After observing the metropolitan news outlets as well as CNN paint Ocean City as packed for the holiday weekend, I took a walk around Ocean City’s beach, downtown area and Boardwalk between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Memorial Day. Due to the cooler, cloudy weather conditions, it was not a beach day, but the… Read more »
It seemed like a long shot all week, but Ocean City and Worcester County governments worked diligently with state elected representatives and trade associations to take a stab at outdoor dining for this holiday weekend. It was a well-coordinated effort, but it was clearly too much too soon for Gov. Larry Hogan. It was no… Read more »
Worcester County is wrong to yank all funding support of Atlantic General Hospital (AGH) from its next budget. I hope the four commissioners who supported the move get ripped by their constituents.The decision was led by Commissioner Joe Mitrecic, who used a poor experience he had at the hospital to drive his motivation to kill… Read more »
It was interesting to hear the variety of opinions on the lawsuit filed last week by the Reopen Maryland organization against Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. The 56-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court on Saturday, challenges the governor’s authority to issue emergency declarations closing businesses deemed non-essential, prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people –… Read more »
Though unknowns remain, there appears to be some clarity developing on when the economic shutdown will begin to end. It’s not a definite, but closure mandates should be lifted within the next two weeks. It’s going to be a long and winding journey to normalcy, but matters are finally trending in a positive direction.Under Gov…. Read more »
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will detail his “recovery roadmap” in a press conference on Friday. From the early indications, it’s not going to feature a definitive timeline for easing of restrictions as sought by many in the Ocean City area. What it will include is some specific phases for reopening when the time is right…. Read more »
There has been a major shift this week regarding COVID-19. Rather than robust fear and anxiety, I am seeing drastic increases in frustration and impatience as the days mount and livelihoods become increasingly jeopardized. It’s been almost five weeks since the local economy was shut down with the closure of restaurants, bars, real estate and… Read more »
With two more weeks of the planned closure to go, questions are swirling on whether schools will reopen April 27. The fact is nobody knows at this time. Even the folks who will make the decision – the state superintendent of schools, the governor and leading health officials – have no idea. Though a decision… Read more »
It’s human nature to wonder when the current pandemic will run its course. It’s just too early to tell, but it’s natural for dates to be considered. In our area, the seasonal economy is dependent on tourism. For at least the month of April, there will be no tourism, bringing the local economy to a… Read more »
It was interesting to learn this week Ocean City is going to preliminarily work off two budgets for the next fiscal year – a pre-COVID-19 one and a post-COVID-19. The town’s fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30. With the town’s economy essentially shut down currently, the city should expect to see a major reduction… Read more »
