Ocean City Md Convention Center

Indecent exposure lingering problem in resort

OCEAN CITY -- Nicole Duchesneau had traveled almost 400 miles to Ocean City for a car show one weekend when she and group of friends, about 10 guys, decided to hang out after a night at Seacrets.

Around 2:50 a.m., they stood on Coastal Highway where they drank beer and mooned drivers and pedestrians.

"I think it was a hysterical thing," Duchesneau said, looking back on the incident that occurred almost two years ago.

But a night of fun and pranks quickly came to an end when police were called.

"It was mooning," Duchesneau said. "It wasn't like I had my clothes off or was being disrespectful."

The Rhode Island resident, who was 26 at the time, was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, possession of an alcoholic beverage in a prohibited place and drug possession.

Mooning, or any public display of an individual's breasts or genitals, carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison under Maryland law. The individual can also be fined up to $1,000.

"Indecent" encompasses a wide range of acts that include an individual urinating outside to public masturbation.

Duchesneau is one of hundreds of thousands of tourists who travel to the town of Ocean City every year. The town markets itself as a family-friendly vacation destination.

Ocean City's population, 7,102, is relatively low outside of tourist season, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. That number grows exponentially during the summer months, when more than 300,000 people have flocked to the town for Fourth of July weekend or the recent Dew Tour.

While the town is known to attract young tourists each year for events such as Senior Week, its marketing campaigns are aimed at families.

"We have always billed ourselves as a family destination," said Susan Jones, director of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association. "I don't think that would change at any time in the future. We love that demographic. We're well suited for all families."

In a sample of 21 cases where the defendant was charged with indecent exposure or perverted practice in Ocean City, 76 percent were between the ages of 18-28, according to court records. Almost all of them lived either out of state or outside of the Delmarva region.

Indecent exposure complaints tend to increase with temperatures; however, the number of complaints every year remains low compared to other crimes. They make up a small portion of the total calls for service and account for less than one percent of the police department's total calls for service.

Pennsylvania CC Achieves Gold LEED Certification; Ocean City (Md ...

Two convention centers recently had good news to share about their expansion efforts.

The Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia finished up a long-awaited expansion and renovation earlier this year and snagged the U.S. Green Building Council’s Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

In March, the Pennsylvania CC opened its doors to a 239,000 square foot expansion that boosted its total to 679,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

During the construction process and existing efforts at the center highlighted ways in which it was being made more environmentally friendly.

“We are in the process of moving the entire facility to a more sustainable footprint,” said Ahmeenah Young, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, which oversees the facility.

Just a few of the green efforts include having construction waste diverted from landfills during the demolition process, water-use reduction and optimization of the facility’s energy performance.

Besides the obvious benefit of helping the planet, pushing for more sustainability at the center also helps to reduce costs and creates better indoor environmental quality, according to Young.

“Managing costs and looking for greater efficiencies are all part of our charge to be stewards of the taxpayers’ investment in this facility,” she added. “We are excited about the certification.”

Further over on the East Coast, the Maryland Board of Public Works recently approved an $8.15 million contract to begin the expansion of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Md.

“Ocean City is a prime example of a partnership with the State of Maryland that has been successful for the entire state,” said State Treasurer Nancy Kopp.

The Whiting-Turner Construction Company was hired to oversee the project that will add 32,000 square feet of exhibit space to a new lower exhibit hall and a new bay front ballroom addition.

Completion is expected in October 2012, and the total project cost, including design fees, is $9.3 million, with $5 million being paid by the town of Ocean City through a 50 cent food tax collected and $4.3 million by the state.

Estimated new tax revenue for the state once completed is $1.1 million to $1.6 million annually and 300 to 400 full-time new jobs, according to Ocean City officials.

Hydrogeologic framework and the distribution and movement of brackish water in the Ocean City-Manokin aquifer system at Ocean City, Maryland

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