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MARCH 11, 2016
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
IT’S TIME
SPRING AHEAD Remember to set clocks one hour ahead by 2 a.m. Sunday
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First sign of spring: Coastal Hwy. paving Northern section will get first new surface since 1989 overhaul
KATIE TABELING/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Expo-nential growth
While the numbers have yet to be compiled, it appears that the annual Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association expo held Sunday and Monday at the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street, drew some of its largest crowds ever, an indication of these industries’ optimism about the coming season, as business operators talk with suppliers and see what’s new on the food and lodging market.
By Brian Gilliland Staff Writer (March 11, 2016) Residents, commuters and visitors take note: the State Highway Administration has firmed up the start date for repaving Coastal Highway between the Delaware state line and 62nd Street and has announced that work will begin Monday, March 14 at 7 a.m. SHA spokesman David Buck said workers will start the project at the state line and work south by first removing the top two inches of pavement in preparation for the repaving. Buck said the urgency of the project, containing a “drop dead date” of Memorial
Day weekend, May 28-30 this year, has led to the allocation of additional resources and approval of additional man-hours in order to complete the project as soon as possible. “We’re really pushing hard to complete the project by May 20,” Buck said. “We’ll have two 12-foot milling machines out there Monday through Thursday working 10-12 hour days.” Buck said work would begin around 7 a.m. each day. The milling machines are able to process around one mile of road per shift, and the pair will work side by side covering two lanes of Coastal Highway at once. Buck said the milling process was about half the job to be done, and is unrelated to the utility access projects now being perSee HIGHWAY on Page 6
City firm on shift change Union rep, supporters speak against ending 24-hour duty rotation
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (March 11, 2015) After nearly a hundred people wearing red shirts in solidarity with the local firefighters union filled the City Council chambers Monday night, city officials remain firm on moving the Ocean City Fire Department away from 24-hour shifts. “We’ll be moving forward with our best and final offer, which does include finding
an alternate schedule,” Mayor Rick Meehan said Wednesday. He said people need to understand the city’s and fire chief’s reasons for the eventual switch from the 24-hourson, 72-hours‘We’ll be off duty crew moving forward rotation. with our best The show and final offer’ of support for Mayor Rick Chapter 4269 Meehan of the International Association of Fire Fighters’ union’s rejection of the city’s proposal was organized via Facebook, and drew local representation as well as
spectators and speakers from outside the area. The mayor and several councilmen also wore red ties during the Council meeting. “We were aware that people were asked to wear red to show support, and we do support them (the firefighters). We just disagree on one issue,” Meehan said. When the deadline to broker an agreement came and went March 1, the mayor and council still had their final offer on the table. During a press conference last week, Deputy Chief See CHIEF on Page 5
Adopt a beach
JOSH DAVIS/OCEAN CITY TODAY
The Coastal Resources Legislative Committee, a.k.a. “Green Team,” will present a new program where individuals or groups can sponsor a section of beach in order to provide periodic trash pickup. See story on page 8.