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WEEKEND #09, 2016

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

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REHOBOTH FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE KITTEN AND DUCKLINGS IN SAME WEEK
Fire chief dives head-first into storm drain to save kitten

During a 48-hour period this past week, firefighters from the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company rescued a kitten and several ducklings from two separate storm drains.

Rehoboth Beach visitors Maggie Ryan and Dylan Nagy were just passing a storm drain on State Road around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when they heard the heart-wrenching meow sounds cats make when they are in distress. That is when Nagy pulled out a flashlight and spotted the kitten stranded inside the drain.

The couple called the Rehoboth Beach 9-1-1 center which sent firefighters and police to the scene. The rescue effort became increasingly more complicated because the kitten hid from the rescuers. They pulled the grates from the drain and an adjacent drain for better access. But what brought the kitten out of hiding was a plate of freshly grilled salmon brought by a bystander.

With Capt. Vaughn McCabe holding Chief L. Chatham Marsch by the belt of his shorts, he lowered Chief Marsch into the storm drain while he held the plate of salmon. Amazingly, the plan worked! Moments later Chief Marsch was able to grab the kitten although it was scratching him. He kept his grip long enough as they were pulled from the pit.

Once on the surface the kitten appeared to take a quick nibble of the salmon -- posing long enough with Ryan and Nagy for a single photo -- and then the kitten darted across Lee Street as if it knew where it was going.

Around 6:15 p.m. the previous evening, seven ducklings and their mother were discovered stranded in a storm drain at the Tunnell Cancer Center on John J. Williams Highway just as a violent thunderstorm was brewing to the west.

According to this Beebe Healthcare news release, employees had heard a duck quacking loudly around a storm drain to the rear of the complex and that is where they saw the stranded ducklings. Employees called firefighters for help.

The rescue team responded and was able to save most of the ducklings, says the news release. The responders included Ted Doyle, Jesse Imhoff, Chief L. Chatham Marsch, Connor Satchell, Leonard Tylecki, Capt. Vaughn McCabe, and Safety Officer Howard Blizzard.

Rehoboth Beach firefighter Connor Satchell hands one of the ducklings to a fellow rescuer.

Duck rescue photos courtesy Beebe Healthcare


 

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HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER STRIKES RICKSHAW AND 3 VEHICLES NEAR DEWEY
Rickshaw passenger taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Delaware state troopers spent the early hours of Sunday investigating a hit-and-run accident that sent a rickshaw passenger to Beebe Hospital and damaged three vehicles. The passenger was a 31-year-old man who suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The incident was reported around 1:15 a.m. on Coastal Highway at Elizabeth Avenue, beyond the north edge of Dewey. The rickshaw was in the bike lane when it was sideswiped by a 2008 Subaru Outback driven by a 21-year-old man from Newark, Del.

One of the three vehicles the Subaru driver apparently crashed into was this blue Chevy Silverado parked at the opposite end of Elizabeth Avenue. The driver kept going for about three more blocks before he stopped and called police!

As of Sunday afternoon, Master Corporal Jeffrey Hale, state police spokesman, said the crash report had not been completed so he could not provide any information on charges.


 

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HOUSE BURSTS INTO FLAMES OUTSIDE REHOBOTH

A column of smoke was visible from downtown Rehoboth Beach and along Coastal Highway when this house burst into flames at 37533 Oyster House Road around 9:20 a.m. Sunday.

This is near the Penco Corporation warehouse and the Coastal Highway canal bridge.

The occupants along with a dog that was left in the back yard, were reportedly safely out and there were no injuries. Firefighters from Lewes, Bethany Beach and Indian River came to assist along with Sussex County EMS. It is currently under investigation. More photos are on the RB VFC website.


 

REHOBOTH WATER TOWER AND BUSINESSES ATTACKED BY GRAFFITI

The city's water tower, the adjacent Sandcastle Motel and the bEaCHsiDE bar & grill were tagged this past week and Rehoboth Beach police are asking for tips.

The letters appearing in the doodles appear to be OPM with a small heart used for the letter M. Additionally, another variation features the letters "OPM" enclosed in a syringe, such as the one on the base of the water tower.

Police took the reports Tuesday morning, so they suspect the tagging occurred earlier that morning. This is the walk-in freezer on Lake Avenue behind the bEaCHsiDE bar & grill.

The Sandcastle was tagged four times in the parking and stairwell areas.

Police say the graffiti of this particular style was the first officers have investigated so far this year. For more details or to tip police, please see the department's website.


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JEEP ROLLS INTO COOL SPRINGS POND

The Cape Gazette reports that this Jeep had rolled into a pond off U.S. Route 9 after its 71-year-old driver forgot to put the truck into park while she stepped out of the vehicle to check her mail.

It happened Thursday. She was not injured.

Photo courtesy David Koster, Portraits in the Sand


 

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GOVERNOR COMES TO REHOBOTH FIREHOUSE

Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed House Bill 406 into law at the Rehoboth Beach firehouse this past Friday. As a result, the state will now bear the cost of conducting background checks required of new volunteer firefighters. House Speaker Peter C. Schwartzkopf said he hopes the event at the firehouse will increase awareness and encourage more people to become volunteer firefighters especially with the elimination of the fee.

Rep. Schwartzkopf said Warren Jones, a member of the Rehoboth Beach VFC and Delaware Volunteer Firefighter's Association, had asked earlier this year for the state to absorb that cost so they could get more people wanting to apply. "This is a big deal...," Rep. Schwartzkopf said noting that the governor had planned to sign this bill in his office.

But Rep. Schwartzkopf said he wanted to hold the event at the firehouse for the sole purpose of getting the message out to people about volunteering. "So I am asking everybody to get the word out, that it does not cost you anything to join the fire service," he added.

According to the Associated Press, the governor had a busy schedule on Friday. Gov. Markell started the day by signing Senate Bill 261 relating to waterways management at the Indian River Marina at 10:30 a.m. Then he came to the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company at 11:30 a.m. with House Speaker Schwartzkopf to sign House Bill 406.

At 2 p.m. the governor delivered remarks during a ceremony renaming the New Castle County Courthouse as the Leonard Williams Justice Center. Finally, he attended the investiture ceremony of Judge Janell Ostroski of the New Castle County Family Court in Wilmington at 3 p.m.

More details are on the RBVFC website and this WMDT article on volunteer firefighting in Delaware. To join one of Delaware's volunteer fire departments visit the DVFA website.


 

REHOBOTH BEACH CANDIDATE FORUM

With 22 days left to the municipal elections in Rehoboth Beach, the three candidates met at CAMP Rehoboth to talk about the issues facing Rehoboth Beach.

About 70 people attended the annual event.

Here is a recording of selected excerpts from the forum courtesy of Hoyte Decker.

Election day is Saturday, August 13. More election info is on the city website.


 

GRIDLOCK AND PARKING CHAOS ALL WEEKEND
Creative parkers get ticketed on Scarborough Avenue

Visitors and residents saw some of the worst traffic congestion so far this summer during this past weekend. At times, particularly in the evening, Rehoboth Avenue was grid-locked. It was hard to determine if the traffic signal timing had gone amok or there were simply too many vehicles in town.

Police handled reports of fights over parking spaces and several parking complaints. Visitors were also creative and "invented" parking on the island of Scarborough Avenue just south of Rehoboth Avenue.

About 15 vehicles were ticketed here for parking in the median just before 8 p.m. Saturday.


 

REHOBOTH POLICE CAR DAMAGED AS RESULT OF "POKÉMON GO" CRAZE

Rehoboth Beach police issued this image with a news release after a man drove his car into a marked police car early Wednesday. According to this police news release, the man's wife "directed him to pull into a median parking space because there was a Pokémon Gym in that direction..." but he "failed to check his surroundings resulting in a collision with the patrol car next to him."

The following day, the Washington Post reported on that and several other related accidents.

Also, the Ocean City Police Department has issued this Pokémon Go Safety Tips news release.


 

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GALLERY 50 EXAMINING THE ART OF MEMORY

He may look young but don't let that fool you! Alden Leonard is good, and his latest exhibition, Out of Reach, opened Friday at Gallery 50 in downtown Rehoboth Beach. "I am very proud of how these [artworks] convey the lens of memory," Leonard explains. "They look like the way we remember things and that is why I love them. These are all personal memories from my life and they are pretty true to the spirits of those moments," he adds.

Leonard describes his style as figured landscapes, "not quite impressionism, but there is an impressionist quality," he points out.

He starts his projects from small line drawings which he then turns into small studies, shown above, to test the composition and coloring. Those eventually become large-scale oil paintings, typically mixed media.

Why mixed media? Once he completes a study, Leonard scans it into a computer, turns the images into digital tiles, prints them out, pastes them on a surface and paints over them. An alternative process he uses is to paint his oils using digital projection. "So what you see is a translation of a translation," Leonard points out, "and that's the metaphor of memory, because the way we interpret things changes over time."

Here is his self portrait on mixed media. "I made this self portrait as an experiment with minimalist techniques. I think it's successful in capturing myself at the time, both physically and emotionally," he writes.

Leonard's exhibition will be on display through August 9. Please see the Gallery 50 website for details.


 

SANDMAN OF RODNEY STREET FEATURED ON SPROUSE A&E REPORT

Jim Cook, the "Sandman of Rodney Street," is once again hard at work designing top-notch sand sculptures on the beach in Rehoboth. He was featured this past week on Michael Sprouse's Arts & Entertainment Report which has been posted on YouTube. Here is Cook with the dog from "Secret Lives of Pets" named, Mel, from the previous Sunday.

Below, Michael Sprouse poses with sandman Jim Cook, Nick Gruber, photographer and editor, Even Ulsh, assistant photographer, and Alexis Shaak, social media guru. Sprouse, Gruber and Shaak are co-founders of TwinFin Media & Market. Also check the team's Coastal Cuisine website for more local reports.

Photos courtesy Jim Cook


 

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PHOTO OF THE WEEKEND!

Using his Apple iPhone 6s, Evan Stoddard shot a minute of video during Saturday's lightning storm while it was out at sea. On playback, he paused it and captured this amazing snapshot.

Photo courtesy Evan Stoddard of Garnet Valley, Pa.


 

OTHER NEWS:

MAN FOUND DEAD IN WEST O.C. SWIMMING POOL--- Lt. Edward C. Schreier of the Worcester County sheriff's department says 29-year-old Moatez Wafik Albanna was discovered dead in a swimming pool around 3:35 a.m. last Monday at a home in West Ocean City on Greenridge Lane Road. Albanna was pronounced dead at the scene. On Friday, Bruce Goldfarb from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the cause of death was drowning which has been ruled accidental.

 

MAN FOUND DEAD IN O.C. MOTEL--- Ocean City police investigated a suspected drug overdose that killed a 27-year-old man at The Majestic Motel off 7th Street. Police found the man around 12:15 p.m. Friday and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

RUDDER CHAOS? 2 DEWEY OFFICERS TAKEN TO BEEBE AFTER FIGHT, FIRE DEPT CLEARS PEPPER SPRAY FROM DBPD HQ--- A 24-year-old male Dewey Beach police officer got spit in his eye and a 19-year-old female officer was injured when she was kicked in the head after a fight at the Rusty Rudder on Sunday. Both were taken from the police station to Beebe Hospital by ambulance. An ambulance was also requested around 7:30 p.m. for a 46-year-old man, not a police officer, who was bitten in the arm in the area of the Rudder. Firefighters later brought a fan to the police station to clear it of pepper spray around 9 p.m.

 

CRAIGSLIST RENTAL SCAM TARGETS WOULD-BE REHOBOTH VACATIONERS--- Rehoboth Beach police have received at least two complaints this past week of people arriving in town after renting vacation homes only to discover that the rental does not exist. Since the victims report these crimes in the jurisdiction where the transaction took place, there may be more of these cases. A craigslist user posted this message last week warning about the scam.

 

SHARK BITES TEEN FISHERMAN--- An 18-year-old man who caught a 3-foot shark had his hand bitten when he attempted to release it. The bite was reported around 8:50 p.m. Wednesday on the north side of the Indian River Inlet on the rocky jetty. He was taken to Beebe Hospital by ambulance.

 

STILL ONLY *2* TAXI/CAB COMPANIES LICENSED IN REHOBOTH BEACH--- According to city records, as of Tuesday, July 19, only George's Taxi and Shamrock Taxi have paid the license fee required to operate in Rehoboth Beach. However, two other companies, DC2NY Academy Express bus and the Jolly Trolley have paid license fees for the taxi/buses/pedicabs/trolleys business license category. But that's it.

 

WOMAN INJURED IN O.C. SURF, FLOWN TO TRAUMA CENTER--- A 31-year-old woman who got knocked down by a wave had to be rescued by lifeguards. She suffered momentary paralysis and was flown to a trauma center from the Ocean City Coast Guard station. It was reported around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday on 8th Street.

 

STATE AND REHOBOTH BEACH POLICE RESPOND TO BURTON VILLAGE 3 TIMES IN 1 EVENING--- Rehoboth Beach police assisted state troopers last Thursday evening when fights erupted at Burton Village outside of Rehoboth. One woman was injured after a "girl on girl" fight and taken to Beebe Hospital by ambulance.

 

BICYCLISTS STRUCK ON COASTAL HWY, TAKEN TO BEEBE--- At least two bicyclists were injured on Coastal Highway this past weekend, but neither suffered life-threatening injuries. A man in his 20's was struck in the bus lane near the Lewes Ace Hardware trying to cross the highway around 12:40 p.m. Saturday. Around 5:40 p.m. Sunday, a 20-year-old female was struck at Shuttle Road outside Rehoboth. Both were taken to Beebe Hospital.

 

WORKER AT CHICKEN PROCESSING PLANT SERIOUSLY BURNED; TAKEN TO BEEBE--- A 31-year-old man received 1st and 2nd-degree scalding burns from a boiler to about 50 percent of his body at Mountaire Farms at 29106 John J. Williams Highway in Millsboro. That included his entire torso, arms, neck and back of head. He was taken to Beebe Hospital by ambulance. It was reported just before 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.


 

NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:

Why Caribbean blue waters elude Delaware beaches

DNREC's Division of Parks & Recreation launches 'Poké Park Adventure' contest in Delaware State Parks

Amended Delaware regulations governing beach protection and use of beaches go into effect August 11

WRDE profiles Milton

Smooth summer so far for beach patrols; How to keep it cool and safe at the beach

Popular Delaware beach trail reopens early

Rehoboth Beach's new city hall soon to take shape

Stats from previous weekend's sobriety Checkpoint Strikeforce

Delaware DUI checkpoint results announced (statewide totals)

Great Lakes Dredge (GLDD) receives $93M in domestic dredging awards (Rehoboth and Dewey)

Where the nation vacations: The hottest markets for second homes (Dagsboro #9?)

Maryland man cited for OUI after boating accident near Fenwick Island (previous weekend)

Ocean City police use Snapchat to arrest a vehicle theft suspect

Lancaster, Pa. swimmer hit by boat during race in O.C.; undergoes surgery for lacerated hand

Ocean City bus ridership down slightly this summer

Several possibilities behind horseshoe crab deaths in O.C.

Worcester County's animal control defends handling of cat ordeal amid turmoil

OCPD's June sting operation results in 52 drug arrests

DUI, assault charges after collision with school bus on U.S. Route 50 bridge

Political banner ads grounded in Ocean City; owner says, 'It's just not worth the aggravation'

Trimpers Rides confirmed as country's oldest family-owned amusement park (likely even the world's)

Jeep thief nabbed after posting Snapchat video

Ocean City's public works campus set for major upgrades

Ocean City boat featured in 'Wicked Tuna' season premiere

Susan Coleman speaks up for her euthanized cat, Oliver


 

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