To Entice Families, Dewey Markets a Tamer Side

Enjoying the Saturday night scene at the Starboard, a popular bar in Dewey Beach, Del., are Lori Ford, left, of Reisterstown, Md., Amy Weaver of Bethesda and Tobey Jackson of Clifton. The town, long known for its nightlife, is offering more kid-friendly activities. (By Ricky Carioti -- The Washington Post)
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Today, drinking on the beach is allowed during the off-season but prohibited from May 15 to Sept. 15. During the Memorial Day weekend last year, as many as 250 people were escorted off the beach daily for violating the policy.

The town's signature group houses are almost as old as the town itself; owners began renting their homes to revolving groups of up to 20 young people in the mid-1980s, and the practice has continued ever since. The houses develop identities, which are generally based on heavy drinking. One beachfront home, called the House of Dewbauchery, advertises itself as the "most fun-loving, drink-swilling, booty-shaking, fool-making house in all of Dewey!"

Few people have profited as much from the town's party culture as Steve Montgomery, the affable owner of the Starboard, the beach bar legendary for its nearly round-the-clock alcohol offerings and make-your-own Bloody Marys. Yet bar owners are some of the biggest advocates for changing Dewey's image; Montgomery was one of three founding members of the marketing task force.

Montgomery, who also owns two bars in Washington, said he wants the town's trademark bars to live on but does not want them to define the town. Although some businesses in Dewey -- particularly the Starboard and the Bottle and Cork nightclub -- have made major efforts to sell themselves in the Washington, Philadelphia and New York regions, the latest effort is the town's first marketing effort.

"There have never been a lot of things for kids to do, and I think people get scared off by the reputation," Montgomery said. "It's a great beach, but there's no boardwalk like in Rehoboth or Bethany, not even an arcade. We've got to make this a friendlier place."

Montgomery and the 31-person task force, which formed in October, compiled a list of 20 ways to lure families to Dewey and increase business during the week. Using a $10,000 grant from the city, they initiated two-large scale efforts for this summer: Monday movies on the beach and Wednesday beach bonfires.

Still, task force members are not expecting an immediate change in Dewey's hard-partying ways. Memorial Day weekend, typically the craziest few days of the year, marks the debut of the town's 38 seasonal police officers, who join a staff of eight year-round officers.

After last year's Memorial Day weekend, Tush called an emergency meeting of town officials to address complaints about drinking on the beach, littering and raucous, intoxicated young people causing trouble at all hours of the night.

"They kind of trashed the town," the mayor said. "Many, many people were not being respectful."

This weekend, early reports indicated fewer problems, an improvement attributed mostly to stepped-up enforcement that resulted from the meeting last year. Police officers stood outside every bar, along the sidewalks and on the beach.

Still, Route 1 was as loud and debauched as ever, with people stumbling out of cabs, beer cans in hand, and men whistling at women in low-cut shirts. The late-night lines at Grotto Pizza were formidable, and more than one person had vomited in the gutter.

Montgomery, who performed odd jobs on the beach as a child and began working at the Starboard 22 years ago, said he loves Dewey's spirit during the summer, but he is concerned that the town's party reputation is alienating some of its most loyal patrons. He frequently encounters married couples who met in Dewey group houses -- a list that includes U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. -- who want to return to town with their families.

"I meet these people who want to bring their kids, and I know I can't be selfish and say, 'This is a bar town' anymore," he said.