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WEEKEND #10, 2010
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
REHOBOTH BEACH POLICE NAB 15 VIOLATORS AT CHECKPOINT
The old adage, "build it and they shall come" might as well apply to checkpoints.
Rehoboth Beach police established a DUI checkpoint on Rehoboth Avenue between the circle and the drawbridge around 11 p.m. Friday.
Police Chief Keith Banks says the officers made three arrests for DUI, four for seat belt violations, one for no headlights, two for driving while suspended, two others for inattentive driving, two for no proof of insurance and one for suspended license.
Chief Banks joined his officers on Rehoboth Avenue greeting motorists as they made their way through the checkpoint. He said they stopped 514 vehicles during the four-hour checkpoint which ended around 3 a.m. Saturday.
The checkpoint is part of the seven-state initiative known as Checkpoint Strikeforce which is now in its ninth year. Dover and Newport were scheduled to have checkpoints this weekend as well.
TOWEE CONFRONTS COASTAL TOWING IN LIBRARY LOT
It is that time of year when motorists will park at most any open parking space in Rehoboth Beach. If you think it's safe to park in the library parking lot when the library is closed, better think again!
In addition to removing unauthorized vehicles from the Wilmington Trust ATM parking spaces, and the Post Office, among other lots, Coastal Towing now also removes vehicles from the lot behind the library when it is closed.
The occupants of this blue car returned as Coastal Towing was hooking it up, and there was a heated confrontation around 9 p.m. Sunday. The police dispatcher said that Coastal Towing called for police assistance because the driver of the car being towed was attempting to leave.
They admitted to parking in one of the library parking spaces. The library was closed, but the signs do warn that parking is for library use only.
One of the car's occupants thanked the responding officer for "being a gentleman" about the issue, and Coastal Towing unhooked them, and hooked up this mini-van instead which was also parked in the lot.
REHOBOTH DRAWBRIDGE BECOMES STUCK
When the Rehoboth Avenue drawbridge was unable to close last Monday, officials came up with a plan.
After opening around 5:40 p.m., the bridge would not fully close, even after several attempts. Traffic stalled on Rehoboth Avenue for about 25 minutes and police detoured some motorists out State Road.
The bridge tender, along with Asst. Fire Chief Chuck Snyder and police came up with a plan: slowly roll vehicles on the bridge from the Rehoboth side and hopefully get the span to pop back into place.
Although it is not obvious in the below photo, the bridge is several inches from the closed position.
A police officer directed motorists slowly onto the bridge, and the weight from the vehicles forced the bridge to drop into position with a loud rumble as the span fell into place.
Jason Lang, DelDOT community relations officer, says he has spoken with Jeff Reed, DelDOT's South District engineer. The problem, Lang said, was last week's extreme heat. "I can assure you," he added, "that the structure is functional and is in full operation for all modes of traffic it was designed to carry and allow to pass."
DELDOT'S MYSTERY TRAILERS
These interesting trailers have been spotted parked along side Delaware roadways recently, leaving motorists wondering what they are. This particular trailer was parked at the Rehoboth Avenue traffic circle. This past week, one has been on Coastal Highway near the Midway Shopping Center.
Jason Lang, DelDOT community relations officer, says he referred the question to Gene Donaldson, DelDOT's Transportation Management Center (TMC) operations manager.
Donaldson says these are portable video camera trailers with a wireless interface that is used to view and control the camera from the TMC. The trailers supplement DelDOT's fixed camera locations. The trailers are used for special events, construction, studies, etc.
Lang adds that DelDOT does "not record video from any of our permanent or portable cameras. They are a live, 'real time' system."
REHOBOTH LIFEGUARD INJURED IN FALL FROM STAND
A Rehoboth Beach Patrol lifeguard was injured after she landed on a shovel beside her stand. It happened around 12:30 p.m. Thursday on Laurel Street.
The 22-year-old guard was taken to beach patrol headquarters on Baltimore Avenue where an ambulance transported her to Beebe Hospital. She suffered what was described as a significant but non-life threatening injury to her lower torso.
CAR FIRE ON 2ND STREET IN REHOBOTH BEACH
This Dodge Stratus was reported in flames next to the Breakers Hotel around 5:47 p.m. on Saturday. It got the full one-minute firehouse siren. When firefighters arrived, they reported no visible fire but the hood was "singed."
STONE BALLOON REUNION COMING TO RUDDERTOWNE
The first official Stone Balloon Reunion Party is scheduled for Saturday, August 21 at Dewey Beach's Baycenter. It will feature a reunited Tommy Conwell & The Young Rumblers. Tickets for the show are $20 and may be purchased on the Ruddertowne's Website.
A Ruddertowne news release says the Stone Balloon is remembered as Delaware’s greatest rock & roll bar. It was established in 1976 and was host to many of rock’s most celebrated artists. It reached its heyday in the 80's and 90's, before shutting its doors in 2006.
Rock legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Dave Matthews, and Chubby Checker rocked the Stone Balloon over its 30-year history, however, true Balloon fans best remember the local bands that rocked the Balloon the hardest.
The Stone Balloon is now operated as a Winehouse. Rich Garrahan, Ruddertowne's marketing director, says Newark restricts the new Stone Balloon from hosting any live amplified music especially with residents living directly above the establishment. That is one reason why it is hosted at Ruddertowne.
LIGHTHOUSE TOURS, A BIG HIT
Photographer David Koster with his children, Lily and Dillon, enjoyed the lighthouse tours sponsored by the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation.
He says they joined the foundation and journey by boat for a memorable tour inside the Delaware Breakwater east-end and harbor of refuge lighthouses.
The foundation is a volunteer organization that serves as the caretaker for two of Delaware's nine remaining historic lighthouses. The group has a list of the Delaware River & Bay light stations and towers on its Website.
Photos courtesy David Koster (www.PortraitsInTheSand.com and www.memorymakerboat.com)
OTHER NEWS:
WOMAN STRUCK BY VEHICLE SOUTH OF DEWEY--- A 25-year-old woman is lucky to be alive after she was struck by a vehicle on Coastal Highway early Sunday.
She was struck on the northbound side between Tower Road and Dewey Beach around 1 a.m. According to a paramedic radio report, she was conscious, alert but disoriented when she was taken to Beebe Hospital. There was some of her hair found on the vehicle's windshield, but minor damage and miraculously, minor injuries to her.
Cpl. Jeffrey Hale, state police spokesman, identified the pedestrian as Jessica K. Sachse of Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland. She is charged with being drunk on a highway and failure to carry a light on a public roadway.
POLICE NAB KIDS ACCUSED OF TOSSING STINK BOMB INTO AQUA GRILL--- Rehoboth Beach police caught two young teens who reportedly tossed a stink bomb into the deck of Aqua Grill around 9:50 p.m. Sunday. Somebody followed the two kids and called police. Officers caught up with the culprits on 1st Street. They were not immediately placed under arrest, but police took both boys to the police station.
REHOBOTH VISITORS FIGHT OVER PARKING SPACE--- A Rehoboth Beach ticket writer radioed for police assistance Sunday when two motorists got into a fight over a parking space on Rehoboth Avenue near 2nd Street around 7:50 p.m.
"He's got the one guy blocked in," the ticket writer stated. "The other guy has backed into a parking space... and they're just having an argument... he shouldn't have backed into it." the ticket writer added. After about four minutes of arguing, the ticket writer reported that "The one guy pulled out of the space yelling at the other guy" and left.
MOPED RIDER INJURED IN REHOBOTH AVENUE CRASH--- A moped rider was injured around 3:10 p.m. Friday after an accident on Rehoboth Avenue near 5th Street. The man, approximately 30 years old, was taken to Beebe Hospital. He wore no helmet and struck his head on the pavement. The vehicle that reportedly struck him was traveling about 10 m.p.h. His injuries were not life threatening.
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK ON O.C. DRAWBRIDGE--- A pedestrian was struck on the Ocean City drawbridge around 11:10 p.m. Saturday. The pedestrian was reportedly only struck by the mirror on a passing Ford Explorer and was not seriously injured. Police shut down traffic on one side of the bridge while they investigated.
3 INJURED IN O.C. CRASH AFTER DRUNK DRIVER STEALS HONDA, FLEES POLICE--- It took almost two hours for officials in Ocean City to clean up more than three blocks of debris after a drunk driver who stole a Honda Civic was involved in a wreck with three other vehicles, two of which were overturned, trapping three occupants. The crash happened around 11:40 p.m. Saturday on southbound Coastal Highway at 33rd Street. Read more from the O.C.P.D. news release.
RODNEY STREET VS. RODNEY AVENUE--- The confusion between the Rodney Street in Rehoboth Beach and Rodney Avenue in Dewey Beach has been a problem for years, and this season is no exception. To complicate matters, some maps list both as Rodney Street.
Around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, the Rehoboth Beach ambulance was dispatched to Rodney Street for a 17-year-old male on the beach with a surf injury. After several minutes, the county EMS supervisor asked the Rehoboth dispatcher if "we're sure this location is in Dewey?"
The dispatcher replied and said the call came from Dewey Beach Patrol. "Ok, your ambulance is actually on the scene in Rehoboth, we'll head down to Dewey," the EMS supervisor said. Fortunately the man's injuries were not serious.
Another chronic problem is Cullen Street and Collins Avenue (shown on some maps as Collins Street) in Dewey Beach. Police often simply spell the name when referencing either street.
NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:
Ocean warms up early in season
Delaware beaches: Come on in, the water's clean
Mystery creature found in Delaware waters still unidentified
Delmarva lifeguards report decrease in jellyfish stings
Hot beach sand burns visitors' feet
Annual dolphin count shows a decrease in population
Delaware Supreme Court backs Ruddertowne plan
O.C. cracking down on laser pointers
O.C.'s "Believe in Tomorrow House"
Disputing parking tickets (mentions Rehoboth Beach)
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