August 10, 2007

A Look At Who Was Out On The Town This Week

Weekly pictures from the restaurant and bar scene around the Ocean City area.  ...READ MORE

Wednesday, August 15 - Downtown Park Plan Adjusted After Concerns Aired

OCEAN CITY - After hearing complaints from residents in regards to the plan to shorten the basketball courts at 4th Street, the Recreation and Parks Committee has unanimously agreed to adjust the plans for the downtown park so that the basketball courts will remain at regulation length. The master plan for the Downtown Recreation Complex, or the Bayside Park, were presented to the Mayor and Council in July, outlining plans that included expanding the Ocean Bowl Skate Park, widening St. Louis...READ MORE

Tuesday, August 14 - Assateague's Piping Plover Population Rebounding

BERLIN - Not many people ever see the piping plovers on Assateague Island, but with numbers increasing, visitors may get a glimpse of the threatened shore bird in the future. Maryland's piping plover population on Assateague Island has nearly quadrupled since the birds were first protected in 1986, from 17 breeding pairs to 64 in 2006. North America is home to several populations of the small, sand and white colored birds that feed at the water's edge, and all have increased, though the Great...READ MORE

Monday, August 13 - Official White Marlin Open Results

OCEAN CITY - The 34th Annual White Marlin Open is officially in the books. Here's a look at all the top fish and the payouts. White Marlin: 83 pounds, John Frankos (Virginia Beach, Va.), 'Rebel' (Nags Head, N.C.), $1,394,480; 78 pounds, Rhett Bailey (Jensen Beach, Fla.), 'Viking 54' (New Gretna, N.J.), $137,427; and 76 pounds, Gregory Hoffa (King of Prussia, Pa.), 'Nasty Habit' (Cape May, N.J.), $90,784. Blue Marlin: 632.50 pounds, Carl Hurledaus (Annapolis), 'Wireless' (Annapolis), $378,210;...READ MORE

Fatal Lightning Strike Remembered 21 Years Later

OCEAN CITY - Aug. 3 marked the 21st anniversary of an Ocean City tragedy that left four people dead and one beach stand operator injured. Twenty-one years later, the memory of that day holds strong for Drew Haugh. 'It was real sunny and the storm seemed to come out of nowhere. I had a group of people who came on a tour bus from Washington and they rented a bunch of umbrellas. I started to bring the umbrellas in and a bolt came out of nowhere. I've been in the business nine years and have...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

Christy Freeman admitted to police last week she delivered at least one baby on a toilet and let it drown before wrapping it in a blanket and concealing it. The case would seem to be a slam dunk at this point for the prosecution, but it would seem logical any defense attorney will at some point question the legality of the confession. Nonetheless, Freeman's confession is horrifying, and a grand jury is indictment is expected later this month. There are still plenty of unknowns and more charges...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Man Should Pay Attention To Own Life Editor: As a subscriber to the Maryland Coast Dispatch, I eagerly look forward to receiving each issue in the mail. Although I reside 500 miles away, The Dispatch allows me to stay on top of things and does a tremendous job of keeping me informed. This is important to me, not only as a news junkie which is often homesick for his favorite town, but also because I am a property owner who wants to be knowledgeable about issues that may affect my investment...READ MORE

2008 Could Be Year Slots Come To Maryland

The groundwork is slowly but surely being put in place for slot machines coming to Maryland next year. After a couple of quiet years on the one-arm bandit front, 2008 is shaping up to be the critical crossroads for the issue. When the legislature convenes next year, slots are expected to be a major topic of discussion. However, we may not have to wait that long. It has been reported recently that a fall special session could be convened to discuss slots and other revenue generators. Whenever the...READ MORE

Assault Charges After Stabbing

OCEAN CITY - A Cambridge woman was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and a slew of other charges last weekend after stabbing another woman in the back during a fight in the downtown area. Shortly before 2 a.m. last Sunday, OCPD officers were dispatched to a fight in progress in the area of 17th Street and Baltimore Ave. near the Subway restaurant. Upon arrival, the officers observed a female, later identified as Tahya Sharie Jones, 21, of Cambridge, run up to another female,...READ MORE

We Remember Those Who Have Passed

Lillian Catherine Helewicz BERLIN - Lillian Catherine Helewicz, age 83, died Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin. Born in Baltimore, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Orr and Catherine E. Johnson Orr. Helewicz was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Stanley J. Helewicz. She is survived by three sons, Joseph S. Helewicz and his wife Linda, Ronald M. Helewicz and his wife Nancy and Stanley Helewicz and his wife Terri; one daughter, Katherine E. McEntee and her...READ MORE

Ocean City

OCEAN CITY Seaside Retreat Daily 10-4 3BR, 2.5BA Coldwell Banker 410-723-1000 OCEAN CITY Somerset at Second Daily 10 - 4 3BR Boardwalk Condos Eric Cropper ReMax Premier Properties 443-373-9409 OCEAN CITY The Quay Saturday 2 & 3BR Condos Mary McCracken Long & Foster 410-430-7302 OCEAN CITY Pelican Perch Weekends 11-3 4BR, 4.5BA, & Loft Coldwell Banker 410-723-1000 OCEAN CITY Bahia Vista Daily 12-4 3 & 4 BR Bayfront Condos Della & Joe Wilson ReMax Premier...READ MORE

West Ocean City - Ocean Pines - Berlin - VA

WEST OCEAN CITY Sailor's Watch Golf Course Road Daily 10-4 New 3BR, 3.5BA Luxury Townhouses Coldwell Banker PITTSVILLE, MD 7639 Gumboro Rd. Fri & Sat 11-3 The Lighthouse Group Prudential Carruthers 410-422-6826 OCEAN PINES 27 Leigh Drive Sat 11-3 6BR/5.5BA Home Mark Fritschle ReMax Premier Properties 410-524-6400 WEST OCEAN CITY Seaside Village 3 Level Towns 3BR/2.5BA Thurs-Mon 10-6 Crab Feast Fri 8/10 3-5 Centex Homes 866-210-1303 BERLIN Glen Riddle Condos, Towns & Single Family...READ MORE

Things I Like

Traveling by boat around Ocean City Opening a door for a lady When a woman opens a door for me Baseball players who give a ball to a kid That football season is approaching Being sore the day after a workout Brown mulch on a flower bed The occasional rainy Sunday Weeping willow trees Brushing my dogs The sounds of an old house in the middle of the night  ...READ MORE

Live Bands and DJs

Angler, The: 410-289-7424, Talbot St & the bay; Outside Deck: Sunday, Aug.12: Blue Sky, 4-7 p.m.; Every Sunday night; Locals Social with DJ Deogee. Assateague Island Oasis: 410-629-1492, Rt. 611; Friday & Saturday, Aug. 10 & 11: Patrick McAllorum; Wednesday, Aug. 15: Jon Pheasant; Thursday, Aug. 16: Katie Bragg. All entertainment starts at 6:30 p.m. Blue Ox & Babe's Lounge: 410-250-6440, 127th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Friday & Saturday, Aug. 10 & 11: Don Bellew; Thursday,...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Worcester Prep Varsity Cheerleading Team member and coach Kira Gauger, Ocean City, gathered up loads of awards at the National Cheerleaders Association Camp (NCA) held at Salisbury University. Among their awards were The Herkie TEAM Award, for the squad that exemplifies the qualities upon which NCA was founded •€' leadership, values, and teamwork; The National Championship Bid Winner, for exemplifying the best technical skill and cheerleading technique; and the Spirit Stick Winner, for the...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

A Summer Basketball Camp was held at Worcester Preparatory School recently and sponsored by Physical Education teacher Mike Grosso, Ocean Pines with assistance from alumni J.P.McIntyre, Ocean Pines, and Zack West, Lewes. McIntyre and West were both in the Class of 2004. The supervisors are pictured with camp participants. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Jesters at one of Worcester Prep's music and drama camps this summer are, from left, Alexandra Bruder, Ocean Pines; Casey Knerr, Berlin; and Caroline Hudson, Berlin. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Young athletes are pictured above taking a break at Worcester Prep's Summer Lacrosse Camp, which was run by Worcester lacrosse coach Kevin Gates, Salisbury with the assistance of Jim Schreeve, Ocean Pines; and WPS alumni and students Travis Gregory, Haverford College; Matt Heiderman, Georgetown University; Chris Mancini, Washington College; Garvey Heiderman, Penn; Christian Payne, WPS senior; and Trip Dyer, Gettysburg College. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

The cast of Moment, the musical, are pictured at a summer presentation at Worcester Prep. Camp sponsors Dan Freed and Megan Wallace, both of Ocean Pines, directed the musical, which was presented for parents and friends. Students from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia were in the play. ...READ MORE

Lower Shore Team Excels At Special Olympics

BERLIN - A group of special and talented athletes from in and around the resort area last week traveled to St. Mary's College in Southern Maryland for the 25th Annual Maryland Special Olympics Sailing and Kayaking Regatta and returned with a bunch of medals including five gold, three silver and four bronze. For 11 years, the Lower Shore Special Olympics teams have trained hard for the annual regatta, now in its 25th year, and the local athletes have brought home more than their share of hardware...READ MORE

Friday, August 10 - 33-Year Sentence Handed Down In West OC Slaying

SNOW HILL - Convicted West Ocean City murderer Gregory Stokes, characterized by his defense attorney as 'a damaged man who had been a damaged boy,' was sentenced this week to a combined 33 years in jail in Worcester County Circuit Court. Stokes, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Pamela Balk on Jan. 11 in her parents' West Ocean City home, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and cruelty to an animal in a pre-arranged deal with Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd...READ MORE

City Votes To Hold On To Robin Drive Property

OCEAN CITY - After hearing the opinions of numerous residents of Robin Drive at a public hearing Tuesday, the Mayor and Council decided to not sell a piece of municipal property on the road. Wayne Hartman came before the Mayor and Council in June to request to purchase the municipal property that is adjacent to 333 Robin Drive. Hartman purchased the apartments across the street a few years ago and renovated the run-down building. He explained that he hoped to use the property as additional...READ MORE

OC Council Upholds Project's Stop Work Order

OCEAN CITY - The Rivendell project has seen its fair share of problems along the road to completion and faced several issues of contention, but the controversy reached a pinnacle this week with the Mayor and Council denying the request to lift the stop work order on the building. At the end of July, it came to the attention of Blaine Smith, Zoning Administrator, as well as the owners of the Rivendell project, BPG Residential VI, LLC, that the building was five feet taller than what the plans...READ MORE

State Says Route 589 Work Could Start As Late as 2011

SNOW HILL - Work on an expanded, safer Route 589 may not begin until 2011, state highway officials said Tuesday. 'Keep in mind, this schedule is the worse-case scenario,' said assistant project manager Tessa Young of the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA). District Engineer Donnie Drewer confirmed that the 2011 construction start is a worst-case schedule, but said he did not know what the earliest date would be. 'It's not funded for construction,' Drewer said. 'Each one of those four...READ MORE

Freeman Admits To Letting Baby Die In Toilet

OCEAN CITY - Armed with what essentially amounts to a jailhouse confession, prosecutors are moving forward this week with first-degree murder charges against an Ocean City woman who has admitted letting her full-term or near full term infant die in the toilet she was sitting on when she gave birth to it in 2004. Now two weeks after the discovery of four fetuses in and around the Sunset Drive home of Christy Freeman, 37, of Ocean City, there are still more questions than answers, but the one...READ MORE

Moped Accident On Route 50 Kills Man

BERLIN - A 56-year-old Cambridge man was killed last Saturday when the moped he was operating failed to yield the right-of-way and collided with an oncoming vehicle on Route 50 at Route 346. Around 8:30 p.m. last Saturday, Berlin Police responded to an accident involving a moped on Route 50 at its intersection with Route 346 in Berlin. The investigation revealed the moped, driven by Robert Joseph Davidson, Jr., 56, of Cambridge, was traveling westbound on Route 50 when it attempted to make a...READ MORE

SHA To Let County Look At Route 113 Phase Plans

SNOW HILL - The next phase of the Route 113 dualization will begin in March 2008, and before then the County Commissioners would like to vet the design to avoid problems like the median at the highway's Route 12 intersection. After some prodding during an appearance in front of the Commissioners Tuesday, State Highway Administration (SHA) District Engineer Donnie Drewer agreed to show the commissioners the plans that have already been designed.  The commissioners have been attempting to...READ MORE

Tourism Commission Renews Opposition To Slots In Md.

OCEAN CITY - It is no secret that Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and Governor Martin O'Malley have been proponents of slots in Maryland, and it is also no secret that slots have been both lauded and vehemently opposed by people all over the state as well as in Ocean City. With this in mind, it was decided at last week's Tourism Commission meeting to take the latter stance and be vehemently opposed to slots in Maryland. Over the past several years, legalizing slot machines in Maryland...READ MORE

280 New Homes Okayed For River Run Community

SNOW HILL - River Run will gain 280 homes, not the 408 originally approved, in the final build out of the community. The Worcester County Planning Commission approved the planned unit development plan last week. The plan includes single-family homes, townhouses, a reconstructed clubhouse and a driving range. 'We think we've come up with a fairly good plan for you,' consultant Larry Whitlock told the Planning Commission. The design keeps construction away from the waterfront and uses natural...READ MORE

ACT Establishes Permanent Endowment Fund

BERLIN - Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) announced on Monday the establishment of a permanent endowment fund at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore to benefit its programs in perpetuity. The creation of the 'Assateague Coastal Trust Founders' Endowment' was made possible by recent memorial donations in honor of two ACT founders who passed away this year, Judith Colt Johnson and Ilia Fehrer. 'We are deeply grateful for the life and legacy of these conservation pioneers,' said ACT...READ MORE

Berlin Rape Suspect Handed Suspended Sentence Days Prior

BERLIN - A Berlin man was arrested for first-degree rape and first- and second-degree assault late last week just over two weeks after receiving a suspended jail sentence for an assault on the same victim after a year-long pattern of abuse. Last Thursday, detectives with the Worcester County Bureau of Investigations (WCBI) responded to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury in reference to an alleged rape of a 40-year-old victim. Through the course of the investigation, the suspect in...READ MORE

Cops Seek Armed Robbery Suspect

OCEAN CITY - Resort police this week are looking for a suspect in an armed robbery at a downtown hotel early Monday morning. Shortly before 5 a.m. on Monday, Ocean City Police were called to the Stowaway Grand Hotel to investigate an armed robbery. According to police reports, the suspect confronted the desk clerk with a handgun and demanded she take him to the safe. The suspect reportedly forced the clerk to open the safe and removed an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect then forced the...READ MORE

Council Wants Close Look At Transit Concerns

OCEAN CITY - The ADA paratransit services came under scrutiny at Monday night's City Council meeting, ending with the unanimous decision that the issue needs to be examined more closely. Robert Melvin came before the Mayor and Council to voice his concern over the transportation provided from Ocean City to Berlin. He made specific reference to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as it pertains to public transportation and the Statewide-Specialized Transportation Assistance Program...READ MORE

OCPD Restrictive Order Sails Past Council

OCEAN CITY - The general order outlining restricted duty status for sworn police officers of the Ocean City Police Department was passed unanimously at Monday's City Council meeting. General order 500 H-3 addresses restricted duty status, and the positions offered to those injured in the line of duty as well as those injured outside of the line of duty. Restrictive duty status provides sworn personnel of the police department the opportunity to perform administrative tasks in lieu of taking...READ MORE

Planning Comm. Holds Off Vote On New Plant Discharge

SNOW HILL - The new wastewater plant planned for Berlin on the old Tyson chicken processing site will discharge treated effluent to a local creek for 10 years, Worcester County planning officials heard last week, a practice that the town hopes will be countered by better nutrient management in other areas. Plans for an expansion of the current plant to remedy capacity and nutrient issues had gone all the way to the Worcester County Planning Commission before developer Troy Purnell's offer to...READ MORE

Proposed Hotel Gets Green Light To Build In OC

OCEAN CITY - At a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Tuesday, it was unanimously agreed to approve the proposed Clipper Hotel, after the commission agreed that it was an ideal project for the downtown area. The proposed three-story structure, which will be located at 1107 North Baltimore Avenue, will consist of seven hotel suites and one employee-housing unit. The three-stories make it ideal for the downtown area, which is trying to stay under five stories to maintain its downtown charm....READ MORE

Report: Ocean City, Assateague Water Quality Fine

OCEAN CITY - Water quality at beaches across the country were deemed unsafe for swimming for a record number of days last year and the number of no-swim days more than doubled from the year before, but the waters around coastal Worcester County including Ocean City generally received a clean bill of health with one major exception. According to 'Testing the Waters: a Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,' an independent report released this week by the Natural Resources Defense Council...READ MORE

Water System Connection Backed

SNOW HILL - Plans to connect the Ocean Pines and Glen Riddle water systems were endorsed by the County Commissioners this week. The Ocean Pines Service Area Advisory Board backed the plan in a mid-July memorandum. The 12,000-resident, year-round community needed more water, but another well would have cost too much, said Advisory Board Chair Dart Way. A new well in Ocean Pines, on the south side of the community, would have cost $2 million and required tapping into a deeper aquifer of iron-laced...READ MORE

Leaderboard Shaken Up In White Marlin Open

OCEAN CITY - Minutes after the scale opened for day four of the 34th Annual White Marlin Open around 4 p.m. yesterday, a new leader emerged and a new fortune was possibly won, but hundreds of boats still out in the canyons off the coast last night and about 150 more still fishing today, it remains to be seen if sport fishing's newest millionaire will still be smiling at the close of the event tonight. Fortunes are often won or lost in an instant in the White Marlin Open as one boat after another...READ MORE

A Week In Business

Top CBRB Producers OCEAN CITY - Ed Wehnert, branch vice president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's 52nd Street office has announced that for July Peck Miller was the top individual sales associate and Rick Meehan and Katy Durham were the top selling sales team. Bob Miller was the top individual listing associate and Meehan and Durham were also the top listing team. Miller was the top individual settlement associate and Meehan and Durham were the top settlement team. According to...READ MORE

"Izit hot nuff fer ya?"

This is the type of rhetorical question that keeps me going. Talking about the weather is usually a surefire way to have a conversation without actually having a conversation. It has very little chance to backfire on you and end in a lengthy reply. Kind of like asking someone how they are and getting a verbal novella that is as uplifting as an old country western song, when a simple 'okay' was all you were half-heartedly looking for from their reply. Most people are like that. They are on the...READ MORE

My Thoughts

Television is always bad in the summer, but it seems the networks have hit an all-new low this year with the karaoke shows. There are at three shows that put normal people on stage, give them to chance to finish the lyrics of a song and give them money if they can. These shows seem to be contrived for the sole purpose of one thing - giving the networks something to air in between commercials for the upcoming fall shows. It can't be because someone actually thinks these are quality shows or could...READ MORE

Coastal Delmarva Chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors

Coastal Delmarva Chapter of the Women's Council of Realtors® was presented the Silver Award for Chapter Excellence at the annual national Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C. This award was accepted by Imad Elali of Long and Foster, who is Past Local Chapter President and State Chapter President. Presenting him this award was the National WCR president, Judy Moses from Boston, Massachusetts. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

Lower Shore Land Trust

Local landowner Jim Myers recently contributed $10,000 to the Lower Shore Land Trust, which holds a conservation easement on Myers' property. Above, from left, are Bill Satterfield, board member of the Lower Shore Land Trust, Myers and Nancy Whitlock, Land Trust board member. ...READ MORE

United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore

Aaron Reid, with United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore, accepts $350 from the UPS softball game from UPS employee Michelle Calderone. United Way's partnership with UPS is instrumental in meeting the most critical needs in the Lower Shore community. UPS contributed more than $24,000 to the local United Way last year alone. ...READ MORE

A Cozy Whiskers Pub Since 1988

OCEAN CITY - The friendly atmosphere of your neighborhood pub mixed with the charm of uptown Ocean City can be felt the moment one walks into Whiskers Pub, which has been a part of the uptown neighborhood for nearly 20 years. Whiskers made a home of 120th Street in 1988 and it's been serving locals and visitors alike ever since. Whiskers saw a change in 2005 however when the business was sold to Scott White, who is known to most as Slater, and Gary and Julie Beach of Marlin Moon Grille...READ MORE

Real Estate Investment Trusts Still Attractive

BERLIN - When home prices were soaring, real estate investment trusts (REITs) prospered along with them. Now that the housing market has cooled, it's natural to assume that REITs are no longer as attractive an investment. But in this case, things aren't quite so simple. REITs invest in a range of largely nonresidential properties as well as mortgages. And even during these days of housing-bubble woes, many REITs continue to show strength, albeit more selectively than before. 'Four years ago, you...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Relationships continue to thrive, but watch for any telltale signs of potential problems. Take needed action now to set things straight before they become troublesome later. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Your powers of persuasion, backed up, of course, by your considerable expertise, help you establish your case even to the most dubious decision-makers in your workplace. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): You might still be a bit reluctant to face up to some...READ MORE