Charles Megginson August 8, 2022 Headlines, Culture
Isaiah Glen Shields poses on US 13 near Felton next to his handmade supply cart. (Isaiah Glen Shields/Facebook)
He graduated from college, landed a well-paying job in corporate finance and bought his first home. Then, he dropped it all and embarked on a journey that would change his life forever.
Isaiah Glen Shields talked with Delaware LIVE News on his 400th day walking across the country.
Cars and trucks whizzed by — many of them offering friendly honks — as he trekked along Route 13 between Harrington and Felton with his handmade supply cart in tow.
Two gentlemen stopped and asked to take a picture with him. He obliged, then exchanged some brief words before they asked if he needed anything. He didn’t.
Shields began his journey in May 2021 in Provo, Utah, where he lives. From there, he hiked to the westernmost point in the continental United States: Cape Alava, in Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula.
In the 7,200 miles since, he’s traveled through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Alabama again, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.
Asked why he’s doing it, he said it’s a simple question with a complex answer.
“I had a very strong sense of curiosity about the world and my place in it,” Shields said. “I really wanted to understand what was worth doing with my life and to take a survey of what’s out there, what other people do with their lives, and what the world looks like.”
He said it can be easy to form an understanding of the way the world works based on relatively minimal exposure to the wide variety of cultures, places, and people.
But as he walked across the country, Shields realized that the people he’s met have been far more nuanced and complex than one could tell from the comfort of their home. The factors that influence their thoughts and ideas stem from their varied circumstances, and seeing that up close has been enlightening, he said.
Editor’s note: Story continues beneath photo gallery
On most nights, he sleeps in a tent. Most often, he sets up beneath power lines, away from people who might be alarmed by the presence of a camper.
“I try to be very respectful of private property — especially homes,” he said. “I own a home and I wouldn’t like to wake up in the morning and find a tent on my front lawn, so I have to be creative.”
It was easier to find free camping spots in the western states, he said. There’s so much more open land out there, and more of an openness to leather tramps, or those who travel from place to place on foot. Many towns even have designated camping areas within city limits.
It’s not so easy on the East Coast.
On one of his first nights in Delaware, Shields was awoken around 2:30 a.m. by a couple of state park rangers. Luckily, they saw his supply cart and realized who he was.
“I was camping near a power utility transfer station, and a lot of times that’s land that people don’t really mind because you’re sort of out of sight, out of mind,” he said. “But I didn’t realize I was on state property and they woke me up, which is totally fine — it happens occasionally.”
When that happens, he tries to be as respectful as possible. In this case, the ranger’s mother was a follower of Shield’s trek and told her son earlier in the day to be on the lookout. They decided to let Shields spend the rest of the night there, seeing as he wasn’t having a fire or making a disturbance.
That’s just one example of the warmth Delawareans have shown him in his short time here, he said.
“As I’ve been walking through some of these small towns, it’s been one of the most receptive places in terms of people understanding my journey and the human exploration aspect of it,” he said. “They’ve been incredibly kind from the outset here.”
Then, there’s the state’s natural beauty.
“Immediately after you leave the hustle and bustle of Ocean City, you enter all these incredible state parks,” he said. “There’s a lot of green and a lot of blue, right on the sand dunes, so it’s incredibly idyllic.”
He’s headed for West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec, Maine. He hasn’t yet decided if that will be the end of his hike.
“When I hit that point which I’ve been shooting for so long, it’s theoretically possible that I’ll turn around and walk for a little while,” he said. “I’m not sure how long I’ll go for, whether it’ll be all the way back to Utah or not.”
That kind of spontaneity has come to define his journey. Even as he walked up Route 113, he wouldn’t commit to a destination for the night.
“I’ll keep walking as long as there’s light,” he said. “But if I’m just walking along and someone offers to take me on a tour of their farm, for example, if I had a set destination, I might not be able to take those opportunities to learn about someone’s life.”
He’s been documenting his trip on YouTube , Facebook , and Instagram where he’s amassed a small army of dedicated followers, all of them amazed by what seems like an insurmountable task.
“The more people who see it, the more kids who might be inspired to realize that they can accomplish difficult things that seem unattainable,” Shields said. “It seems like a gargantuan and maybe even impossible task to walk 10,000 miles — until you realize each of those 10,000 miles is just a certain number of footsteps and you just take it one step at a time.”
Looking back on it, he said, it’s sort of like watching a tree grow. You don’t notice the progress on a day-by-day basis, but after a long time, you start to realize how much has been accomplished.
There are a number of ways you can support him, though he’s not soliciting help. He isn’t working or earning money while he walks, so Shields accepts donations for food and camping supplies on PayPal , Venmo , and CashApp . That money could be useful considering the relative scarcity of free camping spots on the East Coast.
You can also become a paid subscriber on his Patreon .
Although Delaware may represent a small portion of his journey, it’s not one he’ll soon forget.
“These are the kind of moments I dreamed about when I was thinking of leaving,” he said, “seeing these little corners of the country that are just somewhat untouched — perfect.”
RELATED: Man biking along 1781 route of French soldiers stops in Wilmington
Charlie Megginson covers government and politics for Town Square LIVE News. Reach him at (302) 344-8293 or [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @cmegginson4.
The cumbersome bugs rarely do much damage, but there will be millions of them per acre.
Photo/Getty Images Buoyed by personal and corporate income taxes, as well as real estate transfer taxes, predicts of Delaware’s 2022 revenues, and therefore its state budget, remain stable. But state fiscal experts expect the financial good times to slow as the state enters its fiscal year 2023 on July 1. With three months left in the 2022 budget, the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council voted Monday to continue to approve the spending of the $5,050 billion budget. It also said an additional $206 million in revenue had come into state coffers since its December meeting. The state surplus remains at more than $823 million, thanks to taxes and COVID-19 relief cash. DEFAC also said that as of now, the amount of state money available to budget for fiscal year 2023 would be $5,683 billion. Finance experts expect the high growth in taxes to slow into 2023 and 2024. Among the interesting bits of information: Many state construction projects, grants and contracts are having trouble finding workers as well as materials, thanks to inflation and supply chain issues. That’s slowing down the state spending of funds allotted to those projects, contracts and grants. As of February, Medicaid now has 291,423 people eligible for benefits, thanks to expansions during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is nearly one-third of the state’s population and 26,982 more than it was a year ago. Thousands of those are expected to come off the rolls as programs expire and more people go back to work. The Ukraine-Russian war is expected to lower national gross domestic product growth, but at this point not significantly. Personal income tax continues to show “pretty health growth,” with expected income raised by $20 million for 2022. Delaware’s tax season opened Jan. 31. Real Estate transfer taxes continue strong, but that market can be volatile, and there have been years when the transfer tax was negative. The state has seen an increase in people who have sold homes paying estimated taxes because their houses sold for so more more than it was worth. In 2017, there were 1,000 people who sold property and paid estimated taxes; in 2021, there were 3,500. In 2013, there were seven homes sold for more than $1 million each. In 2021, there were 193 that sold for more than $1 million. Boomers may have a role in the continue rise of taxes. The leading edge of boomers, many of whom have huge savings in 401Ks or IRAs, must start taking required minimum distributions from those accounts by age 72. The first Boomers are 74 this year. The federal program makes retirees do that to start returning some of the deferred taxes to the government, and Delaware could reap benefits from that, but it’s hard to track or predict because the state does not know who has how much money in tax-deferred 401Ks or IRAs. Delaware continues to dominant the market in registering new companies, with 93% of initial public offerings registered in Delaware, which means that’s where they pay corporate taxes. Many companies who went public in the last few years did it was COVID-19 monies. The number of LLCs is growing dramatic. That kind of filing could be a bubble, said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock, but it also shows the growth of Delaware’s brand. Too much of a good thing also can be a bad thing, he said, because a rapid raise in corporate franchises also puts more pressure on that state office and on courts. The number of companies registered with Delaware had doubled in 12 years, he said. He also wouldn’t be surprised to see it double again in eight years. As the Federal Reserve Bank raises rates, revenue from bank franchises is expected to drop, as much as 9.6% in 2023. Revenues from Unclaimed Property are up $50 million over two years as the state continues its MoneyMatch programs, sends reciprocal claims to other states and continues improved processes. Taxes from the sales of new and used cars remain steady. The tobacco tax estimate was reduced by 4.7% down to $111 million.
A doll of Dr. Anthony Fauci, top left, hangs in a Rehoboth Beach arcade game. Photo by Kim Hoey. A doll of Dr. Anthony Fauci is still hanging by a face mask strap in a Rehoboth arcade. The doll, which some attributed political meaning to, caused a political rumble at the beach a few weeks ago. It hangs in a Zelky’s Beach Arcade machine with a lot of dolls drawn from the political world, including Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan dolls. General manager Matt Weiner said he wanted Fauci to have a mask, his quintessential accessory, and couldn’t believe the spin that people put on it. The incident boiled down to one group of people being upset and posting on social media, he said. “One group had a problem,” Weiner said. Several people said it looked like all the dolls were smiling while they looked at the hanging Fauci. If anything, the controversy made the game more popular, Weiner said. Weiner had hoped the arcade’s new games and expanded space this summer would get more attention than the contents of one game. “We’re just happy everyone is out ready to have fun,” he said. “Everyone is in good spirits and we’re trying to provide a great experience for everyone.” Zelky’s Beach Arcade has been on the boardwalk since 1985, with three locations. The Fauci and Trump dolls are located at the one the farthest south. Weiner said the arcade is almost out of dolls for the machine, with most of Trump dolls gone, so the Fauci doll will probably be taken down in the next week or two.
State and federal officials gathered near the I-95 rehabilitation project in Wilmington Tuesday to discuss the impact the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill will have on the first state. Delaware will receive $1.6 billion in funds from the federal infrastructure package. DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski said it will be used to ensure that “our roads and bridges are safe and well maintained, our communities are better served and connected, that we are making the necessary investments for the electrification of our infrastructure, and resiliency due to climate change.” Of the $1.6 billion headed to Delaware, approximately $1.2 billion will go to highway improvements, $225 million to bridge and railway replacements and the remaining $220 to public transportation improvements. U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg said that some of the funds will be used to support a federal-state partnership to “fix some of the more damaging historical legacy of I-95 that residents of the City of Wilmington still live with.” One project being studied would cap a section of I-95 through Downtown Wilmington. Capping a highway means, essentially, putting a lid over a highway and developing green space, parks and more on top of the lids. Capping can reduce automobile sounds and smells, connect communities by allowing easy pedestrian and automobile access across highways, and create valuable real estate by taking advantage of the air space above highways. U.S. Sen. Tom Carper pointed to the infrastructure bill as the first ever to include funding for climate change mitigation. “We have a lot of vehicles around the country spewing up poison into the air and also a lot of carbon dioxide,” Carper said. “The level of carbon dioxide in our planet is higher than it’s ever been in the 300,000 years we’ve been keeping records.” According to Carper’s office, the funds Delaware will receive from the legislation will go toward: Repairing aging roads and bridges Delaware has 19 bridges and more than 250 miles of highway in poor condition. As a result, the average driver pays $456 each year for driving on roads in need of repair. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest $1.2 billion in Delaware’s highways and $225 million in bridge replacement and repairs. These investments would focus on addressing climate change, enhancing equity, and improving safety for all Delawareans, including cyclists and pedestrians. Building a network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest $17.7 million to expand Delaware’s EV charging network. Improving public transportation Delawareans who take public transportation spend an extra 87 percent of their time commuting. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest $220 million to improve public transportation options in the First State. Connecting more Delawareans to high-speed internet More than 1 in 10 households in Delaware don’t have an internet subscription. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest a minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the First State. 1 in 5 Delawareans would be eligible for assistance to make internet access affordable. Investing in safe, clean water The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide Delaware with critical resources to upgrade water systems, remove lead pipes, and clean up toxic chemicals like PFAS. It’s still not clear specifically where the funds will be allocated or when, but targeted investments are likely to be announced in the coming months.
This portrait of photographers, from left, Julian Willingham, Andre Wright Jr., Sara A. Crawford and Shakira Hunt will be in ‘Downtown Reimagined.’ Photo by Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography A sidewalk photography exhibit opening Friday by four Wilmington photographers offering a series of portraits capturing the creative and vibrant downtown culture. Showing work in “Downtown Reimagined” exhibit are Joe del Tufo, Andre Wright Jr., Sara A. Crawford and Shakira Hunt. The artwork is installed at 417 N. Market St., and an opening for the sidewalk exhibit will take place Friday, March 25, at 4 p.m. The sidewalk exhibit will be accompanied by a speaker series at MKT Place Gallery, during which the artists will share the inspiration behind their submissions. Dates and times for that will be announced later. Following the unveiling, guests are invited to join the artists for a reception at The Knight’s Bar across the street at The Queen (500 N Market Street). “Downtown Reimagined” is a part of The Buccini/Pollin Group’s ongoing efforts to support the downtown arts community and provide exposure to local artists. This is the second sidewalk art exhibit organized by BPG Cares. In 2020, BPG provided retail space for the Storefront Mural Arts Project, which connected local artists with businesses boarding up their windows after riots occurred in downtown Wilmington. Instead of trashing the murals, BPG, Flux Creative Consulting and Moonloop Photography, created a sidewalk gallery to display all of them for public viewing at The Residences at Mid-town Park. They also recently went on display at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts in Longview, Texas as part of the “Addressing the Moment: The Artist’s Voice” exhibit. MKT Place Gallery, at 200 W. 9th St., features monthly exhibits curated by Sara A. Crawford of The Original Coloure Collective. “The idea for this collaboration came when I started seeing these rich, sophisticated portraits being taken around town – many in our spaces – that positioned a modern look at diversity in a downtown that has seen a lot of changes,” said Sarah Lamb, BPG’s vice president of design, marketing and community engagement. “I was overwhelmed to see how photographers were viewing our city as a place of culture, diversity, and finesse, a landscape that we are used to seeing attributed to the larger cities that surround us.” del Tufo has been a professional photographer for more than 20 years and runs Moonloop Photography with Jim Coarse. Hunt, of Shakira Hunt Creative, is a Wilmington lifestyle photographer. She graduated from Moore College of Art & Design, and worked as a commercial designer for four years before forming her own company. Wright and Crawford are part of the Coloure Collective. Spearheaded by Crawford, a fashion designer who delights in connecting people, the collective has created a network and collaboration among local artists, creatives, influencers, designers and developers. Wright describes himself as a strategic artist with a background in architecture, interiors and photography. He likes to focus “on capturing the culture and essence of community within brands and organizations.”
Copyright © 2021 Townsquare Live Founded in 2011