Play it Safe is in its 19th year, and this may turn out to be the best summer yet for the citywide program, which aims to provide fun, supervised, drug- and alcohol-free activities for teens visiting Ocean City. So far this year, 13,000 teens have showed up at Play it Safe events, and for the first time ever the program has included more than 60 events, with new ones including rock climbing and educational activities like a “drunk driving simulator” that allows teens to safely experience how scary it can be to not be in control of your vehicle.

There isn’t much time left in the program, but it looks like this summer has got a good shot of beating last year’s record of 13,148 kids. Let’s hope they make it!

Full MD Coast Dispatch story here: http://www.mdcoastdispatch.com/article.php?cid=18&id=3705

Berlin has returned to the Maryland Main Street program, the state’s initiative to revitalize small towns and neighborhoods throughout the state. This means that the Ocean City’s historic neighbor will be able to receive funding and training from the program to help create new community projects, improve the standard of architecture and public art and design, and, in a new wrinkle on the 10-year-old state program, develop “green” business and government practices.

Governor O’Malley announced Berlin’s return to the program during a special visit to the town, his first trip to Berlin as governor. Local officials were excited about the visit and the announcement, pointing out that Berlin hasn’t  historically received a lot of attention from the state government, even during times of economic success. Berlin’s officials are hoping that this announcement marks the beginning of a new era for the charming town that Ocean City visitors know as an escape from the noise and crowds of the beach towns.

Delmarva Bike Week, traditionally hosted at Ocean Downs racetrack, has decided on a change of plans for this year. Rather than spending the entire week in Ocean City, the event has been redesigned as a motorcycle tour of the Delmarva peninsula, with six major stops including Ocean City and Ocean Pines as well as Salisbury, Seaford, and Wicomico County.

The new road map is a creative solution to the problem caused by heavy bike traffic in Ocean City during previous Bike Weeks. Keeping bikes moving is intended to reduce the pressure on OC’s roads as well as giving bikers more of a chance to, well, ride their bikes. That’s why the slogan for this year’s event is “This year we ride.”

OC businesses shouldn’t worry too much about the lost business from the bikers. The organizers are planning big events at local venues including Seacrets,  Sunset Marina, Francis Scott Key resort, and, of course, Harley-Davidson of Ocean City. In the meantime, the tour’s shorter stay in Ocean City will mean more peace and quiet for non-riding tourists and families. Let’s hope this is one compromise that makes everyone happy.

Last time I was in Ocean City, I talked to a lifeguard who was working his first summer. Just the day before I spoke with him, he’d performed his first ever rescue, on a little girl who’d gotten caught in an undertow. Not being the strongest swimmer int he world, I was kind of relieved to hear that the rescue had gone well and the girl was fine. Nothing like knowing you’re in good hands, right?

Thanks to Ocean City’s Beach Patrol, this year thousands of beachgoers will know that same feeling. That’s because with the high point of the summer season comes an exhaustive effort to make sure that lifeguards are ready for whatever challenges may come their way. In addition to the demanding physical tests applicants to the job must pass, new guards receive 9 days of training and three weeks of supervised probation. Returning lifeguards must re-take their lifeguard tests each year they work, in addition to participating in regular drug tests. Guards who drive dune buggies must also be re-certified to be sure that they remember how to safely maneuver the vehicles.
And while some parts of the country are having to cut down on lifeguards due to a shortage of  available young people, the town of Ocean City is actually hiring additional guards this summer to deal with the peak crowds, making sure that every station will be manned throughout the day, and extra guards will be on hand in case of emergencies.

So those of us who have not had a swimming class in a while, or who just happen to have seen Jaws a little bit too soon before going on vacation, can relax — we’re being watched over by the best lifeguarding force Ocean City has seen yet.

The Ocean City council has just given its approval to an event for next summer that could become a new annual tradition. Beachfest is the name of the new event, which will include a  variety of extreme-sports competitions, as well as a 13-mile “half-marathon.” While there were some concerns about the half-marathon,  since it could mean stopping traffic on Coastal Highway and Baltimore Avenue, the council as a whole was very enthusiastic about the proposition. In addition to potentially bringing visitors to Ocean City the weekend of June 19-21, typically a lull in tourism, and helping out the hotel and restaurant businesses, Beachfest is intended to get kids excited about being physically active. Kids will get a chance to meet professional skaters, surfers and more, as well as learning about non-traditional sports like skateboarding and body-boarding.

The event will mostly take place in and around the Convention Center, with skating events being held at the Ocean Bowl skatepark. Since skating and music are so closely tied in youth culture, it’s hard to imagine that a few bands wouldn’t be invited to take the Convention Center stage over the weekend. Stay tuned(and check Hear Music in Ocean City) for more details.

Everyone I talked to in Ocean City this week was really excited about the upcoming Art’s Alive! festival this weekend. Running all weekend, from 9 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday, the art show highlights a variety of art forms including Ceramics, Drawing, Fiber, Furniture, Glass, Printmaking, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Fine Wood. Visitors will have the opportunity to buy art, as well as to vote for their favorite artists to win People’s Choice ribbons. Local acoustic musicians will perform throughout the show at Northgate Park.
The Worcester County Arts Council is also continuing their tradition of sponsoring free art workshops for children all weekend. It’s a great opportunity for kids to create something to take home and hang on the wall.

And I had a blast!

I talked to so many amazing people, from multi-generational groups who’d been coming since the grandparents were kids themselves, to families taking their kids for the very first time. One grandmother rocked a baby while his parents and siblings dug a moat around their castle; a pair of teenage BFFs got there first thing in the morning and hung out around their castle all day. The knights from Medieval Times put on a great show, as did DJ Rupe, who’s celebrating 25 years working in Ocean City this week. George Zaiser, an art teacher and professional sand sculptor, gave the kids some tips before getting started on his own amazing work of sand art.

I spent some time talking to the amazing leaders of Play it Safe, who are really happy with the turnout they’ve had this year. They’re doing 65 events this summer, including new activities like rock climbing and miniature golf. All of the teens in the program seemed to be having a great time, laughing and working together with their friends. And the Parrothead volunteers did a terrific job helping out, always ready with hoses to moisten the sand and spray the teams’ creations with water and Elmers’ Glue to preserve their work all day.

Congratulations to all the winners, and to everyone who participated! There were some really terrific sand sculptures out there. Look for future posts for pics and video of the whole fabulous day.

Lately the news has been a lot of doom and gloom — economic recession, global warming, sky-high gas prices, etc, etc. Obviously this creates a bit of a situation for the people responsible for trying to get tourists to come to Ocean City this summer: people watching the TV these days are not likely to be especially receptive to an invitation to relax and unwind at the beach. “Wait, vacation? But Brian Williams just said that gas will be $10 a gallon next year! I should be starting stockpiles already!”

The solution, dreamed up by the OC department of tourism, is to stop fighting the dominant discourse and just go along with it. Okay, it’s the end of the world as we know it… what better time to go to the beach? The ads now airing on regional channels point out that due to global warming, eventually the oceans are all going to evaporate, so why not enjoy them while you still can, at Ocean City? You can see the ad on YouTube here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=s27Ilv84bj4&fmt=18 Yes, that really is the Mayor’s voice you hear. The campaign also includes related newspaper ads.
So far, the campaign is getting a big response, including an article on the front page of the FOX news website as well as in local papers like Ocean City Today. Making light ofthe big issues is risky business, but one thing’s for sure — it’s definitely getting attention.

It’s the event so nice, they named it after us! 

In case nobody has told you yet, this weekend is the seventh annual Oceancity.com Sandcastle Contest.  What could be more fun? The contest is open to kids, teens and adults, and features exhibition and artistic guidance from professional sand sculptors like Randy Hofman and Mark Venit. Entertainment for participants and spectators will include live bands, DJs and, in a Sandcastle Contest tradition, knights from Midieval Times restaurant performing a live joust! Refreshments will be provided for participants.

The contest is hosted by the Castle in the Sand hotel, on their beautiful oceanfront beach. Proceeds from the event are going to Play it Safe, the organization that helps keep Ocean City’s young visitors out of trouble by sponsoring fun, supervised activities throughout the summer. A special division of the competition is reserved for teens participating in the Play it Safe program.

In other words, how could you *not* have a great weekend?

Today the cast and “crew” of the OC Air Show are getting ready to amaze and impress Ocean City with a dazzling display of stunt flying and aerial maneuvers. This afternoon you can see the pilots rehearsing, as well as experiencing an open house at the Ocean City Municipal Airport, where you can see the planes and meet some of the pilots as they prepare for the show.

The shows themselves are tomorrow and Wednesday, starting at noon. Admission is free, but get there early to make sure you get a good view. And be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen, hats, shades, etc — it’s going to be a bright and sunny week.