“For the times they are a-changin.”The phrase is repeated five times in the Bob Dylan song by the same name. It’s been the prevailing sentiment around our office for several weeks ahead of the merger of two long-time competing newspapers.Life is about timing and the time is right for The Dispatch and OC Today to… Read more »
A 4-3 vote by the Worcester County Commissioners has jeopardized the future of a 42-unit affordable housing project operated by Diakonia.Diakonia’s current facility on Old Bridge Road can no longer meet the needs of the growing local population of homeless and livelihood-stressed individuals who need help getting back on their feet. At a new site… Read more »
Because it’s been one way for decades is not reason enough to continue doing something that’s wrong. It’s our position on public comments not being accepted at Worcester County Commissioners meetings.Unlike nearly every government in the region, there is currently no mechanism for public comments at the Worcester County Commissioners meetings unless there is a… Read more »
“Without Ocean City, Worcester County would be Somerset County,” former Worcester County Commissioner Granville Trimper once said in the face of concerns from south-end commissioners about Ocean City favoritism.Though it was said in a frustrated state back in the late 1990s, Trimper’s comments remain accurate today, particularly when it comes to tax revenue. Look no… Read more »
Selecting the top stories of any year can be challenging, but here’s our top five, taking into consideration the number of stories written over the year on the topics as well as the overall community impact. These stories have one thing in common – many articles were written about each of them throughout the year…. Read more »
In the spirit of the season, we would like to devote some space to perhaps the most famous response ever to a letter to Santa.An editorial that appeared in 1897 in the New York publication The Sun answered the question, “Is There A Santa Claus?” The editorial was penned by Francis Pharcellus Church in response… Read more »
The Berlin Planning Commission did what it was supposed to do this week when it scrutinized the specifics surrounding a Wawa convenience store at the intersection of Route 50 and Main Street.A site plan for the property was approved by the commission back in 2021 for Athena Properties. At that time, a 7-Eleven and a… Read more »
It was a good news, bad news deal for the OC Air Show this week.First, the event date change from mid-June to late-August is a major negative. The event will not be as successful and well received late in the season as it has been held in June for every year except 2020. The 2024… Read more »
Back in September of 2020, in this space the headline read, “County’s Riverboat Purchase A Risky Venture.” The County Commissioners had just voted 5-2 to sign off on the purchase of a riverboat from across the state to boost south end tourism. The editorial read, “Though we don’t understand the rush to a decision, the… Read more »
Special events are proven economic drivers, and Ocean City tourism officials appear all in on the concept of the more the merrier.The slippery slope is ensuring quality events geared toward economics are the focus rather than simply stacking the calendar with small, insignificant events. It appears at this point in Ocean City tourism officials are… Read more »