August 27, 2010

Coastal Association Raises Thousands for Habitat For Humanity

The Coastal Association of Realtors (CAR) Community Service Committee raised and donated over $2,900 for Habitat For Humanity of Worcester County.  President Jennifer Cropper-Rines, left, presented a check representing the proceeds from the July yard sale held at Grays Corner Professional Center. Habitat plans to use the funds to continue construction on the Flower Street Home site. Pictured, from left with Cropper-Rines, are Habitat representatives Lauren Bunting, Tameka Pinkney...READ MORE

OC Lioness Club Presents $12K Scholarship

The Ocean City Lioness Club presented a  $12,000 scholarship to Emma Newell, a portion of the amount is awarded to her each semester for four years.  Pictured, from left, are Carole Mendham, treasurer; Kathy Hayman, vice- president; Newell; and Ashley Furbay, president  ...READ MORE

Scholarship Donated to Help Decatur Graduates

Frank Ruffo, left, a Choptank Board member and Optimist member, presents Rich Caproni, Optimist Youth Foundation endowment chairman, with a $1,000 check. The donation is to support the foundation golf tournament to endow scholarships for Stephan Decatur graduating seniors. The tournament is scheduled for Sept. 29 at Ocean City Golf Club on the Newport Bay course. Contact Chairman, Charles Smith to donate or play at 410-641-6746. Photo by John Harris  ...READ MORE

Prep Grads Get Ready For College in Alabama

Worcester Prep alumni Taylor Kern, left, and Taylor Beauchamp are ready for their freshman year studies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Kern plans to major in film studies and Taylor Beauchamp in business.  ...READ MORE

Garden Club Announces Scholarship Winner

Worcester County Garden Club's scholarship recipient this year is Rosa Navarra, a graduate of Stephan Decatur High School. She will attend Nova Southeaster University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She is pictured receiving the scholarship with club members, from left, Marion Novack, Mary Jane Blossfield, Doris Lloyd, Joan Vetare, Ruth Bowie and Mary Lou Scott.  ...READ MORE

People in Society

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

Faces in Places

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

Thoughts From the Publisher's Desk

Political season brings out some interesting sights around these parts. Of course, the signs are everywhere, as obnoxious and redundant as they are, with two more months until the General Election. Two interesting sites I found this week deserved a mention. It appears at least two area neighbors have a little competition going on among their favorite candidates. Within five feet of each other's property lines are competing signs for the State's Attorney's race as well as the State Senate...READ MORE

Voices From the Readers

Readers Weigh In On Smoking Ban Talk Editor: I have been vacationing in OC for at least 45 years. My husband and I own two oceanfront condos, one we have had for twenty years. We have five children and two grandkids. From my perch on the porch of our Belmont Towers condo, I people watch and puff away on my cigarettes (something I can still legally do). First off, 95 percent of the people on the boardwalk are not concerned about their health, they are on vacation. If you spent any...READ MORE

Guest Editorial

Guest Editorial Drugs Here, Problems Real Editor: I write to express my growing concern for an ongoing problem that has plagued Worcester County. I have been a resident of this county for more than 30 years. I have seen first hand that the drug problem here has grown exponentially in that time. Worcester County has a bountiful supply of marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs, heroine and a vast array of others. We are all exposed to the negative effect of drugs whether we are aware of it or...READ MORE

Retailers Call Bootlegging Major Problem

OCEAN CITY •€' Some Boardwalk retailers think that bootlegging is a far more of a rampant problem than laser pointers, salvia and K-2 put together. After Coach Inc. and Coach Services Inc. filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against 13 Boardwalk stores for allegedly bootlegging their copyrighted handbags, dresses and other assorted goods this month, a longstanding problem or dirty little secret amongst retailers on Ocean City's most heralded landmark is coming back to the surface. 'It's...READ MORE

Friday, Aug 27--County's Take Of Race To Top Funds Comes To $1M

BERLIN - Out of $250 million in federal Race to the Top (RTTT) funds awarded to Maryland schools this week, Worcester County will most likely get just $1 million over four years, which will not be enough to make the   changes required by the initiative. The county will get $250,000 a year for four years, according to the state's funding formula for the RTTT monies, Worcester Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes said. 'It will not be sufficient funding to make the changes and...READ MORE

Friday, Aug 27--Kids Consignment Sale Set For Sept. 10-11

T.K. Dickerson Staff Writer BERLIN - When Vicki Burns' son kept outgrowing his clothes at a rapid pace, she knew that she needed to find a solution. After turning to the Internet for an answer, she soon came up with Coastal Kids Consignment Sale. Coastal Kids Consignment Sale operates similar to a consignment store by taking gently used clothing and other high-quality items and reselling it. However, Burns' operation acts as events - having two main events every year, one in the spring and one...READ MORE

Friday, Aug 27--Local Businessmen Named To VIP List

BALTIMORE - Two local residents were named this month to a prestigious list of young regional business people honored for their professional and civic contributions. Steve Green, publisher and editor of The Dispatch, and Brooks Trimper, operations manager of Trimper Rides, are among the individuals named to The Daily Record's VIP List, Very Important Professionals who are successful by 40. The winners will be honored at an elegant cocktail party next month in Baltimore and profiled in the...READ MORE

Friday, Aug 27--Suspect Able To Evade Police After Bank Robbery

WEST OCEAN CITY - An armed robber who held up the Farmers Bank of Willards in West Ocean City last Saturday morning remains at large this week after a 'perfect storm' of simultaneous incidents had area law enforcement agencies scrambling. Shortly after 10 a.m. last Saturday, an unidentified suspect wearing a garish wig and a baseball cap on his head and a blue surgical mask over his face entered the Farmers Bank of Willards along Route 50 in West Ocean City, brandished a handgun and...READ MORE

Council Field Up To Seven With Filing Deadline Sept. 21

OCEAN CITY •€' With a few weeks to go before the Sept. 21 filing deadline for the Ocean City Mayor and Council election, some new names have entered the race and set their sights on the three incumbents, one only of which has officially filed for re-election. Since the 2008 election, which saw Council members Mary Knight and Jim Hall re-elected, Councilman Joe Hall elected back onto the council after a two year absence and Doug Cymek win a seat on his third try, the town has been in the...READ MORE

LCB Financial Report Released

OCEAN CITY •€' The Worcester County Liquor Control Board (LCB) finally released its long awaited financial report yesterday, as elected officials, local licensees and even state wholesalers scrambled to make sense of the 28-page report. Some of the contents of the report seem to indicate that the LCB's drastic drop in revenue given back to the county this year (just a little more than $111,000 vs. $410,615 in 2009) is consistent with claims that it slashed its markup prices for licensees...READ MORE

LCB's Future Up To Politicians

OCEAN CITY •€' All parties with a stake or even an interest in the Worcester County Liquor Control Board scandal knows that the final decision on the quasi-governmental monopoly's future will come at the hands of elected officials. This week, some of those politicians spoke about the ongoing investigation and were anxious to see the long awaited financial reports from the LCB, but they were still mostly mum about their official stance on the issue. Delegate Jim Mathias, on the campaign...READ MORE

Md. Comptroller Pledges Detailed Report On LCB

OCEAN CITY •€' Maryland State Comptroller Peter Franchot has assured the people of Worcester County that he is going to get to the bottom of Liquor Control Board controversy that's been raging all summer long. Franchot called his office's investigation of the Worcester County Liquor Control Board (LCB) 'one of the most intensive and thorough probes that this office has ever done', and said his office would not be lenient on the quasi-governmental monopoly if the investigation found any sort...READ MORE

State's Attorney Candidate, Printer Spar Over '06 Debt

BERLIN - A small claims court lawsuit charging that Worcester County State's Attorney candidate Beau Oglesby has not paid $5,700 in bills from his last campaign could pose big trouble for the candidate this election season as he challenges incumbent State's Attorney Joel Todd. Thom Gulyas, who owns Ace Printing and Mailing in Berlin, filed a lawsuit in small claims court last week over the $5,700 Oglesby owes his business from the 2006 state's attorney campaign. Oglesby's claims printing and...READ MORE

Back-To-School Traffic Safety Urged

OCEAN CITY - With schools in the area re-opening next week, area law enforcement agencies and transportation officials are reminding motorists to take extra care during morning and afternoon commute times. According to an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) release this week, August is Back-to-School Safety Month, and with area students returning to school on Monday, the department is reminding motorists to be cautious and follow all traffic rules concerning school buses and pedestrians in Ocean...READ MORE

Berlin Council Moves Ahead With $828K Property Purchase

BERLIN - After favorable support overwhelmed the opposition to a proposed land buy for a future community center and new police station, the Berlin Mayor and Council voted to go ahead with the land purchase. Just three town council members voted on the purchase ordinance after Council members Troy Purnell and Paula Lynch recused themselves because of business connections to the sellers.             The town council recently proposed to buy...READ MORE

Candidates Debate Issues At Commissioner Forum

SNOW HILL - Nine candidates for Worcester County Commissioner answered questions Tuesday night at a candidate forum sponsored by the Assateague Coastal Trust at Snow Hill High School. A second forum will be held on Sept. 7 at Berlin Intermediate School, at 5:30. Four of five candidates from District 1 attended the forum: Democrat Jimmy Schoolfield, and Republicans Jerre Clauss, Bill McDermott, and Larry Ward. Challenger Ed Lee, a Democrat from District 2, also attended. Commissioner...READ MORE

Man's Plea Violations Could Lead To New Trial

SNOW HILL - After allegedly failing to satisfy certain terms of his plea agreement, an Ocean City man who pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment for his role in the beating death of a Berlin man in 2008 had the case against him reactivated earlier this month. In May 2008, a Worcester County grand jury indicted Fernando Musiani, then 19, of Ocean City, on first-degree murder and other charges for his alleged role in the beating death of Michael Mitchell during a fight at late night party in...READ MORE

Missing Area Swimmer Located

CITY - An extensive multi-agency, multi-state search for a man reported missing in the surf near the Ocean City-Fenwick Island line early last Friday morning was eventually suspended when the alleged victim reported in safe and sound from a resort hotel. to police reports, the unidentified man had earlier in the evening celebrated his birthday at Harpoon Hanna's restaurant and was last seen allegedly intoxicated and naked in the surf near the Maryland-Delaware line before he disappeared. When...READ MORE

New West OC Fire Station Taking Shape

WEST OCEAN CITY - After weeks of non-descript preparation and site work, the new Ocean City Fire Department Station 5 building on Keyser Point Rd. in West Ocean City has started springing from the ground in the last week or so and is on target for a April occupancy. For the last 10 years, the Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) has been scrimping and saving for a new facility to replace the decades-old building in West Ocean City and the dream is closer now then ever to becoming a reality. After...READ MORE

OC Police Cruiser Collides With Biker

OCEAN CITY - A 20-year-old female on a bicycle in the area of 45th Street and Coastal Highway was struck by an on-duty Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) cruiser on Wednesday morning and was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the collision. Around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the biker attempted to cross Coastal Highway at 45th Street from east to west against a traffic signal when she was struck by an OCPD police cruiser. According to police reports, the girl had crossed...READ MORE

Pines Store Robbed At Gunpoint

OCEAN PINES - Area law enforcement agencies this week are asking for help in identifying two masked gunmen who held up a pair of convenience stores early Wednesday morning. Shortly after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, two masked men, one of whom was brandishing an unknown type of semi-automatic handgun, entered the Shore Stop on Route 589 near Ocean Pines and demanded money from the clerk. The suspects fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash. The first suspect is described as a black male in his...READ MORE

Questions Remain Over Berlin Discharge Permit

BERLIN - A public hearing on a clean water discharge permit for the old Tyson chicken plant in Berlin last week failed to clear up questions over why the owner was seeking a permit despite the lack of discharge. 'We have an unusual situation here,' said Ed Gertler, industrial discharge permit manager for Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).   MDE is considering an unusual form of permit only allowing ambient water, from precipitation or groundwater that filters into pipes and...READ MORE

A Week in Business

Company Granted Applicator Status BERLIN - R&R Coatings proudly announced this week that it's now an approved applicator for Carboline Structural Steel Fireproofing after George Ralph III and Dennis Greene attended its class in St. Louis to become an approved applicator. AGH Appointments BERLIN - Atlantic General Hospital recently appointed the following physicians to the medical staff: Kenny Iman, P.A., obtained his bachelor of science in respiratory therapy from Salisbury University and...READ MORE

Pines Burglary Suspects Sought

OCEAN PINES - County law enforcement officials this week are looking for a suspect or suspects who broke into a residence in the north section of Ocean Pines and stole a 500-pound safe, among other things. Around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Maryland State Police troopers, Worcester County Sheriff's deputies and Ocean Pines Police responded to a residence on Dolly Circle for a reported burglary. Upon arrival, police determined an unknown suspect or suspects had forced entry into the residence and had...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

You can plan all you want, but things don't always work out the way you want. That's a solid life lesson there, but there's nothing like this adventure called parenting to reinforce this notion - over and over again. Now, this is not to say a little bit of planning is not helpful because it is and it can serve a purpose. However, the kids are not always on the same page with the parents, and that's evident often. This has been difficult to accept at times because I am a planner and like to...READ MORE

What's Your Sign

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): This could be the time to try soothing whatever bad feelings might be lingering 'twixt and among colleagues, friends or family members. But be sure you do so without favoring any side. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): An idea is only an idea until you put that clever Bovine mind to work to develop it from concept to substance. This could lead to something rewarding, both emotionally and monetarily. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): The early part of the week could have some...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

William 'Bill' Mitchell Gray BISHOPVILLE - William 'Bill' Mitchell Gray, 75, of Bishopville, died Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010 at home. He was born in Bishopville and was the son of the late Mitchell and Edna Mae (Marvel) Gray.    He was a lifetime farmer and co-owner and operator of Gray's Produce for over 30 years. He was also a U.S. Army Veteran.  He is survived by a brother, Robert 'Bob' Gray and his wife Mary of Bishopville; two sisters, Betty Ann Gray and Mildred 'Millie'...READ MORE

Leaving More Than Money To Family

BERLIN - Eventually, most parents of even modestly substantial means end up thinking long and hard about their legacy. If you haven't already done so, you'll probably ask, How much money will we be able to leave to our children? What form should our legacy take? If you own a family business, there are also questions of succession to consider, as well as issues regarding how to treat your children fairly •€' whether they are involved in the business or not. As crucial as these...READ MORE

Open Houses In and Around Ocean City

OCEAN CITY 703 Excalibur 132nd Street Sat 2-4 2BR/2BA Great Ocean View Poss. Owner Fin. Dotty Ruffo Long & Foster 410-430-1200 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 3BR/3.5BA New Construction Luxury Townhouses Only 4 Left Coldwell Banker 410-524-6111 OCEAN CITY The Meridian Open Daily Oceanfront Residences 60th...READ MORE

Who's Playing Where and When Musically Speaking

Sports Bar & Grille Old Bridge Road, West OC Aug. 27: 7 Days Wasted Saturday: Karaoke with Hey Mick The , Talbot St. On the bay Aug. 28 & Sunday, Aug 29: Fritz, 4 p.m. Sunday: Local's Social With DJ Rusty Griswald Salty Dog , 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. Aug. 27: Tommy McGee Aug. 28: Bryan Russo Trio Sunday: Local's Party with DJ JJ Aug. 31: Bond & Bentley Sept. 1: DJ JJ bar & Grill off the boards on 2nd St. Aug. 27: Dave Sherman, 1-5 p.m.; Pie, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Aug. 28:...READ MORE

Things I Like

A garden full of bright colors Movies with surprising endings A broiled crab cake with tartar sauce Swimming with my sons A nap by the water When a rainy day ends with a beautiful sunset A baby's pudgy hands Driftwood refinished and hung on a wall The feeling after a moving job is done Ducks quaking in the distance A bottle of Modelo Especial   ...READ MORE

Gateway Grand Residences

Gateway Grand Residences Sales Gallery Open Daily 10-6 48th Street at Coastal Highway Ocean City, Maryland's finest oceanfront property.  3- and 4-Bedroom, spectacularly finished residences with floor to ceiling windows, dramatic lobby, Indoor & Outdoor pools, private outdoor terrace, resort-style fitness center overlooking the ocean, and personal concierge. Now Ready For Luxury Living! Visit http://thegatewaygrand.com  today. Or Call (888) 824-6558 ...READ MORE

Meridian Oceanfront Residences

 Oceanfront Residences Sales Center Open Daily 10am-4pm 60th Street Preview our luxury kitchen design with well appointed features and take the virtual tour with your project specialist. Immediate Occupancy Vist The Meridian Today ...READ MORE