History of the Town Park
Town Park Before
The Memorial Park
In 1975, the then Mayor, Ms. Clare Russell, received funds from a grant awarded to the town to create a tennis court and a basketball court for public use. She did not have the property on which to place these recreational facilities, so she contacted the Draper Family, who had been a constant support and advocate for the little town of Slaughter Beach. George Draper generously offered the structures could be placed on land owned by him, adjacent to the large parking lot owned by the Memorial Fire Department. Construction was begun and the new courts were completed in 1976 for the town’s folks to enjoy. Later, Mr. Draper donated the land under the courts to the Memorial Fire Company.
The Shockley family, longtime contributors to the town and the fire Company, contributed a large piece of playground equipment to the town for the town and visitors’ use. Two additional pieces of equipment were also donated.
In 2015, the Memorial Fire Company, who had purchased the land adjacent to the courts from the Draper family, later leased a small portion of the land to the town for 25 years, and the town assumed responsibility for caring for it.
Fast forward to 2022, and the Town Council reviewed the playground equipment condition and found it needed repairs. With federal ARPA funds of $130,000, coupled with a grant of $60,000 from ORPT the Council set up a committee to assess the needs, develop a plan, supervise the installation, and allocate the funds. It took a bit of time to select the vendors, organize the work timeline, and do some preparatory work, but in Fall of 2023 the park was revitalized. This included repairs to the existing playground equipment, resurfacing both the tennis court and creating a pickleball court overlay, along with the resurface basketball court. The newly installed playground equipment will accommodate children of all ages. There are facilities to provide enjoyment for about 20-25 children along with ample seating for adults to relax while watching the children play.
There are continuing plans to install a playground dock & sailboat (donated by Debra Golembiewski), a bocci ball court, signage to inform visitors of the fauna and foliage surrounding them, additional plants, and a future walking path. But it must be recognized that none of this would have happened without the in-kind support and assistance of the Memorial Fire Company and local volunteers. Thanks to all!
Town Park After
Sewer Project UpdateMeet the Sussex County Engineer Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
Sewer Project Update – Rescheduled Date Meet the Sussex County EngineerSaturday, March 16, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
The meeting will be held in person at the Memorial Fire Company – Dining Room andvia ZoomMeet the Sussex County Engineer working on the Slaughter Beach Sewer Project. A Q&A session will follow a presentation. This is a great opportunity to have your questions answered directly by those involved in the design and installation of the project.
Please note the deadline for the signed documents regarding the vacuum value pit placement on your property originally due to be returned in early March has been extended to March 30th. Questions regarding the placement of stakes and any other questions should be addressed to Randy Duplechain at: randy.duplechain@sussexcountyde.gov To date the majority of questions submitted have regarded the locations of the stakes in the ground. They are working to address questions as quickly as possible.
2023 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness
Consistent with the Town’s implementation of numerous resiliency and preparedness strategies such as the Sea Envoy Program and Smart 911, the accompanying report from FEMA provides valuable insight into nationwide preparedness levels in specific hazard events. This data is useful, individually and collectively, as it provides us a data point for comparison to our self-assessments results. The survey can be found here: 2023-National-Household-Survey(1)
Governor Carney is proclaiming the week of November 27 to December 1 as “Winter Weather Awareness Week in Delaware.”
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency, Delaware Department of Transportation, National Weather Service, and county emergency agencies are teaming up to share important information to help residents and visitors to prepare and stay safe in the coming months. Learn more at: www.weather.gov/phi/dewinterweek
Winter can bring extreme cold, ice, snow, and high winds—knocking out power and heat and causing hazardous travel conditions, sometimes with deadly results. Last year, winter storms and extreme cold were responsible for 97 deaths in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. This includes the “once in a generation” late-December blizzard that brought 70 m.ph. winds and more than 50 inches of snow to Buffalo, New York, causing at least 47 deaths.
Experts say last year’s mild winter is no indication of what’s to come. Even though 2022-2023 was among the least snowy on record in the Mid-Atlantic, forecasts indicate a moderate to strong El Niño pattern, which could result in a few major winter storms despite a trend toward slightly above average temperatures and precipitation. Preparing now can greatly reduce any potential impacts from severe weather. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) is urging everyone to: make a plan, build a home and car emergency kit, and stay informed on the latest conditions. Visit PrepareDE.org for more resources.
More information about Winter Awareness Week can be found here: https://news.delaware.gov/2023/11/22/winter-weather-week/
Snow at SB
Bay iced over
Frozen Pipe
Beach Breached South End
Waves pounding the dunes
Trees down after the storm
Scarp after the winter nor’easter
SB Road flood during and after the storm
Marsh flooding north end of the beach
This is not the bay, it’s the marsh
Town Park Renovations Complete
The town Council approved the use of ARPA funds to revitalize the park. After a Request for Proposals was sent out and vendors were selected the work began. The basketball and tennis courts were resurfaced and stripped, and the large tree overlooking the courts was professionally trimmed. The ground these facilities are on was donated by the Draper Family and is known as the The Draper Recreational Area.. The face lift makes these facilities look new.
The play equipment donated by the Shockley family was also renewed thanks to some volunteer repairers and also looks revitalized. Nice work Harry and Bob!
The purchase and installation of several new play rides make the park a fun place for kids to enjoy! And the blue mulch makes the grounds sparkle!
All this could not have happened except for the cooperation and assistance from the Fire Company and CHRIS HAYES who was instrumental in preparing the grounds for the work to follow!
A BIG shout out to the town volunteers who came to the rescue and helped put down all the mulch! And the final product? Well take a look for yourself… a park we can all be proud of.
We still plan on planting some foliage and maybe adding a bocce court too! So stay tuned. Questions or Thoughts? Send them to Joanne Plescia, Project Lead, treasurer@slaughterbeachde.com
Shockley Park to Close for Renovations
The Town Council of Slaughter Beach wishes to advise all parties that Shockley Park, containing play equipment next to the basketball courts and across the street from Memorial Fire Company Station 89 will be CLOSED from August 19 to September 1, 2023 inclusive.
This area will be getting some needed upgrades to equipment and landscaping to improve the public experience and use of the facilities and while it is an inconvenience, we are confident everyone will be happy with the end result.
If you have questions, please contact the town office at 302 424 7659.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Ecotourism and Resiliency Planning In the News
Delaware Sea Grant helps put together ecotourism and resilience investment strategy for Milford and Slaughter Beach. More information about the plan can be found here: https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2023/june/ecotourism-slaughter-beach-milford-mispillion-river/
And here: https://www.derascl.org/wiin
Slaughter Beach Election Cancelled
NOTICE
The Town of Slaughter Beach Election Scheduled for
July 1, 2023, has been cancelled
The Town of Slaughter Beach Election scheduled for Saturday, July 1, 2023, has been cancelled. As of the filing deadline of June 2, 2023, two candidates have filed for two open seats making no election necessary.
The following two candidates have successfully filed for two open town council seats:
Harry Ward
Jamie Draper
Each seat is for a two-year term. They will be sworn in at the July Town Council meeting.
Delaware Bay Beaches in the News
Press Release
Federal, state and local dignitaries as well as members of the public were in attendance to hear about the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 22) this morning.
U.S. Senator Tom Carper, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is the main author of WRDA 2022, which delivers important investments to Delaware’s economy, environment and quality of life.
The bill, pushed by Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons as well as U.S. House Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester was announced at Bowers Beach to reflect how important it is to the lowest-lying state in the U.S. and how most beach communities could not survive without federal investment.
The new law allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward on critical infrastructure in the First State following hurricanes in addition to fast-tracking development of all waterway and construction/protection projects.
“We have seen some devastating effects from storms and while Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNREC) has always been supportive and generous to our small communities, it’s good to know they will now have the ability to work with a federal partner increasing their financial, technical and physical resources” said Bob Wood, Mayor of Slaughter Beach.
Press Release by Senator Carper can be seen here: https://www.carper.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/carper-blunt-rochester-lead-delawareans-in-celebrating-passage-of-critical-shoreline-protection-and-water-infrastructure-law/
Story by the Cape Gazette can been seen here: https://www.capegazette.com/article/federal-legislation-protects-shorelines-improves-waterways/252925
The Bay Beach Association also in the news
Story by the Cape Gazette can be seen here: https://www.capegazette.com/article/association-voice-bayshore-beaches-towns/252634
Editorial by the Cape Gazette about the Bay Beach Association and the Bayshore can be found here: https://www.capegazette.com/article/alliance-legislation-good-news-bayshore-region/253126
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING February 13, 2023 7:00PM
TOWN OF SLAUGHTER BEACH
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
A public hearing will be held on February 13, 2023 at 7:00 pm at the Memorial Volunteer Fire Company Station 89 located at 359 Bay Ave, Slaughter Beach, Delaware, for the purpose of receiving public comments on AMENDING THE SLAUGHTER BEACH ZONING ORDINANCE TO CLARIFY THAT ONLY ONE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING IS PERMITTED PER LOT AND TO MAKE OTHER MISCELLANEOUS CLARIFICATIONS.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY MAKE COMMENTS FOR OR AGAINST THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AT THE PUBLIC HEARING OR BY MAILING WRITTEN COMMENTS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING TO THE TOWN OF SLAUGHTER BEACH, 357 BAY AVE, SLAUGHTER BEACH, DE 19963. THE ORDINANCE BEING CONSIDERED MAY BE OBTAINED BY CALLING THE TOWN OF SLAUGHTER BEACH AT (302) 424-7659.
