March 13, 2009

Two Seahawks Headed to D-I Schools

BERLIN- Two standout Stephen Decatur women's lacrosse players took major steps in advancing their athletic and academic careers this week, each signing national letters of intent to attend and play lacrosse at Division I schools next year. Seahawk seniors Erin McGuire and Olivia Turner, both integral parts of Decatur's amazing run of success in recent years, this week signed letters of intent to play lacrosse next year. McGuire is headed to Davidson College in North Carolina, while Turner is...READ MORE

Decatur’s Miller Wins 3rd Straight State Title

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's Danny Miller, one of the most decorated athletes in the school's history, punctuated an outstanding high school career last weekend with his third straight state wrestling championship. Miller was one of six Seahawks wrestlers to compete in the state Class 4A-3A championship meet last weekend at Cole Field House at the University of Maryland and the only one to reach the finals and win a state championship. It was the third straight for the Seahawk standout, who won a...READ MORE

Pocomoke Vying for State Hoops Titles

BERLIN- Both Pocomoke High School varsity basketball teams will play in their respective state championship Final Fours today with a chance to add to the little school's ever-growing state title trophy case on the line. Pound for pound, or sport for sport, Pocomoke has become one of the most successful high school athletic programs in the state in terms of collecting state championship hardware. Over the years, the Warriors have won 28 state championships in various sports including 16 by the...READ MORE

Embezzling Arrest

BERLIN - A Berlin woman was arrested on felony theft charges last week after an investigation revealed she allegedly had stolen roughly $20,000 from the Newscenter-Hallmark store in West Ocean City during her employment there. After an investigation by the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (WCBI), Mary M. Taylor, 59, of Berlin, was arrested last week and charged with two counts of felony theft over $500. Taylor has been accused of stealing approximately $20,000 from the store during the...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

Maynard William Timme BERLIN - Maynard William Timme, of Ocean City, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. Born April 30, 1926 in St. Petersburg, Fla., he was the son of the late Carl F. and Rose (Jones) Timme. He was educated in Olean schools and in 1950 received a BA degree and an Army Commission from St. Bonaventure College. A decorated veteran of World War II, he served in Europe as a Frontline Combat Infantryman in General Patton's Third Army, 26th Division, where he earned the Combat...READ MORE

Assateague Horses Staying Put

ASSATEAGUE - National Parks Service officials this week announced a final management plan to reduce the size of the herd of feral horses on Assateague, choosing an option that includes intensifying the existing contraception program and other measures over a possible removal of some of the beloved ponies from the island. Two years ago, National Parks Service (NPS) officials announced they were seeking a better way to achieve a balance between keeping the Assateague horses healthy and roaming...READ MORE

Friday, March 13--Developmental Center Lawsuit Dismissal Sought

BERLIN - The Worcester County Developmental Center (WCDC) and two staffers named in a discrimination lawsuit filed against the agency by a former employee last month, alleging a long pattern of intimidation and discrimination that ended with her termination in September 2008, are seeking to have the case dismissed. Former WCDC employee Jometta Johnson, through her attorney, last month filed suit against the agency and two her supervisors alleging race discrimination, retaliation, assault and...READ MORE

Friday, March 13--Limited Flounder Season OK'd

OCEAN CITY - Despite complaints of severely flawed catch data, state officials this week moved forward with new regulations for summer flounder in 2009 including an increase in the minimum size for keepers and the first season closure of the fishery in several years in an effort to bring the state's catch totals within the prescribed target number. According to state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials, the recreational summer flounder fishery in Maryland, which is almost exclusively...READ MORE

Friday, March 13--New Commercial Pool Regulations In Effect

BERLIN - With another summer season rapidly approaching, county health department officials are scrambling to ensure the hundreds of pools, hot tubs and spas throughout the resort area are in compliance with a new federal regulation on drain covers and suction entrapment protection standards. Each year, tragic stories are reported around the country of children, and even adults in some cases, drowning in pools after getting caught in high-suction drainage systems. In December 2007, Congress...READ MORE

Friday, March 13--Resort Job Fair Attendance Soars

OCEAN CITY - Over 3,000 people, or roughly three times the usual number, streamed through the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce's annual job fair last Saturday, perhaps signaling an opportunity for the resort business community to strengthen its workforce this year for what may be a trying summer season. Greater Ocean City Chamber Executive Director Melanie Pursel said this week a little more than 3,000 potential workers attended the job fair last Saturday, including over 900 who pre-registered...READ MORE

People in Society

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

See Who Was Where and When

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

Berlin Resolves Major Sewer Issues

BERLIN - The Berlin Mayor and Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve wastewater regulations that have been under development for two years. The regulations retained the 10 percent deposit per EDU on application for allocation and did not include a sunset or •€˜use it or lose it' provision. The regulations on allocation and payment apply to requests made after 2008 only. The 10-percent deposit did not come up for discussion at Monday's meeting, although the council discussed the...READ MORE

Bill Gives Ocean Pines Share Of Slots Revenue

BERLIN - Worcester's delegation in the House in Annapolis is seeking to carve out a slice of the potential slots revenue from Ocean Downs for the Ocean Pines community from the county's share. In the version of the bill approved by voters across the state in the November referendum, the local allocation formula for Worcester included 70 percent for county at-large, with 20 percent going to Ocean City and 10 percent going to Berlin. The proposed formula has been the source of much consternation...READ MORE

Council Opts To Review All Wind Turbine Usage

OCEAN CITY - Mayor Rick Meehan thought that the council had passed an ordinance that had no 'practical use', so the elected officials decided to make all wind turbines a 'conditional use' in Ocean City. After Meehan vetoed the city ordinance that would allow wind turbines on Ocean City properties, the City Council voted 5-1, with Jim Hall in opposition and Mary Knight absent, to make all wind turbines first go through the Board of Zoning Appeals, a public hearing and then Mayor and...READ MORE

Officials Dispel Rumors, Confirm Tourney Still On

OCEAN CITY - After a bit of speculation that the highly anticipated pro volleyball event may not come to town, local officials were reassured that the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is coming, promotional dollars or not. Ocean City was added to the list of stops for the 2009 AVP Crocs Tour last month after the association withdrew from a scheduled New Jersey event, opening the door for Ocean City to become not only one of this year's tour stops, but also an annual stop. 'They've...READ MORE

Optimism Abounds One Year After Boardwalk Fire

OCEAN CITY - There are many things that Bill Gibbs lost in the fire one year ago, but his sense of optimism was not one of them. The Dough Roller Restaurants owner Bill Gibbs says he tries not to look back on the day in which a fire destroyed his Boardwalk business. Instead, he claims he's been pushing forward ever since. One day after a nine-alarm fire destroyed the Dough Roller in downtown Ocean City last year, Gibbs was in the offices of architectural firm Becker Morgan with blueprints for...READ MORE

Assateague Burn Underway

ASSATEAGUE - A massive controlled, or prescribed, burn of invasive phragmites on Assateague Island got underway in earnest yesterday as thick smoke and open flames billowed from the barrier island. National Parks Service crews from all over the country descended on Assateague yesterday to begin the second phase of an effort started last fall to rid the island of the destructive grasses. The first phase included an aerial spraying of the invasive plants with an approved herbicide, designed to...READ MORE

Berlin Council Seeking Sidewalk Improvement Plan

BERLIN - Sidewalks in Berlin need an improvement plan, according to Berlin Mayor and Council discussions Monday night. The idea was brought up with Councilman Troy Purnell's request that the town look into adding sidewalks on Broad Street and upgrading the deteriorating sidewalks on Main Street 'You walk down north Main Street and the sidewalks are just horrendous,' Purnell said. Purnell, who lives on Broad St., said cars come through at 50 mph and there is no safe place for pedestrians to walk...READ MORE

Comptroller Meets With Business Leaders

WEST OCEAN CITY - If resort business leaders were hoping for good news when they met with State Comptroller Peter Franchot on Monday, they certainly didn't come away from the informal gathering satisfied. Franchot met with Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce leaders on Monday as part of a tour of the state to find out what is going on in the communities. Franchot said the intent of the visit was to gauge how resort business leaders were reacting to economic conditions in the state as another...READ MORE

Historic District Regs Changed

BERLIN - Berlin's Historic District Commission regulations were repealed and reenacted Monday night to bring the code in line with state law, loosening membership requirements. Previous requirements that pulled commission members from different parts of town not only were not in line with state regulations, they had not been and were not being followed in practice. Until Monday, the town had a policy on the books to draw two members of the historic district commission from residents of the...READ MORE

OC Air Show Nearly Booked With Latest Additions

OCEAN CITY - Virtually all of the performers have been booked for the 2009 Ocean City Air Show, and the event's promoter boasted that the bill of performers is in the 'top three lineups in the country.' Promoter Brian Lilley said that 90 percent of the performers have been booked for the 2nd Annual Air Show that will take place June 12-14, and the rest will be booked in upcoming weeks if all goes as planned. 'To be over three months out and have 90 percent of our lineup in only our second year...READ MORE

Ocean City News In Brief

OCEAN CITY -In 'the brief' this week, the town of Ocean City could be playfully punned as a 'work' in progress. Town officials saw firsthand how a reverse auction works, chose to post how the meetings are supposed to work, one official vowed to make the convention center expansion 'work' and watched many folks become annoyed when construction crews stop working. Botched Permit Process Stalls Jamestown Project Ocean City Public Works Director Hal Adkins told The Dispatch this week he voluntarily...READ MORE

Potential Demand Spike Worrries Homeless Shelter

WEST OCEAN CITY - Diakonia Director Claudia Nagle is worried that the homeless shelter will see many more people seeking shelter and services as the recession goes on, a trend she has already seen in requests for food help. She knows that more and more people are in trouble simply from the numbers of visits to the Diakonia food pantry, which have doubled in the last few months. 'People who used to be donors, some of them are now using our food pantry,' Nagle said. People who need help to feed...READ MORE

Resort's Ad Budget Expected To Dip

OCEAN CITY - Due to a projected decline in room tax and gross room revenue for this year, the advertising budget for the town of Ocean City may have to be reduced once again for fiscal year 2010. Ocean City Budget Manager Jennie Knapp briefed the Tourism Commission last week on the notion that she may have to reduce the advertising budget another $25,000 for 2010 based on the projected revenue brought in by the 4.5 percent room tax and the estimated gross room revenue for this year. 'Our...READ MORE

Website Launch To Coincide With New Ad Campaign

OCEAN CITY - Ocean City's new website is on schedule, and the launch date has been set. The town's new $178,000 website will be launched on May 11 to coincide with the launch of this year's television and radio advertising, according to MGH President Andy Malis, who previewed screen shots of the new site at the Tourism Commission meeting last week. 'We will be live on May 11,' said Malis, 'and though the site will never technically be finished, per say, as we will always be adding new features,...READ MORE

Website Tracks Stimulus Money

BERLIN - Local residents concerned about just how the state intends to spend the millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding heading its way are now able to track expenditures in their communities. Gov. Martin O'Malley last week announced Maryland's plan to monitor and track the expenditure of federal stimulus funds in the state with the launching of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act website. With just the click of a mouse, website users are expected to be able to locate their home...READ MORE

Workers Injured In Building Mishap

OCEAN CITY - Three workers were injured in an accident at a downtown hotel this week when an interior elevator, or 'dumb-waiter,' in which they were riding rapidly plunged three stories to the ground floor. Around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Ocean City Fire Department units were dispatched to the Lankford Hotel on the Boardwalk at 8th Street for a reported accident. The investigation revealed three workers, whose names have not been released, had fallen three stories when a piece of equipment had...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

One day before the state projected an even deeper budget shortfall for the next fiscal year, Baltimore City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anders Alonso made some waves when he announced a multi-faceted plan to cut the school system's spending. Along with a consolidation and closing of certain schools, he wants to see the central office staff reduced by 179 employees, or 15-percent. This comes after he eliminated 310 jobs last year. "The schools have to be at the center of the universe, and...READ MORE

Officials Opt For Wise Horse Course

Faced with natural concerns associated with the wild horse population on Assateague Island, federal officials opted for the logical alternative. Going with what is essentially a slightly more aggressive version of the status quo was a wise decision.  The millions who visit Assateague Island each year find the wild horses to be quite charming and there is no disputing they are a popular draw for many. It's a common sight to see ponies walking along the beach or paths in concert with people....READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

A little hiatus this week from the life and times of Beckett Green, who is more than likely as I write this busy at home babbling, crawling and getting into anything and everything his mother will let him. Maybe even a pile of avocado, his favorite new food. Something I read last weekend has caused me to be a little reflective this week. So bear with me as I sort through some thoughts I have been having the last couple days. A good speech usually stays with me for a day or two. A good sentence...READ MORE

SDHS Inducts 41 Students to Math Honor Society

Stephen Decatur High School inducted 41 students last month into the first-ever Math Honor Society. Requirements included a 3.75 grade point average in math courses and enrollment in an advanced math course. Senior Cori Bane is pictured above receiving her induction certificate from Principal Lou Taylor. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

6th Grade BIS Barracuda Team Continues Visits to Berlin Nursing Home

The sixth grade Barracuda team of Berlin Intermediate School has made frequent visits to the Berlin Nursing Home as part of its Service Learning program. The residents and students met each other last fall. The students' lives were enriched through the mutual stories shared. Above, sixth-grader Brianna Carpenter chats with a resident of the Berlin Nursing Home. ...READ MORE

Jump Rope For Heart Participants Raise over $4500

Second grader Baliee Bowden from Buckingham Elementary School was one of the many Jump Rope For Heart participants who helped raise over $4,500 for the American Heart Association. ...READ MORE

Snow Hill Elementary School Students Celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Snow Hill Elementary School students celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday last week by reading his stories in class and feasting on Seuss character cakes. Read Across America, which focuses on motivating children to read, is celebrated annually on Dr. Seuss' birthday, which was Monday, March 2. Pictured with their "One fish, two fish..." cake and several Dr. Seuss characters are Snow Hill Elementary second grade students Corey Williamson, Cheyenne Pitts, Ryan Halter and Chloe...READ MORE

Worcester Prep 7th Grader Wins State Essay Competition

Claire Dorey, a seventh grade student at Worcester Prep, was one of the state winners in the annual Elks Essay Competition. She was honored at the statewide meeting of the Elks in Frederick, Md. and received a plaque and a check. With Dorsey is Elks President Priscilla Schwab, who presented the award. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Girls Learn About Success

Cathy Davies-Harmon, Senior Vice President at Morgan Stanley, recently talked with Worcester Prep freshman girls about women and success and dressing for success. Harmon each year treats the girls to an exciting and inspiring session in which she not only challenges them to move forward to their goals, but also inspires them to be proud of and make use of their talents. With her are, Ellie Brown, Bethany Beach; Michelle Stickler, Lewes; Patricia Twilley, Salisbury; Jenn Moore, Salisbury;...READ MORE

Things I Like

Seeing the daffodils sprouting out of the ground Giving an old dog a treat Hanging on the beach on a warm winter day A veggie burger every once in a while Watching my son entertain himself A well-done pizza on a thin crust The Senator in Baltimore Sunglasses with no scratches on the lens Having lunch on the Boardwalk A quick game of pool Walks with my wife and son ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Although you tend to bore easily and leave others to finish what you start, this is one time when you'd be wise to complete things on your own. Then you can move on to something new. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Your indecision about a personal situation might come out of those mixed signals you're getting. Best not to make any commitments until you have a better sense of how things are going. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): A dispute appears to be getting out of hand....READ MORE

K Coast donates to Career Fire Fighters and Paramedics of OC

Members of the Career Fire Fighter Paramedics Association of Ocean City, IAFF Local 4269 accepted a donation from K-Coast Surf Shop's 10th Annual Reef Surf Challenge. To date K-Coast has donated over $10,000 to the Paramedics. Pictured, from left, are President Tom Kane, K-Coast Manager Mark Harrell and Co-Owner Mark Pugh and Past President Michael Maykrantz. Not pictured Co-Owner Chris Shanahan. Submitted Photos ...READ MORE

Kids Decorate Flower Pots for Berlin Nursing Home Residents

Lilly Jones recently came up with a unique way to celebrate her birthday. For her sixth birthday, Jones and her friends decorated and planted flower pots, which she will donate to the Berlin Nursing Home. Pictured, from left, are Jamie Adams, Grace Brukiewa, Mary Mergott, Victoria Mueller, Jones, Brittyn Leonard, Kaitlyn Mourlas and Griffin Jones. ...READ MORE

XI Beta Epsilon Sorority Celbrates Chapter Birthday in the Pines

The XI Beta Episilon Sorority sisters recently celebrated their chapter's birthday at the Marina Deck in Ocean Pines. President Shirley Ballantine, front second from left, is pictured with 12 of the chapter's 16 members. The sorority raises funds throughout the year for numerous charities in the area. ...READ MORE

Area 5-7 Year Olds Take Spanish Lessons

Teacher Nery Holdren recently arranged to use the Ocean Pines library branch to offer high quality Spanish lessons for children 5-7. Pictured, front, are Ian Ramnarain, Kennedy Hamby and Liam Foley; and, back, Damiana Colley, Erika Holdren and Kaya Colley. Not pictured are Maeve Donahue and Kayden Hamby. ...READ MORE

Republican Women of Worcester County Luncheon Held

The Republican Women of Worcester County Luncheon was held last month at the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound. Pictured, from left, are Joan Lindenhofen, a new member; Barbara Loffler,Membership Chair; Joe Arminio, guest speaker and author; Ann Lutz, President; and Rosemary Nykvist. ...READ MORE

Two Economic Trends Emerging

OCEAN CITY - As the global economy struggles to return to more normal growth in the coming year, investors can expect two economic trends to emerge: consolidation and protectionism, says Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch (BAS-ML) Research Chief Investment Strategist Richard Bernstein. Consolidation, the reduction of capacity because of excessive inventory, is the natural flip side of the credit bubble's overbuilt balance sheets and inflated demand. During 2009, credit-related problems may...READ MORE

My Thoughts

Insider's best friend is a coupon clipper. She seems to really enjoy it every Sunday when she takes the paper and sorts through all the inserts to see all the deals. When she goes grocery shopping every other week, she takes along her envelope of coupons. It usually takes her about two hours to do her grocery shopping. The good news is she always ends up saving about $20, thanks to that trusty coupon envelope. The other day while she was in the powder room the old guy grabbed her coupons to see...READ MORE

A Week in Business

New Sales Associate OCEAN CITY - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Ocean City/120th Street has welcomed Tina Dorsey as a sales associate. With Coldwell Banker's full-service marketing system and global resources, Dorsey will serve buyers and sellers throughout Ocean City and surrounding shore areas. She will utilize the company's advanced technology, including LeadRouter, which allows her to quickly respond to online inquiries sent directly to her cell phone as automated voice...READ MORE