Archives

State Officials Mulling Changes To Toll Increases

BERLIN -- In response to the public backlash on the proposed doubling and even tripling of the toll rates on many bridges and highways including the Bay Bridge, Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) officials this week appear to be backing off some of the more stringent elements of the plan or at least stalling their implementation to allow for further study. The MDTA board met last week to begin wading through a backlog of negative public comments about the proposed toll hikes in Maryland...READ MORE

Public Input Sought On Assateague Island’s Future

ASSATEAGUE -- With anticipated climate change and the associated sea level rise, Assateague Island officials are taking a proactive approach to planning for the future of the barrier island with a wide variety of alternatives on the table. Assateague National Seashore officials are currently working on a new General Management Plan (GMP) for the barrier island for the next few decades and are seeking the public’s help in a series of workshops in the coming weeks. The GMP will ultimately...READ MORE

Council OKs Tower Welcome Message

OCEAN CITY – Councilman Joe Hall is traveling an alternative avenue this week seeking support for ways to retain existing Ocean City customers. Simultaneously, the City Council voted Monday for the 64th Street water tower to have its regularly scheduled maintenance and to combine that effort with the placement of a “Welcome and Thank You” message on it. The council approved the low bidder of D & M Painting to repair, paint, and apply a vinyl decal welcoming and thanking...READ MORE

Parking Changes Eyed For Government Lots

SALISBURY -- Parking problems in the city have officials considering changes to several government lots, some of which might upset disabled employees, according to one Salisbury City Council member. The council discussed changes to nearby lot number 9, which is behind the government building, and lot number 14, which is across the street. Lot 9 especially raised eyebrows among the council. “We receive a lot of complaints about how limited parking is in lot 9,” said Internal Services...READ MORE

USS Radford Sinking Delayed, Now Planned For Next Week

OCEAN CITY -- The planned sinking date for a retired U.S. Navy destroyer, as part of a three-state artificial reef system just 30 miles off the coast of Ocean City, passed quietly this week after another delay. The sinking date for the decommissioned U.S.S. Arthur W. Radford was set for Aug. 2, but another delay kept the retired destroyer at the dock for another week. The new target date is set for this Tuesday, Aug. 9, although the window is fraught with potential conflicts, not the least of...READ MORE

Resort Taxi Medallion Sold For $6,500

OCEAN CITY – The current price for taxi medallions has confirmed for the City Council last year’s changes have resulted in exactly what was desired -- they are a valuable asset. In order to operate a taxi within town limits, a taxi fleet owner or independent driver is required to purchase a taxi medallion. The council initiated the concept in hopes to bring professionals forward in the business. “Their [Mayor and City Council] intention was to bring forward the true business...READ MORE

New OC Airport Manager Named

OCEAN CITY – The resort announced this week a new airport manager, Jaime Giandomenico, will be making his way to Ocean City and begin his duties Aug. 29. Giandomenico currently resides in Annapolis and since 2007 has been the manager of the Queen Anne’s County Bay Bridge Airport in Stevensville. “I have enjoyed visiting the Town of Ocean City with my family for many years, and I am looking forward to becoming a permanent resident and member of the community," he...READ MORE

Catch 54 Plans Spring Reopening After Blaze

FENWICK -- Potential tragedy was averted this week when a fire ripped through the popular Catch 54 restaurant in Fenwick Island during the height of a summer dinner rush, but no one was injured and the establishment plans to reopen next spring. Around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, fire companies in Bethany Beach and Roxana responded to a reported fire at Catch 54. First arriving units reported heavy fire and smoke pouring from the restaurant’s second floor and a second alarm was called in....READ MORE

County Court To Hear DNR Cases

SNOW HILL -- A pilot program aimed at stepping up enforcement and prosecution of illegal fishing, hunting and other natural resources-related cases has been expanded to Worcester, which will serve as the regional court of record for the Lower Eastern Shore. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the state’s Attorney General’s Office and the District Court of Maryland last week announced an expansion of a pilot program established in Anne Arundel County in January 2010....READ MORE

Salisbury Housing Board Cuts Landlord Position

SALISBURY -- The “landlord” position, a part of the five-person Salisbury Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals (HBAA) since its foundation 30 years ago, has been cut in favor of adding a public safety official. Debate over the change stretched throughout a city council work session Monday. While the majority eventually decided the switch would be the best move for the HBAA, not all members were satisfied. “When people are excluded from the conversation all together or feel...READ MORE

Dozens Busted In County Drug Sweep

SNOW HILL -- A total of 40 Worcester residents were arrested and eight more are still wanted on a wide variety of drug distribution charges last weekend during a two-day operation carried out by multiple law enforcement agencies through the south end of the county. Last Saturday and Sunday, members of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team conducted a two-day operation stemming from a six-month drug distribution investigation focusing on Snow Hill and Pocomoke. The purpose of the...READ MORE

Service Road Named After Fallen Soldier

BERLIN -- The next stage of construction on a service road named in honor of Pfc. Samuel Bowen, the first Berlin native killed in Iraq, is set to begin within the next 30 days. Bowen, a member of the 216th Ohio National Guard Engineer Battalion and a 1983 graduate of Stephen Decatur High School, died on July 7, 2004 when his convoy fell under attack from insurgents in a small town north of Bagdad. A former member of the army who had re-enlisted in the guard, Bowen’s death came only a few...READ MORE

Social Commentary: Ocean City’s Identity Crisis

(The following is the first in a two-part historical perspective examining the right to vote and its effect on a seasonal resort.) Ocean City is continually in the midst of an identity crisis. On good days, it is a city being run like a business. While on bad days, it is a business being run like a city. It is not really the city's fault. In fact, if anybody deserves credit for this identity crisis, it is probably the men and women who turned their businesses into a resort back in...READ MORE

Worcester Not Considering Charging Athletes

BERLIN -- Despite a growing trend toward “pay-to-play” policies for sports and other extracurricular activities in the face of shrinking budgets and other cutbacks, Worcester County public schools officials will not be collecting fees from student athletes any time in the near future. Public school systems across Maryland and throughout the country are adopting stringent fee schedules for students to participate in sports and even music, fine arts and drama in many cases. Just last...READ MORE

The Globe To Host Multimedia Maritime Presentation

BERLIN – Renowned musician and photographer John Mock will present his unique multimedia maritime concert presentation “From The Shoreline” at The Globe in Berlin on Monday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include seat and show. Guests may purchase dinner and drinks and may take their seats any time after 5 p.m. Visit www.globetheater.com for reservations or call 410-641-0784. Mock is an artist and the sea and its coasts are his muse. From New England to Chincoteague to...READ MORE

Salisbury Not Willing To Commit To Linens Project

SALISBURY -- Wary to commit to a project that might snowball in costs, the Salisbury City Council agreed to further explore working with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to remove contamination from a local property. A recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant to the tune of $100,000 was offered to the city to help decontaminate the former Linens of the Week property in downtown Salisbury. The grant would be used to pay for the removal of an underground fuel...READ MORE

Substitute Teacher Indicted Over Student Relationship

SNOW HILL -- A Worcester County substitute teacher last week was indicted by a grand jury on sex offense and assault charges after allegedly fostering a relationship with a student on a popular social network. A Worcester County grand jury last Tuesday indicted Russell Keith Barbely, Jr., 21, of Newark, on numerous charges including three counts each of third- and fourth-degree sex offense, four counts of sexual solicitation of a minor, three counts of second-degree assault and one count of the...READ MORE

‘I Have A Feeling We’re Not In Ireland Anymore’

OCEAN CITY -- As my parents drove me the 100 miles from my home in Belfast, Ireland, to Dublin airport on the rainy morning of July 8, the thought that within a few hours I could be in sunny Maryland kept me awake despite the horribly early start. This idea was only partly realized. Having always travelled with friends or family on previous trips, I found being alone on this journey a daunting prospect. With three different flights to catch and four airports involved, any number of things could...READ MORE

Pollitt Proposes Major Government Shakeup

SALISBURY – Wicomico County’s executive is looking to get out from behind the desk and be more proactive in making Wicomico more attractive for businesses to anchor and families to flourish. County Executive Richard Pollitt presented a plan Tuesday to reorganize county departments and add two new positions to the executive office -- a Chief of Staff and a Constituent Services and Communications position. The county executive position has been active only for the past few years, which...READ MORE

Resort Scenery Offers Unique Aerial Experience

OCEAN CITY -- Blending professional instruction with scenic views, Ocean Aviation has been training pilots on the Eastern Shore for the last four years. According to Michael Freed, owner and chief instructor, Ocean Aviation will be doing more of the same, on a larger scale, in the years to come. “We’re definitely looking at expansion here in Ocean City,” confirmed Freed. A pilot for 40 years, Freed has instructed for half of that time. Four years ago, he recognized a unique...READ MORE

Marine Animal Rescue Program Marks 20 Years

OCEAN CITY -- The National Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP), a vast collection of paid professionals and dedicated volunteers, turns 20 this week and is celebrating two decades of rescuing injured or sick marine mammals and sea turtles along the coast of Ocean City and beyond and often rehabilitating them for a release back into the wild. The National Aquarium, which is celebrating its own 30th anniversary this year, established the MARP program back in 1991 with the goal of...READ MORE

Berlin Man Faces 40 Years In Fed Drug Plea

BERLIN -- A Berlin man faces as many as 40 years in prison after pleading guilty last week in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine following one of the most significant drug busts in recent Worcester County history. Tyrone Darnell Lawson, 38, of Berlin, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on July 14 to one count of possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, a charge which carries a maximum of 40 years in prison with a mandatory...READ MORE

County’s First Solar Operation Planned For Rec Center

SNOW HILL -- In a continuing effort to utilize alternative energy, the Worcester County Recreation Center will play host to a Photovoltaic Solar Energy System within the next few months. Funded by a $299,692 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, which will go through the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), the project will include the construction of solar panels adjacent to the recreation center. Those panels will provide a share of the energy needed to operate the building....READ MORE

Purple Moose Calls This Summer ‘Woodstock Of 2011’

OCEAN CITY – Over the years, the Purple Moose Saloon on the Boardwalk has gained landmark status for its devotion to rock and roll, and that reputation has been taking to another level this summer. Purple Moose Chief Financial Officer/Entertainment Director Charlene Carr has announced this summer at the Purple Moose Saloon, which is downtown on the corner of Talbot and Caroline streets, as the “Woodstock of 2011”. “What we’re trying to do is showcase all of the...READ MORE

Prisoner Escapes, Apprehended At Ocean City Bank

OCEAN CITY -- A Finksburg, Md. man who escaped on Monday from the Somerset County Detention Center, where he was being held awaiting trial on numerous sex offense and assault charges, was captured on Monday morning at a bank in Ocean City. Around 5:30 p.m. last Sunday, Maryland State Police (MSP) were called to the Somerset County Detention Center in Westover after prison officials notified them of an escape. The investigation revealed a prisoner identified as Scott A. Odham, 47, of Finksburg,...READ MORE

Fire Department Gets Carbon Monoxide Grant

OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Fire Department this week was awarded a fire prevention grant from the Maryland State Firemen’s Association for the purchase of carbon monoxide alarms. The $500 grant will help fund the purchase of approximately 36 carbon monoxide alarms. The alarms will be distributed to those in need, along with a limited supply of smoke alarms and nine-volt batteries already provided by the fire department. The Ocean City Fire Department is pleased to partner with the...READ MORE