Unbelievable Weekend
Editor:
Several years ago (two I believe), you published my letter concerning the insane activity that happened again this past weekend of Sept. 25-26. Two years ago, it was nuts but this year beyond belief. This was rioting and anarchy. At least one law enforcement officer had to be taken to the hospital.
We have owned a unit in the Seawatch since the early-80s. My wife and I used to enjoy coming down in the fall to enjoy Ocean City, the beauty and calmness of it. Not anymore, we refuse to come. Many of our friends who own there and our children and their families stay clear of it now. This is extremely sad. What once was a paradise has turned into a dangerous and anti-family environment.
The leadership of Ocean City needs to be held accountable. We can try and blame the rowdies and thugs, but the “buck stops” with the leadership.
Until there are major attack (yes attack) strategies, severe penalties for misbehavior, and very tough law enforcement, Ocean City will continue to have a “bad name” and decent people will steer away! They’ll going elsewhere, believe me, or just staying home!
Perhaps the Ocean City treasury in the past enjoyed revenue from some of these events that probably started out innocently; but no more. Hey Ocean City leaders, remember when families use to come and spend money?
Can’t imagine people who own property in Ocean City are enjoying appreciation of their property values. I would think that the values will be heading the other way, until Ocean City gets its act together!
Draconian measures; yes. If they don’t, then the reputation of Ocean City will further decline and the good people who once enjoyed Ocean City will continue to stop coming. I have.
Pay attention Ocean City leadership.
Owen F Landis Sr.
Ocean City
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Unacceptable Weekend Requires Accountability
Editor:
Kids are young and want to have fun but impeding traffic, shooting off fireworks, and these large gatherings in the middle of the roadway are not safe.
When the police department is dealing with 55 to 118 arrests in a day that is totally uncalled for and unacceptable. The town needs to start pushing back and not allowing the weekend to occur. Shut the town down at the borders with upholding emergency order in place, allowing only residents, workers and owners in the town that weekend. It is one weekend out of the year, and the crowd isn’t bringing in high dollars to repair the damage that occurs.
Thursday evening there was a heavy presence in town and yes, not as many were in town, but it was handled with a lower level strain on the police and agencies that helped in this matter. Only 29 arrests were made this evening. The major concern is the type of arrests. When you have young adults in vehicles and they are carrying control concealed weapons in town, it’s no longer a resort town. It’s mayhem for all.
Friday evening, well that turned into a whole new picture for the town. The locals were concerned for the safety of all and the strain that it was going to put on the agencies controlling it. Again, 55 arrests and many were dealing with fighting and weapons, but the rally wants us to believe that they are here to show off their vehicles and all the hard work they put into them.
Saturday evening was like reliving June of this summer all over again. Total mayhem throughout the town and no one from the council on the streets and voicing anything in the day time. Finally, a big thank you goes out to Councilman Wayne Hartman for doing a ride-along with the OCPD and seeing what occurred first hand. He expressed how sad it was to see how far it had gotten out of hand and even with having Governor Hogan get involved. 118 arrests and A MSP officer hurt and unconscious and taken to the hospital, how many others have to be hurt before the town takes control of the event? If the arrests for driving and street issues that would be one, but when you see arrests of this type in town — this one is very scary – an 18 year old with a gun, arrest on chrg of Deadly Weapon-conceal, at 30th Street, Ocean City, something has to be done. Many that were arrested this past weekend were arrested back in June/July for the fighting that took place on the boards.
Sunday morning by noon, there were already 48 arrests. The town is tired. This beach area needs to speak to the beach areas in Delaware, maybe they can help the team do their job more effectively.
How many others got hurt that we don’t know about? My question and others was, where were the other council persons? Thanks to the OCPD for keeping the town abreast of activities and our town backs the blue. They need to have more capabilities of being able to do their job and not be suppressed because it may take from some dollars. I believe the town people and their livelihood is just as important.
Hanging at Wawa and that corporation allowing that to take place and the customers not feel safe trying to shop at a local convenience store is unpleasant. Other businesses allowing them to loiter on the property, not allowing the local people to shop and being scared or alarmed by their surroundings. The businesses and the motel/hotels/condo owners that are renting to this group should be ashamed that the greed of the dollar has taken over. The care for the town people and areas needs to take rank.
The town really needs to look at who they are marketing to because they are at fault too by the areas that they are attracting. Philadelphia, York, Harrisburg, DC, New York, New Jersey, do we will really want this town to turn into a mini-Philly or Atlantic City. How is it that beaches in Delaware handle their areas and do not have the mayhem that OC attracts? Has anyone ever asked that questions? Just like during COVID, the town took it upon themselves to protect their people by blocking the entrances. They are state roads too, so the excuse of they can’t isn’t acceptable.
It’s time for the town to put safety ordinances on the books and allow the OCPD to follow through. Possibly a curfew for under 20 and under. The boards need to be closed at 2 a.m., just like the bars do. Can you still get a ticket for loitering, maybe we need to get back to the basis. The town needs to get back to writing tickets for loitering like they did many years ago.
They need to start caring about the town like they do when they are holding some of the events, since all the people in the town matter. Not just particular groups that share in the stockholders and businesses. It’s time to hold everyone accountable. The owners and the locals are getting tired and in order to keep residents, something needs to be done.
Jackie Mata
Ocean City
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Good Old Boys At Work
Editor:
It was less than two weeks ago when Berlin Mayor Williams, in the forum held by this paper, was “flabbergasted” at the suggestion that there’s a Good Old Boy network ensconced in town hall. This week he shamelessly rushed to give a certain councilman’s son a seat on the Planning Commission, a week before the election. How’s that for a brazen last minute In-Your-Face move?
This is the same councilman who the people of Berlin bailed out of a failed speculative land deal to the tune of $2.5 million. At the time the town admitted it had no idea what to do with the property, and still doesn’t today. Remember who was the biggest cheerleader in that transfer of wealth?
I could spin you a tale of the way this dynamic duo held the building permit for the new county library up for ransom, so the councilman could get a fence built, at county taxpayer expense, between the library and one of his subdivisions.
And there’s no GOB shenanigans going on under this mayor’s watch? Come on now, don’t insult our intelligence.
Gee Williams has done some wonderful things for Berlin over many years, as a citizen, a council member, and the mayor. It’s greatly appreciated by all.
Now, it’s time to move on.
Ron Cascio
Berlin
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Advance Plans Failed
Editor:
The events of the past weekend clearly show that the Ocean City Mayor and City Council plan of expanding and increasing traffic fines along with high impound cost for the H2O participants turned out to be an epic failure.
Mayor Rick Meehan is quoted as saying, “We put a plan in place to make sure we could keep our town safe ” and the plan worked. While the Mayor is attempting to put a positive spin on the events of last weekend, I see a different picture when we look at the facts.
There is no question that at certain times during the weekend chaos reigned in certain areas of the city. Additional law enforcement personnel from other areas of the Eastern Shore were call in Saturday night to assist the already massive police presents in Ocean City because of people acting unruly. In town traffic was at gridlock because hundreds of the participant walked in the streets yelling obscenities To have the bus service stopped on Saturday to protect the drivers shows how the rally participants were overcoming the massive police presence that was working in Ocean City.
Because of the disturbances, southbound traffic on Saturday at 62nd Street and Route 90 was stopped and routed away from going in town. A drive down Coastal Highway found many areas of burnt rubber from spinning wheels. While about 270 people were arrested during the weekend, only 78 arrested, or about 30%, involved exhibition driving charges Other examples of the disruptive actions can be found on various You Tube internet sites under H2O 2020.
If the Mayor and Council believes Ocean City was safe this weekend, it is clear that they missed our police officers being injured or the illegal fireworks that was being set off that could cause serious injury or property damage. I expect to hear the Council next step is to call for the National Guard to patrol Ocean City at next year’ H2O event.
It is clear that Ocean City needs council members with fresh ideas to handle the large-scale motor events and other activities such as June week. Fortunately, elections are coming up in November for four seats on the Ocean City Council. Voters need to elect individuals who will bring innovative solutions to the H2O and related problems since the current council approach of just passing laws that are more stringent has failed to provide a safe and secure environment for Ocean City residents and visitors.
Joseph Potter
Ocean City
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June Mobs Deserved Same Attention In OC
Editor:
This year has been the Jenga effect for all of us. As a resident and as a individual, I saw many disturbing things. One of those things was very little support from the state during the violence that occurred in June of 2020 here in Ocean City.
In June of 2020, I noticed that many businesses closed down in fear of violent demonstrators. Our local police and other enforcement were not confronting the mobs. Some individuals were attacked and some businesses were damaged.
This is my question to all: Why was the law enforcement not present in June, like they were this past weekend with H2O, while most of the participants were not mobsters, all H2O members were treated like criminals?
One YouTube channel had captured just one incident of the unruly and disturbing behavior of these demonstrators that started on 9th Street and continued to escalate on to private property and on public streets.
If we are to protect this wonderful place many call home or a vacation spot, shouldn’t we enforce the rules and laws on all demonstrators before the risk becomes greater than what we can handle? Particularly when the June mobs was purely political and hell bent on destruction.
The tragedy in both incidents, there were videos of violence of one individual getting beat up by a gang and one video with an individual getting beat up by a law enforcement officer. This is an unfortunate situation due to viral videos that negated all the positive advertising that money could buy.
Now we have to pick up the pieces and try to learn from these unfortunate incidents. We should do a better job and maybe do it differently next summer.
It’s time for a change for Ocean City.
Dan Hagan
Ocean City