Delaware | Delaware News & Events

Delaware Beach Property for Sale or Rent

From summer cottages to luxury mansions to condominiums, there are many accommodations available for rent or purchase on the Delaware coast. There is a lot more coast on Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean than you would expect if the coast were more or less straight. The median cost of homes in many communities in Kent and Sussex Counties is no more than $200,000, making them quite affordable. The slower-paced living in relatively small communities is a plus. An excellent school system and no sales tax add to the quality of life. For a more affluent crowd, Fenwick Island has many homes and condos valued at three-quarters of a million dollars.
Delaware has homes right on the beach, as well as many within just a few miles. Older neighborhoods and classic styles, or new construction in planned communities can be found. For the tightest budgets, mobile homes may be the solution. Whether you want a year-round residence or a vacation home, you should be able to find whatever suits you. There are many realtors to help you in your search.
The climate on the coast is relatively mild, making outdoor activity pleasant much of the year. Sailing, fishing, kayaking, bicycling and walking are all available. For those who like to travel a bit, there is a ferry from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey, with beautiful ocean scenery. Dover, the state capital, has many attractions, from the Air Mobility Command Museum to the Agricultural Museum and Village. Dover Air Force Base is located nearby, although there is currently no major airport in Delaware – air travelers use airports in nearby Baltimore, Washington, D.C., or Philadelphia.

Professional Organizations for Music Teachers in Delaware

When you look on the internet for a music teacher, you should know a little about the organizations you might find there. In Delaware, the two most prominent music teacher organizations are Delaware State Music Teachers Association (DSMTA), which is affiliated with Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and Delaware Music Educators Association (DMEA), affiliated with Music Educators National Conference (MENC). They are not really in competition, but each fills an important role in serving the citizens of the state. DMEA is primarily an organization of school music teachers, while DSMTA is mostly made up of private studio teachers. There may be a few teachers who are members of both groups, but generally there is no overlap.
If you want a private teacher, such as for piano lessons, DSMTA is probably where you want to look. Go to the MTNA website, mtna.org, and find the directory of nationally certified teachers, which will give you names and contact information of teachers who are nearest to your zip code. A teacher who is MTNA certified has passed rigorous examinations, and presented a demonstration of performances by his or her students that show a high level of competence as a teacher.
DMEA/MENC sponsors school-based activities, including Solo and Ensemble Festival, which is a performance evaluation in which students perform for adjudicators and receive feedback and scores/ratings on their performance.
Both organizations provide professional development activities for teachers, which help them to continue to grow as music teachers.
There are other websites you may encounter to help find teachers, but many of them are simply listing services, often for profit, that are designed to steer students to listed teachers for a fee. MTNA certified teachers are preferred, but there are many fine teachers who do not hold this certification, and certified members of DSMTA that you find through the MTNA website can help you to find those who are member of DSMTA/MTNA who do not yet hold certification.

Filed Under: Delaware, General Tagged With: Music, Music education, Music Teachers National Association

Recreation and Mall Shopping in Delaware

Most of Delaware’s shopping malls are in the Wilmington area in the north of the state, so we’ll start there. Brandywine Town Center, Pike Creek, Price’s Corner Shopping Center, The Shipyard Shops and The Village of Trolley Square are all located in Wilmington. Christiana Mall is nearby in Newark.

For an educational aesthetic experience, try the Brandywine River Museum in Wilmington. Following the laudable trend of using historic buildings to house art and artifacts, this facility is a renovated 1864 grist mill with six galleries. Exhibitions are selected from an extensive collection of paintings by members of the Wyeth family and many other American artists and illustrators. A wildflower garden on the grounds is also sure to delight.

As you travel south, Dover, the state capital, has The Center @ Dover and Dover Marketplace. Also near Dover you will find Delaware State University, Dover International Speedway and Dover Air Force Base. The speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned 1-mile track, but if that’s too fast for you, it is connected to Dover Downs harness racing track, hotel and casino.

Still further south you will find Tanger Outlet, also known as Rehoboth Outlet Center, near the southern border of the state, with 130 name-brand outlet stores spread among three locations on Highway 1. The three locations are connected by a free shuttle. Rehoboth Beach has a mile-long boardwalk, with too many attractions to list here. Restaurants, carousels, swimming, sail-boarding, waterskiing, boating, golf, volleyball, fishing, or just relaxing are all possibilities. Also located between Rehoboth Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Dewey Beach is more of the same – just a really nice place to be. Two pluses that often appear in publicity for Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach are no sales tax and only 125 miles from our nation’s capital. Of course other large cities including Baltimore and Philadelphia are equally close.

Filed Under: Delaware, Places Tagged With: Delaware, Shopping mall

Delaware Beach House Vacation

A beach house vacation might be a perfect way to put new vitality into family togetherness. It’s a great way for extended families to get together and enjoy one another’s company and save money at the same time. Two sets of parents, and their children all staying in one house with enough bedrooms (one for each couple, and several for siblings and cousins to share) can be the winning formula for a week or two that will be remembered fondly for years.
Delaware beaches have many available activities as well as different types of lodging facilities. Be sure you find accommodations that suit your particular needs. A house within easy walking distance, but not right on the beach can be an economical solution. Some days the whole family will go to the beach, other days you pile into cars and go to an amusement park, zoo, shopping center or other attraction. If you’re near the town of Lewes, you can take the ferry to Cape May in New Jersey. In the far south of the state, you can visit the Fenwick Island Lighthouse and DiscoverSea Maritime Museum.
You can spend every beach day at the one where your rental is located, or drive to other nearby beaches on some of the days, for a different experience. There are some beaches located in the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Some family members may want to enjoy the beach while others watch various birds and other living creatures.
With a rental house, you can enjoy home-cooked meals any time you want, and still eat out as often as you like – the perfect balance between being on vacation and at home. If there is any time that weather makes outdoor activities less desirable, children can enjoy video games, board games, television or other indoor recreations. If you haven’t tried a beach-house vacation, you should seriously look into it.

Filed Under: Delaware, Places Tagged With: Beach house, summer vacation

Delaware Takes Public Education Seriously

If you want a place where the state values and supports education for your children, consider Delaware. With 120,000 students in the public schools, Delaware takes the responsibility for their education seriously.
Recently the governor of Delaware created a budget proposal following a principle of “drawing a line around education.” He insisted that the education of children be protected when all other budget items required cuts. In Delaware, education is recognized as an investment, not just an expense. In another state, which shall not be named here, the chairman of the state senate education committee recently said that college degrees do not prepare people for real jobs, and thus higher education should have less support from the state. The lieutenant governor of Delaware visits school classrooms and observes teachers working with children. He told in his official blog about several outstanding teachers he watched performing the most important task of educating Delaware’s children.
The governor reported in his 2011 state of the state address, where the state stands in its goal of creating the strongest possible public schools. The teacher of the year recognition program is one way Delaware values and appreciates public school teachers. It will be interesting to see how well this state succeeds in elevating the prestige of public school teachers in the future, helping to ensure that the best and brightest of college students become career teachers.
In 2010, at a conference for the federal governments “Race to the Top” program, Delaware took first place for their plan, which was developed through cooperation among a large group of interested parties. One of the main principles is recognition that the quality of teachers is the single most important factor in educational success. The Delaware plan calls for evaluating what the most successful teachers do, and training new teachers to use the same methods.

Filed Under: Delaware, General Tagged With: Delaware, Education

Looking to Skate Head to the University of Delaware

If you are looking to train in the sport of figure skating with some of the best that the figure skating world has to offer then the University of Delaware is the place to go. The University of Delaware set up the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club and the Delaware Ice Skating Science Development Center. The combination of these two programs make the University of Delaware a highly coveted figure skating school.

The University of Delaware started their ice skating program in 1986 with the building of the Blue and Gold arena or the Fred Rust Arena. This addition of a complete ice training facility has made many figure skaters wish to attend the University of Delaware.

The University of Delaware’s Ice Skating Science Development Center is one of the most talked about programs in the ice skating world. This ice skating program is designed for ice skaters of all ages and backgrounds. The Development Center takes first time ice skaters, first time competitors and even Olympic champions. However, it is the focus on the world and Olympic champion aspect that makes the program so desirable.

The Ice Skating Science Development Center is open all year round and offers some of the most intensive ice skating training that an ice skater can go through. It offers daily training sessions, weight rooms, ballet classes and nutritional classes. Anything an ice skater could want to know about is offered through this program.

Beyond the ice arena, skating club and program offerings it is the coaching staff that brings in young ice skaters from all over the world. The University of Delaware has some of the most well known ice skaters from all over the world. All of the coaches that are offered through this program have extensive experience in the ice skating world.

Filed Under: Delaware, General Tagged With: Delaware, Ice skating, University of Delaware, University of Delaware Figure Skating Club

Museums to Visit in Delaware

Museums are one of the most popular places for vacationers to visit. Delaware is filled with dozens of museums that visitors can travel to. There is a variety of museums from historical museums, art museums and science museums. If you are looking to visit the state of Delaware here is a look at some of the popular Delaware museums that are available for tourists to visit.

Winterthur Museum. The Winterthur Museum is located on a beautiful 18^th century estate. This estate is one of the most well known and famous estates in the United States. Visitors that visit the Winterthur Museum will be greeted by beautifully maintained gardens. Winterthur Museum is also known for its huge collection of antique Americana furniture and pieces of art.

Delaware Museum of Natural History. If you are looking to explore not only Delaware’s history but the world’s history then the Delaware Museum of Natural History is the place to go. There are educational exhibits as well as place that show science experiments. The Natural History Museum also contains dinosaur skeletons, fossils and exhibits that show mammals and birds. The Delaware Natural History Museum also contains games and hands on exhibits that will excite a child of any age as well as puzzles and mazes that enhance critical thinking skills.

Hagley Museum. The Hagley Museum is located on the beautiful Brandywine River. It is located on a 235 acre estate. The Hagley Museum contains collections that show off America’s industry and growth in business as well as the growth of America as a society. There is a beautiful river walk as well as interactive exhibits that show how business and industry in America has grown. There is also a historical and national recreation trail that visitors can walk down that showcase beautiful plant and animal life.

Filed Under: Delaware, Places Tagged With: Delaware Museum of Natural History, Museums, Natural History Museum

Where to Dine Outside in Delaware Part 2

There is something special about sitting outside and enjoying a meal. Whether it is the air, the fresh smell of the ocean or just the feeling of being out in the open it really makes a person feel renewed and alive. This feeling is exactly why so many of the restaurants in the state of Delaware choose to create an outdoor dining area. If you are traveling to Delaware consider stopping by these lovely eateries that have outdoor seating.

Blue Parrot Bar and Grill. The Blue Parrot Bar and Grill isn’t located on the ocean front but it offers visitors other unique features. The Blue Parrot Bar and Grill is known for its huge picture of Marilyn Monroe that is painted on the patio. However the real treat comes in the food that the Blue Parrot Bar and Grill serves. The Blue Parrot Bar and Grill is famous for serving Cajun food and even their all you can eat crab on Sunday. To visit the Blue Parrot Bar and Grill you will have to visit Wilmington.

Bonz Restaurant and Lounge. If you are looking for outdoor dining with live music then look no further. The Bonz Restaurant and Lounge features a 44 seat patio that is surrounded by a beautiful, leafy green tree foliage.

Buckley’s Tavern. If you really want to feel as if you are picnicking in Delaware then Buckley’s Tavern has what you are looking for. Diners at Buckley’s Tavern are surrounded by trees and beautiful gardens. The tavern is located right next to an English Garden that offers paved walkways, trees and a pond. However, the unique feature of Buckley’s is the rooftop garden that features 15 tables and a fireplace for those chilly summer nights. Buckley’s Tavern offers a wide array of food from a Vietnamese inspired chicken to a traditional mushroom soup.

Filed Under: Delaware, General Tagged With: Brian Johnson, Delaware, Marilyn Monroe

How to Move to Delaware Smoothly

: Image via Wikipedia

You have taken a week-long vacation to Delaware and you are considering the idea of moving there because you enjoy the people and you have found a job that pays just as much as you make now. The first thing you’ll need to do is contact moving companies and compare moving quotes. These moving quotes will let you know how much it will be to move everything in your home to Delaware. When you’re in the process of looking for moving companies, try to look for what the companies actually provide in each package deal.

To make the process more convenient, there are websites that will compare insurance quotes for you to decide the best option for you. For instance, if you don’t have much to move and don’t mind driving to Delaware, U-haul may be the best option for you. On the other hand, if you have loads of furniture and can’t lift a lot, you may benefit by getting a full-service moving company that will drive and unload your furniture for you in Delaware.

Another good thing about receiving online moving quotes is that it will tell you what is included, such as movers and unloading. Your transition and travel to Delaware should be smooth. The last thing that you’ll need to be concerned about is how you’re going to get your furniture to Delaware. While you’re in the process of moving, you may want to give your boss a two-week notice to let him know that you will be leaving the city soon. Once you arrive in Delaware to your new home, you can unpack later and enjoy the city.

Filed Under: Delaware

Where to Dine Outside in Delaware Part 1

While most people do not think of Delaware as a prime location for outdoor activities it can be. During the summer Delaware turns into one of the top vacation destinations in the United States. This is because the summers are warm, the views are beautiful and the nights are cool. If you are considering taking a trip to Delaware then you might want to consider dining at some of these great outdoor restaurants. You’ll be able to enjoy some great food while enjoying the beautiful Delaware summer weather.

Aqua Sol. Aqua Sol is located in the Summit North Marina. It is known for serving some of the best Cuban and South Beach inspired meals. However, the food has nothing on the beautiful views of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Aqua Sol is especially popular at dusk due to the beautiful views it offers from the patio.

Back Porch Cafe. The Back Porch Cafe is located on Rehoboth Beach. It isn’t known for its wonderful food or rowdy crowd. Instead the Back Porch Cafe is known for having a secluded feeling that really makes people feel like they stepped into a secluded backyard. The Back Porch Cafe is a great place for those looking for a small romantic dinner. If you choose a nighttime dining spot you’ll be able to see views of the moon and stars at night.

Arena’s Deli and Bar. Arena’s Deli and Bar is located right on Rehoboth Beach. Although it is right in the heart of a commercial, business area it really is a great hotspot eatery. Arena’s Deli and Bar is a small, friendly local eatery. Locals are allowed to bring their pets and sit outside at the lovely 45 seat sidewalk cafe. Arena’s Deli and Bar is known for its tasty sandwiches and cold beers.

Filed Under: Delaware Tagged With: Delaware