Rehoboth Beach Patrol honored with historical marker
Bill Collick looked on with pride as a state historical marker was unveiled commemorating the Rehoboth Beach Patrol.
Collick, who served as a Rehoboth Beach lifeguard 50 years ago, said it was a great way to grow up.
“You have people from 50 years ago that you still have a connection with. I think the spirit of this is what you really gain – friends for a lifetime. It’s responsibility, but just being able to be involved in this is quite special for me,” Collick said.
Collick said he has two granddaughters who went through the patrol’s junior lifeguard program last year, so his experience has come full circle.
The marker was dedicated Aug. 5 outside the new Rehoboth Beach Patrol headquarters at the foot of Baltimore Avenue.
The beach patrol was founded in 1921 by Benjamin Shaw and the American Red Cross.
The current patrol has about 70 lifeguards under the leadership of Capt. Jeff Giles.
Kathy McGuiness, a former Rehoboth Beach commissioner, submitted an application to the Delaware Public Archives for the marker almost a decade ago. She said her parents, John and Angie, met on the beach when he was a lifeguard in the 1950s, under coach Frank Coveleski.
McGuiness said the marker honors true local heroes.
“Their training and vigilance turn potential tragedies into close calls. Rehoboth Beach lifeguards are part of the heart and soul of this town,” she said. “You keep Rehoboth beaches running like a well-oiled, sometimes sandy, machine.”
The marker joins several other state historical markers around Rehoboth Beach.
Mayor Stan Mills said the board of commissioners is expected to soon apply for a marker celebrating the iconic Boardwalk. He said they are also looking forward to having a marker at the southern beach area known as Poodle Beach.
Stephen Marz, state archivist, said markers are the result of private citizens and groups working with local lawmakers.
“As more markers are dedicated throughout Delaware, present and future generations will have more opportunity to learn about the rich history and culture of this wonderful state,” he said.
Marz said more than 700 historical markers have been positioned throughout Delaware since the program began in 1931.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Eagles, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.
