My husband and I live in a house adjacent to the Lewes-to Georgetown Trail. We have been walking our dogs on the trail twice daily for as long as the section near our house has been paved. Recently, we have noticed an uptick in the troublesome and destructive behaviors. The most current and most worrisome event occurred early Sunday morning. While walking our dogs, my husband and I came upon what obviously had been a fairly large fire set on the trail, toward the Minos Conaway Road end. Among the burnt debris was a can of some sort of fire starter (I believe). The debris was obstructing the trail, so my husband moved it off to the side. A short time later, a resident who lives adjacent to the fire remnants told us they were awakened around 4:30 a.m. by their dog. When the homeowner let the dog out, they noticed the fire, called the fire company, and then tried to extinguish the fire themselves. The fire department showed up and doused the flames, but the firefighters left the detritus from the fire in the middle of the trail.
I called Troop 7 to report the fact that a fire had been set in the middle of the night in the middle of the trail. Based on my conversation, I got the impression that the fire department had not reported the fire to the state police. I got the impression that the police were not too concerned about the event. I was told to call trail maintenance, which oversees the trail. Sadly, this has not been the only destructive behavior on the trail in recent months. In the spring, someone in an adjacent neighborhood had a glass patio table set broken by rocks thrown from the trail. The stand of bamboo has been damaged also by a group of people roaming the trail.
Many people who live on the trail take great pride in it, and adorn their section with a variety of lawn ornaments and other decorative items. Lately, people have noticed that some of these items have been either damaged or stolen. The trail is a positive addition to the community. It is a way for people to connect, to exercise and to get to know others living around you who you may not have met otherwise. But it is a large open space and there needs to be accountability and someone willing to act when things happen such as a fire set in the middle of the trail.
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