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Francis X. McCormac was many things to many people, a doting father of seven, a beloved husband, a decorated U.S. Army veteran and a friend to the many people he came to know in Ocean City, a place he called home since 2006. On Saturday, at the age of 102, McCormac passed away surrounded by his family at his Ocean City home in United Methodist Communities Wesley by the Bay. He left behind a legacy of being a highly decorated World War II hero, whose humbleness was endearing and whose sense of humor and wit amused his family and friends.

Hundreds of dogs and their human counterparts dressed in Halloween costumes for Ocean City’s “Howl-O-Ween” parade Saturday, breezing down the Boardwalk in a zany spectacle that delighted families. There were pooches dressed up as Barbie dolls, a poodle wearing a poodle skirt, a family dressed as slices of pizza with a dog dressed as a meatball, and, yes, "Elvis" aka a dachshund, was spotted.

The Ocean City Board of Education has had two superintendent searches in two years. And now, the board will begin a third search, wiping the slate clean, to find the most qualified leader for the nearly 2,000-student school district with three schools, primary, intermediate and high school. Since April, the board has reviewed 45 applications for the position. But despite narrowing down the pool in August, a new superintendent was not selected.

Samantha Kurtz-Seif, director of Social Services for Ocean City, looked at a list of people in need in the resort -- 300 and about 85 families. She knew that she had to do something to help make their Thanksgiving holiday a good one. Her office will partner with the nonprofit group OCNJ CARE to provide gift cards to families in need for Thanksgiving dinners.

The many benefits of living near the water certainly outweigh the negatives, judging by the fact that Ocean City has about 11,000 year-round residents and tens of thousands of visitors each year. But when there are coastal storms and other weather events, locals and vacationers need to be prepared. Ocean City Emergency Management Director Frank Donato gave a presentation Tuesday night about how to be prepared for any kind of weather, from winter and summer storms to hurricanes and even tornados.

Ocean City Councilman Jody Levchuk wants to know what the community thinks about a variety of issues in town -- from taxes to parking. Instead of asking people to walk up to the microphone and state their concerns or thoughts, he decided to put it in a survey, giving people an opportunity to fill out a multiple-choice survey, which he believes touches upon the main topics of discussion throughout the resort. Details follow on how to take the survey.

Leonardo Taccarino looked a bit young for firefighting. After all, the Marmora boy is just 3. But his skill at steadily holding a fire hose to extinguish a “blaze” created plenty of smiles from a crowd. Leonardo smiled and giggled as the hose shot a steady stream of water into the “burning” model size home. He may have gotten a little help from his mom, Dominique Taccarino, along with Ocean City firefighter Dan Boardman, but still, there was a little firefighter in the making. The Taccarinos joined many other families Thursday for the Ocean City Fire Department and IAFF Local 4032’s Open House.

Each year, the Ocean City Ecumenical Council helps feed and clothe those in need. The Ecumenical Council, a faith-based organization, runs the food cupboard and clothes closet in the resort. The items are shared by all churches in Ocean City to help families and individuals who are less fortunate. On Tuesday, all of the volunteers who help to provide food and clothing to 2,400 people each year were celebrated during a luncheon at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church. It was the first such affair since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ocean City Free Public Library is not only popular among families during the summer for its in-person and virtual programming, events, activities and lots of books in all forms, but year-round. And that is why the staff for the children’s section of the library has grown, explained Library Director Karen Mahar during Tuesday’s OCFPL Board of Trustees meeting. She noted that the numbers have “exceeded” the busy times in the kids' section prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in 2019.

They gave food. They gave diapers. They gave canned goods. And the list goes on and on. The Ocean City community showed its generosity during an annual food and goods drive. The Ocean City Police Department and the Ocean City Ecumenical Council Food Cupboard worked together to make the donation drive possible. On Sunday, police vehicles were stationed in front of the Acme supermarkets at both 800 West Avenue and 3428 Simpson Avenue for the event, which is part of a nationwide program called “Faith and Blue Weekend.”