mvitale

‘You got this. You can fly,” was the message at the Ocean City Primary School today in a spirited rally for the “underdog” of both the Eagles, as they head to the Super Bowl, and animals at the Humane Society of Ocean City that students are donating items to such as food, blankets and toys. Cheers for the Eagles, dancing, a football toss, and a large donation of pretzels in the shape of dog bones...

With more than 600 real estate agents in Ocean City, you have to be really good to distinguish yourself in the crowd. Realtors Pete Madden and Nicole Presnall, both of Ocean City, do just that and on Feb. 1, they received the New Jersey Realtors 2017 Gold Level Circle of Excellence Sales Award for each selling $15 million in properties. The criteria for their achievement is that an agent must sell between $12 million and $20 million and at least 25 housing units. Other awards of bronze, silver and platinum are given to agents with the same requirements, but different monetary amounts and number of units...

Getting ready for Sunday’s big game likely entails going to the food store and cleaning up the house, she shed or man cave, for a few, or 20-plus guests. The last thing you want to worry about is lugging in bottles of beer, wine or spirits for the Eagles after-party - right? Well, Passion Vines Wine & Spirit Company in Somers Point and Egg Harbor Township, makes getting ready for the Super Bowl as easy as going to www.passionvines.com on your tablet, phone, laptop or desktop. All you have to do is browse, click and add to your shopping cart...

The grande dame of the Boardwalk — the Music Pier, will get some needed repairs to spruce up the 90-year-old iconic symbol of Ocean City, as well as upgrades to the sound and lighting systems in the city’s capital plan for 2018. “Just like the Boardwalk, the Music Pier is part of what defines Ocean City,” Public Information Officer Doug Bergen said Monday. “It’s important to maintain these public resources.” City Council detailed at a Jan. 25 meeting the capital plan, which includes a multi-year $2.65 million in improvements and repairs to the Music Pier. The Council is expected to approve the plan next month...

Rob Malfitano has an active schedule. From basketball, to baseball, to wrestling and surfing, to earning distinguished honors, he is always busy doing something. The 11-year-old Ocean City resident even plays trumpet in the school band. And somehow the fifth-grader at Ocean City Intermediate School still finds time to fundraise and help children just like him, born with a cleft palette, get surgery to repair it, so they too can lead active lives. For a second year in a row, Rob has handed out donation buckets in classrooms for fellow students to...

Residents on Third Street attended a meeting at Ocean City Tabernacle Saturday morning to hear plans for a drainage project that city officials hope will alleviate flooding problems plaguing the neighborhood for years. On Jan. 10, residents on 10 lots affected by flooding, received a letter about improvements to be done on Third Street between Bay and West avenues. City officials said the project, which is expected to be completed by January 2019, would include elevation of the roadway, the curbing and sidewalks and even homeowners’ yards, all at the city’s expense, except for additional upgrades residents choose to do...

Pat McWilliams and her daughters, Joan and Rose, from Drexel Hill, Pa., enjoyed a brisk morning stroll on the Boardwalk at 10th Street in Ocean City on Friday. “We are down for the weekend and we are trying out the new boards,” Pat McWilliams said, as they walked along the new, light-color and clean planks, which had a fresh smell. “It is beautiful,” she said. The McWilliams family wanted to take in some sights on a relaxing walk on the new boards that stretch from Fifth Street to 10th Street. Several other walkers, a few bicyclists and some joggers decided to take in the scenery. Others sat on benches and watched the waves and a lone paddle boarder who was off in the distance on the calm waters...

Ocean City will make a bigger push to attract millennials as a centerpiece of the $750,000 marketing plan for 2018 to bring more tourists to town, members of the Tourism Development Commission said at a meeting Thursday. Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a commission member. She said the city did very well in 2017, using a strong marketing plan and sees the city doing just as well, if not better, in the new year. “We are looking good for the season and we are going forward with all the advertising and marketing we talked about in the budget plan. We are ahead,” Gillian said...

So, you think you’re in a happy place? If you’re not in Ocean City, you might not be. “America’s Greatest Family Resort,” with shops and restaurants galore, a 2½-mile Boardwalk, pristine beaches, rides and entertainment, was selected by Coastal Living Magazine as one of 10 "America's Happiest Seaside Towns" for 2018. “We are so excited to have the opportunity to participate in a contest like this because it recognizes all the fun and the diversity of Ocean City from the beach, to the Boardwalk, to the bay, to the boutiques and restaurants,” said Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Ocean City has something for everyone to enjoy.”...

A diminutive copper still sits atop a shelf behind a bar at the Little Water Distillery in Atlantic City. It is only large enough to process five gallons of alcohol, a far cry from the 300-gallon still that sits just feet from it. But that small conversation piece is what started it all for brothers Mark and Eric Ganter, who got an idea and were soon on their way to becoming business partners, producing whiskey, rum, gin and vodka, and creating a brand that they say is authentic, delicious, and top quality...