Donald Wittkowski

He walked into the room as Ocean City resident Terry Crowley Jr. He left the same night as City Councilman Terry Crowley Jr. It was a whirlwind City Council meeting on Aug. 26 when Crowley was selected from among seven candidates seeking to fill the vacancy created by the resignation two weeks earlier by former First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger. Crowley was suddenly thrust into the spotlight of city government. But even though he is a newcomer to politics, he said he was immediately ready to take on the responsibilities as the First Ward’s new councilman.

The main entrance to the new four-story building at the corner of Sixth Street and West Avenue features a glossy facade that suggests an air of exclusivity. Inside, the polished, hardwood-like floors have no scuff marks. Kitchen appliances and countertops glisten. A peek outside the windows on the top floor reveals expansive views of Ocean City’s skyline, the Boardwalk amusement rides and the bay. If you look hard enough, even a tiny bit of the ocean comes into view on the east side of the building. The scenery and the building itself may seem like luxury accommodations, but this is actually an affordable housing complex built for senior citizens by the Ocean City Housing Authority.

It will be a three-person race in the Nov. 2 election for the First Ward seat on City Council. Terrence Crowley Jr., who was unanimously appointed by Council last week to fill a vacancy in the First Ward until the election, will be challenged by longtime residents Donna Swan DeRocher and Donna Moore. Monday at 4 p.m. was the deadline for candidates seeking the First Ward seat to file their nominating petitions with the City Clerk’s Office to be placed on the November ballot.

Terrence Crowley Jr., a pharmaceutical sales executive who is making his first foray into elected politics, was unanimously appointed by City Council on Thursday night to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger. With the appointment, Crowley will temporarily represent the First Ward in the city’s north end until the Nov. 2 general election. He confirmed that he intends to run in the election. The winner of the election will fill DeVlieger’s unexpired term until June 30, 2024.

Seven candidates with varied backgrounds are in the running to fill a vacancy on Ocean City’s governing body created by the resignation of First Ward Councilman Michael DeVlieger. Candidates had until 4:30 p.m. Friday to submit their paperwork to the City Clerk’s Office to be considered for the position. Each candidate will be interviewed by City Council in closed session at the start of the Aug. 26 meeting at 6 p.m., City Clerk Melissa Rasner said.

Ocean City hopes to take advantage of the federal government’s massive, $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill to help pay for a series of “shovel ready” capital projects this year, including a new public safety building for the police and fire departments. Mayor Jay Gillian and senior members of his administration stressed the importance of federal funding while unveiling the city’s proposed  five-year, $141.2 million capital plan Thursday night during a City Council meeting.

City Council Vice President Michael DeVlieger stepped down Thursday night in an emotional farewell that included some hugs, tears and laughter with his colleagues during his last meeting on the seven-member governing body. DeVlieger, who had served on Council since 2012 as the representative of the First Ward, shocked his colleagues when he announced in July that he was resigning effective Aug. 12 to focus on his family and professional career. Choking back his emotions at times, he waited until the end of the meeting Thursday to read a letter of resignation that expressed his thanks to his family and the entire community. He also emphasized what an honor it has been for him to serve the city as an elected official.

Darryl Strawberry has made a dramatic transformation in his post-baseball career, overcoming alcohol abuse and drug addiction to become an ordained minister who travels the country spreading the word of God. Speaking to an audience of several hundred people Sunday morning at the Ocean City Tabernacle, Strawberry described his rise, downfall and redemption during his extraordinary life as a baseball star-turned-preacher.

Jordan Cope was able to help out a condo owner at the shore whose fabulous bay views were being spoiled by the sun’s glaring rays and heat. “All of the heat came blaring in,” Cope said. Cope, the owner of Coastal Reflections, easily fixed the problem by installing a protective layer of tinted film on the windows to block the heat and glare without ruining the bayfront views for the condo owner. His professional window treatment and tinting company, based in Dennis Township, offers home and business owners an increasingly popular way to protect their property from excessive heat and sunlight and also give them more privacy and safety.

Ocean City Councilman Michael DeVlieger announced Thursday night that he will step down from the governing body in August to focus on his family and professional career. DeVlieger was first elected as the First Ward councilman in 2012 and won re-election in 2016 and 2020 without facing any opposition. For the past two years, he has served as Council’s vice president. Surprising his fellow Council members, he told them that the Aug. 12 meeting will be his last on the seven-member body.