Articles

Council To Hear Air Show Date Recommendation

OCEAN CITY – The Tourism Advisory Board will come before the Mayor and City Council next month to recommend the OC Air Show be held the second weekend of June 2011. A few weeks ago, OC Air Show Coordinator Bryan Lilley approached the Mayor and City Council to present the pros and cons on the potential dates for the OC Air Show. The two competing dates were the first weekend, June 4-5 or the second weekend, June 11-12, 2011. Lilley also announced the disappointing news that the US Air Force...READ MORE

Toys For Tots Campaign About To Start

OCEAN CITY – Around this time of year, local restaurants come together to raise money and collect toys for the annual Toys for Tots drive, sponsored by the First State Detachment Marine Corp League. According to Toys for Tots history, the first Toys for Tots campaign took place in Los Angeles during Christmas in 1947. Major Bill Hendricks had his local reserve unit collect and distribute 5,000 toys to needy children in the Los Angeles area. The following year the Commandant of the Marine...READ MORE

Students Hear Veteran’s Message About Serviec

BERLIN – “Kids should honor veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Stephen Decatur Middle School (SDMS) eighth grader Hunter Cox, after an assembly where his 91-year-old grandfather Austin Cox, Sr., a decorated World War II Veteran of the 29th Infantry Division, addressed students on Veteran’s Day. Cox added, “Without the service of our veterans, we wouldn’t have the American Flag or our freedom.” Cox was invited to speak to students on...READ MORE

One Year Ago, Storm Ravaged Area Beaches

OCEAN CITY – This time last year Ocean City faced the worst storm in over a decade, as the dune system in many areas was destroyed but credited with saving millions of dollars of damage. Last year’s storm hit on Nov. 13, 2009. “We lost all the east side sand fence, about a third of the dune and 300,000 cubic yards or so of sand,” City Engineer Terry McGean said. Without a commitment to keep the beaches and dunes up to date, the storm could have caused more severe...READ MORE

Natural Causes Ruled In Mysterious Death In Resort

OCEAN CITY – The Maryland Medical Examiner’s Office this week confirmed the cause of death of a Pennsylvania man found unconscious between buildings in the area of 17th Street in early September was the result of natural causes, likely heart disease. Around 3 a.m. on Sept. 7, Ocean City police responded to 17th Street and Coastal Highway in the area known as the Party Block complex in reference to an unknown male individual found unconscious and possibly not breathing. OCPD officers...READ MORE

Berlin Gets $50K To Boost Ongoing Façade Efforts

BERLIN – For the second consecutive year, the town of Berlin has received a grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to bolster façade restoration within the town. This year, Berlin was awarded $50,000, down from $75,000 last year. The program, which encourages residents of Berlin with historic property to keep the town looking well maintained and repaired, did not make much of an impact when it first began last year. “It took longer to build up...READ MORE

Pedestrian Struck In Hit-And-Run

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man was arrested on first-degree assault and other serious charges this week after allegedly plowing his vehicle into a pedestrian in front of a downtown bar before striking a tree and fleeing the scene. Around 9 p.m. last Sunday, Ocean City police responded to Pickles Pub on 8th Street and Philadelphia Ave. for a reported hit-and-run collision involving a pedestrian with injuries. OCPD officers determined the suspect, later identified as Alan Phillip Flynn, 32,...READ MORE

Verified Results Officially Conclude Election

BERLIN – After much counting and re-counting, rattling of sabers and gnashing of teeth, followed by a decided calm, the state and local election results from earlier this month were officially finalized this week. The results did not change when the final vote counts for the numerous state and local offices were officially put in the books on Monday, bringing closure to what was decidedly a tumultuous campaign season. The following is a race-by-race look at the final results: Maryland...READ MORE

Berlin Postpones Sprinkler Decision After Public Hearing

BERLIN – Whether Berlin will decide to exempt itself from installing mandatory sprinklers in new one- and two-family dwellings is still up in the air after Monday’s public hearing. After more than an hour of presentations on both sides of the debate by fire marshals, realtors and private citizens, the Mayor and Council delayed making a final decision on residential fire sprinklers until its Dec. 13 meeting. “There are a lot of myths and falsities about sprinklers,” said...READ MORE

Middle School Students Need Recess, Parents Say

NEWARK – A group of concerned parents went in front of the Worcester County Board of Education last Tuesday to protest the elimination of recess at Pocomoke Middle School. The issue was placed on the agenda last month at the request of Todd Palmer, one of the parents. At this month’s meeting, Doug Voss represented the collection of parents to the Board of Education and made a brief presentation of statistics and information in the attempt to persuade the board to intervene and...READ MORE

Maryland Preserves More Pocomoke River Lands

POCOMOKE – The Department of Natural Resources recently preserved another 835 acres of sensitive land in Worcester County, bringing the total to approximately 68,000 acres. “I would say there are certainly some counties with a lot less,” said Meredith Lathbury, Director of Land Acquisition and Planning. “It’s one of the stronger counties in terms of preservation.” Lathbury translated the 68,000 acres of preserved land into a percentage, confirming that nearly...READ MORE

SHA Prepared For Worst With Winter A Month Away

OCEAN CITY – The snowstorms of 2010’s winter season still haunts many with memories of mountains of snow surrounding the roadways and Coastal Highway just being a slab of ice and snow. During this year’s 2nd Annual Snow Show, held last Thursday in Salisbury, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) confirmed it’s making sure to be prepared for another rough winter, just in case. “There is no typical Maryland winter,” District Engineer Donnie Drewer...READ MORE

Detectives Probe Assateague Body, Dewey Case Link

ASSATEAGUE – Worcester County detectives this week are no closer to identifying the remains of an individual discovered on the beach at Assateague Island earlier this month, although an effort is underway to determine a possible connection to a Silver Spring, Md. man reported missing in nearby Dewey Beach in late October. Shortly after 3 p.m. on Nov. 6, a federal park ranger patrolling the beach along the north end of the Assateague Island National Seashore located the remains of an...READ MORE

Assistance For Low-Income Shore Residents Again Offered

BERLIN – The Shore Up program is once again preparing to assist lower income homes on the Eastern Shore with their heating bills this winter. Shore Up is a federally funded program that offers financial aid for a variety of issues, including energy assistance. Residents of Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties with low household incomes could qualify to have Shore Up pay for some of their heating costs. The standard formula used by Shore Up to determine level of need starts at a...READ MORE

Ocean City Offers Beach Plant Grants To Property Owners

OCEAN CITY – In an ongoing effort to help the health of the beach, Ocean City is offering beach district plant grants. According to Environmental Engineer Gail Blazer, the beach district planting program was developed to address an area in need of attention along the ocean. The area is located behind the primary dune along the beach, called the beach district or the secondary dune, which is susceptible to erosion and scour. The secondary dune is specifically the area east of the building...READ MORE

Council Votes To Exempt Museum From Sprinkler Law

BERLIN – The Berlin Mayor and Council unanimously waived restrictions requiring the Calvin B. Taylor Museum to use a commercial sprinkler system in favor of a residential one. Currently, the museum is serviced by a three-quarter inch waterline, which is more than sufficient to supply its general water needs. However, installing a fire suppression system would require a commercial sized four-inch waterline, as town standards adopted two years ago mandate that commercial operations, which...READ MORE

EPA Sued After Denying Proposed Lead Tackle Ban

OCEAN CITY – Two weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied a petition seeking a ban on the use of lead in fishing tackle, a measure which, if approved, could have had serious impacts on Ocean City and other fishing communities, a coalition of environmental groups filed suit in U.S. District Court. In August, a coalition of environmental groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a formal petition with the EPA seeking a ban on the use of lead in all...READ MORE

Holiday Shoppers Reminded Of Criminal Element

BERLIN – Hundreds of local residents will likely join the throngs of Black Friday shoppers heading out this weekend to take advantage of the first real bargains of the holiday season, prompting local law enforcement officials this week to issue a few common sense reminders to ensure they, and their packages, make it home safely. Thousands of holiday shoppers are flocking to area shopping centers, malls and outlet centers for the first big push of the holiday shopping season. Joining them,...READ MORE

Lawsuit Against Resort, Coast Guard Dismissed

OCEAN CITY – A U.S. District Court judge last week formally dismissed the federal lawsuit filed against the town of Ocean City and the Coast Guard by the owner of a commercial scallop boat that foundered off the coast of the resort in September 2006. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Blake officially dismissed the case filed against the town of Ocean City and the Coast Guard for their alleged roles in the demise of the commercial fishing vessel “Mighty Duck” in...READ MORE

Man Sentenced To Year In Jail For Leaving Dogs In Hot Vehicle

BERLIN – A Berlin man, awaiting trial on 30 counts of child pornography possession in Worcester, appeared in court in Wicomico last week to face 19 charges related to animal cruelty in that county for an incident in August and was sentenced to nearly a year in jail. Kirt Barren Greenberg, 45, left several dogs, one of which perished, in a closed vehicle in 100-degree plus heat at a mall in Salisbury in August. At the time of the incident, Greenberg had recently been arrested in Worcester...READ MORE

Ocean City’s Avenue Of Trees Seeks Sponsors

OCEAN CITY – The Avenue of Trees program is on life support as the Recreation and Parks Department is on the hunt for sponsors to keep the holiday display alive. According to Special Events Director John Sullivan, Mayor Rick Meehan started the Avenue of Trees program in 2000 to decorate Baltimore Avenue from 15th to 33rd streets with lighted Christmas trees. The original trees are 21-foot lighted artificial fur trees decorated with a snowflake. The town buys, sets up, maintains, takes down...READ MORE

Police Warn Residents Holiday Charity Scams Exist

BERLIN – The holiday season signals a time for charitable giving and donations to those less fortunate, but local law enforcement officials this week warned residents and visitors it can also be a time for the area’s criminal element to prey on the collective good nature in the community. More than any other time of the year, the holiday season provides an abundance of opportunities for those with more to share with those who have less in the community. While most charitable...READ MORE

Winterfest Enjoys Early Spike

OCEAN CITY – The first weekend for the Winterfest of Lights this year proved to be electric with a strong turnout on opening night. “The Winterfest of Lights has had a very strong beginning this year,” Special Events Director John Sullivan said. According to Sullivan more than 2,400 folks visited on opening night alone. Senator Jim Mathias, Mayor Rick Meehan and a few City Council members were attendance to join in on the holiday festivities. The opening ceremony was a hit...READ MORE

Work Promised To Address Railroad Crossing Issues

BERLIN – Despite being recently installed, issues with railroad crossings in Berlin have already arisen. However, the process to fix the crossings began almost immediately after the town was made aware that there was a problem in the first place. “We’re going to get it resolved,” said Mayor Gee Williams to those in attendance at Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, referencing a complaint made by Public Works Director Mike Gibbons. Gibbons pointed out to the council...READ MORE