Archives

'Radical' Plan for OCVFC Quickly Retracted

OCEAN CITY- Much of the discussion during Tuesday's Mayor and Council meeting about the future of the organization appeared to have been borne out a plan prepared by City Manager Dennis Dare last winter to expand the scope of the paid emergency services organization at the expense of the historic volunteer agency, but some on the council said they had never been privy to the document. In January, Dare apparently floated a conceptual plan, based on the recommendations of an independent...READ MORE

Potential Sex Store Sites Identified

OCEAN CITY- Resort planners on Tuesday got a first look at maps showing potential sites throughout Ocean City for adult book stores and shops selling sexually-related content, and while the sites identified added up to just about one percent of the total area of the town, there were a few surprise locations identified under the proposed zoning changes. Following the surprise opening of an adult-themed book store on 137th Street this winter, resort officials have embarked on a two-prong course to...READ MORE

Sewage Disposal Plan Still Stalls Major Showell Project

SNOW HILL - Spray irrigation is the way to go for the controversial proposed residential sewer plant in Showell, the planning commission told the county this week. Planning commission chair Carolyn Cummins laid out the commission's position in a half hour presentation Tuesday, concluding that a combination of spray irrigation and reuse of the treated effluent would be the best choice. 'Spray is still the preferred option,' said Cummins, who several times made the point that the new comprehensive...READ MORE

Program to Target Youth Suicide in County

BERLIN - Two mothers who lost sons to suicide want to equip local youth with a tool to get help in times of crisis by starting a chapter of the Yellow ribbon suicide prevention program. 'We thought it's about time we got something out there. This program is definitely needed in Worcester County,' said Melanie Welton, who lost her 16-year-old son Randy to suicide in October 2006. 'The basis of the program is a business card you hand out and on the front it states, •€˜this is your lifeline,'...READ MORE

North End Highway Study Set for This Summer

SNOW HILL- The north end of Worcester County will be subject to a regional transportation study this summer, set to begin sometime in July. The study, under consideration for the last two years, got approval from the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday during a commissioner meeting. The $100,000 is currently available, and will not be part of the fiscal year 2008 budget. Staff originally thought the study would cost as little as $50,000, which was duly requested and received two years ago,...READ MORE

Two Locals Busted in Drug Raid

OCEAN CITY- Two local residents were arrested on drug charges last Friday after a month-long narcotics investigation conducted by the Ocean City Police Department. Last Friday, the OCPD's Quick Response Team (QRT), along with the resort's narcotics officers, executed a search and seizure warrant at 1208 Baltimore Ave. Once inside the residence, resort police discovered approximately a half-ounce of powder cocaine, three bags of marijuana, multiple items of drug paraphernalia and a digital scale...READ MORE

Council Approves Flea Market Return

OCEAN CITY- An old Ocean City tradition gone for several years now will get a new life at a new location this summer when the weekly flea market returns to the Worcester Street parking lot downtown. For decades, the town hosted a huge flea market on the parking lot of the Convention Center on 40th Street, but the tradition died when the parking lot was no longer available because of increased activity at the facility. However, the Ocean City Mayor and Council this week agreed to bring back the...READ MORE

Four Sought in Armed Robbery

OCEAN CITY- Resort police are searching for four suspects involved in an armed robbery in Ocean City early Monday morning. Shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Monday morning, Ocean City Police Department officers responded to a reported armed robbery on Baltimore Ave. around 21st Street. The investigation revealed the victim had met the four suspects on the Boardwalk near Wicomico Street and later walked with them from the downtown area to 21st Street where the group exited the Boardwalk. At that point,...READ MORE

Powerboat Races Set to Return Next Month

OCEAN CITY- The grand spectacle of offshore powerboat racing is set to return to the resort on Father's Day weekend, June 15-17, with the arrival of the OPA Racing and Super-Cat Pro Series. For years, the annual offshore powerboat races were a staple in the resort each fall before being discontinued for several years. Last fall, however, the fan favorite returned with a new national racing series and the same local sponsor, Bull on the Beach, which has its own boat and racing team. This year,...READ MORE

New Electric Supply Contract Accepted

OCEAN CITY- Resort officials this week agreed on a new electric supply contract for municipal service with an option that could save the town hundreds of thousands of dollars. City Engineer Terry McGean told the Mayor and Council on Tuesday the town's current electric power agreement is about to expire at the end of June and it was time to review bids for a new agreement that will last the next few years. McGean said the town recently received five bids for providing electric service and...READ MORE

Annual Music Fest Planned To Aid Autistic Support Group

BERLIN - The Autistic Children's Support Group of Worcester County, Inc. will hold its 4th Annual 'Expect a Miracle' Music Fest on Sunday, May 20 at the Greene Turtle in West Ocean City from 1-5 p.m. The 'miracle' of this event has been the amazing support from the community and businesses that make it more successful every year. Last year this event drew over 200 people and raised over $11,000 as a result of donations, silent auction, Chinese auction and a 50/50 raffle. As a direct result, the...READ MORE

Cedar Chapel Teacher Honored By Wal-Mart

BERLIN - In a surprise announcement during a music assembly on May 8, Cedar Chapel Special School Teacher Victoria Radford learned that she had been selected as the 2007 Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year for Pocomoke City. When Cedar Chapel Principal Rae Record made the announcement in front of the school's faculty, staff and students, T.J. Frampton, one of Radford's former students, cheered, 'You are awesome to the max!' Simultaneously, student Michael Knight hugged his teacher, while the music...READ MORE

Alert Citizen Helps Nab Shoplifters

OCEAN CITY- Just days after a reported shoplifting spree at the CVS pharmacy on 120th Street in Ocean City, an alert citizen who saw the suspects pictures on television recognized them at the CVS in West Ocean City and alerted resort police, which touched off an investigation that led to their arrest. Three suspects in the initial shoplifting spree at the Ocean City CVS on April 28 were arrested this week after a tip from an alert citizen who saw the trio apparently up to their old tricks at a...READ MORE

Alleged Rape Case Forwarded to Circuit Court

OCEAN CITY- An Ocean City man arrested on rape charges in April after an alleged sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl passed out from alcohol had has case forwarded to Circuit Court this week after a preliminary hearing in District Court in Ocean City, but not before some questions were raised about his involvement in the case. Semeredin Bederu, 24, of Ocean City, was arrested on second-degree rape and second-degree assault charges on April 3 for an alleged attack on a 17-year-old girl from...READ MORE

Late Fire Department Requests Derails Berlin Budget

BERLIN - A last minute request for more funding from the Berlin Volunteer Fire department has thrown off Berlin's balanced preliminary budget. The request, revealed Monday night at a Berlin town council budget work session, is not part of the budget prepared by town administrator Linda Bambary and staff, and will prompt some cuts elsewhere, she said. The town anticipates $4,621,077 in revenue in 2008. The budget presented to the council Monday night shows expenditures in the same amount, but the...READ MORE

Berlin Man Arrested for Resort Burglary

OCEAN CITY- A Berlin man was arrested this week on a slew of charges including first-degree burglary after Ocean City Police connected him with a breaking and entering at an unoccupied home in the resort. Douglas Lawrence Ransley, 20, of Berlin, was arrested this week after resort police were able to connect him to a robbery at a vacant north Ocean City home last weekend. An Ocean City police officer was patrolling in the area of North Heron Drive last Sunday looking for a reported...READ MORE

Berlin Town Council To Donate Old Ledgers To Museum.

BERLIN - Some old books from Berlin's history have a new home, after the Berlin town council voted to donate 13 dusty old ledgers of town records to the Calvin B. Taylor House museum.             'Some of these are from 1901, handwritten town minutes,' said Weisner.  'Because they're town records, I don't want to throw them away.'             The unusual find came to light...READ MORE

Ocean City Council Briefs

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Mayor and Council met in a work session this week and discussed a wide variety of issues from a bid to repaint the water tower on 15th Street to improvements to the fire company headquarters to a new health care plan for town employees to new gear for resort firefighters. The following is a quick look at some of the activity: Bid Accepted for Water Tower Rehab The Council unanimously approved the low bid submitted for a major repainting and rehabilitation project for...READ MORE

Downtown Height Restrictions Approved

OCEAN CITY- With the intent of preserving the old town charm of the downtown area in Ocean City, the Mayor and Council on Tuesday approved new maximum height limitations on new development in vast areas of the oldest section of the resort. During their regular work session on Tuesday, the council approved the proposed maximum height limitations by a 5-2 vote, although some questions were raised about various components in the zoning code amendment including the pitch of roofs and dormers allowed...READ MORE

County Wrestles With Adult Shop Law

SNOW HILL- Citizens will get the chance to weigh in on temporary legislation to regulate adult businesses at a June 19 public hearing. Worcester County established a moratorium on new adult businesses in early May, extending through the end of 2007, to give the county time to put permanent legislation into place. The interim legislation will back up the moratorium in the case of a legal challenge to the seven-month ban on adult businesses. 'I think we have to be ahead of this issue,'...READ MORE

Council Briefed on General Assembly Session

OCEAN CITY- Resort officials this week got an update on activity in the recent General Assembly session that will affect Ocean City and other municipalities around the state the most and took an early look at potential legislation to support next year. As a member of the Maryland Municipal League (MLL), an organization of the 157 towns throughout the state, Ocean City has a vested interest in legislation related to municipal issues debated and enacted by state lawmakers. To that end, officials...READ MORE