November 6, 2009

Friday, Nov 6--'Rodney' Psyched for Renewal

OCEAN CITY- To hear him explain it, there seems to be no one as excited that the town decided to keep Rodney the Lifeguard as their spokesman for next year as Rodney himself. Blake Adams, the New York City-based actor who portrayed the town's spokesguard in its multi-million dollar advertising campaign created by MGH, said that when he got the news that his role was to be renewed for at least one more year, he was ecstatic. 'I was thrilled, I mean really thrilled,' said Adams. 'I jumped and...READ MORE

County Denies Kayak Launch Proposal

SNOW HILL - Citing liability issues, four Worcester County Commissioners rejected official involvement in a kayak and canoe launch to be built at the old Ocean City dump site on Ayres Creek. 'The actual concern was the $5,000 deductible per incident the county would be required to pay for defense costs if there is a suit to defend,' county spokesperson Kim Moses said after the commissioners rejected the proposal on Tuesday. 'The insurance carrier is not going to defend the county from a claim...READ MORE

Kayak Launch Project Caught in Political Tug-of-War

OCEAN CITY- What seemed like a simple yes or no question, has perhaps turned into a bit of a political stalemate. Dr. Roman Jesien of Maryland Coastal Bays says he feels like he's stuck in between two political siblings that can't play nice in the proverbial sandbox together; and all he wants to do is install a kayak launch. Jessien and his colleagues at Maryland Coastal Bays Program have been in front of the Ocean City Mayor and Council on two occasions to gain support and the blessing to use...READ MORE

Route 90 Improvements Dialogue Spirited

OCEAN CITY•€'Mayor Rick Meehan knows that the likelihood of dualizing Route 90 in the next few years is slim, but more importantly, he says that the conversation needs to become serious now for the future planning of Ocean City. After his comments to State Highway Administration District Engineer Donnie Drewer last week concerning his desire to see the dualization of Route 90 happen before the reconstruction or renovation of the Route 50 bridge, the conversation has apparently begun, at...READ MORE

Proposed Code Amendment on Farmland Debated

SNOW HILL- A proposed zoning code change to allow farm owners an extra two residential lots for family members, in addition to the five lots already allowed to be subdivided from farm land, did not see much support from elected officials during Tuesday's comprehensive rezoning work session and is slated to be considered in the future as a text amendment. Commissioner Virgil Shockley, a farmer himself and widely regarded as representing farmers throughout the county whatever the district,...READ MORE

Gang Activity Subject of Meeting

SNOW HILL- With increased gang activity making its presence felt in across the state including the Eastern Shore, Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd last week held a formal meeting with various local law enforcement agencies to discuss the proliferation of the criminal elements and improve awareness. Todd hosted the meeting at the County Courthouse in Snow Hill last Wednesday, inviting local law enforcement groups to weigh on what they are seeing and hearing about the proliferation of...READ MORE

Route 589 Proposals Outlined

SNOW HILL- A booklet sent out to local residents recently heralded the future of Route 589 as a dualized roadway, but promised little progress any time soon. Short-term fixes are due by 2015, according to the State Highway Administration (SHA), with the long-term improvements projected by 2030. Without funding for the final design, the purchase of right-of-way land, and then funding for the actual construction of the road improvements, those dates are merely conjectural at this point. The...READ MORE

Arguments Heard in School Board Appeal

BERLIN- The state's Court of Special Appeals on Wednesday heard testimony from both sides in the appeal filed by the Worcester County Board of Education last year in an effort to reverse a $1.1 million judgment awarded to a private contractor replaced mid-way through the construction of the Ocean City Elementary School over three years ago with both sides coming out confident in their arguments. Last October, the Worcester County School Board filed a notice of appeal with the state's Court of...READ MORE

Berlin Man Held in Pub Stabbing

OCEAN PINES- A Berlin man was arrested on first-degree assault and other serious charges last week after allegedly stabbing another man in an Ocean Pines restaurant and bar during a dispute about auto repairs. Last Wednesday, Worcester County Sheriff's Deputies and Maryland State Police Troopers responded to Whisker's Bar and Grill in the Ocean Pines Plaza for a reported stabbing. Upon arrival, deputies observed the suspect, later identified as Donald Lewis, 67, of Berlin, backing out of a...READ MORE

Ocean City News in Brief

OCEAN CITY- In the briefs this week, the convention center director search is coming close to an end, an alternate moves up to board member, and the budget update confirms a job well done from a financial standpoint. Budget Surplus Puts Town in 'Great Position' For Next Year It's been widely reported that the town saved $2.7 million in budget cuts last year, and that trimming of the proverbial 'low hanging fruit' as City Manager Dennis Dare so aptly put, has put the town of Ocean City in a very...READ MORE

Guilty Plea in Drugs, Gun Case

OCEAN CITY- A Denton, Md. man arrested in July for carrying a loaded handgun in downtown Ocean City after an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer observed him and another man smoking marijuana while walking down the street pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of cocaine and weapons charges and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Around 3 p.m. on July 2, an OCPD officer on bicycle patrol observed two men walking down the street in the area of 11th Street and Baltimore Ave. with one of...READ MORE

County Rejects Open Meeting Ruling

SNOW HILL- Worcester County officials this week disagreed with the decision by a state board that the County Commissioners violated the Maryland Open Meetings Act during a late May budget meeting, a decision handed down last week. Instead of finishing the discussion of the consolidation of three departments into one in the open budget work session on May 26, the county commissioners went into closed session ostensibly to protect the identity of the workers who faced losing their jobs under the...READ MORE

Season Numbers Reason for Optimism

OCEAN CITY- Although the numbers only tell part of the story, town officials say that it was at least somewhat of a happy ending to the summer season, all things considered. When September's room and food and beverage tax statistics were released last week, no one expected to see any broken records, but what the September numbers showed, was in fact, the first time that both numbers had gone up from the previous year since October of 2008. Room tax receipts jumped $81,000 or 8-percent from last...READ MORE

West Virginia Fugitive Nabbed in Resort

OCEAN CITY- A West Virginia man wanted on child pornography and child sexual assault charges was located and arrested in Ocean City last weekend on Halloween. Last Saturday, Ocean City Police received an alert to be on the lookout for Roger Stotler, 45, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, who was believed to be in the resort area. Stotler was wanted in West Virginia for possession of child pornography and sexual assault of a minor in West Virginia and law enforcement officials there alerted Ocean...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

A Veterans Day Thought Editor: (The following letter was addressed to George Russell Oliver within weeks of being discharged from the Navy in World War II. The letter, dated April 20, 1946, was written by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal.) I have  addressed this letter to reach you after all the formalities of your separation from active service are completed. I have done so because, without formality but as clearly as I know how  to say it, I want the Navy's pride in you, which...READ MORE

What Others Are Saying

Veterans Day is for Ordinary People Accomplishing the Extraordinary By Clarence E. Hill When then-Governor Ronald Reagan introduced returning POW John McCain at a speaking engagement in 1974, the future president asked, 'Where do we find such men?' He was speaking of many veterans, when he answered, 'We find them in our streets, in the office, the shops and the working places of our country and on the farms.' In other words, President Reagan was referring to ordinary people accomplishing...READ MORE

Fugitive Nabbed

OCEAN CITY - A routine traffic stop last weekend in Ocean City led to the arrest of a man wanted on serious charges including first-degree assault and armed robbery in two other Maryland counties. Around 10:44 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police made a traffic stop on Coastal Highway in the area of 38th Street. The suspect, later identified as Christopher McCray, 24, of Washington, D.C., at first gave OCPD officers a false name and date of birth. However, it was later determined the suspect,...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

Katie C. Jenkins BERLIN - Katie C. Jenkins of Berlin died Nov. 4, 2009 at the age of 101 years, at her apartment in the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin after a brief illness. She was the daughter of the late Charles H. Clark and Iva Maude Clark. She was born in Taylorville on March 1, 1908 and grew up in Ocean City where she witnessed its transformation from a small fishing village to the Mid-Atlantic's seaside resort. During that time frame she and her husband, Cullen "Jiggs" S. Jenkins...READ MORE

Berlin Dolphins Route Salisbury, 32-0

BERLIN- The Berlin Junior Dolphins ran their record to 5-1 last week, routing the Salisbury Bulldogs, 32-0, to move closer to a playoff berth in the Salvation Army Youth Football League. The Dolphins dominated the game from start to finish in a contest decidedly largely in the trenches. Berlin's offensive line consistently pushed back the Salisbury defenders all day, creating huge holes for the Dolphin's running backs, who combined for over 300 yards rushing in the game. Berlin scored early on a...READ MORE

Decatur Outlasts WiHi, 28-23

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity football team outlasted Wicomico last week, 28-23, to keep its faint state playoff hopes alive with a familiar roadblock in county rival Snow Hill standing in the way. The Seahawks capitalized on a few miscues by WiHi and took care of business on their end to beat the Indians, 28-23. Delonte Tate was again the catalyst for the Decatur victory, rushing for one touchdown, but perhaps more importantly, picking off two Wicomico passes and returning them for...READ MORE

Decatur Teams Bow Out of States

BERLIN- In the span of about 24 hours late last week, three of Stephen Decatur's fall sports teams bowed out of their respective state playoff runs, providing a quiet ending for otherwise successful campaigns. It started last Thursday when the Decatur girls' varsity soccer team fell to Hebron, 2-0, in the opening round of the state Class 3A-East regional playoffs. The Seahawks finished the regular season with a 6-5 record and earned a number-eight seed in the Class 3A-East region. However, the...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Holds Awards Ceremony For Teams, Athletes

Worcester Prep recently handed out several awards and post-season accolades to its outstanding fall season athletes. The Mallards' varsity golf team won both the ESIAC regular season and tournament championships with Christina Vosters winning Conference Player of the Year honors for the third straight year, joining Ty Mayers and Scott Gee on the All-Conference team. Coach Kevin Gates was also named ESIAC Coach of the year. Pictured above, right, kneeling, is Gee, Patrick Dowling, Josh Moyer and...READ MORE

Seahawks Fall in Conference Title Match

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's varsity volleyball team fell in the Bayside Conference championship on Tuesday, dropping three tough games to powerhouse North Caroline, but the Seahawks move on with the state regional playoffs that get underway early next week. Decatur finished the regular season with a 13-2 record but lost to Bennett in four games last week in the season finale to finish in a virtual dead heat atop the Bayside South standings. It came to a coin toss to determine who got a chance to...READ MORE

ATP "Tough Guy" of the Week

This week's Atlantic Physical Therapy 'Tough Guy of the Week' award went to Seahawk Kyle Leslie for his outstanding play in a big win over Wicomico High last weekend. Pictured above is Leslie (center) flanked by Coach Bob Knox (left) and ATP representative Heather Little (right). ...READ MORE

Faces in Places

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

Friday, Nov 6--State Record Tilefish Caught

•€¦Record Tile is Sixth of Year OCEAN CITY- Another state fishing record fell late last month when angler Steve Doctor and the crew aboard the 'Angler' landed a 62-pound golden tilefish during a three-day excursion, tumbling the sixth state record off the coast of the resort this season. When Doctor and the crew aboard the 'Angler' with Captain Chris Mizurak and mate Dean Lo set out in late October for a three-day late season trip including, obviously, two overnighters, they didn't...READ MORE

Friday, Nov 6--Local Man Helps Save Three Sinking Ships

OCEAN CITY- A local man with a colorful past including work on the salvage of a 17th century Spanish galleon off the coast of Florida was pressed into salvage work of a different sort last week when he helped Coast Guard officials save three vessels from sinking in the bay in the area of 1st Street during a recent storm. Ocean City resident Mike Ivey has, by his own admission, seen and done a lot of salvage work on historic wrecks off the coast of Florida including the famed Nuestra Senora de...READ MORE

Friday, Nov 6--Rezoning Plan Finally Approved

SNOW HILL- Over 1,300 days, or roughly three-and-a-half years after the award-winning March 2006 Worcester County Comprehensive Plan was approved, the associated comprehensive rezoning, new zoning code, and new subdivision regulations were endorsed this week. The •€˜new' Comprehensive Plan was approved on March 26, 2006. The rezoning code, subdivision regulations, and new zoning maps had to wait three years and seven months more for completion and approval on November 3, 2009. When the...READ MORE

Bank of Ocean City Names SDHS MVP of the Week

The Bank of Ocean City has sponsored the live broadcast of Stephen Decatur High School's football games on WQMR 101.1FM this season. In addition, the bank has presented a weekly plaque to the MVP of each game as well as making a $50 donation to the football program's athletic boosters. Above, from left, are Coach Bob Bnox, this week's MVP Delonte Tate and Bank of Ocean City's Earl Conley. ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Inducts National Honor Society Students

At the National Honor Society inductions recently held at Worcester Prep were, from left, Wesley Scott, Ben Mumford, Hunter Harmon, Chris Fisher and Ty Mayers. Other students inducted, but not pictured, were Haylea Reiner, Hope Evans, Carson Wigley, Bethany Parks, Devon Zorn, Anna Pavlos, Rubab Ahmad, Ali Schwartz, Alexia Buas, Maddy DiNardo, Lauren Mollichelli, Chase Powell, Kyle Joseph, Duncan McIntosh, Matt Carey, Thomas Edmunds, R.J. Smith, Brad Pedigo, Billy Tyler, Erin Cook, Morgan...READ MORE

Superintendent Visits OC Elementary Third Graders

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes recently visited the third grade classroom of Carolyn Mitrecic at Ocean City Elementary School.  Students were in Literature Circle groups reading and discussing different books during the Enrichment period.  Andes is pictured with Tara Fischer, Jack Remmell, and Remy Trader. ...READ MORE

SDHS Homecoming King and Queen Crowned

Stephen Decatur High School's 2009 Homecoming Queen and King were crowned at the end of a week full of Homecoming activities. King Joey Lertora was crowned Friday afternoon, Oct. 23, during the Homecoming pep rally, while Queen Taylor Blazer was crowned later that night during half time of the Homecoming football game. ...READ MORE

Buckingham Elementary 4th Graders Host "Lights On After School"

Buckingham Elementary School's Fourth Grade Academy hosted "Lights On After School" for students and parents on Oct. 28. Above, Navetoria Dix and her son Taronn Rounds and fourth grader Tromaine Briddel and his father, Tromaine Briddel, work together to solve math problems on the computer. ...READ MORE

OC Elementary School Students of the Month

Ocean City Elementary School recently announced its October Students of the Month. Above, first row, from left, are first grade winners Chase Porter, Frances Baptiste, Elizabeth Coates (not pictured, Maddox Bunting and Gavin Conner); second row, second graders  Victoria Dixon, McKayla Oates, Miles Thompson, Robert Pinzhoffer and Abigail Yesko;  third row, third graders James Doerzbach; Jagger Clapsadle, Lily Figgs, Reed Welton, Gavin Bunting and Kevin Beck; and fourth row,...READ MORE

Buckingham Holds Perfect Attendance Pool Party

Buckingham Elementary School recently held a perfect Attendance Pool and Pizza Party at the Francis Scott Key. Pictured, front are MarQue Waters, Kelle Grau, Levi Metzger and Zerrick Collins; second row, Edward Fooks, Nia Purnell and Akira Mumford; and, McKenzie Gaynor, back. ...READ MORE

A Week In Business

New Chapter Coordinator BERLIN - Emily Karnbauer has been named the new Coordinator of Women Supporting Women's Worcester County Chapter. For the last 9 ½ years, she has served as a caseworker for Child Protective Services in both Maryland and Pennsylvania. She is a native of Pittsburgh and graduated from Slippery Rock State University. When she moved to Ocean City, she started out as assistant director for Camp Horizon for the Town of Ocean City, before moving to Child Protective Services in...READ MORE

Things I Like

A workweek that goes by fast The show, 'Modern Family' Walking through a pile of crunchy leaves Halloween in Berlin A great sunrise over the ocean Watching my son run in the backyard The Monday after a Ravens win A kid playing catch with his dad A tractor working in a field Phone calls reporting big news A weekend that goes by slow ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): A long-sought workplace change could be happening soon. Consider reworking your ideas and preparing a presentation just in case. A personal relationship takes a new turn. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Your persuasiveness doesn't really start to kick in until midweek. By then, you can count on having more supporters in your camp, including some you doubted would ever join you. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Your workload is still high, but -- good news! -- you should...READ MORE

Preparing For Tomorrow Is Key

OCEAN CITY - While there is never a wrong time to revisit your estate plan with your attorney, two aspects of the current economic environment may provide an especially good opportunity to launch new trusts or structured charitable giving. In our view, today's very low interest rates are advantageous for some estate planning vehicles, and if you're thinking about transferring securities or real estate to your heirs, the fact that such assets have probably lost value •€' an otherwise painful...READ MORE

3rd Annual Apple/Pumpkin Festival On the Horizon

Nov. 14 will be the day of the 3rd Annual Apple/Pumpkin Festival for the benefit of the Al Harmon Memorial Scholarship Fund at the American Legion Post on 23rd Street in Ocean City. The time for this year festival will be 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The past two annual festivals have raised over $9,000 for the scholarship fund. Pictured above are event committee members Joe Salafia, Eileen Salafia, Paul Hawkins, Chris Hawkins, Rosie Garlitz and Dolores Price. Not shown are Joy Faulkner. ...READ MORE

SDHS Gets Conference Sportsmanship Award

Principal Louis Taylor announced last week that for the second year in a row Stephen Decatur High School has received the Bayside South Conference Sportsmanship Award. For more than a decade, the award has been presented to a conference school that has accumulated the highest ranking in climate, spectators, coaching and supervision.  For each varsity sport throughout the year, Bayside South Conference schools submit evaluations ranking their opponents. At the conclusion of the school...READ MORE

OC Power Squadron Holds Monthly Meeting

The Ocean City Power Squadron held its October Meeting at DeNovo's Trattoria. At the meeting, Commander Jim Bergold presented Bob and Kelly Beck with a plaque expressing gratitude for the generous donation in opening DeNovo's and providing a spaghetti dinner to support the annual fundraiser for boating safety and education. Bob Beck, left, is pictured above with Bergold. ...READ MORE

Light the Night Event Held on Boardwalk for Charity

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night event was held on the Boardwalk last month. Volunteers from Worcester Prep are, from left, Lauren Price, Ali Schwartz, Lynde Pepper, Haylea Reiner and Kayla Baier. ...READ MORE

OC Rec and Parks Line Dancers Gather At Seacrets

The Ocean City Recreation and Parks' Line Dancers are pictured at Seacrets during a recent gathering for Halloween. ...READ MORE

People in Society

A snapshot of folks lending a helping hand throughout the community ...READ MORE