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JUNE 23, 2017
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
LIFESTYLE
OCEAN CITY ART’S ALIVE Festival at Northside Park this weekend will feature at least 90 artists selling their wares – Page 49
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Voters to decide arbitration in ‘18 No special election will be set for referendum on local fire union’s bargaining chip
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (June 23, 2017) Opponents and proponents of allowing local government or the local firefighters’ union to turn to binding arbitration when contract negotiations reach an impasse will have until Nov. 6, 2018 election to think about it. That’s when Ocean City voters will address the arbitration question petitioned to referendum by the union earlier this year. During Monday’s session, the City Council agreed to put the question on the ballot next election instead of scheduling a special election on Aug.
18. The vote was 6-0, with Councilman John Gehrig absent. The decision to put binding interest arbitration on the 2018 election apparently came before the session, as there was no further discussion on the matter on Monday. It also contrasted with earlier attitudes, since the council deadlocked on the same matter during the June 13 session. During that meeting, Councilman Wayne Hartman argued to put the question before voters in August because he felt the issue was too important to be lumped in midterm and council elections. He was backed by Councilmen Matt James and Tony DeLuca. Hartman said after that meeting, however, that the 3-3 vote made him do some research to back up his reaSee REFERENDUM Page 5
Old bowl still lingers long after Dew Tour departure City thought it had a great deal when it got to keep it, but now it isn’t all that sure
KATIE TABELING/OCEAN CITY TODAY
FLYING HIGH A member of the “Black Dagger” United States Army Special Operations Command Parachute Team coasts down to the drop zone near 17th Street during last Saturday’s OC Air Show.
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (June 23, 2017) Pieces of the late great Dew Tour skate bowl, called a “monster” structure by some resort officials, is rusting in a storage lot on Keyser Point Road in West Ocean City, and it’s going to stay there indefinitely until the city figures out what to do with it. The problem is that hunk of concrete and steel is a large piece of the puzzle that is the Third Street recreation complex, which is slated for construction this fall. “We’ll need to decide soon what to do with that park, since soon we’ll need to factor in the new tram facility See FATE Page 4
PHOTO COURTESY HAL ADKINS
The Dew Tour skate bowl lays in pieces at a storage lot in West Ocean City.