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The latest in a series of videos showcasing Ocean City’s historic U.S. Life Saving Station 30 is available to view online. It features the invention by a woman, Martha Coston, of the Coston Flare. The flare, patented in 1859 which is still used today, signals those at sea of dangerous conditions and other pertinent information. It was also used during the Civil War by the U.S. Navy, according to historians. And the video not only highlights the accomplishment of Coston, but of three local women who helped create the video released in March. “It happens to coincide with Woman's History Month and I think it is a great story,” Martin Fiedler, of Just Right TV Productions, who is also an important part of the video series, said. Fiedler created the video series working with historian and Life Saving Station curator, John Loeper over the last year. The videos provide a look at the important role the Life Saving Station played in history and what -- and who-- contributed to its success...

The Ocean City Free Public Library is offering Spanish classes via Zoom by instructor Jeff Forney. Registration is required. Beginner Spanish Class Tuesdays, April 6th-June 8th 3 p.m. to 4 p.m...

After a year of a pandemic, a long winter and living in a time when virtual events replaced in-person gatherings, Saturday on the Ocean City Boardwalk gave visitors a feeling that the return to normalcy could be near. Families enjoyed the opening weekend at Playland’s Castaway Cove and Gillian’s Wonderland Pier amusement parks, as well as the arcades and shops on a mild, sunny day. There was even a new spin on the Great Egg Hunt, an annual spring tradition. The Boardwalk Merchants Association came up with a way to give children a fun time and an Easter Egg hunt.

Ocean City is rolling out more amenities for beachgoers this summer -- literally. Currently, there are 45 beach mats at the city's beach entrances and the goal is to have an additional 25 of them put down for the 2021 summer season, said Michael Allegretto, aide to Mayor Jay Gillian. The mats provide easier trips over the sand for those in wheelchairs, for the elderly and anyone else who needs to get on the beach safely and easily.

Excitement builds every year for suburban dwellers and city residents to head down to Ocean City for their dream summer vacation. And this year, as more and more people are getting their COVID-19 vaccinations and the world begins to open up, more comfort and confidence in spending a getaway at a shore rental property is abundantly clear. In fact, there are few rentals left to choose from because of increased consumer confidence. Goldcoast Sotheby’s International Realty, with 50 agents at the 34th Street location in Ocean City, has a recipe for success to ensure repeat renters and newcomers to the agency get into a home, townhome, or condo that suits their needs when the beach, surf and Boardwalk are calling.

For many families, the holidays mean planning, food shopping and preparation that culminate with sitting down with loved ones to share a meal and memories. And to others, holidays mean getting to work to make fond memories for strangers, those with food insecurities amid the COVID-19 pandemic and tough economic times. This Easter, volunteers will help out from OCNJ CARE, a charitable organization headed by Ocean City resident Drew Fasy, Bill McGinnity, of Nobil Catering, and the food ministry at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church with Jen Bowman at the helm. They are looking for donations to help them feed members of the community who are in need.

Isabella Miller, 11, of Corbin City, was just five years old when she began taking piano lessons. “She always played for as long as I can remember,” said Tammy Miller, Isabella’s mother. “She put her fingers on the keys, listened to the music and began to play.” And that love of music could be heard, in fact, loud and clear, when she took her seat at an upright piano at the corner of Eighth Street and Asbury Avenue on Sunday and played the song “Scientist” from the rock band Coldplay during an outdoor concert featuring young students.

Get ready for a new way to celebrate Easter with a different take on “The Great Egg Hunt” on the Ocean City Boardwalk. On Saturday, March 27 and Saturday, April 3, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. children infant to seven years old can hunt for eggs at Boardwalk shops and restaurants.

What do thousands of bubbles, a parking garage, Broadway and artwork have in common? A lot, when you put them all together for one huge drive-thru show at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University at 2200 Fairmont Ave. in Atlantic City. The drive-thru event “Cruise: An Artistic Drive Thru Experience,” features Broadway singers, musicians, artists and even a laser light show on four, bubble-filled floors of the Wave parking garage.

The Ocean City school district is considering something that may be of interest to incoming freshmen for the 2021-22 school year. Students may have the option of attending school for three years in an accelerated track, not the traditional four years. And if approved by school officials, it could be offered as early as the new school year.