Home Care In Dover, DE

DOVER, Del. – Governor Carney and Dover-area legislators on Thursday announced the State’s plan to invest more than $25 million in three priority projects for revitalizing downtown Dover.

“The State of Delaware has a vested interest in the success of downtown Dover, not only because it is our capital city, but because it is where thousands of state employees work and where many would like to live,” said Governor Carney. “The current downtown Dover revitalization plan builds on years of ideas about how to breathe new life into the area, with specific projects laid out by an experienced redeveloper to attract residents and businesses. This is the jumpstart downtown Dover has been waiting for, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

The proposed funding is an investment in the Capital City 2030 strategic plan completed in 2023 for transforming downtown Dover with new residences, businesses, parking and infrastructure. With $10 million proposed in the Fiscal Year 2025 recommended Bond Bill and $15.1 million allocated by the Governor from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the City of Dover and Downtown Dover Partnership will be able to proceed with:

• Critical water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades necessary to support downtown development, with a projected cost of $1.7 million;

• A six-story retail and residential building at 120 South Governors Avenue, envisioned to have a community grocery store, daycare and retail space along with 140-180 residential units, with a total projected cost of around $80 million; and

• A multilevel transportation center between South Governors and South Bradford Street with more than 300 parking spaces, bus stop, bike share and electric vehicle charging, to serve downtown businesses and provide parking for the new retail-residential building across the street, with a projected cost of about $14 million.

Mosaic Development Partners, the team selected by the Downtown Dover Partnership to create the strategic plan, has also been selected by the Partnership to develop the two properties. Mosaic has a track record of successful redevelopment projects, largely around Philadelphia, including at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Colonial Parking Inc. is also a partner in the project.

The state funding will be split between the city and the Partnership and is expected to fully fund the utility work and the parking garage construction. A portion of the state funding will be added to private loans and investment, housing tax credits and grants to finance the retail-residential building. As with revitalization efforts in other cities in recent years, state funding is needed to match and encourage private investment at the early stages.

“This incredible investment in downtown Dover represents a potential game changer in our ongoing efforts to revitalize the heart of Kent County,” said State Senator Trey Paradee. “On behalf of my constituents, I want to thank Governor John Carney for his unwavering commitment to the Capital City, from the redevelopment projects unlocked by the Downtown Development Districts program to his personal involvement in facilitating a smooth hand-off of the former Wesley College campus to Delaware State University. The investments being announced today will continue that work by bringing new housing, new shops and a new parking garage to downtown Dover.”

“I have been coming to downtown Dover my whole life, and have been advocating for its revitalization on city council and as a legislator,” said State Representative Sean Lynn. “I hope this state investment will help return the community and vitality the area had when I was a kid, while also making it an affordable and diverse place to live.”

“This $25 million investment represents a powerful commitment to our community, effectively addressing so many of our constituents’ most pressing issues – ranging from housing to transportation to infrastructure. Additionally, it’s these sorts of investments that will help us attract talented and sought after workers in the fields of education and healthcare,” said State Representative Kerri Evelyn Harris. “I appreciate all that Governor Carney has done to secure this new funding, which will open doors to new opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds and foster a city that thrives on inclusivity and prosperity.”

“The City of Dover has a solid roadmap for its revitalization, building on efforts the city and its partners have been making over the last several years, and this state funding will make those plans a reality” said Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen. “Combining the Governor’s Avenue projects with the city’s recent selection of a redeveloper for the old post office and construction on the new Family Court building and parking garage, the key building blocks for downtown’s future are coming into place.”

“All I can say is wow! The pieces of the puzzle that form Capital City 2030 are coming together. The plan truly spells out the direction for revitalization of our downtown that is so needed,” said Todd Stonesifer, Downtown Dover Partnership Chair and downtown business owner. “With the Governor’s and Dover-area legislators’ support, I believe the first of many projects are now a reality and the dominoes will begin to fall rapidly toward fulfilling our goal of a truly transformed Capital City!”

Governor Carney and Dover leaders will tour the development sites next week.

Visit Governor Carney’s website to view the Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget.

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Two sisters from Dover are competing against each other on the newest season of "The Bachelor," premiering Monday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m.

The 28th season features the biggest cast yet on the first night, with 32 contestants from across the country. The Bachelor, Joey Graziadei, is from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and attended West Chester University.

Allison and Lauren Hollinger, who now reside in Philadelphia, are competing against each other and 30 others for the love of Graziadei.

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According to the Wikipedia page for the season, which lists all of the women's hometowns, the two are listed to be from Dover.

Allison is also said to have attended the University of Delaware, according to a Facebook post.

According to the show, Allison, 26, is a real estate agent, while Lauren, 28, is a registered nurse.

This is not 28-year-old Graziadei's first time in the reality show dating universe, as he once competed for the love of Charity Lawson on the 20th season of "The Bachelorette.''

According to ABC's bios written for the cast, the sisters have dated the same man before at different times.

In Allison's bio, she says she is looking for a "rom-com level love story" and that she still has not found "Mr. Right."

Lauren's bio says that she is very close with her family, including her sister, and that she loves a man with "whom she feels safe."

The show will air weekly on ABC starting Monday at 8 p.m. EST and can be streamed on Hulu the next day along with YouTube TV, FuboTV and Sling TV.

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Patricia Talorico

Looking for eggs Benedict, Bloody Mary bars, carving stations, seafood selections, and more for brunch this Easter Sunday?

Make plans now as Easter is on Sunday, March 31. Reservations are highly suggested at many restaurants, such as Grain in Newark and Cantwell's Tavern in Odessa, which tend to fill fast.

Restaurants run by SoDel Concepts in Sussex County have a variety of Easter suggestions, including a lobster and champagne brunch held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Northeast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View.

This is not a complete list of the state's offerings, as most Delaware area restaurants are open on Easter, but here are 10 ideas:

Tonic Seafood & Steak

111 W. 11th St., Wilmington; 302-777-2040; tonicsns.com

The city restaurant is offering an Easter brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a la carte dining. A special holiday menu will include brunch delicacies and guest-favorite entrees.

Reservations can be made here.

Park Cafe?

2510 W. Fifth St., Wilmington, 302) 543-2233; www.parkcafede.com/easter

Park Cafe, the sister location of Tonic, is offering an Easter brunch buffet with seatings at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. The spread will feature an omelet station, carving station, fresh salads, pastries, and desserts. The cost is $48 for adults and $20 per child ages 10 and under.

Harry's Savoy Grill

2020 Naamans Road, Brandywine Hundred; 475-3000; harryshospitalitygroup.com

A buffet will be held in the ballroom from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. of the establishment recently named by USA Today as one of the nation's Best Restaurants in 2024. It will offer bagels, toasted cheese blintzes, a Deluxe Omelet Station, St. James Norwegian Smoked Salmon, Harry's Award-Winning Prime Rib Au Jus, jumbo lump crab cakes, a children's buffet and a large selection of desserts. The cost is $75 for adults, $25 for children ages 5 to 12; and free for children younger than 5. Gratuity and non-alcoholic beverages are included. The restaurant will offer an a la carte menu from 1 to 8 p.m.

Timothy's of Newark

100 Creek View Road, Newark, 302-739-9915; timothysofnewark.com

Easter brunch served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the restaurant off Paper Mill Road includes appetizers, "tantalizing main courses and irresistible desserts." The event includes a Bloody Mary bar and $6 mimosas. The cost is $40 for adults and $20 for children.

The Clubhouse at Baywood

32267 Clubhouse Way, Millsboro; 302-947-9225; baywoodclubhouse.com

A buffet and Easter dinner will be held in the ballroom and restaurant. The brunch buffet is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a menu featuring scrambled eggs, home fried potatoes, bacon, breakfast sausage, herb-roasted salmon, smoked gouda macaroni and cheese, roasted baby carrots and pearl onions, an omelet station, carving station with top round sirloin and spiral cut ham, a salad station, plus a seasonal holiday dessert bar.

The dinner buffet, from 4 to 8 p.m., has herb-roasted salmon, smoked gouda mac & cheese, roasted baby carrots & pearl onions, Roasted Garlic & Herb Pee Wee Potatoes, Southern-Style Green Beans, a carving station with top round sirloin and spiral cut ham, a salad station, plus a seasonal holiday dessert bar.

The cost for both is $45 for adults and $19 for children 12 and younger, which includes coffee, tea, and soda.

Mendenhall Inn

323 Kennett Pike, Mendenhall, Pennsylvania; 610-388-1181; mendenhallinn.com

Seatings for a breakfast buffet served in the Gold Ballroom from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. will feature eggs Benedict, an omelet station, creme brulee French toast, baked ham, a seafood station, a carving station, and a Bloody Mary bar. Reservations are reserved for two hours. The cost is $65 for adults, $30 for children ages 4-10; and free for children younger than 4. An Easter a la carte dinner in the main restaurant will be from 1 to 6 p.m.

Columbus Inn

2216 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington; 302-571-1492; columbusinn.net

A brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is $62 for adults and $31 for children ages 4-10. Drinks and gratuity are not included. The buffet has waffles, French toast, scrambled eggs, a build-your-own-omelet station, Caesar salad, crab cakes, a raw bar, and a carving station with prime rib, turkey, and ham.

View the menu here.

Deerfield Golf Club

507 Thompson Station Road, Newark, 302-368-6640; deerfieldgolfclub.com

Seatings are available from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a brunch that includes a breakfast corner, seafood station, soups, salad and side dishes, entrees like teriyaki salmon and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, carved steak, lamb and ham, desserts and a children's station. The cost for adults is $79.95, children ages 7-12 is $20.95; and free for children ages 6 and younger. Reservations required.

The menu can be found here.

Victoria's Restaurant at the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel

2 Olive Ave & the Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach; 302-227-0615; boardwalkplaza.com

The Easter Sunday brunch has a $49.95 prix fixe menu with selections such as traditional Easter ham, Lobster Florentine, Strawberries & Cream French Toast, Crab Oscar Omelet, Classic Bangers & Mash, pan-seared salmon, roasted Cornish game hen and steak and eggs. Seatings are from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. An a la carte dinner menu is available after 5 p.m.

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Le Cavalier at the Hotel du Pont

42 W. 11th St., Wilmington; 302-594-3154; lecavalierde.com

The restaurant will feature a three-course menu including shrimp cocktail, eggs Benedict, lamb, cheeseburgers and more for $75 per person. Children under 10 are $25.

If you want to read more stories from Patricia Talorico, click here. You can find her on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Email[email protected] or leave a message at 302-324-2861. Sign up for herDelaware Eats newsletter.

3-minute read

As one of your elected city leaders, I think that it is important to keep the public aware of the current homelessness issue in our community.

On Jan. 25, members of the community came out to the Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee Meeting, which I chair, to give testimony about the homeless crisis in the city of Dover. As many are aware, homelessness has been one of the most difficult and complicated problems the Dover City Council has ever been asked to solve. My colleague, forth district Councilman Roy Sulder, made a request to place the issue of homeless tent camps on the committee agenda due to safety concerns on College Road where a tent camp has been put up next to Delaware State University brought the discussion to the forefront.

At the meeting, there were advocates from both sides — one side saying we do not have affordable housing resources, camping should be tolerated and more shelters are needed with better mental health resources. Conversely, there are property owners and business owners saying they pay a large portion of the city’s taxes and expect the city to enforce the law. There are clearly different views on how to address Dover’s homeless crisis.

People in Dover believe that the city is not doing enough to battle homelessness while others say the city is not equipped to handle the daily issues of the homeless — not just the issue of homeless people being on our streets. Some of my colleagues on council say, “to combat these issues, it needs to happen on the state level, the city is not a social service agency.” In addition, some say many homeless people have been offered help but turn it down.

For me, it comes down to doing something instead of nothing and finding a reasonable solution for both sides. I find it heartbreaking to see many people, including our nation’s veterans and children, shivering in the cold and trying to find a warm place to sleep, what further disturbs me is as the homeless population noticeably increases throughout the city of Dover is the inadequate response by local and state leaders to the surging crisis.

In 2017, when serving on city council, I was asked to work with other community members on the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission to end homelessness in the city of Dover. At the time, there were many ideas and proposals that were brought to the table to include creative solutions for additional resources; exploring outside–the–box thinking, particularly strategies that other cities have used; and enhance partnerships with non-profits and houses of worship. The final commission report was submitted to the Mayor for review and action. Yet today we see no change but a situation that has gotten worse since 2017.

People suffering from homelessness in America has been documented as far back as 1640 and, as a child, I was exposed to it when my father took me to visit New York City back in the 1970s. I remember homeless people walking along the Bowery. Seeing this had an impact on me — and made me want to help those in need.

I have been serving the homeless population for more than 20 years through volunteering at the Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing, Code Purple and out on the street. I previously served on the board of directors for Interfaith, working to improve governance and build better strategies for the shelter. Those who are homeless often fit three of the major categories, mental illness, addiction or poverty. As an active participant in assisting the homeless, the largest obstacles I see are our limited mental health resources and services. Poor mental health is both a cause and consequence of homelessness. It is reported that an estimated 20% and 25% of the U.S. homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, compared to 6% of the general public.

Now, we can continue to create a committee — after committee, after committee — and shelf the issue while the dilemma continues or ban together as a community and demand pathways to success. Everyone must exert equal effort. What we need is direct public support and interaction with the homeless on the street. Given the urgency of the situation, I believe the state and local government must respond right now.

I think it may be time for Gov. John Carney to appoint a czar to lead and coordinate all agencies and parties involved with the primary goal to provide enough temporary housing and services to people on the street to get them back to self-sustaining, normal lives.

There may be a lot of work ahead of us, but you really don’t not know how much you can do until you stand up and decide to try.

Councilman Brian E. Lewis serves the second district and is chairman of the safety advisory and transportation committee for the city of Dover.

Andre Lamar

CORRECTION: The Phish festival Mondegreen will be Thursday, Aug. 15, through Sunday, Aug. 18. An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect name for the event.

Travel packages for jam band Phish's new Delaware festival named Mondegreen go on sale Thursday, Jan. 18, at 11 a.m. EST, the band announced on social media Tuesday.

Weekend and camping passes go on sale Friday, Jan. 19, at 11 a.m. EST.

General admission starts at $450 and covers access for all four days. If you're bringing a vehicle, you must also buy a camping or parking vehicle pass (one per car or RV). Parking passes (day or overnight) start at $40.

Phish frontman Trey Anastasio is over the moon about bringing Mondegreen to The Woodlands of Dover Motor Speedway this summer. The event will mark the band's 11th self-created festival from Thursday, Aug. 15, to Sunday, Aug. 18.

"Hosting festivals has been one of the greatest joys of our four decades together as a band. We are so grateful to the beautiful people of Delaware for welcoming us into their community," Anastasio said in an exclusive statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal.

The festival will feature Phish performing over four days and nights. There also will be interactive fan experiences, art installations, specially curated regional food and drink, plus more.

Mondegreen is defined as "a word or phrase that results from a mishearing, especially of something recited or sung," according to Merriam-Webster.

The Woodlands Dover reel in plenty of Phish

The Phish festival is reeling in lots of attention from the jam band's supporters around the country and locally as fans are extra thirsty for the event because it will be the band's first self-created festival after they hosted a festival called Magnaball in Watkins Glen, New York, in 2015.

Phish, a successful jam band that formed in Vermont in 1983, has a special sauce that makes its multiday festivals unique.

One ingredient is Phish is usually the only musical act on their festival lineups. And the band doesn't play the same set twice at their festivals.

Being the only artist on their lineup makes Phish festivals less stressful for fans because it's common for music lovers to have to make hard choices among their favorite acts during multi-band, multi-stage events.

That was often the case at Firefly Music Festival in Dover.

Phish paved way for Firefly Music Festival & Bonnaroo

Mondegreen will take place at Woodlands, home to Firefly since 2012. (Firefly promised to return in 2024 after taking the year off to recalibrate in 2023. But Firefly has not yet announced a lineup or dates for this year's event.)

The first Phish festival was the three-day Clifford Ball event in Plattsburgh, New York, in 1996. That event helped to set the template for the band's future festivals. The new Delaware fest is slated to be the band's 11th self-produced festival.

Clifford Ball revolutionized the festival scene and is responsible for inspiring others like Bonnaroo, which launched in 2002 in Tennessee. The band played the festival in 2009, 2012 and 2019.

“There's no underplaying the significance that Phish had, as a band and as an organization, in the direct development of Bonnaroo,” said Bonnaroo festival co-founder Rick Farman in a 2019 report by The Tennessean, a sister publication to Delaware Online/The News Journal.

That means Phish also helped to influence Firefly, which debuted a decade after Bonnaroo.

There was once a time when music festivals were few in the United States. Major concert promoters chose to build amphitheaters instead.

But in the ‘90s, Phish broke the mold by holding epic, ambitious and fiercely independent gatherings in remote corners of the country, and brought up to 85,000 fans along with them.

“There were no festivals,” recalled Phish frontman Trey Anastasio in the 2019 report by The Tennessean. “And I mean none. It was not something that had a blueprint. The only festival that we could have conjured up in America would be Woodstock — the real one — which was logistically, an unmitigated disaster. So when we started planning our first festival, the first thing on our minds was to make it really comfortable for our friends, which were our fans.”

Phish Vegas Sphere and Mexico shows

Ahead of Mondegreen, Phish already has eight sold-out shows this year. Four are in Cancu?n, Mexico, in February and another four are at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Fans meet 'The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday'

Phish also made a splash on New Year's Eve at Madison Square Garden playing "Gamehendge" for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Before performing to a sold-out crowd at MSG last month, Phish has seldom played the near-mythical song cycle known as "Gamehendge" in its entirety since 1994.

"Gamehendge" is based on Anastasio’s college thesis, "The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday." The project follows the adventures of Colonel Forbin, a retired colonel from Long Island, New York, who enters the land of Gamehendge to save a special book called the "Helping Friendly Book" from Wilson the evil dictator.

This historic performance featured a custom-built rhombus stage set, a full cast of actors, dancers, huge puppets, and other theatrics.

Watch Phish's full Gamehendge concert in 4K

The band recently uploaded the entire performance in a 4K video to YouTube.

Phish's epic "Gamehendge" experience will undoubtedly be discussed by fans at their Delaware festival in August.

Fans can get complete details on passes, RV camping and parking options, on-site glamping details and more by visiting mondegreen.phish.com.

The Tennessean reporter Dave Paulson contributed to this article.

Are you coming to the Mondegreen festival and have a cool Phish story to tell? Please email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at [email protected]. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.

More Delaware Phish news

Phish fans have over 40 hotel options: Rooms to book for Mondegreen festival in Woodlands Dover

Ticket prices for Mondegreen revealed:Details on Phish's new Dover festival

7 things for Phish fans to know: Before coming to The Woodlands Dover 2024 four-day festival

Firefly wouldn't exist without Phish: Here's why, and what fans should know about The Woodlands before Mondegreen