For Sussex County teenagers, snagging a good summer job and getting a paycheck for some fun in the sun was once just a simple matter of heading to the beaches and filling out a few applications. Not any more.

This year, with county unemployment at 8.8 percent in April -- the highest among the three counties, with Kent at 8.5 and New Castle at 8.6 -- the competition for jobs as restaurant servers, lifeguards and boardwalk business cashiers is stiffer than ever. There are more high school and college students applying than in the past, and they're going up against more experienced layoff victims and a still-substantial number of international students.

After a harsh winter, Delawareans and out-of-state visitors are ready to relax at First State beaches, season-opening weekend parking revenue suggests.

While slightly lower than last year's Memorial Day weekend figures, beach town officials report strong collections from the holiday weekend.

"It was a rough winter; if they can afford it, they want to get away," Rehoboth City Manager Greg Ferrese said.

Flavio Amaya doesn't own a car, so the Washington resident must rely on the kindness of friends, or a rental, to get to Rehoboth Beach to soak up the rays.

Dior Toney does have wheels, but a few hours before he was supposed to drive out to Dewey for Memorial Day weekend, the hood flew straight up, sabotaging his holiday plans.

Now, Pat Avery possesses a car, and it works; however, she and her partner find that halfway through the return trip from Rehoboth, drowsiness sets in, forcing them to pull off the road for a catnap. The Fairfax couple would prefer to drive straight through, but their circadian rhythms say otherwise.

Chade Brooks and Kionna Moore found their first taste of Thrasher’s french fries to their liking today, but something was missing.
“We need ketchup,” Moore said.

A request for ketchup at Thrasher’s immediately brands the customer as a newbie to Rehoboth, and indeed, it was the first visit for the Suitland, Md., duo. Vinegar is the garnish of choice at the iconic Rehoboth Avenue shop, where ketchup is viewed as rank heresy.

Dangerous surf and "life-threatening" rip currents could force more swimmers out of the ocean today as Hurricane Bill continues churning northward in the Atlantic.

Punishing waves and rip currents -- swift channels that can pull swimmers out to sea -- were produced by the storm Saturday, forcing lifeguards to close or restrict swimming at many East Coast beaches including Rehoboth in Delaware and Ocean City in Maryland. And though the hurricane had dropped to a Category 1 storm by Saturday evening, the National Hurricane Center in Miami warned that Bill could bring "extremely dangerous surf and ... rip currents to parts of the U.S. East Coast" before reaching Canada.

Every summer hundreds of bicyclists in the Rehoboth Beach area get free safety checks thanks to the efforts of Sussex Cyclists and their partners.

“We call it branding,” says Sussex Cyclists President Tony Pezone. “You can tell those who have stopped by checkpoints by the bright yellow reflective tape on their bikes.”

Many of those who stop are foreign students who are working in the resort area for the summer. Although some have bikes in good working order, many pull into the checkpoints missing brakes, with flat tires, no lights, no reflectors, bent frames, and loose seats and handlebars.

The Lighthouse’s “Taco Toss” happy hour, with its $1 tacos, nachos and hot dogs, is the first stop for plenty of weekend warriors who call Dewey home every summer weekend.

As always, it’s an eclectic mix on the bar’s deck as the sun sets on Rehoboth Bay.

Young men wearing T-shirts like one that reads “I’d hit that” under an image of a pinata try to pick up women while taking slugs from a can of Bud Light.

The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce is pleased to host the 31st annual Sandcastle Contest on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The contest will be held at Fisherman's Beach at the north end of the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, near the Henlopen Hotel, in Rehoboth. It is open to both adults and children. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Judging begins at 3 p.m.

The adult and children's divisions each have three categories: sandcastle, animal, and free form. The top three entries in each category receive a prize package. Prizes will be awarded to the youngest contestants as "Smiley's Choice."

Last year, Admiral Hotel owner Chad Moore said most of the applications for employment he received were from foreign workers looking for summer jobs.

This year, that changed as the economic downturn has forced many local residents to search for seasonal work and settle for jobs they wouldn't typically consider.

"We're getting a lot more local applicants this year," Moore said. "Everyone is looking for a job where they can get one."

Plan your next weekend trip at Rehoboth Beach Delaware. Just like a lot of people, you may be hesitant to take a vacation in this economy. The excuses I hear are, “I feel guilty taking time with the economy so bad”, “the gas prices are outrageous”, etc. I am here to tell you, it is possible. With Delaware being tax-free, you are already saving that money. Instead of taking several trips to the store or malls in your area, go out once and get it all done that day. Save the extra money to put in gas for a visit to the beach.