LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Out and About in Delaware's State Parks |
by Stephen Schilly |
Memories of the Season It's hard to believe the busy holiday season has arrived! Where did the year go? It feels like 2002 just got started; yet here we are ready to change the calendar once again. According to the old saying "time marches on," but for me it seems to be racing by. I'm not sure if that's a sign I am getting older or perhaps my life has just gotten too busy. Whatever the reason, the hectic holiday season is upon us and 2002 will soon be nothing more than a pleasant memory. I always get very sentimental this time of year. There are many fond memories attached to this season. Like most people, the excitement of the holidays was a big part of my childhood. My mother had a special love for this time of year. She celebrated a "holiday season" that kicked off with Thanksgiving and didn't end until after the New Year. To make the most of the season, she always insisted decorations had to go up the day after Thanksgiving. For the next month, nothing but holiday music was permitted in our house. I can recall the wonderful aroma of freshly baked cookies and other holiday treats coming from the kitchen. Unlike most people, mom didn't spend the holiday season shopping for gifts. She always shopped early. We all knew the location of the secret closet where she kept the mounds of wrapped gifts that would await us on Christmas Day. Mom seemed to treat gift buying as a year-round pursuit. We took great pleasure in teasing her about this. We all knew she had already started shopping for next Christmas before the current holiday had even taken place! Her joy for the season made a tremendous impression on me and had a great influence on my own love of the season. Sadly, my mother passed away after a long bout with diabetes three years ago on Thanksgiving Day. The love and devotion she gave our family can never be replaced. In many ways, she was the "heart and soul" of our family. Not a day goes go by that we don't feel the loss. We are blessed that she left us a wonderful legacy of endless happy memories to ease the sadness. As this holiday season begins, I can't help but think of her and smile. Whatever your background, I wish you all a very happy holiday season. I hope you are able to spend it with the friends and family who make your life worthwhile. What could be better? Parks in the Off-Season It never ceases to amaze me how many people have the mistaken idea that our state parks "close" in the off-season. They only seem to associate the parks with warm, sunny weather and believe the parks shut down once the season changes. They seem to somehow think parks become desolate areas in the cold winter months. This, of course, is far from the truth. State parks are open year-round, 8 a.m. to sunset, providing wonderful opportunities for active or passive recreation. Whatever the season, you can find some activity to challenge your mind and body. Favorite "off season" activities include hiking, biking, jogging, horseback riding, and bird watching. Even in the coldest months, you'll find diehard enthusiasts participating in traditionally warmer weather pursuits such as fishing, camping, surfing, and windsurfing. Every day is a good day to visit our parks...come out and see what you are missing! (Photo of Cape Henlopen Bathhouse in winters past.) Winter Projects Visitors frequently ask park staff "What do you do in the winter?" They are often surprised to learn that our staff is actually very busy this time of year. Unlike the summer, the "off season" is our staff's time to get park facilities in tip-top shape for the busy summer months. Buildings are winterized and painted, picnic tables are repaired or replaced, trails are manicured, equipment is serviced, campsites are cleaned and groomed for next season, and signs are updated. At this time, Park programs and policies are reviewed and modified as needed. It is a very painstaking process, but is necessary for the success of the coming year. Most staff would agree that these colder months are actually the most challenging time of our work year. Gordons Pond This Winter I have good news to report to off-season visitors to Gordons Pond. In the past, the parking area was closed to visitors during the winter. With the recent renovation of the parking area, the Division will now have the lot open every day, weather permitting, 8 a.m. to sunset! This will be good news for visitors who wish to take a stroll on the beach or enjoy the quiet beauty of the Gordons Pond trail. Enforcement Update When I started writing this column in March, the first subject I addressed was an ongoing enforcement problem involving individuals, almost exclusively males, who were "cruising" select parking areas and ultimately participating in sexual activity on the site. My goal in addressing the issue was to inform readers of our Division's policies concerning this subject. As a gay male and employee of the Division, it was important to me that the community understood that public nudity and indecent behavior are illegal and would not be tolerated in the parks. I stated the Division's policy that any individual, male or female, straight or gay, would be arrested if they were found to be involved in such activities in the parks. At the time, the article seemed to help. Unfortunately, the autumn season has brought an unwelcome return of the illegal activity! While I am not surprised by this turn of events, it is very important the community understands the Division will do active enforcement, including surveillance of problem sites, to get the situation under control. It is not our intent to intrude on legitimate visitors. Individuals who visit the parks to meet friends have nothing to worry about as long as they do not get involved in illegal activities. The gay community has a stake in this as well. The type of illegal activity going on at these sites does nothing but perpetuate old stereotypes. The inappropriate actions of a few individuals give our entire community a bad name. I hope you will understand and support our Division's efforts to correct this situation. As 2002 draws to a close, I want to thank Camp Rehoboth for the opportunity to write this column in Letters. I now have a better understanding of the challenges associated with writing a regular column. It's been great fun but a lot of work! I must admit I'm ready for a break. I'll soon be taking a long winter vacation. My partner, Bob, and I will be spending Christmas in Paris with a couple of special friends. We can not wait! See you all again in the New Year! Happy Holidays! For more information about upcoming programs and activities, check out our website at www.destateparks.com. And if you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, please e-mail me at stephen.schilly@state.de.us. Nature's Best Bets If you are looking for fun activities this winter, some "best bets" at Cape Henlopen Nature Center include: Explore Thompson's Island Saturdays, December 7 and January 11, 10 a.m. Take a hike on this remnant of the Pleistocene Era and learn about its geological history, its importance to migrating songbirds, and about the Native American people who made this island sacred ground. Pre-registration is required. Limited to 12. $3 per person. Explore Gordons Pond Sunday, December 22 and Saturday, February 8, 10 a.m. Hike along the Gordons Pond trail and discover the beauty of this out-of-the-way corner of Cape Henlopen State Park. Meet at the Gordons Pond parking lot. Park Full of Pines Saturday, December 28, 1 p.m. Four species of pines can be found in Cape Henlopen State Park. Head out into the park with a naturalist and learn how to identify each species, how they have adapted to Cape Henlopen's environment, and about some of the animals that utilize the pines. For more information on these and other park programs, contact the Seaside Nature Center at (302) 645-6852. Stephen Schilly is Park Operations Administrator Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 15, November 27, 2002. |