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- Coming soon to the renovated Delaware History Center, the museum corrects the record on race here and across the country. If you didn’t know that Delaware was the last state to free its slaves after the Civil War or that Wilmington was the birthplace of the African Union First Colored Methodist Protestant Church (AUMP), be there when the doors open in 2016.
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- Every September, local Nanticoke gather outside Millsboro with members of tribes from across the country to sing, dance, feast and trade. All are welcome, but it’s no mere show. The powwow is the living transmission of culture from one generation to the next.
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- The relationship between gays and some straights in Rehoboth Beach was uneasy until Citizens for a More Progressive Rehoboth united in 1990. After a couple of high-profile hate crimes, members brought the town together. What was an attitude of mutual tolerance has since become an attitude of mutual appreciation. We look forward to the 25th anniversary celebration next year.
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- 1960 pairs bronze medalist Ron Ludington has coached in Delaware since 1970, sending Kitty and Peter Carruthers to a silver medal win in pairs at the 1984 Olympics. That’s not to mention other stars who have trained here, like Oksana Baiul, Tara Lipinski and the ever-entertaining Johnny Weir.
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- DuPont, ChristianaCare, W.L. Gore and Associates, J.P. Morgan-Chase, Bank of America, the University of Delaware—heck, the state of Delaware. We could go on and on. The point is: We’re lucky to have a broad range of healthy businesses that keep us working.
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- Polish, Italian, Greek, Latino, what have you, Wilmingtonians love to share their cultures. That’s not to mention big celebrations by the Indian and Chinese communities. Diversity makes us great.
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- We love a party. From Rehoboth’s Sea Witch Halloween celebration and Lewes’ Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival to the Apple Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville and Community Day in Newark, we find great reasons to celebrate. (Toss in UD’s Coast Day and Ag Day, which make us feel a little smarter while we’re having fun.)
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- Not only do we love a good party, we know how to throw one. From Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition’s Northern Lights of Life and the Delaware Horticulture Society’s Rare Plant Auction in the Longwood Gardens Conservancy to the White Party at the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum for the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, our big nights out are special, indeed.
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- The state pushed Delaware hard as a destination for retirees, and rightly so. Affordable, diverse housing options and low taxes make it friendly to those on fixed incomes. Smart developers have caught on, building communities that keep seniors active, social and close to their grandies.
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- From a handful of semi-sober guys throwing pumpkins in a field in 1986 comes a nationally famous gathering of precisely engineered catapults, trebuchets, air cannons and other contraptions that can hurl a 10-pound gourd over half a mile. The event has become world famous, with attention from David Letterman, the Science Channel and other media. Best of all, the Chunk has raised thousands upon thousands for scholarships and charity.
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- Every weekend in May provides world-class racing in and around northern Delaware. The best? Point-to-Point at Winterthur in May. You’ll see thrilling races, fabulous tailgate parties and more hats than on Derby Day. (This is part of the reason Martha loves us so much.)
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- Combine the beautiful Victorian-age estate with the collection of 20 Stanley steam cars in the Marshall Museum. Even if you’re eating humble popcorn from the steam popper during your visit, you’ll feel like Jay Gatsby.
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- Thanks to the children of the area’s original Italian immigrants, we have an appetite for pizza and countless places to satisfy it. Whether you prefer Sicilian style (hello, Café Palermo) or crispy Neapolitan style (Pizza Pazza, we’re lookin’ at you), there’s a place for everyone. (Don’t ask us to weigh in on Grotto vs. Nicola. You make the call.)
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- More than 700 re-enactors travel from up and down the East Coast to re-create the Battle of the Brandywine every year. A dedicated group makes Fort Delaware come alive for visitors. And though you may not see the 2nd Delaware Volunteer Infantry in Delaware, you can see them in just about every state where a major battle of the Civil War was fought.
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- Both Nassau Valley Vineyards and Pizzadilli Vineyards are producing some very good vintages. New kid Harvest Ridge Winery is winning awards left and right. And if you’re lucky enough to live within striking distance of the Pennsylvania line, you can skip to the vineyards and wineries of the Brandywine Valley, which jump with special events all year-round.
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- From a beautifully wooded Appalachian piedmont divided by the Brandywine, Red Clay and White Clay valleys, to a coastal plain covered in neatly ordered farms and fringed with marshes, to the inland bays and brilliant white beaches of the Atlantic Coast, we enjoy several rich environments. Let’s save them.
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- They grow like mushrooms for good reason: Many are vastly superior to traditional public schools. Some flagging performers have struggled to keep their charters, but stellar student achievement at places like Wilmington Charter should silence detractors. Does an exodus to the charters strand an academic underclass in the other public schools? Maybe. But there’s no good reason why.
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- Somebody has to keep banging the drum for reform of public education. The members have assiduously searched for best practices in education and presented them to all. Listen up, DOE.
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- Our first distribution point, formally known as a “compassion center,” makes us more compassionate, indeed, to many people who suffer from cancer, Alzheimer’s, debilitating pain, degenerative diseases and other maladies.
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- Because of well-managed state wildlife areas and the du Pont-Remington legacy of shooting sports, hunters here have abundant turkeys, deer and small game to pursue. Our waterfowl hunting is among the best in the world. Well-stocked creeks and teeming ponds keep freshwater anglers busy. Easy access to the ocean and bays keeps saltwater fishermen on their boats most of the year.
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- Our major health systems consistently rank among the top hospitals in the country. Cancer treatment, cardiovascular care and orthopedic programs are on par with services in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Unless your issue is an extreme medical anomaly, you can be assured of great care here.
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- Delaware is home to excellent private schools such as Goldey-Beacom and Wesley colleges, the statewide Delaware Technical Community College system, and, for non-traditional students, the ever-growing Wilmington University. Having the historically black Delaware State University is a matter of great pride. The university stays at the forefront in business, technology and other disciplines. No wonder we have such a high number of Ph.D.s.
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- The rest of the country is astonished by this.
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- Surely Mean Lady and New Sweden don’t get to play big rock festivals if they’re mediocre. And they’re not. This is the kind of smart rock that transcends the Twee Generation. Can Delaware lift youth culture out of its hipster haze? We shall see.
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