July 30, 2010

Faces in Places

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

Legitimate Questions Not Personal

Liquor Control Board (LCB) Chairman Donald Hastings got some things off his proverbial chest at this week's meeting. Hastings, former spokesman for the board, made it clear he is unhappy with this paper's ongoing coverage and specifically went on the offensive against Staff Writer Bryan Russo. It's not surprising that he is not pleased with the nature of the articles about the LCB. We, along with the state Comptroller's Office, have put the LCB under the microscope and it's exactly where it...READ MORE

Thoughts From the Publisher's Desk

Ocean City is about to shutter a million dollar industry. That's a fact if the figures reported by the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) are true. The OCPD says its research has found that about 30,000 green laser pointers have been sold this summer in the resort area. It was said the laser pointers sell for anywhere between $30 and $50. Using an average price of $40 per item, this year's summer novelty item has generated about $1.2 million in local sales for merchants. Although this entire...READ MORE

Voices From the Readers

Don't Re-Elect Officials Editor: Isn't it funny the same County Commissioners that never had time to listen to any of your comments or complaints are so interesting in talking to folks now that it re-election time? Mr. Frank White from the old television show The Southern Sportsman used to say - don't re-elect nobody. I think he might have had a good point. County Commissioners are supposed to represent the people in their district but we fail to see that. I truly believe one term is more...READ MORE

State's LCB Probe Extended As Allegations Continue

SNOW HILL •€' The official audit has begun, but the investigation is scheduled to continue far longer than was originally expected. Auditors from the State Comptroller's Office descended on the Liquor Control Board for Worcester County's (LCB) Snow Hill headquarters this week to conduct the official audit of the quasi-governmental monopoly, but the investigation concerning allegations against unfair practices and procedures has been extended, according to state officials. 'Based on the...READ MORE

Friday, July 30--Berlin Businesses Pleased With Summer Sales

BERLIN - People are coming to Berlin this summer despite the heat and the economy, a random sampling of business owners reported this week. 'We're having a great summer. We're very happy with the way things are going,' said Robin Tomaselli, co-owner of the new Baked Dessert Café. Tomaselli credited the café's business model, which stresses all natural ingredients, and the town's promotions, for bringing people into the bakery. The communal business atmosphere in Berlin also makes a difference,...READ MORE

Friday, July 30--Canine Courtesy Questioned In Berlin

BERLIN - Dog owners need to pick up after their dogs, Berlin elected officials said this week, citing piles of canine poop in the town's parks. Berlin Councilman Dean Burrell raised the issue at Monday night's Berlin Mayor and Council meeting, saying that dog owners are not following the law in town parks. 'When you walk your dog, you're supposed to have a bag with you,' said Burrell. Berlin has an ordinance requiring owners to clean up after their dogs, everywhere in town, not just the parks....READ MORE

Friday, July 30--Crew Sets World Pub Crawl Record In OC

OCEAN CITY - With a last beer at the last stop of a grueling 16-plus hour tour of Ocean City's famous and not-so-famous watering holes, a weary group of nine friends from all over the country early last Friday morning successfully completed a trek into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most pubs visited by a team in 24 hours. The nine-member team, from as far away as Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore., had its first beer around 9:30 a.m. last Thursday over breakfast at the Ocean View...READ MORE

Friday, July 30--Man Throws Woman On Coastal Highway

OCEAN CITY - A Westminster man faces first-degree assault and other charges this week after allegedly scooping up a woman walking on 49th Street and running with her at a full sprint before tossing her onto a crowded Coastal Highway. At around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer observed a man, later identified as Steven B. Barnett, 20, approach a group of several women walking eastbound on the street. Without warning or provocation, Barnett allegedly picked up...READ MORE

Charity Tax Mistake Likely Cost Resort Thousands

OCEAN CITY •€' An interpretation of a state law by an unknown county official almost six years ago could have cost the town of Ocean City upwards of a million dollars in room and food and beverage tax collections. In closed session at City Hall on Tuesday, the City Council voted to write a letter to the Worcester County Commissioners requesting that food and beverage as well as room tax be collected from non-profit organizations, as per state law, starting Oct. 1. 'Basically, it was...READ MORE

City Council Gets Tough On Laser Pointers

OCEAN CITY •€' The Ocean City Council plans to lay down the law on Monday night in hopes of getting laser pointers out of the hands of children. Ocean City Police Chief Bernadette DiPino estimated that more than 30,000 green laser pointers have been sold in the resort this year and their proliferation has spiked a rise in not only complaints but also widespread concern about public safety after rising reports of people complaining of blurred vision and sensitivity to light after being...READ MORE

LCB Fires Back, Lobs Accusations At Wholesalers

SNOW HILL •€' Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) officials lashed out against the state's wholesalers this week, saying that wholesalers are as much to blame as the licensees for the current campaign to get them abolished. 'It's ironic that in every case where we are getting accused of doing something wrong or illegal, we were charging low prices,' said LCB Chairman Don Hastings at this week's meeting. 'That tells me that the wholesalers in Baltimore are the ones who are the...READ MORE

OC Roller Coaster Remains Closed After Accident

OCEAN CITY - The Tidal Wave roller coaster in the Trimper's Amusement Park at the foot of the Boardwalk remained dark this week, as state and private sector inspectors continued to sort out what caused an accident that injured three children last Thursday. Around 9:30 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police and Fire Department units were dispatched to the area of Trimper's Rides on the south end of the Boardwalk for what was initially reported as a structure fire. However, when police and fire...READ MORE

Ocean City, Assateague Beaches Earn High Marks

BERLIN - Ocean City and Assateague beaches were rated high in a swimming beach water quality report, but more attention needs to be paid to the current conditions of the Coastal Bays water, local activists say. The two Maryland beaches rated in the Natural Resource Defense Council's (NEDC) 'Testing the Waters' report, released this week, received four stars. The beach at Assateague State Park and Ocean City's beach earned four stars out of five in the NRDC report for 2009 water quality, good...READ MORE

Accident Causes WOC Power Outage

WEST OCEAN CITY - Power was knocked out for a vast area of West Ocean City early Thursday morning when a driver swerved to miss a deer on Route 611 and collided with an electrical transformer box. Around 1:30 a.m. yesterday, a vehicle traveling northbound on Route 611 at its intersection with Route 376 near Sharkey's Market allegedly swerved to avoid a collision with a deer in the roadway and went off the road and struck a Choptank Electric transformer box. The collision knocked out electric...READ MORE

Berlin Okays Candlelight Vigil For Breast Cancer

BERLIN - Breast cancer sufferers will get a night of support in Berlin this October when a local breast cancer support group holds a candlelight vigil downtown to commemorate loved ones who have battled the disease. Local breast cancer support group Women Supporting Women (WSW), which also has chapters in Salisbury and Crisfield, will hold a 'Turn the Town Pink' event in downtown Berlin the night of Oct. 8, in conjunction with an Art Stroll event, to honor cancer victims and raise funds for the...READ MORE

Berlin Police Suggest Minor Changes To Policies

BERLIN - The Berlin Police Department's Use of Force policy underwent some changes this week, adjusting the wording to reflect the appropriate use of force by police officers. 'There's some change in language,' said Berlin Police Chief Arnold Downing. The term 'minimum force' has been changed to 'proper force'. Many attorneys challenge the term 'minimum,' Downing said, 'The minimum amount of force will always be just police presence,' Downing said. The order includes a scale of aggressive...READ MORE

County Physical Therapist Made A Difference

BERLIN - The entire Worcester County community lost a true treasure last week when a two-car accident on Route 113 near Snow Hill claimed the life of a beloved school system employee, mentor, mother and friend. Around 11:30 a.m. last Saturday, a 1999 Dodge Stratus attempting to pull out on the highway from Betheden Church Rd struck a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country van traveling south on Route 113 near Snow Hill. The Dodge Stratus struck the Chrysler van on its passenger side, causing its left...READ MORE

Man Jailed For Strangling Wife

OCEAN CITY - A New Jersey man was arrested on first-degree assault charges last weekend after allegedly strangling his wife to the point she passed out. Shortly before 9 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD officer was dispatched to a nightclub parking lot for a reported domestic assault during which a female victim had been unconscious for an undetermined amount of time. When the officer arrived, Ocean City Emergency Services were already speaking with the victim, who was...READ MORE

Mosquito Virus Surfaces In Md

BERLIN - The once dreaded West Nile Virus (WNV), which has faded somewhat from the public consciousness in recent years with fewer occurrences, has been found in mosquitoes in Maryland for the first time this year. State officials detected the first WNV positive mosquito pool for 2010 in Anne Arundel County. The West Nile infected mosquito pool near Linthicum was discovered after the Maryland Department of the Agriculture (MDA) collected mosquitoes in that area on July 13. 'It typically appears...READ MORE

Ocean City News in Brief

OCEAN CITY •€' In the brief this week, the town's legal counsel tells the City Council to reconsider the ban on K-2, the City Hall parking lot becomes an official revenue source and grilling in public lots will now require a city permit. Council Changes Mind On Ordinance To Ban Substance Last week, the City Council voted to move forward with a ban of the controversial herbal spice K-2 as it did with the psychoactive plant Salvia Divinorum last summer. This week, City Solicitor Guy Ayres...READ MORE

Owner Brings Cantina To Fenwick

T.K. Dickerson Staff Writer FENWICK ISLAND - The East Coast culture pervades everything from what we wear right down to what we eat. But when West Coast spice and Mexican flavor mixes with East Coast seafood, the result is an irresistible and delicious fusion that everyone is guaranteed to enjoy, no matter where you call home. Matteo's Salsa Loco in Fenwick Island, Del. is the epitome of Mexican food with a beach influence. The menu describes the cuisine as 'a tasty fusion of fresh seafood and...READ MORE

President's Plan To Zone Ocean Debated

OCEAN CITY - President Obama this week signed an executive order establishing a National Ocean Policy that could effectively result in vast areas of ocean benig zoned to prohibit some recreational and commercial activities while encouraging others. Based on the recommendations of the Interagency Task Force on Ocean Policy, created last June to explore the many uses of the oceans off the nation's coastline from offshore drilling and alternative energy development to shipping and commercial and...READ MORE

Resort Lifeguards Capture Mid-Atlantic Regional Crown

Kylie Joson Staff Writer OCEAN CITY - Not only does Ocean City think it has the most competent and dedicated lifeguards around, but now it can claim to be the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Champions. The Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) chapter of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) was recently crowned the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Lifeguard Champions. On July 14, in front of The Grand Hotel, the OCBP hosted part one of this Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition. This was the non-craft competition...READ MORE

Shark Talk Largely Chatter, Officials Say

OCEAN CITY •€' Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin dispelled growing rumors and concern about increased shark sightings off the coast of Ocean City, saying 'they are out there, but no more than usual.' In recent weeks, Arbin says that he's heard a rising chatter amongst beach goers about shark sightings close to shore but he said this week that there is no reason for alarm. 'I've heard the rumors, and the talk, but honestly we haven't really seen it,' said Arbin, 'so I think a lot...READ MORE

Stabbing Suspect Reward Offered

OCEAN CITY - The town of Ocean City this week is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a Federalsburg man wanted as the suspect in a brutal stabbing attack in Ocean City early Saturday morning. Around 2:10 a.m. on Saturday, Ocean City police responded to the area of 54th Street and Coastal Highway for a reported stabbing. Upon arrival, the officers located a male victim, whose name has not been released at this time, lying in a parking lot. The investigation revealed...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

Ronald James Ellis OCEAN CITY - Ronald James Ellis, 76, of Ocean City, died Friday, July 23, 2010 at home. He was born in Bishopville and was the son of the late Norman Lester and Dolly Ann (Hickman) Ellis.  He retired after 33 years with the Town of Ocean City where he was the Water Superintendent. He was a member of the Ocean City American Legion Post 0166, a charter member of the Ocean City Elks Lodge and a lifetime member of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Department. He is survived by...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

With the baby of the house, no two feedings are the same. It oftentimes depends on what he's eating at any given time, but some feedings are more challenging than others and some take much longer than others. Carson can become quite stingy when it comes to fruits and certain vegetables. He loves them and rarely needs a bib when it comes to the foods he truly likes - apple sauce, pears and peaches seem to top his list these days. However, it's a different story altogether when it comes to meat....READ MORE

Traffic Stop Nets Huge Crack Bust

Traffic Stop Nets Huge Crack Bust BERLIN - Maryland State Police (MSP) arrested a New Jersey man with a substantial amount of crack cocaine last week after a routine traffic stop on Route 113 north of Berlin. Around 7:30 p.m. last Friday, an MSP trooper on traffic patrol stopped a 2010 Toyota driven by Timothy M. Wilson, 42, of Toms River, N.J., for speeding and following too closely on Route 113 near Route 575. A K-9 scan on the vehicle, performed by MSP K-9 Camo, alerted probable cause and a...READ MORE

Who's Playing Where and When Musically Speaking

Sports Bar & Grille , 12702 Old Bridge Road, West OC July 30: Fuzzbox Piranha Saturday: Karaoke With Hey Mick The , Talbot St. On the bay July 30: Time Police, 9 p.m. July 31 & Sunday, Aug. 1: Galvin, 4 p.m. Sunday: Local's Social With DJ Rusty Griswald Salty Dog , 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. July 30: Aaron Howell Band July 31: Reedo Sunday: Local's Party with DJ JJ Aug. 2: Rick Ramsey Aug. 4: Pre-Block Stock Party, Harkum Acoustic, Skribe, Fresh, Tsunami Rising, Ground Score, DJ JJ Aug....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

Open Houses In and Around Ocean City

OCEAN CITY 174304 Lighthouse Auction Preview Sun 1-4 1-Story Brick Ranch w/ Back/Side Decks & Hand Painted Wall Murals Campbell Auctioneers 877-811-8915 NORTH OCEAN CITY 14008 Sea Captain Off 141st Street Sat 1:30-3:30 3BR/2BA Caine Woods Single Family Home Jim white Bud Church Realty Coldwell Banker 443-614-2735 WEST OCEAN CITY Sailor's Watch Golf Course Road Daily 10-4 New 3BR, 3.5BA Luxury Townhouses Coldwell Banker 410-524-6111 OCEAN CITY The Meridian Open...READ MORE

People in Society

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

Big Brother/Sister Of The Year Announced

Big Brothers Big Sisters recently announced this year's Eastern Shore Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year. On June 28, at the Delmarva Shorebirds Stadium, Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton presented Carol Adamoyurka and Conor Cox with the prestigious Big Brother Big Sister of the Year Awards by the Maryland Association of Big Brothers Big Sisters Agencies.  Above, Cox, a student in the Physical Therapy Doctorial Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and his little brother,...READ MORE

3rd Grader Recipient of US Quarter Book

Patti Feeheley, branch manager of First Shore Federal's Berlin branch, is pictured with Buckingham Elementary third grader grader Kylia Burke, the recipient of a United States quarter book that was donated by First Shore Federal as part of Buckingham Elementary's MSA testing program.  ...READ MORE

United Dem. Women's Club of MD meets in Odenton

The United Democratic Women's Clubs of Maryland met in Odenton, Md. on July 17 for their quarterly meeting and luncheon. Speakers gave talks on the environment, womens health issues, and the upcoming election campaign. Pictured, from left, are Barbara Richardson, guest; Arlene Page, Eastern Shore representative; Dell Purrell, guest; and Elizabeth Palmer, guest.  ...READ MORE

Fish 'N OC

There are many things that I love about fishing in Ocean City, but what I appreciate the most about our local fishery has to be its diversity. It really is hard to get bored fishing around Ocean City. This is one of the reasons it is such a great place to operate a charter business. Depending on the season, we have equally awesome inshore and offshore fishing, and the diversity of the fish species we target is spectacular. I doesn't matter who you are or what kind of fish you like to target,...READ MORE

What's Your Sign

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Don't gnash those pearly whites because you might have to delay your plans. This could give the Lucky Lamb a better perspective of what's been done, and what still needs doing. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Scoring financial bull's-eyes is easy for the focused Bovine who knows the ins and outs of the marketplace. But even with your success record, caution is still the watchword. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Watch that tendency to over-romanticize a situation that...READ MORE

5 Alternate Ways To Locate Capital

OCEAN CITY - The state of the global economy has improved relative to a year ago, but with lingering uncertainty and with consumer confidence still susceptible to swings, many small and midsize companies continue to find it challenging to find capital. Here are five ways that companies may access the cash they need to grow or transition or simply to cover expenses until the markets rebound. Consider using your assets. As lines of credit have tightened, asset-based...READ MORE

Things I Like

Sound of flip-flops at work Appreciating the finer things That my sons don't like wearing socks An old bathing suit People who cook with old iron skillets Cold fruit on a hot day Puffy clouds and a blue sky A breeze out of the east in the summer The tranquility of Ayres Creek Smell of a pencil after its sharpened Driving away from the car wash   ...READ MORE

A Week in Business

AGH Launches eICU BERLIN - On July 27, Atlantic General Hospital joined four other Maryland eCare hospitals who have implemented the VISICU eICU® technology, which allows for remote monitoring of its most critically ill patients. Complementing the intensive care provided by Atlantic General's clinical staff and intensivists, eICU critical care physicians and nurses - based at Christiana Care's eICU monitoring center - closely watch patient conditions 24/7 remotely, through video and audio...READ MORE