Newark Life Fall/Winter 2019

Fall/Winter 2019

Newark Life

Magazine

Pastures and barns of learning and discovery - Page 66

Inside •A new home for University of Delaware football •Building a home for responsible fashion •The Nomadic Storybook Shop

Complimentary Copy

2

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

FURNITURE & CABINETRY We build everything from Kitchens, Bars, Free-standing or Built-in Entertainment Centers, Bookcases, Tables and Furniture

SHOWROOM MONDAY-SATURDAY 10AM-4PM

ALL OUR WOODWORKING IS MADE HERE BY OUR CRAFTSMEN 610-869-0700 | 420 West Baltimore Pike, West Grove, PA | londongrove.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

5

Fall/Winter 2019

Newark Life Table of Contents 8 20

A new home for University of Delaware football

32

The Nomadic Storybook Shop

40

Building a home for responsible fashion

50

Profile of musician Sarah Koon

66

Pastures and barns of learning and discovery

80

6

Steering Newark forward

Q & A with Dr. Frank Newton

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

8

32

66 80

Newark Life Fall/Winter 2019 Letter from the Editor:

40

50

There are many different people who work to make Newark the wonderful city that it is. In this issue of Newark Life, we shine a spotlight on just a few of these people who impact the world around them.

We profile musician Sarah Koon, who has long been captivated by creative influences that have provided inspiration to her. We also explore how Fite Fashion aims to break some rules while helping the community and the world.

This issue features an update about the progress on the renovation work of Delaware Stadium.

Soon, the transformation of the home of University of Delaware football will be complete, and fans will have a wonderful place to watch football in the fall.

This issue also introduces readers to Kate Keeper, the Newark resident who owns GoGo Books, a “nomadic storybook shop.” The GoGo Books book truck features a wide selection of books for children of all ages—board books, picture books, a collection of children’s classics, young adult novels, and much more. There are magnetic games and books on parenting, too. Many Newark, Delaware residents have likely already seen the delightful blue truck rolling through the city or set up at community events in Newark and the surrounding communities.

We also feature a story about the work of the Newark Partnership, which represents residents, businesses, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and other groups that are coming together to improve Newark.

The subject of the Q & A is Dr. Frank A. Newton, who enjoyed a 25-year administrative career at the University of Delaware before starting a new chapter of his career in academics as the new school director for Newark Charter School.

The photo essay, “Pastures and barns of learning and discovery,” focuses on how the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at University of Delaware has played a critical role in helping solve one of humanity’s biggest challenges: How to meet the world’s demand for food.

We always welcome your comments and suggestions for future stories. We’ll soon be planning the next issue of Newark Life, which will arrive in the spring of 2020.

Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 13

Cover design: Tricia Hoadley Cover photo: Jim Coarse www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

7

|Newark Life|

Steering Newark forward The Newark Partnership represents ‘residents, businesses, faith-based organizations, nonprofits and other groups coming together with passion and energy to improve Newark.’

By Ken Mammarella Correspondent

T

he Newark Partnership cares about the city’s future. Or, as its website says, it’s “a community coalition dedicated to the economic, cultural, aesthetic, environmental and social enhancement” of the city.

Continued on Page 10

8

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

All photos by Suchat Pederson for the University of Delaware, from a May 22 Newark Partnership lunch and a Newark Futures Workshop.

Partnership board member Freeman Williams (from left) chats with Jaime Renman and Sierra RyanWallick, the outgoing and incoming executive directors of The Big Event, a UD student group. ‘The Big Event is one big day of service in the spring for UD students to give back to the Newark community through hands-on service, but we want to cultivate a connection between communities all year long,’ RyanWallick said.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

9

Newark Partnership Continued from Page 8

The new partnership grew out of the Downtown Newark Partnership, which was created in 1998. “There was a sense that the Downtown Newark Partnership had outlived its usefulness,” said Dan Rich, director of the University of Delaware’s Community Engagement Initiative and cochair of the committee that planned the new group.

So in 2017, the downtown group asked for a committee to consider its own future. With the help of multiple meetings, reports, outreach efforts and financial plans, the new partnership incorporated in December, and in July named its board, led by former mayor Polly Sierer, a Newark resident since 1987.

“We’re a grassroots organization representing residents, businesses, faith-based

organizations, nonprofits and other groups coming together with passion and energy to improve Newark,” she said.

The board includes representatives from a lot of stakeholders in the city’s future, such as municipal government, businesses, community organizations, UD and UD students. Its mission is built on three core values: boosting the economy, enhancing nonprofits and promoting civic engagement.

The city’s economy is “anchored in higher ed,” said Rich, referring to his employer, which counts 4,624 employees statewide.

But UD is expanding from education and research to “imagination and innovation, which are increasingly seen as the path for success in the 21st century,” he said.

Continued on Page 12

Cesar Caro, a programming associate for UD’s Office for International Students & Scholars and a Leadership Delaware fellow; and Amani Thurman, president of MakeItCount, a student-led civic engagement initiative at UD.

10

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Newark Partnership Continued from Page 10

Economic potential outside downtown includes W.L. Gore & Associates on Paper Mill Road, and UD’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research campus on South College Avenue (Bloom Energy’s been there since 2013, and Chemours plans to bring 300 jobs there, Sierer said). Ground was broken in 2018 on a rail station for the Newark Regional Transportation Center on the STAR campus, making the site more attractive. “We need to plan for that

future,” Rich said. “It’s kind of exciting.”

Economic development is often promoted by a chamber of commerce, but Newark doesn’t have one (The city doesn’t have an economic development department, either), and the partnership concluded it needed to think outside that box. “A chamber of commerce is not the only thing we need. The business community felt it should be citywide, supported by everyone,” Rich said, noting that concerns

Valerie Lane, coordinator of UD’s Community Engagement Initiative, tosses a microphone to a workshop attendee. ‘Instead of a traditional handheld microphone, we used a catch box microphone to add some fun,’ she said. ‘Once someone caught the box, they would speak into it, and everyone could hear them!’

12

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

heard among the city’s 34,000 residents go beyond what a chamber of commerce traditionally covers, such as the quality of public education and affordable housing.

Sierer expects the partnership to educate Newark about two important elements regarding education. The first: The city doesn’t control the four public schools within its nine square miles; they’re run by the Christina School District. Multiple public, charter and private schools are just outside city limits. The second: “Address concerns and perceptions about the university and its students and how they impact the community,” she said. “The university needs Newark, and Newark needs the university.”

About 850 businesses are licensed by the city, Rich said, “but we and the city don’t know much about them, what they do, what they need.” So the partnership is surveying businesses.

For the same reasons, the partnership is also seeking out nonprofits, and it has so far identified more than 100. “We have to know ourselves,” said Rich, a Newark resident since 1970. “They do important work.

We need to help them do it better.”

One early effort was in professional development. Another is the partnership’s website, www.thenewarkpartnership.org.

It has a community calendar so groups can avoid conflicts with other events and, of course, people can find events that affect or interest them.

“There’s a need for networking and partnerships” among nonprofits serving Newark’s homeless, working poor, seniors on fixed incomes and other needy residents, Sierer said.

Continued on Page 14

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

13

Newark Partnership Continued from Page 13

Sierer and Rich expect The Newark Partnership to run mostly new events, probably quarterly. Sierer said Downtown Newark Partnership events “were quite successful, but we’re ready to try new things. Most events will be self-supporting and geared to the time of year.”

One new event was planned to be the First Responders Dinner on Academy, to benefit the Newark FOP 4 Catastrophe Fund and the Aetna Hook & Ladder Capital Continued on Page 16

14

Carla Grygiel, executive director of the Newark Senior Center, addresses the crowd at a recent Newark Partnership lunch and Newark Futures Workshop.

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

15

Newark Partnership Continued from Page 14

Campaign Fund. The event was canceled, but committee minutes called it “the first of many creative events that the TNP will be leading for Newark.”

The partnership’s events committee is considering for November a turkey scavenger hunt that will send potential shoppers and diners seeking clues, with completed entries being entered for prizes. Kennett Square has used such a hunt to encourage exploring each part of its farmers market.

That said, at least one event that the Downtown Newark Partnership collaborated on is continuing. Out & About magazine founded the Newark Food and Brew Festival 16 years ago, and collaborated with the city and later the Downtown Newark Partnership. The next festival will

16

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

be July 25, in collaboration with the city, said Out & About publisher Jerry duPhily.

Civic engagement is wide-ranging. One idea is offering the site for “positive, constructive and healthy” posts about Newark.

Another: “The Newark Futures Workshops and other programs.” Engagement also includes reaching out to neighborhood civic associations and coordinating efforts to “get people involved and volunteer,” Sierer said.

A recent Newark Futures Workshop “established an effort to connect nonprofits and give them a place to connect and talk,” the partnership’s Nonprofit Enhancement Committee wrote in its minutes. “It really allows us a platform to move forward and work together in the community.”

Continued on Page 18

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

17

Newark Partnership Continued from Page 16

The downtown partnership, which operated within the framework of city government, had about a $100,000 budget, and the city has committed up to $150,000 in startup funding for the new partnership, which by contrast is an independent nonprofit, going for 501(c)3 status. Leaders of The Newark Partnership are seeking three to five founding sponsors who’ll commit to funding for a year, and donors. UD is helping with administrative staff, and the partnership eventually plans to finance itself with memberships.

More importantly, it will grow itself by involving more members of the community. “The most valuable resource in the end is the people in the community,� Rich said. “We’ve taken on a large role. We think it will be a big lift, but a good lift.�

Partnership chair Polly Sierer shares a moment with UD student Amani Thurman and Frank Newton, director of the Newark Charter School.

We don’t think Middletown seniors should have to leave the town WKH\ ORYH WR Ć“QG D TXDOLW\ UHWLUHPHQW OLYLQJ FRPPXQLW\ 7KDWĹ?V ZK\ ZHĹ?UH FUHDWLQJ 0HDGRZFUHVW DW 0LGGOHWRZQ ĹŠ ZKLFK ZLOO EH WKH only senior living community LQ WKH DUHD D XQLTXH PRQWKO\ UHQWDO FRPPXQLW\ RIIHULQJ ĹŠ :RUU\ IUHH LQGHSHQGHQW OLYLQJ ĹŠ 6XSSRUWLYH DVVLVWHG OLYLQJ ĹŠ &RPSUHKHQVLYH PHPRU\ FDUH Ĺ?0HDGRZFUHVW LV EURXJKW WR \RX E\ 9DQWDJH 3RLQW 5HWLUHPHQW /LYLQJ ,QF DQ RUJDQL]DWLRQ WKDWĹ?V SXWWLQJ WKH KHDUW EDFN LQ VHQLRU OLYLQJ ZLWK IDPLO\ RULHQWHG YDOXHV Ĺ? – Greg Stevens, President and Founder

CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY! $QG 9,3 UHVHUYDWLRQV DUH Ć“OOLQJ XS IDVW &DOO XV WRGD\ DW 302.828.0990 WR OHDUQ PRUH DERXW KRZ FDQ EH D 0HDGRZFUHVW 9,3 WRGD\

Ć‚ĹżĆ Ć‡Ć Ć‡ ĹżĆˆĆˆĹż _ Ć°Ć°Ć° ƌƞƚĆ?Ć¨Ć°ĆœĆŤĆžĆŹĆ­ĆĽĆ˘Ć&#x;Ćž ĆœĆ¨ĆŚ

18

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

GROUNDBREAKING SENIOR LIVING IS BREAKING GROUND IN MIDDLETOWN!

ADULT DAY CARE How do you want your loved one to spend the day?

• Comprehensive plan of care • Individualized activities • 'LJQĻHG DVVLVWDQFH • Transportation Georgetown and New Castle

800-677-3800

www.de.easterseals.com www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

19

|Newark Life Sports & Recreation|

A new ho for UD foo

Stadium upgrades and other projects h he 20

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

home ootball

By Ken Mammarella Staff Writer

D

elaware Stadium is, at long last, becoming a nicer place to watch football.

“There haven’t been any upgrades since the mid1970s,” Chrissi Rawak, the University of Delaware’s director of athletics and recreation services, said of the stadium, built in 1952. “The condition for our fans and athletes was inadequate. The overall fan experience was not a good one.”

No longer. Renovations include more comfortable seating, what Rawak calls “pretty phenomenal” sightlines, and upgraded restrooms and concessions.

A Stadium Club is to open next year.

Continued on Page 22

ts help the university compete The new Whitney Athletic Center will cover 90,000 square feet when completed..

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

21

New Stadium Continued from Page 21

To keep fans on top of updates and construction, UD posts details on https:// bluehens.com/gameday.

On game days, multiple guest services kiosks are available four hours before games outside the stadium’s west side; a tent on the east concourse serves as the main guest relations hub, including lost and found; and guest relations representatives roam in and around the stadium to assist fans.

Ground was broken in December 2018 on a $60 million project on the Dave Nelson Athletics Complex in Newark, dominated by renovations to Delaware Stadium and construction of the Whitney Athletic Center, planned to provide academic support and athletic training and wellbeing facilities for UD’s 600 student-athletes.

Following the completion of fundraising, focus will shift to the Delaware Field House, and seating on the east side and in the end zones of Delaware Stadium.

The stadium used to seat 21,500, but the updates mean the capacity is dropping to 16,730 this year.

When the work is done, it’ll be 18,309. The stadium is going from metal benches Continued on Page 24

22

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Photo by Mark Campbell

Seating upgrades have been made throughout the stadium.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

23

New Stadium Continued from Page 22

in select sections to chairback seats (all seats in the middle three sections – C, D and E) and club seats with cushions and padding – both styles with more leg room, more elbow room and cupholders.

“It’s a win-win,” Newark resident Wayne Hanby, a season ticket holder (Section C, Row Z) since his 1976 UD graduation, said of the comfier seating. He also feels the athletic center will help with recruiting and for student-athletes to develop.

“We’re very happy to see all the improvements,” said Kristin DeGregory, who’s been attending games since she was a child, when her parents were season ticket holders. “We hope they bring back the feeling of a filled stadium, cheering everyone on.”

DeGregory, her husband Joe and their children now buy a family fun pack with seats in the end zone, but she said after seeing all the changes at this season’s opener, “we’re definitely thinking of upgrading.”

Fans with club seats get access to the Stadium Club, an 8,500-square-foot space with a bar, food and more restrooms. “Our fans are really excited to have that,” said Jordan Skolnick, deputy athletic director, comparing the new club to Continued on Page 26

24

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Photo by Jeff Fannon

A multi-million-dollar upgrade to the University of Delaware’s stadium will result in an improved fan experience. www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

25

New Stadium Continued from Page 24

the one at the Bob Carpenter Center in “size, scope and feel.” The club will be used on non-game days by the athletic department, and it can be rented.

Student seating is now in the north end zone area. The band remains in the south end zone, but is moving to the east side for 2019 to allow for smoother transitions from its seating.

The main ticket booths are now on the plaza in front of the Bob. Season ticket prices rose this season because there are seven home games, but “prices go back down in 2020 with a six-game home schedule,” the UD website says. “Sections C, D, E with the new chair backs will see an additional increase in their price due to the upgraded seating. With the club space being unavailable until the 2020 season, the 2019 club seat costs will be discounted 25 percent off the 2020 price.”

The construction closes the west concourse to fans.

There are new entrances in the stadium’s southwest and northwest corners. An alley between the stadium and the Bob is a part of the stadium this year, so fans using the southwest gate have tickets scanned before entering the

26

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

alley. The north and east main stadium entrances remain open. Construction extends into surrounding parking lots as well.

Refreshments continue to be offered in multiple locations, including three temporary stands. A concession stand outside the stadium’s west side and the barbecue smoker tent are not in use this season.

Beer is available in two locations, with the stand in the stadium’s northwest corner moved to the north end of the east concourse. UD officials are researching an expanded menu for next year.

The work on the stadium’s west side includes large restrooms at both ends, Skolnick said. The permanent restrooms in the east and north concourses remain open.

Temporary restrooms are available in concourses behind the north and south end zones.

The west side bookstore is closed this season; the east concourse location remains open.

An enhanced press box will be unveiled next fall atop the athletic center.

Continued on Page 28

YOUR PLACE FOR IS HOLLYWOOD! DINING

DANCING

WINNING!

TABLES + SLOTS + OFF-TRACK BETTING + FREE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT & MORE! +

CO ONVE ENIENT TLY LO OCATED OFF I-9 95 AT T EXIT T 93

41O-378-85OO

+

W W W. H O L LY W O O D C A S I N O P E R R Y V I L L E . C O M

Please play responsibly, for help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 21. Must present valid ID. www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

27

New Stadium Continued from Page 26

The athletic center is named for Ken Whitney (a 1980 UD graduate, a golfer while a student and a member of the board of trustees) and his wife Elizabeth K., who gave $10 million. One section of the 90,000-squarefoot center houses the Student Success Center, with space for academic support, career preparation and leadership development.

Another section is the Health & Well-Being Center. It includes a 10,000-square-foot weight room that can Continued on Page 30

28

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

New Stadium Continued from Page 28

accommodate more than 100 students, ending common midday lines.

It also includes “grab-and-go healthy food options,” a kitchen to teach student-athletes healthy cooking techniques, sports psychology areas, hydrotherapy tubs and an X-ray machine.

“All of our peers have something like that on their campuses,” Rawak said of the center, referring to schools in the Colonial Athletic Association, schools in the region and schools that UD recruits against. “We were at a competitive disadvantage.”

“Now, we’re ahead, with a holistic approach offering

30

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

everything together,” Skolnick said.

“There are a lot of academic components in the center,” Rawak said, such as the dietetic interns who select those healthy food options, and the tubs, also available to UD’s physical therapy clinic. The athletics department is also working with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources UD Creamery just to the north to develop cheese, yogurt and a milk-based replacement fluid.

You mean a BlueHenAde? “It hasn’t been named yet,” Rawak said.

And when everything’s done a year from now, “we’ll celebrate,” she said.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

31

|In the spotlight|

The Nomadic Storybook Shop

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

Kate has always been a dreamer, a trait that was no doubt nourished by an early love of reading.

She said that GoGo Books began “as a tribute to ate Keeper has been preparing herself to be the magic of those beloved stories from childhood the owner of “a nomadic storybook shop” that become a part of us.” her entire life.

Those magical stories serve as an assurance that That’s what Kate likes to call the GoGo Books the only limitations that we have as people are book truck—a nomadic storybook shop. And those placed on our imaginations, where possibilindeed it is. The stoity isn’t conditional, rybook shop features and everything can a wide selection of happen. books for children As we age, many of all ages—board of us lose the ability books, picture books, to believe, especiala collection of chilly when it comes to dren’s classics, young chasing our dreams.

Through GoGo adult novels, and Books, Kate is setmuch more. There ting out to make sure are magnetic games and books on parentthat children get to ing, too. Just one of lead a thousand the things that makes lives through books, this storybook shop so just as she did as a special—in addition Courtesy photo child. The fact that to a few thousand Many people in Newark and the surrounding communities have she and her husband wonderful books to already seen the delightful book truck.

Sam are operating this spark the imaginaNomadic Storybook tion—is that this shop is completely mobile. Shop is also evidence that adults can still pursue Many Newark, Delaware residents have likely their dreams if they have the courage to believe. already seen the delightful blue truck rolling According to Keeper, she always loved to read through the city or set up at community events in and to be surrounded by books. But the idea of Continued on Page 34 Newark and the surrounding communities.

K

32

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Photo by Steven Hoffman

The GoGo Books book truck made its debut earlier this year. Newark residents Sam and Kate Keeper developed the concept for about a year before they rolled out the book truck with all its wonderful treasures. www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

33

Nomadic Storybook Shop Continued from Page 32

starting a bricks-and-mortar book shop in 2019 was a difficult one to pursue. Kate was still working as a registered nurse when her husband made a casual remark about a traveling bookstore. That remark was the first seed of GoGo Books being planted. Kate and Sam visited the Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab in Brooklyn, New York. They were still unsure about opening a conventional bookstore, but the idea of a book truck held real possibilities, they thought. Kate did more research on bookmobiles, and she and Sam developed a plan.

After about a year of planning, the GoGo Books book truck debuted in April of this year. There is nothing exactly like it around. While there are other bookmobiles, the GoGo Books book truck features children’s books exclusively, which differentiates it from other bookmobiles. The selection of titles is tremendous. Kate curates the Continued on Page 36

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Parents and children love the GoGo Books book truck. There are usually a few thousand titles in the truck.

34

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

35

Nomadic Storybook Shop Continued from Page 34

selection of children’s literature herself, an incredible job for someone who loves books so much.

The classic books, teen fiction, and young adult novels are featured alongside thoughtfully crafted children’s wares, creating a unique experience focused on the joys of storytelling with a touch of whimsy and charm.

Kate wanted to create an experience for local children. There aren’t as many bookstores as there once was, and the GoGo Books book truck allows children the opportunity to explore books—to pick them up, to look at the pictures, to flip through the pages—so that they can decide which ones they like the best.

“It’s fun and it’s novel,” Kate said of the book truck.

“There are other book trucks, but not book trucks that are exclusive for children, and the other book trucks are not of this scale.”

Continued on Page 38

Courtesy photo

The book truck offers a unique and memorable experience for children.

36

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Why settle for shower walls that look like plastic?

Home Smart Industries professionally installs beautiful Kohler crushed stone shower wall systems made of 70% Alabama marble at prices comparable to acrylic showers. Affordable FEXLXYF ERH WLS[IV VITPEGIQIRXW F] SYV /SLPIV XVEMRIH ERH GIVXMŶIH 7TIGMEPMWXW

1,000 OFF $0 DOWN 0% APR

$

p lus

NO PAYMENTS FOR 12 MONTHS

Call Home Smart Industries Check out our Google reviews!

888-711-3289 Must call this number for discounts.

*Limited time only. Good at initial presentation only. $1,000 discount is only available to be used towards purchasing upgraded Luxstone walls. Financing available for qualifed buyers.

NO PRICE QUOTES WILL BE GIVEN VIA PHONE.

www.HomeSmartind.com www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

37

Nomadic Storybook Shop Continued from Page 36

One of the community events that Kate and Sam took the GoGo Books book truck to was Yorklyn Day 2019 in early June. The book truck certainly ranked among the most popular attractions, even though there was a lot to enjoy that day. Parents with children flocked to the book truck to look over the selections.

“It’s great,” said Sara Mora, a resident of north Wilmington who enjoyed looking at the books with her young son, Cameron. “It reminds me of when I was a kid and we had bookmobiles come to the school.”

Kate and Sam are always looking for ways to make the book truck experience more enjoyable for children and families. Kate plans to host story-time and sing-along sessions at the truck. In addition to setting up shop at festivals and community events in Delaware and the surrounding communities, she would also like to partner with local businesses.

Kate and Sam have really enjoyed being out in the community, meeting people, and giving children and parents increased access to books.

Plus, Kate now spends much more time surrounded by books. It’s like a dream come true for her. Such is the life of Call for 2019 Brochure!

the owner of “a nomadic storybook shop.”

More information about GoGo Books, including how to book them for your next event, can be found at Gogobooktruck.com. The website also has a feature that allows visitors to see where the GoGo Books book truck is.

Information about upcoming events where the book truck will be appearing is also available on the GoGo Books Facebook page.

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

The GoGo Books book mobile will be at this year’s Sleep Under the Stars event at Carousel Park on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Opposite page photo by Steven Hoffman

The book truck was a popular attraction at the Yorklyn Day 2019 event in June.

47th ANNUAL ANTIQUE BOTTLE & COLLECTIBLES SHOW AND SALE ALSO, TABLE TOP ANTIQUES - ADVERTISING *Reservations suggested.

Autumn Leaf Special October 12 & 13 at 12:30 & 2:30pm Brews on Board October 25 at 7pm Hayride Express October 18 & 26 and November 1 & 8 at 7:00 & 8:30pm Ice Queen Express November 17 at 12:30 & 2:30pm

www.wwrr.com Greenbank Station • 2201 Newport Gap Pike • Wilmington, DE 19808 38

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2019 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

SINGERLY FIRE HALL Routes 279 & 213 (I-95, exit 109A) Elkton, Maryland 21922 ADMISSION - $3.00 Children under 12 Free Contact: Dave Brown, 302-388-9311 Email - dbrown3942@comcast.net

TRI-STATE BOTTLE COLLECTORS AND DIGGERS CLUB, INC.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

39

|Newark Business|

Michelle Fite started her own luxury fashion line to combat the pervasive trend of ‘fast fashion’ that hurts workers and the environment.

40

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Fite Fashion aims to break some rules while helping the community and the world

By John Chambless Staff Writer

F

or Michelle Fite, who launched her own luxury fashion line last summer, the goal is to “set an example of a fashion brand that operates responsibly, ethically, and makes our world a better place.”

Fite Fashion is based right now in the mid-century modern home that Michelle and her husband, Thomas, share in Newark. The workroom where Michelle creates her elegant gowns has several pieces in progress, draped on dressmaker’s dummies with impeccable style. The business is small – it’s essentially Michelle and two or three others – but its goals are revolutionary in an industry where cheap labor making disposable clothing is the norm.

Fite has longtime Newark roots. She’s a graduate of St. Mark’s High School and the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore.

She began as a painter, and her large canvases still hang throughout her home. “I got into mixed media, which brought me back to what I always wanted to do, which was fashion,” she said. “I started working with alternative materials, like paper and screen, to make sculpture dresses. That made me realize that I just loved doing it.”

As a child, Fite loved drawing elaborate gowns in the Queen Elizabeth style, and fell in love with the spunky, independent style of Molly Ringwald in the 1980s film Pretty in Pink. “That movie had a giant impact on me,” she said. “I just loved how she wasn’t afraid of having her Continued on Page 42

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

41

Michelle Fite Continued from Page 41

own aesthetic and speaking up for herself, and being really resourceful.

She didn’t go for off-the-rack things.

She thought about crafting a style. I didn’t have money growing up, so it was inspiring that she didn’t let that stop her, either. I take that resourcefulness to heart today.”

Fite graduated from the University of Montana in 2007 and finished an MFA in fashion in 2013.

“My collection now is basically my final design project from grad school,” she said. “I made my own wedding dress, and realized that’s what I needed to launch my collection. I knew if I kept working on my skills, I could start the line from that.”

While the fashion industry is based in major cities, Fite said she isn’t interested in competing in a highrent and high-stress fashion center.

Newark, she said, is close enough to commute to New York City, Baltimore and Philadelphia when she needs to, “but I have everything I need here. Newark has a special place in my heart. I can go chill on Main Street and I can go to the beach. In a place like New York, where you can throw a rock and hit a fashion designer or performer,” she said, laughing, “it’s so much harder to find your voice and your niche.”

The hallmark of Fite Fashion is its one-of-a-kind exclusivity and its dramatic flair. It’s the opposite of the mass-produced, shoddy merchandise pumped into stores nationwide.

“I’m very sensitive to material.

Once you start sewing, you can think about issues of quality. If it looks like the hem is not nice, or it’s a cheap feeling material, I don’t want it on my body,” Fite said. “I shopped Goodwill a lot as a kid, because I

42

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

was always a little bit more eccentric in my taste anyway. When you’re young, you get to find your identity.

I liked a lot of the vintage pieces because they were still so sturdy, and I’ve always loved natural materials. I don’t use synthetics in my own line.”

The global shift toward cheap clothes produced by underpaid workers began in the 1980s-1990s prosperity bubble in America, Fite said, “People got accustomed to consuming more. As you get older, there’s this pressure to not look like you shop in a thrift store, and not repeat the same garments over and over again. Professional people get stuck in this trap where it’s not cool to keep re-wearing things.

“You can’t separate the rise of fast fashion and the grip it has on the marketplace without examining wages,” she added. “You can’t solve the problem when too many people can’t afford anything else. If we really want to solve some of these consumer habits, we’re going to have to increase the minimum wage so that people can say, ‘Listen, I know this is a bad purchase, so I’m going to save Continued on Page 44

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

43

Michelle Fite Continued from Page 43

up a little bit and buy a good coat, for example, because I know it’s going to last forever.’

“At a store like H&M, for instance, a brand new T-shirt is $6. That’s essentially the same price as Goodwill. What’s your incentive to buy a used piece?” Fite said. “Fast fashion is so cheap that it competes with thrift stores. If you’re someone who is making $8 or $9 an hour, which thing are you going to buy?”

That feeds a market for ever-cheaper production, clothes that fall apart, and subsequent sales of even more clothes.

It’s a cycle that is crushing pay rates for workers in dangerous sweatshops, most of which remains hidden from the outside world.

“The fashion industry is guilty of extreme wastefulness, pollution and exploitation of labor,” Fite said. “Fabric scraps from the factory floor more often than not end up in a landfill. Harsh chemical dyes can make their way into streams and groundwater, poisoning ecosystems. Sweatshop labor practices are common in the world of fast fashion, creating Continued on Page 46 Continued on Page 44

44

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

45

Michelle Fite Continued from Page 44

a race to the bottom to make clothing as cheap and disposable as possible.”

Fite said she pays a $15 per hour starting wage to her local contractors, and will incorporate profit sharing as the company grows. “It’s very important to me that workers benefit from the profits they generate,” she said. “And that incentivizes people to show up and bring their best.

People who feel valued and can pay their bills and live with dignity tend to be better workers.

“It’s hard because you cannot make ethically produced, sustainable fashion at the same price as an H&M T-shirt,” she said. “They should be paying a living wage, but we know that they’re not. And even if they switched to more sustainable fabrics, they’re still producing in sweatshops.

“Burberry was attacked about a year ago because they overproduced and they didn’t want people to buy their things on clearance and walk around with Burberry items. So they burned millions of dollars worth of garments,” Fite said. “All of my formal wear is made to order. Things like my trousers and my pencil skirts, I may have one in each size that I make for a trade show or

something, but I’ll never overproduce. You’re going to know that everything you get is made in small batches or is custom made.

“There are so many problems that mega-corporations could solve, but they don’t even try. Because greed is still a prime motivator, unfortunately. Personally, I don’t think my success has to come at the expense of others.”

Fite aims for an upscale customer for her gowns, which are sold online as custom orders only at this point. “I want to make sure everything I create is beautiful, and photographs well from every angle, but is also very sturdy and made from good materials,” she said. “I love color theory and sculpture and how light affects an object.

I want my dresses, specifically, to make you feel like you’re putting on a sculpture.”

She’s aware of the uphill battle in getting people to realize that one well-made garment can last a lifetime, while the $10 jacket at Target is going to fall apart and need to be replaced. “I’m aiming to support my ideals and take steps toward enacting those principles,” she said. “But I Continued on Page 48

Newark’s Full Service Jeweler

A family tradition for over 70 years

SEIKO watches

ON SALE

for the holidays

Fine Quality Diamonds | Custom Designing Jewelry Repair, Watch Repair | Gold & Silver Buying 410 Suburban Drive, Newark, DE 19711 • 302-368-3380 • www.andrewgallagher-jewelers.com 46

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

47

Michelle Fite Continued from Page 46

know there are a lot of people who care more about how something looks. So I don’t mind my dresses being a Trojan horse for those ideals.”

Fite is reaching out to boutique owners in the region, perhaps to see a few samples of Fite Fashion pieces and solicit orders for custom work. In addition to the gowns and dresses, she makes a limited number of one-of-akind bags and understructure pieces from her scraps.

For now, Fite Fashion is a small operation. “I work mostly with one woman who is good at helping me solve problems that I get stuck on. And then I’ve brought in two other people to help me with things like pants, and cutting and tracing fabric,” Fite said. “But I did about 80 percent of what’s on my website. It’s all me – I come up with the ideas, I do all of the research for the materials, I do all the patterning by hand.”

The company’s guidelines extend to all aspects of production – all packaging is plastic-free, high-grade recycled paper. Garment tags and tissue paper are recycled as well.

Ultimately, Fite would like to reach into the

48

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Wilmington downtown renaissance, possibly with a base of operations that could provide job training and opportunities. “I would like to do some job training.

I make some couture garments. How amazing would it be to maybe reach out to one of the organizations that helps women get out of domestic violence? We could teach them these couture techniques and have a fashion house in Wilmington. No one else is doing that. Why can’t I? “I need a convenient workspace so that when I do hire workers they can take public transportation to get there,” she added. “I don’t want barriers to employment. As I get enough orders coming in, I will put money aside for that. I want to buy a building instead of renting, because I can renovate and make it a wonderful place to work, for myself, but also for other people. I want to be the kind of mentor that I didn’t have, but who would have changed my life.”

For more information, visit www.FiteFashion.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

|Newark Arts & Music| From the time she was a child in Newark, musician Sarah Koon has been captive to the creative influences that have inspired her. They’re now all roaming free, as permanent imprints on her musical journey

Photo by Brianna and Ryan Photography

In performance, Koon combines her background as a classically trained pianist with her extensive background in theater.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

F

or most of her childhood in Newark, Sarah Koon was homeschooled, but in the third grade, she attended a small public school, and one day, she learned that the school was about to host a fine arts fair, where every student was required to recite a poem in front of the entire student population.

Continued on Page 52

50

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Newark resident and musician Sarah Koon is at work on her latest CD, Problematica.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

51

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 52

Photo by Chris Malinowski

Koon has already produced three recordings of original music.

Koon was terrified about the prospect of having to put herself front and center, and her anxiety got the attention of her teacher, who told her that she didn’t have to get up on the stage if she didn’t want to. Koon, however, refused to sit it out, and on the day of the fair, she walked onto the stage and saw row after row of faces staring up at her, in anticipation.

52

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

She opened her mouth and began to recite a poem she had memorized about Molly Pitcher, an American legend who was said to have participated in the Battle of Monmouth during the Revolutionary War. The third-grader faced down her fears, delivered her poem, and politely walked off the stage to generous applause.

In a sense, the creative life of Sarah Koon has been an exact and mirrored image of that day, ever since.

“I have always wanted to challenge myself, to put myself in positions that are uncomfortable for me, and into areas where I don’t feel comfortable,” Koon said recently at the Continued on Page 54

Photo by Chris Sikich Photography

Koon and her band perform regularly at venues throughout Delaware.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

53

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 53

Queen Theater in Wilmington. “And I still feel that. That is not to say that I have no fear, but it’s become the spirit of life in me.”

From the time she returned to her native Delaware in 2012 after several years in Los Angeles pursuing a career in acting, Koon – either as a solo performer or as the leader of the Sarah Koon Band – has used her music as a tributary for a creative life that has included theater, classical training as a pianist, and her love of performance. Her songwriting style is a generous embrace of her life’s experiences, and when melded with other musicians, her songs become a cinematic outburst of swirling moods and transitions.

Her lyrics have been called reminiscent of Kate Bush with heaping helpings of quirkiness tossed in, a la Joanna Newsom, and her live performances at clubs and outdoor shows in Delaware and Philadelphia are a lyrical and

54

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

musical bloodletting of emotions.

In the past seven years, she has released three CDs: After Shocks, Thoughts and Mathematics in 2013; This Kind of Education in 2014; and Sitting Standing in 2016 – all of which showcase her talents both as a composer and writer.

“I never force myself to write a song,” Koon said. “A lot of musicians I know dedicate a particular time every day to write, and although I am constantly improvising and creating compositions, I need to be inspired to write. Most of my songs come out of my situations in my life. Someone told me they saw a show of mine and said that this concert was a musical theater piece on my life.”

The Newark house that Sarah Koon and her siblings were raised in reverberated with classical music and hymnals and other genres, and all of it was met halfway by the presence of

great literature that was an arm’s reach away.

As a child, she took piano lessons, attended music camps and memorized monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. All of it, she said, was pursued in order to fill the unquenchable well that she felt growing inside of her, one that consumed music, art and literature as the necessary sustenance to survive.

“Being home-schooled for the majority of my childhood, I didn’t have a lot of influences that one usually receives in a traditional school, so if something was really nerdy I didn’t know that and I just went for it,” she said. “If I had been in public school, I would have been pressured to do the cool thing, but because I was home-schooled, I was able to live in my own world.

“I loved the feeling of being mentally stimulated, and needing to escape into that. I definitely felt connected to that time period and its aesthetics, its rhythms, its emotions and its expressions. A lot of my life centered around home, and I had a piano there.”

Throughout her teenage years, Koon juggled her classical piano training – which included performing at competitions, recitals and festivals – with her growing love of acting. After graduating with a B.A. in Theater Art from Lee University in Tennessee, she spent her early adult years focusing on theater and film performance as an actress. For the next five years, she lived in Los Angeles, at a time when unemployment in the city had reached 40 percent and a writer’s strike that shut down a lot of television and film production for a portion of the time she was there.

While she navigated through the humility of cattle call auditions (“I would walk into an audition and see fifty women who looked exactly like me”), Koon emptied her restless creativity elsewhere in Los Angeles. She joined Continued on Page 56

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

55

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 55

Americorps, where she worked at homeless centers and created literacy programs and English-As-A-Second Language workshops.

While the door she pursued on the West Coast never fully opened for Koon, another door reopened on the other side of the country and welcomed her back home. In 2012, she returned to Delaware, and very quickly, the move set her on a track that has combined her creative passions and her work in the non-profit world. She took a job with Literacy Delaware, and then at New Start, where she started as a program coordinator and later became the executive director.

At the same time, she began to write her own music, which led to composing, recording and producing experimental music that was featured on After Shocks. On her Bandcamp page at that time, she wrote that she had been writing songs “in fits of introverted fury in my bedroom for years.”

“It was at that point when I felt very fresh with music, and I wanted to begin to tie everything together,” she said. “I began to experiment with other people’s music, but I began to feel that I wasn’t being able to put my full self into it. Writing my own music was a jump for me and it took me some time to find my voice and style and how to take this classical technique and begin to make it my own.”

Soon, the music Koon was producing on her own dovetailed with the contacts she was beginning to make in the local music circuit.

She took a part-time position at the Queen’s box office, which gave her unlimited access to dozens of musicians. They shared music.

They jammed together. They commiserated.

They supported each other.

In addition to her two follow-up CDs, Koon Continued on Page 58

56

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 56

formed the Sarah Koon Band with drummer Paul Ramsey and bassist Jacque Varsalona, and guitarist Sam Nobles, and in recent years, has played in several venues, including The Oddity Bar, The Queen, Argilla Brewing Company, Theatre N in Wilmington, Bourbon and Branch in Philadelphia and several outdoor festivals.

“I come on stage now with a presence and a purpose, and there is a story behind each show,” Koon said. “I feel my background as an actress informs everything I do now with music.”

Koon’s music has caught the attention of not only audiences, but musicians who perform regularly on the local circuit. Chris Malinowski, the lead singer and songwriter of The Collingwood, has been performing on bills with Koon for several years.

“What draws me to Sarah’s music is the naked honesty and the manic cosmos therein,” Malinowski said. “I love her interweaving of delicate, fierce, inquisitive piano lines with her simple lyrical phrases, the subtext of which are rife with ultra-complicated feelings and behaviors.

“Sarah is not playing cute for anyone. There are no power chords here or fancy, ironic indie rock dress codes. Sarah is a writer/musician of the most visceral ilk.”

“Sarah’s music is challenging and aggressive,” said Varsalona, who has been performing with Koon for the past year. “Her songs take you on a wild ride, both as a listener and a player. She presents an interesting contrast between classically arranged poise and aggressive, in-your-face bombastic-ness. She’ll give you a break for a minute, but hang on because there are some crazy twists Continued on Page 60

58

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

59

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 58

and turns coming up ahead. She keeps you guessing.”

While music is the comforting convergence of Koon’s many influences, she is also blessed with another avenue to share these gifts. Last November, she was named the executive director at the Light Up the Queen Foundation (LUQ), a Delaware-based organization whose mission is to inspire others through highquality programs in arts, education, workforce development and mentoring. Along the way, LUQ ensures that the Queen Theater remains a “community clubhouse” to engage the entire community through live music.

Of the many programs happening with LUQ, Koon is particularly fond of Smart Arts!, presented at the Queen Theater, that invites children from underfunded schools to experience cost-free, education-based musical performances by visiting musicians.

60

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

As many as 250 young people attend each performance.

“We partner with dozens of musicians, teachers, school administrators and others within our community to create programs that reach those with the greatest need,” she said. “Ultimately, we hope to provide a foundation of music that fosters long term interest, appreciation, and learning in the arts.”

“Programs like this have proven to cultivate a child’s educational pathway. By exposing them to music at a young age, it accelerates brain development, particularly in the areas of language, math and reading, as well as stimulates their intellectual, social and emotional growth, their memory skills and their overall literacy.”

Currently, Koon is working on what will be her fourth CD – Problematica -- a project Continued on Page 62

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

61

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 60

that’s been in the works for the past two years and is tentatively scheduled for a winter release. She’s working with fellow musicians Nobles, Varsalano and Ramsey, as well as Brian Bard, Melissa Forsyth, Mike Glessner and Harmony Mooney.

“I am working on eight songs for the CD now, and they’re all taken directly from my life,” she said. “A lot of these songs are the beginning of putting to bed some of life’s struggles that we all have, and it’s filled with an entire prism of emotions.”

In palaeontology, research can unearth stories that provide a glimpse of what life was like millions and billions of years ago: the colors of animals, the last meal consumed or the depth at which a marine organism may have lived in the ocean.

Yet, within this research lay unexplainable phenomenon that defy classification and

62

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

bear no resemblance to any other known form of life. They are misfits. They cannot be easily caged into a definition.

They’re called Problematica.

Throughout her musical journey, Sarah Koon has side-stepped the easy comparisons and the pigeon-hole definitions that too often are applied to music and genres and artists. In a musical sense, she has become that mysterious thing, poking its veritable originality into the coagulation of discovery, pulling every influence along that she’s ever had in her life.

She’s still the child fighting through her fear and getting on a stage.

“When I was an actress, or when I was memorizing Shakespeare, I could disappear into a character,” she said. “I was always someone else, but now, I’m Sarah Koon and this is the Sarah Koon Band and it’s me and my life Continued on Page 64

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

63

Sarah Koon Continued from Page 62

64

A Benefit for the Light Up the Queen Foundation The Halloween Loop Costume Ball October 26 The Queen, Wilmington, Delaware Doors open at 7 p.m.

This October marks the 40th anniversary of the Halloween Loop! To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Halloween Loop, Out & About Magazine and other area businesses are partnering with the Light Up the Queen Foundation as a benefit for the foundation. The event will feature performances by The Caulfields, Montana Wildaxe, The Numbers and The Snap.

To learn more and to obtain tickets, visit www.thequeenwilmington.com.

Mowing Weekly/BiWeekly • Leaf Removal

Kelly’s

Lawn Care LLC

DDA #1391

Kellyslawncare3@verizon.net

302-584-1045

• Fertilizer/Weed Control • Spring/Fall Clean-ups •

• Gutter Cleaning • Plantings • Stone • Tree Removal •

and the inner workings of my brain that come out in my songs. It’s much more personal and more vulnerable as well. I am playing piano and singing at the same time. It’s much harder than acting, but it was destined to be and I couldn’t get away from it.

“I am compelled to create music. I have to. It will always be an element in my life.”

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Power Washing • Bed Maintenance • Mulch

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

65

|Newark Life Photo Essay| The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware

Pastures and barns of learning a Text by Richard L. Gaw For more than 150 years, the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Delaware has played a critical role in helping to solve one of humanity’s largest challenges: How to meet the world’s demand for food.

66

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

The department’s faculty have conducted groundbreaking research that has shaped the past – and the future – of our food and our planet, by putting knowledge into practice.

Alumni have gone on to become successful growers, agribusiness leaders, groundbreaking scientists, policy makers and world changers.

e

g and discovery The department offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in Animal & Food Sciences, Applied Economics & Statistics, Entomology & Wildlife Ecology and Plant & Soil Sciences. At the center of this learning is an outdoor classroom in the form of a 350-acre working farm.

Continued on Page 68

Photos by Jim Coarse www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

67

Pastures and barns Continued from Page 67

Through hands-on experience on the farm, students develop a greater understanding of the importance of sustainable animal production. They learn about animal nutrition, health, behavior, reproduction, physiology, genetics and animal management, and gain a greater understanding of the complex relationships between domestic animals (livestock and pets), wild animals, humans and our shared environment.

68

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Students studying Animal Science work with horses, cows, sheep – and blue hens. As part of their study, they milk cows in the dairy cattle milking parlor, which is processed and returned to the department’s popular UDairy Creamery, where students experience both the science and business of making ice cream.

Located near UD’s athletic complex, the Creamery makes and serves over 30 rotating ice cream flavors year round.

Continued on Page 70

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

69

Pastures and barns Continued from Page 68

Students studying Food Science will learn about the steps along the farm to fork pathway involve creativity, chemistry, biology, innovation, compassion (ethics and social conscience), nutrition, microbiology, engineering, social reasoning and critical thinking.

Animal Bioscience majors will solve problems and learn the many steps in producing healthy and productive livestock and companion animals such as horses. The curriculum includes an animal science core (anatomy, nutrition, physiology, health, genetics, and behavior) complemented by animal bioscience interest areas in animal nutrition, animal physiology and animal health.

The department is also highly active in the One Health Initiative, which focuses on addressing the combined needs of animals, humans, and the environment, and offers both undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare students for success in the animal and food science professions.

70

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

71

|Newark Business|

Offering custom medications, a Newark pharmacy fills a crucial need for patients

By John Chambless Staff Writer

make capsules, creams, ointments, gels, troches, suppositories, solutions, suspensions, syrups, and sublingual tablets or drops. espite its cutting-edge medications The business currently focuses mainly on and equipment, what the SaveWay bio-equivalent hormone therapy for men and Compounding Pharmacy really does is women, as well as a host of other medicines reach back to the days when druggists used their for people -- but has a strong market in the expertise to create medications veterinary community as for each individual patient. well. Anyone who has tried The Newark-based busito convince a pet to swalness was started in 2001 by low medicine that it doesn’t Calvin Freedman and his partlike knows the frustration ner, Brenda Pavlic. Freedman level that brings customers had owned and operated a to SaveWay. The pharmacy pharmacy in New Castle for staff has to find the right 30 years, but saw a need for combination of drugs, form and flavor to get the medireturning to the individualcation where it needs to go. ized attention to prescriptions All photos courtesy “In order to accomplish that has been pushed aside by Co-owners Calvin Freedman and his partner, monolithic drug companies. this,” Freedman said, “we’ve Brenda Pavlic.

SaveWay is a licensed phargone back to basics. This is pharmacy the way it was macy where all medications are customized. They don’t dispense commercially practiced 100 years ago, and we’re happy to available drugs. Each prescription is prepared provide this service for human and animal on-site with the basic ingredients required by a patients alike.” doctor’s prescription. It’s one of about a dozen Together with veterinarians, pharmacists can compounding pharmacies in the tristate area. It’s provide compounded medications to expand also the only compounding pharmacy in Delaware the amount of treatment options available for that uses sterile techniques to create medications veterinary conditions. Medications can be made that will either be directly injected into the patient in oral liquid, topical, and animal treat forms. or will be inserted into their eye.

These medications can be flavored to appeal to That’s a godsend for patients who may have animals, making them easier to administer. allergies to some element in mass-produced medi“It’s kind of like cooking from scratch,” Pavlic cations, or who need a specialized blend of said. “The doctor determines the appropriate ingredients that is not common enough to warrant drug therapy, then we figure out the best way to widespread manufacture. In many cases, SaveWay get it into the patient. In the case of a medicasaves lives, one medication at a time. SaveWay can tion for an animal, we’ve had a lot of success

D

72

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

State Line Liquors Four Generations Family Owned & Operated. Since 1937.

The staff at SaveWay offers the kind of individualized pharmacy services that used to be common.

with flavored liquids and transdermal gels.

Our most popular concoction is our ‘Treats’ That Treat. We make medicated treats which we can flavor as beef, chicken, tuna, liver, salmon or shrimp. Some of the commercial medications taste so awful that an animal, especially a cat, will not only refuse to take it, but will become alienated from its owner.”

Many regulatory bodies are aware of the practice of compounding and have set rules with which pharmacies must be compliant.

The Food and Drug Administration allows products to be compounded as long as licensed practitioners have written a prescription for a specific patient to be filled at a licensed pharmacy. In addition, many state boards of pharmacy require additional regulations to be followed.

When it comes to treating people, SaveWay has a loyal client base, many of whom had run out of options elsewhere. One client wrote, “Pharmacist Eric was great at helping my doctor and I come up with a prescription strategy that is 1/5 the cost of brand name prescriptions. He took his time making sure I understood the prescription and answered all my questions.”

The value of the service is obvious to parents of autistic children, as one example.

Many children with autism follow a special diet free of gluten and casein as well as free of other problem-causing ingredients.

Continued on Page 74

Ranked #2 Best Beer Retailer in the USA by

See the Events page for Wine Tastings, Beer Tastings, Tap Socials & Special Events statelineliquors.com/events-tastings

Fine Wines • Liquors • Specialty Beers Gourmet Foods • Cheeses Growler Bar with 25 Taps 1610 Elkton Rd., Elkton, MD 1 (800) 446-WINE 1 (410) 398-3838 statelineliquors.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

73

SavWay Pharmacy Continued from Page 73

Getting a child to take their medication can be a struggle when they have trouble swallowing capsules or taking an unpleasant-tasting liquid.

These difficulties can become even more challenging for a child with autism. SaveWay can prepare flavored syrups, suspensions, lollipops, popsicles, or gummy bears that contain the medication a child needs.

If there are allergies, SaveWay can prepare medications that are free of gluten, casein, yeast, wheat, certain sugars and dyes.

SaveWay specializes in treatments for hormonal imbalances that can occur at any age and affect both men and women. The primary hormone Specialized medications for pets are one of the in men is testosterone. As age increases, testosterone levels decline and largest parts of SaveWay’s business. can lead to a condition known as andropause, or more commonly low-T. Many women, as well, experience side effects when dealing with menopause and hormone imbalance. Unstable hormone levels can lead to chronic symptoms and disorders that can disrupt daily activity.

Freedman graduated from Temple Pharmacy School more than 40 years ago. Although he has always been a member of professional organizations, during the last few years, he has joined several groups that promote the art and science of compounding. His memberships also provide a network of compounding pharmacists.

“Brenda is a nationally certified pharmacy technician,” Freedman said. “She has worked in pharmacy for 20 years, and 18 of those have been for me at SaveWay Pharmacy. Whether our patient is human or animal, Brenda and I will draw upon years of experience and education to best serve the prescription compounding needs of the patient and the doctor. I like to say that we offer the physician, and the patient, options.”

For more information, call 302-369-5520 or visit www.savewaypharmacy.com To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

74

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Roger C. Summers Lawn Care “29 Years of Doing it the Right Way” Tree Removal Tree Pruning

Firewood

Grass Cutting

Fall Clean-Up • Stump Removal

Call for estimate 302-234-8725 or 610-388-0832

www.RogerSummersLawnCare.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

75

|Newark Life|

City of Newark and DEMEC introduce Efficiency Smart Program

Courtesy photo

The City of Newark is introducing Efficiency Smart, an energy efficiency program for City of Newark Electric Department customers.

T

he City of Newark, in partnership with the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC), is introducing Efficiency Smart, an energy efficiency program for City of Newark Electric Department customers.

DEMEC’s energy efficiency program,

76

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Efficiency Smart, offers rebates and several services designed to help residents and businesses reduce energy use. Since it was first launched by American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) in 2011, Efficiency Smart has served 60 communities in several states.

Newark is expected to save approximately

3,306 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy over the course of the three-year contract period – roughly equivalent to the annual electric usage of 408 homes.

The residential services available through the program include a comprehensive set of initiatives that promote sustainable efficient product use and increase energy efficiency in homes. This includes discounts on energy-efficient lighting, rebates for energy-efficient appliances and products, and a free meter loan service.

By taking advantage of these options, residents can reduce their energy consumption and save on their electric bills. For example, a resident who: • Replaces 10 of his or her most frequently used incandescent light bulbs with LEDs could save approximately $100 dollars in annual electric costs; • Plugs appliances and electronics into an advanced powerstrip could save up to $100 in annual electric costs; and • Manages his or her electric usage with an advanced thermostat could save approximately $70 in annual electric costs.

Business customers also have many ways to save energy and money. Small to midsized companies that use up to 500,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually can receive rebates for implementing common energy efficiency measures through Efficiency Smart’s Business Energy Rebates (BER) program. Example projects include lighting, compressed air, food service equipment, and HVAC. Businesses that use more than 500,000 kWh of electricity annually have access Continued on Page 78

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

77

Efficiency Smart Program Continued from Page 77

to tailored services with dedicated account management, customized financial incentives and technical assistance through Efficiency Smart’s Custom program.

Many companies that have completed projects with Efficiency Smart have realized significant reductions in their energy consumption, often between five to 20 percent of their total energy use. These energy reductions have translated to cost savings for companies. Small business projects completed through Efficiency Smart to date have averaged more than $1,600 in annual energy cost savings while larger business projects have averaged in excess of $9,300 annually.

“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with the City of Newark in collaboration with DEMEC,” said Sean Clement, Director of Operations for Efficiency Smart. “The city has shown a commitment to energy efficiency, which

78

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

is a very cost-effective way for communities to reduce their customers’ electric bills, reduce power supply costs, and contribute to local economic development. We look forward to working together with the city to ensure a successful partnership.”

“The Efficiency Smart program is an opportunity that will bring value to the entire city,” said Jerry Clifton, Mayor of Newark. “We’re proud to join other towns in Delaware in helping our residents and businesses reduce energy consumption, save money on their electric bills, and learn best practices. Together, we can help build a smarter, more efficient Newark—not just today, but into the future.”

For more information about Efficiency Smart services available to the city of Newark through DEMEC’s energy efficiency program, visit www. efficiencysmart.org/newark-delaware, or call Efficiency Smart at 877-889-3777.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

79

|Newark Q&A

Q&A

Dr. Frank A. Newton School Director, Newark Charter School This September, after a 25-year administrative career at the University of Delaware, Dr. Frank Newton began a new chapter of his dedication to academics by becoming the School Director at Newark Charter School. He replaced school founder and long-time director Greg Meece, who had championed the school from its humble beginnings 18 years ago to an awardwinning, independently operated institution dedicated to student effort, achievement and decorum for children in grades K-12.

Continued on Page 82

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Dr. Frank Newton is the School Director at Newark Charter School.

80

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

81

Dr. Frank A. Newton Continued from Page 80

Dr. Newton may be new to his position, but his ties to Newark Charter School extend back more than a dozen years. He spent six years on the school board of directors, a three-year term as board chairman, and he and wife Amy saw their two children attend and graduate from the school.

In late August, three days before the start of the 2019-20 academic year Newark Life met with Dr. Newton to discuss his new challenge, the many strengths of Newark Charter School and who he’d like to see at his ultimate dinner party.

Newark Life: Let’s talk first about who you are succeeding – Greg Meece – and how his vision made Newark Charter School what it is today.

The beginning of Newark Charter School started when Greg would host community forums, and have conversations with parents. He would say, “We are going to create this school. I don’t have any teachers or textbooks yet, but here’s our vision.” He said the school was going to create a motto of excellence wrapped around student effort, achievement and decorum. Literally and figuratively, Greg has been infused in every bit, piece and decision that has taken place in this school, dating back to the time it began

Courtesy photos

Dr. Newton reads a story to students in a kindergarten classroom. Newark Charter School is an independently operated institution dedicated to student effort, achievement and decorum for children in grades K-12.

82

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

in September 2001 with trailers, or modular classrooms as they were called.

You’re the new kid here. How are you adjusting and what’s on your early road map as you begin a new academic year?

It’s been sort of a whirlwind. We had our extended school year, so our students with special needs continued for a part of the summer, and I got a chance to meet and work with the some of the students and the faculty.

There is a great team here, led by the principals in our Continued on Page 84

Dr. Newton greets a few of the school’s students at the beginning of the day.

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

83

Dr. Frank A. Newton Continued from Page 83

84

elementary, middle and high schools. They have been phenomenal, as has the rest of Newark Charter School community, in welcoming me.

It’s actually a great time to step in as school director.

A lot of times when communities are faced with finding a leader, there are issues or trauma associated with that change – that require the need to fill in the hole or rebuild trust. I’m lucky because I don’t have any of that. There’s nothing to fix. It’s a well-oiled machine. My key mission this year will be to help the greater Newark community understand that we, like all great educators in the state, are really focused on making sure that every child in Delaware receives an excellent education.

industries, other schools and the City of Newark. It will be about finding those places and those people who can help enrich the value of the education our students are receiving.

As a recent example, we were lucky enough to receive a grant from the Chemours Company, which will allow our students to meet and gain an appreciation of scientists from underrepresented populations and non-traditional backgrounds. In addition, we also have the connections of 250 employees here, and many of them are involved in local organizations, not to mention our students and their families, who are also involved in this community.

It’s a wellspring of connectivity.

In a broader sense, in what ways will you continue to move Newark Charter School forward in the future?

We have amazing strengths here, which allows us to have several places where we can take our mission to higher levels. One of the places I am looking at is determining where the school can continue to partner in the local community, which includes businesses,

What was it about Newark Charter School that convinced you and Amy to send your children here?

Like everyone else, Amy and I wanted the best education for our kids, and we wanted to find a place where our kids could thrive. We have two very different children – one is very math and science oriented and the

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Continued on Page 86

Raw Bar, Crabcakes, Homemade Seafood Soups, Burgers and more Casual Dining on the water!

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

BRING

YOUR

BOAT

AND

Monday-Sunday 11am to 2am

DOCK FREE

AT OUR

PIER!

Visit our Boardwalk featuring Fisher’s Popcorn, Dolly’s Saltwater Taffy & much more!

www.leeslandingdockbar.com

443-747-4006 • 600 Rowland Dr., Port Deposit, MD 21904 www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

85

Dr. Frank A. Newton Continued from Page 84

other is attracted to the arts – and we wanted to find a place where both of these interests would be both taught and embraced. Tom started in third grade and Abby started in first grade.

It was about looking at options and alternatives. I am public school kid born and raised. I believe in public education and I’ve worked at public institutions my entire career, so we saw Newark Charter School as a wonderful opportunity for our children to receive the best public school education.

You just spoke to the staff at a ‘Welcome Back to School’ event. What did you say?

I spoke about the many people we have impacted, and the many people who have impacted us. There’s a song in ‘Wicked’ entitled “For Good” that says, “You’ll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.” Having spent 25 years at the University of Delaware, I had the opportunity to interact with many colleagues who changed some of my foundational views and my place in the world. We’re the handprints on the hearts of a lot of young people, and we’re shaping those lives here.

86

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

It can be as simple as a smile and a welcoming face for a kid who needs that on a particular day. Some of our students don’t have strong support systems outside of school, so in some cases our school is the most stable part of their day. Having those foundational pieces in place enforces the belief in our teachers and staff that they are both educators and leaders.

Who impacted you?

In my young life, my family moved multiple times, so from pre-K to the second grade, I was in five different schools. I was always the new kid. Mrs. Borden was my second-grade teacher, and she was the first teacher who made me feel like I belonged. She allowed me to know that I had gifts and talents, in a way that other teachers had not.

Education is the differentiator, and it’s what makes the difference and levels the playing field. It’s critically important to me to figure out how we as educators can make that accessible to our students.

Continued on Page 88

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2019 | Newark Life

87

Dr. Frank A. Newton Continued from Page 86

It is the aspiration of every public school system to be able to have the resources to provide more individualized teaching. In a school of 2,400 students coming in next week, that’s not always an easy thing to achieve at Newark Charter School. Talk about what the school is doing to reverse this.

We added another reading specialist in our fifth through eighth grade to provide assistance to students who require it. We’re also addressing how we can best help students with learning concerns. The reality is that we have students who are coming to us with social and emotional issues that hamper their ability to learn, so we help them how to navigate through these issues, through innovation and technology. It’s figuring out new approaches and pedagogies.

It’s very safe to say that students now are far more impacted by the outside world than they were, say, decades ago.

We may have had the duck-and-cover drills back when you and I were in school, but the impact of the outside world wasn’t coming at us 24-7. It wasn’t coming to us on

88

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

our phones and in our houses and in a 24-hour news cycle.

Our kids are inundated with this in a way that we were not.

It creates a greater global awareness, but on the other side of the coin, that they also understand that the world is not always a safe place all of the time.

We are also not assaulted by social media, either. If we had a bad day, we could retool at home. We could have a parent talk with us. Now, it’s the last thing we see before we go to bed. It’s the first thing we see when we get up in the morning, and in between, social media may have blown up about what may have happened to that child that day.

Here at Newark Charter School, we incorporate technology in a way that’s helpful and positive to our students. It’s our mission to give kids access to positive resources and the way to navigate through them. It’s a way of providing different life lessons, and our staff does that extremely well.

What is your favorite spot in Newark?

I have three. I really like Main Street. As a location, it has a really cool vibe to it; it’s hip, small-town America but Continued on Page 90

Chester County PRESS 144 SOUTH JENNERSVILLE RD, WEST GROVE, PA 19390 www.chestercounty.com

Serving the Chester County business community since 1866 Your source for local news, government, schools, sports and much more!

Published every Wednesday. To subscribe call 610-869-5553 ext 10.

LIFE MAGAZINES • Landenberg Life • Kennett Square Life • West Chester & Chadds Ford Life • Newark Life • Greenville & Hockessin Life • Middletown Life • Cecil County Life Each of our Life magazines offer “hyper local” news from each community in the form of features, pro les, history, entertainment and home and garden stories. Our “coffee table “ keepsake format with extensive direct mail appeals to a wide variety of advertisers

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PUBLISHING • Southern Chester Chamber of Commerce CONNECTIONS • Western Chester County Life • The Oxfordian • Cecil County Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Directory Custom tailored magazines that are essential for your local Chamber of Commerce and business community.

EVENT & SPECIALTY PUBLISHING • Mushroom Festival & Visitors Guide • Unionville Community Fair and Farm Show • Kennett Run Event Guide • Middletown Peach Festival • Brandywine Hospital’s Strawberry Festival • Penn Township Newsletter We can be the perfect media sponsor to publicize and promote your community event. Each publication is custom designed to your needs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT RANDY LIEBERMAN AT randyl@chestercounty.com or call 610-869-5553 ext 19

Dr. Frank A. Newton Continued from Page 88

with a lot of different flavors. I also enjoy the Newark Free Library, for what it brings to our community, and I also enjoy Chapel Street Players.

Frank Newton tosses a dinner party. Who do you want around that table?

I would love to have Maya Angelou at the table. In all of the interviews I’ve seen of her, her voice and cadence and the way she uses language pulls me in, and I could listen to her for hours. Stephen King fascinates me as an author. I’m also a big Rachel Maddow fan. I find her takes on political situations insightful, but also accessible.

What food or product can always be found in the Newton refrigerator?

Many different kinds of ice cream. It’s my undoing, and I take full responsibility. From another perspective, I would also like to include peanut butter.

To learn more about the Newark Charter School, visit www.NewarkCharterSchool.org.

Richard L. Gaw

T L

Newark Charter School receives 10-year renewal At its Dec. 2018 meeting, the Delaware State Board of Education voted to renew Newark Charter School’s charter for a ten-year term, which will be in effect from July 2019 to June 30, 2029. In the past, the maximum renewal period was five years.

In her official statement, Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting wrote, “I am pleased to inform you that on Dec. 20, 2018, with the assent of the State Board of Education, the Department of Education approved the charter renewal application for Newark Charter School. Since Newark Charter School has demonstrated an outstanding record of performance, the charter has been approved for a ten-year term.”

MOVING SERVICES, LLC

C

610-268-3243 A Personalized and Friendly Service Specializing in House and Retirement Home Moves

Coordinating and Managing Moves Since 1984!

If you’re planning a local or long distance move, across town or across the country, then do what smart senior citizens and other residents have done for years and call TLC Moving Services, LLC at 610-268-3243.

These professionals will pack your items with the utmost care, arrange to have them moved by a reliable moving company, then unpack them and place them in your new home where you desire. If you are downsizing, they can help you arrange a sale of your goods or assist you in donating to the charity of your choice.

Once out of your old home, they can clean-up and make repairs so the house is ready for the new owners, or to be put on the market.

If moving is in your plans, then your first move is to call TLC Moving Services, LLC. Put these professionals to work for you and call Caen Stroud at 610-268-3243.

CaenStroud@msn.com 90

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

www.tlcmovingservicesllc.com

5 HP\ 6D\V

³-RLQ WKH *UHHQ 6 FHQH DQ

*2$ G *HW 7,9$7( ' ´ BEFORE

GREEN GRAZER GOATS

DURING

Managed Goat Grazing for weed and brush removal Book Now for Spring 2020 For more information or to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION, visit our Facebook Page at GreenGrazerGoats or www.greengrazergoats.com

GO GREEN, GO GOATS

AFTER

Fall Community Clean Up Oct. 19, 9 to 11 a.m.

City of Newark Municipal Building Meet neighbors and other residents at the City of Newark Municipal Building on Oct. 19 from 9 to 11 a.m. Individuals and volunteer groups are welcome. Trash bags will be provided. For additional information or to volunteer for the clean-up, call the Recreation office at 302-366-7000.

Halloween Parade and Trick or Treat Main Street Oct. 27, 3 to 5 p.m.

The annual Halloween Parade kicks off on Main Street at 3 p.m., with costumed marchers, bands and floats.

Afterward, from 4 to 5 p.m., costumed children are invited to join in the fun of Trick or Treat Main Street. There will be goodies from many stores and downtown businesses.

Bring a camera and have your picture taken in the Pumpkin Patch. All municipal lots will offer free parking during the events. Main Street will remain closed throughout Trick or Treat Main Street. There is no rain date for this event. For more information, call the Newark Parks and Recreation Department at 302-366-7000.

NewBark PawLooza Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Handloff Park Grab a leash and your BFF (Best Furry Friend) on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Handloff Park. NewBark PawLooza will have activities and vendors that will provide all of your poochpampering needs. Watch doggie demos, participate in canine contests, enjoy a romp around the park, or meet your new best friend at a local rescue group booth. All dogs must be leashed, non-aggressive, and up to date on their shots in order to attend. Visit the Newark Parks & Recreation’s Facebook page for more information and updates.

Turkey Trot Nov. 16, 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Handloff Park The 5K and 10K Runs and 5K Walk will be held on Nov. 16 at Handloff Park on Barksdale Road. Pre-race shirt and number pick up at the Parks and Recreation office will be held on Nov. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those registered

by Nov. 13. This is a rain or shine event. For information, call the Newark Parks and Recreation Department at (302) 366-7000. Registration on or before Nov. 13 is $25, and $30 on Nov. 14 and 15. Trophies for overall winners and age group winners. There will be 10 men’s and 10 women’s 92

Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2019 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

divisions in each run. The first 500 registrants will receive a long sleeve T-shirt. Prizes will be awarded to overall winners, as well as winners in age group categories for each run. Overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards will be given for the 5K Walk. This year’s online registration will be taken on the Races2Run website (www.races2run.com).

Thanksgiving breakfast Nov. 28, 8 to 10:30 a.m.

George Wilson Center Enjoy Thanksgiving Day morning in the company of Newark neighbors and friends. The Parks and Recreation Department, area merchants and volunteers celebrate the 33rd year of gathering together to offer this special breakfast. The mission is to create a warm and caring atmosphere among community members, older adults and area students who are unable to share the holiday with family members or a companion. The menu will include pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, coffee, juice, and tea. People over 60 may attend at no cost. Advanced registration is encouraged.

There will be an optional food drive for the Delaware Food Bank. Bring a canned item, including fruit, vegetables, meat or tuna. Tickets are $3 in advance and $6 at the door. Call 302-366-7000 for more information.

Winterfest Dec. 6, 6 to 8 p.m.

Academy Building lawn Holiday entertainment, roasting chestnuts, caroling, tree lighting, ice carving demonstrations, and more will fill this evening of fun for the whole family. The rain date is Dec. 7. Winterfest is a joint effort by the Newark Parks and Recreation Department and the University of Delaware.

The Delaware Special Olympics will be holding their Annual Reindeer Run in conjunction with Winterfest (www. sode.org).

Santa’s Secret Shoppe Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to noon George Wilson Center Children are invited purchase gifts for family and friends.

All items will be priced $5 and under and will be gift wrapped for free. Volunteers will be on hand to assist children with shopping. Vendors, crafters or local businesses that wish to participate in the Santa’s Secret Shoppe should call (302) 366-7000 or stop by the Recreation Office for an application. Also, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Santa will be on hand for photos. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult (admission $2 per person).

American Spirit Federal Credit Union

Rated 5 Stars by Bauer Financial

Discover the American Spirit Difference!

Making dreams come true at home and at work BUSINESS Small Business Loans SBA Loan Products Business Checking Business Support Services Free Employee Benefits PERSONAL Checking Savings Club Accounts Youth Accounts Personal Loans Vehicle Loans Mortgages Money Market CDs IRA

FREE Direct Deposit/Payroll Deduction Debit/Visa Bill Payer Services Investment Advising Service Financial Counseling & Seminars ATM transactions using All Point 5,000+ Shared Branches Nationwide 24-hr Account Access by Phone Home Banking E-Statements Website Offering Online Loan Applications Notary Service Youth Accounts with Coin Counting Onsite Information Sessions for Employees

www.americanspirit.org

98 Sandhill Drive Middletown, DE 19709 (302) 464-4067

1110 Elkton Road Newark, DE 19711 (302) 738-4515

58 Carver Road Dover, DE 19704 302-674-5281

All Wood Cabinetry • Made in America • One Week Turnaround

CABINET FACTORY CELEBRATING TH PLATO’S 125 ANNIVERSARY Mad

e

in U Don’ S t Chin be fooled A ese im b itatio y ns

$500 OFF $7,500 CABINET PURCHASE

OR

$1,000 OFF $10,000 CABINET PURCHASE

*Not to be combined with any other offers. Restrictions apply. Visit store for details.

2 LOCATIONS IN TAX F REE DELAWARE SHOWROOM OUTLET 302-543-5550 302-792-5070 3460 Naamans Rd, Wilmington, DE 19810 Rt. 202 and Rt. 92 Naamans Rd

100 Naamans Rd, Unit 3A, Claymont, DE 19703 1st Exit off I-95

HOURS: Mon - Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-5

HOURS: Mon - Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-5

www.cabinetfactorydelaware.com

www.cabinetfactorydelaware.com

Family Owned and Operated Since 1980 • Free Computer Design • In-House Installers, No Subcontractors

Newark Life Magazine Fall/Winter 2019 www.newarklifemagazine.com A Chester County Press Publication P.O. Box 150, Kelton, PA 19346 address corrections not required