Voices From The Readers – August 23, 2019

Voices From The Readers – August 23, 2019

Herbie Called Home

Editor:

Mr. Herbert Pawlukewicz, a main stay at council meetings for many years passed away on Thursday August 15 at age 88. His wife Frieda has requested that the City attach plaques on the two benches located at the intersection of 139th street and Twin Tree Road that says “Herbie’s Benches”. These benches along with others were moved from the boardwalk to off Boardwalk locations at Herbie’s recommendation many years ago after a storm at Herbie’s recommendation. Frieda Herbie’s wife has requested of the Mayor that the city please make these two plaques that would reads Herbie’s Benches.

Herbie was an active man even in retirement. He was a semi-pro baseball player in the 1940’s before enlisting in the Army and serving during the Korean War, later he was stationed in Germany. In 1954 he left the military and married Frieda, his wife of 65 years. In 1955 he joined Smith’s Transfer Corp. Teamsters Local 560 where he worked for 38 years before retiring in 1993.

He and Freda decided to retire in Ocean City where he had vacationed several times dating back to the early 1960’s. They moved to his present house on Twin Tree Road where he resided when he passed away last Thursday. He is survived by his daughter, Justine Pawlukewiczl son, Michael Pawlukewicz; grandchildren, Frank Crespo and Jennifer Crespo; his great granddaughter, Zoey Crespo; his nieces, Bernadette, Cheryl and Lisa; his goddaughter, Andrea; as well as many other family and friends.

Over 40 percent of Ocean City’s residents are retired. Herbert and Frieda were also retired, but when they made Herbie, they broke the mold. After an active life in sports, the military and 39 years as a teamster, Herbie wasn’t ready to retire. Up until two years ago he was a regular attendee at City Council meetings. Over the years, unabashedly taking issue with the mayor when the council’s actions went contrary to his feelings and beliefs. Like a watch dog for numerous uninvolved residents Herbie made sure to put attention on each action which without him would have gone unnoticed.

After Herbie turned 80, many would not have bothered, but if Herbie believed something was wrong, he would be on the front line of the fight and as active as his 80-year-old body would allow. At age 82, he got the second highest number of signatures to Vince Gisriel opposing additional parking meters overturning the council’s plan to put parking meters on many unmetered streets.

Then two years later, at age 84, he helped along with John Medlin, I and others gather signatures and complete a petition that would give residents the right to vote directly on their taxes. His replaced knee was giving him fits, but he still went out every day and gathered signatures, the petition was oversubscribed and certified by the Election Board, but the council voted to sue to stop the lawfully solicited petition from going on the ballot, claiming only they had a right to set taxes. We counterclaimed on behalf of residents and Herbie volunteered to be a plaintiff.

Herbie and Frieda Pawlukewicz are from an era long-gone. People who enjoy family and friends. They are not seeking or driven by ego but are unafraid to stand up for what they feel is right and speak out or if needed legitimately act out.

Herbie will be sorely missed by family and friends as well as every resident in Ocean City, who even if they didn’t agree with him respected his unselfish time dedicated to public good and his unrelenting poking and prodding the Mayor and City Council, that left us better informed of the issues.

If I, God forbid, were ever in a foxhole and could have one person in with me, it would be Herbie Pawlukewicz.

Tony Christ

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No Venue For Politics

Editor:

Before the start of the White Marlin Open this year, my wife and I walked down the docks to admire the beautiful sport fishing boats in Ocean City. We noticed that scores of boats were flying Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign flags. While I respect each owner’s right to express their political views, I am gravely concerned the Trump flags, or any political candidate’s flag, in this venue will viscerally change the tone of the WMO sporting event next year.

Flash forward to August of 2020, three months prior to the presidential election. Now competing flags and messages will be flying from all of the outriggers, turning this wonderful Ocean City sporting event to a highly charged political and potentially combative rally. In that environment, it is inevitable that someone will be turned off; possibly become aggressive and hurt. What was once a unique, exciting and family oriented celebration of all things big game fishing, could be turned into a contentious demonstration of our national political division.

There is an easy solution to this inevitable problem. Like all sporting events there are rules to be followed. I suggest all political flags be banned from the boats at the docks to avoid this divisive demonstration. What say you?

Rich O’Brien

Easton

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Scholarship Outing A Success

Editor:

The Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Youth Foundation wishes to thank the many local businesses and individuals who helped make our 10th annual scholarship golf outing a success. Over $13,500 was raised for the foundations endowment account to perpetuate scholarships for SDHS seniors well into the future. The tournament was held Aug. 7 at the Ocean City Golf Club.

We thank the Diamond sponsors, Gregg and Tina Custis, the Gold Sponsors, OC Elks Lodge #2645 and American Legion Post 166 and Larry and Patty Campbell. Silver Sponsors were Atlantic Health and Fitness as well as Atlantic Orthopaedics.

Bronze Sponsors were Atlantic Health and Fitness, Atlantic Physical Therapy, Ayers, Jenkins, Gordy and Almand, Bayside Skillet, Smokers BBQ, Burbage Funeral Home, Resorts Services and Management, OC Grand Prix, Bull on the Beach, Mike’s Carpet Connection, Bank of OC, Baja Amusements, Bonfire, 1st Service, Arctic HVAC, Taylor Bank, Anthony’s Liquors, Sea Floor of OP, Crab Alley, Choptank Coop, The Caproni Family, The Acton Family, Henry and Cathy.

Other donors were Action Island Imprinters, Seacrets, OP Yacht Club, Ayers Creek Adventures, Candy Kitchen, Trimpers, Comcast, Shorebirds, Surfside Rooster, Original Greene Turtle, Piaza, Abi’s Diner, Greene Turtle West, West O Bottle Shop, Frog Bar and Grill, OC Monogram, Island Creamery, Believe in Tomorrow, Walmart, Lombardis, Captains Table and Mike’s Carpet Connection. Members Ron Frew, Lew Frey, Rich Caproni, Charles Smith, Wayne Littleton, Bob Reifsnyder and Les Crook also donated prizes.

Local golf courses also donated prizes. Seaside, Newport Bay, Eagle’s Landing, Bay Creek, Ocean Resorts, Rum Pointe, Man ‘O War, Light House Sound, Rookery and Ocean Pines courses donated rounds of golf.

We also wish to thank Buddy Sass, Annette Cropper and the entire staff at OC Golf for helping make the event a success.

Charles Smith

Berlin

(The writer is the president of the Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Club.)