Articles

NEW FOR THURSDAY: Indian Sculpture’s Future In Ocean City Unclear

OCEAN CITY -- With restoration funding uncertain, the future of the landmark Indian sculpture at the Inlet in Ocean City is in doubt this week as the weather has taken its toll on it over the last three decades. Artist Peter Toth presented the Indian sculpture perched near the entrance to the Inlet parking lot to the town of Ocean City and the people of Maryland in 1976 as part of his larger plan to create a similar piece for every state in the U.S. as part of the nation’s...READ MORE

NEW FOR THURSDAY: School Safety Plan Includes 13 Resource Officers; Positions Will Need Special County Funding

SNOW HILL -- A new Safety Action Plan for Worcester County’s public schools, including armed security officers in schools, was recommended by the Board of Education’s Safety Committee and officially accepted by the board this week. While the approval was swift, Board of Education officials stressed that this does not mean that School Resource Officers (SROs) will be patrolling schools immediately, only that the board agrees with the recommendations made by its Security Committee and...READ MORE

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: Beer, Bean Can Assault Suspect In Hot Water Again

OCEAN CITY -- An Ocean City woman, arrested twice within a few hours two weeks ago on assault charges after first hitting her fiancé with a can of beer and later attacking him with a can of beans, was up to her old tricks this week after repeatedly slapping the victim for taking the last can of cold beer before jumping off a second-floor balcony to elude police. On Feb. 5, Kathleen Theresa Machen, 47, was arrested on second-degree assault charges after allegedly attacking her fiancé by...READ MORE

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: County Approves New ‘Flagship’ Liquor Store On Route 50; West OC To Close Immediately; Berlin Store Likely Later

SNOW HILL -- The county-run Department of Liquor Control (DLC) asked and received approval for three major changes to their operation including the closing of one or more stores in favor of a new “flagship” location, an increased discount on liquor sales to licensees and a new logo and name for all stores. All of the changes are aimed at making the DLC a better steward to the licensees it supplies and a more convenient option for private customers, according to County Chief Finance...READ MORE

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Four Arrested In Worcester Now Headed To Federal Court

BERLIN - Four men arrested and charged initially with drug distribution and weapons charges in Worcester County last year, including a Berlin man, had their cases forwarded to U.S. District Court this month. The U.S. Attorney’s Office last Wednesday announced four suspects arrested on drug and gun charges in Worcester last year have had federal criminal charges filed against them, essentially moving their cases from Worcester County Circuit Court to U.S. District Court. The first criminal...READ MORE

NEW FOR MONDAY: Komen Race For The Cure Eyes April Return To OC

OCEAN CITY -- The boards in Ocean City will once again be flooded with pink this April when the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure returns to the resort town for its second year. Despite dismal weather conditions, the debut Race for the Cure in Ocean City last year was a big win for both the town and the fight against breast cancer, according to Race and Development Coordinator Margo Mandes. “In total we raised just over $351,000,” she said during a pre-race press conference last...READ MORE

County Prepared To Handle Disasters, Staff Assures

SNOW HILL -- Hurricane season does not begin until June, but the Worcester County Planning Commission still asked to be briefed on the county’s disaster response plans last week. Specifically, the policies Worcester has in place were compared to nearby Somerset County, which was the hardest hit part of the Eastern Shore during Hurricane Irene. According to Director of Development Review and Permitting Ed Tudor, Worcester is in a good spot with its post-emergency follow-up. “We do a...READ MORE

City Okays Employee Pay Study

SALISBURY – The City of Salisbury will receive an outsider’s opinion on how its employee pay/compensation structure compares to today’s market. In second reading, the ordinance on the table was to approve funds to cover the city’s cost for a pay/compensation and classification study, which comes to about $44,000. The city has contracted with Evergreen Solutions, LLC to perform the study to determine if salaries and compensation packages are competitive in the labor...READ MORE

Council Tables Elected Officials’ Travel Policy Changes

SALISBURY – A discussion over elected officials’ travel expenses hit a nerve this week as a few changes were sent back for further discussion. On Monday evening, a resolution came before the Salisbury City Council amending the Council Regulations and Rules of Order with travel policy. The issue was discussed at work sessions on Jan. 7 and Feb. 4, 2013. According to the resolution, the Charter of the City of Salisbury provides that the City Council shall determine its own rules and...READ MORE

O’Malley Makes Big Push For Wind Energy Legislation

ANNAPOLIS -- Governor Martin O’Malley this week made his first big push for the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013, which, if approved, would create the framework for the development of an offshore wind farm as close as 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City. On Wednesday, O’Malley testified on behalf of this offshore wind energy bill in front of the Senate Finance Committee. In each of the last two General Assembly sessions, the governor’s offshore wind energy bill has...READ MORE

Counties, Resort Weigh Regional Sports Marketing

OCEAN CITY – Worcester County and Ocean City are partnering with Wicomico County to expand sports marketing, starting with the USSSA Girls Works Series this summer, with more events promised to come. Last week the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) reviewed a proposal from the USSSA Girls World Series organizer for an Ocean City event in conjunction with the girls softball series held in Wicomico County. This week during a Mayor and City Council work session, TAB requested approval to provide...READ MORE

Septic Bill Continues To Divide Md. Stakeholders

BERLIN -- The battle over the state’s “septic bill,” adopted last year by the General Assembly, reached a crescendo this week when farmers from all over Maryland, including the lower shore, rolled into Annapolis on tractors in protest in advance of a Senate committee hearing. Last year, the General Assembly approved the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Act of 2012, also known as the “septic bill,” which, among other things, requires the counties to submit plans...READ MORE

Dealers Caught In Undercover Probe Sentenced

SNOW HILL -- The first wave of cases following the break-up of a major heroin distribution ring in northern Worcester County late last fall started hitting the courts last week with varying results including some hefty sentences for some defendants. In late November, the Ocean City Police Department rounded up 26 suspects wanted in connection with a major heroin distribution ring after a Worcester County grand jury issued indictments for the suspects. The OCPD Vice-Narcotics Unit for several...READ MORE

Ocean Zoning Funds Removed From Sandy Relief Bill

OCEAN CITY -- A potential plan to effectively zone vast areas of ocean along the nation’s coastlines will not get $150 million in federal funding after the House last week voted to remove the appropriation hidden in a much-larger Hurricane Sandy relief bill. Last week, the House took up a massive federal funding bill intended to help victims of Hurricane Sandy and discovered some unintended pork had been added to the appropriation including $150 million in federal funding to start...READ MORE

Perdue Formalizes Request For Legal Fee Compensation

BERLIN -- Weeks after filing a motion to recover a combined $3 million in legal fees and other costs associated with successfully defending a landmark civil lawsuit filed against them by an environmental advocacy group over alleged pollution violations, Perdue and Berlin’s Hudson Farm last week filed a scathing memorandum in support of their claim for reimbursement. In March 2010, the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance, along with the Assateague Coastal Trust and the Assateague...READ MORE

Ocean City Council News In Brief

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council’s work session on Tuesday afternoon included the endorsement of a procedure to implement the Bay Restoration Fund Exemption Procedure, the approval of several spring infrastructure projects and support for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Funding of a project downtown. Bay Restoration Fund Exemption Process OK’d Finance Administrator Martha Bennett requested approval of procedure to implement the Bay...READ MORE

Worcester Tech Fest Has Grown To 515 Submissions

SNOW HILL -- On Wednesday, Worcester County celebrated its 39th Annual Technology Festival at Snow Hill Middle School (SHMS), featuring projects from every school and grade level in the county in fields from photography to interactive media to computer-aided design. According to Tech Fest Chair Sandy Buchanan, the day gives students with a passion for technology a creative outlet and a chance to compete with like-minded individuals. “We have a lot of creative students and they, of course,...READ MORE

Larger ‘Flagship’ Liquor Store Eyed For Route 50

BERLIN -- The liquor industry in Worcester County could change dramatically in the coming months if officials approve a plan for a new and larger Department of Liquor Control (DLC) retail facility on Route 50. A DLC advisory committee will present to the County Commissioners on Tuesday a proposed lease agreement for a new alcohol distribution retail operation at a shopping center development on the eastbound side of Route 50 between Berlin and West Ocean City. If the commissioners approve the...READ MORE

County Robotics Team Wins Award

BERLIN -- The Worcester Beach Bots FIRST LEGO League team got off to a celebrated start when it won the Rookie All Star Award at the Maryland FIRST LEGO League State Championship in January. The team’s robot, named Grandbot, also managed to take 13th place out of a field of the 73 best teams in Maryland, many of which were LEGO League veterans. Beach Bots coach Michele Kosin said that she is proud of the year her rookie LEGO League team members have had and credited their dedication and...READ MORE

Berlin Missionary Team Spends Week In Ecuador

BERLIN -- Twenty individuals from The Worship Center in Berlin recently returned home after spending a week’s vacation on a missions’ trip to Cuenca, Ecuador. The Worship Center is a regular supporter of Unsion Ministries, an Assembly of God mission in Cuenca. This is the fifth missions trip sponsored by The Worship Center to provide assistance to the people of Ecuador. This year the team, consisting of 16 adults and 4 teens, provided free medical screenings, medications, dental...READ MORE

Trio Charged In Wal-Mart Theft

BERLIN -- Three Salisbury residents were arrested on theft and theft scheme charges this week after local law enforcement officials were able to connect them to a series of thefts of flat-screen televisions, computers and other electronics from the Wal-Mart in Berlin totaling thousands of dollars. On Jan. 26, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the theft of numerous laptop computers, desktop computers, televisions, home surveillance equipment and Blu-Ray DVDs...READ MORE

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Date Set

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City will be glowing with green at the 32nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival, which marches down Coastal Highway on Saturday, March 16. Sponsored by the Delmarva Irish-American Club, the Ocean City tradition has grown to become the second largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the state, in addition to a seasonal kick-off for many local businesses. Leading the parade are grand marshals Molly and John O’Brien. They have been active members of the...READ MORE

Shore Transit Adjusts Berlin Route, Stops

BERLIN -- Shore Transit has altered two of its routes to allow continued travel through Berlin, despite prior concerns that streets were too narrow to support buses. “Several months ago, we made the determination to stop going through downtown Berlin,” Shore Transit Director Riggin Johnson told the Berlin Mayor and Council on Monday. “There are several reasons for that and I guess probably the main one is it became too expensive to keep replacing the mirrors on the buses. As we...READ MORE

Senior Flu Kits Now Available Through Local Company

BERLIN – The current flu epidemic threatens seniors and disabled adults throughout Delmarva, as weaker immune systems make them more vulnerable to the flu. Ninety percent of all flu-related deaths and more than half of flu-related hospitalizations occur in people age 65 or older. Visiting Angels, the nation’s leading in-home senior care company, is helping families battle back with compassionate caregivers who understand how to help prevent the flu, or care for those...READ MORE

Quality, Consistency Remain Top Priorities For PGMS

BERLIN -- “Quality, not quantity” is the principle that guides PGMS, Inc. (Professional Grounds Maintenance Service) and owner Bob Novelli. Founded in 1978, PGMS began on the western shore of Maryland, moving its main office across the bay to Berlin in 1990. During its life, PGMS has held a wide variety of commercial and residential clients, including Atlantic General Hospital, Hallowell Corp, Giant Food Store Realty Department and Hewlett Packard Corp. The majority of customers have...READ MORE

Public Outcry, Crash Data Leads To Traffic Light Decision Being Overturned

SNOW HILL -- One troubled intersection in the south end of Worcester County will receive a traffic light by mid-summer, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). While MDOT and the State Highway Administration (SHA) had previously opposed a light in favor of installing J-turns, public outcry persuaded MDOT to re-evaluate the need for a traffic signal at the intersection of Routes 113 and 12 near Snow Hill. The decision was widely lauded by representatives on the Eastern...READ MORE

PBS Picks Up Documentary Co-Produced By Local Restaurateur

BERLIN — The documentary film “Hands of Harvest”, produced by Adrian Muys and restaurateur Matt Haley, has been added to the PBS network’s national programming lineup. The film, which debuted in March of 2010 to a full house at Milton Theater as part of the Delmarva Roots film series, illustrates the struggles and fortitude of the migrant Mexican women who fuel the crabbing industry on the Eastern Shore. As one of Maryland’s most viable economic resources, as well...READ MORE

OC Represented At FEMA Course

OCEAN CITY -- Nearly 75 employees from the Town of Ocean City and several allied agencies recently returned from a training opportunity of a lifetime. The prestigious Integrated Emergency Management Course, which is hosted by The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), offered select participants the chance to take part in training that most communities nationwide will never have the privilege of experiencing. The FEMA funded training took participants through several phases of the emergency...READ MORE

New Location, Same Services For Local Jewelers

OCEAN CITY – At D.A. Kozma, a hobby has turned into a business, crafting stones and gold into exclusive pieces of jewelry as well as offering unique services. Dan and Adrienne Kozma are the owners of D.A. Kozma Ltd., a fine jewelry manufacturer that has recently re-located to the Food Lion Shopping Center where Route 50 meets Route 611 in West Ocean City. D.A. Kozma has been in business for 35 years spreading its wings in multiple locations around Ocean City, starting on Somerset Street in...READ MORE

New Arts Center Now Open In Ocean City; Grand Opening Set For March 1

OCEAN CITY – The new Ocean City Center for the Arts is anxiously awaiting its grand opening in a couple weeks but in the meantime classes and activities are already taking place. Ocean City Center for the Arts Executive Director Rina Thaler came before the Mayor and City Council on Tuesday afternoon to report on the new center, which is the new home for the Art League of Ocean City. With her was Board President Marian Bickerstaff, Vice President Emily Schwab and Past President Betty...READ MORE

LORA To Hold Scholarship Gala

SALISBURY -- The Local Owner Restaurant Association (LORA) will hold its 4th Annual “Tastes for Tomorrow” Scholarship Gala in Salisbury on March 9. The party will showcase the best food from more than a dozen area restaurants with the theme “A Night at the Movies.” The gala will include a walk on the red carpet, champagne, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and entertainment by the band On The Edge. The event will be held at the Fountains Wedding & Conference Center...READ MORE

Great Clue Caper Benefit Seeks Teams

SALISBURY -- Village of Hope officials announced this week that registration is now open for the 4th Annual Great Clue Caper: An Amazing Race to Benefit the Village of Hope, scheduled for Sunday, April 14. Returning teams and new teams can now register at www.greatcluecper.com. "The Great Clue Caper is a really fun way for people who like to solve puzzles and seek out clues to match wits against other teams for the chance to win $2,000,” said Jackie Jennings, former WBOC anchor and...READ MORE

Giant Quilt Represents Medical Center’s Commitment

SALISBURY -- Across the continuum of care, there are a number of different departments at Peninsula Regional Medical Center each performing specific functions to meet the overall needs of every patient, much like a single square on a patchwork quilt when joined with others creates something that is complete and whole. That was the message and theme shared recently when PRMC nurses Carol Deal and Peggy Reister-Morris came up with a plan to ask the different Medical Center departments to design...READ MORE

Farmers Market, Berlin Council Aim To Move Ahead As Partners

BERLIN -- The Berlin Farmers Market and the Town Council ironed out some of the details of their new partnership this week. Though both sides agreed to the terms, the council continues to express a desire to see the market expand in the future, something Market Master Susan Wood said was acceptable as long as expansion is done properly. The biggest concern held by the farmers is that Berlin might try to uproot them from downtown and transplant them somewhere else. “Historically, markets...READ MORE

Kaiser-Greenlee

BERLIN -- CWO5 USN (ret) Keith and Susan Kaiser proudly announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Ashley Kaiser, to PO2 USN Clint Michael Greenlee, son of the late Michael Greenlee and Amy Thomas. The bride-to-be is the great-granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Walker of Ocean Pines. A fall 2013 wedding is planned. ...READ MORE

Couple Sentenced In Fake West OC Robbery

SNOW HILL -- A Berlin couple accused of staging an armed robbery at a West Ocean City outlet store last August have been each found guilty of all charges after a two-day trial in Worcester County Circuit Court and each was sentenced to five years in jail. In a case where the apparent victim turned out to be the alleged suspect, Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI) detectives learned a reported armed robbery at a West Ocean City outlet store was allegedly staged by an employee and his...READ MORE

Benefits Organized To Help Pearson’s Home Of The Brave

OCEAN CITY – The word is out on Home of the Brave but not far enough as local organizations and establishments are lending a helping hand to fund and spread the message of a local woman who has given her home to help service members and their families. Tina Pearson, founder and CEO of Home of the Brave, has created a vacation home where combat veterans and their families can reconnect. Home of the Brave was inspired in 2009 by one of the stories told by Pearson’s friends who had...READ MORE

30th Annual Boat Show Grows To Meet Demand

OCEAN CITY -- The Seaside Boat Show, sponsored by the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club, turns 30 this year and a variety of factors have teamed to likely make this year’s event the biggest and best ever. For the last 29 years, the annual boat show has helped mark a turning point in the winter season for many visitors to the resort and its hearty year-round residents and this year should be no different. Coupled with the three-day President’s Day weekend with Valentine’s Day in...READ MORE