September 5, 2008

Live Bands and DJs

Assateague Island Oasis: 410-629-1492, Rt. 611; Entertainment Friday & Saturday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Blue ox/Babe's: 410-250-6440, 127th St., Coastal Hwy.; Friday, Sept. 5: Nate Clendenen; Saturday, Sept. 6: Rick Kennedy; Every Thursday: Bill Morningstar. Buxy's Salty Dog: 410-289-0973, 28th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Friday, Sept. 5: TBA; Saturday, Sept. 6: TBA; Sunday, Sept. 7: NFL Kick-Off with DJ BK & DJ Wax, 11 a.m.; Wednesday, Sept 10 & Thursday, Sept. 11: The Surf DJs. Caribbean...READ MORE

'Pumpin Hard' Takes Top Prize in 50th Labor Day Tourney

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Marlin Club's 50th Annual Labor Day Weekend White Marlin Tournament was a success last week with just 19 boats and over $40,000 in prize money doled out to the winners. Despite the relatively low number of boats participating, the action offshore was hot with white marlin showing up in good numbers. The crew aboard the 'Pumpin' Hard 58' took top honors with seven white marlin releases on Sunday and was awarded the lion's share of the tournament's prize money at...READ MORE

Seahawks Open '08 Campaign Tonight

BERLIN- After narrowly missing the state playoffs last year despite an impressive 6-4 campaign, the Stephen Decatur varsity football team will likely have to come up with one or two more big wins to make it to the post-season in its second year in Class 3A. The Seahawks open their 2008 campaign tonight on the road against Washington High, a small school in Somerset County that Decatur typically handles with ease. Unfortunately, due largely to simple geography, Decatur will continue to play...READ MORE

Decatur Golf Wins First Match

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity golf team got off to a fast start this week, winning their first match of the year by an impressive 12 strokes over a field of some of the top programs in the area at the Ocean City Golf Club on Tuesday. Decatur cruised to victory in its opening match with a score of 162, led by senior Jenny Sullivan who shot an impressive 38. Sophomore Jake Miller shot a 40 while junior Kevin McNelis and sophomore Connor Gebhart each shot 42 and senior Brian Rafer finished with...READ MORE

Mallards Have Big Shoes To Fill

BERLIN- Last year's outstanding senior class has moved on, leaving plenty of holes to fill for Worcester Prep's boy's varsity soccer team as they prepare for their 2008 campaign, but with some veteran upperclassmen returning and a handful of young players ready to step into the breach, the outlook is great for the Mallards this fall. Gone from last year's team are veteran seniors Chase Humphrey, Christian Payne, Max DiFilippo and Clayton Perry, to name a few, leaving Coach Tom Westcott with...READ MORE

Worcester Girls Deep, Talented

BERLIN- Worcester Prep's girls' varsity soccer team appears poised for another great season with veteran leadership and good depth at nearly every position on both sides of the field. With 20 players returning from last year's team, which went 4-8, and a flock of young Mallards ready to make their mark on the program, the future looks bright for Worcester this fall. The current roster is balanced with seven seniors and 10 juniors with varsity experience, along with five sophomores and five...READ MORE

Friday, September 5 - Challenger Files To Make Berlin District A Contest

BERLIN - Lisa Hall will challenge Thom Gulyas for the District II Berlin Council seat this fall. Hall filed her candidacy paperwork on Wednesday, Sept. 3, less than a week after holding a well-attended meeting on Berlin's ever-rising electric rates. The meeting inspired her, Hall said, to get involved in Berlin politics. 'I didn't have the meeting because it was an election year,' Hall said. 'I've got to put my money where my mouth is. I can't just have meetings and get people stirred up.' Upon...READ MORE

Friday, September 5 - Decatur Senior Remembered By Students With Memorial

BERLIN - It was a solemn first day back to school for Stephen Decatur High School students this week, many of whom took time away from campus to attend funeral services for one of their classmates tragically killed in a single vehicle accident on Route 50 last Thursday just days before the start of a new school year. Balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, a religious cross and other mementos this week marked the site of the accident on Route 50 just east of Route 589 early last Thursday...READ MORE

Friday, September 5 - OC To Go Pink For October Campaign

OCEAN CITY - Various shades of pink will be seen throughout town next month, as the town participates in a nationwide, 'Paint the town Pink' campaign for breast cancer awareness. The resort will celebrate breast cancer awareness month in a new way this year. In addition to the numerous events held throughout town during the month of October, the town will promote breast cancer awareness through pink lighting and pink décor through the Paint the town Pink campaign. Kathy Mathias, chair of the...READ MORE

Friday, September 5 - Scooter Crashes On Route 50, Killing One

BERLIN - One local man was killed and another was seriously injured early Sunday morning after a motor scooter crash on Route 50 at Holly Grove Rd. launched them into a lane of traffic where they were struck by a passing motorist. Around 4:19 a.m. last Sunday, Maryland State Police troopers were dispatched to a reported motor vehicle accident on Route 50 at Holly Grove Rd. The investigation revealed John K. Dersch, 40, of Ocean City, had been driving a motor scooter on eastbound Route 50 near...READ MORE

County Exploring Rules To Manage Rural Wind Turbines

SNOW HILL - Despite the national and global focus on energy sources and costs, Worcester County might not pursue an ordinance allowing small wind turbines in rural areas until at least next year. 'We're not reinventing the wheel here,' said Commission President Virgil Shockley, a strong supporter of rural wind turbines. Another proponent, Commissioner Linda Busick, would like to see something on the books soon addressing the alternative power sources. 'We need a code to deal with it so people...READ MORE

Legislators Promise No Tax Increases

OCEAN CITY - State lawmakers this week warned the current budget situation in Maryland could be worse this year than last when a special General Assembly session was called to address the problem, but each said further reductions in spending would likely supersede any new tax increases. Ocean City's Economic Development Committee (EDC) hosted a legislative meeting with several of the area's state representatives this week to discuss the burning issues facing the General Assembly in the...READ MORE

OC Mayor Confirms Re-Election Bid

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan appeared energized this week as he formally announced to a contingent of resort business leaders he was seeking re-election and would likely file some time next week. Meehan told Economic Development Committee (EDC) members on Wednesday he would seek a second term as mayor of Ocean City. The announcement likely came as no surprise to those in attendance, but the vigor with which Meehan made it and how he fired off on a variety of pertinent issues facing...READ MORE

OC Residents Want To Use Land For Alternative Power

OCEAN CITY - While Delaware is busy preparing to implement 60 wind turbines off its coast and Maryland begins to consider the possibility of a wind farm 12 miles off the coast of Ocean City, two local residents are hoping for wind turbines on a smaller scale, on their own properties. Property owners Jim Motsko and Larry Layton each made presentations before the Planning and Zoning Commission this week, citing their reasons for wanting wind turbines on their property. Energy conservation is the...READ MORE

Slots Called 'Even Bet' With Two Months To Go

OCEAN CITY - Despite strong rhetoric from an organized and vocal anti-slots contingent in the local area and across Maryland, the November referendum on the gaming machines appears to be an 'even bet' with just under two months remaining before the election, resort business leaders heard this week. The resort's Economic Development Committee (EDC) this week hosted its bi-annual legislative summit, inviting its representatives in Annapolis including Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus and Delegates Norm Conway...READ MORE

'Buddy' Entering Retirement

OCEAN CITY - Long-time Ocean City Police Mounted Patrol horse 'Buddy' was officially retired by the OCPD this week at the rank of sergeant and will live out the days after his distinguished career at the farm of one of his fellow officers. The OCPD announced this week 'Buddy' is being retired after 16 years of dedicated service to the town of Ocean City. Throughout his career, Buddy has been the faithful and loyal partner to several OCPD Mounted Patrol officers and has been involved in hundreds...READ MORE

Berlin Residents Looking For Electric Cost Answers

BERLIN - Worries over increasingly high electricity bills drove more than 200 Berlin residents to a citizen meeting last week on electric rates at Berlin Intermediate School, but they came away without the solution so many were looking for. The meeting, organized by resident Lisa Hall, featured a talk by Ron Birely, the former Berlin mayor and finance director who has a stormy history with the town including an ongoing lawsuit. In January 2005, recently deceased Mayor Tom Cardinale fired Bireley...READ MORE

County Action Paves Way For New Campground

SNOW HILL - Worcester County officials added a private wastewater facility to the county water and sewer plan at this week's county commission meeting, allowing Deer Run Golf Course to become Deer Run Campground. Plans for the property call for a membership campground and extensive recreation facilities to be added to the Deer Run Golf Course. The recreation area will include pools, soccer fields and indoor exercise areas and would be available to non-campers on a membership basis. After...READ MORE

County Officials Critical Of Legislators For Pay Comments

OCEAN CITY - Wednesday's otherwise cordial meeting between the resort's Economic Development Committee (EDC) members and their representatives in Annapolis briefly veered off topic for a few moments with a brief exchange that was, at the same time, tense and humorous. The EDC on Wednesday welcomed State Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, Delegates Norm Conway and Page Elmore and Ocean City Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Dennis Rasmussen to its bi-annual legislative meeting, during which the state elected...READ MORE

Developer Proposes Retaining Wall For Stalled Project

OCEAN CITY - Issues surrounding an Edgewater Avenue condominium project were resolved to some extent this week, as developer Bob Warfield reported that he would be installing a permanent retaining wall along the length of the property, in an effort to prevent further damage to neighboring properties. Neighboring condominium units to the 1111 Edgewater project, particularly those residing at 1201 Edgewater Avenue, have voiced several complaints to the Mayor and Council as of late,...READ MORE

Impact Fees Dismissed By Commissioners

SNOW HILL - A draft of the still unfinished Worcester County comprehensive rezoning, an integral part of the new Comprehensive Plan approved nearly two and a half years ago, will undergo accelerated review to ensure end of the year deadlines are met. Staff went before the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday to present elected officials with several options for the rezoning and rewritten subdivision code and new maps. 'We need some definitive guidance on these things before we finish up the...READ MORE

New Retail Project Eyed For 56th Street

OCEAN CITY - More retail space will be added to the midtown sector, as plans for new retail stores were presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission this week. Architect Keith Iott, representing, applicant Avraham Sibony, made the presentation to the Planning and Zoning Commission this week, outlining plans for a strip of retail space at 56th Street. The building, to be located at 5601 Coastal Highway, to the north of 56th Street and to the west of Coastal Highway, is proposed at...READ MORE

Permit Exception Request Leaves Council Confused

OCEAN CITY - A request for a building permit exception for a set of interior stairs at a local residence left the town in a precarious situation this week, with no precedent for allowing the exception available to the City Council. Joseph Dashiell of Joseph T. Dashiell Builders, Inc. and his attorney J. Calvin Jenkins made the request to the City Council this week, in hopes of securing a permit exception for a set of interior stairs in violation at a home on Channel Buoy Drive. The two-story...READ MORE

Pittsville Man Faces Rape Charges

BERLIN - A Pittsville man was arrested on first-degree rape and other charges this week after allegedly offering a ride to a woman on a Berlin bus stop, driving her to a secluded area and sexually assaulting her. Between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a 30-year-old woman was waiting for the Worcester County Ride on a bus stop in the Berlin area when she was approached by a white male, later identified as Darrell Wayne McDaniel, 47, of Pittsville, who offered the woman a ride. Once the...READ MORE

Resort's 2nd Sister City Idea Okayed

OCEAN CITY - Plans to adopt a second sister city moved forward this week, as the City Council voted unanimously to accept the proposed sister city concept. Don Pellicano represented the Ocean City Sister City Committee this week, reporting back to the City Council on plans to adopt a second sister city. Pellicano first presented the proposal to the Mayor and City Council two weeks ago, highlighting the benefits of garnering a second sister city. The Sister City program began with President...READ MORE

Sleep Inn Project Concerns Discussed

OCEAN CITY - Plans for the Avelon Hotel property were discussed in a variety of forums this week, as issues regarding the proposed plans were presented to both the Mayor and Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The project calls for the redevelopment of the property located on the south side of 1st Street between Baltimore and Philadelphia avenues. The proposal calls for a Sleep Inn Hotel and Suites to replace the former Avelon Hotel. Although the building is located downtown, it...READ MORE

Slide N' Ride Parting Ways With OC Landscape

OCEAN CITY - Family, friends and loyal customers of the 65th Street Slide N' Ride will say goodbye to the town's oldest waterslide this month, as the water park prepares to close its doors for good. After 36 years, the Slide N' Ride will close down for the last time, leaving just one more month of sliding fun at the midtown park. 'This is the oldest slide in the State of Maryland, it was built 36 years ago,' said owner Mike Wicklein this week. Thirty-six years ago, the familiar blue water slide...READ MORE

Rare Artifact Found In Surf

OCEAN CITY - A large section of what is likely a fairly ancient wooden vessel was discovered in the surf at 43rd Street this week and now awaits its fate in a town-owned storage facility in West Ocean City as state historians and maritime archaeologists attempt to date it and perhaps discover from whence it came. The roughly 25-foot long, L-shaped artifact was first discovered in the surf by swimmers in the 43rd Street area on Monday. Ocean City Beach Patrol staffers tried to remove the...READ MORE

A Week In Business

Furnishings Store Add Nursery Dept. OCEAN CITY - No longer will expecting parents have to travel far to purchase nursery furniture, as Kendall Home Furnishings of Ocean City has introduced a new nursery department. Currently, many local residents have to travel over an hour to shop for their baby's furniture. Owner Joe Kendall, who owns and operates Furniture 4 Kids, Inc., a baby and children's store in Frederick, Md., feels this new department was long over due. 'The year-round growth on the...READ MORE

My Thoughts

The old guy is always late. He likes it that way. He likes the idea of people waiting around for him. It makes him feel important, and the guys of the Monday Morning Coffee Club understand that. There they were huddled about a table in the back of the favored local gas station. They all turned to find Insider with an unusual look this early in the morning - he was smiling. The early mornings are not the old guy's best times and he usually is not out in public because his aches and pains are too...READ MORE

Things I Like

When my son falls asleep in the car September baseball pennant races A hurricane that veers away from land A big, old oak tree Spotting a hummingbird buzzing about A car's reverse lights in a crowded parking lot An old beach cruiser The beach in September Ben Bradlee's 'A Good Life' Fresh guacamole and chips Taking a nap in a hammock ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): With your Arian charm quotient at an almost all-time high this week, plus all the facts to back you up, you just might win over the last doubters to your proposal. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): You might be in line for that job change you applied for. But be advised that you could be called on to defend your qualifications against supporters of other applicants. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Creating a new approach to an old idea is one way to get beyond that workplace...READ MORE

A Fresh Look At Manufacturing

BERLIN - It has happened before: The economy cools, consumer spending sags, employment declines, corporate earnings fall back, and suddenly a stock market that only months earlier had touched record highs is reeling. What the U.S. is going through now is partly a result of market and economic cycles, partly a matter of circumstances unique to the moment •€' but it will not last forever. While it's difficult to predict exactly how the current turbulence will play out, one sector poised to do...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

In my line of work, it's a little embarrassing to say I am learning a whole new vocabulary these days, but it's true. Call it just one of the many benefits from having a newborn in the house. Whether this new set of vocabulary terms is increasing my intelligence I don't know, but I am much more able to carry on a conversation about swaddling, Butt Paste and wee block today than I was four months ago. Some of the terms, not all of which are all that new to me, that have become a daily part of my...READ MORE

United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore

United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore recently held its third annual CEO Breakfast to provide local business leaders with a 'State of United Way' briefing and to highlight the impact the business community is making in the lives of neighbors in need. Pictured, from left, are keynote speakers Bill Middleton, United Way Board President, Jim Perdue, of Perdue Farms, Mike Langley, with Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Alane Capen, of Coastal Hospice, Jim Krahn, with Interstate Container, and Kathleen...READ MORE

Annual Baker 'Crab Bash'

During the Baker's Annual "Crab Bash" at the American Legion in Berlin, over 100 family members and friends surprised Marion "Bake" Baker with an 80th birthday party in his honor. Pictured with Baker are, from left, his grandson Brooks, great-grandchildren Lily Belle and Bobby and son Bob Baker. ...READ MORE

Adult Education Students Honored

Adult Education students were honored on Aug. 14 by the Board of Education for earning their Maryland High School Diplomas through Worcester County Public Schools' General Educational Development (GED) program. Presenting Certificates of Achievement to the graduates are Board of Education President Garry Mumford, left, Adult Education Lead Teacher Mark Ferraro, second from left, and Superintendent Dr. Jon Andes, right.  Receiving certificates are, in the front row, from left, Melissa...READ MORE