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Hundreds of people enjoyed the 29th annual Community Christmas Dinner at St. Peter's United Methodist Church in Ocean City. Organized by husband and wife Mike and Peaches Lukens, the dinner serves as a great holiday get-together for family members, friends and people in need.

Julie Baumgardner and Mike Perkins both grew up in Ocean City. Yet their paths never crossed. Until 2014, five years after the two of them lost their significant others, Baumgardner’s fiancé and Perkin’s wife of 30 years. It was within a week of each other in February 2009. Their mutual friends, Peaches and Mike Lukens, who are in charge of the Community Christmas Dinner at St. Peter’s Methodist Church in Ocean City, knew they had at least two things in common – their friendship with Peaches and Mike and their passion for volunteering...

For some, a Christmas tradition is spending time with family, eating a dinner with all the trimmings and watching television. For Mike and Peaches Lukens, their family tradition has been to spend it among people who at one time, were strangers, but over 28 years, have become an extended family. They are the hosts of the Community Christmas Dinner at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, where the couple, along with their daughter, Halley Martinez, and about 70-plus volunteers, transform a room into a festive dining hall.

From now through New Year’s Eve, Michael Bray, the owner and founder of Passion Vines, with locations in Egg Harbor Township and Somers Point, estimates his staff will create hundreds of specialty gift baskets for customers and corporate clients. There are plenty of reasons why the baskets are so popular. Not only do they come with top shelf spirits and wines from around the world, but they also create custom orders that include a customer's selection of gourmet cheeses, meats, delectable confections and spreads. “We have a team all holiday season creating baskets to fit all budgets and tastes,” Bray said. Gift baskets range from $29 to $299, depending on what the customer would like.

Ocean City was spared much of the predicted flooding in, yet again, a coastal storm on Friday. “After a year of near-record rainfall, we’re looking forward to a dry forecast for Christmas and the coming week,” said Ocean City Public Information Officer Doug Bergen. He said the city was fortunate in that both the tide level and rainfall were lower than predicted.

Bowfish Kids, an Ocean City children's boutique, raised nearly $800 in funds, from mid-November to present, for the Kisses for Kyle Foundation through a “Giving Tree” toy drive. The foundation buys toys for children with cancer using money donated at Bowfish Kids and other fundraising locations. Three of the children who will receive toys live in Ocean City.

Soon, with just a tap on a cellphone, shoppers in Ocean City’s downtown and on the Boardwalk will be able to purchase items using a cashless payment system. The convenient new feature to the Ocean City Vacation App will be available before the New Year with the aim of making shopping and playing in “America’s Greatest Family Resort” even easier, explained Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Stainton’s Gallery of Shops in Ocean City had a special guest Sunday parked outside of the store - well sort of. He wore a Santa Claus hat. But he was no Santa. His name was Nate. He’s a 16-year-old horse who happily nibbled on carrots from passersby. For a one dollar donation dropped in a feed bucket, shoppers got their turn at feeding the affable steed a carrot. And it was for a very good cause...

Local historian John Loeper gave a presentation Saturday on the fabled Sindia coinciding with the 117th anniversary of the Ocean City shipwreck. To this day, there is mystery about the ship's cargo. Was it secretly carrying a load of silver?

The Ocean City Free Public Library already attracts thousands of patrons a week, with its vast selection of books, specialty sections that cater to children, young adults and adults, and friendly staff ready to help. But with a $1.3 million project slated for fall of 2019 to do extensive renovations to the building, Library Director Karen Mahar said there will be even more reasons to visit.