September is going to be a busy special events month in Ocean City with many challenges for town government.After this weekend’s wine fest comes bike week, the new OC AdventureFest and then the new Oceans Calling Festival, which may or may not coincide with the pop-up rally folks.The three-day music festival offers an exciting opportunity… Read more »
OC’s Landscape ChangesEditor:The Mayor and City Council should really stop and think about where this town is going. But then again I wonder, how much do they really care? Perhaps they have achieved what they wanted along — pure commercialism.Last month I came upon a tree that I’ve walked by for 17 years. And all… Read more »
The People for Fiscal Responsibility – the group that spearheaded the petition effort on the planned sports complex west of the Stephen Decatur High School – is asking the county for clarity.In a letter to county Attorney Roscoe Leslie with copies to all seven Worcester County Commissioners and Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young, Vince Gisriel,… Read more »
“Crash team investigators continue to follow up on leads while talking to witnesses. This case is active and ongoing while police seek anyone with first-hand knowledge of the incident or who may have witnessed the incident to contact police at 410-819-4721. Callers will remain confidential. Once the investigation is complete, it will be presented to… Read more »
Berlin Needs New Utility Rate ApproachEditor:Utility rates are again in the news in Berlin, and everybody is facing higher monthly fees that will be the same for every account, no matter how much water and electricity you use. It might seem like everybody paying the same is fair, but think again.Capital fees and similar fixed charges… Read more »
There seems to be some confusion over short-term rentals in Berlin. At last week’s meeting, Berlin Councilman Jay Knerr expressed concerns about the ordinance that was passed earlier this year. After it was approved in the spring, an “error” was later discovered and an amendment to the ordinance was needed. Language needed to be added… Read more »
Blueprint Awareness NeededEditor:The first year of implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is over. The Blueprint is a 10-year education reform and funding plan. How have the Worcester County Public Schools done?Strong Schools Maryland released their findings about the first year of Blueprint implementation in the form of state and local Progress Reports (find… Read more »
Though traditionalists have generally frowned on the date change, the later Sunfest could ultimately be beneficial to all.The new Oceans Calling Festival essentially kicked Sunfest out of its traditional weekend on the September special event calendar. With an estimated 40,000 tickets being sold for the three-day event, it’s tough to argue against that decision, as… Read more »
Though it might not have been the case, the internal promotion of Mary Bohlen to the town administrator post seemed planned. Four months ago, Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood retired from the post despite having one year left on his contract. He was willing to stay on the job until the budget process wrapped, but Mayor… Read more »
Timing of Sports Complex QuestionedEditor:Thanks to an army of volunteers and over 5,000 voters signing the petition, the citizens of Worcester County will have the opportunity to vote for or against the bond issuance to build the Sports Complex.At first glance, the bond bill calls for a general obligation bond of $11,198,830. However, that is just… Read more »