On behalf of the Lewes Public Library, I would like to thank all of the people and organizations who made our first Back to the Basics Skills festival on July 20 possible.  Thanks so much to Faust Sheet Metal for their hard work prepping our emergency stoves for the disaster preparedness part of our festival. You really went above and beyond, and I truly appreciate it.

Thank you to Baker’s Exxon for providing hot dogs and rolls; Hazzard’s Auto Repair for donating ice; Lewes Dairy for providing iced tea and lemonade; and Lewes Fire Department for lending us tables. John Chirtea, you are wonderful for so generously allowing us to use your antique button making machine.

Thanks to the great people at the Milford 4-H for donating raw wool for us to process and demo!

The festival would not have existed at all if not for the amazing talent shared by the following people:  John and Hope Ellsworth, metal working; Amy Campagnone, sewing;  Fred Campagnone, carpentry;  Rebecca Klein, drop spindle making and hand spinning; Fran Suarez, hand felting, wool dyeing, and spinning on a wheel; “C.J.” Jarrell, knot tying for fishing;  Bob Cordrey, button making; and Eleanor Cordrey and Maureen Miller,  toy makers.

Thank you for the sharing of knowledge and great expertise by the following: Anne Camasso of the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension; Bob Williams and Marion Bon from the Sussex County Master Gardeners; the MERR Institute; Chris Petrone, University of DE; and Marc Clery for taking great photos.

Thanks so much to the following people who donated or loaned items and/or time and effort to make this all happen: Bob and Eleanor Cordrey; Heather Lachmann; Sara, Matthew, and Nathan Hague; Fran Suarez and Mitch; Marc Clery; Kristen and Mark Baker; Ed Goyda; Hope Ellsworth; Maureen Miller; Dennis Storey; Stashia Gabrielle; Jeff Tease; Terry Mezger; Candace Vessella and the Friends of the Lewes Library; Deny Howeth; Kevin Fleming; Margie McKeown; Rachel Lynch; and the staff of the Lewes Public Library.

Please forgive me if I have forgotten to mention you by name.
Thank you everyone.

Margaret Melson
Lewes Public Library