mvitale

From a fire at an iconic Boardwalk amusement park to a banner plane landing on the Route 52 Causeway bridge, to the construction of a new affordable housing complex for seniors to a city ban on marijuana sales, Ocean City had its share of news in 2021. The top 10 local stories of 2021 follow.

From holiday parties to festive concerts to toy and clothing drives, the Ocean City school district students and staff have made the best of the return to school full time.

Volunteers at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Ocean City took trays and bags filled with Christmas dinner to a van to hand out to those less fortunate on the holiday. People went to the church at 501 E. Eighth Street for a “Christmas Community Take-Out Dinner.”

As the 2021-2022 winter sports season kicks off, all the competing teams for the Red Raiders are looking forward to a season of more normalcy, since last year’s season involved a shortened season with no post season opportunities. Boys Swim The Red Raiders are 5-1 on the young season and looking ahead to what the full season will bring after a 6-1 shortened season in 2020-2021. The Ocean City High School boys swim team, led by Head Coach Shane McGrath has his team working hard in and out of the pool to prepare for a full season ahead. “The team is working hard to be their fastest at the end of the season, when it matters,” said Keyser. The Red Raiders return a strong class including Pat Armstrong, Matt Woodside, Mike Kelly, Nick Bianchi, Gavin Neal, Jackson Agnellini, and Colin Abbott. After losing two strong swimmers to graduation, Steve Gooden who is swimming at Swarthmore College and Dolan Grisbaum who is continuing his swimming career at Boston University, Ocean City is looking to newcomers Tommy Armstrong and CJ Denn to add to their roster depth. The team is excited for a full season that includes post season and invitationals and is looking forward to exceeding their potential...

Residents in Ocean City’s Wesley by the Bay got a special treat Wednesday afternoon. Students from the Ocean City High School and Intermediate School serenaded them with Christmas carols. “The residents were delighted by the young carolers,” said Kathryn Speer, housing administrator for United Methodist Communities (UMC), which operates Wesley by the Bay. The residents are currently in a no-contact situation due to the recent COVID-19 uptick in cases in the state. Colleen McCann, assistant housing administrator for UMC, helped some of the residents onto their porches as the carolers sang from the sidewalk...

Homeowners on the back bays in Ocean City enjoy their property. They enjoy what comes with living on the water -- the view, their slips and, yes, their boats. But their boats are no good if they can’t use them. Which is why it is so important to these homeowners that the lagoons leading to the bay are dredged routinely. In the next couple of weeks, dredging work at bayfront lagoons, where muddy sediment has been building up and making it difficult for boaters to navigate the waterways, will begin by the city.

Ocean City’s First Dip, when brave revelers rush into the chilly water to get a fresh or rather refreshing, albeit brisk, start to the New Year, is back after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, it is a zany and memorable way to spend a few minutes on New Year’s Day. For others, it is a ceremonial event that has become an important part of their tradition to signify new beginnings.

Whether shopping in the downtown or getting family photos with Santa in a lifeguard boat on the Boardwalk, Ocean City was a flurry of activity Saturday on the last weekend before Christmas, as visitors enjoyed the festive atmosphere.

When selecting a dentist, quality work is likely at the top of the list. And there are many dentists out there who are good at what they do, some even great. But there is more to it than just being a quality dentist. Dr. William Panico and Dr. Andrew Hong, along with their dental team in both Ocean City and Rio Grande, offer the complete package, top-notch dentistry in a caring family-friendly environment.

A day after Ocean City High School was safely evacuated following a shooting threat posted on social media, officials say there are “some things we need to work on.” “I think it’s important we learn from yesterday,” Mayor Jay Gillian said Wednesday. “It’s a good way to analyze what we did and what can be done better. As a community it’s important we work together on the safety of our children.” The incident came up during a Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. Ocean City Board of Education President Joseph Clark said that he was at the Sports & Civic Center in his position with the city. He was working as the City Purchasing Manager when the incident was unfolding. “I saw everything went very systematically," Clark said during the meeting "The buses came. I saw administration in all different roles." Clark noted that some things were “good,” while other things could have been handled differently. Ocean City Police, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, K9 units from several agencies, the FBI and Atlantic City Bomb Squad, responded to the high school Tuesday. Students were safely evacuated and sent home for the day and the area was searched. No one was injured and authorities believe that the threat was not credible. School resumed Wednesday...