Delaware

Go here: The capital of the First State, Dover provides a wealth of historical and cultural attractions, including Amish markets, arts and antiques, the Dover International Speedway, slots and harness racing, and dozens of museums and historic sites, most of which offer free admission. Stay here: Little Creek Inn , 2623 N. Little Creek Road, 302-730-1300. The circa 1860 Italianate three-story inn has five rooms decorated with antiques, reproductions and custom imported linens, and welcomes children older than 12 and well-behaved dogs.

Horse racing Tell a Great Story wins by a nose at Delaware Park Sagamore Farm's Tell a Great Story prevailed over Ile St. Molly in the $75,125 Go For Wand Stakes at Delaware Park on Saturday in Wilmington. The Go For Wand Stakes is a prep for the 1 1/16-mile $300,000 Grade II Delaware Oaks on July 13. With Forest Boyce (Garrison Forest) astride, Tell a Great Story, a Maryland-bred conditioned by Ignacio Correas IV , defeated Ile St. Molly by a nose, finishing in 1minute, 40.80 seconds.

By the time Friday arrives we're all tired of playing in the same sandbox. We need a little freedom and creativity. A little time away from the co-worker who frequently piles up all of his dirt on your turf. Maybe if the playing field was a little bigger, say the size of a beach, we wouldn't have to draw a line in the sand. The Sandcastle Contest at Rehoboth Beach is the perfect place to test that theory — and maybe even work a bit on those team building skills. The annual event on the Delaware shore, sponsored by the Rehoboth Beach- Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, draws hundreds of contestants and spectators and awards prizes for both adults and children.

Many summer resorts boast spectacular beaches and a vast array of fabulous accommodations. So what distinguishes one beach town from another? Along coastal Delaware, it's the indigenous flavors that set it apart from its sand-strewn neighbors to the north and south. This season, go beyond those cookie-cutter chain restaurants and pizza dives - and indulge in the most savory sips and bites at the beach. Along with some revamped favorites, we've uncovered delectable new destinations for haute cuisine, homegrown produce and seafood, locally brewed and distilled libations, markets and food tours.

For the first time in years, Maryland's beloved National Premium is being brewed again - in Delaware. Tim Miller, an Easton realtor, bought the naming rights to the brand last year with plans to bring it back to the market for the first time since it was discontinued in 1996. Last we'd heard from him he'd secured the original recipe and was looking to hire a contract-brewer. That still hasn't happened, but for the past several weeks, he's started brewing the beer's first test batches at Fordham Brewing Company in Dover.

My wife and I are both over 65 and we have found it too expensive to continue living in Maryland. We have purchased a new home in a 55 and over community in Delaware where the property taxes will be one-third what we pay in Baltimore County. Other costs such as car tags and license fees are also lower, and there is no state sales tax at all. We have met other people from Maryland who have bought homes in Delaware, and we all basically left or are leaving for the same reasons.

Perdue Inc. plans to move the headquarters of its agribusiness unit from Salisbury, where the poultry company is based, to Seaford, Del. The company said Tuesday it will build a new office building for the growing Perdue AgriBusiness at a still-undetermined site in the Delaware town, replacing a 40-year-old facility on Zion Church Road in Salisbury. The new Seaford location is expected to house about 150 executive and support personnel for the wholly-owned subsidiary that processes and exports agricultural products such as grain, feed and fertilizer.

Every year, new restaurants, stores and other attractions pop up on the Delaware shore. This year is no exception. The list below is a sampling of some of the more interesting places that have recently opened their doors, as wel as some beach standbys. Rehoboth Beach What's new Little Egg Harbor Soap, 129 Rehoboth Ave., lehsoap.com. This is the third location and the first in Delaware for the New Jersey-based fancy-soap retailer, founded in 1997. The shop sells blocks of house-made soaps in attractive colors and scents, as well as sugar scrubs, lip balms and lotions, all made with all-natural, nonanimal ingredients.

An Edgewood woman reported on the Aberdeen Proving Ground Facebook page Tuesday hearing three loud blasts, and another woman who lives in Delaware said she felt three loud explosions. They were among several people who complained about blasts from planned detonations at the Harford County military testing base that rocked the area about 6 p.m. Proving ground spokesman George Mercer said he was still trying to calm fears and explain the tests two hours afterward, though the explosions were held in "a remote part of APG. " He said the military installation can cause noise a variety of ways, including firing guns testing armor and detonating charges, but officials usually try to notify residents ahead of time.

On October 9, 2006, MS. DELAWARE Visitation at 2140 N. Fulton Avenue on Friday, 4 to 8 P.M. The family will receive friends in the chapel on Saturday at 12:30 P.M. Funeral at 1P.M.

MAY Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival. Come pay tribute to horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds native to the Delaware Bay during the 10th anniversary festival. Held in Historic Milton, the event includes arts and crafts, food, music, water activities, games for children and more. May 25. Milton Memorial Park. Call 302-684-1101. JUNE Downtown Rehoboth Beach Restaurant Week. Dinner guests enjoy three-course meals at participating Rehoboth eateries.

Congratulations to Tim Marcin, winner of Washington College 's Sophie Kerr Prize, worth $61,192 this year. The 22-year-old  from Wilmington, Del., who is headed to Northwestern University, plans to pursue a sports writing career. That's a worthy goal -- to follow in the footsteps of luminaries such as Ring Lardner and Roger Angell. (I'd even toss John McPhee into the crowd.) According to the college, he submitted "poems whose subjects included teen romance, the music of Bob Dylan, and up-close perceptions of his father's well-worn coat, and the red stitches on a baseball.

Corey Johnson, who coached Patterson for six years, will be named to replace Dante Jones as Edmondson's football coach Monday. Johnson confirmed Saturday that he will take over a Red Storm program that has been one of Baltimore City's most competitive football teams under Jones, who is moving on to coach in Delaware. “I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to get back to a school that has a winning tradition, following Dante Jones and Pete Pompey,” Johnson said. “There's great support for the team and when you have a winning tradition, you seem to get the kids all the time, so this is a great opportunity to carry on that tradition.” Jones, who said Saturday that he was on vacation and would talk later about his departure from Edmondson, is taking over the football program at Dover High School.

CBS Sports Network analyst Evan Washburn took part in a Q&A on Monday. The former Delaware defenseman, who can be followed on Twitter via @EvanWashburn, also answered a few questions about Johns Hopkins, No. 9 Maryland, No. 11 Loyola and No. 16 Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins' streak of 41 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament ended Sunday night. Was that the right decision by the selection committee? For sure. It was obvious. I did their Army game on Friday night and was able to speak with [coach Dave Pietramala]

Radio host Ron Smith will be honored later this month with a posthumous induction into the Maryland DC Delaware Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. The Maryland-District of Columbia-Delaware Broadcasters Association decided to present WBAL's longtime “Voice of Reason” with the tribute at their annual convention April 22 in Ellicott City. The organization called him “passionate,” “curious” and “a force on radio and television.” “Ron was thoughtful - never just accepting the word of a spokesperson or a headline,” the organization said in a release, adding that he “relentlessly pursued and sought to tell the truth.” Smith died in 2011 of pancreatic cancer, captivating listeners with his fight against the disease until just weeks before his death.

SOMEBODY SMASHES your car windshield to steal the quarter sitting on the dashboard. He's 25 cents richer, but you're out 500 bucks. A fair transaction? Apparently, it's not a problem for authorities in Delaware. Yes, that's right, our neighbors to the east seem to have the instincts of a second-rate criminal -- at least when it comes to business dealings. Recently, Delaware created a new type of corporate tax dodge that is breathtaking in its audacity. Its sole purpose? To help large companies hide profits from states like Maryland.

The University of Delaware included Zachary Adcock and Elizabeth Robey on the dean's list for the fall term. Both reside in Arbutus.