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Donald Wittkowski

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Nancy Hughes Honored for Devotion to Ocean City

Throughout his long and distinguished career in politics and public service, there was one constant in the life of former Congressman and Ambassador Bill Hughes – Nancy, his wife of 61 years, was always there by his side, Hughes recalled. Nancy Hughes, who died in January at 82 years old, was fondly remembered Thursday night for her devotion to her husband, her children and her grandchildren and her dedication to her beloved Ocean City, her home for more than 55 years. “Nancy loved Ocean City. I don’t have to tell you that,” Bill Hughes said during a ceremony in her memory at Thursday’s City Council meeting...

Gillian Touts His Achievements, Community Partnerships in Campaign Speech

With just four weeks to go before the election, Mayor Jay Gillian broadly sketched out the accomplishments of his eight years in office during a speech Thursday that highlighted the “best” of Ocean City. Gillian did not mention his opponent in the mayoral race, former Councilman John Flood, but his campaign speech before the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce had clear political implications leading up to the May 8 municipal election...

Tree Giveaway in Ocean City Helps Replace Those Lost During Hurricane...

Six years later, Mary Lou Hayes still becomes emotional thinking about the beautiful Leyland cypress trees at her 31st Street home in Ocean City that were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy’s fierce winds and raging flood waters. “I’m going to cry,” Hayes said, wiping away tears. “It was so sad, because this town used to be covered with trees.” Hayes, though, was one of the volunteers Monday in Ocean City who participated in a state-sponsored seedling giveaway that is helping communities across New Jersey slowly replace some of the trees damaged or lost to the hurricane’s fury in October 2012...

Wait No More, 34th Street Bridge Project Nearly Done

Whenever the traffic lights on the 34th Street Bridge turn red, an electronic message sign warns drivers that they will have to wait up to five minutes. The frustration of being stuck there for so long is exacerbated when the sign begins counting down, second by agonizing second, during the final minute. “Sixty, 59, 58, 57 …” The wait seems interminable until the countdown hits zero and the light finally flashes green, allowing motorists to get underway again...

Tyler Onesty Memorial Benefit to Fight Drug Addiction on May 6

Playing miniature golf was one of Tyler Onesty’s favorite things to do. With that in mind, Sally Onesty, Tyler’s mother, has chosen a miniature golf course as the location for a scholarship fundraiser that will focus on an epidemic that has killed her son and scores of other people – drug addiction. The first ever Tyler Jay Onesty Memorial Scholarship Benefit will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 6, at Golden Galleon Mini Golf at 11th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City...

Gillian, Flood Clash Over Ocean City Restroom Project

What had been a quiet election campaign in Ocean City erupted into accusations Tuesday that Mayor Jay Gillian is using the construction of taxpayer-funded public bathrooms on the Boardwalk for the benefit of his private amusement park business. Gillian immediately denounced the allegations by his mayoral opponent, former City Councilman John Flood, as “toilet politics.” “I’ve heard of gutter politics, but never toilet politics,” Gillian said in a statement...

Ocean City Looks to Rebuild Eroded Wetlands on a Neighboring Island

Think of it as Ocean City’s little brother – a 133-acre island sitting in the middle of the back bay, just across a narrow channel. Shooting Island, as it is known, is an uninhabited flat land mass under threat from erosion. Among other places, it is visible from Ocean City by peering out over the bay from the public boat ramp at the end of Tennessee Avenue. Shooting Island is now a topic of conversation between Ocean City officials and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. They are discussing plans to help rebuild the island’s eroded wetlands by possibly using sediment dredged from the back bays as an environmentally-friendly material...

Ocean City Scraps Plan to Acquire Former Exxon Site for Green...

Ocean City has given up on attempts to acquire a key piece of property that was once part of a broader plan to replace three former blighted gas station sites with landscaped parks along the main entryway into town. Instead, the city will now allow the owner to “pursue whatever plans he has for the property,” Business Administrator Jim Mallon told City Council on Thursday night in the latest twist in the long-running saga over the land...

Environmental Forum in Ocean City Attracts Students From Across N.J.

The wrath of snow, sleet and rain from the fourth nor’easter in March could not stop more than 100 students from schools throughout New Jersey from attending the 10th annual Clean Communities Environmental Student Exchange (CCESE) Program held at the Ocean City Music Pier. The two-day event, sponsored by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC), the city of Ocean City and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, draws a diverse group of students, selected by their teachers, to participate in activities, presentations and demonstrations focused on various environmental issues affecting streets, beaches, rivers and other waterways...

Coming Soon: Green Space on Ocean City’s Main Entrance

Ocean City is close to acquiring the second of three former gas station sites that it plans to transform into landscaped parks to make the main entryway into town more inviting for visitors. Meanwhile, Mayor Jay Gillian’s administration is expected to give City Council an update at its meeting Thursday night on plans to acquire the third former gas station property, which has been the focus of a court fight...