OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
JULY 12, 2019
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
SPORTS
LITTLE LEAGUE ALL STARS Berlin teams have won two state titles and three district championships, thus far – Page 77
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Neck injury victim saved by fast action After diving into shallows, man left unable to stand
MORGAN PILZ/OCEAN CITY TODAY
FULL FOURTH An estimated 300,000-350,000 people visited the resort during the July 4 weekend, filling up the Boardwalk and beach.
By Josh Kim Staff Writer (July 12, 2019) The sharp eyes and precise teamwork of several Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguards helped save the life of a visitor Ben Paepcke who suffered severe neck and spine injuries on July 4. Benjamin Paepcke, 19, of Baltimore, ran across the sand with two of his friends near the 38th Street beach and dove into shallow waters. The two friends got up, laughed and continued to play around in the water, not noticing that Paepcke had yet to stand. Beach patrol Crew Chief RJ Hayman, a four-year veteran of the group, See MOTHER Page 69
Hotels vie with online rentals Number of rooms rises, as does competition for people to occupy them By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (July 12, 2019) How to fill the ever-expanding stock of hotel rooms in light of the increasing popularity of online short-term vacation rental sites, dominated a Tourism Commission discussion this week about putting more heads in beds. Councilman Matt James, who chairs the commission, opened the latest review of the Tourism Strategic Plan’s top five longrange goals as part of a process that began in February. The plan
is to be updated by 2021. The focus during the commission meeting on Monday was goal four: expanding tourism. Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City HotelMotel-Restaurant Association, said the growing number of lodging options appears to be affecting room prices. “There’s been some rate wars going on so far in … season because of the inventory,” she said. To further tilt the scales in the wrong direction, Jones said online rentals continue to grow in popularity. Judging by online traffic for hotel and motel websites compared to short-term rental platforms, such as VRBO and
Airbnb, Jones said traditional lodging options appear to be losing market share. “It’s really shifting in what visitors are looking for, which is why we have to be so cognitive about making sure we collect the [room] tax,” she said. Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce CEO Melanie Pursel said many online shortterm rental platforms are pursuing high dollar national advertising campaigns. “It’s every other commercial,” she said. To make matters worse, Jones said, other online sites are expanding to include short-term vacation rentals. See HOTELS Page 71
PUNCH THROWN
SUBMITTED ANONYMOUSLY
A frame from a video shot by a beachgoer shows a woman identified as Jennifer Cameron, 23, of Hyattsville, taking a swing at Ocean City Beach Patrol’s Kade Ramm on Sunday about 5 p.m. at 13th Street. Patrol members were escorting Cameron and others off the beach for allegedly consuming alcohol. Charges are pending.
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JULY 12, 2019
Ocean City Today
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JULY 12, 2019
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Ocean City Today
STEAK & SHRIMP
GREG ELLISON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Hefty crowds filled the Boardwalk on July 4 to watch the extensive fireworks show downtown, which illuminated the night sky to celebrate the Independence Day holiday.
Holiday weekend attracts estimated 300,000 crowd PAN-SEARED AHI TUNA By Morgan Pilz Staff Writer (July 12, 2019) Sunny weather and a governor-sanctioned day off for state employees allowed many people to take a four-day holiday for the Fourth of July celebration, and that extra time helped make a traditionally good time better. Fourth of July weekend is always busy, Town of Ocean City Communications Manager Jessica Waters said. “Fourth of July is the peak of our season. It’s the busiest weekend of the year,” Waters said. “We saw large crowds starting on Wednesday and all through the end of the weekend. Certainly, the weather plays into that, especially when our activities are dependent on the weather.” This year’s holiday drew a crowd
in excess of 300,000 in Water’s estimation, although she acknowledged there is no such thing as a precise head count. “There’s no way of telling, but it’s certainly one of our largest crowds of the year,” Waters said, adding that excellent weather had to be a factor this year. “We saw extremely large crowds … it was fantastic.” The lodging industry fared well, as hotels were close to filling on July 4 and 5, Susan Jones, president of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, reported. “Saturday was, of course, very strong. Although having a holiday in the middle of the week can be a disSee WEATHER Page 10
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