Petition to Lewes: Change Savannah Beach name

Two active petitions are asking the City of Lewes to change the name of Savannah Beach to Lewes Beach.

Mayor and city council approved naming the two guarded beaches in October 2021. Beach 1 was changed to Savannah Beach, while Beach 2 was changed to Johnnie Walker Beach.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kay Carnahan, who oversees the beaches, came up with the idea because she thought it would be easier for people to find Savannah Beach, at the end of Savannah Road, rather than Beach 1.

Beach 2 was changed to honor longtime local African American businessman Johnnie Walker. Neither of the current petitions addresses Johnnie Walker Beach.

The name change was widely reported in the Cape Gazette and other media. But recently some people have posted on social media that they were unaware of the change.

One of the petitions is on the website Change.org. As of Nov. 9, it had 1,376 signatures toward its goal of 1,500.

That petition states, in part, “We are concerned individuals who urge our leaders to act now to restore the historically known name of Lewes Beach in the City of Lewes. The name Savannah Beach, while lovely, does not reflect the rich history and heritage that is inherent to the name Lewes Beach.”

The second petition is the idea of Sherie Kincaid of Rehoboth Beach. She said the previous name has sentimental value.

“It’s been Lewes Beach my whole life. I was raised going to Lewes Beach. I got married on Lewes Beach,” she said. “I just heard about [the change] in June or July. Nobody knew it happened.”

Kincaid said she has taken a printed copy of her petition to Savannah Beach twice since Nov. 4 and has about 200 signatures.

“People were honking their horns, giving me a thumbs-up,” she said. Kincaid said she plans to go back to Savannah Beach as often as she can to get more signatures.

Lewes Parks and Marina Manager Janet Reeves, who is also the acting assistant city manager, said only Kincaid has approached the city about changing the name.

“The guarded beaches were changed when they were brought into the parks system,” Reeves said.

Reeves said the city went through the process and held a minimum of five public meetings where the proposed name change was discussed.

She pointed out that the beach is still called Lewes Beach from the Roosevelt Inlet to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal and that the naming only applies to the two guarded beaches.

Reeves said anyone who wants to discuss the issue can come to the next parks and recreation commission meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 20, at the Rollins Center.

Kincaid said she will be there, petition in hand.