March 23, 2012

NEW FOR THURSDAY: Resort Employees Score Surprise Day Off

OCEAN CITY – About a month after general employees aired their grievances and announced plans to form a union, the Mayor and Council voted Tuesday to grant an additional holiday for this year, Random Acts Of Kindness Day. Last week, Mayor Rick Meehan presented Councilman Brent Ashley with a Proclamation designating April 6 as Random Acts of Kindness Day in Ocean City. According to the proclamation, “random acts of kindness are means by which we make deliberate attempts to brighten...READ MORE

NEW FOR WEDNESDAY: Council Votes 5-2 For New Resort Scooter Regs

OCEAN CITY – Due to safety concerns, new scooter rental businesses will have to follow new regulations approved by the Mayor and Council yesterday in a 5-2 vote, while current operators will have one year to conform. On Jan. 31, the Mayor and City Council passed an ordinance to establish a 90-day moratorium on the issuance of new or renewed business licenses for scooter rentals. The council became concerned over the proliferation of scooter rental businesses in town and the safety issues...READ MORE

NEW FOR TUESDAY: Offshore Wind Bill Clears Major Hurdle

ANNAPOLIS -- The long-standing effort to develop an offshore wind farm off the coast of Ocean City passed a significant hurdle on Monday when the House Economic Matters Committee passed Governor Martin O’Malley’s Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012. The 13-9 vote provides a possible jumpstart for the passage of the legislation this year. The intent of the legislation is to harness an untapped renewable energy source that could move Maryland closer to its long-term goal of diversifying...READ MORE

NEW FOR MONDAY: State Relaxes Regs On Pool ADA Compliance

OCEAN CITY -- Hundreds of pools and spas in the resort area and thousands more across the state facing mandatory new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards got a little relief last week when the deadline for compliance was extended amid considerable confusion. The state’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) late last year sent out a memorandum to public swimming pool and spa owners and operators in Worcester County detailing the requirements for compliance with the new...READ MORE

NEW FOR FRIDAY: OC Franchise Holder Pleads Guilty To Not Filing Taxes, Owes Government Nearly $300K

BALTIMORE -- Facing charges that he failed to pay a reported $296,701 to the government over a period of several years, Ocean City franchise holder Patrick McLaughlin pleaded guilty yesterday to failing to file individual income tax returns in 2009 and one count of failing to report employment tax withholdings in 2007. The plea agreement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric C. Hylton of the Internal Revenue...READ MORE

Worcester Eyes Stiff Penalty For Boat Slip Violators

SNOW HILL -- Loaning your boat slip to a friend in Worcester County just became riskier, due to the County Commissioners approving a new penalty for license holders who allow unauthorized boats to occupy their slip. “We need to do something to grab their attention,” said County Attorney Sonny Bloxom. Bloxom proposed a two- or three-year ban on a license holder if they are found in violation of allowing unauthorized craft in their slip. According to Bloxom, without a tough penalty in...READ MORE

Police Use Taser On West OC Burglary Suspect

WEST OCEAN CITY -- Four people were arrested on various charges this week after a fight outside a West Ocean City motel including one suspect who allegedly assaulted a County Sheriff’s deputy and had to be shot with a Taser in order to be subdued. Around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy responded to the Alamo Motel in West Ocean City in reference to several disorderly individuals fighting out front. Upon arrival, the deputy observed three individuals fighting...READ MORE

Missing Man’s Body Found In Assawoman Bay Last Weekend

OCEAN CITY -- The body of an Ocean City man, who went missing after reportedly capsizing a canoe in the Assawoman Bay near Fenwick Island in the early morning hours of March 2, was found in the bay near Ocean City around mid-day last Saturday. While much of Ocean City was focused on the St. Patrick’s Day parade, emergency personnel were responding to a report a body was discovered north of the Route 90 bridge. Nicholas R. Townsend, 23, of Ocean City, was last seen around 4 a.m. on March 2...READ MORE

Shark Fin Bill Clears Senate

OCEAN CITY -- Commercial fishermen in Worcester County were dealt another tough blow late yesterday when the State Senate approved a bill aimed at prohibiting the possession or distribution of shark fins, a by-product of the shark-fishing industry out of the West Ocean City harbor. Earlier during the current General Assembly session, a dozen Maryland senators introduced a bill that would ban the possession or distribution of shark fins in an effort to curb the practice of shark-finning, or the...READ MORE

OCPD Warns Citizens About Cold Medicine Abuse

OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) this week is warning citizens of a growing trend of abuse of certain over-the-counter cold medicines by young people in and around the resort area for their hallucinogenic effects.The OCPD this week issued a warning to parents and guardians of young people about a renewed trend recently uncovered in the abuse of common cold remedies readily available over the counter known as coricidin or chlorpheniramine, for example. Another common culprit...READ MORE

High Court Overturns Worcester Murder Conviction

SNOW HILL -- A Pittsville man, sentenced to life in prison for the 2008 stabbing death of a Worcester County man, will get a shot at a new trial after the state’s highest court last week ruled incriminating statements he made to detectives came after his request for an attorney during an interrogation. Charles Robert Phillips, now 32, of Pittsville, last April was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years for the stabbing death of William Nibblett, 77, in the victim’s home in...READ MORE

New Berlin Beer, Wine License Granted

SNOW HILL -- Several businesses in Worcester County were approved for either expansions or new licenses at this month’s Board of License Commissioners (BLC) meeting. However, it wasn’t all good news, with a struggling local business deciding to close its doors. With a unanimous vote, the board agreed to grant a beer and wine license to Sisters, a new shop headed for Main St. in Berlin. “We’re going to promote the Eastern Shore,” said co-owner Michael Anne...READ MORE

Mid-Town Convenience Store Plans Worry Some

OCEAN CITY – A new Goose Creek convenience store, featuring a Subway restaurant, is working its way into the 52nd Street neighborhood, raising concerns among neighboring properties. The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday reviewed a proposed site plan and conducted a public hearing regarding conditional uses for the new convenience store and expansion of existing fuel service facilities on 52nd Street, currently known as Andersons Exxon Service Station and Towing. The...READ MORE

Kathy Mathias Chemo Bill About To Become State Law

OCEAN CITY -- In one of the few examples of unanimous support for anything in the current General Assembly session, state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle last week approved the Kathleen A. Mathias Chemotherapy Act of 2012. On March 9, the Senate unanimously passed the bill aimed at leveling the playing field for insurance coverage for both the oral and intravenous forms of chemotherapy with a 45-0 vote. Last Friday, the House of Delegates followed suit, approving the measure by a resounding...READ MORE

Worcester Tax Increase Called ‘Inevitable’

SNOW HILL -- With a $17 million gap between revenue and expenditures in the requested Fiscal Year 2013 operating budget, the Worcester County Commissioners will be forced to choose between cutting programs or raising taxes. Unfortunately, some on the commission believe that because of costs being hoisted on counties from the state this year, a tax increase may be a forgone conclusion. “There’s no way you’re going to cut your way out of this,” said Commissioner Virgil...READ MORE

DNR Scales Back Boat Registration Fee Proposal

OCEAN CITY -- In response to a public outcry from boat owners, dealers and marina operators, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) last week announced it planned to scale back proposed dramatic increases in boat registration fees. House Bill 1307 as written would increase registration fees for boats in Maryland by as much as 100 percent in most cases with the revenue dedicated to the Waterway Improvement Fund. However, after meeting with and listening to concerns about the dramatic...READ MORE

Boardwalk Wind Turbines OK’d

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and City Council swiftly worked their way through a couple of pages worth of business, including approving wind turbines on a residence, the purchase of property and a day for kindness. Wind Turbines Approved The first residential wind turbine received a “go ahead” this week following a favorable recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The conditional use request approved a permit in a residential district to install three roof mounted...READ MORE

Bay Island Restoration Prep Work Begins

OCEAN CITY -- Staging work began this week for the dredging of the navigation channel at the entrance to a West Ocean City marina in a plan that includes depositing the dredged sand on Skimmer Island just north of the Route 50 Bridge. In a continuation of a plan that began around this time last year, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP), in conjunction with several private and public entities including Worcester County, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the federal Army...READ MORE

Voices From The Readers

Mixed Parade Reviews Editor: I'm writing to express my gratitude and disappointment toward Ocean City. I hope you publish this as I do not think I am alone on this matter, especially seeing the faces of the parents and grandparents with whom we stood with during the now infamous St. Patrick’s Day parade. First my gratitude, thanks for permitting and supporting such a grand St. Patrick’s Day parade. Although I am not Irish, my wife is and hence my children. We enjoy celebrating their...READ MORE

Council Better Be Right On Fireworks Change

The latest 4-3 vote of the Ocean City Council took place last week and involved a change in the provider for the town’s annual Independence Day fireworks displays at the Inlet and Northside park.It was a contentious discussion at times among the council members as well as between certain city employees and council members. The end result being the former provider lost the job in favor of a new company who produced a significantly lower bid for the job.This sort of thing happens every day...READ MORE

Thoughts From The Publisher's Desk

If he is following the ongoing situation here in Ocean City, a guy named Joe Lathrop is most likely continuing to shake his head in bewilderment.President and founder of OCG, an independent consultant hired last year to study Ocean City’s tourism structure and make recommendations to improve it, Lathrop found in his research that resort tourism is essentially dysfunctional. He discovered what many of us have known for years -- there’s a lack of trust between the city and the private...READ MORE

Adventures Of Fatherhood

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day as a family was an interesting experience last weekend. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival in Ocean City is one of my favorite events of the year. It was when I was a kid and continues today as a young adult (at least that’s how I like to refer to myself).Prior to having a family, I had a pretty decent streak going where I attended the festivities each year and consequently had too much fun just about every year.During one parade in the...READ MORE

St. Patrick's 5K A Huge Success

OCEAN CITY- With over 1,000 racers competing, the 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Boardwalk 5K last Saturday was a huge success with good weather and big crowds. Sponsored by OC Tri-Running Sports, the St. Patrick’s Day Boardwalk 5K last Saturday drew over 1,000 competitors for the second annual race. The course started at Shenanigans and headed south on the Boardwalk toward the Inlet where it looped around the pier and headed north. From there, runners continued north on the Boardwalk...READ MORE

Decatur Girls Off to a Good Start

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team turned in a dominating performance on the road on Wednesday, beating host Cambridge-South Dorchester, 18-0, in the season opener. The Seahawks jumped all over the Vikings early and often on the way to the 18-0 romp. Erin Florek led the assault with four goals and two assists, while Layla Fowler, Eileen Hayman, Kayla Terlizzi and Ashley Trice each scored two goals. The Decatur girls face Parkside this afternoon. ...READ MORE

Seaside Dance Scores Big in Regional Event

BERLIN- The Seaside Dance Academy last week attended the JUMP dance convention in Washington, D.C. and returned with several individual honors along with a few scholarships to a similar event in New York City this summer. JUMP is an international dance company that offers a competitive setting for regional studios such as Seaside, along with a weekend full of workshops taught by nationally acclaimed dance professionals. Seaside Dance Academy sent several dancers to compete and returned with...READ MORE

St. Patrick's Soccer Tournament Concludes

Shawn J. Soper Sports Editor OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department’s 24th Annual St. Patrick’s Soccer Tournament concluded last weekend after hosting over 150 teams from all over the mid-Atlantic region for the last month.From modest beginnings, the annual tournament has grown by leaps and bounds over the last two decades and is now one of the largest events of its kind in the region. The 2012 event, which began back on February 24, this year hosted over 150...READ MORE

Seahawks Cruise Past Vikings in Opener

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team got its season off to a good start on Wednesday by thrashing visiting Cambridge-South Dorchester, 11-1, in the opener for both teams. The Seahawks wasted no time getting on the board with a goal by Curtis Snyder just 31 seconds into the contest. Snyder scored again at the 6:33 mark in the first to make it 2-0. Decatur’s Johnny Moore scored a goal off an assist by Snyder with 2:52 remaining to make it 3-0, which is how the...READ MORE

Decatur Blanks Indians on Opening Day

BERLIN- Decatur’s varsity baseball team got a strong performance on the mound and clutch hitting at the plate to blank visiting Wicomico, 9-0, on Opening Day on Wednesday. Mike O’Neill was dominating at times on Wednesday in the season opener, allowing just four hits and scattering a handful of walks for six shutout innings. O’Neill also contributed at the plate with two doubles, while Teron Tyre added four hits and freshman Justin Meekins, getting the start at shortstop, had...READ MORE

Iacona Leads Seahawks over Indians

BERLIN- Decatur’s varsity softball team trounced Wicomico, 8-2, on Tuesday in season opener behind a strong performance by Jessica Iacona on the mound and at the plate. Iacona went the distance on the mound, allowing just two runs and scattering nine hits while striking out six. She also helped her own cause with three hits, two runs scored and three RBIs at the plate. Jessica Bunting and Taylor Black also contributed with two hits and two runs driven in apiece. ...READ MORE

Salisbury Shipyard Gets Fed Grant

SALISBURY -- U.S. Transportation officials this week announced $9.98 million in grants to 15 small shipyards throughout the U.S. including over $400,000 for the shipyard at Salisbury to pay for modernizations that will increase productivity and help the country’s small shipyards compete in the global marketplace. “In cities and towns across America, shipyards are creating jobs and keeping our nation's economy growing,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “These...READ MORE

MSO To Present Spring Concert

BERLIN -- The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO), under the baton of Assistant Conductor Simeone Tartaglione will present its Spring Concert this weekend. Tartaglione is an impressive musician and experienced conductor. A native of Italy, he is an accomplished pianist and currently Music Director of the Newark Symphony Orchestra (Delaware), in addition to being the MSO Assistant Conductor. According to MSO officials, he has a delightful personality, great versatility, an immense love of music...READ MORE

Group Outlines Downtown Plans Including More Weekly Concerts

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) has been in existence for 13 years and through its assistance a considerable amount of improvement has been made to the downtown area. The OCDC has grown to 11 committees and volunteers have chalked up 7,500 volunteer hours since 2000. This year the OCDC absorbed the Boardwalk Development Association, which added 30 additional new members. To date, OCDC has played a role in 120 façade programs, including 18 just in the past...READ MORE

Process Behind School Delay Decisions Detailed

NEWARK -- With a continued pattern of thick, early morning fog this week, Worcester County Public Schools were delayed Wednesday and Thursday, but not Tuesday, prompting questions about the process and what factors into the decision. On Tuesday, thick fog blanketed much of the county in the early morning hours, but Worcester’s public schools reported on time. On Wednesday, similar conditions prevailed and the start of the school day was delayed for two hours. On Thursday, fog was barely...READ MORE

Wicomico Income Tax Hike Likely

SALISBURY – Wicomico County residents are facing an income tax increase assuming legislation is passed in Annapolis by Friday as expected. On Tuesday, Finance Director Andrew Mackel said Senate Bill 848 has been passed and House Bill 1412 is in the process of being reconciled between the Senate and the House. The county is expecting the House Bill to pass by today, Friday, March 23, if not sooner. Both of the bills are emergency legislation and will take effect when enacted. Current state...READ MORE

Speed Cameras OK’d For Wicomico School Zones

SALISBURY – Motorists beware as speed cameras in Wicomico County school zones, year-round, were approved this week. A series of resolutions was on the table at Tuesday’s Wicomico County Council meeting to establish school zones for the purpose of speed enforcement. According to the resolutions, the County Council adopted a legislative bill on June 7, 2011, permitting the establishment of school zones and authorizing the use of speed monitoring in accordance with state law. The...READ MORE

OC’s Summer Of Thanks Campaign Seeks Business Participation

OCEAN CITY – Calling all businesses, the town is looking for the private sector’s participation in new marketing initiatives to help drive visitors to Ocean City this summer. The Ocean City Season Kick-Off Meeting was held on Monday, and the town’s ad agency, MGH, along with the Department of Tourism, the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) and the Chamber of Commerce reviewed this year’s new “Summer of Thanks” campaign and how businesses...READ MORE

Worcester Conservation Easement OK’d

BERLIN -- The Maryland Board of Public Works on Wednesday approved easement purchases on nearly 700 acres through the state’s Rural Legacy Program including a 251-acre tract in Worcester along the Chincoteague Bay. The three-member Board of Public Works approved measures adding a total of 689 acres to the state’s permanently protected rural landscape and extinguished 52 development rights. In Worcester, the BPW approved the preservation of the 251-acre Tidewater Farms property,...READ MORE

Schools Prepping For Major Changes With Tests

SNOW HILL -- Though educators have expressed concern over Worcester County’s mandatory adoption of the state’s Common Core Curriculum, Board of Education officials anticipate that the county will retain its top ranking among state public school systems in the years to come. “Whatever is thrown at us, we deal with it,” said Board member Bob Hulburd. “We handle it in a first-class fashion.” The Common Core Curriculum will focus on four categories -- new...READ MORE

Ocean City Exploring Bikini Parade Concept

OCEAN CITY – Thousands of visitors in bikinis could be marching along the north end of Ocean City’s beach this summer if a proposed bikini parade comes to fruition. As proposed, the idea behind it would be to break the current Guinness World Record while simultaneously enhancing tourism for the northern part of the resort. According to Councilman Brent Ashley, bikini parades have been conducted around the world at such locales as San Diego, Las Vegas, Cayman Islands, Gold Coast of...READ MORE

Annual Teacher Banquet Next Week

NEWARK -- Worcester County’s 25th Teacher of the Year Banquet will be held next Friday, March 30 in Ocean City. “This year’s 25th Teacher of the Year Banquet will be as much about looking back, as it will be about looking forward,” said Barbara Witherow, Coordinator of the Teacher of the Year Program for Worcester County Public Schools. “Where we have been and where we are going define us as a school system, and this year’s silver anniversary promises to...READ MORE

Annual Native Plant Sale Now Accepting Orders

BERLIN -- For the 13th year, the Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) will offer a selection of native flowering perennials and heirloom tomatoes at its annual festival, but this year the event has been relocated to ACT’s backyard in Berlin at the corner of Old Ocean City Blvd. and Main Street. The festival, which also features nature-inspired crafts, opens its doors at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 5. “It is always a good idea, however, to place plant orders in advance,” said ACT...READ MORE

Air Show Adds U.S. Navy Hornet Demo Team

OCEAN CITY – The newest addition to the 2012 OC Air Show was announced this week, the U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet Demo Team. Ocean City Air Show President Bryan Lilley provided an update on this summer’s OC Air Show, which is scheduled for June 9-10. “I am pleased tonight to announce that the United States Navy will support the show this year with an F-18 Hornet demonstration,” Lilley said on Monday night. The U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet Demo Team is a major addition to the growing...READ MORE

Legion To Honor Vietnam War Vets

OCEAN CITY -- The American Legion Post 166 in Ocean City next week will honor Vietnam War veterans on the 39th anniversary of the date in 1973 when the last U.S. troops were withdrawn from the conflict. On March 29, 1973, the last 2,500 U.S. troops were withdrawn from South Vietnam, thus ending the longest war in the nation’s history. A year later, March 29 was declared Vietnam Veterans Day by presidential order with the support of Congress. Currently, legislation designating March 29 as...READ MORE

North OC Alliance Seeks Council Support

OCEAN CITY –The North Ocean City Business Alliance sought the Mayor and Council’s support this week for a formulated plan to bring new special events to north Ocean City. Michael James, managing partner of the Carousel Hotel and Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) member, approached the council for two reasons -- to seek the return of the former Tourism Commission and to request the town’s backing of the alliance’s hopes for hosting special events in the northern end of...READ MORE

Easton Mail Center Closure Decried

BERLIN -- Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin last week sent a strongly worded letter to Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe expressing their outrage over the “total disregard for a transparent and public process for consideration of the closure and consolidation of the Easton mail processing center to the Hares Corner mail processing center in Wilmington, Delaware.”Mikulski and Cardin were particularly outraged that the study to evaluate a possible closure of Easton...READ MORE

Oyster Shucking Contest On Tap

WEST OCEAN CITY -- The Greene Turtle in West Ocean City this Sunday will host its 10th Annual Oyster Shucking Contest with the Worcester County Humane Society set as the beneficiary of the event. The annual oyster shucking contest gets underway on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Greene Turtle on Route 611 in West Ocean City and will conclude around 4 p.m. The contest features oyster shuckers from various restaurants and bars in the area competing in three-minute heats with the winners of individual...READ MORE

Longtime Principal Leaving Decatur For Board Of Ed Post

SNOW HILL -- The Worcester County Board of Education (BoE) will be promoting from within this summer when Stephen Decatur High School (SDHS) Principal Louis Taylor fills the vacancy left by retiring Assistant Superintendent for Administration Ed Barber. Taylor will be leaving SDHS after 17 years as principal to take Barber’s seat within the Board of Education. According to Taylor, the decision was not an easy one. “It’s tough to leave Stephen Decatur High School,” he...READ MORE

Alliance Aims To Preserve Assateague’s Resources

ASSATEAGUE -- Still celebrating the recent birth of two new foals, the Assateague Island Alliance (AIA) outlined some future plans for the National Seashore last week including improving education, encouraging community involvement and highlighting the history of the island. “Our prime focus is to support the National Seashore,” said AIA Program Manager Christina Hulslander. Founded in 2008, AIA has attempted to fill that supporting role through fundraising and engaging visitors. It...READ MORE

OC Police Seeking Store Theft Suspects

OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City Police this week are seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspects who swiped a bank bag containing a large amount of money from a north end store last Saturday afternoon. Around 4 p.m. last Saturday, police responded to the Wine Rack on 85th Street for a reported theft. The store’s manager told police an unidentified suspect entered the office and stole a blue bank bag containing a large sum of cash. Video surveillance shows the suspect sneaking into...READ MORE

Things To Do Around Town

Open Wed., Thurs. & Sat.: Shepherd’s Nook Thrift Shop 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Community Church at Ocean Pines, Rte. 589 & Racetrack Rd., Berlin. Accepting donations of gently worn clothes and small household items. Open Wednesday-Friday: Stevenson United Methodist Thrift Shop 5 Stevenson Lane, Berlin, across from the Laundromat. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sale days every Friday, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. March 23: KC Bingo 5 p.m., doors open; 6:30 p.m., games begin; rear of St....READ MORE

Who's Playing When And Where

Buxy’s Salty Dog 410-289-0973 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. Saturday, March 24: Pompous Pie Clarion Hotel 410-524-3535 10100 Coastal Hwy.   Ocean Club: Friday, March 23 & Saturday, March 24: New Censation Fager’s Island 410-524-5500 60th St. in the Bay Deck: Friday, March 23: DJ Hook Saturday, March 24: DJ Robcee, 6 p.m.; DJ Groove, 9 p.m. Inside: Friday, March 23: Funky Fontana Saturday, March 24: Lima Bean Riot Every Sunday: Jazz Brunch with Everett Spells Project, 11:30...READ MORE

Best Eats On The Beach

Fruitland-Salisbury Restaurant 213 213 N. Fruitland Blvd., Fruitland 410-677-4880 • www.restaurant213.com Just 20 minutes from Ocean Pines and Berlin, Restaurant 213 is worth the drive! Chef Jim Hughes has been serving celebrities worldwide for 25 years and was named a 2009 inductee to the coveted Distinguished Restaurants of North Ameri-ca awards, one of only 220 in North Ameri-ca and the only one in this region. Serving dinner Tuesday-Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Also offering a 5 course...READ MORE

OC Lions Club Presents Check For $1,500 To OC/Berlin Leo Club

The Ocean City Lions Club recently presented a check for $1,500 to the Ocean City/Berlin Leo Club to help fund its many community projects. The Leo Club is a youth-based group sponsored by the Ocean City Lions and is based at Stephen Decatur High School. Pictured, from left, are Stephen Decatur Leo Advisor Nikki Zervakas, Leo Collin Bankert, Leo Vice President Julia Shockley and King Lion Dr. Chris Takacs. ...READ MORE

OC Elementary Holds Annual Jump Rope For Heart

Ocean City Elementary School students and staff held their annual Jump Rope for Heart to benefit the American Heart Association in January. The jump was a tremendous success with the students raising well over $19,000. Pictured below is Jamey Gannon, who collected $640 along with the other top fundraisers for the school. ...READ MORE

Mitrecic Wins Knights Of Columbus State Basketball Free Throw Contest

Sara Mitrecic, a seventh grade student at Stephen Decatur Middle School, poses with her trophy from the Maryland State Council Knights of Columbus State Basketball Free Throw Contest. She won first place in the 12-year-old girls bracket. ...READ MORE

OC Elementary Students Celebrate At The Rock The MSA Pep Rally

Jabria Lewis, Jazmyne DuPont and Kaleigh Davis celebrate at the Rock the MSA Pep Rally at Ocean City Elementary School. During the Pep Rally, third and fourth grade students performed skits full of helpful strategies to be successful on MSA. ...READ MORE

SDHS Class Of 2012 Raise Over $1,500 With Dodgeball Tournament

Earning first place for best dressed in the Stephen Decatur High School 5th Annual Senior Class Dodgeball tournament were senior Elizabeth Anderson, junior Tricia Purcell, and seniors Cassidy Nathan, Makaela Mitchell, Jamie Parker, and Kaitlin Hardt. The dodgeball tournament, which raised over $1,500 for the SDHS class of 2012, was organized by Senior Class Advisor Steve Berquist....READ MORE

Worcester Prep Sisters Receive Honors For Historic Essay

Sisters Caroline, left, and Sarah Savage, both in the Middle School at Worcester Prep, have proven themselves to be super students and writers. This year they each received honors for their historic essay writing both from the General Levin Winder Chapter of the DAR and the state competition. ...READ MORE

Open Houses Of The Week

WEST OCEAN CITY Bay Point Plantation Rt589/Gum Point Rd Daily 10-5 Waterfront Estate Lots in 142 Acre Preserve Kevin Decker The Fritschle Group/ Condominium Realty 443-235-6552 SELBYVILLE Lighthouse Crossing 38623 Green Heron Rd Open Daily 11-6 New Construction Large Luxury Homes On Expansive Lots 90-Day Delivery 877-436-9157 OCEAN CITY 106&121 135th St Sat 10-2 New Construction Mobile and Modular Model Homes 1 Block to Beach August Homes 1-855-4-AUGUST OCEAN CITY Makai Condominiums 42nd St....READ MORE

A Week In Business

PRMC Among Elite SALISBURY -- Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) has announced that its superior clinical quality has placed it among an elite group of U.S. hospitals: HealthGrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals-the only hospital on the Delmarva Peninsula to achieve this distinction, ranking it in the top 2% of the 5,000 American hospitals surveyed. To be recognized, hospitals must have had risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates that were in the top 5% in the nation for the...READ MORE

Nicmar Youth Connection Enterprises Presents SD HIgh With $200 Check

Presenting $200 to Stephen Decatur High School Principal Lou Taylor, right, is Nicmar Youth Connection Enterprises (NYCE) Executive Director Nick Johnson, a 1984 SDHS graduate. Taylor accepted the check on behalf of the Stephen Decatur High School Alumni Association. ...READ MORE

American Legion Post 64 Youth Air Rifle Team has First Competition

The American Legion Post 64 Youth Air Rifle team had its first competition.  The team members are, from left, Nick Adam, (Salisbury), Gino Falvo (Berlin), Morgan Phillips (Fruitland) and Clare Riley (Ocean City).  The team will have its next competition in Salisbury in April.  ...READ MORE

Inspirational Speaker Treats Worcester Prep Faculty And Staff With Special Session

Inspirational speaker, former headmaster, school board member and one-time captain of the Hopkins Blue Jays lacrosse team Dick Webster treated Worcester Prep faculty and staff members to a special session titled: Bag the Excuses. Webster’s talk encouraged those in the audience to set goals and complete them, no matter what the challenges. Pictured with Webster, from left, are Erika Phillips, Lower School Computer teacher; Jeanie Mancini, Pre-Kindergarten teacher; and Carol Hartnett,...READ MORE

Women's Club Of OP Showcase Its New OP Tapestry

At the March meeting of its members, the Women’s Club of Ocean Pines showcased its new Ocean Pines tapestry. The tapestry features local landmarks. The tapestries are on sale now and will be delivered in April.  Tapestries may be ordered by contacting Marie Gilmore on 410-208-6612. The proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit Ocean Pines residents in scholarships and community donations. Pictured, from left, are Secretary Jeanie Christie, First Vice President Susann Palamara, Marie...READ MORE

Star Charities Presents $1,000 Check To Maryland National Guard Foundation

Star Charities President Anna Foultz presented a check for $1,000 to Richard Knauer, chairman of the Board, Maryland National Guard Foundation, to purchase phone cards for military overseas. The money was raised at a Beef and Beer Gala in Ocean City at the American Legion Post #166 in January. Pictured, from left, are Knauer; Mark McIver, Congressman Andy Harris' Community Liaison; Lou Ann Trummel, treasurer of Star Charities; Foultz, Irmgard Heinecke, Star Charities; Major General James Adkins,...READ MORE

Things I Like

Overnight getaways Watching my kids dance Getting good news in the mail The movie, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” Sunny weekends A drink after meeting deadline Waking up with energy Making the shift to the iPhone Eating out Whenever someone else weeds A lush golf course fairway ...READ MORE

What's Your Sign?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Put your restlessness to good use by indulging the Arian love of exploring new places and seeking new challenges. There also could be a new romance waiting to be "discovered." TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): A surprise message from someone in your past could lead to a long-awaited reunion with a once-close friend. Also, look for a workplace problem to be resolved in your favor. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Your self-confidence is rising, and that should be a...READ MORE