Out & About Magazine - May 2020

OUR

COMMUNITY Spirited stories of rising to the challenge

MAY 2020 COMPLIMENTARY

Ways to help #inWilm during the COVID-19 outbreak:

Get takeout.

Buy a membership.

Advocate for the arts and small business.

De-clutter your house and collect donations for local charities.

Watch live streams and tip artists and musicians virtually.

Buy restaurant and performing arts gift cards.

Hire a neighbor.

More on these ideas, plus ways to keep the family entertained as we’re stuck INside at inWilmDE.com.

Worth TRYING CREATIVE COPING

OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE ONLINE ARCHIVES In need of more reading material? Head to OutAndAboutNow.com to read the online versions of Out & About Magazine from 2013 to now!

Just click the magazine cover in the top right corner (Click And Read).

— Tyler Mitchell, Creative Director

ABSENTEE VOTING After reading about all the politicking, the long lines and the resulting infections associated with the Wisconsin primary, I decided to register to vote absentee. I was blown over when my email came back with the complete answer in exactly 10 minutes. Gov. Jack Carney's state of emergency means a voter contending with COVID-19 issues can register to vote absentee by swearing “I am sick, or temporarily, or permanently physically disabled" on the paper form; it's "Sick" or "Temporarily or Permanently Disabled" on the digital form. The official landing page for the rules is https://elections. delaware.gov/services/voter/absentee/index.shtml.

— Ken Mammarella , Contributing Writer

BOARD GAMES ONLINE Our extended family (with households in Florida, California, Indiana, and here in Delaware) has been playing several games with the help of technology. We've done Scattergories on Zoom, sending topic lists and answer sheets by email in advance and Codename on the website HorsePaste. Those are both simple, but my nephew has a Tabletop Simulator through the Steam app (paid), which allows players see a virtual game table on screen with a wide range of available board games,familiar and obscure.

— Mark Fields, Contributing Writer

GROWING SUPPORT Support the Food Bank of Delaware by purchasing a CSA produce share. All produce will either be locally grown at the Food Bank farm in Newark or sourced by local farmers.

Participants can pick up their pre-packaged shares on Thursdays or Fridays beginning the week of June 8. Items to look forward to: tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, summer squash, peaches, cantaloupe, corn, potatoes, salad greens.

Cost for 22 weeks is $750 (includes 8 to 10 items each week).

Half shares cost $400 (4-5 items each week).

— Julie Miro Wenge , Event Allies

PFS VIRTUAL THEATER The Philadelphia Film Society is partnering with arthouse distributors to offer films that would otherwise be seen on the big screen, with the added bonus that all virtual screening tickets purchased directly via the PFS website support its mission to bring you the best in entertainment and education. Tickets are $12 per film. You don't have to be a member to watch, but they would appreciate the support: filmadelphia.org/nowstreaming.

— Bev Zimmermann, Special Projects

4 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL For baseball fans, or Kurt Russell fans, or simply fans of the underdog, this documentary, available on Netflix, delivers an entertaining 80-minute break from sheltering in place. The film, which premiered to a standing ovation at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, chronicles the 1973-77 odyssey of the Portland (Ore.) Mavericks, an independent minor league team owned by actor Bing Russell, father of Kurt. A gifted infielder whose career was cut short by injury, Kurt played for the Mavericks and served as vice president. Jim Bouton, former Yankee pitcher and author of Ball Four, also was on the roster for a while, and Joe Garagiola did a TV feature about the team’s numerous characters. Directed by Chapman Way and Maclain Way, Bing’s grandsons, Battered Bastards was described by Esquire as “easily one of the most raucously entertaining films to come out this year, and the best sports documentary in a while.”

— Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

LEND A HAND Channel your anxiety with the most rewarding endeavor of all—helping your community. Volunteer opportunities are abundant.

Find out how your efforts can be best utilized by visiting Volunteer.Delaware. gov. The site will direct you to various agencies with need specifics.

— Jerry duPhily, Publisher

MOVIES ON TAP NETFLIX WATCH PARTIES

RUN TOGETHER...VIRTUALLY Lacking fitness motivation due to social distancing?

Missing your running and walking group? Lace ‘em up and run together, virtually! Race timing companies typically host hundreds of people every weekend, so local event managers like Fusion Racing are adapting to our new normal by creating virtual running challenges with online social groups. SWAG, virtual happy hours, interactive social platforms and local charity partnerships will keep you lacing up for more. Sign up for a May virtual running or walking challenge at FusionRaceTiming.com

Out & About has been a sponsor of the Movies on Tap event series at Penn Cinema since its inception four years ago. Pairing classic movies with a craft beer tasting, the series has raised more than $150,000 for area non-profits.

When Penn Cinema closed in response to COVID-19, a switch to Netflix was suggested by the series' founder Ryan Kennedy, vice-president of marketing at Harvey, Hanna & Associates. The trial run—a Netflix watch party of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark on April 25—exceeded expectations and raised $4,600 for the Food Bank of Delaware.

The second Netflix Watch Party will be Back to the Future on Friday, May 15. This event will be co-sponsored by 2SP Brewing Company with all proceeds going to the Delaware Restaurant Association's EATs program, a grant fund created for out-of-work employees in the restaurant industry.

For tickets or more information go to: www.degives.org/ fundraisers/mot-at-home-2 — Jim Miller, Director of Publications

— Michael O’Brian, Social Media Manager

MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

5

START

A writer/editor’s slightly snarky and relentless crusade to eliminate grammatical gaffes from our everyday communications

Compiled from the popular column in Out & About Magazine

THE WAR ON WORDS A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse

Pandemic Follies The COVID-19 scare has revealed all manner of weaknesses in the grammatical skills of those in the media and others involved in the crisis. Some examples: • Dr. John Flores on NBC: “As the temperatures go up, there’s a possibility that less people will be sick.” As we know—don’t we, gang?—when speaking of plurals, the correct comparative adjective is fewer.

• Jarrett Bell, in USA TODAY: “Yet, as it has impacted all specters of society, the coronavirus pandemic changed those plans.”

Pretty sure Jarrett (a frequent contributor to “War”) meant sectors. A specter is a ghost, or something feared as a possible unpleasant occurrence.

• Reader Walt DelGiorno reminds us to use the comma in direct address, a suggestion prompted by a note from his physical therapist that included this sentence: “Quarantine doesn’t mean you have to stay sedentary Walt.” Says Walt: “I have kept pretty active, so perhaps I should respond that I am offended by being referred to as sedentary Walt.”

• And we award this month’s Literally of the Month crown to Vice President Mike Pence, who uttered five literallys—two in one sentence—and two actuallys (I counted) in the space of a few minutes during one of his nightly press conferences.

Then we had several Department of Redundancies Dept. candidates: • From reader Walt Frank, who heard a reporter on Fox News describe foot traffic in an airport thusly: “We have seen a steady flow of people coming through, periodically from time-to-time.”

The reporter managed, says Walt, “to squeeze both redundancy and a contradiction into the same sentence.”

• From a USA TODAY story on sequestered gymnast Simone Biles: “I’ve never not done anything . . . in my whole entire life.”

• Another reader reports that Robert R. Redfield, director of the CDC, said this on CNN: “Looking back in retrospect . . .”

Media Watch • Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: “I weep at the thought of him (Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs) being forced to make due with only six luxury cars.” Nancy may be due for a grammar lesson, because the expression is make do.

By Bob Yearick

• Armour’s colleague, Jarrett Bell, makes his second appearance in this month’s column thanks to this gaffe in a quote from former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin about coaching techniques: “There’s a line to tow between guidance and control.” Jarrett, long, oh Lord, how boobala, you toe the line, as at the How long? Like Americans, New beginning of a foot race.

Zealanders seem to have a • In researching a story for another problem with the apostrophe. publication about Michael Haddix, a former Philadelphia Eagle, I came across a public service video the former first-round pick made for his hometown. In it, Haddix said: “As a former Mississippi State graduate, I say yes to Starkville parks.” Yo, Mike, you’re a former student and former football player there, but you are and always will be a graduate of MSU. • Writers, especially male writers, continue to have a blind spot when spelling the word for an adult female. Take, for instance, Josh Peter in USA TODAY, writing about Leon Spinks’ reaction to his physical therapist: “Spinks scowled at the women’s raised right hand.” Then there was this headline from The Catholic News Agency: “It’s my body/a women’s choice.” All writers, please note: It’s woman (singular) and women (plural).

• David Baldacci in One Good Deed: “Despite the alcohol he had drank, Archer gathered his wits and formed his lie.” That’s had drunk, which a novelist like Baldacci, who writes often about drinking, should know.

Department of Redundancies Dept.

The Philadelphia Inquirer gave us two. First there was Scott Lauber writing about Neil Walker, a member of the Phillies who was in danger of being sent to the minors: “He knows he’s being judged on a few handfuls of at-bats in exhibition games.” A handful of at-bats would’ve worked fine.

Then fellow Inky sportswriter David Murphy followed with this: “Let’s consider each of the decisions that led you to your present state and the impact that each of them will have on your future life expectancy.”

Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords

Word of the Month

precarity Pronounced pra-carity, it’s a noun meaning the state of being precarious or uncertain.

Seen a good (bad) one lately?

Send your candidates to ryearick@comcast.net

Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin Book Shelf or by calling Out & About at 655-6483.

Dr. Michael Benninghoff [far left] looking at chest x-rays with his clinical team in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at ChristianaCare’s Christiana Hospital. Courtesy of ChristianaCare

The Science of Saving Lives At the Medical ICU in ChristianaCare’s Newark Campus, Dr. Michael Benninghoff and staff collaborate with medical experts from around the world in response to the spread of the coronavirus

O

n Thursday (April 16), the U.S. reported the largest COVID-19 fatality rate within a 24-hour period—4,591 deaths.

During the same time, the country saw the first public protests challenging stay-at-home orders in seven states.

As Delaware residents weigh the financial realities of a massive economic downturn against the ongoing advice of scientists and medical professionals in the fight to save lives, the Out & About staff thought it prudent to continue our COVID-19 response series by conducting a phone interview on April 17 with Dr. Michael Benninghoff, of Christiana Hospital in Newark, part of ChristianaCare.

“This is an international pandemic,” Benninghoff says early in the conversation, describing the disease and the efforts to combat it as “unprecedented in the medical community.”

Benninghoff joined ChristianaCare in 2008 and currently serves as the Medical Director of the Intensive Care Unit at Christiana Hospital. He has been practicing medicine professionally for more than 15 years and is board-certified in critical care medicine, internal medicine and pulmonary disease.

Benninghoff’s thoughts flow quickly and almost relentlessly; yet, simultaneously, his comments are sensitive and insightful, perhaps signs of a man whose years of medical training and reliance on accurate observations have been put to the ultimate test.

His words also convey a sense of gratefulness, to his staff— whom he refers to as “frontline heroes”—and to supportive citizens, who have helped mitigate the intensity and tragedy that began to unfold in Delaware in early March.

“I really want to make sure that we have a real dedicated shout out to the nurses, the respiratory therapists and the physicians, who are caring for our patients on the front line,” Benninghoff says. “That’s important.”

“I also want to take an opportunity if you can to truly thank the community,” the doctor adds. “We appreciate all the donations that we’ve received from the community in the form of simple things like lunch, which goes a long way when we’re facing a pandemic.”

Here’s what Dr. Benninghoff had to say about collaborating with doctors from around the world to combat the COVID-19 disease; observing local health protocols vs. reopening businesses; and the need for regional medical communities to work together to share resources. ► MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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O&A: Addressing the COVID-19 virus has been a challenge to communities across the country. ChristianaCare responded quickly to the crisis by as early as March 13, conducting free drive through testing at the Wilmington Riverfront.

In what other ways has ChristianaCare responded to help address the situation?

Benninghoff: Given the fact that this is an international pandemic, prior to the actual admission of our first patient, we have been meeting and preparing for any surge of COVID patients for admission from our community.

We worked under infection prevention diligently to set up testing guidelines, treatment guidelines, respiratory care guidelines, and PPE [personal protective equipment] guidelines.

So I believe that we were prepared well before we even were faced with our first admission. And good preparation in a time of uncertainty is the key to minimize anxiety and fear… with reports [coming in at the time] from Europe and China and the West Coast of the United States highlighting the infectious nature of this virus, [which] compared to the flu, [is] much more infectious and probably more deadly.

When you’re faced with that kind of news, everyone has a super heightened sense of awareness regarding the importance of good PPE and adequate resources.

We had the opportunity to plan with executive leadership, clinical leadership, organizational leadership from the get-go. We were ready.

I think that is what set us up for success. We’ve achieved some good outcomes for some of our patients who no longer need intensive care, for instance. That always goes a long way to boost our morale when you see some good outcomes.

O&A: When you talk [about] some of the wins you’ve had—the positive outcomes— and how that affects morale, what can you [say] about the morale of the staff? Like you said, this is unprecedented and it’s a challenge, and people on the frontlines are experiencing things [about which] the rest of us really have no idea. What can you say about morale and the rising to the challenge?

Benninghoff: I’m proud of the way our Medical Intensive Care Unit nurses and respiratory therapists have pulled together to support each other and provide care to the sickest patients, perhaps, in the state of Delaware.

This is obviously a stressful situation in our unit. But we all have the same goal, which is to ultimately have patients reunite with their families.

O&A: You say you haven’t seen a flattening of the curve in terms of acute admissions, yet. Have you seen any positive results so far from the social distancing protocols currently in place?

Benninghoff: If you look at the way that the social distancing is working—we use the University of Washington model for predicting peak use of resources that’s driven largely by testing and

Photo courtesy of ChristianaCare

O&A: Is there any indication that we’re THE SCIENCE making progress OF SAVING LIVES continued from previous page here, combating the disease in Delaware?

Benninghoff: We have had decent outcomes from a standpoint of [treating] the most critically-ill patients.

We will need to be diligent and continue to follow the governor’s orders as far as social distancing, good hand-hygiene and common-sense social practices.

We think that there’s still a potential for a surge. We haven’t observed a flattening out of acute admissions yet, so we still have a ways to go.

I do believe that COVID-19 will be something that sticks around for a while. It may not be in the surge Dr. Michael Benninghoff. form, but this very well may change the way people practice social distancing.

I suspect this will change the way we care for patients in hospitals, and how patients in the outpatient space or in primary care offices are tested and treated.

Like any virus, there’s sometimes a tsunami of reemergence after an initial phase of acute illness until herd immunity or vaccination can catch up. I think that herd immunity is only proven by tests—antibody tests—which, along with a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, may take some time to come to fruition.

hospitalization—we think that we see some sense of stability, in that the number of admissions and the number of ventilators needed on a daily basis has been the same for the last week or so.

We have a wonderful dashboard here at ChristianaCare that highlights positive tests, medical admissions, ICU admissions, ventilator use and discharges. We gauge that for the entire pandemic. We also gauge it on a 24-hour basis.

We believe we’ve seen some stability, but it’s very busy. COVID-19 has filled in number of units here that were normal medical units for normal medical problems. So although this is a significant change in the way we practice, and where we put patients, we still have some stability in that there aren’t dramatic spikes in the number of ICU admissions.

Now, we’ve had a lot of ICU admissions, but the number of admissions for COVID hasn’t risen dramatically from week to week.

O&A: If you look at some of the charts, like the John Hopkins’ chart [predicting] what would happen if we had not done anything, it's really an exponential rate. The numbers look like they would have doubled almost every week, and that hasn't happened.

Benninghoff: Yes, and here’s the bottom line: We’re on the front lines and we’ll be here with the nurses and therapists and until this crisis ends, but we do still need the community’s help. If citizens stay at home, we don’t see that doubling surge and, therefore, resources remain intact for the cases that we do need to treat.

And I think that you made that point that the social distancing has worked. We know that because we’re stable and these patients are stable—sick, very ill, with a tremendous burden of illness—but we have resources to care for them.

If the citizens had not heeded the warning of the governor

and did not practice social distancing, then we would have experienced a significant surge in patient volume. We’re able to manage, from a resource standpoint, because people are doing what’s best for population health.

O&A: In the media at large, there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding still about the virus. And, in general, there’s still a lot more that we can learn about it. Based on your experiences, in what ways do you see this virus different from other viruses like the flu, and perhaps other pandemicrelated viruses like SARS, swine flu and the Ebola virus?

Benninghoff: The easiest distinction to make is Ebola versus the others, because Ebola was a blood-borne pathogen.

This is different than the flu in that it’s more infectious and, because there’s an asymptomatic carrier period before you get symptoms for two-to-five days, the actual exposure to the population at-large is what makes this so much more different than the flu—that coupled with the fact that the case fatality rate seems higher.

Particularly in patients with comorbidities, like diabetes or high blood pressure, the case fatality ratio is higher, regardless of decades of life. That makes it a lot different.

So, you have then the fact that there’s an asymptomatic carrier period, the fact that it’s probably more infectious, and we know that the case fatality ratio is higher in patients based on comorbidities, and simple comorbidities like diabetes and high blood pressure.

In that sense, what we do is we learn from the existing evidence. We learned from the other cohorts in China, in Europe, on the West Coast, and in New York, and we derive our treatment guidelines based on the existing evidence and based on what’s been successful [according to our] other cohorts, and we rapidly apply that in quick pivots. ►

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We meet with our pharmacotherapy and respiratory THE SCIENCE care teams twice a week to vet the OF SAVING LIVES most up-to-date evidence-based continued from previous page guidance per the other cohorts.

So, we take what they’re doing and what’s working for them, and we rapidly redeploy those actions if the evidence supports it here on our own patients.

O&A: So, it sounds like this challenge has really necessitated a lot of collaboration throughout the country and internationally.

How much of your time is talking to doctors from other areas?

Benninghoff: We have a group that meets every morning at 8 a.m. with all the medical directors for all the intensive-care units plus the emergency department. Then in the afternoons, we do staff modeling, as well, with the same group to ensure that we have appropriate resources. But in that group, all the medical directors are also on various list-serves and blogs.

Then we actually reach out to colleagues and the other regions of the country and the world by virtue of webinars, so that we can learn what they’re up to as far as treatment regimens, and testing regimens, and how they’re using PPE. So, it’s been unprecedented in the medical community internationally—[that] because of the fear and the unknown of what this virus can do—[there has been an] unprecedented level of communication and sharing.

Simple sharing of treatment guidelines and sharing of treatment algorithms have been widespread. I’ve talked to people that have been practicing for 30 years, and they’ve never seen this level of engagement internationally, by virtue of electronic communication.

Digital communication and social media have been quite helpful.

O&A: That's an interesting point. If this had happened, perhaps in the ‘70s or ‘80s, we might have been looking at something completely different and much more horrific—in the sense that the electronic communication has allowed us to engage a lot more with different communities and share information.

Benninghoff: Absolutely. We watch webinars from China in the evenings at home. They start 8:30 p.m. and are put on by a local university in Philadelphia. And there’s a lot of collaboration.

I’ve been fortunate enough to watch three of these webinars now.

And we’ve directly learned from what the [medical experts] over there and China have used and dealt with in terms of the patient’s phenotype and the clinical experience. And we've definitely benefited.

And in the ‘70s, God forbid, but I think the mortality rate would have been a lot higher because they could not share information [as well]. And they would have to do what China did and learn the hard way. China had a high mortality rate on ventilators. For instance, China’s mortality rate exceeded 60- or 70-percent early on because there was no prior group that had to deal with it. So, China learned from themselves, and we learned from China the best way to approach life support in the COVID-19 era.

O&A: Is there a strong indication that this virus derived from the Chinese wet markets in Wuhan? Do you think that's pretty definitive? Or are we still investigating that?

Benninghoff: I think the [initial] incident case was probably in Wuhan. They have molecular signatures, I believe, with some of these viral cases, the initial incident cases. So, I believe a lot of these signatures point to Wuhan. I do feel like we do know that.

The CDC, I think, has acknowledged that as well. But I don’t know which hospital or which lab isolated it first.

O&A: We are located just 150 miles or so from New York City, which is the epicenter of the pandemic right now in the U.S. How does that impact Delaware?

Benninghoff: I just read a great paper from MIT, by an economics professor [that] trace[s] a lot of the New York City spread of the virus to the subway system. So, I think it’s important that we acknowledge the risk in the big cities may be tied to mass public transit.

We don’t necessarily have that in Delaware. That being said, we’re close to Philadelphia, we’re not that far from New York.

We keep our guard up. We’re prepared in the event that we get a secondary surge.

It’s related to displaced patients. And we’ve had a few patients who are not from Delaware end up in our hospital here, in our health system, and we’re prepared to care for those patients. Just like we’re preparing for our citizens.

O&A: What advice can you give our readers? Moving forward, if it seems like things are improving, how do we get back to normal or when do we get back to normal? There’s a lot of talk right now of people wanting to reopen. What advice could you give our readers?

Benninghoff: We have to keep planning for what could happen in the days and the weeks ahead. We have adequate PPE, but I think the best thing to do is to continue [social distancing]…until we get evidence.

Let the scientists use that evidence to recommend any kind of lifting of current policies regarding social distancing…

I think that we let the science dictate when it’s safe, when we truly see cases and infectivity go down in the community.

We still have positive tests—hundreds of them a day in the community—which leads me to believe that people are still quite infectious. The worst-case scenario would be we rest on the fact that we’re stable from a research standpoint, and [then] they lift social distancing, but we get another surge that we can’t handle.

The bottom line is we need to continue to let the evidence base and the science dictate any decision-making from a political standpoint.

Our job is, as you know—physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists—is just to continue to provide the best evidencebased care we can.

MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

11

UBP Executive Director Laura Wilburn (top left) with board members, volunteers and youth participants at the Delaware Art Museum.

RIDE ON Urban Bike Projects ramps up bike distribution in response to increased demand

W

ho couldn’t use a bike ride right now?

It appears many more of us are kicking tires on the activity than before the Covid-19 Crisis. In fact, Urban Bike Project, the Wilmington-based, non-profit community bike shop that operates at 1500 N. Walnut Street, has received an unprecedented number of requests for free or inexpensive bikes over the past few months. So, they’re doing something about it.

During the next month, UBP plans to distribute 200 bikes through no-cost giveaways and affordable sales. The campaign is made possible in part by a $10,000 grant from the Laffey McHugh Foundation in response to an increased demand for bicycles during Delaware’s stay-at-home emergency declaration.

"These difficult times have created a unique opportunity for us to slow down and reconsider old assumptions,” said Laura Wilburn, UBP Executive Director. “We've seen folks dusting off bikes they hadn't touched in years, spending time with their families in nature, using bikes for short trips to the store and around the block, wondering why they waited until now to start.

“We're rediscovering the joy of fresh air in our lungs and the woosh of a downhill, and we're re-imagining what's possible by bicycle. Urban Bike Project is excited to help Wilmington residents

12 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

find new ways to prioritize their health and happiness, and to continue to offer a lifeline to the many individuals who rely on their bikes for mobility and access to services, now more than ever."

“Due to the generosity and foresight of our grantor and bike donors, UBP has an opportunity to step-up and impact our community in a short span of time,” added Eileen Kauffman, UBP Board Chairperson. “Many things may change as a result of these times and biking may prove to become more prevalent in many facets of our lives, which we believe many people are realizing first-hand now.”

Free bikes will be given away to adults in need of transportation through distribution events in partnership with emergency food pantries across the city. Sales are available to the general public at www.urbanbikeproject.com/buy-a-bike.

Bicycle donations for this initiative were provided by University of Delaware, Wilmington Police Department, and Smyrna Police Department. UBP is currently accepting donations from individuals. You can help UBP reach their goal by scheduling a drop-off or pick-up (adult bikes are especially needed). To contact UBP call (302) 300-4323 or visit urbanbikeproject@gmail.com.

Tim Furlong relaxes in Rockford Park on the bumper of his logo-covered Jeep, which is filled with equipment he uses to edit his video and broadcast live from First State locations.

DELAWARE’S TV REPORTER Meet ‘lucky dude’ Tim Furlong of NBC10.

But you probably already know him.

By Ken Mammarella Photos by Butch Comegys

H

is grandmother once asked NBC10 reporter Tim Furlong what he does to prepare to be on camera for 90 seconds or so most evenings. His reply: a lot, often before sunrise and after sunset. Furlong, the only Philadelphia TV reporter living and working in Delaware, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My job is super-cool,” he says. “Every day I live in fear it will end. Nothing lasts forever, and I’ve been doing it for 14 years. It is something different every day. I wouldn’t say I’m working all the time, but it’s not something I can turn off, even from Paris this summer on vacation. There’s that understanding in news— we want to be there when a big story happens. Channel 10 more so; we throw more boots on the ground.”

That commitment has taken Furlong to the White House several times, with the Phillies for the 2008 World Series, with the Eagles for the 2018 Super Bowl, and, of course, throughout Delaware, where he’s been reporting full time since the summer of 2013.

“People always ask what my favorite story is,” he says. “It’s when an average person does something extraordinary. Even better if [the story] helps.”

Example: World War II veteran Wes Wiggins, of Middletown.

“His home burned down, and he lost everything,” says Furlong. “His community came through big-time for him. Wawa made sure he had plenty to eat, and Sen. [Chris] Coons’ office is still working to get duplicates of his war medals. The story really made me so happy, and I loved that I could help be a catalyst to get this hero the help he needs.” ► MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Furlong shoots video during a press conference at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Facility in Smyrna.

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Furlong, 45, is practically a Delaware native. He was born in West Chester, Pa., but his family moved to Wilmington when he was three months old. He met his wife.

Meghan, then an Ursuline student, at a dance after a Salesianum football game.

“We’re like a John Mellencamp song,” he says. “We’re best friends. We’re blessed.”

“As a kid, I knew I wanted to be on TV,” Furlong says. So, after graduating from Salesianum he made it happen by earning a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism 12 12 12from American University in Washington, D.C. His career quickly progressed with stints in Washington, Charlottesville, Va., and Providence, R.I., before he returned to his home turf in 2002 to join WPHL. Three years later he moved to NBC10 (WCAU).

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DELAWARE #xbox #drone #jeep #beagle

The Furlongs live in North Wilmington with their son Liam, 17, a student at Salesianum; daughter Bridget, 14, a student at Padua (where Meghan teaches Spanish), and their rescue beagle, Maggie.

His father’s career is “a driving force” behind Liam’s three years as editor-inchief of the Salesianum Review. “I’m eager to finish this year off strong and hopefully launch new creative content for my fourth and final year as well,” Liam says.

“Journalism is definitely a career option.”

On Twitter, Tim Furlong calls himself “Emmy-winning NBC10 philly DELAWARE reporter, sports fan, geek #xbox licensed #drone pilot, Married, dad, Delawarean #jeep and #beagle owner.”

Using all capital letters to spell out his home state indicates his priorities.

“I’m a huge cheerleader for Delaware and the Brandywine Valley,” he says. “I love covering our area because I was born and raised here. I am raising my kids here. I know and love the people and the attitude.”

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!

Furlong prepares to send his drone several hundreed feet above Rockford Park.

His worldview encompasses the “Delaware Way,” the ethos that although First Staters can disagree on issues, they should get along.

“We should all share the Delaware Way,” he says. “We can be cordial.”

Since 2004, he has taught broadcast news writing and news production as an adjunct professor at Widener University in Chester, Pa. “I like to see my students’ success,” he says. “It gives me endless satisfaction. It also keeps me in tune with how younger people watch TV and content. And how we might never reach them.”

“One thing Tim always preached that sticks with me until this day is to be yourself and deliver the news like you’re talking to your mom or sister,” Rick Ritter, a student in several classes and now an Emmy Award-winning evening anchor for WJZ-TV, CBS Baltimore, writes in an email. “In this industry, it can take a while to find yourself on camera. Tim does it better than anyone.

A conversational approach but with high energy that keeps you interested. … The same exact Tim that you watch on TV, is the same guy you’ll meet off camera. That’s what resonates with viewers.”

A JEEP WITH GEAR AND LUNCH

Furlong’s work is most often on NBC10’s early evening newscast, and he tries “to shoot something positive every day [such as] nonprofits doing something cool so it grabs the attention it deserves.” Example: Zip Code Wilmington, one of America’s first nonprofit coding schools, which “trains unemployed and underemployed people in the world of coding.”

Furlong pushes for coverage from Delaware, which represents nine percent of the Philadelphia TV market, he says, adding that the city of Philadelphia represents only 18 percent of the market, which sprawls east to the Jersey Shore and north to the Lehigh Valley. “We want to win everywhere,” he says.

Furlong’s official title is general assignment reporter for NBC10’s Delaware Bureau. There’s no physical office, unless you count his logocovered Jeep (“a driving mascot,” he says), which is filled with equipment he needs to edit his video, broadcast live and have lunch (often a protein shake or yogurt, pulled out of his Eagles cooler) from it or in it.

He loves the control that all the technology gives him to craft his segments. “I want you to feel my minute-and-a-half is like a mini Netflix documentary,” he says.

“It’s never about me,” he says of his pieces, adding that he “gets skeeved by reporting that does the opposite.”

His equipment includes seven cameras (including a drone and two GoPros), a tackle box stuffed with whatever it takes to attach the camera to evocative spots (say, the wheel of a school bus, the saddle of a rider, the chest of an athlete), a 30-pound tripod, boots, coats for all sorts of weather, a jacket and dress shirt, branded keychains to give to schoolchildren and other people he meets and chemical hand warmers that he gifts to first responders at work in tough weather. ►

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START

Workdays begin by 7:30 a.m., when he wants to transmit a halfDELAWARE’S TV REPORTER dozen story ideas to producers continued from previous page in Philadelphia. “I pitch, and they pick,” he explains of what gets covered. He often starts at the Concord Pike Dunkin’, where he knows the names of the staff, and they know his regular order (medium coffee, a shot of skim milk and one Sweet ’N Low).

His days end … well, considering the nature of news, there’s no consistency. But he ends the week with El Diablo Burritos “pretty much every Friday night.”

Furlong suggested the Trolley Square Brew HaHa for this Out & About interview, and even though he’s not a regular there, he ran into several familiar faces. It’s from such connections that he develops many of his stories. “I’m the eyes and ears of my neighbors,” he says.

A VIRAL TWEET

Many tipsters are virtual neighbors. He has almost 5,000 friends on Facebook, and that’s the social network’s limit. He hates to do so, but from time to time he has to cull to allow room for new friends.

He has 10,600 followers on Twitter (@tfurlong), where he has made more than 20,000 tweets (he also follows 2,140 accounts).

His following skyrocketed with a tweet about a White House event planned to celebrate the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl victory (the back story’s complicated and political): “I’ve asked 6 of the ‘fans’ at the White House who was the @Eagles quarterback during the super bowl. Not ONE person knew.”

The tweet went viral. “My phone was like a slot machine,” Furlong recalls.

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On his YouTube channel (“Tv news guy in Philly who loves what he does enough at work to do it for fun at home too. Drones, tech toys, Jeeps, travel, family. All good stuff.”) he has posted dozens of slickly edited and sound-tracked videos, primarily of family.

The latest showed the Furlong Christmas, including a joyous scene where “they’re dancing because I told them to. YouTube is like a storage chest of life souvenirs for my kids. They have a place to go to see how much fun they have had.”

His bio on Instagram (@timfurlong2,1,949 posts and 3,841 followers) ends simply: “lucky dude.”

He makes a point of texting the family when he’s going to be on air live or when his segments are scheduled, so they can watch him together. The experience, Liam says repeatedly, is exciting, as is seeing his father recognized when out in public.

Yet “on camera, at home, out and about, he’s extremely down to earth,” Liam says, “and I’m proud of that.”

Whatever the platform, “it’s always the real me, a normal guy,” Tim says, far removed from the clichés of bloviated or befuddled TV anchors in films and sitcoms. “They’re way too goofy or way too dark and serious. Day to day, we’re just normal people trying to do their job: telling a fair story.”

Writes Ritter: “Sounds cliché, but Tim is just a kind, compassionate human being. Believe it or not, that’s hard to find these days. Anyone will tell you there’s people who get in this industry to be on TV & there’s people who get in this industry to make a difference/impact the lives of others. All Tim cares about is making a difference & telling good stories. I think that’s evident with his work, history in this business & the way he’s perceived in Delaware. Let’s be real: he is Mr. Delaware.”

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Nurses Josie Robinson and TJ Czapp have been working tirelessly at Christiana Hospital's Emergency Department during the COVID-19 epidemic.

ON THE FRONT LINES Two ChristianaCare Emergency Department nurses share their personal experiences in the battle with COVID-19

R

eecently on Fox News Sunday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams predicted that the week ahead would be the “hardest and saddest week in most Americans’ lives.”

As Delaware struggles to stay safe—just 150 miles from the nation’s COVID-19 epicenter in New York Cit—the staff at Out & About thought it would be valuable to talk to local hospital workers and learn how they are coping with being on the frontlines in this formidable battle. Perhaps it would lend a sense of greater appreciation and promise to the rest of us during the days ahead.

What follows is an interview with two nurses from Christiana Hospital’s Emergency Department: Josie Robinson and TJ Czapp.

Although the nurses have different tenures—Robinson with 17 years and Czapp with three—each has been recognized with honors within the organization.

In October 2014, Robinson was honored by ChristianaCare’s Professional Nurse Council with a DAISY Award, an internationally-established acknowledgement of outstanding nursing practices. She was first nurse in the ChristianaCare organization to win the award.

Similarly, last July, Czapp was one of 30 nurses in the organization recognized with an Excellence in Nursing award in the Acute Medicine division.

Here is what the two nurses had to say about their recent experiences at the hospital amid the crisis, their means of dealing with the stress of the job, and what advice they could offer the non-essential workers staying at home.

O&A: Addressing the COVID-19 virus has been a challenge to communities across the country. ChristianaCare responded quickly to the crisis as early as March 13, conducting free drive-thru testing at the Wilmington Riverfront. In what other ways has ChristianaCare responded to help address the situation?

Robinson: I actually was working the weekend of March 13 when they did that drive-thru. And it directly impacted us in the ER. It kept hundreds of people out of our ER that weekend specifically, which is wonderful. But aside from that…

O&A: So, instead of them going into ER, they were going through drive-thru and getting tested. [Thus] it prevented unnecessary [and/or additional] traffic in the ER? Robinson: Yes. Absolutely.

O&A: Okay, I'm sorry to interrupt. So go ahead, keep going. ► MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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Robinson: One of the biggest things that I am appreciative of — ON THE FRONTLINES although I haven't had to use it—[is IN DELAWARE that] I'm a mother of two children, continued from page 17 [who] are now home with me doing remote learning, and ChristianaCare had set up a survey for childcare very early on. They've made alternate arrangements for those providers needing childcare, which was a huge help.

Again, I haven't had to use it because my husband, [who’s] a firefighter in the city, and me, work opposite of each other. So, we've got it covered. But, in the event that we need it, it's there.

Additionally, for those that care for elders—those who have their parents living with them—[ChristianaCare] has offered them options for alternate arrangements. And [for those who have] pets as well, which is great.

The resources there are tremendous. Just wonderful. It just helps remove a little bit of stress from the situation.

O&A: What about you, TJ? Did you notice similar things?

Czapp: Yes, Josie hit the main ones right on the head with nurses and hospital staff [who have] different family members to take care of. So, that was huge. Like Josie said, that alleviated a lot of stress from these workers. We also implemented hazard pay for our hospital workers who are directly in contact with patients who potentially have the virus.

O&A: What other ways have you seen ChristianaCare responding in ways that might help people detect the virus?

Maybe at home? Or what proactive measures are they taking in the community, similar to the drive-thru testing that they did at the Riverfront? Is there anything else like that going on?

Robinson: We have self-screening tools, so that we're selfmonitoring, essentially. There are resources on the website, too, that tell you when to seek treatment; how to evaluate how you're feeling; who you can reach out to you if you have questions; and how you can handle these situations. So they're trying to provide educational resources to us and to the general public.

O&A: There's been a lot of talk lately in the media and on social media about the courage and strength of doctors and nurses who are on the frontlines in this battle. How does that make you feel in terms of the value of your role during this challenge?

Czapp: I feel that the roles of nurses and doctors on the frontlines have always been very important. I feel like it's always been valued, even if it hasn't necessarily been talked about every single day. That value is the same. We work in the emergency field for a reason. And it's times like these that we've been mentally working for—not necessarily a pandemic like this—but more so to help people who actually really, really need our services and our help.

So, I feel like the value has stayed the same, it's just expressed a little bit more in the community.

Robinson: Yes. I definitely feel valued and needed by the public.

Our expertise is crucial at this point; and the ability to evolve and adapt to fluid situations. That's something that we are wellskilled in and well-versed in—in the ER specifically. Because things constantly change there. So that's, that's something that we're used to: We adapt and overcome.

O&A: Right. That's a good point. So Josie and TJ, looking back on your past, what experiences or training exercises have prepared you for the challenge that the COVID-19 response poses?

Robinson: That’s a tough one because, like TJ said, the magnitude of this situation is huge. This is an unprecedented event. This is something that the majority of the working population has never experienced before. So I think that the ongoing training and smaller-scale incidents like mass casualty events, or smaller scale— but larger-than-normal events— have helped prepare us for this unusual situation.

O&A: Right. I would guess, that you've been in situations before where—let's say there was a bad accident on I-95 with multiple casualties—and you're having a day where you're working long hours and you're trying to save as many lives as possible. It seems like that's what this is every day.

Robinson: Yes, exactly. I was just going to say the same thing. That’s actually the only life for us. That’s what we are used to: Whatever is thrown at us, you just pick up the baseball bat and you knock it out to left field. That’s what you do. You adapt and overcome.

O&A: So, let me ask a little bit more of a personal question, then. With doing this day after day—being on the front lines— it must be very demanding and understandably exhausting.

What keeps you energized and positive in this fight?

Czapp: I think that is something that's going be different for everybody and that's going be very personalized. I know…

O&A: Well, I’m very interested in what you two do. That's why we're talking. It might be different [from others in your field]. But what are you two doing?

Czapp: Well, me, for example, I have the mentality—at least from my past—that I will get through anything as long as it doesn't kill me.

And you know the term, “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”

I think it's very cliché, but I think that is something that pretty much every emergency worker in our department can relate to.

And, just knowing that, keeps you going.

Coming home and playing with my dogs. Just making dinner with my girlfriend. I'm trying to go back to as normal a life as possible. Obviously, with the social distancing and staying at home, it's very changed. But it gives you an excuse to really spend time with your family a little bit more. And that's been extremely beneficial for [coping with] the stress that we're under right now.

So, it's almost like a blessing in disguise.

Robinson: Absolutely. I went from sports two-to-three nights a week with my kids and homework to staying home and being able to enjoy the things at home: getting a little more one-on-one time with my family and my kids uninterrupted; not having a crazy schedule; being able to make dinner; and still finding time to play board games at night.

Or crafting. That's one of my big things. I don't have to focus on anything outside of the world other than finishing the project that I have in front of me, which is a huge stress relief for me. I kind of block out the rest of the world. And that's it. That's all that matters in that moment. It’s me focusing on that, and I don't have to think about anything else. So that's a big stress relief for me.

Spending the quality time with my husband and my kids, that really helps. There's a lot of stress the night before shift. There's a lot for me, personally, and I know I speak on behalf a lot of other nurses. The night before my stretch of duty, my mind starts racing. I start thinking about things. I look at numbers and all these different things. ►

MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

19

But I try to remind myself to focus on what I can learn from ON THE FRONTLINES all this. That's always been one of IN DELAWARE the big things for me, is learning. I continued from previous page always need to know the answer to why. I want to know why things happen and the reason behind it all.

So, actually, focusing on this as a learning experience has been a tremendous help for me. earning how to manage this new population of critically ill patients; learning how to manage such volume [of patients] in a pandemic; and the little intricacies that come with these new experiences. That's a big thing for me. I have a lot of experience in critical care. But this is a new thing. I try to focus on that aspect.

O&A: Are there any things right now that the hospital is doing to kind of help keep up morale? I can imagine it might be very challenging. With all the anxiety that you were talking about, if it's a shared experience, what kind of things happen to keep the spirits up?

Robinson: I think that the hospital is very focused on the big support. And at a unit base level—meaning at the ER level—we have been trying to build camaraderie and morale within ourselves, and a lot of the other units as well.

We've been trying to pay it forward and show our appreciation to other departments like environmental services, who are the unsung heroes of our institution. And to the other units that are caring for these patients, as well. Just to say thank you. And then, amongst ourselves, we’re trying to encourage team-building exercises like Zoom happy hours.

[In our unit] somebody recently colored and posted pictures of llamas on the [staff] refrigerator and said, “Keep a llama’s distance from your buddy.” [laughs] Because a llama is about six feet long.

Little things like that.

O&A: Being where you are and being so close to this, if you had to give our readers advice as to how they could also keep up morale, while also keeping healthy and safe during this time, what advice would you give?

Czapp: I would give them the advice saying they're safe at home.

You need to stay at home and take this seriously. You've seen the numbers all across the world. And you've also seen the statistics for flattening the curve, and what social distancing and self-isolation can do. And it's just very, very, very critical right now to just stay at home. You know, if you don't need to go out, just don't go out. If you can FaceTime somebody or Zoom somebody, choose that instead.

And try to look on the bright side, if anything. Take advantage of spending this time with your family. And kind of like reconnecting, possibly, like we were saying earlier. And really just do your part as a citizen to try to flatten this curve. So, we can all work together.

Robinson: Absolutely. Finding a way to make a difference, in your own way, is very gratifying. That's in our DNA. It feels good to do something good. So, finding something good to change the world in your own little way. It could be something as simple as a card to an elderly neighbor or anything that will help you feel accomplished for the day. It could be walking somebody’s trashcan up or picking up the trash outside. Anything that you can do to make someone else feel good, in turn, will help you feel better.

For health resources and updates on COVID-19, go to CristianaCare.org

20 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

ShopRite's Damon Holden is among hundreds of grocery workers risking health to keep the shelves stocked.

Fresh Thinking Melissa Kenny describes how area groceries, including her family’s six ShopRite stores, are working together to provide safe and healthy shopping experiences for everyone

S

tay-at-home protocols have presented challenges for every household in Delaware, including understanding and following the best practices for grocery shopping.

On that note, and in continuing with our series of COVID-19 response, the Out & About staff felt it would be important to our readers to know how area groceries are adapting to the challenges posed the pandemic.

We recently spoke with Melissa Kenny, executive vice president at Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware, which operates six stores in our area. She was steadfast about meeting the rising expectations presented currently, but also optimistic about unforeseen silver linings that have come about through the process of meeting those demands.

“We have never worked more closely with our competitors than we are right now, with Giant, Albertsons, Walgreens, CVS, and others via Julie Miro Wenger at the Food Industry Council,” Kenny says.

“I think that it should bring some comfort to people to know that, if we find a way to do something better, we’re sharing it with all of our fellow retailers and competitors, so that we all navigate this together and serve the community best,” Kenny adds. “It’s been tremendously valuable to collaborate, instead of always competing.”

Kenny also notes that the challenges her stores face have also generated a sense of pride and camaraderie within the workforce.

“It's rewarding to know that the work we're doing is making a difference,” Kenny says. “That mitigates the pressure and the stress of upping your game in ways you didn't know you would have to do so quickly and so soon.

“But the reward is so much greater when you see the difference that you're making, and when people take a minute and thank you—the kindnesses that we've seen, from the community to our associates on the front line.

“There's such a shift in terms of how people treated grocery clerks prior to this experience versus now, that they realize the sacrifices they make and how critical their work is, even though it is not always celebrated. Seeing the associates experience that reward of knowing that their work is meaningful, and knowing that people are counting on them to do their work, and that [our customers] are grateful and recognizing it. That is really motivating and inspiring.

“So even when it gets hard, you're like, ‘But this is so important. Let's figure it out. And let's work harder and let's stay later. And let's try it again.’ Because it matters. It matters a lot.” ► MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

21

START FRESH THINKING continued from previous page

Below are Kenny’s written responses to other questions we asked regarding additional precautions and possible customer concerns.

1. These are certainly challenging times for everyone. What is the most important thing you want the public to know about how your stores are responding locally to the challenges posed by COVID-19? a. This is an evolving situation, and we are working hard to keep up with all new City, State and Federal guidance as it is issued. We have designated a member of our Executive Staff, Cassandra Umile R.D., to focus exclusively on this critical task. b. Our store teams are working tirelessly to keep our shelves well stocked, assist shoppers and provide a safe shopping experience, online and in-store; please be patient as we do our best to continue to serve our community through these challenging and unprecedented circumstances.

2. What additional precautions have you had to implement at your stores to ensure safety? a. Installed protective plexi-glass shields at all points of sale. b. Floor markings spaced six feet apart at points of sale and designating one-way traffic flow throughout aisles to guide and encourage social distancing. c. Every other register being used to keep cashiers and customers 6 feet apart. d. Reminders broadcasting every 15 minutes via in-store public announcement systems to promote mindfulness and reinforce social distancing. e. Limiting store to 20% capacity. f. Reduced daily shopping hours in order to allow more time for deep cleaning and restocking overnight. g. Introduced senior (65+) and high-risk shopping hour from 6am-7am every morning. h. Increased cleaning frequency by third party cleaning specialists to clean overnight and/or as needed. i. Make face masks mandatory for store teams. j. Customer service attendant assigned exclusively to clean carts for every shopper at each of our store entrances. k. Instituted curbside pick-up and delivery services for all pharmacy customers. l. Temporarily suspended self-service kiosks throughout all stores (salad bars, olive bars, coffee stations etc). m. Expanded online shopping capacity to serve online orders, via ShopRite from Home and Instacart.

3. Should shoppers be concerned about possible failures in the supply chain? a. The supply chain is experiencing complex challenges nationwide, and we are working diligently to be strong partners and support their efforts to maintain the best possible service levels during this pandemic. We are very grateful to all the businesses who are finding creative ways to jump in and support us, such as Delaware’s own Dogfish Head Brewery for their production and distribution of sanitizer for essential employees. Teamwork, flexibility and patience are key at every level from manufacturer to consumer.

22 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

4. What are some protocols that shoppers could be following to make things safer at stores? What about at home? a. At store: i. Shopping alone to reduce store crowding. ii. Wear a face covering while shopping.

1. If wearing disposable masks and/or gloves throw them out in a trash can iii. Practice safe social distancing with other customers and associates. iv. Only shop when needed, not to just get out of the house. Plan carefully and prepare a shopping list for every trip to minimize time in store and be as efficient as possible. b. At home: i. Wash cloth face coverings. ii. Leave your shoes at the door. iii. Wash hands for 20 seconds before and after shopping. iv. Unload groceries in one area.

5. Are you implementing any additional protocols at your stores that are unique to the area?

We are members of the Delaware Retail Food Industry Council and National Grocers Association, which are facilitating constant conversations for us with our fellow retailers and independent grocers in Delaware and nationwide respectively to collaborate and share best practices rather than compete regarding public safety—WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

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EL DIABLO BURRITOS – Take-out with curbside pick-up options at Pike Creek, N. Wilmington and Trolley Square locations. 11am-8pm www.eldiabloburritos.com.

EL TORO – Take-out and delivery. (Wilmington) 11am-8pm www. eltorode.com (302) 777-4417 or Cantina: (302) 543-5621.

GALLUCIO’S - Take-out and delivery via phone, Slice, or DoorDash. Daily specials available. (Wilmington) 11am- 9pm. www.gallucios-de.com (302) 655-3689.

JANSSEN’S MARKET & CAFÉ – Café open for take-out. All regular offerings. Offering Meals-To-Go for 2, 4, and 6. Curbside grocery pick-up for vulnerable populations. (Greenville) MonSat 7am-7pm; Sunday 8am-6pm. www.janssensmarket.com (302) 654-9941.

KID SHELLEEN’S – Classic menu items and to-go cocktails now being served at Harry’s Savoy Grill during renovations at Kid’s. (N. Wilmington) Wed-Sun 4-8pm. www. harryshospitalitygroup.com (302) 475-3000.

GRAIN CRAFT BAR + KITCHEN – Take-out and delivery at all three locations; curbside at Kennett Sq and H2O locations.

Open Thurs 3-8pm, Friday-Sun noon-8pm. Kennett Sq offers 32oz crowlers and bottled wine (pickup only). Kennett (484) 886-4154; Newark (302) 444-8646; H2O (302) 440-4404. meetatgrain.com.

LIMESTONE BBQ AND BOURBON – Takeout with new online ordering. Delivery through DoorDash. Wed-Sun 11am-8pm www.limestonebbqandbourbon.com (302) 274-2085.

GROTTO PIZZA - Curbside pick-up and delivery at all Delaware locations. Buy any large pizza, get 2nd half off. 11am-10pm. www.grottopizza.com.

MCGLYNNS PUB - Take-out with curbside pick-up. Open 7 days 11am-8pm. www.mcglynnspub.com Pike Creek (302) 738-7814; Glasgow (302) 834-6661.

HARRY’S SAVOY GRILL – Open for take-out and offering togo wines at half price daily. Currently feauring classic menu items from Kid Shelleen’s plus ready-to-cook meats and fresh frozen seafood to-go. (N. Wilmington) Wed-Sun 4-8pm. www. harryshospitalitygroup.com (302) 475-3000.

MEXICAN POST – Take-out, curbside or delivery with full menu. (N. Wilmington) Open 7 days/week 11am-9pm. www. mexicanpost.com/ (302) 478-3939.

HOME GROWN CAFÉ – Take-out with curbside pick-up or delivery. Full bar menu available. Open daily, 11am-8pm. Free parking. Family meals/weekly specials available plus halfprice bottles of wine. (Newark) www.homegrowncafe.com (302) 266-6993 Purchase a meal for Christiana Care healthcare workers for delivery at hospitals: gf.me/u/xt6rn9.

IRON HILL BREWERY - (Newark & Riverfront) Takeout or curbside on a limited to-go menu. Growlers/cans of beer and bottles of wine to-go. Daily specials. Kids eat free Mondays and Tuesdays. order.ironhillbrewery.com/ Riverfront (302 ) 4722739 and Newark (302) 266-9000.

LOCALE BBQ POST – Take-out with full menu plus breakfast.

(Wilmington) 10am-6pm www.localbbqpost.com (302) 655-1880.

MIKIMOTOS – Carry-out from 11:30am-7pm in Wilmington.

Sushi and limited dinner menu. UberEats delivery available.

(302) 656-8638. Online ordering available: mikimotos.com.

STEWART’S BREWING COMPANY – Curbside pick-up.

Carryout specials at 10% off. Take-out growlers available at $5 off. Offering online ordering and Grubhub delivery. Tues-Sat 12-8pm. www.stewartsbrewingcompany.com (302) 836-2739.

STITCH HOUSE BREWERY – Take-out with daily specials, plus to-go wine and beer or cocktail crowlers. Order online on website. Delivery through Grubhub. (Wilmington) Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. www.stitchhousebrewery.com (302) 250-4280.

STONE BALLOON – Takeout with Cheap Date Night specials. $5 cocktail pouches and $10 32oz pop-top bottles of beer, wine and select cocktails on tap. Delivery through DoorDash.

Wed-Sun 5-9pm www.stoneballoon.com 302-266-8111.

TED’S MONTANA GRILL – Curbside pick-up, plus select bottles of wine and beer to-go. (Christiana) Mon-Sun 11:30am8pm. Order online at www.tedsonlineorder.com then call on arrival at (302) 366-1601.

TONIC BAR & GRILL – Take-out and delivery available with new menu. Beer, wine and cocktails to-go. (Wilmington) MonSat 11:30am-7pm. www.tonicbargrille.com (302) 777-2040.

UBON THAI CUISINE – Take-out via phone or Grubhub or Postmates for delivery. (Wilmington) Tues-Sat 12-7:30pm. www.ubonthaicuisine.com (302) 656-1706.

MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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THE CITY CITY PARTNERS WITH WHYFLY TO OFFER FREE WIFI HOT SPOTS

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he City of Wilmington and local internet company WhyFly have teamed up to offer five FREE WiFi hot spots across the City where students can access the internet to help them with their studies during the COVID-19 quarantine.

According to Mayor Purzycki, the sites will remain active through July in the hope that regular school classes will resume for Wilmington students soon. Delaware schools are closed at least through May 15 by order of Gov. John Carney. The network ID at each location is “City of Wilmington” and no password is needed to log in. The WiFi hotspot locations are:

• 76ers Fieldhouse 401 Garaches Lane Mayor Purzycki joins Mindy and John Kim, owners of the Brown Bag Deli & Grocery on E. 9th St., and elected officials to distribute face masks and gloves to residents of the 3rd District in April.

COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS): WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!

• Kingswood Community Center 2300 Bowers Street • Teen Warehouse 1121 Thatcher Street

• William ‘Hicks’ Anderson Community Center 501 N. Madison Street • People’s Settlement Association 408 E. 8th Street

M

ayor Purzycki urges everyone to continue to follow the recommendations from the CDC as well as the directives of Gov. John Carney as they relate to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Visit the City of Wilmington COVID-19 web page at https://bit.ly/covid19-info-wilmde for information from City, state and federal governments regarding health, housing, food distribution, benefits for businesses and nonprofits, unemployment, education, and more. You can access important telephone numbers and websites and keep up with the latest news about the virus. For the latest on the State of Delaware’s response, visit de.gov/coronavirus. Stay informed and protect yourself and others.

26 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

• Calling 302.576.2620 for all inquiries, except Public Works and Licenses & Inspections.

• Calling 302.576.3878 for all inquiries related to Public Works.

• Calling 302.576.3030 for all inquiries related to Licenses & Inspections.

• Using a dropbox in the Redding Building lobby to make a payment for water/sewer, parking tickets, property taxes, and wage taxes.

CITY RESCINDS PUBLIC EVENTS PERMITS THROUGH THE END OF JUNE

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o stop the spread of the coronavirus, all public gathering events in Wilmington of more than 100 people – events that by law must be approved by the City – are cancelled through at least the end of June. The Governor’s State of Emergency already prohibits public gatherings of 10 or more people. Once health officials determine that public gatherings are safe, the City’s cancellation notice will be lifted and the Cultural Affairs Office will work with event organizers to reschedule events as soon as possible. This includes the iconic Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, which will celebrate its 33rd anniversary this year.

“The City continues to hold out hope that life will return to normal for all of us very soon, but reality calls for some certainty regarding events that organizers spend months planning,” said Mayor Purzycki in his April 7 announcement. “I urge all event organizers and supporters to keep their spirits up as we stand together to pull through this crisis and hope that circumstances change more quickly than anticipated.”

Mayor Purzycki reminds the public that essential City services are continuing uninterrupted as most of the men and women of City government are working either on-site or from home to keep the government functioning as efficiently as possible in the current environment. The Mayor thanks City employees for their efforts during this difficult period. He also thanked City residents for cooperating with health directives to wash hands, limit social contact and wear masks in public to prevent the spread of the virus. While City government buildings are closed to the public, City services and information are available by phone and internet. There is also a document drop off location in the lobby of Redding Government Building on French St. Options for conducting business with City government include:

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE

• Visiting https://www.wilmingtonde. gov/residents/online-payments to make an online payment.

• Using the drop box in the Redding Building lobby to deposit a completed business license application or L&I permit application, both of which are available in the lobby. A representative will contact you to process your request and arrange for you to receive the proper paperwork and to make payment if needed.

• Visiting www.WilmingtonDE.gov for business license applications from the Finance Department and L&I permit applications.

City services and programs suspended indefinitely include sheriff sales; water disconnections for delinquencies; neighborhood street cleaning; special trash pickups; ticketing, booting and towing except for serious infractions such as blocking fire hydrants, intersections and driveways; parking enforcement for metered parking as well as limited time parking in neighborhoods.

MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY! During this difficult time, there are numerous options on the Riverfront to get out, enjoy nature, and dine from some of your favorite restaurants!

While many area public attractions are temporarily closed, the Riverfront is a perfect venue to enjoy the outdoors and walk our 1.75 mile Riverwalk along the beautiful Christina River! Additionally, while DuPont Environmental Education Center is closed, DEEC’s nature trails, including the eight-mile Jack A. Markell Trail is available! Get out and enjoy some quality time in nature!

28 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

TAKE-OUT & DELIVERY OPTIONS Don’t let these difficult times stop you from enjoying all of your favorite restaurants! Many Riverfront establishments are offering carryout and delivery offers and specials: BANKS SEAFOOD KITCHEN & RAW BAR – Offering carryout for lunch and dinner, as well as a free $20 gift card for every $100 gift card purchased. Can be purchased in-store, online or mailed.

302-777-1500.

CIRO FOOD & DRINK – Offering takeout specials daily.

COSI – Open Monday-Friday from 8:00am-2:00pm for carryout or delivery through DoorDash.

302-652-8800.

DEL PEZ – Offering 10% off takeout orders for call-in at 302-691-7974, taking credit cards over the phone and providing curbside pick-up.

DOCKLANDS – Offering delivery of food, including beer, wine, and cocktails! Call 302-658-6626.

DocklandsRiverfront.com DROP SQUAD KITCHEN – Open weekdays until 8pm and Friday and Saturday until 9pm for carryout and delivery options for vegan cuisine. Call 302-984-2773. DropSquadKitchen.com IRON HILL BREWERY & RESTAURANT – Open daily for takeout and curbside pickup, for both food & beer. Can order online or by calling 302-472-2739.

STARBUCKS - Open 7:00am-5:00pm Monday-Friday and 8:00am-2:00pm on weekends. Carryout only. 302-407-6207.

TIMOTHY’S ON THE RIVERFRONT – Offering takeout and delivery daily 11:30am-8:00pm. Delivery options through DoorDash, UberEats, and ChowNow. Also offering a free roll of toilet paper with orders of $20 or more, while supplies last! 302-429-7427.

UBON THAI – Open Tuesday Thursday from 12:00-8:00pm, and Friday-Saturday from 12:00-9:00pm for takeout and delivery. Delivery offered through PostMates and GrubHub.

MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

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FOR KIDS! HOME WITH LITTLE ONES? The Delaware Children’s Museum will be posting at-home children’s activities on their Facebook page until they re-open!

Just search Delaware Children’s Museum on Facebook!

30 MAY 2020 | OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

DRIVE-THRU Saturdays Only 1-4 pm...

Weekly can specials!

Contactless payment and pick-up!

The tasting room is also open daily from 1-7 for curbside pick up.

Check our social media for all updates.

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