First for September 18, 2015

The Papal Choir
Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia is just a week away and the final details are now in place. This week we have a 2-part First Look. First up, the Papal Choir. 140 parishes are represented in the 500-member choir, which includes 28 parishioners from Delaware. We caught up with two of them in Hockessin, who happen to be husband and wife.

Art for the Pope
There is a group of nuns in New Castle who will share the arts and culture spotlight with Pope Francis. We got a look at their work and learned the meanings behind it.

First Person: Vision 2015
Back in 2006, a group of educators, business execs, and community leaders published a plan called Vision 2015. The document was a blueprint of sorts, geared toward making Delaware’s public schools the best in the world. Well, 2015 has arrived. Delaware hasn’t reached that lofty goal, but many of the plan’s recommendations have become part of the broader discussion around education in the First State.

Security on the Water
We reported at the top of the show and all over the pages of NewsWorks.org about the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia Security is a big part of those preparations. Here in Delaware, it starts with a marine unit from the Delaware State Police which patrols the water throughout New Castle County.

First Experience: Mt. Cuba
The planting of 2,700 trees began this week at Mt. Cuba. The trees are being planted on 6 different plots of land. It’s hoped that their growth will provide a new way to reforest open spaces. What makes it more interesting is that it is the largest study of this kind ever undertaken in the US. The news gave us a chance to view the beauty of Mt. Cuba in our First Experience through the eyes of the Plein-Air Painters of the Mid-Atlantic.