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Ocean City Revises Beach Cabana Rules
On May 14, City Council approved a resolution to limit the locations and sizes of cabanas, canopies, and tents on Ocean City's beaches.
While cabanas are still banned this summer on the beaches between First and 10th streets, some other restrictions have been eased in a revised set of regulations approved by Council this month, officials said.
Initially, the canopies and cabanas had to be placed at the back of the beach within 10 feet of the dunes and could be no bigger than 8 feet wide by 6 feet deep by 6 feet tall.
The new regulations now allow cabanas up to 10 feet by 10 feet and no longer require them to be placed at the back of the beach.
Ocean City Vacation Rental Website Offers Array of Possibilities
A new vacation rental website launched in Ocean City gives homeowners and realtors a site to showcase their listings with no added fees, and vacationers a site to find their perfect getaway from the Gold Coast to the Gardens and the rest of town.
Duane Watlington, founder of Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore LLC, said VROCNJ with the website, www.vacationrentalsoceancitynj.com, provides a lot of ways to connect with no hidden fees or taxes. Watlington, a real estate agent, started with a site dedicated to Long Beach Island four years ago and another in the Wildwoods last year.
O.C. Library Offers New “Reading Challenge”
The Ocean City Free Public Library is calling on children, teens, and adults to participate in a virtual “Reading Challenge,” that will not only hone their skills, but also garner them prizes.
The library will be using the Beanstack website to host the exciting new remote year-round event.
And it all began Monday, with the summer reading contest that runs through Aug. 23. Signing up is free and anyone can participate.
Since the library closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff has offered an array of virtual events, programming, and books to access online.
Gov. Phil Murphy lifted the restriction on curbside pickup, which will begin on June 22. Questions may be emailed to curbside@oceancitylibrary.org.
Library Director Karen Mahar called the Reading Challenge a fantastic, new program...
Mayor Addresses Litter in Message: June 17
I have received many complaints in the past few weeks about litter and about the conduct of some of the people visiting our beach and Boardwalk. I want to thank everybody for passing along their concerns and suggestions.
I am well aware of these issues and am working with Police Chief Jay Prettyman and Operations and Engineering Director Vince Bekier to address them quickly.
The city had anticipated an increased volume of trash due to the takeout-only restriction and to the greater number of people in town for early June, but not to the degree we saw over the last two weekends...
Drive-Through Event Honors OCHS Seniors
Ocean City High School seniors and their families lined up Tuesday afternoon in their cars on the Tabernacle grounds to be cheered on, celebrated and to receive special gifts, courtesy of the After Prom committee and volunteers.
“Today, the kids would have been preparing for graduation, so we wanted to do something special for them today,” said Jen Bowman, one of the After Prom committee members, as she waved and handed gift bags to seniors. “We just felt the kids were entitled to the gifts we bought them, and we wanted them to have a special day.”
The 325 seniors will get to walk in a graduation ceremony outside of the high school on Carey Field on July 9.
Intermediate School Hosts Drive-Through Celebration
A traditional graduation for Ocean City Intermediate School eighth-graders was not possible this year due to COVID-19.
But that did not deter Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor, OCIS Principal Michael Mattina and a host of other administrators and faculty to cheer on the graduates and celebrate their milestone on Monday.
The school district held a processional at the intermediate school to recognize the honorees who joined in a drive-through ceremony.
Boardwalk Amusement Parks Are Ready to Reopen, Mr. Governor
Walking along a busy Boardwalk in Ocean City on Saturday, bicycles zip by, people munch on candy and pizza and some businesses begin to open up. Life is slowly returning to the new normal -- but not quite.
Looming above the Boardwalk, a towering blue rollercoaster with tight twists and turns – the Gale Force – has yet to give thrillseekers a rush this summer.
And like the rollercoaster at Playland’s Castaway Cove at 11th Street and the Boardwalk, the rest of the amusement rides are either shrink-wrapped, covered or just not operating.
At Sixth Street and the Boardwalk, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier would typically see families stream in while kids giggle on toy cars, frog rides and the iconic carousel. But all of the rides are ghostly quiet now. A new amusement called the Frisbee also has no riders.
Until Gov. Phil Murphy says amusement parks and arcades are allowed to reopen again -- after COVID-19 shuttered a host of activities -- families will just have to stroll by these two amusement parks.
County Reports New COVID-19 Death
An 86-year-old woman from Dennis Township has become the latest Cape May County resident to die of the coronavirus.
Altogether, the county has had 672 cases of COVID-19 and 57 deaths, according to the latest update by health officials.
Cape May County Zoo to Reopen
The Cape May County Zoo is reopening this weekend. At 10 a.m. on Saturday, with new precautions in place to keep visitors, staff and the animals safe, the entrance to the zoo will open once again.
Among the safety measures, visitors will be asked to maintain social distancing from other groups and families.
Beach Replenishment Project to Dress Up O.C. Shoreline
In just a couple of weeks, the north end beaches of Ocean City will be getting a lot more sand.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will pump more than one million cubic yards of new sand to widen the beaches and replace what was lost to coastal storms.