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On Sunday, Elsmere's Ray Firmani will celebrate a rare milestone for many: he'll turn 100 years old. In those 100 years, he's accumulated quite a few stories, more than most, one could argue.

A Delaware resident for 95 years, Firmani has lived life to its fullest. He's served his country as a B-17 co-pilot in the 486th Heavy Bombardment Group as part of the 8th Air Force, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant, flying 25 missions over Germany, and earning both a Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary heroism and induction into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame. He came home and raised a family. His time in the military has been detailed and published by author Mitch Topal.

But the secret to his longevity?

"Well, first of all, I like to tell you how, how surprised I am. Because all my friends are gone. But I made new friends. And that's the secret: make new friends. And it's been a ball," Firmani said. "[I'm] certainly proud. I never thought I'd get this kind of recognition; I didn't look for it, but it came. And I think we have a tendency to either overestimate ourselves or underestimate ourselves."

To kick off the birthday festivities, Delaware's U.S. Sen. Tom Carper--the last remaining Vietnam veteran serving in the Senate--and the now-retired four-star Gen. Frank Vavala--the longest serving adjutant general in Delaware National Guard history--stopped by Friday, September 15, 2021.

Delivering a letter of celebration signed by himself, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Carper said Firmani is exactly the type of man to whom he looks up.

"People of all generations...We all need heroes, female and male, to be inspired by," Carper said. "we've gone, as a country, through terrible things. Civil wars, two World Wars, the Great Depression, we're going through a tough time right now. But to see this man standing tall, two days before his [100th birthday], and to see the medals that he's won, family that he and his wife have raised, it's just an inspiration. We need to be inspired today. And he's a great inspiration for me and I know for a lot of others."

Unbeknownst to Vavala, who grew up down the street in the Elsmere neighborhood where Firmani ultimately settled for 70 years, his neighbor was recognized as a World War II hero. Firmani was flying 25,000 feet over Homberg, Germany, during the Battle of the Bulge the day his first son was born, 4,600 miles away in Omaha, Nebraska.

It took a while before the pair connected at that level over a passion to serve.

"This means so much to be able to celebrate [Firmani's] 100th birthday, because I grew up around the corner from him. I played with his kids. And [Firmani], like my father and others that were veterans of World War II, never spoke about their military service. So it wasn't until years later, when we dedicated a park here in the town of Elsmere, that I found out about Ray's story. Since then, we've been so close," Vavala said. "My wife and I stop over and visit. He loves to show us his memorabilia, but he's so sharp. He can recall so many things of his time as a member of the eighth Air Force...It's incredible. This guy is truly a Delaware treasure."

There was no reason for the silence on his service, Firmani said. He just had so much going on in his life he never thought to bother people with the stories. As his kids grew older, and he found he had more time on his hands, reflecting on his life inspired him to share his time serving in the hopes his tales might help others.

"When the war was over, my main thing was to raise my family. It gets busy, you know what I mean? As I got more free time, I realized that there was more to it than just 'living.' You have to tell your story, regardless who you are, even just to your children, Because every parent makes sacrifices for them," he said. "When this book was written, my son came to me and said, "Dad, you never told us about these things." I said, 'Son, I was too busy making a living, and that was my main concern.' You know, I educated them, put them through college, both of them. Parents have a lot to do besides just cooking for you."

Providing gifts during his own birthday celebration, Firmani provided Carper an autographed copy of the book on his service written by Topal, Against All Odds: The Ray Firmani Story--which, by the way, has 23 reviews on Amazon, all of which are 5 stars, as Firmani pointed out.

These days, after the publication of his book, Firmani likes to use the computer, and social media in particular, to connect with people around the world and keep in touch with the new friends he's made through promotion of the book.

"It's been a real delight. I've met so many wonderful people at the signings, and you'd be surprised how it keeps piling on. I get [friends and messages] on Facebook. I'm on Facebook and so forth, on computers. A 100-year-old guy on a computer. I said, 'Well, I could fly a B-17. I can certainly figure out a computer," Firmani said. "People don't realize the sacrifices that come [with being a veteran], and I think by relating my story, it gives them an idea what it's all about, and maybe it could be for the better. Maybe we could find a better way, instead of to keep knocking our heads together. There's got to be a better way. I'm sure of it."

With Carper and Vavala by his side to ring in 100 years on Earth, Firmani reiterated his main point--a point that hangs emblazoned on the wall of his self-built office which features photos, medals, and memorabilia from his own journey--he would like to impress upon anyone making their way through life.

"Good friends. That's the secret to longevity," he said. "Honest-to-goodness, it's friends. Without friends, it's a dull life...This has been a wonderful life."

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Elsmere attorney Robert Pasquale wanted a place where his staff and clients could find very good, reasonably-priced food, terrific coffee and he could always get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread.

But when the Legal Grounds Café at 1208 Kirkwood Highway opened last summer, it wasn't just a private dining room for the law offices of Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya, a practice with more than 20 lawyers and 90 employees.

The Elsmere breakfast and lunch spot also welcomed in the public.

Located smack dab in the middle of the tiny town across from the fire company, the cafe occupies space in the bottom floor of the white building with a clock at the top.

A physical therapy business is next door and the law offices are on the second floor.

Parking can be a little confusing. There are some spaces out front, but it's easiest to park in the back lot.

When traveling down Kirkwood Highway, turn onto Bungalow Avenue. An unmarked entrance (look for the blue door) from the parking lot leads inside the cafe.

Legal Grounds is a sandwich shop/coffeehouse with contemporary pizzazz. It has a Parisian air, by way of New Orleans, and bright, eye-catching artwork by Michel Lode, a French street artist who paints on the Pont des Arts in Paris.

Designer Kathleen Magner Rios says she was looking to bring "a flavor of Europe and an Old World feel" to the cafe.

It's open and airy, with seating outside when the weather permits. There's a separate back room with tables for larger groups. It also can be used for private breakfast or lunch meetings.

Staff at the cafe said the room is used by the law office, but it can also be booked by others for gatherings. The cafe still seems relatively undiscovered. There were only a few customers during a recent lunch.

Barista Rico Adams, a smiling, welcoming presence at the shop, is a coffee wizard and latte artist.

Our cups of cappuccino and café mocha – made with Philadelphia's excellent La Colombe coffee – were cheerily decorated with flowers, hearts and stars. He has also been known to make hummingbird designs.

The Legal Grounds brief menu is straightforward, unfussy and focuses on refining classics. Food is made to order and tastes very fresh.

Breakfast sandwiches ($5) can be made on a bagel, croissant or a choice of toast. Pasquale's favorite, PB&J, gets an adult upgrade by using strawberry preserves instead of grape jelly. The sandwich is $5, as is the quiche of the day.

The most expensive item is $8 for a salmon avocado toast. Nine-grain bread is smeared with cream cheese and piled with layers of tomato, capers, red onion, avocado and smoked salmon. It's filling and very good.

Another favorite is the chicken caesar salad ($7) made with crisp Romaine, juicy white meat chicken and shards of Parmesan cheese.

Other sandwich choices include grilled cheese with Swiss, Muenster and Cheddar ($7); turkey sandwich ($7) on a French baguette with roasted peppers and provolone cheese; and a BLT ($7). All sandwiches come with a bag of potato chips.

The cafe is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (302) 543-7350 or visit the Legal Grounds Cafe Facebook page for more information.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or [email protected] and on Twitter @pattytalorico

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Analine Ayala is the sole owner, cook, bookkeeper and manager at El Cantaro, her Mexican restaurant in New Castle that she opened in 2018.

Ayala, who primarily speaks Spanish, arrives early to her restaurant every morning to make tortillas and pico de gallo, marinate the meats, and complete other prep work for the day ahead.

Since January 2020, M&T Bank has honed in on residents like Ayala amid the growing Spanish-speaking populations in Delaware, where about one in 10 people is Hispanic or Latino, according to 2019 U.S. Census estimates. That number jumps to 27% in Elsmere, where M&T has a newly designated multicultural branch that Ayala uses for her business.

“We continue to see multicultural communities … opening up more small businesses and opening up accounts,” said David Femi, the head of M&T’s multicultural banking team. “If we don’t take the time to truly, deeply understand their banking behaviors and attitudes, we may not be relevant in this space. Any bank that doesn’t have a multicultural strategy does not have a growth strategy.”

Before Ayala, 43, opened a business account with M&T Bank, she only accepted cash at El Cantaro and struggled to understand English posters in other banks, communicate with a banker about her bookkeeping needs and learn more about short-term loans and other funding options.

M&T helped Ayala set up a credit card processing provider and become more educated on the money market. She said she finally felt comfortable asking questions while visiting her bank.

“It’s a big blessing when [banks] have someone who speaks Spanish,” said Rachael Torres, Ayala’s daughter. “Now she’s happier and open-minded because she has a great team to back her up and get her to understand how everything works.”

Under Femi’s leadership, M&T unveiled a new Spanish-language website where customers can set up online appointments in Spanish and other languages. The bank now has two designated multicultural branches in Delaware – Elsmere and Georgetown – with bilingual staff and Spanish signage, joining 14 others across M&T’s footprint.

“It gives them access to banking solutions and resources,” Femi said. “When you go into a bank branch and go to someone who speaks your language, who can empower and enlighten you – from opening up a checking account to discussing your retirement plan – you feel comfortable.”

M&T is also partnering with Delaware State University to identify, train and recruit bilingual and multicultural students to work in its branches.

“Our goal is to eliminate at all costs this language barrier,” Femi said.

The bank’s expanded services are reflective of not only a growing Latino population, but of a surge in business ownership from Delaware residents like Ayala. In Georgetown, where nearly 40% of the population is Hispanic or Latino, 800 Latino-owned businesses were registered in Sussex County as of 2019, compared to just 383 five years prior, according to a Delaware Community Foundation report.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayala had to close her restaurant for two months. Her M&T Bank manager in Elsmere made sure she understood how to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, calling her to check that she was following the required steps of the application and emailing her with links to the proper websites.

“He’s had her back since the beginning,” Torres said of Elsmere’s branch manager, Steven Vivolo. “He was basically her angel since she started here, so she never felt alone.”