Trimper’s Legacy
Editor:
Granville Trimper, the long-time steward of Ocean City’s most iconic amusement destination has left us. All who are familiar with Ocean City’s history know that it really began when Granville’s grandparents established their amusement park in what is now Old Ocean City.
In these troubled times of ours, this I know: that Ocean City’s memory resides within the sturdy, aged timbers of the Life-Saving Stationhouse, now our museum; its brains [sometimes more, sometimes less] think at City Hall, formerly the town schoolhouse; its brawn is in the police, lifeguards and public works departments, but if you wish to know Ocean City’s heart, walk into the old pavilion at Trimper’s rides, buy your ticket, climb aboard that 106-year-old carousel, choose from the fantastic variety of hand-carved creatures and take your seat.
Then, as you begin to spin amidst the twinkling lights, flashing mirrors and laughing children, recall the effort it has taken to sustain such a joyful place for over a century.
As long as that carousel continues to spin, the heart of Ocean City beats strong. Thanks Granville.
Rob Harmony Carr
Willards
Support Appreciated
Editor:
I sincerely appreciate your vote of confidence returning me to the City Council so I can continue being your voice at City Hall. I will direct my energy to demonstrating that you, the citizens, made the right decision in re-electing me.
As we enter this challenging economic time, I am ready to lead in making the tough decisions that will keep revenues up and taxes down. As I maintain my focus on the future, I will remain accessible to all the taxpayers of Ocean City. My cell number is 443-235-0326. Let me quote a fellow lawmaker, “people before politics”. Again thank you for your support.
Mary Knight
Ocean City
Some Free Tips
Editor:
I believe that I read where the people who “studied” the electric plant problem and the high electric bills controversy, suggested that the way to lower the electric bills of Berlin residents, was to “use less electric.”
Many of you probably feel that you are doing everything, short of moving in with your neighbor, now to lower your bills by using less electricity.
Well, I am here to tell you, there are plenty of ways to use less electric. Some may not apply to those who use gas/oil for an energy source, but if you have an all electric home, some of these “Top 10 Ways To Lower Your Electric Usage” could apply to you.
1. Remove all incandescent and CFL bulbs from your vertical lamp sockets, replace them with candles. You get both heat and light.
2. Unplug the refrigerator on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Only open it on the other days of the week.
3. Unplug all electronic devices. Only plug in the TV when you are ready to watch it. (Start early so that you can reprogram all the features lost when power was disconnected)
4. Move the TV into a room large enough for all to sit in. Line the walls with mirrors. Then, everyone can watch TV or read or do homework by the reflected light. Blow out the candles.
5. Only bathe (no showers even thought they use less water) on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Baths are better since each member can take a bath in the same water. Use the left over bathwater to do the dishes from the prior days.
6. Buy several rolls of duct tape (as suggested by Homeland Security) and tape over all windows, glass and all, to seal out cold drafts and hot sunlight.
7. On days when the temperatures is over 89 degrees, go to Food Lion, Cheers or someplace else that sells bagged ice and lean into the freezer. Those places are always heated and cooled anyway. Bring lunch.
8. For those of you who get your water from wells that are pumped with electric pumps, turn off your pump and find a friend who will let you fill jugs from their outside spigot. Or visit a local athletic field.
9. If your neighbor visits Florida during the winter, and you have a long extension cord, and they have an outside electrical receptacle, … well you get the idea.
10. To help heat your home, visit local schools and put bricks in the oven while they cook lunch. Take them home and put them around the house so they give off the heat to your rooms the rest of the afternoon.
See it is easy to cut down those wasted kilowatts.
I give this unsolicited list, from White and Associates, to the Town Council free of charge (which should be much less than what they paid for the study they funded) in hopes that the “solution” to just “use less electricity” will work to lower our bills. Who did not see that one coming?
In the event that they decide that the extra 6 cents they add over and above what they pay for our electricity from Conectiv is a contributing factor to our high bills, perhaps we can also get some relief on bills … by them eliminating that “6 cent surcharge” we pay.
And if they believe the tips above will help, they have my permission to mail them out with the next electric bills and just credit me $1,000 in the form of $100 credits on my next 10 bills for my input and ideas. The money will be greatly appreciated.
Meanwhile, I have to go unplug the refrigerator and see if I have any dirty dishes to toss into the bath water; water that I got from my neighbor and heated with their electricity.
Greg White
Editor:
Question 2 on our Nov. 4 Maryland ballots provides voters a challenge to really analyze the slot machines issue.
Education is presented as the primary enticement for some revenue from the 15,000 machines among some 5 locations. The constitutional amendment empowers the legislature to enact laws to carry out this constitutional amendment (adjust, consolidate to semi-casinos, etc.).
The educational revenues, less than half, are set to begin in 2011. They are not guaranteed to be supplements. They may just become supplants, allowing normal general education revenues to be diverted to other political goals, a classical “bait and switch” prospect.
It was this writer’s pleasure in the 1990’s to represent the bi-partisan Wicomico County Council and testify before the State’s Tydings Commission on expanded gambling and public policy. The dangers of increased gaming cited then are even more obvious today.
Today’s recession economy increases the least able among us, the chief victims of such a slots policy-program. They are the same ones already hurt most by regressive sales tax.
We’ve been down this road before. Our own Governor Tawes, in 1963, ended the slots blight in southern Maryland. Ocean City also had a hard history lesson in slots.
Is it time we got serious in answering this ballot question and even one more basic; am I my brother’s keeper?
Please prayerfully consider the consequences of this constitutional amendment and vote no to question 2 on Nov. 4.
Kenneth Matthews
Salisbury