WEEKEND #7, 2024
(Independence Day Week)
July 8, 2024
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
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BANNER PLANE GOES DOWN AFTER FLIGHT OVER REHOBOTH BEACH
It's a miracle that the pilot walked away after his banner plane, N749SK, landed upside down in some trees in the area of Rickards Road around 3:50 p.m. last Thursday. That is between Roxana and Millville.
Photo courtesy Roxana VFC
Graphic courtesy Flightaware
Here's that same plane as it towed a banner over Rehoboth Beach on June 11. It is a 1974 Bellanca 8GCBC registered to Ocean Aerial Ads.
When reached by phone on Sunday, Bob Bunting, owner of Ocean Aerial Ads, says the pilot is doing just fine and that mishaps like this "go with the business." His company has been towing banners for 42 years and has been crop dusting for 44 years.
He has four banner planes currently in service.
The FAA website shows that the plane crashed for unknown reasons.
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WOW! 5-YEAR-OLD FOUND RIDING BIKE ON COASTAL HIGHWAY!
Delaware State Police confirm that the posting found on the USPS Community Facebook page and shared on LOCALS ONLY- Dewey Beach, DE Area is accurate.
A Postal worker spotted this young boy riding a bike on the main lanes of Coastal Highway just outside Rehoboth on July 4. Here's his post.
Cpl. Amina Ali, Delaware State Police spokesperson, says "I can confirm DSP responded to a 5-year-old child who was riding his bicycle on Coastal Highway on July 4, 2024, at approximately 10:40 a.m. The child was safely returned to his parents, and the backpack was returned to North Face. There was no criminal action taken regarding the shoplifting. The child had left his home while his parents were sleeping."
Photos courtesy USPS Community Facebook page via LOCALS ONLY- Dewey Beach, DE Area
RBPD DOWN TO 10 SEASONAL OFFICERS, LOWEST EVER!
The Rehoboth Beach Police Department is down to only 10 seasonal officers (cadets) this summer. That's three fewer than last year but just a fraction of what the city had in past years. The department was authorized to hire 20 this summer.
To his knowledge, Chief Keith Banks says, this year the city has the fewest number of seasonal officers ever. "In 1989 and many years in the 90s, we had 32 seasonal officers," he added.
Chief Banks attributes the continued decrease to multiple factors including the continuing lack of affordable housing and increased police training requirements combined with competing college demands.
In addition, the need for police officers has increased nationwide, so much so that young candidates, who are interested in law enforcement careers, no longer need this as a stepping stone to get into a police academy. Although this still potentially benefits the 18- to 20-year-olds who are too young to start most police academies.
Chief Banks says the seasonal officer program benefits both the cadets by helping them improve people skills and the city benefits by increasing its police presence throughout the town.
The starting salary this summer for the cadets is $18.50 per hour.
The Seasonal officers are eligible for overtime and are permitted to work federal and state grants and extra-duty assignments.
Dewey Beach this summer is also down. Lt. Clifford Dempsey, Dewey Beach PD spokesman, says the department has 11 but was approved for 12.
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MAN INJURED IN REHOBOTH SURF FLOWN TO TRAUMA CENTER
The most serious surf injury of the season so far for Rehoboth Beach occurred this past Thursday off Hickman Street.
Around 2 p.m., a man in his 60s suffered a suspected neck/back injury and cut his head while in the surf. Lifeguards came to his rescue. EMS crews took him to the Rehoboth Elementary School where he was flown to a trauma center on LifeNet 64.
He started to regain feeling in his extremities when the ambulance crew transferred him to the helicopter.
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NORTH BEACH MAYHEM
A fight at North Beach in Dewey Beach sent two Millsboro men to the hospital early Friday morning.
Lt. Clifford Dempsey says a 23-year-old man suffered a suspected stab wound to his shoulder and a 25-year-old man was found on the ground bleeding profusely from severe facial injuries but he did not appear to be stabbed. It occurred just after 1 a.m.
Ambulances took both men to the hospital. The injuries were not life-threatening.
Lt. Dempsey says the police are working on suspect info but have no one in custody.
Dewey Beach police were kept busy hours after the town's fireworks show. Crowds, some rowdy, wandered about town and the roadways into the early hours of Friday.
Officers carefully watched the parking lot here on Dagsworthy Street where troublemakers frequently congregate around closing time.
Those with information, video footage, or eyewitness accounts are asked to call the Dewey Beach police or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 888-TIP-3333.
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REHOBOTH BEACH JULY 6th FIREWORKS RECAP
Other than a brief thunderstorm around 4 p.m., Rehoboth Beach had another smooth fireworks spectacular this past Saturday.
Photo courtesy Richard Tananis
He has many more posted on Flickr.
Here's the crowd on the beach at Rehoboth Avenue.
The thunderstorm sent many motorists into their cars which seemed to contribute to this two-way gridlock situation past 6 p.m.
The real winner of the night was likely Coastal Towing. Despite the signs (probably 20 of them?) posted on traffic cones days before the event, 13 vehicles were ticketed for being left parked in the city hall lot. Coastal Towing was called to remove them but some motorists returned before they got towed. Those who were towed had to pay the $250 fee in cash. The fine is in addition to that.
The same problem happened elsewhere in town where the city restricted parking for the fireworks show. People parked there despite the advanced notices.
Many other police agencies came to assist with the Rehoboth fireworks. The state police Special Operations Response Team was visible on rooftops in downtown keeping an eye on the crowd.
Dewey Beach had its celebration on the bay on July 4.
Photo courtesy David Koster portraitsinthesand.com
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REHOBOTH BEACH COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE NEWS
With the passing of Independence Day, commissioner candidates in Rehoboth Beach find themselves now in prime campaign season.
Rachel Macha says her campaign is in full swing! She has placed about 100 campaign signs and a couple of flags, like this one.
Over the holiday weekend, Macha attended the 34th annual Firecracker Run with Duke, her Bernese mountain dog and, the 33rd Annual Dave Reynolds Biathlon.
For the next four Saturdays, starting July 13 through August 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Macha is inviting Rehoboth Beach voters to join her for coffee at The Coffee Mill on Rehoboth Avenue.
Mark Saunders says "The best part of campaigning for any office must be the invites we receive to sit with constituents on their beautiful porches and shady patios. Rehoboth has great porches, and more importantly, Rehoboth has great people. I did get to chat with a lot of people this week and have more home visits planned next week. I have a new website, saunders4rbcommissioner.com, and I encourage everyone to take a look and feel free to leave feedback or request a sign."
OTHER CANDIDATE NEWS...
No news from Suzanne Goode or Craig Thier this week.
The voter registration deadline is this Thursday. More election dates and info is on the city's website.
The Rehoboth Beach Homeowners' Association is hosting a candidate forum on Saturday, July 20, at 10 a.m. at the firehouse on Rehoboth Avenue.
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TRUMP FLOTILLAS SAIL PAST AREA BEACHES
From Cape Henlopen through Assateague Island, Trump boaters took to the water this past Saturday to show their support.
The ocean-going vessels went along the beach while less-seaworthy boats cruised the inland bays and canals.
They had separate flotillas to cover the Indian River-Rehoboth and Fenwick-Ocean City routes.
The one that sailed past Rehoboth around 12:30 p.m. had about 15 vessels with more earlier on the bayside.
"It is our plan to have a Freedom Flotilla annually as well," says Michelle Parsons, the 38th District Republican Club president. Here is video she shared from Facebook.
Photos courtesy Mark Giuliani (TheTalkofDelmarva.com), and anonymous
14 RBP GUARDS COMPLETE "ROOKIE TEST"
Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the Rehoboth Beach Patrol administered the 10-event "Rookie Test" which all first-year guards are required to complete in order to become lifeguards. The test follows a six-week training course. The highest-scoring lifeguard is designated "Rookie of the Year." This year's Rookie of the Year is Cole Jennings.
Here rookies gathered after completing the second day of the test.
According to the RBP Instagram, 14 participated and completed the test this year.
These rookies are starting the Sprint Swim into the ocean in front of the Henlopen Hotel.
Here the rookies approach a buoy at the start of the one-mile swim off Queen Street on the first day of the test.
From there they swam to another buoy off the Henlopen Hotel.
PIE LADIES OF REHOBOTH RETURN FOR 20th YEAR
Did you see them? The Pie Ladies of Rehoboth cruised town in a chartered Jolly Trolley this past Independence Day stopping at various Rehoboth staples.
"This is about bringing apple pie in the Fourth of July to everyone," says Grant, one of this year's performers.
"It started out a tradition... Bringing a pie, share, tell everyone. Happy Fourth," Grant added.
This is the Pie Ladies' 20th year!
LOVETT TO SPEAK ABOUT FOUNDING OF REHOBOTH
Please sign up with the museum if you would like to attend. Call 302-227-7311 or e-mail programs@rbmuseum.org to register.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
High Tide at Van Dyke Avenue, Rehoboth Bay by David Koster, www.portraitsinthesand.com ...
Majestic Reflection by Susan Howard ...
On the Beach at North Shores by Tim Devine ...
Photography contests: Delaware Beach Life, Rehoboth Reflections, Ocean Photo, Delaware Farm Bureau
OTHER NEWS:
THE MERR REPORT--- Suzanne Thurman from the MERR Institute says her organization responded for three sea turtles last week. One was a Kemp's Ridley that was alive. It had been hooked in the flipper by a fisherman at Broadkill. He removed the hook and the wound was superficial, so it was released back into the bay. MERR also had two deceased loggerheads, one at Slaughter Beach and the other at Cape Henlopen. Both were boat prop victims. MERR's fundraiser sunset dolphin tours are set for July 14 and August 11.
BIDEN ALERT--- The Bidens are expected to return Friday through Monday. Please send along your photos!
TEENS ARRESTED FOR THEFT OF MOTORIZED BIKES--- This past Independence Day, Rehoboth Beach police investigated the theft of two "gas-power assisted bicycles" from the ocean block of Olive Avenue and charged two teens. Info is on the RBPD Facebook.
DEATH INVESTIGATION ON TOWERS BEACH--- A Delaware State Police spokesperson confirms that investigators conducted a death investigation at Towers Beach this past Sunday morning. That's just south of Dewey in the state park. "Due to the nature of the investigation," says Cpl. Amina Ali, "no further details will be shared. A source familiar with the situation says preliminarily this appears to be a suicide.
