general

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.

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.

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."

Rehoboth Beach has joined a growing list of Delaware resort towns to increase parking rates for the upcoming summer.

Rates on 275 meters throughout the city will increase by a quarter an hour this summer, changing from $1 to $1.25, city manager Gregory Ferrese said. The move is expected to bring in more than $20,000 in additional revenue, according to budget documents. The meters are generally coin-operated and located on sidestreets.

When the weather turns warm, hundreds of workers from different parts of the globe descend on coastal Delaware and Maryland in search of jobs and the U.S. dollar.

But this year, as the economic forecast for summer 2009 appears bleak, some are wondering if that may change.

Karen Clark, whose 15-year-old daughter has discovered finding a part-time job isn't easy, hopes it will.

"My daughter started working last summer and she had a hard time finding a job," she said. "Now, I'm thinking that we're going to have these people coming in when we have locals who need the work."

Newark wants to build a $20 million downtown parking garage. Wilmington is looking to spend $30 million to replace 30 miles of aging water mains. And Sussex County would like $14 million to build a science education center near Rehoboth Beach.

All of these projects are among wish lists that governments up and down Delaware -- and across the country -- are preparing to send to the Obama administration under a plan to jump-start the economy by spending about $775 billion on public works.

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.

With plans well under way to begin reconstruction of Rehoboth Beach's aging boardwalk, the city's boardwalk committee will reconvene Tuesday to discuss further measures to assure the future of the popular tourist destination.

Recent talk has centered on the potential decking materials that will be used to create the new boardwalk. According to Stan Mills, chairman of the committee, much of the boardwalk is almost half a century old.

Click Here to see America's 10 Best Boardwalks (by Forbes.com)

9th position - Rehoboth Beach, Delaware: "Lots of family-oriented arcades here. Beachcombers can test their skills at Virtual Fun Arcade & Playland, Surfside Arcade, Funland Amusement Park and Doll

The sagging U.S economy has sparked changes at businesses in Rehoboth Beach as business owners work to give customers more bang for the buck.

At the forefront of this is Fusion, at 50 Wilmington Ave. The restaurant has lowered the price of all its menu items to $20 or less.

Bill Karrow, executive chef and proprietor of Fusion said, “Let’s face it, it costs 75 or 80 bucks to fill your tank up. That hurts. So we’ve made a conscious decision to keep all our entrees under $20. And it’s been working very well.”