July 11, 2025

Dear Friends,

Please join me in thanking the entire city team, all our community volunteers and everyone who pitched in during an exceptionally busy Fourth of July Weekend.

The weather was perfect and while we were enjoying the beach, bay, boardwalk and all of Ocean City, they were fully staffed and working long hours keeping us all safe, making sure the town was clean, and running a variety of events. The success of Ocean City as “America’s Greatest Family Resort” is founded on public safety and cleanliness, and we’re lucky to have such dedicated and experienced teams on our side.   

City, county, state, Chamber of Commerce and Ocean City Healthy Living Advisory Council representatives joined me on Thursday morning for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of our new outdoor fitness park next to the Ocean City Civic Center, just off the Boardwalk at Sixth Street.

The facility is free for the public to use and will be open dawn to dusk daily. The park includes 12 single-use pieces of equipment and two large multi-use pieces. Each piece is designed specifically to withstand harsh weather and heavy usage with safety in mind. Users can download the Kompan Outdoor Fitness app for free workouts specific to the equipment. 

The concept originated with our Healthy Living Advisory Council and I want to thank them for helping to see the project through.

I had the honor on Monday – on behalf of City Council and the entire community – of presenting a proclamation to Margaret Schock upon reaching the milestone of her 100^th birthday. The presentation was part of a birthday celebration at The Shores. She also received a "Piece of the 'Walk" honoring her service as a community volunteer. I also had the special pleasure of giving her a brass ring from the Wonderland carousel as a reminder to never stop reaching for the stars.

Margaret has enjoyed summers in Ocean City for her entire life, and she retired here in 1991 after receiving undergraduate and occupational therapy degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and launching a successful career as an OT with school districts and private patients. Please join me in congratulating her on this milestone and wishing her continued health and happiness.

Be safe and have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jay A. Gillian
Mayor