WEEKEND #1, 2008

(Memorial Day Weekend)

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

FIRE AT ED'S RESTAURANT

A fire in the duct work closed Ed's in Dewey Beach late Saturday afternoon. When the fire broke out around 3:55 p.m., fire trucks from Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany responded. Route 1 was shut down in the area of the Dewey Beach landmark on Swede St.

In radio chatter, firefighters reported that the fire started in the hood system and caused some "damage but not too much damage." Ed's was closed for a couple hours following the fire, but reopened Saturday evening.

Photos by Jeremy Settle, WCAV News Director/ News Anchor

FIRE CALL AT REHOBOTH'S PENNY LANE

Rehoboth Beach firefighters responded to the Olde Salt Gift Shop in Penny Lane around 9:30 a.m. Friday. A fire marshal, who happened to be in town at the time, was one of the first on the scene. He reported an electrical fire with visible smoke. After further investigation, he said it appeared to be a broken water line in the wall with a brief release of smoke.

DR. BIRCH'S OFFICE CATCHES FIRE

An unattended candle too close to combustible materials is being blamed for a fire that destroyed Dr. David Birch's office and a second-floor apartment Wednesday. The fire was reported around 10:25 p.m. at 4598 Coastal Highway, north of Rehoboth Beach.

The Friday Cape Gazette says the tenant in the apartment was Ryan Mavity, a Cape Gazette reporter. The paper says Mavity said he was doing laundry and had sorted clothes in his bedroom, where a candle was burning. When he went down the hall to put another load of laundry in the washer, he smelled smoke. He returned to find his bed on fire.

Click here for the State Fire Marshal news release

Lewes and Bethany fire companies assisted Rehoboth Beach firefighters. Southbound Route 1 was shut down, and spectators -- some still in their vehicles -- gathered on both sides of the roadway to watch firefighters extinguish the blaze.

VEHICLE BURSTS INTO FLAMES ON ROUTE 1

An SUV caught fire and quickly became fully engulfed around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. It happened near the Rehoboth Kmart in the northbound lanes of Route 1. Those lanes were closed down during the fire.

Click here to watch video of the fire.

Photos/video by Jeremy Settle, WCAV News Director/ News Anchor

REHOBOTH TRAFFIC WOES

Sunday was particularly bad for Rehoboth Beach visitors. Sgt. Mike Corbin, who said over the radio that he hadn't seen traffic this bad coming into town, assigned officers to patrol Rehoboth Avenue around 1:15 p.m. in the hopes of finding trouble spots.

One officer, who reached the intersection at First Street, called it "absolute mayhem" and added that motorists were in the intersection not obeying the traffic signals. Two officers were assigned to keep it moving (below). Meanwhile, back on Route 1, southbound traffic crawled from Route 24 to the entrance of Rehoboth Avenue Extended.

Around 5 p.m., the westbound lanes of Rehoboth Avenue suffered similar gridlock.

JAG GETS 5 PARKING TICKETS

One of Rehoboth's parking enforcers radioed for advice when he discovered this Jaguar with Delaware tags at an expired parking meter on First Street near Olive Avenue around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The car already had five tickets, and he was wondering if there were something special he should know about the vehicle. His supervisor said somebody had called asking if they could stay parked there. Why the driver felt allowed to park without paying was not discussed. "They still need tickets," she told the ticket writer, "but go easy on them" now that they have five tickets.

CHANGE MACHINE "SPITS OUT QUARTERS" -- CITY GETS THEM BACK!

What would you do if you found a change machine giving out free quarters? Rehoboth Beach police received a call Saturday night reporting that the new change machine at the bandstand was doing just that.

The caller guarded the change and Skip Millman, Rehoboth Beach parking meter technician, along with his partner (shown below), reset the machine around 8:45 p.m.

IT WAS A BUSY WEEKEND FOR REHOBOTH PARKING TECHNICIANS--- Friday was especially hectic for parking meter department technicians. They responded to about 50 to 60 service requests. Some were due to people who were unfamiliar with the new machines or parking procedures.

On Monday, visitors reported having trouble using the multiple-space Reino meters on the south side of the first and second blocks of Rehoboth Avenue. In a radio conversation, Skip Millman said the meters had been set to provide "free parking" on holidays. He reprogrammed a half-dozen or so of the Reinos, and vehicles parked in the affected spaces received a couple free hours.

MORE DEWEY SIGNS DEFACED

A Dewey Beach police officer on patrol Thursday night reported a series of signs that had been marked with blue writing. The defaced signs are on the northbound side of Alt. Route 1 starting at Chicago St. and continue past the town limits.

SUSSEX STREET TOAD