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In the summer of 1776, Delaware became a separate state by cutting ties with Great Britain and Pennsylvania. This pivotal moment in history marked Delaware’s independence and its identity as one of the original 13 states that signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4.
Established by Congress in 2016, the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission is gearing up for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with America250. This initiative aims to engage Americans nationwide. Delaware recently joined the efforts as the 37th state.
“Delaware 250 is the state of Delaware’s official undertaking in commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial,” said Margaret Hughes, coordinator of Delaware 250.
“We’ve got Delaware 250 which is working across the state with museums, with historical groups, with heritage societies, with genealogical groups, with communities across the state to think about what this anniversary means.”
For Hughes, the 250th anniversary is a significant milestone, prompting a deep dive into the community’s history.
“When we’re thinking about the moments of the 250th, we’re thinking about how to uplift all of the stories and all of the contributions of Delawareans over its long history,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on our past, to think about where we are in the present day and to look forward and plan for a future for our state.”
Delaware 250 is offering quarterly grants to various stakeholders, including community groups and organizations, to facilitate exhibits, speaking engagements and other celebratory events for 2026.
“We launched our first round of grant funding this past spring. We funded nine projects across the state in each of the counties,” Hughes shared. “We funded nine projects across the state in each of the counties. One of the recipients included the Delaware Art Museum to work on an exhibit. They’re in the planning phases for an exhibit that will go up in 2026.”
Delaware Valley picked up five bonus point wins to take a 40-29 home dual win over High Point in Frenchtown.
Luke Cyphert started the dual at 215 with a pin over High Point’s Kaleb DeFalco. Julian Bednar (120), and Tristian Fawthrop (132) also won via pin.
Oliver Paul gave the Terriers (3-0) five points off a 21-6 tech over John McCarthy at 175, Michael Hasson took a 23-7 tech over Tyler Brarman at 144 and state qualifier Sebastian Dobak earned a 7-1 decision over Gerard Empirio at 150. Vincent Rainey outlasted Thomas Jaust at 113 for a 7-4 sudden victory win.
Trey Falkenstein picked up a forfeit at 138 to make it a four match sweep for Del Val between 132 and 150.
Luke Tompkins recorded a pin for the Wildcats (1-1) at 157 while Jack Kitchart picked up a pin at 190. Region 1 third place finisher Gavin Mericle took a 2-1 decision win over Luken Alberdi at 285, Logan Takach recorded a 7-3 decision over Tanner Donaruma at 126 and Jayden Ruplall earned five points at 165 with a 17-1 tech over Rylan Bush.
Primo Maschio won the $110,000 DSBF series championship for sophomore male pacers Thursday at Bally’s Dover
Photos by Quenton Egan Photography
DOVER — Following decisive wins in both preliminary legs, Primo Maschio dug deep to head off Lew Not Lou for a 1:52.3 triumph in the $110,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders’ Fund (DSBF) series championship for 3-year-old male pacers on Thursday, Dec. 18, at Bally’s Dover.
Primo Maschio and driver Trae Porter landed second-over on the first turn behind Shore Not Beach (driven by Pat Berry), who worked to clear early leader Lew Not Lou (Jason Thompson) for the lead at the end of a :27 first quarter. Left uncovered off the first turn, Primo Maschio drove on to assume control of the terms with a circuit to go, and the Badlands Hanover-Primadonna gelding rolled to the half in :55.
Up the backstretch and through the far turn, Primo Maschio faced sustained pressure from Lew Not Lou, who re-emerged from third to force a :28.2 third quarter and pose an even bigger threat off the home turn.
“I was a little worried,” said Porter of Lew Not Lou taking aim at Primo Maschio off the corner. “He got to my saddle pad, but as soon as we got to the top of the stretch, my colt dug in deeper. He’s such a nice horse.”
Primo Maschio kept Lew Not Lou a neck at bay while Shore Not Beach stayed on from the pocket to finish third, just a length shy of the top pair.
Walter Callahan trains Primo Maschio, now a 19-time winner with $414,618 in earnings from 27 career starts, for Forrest Bartlett. As the overwhelming 1-10 favorite, Primo Maschio paid $2.20 to win.
Tommy Denvir scored a game-high 30 points for Delaware Valley in its 61-51 win over Bernards in Alexandria.
Delaware Valley (2-0) led 40-27 at halftime against Bernards.
Lochlyn Marsh scored 12 points for Delaware Valley. Peter Dubljevic had eight points.
Ryan Frame and Richie Jobs each scored 16 points for Bernards (0-3). Ricky Giebel tallied 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals. Casey Hoeckele recorded 12 rebounds with four points and three blocks.
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