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WEEKEND #06, 2011
(July 4th Weekend)
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER TAKES NEWLY WEDS' DREAMS
Three months ago, Yoram Moyshe married Catherine Stella. They were a unique couple – he came from Israel and she is Irish. The couple had dreams of moving from Key West, Florida to Delaware to start a T-shirt business, find a new home and start a family.
But that dream ended tragically last Tuesday night on Coastal Highway outside Rehoboth Beach. That is where state police say Dawn R. Layfield, an alleged drunk driver pictured below in a mug shot, rear-ended Moyshe's 2010 Bash moped in the southbound lanes south of Bay Vista Road around 9:30 p.m.
The impact propelled the moped forward as Moyshe was thrown backwards on the hood of a 2008 Nissan Rogue. When Layfield stopped her Nissan, Moyshe tumbled to the ground on the shoulder of Coastal Highway.
It was a horrific scene when rescuers arrived. Bystanders were attempting to perform CPR on Moyshe as he lay in a pool of blood. Blood splattered with each chest compression. He had suffered massive head injuries. EMS personnel arrived within minutes and loaded him on a back board.
They took him to Beebe Medical Center. He remained in cardiac arrest, and despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead.
Zohar Levy, Moyshe's cousin, says Moyshe had just left Big Fish Grill where he had dinner. They worked together at the Electric Banana south of the canal bridge. Levy said they were going to see how business went this season and perhaps Moyshe would have started his own shop next year.
Anita Becker, Catherine's cousin, said Moyshe had called his wife before he left the shop. He told her he was hungry and was leaving work to eat dinner. That was the last time they spoke.
Police have charged Layfield, 43, of Annapolis, with first-degree vehicular homicide and DUI. She was not injured.
Catherine, 33, learned of her husband's death by phone hours later. Becker says Catherine is devastated. "They had been best of friends for years," she said. Yoram had told her he was going to make her love him. "After a couple years," Becker says "Catherine was like oh my gosh, I really love him."
The couple had a wedding on the beach on Yoram's birthday, March 20, in Key West, Florida, which Becker said she arranged and photographed. They planned to travel to Israel for a traditional Jewish wedding later this year.
Two weeks ago, Becker says, Catherine had a horrible dream that her husband was killed in a moped accident. She told him then he should get rid of it. Now she was blaming herself.
Becker says she wants to come to Delaware for the court hearing. "I want her [Layfield] to see my face and I will have a wedding picture with me," she added. "It is easy for her to disconnect. I want her to see the face of the person she killed. I want someone there," Becker added.
State police say Moyshe was not wearing a helmet, nor was he required to do so under state law. Becker says it would not have made any difference since she was told he suffered a broken neck in addition to a skull fracture. The moped he was riding is equipped with both headlights and taillights, and the taillight continued to blink even after the accident.
The family plans to hold a memorial service at Congregation B'nai Zion in Key West on July 10. Moyshe's body was taken to New York Wednesday and flown to Israel. He was buried within 36 hours of his death, near Tel Aviv, in accordance with Jewish tradition.
Since the accident, hundreds of condolences have been posted to Yoram Moyshe's Facebook page. In his final post to his wall, four days before his death, Moyshe wrote "yea shes my irish princess" replying to a comment about a wedding photo posted on his wall.
Becker says she is aware that Layfield may have had previous DUI cases in Maryland, but she has not gotten official confirmation. "It is just devastating that you have to kill somebody" for the system to take notice, she says in regard to repeat drunk driving offenders. "It is horrible that we have to wait for somebody to die for something to happen." She has contacted MADD for assistance.
Maryland court records show a Dawn Renee Layfield, who is also the same age, who had been under supervised probation for a hit & run and DUI from last summer. Delaware State Police would not confirm if this were the same Layfield. A second case listing for a "Dawn Renee Layfield" was for a DWI with a PBJ (probation before judgment) in July of 1989.
For more on Moyshe see this article from the Key West Citizen.
Yoram Moyshe and Catherine Stella wedding photo courtesy Anita Becker
DNREC BEACH SURVEY CREW WORKS REHOBOTH-DEWEY SHORELINE
This past week, a DNREC crew from Division of Watershed Stewardship's Shoreline and Waterway Management Section has been conducting its monthly "tower to tower" beach survey (from the tower north of Rehoboth to the tower south of Dewey) to study and track beach erosion and sand migration over time.
Aboard a 23-foot SeaArk equipped with GPS and other specialized gear, Joanna Wilson, DNREC spokeswoman, says they are taking measurements to create a cross section profile of the beach from behind the dunes out 30 feet into the water. Because their work must be done close to shore in the surf zone, Wilson says they work closely with lifeguards to ensure that swimmers are not in the path of their boat.
The crew has placed its bright red survey markers along the dune line.
A CASE OF TOW RAGE?
Rehoboth Beach police responded out of town Sunday night after an incident at Coastal Towing's impound lot on Rehoboth Avenue Extended. Around 10:25 p.m. the towing company called for police assistance after a person reportedly ripped off the gate. No state troopers were available in the area, so Rehoboth Beach police came to assist.
NEW REHOBOTH PARKING TICKET HOTSPOT
Rehoboth Beach police have been called to these new reserved parking spaces in front of the Building & Licensing offices almost daily this season. Up until the past week, violators were towed. But now they simply receive a ticket. Police received three complaints on Friday that unauthorized vehicles had parked in the spaces.
The reserved parking spaces are regular metered parking spots, assigned to a multi-space parking meter, but during the week, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., the sign says they are for "city business only."
MINOR INJURIES AFTER MEDIC-104 COLLIDES WITH VOLVO IN DOWNTOWN RB
EMS crews were alerted to a medical emergency for a man complaining of pain in his left arm in the first block of Olive Avenue around 6:35 p.m. Sunday.
According to a witness, when Medic 104 entered the intersection of 1st Street and Olive Avenue, the bumper of the medic collided with the passenger-side front fender of this Volvo S60.
Two people in the car complained of minor injuries. Police marked the street around the Volvo's tires and got traffic flowing again.
ON VANDER ZEE'S ART
by Guillermo
Silveira
Iron Wood protecting trees, Olive Grove with Botticelli's curls, reminds whimsical textures on water and sap. A Bonsai Blue scrambling the knowledge of Dutch Masters with contemporary and Renaissance techniques tones its fauve colors. Fractals embraced by Giacometti like figures and Crimson Ridge on imaginary landscapes root musically infinite images. Indigo Ridge or scarlet red falls scream like Rodin's gates hiding us behind Yellow Tree Ridge and a Deep Forest facing six fragile branches, and all the beauty that blue gorgeous eyes may revile. Lucifer or Aquifer? We don't know, but they join emotions where earth teardrops delight. Rob Vander Zee - Philip Morton's state of the arts vernissage enlightens Rehoboth Art.
Rob Vander Zee's show runs through July 14 at the Philip Morton Gallery in Rehoboth Beach. He is pictured above in front of one of his favorite works, Yellow Tree Ridge I. For more info, visit the gallery's Website.
PENINSULA GALLERY - Celebrating its 15th year
by Guillermo
Silveira
An astonishing Land and Sea show gathers Michele Green, Stephen Brehm, and Brian Murphy, three excellent green landscape artists, adult masters in figuration and color. Michele's Deep Purple, pictured below, takes us behind the walls and season by season from woods to winter marshes. She studies Blackbird Forest's light while hiking, working against weather conditions or insects opposition, and finding many of the best mystical places in our gorgeous Delmarva area.
Stephen, born in France, now American, moves us formally from a Creek Bend to his spectacular seascapes, where Atlantic waves, The Pounding Surf, foam, clouds and sounding wind emerges like his tender voice and peace of mind. Brian's Red Bridge fire us back to share Lancaster's farms, barns, creeks and rivers, to finally show us the charm of a relaxing morning by Laguna Cove or a simple Sunset.
Each painting is an excuse to ponder nature's beauty through the art of painting, in a time where we really need to enjoy it. Michele Green, Stephen Brehm, and Brian Murphy are three committed professional fine arts workers that we'll recognize and never forget. For more of their art, visit Peninsula Gallery at 520 East Savannah Road in Lewes.
Stephen Brehm with his painting, Conestoga River Farm.
DEWEY BEACH ROBIN ON COMCAST CABLE
OTHER NEWS:
SEA COLONY CARBON MONOXIDE DEATH--- An 80-year-old man is dead and a 93-year-old woman remains in serious condition after being removed from a Sea Colony townhouse late Sunday evening. The incident was initially reported as a gas leak around 11:14 p.m. at 20021 Greenway in the West Lake section.
Joe Hopple, Bethany Beach Fire Company spokesman, says the man and woman who reside in the townhouse had called their niece in Rehoboth after the family cat became ill and died.
She came to check on them, and called for help when she found them unresponsive. Rescuers removed the woman. She was taken to Beebe Hospital. Hopple says she was in serious condition. The man was also removed, but he was already in cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead.
Sea Colony security and firefighters evacuated the complex while they investigated what happened. Hopple says investigators are considering several sources of the carbon monoxide including the possibility that a vehicle was left running in the garage. See the WGMD.com Website for more details.
WOMAN "OFFENSIVELY TOUCHED" AFTER REHOBOTH FIREWORKS--- Police received a complaint just before 10 p.m. Monday that a woman had been walking her dog on King Charles Avenue. She said she saw six young black males behind a bush between Rodney and Saint Lawrence streets. When she checked what they were doing, one of the men shoved her and they fled. Police were classifying the event as an "offensive touching."
REHOBOTH PARKING RAGE--- Rehoboth Beach police were called to at least four incidents on Sunday that involved verbal confrontations for parking spaces.
The first was reported around 2:35 p.m. on Lake Avenue near the Henlopen. A parking meter ticket writer radioed for assistance. He said several people, mostly women, were fighting over a parking space and blocking traffic. Those involved left before police arrived.
Around 3:20 p.m., at 1st Street and Maryland Avenue, the police dispatcher reported that a man called and said "he pulled into a parking spot and had a disorderly subject who is screaming at him advising that he took her parking spot." The woman arguing with him was reportedly "holding up traffic because she had parked behind him and was yelling at them."
At 6:50 p.m, a Rehoboth Beach police officer reported that he was across from the firehouse with a woman who had been trying to hold a parking spot. He said he had already given her warnings, to which the dispatcher replied, "Arrest her!" Police ran her through the computer and gave her another warning.
Finally, at 8:30 p.m., police had another complaint that a fight broke out over a parking space on Wilmington Avenue. Four men were reportedly holding the space, even sitting down on the street, in an effort to keep people from parking there.
NICHOLAS "OLD FART" PAPPAS GOES TO COURT--- Nicholas Pappas, who was arrested after an incident at Rehoboth Beach Patrol headquarters on June 22, told WGMD's Dan Gaffney in this radio interview that he will plead "not guilty." His court appearance to enter his plea is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Justice of the Peace Court 2. The court is open to the public but no photography is allowed in the courtroom. The Gannett papers ran this article about his arrest.
HOLIDAY WEEKEND WATER INCIDENTS--- Fire companies, medics, DNREC, Coast Guard and the state police helicopter were alerted to these water rescue incidents this weekend:
Fri. 5:45 p.m. -- Route 90 bridge west of O.C. -- Boater reportedly jumped into bay south of bridge. A second person went in after the first. One was rescued by a DNR boat and the other was picked up by the Coast Guard.
Sat. 9:15 p.m. -- Rehoboth Bay near West Bay Park -- A white v-bottom vessel reportedly was seen firing two flares. There were several reports of fireworks in the area. But firefighters checked and concluded that a boat had been assisted to shore. See WGMD's Website for more.
Sun. 4:46 p.m. -- Boat ramp on Inlet Road, Delaware Seashore State Park -- A 54-year-old woman was riding a speedboat when it struck a wave and she was injured. She was taken to the boat ramp by DNREC and taken to Beebe Hospital by ambulance. Injuries sounded minor.
Sun. 8:41 p.m. -- Lake Comegys, across from Silver Lake -- A 47-year-old man fell about four feet into the lake and heard a "pop" in his right knee. Rehoboth Beach firefighters were dispatched for a rescue, but the man was already on land when they arrived. He was taken to Beebe Hospital by ambulance.
Mon. 10 a.m. -- Cape Henlopen State Park, Navy Crossing -- A man was reported caught in a rip about 50 to 100 yards from the beach. He was out of the water when firefighters arrived.
SURF INJURIES REQUIRING MEDEVACS--- Two beach goers were injured seriously enough this weekend to require a medevac to a trauma center. In the first case, a 40-year-old man reportedly dove head-first into the surf and had to be pulled from the water. It happened on the northeast side of the Indian River Inlet around 2:40 p.m. Saturday.
A 58-year-old woman was injured Monday in front of the Sea Colony Edgewater House. She had been body surfing, got caught by a wave and went down in the surf around 10:25 a.m. She suffered neck pain, numbness and tingling on the left side, and had a history of a previous neck injury.
OC GUARDS REVIVE MAN IN CARDIAC ARREST, TWICE--- Lifeguards pulled a 45-year-old man from the surf at 19th Street around 12:40 p.m. Monday. OCBP Capt. Butch Arbin says the man had been body boarding when guards saw bystanders trying to pull him up. Lifeguards used a "stabilization technique" to remove the man from the surf and minimize any further injury.
Once on the beach, Capt. Arbin says the man had no pulse and they began CPR. The area OCBP supervisor arrived and deployed an AED (defibrillator). The AED shocked the man once, and he began to show signs of breathing but went into cardiac arrest, again. The AED shocked once more. His pulse and breathing returned, and the man was taken to the hospital. On last report, Capt. Arbin says he was showing positive signs.
DEWEY RUNS OUT OF BOOTS--- Dewey Beach parking enforcers have been especially active finding and booting vehicles that owe the town money for unpaid fines. Around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, an officer discovered two vehicles with unpaid parking tickets on the bayside of Dagsworthy Avenue, but she only had one boot left. "We are out of boots, so I don't know what to do now," she said over the radio. They eventually decided to call Coastal Towing to remove the second vehicle and boot the other.
3 EMS CALLS AT ST. EDMOND CHURCH IN 60 MINUTES--- Rehoboth Beach officials became concerned after three persons at Saint Edmond Roman Catholic Church Sunday morning became ill. The first was a 56-year-old woman who felt "light headed" at 7:20 a.m., followed by another near-fainting at 8:09 a.m. and a 28-year-old pregnant woman who felt dizzy as if she were going to faint about four minutes later. They checked for carbon monoxide, but nothing was found.
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK IN DEWEY, NOT SERIOUS--- A 25-year-old man, who had reportedly been drinking, was taken to the hospital after he got struck by a vehicle on Coastal Highway near Dagsworthy Avenue. He complained of head pain, had a cut to his wrist, but appeared to be alert. It happened around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
MAN INJURED IN LONG FALL IN O.C., FLOWN TO TRAUMA CENTER--- A 23-year-old man fell on Somerset Street in Ocean City around 2:40 a.m. Monday. One report said he fell from a balcony, and the other report was that he fell down two flights of stairs. A paramedic talking with the state police helicopter medic said the man landed on concrete but had no obvious injury, though he was unresponsive. The helicopter flew him from the Coast Guard station's helipad.
EARLY MORNING O.C. FIRE ALARMS--- Oddly the only early morning fire alarm affecting a hotel, motel or condo this weekend was reported at the south tower of the Princess Bayside Beach Hotel on 48th Street just before 3 a.m. Monday. The building alarm activated after one or more hallway smoke detectors activated on the 4th floor. There was no fire.
REHOBOTH LIFEGUARDS GET COMPLAINT ABOUT SEE-THRU BOXERS--- "There is a man down here wearing, like, boxers that are kind of exposing himself and, ah, this lady complained, um, should I do anything?" asked the guard on the Wilmington Avenue stand around 11:25 a.m. Monday.
"Since we got a complaint we have to follow through on it," Capt. Kent Buckson radios back to her. "So tell him to cover up," he continues speaking to the guard and her supervisor. "Tell him to get out of the water immediately and put some clothes on or he will be escorted off the beach... So if he doesn't do that, then we'll have an officer come down and take him off. We're not playing games," Capt. Buckson warned. The man returned to his blanket and complied.
NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:
Rehoboth: Ignore a beach resort parking ticket and ruin your credit
Rehoboth's noise committee won't be formed
OC seafood magnate Brice Phillips dies
Store thefts hold steady in summer
Beach towns equipped to battle 'June bug' thefts
NRDC report awards Rehoboth and Dewey "superstar" status
Remains found in burning car near Ocean Pines identified
Rehoboth Beach commissioner's finances, voting status questioned
Code fight spilling into Rehoboth Beach mayor's race
Surge in motorcycle fatalities puts focus on safety in Delaware
Police make more arrests in Rehoboth robberies
3 more arrested in rash of robberies & assaults in Rehoboth
Rehoboth guards against gang activity
Volunteers needed for annual dolphin count
Lewes man killed in crash (Millsboro, Thursday)
Fire displaces 7 adults (Millville, Monday)
Worry swells over dangerous waves (surf injury analysis)
Real-time ship plotter: http://henney.com/sp
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