Dear Friends,
Summer is almost here and road crews across the length of Ocean City are racing to complete as much work as possible before the season is upon us. Everybody wants their street fixed, and I’m glad to see that we’re making some good progress. But right now it seems impossible to go anywhere in a straight line. Unfortunately, we’ll have a few more weeks of frustration before road projects shut down for the summer. I thank everybody for their patience. The long-term road, drainage and utilities improvements will be worth the short-term aggravation.
I’m sad to note the passing this week of Ocean City resident Herb Birch. Most of us knew him as “Bubba Mac.” A highly successful business man, Bubba Mac was known in Ocean City for his commitment to education and, most of all, for his passion for music. His smile, full beard and excellent band were fixtures at Ocean City’s block parties, and he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mr. Mature Pageant. I hope you all will join me in extending condolences to all of his family and many friends.
Councilman Bob Barr will hold a Fourth Ward Meeting at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday, May 20) in the Chris Maloney Lecture Hall at the Ocean City Free Public Library. Representatives of the American Legion will be special guests, but anybody with an interest in Fourth Ward issues (the Fourth Ward includes all streets from the south side of 26th Street to 59th Street, in addition to the Ocean Reef community) is welcome to attend. I also want to remind everybody of a Town Hall Meeting on June 3 to share updates on our 2017 bayside dredging program. See more detail here.
Ocean City is in the running once again for “New Jersey’s Favorite Beach” in the annual contest sponsored by the N.J. Sea Grant Consortium. We’ve won the contest for three years in a row, and I encourage everybody to vote right now by clicking here . The contest is designed “to inspire pride in and stewardship of New Jersey’s beaches.”
Ocean City’s success in this and so many other contests that are determined by popular vote is a testament to the hard work of the city team, City Council, the Tourism Development Commission, the Boardwalk and Downtown Merchants associations, local businesses, the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, volunteer groups and the entire community in making Ocean City a superior place to live, work and play.
Tickets for the 2017 Ocean City Pops summer season go on sale for the first time at 9 a.m. tomorrow. If you’re unfamiliar with the Pops, you might be surprised what a wide variety of music and programs the orchestra performs. The season opens with a show featuring Vanessa Williams on June 25, and their many concerts include something for every musical taste.
I also want to remind everybody about the KC and the Sunshine Band concert on May 28 on the Ocean City Music Pier. It’s going to be a really fun way to kick off the summer on Memorial Day Weekend. A limited number of tickets are still available, so get them while they last.
Tickets are available online at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice , and the Ocean City Music Pier Box Office will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (May 20 and 21). During the week, tickets will be on sale in-person at the City Hall Welcome Center or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center on the Route 52 causeway or by calling 609-399-6111.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
