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"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree, How lovely are your branches … on the beach to see!" Actually, the opening lines to the classic Christmas tree song make no mention about the beach. But in Ocean City and Sea Isle City, anyone who wishes to enjoy the holiday majesty of decorated Christmas trees – and maybe to sing about them, too – need only to stroll out on the beaches to see them in their full glory.

Ocean City officials want some uniformity in the area of the 34th Street gateway, not as much for aesthetic purposes, but for safety. City Council introduced an ordinance Thursday amending design standard provisions for the 34th Street corridor that have been in place since 2010. Officials specifically noted the need to streamline the sidewalks. What that means is for all new businesses, there will be no cobblestones and no pavers. Standard concrete sidewalks will be allowed.

A long saga over a large piece of property will soon be over. On Thursday, City Council introduced a nearly $10 million funding package to pay the remaining balance for the property, adjacent to the Ocean City Community Center. A public hearing and final Council vote on the bond ordinance are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 11.

A man accused of brutally killing his mother at an Ocean City senior citizen housing complex went before a Cape May County judge Wednesday for a detention hearing. Jeffrey Surgent, 46, of Ocean City, called police about 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, stating that “he suffers from mental illness, and he just killed his mother,” according to authorities.

Mary Walsh has been going to the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center inside the Ocean City Community Center for years. She enjoys it so much that she helps out there and was recently honored by the county for her work. But an agreement reached between Cape May County and Ocean City will transfer control of the center over to the city, effective Feb. 1.

Rain pelted the roadways and a wind gust exceeded 50 mph in a coastal storm that started Sunday night and went into much of the day Monday, leaving Ocean City residents feeling a bit waterlogged. There was one positive: Unless awakened by strong wind gusts or from the steady rap of rain on your window Sunday into Monday morning, the nastiest part of the storm happened long before the morning commute.

Passion Vines in Somers Point is ready to take wine aficionados on a six-week tour of wines. Wine Foundations classes led by a sommelier will delve into the tastes, scents, flavors and aromas of elixirs from around the world. Students will learn about Old World and New World wines. Some of the wine regions they will learn about are in Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Each session will give students a history and education on the various wines and regions.

Ocean City’s south end beaches are much wider and more attractive now thanks to a multimillion-dollar project. Earlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began pumping operations to deliver 257,000 cubic yards of new sand to eroded beaches between 45th Street and 59th Street. By Friday, the work was nearly finished, officials said.

The dining area inside St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Ocean City had an abundance of foods lining the tables. But they weren’t meals to be eaten by the parishioners, but rather rows of nonperishable items from crackers, to cereal, pastas and peanut butter, donated by the community to help feed those with food insecurity. “There are 200 families in South Jersey in need of certain things. We are sorting through the boxes,” Kathy Thompson, an Ocean City resident and member of St. Pete’s, said Wednesday.

Mikenzie Helphenstine, an adored and respected coach in Ocean City and longtime teacher at the Primary School, passed away on May 4, 2022, after a courageous and long hard fight against cancer. Her strength, determination, love and zest of life was imparted on all those she coached on the field and taught in the classroom. The married mother of two, who died at just 43, touched so many lives that those who loved her vow to continue her legacy. On Wednesday, Primary School Principal Dr. Cathy Smith was presented with a check for $4,000 by those who created a fundraiser in Helphenstine’s memory to continue the work she helped start at the school's community garden.