Some Views On The News

Although preliminary work has already reportedly begun, ground will officially be broken tomorrow on the expansion and renovation of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City.

The $8 million-plus project will transform the western portion of the facility entirely and allow for additional bookings, expanding its revenue potential as well as those of other businesses that are affected by large conventions in Ocean City. At least, that’s what we are being told by city officials.

The project, which will add 32,000 square feet to the center, is estimated to take about one year to complete, and the second phase of the expansion that includes a performing arts center will commence afterwards, contingent on financing.

We are looking forward to seeing what kind of conventions Ocean City can book with this new expanded facility. High expectations will surely follow, and it’s going to be interesting to see if the results meet the advanced hype that led to the project receiving state and local funds.

In light of all the “summer is over” talk, spurred largely by school starting next week, Ocean City’s Hotel Week promotion, brainchild of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, is perfectly timed.

The last three weeks of August are often forgotten around here. For some, the culmination of the White Marlin Open has come to mean the end of the true summer season. While there is some rationale that the Open does conclude the busiest four- to five-week stretch of the peak season, by no means is the summer season over.

Hotel Week, which runs from Aug. 21 through Sept. 1, features about 25 hotels offering discounts on multi-night stays and in some cases free nights when a three, four or five nights are booked.

The specific offers vary among the properties, naturally, but the general value concept is worthwhile and comes at a time when people may need a little reminder that the weather is hot, the water is warm and everything is still cranking here.

Poor Fabio, the horse who became so accustomed to eating human food he became too aggressive and had to be relocated to a training facility in Texas.

Fabio, a stallion accustomed to leading his herd on Assateague, reportedly became too dangerous and too aggressive when it came to food.

This aggression likely stemmed from years of being fed food from island visitors and campers, resulting in the 18-year-old stallion becoming too domesticated for his own good.

It’s unfortunate the situation got to the point he had to be booted from the island, but Fabio is now being trained at a special facility in Texas with the hopes he will one day find a new home through adoption.