfish Head, and a local craft-brew enthusiast (l-r) gather at Two Stones Pub for Giving On Tap, an annual benefit for Meals On Wheels Delaware. Photo O&A

2. At Deep Blue, Liz and Tommy Abel acted like martini-craving zombies after the Life After Beth Delaware Premiere, screened at Theatre N in Wilmington. The event raised funds for Serviam Girls Academy and Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington. Photo O&A 3. Before jumping into the pond, Joe Russo, Stanley Yau, Victor Mattia, Rob Pfeiffer, and Julia Christie-Robin (l-r) pose with Mia DeMarteleire (front) at the Twin Lakes Plunge during the brewery’s annual Harvest Fest. The event raised more than $1,400 for the Cancer Support Community. Photo O&A 4. Twin Lakes Brewery’s proud brewers Julia Christie-Robin (left) and Rob Pfeiffer make a mad dash into (and nearly across) the pond during the Twin Lakes Plunge.

Photo Enrique Espinosa

DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/25/14 10:26 AM

December 5-20

OutAndAboutNow.com

FRESH NEW LOOK. MORE GREAT CONTENT.

Come in for some craic this holiday season! CTC transforms the Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios into a proper Irish pub to celebrate James Joyce’s The Dead. Based on the famous short story, this musical by Richard Nelson and Shaun Davey tells the tale of a holiday party where love and loss collide amidst an evening of rousing anthems, poignant ballads, saucy jokes, ceili dancing, and plenty of pints.

Tickets $25 $40 VIP

Gray’s Pub (The Black Box at OperaDelaware Studios) 4 S. Poplar Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 Tickets available at city-theater.org Available NOW at city-theater.org

Something For Everyone.

WVUD.ORG 78 DECEMBER 2014 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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11/25/14 10:25 AM

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11/24/14 3:42 PM

presents

Out & About Magazine’s

SANTA

Crawl

16 CLUBS Anejo Catherine Rooney’s Chelsea Tavern Club Lavish Dead Presidents

Fri, Dec 12 • 8PM • $5 Cover

Ernest & Scott

Wear a Santa Hat or Ugly Sweater and

Famous Tim’s

DON’T PAY A COVER! Partial proceeds benefit Wilmington Children’s Chorus

FireStone Gallucio’s Cafe Grotto Pizza Kelly’s Logan House Latin Fusion Nightclub Satsuma Asian Kitchen & Bar Shenanigans Timothy’s Riverfront The Wicked Vine

Ugly

Sweater

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11/24/14 3:00 PM

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