Well, it's time to say goodbye to Delaware. Born and raised upstate, Rehoboth was a frequent stop my entire life. My earliest vacation memories are flying a box kite in Dewey and running around with some other kids I met here. I also remember climbing over the destroyed Boardwalk after the ’62 hurricane. And we had family here. My aunt lived on Canal Street behind McQuay’s Market and next door to Roopes Cottages. She ran a bar on First Street in the spot housing the Frogg Pond for so many years.
Although my career took me elsewhere, my wife and I returned to live on Ann Avenue in the Forgotten Mile for almost 20 years. It’s been a great run. Now it's time to leave for Utah to be closer to ever-growing family out west.
There is no question we will miss the area. Not only has it been home for so many years, it has become world renowned over the past five years or so. This is where Christine Blasey-Ford hatched her plot to take down a Supreme Court nominee; where Joe Biden fell off his bike. Those two things have brought Rehoboth to the attention of the world and make it easy for people to know where we called home.
I will miss sparring with Don Flood and Brendan Buschi.
I will miss yanking Pete Schwartzkopf’s chain, who, in this increasingly progressive state, looks more like a Republican every day.
I will really miss everyone at Kings Creek Country Club, where the ’70s and ’80s Dewey crowd went to retire!
And, of course, I will miss the crews at the Starboard (yes, I know Monty), Woody’s (and Jimmy too) and Vavala’s fine goods emporium (and Bruce as well).
But before I go, I wanted to address one last burning issue – e-bikes.
To that letter writer who claimed that the intent of the no motorbikes rule was that it apply to those bikes with gas engines: The only times I’ve heard people argue intent was when 1.) the law was ambiguous; 2.) they had no intent to comply; or 3.) they felt the law’s intent wasn’t meant to apply to them.
The law is pretty clear: no motorbikes, which basically means no bikes with motors. There is no mention of gas, and if you were to make that argument, then I guess you could argue that automobile laws written for gas-powered cars don’t apply to electric-powered vehicles.
If you don’t intend to comply or feel it doesn’t apply to you, you must be from “just outside D.C.” It says no motors, it means no motors. It ain’t that complicated!
To that letter writer who wrote that e-bikes didn’t have motors, I would ask, if they don’t have a motor, what’s the electricity for? Of course they have motors; that’s what makes it so easy to pedal.
I spent many hours biking on those trails as well as the local roads and only gave up my bikes when I concluded it was too dangerous around here. Make it a little safer, keep the motors on the roads and off the trails. Or change the laws. Take your pick.
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