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DECEMBER 9, 2022
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
CONVENTION
OC COMIC CON RETURNS Overwhelmingly popular ‘geek culture’ event back in town for fifth year with more to offer – Page 41
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Sportsplex strikes out with county Commissioners cancel deal for land, direct employees to end work on complex
PHOTO COURTESY LISA GUERRIERO
WINTERFEST
The Christmas lights of Winterfest give the pond at Northside Park a holiday glow in this photograph by Ocean City photographer Lisa Guerriero.
Northside gains NYE fireworks Vendors passed on staging show this year, but residents’ complaints spur return By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Dec. 9, 2022) A spirited request from a north Ocean City resident, and feedback from other neighbors, prompted City Council members on Monday to allocate $17,500 of special events money to add a New Year’s Eve fireworks show to Northside Park. Montego Bay resident Harriet Piler said she was “so disappointed”
that officials decided to eliminate the holiday fireworks at Northside in exchange for a beach show and accompanying events within a three-year vendor contract recently signed for New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July. She pointed out that the decision not only gives north-end residents nowhere to watch the fireworks if they stick around, but could create safety issues for older residents who decide to drive downtown. She specifically called out Council President Matt James, who lives in north Ocean City. James countered that he did ex-
press concerns about not having a fireworks show up north when the vendor contract was approved, especially since there had been one in years past. City Manager Terry McGean has explained that vendors have had challenges setting off fireworks in Northside Park on New Year’s Eve because of the Winterfest of Lights decorations. The vendor that was chosen did not submit a bid for that location, thus forcing officials to remove it from the offerings. However, after hearing complaints like Piler’s about the lack of plans for See CITY page 6
By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (Dec. 9, 2022) Ocean City officials could only shake their heads in disappointment this week as the Worcester County Commisioners swiftly and unceremoniously killed their hopes of city-county effort to develop a sports complex on the edge of town. In a 4-2 vote Tuesday with Commissioner Ted Elder abstaining, the commissioners ordered the cancelation of a purchase agreement to acquire a 95-acre site off Route 50 “I agree that near Berlin and there are issues instructed county employ- pertaining to this project that ees involved in property acquineeded to be sition and proj- discussed and I ect planning to had hoped that cease all efforts. In addition, the opportunity to have these they refused entreaties to at discussions least hear what would have taken the Maryland place.” Stadium Authority had to Mayor Rick Meehan say about the sports complex study it recently produced for the Town of Ocean City and why the study concluded that building a $153.5 million complex was financially feasible. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said in an email Wednesday that he was “disappointed” that the commissioners voted against buying the See ELECTION page 4