DOVER — Bakers might do well to check their pantries.

The Delaware Division of Public Health is advising Delawareans of a voluntary recall of flour products produced between Nov. 14, 2015, and Dec. 4, 2015.

The products are sold under three brand names: Gold Medal Flour, Signature Kitchens Flour and Gold Medal Wondra Flour.

The varieties include unbleached, all-purpose and self-rising flours that may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 (STEC O121).

No illnesses associated with the products have been reported in Delaware.

However, the Division of Public Health encourages consumers to check their pantries for these products, and to discard or return them to the store where they were purchased.

The Federal Drug Administration warns against eating raw dough products made with any brand of flour or baking mix before cooking. Consumers should practice safe food handling and preparation measures when handling flour.

The FDA recommends following these safe food-handling practices to stay healthy:

• Do not eat or play with any raw cookie dough or any other raw dough product made with flour intended to be cooked or baked.

• Follow package directions on baking mixes and other flour-containing products for proper cooking temperatures and for specified times.

• Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw dough products containing flour.

• Keep raw foods separate from other foods while preparing them to prevent any contamination that might be present from spreading.

The recalled products were sold in Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel, Shaws, Vons, United, Randalls and Acme.

The division’s Health Systems Protection’s Office of Food Protection has confirmed the products have been removed from Acme and Super G shelves in Delaware.

The products were not shipped to Eastern Shore Safeway stores.

The recalled UPC codes and better if used by dates of the affected products are:

• 13.5 ounce Gold Medal Wondra (Package UPC 000-16000-18980; dates: 25FEB2017 thru 30MAR2017)

•2 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-10710; dates: 25MAY2017KC through 03JUN2017KC)

• 5 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-10610; dates: 25MAY2017KC, 27MAY2017KC thru 31MAY2017KC, 01JUN2017KC, 03JUN2017KC thru 05JUN2017KC, 11JUN2017KC thru 14JUN2017KC)

• 10 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-10410; dates: 02JUN2017KC, 03JUN2017KC)

• 10 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour – Banded Pack (Package UPC 000-16000-10410; dates: 03JUN2017KC, 04JUN2017KC, 05JUN2017KC)

• 5 pound Gold Medal Unbleached Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-19610; dates: 25MAY2017KC, 27MAY2017KC, 03JUN2017KC, 04JUN2017KC)

• 5 pound Signature Kitchens All Purpose Flour Enriched Bleached (Package UPC 000-21130-53001; dates: BB MAY 28 2017)

• 5 pound Signature Kitchens Unbleached Flour All Purpose Enriched (Package UPC 000-21130-53022; dates: BB MAY 27 2017)

• 2 pound Gold Medal Self-Rising Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-11710; dates: 23AUG2016KC)

People usually get sick from STEC O121 two to eight days (average of three to four days) after swallowing the bacteria.

Most people develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps. Most people recover within a week.

If you or a member of your family has consumed (or believe that you have consumed) one of the recalled products and are experiencing any of the symptoms above, seek medical attention.

For questions regarding the recalled products, contact the General Mills Consumer Hotline at (800) 230-8103.

I am always bewildered when a story catches our national collective attention where you have the classic “perpetrator gets off easy or completely escapes justice altogether” scenario.

We as a society despise when we perceive such miscarriages of justice happen. However, in rightfully doing so, we espouse a certain collective selective moral outrage.

The most recent example would be that of the college swim star who was sentenced to serve six months for dragging an unconscious girl behind a Dumpster and raping her. I am in complete agreement with the rest of you that say the judge was far too lenient and the six-months sentence is a travesty of justice; the convicted rapist should have been sentenced to much more time than the six months.

But, and this is where I struggle to understand — as a society, we are much more tolerant of cases where innocent people are wrongfully prosecuted and wrongfully convicted:

1) Brian Banks story, whereas a promising high school football player was wrongfully convicted of rape and spent six years in prison until the alleged victim recanted her story and admitted she made it up.

2) Duke lacrosse team and the corrupt DA who broke every rule in the book and continued to try and wrongfully convict these young men even when he possessed exonerating exculpatory evidence.

3) The ridiculous UVA/Rolling Stone rape hoax where an entire fraternity was wrongfully accused of gang rape but the Rolling Stone [magazine] printed the story from the mythical account of the emotionally disturbed young lady who initiated the hoax.

4) The now debunked “Mattress Girl” from Princeton University who carried her mattress around campus because of her story [that] she was raped by another student. Her story would later be found not credible by investigators; the media and ideologically driven advocates would still hail her a heroine.

Where is that same collective moral outrage?

And thanks to the advent of DNA technology, our eyes have been forced open to the fact that our system has wrongfully prosecuted, convicted, placed on death row and even exterminated innocent people, more frequently than we dare imagine.

In the book “False Justice” by (former) Republican Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, we learn that (if) our justice system is 99 percent accurate, it is a conservative estimate that over 23,000 innocent citizens could be sitting in prison (wrongfully convicted) as we speak.

From both a well-known liberal and a conservative, we see a commonality of belief pertaining to sacrificing the innocent to get to the guilty.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said that his support of American use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” against suspected terrorists was unchanged by the fact that 25 percent of CIA detainees subject to that treatment were later proven to be innocent, including one who died of hypothermia in CIA custody. “I’m more concerned with bad guys who got out and released than I am with a few that in fact were innocent.” Asked whether the 25-percent margin was too high, Cheney responded, “I have no problem as long as we achieve our objective. … I’d do it again in a minute.”

Liberal columnist Ezra Klein supported California’s SB 967 “Affirmative Consent” law with the same reasoning as Cheney’s [that] supported “enhanced interrogation techniques.” While claiming the law was “terrible” and could be used to punish people who did not commit rape, Klein states “its overreach is precisely its value” and “ugly problems don’t always have pretty solutions.”

I think we are all very “gung ho” regarding this type of protection political-speak rhetoric, unless we unfortuitously find ourselves, or a loved one, as one of those sacrificial innocents.

Let’s stop being selective with our moral outrage: as we condemn one injustice, let’s not allow our silence to condone another.

Gordon Smith
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Formerly of Felton

DOVER — The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has approved Levy Court’s application to spread waste on a Frederica-area farm.

Kent County applied in October 2014 for a permit to distribute across a county-owned field Class B biosolids, a type of organic material created from treating sewage. Class B biosolids contain “detectible” levels of pathogens, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and require a permit to be spread in Delaware.

The county sought land it could place the waste on in the event of a breakdown at its Frederica wastewater plant preventing it from treating sewage. Although some people living by the farm where the biosolids will be spread expressed concerns, county officials said they have only applied Class B material three times in the past decade and view that only as an unlikely last resort.

DNREC held multiple public hearings on the matter and ultimately authorized the request.

Secretary David Small wrote in his May 31 approval the county agreed to add more groundwater monitoring and buffer space at the site.

“The permit approved by this order will provide the department with extensive ongoing regulatory oversight and protection for the environment and public health,” he wrote.

Darren Lawson, the Killens Pond Park Superintendent, hopes to have $3 million in renovations to the water park ready to open early in July. (Delaware State News/Mike Finney)

FELTON — The four brightly colored tubes being erected about 45 feet into the sky at the Killens Pond Water Park already have visitors buzzing and asking questions about them.

That’s exactly what Darren Lawson, park superintendent of Killens Pond State Park, was looking for when he and his staff envisioned what kinds of things could rekindle interest at what had become a stagnated water park.

The four tubes eventually will make up the water slides at the heart of a $3 million-plus water park renovation project nearing completion. It’s anticipated the slides will be open the first week of July, weather permitting.

The new slides will be almost double the height of the two 26-foot slides the park used to feature.

Alexis Stombaugh, the seasonal manager of the Killens Pond Water Park, stands beside Killen Pond State Park Superintendent Darren Lawson while new water slides were being built earlier this week.

“Basically, we’re bringing back the fun … and the ‘Wow!’ factor,” Mr. Lawson said. “We built a 45-foot tower that has four slides coming off of it. We’ll have two speed slides, which are new for us, we’ve never had those. They’re kind of a straight down, whoop-dee-doo, and you run out until you stop and then you just stand up and get out. It doesn’t go into a pool.

“The others will be the traditional two body slides that empty out into a pool.”

The water park also added a safety change to the front entrance so that pedestrians will be safer from the traffic flow.

The Killens Pond Water Park opened to large crowds on Memorial Day weekend but had to close the week after due to construction. Mr. Lawson said the park is now open for the season with the improvements project.

It marks the first time the park has undergone a renovation other than regular maintenance and upkeep since its opening 20 years ago.

“Right now, we’re a little over $3 million on this project,” Mr. Lawson said. “The funding has come from in-house and we’ve also gotten start-up monies from legislators and that kind of thing. Our Friends of Killens Pond group was really good in being a liaison for us and getting the project started.”

The renovation project had been on the drawing board since three years ago. Construction began on the

Renovations are expected to be complete next month.

improvements early this year.

Mr. Lawson said he knew improvements had to be made. After all, the water park had drawn from 75,000 to 100,000 visitors each summer since its opening but had seen a downtown since around 2007.

“In our heyday from 1996 to 2007 we were really high on attendance and then we experienced a drop off that it seemed like the whole water park community had,” he said. “I think the drop off in attendance was probably a been-there, done-that type of thing.

“We hadn’t really changed anything or done anything to this facility other than upkeep and maintenance and keeping things safe.”

So the two slides originally built in 1996 were taken down two years ago due to aging and safety concerns and a smaller, temporary slide was installed until the renovations could be made.

Alexis Stombaugh, the seasonal manager of the Killens Pond Water Park, believes the addition of the four new slides will make a huge difference to the attraction.

This year marks the first time the park has undergone a renovation other than regular maintenance and upkeep since its opening 20 years ago.

“I actually miss the two slides we used to have so I’m very excited for these to open, especially since they’re much higher up,” Ms. Stombaugh said. “I know our patrons are excited for them to open as well. They’ve been asking a lot of questions like, ‘When is it going to open?’ and ‘How tall is it going to be?’ and everything else, so I can’t wait.”

Ms. Stombaugh said she remembers the buzz the old water slides used to create, so the new ones should be double the fun.

“Our two big slides were a huge hit when they were here,” she said. “To me, that’s probably what brought a lot of people here were the two [old] slides, so when these four slides open, we’re definitely going to be booming when it comes to our patrons.”

That’s what Mr. Lawson is hoping for.

“This project is going to help us get back to where we want to be,” he said. “We’re expecting to attract between 100,000 to 110,000 people in three months this season.”

Mr. Lawson also said don’t expect the new water slides to be the only renovation that will be taking place at Killens Pond. He said he can foresee around six phases of renovations to the water park in the near future, as revenue becomes available.

“Hopefully, when it comes to making improvements to the water park, we’re just getting started,” he said.

SMYRNA – Legions of revelers descended on Smyrna Friday night for the third annual Smyrna at Night event.

The evening featured 28 musical artists on 10 stages throughout town. Activities also included fun for the kids, food trucks, restaurant specials and a beer garden.

Special to the Delaware State News photos by Doug Curran.

The Miss Delaware Pageant held the first night of the two-day event Friday night at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino.

The first night saw all 15 contestants compete in all phases of competition. The roster will be cut down to the final eight Saturday night culminating with the crowning of the new Miss Delaware who will go on to compete in the Miss America Pageant.

She will succeed Miss Milford Brooke Mitchell of Selbyville, who won the title last year.

Saturday night’s final day of competition will start at 7:30 p.m. at Dover Downs. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.missde.org.

Delaware State News photos by Marc Clery.

FREDERICA — Witnesses claimed a driver arrested after a fatal crash on Del. 1 Tuesday “appeared to be falling asleep or under the influence of something” just minutes beforehand, police said in court papers.

Zachary M. Krytzer, 27, of Milton, was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and DUI of drugs after a Verizon employee was struck and killed while standing behind his truck at approximately 1:55 p.m., according to the Delaware State Police.

Heath B. Janssen, 41, of Dover, was pronounced dead at the scene just south of Clapham Road in the Little Heaven area. He was loading equipment into the parked 2006 Ford F36 box truck when hit by a silver 2002 Mitsubishi Montero on the highway’s shoulder, police said.

The late Mr. Janssen is survived by his parents and brother, wife of 18 years and children ages 16 and 9.

Zachary M. Krytzer

In an affidavit of probable cause, police said Mr. Krytzer stated in an interview “a car swerved in his lane and caused him to veer off the west edge of the roadway and (strike) the pedestrian.”

In documents, police cited three witnesses who said “no cars were around Zachary when he almost struck the jersey concrete barrier and then veered off the west edge of the roadway striking the pedestrian that was standing on the shoulder.”

One witness reportedly had called 911 minutes earlier to notify authorities of a vehicle operating in a negligent manner, police said, and others said it was “going from one lane of travel to the next almost striking several vehicles.”

In a news release, police said the Verizon truck was parked and surrounded by cones north of the entrance to the Valero gas station at 7865 Bay Road. Prior to the collision, police said, the Montero “drifted onto the southbound shoulder and struck a mailbox and then a road reflector before striking and pinning Janssen to the rear of his work vehicle.”

According to police, “the Verizon truck was pushed forward approximately 36 feet on the southbound shoulder while the Montero continued southbound an additional 23 feet and came to a stop.”

Charged upon release

On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Krytzer was charged with felony offenses upon his release from Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital in Dover. He was arraigned through video at Justice of the Peace Court 2 in Rehoboth Beach and released after posting $20,500 secured bail.

Mr. Krytzer suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said.

In the affidavit, a police detective wrote Mr. Krytzer said he was “prescribed the drug Methadone on a daily basis and takes 50 milligrams every morning.

“Zachary also stated he smokes marijuana (cannabis) every day.”

According to authorities, the interview took place at the hospital after Mr. Krytzer was read his Miranda Rights and said he understood them.

According to the detective, Mr. Krytzer said he smoked roughly a quarter gram of marijuana on Tuesday at roughly 1 a.m.

After giving a friend a ride home from Cape Henlopen to Dover, police said, Mr. Krytzer reported he was heading south on U.S. 113 Bay Road (also identified by authorities as Del. 1) in a Mitsubishi Montero when “he was getting tired and hit the rumble strips twice.”

According to police in the affidavit, Mr. Krytzer said he “then pulled over and checked on his vehicle to make sure it was still OK to drive.”

A state trooper described as a “Drug Recognition Expert” in papers evaluated Mr. Krytzer at the hospital and reached the opinion that “Krytzer was under the influence of a drug and unable to operate a motor vehicle safely.”

A warrant to draw Mr. Krytzer’s blood for a drug test was obtained, police said.

Del. 1 southbound at Clapham Road was closed for 3½ hours as the crash was investigated and cleared, police said.

Obeying the law

On Friday, Delaware Department of Transportation spokesman Greg Layton said that while precautions have been taken in the Little Heaven work zone where the crash occurred, “those precautions only work when drivers obey the law and follow our directions …

“We can and do raise awareness about driving while intoxicated, but we cannot force the drivers to obey the law. Speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and other driver behaviors are what make work zones dangerous places to be. …

“We do try to raise awareness of these dangers — by sponsoring campaigns and posting messages to social media — and we do follow specific guidelines when setting up work zones, but ultimately drivers are responsible for the safety of the roadway.”

Nobody likes being left in the dark. That expression conveys a certain exclusion — somebody knows something that you don’t. Far too often, that’s how many of us feel when we are dealing with government. Who is making important decisions and how are they making them? We’d all like to be “in the know,” but getting information is not always as simple and straightforward as it should be, especially around government procurement.

Procurement is especially important, because it is our tax dollars that are being spent for government contracts. Citizens want to know how their money is used and what government is intending to buy. Contracts need bidders. Ensuring that the broadest cross section of businesses have the opportunity to bid of government contracts helps government keep costs down. It also helps small and minority businesses gain traction in the marketplace.

How do citizens and businesses learn about opportunities to bid on government contracts? Local laws vary, but most jurisdictions are required to have multiple or competitive bids for proposed contracts and are required to seek bidders for at least some of those proposed contracts through publication in local newspapers.

Rebecca Snyder

This provides a firm, independent record in the procurement process and ensures the notice goes to a wide cross-section of readers. Governments have a fundamental responsibility to ensure adequate notification to the public of its actions.

The city of Wilmington seeks to change that. Through House Bill 324 the City wants to raise contract amount required for multiple bidders from $5K to $15K and for competitive bidding from $25K to $60K. Further, it wants to eliminate the publication of bid notices in local newspapers and post notices seeking bidders only on its own website. HB 324 has overwhelmingly passed the House. Luckily, some senators are taking a closer look. Delaware senators have the opportunity to keep Delaware procurement transparent.

What’s the big deal with posting notices of a city website instead of the local newspaper? The procurement process must be fair and unbiased, and focus on reaching the broadest cross section of citizens and potential bidders through independent sources. Further, the process must be verified and documented to prove that government is doing what it says it will do.

Government websites inherently cannot perform those functions, but your local newspaper can, and does. What is important in the bidding process?

•Independence. Newspapers are separate from, and independent of, the governments whose actions may be called into question if the adequacy of a particular notice is later challenged. Newspapers are the “gold standard” of public notice because they are independently verifiable; it can be proven what was published in a newspaper on a particular day. This assures citizens the process is conducted openly and above board.

•Audience. The Internet does have a role to play in expanding the pool of bidders. For this reason, your newspaper posts notices such as requests for bid on their own websites as well as printed in the publication. Notice on the Internet should supplement printed notice, not supplant it.

•Accessibility. The public won’t see bid notices if they don’t have computer or internet access, and significant segments of society either lack the desire to find information in this way or lack the financial means to purchase a computer. Newspapers offer readers a single, convenient location to find public notices, provided in the context of community news and information. If the city of Wilmington only publishes bid notices on their own website, that creates another place potential bidders need to check.

•Verification. The websites of local governments are used for information purposes, such as posting trash pickup schedules. They may not have the highest level of security. However, public notices are legal documents.

Even minor alterations could have major unforeseen consequences, potentially dragging the government into costly and wasteful litigation. Printed notices prove that the notice was correct and was given in a timely fashion. They offer a permanent, publicly available record of government action.

If enacted, House Bill 324 will reduce competition for government bids and lessen transparency in the procurement process. That translates into higher prices for government, and ultimately taxpayers. Although this particular bill focuses on the city of Wilmington, it is an opportunity for Delaware senators to stand for transparency and a level playing field for all citizens. Delaware should stay open for business with a transparent and fair procurement process.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Rebecca Snyder is the executive director of The Maryland/Delaware/DC Press Association.

The 38th annual June Jam festival took place Saturday at G&R Campground in Houston.

The day, which benefits various local charitable causes, included music, children’s activities, camping and fun for all ages.

Delaware State News photos by Marc Clery.

Silas Stephan of the Air Mobility Command in Dover captured this image of the Blue Angels’ C130T — known as “Fat Albert” on Tuesday afternoon as it carried the body of Captain Jeff Kuss, the Blue Angels pilot who was killed in a crash June 2 in Tennessee, back to Pensacola, Florida.

DOVER — Silas Stephan captured a touching moment a few days ago with his camera.

From the Air Mobility Command Museum, he photographed a blue and gold transport plane leaving Dover Air Force Base.

On the nose, the number 6 was painted.

Likely, only a few people in the area or those on the base recognized it as a Blue Angels plane.

The C-130T Hercules — also known as “Fat Albert” — was carrying the body of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss, the pilot of the No. 6 Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet that crashed just after takeoff for a practice session in Tennessee on June 2.

“I saw this plane take off, not knowing what it was (except that it is not AF colors),” wrote Alexandra Casat on the AMC Museum Facebook page. “Saddened now to find out. Rest in peace, Captain. And peace to your family. You are a hero for all.”

The body of Capt. Kuss was flown to the Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at Dover Air Force Base after the accident.

Several people at the museum for a PT Cruisers gathering when the C-130T flew in on Saturday, June 4.

The C-130T crew returned to Dover Tuesday to bring Capt. Kuss back to Pensacola Air Naval Station where the Blue Angels are based for a memorial service.

Thousands of people turned out Tuesday night in Pensacola Beach to watch the C-130T fly in.

One of the F/A-18 Hornet planes led the procession in the sky.

Cmdr. Ryan J. Bernacchi — commander of the Blue Angels — invited the public to pay their respects on Tuesday evening.

“Jeff absolutely loved our Sunday evening arrivals,” Cmdr. Bernacchi said in the message.

“Flying in over downtown, ‘smokin’ the beach’ from Pensacola to Perdido, and then the hitting the Delta Pitch Up Break at sunset into Naval Air Station Pensacola. The smile I would see radiating under that gold visor was truly spectacular. It emanated the pride, passion, and pure joy that he felt representing the Navy and Marine Corps, flying Blue Angel 6.

“Tonight, I hope you will join the team in saluting him as he flies that special route home to Pensacola again. He is flying in Fat Albert — call sign ‘Blue Angel 6,’ and escorted by the Lead Solo, in Blue Angel 5.”

As is the case with many military deaths, the arrival and dignified transfer ceremony at Dover was not publicized to the media.

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The Blue Angels — including Capt. Kuss — were in Ocean City, Md., last summer for the annual OC Air Show.

On the beach, Capt. Kuss mingled with the crowds and narrated one of the shows last year.

The OC Air Show is next weekend, June 18-19.

The Navy’s Tactical Demonstration team will fly the F-18 Super Hornet will be in show. The jet will sport the number 6 in honor of Capt. Kuss.

The Thunderbirds — the Air Force’s counterpart to the Blue Angels — are scheduled to perform in Ocean City.

The elite demonstration team has canceled appearances at some other recent shows following the crash of one of its F-16 Fighting Falcon jets on the same day as the Blue Angels crash.

As of Friday, the Air Force had not canceled the Ocean City appearance.

More information on the show is available at ocairshow.com.

An 8-inch ant-ship gun, capable of hitting a target 20 miles away, is on display at Fort Miles on the grounds of the Cape Henlopen State Park. A crew of 25 men was needed for the gun. (Delaware State News/Andrew West)

LEWES — The United States saw changes across the country once World War II began, be it social, economic or geographic. Delaware, though a small state, saw a large portion of those changes, which live on today.

Built in 1940, Fort Miles, located within Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, was created in response to the recurring threat of naval attacks on the Mid-Atlantic shorelines and Philadelphia. Because the risk of invasion was, at that time, very real, the fort was outfitted with coastal artillery towers and patrols, the Navy’s biggest guns, underwater mines, a defense facility and searchlights powerful enough to light the beach at Cape May, New Jersey.

History buffs will enjoy the Fort Miles gun displays.

It was the largest combat-ready post on the East Coast and housed 2,500 trained personnel.

“The fort is one of the largest forts ever built in World War II, and it was built to protect the coast of New Jersey, the coast of Delaware, obviously, the coast of Maryland and the area of Philadelphia,” said Dr. Gary Wray, president of the Fort Miles Historical Association.

When originally constructed, the fort cost $22 million, which is equivalent to $332.9 million today, and held 16 major caliber weapons.

Created as a casemate fort, or an underground steel and concrete fortification, Fort Miles is not meant to be seen.

“You can’t find it because you’re not supposed to be able to find it,” said Dr. Wray.

“There are literally hundreds of facilities underground. It’s all camouflaged; the sand was moved, the structures were built, and the sand was put back,” he said.

Of the structures, the most commonly seen are the fire towers that line the beaches.

After the end of World War II, the fort served as a research and testing ground as well as a site to conduct

A gun from the USS Missouri rises from the Great Dune at Cape Henlopen State Park.

observations by establishing a sound surveillance system, or SOSUS. Through the U.S. Navy, this would serve as an underwater listening station geared toward detecting Soviet submarines.

Now, decades after Fort Miles was handed back over to the state of Delaware, the fort has transitioned from defending its shoreline to showcasing its history.

Together with its museum, the site sees approximately 2 million visitors per year. Last year, the Fort Miles Historical Association’s volunteers gave 20,000 tours to both locals and tourists. The majority, however, seem to be out of state.

“That’s usually the case with history,” said Dr. Wray. “It’s usually the people who are right on top of the history who don’t know much about it.”

Currently, Fort Miles is hoping entice visitors with a thorough museum and an addition to the park.

“The museum is actually an Army museum, because we were Army based,” said Dr. Wray.

Inside, the Fort Miles museum boasts an extensive static gun displays in the world.

The view of Cape Henlopen State Park is spectacular from the World War II observation tower next to Fort Miles.

“It’s quite spectacular,” he said.

The Fort Miles park, which is seen all over Cape Henlopen State Park, has a variety of weaponry from World War II on display that the Fort Miles Historical Association acquired from the Dahlgren Naval Base in Virginia.

Six-, 8-, 12- and 16-inch guns are featured throughout, and the fort recently welcomed a new addition to their collection.

As of May 20, the famed “Mighty Mo” from the battleship USS Missouri reached its final resting place within the confines of Fort Miles. One of the ship’s nine original 16-inch guns, Mighty Mo was saved by the Fort Miles Historical Association just days before being marked as scrap metal.

“The USS Missouri’s gun is an important piece of American history that will draw families and tourists to Fort Miles and the beautiful shores of Cape Henlopen State Park,” said Gov. Jack Markell during the May ceremony to welcome Mighty Mo.

Collectively, the weapons on display at Fort Miles represent the four major pieces of artillery used at Fort Miles during World War II.

Dr. Wray sees the addition as quite an accomplishment as well.

“Our goal was to have one weapon of the four major caliber weapons at Fort Miles, and we now have them,” he said. “Mighty Mo is our final barrel of the major weapons so we are now there.”

The Fort Miles museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Tuesday. The Fort Miles Historical Grounds are open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Guided tours are available to see Battery 519.

For more information on Fort Miles and the Fort Miles Historical Association, visit http://www.fortmilesha.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Lexi Coon is freelance writer living in the Camden area.

A walk through the cantonment area and gun park is like stepping back in time. (Delaware State News/Andrew West)

Bill Falasco’s baseball teams didn’t win every game, of course.

But, if you were going to beat Lake Forest High when Falasco was coaching, you usually had to work for it.

And, while Falasco was never particularly interested in the spotlight, the Wyoming native will get it on Monday when he’s inducted into the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame.

Falasco and this year’s other inductees will be honored at Monday night’s Wilmington Blue Rocks game in Frawley Stadium. The ceremony is set to start at 6 p.m.

Also being honored are Sussex Central High’s 1989 undefeated state championship squad (21-0), Haverford College coach Dave Beccaria (Salesianum), Caravel coach Paul Niggebrugge (Dickinson), Cliff Brumbaugh (William Penn/Delaware), who played with three teams in the majors, John Tirrell, a contributor to Midway Little League for over 50 years, and the late Fran Lucia, who was a longtime contributor to American Legion baseball.

The 66-year-old Falasco coached baseball at Lake Forest for 30 seasons before retiring in 2002. The Spartans made the state tournament nine times with Falasco being named the state Coach of the Year in both 1985 and ’95.

“He had some great players and some great teams,” said former Caesar Rodney coach John Newman, a good friend of Falasco. “But I think he always made his teams better when he didn’t have great players.

“He was a smart baseball guy. I think he got everything out of his players. He made the good teams better and the better teams great.”

A graduate of Dover’s Holy Cross High, Falasco also coached football and boys’ basketball at Lake Forest.

“He is, without a doubt, one of the most dedicated people I’ve been fortunate enough to work with,” late Lake Forest athletic director Jim Blades once said about Falasco.

“Bill dots his ‘I’s and crosses his ‘T’s — he’s got his stuff together,” said Blades. “You know things are going to be done right. The kids are going to act the way they’re supposed to act. He’s a no-nonsense guy. He doesn’t put up with stuff. He makes the kids toe the line.”

As a player, Falasco was the backup catcher on the University of Delaware’s 1970 College World Series squad. He also played at Delaware State.

After moving to Florida for a few years after his retirement, Falasco returned to the area and is now director of Harrington Parks & Recreation.

With everything he’s done, he’s still probably best remembered as Lake Forest’s baseball coach, however.

“Being here and being comfortable with the community all these years, I didn’t need to go to another place,” Falasco said when he retired. “It just looked more appealing for me to stay.”

Local ties

So it turns out that Mickey Moniak, who the Phillies took with the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft on Thursday, has some local ties.

The California high school outfielder is a cousin of Dover’s Janet Carter, whose husband, Zach, is the former coach of the Fox Post II American Legion team.

Moniak is the Phils’ first overall No. 1 draft pick since taking outfielder Pat Burrell in 1998.

Zach Carter, a Phillies fan, said he was hoping Philadelphia would select the youngster. Now he’s looking forward to watching Moniak’s career unfold.

“We’ve been watching it and following it for the last three weeks,” said Zach. “The more I looked at it and the more I was reading, I thought there was a real good shot. It’s a great place to play and a great opportunity for him.”

All-Star week

There’s no shortage of high school all-star games being played this week.

The baseball and softball Blue-Gold Games are both slated for Thursday evening. The baseball game is being held at Wilmington’s Frawley Stadium at 6 p.m. with the softball contest being played at Dover Little League at 6:30 p.m.

Then there’s the 61st annual Blue-Gold All-Star Football Game, which will be played on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Delaware Stadium.

Today is Media Day for the football game with both teams expected on the field in Delaware Stadium starting at 12:30 p.m.

Odds & ends

•Of the 30 teams that won DIAA state championships this past school year, 18 were from upstate private schools. That includes four titles apiece from Wilmington’s Padua and Salesianum.

On the other hand, of the eight crowns captured by traditional public schools, all were won by Henlopen Conference schools — two each by Caesar Rodney, Cape Henlopen and Smyrna and one apiece from Indian River and Milford. The other four championships went to charter/vo-tech schools.

•The Delaware-South baseball team will play on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. in its Carpenter Cup Tournament opener.

The downstaters will face Berks County (Pa.) at Philadelphia’s FDR Park. Sussex Tech’s G.L. Jefferson is the head coach for Delaware-South, which includes players from Appoquinimink and St. Georges as well as the Henlopen Conference.

•Longtime Dover Little League volunteer Paul Quirk has taken over as the manager of the Fox Post II American Legion baseball team this summer.

The Dover-based squad hosts a doubleheader today at Wesley College against Delvets Post 1 starting at noon.

•The Green Bay Packers have four quarterbacks on their roster and one of them continues to be former Wesley College standout Joe Callahan.

Callahan looks like he’s Green Bay’s third-best QB at the moment considering the Packers did release Ryan Williams, from Miami, late last month. They did pick up North Carolina grad Marquise Williams, though.

•Former Holy Cross and Caesar Rodney High boys’ basketball coach Jim Doherty died suddenly last month in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The 70-year-old worked for the FBI in New Jersey for 22 years after leaving teaching.

Just a few days before his death, Doherty had gotten together with some Holy Cross alumni at a Wilmington Blue Rocks’ game.

That offensive output is just one of the reasons DeMora was selected as the state’s softball Player of the Year. She was one of 12 Henlopen Conference players to make the All-State First Team. (Delaware State News file photo)

If the Polytech High softball team scored a run this season, there was a good chance Whitney DeMora had something to do with it.

DeMora either scored or batted in 55 of Polytech’s 112 runs this year, accounting for 49.1 percent of the Panthers runs.

That offensive output is just one of the reasons DeMora was selected as the state’s softball Player of the Year. She was one of 12 Henlopen Conference players to make the All-State First Team.

DeMora belted 11 home runs, scored 26 runs and drove in 29. Her percentage stats are also off the charts with a .588 batting average, .691 on-base percentage and a 1.471 slugging percentage.

“She was the heart of our offense,” said Polytech coach Jenn Bradshaw.

DeMora, Polytech’s first baseman, led the state in home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. She will be playing for Wilmington University next season.

“Whitney impresses me every day with her softball IQ,” Bradshaw said. “She can play a variety of positions with confidence and athleticism. As a person she has matured incredibly from her freshman year and thrives in pressure situations.”

Joining DeMora on the first team was teammate Taylor Pechin from Polytech at pitcher. Also garnering multiple first team honorees were Caesar Rodney High with third baseman Rosa’lynn Burton and pitcher Alyssa Ball along with Sussex Central High with second baseman Brooke Stoeckel and pitcher Hayley McCabe.

Lake Forest’s Mya Maddox, Smyrna’s Kaelyn Press and Milford’s Rajene Bowe were selected as outfielders. Cape Henlopen’s Sydney Ostroski made it as a catcher, Sussex Tech’s Taylor Collins was on as a third baseman and Delmar’s Avery Wheatley was named as a shortstop.

Sussex Central’s John Wells was awarded Coach of the Year.

Pechin was a first-teamer as a senior in her only year as Polytech’s starting pitcher. She will be playing for Stony Brook University next year.

She went 13-5 on the mound with an ERA of 2.19. She also excelled at the plate with seven homers, 18 RBI and a .518 batting average.

“Taylor grew immensely throughout the season as a starting pitcher,” Bradshaw said. “She really focused on improving her accuracy and composure on the mound and she made great strides in both of those areas. She worked tirelessly with our freshman catcher, Brianna Stevenson, and was a positive role model.”

Maddox was Lake Forest’s leadoff hitter and centerfielder and helped the Spartans reach the state semifinals as the 14th seed. She was tops in the state in runs scored with 30 and held a .563 batting average.

For Caesar Rodney, Burton batted .453 on the season with 22 runs scored. Smyrna’s Press also scored 22 runs this year and batted .483 with 16 RBI.

All-State
SOFTBALL
FIRST TEAM
P – Mackenzie Short, jr., Appoquinimink; C – Sydney Ostroski, sr., Cape Henlopen; 1B base – Whitney DeMora, sr., Polytech; 2B – Brooke Stoeckel, sr., Sussex Central; 3B– Rosa’lynn Burton, sr., Caesar Rodney; SS – Kendra Ziemba, sr., Hodgson; OF – Kierstin Fallers, sr., Padua; OF – Taylor Coleman, jr., Appoquinimink; OF – Mya Maddox, jr., Lake Forest; OF – Kaelyn Press, so., Smyrna; P – Holly Brooks, sr., Caravel; 3B – Taylor Collins, sr., Sussex Tech; 1B – Noelle Holiday, sr., Red Lion Christian; SS – Avery Wheatley, jr., Delmar; OF – Rajene Bowe, jr., Milford; SS – Samantha Esper, sr., Caravel; P – Rachel Pritchard, sr., Concord; P – Hayley McCabe, jr., Sussex Central; P – Taylor Pechin, sr., Polytech; P – Alyssa Ball, jr., Caesar Rodney
SECOND TEAM
OF Julia Bomhardt, so., Indian River; C Daniela Solis, sr., Wilmington Christian; DP Jennifer Sieminski, sr., Caravel; P Sarah Bessel, jr., Conrad; 1B Madison Watson, jr., Sussex Tech; OF Kaylee Hazewski, sr., Red Lion Christian; P Abby Cunningham, jr., Padua; 1B Brooke Miller, so., Appoquinimink; P Taylor Wroten, fr., Sussex Tech; P Riley Shields, sr., Cape Henlopen; 3B Rachel DiMarcello, so., St. Georges; 3B Alison Clemons, so., Middletown; 1B Kylie Quirk, sr., DMA; 3B Brooke Glanden, so., Lake Forest
THIRD TEAM
2B Emily Proffitt, jr., Caravel; SS Jude McGough, jr., Newark Charter; C Brooklynne Johnson, so., Hodgson; C Rachel Seivard, so., St. Georges; UT Jordyn Virden, jr., Cape Henlopen; C Shannon Lord, jr., Sussex Tech; OF Alexus Johnson, so., DMA; 2B Jordan Scout, sr., Appoquinimink; SS Taylor Gillis, fr., Charter of Wilmington; C Chelsey Ward, sr., Sussex Central; SS Caitlin Baxter, fr., Padua; C Hannah Williams, so., Padua; P Antonia Browning, so., Ursuline; SS Taylor Cappella, sr., Smyrna; OF Alexa Proffitt, sr., Caravel; 2B Morgan Dodge, sr., Polytech; SS Nicole Hovatter, sr., Sussex Tech; P Alexis Novotny, so., DMA
Player of the Year: Whitney DeMora, sr., Polytech
Coach of the Year: John Wells, Sussex Central
Team Sportsmanship Award: Newark

DOVER – A Kent County Grand Jury returned approximately 80 indictments on Monday including, among others:

• Marlo A. Tolliver of Harrington for an alleged home invasion in Milford on Feb. 29. Mr. Tolliver was charged with 14 counts including home invasion, first-degree robbery, reckless endangering and kidnapping, criminal impersonation of a police officer, criminal mischief, and wearing a disguise and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

The Milford Police Department reported an incident in the 500 block of N. Church Street in which Mr. Tolliver, 34, allegedly entered a residence with another suspect while armed with handguns and removed personal items from a male who was then assaulted.

After arrest, Mr. Tolliver was held at Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown in lieu of $240,500 secured bond.

• Courtney L. Benson Jr., of the 200 block of Mystic Lane in Dover, is facing seven counts regarding a May 4 traffic stop that allegedly yielded marijuana, prescription pills and crack cocaine.

Mr. Benson, 33 at the time of his arrest, was charged with two counts of drug dealing, along with aggravated possession, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to have insurance identification in possession, and failure to have license plate light.

The Dover Police Department made the initial arrest in the area of East Loockerman and Federal streets, aided by Delaware Probation and Parole. Benson was released on $12,050 unsecured bond.

• Darren Dennis, of the 100 block of Thames Drive Dover, was indicted for his alleged role in a gunshot fired at the Camden-Wyoming Little League Complex at about midnight on Feb. 13.

Mr. Dennis, 21 at the time, was indicted on three counts of first-degree reckless endangering, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, aggravated menacing, second-degree conspiracy and criminal mischief.

The Wyoming Police Department said a gunshot was fired from the back seat of a vehicle toward a group of 18- to 21-year-olds and struck a vehicle. A planned fight had drawn persons to the area, police said.

No injuries were reported.

• Kenneth J. DeShields, of the 800 block of S. Bradford Street in Dover, is facing seven counts regarding a March 10 traffic stop that allegedly yielded a loaded AR-15 rifle, ammunition, and marijuana.

The Dover Police Department said Mr. DeShields, 21, was initially stopped in the area of South New and Division streets for driving without headlights on at approximately 9:58 p.m. Police alleged that .6 grams of marijuana were seen in plain sight and a vehicle search followed.

Charges included possession of a firearm and ammunition by person prohibited, possession of a weapon with a removed, obliterated or altered serial number, possession of a deadly weapon, a semiautomatic by person prohibited who also possesses a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and failure to have lights on.

Mr. DeShields was released on $10,101 secured bond.

• Giovanni J. Echevarria, of Bently Court in Dover, was indicted in connection with a March 28 seizure of 392.8 grams of marijuana, a loaded 9mm handgun, and $6,509 in suspected drug proceeds, according to Dover PD.

According to authorities, Mr. Echevarria, 26, was arrested after allegedly committing a traffic violation while driving in the area of Reese and Lincoln streets. He was arrested without incident, police said, and committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna on $9,201 secured bond.

The indictment include counts of drug dealing, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and by person prohibited, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended or revoked, and a seat belt violation.

• Zechariah L. Gilbert, of the 400 block of Barrister Place in Dover, was named in separate indictments involving firearm and drug dealing charges.

Mr. Gilbert, 22, was charged with possession of a firearm and firearm ammunition by person prohibited and resisting arrest regarding an alleged foot chase involving the Dover Police Department on April 19.

According to authorities, Mr. Gilbert ran from police and threw a firearm after officers responded to a tip in the unit block of South New Street.

In another indictment, Mr. Gilbert was charged with two counts each of drug dealing and aggravated possession after a May 6 arrest. Cocaine possession was referenced in the indictment, which also included second-degree conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia charges.

• Keontre Hynson was indicted after investigation into an alleged home invasion in the 300 block of Fulton Street in Dover on April 17.

According to authorities, a victim was struck in the back of the head with a handgun during an alleged assault at approximately 2:04 a.m.

The Dover Police Department said Mr. Hynson, 23, was arrested on April 22 while walking in the area of North New Street.

He was charged with home invasion and second-degree assault and committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna in default of $35,000 cash bond.

• Jeffrey K. Korell, of Henderson, Md., was indicted on separate methamphetamine-related cases involving the Delaware State Police and Harrington Police Department.

On May 1, Mr. Korell, 36, was arrested after troopers checked on a vehicle parked in a vacant lot in the 200 block of Willow Tree Circle in Camden-Wyoming.

Authorities said Mr. Korell and a 24-year-old female from Arnold, Md. were found sleeping in a truck and a strong chemical odor was detected.

Further investigation found equipment and component mixtures of manufacturing meth operations, along with key ingredients in making the drug, police said.

Mr. Korell was committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna on $20,000 cash bond.

Mr. Korell was earlier charged during an alleged incident on April 10 a Holiday Inn on South DuPont Highway in Harrington, police said.

Indicted counts included aggravated possession, operating or attempting to operate a clandestine laboratory, second-degree assault, carrying a concealed deadly weapon (two counts involving hunting and Bowie knives), possession of marijuana, illegal possession of a controlled substance (two counts) and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Mr. Korell was held at Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown in default of $19,500 secured bond.

Early College High School, a tuition-free, public charter school, is just one of several charter schools in the state. It is located at 1200 N. DuPont Hwy., in Dover. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

DOVER — Every year, Delaware allocates millions of dollars to help charter schools pay for the cost of busing students. According to state law, all Delaware schools are suppose to return any unused funding, but in each of the past seven fiscal years, a special provision included in the budget has allowed charters to keep excess allowances.

This year, the Department of Education spent a total of $10.7 million providing funding to the state’s 27 charter schools, but the schools themselves spent only $9.3 million on bus contracts, leaving $1.4 million available for a variety of educational functions, according to financial data from the state.

Early College High School at 1200 N. DuPont Hwy in Dover. Delaware State News/Marc Clery (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

“Any leftover money does go to pay for educational opportunities,” said Kendall Massett, executive director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, a support organization. “In some case that would be a … paraprofessional, in some cases that could mean an extra teacher, that could mean an extra reading specialist.”

Proponents of allowing charter schools to keep leftover funds say the policy motivates the schools to negotiate a better deal with bus contractors. Those supporters include Gov. Jack Markell.

“By allowing charter schools to keep any funds left over when they negotiate transportation contracts, but requiring them to spend those leftover funds for educational purposes, the epilogue language incentivizes charter schools to control transportation costs while benefiting the classroom,” Jonathon Dworkin, a spokesman for Gov. Markell, said.

But the subject is a highly divisive one that has flared up in Legislative Hall before and looks like it will do so again.

Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, led an unsuccessful push to amend the provision out of the budget last year, which played a role in creating some temporary hard feelings among members of the House Democratic caucus. He has plans to introduce a similar amendment this year and believes voting against it would be “an embarrassment.”

“We can have absolutely no accountability to our taxpayers as long as we don’t enforce the law that exists,” he said.

While Rep. Kowalko is skeptical of charter schools and how they use leftover transportation funding, it’s the fact lawmakers are specifically overriding state law that bothers him the most. The budget includes hundreds of provisions, known as epilogue language, that spell out in greater details how funds are to be spent. In the case of charter school busing, legislators added language stating “If the actual negotiated or bid costs are lower than the maximum rate specified above, the charter school may keep the difference for educational purposes.”

That portion of text did not originally require the funds be spent strictly on education — the last three words were added two years ago.

Rep. Kimberly Williams, D-Newport, voted for Rep. Kowalko’s amendment last year and wants to see it succeed this year, although she is pessimistic about the likelihood.

“For me, are they cutting back on bus routes for children or are they reducing the services provided to the kids?” she questioned.

Sen. Brian Bushweller, D-Dover, a member of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, supports letting charter schools keep leftover funds, saying the state “seriously underfund(s) our charters.”

“It’s not explicitly prohibited if the epilogue language modifies the Delaware Code. So there’s no prohibition because of the epilogue language,” he said. “I mean, it’s not unusual to do that with epilogue.”

Charter funding is based on what the districts are given — the charters are apportioned 70 percent of what each county vocational district receives on a per-student basis.

This year, the six Kent County charter schools were earmarked $875.84 per student, totaling about $1.55 million.

Not every Delaware charter had a surplus. Odyssey Charter School, in Wilmington, retained about $245,000, while First State Military Academy, in Clayton, was approximately $87,000 in the red.

Positive Outcomes, which used the Caesar Rodney School District’s buses, is the only charter school in the state that did not receive funding.

Ms. Massett is in favor of changing state law to allow every Delaware school to hold on to excess funding and use it for educational initiatives.

“One idea behind charters is find best practices and share with counterparts,” she said. “This is one.”

The epilogue language was removed from the budget in 2014 and then inserted into the grant-in-aid bill. It was placed back in the budget bill last year and is included in a draft version this year.

Despite the support from lawmakers and assurances from charter school supporters, skeptics remain.

“I don’t want groups spending money just because they have it,” Rep. Williams said. “If we’re offering money for a particular service, I want them to get good service at the best price but I don’t want them spending money for the sake of spending it either. It’s not our pocketbook. It’s the people’s purse, and we should be conscious of how we’re spending the people’s money.”

Ms. Massett counters that charter attendees are considered public-school students, meaning they are the children of taxpayers and deserve to benefit from state funds, which, she said, go “straight into the classroom.”

“It’s going toward what taxpayers wanted to it go toward,” she said of the leftover transportation funds.

There’s a new Miss Delaware: Amanda Debus.

Ms. Debus, who participated in the pageant as Miss First State, was announced as the winner shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday, sparking an uproar from the cheering crowd and tears from Ms. Debus.

She beat out 14 other women Friday and Saturday to claim the crown in the 75th Miss Delaware pageant.

Katelynn Mayers finished second.

Ms. Debus, 23, is the first person to win both Miss Delaware and Delaware’s Outstanding Teen. She won the latter in 2008.

Speaking about an hour after her win, the Middletown resident struggled to describe her feelings.

“I’m in such disbelief,” she said.

She will compete in the Miss America pageant in September. No Miss Delaware winner has ever been named Miss America.

The Firefly sign has been placed at the entrance at the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway ready to welcome the legions of music fans. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

DOVER –– The countdown to the 2016 Firefly Music Festival is on. Only four days remain until an expected crowd of 90,000 descend on the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway Thursday through June 19.

Although music lovers might not start setting up camp for a few more days, a team from Red Frog Events, Firefly’s parent company based in Chicago, have been in town for weeks, turning the 105 acres beside Del. 1 into a festival wonderland.

“This is year five and every year we have faced unique challenges during set-up but this year things are going great,” said Firefly Director of Talent and Experience Christiane Pheil Wednesday afternoon.

“But we always have a few buffer days in place in case we run into any bad weather or other challenges.”

The set-up team’s task is a huge one –– not only constructing four large performance stages but also a marketplace and huge food court along with hanging hammocks and erecting tents and smaller stages, all before decorating the grounds in what has become Firefly’s iconic green hues.

In stages

The four large stages –– The Firefly Main Stage, The Lawn, The Backyard and The Porch are accompanied by three smaller ones, The Pavilion, The Coffee House and The Treehouse.

These smaller stages will feature emerging artists and host intimate sessions with established musicians as well. Finding new and emerging talent takes serious research and is a specialty with the team at Red Frog.

“They do their best keeping their ear to the ground, following music blogs, who’s opening for touring groups and from there we see who’s available,” Ms. Pheil said.

Ronnie Billhimer with Outdoor Geek places a cot in a tent at the Firefly Glamping site in the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway on Friday.

The new and emerging “discovery” artists will for the most part be featured on the Porch Stage –– a shift from last year when they were on the now-eliminated Forest Stage that turned out to be much more popular than anticipated.

This year, the Coffee House and Treehouse will be the spots to see short and intimate shows by bands and artists who are also featured on the bigger stages so fans will have the chance to get up close and personal with artists like Grouplove, Nathaniel Rateliff and St. Lucia.

“Although our focus is indie rock, we don’t only go with one genre. We also look at hip-hop, electronica and more mainstream acts too because we want there to be something for everyone,” Ms. Pheil added.

And as Firefly remains a radio-friendly festival, there’s bound to be at least one band everyone has heard of, especially performers on the Main Stage and the headliners who close the festival each night.

The Main Stage is of course the host of each night’s headliners, which this year will be Two Door Cinema Club, Kings of Leon, Florence + the Machine, Deadmau5 and Mumford & Sons.

“A lot of festivals will have multiple bands playing at the same time as the headliner but we try not to do that because we like the sense of community that comes with everyone gathering together for one last act of the day after a long day at the festival,” Ms. Pheil said.

“We like for it to be a time when everyone can get together and enjoy the company and music.”

Legend-less

Even though Red Frog does its best to pick headliners everyone loves, it’s not always easy to get the biggest acts around –– especially when you have acts like 2015’s headliner Paul McCartney to live up to.

“I’m most excited to see Two Door Cinema Club, St. Lucia and Mumford & Sons but I think the headliners this year are not as strong as they’ve been in years past,” said Firefly veteran Brendan Condon of Dover.

“But then again how can you beat Paul McCartney?”

Choosing talent, especially the headliners, can be difficult because a variety of factors come into play.

“There will definitely be more legends in the future, but it comes down to availability and budget,” Ms. Pheil said.

Marcus Mumford will bring the British folk rock band Mumford and Sons to the Firefly Music Festival, closing the event the night of June 19. (Special to the Delaware State News/Michael Muros)

“Paul McCartney is arguably one of the most popular acts in the world but with one show of his, we can turn that money into five shows of other great artists.”

She thinks this year has a more even spread of acts every day and night than last year which mainly brought the focus to the Friday night McCartney concert.

“I feel the lineup is a little weak considering the prices continue to rise,” said Dover’s Jessica Dugan, a regular Firefly festival-goer.

Although four-day pass prices are on the rise, starting at $319 for general admission, $699 for VIP and Super VIP for $2,499, which this year will include a rooftop cabana, attendees can purchase one-day passes this year at $129 for general admission and $249 for VIP –– an option that was not available in 2015 for the first time.

“Every year ticket availability is based on the talent so last year we had Paul McCartney and didn’t sell the one-day passes,” Ms. Pheil said.

“The area around the Main Stage perfectly fits 90,000 people so if we sold the four-day passes then added one-day passes last year, not everyone would be able to see the Main Stage. We’d have to move things around and compromise other stages to accommodate a bigger crowd.”

She added that in the future, one-day passes might not be an option again when bigger acts like Mr. McCartney are booked.

“I think we can safely say that Firefly will see more legends in the future,” Ms. Pheil said.

“People have come to see Firefly as a reliable and capable festival so they can count on different and bigger acts in the coming years.”

More than music

Firefly is a festival about more than the music though. It’s about the experience and Ms. Pheil said Red Frog puts plenty of thought into making the experience unique and memorable every year.

Some of the most obvious changes returning attendees will notice will be aesthetic.

“We’re not an arts festival like Coachella but we put more attention into the visuals this year,” Ms. Pheil said.

“We’ve never had art installations before, but we are bringing in some art that is functional for seating and shade.”

Like last year, officials are expecting upwards of 90,000 people to attend this week’s Firefly Music Festival at the Woodlands of Dover International Speedway. (Delaware State News file photo)

Everyone at the festival will need to eat at some point and whether they’re carnivorous, gluten-free or totally plant-based, there should be plenty of meal options at the Woodlands.

“Just like when we’re choosing artists by following music trends, we do the same with food. The trends show more people going gluten-free and many are cutting back or eliminating meat so we accommodate that,” Ms. Pheil said.

“Although the festival is about music, we want to have great food too.”

And the food has never been your generic chicken fingers and fries typically found at festivals –– the restaurants will offer gourmet fare ranging from spicy chorizo flatbread to crispy spiced coconut yogurt.

“I’m excited Between the Bread will be there again. They have a grilled cheese –– Grown Up Grilled Cheese –– with tomatoes and pickles that is ridiculously good, and I hate pickles,” Ms. Dugan said.

“I’m really bummed that Island Noodles won’t be there this year. They were my favorite,” Mr. Condon said.

“But Sweet Tooth is coming back and they have the best ice cream sandwiches.”

Drinks will be on tap from Red Bull; coffee at The Coffee House; craft beer at The Brewery by Dogfish Head and The Beercade; liquor at The Malibu Beach House and The Ketel One Kitchen and; wine at The Vineyard by Darkhorse .

“As long as I have my sunblock, lots of water and the occasional Midas Touch from Dogfish, I’m good to go,” Mr. Condon said.

Activities on the ground will again include a silent disco in The Thicket and tucked away in Hammock Hangout. By venturing to The Hub behind the Main Stage, one will find volleyball, another Hammock Hangout and even morning yoga sessions.

As Firefly has become one of the East Coast’s most popular music festivals, Red Frog is expecting plenty of national coverage this year such as Sirius XM’s Alt Nation, which will be live streaming at the event.

Also new this year, the New Sound Brass Band from Philadelphia, will be leading second line parades through the campgrounds, taking festival goers right to the gates of The Woodlands as they open each day.

Prior to the 5 p.m. opening on Thursday, the band will be at the Northeast Hub Stage for a kickoff show before parading festival folks into Firefly.

The group will be at a different campsite each day to kick off the fun.

Ready for anything

Just as the set-up can encounter weather challenges, the four-day festival can encounter its fair share of obstacles as well.

“The past few years we encountered some unfavorable weather leading up to and during the festival, but I think we were effectively able to manage all of it,” Ms. Pheil said.

FESTIVAL HOURS
Thursday: 5 p.m. – Midnight
Friday: Noon – 2 a.m.
Saturday: Noon – 2 a.m.
Sunday: Noon – Midnight

Last year, a late-night storm caused the first site evacuation, which cleared the grounds in less than an hour. Attendees received a notification from the Firefly app and announcements were made at each stage about the evacuation.

“I think we had a solid plan and it was incredibly efficient,” Ms. Pheil said. “Moving 90,000 people out of the festival that quickly was amazing. We were really happy with the result.”

The 2015 festival also faced heavy rain in the days preceding the festival, creating very muddy conditions within the Woodlands.

But since last year, Red Frog has done substantial work upgrading the pathways and even installing a drainage system to help prevent ankle-deep mud in the instance of rain and storms.

Preparation for weather emergencies, infrastructure, talent and the festival itself isn’t an overnight process. Ms. Pheil estimated each Firefly Music Festival takes approximately 14 months to plan.

Before any of the music rings around this year, planning for 2017 is already underway.

The talent scouts are leading the way, already looking into the availability of artists for next summer in Dover.

For tickets and more information, visit fireflyfestival.com.

Jackie Lieske has overcome many obstacles as she founded Shorecare of Delaware. Now she is an award-winning business owner. (Delaware State News/Mike Finney)

DOVER — Jackie Lieske couldn’t have chosen to start a business any closer to her heart than home health care.

After all, Lieske remembers vividly when she was a child in the 1960s and her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A coma left her mom unable to care for herself and Lieske and her family spent almost 30 years trying to find quality home care for her.

Ms. Lieske said that all the years of her family trying to find caring and compassionate home care for her mother made the issue became personal. So she decided to do something about it.

Hence, Shorecare of Delaware was born in May 2009.

Despite some rocky times in her businesses’ infancy, Ms. Lieske has pushed on and was honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Delaware District Office with the Woman Owned Business of the Year award at the SBA’s annual Delaware Small Business Awards Dinner on May 5.

“You can’t go to school and learn a personal experience,” Ms. Lieske said. “You have to actually experience it and I think that makes a difference where [my business is] much more involved — the compassion’s there, it’s not about the bottom dollar, it’s about providing the services that a family needs.

“I think one of the main differences is I that lived through having home health care for my mother. Having to experience the need of it and expectations surrounding it I think that we’re more able to deliver it. I have a professional, as well as a personal, background.”

Ms. Lieske said that Shorecare of Delaware’s goal is to help the chronically ill and elderly stay in their own homes and allow them to keep as much independence as possible.

Christina Mosley, an administrative assistant with Shorecare of Delaware, said that Ms. Lieske was a great choice to receive the SBA honor.

“I’ve been with the company since October,” Ms. Mosley said. “I took a leap because I had been with Bayhealth for 10 years so coming into a small, family-oriented business, I was kind of nervous at first.

“But I am so glad that I took that leap. [Lieske] has been very inspirational with just learning about her journeys through all of this. I keep learning more because I am fairly new. But it’s very comforting to know that.”

Finding success in the business world didn’t come easy for Ms. Lieske. She decided to pursue her business in the home health care industry in 2009 after she found out she had been laid off from her banking job.

She then bought into a home health care agency but found out later that the previous owner was being investigated for embezzlement and the company was under investigation.

Ms. Lieske took the previous owner to court and eventually won her case but ended up nearly $100,000 in debt and missed out on around eight months of getting her business up and running.

“I guess being a new entrepreneur in the business world there were unexpected hurdles that I had in being naive and not knowing what to expect when making business deals and what to look for,” Ms. Lieske said. “Unfortunately, I learned a valuable lesson.”

She also pressed on, vowing not to quit. The experiences she went through with her mother involving the complexities of health care provided her with inspiration.

Shorecare of Delaware now provides round-the-clock home care for patients in all three counties in the state. Ms. Lieske now has around 60 employees, including many registered nurses and other health care professionals.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do ever since my mom was sick and I never once had a second thought,” Ms. Lieske said. “It even drove me more. It just gave me that extra push and made me feel like, ‘I’m going to come back 10-fold and do better than what any expectations were that anybody could have had.’”

Ms. Lieske certainly has accomplished that. She now owns the building at 874 Walker Road in Dover that she moved Shorecare of Delaware to almost two years ago.

Ms. Lieske thinks back to when she started her business seven years ago and would hardly change a thing — well, maybe that difficult start.

“It’s all or nothing. It’s not something you do at a whim,” she said. “When you decide to do it you have to stick with it and you have to understand that you have to take the good with the bad.”

Ms. Lieske also noted that home healthcare is a business that many people will need. She said that of those individuals 65-years-old and older at least 70 percent of them will need some form of long-term care.

As for that Woman Owned Business of the Year award, that just kind of helped bring it all full circle for Ms. Lieske.

“It was surreal,” she said. “I really never expected to be at this level to be recognized for a statewide award but it really was heartwarming and it’s something that will stay with me forever.

“The [business] world is starting to balance out [between men and women] but it’s still a struggle. To do this as a woman and to do it 100 percent with my family and the staff that I have here, it’s just a matter of everybody coming together but yeah, it felt great.”

Most Americans consider homeownership to be the single best long-term investment and a primary source of financial security, especially as home values continue to strengthen. Despite the economic rollercoaster during the recession, homeownership has endured as the foundation of the American Dream. For that reason, the home building industry is celebrating National Homeownership Month in June, as did Governor Markell in his proclamation recognizing June as Homeownership Month in Delaware.

Owning your home provides numerous benefits. It not only helps build financial strength and emotional wellbeing for you and your family, but it also leads to increased stability for the surrounding community.

We would like to take this opportunity to reinforce some of the many advantages homeownership can bring.

Financial Benefits: It’s nearly impossible to talk about homeownership without mentioning its most widely recognized benefit: financial fortitude.

Beyond the appreciation factor (home values were up 6.3 percent nationally in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015), the monetary advantages of owning a home become most evident around tax time.

American homeowners saw their tax bills trimmed by a total of more than $100 billion in 2014. Those who itemize their federal income tax deductions can deduct 100 percent of their mortgage interest payments on a first or second home, up to a maximum mortgage amount of $1 million. Other deductions include the interest paid on up to $100,000 of home equity loans, state and local real estate taxes, and any potential mortgage insurance premiums.

Sense of Community: Homeowners’ commitment to their community is often expressed through a higher level of civic participation —via volunteer programs, church and school activities, and property maintenance — resulting in a positive impact on their “social capital.”

Recent studies also have consistently shown homeowners are significantly less likely to become the victims of a crime. Stable neighborhoods with a predominant structure of homeownership consistently display stronger social ties among the residents. This generates added motivation to maintain a safe environment for themselves, their families and their neighbors.

Quality-of-life Enhancements: Above all else, having full control of one’s own home can be the most satisfying benefit. There’s an intangible sense of accomplishment that comes from being a homeowner. The freedom to personalize and make improvements to the home helps build equity in the home and increase satisfaction for the owner.

Delaware’s homeownership rate is at 71.26, higher than the 63.9 percent national average. We applaud Gov. Markell, the Delaware State Housing Authority and the members of the Delaware General Assembly for their betterment of homeownership as we recognize June as Homeownership Month in Delaware.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Kevin Whittaker is the 2016 president of the Home Builders Association of Delaware.