WEEKEND #10, 2020
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
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R.B. STARTS "METERLESS MONDAYS" TO BOOST
BUSINESS
Other initiatives are in the works to bring visitors
into downtown Rehoboth.
Who could imagine that we would hear people complain about having too much parking available? Now that we are well into peak season, business owners have been troubled by the decrease in visitors to downtown this season because of Covid-19.
Rehoboth Beach Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce are trying to come up with initiatives to help bring people back to downtown. This past week, Dan Slagle, RBMS executive director, was able to encourage city officials to allow for free parking on Monday evenings starting today.
RBMS also introduced a Christmas in July program last Monday, a last-minute effort to encourage businesses to offer special deals to visitors this month. Slagle says his organization is helping businesses by distributing free hand sanitizer and working now on initiatives for August and September which will be posted on the websites: beach-fun.com and downtownrb.com. More info is in the Cape Gazette.
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MAN FOUND DEAD IN DEWEY FROM SUSPECTED OVERDOSE
A man was discovered dead in an apartment above this shopping center in Dewey Beach on Dagsworthy Street this past Friday. The 34-year-old man was found by his friend around 3:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The police and medical examiner are investigating.
Sgt. Clifford Dempsey, police spokesman, says so far this appears to have been a heroin overdose and is the first fatal overdose the town has had in 2020.
In another incident, a man in his 30's was reportedly found unconscious in a second-floor motel room on Houston Street around 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.
He was alert when taken to the hospital and was suffering from a suspected overdose.
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UNUSUAL DUCK RETURNS TO REHOBOTH AREA FOR 2ND SUMMER
Will the Black-bellied whistling ducks become
a Rehoboth regular?
After last week's report from Jennifer Rubenstein and Diane Scobey of the Black-bellied whistling duckling that was rescued from a storm drain on Henlopen Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, Tom Creekmore and Rita D'Ascenzo reported seeing a similar duck in the pond at the Grande at Canal Pointe that was photographed recently by Bill Shull of WRDE-TV.
Dr. Justyn Foth, a waterfowl biologist with DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife, said this brood is the second confirmed breeding attempt of Black-bellied whistling ducks in Delaware. The first recorded breeding occurred last year at Wolfe Neck Regional Wastewater Facility.
Black-bellied whistling ducks are a cavity-nesting species and readily use wood duck boxes, Dr. Foth points out. "Recent literature suggests they don't compete with nesting wood ducks, a common species in Delaware, as they nest later in the summer. They do, however, require a different sized opening to the box, which has been problematic in some areas of the country. Typical wood duck box openings are four inches wide by three inches high. Black-bellied whistling ducks require a four-inch wide circle because of their larger body size," he said.
"There are lots of them seen in Texas, Louisiana, along the gulf and now up through South Carolina," says Dr. Ray Bryant, a volunteer from Tri-State Bird Rescue. "The fact that a pair is nesting here two years in a row I think is significant, because their little ones will come back to nest in this area." Dr. Bryant says these ducks seem to be moving up the east coast.
Dr. Foth agrees, as global warming continues, these southern-nesting and resident birds are becoming increasingly common as summer residents at more northerly latitudes. "They have been seen as far north as South Dakota. The birds seen recently in Rehoboth Beach could be the same pair as last year, or their offspring, as waterfowl will return to the same area where they successfully produced ducklings the year prior," he said.
These ducks, Dr. Foth suspects, likely originated from the population of Black-bellied whistling ducks introduced to South Carolina in the 1970's. Biologists in the Atlantic Flyway, which includes Delaware, often refer to them as "the duck of the future," he said. These ducks are a huntable species in Delaware but typically migrate south prior to the state's first waterfowl season split that begins in late October, he added.
Photos courtesy Bill Shull, WRDE
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WANTED MAN STRUGGLES WITH POLICE AT OCEAN VIEW ROYAL FARMS
Early last Wednesday, a wanted man trying to flee police crashed his car head-on into an Ocean View police car at the Royal Farms on Atlantic Avenue. Police said the man, later identified as Alfred S. Floyd, 34, of Cambridge, Maryland, had been acting in a "bizarre" manner at the fuel pump which prompted a South Bethany police officer to check Floyd's vehicle registration. After discovering that Floyd's registration was suspended, police said, the officer approached him and asked for his identification.
The officer then conducted a wanted check using the information Floyd provided and discovered he appeared to have several outstanding warrants. The officer, at that point, attempted to arrest and handcuff Floyd who shoved the officer and took off on foot. While chasing Floyd, the officer fired his Taser. However, police say, the Taser probes failed to make contact with Floyd.
The officer caught up with Floyd in the cemetery behind the Ocean View Presbyterian Church. A struggle ensued and Floyd made attempts to remove the officer's handgun from the holster. He stated several times to the officer that he was going to "shoot and kill him," police said.
Floyd managed to escape the officer and ran back to his vehicle in the parking lot of the Royal Farms and drove off in his vehicle. But as he attempted to flee, he collided head-on with an Ocean View police officer driving this police car who was coming to assist. Both officers converged on Floyd's vehicle and took him into custody without further incident. The officer and Floyd sustained minor injuries. Police later determined that Floyd was under the influence of methamphetamine.
For more details, see this WGMD.com article.
Photo courtesy Ocean View PD
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REHOBOTH MUSEUM ASKS FOR SUPPORT TO HELP EDUCATE PUBLIC
The Rehoboth Beach Museum may have canceled its August 1 Beach Ball fundraiser, but patrons can still show their support via the museum's matching fund drive. While current members have kept their membership status active, the museum needs this extra boost to continue to care for the collections and provide programming.
The museum launched a matching gift initiative called the "Beach Ball Bounce Back" campaign. A total of $15,000 has been pledged by sponsors and donors. The Rehoboth Beach Historical Society is asking members and friends to make individual donations which, when added together, will match that amount. The campaign will continue only a few more days, through next Saturday, August 1.
The Museum is utilizing emails and online forums to engage people interested in museum activities. For instance, the Museum has launched a YouTube channel featuring videos about local historian Paul Lovett's diorama representing Rehoboth Beach c. 1910, and a series of videos called "Off the Shelf" with items from the permanent collection. This is the Conversations on History: The History of Funland video with author Chris Lindsley. Additionally, the Society has begun a series of educational programs using an online meeting platform.
Those interested can visit the Rehoboth Beach Museum website to make a donation, join the email list, and sign up for online programs.
Shown in the photo are Paul and Cindy Lovett who were enjoying the Rehoboth Beach Museum Beach Ball in 2018.
Photo courtesy Nancy Alexander
