30 Seconds
Kristen Hanifee of Middletown was one of six athletes who represented the United States at the Special Olympics of China games last fall in Fujian, China. Kristen, 20, was diagnosed at 14 months with Williams syndrome. She began swimming in the Special Olympics at age 8 and also competes on local swim teams. Kristen captured gold medals in all three of her events in China: the 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter freestyle and the 50-meter backstroke.
DT: What is your favorite event?
KH: The 50 free is my favorite because I swam so fast.
DT: Why do you like to swim?
KH: It’s fun. It keeps me really healthy.
DT: Have you flown on an airplane before?
KH: Yes, but not that long. It was like 15 hours.
DT: Did you get to watch movies?
KH: The movies are in Chinese. They were old Jackie Chan movies and stuff.
DT: So, did you enjoy the flight?
KH: It was boring. But we did see glaciers.
DT: Did you get to do anything in China besides swim?
KH: We went on a museum tour. We got to see different artifacts. We saw paintings, old coins and stuff. The culture is awesome over there.
DT: Did you talk to your competitors?
KH: Yes. They talk to you fast.
DT: What do you think of the whole experience?
KH: It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.
DT: Do you have any advice for someone else who gets to do this?
KH: Have fun. Have a great time. —Drew Ostroski
Page 2: Delaware’s Next Big-Time Boxer? | Mike Tiberi is one of a handful of up-and-comers fighting to become the state’s king of the ring.
Delaware’s Next Big-Time Boxer?
Mike Tiberi is one of a handful of up-and-comers fighting to become the state’s king of the ring.
Boxing in February can be extra tough for Mike Tiberi. That’s because when it snows, he’ll be driving a DelDOT plow truck until the wee hours. Only after a long shift of moving snow can Tiberi hit the gym for another exhausting workout in front of his father’s 90-degree woodstove.
That scenario could happen this month as Tiberi prepares for another bout at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. Tiberi, who will turn 23 in March, is one of the state’s promising young boxers working to become the next Michael “No Joke” Stewart or his uncle, Dave Tiberi.
Tiberi is trained by his father, Mario Tiberi II, and his brother, Mario III. His uncle, Nick Tiberi, schedules his matches. Tiberi has won 15 of his first 16 fights and the website boxrec.com ranks him 11th in the United States among 178 middleweights.
“Uncle Nick has been getting calls to set up a fight for a belt in the future,” says Mike’s brother, Mario. “That’s a big deal for a Delaware fighter.”
Mike says he’ll continue to fight until it stops being fun. “When it comes down to it, you’re not making that much money, so it has to be fun,” he says. “Besides, who else would get punched in the face if they didn’t enjoy it?” —D.O.
Page 3: One Thing I’ve Learned | Christine O’Donnell
One Thing I’ve Learned
Christine O’Donnell
I’ve learned the meaning of commitment. It’s easy to make a commitment, but will you remain true even in the face of scrutiny? Will you endure through pain and adversity knowing the only reward may be a silent one; contentment because your character has been tested and stood true.
Page 4: Index | Valentine’s Day at Govatos
Index
Valentine’s Day at Govatos
100 Boxes of candy sold most days
300 Boxes of candy sold on Valentine’s Day
20 Average price in dollars of V-Day box
100 Number of fillings and toppings
200 Pounds of chocolate used on V-Day
100 Pounds of nuts used on V-Day
25 People who bought candy other than chocolate
8 Weight in pounds of largest V-Day box
4-8 Hours spent decorating store
116 Years in business
—Compiled by Katherine DiMaggio
Page 5: Doing Good | Cool to be Kind
Doing Good Cool to be Kind
Kind to Kids donates tickets to local events to needy children in Delaware. During its first two years, the nonprofit has distributed more than $25,000 worth of tickets to children who would otherwise not be able to attend a Blue Rocks game or a Delaware Symphony Orchestra concert.
Caroline Jones, founder and executive director of Kind to Kids, does this by working with agencies that serve children living with foster families and other needy children. There are 800 foster children in Delaware and more than 27,000 people living in poverty.
As a court appointed special advocate, Jones, of Hockessin, testifies on behalf of abused and neglected children in Delaware’s Family Court. So she has seen first-hand what these children endure.
“It’s more than just a lack of wealth, it’s about a lack of experiences, like going to a ballgame,” Jones says. “(Going to an event) changes their world. It changes what they see.”
Individuals, corporations, organizations, and service clubs can donate tickets, as well as funding, to Kind to Kids. The organization also holds fundraisers and toy drives throughout the year, including a beef and beer this month. For more, visit kindtokids.org. —D.O.
Page 6: Delebrity Cinemology | Patrick Stoner
Delebrity Cinemology
Patrick Stoner | Wilmington, PBS film critic
Gone With the Wind
The story: A manipulative woman and a roguish man carry on a love affair during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Stoner: Both my personal favorite and what I consider to be a perfectly executed film, ‘Gone with the Wind’ was remarkably faithful to the plot, the spirit and the power of the book. And at the same time, it is an epic movie in all the ways that we think of as epic, and therefore I can watch it again and again.
Citizen Kane
The story: After the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final words.
Stoner: Its technical innovations many people know about, but there are far more than most people notice. At the same time, it’s a great story. And Orson Welles’ performance is fascinating in many ways. It’s over the top. It’s very theatrical, and yet very revealing about a particular kind of personality.
The Philadelphia Story
The story: A rich woman learns the truth about herself when her ex and a reporter show up before her second wedding.
Stoner: You’re talking about Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn. When I first saw it, I saw it on television, and I couldn’t believe that something could just sparkle in black and silver. And at the same time, it is a wonderfully funny and evocative story, with perfect timing in terms of the delivery.
Inherit the Wind
The story: Based on a case in 1925, two lawyers argue for and against a science teacher accused of teaching evolution.
Stoner: One of my drama professors in my doctoral studies, Herman Shumlin, had cast Spencer Tracy in his first Broadway plays, where Tracy was discovered. It’s a plot that tells us very much today how important truth and honesty are and understanding the difference between the two things.
Shakespeare in Love
The story: A young, broke Shakespeare meets his ideal woman and writes one of his most famous plays.
Stoner: It captures in a comedic manner, but still in a remarkably historically accurate way, how it was in Shakespeare’s time, with all of its grittiness, squalor, wonder and poetry. It is a great romantic comedy as well. Perfectly cast is Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow. It reminded me why I wanted to become a critic. —D.O.
(Descriptions from Internet Movie Database)
Page 7: The Dewey Shore? | Could a show about beach bartenders become reality TV’s next hit? Alex Pires thinks it’s worth a shot.
The Dewey Shore?
Could a show about beach bartenders become reality TV’s next hit? Alex Pires thinks it’s worth a shot.
Dewey Beach bar baron-turned-movie-maven Alex Pires is trading cupcakes for Cuervo.
Pires’ Highway One Pictures is teaming with a Hollywood production company to shoot a reality TV show about the lives of bartenders at Pires’ popular Northbeach bar in Dewey.
With a film under his tattered ballcap (“Mayor Cupcake” starring Lea Thompson and Judd Nelson), Pires is taking his first shot at television. He has hired old hands Seth Flaum, editor of “High School Musical” and “Marley and Me 2,” and Flaum’s wife, Tamara Blaich, a producer for reality shows “Millionaire Matchmaker” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
Pires makes no bones about it: He’s gunning for MTV’s ultra-popular “Jersey Shore.”
“What Tamara’s been telling us is everyone in Hollywood is putting together shows involving water and the beach,” Pires says. “To have a successful reality show, you need compelling characters and reasonable conflicts. The conflicts have to be believable enough that they don’t appear to be contrived.”
Hundreds of compelling characters crashed the audition at the Rusty Rudder in October as two camera crews captured the mayhem. “It was crazy,” Pires says. “I don’t know how much of it was natural or, ‘This is how I get on TV and change my life.’”
Pires and Co. filmed a second session on New Year’s Eve. That footage will be whittled to a 22-minute pilot that will be pitched to the likes of Bravo, MTV and E!
Even if the show is not picked up, Pires says he’ll foot the bill for the first six episodes. “We’re doing it,” he says. “If you’re going to go that far, why not?” —D.O.
