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A ‘Hotel’ That Comforts Families in Trying Times

When it comes to charitable contributions, many people find that a gift of time is more meaningful and can have a greater impact than a cash contribution. In the coming months, Out & About will continue to profile some of these volunteers, along with the program in which they serve. The series is run in cooperation with the state Office of Volunteerism, and we hope it will show readers how they can improve their communities by volunteering their time and talents. For information about volunteering opportunities throughout the state, visit VolunteerDelaware.org.

Volunteers are essential to Ronald McDonald House as it hosts loved ones of seriously ill children

Sara Funaiock describes the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware as “a very specialized hotel,” and that’s not solely because of its client base, the families of seriously ill children who must go to the Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Children’s Hospital across the street for treatment.

What helps make the 50-room residence special is that it has only seven people employed full-time to keep it running. “Most of the day-to-day operating parts of the house are accomplished by volunteers,” says Pam Cornforth, the organization’s president and CEO.

Volunteers who check in families when they arrive, volunteers who show the families to their rooms, volunteers who answer the phone, make coffee and even bring the food and cook dinner for an average of 85 people every night.

“We couldn’t do what we’re doing without them,” says Funaiock, the house’s volunteer manager. “They’re part of a team that operates in a very special environment.”

The volunteer army is 430 members strong, she says, and they provide “heart and soul, and a lot of things we take for granted that bring comfort to families.”

And there are plenty of families to serve. In 2017, 1,726 families stayed at the house, with the average stay a little over 10 days, Cornforth says. Many families stay a couple of days at a time, while others, depending on their child’s condition, may stay seven or eight months, perhaps longer.

No matter how long a family stays, it’s up to the volunteers to make them comfortable, so they’re rested and ready for whatever the next day brings.

Pamela Cornforth, president and CEO of the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

“I’m strictly a kitchen volunteer,” says 54-year-old Gretchen Parisi, a freelance healthcare writer from Kennett Square, Pa. Every other Wednesday morning, she arrives at the house to “clean every nook and cranny, every microwave, every counter. I clean out the refrigerators when a family checks out.”

She says she finds it rewarding “to make families’ time here as pleasant as it can possibly be under the circumstances.”

Able? Then Volunteer

Dawn DeMuth, a 55-year-old from Landenberg, Pa., who, like Parisi, has volunteered at the house for three years after a career of working for nonprofits, shares her colleague’s sentiments. While taking a break from cleaning the kitchen, she asserted that “if you’re able to give, you should volunteer. I’m fortunate that I have the time to be able to help.”

While Parisi and DeMuth are regulars on the cleanup team who pitch in wherever else they’re needed, there’s no telling what Dan Szymanski might be doing on any given day.

Szymanski, 60, from Bellefonte, “is our uber volunteer,” Parisi says.

Indeed, the retired oil refinery equipment operator estimates he now puts in about 750 hours a year at the house—and he started 15 years ago. His service is so valued that last year he was named the winner of the house’s Big Shoes to Fill Award. The recognition includes naming one of the house’s guest rooms in his honor for a year.

“I may be here a lot,” he says, “but I’m not allowed to sleep in it.”

Szymanski is at the house three days a week, sometimes for two or three hours, sometimes for eight. It depends on what’s needed on a particular day.

“He’s great. He knows so many parts of the house,” says Katie Johnson, the operations director.

Cleaning the kitchen, working the front desk, setting up and taking down holiday decorations, helping at special events, driving families to the hospital, the supermarket or the mall, even giving tours—Szymanski can do it all.

“He gives a great tour,” Johnson says, noting that Szymanski’s commentaries have resulted in the recruitment of numerous new volunteers and committee members for the house.

A Life-Changer

Volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House changed his life, Szymanski says, transforming him “from a selfish person to a very giving person.”

“Community service is something people say they want to do, and it often gets put on the back burner,” he says.  “Then, when I was 43, my parents died, my brother had a brain tumor, I lost my job, I got a divorce, so my whole life collapsed.”

He left a big house in Middletown and was living in a subsidized rental housing unit when he called a friend, Diane Thompson, who was then the house’s operations manager. “I came up here one day, to play my guitar for the kids, not knowing there aren’t too many kids here during the day, and they wouldn’t let me out the door,” says Szymanski. “They heard I could fix things, and they say, ‘before you leave, can you fix this?’ Fifteen years later, I’m still here.”

Working at the house makes Szymanski and other volunteers thankful. “When I first saw boys 8 years old who were excited because they weren’t going to have any more chemo, I started to realize that I would be OK,” he says.

While Szymanski, DeMuth and Parisi may be typical of the house’s volunteers, the program’s support comes in many different ways.

Teen volunteers, many of whom start through a 10-week summer program, are welcomed, especially since many enjoy working on craft projects or playing games with the siblings of children being treated at the hospital.

Groups provide a notable service by cooking dinner each night. Sometimes it’s a business group, or a family, or a social club, or even a team of nurses from the hospital, but it usually takes a team of about 10 people who buy the food, bring it to the house, prepare it in the oversized kitchen and serve an average of 85 people a night. Staff members give the dinner crew serving tips before they arrive and explain the basics of safe food preparation before they start cooking, Funaiock says.

She is proud that the house’s volunteers seem to serve as the program’s greatest ambassadors, often recruiting another family member, a roommate or a friend or neighbor to join the team.

“When they see what our families are going through, they immediately know that they are bringing comfort. It’s not that they’re solving a problem, but they’re going one step toward helping them,” she says. “They know they’re part of something bigger, a community coming together to help these families.”

Seeking Volunteers

The Ronald McDonald House is seeking volunteers who can make a regular commitment to a minimum of two three-hour shifts each month for six months to one year. The house has a particular need for adult volunteers, post-high school, over 18 years old, on weekend shifts, from 6-9 p.m. Friday through 6-9 p.m. Sunday. Enrollment begins March 1 for summer teen volunteers, who are asked to commit to serving one three-hour shift weekly for 10 weeks.

More details are available at the Ronald McDonald House website, rmhde.org, or by contacting Sara Funaiock, s.funaiock@rmhde.org.

Buy a Shamrock Shake, Help Ronald McDonald House

If you stop at a McDonald’s restaurant this month, top off your Big Mac or Happy Meal with a Shamrock Shake. You’ll be helping the Ronald McDonald House. The campaign is the result of a partnership among Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Eagles and McDonald’s that led to the opening of the first Ronald McDonald’s House in Philadelphia in 1974.

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Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Hazy New England IPAs—once hard to come by—are getting a boost from local brewers, including West Chester’s Levante

My wife and I have a game we play. Perhaps there’s someone in your life with whom you play it, too. It’s called “can I have a sip of that?”

It’s usually played when I’m drinking beer and she’s drinking wine. She asks for a sip from my pint or bottle, hoping what she finds might be to her liking. Since I am invariably drinking an India pale ale, I usually warn her: “You won’t like it. It’s pretty hoppy.”

Nine times out of 10 she agrees, after scrunching up her face at the upfront bitterness and handing the vessel back.

It’s not an unusual scenario in the beer world. Maybe it’s a non-beer drinker looking to branch out, or someone who started his beer drinking at college keggers with fizzy, soda-like pilsners. Either way, that first hoppy slap in the mouth of an IPA was off-putting and perhaps dissuaded someone who was honestly trying to broaden his or her taste from expanding further.

It was almost as if brewers, for the longest time, were issuing a challenge, with each IPA coming out with more of a hops punch than the last. Drinkers, it seemed, were being dared to take a bitter hit, say thank you and then get up for more.

The hazy appearence, with creamy and tropical flavors, are characteristic of New England style IPAs.

But along the way, brewers in Vermont were taking a different tack. In 2011, at The Alchemist brewery in Waterbury, there emerged a new brew called Heady Topper, which flipped the script on an IPA’s typical hops flavor. It was a brew that, while still technically an IPA, presented something far different from what most craft beer drinkers were used to. Instead of a clear amber color, crispness on the tongue and bitter bite, this new IPA, which poured cloudy, proffered front notes of floral, fruit and citrus, and a creamy, dessert-like mouth feel.

Once word got out, the lines started to form. Drawn by murmurings in the beer world, fans of the new IPA—who, seeking to distinguish it from its more bitter West Coast version, began calling it Vermont or New England IPA—lined up for the hard-to-get canned releases. Nearby brewers got wind and reverse engineered their own versions of this new variation on the venerable IPA.

Picking Up on the Trend

With the emergence of what has come to be known as the New England IPA, however, those reluctant beer drinkers who up till now suspected the craft beer world was a hop lovers-only affair might change their minds. And fortunately for those who’ve already discovered the creamy, cloudy delights of this evolution in the beer world, local breweries and beer drinkers are picking up on the trend.

Beer aficionado Dana Dillon is a perfect example. The resident of Lincoln University, Pa., just over the state line from Newark, grew up in Ohio as a drinker of wine and “crap beer—mostly because wine was too expensive,” she says. Later, she moved up to more flavorful—but still corporate—beers like Killian’s Red and Blue Moon. But it wasn’t until she moved to Pennsylvania and discovered Downingtown’s Victory Brewing that she fell in love with craft brewing.

“Victory was my gateway,” she says. “I was like, ‘There are good things?’”

As she worked her way into craft beer culture, it didn’t take long for her to get word of Heady Topper and—because it has never been sold outside of a 25-mile radius from the Vermont brewery—its almost forbidden delights. Fans formed queues for canned releases like they were camping out for Springsteen tickets, traveling across states and trading for cans when they couldn’t make the journey, turning the pursuit of a true New England IPA into something akin to Jason and the Argonauts chasing down the mythical golden fleece.

Levante Brewing Company’s Cloudy & Cumbersome IPA has been so popular that they brew it almost weekly.

But in the early days before Heady Topper became such a commodity, it met with something of a marketing problem. It was cloudy.

“People are used to clear beers and [the brewery] didn’t want you to pour it in a glass if you hadn’t had it because it was cloudy,” Dillon says. “But then people got used to that cloudy thing and it’s sort of taken off from there. They’re very drinkable, and I think that makes it a little more accessible to people who think they might not like IPAs. It can have such a variety of flavor—you can have coconut, citrus, strawberry—and it fits in better with that style than a hoppy West Coast IPA.”

While the quest for home-grown New England IPAs continues (The Alchemist has instituted a three four-pack limit on Heady Topper purchases), nearby brewers have begun their own experiments in the New England style.

Taking It to Its Limits

Along Philadelphia’s Main Line, Ardmore’s Tired Hands Brewing Co. has begun offering a couple of styles that, while not labeled as such, hew to the new traditions of the New England IPA. American pale ale HopHands throws in oats and three kinds of hops with a juicy finish that suggests notes of citrus, honeysuckle and kiwi.

And not be outdone, Tired Hands has, with its Fruit Punch Milkshake IPA, taken the style to its limits, with oats, hibiscus and lactose sugar added in the brewing process. The nearly-finished brew is conditioned with Madagascar vanilla beans and a variety of tart fruit purees, then dry hopped with Mosaic and Citra varieties.

Down the road in West Chester, Pa., the brew masters at Levante Brewing have crafted their own takes on the New England IPA with their Cloudy and Cumbersome, Spring Till and Tickle Parts varieties. 

Even though cans of its New England IPAs typically sell out, Levante Brewing Company usually has them on draft for customers to try in its taproom.

The first batch of Cloudy and Cumbersome, cooked up in the brewery’s one-barrel (31-gallon) brew kettle, was Head Brewer Greg Harris’ attempt to recreate the flavors of a Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail in beer form, says Assistant Brewer Spencer Holm. The original batch started with a wheat-and-oat-heavy malt base aged in a rum barrel, which was then finished with lime leaves, ginger and additional hops.

“It was such a big hit that we scaled up the original malt base, got rid of the ginger and lime leaf and kicked up the hops,” Holm says.

That was the fall of 2016, and the initial demand was so great that the brewery found it impossible to keep up. The variety went into a periodic brewing schedule, but staff noticed that customers in the taproom were enjoying it on tap, in growlers and in on-demand-canned “crowlers.” At the same time, local bars and restaurants that stock Levante’s draft selections were looking for a locally-brewed New England IPA to serve. “It’s hard to find a New England IPA available for production, so since then we’ve been brewing it almost every week,” Holm says.

Low Bitterness

As for its appeal, Holm notes that the first thing that always comes to mind is the low bitterness, despite the IPA’s reputation for the opposite. That’s a result of adding the hops later, preserving the flavor profile while not allowing it to break down over the brewing process. The variety’s signature creaminess is achieved through the combination of specialty grains, such as oats and wheat, and by adding lactose sugar to the boil.

“It may seem like dumping a lot of hops in later would be the golden ticket, but what we’re trying to do is find a balance between the varieties of hops and the malt interaction, so all the ingredients are still noticeable,” Holm says.

“It just seems to hit the spot taste-wise kind of across the board, whether it’s summer and you want something refreshing or whether it’s winter and you want some kind of tropical escape,” he says. “It’s much more approachable. It’s really hard to find an alienating quality of this style.”

The appeal of Levante’s New England IPAs isn’t going unnoticed, with locals and “beer tourists” now forming lines outside the brewery on release days for cans of Cloudy and Cumbersome much like those at the Vermont breweries that launched the trend. Holm says he’s beginning to see cans traded online and in invitation-only beer groups on Facebook.

But waiting in line for canned beer and enjoying a draft in Levante’s taproom are two different experiences, and Holm says the brewery considers keeping on-site customers coming back to relax over a pint or two. So even though canned releases of Cloudy and Cumbersome typically sell out, it and several other New England IPA varieties are usually available on draft.

Asked to theorize about the legs of the New England IPA trend, Holm hesitates, but does note that aspects of the New England IPA style have influenced brewers not just to recreate it, but to take elements and apply them to other styles.

“The style is going to continue to get more refined as the drinkers determine what they enjoy most,” he says. “It’s definitely the drinker that dictates what breweries end up brewing.”

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50 Ways Delaware Gives Back

Delaware is not only The First State, it may be—pound for pound, so to speak—the best state. To prove that point, for this second annual Optimism Issue the staff of Out & About put together a list of 50 ways the people, the organizations, and even the government of Delaware give back. And we’re convinced it’s only a partial list, so if you have some suggestions, feel free to drop us an email or contact us on Facebook. In the meantime, count your blessings. Here are 50 of them:

1. The Delaware Charity Challenge provides fundraising opportunities through 5K races and other athletic events in which teams vie for prize money for the charity they represent. The Challenge has helped teams collectively raise more than $150,000 for nonprofits and charities since its inception in 2015.

2. Now in its 12th year, University of Delaware’s dance marathon charity event, UDance, is the school’s largest student-run philanthropy and has raised more than $7.15 million dollars for the Andrew McDonough B+ (Be Positive) Foundation, which supports medical research and financial assistance for families of children with cancer nationwide.

3. With roots tracing back to the 1830s, the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington provides critical direct care and human services to more than 100,000 individuals and families in need, regardless of their religious affiliation.

4. The “We’ve Got You Covered” campaign, sponsored by Wilmington’s Greenhill Pharmacy, each year provides blankets to those in need. This winter, some 3,700 new blankets were distributed.

5. Since 1972, St. Patrick’s Center has provided Wilmington’s East Side with emergency food, meals, respite for the homeless, clothing, transportation, and recreational activities. The Center nourishes 1,500 families each month with help from a team of staff and volunteers.

6. The Sunday Breakfast Mission has been providing Delawareans in need with meals, shelter, and even basic medical services since 1983. This past Christmas, the Mission held a special toy store shopping event in Wilmington for families in need, and parents of more than 400 children were able to pick out toys, books and games from 2,000 gifts that were donated by the community.

7. The Ministry of Caring has provided the homeless and working poor with meaningful care and services since 1976. On Sunday, April 29, at Harry’s Ballroom, 2020 Naamans Rd., the Ministry will host the Emmanuel Dining Room Auction, which will help to feed the 180,000 visitors annually at its three sites located in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Wilmington and New Castle. To register to attend the auction, purchase Grand Raffle tickets, or purchase a sponsorship, call Cindy Gamble at 516-1069.

8. The Delaware Community Foundation plays a vital role in the philanthropic scene in Delaware, allocating funds to many organizations. Last year, the foundation awarded $253,152 to 18 organizations.

9. The annual Dancing with the Delaware Stars event, now in its eighth year, took place at the Dover Downs Hotel on Jan. 27. This event benefits both Mom’s House of Wilmington, which provides free child care for single parents attending either high school or college, and the Boys & Girls Club of Delaware, which offers affordable before- and after-school care for kids from kindergarten through high school. Last year’s event generated a landmark amount of almost $200,000, which was split evenly between the two organizations.

10. Dewey bartender Kacey O’Brian started “Donation Tuesday,” a weekly event at Woody’s Bar & Grill in Dewey Beach, last May. One hundred percent of the tips go to a local charity in addition to money earned from raffling local artwork. O’Brien was inspired by the special donation event held at Woody’s for the family of fallen Delaware State Police Cpl. Stephen Ballard.

11. Millville Pet Stop provides owners the opportunity to have a photograph taken of their pet on “Santa Paw’s” lap at Christmas time for a $10 fee. Proceeds from the annual event help several local charities that focus on animal welfare.

12. The Ronald McDonald House provides a safe, affordable “home-away-from-home” for families of children who are undergoing serious medical treatment. Along with the house, there are Ronald McDonald family rooms in pediatric units in three Delaware hospitals.

13. The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, with the help of more than 90 volunteers, went to work this past December, planting 12,000 trees on 12 acres of land at the Perry Tract of the Angola Neck Preserve. This latest effort completes the four-year project to convert 36 acres to forested land.

14. For 14 years, Bob Reese has been running the annual “Feed the Troops” event. Last year, Reese, along with dozens of volunteers, Dover Motorsports, and the 512th Airlift Wing, hosted the annual holiday dinner in Hangar 792 for dayshift and nightshift personnel at Dover Air Force Base.

15. John Walsh, of Lewes, last November received the AARP Andrus Award for his volunteer work on behalf of senior Delawareans. Walsh has spent his retirement helping the elderly as an AARP advocacy volunteer and has been effective in moving legislation on various issues, including manufactured housing, caregiving, transportation, and other issues senior Delawareans face.

16. The Plantation Lakes community of Millsboro last year raised $4,700 for local breast cancer programs and services and donated it to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, which since 1991 has been at the forefront in addressing issues women of Delaware face regarding breast cancer.

17. Priya Jayakumar, a ninth grader from Bear, started Charity Crossing two years ago with her family. This winter, Charity Crossing provided socks for those in need. Priya raised awareness about this issue by having Feb. 14 recognized as “Socks for the Homeless” day in Delaware.

18. Middletown’s Kevin Schatz has made volunteering the main objective of his local brewery, aptly named Volunteer Brewing Company. The staff and customers are engaged in volunteer opportunities, with the goal of improving their town and maintaining the small town feel so many associate with Middletown.

19. The annual Best of Delaware party, set for Aug. 2 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, will raise funds for worthy local causes while at the same time celebrating people, places, services and restaurants that have received the esteemed Best of Delaware award. Order tickets at delawaretoday.com for $60, or purchase them at the door for $75.

20. Southern Delaware’s nonprofit organization Next Gen last year held a Chow Down for Charity Dinner that raised some $12,000 for three youth organizations dealing with addiction prevention, active addiction treatment and reentry into society.

21. Competing for a cause, and not just a trophy, is the slogan of the Cheer for Charity event that is coming to Newark on March 18. This regional competition for young cheerleaders got its start in Delaware in 2006, and since then it has raised more than $310,000 for the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

22. Founded in 1946, the United Way of Delaware (UWDE) has a mission of advancing the common good by focusing on the strategic areas of early education, college, career readiness, and financial stability. This past year the UWDE exceeded its $1.2 million year-end goal by raising more than $1.4 million.

23. Operation Warm is a program run by Wilmington Firefighters Association Local 1590. They work with the community to raise money to purchase new, American-made coats for children in need. They not only help local children, but also contribute to saving jobs and supporting American businesses.

24. Through a federal grant, the Delaware Forest Service offers up to $40,000 each year to communities throughout the state for tree planting, tree care, and tree management. The program is dedicated to enhancing Delaware’s community forests, which play a critical role in our quality of life.  More at delawaretrees.com.

25. The IN Wilmington Campaign co-hosts an annual “INtheSpirit” holiday party with co-working space The Mill. Last year, 10 local restaurants and breweries, more than 20 area artists and musicians, and 250 community members joined in to help 32 needy Wilmington children/families and to highlight arts talent in Wilmington. Overall, the event provided 104 presents, gift cards and financial contributions totaling more than $1,000 for families in need.

26. Mélomanie—known for musical “provocative pairings”—also pairs with charities to expand community experiences and to provide for those in need. For the past two years, Mélomanie has contributed two-week music classes to middle and high school students of UrbanPromise. To benefit the Sunday Breakfast Mission and Friendship House, the ensemble invited audience members to contribute gloves and hats for residents in exchange for free admission to a winter concert.

27. The Delaware State Employee Art Exhibition is an annual free event designed to give artists at all skill levels a unique opportunity to exhibit their creative work and to compete for cash prizes. All participants are current employees of the State of Delaware, or immediate family members. This year’s exhibition will be at Delaware State University Art Center/Gallery, Dover, from Feb. 26-March 19. The awards ceremony and reception will be on Sunday, March 18, from 1-3 p.m. For more information, visit arts.delaware.gov.

28. Jonathan W. Whitney joined the Delaware Art Museum last July in a newly created position to foster and grow community engagement in and around the Museum. His role is to produce Connected, a free program series that features events produced by and for the community. Past events included art therapy with people affected by cancer, and a special program called “Portraits of Wilmington,” where artists drew more than 40 portraits of Wilmingtonians from all walks of life. For more information, visit delart.org.

29. C.E.R.T.S., Inc. was founded to support young adults with multiple severe disabilities through an active, movement-oriented day program. In addition to its physical and occupational therapies, it offers art therapy, through Art Therapy Express, whose therapists provide hands-on sessions and use specialty molded tools made by University of Delaware students in the Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Department. The students created arm splints and rollers to provide maximum support and promote independent art expression. For more information, visit arttherapyexpress.wordpress.com.

30. Delaware has approximately 506 miles of public trails and multi-use pathways, thanks to state and county initiatives.

31. In 2017, Delaware Wild Lands (DWL) planted 21,000 trees in the Great Cypress Swamp in Frankford. Since 2011, as part of DWL’s sustainable forest management program, 194,000 trees have been planted and 160 acres have been added to the swamp.

32. Delaware Nature Society, dedicated to protecting and enhancing natural biodiversity and environmental education, manages more than 1,850 acres of land in Delaware and southeast Pennsylvania and protects more than 100,000 acres. Plus, volunteers contribute 20,000 hours of work annually.

33. Over the years, Delaware Wild Lands has done wetlands restoration work in all three counties. The latest project at Milford Neck in Kent County is known as “Deadwoods” because saltwater killed a distinctive stand of old trees there. However, DWL’s restoration work expanded freshwater wetlands and made these 12 acres more resistant to future saltwater intrusion.

34. The Red Clay Valley Scenic Byway is in the process of becoming a National Wildlife Federation Certified Habitat Community. The Byway comprises 28 secondary roads within the Red Clay Creek watershed and is the first in the U.S. to be based on the watershed model. If you own a home, business, or other land within the Byway, then making your land a Certified Wildlife Habitat will help achieve this goal.

35. Last summer, Gordons Pond Trail in Cape Henlopen State Park saw 700 visitors per day on weekends and 500 on weekdays. Combined with other area trails, the Gordons Pond Trail figures prominently in the evolving 15-mile regional trail system between Lewes and Rehoboth. Last fall, the trail became a prime location for birders, too, according to DNREC and Delaware State Parks.

36. Construction is underway on the Assawoman Canal Trail in Ocean View. When finished, the one-mile long trail will link Route 26, Central Avenue and Elliott Avenue in Ocean View, providing new recreational trail opportunities for biking and walking. More important, the trail is part of a regional trail, pathway and sidewalk network linking ocean-area roads.

37. There are currently 111,400 food insecure Delawareans, a number volunteers, contributions and the Food Bank has helped lower over the past few years. The Food Bank is currently serving 4,201 meals each week through its After-School Meal Program for kids. In 2017, it distributed 7.7 million pounds of food throughout the state—an increase of 604,000 pounds.

38. Delaware restaurateurs, in collaboration with the Delaware Restaurant Association, are helping to develop the culinary leaders of tomorrow through the Delaware ProStart Program (a culinary and management education initiative for high school students). The program is largely funded through grants, donations and sponsorships. Currently, 18 high schools in the state are participating.

39. The Delaware restaurants and foodservice companies currently provide 49,200 jobs in Delaware, accounting for 11 percent of the employment in the state. Ninety percent of these businesses engage in some type of charitable activity, resulting in tens of millions of dollars pumped back into the local community.

40. The revamped Slam Dunk to the Beach debuted four years ago and has grown ever since, becoming one of the state’s premier sporting events. Says Dr. Matt Robinson, chairman of the Delaware Sports Commission. “Sports is an important and expanding segment of the tourism industry in Delaware. Since 2009 the events DSC has worked with have generated more than $60 million in economic impact.”

41. The Wilmington Grand Prix has been named to USA Cycling’s national calendar for the 11th straight year and will bring an international cycling field to Downtown Wilmington May 18-20. The event has generated more than $3.5 million since 2012.

42. The Buccini/Pollin Group is scheduled to build a 140,000-square-foot, 2,500-seat multipurpose sports complex and youth training center near U.S. 13 and Garasches Lane on the east side of the Christina River. The facility, to be called the 76ers Fieldhouse, will be home for the 87ers basketball team, a 76ers minor league affiliate, and will provide athletic training opportunities to the area’s underserved youth.

43. On Jan. 20, for the second year in a row, the Beau Biden Foundation partnered with the Delaware 87’ers for a night of basketball, safety, and fun at the Bob Carpenter Center as the Sevens took on the Erie BayHawks. The Sevens showed their support for the Foundation and the protection of children by wearing Beau Biden Foundation jerseys. Some 500 kids got a Beau Biden Foundation basketball, and the Foundation received a portion of ticket sales.

44. Some 800 volunteers serve on a rotation schedule on 65 delivery routes each day for City Fare, one of five meal delivery programs run by Meals On Wheels Delaware (MOWD). Last year, City Fare delivered about 300,000 meals throughout Wilmington and New Castle County. Statewide, MOWD delivered 727,418 meals to 4,093 seniors ages 60 and over in 2016.

45. Dogfish Head Brewery annually donates an estimated $500,000 to more than 200 groups through financial sponsorships, donated beer, the Dogfish Dash and other special events. Its tasting room and tour team will give away their tips from 2017 (in excess of $50,000) to more than a dozen non-profits.

46. The state continues to give back to its citizenry through its Greenways Program. When construction wraps up in a few months on the Wilmington-New Castle Greenway (aka the Markell Trail), Delaware will gain a remarkable new asset: a flat, paved, and nearly uninterrupted non-motorized seven-mile route between the Wilmington Riverfront and downtown New Castle.

47. Since 2012, and including figures for the current show, more than 100 musicians will have put more than 8,500 hours into rehearsals for the Shine A Light series of concerts. These sold-out shows have helped raise a net profit of more than $500,000 for the Light Up The Queen Foundation, a local non-profit focusing on community-building through programs in arts, music, education, workforce development and mentoring.

48. Through dozens of concerts since 2006, hundreds of area musicians and administrative volunteers have donated their time to the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, an environmental group focused mainly on local water quality and quantity. Eight years of DeadFest concerts combined with the Jam on the Brandywine series (2006-2016) have help raise more than $275,000 toward the alliance’s restoration and conservation efforts.

49. Volunteers from Harvey, Hanna & Associates and dozens of area breweries—in partnership with Penn Cinema—helped raise more than $45,000 for local non-profits last year as a result of the monthly Movies On Tap series, which pairs regional craft beers with classic movies. For more details on Movies On Tap, see the article on page 57.

50. Christiana Care Health System and WXPN continue to partner with area musicians to bring WXPN’s Musicians On Call program to patients at Christiana Care’s Wilmington Hospital, which is coordinated locally through Christiana Care’s Volunteer Services. Since 2014, area artists have brought the power of music to more than 6,100 patients, family members and hospital staff members.

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Volunteering Made Easy

The state Office of Volunteerism plays matchmaker for worthy causes and Delawareans who want to donate their time

When it comes to charitable contributions, many people find that a gift of their time is more meaningful and can have a greater impact on their communities than a cash contribution. In the coming months, Out & About will profile some of these volunteers, along with the programs in which they serve. The series is being developed in cooperation with the state Office of Volunteerism, which is the subject of our first installment.

As State Volunteer Services Coordinator, Clare Garrison has learned that little things—like a cookie—can mean a lot.

That was brought home to her not long ago when she participated in the annual “Bake the Night Away” event at Delcastle Technical High School. Now in its 10th year, the Christmas holiday event brings together culinary arts students and adults from the community to bake dozens of cookies, package them and deliver them to police stations around the state. It’s a small gesture, a way of thanking the men and women whose duty is to keep us safe.

As one baking and packaging session wrapped up, a Delcastle student turned to Garrison and said, “You know, I never realized that a cookie could mean so much.”

That’s just one example of why Garrison takes pride in her work at the New Castle County office on Du Pont Highway. During her 20 years there, the Newark resident has handled a variety of duties in an operation whose focus is matchmaking—helping people who want to help find a program or an organization that’s looking for helpers.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be a volunteer,” says Tara Wiggins, program officer for AmeriCorps, the national service program that operates in Delaware through the Office of Volunteerism.

Ananya Singh, a volunteer with Global Youth H.E.L.P. Inc., winner of the 2017 Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards in the Community Service Category. Photo courtesty of the State Office of Volunteerism

Young or merely young in spirit, skilled or simply eager, volunteers can find ways to help just about anywhere in the state—and with good reason.

Delaware’s nonprofit organizations have been squeezed from all directions. A state revenue shortfall last year resulted in a 20 percent cut in grant-in-aid funding to nonprofits, not to mention other reductions in contracted services these agencies provide to the state. The shrinkage of big businesses and the departure of headquarters operations have trimmed corporate philanthropy. And the recent changes in federal tax laws are expected to reduce the number of Delawareans who itemize deductions, leaving nonprofits fearful that individuals won’t give, or will give less, if they can’t write off the contribution on their taxes.

In this environment, it’s increasingly important for Delawareans to do what they can to help nonprofit organizations meet their critical needs.

Easy-to-use website

That’s where the state Office of Volunteerism comes in.

With a staff of 21 people, the agency performs yeoman’s work, work that has been made much easier in recent years through development of an easy-to-use interactive website, VolunteerDelaware.org and the Volunteer Delaware page on Facebook.

Years ago, Garrison says, people interested in volunteering would call the office, answer questions from the staff about their interests and then have to wait a week or so while a staffer checked a database for suitable opportunities. “By the time we got back to them, many of them had moved on” and found other things to do with their time, she says.

Now, finding a volunteer match is just a few clicks away.

Would you like to help a child learn to read? Deliver meals to the elderly? Clean up a park? Guide tours at a museum? Opportunities like these—and hundreds more—are easy to find at VolunteerDelaware.org.

Organizations seeking volunteer help need only log on to the site, create an account, and fill out a form. Once the office verifies that the organization is a legitimate nonprofit, it can start posting its volunteer needs on the site, says Deborah Tokarski, the state’s volunteer services administrator for marketing.

As of mid-January, there were 885 organizations using the site and more than 4,200 volunteer opportunities posted, Wiggins says. “And we’re looking for more agencies to use our service,” she adds.

Prospective volunteers can browse the website to search for opportunities. Plugging in a keyword, like “reading” or “museum,” can simplify the search. Entering the days you’re available and your ZIP Code can narrow opportunities to those that fit your schedule and are easily accessible.

Once you identify opportunities you like, you will have to create an account on the site so the agencies can be notified of your interest.

Prospective volunteers who aren’t tech savvy, or who don’t have access to a computer, may call the Office of Volunteerism to ask about opportunities.  In New Castle County, call Garrison at 255-9899.

Organizations seeking volunteers have varying requirements, Garrison says. Some of the details are described on links from the website, and others you’ll find out about when the organization contacts you.

For example, some organizations look for volunteers with specific skills, while others require participation in a few hours of training or orientation before you can start serving.

In recent years, Wiggins says, there have been changes in how organizations seek out volunteers. “We suggest that they seek out skilled volunteers and use them for purposes that match their skills,” she says. “If you can recruit an accountant, do you want to have them stuffing envelopes?”

It is often preferable, she says, “to ask what this person can do for you, rather than to have canned opportunities.”

Flexible scheduling

Volunteering doesn’t have to take a lot of time, and the office encourages organizations to tailor their opportunities to the availability of the people who are eager to help.

“We encourage agencies to be flexible,” Tokarski says. “Some people want to go to Florida in the winter, or to the beach in the summer, or they want something they can do at their convenience, for one day a week, or two days a week, or even from their homes.”

Venessa Lundy works on one of the Habitat for Humanity houses on 11th Street in Wilmington. Photo Don Blake

The Office of Volunteerism also provides a gateway to a pair of programs aimed primarily at the state’s 50-plus demographic.

One of them, aptly named Volunteer Delaware 50+, places volunteers in that age group with agencies that agree to keep track of the hours volunteers put in. Participants qualify for recognition events and other awards based on hours and years of service. About 200 agencies are linked to the 50+ program, which had nearly 1,500 active volunteers last year.

The other, Foster Grandparents, places individuals 55 and older with limited incomes in assignments supporting young children at daycare centers, Head Start programs, schools and youth and family service centers for 15 to 40 hours a week. Participants receive a non-taxable hourly stipend, monthly training, an annual physical exam and other benefits. Last year, Foster Grandparents attracted 184 volunteers statewide, who served more than 192,000 hours and assisted more than 1,100 children.

AmeriCorps members, who typically serve for a year or more, clean parks and trails or participate in financial literacy, housing and job training programs. Members receive health insurance, childcare assistance if necessary and eligible, and student loan deferment (for eligible loans). And upon successful completion of their term of service, members receive an education award that can be used to repay qualified student loans or put toward future education endeavors, along with personal and professional development opportunities including professional certifications. Last year, Delaware had 138 AmeriCorps members.

In addition, the office administers the Delaware Volunteer Credit program, which enables high school students to earn one credit toward graduation by devoting 90 hours to community service during the school year.

While volunteers get involved because of their desire to support their communities, their service warrants public recognition, Tokarski says, and it is provided through annual awards. Last year, the programs recognized 14 individuals, 13 groups and three others for lifetime achievement as well as 13 youths and five youth groups.

Volunteering, Tokarski and Garrison say, can benefit participants as well as the agencies they serve. It can be a step toward a new career or a rewarding activity in retirement, an opportunity to meet new people, make friends or broaden horizons.

And, like the high school student Garrison enjoys talking about, it’s a way to do something little that has a way of making a big impact.

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Banking on Change

Starting with 100 properties priced from $2,000 to $5,000, the Wilmington Land Bank is hoping to transform blocks, even neighborhoods, that have seen better days

More than 40 years ago, Wilmington stepped forward as a national leader in creating initiatives to decrease the number of tax-delinquent properties in urban areas.

In 1973, Mayor Thomas C. Maloney and City Council established an urban homesteading program that awarded properties to qualified buyers who pledged to fix them up and make them their homes. The price: one dollar.

At the start, the program proved so popular that a lottery was held in 1974 to choose the winners of the first available houses. A DuPont Co. attorney, Daniel S. Frawley, was the first name selected. He chose and rehabbed a home at 801 W. 10th St., triggering a revival of the now popular Trinity Vicinity neighborhood. Frawley went on to become a member of the Wilmington Board of Education, a member of City Council and, finally, the city’s mayor from 1985 to 1993. (Frawley died of a heart attack during a basketball game in 1994 at the age of 50.)

Over time, the homesteading program fell by the wayside, and the problem of blighted and tax-delinquent properties endured. Currently there are about 1,400 vacant and blighted parcels in Wilmington.

So the city has turned to a new mechanism, the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, to take on the challenge of transforming blocks, and even neighborhoods, that have fallen on hard times.

As the new year began, the land bank had assembled an inventory of about 100 properties and was getting ready to offer them to interested buyers, most likely by the end of January.

The purchase price will be more than the single dollar that Dan Frawley and the other early homesteaders paid, “but it will be relatively low,” on the order of $2,000 to $5,000, says Christian Willauer, the land bank’s executive director.

But the expectation, Willauer says, is that the buyers will have to spend $100,000 or so to make the properties habitable. “They’re definitely fixer-uppers,” she says. “They’re not move-in ready. Many will need new electric, new heat, new plumbing.”

Combatting blight

Land banks got their start in the United States in 1971, in St. Louis. As with Wilmington’s original homesteading program, they were seen as a way to combat the blight that developed as urban industries collapsed and city residents fled to the suburbs. Interest in land banks revived about a decade ago with the real estate market collapse and the foreclosure crisis that followed. There are now about 200 land banks nationwide.

Land Bank Executive Director Christian Willauer stands in front of 509 Concord Ave., another of the units to be offered. Photo Jim Coarse

Interest in a land bank for Wilmington began developing about five years ago. Then, in 2015, the General Assembly passed a law authorizing local governments to create land banks, and the Wilmington City Council did that later in the year. It took most of 2016 for the land bank to organize a board of directors, secure its nonprofit status, write bylaws and take care of related legal issues. Last February, it hired Willauer, who had been the head of Cornerstone West, the economic development arm of the West End Neighborhood House, as its executive director. The organization’s only employee, she spent most of last year pulling the organizational pieces together—raising money, securing insurance, developing a system for managing properties, and figuring out a process for finding good owners for rundown properties.

The land bank is getting started with about $3 million in seed money, which will be used primarily to buy and manage properties. The city put up $1.5 million and the state kicked in $645,000 from its Strong Neighborhoods Housing Fund. Then Barclaycard US stepped forward with a $1 million grant—“more than we’ve ever given before,” according to Joceyln Stewart, the bank’s community reinvestment officer and a member of the land bank’s board of governors.

The city and Barclaycard contributions have a shared purpose, but they were made for different reasons.

“The city has not supported this function very well,” Mayor Mike Purzycki says, referring to its oversight of blighted properties. He thinks the land bank can do it better. “You’re taking a responsibility away from agencies that have multiple tasks and giving it to an agency that has one focus: redevelopment and conveying properties to developers,” he says.

City Council President Hanifa Shabazz says she expects the land bank to “work in concert with the city to convert vacant, abandoned and blighted properties and lots to stimulate economic development and neighborhood revitalization.”

While Purzycki looks back and sees ineffectiveness, Stewart looks forward with a hopeful eye. “We believe this can make a difference—citywide,” she says. “There are a lot of us here who really believe in Wilmington, who love this city and will rally behind it.”

Three types of programs

The land bank’s current holdings, Willauer says, are a mix of structures and vacant land, most of them transferred from the city’s stock of abandoned properties. By the end of 2018, she expects the inventory to grow to about 300 parcels and anticipates it will stabilize near that level, with the land bank selling off about as many properties as it acquires on a year-to-year basis.

Willauer says the land bank, as it gets up and running, will have three types of programs: homesteading, urban gardening and side lots.

In the homesteading component, rundown structures will be sold to qualified buyers who commit to rehabilitating the properties within one year of acquisition.

As of mid-December, the details of the homesteading system were still being worked out. Basic rules will likely include requirements that buyers can’t owe the city any money for back taxes or delinquent utility bills and that they will have to meet rehab specifications within a year or risk having to turn the property back to the land bank. “There will be some clawback provisions to hold the buyer accountable,” Willauer says.

What is for certain is that prospective buyers would receive a set of specifications from the land bank, detailing improvements that would have to be made to the property. They could then share those specifications with contractors and financial institutions to determine how much the work would cost and how much financing they could secure.

Interested parties would then submit their plans to the land bank board, and those who submit the most complete proposals would be awarded the properties, Willauer says.

The homes, mostly traditional row homes, vary in size, but most have two to four bedrooms. They tend to be in neighborhoods that don’t get a lot of activity in the local residential real estate market. “They need a more targeted approach to get back into use,” Willauer says.

While she often uses $100,000 as a ballpark figure for rehabilitation costs, the actual price will depend on the buyer’s taste and needs, because the condition of the homes will give purchasers plenty of leeway on things like designing and equipping the kitchen, baths and laundry areas.

One of the goals of the homesteading effort is to provide housing opportunities to renters and to those who lost their homes during the foreclosure crisis, Willauer says. To help achieve that objective, the land bank plans to assist buyers by work with agencies like the Delaware State Housing Authority on financing packages and Habitat for Humanity for first-time homeowner counseling.

“We’re not looking for gentrification,” Stewart says. “We’re interested in growing wealth.”

A variation of the land bank’s homesteading initiative involves partnering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. Habitat likes to secure packages of adjoining properties so it can transform entire blocks, and the land bank, by acquiring foreclosed properties through the city and purchasing nearby properties on its own, can make that happen.

Recently, Habitat transferred ownership of a property it owns on East 22nd Street to the land bank, which already owns an adjacent property. For now, the land bank is maintaining both parcels. When Habitat is ready to begin its construction project, the land bank will transfer ownership of both parcels to Habitat.

Urban agriculture

Similarly, in West Center City, an area that Purzycki and Shabazz have targeted for revitalization, Willauer expects the bank to become involved in assembling adjoining parcels into a contiguous package for redevelopment.

When Willauer speaks of “urban gardening,” she offers a range of possibilities for vacant lots or parcels that contain structures for which demolition is the best option. In some situations, residents of a block or a neighborhood association might want to acquire a lot that could be transformed into a community garden or a pocket park.

Rather than sell such properties, the land bank would consider lease arrangements with community groups, she says.

“Side lots,” smaller properties held by the land bank that are adjacent to owner-occupied homes, might not be suitable for redevelopment but they could make attractive additions to the footprint of the homeowner’s property, Willauer says. The land bank will work with homeowners on how to annex these side lots to their properties.

“Our overall goal is to get all these properties back into use,” she says.

The urban gardening and side lots programs were launched in early January. Regulations and forms to apply for acquiring properties are posted on the land bank’s website, wilmingtonlandbank.org.

“Our work should be consistent with neighborhood plans, and will require greater coordination,” she says. “If a community sees open space as a priority, or if it sees increased home ownership as an objective, we want to work with neighborhood organizations and civic associations to make sure we’re fulfilling the goals and the vision that residents have for their neighborhoods.”

By promoting home ownership and working closely with civic groups, the land bank should promote community development and help create safer neighborhoods, Willauer says. 

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Worth Trying 2018

Welcome to our eighth annual Worth Trying Issue. Though we feature Worth Trying suggestions monthly, each January we devote much of the magazine to personal recommendations from staff, contributors and friends of Out & About. Below are suggestions on where and what to eat, drink, see and do.

Enjoy, and have a very happy New Year!

Picks of the Miscellaneous Variety

As the Crow Flies & Co

If the title isn’t cool enough, this home business, run by Mike and Wilder Scott-Straight, finds use for those discarded or tucked away bits of the past—specifically, vintage china. They fashion necklaces and earrings by taking bits of the china and soldering them with metal around the edges to provide a finished look. They also design vintage clothes for children and adults. The business is based out of West Philadelphia, but I discovered it closer to home at the Kennett Holiday Village Market at The Creamery in Kennett Square, where they were set up as a vendor. By the way: During the summer and fall when The Creamery is regularly open, the pop-up beer garden is also a definite must.

— Krista Connor, Senior Editor & Media Manager

Not Your Mother’s Thrift Shop

Clothes Mentor, on Rt. 202 in West Chester, buys and sells high-quality, gently used name-brand and designer women’s clothing, shoes and accessories that are like new—for less. The national franchise is where savvy women shoppers go to get their name brand on and sell some of their old but still fashionable clothing. Unlike consignment, you get paid on the spot for items accepted. Sizes 0-26 and maternity are welcome, and if you need assistance in finding the right styles for you, a free personal shopper program can help with that. For details, go to clothesmentor.com/store-locator.

— Adriana Camacho-Church, Contributing Writer

Word by Word, by Kory Stamper

Kory Stamper is my kind of woman. On the first day on the job, when she realized the extremely high level of word nerdiness that would be required of her as a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, her joyous reaction was, “This is the shit!” In Word By Word, The Secret Life of Dictionaries, Stamper indulges her not-so-inner geek, delving into the meaning and origin of all sorts of words and phrases. She reveals, for instance, that the first use of “OMG” was by Winston Churchill in 1917. She also sadly confesses that M-W now accepts “irregardless” as legitimate (along with a depressingly large number of other abominations). For the most part, the book makes the process of publishing a dictionary intriguing and fascinating, but, be warned: You will need a fair amount of nerdiness yourself to plow through all 321 pages.

— Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge, Rock Hall, Md.

This refuge is home to more than 250 species of birds, from migrating to wintering waterfowl. Many trails are available on 2,285 acres that offer unique and picturesque views of the Chesapeake Bay and Chester River. The hour-and-a-half ride from Wilmington is well worth it. And take your bike.

— John Murray, Contributing Writer

Nicole Kristiana Studios

Check out the delightful blend of whimsy and sophistication in the alphabetical and animal-inspired works of Bellefonte artist Nicole Kristiana Logan. Her paintings and prints are playful enough for kids to enjoy and possess intricate detail that adults can appreciate. Her exhibit at the Main Stage Gallery of The Grand continues into January. Or go online to nicolekristianastudio.com or visit the shops at the Delaware Contemporary and the Delaware Art Museum.

— Larry Nagengast, Contributing Writer

Work the Nightshift

No, I don’t mean burn the midnight oil at the local factory. I mean change your display settings on your iPhone. Once you schedule this to activate during certain times of day, you’ll immediately notice the warmer tones and less stimulating colors. I set mine from 7 p.m. through 7 a.m. It helps me keep the constant connection to a minimum.

— Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

NextFab

After establishing two successful locations in Philly, NextFab came to Wilmington last year amid rave reviews. Think of it as a gym membership for your intellect and imagination. Whether you want to hand-craft a coffee table, build your own guitar, or learn how to assemble a small robot, NextFab is the place for your next project. They are currently offering tools, software and/or classes in the following subjects: 2-D printing and photography; 3-D printing and scanning; design software; electronics; jewelry; laser cutting and engraving; metalworking; textiles, and woodworking. nextfab.com.

— Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Delaware 87ers

Next fall, Wilmington will be the new home to this Philadelphia 76ers G League franchise and the team will be playing in a new, $26 million facility – the 76ers Fieldhouse. That’s a big deal. If you haven’t taken the time to check out the 87ers because you assume it’s a league for has-beens and never-will-bes, think again. I attended a recent game at the Bob Carpenter Center between the 87ers and Northern Arizona Suns and was blown away by the level of play. Both rosters were filled with recent All-Americans and players with some NBA experience. It’s quality basketball for as little as $10 a ticket. That won’t even get you parking at the Wells Fargo Center.

— Jerry duPhily, Publisher

Root: A Cultivated Collection

When it comes to plants, succulents are the trendy item. They don’t need much care (unlike me) but they offer a lot (also unlike me). If you’re looking for a local source of succulent arrangements to brighten your living space, look no further than Root. They’re the very picture of whimsy! Rootcultivated.com. @root_collection.

— David Hallberg, Special Projects

The Storm Before The Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic

The Romans did not give up their Republic in a day. In this New York Times best-seller, acclaimed history podcaster Mike Duncan describes how demagogues weakened the Roman Republic in the decades before Julius Caesar dealt it a deathblow. Duncan relates this under-told story in his characteristically engaging and thoughtful manner, and his readers need not look far to find parallels in modern day America.

— Dan Linehan, Contributing Writer

Kinetic Skateboarding

I used to skateboard a lot when I was younger, but as I grew up, I grew out of trying new tricks because falling hurts a lot more and now I just like to cruise around on a board. However, I still love skateboard culture and supporting local skate shops. Kinetic Skateboarding, on Rt. 202, is my go-to spot for skate shoes because they’re my preferred shoe and the most comfortable to me. But it’s also a great shop for kids to get into skateboarding because they have all the latest and best gear in stock. Want your kids to put the screens down and go outside? Take them to Kinetic, pick out a complete, customized skateboard and encourage them to use it.

— Tyler Mitchell, Graphic Designer

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus

Most people remember Wolfenstein as an early success story for 3D gaming. That and mecha-Hitler. But in the time since, especially with the most recent game, the franchise has evolved into a heartfelt and emotional one, with strong, intelligent characters and an affecting story about a small group’s attempt to reclaim the soul of America. It’s still extremely violent, so that hasn’t changed, but I play video games for the stories, and The New Colossus tells the best I’ve ever played. It’s available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

— Dillon McLaughlin, Contributing Writer

Route 9 Library & Innovation Center

There are plenty of books, to be sure, but you won’t find them arrayed in row upon row of traditional shelving. Besides the study rooms and computer access that are staples at all New Castle County libraries, this facility features a maker lab, a STEM room, a sensory room, a bookatarium and a scriptorium. If you don’t know what they are … well, just visit and see for yourself.

— Larry Nagengast, Contributing Writer

Trap Pond State Park

The country’s northernmost bald cypress swamp is just a 90-minute drive from New Castle County. Be sure to reserve your campsite fast, because the best spots (especially the tent-only walk-in sites) go fast. If cabins or RV spots are more your speed, you’ve still got options at Trap Pond, which also has plenty of hiking, canoeing and bicycling options. 

— Dan Linehan, Contributing Writer

Delaware History Museum

The Delaware History Museum on Market Street, run by the Delaware Historical Society, underwent a lengthy renovation from 2014 to late 2016, but it’s open again and has plenty to offer families, couples, and inquisitive solo travelers. There are self-guided tours, professional programs, themed events, and community outreach, along with the best collection of Delaware themed gifts you’re likely to find. For more specific historical events, there’s a rotating exhibition on the second floor, currently devoted to the contributions of Delawareans to the War to End All Wars—WWI. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

— Dillon McLaughlin, Contributing Writer

Russell Peterson Wildlife Center

Wilmington’s Riverfront has become a well-known destination, but many have yet to discover this 212-acre wildlife center and its accompanying DuPont Environmental Education Center. The facility is free and open year-round and offers a beautiful 10-acre garden, a quarter-mile pond loop that weaves through the marsh, and an impressive four-story structure with panoramic views of the marsh and the city skyline. It’s an intriguing sanctuary that peacefully sits between hectic I-95 and the ever-expanding Wilmington Riverfront.

— Jerry duPhily, Publisher

Ninja Cooking System with Auto-iQ

Forget the old crock pot. Today there are a variety of all-in-one multi-cookers that can make your life so much easier. My favorite is the Ninja Cooking System with Auto-iQ, which has functions for slow-cooking, steaming, stove-top searing, sautéing and baking. I’ve used it for quick one-pot meals that include rice and shrimp. I’ve seared meat on the stovetop function, added veggies, and then hit the slow cook button. I’ve even used it instead of a frying pan to fry fish. Who needs a range or oven? Cleanup is a breeze. The MSRP is $179.99.

— Pam George, Contributing Writer

Hidrate Spark 2.0 Smart Water Bottle

I try my best to do the healthy thing this time of year, which often includes making sure I drink enough water. At the risk of people calling me lazy or ridiculous, I introduce you to my newest “health assistant,” and I’m quite hopeful about our relationship. Meet the Hidrate Spark 2.0, a “smart” water bottle that keeps track of how much you drink, glows to remind you when you need to up your water intake, and keeps you on par to meet your daily goal. It syncs to an app on your phone (iOS and Android) and can integrate with trackers like iWatch, FitBit and others.

— Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer

Picks of the Food Variety

De la Coeur Café et Boulangerie: Butter, Sugar, Flour

Wilmington has a new reason to celebrate. Popular Trolley Square French eatery De La Coeur Café et Pâtisserie has opened a second larger and more robust location in Talleyville Shopping Center on Route 202 and Silverside Road. Occupying the former Bon Appétit space, De la Coeur Café et Boulangerie offers a wide assortment of house-made goods, including French baguettes, croissants and other pastries, in addition to sandwiches, coffee and espresso drinks. I’m a sucker for their massive vanilla scones, buttery almond croissants or special hand pies (last time it was a blueberry and almond paste). You know where to find me on Saturday morning.

— Leeann Wallett, Contributing Writer

Iron Hill Brewery: Kennett Square Mushroom Soup

Though I’ve been ardently anti-mushroom all my life, at the ripe age of 27 I find that they have finally become palatable, a borderline menu staple even. Mushrooms as a garnish, mushrooms on the side, mushrooms with breakfast, lunch or dinner—sure. So, I recently gave Iron Hill’s Kennett Square Mushroom Soup a try, and it’s a kaleidoscope of taste you can’t go wrong with. Made of oven-dried shiitake and flavored with herbed truffle oil, this soup makes for a great winter appetizer.

— Krista Connor, Senior Editor & Media Manager

Kindred Cheese

Based in Wisconsin, the Meister family has been making cheese for more than a century. In the ‘90s, siblings Vicky and Scott Meister decided to branch out into the gourmet cheese market, hence the birth of the Kindred brand. They offer cheddar, Gouda and Jack varietals but it’s the Ghost Pepper, Spicy Sriracha and Sweet Fire Mango titles that stick out. Bonus points to Kindred for paying premium rates to dairy farmers who follow the company’s sustainable and ethically-minded “Cows First” protocols. kindredcreamery.com.

— Jim Miller, Director of Publications

George’s Restaurant, 703 Philadelphia Pike 

It doesn’t look like much from the outside—it’s located on a strip mall on Philadelphia Pike near Bellevue—but inside it serves made-from-scratch comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. George’s—formerly Jimmy’s Restaurant —has a friendly, veteran staff and loyal customers. The food they serve—with emphasis on Greek cuisine—isn’t fancy, but it’s good and reasonably priced and comes in generous portions. The daily dinner specials, at $11.95, are always good and include chicken and dumplings (Monday) and stuffed pork chops (Thursday). Plus, George’s has an open seating area and isn’t as crowded or noisy as some other restaurant-diners in the area.

— Kevin Noonan, Contributing Writer

Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter 

Like Frank’s RedHot sauce, I spread this sh*t on everything. In fact, Lotus Biscoff cookie butter may even replace your jar of Nutella (gasp!). First came the cookies, then the butter. Started in Belgium, Lotus Biscoff cookies made their way to the United States in the 1980s via in-flight snacks. These lightly sweet, crunchy cookie-biscuits are a delight, best served with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa. Recently, they became a spreadable treat, a special alternative to nut butters and chocolate spreads. The cookie butter is available in original or honey locally at Giant Food, ShopRite, Target and Walmart. Try it—you won’t be disappointed.

— Leeann Wallett, Contributing Writer

Cajun Kate’s on Philly Pike

I wrote about Cajun Kate’s a few years ago when it was holed away like some delicious speakeasy in the Booths Corner Farmers Market. Last year it opened its first full restaurant on Philadelphia Pike and now it’s a weekly visit for me. Chefs Don and Kate Applebaum have all their standards (the jambalaya, gumbo, and muffulettas are unmatched in Delaware or Philly), but don’t miss out on the specials: the frog legs and pork gumbo with collard greens are culinary perfection. Yes, there are tables now, but time is better spent at the bar, where the conversation is as interesting as the food is sublime.

— Joe del Tufo, Contributing Photographer

Crab Guacamole at Cocina Lolo

Who doesn’t love crabmeat and who doesn’t jones for a great guacamole? But imagine putting those twotaste sensations together. Cocina Lolo, Bryan Sikora’s Mexicali restaurant on King Street, does exactly that with its creamy but still chunky avocado appetizer generously augmented with sizable bits of succulent jumbo crab. But wait, that’s not it. Sikora tops the guac with queso fresco and mango, then serves the dish with hearty homemade tortilla chips. A masterful offering on a menu full of them at one of downtown’s dining gems. Cocina Lolo, 405 N. King St.

— Mark Fields, Contributing Writer

Taste Artisanal Market Honey

Ever since writing November’s “Foods that Fight Colds” article, I’ve been on a turmeric kick. Due to its supposed anti-inflammatory properties, this spicy rhizome is in everything I eat nowadays, including my new favorite spread, ginger turmeric honey from Taste Artisanal Market. This sweet and spicy concoction is made by local food purveyors Lisa Ferraro Klinge and her husband, Steve Klinge. Other products include additional flavored honeys like cinnamon and lemon walnut, and spreads like blue cheese walnut and marinated Asiago trio. Find a full list of the products here: tasteartisanalmarket.com/stockists.

— Leeann Wallett, Contributing Writer

Big Sky Bread Bakery and Café

On those winter days when I’m not in a mood to cook, but I’m craving a warm, hearty bowl of soup and fresh-baked, crusty bread to dip into it, I head to this Brandywine Hundred standout. The smell of wholesome baked breads and healthy, homemade soups invites me in. I usually get lentil soup, or the vegetarian chili with beans, which are my favorites from the wide selection. The homemade chips are always tempting, and the tasty sandwiches, made with your choice of bread, are equally irresistible.

— Adriana Camacho-Church, Contributing Writer

El Diablo Burritos

I wrote about El Diablo shortly after it opened seven years ago, but as long as it continues to serve yummy burritos—and actually finds ways to improve doing so—continual recommendations are well deserved. In addition to opening new stores in Newark and Pike Creek over the past three years, El Diablo has introduced more delicious sauces and healthier options like mahi-mahi, whole-wheat tortillas and brown rice. Similarly, as the menu states, the steak, short rib, braised pork and chicken come from animals that are 100 percent antibiotic-free as well as “respectfully raised and responsibly farmed.” eldiabloburritos.com.

— Jim Miller, Director of Publications

Bread & Buttercream, 170B Marsh Road

This bakery-eatery is the latest addition to what has become an impressive array of restaurants in the Graylyn Crest Shopping Center area. Bread & Buttercream is a typical bakery in that its main offerings are bread and cakes, but they take it up a notch with a home-made touch and enticing flavors. Bread items include cranberry-walnut-flax seed rolls ($1 each) and a diverse assortment of muffins, croissants and Danishes. Small cakes are $4.99 and include Caramel Mousse, Moroccan Lemon, Raspberry Crème and Kiwi Heaven. And this place isn’t just for breakfast or dessert—they plan to add a sandwich menu soon.

— Kevin Noonan, Contributing Writer

Picks of the Film & TV Variety

Movies On Tap

Seeing a classic movie that you haven’t seen on the big screen before is a whole new experience, especially with a beer in your hand. I had the pleasure of attending the December Movies On Tap, featuring Dogfish Head, showing the classic film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at Penn Cinema on the Riverfront. In partnership with Premier Wine & Spirits, Penn Cinema, and Out & About Magazine, this one-of-a-kind event was great. For $20, you get beer samples from the featured brewery, free popcorn, and admission to the theater. All proceeds go to a local charity of the brewery’s choice, which this time was the Urban Bike Project.

— Tyler Mitchell, Graphic Designer

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime is my new favorite series. Maybe that’s because it was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino of The Gilmore Girls fame. The story, which takes place in the late 1950s, is about Miriam “Midge” Maisel, who seemingly has the perfect Upper West Side life until her husband leaves her for his secretary. With her world shattered, the picture-perfect Jewish housewife suddenly starts a career in standup comedy. It’s witty, quick and beautifully shot—and the period clothes are amazing.

— Pam George, Contributing Writer

Mindhunter on Netflix

Netflix continues its impressive run of excellent programming with the crime drama Mindhunter (based on the novel of the same name). Set in 1977, this David Fincher-directed series traces the origins of the FBI’s behavioral science department and the federal agents who coined the term “serial killer.” The show’s subject matter—including intense interviews with some of the 20th century’s most notorious murderers—is somewhat unsettling, and Fincher’s cold and clinical style enhances that atmosphere. Mindhunter isn’t just binge-worthy, it’s darned near binge-obligatory.

— Rob Kalesse, Contributing Writer

The Newspaperman

This HBO documentary about the fascinating and apparently irresistible Ben Bradlee, editor of The Washington Post during the Watergate era, is a must for every journalist or, indeed, anyone remotely interested in American history. Bradlee, who died in 2014 at the age of 93, narrates most of the doc, which traces his Bostonian beginnings to his Harvard years, his Navy service in World War II, his close (and inappropriate for a journalist) friendship with John F. Kennedy, his three marriages, and, of course, his ramrodding of the Post’s historic and heroic uncovering of the sordid details surrounding the Watergate Hotel break-in. A Renaissance man who could swear like a sailor (which he had been) while choosing the right fork, Bradlee was loved by women, idolized by men, and respected by all except Richard Nixon and his White House henchmen.

— Bob Yearick, Contributing Editor

Kevin (Probably) Saves the World

The latest show to put an everyman twist on divine intervention, Kevin follows Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter), a former Wall Street hot shot who’s returned to his Texas hometown after a suicide attempt. While there, an angel enlists him for a mission to find the next generation of righteous souls on earth by doing good deeds, each of which gets him closer to his final goal, while navigating the realities of his return to small-town life. Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

— Scott Pruden, Contributing Writer

The Deuce (HBO)

This HBO series, created by George Pelecanos and David Simon and starring James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, takes you on a gritty street-level tour of Manhattan in the early- to mid-‘70s, when prostitution, pimps and peep shows were staples on “the Deuce” (42nd between 7th and 8th Avenues). But this series isn’t just a sex romp with loads of gratuitous nudity—it details not only the ravages of the sex trade but also the rise of the porn industry as public morals, laws and technology begin to change. It’s an eye-opening, often rough trip through an equally rough era for the Big Apple, but you do get to see James Franco play opposite himself as his twin brother. Available On Demand.

— Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Contributing Writer

Three Lesser-Known TV Treats

I may be the movie critic for Out & About, but this cinephile appreciates an inventive, well-structured narrative no matter what the medium, and truth be told, some of the best storytelling these days is happening on TV and not at the local multiplex so much. Game of Thrones, Mr. Robot and now Stranger Things have gotten much of the public’s attention, but there are lesser-known gems worth exploring.

Catastrophe (Amazon) is a bawdy, candid sex comedy starring Sharon Horgan (who also created the series) and Rob Delaney. Their torrid fling turns into an ongoing relationship when she gets pregnant. Humans (AMC) plumbs a borderline between human and android similar to the glitzier Westworld; but being a British import, it is a more thoughtful contemplation of the meaning of humanness and the perils of cyber-technology. Casual (Hulu) is a modern character comedy about two stunted adults, brother and sister, and their extended dysfunctional family and friends…not much plot but fascinatingly flawed characters.

— Mark Fields, Contributing Writer

Marvel’s Runaways

What do you get when you combine the teen-tastic melodrama of Riverdale with the superhero-powered antics of Agents of Shield? Answer: Hulu’s original series Runaways, based on the comic of the same name. The show follows a group of Los Angeles friends who have fallen out with each other over the death of a peer and discover their parents’ annual “charity” event is actually a meeting of a secret sect called “The Pride.” Trying to foil the adults’ schemes, they discover previously unknown powers of their own. New episodes stream Tuesdays on Hulu.

— Scott Pruden, Contributing Writer

Picks of the Music Variety

Jupiter Records, 2200 Marsh Road

This is a browser’s paradise—rooms and rows and rows of records, including CDs and vinyl, of every music genre you’ve ever heard of and even a few you haven’t. Jupiter Records has filled a void in North Wilmington that was left when Jeremiah’s Record Exchange on Philadelphia Pike closed many years ago. Now there’s another place where you can just poke along and explore and get your hands on real vinyl. It’s also located in an old, historic building at the corner of Marsh and Grubb roads that gives the place an added ambiance. Just make sure you give yourself enough time, because this is not a place you want to rush through.

— Kevin Noonan, Contributing Writer

Vita and The Woolf – Tunnels

The debut full-length Tunnels from Philly’s Vita and the Woolf has largely flown under the radar this year, but it is not to be missed. Vocalist Jen Pague is a force of nature, and the music comes off something like Phantogram with Florence and the Machine on vocals. Brett, Sundrop, Qiet and the choir-enhanced re-envisioning of their earlier hit, “Mary,” are standouts. Catch them live before they are too big to see. Dates available at vitaandthewoolf.com.

— Joe del Tufo, Contributing Photographer

Grace Vonderkuhn

This leading area musician and her band will bring the glories of gritty garage rock to your ears. Catch them between Mid-Atlantic tours at Wilmington venues like 1984. Their new single, “Worry,” is a prelude to a full-length album slated for a Feb. 23 release through EggHunt Records. Have a listen at gracevonderkuhn.bandcamp.com.

— Krista Connor, Senior Editor & Media Manager

WMPH Radio – 91.7 FM

This student-driven radio station was started in 1969 by students at Mount Pleasant High School and was overhauled in 2011 with better equipment and a stronger commitment to serving the students of the Brandywine School District. And even though its 100-watt signal is hard to pick up outside the immediate area, it’s worth your time to find it. The station airs district sports events—with students doing the play-by-play and color commentary—and is also affiliated with Delaware Public Media, which gives it access to National Public Radio. But what makes WMPH special for listeners is its diverse play list. Naturally, it appeals to its student audience with newer music, but it also plays older stuff and doesn’t just regurgitate the played-to-death hits that you hear on most classic rock stations. I’ve heard it play Muddy Waters, the Grateful Dead, Glenn Miller, the Allman Brothers, Miles Davis and even Fairport Convention. Tune in and try it.

— Kevin Noonan, Contributing Writer

Picks of the Drink Variety

19 Crimes Wine

The “19 Crimes” wine is becoming popular, not only because of the quality of the wine, but also the experience. The brand has a historical aspect: The name refers to the British list of crimes that were punishable by transport to Australia. The labels on the wine bottles have the face of a real convict who was sentenced to Australia. Use the accompanying app, and it will animate the image to tell you the convict’s story. As a bonus, it’s also a very tasty wine. So stop in at your local liquor store and indulge in an evening of delicious wine and a historical tale.

— Zuny Jamatte, Catalyst Visuals Intern

Two Roads Espressway

Love a cup of coffee as much as a pint of beer? Why not have both in the same mug? Two Roads Espressway combines a delicious blend of Ethiopian and Sumatran coffee beans with the brand’s rich oatmeal stout, producing a silky, malty brew without any bitter aftertaste. How do they accomplish this? By using a German-built device called a “Brewnik,” which basically pressurizes the coffee and stout, steeping the two until cold-brewed coffee stout is ready for consumption. The Espressway is a new year-round addition to the Two Roads rotation, but the chilly weather makes for the perfect time to load up.

— Rob Kalesse, Contributing Writer

Bellefonte Brewing Company

A brewery you may not have heard much about yet is the Bellefonte Brewing Company. A nano brewery that focuses on making excellent beers with seasonal rotations, its calendar is densely packed with community events and educational offerings. If you consider yourself a beer sommelier, want to learn more about brewing your own stuff, or just want to get to know your neighbors better, a visit to the Bellefonte Brewing Company is well worth your time. The tap room is open Wednesdays through Sundays, though the hours fluctuate based on the day, so check times at bellefontebrewingco.com.

— Dillon McLaughlin, Contributing Writer

DIY Kombucha

My wife and I both realized we love drinking kombucha. It supports healthy gut bacteria and digestion and provides quick and easy energy, without the jitters that coffee can produce. Oh, and it tastes awesome. Most folks who like it find that it can be quite expensive (usually $4-$7 for a single serving). Au contraire, mon frère! I purchased a scoby (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast) for only $9 at the local organic market and I’ve already filled a few dozen bottles of my own. It’s fairly simple and takes just about a week to produce a gallon that’s ready to enjoy. Go with your gut… give it a try.

— Matthew Loeb, Catalyst Visuals, LLC

Home Craft Beer Tasting

There hasn’t been a better time to be a beer drinker than today. With breweries popping up left and right, finding great craft beer is easier than ever. I’ve been acquiring a variety of limited, hard-to-find beers and I have friends who do the same. So what do we do with all this beer? Share it, of course! But bars and restaurants usually frown upon this (unless it’s a BYOB) at their establishments, so we’ve been doing beer shares at home. Invite a few friends over, tell them to bring their selections, order some food and enjoy!

— Tyler Mitchell, Graphic Designer

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Five Food Trends for 2018

Once again, our expert on all things gastronomic presumes to predict the future. Based on his report card for last year, we should all take notice.

Most humans who have ever walked this earth could predict next year’s food trends by looking inside the local grain silo and deciding whether the harvest was trending toward a) eating over the winter or b) not eating over the winter.

But after millennia of relative scarcity, in which mankind lived from growing season to growing season, the global food chain has given us perpetual abundance in the First World, both in calories and in the many, many ways we can devise to consume those calories.

As a result, we are subject to forecasts of our dietary future like this actual Wholes Foods prediction for 2018: “Smoothie fans are raising a glass to powders like spirulina, kale, herbs and roots for an oh-so-green vibrancy that needs no Instagram filter.” (I swear, I am this close to publishing an annual Hater’s Guide to the Whole Foods Market Top Trends Press Release.)

I can assure you that my predictions below are 100 percent spirulina-powder-free and hopefully more relevant to your day-to-day eating. That’s due in part to the fact that, in compiling this year’s list of Top Five Delaware Food Predictions, I checked in with some smart foodies from around the state, including Karen Stauffer at the Delaware Restaurant Association, Dan Sheridan from the sure-to-be-a-hot-trend-in-2018 Stitch House Brewery on Market Street, and others who will remain nameless because, OK, they’re all bartenders.

Also, see below for the report card on last year’s predictions. Spoiler alert: If I were still in fourth grade, my report card would earn me $5 from my grandpa.

Trend: Veggies on Main

Vegetables. They’re what’s for dinner.

That’s the word I’ve heard from friends who have food jobs that require them to travel the country looking at emerging food trends. (And yes, I too am annoyed that this job exists.) While beef certainly isn’t going away, a number of high-profile restaurants opening in New York and Chicago are leading with the greens … and oranges, yellows and purples from the garden.

Think “veg-forward,” not vegetarian. Restaurants like Philly’s Vedge may have elevated vegetarian cuisine, and new spots like Bad Hunter in Chicago’s meatpacking district (great name, great location for that name) are praised for menus that dive heavy into veg without abandoning meat. That’s in line with a trend predicted by both nutritionists and futurists, where dinner plates still have a protein and starch and a veg, but lead with the latter.

But are we really ready for the future? The Impossible Burger, with a patty that cooks, smells and tastes like a burger but is made entirely of plant, is inching closer and closer to Delaware. You can order one today at the Broad Street Tavern in Swarthmore, Pa., just a few miles across the border. Expect it to cross over soon.

Prediction #1: You’ll be eating your vegetables, even when they don’t look like your vegetables, as the Impossible Burger comes to Delaware.

Trend: One-Dish Restaurants

If there’s one thing that Sheridan and Stauffer both agreed on, it was that the hottest new eating spots in Delaware in 2018 probably will have fewer choices on the menu than ever before.

“The days of the eight-page menu, with 30 app options and 20 burgers, is fading away,” Sheridan says. “I love a menu that’s just two-sided.”

And while short menus have long been the norm at fine-dining locations like Domaine Hudson and The House of William & Merry, they’re becoming more common in the fast-casual space.

“The whole food hall thing, where there are a number of stands or stalls that all focus on just one thing, I think that’s going to be huge,” Stauffer says. “And Wilmington is going to get one with that food hall they’re opening on the first floor of the Hotel Du Pont.”

What’s happening at the hotel might be the future of eating, though I’m not privy enough to the plans to know if that’s coming in 2018 or beyond. Still, look for fewer choices everywhere you eat, and all for the better.

Prediction #2: The most exciting restaurant opening of the year will be in the fast-casual space, with a menu that features one item done very well (with maybe some room for customization).

Trend: The Evolution of Grocery Shopping

Headlines from 2017: “Amazon Buys Whole Foods”; “Lidl Opens in Middletown”; “Janssen’s Becomes First Delaware Supermarket to Get a Liquor License.”

What’s going on here? The way we shop for food is evolving rapidly, and the idea of what it means to be a supermarket seems to be up for grabs.

Local markets will look to improve the personal shopping experience wherever possible, especially at service counters, from the butcher to the cheese shop, thus taking a cue from high-end places that focus on that attention to detail.

But what’s up with Amazon? They bought Whole Foods and then promptly announced that AmazonFresh would no longer be delivering in Delaware, nor a host of other East Coast states. That doesn’t make sense … unless they have something up their sleeve for 2018.

Prediction #3: Amazon rolls up its sleeves and reveals the cards it is hiding up in there. Whole Foods Prime pick-up kiosks, maybe?

Trend: Market Street as Dining Destination, Part Deux

Two years ago, I predicted a Market Street boom … and there was a mini-boom for a while there. Most of the new-restaurant action shifted to Main Street in Newark in 2017, but it feels like we’re on the verge of another Wilmo surge as restaurateurs prepare to welcome all the new residents living in the soon-to-be-completed Buccini/Pollin Group apartments at Ninth and Orange. Dan Sheridan’s Stitch House Brewery should lead the way in 2018, and while I try to avoid specific predictions on restaurant opening dates, rumors of dim sum and crepes and even a cidery on or near Market have made it a street to watch.

Prediction #4: Same as 2016, restaurants may come and go, but I see a net positive five new restaurants/eateries on Market in 2018. And keep an eye on Shipley as an emerging entry point to the new Market scene.

Trend: Coffee on Nitro

Cold brewed coffee on nitro.

The best cold brew I tasted all year was a brown sugar vanilla latte on nitro from Cascade Beverage Company in Virginia. No, this is not yet available in Delaware, but the silky smooth taste of nitro cold brew is here, with open taps at the new Starbucks in the Christiana Fashion Center and the Brew HaHa In Trolley Square, but I see the trend only expanding as we move into summer 2018.

Prediction #5: Cold brew on tap. It’s what’s for breakfast.

Last Year’s Scorecard

Here’s how last year’s predictions stacked up:

1. More Eating Out of Bowls: Pokes pop up on appetizer lists around the state and don’t stop there. Watch for authentic Asian flavors in a bowl near you.

The poke craze heated up (as much as raw fish can) as the year went on, moving from appetizer menus to casual lunch spots, including two Poke Bros. restaurants on Kirkwood Highway and in Newark and the singular PoBu (a portmanteau of poke and burritos?) on Main Street in Newark. And I just attended a holiday party where our graciously gourmet host put out tuna, salmon, edamame, tobiko, cucumber and more, with rice and sauces, to create a DIY poke bar. Pokeboom!

2. Third-Wave Coffee: More quality coffee shops, increasingly local coffee production (perhaps another roastery in town?), and potential invasion by Stumptown Coffee.

No Stumptown in sight, but coffee lovers have something even better in homegrown craft coffee shops like Little Goat Coffee Roasting in Newark. (Coffee snobs, don’t sleep on the lattes. Owner Olivia Brinton, formerly a master mixologist at William & Merry, is concocting her own syrups.)

3. Breakfast for All Meals: Diners make a comeback. A new one will open, with a commitment to local, freshly sourced ingredients and breakfast all day.

We did get a new mid-county contender in The Metro Diner near Christiana Hospital, and they do brisk business. But the strongest showing for breakfast nooks comes from the south, where Egg in Rehoboth Beach was one of the hottest new restaurants of 2017.

4. Fast-Casual Takeover. Definitely on Market Street.

Not so definitely on Market Street. Still, fast-casual remains a fast-growing segment overall. See the poke craze, above.

5. Wild Boar Gets Tamed: It won’t be hard to find wild boar, ostrich and venison on menus in 2017.

A bit hard to quantify, but maybe I spoke too soon. Still, Ted’s Montana Grill has kept busy slinging bison at the Christiana Fashion Center. And Arby’s had venison sandwiches for one day in October, so … there’s your deer burger.

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Ready, Set, Sweat!

The New Year offers some trendy options to spice up your health and wellness regimen, but you still have to put in the work

The New Yorker recently published an article about a pill that seemingly eliminates the need for a workout: Just swallow it and get the same results as if you had exercised. One problem: At the end of the article, it’s revealed that none of the inventors had tried the pill—an ominous commentary on a supposedly miracle drug.

So, as we enter 2018, it seems there still is nothing that will take the place of sweat equity. But the good news is there are plenty of new and trendy health and wellness offerings to take your mind off the monotony of the typical gym—or home—workout. There are online challenges, innovative classes, “social” sports, fitness apps and clean eating.

Take the Plank/Squat Challenge

Planks and squats are two simple, basic exercises that have become the focus of online “challenges.”

The plank is a push-up like exercise with the body’s weight borne on forearms, elbows and toes. Its popularity has increased over the last decade or so, perhaps because it’s a total body workout, perfect for a toned core, requiring no equipment and only enough floor space to accommodate your body.

The squat has been around forever and is considered the king of lower-body exercises. The standard squat is done with a barbell resting on the person’s shoulders, but it can be done without weights.

Plank and squat challenges usually last 30 days, with participants tasked with gradually increasing the time in the pose every day or two. A plank challenge might start with holding the pose for 30 seconds and end a month later at three minutes. Like the plank, the squat challenge uses no weights, instead focusing its poses on the glutes, thighs and core. One online 30-day challenge starts at 50 squats and ends with 250.

Research suggests it takes an average of two months to make something a habit, so start now and you’ll be doing this on a regular basis by March.

Variety is the Spice of Life

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the hottest exercises on the health and fitness scene—for good reason.

Classes, typically 30 minutes or less, toggle between high and low intensity for increased fat burning. Instead of relying on steady-state cardio exercises (where your heart rate stays at a certain threshold), HIIT’s on-again, off-again intensity can lead to rapid results.

Scott McCarthy, owner and personal trainer at Balance Strength & Fitness Center, recommends HIIT.

Scott McCarthy, owner and personal trainer at Balance Strength & Fitness Center near Fourth Street and Greenhill Avenue, added HIIT classes a year-and-a-half ago. “It’s become one of the fastest growing parts of our business,” he says. “It makes up 15 percent of our membership base.”

In addition to HIIT, small group training has become increasingly popular. The reason? “Clients want to show up, work out (efficiently) in a social setting, and get good results,” says McCarthy.

Trainers cap sessions at 10 participants, so they can actively monitor everyone’s technique.

Bodies in Motion

Another trend is “functional fitness”—classes dedicated to making everyday movements easier. Think walking up and down stairs, playing football with the kids, and picking up bags of groceries.

Says McCarthy: “It’s the antithesis of the CrossFit image, which sometimes teaches improper technique and could lead to injuries. Clients are now hyperfocused on (proper) movement, which can improve balance, strength, flexibility and coordination.”

Located off Kentmere Parkway and Rockford Road, FIT Delaware provides a full range of fitness opportunities, including personal and group training. Trainer Todd Brown says he has noticed a big shift in the industry from last year’s focus on “traditional exercises by body part” to functional training. Brown likes to change the angles of exercise every couple of days. By altering the angles, his clients work a different portion of the same muscle. He sees the most success by working different muscle groups multiple times a week.

“This summer,” Brown says, “I worked with a couple of college athletes to get them in shape for the fall season using this methodology. At the end of our time together, they all thought they were much stronger at the beginning of the season than in years past.”

Body-Weight Training

Body-weight training or working without weights has become another in-demand alternative to using cumbersome, sweat-stained exercise equipment.

Body-weight training allows you to work out at home, in the park or even at the gym without any equipment. Getting started is easy and can consist of a couple of different exercises like push-ups, planks, burpees, jump squats, lunges, box jumps and more.

Social Sports

As we age, being and staying active becomes an important aspect of our lives. We often build our activities around our most important relationships—family and friends. And that’s how social sports started.

Locally, the movement led to the creation of two organizations geared to adults of all ages: Delaware Sports League and Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance (PADA)—Delaware satellite league.

“People are starting to discover that health and wellness are vitally important within our daily lives,” says Bob Downing, co-founder and owner of Delaware Sports League, headquartered in Wilmington.

“There has been a renaissance of thinking, specifically with young professionals, who realize that how we spend our time with ourselves and others is extremely important to our well-being.”

The league creates a less intensive exercise environment for people that’s accessible to every person, not just athletes. Says Downing: “We’ve evolved quite a bit over the years. In 2018, we are refocusing our mission on pairing physical and mental wellness together.” 

For those looking for a new challenge (or sport), there’s also PADA. Founded in 1985, PADA provides “opportunities to learn, teach and play Ultimate (frisbee) while fostering community, character and competition within the greater Philadelphia region.”

In Delaware, PADA provides opportunities for nearly 300 players per year and—since a key feature is its inclusiveness—it always welcomes new players. The league attempts to ensure that teams are “fair and balanced to create a fun and competitive environment,” says Andrew Wisor, PADA Delaware council member of the Philadelphia-based association.

If you’re interested in joining, Wisor suggests the spring league. “It tends to be the most beginner-friendly league because it’s when we get the most new players joining. There’s always a lot of teaching going on, both on and off the fields, from captains and players alike.”

Fitness at Your Fingertips

Too busy for the gym?  Maybe fitness apps are for you. They allow you to view videos anywhere—phone, smart TV or computer—making working out easy, fast and convenient for those always on the go.

Fitness Blender, for instance, provides “workout videos for every fitness level—absolutely free.” It’s an ideal solution for the workout beginner or those who may be intimidated by the meatheads at their local gym.

There’s also Daily Burn, a free, 30-day trial app that reverts to an affordable monthly paid plan for those eager for a more tailored plan led by professional trainers.

Clean Eating

In addition to exercise, clean eating is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Clean eating follows a simple list of tenets: eat less refined foods (no donuts and bagels!), eat more whole foods (produce, grains, etc.), eat less meat and limit sugar and salt intake. BBC’s Good Food predicts that this year veganism and plant-based proteins will be the trendy options at your local restaurant or grocer.

Karen Igou, owner and operator of Delaware Local Food Exchange, has been a leader in the clean eating movement from her store in Trolley Square.

“People know the basics to clean eating,” she says. “It follows what our mothers and grandmothers taught us. However, [clean eating] is not easy. Most of the focus is on healthcare (the results) and less on eating quality food [to begin with],” says Igou.

Delaware Local Food Exchange provides a bountiful selection of local produce, snacks, sundries and meat. Igou sources the highest quality meat and vegetable-based proteins for her customers and in-house prepared foods. Most popular is the grass-fed chicken salad, which can sell out within hours after it goes on sale.

Says Igou, “I’ve noticed a lot of customers going vegan for both the environmental and the health benefits. To meet demand, we stock fun vegan choices like enchilada pie, tempeh chicken salad and lentil loaf.”

In addition to clean eating, Igou says that her “typical fitness routine—yoga, meditation, core strengthening exercises, and a gratitude journal”—keeps her healthy.

While you might opt to skip the gratitude journal, you have plenty of options to choose from as you plan your 2018 fitness regimen. Join a gym, hire a personal trainer, or take a brisk walk. Just remember to eat well and move around a lot.

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Fall Beers and Winter Warmers

Here’s a sampling of what Delaware’s best brewers have to offer for the coming colder months

Target recently released a $5 line of wines, fermented malt beverages like hard ciders and sodas continue to sell, and the Paloma—a refreshing Mexican mix of tequila and grapefruit soda—has been randomly popping up on restaurant cocktail lists.

But while those are three distinct trends that speak to a specific type of drinker, craft beer geeks will be happy to know that their suds are safe. As the calendar turns to autumn and, way too soon, winter, those big, malty fall beers and winter warmers are on their way. Here’s a sampling of what some of Delaware’s best breweries have to offer, from north to south:

More than 20 years after it burst onto the local scene, Stewart’s Brewing Co. in Bear continues to churn out a bevy of both flagship and seasonal beers. On tap this fall is the Gourdzilla, a high-octane pumpkin ale that features several yeast strains. According to owner Al Stewart, this isn’t your average pumpkin beer, weighing in at a lusty 8 percent ABV.

Meanwhile, India Pale Ales still rule no matter the time of year, with the Spaced Invader IPA taking up tap space in November. The session IPA (just 5 percent) was originally brewed and named for the ‘80s fans at 1984 in Wilmington. Stewart says they’re currently (mid-October) a bit low on tank space, but if they can brew a double batch again this year, they’ll be sending another 10 kegs to the Fourth Street bar that features classic arcade games and pinball machines.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant’s most award-winning beer just received its 13th medal in October—this time Silver—at the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado. Courtesy of the Newark location, the vaunted Russian Imperial Stout is a robust 9.8 percent that ages well into the winter months. Four-packs will be available by can for $22 by Nov. 22.

Up the road a piece, the Wilmington location is preparing to release the second iteration of its Last Alarm IPA, which commemorates Delaware’s fallen firefighters with a donation of $1 per pint sold. The beer—which was brewed with the help of local firefighters—will be available at both Delaware restaurants, benefitting the I.A.F.F. Local 1590 (Wilmington Firefighters Assn.) and Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Co. in Newark.

Despite the change in location from Greenville to Newport, Twin Lakes Brewing Co. is up and running with its new tasting room, featuring German beer-garden-style tables, a 20-seat bar, darts, board games, and an 18-foot shuffleboard table. They’re currently featuring seven beers on tap, including some nano-brew one-offs, and the 8 percent Jubilicious come late November.

Twin Lakes has been brewing this malt-forward holiday ale for years, and they recently learned it ages particularly well in oak barrels. The initial brew features seven specialty (and secret) grains, Belgian yeast, and imparts flavors of caramel and dried fruit. If you venture out for a taste, Twin Lakes is in the same building as the Delaware Tile Market, but on the side of the L-shaped building that faces the railroad tracks.

At Bellefonte Brewing Co., bigger is better. They’re now featuring a regular rotation of 32-ounce cans called “crowlers” (basically a play on merging cans and growlers), and will be featuring a combo Saison-cider spiced ale, as well as the new EZE IPA, a session beer made with American-grown Ekuanot hops (think more citrus than pine) and reduced gluten, for those watching their figure or suffering from allergies.

As the colder weather approaches, though, get ready for the Big V Porter. This big buy (8.5 percent) is aged with vanilla beans, making it the perfect pairing for those holiday desserts. Bellefonte is also planning a Fall Fest (because there probably aren’t enough local beer festivals on your calendar) for late November.

Up in Yorklyn, Dew Point Brewing Co. is releasing a collaborative Imperial Black IPA, in which they’re using locally grown hops from Greenview Farm in West Chester. It boasts an ABV of 9.5, and the Dew Point brew team is suggesting a hearty pairing of beef brisket or rack of lamb, as well as sweet desserts like crème brûlée and carrot cake.

And speaking of hearty, hold onto your hats for the brewery’s upcoming barley wine, which will use some undisclosed (but locally grown) herbs for flavor and is targeted to reach an ABV of around 12. A strong charcuterie board—with big cheeses, cured meats and candied nuts—would make a great complement to this one, whether on draft or in the bottle.

Rounding out the hop field in New Castle County is Blue Earl Brewing Co., which begins releasing its Big Earl Bourbon Series in November with the barrel-aged imperial breakfast stout called Dark Star. Distribution will be somewhat limited for this 10-percenter, but 22-ounce bottles will be available just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The series continues in December with I Put a Spell on You, a Belgian dark, strong ale that’s been conditioning for about a year, followed in January by the American barley wine called Big Boss Man. At around 12 percent, the BBM will feature notes of rich dark caramel, licorice, toffee, bourbon, and even fig and plum. Be sure to stop by Wednesday through Sunday and check out The Juke, Blue Earl’s live music series that features a rotation of local bands and acoustic acts.

Heading downstate, Kent County’s crown jewels are following the local trend of spiced ale and stout. Fordham & Dominion Brewing Co. in Dover is putting out a Spiced Harvest Ale that blends a “tea” of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove and honey. It won “Best Spiced Ale” at Peco’s Liquor Store’s Great Pumpkin Debate in late September. The autumnal ale will be available in six-packs at Peco’s, Kreston’s Liquors and Total Wine & More, as well as on draft at the Washington Street Ale House.

Also on tap is the Morning Glory Espresso Stout, a sneaky good stout that measures 9 percent but drinks smooth, like a 6. This is the first year the stout makes an appearance as a seasonal, rather than a flagship beer, due to competition from Dominion’s Oak Barrel Stout (a mere 5.5 percent). Morning Glory, being the bolder of the two, makes a better fit for the winter months, and is brewed with nearly 70 pounds of locally roasted Indonesian and South American espresso beans. It will be available at the same liquor stores mentioned above, as well as on draft at Stanley’s Tavern, Ulysses Gastro Pub and Trolley Square Oyster House in Wilmington.

A little further down the road, Mispillion River Brewing will be challenging the notion that dark beers are too heavy and “chewy” to drink with their Seven Swords Golden Stout. This lighter colored stout still features notes of chocolate and coffee, but is easy on the palate and higher in alcohol than your average stout (at 8.6).

Beer drinkers looking for a little energy in their effervescence should try what may be the first “SportsBerliner” ever conceived, with electrolytes (like potassium, calcium, magnesium) added to the brew. The brainchild of brewer Ryan Maloney came about when he found himself mixing his daily sports drink with Mispillion’s Berliner Weiss, or German wheat beer. Called War Kitten, this novel concoction has a slight grape flavor and is available in 16-ounce cans and on draft.

Since most of us have come to expect something “off-centered” from Dogfish Head, diehard fans won’t be disappointed with the Liquid Truth Serum. This IPA unconventionally has three different hops

Dogfish Head Brewery’s Liquid Truth Serum IPA. Photo courtesy of Dogfish Head Brewery

added after the boil (rather than during), but is hoppy without much residual bitterness. The result is balance, with 65 International Bitterness Units (or IBUs, which is low for an IPA) and a finish that leans more toward crisp, zesty citrus, rather than pine or floral notes.

A little less than 10 miles away, 16 Mile Brewing Co. is planning an entire event around its new fall beer, and it’s a pretty creative brew, especially for Fireball fans. Called “Soul Cake,” this English pale ale is brewed with American oak chips that have been soaked in Fireball, the cinnamon whiskey that’s a favorite among bar-goers.

This 9.6 percent spiced ale will be the centerpiece of 16 Mile’s Launch Party on Saturday, Nov. 18, at which the folks from Screams at the Beach will set up a beer-centric haunted maze outside the brewery in Georgetown. Make your way to the middle and get a taste of the Soul Cake, which is a nod to the Old English tradition that commemorated All Souls Day. Before trick-or-treating became popular, the cakes were passed out and eaten as a sign of good fortune and the escape from purgatory.

While a majority (if not all) of the beers featured in this story should still be available after publication, Out & About cannot guarantee how long each will remain in stock, either on tap at the breweries or by bottle or can at liquor stores.