Delaware
Pool and beach safety for the summer
Pool and beach safety tips can help keep your family safe this summer
With the Memorial Day holiday, the summer season kicks off in Delaware with many locals and visitors heading to the pool or the beach. Although the beach or a pool is a great place to enjoy time with family and friends, there are things to remember to keep you and your family safe, according to Bryan Villar, MD with Bayhealth Primary Care as well as Adaobi Enekwizu, MD, Bayhealth pediatrician.
“I always tell patients that the sun is the safest sun is in the morning between sunrise and 10 AM and then again after 4 PM,” Dr. Villar said. “Between 10 AM and 4 PM is when the sun is the strongest. I recommend seeking shade whenever possible. If you are heading to the beach, bring a beach umbrella.”
Sunscreen is important throughout the year, but especially important during the summer months. He advises that everyone should use an SPF of 15 or higher and reapply every two hours. It is also important to reapply after being in the water or if you have been sweating.
“It’s easy for parents with young kids to be so concerned with the little ones that they forget to protect themselves,” Dr. Villar said. “Not only is it important for parents to have sunscreen on, but also to set a good example for the kids. Both lotion and spray sunscreen are effective and everyone, no matter their skin tone, should be using sunscreen. Even people with darker skin can get skin cancer. People with a strong family history of skin cancer may want to consider avoiding the sun whenever possible.”
Water safety is also important and something Dr. Enekwizu stresses, especially for children. According to Dr. Enekiwizu, drowning is one of the top ten leading causes of death among all young people as reported by the World Health Organization. It is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages one to four.
“Families need to be aware of and teach their children the risks that exist in and around natural and man-made bodies of water,” Dr. Enekwizu said. “Even small amounts of water, even two inches or less, pose a hazard for young children. This includes bathtubs, sinks, toilets, inflatable pools or buckets.”
Statistics show that most child drownings occur in residential swimming pools and a child can drown in under one minute. Children on the autism spectrum, certain heart conditions or epilepsy are at a higher risk of drowning and should have a water safety plan created by their pediatrician. Preteen and teenaged drownings occur more often in natural bodies of water, often because they tend to take more risks that younger people or adults. Young males are especially prone to overestimating their swimming ability. Diving injuries are also common among young males as they sometimes fail to determine water depth before diving.
“Swim lessons are recommended as early as age one, depending on the child’s developmental abilities,” Dr. Enekwizu said. “This certainly helps with water competency, but close supervision is still key. Children should always be supervised in the bath or near water. Particularly at the beach or at pools, designate a “water watcher,” a responsible adult that is within touch of children and not distracted by a device, socializing or drinking alcohol.”
For those who enjoy boating with children, be sure that everyone on the boat is using Coast Guard-approved life jackets. Be sure to check the label for approval and follow specifications for sizing based on weight so that it has the appropriate fit.
“Staying hydrated, especially during the heat of summer, is important,” Dr. Villar added. “Always make sure you have plenty of water for a day at the beach. It is also important for anyone who is on medications to be extra careful, since they are more prone to dehydration. If you feel excessively thirsty, are dizzy or overly fatigued, you may be suffering from dehydration.”
Despite being as careful as possible, sunburns may occur. If so, use aloe or lotion to soothe the skin. If the sunburn begins to peel, do not remove it and allow it to slowly come of on its own so that the skin under it an heal.
“In the end, I encourage patients to take vacations and get to places like the beach as often as they can,” Dr. Villar said. “Vacations are a great way to reduce stress, spend time with family and feel more balanced. I always want my patients to take every precaution while also having a great time on vacation.”
For more tips on summer safety, visit the Community Health and Wellness page at Bayhealth.
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The Hagley Museum and Library houses a collection of patent models
The Hagley Museum and Library houses the nation’s second-largest collection of patent models, many of which the public never gets to see.
For most, 41 years of service is more than enough. For State Librarian Annie Norman, though, even retirement can’t slow her down.
“The work is never done; there’s always something to do,” she said. “I’m going to have to continue to help in other ways.”
Norman will step away this fall after 24 years as the Delaware state librarian and director of the Delaware Division of Libraries.
Throughout her tenure, Norman made waves; the director helped create the Delaware Library Consortium, which allowed all of Delaware’s Public libraries to share items, and brought the library system along during a wave of technological change. For these achievements, she was named to the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame in 2016 and appointed by President Joe Biden as a member of the National Museum and Library Services Board.
We spoke with Norman as she wraps up an accomplished career about her proudest achievements, and the state of libraries in 2026.
Question: As you look back on your tenure, what was your proudest accomplishment?
Answer: What I’ll be known for more than anything is probably the statewide library catalog and consortium. The politics of bringing all of those libraries together, after years of there being four separate library catalogs in Delaware, took about eight years. More recently, I think bringing the school libraries into that catalog is going to be really significant. We’ve got more than 50 school libraries to be a part of the statewide catalog, something we think can really help with the literacy crisis in this state.
One of the biggest challenges of your tenure was adjusting to the large wave of technology that came about. How have you and the Delaware libraries handled it?
It’s been very systematic. We have a great IT team that helps manage for us, as well as the state funding 100% of library technologies. The growth of the iPhone has certainly had a huge impact on literacy, but we’re really just working hard to bring back the excitement of reading.
The Delaware libraries’ programming have always been a popular resource. How important do you view these offerings to local communities, and will they continue to expand?
Yes, libraries are about enrichment, which means helping support people in things like entrepreneurship, education and innovation. We’ve had libraries start up job centers, which were so successful we could expand to entrepreneurship, and even help with more basic social needs, by starting a “social innovation team” to help with more of the social services-type work.
Where we still struggle is we can only help people access Delaware systems to help with their needs, not fix things within those systems. For that reason, we always encourage these systems to work with us, so the Delaware library system can fit everyone’s needs.
Cuts toward libraries just occurred in New Castle County, with the potential for more to come. How will the library system look to stay afloat?
Because of the economy, because of federal changes, things can get difficult, it’s not the first time we’ve experienced budget cuts. We’ve progressed significantly over the years, but there is much more work to do, and I don’t know that the public understands how critical libraries and librarians are to literacy.
The power of walking into a library and being able to choose what you want to read for a child is powerful, and until people understand that, we can’t achieve our literacy goals.
Adam Denn is an intern reporter for Delaware Online/The News Journal. You can reach him at apdenn@delawareonline.com.
Inspiration
Do you have a suggestion for our Inspiration page? E-mail Tammy Paolino at tpaolino@usatodayco.com
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ohio — People in Delaware County said it feels like new housing developments are popping up on every corner.
WSYX
“What haven’t you noticed, right? The whole area just exploded,” said Scott Shonebarger.
Scott Sanders, the executive director of the Regional Planning Commission, said companies like Intel and other industries are a main driver for thousands of people moving to Delaware County.
With the big boom comes an urgent need for more housing.
John Wicks is the developer at Real Property Design and Development.
He has spent over a decade building homes for families in Delaware County.
Wicks said the Olentangy School District is one of the hottest spots for new homes.
“I started with one high school up until the 90s, then now we’re up to four up to five different high schools so it’s just a big draw,” said Wicks. “It’s a beautiful community.”
The district has grown into the fourth largest in Ohio with a new elementary school opening next year, and a fifth high school in 2028.
Wicks said the growth has presented some challenges over the years like labor shortage and some opposition.
“It’s become a big issue for a lot of people that live in and around these areas. They tend to oppose new growth and new development, so restrictions have gotten a little bit harder. Costs have obviously gone up over the last 20 years,” said Wicks.
The planning commission says between 275,000 and 350,000 people could call Delaware County home by 2040.
That’s up from 214,000 in 2020.
Scott Shonebarger said he supports growth but wonders when is enough.
“I mean to a certain extent I think you know at some point right you have to have some sort of boundaries I think, getting into the fact that now you have five high schools,” said Shonebarger. “What’s the limit?”
Police in Wilmington, Delaware, shot and killed a 19-year-old man Wednesday night.
The incident happened in a residential area near 24th and Jessup streets just after 11 p.m., Wilmington police said in a news release. The person who was shot has not been publicly identified.
Officers were monitoring a large crowd gathered outside when they saw a man exit a home with a handgun and point it toward the crowd, police say.
When officers approached the man, he ran away and a foot pursuit began, police say.
At some point in the chase, an officer fired their weapon and hit the 19-year-old. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police say they recovered a loaded gun from the man and that the officer was not injured.
Video filmed at the scene shows a crowd of residents gathered outside after the shooting.
Police are asking anyone with more information to come forward. The shooting is under investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice and Wilmington police.
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