OCEAN CITY – Ocean City’s 25th annual celebration to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held Jan. 17 starting 1 p.m. at the High School’s Hughes Performing Arts Center, 6th and Atlantic Ave. This year’s celebration is dedicated to the late Rozelia Cobb, a revered special education teacher at the Ocean City Intermediate School who organized the initial program and others that followed.
It was the first tribute to Dr. King in Cape May County. Cobb made it a special event by enlisting students and young entertainers to participate because she felt it was important for them to learn about his contributions to the Civil Rights movement and his insistence on achieving social justice through non-violent means. Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and many other honors for his dedication to this cause.
Mrs. Cobb was the first African American school teacher in Ocean City. She was also named Cape May County Teacher of the Year. She organized trips to Bermuda and other locations to acquaint local African American youth with various cultures. Rozelia was a graduate of Glassboro State Teachers College, now Rowan University, and taught in Atlantic City before her tenure in Ocean City.
As Church organist and director of three choirs at the Macedonia United Methodist Church, “she readily served Ocean City with pilot programs that gave hope to the hopeless and encouraged every toddler to young adult she could get her hands on,” said her granddaughter, Charlotte Noble Thontteh. She instituted Arts and Crafts projects, Black Health and Beauty and Home Nursing Projects without public funds. She was a driving force for good in the community.
This year’s program is described as “a great tribute of music, history and fellowship.” Following the service, there will be a Soul Food Dinner prepared by the talented women of the Shiloh Baptist Church. It will be a Southern Style comfort menu to include fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn bread, collard greens and more. It will be served in the High School Cafeteria. Donations will be accepted.
A Day of Service to honor Dr. King is set for Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. Sign up, supply distribution and lunch is set for the Ocean City Community Center’s Senior Center, 18th and Simpson Ave. For information or to sign-up, contact Charlotte Moyer, 609- 399-6111 ext. 9711.
The Ocean City Environmental Commission in partnership with the Ocean City Free Public Library, 17th and Simpson Ave., announces its Thursday Evening Environmental Lecture series: (JAN. 15) Planting and Gardening by the Sea with Josh Nemeth, 7 p.m., Room N116; (Feb. 12) Birds and Birding in Cape May County with Pat and Clay Sutton, 7p.m. Room N110. Mark your calendar for up- coming lecture dates March 19, April 16, May 21 and June 11. All lectures are free; call 609-399-6111 ext. 9799 for more information.
(Jan. 24) Dog & Cat Owner’s Alert! The City of Ocean City will host a free Rabies Clinic for dogs and cats Jan. 24 from 10 a.m.-noon at the 550 Asbury Ave. Fire House. New Jersey State Statute 4:19-15.1 and City Ordinance 87-17 Sec. 11-1 require that any person owning, keeping or harboring a dog of licensing age 7 months or older or which possesses a permanent set of teeth shall in the month of January and annually thereafter, procure a license and official metal tag for each dog owned, from the Municipal Clerk’s Office.
In order to receive a dog license, the dog owner must first supply a rabies vaccination certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian indicating the animal’s duration of immunity extends throughout at least the first ten months of the 12 month dog licensing period of that municipality.
Dog licenses will be available for purchase at the time of the clinic. Licenses for dogs that are spayed or neutered are $5.20; dogs not neutered or spayed are $8. 20. Please bring your renewal letter with you. For more information, call the City Clerk’s Office (609) 525-9328, Mon.-Fri., 8:45-4:30 p.m.
(Jan 31) The Ocean City Arts Center, 1735 Simpson Ave., is hosting a bus trip to the Winter Antiques Show at the Park Ave. Armory in New York. Tickets are $45, reservations are required. The exhibition features furniture, Asian Art, American and European Silver, jewelry, porcelain, glass textiles and American Folk Art of the 20th Century. This is one of the largest antique shows in the country. The show provides visitors an opportunity to view and purchase exceptional work from 73 celebrated exhibitors. Admission to the Antiques Show is not included and costs $25. For further information or to make reservations call the Ocean City Arts Center, (609) 399-7628. For more information on show go to www.armoryonpark.org.
(Feb. 19) Ocean City will host a Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ocean City Sports and Civic Center, 6th and Boardwalk. The City and American Red Cross invite all residents, groups and businesses to donate.
To be eligible to donate blood through the Red Cross, individuals must be at least 17 years of age, in general good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and have not donated in the last 56 days. The Red Cross is especially in need of Type O Blood Donors.
Appointments are preferred but not required. To make an appointment contact City Offices at (609) 399-6111 x9365 or sign up at www.redcrossblood.org. For more information and eligibility requirements, please call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org.
For Your Calendar: The date has been set for the Second Annual Mr. Mature America Pageant. It will be held March 28 at the Music Pier. The event welcomes men 55 and older to display their talents and personalities to an appreciative audience. It is the only contest of its kind in the world and last year raised $1,000 for the City’s Food Cupboard and $1,000 for Philippine Relief. This year the contest will benefit the Food Cupboard.
To enter contest, call 609-399-6111 x9300 or email msoifer@hotmail.com.
Cape May – The Springfield Ohio mayor did say he was getting an increase of death and bomb threats in his community. He also said his city has seen a dramatic increase in ambulance calls, domestic violence…
