The United States won its first rowing gold medal in the men’s four class since 1960. Part of that foursome was Unionville High School grad Justin Best. Best, along with Liam Corrigan, Michael Grady, and Nick Mead beat New Zealand and Britain to take the gold.
According to the Associated Press report, the team knew it was time to push hard when Corrigan yelled out “red!”
Best, who graduated from UHS in 2015, is quoted in the AP story as saying “When you make that call, ‘red!,’ you see ‘red,’” Best said. “You put your bow ball out in front, some of the bigger strokes that you take in the race. Liam made that call ‘red!’ and I went with him, and I know Nick went and I could see Grady going because he was right in front of me.
“That was enough to kind of like double that move and take us into our sprint,” he said. “So it was pretty flawless execution on the call. And we trusted each other to all make that move together. And it was effective.”
This was the first time since 1960 that the U.S. won gold in the event. In 2012, the U.S. won the bronze.
[According to nbcolympics.com, a bow ball is the round tip (usually rubber and 4cm in diameter) on the end of the bow. It is required by all boats at Olympic rowing events to minimize damage in the event of a collision.]
Melinda Shaw says The Hangry Bear in Kennett Square is a family-friendly place for everyone to have a great experience making their own ice cream.
There are sandwich shops and there are ice cream shops. Some shops even combine the two, but Melinda Shaw’s The Hangry Bear Creamery goes a step further. At The Hangry Bear, people can make their own ice cream.
“We’re definitely ice cream forward here,” she said. The sandwiches and drinks are just to accommodate the ice cream studio so when we have an ice cream party, people can eat and drink while they’re waiting for their ice cream to solidify.”
The shop was a logical step for Shaw. She worked at the University of Delaware, running the dairy creamery there for more than a dozen years, she said and taught the science of ice cream and cheese to undergraduates at UD.
“We would always have people come in, non-UD students, asking how they could learn to make ice cream. I didn’t have anything to recommend, so this was our solution. People can come here to learn how to make ice cream, learn about the science, and also make their own flavors.”
There are no limitations on flavors as long as they have the ingredients in stock at the time. And in that vein, people, especially kids, come up with some interesting combinations.
“We have an extensive list of flavors of ice cream and ingredients you can add so the combinations are many,” Shaw said. “Someone accidentally just made a version of ambrosia salad. They were going for a piña colada [pineapple and coconut] but, as it went through it ended up as an ambrosia with marshmallow, cherries, and pineapple. It was actually better than we thought it was going to be. It was better than ambrosia salad. And that was just a kid. Some of the kids come up with some really tasty flavors.”
Shaw said The Hangry Bear’s niche is definitely with the ice cream studio. It brings in groups and it’s a place for ice cream parties, birthdays, and family events. People also use it for team building and networking, she said.
She added that people don’t need to go custom, they can just go online and order what The Hangry Bear itself has made.
“People can order a custom flavor, and we can ship pretty much anywhere in the United States.”
In addition to regular ice cream, Shaw said customers can make a nondairy dairy frozen dessert.
“We’re trying to give options to people that normally have fewer options. We have a lot of people come in who are gluten-free or vegan. They’re able to make something that accommodates their diet,” she said.
As one might guess, the name of the shop comes from a combination of the words hungry and angry.
“It’s being so hungry you’re angry, is the origin of the word,” she said, “but hangry is a family problem with us. We’re hangry people.”
For a full range of pricing, people should go to the website, but for a small group of four people to make one flavor, Shaw said that would be $90. For that money, the group would make eight pints of ice cream as well as have the experience of making the ice cream.
She added, though, “A kid’s birthday party with up to 16 kids is $329, and they’d make four different flavors and each kid goes home with at least two pints.”
Shaw said the shop itself is “a casual, family-friendly environment. We have ice cream and food to go or to have here. And it’s a great place for people of all ages to have a great experience.”
The Hangry Bear Creamer is in Kennett Pointe, 660 E. Cypress Street, Kennett Square. The phone number is 610-744-2722.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
Chucho Valdés makes his debut at Longwood on Sunday, Aug. 25.
•It’s jazz time at Longwood Gardens when Cuban pianist, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés makes his debut at Longwood on Sunday, Aug. 25. Valdés was recently named a 2025 NEA Jazz Master and is considered the most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. His music is a distillation of Afro-Cuban music tradition, jazz, classical, and rock. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Get tickets and more information here.
•The Brandywine River Museum of Art is a little more than a month away from opening a new Andrew Wyeth exhibit, Up East: Andrew Wyeth in Maine. Wyeth split his time between Chadds Ford and Maine. Up East brings to Chadds Ford for the first time a broad overview of the key sites of Wyeth’s Maine work, including two temperas and 32 watercolors, many of which have never been exhibited before. The exhibit opens Sept. 19.
• Enjoy a guided meditative walk at Winterthur with Delaware Master Naturalists to awaken your senses to nature. It starts promptly at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 7 and ends at noon. Included with admission. Go here to register.
Sand volleyball tournament at Concord Township Park on Aug. 24.
•Concord Township is hosting a sand volleyball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the township park on Smithbridge Road. The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, Aug. 21. All teams will play a minimum of 5 single games up to 21 (Rally Scoring). All Teams make Single Elimination Playoffs. There are trophies and champ tank tops. Go here for details and to register.
•Discover the many pigments nature provides during the Aug. 10 Science Saturday at the Hagley Museum. Learn how to use those pigments to create a piece of art. Visitors of all ages are invited to discover solutions to science and engineering challenges. This is a drop-in activity, feel free to join the fun at any time. Activities are included in admission and are free to members. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Horse trials return to Plantation Field in September.
• Plantation Field International Horse Trials are coming up in September. Boasting a high-quality multi-day equestrian eventing competition and a vibrant Country Fair in the heart of Chester County’s Brandywine Valley horse country. Families can enjoy family entertainment on Sept. 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. including unique shopping vendors, a children’s tent with entertainment, a rock wall, a mechanical bull, beer garden, food trucks, pony kissing booth, tailgating, breathtaking views, thrilling equestrian competition, and more. Single-use tickets are $25 per car. For tickets, go here.
