Editor's Blog On Annapolis
| January 29, 2008
Employee compensation is a lot like taxes in that decreasing them is almost unheard of in this country. That’s why it was startling to hear an Anne Arundel County Republican has proposed a way to consider reducing his and his colleagues’ pay. Currently, legislators make in the neighborhood of $43,500 to $56,500 per year. In many cases, that’s for a 90-day legislative session, but many officials would say the scope of their work goes far beyond just the legislature’s time in Annapolis. The senator says he’s not requesting or even suggesting lawmakers’ pay be lowered. He merely wants the law that stipulates salaries can only be raised (or lowered) every four years be changed. He said it should be on the table for discussion with all the tax increases being weighed. In 2006, legislators denied a wage increase. In 2002, a 30-plus percent raise was authorized. Insiders say the bill has no chance of passing, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
News • 4 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Blog: 2007: The Year Of Big Stories
| December 28, 2007
No matter what rag you pick up these days, from the national glossy magazines to any of our local competitors, there’s some sort of inevitable year-in-review coverage, most of which is the result of a combination of short weeks to give employees off for the holidays and the fact governments maintain light schedules the last week of most years. This publication is no exception with its year-in-review, but it’s our hope to do it in a way that does not bore you to tears like so many others do. That’s where we get the most lame-brained criminals of the year pieces, the article remembering those who have passed and the top 10 stories of 2007.
In looking back at the year that was, it’s easy to come to the general conclusion that it was a year of big stories. When putting together our top 10 stories of 2007, one thing was clear – it was a year full of noteworthy headlines, many of which will remain in the news for years to come.
Here’s some of my thoughts on each of the stories on our top 10 list:
-- No. 1: Multiple Fetuses Recovered In OC: The resort area has never been more in the national spotlight than it was during those two days in August. In hindsight, as is the case with many stories these days, the national coverage was long on sensationalism and short on merit, at least as far as the law and criminal acts were concerned. After all, the charges were dropped and life is back to normal on Sunset Drive for all involved. Nonetheless, months after that grisly discovery of multiple fetuses being stashed away in an Ocean City home and a nearby mobile home, the initial shock remains. It’s just become a topic these days most people don’t want to talk about anymore.
-- No. 2: Taxes Jeopardize Trimper’s Future: A situation many commercial and residential property owners face each year was taken to another level when the Trimper family warned it may shut down and be forced to either develop or sell its property as a result of booming property assessments. The amount of taxes the family pays has been skyrocketing in recent years, and it’s made making a profit nearly impossible, jeopardizing the landmark amusement business. Public outrage and concern soon followed the Trimper warning, and it seems today relief is in sight in the form of an historic amusement tax district, which needs the Maryland General Assembly’s approval.
-- No. 3: Adult Store Opens, Scares OC, County: Both Ocean City and Worcester County have been scrambling for the better part of the year to figure out how to keep the sex shop industry out of here. Each enacted moratoriums out of fear the one store that opened in north Ocean City will spark a surge in that particular industry. Each are now in the process of enacting strict laws limiting the businesses’ possible locations. Approximately 25 stories appeared in this paper on the topic. All the concern could be for naught because I don’t think there’s much interest in the sex shop industry, but the elected officials were right to be cautious.
-- No. 4: Smoking Ban OK’d; To Start Next Year: Some folks think this is the best news to come out of 2007, while others blast it for being anti-American. No matter where you stand, smoking will be outlawed in most indoor bars and restaurants in about five weeks.
-- No. 5: Slots Referendum Passes: Vote In ’08: Marylanders will finally make the call on slots, thanks to a handful of weak leaders in the legislature. In my mind, these legislators have given themselves a free pass. No matter what happens, if the referendum passes as expected, they have covered their butts for the future. If expanding gambling with slots is the panacea to the state’s budget woes, they are the heroes. If slots prove not to be the savior of the state’s financial crisis, which I believe will be the case, legislators can claim immunity from criticism. They will say we gave the people what they wanted. This year’s special session addressing the budget deficit was leadership at its worst.
-- No. 6: Berlin Electric Sale Collapses After Vote: A majority of citizens supported the sale of the beleaguered electric plant, despite a groundswell of opposition against it. Months after the referendum, and hundreds of thousands of town dollars was spent trying to force a deal on the table through, the entire situation turned into a fiasco with the agreement falling apart and the town still owning its own electric system. The idea of selling the plant was ill conceived from the beginning, but the worse news of all is more than $300,000 of the town’s coveted funds was wasted trying to make it happen.
-- No. 7: Boyfriend Slays Woman In West OC: The family of a local hospitality worker will never forget 2007 after a man killed Pamela Balk and beat her dog to death. There’s not much else to say here. The man has had his day in court and will be behind bars for years.
-- No. 8: State To Close Off Route 50 Bridge: What was most notable about this was the abrupt way in which it was reported at first by the State Highway Administration. It was during a ho-hum fall meeting review that the topic surfaced. The approximate 35-day closure will bring business in downtown Ocean City and parts of West Ocean City to a halt, but the state says the work to the drawbridge is critical.
-- No. 9: Father Dies Trying To Save His Kids: It’s these types of heartbreaking stories that can only happen at a beach resort. A 38-year-old father died while trying to save his two sons, 10 and 13, caught in a rip current near the Inlet. The boys were rescued by a parasailing boat and the father was recovered unconscious and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
-- No. 10: Two Deer Rescued In OC’s Downtown: There was some strange happenings with two deer in Ocean City, both of which ended with the deer being captured and taken west to greener pastures.
News • 144 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Corner
| September 10, 2007
Due to an overwhelming amount of spam that was hitting our open Forum section in recent weeks, we were forced this morning to remove it from our website. While it was a popular destination with dozens of people regularly using it to post opinions of the day, the spam artists, especially those with such offensive material it would make even the hardest of souls blush a bit, simply took it over and ruined it. We were constantly removing their advertisements and messages, but we were simply unable to keep up.
If there is silver lining here, thanks to the number of people who complained via email as well as phone calls (even the owner of this paper got a phone call at home on a Sunday afternoon) it's safe to say our online presence has arrived. Last weekend we fielded seven complaints on the forums.
Our hope is from this point forward this Blog section can allow the online communication to continue. It has been available ever since this site was launched in April, but the forums proved to be more popular. We encourage the forum users to switch over to this section to express themselves. We will be constantly checking the blog administration for new comments. In this platform, we must approve the message before it goes live on the site. That allows us to filter the offensive material and post only relevant comments of the day.
Happy blogging ...
Steve Green
Publisher/Editor
Ocean City • 12 Comments/Trackbacks
Things I Like
| September 10, 2007
The funny excuses people give cops
A happy ending to an unfortunate story
People who aren’t in it for the “thunder”
Bikers on the Boardwalk in the summer
An outside shower after a day at the beach
The unusual techniques of some crab eaters
Eating out both weekend nights
The wonderful spirit of an old dog
Concerts on the beach in Ocean City
The new Health Mart in Berlin
Cocktails on a boat
Let Us Know What You Like ....
Entertainment • 137 Comments/Trackbacks
Freeman Poll
| August 23, 2007
We recently posted a general question on this site, “What should happen to Christy Freeman?” A poll of about 250 respondents found the following results: spend the rest of life jail, 29 percent; walk free, 28 percent; be presumed innocent until proven guilty, 25 percent; be put to death, 16 percent; and be given benefit of doubt, 2 percent.
These results were surprising to us. It's unusual for the two most extreme options to lead the way. I am curious how others feel.
News • 816 Comments/Trackbacks
OC In The Spotlight
| July 31, 2007
It was a surreal experience for me being interviewed by Fox News yesterday afternoon. News Editor Shawn Soper will find out what I mean later this afternoon when he takes part in another interview with the Fox network at the riveting crime scene in Ocean City.
When I woke up yesterday morning, I knew it was going to be an interesting day. All weekend the incident involving local business owner Christy Freeman and her still-born baby was hitting the rumor circuit hard. The gossip mill was churning out some truly disturbing scenarios, most of which were more of a result of late-night partying than facts. All through the weekend, the newspaper was getting email alerts from the police department on the latest in the investigation. They were short on facts and left a lot of room for speculation
Early Monday morning, police confirmed what many already knew – additional infant bodies had been uncovered in the home and an adjacent mobile home. However, as the day unfolded, more and more disturbing details surfaced, leaving all of us shaking our heads and wondering how this type of incident was taking place in our hometown.
There were times when that could be digested, but most of the day, and week seemingly, has been filled with anxiety over seeing Ocean City, Md. all over the national news. At one point on Monday afternoon, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and Headline News all had live cameras at the Sunset Drive home. With those cameras were reporters giving reports. How many newspaper reporters were there is hard to tell.
Last night was a moment I will never forget. My wife and I were watching television and eating dinner when we turned on the cable news channels looking for the story. We didn’t have to look too hard. Nancy Grace’s show, not one of my favorites, led with it over the Michael Vick story. Being in the news business, I am always trying to determine when facts are not being introduced. Grace made a number of assumptions and clearly false statements. Certainly it was not intentional, but a few slips and the story changed.
At the top of the show, she said a baby was found in the front yard. As of Tuesday morning, no infant bodies had been found in the yard, despite an extensive to locate them if they exist. Grace went on to interview unrelated investigators, Police Chief Bernadette DiPino, local reporters and a couple lawyers familiar with the fetus statute being referred to in this case.
It’s difficult when you watch your hometown on national news not to get a little sick to the stomach. While the news junkie side of me is fascinated, there are times when it’s difficult not to be a little defensive about your home.
The national spotlight has never shined on Ocean City like it is now. Five years ago, there was the grisly double murder involving the married couple Benjamin and Erika Sifrit, but that never made national news to this story’s extent. In our newsroom, former Editor Benjamin Mook, now with The Daily Record, and I often wondered what does it take to become national news. Here we had two people who shot another couple, strangers to them before that fateful May night in 2002, dismembered them and dumped their bodies in a dumpsters in Delaware. They nearly got away with it, but their arrogance got the best of them when they brazenly tried to rob a local restaurant. While that was a big regional story with the metropolitan media outlets covering it, it never attracted the spotlight the way this incident involving Freeman has. That’s interesting to me.
Ocean City has never seen anything like this storm of publicity. It comes at the worse time, one week before the most anticipated event of the year – the White Marlin Open, the largest and richest fishing tournament in the world. As the days continue to go by, more questions will hopefully be answered in this case. There’s a lot that needs to be known, and I can’t wait to hear the details and watch how it all unfolds.
It’s an eerie feeling to be in the midst of something you know you will never forget. Yesterday was one I will remember forever. It was both shocking and horrifying and at the same time memorable for a number of reasons, including the fact it was my wife’s birthday.
Ocean City • 67 Comments/Trackbacks
Save Trimper's Site Created
| July 9, 2007
More than a dozen reasoned blogs have been posted in recent weeks on our site regarding Trimper's Rides and the ongoing state of affairs with the landmark amusement park in Ocean City. Now, a new site has been created:
http://www.savetrimpers.com
Check it out. It provides all the information you need to know as far as contacting local officials.
Ocean City • 12 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Blog-Thoughts From A Vacation
| June 15, 2007
Anyone who lives or works in the Ocean City area and especially those who operate a business in the community have a unique perspective on tourism. That’s what makes traveling from one tourist destination to another so interesting. Given that I am still suffering from a touch of jet lag from a seven-day trip to Denmark, this column will stray a bit from local ramblings and instead focus on some unique aspects of my trip because truthfully my brain is still in Europe. (Note: These thoughts were essentially put down on paper in between lunch and dinner on an eight-hour flight across the world on Tuesday.)
- Most visitors to Ocean City dream of a week of weather with sun and no rain. That’s what we got in Denmark. The skies were clear and the daytime temperatures were in the upper-80s, which is unheard of for that part of the world. A normal day temperature in Denmark is the low-60s. The only drawback to the wonderful weather was air-conditioning is not prevalent in the restaurants, hotels, buses or trains because they never need it.
- In most restaurants and cafes, it was amazing to see how few people it took for them to operate. Most of the restaurants featured a waiter, who served as the host, bartender and bus person, and a chef, who prepared all the courses, washed the dishes and all the back of the house stuff. Granted most of the places we dined were small cafes, it was impressive to see the staff handle it.
- Unlike in the United States where coins are essentially viewed as meaningless by most people, they matter in Denmark. The currency is the Kroner and nearly all of the Danish carry change purses because the coins are worth looking after. For example, one of the smallest coins in Denmark is worth about $4 here.
- Being a tourist is great. In some ways, I understand why locals often wonder if some visitors check their common sense at the bridge before coming to the resort. When you are on vacation, you are not as sharp as you might be normally. You just are not as aware about your surroundings. For instance, one morning while purchasing two lattes from a coffee shop for my wife and I, the register read 144 DKK (Denmark’s currency), which is about $26. I thought nothing of the fact that’s a ridiculous price to pay and tried to give that amount to the lady at the register. She smiled kindly and said that was not my order in her best polite English. My order actually came to 68 DKK, about $12.
- In Denmark during the summer, the sun rises shortly after 4 a.m. and sets about 10 p.m. It does not get completely dark until after midnight. When I was a kid, my parents often told me be home by dark. That general rule would seem to not work in Denmark.
- Bikes rule in Denmark, especially Copenhagen where there are large, dedicated bike lanes everywhere. It’s safe to say there are more bikes used for transportation in Copenhagen than vehicles, and the public infrastructure helps mold that culture because it makes it extremely safe and facile.
- Similar to Ocean City in early June, much of the help was being trained while we were there. Whether it was a café, hotel or restaurant, most of the employees were still trying to learn their jobs and it tested the patience. No matter their experience at their respective jobs, they knew English well as they are taught the language starting in the fourth grade.
- Europe, in general, has not followed the United States’ strong restrictions on smoking. Denmark is no exception, for the most part, as most public places allow smoking just about anywhere. However, one thing that’s interesting is the country has a strong law about posting smoking warnings because cartons contain strong language in large point. Messages like “Smoking Kills,” “Smoking Is Highly Addictive,” “Smoking Causes Lung Cancer” and “Smoking Can Kill Children” are posted directly alongside the Marlboro logo and in many cases are larger than the actual brand name.
Ocean City • 21 Comments/Trackbacks
Deer Runs Loose In OC
| June 14, 2007
It was quite a sight Wednesday morning in Ocean City as a deer was spotted in the downtown area including along
the Boardwalk. One merchant even reported the deer was
coming north on the Boardwalk to 2nd Street when it
slammed into a telephone booth and fell on to the street.
It was then seen cruising north along Baltimore Avenue
and created its last stir by slamming into a pane of glass
at Davinci's Restaurant on 15th Street and the Boardwalk. The deer was then sedated by the Ocean City Police and released near Berlin no worse for wear.
Has anyone ever had any encounters with deer in Ocean City before? I have seen numerous fox while living in north Ocean City and even some deer, however, never during the summer season.
Ocean City • 0 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Blog Memorial Day Weekend
| May 30, 2007
All indications point to a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in the Ocean City area, and that’s good news for a business community that reported a slower off-season than usual.
Although it’s wonderful to hear local businesses had a good weekend, it’s also welcome news that high gasoline prices are not deterring vacationers. In a world of change and seemingly constant transitions, it seems an outstanding weather forecast of hot, hazy and humid conditions coupled with sun and mostly dry conditions are still the critical ingredients in a recipe for success for the Ocean City area.
Memorial Day weekend has always been dependent on the weather. If the forecast looks bad for the weekend, the holiday can be a total bust, largely due to school-aged kids still being in school and families not wanting to risk the trip for poor weather.
All that went by the wayside this week. Mother Nature is largely to thank, of course, and that’s fine, but one thing the weekend did was boost expectations and bring a little optimism to a beach resort that needed it.
Ocean City • 14 Comments/Trackbacks
| January 29, 2008
Employee compensation is a lot like taxes in that decreasing them is almost unheard of in this country. That’s why it was startling to hear an Anne Arundel County Republican has proposed a way to consider reducing his and his colleagues’ pay. Currently, legislators make in the neighborhood of $43,500 to $56,500 per year. In many cases, that’s for a 90-day legislative session, but many officials would say the scope of their work goes far beyond just the legislature’s time in Annapolis. The senator says he’s not requesting or even suggesting lawmakers’ pay be lowered. He merely wants the law that stipulates salaries can only be raised (or lowered) every four years be changed. He said it should be on the table for discussion with all the tax increases being weighed. In 2006, legislators denied a wage increase. In 2002, a 30-plus percent raise was authorized. Insiders say the bill has no chance of passing, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
News • 4 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Blog: 2007: The Year Of Big Stories
| December 28, 2007
No matter what rag you pick up these days, from the national glossy magazines to any of our local competitors, there’s some sort of inevitable year-in-review coverage, most of which is the result of a combination of short weeks to give employees off for the holidays and the fact governments maintain light schedules the last week of most years. This publication is no exception with its year-in-review, but it’s our hope to do it in a way that does not bore you to tears like so many others do. That’s where we get the most lame-brained criminals of the year pieces, the article remembering those who have passed and the top 10 stories of 2007.
In looking back at the year that was, it’s easy to come to the general conclusion that it was a year of big stories. When putting together our top 10 stories of 2007, one thing was clear – it was a year full of noteworthy headlines, many of which will remain in the news for years to come.
Here’s some of my thoughts on each of the stories on our top 10 list:
-- No. 1: Multiple Fetuses Recovered In OC: The resort area has never been more in the national spotlight than it was during those two days in August. In hindsight, as is the case with many stories these days, the national coverage was long on sensationalism and short on merit, at least as far as the law and criminal acts were concerned. After all, the charges were dropped and life is back to normal on Sunset Drive for all involved. Nonetheless, months after that grisly discovery of multiple fetuses being stashed away in an Ocean City home and a nearby mobile home, the initial shock remains. It’s just become a topic these days most people don’t want to talk about anymore.
-- No. 2: Taxes Jeopardize Trimper’s Future: A situation many commercial and residential property owners face each year was taken to another level when the Trimper family warned it may shut down and be forced to either develop or sell its property as a result of booming property assessments. The amount of taxes the family pays has been skyrocketing in recent years, and it’s made making a profit nearly impossible, jeopardizing the landmark amusement business. Public outrage and concern soon followed the Trimper warning, and it seems today relief is in sight in the form of an historic amusement tax district, which needs the Maryland General Assembly’s approval.
-- No. 3: Adult Store Opens, Scares OC, County: Both Ocean City and Worcester County have been scrambling for the better part of the year to figure out how to keep the sex shop industry out of here. Each enacted moratoriums out of fear the one store that opened in north Ocean City will spark a surge in that particular industry. Each are now in the process of enacting strict laws limiting the businesses’ possible locations. Approximately 25 stories appeared in this paper on the topic. All the concern could be for naught because I don’t think there’s much interest in the sex shop industry, but the elected officials were right to be cautious.
-- No. 4: Smoking Ban OK’d; To Start Next Year: Some folks think this is the best news to come out of 2007, while others blast it for being anti-American. No matter where you stand, smoking will be outlawed in most indoor bars and restaurants in about five weeks.
-- No. 5: Slots Referendum Passes: Vote In ’08: Marylanders will finally make the call on slots, thanks to a handful of weak leaders in the legislature. In my mind, these legislators have given themselves a free pass. No matter what happens, if the referendum passes as expected, they have covered their butts for the future. If expanding gambling with slots is the panacea to the state’s budget woes, they are the heroes. If slots prove not to be the savior of the state’s financial crisis, which I believe will be the case, legislators can claim immunity from criticism. They will say we gave the people what they wanted. This year’s special session addressing the budget deficit was leadership at its worst.
-- No. 6: Berlin Electric Sale Collapses After Vote: A majority of citizens supported the sale of the beleaguered electric plant, despite a groundswell of opposition against it. Months after the referendum, and hundreds of thousands of town dollars was spent trying to force a deal on the table through, the entire situation turned into a fiasco with the agreement falling apart and the town still owning its own electric system. The idea of selling the plant was ill conceived from the beginning, but the worse news of all is more than $300,000 of the town’s coveted funds was wasted trying to make it happen.
-- No. 7: Boyfriend Slays Woman In West OC: The family of a local hospitality worker will never forget 2007 after a man killed Pamela Balk and beat her dog to death. There’s not much else to say here. The man has had his day in court and will be behind bars for years.
-- No. 8: State To Close Off Route 50 Bridge: What was most notable about this was the abrupt way in which it was reported at first by the State Highway Administration. It was during a ho-hum fall meeting review that the topic surfaced. The approximate 35-day closure will bring business in downtown Ocean City and parts of West Ocean City to a halt, but the state says the work to the drawbridge is critical.
-- No. 9: Father Dies Trying To Save His Kids: It’s these types of heartbreaking stories that can only happen at a beach resort. A 38-year-old father died while trying to save his two sons, 10 and 13, caught in a rip current near the Inlet. The boys were rescued by a parasailing boat and the father was recovered unconscious and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
-- No. 10: Two Deer Rescued In OC’s Downtown: There was some strange happenings with two deer in Ocean City, both of which ended with the deer being captured and taken west to greener pastures.
News • 144 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Corner
| September 10, 2007
Due to an overwhelming amount of spam that was hitting our open Forum section in recent weeks, we were forced this morning to remove it from our website. While it was a popular destination with dozens of people regularly using it to post opinions of the day, the spam artists, especially those with such offensive material it would make even the hardest of souls blush a bit, simply took it over and ruined it. We were constantly removing their advertisements and messages, but we were simply unable to keep up.
If there is silver lining here, thanks to the number of people who complained via email as well as phone calls (even the owner of this paper got a phone call at home on a Sunday afternoon) it's safe to say our online presence has arrived. Last weekend we fielded seven complaints on the forums.
Our hope is from this point forward this Blog section can allow the online communication to continue. It has been available ever since this site was launched in April, but the forums proved to be more popular. We encourage the forum users to switch over to this section to express themselves. We will be constantly checking the blog administration for new comments. In this platform, we must approve the message before it goes live on the site. That allows us to filter the offensive material and post only relevant comments of the day.
Happy blogging ...
Steve Green
Publisher/Editor
Ocean City • 12 Comments/Trackbacks
Things I Like
| September 10, 2007
The funny excuses people give cops
A happy ending to an unfortunate story
People who aren’t in it for the “thunder”
Bikers on the Boardwalk in the summer
An outside shower after a day at the beach
The unusual techniques of some crab eaters
Eating out both weekend nights
The wonderful spirit of an old dog
Concerts on the beach in Ocean City
The new Health Mart in Berlin
Cocktails on a boat
Let Us Know What You Like ....
Entertainment • 137 Comments/Trackbacks
Freeman Poll
| August 23, 2007
We recently posted a general question on this site, “What should happen to Christy Freeman?” A poll of about 250 respondents found the following results: spend the rest of life jail, 29 percent; walk free, 28 percent; be presumed innocent until proven guilty, 25 percent; be put to death, 16 percent; and be given benefit of doubt, 2 percent.
These results were surprising to us. It's unusual for the two most extreme options to lead the way. I am curious how others feel.
News • 816 Comments/Trackbacks
OC In The Spotlight
| July 31, 2007
It was a surreal experience for me being interviewed by Fox News yesterday afternoon. News Editor Shawn Soper will find out what I mean later this afternoon when he takes part in another interview with the Fox network at the riveting crime scene in Ocean City.
When I woke up yesterday morning, I knew it was going to be an interesting day. All weekend the incident involving local business owner Christy Freeman and her still-born baby was hitting the rumor circuit hard. The gossip mill was churning out some truly disturbing scenarios, most of which were more of a result of late-night partying than facts. All through the weekend, the newspaper was getting email alerts from the police department on the latest in the investigation. They were short on facts and left a lot of room for speculation
Early Monday morning, police confirmed what many already knew – additional infant bodies had been uncovered in the home and an adjacent mobile home. However, as the day unfolded, more and more disturbing details surfaced, leaving all of us shaking our heads and wondering how this type of incident was taking place in our hometown.
There were times when that could be digested, but most of the day, and week seemingly, has been filled with anxiety over seeing Ocean City, Md. all over the national news. At one point on Monday afternoon, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and Headline News all had live cameras at the Sunset Drive home. With those cameras were reporters giving reports. How many newspaper reporters were there is hard to tell.
Last night was a moment I will never forget. My wife and I were watching television and eating dinner when we turned on the cable news channels looking for the story. We didn’t have to look too hard. Nancy Grace’s show, not one of my favorites, led with it over the Michael Vick story. Being in the news business, I am always trying to determine when facts are not being introduced. Grace made a number of assumptions and clearly false statements. Certainly it was not intentional, but a few slips and the story changed.
At the top of the show, she said a baby was found in the front yard. As of Tuesday morning, no infant bodies had been found in the yard, despite an extensive to locate them if they exist. Grace went on to interview unrelated investigators, Police Chief Bernadette DiPino, local reporters and a couple lawyers familiar with the fetus statute being referred to in this case.
It’s difficult when you watch your hometown on national news not to get a little sick to the stomach. While the news junkie side of me is fascinated, there are times when it’s difficult not to be a little defensive about your home.
The national spotlight has never shined on Ocean City like it is now. Five years ago, there was the grisly double murder involving the married couple Benjamin and Erika Sifrit, but that never made national news to this story’s extent. In our newsroom, former Editor Benjamin Mook, now with The Daily Record, and I often wondered what does it take to become national news. Here we had two people who shot another couple, strangers to them before that fateful May night in 2002, dismembered them and dumped their bodies in a dumpsters in Delaware. They nearly got away with it, but their arrogance got the best of them when they brazenly tried to rob a local restaurant. While that was a big regional story with the metropolitan media outlets covering it, it never attracted the spotlight the way this incident involving Freeman has. That’s interesting to me.
Ocean City has never seen anything like this storm of publicity. It comes at the worse time, one week before the most anticipated event of the year – the White Marlin Open, the largest and richest fishing tournament in the world. As the days continue to go by, more questions will hopefully be answered in this case. There’s a lot that needs to be known, and I can’t wait to hear the details and watch how it all unfolds.
It’s an eerie feeling to be in the midst of something you know you will never forget. Yesterday was one I will remember forever. It was both shocking and horrifying and at the same time memorable for a number of reasons, including the fact it was my wife’s birthday.
Ocean City • 67 Comments/Trackbacks
Save Trimper's Site Created
| July 9, 2007
More than a dozen reasoned blogs have been posted in recent weeks on our site regarding Trimper's Rides and the ongoing state of affairs with the landmark amusement park in Ocean City. Now, a new site has been created:
http://www.savetrimpers.com
Check it out. It provides all the information you need to know as far as contacting local officials.
Ocean City • 12 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Blog-Thoughts From A Vacation
| June 15, 2007
Anyone who lives or works in the Ocean City area and especially those who operate a business in the community have a unique perspective on tourism. That’s what makes traveling from one tourist destination to another so interesting. Given that I am still suffering from a touch of jet lag from a seven-day trip to Denmark, this column will stray a bit from local ramblings and instead focus on some unique aspects of my trip because truthfully my brain is still in Europe. (Note: These thoughts were essentially put down on paper in between lunch and dinner on an eight-hour flight across the world on Tuesday.)
- Most visitors to Ocean City dream of a week of weather with sun and no rain. That’s what we got in Denmark. The skies were clear and the daytime temperatures were in the upper-80s, which is unheard of for that part of the world. A normal day temperature in Denmark is the low-60s. The only drawback to the wonderful weather was air-conditioning is not prevalent in the restaurants, hotels, buses or trains because they never need it.
- In most restaurants and cafes, it was amazing to see how few people it took for them to operate. Most of the restaurants featured a waiter, who served as the host, bartender and bus person, and a chef, who prepared all the courses, washed the dishes and all the back of the house stuff. Granted most of the places we dined were small cafes, it was impressive to see the staff handle it.
- Unlike in the United States where coins are essentially viewed as meaningless by most people, they matter in Denmark. The currency is the Kroner and nearly all of the Danish carry change purses because the coins are worth looking after. For example, one of the smallest coins in Denmark is worth about $4 here.
- Being a tourist is great. In some ways, I understand why locals often wonder if some visitors check their common sense at the bridge before coming to the resort. When you are on vacation, you are not as sharp as you might be normally. You just are not as aware about your surroundings. For instance, one morning while purchasing two lattes from a coffee shop for my wife and I, the register read 144 DKK (Denmark’s currency), which is about $26. I thought nothing of the fact that’s a ridiculous price to pay and tried to give that amount to the lady at the register. She smiled kindly and said that was not my order in her best polite English. My order actually came to 68 DKK, about $12.
- In Denmark during the summer, the sun rises shortly after 4 a.m. and sets about 10 p.m. It does not get completely dark until after midnight. When I was a kid, my parents often told me be home by dark. That general rule would seem to not work in Denmark.
- Bikes rule in Denmark, especially Copenhagen where there are large, dedicated bike lanes everywhere. It’s safe to say there are more bikes used for transportation in Copenhagen than vehicles, and the public infrastructure helps mold that culture because it makes it extremely safe and facile.
- Similar to Ocean City in early June, much of the help was being trained while we were there. Whether it was a café, hotel or restaurant, most of the employees were still trying to learn their jobs and it tested the patience. No matter their experience at their respective jobs, they knew English well as they are taught the language starting in the fourth grade.
- Europe, in general, has not followed the United States’ strong restrictions on smoking. Denmark is no exception, for the most part, as most public places allow smoking just about anywhere. However, one thing that’s interesting is the country has a strong law about posting smoking warnings because cartons contain strong language in large point. Messages like “Smoking Kills,” “Smoking Is Highly Addictive,” “Smoking Causes Lung Cancer” and “Smoking Can Kill Children” are posted directly alongside the Marlboro logo and in many cases are larger than the actual brand name.
Ocean City • 21 Comments/Trackbacks
Deer Runs Loose In OC
| June 14, 2007
It was quite a sight Wednesday morning in Ocean City as a deer was spotted in the downtown area including along
the Boardwalk. One merchant even reported the deer was
coming north on the Boardwalk to 2nd Street when it
slammed into a telephone booth and fell on to the street.
It was then seen cruising north along Baltimore Avenue
and created its last stir by slamming into a pane of glass
at Davinci's Restaurant on 15th Street and the Boardwalk. The deer was then sedated by the Ocean City Police and released near Berlin no worse for wear.
Has anyone ever had any encounters with deer in Ocean City before? I have seen numerous fox while living in north Ocean City and even some deer, however, never during the summer season.
Ocean City • 0 Comments/Trackbacks
Editor's Blog Memorial Day Weekend
| May 30, 2007
All indications point to a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in the Ocean City area, and that’s good news for a business community that reported a slower off-season than usual.
Although it’s wonderful to hear local businesses had a good weekend, it’s also welcome news that high gasoline prices are not deterring vacationers. In a world of change and seemingly constant transitions, it seems an outstanding weather forecast of hot, hazy and humid conditions coupled with sun and mostly dry conditions are still the critical ingredients in a recipe for success for the Ocean City area.
Memorial Day weekend has always been dependent on the weather. If the forecast looks bad for the weekend, the holiday can be a total bust, largely due to school-aged kids still being in school and families not wanting to risk the trip for poor weather.
All that went by the wayside this week. Mother Nature is largely to thank, of course, and that’s fine, but one thing the weekend did was boost expectations and bring a little optimism to a beach resort that needed it.
Ocean City • 14 Comments/Trackbacks
Navigation
Earlier Posts
Sections
