The Dispatch has been hitting the streets in the Ocean City, West Ocean City, Berlin, Ocean Pines, Fenwick Island and Bethany Beach area since 1984.
Our sister publication, Maryland Coast Dispatch, is an identical paper that is mailed to our nearly 700 subscribers, who reside in areas as far as the West Coast and as close as the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.
Our long-time Publisher Richard V. Lohmeyer, who revolutionized the Ocean City area newspaper over his 40 years in the business, owned and operated the publications up until his death in May of 2005. His son, J. Steven Green, currently oversees daily operations at the company and has been since 1997. Upon Lohmeyer’s death, he assumed the role as publisher as well as editor.
The newspapers are owned by Maryland Coast Dispatch, Inc. with Green acting as publisher and editor and Patricia Lohmeyer as vice president and office manager.
The Dispatch is published 52 weeks a year, carries a high weekly saturation circulation and is targeted at reaching thousands of local residents as well as visitors to the area each week. To contact us, call 410-641-4561 or email
The Population
The population in Worcester County is estimated to be increasing annually by 3.3 percent, the second-fastest rate in Maryland. As of July 1, 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau reports there were 48,084 people residing in Worcester County, and estimates are that number will exceed 50,000. With Worcester County, everyone knows about Ocean City, which has a year-round population of nearly 8,000 and an average summertime weekend crowd of 310,000, but many are not aware of the Ocean Pines community, which has a year-round population of more than 10,000 and nearly double during the vacation season, and the historic town of Berlin, which has increased its year-round population on average by 8 percent a year.
The People
Of the more than 48,000 people that call Worcester County home, 34 percent are between the age of 20-44; 24 percent between 45-64 years old; 19 percent over the age of 65; 18 percent between the age of 5-19; and 6 percent under 5 years old. Approximately 72 percent of the population is white, 27 percent black and the remainder Asian and American Indian. As far as profession, 18 percent of the population is employed in the service industry; 14 percent each in the production and operators/laborers field; 14 percent in sales; 13 percent in administration; 12 percent in management; 9 percent in professional; and farming/forestry and technical round out the industry. The median household disposable income for county residents is $27,777.
The Development
Exploding is the best way to describe development in the county, particularly in the northern parts, which The Dispatch targets with its circulation. Property values have soared in Ocean City, Ocean Pines, West Ocean City, Berlin, Fenwick Island and Bethany Beach. For example, Ocean City’s average property assessment increase in 2003 was 78 percent. Ocean Pines properties are expected to jump at least 50 percent.
Restaurants/Nightlife
More than 300 restaurants, nightclubs, bars and taverns dot the resort area, providing conventioneers, vacationers and residents plenty of options for nightly ventures. Whether it’s a quiet dinner with views of the bay, ocean and Assateague Island or a night of carousing with friends in the clubs, the Ocean City area has it all.
Climate
It’island living. Hot summer days and warm evenings are the norm during the summer months, making the cooler fall and spring months an absolute delight. Even winter’s harshest month, January, is bearable with an average temperature of 38 degrees. Average annual rainfall is about 46 inches with only 8 inches on average of snow.
Schools
Approximately 7,000 students attend the county’s 14 public schools – five elementary, one intermediate, three middle, three high schools, one career center and a special school – and three private institutions. All of the public high schools are Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence and employ a staff of nearly 1,000 to educate. Although no colleges are located in Worcester County, there are three, Salisbury University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Wor-Wic Community College, within a 30-minute drive.
Shopping
Outlet-style shopping is available in the area as well as the hundreds of independent retail stores that line the Boardwalk in Ocean City and the resort’s main thoroughfare. Shopping options include national chains Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Giant, Food Lion, Superfresh in the immediate area as well as many more in Salisbury, a short 30-minute drive from the beach.
Vacation Season
The peak tourism season is the traditional summer months from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but the increasing popularity of the shoulder seasons of spring and fall have made the resort area a year-round destination to be certain. Even when Mother Nature is uncooperative during the winter season, a bustling convention business and strategically staggered events keep the lodging industry and related hospitality businesses on a summer-like pace.
Circulation
The Dispatch is distributed to locations in Ocean Pines, West Ocean City, Berlin, Snow Hill, Fenwick Island, Bishopville, Bethany Beach, Ocean View and Ocean City. In addition, our sister publication, Maryland Coast Dispatch, is mailed to subscribers across the country. The Dispatch has more than 100 distribution points in northern Worcester County and lower Sussex County. Our weekly circulation tops out at 25,000 and is expanding each year.