AUGUST 2, 2013
Ocean City Today
NEWS 45A
READERS’ FORUM true effectiveness of enacting such legislation lies not in enforcement, but in sending the message to visitors that their concerns are recognized and that steps are being proactively taken to address these concerns. Perception is everything; poor perceptions of Ocean City are likely the root of why our town was shunned by the Baltimore Sun. We need to change these perceptions. Ocean City’s tourism economy is at a critical juncture. Those who do not believe so should consider the fate of Wildwood during the 1970s. Wildwood had allowed itself to be overrun by partying young adults, whose behavior effectively collapsed the town’s economy by encouraging families to seek alternative vacation destinations. Rebuilding the city’s brand took years of hard work, but today, Wildwood is widely acclaimed for its family-friendliness. The future of Ocean City is not hopeless, but measures need to be taken now. The crucial first step is for our leaders to summon the courage to candidly, transparently recognize and address the problems that we are facing. If they cannot do so, they should step aside and let others take the lead in the interest of preserving our town’s economic well-being. There is no longer room for egos. The actions that follow this step could perhaps return our tourism economy to the peak years we enjoyed during the late 1980s and 1990s. And maybe one day, the pride we feel from again being endorsed by media outlets as a worthy destination will replace our present, misguided feelings of being automatically entitled to such recognition.
Continued from Page 44A
Joseph L. Kroart III Ocean Gallery Fine Art Centers, Inc.
OC needs to nix knives and machetes Editor, Is it only a remnant of the town’s people that recognize how drastically Ocean City has changed? It seems that a floodgate has been opened with a large percentage of the lower socioeconomic inner city undesirable crowd being given a free pass to come to Ocean City. And they bring with them their typical violent, aggressive and loud behaviors. Simply following the news reported by The Dispatch, Ocean City Today and The Daily Times, anyone can clearly observe an intensity and frequency in the types of violent crimes our vacation resort communities are experiencing. Examine the incidents reported by The Dispatch concerning an altercation at the Denny’s Restaurant around
4:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 13. The Ocean City police responded to the parking lot of the Denny’s restaurant in the area of 112th Street for a reported weapons violation. A person identified as Stephen Dayaram Jagtiani, 30, of Falls Church, Va., threatened other visitors with a machete weapon because they questioned his aggressive driving through the restaurant’s parking lot, which endangered themselves and others. On Wednesday, July 17 during the midafternoon, a Delaware State Police chased a dangerous man, armed with a machete down Coastal Highway. The chase involved other cars being hit before the man was apprehended for a hit and run accident in Rehoboth Beach. Albeit, this individual was not staying in Ocean City; his lack of regard for
others adversely impacted our vacation resort communities. Just earlier this week, there were two additional fights involving knives. Three men were arrested after a fight on a crowded downtown beach in the middle of a busy Sunday afternoon after an Ocean City Beach Patrol surf rescue technician was threatened. This reportedly occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Ocean City police responded to the beach at N. Division Street for a reported group of disorderly males. The request for assistance came from an Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguard, who told police he approached the group to speak with them, at which time one of the suspects threatened him. An incident involving a Connecticut man resulted in him being charged
with first-degree assault this week after pulling a knife and nearly stabbing a resort bar owner during a scuffle. This particular incident occurred around 1:40 a.m. on Monday. I suppose these four incidents should dispel the myth that seems to be held by Ocean City Mayor and City Council that there is only an increase in crime during the month of June; then all peace and safety are magically restored in July and August. What a joke! When do they plan to wake up and take action to restore peace and safety in Ocean City? I can’t imagine upper middleclass families wanting to continue coming to Ocean City to be exposed to these types of incidents. Rachel Fiorello Ocean City
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