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Thirty Seconds with Dana Herbert. Plus, a tribute to our rich railroad heritage, the many benefits of June Jam, summer at the beach: by the numbers, Gordon DelGiorno names his favorite flicks, and more.

Herbert (right) poses with Pamela Ahn  from “Cake Boss: Next Great Baker.”30 Seconds

Chef Dana Herbert won TLC’s first “Cake Boss: Next Great Baker” competition using patience, foresight and maturity, along with his considerable skills—hardly the sort of qualities that define a reality TV star. But Herbert (now a dad after he and wife Netesha welcomed their first child in February) made Delaware proud, winning $50,000 and a job working alongside the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro.

DT: Do you feel like a celebrity now? Do you get recognized on the street?
DH: I do get recognized sometimes. It’s strange. I guess it hasn’t gone to my head yet, because I always try to take a moment to talk to somebody.

DT: Are 100-hour weeks still common for you?
DH: They’re still the norm. At some point I’d love to get down to 70-75 hour workweeks.

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DT: What footage from “Next Great Baker,” didn’t survive the editing room?
DH: I felt like I almost took on the big brother role with that crew. I remember telling the other contestants that we had all already won. Think about it: There was a thousand people that wanted to get onto this show. They chose you as one of the 10. You’re here. Now we just gotta go do the dance.

DT: What are some professional goals you still want to strike off the list?
DH: I definitely want my own show. That would be cool. I’m working on something now that we hope will get picked up and take flight. I’m opening a new cake shop near Bear, and it looks like that will happen sometime in June.

DT: What would you want for your last meal?
DH: I would probably ask for a cocoa and espresso-rubbed filet with a cherry demiglace. Some type of rosemary potatoes and maybe some asparagus.

DT: What about for dessert?
DH: I would say a sweet potato cheesecake. Or maybe southern lemon or mandarin orange cake.

DT: Are you sick of cake at this point?
DH: (Laughing) I still like it. I just eat smaller portions. —Matt Amis
 

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Page 2: Tracking History | Friends group creates a tribute to Wilmington’s rich railroad heritage at the Amtrak station. All aboard.

 

Photograph by Tom NutterTracking History

Friends group creates a tribute to Wilmington’s rich railroad heritage at the Amtrak station. All aboard.

J. Harry Feldman certainly knows how important the city of Wilmington has been to the evolution of the United States railroad. The problem is, few others do.

“A lot is known about our gunpowder and shipbuilding heritage, but somehow Wilmington’s very significant railroad history has been largely overlooked,” says Feldman, a board member for the Friends of Furness Railroad District. “Most people, for example, have no idea that Wilmington was the largest producer of railroad car wheels at one time. Our city produced cars you can still ride on when you visit the Durango & Silverton line in Colorado.”

In order to prevent Wilmington’s railroad heritage from falling into some black hole of history, the FFRD created a permanent exhibit called “Wilmington’s Railroad Heritage,” which was installed at the city’s revamped Amtrak station in March. The 24-foot-wide display comprises four sections, each illustrating an aspect of the city’s railroad legacy. Feldman hopes it will offer folks a chance to more fully understand Wilmington’s crucial role in railroad history.

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“The railroad station was where it all came together: passengers and freight. The arrival of every train was a big deal, and it still has a lasting impact, what with Wilmington hosting between 70 and 80 trains per day, and around 700,000 people getting at our station yearly,” says Feldman. “Wilmington is the nation’s 12th busiest station, and a very important piece of history.” —Nick DiUlio
 

Page 3: One Thing I Know | Lauren Wilson former WPVI-TV 6 Action News reporter, Wilmington

 

One Thing I Know

Lauren Wilson former WPVI-TV 6 Action News reporter, Wilmington

“One thing I know is spring and summer represent new beginnings. As flowers bloom, so does hope. Many Delawareans have lost their jobs and even their dreams, but like me, hope remains strong. Just as sure as spring turned into summer, together we will make it until another season comes.”
 

Page 4: Doing Good | A Monster Jam

 

Bob Hartley and some of his Caesar Rodney High classmates staged the first June Jam in 1979. Photograph by Jared CastaldiDoing Good | A Monster Jam

When Bob Hartley talks about June Jam, he doesn’t jump right into listing the popular bands that have headlined the all-day outdoor concert through the years.

Instead, Hartley rattles off the names of the event’s beneficiaries, including two nonprofits that June Jam helped get started: the Home of the Brave, a shelter in Milford for veterans, and Peachtree Acres in Harbeson, an assisted living facility for survivors of brain injuries.

“We’re now on 33 years—one-third of a century—and we continue having quality music, a good time and offering a significant amount of help to local charities,” says Hartley, the event’s cofounder and the organization’s chairman.

Hartley, of Dover, and a handful of Caesar Rodney High School classmates got the ball rolling in 1978 after a friend was electrocuted and two others were severely burned. That summer the CR class of 1973 held a benefit for the men’s families. In 1979 the event was dubbed June Jam and it grew into one of the state’s biggest events.

June Jam went on to book headliners like Kansas, Molly Hatchet, .38 Special and Cheap Trick, along with dozens of top local musical acts. Attendance now averages about 3,000 per event, says Hartley, and the group has donated more than $500,000 to at least 95 local individuals and charitable organizations. About 120 volunteers pitch in to run the event. “There are a lot of people in this area willing to help out,” Hartley says. “These are people who are aware of problems their neighbors have. They just roll up their sleeves and help out.”

The 33rd June Jam is set for June 18 at G&R Campground in Houston. Beneficiaries include the Kent County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Children’s Beach House in Lewes and the Lake Forest Middle School band program.

For more, visit junejam.com. —Drew Ostroski
 

Page 5: Index | The Beach

 

Index | The Beach

2,470,495
Amount in dollars collected by Rehoboth Beach parking meters in one season

40
Hotels and B&Bs in Rehoboth

49
Funland’s years in operation

30
Miles of Delaware beaches

9
Candy Kitchens in Delaware

74
Years Candy Kitchen has made salt water taffy

80
Average temperature in July in Dewey Beach

54
Full-time Rehoboth Beach Patrol lifeguards

1,500
Pizzas sold by Grotto Pizza (Rehoboth
Avenue location) on a summer day

5,000
Pounds of Thrashers fries sold
on a summer day

200,000
Flowers, plants and trees at Baywood Greens golf course in Long Neck

75
Years the Bottle & Cork has been operating

18
Jolly Trolley stops between
Rehoboth and Dewey

87
Height of Fenwick Island Lighthouse in feet

25,000
Pounds of salt water taffy sold in one
summer at Dolle’s in Rehoboth

—Lauren Montenegro and Lauren Zaremba
 

Page 6: Delebrity Cinemology | Gordon DelGiorno

 

Delebrity Cinemology

Gordon DelGiorno | Film Brothers, Wilmington

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
The story: A poor boy wins the chance to tour the most eccentric and wonderful candy factory of all.
DelGiorno: Every child should watch the timeless version with Gene Wilder. It’s about childhood dreams and lessons about honesty. The look on that little boy’s face when he sets the everlasting gobstopper on Wonka’s desk is etched in my mind forever. I have tears in my eyes as I write this. Priceless.

Rocky
The story: A small-time boxer gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champ in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
DelGiorno: The best in the series were the first two movies when Rocky was dirt poor. This encompassed the American dream: to fall in love and to do something extraordinary. It’s the ultimate underdog story. Rocky loving a woman who thought she wasn’t worth loving while he conquers the champ.

American Beauty
The story:
A depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation for his daughter’s attractive friend.
DelGiorno: There are so many powerful characters and storylines in this movie that it’s a must-see five or 10 times. We all have pieces of ourselves in this film. A story of insecurity, anxiety, innocence lost and regained at the end of life, make this Oscar-worthy.

Monsoon Wedding
The story: A stressed father, a bride-to-be with a secret, a smitten event planner, and relatives from around the world create much ado about the preparations for an arranged marriage in India.
DelGiorno: Mira Nair’s masterpiece. This arranged wedding preparation had the most vibrant and beautiful colors I’ve ever seen as a filmmaker. The side stories within the story made me happy, sad, angry and elated. The scene with the father confronting the despicable uncle shows that love conquers all.

Mississippi Burning
The story: Two FBI agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.
DelGiorno: Willem Dafoe is the go-by-the-books boss and Gene Hackman is the realistic, get-the-job-done guy. Their relationship parallels the struggle between blacks and whites during the Civil Rights movement. This movie has it all: drama, suspense, humor, injustice and victory.

Film descriptions from imdb.com.
 

Page 7: Battling Bullies | Siouxzan Moore is working to join forces with the state to fight cyber bullying in public schools. As a victim, the pageant winner knows of what she speaks.

 

Photograph by Jared CastaldiBattling Bullies

Siouxzan Moore is working to join forces with the state to fight cyber bullying in public schools. As a victim, the pageant winner knows of what she speaks.

 Siouxzan Moore is on a mission to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for cyber bullying in high schools. Working with the Delaware Department of Technology and Information, Moore hopes to implement programs in local high schools to raise awareness about cyber bullying and provide resources for students who may be facing such harassment.

Moore, a former Mrs. Delaware and the reigning America’s 30s pageant winner, became a victim of cyber bullying when fellow pageant competitors anonymously insulted her in a common interest chat room.

“The computer is a wonderful tool but people have been using it for such evil things,” says Moore, who advises that peers address conflicts directly, rather than utilize cyber forums. “It really makes a difference to, instead, resolve things face to face.”

While she is aiming to address the root of cyber bullying, Moore hopes that students also learn coping methods as victims of such abuse. “I don’t want anyone to feel alone,” she says. “Whether a parent or someone at school, we need to provide a better feeling of comfort.”

Moore and the Department of Technology and Information are in negotiations to tailor awareness programs to different demographics throughout the state. Moore was recently named a celebrity spokeswoman for Prevent Child Abuse Delaware. For more, visit americas30s2010.blogspot.com. —Katherine DiMaggio

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