Ocean City is in the crosshairs of a robust political debate and it’s not fair at all.As a result of Congressman Andy Harris’ amendment to a House budget bill that would overturn Washington D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization law, Mayor Vincent C. Gray, who last week lost in a primary election, and an activist group are encouraging… Read more »

This week’s primary election was an important one on several fronts. Here are some thoughts:Of the 31,792 registered voters in Worcester, 20.21%, or 6,424 people, turned out to vote in the gubernatorial primary. It was the same percentage turnout in Wicomico where 9,483 people voted out of the 46,922 eligible.Heading into this week’s primary, concerns… Read more »

People are different now, and it has a lot to do with the varying value system learned through life. Over the last several summers, there have been a lot of private discussions about the changing socio-economic profile of Ocean City visitors. It’s concerning to many business owners, residents and secondary homeowners.I have been spending a… Read more »

For good reason, the Route 50 repaving project has a lot of local motorists agitated. It’s the timing that has many scratching their heads, and it’s understandable to question why this project has to be completed in the summer months.The resurfacing project covers about five miles, from Herring Creek to Berlin’s Main Street. There actually… Read more »

The public gets its first crack at seeing “Ping Pong Summer” this weekend and most of the early reviews I have heard are positive. Comments like “cute,” “entertaining” and “funny” were common responses from those who attended last Friday’s private screening in Ocean City. From the trailers I have seen, I expect it to be… Read more »

Whatever Ocean City decides to do in the future to encourage people to restrict their smoking to certain areas on the beach, one thing is for sure — the status quo does not do it.The cheap black smoking receptacles that were on the beach last weekend are not the answer. In fact, from what I… Read more »

Cruisin’ is a critical event for Ocean City’s commerce, but its success over the years has led to the creation of startup events that are causing problems. That’s why I like to think of the robust concerns expressed this week as more of a weekend phenomenon than just an event centric issue.Much of the most… Read more »

Ocean City is poised to pass emergency legislation next week banning the sale of knives as well as laser pointers in town limits. This is specifically targeted at the Boardwalk and has apparently been a topic city officials have been discussing over the winter and spring months. This is a solid move and one that… Read more »

The Ocean City Mayor and Council has been taking some body shots in recent weeks over a decision to add paid parking at City Hall and part of the Public Safety Building. The new meters are expected to raise about $22,500 in new revenue for the city over the next fiscal year.The criticism stems from… Read more »

The smoking discussion at City Hall this week was an interesting one and it divided the council in a way that I can’t recall seeing since the last election shifted the power.While still their typically soft spoken selves, Councilman Doug Cymek and Council President Lloyd Martin were critical of their colleagues’ approach toward enacting smoking… Read more »