October 5, 2007

Open Houses in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY The Meridian Daily 10-4 Oceanfront Residences New Construction Dan Clayland Coldwell Banker 410-520-0072 OCEAN CITY Bella Vista Open Daily 10-4 3BR Bayside Condos 45th Street Coldwell Banker 410-524-6111 OCEAN CITY Belmont Towers Boardwalk & Talbot Street Daily 11-4 Kevin Decker Remax Premier Properties 443-235-6552 OCEAN CITY Bahia Vista 10th St. Bayside Daily 10-4 3&4BR Condos Dan Clayland Coldwell Banker 410-524-6111 OCEAN CITY Seaside Escape 79th Street 2 Models Open Daily...READ MORE

Thursday, October 11 - Ocean City Stresses Parking Garage Importance

OCEAN CITY - The current status of the proposed downtown parking garage was presented to the Mayor and Council at a work session Tuesday, resulting in the majority consensus it was a necessity that cannot be achieved without the partnership of the county. City Engineer Terry McGean presented the current status of the parking garage, noting that it was more of a refresher than an update. According to McGean, the design work for the garage has been completed and conceptual designs, including...READ MORE

Wednesday, October 10 - OC's Sunfest Report Confirms Success

OCEAN CITY - Many people have speculated this year's Sunfest was one of the busiest on record, but that rumor was officially confirmed Tuesday with Special Events Coordinator John Sullivan's report to the Recreation and Parks Committee about the success of this year's event. According to Sullivan, this year was the second best year for attendance, reaching an estimated total of 183,377 people, 'which is something we should be really proud of,' he said. The 2002 edition narrowly marks the highest...READ MORE

Tuesday, October 9 - Suspect Sought After Swiping Pizza Delivery Vehicle

OCEAN CITY - Resort police are still looking for a suspect who stole a pizza delivery vehicle early Sunday morning before abandoning the car and fleeing on foot. A driver for a local pizza shop was delivering a pizza to the Tidelands Hotel on 5th Street early Sunday morning when he returned to find his vehicle missing. The victim, a 21-year-old Selbyville man, parked his 2004 silver Honda Accord in the alley by the hotel with the engine running while he made his delivery and returned a short...READ MORE

Monday, October 8 - Corvette Weekend Coming To Ocean City

OCEAN CITY - The Cruisin' and Oktoberfest events combined with sunny and warm weather attracted thousands to the resort area last weekend, and Ocean City is looking to continue to the great start to the fall season with another popular event coming up this weekend. Looking ahead to the weekend of Oct. 12-14, there are plenty of activities on tap as Corvette enthusiasts toll into town for the Free State Corvette Club's 21st Ocean City Corvette Weekend. The annual event, which typically attracts...READ MORE

Survey Reveals Visitor Opinions Of Ocean City

The tourism community is still anxiously awaiting the verdict on the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association's plan to raise room tax rates for increased funds for destination advertising, but if approved, survey results could be vital in helping the town decide how to spend the money. Andy Malis of MGH Advertising, the town's contracted advertising agency, presented the survey results to the Tourism Commission, highlighting the positives and negatives that were garnered from the results....READ MORE

Agency Touts Ocean City Ad Campaign's Success

OCEAN CITY - The Tourism Commission was presented with some encouraging information at its meeting Wednesday afternoon, as Andy Malis of MGH Advertising presented the commission with the results of the 2007 advertising campaign for Ocean City. Destination advertising was a hot topic this summer with the tourism community making adamant requests for an increase in advertising funds. The notion 'if you advertise it, they will come' seems to have been the underlying theme, with proponents sharing...READ MORE

Council Okays Lane Closure For Annual Parade

OCEAN CITY - Discussion over the traffic route of the annual Ocean City Christmas Parade arose at Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting, resulting in the decision to use all four lanes of Coastal Highway for the parade. The Christmas Parade has been a part of Ocean City's holiday season for over 20 years, parading local children and floats along Coastal Highway. For years the parade occupied all four lanes of traffic on Coastal Highway for about an hour and a half, causing traffic delays and...READ MORE

Residents Seek County's Help With Persistent West OC Od

SNOW HILL - A noxious odor from the Mystic Harbor wastewater treatment plant has neighbors so fed up they sent a petition for relief to Worcester County, resulting in some help, albeit in the short term. It can't be soon enough for petition initiator Frank Foley and the other residents of Coastal Dr. and Fisherman's Rd. Foley said the odor has gotten to the point nearby residents cannot enjoy their homes. 'The county has been forcing us to live with it for 10 years. That's nine years too long,'...READ MORE

West Ocean City Immigration Raid Nets Six

OCEAN CITY - Six illegal aliens were taken into custody last week after an early morning raid at two restaurants and a private residence in West Ocean City. Armed with three federal search warrants, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, with the assistance of local law enforcement agencies, raided the Mikayo Sushi and Seafood Buffet on Route 50 and the Panda Buffet in the White Marlin Mall, both in West Ocean City, early last Thursday morning. Following the raids, the restaurants were...READ MORE

Ocean City

OCEAN CITY Trout Lane 14th Street Fri-Sun 11-3 Bayside Townhouses Rick Meehan Coldwell Banker 410-723-8778 OCEAN CITY The Isabella 1st Street Sat & Sun 3BR/3.5BA Townhome Ed Sheppard Holiday Real Estate 410-524-7700 OCEAN CITY Pelican Perch Weekends 11-3 4BR, 4.5BA, & Loft Coldwell Banker 410-723-1000 OCEAN CITY The Meridian Daily 10-4 Oceanfront Residences New Construction Dan Clayland Coldwell Banker 410-520-0072 OCEAN CITY Bella Vista Daily 9-5 3BR Bayside Condos Coldwell...READ MORE

West Ocean City - Berlin - Ocean Pines - MD - VA - DE

WEST OCEAN CITY Sailor's Watch Golf Course Road Fri-Sun 10-4 New 3BR, 3.5BA Luxury Townhouses Coldwell Banker WILLARDS 36250 Pine St. Sun 11-1 3BR/1BA Home Chris Smack Bud Church Realty 410-524-7888 FENWICK ISLAND DELAWARE Bayside Models Open Daily Jack Nicklaus Golf Course Community Carl Freeman 877-436-9998 LEWES, DE Vincent Overlook Cave Neck Road Daily 12-6 New Homes Equity Homes 302-645-2712 OCEAN PINES 98 Lookout Point Sat & SUN 12-3 3BR 2300+ sf home w/ Boat Dock Greg Erdie Coldwell...READ MORE

Berlin Falls in Pop Warner Showdown

BERLIN- In what was billed as one of the biggest youth football games of the young season on the Lower Shore, the Berlin Seahawks of the Pop Warner Midget Division (ages 12-15) fell to the Wicomico Panthers last Saturday, 28-0, after losing its star player to an injury early in the contest. The Seahawks traveled to Salisbury last Saturday for the big match-up with Wicomico with both teams highly regarded in youth football on the shore. The Panthers had been dominating early in the season,...READ MORE

Decatur Blanks Easton, 28-0, to Improve to 3-1

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity football team earned a big win over an always-tough Easton team last weekend, routing the visiting Warriors, 28-0, to improve to 3-1 on the season. Decatur jumped all over Easton early and built a steady lead on offense while the defense was outstanding in shutting down the Warriors. The 28-0 win over Easton last Friday was the second shutout of the season for the Seahawks, who routed Washington, 58-0, in the season opener. Decatur's record now stands at 3-1,...READ MORE

Flag Football Action Heating Up

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department's Fall Flag Football League is hitting its early season stride with a full slate of games at Northside Park. The following is a look at some recent league action: (bullet) Greene Turtle 25- Crab Cake Factory 6: Allen Hawk threw for three touchdowns, including two to Brett Case, and ran for one score to lead the Turtle over the Crab Cake Factory. Hawk started with a 35-yard TD pass to Case and ran for a 17-yard score. He then threw a...READ MORE

Seahawks Split Two

BERLIN- The Stephen Decatur boys' varsity soccer team's up and down season continued this week with a 1-0 win over Mardela after a 1-0 loss to Crisfield last Thursday. The Seahawks have a decent 5-2 record on the season, including a 3-1 mark in the Bayside Conference, but it has been feast or famine in virtually all of their games. A goose egg has shown up in the box score in each of the Seahawks' games this year on either side of the ledger. For example, Decatur beat St. Michael's, 1-0, in its...READ MORE

Mallards Win 6th Straight

BERLIN- Worcester Prep's men's varsity soccer team continued its season-long hot streak this week, collecting a pair of wins over Delmarva Christian last Thursday and old nemesis Salisbury School on Tuesday to improve to 7-1 on the season. The Mallards have now reeled off six straight wins after losing to Delaware's Sussex Tech back on September 7. Worcester won its first game of the season against Holly Grove before falling to Sussex Tech in the second game of the season. Since then, the...READ MORE

"Tough Guy of the Week"

This week's Atlantic Physical Therapy and Fitness Center's 'Tough Guy of the Week' award went to Decatur's Pat Casey, who had an outstanding game against Easton. Pictured above is Casey (center) flanked by Coach Bob Knox (left) and ATP president Bob Hammond (right). ...READ MORE

Explosives Found On Beach

OCEAN CITY - At least three explosive devices were found along the shoreline in Ocean City this week, with the third detonated on purpose yesterday afternoon on the beach near 11th Street, while town officials and law enforcement personnel continued to search for more of the mysterious blasting caps. The first of three blasting caps was found on the beach at 15th Street on Tuesday, while another turned up near the shoreline at 50th Street on Wednesday. The first two found were carefully...READ MORE

Pending Visa Expiration Concerns OC Businesses

OCEAN CITY - Resort business leaders this week bemoaned the expiration of a crucial exemption for certain seasonal immigrant workers, citing its potential impact on the town's hospitality industry. The discussion arose during the town's Economic Development Committee (EDC) meeting on Wednesday when Phillips Seafood Restaurant Vice President Paul Wall pointed out the all-important non-skilled seasonal worker visas, called H2B visas, expired on Sunday. Among other things, the H2B visas separate...READ MORE

Route 50 Bridge Repairs Could Block Access

SNOW HILL - The Route 50 bridge could be closed for drawbridge repairs for five weeks this winter, forcing resort traffic north and engendering worry over emergency service access. The bridge will be closed from Jan. 15, 2008, until Feb. 19, 2008 if the money for the repairs is available. The Jan. 15 closure of the bridge, the only connection between Ocean City and West Ocean City, is not yet set in stone, with the cost of the project still to be determined. If this year's funding is not...READ MORE

Stolen Boat Strikes Bridge, Leads To Arrest, Search

OCEAN CITY - One man is in custody, another believed missing for about 24 hours on Tuesday is alive and well and Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) have still not abandoned a search for another 'John' this week after a bizarre story unfolded involving the theft of a fishing boat from a marina in West Ocean City, its collision with the Route 50 bridge and later grounding on a sandbar in the bay. Around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Christopher Bornaschella, 24, of Chincoteague, allegedly stole the...READ MORE

Berlin Considering 3-Month Development Moratorium

BERLIN - Berlin elected officials will vote on a moratorium on planned unit development (PUD) projects for the next three months after town elected officials, staff, and planning commission members concluded this week that the code is ambiguous and needs to be rewritten. The Berlin Mayor and Council met with the Berlin Planning Commission and staff this week in a work session after consultant Tim Bourcier of Davis, Bowen and Friedel identified some PUD procedural issues in the town code. 'We...READ MORE

Car Shows, Boardwalk Parades Highlight Cruisin'

OCEAN CITY - The 10th Annual Endless Summer Cruisin' 2007 outdoor street rod and hot rod enthusiast event kicked off yesterday in Ocean City. As always, Ocean City's Inlet parking area is the featured location for the event, which features 1,500 hot rods, street rods, and custom cars joined by an additional 1,000-plus 'guest cruisers' that will roam Ocean City's Coastal Highway, Boardwalk and surrounding roads. Endless Summer Cruisin' 2007 will host some of the largest automotive-based and...READ MORE

City Council Makes New License Regs Official

OCEAN CITY - The ordinance outlining amendments to hearings and appeals of business license fines, suspensions, and revocations was discussed and passed on second reading at Monday evenings Mayor and Council meeting.   The ordinance will amend Chapter 14 entitled businesses and aims to add more teeth to the ordinance governing the suspension and revocation of business licenses. Through changes in fines, hearings, and appeals, the Mayor and Council hopes to crack down on business...READ MORE

City Property Auction, Height Rules OK'd

OCEAN CITY - Two ordinances came before the Mayor and Council at Monday night's meeting, one calling for amendments to downtown height regulations and the other authorizing the sale of surplus property. The Mayor and Council were presented with the ordinance to amend Chapter 11, entitled Zoning, which will allow for changes in height limits from North Division Street to 3rd Street. The amendment refers specifically to the section title Bulk Regulations. The issue arose at last week's work...READ MORE

Council Learns Play It Safe Broke Attendance Mark

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City's Play It Safe program had a record-breaking year, with over 13,000 participants enjoying the free events offered throughout the month of June.  The Play It Safe Program occurs every year during the month of June, providing fun, alcohol-free events for the recent high-school graduates to participate in. The mission of Play It Safe has remained the same throughout the years - 'encourage high school graduates to make informed, healthy choices while having responsible...READ MORE

Council Votes 5-2 To Allow Mayor A Tourism Comm. Vote

OCEAN CITY - Changes in sub-committees were made at Monday evenings Mayor and Council meeting, resulting in new appointments to the Police Commission and Tourism Commission, with the latter resulting in a split decision among the council. Councilman Lloyd Martin made the motion to appoint Mayor Rick Meehan to the Tourism Commission as a voting member. Martin said that the mayor should be a part of the important tourism decisions made during the meetings. 'The decisions that come out of the...READ MORE

County Could Become Test Case For Purple Pipe System

SNOW HILL - One of two local jurisdictions might be host to a test case for treated wastewater re-use in Maryland, county staff told the County Commissioners this week. 'There's a lot of talk about it,' said Sandy Coyman, Worcester County's Director of Comprehensive Planning, at Tuesday's meeting. 'Wastewater is a resource. It's not a waste anymore.' Maryland has been slow to embrace the residential and commercial re-use of treated wastewater for irrigation and industrial purposes through...READ MORE

Effort To Bring Subway Cars To OC Underway

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City's ever-expanding artificial reef system off the coast could be getting a major addition in the future if the effort to obtain as many as 600 retired New York City 'Redbird' subway cars can be worked out. The Ocean City Reef Foundation, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is considering making a bid for a portion of the 1,600 subway cars dating back to the early 1960s made available for artificial reef systems in coastal states...READ MORE

Employment Suit Filed Against Ex-Hotel Owner

OCEAN CITY - Federal employment authorities last week filed suit against the former owners of an Ocean City hotel for firing a manager who refused to comply with their illegal employee dismissal practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed suit in U.S. District Court last week against Spa Motel General Partnership, a motel group that formerly owned the Best Western Ocean City Hotel and Suites on 26th Street, for alleged discrimination in hiring and dismissal practices...READ MORE

Fager's Island Hosting Charity Cookout To Help Coastal Bays

OCEAN CITY - Fager's Island on 59th Street in Ocean City will be holding their 2nd Annual Charity Cookout to benefit the Maryland Coastal Bays Program on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 4-8 p.m. The blowout includes a $6 barbeque dinner, live music, live animals and a host of local celebrities who will be gallivanting about the restaurant to pump up the crowds. The modest cover, silent auction, and 50/50 raffle will each go to benefit the Coastal Bays Program, which protects the land and waters surrounding...READ MORE

Local CASA Program Launches Recruiting Drive

BERLIN - With a growing, diverse population in Worcester County and an in-kind growth in the number of children needing a support system, a local advocacy group is calling out for more volunteers to help meet the need. Neglected, abused and otherwise troubled children in Worcester who find themselves snared in the endless web of the complex legal system have a neutral friend in the Lower Shore Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program, but the local support system needs more volunteers to...READ MORE

Local Surfers Earn Honors At Surfing Championships

BERLIN - Vince Boulanger of Ocean City and Matt Landon of Newark took top awards along with six other Delmarva surfers during the 40th Annual ESA Eastern Surfing Championships in Cape Hatteras, N.C. last week. For the second year in a row, ESA All-Star Boulanger stole the show with his powerful surfing and huge aerial maneuvers. This year Boulanger received the $500 "Most Progressive Rider" award from Spy Eyeware, Transworld Surf Magazine and The Eastern Surfing Association. Boulanger...READ MORE

OC's Swing For Youth Golf Open Coming Up

OCEAN CITY - Eagles Landing plays host to the Ocean City Recreation Boosters' ever-popular Swing For Youth Golf Open this month. Ocean City Recreation Boosters is a non-profit, independent community group made up of representatives from various community organizations. The positive group of individuals works diligently throughout the year to raise money to offset the costs of Ocean City recreation programs. 'We look forward to combining a day of camaraderie and sportsmanship with the...READ MORE

OCDC To Review Somerset Street Cart Program

OCEAN CITY - The Somerset Street carts are gone and although their long-term fate remains to be determined, contention still lies along Somerset Street, with at least one business owner asking for more changes. The Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) and the Mayor and Council approved the carts earlier this year in an attempt to bring more foot traffic to the street. Special events, such as the Crab Cook-Off and the OC Art Show, were also approved with the same goal, to bring more people...READ MORE

Oktoberfest An October Tradition For Ocean City

OCEAN CITY - The laughter and fun of Bavaria comes to Ocean City when the 26th Annual Oktobertfest returns to the Roland E. Powell Convention Center on Oct. 5-7. Guests are invited to come and discover the flavor of an Oom Pah-Pah Oktoberfest and eat, drink and be merry with schnitzels, wursts, and barrels of bier. Three days and two nights of music and fun for the whole family are on tap. There will be plenty of entertainment offered this year including such musical acts as Jolly Joe and the...READ MORE

Osprey Sprint Triathlon Marks 8th Year

BERLIN - Some 450 racers will ascend on Chincoteague Bay on Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. for the 8th Annual Osprey Sprint Triathlon sponsored by the Coastal Bays Program. A 1,000-strong crowd will be on hand and over 100 volunteers will be essential in helping to dispense water, direct traffic, manage the course, and set up displays. The program's largest annual fundraiser, the sprint distance triathlon includes a half-mile swim in Chincoteague Bay, a 15.2-mile bike course and a 3.1-mile run on the roads by...READ MORE

Plaintiff Awarded $475K In Civil Lawsuit

SNOW HILL - One of the plaintiffs in the multi-million dollar lawsuit filed against an Ocean City pizza company and the delivery driver who hit her with his car on Coastal Highway four years ago was awarded over $475,000 in damages in Worcester County Circuit Court last week, while the other plaintiff in the case, a pedestrian hit during the same accident, has his case set in for later this month. Around 2 a.m. on Sept. 7, 2003, local resident Kevin Houck and a female friend, Danielle Glacken,...READ MORE

Resort Eyes $27.5M Bond To Finance Various Projects

OCEAN CITY - The ordinance set to authorize the Mayor and Council to issue and sell, upon its full fail and credit, $27.5 million in general obligation bonds was passed unanimously on first reading at the Mayor and Council meeting Monday night. At last week's work session, the Mayor and Council were presented with a project list and the refinancing of recognized bonds for approval.  After reviewing the proposal, the council made a few changes to the project list and set a ceiling price of...READ MORE

Golf Club Trumps Knife in Fight

OCEAN CITY - An Ocean City man, who brought a knife to a golf club fight, first found his head on the business end of the driver and was later arrested for assault, reckless endangerment and weapons charges last weekend. A little before 6 p.m. last Saturday, OCPD officers responded to a call for an assault in progress involving a knife and somebody bleeding at an apartment building on 43rd Street. The responding officer was directed by neighbors to an apartment on the west side of the building...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Prosecutor Defends Office, Investigation Editor: I have been reading articles in your paper and other local papers for a few weeks now, unable to respond because it is unethical for a prosecutor to make remarks about a pending investigation. The investigation is now over, and I can remark. First of all, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Tyler Adams, who lost his life in Ocean City this past summer season. I regret that the law in the State of Maryland does not provide for a...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

Fact: Governor Martin O'Malley wants a special session next month to discuss and later implement his proposed budget deficit plan, which includes a variety of tax increases and decreases. Opinion: What's the rush? This $1.5 billion structural deficit did not occur over night and there needs to be more time to examine numbers that are speculative and discuss proposals lacking adequate details at this time. Special sessions cost Marylanders a lot of money, somewhere in the realm of $30,000 per day...READ MORE

Pink Ribbon Events Deserve Support

It's October and that means the ladies behind the Pink Ribbon Classic are at it again, raising thousands of dollars for breast cancer awareness and research. The Pink Ribbon Classic series of fundraisers started in 1996 with a local golf tournament organized by residents Judy Johnson-Schoelkopf and Nancy Dofflemyer and is now led by a team of volunteers, most of whom have either had breast cancer or have been touched by it in a major way. Over the last decade, about $550,000 has been raised...READ MORE

Live Bands And DJs

Assateague Island Oasis: 410-629-1492, Rt. 611; Friday, Oct. 5: Patrick McAllorum; Saturday, Oct. 6: Jon Pheasant; Thursday, Oct. 11: Phil Knight; All entertainment 6:30-9:30 p.m. Blue Ox & Babe's Lounge: 410-250-6440, 127th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Friday, Oct. 5: Wes Davis; Saturday, Oct. 6: Kevin Poole. Buxy's Salty Dog: 410-289-0973, 28th St. & Coastal Hwy.; Friday, Oct. 5: DJ BK; Saturday, Oct. 6: Crowded Outhouse; Wednesday, Oct. 10: Teenage Rust. Castaway's: 410-524-9090, 64th St....READ MORE

My Thoughts

Every homeowner needs a handy man, and Insider's name is Kenny and he's the old guy's savior. Insider only knows a few phone numbers by heart and right up there in importance alongside 911 is Kenny's home phone. Insider's love affair with Kenny began about 30 years ago. It was then that his number was passed along to him in a pinch because the old guy happened to be out of town when a neighbor called him and told him water was streaming out the front door of his home in Ocean City. This has...READ MORE

Ocean City Elementary

Ocean City Elementary School recently honored the September Students of the Month with a lunch from Wendy's and a special cake.  Students receive a T-shirt that identifies them as the Students of the Month.  Pictured first row, from left, first graders Taylor Curran, Jeffrey Helvig, Hannah Johnson, Reed Welton and Francesca Wheeler; second row, second graders Rachel Gillin, Emily Hurley, Grant Janek, Daniel King and Niamh Lundberg; third row, third graders  Hailey Brown, Ahmad...READ MORE

Berlin Intermediate School

Berlin Intermediate School sixth graders Fletcher Case and Carlee Barrett are pictured exploring primary color mixing after studying the color wheel in Ms. Palmer's art class. ...READ MORE

Buckingham Elementary

Buckingham Elementary School recent held its September Student of the Month  Luncheon. Pictured is second grader Montrel Moore with Principal Roger Pacella and mom Sherry Barfield. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Worcester Prep winners are pictured in grades 1-6 in the summer reading competition, which included contests in the number of books read and the number of pages read. First row, from left, Jordan Welch, Ocean Pines; Taylor Campbell, Ocean Pines; Emilee Dorey, Millville; and Jack Fager, Ocean City; second row, Jonathan Ruddo, Berlin; Chloe Ruddo, Berlin; Arella Berger, Ocean City; Shelby Laws, Berlin; Zack Oltman, Selbyville; Jordan Osias, Bethany Beach; Robert Jett, Ocean Pines; Lauren Jett,...READ MORE

Mrs. Jacks' first-grade class

Taking a moment from learning in Mrs. Jacks' first-grade class are, from left, Luke Zolenski, Tynajah Bowen and Lukenbaugh  ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep

Ready for 10th Biology experiments with teacher Will Edmunds at Worcester Prep are sophomores Maura Burton, Ocean Pines; Theresa Ciletti, Ocean City; Zoe Kulina, Lewes; and Carrie Hall, Fenwick Island. The girls are in Worcester Prep's new science lab, which replaced the Middle and Upper School Technology Lab and was created in Worcester's north wing completed over the summer. ...READ MORE

Friends of the Ocean Pines Library

Friends of the Ocean Pines Library sponsored a trip to the National Book Festival held on the Mall in Washington, DC last Saturday. More than 70 authors shared their experiences, read from their work and autographed their books. Michael Beschloss, Ken Burns, Jodi Picoult, Joyce Carol Oates, Martha Raddatz, David Baldacci, Michael Oren and David M. Kennedy were among the authors making presentations. Above the group is pictured. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

Atlantic/Smith, Cropper & Deeley Insurance Brokers

Atlantic/Smith, Cropper & Deeley Insurance Brokers recently presented to Willards Elementary School needed supplies collected by the staff for the school's supply drive. Pictured, from left, are TeresaStout, agent of A/SCD; Debbie Simpkins, second grade teacher; Cristin Eurice, first grade teacher; Regina Rando, Principal; Laura Bren, president of A/SCD, and Patti Cooley, first grade teacher. ...READ MORE

The Pine Steppers Square Dance Club

The Pine Steppers Square Dance Club is welcoming new dancers at its 'First Nighter Dance' at the Ocean Pines Community Hall. Square Dance lessons will began last week and continue weekly on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. If you are interested in learning the square dance calls, contact Joe and Jacque Hunter at 410-208-6331. ...READ MORE

We Remember Those Who Have Passed

Richard Todd Mohr BERLIN - Richard Todd Mohr, 33, died Sept. 25 at Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore as a result of a car accident earlier that day in Berlin. Born Jan. 12, 1974 in Annapolis, he was the son of Jeannie Mohr Anderson and Ronald J. Anderson. He was a graduate of Severna Park High School in 1992 and attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach. In 2000, he moved to Berlin and established Bottoms Up Boat Lift Co. and in 2007 Atlantic Marine Construction. He played football...READ MORE

Philanthropists Of Today Different From Years Past

BERLIN - Many philanthropists today want something that charitable donors a few decades ago never asked of their beneficiaries: a stronger voice in how their contributions are spent. 'People are much more astute and sophisticated about holding nonprofits accountable,' says David Ratcliffe, Director of the Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Management SM, of this trend. 'It's very easy to look up the tax returns of similar charities on the Internet and then ask, •€˜Why...READ MORE

"Becoming a Sir or Madam"

I've heard that you are only as old as you feel. If that's the case, does age fluctuate based on your mood? Sometimes, you feel youthful and there is that bounce in your step that is like you've had six Red Bulls or a vat of coffee. These are the days you find yourself dancing to bad songs in the morning on VH1 while you get your kid ready for school, and finding no greater pleasure than getting a really annoying Matchbox 20 song stuck in your wife's head. Then again, that might just be me. On...READ MORE

A Week In Business

The Meridian Grand Opening Announced OCEAN CITY - Dan Clayland, an associate broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage's Ocean City 104th Street office, has announced the grand opening of The Meridian, a luxury three- and four-bedroom condominium building located on 60th Street in Ocean City. All units feature spectacular east or southeast facing ocean views and many units also offer stunning views of the bay and the sunset. The Meridian has the look, feel and amenities of a top end...READ MORE

Things I Like

A good sneeze The actor, Anthony Hopkins Sounds of a high school sports event Scrapple and eggs for breakfast Reading about the real estate market The Showtime series, 'Weeds' How much parents plan for their kids' birthdays Supporting the Pink Ribbon Classic Walking into the house and smelling dinner The Monday sports section after a Ravens win Driving east across the Bay Bridge  ...READ MORE

Things We Like

The innocence of children saying their prayers at night The sound of Trimper's during my annual visit to the Boardwalk Crowded Outhouse at Buxy's Salty Dog Playing tennis as a couple The show, 'Lost' A houseful of nieces and nephews Waking to the sound of rain on the roof Designing a new house into a home Crawling into clean sheets at bedtime People without drama A glass of wine during an amazing sunset By Pamela Green  ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Although you love being the focus of attention, it's a good idea to take a few steps back right now to just watch the action. What you see can help with an upcoming decision. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): 'Caution' continues to be your watchword this week, as a former colleague tries to reconnect old links. There are still some dark places that need to be illuminated. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Making a good first impression is important. Revealing your often hidden...READ MORE

Show Us Your Beach Memories

It could be a child's first visit to the beach, a teenager on an amusement ride or just someone relishing an ice cream cone on a hot day. Let us see some of your beach memories and we will post them on our website and publish them in the paper at a later date. Send the photos via email to editor or mail to PO Box 467, Berlin, Md. 21811. Please be sure to include date and location of photograph as well as names (age if applicable) and any other general information helpful to tell the...READ MORE