OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET
MARCH 16, 2018
LIFESTYLE
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Annual procession to take place this Saturday in Ocean City beginning at noon – Page 51
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
FREE
Witnesses say no more ‘not at my school’ Victims, survivors address officials on shooting sprees
BRIAN GILLILAND/OCEAN CITY TODAY
SILENT PROTEST Hundreds of Stephen Decatur High School students walked out of classes, but were not permitted to leave the building, during the March 14 National School Walkout demonstration undertaken by students across the country to protest gun violence. Students sat in silence along the halls of the school for 17 minutes, unimpeded by administration, on the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Florida, in which 17 students lost their lives at school. Other local students have been raising money for a bus trip to Washington D.C. on March 24 to attend the March for Our Lives demonstration (see story page 6). The students’ faces are obscured in accordance with the Worcester County Board of Education’s media image policy.
For OCPD, drones could mean eyes in resort’s skies
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (March 16, 2018) Ocean City wants to add an eye in the sky to give law enforcement an aerial perspective when problems arise. Speaking at the Police Commission meeting on Monday, City Manager Doug Miller said the city has received federal funding to purchase one, or perhaps two, drones to enhance law enforcement capabilities. See OCPD Page 7
Wind farm distance bill killed but local fight isn’t quite over Turbine size change could give officials another shot at protecting beach view
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (March 16, 2018) Although the current went against efforts in the General Assembly this week to push wind turbines farther offshore, Ocean City officials have pledged to continue its fight during the upcoming federal permit process. HB1135 received an unfavorable
report from the House Economic Committee on Monday by a 14-5 vote. The legislature held hearings on the house measure, as well as crossfiled senate legislation the previous week. The bill would have altered distance requirements for turbines from between 10-30 nautical miles to not less than 26 nautical miles off the coast. A nautical mile equals 1.15 land miles. The Maryland Public Service Commission issued conditional approvals See TURBINE Page 5
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (March 16, 2018) A parent of a child executed at Sandy Hook in 2012, a woman who threw her body against the classroom door as the Virginia Tech shooter stalked the hallway in 2007, an English teacher at Columbine High School who started in 1999 and still teaches there, a security professional who manages the safety of all Colorado schools, a ‘I share these school psydifficult details with chologist and you because … the former superintendI also want you to ent of know how the schools in a teachers and district levstudents reacted.’ eled by a torMichele Gay, nado — they all gathered whose daughter at Worcester was killed at Technical Sandy Hook High School this week to share their experiences and the lessons learned when tragedy hit their home lives, professional lives, or both. Hundreds of local officials, from county government, emergency services, law enforcement and local schools gathered Tuesday for the allday seminar, which included presentations from the guests followed by a panel discussion about school safety and effects of a school shooting on the schools, the students and parents, and the community. The takeaway, something several of the speakers echoed, was to combine the efforts of everyone that See IT’S ALWAYS Page 8
Better Management. Better Results. Vacation Rental Specialists for over 35 years. We make your home our key focus. Comprehensive yearly analyses & inspections. Dedicated marketing. Face-to-face interaction with all of your guests.
8606 Coastal Highway • Ocean City, MD 21842
Office: (410)723-4500 • Rentals: (800)756-8223 • Century21NewHorizon.com
Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated