real estate

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.