February 20, 2009

Who's Playing When and Where Musically Speaking

Back of the bag 410-250-3337 130 St. & Coastal Hwy. Friday, Feb. 20: Nothin' But Trouble Saturday, Feb. 21: Randy Lee Ashcraft & The Saltwater Cowboys Every Tuesday: Open Mic Hosted By Tungsten Groove Buxy's Salty Dog 410-289-0973 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. Friday, Feb. 20: TBA Saturday, Feb. 21: TBA Carousel Resort Hotel & Condominiums 410-524-1000 On the beach, 118th Street Friday, Feb. 20: DJ Rupe, 7-10 p.m. Clarion Hotel 410-524-3535 , 10100 Coastal Hwy. ...READ MORE

Thoughts From the Publisher's Desk

For months, the public has not been privy to exactly how bad things are with the county's finances. In this instance, there's no reason for conspiracy theories here. It's just that nobody truly knows how grave the shortfall between revenues and expenditures is going to be for the next fiscal year. I was hearing the county was looking at a $10 million deficit, but this week it was said it's more like $11.1 million, a number that will likely balloon over the next couple months as more untimely bad...READ MORE

Supply Deal Should Help Customers

Optimism is difficult to come by for many folks these days, but that's exactly what Berlin residents should have today because a major step was taken this week toward lower electric rates for town households. A major water cooler conversation over the last year in Berlin has been electric rates. Many people can't afford to pay their bill, relying instead on partial payments to avoid shutoffs as long as possible. Those who can make their payments in full do so reluctantly and with a lot of spite...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Mandated Cuts Will Devastate Schools Editor: During the economic crisis we are facing, I believe we need to really prioritize our spending.  Thanks to the commitment of our County Commissioners of the past and present, our schools have been a priority and we have enjoyed an excellent return on our investment. Worcester County is recognized as one of the leaders of education in the state of Maryland. The draw of our excellent school system has also had a positive impact on property values....READ MORE

Charges In Alleged Robbery Dropped

SNOW HILL - Two men who allegedly robbed an intoxicated woman leaving a downtown bar in August and were later caught on the Route 50 bridge had the charges against them dropped last week in Circuit Court. Around 1:45 a.m. on Aug. 3, the female victim flagged down an OCPD officer and told them she had just been robbed by two men, later identified as Dawon Muhammad, 25, of Salisbury, and William Wilson, 27 of Princess Anne. The victim, who appeared intoxicated, according to police reports, told...READ MORE

We Remember Those Who Have Passed

John Bilous SALISBURY - John Bilous, age 57, died Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009, at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he was the son of the late Iwan Bilous and Titiana 'Tina' Bilous. He is survived by his beloved companion, Kathy Schwartz and her son, Michael; three sisters, Maria Schlick of Ocean City, Nadia Lupiwok of Shrewsbury, Pa., and Tina Parsons of Pittsville, Md.; and several nieces and nephews, Eva, Tanya, Michael, Nadia, Steven, Andrew, Josephine,...READ MORE

People in Society

Neighbors Helping One Another Throughout the Community ...READ MORE

See Who Was Where and When

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

Resort Volleyball Tourney To Air On ESPN2

OCEAN CITY - The resort had a great opportunity fall in its proverbial lap this week, one that potentially could bring upwards of 5,000 people and priceless national exposure for the town. The Ocean City Open will be a four-day showcase of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) on the beach between Dorchester and Somerset streets on June 18-21 and will be broadcast on ESPN2 during the men's and women's finals, giving Ocean City the equivalent of a '90 minute infomercial', said tour...READ MORE

Friday, February 20--Annual Boat Show A Hit Even With Turnout Dip

OCEAN CITY - Although the attendance at the 26th Annual Seaside Boat Show fell a bit from last year's record numbers, the turnout exceeded seemingly everyone's cautious expectations. With nationwide attendance numbers at similar boat shows dwindling and the economy needing a huge shot in the proverbial arm, vendors and promoters for this year's show were cautiously optimistic that the usual kick off to the boating season wouldn't be a dud. 'It was better than we expected,' said Scott McCurdy,...READ MORE

Friday, February 20--Lawmakers Focus On Bills With Specific Local Impact

BERLIN - With the Maryland General Assembly rolling toward the mid-way point, local legislators in Annapolis are working a wide variety of bills of local import from a proposed ban of a popular over-the-counter hallucinogen that made its presence felt on the Boardwalk in Ocean City last year to another that would change the rules of the road for scooters to a change in the law regarding second-degree assault arrests and a controversial bill regarding gift certificate and gift card sales. Of...READ MORE

Friday, Feb 20--Lawsuit Alleges Discrimination Against Developmental Center

BERLIN - A former Worcester County Development Center (WCDC) employee last week filed suit in U.S. District Court against the agency and a handful of its management staff, citing an alleged long pattern of intimidation and discrimination that ended with her wrongful termination in September 2008. Former WCDC employee Jometta Johnson, through her attorney, last Wednesday filed suit against the agency and two her supervisors alleging race discrimination, retaliation, assault and battery, and...READ MORE

Friday, February 20--Private Group Eyes New Fitness Events

OCEAN CITY - A private sector group with a long history of pulling off successful events announced this week it is stepping up to salvage the annual Seaside 10 race and introduced similar fitness-related events scheduled for in and around Ocean City in the coming months including the return of the popular half-marathon in April. The annual Seaside 10 and 5K races, sponsored by the resort for years, were among the casualties of the mass budget cuts handed down by resort leaders recently as they...READ MORE

Decatur Hoops Teams Finish Strong

BERLIN- Both of Stephen Decatur's suddenly red-hot varsity basketball teams wrapped their regular seasons with strong finishes last week and now await their post-season fates as seedings for the regional and state tournaments will be announced this weekend. The Seahawk boys beat Parkside, 52-37, last Friday in their regular season finale to complete an amazing run. Decatur won its last four games and five of its last six, gaining some momentum going into the state regionals after struggling for...READ MORE

Decatur Swimmers Prep for States

BERLIN- After finishing a close second in the Maryland Class 3A-2A-1A regional meet last weekend, Stephen Decatur's fledgling boys' and girls' varsity swim teams are ready to take their marks in the state championship meet that gets underway tomorrow. In just its second year of existence, and its first as an officially sanctioned team sport, Decatur's boys and girls varsity swim teams have already made a big splash. Last weekend, the Seahawks came in a close second in the state Class 3A-2A-1A...READ MORE

No Repeat for Decatur Grapplers

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity wrestling team's quest for a second straight state 4A-3A dual meet title ended last week with a 40-8 loss to eventual dual meet state champion Old Mill in the regional tournament. The Seahawks entered the regional dual meet last Wednesday as the number-four seed, but faced a major obstacle in top-seeded Old Mill in the first round. Decatur won the state class 4A-3A dual meet for the first time ever last year and appeared to have momentum going into the regional...READ MORE

Ocean City Boys’ Basketball League Rolls Toward Finish Line

OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department's boys' winter basketball league continued this week with a full slate of games at Northside Park. The following is a quick look at some of the action: (bullet) OC Parrotheads 26- OC/Berlin Optimists 21: Darian McKenzie scored 11 points and Dashawn Wise added eight as the Parrotheads topped the Optimists. (bullet) Old Pro Golf 26- Dough Roller 25: One point was the difference as Old Pro topped the Dough Roller. Torrey Brittingham led...READ MORE

Stanley, Seahawks Excel at States

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity indoor track and field teams made strong showings in the state championship meet this week including a state championship for Seahawk senior Tiara Stanley in the shot put. After winning the state Class 3A-East Region championship last week, the Decatur girls' indoor track and field team was well represented at the state championship meet held in Prince George's County this week. The girls' team was well represented in all events across the board and turned in...READ MORE

Berlin Inks Power Purchase Agreement

BERLIN - Berlin electric customers will pay less for their energy after the town signed a power purchase agreement Wednesday with Florida Power and Light. Just how much customers will save under the 26-month contract with Florida Power and Light is unclear, due to the complex nature of power selling. 'The base rates we are looking at are quite a bit better than the last bid we saw, probably 25 percent less than the bids we saw in the past,' said Berlin Utilities Commission (BUC) Chair Erik...READ MORE

County Schools Struggling To Make Mandated Cuts

NEWARK - With just a month to go before the Worcester County Board of Education must approve its budget request, school staffers still need to make another $1.6 million in cuts to reach a county mandated 3-percent decrease. The budget cuts discussed at the Tuesday Board of Education meeting varied not a cent from the budget reduction first presented to the school board in January. Staff had promised to look for more cuts in next year's schools budget, but did not bring more reductions in this...READ MORE

County Weighs Cuts In Face Of $11.1M Shortfall

SNOW HILL - A spontaneous declaration by Worcester County Commission President Louise Gulyas that most government departments would need to cut 5 percent rather than 3 percent from their budgets due to a projected $11.1 million shortfall was premature and had not been discussed by, or voted on, by the other commissioners. 'We're asking for 5 percent. We're keeping the Board of Education at 3 percent,' Gulyas said at Tuesday's meeting. Gulyas spoke hastily, before any official vote was taken or...READ MORE

Fager To Take Over Berlin's Atlantic Hotel Operation

BERLIN - Ocean City hotelier and restaurateur John Fager will take over Berlin's Atlantic Hotel and restaurant, long considered the town's showpiece and an anchor for downtown commerce. Town merchants and officials say they are thrilled at the news. 'It'll be a wonderful addition,' said Terri Sexton, owner of the Treasure Chest jewelry shop and a local business leader. 'We couldn't have asked for a better person to come in.' Neither Fager nor anyone from his organization returned calls for...READ MORE

Will Stimulus Funds Trickle To Worcester?

BERLIN - Just one day after President Barack Obama officially inked the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or national stimulus bill on Monday, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley was already rolling out a list of transportation projects across the state earmarked for the first phase of funding, but it remains uncertain just how much and how far the windfall will trickle down to the Eastern Shore and Worcester County. On Monday, Obama officially signed legislation putting into action his...READ MORE

'Hero' Plan Backfires In Big Way

BISHOPVILLE - A Delaware man's attempt to gain back the good graces of his fiancé this week backfired when he was arrested and charged with first-degree arson and six counts of attempted first-degree murder after setting a fire in her parent's Bishopville home early Tuesday morning. Shortly before 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the Bishopville Volunteer Fire Company responded to a reported residential structure fire on Back Creek Rd. Upon arrival, firefighters reported light smoke coming from the...READ MORE

Bishopville Pond Work Survives State Funding Cuts

SNOW HILL - The Bishopville Pond restoration project has retained state funding despite a recent round of cuts from state government, Bishopville's County Commissioner Linda Busick said this week. 'We have retained that funding,' Busick confirmed. Originally slated as part of the Route 113 dualization mitigation plan, the Bishopville Pond project has been delayed for one reason or the other for a decade. Money and design issues have made the project seem distant if not impossible at times,...READ MORE

Canale Appealing Manslaughter Conviction

BERLIN - The local man convicted on manslaughter charges and sentenced to 10 years in jail last month in the beating death of a Berlin teen in May last week filed a notice of appeal from jail in Baltimore where he is temporarily being held while corrections officials determine his ultimate fate. Dominic Canale, 22, of Ocean City, who was convicted of manslaughter in the beating death of 19-year-old Michael Harry Mitchell in Berlin last May and later sentenced to 10 years in prison, last week...READ MORE

Emergency Service For Kids To Debut In OC

OCEAN CITY - Thousands of young people descend on the resort each summer and quickly run into all sorts of problems from noise violations and underage drinking arrests to sexual assaults and serious injuries, but parents might be able sleep a little better this year knowing a pilot program has been established to provide a 24-hour emergency contact service for kids during Senior Week. Called Ice Pac 911, the fledgling program is being established by lawyer and former Ocean City summer resident...READ MORE

Mitrecic Finds Rewards Of Council Life Outweigh Negatives

(Editor's Note: This article is the latest in an ongoing profile series of the current Ocean City Mayor and Council members.)  OCEAN CITY -A challenge seemed to spark it all for Council President Joe Mitrecic. Mitrecic's hard-nosed political prowess is an interesting contrast to the man, whom when he's not holding the gavel, seems to be a non-political politician, or perhaps an atypical 'Average Joe' in a position of local power. Never one to 'soapbox', Mitrecic's rhetoric when on the...READ MORE

OC Council News In Brief

OCEAN CITY - Things at City Hall this week kind of sounded like the lyrics of a Stevie Wonder song, in that the runners can keep on running, the turbines can start their spinning and St. Patty can keep on parading. The Race Will Go On•€¦. One of the cuts in City Manager Dennis Dare's first round of budget revisions in late October saw the town of Ocean City cut the Seaside 10 race, which the town had sponsored for the past 15 years, trimming approximately $26,000 off the town's budget....READ MORE

OC Fire Chief Seeks Uniformity In Future

OCEAN CITY - Once money becomes available, Ocean City Fire Chief Chris Larmore hopes to extend the new look of the department to the equipment as well. During Tuesday's monthly report to the Mayor and City Council, Larmore said that a commission of volunteer and career firefighters unanimously approved a new logo that would be placed on all fire department and EMS vehicles next to the recently approved new department seal to create uniformity in the department vehicle fleet. 'All of our fire...READ MORE

Planning Comm. Okays Boardwalk Display Changes

OCEAN CITY - The level playing field has been laid out, but Boardwalk merchants are going to be spared the official 'referee' due to a lack of funds. The Planning and Zoning Commission have sent forward their amended guidelines to Boardwalk displays to the Mayor and City Council. City Planner Jesse Houston said that hopes to hire an enforcement officer to patrol the Boardwalk to ensure compliance is not possible due to the town's financial hardships. Houston said that some current employees,...READ MORE

Shopping Center Manager Hopes To Land New Tenants

OCEAN CITY - A new management team says it hope to restore the Montego Bay Shopping Center back to its prior distinction as being the premiere uptown shopping destination. 'We are excited to be managing an Ocean City landmark that has served residents and tourists for over 30 years,' said Jerome B. 'Jerry' Trout, III, Principal of Trout Management and Trout Daniel. 'Our goal on the leasing side is to have a number of attractive new tenants and improvements in place before the summer season...READ MORE

Test Scores Show Local Achievement Gap Narrowing

NEWARK - While local African American students still lag behind white and Hispanic students in state testing scores, the achievement gap is narrowing steadily, Worcester County school officials said this week. The decreasing difference between black and white students shows in both reading and math scores on Maryland School Assessment (MSA) tests. In 2003, reading scores for white students taking the MSA were 34.2 percent higher than the scores of black students. 'That difference in [reading]...READ MORE

My Thoughts

Today you can cross the Atlantic Ocean in a couple of hours and it means nothing. Does anyone really have to get across the ocean in a couple of hours? What could possibly be that important? Crossing the big pond was a lot more fun when it took several days aboard one of the major luxury lines. That was, and is, the only way to get to the other side. First class all the way and days of leisure to enjoy the adventure. The work got done, the duties were performed and the pace was easy. The same is...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

I am constantly amazed these days at how our little boy is changing, and it seems like he picks up some new sound, facial expression or activity every day. As of this writing, some of the biggest changes I have noticed have to do with diapers, teeth and clapping. Here are some thoughts on each. Diaper Wrestling Dirty diapers have no impact on me anymore. That was not always the case. In the early days of fatherhood, there were times when my gag reflex was put to the test, but it's no big deal...READ MORE

BIS Student Takes Top Prize in Youth Poetry Contest

The National Garden Clubs recently sponsored the 2008 Youth Poetry contest. The theme for this year's contest was "Nature's Song." All participating students received a certificate of participation. Addison Cook, of Berlin Intermediate School, was chosen as Maryland's first place winner for Grade 4. Her poem, "Nature is a Symphony" has been sent on to compete for the National Garden Clubs' Central Atlantic Regional Division for Grade 4. Pictured, back from left, are ...READ MORE

OC Elementary Students Learn About Proper Dental Hygiene

Dr. Vickers of Seaside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics recently visited students at Ocean City Elementary to discuss proper oral hygiene in celebration of Dental Health month. Pictured, from left, are first grade students Jesus Navarrete, Roman Pabich, Miles Thompson, Cali Peters and Leslie Zamora-Espinoza. ...READ MORE

Students get Three-Dimensional with Toothpicks and Gumdrops

Students in Mrs. McDowell's homeroom class used toothpicks and gum drops to construct three-dimensional models of solid figures. Students then used the three-dimensional objects to identify faces, edges and vertices. Above, fifth grader Summer Vinson constructs a rectangular prism in order to analyze its characteristics. ...READ MORE

OC Elementary After-School Club Enjoys a Dessert Dinner

Members of the third grade digital dolphins, an after-school computer club at Ocean City Elementary School, enjoyed desserts they made at the digital dolphin dessert diner. The students invented their own recipes for various desserts and then made recipe cards, posters and invitations to the diner on the computers.  Above, Michael Mareno and Eric Rimel enjoy their ice cream dessert. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Students Honored at Salisbury Art Exhibition

Max Perim, a junior at Worcester Prep, was honored with a solo art exhibition at the Art Institute & Gallery in Salisbury. The exhibit was shown during the Blooming Artist Youth Art Show. Above, winning first place in the show was an oil painting by Perim. The painting is a portrait of Rachel Sharp, a Worcester Prep senior from Snow Hill who is pictured above with Perim. Below, juniors Austin Cook, left, Ocean City and Connor Douglass, Rehoboth Beach, are pictured at the show. Cook was...READ MORE

Women of Tomorrow Awards Announced

The Worcester County Commission for Women recently announced the winners of the 'Women of Tomorrow' awards. These awards are intended to honor outstanding girls in Worcester County, who through their leadership capability, academic pursuit, and distinctive characteristics, have made a significant, positive impact on their communities. Pictured above are Claire Klingenberg and Sarah Wood, both students at SHMS, who will be honored by the Worcester County Commission for Women ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep First Graders Entertain Berlin Nursing Home Residents

Worcester Prep first grade students visited the Berlin Nursing Home to treat residents to a program of singing, Valentines, and flowers. Posing in front of Berlin Nursing Home residents Jean Letra, Wilksie Fosky, and Marie Waterhouse are some of the Worcester Prep students who distributed flowers and Valentine cards to all the residents. Kneeling, from left, are Richard Poist, Ocean City; Audrey Stearns, Berlin; Jordan Campbell, Ocean Pines; Ayrton Pryor, Selbyville; Madison Van Orden, Ocean...READ MORE

Snow Hill 8th Grader Wins Prestigious Award

The Presidential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program's goal is to applaud young people who are already making a positive difference in their towns and neighborhoods, and even more importantly, to inspire others to think how they might contribute to the well being of their communities. Hannah Scarborough, an eighth grader at Snow Hill Middle School, was recently recognized as a...READ MORE

Things I Like

Buying roses any time but Valentine's Day Movies about the Kennedys Conde Nast magazines Memories of playing in a tree stand as a kid Discovering new wines A colorful orchid Fast forwarding through commercials The unique smell of an attic Hans Christian Andersen's writings Stemless wine glasses The Berlin mural on the south side of Boomers ...READ MORE

Shockley Named 2009 Professional Advisor of the Year

Ocean City attorney Raymond C. Shockley has been named the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore's (CFES) 2009 Professional Advisor of the Year in recognition of his outstanding service in promoting philanthropy for the benefit of the community. Shockley has been responsible for helping to establish over $2 million in endowed gifts at the foundation that provide support for local charities in perpetuity. Above, Shockley receives a plaque in recognition of the award from Spicer Bell, CFES...READ MORE

Pancake Supper to be Held at OP Community Church

A Pancake Supper will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at the Community Church at Ocean Pines. The event is sponsored by the youth who will be a part of the Appalachia Service Project this summer. The pancake supper is an annual fundraiser to support their summer mission trip to Appalachia to repair homes for impoverished families who are unable to make the repairs themselves. Pancakes, sausage, juice and applesauce will be served from 4-7 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door or you can call...READ MORE

OC Surfrider Foundation gets $2500 Donation from High School Volunteers

Ocean City Surfrider Foundation's Shelly Dawson accepts a $2,500 check from Lindsey Chetalat, a senior at Stephen Decatur High School, who was one of three Baltimore Ravens' outstanding community volunteers for 2008. Chetalat received her award during the Ravens victory over the Redskins in December. The standout selected the Surfriders to receive the grant for their community efforts.  ...READ MORE

Guest Speaker at Monthly Kiwanis Club Meeting

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City recently learned about the Maryland Coastal Bays Program during its monthly meeting. Pictured is Anita Ferguson Todd, outreach coordinator, being thanked by Club President Corky Widerman for being last month's guest speaker. ...READ MORE

Unique Book Distributor at Annual Boat Show

The 26th Annual Seaside Boat Show hosted hundreds of vendors last weekend during its annual holiday show. One of the exhibitors was Barefoot Books, a distributor of unique and inspirational children's books. Above, Barefoot Books stallholder Pamella A. Russell of Berlin is pictured with Martha Todd of Ocean Pines. Photo by Patsy Bell ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Try to say as little as possible about the work you're doing through the end of the month. Then you can make your announcement and accept your well-deserved plaudits. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): You face a more difficult challenge than you expected. But with that strong Taurean determination, you should be able to deal with it successfully by week's end. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Before you act on your "feelings" about that upcoming decision, it might...READ MORE

Improving Your Portfolio Quality

OCEAN CITY - Recession, war, and corporate accounting problems are weighing on stocks and generating concerns about retirement security. Your retirement security depends not only on your pension or 401(k) plan, but also on your IRAs, deferred compensation, stock options, taxable investment accounts, annuities, insurance, and more. All assets must work together if you hope to achieve your long-term goals. There is renewed interest in investment fundamentals - the approaches to wealth creation and...READ MORE

A Week in Business

Two Earn Certification BERLIN - The National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) announced that Darlene Jameson, MPH, RD, LDN, and Linda Keplinger, RN, ABOC, achieved Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE®) status by successfully completing the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. Candidates must meet rigorous eligibility requirements to be able to take the examination. Achieving certification status demonstrates to people with diabetes that the health care professional...READ MORE