November 2, 2007

Thursday, November 8 - OC's First Marriott Path Cleared

OCEAN CITY - A revised site plan of the Miramar Marriott Hotel and Condominium came before the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night, resulting in unanimous approval of the changes. Jeff Thaler, representing Atlantic Coast Development, along with Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith presented the commission with a clear outline of the changes that were being proposed. The Miramar, which will be replacing the old Santa Maria Motel on 15th Street and the Boardwalk, partnered with Marriott for...READ MORE

Wednesday, November 7 - Downtown Street To See Changes In 2008

OCEAN CITY - The retail carts and several special events will not be returning to Somerset Street for the 2008 season. At a regular session of the Mayor and City Council Monday night, Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) President Greg Shockley and Executive Director Glenn Irwin presented the OCDC's recommendation on the retail carts that caused contention on the street this past summer. 'The OCDC believes the retail cart program has merit, but since it generated concerns from the existing...READ MORE

Tuesday, November 6 - OC Man Arrested For Stabbing Roommate

OCEAN CITY - An Ocean City man is being held today on first-degree assault and other charges after stabbing his roommate with a steak knife on Monday evening. OCPD Officer Chris Snyder was on routine patrol in the south end of Ocean City on Monday evening when he heard yelling and noticed several people gathered around a residence on Baltimore Ave. near Dorchester Street. Snyder approached the residence and was met by Curtis Severe, 47, who lived at the address. Severe told the officer he was...READ MORE

Monday, November 5 - Winterfest Of Lights Kicks Off 15th Year Nov. 15

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City's 15th annual Winterfest of Lights kicks off 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, with a special opening ceremony and celebration at Northside Park's Winterfest Village, 127th Street and the bay. The public is invited to attend the Winterfest opening ceremony, which initiates Ocean City's dazzling holiday season. Throughout the resort, thousands of twinkling lights will outline hundreds of displays. This year's opening ceremony features the Ocean City Elementary School's...READ MORE

Comp. Plan Completion Put Off Till Town Fills Post

BERLIN - With no progress reported on the new Berlin comprehensive plan draft since this summer, and no Planning superintendent in place to complete the document, the roadmap for the town's future seems to be at a stand still. Work on the draft was 'very close' to completion, previous Planning Superintendent Stacey Weisner reported to the Berlin Planning Commission at the end of July, but no progress appears to have been made since Weisner's subsequent departure for another position. The new...READ MORE

Council Eyes Changes To Project Review Process

OCEAN CITY - The Mayor and Council unanimously agreed Tuesday to continue discussion over major and minor changes in the planning and zoning community development process, agreeing that changes to the current code need to be made. The months of contention surrounding the Rivendell project as well as the debate over what should have been considered major and minor changes to the site plans, have spurred the Mayor and Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission to reevaluate the current...READ MORE

County's Public Comment Policy Questioned

SNOW HILL - Citizens are welcome at Worcester County Commissioners meetings if they are willing to sit mute and observe the business of the county, but if they want to speak outside of a public hearing, citizens are out of luck. The public was once allowed to get up in County Commissioners meetings and speak about anything they liked, but in the last five years that practice has disappeared and citizens are restricted to contacting their commissioners privately or speaking at public hearings. At...READ MORE

Drug Kingpin Faces Life In Prison

BERLIN - A Worcester County man was found guilty this week in U.S. District Court on four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine and faces a minimum of 40 years in jail and a maximum of life in prison. A federal jury late Tuesday afternoon returned guilty verdicts on all four counts against Curtis Schoolfield, 39, of Pocomoke, also known as 'Smoosh,' after deliberating for under two hours. Schoolfield now faces a maximum of life in prison and...READ MORE

Financial Report Highlighted By Booming Assessments

OCEAN CITY - A Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, along with a Report to Citizens, was presented to the Mayor and Council at a work session Tuesday. Finance Officer Martha Bennett presented the two-pronged report to the Mayor and Council Tuesday, highlighting various aspects of the fiscal year 2007. Both reports summarized the fiscal year 2007, which ended June 30. Bennett presented the Mayor and Council with a 135-page Comprehensive Financial Report and an eight-page Report to Citizens....READ MORE

OC Man Charged With Assault, False Imprisonment

OCEAN CITY - An Ocean City man was arrested early yesterday morning after holding his girlfriend against her will at knifepoint and threatening to kill her during a domestic argument. Chaka Ato Shabazz Brown, 30, of Ocean City, was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with first- and second-degree assault, false imprisonment and carrying a deadly weapon with intent to injure after holding his girlfriend hostage with a knife at a residence on Philadelphia Ave. An OCPD officer on patrol was...READ MORE

Rescheduled Launch Takes Place At Wallops Island

BERLIN - Against the backdrop of a crystal clear, dark, cold night, a Black Brandt IX sounding rocket arched its way across the Lower Shore sky shortly after midnight on Tuesday, the latest successful launch from an increasingly busy NASA Wallops Island Flight facility. The launching of the Black Brandt IX sounding rocket early Tuesday morning was originally scheduled for mid-September with a launch window from Sept. 11-23. While it lacked the drama of the launch at Wallops of an NFIRE rocket...READ MORE

Seaside 10/5K Held In Rain, Wind

OCEAN CITY - Despite the wind and heavy downpours at race time last Saturday, the 15th Annual Mid-Atlantic Seaside 10 and 5K race drew decent numbers with hundreds of runners from all over the country participating in the annual event. The Seaside 10 is a 10-mile race that begins at the Inlet in Ocean City and meanders up Coastal Highway and back before finishing in the same spot. The 5K race also begins and ends at the Inlet and is run entirely on the Boardwalk. While the number of participants...READ MORE

Three Arrested After Brawl In Berlin

BERLIN - Three Berlin residents were arrested and charged last week with a variety of offenses from first-degree assault to resisting arrest after a donnybrook at a Bay Street apartment complex. On Oct. 20, Berlin Police responded to a residence on Bay Street for a reported fight in progress. The investigation revealed one man, George Nock, Jr., 26, of Berlin, had struck another man, identified as Damar Collins, 20, also of Berlin, in the head with a large wooden board and attempted to strike...READ MORE

Berlin Dolphins Win Thriller

BERLIN- The Berlin Dolphins cadet football team outlasted the visiting Salisbury Tarheels last Saturday, 13-12, in torrential downpours to inch closer to a playoff berth in Salvation Army Youth Football League action. The Berlin Dolphins cadet team (ages 7-10) and the Salisbury Tarheels faced off in an important game at Buckingham Elementary last Saturday in front of a big home crowd despite the rainy conditions and muddy field. Berlin, with a record of 5-2, and Salisbury at 4-3, are each vying...READ MORE

Decatur Girls Fall in 1st Round

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's girls' varsity soccer team's first foray into state Class 3A competition ended last Thursday with a 2-1 loss to Atholton on the rainy, windswept field in Seahawk Stadium. In their first-ever competition in the state's 3A tournament after moving up in class last year following restructuring based on enrollment figures, the Seahawks drew a number-four seed and earned a first-round home game against 13th-seeded Atholton. Unfortunately, the weather and a little bad luck...READ MORE

Decatur Boys Win One, Lose One

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's men's varsity soccer team went on a wild roller coaster ride this week, beating Northeast of Anne Arundel County in a game that came down to penalty kicks on Monday before falling to Bel Air in the second round of the state Class 3A-East playoffs on Tuesday. The Seahawks, seeded 10th in the Class 3A-East tournament, upset seven-seeded Northeast on the road on Monday in a game made up from a rainout last Friday. Decatur traveled to Anne Arundel County to face Northeast...READ MORE

Logjam Atop Flag Standings

OCEAN CITY- With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department's fall flag football league is one of the most competitive ever with one team atop the standings and four just one game back. Tequila Duffybird sits alone at the top of the Flag Football standings with a 5-1 record, but four teams are still very much in the hunt for the regular season title with 4-2 records. Buxy's Salty Dog, Kirby's Pub, Gemcraft Homes and the Blue Ox are all...READ MORE

Seahawks Draw Four-Seed in States

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity volleyball team was rewarded this week for a successful 2007 campaign with a number-four seed in the state Class 3A-East Region tournament. The Seahawks finished with an impressive 13-2 mark overall including an 8-2 mark in the Bayside Conference. Decatur loss to Parkside, 3-0, back on September 20, and fell to James M. Bennett, 3-1, on October 17 for its only two match losses of the season. Otherwise, the Seahawks were nearly perfect with 13 match wins...READ MORE

Seahawks Fall to WiHi, Need Help for Playoff Berth

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity football team did not help its chances of reaching the state playoffs with a 39-7 loss to visiting Wicomico last Friday in the rain and mud, a loss which will likely leave the Seahawks needing a little help to reach the post-season in their first year in Class 3A. Decatur hung around with heavily favored Wicomico for much of the game last Friday in Seahawk Stadium, but in the end, the Indians had just too much firepower for the Seahawks. Wicomico scored a...READ MORE

Fire Extinguisher Attack

OCEAN CITY - A Rehoboth juvenile who allegedly attacked her ex-boyfriend with a fire extinguisher last weekend after breaking into his north Ocean City residence is being charged as an adult for first- and second-degree assault, burglary and reckless endangerment. Around 4:30 a.m. last Sunday, OCPD Pfc. Pam DeGiovanni responded to a reported burglary in progress on 143rd Street. The complainant told police a suspect had attempted to gain entry through a front window of the residence and that the...READ MORE

Lease Dispute Shelves Resort Park Project

OCEAN CITY - The Downtown Recreation Complex will not be included in the upcoming bond sale, a decision that was the direct result of a 15-year lease proposal that was presented to the Mayor and Council Tuesday. At a work session Tuesday, City Manager Dennis Dare presented the Mayor and Council with the county's proposed lease agreement. The town has been waiting for a lease proposal for weeks, expecting a long-term or 99-year lease that would cover the land between 3rd and 4th streets. The town...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

Some calendars said it. Most computers acknowledged it. There was reason to be confused about when Daylights Savings Time actually expired. For the record, it's Sunday at 2 a.m., meaning you will gain an hour of sleep (or drinking at your favorite watering hole for some). A friend of mine was truly thrown by the time change because his alarm clock reverted back an hour. He sports one of those high-tech alarm clocks by his bed that has all the cool features (the best being it resets itself in the...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Logic Behind Room Tax Plan Explained Editor: I feel compelled to respond to recent letters regarding the high cost of vacationing in Ocean City. While it is quite easy to get caught up in the mindset that Ocean City's prices are driving tourists away, there are a few very important things to keep in mind. Operating a business in today's economy takes a skilled mathematician. The astronomical increases in energy, insurance and assessments are hurting all of us. Unfortunately, commercial...READ MORE

Slots, Of Course, Is All About Money

The Ocean City Mayor and Council affirmed its position on slots this week - it's opposed to the expansion of gambling through the one-arm bandits anywhere in the state. Immediately after that confirmation on Tuesday, the inevitable criticism started flowing. While there was a wide range of comments heard this week through interviews, blogs, forums and letters to the editor, most of the complaints centered around this one premise: money. Critics say the only reason Ocean City does not want slots...READ MORE

Live Bands & DJs

Assateague Island Oasis: 410-629-1492, Rt. 611; Friday, Nov. 2: Patrick McAllorum; Saturday, Nov. 3: Jon Pheasant; Thursday, Nov. 8: Phil Knight; All entertainment 6:30-9:30 p.m. Blue Ox & Babe's Lounge: 410-250-6440, 127th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Call for entertainment. Buxy's Salty Dog: 410-289-0973, 28th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Friday, Nov. 2: DJ BK; Saturday, Nov. 3: Kevin Poole. Castaway's: 410-524-9090, 64th St. Bayfront; Friday, Nov. 2: TBA; Saturday, Nov. 3: TBA; Thursday, Nov. 8:...READ MORE

Area Native Named To Most Influential List

OCEAN CITY - An Ocean City native with strong ties to the resort last week was named one of the Institute for International Sport's 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America, joining such legends as Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Krzyzewski, Bill Russell, John Wooden and Tiger Woods, just to name a few. Ocean City native Fred Engh, founder and president of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), was chosen for the prestigious list based on his 40 years as a leader advocating the effective...READ MORE

Budget Cuts Put State Parks In Jeopardy

BERLIN - Pocomoke River State Park will be closed if the state budget cuts proposed are confirmed. The Pocomoke River Park, near Snow Hill, will be one of eight state parks across Maryland to close if the special session of the Maryland General Assembly does not find another way to make up the budget shortfall. Budgets cuts could cost the Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Planning, and Environment a total of $169 million. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) could lose $157...READ MORE

High School Students Get Test Alternative

BERLIN - Maryland high school students who repeatedly fail the high school assessment (HSA) tests will have the option of completing a senior project, the Maryland State Board of Education decided Wednesday. The board voted 8-4 on Oct. 31 to approve the test alternative, which will only be available to students who fail to pass an HSA test in two tries, after remedial help. 'It is never easy to raise standards, but the state board has made a courageous decision,' said Maryland Schools...READ MORE

Lawsuits Filed Against Pines Property Owners

SNOW HILL - The Ocean Pines Association (OPA) this week sent a signal to would-be deed and covenant restrictions violators, filing as many as half a dozen lawsuits against property owners for a wide variety of infractions from abandoned vehicles to junky yards and from trash and debris to uncut grass. The OPA, through its attorney Joe Moore, on Wednesday filed six separate lawsuits against property owners for a wide range of Declaration of Restrictions and/or Architectural Review Committee (ARC)...READ MORE

City To Create, Fund New Canal Maintenance Program

OCEAN CITY - The issue of canal maintenance came before the Mayor and Council at a work session Tuesday, resulting in the unanimous decision to move forward with a dedicated program under the control and funding of the town. City Engineer Terry McGean presented the Mayor and Council with an update on the status of the town's 64 canals, asking for direction from the Mayor and Council on how to proceed with maintaining and cleaning the canals. According to McGean, the current issues that are...READ MORE

Critical Rezoning Process Long Way From Complete

SNOW HILL - Little progress has been made on the comprehensive rezoning, over a year and a half after the new comprehensive plan was approved, and nine months since the County Commissioners directed staff to make the work a priority. Staff and elected officials appeared reluctant to discuss the slow development of the new zoning code, with the commissioners seemingly unsure of the status of the work. 'They are just so busy up there with all the other things they do on a daily basis,' said County...READ MORE

Ocean Downs Named As Possible Slots Parlor Site

ANNAPOLIS - Just four days into a special General Assembly session called to address the state's estimated $1.7 billion structural deficit, it appears partisan posturing and rhetoric are already standing in the way of meaningful discourse on the issues. Gov. Martin O'Malley called the session, which began in earnest on Monday night, to bring lawmakers in from every corner of the state to debate his proposed solution to the burgeoning deficit problem. O'Malley's solution includes, among other...READ MORE

Officials Confirm Anti-Slots Stance For All Of Maryland

OCEAN CITY - The Mayor and Council took a firm stance against slots at a work session Tuesday afternoon, with a majority vote to vehemently oppose slots in Maryland. After a presentation from the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant-Association (OCHMRA) and the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, the City Council took a vote and officially adopted a position on the contentious slots issue. The council voted four in favor with Council members Margaret Pillas and Jay Hancock abstaining, and...READ MORE

'Most Wanted' Man Apprehended By Rookie Mountie

OCEAN CITY - One of the most wanted men in America, a fugitive murderer and three-time escapee believed spotted in Ocean City in the summer of 2006, was finally caught last week in New Brunswick, Canada after nearly 20 years of dodging and taunting law enforcement from one end of the country to another. Richard Lee McNair, a high-profile killer listed as one of the most wanted in the country, was captured last Thursday by Royal Canadian Mountie Stephane Gagnon, who had been out of training...READ MORE

Announcements

Evans-Davis BERLIN - Kathy L. Evans and Seth A. Davis were married on Sept. 1, 2007 at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. The bride is the daughter of Mary and Dennis Evans of Berlin. The bridegroom is the son of Barbara and Larry Davis of Ellicott City. The ceremony was performed by Father John Klevence and Rabbi Lewis Solomon. Music was performed by Jeffrey Schoyen & Sachi Murasugi. The reception followed the ceremony at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club with music by Power Play. The bride is a graduate...READ MORE

Citizens Warned Of Jury Duty Scam

OCEAN CITY - Resort police this week warned local residents to be wary of an identity theft scam during which the victims are told they have missed jury duty and threats of arrest warrants are made in a nefarious scheme that was reported over a year ago but made its first appearance in Ocean City just this week. The Ocean City Police Department on Wednesday issued a warning to local residents to be on the lookout for an identity theft scam wherein callers representing themselves as officers of...READ MORE

City Irons Out Library Parking Lot Situation

OCEAN CITY - With the completion of the new Ocean City Library branch set for early 2008, all loose ends on the project, including parking, need to be addressed. At a work session of the Mayor and Council on Tuesday, City Engineer Terry McGean brought up the issue of parking at the new 100th Street library. According to McGean, the library's parking lot will have 22 parking spaces with two handicap spaces, which is a significant increase over the current 14th Street library, which has no...READ MORE

City OKs Strict Penalties For Late Beach Stand Payments

OCEAN CITY - At a work session Tuesday, the Mayor and Council approved new penalties for beach franchise operators failing to make timely payments, along with changes to contract renewal deadlines. City Clerk Carol Jacobs presented the Mayor and Council with recommendations from the Beach Mediation Board regarding the two issues. Jacobs explained that earlier this year, the Mayor and Council had requested the board to take a closer look at fines for beach operators making late payments. After...READ MORE

My Thoughts

Halloween is not a holiday, despite what retailers try to make you believe. During his monthly shopping trip the other week, the old guy noticed there are just as many aisles devoted to Halloween stuff as there are when Christmas decorations and the like are put out. It's quite the scam actually. Lots of money is made on Halloween. There's the costume makers, the companies who make the decorations and the pumpkin farmers, but those who are making out better than all of them are the candy makers....READ MORE

Adapting To Changing Times Key To Company's Longevity

OCEAN CITY - For nearly 50 years, Causal Designs Unique Furnishings, a family owned and operated business, has been providing aesthetically pleasing furniture and home designs for the lower Eastern Shore. Buyer and designer Terry Ludlam Bell sat down with The Dispatch to discuss the ins and outs of the furniture business and the changes the company has seen over the past 50 years. The business began with Bell's father, Dick Ludlam, who opened a small furniture store on Main Street in Berlin...READ MORE

Stephen Decatur High School

Stephen Decatur High School's Connections Club has established a Junior Red Cross Club named Decatur Lifesavers. The club directors are Alison Sappington and Patti Miller, board members of the Lower Shore Red Cross and parents of kids at Decatur. Clubs advisors are Laurie Chetelet, Ryan Chowder, Jason Konyar and Rick Cawtheren. Above, new club members are pictured with the advisors. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

Berlin Intermediate School

Berlin Intermediate School recently held an "All about Attitude - Good Sports Day." Students and staff showed off their good sport/good character by dressing up in their favorite sports gear. BIS has been previously recognized as an Character Education School of the Year. Pictured, from left, are Christian Rodriquez, Eric Bonola, Alejandro Gomez, Socretes Sanchez Roja and Max Euler. ...READ MORE

Snow Hill Middle School

Snow Hill Middle School's seventh grade students recently went on a service learning field trip. The students are pictured displaying several of the 832 pieces of debris that they recently collected at Assateague Island. ...READ MORE

Berlin Intermediate School

Berlin Intermediate School students from the sixth grade recently visited Buckingham Graveyard and St. Paul's Episcopal Graveyard in Berlin. Students read the novel, 'Wait till Helen Comes,' a ghost story, and then visited the graveyards to make rubbings of interesting gravestones. The rubbings will then be used to write poetry and short stories. Pictured are partners Demond Henry and Matt Ruggiere.  ...READ MORE

Worcester Preparatory School

Worcester Preparatory School classes of 2007 and 2008 were honored recently with a total of 37 AP Scholar Awards with three students from the Class of 2007, who are now in college receiving National Scholar recognition. Jenna Sternberg, MIT; Brian Carey, Lafayette; and Christine Tobin, University of Maryland, were designated as National Scholars. Class of 2008 members receiving AP Honors after their junior year were, front from left, Greg Butler, Scholar with Honor; Charlotte Desmarais, Scholar...READ MORE

Buckingham Elementary School

Buckingham Elementary School K-Kids. Is a community service organization sponsored by the Ocean City/Berlin Kiwanis. The BES K-Kids went trick or treating on Halloween to collect funds for UNICEF. All contributions will support the UNICEF's Swazi Children's Care Project. Pictured, from left, are Ashley Ferraz, Rose Billings, Claire Billings, Andrew Nock and Hailey Villa. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Worcester Prep's golf team recently captured the ESIAC championship and the conference title. Christina Vosters was the winner of the conference golf tournament with a score of 40 for nine holes. She was also named Conference Player of the Year. Ty Mayers was named to the All-Conference Team. Pictured, from left, are Adam Albright, BradPedigo, Brad Regan, Billy Roca, Brian Nawrocki, Greg Fox, Vosters, Lee Kendall, Mayers and Coach Kevin Gates. ...READ MORE

Cub Scout Pack 480

Cub Scout Pack 480 held its annual Pinewood Derby on Oct. 21. In the Wolf division, Jacob Parcells took first place, Ben Kolarik second place and Hunter Resch came in third. ...READ MORE

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School

Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School recently played its first soccer game on its new athletic fields. Prior to the game, Father Thomas Protack of St. John Neumann Catholic Church blessed the fields with the team. Above, Protack is pictured with team members Maddie Crimmins, Jakob Knopp and Arely Murillo  ...READ MORE

Ocean City

OCEAN CITY Trout Lane 14th Street Fri-Sun 11-3 Bayside Townhouses Rick Meehan Coldwell Banker 410-723-8778 OCEAN CITY The Isabella 1st Street Sat & Sun 3BR/3.5BA Townhome Ed Sheppard Holiday Real Estate 410-524-7700 OCEAN CITY Coral Seas Sat 11-3 3BR/3BA Condo Rick Meehan Coldwell Banker 410-723-8778 OCEAN CITY The Meridian Daily 10-4 Oceanfront Residences New Construction Dan Clayland Coldwell Banker 410-520-0072 OCEAN CITY Bella Vista Daily 9-5 3BR Bayside Condos Coldwell...READ MORE

West Ocean City - Ocean Pines - Berlin

WEST OCEAN CITY Sailor's Watch Golf Course Road Fri-Sun 10-4 New 3BR, 3.5BA Luxury Townhouses Coldwell Banker FENWICK ISLAND DELAWARE Bayside Models Open Daily Jack Nicklaus Golf Course Community Carl Freeman 877-436-9998 BERLIN Purnell Crossing Tues-Sun 11-6 Brand New Villas Ryan Homes 866-776-9818 NEWARK, MD Arcadia Village Rt 113 South Sat & Sun 11-2 New Neighborhood Jim Terrill Prudential Carruthers 443-880-2421 OCEAN PINES 98 Lookout Pt. Sat & Sun 12-3 2300+ sf Custome Home Greg...READ MORE

We Remember Those Who Have Passed

Marguerite 'Midge' Fowle BERLIN - On Wednesday Oct. 24, Marguerite 'Midge' Fowle died peacefully at her home in Bethany Beach, Del. She was born in Washington, DC and was a graduate of Georgetown University. She was a world traveler who spoke several languages. She was very generous to everyone she met and spent her years on Earth celebrating life. Her love of life was infectious. She is survived by her brother, Morgan Fowle of Potomac, and several nieces and nephews. Services were held. In lieu...READ MORE

Online Banking Can Streamline Daily Business

BERLIN - Changing banks or even banking processes can be a serious decision for small businesses. A disruption of any kind in a company's cash flow can have a significant impact on its operations; however, with the many benefits of online business banking today, the move to cyberspace can prove worthwhile. Online business banking can deliver two things to small businesses that money just can't buy •€' time and peace of mind. Business owners across the country are already realizing the...READ MORE

American Cancer Society

Dr. Lawrence Michnick, middle, and Dr. Geoffrey Robbins, right, owners of Atlantic Dental Cosmetic & Family Dentistry in West Ocean City, present a check for $2,500 to Stephanie Meehan, chairperson of the Holiday Wrappings Committee. The donation will aid in the crusade against cancer and directly benefit the American Cancer Society's annual 'Holiday Wrappings' Luncheon, which will be held on Dec. 4 at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

Volunteers in Mission Team of Community Church at Ocean Pines

Friends and supporters joined at Carrabba's in West Ocean City for an Italian feast hosted by Adam Osborne and the staff of Carrabba's Italian Grill. The luncheon was a fundraiser for the Volunteers in Mission Team of Community Church at Ocean Pines. The group will travel to Mississippi in January to repair homes that remain damaged from Hurricane Katrina. Above, Chairpersons Dan and Joanne Jones pause at the ticket table with Karen McKelvey and Louise Lassiter. ...READ MORE

Atlantic/Smith, Cropper & Deeley

The employees of Atlantic/Smith, Cropper & Deeley participated in the Lee National Denim Day on Friday, Oct. 5. Each year millions of people come together nationwide to wear denim and donate $5.This is one of the largest single-day fundraisers, raising more than $66 million in the past 11 years for breast cancer. ...READ MORE

Things I Like

Lynne Lockhart's art Halloween in Berlin A pleasant experience at a doctor's office Handcarved pumkins The original CSI An old salt with a young soul An amateur photographer with a great eye A newly painted room The Aflac commercial with the goat Parents sporting college stickers on their vehicles Kirk McBride's art  ...READ MORE

Things We Like

My husband playing the piano while I fix supper Cafe´ Au Lait in a real cup and saucer Making a small pot of vegetable soup Hanging out laundered clothes in the sunshine Watching our grown-up children happily conversing with one another Receiving a wake-up tap on the nose from our old cat Picking up the New York Times in the driveway at dawn on Sundays Being passionate about my politics Sewing by hand baby bibs of soft plaid flannel with satin ribbons Watching ice hockey or international soccer...READ MORE

A Week In Business

International Workforce Conference Planned OCEAN CITY - Business owners and managers are invited to attend the International Student Workforce Conference for Employers sponsored by Congressman Wayne T. Gilchrest, Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) and the Ocean City Quality of Life Task Force for Seasonal Employees on Monday, Nov. 5 at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Continental breakfast is included. Speakers for the event include Ocean City...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Your honesty continues to impress everyone who needs reassurance about a project. But be careful you don't lose patience with those who are still not ready to act. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Pushing others too hard to do things your way could cause resentment and raise more doubts. Instead, take more time to explain why your methods will work. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Be more considerate of those close to you before making a decision that could have a serious...READ MORE

"Things To Do In Ocean City When It's Slow"

'The idle hands are the devil's workshop they say', and if that's the case, this coming winter in Ocean City will mean that most of us are going to certainly be up to no good. Truly, like the great Professor Harold Hill (and by great I mean great only to theatre geeks and Rogers and Hammerstein groupies) once said, 'We've got trouble my friends, right here in River (Ocean) City.' Ocean City businesses are shutting up quicker than Democrats who thought they had the answer to stop Dubbya's war,...READ MORE