Archives

Diakonia Hoping To Avoid Opening Line Of Credit

BERLIN -- For the first time in its nearly 40-year history, Diakonia is considering opening a line of credit to deal with a combination of rising demands and lower contributions. In an effort to avoid the risks involved with operating on credit, representatives from the charity organization asked the Berlin Mayor and Council to consider providing $7,500 in funding for next year. “We do need some financial help in these tough times,” said Joel Todd, a member of Diakonia’s Board...READ MORE

Franchot Honors OC Business With First Award

OCEAN CITY -- Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot was in the resort Wednesday to kick off his “Better with Less” tour, recognizing an iconic Ocean City restaurant as the first recipient of an award that bears the tour’s name. In an effort to highlight businesses innovatively operating at lower costs and pass along those lessons of efficiency to government, Franchot kicked off his tour with a first stop at BJ’s on the Water on 75th Street in Ocean City. The visit was the...READ MORE

Council Fine With Broader Commission Oversight

Council Fine With Broader Commission Oversight Joanne Shriner Staff Writer OCEAN CITY – The Planning and Zoning Commission received the Mayor and City Council’s go ahead in tightening up its code by expanding the commission’s site plan review authority. The Planning and Zoning Department recently initiated amendments to the Planning Commission’s Site Review Authority. The proposed amendments include amending the Planning Commission approval for certain uses, current...READ MORE

School Bomb Threat Suspect Apprehended

SHOWELL -- A Wicomico man suspected of making a bomb threat at Showell Elementary School last Thursday morning was located and arrested in Delaware the next day and now awaits extradition to Worcester County to face multiple charges. Around 8:40 a.m. last Thursday, Maryland State Police were notified of a possible bomb threat at Showell Elementary. School officials were immediately notified of the situation and the administration and Board of Education members made the decision to immediately...READ MORE

Former Concrete Plant Site Set For Auction

OCEAN CITY -- The George B. Cropper Concrete Company property in Ocean City goes up for auction later this month, adding a new chapter to the historic site along the bay at North 1st Street responsible for producing much of the building material for the resort’s decades-long development and redevelopment. The iconic plant, clearly visible to residents and tourists entering the resort along the Route 50 bridge for decades, will be put up for bid by Atlantic Auctions on April 29. The old...READ MORE

Council Votes 4-3 To Add Vesting Schedule To Plan

OCEAN CITY – An ordinance to switch newly hired municipal employees to a defined contribution pension plan moved toward second reading this week as the City Council agreed to add a vesting schedule. Last week, as the council voted a new retirement policy for new hires through first reading, Mayor Rick Meehan requested the council add a vesting schedule to the ordinance before second reading. Human Resources Director Wayne Evans reviewed the proposed pension plan and presented the council...READ MORE

Operation Medicine Drop Aims To Protect Kids, Waterways

BERLIN -- In an effort to protect the health of both area residents and waterways, Worcester County will hold Operation Medicine Drop (OMD) on April 30. “We really want to ensure that unused medications are disposed of responsibly,” said Berlin Mayor Gee Williams during a press conference last Friday. Kathy Phillips, executive director or Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) and Coastkeeper, described OMD as a “partnership effort” between several county and municipal agencies...READ MORE

Worcester Man Facing Life For Salisbury Robberies

BERLIN -- A Worcester County man pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit armed robbery for a spree of as many as five incidents in Salisbury last year and now faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Charles Ayres, 22, of Snow Hill, pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and brandishing a gun in the furtherance of a crime of violence for his role in an armed robbery spree in the Salisbury area over a period of several...READ MORE

Campaign Begins To Fund ‘Amped’ Summer Camp

BERLIN -- This weekend, Amped Riders, an amputee advocacy group based in Berlin, will hold the first of a series of events to raise money for the nonprofit organization’s annual “Amped at the Beach” camp, set for July 18-23. The weeklong camp brings amputee children and their families to Ocean City, where they take part in activities such as surfing and skating. On Sunday, April 17, from 2-6 p.m., Todd and Natalee DeHart will host a beer tasting (beer for the big kids, root...READ MORE

Solar Power Proposed For Wallops Facility

WALLOPS ISLAND -- NASA has proposed the installation of up to 80 acres of solar panels on the Wallops Flight Facility Main Base in coastal Virginia just south of Assateague Island through an environmental assessment of alternative energy at the facility. The Alternative Energy Project at Wallops would generate renewable electricity to assist NASA as an agency in meeting or exceeding the requirements of the 2005 Federal Energy Policy Act and various executive orders. The project would also be...READ MORE

Planners Delay Route 589 Rezoning Decision

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Planning Commission heard the first arguments last week of a case requesting the rezoning of two properties near Route 589 last Thursday. Attorney Hugh Cropper, who petitioned the commission on behalf of A&B, Silver Fox, LLC and Burbage/Melson, Inc., made a presentation outlining several reasons why his clients felt their properties, which totaled approximately 30 acres, should be rezoned from A-1 (agricultural) to C-2 (commercial). However, in order to...READ MORE

Seahawks Edge Washington, 4-3

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity baseball team stayed on a roll this week, edging visiting Washington, 4-3, on Monday for their third straight win and fourth out of the last five. Decatur scratched out a close win over Washington on Monday, 4-3, in a tight, well-played game. Runs were difficult to come by for both teams as the Decatur and Washington starters continually squashed big rally opportunities with the help of some solid defensive plays. In the end, the Seahawks scratched out one...READ MORE

Salisbury Council Debates Property Donation Merits

SALISBURY – The Mayor and City Council went out with a bang this week, confirming one last time before the new council takes over their differences during a discussion of three pieces of property being donated to Salisbury. The resolution was to accept the donation of three parcels of land in Harbor Pointe currently owned by Empire Mortgage. It is not the intent of the city to own the parcels of land but to donate two of the parcels to Harbor Pointe Community Association and the other to...READ MORE

OC’s New Retiree Health Care Plan Near Passage

OCEAN CITY – A divided City Council moved forward this week with the town’s retiree health care contributions for newly hired municipal employees. Starting July 1 2011, Ocean City will offer new hires an HMO at a 90/10 cost share and a PPO at an 85/15 cost share. If a new employee plans on accumulating a retirement health fund, the town has added a Health Savings Account (HSA) option, which will be offered beginning Jan. 1, 2012 because it runs in accordance with the federal...READ MORE

Berlin Trail System Earns Favorable Nod

BERLIN -- A move to bring more hiking and biking trails to Berlin passed its first milestone Wednesday when it received a favorable recommendation from the town’s Planning Commission. “We want to move ahead positively with a general concept,” said Kate Patton, executive director of the Lower Shore Land Trust and a town resident. Patton presented the commission with a brief PowerPoint outlining the basics of her idea to spread connected trails throughout the Berlin area. She...READ MORE

Dismissal Sought In School Board Lawsuit

BERLIN -- The defendants in a civil suit filed in federal court in 2009 by a former Ocean City Elementary School (OCES) teacher, alleging a pattern of discrimination and retaliation that ultimately led to her termination, hae filed a motion to dismiss the case, alleging the non-renewal of her contract had more to do with classroom performance than her personal life. In July 2009, former OCES teacher Lindsay Greenan filed suit in U.S. District against the Worcester County Board of Education,...READ MORE

Wind Farm, Septic Ban Headed For Summer Study

BERLIN -- The Maryland General Assembly wrapped its 2011 session at midnight on Monday with hundreds of pieces of legislation passed and some left on the table, but by and large, but by and large the local delegation says it was successful in pushing through several bills of local importance. Some battles were won and others lost during the 90-day session, during which the budget and the lasting recession dominated the proceedings, but there were also weighty social issues introduced and acted...READ MORE

Berlin Debates Fee Waiver For Charity Work

BERLIN -- The town of Berlin is considering amending its building code to waive permitting and inspection fees associated with some charity projects. The request was made by Stacey Esham, who appeared before the Mayor and Council representing the Small Miracles Foundation (SMF). He told the council that the foundation was a “relatively new organization” that did contracting work for area residents who displayed a large amount of need, but did not have the resources to go to regular...READ MORE

Resort Police Eye Zero Tolerance On Business Flyers

OCEAN CITY – During this week’s Police Commission meeting, methods to prevent the distribution and eventually littering of pizza business flyers was discussed. According to Captain Kevin Kirstein, complaints have been coming into the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) over the amount of pizza business flyers being distributed on parked cars and residences that eventually find their way into the streets creating a littering issue. “We haven’t had a whole lot of luck so...READ MORE

Commissioners Oppose Pines Polling Site Relocation

BERLIN -- Ocean Pines voters may have to go outside of their district to reach a polling station at the next election, as the Worcester County Board of Elections is considering moving the District 5 polling location from its traditional Southside fire station to a new location. “It’s unnecessary,” said County Commissioner Judy Boggs, who represents District 5 and has been trying for more than a month to convince the board a change is unneeded. “They seem determined to...READ MORE

Block Grant Will Fund Linens Building Demolition

SALISBURY – Mayor James Ireton and city staff asked this week for the council’s approval of the 2011 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan, in order to get the ball rolling to receive funds to demolish a problem property in a Salisbury neighborhood. According to the resolution, the Maryland State Office of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has determined that Salisbury qualifies as an “entitled community”. Therefore, the city is...READ MORE

Council Rejects Proposed Changes To Intersection

SALISURY -- Proposed changes to Onley Rd. and Bateman St. are going back to the drawing board after being rejected by the Salisbury City Council last week. With a number of concerns ranging from an increase in congestion to possible blockage of Route 13, the council unanimously agreed that the current plan to alter the intersection between the streets was insufficient and asked the city’s administration to make changes before bringing it back to another work session. “I believe the...READ MORE

Legislation Passed To Dissolve LCB

BERLIN -- After years of considerable saber rattling and gnashing of teeth, the Maryland General Assembly this session almost quietly abolished Worcester’s Liquor Control Board (LCB) and replaced it with a county-run agency that will soon take over the dispensing of spirits in the county. Dissatisfaction with Worcester County’s antiquated LCB, one of four agencies of its kind still in place in Maryland, reached a crescendo last summer and early fall amid allegations of price gouging,...READ MORE

Ocean City Street Paving To Begin

OCEAN CITY – Town departments heard a few requests from the Mayor and City Council, and the following is a review of some issues discussed. Spring Paving To Begin According to Public Works Director Hal Adkins, the recent allocation of $1 million from the General Fund for street improvements will be used to repair a list of the town’s streets. The streets Adkins proposed to begin with are 44th, 52nd, 61st, 67th, 91st, 92nd and 120th streets, Hitchens and Trimper avenues and the canals...READ MORE

Md. Lawmakers Blasted For Late Alcohol Tax Hike

BERLIN -- The Maryland General Assembly late Monday approved a 50-percent increase in the sales tax on alcohol in the state, leading shore businesses to fear reduced sales because of their proximity to Delaware. Just before the 2011 General Assembly session closed late Monday night, the House of Delegates approved legislation that will increase the sales tax rate on alcohol in Maryland from the current 6 percent to 9 percent beginning July 1. Earlier, the State Senate had approved a similar...READ MORE

Slots For Clubs Bill Passes In Fourth Year

BERLIN -- After falling just short in each of the last three years, the Maryland General Assembly this year passed legislation allowing limited slot machine gambling in non-profit service clubs, fraternal organizations and veterans’ groups in Worcester County. For each of the last three years, a bill that would have added Worcester to the list of eight Eastern Shore counties that allow a limited number of slot machines in service clubs and organizations in an effort to enhance their...READ MORE

Life Term For Attempted Murder

SNOW HILL -- A Worcester County man found guilty of attempted first-degree murder last December for his role in a shooting incident in Pocomoke that left one man dead last May was sentenced to life in prison last week in Circuit Court. Last May 27, Pocomoke Police responded to reports of gunfire in the area of Laurel Street. Officers arrived and found a victim, Reginald Handy, also of Pocomoke, had been shot several times from behind. Handy was taken to PRMC in Salisbury where he was pronounced...READ MORE