-Listing of museum events through September 2015 also included-

 (DOVER, Del.—April 2, 2015)—During the month of April 2015, the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., will present four special programs for public enjoyment. Three of these programs will explore Delaware’s long-standing connection to the Netherlands—which stretches back in time to the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch in 1631 in present-day Lewes. Except where noted, programs listed are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

From Thursday to Saturday, April 9 to 11, the museum will feature Dutch games, crafts and a display of Delftware ceramics as part of the Lewes Tulip Celebration, a city-wide series of activities celebrating Lewes’ Dutch roots.

On Saturday, April 18, the museum will celebrate Dutch-American Friendship Day which commemorates April 19, 1782, the day that John Adams, who would later become the second president of the United States, was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. It was also the day that the house he had purchased at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague was to become the first American embassy in the world. The day’s festivities will include a 2 p.m. lecture by Mike Tyler, advocacy chairman for Sussex Cyclists, an all-volunteer group promoting safe cycling in coastal Sussex County, who will discuss bicycling in Lewes and the Netherlands; the importance of bicycling in Dutch society, and bicycle safety and history. Finally, on Saturday, April 25, the museum will present King’s Day, a celebration of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

In addition to its Dutch-themed programs, the museum is participating in the Wilmington University Alumni Association’s Wildcat Prowl in Lewes which is presenting two days of activities in Delaware’s historic first town.

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.

Following is a schedule of Zwaanendael-Museum-sponsored special events through September 2015. Unless otherwise noted, all programs take place at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Del. Museum hours from April 1 to Oct. 31 are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. From Nov. 1 to March 31, museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Except where noted, admission is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Zwaanendael Museum upcoming special events

Thursday–Saturday, April 9–11, 2015
Lewes Tulip Celebration. City-wide series of activities celebrating Lewes’ Dutch heritage including Dutch games, crafts and a display of Delftware ceramics at the Zwaanendael Museum. Sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. Downtown Lewes. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 302-645-8073.

Friday–Saturday, April 10–11, 2015
Wildcat Prowl in Lewes. Explore one of America’s oldest towns including programs at the Zwaanendael Museum and tours of the DeBraak hull. Sponsored by the Wilmington University Alumni Association. Downtown Lewes. Admission fee. 302-295-1174.

Saturday, April 18, 2015
Dutch-American Friendship Day. Discover Delaware’s Dutch roots and learn how that connection is alive today. Event features a program at 2 p.m. on bicycling in the Netherlands and Delaware. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 25, 2015
King’s Day. Celebration of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in a program that will also explore royal titles and Delaware’s Dutch connection. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Fourth Annual Zwaanendael Maritime Festival: “A Sailor’s Life for Me.” Maritime-themed activities, games, displays by local organizations and more. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Mondays, June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; July 6, 13, 20, 27; Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Sept. 14, 21, 28; 2015
Lecture/tours of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak. Explore the history of the DeBraak which was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798. Program begins at the Zwaanendael Museum, followed by a trip to the hull facility in nearby Cape Henlopen State Park for a tour of the surviving section of the ship’s hull. Programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 in advance by reservation through the Shop Delaware website (go to http://shop.delaware.gov and click the “tours” link). Note: Tours will not be conducted on Sept. 7.

Sunday, June 21, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when David Scott Taylor of the American Historical Theatre performs “Gideon Olmstead—Adventures of a Sea Captain During the Revolution.”

Monday, June 22, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when Daisy Century of the American Historical Theatre performs “Phyllis Wheatley’s Voyage to Britain” which explores an episode in the life of the first published African-American poet.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Summer concert (performer TBA). Stango Park, 111 Adams Ave., Lewes. 7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when Christian Johnson of the American Historical Theatre portrays William Augustus Newell founder of U.S. Life-Saving Service. Lewes Historical Society complex, 110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes. 302-645-7670.

Thursday, June 25, 2015
17th Annual Chautauqua Tent Show: “Discovering Delaware’s Maritime Past.” Programs begin at Noon and culminate at 7:15 p.m. when Kim Hanley of the American Historical Theatre portrays first lady Abigail Adams discussing trade and embargoes during the American Revolution. Lewes Historical Society complex, 110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes. 302-645-7670.

Zwaanendael Museum exhibits

Ongoing
“Delaware and the War of 1812.” Exhibit examines the service and sacrifice of Delawareans of 1812 to 1815, and the important role that the state played in a conflict that helped shaped the development of the United States.

Ongoing
“A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798 to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century.

 -End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and Delaware Division of Public Health will distribute potassium iodide (KI) tablets to Delaware residents living within a ten mile radius of the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations.

The free tablets will be distributed on Thursday, April 9, 2015, between noon and 7:00PM at the Townsend Fire Station.  The station is located 107 Main Street in Townsend.  Delaware residents living within the affected ten mile radius, called the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ), have received notification of the distribution via U.S. Mail.

Potassium Iodide will be available to residents who received it previously and whose tablets have reached their expiration date, as well as those who never received the tablets before.  Individuals with home or business addresses within the EPZ are eligible to receive the KI tablets.  The State of Delaware received the tablets when it chose to participate in a program initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Potassium iodide does not protect against external radiation, but can help protect the thyroid gland from ingested or inhaled radioactive iodine that might be released in a radiation emergency.  KI is one of the measures outlined in Delaware’s emergency plans developed for use in a nuclear incident.  The primary method of protecting residents is evacuation of the EPZ.  Potassium iodide offers additional protection.

In the event of a radiation emergency, state and local officials will inform the public through an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message via local radio stations.  The messages will include instructions on how affected residents should react, directions to evacuation routes and emergency reception centers, and when to take the KI tablets.

All Delaware residents living within the 10-mile EPZ, as well as those who work or own businesses within the Emergency Planning Zone are eligible to receive the free potassium iodide tablets.  By following the guidelines included in the informational mailing, they can assist in making the distribution effective and efficient.

Those who are eligible to receive the KI tablets should bring a photo ID such as a driver’s license, or proof of residency such as a utility bill with them to the distribution center at Townsend Fire Station.  Individuals in possession of potassium iodide that has passed the expiration date can bring those tablets to the distribution center to receive new tablets.

Delaware residents living outside of the 10-mile EPZ who would like to obtain potassium iodide tablets should contact their pharmacist.  KI is available over-the-counter at some local pharmacies.

For additional information regarding the potassium iodide distribution program in Delaware, call the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Radiological Emergency Planning section at 302-659-3362.

Delaware’s Division of Public Health (DPH) has ordered the closure of Delaware Otolaryngology Consultants, LLC, located at 17316 Coastal Highway, Lewes, Delaware 19958. Following complaints, the ear, nose, and throat medical practice was inspected by DPH and closed after the agency was unable to confirm that proper sterilization processes were followed. DPH encourages customers and employees who may have received services at this facility to contact their health care provider to discuss evaluation for diseases such as hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that may have been transmitted through potentially unsterile equipment.

Title 16 Del.C. §122(3)(y) gives the Division of Public Health (DPH) authority to establish standards with respect to safety and sanitary conditions of certain medical facilities, and investigate and inspect any such facility for unsafe or unsanitary conditions upon receipt of a written complaint by a patient or current facility employee, or upon the occurrence of any adverse event in connection with any such facility.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

###
Rita Landgraf, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

Delaware Health and Social Services – Division of Public Health

(DOVER, Del.—April 1, 2015)—Beginning on June 1, 2015, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will again offer public lecture/tours of the hull of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak, a British warship that was escorting and protecting a convoy of British and American merchant ships en route to the United States when it was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798. Lecture/tours will take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the following Mondays during 2015: June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29; July 6, 13, 20 and 27; Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31; and Sept. 14, 21 and 28. Note: Tours will not be conducted on Sept. 7.

All programs begin at the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., where a lecture on the ship will be presented in conjunction with the exhibit “A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” The exhibit tells the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the late-18th century. Attendees of the lecture will then be transported, via van, to the DeBraak hull facility in nearby Cape Henlopen State Park for an interpreter-led tour of the surviving section of the ship’s hull.

Available through the Shop Delaware website (go to http://shop.delaware.gov and click the “tours” link), nonrefundable reservations for the lecture/tours are $10 per person (restricted to persons aged 10 and above) with a limit of 12 visitors per program. Due to the limited number of seats that are available for each lecture/tour, reservations are encouraged well in advance. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Significance of DeBraak …

During the late-18th and early-19th centuries, sloops of war such as DeBraak played an increasingly important role in Royal Navy campaigns. These relatively small vessels combined speed, agility, shallow draft and increased firepower, all of which made them formidable naval vessels. As the only Royal Navy sloop of war from this time period that has been recovered anywhere in the world, DeBraak serves as an invaluable historical resource for a time when Great Britain was the world’s preeminent naval power.

The surviving section of the DeBraak’s hull and its associated artifact collection have been curated by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs since they were acquired by the state of Delaware in 1992. Approximately one-third of the hull survives including the keel, keelson and framing elements of the lower hull, and a large section of the starboard (right) side.

 -End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

“HEALTHIEST NATION IN ONE GENERATION” BY 2030;
NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK STARTS APRIL 6, 2015

During National Public Health Week 2015 (April 6-12, 2015), the public health community is rallying to make the U.S. the “healthiest nation in one generation” by 2030. According to the United Nations, although the U.S. spends more per capita on health care than any other nation in the world, U.S. residents have a life expectancy of 77.9 years, lower than 28 other countries. As we focus on becoming a healthier nation, the Division of Public Health (DPH) urges Delawareans to remember that health choices and challenges are woven into every day, and are profoundly impacted by where people live, work, pray, and play.

“Much of a person’s overall health is determined outside of a doctor’s office, “ said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “And, while one’s choices fundamentally impact a person’s health, the things they cannot choose also make a difference. DPH celebrates this public health week as a reminder that health is more than health care.”

Each year public health professionals honor National Public Health week with a different theme Monday to Friday, and this year’s celebration focuses on ambitious and global ideas:

• Making the grade (Monday, April 6): What does the data reveal about America’s health?

o Obesity, smoking, and sedentary lifestyles among youth and adults are linked to escalating chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular     disease, and certain cancers. The 5-2-1 Almost None campaign is a simple way to remember to make smart choices: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

• Starting from Zip (Tuesday, April 7): Your ZIP code says far too much about your health.

o Within the United States, there are unacceptable disparities in health, state-by-state and even county-by-county. The effort to make the U.S. the Healthiest Nation in One Generation starts with ensuring equity across all communities. DPH is working with community partners to achieve health equity by working with communities that have the poorest health outcomes to address their most important determinants of health. And, in 2014 DPH was pleased to honor nine communities who have made investments that promote healthy behaviors through infrastructure, events, and policies, and which won “healthy community” recognition from Governor Jack Markell’s Council on Health Promotion and Disease

• Building momentum (Wednesday, April 8): The Affordable Care Act (ACA) brings health care and preventive services to the front and center.

o Access to health care is vital to good health and now Delawareans have more access than ever before to health insurance. To learn more, visit http://www.choosehealthde.com.

• Building Broader Connections (Thursday, April 8): It really does take a village.

o In the work to become the Healthiest Nation in One Generation, no one agency or provider can do it all on their own. Through strategic planning and the State Health Improvement Process (SHIP), DPH has sought input and guidance from multiple partners to help identify what they see as the most pressing health problems in the state. And, as an agency, DPH has begun to take the “health in all policies approach,” and is striving to grow partnerships with education officials, local governments, state agencies, public, private and for-profit organizations – everyone who impacts health.

• Building upon success (Friday, April 10): Improve DPH performance in all areas and seek national accreditation.

o Public health agencies across the country are evolving. Rather than being mostly a direct service provider, DPH is strategically leveraging resources and partnerships to build the agency’s vision of healthy people in healthy communities. DPH and the newly established Delaware Public Health Institute are leading a collaborative process with health stakeholders to improve population health. The SHIP is addressing two core health issues: improving access to mental health services; and assuring an infrastructure to promote healthy behaviors.

To learn more about national public health week visit, visit http://www.nphw.org   To learn more about the DPH SHIP plan, visit http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/shaship.pdf.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

###
Rita Landgraf, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

Delaware Health and Social Services – Division of Public Health