Ocean City’s annual fall festival kicks off Thursday at the inlet PAGE 51
FREE GOLF: Issuance of passes for rounds of golf at city-owned course a concern to one city councilman, who says there’s ‘no accountability’ PAGE 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . 46 CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . 73 ENTERTAINMENT . . . . 53 LEGALS . . . . . . . . . . . 75
LIFESTYLE . . . . . . . . . 49 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . 20 OUT&ABOUT . . . . . . . . 62 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . 36
LADY SEAHAWKS SOAR PAST BULLDOGS IN SEASON OPENER…PAGE 36
Ocean City Today SEPTEMBER 14, 2012
WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET
Bikes ready to
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2012 MUNICIPAL ELECTION
Former council president files for November election Mitrecic’s 2010 loss to Ashley ushered in new council majority ZACK HOOPES ■ Staff Writer (Sept. 14, 2012) Former City Council President Joe Mitrecic will attempt to re-gain his seat in this November’s contest, potentially ramping up partisan tension in an already-strained election season. Mitrecic, who filed his candidate’s papers this week, served on council from 2002 to 2010, spending his last four years as council president. He was unseated by a narrow margin, with current Councilman Brent Ashley edging him out by 41 votes to take his current chair. Mitrecic’s departure, and Ash-
Joe Mitrecic
ley’s arrival, ended the 4-3 majority that had been ruling the council and created a new one, as Ashley joined Council members Joe Hall and Margaret Pillas, and current Council President Jim Hall to form an alliance that went on to make a number of controversial changes. See PRESIDENT on Page 14
City to hold $10,000 from BikeFest as tent insurance ZACK HOOPES ■ Staff Writer
OCEAN CITY TODAY/NANCY POWELL
Scores of Harley-Davidson motorcycles await lookers and buyers outside the Ocean City convention center Thursday morning in preparation for OC BikeFest. The motorcycles were offered for sale by Rommel HarleyDavidson, sponsor of OC BikeFest. Two other biker-related events, Delmarva Bike Week and OC Bikes to the Beach, are also taking place this weekend. See full story on Page 49.
(Sept. 14, 2012) A sense of unease continued Tuesday between the City Council and the organizers of this week’s OC Bike Fest, as event founder Cliff Sutherland appeared before the council and was asked to front the city an additional $10,000 as collateral for
the deductable on the tents his event uses. City Solicitor Guy Ayres said Sutherland’s promotional group already pays the town $85,000 for the event. “It is an event which the town contributes a substantial amount of in-kind services for, which the event sponsors reimburse the town for, and that numSee RALLY on Page 14