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Donald Wittkowski

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Thousands Expected for “Bike MS” Ride to Ocean City in September

Inspired by his wife Pam’s 26-year battle with multiple sclerosis, Jeff Craighead participates in the Bike MS City to Shore Ride every year to help raise money in the fight against an incurable disease that often disrupts the central nervous system. When the 75-mile Bike MS trek from Cherry Hill to Ocean City unfolds during the weekend of Sept. 21-22, Craighead will have plenty of company. As many as 6,000 to 7,000 cyclists are expected to ride in this year’s event, which serves as the second-largest fundraiser in the country for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Around $5 million is expected to be raised this year. Jeff and Pam Craighead, who are volunteers with the Greater Delaware Valley chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, appeared in Ocean City on Thursday night during a City Council meeting to promote Bike MS, now in its 39th year.

Restaurant Week to Showcase Sea Isle Culinary Scene

Sea Isle City is consumed with the quality of its restaurants. This is a small town that boasts of having a big-city-style culinary scene comparable to anything found at the Jersey Shore – all 127 miles of it. “I honestly think that Sea Isle has some of the finest restaurants at the Jersey Shore,” said Mike Monichetti, owner of Mike’s Seafood & Dock Restaurant on Park Road. Starting Monday, the local restaurants will get a chance to prove it. Sea Isle will showcase its array of eateries during Restaurant Week on June 3-9.

Pilot Makes “Amazing” Emergency Landing on Ocean City Beach

It was a near-perfect landing – on the beach. When it was all over Saturday morning, the pilot walked away unharmed and the plane was relatively unscathed, except for the tip of the left wing and a propeller blade that was bent from striking the sand on the 49th Street beach. “The guy made a pretty amazing, safe landing,” said Sgt. Patrick Randles, Ocean City Police Department’s public information officer. “He picked the best place because 49th Street has the widest beach.”

Will $6.9 Million Build It? Housing Authority Receives Bids for Proposed...

The Ocean City Housing Authority received construction bids for a proposed 32-unit senior citizens housing complex on Thursday in what is the latest attempt to get the project back on track after some setbacks and delays last year. Two bids were made. The apparent low bid of $6.9 million was submitted by Gary F. Gardner Inc. of Medford, N.J. The other bidder, Fabbri Builders of Vineland, N.J., came in at nearly $7.3 million.

City Leases Old Car Lot for Public Parking

It’s not the blockbuster $9 million deal that Ocean City has been hoping to make for a major piece of property owned by local businessmen and brothers Harry and Jerry Klause. Instead, City Council approved a $9,000 agreement Thursday night with Klause Enterprises to lease the land, once the site of a now-closed car dealership, for public parking over the summer. Encompassing nearly an entire block, the property on Simpson and Haven avenues, between 16th and 17th streets, will be used by the city through Sept. 9 for free public parking.

Lupus Fundraiser Seeks Cure for “Mystery” Disease

About 700 people took part Sunday in the Walk to End Lupus Now fundraiser on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Now in its 11th year in Ocean City, the walk was expected to raise about $60,000. Altogether, the event has raised an estimated $400,000 to $450,000 for lupus-related research and education during its 11-year run, an organizer said.

Tourism Hits $6.6 Billion in Cape May County

Cape May County’s tourism industry is a $6.6 billion colossus that draws nearly 10 million visitors annually to an area that has diversified its attractions well beyond the ever-popular beaches and boardwalks, state and county officials said Friday. Freeholder E. Marie Hayes described Cape May County as a “top” vacation destination that includes gourmet restaurants, fishing, historic and cultural sites, wineries, craft breweries and eco-tourism, along with family-friendly beaches and boardwalks. “It’s like a puzzle with so many pieces,” she said in opening remarks during the 2019 Cape May County Tourism Conference in Cape May Court House.

This Event is Sure to Make a Big Splash

As usual, he will wear his tailor-made black suit, a tie and dress shoes. He will also be carrying his trademark leather briefcase. Ocean City real estate broker John Walton will look very much the part of a serious businessman who is ready to close a big deal on Friday, May 24. But don’t expect to see him huddled in his office on that day. Instead, he will be out on the beach. The nattily attired Walton will march straight into the ocean during a wacky local tradition known as the Business Persons Plunge. The well-dressed masses from the local business community will join Walton. Now in its 16th year, the Business Persons Plunge is a widely anticipated spectacle that serves to officially “open” the ocean during Memorial Day weekend for the summer tourism season.

Hear This: Music Pier Getting New Sound System

A new sound system that will improve the acoustics for concerts and other shows at Ocean City’s historic Music Pier was approved Thursday night by City Council. The $402,000 sound system is one of the main components of a series of upgrades planned this year for the landmark building, which serves as the city’s main venue for entertainment and cultural arts.

Ocean City Begins Pesticide-Free “Experiment”

The grounds of Ocean City’s historic Bayside Center are about to be given a lush new carpet of green sod as well as an irrigation system to make sure the grass remains healthy even during scorching summer days. But there will be something missing from the grass. There will be no fertilizer or pesticides put on it. Mayor Jay Gillian has decided to use the grounds of the Bayside Center as a test area that is free of pesticides and fertilizer. The “experiment” is in response to suggestions from local residents for the city to consider using environmentally friendly measures to take care of the grass, shrubbery and flowers on public property.