Schools Must Pinch
Like Rest Of Us
Editor:
In reading the various articles this week regarding our Board of Education and how they cannot decrease their budget by 3 percent, I have this question, "Has the Board of Education ever turned a light switch off in any of the schools?"
If they did, we would save not only money but reduce energy costs. Heating can also be turned down during the day. The majority of children in our schools keep their coats on or with them because they do not want to go back to their lockers. If you were to turn the heat down a degree a week, everyone would become accustomed to the temperature.
In a time when all are pinching pennies and struggling to make ends meet, how can our Board of Education not meet the request by the County?
Mimi Peuser
Berlin
Where’s My Representation?
Editor:
This week I received the “Town of Ocean City Report to Taxpayers.” It was interesting. I am an owner who lives in Ocean City six months of the year. My legal residence is in Florida.
I never rent my property, I do not commit crimes and I do not receive benefit from either the convention center or the airport. However, based on the graphs shown in the report, the convention center and airport are both spending more than they take in. In other words, me and others like me are subsidizing these facilities. In addition, I notice that we add 110 seasonal officers to our police force.
Now, who benefits from these expenditures? The business community of Ocean City. My taxes have increased 400 percent in the last 10 years. I receive no benefit from the facilities listed above and the seasonal officers are put in place to handle the crowds benefiting the business community. So it appears that I and others like me are subsidizing the business community and we, the majority of property owners in Ocean City have no voice in how our dollars are spent by Worcester County or the Ocean City. This practice is grossly unfair. Taxation without representation is tyranny, so spoke our founders.
We, absentee owners, should have the vote on local issues that affect our tax base. We, absentee owners, must stand up and be counted. Could we place our tax payments in an escrow account until we have representation on council?
I would welcome any thoughts on this subject by other defranchised property owners in Ocean City.
Bernard R. Jacobs
Ocean City
Holiday Support Appreciated
Editor:
If you’ve had the chance to visit Berlin lately I’m sure you noticed the holiday decorations throughout the town.
It takes the help of so many people to create this wonderful Victorian Christmas. Every year the Berlin electric and public works crew spend countless hours hanging lights and banners, wrapping lampposts and assisting with the tree decorating.
The Main Street Program, Berlin businesses and the citizens of Berlin would like to thank everyone that made our town filled with the spirit of Christmas:
To Richard Holland and the Adkins Company of Berlin for supplying a great tree.
To the elves at Wal-Mart, Steve, Patrick, Joan and Jason for the super sized red and green ornaments.
And especially to the crews of Berlin for, once again, making our town so beautiful: August Wienhold, Jim Higgason, Claude Littleton, Barry Daniels, Jay Warren, Mike Gibbons, Wendell Purnell and Ricky Dennis.
Berlin Main Street Program
Publication’s Mistake
Editor:
The Dispatch surprised me when I read that I was an “acclaimed international poet.” I am neither internationally acclaimed, nor a poet. I have written a prose book, “Wet and Hungry: An Atlantic Fisherman’s Life”, which tells the true story of Ocean City commercial fishermen. The title is from the old saying, “a fisherman’s life is a wet butt and a hungry gut.” That line doesn’t make me a poet.
Before writing “Wet and Hungry”, I worked as an artist in Worcester County for 38 years, receiving little acclaim. Presently my paintings can be seen in Artiques in Snow Hill, in the Ward Museum’s Reflections on Water exhibit and at my home studio.
Another paper called me “acclaimed international poet” last week. I guess papers copy each other. Therefore, I repeat, I am not a acclaimed poet. I am a neglected local fine artist and recent author. I hope in the future The Dispatch will interview me about my work, rather than repeat another paper’s error.
Beverly Rae Lynch
Newark
Thanks For Help
Editor:
My family and I were in the Ocean city area on Saturday, Dec. 6 driving past the Inlet when I heard a light thump type of noise coming from some where on my car. I pulled over and looked under and around the car but did not see any thing wrong so I decided to head back to Ocean Pines where we have a part-time residence.
The noise became much louder each time I put on the brakes so I pulled in to a garage on Racetrack road named Racetrack Auto and Tires. We were greeted in a friendly manner by Molly the receptionist and a person named George which I later learned was the owner. It was approximately 1 p.m. and the garage closed at 2 p.m.
George looked at the car immediately and said my brake caliper had come loose and was falling off. I had recently had new brake pads put on up in the DC area and the mechanic must not have tightened the bolts. George got the car up on a lift and saw that one of the bolts were missing and the other one was just laying in there. He called around to parts stores and they didn’t have any of this type bolt. He went out on his lot and took bolts out of parked similar type vehicles but they were not the right type. He finally located a bolt that was too long but the right type and said he would cut it down if I would go to his other location up on Route 50 and get it. He loaned me his personal car and I went and got the bolt, which he cut down and made it work.
By the time George was done, it was over an hour past the closing time for the shop. And to top matters off he only charged me a token amount of money for all this service. We were stranded and these kind folks went out of their way to help us. We are very grateful to them.
Larry Puckett
Catonsville, Md.
Memorabilia Sought
Editor:
Once again, the Ocean City Mayor and City Council will throw open the doors of City Hall on New Year’s Day to the community so that they may come to visit and find out more about our wonderful town. This year’s theme is "Storms of Change," an exciting and thrilling topic. We would like to show how these major storms, 1933, 1962 and 1985, as well as some smaller ones, had a dramatic effect on our barrier island home.
If you have any photographs, books, memorabilia, etc. or stories to tell about any storms or weather related occurrences that changed Ocean City, please give me (event co-chair Donna Greenwood at 410-289-7060) or Suzanne Hurley at the Lifesaving Station Museum a call to share your treasurers. We would so greatly appreciate anything of interest that we could copy and enlarge then return to you.
Please mark your calendars for this New Year’s Day event and join us as we celebrate Ocean City’s rebirth and rebuilding after these "Storms of Change".
Donna Greenwood
Ocean City
Success Due To Volunteers
Editor:
This is a letter to all those who helped to make the 26th Annual Ocean City Christmas Parade such a success.
There are many fine community parades here on the shore. The officials of those parades I’m sure echo my thanks to all the people who donate their time to make sure these parades run smoothly and provide entertainment and the seasonal spirit to all those observing the parades.
I would like to thank everyone from the Public Works Department who provides us with the judge’s stand, bleachers and the P.A. system. A special thanks to the Ocean City Police Department for all their work in seeing that the traffic runs smoothly on Coastal Highway while the parade is taking place.
A special thanks goes out to Doug Cymek and his volunteers who coordinate the line-up, start the parade and see that it flows smoothly. This is no easy task believe me. Thanks to Miton Warren and Delmarva Two-Way Radio for the use of radios during the parade.
Thanks goes out to Jim Whittemore for being our speaker once again. The Christmas Parade is a professionally judged parade. Thank you to the National Judges Association for sending three talented professional judges.
I thank the Gold Coast Mall Merchant’s Association for their continued support and for providing all the funds for this parade. I thank the community and news media for its interest and involvement. All this blends together into an enjoyable first Saturday in December in the resort when we all enjoy the Ocean City Christmas Parade.
Elaine V. Jarvis
Parade Coordinator