July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- A popular local man is on the mend and headed for surgery after finishing a heat in a surf contest Sunday before going into cardiac arrest and collapsing on the judges’ stand, thanks in large part to the quick actions of resort lifeguards and Ocean City paramedics.
Last Sunday, popular local surfer George Smith, 67, had just competed in a heat during a contest at Malibu’s when he collapsed on the judge’s stand while eating a slice of pizza, the victim of an...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- Continuing a rash of recent near tragic incidents involving swimmers heading into the ocean after the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) has signed off for the day, two individuals were rescued by an Ocean City Fire Department rescue swimmer around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at 16th Street.
Every summer there are incidents involving swimmers in distress in the ocean after the OCBP’s regular hours, but this season has seen a spike in the number of near tragic incidents including at...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- A Pennsylvania man was arrested on first-degree assault and a slew of other charges last night when he was pulled over on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and allegedly ran over a police officer before touching off a wild chase.
Shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, an Ocean City police officer on bicycle patrol in the downtown area observed a Jeep Cherokee driven by Corey John Martini, 20, of Wickhaven, Pa., make a wide right turn from Philadelphia Ave. onto 8th Street,...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – Modernizing the town’s law regarding the use of body boards on the beach last week was viewed as one step forward by the younger generation in town as residents look to organize and return to City Hall later this year to address other archaic laws prohibiting skateboarding and restricting surfer access.
“We just want to bring back the beach town that we all grew up in,” said Jenny Carven, co-owner of Ish Boutique. “The beater [body board] ban was just...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- One young woman remains in critical condition today and two others have been treated and released after an incident last Friday during which they went into the ocean after being advised not to by the Ocean City Beach Patrol and were rescued by a pair of private citizens and an off-duty ranking lifeguard.
Around 6 p.m. last Friday, Ocean City Communications received a call regarding swimmers in distress in the ocean around 90th Street. As Ocean City Police officers arrived on the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – An alleyway in Little Salisbury has raised safety concerns for residents in the area as vehicles have found it a convenient way to avoid Coastal Highway.
City Engineer Terry McGean has been researching modifications to Seabay Drive between 86th Street and Bering Road. The complaints are due to excess traffic cutting through the Seabay and the Wine Rack parking lot to get to the light at 85th Street.
More specifically, in May, Tim Covell of Seabay Drive made a complaint over...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- Removing former City Manager Dennis Dare from office last fall has resulted in town government having to spend in excess of $252,000 to compensate him and land his replacement, according to city records.On July 9, after much debate among City Council members and the media, The Dispatch filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to determine the exact expenses associated with last year’s decision to remove Dare as city manager. Dare was with the city for 29 years, 21 of...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- A local man, arrested last August on drug distribution charges after making several narcotics deals with Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) detectives at different locations around West Ocean City, pleaded guilty last week to distribution of cocaine and was sentenced to 14 years in jail as part of the repeat offender program.
Early in 2011, OCPD narcotics officers were sworn in as fully vested law enforcement officials giving them full police powers outside town limits.
Last...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SNOW HILL -- Worcester County received two small pieces of good news this week, at least from the County Commissioners’ perspective.
The first piece of good news that came to the commission was the revelation that the state will not force mandatory sprinkler systems into newly built county homes for several years.
“Basically it’s backed off now until 2015,” said Director of Development Review and Permitting Ed Tudor.
Last year, the commission had voted to exclude...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SALISBURY -- The Wicomico County Council this week approved a pair of state grants for various court-related programs after receiving assurances the county would not be responsible for funding the programs if the grants cease to exist in the future.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council approved a pair of resolutions authorizing County Executive Rick Pollitt, Jr. to accept a grant totaling $142,094 from the state’s Department of Family Administration to support Wicomico’s family...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SALISBURY -- The Wicomico County Council this week got a report on the proposed redistricting plan for the five council member districts, which appears to meet the population requirements while preserving a minority-majority District 1.
Members of the Redistricting Committee presented their proposed version of the plan to the County Council on Tuesday. Every 10 years, the council district boundaries are revised based on population changes revealed by the U.S. Census. The committee was charged...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- Several arrests have been made in a recent rash of counterfeiting in the resort, thanks in large part to a more vigilant and better educated workforce.
“ … We are fortunate to not only have fantastic detectives who have been working around the clock to solve these cases, but even more so, we are lucky to have vigilant employees who, in several circumstances, thwarted additional crimes by recognizing the counterfeit currency before it was passed,” said Ocean City...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – The city has adopted the state’s “No Excuse” policy when it comes to applying for an absentee ballot.
City Clerk Kelly Allmond continued a discussion at this week’s meeting that started last year when Councilwoman Margaret Pillas asked for a discussion on simplifying the absentee ballot process for municipal voters.
Last November Allmond advised the council that the state adopted the “No Excuse” policy for absentee voting and presented the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
ASSATEAGUE -- A dolphin that beached itself on Assateague last Sunday did not survive the trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore for potential rehabilitation, despite a massive public-private effort to save the creature.
When local resident Adam Carson and his family and friends headed down to the Wedge at Assateague last Sunday on his pontoon boat for a little recreational boating, they didn’t anticipate finding themselves in the middle of a Herculean effort to save a dolphin that had...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
BERLIN -- A single-engine banner plane crashed near a pond in the middle of a defunct golf course in Berlin yesterday mid-morning, killing the as-yet-unidentified pilot.
Just before 11 a.m. on Thursday, emergency crews responded to a reported plane crash in a remote area of the old Beach Club golf course in Berlin, which has been closed for several years. The preliminary investigation revealed the single-engine banner plane, the same planes that fly advertising messages over the resort area,...
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OCEAN CITY- The 25th Annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament last weekend was one for the books with record 257-pound big-eye weighed just minutes before the scale closed late Sunday evening to capture the top prize before a stunned crowd.
After a modest beginning on Day One last Friday when 71 of the registered 79 boats in the annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament went out, the drama built steadily through the weekend as the leaderboard was written, erased and rewritten again through Saturday and Sunday....
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OCEAN CITY- The 4th Annual Branch Kreppel Blue Marlin Tournament, named for a beloved local angler and diver who passed away in 2008, gets underway next weekend with a captain’s meeting and registration on Thursday, followed by three full days of fishing action next Friday through Sunday.
As the name of the event implies, blue marlin are the target species for the tournament, which has become a precursor of sorts for the prestigious White Marlin Open two weeks later. The minimum size...
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OCEAN CITY- Young anglers will get their moment in the spotlight this weekend when the Ocean City Marlin Club hosts its 8th Annual Kids Classic Tournament.
Throughout the summer, the big boys and girls get to show off their fishing skills practically every weekend with one tournament or another, but the focus during this weekend’s 8th Annual Kid’s Classic will clearly be on the younger anglers. The event is open to all anglers age 19 or younger and is taking place in the waters in...
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BERLIN- The Berlin Little League 10-11 All-Stars inched closer to history this week, beating District 1 champion West End of Hagerstown, 6-0, on Tuesday in the semifinals to reach the finals in the Maryland State Championship in Hurlock tonight.
The Berlin 10-11 All-Stars repeated as District 8 champions to reach the Maryland State Championship tournament in Hurlock that began last week. After going undefeated in the District 8 tournament, Berlin swept through the early rounds of the state...
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True Heroes At Work
Editor:
When I was in Ocean City recently, my daughter and I enjoyed a day at the beach at the Clarion hotel where a too-familiar drama played out that reminded me of the many heroic responsibilities of your Surf Rescue Technicians, known to beachgoers for generations as “lifeguards.”
We watched as a little lost girl was found by lifeguard AJ, who coordinated the reunion with her mother with great caring and to loud applause from the beachgoers. I know how...
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July 20, 2012 -
Editorial
These are the best of times for Berlin as an unprecedented swell of community pride and entrepreneurial spirit has become deeply woven in the historic town.
What's happening currently in Berlin is tremendous. It's palpable and rooted in the belief the town is a hotbed for commerce and the epitome of a unique small town that likes itself the way it is and does not appear interested in growing beyond its means.
As is the case in Ocean City, special events are driving much of the town’s...
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On the one-month anniversary of his first day on the job, City Manager David Recor faced his first true political firestorm of sorts.Last Wednesday, July 11 (his first day on the job was Monday, June 11), all hell broke loose in the local surf community upon what appeared to be the sudden enforcement by the Ocean City Beach Patrol of an antiquated section of the code regarding body board lengths.Exact circumstances of how the ban on boards exceeding 42 inches became to be instilled are unknown,...
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No matter the circumstances, my kids love freezing water.
It’s a little disturbing I admit, but this affinity is on display each night in the bathtub.
It routinely plays out that neither boy wants any part of the cleaning process of bath time, and I assume this is a common situation with all kids. There’s not much fun with that whole ordeal and I get that.That’s why it’s a sprint to help them get clean before one of them (usually Carson) pulls the plug and the warm water...
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July 20, 2012 -
Cops & Courts
OCEAN CITY -- Traffic was snarled in the downtown area Monday night after a single-vehicle accident that sent six victims to the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Around 9 p.m. on Monday, Ocean City Police responded to the area of 3rd Street and Philadelphia Ave. for a reported single-vehicle collision. The investigation revealed a vehicle traveling southbound on Philadelphia Ave. swerved from the roadway and struck a utility police near 3rd Street. In addition to the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Open Houses
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
OCEAN CITY
Sunset Island
67th St & The Bay
Fri, Sat & Sun
Condos, Townhomes,
Single Family Homes
Luxury Resort Living
Terry Riley
Vantage Resort Realty
443-880-0512
SELBYVILLE
Lighthouse Crossing
Green Heron Rd
Open Daily 11-6
New Construction
Large Luxury Homes
On Expansive Lots
90-Day Delivery
877-436-9157
OCEAN...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SNOW HILL -- Dr. Jerry Wilson officially took part in his first Worcester County Board of Education meeting this week, presenting the board with his Superintendent Entry Plan, which briefly outlines his plans and goals for the immediate future.
“The first [step] is gathering information,” Wilson told the Board of Education.
Since coming to Worcester earlier this summer, Wilson explained that he’s been busy meeting with community leaders and educators to try to develop a general...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – A tourism report given last week proved that taxpayer dollars are hard at work spreading the word about Ocean City.
Tourism Director Donna Abbott presented a report on the “OC Tourism Campaign” running through May and June.
“Our Summer of Thanks campaign is in full swing,” Abbott said.
Rodney the Lifeguard commercial spots have been airing in key theater markets, Baltimore, Washington, DC, HLLY (Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Pa.), Philadelphia,...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – The general employees of Ocean City have earned a spot on this fall’s ballot as voters will decide their right to collective bargaining in the next general election in November.
According to City Clerk Kelly Allmond, on June 28 Gregory DeMarco of the Ocean City Employee Coalition served the City Clerk’s Office with a petition entitled “Petition for Town of Ocean City Charter Amendment for Fair and Equal Representation Rights For The General Employees of the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – A councilman’s questions regarding the county’s role in keeping up with the number of municipal registered voters were answered this week.
Earlier this month, Councilman Brent Ashley brought up a fluctuation in the number of registered voters.
Ashley reported that the figures in the Certified Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for registered voters differ for most years from the information that City Clerk Kelly Allmond supplied to the Mayor and City Council...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SNOW HILL -- After a public information session on a proposed shellfish aquaculture operation near South Point failed to ease the worries of some state and county officials last week, the Worcester County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to continue their opposition of the project.
“I received four or five phone calls after the meeting from people still with some concerns, mainly over liability,” said Commission President Bud Church.
In the pipeline for nearly three years, the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SNOW HILL -- With $15,372,407 offered in scholarships to graduating Worcester County high school seniors this year, Coordinator of Instruction Dr. Donna Main revealed this week the county school system broke its previous record.
“Our students were offered the record breaking figure of $15 million,” Main told the Board of Education Tuesday.
The former record was set in 2009, with $14,325,135. While most totals have hovered around $12 million since 2006, this year’s numbers...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY -- A Pennsylvania man arrested last July after an incident that began with an attempted drug sale to an undercover Ocean City police officer on the Boardwalk was sentenced last week to 10 years in jail.
Around 1:47 a.m. last July 16, Ocean City narcotics detectives, assisted by undercover and plainclothes officers, attempted to arrest Michael Joseph McGovern, 30, of Williamsport, Pa., for selling marijuana and ecstasy to an undercover detective. During the arrest, McGovern fled from...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – City Council chambers resembled a day on the beach this week as surfers, parents and kids crowded the room awaiting the Mayor and City Council’s decision regarding “boogie boards.”
Last week, after receiving numerous complaints about the increased use of large body boards, those 42 inches or longer, and their perceived threat on the safety of the general public in the ocean, the Ocean City Beach Patrol began enforcing a ban on the product.
The use of...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – The resort’s latest crime fighting tool, Tasers, has proven to be safe and effective, according to the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD).
Last February, the Mayor and City Council approved the OCPD’s Taser X2 Program, which is a pilot program to have trained officers carry the Electronic Control Device (ECD) while on duty.
According to the Chief of Police Bernadette DiPino, to date there has been a total 19 Taser “displays”. This is when the ECD is...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – La Hacienda at the South Gate of Ocean Pines has filled a void in the area by offering a piece of Ocean City nostalgia on the main land.
After eight years of searching for the perfect second location for La Hacienda, owner Bill Herbst opened his Ocean Pines location last November.
Approaching La Hacienda on Route 589 it’s impossible not to notice a tropical atmosphere of a deck bar and seating sitting over top a lake.
“It is a nice quiet place,” Herbst said...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
BERLIN -- Twelve years in the making, local author Susan Tejada recently released, “In Search of Sacco and Vanzetti,” a true crime story of one of Massachusetts’ most brutal multiple murders.
Originally hailing from Providence, R.I., Tejada and her husband Rey have owned a home in West Ocean City near Assateague Island since the early 1980s.
Tejada explained that while she loves Worcester County, New England has always had a special place in her heart, which is why she...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
BERLIN -- Questions arose this week over the timing of the ongoing Route 50 repaving project during the height of the summer season, but State Highway Administration (SHA) officials said Wednesday there were fiscal reasons for the start of the project and the work should be completed by the middle of next week.
Throughout much of the summer thus far, SHA crews have been working on an extensive repaving project along a seven-mile stretch of eastbound Route 50 from just west of Berlin to the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
BERLIN -- Sometimes, in order to understand a high school student you need to be a high school student. At least that’s the approach Stephen Decatur High School (SDHS) rising senior Calvin Garrison is taking with his “Acts of Kindness” program.
“It’s really an outlet for students to come visit if they need someone to talk to,” said Garrison, who founded the program during the 2011-2012 school year, in addition to participating in eight other clubs.
Beginning...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City local did this month what he had never done before -- secured a place in the Hawaiian U.S. Pro Tour body boarding contest’s finals.
The United States Bodyboarding Association’s (USBA) Pro Tour just held its stop in Hawaii for the Sandy Beach Pro on July 7-8 where local Brian Stoehr placed fourth in the contest, leaving him ranked third overall, as he heads to the final contest, Jenks Pro, at Jenkinson’s Beach, N.J., on Sept. 1.
“This is...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
OCEAN CITY – Jack is back in action at J/R’s Ribs uptown as the restaurant has completed a makeover that includes the addition of a drive-thru window service.
Last year at this time J/R’s Ribs on 131st Street in Ocean City was celebrating the return of its creator Jack Hubberman as he regained the reigns and vowed to return the restaurant to its original recipes along with making a few modernizing changes.
In 1980, Hubberman opened J/R’s Ribs on 62nd Street and four years...
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July 20, 2012 -
Top Stories
SNOW HILL -- Ocean City got one step closer to returning to the silver screen Tuesday when the Worcester County Commission voted to contribute $100,000 toward funding the movie, “Ping Pong Summer”, on the condition that Ocean City is willing to pay an equal amount.
County Tourism Director Lisa Challenger pitched the funding opportunity to the commissioners this week. She reminded them of the powerful and positive impact Hollywood has had on the area in the past.
“We’re...
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July 20, 2012 -
Things To Do
Every Sunday: Morning Worship
8 a.m. & 11 a.m., Traditional Worship; 9:30 a.m., Contemporary Worship; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, E.L.C.A, 10301 Coastal Hwy., O.C. For more information, 410-524-7474.
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...
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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 Distin-guished Restaurants of North America awards, one of only 220 in North America and the only one in this region. Serving dinner Tuesday-Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Also offering a 5 course...
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July 20, 2012 -
Obituaries
Virginia M. Bassett
SALISBURY -- Virginia M. Bassett passed peacefully with family at her bedside at her home in Salisbury on Monday, July 16, 2012.
“Ginger”, as she was known, was born in Auburndale, Fla. on Sept. 24, 1921.
Ginger was an accomplished seamstress/designer working for Disney World in the costume department for many years. She took great delight in her retirement life in making costumes and crafts for her family and friends.
She is survived by her...
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July 20, 2012 -
Best Beats
19th hole bar & Grille, The
410-213-9204 • Corner of Rte. 611 & Sunset Ave., West Ocean City
Friday, July 20: Blake Haley, 6-10 p.m.
Saturday, June 21:
John LaMere, 6-10 p.m.
Sunday, July 22: Louis Wright, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Chris Button, 4-7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25:
Melissa Alesi, 6-9 p.m.
Thursday, July 26:
Johnny Mojo, 6-9 p.m.
28th Street Pit and Pub
410-289-2020 • 28th St. & Coastal Hwy.
Friday, July 20: Hot Sauce Sandwich
Saturday, July 21: TBA
Every Monday: Galaxy...
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July 20, 2012 -
Community News
The Women’s Club of Ocean Pines (WCOP) presented $1,500 to community organizations and $2,500 in college scholarships at the end of their 2011-2012 membership year. Monies were presented to CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate), Ocean Pines Recreations and Parks Department, Ocean Pines Fire/EMT Department, Ocean Pines Police Department, Worcester County Veterans Memorial and the McGuffey Literacy Program. Scholarships were awarded to Ruth Chilengi, Kirsten Pokrywka, and Arielle...
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July 20, 2012 -
Community News
Anna Foultz, president of Star Charities, hosted her 12th Annual Western Night at Ocean Downs Race Track July 12 to a sell-out crowd of cowboys/cowgirls with proceeds benefiting Diakonia. Pictured, from left, Gilly Foultz, sheriff for the evening; Graham Caldwell, program emcee; Foultz; Randy Lee Ashcraft, musician; and Lou Ann Trummel, treasurer of Star Charities.
...
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July 20, 2012 -
Community News
In its 65-year history, the Ocean City Lions Club has had many King Lions. On June 27, Cynthia Malament became the first Queen Lion. Above, outgoing King Lion Chris Takacs congratulates Malament.
...
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July 20, 2012 -
Community News
The Ocean City/Berlin Optimist awarded over $55,000 in scholarships at the recent Stephan Decatur High Scholl awards ceremony. The 11 scholarships bring the total awarded to over $1,500,000 in 24 years to over 280 students. Pictured are Rich Dalton, Optimist lotto chair; awardees Ashley Hrebik, Carley Bodolus, Maura Smith, Joseph Crank, Karlie Straight, Brandy Evans, Angel Carpenter, Santina Owens,Connor Poole, Michael Tyndal, Tyler Stierhoff; and Jack Hyle and Jim Flaig, Optimist...
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July 20, 2012 -
Community News
The William and Carolyn Johnston Fund at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore (CFES) contributed $9,581.50 to the Fruitland Community Center’s Summer Program. The donation will provide funding to ensure transportation for summer field trips, staffing assistance, and snacks for the children. Pictured, from left, are Spicer Bell, CFES President; Dr. Carolyn Johnston, Donor Representative; William Johnston, Donor Representative; Mary Gladys Jones, Director, Fruitland Community...
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July 20, 2012 -
Business News
PRMC Recognized
SALISBURY -- Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) is among the nation’s best hospitals for 2012-2013, and has been named a Best Regional Hospital on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, according to U.S. News & World Report, the publisher of Best Hospitals.
The hospital rankings, said U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow, are like a GPS-type aid to help steer patients to hospitals with strong skills in the procedures and medical conditions that present the...
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July 20, 2012 -
Horoscopes
ARIES (March 21 to April 19): You're wise to let your Arian skepticism question a former adversary's request to let bygones be bygones. Time will tell if he or she is trying to pull the wool over the Lamb's eyes.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Congratulations. Your hard work soon pays off with some well-deserved recognition. Meanwhile, that important personal relationship needs more attention from you.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): That new person in your life seems trustworthy, but don't turn him...
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July 20, 2012 -
Things I Like
Eating lunch at the WOC harbor
That foxes like our beach, too
Trusting first impressions
A cold one in the pool
A newly stained deck
A morning of yard work
An afternoon of relaxation
Rain on a freshly waxed car
Food hot off an outside grill
The look of a new roof
Peanut butter on a toasted bagel
...
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