WEEKEND #11, 2006

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

REHOBOTH POLICE ENFORCE BEACH ALCOHOL BAN

Seasonal police officers wearing regular beach attire (above) write this couple a citation for possession of an open container of alcohol at Laurel Street around 1:25 p.m. Sunday. Afterwards, the couple returned to the beach, and the officers continued to patrol the beach for people drinking alcohol. The officers wrote at least 10 citations on Sunday between Hickman Street and Virginia Avenue. The officers also issued several citations on Saturday.

Although the sign lists feeding sea gulls and drinking alcohol in the same section, there is no law against feeding sea gulls, unlike drinking alcohol on the beach which is prohibited.

TEEN STRUCK BY PICK-UP TRUCK ON ROUTE 1 ACCESS ROAD

A 17-year-old Millsboro area girl was critically injured after she was struck by a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck on the Route 1 service road around 2:05 p.m. Saturday.

Stephanie Callaway, Sussex County EMS spokeswoman, said Saturday that the girl successfully crossed Route 1, and was thrown about 15 feet after getting hit on the service road leading out of Rehoboth. She may have crossed as many as eight lanes of traffic prior to getting hit in front of Forj Lofts town homes. The state police helicopter landed in the field across from Jungle Jim's and flew her to Christiana in critical condition.

A state police news release says the teen was at fault.

ROUTE 1 CRASH WITH ROLLOVER

An 18-year-old Bethany Beach woman was injured after she rolled her Landrover Discovery on Route 1 south of Dewey Beach. It happened around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday. She was flown to Christiana. Firefighters from Prince George's County, Md. and Fairfax County, Va. stopped to assist. A state police helicopter landed on Route 1 and flew the woman to Christiana. A state police news release says the southbound lanes were closed for about an hour.

BUILDING & LICENSING AIR CONDITIONER RUNS 24/7 DURING RECORD HEAT WAVE

During the past week's heat wave, while Delmarva Power encouraged wise energy use, the air conditioning units in the Rehoboth Beach Building & Licensing office ran throughout the week nights and into the weekend in the unoccupied building.

Business hours posted are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Delmarva Power issued a news release on Wednesday asking customers to "use energy wisely, especially during peak usage hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m."

The picture above was taken after the B&L office was closed, around 5 p.m. on Thursday -- the same day Delmarva Power says it set a new usage record. The damp pavement and puddle of water is days of condensation which has dripped from the B&L's continuously running air conditioner units.

SCATTERED CROWDS DURING HEATWAVE

Thursday afternoon when the heat index soared past 100 degrees, a day when one might expect people to flee to the beach, the boardwalk and beach appeared to have a light turn out. West winds and big biting flies didn't help either.

JULY TOTALS FOR TOWS FROM REHOBOTH LIFEGUARD PARKING

This Toyota 4Runner became the last unauthorized vehicle towed from reserved lifeguard parking spaces in July. It was towed from Norfolk Street on Monday, where the sign reserving the two spaces is almost on the center line between the two spots.

Streets with reserved lifeguard parking typically use a single sign to designate the two spaces. In several cases, both this summer and last, some people ticketed and/or towed say the placement of the sign is unclear.

The breakdown for July lunch-time tow requests from reserved lifeguard parking spaces is as follows:

• 7 - Stockley St., all from west-most space, sign is 24 inches to right of center line.
• 3 - St. Lawrence St., all from west-most space, sign is 17 inches to right of center line.
• 2 - Norfolk St., one from east, and west spaces.
• 1 - Brooklyn St. (from west space, claimed markings on curb made it appear legit).
• 1 - Hickman St.
• 1 - Pennsylvania Ave.
• 1 - Queen St.

One and often two officers typically spend between 30 and 50 minutes completing a tow slip and waiting for a tow truck while watching the vehicle. In a few cases the vehicle operator may return, but is written a fine and must pay a show-up fee for the towing company, even if the truck has not arrived. If the vehicle is towed, officers spend additional time releasing the vehicle when the owner comes to claim it.

BAD WEEKEND FOR U.S. ROUTE 50 ACCIDENTS

Four people were injured in this crash on U.S. Route 50 at Sixty-Foot Road near Pittsville around 1 p.m. Friday. The victims suffered mostly neck and back injuries after one of two vehicles reportedly crossed the median and the driver of the other vehicle lost control.

This was just one of several accidents this past weekend that snarled Route 50 beach traffic and created multi-mile tie-ups.

Photo by Jim Davis, dcfire.com

CITY HALL MULTI-SPACE PARKING METER OUT OF SERVICE, AGAIN

Visitors to city hall this weekend were instructed to go to the parking meter building to pay for their parking space. This machine broke last season as well.

PARTY BREAKS UP EARLY

Rehoboth Beach police were summoned to this house at 5 Prospect Street for a noise complaint around 5 p.m. Saturday. The dispatcher reported that the caller complained of amplified sound coming from the house which had been decorated in a Superman theme. A canopy had been pitched in the side yard and preps were underway for an event.

The officer reported that they were doing sound checks for a later party, and the officer said he expected the police would return later as it was the same house as past similar complaints. Police were dispatched again after 7 p.m., and in the words of one officer "shut down the party."

Police did not say over the radio what ordinances, if any, the party violated. A drag volleyball charity fundraiser was advertised at this house last Labor Day Weekend.

EPA's OCEAN SURVEY VESSEL BOLD PASSES IN THE NIGHT

The EPA's Ocean Survey Vessel Bold past Cape Henlopen and Rehoboth Beach in the early hours of Sunday. The EPA's Web page indicates that it had left an open house in Philadelphia and is conducting survey operations through August 11.

The OSV Bold is the former U.S. Naval Ship Bold. The EPA says the vessel conducts monitoring and assessment surveys in the ocean and gulf waters to help serve the EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment.

REHOBOTH SANDCASTLE CONTEST

It's not exactly a sand castle, but this horrified expression on this sandman with his dog was certainly an attention getter.

The sandman appears to have sat down with his sand dog, in front of his TV. But oddly, the remote is next to the TV.

All made of sand, it bears some similarity to "The Scream" by artist Edvard Munch.

This was one of 100 sand sculptures designed this weekend in Rehoboth Beach at the annual sand castle contest.

TEEN FOR SALE, CHEAP!

It's not every day you find a 15-year-old locked up in a cage placed for sale along a major highway outside Rehoboth Beach. Don't worry; they left him a bowl of water, and a cardboard sign listing his reduced sales price. Johnny was marked down from $15 to $5.

This practical joke got some interesting looks from pedestrians while Johnny sat in the cage on the curb this past week. Even some Route 1 traffic slowed down at Dodd Avenue to check him out. No word on any prospective buyers :-)

Photos by Jim Davis, dcfire.com

GIRLS GONE WILD BUS STOPS IN DEWEY BEACH

The Girls Gone Wild bus stopped in Dewey Beach between scheduled promotions to chat with some tourists and locals this past week. Don Cowser, vice president of Media Mantra Films, Inc., said in an e-mail that "there was no time for a scheduled event here." Pictured above is the GGW bus at the Sea Esta IV Motel.

Photo by Jim Davis, dcfire.com

PLEASANT SATURDAY EVENING AT TWILIGHT IN REHOBOTH