Yorklyn Day features many activities for kids, including a live reptile show

YORKLYN (June 21, 2018) – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation will join Yorklyn community organizations in presenting the second annual Yorklyn Day, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, July 1 in Yorklyn. The event is a partnership between DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, the Center for Creative Arts, Yorklyn Pool, and Dew Point Brewing Co.

DNREC staff will be on hand to discuss the progress on revitalization of the former NVF factory site, as well as the installation of the Paper Mill Bridge, the first in a series of repurposed historic iron truss bridges brought from all over the country to serve community trail users. Auburn Heights Preserve’s Steamin’ Day is also part of the event, with steam car and miniature train rides and mansion tours from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Also featured is a Sidewalk Chalk Festival contest, where kids can display their art for prizes.

Activities are set up in various areas, almost all within convenient walking distance of the new state park trails. Food trucks will offer a variety of culinary options. Live music, artisans, craft beer, vendors, and non-profit presenters are all part of the festivities.

Activity hubs include:

• 11 a.m.-5 p.m. – Dew Point Zone, featuring live music, lawn games, disc golf demo, and craft beer; a chance to try a new craze with Yorklyn Pool-Pickle Ball demonstrations; and Belinda Balloon the Clown
• 11 a.m.-3 p.m. – Center for Creative Arts’ Art Zone, featuring a Sidewalk Chalk Festival, live music, artisans and art sales, food trucks and adult beverages, and children’s art activities
• Noon-4 p.m. – Cozy Quarters Farm pony rides
• 1 p.m. – Yorklyn Bridge Trail’s Kid Zone, and Jungle John’s Dinosaur Show
• 1-3 p.m. – Juggling Hoffmans
• 2:30 – Live reptile show

Event parking is headquartered at H.B. Middle School, 735 Meeting House Road, Hockessin DE 19707. School buses will transport visitors to and from the school to the event site every 15 minutes, with smaller shuttle buses transporting throughout the activity areas. Parking for people with disabilities on the event site is available at Yorklyn Bridge Trail, 1178 Yorklyn Road, Hockessin DE 19707.

More information is available at www.YorklynDay.org, or by calling the Auburn Heights Preserve park office at 302-729-4278.

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 171

A program that targets children in low-income areas so they have meals during the summer when schools are out of session is seeking sponsors and meal sites.

The Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded program operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and managed locally by the Delaware Department of Education, needs sponsors and meal sites for locations throughout Delaware to increase the number of children 18 years of age or younger who receive nutritious and healthy meals during the summer months. Organizations that participate are eligible to receive reimbursements for meals served and administrative expenses.

Who Can Participate?

• Sponsors – Units of local government, camps, schools, and private nonprofit organizations are eligible to operate as sponsors.

• Meal sites – Individual sites, such as camps, housing complexes, community centers, parks and homes are eligible to operate as a site under a sponsor. The sponsor would prepare and deliver the meals to the site (some locations may be served by a food truck, depending on availability). An adult at the site would be required to be the site supervisor to oversee the meals being served.

• Children – Children 18 and under may receive free meals and snacks. Meals and snacks also are available to persons with disabilities, over age 18, who participate in school programs.

Sponsors and sites will receive training to help them operate a successful program and will have continued support from the Delaware Department of Education throughout the course of the program. All sponsors and sites must agree to serve meals per the USDA nondiscrimination statement.

Eligibility is based on free and reduced lunch data for a school for a particular area. To qualify as an open site that can feed all children, the site must be in an area where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free or reduced lunch. In addition, camps and enrolled programs may qualify based on individual income eligibility.

For information on becoming a sponsor or site, or to locate a sponsored site in your area, call (302) 857-3356 or visit: http://www.doe.k12.de.us and search “Summer Food Service Program.”

The income scale is attached.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, (302) 735-4006

DOVER – Families are busy, trying to adjust to back-to-school routines and activities, and with some planning, healthy meals can quickly be on the table – or ready for when you’re on the go. The Division of Public Health (DPH) is providing simple tips and online resources to make it easier to live a healthy lifestyle.

One helpful tip is to double or triple your recipe, then freeze the extras for a future meal. Another is to freeze seasonal produce while it is still available; corn on the cob can be boiled for three minutes and then sliced off the cob and frozen to use in soups or casseroles later. Venture beyond your recipe box to posts and blogs that tout healthy eating and showcase ideas ranging from roasted vegetables to satisfying smoothies.

For meal-time inspiration, visit the USDA’s MyPlate website at www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-other-tools. The Interactive Tools page contains thousands of recipes, along with preschooler growth charts, how to eat within personalized calorie allowances, how to compute Body Mass Index, and recommended portion sizes.

Healthy eating can help prevent many health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity, according to DPH. Like the rest of the nation, two-thirds of Delaware adults are overweight or obese, with many eating and drinking too many calories and consuming few vegetables and fruits. Improving dietary habits among young children is especially important for them to grow into adolescence and adulthood in a healthy way.

The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, developed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recommends making small changes like gradually shifting menus to include whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and changing from sodas to water, for example. Read the Dietary Guidelines at https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.

Healthy eating patterns include consuming vegetables (dark green, red and orange, fruits (especially whole fruits), whole grains (such as brown rice, whole wheat flour), fat-free or low-fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese and/or fortified soy beverages), and protein foods including lean meats and poultry, seafood, eggs, beans and peas, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Very little saturated fats, added sugars, sodium, and processed meats and poultry should be consumed. Daily caloric recommendations are to consume less than 10 percent from added sugars and saturated fats and less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium.

The Dietary Guidelines advise Americans to consume calorie-free beverages – especially water – or that contribute beneficial nutrients, such as fat-free and low-fat milk and limited amounts of 100 percent juice. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit drinks that are less than 100 percent juice are not recommended because they contribute excess calories with few, or no, key nutrients.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

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, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Dover — Eighteen Delaware urban agriculture and community garden projects are receiving support through a second round of funding designed to strengthen communities and improve nutrition.

The partnerships that have developed at the local and state around urban agriculture and community gardening have really helped to transform Delaware communities. The grants awarded this year totaled $27,671.74, with $17,671.74 from Delaware Department of Agriculture. New Castle Conservation District pledged the additional $10,000 match for New Castle County sites.

“We are extremely grateful for these grants,” said Mary Steppi a volunteer with Elsmere Community Garden who received a grant last year. “These gardens fill a niche by providing fresh produce to people who do not have transportation to farmers’ markets. Our garden serves young and old, long-time residents, and a diverse mix of families. It really brings the community together, encourages people to get out and get active and meet people while giving back to the neighborhood.”

This year’s recipients include community groups, religious institutions, schools, and other organizations. The funds for these projects will help purchase supplies, seeds, plants, and minor equipment to enhance current projects or new initiatives.

This year’s recipients include:
>Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Wilmington, $2,000
>William Penn High School, New Castle, $2,000
>Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware – New Castle County, $1,000
>Connections CSP, Inc., Wilmington, $2,000
>Duffy’s Hope Inc., Wilmington, $2,000
>Conscious Connection Inc., Wilmington, $2,000
>Lombardy Parent Teacher Association (PTA), $2,000
>City of Delaware City, Delaware City, $1,000
>Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Wilmington, $2,000
>Resurrection Parish, Wilmington, $2,000
>Freire Charter School Wilmington, Wilmington, $2,000
>St. Marks United Methodist Church, Wilmington, $2,000
>Wesley College and Restoring Central Dover Community Garden, $1,000
>Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware – Kent County, $1,000
>Dover First Christian School, Dover, $671.74
>LEADelaware Class IV/Kent Community Gardens, Milford, $1,000
>Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware – Sussex County, $1,000
>Rehoboth Art League, Rehoboth Beach, $1,000

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov

DOVER – During the 2015/16 deer season, Delaware hunters donated 586 deer to DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Sportsmen Against Hunger program. The donations were processed into 16,599 pounds of venison, which will provide more than 72,000 meals for needy Delawareans. Division of Fish & Wildlife staff distributed the frozen ground venison to 34 charitable organizations and food pantries throughout the state.

Venison for the Sportsmen Against Hunger program was processed by eight participating private butchers and the Sussex Community Corrections Center’s (SCCC) butcher shop in Georgetown, which is staffed by offenders who are serving sentences in the SCCC’s Violation of Probation Center and who have been specially trained for the job as part of a job training program. Since the SCCC program began in 2005 through 2014/15 season (figures from last season were unavailable), the facility has processed more than 81,000 pounds of venison donated to the Sportsmen Against Hunger program.

With the number of donated deer down slightly this season from last season’s 604, 2,148 pounds less venison was produced than for the 2015/16 season.

Since the Delaware Sportsmen Against Hunger program was founded in 1992 by a coalition of sporting groups, hunters have donated a total of about 455,079 pounds of venison, providing more than 1.7 million meals to Delawareans in need.

For more information, please visit the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s website at Sportsmen Against Hunger, or call 302-284-4795.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902