Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way ceremony set Feb. 28 in Lewes
Community members and elected officials will gather at the corner of West Fourth Street and Burton Avenue at 1 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28, to unveil the first honorary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way sign.
Lewes Mayor and City Council voted to move forward with an honorific naming of West Fourth Street in January after several months of debate in the community. The street’s honorary naming celebrates the contributions of the African-American community to Lewes.
To further ensure Lewes’ African-American history and contributions are celebrated, city officials also created the Lewes African-American Heritage Commission, which will develop a walking tour of Lewes highlighting significant African-American community members and sites. The goal is to have the walking tour available through a brochure and on a smartphone app. The commission has already met twice.
Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, has agreed to use his community transportation funds for the purchase and installation of the new street signs.
Although the request was for Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Mayor Ted Becker said, the city chose “Way” because West Fourth Street is not a boulevard – typically a wide tree-lined street with a median.
Lopez also agreed to fund a historic marker that will be placed somewhere in the community to recognize the African-American community. Language for the marker will be drafted by the new heritage commission.
For more information, call city hall at 302-645-7777.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
