Articles

Ocean Pines Abandons YMCA Court Fight

OCEAN PINES -- The Ocean Pines Association (OPA) last week announced it was abandoning any further appeals in an ongoing dispute over a piece of property donated in 2002 for the development of a YMCA in Worcester County after the state’s Court of Special Appeals ruled against the association late last month. “We got to the point where we were all shaking our heads and wondering how it ever got to this point,” said OPA Board of Directors President Tom Terry this week....READ MORE

County Tax Increase Calculator Available

SALISBURY -- When Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, Jr. last week presented a budget balanced with a 5-cent increase on the property tax rate, he promised a “tax calculator” would soon be available on the county’s website to allow residents to figure out just what the nickel increase would mean for them and the application is now up and running. The Wicomico County website is www.wicomicocounty.org. On the home page, there is a column on the right called...READ MORE

Quiet Courage Of Kay Windsor

By Elle Jaye (Editor’s Note: The following is the latest installment of a new monthly feature, focusing on local women who have overcome some daunting obstacles in their lives. This feature will spotlight them and demonstrate their strength and ability to persevere when life is at its most challenging. If you know of someone we should profile, you can email us at editor@mdcoastdispatch.com and we will get the information to our writer, Elle Jaye). Courage – N. – Kur-ij; the...READ MORE

Berlin Council Gives Green Light To Video Project

BERLIN -- In an effort to showcase the town’s highlights and to attract tourists, a brief movie of Berlin will be filmed by CGI Communications and then given back to the town for distribution. Town officials say the best part about the situation, however, is the fact that CGI will film and produce the movie for free. According to Economic and Community Development Director Michael Day, CGI has offered to create a short, 60-90-second video for the town at no cost. In response, the firm...READ MORE

Golf Marketing Concept Stalls After Tie Vote

OCEAN CITY – Members of the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) have tried on several occasions to convince the majority of the City Council to approve a golf cooperative to bring more revenue to Ocean City through a contract between the town and golf packagers. TAB member Tom Perlozzo presented the Mayor and City Council with recommendations the board passed earlier in the month. One of those recommendations was one more attempt to discuss a “golf co-op”. The concept includes using...READ MORE

Salisbury Mayor’s Budget Holds Line On Property Tax Rate

SALISBURY – Mayor Jim Ireton presented the City Council and public with proposed fiscal year 2012 budget on Monday, reiterating this year’s budget is strong due to the sacrifices made by the city’s departments and employees. The mayor’s proposed budget calls for spending close to $50 million, a 4.62-percent increase from 2011 which was about $47 million. He also proposed a little over $30 million be placed in the general fund, a 5.97-percent increase since 2011. According...READ MORE

Two-State Crime Spree Starts In Resort

OCEAN CITY -- A Laurel, Del. man was arrested on numerous charges last week after a two-state crime spree that began with a stolen vehicle in Ocean City, included a hit-and-run accident in West Ocean City and a car-jacking near Delmar before the suspect was found sleeping in a camper in a garage. Shortly after 3 p.m. last Wednesday, Maryland State Police troopers responded to the Wine Rack in West Ocean City for a reported hit-and-run accident in the parking lot. Troopers met with the witness,...READ MORE

Effort Underway To Improve School Nutrition

SNOW HILL -- After spending more than a month working with local elementary school cafeterias as part of a Team Nutrition Grant program, Chef Paul Suplee called the effort to improve school nutrition a success. He did admit, however, that it was a small step but expressed hope that it would lead to similar efforts in the future. Suplee, culinary arts instructor for the Worcester County Technical High School, and his students teamed up with cafeteria workers at five local elementary schools to...READ MORE

Carvers Headed To Ocean City

OCEAN CITY -- For more than 40 years, talented artists from the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia have convened in Ocean City to showcase their carving skills at he Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition and Art Festival. The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University, once again hosts the event at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City from Friday-Sunday. On display will be more than 1,400 wildfowl carvings, many of which are created by the world’s...READ MORE

Ocean City News In Brief

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council approved a list of requests this week during Tuesday afternoon’s work session. Here’s a recap: Fire Department Requests Approved The council voted unanimously to approve the Ocean City Fire Department’s request to purchase a Zoll Autopulse Cardiac Support Pump and replacement turnout gear. The cardiac supportive pump is a revolutionary new automated chest compression system that helps deliver improved blood flow during sudden...READ MORE

17th Annual Kite Festival Returns To OC

OCEAN CITY -- The sky above the resort will be painted with every color under the sun at the 17th Annual Maryland International Kite Expo (M.I.K.E.), set for April 29-30 and May 1. The festival will be showcasing a spectacular cast of kite flyers from all over the United States. The giant kite field will be coordinated by Jeff and Joyce King. Thousands of spectators will watch giant kites, as big as a city bus, fly high above the Ocean City skyline. In addition, stunt teams will perform amazing...READ MORE

City Council Plans Revisions To Towing Ordinance

SALISBURY – Proposed changes to the city’s towing ordinance has had city staff busy for some time now, and a list of new adjustments reached the Salisbury Mayor and Council’s table last week again during a work session. The list of amendments includes the minimum experience required in the towing industry has been reduced from five years to three years; a criminal background check has been added to section for owner/applicants of towing companies; background investigations...READ MORE

Navy Announces Revised Cadet Program For Decatur

BERLIN -- After a considerable public outcry, the Navy has decided to stay at Stephen Decatur High School. Several months ago, the public learned that the Navy was planning on removing its National Junior Officer Reserve Training Corps (NJROTC) program from Decatur, the largest high school on the shore. However, the community immediately jumped to the defense of the program with an intensity that caused the Navy to reconsider. Though the NJROTC itself will still be dissolved, a new Navy National...READ MORE

Council To Comply With Meetings Act

SALISBURY – The new City Council voted this week to become more transparent to the citizens of Salisbury by moving a resolution to comply with the Maryland Open Meetings Act. “There are some things that are worth fighting for but not worth fighting about and this resolution is one of them” Council President Terry Cohen said. Cohen said that she first brought up this issue in 2008 and is very appreciative of the city council for wanting to move it forward and quickly. According...READ MORE

County, School Board Claim Victory In OCES Case

BERLIN -- The ongoing legal battle between the Worcester County Board of Education and a private contractor hired to complete certain elements of the long-since completed Ocean City Elementary School is heading back to Circuit Court. The Maryland Court of Appeals this week rendered an opinion in Worcester County Board of Education vs. Beka Industries, Inc., agreeing in part on some elements of the case, while disagreeing on other salient issues. Essentially, the state’s highest court ruled...READ MORE

New Business Will Use Dogs To Sniff Out Bed Bugs

OCEAN CITY – A new business has come to town to sniff out bed bugs quick and easy when compared to traditional styles of detection. Rona Schneck, a Berlin fire fighter, and Andrea Peterson, a property manager, teamed up and started Coastal K-9 Detection Services. The business offers canine bed bug detection service that strives to assist both property owners and business owners to avoid costly bed bug infestations. “Because we live and work in this community, we don’t want to...READ MORE

Local Jurisdictions Join $20M Suit Against Oil Companies

BERLIN -- Worcester County, the town of Berlin and the city of Salisbury are among seven jurisdictions in Maryland listed as plaintiffs in a $20 million-plus civil suit against the nation’s major oil companies over a potentially harmful and perhaps deadly gasoline additive that has leached into the jurisdictions’ drinking water supply. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court in Baltimore City in January and was transferred this week to the U.S. District Court. Seven jurisdictions in...READ MORE

Berlin Council Criticized As Anti-Business For New Regs

BERLIN -- One local real estate professional criticized Berlin’s recently adopted stormwater regulations at Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, warning the town was not being friendly toward development. While town officials promised to keep the complaints in mind, they do not feel that the new regulations are as restrictive or harmful to developers as Loewer portrayed them. Douglas Loewer, president of Loewer and Associates real estate, claimed that implementation of the current...READ MORE

Berlin Trail Pitch Gains Town Support

BERLIN -- After being endorsed by the Berlin Planning Commission last week, Kate Patton’s proposal to install hiking and biking trails in the area was met with enthusiastic praise from the Mayor and Council Monday. Patton, town resident and executive director of the Lower Shore Land Trust, presented a general concept to the council on Monday night. While the project is in its planning stages, Mayor Gee Williams believes it has potential. “I’m very excited with this...READ MORE

Election Change Brings Longer Spring Break

SNOW HILL -- A change in date for next year’s Presidential Primary Election will have a ripple effect on Worcester County’s school calendar. Though traditionally held the second Tuesday in February, a recent bill passed by the Senate has moved the election to the first Tuesday in April. This change would be disruptive for students, as county schools are used as polling sites and thus cannot have classes in attendance during the primary. In order to even out the schedule, school...READ MORE

Rates Fall For Salisbury, Wicomico Health Consortium

SALISBURY – The city plans to come together with the county and Board of Education to amend the Memorandum of Understanding involving their health insurance consortium to reduce the entity’s rates. According to the Director of Internal Services Pam Oland, the city is in a consortium with the Wicomico County Board of Education and Wicomico County for health insurance. As a consortium, the city is self-insured for health insurance claims. A requirement involved in the Memorandum of...READ MORE

Mallards Top Seahawks in OT Thriller

BERLIN- After 50 minutes of knock down, drag out regulation, it took a fluke goal in overtime for Worcester Prep’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team to prevail over host Stephen Decatur in overtime in another classic episode in the neighborhood rivalry. The Seahawks and Mallards battled tooth and nail for two halves of regulation in the latest installment of the backyard brawl, only to see it end with in a surprise. Worcester jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before Decatur got on the board...READ MORE