February 24, 2012

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: OC Council Holds Off Decision On Tourism Booth Pitch

OCEAN CITY – A revamped presentation of OC Experience, a marketing tool geared toward travel shows, was prematurely proposed this week as the City Council felt lost in what to approve due to details, such as exact costs, missing from the proposal. Last year, Spark Productions LLC presented the OC Experience as a tractor trailer sporting Ocean City’s brand traveling to different shows selling the town as a destination. Spark Productions has a 20-year history of event production and...READ MORE

NEW FOR TUESDAY: More Than 2.1 Million People Annually Visit Assateague National Seashore

BERLIN – A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that in 2010, the latest available year for statistics, the 2,106,090 visitors to Assateague Island National Seashore spent $142,650,000 at the Seashore and in communities near the park in Maryland and Virginia. That spending supported 2,141 jobs in the region. The Seashore was ranked among the top 20 parks nationwide in both visitor spending and job creation. “The people and the business owners in communities near national...READ MORE

NEW FOR FRIDAY: Juvenile Whale Found In Watershed Creek

BERLIN -- A juvenile minke whale had to be euthanized last night after being discovered on a mud flat in Turville Creek near Ocean Pines. National Aquarium in Baltimore Stranding Coordinator Jennifer Dittmar and an associate were stationed on the scene this morning at the county boat ramp off Gum Point Road. The two had been at the boat ramp since last night guarding the calf, which had to be euthanized with drugs yesterday. She estimated the calf was about a few weeks old at best and reported...READ MORE

Hourly Parking Fees Increased

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council voted to approve a list of ordinances on final reading Tuesday as well as introduced an ordinance that states the maximum amount to be achieved during this year’s bond sale. The City Council voted 5-2, with Council members Joe Hall and Margaret Pillas opposed, to approve an ordinance raising parking fees covered by the Cale Meter System throughout the downtown area from the current $1 per hour (25 cents per 15 minutes) to $1.50 per hour (25...READ MORE

GOWOYO Running Team Forming For OC Marathon

BERLIN -- Runners looking to help area youth are being invited to sign up for team GOWOYO and attend a meet and greet with Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services (WYFCS) next week. “We want to show supporters who they’re helping,” said WYFCS Director of Development and Donor Relations Stefanie Gordy. WYFCS has a longstanding involvement with the Ocean City Half-Marathon and the 5K event, sponsoring a team to run, jog, or walk the event every year. Members of GOWOYO...READ MORE

Worcester To Seek TIGER Funds

SNOW HILL -- Hoping the fourth time is the charm, the Worcester County Commissioners agreed to send an application to seek U.S. Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funding. “I think everyone knows the importance of this project to protect jobs in Snow Hill,” said Economic Development Director Bill Badger. The county will be applying for the fourth round of TIGER funds. So far, Worcester has been a co-applicant along with the Maryland Department of...READ MORE

Salisbury Talking ‘Three Strikes’ Bill

SALISBURY – Known as “Three Strikes,” the third piece of legislation of Mayor Jim Ireton’s proposed Safe Streets program was discussed this week during the City Council’s work session on Tuesday afternoon. The ordinance seeks to recover the cost associated with rental properties that require repeated response by the Salisbury Police Department (SPD) or the Department of Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance (NSCC). The city enacted an ordinance to require the...READ MORE

Green Program Could Pay County Schools

SNOW HILL -- Worcester County schools will have the chance this summer to make some green by going green. On Tuesday, EnerNOC Business Development Manager Mark Roszko briefed the Board of Education on a program being offered that would pay schools to lower their energy use at peak times during the summer. By turning down the lights, the thermostat and other electric uses, Roszko explained that EnerNOC’s Demand Response Program could pay the board up to about $57,000. Roszko pointed out...READ MORE

Two Charged As Accessories In 2007 Homicide

SNOW HILL- Roughly eight months after a Texas man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Christine Sheddy, a Delaware woman reported missing in November 2007, the other shoe dropped last week for a pair of Lower Shore residents who allegedly assisted in the cover-up of the crime. Tia Johnson, 31, and Clarence “Junior” Jackson, 37, both of Eden, were each charged last week with accessory after the fact to murder and fourth-degree burglary for their roles in the cover-up of...READ MORE

North OC Business Alliance Seeks Events, More Promotion

OCEAN CITY -- With many of the town’s special events and promotions naturally centered in the downtown area with its Boardwalk and Inlet, a new private sector alliance is hoping to ensure the north end is getting its fair share in terms of marketing and promotion. With a wealth of resources, including the centerpiece Northside Park, looser parking, accessible beaches and generally easier traffic access, the north end of Ocean City has much to offer in terms of special events and...READ MORE

Scooter Public Hearing Open Until Police Reports Provided

OCEAN CITY – A public hearing held this week on scooter rental businesses remains open this week  until police incident reports are submitted. On Wednesday night, the Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing to consider including “scooters, scoot-coupes and other names commonly associated with such vehicles that do not require a state vehicle registration license” as a special exemption or conditional use with appropriate safeguards and regulations...READ MORE

Youth Suicide Group Seeking To Spread Awareness

SNOW HILL -- With Worcester County suicide rates reported to be the highest in Maryland, representatives from the Jesse Klump Memorial Fund's Worcester County Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program spoke to the Board of Education this week about ways to stem the tide in teens. “It is literally killing people,” said Program Manager Hope Hutira-Green of suicide. “It is literally killing our kids.” According to Hutira-Green, it is the fifth leading cause of death in...READ MORE

‘The B’ Marketing Initiative Planned For City Bus System

OCEAN CITY – The resort’s bus transportation system is to become “The B” to encourage riders to pay the $3 fare and increase ridership. Andy Malis, president of MGH, the town’s contracted advertising firm, presented the beach bus presentation at this week’s meeting that exhibited the bus’s new slogan and advertising. “What is important in re-branding the bus is to get more people to ride the bus,” Malis said. Ocean City’s bus system...READ MORE

Wicomico Civic Center Study Funds OK’d

SALISBURY – The County Council moved ahead this week into Phase II of the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center study by applying for funding from the state. On Tuesday, the County Council reviewed a resolution approving the state of Maryland Board of Public Works Capital Project Grant application to authorize County Executive Rick Pollitt to execute the capital project grant application. According to the resolution, the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center is an aging facility in need of being...READ MORE

Worcester Fears Senate Bills

SNOW H ILL -- With a “tidal wave” of controversial legislature building in Annapolis, Worcester County officials admitted Tuesday that they were worried about getting wet. “Hopefully, most of the bad bills won’t ever see the light of day,” said County Commissioner Virgil Shockley. Three worrisome bills in particular generated discussion amongst the commission this week. Senate Bills (SB) 331, 196, and 848 drew criticism from the commissioners as all three were...READ MORE

Worcester Spikes 45-Foot Height Ceiling For Homes

SNOW HILL -- Despite one member’s concerns, the Worcester County Commission voted Tuesday to abolish the 45-foot maximum height limitation for habitual structures in the county. According to officials, the 45-foot ceiling, which was established decades ago, has become obsolete. “We felt this was a section [of the code] that had served it’s time,” said Development Review and Permitting Director Ed Tudor. The main purpose of the cutoff, Tudor explained, was in deference to...READ MORE

OC Man Pleads Guilty To Fraud

OCEAN CITY -- An Ocean City man faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million after pleading guilty this week in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. Thomas E. Green, 57, admitted on Wednesday to fraudulently securing nearly $2.2 million in loans to purchase five properties in Cape Charles, Va. Green pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and bank fraud after an investigation revealed he had falsified mortgage loan documents and settlement...READ MORE

Expo Grown To One-Stop Shop For Hospitality Industry

OCEAN CITY – The 38th Annual Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) Spring Trade Expo returns next weekend as the hospitality industry prepares to reconnect for the busy summer season The Spring Trade Expo will be held at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on March 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and March 5, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. According to the OCHMRA, the trade show has been designed exclusively for the hospitality industry. This year there will be more than 400 exhibit booths that will...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Stop O’Malley’s Train Editor: This is the time when we all need to say to ourselves what can we do to try and stop this run away tax and spend train known as the O'Malley Express. This train gives no consideration as to what it is doing to the average Marylander as long as its long term objectives of self-promotion can be obtained. No thought is ever given as to how the possible $4.50-a-fill-up additional taxes is going to affect the average person as long as this money can be...READ MORE

Beach Horseback Rides Deserve A Shot

From Nov. 1 to March 30, residents and visitors of Ocean City can now pay a fee to ride horses on the beach. Holly Ridge Farm became the first to score a permit this week, and the public got a chance to see the new offering at work on Wednesday morning. Prior to this week, we admit having some reservations about the concept and whether it will actually be something people want to do here in the offseason. However, after seeing the ladies riding the horses on the beach this week, we think...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

A dozen local business owners exchanged thoughts and ideas on Tuesday morning at the Greene Turtle North regarding the viability of Ocean City, specifically the northern end.Among the numerous topics discussed (see article on page 10A) was the pathetic state of the shopping centers in north Ocean City at this time. The Ocean Plaza Mall is vacant except for Superfresh and Rose’s, and it has been an eyesore for nearly a decade now. Every other smaller shopping center currently has at least...READ MORE

Boardwalk Artist Acquitted

OCEAN CITY -- Two weeks after getting a generally favorable outcome in a civil suit filed against the town of Ocean City last June, perhaps the resort’s most known Boardwalk street performer got good news on criminal charges filed against him in Baltimore City. 
Earlier this month, the federal lawsuit filed by Boardwalk street performer Mark Chase, a spray paint artist at the center of the major controversy in Ocean City last summer, was resolved when both parties entered a consent...READ MORE

Assateague Horse Shooter Sentenced

BERLIN -- A Federalsburg man was fined heavily, ordered to pay restitution and banned from hunting for five years last week for shooting one of the famed wild ponies on Assateague in January 2011. The 28-year-old horse was shot and killed during a planned two-day deer hunting season on Assateague in January 2011. The horse was found dead by a hunter and reported to park rangers. After several months of investigation, charges were filed against Justin B. Eason, 26, of Federalsburg including the...READ MORE

City Council Rejects Taxi Rate Increase

OCEAN CITY – A taxi owner’s request to increase the 10th of a mile rate was denied this week but the industry was given the right to add a $1 surcharge once gas prices hit $4 a gallon. Kevin Lyons, owner of Community Cab, requested an increase in taxi cab base fare rates and a change in the taxi indicator roof light to an advertising carrier. “There is a consensus among a lot of the owners and drivers that fuel is becoming a real major concern for us, and we were respectfully...READ MORE

Ocean City To Name Service After Bob Melvin

OCEAN CITY – A familiar face at City Hall in recent years was fondly remembered this week. Bob Melvin, 93, died Feb. 13 at Atlantic General Hospital. “A gentleman who was very familiar with everyone on this council and in these council chambers, Mr. Bob Melvin passed away,” Mayor Rick Meehan said at the end of Tuesday evening’s Mayor and City Council meeting. “Bob, if you saw him on TV, or if you saw him here, or if you knew him, was an elderly gentleman in town who...READ MORE

Worcester Board Seeks First Teacher Raise In 3 Years

SNOW HILL -- For the first time in three years, the Worcester County Board of Education is requesting a raise for employees. It’s also asking the Worcester County Commissioners to match the amount of funding given last year in addition to the pay increase. The total proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 is $93.3 million, $1.9 million or 2.5 percent higher than fiscal year 2012. “The FY2013 Proposed Operating Budget that we will submit to County Commissioners in February is a modest...READ MORE

Senators Seek To Save Postal Service

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) have joined 25 other senators in calling for significant improvements in a bill to modernize the U.S. Postal Service. In a letter to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and Subcommittee on Federal financial Management, Government Information and International Security, the senators suggested specific measures to preserve first-class and Saturday mail delivery, stop wholesale closings of...READ MORE

Feeling ‘Naked’, Ocean City Employees Eye Union

OCEAN CITY – City Council chambers at City Hall was packed Tuesday night as a group, General Employees for Organization, surfaced to express their grievances with the City Council and their intent to be granted collective bargaining.Ocean City Public Works employee James Moxley, who works in the maintenance division, spoke on behalf of the General Employees for Organization on Tuesday evening.Moxley said the general employees are requesting City Council amend the town charter to recognize...READ MORE

Local Divers Come Up Empty In Beacon Operation

OCEAN CITY -- An effort last Friday morning to recover and salvage a Coast Guard beacon tower swept off the end of the Inlet’s north jetty during Hurricane Irene last September proved fruitless after divers could not locate the 20-foot tall, 11-ton structure in the surf. It was unknown what became of the old Inlet jetty beacon after it was washed away during Hurricane Irene late last summer and its fate is less certain this week after an attempt to locate it and drag it from the ocean...READ MORE

Benefit Sunday To Help With Child’s Funeral Expenses

SALISBURY -- Hoping to alleviate funeral costs and spread awareness about an often misunderstood medical condition, a charity event will be held this Sunday in honor of Nevaeh Danaé Bishop. Diagnosed with Benign Rolandic epilepsy last year, Bishop passed away in January, leaving friends and family stunned and devastated. “They said it wasn’t anything to worry about,” said Natassia Marie Feather, Bishop’s mother, of the Rolandic epilepsy. Amber Bedell, a friend of the...READ MORE

Beach Horseback Riding Now Offered

OCEAN CITY -- While the jury is still out on the long-term future of horseback riding on the beach in Ocean City, the first attempt on Wednesday morning was clearly a success. After considerable debate, the Ocean City Mayor and Council last week approved in a 4-3 vote horseback riding on the beach on a limited basis as a means of attracting more visitors to the resort in the off-season. On Wednesday, the first small group of riders took advantage of the new opportunity on a picture-perfect...READ MORE

Reho Wins Wrestling State Championship

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Eastern Shore Intensive Wrestling Club Sends Crew To MD State Championships

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Seahawks Dominate Region Swim Meet

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity swimming teams turned in remarkable performances last week in the state Class 3A-2A-1A East Regional meet with the boys winning their second straight regional tournament and the girls’ finishing a close second. The Decatur boys nearly swept every event, taking firsts in nine of 11 races, to capture their second straight east regional title. The Seahawks finished with 329 total team points, outdistancing second place Kent Island, which finished with...READ MORE

Seahawks Finish 2nd in Bayside Tourney

BERLIN- The Stephen Decatur varsity wrestling team’s bid for a ninth straight Bayside Conference tournament championship came up just short last weekend, but the Seahawks turned in a strong performance with individual titles in three weight classes and places in several others. The Seahawks entered last weekend’s Bayside Championships with an eight-year winning streak on the line, but came up just short of repeating with a second-place finish to Parkside. The Rams finished the meet...READ MORE

O.C.’s Engh Going into UMES Hall

OCEAN CITY- Ocean City’s own Fred Engh, founder and president of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) and long-time youth sports advocate, will be inducted into the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hall of Fame tonight. From a small trailer park in Fruitland with a wife and three kids, to being inducted into a Hall of Fame 12 miles down the road at UMES might seem like an accomplishment to brag about, but for Ocean City native Fred Engh, it’s another milestone in a...READ MORE

Fundraisers Set for Local Lax Coach

OCEAN CITY- A two-day special fundraising event has been planned for next weekend to benefit a Berlin resident, surfer, lacrosse coach and builder battling a rare degenerative disease for over two years. In 2009, Steve Falck, a local surfer and girls’ lacrosse coach, among many other attributes, was stricken with Multiple Systems Atrophy, a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disease with no know treatment or cure. A foundation has been established in his name to provide financial...READ MORE

Decatur’s Petersen Wins State Championship

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity indoor track teams turned in strong performances at the Maryland State Championship Meet this week including a state championship for Greg Petersen in the high jump. On the strength of several great individual performances at the regional meet last week, Decatur sent seven indoor track athletes to the state championship meet in Prince George’s County this week. Petersen won the state championship in the men’s high jump with a 6’6”...READ MORE

Decatur Cagers Prep for States

BERLIN- After closing out the regular season with losses to Parkside, the Stephen Decatur boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams learned when, where and who they will be playing when the state regional tournaments get underway this weekend. The Decatur boys’ lost to Parkside, 55-42, last Thursday in the regular season finale as Shae Farmer scored 17 points and Josh King added 11. With the loss, the Seahawks closed out the regular season with a 10-13 mark. When the brackets...READ MORE

Adventures Of Fatherhood

Boys will be boys and that comes with some unique challenges. I’m sure there are distinctive obstacles associated with girls as well, but I do not have any experience on that front, at least at this point. What I do know well is what it’s like to raise young boys, albeit if they are just 3 and 2, respectively.Leaving out the usual sights, sounds and smells commonly associated with males, there are some unique aspects associated with having a male-dominated household. If you count the...READ MORE

Things To Do Around Town

Open Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday: Nook Thrift Shop Community Church at Ocean Pines, Rte. 589 & Racetrack Rd., Berlin. Accepting donations of gently worn clothes and small household items. Feb. 24: KC Bingo 5 p.m., doors open; 6:30 p.m., games begin; rear of St. Luke’s Church, 9901 Coastal Hwy., O.C. Refreshments on sale. For more information, 410-524-7994. Feb. 24: Longaberger & Vera Bradley Bingo Benefit For Relay For Life 6 p.m., doors open; 7 p.m., games begin;...READ MORE

Who's Playing When And Where

Buxy’s Salty Dog 410-289-0973 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. Saturday, Feb. 25: Saltwater String Band Clarion Hotel 410-524-3535 10100 Coastal Hwy.   Ocean Club: Friday, Feb. 24 & Saturday, Feb. 25: Power Play Fager’s Island 410-524-5500 60th St. in the Bay Deck: Friday, Feb. 24: DJ Hook Saturday, Feb. 25: DJ Robcee, 6 p.m.; DJ Groove, 9 p.m. Inside: Friday, Feb. 24: TBA Saturday, Feb. 25: Hot Tub Limo Every Sunday: Jazz Brunch with Everett Spells Project, 11:30 a.m.-3...READ MORE

Best Eats On The Beach

Fruitland-Salisbury Restaurant 213 213 N. Fruitland Blvd., Fruitland 410-677-4880 • www.restaurant213.com Just 20 minutes from Ocean Pines and Berlin, Restaurant 213 is worth the drive! Chef Jim Hughes has been serving celebrities worldwide for 25 years and was named a 2009 inductee to the coveted Distin-guished Restaurants of North America awards, one of only 220 in North America and the only one in this region. Serving dinner Tuesday-Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Also offering a 5 course...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

George Francis Kerchner MIDLOTHIAN, VA. -- George Francis Kerchner passed away quietly in his sleep at his home in Midlothian, Va. on Feb. 17, just five days short of his 94th birthday. George was born in Baltimore on Feb. 22, 1918 to the late John and Caroline Kerchner. He worked as a security guard for the Pennsylvania Railroad and also at his family’s business, the Arundel Ice Cream Company. George married his high school sweetheart, the former Violet Irene Schuneman in 1938. He...READ MORE

Showell Elementary Third Graders Practice Division Strategies

Showell Elementary third graders John Grant and Noah Hagy are pictured practicing division strategies in their math class. ...READ MORE

Pre-K Students At Most Blessed Sacrament's Catholic School Celebrate Catholic Schools Week

Pre-kindergartener Molly Hoffman is pictured with classmates Anna and Madelyn Weist during Most Blessed Sacrament's Catholic Schools Week.  ...READ MORE

Second Graders At OC Elementary Complete Unit On Map Skills

Second graders at Ocean City Elementary School recently completed a unit on map skills. Pictured, back, are Dylan Braica, Gus Emm and Rudy Engh; and, front, Mandy Vincent, Logan Short and Shaurya Joshi. ...READ MORE

Berlin Intermediate Students Watch Movie Filmed In Berlin

Berlin Intermediate School sixth grader Chloe Walker and her ILA teacher Susan Bradford enjoy a "flapjack" breakfast as part of the culminating activities on the novel, “Tuck Everlasting”. Both are dressed as "Mae Tuck", one of the main characters of the novel. Students also were also able to watch the movie, which was filmed in Berlin. ...READ MORE

Showell Elementary Celebrates 100th Day Of School

Showell Elementary School recently celebrated the 100th Day of School. All kindergarten students and teachers dressed as if they were 100 years old. Above, teacher Cathy Woodland is pictured with Foster Smith, Peyton Elliott, and D'Anthony Harmon. ...READ MORE

Second Graders At OC Elementary Recently Completed Their Insect/Bug Study

Second graders in Linda Brown's class at Ocean City Elementary School recently completed their insect/bug study with a "Bug Bash". They composed insect riddles, created original insects using egg cartons, and made-then ate-insect yummies.  Above, Hannah Short and Ryan Hall display their insect food creations. ...READ MORE

Students At Seaside Christian Academy Participate In Annual Science Fair

The students at Seaside Christian Academy recently participated in their annual Science Fair. Lucas Franzetti was the overall winner for second and third graders. His project was entitled, "Creating a Vacuum with Water." Coale Davidson, above, was the overall winner for the fourth to eighth graders. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Students Winners In Optimist Art Exhibition

Worcester Prep art teacher George Zaiser’s students Kathryn Pavlos, Parker Kellam, Hannah Gaskill and Taylor Harman were winners in the Optimist Art Exhibition. Gaskill’s self-portrait in oil on canvas placed first; Harman’s Geisha Doll completed with mixed media placed second, and Pavlos’ and Kellam’s Gone with the Wind on scratch art paper received honorable mention. ...READ MORE

Berlin Intermediate Participates In Aeropostle's Teens For Jeans

Berlin Intermediate once again participated in the Aeropostle's Teens for Jeans campaign. The school collected 337 pairs of jeans, which were donated to Diakonia. Darlene Charvat organized this event. Above, from left, Jude Al-Hamad was the top donator, donating 20 pairs of jeans; Faith Murray-Engh donated 19 pairs; Neah Purnell donated 12 pairs; and Maggie Bunting donated 11 pairs. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Student Named National Merit Finalist

Worcester Preparatory School senior Patricia Twilley has been named a National Merit Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Twilley has received academic awards in just about every subject area in addition to receiving Highest Grade Point Honors at Worcester’s Academic Convocation. Above, Headmaster Dr. Barry W. Tull congratulates Twilley. ...READ MORE

SD High School Symphonic Band Returns From 33rd Annual Invitational HS Honors Band Event

Six members of the Stephen Decatur High School's Symphonic Band recently returned from the 33rd Annual Invitational High School Honors Band event held at the University of West Virginia. The students were nominated by their band director based on their achievements. The students chosen to make this trip were, from left, Peter Elliott, trumpet; Katherine Bakke, flute; Jonathan Hastings, tuba; Sarah Prengaman, mallets; Natalie Cieri, clarinet; and Chris Markiewicz, baritone saxophone. Submitted...READ MORE

Providing For Family After Death

OCEAN CITY -- Have you considered what steps you can take to provide for your spouse when you’re gone? Your spouse and other family members may be facing two struggles when you die—coping with their grief and trying to sort out financial and other legal papers. Planning now can help your loved ones avoid much of that second struggle. Even though women outlive men by five years on average, both men and women need to follow through with planning for the end of their lives. You and your...READ MORE

A Week In Business

Controller Appointed SALISBURY – The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore is pleased to announce the appointment of David A. Plotts to the position of Controller.Plotts is taking over the duties of Gary Martin, who recently retired after over 10 years of service to the foundation. Plotts will oversee the foundation’s financials, investments, human resources, information systems, and facilities management.New Board Members Named BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital recently...READ MORE

Things I Like

Surprise movie endings Determination What a tennis ball does to a lab The movie, “Broadcast News” My kids sitting on the couch together Seeing Pennsylvania plates in OC again When locals win Boat Show raffle money TV shows with great writers That lax season is underway An easy work day Nice handwriting ...READ MORE

Autistic Children's Support Group Presents Worcester County Public Schools $3,500 Donation

The Autistic Children's Support Group of Worcester County presented Worcester County Public Schools with a $3,500 donation to be used to purchase additional assistive technology for special education students enrolled in the school system.  Presenting the donation to Assistive Technology Specialist Stephanie Caceres, center, were Wendy DiBuo, left, president of the Autistic Children’s Support Group, and Lynda Cook, treasurer. ...READ MORE

President Of The Worcester County Board Of Elections Speaks To The Democratic Women's Club

Kay Hickman, president of the Worcester County Board of Elections, spoke to the Democratic Women's Club at this month’s meeting. Hickman reviewed the training and planning that goes into organizing the elections for 2012. Pictured, from left, are President Dell Purrell, Hickman and Vice President Judy Butler.  ...READ MORE

Three New CASA Volunteers Sworn In

Three new CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers were sworn in this month and will begin advocating for the children they serve immediately. Lower Shore CASA, a program of Worcester Youth and Family, gives a voice to children who are placed in the court system due to abuse and neglect.  Pictured, from left, are volunteer supervisor Cynthia Ilardi, CASA Director Brigitte Saulsbury, Judge Brian Shockley, new CASA volunteers Allison Bescak and Jeri Clapsadle, Master Peggy Kent...READ MORE

Youth At The Community Church At OP Prepare For Their Annual Mission Trip

The youth at the Community Church at Ocean Pines are preparing for their annual mission trip to the Appalachia area. This is the 10th year youth and their adult advisors will be traveling into Appalachia to make home repairs. At this time they are sponsoring a fundraising drive selling Hammer and Tool Box Certificates to earn money to support the trip.  Call Louise Lassiter, adult advisor, at 410-430-0284 if interested in purchasing. Pictured, standing are Tyler VanSice, Lucas Duker,...READ MORE

2012 Worcester Youth And Family Board Of Directors Installed

The 2012 Board of Directors for Worcester Youth and Family, a private non-profit in Berlin that has been helping people shine for over 36 years, was recently installed. Pictured, front from left, are Dr. Anita Pascucci, Gwen Lehman, Carlyn Crout, Karen Barrett Clayland and Lynn Kelly; and, back, Carlton Cartwright, Jr., John McLaughlin, James Almand, Reena Oettinger, Dr. Todd Bescak, George Tasker and Arnold Downing. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE