Henlopen Acres residents clean up Block W
When Col. Wilbur Corkran deeded Henlopen Acres’ Block W to the Henlopen Acres Beach Club in 1957, one of the caveats was that the undisturbed oceanfront land would be kept tidy and in its natural state.
Block W of Henlopen Acres is roughly 13 acres in size – one-third the beach club and two-thirds undisturbed dune. In the nearly 65 years since the land was turned over to the beach club, it has remained undisturbed and tidy. To keep it that way, a group comprising nearly two dozen residents and property owners gathered Oct. 3 at the cul-de-sac on Pine Reach, near the entrance path to the dunes, to take part in a cleanup.
The morning after the cleanup, event organizer Nathalie McGregor said enough trash was collected that it took two trucks to carry it all to the dumpster. Most of the trash was scattered along the roadway, which means people threw cans and bottles from their cars, she said, adding that maybe it’s time to post a sign along the road to help prevent littering.
There was one cute find, said McGregor – a plastic box with a time capsule, which had small mementos inside and a journal with postings beginning from 2015. It was left in in the dunes, with hopes that the owner will continue keeping records, she said.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
