Need a little creativity and color in your life? Visit the 17th Annual Art’s Alive, a fine arts festival this weekend at Northside Park on 125th Street to enjoy culture in a beautiful setting.
Set near a picturesque bayside park, attendees can enjoy a scenic stroll while perusing art from more than 90 booths, featuring artists from the tri-state region. Other artists have traveled from from states up and down the East Coast to show off their work, be it paintings, jewelry, sculptures or furniture, in Ocean City. More than half of the vendor’s at this week’s festival will be new additions.
All artists will compete for roughly $5,250 in prizes in nine juried categories. Awards for best in show and people’s choice will be presented at the artist reception Saturday night at the Art League on 94th Street.
Attendees can take home their own masterpiece, from soap carvings or ceramics.
“If you’re looking for a family-friendly outdoor event this weekend, this is the one,” Ocean City Special Events Director, Frank Miller said in a press release. “Arts Alive is more than a fine art festival.”
Musicians will also help set a relaxing ambiance in Northside Park. Janet Spahr, who performs with handpans, will create a soothing, ethereal music for the walks on Saturday and Sunday. Island Fusion will perform on Saturday, and will be fusing traditional island tunes with classic rock, blues standard and other music during their set. River & Rhodes, a acoustic duo, will also entertain at the festival on Sunday.
Free childrens activities, including soap carving, drawing and painting, will be offered to younger visitors to make the event more pleasurable for the whole family. Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli will be there and provide variety of delicious food options, like their world-famous reubens and dill pickles. Smoothie lovers can stop by the Maui Wowi smoothie stand for a refreshment if it gets too hot during the Arts Alive festival.
Vendors will also sell beer and wine to adult patrons, truly making “that stroll through our 58 acre park just a little more enjoyable,” Frank Miller said. “Bring the whole family and enjoy art.”
Like last year, official Art’s Alive merchandise will be sold during the event, giving guests another option to take home the festival with them. Merchandise includes pins and T-shirts.
Art’s Alive will take place rain or shine from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on June 24-25. For more information on this free event, contact the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department at 410-250-0125 or go to ococean.com.
Take an art walk this weekend
Creature Feature: Protecting our turtles
The Air Show wasn’t the only excitement to hit the beach last Saturday – a leatherback sea turtle also, literally, hit the beach. Some spectators thought that the turtle looked to be alive as it was being rocked by the current, but the Ocean City Beach Patrol has said that it was unlikely the sea turtle was alive by the time it was spotted near the shore. There was reportedly a crack in the turtle’s shell, and other markings led some to believe that it died after being struck by a boat.
Delmarva is home to a variety of turtle species, and it’s important that we keep them safe. If a sea turtle washes up on shore, contact the Ocean City Beach Patrol or, at the very least, alert a lifeguard (when live marine animals wash up on shore, the OCBP contacts the National Aquarium). A lot of our turtle species here in Delmarva are endangered – leatherback turtles, like the one that appeared on Saturday, as well as Kemp’s Ridley turtles, green turtles, loggerhead and bog turtles, are all at risk of extinction.
Save the turtles!
Before I get into the cute pictures of local bayside turtles that BL and I found during our adventures, bear with me while I give you a few tips for protecting the turtles on Delamarva. The first one’s obvious: clean up after yourself on the beach. You should be doing this anyway, but sea turtles can mistake trash like plastic bags for jellyfish, one of their main sources of prey.
If you’re on the beach at Assateague or Chincoteague this summer and you spot a nesting turtle, do not disturb it. If they get spooked, female turtles may “false crawl,” or return to the sea before laying their eggs.
Finally, when boating, there are a few things you can do to avoid incidents like the one that may have harmed our sea turtle on Saturday. When you see a turtle, slow down. Follow the speed limit, and also follow channel markers. Avoid boating in sea grass beds, where turtles live.
Those are just a few small, minimally invasive ways that you can help keep the species safe and alive for many years to come.
A few local snappers
There are plenty of reasons why we should try to move the various turtle species off the endangered species list.
Besides being essential to the region’s ecosystem, I think turtles are great because they look like tiny dinosaurs, and it’s weird.
On Thursday, BL and I went on a turtle hunt in the marshes of Fenwick, DE. First, we saw this little guy on the right, swimming around near a fleet of horseshoe crabs.
And then…nothing. It was a humid, overcast day, but we’d hoped that we could at least get some cool bird photos at the least. The bay was not bustling with wildlife on Thursday, only dragonflies.
We did see lots of horseshoe crabs in the water, but that’s not exactly a rarity around these parts.
As we were driving away, we saw another snapping turtle on the side of the road. My first thought was: does he need help?! He looked a little lost, but then I saw that he was headed toward a small body of water not too far from us, and knew not to intervene. Another tip: if you ever see a turtle crossing the road, put your flashers on and help them get across. That’s about the only time that you should pick them up. Otherwise, leave them alone.
That’s a wrap! For Ocean City’s first film festival
The first Ocean City Film Festival took place last weekend, from June 8 – 11, and it was successful in more ways than one.
First, I want to clarify that I’m not really writing this as a journalist, but as a co-director of the festival, so my outlook isn’t super objective. However, we’ve gotten some really good feedback so far, and nothing catastrophic happened over the course of the weekend, so I’m fortunate enough to not have to report on anything terrible that might have happened. Instead, I get to talk about the adventure of it all, and what we learned from the experience.
I will say that there was a lot of stress involved in planning the festival, especially since none of this has ever been done before. Not in Ocean City, anyway, and the closest that William, the festival director, and I had come to the festival circuit was a one-day volunteer stint at the Maryland Film Festival. We were optimistic, maybe naively so, that such a function could succeed in this town. But because of the incredible amount of support from the passionate and hard-working people at the Art League of Ocean City, as well as our volunteers, our sponsors, and the filmmakers themselves, many of whom were Delmarva locals, it did succeed.
Going into this, we had no idea if there could be an established community for film in Ocean City and the surrounding regions—we didn’t know if anyone cared enough. We invited a lot of our friends and acquaintances from Baltimore, knowing that if we didn’t draw in any attendees, at least we’d have a few Baltimorean bodies in the seats.
One thing we learned is that, while vacationers are not coming to Ocean City during the summer to sit in the dark and marathon movies, there are locals who really care about film and other art forms, an entire world of culture that people don’t typically associate with Ocean City. There is a small underground culture for art that, right now, is mostly being nurtured by the Art League and groups of friends who get together for drinks and discussion every once in a while. One of our biggest successes with the festival was bringing these people together to network so that they can collaborate in the future and expand the underground. While there’s an endless supply of family entertainment in OC, there isn’t much for artists, and we’d like to change that.
So, that being said, here’s an abbreviated run-down of what happened: Thursday was our opening ceremony, which was held at the Plim Plaza Caribbean Pool Bar. There was food and drink and a musician playing acoustic cover songs. Most importantly, there was an opportunity for filmmakers and film lovers to meet and mingle, and invite one another to attend their film’s screenings over the weekend. William spoke, followed by local filmmaker Dan O’Hare and local actress/retired teacher Gwen Lehman, who were also on the festival’s judging committee.
Screenings happened on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at venues across Ocean City including the Art League, Fox Gold Coast Theatre, Dunes Manor hotel and Francis Scott Key resort. The 702 film submissions we’d received in total were narrowed down to about 130 of various genres, from horror to documentary to youth shorts by directors who haven’t even graduated from elementary school yet.
The screenings themselves were a major learning experience for us—technologically, by some miracle, there were only a few minor mishaps, but the crowds in each showcase varied greatly. Some screenings only saw a handful of audience members. Others, like the horror and regional mid-Atlantic showcases, had much greater attendance. Regional mid-Atlantic, I get—we prioritize Maryland and especially Delmarva-based filmmakers, and who doesn’t want to see something that was filmed in their own backyard? The horror turnout I didn’t expect as much, although the landscape here can be pretty desolate and eerily quiet at times, so for all I know, the Eastern Shore is becoming a horror hub.
There were two workshops over the course of the weekend, one about microbudget filmmaking and the other about screenplay writing, both hugely important topics for aspiring filmmakers. On Saturday evening, there was an awards ceremony at the Art League where, after much consultation by the judging committee, three awards were given out. The Celluloid Crab, which is the best use of analog equipment or practical effects, went to Mike Reilly’s short film “Ellie,” and without revealing too much, I will say the film involves a Tinder date gone awry and copious amounts of fake blood. The Pink Flamingo, or the film most uniquely reflective of Maryland life, was awarded to “Malpractice,” a Baltimore-centric buddy comedy. The Verdict, the award for judge’s choice, was given to Joe Dimaio’s “Sonder,” a beautifully shot coming-of-age short. Award winners were given prize baskets with swag from local businesses and, more valuably, the pride of being recognized by Ocean City’s premiere film fest (I’m only being a little tongue-in-cheek, I swear!).
Our closing reception was at Touch of Italy on Sunday night, which is where the Damn Fine Film (aka Audience Choice) award was given (after I painstakingly tallied over 300 online votes). Art is subjective, and I’ll be the first to admit that awards in general mean next to nothing. However, while the film that took home Audience Choice excelled in its use of archival footage, documentary and storytelling, I was surprised that it even qualified for the award. Rob Bell III’s “Bern” is a documentary about Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential candidacy, Black Lives Matter, and how “Bernie or Bust” voters effected the ultimate results of the election. “Bern” won Audience Choice, and what this means, I’m not sure yet. It could be a reflection of the changing demographic and values of people on the Eastern Shore, or of young people in general. It could mean that the climate in Ocean City is shifting, and that it’ll see more art, activism, and politics in the years to come. This could be a very broad and biased assumption to make, but I don’t know. All I know is that “Bern” won Audience Choice at a film festival in Ocean City, and that means something.
Overall, the first Ocean City Film Festival was a ginormous learning experience for those of us that organized it, and for the locals that found their kin over the weekend. I am happy to know that a film festival can exist here, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next year. (More information can be found on social media and on ocmdfilmfestival.com. Questions or feedback can be sent to oceancityfilmfest@gmail.com.)
6 of our favorite Ocean City Airshow Photos
The annual Ocean City Air Show happened over the weekend and if you’re somehow unfamiliar with the event, fighter jets and other military aircraft take over the skies for two days and fly and perform over spectators on the beach and boardwalk. It’s a marvel that’s unlike anything else in Ocean City, and I was lucky enough to attend for the first time this year. Below are the photos by BL and me (admittedly, mostly BL) and a little bit about our first Air Show experience. We took a bunch of shots but there are 6 of our favorite Ocean City Airshow Photos.
OC Screams prepares for another spooky summer
OC Screams might be spooky, but it might also actually be haunted.
The two-year-old haunted house on Worcester Street is one of three supernatural walk-throughs by Steelhead Productions, and it’s plenty creepy without the presence of real apparitions. According to manager Holly Starkey, last year’s guests would claim that they felt their ankles being grabbed as they traipsed through the imitation shipwreck’s dark rooms; but this was impossible, she said, because while OC Screams utilizes live actors to amp up their scare factor, the actors aren’t actually allowed to touch anybody. Follow you around and shriek in your ear, yes. Touch you, no.
At first, Starkey thought that the feeling of an ankle grab might be a response to fear. After all, OC Screams is pretty terrifying – floors shake and move beneath your feet, zombified actors jump out of the dark, ornaments hang from the ceiling and brush against your face as you walk by – it’s not hard to believe that, in a petrified stupor, a guest might imagine that a hand has reached out and grabbed them.
But then employees started feeling it too, Starkey said, and that’s when the OC Scream team realized there might really be a ghost on their premises. And the employees take their jobs seriously. Many of them are trained actors, and others are theatre students who just really love Halloween.
“It’s a really awesome summer job, you get to let out a lot of stress just screaming at random people,” said Kelly Starkey, an actor and makeup artist at the haunted house. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Kelly Starkey is one of the few actors who says she hasn’t been desensitized by all of the jump-scares although, for her, they’re just part of a day’s work.
“I don’t like haunted houses at all, but I work in one,” she said. “They still get me.”
Ocean City locals and frequent vacationers are already familiarized with one haunted house on the boardwalk. The Trimper’s dark ride, guarded by a giant bat and the famously decapitated count Wolf Von Vinderstein, has been an OC marvel since the 1960s. But that ride, for all of its classic camp and nostalgia, doesn’t offer the horror-movie-level terror that OC Screams does. In fact, in the newer, two-story haunted house that’s just off the boardwalk, an entire narrative lies within its walls.
“The story basically is that a ship went missing a little over 50 years ago in Ocean City and popped back up last summer in the ocean, and we dry-docked here off the boardwalk,” Holly Starkey said.
While the haunt is, right now, understandably ocean-themed, Starkey speculated that this could change in the future.
“The theme is the same as last year, we’re still on the ship and I’m not sure if we’ll do the ship theme again next year, or maybe change a few things around to keep everybody interested,” she said. “But it’s mostly our actors – our actors try to change things up and give everybody a new experience every time they come in.”
OC Screams opened its doors for the season over Memorial Day Weekend, and it’ll be open full-time – Tuesday through Sunday – starting this Tuesday, June 20.
A brief “training” period for new actors began only a week before Memorial Day, at a day-long orientation followed by a dress rehearsal where employees’ friends and family were given a sneak peak of this summer’s terrors. Much of the actor’s job is improvised, and the jumping-out-of-the-dark-and-screaming thing is pretty self-explanatory.
I can’t go into too much detail of what’s inside the shipwreck without ruining the surprise or spoiling the fear that will surely strike your heart upon entrance. Most of the magic of OC Screams relies on the fear of the unknown.
I will say that the animatronics and props are uber-realistic, and the actors are very skilled at what they do. After my heart had already stopped a number of times after being scared, I literally held my breath and tiptoed around one bloodied prop – the only one that didn’t end up screaming in my face.
What I saw of the haunted house was great, and I was satisfied. Admittedly, I did not stay the whole time, as my videographer partner BL was too spooked to go through the curtains of a pitch-black room on the second floor. I was trembling a little by this point, so that was fine by me. We walked out of through the red curtains that signify an emergency exit, where many panicking guests have been escorted out before.
You’ll certainly enjoy the experience if you’re a thrill-seeker who’s outgrown the rides on the boardwalk. You will not enjoy it if “Titanic” gave you nightmares.
ART IS ALIVE Again at Northside Park, June 24-25
Ocean City, Maryland – (June 20, 2017): The arts are alive at Northside Park this weekend, June 24-25, for the 17th Annual Art’s Alive fine art festival. Encompassing the park’s picturesque lagoon, this bayside event offers attendees a scenic stroll with music, free children’s activities, food, beer, wine and art.
Art’s Alive hosts over 90 artists displaying and selling their work while competing for over $5000 in prizes. These local and travelling artists come to Ocean City to demonstrate their creativity and skill in 12 categories including painting, jewelry and ceramics. Children will get the opportunity to try their hand at various art activities at no charge. From soap carving to painting, families will be able to take home their own Art’s Alive masterpiece.
“If you’re looking for a family-friendly outdoor event this weekend, this is the one,” commented Ocean City Special Events Director, Frank Miller. “Arts Alive is more than a fine art festival. We have music by Janet Spahr (both days), Island Fusion (Saturday) and River & Rhodes (Sunday), activity stations all around the lagoon for kids to take part in and beverages to make that stroll through our 58 acre park just a little more enjoyable.”
While at Art’s Alive, event participants can purchase and enjoy a craft beer or glass of wine from the Art League of Ocean City. In addition, Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli will provide a variety of delicious food options. Also, smoothie lovers can stop by the Maui Wowi smoothie stand and cool off as you make your way around the lagoon.
Art’s Alive will take place rain or shine from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. “Bring the whole family and enjoy art and Ocean City this weekend at Art’s Alive,” Miller finished.
For more information on this free event, call 410-250-0125 or go to ococean.com.
What are you doing here: Meron Alemayehu
More than a quarter of a million people come to Ocean City in the summertime and thousands of them walk the 27 blocks of the Boardwalk each day. In “What Are You Doing Here?” we stop a few of them and find out what brought them to our corner of the Eastern Shore.
Meron Alemayehu arrived on the Boardwalk at the wrong time. She was bundled up in a jacket that was too large for her on a cold and overcast day. The wind whipped the hair around her face while she leaned on the railing while waiting for a friend to get off of work.
Timing hasn’t really worked out Meron. She’s been in Ocean City for a few weeks on a F1 work study visa, and the weather has been pretty cold. But she’s optimistic her luck will change.
“Man, I’m from Mississippi! It’s too cold out here for me!” Meron said with a laugh. “I’m literally waiting for summer, so I can go in the water. It’s too cold for swimming…. I can’t wait!”
Meron decided to come to the regional family-friendly resort for the same reason like other international students do: the work. But she’s different from others that hold a J1 visa that have trouble with biking on the wrong side of the street and use Ocean City has a means to explore United States treasures like D.C. or New York. She’s a junior at Jackson State University, studying business and finance. Meron is from Ethiopia, but decided to come to the United States because the schools were better than the options back home. Meron did not choose Ocean City, but rather followed her sister’s footsteps. The two came from Ethiopia together, but the sister came to the resort last summer.
“She started dating a store owner here and when she told me about it, she said it was fun, good hours and a lot of money,” Meron said.
Her older sister didn’t lie. Meron’s working 10-15 hours a day at a Boardwalk T-shirt store she can’t remember the name of. She knows it’s near Second Street, though, but they all blend together in cramped storefronts in splashes of loud colors.
“They all kind of look the same to me,” she said.
Like with this blog, Meron quickly picked up that the Boardwalk is one place where truly all types of people, from different religions, races and places, all convene in a single moment. In her brief time working in customer service, she said she came across some characters. Senior week in particular brings out some amusing interactions. Meron noticed that there’s been less than savory behavior from some eccentric customers on the Boardwalk, even though there’s signs posted everywhere saying “No Profanity” or “Keep Our Boardwalk Air Clean.”
“The craziest family that came in our store bought shirts that have “bitch one,” “bitch two,” you know, and they bought some for the whole family,” Meron said. “I’m thinking the dad was “bitch one,” and the little girl was “bitch five.” I was like, ‘What?! Ocean City’s wild.’”
Meron’s plans for the summer hopefully include taking a walk on the wild side herself.
“I want to check out the nightlife, I hear it’s pretty cool at Seacrets. I hear there’s go-karting,” she said.
But the number one priority is Ocean City’s main attraction: the beach.
“As soon as it gets hot, I’m going to be on the beach 24/7. I’m just waiting for the weather to come out. So far, it’s all living up to my expectations – it’s so beautiful and busy! I work a lot of hours, so there’s not enough of time to do things. But hopefully, I’ll make time,” she said.
The Best Ways to Get Your Rental Property Ready
Tips to Help Rental Property Owners Be More Successful in Ocean City Maryland.
The summer rental season is upon us here in Ocean City, Maryland. The time has come for rental property owners to prepare vacation properties for summer time guests. The following paragraphs contain some helpful hints for a successful and trouble free summer.
One of the more important chores to prepare your vacation property is a complete spring clean. Check mattress pads, pillows, pillow protectors, shower curtain liners, replace any worn or stained items and be sure all comforters are cleaned/dry cleaned. Turn all your breakers on and test your air conditioning system to be sure it is functioning properly. Change out the air filter each Spring and Fall. Make sure there is a broom, mop and vacuum in the property. Tenants will use them and it will help to keep your unit in good condition through the season. Using a canister type vacuum will more likely be used since replacement vacuum bags may not always be available.
Check for leaks or drips under sinks and behind water closets . Occasionally seals and washers dry out over the winter while not being used regularly, they often crack, and can cause major water damage if not noticed early on.
Check the window sills and door tracks. Dirt can accumulate in windows, screens and sliders over the winter. Dirt in slider tracks may cause the rollers on sliders to wear down, and make them difficult to open and close in the rental property. Lock any owners’ closets to protect private possessions. Leave notes for tenants explaining any unusual procedures necessary for easy operation in the property (I.e. If the TV works by a switch, or if instructions and password is required for Internet access). Check door locks to be sure they lock and unlock smoothly. Sometimes the salt air can cause the locks to stick, frequently a lubricating spray will take care of the problem. If there is a glass slider to a balcony make sure the lock does not automatically engage and therefore lock prospective tenants out on the balcony.
A sign in type guest book is a handy way of receiving feedback from your tenants. Use the first page to welcome guests and encourage them to use the remainder of the book for comments, suggestions or to memorialize their best vacation ever in beautiful Ocean City, Maryland!! Further it gives tenants a contact with that property and provides memories they may likely revisit in the future.
By making a rental property as user friendly as possible, and showing guests that their comfort is important, it will encourage guests to return year after year. Remember, repeat tenants feel a sense of belonging in properties where they have had a wonderful experience and they feel their needs were heard, and met, right here in Ocean City, Maryland!!
Sunrise and Sunset photo contest
We’ve had such a great response to our weekly photo contest, that we thought we would expand it to include a separate category for sunsets. You guys do a fantastic job of posting sunsets on our Facebook page, so we thought you might like to submit them for a chance to win Jolly Roger tickets. Here’s how it works. Each Friday we’ll announce the sunrise sunset winner. We will update this page every day as new entries come in. Feel free to look at them all and to share.
Click here to submit
Also, the bigger the photo the better, and remember you cannot win if you don’t include your email in the entry. Good luck! Let’s see what you’ve got!
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Should toplessness be allowed in Ocean City? The town responds
“The Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office received a request last summer from a woman who believed it was her constitutional right to be bare-chested on Ocean City’s beach. At that time, the State’s Attorney reached out to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office for an opinion on the matter, which we are still anxiously awaiting. The Mayor & City Council are strongly opposed to this idea and are taking the matter very seriously by exploring what legal actions can be taken to prevent this from happening. While we respect Ms. Covington’s desire to express what rights she may have, Ocean City is a family beach resort and we intend to do whatever is within our ability to keep it that way.”
There was a request to the Worcester County States Attorney last summer by a woman who believes it is her constitutional right to be on Ocean City’s beach without a top.
The states attorney has reached out to the attorney general’s office and is waiting an opinion. The Police Department is working closely with the states attorney and Beach Patrol on how to properly enforce any incidents that arise. The mayor & city council strongly oppose this idea (one assumes they mean toplessness and not working with the states attorney and beach patrol–Ed.) and are working to determine what legal actions can be taken to prevent this from occurring.
Best of Ocean City Winners 2017
Another summer is upon us, and that means it is time to announce the Best of Ocean City for 2017. These are your favorite businesses in town who produce your favorite foods and drinks. The Best of Ocean City is the only “Best Of” type event that is not dependent upon advertiser input. These are purely the most popular businesses that are the most popular with their clientele.
Click here to see the categories and the vote percentages
Millions of people visit OceanCity.com each year to find the best things to do, the best places to go. Many of them also share their experiences by voting in the Best of Ocean City each year. To you folks, Thanks for the recommendations and keep up the good work!
P.S. If you don’t like the results, The Best Of Ocean City 2018 begins soon, so stay tuned!
Rainy day Activities
Sun & Surf Cinema
Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
BBQ
Pit & Pub
Smokers
Wings
Original Greene Turtle
Kirbys
Surf Shop
Malibus
K Coast
Kayak Rental
48th Street
Coastal Kayak
Jet Ski Rentals
Odyssea
Action
Parasailing
OC Parasailing
OC Watersports
Mini Golf
Old Pro
Lost Treasure
Fishing Charter
Angler
Happy Hooker
Boardwalk Candy
Candy Kitchen
Wockenfus
Boardwalk Pizza
Tonys
Dough Roller
Boardwalk Bar
Purple Moose
Shenanigans
Boardwalk Sit down Restaurant
Harrison Harbor Watch
Shenanigans
Boardwalk Best Stand/small Restaurant
Golden plate
Alaska Stand
Boardwalk Best Shop
Kite Loft
Quiet Storm
Best Caramel Corn
Fishers
Dollys
Sports Bar
Pickles
Buxys
Live Music
Seacrets
Coconuts
Sunset
Fagers
Fish Tales
Bar Overall
Fish Tales
Seacrets
Happy Hour
Coconuts
MR Ducks
Best Drinks
Seacrets
Fish Tales
Craft Beer Selection
OC Brewing
Tap House
Brewery
Burley Oak
OC Brewing
Breakfast
Barn on 34
Generals Kitchen
All you can Eat
Bonfire
Embers
Italian
Taste of Italy
Mioni’s
Mexican
Mother’s Cantina
Tequila Mockingbird
Asian
OC Wasabi
Blue Fish
Crabcakes
Crabcake Factory
Coins Pub
Crabs
Crab Bag
Hoopers
Waterfront
Fish Tales
Fagers
Seafood
Crabcake Factory
Shark on the Harbor
Pizza
Lombardi’s
Dough Roller
Subs
Anthony’s
Anthony’s on 17th
Ice Cream
Dumsers
Khor Bros
Raw Bar
Harrisons Harbor Watch
Blu
Carry Out
Anthony’s on 17th
Fat Daddy’s
Indoor Activity
Sun & Surf
Old Pro
Launch an adventure on Ayers Creek
Rebecca Hardy and Seth Irwin were lounging in the shade, enjoying a pair of the adirondack chairs placed strategically around the Ayers Creek Adventures property. A couple, Peter and Linda Hutchinson, already was out on the creek. The next school tour wouldn’t arrive for another few hours, so there were some minutes of quiet to enjoy. And I cannot impress upon you enough the depth of the quiet that can be found less than 200 yards from Assateague Road.
Ayers Creek Adventures is entering its 8th season and each year, so far, has been better than the last for owners Suzy and Steven Taylor. When they started the business, it was just the two of them taking tours out on the creek, renting people kayaks, and designing excursions. Over the last several years, a combination of return guests with positive experiences and the people who they’ve told, has helped sustain and grow the business.
New digs on old land
Steven has been fixing up the different aspects of the property bit by bit over the years, making the entire place more efficient and welcoming. The most recent addition is a converted chicken house. It acts as the retail counter as well as a canoe and kayak display area. Ayers Creek Adventures sits on Steven’s family property. As with so many of the other places on the Eastern Shore, it used to be a farm. The early 20th century chicken house required significant restoration.
You still can see the age on some of the original beams, but it is rustic without being run down. Up against the wall you’ll find rows and rows of kayaks and canoes on mobile racks Steven built to make the storing and toting the boats easier. There also is plenty of private space in some of the other sections of the building for changing.
The best way to launch a kayak
Ayers Creek Adventures was among the first in the area to put a Yak-A-Launcher to work. It’s an apparatus that floats in the shallows to help people who might otherwise have trouble getting into and out of kayaks. The launcher looks a bit like an upside down goal post on floats. You stand on the floats, holds the center bar and then ease into the vessel. From there it’s just a mild push off to start an adventure. When you return to the mainland, maneuver the kayak back through the upside down uprights, pull yourself up and step out onto the dock. It’s a piece of cake.
Spectacular views before you even get started
Ayers Creek Adventures offer sunrise, sunset and moonlight paddle tours as well as tours of the salt marsh, and forested wetlands. And those are just the basics. Of course you are free to rent a kayak and explore for yourself or have a paddle tour customized for your group. Kayak excursions are great for youth trips, team building, or just having a bunch of friends get together.
Suzy said she even has had bachelorette parties take out the eight person stand up paddleboard for a few hours of fun on the creek and bay. They also rent tandem kayaks and canoes. It’s a great way to spend a couple of vacation hours, or even an entire day.
Commissioners appoint Worcester County Jail warden
The Commissioners announce the appointment of Donna Bounds, as the new Worcester County Jail warden.
“Warden Bounds is an outstanding professional who knows the Worcester County Jail, and she is highly respected by public safety officials throughout the state,” Commission President Jim Bunting said. “She is the right person to lead the Worcester County Jail.”
Bounds is a certified corrections officer, who is dedicated to the humane treatment of legally confined inmates, and who has 35 years of experience overseeing all aspects of Worcester County Jail operations. She is part of the outstanding team whose ongoing commitment to excellence and years of leadership have played a pivotal role in the jail earning the Recognition of Achievement Award from the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards (MCCS) for achieving 100% compliance for 14 consecutive years.
“I would like to thank the County Commissioners for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Worcester County as the new warden,” Bounds said. “I look forward to continuing to work in unison with the team of dedicated staff and professional correctional officers at the jail and all our partner agencies to maintain the security and safety of the jail.”
Bounds is a 2003 graduate of Wilmington University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, and a graduate of Wor-Wic Community College, where she earned correctional officer certification in 1982 and an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice in 1989. She received certification from the Maryland State Police to collect DNA samples. Bounds is also Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) certified by the Department of Justice, and a state-certified in-service corrections instructor.
Prior to being appointed to serve as the new warden, Bounds rose through the ranks at the Worcester County Jail, where she began her career in 1982 and was most recently promoted to shift commander in 2006, operations commander in 2007, and security and custody assistant warden in 2011. She is the PREA coordinator for the Jail as well as the liaison between the jail and allied agencies, including the State’s Attorney’s Office and criminal court system. She has played a key role in developing and enforcing jail policies and procedures.
Bounds is a lifelong Worcester County resident who was born and raised in Snow Hill.
12 Early Summer Snapshots that get it right
Memorial Weekend has come and gone in Ocean City and not things are about to get real. Over the holiday weekend we had a bunch of people here in town taking early summer snapshots, and a bunch more people at home remembering their own Memorial Day’s gone by. They send along all sorts of great photos, including some really great proposal memories.
Remember to send in your best vacation photos and we’ll be happy to share them here.
Nothing like Ocean City Boating
Boardwalk Shot
Getting photos on the Boardwalk always is worth the effort. It’s a great way to build memories while encouraging a little heightened fun!
Family Traditions begin in Ocean City
Beach babies
Day Tripping off the island
“Seriously! How cool is this ocean thing?”
Mermaid sighting in Ocean City
Hotel views you can take with you
When it comes to surfing, start ’em young
If you’re not exhausted, you’re doing it wrong!
Desperados on the Boardwalk
Eat green at the Ocean City Farmer’s Market
Local farmer’s markets and eating fresh have been on the upswing for the last couple of years, but Ocean City has been ahead of the curve for decades – and doing it in a low-key fashion. Did you know that the resort has its own farmer’s market, just off 142nd Street?
Visitors can stop by the Phillips Seafood parking lot near 142nd Street to shop local goods, made by the people standing behind the stall.
“We’ve been doing this for 25 years, and it’s a produce-only market,” said farmer’s market master Paul Wood. “That means what you see here is in season. When it gets further into the season, you’ll see more produce like blueberries and watermelons. That’s the summer crop.”
Paul also runs his own stall at the market with his wife, Susan. The couple owns A&W Farms out in Parsonsburg. They sell sells annual and perennial flowers at their stall the bright colors and floral aromas brighten up the farmers’ market.
Right now, the Woods are one of four stalls out in the uptown Phillips parking lot. But they said the market, like everything in Ocean City, picks up business as the summer goes on.
“We have some regulars to start out, but we get more visitors in late June. Eventually we get a mix of both,” Paul said. “People start coming through here mainly when the summer crops come in. Produce and tomatoes go quickly, it’s a great show.”
Another key point of the Ocean City’s farmer’s market is that it’s small, only with eight vendors in high summer, buts everything is produced by locals in Maryland or nearby in Delaware.
“It’s all gotta be farm fresh, and everyone who’s here has to make it themselves,” Paul said. “Out in Ocean Pines, there’s all sorts of vendors and nonprofits, but this market solely focuses on the the producers.”
While business may be slow right now, others like Great Shoals Winery came from Easton to pedal some of their wines and ciders early. Shoppers can even have a sip of their refreshing wine before making a purchase.
“I mean, we must do good business, since my boss asked me to be here,” Olga Deshields said with a laugh. Olga is a Great Shoals employee that was manning the booth at the Ocean City Farmer’s Market.
“We started out out in Princess Anne, and we always used local and the freshest fruits in Maryland to make our wines,” she said. “Our biggest sellers here the sweet wines, like Shipwreck and the Pinot Grigio. Our ciders are refreshing too.”
In addition, Quindocqua Farms was selling leafy greens and other vegetables at the farmer’s market at last weekend’s farmer’s market. But as summer goes on expect the parking lot to boom as other vendors show up, including Bennett Orchards in Frankford, Delaware that sells their famous peaches and blueberries.
“Those are very popular. Once they sold out of peaches in a hour,” Olga said. “It’s fun to watch!”
Shop for fresh and ripe foods at the Ocean City Farmer’s Market on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market runs from May until October.
4 perfect reasons to propose in Ocean City
Ocean City is a fantastic couple’s getaway which is why proposing on the beach is so popular. It isn’t as if you need a reason to propose in Ocean City. After all, for so many people who visit here the beach is as central a part of growing up as any other of the milestones. From your first getaway alone during Senior Week, to your first getaway as a couple to (hopefully) your retirement home.
There are a million great reasons to propose in Ocean City, though, but here are four of our favorites.
1. It’s the perfect automatic backdrop
2. It’s the perfect way to commemorate something you love to do together
3. It’s a perfect and permanent memory
4. It’s the perfect prelude to a stunning beach wedding.
