Voices From The Readers

Cleaning Acknowledged
Editor:
I would like to thank the men and women who clean the sand, Boardwalk and streets of Ocean City every day. ‘They do a fantastic job. We have been going to Ocean City for the past 34 years. They start cleaning the beach when the people are off. I walk the boards between 5:30 and 6 a.m. and they are out here cleaning the boards. I especially pay tribute to the people who clean on Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings.
People really can be slobs on vacation. If I had $1 for the all the cigarette butts in between the boards or around the beautiful plant areas, I could spend the entire summer in Ocean City. The napkins, paper plates and soda cups are unreal. Here is the best part, there are two garbage barrels at the end of each section of benches on both sides not just one making it a minimum of 14 barrels on one block alone. The best one was an empty Styrofoam food container, napkins and soda cup left on a bench, all they had to do was to extend their left arm out and drop it into the garbage barrel. Unreal. I can’t say enough about these people who are taken for granted every day. They are out there rain or shine.
Since I am voicing my opinion, I must go all the way and say who is the brain surgeon who decided to put a foot shower in front of which I think is the best bar and grill in Ocean City? A foot shower is one thing but one that has three tiers to it unreal. There is nothing I like better then to sit on the patio and watch uncouth people strip their children naked and wash them off. The only thing missing was the soap, but you never know what next year will bring.
Thank you for letting me voice my opinion but especially those that wonderful town workers.
Patricia A Miller
Morristown, N.J.

EMS Fee Appalling
Editor:
I would like to bring to the attention to the residents and visitors of Ocean City the hidden cost of public service in Ocean City. I was on vacation in Ocean City in July 2013, when I began to experience abdominal pains. This event occurred about midnight. I asked my wife to drive me to a clinic on Coastal Highway. We were unable to find a clinic open at that hour of the night, so we stopped to ask a police officer if he knew of a clinic open. The officer checked and stated that they were all closed and he called an ambulance for me and I was transported to the hospital, which was 13 miles away. 
A few months later, I received a bill from the Town of Ocean City for $796 for a 13-mile trip to the hospital. At no time did the police or EMS inform me that I was taking a $61-a-mile ride to the hospital. My wife could have driven me there for a lot less. Now I understand that in certain life threatening situations an ambulance is necessary, but in my case the EMT should have informed me that there was a cost associated with the service.
With the high amount of tax revenue generated by this resort town, hotel tax, city tax, county tax, state tax, sales tax and property tax, no person should expect to pay for public service. If I called the police to file a report, should I expect to pay for this service? If I called the fire department to put out a fire, should I expect to pay for this service? If I was in distress in the ocean, do I have to pay the lifeguard to save me? 
When does it end?
Thomas Schindler
Metuchen, NJ

Benefit Run A Success
Editor:
The First Annual Decatur Way 5-K was run last Saturday under a beautiful blue sky and cool morning. 130-plus students, parents, teachers and recreational runners took to the course to see which class would rule the school, allowing them bragging rights and a donation to their class fund. The senior class came out victorious followed by the junior class, freshman class and then the sophomore class.
The Stephen Decatur Athletic Boosters Executive Board would like to thank the following businesses that made our first event a most successful and fun one; OC Tri-Running, Maryland Coast Dispatch, A Bagel and…, Dunkin Donuts of the Eastern Shore, Food Lion of Berlin, Ocean Pines and Ocean City, Action Island, DJ BK, SDHS administration and teachers and the many parent/student volunteers that helped throughout the event.
We look forward to an even bigger event next year and we invite the community to come run with us, The Decatur Way
Kim Holloway
Berlin
(The writer is the president of the SDHS Athletic Boosters Executive Board.)