Friday, March 28 - County Honors Its Most Beautiful

BERLIN - The Worcester County Commissioners and Volunteer Services Manager Cyndy Howell honored just a few of the many outstanding community volunteers during Worcester County's 2008 Maryland's Most Beautiful People (MMBP) Volunteer Awards Dinner Ceremony held at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club on March 18.

The Shepherd's Nook, Bill Outten and Ginny Reister were chosen by the Worcester County Selection Committee, which consists of Dr. Jane Apson, Pam Howard and Laura Lockwood, as Worcester County's 2008 MMBP and will be recognized at the Governor's Volunteer Awards Ceremony in Annapolis during National Volunteer Week in April.

'While only a handful of those who give back to our county are recognized at this annual event, we are extremely grateful for each and every volunteer who contributes his or her time, talent, and resources to give others a chance at success,' Howell said. 'It is these individuals and groups, whose good works often go unnoticed by the general public, who contribute the most to the outstanding quality of life that exists in Worcester County.'

The Shepherd's Nook is an outreach of the Community Church at Ocean Pines. Made up of 54 volunteers, the group works daily to prepare clothing and/or food for those in need. They send bread, cookies, robes and lotions to the Berlin Nursing Home and give bedspreads, sheets, blankets and pillowcases to many international students.

Outten of Berlin served as president of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, was an instrumental figure on the Berlin Arts and Entertainment Committee, chairperson of the Berlin Village Fair, and member of the Downtown Merchants Association. His varying interests and talents are showcased through his involvement in the Ocean Pines Players. For the past five years, he has shared his home and given his time to care for otherwise homeless people and animals.

Reister of Ocean Pines has been active in a variety of leadership positions, helping to develop the Summer Youth Program, the forerunner to Camp Ocean Pines. She also started the Swim Team and served as Delmarva Swim Association President. She became active with Women Supporting Women and began its first chapter in Berlin.

Other individuals and volunteer organizations recognized included Mr. and Mrs. Donald Brown, Andrea Barnes, Peggy Connelly, Conversational English (Barbara Jacobson, Dave Wilson, Anadina Ward, Mary Able, Cece Goodwin), Barbara Henderson, Lydia Jones, Sandy Miller, Mary Kay Mullen, Mr. and Mrs. Don Olson, Faye Ordway, The Parke Penguins, Roland Pifer, Jerry Powell, Peggy Russo, Geraldine N. Schmidlin, Diana Timmons and Worcester Reads (Judy Neustadt, Merrellee Leppin, Nancy Pearce, Janis George, Jean Fry).