Having trouble reading this report? Click here: http://henney.com/weekend09/
WEEKEND #9, 2010
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
REHOBOTH BEACH: 4th ROBBERY/ATTACK IN 9 DAYS
Police are investigating a fourth robbery (or attempt robbery) which has been reported in the city limits during the last nine days.
The most recent robbery happened around 2:50 a.m. Sunday on Columbia Avenue near 4th Street. The previous three incidents happened on the other side of town, along the south boardwalk.
In Sunday's robbery, the victim had reportedly walked to his house and while sitting on the porch, two black men in their 20's came to ask directions. They took the victim's cash and credit cards and then fled on foot. The men had approached from the east and fled toward the west, possibly to a car parked on Dover near Kent streets. No weapon was displayed.
The previous robbery attempt was reported around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday on Saint Lawrence Street, below.
See the Daily Times or wgmd.com for details on the previous attacks.
THE REHOBOTH "FIVE-O"
The smothering heat did not discourage Rehoboth Beach police from targeting illegal drinking on the beach for a second weekend in a row.
Last Saturday, police wrote several civil citations, and officers continued their patrols on the beach this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.
With the exception of easily concealed badges on their waistband, those enjoying alcoholic beverages were probably quite surprised when they were nabbed on the beach by what looked like a fellow beach goer.
On Saturday, the pair wrote at least seven citations for possession of glass containers on the beach, targeting the areas between Baltimore and Wilmington avenues. They called it quits around 3 p.m. and headed back to the station (below).
Another pair of seasonal officers worked the beach briefly on Sunday.
The Rehoboth Beach city code § 95-8 prohibits glass containers on the beach. It states "No glass bottles or containers of any kind shall be permitted on the beach at any time. Any violation of this section is declared a civil offense pursuant to Chapter 126 of the Municipal Code of the City of Rehoboth Beach."
Unlike more serious alcohol offenses, possessing a glass container on the beach is a civil offense. it took the officers four to five minutes to issue each citation.
Sunday's Daily Times features an article on how the shore's beach towns deal with alcohol.
REHOBOTH VISITORS PACK SURF DURING HEAT WAVE
During Saturday's heat wave, Thrasher's thermometer behind the sea of beach umbrellas showed 104 degrees around 1:28 p.m. It caught the attention of visitors, some of whom may have confused it with the alternating time clock.
But according to the boardwalk's DEOS weather station, the high in Rehoboth Beach, almost 99 degrees with a heat index of 107.5 degrees, was reached sometime around 3 p.m.
The heat drove many visitors off the sidewalk, boardwalk and into the ocean.
DELDOT PAINTS NEW "YIELD" AT REHOBOTH CIRCLE
DelDOT crews were in town on Wednesday painting new YIELD letters for the traffic circle.
BROOKLYN AVENUE SINKHOLE
This sinkhole was reported Thursday afternoon in the ocean block of Brooklyn Avenue in Rehoboth Beach. It was adjacent to a previously patched area, perhaps where the water main connects to a nearby dwelling.
REHOBOTH BOARDWALK SCREWS PEAKING THROUGH DECKING
The decking fasteners used to secure the new Rehoboth Beach boardwalk have been a challenge of sorts. "To meet withdrawal design strength," Commissioner Stan Mills says "the engineers specified screws in lieu of nails. The screws were specified to be countersunk below the decking surface."
"But now with the deck boards shrinking," Commissioner Mills says, some of the screw heads are protruding above the surface of the boards. Screws will need to be checked periodically and those protruding above the surface will need to be recessed by either tightening the screws, or if the heads are damaged, by punching them down (hammering them deeper will retain their withdrawal strength as the threads still grip the substrate).
This will become part of the overall maintenance program. He says this might take a year to gain control as decking shrinks and stabilizes.
All screws used were the same for both phases of reconstruction.
REHOBOTH PUBLIC WORKS CREW, SEAT BELTED!
INCREDIBLE WEATHER SHOTS
"Is that sand blowing down there?" asks one Rehoboth Beach lifeguard over the radio at 4:54 p.m. Sunday. "Yeah, there is, high winds coming, the sand blowing by the towers is ridiculous." says the lifeguard on the northern most stand. "About a mile down the beach, there's umbrellas flying, things going everywhere, this is coming quick," she added.
That was where David Koster, professional photographer, found himself on a portrait session. He shares these photos from the Gordon's Pond area of the Cape Henlopen State Park. He says "We finished up just in time as the sand was blowing furiously."
Meanwhile, back in Rehoboth Beach, the lifeguards cleared the water and then the beach.
Photos by David Koster (www.PortraitsInTheSand.com and www.memorymakerboat.com)
OTHER NEWS:
REHOBOTH PARKING METER AND POST DAMAGED--- Police Chief Keith Banks says someone caused damage to a pole and parking meter near the Henlopen, but it was not stolen. The parking meter techs reported it around 8 a.m. Thursday. As of Friday, he says the total number of meters stolen this season remains at seven.
NEAR DROWNING AT DEWEY POOL--- Rob Murray, Sussex County EMS spokesman, says an 18-month-old boy slipped away from his mother while in a pool. It happened around 2 p.m. Friday at the Atlantic Oceanside Motel in Dewey Beach. The boy was briefly submerged. He was taken to Beebe Hospital in good condition.
SERIOUS SEA COLONY ACCIDENTS TWICE IN 2 DAYS--- A woman was injured after her moped collided with a car. It happened around 4:25 p.m. Friday near The Market Place at Sea Colony. Her injuries did not sound life threatening but she was flown to Beebe Hospital as a precaution.
A bicyclist was struck in the same area on Wednesday around 6:40 a.m. He was flown to Christiana Hospital with head injuries. Read more about that accident on the WGMD Website.
MOTOR SCOOTER COLLIDES WITH BUS--- A 48-year-old man riding a motor scooter collided with and ended up under a bus. It happened around 11 a.m. Saturday on Inlet Isle Lane near the Ocean City Fishing Center. He suffered a fracture to his left arm/shoulder area, but was conscious when a medevac helicopter flew him to a trauma center.
CRITICAL O.C. PEDESTRIAN STRUCK--- A 25-year-old male pedestrian was struck on 20th Street at Philadelphia Avenue around 1:35 a.m. Sunday. A medevac helicopter flew him to a trauma center. Police reportedly gave the driver a field sobriety test but have not revealed the results.
O.C. SURF INJURIES/ MEDEVAC--- A 54-year-old man took a bad dive in the surf and suffered tingling in his arms below the elbow. It happened around 4 p.m. Sunday near 134th Street. The Maryland State Police helicopter flew him to a trauma center from Northside Park.
About 25 minutes later, another medevac helicopter was requested for a 12-year-old boy who was briefly unconscious and had tingling in his ear after another surf injury near North Division Street. The Delaware State Police helicopter attempted to make it to Ocean City but canceled because of approaching weather.
HOT BEACH SAND BURNS WOMAN'S FEET--- A 35-year-old woman suffered burns to the bottom of her feet after walking across the sand. It was reported Sunday around 12:20 p.m. near Bunting Avenue in Fenwick Island. The burns were described as two large superficial blisters with mild skin blistering. A Bethany Beach ambulance took her to Millville Medical Center.
WOMAN SWALLOWS PIECE FROM WATER JUG; GETS LODGED IN ESOPHAGUS--- The Bethany Beach ambulance also took a 19-year-old woman to Beebe Hospital after she swallowed a piece of plastic from a water jug. She said she could feel it lodged in her throat. It was reported around 11:30 a.m. Saturday on Half Moon Drive in Bethany West. She was not in immediate distress.
NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:
The Dewey Beach "beach sweeping" machine
Serious stabbing in Yang's Palace parking lot (O.C., Saturday)
1 dead, 5 injured in Rt. 113 crash (near Snow Hill, Saturday)
3 children injured at Trimpers Rides on "Tidal Wave" roller coaster (O.C., Thursday)
Cape May-Lewes Ferry Exploring Sale of Second Ship
Gordon's Pond plover nests hatched; heat and predators take toll
Man crashes through surgery center wall (Near Rehoboth, Thursday) --- [more info]
Lewes man arrested after fleeing police (West Rehoboth, Thursday)
Ocean City man critical after motorcycle crash (Bethany area, Thursday)
Large amount of crack cocaine seized after traffic stop (Berlin, Friday)
DSP looking for Lewes man for burglary (Lewes, Sunday)
Report shows problems with bay water quality
CG medevacs diabetic patient (O.C., Saturday)
CG medevacs man struck by scallop dredge (near Cape May, Saturday)
CG transports passenger with extreme sea sickness (near Indian River Inlet, Sunday)
Real-time ship plotter: http://henney.com/sp
The Rehoboth Weekend Update is distributed by Alan Henney. Should you receive the Weekend Update twice, or do not wish to receive it at all, please contact Alan.
To subscribe please visit: http://henney.com/rehoboth/
News leads and photos are appreciated! Please e-mail alan@henney.com or call 302-227-9160. Also try AOL or Yahoo instant-messengers or Facebook, Twitter or MySpace (all screen names: AlanHenney).
Listen for the Henney Report on 92.7/WGMD-FM's Monday morning show with Dan Gaffney!