Rehoboth Beach Main Street celebrates new home

A month into her new job, Rehoboth Beach Main Street Executive Director Karen Falk said she never once thought about the organization’s recent history when deciding if she wanted the job.

“This is my town,” she said Oct. 2. “I’m raising children here. I live here. I feel like I’m a part of the community and I trusted that everything would be OK.”

Founded in 1996, Rehoboth Beach Main Street announced it was disbanding in May 2016. Nearly a year later, in March 2017, a new board of directors organized. Later that year, in November, the city commissioners gave Main Street $20,000 in temporary funding and use of city-owned office space near the Rehoboth Beach Museum. Main Street also got its old phone number back.

In March 2018, the city agreed to give $50,000 to Main Street as part of the current fiscal year’s budget. The following month, the board appointed Lorraine Dion, a veteran of Main Streets in Dover and Middletown, as interim director.

Falk was introduced as executive director in August. She said as soon as she read the job description she knew she wanted the job.

“I love working in tourism,” said Falk, who, among other things, was executive director of  Southern Delaware Tourism for seven years.

On Falk’s first day, she attended a commissioners meeting to introduce herself. Commissioner Stan Mills said he wanted to see Main Street be active in making empty storefronts more attractive.

Falk said recently she walked over to Jack Lingo, her immediate past employer, and got the keys from the realtor, made a phone call to Seaford-based beach ball manufacture Beachballs.com, who then came over and donated a few dozen beach balls to fill the storefront of the former Christmas Spirit.

“That’s such a prominent storefront, we wanted to get it done quickly,” Falk said.

Board member Cindy Lovett said Main Street is now looking for other properties to decorate. She said the idea would be to display information and artwork related to local nonprofits.

“We want to keep the ball rolling on this project,” said Lovett.

Falk said another project that’s soon to start is a partnership with public policy students from the University of Delaware to conduct a series of surveys throughout the year to gather information the Rehoboth organization can use as it moves forward. She said the students are expected to begin interviewing the business community this month.

The study is a long-term goal, but Falk said there are more immediate Main Street events. The inaugural Run for the Vets, a fundraiser for the VFW and Main Street, is set Saturday, Nov. 10. Then on Saturday, Dec. 1, there will be Cookies and Cheer, with dining, shopping and a storefront decorating contest. Falk said there will also be a community unity dinner Sunday, Dec. 2.

Under Falk’s eye, Main Street has already hosted an open house celebrating the grand opening of its new office space. Local elected officials, business owners, organization members and the general public attended at the former chamber of commerce home Sept. 26.

Rehoboth resident Larry Kenney was one of those members of the public. He said he came because he wanted to see how things had changed.

“I’ve heard good things,” Kenney said. “I’m excited about the good things to come.”