June 4, 2010

Bound And Gagged

Bound And Gagged WEST OCEAN CITY - A West Ocean City man was arrested on assault and false imprisonment charges last week after allegedly binding and gagging his live-in girlfriend. Around 5 a.m. last Thursday, Worcester County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a residence on Old Bridge Rd. in West Ocean City for a reported domestic disturbance. Immediately upon arrival on the scene, the deputy observed a female victim run from the residence partially clothed with a gag in her mouth and her...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

Sanity, although a relative term anyway, means something unique to parents, particularly those with little ones. My kids have a way of keeping me on my toes. In many ways, they are extremely unpredictable, while in other matters they are routine. Beckett, the toddler, rules the house for the most part, but it's interesting that my younger son, Carson, can take charge when he puts his mind to it. This is a new phenomenon in my world. Since we have become accustomed to his laidback approach, when...READ MORE

Who's Playing Where and When Musically Speaking

Sports Bar & Grille Old Bridge Road, West OC June 4: Blue Sky Saturday: Karaoke With Hey Mick June 10: Walt The Freak, 6-10 p.m. The , Talbot St. On the bay June 4: TBA June 5 & Sunday, June 6: TBA Sunday: Local's Social with DJ Rusty Griswald, 10 p.m. Salty Dog , 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. June 4: Bryan Russo Trio June 5: Woodstok Nation Sunday: Local's Party with DJ BK Wednesday: DJ JJ June 10: DJ Wax bar & Grill off the boards on 2nd St. June 4: Dave Sherman, 1-5 p.m.; Pompous...READ MORE

Faces in Places

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

Stabbing Over Dinner Plans

Stabbing Over Dinner Plans WEST OCEAN CITY - A West Ocean City woman was arrested on assault and reckless endangerment charges last weekend after allegedly slashing her live-in girlfriend during an argument over what he was preparing for dinner. Around 3:30 p.m. last Sunday, a Maryland State Police (MSP) trooper went back to the MSP Berlin barrack to investigate a reported first-degree assault. The trooper met with the victim who told police he had been stabbed by his live-in girlfriend,...READ MORE

Flying Over Ocean City With A World Champion

You've never really seen Ocean City until you are inverted over the Atlantic Ocean a few thousand feet in the air or flipping about in the midst of a head-spinning aerobatic stunt over Assateague Island. For world champion aerobatics pilot Rob Holland, who is one of the many featured acts in this weekend's 3rd Annual Ocean City Air Show, it's the way he likes to see the world: upside down. On Wednesday, Holland, the Nashua, N.H. native, who just happens to be one of the biggest names...READ MORE

Friday, June 4--Annual Tire Recycling Day Falls To Budget Axe

SNOW HILL - There is no money for the popular used tire recycling day, staff told the Worcester County Commissioners this week during hearings on the solid waste budget. A state tire recycling fund called the Maryland Scrap Tire Program usually pays for the tire recycling day. All new tire purchasers pay a small fee to the scrap tire program, 80 cents per each new tire purchased, at the point of sale. That fund will be applied to the Maryland state budget, county attorney Sonny Bloxom said. Tire...READ MORE

Friday, June 4--Governor Gives Advice To Decatur's Graduating Class

OCEAN CITY - Hammering home a consistent message about the ominous challenges they face and a reliance on them to tackle those challenges, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley on Wednesday addressed Stephen Decatur High School's 2010 graduation class at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City. With evidence of Senior Week in Ocean City sprouting up all over the place outside the convention center on a hazy, hot early June night, the mood inside was decidedly celebratory, if not somewhat...READ MORE

Friday, June 4--High-Speed Chase In Resort Leads To Drugs, Weapons

OCEAN CITY - A Fallston man was arrested last weekend on drunk driving, drugs and weapons charges after a wild chase that ended with a crash in the downtown area. Around 12:15 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) initiated a traffic stop in the area of 47th Street after witnessing a Pontiac GTO spinning wheels on Coastal Highway. As the officer approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Joshua Mark Hammond, 20, of Fallston, put the vehicle in reverse, nearly...READ MORE

Friday, June 4--Promoter Calls Air Show Lineup 'The Best Ever'

OCEAN CITY •€' The roar that you hear above the Ocean City skyline means that the highly anticipated Ocean City Air Show is underway. Event organizer Brian Lilley called this year's lineup 'the best ever' as the resort prepares for what some say could be one of the biggest weekends of the summer, as three major events will be entertaining hundreds of thousands of people. Lilley briefed the Mayor and City Council on Tuesday and ran through all the acts that will be featured in the 3rd Annual...READ MORE

City Health Insurance Increase Reduced To 14%

OCEAN CITY •€' Even though the town of Ocean City negotiated rising health care costs to half of what it could have been, the bottom line is that the town will pay almost $1 million more to provide health insurance for its workforce in fiscal year 2011. One of the most cumbersome statistics that was a proverbial thorn in the side of City Manager Dennis Dare and Budget Manager Jennie Knapp as they prepared the budget was the proposed 30-percent increase in the town's health care premiums...READ MORE

OC Could Follow Familiar Route With New Herbal Blend

OCEAN CITY •€' After banning the psychoactive plant Salvia Divinorum from the resort via emergency ordinance last summer, a newly alleged hallucinogenic herbal smoking blend has popped up in Boardwalk stores in the early weeks of the summer season, according to Ocean City police this week. Although officials say that it is too early to tell what action the city will take if in fact these new products allegedly being sold in some resort retail stores are found to be similar to salvia, Ocean...READ MORE

OC Officials Shoot From Hip During Unemployment Debate

OCEAN CITY •€' Creating a simple list of things that the Ocean City Council wants the Maryland Municipal League (MML) to address in Annapolis during the next session quickly turned into a rather spirited debate about the controversial topic of unemployment insurance on Tuesday. It's no secret that unemployment costs have gone up tremendously for businesses all over the country but as quickly as one city councilman let out his own little secret in the matter, the debate just as quickly...READ MORE

Preliminary Ideas Surface For Downs' Racing Exception

BERLIN - In a week during what would have typically included the blustering last minute preparations for the opening night of live racing at Ocean Downs, the track remained eerily quiet this week as race officials continue to wrestle with meeting their live-racing obligation for the zoning of the property. For the last 60-plus years, the middle of June has marked the return of live racing at the historic track near Ocean Pines, but the former grandstand remains a shell of its former self this...READ MORE

Study Finds Coastal Bays Grasses Recovering Well

OCEAN CITY - According to a joint study released this week by state and local conservation groups, seagrasses in the coastal bays in and around the resort area made considerable gains last year, but the good news was tempered somewhat by the work that still needs to be done to restore the important plants to levels not seen since 2005. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Maryland Coastal Bays Program, the National Park Service and the Virginia Institute of Marine Scientists...READ MORE

Building Code Changes Spark Sprinkler System Questions

SNOW HILL - A new statewide building standard means Worcester County has to make some decisions about local exceptions, including a much debated requirement for sprinkler systems in all new residences. The Worcester County Commissioners will seek further input on the sprinkler question during a public hearing this fall. The state of Maryland has been attempting to establish a uniform building code for a long time. 'This has been batted back and forth for years. It's been voted up and down for...READ MORE

County Alters Stormwater Fees To Meet Md. Law

SNOW HILL - Recent changes to the Maryland stormwater regulations law now call for new fees as well as multiple reviews for new construction, changes the Worcester County Commissioners heard more about this week. The commissioners signed off on the fee changes Tuesday morning. In the past, stormwater management was the last consideration in the development process, said Development Review and Permitting Director Ed Tudor. Under the new state law, stormwater must be considered at the beginning of...READ MORE

County Votes 6-1 To Approve Lean Budget

SNOW HILL - Even as they passed the fiscal year 2011 budget this week, elected officials predicted that fiscal year 2012 would pose continuing financial problems. The County Commissioners balanced the budget for the next fiscal year in part with strict cuts to departmental budgets. 'What they [department heads cutting their budgets] did this year, they're not going to be able to do next year,' said Commissioner Virgil Shockley. 'They can't sustain it.' There is nothing else to cut, he said....READ MORE

Familiar Name Plans Another Run At Todd's Seat

BERLIN - Setting up a rematch of perhaps the closest election in Worcester County history, former state's attorney candidate Beau Oglesby, who came within 14 votes of unseating incumbent Joel Todd in 2006, has officially filed to run for the office again this fall. Oglesby, an Ocean Pines resident who is currently a deputy state's attorney in Caroline County, officially filed for Worcester County State's Attorney last week. The formal filing last Tuesday ostensibly sets up Todd-Oglesby III after...READ MORE

Hundreds Celebrate Memorial Day In Grand Fashion

Kylie Joson Staff Writer OCEAN CITY - This year's Memorial Day was a hot one, but the heat didn't stop the heavy crowd of local residents and visitors that gathered for a day of patriotism and remembrance.  Monday, May 31 marked the sixth annual observance of Memorial Day at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines, and Steven Rakow U.S. Marine Corps (ret) was the keynote speaker at this year's annual ceremony. Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of...READ MORE

Magee Farms Offers 'You Pick-We Pick' Option

Kylie Joson Staff Writer FENWICK ISLAND - If you need a break from the beach scene or simply just want some fresh strawberries, look no further, Magee Farms has the perfect summer pickings. Strawberry season is coming to an end so do not miss your chance to go to Magee Farms, which is located just north Ocean City and west of Fenwick Island on Route 54 (Lighthouse Rd). Just five miles down the road, you will see Magee Farms on your right and you better be ready for a treat. Magee Farms has...READ MORE

OC Car, Truck Show On Tap This Weekend

OCEAN CITY - The organizers of the OC Car Shows will be hosting this weekend's return of the OC Car and Truck Show, one of the area's largest custom automotive and lifestyle events, at the Ocean City Convention Center. This year's event is expected to surpass previous vehicle attendance records and has already landed the most mainstream companies in the industry. The producing company, Spark Productions, LLC, is excited about the support it's receiving and says it is the milestone in creating...READ MORE

Ocean City News In Brief

OCEAN CITY •€' In the brief this week, Ocean City is deemed 'storm ready', the domesticated animal ordinance continues to get more laughable, the mayor scoffs at a downtown 'eyesore', and the Ocean City Municipal Airport is given the nod to conduct a study that will pave the way for a newly paved runway. Ocean City Granted Storm Recognition Ocean City was officially granted Storm Ready Community Recognition by the National Weather Service (NWS) on Tuesday, which ironically, also marked the...READ MORE

SCRAM Device Usage On Rise On Shore

BERLIN - Individuals charged with or convicted of alcohol-related crimes in Worcester County are increasingly finding themselves fitted with a fairly new, if somewhat unattractive piece of jewelry as the court system moves toward a 21st Century technological advance to monitor alcohol intake and whereabouts. The Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) system, essentially an ankle bracelet attached to an individual charged with or convicted of an alcohol-related offense, has been...READ MORE

Selzer Marks 10 Years In Financial Management

T.K. Dickerson Staff Writer OCEAN CITY - In the year 2000, wealth advisor Christine Selzer was just starting out in the business and could have never foreseen how volatile the market would be in the coming years. After all of the obstacles thrown her way by the stock market, Selzer is happily celebrating 10 years in the wealth advising business. Though she is currently employed at Merrill Lynch, Selzer originally went to work at the Edward Jones firm, some time after receiving her master's...READ MORE

Third Candidate Plans Run At Open Sheriff's Post

BERLIN - A third challenger for the Worcester County Sheriff's position, patrol Sergeant Bobby Brittingham, would like to bring his 25 years on the street to bear against Worcester County crime. Brittingham, a native of Pocomoke and a Marine Corps veteran, announced his candidacy this week, joining what is becoming a crowded race for retiring Sheriff Chuck Martin's position, alongside Reggie Mason and Carroll Overholt. Community policing and a renewed focus on crime fighting dominate...READ MORE

Worcester County Notebook

SNOW HILL - The Worcester County Commissioners briefly discussed land preservation funding, fees for tall grass nuisance abatement, public water and sewer at Showell Elementary School, and the proposed closure of the U. S. Postal Service Easton mail sorting site at their first June meeting. --------- Some of Worcester County's lost state farmland protection funding will be replaced by a federal farmland program grant, staff reported Tuesday morning. The $1.15 million in federal funds will be...READ MORE

Thoughts From the Publisher's Desk

It's still early, but it appears there's a strong likelihood Michael James could run unopposed in the Republican primary for the local State Senate seat. According to a little research and some communication with well-known Republicans in the area this week, James seems to have a shot at being unopposed and that would give his election campaign a huge boost heading into the likely November showdown with Jim Mathias, who officially announced last week he would be giving up his delegate seat for a...READ MORE

Voices From the Readers

Thankful For Election Editor: I think that we're being sucked into a vortex of change of such magnitude that we may never recover. Congress has been basically transformed into the facilitating arm of an Executive Branch with an aggressive progressive agenda and a fundamental distain for America and its Constitution. If the financial reform now being considered is approved, the government will control 60 percent of the economy. With control of banks and credit, the Executive Branch will have...READ MORE

An Open Letter To High School Graduates

An Open Letter To High School Graduates Dear Graduates, Congratulations to you all. By now, you have walked across the stage, before your classmates, teachers, administrators and family, shook hands with a figure of authority and received your high school diploma. This much is certain - a major milestone in your life has been achieved and you should be proud of the accomplishment and enjoy some time celebrating safely and hopefully enjoying some relaxation along the way. However, we are...READ MORE

Fatherhood Adventures

What comes out of my 2-year-old's mouth these days continues to make me laugh like nothing else. It has been amazing to observe my son's speech and motor skills drastically improve over these last couple months. We are now communicating with him effectively and that's proven to be an interesting and hilarious development for my family. These conversations are priceless because you just never know what he's going to say and how he's going to say it. The pure randomness of how his mind works...READ MORE

A Week in Business

New Outlets Tenant WEST OCEAN CITY - Ocean City Factory Outlets and the Cordish Company announced the leasing of a 2,870-square-foot store to Book Warehouse. A national leader among discount booksellers, Book Warehouse is now open. Drawing from an inventory provided by the largest wholesale distributor of promotional, closeout, remainder and bargain-priced books in the United States, Book Warehouse is well placed to provide a wide range of books for the community. 'Book Warehouse offers books at...READ MORE

Fish 'N OC

'I'm going to need a coffee,' I thought to myself. I had woken up early, gathered my gear, and made haste to get to one of my favorite spots on the Route 50 Bridge. There was a full moon out and I hoped to catch the last stages of the outgoing tide and also to avoid some of the crowds that had poured into town the previous week. While I stood there, perched high above the water, I soaked in that magical hour of pre-dawn darkness, where the sky is just beginning to brighten as the sun prepares...READ MORE

We Remember Those We Have Lost

Ann Lockhart Showell OCEAN CITY - Ann Lockhart Showell died peacefully at her home on Friday, May 28, 2010. She was born in Wadesboro, N.C. and was the daughter of the late Adam Lockhart and Elizabeth Hardison Lockhart. She graduated from Duke University in 1946 and in 1947 married John Dale Showell III. She and her husband moved to Ocean City in 1948 and were in business together until his death in 1992. She retired in 1999. She was a member of St. Paul's By-The-Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean...READ MORE

People in Society

Snapshots of those lending a helping hand throughout the community ...READ MORE

Things I Like

Being truly surprised A peaceful house every now and again Apples and peanut butter A full moon over the ocean Riding the Boardwalk tram Collapsing in bed after a long day Parents pointing out dolphins to their kids from the beach Living here and not working Memorial Day Remembering summers on Edgewater Ave. Beach days with my kids Season finale shows  ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Still operating under a full head of self-esteem makes you want to tackle a matter you had shied away from. OK. But be sure to arm yourself with facts before you make a move. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): That smart move you recently made caught the attention of a lot of people, including some with financial deals to offer. Use your Taurean wariness to check them out thoroughly. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Shyness might keep you from asking for more information on a...READ MORE

Taylor Bank Annual Scholarship

Taylor Bank continues to fund and present the Calvin B. Taylor Memorial Scholarship Award to local students planning on attending our local colleges. Ray Daisey made the presentation to Pocomoke High School recipient Taylor Morrison on May 26. Morrison will be attending UMES in the fall. Submitted Photos  ...READ MORE

Business Breakfast Hour in Berlin

Dr. Ira S. Wolfe, guest speaker, Teresa Fields, executive director of Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services, and Olive Mawyer, coordinator for the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, are pictured at the Business Breakfast Hour for the Berlin Chamber of Commerce last month. Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services hosted the event.   ...READ MORE

NARFE Donates to Star Charities

NARFE (National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees) Chapter 2274 President Dan McGrath is shown presenting a $100 check to STAR Charities President Anna Foultz. The check is in rememberence of Anna's husband Carl Foultz, founder of the Ocean City NARFE chapter. She accepted the check for STAR Charities at NARFE's May meeting at Fenwick Inn's Jordan's Rooftop Restaurant.  ...READ MORE

The Logic Behind Ladders

OCEAN CITY - The recent extreme market volatility only drives home the difficult choice faced by fixed income investors these days. They can join the flight to the safety of short-term U.S. Treasury bonds and give themselves the flexibility to jump back into stocks once things have settled down •€' and live with yields that have sunk to .25% or even less. Or they can try to maximize yields by at least buying bonds and CDs with maturities of 10 or 20 years. But then they risk...READ MORE

OC Elementary May Students of the Month

Ocean City Elementary School honored the May Students of the Month with T-shirts and a luncheon and a special cake sponsored by the Berlin/Ocean City Optimists. Pictured, first row, first grade honorees  Ziquawn Mumford, Jaheim Lankford, Eric Berry, Zachary Krasner and Davion Waters;  second row, second graders  Jamey Gannon, Nicole Saldana-Aldazabal, Alessia Matha, Christian Mailloux, and Lily Castellanos-Avalos;  third row, third graders  Ashley Rosenblatt, Rakiya...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Athletes Headed For College

Worcester Prep student-athletes who will be competing in sports for their colleges next year include, front from left, Molly Dickerson, Loyola, lacrosse; Casey Reiner, Frostburg, field hockey; Theresa Ciletti, Catholic, lacrosse; Mary Alex Hudson, Richmond, lacrosse; Austin Coates, Lehigh, lacrosse; and Christina Vosters, Penn State, golf; second row, Justin Butler, Randolph-Macon, lacrosse; Hunter Marshall, Frostburg, lacrosse; Martin Sanchez, Navy, soccer; Jason Pappas, Randolph-Macon,...READ MORE

Screenpainting workshop at OC Elementary

John Iampieri came to Ocean City Elementary School on May 19 to give a screen-painting workshop to third grade enrichment students This event was fully funded by the Worcester County Arts Council. Above, Iampieri teaches screen painting techniques to James Doerzbach, Cassidy VanVonno, and Kendall Whaley.  ...READ MORE

Showell Elementary Second Graders Create a Wax Museum

Showell Elementary second graders finished a unit on pioneers and biographies with a wax museum where guests came to visit with the wax figures who came to life to tell some interesting facts about their historical character. Mel Salgueiro from Mrs. Armour's class portrays a pioneer and Jacob Stack from Mrs. Thompson's class is the ultimate King Arthur.  ...READ MORE

BIS Students Show Off Lego Creations

Berlin Intermediate School students Zach O'Hara and Zach Davis show off their soccer player and goalie robots they constructed out of Legos through the WeDO Robotics program in the BIS and Beyond Afterschool program.    ...READ MORE

Worcester Prep Students Capture National Prizes

A number of Worcester Prep students received honors in the Daughters of the American Revolution Junior American Citizens competition, and five of those went on to capture national prizes for their patriotic art and writing. The national winners were, from left, Grace Nichols, Maya Zia-Shakeri, Molly Pugh and Saylor McGuiness. Missing from the photo is Austin Taylor. With the children are  Pat Arata of the Daughters of the American Revolution; Dr. Barry Tull, Headmaster; and Celeste...READ MORE