I know that choosing a headline for an article can be tricky, as you need it to be relevant to the article and also get the person picking up the paper to actually read it. In the May 5 edition of the Cape Gazette, the headline and article about Dewey Beach skim laws possibly being changed did not go together at all.
The word “scrutiny” would imply that there was actually a problem to begin with. If you read the article you would know that what was happening was just a discussion between local business owners, lifeguards and town officials of the possibility of the Dewey Beach skim laws being changed. A person just reading the headline thinks there is something negative going on before even reading the article. Or if they choose not to read the article and just base their information off of the “scrutiny” headline, you could potentially have a lot of mis-informed people. Sure enough that’s exactly what happened.
The town council was set to hear all sides of the discussion May 10 in their monthly meeting. Due to the media craze and complaints from property owners, the Dewey Beach Town Council have removed it from their agenda, which is unfortunate because all this was supposed to be was a public discussion on re-exploring the skimboard regulations to see if there is a way to keep everyone safe and happy on the beach in Dewey.
Dewey Beach is the east coast skimboarding capital and has been since the town of Dewey Beach was incorporated in 1982. The East Coast Skimboarding Championships have been in Dewey for 33 years. We see more and more kids, teens and adults picking up skimboards and making it their summer activity year in and year out. All those things considered, it is only healthy and natural that with the increasing popularity of the sport that these skimboarding laws be re-assessed by the powers-that-be in Dewey Beach. For right now, that subject has been put on the “back burner.”
I do appreciate the coverage the Cape Gazette has given skimboarding over the years. But next time please be careful. You never know what the wrong word can do.
Corey Mahoney
Dewey Beach
co-owner of Alley Oop Skim
To see the article go to capegazette.villagesoup.com/p/skimboards-draw-scrutiny-in-dewey/1173430.
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