By Erich Wagner
Erich@MarylandReporter.com

Ocean City Convention Center

The town of Ocean City is pushing for a pair of proposals that would send $13 million in taxpayer funds its way at Wednesday’s Board of Public Works meeting.

The first is for the beachfront replenishment project, in which every four years sand from beyond the coast is pumped onto the beach to protect buildings and other structures from storm damage.

The town is also looking for the state to issue $4.8 million in bonds to pay for a 20,000 square-foot expansion of the Ocean City Convention Center.

Half of the $8.3 million beach replenishment proposal would be paid for by the state’s Program Open Space, and the other half funded by Worcester County and Ocean City taxpayers. The price tag is higher than usual because the federal government only coughed up half of its usual 53 percent of the overall cost.

Over time, sand gets washed away, so the beach needs to be reinforced periodically to protect structures, said Jordan Loran, director of the engineering and construction for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The president’s initial budget often does not include adequate funding for this project, Loran said, but the Maryland congressional delegation is usually able to secure the money. This fiscal year, they were only able to get $2.9 million, half of what the state and federal governments agreed upon when the plan was approved.

“I guess, with the economy the way it is, they got as much money as they could,” Loran said.

Del. Jim Mathias,D-Worcester,the former mayor of Ocean City, said the beach replenishment program provides economic benefits to the town.

“The program has given investors the confidence to invest and reinvest in their properties,” Mathias said. Among other things,he cited the construction of a hospital in close proximity to the waterfront.

The Ocean City Convention Center expansion is smaller than initially sought due to the economic downturn. Still, officials said the expansion is expected to allow the convention center to hold multiple events simultaneously, bringing more business to both the convention center and surrounding businesses.

The Maryland Stadium Authority recommended the plan, based on a study that said the tax revenue on convention center activities and local businesses would increase by between $1.1 million and $1.6 million. That is well over the $830,000 in debt service needed to pay back the bonds, said Michael Frenz, executive director of the Maryland Stadium Authority.

Mathias also argued that the convention center expansion would aid in Maryland’s economic recovery.

“The buzzword these days is all about jobs,” Mathias said. “It’s all about protecting and growing jobs, and that’s what this project will do.”

Mathias was hopeful that both measures will be approved when the Board of Public Works meets Wednesday. He said that Gov. Martin O’Malley has been very supportive of Ocean City as a year-round vacation spot.

“The good news is that the state has been able to protect its triple-A bond rating,” Mathias said. “These projects have a history of success, and I’ve done my part to persuade the members of the Board of Public Works.”

O’Malley was scheduled to headline a fundraiser for Mathias Tuesday night.

Story reused with permission from MarylandReporter.com.

MGH

Media Contact:

Alecia White

410-504-8324

awhite@mghus.com

For Immediate Release

Ocean City Retains MGH

as Agency of Record

MGH, the destination’s agency since 2002, awarded contract following a competitive request for proposal process

BALTIMORE (Oct. 29, 2009) – MGH, an integrated marketing communications agency, today announced it has been selected as agency of record for Ocean City, Md. MGH, which has worked with the destination in a full-service capacity since 2002, was selected following a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process among nine other agencies from around the region. The announcement comes on the heels of the agency retaining another longtime client, Towson University.

The decision came after a majority vote by Town’s City Council. The agency plans to build upon its advertising campaign, “Rodney” — the city’s “spokesguard” who rescues people from their mundane lives — which was launched in 2009. MGH will also continue to provide media buying, public relations, social media, and interactive services for the destination.

“MGH has a proven track-record of creating campaigns that not only stand out among our destination competitors in the region, but generate solid results in attracting tourists,” said Deb Turk, director of tourism for Ocean City, Md. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with MGH. “

Over the last seven years, MGH has created several noteworthy and award-winning campaigns for Ocean City, including the “Cicada” campaign launched in 2004, 2008’s “Oceans Evaporating” campaign and this past summer’s “Rodney” campaign.

“Our agency is thrilled to keep working with Ocean City, and to continue to develop creative that gets people talking, and keeps them traveling to Ocean City year after year,” said Andy Malis, MGH president. “We take great pride in the campaigns we have produced for the town, and are pleased with the results we have garnered for the destination – even in a down economy.”

About MGH

MGH is a full-service marketing communications firm offering advertising, public relations, media planning/buying, creative design and production, interactive (design, development and marketing), market research, direct response, relationship marketing and word of mouth/social media marketing.

MGH maintains a diverse client base spanning multiple industries. Current clients include Papa John’s Pizza, Texas Instruments, Visit Baltimore, the National Aquarium, Medifast, Baltimore International College, University of Maryland University College, Towson University, Nobel Learning Communities, Ocean City, Md., Department of Tourism, Smyth Jewelers and Suburban Hospital.

Based in Baltimore, MGH is one of Maryland’s largest agencies, with more than $65 million in annual billings. MGH launched the first Word of Mouth department in Baltimore more than two years ago: blog.mghwom.com. For more information on MGH and its services, visit www.mghus.com. To view our latest creative work, visit www.youtube.com/mghtv.

# # #

US Attorney’s Office

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
October 1, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md

NEW JERSEY DRUG DEALER PLEADS TO SELLING LARGE QUANTITIES OF OXYCODONE IN OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Amount of Oxycodone Sold in Just 15 Months Equals 400 to 700 Kilograms of Marijuana

Baltimore, Maryland – Joseph Bimonte, age 45, of Freehold, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, also known as Oxycontin, Roxicodone and Percocet, to conspirators who resold the drugs in Ocean City, Maryland, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

“The illegal diversion of prescription drugs can lead to permanent injury and even death for users,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to his plea agreement, law enforcement began investigating the illicit distribution of oxycodone in the Ocean City, Maryland area in April 2007. They learned that a drug dealer was selling hundreds of oxycodone pills a month and that the dealer’s source of supply was an individual in New Jersey. In July, an undercover police officer bought three pills of oxycodone from the dealer and surveillance revealed that the dealer had met with Bimonte immediately before the sale.

On July 19, 2007 the undercover police officer received an unsolicited telephone call from Bimonte. During a series of phone calls, Bimonte agreed to supply the undercover officer with additional pills. That evening, Bimonte sold ten 40 mg Oxycontin pills for $250 to the undercover officer. The next day, Bimonte called the undercover officer and offered to supply him with as many as 200 80 mg of pills for $30 a piece. Bimonte also offered to front the pills and said that dealing drugs “was about making money, not getting high.” Bimonte also described to the undercover officer his drug dealing with several other Maryland drug dealers.

In total, from May 2007 to August 2008, Bimonte sold tens of thousands of milligrams of oxycodone to the undercover police officer and others – the equivalent of 400 to 700 kilograms of marijuana.

Bimonte faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg has scheduled sentencing for January 29, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ocean City Police Department for their investigative work and thanked Worcester County State’s Attorney Joel Todd and his office for their assistance. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Mushtaq Gunja and Robert R. Harding, who are prosecuting the case.

Maryland Politics Watch

Governor Martin O’Malley made a big deal about wanting to have a “sober” Maryland Association of Counties conference last week. But one of his staffers proved otherwise by releasing a whopping 115 party-time photos to the public on Facebook. Who knew that hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts could be so much fun?

Some of the pictures were deleted and they were later access-limited but MPW has them here.

WBAL.com

An Ocean City woman arrested for burning a flag has been sentenced to probation before judgment.

Prosecutors dropped a desecration charge against 18-year-old Rebecca McKimmie, who pleaded guilty Tuesday to disturbing the peace.

Judge Daniel Mumford sentenced her to one year unsupervised probation before judgment and a $300 fine. Probation before judgment means the conviction won’t appear on her record if she meets the terms of probation.

Ocean City police said McKimmie was arrested early July 5 after officers observed her lighting an American flag on fire and walking in traffic on Route 50, causing cars to swerve before she extinguished the flag by stomping on it as officers approached.

McKimmie told police she was burning the flag to make a statement.