Representatives from M&T Bank recently presented the Worcester County Education Foundation (WCEF) a $2,500 donation to help expedite Worcester County Schools Digital Conversion. Jon Sherwell and John Harrison were on hand to present the M&T check. They praised the newly formed WCEF for leading the charge to raise necessary additional funds to upgrade all Worcester County Schools technological teaching capabilities. Pictured, from left, are WCEF members Patti Miller and Todd Ferrante, Sherwell, Harrison, WCEF member Greg Shockley, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jerry Wilson and Assistant Superintendent for Administration Lou Taylor. Submitted Photo
New Manager Appointed
BERLIN — Apple Discount Drugs announced the addition of Carlos Mir as operations manager of the Apple Discount Drugs Berlin Store.
Carlos Mir
Mir will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations in Berlin and will assist in a marketing capacity with the company’s website, email blasts and promotions.
“We are thrilled to bring a community oriented individual like Carlos on board, said Jeff Sherr, president, Apple Discount Drugs. “We know he will provide a positive support system for the staff and customers in Berlin and the surrounding area.”
Formerly the vice president of Operations and Marketing at Stratosphere trampoline park, Mir also has 18 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Over the years, he worked for Women Supporting Women, the American Diabetes Association and Multiple Sclerosis Society. Mir has a Bachelor in Communication Arts from Salisbury University.
A former Delmarva Jefferson Award winner for his volunteer time in the Delmarva community in 2006, he is a past president of the Salisbury Wicomico Lions Club and the founder and president of The Children’s Theater of Delmarva. He has performed at various community events with his juggling act as “Cascading Carlos.”
“I have known the Apple brand for more than 18 years and I am excited to work with the family and be a part of the team,” said Mir.
New Partnership Formed
BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital attended a convention for Partners in Nursing (PIN) in Arizona this past fall to celebrate the culmination of the PIN partnerships created across the nation to improve nursing retention. Over the past seven years, more than 60 partnerships funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have been forged.
The local collaboration included AGH, PRMC, Salisbury University, and Wor-Wic Community College, with funding sourced through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. Colleen Wareing, vice president of patient care services at Atlantic General Hospital, and Erica Joseph, president of the Community Foundation, attended the event to share the successes achieved here on the Eastern Shore.
As a Robert Wood Johnson PIN collaborative, the local partners received more than $250,000 to initiate a mentoring strategy to reduce new nurse turnover and exit from the profession. In addition, the group planned to increase the interest in performing local clinical faculty roles.
This collaboration was able to reduce turnover from a national rate of 28 percent to less than 10 percent. The PIN program, as part of the regional group, concluded in 2012. However, AGH has continued its mentor program, through the hospital’s Education Department and the interdisciplinary associate-led Education and Work Environment Council.
“Through mentoring, we reduced our turnover of nurses leaving AGH and, most importantly, reduced the number of nurses leaving the profession,” said Wareing.
For every nurse who leaves an acute care hospital, it is estimated that the cost for replacement, including recruiting, hiring, training and onboarding, is at least $40,000 and can be as high as $60,000 for specialty services such as the operating room.
Firm Hired For Del. Project
SALISBURY – Fisher Architecture LLC, a locally owned, experienced architectural firm providing functional design and construction solutions to clients, announced it is the local firm hired in the design of a new 7,000-square-foot brewpub, called The Crooked Hammock in Lewes, Del.
LaVida Hospitality Group, operator of Nage, Root Gourmet and Big Chill Surf Cantina near Rehoboth, hired Fisher Architecture LLC to produce permit structured drawings, exterior renderings, interior design and manage the permit process for the project. Fisher designed a brewpub with a secluded, backyard feel, yet visibility to make it accessible to visitors.
The one-story area connects three separate buildings into one space. The layout includes a main dining space, bar dining space and an outdoor patio. Interior design will feature a beach influence with cedar and sand and wood and metal undertones. The actual brewing space will be visible for patrons to experience the brewing process and operations.
“The Fisher team was quick on the job, creative and delivered exactly what we were looking for,” said Rich Garrahan, owner and operator of The Crooked Hammock and member of LaVida Hospitality. ”We loved working with their interior designer to transform the brewery into a beach escape.”
Construction is scheduled to be complete before summer.
BERLIN – Despite heavy snow on the Lower Shore throughout February, the latest figures from the Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR) reflect across-the-board increases for home sales and values, among others.
CAR’s February local housing statistics – which represent the activity of CAR’s more than 1,000 REALTOR® members in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties – reflect a 44.7-percent increase in contracts or pending sales. Settlements increased slightly by 1.3 percent and listings by 1.9 percent.
Home values saw a significant increase, with listing prices up 31.7 percent and sales prices up 30.3 percent. A 12.1-percent decrease in average days on the market points to a faster turnover of area inventory.
“Traditionally, January is the slowest time of the year, and we did see decreases in home values and an increase in days on market last month,” said Vicki Harmon, president of the CAR Board of Directors. “However it’s also customary to see a rebound in February as we head into increased activity throughout spring and summer. So even though we saw several snow days in February, local activity stayed true to tradition, and we look forward to the expected busy season, as the weather becomes warmer and more consumers shop for real estate on the Lower Shore.