Editing Bethany Beach, Delaware (section)

====Since 2000====

By 2000, Dennis Beach's 1994 "Chief Little Owl" sculpture had rotted, and it was removed that year. The creator of the original 1976 sculpture, Peter Toth, crafted a third version of the "Chief Little Owl" sculpture in 2001 using [[red cedar]] imported from the [[Pacific Northwest]]. Designed to last between 50 and 150 years, it was dedicated on July 15, 2002, in a ceremony in which one of Little Owl's descendants blessed the sculpture in traditional Nanticoke fashion with song, prayer, and [[tobacco]].<ref name=history/><ref name=chieflittleowl/>

In 2001, Bethany Beach celebrated its centennial and completed a new tabernacle.<ref name="Meehan, p. 147"/>

Over the winter of 2008–2009, the town's beaches underwent a vast beach replenishment program that cost the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]] approximately $20&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|title=$20&nbsp;million expansion of Bethany Beach, Del., yields dramatic change|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sectionfront/life/20-million-expansion-of-bethany-beach-del-yields-dramatic-change-386133/|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=July 16, 2012|first=Margi|last=Shrum|date=March 23, 2008}}</ref> The [[dunes]] put in place with the program are controversial because they reach over the height of the boardwalk, blocking most views of the ocean. Much of the criticism of them came from editorials in newspapers such as the local ''[[Delaware Wave]]'' and ''Coastal Point'', along with Washington, D.C. media outlets. 
Remnants of [[Hurricane Ida (2009)|Tropical Storm Ida]] hit the town in November 2009, destroying most of the dunes, leaving cliffs, making the beach significantly narrower, and revealing old [[Jetty|jetties]]. Losses were estimated to cost the state of [[Delaware]] $40&nbsp;million {USD} and repairs were not made until after the 2010 summer beach season.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151211042903/http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100119/DW01/1190303]

By 2011, Bethany Beach had joined a growing number of communities in instituting a [[smoking ban]], covering most of the beach and boardwalk areas.<ref>{{cite news
 |title=Delaware cities: Smoking still legal on Rehoboth Beach |author=Molly Murray
 |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110416/NEWS02/104160354/-1/NLETTER01/Smoking-still-legal-on-Rehoboth-Beach
 |newspaper=The News Journal  |date=April 16, 2011 |at=DelawareOnline |access-date=April 16, 2011 }}</ref>

A [[October 2015 North American storm complex|nor'easter]] hit Bethany Beach from October 2 to 4, 2015, and severely eroded the beach and dune and flooded parts of the town, especially in its northern section.<ref>[http://www.bestofbethany.com/blog/october-2015-noreaster.html Anonymous, "October 2015 Nor'easter," Leslie Kopp Group, November 12, 2015.]</ref> A [[January 2016 United States blizzard|winter storm]] that struck the town from January 22 to 24, 2016, washed away major sections of what was left of the town's dune and breached it in some places, again causing flooding.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.delaware1059.com/story/21737-bethany-beach-dunes-take-a-hit-from-winter-storm |title=Fowser, Mark, "Bethany Beach Dunes Take A Hit from Winter Storm," delaware1059.com, January 25, 2016, 3:01 a.m EST. |access-date=May 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624182903/http://www.delaware1059.com/story/21737-bethany-beach-dunes-take-a-hit-from-winter-storm |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In February 2016, officials announced that there was no funding available for replenishment of Bethany Beach's dune and beach during 2016, and that replenishment would not take place until 2017, in accordance with the schedule established before the two storms hit.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.coastalpoint.com/content/poststorm_beach_repair_not_cards_present_02_26_2016 |title=Magill, Kevin, "Post-storm beach repair not in the cards at present," coastalpoint.com, February 26, 2016. |access-date=May 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529035008/http://www.coastalpoint.com/content/poststorm_beach_repair_not_cards_present_02_26_2016 |archive-date=May 29, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>