OCEAN CITY — As revenue goes down, oftentimes the price must come up, and that could be the case for admission to the Winterfest of Lights next year.One pre-holiday snowstorm may have kept the Winterfest of Lights from meeting last year’s numbers, but on Tuesday, the Recreation and Parks Committee heard a proposal that called… Read more »

BERLIN – A revived coastal bays Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) met this week to work out a new vision for the group, which was formed years ago to work on policy decisions for the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP).The CAC was formed a decade ago to oversee the creation of the MCBP’s Comprehensive Conservation and… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — The City Council took umbrage with one topic included in a housekeeping measure that would have updated the police department’s General Orders.All but one of the nine General Orders proposed to the Mayor and Council passed through the council level, but one issue involving off-duty police officers, firearms and alcohol was table… Read more »

BERLIN – After threatening to get a search warrant to take samples of potentially polluting material on the Hudson Farm chicken operation, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) was allowed onto the land and took samples on Tuesday.An MDE spokesperson confirmed that agency inspectors have visited the Hudson Farm and removed materials for testing,… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — What was said would put the “little guy” out of business, could actually help the “little guy” start his own.While some in the taxi industry argued that putting a medallion system into effect would put smaller cab companies out of business, the new system might be favorable to some independent cabbies, who… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — In the brief this week, the town continued with steps to update infrastructure, add some new amenities and tie up some proverbial loose ends.New Boardwalk Sign ApprovedThe City Council awarded GableSigns Inc, a bid for $21,245 to construct and install two new Variable Message Signs on the Boardwalk on Tuesday, enabling the… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — A one-time offer to 84 town employees could see many of them opting for retirement as early as late April in some cases, and in turn, helping the town save almost $1 million in payroll this year.At the end of a City Council work session on Tuesday, City Manager Dennis Dare outlined… Read more »

OCEAN CITY – Mixed signals continue to come out in the ongoing battle over the abrupt closure of the black sea bass fishery last fall with the defendants in a multi-party lawsuit against the federal agency responsible for the closure filing a formal answer to dismiss the case this week, and the agency responsible for… Read more »

NEWARK – County schools face $1.8 million in reductions in next year’s budget, with $1.2 million of the overage representing higher fixed costs such as fuel, insurance and energy.The Worcester County Board of Education received the fiscal year 2011 schools budget Tuesday afternoon knowing that reductions must still be made to meet a Maintenance of… Read more »

BERLIN – Despite the refusal of the Hudson Farm owner to allow a state agency to take samples of potentially polluting materials from his land, the state says it still has a case for enforcement action against the chicken farm.The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), despite sending inspectors to alleged polluter Hudson Farm, has… Read more »