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The Ocean City Fire Department answers 4,000 calls for service each year. When it comes to saving lives and property, efficiency is vital. That is why officials are making some changes to streamline the department. One such change is creating the rank of battalion chief, which would replace the deputy chief as tour commander.

When the norm seems to be knocking down old homes in shore communities, there are some developers who not only choose to go the route of renovation, but pride themselves in restoring the old with the goal of bringing it back to its original grandeur. Raymond Gaiser, managing member of SLP Ventures, is one of those developers. He purchased a circa 1916 home, which features an American Foursquare architectural style, located at 341 Central Avenue in Ocean City in August for $610,000 and plans to restore it.

Enjoy a party on the water with Pau Hana Tiki Tours. How about hosting a bachelorette party on a floating Tiki? Or taking a romantic two-hour sunset cruise along the back bays while sipping cool drinks? How does waking up to a morning cruise with coffee in hand sound? These are just some of the packages offered at the Tiki tour boat business, Pau Hana Tiki, owned by husband and wife, Brian and Jennifer Toner.

Ocean City Schools Superintendent Matthew Friedman has accepted a position in another district. That leaves the Ocean City Board of Education in the same position as 2021 -- in search of a new leader. The first step in the process to find qualified candidates will be at a special board meeting on Tuesday, April 18.

The message was clear: Halt all work on wind farm projects up and down the coast until the answer to the recent spate of whale and dolphin deaths can be determined. Protect Our Coast NJ, an independent grassroots organization opposed to offshore wind energy farms, held a rally Thursday at the Trenton State House Annex to demand that Gov. Phil Murphy halt the projects.

The Bayside Center has long been an integral part of Ocean City’s history. Dating to 1916, the three-story mansion at 520 Bay Ave. and the green space surrounding it have been home to countless activities and events. But the amount of work needed and the cost that would accompany it for the 107-year-old building has Mayor Jay Gillian and others in his administration thinking it may be time for a new building.

The iconic Ocean City Music Pier has provided a memorable venue for talents to entertain audiences over the years. Continuing the improvements to the concert hall, the city will be brightening the facility with new LED lighting for the stage and the ceiling.

Is a parking garage in Ocean City’s future? It could be a strong possibility. Parking and traffic issues dominated a Second Ward community meeting hosted by Councilman Tom Rotondi along with Mayor Jay Gillian on Saturday. Both officials answered questions and listened to concerns during the meeting at the Ocean City Tabernacle. In January, Gillian announced plans for Ocean City to have a consulting firm study potential locations for the construction of “one or more” parking garages on public property. A few months later, the study is close to being released, with officials hoping it will help alleviate the city's parking shortage, especially during the height of the summer tourism season. “Within a few weeks the city expects to unveil the results of a parking garage study,” City Business Administrator George Savastano said after the ward meeting. The study was done at the prompting of some city officials, including Councilman Jody Levchuk. The parking garage study focused on Boardwalk lots and behind City Hall. The study lays out potential construction costs, operating costs and potential revenue for one or more garages in several possible locations. Gillian said one area that would best suit the community for a parking garage would be in front of the high school. “Everyone keeps talking about the parking garage,” he emphasized. “I said the best place in the city for the parking garage to go and take care of kids and other residents is in front of the high school, even at the tennis courts where there is parking. We could move the tennis courts.” The area would be used year-round and provide a safe place for students to park, a place for the teachers to park and for the neighbors to use, he noted. A resident was concerned about what a parking garage would look like in front of the school, on Atlantic Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets. Gillian explained that one idea would be to emulate the look of the high school, red brick, along with providing landscaping to beautify it further. It would look like an attractive building, not a parking garage, he said...

Ocean City Schools Superintendent Matthew Friedman has led the district for less than a year. Now, it looks like he is preparing to resign to become the superintendent in another school district.

When it comes to Social Security benefits for retirement, there are many options and often there are many questions. Ocean City Financial Group (OCFG) is hosting a free seminar “Understanding Social Security Benefits” with guest speaker, Michael Bitton, a certified financial planner professional, who specializes in retirement strategies at Pacific Life Insurance Company.