NOT IMPOSSIBLE: The Lankford
ART FOR ART’S SAKE:
Hotel gets more than its 15 minutes of fame, it gets a full episode on the Travel Channel’s ‘Hotel Impossible’ … PAGE 1C
It’s all about the arts this weekend and every Thursday … PAGE 1B
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . 1C CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . . 10C ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . 5B LEGALS . . . . . . . . . . . . 14C
LIFESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . 1B OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . 36A OUT&ABOUT . . . . . . . . 19B SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . 30A
DEW TOUR AND ALL THAT IT BRINGS TO TOWN STARTS THURS ... PAGE 30A
Ocean City Today JUNE 14, 2013
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Rough, rowdy, unruly? It might have seemed that way to many, but police say it wasn’t that unusual NANCY POWELL ■ Staff Writer
BYE, PLANE
Thursday after the ordinance was passed. However, Ashley said, he had not yet received the usual notice that the ordinance had been signed and registered, and thus called City Hall the next day to confirm that the new parking ordinance was a done deal. After contacting the office of the city solicitor, he discovered that the law had not been signed. The Cale-brand ticket meter was immediately covered with the usual canvas bag, and the new signage re-
(June 14, 2013) It seemed like a rough, unruly weekend in Ocean City, but according to police, it might have been par for the course in June. “We’re not saying it’s worse,” said Public Information Officer Mike Levy of the Ocean City Police Department on Tuesday. “But we’re trying to determine the cause. We’re trying to determine if it’s just part of a larger problem or if it is just the consequence of particular demographics of people who visited us this weekend.” Levy would not venture a guess as to whether most of the problems were caused by recent high school graduates celebrating Senior Week or people attending a particular event in the resort. “It would be irresponsible of us to try to label it as one particular thing when the information we’re analyzing may say something else,” he said. June is typically the busiest month of the year for police. Calls for service can increase from about 4,000 calls per month in earlier months to about 17,000 calls for service in June. In May 2011, police had about 7,000 calls for service. In June 2011, they had about 14,000 calls for service. In May 2012, they had about 7,500 calls for service and that number jumped to about 16,000 in June 2012. “June is the heaviest time period,” Levy said. Although some people think visitors have been more unruly this June and especially last weekend, “perception is not
See METERS on Page 3A
See REPORTS on Page 4A
OCEAN CITY TODAY/SHEILA R. CHERRY
Civilian stunt pilot Mike Wiskus rehearses last Thursday for the weekend’s 2013 Ocean City Air Show, as the U.S. National Aerobatic Champion put his Lucas Oil Pitts stunt plane through its paces above Coastal Highway and 94th Street.
Meehan yet to sign new parking ordinance Controversial additions to be inactive until approved, vetoed, or passed by default ZACK HOOPES ■ Staff Writer (June 14, 2013) Like some sort of ghostly lollipops, the signs proclaiming City Hall’s new parking fees have remained wrapped in black plastic trash bags this week, as Mayor Rick Meehan
has not yet signed into law the city’s controversial ordinance for additional paid parking. “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Meehan said this week in regards to what his action will be. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback.” The concealment of the city’s new parking apparatus is apparently the result of a complaint received by Councilman Brent Ashley, who said at this week’s City Council meeting that he had been alerted that paid parking was in effect the