Middletown Life Spring/Summer 2015

Spring/Summer 2015

Middletown Life

Magazine

Inside : • An essay of photographs

by Eric Crossan • Appoquinimink High School librarian receives national award

www.middletownlifemagazine.com

• A place where old cars get a new lease on life • What happened to Middletown’s World War II Honor Roll?

A Chester County Press Publication

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Middletown Life • Spring /Summer 2015

8

Catching the fleeting moments when kids are being themselves

p. 8

16 In the kitchen with Bryan: 24 Appoquinimink High School librarian receives national award p. 24

32 A place where old cars get a new lease on life 52 What happened to Middletown’s World War II Honor Roll?

66 Eric Crossan: An artist with a camera in the p. 78

age of the selfie

88 Q&A with Michelle Taylor, president and CEO of the United Way of Delaware

78 Photo essay by Eric Crossan p. 88

Cover design: JoAnn Bissinger p. 66

Cover photo: Eric Crossan

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Landenberg Today

Letter from the Editor Spring/Summer 2015

Interesting people doing extraordinary things Letter from the Editor: As the writers and photographers were putting together this issue of Middletown Life, and we met with people like Amber Shader, Christine Payne, Eric Crossan, George Contant, Bryan Crowley and Gary Corkell, it became apparent to us that there are many interesting people in the Middletown area who are doing extraordinary things.

Crossan, for example, is one of the most prominent photographers in Delaware, and his photos have

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been featured on more than 800 magazine covers during his career. Crossan has photographed many events throughout Delaware as well as famous subjects, including U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, and the Queen of Sweden, during his 40 years as a professional photographer.

We talk to Shader about her work as a photographer and the success of First & Little Baby Boutique, which is in downtown Middletown.

Continued on Page 45

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Photo by Amber Shader

At First & Little, Amber Shader specializes in making memories

By John Chambless Staff Writer Amber Shader’s domain in Middletown is barely 15 feet wide, but it’s a fairy land of toys, clothing, trinkets, books and the kind of things that you simply cannot resist buying. She knows this, and she’s happy to discuss the success of First & Little Baby Boutique,

but she’s too busy chatting with customers who are conversing with her like old friends.

“Your hair looks so cute!” Shader tells one woman who’s picking up several gifts. “Did you just get it cut?”

Another woman comes in not really knowing what she wants, and Shader subtly steers her toward a fedora and tie for her young son that look absolutely adorable. It’s all done with smiles and enthusiasm, not hype and pressure.

In the small storefront next to the Everett, Amber Shader gets to know her customers one-on-one.

Items are carefully selected to appeal to kids and parents.

While First & Little is the public face of Shader’s miniempire, she’s also a photographer who specializes in portraits of children. Her photos are tucked in between the merchandise, and they fit so well into the store’s aesthetics that you’d swear everything has been groomed by a Hollywood stylist. Shader has created an appealing, consistent design for everything from her business cards to her window displays and her warm, impeccable photos.

Shader's portraits (above and below) are the products of patience and skill.

Photos (4) by Amber Shader

But in the beginning, she was just a kid who liked to take pictures.

“I was born and raised in Delaware, and grew up in Wilmington,” she said. “When I was in sixth grade, I had just transferred to a new school, and one of my new friends got me into a community center where there were photography classes. I know it sounds kind Continued on Page 10

Jump...

Continued from Page 10

Amber Shader...

Photos (2) by Amber Shader

Continued from Page 9

of cliche, but ever since sixth grade, I’ve had a passion for photography.”

She kept taking photos all through high school and college, but steered herself toward a career in business because she assumed making a living as a photographer wasn’t feasible.

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First & Little is a must-visit for families with young children.

“I graduated with my master’s degree in business and spent 13 years in corporate America,” she said.

“I started at MBNA, and worked at Bank of America. I learned so much working there, but I felt like I couldn’t be creative. At the same time, in 2011, a colleague had passed away, and I remember sitting at her funeral, and everybody was talking about how much she gave to the company. I was working 80 hours a week, I was never home. I’d be gone for two weeks at a time on trips. I remember sitting in the church and thinking, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’”

Shader and her husband don’t have children, but her skill with a new digital camera got her recruited by family members to take portraits. “It kind of grew organically,” she said. “I would share pictures I took of my nieces and nephews. People would say, ‘I’m going to pay you to take pictures of my kids.’”

She started with a space in her home where she met clients. When parents sometimes couldn’t find the right outfit for their child to wear in a portrait, Shader began putting the pieces of a business together. “I figured I knew how to buy this stuff, so I started to research some wholesale things,” she said. “I talked to some local moms who handmade some things. And in my Continued on Page 12

Photo by Amber Shader

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Amber Shader...

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home studio, I had things set up for portraits, with headbands and hats and cute little ties and stuff like that.”

She found a tiny storefront attached to the Everett Theater in 2012, when it was a derelict space being used for storage. “I wasn’t that familiar with Middletown, but I kind of knew where the Everett was,” Shader said.

“The space was so junky and dirty. I applied to get the spot through Project Pop-Up, when you could get a space rent-free for three months. The small space has worked out to my advantage, actually. All my customers are forced to talk to me, so I get to know them all.

All the little kids think I live here, because it’s decorated like a house,” she said, laughing. “They say, ‘I want to go to Miss Amber’s house.’”

The limited display space means that Shader has to choose her merchandise carefully. Only the cutest products -- and the coolest innovations -- make the cut.

For instance, there’s the Neckerchew, a dribble bib for teething babies that has a sewn-in chewy spot. And there are stylish necklaces for moms to wear that are made of rubber. Every mom knows that babies will grab and chew jewelry, so the product fills a need

Photo by Amber Shader

ingeniously. There are sock-monkey toys, stylish nursing cover-ups, and a strategically placed rack of glittery, puffy dresses in the middle of the store that’s a magnet for little girls. A mirror is placed about six inches from the floor so that Shader’s most important customers can get a good look at themselves

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in their new accessories.

Using the storefront to meet with clients about portraits works in two ways -- selling portraits, and selling accessories and clothing. On the other hand, people who come in for clothing just might ask about Shader’s portrait business.

“I just love taking pictures of children,” she said with a broad smile. “There’s nothing better. I love going to the client’s house when the nursery is all decorated for the baby. I start with a pre-session consultation, to talk about, ‘What color is your house? How do you decorate?’ We talk about locations, about clothing. We set up two dates -- the shoot, and then an ordering session a couple of weeks later. I never want to just hand somebody a disc of photos, because what happens is that it sits in a drawer, or as a file on a computer.

People are not printing keepsakes from it.”

Shader’s poster-size portraits are room-filling artistic statements, but she can work with images for tiny photo jewelry and everything in between.

“Out of all the ages, 1 is the most difficult age to shoot,” she said. “One minute they’re having tantrums, the next minute they’re smiling. You just have to let Continued on Page 14

Amber Shader operates a photography business and sells items for children at her Middletown store, First & Little.

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Amber Shader...

Continued from Page 13

them get it out and have a good cry. But I never leave without knowing I have what I want,” she added.

In an era when everyone is their own photographer, Shader said, “Good, professional photography is an investment, and not everyone can afford it. My big thing is that, even if you can’t afford professional work, make sure you are taking pictures of your children.

Don’t just let them sit on your iPhone. Print them out.

“There is no better investment than photography. As much as I think my pictures are for the mom and dad, they are really for the kids later on in life. I used to love sitting on the floor, looking at old pictures with my brother. But our mom never wanted her picture taken, so we have very few pictures our mother and us together,” Shader said. “A lot of my work is each parent posing with the child, because I’m obsessed with getting that shot.”

The children in Shader’s photos are not groomed and starched and meticulously posed. They look at the lens with unguarded gazes, perhaps wearing a favorite dress or holding a favorite toy, their hair a bit askew, but they radiate personality. “I love their personalities,”

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Shader said. “I love the things they say and do, their outlook on life.”

Shader’s success comes at a price. “I’m always here,” she said. “Sometimes my husband or mother-in-law will fill in, and sometimes my friend fills in a shift, but it’s basically just me.”

Her website and social media presence is leading to more online contacts and sales, as well as portrait commissions in places as far away as Tennessee and California. Wherever she takes images, people tell their other family members and friends, leading to more business.

For Shader, getting to know families, and preserving the fleeting moments of a child’s life, are richly rewarding in ways that go beyond financial success.

“I absolutely love it here,” she said during a break between customers. “I love Middletown. I’ll never leave. The community has been fantastic. I still wake up sometimes and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be doing this for a living.”

First & Little Baby Boutique is at 49 W. Main St., Middletown. For more information, call 302-562-8976 or visit www.firstandlittle.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, e-mail jchambless@chestercounty.com.

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—————|Middletown People|————— Since arriving at Cantwell’s Tavern a few years ago, executive chef Bryan Crowley has fused the restaurant’s American menu with Southwestern and Mediterranean influences...but what he really wants to do is teach others who share his passion

In the kitchen

with Bryan

Bryan Crowley, excutive chef at Cantwell’s Tavern in Odessa.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Let’s just assume that you are gifted with the basic tenets of cognitive presumption – the certainty that a singular thought will yield a chain link of other logical and connected thoughts. You see that the sky is blue. Therefore, it is not raining. Therefore, you 16

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Photo by Richard L. Gaw

leave the umbrella in the stand. That sort of thing.

And so it goes, that safe and efficient tumble order of your mind, until the first time you walk into Cantwell’s Tavern in Odessa. You ascend the stone steps of its entrance, enter and notice the creaky wooden floor beams, the 1700s-era maps of Odessa framed on the walls, and the pewter reminders of the history that is documented to have happened in this old building and in this old town.

Your first thought is, ‘I’m going to be greeted by a swarm of people dressed like its 1776.’ Wrong; there’s not a chambermaid or Minuteman militia re-enactor in sight. You are then seated at your table and given a menu, and here’s where your mind really begins to trip you out.

There’s nothing on your menu that even faintly matches the throw-back, 1700s culinary kitsch that you ate on your last trip to Colonial Williamsburg; no mutton or pheasant served with a side of revolt and gunpowder.

Instead, your menu appears that its contents have been rubbed with the flavors of the Mediterranean and the Southwest, with a little Southern inspiration tossed in for good taste. Smoked BBQ pork with pineapple salsa. Pan roasted tuna made with herbed jasmine ice and red pepper coulis. Grilled salmon with bacon bourbon maple sweet potato mash and haricot verts and crispy bacon.

The building that houses Cantwell’s Tavern is courtesy of American history, but for the last two years, its menu – one that is drawing critical raves and full houses every week – is courtesy of 27-year-old Bryan Crowley.

“On one hand, we wanted to offer a traditional American type of menu, but on the other hand, you look around at the restaurant scene in the Middletown area and you begin to realize that there’s not much variety there,” Crowley said. “Here, customers can enjoy an American-based menu, but with a wide variety of variations on the traditional cuisines.”

It was with his older brother that first introduced Crowley to the notion that a restaurant experience was potentially more than just a visit, but an event. While a high school student at Newark High, Crowley would often visit his older brother, who would take him to restaurants in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. They visited several places, but one stood out: The Charleston near the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, a Cindy Wolf-owned eatery that featured New American dishes.

“That was the first restaurant that really blew me away,” Crowley said. “It had a tour de force menu, a great wait staff, and the food was amazing. It was through that visit that I slowly began to become inspired to think about cooking.”

After high school, he enrolled in the culinary program at Del Tech, where he learned under Culinary Arts Department Chair Ed Hennessey, who was at the Stanton campus at the time. The classroom taught him a lot but it didn’t give him the everyday kitchen experience that every young chef needs. Hennessy came to Crowley and said there was an opportunity to work at the Hotel duPont in the banquet department. Crowley

Courtesy photo Cantwell’s Tavern

Cantwell’s Tavern offers an eclectic menu that features meat, poultry and seafood entrees, as well as an assortment of tapas.

jumped at the opportunity, and soon, he was working side by side with Chef Tom Hannum.

Although the bulk of his job was in arranging for large banquets, Crowley would often steal a glance at what was going on one aisle over from him – to where the food was being prepared for the Green Room.

Eventually, Crowley joined them: Hannum, now the owner and executive chef at Buckley’s in Centreville; Bill Hoffman, now the owner and executive chef at The House of William & Merry in Hockessin; Andy Feeley, now the executive chef at Eden in Rehoboth Beach; Pat D’Amico, now the executive chef at Harry’s Savoy Grill in North Wilmington; and Bruce Galloway, who remains a chef at the Hotel DuPont. He was suddenly an arm’s length away from some of the best chefs not only in Wilmington, not only in Delaware, but the entire mid-Atlantic Region.

“They’re the reason why I decided to stick with my career direction,” Crowley said. “They were amazing.

That’s when I first got to see what was really going on in a kitchen, and the passion of what needs to go into a kitchen in order to make it run. They pushed me to try to go further.”

Crowley took his experience from the Hotel DuPont and enrolled in an intensive, six-week culinary arts program at the Arizona Culinary Institute. He spent six days a week in the kitchen, intensifying the skills Continued on Page 18 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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In the kitchen...

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he’d learned on the job back home. He learned the art of southwestern cooking, as well as Mediterranean cuisine while working at T. Cooks at the Royal Palms in Scottsdale.

He returned to Delaware and worked with Chef Julio Lazzarini at Orilla’s in Wilmington, who gave Crowley the loosest of reins to work in. Within these confines, Crowley worked to perfect his approach to Mediterranean cuisine.

When Crowley began his current role at Cantwell’s Tavern in 2013, he was told that he had full rein of the menu, as well as the opportunity to cater banquets and ceremonies on the restaurant’s property. At first, he wanted to build his own menu and have everyone love it. Most did, but Crowley realized that creating a distinctive menu is more than just taking experience to paper.

It’s a document that is created, tweaked and improved upon through a collective and never-ending conversation an executive chef has with his or her line cooks, sous chefs, wait staff and customers. He listened. He is always listening.

“Over time, what you find is that you work with the

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Courtesy photo Cantwell’s Tavern

customers and it brings you around to working with their ideas and blending them with your own influences into the dishes you want to see – to add Italian red chilies in the seared tuna crudo, for instance,” Crowley said. “We go back and forth with our customers some times. We Continued on Page 20

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pushed for doing a classic American theme at first, then we thought we would utilize some of the farms around here, which we still do.

“But the customers wanted more of what some of the better restaurants in Wilmington offer. They wanted pastas, and at the same time they wanted me to have deviled eggs on the menu. The demographic around here wants variety, an infusion of Spanish, Italian and American and Latin American.”

Crowley calls Cantwell’s Tavern a “working classroom,” livened with a school atmosphere that encourages fresh ideas. In fact, Crowley keeps a board in the kitchen, where everyone can leave suggestions on how to improve every aspect of the restaurant.

“On any given day, one of the chefs will walk by and write the names of vegetables and fruits he’d like to prepare. It allows us to offer new recipes that the customers have not yet seen before.”

During the course of his relatively brief career, Crowley has already worked alongside a Who’s Who of local chefs.

He’s gone West to learn more, come back home, now

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Courtesy photo Cantwell’s Tavern

Crowley has infused his menu with a taste of the Southwest, which he learned while attending cooking school in Arizona.

runs one of the most popular restaurants in Delaware, and is about to participate in his second Midatlantic Wine & Food Festival this May. He has done all of this and he Continued on Page 22

Five Signs Your Child Needs Tutoring It’s easy to tell that a child needs tutoring when he or she continues to receive one poor report card after the next, but there are a number of other less obvious signs that parents shouldn’t ignore. Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center says that parents can look for clues in a number of places. “Stressful study sessions and bad grades are the tangible evidence of a child’s school struggles, but there are several other indicators to watch for,” says Huntington. “The sooner you recognize school problems, the faster you can help your child overcome any issues and boost his or her confidence.”

Huntington shares these five warning signs that your child may need tutoring help—and questions to answer about your child’s behavior: Difficulty getting started: Does your child seem unexcited and unmotivated about anything to do with school—especially working on assignments? Does he or she put off homework time every night and frequently spin his or her wheels when working?

Sloppy homework and overall disorganization: Is your child disorganized in most areas of his or her life? Does your child consistently hand in unfinished or messy homework? Does it seem that your child used to care about doing quality work and does not anymore?

Personality change: Have you noticed a dramatic change in your child’s disposition in recent months? Is your child more angry or volatile than ever before?

Does he or she seem unhappy—about school and other areas of his or her life such as friends?

Diminished self-esteem: Does your child get down on him or herself easily during homework? Is your child pessimistic about school, his or her abilities, and more? On a day to day basis, does your child appear frustrated with him or herself?

Lack of interest in learning: Is your child totally apathetic about school and anything associated with school? Was your child interested in learning previously and now is not? Does that indifference translate to other areas, such as socializing or being involved in extracurricular activities?

“School can be a bumpy road for students who are struggling, so it is important to take action if you notice your child showing any of these signs,” Huntington says. “Experience has showed us that early tutoring intervention is key to getting students back to where they need to be as quickly as possible.”

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In the kitchen...

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is still a few years shy of 30. At the Tavern, he said his only goal is to keep his kitchen striving for perfection, where things run smoothly, the food quality is perfect, the imprint of the restaurant continues to leave a substantial mark, and the customers continue to be happy.

It is logical, therefore, to assume that someone of this rising stature in his career is bound to eventually look back at his time in Delaware as a mere blip on a resume, a roadside stop on his way to fame and fortune at a big city restaurant, where he will be able to someday lend his name to a cornucopia of culinary opportunities.

Here is where your cognitive presumptions are wrong again, because while Crowley knows that all of these things are in his future, they’ll have to wait for now, because he says he is still learning. He’s still in love with the fast-paced environment, working with people who are as passionate about great food as he is. He still loves the line cook in him. He still loves the heat of the kitchen and the yelling and the running around and the burns and the scrapes that adorn the hands and arms of chefs like badges of honor.

Most of all, however, he loves teaching.

If you walk through the Cantwell’s Tavern kitchen on any day of the year, chances are that you’ll run into a young culinary student from Delaware Tech who has fanciful but unrealized dreams. Crowley sees himself in them. One of the aspects of his job that he enjoys most is coming up to one student who is currently working the dishwasher and giving him the job of making salads or as a sous chef. He enjoys spending his time teaching younger people about the principles of what it means to cook in a restaurant, one that on any given day, will churn out 500 dishes.

In a way, through his mentorship of young culinary students, Crowley has developed his own method of Paying it Forward, just like Hannum and Hoffman and D’Amico and so many others did for him nearly a decade ago. Recently, he was a judge at the Pro-Start high school culinary competition for high school students. Hannum was there right beside him, judging with Crowley. So was Hennessy.

“I’m a colleague of theirs now, but at the same time, I’m still in the position where there is still so much more for me to learn.”

And teach.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@ chestercounty.com .

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—————|Middletown | health|————— |

Christiana Care and Middletown High School mark 30th anniversary of first school-based health center in Delaware Christiana Care Health System and Middletown High School recently celebrated three decades of service by the first school-based health center opened in the state of Delaware.

Middletown High School’s school based health center – operated by Christiana Care since 2011 – was created by the Delaware Division of Public Health at the beginning of the 1985 school year to increase access to care for students with health needs. The school-based health center at Middletown High School is staffed by a clinical social worker, nurse practitioner and registered dietitian.

“These programs help keep teenagers in school and provide them access to care from knowledgeable staff members who are connected to their community,” said Mary M. Stephens, M.D., MPH, medical director of Christiana Care’s School-Based Health Centers. “By caring for students in their own community, we also are able to provide value-based care in a close, protective haven and educate them on what they can do to help keep themselves safe and healthy.”

One of only 50 in the country at its opening, the success of Middletown High School’s school based health center has led to the creation of similar centers in 28 other Delaware schools.

Christiana Care manages 15 school-based health centers that experienced 21,000 visits by students in the centers last school year. Those centers provide one-on-one medical treatment, mental health services, family counseling, health education, sports and school physicals and other services intended to augment the services provided by each student’s primary care physician.

For more information about Christiana Care’s school based health centers, visit http://www.christianacare. org/highschoolwellnesscenters. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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—————|Middletown | People|————— p |

Christine Payne won the 2014 I Love My Librarian Award after being nominated for the honor by one of her students

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer If you want to know how important librarians are to a school district here in 2015, consider the words of student Rachel Wagner when she nominated Appoquinimink High School librarian Christine Payne for the 2014 I Love My Librarian Award.

“The library,” Wagner wrote, “is a place to go: students are always in there to do research, read, explore, or share ideas. Sometimes, we go in there just because she’s there. Ms. Payne is accepting and easy to talk to, easy to ask advice of, easy to go to for help. This environment has made our circulation rates skyrocket since Ms. Payne became the librarian…kids wants to read, they want to be in the library. This is because they feel safe, they feel at ease, they feel invited in.”

Payne was one of only 10 library professionals from across the U.S. to receive the New York Times/ Carnegie Corporation of New York I Love My Librarian Award in 2014. She traveled to New York City last Dec. 2 for a ceremony that, in her words, made her feel like something of a rock star for a night. She got to meet the presidents of the American Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, and many others during the festivities, and traveled with a large contingent from the school district—including superintendent Matt Burrows, assistant superintendent Sharon Pepuyaki, and high school principal Keisha Brinkley.

“It was overwhelming,” Payne said during an interview in February. “It was a who’s who of the library 24

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Photo by Allison Iannone

Payne working with seniors Sabrina Lemus and Dierra Dickerson.

world. It made me reflect on the many years that I’ve been doing this. We do it all for the students. They are great. I absolutely love these kids.”

Photo by Allison Iannone

Malinda Lo and Emily M. Danforth (front row) and Newbery winner Kwame Alexander with Payne during a Festival of Words.

Payne has been a librarian for 15 years, the last 13 in the Appoquinimink School District. In addition to the I Love My Librarian Award, she has also been named as the Delaware School Librarian of the Year for the 2012-2013 school year.

“Anyone who knows her knows that she’s dedicated to expanding the hearts and minds of students,” Burrows said after the announcement of the award.

That sentiment was echoed by Delaware Library Association president Beth Borene who said, “The Delaware Library Association is thrilled that Christy was honored with this award. We think it is wonderful that she is nationally recognized this year for her innovation, dedication, and hard work—and for her many excellent contributions to her students, her colleagues, and to the profession of librarianship throughout her career so far.”

According to Payne, the role of the modern librarian is very different than it was years ago, and the role is

continually evolving. One vital aspect of the job is the research component. Online resources are plentiful, but that makes it a challenge for students and teachers to select the best ones. Payne said that it’s very important for students to learn how to find and evaluate the resources that are available to them.

“I also collaborate a lot with classroom teachers,” Payne said, explaining that she assists them with using technology to produce and publish information.

School librarians also help students develop a love of reading and learning—according to Wagner, Payne excels in this area. Wagner wrote: “Ms. Payne frequently serves as a hotline for kids. They run to the library to talk to her because she is that adult in the building you just know you can trust. Her treatment for teenage heartache? Here’s a book. Need to feel less alone? There’s a book for that. She is able to listen to what is going on, and give us a lifeline—in the form of Continued on Page 26 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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a novel.”

Payne said that she takes great satisfaction when she knows that she has helped a student realize that reading and learning can be useful and fun.

“It’s really about helping them find value in reading and learning,” she explained.

Payne’s fondness for libraries started early in life, though she didn’t always aspire to be a librarian.

She grew up loving books and reading. In elementary school, she served as a library aide and was influenced

by Mrs. Deale, the school’s librarian. She did not grow up thinking that she would one day become a librarian. After high school, she studied at the University of Delaware and then joined the Army, training at the Defense Languages Institute in Monterey, California.

After three years in the Army, she returned to civilian life, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, and decided to pursue a master’s degree from Drexel University with the goal of becoming a librarian.

Her first job after obtaining the advanced degree was in the Colonial School District. After two years there,

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she moved to the Appoquinimink School District.

She spent the first six working at the Olive B. Loss Elementary School and then moved to the Alfred G. Waters Middle School when it opened. She transferred to the high school four years ago. Incredibly enough, Payne’s movement through the school district mirrors that of this year’s graduating class of seniors, who spent the exact same years in each building. She has been the primary librarian for Wagner and most of the other seniors since that class was in first grade. More than a few of those students agree with Wagner’s assessment that they love their librarian.

Wagner wrote about how, throughout her career, Payne has broadened the library’s appeal by creating new and exciting events for students and their families to participate in.

“In each school, the library became the heart of the school. Activities flowed from the library; students and their families flowed in. Literature circles were not just for the students, there was an evening literature circle for the family. I remember bringing blankets and pillows to camp out on the floor of the library as we discussed the latest book we had all read. Students wanted to read so they could participate in the fun.”

When students formed a Gay Straight Alliance a few years ago, Payne agreed to become the club’s advisor. She also serves the same role for the Paintball Club. Payne helped build three different book clubs at the high school that now attract as many as 80 students during lunch periods. She initiated the popular “Real Men Read” program that encourages boys to develop a love of reading. She was a founding member of the Summer Libraries Program, and has been instrumental in the Visiting Authors Program.

She is also involved with the statewide celebration, “Festival of Words.”

Payne is very involved with library activities at a statewide level. Because Delaware is a smaller state, she said, there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration and sharing among librarians.

Payne was appointed to the Delaware School Libraries Council, which was enacted by Gov. Jack Markell in 2011 to improve school library services. In February of this year, the Delaware School Libraries Council announced plans to develop a statewide master plan for Delaware’s school libraries. The master plan, which is expected to be completed over the course of the next year, will evaluate the current status of school library Continued on Page 28

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services and look at how to address the future needs.

This effort is coming at a time when some school districts in the state are eliminating librarians from the schools because of funding concerns.

“School libraries are really in crisis,” Payne said.

While Payne is thankful that the Appoquinimink School District supports its libraries, she is concerned when she sees a small but growing number of school districts in the First State being forced to eliminate library positions.

“I do understand how difficult the budget situation is,” Payne said, “but without a librarian, students lose out on the opportunity to learn many skills. You can have a room full of books, but that’s not a library. A library affects every student and teacher in the entire building.”

Librarians are usually doing more with less these days, and Wagner wrote the following about Payne’s dedication to students when she nominated her for the I Love My Librarian Award: “Ms. Payne has been honored as the Delaware Librarian of the Year. Knowing her personally, these types of accolades are not what

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motivate her—but I think it speaks a lot about how she is perceived by her peers. Everyone around her senses the real motivation, she leads because she loves what knowledge and literature bring to the world: a chance for students and a chance for them to make the world a better place.”

In the information age, libraries are changing rapidly.

There is no longer a need for a reference collection in book form, and the card catalog is a thing of the past.

But that doesn’t mean that libraries are becoming antiquated. A good library is an essential part of the school.

Payne said that she expects the pace of change to continue to accelerate as technology evolves, and librarians will be at the center of that change.

“I think the role of librarians is changing now more than it has in the past,” she said. “The role will be very different in five years. I see it as an exciting time to be involved with libraries.”

One thing that won’t change, however, is the idea that the library is a welcoming place for all students.

“It’s about creating that welcoming atmosphere—an open, equal, and safe place for everyone,” Payne said.

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com.

www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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—————|Middletown Business|—————

By John Chambless Staff Writer Out behind the nondescript business park location of One Off Rod and Custom, there are battered cars – and chunks of cars – that most people would dismiss as hopeless. But Gary Corkell can see their potential.

One of them – a rust-pitted 1953 Chrysler New Yorker – will one day be his. Indicating the huge, sleek fenders of the car, he said, “Who wouldn’t want to rock this?

There’s something simple, and raw and mechanical about these cars. Today’s cars have too many sensors and computers and all that stuff, and they’re cheaply made. These old cars are always going to be cooler, no matter what.”

Inside the brightly lighted garage, there are usually 32

Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

Courtesy photos (2)

Larry Stewart (left) passed the leadership of One Off Rod and Custom to Gary Corkell last year.

about 15 vehicles in various stages of repair or redesign.

Each one is a labor of love for Corkell, who took over the business in Middletown last year from former owner Larry Stewart.

Corkell grew up on the Eastern Shore. “I was a farm boy, but was always mechanically inclined,” he said during an interview at the shop. “When I was a kid, I got a job at a body shop, and I guess I just followed that. I’ve always had a passion for cars, and I raced motorcycles.

Eventually, it gave me a skill set. I’ve always been an artistic, creative person, too, so I was always good at drawing and painting. I started painting motorcycles for all my friends.”

He ran a motorcycle and aircraft paint shop in Naples, Fla., until selling it in 2008 and moving back to Dover in 2009 for family reasons. “We did custom paint and fabrication on motorcycles. It was a pretty big shop, 10,000 square feet, 15 employees,” he said.

He was introduced to Stewart, who was contemplating retirement. “We clicked, and hit it off,” Corkell said. “He made it easy to transition in. I’ve been running the place for over a year now, and in three years, I’ll be full owner.”

Corkell has changed some of the staff, and now has nine Continued on Page 34

Photo by John Chambless

Gary Corkell, with Roxy, at One Off Rod and Custom, Inc., in Middletown.

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employees. “I’m kind of a sheep herder, and not really a sheep,” he said, smiling. “I’m pretty aggressive with marketing and I like to do things for myself.”

Corkell handles the painting in the shop, and takes pride in the final results, which take weeks to accomplish. Each layer is applied and buffed to a sheen that looks better than showroom-new. It takes time.

“It’s harder to find people who are qualified, and not expecting instant gratification,” he said of the people who work with him. “What we do here is not instant gratification. You have to hone your skills over a period of years.

This is a skill that is taught, but it’s not taught in a trade school or anything like that. You learn the basics, but you have to have a knack for it. You need someone who is intelligent and has an inner passion.”

Corkell said he works closely with the team, taking everyone out to dinner, or for bowling excursions and barbeques a couple of times a month, to build camaraderie.

Corkell has added motorcycles to the shop’s projects, and he enjoys the wide range of subject matter that

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Courtesy photo

people want painted onto the gas tanks and sides of their bikes. “You can get really crazy with the paint, because people who ride motorcycles like loud, artistic stuff painted on their bikes,” he said.

Continued on Page 36

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One Off Rod...

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The shop is aimed at making high-quality work affordable, Corkell said. “Not everyone can afford $200,000 cars -- although we can build them. There’s guys out there trying to build their own cars and do the work that they can do, but I like to be here to help them with the harder parts with the equipment that I have here. I offer services for the working guy, because I feel like everybody should be able to hot rod.”

Some of the clients at One Off Rod and Custom have 80 or 90 cars in their collections, Corkell said. Most of the cars are either designed to be driven and shown off, or they are hauled around on trailers to keep them in mint condition. “Most of the cars we do are between classic drivers and full-blown show cars,” Corkell said.

“I like the driver type myself. These cars should be driven and enjoyed.”

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Courtesy photo

He particularly likes the elegant designs of pre-World War II cars. “I like the 1930s and early 1940s. The Art Deco cars with the old chrome,” he said. “Those designers really had an eye.”

Getting a car back into shape -- whether it’s to the original specifications or a custom redesign -- is a matter of what the customer likes and can afford, balanced with a reality check. If a car is too far gone, or too rare, it can be cost-prohibitive to recreate all the necessary parts. “If a car is really intact, we should make it the way it was,” Corkell said. “If it needs big repairs, we can get creative and turn it into something different.”

In the case of rare cars, parts can be made. If it’s something like a classic ‘69 Camaro, though, you can build one from brand-new parts. There’s one in the middle of the shop right now, with a basic black body and bubble-wrapped reproduction parts that will eventually be assembled into a working classic car.

The shop draws clients from the Carolinas, New York, Pittsburgh and beyond, Corkell said, and there’s a waiting list. One Off Rod and Custom is regularly featured in automotive magazines like Street Rodder, “and we have several of the top 100 cars in the nation,” he said.

During a walk through the busy shop, where he was accompanied every step of the way by Roxy, a bulldog, Corkell pointed out several works in progress.

A 1955 Chevy is being rebuilt, but it’s getting modern disc brakes for safety’s sake. Several cars are getting new Corvette engines designed for durability and Continued on Page 38 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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power -- at a cost of about $12,000 each, Corkell said.

At one side of the shop is the gleaming red body of a 1967 Jaguar XKE, a stunningly rare, hand-built automobile. “Just the bonnet is worth about $30,000,” Corkell said, pointing to the hood.

Corkell handled the paint work, which took 15 coats.

In all the time spent painting and buffing, “I get really attached to some of these cars,” he said. “We’re doing the body and the paint, then giving it back to the owner, who will build the rest of the car. When it’s done, it’ll be close to a $300,000 car.”

With that kind of investment, customers like to keep tabs on the progress of their babies. Each step of the way is documented and posted on the business website, and on Facebook. “We build such great relationships with customers,” Corkell said. “They can look at our Facebook page and YouTube to see how their cars are doing, and they share that with their friends. Whenever we put a video out, people from all over the world are watching.”

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of the shop, “when we started, all that was left was the firewall and the rockers,” Corkell said. “We built everything else.”

For Corkell and his team, “You’ve got to love this,” he said. “We are passionate about these old cars. There’s nothing cooler than the way it used to be.”

For more information, visit www.oneoffrodandcustom.net.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, e-mail jchambless@chestercounty.com.

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Historic Odessa Foundation celebrates 10th anniversary of historic preservation and education in Delaware 2015 season opens with the Delaware Antiques Show Exhibit, A Past Preserved The Historic Odessa Foundation has cause for celebration this year.

This is the anniversary of the foundation’s incorporation in 2005, and signals a new chapter in a legacy of historic preservation that began more than a century ago with two of Odessa’s most prosperous families – the Corbits and the Wilsons.

To kick off its 10th anniversary, the Historic Odessa Foundation’s Wilson-Warner House (1769), the oldest operating house museum in Delaware, will open the foundation’s new season with the exhibit, “Historic Odessa: A Past Preserved,” running through May 17.

The exhibit, which was the 51st Annual Delaware Antiques Show loan exhibition, features furnishings made by prominent Odessa cabinetmaker John Janvier (1749–1801), along with objects from HOF’s collection, many of which belonged to and were preserved by the families of 18th-century town patriarchs William Corbit and David Wilson.

Other pieces in the exhibit and part of HOF’s collections belonged to John Janvier, Odessa clockmaker Duncan Beard, and Delaware preservationist H. Rodney Sharp (1882-1968).

“Historic Odessa: A Past Preserved” is a fitting launch to the foundation’s 10th anniversary, as it highlights a legacy of preservation by several generations of the Courtesy photo

One of the items on display in the ‘A Past Preserved’ exhibit.

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Courtesy photo

Corbit and Wilson families, during the 19th and early Houses of Odessa until the properties and collections 20th centuries, as well as those of H. Rodney Sharp. were transferred to the newly incorporated Historic For more than three decades, beginning in 1938, Sharp Odessa Foundation in 2005. set about purchasing properties in Odessa, and restor- “In early 2005, like many historic sites, the Historic ing and preserving them. Eventually, he endowed them Houses of Odessa were facing a bleak and uncertain to Winterthur, who owned and operated the Historic Continued on Page 44

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future,” said Debbie Buckson, HOF’s executive director. “After change of ownership, major reorganization, and some sound strategic planning, we can proudly claim we are here to stay. Our ultimate goal is to bring to life what was a bustling hub of colonial activity and commerce, which was once the lifeblood of Odessa’s historic center. For our small foundation, this has been an enormous undertaking, and we are proud of how far we’ve come and what we’ve accomplished in these 10 years.”

Beginning in March, HOF’s Historic Houses of Odessa resume regular public hours through the end of December. The Historic Odessa Foundation offers tours to the public, families, groups and schools of its landmark Delaware properties that house the foundation’s collection of more than 5,000 objects and furnishings that span an interpretive period in regional decorative arts from 1760 through 1850, and provide a background for a variety of events and educational programs for the public and schools.

Throughout the season, HOF organizes many educa-

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tional, entertainment and fundraising events, including its annual Christmas Holiday Tour, and Historic Odessa Brewfest, which this year will be on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015.

Upcoming events include: Through May 17: HOF presents the exhibit, “Historic Odessa: A Past Preserved” April 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: HOF presents a Lecture & Lunch with museum and decorative arts consultant Philip Zimmerman, Ph.D., as he examines Historic Odessa’s history through the foundation’s collection. Cost, $25, includes lunch. By reservation only.

April 26, 2 to 4 p.m.: Let’s Go Fly a Kite. Kite-flying fun, free to kids of all ages.

For more information on the Historic Odessa Foundation’s 2015 season tours, special exhibits, and Living History Education Program, visit www.historicodessa.org, or call 302-378-4119.

The Historic Houses of Odessa are open to the public March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday by reservation. General admission: Adults, $10; groups, seniors, students, $8; and children under 6 are free. Member discounts are available.

Jump...

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Letter from the Editor...

Continued from Page 6

Payne, an Appoquinimink High School librarian, tells us about being one of the recipients of the national I Love My Librarian Award. She traveled to New York City to accept the award.

Writer Richard Gaw introduces readers to executive chef Bryan Crowley, who has fused the Cantwell Tavern’s classic American menu with Southwestern and Mediterranean influences.

Writer John Chambless takes us inside One Off Rod and Custom, a place where old cars get a new lease on life. Gary Corkell, the owner of the business, talks about the potential that he sees in these vehicles.

We talk to George Contant, a historical researcher who does work for the Middletown Historical Society. Contant is leading the effort to find the names of the people who were honored on Middletown’s World War II Honor Roll so that their sacrifices for their country can once again be remembered.

The subject of the Q&A is Michelle Taylor, who has served as the president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Delaware for the last seven years. We talk to Taylor about the challenges facing the United Way, including the unavoidable truth that there will always be more needs in the community than there will be funds to meet those needs.

We hope that you enjoy the stories in this issue of Middletown Life and, as always, we welcome your comments and suggestions for future stories.

We’re already looking forward to bringing you another collection of stories in our fall 2015 issue.

Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher (randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553) Steve Hoffman, Editor (editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 13) www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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—————|Middletown Sports|————— Jump...

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Regatta scheduled July 25 and 26 in Middletown

Courtesy photos (3)

T

he 25th Howard M. Smith Diamond State Masters Regatta will be held July 25 and 26 at Rodney Point, on Noxontown Pond in Middletown.

The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, and will attract more than 1,000 masters-level 46

Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

rowers to compete in about 50 races each day.

Admission and parking are free. Refreshments will be sold, and vendors will be selling sports collectibles and supplies. The event is sponsored by the Wilmington Rowing Center. For more information, visit www.diamondstatemasters.com.

Get ready for some baseball on June 4 It’s been a tradition to pack the bleachers at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington each year during the MOT Night at the Blue Rocks, and the fifth annual event is scheduled for June 4.

Courtesy photo The themed evening will feature local sports teams, area businesses and residents who bring their families to the game. Special events will include announcements of scholarship recipients, a celebration of the MOT Little League, and a chance to cheer on Rocky and Mister Celery.

Game time is 6:35 p.m. Several ticket packages are available. The Community Night Package has reserved seats for $6, and box or upper seats for $7 (minimum of 10 tickets required). There will be recognition on the stadium’s video board and over the PA during the game.

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Visit ww.milb.com for the complete Blue Rocks schedule for the upcoming season. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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—————|Middletown History|—————

What happened to Middletown’s World War II Honor Roll?

Courtesy photo

Middletown leaders pictured at the World War II Honor Roll, which was dedicated in May of 1944.

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer D-Day, which would see the largest amphibious military operation in history as 155,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy in France to break through the German lines and push inland, was still more than six weeks away when Middletown leaders announced plans for a World War II Honor Roll.

According to historical researcher George Contant, it was April of 1944 when Middletown Rotary Club president John Spicer appointed a committee that included Darrell Long, Mayor Warren Buckingham, and Rev. John 52

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Courtesy photo

Middletown’s World War II Honor Roll was on prominent display for three decades. Local historians are hoping to be able to compile a list of all the names of the U.S. veterans who were included on the Honor Roll.

Thomas to oversee construction of a beautiful wooden board topped with a gold American eagle to display the names of Middletown’s servicemen and servicewomen. J. E. Walls and E. H. Shallcross were chosen to come up with the ideal location for the display. The goal was to have the Honor Roll completed in time for the upcoming Memorial Day celebration.

A month later, with the June 6 landing in Normandy drawing closer, the Honor Roll was unveiled with the names of 994 men and women hand-painted onto individual wooden plates. The Honor Roll was displayed on ground donated by the Delaware Trust Bank, just to its left on West Main Street.

Contant wrote the following about the day of the unveiling: “That Memorial Day, it seemed that all of Middletown was present for the extensive dedication ceremony, which began at 11 a.m. The Middletown High School band played patriotic airs and Rev. Thomas gave the invocation. Then, Rotary President Spicer presented the Honor Roll, which was accepted by Mayor Buckingham on behalf of the city. Veteran B-17 bomber crewman Lt. Theodore Goldblum made a stirring speech. Following his address, the Smyrna American Legion placed a wreath at the nearby WW I monument, fired a salute, and played “Taps.” After the gathered crowd sang the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Continued on Page 54 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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Honor Roll...

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the ceremony was closed by Rev. John Walsh.

The Honor Roll monument stood as a fitting reminder of the sacrifices of the U.S. veterans. Many towns, including neighboring Odessa and Townsend, constructed monuments to honor the sacrifices of World War II veterans. Contant said that the Middletown Honor Roll monument was a particularly beautiful one.

Then, in 1972, the long-neglected memorial was removed and replaced Courtesy photo A display at the Middletown Historical Society.

by Delaware Trust Bank’s two-window, drive-thru banking facility. No one knows exactly what became of the Honor Roll.

“We don’t know where it was removed to. The story goes that the board was removed to a barn near the Maryland border,” Contant explained.

Another mystery that might be as important as where the Honor Roll disappeared to is where the original list of names of U.S. veterans came from. Contant said that it’s possible that the list was compiled from State Draft Enlistment Board records.

“The sad part is that our research has not turned up the original list of men and women whose names were placed

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on the Honor Roll or any of the names which were likely added to it,” Contant explained.

He added that, even though the Middletown Historical Society has an almost complete record of newspapers from that time period, there was never a published list of honorees.

The Middletown Historical Society does have several photographs of the dedication ceremony and of the Honor Roll board itself.

“We have scanned the photographs that we have at very high resolution,” Contant explained.

Relying on high resolution photographs of the Honor Roll, Contant said that he can make out a majority of the names.

“I think, with some work, we could come up with 85 percent of the names,” Contant said. “Unfortunately, that’s not all of them.”

Contant said that the Middletown Historical Society would like to recreate the list and possibly construct another memorial that could be displayed at the museum on North Broad Street.

“We would at least recreate the list and maybe recreate the board,” Contant said.

Ideally, he said, someone—perhaps a boy scout looking to complete an Eagle Project—will step forward and volunteer to help pursue the original list of names or compile a new list.

“I think it would be a great project for a scout. I’m definitely interested in talking to anyone who would want to take this on as a project,” Contant explained.

Anyone with information about the World War II Honor Roll or anyone who would like to help with the project should contact Contant at geocontant@gmail. com or 302-674-0727.

Contant talked about the importance of honoring the World War II veterans.

“For me, my parents were from that World War II generation,” he explained. “They were willing to do anything that they had to do. Most of those people lived through the Great Depression and that prepared them for the sacrifices that were necessary to fight a World War. All any veteran wants, and I can tell you this because I am one, is to have their sacrifices be remembered. Middletown wanted to remember what these men and women did, and what their families did.

We think, as the historical society, that they should be remembered.”

To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email editor@ chestercounty.com.

Continued on Page 56 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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Honor Roll...

Henry Brady J. Spencer Buckson Herbert Dugan Joseph C. Guessford E. Marvell Bayard Henderson Edward H. Howell Reynolds Knotts Harold W. Krantz Howard P. Krantz William Lloyd Nelson John K. Reybold Pete Rosendale John Scisley Otwill Zacheis

Continued from Page 55

During the research on the World War II Honor Roll, historian George Contant and the Middletown Historical Society discovered a portion of the list which identified Middletown residents who had died while serving their country during World War II. The list, which was compiled at the time of the dedication of the honor roll on Memorial Day in 1944, includes the following residents:

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photo by Kevin Quinlan

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WALKING TOUR

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photos (2) by Dick Legates

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Chesapeake City

photo by Kevin Quinlan

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Photographer Eric Crossan’s profession has brought him face to face with an American president, placed him at the top of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, in the White House, around the world, and given him the rare gift of being able to tell us the stories of where we live and who we are, without a single word.

Artist with a camera in the age of the selfie Photographer Eric Crossan, outside his studio in Townsend.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer The journey to the absolute height of one’s life-affirming passion is often paved with the most humble of beginnings, and in the case of the journey of photographer Eric Crossan, the journey that led him to photograph a President of the United States began with a discarded negative contact printer, left for the junk man.

When he was in junior high school, the 13-year-old happened to see a neighbor from the bedroom window of his Newark home. “He was getting ready to discard this old negative contact printer,” Crossan said recently in his Townsend studio. “Instead of letting it sit in the trash, I asked him if it was OK for me to play around with it. My father helped me set it up in the bathroom, and gave me some old negatives to use.

That was really all I needed.

I was on my way from there.”

There is no better way to take in the more than 40 years Crossan has devoted to his work than to listen to it all unravel, experience by experience, like sitting down with a catalog of photos of a family, for instance, and admiring the changing faces. Yes, the photographs on the studio walls serve as a gentle reminder of what has made Crossan one of the most prominent photographers in Delaware, with more than 800 magazine covers to his name and assignments that have taken him around the world. But it’s the stories that tell everything. The White House. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. The Queen of Sweden. The famous and the obscure.

But before all of that, there was the rescued negative contact printer, a project he discarded by the time he was 14, when he went to work for the Newark Weekly Post, where he made $3 for every published photo. As a high-

school senior, at a time when his classmates were attending dances and parties, Crossan was working for the Delaware bureau of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I was 15, and had been working for the Newark Weekly Post for the past year,” he said. “I had a police scanner, and at one o’clock in the morning, I saw that there was a fire at Porter Chevrolet in Newark, so I jumped on my bike and rode to the fire and took photographs.”

Still a teenager, Crossan found himself on assignment for the Inquirer in Georgetown, at the site of a triple murder at a migrant labor camp. These were the heady days of photojournalism -- the late 1960s and early 1970s -- when Delaware was seen through the lenses of News Journal photographers Pat Crowe and Fred Comegys, beat veterans who molded their talents through pavement pounding and guile.

At 15, Crossan followed

Photo by Eric Crossan

Crossan captured this photograph of President George H.W. Bush at the Hotel duPont in 2006.

Eric Crossan...

Continued from Page 67

them, soaking up their knowledge of the craft of reporting with a camera; learning how to capture the story while remaining invisible at a scene. By looking over their shoulders, he learned how to turn film into words.

“They all taught me that in this business, you have to expect the unexpected, no matter where you are and where you’re going, because very seldom do things go the way you think they’re supposed to go,” he said.

Crossan was on Fourth Street in Wilmington 68

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during the race riots of the mid-1970s. He covered the streaking escapades that ran down Main Street in Newark during the early 1970s, and came face to face with police and their nightsticks. In between, he has photographed everything else: Portraits, weddings, news stories, photos for travel brochures, and stock photography that has taken him to several countries. He worked as a freelance photographer for DuPont, photographing farmers and farms for the company’s many agricultural interests. Three times, he has scaled to the top of the Delaware Memorial Bridge to shoot the view for several publications.

“Throughout my career, I’ve always been able to do a little bit of everything, and it’s allowed me to go to more places and meet more people than I would have were I focusing on just one specific interest,” Crossan said. “I just never know, from one moment to the next, where I am going to be and what I’ll be doing.”

For ten years, Crossan photographed the Common Wealth Awards at the Hotel duPont in Wilmington, given annually in honor of

Photo by Eric Crossan

Crossan has photographed some of the most recognizable people in the world.

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For more info or to obtain an application call 302-834-1978 Email: dasef.outpost@verizon.net or visit our website at www.dasef.org www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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Eric Crossan...

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achievement in the dramatic arts, literature, science and invention, mass communication, public service, and government and sociology.

Each year, celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Ted Turner, Larry King and Henry Kissinger would parade by Crossan as he worked. The hotel continued to serve as a good luck charm for stories; at a fundraiser there in 2006, Crossan found himself for a brief moment at the conclusion of a reception line that was dotted with dignitaries.

He looked up from his camera. In front of him stood George H.W. Bush, the 42nd President of the United States, standing alone, about to join the contingent.

“It was just the President and me,” Crossan said. “We talked for a moment or two, and I thought, ‘Here are these cool American flags against the wall, and here’s a former President of the United States.’ So I said, ‘Mr. President.

There are these great flags here. I was wondering Continued on Page 72

The 1989 visit to Delaware of the King and Queen of Sweden.

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CAMERAS ETC.: A mainstay on Newark’s Main Street since 1980 Dain Simons was ten years old in 1980, the year Cameras Etc. opened its second location, on Main Street in Newark.

Thirty-five years later, he is the sole owner of a company that continues to defy the odds. The store front is rather unassuming - a flat brick building, nearly unchanged since the 1950s and nestled between Days of Knights and the Iron Hill Brewery, two businesses that also have deep roots in the perpetually shifting marketplace of downtown Newark.

Inside you will find a bright cozy show room full of new and used camera equipment. Don’t let the age of the building fool you. This is a thoroughly modern shop providing state-of-theart, high-end camera equipment along with consumer-grade gadgets to fulfill anyone’s imaging needs.

“We offer a unique experience here, an honest and intelligent retail environment which brings our customers back to us, time and time again, "Simons said. "The kind of experience many people no longer associate with camera or electronics stores.

It’s always been that kind of a place. It was like that when I bought my first camera here in 1987, and it’s like that now.”

In 2014, Jim Cycyk, the company’s founder, made the decision to close the Wilmington store and retire, leaving the future of the Newark store up in the air. Dain saw the opportunity to continue evolving the business that he has known and loved for over 20 years.

“We are enjoying the recent influx of Wilmington customers who had previously shopped at the Market Street location, and we understand that Newark is a little bit of a hike, so we want to make their trip worthwhile," Cyerk said. "Plus a lot of these folks haven’t been to Newark in a while and are pleasantly surprised by how vibrant it has become. They’re happy to get something to eat or check out some of the other unique shops on Main Street.”

Cameras Etc. is one of very few stores in the tri-state area to offer a complete inventory of professional and amateur photographic supplies the core of which is the full line of Canon and Nikon cameras, lenses and accessories. They also stock a large selection of cases and carrying gear from respected brands like ThinkTank, Lowepro and Black Rapid.

Over the years, service has become a large part of Cameras Etc.’s business. They provide video duplication, copy work, scanning, printing, restoration, repair, passport photos, film processing and sensor cleaning.

“I think the secret of our success is that we strike a balance between competence and approachability, Simons said. A lot of times you find too much of one extreme without the other.

We want anyone to feel comfortable walking in here and asking us about photography and knowing they will get an informed answer.”

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Courtesy photo

Crossan has photographed at the top of the Delaware Memorial Bridge three times.

Eric Crossan...

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if you wouldn’t mind posing beside them for a moment.’”

The President obliged.

During the 1989 visit to Delaware by the King and Queen of Sweden, Crossan was covering the reception at the Hotel duPont. He watched the King of Sweden get into an elevator with security agents. He took the next elevator, and, holding the door, noticed the woman who entered after him.

“It was the Queen and me, alone together in the elevator,” Crossan said. “I noticed that she was coughing, probably from having to meet 200 people in a reception line. I said, ‘I happen to have a few Life Savers. Would you like one?’

She accepted one and thanked me. I thought, ‘Wow. I just saved the Queen.’”

In photography, timing is everything, and sometimes timing has nothing to do with aperture. In the early 1990s, Crossan shot a cover photograph for a Delaware State Chamber of Commerce magazine. It was taken of Louis Capano and Sons, a Wilmington-based construction company. Included in the photograph were brothers Louis, Joseph, Gerald, as well as Tom, a prominent Wilmington attorney who was helping his brothers temporarily with the Continued on Page 74 72

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Eric Crossan...

Continued from Page 72

family business.

In the chilling wake of the disappearance of Anne Marie Fahey in the early 1990s, a story that shook Delaware to the core, Tom Capano, a former companion of Fahey’s, was accused of murdering Fahey in cold blood, which ultimately led to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

In the days following the report of Fahey’s disappearance, Crossan saw a photo of Capano on the television, and was reminded of the photo

In his 40-year career, Crossan has photographed more than 800 magazine covers and traveled to many countreis around the world.

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he had taken for the cover of the magazine. He contacted “Action News” in Philadelphia, and told them that he had one of the only photos taken of all of the Capano brothers. He was told by producers that there would be a news van waiting for him at a particular location later that evening. He arrived at the van at a little before 11 p.m., and knocked on its door. The door opened.

He presented the photograph, which was immediately scanned and given back to him. By the time Jim Gardner began the nightly newscast at 11 p.m., the photo appeared on the television screen.

From 1989 to 1991, Clayton Yeutter served as the Secretary of Agriculture under President George H.W. Bush. On assignment Crossan was to photograph a day in the life of Yeutter in his new role. It was a job that would take him into the White House. It was an assignment he had not properly dressed himself for; Crossan was in typical photojournalist clothing – jeans Right photo: Crossan has taken on a wide variety of photo shoots during his career.

Continued on Page 76

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Eric Crossan...

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and a vest – and jumped in the limousine in Washington, D.C., soon after arriving on a train from Wilmington, loaded with camera equipment.

He had no idea where the limousine was headed, until he saw the giant gates of the White House open.

“I felt really underdressed, but I was able to get a great photograph of the Secretary and his wife on a gorgeous staircase, moments before an official White House dinner,” he said.

Whether he is in the company of a former president, a celebrity, or covering a special event, Crossan remains wholly obligated to capturing the images that flash before him, and little else.

“To me, it is not really about the event,” he said.

“It is about the fact that I love making photographs.

Let’s say, for instance, that I was on assignment to photograph Bruce Springsteen. If my wife Karla were with me, she would be in awe and at a loss for words, but as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t really matter to me who he is. It’s about doing

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what I’m there to do, to make photographs.”

Photography used to be about “making” photographs -- the physical preparation, choosing the proper equipment, the best lighting, and then digging into the post-production work in a darkroom or in front of a computer screen, working painstakingly to remove imperfections.

Today, photography is about “taking” images.

“I read a quote recently that said that what photography boils down to today is, ‘It’s good enough,’” Crossan said. “There is very little regard for what photographs should look like anymore. If you can take it yourself, then fine, but if it looks horrible, then why would these photos be used?

It’s because they can.

“These photos don’t just appear like this out of the camera,” he added. “So many people who think they are photographers are not photographers. Today, professional photographers are now competing with these people, and it’s pretty sad. I don’t know that people know the preparation a professional photographer puts into his or her work.”

In some ways, Crossan often sees himself as

a craftsman from a long-gone period, akin to a blacksmith plying his trade in the dusty din of a workspace, creating the perfect tin cutlery at a time when a cheap knock-off is available at the local department store. The growing reliance on point-and-click cameras, particularly those that come with cell phones, give those with an hour’s worth of experience snapping selfies the right to call themselves photographers.

“It’s about lighting and yes, it’s about timing, but in my experience, it’s the interaction between the photographer and the person,” Crossan said.

“Most people don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera, so putting them at ease is the number-one thing, then it’s up to you to get everything else right.

“So many people today aren’t archiving their loved ones’ photographs properly,” he added.

“In this digital age, people’s histories are stored don their iPhones. Every day, cell phones are lost or stolen. An entire generation of photographic memories are on the verge of being wiped out, completely lost. Almost none of them have scrapbooks with prints.”

For the last 40 years, Crossan has had what he believes is the greatest job in the world -- the gift to tell the stories of people and places and events.

They’re there on the coffee table in his Townsend studio, the rich catalog of his experience behind the lens. He no longer devotes his energies to climbing to the very top of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, but his passion for the craft of his profession has not wavered.

Lately, he’s been taking a lot of family and individual portraits, as well as aerial shots of homes and farms taken from a helicopter.

“I’ve had the greatest moments,” Crossan said, waving a deferential hand over the stack of photographs he has just shared. “I’ve been to so many places and met so many people, but what gives me the most gratification about this job is that I’m able to make photographs for families or couples or an individual ... and that they appreciate it.

“That’s what an artist always looks for, to have others appreciate the work, and it has always given me the greatest joy.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@chestercounty.com.

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|Middletown Photo essay|

His eye: An essay of photographs by Eric Crossan Late afternoon shadows approach a green at the Odessa National Golf course as a foursome finishes the hole.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

A

s profiled elsewhere in this edition of Middletown Life, photographer Eric Crossan’s talents have taken him all around the world and introduced him to everyone from farmers and artists, celebrities and dignitaries, to kings and queens and Presidents of the United States. When he is able to, however, Crossan brings his camera a little closer to home, to life in Middletown, Odessa, Townsend and beyond. Middletown Life is pleased to share the photographs of Eric Crossan once more in this edition.

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A full moon appears between the support cables of the William V. Roth Jr. bridge across the C&D canal and is highlighted by Delaware’s blue and gold state colors.

Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

Surrounded by farm land and bordering Noxontown Pond sits the beautiful campus of the St Andrew’s School near Middletown.

An American Coot, locally known as a Mud Hen, seems surrounded by rings of fire, created by its movement in a lagoon at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

In “Finding Solitude,” the photographer captures a lifelong memory by documenting his father, after a day of hunting on a friend’s farm on Rt. 9 near Townsend. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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A warm late afternoon sun illuminates a doe and her two spotted fawns on a farm near Townsend.

In “Heading Home,” a lone Bufflehead duck leaves a colorful wake in still water on its way to finding a resting place for the evening.

Personalized portraits of Smyrna High School senior, Stacey Staley, both at Eric Crossan Studios in Townsend and at Smyrna High School.

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A pond behind the photographer’s Townsend studio appears as an island surround by snow.

Open to the public, the Blackbird Reserve east of Townsend offers hikers a chance to view wildlife, tidal marshes and an abundance of beautiful wildflowers and native plants.

In “Colorful Reflections,” reflected fall colors and ripples in a pond look as if they are a watercolor painting on a canvas.

A cobalt blue evening sky surrounds the newly constructed Christiana Care Emergency facility in Middletown. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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—————|Middletown Events|—————

Middletown, it’s time to get your grape and grain on!

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer Leave it to the creative team at Middletown Main Street to continually come up with creative and entertaining events that bring the entire community together.

On the heels of the explosion in popularity of craft breweries and locally-made wines, Middletown Main Street is sponsoring the inaugural Grapes and Grains Wine & Beer Festival, which will be held on May 2, on North Scott Street, between West Main Street and West Lake Street, in the heart of historic Downtown Middletown. The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the rain date will be May 3.

Created as a fundraiser that will assist several programs and initiatives in the community, the Grapes and Grains Wine & Beer Festival will invite visitors to enjoy refreshing products offered by some of the best breweries, wineries and distilleries that Delaware has to offer.

Among those companies participating at the festival are the Crow Vineyard & Winery; New Belgium Brewing; Mispillion River Brewing; Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company; Painted Stave Distilling; and 3rd Wave Brewing Company.

In addition to the many breweries, wineries and distilleries, several local companies will serve as sponsors of the festival – including The Barn Creative, Fromage Cheese Boutique; Peachtree Station; Amber Shader Photography; Femme Fatale Boutique; Elayne James Salon; Purple Sage Herbs & Gifts; Alpaca Signs and Designs; and Waste Masters Solutions.

What Middletown festival is complete without music? Throughout the day, festival goers will be able to enjoy a glass or two while enjoying the talents of the Three Sheets Acoustic Trio, comprised of Marc Tomlinson, Dave 82

Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

C. Matthews and Chris Lewis. Self-proclaimed as the “Kings of Requests,” the band has become wellknown in Delaware for its acoustic party rock style of performing.

Tickets include admission to the festival; a sampler mug; unlimited samples of wine, beer and spirits; and access to to food vendors, where food can be purchased. Those traveling to the festival by car can park on Main Street or any side street in Downtown Middletown, as well as in the municipal lot at Town Hall, the Forest Church lot, or across the street from the fire hall on South Scott Street.

Sponsorship packages for the festival are available from $300 to $1,000, that entitle sponsors to have their display banner and logo prominently displayed throughout the festival grounds, as well as complimentary tickets and their company name mentioned throughout the event. To obtain your tickets to the festival, visit www.GrapesandGrainsDE.com.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@chestercounty.com. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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MIDDLETOWN CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 9: YARD SALE IN THE PARK Townsend Municipal Park (Edgar Drive, Townsend) will be the site of a community yard sale on May 9 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit http://townsend.delaware.gov.

MAY 14: BUSINESS INCUBATOR OPENING The Middletown Business Incubator and Collaborative Workspace, located at the new chamber headquarters at 402 N. Cass St., Middletown, will have a grand opening celebration on May 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The new space will be a center for growing businesses in the Middletown area.

Free admission. There will be tours, refreshments and prizes awarded to visitors. For more information, visit http://townsend. delaware.gov.

MAY 28: WOMEN’S WELLNESS WORKSHOP The Middletown Chamber of Commerce Office in Middletown will be the site of a Women’s Network Health and Wellness Workshop on May 28 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Women will learn about current health topics, and wine and cheese will be served. Prizes will be awarded. For chamber members, tickets are $15. For non-members, tickets are $25.

JUNE 12: ‘9 TO 5’ The Everett Theatre will host the musical comedy “9 to 5” on June 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 8 p.m., and June 14 and 21 at 2 p.m.

The show is based on the movie comedy, and features a new score by Dolly Parton and new book by screenwriter Patricia Resnick. There will be a live band performing Tickets are $18 for adults, and $15 for students and seniors. Visit www.theeverett.org for more information.

JULY 16: GOLF OUTING The Odessa National Golf Club (1131 Fieldsboro Rd., Townsend) will be the site of the Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce 10th Annual Scholarship Golf Outing on July 16. Proceeds benefit educational opportunities and scholarships. There is registration and lunch at 11 a.m., a shotgun start at noon, and an awards program and dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Sponsorships and tickets are available Visit www.maccde.com.

JULY 25: SCHOOL OF ROCK Townsend Municipal Park (Edgar Drive, Townsend) hosts a concert by young musicians from the School of Rock on July 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission is free. The rain date is July 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, visit http://townsend. delaware.gov.

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www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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—————|Middletown Education|—————

Silver Lake earns national recognition as Delaware's first "Lighthouse School"

Courtesy of Silver Lake Elementary School

The Silver Lake Elementary was recently recognized for creating a culture that promotes student leadership, teamwork, selfdirection, responsibility, civic pride and problem-solving.

The Covey Foundation has named Silver Lake Elementary Delaware's first "Lighthouse School," a recognition that denotes their unparalleled success at creating a culture where student leadership, teamwork, self-direction, responsibility, civic pride and problemsolving are practiced by all. Only 106 schools around the world have earned this title.

As a Leader in Me School™, students discover and practice a set of leadership and life skills from Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

"By incorporating The Leader in Me™ practices in our school culture and curriculum, we're helping children develop skills that will take them far in life: trustworthiness, a strong 86

Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

Courtesy of Silver Lake Elementary School

As a Leader in Me School™, Silver Lake students discover and practice a set of leadership and life skills from Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

work ethic, motivation, problem-solving skills, goal setting, effective interpersonal skills, a sense of teamwork, academic achievement and valuing diversity in a global marketplace," explained Principal Cyndi Clay, M.Ed., NBCT. "We know that at the elementary school level, we have the responsibility to build a strong foundation for our learners and leaders. At Silver Lake, our goal is to empower the learners and leaders in our school with the knowledge and skills to be successful as they journey through their lives!" she said.

In March, the Covey Foundation visited Silver Lake to film a video about the transformational process that occurred for one family involved in the program. Meanwhile, plans are underway for the district to create its own video featuring students, parents and educators from across the school.

To learn more about the Leader in Me program, the Lighthouse Milestone recognition, or ways to support Silver Lake's efforts, please contact Principal Cyndi Clay at cynthia.clay@ appo.k12.de.us. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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|Middletown Q & A|

Q & A Michelle Taylor, president and CEO of the United Way of Delaware For the last seven years, Michelle Taylor has served as the president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Delaware. In that role, one of her major challenges is to lead an organization that is attempting to meet the growing needs of residents with limited resources. Middletown Life caught up with Taylor to discuss the current year’s fundraising campaign as well as the United Way’s continuing focus on education, income and health to improve the quality of life for residents in the community.

Q: How long have you been involved with United Way of Delaware?

A: I have been with United Way of Delaware for more than 15 years.

I started my career with United Way as the Director of Finance and Administration. Later, I was promot-

ed to chief operating officer. After serving in that capacity, I transitioned into my current role as president and chief executive officer in December of 2007.

Q: What are your duties as president

Courtesy photo

Michelle Taylor is the president and CEO of the United Way of Delaware.

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Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

and chief executive officer?

A: While there is a critical fundraising component to my duty as president and chief executive officer, my primary role is to ensure we are having the greatest impact in the Delaware community by serving as a good steward of the funds pledged to us that we invest into the community.

In addition to that, a crucial element to my leadership is to serve as a thought leader in the state around systemic community needs related to education, income and health. It is key to be part of dialogue and collective strategy to ensure we drive the greatest impact we can in our community. Of course, I also serve as a spokesperson to address the important role that United Way of Delaware plays in the community.

Q: Can you talk about the progress of this year’s campaign?

A: Every campaign always has its opportunities and challenges. Over the last couple of years, we have been intentional about building deeper relationships with our donors to ensure that we understand their aspirations and then connect those to the investments we make in the community. While we often say this, we believe that the energy level and momentum of this year’s campaign is at an all-time high. Aside from that, a bigger component

Courtesy photo

Michelle Taylor with Dr. Jill Biden and Sharon Hakes.

to our work is to work collaboratively in the community to ensure we are truly moving the needle on things we Continued on Page 90

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Q&A Continued from Page 89

all agree are essential to our state.

United Way’s philosophy is that the focus areas are around education, income and health—as they truly serve as the foundation to a better quality of life. Most recently, we have been holding very engaging conversations with our partners throughout the community around these issues to draw on common aspirations for them and measuring our collective progress against efforts. This is always an ongoing effort and we always welcome folks to join us.

Courtesy photo

Michelle Taylor, the president and CEO of the United Way of Delaware, with youngsters at the Grand Gala.

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Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

Q: What is the biggest challenge in your occupation?

A: The biggest challenge in my occupation is always the supply and demand. The needs are greater than what the resources are. There is a much greater need in the communi-

ty than the resources that currently exist. While that has probably been true historically, we are seeing this at an even greater pace and height today. It is tough. There are so many worthwhile efforts, programs, strategies and collaborations happening, yet making sure we are maximizing how and where we invest to obtain the greatest return on our investment is always the greatest challenge. Therefore, we work to always identify ways to balance the equation out—to decrease the need collectively in the community, but simultaneously encourage and influence more people to give of their resources, time and voice. We are always looking to solve the shortterm needs in the community, while forecasting for the long-term needs.

Getting to real, long-term sustainable change is hard work and extremely complex. This does not happen overnight and it does not happen alone.

We need you to help in this process.

You can visit www.uwde.org to support our efforts today.

Q: What about your job gives you the greatest satisfaction?

A: The people that I work with. My staff, my colleagues and community stakeholders give me the greatest satisfaction in my work. Working alongside people who are passionate and persistent about making a difference in the lives of others is humbling. I get to impact the lives of others with some amazing individuals that are committed to the cause.

Q: What three dinner guests, living or dead, would you invite to dine with you?

A: I would love to have dinner with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. I have a lot of respect and admiration for our first family. They are visionaries

and risk takers and have an extreme responsibility to make change happen across our country. It would be great to have dialogue with them about the things that affect us here locally. Also, I definitely would love to pick Dan Pallota’s brain. I believe as a leader, he is challenging how the world views the leadership of nonprofits and what it truly takes to create something great and sustain it. He has stretched our thinking around some key principle schools of thought and challenges the status quo on what it takes to be greater than norm.

Q: What food is always in your refrigerator?

A: Well, I always have shrimp in my fridge. I have a freezer full of it. My husband and I love shrimp. Let’s see … there’s also always French fries in my fridge, and you’d be able to wash Continued on Page 92

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Q&A Continued from Page 91

either down with water or a Diet Dr. Pepper. Even when the fridge is empty, there is also some type of fruit that is in there, generally it’s grapes.

That and honey mustard sauce.

Q: Can you offer a few final thoughts about the year ahead?

A: This year offers the promise of more children meeting educational benchmarks, more families and individuals becoming financially empowered and more Delawareans getting closer to a healthy and fulfilling quality of life. I want to thank each one of you for your commitment and dedication to getting intimately involved with United Way of Delaware. I am often reminded of the old proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a

Courtesy photo

One of the roles that Taylor serves is being the spokesperson to address the important role that United Way of Delaware plays in the community.

lifetime.” We’re not in the business of giving a handout, but in the business of convening and empowering our entire community to achieve

success that is both sustainable and long-lasting so they may reach their greatest human potential. I am committed to that mission.

We encourage local organizations, schools, civic and fraternal groups and churches to submit news releases.

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Steven Hoffman...................................................................................Editor John Chambless..........................................................................Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw............................................................................Staff Writer Brenda Butt...........................................................................Office Manager JoAnn Bissinger..........................................................Art & Design Supervisor Tricia Hoadley......................................................................Graphic Designer Alan E. Turns...................................................................Advertising Director Christy Larry..................................................................Advertising Executive Teri Turns......................................................................Advertising Executive Helen E. Warren.............................................................Advertising Executive Arlene McGoldrick........................................................................Copy Editor

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Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2015 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com

—————|Middletown Events|—————

Courtesy photo

Help the Everett and win big prizes at Annual Gala

All the excitement of casino gambling will be coming to Middletown for the Annual Fundraising Gala on April 25.

From 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Middletown Fire Hall, the black tie-optional event will feature a live auction, raffle, 50/50, roulette wheel, craps, blackjack, a big money wheel, a photo booth, Texas Hold ‘em poker, and a range of prizes.

While you’re invited to dress to impress, you can also come as you are to enjoy the glamorous atmosphere and help fund programming, scholarships, summer camps and the maintenance of the historic Everett Theatre. Funds raised at the Monte Carlo Casino Night also support the visual arts at The Gibby and Hudson Contemporary Gallery. In 2014, this event raised more than $35,000, and the organizers are hoping for even more this year.

Tickets are $75, and include gourmet hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, soda, and a range of tempting desserts, as well as $25 in poker chips. More chips can be purchased all night long.

Continued on Pge 94 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2015 | Middletown Life

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Gala...

Continued from Page 93

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the gaming tables open at 7 p.m. At 10 p.m., the gambling tables will close and there will be a live auction and awarding of raffle prizes.

Everyone must be 21 to attend, and identification will be checked at the door. Everyone must bring a ticket to the event.

The Annual Gala is the largest and most important fundraising event of the year for the Everett, which relies on community support to sustain its arts programs. For tickets and more information, visit www.EverettTheatre.com.

The organizers for this event are Chris Everett, the executive director of Everett, Inc. (chris.everett@everettheatre.com) and event chair Mary Everett (redheadeddramaqueen@gmail.com).

Courtesy photo

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