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WEEKEND #9, 2009
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
MIRACLE ON 37TH STREET
An 11-year-old Pittsburgh boy nearly died Tuesday when a ditch he had been digging collapsed on him off 37th Street around 12:50 p.m. Ocean City Beach Patrol Capt. Butch Arbin, shown below holding the boy's hand, was among those who participated in the rescue effort.
Capt. Arbin says the boy was in cardiac arrest when they pulled him from the sand. Lifeguards started CPR and successfully revived the child. He was talking when loaded onto the medic unit.
Photos by Kristin Joson - OCBP Web Editor/Public Relations Coordinator
In an unrelated success story, Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguards revived a 25-year-old woman pulled from the surf near the Inlet Lot around 10:45 a.m. Sunday. The woman regained a pulse after the guard performed one round of CPR.
3 FLOWN TO TRAUMA CENTERS AFTER WEEKEND SURF INJURIES
A 62-year-old man suffered back and spinal injuries and possibly broken ribs while in the surf near Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach around 4 p.m. Saturday.
One of the EMS personnel said the man was briefly unconscious and could not remember the entire event when he came to. The Delaware State Police helicopter, Trooper 2, flew him from the Rehoboth Elementary School to Christiana Hospital. He reportedly had a medical history of a previous brain injury.
About 30 minutes later, another medevac helicopter, LifeNet, was called to South Bethany, where a 47-year-old woman was injured in the surf at North 3rd Street. The northbound lanes of Coastal Highway were closed to allow the helicopter to land on the roadway. The patient was also taken to Christiana Hospital.
On Sunday, the Delaware State Police helicopter flew another patient with a surf injury to Christiana Hospital. A 38-year-old man was injured in the surf off Dagsboro Street in Fenwick Island around 2:30 p.m. He complained of neck pain, had been briefly unconscious and was initially unable to move his arms and legs when he regained consciousness.
REHOBOTH PARKING PROBLEMS AIR ON D.C. TV NEWS
If you have a private parking space in town it is easy to forget the challenges that Rehoboth Beach visitors face when it comes to parking, and the recent problems with the Reino meters.
WUSA-TV aired a report last Sunday on the Reino parking meter credit card problems. Reporter/anchor Bruce Johnson is a regular Rehoboth Beach visitor. To view his report, click PLAY VIDEO in the top right side of the window that opens when you click this link.
At least two Reino meters were completely out of service on Sunday in the second block of Rehoboth Avenue. People who park at those broken Reinos express concern when they read the message which appears on the meters: NOT IN SERVICE; TIME LIMITS ENFORCED - TICKETS WILL BE ISSUED. No time limit is noted on the out-of-service meter or on street signs.
This was Reino R-110 on Sunday, one of the same Reinos that failed and was out of service during the July 4th weekend. This weekend R-110 would not accept credit cards nor quarters and its display flipped upside down. The meter was one of at least four Reinos that was placed completely out of service this weekend. The credit card readers on several other Reinos remain covered with duct tape and accept quarters only.
VEHICLE REPORTED STOLEN FOUND BEHIND CATCHERS
This black 2004 Dodge Dakota pickup truck was reported stolen Thursday morning. Rehoboth Beach police entered it in the law enforcement computer system as a stolen vehicle and notified area law enforcement.
The truck was later discovered in the rear of Catchers on Rehoboth Avenue around 4 p.m., with the keys still in the ignition. The owner lives a couple blocks away in town.
According to one police source, "It seems odd... the owner is still saying it was stolen."
FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO SMOKE ODOR IN HENLOPEN HOTEL LOBBY
There was no visible smoke but firefighters were summoned to the Henlopen Hotel on the north end of the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk just before 7 p.m. Friday for an odor in the lobby. Some occupants self-evacuated while others watched the action from balconies.
Firefighters eventually discovered a water leak from an air conditioner unit on the third floor which may have been leaking into the electrical system. They also discussed obstructions in the electrical room which one described as "not a major concern." But a fire marshal came to inspect the situation Friday evening.
4 VEHICLES TOWED FROM QUEEN STREET LIFEGUARD PARKING IN 4 DAYS!
So far, the pair of lifeguard parking spaces on Queen Street have gotten all of the lunch-time tows this season.
When Rehoboth Beach lifeguards take their lunch break, they sometimes return and find unauthorized vehicles in their parking spaces. Sometimes the beach patrol will overlook the infraction. But the past couple weeks, as parking becomes more scarce, the patrol has been requesting tows.
On Tuesday, the city towed this green Ford Explorer (below left) and this red Toyota Camry. The previous tows were on Saturday and Monday -- all from these same parking spaces on Queen Street. A fifth vehicle was removed from the Queen Street parking area on Sunday, but that was a morning tow.
Why all this unauthorized parking in Queen Street lifeguard parking? One observer suggested that one possible explanation could be the sign post which reserves the spaces. It has two different signs at right angles to each other. If the driver pulls into the space from along the curb, he or she may only notice the lower sign.
CITY PAINTED LINES ON BALTIMORE AVENUE METERED SPACES
One reader noted that the city promptly painted white lines on the street in front of the theatre at 20 Baltimore Avenue. This is where the parking confusion occurred on June 13.
NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL NOW IN FULL OPERATION ON REHOBOTH AVENUE
DelDOT placed the new traffic signal on Rehoboth Avenue at Church Street in regular operation on Wednesday morning. Some locals have been wondering what impact, if any, it would have on traffic in town.
Around 5 p.m. on Saturday, traffic was crawling out of Rehoboth. The west-bound traffic line extended from Coastal Highway to about 2nd Street.
Police officers later helped direct traffic around the circle and sent some outbound traffic out State Road.
IF CAMPAIGN SIGNS VOTED, WHO WOULD THEY SELECT?
This is obviously unscientific, but in a town which feels so strongly about ideology and politics, one can't help but notice the campaign signs, their perceptions and what affect they have on the election outcomes.
Three candidates are running for Rehoboth Beach's two commissioner seats, and their signs are popping up across town.
The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual candidate forum on Wednesday. On Thursday, we surveyed the entire length of Hickman Street and Columbia Avenue and here are the results.
If a candidate had more than one sign on a property, it was counted only once. But if two different candidates had signs on the same property, both were included in the totals.
HICKMAN STREET--- A total of eight properties displayed campaign signs, split evenly between Paul Kuhns and Bill Sargent.
COLUMBIA AVENUE--- A total of 15 properties displayed campaign signs, some for two candidates. Sargent had signs on nine properties, Kathy McGuiness had six and Kuhns had four.
In past years, Columbia Avenue typically favored the Save Our City candidates while streets on the south side and downtown often favored an opposing candidate.
Next week we'll sample at least two more streets!
MEET REHOBOTH BEACH COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES
The Rehoboth Beach Homeowners' Association will host its annual "candidates' forum" this Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Camp Rehoboth assembly room at 37 Baltimore Avenue.
With less than 20 days left until Election Day, look for the three candidates as they continue to canvas town.
The three (in alphabetical order) are:
Paul Kuhns is running for a second term as commissioner. He ran for mayor last year, but was unsuccessful. You can join Commissioner Kuhns' e-mail list by entering your e-mail address at this link.
Kathy McGuiness is a veteran running for her fourth term as commissioner. She actually lives in Henlopen Acres and is well known for her work with Rehoboth Beach Main Street and the business community. Look for her video on YouTube later this week.
Bill Sargent, father of former Commissioner Richard Sargent, is riding around town on a 1940's-era Schwinn bicycle, dubbed The Frugal Express. He has been a member of the city's Board of Adjustment for 10 years. Read more about him on his Website.
Photo by Dale Sheldon
CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK SNAKE
Jerry Sipes took these photos while bicycle riding on the trail in the Cape Henlopen State Park across from Gordon's Pond. He said he almost ran over the snake, but he was fast enough to go around it, stop, and take these pictures before the snake slivered away.
One of the snake enthusiasts on the Yahoo Groups Gartersnake e-mail list says the snake is an eastern hognose. She says the lower photo shows a hint of an upturned snout, black blotches behind the head, and the row of spots/blotches high up on the side of the snake. She added that they seem to like sandy clearings in forests (pine or oak) where there may be plenty of toads (the majority of their diet.)
Another snake enthusiast suggested it might be some type of water snake.
Photos by Jerry Sipes
OTHER NEWS:
MAN BREAKS WINDOW OUT OF DEWEY POLICE VEHICLE--- Dewey Beach police officers called for the police van after a disorderly and presumably intoxicated man knocked the window out of the department's Chevy Tahoe SUV. It happened around 12:30 a.m. Saturday at the Rusty Rudder. About six hours later, a Rehoboth ambulance was called to the Dewey Beach police station for the 30-year-old man who was complaining of head pain from hitting his head on a glass window. Last week, a suspect involved in a domestic knocked the windshield out of a Rehoboth Beach patrol vehicle.
FINGER AMPUTATIONS RESULT OF JET-SKI ACCIDENT--- A 24-year-old reportedly had several of his fingers amputated after a boating accident. It was reported around 8:20 p.m. Friday on Carlisle Road in the York Beach area of South Bethany. Supposedly the man was on a tube being pulled by a Jet-Ski in the Assawoman Bay when the accident happened. At least three of his fingers were amputated or partially amputated. He was taken to Beebe Hospital. DNREC is investigating.
3 WEEKEND MEDEVACs FROM O.C. CRASHES--- Ocean City had medevac flyouts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from serious auto accidents. The first crash happened around 11 p.m. Friday on 67th Street. A motorcyclist suffered a serious head injury. On Saturday, an unrestrained front-seat passenger in a vehicle was thrown into the windshield at 62nd Street around 10:40 p.m. On Sunday, two persons riding motor-scooters were injured at 81st Street around 6:10 p.m. Both were taken on the same helicopter to a trauma center.
ROBBERY AT REHOBOTH 7-ELEVEN--- Rehoboth Beach police are investigating a reported robbery around 3:30 a.m. Monday (today) outside the 7-Eleven on Rehoboth Avenue. Dewey Beach police may have a suspect stopped.
DRUNK BICYCLIST CRASHES INTO PARKED CAR, FLEES, GETS CAUGHT, GOES TO BEEBE WITH POLICE--- A man ran his bike into a parked car in the ocean block of Norfolk Street around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Police reported scratches to the vehicle and some blood. An officer caught up with the suspect on the boardwalk at Hickman Street. He was taken to Beebe Hospital with a cut above his eye.
INJURIES FROM LIQUOR BOTTLES--- A Rehoboth Beach ambulance responded twice this weekend to the Lighthouse Restaurant-Rusty Rudder complex for injuries from liquor bottles. A server suffered an accidental cut to her foot from a wine bottle around 11:15 p.m. Friday. She declined to take the ambulance to the hospital. A 26-year-old woman was injured around 11:35 p.m. Saturday after a beer bottle struck and cut her head. She was taken to Beebe Hospital by ambulance.
NORTH SHORES POOL PUMP FIRE--- Rehoboth Beach firefighters were called to 2 Ocean Drive after a pool pump caught fire around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The fire was extinguished with a garden hose prior to fire department arrival. A fire marshal was called to investigate.
REHOBOTH BAR NOISE COMPLAINTS--- A new contender has emerged in the late-night bar noise complaint category. Rehoboth Beach police have responded about a half dozen times so far this season to Shag at 37 Wilmington Avenue. Some of the noise complaints come from guests at the Brighton Suites and nearby residents. Officers were there again on Sunday at 12:30 a.m. and returned about 35 minutes later. They were considering citing the establishment.
OTHER WEEKEND WATER INCIDENTS--- Three women were reported possibly in distress on a Bayrunner near the jetty wall at the Lewes ferry terminal around 1:40 p.m. Saturday. Several agencies searched for about 30 minutes, but were unable to find anything. Around 5:15 p.m. Saturday, a woman reported that her 11-year-old grandson was missing on an inflatable kayak near Indian River Drive in Bay Colony. They found him safe and brought him to shore about 15 minutes later. On Sunday, a boat was reportedly taking on water in the Indian River near Lighthouse Cove and White House Beach around 11 a.m. The two persons on board were assisted by the Coast Guard.
EARLY MORNING FIRE ALARM--- The only early morning fire alarm this weekend in Ocean City was at the Tidelands Caribbean Hotel on 5th Street around 1:15 a.m. Friday. A guest called reporting that the alarm lights were flashing, but no call was received from an alarm company. The system was reporting an activated heat detector in the ocean-front building. A sprinkler head was supposedly replaced earlier in the day, and the firefighters seemed unclear if the system was functioning properly.
NOTEWORTHY WEEKEND AUTO ACCIDENTS--- A 7-year-old was injured in an accident around 12:02 a.m. Friday at John J. Williams Highway and Long Neck Road. The child was flown to A.I. duPont Hospital for Children with non-life threatening injuries.
Also on John J. Williams Highway, a vehicle flipped over and landed right-side-up along side the roadway around 10:20 p.m. Friday. The highway was closed between Banks Road and Holly Lakes Road. The driver was not seriously injured.
Northbound Route 13 was closed around 11:40 a.m. Saturday just north of Route 404 outside Bridgeville after an auto accident. One person was flown to a trauma center and three others were taken by ground to the hospital.
Route 54 traffic was a mess after a person fell from a moped around 12:30 p.m. Saturday on Lighthouse Road near Swann Keys. A medevac helicopter was en route, but EMS personnel decided to take the patient by ground to the hospital. Injuries were not life threatening.
NEWS RELEASES:
80-YEAR-OLD SURVIVES POCOMOKE PLANE CRASH (SUNDAY)
SHED FIRE (WITH PHOTOS), SWEETBRIAR ROAD, LEWES (FRIDAY)
GARAGE FIRE (WITH PHOTOS), NESBITT STATION, LEWES (SATURDAY)
CRITICAL MOTORCYCE ACCIDENT, LEWES (SATURDAY)
POLICE CHARGE DRUNK DISORDERLY MAN AT GRAY HARE TAVERN, LEWES (SATURDAY)
3 INJURED IN ROUTE 50 CRASH, TRAPPE (FRIDAY)
MAN STILL HAS DRIVER'S LICENSE AFTER 6 DUIs, ELLENDALE (THURSDAY)
HOME INVASION IN WEST REHOBOTH (FRIDAY)
3 KILLED SO FAR IN NJ DIVING ACCIDENTS IN 2009
MILLSBORO WOMAN EMBEZZLES $100,000
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