OCEAN CITY — Bill Haley, Jr. says much of his life has been a process of learning about the man behind some of the most iconic songs in the history of American music: his father and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Bill Haley.In July of 1955, Bill Haley was the uncontested “king of rock ‘n’ roll”… Read more »
Author Archives: Bryan Russo
Q&A With OC Police Chief; Buzzuro Reviews 2015, Looks Ahead To Summer Season
OCEAN CITY — Chief Ross Buzzuro is looking forward to his fourth summer in the resort as the head of the Ocean City Police Department after spending 25 years with the Baltimore Police Department. While he says he’s still getting used to some of the glaring and idiosyncratic differences between the Maryland’s largest city, and… Read more »
Casino Employees Demonstrate Over Starting Wage Rates
OCEAN CITY – Dozens of Casino at Ocean Downs employees took a gamble on trying to pressure their employers to increase their pay by picketing in front of the casino on Thursday afternoon.In recent months, a handful of employees have been seen handing out leaflets to incoming casino goers in hopes of gaining public support… Read more »
Employee Housing Shortage A Concern With Foreign Workers About To Converge On Resort
OCEAN CITY – A shortage of rooms available to J-1 Visa students this summer is a definite concern heading into the resort’s busy season, according to city officials, sponsor companies and tourism representatives.Thousands of foreign students from all over the world are expected to arrive to work for the summer, as they’ve historically been a… Read more »
Compromise Reached On Liquor Bills Aimed At Getting County Out Of Business
OCEAN CITY – A compromise measure between private industry and the Department of Liquor Control led to an amendment that would instill a one-year restriction for additional liquor stores within a 10-block radius in Ocean City of an existing DLC store.This amendment covers the 10 blocks north and south of the Gold Coast Mall location… Read more »
Q&A With Buck Mann, Who Helped Grow Ocean City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade From Humble Roots
OCEAN CITY — During the day, Walter “Buck” Mann may be best known as the owner of Mann Properties, one of the resort’s leading property management companies since the early 1970’s. But, for more than three decades, the former city councilman and long-time board member of the Delmarva Irish-American Club has been helping to put… Read more »
Q&A With Greg Shockley, Task Force Chair Confident Revised Busker System Allows ‘Equal Access’ To Boardwalk Spots
OCEAN CITY — You might know Greg Shockley as a small business owner and the proprietor of the popular Boardwalk establishment Shenanigans. But, over the past 20 years, Shockley has been one of the most instrumental figures in helping to drive the local business community’s and the town’s interest’s forward.Shockley sat down with The Dispatch… Read more »
Royalton Hotel Demolition ‘Bittersweet’ For Family After Years Of Legal Struggles
OCEAN CITY – It took more than 13 years of planning and litigation to demolish the Royalton Hotel on the Ocean City Boardwalk, but now its owners are hopeful that rebuilding one of the resort’s mainstay oceanfront hotels will only take 13 months.The 38-unit hotel on 11th street and the Boardwalk was torn down on… Read more »
Poultry Litter Debate Intensifies Across Maryland With Proposed Legislation
ANNAPOLIS – The House and Senate versions of the controversial Poultry Litter Management Act (PLMA) had preliminary hearings in Annapolis this week, as both sides continue to debate whom should be held responsible for the hundreds of millions of tons of waste chickens grown on the Eastern Shore create each year.The poultry industry and its… Read more »
Q&A With Doug Miller, Getting To Know Ocean City’s Newest City Manager
OCEAN CITY — After a nationwide search that stretched five months, there’s a new city manager in Ocean City.Doug Miller was the Mayor and City Council’s unanimous choice to assume the position as the town’s essential chief executive officer, and The Dispatch sat down with the self-proclaimed “worrier” to talk about his past experiences as… Read more »