Community Should Be Proud Of Event

Editor:

Thanks to the efforts of a handful of people, the Town of Berlin’s Main Street Program successfully hosted about 1,000 residents and guests at Berlin’s first-ever, community-wide New Year’s Eve celebration to welcome 2011.

On behalf of the Town Council and the citizens of Berlin, I wish to thank town resident Barb Stack for first suggesting the idea and then following through with a great volunteer effort to ensure its success.  Also, the success of the event owes much to Michael Day, Berlin’s Director of Economic and Community Development.

Other individuals who made the event memorable through their time, talent and creativity included Paulo the DJ, Electric Utility Director Tim Lawrence, Lineman Fred Litchfield, Town Administrator Tony Carson, and Public Works Director Mike Gibbons and the staff of the Public Works Department.

Thanks also to Lt. Robert Fisher and the Berlin Police Department and the support provided by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department and Maryland State Police.

A special thanks goes to the residents and guests who attended the event in the best spirit of community without any incidents or problems. I trust that Berlin’s first New Year’s Eve celebration will become another annual tradition in a town known for celebrating life in a variety of formats and festivals throughout the year.

Gee Williams
Berlin
(The writer is the mayor of Berlin.)

Coat Drive A Success
Editor:

On behalf of K-Coast Surf Shop, we would like to thank all those that made our 2010 Christmas Coast Drive a huge success.

Nearly 390 gently worn winter coats for men, women and children were collected for Atlantic United Methodist Church Missions to be distributed to our fellow residents in need this Christmas season. We are especially grateful to Great Scott Broadcasting and all of our local newspapers that aided us in getting the word out, the wonderful people at AUMC and our own hard working staff.

From several stories we have heard when the coats were distributed, it surely touched the lives of those in need right here in our own community.

Mark Pugh
Chris Shanahan
Mark Harrell
Ocean City

Thanks For Support
Editor:

The Noel Community extends a thank you to places of worship, individuals, businesses, and civic groups for the overwhelming support for our 13th Annual Christmas Dinner.

We are especially grateful to Father David Dingwall and St. Paul’s by-the Sea for hosting the dinner; to Deacon Carl Mosley for his constant spiritual leadership; to the many businesses and civic groups for supplying food, making generous monetary donations, and sponsoring toy, toiletry, and food drives; to the local media for publicizing our event; to all the individuals and churches for donating toys, food, desserts, toiletries and monetary gifts; and to everyone for volunteering their time.


The Noel Community served almost 1,700 free meals on Christmas, including carry-outs and deliveries to individuals who otherwise would be lonely or hungry. We provided toys, toiletries, hats, and clothing. We prepared hot meals for police officers, fire personnel, and other public servants working on Christmas day.

The Noel Community appreciates the generous support from Ocean City, Ocean Pines, Berlin, Bishopville, Selbyville, and surrounding neighborhoods allowing us to make the Christmas celebration special for many in our community. We will continue to expand our outreach this year serving free breakfast and carryout lunch at a local food pantry with the leftover supplies and funds.

Your generosity allowed the Noel Community volunteers to serve each Saturday in 2010 providing 5,100 meals/sandwiches throughout the year. Thanks to your support, we are able to assist individuals and families in meaningful ways.
The Noel Committee

Blanket No Feeding
Policy Unnecessary
Editor:
(The following letter was addressed to the Ocean City Mayor and Council.)

I represent the Delmarva Association of Animal Rescuers and wish to speak with you regarding an issue that has come to DAAR’s attention recently.

It seems that an Ocean City resident has taken offense to people feeding stray cats near his property in old town and has decided to pressure the city into enacting some sort of ordinance that would prevent assistance being given to the large stray and feral cat population in the area. Obviously this ordinance would encompass all of Ocean City, having a detrimental effect on animals nowhere near this resident’s home or property.

 As active animal rescuers we are opposed to any legislation that would make our already difficult endeavors even tougher. In this declining economy it is quite difficult to get financial backing so many rescuers and private citizens provide for the stray and feral population in the city out of their own pockets.

Legislation restricting any positive interaction with the stray and feral cat population would cause citizens who are in difficult financial situations (but still want to help) to re-evaluate their decision to provide assistance because of a fear of being ticketed and/or arrested, with the subsequent fines that such actions will place on them causing them further financial hardship.

There are a number of active feline colonies spread throughout Ocean City. Caretakers for these colonies do their best to keep the colonies safe and up to date on whatever their medical needs are.

Restricting contact between caretakers and these colonies would create a situation where any changes to the colony membership would not be noted as quickly as they are now and the potential for negative reprisals (new litters, the spread of dangerous medical conditions such as rabies and FIV/FLIV to name a few) would grow exponentially.

Currently, the colony caretakers work as quickly as possible to contain any issues before they spread to the general animal community. Removal of these caretakers through negative legislation would only exacerbate the problem and, instead of there being a modicum of control for these issues, they would run rampant and the situation would quickly become untenable.

We are urging you, as individual animal rescuers and as a united rescue association, to please oppose any legislation that would have a negative impact on our city’s stray and feral cat population.

Paul Toulotte
Ocean City

Council Should Not
Take Extreme Action
Editor:

First I would like to thank Mr. Paul Toulotte for bringing this subject to the public.

I had not heard or read anything concerning this issue.

This subject is a very interesting one as it opens up so many possibilities.

What exactly would the bill outlaw? What animals would be covered under this proposal? What would be the impact and how many poor homeless animals would die because of this?

Who is this person pushing this proposal and why are our city leaders even wasting time with this when there are so many pressing issues facing this council?

Just think what’s more of a priority — making sure the budget for the city is balanced or passing this ordinance?

Ensuring that the future pay and benefits for employees is resolved or passing this ordinance?

Now for the rest of the questions.

What animals would exactly be covered under this and who would enforce such a thing?

Would the seagulls be covered? Would this mean that when the little children on the boardwalk feed the seagulls the police will have to run right up and ticket the parents?

If the child feed two or three seagulls would he/she become a serial feeder and be hauled off to jail?

Would I be guilty and ticketed when the rabbits and squirrels eat from my vegetable garden?

If this is to cover only dog and cats, why would OC open itself up for a discrimination suit by the animal rights folks.

Seriously this would without a doubt cause harm to the already poor homeless animals. Isn’t it enough that they are out wandering the streets in the winter?

Len Bender
Ocean City