Manager Welcomed
OCEAN PINES – The Ocean Pines Association recently announced Tim Johnson as the new racquet sports manager.
Tim Johnson
A former member of several Ocean Pines racquet sports, Johnson also brings a wealth of professional experience to the position.
He most recently served as the tennis supervisor for the Town of Ocean City. Johnson is also a USPTA-certified Elite Tennis Professional, USPTA-certified Pickleball Professional, and a SPEC Tennis Ambassador.
Johnson has coached in the mid-Atlantic area for more than 30 years and directed programs at the Aspen Hill Club, Saint Albans School, the International Tennis Club of Washington, and the Washington Area Tennis Patrons Foundation.
A former lawyer, he also served as a legislative counsel on Capitol Hill, and as an advocate for Native Hawaiian rights in federal legislation.
Johnson said he enjoys playing tennis with his three children and his wife, Helen.
“I am truly looking forward to working with all our Ocean Pines Racquet Sports groups to enhance our already successful operation,” Johnson said. “My goal is to ensure that our community is healthier, happier, and even more active!”
Ocean Pines General Manager John Viola said Johnson was hired after a process that was inclusive of many racquet sports groups.
“We took feedback from the Racquet Sports Committee and incorporated that into a job description and the eventual hire,” Viola said. “We believe we found the right person for the job, and that his combination of professional experience and experience as a member in Ocean Pines makes him uniquely qualified for this role.”
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Resort Opening
OCEAN CITY – Certares and its partners today announced the opening of Ashore Resort & Beach Club (“Ashore”), a newly reimagined upscale resort destination set on prime beachfront location in Ocean City, Md.
Following a property-wide renovation to be completed this spring, Ashore defines a new standard of destination travel on the Maryland coast, offering the area’s most exceptional beachfront resort. Ashore features panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the tranquil Assawoman Bay, oceanside food and beverage service and amenities, a new 3,000-square-foot deck overlooking the waves of the Atlantic, exciting new restaurant concepts and lively beachfront entertainment.
Previously known as the Ocean City Fontainebleau Resort, the property was purchased in 2022 by a joint venture between an affiliate of Certares Real Estate Management LLC and affiliates of Monomoy Property Ventures LLC (MPV) and Highlands Investments LLC.
The resort comprises 250 fully renovated guest rooms and suites, including 15 multi-room suites, catering to individuals, families and groups of all sizes.
Five brand new food and beverage concepts offer guests and visitors multiple options from day to night, including: a destination restaurant, Tide Room, serving elevated but approachable American fare and fresh seafood made famous on the Eastern Shore, three meals per day; a beachside bar, Wahoo Beach Bar, featuring live music, light food and a signature cocktail menu, right on the sand; a newly repositioned 3,000-square-foot deck and event space, The Shore Deck, overlooking the Dunes of Ocean City and Atlantic Ocean beyond, serving small bites and beverages; an indoor tavern, The Taproom, serving local brews and cocktails accompanied by sports entertainment; and a signature café, Ashore Things, serving morning coffee and light grab-n-go bites and sundries.
Custom beach umbrellas and lounge chairs line the resort’s beachfront and outdoor pool, while Adirondack chairs with cozy blankets surround firepits, taking guests from sun-soaked afternoons to sunset cocktails. Guests are encouraged to order food and cocktails directly from their chairs or cabanas, on the resort’s fully serviced beach, a unique feature for Ocean City. Guests can also enjoy Ashore’s fitness center, book a surfing lesson, fishing adventure, or hit the links at one of the 16 award-winning golf courses within 10 miles of the property.
“We were thrilled to acquire this beachfront property and identify new and exciting ways to capture its untapped potential,” said Nolan Hecht, senior managing director of Certares. “With the help of a best-in-class design firm and fantastic operator, we are looking forward to delivering a new and improved vacation experience to couples, families and friends staying at the resort as well as offering revamped dining options to the broader Ocean City community.”
“We immediately recognized the resort’s enormous potential because of its irreplaceable beachfront location with sprawling oceanfront views and oversized guestrooms,” added Kevin Vaughan and Jordan Kary, principals of MPV and Highlands, respectively. “Our goal for this property has always been to provide a true resort experience to Ocean City, a destination market known for its energy and community, and we look forward to delivering on that potential with this property-wide transformation.”
Ownership has partnered with HEI Hotels and Resorts, an industry leading hotel and resort operator, on the programming and management of the property. Designer Kraig Kalashian, principial of the award-winning hospitality & design studio KKAD, reimagined Ashore as a departure from anything currently being offered in the market, taking cues from the simplistic beauty of the natural world and blending the calming tones of the sand and the sea with elevated textures.
In addition to its stunning accommodations and dining options, Ashore offers 14 meeting rooms with 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor flexible function spaces, a ballroom with 7,500 square feet that can accommodate up to 1,000 people and a beachside pavilion perfect for wedding receptions, private beach parties and team building activities.
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Surgeon Hired
SALISBURY – Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates (POA) is moving one step forward, with the addition of newest orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Gregory Kirwan.
Gregory Kirwan
Kirwan is a fellowship-trained foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon and allows POA to offer the complete package for sub-specialized orthopaedic care. Foot and ankle sub-specialty has been the missing piece on the shore, and POA is fortunate Kirwan is bringing his expertise and knowledge to better serve the region.
Kirwan completed his bachelor’s degree at the United States Naval Academy, where he also participated in crew and football during his undergraduate experience. Kirwan served in the U.S. Navy as an air transfer and operations officer and was decorated with seven medals and commendations during his five years of service.
Kirwan continued to complete medical school and orthopaedic residency at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Kirwan completed a fellowship in orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.
Kirwan has contributed to several publications and given multiple presentations on a whole host of topics from Achilles tendon ruptures to ankle sprains to orthoapedic trauma and the utilization of wound vacs.
Kirwan has also been highly involved in youth sports; he served as the team physician for a highly competitive travel lacrosse club for many years and is looking forward to being a part of the Delmarva community.
Dr. Pasquale Petrera, orthopaedic surgeon and POA president said, “We are both fortunate and thrilled to offer our community greater accessibility to superior orthopaedic care. We are confident the skills and talent that Dr. Kirwan brings to our Practice will solidify POA as the premier orthopaedic destination on the Delmarva Peninsula.”
Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates is a multi-specialty orthopaedic practice that has been offering communities across the Delmarva Peninsula an expansive continuum of orthopaedic services since 1952.
With offices in Ocean Pines and Salisbury, Md., and Millsboro and Seaford, Del., POA provides a broad spectrum of advanced orthopaedic treatments and diagnostic services including foot and ankle, hand and elbow, hip and knee, shoulder, spine, sports medicine, joint replacement, joint preservation, and orthopaedic trauma care.