Out & About Magazine December 2008

COMPLIMENTARY VOL. 21 NO. 10 DECEMBER 2008O

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The Year That Was…

The O&A Interview: Michael SmerconishFrost/Nixon, on Stage and on Screen

The Note Rocks West Chester

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www.out-and-about.com 1wwwwww .outout--andandandd--ababobaboutut.coomm 11

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Dec | O&A82 . Nightlife

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www.out-and-about.com 81

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A SPIRITED EVENINGSanta Crawl returns on Dec. 13

NIGHTLIFE

If you thought you’d run into a bunch of characters on the Halloween Loop, how about hundreds of Santas

strolling the streets of Wilmington?Th e third installment in the 2008-09 City Loop Series

takes place on Saturday, Dec. 13 with the second annual Santa Crawl. Seventeen clubs throughout Wilmington

Open Daily: 5pm-1am • www.317PUB.com • 2511 W. 4th Street • WILM., DE • 302.429.0188

HAVE YOUR LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY PARTY HERE!WE WILL WORK WITH YOUR BUDGET~CALL PAUL

CHRISTMAS PARTY

HAVE YOUR LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY PARTY HERE!WE WILL WORK WITH YOUR BUDGET~CALL PAUL

$2 COORS LIGHTS | $3 EVERYTHING

FFRIDAY, DEC. 19TH • 8PM-1AMRIDAY, DEC. 19TH • 8PM-1AMFEATURING BEN & PETE LEROY FROM “THE SNAP”

will take part in the costumed holiday bar crawl. Free shuttle service begins at 8 p.m.

Last year, several bus loads of Santas cruised the loop, but elves and reindeer were in abundance, too. A $5 cover charge gains you admission to all 17 clubs; however, show up wearing a Santa hat and you’ll get in free.

— For more, visit www.outandaboutdelaware.com



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MUSIC

77

MUSICMUSICDECEMBER

DECEMBER 15Singer/songwriter Bon Iver’s quiet

For Emma, Forever Ago, recorded over three months in a secluded Wisconsin cabin, was an unexpected success this

year. He plays the Troc in Philly.

Every Monday / MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALLEvery Tuesday / Jefe

Every Thursday / Mug NightEvery Friday / Awesome 80’s DJ Tom Travers Dance Party / NO COVER

Every Sunday / CHORDUROY / NO COVER

December Live Music4.............Kristen & The Noise11......................Lost In Paris18...........Kristen & The Noise25..Closed - Merry Christmas!TH

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6...........What Mamma Said13...........Mad Sweet Pangs20..........................HyJinx27......................Crash Motive

SAT

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EVERYDAY SPECIALSTall Captain & Coke: $3 • 24 oz Bud Light Cans: $2.75 • Corona & Corona Light Bottles: $3

Irish Car Bombs: $5 • Red Bull Drink: $4 • Tall Johnny Love Vodka Drinks $3

The Deer Park Tavern

302.369.9414 108 West Main Street, Newarkwww.deerparktavern.com

3, 17........................................................................Showtime Trivia10..............................................................................Burnt Sienna24..........................................................................Closing at 8pm31........................................New Year’s Eve party w/Hippocampus

WED

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Dec 4 Deer Park 1st Annual Semi-Formal Christmas Party

with Kristen & The Noiseno cover charge if you wear a Santa Hat!

Ange & Ris angeandris.comDec. 5: Wilmington Art LoopDec. 13: World Café Live, PhiladelphiaDec. 17-18: Grand Opera House, Wilm.Chris Bruni myspace.com/chrisbruniDec. 5: Deep Blue, WilmingtonDec. 31: First Night, WilmingtonCarla + MartyEvery Tues: Kelly’s Logan House, Wilm.Dec. 3: Tom Foolery’s, MiddletownThe Crash Motive thecrashmotive.comDec. 5: Bubba’s, DoverDon Caballeromyspace.com/doncaballeropghDec. 5: Mojo 13, WilmingtonNik Everett nikeverett.comDec. 2: Blue Parrot, WilmingtonDec. 4: Cromwell’s Tavern, GreenvilleIke ikeonline.netDec. 26: World Café Live, PhiladelphiaKitty RottenToys for Tots fundraiserDec. 18: Mojo 13, Wilmington

Long Walk Home longwalk.netDec. 28: North Star Bar, PhiladelphiaMad-Sweet Pangs madsweetpangs.comDec. 13: Deer Park Tavern, NewarkDec. 19: East End Café, NewarkDec. 20: Kelly’s Logan House, Wilm.Midnight Java Dec. 6: Union Tavern, WilmingtonProject C.J.Every Sunday: Del Rose Café, WilmingtonDec. 11: C.W. Harborside, WilmingtonDec. 17: Cunningham’s, NewarkDec. 31: Del Rose Café, WilmingtonThe Sky Drops myspace.com/theskydropsDec. 6: Arden Gild Hall, WilmingtonStealing December stealingdecember.comDec. 13: East End Café, NewarkDec. 17: The Trocadero, PhiladelphiaKyle Swartzweldermyspace.com/kyleswartzwelderDec. 9: The Dive Bar, PhiladelphiaThree Legged Foxmyspace.com/threeleggedfox

Dec. 11: Kildare’s, NewarkDec. 19: Electric Factory, PhiladelphiaThe Joe Trainor Trio myspace.com/joetrainor Dec. 19: Deep Blue, Wilmington Without Logicmyspace.com/withoutlogicbandDec. 6: Bank Shots, StantonButch Zito myspace.com/butchzitoDec. 4: Bourbon Street Café, Claymont

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Dec | O&A76 . Music

All Tickets Subject to Box Office Service Charges

THIS PROGRAM IS MADE POS-SIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE DELAWARE DIVISION OF THE ARTS, A STATE AGENCY DEDICATED TO NURTURING AND SUPPORTING THE ARTS IN DELA-WARE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.

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MUSIC

Hitting the Right NoteNew music venue brings big acts to little West Chester

Since its opening in September, the Note has hit the ground running, bringing in top rock acts, including the Eagles of Death Metal (above at right), who played the venue last month, and the Sword (currently on tour with Metallica) who play there on Jan. 16.

After an abrupt start, new West Chester music

venue Th e Note is now up and running with a

full roster of acts booked for the coming months,

lines out the door, and a celebrity co-owner

holding down the fort many nights of the week.

That celebrity—MTV’s self-abusing skater

and local boy Bam Margera—is an investor

in the endeavor and has given The Note a

bit of Hollywood cache unusual for little ol’

West Chester.

But that celebrity clout didn’t put to rest

concerns from borough offi cials who worried

that with Margera would come rampant

mayhem at worst and rude customers spilling

into neighboring residential areas at the very

least. When the state approved the venue’s liquor

license on Sept. 12, a hastily planned Sept. 13

opening was arranged. Crowds have been steady

ever since, says majority owner Don Moore.

By Scott Pruden

“Th e place was pretty much done

construction-wise, and we were just waiting on

the liquor license to open up,” he says.

Th at construction took a former commercial

space and converted it into a temple of rock,

with the original exposed brick teamed with a

balcony and reclaimed items from churches as

far away as New Orleans.

After the initial scramble for bookings,

Th e Note is now full-speed ahead thanks to a

partnership with ubiquitous concert promoter

Live Nation and promotions through radio

station WXPN and its progressive-format sister

station Y-Rock on XPN.

—Th e Note, located at 142 E. Market St. in West

Chester, is open Monday through Sunday from

5 p.m. to 2 a.m. For schedules and tickets, visit

thenotewc.com.


Dec | O&A74 . Music

Chris was an open book. He told me tons of stories,

about people I never knew, about his dad, about his son,

about his music, and about his friends. I never went to

any of the parties he invited me to; I just wanted people

to hear his music. He did everything I ever asked of

him—he was the one artist who played every show I

asked him to play. And yeah, he yelled at me sometimes,

and he probably wasn’t sober when he did. But he could

tell I cared about his music, and he knew what I wanted

to do for him.

On Oct. 17 at the North Star, I put on one more show

for Chris Tucker. Th e only problem was that he wasn’t

there. We had close to 200 people, and we raised more

than $4,000 for his 5-year-old son Jackson’s education

fund. I’ve put on shows with more people in the crowd,

but I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a more

fulfi lling event in my life.

Chris, I miss you, and I can honestly say there’s so

much more to you than I ever knew.

— Andrew Miller is a music promoter who books shows

for Philadelphia’s Heyday Entertainment, in Delaware for

his own AMP Events, and the Tric Town series at Mojo 13.

To donate to the Jackson Tucker Educational Fund, mail a

check to: 1345 Palmer St., Philadelphia, PA 19125. Please

make checks payable to Jackson Tucker Educational Fund.

Latchkey Kid — continued from previous page

On Saturday, Dec. 13, Mojo 13 will host “For Jack II:

A Tribute to the Life and Music of Christopher Tucker,”

featuring Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers, a reunited

Th ree 4 Tens, the Jolly What (featuring ex-members of

Dead Loretta), and Further Faster. Tickets are $10. For

more, visit myspace.com/mojothirteen.

Presents Our First Annual

SNOW BALLSNOW BALLOn Saturday, December 13thFor the Santa Crawl!Come in and enjoy LIVE entertainment

CHORDUROYNo Cover! (if you’re not Looping it)

OR get your wristbands here for the Loop(Although you may not want to go anywhere else!)

Lots of FREE ParkingWIN PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS

TIMOTHY’S IS THE PLACE TO TIMOTHY’S IS THE PLACE TO BE ON DECEMBER 13TH!BE ON DECEMBER 13TH!

• $2 Bud Light Bottles• $1.20 Bud Light Drafts• $3 Captain Drinks• $3 Corona & Corona Light Bottles• $3 Holiday Shots!

Phone: 302-429-RIBS (7427) Fax: 302-429-7440

www.TimothysOnTheRiverfront.com



MUSIC

I owe a lot to Christopher Tucker. In 2004, at 28

years old, I had recently graduated from college

with an English degree and had been working at

the Grand Opera House for fi ve years. I was

restless, and I wanted more. While I searched for

more fulfi lling work, I spoke to various people for

inspiration. I knew I wanted to get back to something

more like Rainbow Records, where I had worked in

my late teens and early 20s—something a little more

exciting, something a little more rock ’n’ roll. One

suggestion was to fi nd a band to help out in hopes

of learning that part of the business. I contacted two

bands. One took me up on the off er—the Situation,

fronted by Christopher Tucker.

I never really knew Chris that well. I went to high

school with Larry Zapperterini (Situation bassist), and

lived across the hall from him in college. It was then

that I met Joe Castro (Situation guitarist) while he and

Larry worked on tunes of another former Delaware

favorite, Nero. I sat in on a couple of those rehearsals,

listening, watching. As my college career took many

twists and turns and I started working full-time, live

music became my outlet, via $5 shows at the Barn

Door and the occasional trip to Philadelphia. One

such trip was for the Situation’s EP release party at

the Ukrainian American Citizens Association Hall

in Northern Liberties. I’ll never forget the EPs in a

vending machine—such a great idea.

When I started promoting shows in May 2005,

the Situation was high on my list of bands to work

with. Not because of the shows they played with

bands like the Libertines, the Strokes, or Hot Hot

Heat, but because of shows they played at the Barn

Door, the DAP (Delaware Association of Police, on

Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington), and UD.

At the fi rst show I did with Chris in December

’05, he played solo and thanked me for what I was

trying to do for Delaware’s music scene. I then

presented the Situation’s last Delaware show in April

2006 at the newly opened Mojo 13. I went on to

promote a handful of shows for Chris solo, and then

a few for his fi nal project Orphan Family, including

what was probably their most successful show with

the Bird and the Bee to more than 200 people at the

North Star Bar in the fall of 2007. Th e fi nal show I

did with Chris was this past June at the North Star,

probably his last live performance. Only 12 people

paid that night, and Chris performed solo. He told

me before the show how hard he was working to get

sober, how much he wanted to work with Joe Castro

again, and how much he cared about me.

Latchkey KidFriend and promoter Andrew Miller remembers Christopher Tucker

Chris Tucker (front) was a singer/songwriter whose Brit rock-inspired bands included the Situation.

Photo by Tim Hawk

continued on next page


Dec | O&A72 . Music

Flirting with Fame, Pt. 3 — continued from previous page

Of course, the biggest Delaware rock ’n’ roll success story is George

Th orogood, who attended Brandywine High School and began his career with

gigs at local night spots. For a while in the mid ’70s, he performed at a regular

New Year’s Eve bash at Newark’s Deer Park Tavern. In 1978 he signed with

Rounder Records, which immediately produced his fi rst hit album, Move It

on Over. In late 1979, MCA Records released an album of songs Th orogood

recorded in 1974, entitled Better Th an the Rest. In ’82, he recorded Bad to the

Bone on EMI America. Superstardom soon followed.

By the mid ’70s, Snakegrinder spawned a couple of spin-off s. One was

Amazing Space. Aiming to explore the reggae sound, the band included

George Wolkind, Snakegrinder’s lead singer, along with John DiGiovanni,

the band’s drummer, and new mates John Southard on piano and Dan

Toomey on bass. At the time of Amazing Space’s formation, Bob and Rita

Marley were avoiding a dangerous political situation in Jamaica and living

in Wilmington. George Wolkind, who knew the Marleys, asked Rita to join

Amazing Space. Rita agreed to join the band, but Bob vetoed the idea, which

created an awkward position for him with Wolkind. “I was selling him all his

pot,” Wolkind says.

Another Snakegrinder spin-off was Dick Uranus, which went into a more

arty and punkish direction. Th e band was made up of Snakegrinder bassist

Steve Roberts, keyboard player Dave Bennett, and newcomers Dana Smith,

George Christie, Joe Pinzarone, and drummer Jim Ficca, whose brother Billy

played drums for Television.

Dick Uranus’ most successful tune was “Vice Squad Dick,” which in 1994

was covered by J.G. Th irlwell, a post-punk music producer whose hardcore

1984 album Hole is considered a masterpiece. Recording under the name

Foetus, Th irlwell not only recorded “Vice Squad Dick” for his 1994 album

of the same name, but also the tune “Little Johnny Jewel,” penned by Tom

Verlaine and previously recorded by Television.

Recently, Verlaine took on a good chunk of the music production for the

latest Bob Dylan bio-pic, I’m Not Th ere.

Delaware rockers continue to probe the soft underbelly of our national

rock ’n’ roll paradigm. And in spite of the close calls, near-misses, and a few

genuine success stories, the beat goes on.

SpanakopitaSpanakopitaLayers of buttered filo, with a blend of spinich, eggs, and 3 cheeses.

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PastichioPastichioMediterranean style lasagna uses ziti noodles, ground beef, herbs and topped with bechamel sauce.

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MoussakaMoussakaLayers of eggplant and pota-toes combined with ground beef, sauteed with herbs and covered in a bechamel sauce.

serves 18-24

DolmadesDolmadesStuffed grape leaves with ground beef and rice, topped with a lemon chicken sauce.

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TyropitaTyropitaPastry made with layers of buttered filo and filled with a feta, cheese-egg mixture.

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BaklavaBaklavaPastry filo dough filled with crushed walnuts, sugar and cinnamon, topped with a honey syrup.

cut into 24-48 pieces

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www.out-and-about.com

MUSIC

71

Internal Calm, a band that included Johnny Neel, recorded “The Truth” on Wilmingtonian Vinnie Rago’s Richie label. Mean-while, Tom Verlaine (inset), who attended McKean High School as Tom Miller, formed the infl uential band Television with friends Richard “Hell” Meyers (who went to Sanford) and Billy Ficca (an A.I. duPont alum) after the three of them moved to New York City.

By Steven Leech


A number of local recording artists who

made a national name for themselves in

the 1970s and beyond actually learned

their chops in the ’60s. One whose beginnings go

back to the late 1950s was “Papa” Dee Allen. Papa

Dee was originally a member of local jazz great

Lem Winchester’s Modernist. After Winchester

died prematurely in 1961, the Modernist tried to

continue, but without their stellar frontman, they

soon fell apart. Papa Dee continued for a while,

performing at Wilmington’s early ’60s folk-music clubs

and playing bongos and other percussion instruments.

When that proved fruitless, he gravitated to the West

Coast and joined the rock fusion band War. He remained

with them and was the percussionist on all their recordings,

including those with ex-Animals singer Eric Burdon.

Another local artist to fi nd national success was Johnny Neel,

who cut his fi rst records in Wilmington on Vinnie Rago’s Richie label

in 1966 with his band, Internal Calm. Two of his earliest recordings, “Th e

Truth” and “Where Will We Go from Here?,” were co-written with Rago. After his initial local

success, Neel became a bit of a journeyman artist, which took him to recording sessions with

a number of stars like John Mayall, Irma Th omas, Ann Peebles, Marie Osmond, and the Oak

Ridge Boys. From 1989 to 1990 he cut an album and toured with the Allman Brothers Band,

co-writing their 1990 hit “Good Clean Fun.” He also wrote the hit “Rock Bottom” for Allman

Brothers band member Dickie Betts.

A major contribution to national rock history in the mid-to-late 1970s came from a number

of youngsters who attended local high schools in the late ’60s. One was Richard Meyers,

who went to Sanford Academy, another was Tom Miller, who attended McKean High School,

and a third was Billy Ficca, who went to A.I. duPont. Richard Meyers, who renamed himself

Richard Hell; Tom Miller, who renamed himself Tom Verlaine; and Billy Ficca took off to New

York City and became pioneers in the New York punk-rock scene. Performing at CBGBs in

lower Manhattan with the Ramones, Blondie, Iggy Pop, and Patti Smith, their band Television

helped forge a new genre of American rock ’n’ roll music. Other punk bands with which the

three would perform were the Neon Boys and the Voidoids. Richard Hell also appeared in

motion pictures, most notably Desperately Seeking Susan, which starred Madonna.

Part III – The ’70s brought more near-misses and Delaware’s lasting contribution to the world of rock: lonesome George Thorogood

Flirting with Fame:

A History of Rock ’n’ Roll in Delaware


Dec | O&AXX . Music

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Wanted (Dec. 2)The latest Matrix wannabe, with Angelina Jolie,

James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, tries to blend high-art ultraviolence with some pseudo-profundity about personal destiny and eternal justice. Although the stunts are impressive and even occasionally entertaining, I prefer my comic-book thrillers straight, with no message chaser.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Dec. 2)

My children, far more than I, enjoyed the fi rst Narnia effects epic, in which the appealing sibling heroes interact with an abundance of CGI-perfect talking animals. But even they were dismayed by the lack of genuine feeling or any narrative momentum in the tiresome sequel. Save yourself two hours of yawns and read the book.

The Dark Knight (Dec. 9)Director Christopher Nolan gave the Batman

franchise new life with 2005’s Batman Begins. The Dark Knight takes the crime-fi ghting saga to a whole new artistic level, thanks to the brilliantly demented and unrestrained performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker. Ledger, Christian Bale (as Batman), and a stellar cast of supporting players demonstrate how bravura acting can transform a comic-book movie into something much more.

Traitor (Dec. 16)Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn, a devout American-

born Muslim who becomes embroiled with terrorists and struggles to reconcile his religious beliefs with his political loyalties. An incredibly complex plot threatens to overwhelm Horn’s riveting personal journey, but Cheadle’s quietly commanding presence gives depth and weight to this topical thriller.

Many actors have won Academy Awards for portraying real people, but only one person has ever won an acting Oscar for playing another Oscar-winning performer. Name the winner, the role, and the fi lm.

N N

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30-SECOND DVD REVIEWS

12_Movies.indd 312_Movies.indd 3 11/20/2008 8:46:34 AM11/20/2008 8:46:34 AM

Dec | O&A68 . Movies

Richard Nixon as president in 1974, British talk-show host and entertainer

David Frost had the unlikely (and perhaps dubious) fortune of landing the

fi rst extensive TV interview with the disgraced chief executive.

Both men saw their dialogue as an opportunity to regain the public

spotlight they had once experienced and lost, but the two also had other

motives that put them into confl ict. Nixon and his defenders saw the occasion

as an opportunity to tell his side of the Watergate cover-up story. Frost and his

associates sought the public reckoning that had been sidestepped by Nixon’s

resignation and subsequent pardon. Th e result is an emotionally charged

battle of wits and wills between two men fi ghting for personal redemption.

Michael Sheen and Frank Langella play Frost and Nixon respectively,

having originated the roles in stage productions in London and New York.

Both actors have clearly absorbed these characters, and their performances are

fi nely nuanced. I found myself surprised to discover Nixon’s humanity, albeit

deeply fl awed; I had always understood the man primarily as a cardboard

villain. Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Hall, and Matthew

Macfayden all impress in supporting roles.

Although director Ron Howard introduces a variety of locales, from planes

to hotels to San Clemente, he keeps the focus and momentum of the fi lm on

the dramatic, intimate clash of these two personalities. Th eir interaction and

dueling ambitions make for an engaging and intense fi lm.

In these limbo days between the sunset of one Washington administration

and the dawn of another, Milk and Frost/Nixon have a timely resonance.

Who would expect that two political tales from 30 years ago could

speak so profoundly to us today? History does, indeed, repeat itself.

Milk: Frost/Nixon

Ring Any Bells? — continued from previous page

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December 8 - Cabernet Sauvignon Around the World $20December 16 - Annual Holiday Champagne and Bubbly Walkabout $25January 20 - Port $20February 3 - Dessert Wines $20

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By Mark Fields

FROST/NIXON

Ring Any Bells?Two moving political biographies offer resonance, relevance

A grassroots community

organizer with an affi nity for

the outcast achieves political

success with his message of hope and

inclusion. A marginalized president,

noted for his secretive accumulation

of executive power, seeks to redeem

his legacy in the twilight of a

checkered career.

Th ese stories, which evoke

current headlines, are the subject of

two new fi lm biographies of political

fi gures from the 1970s. While the

fi lms demonstrate that political

history can make for entertaining

and thoughtful moviemaking, they

also serve to humanize public fi gures

that have, over the years, become

mostly caricatures.

Milk charts the political and

personal journey of Harvey Milk,

a San Francisco businessman and

activist who became the fi rst openly

gay elected offi cial in the United

States. As directed by Gus Van Sant

(Drugstore Cowboy, Elephant), the

fi lm is also a poignant documentary

of another period in American

history when the disenfranchised

struggled for basic human rights,

made more vivid by the use of

archival news footage from the time.

Th e strength of the fi lm, though, is in

the performances.

Sean Penn mesmerizes as Milk,

deftly balancing the disparate aspects

of the man’s persona. Despite a

compelling and attractive public

personality that attracted a motley

band of assistants and friends, Milk

was, at his core, a lonely and insecure

outsider. James Franco and Diego

Luna sensitively play his two longtime

romantic partners, each fi ghting to

fi nd a place in Harvey’s life.

Josh Brolin again displays his

trademark unsettling intensity as

Dan White, a fellow supervisor who

eventually assassinates Milk and San

Francisco Mayor George Moscone.

White is depicted as a tightly wrapped

(and perhaps closeted) moralist whose

ambitions are inadvertently thwarted

by Milk. Brolin’s performance captures

a seething undercurrent in White’s

character from the outset so that we are

not surprised by what seemed to be an

incomprehensible act of retribution.

Frost/Nixon mines roughly the

same historical period for another

slice of political theater. After

the unprecedented resignation of


MOVIES


Dec | O&A66 . Movies


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OM

MonthlyMonthly Highlights... Highlights...

Learn more about DSL Events & Outings on the web. Only DSL Members can attendDSL Events & Outings. Each member gets one guest at DSL events and outings.If you know a member, ask them to be their guest!

Upcoming Events & Outings:Upcoming Events & Outings:DECEMBER:• Santa Crawl (Dec. 13th)•Happy Holiday’s Everyone!•DSL Bowling Wrap & Holiday Happy Hour (Any DSL Member can come though)

A LOOK AHEAD TO JANUARY 2009:•Happy New Year! • First Annual Ski Trip• Winter Bowling Starts Jan. 5th•Wilmington Dodgeball Season II Starts Jan. 6th DSL Professional Networking Group Launches

Learn DSL EvIf you k

•Happ• Wint•Wilm DSL

•DSL AT THE BEACH COMES TO LIFE!!! WELCOME YOU GUYS!

•Newbie ANDREW HICKEY has been hiding a cannon….I got news for you

Andrew…it’s a secret no longer!

•DSL HAC has a strong showing. Do I sense a Friendly Challenge Match

with Wilmo in the future?

•Congratulations to DAVE & JENNA HALEY as well as JOSH & BRITTANYGREENBERG on the new editions to your family!

•Down at DSL at the Beach we say HAMMERHEADS take their name

seriously when they scrimmaged each other

•A Star is Born at The Beach: KENDRA BERNARD has emerged as an All Star

in Kickball & Dodgeball…Keep that smile on your face Kendra…I LOVE IT

•JIM PAOLI and his MONDAY MORNING BLUES take a commanding lead in

the HAC Dodgeball League!

•We celebrated the Phillies World Series win with taking more than 80

people up to the parade! Thanks to JIM MILLER, AMY GARRAHAN ANDANGELA MARINI for all their help!!

•MAURA SCHULTZ does complete splits to dodge the balls in Dodgeball --

no lie she looks like “Trinity” out there!

•RENEE GRIFFITH has defi nitely emerged as Queen of Bowling, while

MIKE HENNING is having a big season this year!

•THANK YOU DSL MEMBERS for participating in the fi rst ever “DSL SEASON OF GIVING” this year! This month is Toys For Tots!

•KEITH WHITE, DSL Member and “Go to Guy at The Beach”

has done an AMAZING job with helping out down there. It

could not have been done without him!

• Speaking of the Beach, how about the skills of AMY WYATT out

there on the Dodgeball court?

• NAT MEASLEY has emerged as not only one of the most fun players in the

league, but one of the most formidable…at least he is in the write-ups a lot…

• TAMSEN WILLIAMS and JULIA ANTONELLI are apparently FIVE-OHHS secret

weapons, watch out for them!

DSL_Spread.indd 3DSL_Spread.indd 3 11/20/2008 12:46:10 PM11/20/2008 12:46:10 PM

MAY 2008 | O&A

MemberMemberSpotlight...Spotlight...

It is the policy of Delaware Sports League that all members and/or those participating in Delaware Sports League games, events and/or outings must be 21 years of age or older. Neither athletic ability nor the consumption of alcohol is a require-ment to participate in Delaware Sports League games, events, or outings. This is about the people, not the party. The only requirement is that you are open to all people, treat them well, be safe with yourself and others, and have fun!

Kic

kbal

l Sea

son

2 20

08 P

ictu

res

by C

harli

e Lo

cker

man

This is my and Amy’s favorite time of year. My wife decorates the house so much it looks like Frosty sneezed in our living room. She is so happy all the time, I love seeing her like that. So is everyone else, it seems. No matter how old I get, the Holidays never do.

The Holidays are about appreciating the gifts we have, and sharing with those that have not. They are about fam-ily and friends. They are about being just a little bit more kind to people -- even strangers. It’s a time when it’s a little easier to be good to one another.

This is what we want for DSL to be like all year round. My hope is that outside of DSL’s weekly games you may fi nd that you run into someone that you may have played against and hung out with afterwards one night. My hope is that DSL makes it easier to be friendly to a virtual stranger. That to me is what the Holidays are about, and there’s no reason we can’t try to live it every day.

With love and appreciation for all you mean to me…Happy Holiday’s Everyone!

With DSL, the single most important thing are the members, and the ones who offer to help out in any way always make it extra special. Then, there are those who go one step further and take on a leadership role like Erika, Pete, and Kalai have in Wilmington.

Down south, Keith is the guy who has emerged as the man who is going to help us bring DSL to The Beach the way that it should be -- with everything that DSL has to offer. He’s the one who makes sure the show goes on every week and he’s the guy that has worked so hard to make this happen at The Beach. Keith is a teacher of kids with special needs at Mariner Middle School. His care for others and genuine kindness was what made him the right guy for the job. He sincerely believes in what we are trying to do and for that I could not be more thankful. Thanks Keith, you are this month’s Member Spotlight!

Message

from

Bobby D...

Keith White, Member& “DSL Go To GuyAt The Beach”

DSL_Spread.indd 2DSL_Spread.indd 2 11/20/2008 12:45:45 PM11/20/2008 12:45:45 PM


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12_ShortStory.indd 712_ShortStory.indd 7 11/20/2008 9:49:38 AM11/20/2008 9:49:38 AM

“He’s entered the birth canal,” said

Dr. Roseman as she struggled to free

the child. “He should be here soon.”

But the alarm kept sounding, and

Kathleen could feel extended pressure

in the birth canal despite the relief

provided by the epidural.

“Please,” she gasped. “I feel like I’m

going to explode.”

Th e room was quiet as the doctor

worked. She asked for forceps and put

in a call to the pediatrician. When the

child was delivered a few minutes later,

the umbilical cord was knotted around

its neck. Th e child was dead.

“I’m sorry, Kathleen. Th ere was

nothing we could do.”

Kathleen lay on the table sobbing

as the pediatrician examined the tiny

body. “Do you want to hold him?” the

doctor asked her. “Do you want to see

what he looks like?”

Kathleen nodded and held out her

arms for the small baby wrapped in

a blue receiving blanket. She nestled

him against her breasts, knowing

that he would never benefi t from the

milk waiting there to nourish him.

She whispered in his ear, told him his

name, said that she would love him

forever. She examined his features, one

by one, cataloging them in her mind so

she would never forget, then handed

him back to the doctor, who took him

to the morgue.

* *

She was saying her rosary when

Dennis arrived, demanding to see

his son.

“He’s dead,” she said, raising her eyes

to his face. “He was born too soon.”

“It’s your fault,” roared Dennis.

“You murdered his brother or sister.

Don’t bother to come home, Kathleen.

I’m through.”

She watched him leave. Sighing, she

rubbed the inside of her wrists with the

metal crucifi x attached to the rosary.

Th e veins rose quickly to the surface.

She’d always had accessible veins. She

wondered how long it would take to

bleed to death.

Aftermath — continued from previous page

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“Th e tissue will re-absorb,” Dr.

Roseman reminded her in the recovery

room. “You shouldn’t worry that this

will hurt you.”

She nodded, still under the eff ects of

the sedation. “Is my husband here?” she

whispered. “I need to talk to him.”

“I haven’t seen him, Kathleen,” she

said, “but I’ve called your home and

left a message. Your mother’s here,

though. She’ll take you home when

you’re ready to be discharged.”

* *

Th ey didn’t talk for weeks. Dennis

came and went as though he were a

boarder in his own home. He left the

household money on the kitchen table,

ate the meals she prepared, and slept

on his side of the bed, but ignored her

as if she didn’t exist.

Her abdomen grew larger and the

baby began to move. How Kathleen

rejoiced with this fi rst sign of life!

Weeks passed. She had an ultrasound

and was told the baby was a boy who

looked perfectly normal. She rushed

home to tell Dennis and saw him smile

for the fi rst time in months.

Her pains began early in the

morning, light cramps running across

her back. Before long, they had traveled

to her abdomen and hurt like a knife

turning in her gut. She called the

doctor, her voice quaking with fear. “It’s

too soon,” she gasped. “Only 26 weeks.

What should I do?”

“Come to the hospital immediately.

Get here as fast as you can.”

She called Dennis but couldn’t

reach him. Frantic, she called her

mother, who took her to the emergency

room. By the time she reached OB-

GYN, the pains were coming in rapid

succession.

“There’s no stopping it,” said

Dr. Roseman. “We’ve got to deliver

this child.”

Th e labor was intense, the pains

stabbing and sharp. She struggled

to follow the doctor’s instructions,

working with the midwife to ease her

labor. Th e baby was being monitored,

and her labor seemed to be progressing

when the fetal alarm sounded.

“What’s wrong?” she cried. “Is there

anything wrong with the baby?”



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“Be careful and get plenty of rest,”

Dr. Roseman cautioned. “Th is is a risky

business. We can’t take any chances.”

And she had been careful, doing

everything the doctor told her, her

abdomen swelling with the greatly

anticipated twins. What a shock it

had been to hear that she would never

carry them to term without sacrifi cing

one to save the other.

Th e doctor had explained it

carefully to Dennis, knowing that

with his strict Catholic heritage,

eliminating one of the children would

be a diffi cult decision.

“I won’t consent,” Dennis said,

pacing back and forth in the exam

room. “No way.”

“Th en they’ll both die,” said Dr.

Roseman matter-of-factly. “And I

doubt you’ll get another chance. Is that

what you want?”

“I want this to be over. I don’t want

to choose.”

“We’ll take the weaker of the two,”

said the doctor. “To give you the best

chance for a healthy child.”

Dennis looked at his crying wife

and the sober doctor. “Whatever she

wants,” he said with a tightened jaw.

“Th is was her decision, not mine. But

if anything happens to that other baby,

I’m not going through this again. Do

you understand, Kathleen? Th is is it

for me.”

She nodded, holding out her arms

to hug him. “Th ank you, Den…”

But he turned and left the exam

room before she could fi nish, closing

the door behind him with a loud slam.

Dr. Roseman looked at her with

sympathy. “He’ll come around,

Kathleen. It’s hard on the fathers

sometimes. I’ll see you in the

hospital tomorrow.”

Th e next morning she made her way

to the hospital alone, where she was

prepped, draped, and anesthesized.

A needle was inserted into her womb

and potassium chloride was injected

into the smaller embryo, stopping its

rapid heartbeat.



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mother-in-law began criticizing her for

her barrenness. Th ere was no reason,

she whined to Kathleen, that a healthy

young woman would have trouble

getting pregnant. “It must be your fault,”

she would hiss into Kathleen’s face as

they washed the Sunday dinner dishes.

“Something you’re being punished for.

Other men, perhaps. Why else would

God deny us a child?”

“I’ve never been unfaithful,”

Kathleen protested to Dennis later.

“How dare you allow her to accuse me

of adultery!” Under pressure to stop his

mother’s vicious attacks, he agreed to

see a fertility expert. How humiliated

he had been when told that he had a

low sperm count and it was doubtful

that Kathleen would ever conceive in a

normal way. “You’re crazy,” he’d snarled

at the doctor. “I’m not the problem.

Th ere’s the problem,” and he’d pointed

to Kathleen before stomping out of the

doctor’s offi ce. Later, he’d refused to

discuss it, turning away from her pleas

and ignoring her for weeks on end.

She had grieved over her childlessness

in silence for years, but now she felt

desperate, knowing that her chances

of having a child were slipping away.

“You can’t be selfi sh, Kathleen,”

cautioned her mother. “Adopt. Th ere

are so many children who need good

homes.” But her warning had fallen on

deaf ears.

Th e months went by, and Kathleen’s

43rd birthday approached. She began

to panic. She scoured the internet for

genetic experts and visited doctor

after doctor, fi nally discovering

one who was willing to try in vitro

fertilization.

“It won’t be easy,” Dr. Roseman told

her. “But it’s a chance, with a viable

surrogate mother.”

“But that’s not what I want,”

said Kathleen. “I want to bear the

child myself.”

“It’s a gamble that most likely will

fail,” Dr. Roseman responded, showing

Kathleen the medical statistics.

After weeks of counseling and

Dennis’ reluctant participation, they

underwent in vitro fertilization and

successfully implanted two embryos in

Kathleen’s uterus.



12_ShortStory.indd 312_ShortStory.indd 3 11/20/2008 12:53:44 PM11/20/2008 12:53:44 PM


altar, just as she had stood when she’d

married Dennis 21 years earlier. Late-

afternoon sunlight streamed through

the tall stained-glass windows that

marked the Stations of the Cross,

mottling her face with streaks of indigo,

ruby, and emerald before continuing

their dance across the rich scarlet

carpeting covering the fl oor. A huge

golden crucifi x loomed far above her

head from its place on top of the altar.

She glanced at it and shivered. While

she knew that God’s son had died for

her sins, she’d always found the metal

sculpture cold and intimidating.

Kathleen reached out and brushed

her hand against the altar’s smooth

surface while her eyes searched for

the diminutive fi gure of the Blessed

Virgin perched in a tiny niche off to

the side. She looked at the Virgin’s

sweetly resigned face and knelt before

the statue to pray.

“Blessed Mother,” she murmured.

“Surely you understand. Grant me your

forgiveness for what I have done, for

I will never be able to forgive myself.

In the name of your son, who died

giving us life.” She began her penance,

repeating the ancient phrases under

her breath. An hour later, stiff and sore,

she rose to light a candle in memory of

her lost child. She watched the small,

bright fl ame quivering in its glass dish,

then turned to genufl ect in front of the

golden cross before walking to the back

of the sanctuary and anointing herself

with holy water.

“Please, Father,” she whispered.

“Please give me this child for my own.”

A fi erce winter wind howled

through the streets of Boston as she

left the church. She pulled her collar

up around her neck and buried her

hands deep in her pockets as she raced

to get home and have dinner on the

table before Dennis arrived. Memories

of the hospital crowded into her mind.

Don’t think about it, she thought. It’s

over. You’ll have your baby soon.

* *

When she didn’t conceive within

the fi rst fi ve years of marriage, her


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Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been

three months since my last confession.”

Kathleen sat on the edge of the hard wooden

bench, her work-worn fi ngers playing with the beads

of her rosary as she listened to the priest’s even

breathing behind the black tapestry curtain.

“And your sins, my child?”

“I spoke sharply to my mother. I criticized

my husband.” She hesitated. “And I had a

forbidden medical procedure to save the life of

my unborn child.”

Th e silence reverberated through the small

chamber as the muscles in Kathleen’s throat clenched,

strangling her vocal cords like a thick rope wound

around her neck.

“I had to do it, Father.” She choked over the words.

“If I hadn’t, my child would have died.”

“I thought you were expecting twins, Kathleen.”

“I was, Father,” she whispered, as her eyes fi lled

with tears. “But the doctor said I was too small and

wouldn’t carry them to term. If I didn’t reduce the

number of babies, neither would live.”

“Th e laws of the Church are clear, Kathleen. One

life cannot be sacrifi ced to save the other. Doing so

is a mortal sin.”

AftermathBy Barbara Gray

“I know, Father.” She was crying now, the harsh

sobs crowding into the back of her throat, making it

diffi cult for her to breathe. “Th ere was no choice.”

“Th ere’s always a choice.”

“But I would have lost them both,” she cried. “I’m

42 years old. Th is is my only chance to be a mother.”

Silence.

“Surely God will understand,” she pleaded,

reaching out to clutch the edge of the curtain as if to

draw comfort from the priest’s nearness, but the heavy

material was stiff and unyielding under her fi ngers.

“One rosary as a penance and a prayer to Mary to

save your soul. Go and sin no more.”

Kathleen heard rustling behind the curtain,

followed by the fading sounds of footsteps crossing

the marble fl oor. Th e priest had left the confessional.

She dried her tears on one of Dennis’ old cotton

handkerchiefs and took a moment to compose

herself before entering the sanctuary.

Th e church was empty. Kathleen slipped between

the polished wooden pews, an unpretentious fi gure

in a dark woolen coat and fl at shoes. Her worn leather

prayer book was clutched between her hands and her

rosary dangled from her fi ngers. She walked down the

center aisle to stand in front of the massive marble


Short Story

12_ShortStory.indd 112_ShortStory.indd 1 11/20/2008 12:49:40 PM11/20/2008 12:49:40 PM

Dec | O&A56 . Food&Drink

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12_FoodDrink.indd 412_FoodDrink.indd 4 11/20/2008 4:09:25 PM11/20/2008 4:09:25 PM


FOOD&DRINK

55

At the Corner of Food and Success

Going Green at McGlynns

McGlynns Pub and Restaurant, which already has

locations in Pike Creek and Newark, recently

added Dover to the list. Th e new restaurant is lo-

cated in Compass Pointe on the site of the former Blue

Coat Inn on Silver Lake. Th e new digs boast 16 wide-

screen TVs and a private dining room available for parties

of 20 to 40 guests.

Owner Bob Ashby, pictured at left, is proud of the

environmentally friendly upgrades that have been incor-

porated in the building, which include tankless hot-water

heaters and low-temp dish machines. Take-out containers

made from recycled products and compact fl uorescent

bulbs are also used.

Some 300 industry members came out for this year’s

Cornerstone Awards, held Monday, Nov. 3 at Do-

ver Downs.

Th is year’s celebration honored Betsy LeRoy, owner

of Pizza by Elizabeths in Greenville as the Delaware Res-

taurant Association Restaurateur of the Year. Heartland

Payment Systems was named Allied Member of the Year.

Th e DRA also presented the prestigious Cornerstone

Award to Susan and Robert Wood of the Cultured Pearl

Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. Th e event benefi ts the

DRA’s scholarship program, which presents a scholar-

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Gabriela Nunez, and Amporn Vasquez.

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Dec | O&A54 . In Wilmington

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riverFrontSNAP SHOTS

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1. George Subkoff and Anne Oldach.

2. Helene (left) and Laura Mitchell.

3. Doug and Lois Fischer.

4. Margie Morton.

5. Bernie & Greg Scheck.

1.

Photos by Joe del Tufo

2.

3. 4.

5.


Dec | O&A50 . Riverfront

on the riverfrontYOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING AT RIVERFRONT WILMINGTONTT WIYOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING AT RIVERFRONT ILMINYOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING AT RIVERFRO

Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

S. Madison St.

Justison St.

Wes

t St.

Water St.

Tatnall St.

Shipley St.

Market St.

CHRISTIN

A RIVER

French St. Walnut St.

Exit

6

I–95

12

3

45

68

910

13

1415

16

17

11

12

1 Amtrak Station2 Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park3 Residences at Christina Landing4 Harry’s Seafood Grill Riverfront Market5 Delaware Theatre Company6 C.W. Harborside 7 Justison Landing8 Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts9 Joe’s Crab Shack10 Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant11 Frawley Stadium & Delaware Sports Hall of Fame12 Chase Center on the Riverfront13 Dravo Plaza & Dock14 Shipyard Shops15 Timothy’s Restaurant Molly’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream16 Wilmington Rowing Center17 Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge18 Wilmington Youth Rowing Assoc.19 Cosi @ the Barclays Crescent Building20 ThoroBreads at Christina Landing21 Opera Delaware Studios/ City Theater Co.22 Hare Pavilion/Riverwalk23 Public Docks24 AAA Mid-Atlantic

Orange St.

19

7

20

18

21

22

* = River Taxi Stops

23

24

TH IS MONTH ON THE R I V E R F R O N T5 12

FOR A COMPLETE L IST OF R IVERFRONT EVENTS , V IS I T: RIVERFRONTWILM.COM

12D E C 3 - 2 1P IC A SSO AT THE L AP IN AG I LE

Delaware Theatre CompanyVarious times

D E C 4YMC A BL ACK

ACH IEVERS AWARDSChase CenterKeynote Speaker: Spike Lee6-10pm

D E C 1 0WOMEN IN BUS INESS

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Chase Center11am-1pm


on the riverfrontYOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HAPPENING AT RIVERFRONT WILMINGTON


Some Kind of GeniusSteve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, playing this month at the Delaware Theatre Company, is a fi ctional debate between two of history’s greatest minds

Remember, as a kid, the thrill of seeing your

favorite superheroes in the same comic book

or cartoon? Th ink of Picasso at the Lapin

Agile, playing at the Delaware Th eatre Company this

month from Dec. 3-21, as the intellectual version of

those events.

In the play, Albert Einstein, the brilliant

mathematician, and Pablo Picasso, the brilliant

painter, meet in 1904 Paris, in a bar called the Lapin

Agile. Einstein is there waiting for his lady friend,

but when he strikes up a conversation with Picasso,

the two soon become embroiled in a debate about

the idea of genius—its value and its relationship to

actual talent.

It’s important to keep in mind the date, 1904, in which the play takes place: A year later,

Einstein published his theory of relativity, which included the formula, E=MC², that off ers a

relationship between mass and energy. In 1907, Picasso painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, a

stark exploration of sex as art that inspired the Cubism movement. Th e meeting that provides

the focus of Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a fi ctional precursor, then, to the world-changing ideas

that would soon follow.

Rounding out the geniuses is another historical fi gure, one not nearly as bright but a lot

more wealthy: Elvis. Th e addition of Presley, the website Carpentersquare.com writes, “adds a

third major infl uence of the century.”

Lapin Agile was written by Steve Martin in 1993. It’s easy to see where he got the idea for a

play that features an intellectual, an artist, and an entertainer. Martin, known on one hand for

his New Yorker contributions and on the other as the guy who shared a bed with John Candy in

Planes, Trains & Automobiles, has been balancing those roles his whole career.

For tickets or more info, visit delawaretheatre.org.


Admission buttons available at all New Castle County Happy Harry's Locations.

1 for $7 and 2 for $10Children under 12 admitted Free

For more information, visit delawareonline.com/firstnight

Wednesday, December 31, 20084-10 pm, Rodney Square

Highl ights :Opening Ceremonies, sponsored by Verizon

Wilmington In Focus Photo Exhibition, sponsored by JP Morgan Chase and Astra Zeneca

Main Tent Big Band Music and Ballroom Dancing,sponsored by Wilmington Trust

Youth Entertainment Tent, sponsored by Bank of America

First Night Artificial Skating Rink, sponsored by DuPont

Fireworks Finale, sponsored by Delmarva

Tuesday, December 2

presents Fire & Ice

*Mayor Baker asks you to bring a canned good for the Salvation Army

4–6 pm Free open skate on the Ice rink

6 pm Festivities Begin

Plus

Santa Claus s Stockings for children

Artisans s Hot chocolate s Hot dogs

Holiday Dancers s Ice Skating Performances

For more info: inwilmingtonde.us

in Rodney Square

12_InWilmington_Riverfront.indd 612_InWilmington_Riverfront.indd 6 11/20/2008 8:38:26 AM11/20/2008 8:38:26 AM

in

Lapp’s Kitchen owner Chuck Parkhill (left) meets with John Rago, Mayor Baker’s communications and policy director, at the restaurant’s ribbon-cutting on King Street on Nov. 7.

47

City Celebrates the Holidays with Family Fun

Th e city gears up for the holidays this year with the return of two traditions:

Caroling in the Square will be held in Rodney Square on Tuesday, Dec.

2 with free open skating on the ice rink from 4 to 6 p.m. Th e rest of the

festivities begin at 6 p.m. Th e evening will include a caroling sing-a-long,

tree lighting, and stocking giveaways. Th e event serves as a collection point

for Mayor Baker’s “Pack the Pantries” food drive. Bring a nonperishable food

item as a donation.

First Night Wilmington will fi ll Rodney Square and beyond on New

Year’s Eve with the theme “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Don’t miss the dancing, music,

and family activities as downtown rings in 2009.

Trolley Square Acme Scheduled for a Makeover

A remodeling is in store for the Trolley Square Acme, according to the city’s

Offi ce of Economic Development.

While no deal is yet in place, Supervalu Acme, the store’s corporate parent,

plans to invest $3.5 million in the upgrade, which will include interior and

exterior improvements. Th e city will invest in right-of-way improvements

along the Dupont Street sidewalk and, if approved by Acme, install storm-

water controls in the parking lot to avoid fl ooding.

“Th e goal of the project,” Jeff Flynn, OED’s deputy director, says, is to

modernize and reposition the store for the next 10 years.”

DCAD Unveils New Student Center

Th e Delaware College of Art & Design

is scheduled to open its brand-new

on-campus student center this

month. Dubbed the Tatiana Copeland

Student Center, after the generosity of

arts supporter Tatiana Copeland, the

$400,000-plus center is located on the

fi rst fl oor of the Saville Apartments

at 521 King St. Included in the 3,200-

square-foot space is a lounge, food

and drink service, fi tness equipment,

a game room, a bookstore, and an art-

supply counter.

Lapp’s Finds New Home on King Street

After eight years in operation at the

Riverfront Market, Lapp’s Kitchen

has moved to 901 N. King St.—the

site formerly occupied by Corner

Market. Th e larger, 3,200-square-foot

space has enabled Lapp’s to extend its

hours of operation (Monday through

Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) as well

as his menu off erings and corporate

catering services.

Leaves and Yard Waste Addedto List of Recyclables

Th e city has expanded its curbside

recycling program to include leaves

and yard waste, which will be taken

to a composting site on E. 12th St.

and used to produce mulch. Th e

leaves and waste must be placed

in collection bags, available free at

the City Municipal Complex (500

Wilmington Ave.) and at any of the

city’s eight Community Tool Shed

locations. For more, call 420-8266.

inTHE NEWS


Dec | O&A

In Wilmington is a monthly supplement to Out & About Magazine made possible by the City of Wilmington Economic Development Office.

If you have an item that may be of interest to our readers, contact:TSN Publishing, Inc., 307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

(302) 655-6483 Fax: (302) 654-0569 [email protected]

46 . In Wilmington

outspoken and provocative socio-political critiques

that challenge cultural assumptions, not only about

race, but also class and gender identity,” as a recent

press release puts it.

Born in Atlanta, Ga. and raised in Brooklyn, Lee

revisited the South when he went away to college at

Morehouse. After graduating, he returned to New

York to study fi lm at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in

Manhattan. He made his debut fi lm, She’s Gotta Have

It, in 1986, and has released a feature-length fi lm every

one or two years since. Before St. Anna, Lee directed

Inside Man, in 2006, which “marked an upturn in his

fortunes,” according to Colapinto’s profi le. Made on a

$45 million budget, it grossed $176 million worldwide,

Lee’s best-ever showing at the box offi ce.

Lee is this year’s keynote speaker at the YMCA

Black Achievers in Business and Industry Awards at

the Chase Center on Dec. 4, marking at least the third

year in a row someone from the fi lm industry has made

an appearance at the ceremony (following Terrence

Howard last year and Louis Gossett Jr. in 2006).

Lee was chosen, in the words of Willie C. Martin,

chair of the Black Achievers, because he’s a “creative

icon who can deliver an enriching message to these

youths, the leaders of the future.”

Th e Black Achievers fundraiser supports the

Walnut Street YMCA program of the same name

aimed to enhance the academic, personal, career,

and leadership development of youth and teens. Th e

program provides college-readiness experiences

and exposure to community business environments,

punctuated by a spring tour of college campuses. Last

year, almost 30 youths visited nine colleges.

Says Martin: “We’re committed to continually

providing developmental opportunities to [youth

and teens] with the support of all aspects of the

community.” Communities, no doubt, Spike Lee

knows plenty about.

in

inWILMINGTON

Doing the Right Thing —continued from previous page

Dear Friends,

Th is is indeed a holiday

season like no other. While

I don’t profess to know what

the future will bring, this

much is certain: Th ere will

be tough times ahead as we

work through the challenges

facing our economy. But it’s

times like these that the true

meaning of the holiday season shines brighter than ever.

One easy way you can show your holiday spirit is to

donate canned goods and other non-perishable food

items to local food banks. You can start by bringing

your donations to the annual Caroling on the Square

community sing-along on Tuesday, Dec. 2, beginning at 4

p.m. While you’re there, enjoy skating on the First Night

Ice Rink, cozy up with a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy

an evening of caroling, special performances, and a visit

from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Th ere are literally dozens of other holiday activities in

the City of Wilmington to help fi ll you with the holiday

spirit. Many of the organizations sponsoring these

activities will also be conducting food and toy drives.

Of course, you can always contact Wilmington’s Offi ce

of Constituent Services at 576-2489 for information on

how you can make a diff erence in your fellow citizens’

lives during the holiday season.

Whatever challenges the future brings, remember that

together we can weather any storm. We are “in this together.”

Sincerely,

James M. Baker

Mayor




Doing the Right ThingSpike Lee is a welcome addition as keynote speaker

at this year’s YMCA Black Achievers Awards

There was a time when

Spike Lee was the youthful,

stone-faced, Brooklyn

hat-wearing geek starring

opposite Michael Jordan in

Nike commercials.

Th en came Do the Right Th ing,

in 1989. Set on a scorching-

hot summer day in the diverse

Bed-Stuy neighborhood of

Brooklyn, Do the Right Th ing

explored race relations like few

movies before or since. Th e fi lm

culminates in a riot when the

character of Mookie, played

by Lee, throws a garbage can

through the storefront window

of the Italian-owned pizza shop

where he works. Th e scene—

made further complicated by

the inclusion of two confl icting

quotes at the end of the fi lm,

one by Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr., the other by Malcolm X—has

been picked apart by critics

trying to fi gure out Lee’s angle. It

also helped transform Lee from

being a “black Woody Allen”—

to quote a recent New Yorker

profi le by John Colapinto—to a

serious fi lmmaker.

But had Lee never made

Do the Right Th ing, which

received Oscar nominations

for Best Original Screenplay

and for Danny Aiello as Best

Supporting Actor, it’s likely he

would’ve earned that title soon

enough. Following Do the Right

Th ing, Lee made several more

fi lms that became synonymous

with the African-American

experience: Mo’ Better Blues,

in 1990, which examined the

personal and artistic struggles

of black jazz performers; Jungle

Fever, in 1991, about interracial

dating; Malcolm X, in 1992, a

look at the activist’s life, based

on his autobiography; Get on the

Bus, from 1996, about a group

of black men taking a cross-

country bus trip to the Million

Man March; 4 Little Girls, in

1997, a documentary about the

1963 Alabama church bombing

carried out by the KKK; He Got

Game, from 1998, about the

relationship between a high

school basketball standout

and his imprisoned father;

Bamboozled (2000), which

imagines a modern minstrel-

style TV show; the 2006

documentary When the Levees

Broke, a masterfully thorough

exploration of the fallout from

Hurricane Katrina; and the

recent Miracle at St. Anna,

about the U.S. Army’s all-

black 92nd Division in WWII.

Other fi lms, like Clockers

(1995), Girl 6 (1996), and She

Hate Me (2004) display Lee’s

ability “to showcase a series of

inWILMINGTON

SPIKE LEESELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

Mo’ Better Blues (1990)Malcolm X (1992)Crooklyn (1994)

4 Little Girls (1997)Summer of Sam (1999)

The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)Bamboozled (2000)

25th Hour (2002)Inside Man (2006)

When the Levees Broke (2006)


Dec | O&A40 . Sports & Health

some wish that they could have the

life of a normal student.”

Despite the demands placed

on their schedule, there is at least

one component of an athlete’s life

that separates him or her from the

normal college student: the chance

to succeed on a public stage.

“I realize that my time here at

Delaware State is given over to a

lot of structure and accountability,”

Purnsley says. “I’m here for two

reasons, not just one, and because of

that, I’m always living in the reality

of trying to be the best I can be. Th e

payoff is that I live out my passion for

football, and I get to play in a stadium

on a Saturday afternoon.”

DAMIEN CRAIGHTON NEVER BECAME a national champion. He

won 100 matches in his college

career and placed third in the East

Coast Wrestling Association as a

sophomore, which qualifi ed him for

the NCAA national tournament. In

his junior year, he again qualifi ed

for the NCAA tournament—one of

only 32 wrestlers in his weight class

to do so—and lost by decision to

the eventual national champion. He

graduated from Drexel in 2001 and

now works as a reporting analyst

in the healthcare industry. He lives

in Smyrna with his wife and two

children. His 6-year-old son Dylan

wrestles in the 55-lb. weight class

for the Eagles of the Smyrna Little

Wrestlers League. Craighton does

not coach his son, preferring to watch

from the sidelines with his wife. He

understands that in a dozen years, if

Dylan continues to wrestle, he too

may dream of becoming a national

champion.

“I know about the commitment

and dedication needed to compete on

the college level, and I’ll share it with

him if the time comes,” Craighton

says. “Dylan’s future in athletics will

eventually be about what he wants

for himself.”

The 12-Month Season — continued from previous page

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person in charge of NCAA compliance, and one in charge

of academic counseling for athletes. Chuck Carrender, the

school’s associate athletics director of student services, now

supervises a staff of fi ve that oversees the athletes’ orientation

classes, tutorial services, classes in time-management skills,

as well as mandatory study halls for any student-athlete

carrying less than a 3.0 GPA. Th e department also acts as

a liaison to the university provost and faculty. Although

Delaware State’s student-athlete graduation rate of 46

percent still lags far behind the national average, Carrender

says the rate has steadily improved in recent years, due

mainly to the university’s commitment to providing more

personal attention to its athletes.

Carrender spent 23 years as a football coach at the

University of Missouri, Drake University, and for many

years at the community college level. During those

years, he says, some of the athletic departments he was

associated with did not address athletes’ needs off the

playing fi eld. “At the end of their time, the school patted

them on the back and said thank you,” he says. “Th ere was

very little in the way of giving much attention to what

their future held after their playing days were over.”

Now, he says, “Our specifi c goal is to see each student

graduate. Getting that student on that podium on a

Sunday afternoon takes a concerted eff ort between the

student, our department, the faculty, and the deans.”

At the University of Delaware, student-athletes have

a graduation rate of 87 percent—eight points above

the national average. Th is is due in part to a number of

new programs. Freshmen can participate in the HENS

(Helping Each Newcomer Succeed) peer-mentoring

program, which assigns upper-class student-athletes as

mentors to fi rst-year athletes in both individual and group

settings. In addition, UD’s CHAMPS/Life Skills program

oversees the development of participating athletes in fi ve

areas: academic, athletic, career development, personal

development, and community service.

UD Student Services for Athletes director Tim

Morrissey teaches a mandatory two-credit seminar for all

150 freshman athletes. It covers time management, study

and test-taking skills, career development, nutrition,

and wellness. Th e seminar also includes a workshop in

psychological skill training that requires students to keep

journals, shared only with their instructor, in which they

describe their adjustment to college life.

“It’s amazing how much the journal content allows us

to get to know what goes on in the life of a student-athlete,”

Morrissey says. “So many athletes on the college level are

identifi ed only by their athletic ability, and these journals

show the person, not just the athlete. Some write that

they are homesick. Some reveal that they’re struggling

academically. Some were a star in high school and are

writing about playing on the second string in college, and


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Dec | O&A38 . Sports & Health

Purnsley, a sophomore off ensive

lineman, visits strength-and-

conditioning coach Tredell Dorsey’s

training facility for three 90-minute

sessions a week. On Tuesday and

Th ursday mornings, beginning at

7:30, Purnsley does a combination of

squat thrusts, hanging crunches, and

split jerk lifts. On Sunday mornings,

the day after a game, he fi nishes his

week with the bench press, squat

thrusts, a lower-body workout with

sprints, and work with a medicine

ball. Th ese sessions are in addition,

of course, to daily practices during

the season. After the school year

ends next May, Purnsley will remain

on the Dover campus, training four

days a week, until football practice

begins next August.

“By the time Sunday comes, I feel

sore and I’m tired, but I can’t think

The 12-Month Season — continued from previous page

about it, because it will de-motivate

me,” he says. “I have to keep my eye

on the goal, which is to excel.”

Purnsley is determined to succeed

on the fi eld and in the classroom.

He was an honor student at

Wilmington’s Howard High, and the

2.5 grade-point average he’s carrying

as an accounting major is not up to

his usual standards. To compensate,

he attends a two-hour mandatory

study hall four days a week—sessions

that have been developed for athletes

by Delaware State’s department of

student services.

Purnsley is not alone.

Thousands of athletes at colleges

across the nation have become the

beneficiaries of the commitment

the National Collegiate Athletic

Association and its member schools

are making to student-athletes by

providing them with the support

needed to face the challenge of

balancing athletics and academics.

In 1995, the NCAA adopted the

Academic Progress Rate, or APR,

a comprehensive academic reform

package designed to measure a

college’s academic success rate for

its athletes, based on their eligibility,

retention, and graduation rate. As a

result of the NCAA’s watchdog eff orts,

Division I athletes are graduating at

the highest rates ever. According to

the latest NCAA Graduation Success

Rates, 79 percent of athletes who

entered college in 2001 earned their

degrees over a six-year period.

LOCAL COLLEGES ARE STEPPING UP

their eff orts, too. Prior to 1995,

Delaware State’s student-athlete

academic program consisted of one

Damien Craighton and his 6-year-old son Dylan at the William Penn wrestling room in New Castle. Craighton won four state titles for William Penn, from 1993 to 1996, a feat accomplished by just six other wrestlers in Delaware. “I know about the commitment and dedication needed to compete on the college level,” Craighton says, “and I’ll share it with Dylan if the time comes.”



Sports&Health

For many high school athletes, the jump to college sports becomes a challenging year-round commitment. Two Delaware colleges are helping to make that transition easier.

By Richard L. GawSeasonThe12—Month

On a Sunday night 12 years ago,

Damien Craighton, then a senior

at William Penn High School, was

competing in a national wrestling

championship at Duquesne University

in Pittsburgh. Midway through the

match, he made a fi ve-point mistake

and lost 8-7 to a California wrestler.

Immediately afterward, John Smith,

the legendary coach at Oklahoma State

University, approached Craighton and

told him that despite the loss, he was

the better wrestler.

“Th en he off ered me a full

scholarship to Oklahoma State right

there, and said I had until the following

Wednesday to decide,” Craighton

says. (Craighton won his fourth state

title that year, something that’s been

accomplished by just six other high

school wrestlers in Delaware.) Smith

told Craighton that he would make

him a national champion, but that

Craighton would have to remain on the

Stillwater campus for what would be a

nearly year-round training regimen.

“With the exception of two weeks at

Christmas,” Smith told Craighton,

“your ass will be mine.”

“I wanted to be a national champion,

but I also wanted a life away from

wrestling,” Craighton says. “I’m very

close with my family in New Castle, and

I wanted to spend time with them in

Rehoboth Beach during the summers,

rather than stay in Oklahoma in a

weight room.”

Wednesday came, and Craighton

rejected the off er from Smith,

who promptly extended the same

scholarship to the California wrestler.

Weeks later, Craighton accepted a

full athletic scholarship to Drexel

University in Philadelphia, where he

wrestled for four years in the 197-lb.

weight class. As early as his freshman

year, he discovered that balancing

sports and academics was just as

demanding at Drexel as it would have

been at Oklahoma State.

“My entire college life was spent

in the wrestling room or in the

classroom,” he says. “I would get up at

fi ve every morning for a 6 a.m. practice

that lasted until 7:30, then go to class,

come back to the gym and run sprints

for 15 minutes, then go back to class,

and then go to practice from 3:30 to

fi ve o’clock. Th ere really was no off -

season. It was a business, and there

were no breaks.”

IT’S BEEN SEVEN YEARS since

Craighton last wrestled competitively,

but a college athlete’s life continues

to be dominated by the sport that

has earned him his ticket to higher

learning. A glimpse into the schedule

of Delaware State University football

player Brandon Purnsley illustrates

this regimented, compartmentalized

existence that fi nds him shuttling

between classrooms, practices, and

the weight room.continued on next page

Photos by Tim Hawk


DEC 2008 | O&A36 . INTERVIEW

What do you think an Obama presidency will bring for the country?

I hope what it brings is a new direction in foreign policy.

I hope that it’s less emphasis on Iraq and more emphasis

on those who really were responsible for Sept. 11. Th ere’s

unfi nished business with Al-Qaeda. And I hope and trust

that he meant what he said in terms of redeploying our

eff orts to go after the culprits from Sept. 11. Th at’s at

the top of my list. I think what’s going to be important is

whether people will give him the opportunity to do the

job. And I hope that that will be the case. Th ere is some

question as to whether he’ll govern as someone left of

center or more toward the center. I’m obviously hoping

that he governs more as a centrist. Th e Democrats hold

all the cards now, and they’re going to need to make sure

they accommodate the Republicans, because if they push

through a very liberal agenda, I think it will embolden

the Republicans two years from now. I’m looking for

American prestige abroad to be restored. I’m hopeful

that some kids who are in need of a role model are going

to see one in President Obama.

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Maybe I’m caught up in it a little bit too close to the

election, but I’m optimistic that there will be a lot of things

done that have been neglected. Energy independence is

another one. If I gave him any advice it would be to be very

bold and to very quickly advance some comprehensive

independence plan. Almost a “put a man on the moon”

sort of thing. I think it’s very much a need.

You’ve often stated that capturing bin Laden should be foreign-policy priority No. 1. It’s been seven years; do you still think catching him is possible, and is it still important?

Yes, I do. And it’s not just because of him. He

could be an irrelevancy at this point, but the tribal

regions in Pakistan are ungoverned—some would say

ungovernable—and Al-Qaeda by our own intelligence

estimates has reconstituted itself in that region. So we’re

almost exactly where we were seven years ago, which

is really appalling. For all the bravado talk by the Bush

administration, this was my most signifi cant area of

disappointment, and I saw John McCain as echoing a lot

of those sentiments, with things like, “I’ll follow him to

the gates of hell.” I would say, “Can’t we just follow him

to the gates of Pakistan?” It’s not just, “Go get bin Laden.”

It’s bin Laden and all those who are in support of him,

and who are still there and alive.

Talkin’ the Talk — continued from previous page

12_Interview.indd 612_Interview.indd 6 11/20/2008 9:23:04 AM11/20/2008 9:23:04 AM

WWW.OUT-AND-ABOUT.COM 35


Do you have a favorite guest among the people you’ve interviewed?

Th e shows that are most memorable to me are not the

shows where it’s the celebrity guest. I’ll be fi ve-for-fi ve

with recent presidents, and yet if you said to me, what

is good talk radio, that would not be at the top of my

list. Th e principle that I pretty much try and follow is

a Seinfeld principle. In Seinfeld, Jerry and George have

this idea that they’re going to NBC to pitch their own

show and it’s going to be a show about nothing. And

that’s pretty much what the show was about. And good

talk radio is [similar]; it’s not left versus right, liberal

versus conservative. It’s often the everyday happening

that everybody can understand and have an opinion

concerning. It could be something at home, it could be

something that happened with the kids.

I’ll give you an example. Yesterday, I mentioned in

passing that I did not ask my wife how she had voted. And

people loved that subject. Th ey wanted to have an opinion

about, Was there something wrong with the fact that I

didn’t ask her, or is that appropriate, or should I know?

If you can translate the everyday into a current headline,

then you’re cruisin’, then you’re doing the right thing.

You’re obviously a big Phillies fan; that was apparent when you covered the parade with WIP’s Angelo Cataldi. What has that world championship done for the city?

I’ve been here my whole life, so I’ve lived through

the many near-misses as well as the championships. It’s

been a great unifi er, particularly against the backdrop

of a contentious election. As McCain and Obama were

kicking the crap out of each other day to day, we were

always united in the Phillies. You look at the crowd at

a Phillies game and it crossed every conceivable line. I

was personally fortunate in that for the last couple of

years I’ve gone to Clearwater [Fla., for spring training]

and done a remote broadcast, because we are their

radio station. I’ve interviewed Charlie [Manuel] and I

interviewed the players, and then on opening day I’m at

Citizens Bank Park and I interviewed Charlie again, and

then intermittently over the season I interviewed some of

the players. And I’m a season ticketholder who pays for

his own seats. I can’t begin to tell you what a wonderful

couple of weeks I’ve just had.

While the Phillies championship is a real positive, Philadelphia continues to have a serious problem with violent crime. What are your thoughts on how the Nutter administration is addressing this problem?

It’s too soon to evaluate him. My view is that

Philadelphia has a fatherhood problem more than a

fi rearm problem, and solving that is bigger than any

mayor. Creating role models for minority youth was one

reason I voted for Obama.

12_Interview.indd 512_Interview.indd 5 11/20/2008 3:19:28 PM11/20/2008 3:19:28 PM

DEC 2008 | O&A34 . INTERVIEW

Smerconish has earned a reputation for being level-headed on the air. “My approach is to be entertaining, informative, and not brow-beating,” he says.

are growing up and killing one another. And fi nally, he is

better suited to unite us when this strident campaign was

over and to restore our prestige around the globe.

How would you describe the typical Michael Smerconish listener?

I study the numbers, because I’m curious to know

what the numbers say about who they are and where

they are and so forth. But for me, the best insight came

from my book tours. I did book signings in Southeastern

Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and a couple in

Delaware. When I go out to these book events I get to

meet people, shake their hands, and see where they

really live. Based on a combination of the hard data and

the anecdotal information that I picked up from those

book signings, it’s a largely suburban audience. I think

they’re of a mixed political pedigree, but probably more

Rs than Ds, and I probably get less of the hardcore

conservative types than do the other hosts, but I collect

more moderates and independents.

The popularity of your show is proof that you don’t have to shout and be confrontational to be heard on talk radio. Give us a little insight into the guiding principles of the show.

My approach is to be entertaining, informative, and

not brow-beating. I don’t hang up. I try not to have a

short fuse on the air. It’s just not the way I approach it. I

don’t fi nd that to be entertaining. It works for others, but

it’s never worked for me. I have a decided point of view,

but I’m really not here to sell it to you as much as I am to

off er it to you, and there’s a distinction between the two.

You often talk music on your show. If you could be any musician, who would you be?

I love that question. [Pause] Any classic-rock guitar

player. I regret never having learned how to play, and

recently, when two of my sons began lessons, I started

with them. Within three weeks, I was the dunce of the

class. I’m struggling learning to play one song—“Knockin’

on Heaven’s Door”—while they have a repertoire.

Talkin’ the Talk — continued from previous page


WWW.OUT-AND-ABOUT.COM 33


Conservative Radio Host.” Th at’s the usual tagline

under Michael Smerconish’s bald visage when he

appears on television news shows. He objects to

the label. Sort of.

“Call me whatever you like,” says the 46-year-old, whose

eponymous program airs from 5 to 9 a.m. weekdays on

Philadelphia’s 1210 AM WPHT. “But you should know

that I am someone who thinks that pot and prostitution

should be legalized; I don’t care what two guys do behind

closed doors, nor do I want them involved in my private

aff airs. So far that may sound liberal, [but] I’m for torture

in certain circumstances, I’m for profi ling in the war on

terror, and I wrote a book and gave $200,000 of profi ts to

police charities. I’m a mixed bag, by any account.”

A Philadelphia lawyer-turned-political commentator,

Smerconish has authored three books, with a fourth

scheduled for March, and he writes separate, weekly

columns for Philadelphia’s Daily News and Inquirer.

He has guest-hosted Bill O’Reilly’s radio show and Th e

Glenn Beck Program on CNN. He frequently appears

on Hardball, Th e Today Show, Th e Sean Hannity Show,

and Lynne Doyle’s It’s Your Call. His own show has

repeatedly been the No. 1 political talk program in

Philadelphia, and on Nov. 10 it began simulcasting to the

Washington, D.C. market.

Smerconish lives in Montgomery County with his

wife and four children. We spoke to him two days after

the Nov. 4 election, and he answered our questions with

the same precise, full-sentence language his listeners

have come to expect of the Phi Beta Kappa graduate of

Lehigh University.

So, if not “Conservative Talk Show Host,” what label should be under your picture when you appear on TV?

Reasonable. If there were a Reasonable Party I’d

be a part of it. One of the frustrating things is that the

talk-radio world and the cable TV world—and I’m a big

part of both of them—present a very unrealistic view of

America. Th ey portray a very red state/blue state, black/

white, R/D kind of a thing. In my own circle of friends, I

know very few, if any, people who see the world entirely

one way or the other. And yet to turn on TV or turn on

radio, that’s the impression you get. I think that’s why a

lot of people who have not listened to me intently were

surprised by what I said of the presidential race.

You’re speaking of course of your endorsement a month or so before the election of Barack Obama. What kind of reaction did you get when you came out for a liberal Democrat?

Th e vehemence in the emails was a bit overwhelming

because it was in the thousands. Only now has that tide

been stemmed. Th e face-to-face encounters—and I see a

lot of people [at local restaurants, gas stations, and kids’

events] on a day-to-day basis—people engage me and

“want to talk about the presidential race, and they’re very

respectful and supportive of what I have to say. I mean,

look at the results. I reach an audience in the tri-state

area. Delaware went for Obama and Biden; New Jersey

did, particularly the counties that are my core; and the

most loyal of my listeners are found in the Philadelphia

suburbs. All Obama-Biden. So the people that I heard

from on emails are the minority. Th ey don’t want to

engage me face-to-face. But they’re out there and I want

to be mindful of their views and respect them.

I assume many of them declared they were never going to listen to you again.

Oh, absolutely. In fact, a signifi cant number of the

emails said exactly that. And you know, I had a choice

to make. I made up my mind. I invested a tremendous

amount of time in this election, more than any other

election. I’m fortunate in that, unlike the typical voter,

I got to speak to both of them. I hosted John McCain

in Philadelphia on two occasions, spent signifi cant

time with him, questioned him on a one-on-one basis.

Interviewed Obama a couple of times on the radio. Went

to both conventions.

Once I made up my mind, here became the dynamic:

Do I keep it to myself, and spare what will be an

outpouring of some very angry talk-radio listeners? Or

do I tell everybody what I’m doing? And in the end, after

that last debate, I decided I would almost be deceitful if I

didn’t say, ‘Th is is what I’m doing.’ I tried to structure it to

say, ‘Th is is what I’m doing, I’m not telling you what you

ought to do. We can discuss it.’ Th at didn’t spare me any

of the blowback.

And I’ll tell you something else. I continued to bring

on my program any number of A-list McCain surrogates.

Rudy Giuliani, Joe Lieberman, Curt Schilling. All to speak

in support of John McCain.

What were your reasons for endorsing Obama?I had 750 words [in my newspaper columns] to play

with, and I off ered fi ve reasons. It was never intended to

be an exhaustive list, it was just, ‘What can I address in 750

words?’ I said foreign policy; more specifi cally, Obama’s

perception on where the war on terror is compared to

McCain’s. Obama looking at the Afghan-Pakistan border,

McCain talking about Iraq. I said I thought Obama was

better suited intellectually to deal with the economic

issues we face. I said that Sarah Palin is a mismatch with

Joe Biden. I said that Barack Obama would be a role

model for African-American youths, too many of whom

INTERVIEW


DEC 2008 | O&AXX . INTERVIEW DEC 2008 | O&AXX . INTERVIEW

Talkin’ the TalkDespite angering his conservative listeners by endorsing Barack Obama,

Philadelphia’s Michael Smerconish grows ever more popular

Photos by Tim Hawk

By Bob Yearick



UPCLOSE

CELEBRATE THE GOOD TIMESAt left on opposite page, children took advantage of the festivities at the Downtown Fall Fest, held Nov. 1. (photo: Jim Miller) KRS-1 (opposite page, far left) headlined the Peoples’ Festival Tribute to Bob Marley on July 26. (photo: Matt Urban) At top right, the Mingus Big Band performs at the 20th DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Fest, held in June, while above, at right, Julie Orlando introduces her friend’s baby to the evening’s sounds. (photos: Tim Hawk) Above, at left, Newark Mayor Vance Funk does the ribbon-cutting for the city’s 250th anniversary at Deer Park Tavern on April 1. (photo: Dennis Dischler)

12_Upclose.indd 512_Upclose.indd 5 11/20/2008 1:44:36 PM11/20/2008 1:44:36 PM

Dec | O&A

THE SPORTING LIFEVenus Williams (top left) picked up the Wom-en’s Singles title at Wimbledon this year, then fl ew into Wilmington to play against the Smash. (photo: Joe del Tufo) Above, Rebecca Wellons of NEBC/Cycle Loft/Devonshire Dental in the Trellist Women’s Pro. (photo: Tim Hawk) At left, Point-to-Point marked its 30th anniversary at Winterthur in May. (photo: Carrin Ackerman)


XX

UPCLOSE

PHILLIES PHEVER TAKES HOLDFans took to the streets of Philly on Oct. 31 to congratulate this year’s team, which brought home the city’s fi rst major sports championship in 25 years, and the fi rst for the Phillies in 28 years. (photos: Tim Hawk)

THEY LIKE US, THEY REALLY LIKE USWilmington welcomed Wilco (above; photo: Joe del Tufo) and Jenny Lewis (left; photo: Joe del Tufo) at the Grand Opera House this year, while Extreme Makeover: Home Edition selected a house in the city for one of its episodes. (photo: Matt Urban)


Dec | O&AXX . Upclose

2008: A Year in Review

DO YOU BELIEVE IN CHANGE? YES!“[We will] wonder...whether the Obamas’ passing-through was a feverish moment that came to an end or merely a stop on the way to bigger places,” we wrote in our March issue earlier this year, when both President-Elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle made separate trips to Wilmington within three days of each other. (photos: Joe del Tufo) Clearly the latter, as Obama, with running mate and Delaware’s own Joe Biden (shown with wife Jill at Return Day last month on opposite page; photo: Chuck Snyder) won a historic election.



12_EventsCalendar.indd 1112_EventsCalendar.indd 11 11/19/2008 5:08:55 PM11/19/2008 5:08:55 PM

Dec | O&A26 . Events Calendar

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David ByrneAn Evening With David Byrne: “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno”Dec 3 | 8pm | $44 - $67

Dark Star OrchestraRecreations of historic Grateful Dead concerts Dec 4 | 8pm | $31 - $36

Cab Calloway OrchestraJive, blues and boogie from the Golden AgeDec 5 | 8pm | $28 - $32

Burning River Brass ChristmasTwelve musicians perform brass intrumentals of Christmas songs from around the worldDec 21 | 3pm | $30 - $34

American Big BandMusicians, singers and dancers perform

all the Big Band classicsJan 18 | 3pm | $28 - $34

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ACOUSTIC ACTS . FULL BANDS . DJ’S . CATERING

Check my web site for a list of acts

Music sales may be nose-diving,

but interest in being a rock star is

stronger than ever.

Consider the Guitar Hero video-

game series, whose four titles have

sold, according to Reuters, a whopping

23 million units in its three years of

existence; or Rock Band, which has

chalked up 4 million in sales. (A sequel

was released for Xbox in September,

with versions for other consoles

released in October.)

What drives these games’ popularity,

of course, is their interactivity—who

hasn’t wanted to be in a band? Now, a

tournament at the Arden Club Th eatre

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doesn’t like money?

On Saturday, Dec. 13, the theater

will host a Guitar Hero & Rock Band

Tournament, where players in two

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Th ere’s a $10 admission fee.

— Michael Pollock

PLAY LIKE A ROCK STARArden tournament lets video-gamers live out fantasies while competing for cash

12_EventsCalendar.indd 812_EventsCalendar.indd 8 11/20/2008 8:38:07 AM11/20/2008 8:38:07 AM


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— continued from page 20

and chocolate torte with mocha rum sauce or chocolate ganache for dessert. Location: 1601 Concord Pike, Suite 33. Wilm. (celebri-tykitchensinc.com, 427-COOK).

Ride, Wine & Dine12/31: Take a limousine ride and enjoy

the offerings at several wineries. Location: Brandywine Area of Wilmington (454-7800).

■ PERFORMING ARTS

City Theater Company12/5-20: Cabaret. Classic musical about

1920s Berlin. Location: Opera Delaware Stu-dios, 4 S. Poplar St., Wilm. (city-theater.org).

Delaware Theatre Company12/3-21: Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Steve

Martin play about a fi ctional meeting between Einstein and Picasso in Paris. Location: Dela-ware Theatre Company. 200 Water St., Wilm. (delawaretheatre.org, 594-1100).

Grand Opera House12/3: An Evening with David Byrne. The

former Talking Head performs pieces com-posed with producer Brian Eno. 12/3: Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands. Grammy-winning fi ddler performs American folk tunes. 12/4: Dark Star Orchestra. Grateful Dead tribute band performs set lists completely and ac-curately. 12/5: The Cab Calloway Orchestra. Grandson Calloway Brooks leads a jumping jazz orchestra. 12/6: John Prine. The roots-based singer/songwriter performs. 12/21: Burning River Brass Christmas. Seasonal melodies highlight the offerings of this 12-piece brass ensemble. Location: Grand Opera House. 818 N. Market St., Wilm. (grandop-era.org, 652-5577).

Scwartz Center for the Arts12/18, 19: Scrooge! Musical adaptation

of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. Location: Schwartz Center for the Arts. 226 S. State St., Dover (schwartzcenter.com, 302/678-5152).

The Wilma Theater12/3 - 1/4: Schmucks. Account of a fi cti-

tious meeting between comic legends Grou-cho Marx and Lenny Bruce. Location: The Wilma Theater. 265 S. Broad St., Phila., Pa. (wilmatheater.org, 215/546-7824).

Wilmington Drama League12/12-29: The Sound of Music. Classic

tale of Capt. Baron von Trapp, his seven chil-dren, and the governess who comes into their lives. Location: Wilmington Drama League. 10 W. Lea Blvd., Wilm. (wdl.org, 764-1172).

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LIBERATING ARTDCCA lifts its admission fees but stays committed to giving artists a platform

Wall Street crashes, global markets tumble, 401Ks

disappear, homes are foreclosed. But the art, that

much remains.

And now it’s free—at the Delaware Center for

Contemporary Arts, anyway. In November, the DCCA

lifted all admission fees. During economic crises, they

argued in a recent newsletter, “we need the arts, and most

especially the arts of our own time, more than ever.” Th ey

went on: “From the beginning, the DCCA was founded on

principles of inclusiveness and accessibility. Our ongoing,

award-winning outreach programs have demonstrated our

continuing commitment to serving the underserved in our

community. And now, as we approach our 30th anniversary,

we have committed ourselves to opening DCCA’s doors to

everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Several exhibits are on display now though the new

year. Th ey include collagist James Lipovac’s Th e Swan, a

Shark, and the Glacier, made up of images the artist has

collected on streets as well as online, and Donald Camp’s

Dust Shaped Hearts – New Orleans (pictured above), a

collection of photographs that examines racial and gender

stereotypes. For more on these and other ongoing exhibits,

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Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery12/5 - 1/3: Out of the Doghouse. Whimsi-

cal paintings of dogs, by Anna Bellenger. Lo-cation: Talleyville Frame Shoppe & Gallery. 3625 Silverside Rd., Wilm. (478-1163).

University of Delaware GalleryThru 12/7: Poles Apart: Art and Science

in Polar Exploration. Exhibition featuring photographs from the Library of the Ameri-can Geographical Society. Location: Univer-sity Gallery, Old College. 30 N. College Ave., Newark (udel.edu/museums, 831-8037).

■ KIDS

Delaware Children’s Theatre12/6-21: Babes in Toyland. Performances

at 2pm. Location: Delaware Children’s The-atre. 1014 Delaware Ave, Wilm. (dechildren-stheatre.org, 655-1014).

Delaware Museum of Natural History1/4-9/20: Eyes on Earth. Interactive ex-

hibit that explores space technology used to predict storms, monitor forest fi res, and study the ozone layer. Location: Delaware Museum of Natural History. 4840 Kennett Pike, Wilm. (delmnh.org, 658-9111).

Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory12/1-15: Public Nights. Adults and stu-

dents fi fth grade and older are invited to at-tend hands-on discussions about the night sky. Location: 1610 Hillside-Mill Rd.,Greenville (mountcuba.org, 654-6407).

■ LOCAL

Arden Club Theatre12/12: A Christmas Story. The holiday

classic with Ralphie on a mission to get a Red Ryder BB gun. 12/12: Breakfast with Santa. $6 for all ages. Location: Arden Club Theatre. 2126 The Highway, Arden (ardenclubtheatre.org, 475-3126).

Celebrity Kitchens12/12: Holiday Cheer. Rosemary-roast-

ed petit tenderloin with Gorgonzola butter. 12/16: Elegant But Light. Cream-less creamy squash soup, shrimp bruschetta, and Beef Wellington. 12/17: Feast of the 7 Fishes. Chef Scott Clarke presents his take on the Italian tradition. 12/20: One Enchanted Evening. Hosted by Riche Griffi n of Dish!. 12/22: Magical Moments for the Holidays. Clas-sic crab bisque with salt-crusted fi let of beef

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Cutting-edge poetry along with classic poems composed by Gordon Parks. 12/13: Holiday House Tour. Self-guided tour of Wilmington homes and artist studios decorated for the holidays. Location: Delaware Art Museum. 2301 Kentmere Pkwy., Wilm. (delart.org, 571-9590).

Delaware College of Art & Design12/6, 7, 13, 14: Weekend Workshop.

Photographing artwork. Location: Delaware College of Art & Design. 600 N. Market St., Wilm. (dcad.edu, 622-8000).

Hagley Museum & LibraryThru 1/4: Give It Your Best: Workplace

Posters in the United States. Vintage post-ers created from 1917 until WWII. Location: Hagley Museum. 298 Buck Road East, Wilm. (hagley.org, 658-2400).

Hardcastle Gallery12/1-31: W. James McGlynn & the Art

of Gift-Giving. New images from watercolor artist W. James McGlynn. Location: Hard-castle Gallery. 5714 Kennett Pike, Centreville (hardcastlegallery.com, 655-5230).

■ ARTS

Biggs Museum of American Art12/6: Paper Dolls. Children ages 5-10

create paper costumes of their favorite char-acters in the museum. Location: Biggs Mu-seum of American Art. 406 Federal St., Dover (biggsmuseum.org, 302/674-2111).

Brandywine River MuseumThru 1/11: Scenes of the Season: Paint-

ings and Illustrations from the Collection. Winter landscapes and images from The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol, among other stories. Includes works by N.C. Wyeth. Location: U.S. Route 1, Chadds Ford, Pa. (brandywinemuseum.org, 610/388-2700).

Chadds Ford Historical SocietyThru 12/5: The Historic Houses Through

Artists’ Eyes. Portraits of houses built over the last four centuries. Location: Chadds Ford Historical Society Visitors’ Barn. 1736 N. Creek Rd., Chadds Ford, Pa. (chaddsfordhis-tory.org, 610/388-7376).

Delaware Art Museum12/5: Poetic Tribute to Gordon Parks.

Philadelphia Art MuseumThru 12/28: Thomas Chambers (1808-

1869): American Marine and Landscape Painter. Chambers’ style and sources through 40 of his own paintings and 20 related works. Location: Philadelphia Museum of Art. 26th Street & Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Phila., Pa. (philamuseum.org, 215/763-8100).

Somerville Manning GalleryThru 1/3: American Green - Art & Stew-

ardship. Exhibit celebrating our nation’s natu-ral resources. Includes works by Jamie Wyeth and George A. Weymouth. Location: Breck’s Mill, 2nd Floor. 101 Stone Block Row, Green-ville (somervillemanning.com, 652-0271).

The Station Gallery12/5-24: Art Works for the Holidays.

Paintings, jewelry, ceramics, glass ornaments, Giclée prints, and antique book plates. Loca-tion: The Station Gallery. 3922 Kennett Pike, Greenville (stationgallery.net, 654-8638).

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Dec | O&A

It was a series of one-on-one

interviews that pitted a nervous

broadcaster against a battered

president. David Frost, the British

TV personality, spent hundreds

of thousands of dollars of his own

money to net air-time with the man

who years earlier had disgraced the

United States of America. Journalist

vs. politician. Schemer vs. schemer.

Both with plenty to lose.

DuPont Th eatre recreates the

legendary exchange this month

with Frost/Nixon, running Dec.

9-14. Th e play examines the

drama—both on-set and off —as

Frost works to cement his career

and Nixon looks to redeem his.

Prolifi c screen actor Stacy Keach

(American History X) portrays the

ousted 37th President. For more,

go to duponttheatre.com. And for

a look at the Ron Howard-directed

fi lm version now in theaters, see

Mark Fields’ column on pg. 67.

— Michael Pollock

FACE TO FACEDuPont Theatre’s Frost/Nixon recreatesthe famous TV showdown

18 . Events Calendar

FOR WOMEN 18 & OLDER

302.650.0695 www.slumberpartiesbydebelynne.com

See you at the Women in

Business Luncheon!


DO IT LIKE THE DUDECTC bowling benefi t tips its hatto The Big Lebowski

Leave it to an irreverent and wildly entertaining arts

group like the City Th eater Company to combine a

bowling fundraiser with a cult-classic movie. In fact, leave it

to the City Th eater Company to combine fundraising with

bowling in the fi rst place.

CTC’s “All-U-Can-Roll” fundraiser at Pleasant Hill Lanes

on Newport Pike, on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 9 to 11 p.m.,

invites bowlers to roll like “Th e Dude” (Jeff rey Lebowski,

Jeff Bridges’ uber-chill character in Th e Big Lebowski).

Enjoy White Russians (Th e Dude’s favorite drink) and all

the bowling you can handle, plus an open beer bar and a

pirate BBQ. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

Proceeds benefi t the City Th eater Company. For more, visit

city-theater.org.

— Michael Pollock

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302.226.1680 ext.106 • RuddertowneUSA.com

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12_OutFront.indd 712_OutFront.indd 7 11/19/2008 2:37:38 PM11/19/2008 2:37:38 PM

Dec | O&AXX . Out Front

A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to point out some of the most common mistakes in the way Americans speak and write

By Bob Yearick

OUTFRONT

XX

Media WatchTh is might be subtitled: I’ll See Your Woof

and Raise You a Gaff :

Dept. of Redundant RedundanciesHeadline on recent press release sent to O&A editors:

“Th e 10 Most Quintessential Philadelphia Movies.”

Actually, there can only be one “quintessential,” which

means purest, or most characteristic. Th e addition of the

adjective “most” merely compounds the error.

Terrell Owens, Cowboys wide receiver, assured

reporters recently that his “mental state of mind is fi ne.”

Word of the MonthGravitas. You see it all the time, so why not start

using it? It means substance; weightiness; or serious,

dignifi ed, as in “Our president should have a certain air

of gravitas.”

Signs of the ApocalypseDuring the Phillies’ championship run, it seems that

“Marty from Delaware” called in to an XM radio sports

talk show and said something like, “Boston did it, the

White Sox did it. Why can’t us?” Unbelievably, there

immediately began a movement among fans and some

broadcasters and writers to make this the Phils’ slogan.

Th e upshot: you can get your “Why Can’t Us” T-shirts

and hoodies online at shop.cafepress.com.

Heard or seen a good (bad) one lately? Drop us a line

at [email protected]. And check out Bob Yearick’s

novel, Sawyer, on Amazon or at the publisher’s website:

bayoakpublishers.com. It’s a great Christmas present for

the football fan.

“Man Woofs Down 14-lb. Hamburger”—

headline from Comcast.net. To woof, in today’s

parlance, is to express oneself in a boastful or

aggressive manner. What was meant, of course,

was “Wolfs Down.”

“Another Gaff by Biden”—headline on Fox News.

A gaff is a pole with a hook that is used to land

large fi sh. A gaff e, on the other hand, is a mistake,

which is what Fox News committed here.

Th en there was the political pundit on MSNBC

who talked about the McCain campaign’s penchant

for “disassembling.” While the wheels indeed may have

been falling off the campaign toward the end, what the

pundit meant was dissembling, meaning to conceal or

avoid the truth.

Literally of the MonthHerewith a new feature, in which we highlight the

abuse of the most misused and overused word in the

language, literally.

Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner, on embattled

cornerback Adam Jones: “He’s literally on a high wire

without a net.” (From the “Th ey Said It” feature in the

Oct. 20 issue of Sports Illustrated.)

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12_OutFront.indd 812_OutFront.indd 8 11/20/2008 9:58:12 AM11/20/2008 9:58:12 AM


IF YOU WON $100 FROM AN OUT & ABOUT CONTEST, HOW WOULD YOU SPEND THE MONEY? Go out to dinner Buy clothes Go to a show Save it Other:________________________________

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A READER OF OUT & ABOUT MAGAZINE?Less than 1 year 1-3 years 4-6 years 7 years or more

WHAT IS YOUR ZIP CODE? ________________________________

OUT & ABOUT IS RE-DOING ITS WEBSITE. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? Contests Photos Blogs Dining directory Music calendar General calendar of eventsOther:________________________________

WHAT CONTENT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN OUT & ABOUT?Interviews Photos Food & drink Music Sports & recreation Events calendarOther:________________________________

WHAT CONTENT DO YOU WANT TO SEE LESS OF IN OUT & ABOUT?Interviews Photos Food & drink Music Sports & recreation Events calendarOther:________________________________

CHECK THE ACTIVITIES YOU PARTICIPATE IN REGULARLY:Bicycling Environmental issues Golf Photography Dieting Physical fi tness Science/technology Health/natural foods Skiing Tennis Watching TV Sports Camping/hiking Sailing Fishing Video games Fine art/antiques Improving health Gourmet cooking Music Avid book reading Politics Running/jogging Religious activities Computers Self-improvement Walking for health Home decorating Wines Cultural/arts events Community activities Travel Hunting/shooting Needlework/knitting Grandchildren Real Estate Dining Swimming Competitive sportsCoaching/mentoring Community projects/volunteering

YOUR OCCUPATION:Homemaker Service worker Professional tradesperson Technical Retired executive StudentManagement Business owner Sales/marketing Educator Military Clergy Work from homeClerical Worker Other:____________________

LEVEL OF EDUCATION (check the highest completed):Some high school or less Some graduate school Completed high school Some collegeCompleted college Completed graduate school Voc./Tech. school

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO PICK UP OUT & ABOUT EACH MONTH?Pick it up every month Pick it up when I see it Rarely pick it up Never pick it up

MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT OUT & ABOUT IS...Covers Photos Contests Interviews Features Editorial toneOther:________________________________

IF OUT & ABOUT WAS TO CREATE A NEW EVENT, WHAT TYPE OF EVENT SHOULD IT BE?__________________________________________________________________________

AGE: 18-25 26-31 32-37 38-45 46-54 55-64 65 and older

GENDER: Male Female

MARITAL STATUS: Married Widowed Divorced/separated Never married (single)

FRUIT FLOWER BASKETS!

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Dec | O&AXX . Out Front

TAKE SURVEY. WIN COOL STUFF.FILL OUT ONLINE @

OUTANDABOUTNOW.COM

OR MAIL TO:307 A STREET

WILMINGTON, DE 19801

TAKE SURVEY. WIN COOL STUFF.

TAKE SURVEY. WIN COOL STUFF.

Aloha, Delaware!A group of First State natives, now living in Hawaii, celebrate their roots

WINNERS NAMED

EACH MONTH!

If Delaware’s rubber-band eff ect snaps back anyone who

tries to venture too far from our beloved state, maybe

there’s an opposite force slinging folks far, far away. As

far as Hawaii, even.

According to First State native-turned-Hawaii resident

Adele Rugg (who grew up in Seaford, where her parents

ran Rugg’s Music Shop), Dec. 7 is Delaware Day in Maui.

In fact, it has been for 20 years.

“I started this event because I know in Florida there is,

or was, a very active Delaware community who held an

annual event,” writes Rugg, who’s been living in Hawaii

for almost 30 years. “So I wanted to do the same thing

here on Maui.”

She reports that the new chaplain at the Maui

Memorial Medical Center is from the Wilmington/

Greenville area and the sole male member of the Kihei

Canoe Club—made up of breast-cancer survivors—

is from Hockessin. And, she writes, “We have polo,

represented by Brandywine Polo Stables and the Knox

Weymouth family.”

Any Delawareans who happen to be in Maui on the 7th

are more than welcome to stop by Stella Blues Restaurant

in the Azeka Shopping Center on South Kihei Road for

the festivities.

— Michael Pollock

Phot

o pr

ovid

ed



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SNAPSHOTS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. These ladies were dressed to impress during Hollywood Halloween at Caffe Gelato. Photo by Jim Miller

2. (L to R): Suzy Casey, Melanie Monnig, and Erin O’Connor at Party with a Purpose, held Oct. 24 at the Greenville Country Club. Photo by Ben LeRoy

3. Bob Downing, Janet Conigliaro and Betsy LeRoy at Party with a Purpose. Photo by Ben LeRoy

4. Jessica Cowperthwait (left) and Bev Zimmerman at Party with a Purpose. Photo by Ben LeRoy

5. The U.S Men’s Olympic Swimming Team shows off the gold at the Halloween Loop. Photo by Jim Miller

6. (L to R): Erin Reynolds, Jaclyn Pack, Laura Tuoni, and Ashley Constantini at Party with a Purpose. Photo by Jim Miller


Sept | O&AXX . Music

1. Where’s Waldo? Everywhere at this year’s Halloween Loop, held Oct. 25 in downtown Wilmington. Photo by Jim Miller

2. An antique fi re truck, courtesy of the Merchantville Fire Dept., on display at the Downtown Fall Fest, held Nov. 1 in downtown Wilmington. Photo by Jim Miller

3. Face-painting and hay mazes were big at the Downtown Fall Fest. Photo by Jim Miller

4. DJ Skinny White spins records at the Jaycees Brew Review at Ameritage on Oct. 23. Photo by Jim Miller

5. Employees of Caffe Gelato in Newark look for ghosts during Hollywood Halloween on Oct. 30. Photo by Jim Miller

4.

2.

1.

3. 5.



Published each month by TSN Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing & business address:

307 A Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

Publisher:Gerald DuPhily

Associate Editor:Bob Yearick

Managing Editor:Michael Pollock

Director of Publications/Sales & Marketing:Jim Hunter Miller

Art Director:Matthew “Velociman” Loeb

Account Executive:Marie Graham

Senior Graphic Designer:Joy Smoker

Junior Graphic Designer: Shawna Sneath

Senior Writers:Pam George, Larry Nagengast

Scott Pruden, Bob Yearick

Contributing Writers:Kendra Acker, Dan Butler, Kaytie Dowling

Sophie DuPhily, Mark Fields, Richard L. GawCarol Kipp, Steven Leech

Contributing Photographers:Joe del Tufo, Dennis DischlerLindsay DuPhily, Tim Hawk

Les Kipp, Matt Urban

Director of Information Technology:Chris Marts

Special Projects:Gordon DelGiorno

For editorial and advertising information:(302) 655-6483 • FAX (302) 654-0569

Website: www.out-and-about.comEmail: [email protected]

Vote of Confi dence

For such a dramatic election, my personal trip to the polling

station held little drama. I bet yours was similarly uneventful.

Whether your choice was McCain or Obama, it’s my bet you

showed up at your polling place, waited in line for a half-hour or

less, voted your conscience, then went about your day. Is this a great

country or what!

How extraordinary that selecting the leader of our country can be

so ordinary. No secret police, no rioting, no shadowy fi gures doling

out bribes. More than 99 million Americans voted last month in

one of the most fi ercely contested campaigns in recent memory, yet

did you hear of even a fi stfi ght at a polling place? Neither did I.

Regardless of whether your choice won, take pride in how civil

the exercise was—again. Voting for our national leader has become

as routine as a morning coff ee stop, and that fact alone is worth

celebrating. In other parts of the world, democracy in action is

rarely so commonplace.

My particular experience couldn’t have been more uneventful

—and pleasant. Since my daughter was off for the day (because

her school was serving as a voting site), my wife and I had her

accompany us to our polling station. After a convenient half-

mile drive to the Kennett (Pa.) Township Municipal Building, we

were greeted by volunteers of both parties who off ered us coff ee

and donuts—no strings attached. We savored the mild weather,

exchanged pleasantries with fellow voters, made our selections,

and were on our way. My daughter actually joined me in the

booth (in reality it was a chest-high desk enclosed by a three-sided

partition) as I penciled in my choices. Th ough expecting a much

more technologically advanced process, she quickly downgraded

and reminded me to “completely fi ll in the circles or it won’t count.”

Sage advice from a veteran of middle-school testing. Th e entire visit

took about 20 minutes, tops.

As always, I felt inspired by the experience. Voting, especially in

a presidential year, is invigorating. Judging by the excitement in my

daughter’s eyes, she found the experience invigorating as well.

Hours later we would watch the early returns together, analyze

the analysis (Wolf Blitzer really does look like Wolverine in X-Men),

and discuss how things were going for our ticket (Obama-Biden).

Th e rest, as we all know, truly is history.

Th e drama? It was where it was supposed to be, in the results.

Th e voting experience? Just another day at the polls, really.

In fact, through the years my participation in the voting

process has been pleasantly predictable. Makes you proud to be

an American.

FROM the PUBLISHER

[email protected]


Dec | O&A6 . Inside

Despite what you’ve heard, a qualified buyer can finance a home purchasetoday. In fact, in the last 4 weeks, nearly 600 savvy home buyers tookadvantage of the opportunities in our market and over 90% financedtheir purchase.

Have financing questions put your home purchase on hold?Gilpin Mortgage, our partner, can assist you in determining how much houseyou can comfortably afford. Gilpin will give it to you straight, even if thatmeans suggesting you can’t afford to buy right now. We’ll offer honest adviceon what you can do to improve your ability to purchase a home in the future.

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pg 8 pg 32

5

For many high school athletes, the jump to college sports becomes a challenging

year-round commitment. A look at how two Delaware colleges are making that

transition easier. By Richard L. Gaw

THE 12-MONTH SEASON37

From Barack to Biden, from Extreme Makeover to extreme Phillies fans,

we present a look back at the crazy and once-in-a-lifetime year that was 2008.

2008: A YEAR IN REVIEW28

O&ACONTENTSDecember 2008, Vol. 21, No. 10 www.out-and-about.com

FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

DEPARTMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Snap Shots

Out Front

Monthly Events Calendar

Bud Light Film Crew

In Wilmington

Riverfront

Food & Drink

Movies

Music

Nightlife

32 THE O&A INTERVIEW: MICHAEL SMERCONISHDespite angering his conservative listeners by endorsing Barack Obama,

Philadelphia’s Michael Smerconish grows ever more popular. By Bob Yearick

Th e second-place entry in our annual writing contest. By Barbara Gray

SHORT STORY WINNER: “AFTERMATH”

8

12

17

45

49

55

57

pg 30 pg 75

42

INSIDE

67

71

79


Dec | O&A4 . Inside

So are we.We’re setting up DUI checkpoints every week, everywhere in Delaware.Thousands

of people drive through them. Chances are you’ll be next.The legal, social and

financial consequences of drinking and driving are severe. So why risk it?

Going out tonight?

www.ohs.delaware.gov



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Dec | O&A2 . Inside

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Timothy’sGood Times, Great Food, and Friendly People

of Newark

100 Creek View Road • Newark, DE 19711 | 302-738-9915 • www.timothysofnewark.com

SundayNFL Fantastic Food & Drink Specials• $1.50 Coors Light Pints• $4.00 Tall Captain Drinks• $5.00 Bloody Mary Bar• $6.99 Food SpecialsAll You Can Eat Baby Back Ribs

MondayNFL Fantastic Food & Drink SpecialsAll You Can Eat Baby Back RibsKids Eat Free With Adult Purchase

Tuesday35¢ wings & $1.50 Yuengling PintsTexas Hold em Tounaments 7pm

WednesdayHalf Price BurgersSalsa Lessons & Dancing 9pm

ThursdayFree Happy Hour Bu et 4-7pm Upstairs BarAll you can peel & eat shrimp 13.992.00 you call at the bar 5-8pmTexas Hold em Tournaments 7pm

FridayFree Happy Hour Bu etDiscounted Drink PricesPrime Rib-Queen & King Cuts

SaturdayChef Specials

20 BEERS ON DRAFTFREE WIFI INTERNET SERVICEBANQUETS FOR EVERY OCCASION Up to 150 PeopleHEALTHY JUICE DRINKS Including Wheatgrass Shots

McGlynns in Dover Now Open!Situated on beautiful Silver Lake.

We do Sunday brunch with the biggest and best

Bloody Mary Bar in Dover!

800 N. State St | Dover, DE | 302-674-01448 Polly Drummond Shopping Center | Newark, DE | 302-738-7814

108 Peoples Plaza (Corner of Rtes. 40 & 896) | Newark, DE | 302-834-6661

Happy Holidays from Our Family to Yours



SANTA Crawl

Sat., Dec. 13 | 8PM17 Clubs | $5 CoverWear a Santa Hat and Don’t Pay a Cover!

1717

BLUE PARROT

CATHERINE ROONEY’S

C.R. HOOLIGAN’S

C.W. HARBORSIDE

DEAD PRESIDENTS

DEL ROSE CAFE

DUDE’S

GALLUCIO’S

GOODFELLAS

KELLY’S LOGAN HOUSE

KID SHELLEEN’S

THE REBEL

THREE SEVENTEEN

TIMOTHY’S RIVERFRONT

TRU SIN

UNION TAVERN

302.655.6483 | out-and-about.com

Loop shuttles begin running @ 8pm

present


YOU ARE NOT INVINCIBLE

12_PRIMES_C2-C4.indd 212_PRIMES_C2-C4.indd 2 11/19/2008 2:28:34 PM11/19/2008 2:28:34 PM

12_PRIMES_C2-C4.indd 312_PRIMES_C2-C4.indd 3 11/19/2008 2:27:38 PM11/19/2008 2:27:38 PM

Documents

Out & About Magazine December 2008