Foreign Student Orientation at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

Construction crews began tearing out a four-block-long section of the mile-long Rehoboth Beach boardwalk Tuesday -- the first step in rebuilding a structure that some say is in desperate need of repairs.

The demolition work includes removing the decking and structure that supports the boardwalk. Reconstruction will include rebuilding from the sand up in a project that is expected to cost about $2 million and take much of the winter and spring to complete.

For all its contributions to American society -- it was the first state to ratify the Constitution, it was the site of a pivotal event in rock 'n' roll history, and it's the proud birthplace of both nylon and Valerie Bertinelli -- Delaware these days is known mostly for two things: beaches and tax-free shopping.

Maybe a third, according to Mariela Gomes: It ain't Jersey.

"It's not like other places," Gomes says of Rehoboth, the beach-lover's haven where she and a dozen swim-suited and flip-flopped family members and friends were spending a day. "It's not New Jersey, where you get rude teenagers. This is family. It's clean, it's close to home." (She's from Smyrna, about 50 miles north.)

This year’s Punkin Chunkin includes new activities, events and opportunities. The Delaware Lottery is offering a new e-game and prize-pack drawing, the first Punkin Chunkin pageant is poised to start a new tradition and 400 drivers will have a chance to park on the infield.