For the month of December the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum will be exhibiting The Fire of 1925 in our changing exhibit entitled “Archives and Artifacts.” This new exhibit began in September and showcases artifacts normally housed in our storage facility. Every month the exhibit will display a unique piece of Ocean City history.
This year marks the 92nd anniversary of the “Great Fire of 1925” which destroyed two blocks between Worcester and Somerset Streets, including Dolle’s Candyland, The Atlantic Hotel, and the original Pier building and Fishing Pier.
In 1925 the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company had only one fire engine which, subsequently had broken down the same day the Great Fire broke out. As a result, Ocean City had to call for help from the Berlin, Pocomoke, Snow Hill and Salisbury Fire Departments.
For the month of December the Museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. For more information please visit our website: www.ocmuseum.org or call: (410) 289-4991.
Photo Caption:
This photograph shows the Mack Pumper fire engine from Berlin, Maryland on the scene of the 1925 Fire in Ocean City. It is from Collection of George & Suzanne Hurley
‘Archives and Artifacts’ Exhibit Features Advertising Hand Fans
Sacramento is *how* many miles from Ocean City?
It’s not quite the distance that’s listed on the sign.
The “Sacramento Ca 3073” sign that hangs over the Harry W. Kelley drawbridge was originally conceptualized by Ed Buck, a Maryland highway engineer in the ’70s and ’80s. The sign doesn’t have much practical use, but it does serve as a fun reminder that we’re over 3,000 miles from the opposite end of the country.
Sacramento returned the favor some years later with a sign marking the distance of Ocean City, MD, which is now listed just below Placerville and South Lake Tahoe, both in California and many miles closer to Sacramento than Ocean City is. John R. Cropper, who worked for the California Department of Transportation in the ’80s, thought there should be a sign to parallel the one in OC, and so the sign–which has had to be replaced several times after being stolen–was erected in California.
U.S. Route 50 is a major route of the U.S. highway system that passes through 12 states and stretches over 3,000 miles from the East Coast to the West.
While Sacramento may have been about 3,073 miles from Ocean City in the 1980s, changes in the highway’s route through added bypasses over the decades have made the distance a good bit shorter: Wikipedia states Route 50 as being 3,017 miles long, while WTOP reported that, according to a Federal Highway Administration spokesperson, the distance should be about 3,008 miles.
It might not seem like a huge difference, but if you’re making the long journey from the East Coast to the West, those 65 fewer miles add up.
Now that these strange signs are getting local and national attention, they’ll both likely be updated after engineers with the Maryland State Highway Administration verify the exact distance of the highway.
Wedding trends for 2018: Let’s get geometric!
By Angie
As we are now coming to the end of this amazing year, 2017, it is time to look to the future and all the new and exciting trends that are predicted for 2018 in the world of weddings and events.
There are many predictions for 2018, but the one I would like to enchant you with today is the use of geometric shapes using copper/metals and even marble. I am in love with this idea, since I am a person who prefers to think “out of the box” so to speak. I think we all tend to get wrapped up in the expected, the standard, the easy way of doing things. So, let’s think GEOMETRIC and shake things up a bit.
With the use of geometric shapes, I immediately start thinking about terrariums. There are an abundance of beautifully designed terrariums using the geometric trends, making for fun table tops and centerpieces. The texture mostly seen in the creation of these terrariums is metal. Copper, zinc and iron are just a few that are being used to create these unique vessels.
I love, for example, how copper presents a warmth and very inviting feel to any setting, but yet looks amazing with the cool, sophisticated appearance of marble. Two opposites united for the sake of creating a beautiful table top setting for any event!
I also believe that the geometric shapes will absolutely be presented and used in ceilings as backdrops and props for weddings and events this year. Our affair with the geometric shapes will not stop on the table top!
Until next time, stay excited for the new things to come and always stay happy.
Signing off, Angie Gillis-Unkart
Owner and Designer of Encore Events by Angie Gillis
Gearing up for the inaugural Ocean City Comic Con
James Dufendach, an editor at local comic book publisher PLB Comics, had often talked with his fellow editors about hosting a Comic Con in Ocean City. Now, thanks to their passion and dedication to the world of comics, anime and other “geeky goods,” Ocean City’s first-ever Comic Con is taking the town on Dec. 9.
Bringing the first event of its kind to OC
For those not so in-the-know, a Comic Con is generally a convention for comic books and comic book lovers, often with an emphasis on other things that might be considered “geek culture.” Anime, cosplay (dressing up as specific characters in pop culture), video games and movies and TV shows popular within the subculture also tend to be involved.
“This is a very underserved area for these kinds of events,” Dufendach, the convention’s coordinator, said. “I put the call out–who’d be interested? And would you come?–And got a resounding ‘yes.'”
Dufendach and his PLB crew have previously been involved with the Eastern Shore Fan Con, a similar convention in Princess Anne.
“The last time we hosted it we had 1,000 people down in Princess Anne,” he said. “To have 1,000 people in one spot, specifically for nerdy stuff– that show is a little more anime focused–we were very proud of that.”
Ocean City Comic Con will similarly involve anime, with screenings happening all day, but OCCC will also be heavily focused on cosplay, independent artists and vendors, and the panels that will be held throughout the day. Star Wars costuming club 501st Legion will be there, Dufendach said, as well as a replica of the Dr. Who TARDIS and special guest Greg LaRocque, a comic artist best known for his work on The Flash and Legion of Super-Heroes.
The inaugural event is locals-oriented, although anyone is welcome to come, and taking place during Ocean City’s off-season in order to provide an affordable admission fee and low hotel rates for visitors.
“I’m excited to see the faces of people who have never been to anything like this before and just be excited,” Dufendach said. “To see people excited about something that I’m so passionate about, it’s really uplifting and makes everything you do worth it.”
The details you need to know
The convention will take place at the Grand Hotel & Spa on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On hosting the premiere convention of its kind in Ocean City, the Grand Hotel’s Director of Sales Kimberly Wootteon said, “why not? It was a great opportunity to bring something new to Ocean City and even though it’d never been hosted before, it was worth the risk on our end to be part of something new.”
Admission to the convention is $7 and kids nine and younger are free with a paying adult. Attendees can get $1 off their admission for showing up in costume, in addition to $1 off for bringing a non-perishable food item for Diakonia.
Artists, vendors and guests: Comic and toy vendors, local artists and cosplayers will be tabling and panel-ing all day. Sponsors include Corsets & Cogs, Delaware Anime Society, Phoenix Rising Games and Comics, Pizza Party Printing and Dufendach’s independent comic publisher PLB Comics.
Panels: Panels will be running all day, from 10:20 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Topics include “Introduction to Foam Cosplay Armor,” “Cosplay is for everyone!,” “Corsets & Cosplay,” award-winning horror web series “Or So the Story Goes,” “CSI Gotham City” and “Be Your Own Superhero.”
“Two that I think are really cool–we’re going to have cosplayer Kati Coe do a panel on foam cosplay armor for budding cosplayers and for people who don’t know costuming at all, that’s a very good panel to check out,” Dufendach said.
“On the opposite end, we’re doing one that’s called CSI Gotham City. That’s John French who’s an author and also a CSI for the Baltimore PD. He’s going to be doing a panel on why CSI in comics and comic books and movies are always wrong, breaking down the real vs. what you see in the media, which is a super cool panel.”
Anime: There will be anime screenings running all day in the Grand’s Sunrise Ballroom, provided by the Delaware Anime Society.
Cosplay: Anyone who arrives in costume will get $1 off their admission, as well as the chance to participate in a cosplay contest (one category for those 12 years old and under, another category for those 13+). Local veteran cosplayers Kati Coe, Kevin D, Jesse Jarvis, Toxic Girl Cosplay and Carter Cosplay will be in attendance either judging the cosplay contests, panel-ing, tabling or generally hanging around, having a good time.
More information about Ocean City Comic Con is available on their website.
Commander Hotel & Suites Wins Fundraising Heat for United Way’s “Stay United” Campaign
Ocean City, MD, November 28th, 2017–The Commander Hotel & Suites, which is ranked #6 of 104 hotels in Ocean City by TripAdvisor, raised $5,000 for the United Way of Lower Eastern Shore as part of the Stay United initiative. Proceeds from the campaign, which included 12 hotels in the Ocean City area, will be used to help provide health, education, and financial stability for citizens in need who live in the region.
“We’re honored to be a part of Stay United, and we’re also proud to have delivered such great results for the United Way of Lower Eastern Shore,” says Michael Hayes, General Manager at The Commander Hotel & Suites. “Throughout our 87 year history, we’ve aimed to be a good corporate citizen by being an active member of the Ocean City community. Stay United offered us an excellent opportunity to deliver on that goal.”
The participating hotels in the Stay United campaign, which debuted this year, donated over $21,000 for the United Way of Lower Eastern Shore. Every dollar that was raised will fund local programs for residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Dorchester Counties.
Along with its involvement in Stay United, The Commander Hotel & Suites will also sponsor the United Way of Lower Eastern Shore’s 2017 United Way Holiday Ball on December 2. The sponsorship was made possible through Blue Water Development Corporation, which is the Hotel’s ownership group.
“The staff at The Commander has been incredible,” says Olivia Mommé, Community Outreach Coordinator at United Way of Lower Eastern Shore. “We’ve enjoyed getting to know them, and we can’t thank them enough for all that they do for our neighbors in need.”
Guide to Spending Christmas in Ocean City
Each year we dig around for ways to help you keep busy when visiting, but spending Christmas in Ocean City is a thing unto itself. Here are some of our best takes on how to keep engaged while you’re relaxing at the beach off season.
1. There always is something “Christmasy” going on
Christmas is taking over the beach! – OceanCity.com
Although Santa’s superhero status is debatable, he has a lot in common with one particular bat-like caped crusader: when the signal is lit, he goes where he’s needed. That’s exactly what seems to have happened now that the Winterfest lights are shining bright; they’re a beacon for all things Christmas, and the holiday has definitely taken Ocean City over.
2. There are plenty of great restaurants open all year
The 10 Best Ocean City Restaurants Open for Christmas – Ocean City Md.
Christmas in a resort town can be lots of fun. After all, there’s no reason you have to stay in all the holiday long. Getting out and about on Christmas Eve is very Christmas Carol-y. See some friends make some new ones and while away those heavy hours waiting for Santa.
3. You don’t have to take our word for it, ask your fellow readers
Your favorite things to do in the winter – OceanCity.com
Over the years, we’ve accumulated a number of things-to-do-in-the-winter-/-‘off’-season-in-Ocean-City. Basically, if you’ve been following our site for awhile, you could probably list about 100 things there are to do here in the wintertime off the top of your head (the first being, of course, Winterfest).
4. Did we mention Winterfest? It’s an intergenerational delight
A Winterfest Excursion – Things to Do in Ocean City Maryland
It was a cold night as we drove along the Route 90 into Ocean City. From the bridge, you could see the array of lights set along the coastline, illuminating the buildings all around town.
5. And even MORE things to do…
10 free things to do during the winter in Ocean City, MD
An Ocean City winter is what I spend all year looking forward to. Sure, summer is nice–there’s the beach, the sun and the knowledge that every business in town is open. But if you can take or leave the hot weather like I can, you might find that the town is actually more enjoyable and adventure-friendly in the wintertime.
Peninsula Regional Medical Center Dedicates Rose for Donate Life Float in Rose Parade
Donate Life Rose Parade float inspires viewers to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors and pays tribute to the generosity of donors and their families.
Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) joins The Living Legacy Foundation (The LLF) in dedicating roses for the Rose Parade Donate Life float to honor the generous patients and their families who have given the gifts of life and hope as organ, eye, or tissue donors or donors in spirit.
The rose dedicated by Steve Leonard, PRMC’s President/CEO Designate, is one of many roses dedicated by The LLF as part of the Donate Life float in the January 1st Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. The float is the centerpiece of a national effort of more than 50 organizations to reach a broad audience with the simple, life-giving message that organ, eye, and tissue donation saves and heals lives.
“We have been partners with the Living Legacy Foundation for a number of years and every year become prouder of the life-saving efforts that have been achieved through our support of and commitment to organ and tissue donation,” said Leonard. “It’s an honor for our PRMC team to join them in bringing national attention to the benefits of donating life.”
This year’s float entry, The Gift of Time, reflects the parade’s theme of Making a Difference by celebrating the power of kindness and the generous acts of people throughout the world, who are making a positive difference in the lives of others. Perhaps no act is more emblematic of this than becoming an organ or tissue donor: a single organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and improve the lives of as many as 75 more by donating their corneas and tissue. Donors save the lives of grateful recipients and help families heal.
It is the community of generous donors, including our donors from PRMC, that save thousands of lives through transplantation each year. On the Gift of Time float, the monumental Aztec calendar draws the eye to the center of the float, where 44 donors are honored with floragraphs. This ancient calendar is a reminder of the enduring, life-saving power of the generosity of donors and families. Alongside the float, eight living donors and recipients will carry baskets of fruit and flowers in celebration of the renewed life they have shared with one another and the world. The beauty, richness, and potential of life is represented by the vivid flock of macaws perched over the lush floral canopies, ready to take flight.
As of November 22, in 2017 there have been 14 organ donors and 21 tissue and cornea donors that have occurred at PRMC. It is because of the continued partnership with The LLF and PRMC’s commitment to honoring donation that many lives over that last year have been saved and enhanced.
In Maryland, about 3,800 people are waiting for a life-saving transplant. Nationwide, that number is almost 120,000. Peninsula Regional Medical Center supports The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland in its mission to facilitate donation and transplantation and to educate the public about the life-saving power of donation and transplantation.
For more information about organ, eye, and tissue donation and to register as a donor, please visit www.donatelifemaryland.org or www.thellf.org.
About The Living Legacy Foundation: The Living Legacy Foundation (LLF) is a non-profit organization who saves and enhances lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. We are federally designated to serve the state of Maryland with the exception of Charles, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties. The LLF offers family support, provides education to the public, and is passionate about our mission of saving and enhancing lives.
A Cold Winter Run on the Boards
For most people the Ocean City boardwalk is a place they don’t see in winter, a cold and windy spot on the eastern end of the eastern shore. But for me, running on the coldest day so far this season, it was a breath of fresh air. The boardwalk seemed to come alive in ways that I don’t normally see when I run it during the summer season.
I start at the inlet, which in winter is where I always start because parking there is free and I can run the entire boardwalk with my son in the jogging stroller. The southern end of the boards is the part of Ocean City open all year ’round. Music sings from the arcade, Park Place Jewelers promotes a sale, and T-shirts sway in the breeze.
What’s missing is the usual bustle of people. No families on morning bicycle rentals, no young couples in bathing suits holding hands and hoping summer will stretch their romance another week. The beach is empty save for the fences put up to help prevent the blowing sand from piling up at the seawall. No one sits on the memorial benches decorated with wreaths and ribbons for the holidays. Musicians and artists aren’t battling over numbered spaces, and crowds aren’t gathered to watch them perform.
When I run the boards in summer I am distracted by all the people, by the goings on of visitors and tourists alike who come to this little slice of heaven. Which is why winter is such a fascinating time in Ocean City for me, because the town comes alive in ways it doesn’t in the summer. I notice things I don’t usually look at. Like the former Seascape Hotel being torn apart one wall at a time with the aid of a yellow Caterpillar excavator.
Five construction workers stand in the biting wind on the boardwalk watching the dismantling of the hotel. They stop me as I pass and I see one room still there, the door open, the curtain on the window swaying a little in the breeze. I can almost see a young boy there at the open door staring out at the ocean, begging his mother to let him go out to the beach, to jump in the ocean just one more time before they depart. His sister reads a book while his father helps his mother pack up their clothes. The week is over and now it’s time to go home, he tells his son. The boy sighs and already begins to look forward to next year.
There will be no more summers in that room.
Here’s something else I never noticed when running the boards in summer: a giant gorilla sits atop the Safari Motel on 12th Street staring out at the ocean like he’s dreaming of dipping his feet in the cool winter water. Maybe like so many others who visit the boards in winter he came in the summer but stayed because the beach was too beautiful to bid farewell.
Ocean City Public Works tractors plow the beach at the north end of the boards. Their diesel engines drown out the gently rocking surf. Up here there are no fences and winter storms pile dunes next to the blue sea wall. In order to keep Ocean City beaches smooth for summer visitors crews work all winter redistributing the sand.
At the end of the boards I hit the yellow dot on the sign that as a writer always annoys me. It’s either missing a preposition (with) or using the wrong contraction (you’ve). I touch the spot anyway and turn back. My running companion cheers from his stroller. The sun is in his face and from here we can see the beach and the ocean and winter’s quiet in Ocean City. A place that feels, on a cold day like this, to have been built just for us.
Beach Renourishment Keeps Ocean City Rolling
Governor Larry Hogan, Baltimore District Commander Col. Edward Chamberlayne of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Mark Belton, among other public officials, met for a press conference on the 94th street dunes crossing Monday to highlight an ongoing beach renourishment program that’s been impacting Ocean City since the early ’90s.
“Most people are aware of how great the beach is here,” Hogan said. “But what most visitors don’t realize is that Ocean City’s prime attraction, its legendary beach, is also a very important part of a massive project to protect Ocean City and our coastal shoreline from powerful coastal storms and hurricanes.”
What does beach renourishment do?
Beach renourishment (also referred to as beach or sand replenishment) widens the expanse of a beach to make up for the sand that’s annually lost to erosion (when the sand is moved by water or wind) and longshore drift (water moving the sand parallel to the coastline).
The process is sometimes referred to as a “soft armoring” technique for its use of “soft” or natural materials to protect the shoreline rather than a “hard armoring” technique like, say, constructing a seawall to protect the beach from erosion and rising sea levels.
Hard armoring techniques–from walls to permanent docks to artificial sand beaches–can, in the long run, do more harm than good and lead to structural damage, destruction of the shoreline’s ecosystem and more erosion over time. While beach renourishment is only a short-term fix, it helps maintain the expanse of sand, the buffer between the Town and the sea, without doing too much harm to the ecosystem and ultimately working to preserve it.
How does it work in Ocean City?
Speakers at the press conference reflected on how successful the renourishment project has been in Ocean City since it began over 20 years ago.
“This is an absolute success story,” Chamberlayne said. “If you came here to hear bad news, you’re in the wrong place. This is a great news story about a great partnership between our federal partners, our state and local partners.
We had a problem here in about January 2016 when we had horrible damage here to the beaches here in Ocean City, a real threat to the public infrastructure. Now here, a little bit less than a year and a half later, we have great success here to celebrate.”
Here’s a little background information from the Town’s page on beach replenishment.
In 1994, the State of Maryland, Worcester County and Ocean City accepted responsibility for operation and maintenance of the completed Atlantic Coast of Maryland Storm Protection Project. The project consists of the Beach Renourishment program, dunes, dune crossovers, dune planting and fencing along with the seawall along the boardwalk.
The State of Maryland, Worcester County, and Ocean City have a long term (50 year) written partnership agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to perform periodic beach renourishment as needed to maintain adequate storm protection. Per this agreement, the Army Corps of Engineers designs and manages the needed renourishment dredging operations and pays for 53% of the cost of renourishment.
The town of Ocean City uses mostly soft armoring techniques like widening the expanse of the beach and utilizing a vegetative dune system, though there’s also a protective seawall built into the boardwalk near the Inlet.
“These elements work in concert to reduce the impact of inundation, storm surge, wave action and reducing the risk to the community and public infrastructure from coastal storms both big and small,” Chamberlayne said.
Every four years or so, approximately 900,000 cubic yards of sand dredged offshore are placed on Ocean City’s beach in order to protect the town. The cost-shared renourishment process costs the Town about $3 million, and while that sounds like a lot of money, Hogan has said that the replenishment overall has helped prevent over $900 million in damage to Ocean City infrastructure since the project’s beginning.
“This is an important partnership, and it’s going to help preserve an icon for our state, for the East Coast and it is also saving taxpayers of Maryland and the nation by preventing an estimated $927 million dollars in damages since the 90s,” he said.
The process is scheduled to happen every four years so the shoreline can continue protecting the town and providing miles of sand for beachgoers. However, because of the intensity and impact of storms that have occurred since the last beach renourishment, the project was moved up a year in order to prevent further damage to the beach and, eventually, the town.
The next beach renourishment project is scheduled for 2021, though Monday’s speakers all related their hope for federal and local partners to continue providing this project in Ocean City for decades to come.
Citizens Police Academy Participants Graduate
After ten weeks of educational sessions and various practical lessons, the Ocean City Police Department proudly graduated eight members from the 2017 Citizen’s Police Academy on Wednesday, November 15. Since September, the students met at Ocean City’s Public Safety Building on Tuesday nights to learn the inner workings of the resort police department.
The Citizens Police Academy, which was created over 15 years ago, has enabled citizens to learn more about the Ocean City Police Department, while also building relationships between the police and the community. During this course, students met a variety of officers to learn about criminal law, traffic enforcement, evidence collection, firearms, arrest procedures, narcotics enforcement and many other topics. Students also participated in practical scenarios, which afforded citizens a hands-on opportunity to understand various law enforcement applications.
“Educating citizens about their police department and building closer relationships with our residents and visitors is the best crime prevention tool that we have,” said Chief Ross Buzzuro. “Citizens Police Academy not only benefits our community but also benefits the officers of the Ocean City Police Department.”
For more information about the Citizens Police Academy or to receive an application for the 2018 class, please visit http://oceancitymd.gov.
The 9 Best Ocean City restaurants open for Christmas
Christmas in a resort town can be lots of fun. After all, there’s no reason you have to stay in all the holiday long. Getting out and about on Christmas Eve is very Christmas Carol-y. See some friends make some new ones and while away those heavy hours waiting for Santa. Similarly, a nice family Christmas dinner can be had at any of the Ocean City Restaurants open for Christmas. Whether you’re an empty nester or young couple looking to shake things up from the old traditions, or you’re part of a large family looking to establish new traditions, we’ve prepared a list of the 10 Best Ocean City restaurants open for Christmas beginning with the eight that also are open and serving on Christmas Eve. Follow the links for more details.
BBQ Restaurant Ocean City MD | The 28th Street Pit & Pub
The 28th St. Pit and Pub offers fresh, smoked meats and homemade BBQ to Ocean City, MD. Call 410-289-2020 for carryout from Ocean City’s Smokehouse!
Breakers Pub | Clarion Hotel Oceanfront Ocean City MD
For a casual, relaxed atmosphere, try Breakers Pub. For a super overstuffed sandwich, salad or for refreshment, the action starts at the Breakers Pub. Located on the Terrace Level overlooking the ocean. Happy Hour specials served from 4:00pm to 7:00pm Lite Fare Served from 11:30am to 11:00pm daily
Horizons Oceanfront | Clarion Hotel Oceanfront Ocean City MD
The Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel welcomes you to indulge in their award-winning, oceanfront restaurant, Horizons. Situated on the terrace level of the hotel, Horizons boasts stunning views of the beach and the ocean. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Horizons offers a wide-range of dining options for your vacation in Ocean City, Maryland.
North Ocean City, MD | The Green Turtle Bar & Restaurant
The Greene Turtle is more than a sports bar and grille. We believe in being a community hangout for all ages that serves great food & drinks in a fun, casual atmosphere built on the excitement & unity of sports.
Captains Table Restaurant
The Captain’s Table Restaurant, a legendary seafood restaurant in Ocean City Maryland, is open in a new location at the Courtyard by Marriott in OC MD. Serving breakfasts, lunch and dinner, enjoy homemade specialties in an elegant setting. Great steaks, crabcakes and fresh fish.
Harpoon Hanna’s | Fenwick Island DE | Index
Harpoon Hanna’s located at 39064 is open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Victorian Room at Dunes Manor – Home
Welcome to The Victorian Room at Dunes Manor! We are located at 2800 Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, MD, 21842. Our phone number is 410-289-1100. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Ropewalk Restaurant Ocean City(Christmas Eve Only)
We have updated our menus! Check out our new items as well as our Ropewalk favorites!
The Crystal Ballroom in the Clarion Hotel
The Clarion Resort Fountainebleau Hotel has something special planned for Christmas Day Dinner.
Ocean City’s Whispering Giant: About the Inlet totem pole
For decades, a 20 ft. wood-carved sculpture of a Native American has called the Ocean City Inlet, right on the boards overlooking the Atlantic ocean, his home. He wears a headband with a single feather poking from the top and has withstood over 40 years of summer heat, winter frostbite and year-round storms. By now, his presence in Ocean City is almost as certain as the ocean itself. But why is he here?
To fully understand the history of the Inlet totem pole, you have to start with some background on its artist: sculptor Peter Toth.
About the artist
Peter Wolf Toth was born in Hungary, but fled with his family to the United States as a child in 1956 when the Soviets took over his homeland, according to Toth’s website. His family settled in Akron, Ohio and Toth briefly studied art at the University of Akron, although he largely considers himself self-taught.
As an immigrant growing up in the U.S., Toth soon developed a major interest in North American culture, particularly in the plight of the Native Americans. It’s said that Toth realized his life’s purpose at the age of 24, in 1972 when he carved a stone Native American head from a cliff in La Jolla, California. Afterwards, he switched mediums from stone to wood and carved another head from a dead elm stump at a park in Akron. That’s when he decided he would carve a wooden sculpture or totem pole to honor Native Americans and give one to each of the 50 U.S. states.
About the Trail of the Whispering Giants
The series of sculptures is called the Trail of the Whispering Giants. In the 70s and 80s, Toth would travel to the northern states in the summer and southern states in the winter in his Dodge maxi-van and stay with whatever locals would have him as he worked on his carvings. He took no money for the sculptures, but considered them to be gifts to the country that welcomed his family back in the 1950s. He provided for himself with odd jobs, the sale of his smaller hand-carved trinkets and the occasional town or individual that would offer to cover his living expenses while he carved.
In May 1988, the series was completed when Toth finished sculpture #58 in Haleiwa, Hawaii (some states have more than one sculpture, and there are also now several in Canada). Today, Toth lives in Florida but still works replacing or repairing existing sculptures and continuing to carve small ones out of his studio.
About the “Inlet Indian” (AKA “Nanticoke”)
While it’s often referred to as the “Inlet Indian” or just as the Native American statue at the Inlet, Maryland’s sculpture in Ocean City is called Nanticoke. It was the 21st made in the series, stands 20 ft. high and was created in 1976.
The sculpture depicts a member of the Assateague tribe, a former tribe of the Nanticoke people. While the Assateague tribe no longer exists, the Nanticoke people today are a federal- and state-recognized tribe of Delaware.
Toth carved the sculpture from 100-year-old oak. In 2006, he returned to Ocean City to restore Nanticoke, as the sculpture had weathered decades of storms and heat. Since Hurricane Sandy (and a litany of other storms that have passed through since ’06), the sculpture has undergone more damage, although the Town has yet to address its current need for further restoration.
Just a drive down the Delmarva peninsula away is another Whispering Giant, a 25 ft. poplar-carved sculpture in Bethany Beach, DE, located in the median of Garfield Pkwy and Delaware Ave. That’s statue #69, which replaced another statue of Toth’s that was in decay. The Bethany sculpture is named Chief Little Owl, which in 2002 was dedicated to Chief Little Owl of the Nanticoke tribe.
Ocean City in the Winter
One part beach, two parts winter wonderland
While it’s true that most Ocean City businesses and amusements are closed in the dead of winter, there are plenty of reasons to plan a winter vacation in OC. The first one that comes to mind is the beauty of a beach town in December and January–from the snow-covered sand to the twinkling lights that decorate Coastal Highway. Here’s writer Nicasio’s take on the end of one 2010 winter in Ocean City:
“I have spent the last several mornings grabbing a coffee at the Starbucks on Coastal Highway and then heading across the Route 50 Bridge into Ocean City. Yesterday, I arrived at the inlet parking lot to see a low red glow along the horizon. It seemed to brighten and just when I thought the best was over and headed back across the bridge to Berlin, I noticed that not only the horizon was red, but that the sun was illuminating the entire sky over the ocean with ribbons of brilliant red, pink, and gray. Needless to say it was spectacular and I turned around. Arriving at the Ocean City Boardwalk sign with the sky continuing to lighten, I snapped a few pictures. The workers were already on the beach, moving sand and preparing for warmer weather and the beachgoers that come with it. One of the big sand-moving vehicles had mellow beach music playing while they stood around and discussed their next move.”
A winter walk on the Boardwalk – OceanCity.com
If you’re not too afraid of the cold, it’s a great time to get out and explore the nooks and crannies of the Ocean City Boardwalk. The place just looks different when there are fewer people. As part of my latest Ocean City photo adventure, I started in the Inlet parking lot and then worked my …
A festive holiday season
When you think “Ocean City,” the first word that probably comes to your mind is “summer.” But there’s still things to do in the wintertime–most of them are just holiday-oriented! Winterfest of Lights is one long-standing Ocean City tradition that turns Northside Park into more of a North Pole. There’s also a Christmas parade, fun family events like Pizza with Santa and opportunities to presents shop at the Holiday Shoppers Fair. Be sure to check out our events directory to see what other special events might be happening when you’re in town.
A guide to winter surfing – OceanCity.com
Surfing is a lifestyle for many Ocean City locals who have grown up in the water. Surfers line the coast during the summer trying to sneak in a few waves in boardshorts before the winter waters come back, and given that the water is only warm enough for boardshorts three to four months out of the year, its truly a race against time.
What’s still open?
Again, most boardwalk businesses and outdoor amusements will be closed for the season. But there are still some fun non-holiday-related things to do in town. Old Pro has two indoor golf courses where you can play a game of mini golf no matter what the weather. Planet Maze, with all of its laser-tagging fun, is usually still open, and so is the Life Saving Station Museum, just with limited hours. (And it’s always a good idea to call ahead in the winter to make sure a business is still open, whether it’s a golf course, museum or restaurant.)
A Winterfest Excursion – Things to Do in Ocean City Maryland
It was a cold night as we drove along the Route 90 into Ocean City. From the bridge, you could see the array of lights set along the coastline, illuminating the buildings all around town.
A few “pros”
Okay, you already know the cons: some places aren’t open, some have limited hours and it’s probably pretty cold outside. Not exactly beach weather. But there are also plenty of pros to keep in mind when you’re deciding whether you want to take that wintertime trip. Here are just a few:
- Ample parking! Seriously, there’s so much parking and it’s almost always free.
- No traffic. Unless there’s a major accident blocking the 50 bridge and Beyoncé happens to announce a surprise New Year’s concert at the Inlet, you’re not going to face any traffic coming into Ocean City.
- Cheap lodging. Hotel and motel rates are always way cheaper in the off-season than they are in the summer, so you can stay a night or two for next to nothing.
- We already talked about the beautiful wintery landscape and the holiday festivities, right?
If you love Ocean City in the summertime, you just might love it even more in the winter. Book your trip and find out.
Dog friendly Winter Activities – OceanCity.com
Last Wednesday, The conversation in my house went like this: T: “What do you think? Should we go down to the beach this weekend?” A: “Well, there’s not much going on but the weather looks like it will be nice. I’m sure we can find something to do with the dogs.”
Dry 85 and Red Red Wine Bar to shake up OC dining year-round
If you’ve been around 48th street lately, you’ve probably noticed the two new businesses underway just beneath the Gateway Grand. Brian and Lisa Bolter, co-owners of Dry 85 and Red Red Wine Bar in Annapolis, are finally bringing their renowned drink-and-provision selections to the Shore after five years of eyeing the spaces they’re now occupying. With Dry 85 opening the Friday after Thanksgiving and Red Red Wine Bar slated to open the first week of December, Ocean City’s all-season dining scene is about to be majorly shaken up with these two “not-pubs-but-not-white-linen-table-cloth” eateries.
Dry 85
Dry 85 was still heavily under construction when I visited on Tuesday, but the aesthetic of the place still shined through: a modern take on an industrial Prohibition-era speakeasy, though not “cliche with the mustaches and the overalls,” as Bolter put it. It’s simply a nod to history.
“Dry 85 was named for the 85 days after Prohibition was repealed, when Washington, D.C. was still dry,” Bolter said. “It took them 85 days to repeal the Sheppard Act in D.C., so that’s where the name came from.”
On the menu is what Bolter describes as gourmet comfort food, where diners can expect inspired burgers, truffle fries, ossobuco, blueberry ribs, steak and salads (for first-timers, he recommends the Dry 85 burger with a craft cocktail). There’s also a bar–the pièce de résistance of the speakeasy, of course–with a focus on craft beer, craft cocktails and a highly-curated selection of whiskey that earned them a place on Whiskey Advocate’s list of Top 40 Whiskey Bars in America over the summer.
“We don’t try to have the most whiskey of anybody on the planet, but we do try to have a highly-curated, well-crafted beverage selection,” Bolter said. “If somebody reads about a really rare, interesting whiskey, we try to have it.”
The establishment’s “local first, then regional” philosophy applies especially to their craft beer selection. The three beers permanently on tap are RAR’s Nanticoke Nectar IPA, Devil’s Backbone’s Vienna Lager and DC Brau’s German pilsner, Brau Pils. The other nine of Dry 85’s 12 draft beers are constantly rotated so that visitors will always have something new and interesting to try.
Although their original location is in Annapolis, Bolter considers he and his wife to be OC locals. They’ve had a house here for over a decade and, as he put it, they’ve watched the town grow not only as a year-round destination, but a destination where people can come for elevated dining and drink experiences, too.
“The concepts that we’ve had with Dry 85 and Red Red Wine Bar fill a niche in Ocean City,” he said. “We’re not pubs, but we’re not white linen tablecloth, either—we’re right in between.”
As for the craft cocktails behind the bar, the fall/winter menu will be available upon the restaurant’s opening to add to their mix of popular, year-round classics like old fashioneds and manhattans. Wine will be available behind the bar, too, but you might just want to head next door to Red Red Wine Bar for that.
Red Red Wine Bar
Red Red Wine Bar is right next door to Dry 85, although the only indoor walkway between the two establishments is through their joint kitchen. Like its neighbor, Red Red Wine Bar offers food, but their menu is focused more on seafood and hand-tossed pizzas. They also have a full bar, but its main focus is on, of course, wine. Lots and lots of wine.
When Red Red Wine first opened in Annapolis six years ago, Bolter says the idea was to provide a non-intimidating space for diners to come and appreciate wine. While people might tend to think of wine bars as places where “there’s somebody who’s always snobby” and “who knows more than you about wine,” as he put it, wine connoisseurs of every level are welcome at Red Red Wine Bar.
“I just hated everything about that [stereotype],” he said. “But we love wine, we drink wine at tailgate parties, we drink wine year-round.”
They’re serious about wine behind the bar, with 35 wines by the glass, four house selections on tap and 120 bottles plus bottles available for sale, but the environment they provide to drink it in is more laidback (and there’s velvet-upholstered booth seating! If that’s not cool, then nothing is).
“I wanted a place that’s very cozy and comfortable,” Bolter said. “The music we play is indie-rock and reggae and it’s just a very relaxed atmosphere so when people walk in, they’re not intimidated by wine and they’re able to go down that path of learning about wine and hopefully getting bitten by the wine bug.”
When I asked if even a cheap, box wine drinker like myself could feel at home in such a bar, Bolter immediately assuaged my worries: “We have something for every level of wine appreciation,” he said.
Both Dry 85 and Red Red Wine Bar will be open year-round. Because, said Bolter, “We’ve lived down here for over a decade and we really value the locals…We wanted them to have more options during the off-season.”
“Our restaurant concepts are sort of the yin to the yang…If you’re in more of a rock n’ roll mood you might like Dry 85 a little more on a Friday, Saturday night. If you’re in more of a casual mood, you might like the Wine Bar on a Friday or Saturday night.”
Nanticoke Health Services’ diabetes education program gets ADA nod
Nanticoke Health Services’ diabetes self-management education program has been awarded continued recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The program was originally recognized in October 2008 and again in October 2013. Nanticoke’s diabetes education program offers high-quality education services to patients in Western Sussex County.
The ADA Education Recognition Program, begun in the fall of 1986, is a voluntary process which assures that approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-the-art information about diabetes management for participants.
Self-management education is an essential component of diabetes treatment. Compliance with the National Standards results in greater consistency in the quality and quantity of education offered to people with diabetes. The participant in an ADA-recognized program will be taught, as needed, self-care skills that will promote better management of his or her diabetes treatment regimen. All approved education programs cover the following topics as needed: diabetes disease process; nutritional management; physical activity; medications; monitoring; preventing, detecting, and treating acute complications; preventing, detecting, and treating chronic complications through risk reduction; goal setting and problem solving; psychological adjustment; and preconception care, management during pregnancy, and gestational management.
Assuring high-quality education for patient self-care is one of the primary goals of the Education Recognition Program. Through the support of the health care team and increased knowledge and awareness of diabetes, the patient can assume a major part of the responsibility for his/her diabetes management. Unnecessary hospital admissions and some of the acute and chronic complications of diabetes may be prevented through self-management education.
“The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of the services they provide,” commented Lucinda Mancuso, Diabetes Education Program Coordinator at Nanticoke. “And, of course, it helps consumers to identify these quality programs.”
For more information about diabetes education and related services provided by Nanticoke Health Services, visit www.nanticoke.org/diabetes or call 302-629-6611, extension 2288.
Day-tripping in Snow Hill
If you’re looking to day trip in a town that looks especially festive this time of year, Snow Hill is the place to go. About 20 minutes south from Berlin, Snow Hill is a quaint, small town that might be best known for housing the historical heritage village Furnace Town (where I was lucky enough to make a separate day trip to back in the summer).
I took a walk around Snow Hill in mid-November and was excited to see the light-up Christmas decorations already up in Byrd Park and the lampposts downtown already wrapped in garland. It’s an interesting time when the town is already laying out the Christmas spirit thick but the crunchy leaves on the ground and scarecrows in storefronts make you feel more like you’re in a Halloween movie (but like, a charming Hallmark movie, not a horror flick). No complaints, though–even when pumpkins and snowmen are both vying for your attention in this holiday limbo, Snow Hill is a beautiful place for a day trip.
