Dear Friends,
Night in Venice returns for its 69th year Saturday night in Ocean City, and the weather forecast looks good. I want to make sure everybody has a great time at this celebration of our beautiful bay side. But I also want to make sure everybody stays safe.
As always, the Ocean City Police Department will be highly visible along the parade route, streets and bay waters surrounding the area. The Coast Guard, Marine Police and other agencies are bringing in boats to help on the water.
I want to remind everybody that Ocean City does have a noise ordinance. If you’re hosting a party, please have fun, but be respectful of your neighbors. Swimmers and anybody on floats, rafts or boards should leave the water before the arrival of the parade.
See more safety guidelines for spectators and boats in the parade.
A one-way traffic pattern will be in effect on Saturday for Spruce Road and Walnut Road. This is to make sure that emergency vehicles can maintain access to the neighborhood during the celebration. More information on driving and parking on these streets is available
here.
Our optional theme this year is “Summertime Vibes: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett,” and it’ll be a chance to celebrate the music and persona of the songwriter, who passed away in September. ESPN reporter and host Marty Smith will be grand marshal, and Philadelphia Eagles legend Brandon Graham will be special guest. They will be joined by their families.
The celebration will end with a fireworks display that will go off when the parade finishes. More information on all of Night in Venice Weekend is available
here. Any updates to the event schedule would be posted to
www.ocnj.us as soon as they are available.
The weekend will be sure to generate a lot of trash and recycling. Residents can learn more about pickup schedules and requirements at:
ocnj.us/trash-and-recycle-faq. The city continues a new service that allows residents to drop off trash and recycling at the Shelter Road Recycling Center on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This convenience has long been requested and serves residents who may not be at their Ocean City homes during the regularly scheduled trash and recycling pickup days during the week
I want to remind everybody of my challenge to the community to donate to the Food Cupboard in memory of Regina Ralston, the vice president of the Ecumenical Council and the manager of the Ocean City Food Cupboard who passed away last month. More information on how to donate is available
here.
I want to welcome two military families – the Panncciones and the Schwarbers – to Ocean City, and I want to thank American Legion Post 524 for maintaining its Rest & Relaxation Program.
The program began in 2013 as a way to pay tribute to service men and women for their sacrifices. The program provides free accommodations for the week and gifts from many Ocean City businesses and organizations.
On Sunday, I was able to provide keys to the city and meet U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Dustin Panaccione, his wife, Alexa, and their three sons, Hudson, Weston and Lawson, along with U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Isaiah Schwarber, his wife, Shauna, and their three children, Emma, Eleanor and Isaiah Jr. It was an honor to meet these service members and their families.
We’re at the peak of the summer season, and there are a lot of people in town. Please be sure to respect all the ordinances that keep people safe and allow everybody to enjoy their time in Ocean City.
Cars, bikes and e-bikes should slow down on the roadways and yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Pedestrians should make eye contact with drivers before walking out into crosswalks. Dogs must be leashed at all times when walking on streets, sidewalks and public property. They are not allowed on the beach in the summertime. Noise ordinances take effect after 10 p.m. In addition to being the law, these are all matters of common courtesy.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and get to spend it with friends and family.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
