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Pole Dancer Stirs Controversey on OC Boardwalk

Don Rush

OCEAN CITY, Md. (AP) - A weekend street performance by a pole dancer on the Ocean City Boardwalk is, not surprisingly, getting some attention.

Ocean City officials say they received numerous complaints that the performance by woman in a bikini on a portable stripper pole is inappropriate for the family-friendly boardwalk.

Numerous street performers work the boardwalk for tips. A town ordinance regulating street performers was rescinded in 2012 after a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union argued the rules were an impermissible restriction on free speech.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan tells WBOC-TV in Salisbury that he is not a fan of the performance but he does not believe the town has the authority to restrict it. The town issued a statement saying it is reviewing its legal options.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.