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Call it refreshing. Call it invigorating. Or, well, most might call it crazy, yet two Ocean City residents continued the tradition of heralding in the New Year with a chilly plunge in the ocean. Ocean City canceled the official event, known as the New Year’s Day “First Dip,” off of the beach near the Music Pier, due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on gatherings. But that didn’t stop friends Carl Wanek and Joe Schneider from continuing the zany tradition by making a mad dash into the frigid water.

Bidding farewell to 2020 isn’t likely going to make people shed tears amid a pandemic. People strolling on the Boardwalk and walking downtown Thursday all seemed to have the same thing in mind – spending a quiet New Year’s Eve in the comfort of their homes among family or a couple of friends. Ocean City’s First Night has been a family-friendly, alcohol free event boasting an array of activities and acts, capped off by fireworks. With the blockbuster event canceled due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, visitors and residents came up with alternative ways to ring in 2021.

A giant excavator sitting atop a barge is using its claw to scoop out black muck from lagoons and channels in Ocean City's Snug Harbor. Dredging of Ocean City’s channels and lagoons has remained a top priority for the city administration. The city has been spending millions of dollars in the past few years for a program to clear out the channels and lagoons. And the latest project is underway to remove muddy sediment clogging the channels and lagoons to make boat travel easier and provide cleaner waterways. Year-round Snug Harbor resident Sean Barnes said in an interview Tuesday that he is pleased that the city has begun dredging in his area...

City Council approved a repayment of more than $18,000 to Tabernacle Baptist Church after it regained its tax exempt status. During a remote Council meeting Monday afternoon, the governing body passed a resolution to refund the money that the church paid for 2019 and 2020 taxes. Tabernacle Baptist Church regained its tax-exempt status following a judge’s ruling that the sale of the church to its former pastor was “illegitimate.” The church, which is the oldest surviving church in Ocean City dating back to 1908, fell behind in back taxes to the tune of approximately $8,700 it owed for 2019 and $9,700 for 2020 and was threatened with a tax sale. City Council President Bob Barr spoke after the council meeting about a community wide effort to raise funds, mostly from private donors, to pay the money owed for the church, which is located at the corner of Eighth Street and West Avenue. Barr, and Councilman Pete Madden and Councilman Keith Hartzell met to discuss ways to raise money for the church. It was a day after a November Council meeting where a president of the church’s Board of Trustees Shari Thompson spoke of the court ruling. “We worked together and raised the money and took the money down to the tax office. Keith Hartzell was the driving force on this,” Barr noted, adding that it was before they knew that they could do the resolution on the payment...

The majority of people are likely happy to bid 2020 goodbye and with good reason. Throughout the year, Ocean City residents, including business owners and students, have endured struggles like so many other Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But there were some good things to remember from 2020 as well. Following is a rundown of the most memorable stories in Ocean City for the year.

Ocean City’s Vacation Rental website VROCNJ offers a safe and easy way to explore the available Ocean City properties to rent for a perfect retreat. Since the website launched in the resort last year, it has taken off, explained Duane Watlington, founder of Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore LLC. The website vacationrentalsoceancitynj.com gives homeowners and realtors a site to showcase their listings for a low fixed annual price, and vacationers a site to find the selection that best fits their family’s needs for that dream getaway, with no booking fees or service charges.

Community spirit, fellowship, generosity and what the true meaning of Christmas just may be about were found at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Ocean City on Friday afternoon. More than 150 people went to the church at 501 E. Eighth Street for a “Christmas Dinner Served by the Community.” People waited in a line for their free dinners of ham, green beans and sweet potatoes and desserts, all courtesy of local businesses.

Nancy and Bob McNamara joined friends Kathy and Tom Thompson in the kitchen at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Ocean City Tuesday morning. While Tom stuffed bags with chocolates and other confections, Bob did the dishes and Nancy and Kathy scooped healthy portions of coleslaw and applesauce into plastic cups to be stored in the refrigerator. The sides -- 300 of each -- would soon become part of a Christmas feast for anyone in the community struggling, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, or simply in need of some fellowship and a warm meal among friends.

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Ocean City – so much so that Santa decided to come for a visit days ahead of the holiday. Students at the Intermediate School had a pretty good idea the jolly man would be arriving. They filed out of the school and waited on Bay and Haven avenues and 18th Street to watch St. Nick glide into town atop a fire truck. “I think it is great to see him. It’s festive and gives everyone the holiday spirit,” exclaimed Ella Brunetti, 10, a fifth-grader.

Whether there was one more gift to get or a few, holiday shoppers took advantage of deals in Ocean City on the last weekend before Christmas. Rebecca and Michael Fitzgerald, of Absecon, headed downtown Sunday with their three daughters, Izabel, 7, Stella, 5, and 2-year-old Sylvia. The family walked in and out of stores and took advantage of the awnings lining the sidewalks on Asbury Avenue to get out of the rain and buy some gifts.