MediaWize

Mayor Jay Gillian reported that Ocean City's bird abatement program targeting pesky gulls appears to be working. A city contractor, East Coast Falcons, is using falcons, hawks and an owl to chase away the swarms of aggressive gulls. "People say they are grateful to be able to stroll the boardwalk and beach across the entire island without fear of gulls swooping down to steal food," the mayor said Friday in his weekly message posted on the city's website.

The Ocean City School District's administration is excited about the 2019-2020 school year. School administrators started off getting ready for the year with a recent visit from Dr. Tracey Severns. Dr. Severns is an experienced presenter who has provided professional development on the Common Core State Standards, PARCC, instructional leadership, data analysis, special education and school improvement on the state and national levels.

The city announced the winners of the madcap Miss Crustacean hermit crab beauty pageant. If that's not exciting enough for you, winners were also announced for the equally wacky hermit crab races that followed the pageant Wednesday. The list of winners for both events follows.

You can’t keep a good crab down. Or for that matter, dozens of crabs. Ignoring on-and-off showers which took the event indoors, participants, their owners and more than 100 spectators made the annual Miss Crustacean Pageant a huge success yesterday at the Sports and Civic Center. As one of the showers subsided and a giant rainbow appeared over the 6th Street beach, the event made its move. One of the more wacky events cooked up by former OC public relations guru Mark Soifer, the “original beauty pageant for hermit crabs” according to the City’s website, proved worthy of its creator’s legacy...

The Miss Crustacean Pageant in Ocean City will be held rain or shine at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 14. If the weather is clear, the event will be held on the beach at Sixth Street. In the event of rain, the pageant will move indoors at the adjacent Ocean City Sports and Civic Center on the beach block of Sixth Street...

Often, Ocean City is solely associated with the beach. However, just a few blocks away, opposite the ocean, is the beautiful bay. Anyone looking to utilize or explore this side of Ocean City should check out Daks Kayaks. Currently in their seventh season in business, Daks Kayaks strives to provide the supplies and equipment needed for people to be able to venture out in the water.

Global digital marketing agency WebiMax, the parent company of Mediawize, LLC and its online news sources, Downbeach.com, OCNJDaily.com, SomersPoint.com and SeaIsleNews.com, ushered in its 11th anniversary in style Wednesday by celebrating its favorite #11, the Philadelphia Eagles’ own Carson Wentz. “The first thing that comes to mind when I think of 11 is Carson Wentz,” WebiMax CEO Ken Wisnefski said. “We are at the start of another Super Bowl season for the Eagles, so the timing was perfect.” WebiMax takes great pride in being an integral part of the local community and admires its favorite quarterback’s commitment to giving back. That is why the company will be honoring its 11th anniversary by donating $1,100 to Wentz’s “Audience of One Foundation.” WebiMax has had quite a bit to celebrate over its 11 years in business, including being named to the Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Companies on three occasions and one of Forbes’ Most Promising companies...

Ocean City American Legion Post 524 welcomed Army veteran Jason Bruce and his family to “America’s Greatest Family Resort” on Monday, Aug. 12 for a week’s vacation, courtesy of the organization’s Rest & Relaxation Program. The Bruce family was honored during a lunchtime welcoming ceremony at Post 524, following a police and fire department motorcade and an escort into town by the Legion Riders motorcycle brigade. The family will be given the use of a free condominium for the week, as well as a multitude of gifts from local Ocean City businesses as a way to say, “Thank You for your service and sacrifice.”

A week of pageantry in Ocean City includes the Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant on Wednesday, the Little Miss Ocean City Pageant on Friday and the Junior Miss Ocean City Pageant on Saturday. Details follow on the pageants as well as other entertainment and special events in Ocean City this week.

Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland announced Monday that no criminal charges will be filed as a result of a fatal motor vehicle accident in Ocean City on Memorial Day weekend. Two pedestrians were struck by an SUV at the intersection of Eighth Street and Bay Avenue. One of the pedestrians, Thomas F. Gibbons Jr., of Lansdale, Pa., later died in the hospital as a result of his injuries. Gibbons’ wife, Stephanie, was also hit, but survived her injuries. As a result of the investigation, no criminal charges will be filed against the driver, Barbara L. Myers, 49, of Woodbine, Sutherland said. Myers was issued two motor vehicle summonses for failure to yield to a pedestrian and for careless driving.