June 25, 2010

Assateague Ranger Speaks to OC Elementary Students

Ranger Chris from Assateague Island shows Jason Baione-Leiderman of Julie Vorsteg's kindergarten class a clam during a "Kinder Critters" presentation at Ocean City Elementary School. Submitted Photos  ...READ MORE

Scenes From Buckingham Elementary Students of the Month Luncheon

Buckingham recently held a student of the month luncheon. The students were recognized for exhibiting the character trait of hard work. Above, from left, first grade winners were Da'Ijah Dickerson, Tavey Wade, K'Asiah Johnson, Rachel Holloway and Nicholas Gordon. Below, fourth grade honorees were Jessie Lupiwok, MaKenzie Gaynor, Mickielia Minott, Daniel Dornes and David Braciszewski. Other award winners not pictured were second graders Selina McCargo, Branden Manuel, Marianni...READ MORE

Students From OC Elementary Take Field Trip

Students from Ocean City Elementary School's social skills group enjoyed a field trip to Applebee's. Students practiced skills they have learned such as turn taking, topic maintenance, using good manners and being courteous to others. Pictured are Tommy Gjoni, Joe Meyers, educator Debbie Quilter, Serap Aksu, Jason Baione-Leiderman, Gavin Wilkins and Gavin McCabe.  ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Lax Players Selected to 2010 Free State Top 44 Team

Worcester Prep rising junior Alex Ternahan, left, and rising senior Chris Fisher have been selected for the 2010 Free State Top 44 Team. The tryouts for the team are a three-step process. During the first day of tryouts, each school in Maryland is allowed to send eight players to compete for the team. During the second tryout, they cut the number of players down to 132 athletes. From there, the team is narrowed down to the Top 44 Team.   ...READ MORE

BIS Holds its 13th Annual Honors Celebration For Students

Berlin Intermediate School held its 13th Annual Honors Celebration for students who made Honor Roll and Principals List throughout the school year. At the celebration, students were also honored with a sportsmanship award, in conjunction with Ocean City Parks and Recreation. Pictured with OC Councilman Lloyd Martin, Recreation Supervisor Hondo Handy and Principal Dr. John Gaddis are students Christina Romano, Alexis McDonough, Erin Smith, Lexie VanKirk and Zac Cioccio.   ...READ MORE

Writing Award Presented at Worcester Prep Convocation

Linda Ayers, representing Washington College in Chestertown, presented the Washington College Book Award to junior William (Billy) Tyler at the Worcester Preparatory School Academic Convocation. The award is presented to a student who has shown excellence in the field of writing about history. ...READ MORE

Who's Playing Where and When Musically Speaking

707 Sports Bar & Grille Old Bridge Road, West OC June 25: Overtime Saturday: Karaoke With Hey Mick Angler, The , Talbot St. On the bay June 25: Electric Company, 9 p.m. June 26 & Sunday, June 27: Leverone Sunday: Local's Social With DJ Rusty Griswald Buxy's Salty Dog , 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. June 25: Aaron Howell Band June 26: Tsunami Rising Sunday: Local's Party with DJ BK June 29: Intersection Wednesday: DJ JJ July 1: TBA Caribbean bar & Grill off the boards on 2nd St. June...READ MORE

30th OC Shark Tourney a Huge Success

OCEAN CITY- The 30th Annual Ocean City Shark Tournament last weekend was a rousing success with near-perfect weather conditions and calm seas yielding plenty of big fish at the scales and scores more caught and released. The bar was set early when angler Paul Seaberger of Ocean City and the crew aboard the 'All In' weighed a 471-pound mako on Thursday, the first official day of fishing, to take the early lead in the signature mako division. The 471-pounder held on throughout the weekend and took...READ MORE

Hundreds Compete in Resort Races

ASSATEAGUE- Hundreds of fitness enthusiasts descended on the resort area last week for a pair of highly successful events including the Ocean City 5-Mile Boardwalk Run on Saturday followed by the Assateague Assault Triathlon on Sunday. The two events were produced by OC Tri-Running, the same organization that produces the annual Ocean City Half-Marathon, and are part of a year-long series of running, biking and swimming events. On Friday, 121 competitors participated in the Boardwalk 5-Mile...READ MORE

Faces in Places

 A spotlight on the local and regional bar and restaurant scene ...READ MORE

Friday, June 25th--Cab Coalition Eyes Rogue Drivers

OCEAN CITY •€' Some say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  But, if a group of cab drivers get their way, a picture could end up costing a $1,500 medallion. A group of cab drivers sat quietly at City Hall on Monday, listening to Larry Bode, owner of Casino Express taxi, plea to the Mayor and Council to be allowed to start an association of cab drivers in order to self-police their industry. 'We are here because we want to help, and we want to be a part of this community,' said...READ MORE

Friday, June 25th--Feds Move To Dismiss Lawsuit Over Sea Bass Closure

OCEAN CITY - Federal fisheries officials this week filed a motion to dismiss the ongoing civil suit over the abrupt closure of the black sea bass season last October, pointing out the emergency closure has since been lifted and the flawed catch data collection system has since been repaired. Last October, black sea bass, one of the most important fisheries for Ocean City and the entire east coast, was closed without warning, forcing the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and a handful of local...READ MORE

Friday, June 25th--Husband, Wife Team Up For Show At The Carousel

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Friday, June 25th--Joel Todd Files, Sets Up Rematch With Oglesby

SNOW HILL - Citing two ongoing murder cases along with other unfinished business, long-time Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd this week formally filed for re-election, setting up a rematch of the closest election in county history. Todd officially filed for re-election on Tuesday, although he has said informally he would seek to retain his position as the county's top prosecutor in the weeks and months leading up to next week's filing deadline. He has served as Worcester County State's...READ MORE

Audit Examining City's Health Insurance Dependents

OCEAN CITY •€' City Manager Dennis Dare says that if you receive benefits from the town of Ocean City, you are going to need to fill out some forms and show some proof, if you haven't done so already. As the Mayor and Council continues to debate how generous the benefits packages should be for newly hired members of the town's rankings, Dare pointed to a 'Health Insurance Dependent Eligibility Audit' that is currently being conducted by Bolton Partners in Baltimore to show that the town is...READ MORE

Council Abandons Decision To Revamp North OC Street

OCEAN CITY •€' It took exactly 27 angry emails and a handful of peeved uptown residents to change the City Council's mind about putting parking meters on 146th Street. The Ocean City Council voted 5-2 (with Councilman Doug Cymek and Joe Hall in opposition) to abandon their earlier vote during last month's budget hearings to put parking meters on the quiet ocean block street on the Maryland-Delaware line. Ocean Place Condominium owners, including Condo Association President Ron Deacon,...READ MORE

Humpback Whale Creates A Stir In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY •€' Ocean City Beach Patrol Sergeant Colby Kauffman says that Ocean City is starting to look a little bit like Sea World. The fourth whale in as many months was spotted swimming leisurely down the Ocean City coast in essential waist to chest deep water last Friday, giving thousands of beachgoers a once-in-a-lifetime experience and caused quite a spectacle as it swam within mere feet of nearby swimmers. The (approximated) 27-foot juvenile humpback had been spotted earlier in the...READ MORE

PCP Found In Purse Sickens Resort Police Staff

OCEAN CITY - A veteran Ocean City police officer and three public safety assistants were taken to the hospital with various symptoms last week after becoming sickened by a strong narcotic stashed in a detained prisoner's purse. Around 10:45 p.m. last Tuesday, a female prisoner detained in the Public Safety Building's holding cells after an earlier arrest on possession of marijuana charges requested telephone numbers from her cell phone, which had been secured in a property locker in control room...READ MORE

State Looking Into LCB Deals With Businesses

OCEAN CITY •€' The Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) is allegedly under investigation by the State Comptroller's Office for possible collusion and potential violations of the Sherman Act. It was revealed this week that three local liquor licensees were charged three different prices on the exact same day for the exact same product by the LCB, which, according to Purple Moose Saloon Chief Financial Officer and Worcester County License Beverage Association (WCLBA) Executive...READ MORE

6 Of 36 County Employees Accept Early Retirement

BERLIN - Six local government and county utility employees will take advantage of Worcester County's early retirement incentive this summer, freeing up county funding in another tight budget year.          The county will lose one employee from the Solid Waste Department, one from the Roads Department, one from Water and Wastewater, one from Development Review and Permitting and two from the county jail. That group includes senior managers George...READ MORE

Canal Dredging Plan Outlined

OCEAN CITY - The federal Army Corps of Engineers is moving forward with a plan to dredge several canals in Ocean City, but with no funding source for the project, it remains uncertain when work will begin. Residents along the canals included in phase I of the resort's long awaited maintenance dredging plan last week received an inches-thick report from the Army Corps of Engineers, outlining many aspects of the proposal including the requisite environmental impact statements and disposal plans....READ MORE

Current Council Reluctant To Add Meters In North OC

OCEAN CITY •€' Parking meters may in fact become a reality on the ocean block or in north Ocean City some day, but the present City Council members made it clear this week that it may not happen on their watch. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone at City Hall who believes that the issue of whether or not to charge people to park on the ocean block in Ocean City is going to go away, but this week, it became clear that the majority of the voting seven deem the topic a bit too hot to...READ MORE

Dispute Leads To Death Threat

OCEAN CITY - A Pennsylvania man was arrested on first-degree assault and other serious charges this week for threatening to kill a downtown apartment building owner during an apparent domestic situation in front of a large crowd of people on the Boardwalk early Sunday morning. Shortly after midnight on Sunday, Ocean City Police were dispatched to the area of 6th Street for a report of a disorderly male screaming and threatening to kill someone. When the officers arrived, they discovered the...READ MORE

Fiery Crash Closes 90 Bridge For Two Hours

OCEAN CITY - An alleged drunk driver slammed into the back of two vehicles on the Route 90 Bridge early last Friday morning, causing two of the three vehicles involved to burst into flames during an incident that caused the span to be closed for over two hours. Shortly after midnight last Friday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) and Ocean City Fire Department personnel responded to a reported three-vehicle accident on the section of the Route 90 Bridge between Isle of Wight and the resort. By...READ MORE

Former Ocean City Cop Joins Crowded Field For Sheriff

BERLIN - A fourth candidate has emerged to contest for the Worcester County Sheriff post when Dave Catrino filed for the Republican nomination for the top law enforcement post. With three candidates already seeking office, Catrino will face Republican Reggie Mason in the primary in September. The victor in that contest will then face either Carroll Overholt or Bobby Brittingham, the Democratic candidates. The filing deadline for the upcoming elections is Tuesday, July 6 at 9 p.m. Incumbent Chuck...READ MORE

Ground Rent Controversy Not An Issue For Worcester

BERLIN - New state regulations on controversial ground rent leases go into affect across Maryland this fall, and a class action lawsuit, representing hundreds of thousands of ground rent leaseholders in the state seeking hundreds of millions of dollars, was recently certified, but it appears Worcester County will not be a significant player in the ongoing controversy. In 2007, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation requiring ground rent leaseholders to register their leases with the...READ MORE

Landmark Stays Current With Eye On Tradition

T.K. Dickerson Staff Writer OCEAN CITY - When one is crossing the Route 50 Bridge, it is hard to believe that any sight is welcomed more than the sight of the expansive bay. However, tucked right next to the bridge, the view from The Angler's dockside bar might be one of the best in town. Captain Bill Bunting founded The Angler, modeled after an old fishing cottage, in 1938. His father, Charlie, who owned the land extending from the Route 50 Bridge to Somerset Street, distributed the land...READ MORE

Lawsuit Against OC, Coast Guard Allowed To Proceed

OCEAN CITY - Frustrated with the alleged inactivity of the lawyer he retained in the case, the owner of a commercial scallop boat got the green light last week to proceed with a civil suit against Ocean City and the Coast Guard on his own just before a deadline to dismiss the case. In the early morning hours of Sept. 11, 2006, the 'Mighty Duck,' a 42-foot commercial scallop boat operating out the West Ocean City commercial harbor, ran around in storm-tossed seas just off the coast. It was left...READ MORE

Ocean City News in Brief

OCEAN CITY •€' In the brief this week, the town finalized a multi-million dollar dispute with a local land owner, the city is in the process of picking up more than a dozen new city buses, and a change to some language in a local ordinance will ensure that any citations issued for open container violations will have a stronger leg to stand on. City, Laws Settle; Laws Looks Ahead The municipal game of 'Risk' between the town of Ocean City and local business owner Rick Laws has finally come...READ MORE

School Board Adopts Budget, Worries Over Future

NEWARK - Level school funding does not mean Worcester County schools will have the same money as last year to spend on students, members of the Worcester County Board of Education pointed out last week as it approved the schools budget for the next school year. While the amount per student is the same, fixed costs such as insurance have gone up, said schools' Finance Officer Vince Tolbert. Maryland state law mandates that public school systems must spend no less than the same amount per student...READ MORE

UMES, County Partner To Broaden Focus

NEWARK - Math and science students in Worcester County will get a boost through a new partnership between county schools and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). According to a formal agreement recently inked, Worcester County schools and UMES will support each other in seeking grants and other opportunities, said Worcester Technical High School (WTS) Principal Jane Pruitt. The Board of Education approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UMES at its recent June meeting. The...READ MORE

Walker Enters Retirement With Board's Appreciation

NEWARK - After 26 years of service to Worcester County schools, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. Dick Walker is retiring. 'I'm not happy to leave Worcester County [schools] •€¦ I'm not counting the days and I'm not counting the hours. In fact, I'm dreading them a little bit,' Walker said during a retirement presentation. Walker went to work with the Worcester County school system in 1983, starting as supervisor for instruction. The Assistant Superintendent for Instruction must...READ MORE

Woman Charged In OC Stabbing

OCEAN CITY - A Selbyville woman was arrested on first- and second-degree assault charges after allegedly attempting to stab a couple of strangers on a downtown street. Around 3:40 a.m. on Monday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to an area behind a 28th Street shopping center for a reported assault. Once on scene, the responding officers found another OCPD officer already treating a male victim, identified as Thomas A. Clancy, 44, who was losing consciousness and was unable...READ MORE

Thoughts From the Publisher's Desk

Although the county would not disclose the kind of health insurance plan they accept, i.e. single, husband/wife or family, we did hear five of the seven County Commissioners are currently enrolled on the county's health insurance plan, meaning their coverage is funded by taxpayer dollars. In a letter this week, Administrator Gerald Mason said I did not allow the county enough time to respond to all aspects of the health insurance inquiry last week and that the county did not intend to withhold...READ MORE

Voices From the Readers

More Parking Meters Would Be Extortion Editor: I've been following all the discussions about placing parking meters in uptown Ocean City, which Mr. Joe Hall of the town council is trying to push down our throats. As a non-resident owner [with no voting rights] who owns a condo on 120th Street, I think it would be a great idea to put a string of meters on the street outside his restaurant on 60th Street. I think it's only fair, after all he wants us to be impacted by constantly feeding...READ MORE

Councils Must Weigh In On LCB Debate

The Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) needs to be abolished. We thought this back in 1998, the last time the LCB's future was put before county voters, and we continue to endorse its abolition today. Not much has changed over the last 12 years. The LCB has had several personnel shifts in leadership and management, but it's still the same monopoly and middleman it's always been. Restaurants, bars and retail stores have to continue to purchase their spirits from the LCB at whatever...READ MORE

Liquor Control Board Under Fire

OCEAN CITY •€' Local liquor licensees are banding together in what could result in an attempt to abolish the Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB). At the Worcester County License Beverage Association (WCLBA) meeting on Tuesday, several license holders spoke out against some of the recent practices of the LCB, including unexpected price spikes and possible collusion, and were furthermore united in their hopes to disband the quasi-governmental monopoly when reports surfaced the...READ MORE

A Week in Business

Shuttle Service Begins WEST OCEAN CITY - The Ocean City Factory Outlets announced this week it has begun offerings its summer shuttle service. The free transportation is offered seven days a week, to and from major Ocean City hotels and motels, June 25 through Sept. 30, with drop-off and pick-up near Carter's for Kids. The shuttle schedule is listed on the back of the outlet brochure and is also available at www.ocfactoryoutlets.com. New Branch Manager Named OCEAN CITY - Mark S. Holloway, vice...READ MORE

Stolen Truck, Guns and Weed

Stolen Truck, Guns and Weed OCEAN CITY - A Berlin man was arrested on auto theft, weapons and drug charges last week after an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer spotted the stolen truck in the area of 16th Street. Around 11:40 p.m. last Thursday, an OCPD officer on stationary patrol near 16th Street observed a Dodge pick-up truck, which resort police were alerted to be on the look out for earlier in the evening. The earlier alert warned officers the truck had been reported stolen and...READ MORE

What's Your Sign

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Making things more complicated than they need to be can be a problem for the typically orderly Lamb. Try to look for a less intricate way to accomplish the same goals. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Avoiding personal involvement in a troubling situation might be advisable at this time, especially since you probably don't have all the facts. The weekend brings a surprise. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): A problem with a colleague you thought had been resolved could...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

It's amazing what you forget as a parent. My youngest Carson is now eating all sorts of baby food, and I'm dumbfounded how much I forgot about this amazing experience from my first go around, though it was just about 18 months ago. I chalk up this short-term memory loss to this parenting thing being a white-knuckle roller coaster ride, one where you hold on tight and just keep on with the keeping on. So much happens in a single day that they all blur together and before you know it your baby is...READ MORE

What Should I Do About Rising Taxes?

What Should I Do About Rising Taxes? Christine Selzer Special To The Dispatch OCEAN CITY - With income tax hikes imminent, among others potentially, a thoughtful plan can help you reduce your income tax burden and control more of your retirement savings. Here's what you need to know. I hear income taxes may be going up. Which ones are most likely to affect my retirement plan? Technically, income taxes are expected to go back up. The sweeping tax cuts instituted by President George W. Bush in...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

Sharon Lewis BETHESDA - On June 13, 2010, in Bethesda, Md., Sharon Lewis, 63, died surrounded by her family. She was treated for leukemia in 2006 and pursued her life vigorously despite its recurrence in 2009. Born in Washington, D.C., she graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in 1965. For 20 years, she worked at the Saks Fifth Avenue department store located in Chevy Chase, Md. She was a founding congregant of Temple Bat Yam in Berlin, Maryland, where she read for her Bat-Mitzvah in 2005....READ MORE

OC Marlin Club Donates Thousands to Three Local Students

The Ocean City Marlin Club Auxiliary, represented by members Evelyn Angel, left, and Pat Nottingham recently donated $3,500 each to three local students. The recipients of the scholarships are, from left, Catelin Geiser who will be attending the University of North Carolina at Wilmington; Taylor Blazer, who will attend University of Richmond; and Josh Bargar, attending Salisbury University. Submitted Photos   ...READ MORE

OP Players Award Dramatic Art Scholarships

The Ocean Pines Players recently awarded three $750 dramatic art scholarships to graduating seniors. The award winners were Chelsea Thaler, Worcester Prep, who will be attending American University in Washington, DC; Alex Stamnas, Stephen Decatur High, Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va.; and Kyra Voulo, Stephen Decatur High, Towson University in Baltimore. They are pictured with Edie Brennan, president of the Ocean Pines Players Community Theatre  ...READ MORE

IAFF Firefighters Make Donation to Memorial Scholarship

The Career Fire Fighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, IAFF Local 4269 recently made a donation to the Stephen C. Calloway Memorial Scholarship. In order to keep Calloway's dedication to Emergency Medical Services alive, his co-workers and friends at the Ocean Pines Fire Department started a scholarship fund in his name. Above, from left are IAFF Treasurer Michael Ellingsworth; Ocean Pines Career Captain Billy Bounds; IAFF President Michael Maykrantz; and Career...READ MORE

Shore Bank Donates to Delmarva Discovery Center

Shore Bank recently delivered a check for $1,000 to the Delmarva Discovery Center. Brian Garrett, Executive Director, along with members of the center's board accepted the donation, which was presented by Shore Bank's Pocomoke branch staff and Advisory Board.  ...READ MORE

Bank of Ocean City participates in casual day

Bank of Ocean City allows employees to participate in a casual day on the second and last Friday of each month. Participating employees contribute to a fund, which is matched by the bank 100 percent. Last month one of the days benefited Coastal Hospice and the proceeds totaled $360. Above, Maureen McNeill, left, director of Development for Coastal Hospice, is pictured with Lori Isaacs, 122nd Street bank branch assistant vice president, branch manager and Coastal Hospice volunteer.   ...READ MORE

Things I Like

Hot burgers off the grill Staying off the computer all weekend Sipping a beer in a pool The king in The Tudors Laugh sessions with my kids Learning something new Lightning bugs in a field Boardwalk sights and sounds An empty sink Road trips to summer concerts Tom Petty tunes  ...READ MORE

People in Society

Snapshots of those lending a helping hand throughout the community ...READ MORE

Dining Guide

West Ocean City- Berlin Ocean Pines 707 Sports bar & grille 12702 Old Bridge Road (Route 707), West Ocean City , 410-213-9507 We may have changed hands, but we are still the same locally known Sports Bar in West Ocean City, and yes we are open everyday 11a.m.-2 a.m. Everything on our menu is made to order from our Homemade Soups, Salads,  new and improved Crab Dip, Mussels, the only place that serves the 'Full Wing' Quesadillas, 1/2 lb. Burgers, Crab cakes, Fresh cut Steaks, Fresh...READ MORE