Newark Life Fall/Winter 2016

Fall/Winter 2016

Newark Life

Magazine M aga

The delicious life of Kita Roberts

Page 70

Inside • Newark Symphony Orchestra celebrates it's 50th anniversary • The eclectic life and career of Barry Solan • Photo Essay: Hiking and biking in Newark Complimentary Copy

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Newark Life Fall/Winter 2016

Table of Contents 8 8

The Newark Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary season

20 Escape rooms blend mystery, adventure, and excitement 30 A new place to make a new start

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38 A philosophy of care 46 The eclectic life and career of Barry Solan

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58 Downtown Newark partnership events 64 Photo essay: Hiking and biking in Newark

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70 My dinner with Kita 82 Investigating ghosts in Delaware

82 Cover design by Tricia Hoadley Cover photograph by Jie Deng 6

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Greeting the season with a wide range of topics Letter from the Editor: In this issue of Newark Life, we bring you stories about a Newark institution that’s gone, and one that’s still very much alive.

The Newark Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary season this year, with a proud tradition of bringing classical music to a vast audience of music lovers. It remains a vibrant institution that brings a rich history to audiences throughout the region.

We also look back at the now-vanished State Theater, and its longtime owner and supporter, Barry Solan. Barry grew up in Wilmington, helping out at his parents’ grocery store. He was used to a lifestyle where there was never a huge amount of money, “but you always had enough to do what you wanted because there was a till. When I started to make money, I enjoyed nothing more than giving it away.” In this issue, Solan recalls his days of running the State Theater and creating a cultural icon on Main Street.

For up-to-the-minute thrills, we take you to the world of Axxion Escape Rooms, which has tapped a variety of fictional worlds to create themed rooms, including everything from “The Pirates of the Caribbean” to Sherlock Holmes to Hogwart’s. The booming business of putting people inside their own adventure story is examined in this issue.

We also visit the newly opened Recovery Response Center, which welcomes those in crisis who might otherwise get lost in the confusing world of health care. The new building on Chestnut Hill Road is a secure, tranquil facility that offers a chance to rest, get a new direction, and succeed on a new path in life.

We also visit Senior Care of Newark, which has proven to be a refreshing alternative to a nursing home or assisted-living facility for hundreds of local families. The center offers a daytime program full of recreational activities and opportunities for socialization, social services, meals and nursing care in a safe, caring and attentive environment. We look at what they offer in this issue.

In our Photo Essay, we look at Newark’s 33 parks, 17 miles of trails, and 650 acres of open space.

Newark’s trail system received the National Recreation Trail designation, which recognizes exemplary trail systems of local and regional significance. In this issue, we look at a few options for getting outside, enjoying what the city has to offer, and maybe even getting a little exercise.

And in honor of the month of hauntings, we look at the region’s ghost stories, and it’s up to you to believe or doubt as Halloween draws near.

Enjoy this issue of Newark Life, and we’ll see you again in the Spring!

Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 19 Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, ext. 13

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—————|In the Spotlight|—————

Newark Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary season

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

T

here are numerous exciting events planned to celebrate the Newark Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary season, but don’t ask Concertmaster Serban Petrescu to select just one as a favorite. To Petrescu, the upcoming season will be filled with high notes.

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Photo courtesy Bud Keegan Images

The Newark Symphony Orchestra is currently celebrating its 50th season.

“I think they are all special,” he explained during an interview in September.

Petrescu is entering his 11th season with the symphony. He said that each music director he has worked with has pushed the boundaries for the music further.

Maestro Simeone Tartaglione, the current music director, has brought lots of enthusiasm and new ideas, Petrescu said.

“He’s expanded the orchestra’s reach by doing concerts with different choirs,” Petrescu explained.

The Newark Symphony Orchestra has built its reputation for excellence since it debuted in 1966 under music director Harley Hastings. The orchestra performs at

Continued on Page 10

Photo courtesy Bud Keegan Images

The season-opening concert takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 at The Independence School in Newark. www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2016 | Newark Life

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Newark Symphony Continued from Page 9

least eight concerts each season, including four concerts that are in the Symphony Series, which features a themed program that mixes familiar repertoire with exciting new orchestral gems.

The 50th anniversary season will present an extended opportunity for even more new ideas, collaborations, and inventiveness. The season-opening concert takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 at The Independence School in Newark. The performance features the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Petrescu on violin, and Philipe Chao on viola as soloists. That will be followed with a performance of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” The Newark Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Delaware Music School Women’s Chorus, with Joanne Ward as director and the University Singers, with Duane Cottell as director. The show’s stunning visual effects will be the work of Giovanni Ciranni.

Next, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, a Continued on Page 12

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Photo courtesy Bud Keegan Images

Maestro Simeone Tartaglione is the third music director in the history of the Newark Symphony Orchestra.

Newark Symphony Continued from Page 10

chamber concert featuring music by women composers, including Fanny Mendelssohn, Jennifer Campbell, Tai Sakamoto, is scheduled to take place at the Newark United Methodist Church. The performance will be a celebration of women’s genius, and features guest conductor Rebekah O’Brien.

Love for and dedication to the music have been constants in the organization’s history. The Newark Symphony Orchestra currently includes about 80 performing musicians who have a wide variety of musical experiences and backgrounds who are united by their shared love of classical music.

Mikki Senn, a French horn player who is serving as the co-chair of the 50th anniversary celebration, noted that the symphony has been around since 1966, but has only had three different conductors in its history. Harley Hastings, the first conductor, served from 1966 to 1982.

Professional conductor Roman Pawlowski is credited with raising the Newark Symphony’s musical horizons to levels not usually achieved by a volunteer orchestra during his tenure from 1982 to 2009.

“There are no auditions,” Senn explained. “We self-sort by the challenging nature of the music. Many sections rotate who takes the lead—we are very democratic that

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way. Our current maestro, Simeone Tartaglione, believes we have the heart of a community orchestra, but the skills of a minor professional group.”

Two of the longtime members are Phil and Carolyn Fuhrman, who have been involved for more than four decades. Phil, who plays the violin, started performing with the Newark Symphony in the spring of 1974.

Carolyn, who plays the cello, joined the orchestra in the fall of 1976 when she and Phil were first dating. They’ve both been very involved with the symphony through the years, including stints as the president of the board of directors.

“I served on the board from 1982 to 1992, eight of those years as recording secretary,” Carolyn explained. “Phil then served on the board for two years before becoming the president of the board in July of 2012. He served for two years, and I was the vice president during his term.

I then became president in July of 2014 and served for two years.”

Carolyn talked about the close connection that her family has for the orchestra, including the rehearsals that take place on Tuesday nights.

“Tuesday nights have been sacred—our night out—from Continued on Page 14

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Newark Symphony Continued from Page 13

the very start,” she explained. “I missed one concert for the birth of each of our sons. One of the best things has been watching our youngest son (Mordecai Samuel Fuhrman) develop, and surpass us, as a musician. He started playing in the percussion section of the orchestra when he was 10, and played with us through high school and after. He now has a degree in percussion performance and a master’s degree and artist diploma in orchestral conducting. He also does some arranging. He will be guest-conducting a piece he arranged during our December concert.”

That concert takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11 at The Independence School. Mordecai Samuel Fuhrman

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will orchestrate and guest-conduct the performance of Shostakovich Prelude & Fugue in D minor. This program also includes Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Christmas Carols with the Symphony Festival Chorus.

The celebration of the 50th anniversary season continues into 2017. On February 11, a chamber concert is slated to take place that will honor Black History Month.

Two winners of the NSO Youth Concerto Competition will perform at a symphony concert on March 5. The concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Suite from Swan Lake Ballet featuring the Delaware Dance Company. The Newark Symphony supports music education and out-

reach in northern Delaware in a variety of ways, including annual youth concerto competitions. The winners in both the college and high school divisions perform with the orchestra.

On March 11, the symphony orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary with a gala event held at the Newark Country Club. The night will include live music, dancing, food, and a silent auction.

Senn said that the gala is the one event that she is looking forward to the most during the season.

“If pressed, I would point to our 50th anniversary gala,” she explained. “I choose that because...so many of our

celebrations are protracted and will go on into the future, while this is a one-shot event full of fun, glitter, food, music, and dancing. What’s not to love there?”

Indeed, the gala, which takes place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., will feature a live waltz orchestra, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, a silent auction, and more. It is open to the public.

“The main goal is an evening of elegant fun,” Senn explained. “The silent auction component is for fundraising to support the orchestra in general, and our celebration of the 50th year in particular. We are, after all, a non-profit.”

Continued on Page 16

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Newark Symphony Continued from Page 15

Newark Symphony Orchestra members said that they are appreciative of all the support the organization has received through the years. As a non-profit organization, the Newark Symphony depends on support from local residents, Delaware arts foundations and corporations, and other sponsors.

The Friends of the Newark Symphony Orchestra provides additional volunteer and fundraising support. The board of directors of the organization is comprised of local citizens, business leaders, arts advocates, and orchestra musicians.

The first important post-gala event will take place when the symphony orchestra celebrates Music in the Schools Month with a chamber concert on at the First Presbyterian Church of Newark on March 25. Admission will be $5 per family.

On May 14, the All Beethoven Symphony Concert, featuring Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus, followed

by Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 , will take place.

Soloists for this performance are Sharon Christman, soprano; Suzanne DuPlant, mezzo-soprano; Rick Christman, Continued on Page 18

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tenor, and Jeffrey Martin, bass.

Senn said that everyone involved with the orchestra is excited about the upcoming season because it will be “full of fantastic music and learning events we have never tried before.”

The 50th anniversary season is not only an opportunity for the Newark Symphony Orchestra to celebrates its milestone, but it is also an opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the symphony’s efforts since 1966.

Emily Tan, who plays the violin and also serves as a co-chair of the 50th anniversary celebration, said that she is looking forward to the gala and the final concert of the season in May of 2017 the most, even though there are many interesting events happening at the concerts throughout the entire season.

“I’m excited about the last concert of the season because it will be a culmination of the 50th year when we play Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and present the ultimate show of community engagement and camaraderie through music,” she said.

Roxie Rust, the business manager for the Newark

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Photo courtesy Bud Keegan Images

The Newark Symphony Orchestra currently includes about 80 performing musicians who have a wide variety of musical experiences and backgrounds and are united by their shared love of classical music.

Symphony Orchestra, said that tickets for any of the events coming up during the special anniversary season can be purchased by calling 302-369-3466 or visiting www.newarksymphony.org. Tickets are also usually also available at the door on the day of the concert.

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

www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2016 | Newark Life

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—————|Around Newark|—————

Photo by Steven Hoffman

The Axxiom Escape Rooms’ location in Wilmington may not look very big on the outside, but there are eight rooms in the 4,000-square-foot building.

Escape rooms blend mystery, adventure, and excitement

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Bill Wright, seated at the warden’s desk in the Shawshank Room in the Wilmington, Del. escape room. Wright owns the business with his wife and business partner, Vanessa Espinal.

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Escape rooms have been exploding in popularity all around the world. Axxiom Escape Rooms brings the excitement to Delaware with three different locations

By Steven Hoffman Staff Writer

B

ill Wright is standing in the middle of what’s called the Shawshank Room and points out a few of the incredible details that a casual observer might miss.

There’s a checkerboard just like the one that the inmates used in “The Shawshank Redemption” on a table. Some of the contraband that Red was so well known for is scattered about in his prison cell. Nearby is Andy Dufresne’s prison cell. The people who’ve seen “The Shawshank Redemption” more than a hundred times might identify this as Andy’s cell by the prisoner number.

Others will simply notice the iconic poster on the wall and know immediately whose cell it is.

“It’s all about the details,” Wright said proudly, explaining that the Shawshank Room’s details are so specific that there are even letters written by Andy Dufresne to the state requesting funds for the library.

Certainly part of the fun of escape rooms is being placed right in the middle of the action in a setting from a beloved movie or book.

Axxiom Escape Rooms has tapped a variety of fictional worlds to create themed rooms, including everything from The Pirates of the Caribbean to Sherlock Holmes to Hogwarts.

Wright and his wife, Vanessa Espinal, are the principal owners of Axxiom Escape Rooms. They opened the first Delaware location in Newark in August of 2015, and within just a few weeks the popularity of that escape room exploded as word of Newark’s newest attraction spread. Before long, Wright was planning to expand to other areas in the First State. An Axxiom escape room opened in Wilmington in

Photo by Steven Hoffman

Each room features its own unique collection of displays.

Continued on Page 22

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April, followed by one in Rehoboth Beach in July.

A newly remodeled location in Newark is slated to open this month. A fourth venue is being planned for Middletown sometime in the first half of 2017.

On the outside, the buildings might seem nondescript, but inside the escape rooms that are being designed and built by Wright and his team are increasingly elaborate and entertaining. The rooms being created now—the Hogwarts Room is one example—is much more advanced than the firstgeneration rooms that debuted when the Newark location first opened.

It’s hardly a mystery as to why escape rooms are such a sensation in the entertainment industry in Asia and Europe and Canada and, now, throughout the U.S. They blend mystery, adventure, and excitement, and with the limitless number of themes they can Continued on Page 24

Photo by Steven Hoffman

The owners take great pride in their elaborate and detailed rooms.

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

Each room has its own set of unique accessories.

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Escape Room Continued from Page 22

appeal to people of all ages.

Wright has seen people as young as 6 and as old as 76 enjoy the rooms that he has helped create. He personally delights at the memory of seeing three generations of one family working collaboratively to figure out a clue in one of the rooms.

“We have something for everyone,” Wright explained. “Our rooms are exciting and challenging, but very rewarding, too. We have figured out a way to cater to all the different demographics.”

Here’s how an escape room works: A team of people are locked in a room and are given a set amount of time—usually an hour—to collect clues and solve puzzles to help them escape. Teamwork is extremely important. There can be anywhere from four to ten people on a team, though sometimes a group will be slightly larger. Each room is designed with a certain level of difficulty, which helps determine how long it should take a team to find a way out. Sometimes, escaping one room only leads to a new room and another adventure. Generally, people can expect to spend about an hour to complete the challenge.

The staff monitors each escape room and can send participants hints in real time as they attempt to find the hidden clues or solve the puzzles.

Wright said that at Axxiom Escape Rooms, only about 20 percent of the groups solve the mystery in the allotted time, which proves that they are challenging. For more difficult rooms, like the Sherlock Room, only about two percent can expect to complete the mission in its entirety in the allotted time. At Axxion Escape Rooms, Wright carefully plans out the rooms so that there is a range of difficulty levels to suit any group.

Escape rooms have become a worldwide sensation since the first ones opened about a decade ago.

Wright explained that they were first popular in Asia, and Europeans caught on to them very early on, too.

It wasn’t until sometime around 2014 that escape rooms started gaining a wide audience in the U.S. Wright was working in strategic management for a retail company when he went on a business trip to Canada and visited his first escape room.

“Toronto and Ontario were hotbeds for escape rooms,” Wright explained. “We probably did about a half a dozen escape rooms on that trip to see what they were like.”

Axxiom Escape Rooms are open seven days a week. They open at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends.

The rooms are available for reservations for corporate team-building from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about pricing and corporate packages, visit exodusescaperooms.com.

By the time he returned home, Wright was thinking about the possibilities of opening one in Delaware. He and Espinal visited an escape room in Philadelphia, and they did a lot of research online.

“It’s a very new industry,” Wright explained. “We wanted to make sure that we did it right.”

They were soon coming up with room designs and their own clues that would be utilized in their new business.

Wright and Espinal come up with a lot of the ideas themselves. Sometimes an idea will start with a picture that Espinal brings to Wright.

“Vanessa really has the artistry and the imagination,” Wright explained. They will then discuss how the room might be built.

Wright’s step-father, John Venier, was a general contractor, and is enormously helpful in the design and construction process. Vanessa’ brother, Ciro Perla, is a certified automation engineer who assists with the advanced technology. Working together as a team, they can design and build some pretty impressive rooms. And each new room builds on what they’ve done before, so if a room debuted at the Newark location and received positive reviews from visitors, there might a few new additions when that same room is opened at the Wilmington location.

Wright explained that they rotate the rooms around to the different locations on a somewhat regular basis so that there is consistently something new for guests to enjoy.

It was a priority, Wright said, to make these escape rooms enjoyable for everyone, including for children as they can use their minds to find clues and solve the

Continued on Page 26

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puzzles. They even designed a Goldilocks Room intended for children between the ages of 4 and 8.

“This is definitely educational for children,” Wright said. “It will challenge them in a good way. We build our rooms for families.”

Most of the rooms at the renovated Newark location and the Rehoboth location, as well as two of the rooms at the Wilmington location, are accessible to people with disabilities. There is no physical danger or great physical exertion required to participate in the escape rooms.

“We want everybody to enjoy their experience here,” Wright said.

Axxiom’s escape rooms are certainly great for families, for friends who want a new activity to enjoy, and even for large corporations that are looking for

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

Wright pays attention to the smallest of details to give each room authenticity.

team-building opportunities for employees.

Wright said that his three locations have already proven to be tremendously popular with employers who want to offer their workers an inexpensive perk.

According to Wright, one important difference between Axxiom Escape Rooms and other companies in the business is that here all the rooms are private. At some escape rooms, two different groups might be paired up in the same room to reach a minimum number of participants.

“Our rooms are private,” Wright explained. “So if the room is built for eight, but a mom and dad want to come in with their two kids, they are in there on their own.”

Axxiom Escape Rooms also requires a smaller deposit to reserve a room rather than making a group pay for each full ticket in advance.

Wright said that he would love to work

Photo by Steven Hoffman

What surprises do the locked chests and hidden safes hold for visitors?

Continued on Page 28

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with community groups to arrange fundraisers that would benefit good causes.

“That’s really a great way to strengthen the ties to the community,” he explained.

Even though Axxiom Escape Rooms opened its first location just 14 months ago, the business has evolved very quickly. Wright is very excited about opening in a new location in Newark with a Star Wars-inspired room, and end-of-the-world room, and a Hogwarts Room.

“Those three rooms will absolutely set us apart,” Wright explained.

Dozens of groups booked the Hogwarts Room more than a month before it even opened, an indication of the growing number of escape room fans in Delaware.

Wright doesn’t want to share too much information about the rooms that are still being planned because a big part of the fun for guests is the element of surprise. But he’s really excited about a new space-themed room that they will be debuting later this year.

“We’re going to have people board a spaceship,” he said with a smile. “And they’re going to feel like they are flying.”

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Photo by Steven Hoffman

Secrets are hidden in each room.

He said that the company will always pride itself on delivering thrills to the guests.

“We need to be nimble and evolve constantly,” Wright explained. “We’re going to make some of the rooms very elaborate. We’re putting a lot into the architecture. We’re never finished with these rooms.

We’re always going to be working very hard to keep making things better.”

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

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—————|Around Newark|—————

A new place to make a new start The Recovery Response Center takes people in crisis and shows them a way forward

By John Chambless Staff Writer

S

Photos by John Chambless

Administrator Purcell Dye in front of the Recovery Response Center in Newark that opened last summer.

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itting in a side office near the sleek reception area of the Recovery Response Center on Chestnut Hill Road, administrator Purcell Dye was talking about the razor-thin edge between normalcy and crisis.

“Every person is just a phone call away from being in distress,” he said.

“We can’t tell where life will lead us.

It’s nice to have a facility you can walk into if you need to.”

The new building started operating in July and had a grand opening on Aug. 2. “The goal is to stabilize people in a 23-hour period,” Dye said. “That works a thousand different ways, because you might have somebody who is agitated over a relationship

Seated in the reception area of the Recovery Center are (from left): Cheryl Raymond, who handles incoming guests; Alice Scott, support and service coordinator; Courtney Brooks, a peer recovery coach; Julio Cardenas, a constable; and Le’Kesha Ashe, a peer recovery coach.

issue and they made a suicidal verbalization, the cops picked them up and they wound up here. That 23 hours is a critical time because we offer opportunities for food, sleep, meds if they are off their medications.”

This is the second Recovery Response Center in Delaware. The other one, in Ellendale, opened in 2012. The Newark facility is open 24 hours a day, with walk-ins in the lobby from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. After hours, there is another entrance, and law enforcement personnel can drop off someone in crisis at any time.

There are 16 spaces available for short-term stays.

During a tour, Dye showed off the large central room where several guests were having breakfast under the watchful eyes of several staff members at a desk. The open, bright, airy room has recliners, TVs, a phone and computers so anyone who has been admitted can stay in touch with family or employers to explain where they are.

“We have 14 individuals here right now, and we got three dropped off by law enforcement this morning,” Dye said, showing off the kitchen area, where meals are delivered daily by Connections Catering. There’s a large Continued on Page 32 www.newarklifemagazine.com | Fall/Winter 2016 | Newark Life

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cabinet full of cookies, crackers and treats that Dye said is very popular. “I call this the never-ending river of Famous Amos cookies,” he said, laughing. There’s a laundry facility, and the Recovery Center has a stock of clean scrubs on hand in case someone arrives with soiled or damaged clothing.

The main room looks like a hotel lobby, not a medical facility, and that’s the idea, Dye said.

“It’s all about having the least restrictive environment and the most inclusion,” he said.

“The atmosphere that we create for them is safe, recovery-oriented and nurturing.

“We don’t have weapons here,” he said. “We don’t have guns or tasers or anything like that.

We have a nurse who’s here 24 hours a day.

We also have an on-call nurse practitioner.

We address the medical side, so if somebody does verbalize that they ingested something and you start to see their blood pressure drop, we can take them to the emergency room. We do monitor that.”

The people who come to the Recovery Response Center are having behavioral health problems, sometimes exacerbated by addiction issues. First responders can evaluate if someone needs immediate medical attention and divert them to an emergency facility. If the person is agitated or threatening to harm themselves or others, they can be brought to the Recovery Center.

Without centers such as this, people in crisis can end up in a hospital emergency department. “While the ED might be the place that used to be available to them, now we have something that is going to be purposeful and fit the needs of the mental health community specifically,” Dye said. “The ED is regimented and may not be what these people need. The ED nurse is trying to deal with chest pains and gunshot wounds. There’s a different priority for someone who’s just anxious. And if they start to act out, the ED really doesn’t have the time or resources to give a verbal intervention.

They’re just going to use force.

“We’re no force first. We’re assessing all the time, and we’re patient,” Dye said. “And we’ll

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take everybody – insurance, no insurance, doesn’t matter. We take as many people as possible.”

Incoming guests at the Recovery Response Center are met by constables and recovery coaches – staff members, many of whom have struggled in the past with behavioral health or addiction issues. They offer a level of understanding that medical workers sometimes lack.

“We had one African American man in his mid-30s come in who had superficial lacerations on his forearm,” Dye recalled. “He was a cutter. He was quiet, but agitated. I went to talk to him, and I’ve got my tie on and everything, and he’s not talking. So I backed off and a staff member came in. You could see the blood seeping through the gauze, and the staff member said, ‘I see you cut yourself.’ And the guys says, ‘Yeah.’ The staff member said, ‘I know what’s that like,’ and showed him his scars from cutting. That kind of rapport building speaks above any type of college class, or title, or letters after your name. That’s the type of relationship we utilize here.”

“Our criteria is recovery,” Dye said of the counselors who work at the facility. “The coaches are now looking to give back. They don’t come from a judgmental vantage point.

They recognize the reciprocity when you serve. When you serve, it becomes fulfilling, and then you serve more. The recovery component is not necessarily, ‘Do what I did.’ Denial is part of recovery, and we know that. It’s not, ‘You’re wrong. Do what I say.’ It doesn’t work like that. But here, we say, ‘I’m here to listen, here’s what worked for me, and I’m here to provide resources for you.”

The Recovery Response Center is run by RI International, which has two similar Recovery Centers in North Carolina, two in Washington and one in California. The Newark site “was chosen for its proximity to Christiana Hospital, and to the interstate,” Dye said.

When the facility was proposed, “there was some pushback from the community,” Dye said. “There was one community website set Continued on Page 34

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Recovery Center Continued from Page 33

up. It’s just a matter of getting correct information to people. The great thing was that our vice-president was able to fly out and meet with a few of the local representatives, and express that we’re not a methadone clinic. It’s a locked facility. We are actually exactly what you need in a community.”

After someone in crisis is met, calmed, fed and given an opportunity to sleep, they are gently coached to obtain whatever services are needed by Restart, which is part of the RI organization. “What they do is connect individuals to support systems in the community. Doctor’s appointments, Social Security, Medicaid/Medicare, they hook them up with that,” Dye said. “They form a relationship with people and follow a participant for 45 days.

And they continue to follow up until you are connected, and that’s when they stop.”

The service is crucial for people who might

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not otherwise be able to navigate the red tape of getting services.

The Recovery Response Center is for shortterm stays. “We can’t take people for a week that they might need for detox, and we’re not set up to handle that,” Dye said. Instead, guests are welcomed, stabilized, given the help they need and sent back into the community in a better state, with the proper connections.

And they can come back.

Le’Kesha Ashe, a peer recovery coach, beamed when talking about what the Recovery Response Center does for people. She has struggled with depression, her parents had substance abuse issues, and she lacked a stable home while growing up in Philadelphia.

For those who seek recovery, she said, “It’s never too late to start your journey. A lot of times, people are in denial. We hide our Continued on Page 36

Recovery Center Continued from Page 34

health problems because people don’t want to talk about it. One thing I’ve realized is that when the pain exceeds the pleasure of a drug, you are ready to get help.

“We don’t care if you come here one time, or a million times. We always welcome people. I tell people all the time, ‘If you have a second, it’s going to get you to your minute, which is going to get you to your hour, the day and the week.

Give yourself some credit.’ I saw one of my participants that I hadn’t seen in two years, and she said, ‘I was so hopeless. But I’ve been praying for strength and I don’t have any anxiety.’ And that’s great. We’re not perfect, we make mistakes.

“I put a quote up on the bulletin board here that people love,” Ashe said. “It says, ‘If you FAIL, never give up, because FAIL means First Attempt In Life. END is not the end, because END means Effort Never Dies. And if you get NO as an answer, remember NO means Next Opportunity.’ That’s just a little hope for people.”

-The New Castle County Recovery Response Center is at 659 E. Chestnut Hill Road in Newark. For information, call 302-318-6070 or visit https://riinternational.com.

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

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—————|Newark Health & Fitness|————— Senior Care of Newark serves the needs of its members, while comforting their families, who seek alternatives to elderly care

A philosophy of care

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Senior Care of Newark Activity Assistant Cathy Ireland, with member Lynne Neal and Director Allie Crane.

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By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

T

here is not a Baby Boomer living within the circulation of this magazine who has not already begun to confront the frightening reality of how to care for his or her aging parent.

We were once their job. Now, they are ours.

Too often, our obligation of caring for Mom or Dad falls somewhere in the cracks between the responsibilities of parenting, career, as well as managing a home and finances, while at the same time attempting to fashion some kind of life that aspires to happiness. And yet, the need to protect and provide for those people who helped raise us haunts our sleep with questions and fears -- all in the name of love -- and the options of what constitute ‘The Right Thing’ fly through our minds, in constant motion.

Is it too early for a nursing home? Can we afford an assisted living facility? Would Mom or Dad be comfortable there? Would they make friends, after living on their own for so long, and so independent of needing anyone’s assistance? I can’t be a full-time caregiver, so who would we trust?

Continued on Page 40

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Volunteer Brad Lane keeps score during an activity.

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Senior Care Continued from Page 39

Would my parent, once so active and alive, believe that I was giving up on them? Would they feel that they were becoming a burden?

Tucked within a small shopping center along the Kirkwood Highway, Senior Care of Newark has proven to be a refreshing alternative to a nursing home or assisted living facility, for hundreds of local families. The center offers a daytime program full of recreational activities and opportunities for socialization, social services, meals and nursing care in a safe, caring and attentive environment.

Specializing in the elderly population, the adult day health services at the facility are tailored to older adults who have chronic physical or cognitive impairments, such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, neuromuscular diseases or developmental disabilities, as well as those who are recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and those who require assistance with daily activities such as eating, daily personal care and

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hygiene, administration of medications and injections, wound care and regular monitoring of blood pressure and blood sugar.

Currently, Senior Care of Newark has 42 members who are cared for by six staff members -- a seven-to-one staff-to-member ratio. Although most come in five days a week, some scatter their visits.

The work is not done alone, but in partnership with caregivers, case managers and physicians, in a team approach that provides each member with a unique program of cognitive and physical activities that is custom-tailored to his or her needs and interests. By engaging in these activities, members receive mental and physical stimulation that helps to improve their well-being and quality of life.

Senior Care of Newark -- currently the only adult day facility in Delaware -- is one of more than 80 locations across the country that links its programming with Active Day/Senior Care, the premier provider of adult day health services and in-home

personal care in the country.

The triangular relationship of member, caregivers and the staff at Senior Care of Newark begins early, often during an initial informational tour of the facility.

“It’s always our goal to reassure caregivers that we’re in this together, with them, right from the start,” said Allie Crane, who was named as the new director of Senior Care of Newark last month.

“The tour gives everyone an idea of how we handle things, as well as introduces them to our caring staff. Once the relationship begins, we encourage family members to call throughout the day, or stop by and have lunch, which allows them Continued on Page 42

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Senior Care of Newark Director Allie Crane and a member enjoy some time with Crane’s dog.

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Senior Care Continued from Page 41

to see how their loved one is adapting to his or her new surroundings.”

For years, Senior Care of Newark shared a facility with the current home of the Newark Senior Center on White Chapel Drive, but the move to Capital Trail earlier this year helped to better distinguish one from the other.

In many ways, Crane feels that her destiny, one that landed her at Senior Care of Newark, was paved early. Raised as an only child with busy parents, Crane spent a lot of time with her grandparents and great-grandparents. While she enjoyed being around children her age, the times she spent with her elderly relatives gave her a strong sense of connection and protection.

“Here I was, 6 years old, hanging out with 80-year-olds, but I was so happy to be hanging out with them,” she said. “I think those experiences

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really inspired me to choose this career.”

When Crane first joined Senior Care of Newark as an activity director this past March, the feelings and experiences she had as a youngster were easily transferable.

“I feel like I can advocate for every single one of our members. because I feel that every single one of them is like a grandparent of mine,” she said.

“When they first arrive, they’re a total stranger, but automatically, that feeling of isolation goes away.”

Crane believes the most crucial component of Senior Care of Newark is the synergy that occurs when both the member and their loved ones both feel a sense of belonging.

“A lot of times, family members are new to the world of Dementia and Alzheimer’s, and they’re worn out, and don’t know how to best care Continued on Page 44

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Senior Care Continued from Page 42

for their loved one,” Crane said.

“That’s where we come in -- to alleviate their fears. The biggest reward we receive is getting hugs from the families of our members, because they have found a wonderful place for their loved ones to be.

“I am thrilled to play a small part in this entire mission.”

Senior Care of Newark is located at 1252 Capitol Trail, Newark, De. To arrange a tour or inquire about a trial membership, call Director Alexandra Crane at (302) 533-3543. For more information, visit www.seniorcarectrs.com.

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

Senior Care of Newark’s Goals and Objectives • Restore, improve and/or maintain physical and cognitive functional ability.

• Provide care that is appropriate to participant level of care needs through assessment and reassessment.

• Delay or prevent premature or inappropriate institutionalization.

• Foster meaningful social relationships and interaction to reduce social isolation.

• Provide for health promotion and wellness activities through a coordinated network of health care professionals.

• Encourage, support and preserve the family/caregiver unit.

• Provide a cost-effective community care option.

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——————|Newark People|——————

The eclectic life and career of Barry Solan

By Lisa Fieldman correspondent

B

arry Solan was born with the spirit of an entrepreneur and a desire to connect with people.

His first first foray into the business world was as the owner of a Mr. Softee ice cream truck. “I created Barry’s Jewish-Italian water ice and sold that with hand-dipped ice cream,” he said with a laugh.

He enjoyed driving around the neighborhood and connecting with the community.

Solan has always approached life with humor and enthusiasm, and claims to bring his own personal brand of incompetence to everything he does.

“I was brought up in an entrepreneurial atmosphere, but I was never inclined to make a lot of money,” he said.

Barry grew up in Wilmington, helping out at his parents’ grocery store, Solan’s Market, at 22nd and Pine streets. He was used to a lifestyle where there was never a huge amount of money, “but you always had

Photos courtesy of B. Solan

Barry and Annie Solan.

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enough to do what you wanted because there was a till.

“When I started to make money, I enjoyed nothing more than giving it away,” he said. “I have this image of enlightened capitalism that I always tried to live to.”

For a time from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, Solan ran the State Theatre and created a cultural icon on Main Street.

Built in 1929, the State was originally a vaudeville house, and then later transitioned to a film venue. Ultimately, the theater was knocked down in 1989 to make way for new construction. Under Solan’s watch, the State operated as a repertory theater, showing classic, foreign, and cult films along with first-run movies.

Barry and partner Al Malmfelt took over operations of the State in 1979.

“It cost us $5,500 each,” Solan explained. “I was lucky to come in when you could piece these things together rather inexpensively.”

Malmfelt later dropped out of the partnership when he realized the theater was not going to generate much income.

“I never made more than $7,000 a year,” said Solan, but he was doing what he loved, and was sharing his passion with fellow movie fans.

While Solan was figuring out how to keep the doors of the theater open, he was also enriching the cultural lives of the students and the community. Howard Fulton worked at the State Theatre during the early years and recalled, Continued on Page 48

A flyer for the State’s 55th anniversary show featuring popular local artists.

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Barry Solan Continued from Page 47

“Barry had his finger on the pulse of what students wanted to see and provided an alternative to first-run movies.”

Solan pulled a stack of movie schedules from a manila envelope and spread them out. “This is the heart of who we were,” he said emotionally. The film schedules are a proof of Solan’s dedication to repertory theater. The State Theatre operated seven days a week, running six to eight different films each week. Often there were 10 to 12 showings per week, plus a midnight movie and a children’s Saturday matinee.

“People who know movies look at these schedules now and say, ‘This is unbelievable,’” he said. Solan always pictured himself living in a larger, more vibrant city, such as Los Angeles, but figured while he was here he’d try to make Newark more like the cities he loved. He wanted the State to offer the kind of films you’d find at places like UC Berkley. “I wasn’t exactly operating in a vacuum -- there was a whole web of theaters that were operating the same way,” he said. “I wanted our theater to show almost everything available, and I would guesstimate that I got away Continued on Page 50

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The State Theatre.

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Barry Solan Continued from Page 48

with 85 percent of what the best theaters in the country were doing.”

Ever gracious, Solan gives a lot of credit to the people who worked for him. His employees -- mainly high-school and University of Delaware students -- were encouraged to learn more about film and share their opinions. He claimed it was never really his theater, but belonged to the kids who worked for him. His right-hand man, George Stewart, helped with the daunting task of laying out the film schedules as well as managed the State.

“The State Theatre was the center of the art scene in Newark the years it was open,” Stewart said. George was a fixture at the theater in those days, and also at the University’s radio station, where he created his hugely popular show, “Crazy College.” The radio show entertains with an eclectic mix of offbeat, rare and often silly songs.

“Crazy College” hit the university’s airwaves in 1984 and continues today, with a dedicated following of listeners.

Solan nurtured a love of music and film from a young age.

From the time he could drive, he traveled to the Main Point in Bryn Mawr for music and headed to the TLA for movies.

“I could see my thoughts articulated on screen in a meaningful, sometimes darkly humorous, way,” he said. “They could say things I was thinking, but did not have the ability to put into some kind of artform. That was the original thrill of movies for me. I’d go see a film like ‘O Lucky Man’ and see my view of the world being expressed on screen.”

His passion for cinema continued to evolve as he matured, so it was no surprise that his work life came to revolve around film. “I had enthusiasm and a lot of energy.

I loved movies and I made it into my career.”

The State had a dedicated group of cinemaphiles who would forgo comfort for their love of movies. As Solan explained it, the theater’s heating system was very antiquated, and during most seasons, the indoor temperature did not vary much from the temperature outdoors.

“We found an old sandwich board sign that said ‘15 degrees cooler inside,’” Solan said. It was an early advertising ploy to entice people to come in and watch a movie on a hot day. “Well, we put the sign up during the winter, because it really was colder inside,” he said, laughing.

His wife, Annie, added, “People would come bundled

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up with buffalo robes, blankets, coats and hats. We had a few absolutely devoted moviegoers – it was like a football game.”

Annie recalled an incident with an employee whose legs locked up while watching ‘Pandora’s Box’ on a particularly cold evening. “They had to lift him out of his seat and carry him out of the theater,” she laughed.

Solan later resorted to showing adult films a few times a year to make money for heating oil. “Plus, certain X-rated films became a sorority initiation year after year,” he said.

“Whole gaggles of pledges would come down, but most would leave after 15 minutes.”

Solan recalled once reading a film fanzine that said, “Where in the hell is Newark, Delaware, and why do they have the best ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ we’ve ever seen?”

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who lived in Newark during those years who did not attend a midnight showing “Rocky Horror.” The cult movie made its debut appearance at the State the second week the theater was Continued on Page 52

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Barry Solan Continued from Page 51

open, and then continued to run weekly for seven-anda-half years. Audience participation was crucial to the whole experience, and the State had a dedicated and creative audience. “The movie often didn’t start until 1 a.m. because we had so much going on,” Solan recalled. “We always had music before the show, plus a Bugs Bunny cartoon, both of the Tim Curry shorts, and ‘Paradise By the Dashboard Lights.’”

This pre-show primed the audience’s enthusiasm.

Manager Stewart added, “Since the theater was such a physical wreck already, we were wildly tolerant of what the audience could do, as long as it didn’t damage the screen or wasn’t too hard to clean up.” Over the years, the show cycled through different generations of casts and crowds and kept its momentum. Solan said, “For the most part, it was a very liberating experience for a lot of people, because it chipped away at the restrictions in culture. You saw people transforming themselves as part of the experience.”

In the early years of the State, Solan and crew organized a few concerts, but quickly realized that they couldn’t compete with venues like the nearby Stone Balloon. Rick Danko, Blondie Chaplin and Paul Butterfield performed together in the first concert.

“The peak experience was having Muddy Waters play,” Solan said. Unfortunately, that show was scheduled on a World Series night and the turnout was poor. “It was the best $3,500 I ever lost,” Solan said, smiling.

Manager George Stewart arranged for John Cale of the Velvet Underground to perform. “It was the most successful concert we had, because it lost the least amount of money,” Solan said. Local rocker George Thorogood would also play, filling the theater with local fans.

During these years, Barry married his wife, Annie, and they started raising a family. Annie, busy with children and a career of her own, was not very involved with the theater. She said, “my contribution to the theater – besides being OK with Barry bringing home $7,000 a year -- was to go in to help clean up on Sunday mornings after ‘Rocky Horror.’” During the summer of 1986, Barry decided to move on from the State Theatre, but that was not the end of his involvement with film.

In 1988, the Solans opened a video rental store, Video Americain, in Newark. Moving from the theater to video rental seemed like a natural segue. “The video stores were a continuation but without the sex appeal of the screen,” Solan said. “Nobody wants to throw rice, mustard and hot dogs at a TV screen for ‘Rocky Horror’!”

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Two former employees, David Ostheimer and Michael Bradley, became partners in the new venture. Barry expected Video Americain to be the only video rental store in Newark. However, he was in for a surprise. He was working on the store in preparation for the opening when he noticed a Newark Video store.

“Nothing had changed in the Newark Shopping center for about 150 years,” he said. “Newark Video had opened within a week of our store opening,” The Solans and their partners would eventually open five additional Video Americain stores, ranging from Baltimore, Md., to Norfolk, Va. However, their stores were not as conventional as the competition. Solan’s store offered mainstream films along with repertory cinema. The staff was knowledgeable about different film genres, and a sense of community developed among the movie-loving customers. Each store had its own unique customer base.

According to Annie, the Newark store had fans of foreign and indie films. Baltimore had a very anglophile audience -- “We had every British series in stock, all 15

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Barry Solan Continued from Page 53

years of ‘Midsummer Murders,’” she explained. Barry added that the Charles Village store rented more hip films. “The most popular film rental at our Tacoma Park store, despite our artistic pretensions, was ‘Baby’s Day Out,’” he noted with a grin. It always amused him that “the Volvo crowd wanted to be surrounded by the most eclectic movies in the world while they were renting ‘The Nutty Professor.’”

Their Newark store would always struggle financially, but Annie felt it was important to keep a store in the town. The most successful location was Baltimore, and it was annually ranked as the area’s best video store.

“There was something inherent in the atmosphere of a video store,” Solan said. “How many businesses survive when there is a less than a 20 percent chance of you getting what you want when you go to the store? It was all about community.”

He added that visiting the Baltimore store was an opportunity to see and been seen. A trip to the video store was a social outing.

“They didn’t always get what they came in for, but they still found something to take home,” he said. Video

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Americain developed a nationally known reputation for its unique catalog of films and knowledgeable staff. “We were the best of the best,” said Solan proudly.

Director John Waters also enhanced their reputation. The video store scene from “Serial Mom” was filmed in their first Baltimore store, and Waters remained a fan of Video Americain. In an interview, Waters once said, “Video Americain was the best video store in the world.”

“It wasn’t true, but it was nice to hear,” Solan said. “We were maybe in the top 12.”

In 2010, health problems forced Solan to step back from the business. “The last years of Video Americain, Annie did 80 percent of the work. The stores stayed open because of her,” Solan said, smiling at his wife.

Over the next four years, as rentals declined due to video streaming, it was not possible to keep the stores open.

Baltimore’s Roland Park store was the last to go, closing in 2014. With the popularity of Netflix, independently owned video stores could not survive.

“Books stores, record stores, video stores -- they all Continued on Page 56

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Barry Solan Continued from Page 54

represented an exchange among people that has been almost entirely eliminated now. New things come and take their place but these things are lost,” Solan explained.

After spending 25 years in the video business, the Solans now keep busy with new projects and interests.

Annie is working part-time for the Civil Air Patrol, and both do elder care. Barry was recently given a clean bill of health from his doctor, and spends time with a friend who is dealing with his own health crisis.

Looking back over his film-centric career, the most important thing remains the people.

“It is so gratifying to see so many people who worked for us go on to become creative people,” he said. “One of our employees is now a film professor. Others have gone on to work in film or own theaters. It’s what I am most proud of. I feel truly blessed.”

Each business spawned its own generation of film lovers. Annie explained, “They were drawn to working for us because of what we offered. Tarantino said his film school was the video store he worked in. We attracted

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You could catch a midnight movie three nights a week.

people who wanted to learn about film. It was a lot of fun.”

Barry and Annie Solan have raised three children while living and working in the Newark area. Though mom and dad stayed local, the kids have ventured farther afield. Son David is practicing law in Baltimore, daughter Marielle is a New York City-based photographer, and daughter Danielle teaches music in Hong Kong. Solan feels that he has been graced every step of the way: Finding a wonderful mate, having a loving family, and doing work he loved.

“I’ve always had a questionable set of job skills,” he said, laughing. “I might make the full circle because I’ll never be in the film business again. But who knows, maybe I’ll get back on another ice cream truck.”

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Enjoy many exciting events and activities in downtown Newark Stay Connected Facebook.com/DowntownNewarkPartnership Twitter.com/DwntwnNewarkDE Instagram- DwntwnNewarkDE

Parking Want to save your extra change for shopping? You can do that in Downtown Newark. Just park in one of our five pay-to-park lots and look for the “Newark’s great, we validate” logo in merchants’ windows. Then ask one of the merchants for a parking validation. Just making a quick stop? Our convenient, credit-enabled parking meters allow you to park easily, pay quickly, shop and be on your way. So whether you’re just poppingin or spending the day, Downtown Newark offers plenty of parking to suit your needs. Check out the interactive map at cityofnewarkde.us/parking to locate off-street parking before heading downtown.

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Gift Cards A Downtown Newark Gift Card makes the perfect gift for anyone who likes to shop, eat or stroll down Main Street. Shoppers can use the gift card at more than 70 participating merchants. Get yours today, in denominations from $10 to $500, at the parking office at 45 East Main Street, or at enjoydowntownnewark.com.

Mayor’s Masquerade 5K Put on your best costume and hit the ground running at the Mayor’s Masquerade 5k Run/Walk. The third annual event will begin at Delaware Technology Park and go through the James Hall Trail on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8 a.m. Awards will be given in seven age categories and overall male and female.

Costume awards will also be given for festive participants.

Continued on Page 60

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Halloween Parade Witches, superheroes and princesses are all invited to strut down Main Street in the 69th annual Halloween Parade on Sunday, October 30 at 3 p.m. Local clubs, civic groups, school bands, PTA’s and scout troops are also encouraged to join in the fun. Applications to participate can be found at cityofnewarkde. us/parks.

The parade is also paired with Trick or Treat Main Street at 4 p.m., when ghosts and goblins can collect goodies from downtown businesses.

Turkey Trot Run/Walk The run before the feast! The 42nd Annual Turkey Trot will be held on Saturday, Nov. 19 at Handloff Park. Part of the proceeds from the 5k and 10k races go towards the James F. Hall Scholarship Fund to provide tuition assistance to youth who would otherwise be unable to participate in activities and programs through Newark Parks and Recreation Department. The Ancient Order of Hibernians will also be collecting coats that will be distributed to people in need throughout the area. Anyone interested in making a donation may bring coats in good condition the morning of the race.

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30th Annual Thanksgiving Breakfast Enjoy Thanksgiving morning in the company of Newark neighbors and friends. The annual breakfast creates a warm and caring atmosphere among community members and area students who are unable to share the holiday with family members or a companion. The menu includes pancakes, eggs, sausage and fruit. Advanced registration is suggested.

Volunteer assistance is needed; please call 366-7000 for more information.

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Continued from Page 61

Small Business Saturday It’s not just about Black Friday anymore. Support the downtown Newark business community, while also picking up great gifts for the holidays. The Downtown Newark Partnership encourages residents and friends to grab some breakfast and take a relaxing stroll from merchant to merchant down E. Main Street on Saturday, November 26. Can’t decide what to buy? A Downtown Newark Partnership gift card always makes the perfect gift.

Winterfest Kick-off the holiday season by roasting chestnuts and singing carols and watching the tree lighting with fellow Newark residents. Winterfest will be held on Friday, December 2, from 6-8 p.m. on Academy Street in downtown Newark. The annual event is a joint effort by the Newark Parks and Recreation Department, the University of Delaware, and the Downtown Newark Partnership. The Delaware Special Olympics will be hosting the Annual Reindeer Run in conjunction with Winterfest.

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Restaurant Week Downtown Newark is a regional dining destination, and Restaurant Week is the perfect time to experience the local cuisine. The event, which will run from January 16-22, 2017, will feature options for all budgets and tastes. More than a dozen downtown restaurants will be offering a variety of three-course meals that highlight the best they have to offer.

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———|Newark Photo Essay|——— Location Map

City of Newark and Regional Park and Trails Map

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Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2016 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

Fishing Swimming Pool Skateboard Park Bandstand

Gray Acres Park

Trails/Permitted Uses

Youth Camping

Shared-use

Trail Head

Hiking/Biking

Disc Golf

Pedestrian Only

PA Park Office and Nature Center

By Carla Lucas Correspondent Newark boasts 33 parks, 17 miles of trails, and 650 acres of open space. Surrounding the city limits, there are a few thousand acres of open space in state and county parks, with miles and miles of trails. Newark’s trail system received the National Recreation Trail designation, which recognizes exemplary trail systems of local and regional significance.

What’s great is that many of the trails are connected to expand your hiking and biking experiences.

Highlighted on the following pages are a few options for getting outside, enjoying what the city has to offer, and maybe even getting a little exercise.

James F. Hall Trail The James F. Hall Trail travels east and west, mostly beside the railroad tracks from Bradford Lane to the Delaware Technology Park, passing through three parks: Phillips, Lewis, and Kell. It also runs under Route 72. Parking to use the James F. Hall Trail is best at any of the three parks along the route -- otherwise pay attention to road signs. The trail is lighted and has emergency call boxes for 24-hour access. The James F. Hall Trail connects to the Pomeroy and Newark Trail near Chapel Street. The Pomeroy Trail traverses the city in a northsouth direction.

Photos clockwise from above It doesn’t take long to traverse the two-mile trail on a bike.

Many bikers use connecting trails to lengthen the ride.

Running is a popular activity along the flat trail.

The James F. Hall Trail meanders past the Newark History Museum and under the South College Avenue overpass.

Occasionally, a train rumbles along beside the trail.

The James F. Hall eastern trailhead is at the Delaware Technology Park, at the corner of Library and Wyoming roads.

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Photo Essay Continued from Page 65

Newark Reservoir The views are fantastic from the top of the Newark Reservoir. You can see for miles as you walk, run or bike on the 1.1-mile loop around the reservoir.

Photos clockwise from above There are two ways to the top of the reservoir -- straight up, or more gently along the paved switchback trail (.35 miles to the top). If you choose the straight-up path, do so in a space where the grass is not already trampled down. There’s not much shade on this trail, so plan your hike accordingly.

The trail around the reservoir is clearly marked, with distance markings every quarter-mile. The total around the basin is 1.1 miles.

The Yellow Connector trail at the northeast corner connects Newark Reservoir to William M. Redding Park and another 1.5 miles of trail on 65 acres.

Running is a popular activity along the trail.

Friends get together for a brisk walk.

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Photos clockwise from above The switchback trail, looking down from the top.

View from the top of the reservoir, southern end.

The sun setting over the reservoir.

Along the trail.

Looking up, halfway up the switchback.

Many geese, ducks, and other birds are seen along the trail.

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Photo Essay Continued from Page 67

A Great Loop: Nature Center, Creek Road and Pomeroy Trail Opportunities abound for a variety of lengths of trail along the White Clay Creek, from Creek Road to the Delaware Nature Center and beyond, if you choose. Parking (permit or fee required) is available at the White Clay Creek State Park Nature Center Parking Lot, off Hopkins Road. It is a great place to start a hike or a ride. Take the trail/road right and across Hopkins Road to Creek Road. This paved road goes into Newark; part of it is closed to traffic.

Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail traverses north-south between the James Hall Trail near Chapel Street and Hopkins Road. It runs beside the Newark Shopping Center and the University of Delaware campus. At its northern end, it connects to Creek Road for a short distance and bears off at the southern bridge to end at Hopkins Road. In the city, the trail is lighted for 24-hour access.

By accessing the two bridges between Creek Road and the Pomeroy Trail, you can create a loop that’s three to four miles long. By taking other connecting trails, the options are endless for short or long hikes and bike rides.

Photos clockwise from above The Pomeroy Trail connects to Creek Road.

A waterlily pond along the Pomeroy Trail.

This bridge crosses the White Clay Creek closest to Newark.

Creek Road is usually bustling with activity on a nice day.

Geese hang out around one of the dams on the White Clay Creek.

This bridge crosses the White Clay Creek from Creek Road to the Pomeroy Trail, near the intersection with Wedgewood Road. There is also a parking lot nearby for easy access to this bridge.

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Hiking and Biking along Thompson Station Road North of Newark is White Clay Creek State Park. It is a wonderful place to spend some time in the woods and meadows among the rolling hills. There are two parking lots off Thompson Station Road, with many trails for hiking and biking.

Parking fees are in effect from March through November unless you have a Delaware State Parks Pass.

The David English Trail (park by the Ranger’s Station at the end of Thompson Station Road) is a moderate trail with some elevation changes. It loops through a section of mature hardwoods, through a meadow and by a small pond. You can extend this 2.4-mile trail by connecting onto the Wendel Cassel/Boundary Line Trail.

The Whitely Farm Trail is accessed from the Nine Foot Road Parking Area (across from Deerfield Golf Club). It is a 3.1-mile trail on mostly flat land, with just a few hills. The trail begins and ends in meadows, with a section through a dense forest. Also out of the Nine Foot Road Parking Area is the Bryan’s Field Trail, another 2.4-mile trail through farmlands, meadows, and woods.

Photos clockwise from above At the Whitely Farm trailhead, a single-lane track leads the way.

Along Whitely Farm Trail. (2) 6 Whitely Trail woods: In the woods along Whitely Trail.

The trails are clearly marked along the route.

Along the David English Trail.

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——————|Newark People|—————— Local food blogger Kita Roberts is a self-described moment junkie, defined by a hunger for taste, adventure and discovery. Recently, she and a magazine writer took in the tastes of Newark

My dinner with Kita Photo by Jie Deng 70

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Courtesy art

In addition to “Girl Carnivore,” Roberts also writes for and manages her “Pass the Sushi” blog.

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

M

aybe it’s cheating.

Maybe it’s the equivalent of a journalistic short cut, but there is no more honest way of writing about the world of Kita Roberts then to skip the adjectives.

In order to get to the singular, beating heart of this profile, I am asking you, dear reader, to cobble together the following images and put them in the guise of a bespectacled, 29-year-old woman: The shimmering browns of Amelia Earhart’s bomber flight jacket, and the full whiskey glass at an old saloon, held by a woman’s hand. The glisten of a perfectly-cooked steak, rare. The crusted dirt on a hiking boot after a long journey to the soul. A passport, well-thumbed. The fearless brevity of Hemingway words used to write about travel and food and life’s journeys, pounded onto a keyboard. The click of a camera that is pointed at smiling children in another part of the world that is known more for fear than for hope.

A man’s life, with all of its burnished bravado and scarred romanticism, unapologetically entered into by a woman.

When a co-worker first approached me about doing a profile about Roberts, I thought it would go the way he and I had planned it – to hit a few of Newark’s best restaurants and talk about Roberts’ love of food and other things, which are documented in two Continued on Page 72

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Roberts with Kevin O’Donnell of Churrascaria Saudades.

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Venison Salisbury steak, one of the delicious entrees the author enjoyed on his evening with Roberts at the Stone Balloon Ale House, which were created by Executive Chef Robbie Jester.

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Kita Roberts Continued from Page 71

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that if Kita Roberts did not already exist, then she would have eventually been hatched from the fertile mind of a screenwriter, hepped up on a four-day caffeine jag, and written into a film that would star a youngish ingenue, whose fearless and sassy performance as Kita the Conqueror would simply knock the critics on their collective derriere.

Kita Roberts’ journey to where she is now -- one that takes her around the country and to other parts of the

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blogs – PasstheSushi.com and GirlCarnivore.com -- and read by thousands every week.

Before he and I bellied up to a Main Street restaurant bar to meet Roberts, I had already done my homework. I learned that Roberts is a food enthusiast, but not in the dainty, pinkies-up kind of way. Rather, she approaches her love of food with the enthusiasm of a Harley road warrior about to tuck into a flat iron steak at a truck-stop joint. In addition ot her two blogs, her writing has also been featured on Huffington Post, Bon Appetit, FoodGawker, TasteSpotting, Tasteologie, Food Porn Daily, FoodBuzz, and the Ladies Home Journal, to name a few. She also travels the country for national food brands to come up with unique recipes that feature their brands.

Half-way through our first drink, I found that Roberts is not only the person you want to accompany you on an “Eat, Pray Love” journey, she is also a mountain bicyclist, the former manager of a Newark comic store, and a professional photographer. When my evening with Roberts ended five hours later, however, I had concluded

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world, writing about food -- did not have its beginnings in travel. Family vacations were to Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire, where she and her father would spend glorious hours fishing. To the young girl from Newark, the world came to her in the form of the National Geographic, she devoured, page after page, month after month.

“I was captivated by the size of the world, and how much was out there,” she said. “The seed had always been planted early that I would eventually see something bigger. The idea of pairing something I love with travel, and working with people, gave me the chance to see that the opposite side of the world was amazing, captivating and terrifying.”

In her late teens, Roberts moved in with her friend Meredith, whose entire family prepared full meals: biscuits, meat, four sides and dessert, every single night.

Staying for a time with this family began to teach Roberts that a simple visit to a dinner table can be more than just a place to eat, but serve as a communal landing spot, where conversations fly like birds and dining

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

One of several appetizers that were served at the Stone Balloon Ale House.

becomes like a joyous playground of adventure.

She began to pour through recipe books. She set a goal to prepare at least two meals every week, digging deeper into what existed in food beyond the traditional American road map of Monday pasta, Tuesday meatloaf.

She combed the aisles of supermarkets, learning about exotic vegetables and seasonings that were written about in magazines.

Continued on Page 74

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Kita Roberts Continued from Page 73

“I asked myself, ‘What do I love about food?’” Roberts said. “I found that I love to prepare food. I found out that I loved to cook meat, to be the girl at the grill.”

After some welcoming drinks on Main Street with my co-worker, we jumped in Roberts’ car and drove to Churrascaria Saudades, the Brazilian steakhouse that opened earlier this year in the Newark Shopping Center.

Having written about Churrascaria Saudades in the Spring edition of Newark Life, I was familiar with what was ahead of us: Meat, glorious and mouth watering and addictive.

In preparing the evening with Roberts, I thought, ‘What better place to take the Girl Carnivore?’ After a quick trip to the salad bar, the gauchos carved off rare cuts of Picanha, a prime cut of sirloin beef; Lombo, a parmesan-encrusted tenderloin; and Cordeiro, leg of lamb that dripped with seasonings. Roberts and I paced ourselves, flipping between conversation and

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Kita Roberts is also an accomplished photographer.

consumption, as the gauchos continued their flavorful assault on our table.

Roberts began a chain-link conversation with server Kevin O’Donnell about their love of exotic drinks, which expanded to the best cities in the world for food and drink. Their discourse had the tonality and rhythm of two jazz musicians riffing off of one another.

I put the green card up, indicating that I was satisfied.

Another round of food and conversation soon awaited us down the street.

In 2010, Roberts launched PasstheSushi.com., a Milennial’s Guide to Recipes, Travel and Photography.

Blog after blog, it’s a treat for the senses: recipes for Chocolate Dipped Boozy Pina Colada Popsicles and Cinnamon Spiked Flourless Chocolate Cake. Tips on how to best chase the fall foliage on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and three must-see trails in Zion National Park. She taps her talents as a photographer, and both food and scenery leap from the computer screen.

So does her writing, which is both informative and

breezy. Here’s the opening to her recipe for King Salmon with peas and mint: “Can you smell that? On your ride home with the car window cracked, it’s there: The far-off smell of grills firing up. On your walk around the block, the aroma of freshly lit charcoal is calling out to you. Winter has finally started to subside and with as long as this one has been, there is going to be no time wasted digging out the grills. With temps approaching hot this weekend, and a little sun burn staining my shoulders, I cleaned the grill grates on my smoker, charcoal grill, and gas grill and got to grilling.

It was glorious.”

In 2014, Roberts paired Pass the Sushi with Girl Carnivore, Serious Meat Recipes for Aspiring Home Cooks. Here’s the introduction for Slow Cooker Hoisin Sliders with Sriracha Kale Slaw: “Anyone else freakin’ love their slow cooker? I am an addict, as probably evident by the seven or so crockpots Continued on Page 76

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Kita Roberts Continued from Page 75

I currently have in various storage areas of my life. Here’s the thing; I love to cook (duh), but somedays I just don’t want to think about it. That’s when I bust out the big guns, my slow cooker. True story, my kitchen is probably seven feet wide, including all of the cabinets, making for a 3’ × 3’ area that I work in, with two large dogs underfoot and one tiny sink.”

In December 2014, in the middle of running two food blogs, Roberts boarded a plane that flew through the night and landed in Cambodia, 17 hours later. She was there as a volunteer with The Giving Lens, organized by photographer Colby Brown, that takes aspiring photographers as a group to developing countries to introduce children to the art of photography. When she arrived in the airport, she was assaulted by a wall of sound -- the loudness of the lonely planet -- coming from taxi drivers who wanted to transport her to where she needed to go.

“All the world has taught you was to be afraid of travel, that everyone in a foreign country is out to mug you and leave you in in alleyway,” she said. “But once you realize that the world is not a complete nightmare, life becomes easier.”

It was in those two weeks in Cambodia, working alongside children, when Roberts realized that the world that she grew up admiring on the pages of

Photo by Jie Deng

Roberts travels frequently to food fairs and festivals around the country.

Continued on Page 78

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Kita Roberts Continued from Page 76

National Geographic was no longer confined to the pages of a magazine.

“It was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “At the time, I was finding a disconnect between the chapters of my life, between this woman who writes a food blog and used to manage a comic book store, and this woman who suddenly decides to travel to Cambodia.

Up until that time, they were two very different compartments, but it’s now a harmonious blend of those facets.

“I know it sounds crazy, but Cambodia gave me this transformative chip on my shoulder, to accept opportunities that the world gives me, via this global view of travel and excitement. There is something mystical that happens when you turn off everything you’re supposed to be and you’re left lost in the world. You discover yourself in a way you never thought was possible.”

After a plentiful sampling at Churrascaria, we hopped in Roberts’ car and headed to The Stone Balloon Ale House, to sample some of Executive Chef Robbie Jester’s finest offerings. As soon as we arrived, General Manager Luke Luckini hooked us up with bacon lollipops and BBQ pork shanks, and by the first few bites, we realized why Jester has become one of the hottest chefs on the Delaware dining scene. Jester earned rock star status last December, when he beat celebrity chef Bobby Flay in the final round of cooking competition on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.”

Jester’s winning dish was Cavatelli shrimp scampi, now a staple on the restaurant’s menu, and one that Luckini served just moments after Roberts and I tucked away the appetizers. It was hard to top the flavor overload of the bacon lollipops and the sweetness of the pork shanks, but the scampi did.

I tasted why Jester beat Flay; the Cavatelli was handmade and cooked slightly al dente, and the sauce was graciously top-heavy with garlic, salt and pepper and colored with bright red cherry tomatoes, that went perfectly with the large chunks of shrimp.

Luckini and his colleagues in the kitchen were not done yet. Our evening was finished off with a full plate of Venison Salisbury steak, which was fork tender and savory on the tongue. Lester was elsewhere that night; were he at the Stone Balloon Ale House, I would have invited him to sit down and share the bounty of our conversation.

I put my fork down for the final time. It was well past 10 p.m., and I had been eating for the past five hours, and Continued on Page 80 78

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Kita Roberts Continued from Page 78

the intoxicating mish-mash of food and conversation had left me satiated and dizzy. Minutes later, Roberts and I shook hands and said “Goodbye.”

Kita Roberts wants to use her writing, her travel and her photography to change people’s lives.

“When I started to travel, my life changed,” she said. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, with fewer things and more experiences, and that’s because I’ve been able to write about it, and share it with my readers. Those opportunities have come from an audience who wants to read about these experiences.

“I want to inspire my readers,” she continued. “I want to show them images, whether it be people or cheeseburgers or stunning places. I want them to see the beauty in everything. I want to be able to say that everyone’s dreams can have the same grandeur, and that it’s just having the courage to step up and fulfill those dreams.”

To learn more about Kita Roberts, visit her two blogs: www.girlcarnivore. com , and www.passthesushi.com.

Churrascaria Saudades is located at 230 East Main Street in the Newark Shopping Center. Tel: 302-355-5551. Web: www.eatsteaks.com.

The Stone Balloon Ale House is located at 115 East Main Street, Newark.

Tel: 302-266-8111. Web: www.stoneballoon.com.

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

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Photo by Jie Deng

Roberts, a mountain bicyclist as well as a food blogger and photographer, stopped by Wooden Wheels in Newark.

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—————|Around Newark|—————

Investigating ghosts in Delaware

By Lisa Fieldman Correspondent

D

uring October, we traditionally celebrate all things spooky. In the spirit of Halloween, it’s fun to visit a haunted house or tell ghost stories. For Delaware City Ghost Hunters, October is just another month to commune with spirits.

Their ghost stories are everyday conversations. These brave souls work year-round to help people who are being troubled by paranormal activity. Their goal is to communicate with restless spirits and ultimately help them find peace.

“A ghost is just a trapped spirit that, for some reason, has not been able to cross over,” explained Wanda, the director of Delaware City Ghost Hunters. Since their start in 2011, the group has performed more than 50 investigations of haunted locations.

The members of the group are fascinated by the paranormal, and are driven to help people and spirits in need.

Some of the members are “spiritually gifted,” while others are gifted with technical skills. The group includes psychics, empaths and mediums who can reach out and communicate with spirits. They also have members who handle the sophisticated ghost-hunting equipment.

You don’t have to have special skills to be a member -- just a curiosity about the spiritual world and the willingness to do the work. And there is a lot of work to be done.

During an investigation, team members use their own cameras and recorders, and they take notes on any paranormal activity. After the session, members have to turn in a report, which involves going through all their photographs and reviewing any audio and visual recordings.

“We have a private Facebook page for members only, and everyone must post three photos that are the most significant (showing a shadow, mist, orb, etc.) so they can be seen and discussed among the group,” Wanda said.

The ghost hunters are currently interviewing prospective team members. “In the past, we‘ve had people join

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All photos provided by DCGH

Etta Wilburn must be a ghost magnet as she seems to attract orbs.

Team member Dave Wyre caught in a silly moment, impersonating a ghost.

our group and then decide it‘s not for them, which is totally fine,” Wanda said. “It was not as exciting as they thought it would be. We have had a few investigations that, frankly, were quite boring.”

Sometimes the team arrives at a house that has had activity and they find nothing. Wanda said there is little resemblance between what her group does and what you see on ghost-hunting shows. Sure, they both use ghostspotting equipment and wait in the dark for a ghost to appear. Our night is a spirit’s day, and the time when they are most active.

“These shows are highly dramatized, and hours of work have been condensed into a half-hour period,” Wanda said. “You don‘t see all the down time the crew spends waiting for something to happen.”

Wanda explained how an investigation works. When the Delaware City Ghost Hunters group is contacted by someone experiencing paranormal activity, Wanda assembles a team best suited to the investigation. The crew visits the location of the haunting, and after setting up their equipment, they settle in for three to six hours and wait for activity to occur. During that time, members try to contact the entity through voice or thought. The goal of the investigation is to learn why the spirit is causing the disturbance, and then help the ghost find peace.

“When we contact a spirit, we ask if it wants to cross over,” Wanda explained. “If the answer is yes, then we‘ll tell it to stick around until the end of the evening, when we will perform a ceremony to help it cross.”

How can they tell if a spirit has indeed crossed over? “It‘s a feeling that is hard to explain,” she said. “It is almost like the air feels lighter, like the feeling you get when the sun comes out after days of rain.”

Sometimes, a team member will actually see the spirit leaving.

Etta Wilburn, the group’s spiritual director, revealed how the ceremony works. “We ask God to open a light to give the spirit a channel to travel through. After they cross, we close the light,” she said. Wilburn also mentioned how, once a portal has been opened, other spirits may arrive to cross over, even if they weren’t involved in the original haunting.

Some of the ghost-hunting equipment used by the group is specialized, but not all of it is. Many of us may have the basic equipment in our home for spotting a spirit.

Mag lights are used as a way for ghosts to signal they are around. They are asked to turn the light on and off to validate their presence. Video recorders pick up shapes and movement, and voice recorders can be used by a spirit

Investigative team members using a video camera and a night-vision digital camera to capture a spirit image.

The circled image appears to be a woman with a broom. The team historian, Amy, debunked this investigation photo, finding it was a combination of the lighting and a stack of cardboard boxes and a leaning mop.

Continued on Page 84

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trying to communicate vocally. It helps to have special around, no one was there. At the end of the evening, they software to filter out noise, and discerning spirit voices held their crossing-over ceremony and helped the spirits can be difficult. into the light.

“Amy, our group historian, is an expert at detecting Before leaving, Wanda asked the homeowner if she spirit voices,” Wanda said. “She uses the program called knew the murder victim’s name and what she looked Audacity, which clears up background noise.” like. Janet did not know, but said that her mother had met K2 meters work on electromagnetic fields and light up the sister of the murdered woman and would give her a when a spirit’s energy is nearby. Laser grids project a call. The victim’s sister confirmed that “Sharon” had a gridded pattern on a wall and when a spirit passes in front petite build, and was pretty, with short, blonde hair. And of the laser, it disrupts the pattern. Motion detectors are while her given name was not Sharon, it was the name also used as a tool for the ghost to sigshe preferred to use. It was also revealed nal its presence. The group even has a that Sharon had worked as a school bus motion detector that looks like a stuffed aide. animal. It is useful when trying to reach It was a good investigation. Spirits and the spirit of a child. been contacted and crossed over. Facts The most exciting case Delaware City were validated and the homeowners were Ghost Hunters investigated involved happy. But that is not the end of the story. two ghosts and a spirit from a cold case.

After every investigation, the group histoA homeowner on Porter Road in Bear, rian, Amy, does exhaustive research on the Del. (we’ll call her Janet), contacted A large orb photographed during an site of the haunting to validate information the group. Janet and her family had investigation at the Perfect Gift Shop gathered during the case. The Delaware been experiencing abnormal activity in Glasgow.

City Ghost Hunters try to debunk the around the home. In addition to odd material gathered during an investigation, noises, they continually found cabinet doors and drawers such as photos and voices, as a way to maintain their opened. The activity seemed to increase when there were integrity as an authentic ghost-hunting organization. children in the house or when a pregnant family member Every member of the team analyzes each other’s findings was present. and every photo is scrutinized to make sure orbs and Janet did not feel the activity was harmful or threaten- shadows are not just a trick of the light. ing, but she wanted the team to investigate and hopefully During her research on the Porter Road property, Amy rid her house of the persistent spirit. The homeowner did discovered a news article from 1967 about a female give the group advance knowledge that the house had a corpse that had been found in a ditch just yards from tragic history. A woman had been murdered by her jeal- the residence. The case had never been solved. Amy ous husband in the house, and at another point in time, a wondered if it was more than coincidence that a body disabled man had died in a house fire. Armed with those had previously been found so close to the site of a curfacts, but no details, the team arrived on location and set rent haunting. It had been more than 30 years, but ghosts up the investigation. tend to hang around – especially when they are unhappy.

While other team members tried to reach out to the Amy called Wanda and told her about her findings, male and female spirits, Wanda started meditating on the but did not share any details except that the body was house, trying to get information on the haunting. A vision female and the proximity to the house where the body came to her of a very pretty, petite woman with short, was found. Wanda said, “Amy asked me to meditate on blonde hair. the story and try to reach out to the spirit of the dead “She said her name was Sharon and she had a meek woman.” She wanted to see what information Wanda demeanor,” Wanda said. In the vision, Wanda also saw could get from the spirit. a yellow school bus and she assumed Sharon had been “So I meditated and just started talking to the universe,” a school bus driver. Meanwhile, another team member Wanda said. “I said there is a spirit haunting a house on felt a male presence and experienced a hand brushing Porter Road. If you would like to have your story told, over her leg. She thought it might have been one of the please communicate with me telepathically. I‘d like to tech crew members walking by her, but when she looked see you in my mind. Show me what you look like and tell 84

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me what happened to you.”

Wanda closed her eyes and waited. Then an image of a girl appeared in her mind.

“I could see her body and arms were wrapped up very tightly in some sort of cloth, but I was able to see her face and her hair,” she said.

Wanda felt the girl was of European descent -- Greek, Italian or Puerto Rican based on her caramel-colored skin.

She also had dark hair and dark eyes.

“I got the name Katie,” she said. “That is usually how it Continued on Page 86 A very large orb hovers in front of Etta during an investigation.

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Ghosts Continued from Page 85

happens; the very first name that comes to my mind is what they are trying to tell me.”

Wanda said to the spirit, “I feel like your name is Katie and you are between the ages of 18 and 25. If this is not correct, give me another vision.” But the vision did not change.

When she called Amy back with the results of her meditation, Amy sent Wanda the article that included an artist’s sketch of the victim. The data in the news story confirmed that the victim was between the ages of 18 and 25 and appeared to be of European descent. The artist’s sketch resembled the girl Wanda saw in her vision. The body was found in the ditch, tightly wrapped in a cloth.

Intrigued by this new information, Wanda called the Porter Road homeowner back and told her the details.

She suggested they hold a séance to reach Katie.

On the night of the séance, Wanda only brought team members who had the ability to reach out to spirits. In addition to the team, the homeowner and her mother were present.

“We put a candle on the table with a hurricane globe

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around it so it would not be disturbed by the air,” Wanda said. She meditated and told Katie that they wanted her to come back and share more information with them.

They asked her to flicker the candle in response or blink the K2 meter – once for yes, and twice for no. Katie confirmed she was present through the K2 meter.

Those present started asking her questions, and by the end of the evening, Katie’s story had been pieced together. The ghost hunters learned that Kate was the daughter of a southern minister. An out-of-wedlock pregnancy resulted in her father sending her north to have an abortion. A bad infection set in and Katie died. Those responsible for her death dumped her body in the ditch.

“We kept asking Katie if this information was correct and she would respond through the meter, ‘Yes, Yes, Yes.‘” The team could not get a clear sense of where she had actually died. However, one of the members kept getting a vision of the word Florence, followed by two letters.

“We asked Katie if she was from Florence, S.C., and she replied, ‘No,’” Wanda said. At the end of the séance

the ghost hunters did a house clearing and prayed for the spirit of Katie to cross over. Wanda said, “Katie was an earthbound spirit who wanted people to know her story.

She had never been laid to rest and was not at peace.”

Wanda asked her to please validate the story one last time by making the candle flicker. The flame started flickering wildly. “At that sign, I broke down, crying uncontrollably,” Wanda said. “It was like I was experiencing Katie‘s energy being released. She was so happy that someone finally knew what had happened to her.

I told Katie to rest in peace and said, ‚We will pray for you.‘” After the ceremony, Wanda felt that Katie had truly passed over. In the days following the séance, one of the members was researching cities named Florence and found Florence, N.J. The group later learned that the cloth the body was wrapped in was stamped by a dry cleaner located in New Jersey.

Checking in a few days later with Janet, Wanda was happy to hear there had been no more activity in the house. She followed up six months later and was told

the same. “That was probably the most interesting and moving investigation we‘ve ever done,” Wanda said.

Delaware City A K-2 meter spiking indicates a spirit’s Ghost Hunters energy is close by. provide their services free of charge, though donations are always appreciated. The group is completely funded by the members, and they hold a few fundraisers throughout the year. Each October they have a ghost tour (This year it is in Middletown on Oct. 21 and 22), and each spring they participate in Delaware City’s yard sale to raise money for new equipment. The organization accepts donations of goods to be sold at the yard sale. Details, news and upcoming events can be found on the Delaware City Ghost Hunters Facebook page or their website (www. delcityghosthunters.org).

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Newark’s Photos by Richard L. Gaw

Nikki Laws, Ashley Barnas and Lizzy Adams were dress coordinated for the event.

For three hours on Sept. 25, the Old College Lawn at the University of Delaware was filled with the sounds of happy people and the aroma of foods wafting from the temporary cafes of nearly 50 of Newark’s finest restaurants.

It was the 13th annual Taste of Newark, and Newark Life was there to enjoy a few nibbles and enjoy the festivities.

The folks from Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen were also on the scene.

The Taste of Newark gave guests the option of eating on the go, or filling up their plate, one station at a time.

Isabel Connelly of the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics served as one of the event’s official greeters.

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Newark Life | Fall/Winter 2016 | www.newarklifemagazine.com

moveable feast

Catherine Rooney’s Irish Pub & Restaurant served up samples of a tantalizing pasta dish.

The 13th annual Taste of Newark served as a showcase for nearly 50 food and beverage vendors.

In addition to food and beverages, the Taste of Newark also served up some great tunes.

The Stone Balloon Ale House was on hand, dishing out samples of its hot wing chowder.

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