Voices From The Readers

Voices From The Readers
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Thanks To Officials
Editor:

Kudos to our elected officials in Ocean City for re-introducing the topic of a smoking ban on our beaches. As I recall, this past January is when it was mentioned in The Dispatch that 69,000 butts had been collected in the provided cans throughout OC beaches and I was happy to read about Mayor Rick Meehan wanting to move forward with a plan to restrict smoking activity on beaches.

I have been a resident of Ocean City (ocean block street)  for eight years in the mid-town area and agree that by far, the vast majority of garbage/trash that lay visible in the sand and on our beach is cigarette packs and cigarette butts. Most smokers think nothing of just burying their finished butts in the sand. Some smokers are considerate and collect their butts in a good receptacle, however this is definitely the minority smoker.

Additionally, I doubt that most beach-goers who smoke on the beach and carelessly bury or toss their butts in the sand come to terms and or think about the fact that much work on a daily basis during the season is needed to help maintain our beaches, including cleaning up so many countless cigarette butts buried in the sand because of careless smokers who pay no mind to how they extinguish their butts.

Thank you Mayor Meehan for offering to "kick butt" on this.
Doug Antos
Ocean City

Against Smoking Ban
Editor:

My wife and I have been vacationing at OC for 30 years, We can understand banning smoking in public establishments but if Ocean City prohibits smoking on the beach, Boardwalk areas, etc., we will not under any conditions step one foot within city limits.

We will not ever again spend one cent in OC. We will be done vacationing in Ocean City, Md.
Robert Homnick

Editor:

(The following letter was submitted to the Ocean City Mayor and Council and a copy forwarded to this publication.)

Needless to say, I was most pleased to read the article in The Dispatch’s Daily Buzz and learn that the council is leaning toward making the Ocean City beaches more smoke free and hope that you will include the Boardwalk as well.

As I have said in the past, second-hand smoke is a health hazard and cigarette and cigar butts are a health and litter problem on the beaches and Boardwalk. Unfortunately, the butt cans still have not been placed on the beach and the so-called voluntary program in my humble opinion is not working.

Ocean City’s attraction as a family-friendly resort is going down the tubes. Between the smoking issues on the Boardwalk, underage drinking and drugs because of the bad elements that frequent the OC Boardwalk, I will not allow my teenage grandchildren to go on the Boardwalk. Instead, we take the grandchildren to the Bethany Beach Boardwalk where I let them roam free because of the safe family-friendly atmosphere there.

I would suggest that the mayor and members of the City Council take a field trip to the Bethany Beach and experience the family-friendly feel at this resort. Then they need to develop a plan to return Ocean City to a family friendly resort.

David M. Fox
Ocean City

Editor:

Regarding Wednesday’s Daily Buzz, “Council Majority Argues Former City Manager’s Political Future Influenced Election Decision,” I can see from your article that some on the council are very worried about their future.

Some decisions you make in life can come back to bite you and this seems the case. My wife and I cannot wait to vote this coming year just to settle a score with some of the council that think they can rule the world.  

With them it was not what the voters want, but what they wanted. Come on November.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Marx
Ocean City

Enjoyable Experience
Editor:

Ever go to Dumsers and hear an odd accent from the working taking your order? Said “what?” one too many times while scanning through options at Subway? Experiencing this in Ocean City is nothing out of the ordinary. As me and my family take annual trips to this popular beach, we are nothing short of amazed each time.

We take this long drive from York, Pa. to see our Granddad Cook. He works at Dolle’s, a shop that has candies and sweet treats ranging from chocolate covered potato chips to sour patch kids and much more. I am definitely not forgetting to acknowledge their delicious salt water taffy.

Working with my granddad at his work are a couple Irish people who are down in Ocean City for the summer.

One of the Irish is Aimee Ward. I enjoyed talking to her because she is friendly, enthusiastic and the strong Irish accent is truly fascinating to listen to. She lives in Navan, Ireland and attends University College of Dublin during the school seasons. Aimee is in the United States because she is eager and ready to gain the experience of working and living in a different country for the summer.

Despite the hard decision and other choices, she chose Ocean City, Md. over any other city due to great reviews from people. Aimee loves to work at Dolle’s because her co-workers are all too friendly and inviting. She loves the weather in Ocean City and in her free time she will sunbathe at the beach and hang out with her Irish friends that traveled with her. When I asked Aimee where she has traveled before the United States, I was surprised to discover that she is quite the traveler. She has visited Spain, Greece, England and her favorites, Portugal and London.

Meeting Aimee and learning what I have was such a positive intake and makes me hope that my future will be nearly as exciting as hers has been. Aimee plans on being a teacher after she graduates college and I’m sure that she will do well in this endeavor. I can trust that she will come back over to the U.S., considering that she has responded so well to living here for the season.

Lilly Cook
Seven Valleys, Pa.