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WEEKEND #4, 2010
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
MORE JUNE BUGS, MORE ARRESTS
Dewey Beach appears to have seen an increase of June bug activity this season. New high school grads who flock to the shore for "beach week" are commonly known as "June bugs."
Sgt. Clifford Dempsey, Dewey Beach police spokesman, says he estimated that there were more students this year in town, a total somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 during the peak.
He says “beach week” was more popular this year and police made more arrests, although he does not yet have any totals. Sgt. Dempsey said the Delaware high school seniors were here in large numbers two weeks ago.
It seemed the students were worse behaved this year, Sgt. Dempsey says, and Dewey police had to do more enforcement than in past seasons.
This was the first year Dewey Beach provided activities for high school grads to try to keep them occupied and out of trouble. The program, dubbed "Dewin It Right," was modeled after a similar one in Ocean City, Maryland, known as "Play It Safe," which is in its 21st year.
Dewey featured pizza and wing eating contests, a bonfire on the beach, recreation with the National Guard, etc.
Sgt. Dempsey says the program got off to a slow start and organizers had to fight rumors that the National Guard was part of a conspiracy to nab underage drinkers.
On the positive side, Sgt. Dempsey said the new seasonal police officers did well with “trial by fire” and getting experience dealing with the high school grads.
Illegal drug and alcohol use by June bugs continue to consume enforcing efforts.
Around 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, police caught five teens in two separate traffic stops. Police arrested three Pennsylvania June bugs on Coastal Highway south of Dewey. Officers stopped their car because it had no license plate light.
The driver allowed police to search the car. After discovering alcohol in the trunk, officers sifted through the occupants’ belongings on the shoulder of Coastal Highway. Inside they found more alcohol, marijuana with a pipe, magic mushrooms, a collection of porn magazines, among other items.
Police seized the contraband and arrested the teens who were just passing through town. The alcohol is taken as evidence and Sgt. Dempsey says it will eventually be destroyed.
The second traffic stop happened at Bellevue Street. Police charged the 17-year-old female driver for speeding and the 17-year-old male passenger for alcohol possession. There was also some marijuana but the officer says he was unable to determine who was using/possessing it.
FATHER AND DAUGHTER INJURED IN JET SKI ACCIDENT
A man and his daughter (approximately 7 years old) were injured in a Jet Ski accident just before 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Rehoboth Bay. They were taken to the Rusty Rudder dock on a pontoon boat with a DNREC marine police officer. Rehoboth ambulance crews, Dewey lifeguards, police and paramedics were already waiting.
Sgt. Greg Rhodes, of DNREC's Fish & Wildlife Enforcement, says two Jet Skis were involved and alcohol was not a factor. No charges are pending as of Sunday evening.
Injuries did not sound life threatening. Both were taken to Beebe Hospital.
Ocean City had three Jet Ski mishaps too this weekend.
A woman was injured in the bay near 53rd Street around 1:10 p.m. Saturday. She declined to take an ambulance to the hospital. Around 6:30 p.m., another Jet Skier was injured near 50th Street.
On Sunday, a medic was sent to 50th Street around 6:45 p.m. for a woman with a Jet Ski-related shoulder injury that occurred earlier.
All injuries were reported not serious.
2 GIRLS STUCK ON AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE, RESCUED BY FIREFIGHTERS
Ocean City firefighters were summoned to Jolly Roger Amusement Park after a visitor called reporting two girls stranded in the air on the Frog Hopper ride.
The call for help came Monday around 8:40 p.m. The girls were stranded about 12 feet in the air. The fire dispatcher said the park had a ladder but it was only eight-feet long.
Firefighters reached the girls on ladder and secured them with ropes before trying to move them or lifting the safety bar. They used ropes to help lower them to the ground down the ladder to their worried father. Both were safely removed by 9:10 p.m.
Photos by Jim Davis, dcfire.com
REHOBOTH BEACH PUBLIC WORKS FILLS SINKHOLE, AGAIN
The sinkhole Rehoboth Beach public works patched last Sunday on King Charles Avenue at Brooklyn Avenue started to open again Monday morning.
Mayor Sam Cooper watched as crews excavated, searching for any underlying problems. Police closed King Charles Avenue in both directions.
The adjoining neighbor said the sewer line had been installed several years ago and runs steeply under the sidewalk and into the street to the sewer main. The city temporarily filled the hole with gravel and dirt, awaiting a permanent patch.
WILMINGTON TRUST ENFORCES "ATM PARKING ONLY"
For Coastal Towing, it's almost like shooting fish in a barrel...
Despite the warning signs and the painted "ATM Parking Only" on the pavement, people continue to park in the Wilmington Trust parking lot.
When the bank is closed and if a customer is not using the ATM, Coastal Towing removes the car. This Toyota Corolla was towed from the lot around 2:45 p.m. Sunday.
REHOBOTH BEACH BANDSTAND OPENS FOR SEASON
An enthusiastic crowd greeted Love Seed Mama Jump when the group performed Friday evening at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand. The air was so clear; the band could be heard blocks away. This is the bandstand's 48th season of summer concerts.
CAROL SCHWARTZ AND FRIEND SPOTTED SUNDAY EVENING IN REHOBOTH
Here is former D.C. Councilmember Carol Schwartz and a friend strolling along Rehoboth Beach's Baltimore Avenue Sunday evening. Who is the mystery man?
CAPE HENLOPEN DOLPHINS
From the annual MERR-Maid Sunset Dolphin Cruise
Photo: David Koster CPP, Portraits In The Sand Inc.
OTHER NEWS:
BEACH GOER SMOKING COMPLAINTS--- As the beaches are getting more crowded, so are complaints about people smoking on the beach.
A Rehoboth Beach lifeguard in the Deauville area radioed her section supervisor around 12:45 p.m. Friday asking if the beach patrol were allowed to "ask someone smoking a cigarette to move if they're bothering other people with it." She was told they could not make them move, but she should "just make sure they throw their cigarette butts away."
In Bethany Beach, the smoking rules are much different. Police received two complaints about smokers on the beach around 10:50 a.m. Saturday and around 12:45 p.m. Sunday. Here is information on Bethany Beach's public smoking regulations.
TODDLER GETS FISHHOOK STUCK IN NOSE--- The Bethany Beach ambulance was sent to the Delaware Seashore State Park around 4:45 p.m. Sunday for a three-year-old boy who got a fishhook stuck in his nose near 3 R's beach. He was taken to the Millville Medical Center.
MAN FLOWN TO TRAUMA CENTER AFTER SCOOTER CRASH--- A 55-year-old man suffered a serious injury to the right side of his head around 8:25 p.m. Saturday. The accident happened at the Ocean City Park & Ride on Ocean Gateway. He was flown to a trauma center.
EARLY MORNING FIRE ALARMS--- Ocean City had two this weekend. The first occurred around 3:30 a.m. Friday at the Holiday Inn on 66th Street. Firefighters suspected that a faulty detector on the ground floor near the pool activated the fire alarm system. There was no fire.
A carbon monoxide detector activated at Sea Crest II on 142nd Street around 4:45 a.m. Saturday. One occupant suggested he felt ill. The 9-1-1 operator told them to activate the building's fire alarm and evacuate. Firefighters reported no significant carbon monoxide readings.
VEHICLE FIRE ON ROUTE 90 BRIDGE--- Ocean City firefighters battled a vehicle fire on the Route 90 bridge around 12:15 a.m. Friday. The fire reportedly started after a multiple-vehicle accident. There were no injuries, but state highway officials came later to inspect the bridge for damage. Traffic was also affected throughout the morning.
DUNE BUGGY FIRE--- A dune buggy caught fire at the entrance to Ocean City's Inlet Lot around 10:20 a.m. Saturday and blocked the entrance way. Firefighters said the dune buggy was "fully involved" on arrival but they had the fire under control within eight minutes.
NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:
WOMEN ROBBED IN REHOBOTH BEACH (2 a.m. Sunday)
DEWEY BEACH STABBING (1:45 a.m. Saturday)
MISSING BOATER'S BODY FOUND IN BAY NEAR POT-NETS [FD PHOTOS]
Real-time ship plotter: http://henney.com/sp
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