Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore has confirmed it will be relocating within Salisbury to Camden Street. Submitted Photo
Non-Profit To Relocate
SALISBURY – Sperry Van Ness-Miller Commercial Real Estate Senior Advisor and Managing Director Brent Miller has announced the three-year lease of 123 Camden Street in Salisbury.
The 1,500-square-foot space has been leased by Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people about financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness skills. Miller represented the lessor and Rick Tilghman represented Junior Achievement.
“It was a hard decision to move from our current location because the Henson Foundation has been so great to us. With their wonderful support, however, we came to understand our staffing and square footage were no longer enough to sustain our projected growth. The economic crisis we have all suffered these past several years has cemented in the heads of the community that financial literacy is a necessity, and the demand for our programs has skyrocketed,” said Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore (JAES) President Jayme Hayes. “JAES is now at a point where we teach more than 6,500 area students. When the opportunity arose for us to secure a spacious office that would serve our long-term needs, while allowing us to remain where we can continue to witness and contribute to downtown Salisbury’s resurgence, there was no question we had to take it. With a growing staff and the capital resources to support them, we can now continue to reach more and more children and prepare them to be our future community leaders.”
Store Manager Named
OCEAN CITY — Todd and Jill Ferrante, owners of Park Place Jewelers in Ocean City, have announced the appointment of David Berger, as manager of their West Ocean City location.
Berger comes to Park Place Jewelers with over 30 years of retail management and visual merchandising experience. He launched his retail carrier in 1977 with Butler’s Shoes in the old Salisbury Mall and has worked with some of the biggest names in retail, including Bailey, Banks & Biddle Jewelers, JCPenney, Target and Boscov’s. He currently resides in Salisbury with his wife, Jamie.
New Branch Opened
OCEAN PINES — Shamrock Realty Group, Inc. has opened a new branch office in Ocean Pines at 11022 Nicholas Lane, Suite 2A.
This full service satellite office will provide added convenience to the brokerage’s Ocean Pines clientele, including prospective buyers and sellers of single family homes, condominiums, townhomes, and residential building lots.
Shamrock’s main office will continue to provide full service from the location in the Grays Corner Professional Center on Route 50 one mile west of Racetrack Road in Berlin.
Shamrock Realty Group is a locally owned and operated independent company. It was founded in 2006 by local businessman Gary James, president and broker, together with Pam Wadler, sales manager and associate broker and Delaware broker. The company has expanded through the years and currently has approximately 20 affiliated Realtors® and licensed sales associates.
Shore Market Update
BERLIN — The Eastern Shore of the Maryland real estate market, including Worcester, Wicomico, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Talbot and Caroline counties, experienced some positive trends in June compared to the same month in 2013, according to the Long & Foster Market Minute reports. In June, the number of homes sold increased in some areas of the Eastern Shore.
The Long & Foster Market Minute reports are compiled from data from residential real estate transactions within specific geographic regions, not just Long & Foster sales.
The number of homes sold in June increased in a number of counties along the Eastern Shore region. Talbot County experienced a large 34 percent increase in the number of units sold, while Dorchester County experienced a 33-percent increase. Caroline County saw a 24-percent increase, and Worcester County experienced an 8-percent increase. Queen Anne’s and Wicomico counties experienced decreases of 15 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
According to June data, the median sale price of homes held steady or decreased in Maryland’s Eastern Shore region. Queen Anne’s, Talbot and Wicomico counties all saw no change when compared to the previous year. Other areas of the region saw decreases of 15 percent to 23 percent.
Inventory in the Eastern Shore region increased in most areas, according to June data. Wicomico County saw a decrease of 10 percent, and other areas experienced increases from 1 percent to 11 percent.
In most areas of the region homes are selling in three to five months on average, according to the June data. Wicomico County experienced an average days on market of 84 days, followed by Dorchester County at 94 days. The rest of the region saw homes selling between 122 to 132 days, on average.
“We’re now halfway through 2014, and this year has brought many positive developments like increasing sale prices and quick home sales,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and chief operating officer for The Long & Foster Companies. “Overall, the market is stabilizing and that will help keep the industry healthy and ready for future growth.”
Company Welcomes Campers
POCOMOKE — Hardwire, LLC welcomed more than 20 students from across Worcester County to its facility as part of the Reach for the Stars STEM Summer Camp this week.
As part of this STEM outreach program, students had the opportunity to tour Hardwire’s state-of-the-art armor manufacturing facilities, sit in one of Hardwire’s armored military vehicles, and talk to professional engineers about their jobs and educational backgrounds.
“It was great sharing our love of science and technology with kids in our community. As an engineering and manufacturing firm right here in Worcester County, we want to inspire these future engineers to study hard, advance their educations, and return home to contribute to our local economy,” said Hardwire CEO George Tunis.
Staff Promotions
SALISBURY — Engineering and architectural firm George, Miles & Buhr, LLC (GMB) has announced the following staff promotions in its Salisbury and Seaford offices.
Andrew Lyons, P.E. was promoted to senior project engineer and selected as an Associate by the Board of Members. He is noted for his skills as a water model expert, extensive knowledge of construction practices, expertise on ADA guidelines and street renovations, as well as his work for clients the City of Lewes and the Town of Henlopen Acres.
Katherine McAllister, P.E. was promoted to project manager and selected as an associate by the Board of Members. She is noted to have excellent leadership skills, extensive knowledge of funding agency requirements, rate structures and grant writing, as well as strong technical skills. She has managed engineering projects for the Wicomico County Department of Public Works, the City of Fruitland, and the Town of Willards.
Jesyl Silva was promoted to project engineer. Silva is noted for his stormwater management and erosion and sediment control expertise in three local states, working diligently across all three GMB offices, and assisting in the management and coordination of production staff.
OCEAN CITY — Shore Bank, Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, and Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce are hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. at Shore Bank’s newest location at 9748 Stephen Decatur Highway, Unit 112 in West Ocean City.
The location is Shore Bank’s third branch on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Ocean City team will be led by Laurie Isaacs, branch manager. The team also includes Customer Service Representative Jackie Geiger and Personal Banker Sarah Wagner. Collectively this team has several decades of local banking experience.
Shore’s Ocean City branch will offer a full range of community and commercial banking services, targeting the needs of individuals and businesses. The branch will be open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday (seasonally) from 9 a.m. to noon.
Medical Director Certified
SALISBURY — Jennifer Funaioli-Sheehan, D.O. has been certified as a Hospice Medical Director by the American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine.
The certification distinguishes a physician as committed to clinical and administrative expertise in the care of hospice patients.
The core purpose of the American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine is to improve the care of patients with life-threatening or serious conditions through the advancement of hospice and palliative medicine including the education and training of professionals.
To achieve the Academy certification, Funaioli-Sheehan performed extensive advanced study, attended a hospice and palliative care conference, and successfully completed a formal examination.
Funaioli-Sheehan joined Coastal Hospice in 2012 as a staff physician. Her duties include making patient home visits, assessing the health of patients, membership in two clinical hospice teams, attending at Coastal Hospice at the Lake, and consulting on palliative care at Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
Funaioli-Sheehan, who is originally from Massachusetts, received her medical degree from the University of New England in Maine. She currently resides in Dorchester County.
New Lease Announced
SALISBURY – Wesley Cox, senior advisor on the Hanna Team at Sperry Van Ness-Miller Commercial Real Estate, has announced the 10-year lease of the former Boater’s World on Route 13 North.
The 13,000-square-foot space at 2423 North Salisbury Blvd will be occupied by Harbor Freight Tools, which is scheduled to be open before the end of 2014.
“This transaction represents the continued growth within the retail sector and the desire for national tenants to be in this market. The landlord, tenant and the community are all winners with this deal,” said Cox.
Falling in line with Cox’s mission of finding solutions for his clients, as part of this transaction he had to convince an existing tenant in the center, CosmoProf, to agree to move into the adjacent space to meet the minimum square footage requirement of Harbor Freight Tools. The new CosmoProf space is currently under construction with the Harbor Freight Tools space soon to follow. Harbor Freight has a mission of delivering an incredible assortment of great quality tools at the lowest prices.
Bank A WMO Sponsor
OCEAN CITY — Shore Bank, a full-service community bank, and Shore Premier Finance, a direct marine lending division of Shore Bank, has announced their diamond level sponsorship of the 2014 White Marlin Open at Harbour Island Marina, Aug. 4-8.
“We are especially proud to support the White Marlin Open this year as we open our new temporary branch in West Ocean City on Stephen Decatur Highway. This is Shore Bank’s third branch on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and indicative of our commitment to Ocean City and the Eastern Shore,” said Tom Mears, president of Shore Bank.
Shore Bank will have a booth located behind the T-shirt tent on 14th Street and the bay during the White Marlin Open with the chance for spectators and tournament participants to win an Apple iPad mini or two Starr Rods along with two Shimano TLD 25 reels. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the Shore Bank booth throughout the week for more information on both Shore Bank and Shore Premier Finance and to enter the contest. Winners will be announced Friday evening, August 8, during weigh-ins.
“Of course, SPF is delighted to sponsor the largest bill fishing tournament in the world. As a marine lender, we finance sport fishing boats and we choose to support our customers’ passion,” said Herve Bonnet, president of Shore Premier Finance.
New Director Named
SALISBURY — Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen and the Wicomico County Board of Education recently appointed Micah Stauffer as director of Secondary Education, effective immediately.
Stauffer was promoted to the position at a special Board of Education meeting Friday, July 25. Since 2009, he had served as principal of Parkside High School. He was previously principal of Mardela Middle and High (2006-2009) and assistant principal of Wicomico Middle (2003-2006). He began his teaching career in 1998 at Parkside High, teaching a wide variety of science courses including Biology, AP Biology and Earth Science. He also served as golf coach and assistant baseball coach.
“My goal is to become an effective director of Secondary Education by providing strong leadership and establishing a good working relationship with administrators, teachers, students and families,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being part of a strong team that will move our district, our schools, the students, the staff, the families and the community even further along the road of success.”
Board members were enthusiastic about Stauffer’s appointment.
“He’s highly regarded and highly respected by Board members, colleagues, school staff, parents and people throughout the community,” Board member Dr. Carolyn Elmore said.
Board member Kimberly Hudson lauded him for being a leader who set high expectations and exemplary standards at his school.