Lewes begins planning for 2018 fireworks
The Lewes community is banding together to set up a sanctioned fireworks show for the Fourth of July next summer.
This effort comes on the heels of a crackdown by city and state officials on long unenforced, unsanctioned illegal fireworks shows on Lewes Beach.
“There was a lot of public relations to discourage the use of fireworks this year,” said Lewes City Manager Ann Marie Townshend. “We actually received quite a bit of cooperation with that.”
Lewes Police Chief Tom Spell reported that no citations were handed out, and only a few people ignored the requests and set off fireworks.
Following the Fourth of July holiday, Townshend said, a meeting was held with representatives from the Lewes Chamber of Commerce, Children's Beach House, Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes Yacht Club, Lewes Historical Society and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry to begin discussions about a show next year.
“There’s been a lot of concern on how it would impact the city, how it would be paid for and who would be the host of it,” said Mayor Ted Becker. “I think in order to get a handle on all of this, it would probably be best to have a workshop.”
The public is invited to the workshop at 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31, at the community meeting room in the new Margaret H. Rollins Community Center, the old library on Adams Avenue.
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.
