Things Could Seem a Bit Different In Rehoboth Beach for the Next Four Years, At Least When Biden is in Town
As you’ve probably noticed, there isn’t a whole lot going on in the area now that the cold weather has eliminated outdoor gatherings and COVID-19 health mandates have seriously limited most indoor get-togethers.
It makes continuing our weekly events blog, which has run nonstop for several years now, a bit harder to manage. But when there’s a will, there’s a way right?
So what we’ve decided we’re going to do for the next few weeks, except when there’s something major to talk about (like the virtual Polar Bear Plunge in a few weeks), is to just look ahead.
Coronavirus vaccines are on the way in Delaware and throughout the region. If you’re a First State resident and you missed it, click here to read our blog on the state’s vaccination rollout plan.
As such, we have some things to look forward and the hope that the upcoming summer and fall will hopefully see a return to normalcy here at the Delaware and Maryland beaches.
But there is another possible change on the horizon, especially in the City of Rehoboth Beach, and that has to do with the person who is now the city’s most famous part-time resident.
If you missed it over the holidays, several national news outlets were broadcasting live from Delaware’s most popular beach resort as President-Elect Joe Biden was in town spending time with his family.
We expect over the next four years, the president will be in town from time to time, much like the Bushes vacationed in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Trump has in South Florida.
And if the president is in town, there are obviously going to be a few extra things to deal with. So looking ahead to the Summer of 2021 and beyond, let’s identify a few we should probably be aware of, if and when the president decides to visit Rehoboth Beach.
Secret Service Presence. There’s definitely no getting around this one. If the president comes to town, members of the Secret Service will be right here with him en masse.
And this won’t be only when President Biden is actually here. Members of the protective detail are generally on-site weeks before any potential visit, or could have more of a permanent presence in town if the president plans on visiting the area frequently.
So you’re probably going to see more of these “Men in Black” over the next few years in the “Nation’s Summer Capital.” But for the most part, this shouldn’t present much of an issue unless the president is going out for a nice dinner on Rehoboth Avenue or maybe catching a few rays on the beach.
It’s just something to be aware of.
Disruptions to Traffic. When the president is enjoying family time at his Rehoboth Beach home, there’s won’t be much in the way of traffic disruptions. But when he’s on the move, that’s another story.
Roads are generally cleared ahead of the presidential motorcade coming through. So if the nation’s 46th president is on the move, you may well be restricted from traveling in certain areas of the resort.
But the good news is that these disruptions generally don’t last very long. The president gets in, the president gets out and traffic returns to normal.
But if you’re in Rehoboth Beach this summer and wondering why you’re stuck in traffic and haven’t moved in the last few minutes, this could well be the reason why.
Restricted Air Space. When the president is on the move, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, generally issues what is referred to as a Temporary Flight Restriction. This is effective for the duration of the time that the president is in a particular location.
So when the president is in Rehoboth Beach over the next few years, you may not see any of those banner planes flying by the beach for a few days.
