November 2024 - Picture This

5 Questions With Robert 'Kool' Bell

Jobs for Delaware Grads Offers Pathways to Success

Picture This Picture This Could Delaware become a movie-making destination?

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Published each month by TSN Media, Inc.

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Wilmington, DE 19801

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PUBLISHER

Gerald duPhily • jduphily@tsnpub.com

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

Jim Miller • jmiller@tsnpub.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Bob Yearick • ryearick@comcast.net

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

DIGITAL SERVICES DIRECTOR Michael O’Brian

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS Amy Watson Bish

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Adriana Camacho-Church, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Roger Hillis, Catherine Kempista, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Larry Nagengast, Ken Mammarella, Mary Ellen Mitchell, Matt Morrissette, Kevin Noonan, Bob Yearick

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Lindsay Rudney duPhily, Joe Hoddinott, Kevin Francis, Matthew Loeb,

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Bauer, John D. Holton, Bev Zimmermann

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Promises, Promises

We were promised a Red October. It was more like a long weekend — and more pink than Philly red.

A Phillies’ post-season that began with lofty expectations ended in abrupt disappointment.

It was like going to a Springsteen concert and having a power failure after the rst song. Like purchasing a new car and getting a at on the drive home. Like paying through the nose for a reserved table at X nity Live only to see your team get no hit. (I should know, I did that in 2022.)

Yes, this one stings.

Many fans feel cheated. Talk radio hosts and TV sports pundits say heads should roll. And if it were a decade ago, I’d be spewing all kinds of knee-jerk nonsense.

Instead, I’m OK.

I received no harsh treatment from the Mets faithful for the rest of the evening. en again, they beat us 7-2.)

I’m OK because I’m older, wiser and have learned to appreciate the journey as much as the destination. If your de nition of a successful season is a championship parade, you’re going to spend a lot of your life disappointed. So, I savor the journey.

OK because I’m older, wiser and have learned to appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

I’m OK knowing I’ve spent almost 60 years rooting for this team and have only two World Series titles to show for it. (I could be a Mariners fan.)

I’m OK realizing that if I could somehow recoup all the money I’ve spent on the Phillies, I could be driving a Porsche.

I’m even OK after what a Mets fan said to me and my son as we were making our way into Citi Field for Game 3 of the NLDS. As we waited to cross a steady stream of tra c, I reminded him to make sure we had our timing down so “we didn’t get hit.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” the Mets fan blurted out, before realizing how awful his comment sounded. (For the record,

Without exaggeration, each year I watch or listen to about 130 of the 162 regular-season games. From spring to fall, baseball is riding shotgun as I cruise through summer. We cover a lot of ground together, even though most games I never leave the couch. So, while being eliminated from the playo s by the dreaded Mets rivals the pain of a root canal, I stand undaunted. Pitchers and catchers report in less than four months.

And there are other silver linings. Like knowing the Phillies had Major League Baseball’s second best regular-season record in 2024. Or that we won the National League East — the rst time since 2011.

Yes, I will enter the 2025 season brimming with con dence. After all, we still have one of the best rosters in baseball.

Besides, I’m a patient man. If not, my favorite sport wouldn’t be one with a 162-game season. And that’s not counting playo s!

— Jerry duPhily

THE WAR On Words

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language

WHERE ARE THE EDITORS?

• Reader, writer, and editor Larry Nagengast discovered this from Grant Brisbee in e Athletic: “ e Diamondbacks may be the most underrated team in baseball. ey’re averaging 5.42 runs per game, which is almost a full half-run better than the second-place team, the Yankees.” Adds Larry: “I understand what he’s saying, but the phrasing is, well, almost oxymoronic.”

Cleanuponaisle13!

A reader submits this sign from the Acme Market in Hockessin. He says he has mentioned the misspelled stationary (should be stationery) several times to customer service, but they remain unmoved. (See what I did there?)

• Je Neiburg, in e Philadelphia Inquirer: “. . . Sao Paulo only being an hour ahead made getting acclimated a lesser concern then, say, London — and they are ying to Brazil on a Boeing 777, a larger plane than the one they ew to the United Kingdom in 2018.” Je thus joins the growing number of writers who use a word — in this case, than — incorrectly and correctly in the same sentence.

• Je McLane, in e Inky: “John Ross and rookie Johnny Wilson started on the outside, with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith watching on.” I have never seen this construction before. Looking on is the usual term.

• Reader David Hull notes that USA TODAY’s Sarah D. Wire quoted a Trump supporter as referring to “callus indi erence to the sacri ces that his supporters made on his behalf.” A callus is a hard, thickened area of skin that usually develops from friction or irritation over time. e correct word — callous — means hard-hearted.

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.

• Hira Qureshi, in e Inky, committed the popular reply back redundancy: “Cline suggests messaging something unique . . . in order to get a reply back.”

• Nancy Armour, in USA TODAY: “Biles is, too often, held to an impossible standard. She’s expected to be both perfect and infallible.” Among the synonyms for perfect is infallible, and vice versa.

Word Term of the Month

KABUKI THEATER

A traditional Japanese popular drama performed with highly stylized singing and dancing. In political discourse, Kabuki theater is sometimes used to describe an event characterized more by showmanship than by content. Donald Trump’s August visit to Arlington Cemetery is an example.

READERS’ PET PEEVES

By Bob Yearick

• Debbie Layton’s peeve involves gerunds — verb forms that function as nouns. She sends two examples (corrections in parentheses): 1. Xerxes Wilson, in e News Journal — “Biden, 54, was charged with crimes associated with him (his) lying about his drug addiction on a federal form . . .” 2. In an article titled “Captains of Industry Set Sail” in TIME magazine — “ e show, which follows a group of Gen Z bankers working in the City . . . focuses as much on its characters taking designer drugs in Berlin clubs or having sex in the o ce as it does on them (their) making highstakes trades.”

Gerunds require the possessive pronoun because it is the act (“lying about his drug addiction,” “making high-stakes trades”) that is being referred to, not the person or persons.

• Joan Burke sends two examples of her special peeve — the misuse of the contraction there’s with plural nouns (italicized in the examples): 1. Andre Lamar, in Delawareonline — “While the summer concert season in Delaware is starting to fade away like the victims of a anos snap, there’s still a lot of cool shows to marvel at this season.” 2. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, quoted in USA TODAY about Hard Knocks, the HBO documentary series — “ ere’s a lot of misnomers about it.” As Joan notes, an earlier column called out Rodgers for misusing misnomers — incorrect names — but it did not mention there’s. She blames the problem on the contraction: “People who would never say, ‘ ere is three things that bother me’ don’t think twice about saying, ‘ ere’s three things that bother me.’”

IRONY

In the new (and entertaining) sitcom English Teacher on FX, star Brian Jordan Alvarez — playing the English teacher of the title — says, “It wouldn’t be good if something happens between you and I,” thus violating the rule requiring an objective pronoun (me) after a preposition. A common mistake, but in a show with this title it’s especially egregious, and quali es as irony, IMHO.

NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION, ON A FUN AND INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION OF GRAMMAR?

Contact ryearick@comcast.net for more information.

Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin BookShelf, at Huxley & Hiro Booksellers on Market Street, or on Amazon. Or email me at ryearick@comcast.net.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 5pm Start

Next Art Loop: DECEMBER 6, 2024

DOWNTOWN

Chris White Gallery

701 N. Shipley Street

475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com

Exhibit: Awakening — an inaugural gallery show presented by “Alone Time”

Christina Cultural Arts Center

705 N. Market Street

652-0101 • ccacde.org

Artist: Birds of a Feather by Carl Vincent Williams

Girard Craft & Cork

224 W. 9th Street

402-9463

Artist: Fall Movies and Pumpkin Spice by Brian Mills

The Grand Opera House

The Grand Opera House

818 N. Market Street 658-7897 • thegrandwilmington.org

Grand Gallery: Architectural Emotions by Anthony Sealey

baby grand Gallery: Status Quo? by Yakime Akelá Brown

Huxley and Hiro Booksellers

419 N. Market Street (971) 386-8294

Artist: Project Return by analog bird

Mezzanine Gallery

820 N. French Street

577-8278 • arts.delaware.gov

Artist: Give Me My Flowers: The Series (out-takes) by Shakira Hunt

MKT Place Gallery

200 N. 9th Street

289-6772

Artist: 1994 Exhibition by E.Lizé and DeVaughn Jerrell

The Queen

500 N. Market Street

981-9816 • thequeenwilmington.org

Artist: Julia Jay Hardman

Studio on Market

219 N. Market Street

229-7108

Artist: Fine Art Landscape

Photography by Jeff Herbert

RIVERFRONT/ BROWNTOWN

The Delaware Contemporary

200 S. Madison Street

656-6466 • decontemporary.org

Exhibition: FALL season of DESIGN exhibitions: With Care, by Bary Birm in the Hatch gallery; Do You Want Us Here Or Not? moving exhibit by Finnegan Shannon; Artwork by Su Knoll Horty in the ArtSource@ collectors gallery

Delaware Theatre Company

200 Water Street 594-1100 • delawaretheatre.org

Artist: Joy Is Art by the Arden Artisans Collective

The Glad Suite 1339 Linden Street 410-458-1119

Exhibit: Capturing A Feeling Group Show

Art LoopWilmington .org

WEST SIDE

Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue

429-0506

Artist: Interpretations by John Baker and Karen Delaney

Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street 656-7304

Artists: Howard Pyle Studio Featuring Projected in Place and original art by members of the Studio Group

BEYOND THE CITY

Arden Buzz-Ware Gallery

2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811

Exhibit: Art from the Heart: Awakened Heart Spiritual Center

David’s Studio and Gallery Salon 2324 Cherry Lane, Arden 545-7489

Artist: 2024 New Paintings & Sculptures Exhibit by David Ashworth Burslem

Finist & The Owl 811 Brandywine Boulevard 786-228-6638

Artist: Acrylics, Watercolors and Drawings by Kennard Wiggins

FYI Things Worth Knowing

ODESSA LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT

On Saturday, Nov. 23, historic Odessa kicks o the holiday season with “Odessa Lights Up the Night,” featuring festive lighting, holiday music provided by MixStar Audio, re pits, a meet-and-greet with Santa and Mr. Claus, and refreshments o ered by Cantwell’s Tavern. Visitors will be transported to the magical world of Neverland through festive scenes and vignettes shown in the 2024 Holiday Exhibit inspired by J.M. Barrie’s classic novel, Peter and Wendy. e exhibit is in the Corbit-Sharp House, a National Historic Landmark which celebrates its 250th anniversary. Event proceeds bene t Historic Odessa’s preservation and education mission. More at HistoricOdessa.org.

Delaware is making a major e ort to have more movies made here. We love the idea and to celebrate the initiative, we’ve hidden lm projectors on four pages in this issue (this page doesn’t count). Tell us what four pages we’ve hidden the projectors and you could win free lunch. Email your answers to Contact@TSNPub.com with the subject line: I Found e Flick! ree winners will be selected from those who answer correctly by November 18. Congratulations to last month’s winners — Tom Ferrier, Lisa Summers, Cheressa Myers — who found the tickets on pages 23, 40, 49, 53.

AGMUTTINI MIXER RETURNS

Let’s paw-ty! After a 6-year hiatus, the Human Animal Partners’ Muttini Mixer returns on ursday, Nov. 14 at Riverfront Events in Wilmington. Animal lovers are invited to bring their dogs (75 lbs or less) to enjoy this evening featuring food stations, open bar, silent and live auctions, and live music by Diamond Swing Jazz. e event directly supports the dogs and cats in HAP’s care, as well as their low-cost wellness & vaccine clinics, and pet-retention services — including their free Pet Food Pantry — serving local communities in need. More at HumaneAnimalPartners.org.

reat Dames Inc. recently announced the winner of its highly selective 2024 Remarkable Ideas Grant Competition winner as LaVante' N. Dorsey, founder and CEO of True to You Mental Health Initiative, for her innovating work to address the mental health of women and teen girls. Since 2018, the nonprofit has served 1,424 women and teen girls in Delaware, empowering them by providing personalize, compassionate care. The annual grant competition is open to women-led businesses across the globe with innovative ideas for bettering the future for women and girls. In addition to a $10,000 cash prize, the grant package includes a dedicated business mentor and a comprehensive portfolio of business services. More at GreatDames.com.

project in the making for three years, Longwood Gardens is set to unveil "Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience" on Nov. 22. Seventeen acres at the Gardens have been transformed, allowing for expanded exhibitions, programs and events. e centerpiece of this ambitious revitalization is a 32,000-square-foot glass house designed by WEISS/MANFREDI with gardens and pools designed by Reed Hilderbrand. Longwood Reimagined opens in conjunction with the Gardens’ annual holiday spectacular, A Longwood Christmas, which is on view through Jan. 12. More at LongwoodGardens.org.

DFREE SHIPPING FOR ALL WHO SHOP SMALL

owntown Visions is offering free shipping this holiday season to support Wilmington’s small businesses. Shoppers can shop online from the websites of participating downtown retailers from now through December 31 and receive free shipping on their orders. Participating shops include Al’s Sporting Goods, Herbert Studios, Huxley & Hiro Booksellers, LaFate Gallery, Make & Mellow Candle Bar, Morgan’s of Delaware, Rhythm and Heat, Shoe Tech Shoe Repair, Spaceboy Clothing, and Town & Shore Handcrafted. More at DowntownWilmingtonDe.com.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Relative Control, a new Delaware-made lm, will make its premiere at the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival on Sunday, Nov 10. e family comedy/drama stars Dover’s own Teri Polo (Meet the Parents) as a woman juggling the increasing needs of her aging parents with her professional and romantic life. e lm was written and produced by Charlene Davis, a retired Delaware lawyer, and shot almost entirely in New Castle County (Wilmingtonnative Gordon DelGiorno served as location manager). More at RehobothFilm.com.

TV ICONS VISIT WILMINGTON

Wilmington Public Library will welcome two special guests this month for intimate conversations. On Nov. 13 (6pm), Marla Gibbs, known for her roles as Florence Johnston on e Je ersons and Mary Jenkins on 227, will share inspiring stories from her life and career. e event is free, but registration is required. On Nov. 17 (12pm), enjoy brunch and conversation with Jaleel White, famously known as nerdy Steve Urkel on the ‘90s sitcom Family Ma ers. Tickets for this event are $30 and include brunch, a chance to take a sel e with Jaleel, and a signed copy of his memoir Growing Up Urkel (available for pick up from the library on its release date Nov. 19). More at Wilmington.Lib.De.Us.

MURAL PROJECT BRINGS

JAZZ AGE TO THE STREETS

TheDelaware Art Museum reprises its District 8 mural project, with support from an AARP Challenge Grant and City of Wilmington District 8 Councilperson Nathan Field, as a complement to its “Jazz Age Illustration” exhibition.

SCANDINAVIAN TAKE-OVER OF LIQUID ALCHEMY

For a second year, Wilmington’s Liquid Alchemy has collaborated with Philadelphia’s American Swedish Historical Museum on the limited-edition Rambo’s Revival — New Sweden Apple & Lingonberry Hard Cider. Made with heritage Rambo apples grown on the Museum’s property, this cider combines historical tradition with a modern Scandinavian lingonberry twist. To celebrate its release, Liquid Alchemy will host a tasting and trivia night on Thursday, Nov. 7. Participants will learn more about the Swedish origins of Delaware and test their knowledge of Scandinavian history and pop culture trivia to win prizes. More at AmericanSwedish.org.

“Jazz Around Town” features enlarged images of Jazz Age (19191942) illustrations by artists Douglas Duer, George W. Gage, Jay Jackson, Neysa McMein, and Nicolai Remiso , combined with quotations from popular writers and press from the period. e murals will be on view through the New Year at select locations including Luther Towers, BrewHaHa Trolley Square, Southeast Kitchen, and more. More at DelArt.org.

FASHIONABLE FALL FUNDRAISER

The Delaware Contemporary, in collaboration with the Delaware Fashion Alliance, will host Inspired to Design, a fashion fundraiser, on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 6 to 10 p.m. It combines art and fashion, with emerging designer presentations and a runway show inspired by TDC's fall exhibition, "DESIGN." e night also includes a silent auction, hors d'oeuvres, DJ, and more. e event aims to celebrate and support local fashion, while raising funds to enhance the museum's community programs and exhibitions. Tickets are $75. Visit DeContemporary.org.

Roofs from the Heart replaces severely damaged and deteriorating roofs free of charge for quali ed Delaware homeowners. In many cases, the failed roof creates dangerous and unhealthy conditions for the residents inside the home.

“About eight years ago, G. Fedale was constantly meeting people in desperate need of roo ng,” says Kate Domanski, executive director of Roofs from the Heart.

One such meeting came during an appointment for a roo ng leak between a veteran living in substandard conditions and project consultant Adam Fedale, who is now G. Fedale CEO. e University of Delaware’s (UD) Center for Community Research & Service Home Repairs Needs Assessment report de nes “substandard” as an in-home condition that “poses a risk to the health, safety or physical well-being of occupants, neighbors, or visitors.”

According to Domanski, “ e roof and ceiling were caved in, there was mold growing on the oor, and serious interior repairs were needed. e guy, a veteran of our country, just had his head in his hands and said, ‘I know it's bad, but there's nothing I can do.’ at’s what really spurred the concept of Roofs from the Heart.”

After completing the necessary repairs to the veteran homeowner’s roof and interior for free in 2016, the team at G. Fedale sought to help others in need. First, they created an application process managed by their company, working with industry partners to provide services and materials at a discount to cover the costs of providing roofs for free.

en, a foundation was established to fund the community work in 2022. And nally in 2023, the community need was so great, Roofs from the Heart was established as a standalone entity to help homeowners in crisis.

Today, G. Fedale remains the sole contracted installer on Roofs from the Heart projects and a primary sponsor of the nonpro t. However, Roofs from the Heart’s work is also funded by local foundations, Delaware-based corporations and nancial institutions, in-kind donations from roo ng

Roofs from the Heart's Kate Domanski (l) with new roof recipient Rita Booker.

suppliers, and nonprofits, like Energize Delaware. They also receive gifts from private donors and are hosting a 5K fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 10 in Wilmington.

In 2023, Roofs from the Heart provided five new roofs free of charge, and in 2024, they are on target to provide 10. The average roof install costs approximately $13,500.

PART OF THE SOLUTION

Per UD’s 2022 Home Repairs Needs Assessment report, approximately 25,000 low-income, owner-occupied homes in Delaware are “in need of some kind of repair,” and 5,000 “need repairs extensive enough to be considered in substandard condition.”

To address a statewide need this large, small nonprofits like Roofs from the Heart work with other community nonprofits, such as Milford Housing Development Corporation (MHDC) and the Southbridge Community Development Corporation (SBCDC), to connect to those in need. Oftentimes, a failing roof is just the beginning, and a multi-agency effort is required to address the problem.

According to Jim Purcell, director of energy and healthy homes for MHDC and a founding board member of Roofs from the Heart, “Sometimes, we need Roofs from the Heart or another agency in the community to help out because there’s never enough money to fix these substandard issues in people’s homes.”

MHDC is the state’s contracted emergency home repair provider. To date, it has conducted 215 emergency repairs statewide in 2024.

Recently, both organizations have focused efforts in Wilmington’s Southbridge community in coordination with SBCDC to address substandard housing issues.

“In the development of the collaboration with Roofs from the Heart and other resource partners, we began assessing the housing structures, both exterior and interior, of the residing homeowners living in the targeted area,” says Hanifa Shabazz, executive director of SBCDC. “Roofs from the Heart determined which homes’ roofs were more severe and should be addressed first. A few of the homeowners’ roofs and chimneys were in such disrepair that one required us to reach out to other emergency home repair programs to replace their heating and air systems.”

In that case, the homeowner’s chimney venting system was completely corroded, causing the heating system to vent black smoke into the basement. The homeowner not only qualified for a new HVAC system but also a new roof.

“These are the kind of things that go hand-in-hand in improving these homes that are not very healthy,” says Domanski.

The need around this complex issue remains great, and for organizations like theirs, the goal remains the same — a reality where all Delawareans have a healthy home.

“We are important to residents in need because having a safe, energy and environmentally efficient home adds to the quality of life of the families that live there,” says Shabazz. “Everyone wants to live in a clean, beautiful and safe home.”

— To learn more about Roofs from the Heart, visit RoofsFromTheHeart.org.

ALl ABOaRd FOR A LAuGhINg GOoD TIME!

JPathways To Success

Jobs for Delaware Graduates helps at-risk youth find the best way forward

By Ken Mammarella

eremy Moore is “very grateful to be a part of this secret club” that met in Room 007 of Mt. Pleasant High School in North Wilmington and how it has led to success in his life and his career.

Only it was not a club, but Jobs for Delaware Graduates, which teaches skills that young people need. His classmates, he recalls, viewed it mostly with envy, explaining “I wish I had learned that.”

“Our mission is to enable students to achieve academic, career, personal and social success,” the nonpro t writes on its website, JobsDeGrads.org.

“We’re receptive to the fact that it’s OK for 17-year-olds not to know what they want to be,” says Nicole Poore, who’s been president of Jobs for Delaware Graduates for 10 years (and whose career path has involved a desire to be a state trooper, training as a nail tech, three college degrees, corporate work and now a commitment to give back to society through a nonprofit). “In fact, we’re

finding out that there are people who are 35 and don’t know what they want to be.”

at lack of future clarity and other identi ed needs are why the program emphasizes foundational skills, such as the nine on a slide she shared: communication, teamwork, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, nance, careers, entrepreneurship, life skills and JDG speaks up (on societal issues). >

Jobs for Delaware Graduates alumni Chaz Hendricks (left), Sirron Chambers, and Jeremy Moore . Photos provided.

“Growing young people into adults is quintessentially the work that Jobs for Delaware graduates does,” says David Sheppard, a board member for almost eight years. “Which we do very effectively, with a more solid foundation for academics, success in professional careers and their lives, with skills that will matter for the rest of their lives.”

Since its founding, Jobs for Delaware Graduates has involved 94,000 students and 250 employers. Over the years, it has expanded from high school seniors to seventh through 11th graders and to out-of-school youth. In the 2024-25 school year, it is serving 3,800 students in 23 high schools and 15 middle schools, Poore says. The program employs 39 teachers, one for each school and two at Stanton Middle.

It runs on a budget of about $4.8 million a year, sourced from grants, contributions and fees from participating school districts. That breaks down to about $2,100 per student, she adds.

Poore believes schools have multiple reasons for inviting the program in: They’re fully booked in teaching mandated subjects; they might be short on teachers and appreciate another professional in the building; and they believe that Jobs for Delaware Graduates can pivot faster as students’ needs change.

Jobs for Delaware Graduates also is helping to ease the teacher shortage by “working hand in hand with Wilmington University” to certify teachers coming from other careers.

Many students enrolled have barriers to success, like learning disabilities (about a third), low income (ditto), learning English as a foreign language (9%) and homelessness (2%). Other barriers include low grades and absenteeism. These barriers show up in testing: of the 261 participants in the 2020-21 school year who took the SAT, more than three-quarters were deficient in English or math.

“Jobs for Delaware graduates exists to empower these kids,” Sheppard says, adding that he is teaching son Jacob many of the same skills. “I talk to him all the time about investing.”

“Everyone has a barrier,” Poore adds, suggesting “it could be just not knowing what they want to do in life.” That’s why the program started an internship/co-op/ job shadowing program for high school seniors called Creating Opportunities for Real Experiences.

One CORE participant is ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest employer, where the most popular experience involves the engineering department, responsible for all that high-tech medical equipment. Architectural Alliance, which lists just 11 team members on its website, opened students’ eyes when architect Kevin Wilson told them that computer-assisted design doesn’t need a college degree. “It’s that moment that a kid knows that they can actually apply somewhere because they do fit in,” Poore says.

For people trying to pivot to new careers, Poore says she used her other job, as a state senator, to work with

On October 23, Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) celebrated its 45th Anniversary with a sold-out event at the Hotel du Pont’s Gold Ballroom. Among the speakers that night were two graduates or the program: Darren Blackston (right), who was among the program’s first students and now serves as executive director of Adult and Continuing Education at Delaware State University; and Seth Kenner, a more recent JDG graduate who went on to serve as national parliamentarian at Jobs for America’s Graduates. In the ballroom’s greeting area, attendees viewed a display honoring Governor Pete du Pont’s work in helping establish JDG in 1979.

Delaware Technical Community College President Mark T. Brainard to rewrite legislation to expand Student Excellence Equals Degree scholarships to Delawareans long out of high school.

Three Testimonials

For this article, Jobs for Delaware Graduates set up a joint interview with three alumni of the program at Mount, who all, coincidentally, served in the armed forces. They are Moore, a 2006 graduate; Chaz Hendricks, a 2012 graduate; and Sirron Chambers, a 2001 graduate.

All three cited the significant impact that the program has had.

All three also cited the influence of Randy Holmes, who has been a Jobs for Delaware Graduates teacher for 27 years, all at Mount, where he has been a football and track coach all those years.

For Hendricks and Chambers, who were raised by their mothers, Holmes is a revered father figure.

“He really cares and takes the time not just in high school but later to help you figure out your life’s path,” Hendricks says of Holmes. Hendricks now is living the American dream, with a family in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania; a law degree; and a job handling contract management for Boeing.

“He got through to me, about things I didn’t realize about myself, such as my attitude,” Chambers says of Holmes. And he has thought a lot about those realizations

while raising his six children.

“Outside of my parents, it’s the most meaningful relationship I have,” Moore says.

At Mount, most Jobs for Delaware Graduates work is done in class, to accommodate all those at-risk participants with troubled home lives. All participants receive job skills training (“all the skills you need to get a job and >

MAKES IT WORK.

With more than 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, Delaware Tech will lift you up to high-demand jobs.

The JDG program empasizes nine foundational skills that focus on academic achievement, employability, and soft skills. Image courtesy of JDG.

perform in a job,” Moore says), field trips to post-secondary educational instiutions and businesses and leadership and community service opportunities. Students who identify with one or more barriers receive additional support, such as tutoring, job placement assistance, help with work attire and transportation and 12 months of follow-up services after graduation.

The program also influenced these three men to pay it forward, sometimes simply being a guest speaker in a Jobs for Delaware Graduates class, but also much more than that.

Hendricks mentors youth through Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Twin Oaks, Pennsylvania.

Chambers, a technical order manager for C-5 planes who lives in Warner Robins, Georgia, coaches youth sports, usually involving children 10 and younger, where the life lessons include teamwork and “the ability to overcome losing.” “I wish they had this program in Georgia,” he says of Jobs for Delaware Graduates.

And Moore co-founded, with Stacey Richardson, a Bellefonte-based program called More Than Fitness, for at-risk youth with similar demographics to many participants in Jobs for Delaware Graduates. Its focus: addressing mental health issues through mindfulness and fitness.

“I consider myself to be one of the most successful people I know,” Moore says. “I don’t make a ton of money. I don’t have a nice car. I live on the property of the nonprofit that I founded. But every day I do something that I love, something that makes an impact in people’s lives.”

Holmes is not the only one whose interest and help last far beyond the program’s formal end. “There are several students that over the years that I just cannot let go of,” Poore says. “They’ll probably never leave my life, and I hope that I never leave theirs.”

Poore says she and Holmes have both offered spare bedrooms when alumni needed them. “Bad things happen to good people all the time,” she explains. “I try to tell our students, ‘Listen, when you wake up in the morning and your glass is half full, you should be looking around to see who’s going to fill your glass all the way to the top. And if you wake up, and your glass is completely empty, then you need to figure out how to fill it halfway. Because there are a group of people that absolutely want to be there and help you fill it the rest of the way.’ ”

How It Began; How It Expanded

Jobs for Delaware Graduates was founded in 1978, a dark time for Delaware.

The state’s unemployment rate for young people and dropout rate were among the nation’s highest, recalls Ken Smith, then the chief education adviser to Gov. Pete du Pont.

“The state was in a terrible mess at the time, in nearbankruptcy,” he told Forbes in 2019. “Wall Street would not buy its bonds. The biggest employer, the DuPont Co., was threatening to leave because of high taxes, and Supreme Court desegregation decisions were dramatically changing schools in the northern part of the state.”

With the help of groups representing business, educational, workforce, labor union and community stakeholders, Smith was tasked with designing a program that would be more effective, accountable and costeffective “for the most challenged young people.”

Jobs for Delaware Graduates and its national offshoot, Jobs for America’s Graduates, have proven to be all that. The national program has spread to 36 other states and has served 1.6 million students, at an average cost of $1,250 per student, Smith says, compared to similar programs that average $3,500.

Reasons that goals are met include “the energy, commitment and passion” of teachers, the vow to help participants for a year after high school graduation (60% of college dropouts drop out in their freshman year), connections to employers who want to hire job-ready applicants and ties to other nonprofits who can help students with housing, food and transportation.

Nine governors serve on the Jobs for America’s Graduates board of directors, the largest number of governors serving on any board in the nation, Smith says, adding that he hopes that two more governors join in 2025.

The students involved have varying needs, with learning disabilities and poverty prominent across the nation, he says. There’s a rising issue involving students in foster care and aging out of foster care, and Jobs for America’s Graduates helps them to ensure “they have what they need to live.”

Smith has heard many stories since leading the creation of Jobs for Delaware Graduates and being the founding president of Jobs for America’s Graduates, and he shares one with Out & About involving a Delaware graduate of the program. “You saved my life,” the graduate told Smith at an event. “I was planning on suicide until a jobs specialist found me and gave me opportunity and hope.”

A Cornucopia of Festive Fall Fun

From fashion and film to fairs and fun runs, this month brings a bounty of events across the state

By Amy Watson Bish

FALL AFTERNOON TEA

Fridays through Dec. 20 | 3pm

Le Cavalier, Wilmington

CHAMPAGNE,

CHOCOLATE AND COUTURE

Nothing could be ner than relaxing with a pot of tea and nibbling on pastries and Parisian-inspired sandwiches at Le Cavalier’s elegant afternoon tea. Take your experience to the next level of indulgence by adding a glass of champagne, wine, or a handcrafted cocktail. Price is $45 per person (one child under 10 is free with accompanying adult). Reservations are required. Visit LeCavalierDe.com.

DELAWARE RENAISSANCE FAIRE

Saturday & Sundays, Nov. 2, 3, 9 & 11

10am-4pm | Townsend

Hear ye, hear ye! ‘Tis time to gather thy friends and family to frolic at the faire. Toss on that tunic and don thy nest frocks and delight in magic and merriment at every turn. Enjoy live performances, test your axe-throwing skills, explore the artisan marketplace, dine on hearty food and tasty ales, and more. Tickets $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 5-14, free for children ages 4 and under. Visit DelaFaire.com.

Saturday, Nov. 3 | 3-5pm Immanuel Parish House, Historic New Castle Sip champagne or sparkling cider and savor delicious chocolates as the New Castle Historical Society showcases women’s fashion from 1760 to 1970. During this narrated fashion show, guests will learn about the styles that shaped three centuries of American fashion, highlighted by a runway of models wearing vintage and reproduction clothing from the eras. Tickets are $40. Visit NewCastleHistory.org.

26TH ANNUAL REHOBOTH BEACH INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

Nov. 4-10 | Cinema Art Theater, Lewes

Hosted by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society, experience seven days of contemporary lmmaking, with more than 70 feature lms, documentaries, foreign lms, and shorts. e festival also includes Q&As, panel discussions, parties and more. VIP Festival passes and single tickets are available at RehobothFilm.com.

14TH ANNUAL DELAWARE BEER WINE & SPIRITS SHOWCASE

Saturday, Nov. 9 | 4-7:30pm

Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village, Dover

Celebrating its 14th year, this festival is the only statewide celebration dedicated to Delaware’s beer, wine, and spirits industry. There will be plenty of tastings to sample, plus food trucks, live music, vendors and more. The event will also spotlight the Delaware Beer, Wine and Spirits Trail App. VIP packages provide early access, reserved seating and parking, exclusive tastings, and vouchers for dinner. Visit DeBeerWineSpirits.com.

FLAPPERS & FEDORAS: A JAZZ AGE GALA

Saturday, Nov. 9 | 7-10pm

Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington

Dress in your finest Jazz Age attire and be transported to the dazzling 1920s at this fundraiser celebrating the museum’s new exhibition, “Jazz Age Illustration.” It’s a night of era-inspired music, dancing, food, drink and more. If you want to master the Charleston or Fox Trot, BlueBallRoom Dance Studio will host a group dance workshop on Saturday, Nov. 2 to get you ready to shine. Tickets for the gala are $200 ($50 tax-deductible). Visit DelArt.org.

SHAKESBEER IN FALL

Thursday, Nov. 14 | 7pm Wilmington Brew Works, Wilmington Delaware Shakespeare once again teams up with Wilmington Brew Works for an evening of beer with the Bard. Enjoy tasting notes from master brewer Craig Wensell on three WBW creations, perfectly paired with selections from Shakespeare (and more). Drinking games combined with iambic pentameter are sure to make for a fun evening. Tickets are $35 and include three samplings (designated driver tickets are $25). Visit DelShakes.org.

DELAWARE ANTIQUES SHOW

Nov. 15-17 | 11am-6pm (Closes 5pm on Sunday)

Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington

For more than 60 years, the highly acclaimed Delaware Antiques Show has highlighted the best of American antiques and decorative arts. e weekend-long showcase of art, antiques, and design will feature more than 60 dealers that are sure to inspire both seasoned and new collectors alike. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Winterthur members; children 12 and under free) and includes admission to all show days and Winterthur during the show dates. Visit Winterthur.org.

A TASTE OF FIRST STATE CIDERS

Saturday, Nov. 16 | 3-5pm | Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin

Discover the history of apples, cider, and hard cider as well as the art and science of cidermaking by Liquid Alchemy founder and award-winning cidermaker Je rey “Doc” Cheskin in this discussion and tasting event. You’ll sample a variety of ciders including one made exclusively for Mt. Cuba using local ingredients. Tickets are $45 (ages 21+ only). Visit MtCubaCenter.org.

52ND ANNUAL TURKEY TROT

43RD ANNUAL ARTISAN SHOW

Nov. 16 & 17 | Center for the Creative Arts, Yorklyn e Center for the Creative Arts welcomes more than 40 regional artisans from the Delaware Valley o ering a variety of ne art and handcrafted items including jewelry, ceramics, knitwear, glass, and more. Marketplace hours are 10am-5pm on Saturday and 11am-4pm on Sunday. Weekend admission is $5, free for CCArts members and children 10 and under. Visit CCArts.org.

Saturday, Nov. 23 | 8am | Handloff Park, Newark

In what has become a pre- anksgiving tradition, each year hundreds of runners hit the streets for Delaware’s oldest continuous road race. Organized by the Newark Parks & Recreation Department, the 10K run and 5K walk raise money to provide nancial assistance to youth who would otherwise be unable to participate in activities and programs o ered by the parks department. $30 preregistration; $35 day of event. Register at Races2Run.com.

FUNKSGIVING EVE WITH UNIVERSAL FUNK ORDER & FRIENDS

Wednesday, Nov. 27 | 7:30pm | The Queen, Wilmington

Kick o your anksgiving weekend at e Queen for a night of movin' and groovin' to the hot funk sounds of Universal Funk Order, along with special guests Richard Raw and e Blues Reincarnation Project. is event is 18 years and up with valid ID. Tickets are $15. is show sells out each year, so get your tickets early. Visit eQueenWilmington.com.

46TH THANKSGIVING DAY MS RUN

Thursday, Nov. 28 | 7:45am | Downtown Wilmington

Lace up your sneakers and run o that turkey feast in advance. is event includes a 10K and 5K run, along with a 5K walk and kiddie fun run. Afterwards, participants and their families will enjoy refreshments and take photos with Santa. Sprint together, towards a world free of MS. Register at Events.NationalMsSociety.org.

Guests can shop from more than 40 artisans at CcArts' annual show.

Liquid Alchemy's founder leads discussion on and tasting of cider at Mt. Cuba.

THE 60TH ANNUAL WILMINGTON JAYCEES

CHRISTMAS PARADE

Saturday, Nov. 30 | 11am

Downtown

Wilmington

For 60 years, Wilmington’s cherished tradition has rung in the holiday season with festive floats, live music, antique cars, local celebrities, and other merry delights … all topped off with the arrival of St. Nick. Children are encouraged to bring and drop off letters to Santa (including their mailing address, if they’d like a reply) and the Wilmington Jaycees will work his elves to make sure each receives a response from the big man himself. Free event. Visit WilmingtonJaycees.org.

CAROLS IN COLOR

Sunday, Dec. 1 | 4pm | The Grand Opera House, Wilmington

Christina Cultural Arts Center’s holiday tradition retells the story of Christ’s birth according to the gospel of St. Matthew by using contemporary music, exuberant dance, and powerful narration, featuring some of Philadelphia’s premier vocalists and the movements of Eleone Dance Theatre and Eleone Connection of Philadelphia. Tickets are $25-$35, plus fees. Visit TheGrandWilmington.org.

Wilmington Jaycees Annual Christmas Parade

Christina Cultural Arts Center's Carols in Color

Picture

This

By Ken Mammarella

Cast and crew gather outside the Everett Theatre in Middletown during shooting for one of the final scenes of Dead Poets Society. The movie premiered in June 1989. O&A file photo/TJ Healy

Delaware is allocating big bucks for movies made here, and advocates want to do even more.

The Delaware Motion Picture and Television Development Commission has set aside $950,000 in tax rebates to four productions scheduled to begin work before the start of 2025, says T.J. Healy II, a filmmaker since 1966 who, in 2016, helped start Film Delaware, a nonprofit that promotes the local video game, motion picture and television production industries.

And he hopes that the Legislature will reconsider a bill that would create a 30% transferable tax credit for film, television, esports or video game productions. It stalled in 2022.

Supporters believe the bill could create significant numbers of temporary jobs (hence its name, the Delaware Entertainment Job Act) and even an industry with permanent jobs and infrastructure.

“If you do it right, you’re building an entirely new industry,” says Chris Lemole, a Centreville resident who has produced more than a dozen movies, including Mudbound , a 2017 Netflix production that earned four Oscar nominations.

“It’s not the arts,” Healy explains of the legislative push to support filmmaking. “It’s part of economic development.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Ramone is behind the concept “100%,” says Healy. And Democratic gubernatorial candidate Matt Meyer is behind it “1 billion%.”

“Delaware has incredible potential to become a hub for creative industries like film and television,” Meyer says. “I’m committed to finding innovative ways to strengthen our economy and make Delaware more competitive on a national scale. By collaborating with leaders across the state, we can create strategic ways to attract filmmakers, creating lasting >

opportunities for job growth, tourism, and technological innovation. is will not only build a dynamic industry that highlights Delaware’s communities, but also supports local businesses and strengthens our workforce for the future.”

Delaware has a limited history in making movies and TV shows. e Gentleman Bandit, a 1981 TV movie based on a Delaware case of mistaken identity, was shot in New York. Wikipedia, voluminous on so much else, lists only 14 movies shot in Delaware. e most famous is 1989’s Dead Poets Society; the most infamous is Broadway Brawler, a 1997 Bruce Willis movie that was never completed. Healy wrangled the vintage cars for Dead Poets Society and used connections he developed during that movie to develop his career.

Since then, the people interviewed say, Delaware TV series have included two seasons of Special Ops: Lioness, for Paramount+ TV and two seasons of Big Beach Builds for HGTV.

All the states, plus some smaller jurisdictions, have lm o ces to help productions. About three dozen states have monetary production incentives, according to Stephen Weizenecker, a lawyer who since 1995 has been specializing in the industry. He helped Georgia draft its much-admired legislation and helped with the Delaware bill.

California and New York top the list in usage of such incentives, he says. No. 3 is Georgia, which in 2005 introduced its rst version of an industry tax credit. A 2023 analysis commissioned by the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition concludes that production expenditures in the state quadrupled from scal 2012 to scal 2023, going from $890 million to $4.10 billion.

“ e explosion of production activity in Georgia” has been accompanied by $1.28 billion in private investment to convert, expand and construct soundstages and related buildings, the analysis says, with another $2.93

Centreville's Chris Lemole (r) with his Armory Films partner Tim Zajaros (l) and Peanut Butter Falcon star Azck Gottsagen. Photo provided

billion planned, “none of which would happen without the tax credit.”

Georgia,” Healy says.

last 20 years, Lemole says. He calls Georgia’s incentives “the best in the country, and I would like to match it” with Delaware’s law. “Without these incentives, most movies can’t be made,” he says, noting incentives were “integral” to the making of except for

tax credits equal to a percentage of a lm or television production’s quali ed in-state spending and/or exemptions from sales tax on quali ed transactions,” the National Conference of State Legislatures explains. “ e credits are often refundable — eligible for refund without any tax liability, or transferable — if the value of a company’s credits is higher than its tax liability. A company can sell the excess credits to another taxpayer who owes the state taxes. States also o er cash rebates as another type of incentive.”

e text and enforcement of the laws can be complex.

e Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act tops 7,000 words, and the 2022 Delaware bill ran 2,500 (this story is just under 1,400 words). Nationwide, incentives di erentiate productions made entirely in one state, or productions with split locations. ey also di erentiate above the line and below the line expenses.

“Above the line individuals guide the artistic direction — directors, producers, screenwriters and principal actors," Studiobinder.com says. “Below the line refers to crew members who bring the vision to life — cinematographers, sound technicians, editors and more.” Expenses go far beyond salaries. Healy shared a 20-page breakdown of what could and could not be included in eligible expenses, starting with storyboards (yes) and ending with completion bonds (no).

No wonder that states audit incentive requests, at a cost of up to $25,000 in Georgia.

Robin Williams received an Academy Awards nomination as Best Actor for his performance in Dead Poets Society. O&A archive photo

People who support the incentives cite the multiplier effect of productions. The 150 to 250 people hired to create a typical movie, Lemole says, are renting places to live and vehicles to drive, dining out, enjoying nightlife and paying income taxes.

Delaware is already seeing that multiplier effect from work at the newish Pine Box Studios on Wilmington’s Seventh Street peninsula, with musicians rehearsing their tours, commercials being filmed and sets being constructed. The studio is big, and the company has plans to expand.

“Georgia is now saturated” with moviemakers, Lemole says, driving up the cost for salaries and enabling people who used to rent out their homes for $5,000 to get $35,000. Per day.

A robust filmmaking industry has inspired many performing celebrities to buy second homes in Georgia, Lemole says. Popular films and TV shows can generate tourism dollars for years from fans who want to experience where they were shot, Weizenecker says.

The Georgia bill called for creating a specialized university training program, Weizenecker says, and the result is the Georgia Film Academy, a state Board of Regents school.

TJ Healy has been working to elevate the state's movie-making industry for decades.

‘One

Helluva Toolbox’

Major productions in Delaware? The Pine Box is already in the game.

For a glimpse of a possible future when Delaware incentivizes film production, watch the “Wawa has pizza” and “Audi unreal imagination” videos on YouTube.

To understand how, watch the behind-thescenes Audi video, in which Format founder Nic Reader and others say how they used a real car, a real driver and powerful software to create lifelike scenes.

All three videos were made on Wilmington’s Seventh Street peninsula, at The Pine Box Studios.

“It’s incredible how it’s done,” says Brian Market, chief operating officer of Light Action, which runs the adjacent studio. “It’s like you’re in the environment. But you’re really inside a building.”

Pine Box’s big draw is a huge customizable space, 21,000 square feet, the size of an ice hockey rink, with 95-foot ceilings. Light Action and its allied companies (Staging Dimensions in New Castle and Applied Electronics in Virginia) can supply and construct lighting, trusses, stages and related equipment for video productions, musicians rehearsing tours and other entertainers.

“We have one hell of a toolbox,” says founder Scott Humphrey, whose production credits include MTV videos and Rocky V. “Eighty-five percent of our business income comes from out of state, but 95% of the people working for the company are here in Delaware, so that money is being generated from outside the state and then distributed inside the state.”

That’s exactly the math that advocates of Delaware offering tax incentives for the entertainment industry want to hear.

“We bring in a concert tour [for rehearsals], and there are 70 people on that tour that are here for 10 days, and they’re staying around the corner in Wilmington,” Market says. “They’re dining in Wilmington, they’re spending their money in Wilmington. There’s so much economic impact that comes with that. The same thing applies when doing a commercial shoot.”

That impact supersizes for larger productions that involve more people, like a movie.

Humphrey is prepared. He has developed only eight of his 20 acres and has the option to buy five more acres. He’s planning for four buildings (“You have to have a minimum of two of these buildings to accommodate your client base”) and is looking forward to the state raising the access road that leads to the property by five feet to avoid flooding issues.

“Hopefully this bill [on transferrable tax credits] goes through, because it will definitely open the door for us,” he says.

— Ken Mammarella

The Pine Box Studios with the Wilmington skyline in background.

Photo by Joe del Tufo

Holidays at Hagley

“White Christmas”

November 29 through January 1, 2025

See the du Pont ancestral home dressed for the holidays, find your favorite gingerbread house in our annual contest, visit with Santa, and enjoy a Holiday Nights tour.

HAGLEY.ORG/HOLIDAYS

200 HAGLEY CREEK ROAD, WILMINGTON, DE

e 2022 Delaware bill calls for an internship program, and Healy hopes a revived bill would build on video production programs at Delaware Technical Community College and Delaware State University and the video game program at Wilmington University. Some high schools, such as Salesianum, have TV production programs as well, he says.

During interviews, the advocates listed assets that Delaware can leverage. ey include its location (not far from New York City), its range of lming locations (urban streetscapes, rural areas, beaches), its relatively cheap land for building soundstages and related infrastructure and its lack of a sales tax.

“And here’s the thing — unlike in most states, where you have to go through a bunch of red tape and not everybody’s on the same page — one of the great things about Delaware is everybody knows everybody else, and getting this stu done is relatively easy,” says David Sheppard, a lawyer who has been working with Healy on a tax credit bill.

Healy wants to draw big lms and TV series. “I’ve done a million dollars’ worth of documentaries here in Delaware, with crews of ve, six, seven, eight people. Not a lot of money coming into Delaware, and this whole thing is built up to bring people into Delaware and to leave money here.”

“So, 20-some years ago, the Georgia lm industry was nowhere, right?” Sheppard says. “And today, you can’t watch a movie without seeing the Georgia peach pop up at the end credits, right? All those Marvel movies — literally, every single one you see it.

“I long for the day that when we are able to get some real traction on this, get that legislation passed, have the resources to incentivize productions in the state — so that when you watch a Marvel movie, or any other movie, at the end credits, instead of seeing that Georgia peach you see a Delaware blue hen.”

Showtime for the City

Wilmington’s King Creative collaborates on feature film

Wilmington-based media company King Creative has collaborated with New York-based production studio Uncultured Swine to produce a full-length feature film entitled The Conspiracists, which will be shot entirely in Delaware. Production for the film will run November 1-11; its release is anticipated in early 2025.

Uncultured Swine co-founders and film executive producers Beatriz Naranjo and Eddie Layfield (a Delaware native) connected with King Creative owner Christopher Bruce on the project, bringing Bruce on as an executive producer. The film’s production operations will be based out of King Creative’s offices at 727 N. Market Street in Wilmington. The Conspiracists is one of the first projects to be eligible for a tax rebate via the Delaware Motion Picture and Television Development Commission (see main story).

“After hearing the pitch and feeling [their] passion, I saw the vision right away and knew we could help make it happen,” Bruce says of their partnership. “Delaware needs this, and we were just crazy enough to be the ones to do it!”

The Conspiracists is a mockumentary written by Michael Perrie Jr. and Lacy Reily. In a style reminiscent of classics like Best In Show and Waiting for Guffman, this film uncovers the world revolving around conspiracy theories.

Delaware native and Broadway actor Terrie Lynne Goins stars as protagonist Daisy Sureloc in a tale of two siblings’ dreams of creating an allinclusive conspiracy convention. When those efforts begin to unravel, it’s up to one of them to put the pieces back together while the other strives to uncover a deeper conspiracy in play.

Delawareans will enjoy seeing notable local landmarks included in the film like the Hotel du Pont and The Grand Opera House, as well as local businesses like Precious Paws of Elsmere, Delaware Tire Center, and the Siegel JCC (where the conspiracy convention takes place). Bruce also hints at celebrity cameos.

“This wouldn't have been possible without the involvement of Christopher Bruce being my right hand through this fast-paced pre-production phase," said Naranjo.

Both Uncultured Swine (@unculturedswine.ig) and King Creative (@ kingcreativellc) social channels will be providing behind-the-scenes reveals and content related to the making of the film.

“We’re excited to promote the film scene in the great state of Delaware, while celebrating the community and promoting local businesses along the way!” said Naranjo and Layfield. “We hope to continue to bring more stories and opportunities to Delaware in the future.”

— Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald

MUSIC

Middletown Fridays 7-10pm

Newark Saturdays 6:30-9:30pm

Hockessin

Sundays Brunch 12-3pm

Spice up your weekend with delicious food, refreshing 2SP beer and a di erent musical act every week.

Follow us to see the latest schedules. @TWOSTONESPUB

Beatriz Naranjo and Chris Bruce, two of three executive producers of The Conspiracists.

Photo courtesy Chris Bruce

Pilgrim’s Pride

From sub shops to fine-dining spots, turkey is a year-round star

By Pam George

Bardea Steak in downtown Wilmington promotes itself as the “meat kingdom.” But this month, poultry has stormed the gates. James Beard Award-nominee Antimo DiMeo created the Bobbie Bao Bun partly to honor Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, home of the Bobbie sub, and November’s favorite fowl: turkey.

The upscale establishment is in good company. In September, Wawa brought back the Gobbler Hoagie and Hot Turkey Gobbler Bowl — a base of macaroni and cheese with roasted vegetables, turkey and cranberry sauce.

But turkey is far more than a seasonal flavor.

According to the National Turkey Federation, turkey consumption has nearly doubled since 1970. That year, turkey consumption was 8.2 pounds per capita. By 2021, it was 15.3 per capita, and the number has been steady. The versatile ingredient appears in both classic and creative ways.

>

The beloved turkey club sandwich dates back to the late 19th century.

Thanksgiving on a Bun

Capriotti’s Bobbie is perhaps Delaware’s best-known turkey sandwich. e Little Italy shop was founded in 1976 by Lois and Alan Margolet. To stand out in a sub-centric area, the siblings roasted turkey, which they initially sliced before opting to shred it. e concept caught on, and a second location followed on Basin Road. e Bobbie — a blend of anksgiving dishes on a roll — was named for the owners’ Aunt Bobbie. ey say imitation is the sincerest form of attery. Casapulla’s Subs o ers the Turkey Stu er Sub with stu ng, mayonnaise and cranberry sauce. You’ll also nd a version at Sabatina’s Sandwich Shop in Delaware City, home of the Del City Gobbler.

For a fun twist, try Taco Reho Bobby’s Burrito. “It’s gobbly good,” maintains owner Billy Lucas. “It’s a big ol’ burrito lled with ancho-braised turkey breast, mashed potatoes, stu ng and jalapeño-cranberry salsa. It hits the spot!”

DiMeo’s creation on Bardea’s snack menu includes turkey con t, stu ng and red currant. “It’s a great balance between di erent textures and avors,” he says. e chef is a fan of bao buns. Pronounced “bow,” it’s made from a sweet white dough.

In the Club

Before the turkey sub, there was the club sandwich, which is aptly named. Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs (Fla.) and the Union Club (N.Y.) claim its creation in the late 19th century. e latter served the sandwich with turkey or chicken and ham, which led to the belief that club stood for “chicken and lettuce under bacon.”

Modern diners would agree that layers should include toast, bacon, lettuce and tomato. If you want the real deal with turkey, head to Washington Street Ale House in Midtown Brandywine, which serves the sandwich on country white bread. However, they’re easy to nd at diners, sub shops, delis and casual eateries. Even Pat’s Pizza & Bistro near Claymont has a club.

To be sure, some restaurants push the envelope. Consider Pure Bread Deli’s Newfoundland, which has smoked bacon, pepperjack cheese, and chipotle mayonnaise on grilled cheddar bread, one of three creative turkey sandwiches.

Turkey Meet Beef

Although the club sandwich isn’t native to Nigeria, the country has embraced it, adding such novel ingredients as hardboiled eggs, sardines, cabbage and carrots. But the Nigerian sandwich is a sub with roast beef and turkey in the Philly area. (Primo’s Hoagies calls it an “Audie.”)

Gaudiello’s in Trolley Square, however, sticks to the Nigerian name. Turkey and beef are joined with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinaigrette, and American cheese. It’s not as popular as the Italian but has a devoted following, says owner Eric Huntley. “Sometimes, I see it with the addition of corned beef,” he adds.

Kentucky Comfort

e Hot Brown is to Kentucky what the lobster roll is to Maine, and it originated at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1926. Reportedly, guests wanted a late-night nosh after dinner and dancing, and the usual ham-andegg combo wouldn’t cut it. So, chef Fred Schmidt put thick-cut turkey, bacon and tomatoes on Texas toast with Mornay sauce, a bechamel sauce with pecorino Romano cheese and nutmeg. e sandwich is still the star of the hotel, which serves up to 1,000 a week. >

Donny Merrill at Skipjack makes a brie Mornay and stacks turkey, smoked bacon, tomato and spinach on sourdough bread instead of Texas toast.

Of Rachels and Reubens

A Rachel is a Reuben sandwich with creamy coleslaw instead of sauerkraut and turkey or chicken. Over the years, the de nition has grown muddy, with some saying the Rachel can include pastrami; the coleslaw is the di erence. Add avocado, and you turn it into a California Reuben or Rachel.

Lucky’s Co ee Shop in Talleyville makes a California Reuben with turkey, Swiss, avocado, coleslaw and ousand Island dressing on grilled rye. On Maryland Avenue, Deerhead Hot Dogs is a destination for its turkey Reuben, as well as wieners, bathed in special sauce.

Diner Delight

e open-faced hot turkey sandwich, another classic, likely has roots in the Middle Ages, when thick slabs of bread served as edible plates.

In the 20th century, the turkey platter — with mashed potatoes and peas — became the ultimate comfort food and the darling of diners and family-friendly restaurants like Howard Johnson’s. For instance, Goober’s Diner in Wilmington features a platter with the day’s vegetables. e frozen turkey dinner turned Swanson’s into

a household name. ( e Hungry-Man line is all that remains of the well-known brand.) e original foilwrapped dinner had sections for sliced turkey over stu ng, gravy, mashed potatoes, peas and a square of “tangy cranberry sauce.”

If you want a fresh take on the turkey dinner, even in summer, drive to eo’s Steak, Sides & Spirits in Rehoboth Beach, which sells anksgiving Dinner every day it’s open. Closer to Wilmington, Urban Kitchen in Price’s Corner also serves a classic turkey dinner — served with soup or salad and two veggies.

Savvy Substitute

For the most part, turkey is lower in saturated fat than beef. What’s more, fat-free, low-salt options are available. For those watching their weight and cholesterol, it’s a healthy option. e turkey quinoa bowl at Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon is a salad with cauli ower, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, sun-dried cherries, avocado, arugula and honey-goat cheese.

Bachetti’s Bros. on Kirkwood Highway makes a turkey Cubano, using low-salt, low-fat turkey instead of ham and pork. Similarly, Restaurant 55 in Dover uses turkey in its Cobb salad. Admittedly, that’s not a stretch — the traditional Cobb uses chicken. However, the turkey comes from nearby T.A. Farms, which also provides ground turkey for burger options.

The farm also makes turkey sausage links and patties, and most diners offer turkey as a substitute for pork breakfast meats. It’s hard to replicate traditional bacon with turkey, but it’s in the markets.

Turkey burgers are ubiquitous, and Two Stones Pub has had a turkey burger on the menu since it opened, although the toppings changed once. It comes with garlic mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onion and sharp cheddar cheese today. However, owner Mike Stiglitz says the sandwich has always been a two-patty option.

Why? The chef didn’t want to offer a 4- or 5-ounce patty, and anything larger would be a challenge for the kitchen.

“They have to be fully cooked all the way through, and you don't want them to dry out,” he explains. By stacking two on a bun, the restaurant gives customers a satisfying meal and the kitchen an easier task.

Iron Hill Restaurant & Brewery has also boasted a turkey burger for, well, decades. The Left Coast includes guacamole, bacon, IPA, siracha, ranch, Monterey Jack cheese, and arugula on a potato roll.

Ground turkey’s texture makes it a popular substitute in other dishes usually made with beef. In Hockessin, for example, Doc’s Meat Market sells prepared turkey chili.

But one of the most interesting takes is Gary’s Dewey Beach Grill’s turkey cheesesteak. The unique sandwich is the bestselling item, and you can add Buffalo sauce if you wish.

Customer Jimmy Kirlin is a fan. “It’s chopped and seasoned,” he says. “It definitely has a different flavor than chicken, and you can taste the turkey. It’s really good how they do it!”

You’re not likely to see many steak shops following suit; the chicken cheesesteak has more appeal. But Gary’s, Bardea, and Capriotti’s are certainly giving turkey lovers something to gobble about.

The turkey cheesesteak at Gary's Dewey Beach Grill.

Toast to Thanksgiving

Local experts recommend wine and champagne to pair with this year's holiday feast

From Jeff Kreston at Kreston Wine & Spirits Stewarts Point Skaggs Springs Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

From Dry Creek Valley and stunning! is full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon begins with notes of coriander and cardamom on the nose. Lush avors of blueberry, blackcurrant, and blackberry are beautifully layered on the palate and lead into a unique, subtle hint of vanilla. e nish is accented with avors of mocha and is re ned by the velvety French oak. ($19.99)

From Ed Mulvihill at Peco’s Liquors Field Recordings Fiction Red Blend Paso

For a delightful holiday wine pairing, consider Field Recordings’ “ e Field” blend. is vibrant wine, with its juicy notes of cherry and plum, complements festive dishes beautifully. It pairs well with roasted meats and savory sides, making it an excellent choice for holiday feasts. Its lively acidity and subtle spice add a festive touch to your gatherings, ensuring each sip enhances the seasonal cheer. Cheers to a wonderful holiday celebration! ($22.99) >

From Joe Hiester at The Wine & Spirit Co. of Greenville

Now that fall is here, it's time to switch to some heartier wines. I've been enjoying the exceptional syrahs from Pax vineyards in Sonoma County and Mendocino, California. These cooler climate syrahs and syrah blends are quite special. Since 1997, all of the Pax wines are whole cluster, crushed by foot, fermented using ambient yeasts, and crafted without the use of unnatural additives. Three selections from Pax — “The Bench Vineyard” Syrah, Pax GSM, and Sonoma Hillside Syrah — are available here at The Wine & Spirit Co of Greenville. All three pair especially well with grilled foods, BBQ, or just sitting around a campfire with friends.

From Linda Collier at Colliers of Centerville Lancelot-Pienne Accord Majeur Brut Champagne

The holidays are not complete without a bottle of Champagne, which — as everyone who knows me realizes — is one of my many loves in life. This year we are going to a lovely grower in Champagne, Lancelot Pienne Accord Majeur Brut, which is 70% pinot meunier, 15% each pinot noir and chardonnay — all adding up to 100% delightful.

It is creamy, dense and a touch hedonistic. Full-bodied with an elegant mousse. Brioche, white peach, almond, quince, apple and spice and quite complex.

Begin your evening with Comté and then treat yourself to a lovely lobster dinner or you could even bring out the duck or lamb. Whatever you chose, be it just a glass in front of the fire, you will be delighted. ($59.99)

From Dave Govatos at SWIGG Real Wine Vina Zorzal, Garnacha, Navarra Spain 2022

I enjoy pairing the savory and sweet flavors and rich textures of the Thanksgiving table with red wines

showcasing loads of vibrant upfront fruit that are framed with tangy acidity. Vina Zorzal’s humble Granacha bottling fits the bill perfectly. The fruit is ethically farmed by three brothers who produce the wine in a natural manner. In the glass, the wine displays crushed red fruit and earthy spice aromas that play perfectly with the richness and umami like flavors of the holiday table. ($19)

From Frank Pagliaro at FranksWines:

Ancient Oak Cellars 2018 Pinot Noir

Let’s get real: Thanksgiving is basically the Super Bowl of holidays. It’s not only a time to showcase your culinary expertise, but also a chance to flex your wine knowledge. After all, what better way to elevate the holiday requisite smorgasbord than with an expertly chosen wine… I am here to help!

My go-to this time of year is pinot noir. The one I love drinking right now is from Sonoma, California. This beauty has all the ripe cherry, plum, vanilla oak, and fall spice you expect. It is perfectly balanced by vibrant acidity and with six years in the bottle it has mellowed nicely to give you a silky, velvety mouth feel. Better grab two, it’s that good! ($34.99)

From Kathryn Shockcor at Moore Brothers Wine Company

Anna Reimann’s dry German Riesling, der Gärtner ($27), would be an excellent white wine choice. The low alcohol, vibrant acidity and crisp, apple flavors would be a refreshing match for the flavors on the table. Anne Sery’s TrousseChemise Pinot Noir ($24) would be an all-American red wine selection, full of bright, red cranberry fruit and finishing with fresh, lively acidity. Conclude your meal with the luscious, creaminess of St. Eufemia 10 Year Tawny Port ($30).

Feels Like Home

Musician Luis Illades has lived in New York City and traveled the world as a member of two legendary San Francisco-based bands. He’s now a Cool Spring resident, and once again the creative juices are flowing.

By Matt Morrissette

Moving from Wilmington to Philadelphia or New York City is a common rite of passage for many who grow up in the friendly but occasionally claustrophobic confines of Wilmo (though the city seems to have a tidal pull that brings many right back). But the NYC to Wilmington maneuver is rare indeed.

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During the uncertainty of the global pandemic in 2021, musician Luis Illades and his life partner, Benjamin Reynaert, an editor and creative director, pulled the plug on 30 years of living the big city life of tiny apartments and skies obscured by skyscrapers. ey moved operations down I-95 to Wilmington’s Cool Spring neighborhood.

Why Wilmington? Despite having no speci c ties to the area, they had a positive feeling about the city based on a visit years before — an evening that involved a nice meal with friends and a walk along the Riverfront on a clear summer night. ey also had some speci c infrastructure-related requirements for a new home base: within two hours of NYC (work reasons) and easy access to an airport and trains. However, the ultimate decision was more instinctive and esoteric.

“ e rst thing I always ask myself is: ‘Is there a decent record store and co ee?’” says Illades, only half-joking. After stopping by Squeezebox Records, Goodboy Records and Brew HaHa while looking at houses and evaluating neighborhoods, his concerns turned into excitement.

“ e block we ended up living on instantly felt like home . . . with queer people, community gardeners, music nerds, a joyful African Union church, and Spanishspeaking ittering about the air,” says Illades, referencing their little corner of Franklin Street in Cool Spring.

It’s only natural that Illades would emphasize the presence of a good record store. Music has been at the

center of his life for three decades. Illades has been the drummer for two legendary San Francisco-based bands — the groundbreaking queer punks, Pansy Division, and the reunited ‘70s art punk band, e Avengers.

Illades was born and raised in a bilingual household just south of the California border in Tijuana, Mexico. In the early 1980s, he and his family moved to San Diego, where his Mexican heritage collided with the irresistible force of the current American pop culture.

“ e Rambo, Reagan and Michael Jackson of it all” says Illades.

is cultural pressure cooker created a sensitive preteen drawn to the arts. ¬

“It all began with curiosity, hyperactivity and a general sense of otherness,” he says. “I mean, that’s the trifecta for an emerging artistic teenager.”

Illades’ chosen outlet for these artistic leanings was to bang the heck out of his drums in some of the scrappiest punk bands San Diego had to o er. ough none of these bands went on to top the charts or have their songs featured in Volkswagen commercials, it was during this time that he interviewed the members of Pansy Division for a local San Diego weekly ahead of one of their shows.

He was subsequently asked to join the band as a drummer. So, Illades packed up the few belongings he had and made the trek to San Francisco to join the circus that is rock-and-roll.

Formed in San Francisco in ‘91, Pansy Division was one of the rst (if not the rst) openly gay rock bands featuring primarily gay members singing unabashedly (and often hilariously) about queer themes and concerns.

ey were signed to the independent record label, Lookout! Records (home to Operation Ivy and pre-major label Green Day) in 1992.

Over the course of a 30-year career, the band has released 10 albums, played venues ranging from basements to stadiums as Green Day’s opening act, and was even the subject of a documentary entitled Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band released in 2008. Currently, the band is still going strong and this fall will be touring the east coast of the U.S. and Canada.

It can’t be overstated how ahead of the cultural curve the band was in being so open about their sexuality.

“ is was a time when no one in popular culture was out of the closet — not Melissa Etheridge, not Michael Stipe (of R.E.M.), not Ellen DeGeneres, no Will and Grace on television, none of it,” says Illades. “Gay sexuality was simply not discussed outside the context of social condemnation or AIDS-related political survival and necessity. Discussion based in celebrating personality, day-to-day experience, and the lives of the community (including sex) was important and new.”

It was through a bandmate in Pansy Division that Illades obtained his other long-term drumming gig, with

e Avengers. Breaking onto the music scene in the late 1970s, e Avengers were one of the rst punk bands to feature a erce female front person in Penelope Houston. Despite breaking up before the release of their rst record, the album still became an in uential touchstone for generations of punk bands that followed. In terms of rock lore, the band’s place in history is cemented by opening the infamous nal show of e Sex Pistols’ American tour at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in 1978, at which Johnny Rotten spoke the immortal words “ever get the feeling that you’ve been cheated?”.

Illades played drums for some of the scrappiest punk acts in San Diego before joining the legendary San Francisco band Pansy Division.

Illades was initially enlisted just to play a few reunion shows to launch the re-release of the rst record, but that handful of shows turned into more than 20 years of consistent touring with a band that in uenced him to play music in the rst place.

After 30 years behind the drum kit, Illades felt a creative twitch following a period of musical downtime, during which he focused on pursuing further education in his day job as a psychotherapist practicing in both New York City and Delaware. He realized it was nally time to step to the front of the stage as the singer, songwriter, and leader of a project, and to do so in his native tongue — Spanish.

Having made rough demos in the mini studio at his home in Cool Spring, Illades enlisted the help of musician friends from all over to flesh out his ideas. Calling the project VIDA VELLA (which translates to “life is beautiful”), Illades and his collaborators recorded an album earlier this year in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico (which in a beautiful coincidence happens to be the birthplace of his parents). The studio is run by a former intern of the late Steve Albini’s legendary Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. The record will be released in early 2025.

With a few years under their belts in Wilmington, both Illades and Reynaert have found their respective grooves in the city. Slowly but surely, they have discovered like-minded creatives in the various nooks and crannies of the community and cool places in town to dig for their next book or record.

Though they still find themselves rushing to the Amtrak station, the 4th Street bus station, or to catch a plane to who knows where, they always return to their beautiful old home in Cool Spring. There, they have discovered a sense of relief and peace.

5 Questions Robert 'Kool' Bell with

From Kool & the Gang’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last month to a Grand Gala performance in Wilmington on December 7, Kool is on a winning run

KBy Jim Miller

ool & the Gang’s song “Celebration” has been such a lasting ode to good times and special occasions, that it would feel odd not to hear it played at a wedding.

e two things seem inherently connected.

Indeed, for nearly 45 years, “Celebration” has stood out as one of the most joyous pop tunes ever written, powering the positive vibes of parties and athletic events all over the world. And, as band leader and cofounder Robert “Kool” Bell points out, it’s even been heard beyond our world.

“ ey played it on the space station!” Bell exclaims during a recent phone interview, referencing the song being used as the wake-up call for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station in 2011 during NASA’s last space shuttle mission.

Kool & the Gang’s music was played at another stellar location on Saturday, Oct. 19, when the band was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland — just a little more than hour away from Youngstown, Ohio, where Bell and his brother, Ronald (aka Khalis), were born in the early ‘50s. >

Kool & the Gang founder Robert Bell.

Even early on, the two boys were into music: Robert took to bass guitar while Ronald explored the sounds of the saxophone and piano.

But it took the family moving to Jersey City, New Jersey in the early ‘60s for the real magic to occur. By 1964, the Bell brothers were performing live with friends Robert “Spike” Mickens on trumpet, Dennis “D.T.” omas on alto sax, Ricky West eld on keyboards, George Brown on drums, and Charles Smith on guitar. at line-up became the roots of what o cially would become Kool & the Gang in 1968.

e band’s rst album, Kool and the Gang, was released in 1969 with singles “Kool and the Gang” and “Let the Music Take Your Mind” breaking into the top 20 of Billboard’s R&B charts.

Kool & the Gang’s success blossomed over the decades that followed as it traversed genres of R&B, jazz, funk, disco and soul. e multi-platinum-selling group would go on to sell more than 80 million albums worldwide while garnering 23 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums.

“My brother wrote most of the material,” Bell says. “All those horn lines, 90-percent of them were his lines.”

Ronald Bell passed in September 2020 while working on the band’s penultimate album, Perfect Union, which was released 11 months later. In fact, of the seven co-founding band members, the only surviving member today is Bell.

“I'm the last man standing,” Bell says solemnly. “I’m the last one of the original members.”

Joining Bell for the induction ceremony was James “J.T.” Taylor the lead singer from 1979 to 1988 during a period when the band broke worldwide. He returned to the band from 1996 through 1999 and joined them again at the Oct. 19 induction in Cleveland.

In a phone interview earlier this month, here’s what the legendary band leader known simply as “Kool” had to say about the band’s longevity, its in uences, and a very Delaware moment that inspired the title of the last album his brother produced for the band.

Q&A: How does a band like Kool & the Gang — having at least seven members performing on stage at any given time — stay together for nearly six decades? at itself is phenomenal. What is the secret?

Bell: Our mother always told us to stick together, through the good and the bad, ups and the downs.

As the wise saying goes, “For every problem, there is a solution.” And when we had problems, we sat down and worked out those problems. at’s how we’ve been together for so long. So that was a blessing within itself.

And like I said, our parents always told us, “Whatever you guys do, stick together, stay together.” And that’s what we did.

Q&A: To prove the point, you had four of the original band members — you, your brother, drummer and keyboardist George Brown, and saxophonist Dennis “Dee Tee” omas — still recording and putting out

Kool&theGanghassoldmorethan80millionalbumsworldwideandproduced23TopTenR&Bhits.

new albums as recently as this decade.What can yousay about Kool & the Gang's 2021 album, Perfect Union, the lastalbum tofeatureyourbrother?

Bell: MybrotherproducedPe,fect Union.Hewrotemost ofthematerial, too.WhenPresidentBidenwasnominated, theevent organizersplayedthesong "Celebration" through the soundsystem at theconvention.And whenhe won the presidency, they played "Celebration," again. Biden spoke about a "perfect union" - people coming together in a perfect union.

And that's inspiration, you know? Especially for my brother. He was a key writer on "Celebration."

Q.&A: Let's talk about "Celebration!' I thought Iknew a lot about the band, but I was surprised to discover just recently that Eumir Deodato produced those four albums starting with Ladies Night in 1979 and then Celebrate! in 1980. What was that experience like, and how did Deodato's involvement help shape the music that you wereproducingin the 'Sos?

Bell: Well, it was a great experience. Deodato was a great jazz contemporary, writer and producer. Very successful So, we thought, "Hey, we're gonna have a big sound"

With "Celebration;' Deodato brought in a 40-piece orchestra and recorded it. But when they started mixing it, my brother said [emphatical[y], "What happened to the orchestraparts yourecorded?"

And Deodato said [imitating Brazilian accent], "Well, that's flavor, but we don't need that. We need what we have. 1hat guitarriffat the start of the song?That's a hit!"

My brothersaid, "But what happenedto all thestrings?"

And Deodato said, "I want to keepit closer to what you guys areabout. Notfocusedon the orchestra and allofthat."

So, my brother was upset with that... But Deodato was right. It became a huge hit and still is today!

Q.&A: Of course, it was also in that Deodato era starting with Ladies Night that you brought on lead

singer, James "J.T." Taylor. What was it that influenced that decision?

Bell: We had been out on tour with the Jackson 5 when Michael Jackson was still with them. And a guy by the name of Dick Griffey, who had SOLAR Records, was the promotor for that tour.And Dick came to us and said, "You guys are doinga great job, but I think you need alead singer:' And we said, "What?Alead singer?!"

So, we thought about it. Lionel Ritchie was with 1he Commodores. PhilipBaileyandMauriceWhitesang leads with Earth, Wmd & Fire. So, we decided, "Hey, maybe it's time to think about a lead singer."

We only had one audition, and that was with J.T.

Q.&A: You all started as a band very young.You were only 19 years old when your first album, Kool and the Gang, came out in 1969. You guys were obviously all super talented. What did your parents do to nurture your talents, and what did you all do as a band to hone yourskills?

Bell: Our mother said, "Agood songalways has a good, simple melody. Nothing toocomplicated:'

If you listen to a song like "Funky stuff;' you can hear it [Bell starts singing the intro to "Funky Stu.ff"]. It's like the song "Down by the Riverside!' It's simple. My mother always said it, and we stuck with that. Simple lyrics, too "Fresh," "Celebration," "Get Down on It," "Too Hot." We kept that same idea.

We never took music lessons or nothing like that. We went by the flavor of what was going on. We listened to Motown -I looked to [bassist] James Jamerson. Charles listened to Wes Montgomery. My brother listened toJohn Coltrane. That's how it came together.

- Ifyou want to hear the celebratory sounds ofthe Halloj-Fame party band Kool '9 the Gang at The Grand Gala on December 7, go to 1heGrandWilmington.org. All proceeds raised through The Grand Gala help to support The Grand's CommunityEngagement programs.

The City

CITY RELEASES INITIAL WATER SERVICE LINE INVENTORY

In accordance with the EPA’s revised Lead and Copper Rule, Wilmington has provided the State of Delaware an initial inventory of the City’s service lines that connect our water mains to customers’ homes and businesses. The main goal of the EPA’s LCRR inventory requirement is to determine whether any service lines in a water system are made of lead so a fair and equitable replacement plan can be developed. This is considered an “initial” inventory because the EPA recognizes it may take utilities several years to identify all its service lines.

It’s important to emphasize that Wilmington’s water is lead-free when it leaves our treatment plants, but as water travels through the system to customer faucets, lead can enter through service lines or from the corrosion of private home or building plumbing.

Wilmington’s water treatment process specifically addresses the potential for lead to enter the water, minimizing the risk of exposure. For decades, the City’s excellent compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule has been acknowledged by the EPA and the State of Delaware. Wilmington conducts routine water testing to ensure our treatment remains effective and the results are published annually in our Water Quality Reports

During the initial inventory, Wilmington made the following findings:

• Of the 74,000+ water service lines in our system, fewer than 2,000 were found to be made of lead.

• Fewer than 1,000 lines were found to be made of galvanized material. Though galvanized lines aren’t made of lead, the EPA requires their removal if they were previously connected to lead service lines.

• Approximately 18,000 lines were designated as “unknown” as they have not been identified yet. Wilmington will continue its inventory work until all lines are identified.

Each property served by a lead, galvanized, or "unknown" service line will receive a letter from the City detailing the findings; the steps the property owner can take to reduce potential lead exposure; and actions being taken by the City. It’s important to note that the presence of a lead, galvanized, or “unknown” line does not mean there has been lead exposure, only that there’s an increased risk. Wilmington’s water treatment process significantly mitigates the risk.

The initial inventory is available through our website at WilmingtonDEWater.gov on our Wilmington Water Lead Reduction Program page. In addition to the initial inventory, answers to common questions and contact information are provided.

The LCRR’s inventory-related requirements also mandate that water utilities nationwide determine the materials used in the service lines on or within their customers' private properties. To help with this process, you can use the QR code to the right to take the survey and be entered weekly to win $100 gift card.

For more information on Wilmington’s full compliance with the EPA’s revised Lead and Copper Rule, visit WilmingtonDEWater.gov .

MAYOR’S 2024 TOY DRIVE TO BRIGHTEN THE HOLIDAYS

ayor Purzycki's Holiday Toy Drive, which brightens the holidays for hundreds of children and their families throughout the City each year, opens Nov. 4. Eligible families wishing to receive toys this year must send an email with the necessary information to holidaytoydrive@wilmingtonde.gov. e deadline for registration is Friday, December 6. Anyone wishing to donate toys to this year’s drive may do so by delivering a new, unopened and unwrapped toy (no electronics) to the lobby of the Louis L. Redding City County Building, 800 N. Monday, Nov. 4, and Friday, December 6.

WILMINGTON JAYCEES CELEBRATE

60TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE

Mayor Mike Purzycki is pleased to invite you to kick off the holiday season in Downtown Wilmington with the 60th Annual Wilmington Jaycees Christmas Parade on Saturday, Nov. 30 , while also supporting local businesses on Small Business Saturday beloved tradition for families across the region, the parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will be bigger and better than ever, featuring spectacular floats decked out in holiday cheer; marching bands from local schools and community groups; performances by dance troupes, cheerleaders, and community organizations; vintage cars, local dignitaries, and – of course — Santa Claus!

“This is a special time of year for people of different faiths, cultures, and communities,” said the Mayor. “We’re happy to again welcome our friends and neighbors from around the City and across the region to the heart of Wilmington for fun and festivities and even a little bit of holiday shopping. As my time as your Mayor winds down, it’s my sincere hope that the holiday season brings us even closer together in a spirit of unity and peace as we reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025.

Mayor Purzycki’s Holiday Toy Drive runs Nov. 4 thru Dec. 6.

Photo by Tisa Della-Volpe