Articles

NEW FOR THURSDAY: City Seeks Changes To Boardwalk Comfort Station Design

OCEAN CITY – With hopes to break ground on the new Caroline Street Comfort Station in October, the design was turned down once again this week, as the Mayor and City Council seeks additional modifications to uphold the town’s traditional architecture spread. In November 2011, architect David Quillen and City Engineer Terry McGean presented a proposed design of the new Caroline Street Comfort Station, but the council was not enthused and requested some changes. At that time, Quillin...READ MORE

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: Super Walmart Opened This Morning

BERLIN -- After a years-long approval and construction process, the new Super Walmart on Route 50 in Berlin opened early this morning amid much fanfare and ceremony. The cavernous new 85,000-square-foot store dwarfs the company’s former facility on the site, which opened in 1999. The old store will eventually be torn down and the site will be paved over to create parking for the new facility, which officially opened around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday and will be open 24 hours a day. In the...READ MORE

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: Tourism Board’s Responsibilities Outlined

OCEAN CITY – The long-awaited Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was presented yesterday to the Mayor and City Council by the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB). “The last time TAB was before the council we were tasked with crafting a MOU that outlined the specific responsibilities of the Tourism Advisory Board, the council and the city,” TAB Chair Melanie Pursel said. TAB was formed following the 2010 elections when the council voted to dissolve the Tourism Commission, along with...READ MORE

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Route 54 Project Completion Date Pushed Back To July

FENWICK ISLAND -- Frustrated with the prolonged road construction along Route 54 in Fenwick Island, several business owners and residents along the corridor are petitioning the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDot) to finish the project by Memorial Day weekend. In the fall of 2010, DelDot embarked on an ambitious $8.1 million project to widen Route 54 from its intersection at Route 20 to the Mallard Lakes community. The improvements include adding a 14-foot wide center turn lane as well...READ MORE

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Table Games Bill Dies, As Legislative Session Ends With Many Questions

BERLIN -- The 2012 Maryland General Assembly adjourned at midnight last night with more questions than answers, including no agreement on Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed $35 billion budget, but several issues near and dear to the resort area appear to have been resolved. Disgust and angst reportedly replaced pomp and circumstance as Sine Die arrived last night with much unfinished business still on the table. Passing a balanced budget is the only official mandate for state lawmakers...READ MORE

NEW FOR MONDAY: New Walmart To Open Wednesday

BERLIN – The new Walmart on Route 50 will open to customers at 7:30 on Wednesday morning. According to company officials, 85 new jobs will be created with the new store. In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandising and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores, such as the Berlin Walmart.  The new Walmart features wide aisles, enhanced service and a layout designed to make the shopping...READ MORE

NEW FOR FRIDAY: Resort Tourism Industry Structure Debate Resurfaces

OCEAN CITY – The North Ocean City Business Alliance meeting yesterday morning became chaotic when it turned into a blame game of who is at fault for a state of confusion across the tourism industry in town. The conversation turned sour over the $300,000 that the Mayor and City Council allocated to the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) to market and promote events for Ocean City. TAB was formed following the 2010 elections when the newly formed majority of the council voted to dissolve the...READ MORE

Plans Underway For Three New North OC Events

OCEAN CITY – The North Ocean City Business Alliance held its third meeting yesterday at the Carousel Hotel where progress was made in planning new events for the northern part of the resort. With events continually being requested and approved in the downtown area of Ocean City, a coalition of northern business owners formed the alliance to ensure the north end is getting its fair share in terms of marketing and promotion. Owner of the Greene Turtle on 116th Street, Steve Pappas started...READ MORE

First Tipsy Taxi Cases Heading To Court

SNOW HILL -- Two months after the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) announced the results of a major, two-year sting operation involving an undercover narcotics officer posing as the owner and operator of a taxi cab, the first of many of the cases hit the Circuit Court this week with varied results based on the severity of the charges. In February, the OCPD announced a two-year undercover initiative titled Operation Sand Dollar had culminated in grand jury indictments for 34 suspects resulting...READ MORE

Snow Hill, Pocomoke Seek Enterprise Zone Status

SNOW HILL -- In an effort to give local business a boost, the Worcester County Commissioners approved applications requesting that both Snow Hill and Pocomoke be made into enterprise zones, which will now be forwarded to the state. However, at least one Snow Hill resident felt his town’s application was not seeking enough. “One of the only hopes for Snow Hill is expanding across the [Pocomoke] River,” said resident and business owner Gary Weber during a public hearing on...READ MORE

Renter Protection Bill Passes

OCEAN CITY -- A bill that would afford protections to renters in the resort area and across Maryland when their landlords foreclose on their property breezed through the House and Senate last week and now awaits approval by the governor. With the foreclosure crisis not showing any real signs of abating, many renters in Ocean City and throughout the state have literally found themselves left out in the cold, but a bill introduced in the General Assembly by Sen. Jim Mathias (D-38) could create...READ MORE

Commission OKs New Bank Plans; New Convenience Store Design Tweaked

OCEAN CITY – The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a number of requests, including the site plan for a new bank in the mid-town area and a restaurant expansion. The commission reviewed a site plan for a proposed two-story Bank of Ocean City, located at the northeast corner of 59th Street and Coastal Highway. Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith explained that two parcels will be joined into one. “This property has the Bank of Ocean City and they have also acquired the north...READ MORE

Rash Of Burglaries In Berlin

BERLIN -- A recent rash of residential burglaries in Berlin, including three in the span of eight days and another last weekend, has local residents on edge and law enforcement seeking the public’s help. The latest, which occurred at a residence on Washington Street sometime last weekend, was particularly troublesome because of the extensive amount of senseless damage the suspect or suspects caused on the property. Last week, Berlin Police issued a plea to local residents to be extra...READ MORE

Wounded Officer Pleads For Better Disability Coverage

SALISBURY -- A month after being wounded in the line of duty, a Wicomico County Sheriff’s deputy appealed to the County Council this week to find a way to grant officers better disability coverage. Deputy First Class Thomas Funk addressed the council Tuesday on what he perceives as a serious lack of protection for Sheriff’s Department officers disabled in the line of duty. Shot while serving a warrant last February, Funk told the council the thought most predominant in his mind after...READ MORE

OC Jeep Parade Approved For August Weekend

OCEAN CITY – The OC Jeep Week Parade was approved this week, giving the event another shot after it was ultimately canceled last summer. Last year, OC Jeep Week was scheduled to take place Aug. 25-28, but a mandatory evacuation and subsequent closure of Ocean City due to Hurricane Irene resulted in it being canceled. This year the parade of Jeeps down the beach will take place Friday, Aug. 24. “We attempted to do this as part of Ocean City Jeep Week last year, but unfortunately...READ MORE

Resort Still Expecting Dew Tour

OCEAN CITY -- As far as Ocean City is concerned, the Dew Tour is still planning to return to the resort in August as planned. Ever since the Ocean City Mayor and Council selected Coca-Cola as its new official beverage franchise, rather than renewing with Pepsi, unconfirmed reports have been circulating that Dew Tour officials were reconsidering returning to Ocean City for the second consecutive year. Mountain Dew is a Pepsi product. If that’s true, Ocean City officials are unaware of any...READ MORE

Wicomico Council Agrees Rainy Day Fund Off Limits

SALISBURY -- Facing a potential $7 million shortfall created by a state requirement to meet Maintenance of Effort (MoE) funding for the Board of Education, the Wicomico County Council was warned Tuesday not to dip into reserve funds to cover the expense. “We have to have enough cash on hand to operate,” said Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg. Currently, the county is sitting on about $30 million in reserves. However, only about half of that is available if the council seeks...READ MORE

Shore Counties Favor Mitt Romney In Primary

BERLIN -- Voters across the Lower Shore did not head to the polls in droves for the primary election on Tuesday, following a similar pattern of relative disinterest across the state. In the most high profile election on the primary ballot on Tuesday, Maryland voters followed a recent nationwide trend, throwing their support behind Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who garnered 49 percent of the vote in the state. Rick Santorum collected 29 percent of the Republican vote in Maryland,...READ MORE

Casino Revenue Spiked In March

BERLIN -- The March revenue figures for the Casino at Ocean Downs were released yesterday, revealing a considerable spike upward compared to last month and March 2011, resulting in the fourth highest total in the 15-month history of the facility near Berlin. The Casino at Ocean Downs generated $4.07 million in March, up considerably from the $3.1 million reported in February and the $3.2 million in March 2011. Last July, the Casino at Ocean Downs generated its highest monthly revenue total in...READ MORE

Worcester Tech Teacher Brings Home Top Honor

OCEAN CITY -- It’s been 25 years since Worcester County began to formally recognize and crown a Teacher of the Year and, in the largest ceremony to date, Worcester Technical High School (WTHS) teacher Tony Bevilacqua brought home the 2012 award. “Tonight is a celebration of 25 years,” said 2000 Teacher of the Year Brenda Hommel on Friday night. With a record-breaking 377 attendees in attendance last Friday at the Clarion Hotel, Bevilacqua had the torch passed down to him by the...READ MORE

Resort Police Corporal Wins Legion Award

OCEAN CITY -- A longtime Ocean City Police corporal last week was honored as the 2011 Officer of the Year in a special ceremony by the resort’s American Legion Post 166. The American Legion Post 166 in Ocean City last Wednesday recognized OCPD Corporal Richard Wawrzeniak as the 2011 Officer of the Year at an annual awards banquet recognizing emergency service providers and first-responders. Wawrzeniak, originally from Bowie, joined the Ocean City Police Department in 1999 after spending...READ MORE

Ocean Pines Outage Planned

OCEAN PINES -- Choptank Electric Cooperative officials this week announced a planned power outage that will affect thousands of Ocean Pines residents for several hours early in the morning on April 17 in order to perform maintenance on a breaker in the area. The outage will start around 12:01 a.m. and should conclude around 5 a.m. on April 17. Over 9,000 co-op members in Ocean Pines will be affected and no back-feeding of service will be performed during the prescribed timeframe. The outage is...READ MORE

Ocean City Offering Annual Spring Cleanup Options

OCEAN CITY -- The Town of Ocean City is once again offering a great opportunity for residential property owners to do their spring-cleaning by offering free residential bulk pick-up on Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15. As an added attraction, Ocean City also will offer a Community Yard Sale on Saturday, April 14 at Northside Park. Ocean City’s bulk pick-up service offers a convenient way for residents to get rid of large household items, such as furniture, appliances, bicycles, carpet,...READ MORE

Council OKs Park-And-Ride Fare Increase

OCEAN CITY – The Park and Ride shuttle’s fares will be altered by the time Springfest hits Ocean City next month. The Mayor and City Council held a public hearing last month to seek public comment on a proposal to raise the fare for the Park and Ride shuttle that operates between West Ocean City and the South Transit Station in downtown Ocean City, May through September. The fare is proposed to increase from the current $1 ride-all-day to a $3 ride-all-day or $1 per boarding, which...READ MORE

Increased Cigarette Smuggling Penalties Eyed

BERLIN -- With a rash of recent illegal cigarette smuggling arrests across Maryland, including several major busts in Worcester County this winter, lawmakers are considering legislation that would significantly stiffen the penalties for transporting illegal tobacco products in Maryland. Comptroller Peter Franchot, along with allied law enforcement agencies, this week urged senators to pass a bill that would greatly enhance the penalties for smuggling untaxed and unstamped cigarettes and tobacco...READ MORE

Tix Available For 5th Annual Suicide Prevention Comedy Tour

OCEAN CITY -- Though there are few things more serious, one local group plans on using comedy to spread awareness of a tragic subject and combat suicide rates in Worcester County. Entering its fifth year this month, the SOS! Suicide Prevention Comedy Tour will visit Ocean City on April 19. When it began back in 2008 at the suggestion of local comedian Dave Miller, the tour had a number of skeptics who felt jokes and suicide made strange bedfellows. Ron Pilling, secretary/treasurer for the Jesse...READ MORE

Bill Easing Casino Restrictions Worries OC

OCEAN CITY – The resort’s future is being threatened as a result of a bill proposing to drop restrictions from casinos throughout the state, including at Ocean Downs in Berlin, according to Ocean City officials. At the conclusion of Monday evening’s legislative session, Mayor Rick Meehan brought up Senate Bill (SB) 892, Gaming-Video Lottery Terminals and Table Games, that had been approved by the State Senate a couple of weeks ago and was heading to the House this week as House...READ MORE

Berlin Spring Celebration Set For Saturday

BERLIN -- The 17th Annual Berlin Spring Celebration, sponsored by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, will take place on Saturday, April 7. Schedule of events include a Pancake Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Rayne’s Reef. Seatings available are 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Cost is $6 for children and $8 for adults. Call 410-641-4775 for reservations. The Easter Bunny will be available for photos. Following breakfast, the Worcester County Arts Council, 4-H Club and Berlin Parks and Recreation...READ MORE

Wounded Warriors To Be Honored

OCEAN CITY -- The American Legion Post 166 in Ocean City, with the help of some local businesses and organizations, will host 10 heroes from the Wounded Warriors program for a weekend of relaxation and rehabilitation later this month. On April 19, 10 wounded warriors from the Walter Reed Medical Center will arrive in the resort for a weekend of enjoyment with their families sponsored by the American Legion Post 166. The Harrison Group will provide hotel rooms for the 10 wounded warriors and...READ MORE

Busy Slate Of Easter Activities On Tap In Resort

OCEAN CITY -- Easter Art & Craft and Kids Fun Fair will be held at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7. Events will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on both days. The Art and Craft portion of the event features more than 75 vendors from near and far displaying a wide variety of creative and unique gifts, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and accessories galore. The Easter Kids Fun Fair is the ideal place for children and their parents to...READ MORE

Annual Zoobilation Planned For Salisbury May 5

SALISBURY – It will be a fiesta this year for the 4th Annual Zoobilation at the Salisbury Zoo to help raise funds for the Renew the Zoo campaign. “It has gotten bigger and better each year,” Zoo Director Joel Hamilton said. “We had over 400 people come last year. It is a great event.” This year the Delmarva Zoological Society (DZS) switches it up by holding Zoobilation on May 5, Cinco de Mayo, from 5 to 10 p.m. DZS is an organization that manages, arranges and plans...READ MORE

Council Weighs Taller Homes, B&B Changes

BERLIN -- The Berlin Mayor and Council last week showed some support for modifying the town’s building code, including expanding the services bed and breakfasts can provide and allowing for taller homes to be built. First, the council discussed opening up the scope of services for bed and breakfasts. Currently, the only services an establishment can offer is sleeping accommodations and a morning meal. However, attorney Mark Cropper, on behalf of the Waystead Inn on Harrison Avenue, put...READ MORE

ACLU Questions Salisbury Redistricting Maps

SALISBURY -- Election redistricting was delayed in Salisbury this week after an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) email questioning redistricting proposals by Mayor Jim Ireton reached the City Council. Because it arrived on the morning of a meeting, the council decided to postpone discussion to give the city attorney time to review the message. The issue has been generating controversy since preliminary work on redistricting began last fall. “This is going to end up in court,”...READ MORE

Tempers Flare At OC Meeting, As City Employee Addresses Council

OCEAN CITY – Municipal employees returned to City Hall this week to inform the Mayor and Council they were actively gathering petition signatures to amend the city charter to allow them the right to collective bargaining. Word spread in the beginning of the year that Ocean City general employees were weighing their options to unionize. At that time, it was reported that a document expressing the intent of general city employees to potentially create a union was circulating throughout the...READ MORE

New Trimper’s Rides Addition Honors Former Leader

OCEAN CITY – Trimper’s Rides and Amusement Park has used a little bit of magic to transform a traditional kiddie ride. On Saturday, April 7, the Trimper Family will mark the opening of the Gran Ville Train Station, a newly revamped attraction in the historic carousel building on the Boardwalk. “I think my dad would be really proud that we have taken riding a kiddie ride to a whole new level in Ocean City,” Trimper’s Vice President Stephanie Lewis, daughter of the...READ MORE

Dunes Manor Hotel Marks 25 Years

OCEAN CITY -- On Sunday, April 1, the Dunes Manor Hotel celebrated its 25th Anniversary. An Ocean City landmark, the Dunes Manor Hotel opened its doors on April 1, 1987. To commemorate the anniversary, the Dunes Manor family hosted a Special Afternoon Tea on Sunday welcoming friends throughout the community and many former guests and employees attended the celebration that was open to all. The story of the Dunes Manor began when Milton and Thelma Conner were married in 1940. After working at the...READ MORE

Benefit Planned For OC Resident

OCEAN CITY -- The Crabcake Factory USA, which turns 16 years old on April 15, will host a  benefit for Robert Hedrick, a longtime Ocean City resident who is battling cancer. The event’s proceeds will help his family through the exorbitant financial and emotional burdens that this disease has bestowed upon them. Bob and his wife Linda, owner of Hedrick Public Accounting, have been married 11 years and reside in Caine Woods. Bob fought Leukemia almost 20 years ago and thought he had...READ MORE