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APRIL 20, 2018
SPORTS
BOB KNOX HONORED Decatur football coach inducted into Md. Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame– Page 33
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Music, sports wrapped up in ‘Jellyfish’ Council gives big festival idea thumbs up, money too, subject to conditions
LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY
RACE FOR THE CURE
About 1,500 people registered for the seventh annual Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Race for the Cure, last Saturday on the Ocean City Boardwalk. The event supports and funds breast cancer research with a 5K fun run or walk and a 1-mile family walk. So far, about $159,000 has been raised.
Inlet shoaling plan emerges Feds, state, county agree on how to proceed with deepening shallow channel
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (April 20, 2018) For the first time, the parties involved in trying to correct the shoaling problem at the Ocean City Inlet have put pen to paper and delivered a plan for how to proceed. For years, dozens of meetings on the topic have taken place, but nothing produced an actual document with expectations, cost estimates and a rudimentary timeline. “This is about a five-year process,” said Tony Clark, representing the
Army Corps of Engineer. “We’re three to four months in right now.” Clark said the project is already about two weeks behind schedule, as a required a cost-benefit analysis, as well as establishing how many vessels use the harbor, hasn’t been completed. A disposal site for any material removed from the inlet also has to be identified. Clark said the county landfill is being considered. Right now, the project is moving forward with funding provided by the county, state and federal government. “Ocean City said it would not contribute,” County Administrator Harold Higgins said. Ocean City Commissioner Joe
Mitrecic objected to Higgins’ assertion and said that Ocean City only said it would not use beach replenishment funds for the project, and that the resort hadn’t been asked to contribute to the project. A motion offered by Commissioner Chip Bertino to ask Ocean City to contribute financially to the effort passed 6-1, with Mitrecic as the lone “nay” vote. However, the county caught a break from the Department of Natural Resources, in that the agency maintains a Waterway Improvement Fund paid for with boat fees and taxes. The catch is the fund is intended to work on shallow water channels that are seven feet deep or less, but beSee AGREEMENT Page 6
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (April 20, 2018) Although the show is still in development, the Ocean City Council has agreed to spend n e a r l y $200,000 to help create the Jellyfish Festival, a three-day celebration of music and extreme sports tentatively slated for next June on the beach and other venues in the resort. The event is t h e brainchild of Live Wire Media’s Brad Hoffman, who first joined Endless Summer owner Salty Selt to produce a marriage of top-flight musicians and extreme sports stars. More recently, the pair brought in a new partner, Illusion Sound & Lighting owner Brian Giblin, who owns massive stage infrastructure and has extensive music industry contacts. The festival concept was pitched on April 5 to the Tourism Advisory Board, which voted unanimously to forward the matter to the mayor and council. Tourism Advisory Board Chairman Greg Shockley told the council Monday night that Hoffman had initially introduced the idea by himself but was rebuffed. “Brad came back with Salty and we sent him away again and they did more work,” he said. “They came See OC COUNCIL Page 5
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