It’s the Friday morning of Memorial Day weekend in Rehoboth Beach. It’s cloudy and misting, with land temperatures matching ocean temperatures – high 50s and low 60s. It’s the official start of the summer season, but some combination of rain, wind and clouds are predicted for the three-day weekend.

Despite the weather, Shelley Mikkelsen, a second-year parking sales attendant for the city’s parking department, is still in good spirits.

“I’m at the stage in my life that when I’m at the beach, I try to be happy,” said Mikkelsen.

Stationed on Bayard Avenue, Mikkelsen is partnered with a second woman, Barbara Ellis, for the day. She said she started working for the city because she was interested to see how things operate. Everyone is aware of the city and its staff, but she was interested in learning more about how things work, she said.

“You learn that city employees are good people, who just work hard trying to do the best they can,” said Mikkelsen.

Mikkelsen and her husband purchased their property on Philadelphia Street in 2012. She still spends time at their home in Virginia, but she said she became a full-time Rehoboth resident after she got her job with the city.

In one summer, she said she’s met more people doing the job than she did in the previous decade.

“Being out here, I’ve met a lot more people. It’s been quite eye-opening how friendly people have been,” said Mikkelsen, who turns 66 in June.

Prior to making the full-time move to Rehoboth, Mikkelsen, who grew up in Virginia, had careers in two completely different fields – dental hygiene and telecommunications.

In the early 1980s, after graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in biology, she began working at the National Institutes of Health in the area of dental hygiene. She conducted research at the institute for a few years before going back to the University of Maryland and earning her master's degree in business.

The intention was to go back to dental because she still had the passion. Instead, she was recruited for a telecommunications job after getting her MBA. When she began working at MCI, the dental line of work took a back seat.

“Back in the ‘80s, there was a lot of money in the telecom industry and it was just a big party,” she said.

She stayed in the telecom industry well into the 2000s, but her passion for dental remained. After MCI went belly up, she got a job at periodontist’s private practice and worked for another 15 years.

“I always enjoyed the social aspect of the dental industry,” she said. “Patients are sitting there with their mouths open and they can’t talk, so they have to listen to you.”

Mikkelsen has a lifelong connection to the area. Her dad was one of the original 99-year-lease holders in the Pot-Nets community in Long Neck. At the time, the roads in Pot-Nets were all dirt.

Mikkelsen said her dad was one of the last lease holders at the original rate. Near the end of his life, they would call every year to make sure he was still alive, because those leases aren’t transferable, she said, laughing.

Her dad’s spot was right on the water, so they’d spend all day fishing and crabbing. He would also ride her around on the back of his Suzuki 90 motorcycle. She can remember getting burns on her legs from the exhaust.

“I guess everyone has golf carts now,” she said.

Mikkelsen said they’d visit Rehoboth a few times a summer, feeding the meters all day long with nickels.

“It was a lot cheaper back then,” she said.

She said her dad also bought an investment property in the Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club community. After her dad died, the property was left to Mikkelsen and her siblings. Eventually, her brother bought her out. She and her husband used that money to purchase their house downtown.

Mornings for Mikkelsen begin with a 7:45 a.m. arrival at the city’s parking department building. Not too much later, Mikkelsen and her partner for the day head for their designated post. The city has two parking permit sales locations – one on Rehoboth Avenue near the Verizon building; another on Bayard Avenue, just north of Silver Lake.

The interview lasted an hour and, again because of the weather, only one vehicle stopped for a permit.

It happens like that sometimes, said Mikkelsen. This location is busy when it’s a beach day, while the other location tends to be used by employees coming into town, she said.

There’s not much to the permit sales boxes because they only accept cash and checks. There’s a money drawer. A drawer with daily, weekly and season-long passes. There’s a drawer that holds her supply bag. There are also dog treats in the box.

The box is red with bold yellow lettering on the side letting visitors know why they’re there. There’s also a big blue umbrella with lettering on it saying the on-street setup is for parking.

“The city wants us to keep the umbrella up so people know. You wouldn’t believe the number of people who stop to see if we’re selling hot dogs,” said Mikkelsen, laughing. “I’ll tell them no, but then they get all happy when I say we've got Jello shooters.”

Mikkelsen said she likes the sales side of permits over the enforcement side. People are coming to the beach and they’re happy, she said.

“The enforcement side of the department is always getting the stink eye,” she said.

Sometimes, they have to deal with animals – coming up from the ground and coming down from the sky.

Earlier this year, there was an ant infestation in the spot where the setup is for Bayard Avenue, said Mikkelsen. There are also foxes and opossums that will walk by in broad daylight.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing, but it happens,” said Mikkelsen. “Fish will also fall out of the sky. There have been trigger fish dropped from above by birds onto the sidewalk.”

In addition to parking permit sales, Mikkelsen said the parking attendants educate drivers on where to park and, if they ask, where to eat or shop. Her recommendations are based on the mood of who’s asking, she said.

As for parking, Mikkelsen said she usually recommends the second or third blocks.

“Don’t go east. Go west,” she said. “You may have to walk a little more, but you’ll find something.”