November 20, 2009

Sand Dunes Credited For Limiting Flooding

OCEAN CITY •€' Thanks to the sand dunes, Ocean City escaped the worst storm to hit the resort in over a decade last week with minimal damage. Aesthetically, Ocean City took a bit of a thumping from what City Engineer Terry McGean called the 'Friday the 13th storm and the worst since 1998' as the downtown areas of Ocean City was underwater and flooded from the rise of the bay. On the ocean side, almost a quarter to one half of the dune system has eroded away as 20-foot waves pushed water...READ MORE

One Burglar Arrested, Another Being Sought

WEST OCEAN CITY - One local man was arrested on burglary and theft charges this week and another is still being sought by local law enforcement officials after a month-long investigation connected them to a string of thefts of stolen fishing equipment in the West Ocean City area. Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) this week charged Clayton James Entwistle, 19, of Berlin, with burglary and theft charges and as of mid-week were seeking a second suspect, identified as Chad Michael Shipley, 19,...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

Christopher Coffland BERLIN - Suddenly while serving his country on Nov. 13, 2009, Christopher Coffland, a US Army soldier, had his life tragically taken. He was the cherished and loving son of David and Antoinette Coffland; loyal and selfless brother of Karen Bresnahan and her husband Kevin, Lynn Coffland and her husband Daniel Guill, David Lee Coffland, Jr., and Laurie Bartlett; an outstandingly supportive uncle to Jessica Cline, Tony Lee Phillips, Chelsey Smith-Cline, Cori Thompson, Kaylee...READ MORE

Bank of Ocean City's SDHS Football MVP of the Week

The Bank of Ocean City has sponsored the live broadcast of Stephen Decatur High School's football games on WQMR 101.1FM this season. In addition, the bank presented a weekly plaque to the MVP of each game and made a $50 donation to the football program's athletic boosters each week. Above, from left, are WQMR's Rick Charles, Week 10 MVP Dylan Drew, Bank of Ocean City's Earl Conley and Coach Bob Knox. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

Cast of Worcester Prep Sixth Grade Play

Some of the actors in the sixth grade play presented at Worcester Prep under the direction of teacher Linda Smith were, seated, Bridget Brown, Devin Hammond, Hannah Arrington, Rachel Berry, Lauren Dykes and Regan Shanahan; second row, Kathryn O'Malley, Julia D'Antonio, Victoria Middleton, Nate AbercrombieBiola Eniola, Alex Choy, Jordan Kilgore and Taylor Zarif; and third row, Michael Brittingham, Zach Oltman, Jordan Osias, Smith, Charley Pritchard and Wyatt Richins. ...READ MORE

Delegate Mathias Visits Buckingham Elementary

Delegate Jim Mathias stopped in Buckingham Elementary School this week for American Education Week. Joining Mathias, right, outside the school are, front from left, Levi Metzger, Naaire Purnell, De'Aijah Hobbs and Michael Scott and Principal Roger Pacella, back. ...READ MORE

SDHS Students Receive Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards

Stephen Decatur High School senior Jimmy Moxley, junior Rachel Slotter, and senior Lindsey Bankert, pictured above with Principal Lou Taylor, received 2010 Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards. Slotter and Bankert are now eligible for the Maryland youth volunteer of the year award. Moxley also received "Certificate of Merit" for his service to the community. ...READ MORE

Scenes From Worcester Prep Art Class

Some of George Zaiser's eighth grade artists at Worcester Prep take time out to pose for a photo. They are, clockwise from bottom left, Ryan Bennett, Lindsey Banning, Hunter Hudson, Quinn Lucas, Will Pedigo, Shannon Southcomb, Shea Dowling, Gabby Alicea, Arella Berger, Jonathan Adkins and Christian Bruder; back, Jimmy Edmunds, Jarad Godwin, Derek Wilgus and Lauren Burkett. ...READ MORE

Showell Third Graders Explore Text Features

Third grade students at Showell Elementary recently used newspapers to explore text features. Pictured, from left, are Alex Brown, Kailey Andrews, Isabel Emond and Heather Boley, ...READ MORE

BIS Sixth Graders Construct Art Car

Sixth grade art students at Berlin Intermediate School constructed their own Art Car using cardboard, newspaper, cups, paper rolls and lots of tape. Pictured are artists Becky Evans, Evan Haas and Zachary Bernay. ...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

Some cries just need to be ignored. That seems strange to say and may seen overly hard-nosed to some, but its true. The fact is not every cry deserves attention. In the case of my 18-month-old toddler, I would say more often than not simply disregarding the cry improves the situation quicker than making a fuss over it. Beckett, presumably like most kids, has been known to be quite dramatic at times, whether it's through a minor tantrum, major meltdown or an attention-seeking whimper,...READ MORE

Who's Playing When and Where Musically Speaking

Buxy's Salty Dog 410-289-0973 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. Friday, Nov. 20: Kevin Poole, 5-8 p.m. Carousel Resort Hotel & Condominiums 410-524-1000 On the beach, 118th St. Every Friday: DJ Rupe, 7-9 p.m. Clarion Hotel 410-524-3535 10100 Coastal Hwy.  Ocean Club: Friday, Nov. 20 & Saturday, Nov. 21: First Class Dr.Unks Bar & Grille 410-213-7775 , 9636 Stephen Decatur Hwy., West OC Friday, Nov. 20: DJ Seppy, 6-10 p.m. Fager's Island 410-524-5500 60th St. in the Bay Deck:...READ MORE

People in Society

Featuring Those Helping Causes in the Resort Area ...READ MORE

Friday, Nov 20--Agencies To Assess Damage, Create Recovery Plan

OCEAN CITY •€' Cleanup of the 'Friday the 13th' storm began seemingly as soon as the sunshine broke through in Ocean City on Sunday morning, and it appears that it won't be fully completed for several months, according to town officials. Mayor Rick Meehan said that the town would have been 'in a bit of jeopardy' if not for the dune system that has grown naturally since the inception of the beach replenishment program in 1994. He also noted, that as quickly as the town braced for the storm,...READ MORE

Friday, Nov 20--County Fared Well After Weekend Storm Evaluation

SNOW HILL - Worcester County got off lightly in last week's major storm that flooded roads, knocked over trees and took out power. 'Even though it doesn't look like it, Worcester fared again very well. Most of this stuff is landscaping due to flooding and the trees coming down,' said Emergency Services Director Teresa Owens before the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday. Reports on the amount of rain received varied across the county. Snow Hill reported four inches of rain as of Thursday...READ MORE

Friday, Nov 20--Happy Ending For Local Boat

WEST OCEAN CITY - Almost lost among the many stories to come out of last week's historic coastal storm was the tale of a 50-foot fishing vessel that broke from its moorings at the commercial harbor in West Ocean City and nearly drifted out to sea before becoming stranded behind Assateague Island. During the height of the storm last Thursday night, the 'Miss Brittany'  came loose from its moorings. A Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) vessel did respond to the scene, but the...READ MORE

Friday, Nov 20--OC's New Powell Center Director Hails From Florida

OCEAN CITY •€' After a nationwide search, Ocean City found its new convention center director in another resort town on the East Coast. Rick Hamilton was introduced to the public on Monday night at City Hall as the town's new convention center director, bringing to the table over 30 years of public facility experience, including the last 18 years at the helm of the Daytona Beach Ocean Center in Florida. 'He was the crème that rose to the top early in the search, and honestly, I felt that...READ MORE

Barrier Island Picking Up Storm Debris

ASSATEAGUE - Last week's storm that lashed the mid-Atlantic coast with a fury not seen in recent years did not spare Assateague Island, where state and federal officials this week were assessing the damage and picking up the pieces, including thousands of old tires that broke loose from a decades-old artificial reef and washed ashore. Major storms such as the three-day event that stalled over the region last weekend are certainly not uncommon to Assateague, but last week's so-called storm of the...READ MORE

County Hears H1NI Flu Update

SNOW HILL - Swine flu numbers appear to be static and the swine flu vaccine is arriving on a more regular basis, county Health Officer Debbie Goeller reported this week.  'The last two weeks there appears to be a slight leveling off,' said Goeller. 'We do not know if that decline will continue, spike back up, or stay level.' The state is tracking the swine flu numbers through sentinel physicians, laboratory testing, the number of hospitalizations for the swine flu, institutional outbreaks...READ MORE

Offshore Fishing Season Strong In Tough Economy

OCEAN CITY - Most of the resort area's sport fishing fleet have long been pulled from the water or have headed south to warmer climates and winter seasons, providing a perfect time to reflect on what was a remarkable season and one of the best on record in recent years off the coast of Ocean City. Despite the impact of a stalled economy, which hampered the offshore charter business to a large degree this summer, the 2009 season was one of the best ever with the number of billfish releases coming...READ MORE

Planning Commission Irked Over 45th Street Village Designs

OCEAN CITY •€' What started as an informal conversation turned into a pretty formal frowning upon from the Planning and Zoning Commission concerning newly revised plans to the 45th Street Village. At a special, but allegedly informal, Planning and Zoning Commission meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, architect Keith Iott of Iott Architecture and Engineering in Salisbury, who is designing the site plan for Avi Sibony's 45th Street Village property, explained a few alterations to the designs...READ MORE

Scaled Back Winterfest Of Lights Discussed

OCEAN CITY •€' The lights may be twinkling, but some in the resort area are wishing that Ocean City had the same twinkle that it did last year, regardless of the cost. As the uptown Christmas lights twinkled and shined last night at the grand opening of the 17th Annual Winterfest of Lights at Northside Park, the Inlet lot sits dark as result of last year's budget cuts, trimming over 100 decorations and tens of thousands of twinkle lights from the town's budget, and from the downtown...READ MORE

Busick Commits To Running Again In 2010

SNOW HILL - Despite a serious family crisis, County Commissioner Linda Busick says she is still handling her responsibilities as an elected official and will run for re-election next fall. 'I am doing this job,' said Busick Tuesday morning after the County Commissioners meeting. In early October, Busick's husband, Dwight, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Two weeks later, while undergoing a biopsy, he suffered a brain bleed and became paralyzed on the right side.  For the last month, he...READ MORE

County Reports Benefits Fund Underachieving For Now

SNOW HILL - A retirement benefits trust projected to earn 7.5 percent in interest is earning less than 1 percent right now, but Treasurer Harold Higgins reassured county elected officials this week that the trust will perform as planned when completely set-up. Three years ago, a state mandate called for substantial yearly contributions from Worcester County to create a county fund for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) for Worcester County government and Board of Education employees....READ MORE

County's Reported Rabies Cases Surpass 50 Mark

SNOW HILL - The number of rabid animals found in Worcester County this year continues to increase, with an additional 11 rabid animals confirmed since late September. 'Recently, we passed the 50 mark. We have identified 50 rabid animals. Mostly raccoons, foxes, an opossum and a couple of cats along the way,' County Commissioner Judy Boggs reported at the Tuesday County Commissioners meeting. Skunks, bats and groundhogs have also been found to carry the rabies virus in Worcester County. 'We've...READ MORE

Deal Inked In Pizza Shop Suit

SNOW HILL - A multi-million dollar civil suit filed in August 2008 by two high-ranking staffers in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's office and a state official against an Ocean City pizza store and its corporate partners was settled out of court earlier this month. Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's Chief of Staff Demaune Millard, along with Deputy City Solicitor Donald R. Huskey and Deputy Director of Minority Business Enterprise with the state's Department of Transportation John Carpenter, filed...READ MORE

Ex-Pharmacist Sentenced, Ordered To Reimburse $75K

OCEAN CITY - A former Ocean City pharmacist convicted in August on conspiracy to commit bank fraud charges got his wish somewhat this week when a federal judge sentenced him to three years of supervised release including a period of home detention and ordered him to pay restitution. When former Ocean City pharmacist Joel Swartz appeared for a sentencing hearing in federal court on Tuesday, the convicted felon was facing as many as 30 years in jail and a fine of up to $1 million. Swartz and his...READ MORE

Man Faces Assault, False Imprisonment Charges

 WEST OCEAN CITY - A local man with a checkered past was arrested and charged last week with several serious offenses from first-degree assault, false imprisonment and numerous sex offenses after an incident in West Ocean City earlier this month. On Nov. 2, a Worcester County Sheriff's Deputy was dispatched to an area on Route 611 in West Ocean City to check on the welfare of a female victim in a van. The deputy responded to the area, but found no trace of the van or the female victim. A...READ MORE

WOC Duck Boat Proposal Grounded

SNOW HILL - Duck boat tours will not be leaving from the West Ocean City boat ramp, the Worcester County Commissioners decided this week, after the state made clear that letting a commercial operation use the public boat ramp would endanger hundreds of thousands in federal funds. That means Paradise Watersports owners Tyler and Logan Barnes' duck tour venture might be out of luck. 'That's the only ramp we can use for the duck boat in the entire area,' said Logan Barnes in an interview after the...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

It's worth pointing out the spring budget cuts in Ocean City likely ended up saving the town a lot more money last weekend. In a normal year, the Inlet parking lot's Winterfest displays would have been all set up last weekend just in time for the powerful storm, but the Mayor and Council axed that part of the town's annual holiday lights campaign in a cost-cutting move earlier this year. During those budget talks, and it continues to be a point often discussed, there was a concern among downtown...READ MORE

OC Dune System Deserves Credit Received

It's difficult to rank the severity of storms, as there's no accurate statistics available worth relying on, but last week's three-day event has to be considered among the worst in recent history as far as the toll it took on the beach. What's most important here is to remember it's the beach we are dwelling on today and not loss of lives or properties. Surely, there were some damaged buildings and individual units as a result of last week's storm, which featured high winds, ocean surge and...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Thanks To Our Partners Editor: Host Our Coast, a tourism initiative featuring an online contest and the use of social media to highlight local travel, was honored with two awards at the 29th Annual Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit. Host Our Coast was the only tourism initiative in Maryland to win an award from both Maryland Tourism and the Maryland Tourism Council. Governor Martin O'Malley presented the Host Our Coast partnership with the 'Visit Maryland Award,' one of only seven Maryland...READ MORE

Faces in Places

A spotlight on the local and regional bar and restaurant scene ...READ MORE

Things I Like

That my son loves broccoli Fast elevators The first workout after a vacation College football weekday night games A dry weather forecast Planning to never read Palin's book A great shower head Girl Scouts cookies A bloody mary rimmed with old bay Court TV documentaries A car full of dogs ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): There could be an unexpected change in plans for your upcoming holiday travels. But keep in mind that a little flexibility goes a long way in resolving any disappointments. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): A new relationship might not be responding quite as quickly as you'd hoped. Could you be expecting too much too soon? Try to ease up and let things happen at their own pace. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): As we approach the frenetic pace of pre-holiday planning, take...READ MORE