By TOM WILLIAMS In a column six months ago, we reflected on 25 people who had died and in whose absence Ocean City just doesn’t seem quite the same. Add George Thomas to that list (which can be found HERE). George grew up in Pennsylvania and attended Lower Merion High School, a decade after my… Read more

By TOM WILLIAMS Ocean City has a lot to offer – award-winning beach, Boardwalk, bay, entertainment, sports, amusements. Its a little short right now on movie theaters (none) and gas stations (one) and has an abundance of banks and real state offices. But the Ocean City people are a big part of its appeal. Like… Read more

By TOM WILLIAMS Things have changed a bit for Ocean City residents and visitors recently. Ward’s Pastry closed its doors last month. Express Pizza & Subs is for sale. Ocean City Surf Cafe and Starfish Cafe have both closed. And, while DiOrio’s Bar & Grill in Somers Point has no plans to close, Denny DiOrio… Read more

Tom Williams AT LARGE Radio has changed a lot in the last four decades. Today people can listen to personalized music on Pandora, Sirius-XM and other streaming sources in their car or right on their cellphone. Broadcast radio stations need now, more than ever, to find ways to attract listeners. Mike Elliott would have found… Read more

From all across the country, these members of the next generation (quarantined at home and with a little help from their parents) pay tribute to those on the front line of the CoronaVirus.

Tom Williams AT LARGE: It’s been nearly eight years since these flashbacks began appearing here. An attempt is made regularly to spend at least one week remembering the places we all used to visit that are no longer there. Probably the biggest absences recently are J.C. Penney and Sears in the Hamilton Mall, leaving Macy’s… Read more

Tom Williams AT LARGE: There is little doubt that people riding bicycles is a good thing on a couple levels. It is good for the people on the bikes because they are getting exercise and lots of fresh air. And it is good for the environment because those bikers are not driving cars, which contribute… Read more

Tom Williams AT LARGE: Miss America is back on NBC-TV. That is a good thing. The pageant will be held at the Mohegan Sun Casino-Hotel in Connecticut six days before Christmas. That is not such a good thing. As most of you know, The Miss America Pageant started in Atlantic City as a swim suit… Read more

Tom Williams AT LARGE: Last month, members of the Ocean City High School Class of 1966 got together for their 50-year reunion. The class includes people who now live all over the area – in fact, all over the country. Here is an update on some of them. Larry Allegretto: Enjoys being the bar manager… Read more

Tom Williams AT LARGE: The dictionary defines a volunteer as “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.” It would have been simpler to just use a photo of Joe Fagan. Fagan, who died last week after a difficult last year, wanted to take part, to make the… Read more