• 9/2/10 low tide beach width: 310'; Upcoming Tides

  • Community Mtg: 9/4/10 at 10AM; Agenda
  • Board Candidates
  • next Bd Mtg: 9/4/10 at 9AM
    both at St. Ann's Catholic Church
  • Password Info
    • Drainage work (finally) starts on Bayberry Road: step 1-get access to the ditch Which one is the community walkway I came down? Oh yea-the one with the sign... Blindingly bright (freshly painted) speed humps New Highway Gate-
    click for more info...     New Street name signs-
    click for more info...         		A very rare sight on our beach:
    (possibly a Diamondback Terrapin?)
  • Spring 2010 Drainage Plans
  • Trash Enclosure Information
    Mediacom adds MASN-HD(833) and MASN2-HD(834)
  • Mediacom franchise info
  • 5/9/10 UPDATED info about Governing Documents
  • MBA Certificate of Incorporation
    • MBA on Facebook info
    New Dumpster screening at
    Shore Mart (left)
    & Seaside Village (right)

    Gate combinations changed (most of them)
    Click HERE for info on new combinations
    Do you want to serve on the MBA Board of Directors? Do you know somebody in the community that you think should serve on the Board? Please visit this webpage
  • Developer withdraws plans for IR Casino

    • MBA Volunteer-Beach Cleanup / Saturday, May 15, 2010


    Slight error in the All-Community eMail that went out in the early hours of May 10: it should have stated that "AFTER THE PICKUP, debris must be bundled or put in containers"...

  • 5/10/10 Brush/Bulk Trash Pickup


    • Delmarva Power wiring work at the west end of Errett Road will take place starting May 10, 2010
    Click for details

    February 2010: 12:30 Thursday-Snow removal priorities:
    -clear intersections along Beach Plum and Rt.1 and establish one lane to all occupied properties
    -make sure fire hydrants are accessible
    (both of above have been completed on pine side; work on beach side under way right now)
    -establish one lane to the end of each street, regardless of whether properties are currently occupied or not
    -about half way back each pine side street, plow double width to establish "passing area", and to allow meltwater to get to the drainage ditches
    -before leaving the community later this afternoon, push accumulated slush from travel lanes
    (temp is currently above freezing, the sun is shining, and the snow is turning to slush)
    -No downed trees noted
    Thursday 9AM: Below are a few photos I just took after talking with Rob Austin, who is hard at work clearing yesterday's snow, and tidying up excess snow still at intersections from last weekend's storm.

    There is a nice layer of ice on most streets. Road salt cannot be procurred for ready money in these parts, so the ice will be with us for awhile.

    No beach or dune erosion due to the wind direction. The persistent high speed winds seem to have kept large accumulations of snow from people's roofs. No detailed tour has been done of the pine side looking for downed trees-stay tuned...
    6PM Wednesday: Tried to drive pine side Bridge Rd looking for downed trees. Too much effort keeping 4WD going straight to look up from road. Nasty. All street lights seemed to be on, so all power is probably on. All businesses were closed today. Virtually zero traffic on Rt 1.
    Wind now from NW. Still snowing. Much drifting.
  • Bethany Boardwalk Weather
    (I don't believe their wind speed measurements. I think their anemometer is iced up...)
    • 5PM Wednesday: Any winds today have been out of the west; the beach at high tide (now) looks much the same as it did at low tide. Occasional short gusts up to perhaps 40mphd. Snow off and on pretty much all day, with widely variable accumulations. Deep tire ruts in the streets are snow filled, but other areas have little new accumulation (less than 1" on Rt. 1). Snow forecast to continue until midnight. Gov. Markell declared state of emergency this morning, making any travel on state highways illegal. DelDOT and Delmarva Power suspended operations at 2PM.
    9AM Wednesday: Heavy snow just started; minimal wind
    2AM Wednesday: Rain stopped. Nothing happening. Any fresh snow reduced to mush.
    11PM Tuesday: Snow switched to rain while I wasn't paying attention; minimal wind.
    7:30PM Tuesday: Light snow just started, falling straight down. No wind. Nada. Electricity, Mediacom, Verizon all working.
    Conflicting reports as to direction of highest forecast winds.
    1PM Tuesday forecast: Keeps changing, and I can't keep up. Currently above freezing. Starting later this afternoon, rain with some SW wind first, followed by strong NNE winds, with the rain passing through sleet on its way to becoming snow. Total accumulations thru Wednesday 4-5". Maybe.
    Sunday Noon: Asplundh and DelPow working on removal of tree along Short and restoration of power. If you own property along Short Rd, and your version of winterizing is "keep the heat on low and hope the power stays on" you should have someone check your property as soon as possible. It was below 20 degrees Saturday night, and the power was off for approximately 36 hours.
    Sunday 10AM: snow clearing underway-we received about 7" more snow since last posting. Clearing concentrating first on streets where people live.
    4PM Saturday: Wind speed has dropped; snowfall intensified. First pass at removing accumulation removed from Beach Plum Rd before the slush turned to ice. Wind now from north; waves are driven along the beach and our dunes have suffered no erosion. Mediacom CATV and internet fortunately working with only minor interruptions.
    1:30PM Saturday: Just learned that a tree blew down on Short at about 2AM, and residents along Short have not had power since then. Delmarva Power responded, and reported a tree company needed to remove the tree first. Tree company showed up, and don't believe Delmarva Power properly grounded the remaining overhead lines.
    At 10:30 Saturday AM, the wind is blowing a pretty constant 30mph from the NNE. Temperature is hovering just above freezing; Dune Rd covering is mostly slush. Power went out briefly just after 2AM. It's been constantly precipitating, with snow turing to sleet/ice overnight. It now has apparently switched back to snow, but the wind is the big story of this storm. State of Emergency in Delaware-no non-emergency vehicles allowed on state roadways. Ergo, I can't drive over to the pine side. I'll bet if I jumped really high, I'd be carried across the highway.
    As of 10:30 Friday nite, temperatures are right about the freezing mark, but fortunately all precipitation today has been snow. There is a steady 15-20mph wind from the NE, and very little fresh accumulation along Dune Road.
    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING FOR KENT, SUSSEX, QUEEN ANNE'S, TALBOT, AND CAROLINE COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM SATURDAY....A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR DORCHESTER, WICOMICO, SOMERSET, AND WORCESTER COUNTIES UNTIL 6 PM SATURDAY...AND FOR ACCOMACK COUNTY FROM 6 AM UNTIL 7 PM SATURDAY...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ACCOMACK COUNTY THROUGH 9 AM SATURDAY...A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT WORCESTER COUNTY AND THE MARYLAND BEACHES FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL 4 AM SUNDAY....A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ACCOMACK COUNTY FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL 4 AM SUNDAY....FOR KENT AND SUSSEX FROM 11 PM UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY...AND WORCESTER COUNTY FROM 11 PM UNTIL 6 PM SATURDAY...A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WORCESTER, ACCOMACK, AND THE MARYLAND BEACHES FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY....A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR DORCHESTER, WICOMICO, AND SOMERSET FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MARYLAND BEACHES AND ACCOMACK COUNTY FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY...A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED...FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY...SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 12 TO 24 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA.
    The question comes up at this time of year as to whether the MBA plows its streets. The official answer is "when we get 4 inches of snow, yes we do". An advantage of this policy is that we never(!) get more than 4" of snow this close to the ocean, so we can make it seem like we take care of our residents, but in reality spend no money at all.
    The Dollar General/Seaside Village and Long & Foster owners have much higher plowing standards than we do. They usually plow our streets adjacent their parking lots, which we certainly appreciate. Our primary areas of concern are near the stop signs along Beach Plum Road, and the intersections of our streets with Rt.1.
    The storm last weekend (January 30) brought anywhere between 8 and 12" of snow to our streets, and snow clearing was done late Sunday and Monday. This weekend, it has been predicted that we might get up to 24" of snow. This does NOT mean that we will plow 6 times.
    We have "prepositioned our snow removal assets" (our contractor's front end loader is parked on E. Addy Rd, and there are 3 spare 5 gallon cans of diesel fuel under my deck). We'll see what things looks like when the sun comes up Saturday morning.
    Since Board Member's ability to accurately measure snow in MxB is being called into question, I shall only report:

    it snowed this weekend
    Click for video posted on Facebook by Kerry Hall
    Upcoming Capital Improvements Projects:
  • asphalt work: pavement widening at Rt 1 and Short Rd corner; patches adjacent Dollar General;
    corners Dune with Bridge & E. Errett
  • north end Rt 1 fence repairs, including total replacement at E. Errett and E. Bayberry with newly designed gates
  • Drainage (stay tuned...we've been busy)

    • Beautification Committee: Sharon Adams, Mary Byrd, Barbara Reardon, Peggy Taylor, Connie Thomas, Kent Rayburn
    Upcoming Beautification Projects:
  • paver walkways at all 4 gates (in progress)
  • plantings near new walkways
  • plantings on highway side of the fence
    • Community-wide brush cleanup November 30 (right after Thanksgiving)
    Help the community cut costs by
    using your trashcans as much as possible
  • Place all piles of loose debris in your trashcans
  • Place intact branches by the curb
  • NO logs or branches larger than 4" diameter
  • Storm Videos from Ann Raskauskas on
    MBA's Facebook Page
  • Atlantic Assault coverage/photos
  • Historical Dune Photos (under construction)
    		• The Cleanup Begins:
    Second Place Patrol - 2009 Middlesex Beach Invitational 8/13/09 Beach Patrol competition hosted by MBP: Colin came out of retirement; Justin delivered photo finish on last event.

    Congratulations to Conner, Tommy, Pat, James, Justin and Colin for an exceptional effort on the team, before and during the competition.

    Thanks also to the balance of the patrol for literally running the event for the benefit of all patrols that competed in this complex actual lifesaving skills competition.

    Photo by David Taylor - Beach Chair
    Top Row: Ryan, Cory, Kyle, Tommy, Conner holding Becca, Justin, Charlie, Colin, Pat
    Mid-height Row: Beth, Meg, Lindsay; Bottom: James

    Members of the Middlesex Beach Patrol - late 1980's ?
  • Click here for other historical photos
  • history of Middlesex Beach
    		•
    Community Mailing sent out 8/22:
  • Sept Meeting Announcement
  • Board Candidate Biographies
  • Meeting Agenda
  • 5/2/09 Minutes
  • Click here for July 09 newsletter
    • Surface Water Runoff Field assessment tour held Wednesday, August 19.
  • Click HERE for further information
    		•
  • Hurricane Bill update: As Hurricane Bill passed by, our beach was pretty much submerged at Saturday's high tide, and again at last Saturday evening's high tide (8/22). Sunday's high tide wasn't as dramatic, and by Tuesday morning the 25th, the entire beach was dry. Our beach lost no width. Judging from the fact that the "Private Beach" signs at each end of our beach are closer to the sand than they used to be, it appears that we gained some height at the berm, but we probably lost a bit of height near Bayberry Rd where the tide pool drained back to the ocean. Admittedly, we have no actual measurements on which to rely...
  • Click HERE for photos
  • TS Danny update: reportedly smaller/less powerful than Bill, but closer to shore. It will be here this weekend, and past us by Monday the 31st at the latest.
    • Question: How many Community Facilities Committee members does it take to replace a gate lock screw? Answer: at least 3 (pictured: Dick Creswell, Dave Wiecking, Joe Wolf), after Chuck Taylor (who travels without a photographer) did massive reworking of this and other gates earlier in the summer.
    This fall, we intend to repair the fence along Route 1 (the northern half). The Beautification Committee is working on plans for new landscaping along this stretch, and would like to get the plants in the ground before mid-November. Before this is done, we would like to make sure the fence behind them, originally installed in sections about 15 years ago, is in good enough shape to last at least another 15 years.
    We are hoping to do this as a community work project over several weekends in late September and October. Details forthcoming-sometime after the new Board takes office Labor Day weekend, and new Committee members are finalized.

    George Rayburn and George Treadway during the
    May 3 Community Work Session on the beach
    Others that helped pickup debris on the beach or put in dune fence posts: Tom & Sharon Adams, Cherry Billings, Mike King, Ed & Fran Meere, Jim Moneymaker, Peggy Taylor, Jim & Dorothy Youniss, and Joedy Smith.
    Possibly others-sincerest apoligies if I left you out...
    Additionally, Greg Pichler, Chuck Taylor, and Joe Wolf made prefab handrail sections for the beach access ramps (below).
  • Interested in serving your community
    by being a Board Member?
    • The current President has made it known that 8 years as a Board Member (including 5 as President) is MORE than enough, and he will not run for re-election this coming Labor Day. Each year, the community elects 4 Board Members, some of whom are incumbents who are willing to continue to serve another 2 year term.
    Please fill out this form if you are interested.
    2009 Community Survey RESULTS
    Returned: 62%


    Clark Tree nears the end of their second day chipping up roadside brush piles Austin & Rhodes starts work on the Addy Road walkway pavers Terrascapes' new plantings and Arena Sign's signage at each pineside road
    Coastal Storm this weekend
  • Monday morning: between 2-3" of snow fell overnight (oceanside); some drifting snow. Minor beach erosion, but nothing terribly significant.
    • Below: note the ice buildup only on the North side of the walkway railing
    Bethany's New Ambulance Service is up and running
  • MBA was one of the first area Homeowner's Assn that was contacted (in January 2008), and we indicated that we were willing to support the concept. We included their estimated $40 per property in the budget for the current fiscal year, and are awaiting an invoice which details what service MBA members should expect to receive.
    • Lots of rain on Thursday, December 11, 2008. Kent Ave was partially underwater, which means our ditches have no place to drain. Most of the water drained by Sunday, leaving lots of loose pine needles behind.
    North side of Bridge Rd North side of Short Rd
    Early November 2008 photo of the increasing amount of sand at the base of our dunes. It is quite likely that we will need to install new dune fencing this spring since the existing one is nearly buried.
    And I thought I was doing a good thing by taking the sliding screen doors off
    for the winter and putting them away in a garage closet...
    One Monday morning in early October 2008, my friend Brian and I were removing an old thru-the-wall AC, when we heard a very loud thump, followed by lots of fluttering/rattling, then silence. We couldn't figure out what it was, rejecting books knocked off a shelf by a bird, or something falling down in the attic. Then we heard more rustling, which we traced to the largest garage closet; the door was closed. I figured a large raccoon was in there, but couldn't figure out why the door would be closed. We cleared an escape path for it, and me; I opened the door, and ran.

    I turned back to see the rear end of a large deer in the closet. After a few seconds, he turned around and ran out to the driveway, where he shook his hoof to dislodge a beach chair, looked at us, and bolted across the vacant lot across the street.
    Large buck: antlers, points, the works. Put them thru the 2 good sliding screen doors. Got some blood on numerous things in the closet (from his hoofs?). We figure he was across the street, got spooked by the trash truck, and ran towards our house. My truck was in the side yard, so that was effectively blocked off. I think the light was on in that closet and the door open, but not the main lights in the garage. In his haste, he perhaps mistook the lighted closet (with light grey walls) for outside, and ran right into the back wall??? He apparently bounced off the door on the way in, and it slammed shut behind him.

    However, above is a cellphone photo of a doe I saw ambling along Dune Rd early one morning in June 2007. The deer in the closet was much bigger.
    -=dave wiecking
    Not quite a Nor'easter; not a named hurricane. Just a BIG storm. 16' offshore waves brought water up to the dune line. Wind blown sand was knocked down by the dune fencing, and left a pile 2-3 feet high and 4-5 feet wide along the base of our dunes. Pine needles on pineside streets and some of our neighbor's fencing and walkway sections need to be removed from the beach.
    Fortunately, we were at about the most favorable time (lowest high tide) of the lunar tide cycle.
    		Once again, no community-wide cleanup is necessary after the 9/25/08 Coastal Storm. We're on the standard "put all your trash in your trash cans, or expect to pay to have it removed" policy which is detailed in the mailing that went out to the entire community in mid-April.

    Most of the debris that was removed from our beach and dunes on September 20 as part of the annual Ocean Conservancy coordinated Coastal Cleanup.
    Thanks to those who turned out to help clean up our community
  • 8/30/08 community Meeting Minutes
  • 8/30/08 President's Remarks
  • 8/30/08 Financials
  • Community Comments
  • Check/update your contact info
  • FY 08-09 budget
  • 2/1/08 Draft of Revised Covenants
    		•  From South Bethany neighborhood watch:

    Chief Deloach stated that on the evening of Sunday, September 14, 2008 they caught an 18 year old man who lives on Canal Drive. That the police were called by a neighbor of a house on Evergreen who saw the man nearby with a gun. Police from South Bethany, Bethany, Fenwick Is, Ocean View and State Police screened off the North part of Town and caught the man about 9:30 pm. Stolen items were found and taken to the Police Building. The man had been breaking into vehicles on Evergreen and Russell Rd and he found the pistol in one of them.

    Our Neighborhood Watch team needs to advise everyone again about the importance of everyone locking their cars (and houses). Chief Deloach told me that this man was not responsible for the car robberies that we previously reported to the South Bethany property owners, so there are still bad people out there.
    Seaside Village Dumpsters
    The Board and CPR Property Management have been working with DNREC's Division of Air and Waste Management to evaluate the management of the Seaside Village dumpsters-specifically, the issue of odors.

    DNREC conducted 2 inspections in July, and CPR has had several phone calls with Cpl. Moyer of the Environmental Crimes Unit’s enforcement officer. According to the DNREC officer:
  • Based on the 2nd inspection, all establishments are properly securing their refuse before placing it in the dumpsters.
  • Detecting the odor during a walking/biking/driving (i.e.; a ‘pass by’) activity does not justify writing a citation.
  • The odor is not something that he can write a citation for unless it poses a continuous annoyance to a nearby residential property owner.
  • That residential property owner would have to directly file the complaint with DNREC (the Board or CPR may not act on their behalf).
  • If a citation is written, the person filing the complaint (i.e.; the adjoining property owner) will need to testify in court.

    If you want to pursue this issue further, you may contact DNREC at: 1-800-662-8802.
    • Work continues on the Guard House and surrounding area New fence behind McDonald's, courtesy of Baxter Enterprises, the local franchisee.
    Next time you stop in, thank them for their steps towards beautifying the community!
  • Sussex County 911 Readdressing Project Important Info
  • New Sussex Co reg. prohibiting issuance of Building Permits if any county fees/taxes are unpaid
  • Homeowner's New Door saved from destruction due to Knox Box
    On the evening of July 23, the Bethany Beach Volunteer Fire Company responded to an alarm along Dune Road. Due to the presence of a Knox Box on the premises, the BBVFC was able to quickly gain access to the property and determine that there was no emergency. However, without access the Knox Box, one of the brand new doors on the premises would now be in pieces.
    The BBVFC is currently running a campaign to install as many of these as possible on local properties. The cost is $225, and that includes the Fire Dept touring your property and making a "pre-plan", so that their database includes information on location of bedrooms, utility shutoffs, and other information which would be vital to them in the event of an emergency.
    Click here to read more on the BBVFC website about this equipment.
    • June 2007 Meet 'n' Greet for the
    Middlesex Beach Patrol     		Rick Lynch and Ali Kazenzadeh consruct MxB's newest footwash at Evergreen Rd walkway
    Password protected:
  • Winter 2006 Newsletter
  • 2006 Printable Address List (updated)
  • MBA Pass Distribution Procedures (PDF)

    • Good Bye, Fishbones...
    2/12/06 report: Maximum snow accumulation: about 1" on roads. Highest winds were about an hour before the 8:15AM (Sunday morning) high tide. High tide was on the high side Sunday AM. Dunes eaten away some (12-18"); no damage to any stairs (community or private). Dunes cut back to bases of existing community steps, which is to say, about the usual place. Wind brought down small twigs and pinecones on pine side. Short, Bayberry (and Evergreen) Roads essentially clear of snow. Click for photos
    A FEW NOTES ABOUT SPEED HUMPS
    End of Summer 2005 Party Photos courtesy of Dick Creswell
    MBA 2004 End of Summer Get-together Photos by Gerry Pruckmayr
    Fourth of July
    (click on each photo for larger version)
    June 19 Meet the 2004 Lifeguards Party
    Trivia Contest winners
    Aurora Fegley and Nancy Glasgow
    pose with Social Chair Janis Creswell at
    the recent "Greet the Lifeguards" contest
    Aurora won a gift certificate from Subway in the children's division; Nancy won one from the Frog House in the Adult division
    On the spot reporter Dick Creswell reports (Friday afternoon): There won't be anymore pics of Isabel, because the beach actually looks better now than before the storm. The high winds out of the south have built up quite a bit of sand. I cruised the Pines this pm, and other than a bunch of pine cones all over the roads, there are no problems whatsoever. In fact, alot of folks are mad that they went back to the D.C. area where they lost power. All of them are coming back as fast as they can.
    (Saturday morning): Middlesex really lucked out compared to other beaches. The surge never came over the dune; we never lost power. In fact, as you can see from the picture (right) of the Evergreen walkway, we actually have accumulated some sand at the base of the dune. This picture (at right) was taken at 10am Saturday 9/20. I could find no evidence of any damage along Dune Rd.
    Click here for other 9/21/03 Beach Pix
  • Delawre Coast Buoy Stats
  • Ocean Windmap
  • DNREC Advisory on Rebuilding after Storm
  • Dune & Addy Cam
  • Dune & Addy Weather
    •
    Thursday 9/18 2:25PM (high tide) from Evergreen Walkway (click photo for larger version)
    8/13 Lifeguard Competition Photos


    Social Chair Janis Creswell presents Ellie Glasgow with her prize for winning the MBA Trivia Quiz at the June 21 "Meet the Lifeguards" Party
    click here for more summer pictures
    The "Addy Road Beautification Crew and Marching Band" poses next to their handiwork at the corner of Addy and Beach Plum Road. Volunteer labor, with approval and financial support from the MBA Board, was able to complete an entrance treatment by their Memorial Day deadline. Pictured (left to right) are Steve Molinari, Peter Campanelli, Barbara Moul, Jack Jennings, Pat Loughlin, Jim Moul and Margie Cyr. Not shown are Judie Campanelli and Mark Cyr.
    Dune Road Encroachments
    As previously discussed, your Board of Directors has made it a priority to ensure that the 30' wide Dune Road right of way is free of all encroachments to ensure access by emergency vehicles. To that end, letters were sent to all affected homeowners this past spring. The Board appreciates the overwhelming cooperation of the membership in cutting back shrubbery, branches and other growth, and in moving trash can holders and other objects onto private property.
    In addition, a gravel base has been placed along the west side of Dune Road. Parkers can now pull their cars off the asphalt pavement without getting stuck in the sand. The surface is a bit rough to begin with, but as everyone knows, nothing lasts a few weeks in Middlesex without getting covered with sand.

    2/18/03 Noon Tuesday update-the snow has stopped.
    Both your Board of Directors and Wilgus are aware of the damage to the Middlesex Beach dunes. Approximately one half of the dunes have been eaten away. The damage is nowhere near as bad as the 1998 storm, but beach scraping and dune rebuilding will be necessary. Tim Hill of Wilgus has begun coordinating repair efforts with DNREC and local contractors, and will be keeping the Board informed of progress at each step along the way. We will in turn be keeping the Property Owners informed. At this time, the natural rebuilding process due to wave action has already begun, but clearly more will be necessary. Unless there is another large storm in the near future, no properties are threatened, but if you have low-lying windows, you may wish to take precautionary steps to protect them. Click here for Delmarva Wave article.
    2/18/03 9:00AM Tuesday update
    It's snowing again. There's more snow on Dune Road right now than at any time on Sunday or Monday-because the wind isn't blowing. No additional damage to the dunes or walkways occurred as a result of last night's or this morning's high tide.
    2/17/03 5:30PM Monday update
    Other than community and private beach walkways, property damage due to the "President's Weekend Storm" in MB was extremely limited, despite the continual high winds and torrential rain/sleet/snow. At the south end of MB, dune damage was more severe than at the north end, but nowhere were the dunes breached.     		Click for more snow photos
    Rt1 through South Bethany was reopened earlier today. At Monday morning's high tide, the ocean broke through in South Bethany and briefly flooded the highway. Rt1 was also closed in Dewey Beach for a similar reason. In Bethany Beach, the ocean broke under the Blue Surf Motel-minor debris had washed out the west side into their parking lot. Also, the steel grates in front of the boardwalk-fronting businesses in the Mango Mike's building were damaged. Water accumulated in the usual low-lying parts in the north part of town. In South Bethany, as usual, all sand/gravel driveways at ocean front houses were moved onto Ocean Road, with minor damage to formerly-underground utilities.
    Monday 2/17 9:30AM update:
    The snow on the beach side totaled about 6" as of mid-day Sunday, before switching to sleet. The "snow" fences lining the MB walkways lived up to their name- extensive drifts of snow built up on top of the wooden walkways. Due to the high wind speeds all day, very little snow accumulated on Dune Road except in drifts, but on Rt.1 and the pine side, the snow cover was more even.
    After dark, the snow switched to rain as the temperature rose above 32 deg. and the wind speed picked up. The rain continued off and on most of the night. At about high tide Monday morning, the wind speed started dropping. Interestingly-the low temperatures over the past few days seem to have frozen the dunes somewhat, and they probably would have suffered more damage Monday morning if that hadn't happened.
    There has been no flooding in Middlesex Beach, but the dunes and walkways took quite a pounding during the high tide between 8 and 9 AM.
    For the first time in several years,
    Middlesex Beach needed the services of a snow plow. The snow that fell on January 16-17 left us about 5-6" of snow...

    In addition, the temperature did not break the freezing point for 5 straight days shortly thereafter. Winter has truly hit Middlesex Beach.
    Have you winterized your house?

    		The Bethany area has already had at least one hard freeze, and this winter looks to be colder than in the recent past. In early December, a burst water pipe on the pine side of Addy Road led to massive flooding of adjacent properties before a neighbor noticed the flow and alerted authorities.
    If you're not going to occupy your property over the winter, it is strongly suggested that you shut off the water supply to your house. If you have Artesian water, there is an underground shut-off valve located adjacent to your water meter near the street. Note that any shut-off valve inside your house can still allow water into a portion of your plumbing that may not be protected from freezing.
    Everyone's house is slightly different-but you should be aware
    of how to protect YOUR plumbing.
    Rabid Fox killed by South Bethany Police
    On September 3 Joe Reardon spoke with Wayne Stacy of South Bethany. Joe was informed that their police department killed a fox last week behind the tennis courts. The fox was acting strange, i.e.. threatening people by not running away growling etc.

    The problem was they contacted the State to see if they would analyze the fox for rabies The State said since the fox did not bite anyone it was the county animal control agency responsibility. The County said since it did not bite any known animals they would not do anything. South Bethany sent the fox's remains to the dump.

    Our concern is dogs or cats in our community could have come in contact with this suspected rabid fox and become rabid themselves. Please be on the lookout for this if your pets start acting strangely.
    MBA Beach Patrol places first in August 15 lifeguard competition.
    Congrats to the crew headed by Commander Geoff Myers and Senior Guards Colin Crandell and Chris Adams !
    Also on August 5, they scored 3 first-place finishes to capture the 2002 Second Annual Bethany Beach-Ocean City Beach Patrol Competition held at Bethany Beach.
    Click here for details.
    (thanks to Bruce Schonover for the above picture; click on it for a larger view)
    THE 2002-2003 DIRECTORIES ARE AVAILABLE!!!
    The 2002-2003 MBA directories are available at the Guard House where property owners may pick them up. In addition, Wilgus will mail one to those who request such; call 302-539-7511 or 800-441-8118. Note that the phone number printed in early copies of the directory for Resort Investigation & Patrol is incorrect; the correct number appears above.
    July 11 update:
    Tim Hill of Wilgus toured the MBA streets with the local fire officials this past week. All suggestions regarding removal of parking spaces near corners have been implemented, and several "no parking here to corner" signs have been installed. In most cases, overhanging branches have been trimmed back to make it easier for emergency vehicles to traverse MBA streets efficiently.

    July 5 update:
    On June 20, an elderly MBA guest suffered a heart attack while swimming in the ocean. He was rescued from the surf and resuscitated by life guard Mike Lord. His heart subsequently stopped again, and he was again resuscitated by Mike while waiting for rescue personnel to arrive at the Guard's House. The Rescue Personnel took control of the medical situation and transported the victim to the hospital, praising Mike for his quick actions in twice resuscitating the patient. Mike returned to his post on the beach, only to rush back to Dune Road upon hearing cries of fire. A small brush fire had started along Dune Road between Addy and Evergreen, and Mike found a homeowner's garden hose at about the same time that Dick Creswell and Dan Lyons both arrived on site. The emergency crew, however, stayed with it a bit longer to ensure that it was truly out. Electric power went out in that area for a bit, but Connectiv started working on it within about 30 minutes after the fire was out. It appears the origin of the fire was electrical in nature.

    However, the difficulties encountered by the emergency vehicle to access the fire location highlighted a problem-cars parked (in marked spaces) too close to various street corners, making it difficult for the vehicle to navigate, and certainly making it impossible to access quickly. This has necessitated the immediate removal of some parking spaces from the ocean side of Middlesex Beach. Our Property Managment company and the Public Works Committee have consulted with the Bethany Beach Fire Department and are studying further measures to be taken. These might include removal of ALL hazards from the Middlesex Beach right-of-way along at least Dune Road, including moving private trash can boxes, mailboxes and planters back onto private property. In addition, cars should be parked as far off the road as possible, keeping in mind that the Middlesex Beach Association right of way extends about 3 feet beyond of the edge of the pavement.
    MD 404 Dualization Project-US 50 to Denton Bypass (from the 8/28/01 Washington Post and other papers).

    The Maryland State Highway Administration conducted an Informational Public Workshop on Monday, September 10, 2001 to update the public regarding studies performed by the SHA and to allow interested parties to review the projet with SHA personnel. This meeting also provided the opportunity for public comment on the proposed action. In addition to the no-build alternative and the 1991 seleted alternative presented in the Finding of No Significatn Impace, the current design alternative that includes additional measures to control access and improve roadway safety was presented.

    Citizen involvement in the design process is encouraged. Wriften comments and requests to be included on the project mailing list may be submitted to Mr. Joseph Kresslein, Project Manager, Project Planning Division, State Highway Administration, P.O. Box 717, Baltimore, MD 21203-0717. Mr. Kresslein may also be reached via eMail, at JKresslein@sha.state.md.us, by telephone at 410-545-8550, or toll free at 1-800-548-5026.
    Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup (from the 8/29/01 Delaware Wave)

    Residents of the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey will again be joining forces this fall in the Annual Coastal Cleanup. The effort aims to remove debris from the shores and tributaries of the Chesapeake and Delmarva Bays as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

    The 2001 Coastal Cleanup will be held Saturday, Sept. 15 from 9am to noon. For more information or to volunteer, call 739-4506 in Delaware; in Maryland, call 410-629-1538.

    Page and all photography thereon by David A. Wiecking
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