Archives

Agency Reports New Ad Campaign Achieved Goal

OCEAN CITY -The 'end of the world' campaign was a success, said advertising agency MGH last week, reporting that the unique ad campaign succeeded in achieving its intended goal, catching people's attention. Ocean City and advertising firm MGH rolled out the red carpet on the most recent ad campaign last month, presenting a new twist on reaching potential vacationers in an effort to draw tourists to the resort in an increasingly difficult economic time. The 'end of the world' approach focused on...READ MORE

County Needs More Walking, Biking Opportunities

SNOW HILL - Bicycle and pedestrian travel must become priorities for Worcester County, according to a draft of the North Worcester County Transportation Study presented to the Worcester County Planning Commission last week. The county must also ensure planned improvements are carried out to ensure that levels of service at several major intersections do not simply breakdown by 2030. As the north end of the county continues to develop, planners must evaluate the suitability of existing roads as...READ MORE

Area Businesses Hope To Sustain Holiday Momentum

OCEAN CITY - The crowds certainly poured into town this past holiday weekend, filling the beach, hotels and restaurants, but whether the banner weekend is a forecast for the rest of the season remains to be seen. The Fourth of July fell on a Friday this year, raising hopes in the resort for a banner holiday weekend. Having the holiday fall on a Friday meant an extra day of vacation time for tourists and an extra day of business for the resort. Several resort officials and business owners...READ MORE

Suspect Wanted For Sexual Assault On Beach

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City police this week are looking for a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a young woman on the beach near 109th Street early last Friday morning. The 19-year-old Salisbury woman was collecting shells on the beach near 109th Street around 5:30 a.m. last Friday morning when an unidentified man grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. The suspect, who was reportedly much larger than the victim, then sat on her chest, forced her mouth open with his hands and...READ MORE

County Opposed To Performance-Based Teacher Pay

OCEAN CITY - Some Maryland schools may be moving in the direction of performance based pay for teachers, but Worcester County will not be moving in that direction any time soon, reported officials this week. 'At this time, our school system has no immediate plans to move to a pay-for-performance system,' said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes this week. Performance based or merit pay has been a long debated issue amongst local governments, teacher's unions, schools and parents. The basis...READ MORE

Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against Berlin

SNOW HILL - A Worcester County Circuit Court judge on Wednesday formally dismissed the civil suit filed against the town of Berlin and the late Mayor Tom Cardinale by former Finance Director Ron Bireley, who was abruptly fired in January 2005 amid controversy and veiled hints of missing funds. On May 30, Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Groton entertained a motion to dismiss the suit filed by the defendants in the case, the town of Berlin and Cardinale, but withheld his judgment at...READ MORE

Letter Seeks Apology From Commissioner

NEWARK - Despite harsh accusations made in a letter of reproach from the Worcester County Board of Education, Commission President Virgil Shockley said this week that he would disregard the letter and look to the future. While Shockley saw an early draft of the letter, 'the final draft I didn't pay attention to,' he said. Shockley believes that the letter was written in anger and probably should not have been sent. 'They were blowing off steam,' said Shockley. Board of Education member Jonathan...READ MORE

County's Methane-Powered Electric Plant Opens

NEWARK - Decomposing trash at the Worcester County landfill will now provide electricity, instead of just taking up space, with the opening of a new methane-powered electric plant. The plant, owned and operated by Curtis Engineering of Baltimore in partnership with Worcester County, will generate three kilowatts of electricity when all three engines come on line in the next year. 'That's enough to power 2,700 homes, about the size of Snow Hill,' said Al Grimes, president of Curtis Engineering....READ MORE

Hotel Retaliation Suit Settled

OCEAN CITY - A federal lawsuit filed last year against the former owner and management company of a resort motel over illegal employee hiring and dismissal practices was settled this week with the defendant paying restitution to the plaintiff and agreeing to amend their policies. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit in U.S. District Court last September against Spa Motel General Partnership, which formerly owned and operated the Best Western Ocean City Hotel and...READ MORE

Majority Of Proposed Development Set As Open Space

SNOW HILL - A small development in Bishopville bordering the St. Martin River will keep two-thirds of its land as open space with the majority of lots inside the Critical Area.        The 15-lot cluster subdivision, to be developed by prominent Worcester County developer Jack Burbage, sits on 242 acres off Salt Grass Point Rd. Ten of the lots fall within the Critical Area. The project will be taken before the Maryland Critical Area Commission to ask for a...READ MORE

New Bishop Named For Region

WILMINGTON, Del. - The Holy See announced this week that the Most Reverend W. Francis Malooly, D.D. has been appointed the new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. He succeeds the Most Reverend Michael A. Saltarelli, D.D., who has served as the eighth bishop of the diocese since 1996. In keeping with canon law, Saltarelli offered his resignation when he turned 75 years of age. 'I want to publicly acknowledge how happy I am to come to the diocese where my good friend, Bishop Saltarelli,...READ MORE

Priority List Eyed For New West OC Sewer Service Area

SNOW HILL - A sewer capacity free-for-all could result from new EDUs added to the well-populated and in demand Mystic Harbor sewer service area, county planning officials fear. The Mystic Harbor Wastewater Plant has deteriorated since its construction in 1974 and must be replaced, adding 667 EDUs, Worcester County has concluded. The Worcester County Planning Commission expressed concern last week that the additional EDUs would be snapped up by new development, rather than existing businesses and...READ MORE

Residents Seek To Retain Street End's Natural Look

OCEAN CITY - Emergency access and extra parking were pitted against the desires of local residents this week, as the fate of the 144th Street street end was debated before the Mayor and City Council. Several residents attended the regular session of the Mayor and City Council this week, in an effort to have their voices heard regarding the potential street extension of 144th Street. 'I'm really here to represent my community tonight,' began designated spokesman and 144th Street resident Bret...READ MORE

Summer, Fall Ad Blitz Important For Ocean City

OCEAN CITY - Resort officials are looking to change their advertising trends this summer by increasing their efforts to get the word out on Ocean City deals and informing potential vacationers well through August about the resort offerings. At a Tourism Commission meeting last week, members came together to review current advertising plans and goals for the remaining summer season, agreeing that unique steps need to be taken during the uncertain economic times. MGH Advertising and Ocean City...READ MORE

Suspect Linked To Beating Gets Year In Unrelated Case

SNOW HILL - An Ocean City man who just last week had the charges dropped against him for his alleged part in the beating death of a Berlin teenager in May pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to commit theft for an unrelated case dating back to last year and was sentenced to one year in jail. Eric Ronald Hewitt, 19, of Ocean City, appeared in Circuit Court in Snow Hill on Tuesday to face a wide variety of charges related to the break-in of a north Ocean City residence last May. Hewitt pleaded...READ MORE

Two Ocean City Buildings Damaged In Strange Accidents

OCEAN CITY - It was a tough week for a couple buildings in Ocean City as two were severely damaged after being struck by vehicles in separate incidents over the weekend. It started last Friday, the Fourth of July, when volunteer firefighters were forced out of their station on 130th Street after a vehicle slammed into the south wall of the building. According to fire department officials, the driver had parked her vehicle in an area just south of the fire station at Montego Bay, and when she...READ MORE

Va. Man Phones In Bomb Threat To Evade Court

SNOW HILL - A Virginia man is being held in Worcester County Jail on false statement-destructive device and arson threat charges after threatening to drive a truck full of explosives into the county government building in Snow Hill to avoid a scheduled court date last week. Last Tuesday, July 1, the Worcester County Circuit Court received a letter stating an elite special forces unit from Saudi Arabia was going to drive a truck full of C-4 explosives into a government building. The letter stated...READ MORE

WOC Shopping Center Eyes Expansion

SNOW HILL - The Seaside Village shopping center in West Ocean City will gain a second building to join the Applebee's restaurant currently on site, but no businesses have definitely committed to moving in there.  'We don't have any hard commitments from anyone,' said developer Todd Burbage of Blue Water Development Corp. There has been some interest in the building from national chains, including a national retailer that has signed a notice of intent, but has not committed to leasing...READ MORE