Authorities Do Their Job

Editor:

Generally, I do not take time to respond to other letters posted in your paper but the comments in this letter, “Laws Need Enforcing,” just begged for a response.

First, as to the statement "please start enforcing the laws and ordinances", I’m not sure if the writer has ever been out on the streets of Ocean City on Friday and Saturday nights during these events. But as someone who really enjoys seeing all the different cars and bikes and is on the street most of the night the two nights I would wonder what the writer is talking about.

If you ride down Coastal Highway from the Delaware line to the Inlet on those evenings, you will see a constant array of Ocean City Police, Worcester County Sheriff deputies and Maryland State Police both in marked and unmarked vehicles sitting on the side of the road writing tickets. One can hardly go four of five blocks without seeing this occurring. I believe these officers do a good job keeping things in check.

Special lane blocking is done up in front of the Hooters’ shopping center to keep the turn-around burnouts from happening and there are always officers there making sure the showoff burnouts are kept to a minimum and keeping the crowd safe and under control.

Second, as to why does the town keeps allowing these type of events. It is pure and simple — money and the number of people that come to these events every year help to fill the city’s coffers. The hotels, restaurants and shops all make out well on these weekends in the early spring and fall when otherwise there would be minimal crowds.

So, all in all, I would say that while there is some problem with the noise levels and an occasional fool I really do not think these events are a bad thing for our city.

Len Bender
Ocean City

Thankful For Heroes

Editor:

On Friday, May 8, my dad was very sick. It took sometime but I finally talked him into going to the hospital. We tried to walk him out to my truck to take him to the hospital, but he didn’t make it very far.

I had to call 911. I would like to recognize some everyday heroes. All the people I mention in this story did a superior job in saving my dad’s life.

After I called 911, paramedic 1 from Ocean City responded to my call for help. On that unit was firefighter Brian Bond, firefighter/paramedic Derrick Simpson and firefighter/paramedic Collin Brown. Also, firefighter/paramedic Mike Maykrantz came by to see if he could help.

My dad was taken to Atlantic General Hospital. There he was met by nurses Sara Evans and Shane Schaffer and Doctors Carpenter, Bell and Dang. While in the ER, my dad was given the best care by everyone that was there to help. After the ER, he went to the operating room and then to intensive care.

I can’t remember everyone’s name who treated my dad, but these people in my mind are everyday heroes. I would also like to thank the nurses and aides who assisted my dad while he in the ICU, also the ones who assisted him when he had his own room. I would also like to thank all of the staff at Salisbury Genesis who helped my dad her rehabilitated.

I would also like to thank some very close friends who were there for me in my time of need (Tim Jerschied, David Peterson, Jeff Payne, Billie Terrones and Greg Hall).

All of the people mentioned here are everyday heroes.

David Williams
Berlin

Persistence Lauded

Editor:

The NJROTC Boosters want to express their gratitude to Stephen Decatur community members, staff, parents, and students for all the emails, phone calls, and letters sent to various levels of local, state and national government representatives since February.

Your persistence has persuaded the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, to permit Stephen Decatur NJROTC unit to continue as the Navy National Defense Cadet Corps. This positive step allows students to continue developing and fine tuning their leadership skills while working on efforts to reinstate NJROTC.

 While impossible to thank everyone, it is important to note that those who participated in this process taught students a valuable lesson in civic and social responsibility. The Stephen Decatur community’s actions exhibited its depth of caring for NJROTC students’ well-being and future opportunities. The honorable U.S. Senators Cardin and Mikulski along with Md. Sen. Mathias and Congressman Harris responded to the out pouring of public support for the program and along with Dr. Andes and the Worcester County Board of Education worked on a viable solution.

As we thank you, we humbly ask that you continue to support Stephen Decatur Navy National Defense Cadet Corp as it strives to regain status as a permanent NJROTC unit in the near future.

Stephen Decatur NJROTC Boosters

After Prom A Success

Editor:

On behalf of the Stephen Decatur High School 2011 After Prom Committee, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the parent and faculty volunteers who made the 2011 After Prom “Road Trip U.S.A.” an enormous success with over 600 young adults in attendance. 

Through generous gifts and donations from the following businesses, we were able to persuade a record number of students to stay for late night prize raffles, keeping them off the roads and out of harm’s way throughout prom night.

Thank you for helping to keep our kids entertained, well fed and safe: Action Island T’s, Action Water Sports, Adolfo’s Restaurant, Allstate/Gismondi Insurance, Atlantic General Hospital, AGH Auxiliary, Atlantic Orthopedics, Atlantic/Smith Cropper & Deeley, Debbie Atwood, Ayers, Jenkins, Gordy & Almand, A Bagel And, Baked Dessert Café, Bank of Ocean City, Beach Music, Beachwood Construction, Beauty Your Way, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Belardo Enterprises, Berlin Fire Department, Bliss Salon, Bonfire Restaurant, Bull on the Beach, Buzz & Rita Taylor, Candy Kitchen, Captain’s Table, Carousel Resort Hotel, Ronald & Rose Celozzi, Dominic & Judith Celozzi, Choptank Electric Trust, Cindy Hall Family, Claudia Nicholls -State Farm, Coca-Cola, Connoisseurs, Conner’s Beach Café, Angela Cooling, Crab Alley, Crabs to Go, Creative Day Spa, Kimberly and Craig Davidson, Janet and Darren Davis, Debbie Frene-Arbonne, Susan Phillips DeGroft, Will & Kate DeGroft, DeNovo’s, The DiBuo Family, Domino’s Pizza, Dough Roller Restaurants 41st , Dr. James & Marie Kramer, Dumser’s Dairyland 49th St., Mark & Cindy Elliott of Elliott’s Hardware, Eming’s BBQ, Fager’s Island, First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City, Fresco’s, Friendship United Methodist Church, Friendship UMC Mission Fund, Green Turtle/Blue Ox, Green Turtle West, Harborside, Bonnie Hardt & Friends, Harrison Group, Hunan Restaurant, Knights of Columbus, La Hacienda, The Links at Lighthouse Sound, Lioness Club of Berlin, Live Long Fitness, Lou Taylor, Lisa Rodriguez, Malia’s Café-18th St., Malibu’s Surf Shop, Bea Mason, Mr. & Mrs. & Mrs. Shaun McKenzie, Mione’s, Ocean City Elks Lodge #2645, Ocean City Lioness Club, Ocean City/Berlin Optimists, OH MY HAIR!, Ocean Pines Lions Club, Old Pro Golf, Park Place Hotel, Panera Bread, Parties Your Way, Brice & Shirley Phillips, Ponzetti’s Pizza, Powerhouse Gym, Rainbow Florist, Richard L. Ropp-State Farm, Desserts by Rita, River Run, Robin Walter Salon, SADD, Seacrets, Seaside Driving Academy, Eunice Sorin, South Moon Under, St. John Neuman Catholic Church, Starbucks, Studio S, SubMarina, Sweet Dispositions, T&G Builders, Taylor Bank, Town of Ocean City, Trimper’s Rides, Walmart-Berlin, Waterman’s, Worcester County Commissioners, Worcester County Sheriff’s Dept. and Sheriff’s Office, Worcester County Drug & Alcohol Council, Worcester County Retired School Personnel Association, the Faculty of Stephen Decatur High School, the Worship Center and Yummy Sweet Shop.

Patti Miller

(The writer is the chair of the 2011 SDHS After Prom Committee.)