Rehoboth Weekend Update #15 of 16

WEEKEND #15, 2020

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

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ONLY 3 FILE FOR 2 DEWEY BEACH COMMISSIONER SEATS
Online candidate forum scheduled for next Sunday.

The deadline to file to run for commissioner in Dewey Beach was this past Thursday. The only three candidates running this year for the two seats are the two incumbents, Commissioners David Moskowitz and Gary S. Persinger, along with challenger William J. Stevens. All three candidates have a Facebook page and/or website and each has an email newsletter (contact them to be added).

This is a re-match of the 2018 election where Comm. Persinger was the top vote-getter with 405 votes. Comm. Moskowitz was second with 302 votes followed by Stevens with 227 votes.

Stevens says he has spent the past two years studying the Dewey government, participating on town committees and watching commissioner meetings. He said he has a "good handle on the intersection of where the business community and residents meet and how they can meet to stabilize and evolve into the town we should be." He plans a social-distancing meet-the-candidate event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the bay beach at the Hyatt next Friday.

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Comm. Moskowitz says he needs to put the residents and most importantly his toddler daughter first and limit in-person campaign events. He encourages people to visit his website to learn about him. "Beginning with my work as a member and leader of the Investment Committee, which helped the town make $1,027,075 in investment income, and my two years as Dewey Beach Town Commissioner, I have always put in the time and energy to help make Dewey Beach the best that it can be for all constituencies," he said noting that he is happy to talk to anyone via email or on the phone.

"The 2020 summer season has been a difficult one both for property owners and businesses, and like others, I want to get back to the 'normal' we all enjoy," says Comm. Gary Persinger. "Moving toward normal will require commissioners to focus on short-term budget issues while maintaining focus on longer-term goals and needs. Ensuring the availability of resources for the long-term has been, and will continue to be, an important emphasis for me. I want to work cooperatively with the other commissioners to realize the recovery and renewal that we all look forward to after these past few months," Comm. Persinger added.

The Dewey Business Partnership is hosting an online forum for the candidates next Sunday (Labor Day Weekend) at 2 p.m. Steve "Monty" Montgomery, DBP president, says the online event will be a one-hour forum consisting of opening statements from each of the three candidates followed by Q&A. Several questions will be selected by the Dewey Civic League and Business Partnership leaders and it will conclude with closing statements. "The questions will be well-rounded to cover most important aspects in the Town of Dewey," Montgomery said. Voters will be able to view the forum live on Sunday or at a later time as the unedited video will be posted on YouTube. See the DBP website for info.

These were the results from the 2018 election where the same three candidates ran for two commissioner seats. Note the interesting differences between machine and absentee votes.

Election day in Dewey Beach is September 26. Info on absentee ballots is on the town's website.

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MAYHEM ON COASTAL HIGHWAY OUTSIDE REHOBOTH

This late in the summer one might expect traffic and accidents on Coastal Highway to start to decrease. But during this past week, that was not the case. Officials responded to three serious crashes this past week outside of town.

Police charged the drunk driver of the blue Volkswagen Passat, see below on the far left, after he rear-ended this silver Toyota Rav4 and sent it across the median and onto the southbound lanes of Coastal Highway around 11:20 p.m. last Wednesday. The state police helicopter landed near the scene and flew one of the three occupants of the Toyota to a trauma center with critical injuries. Police said the driver of the VW had four previous DUI convictions. More photos are on the RB VFC website.

Around 5 p.m. the following day, another vehicle was rear-ended in the same area of Coastal Highway at Holland Glade Road. Traffic was so bad on Coastal Highway, it backed up on Rehoboth Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Police charged the one driver with inattentive driving and driving without a valid license. A 74-year-old woman was taken to the hospital with back pain.

More photos of that crash are on the RB VFC website.

In a third wreck, police charged an 18-year-old woman with following a motor vehicle too closely after she rear-ended a vehicle on Coastal Highway near Rehoboth Auto Care just before noon last Monday. That chain-reaction crash involved four vehicles and sent three people to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Photos courtesy Capt. Kent Swarts, Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company

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PLANE CRASHES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM EAGLE CREST-HUDSON AIRPORT

A single-engine Van's RV6-A crashed around 2 p.m. this past Thursday shortly after it departed Eagle Crest-Hudson Airport. The two-seater plane landed in a field in the area of Graves Farm Road and Broadkill Road which is between Coastal Highway and Broadkill Beach on Route 16. Shown is a photo of the actual airplane that crashed which has "tail number" N628JB. The home-built airplane was manufactured in 2004.

No injuries were reported. The FAA will investigate and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was notified.

Photo courtesy Tom Cooke

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MAN DIES TRYING TO UNTANGLE BOAT PROPELLER
A similar tragedy happened one month earlier.

A boater from West Virginia died last Thursday trying to untangle his fishing line from the boat's engine, something that killed another area boater a month earlier. According to the state police, he jumped in the water to untangle the line. But as the 68-year-old man attempted to climb the ladder back onto the boat, he fell backward into the water and was unable to swim because of the rough water conditions and strong current. He had been fishing with his wife and granddaughter near the Indian River Inlet south of the South Shore Marina when the tragedy occurred around 4 p.m. last Thursday.

This tragedy was similar to this previous incident that claimed the life of a 57-year-old man on July 26. In that case, investigators say the victim and his wife had been fishing on the Rehoboth Bay in their 19-foot Trophy boat. When the victim discovered that his fishing line was caught under the rear of the boat, he jumped in the water to untangle the line. But the water was apparently deeper than he expected and the current was strong. By the time somebody noticed that he was in distress, it was too late.

Despite the efforts of the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, which responded with its marine unit along with other first responders, the man was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Photo courtesy Indian River VFC/Jimmy Kahler

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BABY SQUIRRELS RESCUED IN DOWNTOWN REHOBOTH

Four baby squirrels are lucky to be alive thanks to the efforts of soon-to-be-Mayor Stan Mills and his wife, Marcia Maldeis. The rescue all started when the couple found a baby squirrel at the base of a tree on their property. The adult squirrels never came back, he said, and then, much to their surprise, baby squirrel #2 crawled down the tree looking for its siblings. Then baby squirrel #3, and finally, baby squirrel #4!

Well, the squirrels picked the right couple in town to help them. Both Mayor-elect Mills and his wife are well-known animal lovers with good connections.

After determining they were orphans, he said they transferred them to a certified wildlife rehabilitator who said they looked like good candidates for a "little TLC" (food, beverage and safe lodging) and eventual successful release. Hurray!

Photos courtesy Mayor-elect Stan Mills

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INCREDIBLE STORM CLOUDS RETURN TO SKIES OVER REHOBOTH

The Rehoboth area has been blessed when it comes to amazing clouds that do not cause any storm damage! Around 5:30 p.m. this past Thursday, David Koster snapped this photo of the storm from north Dewey as it had blown over Rehoboth toward the ocean.

Several photographers caught the same cloud formation from around the area and have posted similar views on the iDewey and Delaware Surf Fishing Facebook pages (click on the "view more comments" to see the other posted photos).

Photo courtesy David Koster of PortraitsInTheSand

DEWEY ASKS FOR HELP FUNDING MORE BEACH WHEELS

After speaking with the Dewey Beach Patrol captain last September, Comm. David Moskowitz says he has been pushing for the town to take advantage of modern fundraising technology and use GoFundMe to help raise money for more beach wheels. "It took some time," he added, "but I am excited for the town to use this technology and having already raised almost $1000 toward the beach wheelchairs."

The town provides the chairs at no cost and is looking to acquire additional wheelchairs. He said the goal is to have one available at the end of each street. Click here to donate.

Photo courtesy Town of Dewey Beach

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SEAN-COREY ART GALLERY SET TO REOPEN THIS WEEK, FINALLY!

Their new business venture almost became another victim of the coronavirus. Sean Hueber and Corey Wheatley have been excited about their new art gallery which has only been open for two days so far this summer! Back in January, the duo had just moved into the same studio once occupied by Ward Ellinger who retired in December.

They go professionally collectively by their first names, Sean-Corey, so the new studio is the Sean-Corey Art Gallery. That's Sean on the right and Corey on the left!

COVID restrictions delayed their opening until June 12 when they were able to finally open for two days. But on June 14, Sean was seriously injured after he fell from his bicycle outside of Rehoboth and they had to close the gallery once again. After weeks in rehab and recovery, he suffered complications from previous medical problems and then a seizure where he almost bit off his tongue.

But this is a promising week for them. Sean is finally on the mend, and they plan to reopen the gallery this Tuesday, just in time for the Labor Day Weekend!

Sean and Corey are no strangers to the art world. They ran the 883 Studio Gallery in Baltimore where they specialized in graphics, interior, and custom design for their clients. Corey also taught at the Maryland College of Art.

They both love lots of bold bright beautiful colors in their artwork. "We like a lot of beautiful views like flowers and extractions," Sean explains, noting that he enjoys creating portraits and landscapes. But the couple makes all kinds of artworks.

They worked well together for 30 years. It is not unusual for one of them to do the majority of a piece of art and have the other take it to completion.

Corey is more detailed while Sean is more an expressionist. One likes to use big thick paint with palette knives while the other's style is delicate and smooth. "We are so opposite we can work well together," Sean points out.

They strive to make art affordable and enjoyable for the entire range of art consumers. "We always wanted everyone to have art in their life," Sean says. "Everyone should be able to afford art, he adds." So their gallery will feature artwork that ranges from $1 to $6000. "Art for the common man all the way," as he puts it.

The couple creates a broad range of art including sculpture, birdhouses, and ceramic birds, found and recycled objects, and paintings. They will take something such as an old vase and turn it into a hand-painted one-of-a-kind piece that sells for $15.

Sean also painted on sticks and rocks. "It's not stuffy, it's fun," he explains! He turns the sticks into figurines and paints beach rocks that help people de-stress! "They are a dollar," he says noting that "a lot of kids love them too!"

Fingers crossed, you can visit their studio in person starting this Tuesday in the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard at 39 Baltimore Avenue!

Photos courtesy Sean Hueber and Corey Wheatley

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Crescent moon and Venus at 5 a.m. by Rick Tananis...

Rehoboth Sunrise by Kelley Gillespie with an iPhone 11 Pro...

Box turtle rescued from the middle of State Road in Rehoboth by Evan Stoddard...

OTHER NEWS:

MERR NEWS--- Suzanne Thurman from the MERR Institute says that her organization had no sea turtle or mammal stranding or death reports this past week. Two recent drone video clips from Dewey Beach show a large grouping of dolphins and a hammerhead shark and a baby dolphin playing with its mother!

2 MORE BIDEN CAMPAIGN SIGNS STOLEN IN REHOBOTH--- Seven Biden campaign signs have been reported stolen in downtown Rehoboth Beach during the past couple of weeks. The most recent two were reported missing this past week from properties on Columbia Avenue. Sgt. Darren Lester, a state police spokesman, said on Sunday that he was unfamiliar with any trend of campaign sign thefts outside of town. This past Saturday, the Washington Post reported on the problem that Biden supporters in Pennsylvania are having with sign theft.

MAN INJURED IN SCOOTER CRASH ON REHOBOTH AVENUE-EXT--- A 25-year-old man crashed his scooter into the rear of a car on Rehoboth Avenue-Extended near the Crystal Restaurant around 10:35 a.m. this past Sunday. He was taken to the hospital, conscious but with facial injuries.

BAD WEEK FOR INJURIES FROM FLYING UMBRELLAS--- Lifeguards and EMS crews responded to at least four cases where beach visitors were injured by flying umbrellas/canopies. In two of these cases, an ambulance was requested but the other two were cared for by lifeguards.

MAN SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OCEAN VIEW CHAINSAW ACCIDENT--- A 59-year-old man had his ankle cut to the bone by a chainsaw this past Monday. It happened on Osprey Lane in Ocean View just before 10 a.m.

O.C. HOLIDAY INN EVACUATED AFTER EARLY-MORNING FREON LEAK--- Ocean City firefighters arriving at the Holiday Inn on 66th Street around 4 a.m. this past Wednesday reported heavy smoke in the lobby with occupants evacuating. After an extensive investigation, they found that the source of the smoke was not a fire, but Freon leaking on one of the compressors. The situation was placed under control around 4:30 a.m.

MAN STABBED SEVERAL TIMES IN WEST OCEAN CITY--- A man who did not speak English was found stabbed several times on Harbor Road in West Ocean City just before 1:45 p.m. this past Sunday. A medevac helicopter flew him from the Ocean City Airport to a trauma center.

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK, KILLED NEAR WEST O.C.--- A pedestrian was struck and killed around 12:30 a.m. this past Saturday in the 11400 block of Grays Corner Road near the Glen Riddle water tower. Initial reports suggested that a deer had been struck. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. No word yet from police on suspects or charges.

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NEWS RELEASES / NEWS REPORTS:

Automatically move Gmail messages from Promotions to Primary tab

Delaware is off D.C.'s list of high-risk states (again)

Data errors wrongly kept Delaware on quarantine lists, ruined this NY family's vacation

Guilty plea in April animal cruelty case on Bay Bridge

Man murdered north of Ellendale (3:25 a.m. last Thursday)

Message sender thrilled with Milton find

Harbeson Post Office should be open by end of summer

UD study proposes new port to meet strong demand from offshore wind industry

Man arrested for drug charges after chase near Lewes (last Thursday)

Construction worker critically injured in fall at The Governors near Lewes (last Monday)

Situation dire at Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse

Kevin Fleming, famed Delmarva photographer pleads guilty to tax evasion

Man bikes from California to Delaware during pandemic

Henlopen Acres: The Colonel and His Vision, book by William F. Meehan

Rehoboth Extends "Meterless Mondays"

Rehoboth resolution honors 100th anniversary of 19th Amendment

Clear Space's theater approval appealed

Mural adds flavor to Rehoboth Ale House wall

Sen. Coons to speak at Blade party in Rehoboth (Sept. 11)

Belhaven Hotel pitched as demonstration project for Rehoboth

Dewey retention project causing water problems

Large group of dolphins and a hammerhead shark 120 yards off Dewey Beach!

Baby dolphin playing with its mother off Dewey Beach!

COVID-19 testing continues in Dewey Beach as cases stay low

Men caught with stolen vessel stuck on Indian River Bay sandbar

Work, study remotely in Ocean City messages distributed

Larger wind turbine plans allowed to proceed off O.C.

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