Delaware
Delaware County Black Caucus celebrates Black History Month with all-day festival
Poets, spoken word artists, reggae, jazz and R&B musicians, 15 vendors, entrepreneurs — even a traditional Yoruba Egungun ceremony — were part of the Delaware County Black Caucus’ Black History Month Festival and Bazaar.
Held Saturday at the studios of Nu Millennium Media & Productions in Collingdale, the all-day festival was part celebration and part community builder. Organizers plan to make it an annual event.
“We’re here to celebrate Black folk, Black culture, community and businesses in Delaware County,” Maleata Ragin, event co-chair of the Delaware County Black Caucus, said. “A lot of things happen in Philly but there’s never anything big in Delco so we wanted to do something for people in the county so they can go a few minutes away from home and connect with people in their community.”
Darlene Hill, caucus treasurer, explained that they hope the event grows to the size of the Philadelphia Odunde festival.
Ragin agreed that the intent is to expand and have the festival and bazaar grow each year.
Both she and Rashid Duggan, owner of Nu Millennium studios, spoke about the importance of having people spend time with each other.
“We wanted to provide a day where people can really come out, be together and celebrate from all walks of life, all races, all colors. You don’t have to be Black to be here,” Ragin said.
Duggan added, “We don’t have a big conscious Afro-centric community out here in Delaware County as opposed to Philadelphia and other areas. We really need to insert that into the mix.”
He hoped the day provided good vibes and good energy for all who attended.
“We can come together,” Duggan said. “We’re not alone. We have each other.”
One of the highlights of the day was a traditional Yoruba Egugun ceremony opening the festival.
“No matter where you’re from, you have an ancestor,” Ragin said. “You have a mother, a grandmother, great-grandmother. Just remember to celebrate the people who came before us. That’s a really big thing when it comes to Black culture: celebrating the folks who came before us.”
Ifalana Tami Williams of the Ile Igoke Yoruba Temple of Spiritual Growth and Cultural Center in Wilmington, Del., poured libations at the start of the ceremony, in which audience members were invited to recall those loved ones who had passed.
Williams, who is also owner of the natural health and wellness boutique Karite Naturals in the Springfield Mall, explained that the Egungun is the masquerade representing the ancestors.
“We bring them out,” she said. “We come out and we will sing the traditional Yoruba songs … It’s actually a very spiritual event, normally done in West Africa.”
Williams shared the significance of the ceremony.
“To know that you have ancestors,” she said. “People are gone from the physical world but they’re with you in spirit and that you still need to honor them, you still need to elevate them. They’re with you every day.”
Whether a song on the radio that reminds you of someone or a smell or another sign, the ancestors let you know of their presence, she said.
“The ancestors let us know that they are with us,” Williams said. “They never leave. They are always with you.”
She shared why she wanted to be a part of Saturday’s event.
“Our ancestors sacrificed so much for us and the lives that we have today,” Williams said. “If we don’t share their stories and tell our kids and our kids’ kids who they are, they’re forgotten … There’s a lot going on in the country right now and we’re being forgotten. We have to remember if we don’t remember our ancestors, who’s going to?
Another part of the day included the vendor market featuring Black entrepreneurs.
Dr. Naomi Pereira-Lane, owner of Changing Lanes Learning Center in Collingdale, was featuring books she had authored, including one co-written with her son, Justin.
“It’s about a car who takes a journey but it’s paralleled to kids who come to me who are transformed,” she said of “J.T. Hopper.”
She also featured a journal of her life experiences, including surviving through the pandemic and a nearby explosion.
Her learning center, catered to 3- to 5-year-old’s, has been open for 15 years and features reading, math and STEM.
“I am all-inclusive,” Pereira-Lane said. “I look at how a child comes to me and how we set goals as a family to get them to where they need to be and that we can persevere no matter what the circumstances are.”
Nearby, Shari Williams, aka “the Goddess of Drones,” was at the festival to try to build a drone soccer league in Delaware County.
“Drone soccer is a STEM and aviation program that allows our youth to build a drone, program a drone, fly a drone and then compete with the drone through drone soccer tournaments,” she said.
She explained that kids can start flying them at 12 years old and the programs go up to the collegiate level, as they compete regionally and nationally.
Williams is putting together summer programs and also does career days as well drone piloting programs to pass the FAA exam.
A founding member of the Delaware County Black Caucus, state Sen. Anthony H. Williams, D-8, of Philadelphia and Delaware counties, was pleased to see the engaged involvement of youth.
“To see that it has grown with a younger generation, that they’ve matured and have their own vision, that’s exciting,” he said, noting that the festival and bazaar’s realization was a personal and county accomplishment.
Warm spring day in Rehoboth Beach
Temperatures were in the 70s in Rehoboth Beach on April 17, 2026.
Every year in the wintertime, Delaware beaches undergo a transformation.
Stores and restaurants close, stores and restaurants open, rules change. By Memorial Day weekend, for the most part, everything is in its place, and ready to serve the masses.
This winter, the price of parking went up in Lewes, several storefronts and restaurants changed hands in Rehoboth Beach, and notable changes were made further south.
If you’re among the more than 7 million visitors headed to Delaware beaches in late spring or summer, or even if you’re just a local who hasn’t gotten out much lately, here’s what’s changed in Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island as the season heats up.
Rehoboth Beach
The osprey are still nesting atop the fire siren in Rehoboth Beach, but “The Nation’s Summer Capital” has one change this year visitors are sure to notice.
Two drop-arm or swing gates and numerous bollards are being or have been installed in the area of the boardwalk and bandstand on Rehoboth Avenue. Bollards are sturdy, vertical posts designed to prevent vehicles from driving onto sidewalks or the boardwalk, while the drop-arm or swing gates will provide access to emergency vehicles.
Over on the corner of Wilmington Avenue and Bayard Avenue, there’s an empty space where several restaurants once stood. Many remember it as home to the beloved Chez La Mer in the 1980s and 90s, but it was demolished over the winter. It’s slated to become a two-story building with retail on the first floor and an apartment on the second.
What’s happening with the two major hotel projects on the boardwalk? Nothing right now. Construction on the planned One Rehoboth hotel is paused until the fall, and demolition to make room for the planned Belhaven has not yet begun, either.
New and closed Rehoboth restaurants
The Market at 59 Baltimore is Chef David Kneller’s new gourmet grab-and-go kitchen, with the concept’s adjacent restaurant to open in the coming weeks.
Across the street at 58 Baltimore Ave., Frank & Louie’s became Pazzo Italian last fall. Don’t worry, you can still get your favorite sandwiches.
Over at 204 Rehoboth Ave., the tiny Gather Alfajores is open, featuring the South American shortbread cookies with a dulce de leche center and other artisanal baked goods.
Pink Flamingo, at 222 Rehoboth Ave., opened in late 2025. It has just about every dessert item you can think of, but is best known for its viral desserts: Dubai chocolate, “freakshakes” and trompe-l’œil cakes.
At 47A Rehoboth Ave., signage is up for Ledo’s Pizza in the former Five Guys space, but no other details are known yet. At 46 Baltimore Ave., the tapas-style Sea Hag Champagne Lounge is expected to open soon.
Coho’s Market at 305 Rehoboth Ave. is closed and will be the new home of JAM Bistro. Eden restaurant, located for a long time at 53 Baltimore Ave., moved out to 20200 Coastal Highway.
In First Street Station, Jerk and Jambalaya opens May 16, serving Caribbean and soul food. Also in First Street Station, White House Black Market and Tidepool Toys and Games have closed.
The Point Coffee House & Bake Shoppe, located where Rehoboth Avenue meets Coastal Highway, closed in March. One of the owners, Jennifer Zerby, said the property is being prepared to be sold.
On the boardwalk, Baja Bob’s is the now The Dunes. It’s beneath Above the Dunes restaurant – get it? All three are owned by Bob Frankis.
Out on Coastal Highway, Kaja Asian recently opened in Midway Center, from the owners of and in the former location of Palm Beach Bar & Grill. Also in Midway Center, 1776 Steakhouse has been fully renovated and is under new ownership.
Iron Hill Brewery, at 19791 Coastal Highway, closed abruptly last year. It’s planned to become Three Notch’d Brewery, but an opening date is not yet known.
In Tanger Outlets Seaside, signage is up for Dave’s Hot Chicken, but no other details are known yet.
The downtown Rehoboth Beach Starbucks closed in September, too. Rehoboth Beach Running Company moved into that space from just a few doors down in The Shops at the Pearl.
New and closed Rehoboth stores
Lia Lane Boutique will soon open at 146 Rehoboth Ave., No. 3, which was last a sunglasses shop.
High Tide Fibers is open at 36 Baltimore Ave., formerly home to Grace Boutique, and Coastal Corner is open in Rehoboth Avenue’s Penny Lane, in a space formerly home to Penny Lane Lighting.
Enjoy thrifting? All Saints Parish Thrift Shop in the Forgotten Mile closed and is now located in Midway Center. Another location is expected to open soon in the former Old Wood Delaware building on Route 9 in Harbeson.
There’s also a brand-new thrift store in the Forgotten Mile. Ocean Blue Thrift Store is located at 20644 Coastal Highway.
And, of course, Rehoboth is home to Tanger Outlets. Sephora, lululemon and Vuori are all opening soon in Tanger Outlets Surfside. Eddie Bauer is on its way out.
Lewes
The biggest change in Lewes this year is that the cost of parking has gone up.
Starting May 1, meters are now $3 per hour at the beach and $2 per hour downtown from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
New and closed Lewes restaurants
The Lewes Diner, at 1201 Savannah Road, closed last year and is now home to Vino Del Mar, a restaurant and wine bar. A Hopkins Creamery store is set to open next door.
Rare Steak and Seafood is now open in in the Weis shopping center at the Villages of Five Points, taking the space that used to be Ocean Grill. The building has been fully renovated.
Acai favorite Bountiful Bowls has moved from its location on Dreamweaver Lane to the Shoppes at Lewes, at 412 E. Savannah Road.
Also at the Shoppes at Lewes, the Daily Market is being renovated and will become Market 1631. A sign in the window says it will feature snacks, deli, ice cream, grab-and-go and groceries.
Out on Coastal Highway (or just off it), after Bob Evans closed last year, 34571 Postal Lane became a First Watch.
New and closed Lewes stores
Several storefronts have changed on Second Street.
At 111 and 113 Second St., Deanna’s and Piccolino closed and Lewes Dry Goods Co. opened. Across the street at 114, Henlopen Trading Co. closed and Lula Blue, a home accessories shop, opened. At 130 Second St., Gypsy Myst closed and is now Flair, a women’s boutique.
On Front Street, The Stepping Stone is closed and Lewes Artists’ Gallery opened in its place.
On Third Street, Old Wood Delaware closed and will become Moon Coins Market, according to Lewes Chamber of Commerce President Betsy Reamer. Moon Coins is from Megan Collective, which also owns Bramble & Brine at The Buttery and other restaurants. The Moon Coins website says it will feature coffee, donuts, cookies and flowers.
Dewey Beach
Metered parking will begin at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. in Dewey Beach this year, starting May 15. The price is the same at $4 an hour.
Iconic Dewey bar The Starboard has upgraded from an outdoor dining tent to a permanent pavilion. The shark head has been moved to the front of the pavilion and now stretches over the sidewalk.
Also, move over Rehoboth Beach. Dewey Beach now has its own inconvenient osprey nest, atop a crane adjacent to the bay on Rodney Street.
Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach also adjusted paid parking times this year, making it 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. townwide.
Expect the post office downtown to be a lot busier this year. The Ocean View Post Office remains closed and much of its business has moved to Bethany.
New and closed Bethany Beach restaurants
The Blue Crab, at 210 Garfield Parkway, closed last year after 22 years. It is now home to Claws Seafood House.
Stop N Go Taco has opened a second location at 761 Garfield Parkway, in addition to its original Rehoboth Beach location.
The Bethany area – down Route 26 in Millville – also has a new entertainment addition. High Tide VR offers immersive virtual reality arenas at 35246 Atlantic Ave.
Fenwick Island
Fenwick Island Social, a barbecue restaurant, is the latest thing in Fenwick Island, having taken the place of Fenwick Crab House at 100 Coastal Highway.
Also new in Fenwick is Perfectly Pretty boutique, in Ocean Bay Plaza at 1300 Coastal Highway.
Reach Shannon Marvel McNaught at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook.
School board elections are one of the highest-leverage, lowest-participation decisions in Delaware. Turnout is low. Margins are small. In some cases, candidates run without a real contest. When voters do not engage, leadership is not selected. It is decided by default. When governance is decided by default, the system performs accordingly.
It’s clear that when residents fail to vote, it can have consequences — ones that most people recognize, but rarely connect to the ballot box. It shapes whether schools are focused on clear priorities or pulled in competing directions. It determines whether resources are invested in what improves student outcomes or spread thin. Those decisions show up in real ways: in the preparedness of students, the confidence of families, and the strength of Delaware’s workforce and economy.
In 2024, fewer than 5% of eligible voters cast ballots in Delaware school board elections, even as concern about outcomes, funding, and district leadership remained high across every sector of public life. The disconnect between what communities demand and how they participate is one of the most significant, and most solvable, barriers to progress in our state.
Data from the 2026 Delaware Opportunity Outlook reinforce this disconnect. A majority of Delawareans believe school board members have a direct influence on the quality of K–12 education, yet far fewer report understanding how improvement efforts are being carried out, or how decisions are made at the local level. In other words, people believe boards matter, but are not consistently using the one mechanism they have to influence who serves and how decisions are made.
What governing actually requires
A strong board member asks clear, outcome-focused questions and expects specific answers. They connect decisions to priorities, work through tradeoffs with colleagues, and ensure decisions are understood before the board moves forward. They listen for whether information reflects progress or activity, and press for clarity when it does not.
These are not intuitive responsibilities. They require preparation. School board governance is often treated as something individuals can step into without training, but these are complex roles that involve setting priorities, interpreting data, making tradeoffs, and ensuring decisions lead to results over time.
The Delaware Opportunity Outlook suggests that this is not how the role is widely understood. While Delawareans recognize that school boards influence the quality of education, far fewer identify training and professional preparation as essential.
That gap has direct consequences. As the state advances new priorities, the effectiveness of those efforts will depend on whether local board members are prepared to implement them, monitor progress, and make results visible.
Delaware’s moment
Delaware has established a clear direction for public education: defined priorities, a statewide literacy commitment, and a funding reform that will place significant new responsibilities on local boards. Plans set direction. Boards determine whether those plans turn into results.
What happens next will not be determined by those plans alone. It will be determined by how effectively school boards translate those priorities into decisions, how consistently they track progress, and whether they make results visible to the public.
Candidate evaluation
Evaluating a candidate is straightforward: Can they name a small number of district priorities and explain why those matter? Can they describe what data they would review regularly and how they would use it? Can they explain how resources should align to outcomes and what they would do if results do not improve? Candidates who can answer those questions demonstrate an understanding of the role. Those who cannot speak to governance beyond the issues that brought them to the race may find the role more demanding than they anticipated.
Make your voice heard
Voting in a school board election is one of the few places where individual participation has a direct and immediate impact on how the system performs. School board elections are decided by small numbers of voters. Your decision to engage, or not, determines who governs. Choosing not to participate is not neutrality. It is a choice, and it carries the same weight as the vote itself.
Today, a decision will be made about who governs Delaware’s schools. You can be part of that decision, or it will be made without you. Either way, the results will show up in classrooms, in communities, and in the long-term strength of this state.
Find out who is running. Evaluate them on the work the role requires, not only on the positions they hold. Vote, and encourage others to do the same.
For more details about voting in today’s elections, visit First State Educate’s 2026 School Board Elections page.
Read more from Spotlight Delaware
Monday, May 11, 2026 10:57AM
TRAINER BOROUGH, Pa. (WPVI) — A person has died after being hit by a vehicle in Delaware County.
It happened around 2:45 a.m. on Monday in the 4300 block of West 9th Street in Trainer Borough.
Police and fire crews were called to the Parkview Mobile Home community for reports of a pedestrian hit by a car.
Officials say the victim went into cardiac arrest immediately after the crash.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
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