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FEBRUARY 19, 2016
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
LIFESTYLE DEATH BY CHOCOLATE Ninth annual event in West Ocean City this Saturday to feature sweet treats – Page 33
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Recycling exemption bill booted Attempt to spare special events from new requirement fails
STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
THINK SPRING Nothing says it’s the day after the annual Ocean City Boat Show and that boating season remains at least a couple of months away like a Monday morning snowstorm that left outdoor exhibits covered in about 4 inches of the stuff. As enticing as it might have seemed Saturday and Sunday to cruise out for some fishing with these twin 150s pushing your boat toward a secret hotspot, both the calendar and the weather say there’s plenty of winter left to endure.
By Brian Gilliland Staff Writer (Feb. 19, 2016) Unless local government officials can come up with a more compelling argument against adopting statewide regulations requiring special events to provide and collect recyclable materials, the county and resort’s attempt to obtain an exemption to the rules has fallen short. In a 9-1 vote, with one excusal, the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee voted overwhelmingly to give SB131 an “unfavorable” report, effectively killing the bill earlier this month. There are mechanisms, according to the State Department of Legislative Services, that could force the bill to the floor of the General Assembly, but, according to a representative, those mechanisms are alSee COST Page 4
Median barrier earns some major criticism Design leaves some saying it’s too much, won’t work and doesn’t reflect resort
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (Feb. 19, 2016) A significant number of Ocean City property owners and residents have some strong words for the City Council, mainly about the approved pedestrian barriers that will be installed along Coastal Highway.
These dissenters have taken to social media to criticize the design of the median barrier that the council selected from the options presented by State Highway Administration a month earlier. “They’ve seen the picture and they don’t like the design,” said Councilman Matt James. The design, as presented in the computer-generated images the SHA unveiled in January, looks similar to an undulating sand dune See RENDERING Page 3
An artist’s concept drawing of how the new median barrier could appear on Coastal Highway.