WEEKEND #3, 2020
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
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PEACEFUL PROTESTS COME TWICE TO R.B. IN PAST WEEK
Friday's protest in memory of George Floyd along Coastal Highway was among the largest the Rehoboth area has seen. Despite being canceled by its organizers because of looting concerns it peaked at about 500 participants around 5 p.m. and continued past 9 p.m. At one point, the line of protesters stretched from the County Bank all the way to the entrance to Sea Air Village
Last Monday, about 90 protesters came to downtown Rehoboth Beach. They started their protest at the bandstand and eventually marched to the Rehoboth Beach city hall and police station where they continued to chant and pose for photos.
Various Police agencies and state troopers came from all over to assist with the protests. No arrests were reported.
Many shops closed early and some even boarded their windows like the Quiet Storm Surf Shop on Rehoboth Avenue.
While the Quiet Storm Surf Shop resorted to boarding its storefront, a man with an AR-15 rifle and a 9 m.m. handgun came to protect the Purple Parrot from attack.
Tanger Outlets closed early during both protests and the shopping center was transformed into a guarded fortress surrounded by police and massive temporary concrete barriers like one would expect around a federal building in Washington, D.C. In addition, some outlet shops boarded their windows as well.
More details on the Monday and Friday protests are on the WGMD website. Here is Mari Lou's report from Monday.
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BOY POSSIBLY BITTEN BY SHARK
A 12-year-old boy was taken to the hospital this past Thursday after he was possibly bitten in his leg by a shark in the Cape Henlopen State Park. The attack was reported near the north jetty at Herring Point around 12:40 p.m.
"While initially reported as a shark bite, the appearance of the bite mark is being reviewed by state and fisheries experts to determine if it was from a shark or potential other creature," DNREC said in a statement later that day. Shown is a photo of the actual injury from the iDewey Facebook page.
As a result, officials had closed Herring Point to surfing and swimming Thursday afternoon.
The only other known shark bite at a Delaware State Park beach occurred on June 9, 2014. That also took place in the Cape Henlopen State Park. In that case, a 16-year-old boy was bitten on his forearm while standing in five feet of water.
Photo courtesy iDewey
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SO FAR, 2 FILE FOR MAYOR AND 3 FILE FOR COMMISSIONER
Deadline to file to run for Rehoboth Beach mayor
or commissioner is today at 4:30 p.m.
Former Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Stan Mills has filed to challenge Mayor Paul Kuhns who is up for reelection this August.
The two commissioners whose terms end this year, Commissioners Stephen Scheffer and Lisa Schlosser, both said they do not intend to seek another term. Former Commissioners Patrick Gossett and Jay Lagree have filed for the two soon-to-be-open commissioner seats along with Rachel Macha who is a member of the city's Parks & Shade Tree and Planning commissions.
The election this year is Saturday, August 8. Voters must register at city hall by July 9. Details are on the city website. Also see Mayor Kuhns' letter on absentee ballots.
Please check WGMD.com later today for any new candidate news.
Photos courtesy the candidates
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REHOBOTH BOARDWALK STARTS SEASON WITH NEW TRASH CANS
Boardwalk recycling program coming soon!
Over the winter, Rehoboth Beach repainted the boardwalk trash cans dark gray to match the dark gray lids and the few black lids. This is part of a new color scheme recommended by the city's Boardwalk and Beach Committee, chaired by former Comm. Stan Mills, for an upcoming boardwalk recycling program which has been approved by the city commissioners.
The city had tried a public recycling program in 2003 but it failed because of too much contamination. Lessons learned from that program have been applied to this one. The new recycling containers awaiting delivery, for example, will be 55-gallon drums as are the trash cans, Mills says, but they will be painted dark blue with dark blue lids plus labeling to identify them for disposal only of plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
Furthermore, the recycling containers will be collocated with trash cans so anyone having something other than a can or bottle may simply toss it into a trash can. The recycling containers will have smaller openings to restrict what goes into the containers, hopefully excluding pizza boxes and other trash, Mills pointed out.
This is not a residential-style single-stream recycling program, he noted. The city is focusing on the two types of recyclables only to see if this can be made into a successful recycling program.
The city will continue to use plastic bags for both public trash cans and recyclables. "The use of bags versus going 'bagless' is to better facilitate collection," Mills said, adding that the bags retain the waste or recyclable products and effluents and make it easier to manually load and unload collection vehicles.
The bags used for recyclables will be discarded after their contents are emptied into recycling dumpsters. This allows for monitoring of the quality of recyclables, looking for contaminants, but also practices proper recycling technique as plastic bags are not wanted among the single-stream recyclables, Mills said.
As the trash bags hang over the cans it is thought that the bags will become part of the container aesthetic, he says. The goal for the trash cans is to use dark gray trash bags, gray drums and gray tops. The color scheme for the recycle containers will be blue drums, clear bags and blue lids. The desire is for the trash bags and recyclables bags to be different colors to distinguish between the two, he added.
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NO GRADUATION CEREMONY, NO PROBLEM!
Couple holds substitute ceremony for son and his
friends in Dewey!
"After days of trying to figure out how to properly recognize these young men after losing so many rites of passage from their senior year due to the virus," says proud mother, Yvette Severn, "this idea came to me and all the pieces just fell together."
The family beach house on Chicago Street in Dewey was perfect! She was even able to collect the students' caps and gowns for a surprise graduation ceremony for her son, Hank, and many of his fellow classmates. One of the students' favorite teachers, John Enders, just happened to be in Ocean City and was able to participate.
This is the Dulaney High School (from Timonium, Md.) Class of 2020 graduating this past Friday in Dewey Beach!
"This was a total surprise to the boys," Severn says. "They had just finished 'senior week' in Ocean City, one of the only rites of passage that they were able to enjoy since Covid-19 shut all the schools. We invited them here for what they thought would just be a farewell lunch." Instead, as Pomp and Circumstance played, they orchestrated a mock graduation, while Enders handed out the 'diplomas.' Tyler Judd was the official host and also delivered the commencement speech. Local friends attended.
The ceremony ended with the ritual of moving the tassel and then tossing the caps in the air, followed by lunch, of course. Severn's oldest son, Beau, who had a traditional graduation in 2017, said this was more fun than his!
Photos courtesy Yvette Severn
RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL SHOPS TAKE BUSINESS TO THE SIDEWALK
With the first weekend of "Phase 1" now behind us, business owners have been struggling to adapt to the new normal. Many Rehoboth Beach restaurants have adapted to sidewalk dining and now several retail shops are expanding outside as well.
Comm. Susan Gay said the commissioners are expected to discuss how well the sidewalks are working to help the city's businesses during Tuesday's commissioner meeting. They will be considering how well people are using the alternative walkways and are dealing with the loss of parking and related issues.
Restaurants such as Claws are using the space in creative ways and retailers are putting their goods out much as they had done for the annual sidewalk sales. Even the new bike shop is using space to display its rentals.
See the Cape Gazette and this WRDE report for more on sidewalk dining and the Rehoboth Avenue barricades.
Photos courtesy Hoyte Decker
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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Canada Geese family at Rehoboth Beach's Lake Gerar by Stan Mills...
Coastal Delaware's premier lifestyle magazine ...
A look inside: Delaware Beach Life June 2020 issue
OTHER NEWS:
THE MERR REPORT--- Suzanne Thurman from the MERR Institute reports that her organization had only one incident this past week, and that was for a dead harbor seal at the Indian River Inlet. She says the remains were too decomposed and floated out to sea before her team could examine it closely.
SUSPICIOUS FIRE AT OLD AQUA-LEISURE CENTER--- Firefighters from several fire companies responded after a fire was reported at the former Aqua-Leisure Center outside Rehoboth on Wolfe Neck Road. It happened around 12:35 a.m. this past Wednesday and firefighters were on scene until around 4 a.m. Investigators say damages are estimated at $200,000 and that this is a suspected arson. More info is on WGMD.com.
FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO ARK CONDO FOR SMOKE ODOR--- Rehoboth Beach firefighters responded to the Ark Condo in the fifth block of Rehoboth Avenue around 11:15 a.m. this past Wednesday for an odor of smoke. The odor turned out to be caused by an occupant using oven cleaner to clean a stove on the second floor. The building's fire alarm had been activated, some occupants evacuated and traffic was briefly disrupted on Rehoboth Avenue.
MAN STRUCK IN HEAD IN O.C. AND FLOWN TO TRAUMA CENTER--- A 24-year-old man suffered a serious head injury and chipped teeth after he was reportedly assaulted by a mob around 4:45 a.m. this past Friday. It happened on 12th Street in Ocean City. No response yet from police and it is unclear if his injuries were from a fall or if somebody had actually struck him. The state police helicopter flew him to a trauma center from the Coast Guard station.
NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:
Automatically move Gmail messages from Promotions to Primary tab
DNREC announces 15,500 surf-fishing permits issued this year, restricts sales locations
Bob Yesbek's annual pizza roundup!
Restaurant Week to become Culinary Coast Takeout Week
'Instant' post office delivered to Harbeson
Lewes to offer free morning parking downtown
Lewes summer concert series returns
Lewes merchants oppose Second Street closure
Man shot in elbow after road-rage incident (Saturday, Villages of Herring Creek)
Beachfire proposes new West Rehoboth brewpub
Rehoboth Beach Gay Guide: hotels, bars and more
Beach and boardwalk packed despite social distancing recommendations in Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach Bandstand cancels 2020 Summer Concert Series
Changes to parking in Bethany Beach beginning June 12
Ocean City police officer faces heat after punching visitor
Two suspects sought in Ocean City boardwalk stabbing
Officials medevac man 275 miles off the coast of Ocean City
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