Resort Town

MARLOTH PARK, South Africa - Residents of this exclusive resort town on the banks of the Crocodile River believe that humans and wild animals can live together peacefully without fences between them. And for the most part, it's been true, they say. Sure, the occasional baboon slips through an unlocked window, raids the fridge and makes a mess of a house. Elephants and giraffes block the road sometimes. Small prices to pay, residents say, for being able to spot exotic game on your way to the post office.

Residents and visitors of the popular Dewey Beach resort north of Ocean City in Delaware were shocked this week when police announced they were investigating the first murder in the town since it was incorporated in 1981. Early Tuesday, Delaware State Police were searching for Pawan Kumar, 26, of Wilmington, Del., in connection with the alleged first-degree murder of Danielle Mehlman, 26, of Bensalem, Penn., in a Coastal Highway motel room police believe they were sharing.

Streams of people flowed back into Ocean City after the mandatory evacuation order for Hurricane Irene was lifted Sunday, and many of them headed straight for the beach. "It's bigger, it's better," said Annamarie Rohrer, who was sitting in the sun with her daughter within two hours of the town's reopening. She marveled at how the storm's erosion had widened the beach's usable space. "I was worried that the hurricane was going to wash it all away," Rohrer said. "But now we're all not sitting on top of one another.

Ocean City isn't afraid of a little horsing around. In an effort to boost tourism, the Town Council will hold a final vote next week on a proposal to allow horseback riding on the beach Nov. 1 to March 30. The proposed amendments to the town's animal ordinance allow horseback riding "beginning at the northernmost extension of 27th Street and extending south to the south end jetty. " Riding in any dune area or nesting area would be prohibited. Visitors would need to secure a permit at a cost of $50 for each horse, limited to two riders.  Additional riders could be added for $25.

OCEAN CITY'S Roland E. "Fish" Powell, stepping down after 10 years as mayor of Maryland's premier resort town, can take pride that he left the resort town in better shape than he found it.The past decade saw the start of a $30 million expansion of the city's convention center, beach replenishment and traffic-control improvements along eight-lane Coastal Highway. There have been less-noticed infrastructure enhancements, too, such as new water-pumping and garbage-transfer stations, and a new District Court and public safety building.

CAMBRIDGE - Cambridge is easy to miss. The city sits off U.S. 50 along the banks of the Choptank River and often goes unnoticed by motorists on their way to Ocean City. But many residents here hope that changes soon. Since the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort opened here last year, tourism has become the city's top draw. And developers are proposing thousands of new homes for the open space and waterfront land in the area. "I get into conversations with other people in the planning and zoning business and the buzz is all Cambridge," says Sharon Johnston, a Realtor with Long & Foster Cos. In an area that never has drawn much attention to itself, city leaders believe that buzz may be just what is needed to shake off a decades-long economic slump and bring new energy to the region.

It was serendipity.There I stood, chatting with Wally, the volunteer in the Scottsdale Historical Museum (also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse), when Patricia Seitters Meyers wandered in with an armload of books -- her books. On Scottsdale.Ms. Meyers, an arts and entertainment writer for the Arizona Republic, wrote what could be considered the definitive history (aptly called "Scottsdale -- Jewel in the Desert") of this long ribbon of a town that bumps up to Phoenix in the west, Mesa to the east, Tempe to the south and desert to the north.

Todd Ferrante, an Ocean City business owner and resident, was surveying the storm's damage Sunday morning at about 8 a.m. from the boardwalk, which had some small piles of sand caked to it. The damage he saw, he said, was cosmetic. "I have to say, Ocean City was lucky again," Ferrante said. He was looking for signs of wear at the Kite Loft, a store on the boardwalk that is in the first row of businesses along the shore, that his friend owns. The only damage he had to report back to the store's owner was one shingle missing from the roof.

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 was not a good day to be appointed Port Deposit's town administrator. The town was about to be evacuated in anticipation of the worst flooding in decades. But Rodney Hines, 64, took the challenge in stride, even though the newcomer from Illinois couldn't pronounce "Conowingo," the name of the dam about to unleash the Susquehanna's muddy waters on the town that had just named him its caretaker. Fortunately for Hines, Port Deposit has had at least two centuries of practice dealing with floods.

Residents and visitors of the popular Dewey Beach resort north of Ocean City in Delaware were shocked this week when police announced they were investigating the first murder in the town since it was incorporated in 1981. Early Tuesday, Delaware State Police were searching for Pawan Kumar, 26, of Wilmington, Del., in connection with the alleged first-degree murder of Danielle Mehlman, 26, of Bensalem, Penn., in a Coastal Highway motel room police believe they were sharing.

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 was not a good day to be appointed Port Deposit's town administrator. The town was about to be evacuated in anticipation of the worst flooding in decades. But Rodney Hines, 64, took the challenge in stride, even though the newcomer from Illinois couldn't pronounce "Conowingo," the name of the dam about to unleash the Susquehanna's muddy waters on the town that had just named him its caretaker. Fortunately for Hines, Port Deposit has had at least two centuries of practice dealing with floods.

We're several days into the fall season and the sun seems to have disappeared. So I think that's my cue to pack up the beach towels, shake off the sand, wean myself off the taffy and caramel corn die t, grab a few souvenirs and take this OC blog on hiatus. It's been a terribly exciting summer season in Ocean City . The resort town has been in the news for all the right - and some wrong - reasons. We've had visits from a hurricane, a tornado, the Dew Tour and the Jersey Shore!

Streams of people flowed back into Ocean City after the mandatory evacuation order for Hurricane Irene was lifted Sunday, and many of them headed straight for the beach. "It's bigger, it's better," said Annamarie Rohrer, who was sitting in the sun with her daughter within two hours of the town's reopening. She marveled at how the storm's erosion had widened the beach's usable space. "I was worried that the hurricane was going to wash it all away," Rohrer said. "But now we're all not sitting on top of one another.

Todd Ferrante, an Ocean City business owner and resident, was surveying the storm's damage Sunday morning at about 8 a.m. from the boardwalk, which had some small piles of sand caked to it. The damage he saw, he said, was cosmetic. "I have to say, Ocean City was lucky again," Ferrante said. He was looking for signs of wear at the Kite Loft, a store on the boardwalk that is in the first row of businesses along the shore, that his friend owns. The only damage he had to report back to the store's owner was one shingle missing from the roof.

The Town of Ocean City is ordering a mandatory evacuation for both residents and visitors of the Maryland coastal resort beginning tonight at midnight. Mayor Rick Meehan issued a local state of emergency order Thursday afternoon ordering all persons other than emergency personnel to evacuate and seek shelter elsewhere. The evacuation order initiates the third phase of the town's emergency plan. Officials enacted the plan today amid sunny skies in a resort still packed with vacationers, said Donna Abbott, communciations manager for Ocean City.

Ocean City town council member Brent Ashley just can't let go of the pump. Ashley, a staunch supporter for the idea of giving away $100,000 in free gas to Ocean City visitors, now says he will give part of his town council salary to fund the effort. He has also created a Facebook page to drum up support. Working with other members of the OC business community, Ashley said he is spearheading a grass roots effort to make good on at least some of what he feels was pledged to guests of the resort town.

The infestation has only just begun. There were only a few of them on Ocean City's boardwalk Thursday night, but within a week, the incident reports will start to spike, and so will the alcohol citations for minors. Buses will become crowded again. Traffic will swell with unreliable drivers. The June bugs will have arrived. An average of 4 million people come to this resort town every year — an estimated 200,000-250,000 this past Memorial Day weekend — but the crowd that local businesses and the town brace themselves for are the graduating high school seniors who, in a ritual exercise in excess, take over for several weeks in June.

If you thought Ocean City was crowded last weekend, turns out you were so right. The number of people flooding the resort town was up at least 15 percent over the same weekend last year, according to official estimates. Ocean City's population estimate for 2010 was 226,679. This year, there were an estimated 260,794 people in the popular Maryland beach destination. That explains why a colleague had to call seven hotels before finding an available room. With the air show, car show and the Maryland State Bar Association annual meeting, it's no surprise Ocean City was packed.

The Town of Ocean City is doing a U-turn on its recently announced $100,000 gas giveaway promotion. Last week, the promo was good to go. This week, it's a real no-go. As in not going to happen. "After reflection, the council established that gas giveaway promotions in place throughout the local business community are effective and a town-sponsored giveaway would only be of benefit to a small number of visitors," town officials said in a news release today. It was just two weeks ago that OC officials excitedly announced that the resort town was "gearing up for a $100,000 free gas promotion, making it the first resort in the country to do so. Details ...  will be announced in the coming weeks.

If you thought Ocean City was crowded last weekend, turns out you were so right. The number of people flooding the resort town was up at least 15 percent over the same weekend last year, according to official estimates. Ocean City's population estimate for 2010 was 226,679. This year, there were an estimated 260,794 people in the popular Maryland beach destination. That explains why a colleague had to call seven hotels before finding an available room. With the air show, car show and the Maryland State Bar Association annual meeting, it's no surprise Ocean City was packed.