OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
MAY 28, 2021
A DAY OFF The offices of Ocean City Today and Bayside Gazette will be closed Monday for Memorial Day and will reopen Tuesday for regular business. Let the summer fun begin!
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GREG ELLISON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
Bathing the area in a wash or red, white and blue, the Flags For Heroes display, which was installed on May 15 at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines along Route 589, remains on site through the Fourth of July.
Big summer, hard work ahead Crowds expected to swell beyond past numbers, but worker shortage remains By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (May 28, 2021) The Memorial Day Weekend summer kickoff was supposed to be Ocean City’s comeback. The sun is shining, covid-19 restrictions are lifting and the crowds are returning — and in greater numbers than before. Yet Ocean City’s economy suffers as it looks toward an
uncertain summer season with a woefully undermanned labor force. “I think the whole town is kind of scared and excited at the same time,” said Jeremy Brink, co-owner of Ocean 13, which just moved to a new location on 32nd Street after four years on the Boardwalk. “As a restaurant, you make do with what you have and do whatever you have to to make sure it works. If we have to limit seating, that may be one way. Hopefully, this week we’ll pick up some last-minute people looking for jobs. It’s been very difficult find-
ing employees — and that’s not just us. Everyone’s in the same boat.” Business owners typically count down the days until Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial beginning of summer. The Boardwalk, streets and sidewalks fill up, as miles upon miles of even more beachgoers fill Route 50 past the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to get to Ocean City. But Brink said this year he’s uncertain about the holiday weekend after a successful but busy soft opening this past weekend. “This weekend See SHORT-STAFFED Page 14
Downs awaiting sports book OK By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (May 28, 2021) With capacity restrictions and mask mandates lifted, Ocean Downs Casino is fully back in business, and as soon as a state licensing commission gives the greenlight, a sports book will join the floor.
But with the committee that will pass judgment on sports betting operations not yet formed, officials are unsure of when the new practice will begin at the Route 589 gambling spot. Last week, Gov. Larry Hogan signed a state sports betting measure
into law, thus beginning the process of divvying out licenses to casinos, professional sports stadiums, small businesses and mobile operators. Ocean Downs is one of several gambling facilities across the state seeking an A-2 license to open a retail See OCEAN Page 12
A beer pulls in a little beach flavor By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (May 28, 2021) It’s not easy to drink a heavy beer on a hot summer day. That was the thought Frederickbased Flying Dog Brewery Sales Director Steve Olintz had when he came up with the idea to flavor an IPA with the light, sweet summer flavor of Dolle’s saltwater taffy. “Most craft beer enthusiasts love IPAs, but on a hot summer day it can be rough getting down a big, bitter beer,” Olintz said via email recently of Flying Dog’s new Saltwater IPA . “So I thought if we created a beer See BEER Page 16