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Business License Ordinance Nears Approval In OC

OCEAN CITY - The ordinance outlining amendments to hearings and appeals of business license fines, suspensions and revocations was discussed and passed on first reading at Monday evenings Mayor and Council meeting.   The ordinance will amend Chapter 14 entitled businesses and aims to add more teeth to the ordinance governing the suspension and revocation of business licenses. Through changes in fines, hearings, and appeals, the Mayor and Council hopes to crack down on business license...READ MORE

Free Prescription Discount Card Coming To Worcester

SNOW HILL - A free prescription drug discount card is coming to Worcester County, staff revealed this week at the County Commissioners meeting. 'The county is in the process of having that plan ready for commissioner approval,' said Worcester County Chief Administrator Gerry Mason on Tuesday. The card, like the one recently introduced in Sussex County, will be free to any Worcester County citizen. There's no enrollment, no forms to fill out, no physical, just a free card entitling the bearer to...READ MORE

Planning Comm. Okays Project's Height Amendment

OCEAN CITY - Contention over the Rivendell project reached its pinnacle Tuesday night at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting as several of the key players in the Rivendell debate gathered to hash out the dispute over the five-foot height differential and to hear the commission's ruling on the requested height amendments. Several voices and opinions were heard Tuesday night, ranging from Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith to project architect Keith Iott to disgruntled neighbors of the...READ MORE

Unanimous Vote Needed By Commissioners On Room Tax

SNOW HILL - The public will have two opportunities to weigh in on the higher room tax rate proposed by Ocean City, with enabling legislation to allow the County Commissioners to raise the room tax rate to 4.5 percent introduced Tuesday, to be followed later this fall by a bill to actually raise the rate. 'The public will have the opportunity to comment on two separate occasions,' said Gerry Mason, Worcester County's chief administrator. The enabling legislation introduced this week, if passed,...READ MORE

First-Place Finisher Seeks White Marlin Open Suit Dismissal

SNOW HILL - While the Worcester County Circuit Court mulls a complaint filed earlier this month asking a judge to sort out who should be awarded the hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake in the blue marlin division of this year's White Marlin Open, the attorney for the angler who caught the first place white marlin last week filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and demanded his client be paid what is owed him. Amid confusion over alleged failed or untimely polygraph tests, the White...READ MORE

Freeman Issues Statement

SNOW HILL - The following is the entire statement released by Christy Freeman at a press conference yesterday morning. 'Christy Freeman, a prominent business owner and well-known figure in Ocean City, had the misfortunate of having a miscarriage in her 25th week of pregnancy on the 27th of July 2007. This event resulted in her losing eight pints of blood, nearly causing her death. When the Ocean City Police Department caught wind of this, the Chief of Police, Bernadette DiPino, immediately...READ MORE

Seven Weeks Of Events In Christy Freeman's Case

OCEAN CITY - It has been a wild seven weeks for Christy Freeman, who was released from jail Wednesday after first- and second-degree murder and manslaughter charges were dropped by the State's Attorney's Office. Freeman, an Ocean City business owner, resident and mother of four, went from facing life in prison in late July to being a free woman on Wednesday after a grand jury did not return an indictment because the Maryland Medical Examiner's Office found there was no 'life' in the fetus she...READ MORE

Undercover Federal Sting Busts Shore Residents

SNOW HILL - Federal officials yesterday morning swarmed two businesses and a residence in Snow Hill in connection with a massive sting operation conducted over the last several months targeting 39 suspects involved in an extensive money laundering scheme involving funds the suspects thought were being diverted to terrorism operations and the bribing of immigration officials for illegal permanent resident cards. Early yesterday morning, federal officials including the FBI and the Immigration and...READ MORE

Beauchamp Road Speed Limit Lowered

SNOW HILL - With a new speed limit of 40 mph on Beauchamp Rd. approved this week, motorists will need to hit the brakes or be on the lookout for police when they travel that way now. The County Commissioners voted on Tuesday to lower the speed limit on Tuesday after a handful of Ocean Pines residents sent the officials a letter asking for the reduction. The letter described the well-used street as 'a narrow two-mile road with deep drainage ditches on both sides of the road and no suitable...READ MORE

Berlin To Host 15th Annual Fiddlers Convention

BERLIN - The Berlin Chamber of Commerce will welcome back bluegrass legend Ronnie Reno and The Reno Tradition as the headlining act for this year's 15th Annual Berlin Fiddlers Convention. On Friday, Sept. 21 through Sunday Sept. 23, Berlin will say hello to some of the most talented bluegrass musicians in the world. Not only will Ronnie Reno and his band perform on Friday night and Saturday morning, they will also serve as professional judges in this 15th annual event that attracts thousands of...READ MORE

Coast Kids Program Launches New Educational Product

BERLIN - The 11th Annual Maryland Coast Day festival at Assateague on Saturday was the perfect venue for the Coast Kids program to release its new educational product •€' 'Critter Cards,' a deck of playing cards featuring illustrations and fun facts about local coastal animals. 'These cards are another fun way for kids to get to know their •€˜neighbors' better,' said Kim Quillin, director of the Coast Kids program, part of the Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT). 'Like the other offerings...READ MORE

Condos Planned To Replace Old Concrete Plant

OCEAN CITY - At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Tuesday night, the site plan for Croppers Landing, to be located between north First and North Division streets, was presented to and approved. The plan, calling for 94 multi-family residential units, will be located on the bayside between the south side of North 1st Street and the north side of North Division Street, abutting into the Isle of Wight Bay. The area is locally known as 309 1st Street. The applicant for the site plan...READ MORE

Council Rejects Request For Water Meter Variance

BERLIN - The new Barrett Medical Building must replace and move several newly installed water meters despite Becker Morgan Group's pleas for a variance, the Berlin Mayor and Council decided last week. Builders installed the wrong number of meters to begin and then the wrong model in the ceilings of the units later. 'What they're asking us is to basically cast a blind eye for not putting these where they're supposed to be,' said Council Vice President Gee Williams. 'That's not right.' Berlin...READ MORE

County Chooses To Route OP Water Pipe Under Creek

SNOW HILL - The Riddle Farm-Ocean Pines water connection will run under Turville Creek, and the cost will be shared proportionally between the two service areas, the county said this week as it authorized staff to take the next steps to bring the project to fruition. Worcester County elected officials finally chose the route for the pipeline Tuesday, rejecting the Route 589 option, which would cost three times the alternative route under Turville Creek. 'The path leading it across the creek...READ MORE

County Needs Another Look At Land Donation Offer

SNOW HILL - An offer to donate land in exchange for a cul de sac in Bishopville's Holiday Harbor residential community needs further study, the County Commissioners concluded Tuesday. Buzz Taylor, a resident of Dixie Lane in Holiday Harbor, has offered to donate the land for a cul de sac to be built on his street to allow large vehicles like garbage trucks and school buses to turn around, instead of backing up to exit the dead end street. 'Where we live no school buses can get to us because...READ MORE

Galaxy, Musician Send Out Call For Local Talent

BERLIN - Bryan Russo knows how lucky he is to be known as an Ocean City musician that plays mostly original songs. For over a year, the local 'songster' has been a constant at the Galaxy 66 on Wednesday nights and has become known as a prolific songwriter and a talented performer. He has learned, however, to welcome the occasional cat-calls for a little tune called 'Freebird.' 'I realize that this is a cover song type of town, and I've learned to embrace that, after getting to know some of the...READ MORE

Lewis Family Marks 25 Years Of M.R. Ducks

OCEAN CITY - Lloyd Lewis, who with his wife Gail, opened a small, open air, gazebo bar in 1982 adjacent to their newly purchased motel at Talbot Street, said it was a modest beginning for what is today an M.R. Ducks empire. "We ordered T-shirts for the bar staff to wear, but our local regulars wanted them, too. So we offered a few for sale. But then our 'summer people' wanted them as well. So we ordered some more, and then some more, and soon we were selling dozens of M.R. Ducks T-shirts...READ MORE

County Library Director Excited About Near Future

SNOW HILL - Local libraries have a lot to look forward to this fall, as the new Ocean City Library is on track to be completed before the end of the year and the system has received a grant to enhance the rate of reading in Worcester County. 'It is moving along. They are in the interior. They're doing drywall. They're doing painting,' said Worcester County Library Head Mark Thomas. 'They should be finished in a couple of months.' Thomas said he hopes to move the Ocean City Library into its new...READ MORE

Negligent Driving Citation Issued In Resort Tragedy

SNOW HILL - The family of an Easton man struck and killed on Coastal Highway in June seeking criminal justice for their deceased son did not get the answer they were hoping for this week when the driver of the vehicle that hit the victim pleaded guilty to a simple negligent driving citation and was fined a total of $140. Tyler Adams, 21, of Easton, was struck by a Jeep Cherokee driven by 19-year-old Brian Scott of Orwigsburg, Pa. on June 17 as he attempted to cross Coastal Highway and was...READ MORE

Newark Water Concerns Exacerbated By Recent Blaze

SNOW HILL - Newark has minimal water storage without a planned new water tower, making fire fighting difficult with the tower at least a year away. The water system in Newark has no fire protection built into it, Public Works Deputy Director John Ross said this week. 'It does not cover large demands like a fire. There's not enough storage down there for that,' Ross said. The lack of fire protection is not necessarily an oversight. Water systems are still occasionally built with little reserves...READ MORE

OCDC Seeks $225K In Community Legacy Grants

OCEAN CITY - At Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the resolution approving the application and receipt of financing for Community Legacy Projects in the downtown area of Ocean City. The approval of the resolution marks the town's support of the submission of the Ocean City Development Corporation's (OCDC) application for funding. The application deadline is Oct. 2, and this year the OCDC will be requesting $225,000 for four projects in the downtown...READ MORE

Ocean City Beach Patrol Suspends Coverage Sunday

OCEAN CITY - Most locals will agree that this is the best time to be in Ocean City. The beach conditions are awesome and the crowds are smaller due to school being back in session. Even though beach conditions are great, it is one of the most challenging times for guarding the beach. A large percentage of the lifeguards are back at school or college and many of the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) guards are teachers. Keeping personnel to cover the beach can be difficult. Lt. Mike Stone is an...READ MORE

Ocean City Beauty Spot Winners Crowned

OCEAN CITY - 'All gardeners live in beautiful places because they've made them so.' That was the underlying theme and quote read to honor the 2007 Beauty Spot Awards presented Monday Night at the Mayor and Council meeting. The awards recognize those members of the community who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the beautification of Ocean City. Donna Greenwood, chairperson of the Town of Ocean City Beautification Committee, presented the awards Monday night, announcing the winners in...READ MORE

Showell Students Excel In Media Fest

NEWARK - Showell Elementary School was one of three schools in Maryland to have a winning entry in the 2006-2007 International Student Media Festival (ISMF). In fact, Showell Elementary School had three winning entries, a school record for one awards cycle. 'Achieving this degree of success spotlights the talents and ingenuity of our students,' said Showell Elementary Principal Paula Jones. 'It also highlights the commitment to technology and the high expectations of our teachers. Students,...READ MORE

Sunfest Kite Festival Celebrates 30th Year In OC

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City will explode with color at this weekend's Sunfest Kite Festival, which is celebrating its 30th year as a world-class event. Recognized as one of the top 100 most popular venues on the planet, the Sunfest Kite Festival features kite making workshops, kite flying games, relays, 'candy drops,' kite competitions and plain kite spectating. The best news of all is it's free. In September of 1977, kite clubs from Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and New Jersey came...READ MORE

Sunfest Weekend Comes To Resort

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City celebrates the start of the fall season with four fantastic days of food, arts and crafts and live music when Sunfest 2007 shines on the resort's Inlet lot, Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 20-23. Ocean City's most popular festival, the 33rd Annual Sunfest, will delight all ages with 180 crafters, live entertainment, hayrides on the beach, children's activities and the 23rd Annual Adeler Jeweler's Treasure Hunt. In and around four big-top tents, there is something for every...READ MORE

Trust Fund Created For Children Of Former Local

OCEAN CITY - The Ocean City area's boundless generosity is being sought again, this time for the three children of a long-time resident of the area and commercial fishermen left parentless when their mother and father were killed in a automobile accident in Maine in late August. Cory Openshaw, who lived and worked as a commercial fisherman and construction worker in the resort area for several years from 2000 to 2004, was killed in a head-on collision in Ellsworth, Maine on Aug. 24 along with...READ MORE