50th Anniversary of Underdog, Rapid T. Rabbit Highlight This Year's Doo Dah Parade

DOO DAH NEWS: We have just heard from our good friend Richard Concepcion, AKA Rapid T. Rabbit, that he will bring his group of colorful costumed characters back to our Doo Dah Parade for the 20th consecutive year.

The brigade comes from throughout the United States to be in this event, one from as far away as California. Richard is featured in a public access TV Show in New York City and works there as a TV technician. 

And yes, Suzanne Muldowney returns to Doo Dah this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Underdog.

Doo Dah has matured into a weekend: The 500 basset hounds will be back for the Parade on Sat., April 12th starting at noon. On April 11th, they will compete in their humorous and endearing Olympics starting noon at the Tabernacle Grounds, 6th and Asbury Ave. This is a free event. 

Peter Funt, star of Candid Camera, will be grand marshal, and present a retrospective of the legendary TV Show, Fri., April 11th starting 7 p.m. at the Music Pier. Admission is a donation of non -perishable foods to the Ocean City Ecumenical Council Community Food Cupboard. An Abbott and Costello tribute will be held at the Library on Friday evening featuring Bud Palmer and Lou Sciara, named the two best impersonators of A and C in the country.

Dr. Joel Goodman will be back with an afternoon program on humor on Friday. April 11th at the Library, 17th and Simpson Ave., admission free. Goodman has presented his popular and humorous talks on all seven continents of the world. To enter the Doo Dah Parade call (609) 525-9300, after hours and on weekends (609) 364-4010 or email msoifer@ocnj.us. 

Like shaving cream pies? Participate in the Doo Dah’s non-violent PieAsco after the Parade in front of the Music Pier. Smush and be smushed by a shaving cream pie, the kind Soupy Sales used on his syndicated TV shows and earn your PieAsco certificate.

FREE EVENTS AT THE OCEAN CITY LIBRARY: (March 8) TED Talk Video and Discussion Series, 11 a.m. till noon, Main Lecture Room N110. For details on program contact Karen (609) 399-2434 ext. 5238. (March 8) free Saturday Afternoon Movie, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,”(2013 rated PG-13) 2 to 4 p.m. in the Main Lecture Room. (March 11) Bay Atlantic Symphony Lectures, presented by Paul Mack Somers, A Look and Listen to Standard Musical Forms: What are a Symphony, Sonata, a rondo, minuet, scherzo? And how to hear them, 10:30 a.m., Main Lecture Room. The Library also offers free classes in Writing, Spanish and meditation plus much more. Call Karen or access newsletters@oceancitylibrary.org.

Both the Ocean City Arts Center, 17th and Simpson Ave. and Ocean City Fine Arts League, 608 Asbury Ave. present free monthly exhibits by outstanding local and regional artists. Call the Arts Center (609) 399-7628 or the League (609) 814-0308 for more information. 

REMINDER: The Boardwalk Merchants Assn. will sponsor two Easter Egg Hunts this year, one on April 12th at 2:30 p.m. after the Doo Dah Parade from 11th to 14th St. on the Beach (5 age groups, 100,000 eggs, 5000, with prizes, rain date April 13) and April 19th at 2:30 p.m., same date as the morning Woofin’ Paws Pet Fashion Show, rain date, April 20.

SOMETHING FISHY: The Flanders Hotel is holding a Name That Fish Contest. They have a new mascot in fish costume that would appreciate a memorable name. This is your chance to gain notoriety by naming a mascot that will some day be as famous as Martin Z. Mollusk! You must also explain why you chose the name. Winning contestant will receive a free lunch for two at Emily’s and a photo shoot with the new mascot not to mention the satisfaction of naming a mascot. This will be impressive on your resume. Post your entry under the fish photo www.facebook.com/TheFlandersHotel.com. Winner will be announced on May 1st.  

With all of this snow, I’m becoming nostalgic for those mild, refreshing spring and summer mornings when a crow’s cry haunts the neighborhood. And so my poem…

Professor Crow:

All morning he confronts the land

And lectures in the future tense

It’s language I don’t understand

And yet the sound makes sense…