Driving through Rehoboth Beach one of the first things a visitor would notice is how clean the place is.
The city has the relaxing aroma of sand and saltwater, with the whiff of Thrashers French Fries thrown in for good measure.
One reason the city can proclaim itself “The Nation’s Summer Capital” is Mel Craig, Rehoboth’s public works director. An Ellicott City, Md. native, Craig oversees a staff of 14 in the winter and 26 in the summer.
A tall man with a bulldog face and friendly demeanor, Craig and department are responsible for almost all aspects of Rehoboth’s appearance.
“Right now, we’re doing beach preparations. Cleaning the beach, picking up debris and preparing some areas of the Boardwalk. We also have our normal street cleaning, trash collection. We’re getting ready for our big two-week trash collection when everybody puts unwanted articles out,” he said.
Craig and his staff are painting benches, lifeguard stands and trash barrels, power washing sidewalks and keeping the Boardwalk clean, all getting ready for the crush of visitors set to come to town this summer.
“All in all, the city looks good; I feel it’s good. People tell me it looks decent, so that makes me happy. It’s a nice place to be. As far as I’m concerned it’s the best place on the coastline,” he said.
In addition, the department is actively involved in cleaning up the Boardwalk for its upcoming rebuild, set to get under way in November, with the first phase covering the south side from Rehoboth Avenue to Brooklyn Avenue, he said.
Craig is entering his 10th year as the public works director and 12th in Rehoboth. Growing up on a farm outside of Baltimore, Craig worked as a tax assessor for the state of Maryland and worked all over the state.
“When we stopped farming I got into the Maryland Institute of Banking.
“I got involved with that and didn’t like banking. I like numbers and money, but I didn’t like standing in one little room, so to speak,” he said.
“I put in an application with Howard County at that time, got hired there and traveled the state for just about 30 years.”
He retired and came to Rehoboth in 1996 but soon grew restless and ended up working in the building and licensing department.
“I was here about six months and I was climbing up the walls, I had to do something, so I applied at city hall and that’s where I ended up,” Craig said.
If keeping the city clean seems like a 24/7 job, it is.
“I seldom leave,” he joked. “It’s seven days a week. But it’s kind of nice that they rely on me. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right, I hope.”
However, Craig clearly takes pride in his work.
“It’s a fun job. I’ll say this: I haven’t had a boring day since I’ve been here. Every day is different,” he said.
Contact Ryan Mavity at ryanm@capegazette.com
