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SEPTEMBER 21, 2018
LIFESTYLE
OCEAN CITY SUNFEST One of the year’s biggest events returns to the resort featuring food, music and vendors – Page 26
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H20i-types expected, zones set Even though event moved, internet campaign suggests hundreds could show up
STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
A pair of motorcycles rumble past a storefront on Coastal Highway Friday afternoon. The photo was taken with a slow shutter speed while the camera followed the bikers to keep them in the frame.
Bikers, Florence no-shows
“It was not a complete washout, but not what we’ve come to love with a solid bike weekend,” she said. “Going into Tuesday, once the state of emergency was anBy Greg Ellison nounced, we saw a lot of cancellations.” OC BikeFest and Delmarva Bike Week organizer Staff Writer (Sept. 21, 2018) Although the National Weather Ser- Chase Micheal said the event’s usual attendance is about vice’s midweek forecasts said there was a 90 percent 150,000 people. chance that Hurricane Florence would “In my estimate, based on concert tickmake landfall more than 300 miles away, ‘In my estimate, based ets sold, we were about a quarter of the that will still too close for thousands of mo- on concert tickets sold, crowd we would normally see,” he said. torcycle enthusiasts who elected to skip the “The weather forecast is certainly somewe were about a annual BikeFest in Ocean City last weekthing I’ve never … experienced in my life.” quarter of the crowd we end. Greater Ocean City Chamber of ComSusan Jones, executive director of the would normally see.’ merce Executive Director Melanie Pursel Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Asso— Organizer Chase Micheal said the early possibility of at least tropical ciation, said less specific news reports and storm conditions here caused the bulk of Gov. Larry Hogan’s declared state of emerBikeFest participants to back out. gency, which reflected the possibility of extreme rainfall “Three days before, it was looking like it was going to and flooding elsewhere in the state, caused many bikers be bad here,” she said. “Bike Week promoters lost a lot to rethink their travel plans. See BIKEFEST Page 69
Early warnings cut BikeFest attendance by 75 percent, according to organizer
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By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Sept. 21, 2018) Although the 2018 H2O International car rally now takes place in Atlantic City, Ocean City officials are preparing for a possible onslaught of water-cooled small foreign cars next weekend. During a Wednesday meeting of the Motor Events Task Force, Mayor Rick Rick Meehan Meehan said the entire resort will be designated a Special Event Zone with reduced speeds and increased fines starting next Tuesday through Sunday. The procedure will be repeated the following week for Endless Summer Cruisin, with Special Event Zones beginning on Tuesday Oct. 2 through that Sunday. Resort Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said regardless of the gathering in Atlantic City, a significant number of H2Oi enthusiasts are expected in town. “We have individuals that were being brazen and are determined to come into town with ill will,” he said. “We are gearing up for this nuisance event.” Unlike the policies employed during the spring motor events, all speed limit signs on Coastal Highway will be switched to 30 mph, Buzzuro said. “It will be consistent from the Delaware state line to the end of Coastal Highway,” he said. “We want to slow people down and keep people See RESORT Page 68
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