Having trouble viewing this report or its photos? Click here: http://henney.com/weekend13/ or e-mail alanhenney@aim.com
WEEKEND #13, 2012
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
*|FACEBOOK:SEND|* *|FACEBOOK:LIKE|* *|TWITTER:TWEET|*
DILEMMA: WHAT TO DO WITH DEER CORNERED IN DOWNTOWN REHOBOTH
Who do you call when you have a doe running wild through downtown Rehoboth Beach? Police struggled with that problem this weekend.
Among the first to report the deer sighting was Commissioner Stan Mills and his wife, Marcia, who were walking their dogs. They spotted the deer at the pavilion on Maryland Avenue at the boardwalk around 2:15 p.m. Saturday.
Commissioner Mills said the doe ran along Maryland Avenue, through the Atlantic Sands parking lot, jumped over the hotel's air conditioner units and fell to the ramp to the lower garage, where it disappeared.
A member of the Rehoboth Beach Patrol and police started searching for the deer, and for several minutes it had disappeared. But about 15 minutes later, police found the doe in the courtyard of The Shops at 33 Baltimore Avenue. It had been injured and was bleeding from the nose.
The deer ran about the courtyard while officials attempted to keep it from escaping. Eventually, they trapped it in an enclosed alleyway off the courtyard.
But then what? DNREC declined Rehoboth Beach's request for assistance, suggesting the city either shoot or set the doe free. The city's contracted animal control service only handles cats and dogs.
It seemed as if nobody and no agency would come to help.
Standing in the Blue Moon driveway, under the guidance of Sgt. Scott O'Bier, some of Rehoboth's best minds came together to contemplate various options, such as trying to obtain a tranquilizer gun, using a fire department salvage cover, herd the animal into a utility trailer, contacting various wildlife rehabilitators, an animal hospital, Salisbury Zoo, state police, even the state police SWAT team, and the dreaded, euthanasia.
The deer was safely trapped in an enclosed alleyway and had even been given a bowl of water. So police decided to leave an officer to guard the door, and plan to release the deer during the early morning hours of Sunday and hope it moves to a more secluded neighborhood.
Commissioner Mills said after police consulted with a deer rescue group they decided that rather than attempt to capture the deer for relocation and risk failure or injury to the animal, the best plan was to wait until early Sunday morning to release the deer from its temporary corral and guide it toward more wooded areas.
The deer episode ended happily early Sunday, Commissioner Mills added, with no property damage, no injured people and the deer returned to its natural habitat. "While the deer was injured from falling and running into obstacles," he noted, "it appeared the injuries were minor (bloody nose) and that the best outcome was to relocate the juvenile deer to the wild... Sgt. O'Bier who coordinated much of this situation reported to me that the release was uneventful and the deer presumably returned to its natural habitat."
WORKER FALLS FROM ROOF OF GERAR PLACE CONDOS, SURVIVES
A construction worker was seriously injured when he fell from the roof of a four-story condominium in downtown Rehoboth Beach late Friday afternoon.
The worker fell about 30 feet down the side of the Gerar Place Condo at 59 Maryland Avenue around 4:25 p.m., landing on the roof of the first-floor lobby.
Rescuers used a stepladder to reach the 28-year-old man. He had been initially unconscious but was described minutes later as conscious and alert.
He suffered a suspected fractured ankle, among other less serious injuries. They loaded him in a Stokes basket and lowered him down the ladder where he was placed on a stretcher.
He was taken to Beebe Hospital.
DELMARVA POWER AGREES TO PLANT TREES AFTER CUTTING ONE DOWN
Several Rehoboth Beach property owners on Scarborough Avenue-Extended near Coastal Highway were outraged after Delmarva Power used a tree contractor to remove a maple tree on July 26.
One resident, Frank Cooper, said he, Toni Sharp, Marcia Schieck, Bonnie Hardy and Libby Stiff met with City Manager Greg Ferrese to discuss what happened. Ferrese "has offered what those present consider to be a satisfactory solution to the visual and aural devastation removing the large old tree caused our street," Cooper said.
A spokesman for Delmarva Power said the company did not know the tree was in the city limits and was a safety hazard as well as an invasive species. "Delmarva Power noticed that the tree in question is an 'invasive species' that was encroaching on nearby overhead power lines," says Matt Likovich, Delmarva Power media relations manager.
"Thus, the tree posed a safety hazard which could negatively affect electric service reliability in that area," Likovich added. So he said Delmarva Power "approached the homeowner and asked if we could remove the tree. We were not aware that his property is within Rehoboth city limits. However, we later explained the situation to Rehoboth city officials and agreed to provide appropriate funding for the planting of some new trees in that neighborhood."
Cooper disagrees on the invasive tree species claim. He said only "the Norway maple is considered invasive, not sugar maple which I believe the tree to have been. Even if it was a Norway maple the ecological threat would be to an adjacent forest area not someone's yard. It is a stretch to use that as justification for its removal."
"As you can see from the photo," Cooper stated, "the tree was in the front yard of the home and could have been trimmed away from the streets [and] power lines. To say that 'the tree posed a safety hazard which could negatively affect electric service reliability in that area' I think this is a gross exaggeration. They may be defensive because of the serious nature of the infraction."
Cooper expressed his appreciation to the city saying "Ferrese agreed to help the concerned neighbors living on the street in their efforts to beautify the entrance of the street including a commitment he received from Delmarva Power to supply 10 new trees. He said the City had a good relationship with Delmarva Power and that the mitigation plan was more appropriate than a severe penalty. It is more satisfactory to the neighbors too in that it solves the problem created by the infraction rather than just punishing Delmarva Power."
Cooper pointed out that the company that removed the tree could have faced a fine ranging between $250 and $500. But Cooper said he is happy that Delmarva Power has volunteered to the plan.
"There will be a beautification and re-forestation project at the entrance to the street with a large portion of the funding coming from Delmarva Power and Light who removed the tree," Cooper said. "The project will include large trees and a fully landscaped entrance and drainage fixes... We are fast tracking this process so I will be reworking the beatification plan which was started this past year, taking into account the new gaping hole left by the tree removal," he added.
This is how the tree appeared when the contractor was stopped.
Photos courtesy Frank Cooper and Libby Stiff
BEACH REPLENISHMENT CREWS RETURN, WORK 2 DAYS TO RECOVER PIPES
Rehoboth Beach visitors were surprised Friday morning when two tugboats arrived off Maryland Avenue and attempted to remove submerged pipe used during the recent beach replenishment.
Crews arrived in the three vessels, Muskegon River, Brangus and Atlantic Dawn, shown below.
The crews pumped through the pipes, trying to clear them.
The boats and crew returned Saturday and continued to free the pipes. They eventually floated this section of pipe Saturday afternoon and hauled it away.
See the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Website for details on the company.
REHOBOTH BEACH POLICE GATOR
Since July, Rehoboth Beach police officers have been patrolling using this Gator inherited from the Rehoboth Beach Patrol. Police used it early Friday evening to search for a missing child on the beach.
Police Chief Keith Banks says the Gator was given to the police department when the Rehoboth Beach Patrol purchased a new one this past year. He said it has been helpful to patrol the beach late at night or while looking for missing kids. "We also use it to carry supplies at events or having the seasonal officers drive to residential neighborhoods before patrolling on foot," he added.
WEEKEND WATER INCIDENTS
First responders handled only a handful of water incidents since Friday. These included:
Fri. 2:05 p.m., Route 90 Bridge, Ocean City - A boat was reported capsized south of the bridge. First responders had trouble finding anything obvious and the "call back" phone number given to the Coast Guard was a bad number.
Fri. 5:45 p.m., 11700 Coastal Highway, Ocean City - a hang glider rider reportedly landed in the ocean, possibly in distress. It was later determined that it was a kitesurfer who had already come to shore near the Carousel, and left on foot prior to arrival of firefighters.
Sat. 5:20 p.m., Eagles Nest Road near the Ocean City Airport - A skydiver was reported possibly in distress when a parachute was spotted in the marsh. Officials later determined that this was a primary chute which a skydiver had jettison before deploying a back-up chute. There were no injuries.
Sat. 6:45 p.m., Cape Henlopen State Park at the Point - Lewes and Slaughter Beach firefighters responded along with DNREC, Coast Guard and the state police helicopter for a Jet-Ski possibly in distress. The blue and white Jet-Ski was discovered with a dead battery and all persons were accounted for by 7:30 p.m. Here is a photo taken by David Koster of the Slaughter Beach fireboat.
Photo courtesy David Koster (www.PortraitsInTheSand.com and www.memorymakerboat.com)
GIANT RAY PHOTOGRAPHED IN DELAWARE BAY
Last Sunday, David Koster says his 10-year-old daughter, Lily, spotted this giant ray on the incoming tide inside the outer wall in the Delaware Bay about 200 yards from the lighthouse. "We were out on the Memory Maker Boat Sunday evening looking for dolphins," he said. "We could see its wings breaking the surface of the water," Koster added. "We first thought it was dolphins, then sharks, then a school of rays and then noticed it was one big one."
He said the ray appeared to be wider than the eight-foot-wide boat. The ray dove down as he came closer. Koster said he reported the sighting to Suzanne Thurman from the MERR Institute and she had heard a couple reports on large rays. Also a state park ranger told him one ray that had been caught in the surf this past week was close to 18 inches thick, in the center, with a seven-foot wingspan!
These are the type of rays that can pull under a small fishing boat if caught on a hook!
Photo courtesy David Koster (www.PortraitsInTheSand.com and www.memorymakerboat.com)
AL LACHMAN EXHIBITION AT MORTON GALLERY THRU LABOR
DAY
by Dagmar Henney
The exquisite Philip Morton Gallery has brought yet another milestone to the Rehoboth art scene by exhibiting Al Lachman's works.
Lachman's reception was packed Saturday night, and his accomplishments are legendary. He has received the highest award bestowed on any U.S. pastelist (one who paints with pastels). Here he is in front of one of his most recent works, Beethoven's Ninth, painted with pastel and acrylic.
Lachman developed a unique technique that involves painting with pastels on either side of a see-thru panel, creating a sense of perspective and depth with beautiful color (these photos do not do his paintings justice, so please look at them in person!).
During his art career, Lachman has painted landscapes, barns, still lifes, having been influenced by the impressionism, expressionism and realism movements and such artists as Vincent van Gogh, Mark Rothko, Edgar Degas and Emil Nolde. You can see his works online on the Gallery's Website.
Lachman's work has gained national attention. His art is represented in public and private collections including the Ford Motor Company, Northwest Airlines, the Walt Disney Corporate Collection; Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw; Doylestown Hospital, the Hershey Corporation and the Canadian Government Census Bureau.
Ward Ellinger of the Ward Ellinger Gallery who attended the opening said his favorite was Lachman's barns, which proved popular with visitors Andrew Peters and Wynette Sims, among others.
Three other paintings complete the exhibition's barn series which enthused visitors.
The colorful, poetic, illusive feeling of Lachman's work sends the viewer on a magical journey, Ward says.
Many others were attracted to Lachman's nautical works, such as sailboats, The Race is On, with its beautiful color. It seems everyone fell in love with the small boat, including me and his iconic barn painting, Haunting Magic of an American Barn IV, below.
Thanks to the Philip Morton Gallery, Anita Peghini-Räber Gallery and Ward Ellinger Gallery, Rehoboth's "art row" will compete with the big cities as an East Coast art Mecca.
Delaware Today awarded the Philip Morton Gallery the Best of Delaware 2012 award for best downstate art gallery.
Lachman's enchanting exhibition will never leave you without a "Lach" and a smile! His works will be on display through Labor Day. Please see the gallery's Website for details.
OTHER NEWS:
2 MORE DEAD SEA TURTLES INVESTIGATED BY MERR, PEAK SEASON STILL TO COME--- Suzanne Thurman, executive director of the MERR Institute, said her organization investigated two more dead sea turtles on Friday. One came to shore near Sea Colony's Edgewater House and the other in Lewes near the Children's Beach House. She said one of the turtles appeared to have suffered from a propeller injury. MERR has examined 17 sea turtle deaths so far this year. They were all loggerheads with the exception of one leatherback. She added that peak season for sea turtle incidents is typically September and October.
NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:
Sea-level rise a coastal concern
Beach businesses short on end-of-summer workers
Surfers link more injuries to beach replenishment
New hunting maps for Delaware wildlife areas now online
Southern Delaware selected as retirement destination
Online registration opens for 2012 Delaware Coastal Cleanup
Jellyfish make way to Delaware beaches
Sussex County crime news gets national coverage
Lt. Gov. Denn kicks off re-election campaign (today, Lewes)
Olney, Maryland motorcyclist killed near Lewes (Monday)
Piping plover chicks have fledged at Cape Henlopen State Park
State police seek man who attempted to rob Exxon (Thursday, outside Rehoboth)
Tennessee man arrested in Rehoboth Beach for DUI, resisting arrest, etc. (last Sunday)
Travel Channel visits Dewey, Rehoboth
Dewey Beach murder case closed
Dewey finance director set to resign Aug. 30
Pot-Nets woods fire under investigation (Friday)
Millsboro working toward "zero discharge" into inland bays
Selbyville man told flag bracket and flag can remain on porch pole
Father dies, son saved, in tragedy at OC Inlet
OC councilman targets mayor in advertisements
Movie "Ping Pong Summer" to be filmed this fall in Ocean City
Fundraiser planned for OC lifeguard hit by car
Couple charged in West OC theft after staged robbery, arrested in Baltimore
Pennsylvania man arrested in OC for rape and assault (last Sunday)
Pennsylvania man arrested in OC for burglary (last Sunday)
New York man arrested in OC after assaulting officers (last Sunday)
Two rescued after catamaran capsizes off Cape May
*|FACEBOOK:SEND|* *|FACEBOOK:LIKE|* *|TWITTER:TWEET|*
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, Skype or Twitter (all screen names: AlanHenney).
For Rehoboth Beach visitor info please visit: Discover Rehoboth Beach.com
Real-time ship plotter: http://henney.com/sp
May we recommend... 
...our favorite!
