May 25, 2007

Thursday, May 31 - Bicyclist Dies After Route 50 Bridge Accident

OCEAN CITY - The bicyclist struck by an SUV on the Harry Kelley Memorial Bridge last Sunday night died this week from the injuries sustained in the collision, bringing to light more questions on the need for an overhaul to the old drawbridge leading into the south end of the resort. A bicyclist, whose name has not yet been released, was struck on the eastbound side of the Route 50 Bridge not far from Hooper's Restaurant shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday. According to police reports on the...READ MORE

Wednesday, May 30 - Man Slashed After Motel Room Break-In

OCEAN CITY - A Kutztown, Pa. man was hospitalized Monday morning after he and a friend broke into a hotel room. Stephen Smith, 24, and his friend Justin Wiker, 24, of Northampton, Pa., were staying at the Spinnaker Motel on 18th Street. They became involved in a verbal argument with some other men also staying at the hotel. These men were staying four rooms down from Smith and Wiker. Around 3:45 a.m., Smith and Wiker climbed over the balconies to get to room 519 where the other men were staying....READ MORE

Tuesday, May 29 - Play It Safe Events Kick Off Friday

OCEAN CITY - An annual initiative designed to give high school graduates celebrating their recent accomplishments something to do outside of the drug and alcohol world kicks off Friday night. The annual Play It Safe program is a combined effort of the Ocean City Drug & Alcohol Abuse Prevention Committee and the Town of Ocean City with coordination provided by the Worcester County Health Department. Numerous businesses also contribute to the cause in many different ways. The events begin...READ MORE

Sunday, May 27 - Annual Memorial Day Celebration Planned

BERLIN - A unique celebration of Memorial Day will be held Monday morning along Route 589 at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial. In May of 2006, US Navy Captain Edwards (Ed) S. Little, Sr. was the keynote speaker at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial celebration of Memorial Day. Following in his father\'s footsteps, Major Edwards (Ted) S. Little, Jr., (USANG) will be the keynote speaker at the 2007 celebration of Memorial Day on May 28. Hundreds of people have attended the ceremony...READ MORE

OC's Most Brutal Crime Remembered Five Years Later

OCEAN CITY - 'Murder is rarely pretty or pleasant, and in this case particularly, it was gruesome and grotesque.' That's how Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd described the brutal murder of a Virginia couple in a north-end Ocean City penthouse condominium on Memorial Day weekend in 2002, five years ago today, in his opening statement in the trial of one of the murderers. The victims were lured to the Rainbow Condominium by a married couple they had met earlier in the evening and later...READ MORE

"Our Southern Style"

If you listen carefully, you can hear Ocean City strapping up their collective chinstraps for another summer 'down the shore.' If we have it our way, you will never notice our metaphorical eye black. Like a duck gliding gracefully on top of the water, the OC experience is supposed to look effortless, carefree, and blissful. We are selling paradise, but we don't want anyone to see what's going on underneath the water. We don't want you to see how stressed we are to get all the pieces into place....READ MORE

Ways To Make Your Vision Of Retirement A Reality

BERLIN - More people than ever are living longer, healthier lives •€' and that simple fact will have a profound effect on all our lives after work. The Society of Actuaries estimates that the median average lifespan for Americans who reach age 65 is another 17 years for men and 20 years for women. Half the population will live even longer. Because most of us will outlive our parents (and remain productive for a longer time), it's necessary to view retirement in a different way than most...READ MORE

My Thoughts

The old guy is a homeowner and has been since the 1970s. The last time Insider rented he was a teen-ager living in Baltimore. The old guy and a buddy rented a rowhouse in the Hampden area after graduating from high school and before entering the Navy. It was on what is called 'The Avenue' today and just a block away from where all those crazy people decorate their homes with gaudy Christmas lights, illuminating the sky for blocks. Back then, rent was around $120 per month. Insider hit the road...READ MORE

Ultimate Fighting Leads To Assault Arrest

OCEAN CITY - A Boonsboro, Md. man was arrested for assault and resisting arrest last week after a scuffle with an Ocean City Police officer who was breaking up a drunken Ultimate Fighting-style match between the victim and his buddy. OCPD Officer John McIlroy was on routine bike patrol last Saturday night when he observed two men fighting underneath the overhang at the Spinnaker Hotel on 18th Street. A large crowd had gathered and many more people watched the fight from their balconies. In the...READ MORE

Couple Aims To Maintain Operation's Solid Reputation

OCEAN CITY - Although Ocean City landmark J/R's Ribs has two new faces at the helm, nothing has changed at the resort's original rib joint since Debi and Jerry Sinott took over in January. The Sinotts' dream of running a restaurant in Ocean City came true when Jack Hubberman, owner of J/R's Ribs, retired and licensed the business to the couple. 'Jack wanted to step out and retire,' said Jerry. 'Jack entrusted the business to us.' The Sinotts couldn't be happier with their decision. 'After...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Column On Berlin Living Hits Home Editor: I greatly enjoyed reading Steve Green's column in the May 11 edition of (ITALICS)The Dispatch. Having grown up in Berlin, as both my parents did before me, and as my mother's parents did before her, I could certainly identify with the sentiments expressed in the column. I cannot imagine living anywhere else, despite the other terrific choices here within Worcester County. Ocean City, Ocean Pines, Snow Hill and Pocomoke all have their own assets, but...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

The intent behind bringing back a flea market to Ocean City is commendable, but it's going to be interested to see how it's received this summer. The Ocean City Mayor and Council recently voted to allow specific vendors to set up shop in the Worcester Street parking lot during summer weekends. Downtown merchants have good reason to be concerned, especially since it's going to be held on Saturdays and Sunday from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. beginning tomorrow. It's certainly competition for the other...READ MORE

Relations Not Healed In One Meeting

The Mayor and Council assured the leadership of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company (OCVFC) last week it will continue to be the authority over fire service in the resort, despite a conceptual plan that indicates the opposite could be true in the near future. The issue here is complex, but OCVFC officials and the Mayor and Council hashed out some uncertainties at a public meeting at City Hall last week. The OCVFC will continue to be the lead agency over fire service in the town for now, but it...READ MORE

A Week In Business

Board Acquires Bank Shares BERLIN - Reese F. Cropper, Jr., chairman of the Board of Calvin B. Taylor Bankshares, Inc., announced this week that the Board of Directors has authorized the corporation to acquire up to 314,072 shares (10 percent of outstanding stock) of its Common Stock. The shares could be acquired from time to time in open market transactions, in block purchases or otherwise. The shares would be used for appropriate corporation purposes. Phillips Opens New Restaurant BERLIN -...READ MORE

We Remember Those Who Have Pasted

Norris G. (Jerry) Jenkins Sr. BERLIN - Jerry Jenkins Sr., born Sept. 28, 1931, died Sunday, May 20, 2007. Son of the late Homer (Jerry) and Helen Frances Jenkins, he was born in Baltimore and grew up in Ocean City. His life was filled with sports. A graduate of Ocean City High School in 1949, he lettered in basketball, soccer and baseball and was an undefeated boxer for University of Maryland and the Navy. He was a US Navy Veteran of the Korean War. He retired as an Electronics Engineer from the...READ MORE

Cedar Chapel's Special Olympics Team

Students from Cedar Chapel's Special Olympics Team recently competed in the 5th Annual Eastern Shore Spring Games/Aquatics Meet at the Holly Center in Salisbury. Students demonstrated their swimming abilities and were rewarded with gold, silver and bronze medals.   ...READ MORE

Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur's junior varsity baseball team recently completed an undefeated season. Pictured, top from left, are Brandon Philips, Josh Tynadall, Joey Widgeon, Chris Bunting, Kevin Engle, Kody Bradford and Rod Ewell; bottom, from left, Mike Newcomb, Chad Kail, Troy Bennett, Jared Widgeon, Brian Holloway, Will Lewis and Mike Kempa. The team was coached by Garrett Magha and Jamison Barnheart,  ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Worcester Prep's Grade 1 Bike Rodeo was recently held. With perfect pink biking gear all ready for their turn on the biking course are, from left, Isabella Osias, Bethany Beach; Kendall Holmes, Bishopville; Marissa Grosso, Ocean Pines; and Grace Nichols, Berlin. ...READ MORE

Stephen Decatur

Under the direction of drama teacher Gwen Lehman, the Stephen Decatur High School theatre department presented the 'Merry Wives of Windsor' last week. There were three performances marking the 12th year Decatur has been presenting the work of Shakespeare at the school. Among the students demonstrating their drama talents were, above, sophomore Clarke Bliss and junior Jamar Collins, and, below, seniors Hannah Lewis and Ariel Turpin. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

State of Maryland winners in the Annual Sun Guard Poster Competition from Worcester Prep were Sarena Michnick and Claire Dorey. At the awards ceremony in Baltimore are, from left, Sarena Michnick, kindergarten; Claire Dorey, fifth grade; and Claire's sisters Emilee, first grade, and Carolyn, fourth grade. Lower School computer teacher Tia Bunting, Rehoboth Beach, was the sponsor for this competition, which emphasized the need to protect skin from the sun. Sarena is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs....READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Worcester Preparatory School held its Spring Sports Awards Banquet last week. Above, Worcester Prep seniors who played three varsity sports during each of their four high school years received plaques honoring their membership in the 12-Letter Club. They are, from left, Kristen Chandler, Salisbury; Codee Buckler, Ocean City; Travis Gregory, Bishopville; Brittany Holdren, Pocomoke; and Christine Tobin, Parsonsburg. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Middle School Lacrosse Awards at Worcester Prep went to the following students. Pictured, from left, are RJ Smith, Ocean City, Most Valuable Player, Middle School Boys' Lacrosse; Nikki Carpenter, Ocean City, Coach's Award, Middle School Girls' Lacrosse; Daniella Celia, Ocean City; Most Improved, Middle School Girls' Lacrosse; Jenna Kramer, Bishopville, Most Valuable Player, Middle School Girls' Lacrosse; Thomas Edmunds, Ocean City, Most Improved, Middle School Boys' Lacrosse; and Christopher...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Varsity Tennis Awards at Worcester Prep went to, from left, Sabrina Kunciw, Ocean City, Conference Double Champion, Varsity Girls Tennis; Melissa Choy, Rehoboth Beach, Most Improved, Varsity Girls' Tennis; Katie Taylor, Ocean City, Coach's Award, Varsity Girls Tennis; Trevor Mathias, Ocean City, Most Improved, Varsity Boys' Tennis; Brittany Marshall, Dagsboro, Most Valuable Player, Conference Singles Champion, Varsity Girls' Tennis; Tyler Barry, Berlin, Most Valuable Player, Conference Singles...READ MORE

Council Unanimous In Support Of Spending Plan

OCEAN CITY - Resort officials this week passed the roughly $120 million fiscal year 2008 budget on first reading with, depending on how one looks at it, a modest reduction or a significant increase in the property tax rate, but not before being taken to task by several local residents on the spending plan and the constant yield tax rate. The Mayor and Council on Monday unanimously passed the fiscal year 2008 budget on first reading with formal adoption scheduled for the first week of June. The...READ MORE

OC To Send Letter To State Over Trimper's Fate

OCEAN CITY - Resort officials this week agreed to send an official letter of support to the appropriate agencies in the state for the beleaguered Trimper's Rides amusement park at the foot of the Boardwalk, which is threatened with extinction due in large part to staggering increases in property taxes for the massive complex. It came to light earlier this month the historic amusement park is considering shutting down after occupying the site at the foot of the Boardwalk for 120 years because...READ MORE

DNR Institutes Firewood Ban On Assateague

ASSATEAGUE - Visitors pouring into the Assateague Island State Park for the holiday weekend will likely have to discard any firewood they brought with them as state officials this week took drastic measures to prevent the spread of an invasive species devastating woodlands across Maryland. Both the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Forest Service and Park Service this week took active measures in the state's effort to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer by introducing a new...READ MORE

Resident Plans To Lead Tax Offset Petition

OCEAN CITY - An Ocean City taxpayer is organizing a campaign to persuade state legislators to mandate tax offsets for Worcester County's municipalities. Carol Krimm, who lives in Frederick, Md. and owns property in the resort, is putting together a petition drive to request a state law forcing Worcester County to reduce county taxes on Ocean City residents. 'This is grassroots. We're starting from scratch,' Krimm said. The petition would request that local lawmakers introduce a bill requiring...READ MORE

Local Surfers Earn Invites To Compete In Easterns

BERLIN - The top competitive surfers from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia competed in the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Region Surfing Championships in Nags Head, N.C. last week and earned 28 invitations to the 2007 East Coast Surfing Championships (The Easterns). Thirty-seven Eastern Surfing Association Delmarva District competitors were faced with every possible wave condition during the three-day event. Adult competitors on Friday had waist to shoulder-high waves and near gale force onshore winds,...READ MORE

Seahawks Fall In State Semifinals

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's girls' varsity lacrosse team's dream of returning to the state championship ended last week with a 13-9 loss to North Harford and its star player in the Class 3A-2A semifinals. Decatur ran the table in the regular season, going a perfect 14-0, and collected its second straight Bayside Conference championship. The Seahawks then got off to a great start in the state tournament, beating Kent Island, 12-6, in the 3A-2A East Region championship game to advance to the Final...READ MORE

Richmond Team To Host Girls Lax Camps

BERLIN- Local girls' lacrosse enthusiasts and those looking to get introduced to the game will have a great opportunity next month when the University of Richmond women's team hosts a series of camps at Worcester Prep in Berlin. The University of Richmond womens' lacrosse team this year won their third straight Atlantic 10 Conference tournament championship, beating George Washington, 15-7, in the finals, and earned a berth in the NCAA Division I tournament. The Richmond team, led by A-10 Coach...READ MORE

Sunset Marina Takes Chamber Cup

BERLIN- A team from Sunset Marina captured the Chamber Cup and bragging rights for the next year in and around the resort area after winning the 20th Annual Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament last week. The event was held at the Glen Riddle Golf Club for the first time ever and was deemed a huge success by those who participated. Roughly 30 teams participated in the annual tournament, one of the highlights of the spring golf tournament season in the area, and were treated to...READ MORE

American Legion's Annual Parade No Longer Running In Resort

OCEAN CITY - A three-decade-old tradition in Ocean City came to a close this week when representatives of the state's American Legion told the Mayor and Council they were discontinuing the annual American Legion Parade held in the resort each July largely due to waning interest. American Legion-Department of Maryland Events Coordinator Tom Davis told the council on Monday the parade, which has been the centerpiece of the Legion's annual convention in the resort for the last 36 years, will...READ MORE

Pot Not Acceptable Currency In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY - A Bel Air, Md. man found out this week cash, not marijuana, is the currency of choice in Ocean City when he attempted to purchase items from a resort convenience store with a bag of dope and was later arrested on drug and theft charges. Around 3 a.m. on Monday, Michael Autry, 27, of Bel Air, walked into the 7-Eleven on 94th Street. Autry, who was reportedly intoxicated at the time, grabbed a bag of chips and three bottles of Gatorade and took them to the counter. When the clerk...READ MORE

Council Looks Past Concerns, Approves New Height Limitations

OCEAN CITY - Intent on preserving the historic charm of the downtown area, resort officials this week approved new height restrictions on new development in the oldest sections of Ocean City, but not before more concerns were raised about the ordinance's potential impact along the historic Baltimore Avenue corridor. The City Council on Monday unanimously approved an ordinance outlining height limitations in much of the downtown area in an effort to prevent large-scale projects from proliferating...READ MORE

Resort Residents Urged To Make Storm Preparations

OCEAN CITY - As the 2007 hurricane season approaches, Ocean City residents are encouraged to make their preparations now. The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 through Nov. 30. As a barrier island, Ocean City closely monitors all tropical storms and stays in touch with the National Weather Service during any pending storms. "We urge all citizens to take precautions now and be prepared," said Joseph Theobald, Ocean City's Emergency Management Director. "The town has an...READ MORE

Building Permit Extension Request Granted In Resort

OCEAN CITY - A construction project along the bay near 11th Street, stalled in large part because of a stagnant real estate market, got a building permit extension this week when the developer was able to convince resort officials the end result was going to be worth the wait. The project is a work in progress on a bayfront lot along Edgewater Avenue near 11th Street, but has stalled somewhat because of concerns over the real estate market in the resort area. At the moment, much of the site...READ MORE

Citizens Allege Project Not Following Resort Noise Law

OCEAN CITY - Exasperated with the perceived lack of attention given to their repeated complaints of construction noise from a project adjacent to their bayside condominium, a local couple brought their gripes to the Mayor and Council this week in a brief meeting that ended with charges of indifference and cronyism. Kenneth and Carol Anders, owners of a condominium in the Bay Princess on the north side of 81st Street, this week met with the council to discuss a recurring construction noise...READ MORE

City Flea Market Vendors Get Break On License Fees

OCEAN CITY - Town officials this week agreed to waive the business license requirement for vendors at the weekly flea market on the Worcester Street parking lot, at least in the short term, while logistical issues can be worked out and a good barometer of the demand for the sites can be gauged. Last week, the Ocean City Mayor and Council approved the return of the flea market at the Worcester Street lot, reviving an old resort tradition conducted at the Convention Center parking lot for decades....READ MORE

Council Slams Brakes On Company's Advertising Plans

OCEAN CITY - Just days before a new private transportation system was to officially be unveiled in the resort, the business owner learned from the Mayor and Council he would not be allowed to sell advertising space on the electric shuttles. Russell Rankin, owner of the new E-Cruzers shuttle service in Ocean City, appeared before the Mayor and Council on Monday seeking approval for selling advertising space on the six-passenger Global Electric Motorcars (GEM). Rankin earlier this year gained...READ MORE

County Balances Budget Early, Plans To Add No New Programs

SNOW HILL - While there will be no new taxes levied in Worcester County this year to make up for lean revenues, there will in turn be no new initiatives, a measure taken to ensure a balanced budget. 'No new programs anywhere in the schools or in the county,' County Commissioner Louise Gulyas. The county did pick up some after-school programs, previously paid for through grants, which saw their funding dry up. 'They were really the only new things we did,' said Gulyas said. The County...READ MORE

County, State Funds To Help Improve Health Center

SNOW HILL - With a substantial grant from the state and some help from Worcester County, Atlantic General Hospital (AGH) plans to expand the Atlantic Health Center clinic to provide more services and accommodate more patients. 'Right now, we're seeing 12,000 people a year through that clinic,' said Michael Franklin, President and CEO of AGH. That number is expected to increase by 50 percent in the next several years, according to Franklin. The renovated and expanded building, roughly 9,700...READ MORE

Cruisin' Weekend Busy, Tame, Police Agencies Report

OCEAN CITY - Last week's Cruisin' event in and around the resort sparked one of the busiest weekend of the season thus far for the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) and its allied agencies in the county, but while hundreds of calls were handled over the four-day event, few were reported as serious in nature. While it certainly wasn't a quiet week for locals or visitors as well as the OCPD with an estimated 176,000 people in town and more than 3,000 classic cars registered for the annual...READ MORE

Judge Gives A 'Big Break' In House Crash Case

OCEAN CITY - A local man who crashed his truck into a house on Caroline Street at the foot of the Route 50 bridge in April, causing it to explode into a burst of flames, before 'panicking' and fleeing the scene pleaded guilty this week to four traffic-related charges but will not serve any time behind bars. Jay Mickell Benedict, 36, of Ocean City, was in District Court this week facing a slew of traffic charges related to an incident on April 3 when he sped across the Route 50 Bridge, failed to...READ MORE

Man Faces Attempted Murder Charge In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY - A Salisbury man was arrested on attempted murder charges in Ocean City early Monday morning after holding his long-time girlfriend against her will for hours and strangling her several times to the point she lost consciousness. Howard Caltrider, 45, of Salisbury, was arrested on an attempted second-degree murder charge on Monday after a domestic incident during which he threatened to kill his girlfriend of 20 years several times and actually strangled her to the point of...READ MORE

Route 50 Bridge Workshops Planned In Ocean City

WEST OCEAN CITY - State Highway Administration (SHA) officials have planned three public workshops next week on the five remaining alternatives for the future of the Route 50 Bridge. The workshops will be held on May 31 (6-8 p.m.) and June 1 (9-11 a.m., and 1-3 p.m.) at the Ocean City Convention Center, Room 217. 'We urge people to come to this meeting, to look at the options and let us know what they think,' said Charlie Gischlar, an SHA spokesperson. SHA Project Manager Sue Rajan added,...READ MORE

Probable Cause Found In Armed Robbery Cases

OCEAN CITY - A Finksburg, Md. man implicated in a pair of armed robberies in the resort in April appeared in District Court for a preliminary hearing on Monday and had his cases forwarded to Circuit Court in Snow Hill. Matthew Balaz-Ogle, 16, of Finksburg, Md., was allegedly the driver in the armed robbery of a 45-year-old female and two teenage girls on the Boardwalk at 5th Street, and then was one of the armed robbers in an incident a short time later at a motel parking lot on 30th Street....READ MORE

Live Bands and DJs

Assateague Island Oasis: 410-629-1492, Rt. 611; Every Friday & Saturday: Patrick McAllorum; Every Wednesday: Jon Pheasant. Bahama Mamas: 410-289-0291, Call for entertainment. Blue Ox & Babe's Lounge: 410-250-6440, 127th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Call for entertainment. Buxy's Salty Dog: 410-289-0973, 28th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Friday, May 25: DJ Wood; Saturday, May 26: Opposite Directions; Sunday, May 27: DJ BK; Tuesday, May 29: Pirate Radio; Thursday, May 31: DJ Soulfinger. Castaway's:...READ MORE

Ocean City

OCEAN CITY Seaside Retreat Daily 10-4 3BR, 2.5BA Coldwell Banker 410-723-1000 Call for Directions OCEAN CITY Residences at Edwards Daily 11 - 3 3 & 4 BR Oceanfront Luxury Penthouses Eric Cropper ReMax Premier Properties 443-373-9409 Call for Directions OCEAN CITY The Quay Saturday 2 & 3BR Condos Mary McCracken Long & Foster 410-430-7302 Call for Directions OCEAN CITY Pelican Perch Weekends 11-3 4BR, 4.5BA, & Loft Coldwell Banker 410-723-1000 Call for Directions DOWNTOWN, OC Bel...READ MORE

West Ocean City-Berlin-Ocean Pines

WEST OCEAN CITY Sailor's Watch Golf Course Road Daily 10-4 New 3BR, 3.5BA Luxury Townhouses Coldwell Banker 410-723-1000 Call for Directions OCEAN PINES 39 Abbeyshire Lane Fri & Sun 10 - 12 3BR Rancher Jim Bacco Coldwell Banker 443-614-4833 Call for Directions OCEAN PINES 8 Yeoman Ct Sat 11-2 Clark Kline Prudential Carruthers 304-268-4471 Call for Directions WEST OCEAN CITY 10301 Whisper Trace Drive SUN 11 - 2 4BR/3.5BA Cape Cod Robyn White Long and Foster 410-430-1085 Call for...READ MORE

Things I Like

The first cookout of the season Cruisin' weekend Old TV sitcom reruns Morning talk radio Parents cheering at sporting events Great golf bunker players How Andy Rooney talks A sprawling old tree The pier at the Isle of Wight Nature Park The magazine section at the Newscenter Morning yard sales  ...READ MORE

Things U Like

The smell of spring's lilacs A purring lap cat Recognizing friends' faces in the newspaper Finishing a crossword puzzle Driving with the top down Listening to Motown The Ocean Pines library Walking the boards By JoAnne Donovan  ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

BORN THIS WEEK: You're usually the life of the party, which gets you on everyone's invitation list. You also have a flair for politics. ARIES (March 21 to April 19): You might have to turn your Arian charm up a few degrees if you hope to persuade that persistent pessimist to see the possibilities in your project. Whatever you do, don't give up. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): A 'tip' about a co-worker's 'betrayal' might well raise the Bovine's rage levels. But before charging into a confrontation,...READ MORE