Betsy Price May 17, 2022 Culture, Headlines

Hagley Museum patent models are on display is this Artifacts of Invention exhibit between Terminals C and D at the Philadelphia International Airport. Philadelphia

A selection of 19th century patent models from Hagley Museum and Library will be on display throughout the summer at Philadelphia International Airport.

The 49 chosen to be part of the exhibit by Chris Cascio, Hagley’s Alan W. Rothchild assistant curator, all have connections to Philly or — appropriate for air travelers — transportation, food and drink.

The airport’s “Artifacts of Invention: Patent Models from Hagley Museum and Library, 1845-1895,” will feature only a tiny portion of Hagley’s 5,000 patent models. Miniature models of a design  were once required by the U.S. patent office in order to apply for a patent. Sometimes they were created by the inventor and sometimes by a professional model maker.

On display is the model for the improved traveling trunk invented by Louis Ransom in 1867, a predecessor to the wheeled luggage commonly used today.

Ransom’s cylindrical trunk, which could be rolled, represented a different approach to the bulky, rectangular trunks porters had to carry around.

The model for Louis Ransom’s traveling trunk

Also on display is a relative of the soft pretzels that are a Philadelphia staple snack.

The “bretzel” machine from inventors William Lampert and Henry Hubert, patented in 1860, made quick work of stamping out pretzel- and bagel-shaped bread. The dough would be fed between metal rollers, stamped with a pretzel shape, then the uniform “bretzels” would fall into a conveyor belt.

The exhibit has been started and is expected to be finished by Memorial Day.

It will also serve as a preview to the late-summer opening of Nation of Inventors at Hagley, a major exhibition featuring more than 100 patent models, celebrating the American spirit of ingenuity.

That new permanent exhibit was finished and within days of opening when the remnant of Hurricane Ida caused the Brandywine River to rise and flood Hagley. The exhibit wasn’t damaged, but the basement of the building it’s in was flooding, ruining a lot of power and other infrastructure equipment.

To learn more about the history of patent models, go to hagley.org/patentmodels

Betsy Price is a Wilmington freelance writer who has 40 years of experience, including 15 at The News Journal in Delaware.

    A Republican State Representative plans to file a bill in the General Assembly to give parents a better idea of what their children are being taught, and how, in Delaware schools.  It comes as one Smyrna parent’s complaint about a sexually explicit required reading has been rapidly making the rounds on social media and local radio.  The proposed bill, sponsored by Rep. Charlie Postles, R-Milford, is dubbed the “Delaware Education Right to Know Act” and says its aim is to build better relationships between parents, teachers and school officials. The bill “is intended to increase educational transparency and build consensus among all the people with an interest in helping Delaware children succeed in the classroom,” Postles said in a written statement.  “Teachers are trained professionals and need the freedom to effectively carry out their essential mission,” he continued. “At the same time, parents should have access to what their children are being taught as well as what policies schools have set on important issues. This bill is an attempt to reconcile these interests in a cooperative way.” If passed, every public school, including charters, will be required to establish a web portal that gives not only parents but also the public access to the following information: Course syllabi or a written summary of each instructional course A general description of instructional materials, textbooks and digital resources that educators plan to use The school’s policy on how information is communicated to parents/guardians and other stakeholders about violent incidents taking place at the school What health care services are offered at the school and how parental/guardian notification and consent are handled regarding these services Parents and guardians would also be “assured of an opportunity to meet with the educators teaching their children at least once each academic year,” a press statement announcing the bill said. The superintendent of each public school district, or the head of each charter school, in consultation with teachers, would have flexibility in determining the timing and method for satisfying that requirement. The Delaware State Education Association declined to comment on the bill until it is filed and they are able to review it in its entirety. “As a former school board member, I’m aware of the challenges faced by teachers and school administrators,” Postles said. “I have carefully constructed this bill to provide useful information to stakeholders in a way that should not be overly burdensome on our schools.” Sara Poore, whose daughter attends Smyrna High School, says she would have appreciated the type of heads up that Postles’ bill would demand before her daughter was assigned to read “Songs of Solomon” by Toni Morrison. According to The Banned Book Project, an initiative at Carnegie Mellon University that tracks books banned from public education curriculum, “Songs of Solomon” has been prohibited as a required reading in several school districts in recent years, including one in Maryland and one in Indiana.  “Often critiqued for its close relation to racism, sexual themes and overall inappropriate nature, ‘Song of Solomon’ often causes the eruption of controversy,” the Project says. “Within school systems, it has been said on various different occasions that the inappropriate language and sex scenes that tend to come up are too revealing for the child audience. It is also said that the visual representations of racism in the novel are too traumatic in ways that children shouldn’t be exposed to.” Poore said her daughter brought concerns about the book’s language to her teacher who indicated she would like to talk to Poore and better understand her concerns.  “Given the egregious content of the sexualized and demoralizing verbiage used, a better question to pose is what educator would think this material is even remotely appropriate in a high school setting,” Poore wrote in a letter to the Smyrna School District superintendent and board. “I find exposing my child to this is beyond disrespectful to her and her fellow students.” Poore included numerous examples of lewd, explicit and distasteful language in the letter and apologized if reading the passages happened to make the board members uncomfortable.  “If it makes you uncomfortable to read, imagine being a minor child,” Poore wrote. “Or, imagine sitting there as a parent and reading this to your child.” The many examples Poore provided include graphic language to described sexual acts using words that are rarely printed in family newspapers. The entire letter, including the graphic excerpts, can be found here. “Given the Smyrna School District’s statement about transparency, why are the parents and the students of the Smyrna High School not respected enough to, at minimum, ask for consent before spoon-feeding, essentially, pornography to minors,” Poore asked. “My daughter is owed an apology and a refund for having to purchase this disgusting material with her own money.” District superintendent Patrik Williams responded, noting that “Songs of Solomon” is part of the Advanced Placement curriculum, set by the College Board and not by the district.  “All of our AP courses at Smyrna High School are strictly voluntary, and students who sign up for them are introduced to postsecondary curricular content established by the College Board,” Williams wrote. “Parents make the decision for their own students whether or not to enroll, and we are happy to accommodate their wishes. In short, there is no requirement to take this particular course or any other AP course offered.” In a follow-up letter made available to the public, Williams said AP courses, while offered in public and private high schools, are designed to immerse enrollees in college-level content for college-level credit. “The College Board’s senior English class, for example, is AP Literature and Composition, and the course includes Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ‘Song of Solomon,’ among many other literary works that address academic, cultural, racial and generational diversity,” Williams wrote.  The College Board includes a disclaimer on AP English syllabi which warns that the subjects of certain readings might be considered controversial and include words or ideas that could be offensive, Williams pointed out. The […]

Photo courtesy of Delaware State Fair. The Delaware State Fair has announced its final two headline acts for the 2022 Delaware Lottery Summer Concert Series at the M&T Bank Grandstand. Country music star Trace Adkins and Dominican bachata artist Frank Reyes will top off the star-studded list of acts that already includes Hank Williams Jr., Sam Hunt, Nelly, Toby Mac, ZZ Top, and, of course, the annual demolition derby. The 103rd Delaware State Fair will be held from July 21 to 30, 2022. The theme is “Summer Nights & Carnival Lights.” The jam-packed lineup is refreshing news for devoted fairgoers. In 2020, all concerts were canceled because of the pandemic. Acts would have included country musicians Dierks Bentley, Hank Williams Jr. and comedian Jim Gaffigan. In 2021, the concert lineup originally featured TobyMac, Sam Hunt, Hank Williams Jr. and Vanilla Ice, but they all pulled out because of uncertainty surrounding Delaware’s COVID-19 large gathering restrictions. Delawareans can expect to see the following performances during the 2022 State Fair: Sam Hunt on Thursday, July 21 @ 7:30 p.m. Halestorm on Friday, July 22 @ 7:30 p.m. Nelly on Saturday, July 23 @ 7:30 p.m. Demolition Derby on Sunday, July 24 @ 6 p.m. Trace Adkins on Monday, July 25 @ 7:30 p.m. TobyMac on Tuesday, July 26 @ 7:30 p.m. ZZ Top on Wednesday, July 27 @ 7:30 p.m. Harness Racing on Thursday, July 28 @ 7:00 p.m. Frank Reyes on Friday, July 29 @ 7:30 p.m. Hank Williams Jr. on Saturday, July 30 @ 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $99 and can be purchased at this link.

The annual poinsettia sale at the state greenhouse in New Castle County will include some specialty colors, including hot pink and cinnamon.   The greenhouse on the Department of Health and Human Services’ New Castle County campus will start selling a variety of poinsettias Monday, Nov. 29. They will be available in red, white, pink and multiple specialty colors, including hot pink and cinnamon. Proceeds from the sale of the nearly 3,500 poinsettias grown this season will help support West End youth programs. DHSS has an agreement with West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington to operate the greenhouse and gardens on the Herman Holloway Campus. Bright Spot Urban Farm provides paid training in agriculture and horticulture for high school students with the objective to heal and empower young people by rooting farming in an ethic of community service. “Training focuses on agriculture, horticulture and landscaping,” said Ruth Arias, program director at Bright Spot. “A selection of the youth participates in leadership training. The training consists of weekly classes focusing on public speaking, team-building, food insecurity, botany and other topics that will build them up to become future leaders of the program. The youth’s work has supported growing produce this year for over 110 families.” Students participate in one or more three-month sessions during which they learn about different aspects of production, marketing, and sales in addition to conflict resolution, problem-solving and public speaking. Students selected to continue for a second year receive leadership training and coach and mentor new students in the program. The greenhouse is on the Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13) and is open to the public. Follow the signs for the greenhouse. The greenhouse hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The greenhouse will be closed on Sundays. Bright Spot accepts cash, check or credit card. The 6.5-inch pots are $9.50 each or $10 for specialty colors, including Viking Cinnamon, Winter Rose Dark Red, Prestige Maroon, Superba Glitter, Golden Glo, Alpha White and Hot Pink. Plants in the 8.5-inch pots come in red, white and a mix of red and white, and cost $30 each. There is also a smaller 4.5-inch pot (table-top size) for $4.50 each. It comes in red, white, Golden Glo, Cinnamon, Princettia Hot Pink, Princettia Pink and Pure White. Gift tags are also available to purchase for $1 each. The sale will run through Dec. 22. The prices include a foil wrap on the pot. Delivery is a flat fee of $9 within a 20-mile radius of the greenhouse, no matter  how many plants. Orders can be made online using the order form at brightspotfarms.org/shopholidays. For more information, call 302-255-2993.

Photo by Jim Stapleton/Unsplash   Delaware weather is expected to be gorgeous over Labor Day weekend, with sunny days and highs hovering around 80 degrees. By Thursday night, the remnants of Hurricane Ida will have swept away, leaving the coast clear for fun. Literally. The Delaware Department of Transportation is suspending construction-related lane closures from Thursday until 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, to allow holiday traffic to flow as freely as possible in some places. However, ongoing sustained lane shifts, like those in the Restore the Corridor project through Wilmington, will still be in effect. At the Delaware beaches, bookings are good, said Carol Everhart, president of the Rehoboth Beach Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce. Rehoboth Beach is having a Red, White and Blue event at its bandstand to celebrate first responders and the military. The scene will be a far cry from last year when beach businesses were crying for business and beach bars had to follow strict guidelines designed to keep COVID-19 from spreading. This year, they’re stressing about not having enough workers as business has soared and Gov. John Carney  lifted mask mandates in July. This weekend, many of the high school and college students they hired for summer will be back home, diving into classes, campus events and sports. Some things to know about this weekend: Managing your drive in Delaware: DelDOT’s smartphone app, which is free, allows users to view real time traffic cameras, travel times, delays, advisories, and DART’s Real-Time Transit Information. Travel information can also be found on the Transportation Management Center’s WTMC 1380 AM radio station, which offers real-time traffic conditions throughout the state. Travelers can help keep it current by contact the TMC any time to report travel or traffic related issues by dialing #77 from acell phone in Delaware or (302) 659-4600; or 1-800-324-8379. Mask mandates: The state continues to ask people who are not vaccinated to wear masks and those who are vaccinated to wear them indoors to help curtail the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Everhart said there’s no city mask mandate in Rehoboth or Dewey beaches, but Rehoboth does require masks for all inside city buildings. Still mindful of COVID-19:  The Delaware Division of Public Health recommends that everyone follow Centers for Disease Control advice and consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated. It also wants to remind people that many pharmacies that are open all weekend are offering vaccine shots. Gas prices: Gasoline prices in Delaware dipped a bit, but by Monday were rising again to about $3 a gallon, according to the Mid-Atlantic AAA. Dining out: All kinds of eateries are suffering from not being able to hire enough help. If you do go out, expect service to be slower, with food and drinks not arriving as quickly as normal. Parking at the beach: Meters remain in effect in all beach town. Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach stop after Sept. 15; Rehoboth after Sept. 19; Lewes after Sept. 30. Fenwick Island requires parking permits, sold at the police station or a kiosk there, through Sept. 15. Events at the beach: Rehoboth Beach will have a Beach Goes Red, White & Blue event saluting the military and first responders from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will include historical displays by area groups. Fewer life guards on duty: With lifeguards leaving to return to high school, college, sports and band camps, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has said Delaware Seashore State Park’s Tower Road beach and Fenwick Island State Park’s Fenwick Lot beaches will be unguarded during the week, but guarded on weekends. The state has asked people to use well-guarded beaches, including the main beach at Cape Henlopen State Park and the South Indian River Inlet side of Seashore State Park.

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