Northeasterlies easing, winds of change building as summer arrives

A persistent northeast wind blew steadily across the coastal region this week bringing several days of cooler-than-average air out of the north Atlantic. Though it hasn’t brought much rain, the wind is blowing plenty of salt along the coast which, without rain to wash it off, can wreak havoc with trees.

This is the week when the big switch gets thrown. The summer solstice on June 21 signals the official astronomical transition from spring to summer. Forecasters expect much warmer weather next week to take the place of the northeast chill, much to the delight of beachgoers.

This weekend will see the longest periods of daylight for 2020. When the solstice passes, the days begin to shorten, but fortunately they take their time, and the associated summer weather will have a good spell to warm the ocean and give us the pleasant falls that are the opposite side of our cool coastal springs.

Fireworks

They will be fewer and spread out this year due to the coronavirus. Rehoboth Beach has canceled its annual Fourth of July pyrotechnics entirely, while the Lewes organization that has sponsored fireworks for the past couple of years announced it is now planning its event for Labor Day weekend.

That event also has the potential for being a celebration not only of the freedom won in the Revolutionary War, but also of the importance and value of work in our society. Nothing has made that more evident than the coronavirus pandemic, which has left millions across our nation – and thousands in Sussex County – unemployed.

In Dewey Beach, Highway One Companies recently announced that it has received a state fire marshal’s permit for a bayside Fourth of July fireworks display on that date. According to an advertisement in the Cape Gazette, the companies are working with local and state officials to make their event a safe one.

Liberty and justice

The American flag means a lot of different things to the people of this country, but the vast majority of them locally and nationally – no matter their color or ethnicity – would agree that it absolutely is not intended to stand for oppression and injustice. The concluding phrase of the pledge of allegiance that hundreds of millions have recited for decades in classrooms and at organizational meetings sums up the fundamental values that the flag is intended to represent: “With liberty and justice for all.” When liberty and justice are threatened, it’s up to all of us as citizens to decry those threats and work to address them. As a society, that’s where we are now.