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MARCH 21, 2014
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Tourism study goes to Sumek Architect of resort’s strategic planning to lead assignment
IRISH FESTIVAL
STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Hundreds of people gather in the 45th Street Village parking lot for the annual Irish Festival celebration Saturday afternoon following Ocean City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. This year’s edition of the annual event was its largest ever, coming within a whisker of exceeding Baltimore for the title of the state’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Schools seek snow day waiver Elementary math: three days set aside, less nine used, leaves six days to make up
By Clara Vaughn Staff Writer (March 21, 2014) Icy roads and seemingly innumerable snowstorms this winter have done their worst to the Worcester County public school calendar, going so far as to prompt jokes about hoping students can leave school early enough on July 4 to see the fireworks. It isn’t that bad, of course, but with just three days allotted this year for weather-related closures and nine school closings so far, it’s bad enough. “Polar vortex is a dirty word in my house,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jerry Wilson. Even so, students, faculty and staff could see an earlier start to summer than expected, thanks to calendar mod-
ifications and pending approval of a waiver request to the state superintendent of schools approved at Tuesday’s meeting of the Worcester County Board of Education. To get students out the door before Friday, June 20 — a far cry from the original last day of school of Thursday, June 12 — the board altered the school calendar this week. It added a half-day on March 28, the Friday originally marked as a professional workday that students had off. After agreeing last month to make Thursday, April 17 — the first day of student’s spring break — a half-day, too, and considering the three snow days built in to the original school calendar, officials still had four more weather-related closings delaying the start of summer. The board hopes to make them up via a waiver request to be submitted to the state superintendent of schools. See SCHOOLS page 4
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NANCY POWELL/OCEAN CITY TODAY
More snow on Monday meant more woe for the Worcester County public schools calendar.
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Zack Hoopes Staff Writer (March, 21, 2014) After reviewing proposals for the resort’s much-anticipated strategic tourism plan, the city has decided to scrap the bid process and instead solicit the same consultant used for the city-wide strategic plan that was done this time last year. “Not that price was the only factor in this, but Lyle’s cost for facilitating this was half of the lowest bidder on the RFP [request for proposals] we issued,” City Manager David Recor said of Lyle Sumek, the Florida‘All of the based conbidders had sultant who different worked with the city last approaches year. …and their “All of the prices were bidders had different ap- all over the proaches… place as and their well.’ prices were all over the place as well,” said city Tourism Director Donna Abbott. “[Sumek] has come back with a very competitive price, and he would not be starting from square one.” The city has earmarked its $40,000 annual market research allocation toward the strategic tourism planning process. Over the winter of 20122013, Sumek held extensive sessions with elected offiSee TOURISM page 3 We Service All HVAC Brands
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