The John Dickinson Plantation, Dickinson's boyhood home and country estate, is located at 340 Kitts Hummock Road in Dover, Delaware 19901. Admission is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-739-3277.

A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. The idea of a simple machine originated in approximately the 3rd century BC when the Greek philosopher Archimedes studied the "Archimedean" simple machines: lever, pulley, and screw. Heron of Alexandria (ca. 10-75 AD), in his work "Mechanics," lists five mechanisms with which a load can be set in motion: the winch, lever, pulley, wedge, and screw. During the Renaissance the classic five simple machines (excluding the wedge) began to be studied as a group. The complete dynamic theory of simple machines was worked out by Italian scientist Galileo Galilei in 1600 in "Le Meccaniche" (On Mechanics). He was the first to understand that simple machines do not create energy, only transform it.

The main program, which will take place at Museum Square's Johnson Victrola Museum, will feature short histories on various artists of the early 1900s including James Reese Europe, Marian Anderson, and Duke Ellington. A children's activity will also be featured at the Museum of Small Town Life. Museum Square's Black Music Month program is presented in conjunction with "First Saturday in the First State," a monthly series of events sponsored by the First State Heritage Park.

Located at 375 S. New St., between North St. and Bank Lane, in Dover, Delaware, Museum Square is open 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and most state holidays; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. Donations are accepted and appreciated. For additional information, call the Delaware Visitor Center at (302) 739-4266.

According to the nomination letter submitted by two HCA employees, McWilliams' "leadership and attention to detail enables him to effectively and simultaneously coordinate multiple jobs throughout the state. ...

"Mr. McWilliams multitasks every day. Exhibits, invitations, news releases, special signs and banners, documents, brochures, etc. are all part of his talents. He always meets deadlines with an exceptionally designed, functional, and quality product."

McWilliams has been an HCA employee since 1996 when he began service as Site Supervisor of the John Dickinson Plantation. In 2001, McWilliams was named Curator of Exhibits.

The presentation will be conducted by Joan N. Larrivee, an architectural historian, HCA staff member, and coordinator of Delaware's Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program. Larrivee has been advising property owners of the tax benefits of preserving historic properties since the inception of the federal preservation tax incentive program in 1976, and currently advises applicants seeking credits under both the state and federal programs.

Delaware's Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program assists property owners in the preservation of historic buildings and encourages reinvestment in existing communities by providing Delaware income tax credits for the substantial rehabilitation of National Register of Historic Places-listed properties. The program provides for a reduction in state income tax equal to a percentage of the monies expended in rehabilitating historic properties.

Delaware historic preservation tax credits are available to both investors in income-producing properties and to individual homeowners. Properties need not be listed individually on the National Register but may be contributing buildings in a National Register-listed district, such as the Middletown Historic District. For additional information on the program, contact Joan Larrivee, manager, Delaware Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program at 302-736-7400 or joan.larrivee@state.de.us.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of the John Dickinson Mansion, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the state-owned John Dickinson Plantation and educating the public about the important role played by John Dickinson in the founding of the United States.

The Friends group will be holding its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. following the book signing. Both events are free and open to the public and will be held at the John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road in Dover, Delaware 19901. The plantation is the boyhood home and country estate of John Dickinson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, signer of the Constitution, and "Penman of the Revolution." For additional information, call 302-739-3277.

Owned by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs with educational programs administered by the Delaware Nature Society (DNS), Cooch-Dayett Mills is located at 904 Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, DE 19702. Admission to the June 6 program for DNS members is $8 for adults and $5 for children. Non-member admission is $11 for adults and $7 for children. For additional information, call 302-239-2334.

Built in the 1830s by William Cooch, the water-powered facility operated as a commercial grist mill until the late 1990s when it and surrounding agricultural acreage were acquired by the State of Delaware through the Open Space Program, a state initiative designed to protect natural open space lands.

The mill complex is part of the Cooch's Bridge Historic District, site of the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Delaware—the Battle of Cooch's Bridge on September 3, 1777.

We the People promotes civic competence and responsibility among the nation's elementary and secondary students through an instructional program that enhances students' understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy, and a simulated congressional hearing in which students "testify" before a panel of judges. During these testimonial hearings, students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.

Since the inception of the We the People program in 1987, more than 28 million students and 90 thousand educators have participated in this innovative course of study. Delaware's 2009 participants were students of teacher Amy Reed from Lake Forest High School in Felton. The overall winner of the 2009 national finals was Denver, Colorado's East High School.

A Rehoboth Beach landmark located at the intersection of Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk, the fountain was erected in 1929 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Delaware branch of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), an important civic organization that took a prominent role in promoting social welfare causes in Delaware from the 1870s to the 1960s.

As part of his remarks, Slavin commented on the historical importance of the fountain, noting that it is the only surviving property in Delaware associated with the WCTU, the oldest voluntary, non-sectarian woman's organization in continuous existence in the world. This organization played a vital role in several important issues in American history including women's suffrage, prohibition, and prison reform.

Speaking about the successful effort to place the fountain on the National Register, Slavin acknowledged the essential role played by Robin Krawitz, HCA's former National Register Coordinator, who wrote and submitted the nomination package; and Mrs. Evelyn Dick Thoroughgood, a Rehoboth Beach community leader who provided invaluable information on the fountain's place in the city's history.

Mrs. Thoroughgood, who was present at the ceremony, provided several personal recollections about the fountain including a story about pre-refrigeration days when ice delivery men would open the trap door in the ground behind the fountain and deposit ice around the water pipes. This would provide "ice water" for people drinking from the fountain.

In addition to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fountain, HCA has recently received notification from the United States Department of the Interior that the following Delaware properties have also been officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places: The Carney Agricultural Complex, Christiana Hundred, New Castle County; Rosemont, Brandywine Hundred, New Castle County; and the West Ninth Street Commercial Historic District, Wilmington, New Castle County. For detailed profiles of each of these properties, click here.

A touring group of the United States Heritage of America Band, the six-piece Vector brass ensemble was created in 2008 in response to the military's growing need for mobile, troop-focused ensembles, and the American public's desire for high-energy entertainment.

The group's fusion of conventional brass instrumentation and interactive programming captivates audiences of all ages with innovative arrangements and movement. Each of Vector's members is a seasoned, versatile performer with education and experience from around the globe. The ensemble's repertoire showcases a variety of musical genres including big band and Dixieland jazz, Broadway, country and western, funk, patriotic tunes, and more.

Completed in 1791, The Old State House is one of the oldest state-house buildings in the United States, serving as the home of Delaware's state's legislature until 1933 when the General Assembly moved to larger quarters in Legislative Hall. As a result of a $3.5 million restoration process completed in 2007, the venerable structure now appears as it would have in the late 1700s during the critical early years of the United States as a nation.