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October 1, 2021
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Superintendent Discusses Masks
See Page 15 • Photo by Charlene Sharpe
Downtown Redevelopment Eyed
Much Quieter: A significantly calmer pop-up rally was reported in Ocean City last weekend. See inside for cov-
erage.
Photo by Jim Halvorsen
See Page 16 • File Photo
Berlin Clarifies Halloween Stance
See Page 14 • File Photo
Sunfest Weekend In Ocean City
Live Music Weekend: The Gina Furtado Project performed Friday night kicking off the three-day Berlin Fiddlers Convention.
Photo by Steve Green
See Page 33 • File Photo
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Students, Principal Stand Behind Mural Inside School
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
NEWARK – Connections of Pocomoke High School are speaking in support of a student mural following concerns voiced by some community members. During last week’s Worcester County Board of Education meeting, two Pocomoke High School graduates and one current student defended a mural inside the school. The mural, which depicts raised fists with the words “Your Voice Matters,” has been called Marxist and divisive by some local residents. “The truth is the mural is not anti anyone, it is for everyone,” Pocomoke High School graduate Kiely Wolff said. “It’s a reminder that every child has a voice that deserves to be heard.” Wolff and others said they were voicing support for the mural after seeing nega-
A mural painted last year inside Pocomoke High School was defended in the face of criticism. Submitted Photo
tive comments about it on social media. Some have referred to the mural as Marxist while others have described it as divisive and intimidating. The website watch-
guards.org argues the mural conflicts with the school system’s bullying prevention policy. Local resident Caryn Abbott has ex-
October 1, 2021
pressed concern about the mural at various public meetings. “This concerns me because it’s extremely divisive and rooted in Marxist ideology,” she said. “Any student that disagrees with it wouldn’t dare ‘speak up’ without having threats, verbal assaults or worse being sent their way.” According to Pocomoke High School (PHS) Principal Jenifer Rayne, the mural was painted last year by members of the student group Speak Up with the help of artist in residence Lamont Hall, a PHS graduate. Members of Speak Up, which was created to celebrate diversity, got into a deep conversation about current events following the death of George Floyd, Rayne recalled. “The students started talking about the importance of kids knowing regardless what’s going on in the world there is a place for them at Pocomoke High School,” she said. “Every student matters. They are valued.” The teenagers designed a mural they felt represented every student at Pocomoke High. “They decided they wanted to use the fist because in our generation a fist represents strength and solidarity,” she said. The mural was completed in 2020 but just this fall became a topic of discussion when a photo of it was shared on social media. Wolff said she was upset to see it described as indoctrination on Facebook. “There’s nothing partisan about love for every child,” she said. “There’s nothing partisan about telling a child that no matter their social placement, their voice matters.” Tamari Cutler, another PHS grad, told the school board the mural celebrated inclusivity. “The mural is meant to show students they are heard, they are seen and they are safe within our school,” Cutler said. PHS student Raquel Ndirangu said the mural was created by students, for students. She said Speak Up was meant to be an amplifier of student voices to ensure all students had equal representation. “This mural and Speak Up represent an environment every student is welcome,” she said. “The fists are symbols of solidarity and unity amongst our generation, no matter your race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual preference, whether you are a person of physical disabilities or whether you are a person of cognitive disabilities.” Rayne said she was surprised by the criticism of the mural and pointed out there are multiple student-created murals within Pocomoke High School. “All of our murals represent the idea of inclusivity one way or another,” she said. When students were in the design process, Rayne said one staff member pointed out in the 1960s the raised fist was a political symbol. “We got into a good conversation about what the fist means for our youth,” she said. “Our kids, they don’t see a fist and see politics. They see a fist and see unity and solidarity and strength. It’s not about the 1960s lens, it’s about the lens of our youth.” She said erasing the mural would be erasing students’ vision. “That is not what we represent here,” Rayne said.
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 5
Police Statistics Confirm Tamer Pop-Up Rally Weekend
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – While there were still significant hassles at times, the pop-up car rally weekend last week was decidedly tamer then recent years and the statistics bear it out. The Town of Ocean City was bracing for another major unsanctioned pop-up car rally last weekend and officials said going in they were more prepared then ever. As it turns out, far fewer of the often-reckless participants came to the resort last weekend. Whether the rampedup enforcement efforts over the last couple of years, including a strong police presence, a beefed-up towing ordinance, and the special event zone with enhanced fines and penalties, has caused a drop-off in participants in the oftenrowdy weekend is uncertain, but last weekend was clearly far quieter than recent years. Statistically, a breakdown prepared by Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) Crime Analyst Brandon Reim this week shows the number of calls for service, traffic stops, citations issued, arrests, tows and other major categories all declined sharply from 2020. The dropoffs were even more pronounced than the statistics from 2019, which showed a peak in most categories over the last five years. Anecdotally, it was decidedly quiet-
Though there were isolated incidents, such as this burnout session on 60th Street Saturday, a quieter pop-up rally weekend was reported. Submitted Photos
er last weekend in and around the resort during the unsanctioned pop-up rally than in previous years. Although there were plenty of arrests made, there weren’t any of the significant serious crimes seen in years past, such as assaults on police officers, for example. So, the question remains is Ocean City slowly winning a war of attrition with the unsanctioned pop-up rally with the many measures put in place in recent
years, or was the 2021 event just an aberration and the pop-up rally will return in force in late September next year, or perhaps on a different weekend? Despite the apparent successes, resort officials have vowed to stay the course and not let their guard down going forward. City Council President Matt James said this week it appears the many measures put in place in recent years for
October 1, 2021
motorized special events in general, and the pop-up rally specifically, appear to be starting to pay dividends. “I think that the strategies implemented last year really did help achieve the desired results,” he said. “The OCPD and its allied agencies did a great job with enforcement.” For his part, OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro said the entire enforcement package, from the efforts of his department and its allied law enforcement agencies, which sent hundreds of police officers to the resort area, to the special event zone and its enhanced penalties, and the beefed-up towing ordinance to the private-sector partnerships, all helped make last weekend’s event less raucous and dangerous. “This year, the combined measures of the Ocean City community and our allied agencies resulted in a significant decrease from last year’s event,” he said. “While we experienced isolated incidents, the event overall was much different than years past.” Buzzuro praised his charges and the many partners from allied agencies for their efforts in making last weekend tamer than in years past. “I am humbled and proud of the dedication of our Ocean City police officers, dispatchers, public safety personnel, and the hundreds of men and women from allied agencies who worked tirelessly to SEE NEXT PAGE
Council Approves Fire Station Design After Price Tag Reduced
October 1, 2021
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
OCEAN CITY – Satisfied revisions in the design for a new midtown fire station to 65th Street brought the cost estimate to an acceptable level, the majority of the council this week voted to move forward with the project. Last spring, the Mayor and Council voted to eventually replace the aging and dilapidated Station 3 firehouse at 74th Street with a new facility in the parking lot of the Public Safety Building at 65th Street. The midtown Station 3 firehouse was built in 1969 and expanded in 1987. In the decades since, it has fallen into disrepair and no longer meets the needs of the department. In April, the Mayor and Council voted to approve the plan to build a new
fire station at 65th Street and funding was approved for the preliminary design work. Last month, during a discussion of an upcoming bond sale, City Engineer Terry McGean and Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers presented the preliminary designs for the new station, and the Mayor and Council were disappointed by how much the estimate had increased. When the new station was first discussed in April, the overall cost estimate was around $5.5 million. There was, and still is, a possibility the cost of the new station could be offset by the sale of the old firehouse property, which is owned by the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company. The estimated value of the old fire station land is around $1.5 million. When the preliminary building design was presented to the Mayor and Council SEE PAGE 80
protect and serve our community this weekend.” Buzzuro’s assessment of last weekend is consistent with other resort officials. Ocean City Communications and Marketing Director Jessica Waters, who, with her team, led the public outreach efforts leading up to and during the pop-up event, agreed the many measures implemented in recent years led to a more palatable weekend for residents and visitors. “Overall, we were pleased with the weekend,” she said. “Our statistics were significantly down, which is a positive indicator that our messaging and enforcement efforts worked to deter the behavior we have seen in previous years. Our goal all along has been to gain compliance and stop some of the reckless activity that was taking place on the roadways and parking lots. The commitment by the OCPD, along with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Ocean City community and the state of Maryland was evident in the planning and execution of the event. We faced significant challenges with this event, however, it is my belief that the team effort of all involved is why we saw improvements this year.” The town and its partners will continue to implement enforcement measures and look for more deterrents in future years, according to James. “I don’t think we should let our guard down and I know we won’t,” he said. “We have to stay the course, but it looks like what we’re doing is working. It was otherwise a beautiful weekend.” In terms of the raw statistics, the total number of calls for service last weekend was 1,807, including 1,528 officer-ini-
tiated calls for service and 279 citizen calls for service, representing a 36% decrease from the 2,802 total calls for service in 2020. The peak number of calls for service over the last five years of the event was in 2019, when 2,933 calls for service were recorded. The total number of traffic stops recorded during last weekend’s event was 986, down 19% from the 1,218 recorded during the 2020 event. In 2019, there were 1,230 traffic stops. Traffic citations issued last weekend totaled 828, down from the 1,498 issued in 2020 and 1,614 in 2019. The decrease in citations issued from 2020 to 2021 was 45%. Total traffic enforcement went from 1,508 in 2020 to 834 this year, representing a 47% decline. One of the biggest drop-off percentage-wise from 2020 to 2021 was the number of tows. Last year, the first year of the enhanced towing ordinance, there were 368 tows, compared to just 101 last weekend, representing a decrease of 73%. Exhibition driving charges, a enhancement to the special event zone passed by the state legislature last year, also dropped significantly. Last year during the unsanctioned event, there were 123 exhibition driving arrests, compared to 53 last weekend, representing a 57% decrease. Total arrests dropped from 277 last year to 134 this year, representing a 52% decline. Drug arrests last weekend declined by 80% compared to the same weekend in the prior year, while weapons arrests declined by 47%. The only category that went up last weekend compared to the prior year was DUI arrests, which increased from six in 2020 to 11 last weekend, representing an 83% increase, although the sample size is relatively small.
MANAGING EDITOR
… James: ‘I Don’t Think We Should Let Our Guard Down … We Won’t’
Page 7
Berlin Officials Discuss Proposed Short-Term Rental Regs
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – Officials renewed discussion of a short-term rental ordinance this week. The Berlin Town Council reviewed a draft short-term rental ordinance and heard concerns from residents this week. A handful of people shared experiences they’ve had with short-term rentals in their neighborhoods. “I’ve seen the problems,” said resident Ron Cascio, a member of the Berlin Planning Commission. “They’ve just begun. I think we have to nip this in the bud before it becomes a proliferation of this stuff.” Planning Director Dave Engelhart kicked off the discussion with a review of the draft ordinance the council initially looked at in June, which allows short-
term rentals in most districts but requires that rentals in the R-1 and R-2 district are in a property owner’s permanent dwelling per the State Department of Assessment and Taxation. He included recommendations of possible adjustments based on the June discussion. Those changes could include the posting of a license inside and outside the unit, a requirement of 70 square feet of floor space for one occupant or 40 square feet per occupant if more than one. He also said the ordinance could require one additional off-street parking space for each bedroom rented. “These are more like recommendations or suggestions that were created by your discussion in June,” he said. When asked about zoning districts short-term rentals would be permitted in, Engelhart said they would be permitted in R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 and B-1, B-2, and
B-3 but that the R-1 and R-2 rentals had to be in homes defined as the property owner’s permanent residence. “You couldn’t go in and buy six houses on the same street and operate them all as short-term rentals,” he said. “That was seen as a protective element for the single-family districts.” Councilman Jack Orris said he’d talked to residents who thought there should be restrictions on short-term rentals while he’d talked to others who thought they shouldn’t be permitted at all. Councilman Troy Purnell said he still wanted to hear from more residents about what they thought. “Honestly when I saw this on the agenda for the evening I thought it was going to be a discussion of mainly the public,” he said. Though there weren’t many present, the citizens who were in attendance
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shared their thoughts. Resident Marie Velong said she worried that the fact that violations of the proposed ordinance would be complaint driven would cause hard feelings among neighbors. Police Chief Arnold Downing, however, reminded citizens that complaints could be made anonymously. Resident Laura Stearns, a member of the town’s parks commission and historic district commission, submitted a letter in support of restrictions on shortterm rentals. “Over the course of the years as Berlin has become so cool a little bit of the sleepy town it once was has been chipped away,” her letter read. “It seems the cooler the town becomes the less peaceful. I wouldn’t want to live next door to a property that has been rented out to people who are in town to party.” She added that the Coastal Association of Realtors had sent out a mass mailing advocating for the town to allow short-term rentals. “This should be a red flag to all residents,” she wrote. “The Coastal Association of Realtors are not thinking of the residents of this town who have to live next door to these businesses. They are not interested in the quality of life of residents. “ She said short-term rentals were businesses and shouldn’t be in residential districts. Cascio agreed. He said he’d seen short-term rentals hurt Lewes. “Those poor folks are moving out in droves simply because of short-term rentals,” he said. He added that he’d seen a short-term rental on South Main Street with string lights in the yard and televisions on and noise coming from the house at 4 a.m. “It seems to me more like a bar than a residential use,” he said. Cascio added that allowing people to use accessory dwellings might be preferable to whole-house short-term rentals, since the property owner would be on site in that scenario. Resident Ed Hammond, who lives part of the year in Texas, said he’d seen his neighborhood there impacted by Airbnbs. He said he thought the town was on the right track by creating an ordinance regarding short-term rentals. “If you give over good residential to this sort of use you’re destroying the fabric of your community,” he said. Resident Anne Marie Pollack told the council her neighborhood had had problems with a family staying in a bus they were in the process of converting to a trailer. She said that because of a shortterm rental next door, her elderly neighbors had stopped using their patio because there were new residents coming in every week. “Just having people you don’t know checking in every weekend right in your backyard is not what a neighborhood is to me,” she said. Mayor Zack Tyndall asked councilmembers to share any input on the proposed ordinance in the coming weeks as it moves closer to formal introduction.
October 1, 2021
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Spirited Debate Featured At Offshore Wind Public Hearing
Page 10
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – In an often-spirited, three-hour plus virtual public hearing, the Maryland Public Service Commission heard a wide range of opinions on the proposed next phases of two offshore wind energy projects off the coast of Ocean City. The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) on Tuesday held the first of two virtual public hearings on applications from US Wind and Ørsted for second phases of two offshore wind energy
projects off the coast of the resort. In 2017, the PSC awarded Offshore Renewable Energy Credits, or ORECS, for two projects including US Wind’s Marwin project and Ørsted’s Skipjack I project. Those projects are now going through the federal review period with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Buoyed by federal and state calls for an expansion of offshore wind energy, both Ørsted and US Wind have submitted requests for ORECs from the PSC for their second-phase projects, which, if approved, would significantly increase the number of wind turbines sited
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off the resort coast. To that end, the PSC on Tuesday held the first of two public hearings virtually. The second was scheduled for Thursday night. As expected, local officials remained adamant they continue to support clean energy, including offshore wind, but voiced opposition about the proposed scope and locations for the second-phase projects. On the other side, environmental advocacy groups and private citizens praised the proposed expansion of offshore wind in Maryland and cited global warming and climate change as reasons to expand offshore wind and the state’s clean energy portfolio. Others extolled the estimated jobs created by the projects and the economic impact the industry will and is fostering in Maryland. Naturally, a lot of the testimony over about three hours became redundant, but those for and against the proposed expansion of the offshore wind farms off the coast made sure to get their points across. Elected officials went first with their testimony and State Senator Mary Beth Carozza (38C), who represents Ocean City and the Lower Shore, led off. “As someone who was born and raised in my hometown of Ocean City, I remain committed to doing all that I can to preserve our Ocean City way of life and our spectacular views,” she said. “I implore the PSC commissioners to consider this Ocean City way of life for our residents and visitors may be no more with the recent applications. These recent proposals requesting additional ORECs would allow for a significant increase in turbines off the coast of Ocean City.” From the outset of what has now become a years-long process, local officials have repeatedly said they support offshore wind, but wanted the turbines sited at a distance far enough offshore that they are not visible from the shoreline. Carozza echoed those sentiments on Tuesday. “We support clean energy in Maryland, including offshore wind, but we stand in opposition to the size and location of these wind turbines,” she said. “Ocean City tourism continues to create thousands of jobs and is a top revenue-
generator for the state of Maryland, pumping billions of dollars into the state’s economy. Why would we put all of this at risk when studies continue to show tourism drops significantly when turbines are within view, including jobs and home sales? Why would put all of this at risk when the turbines can be moved farther offshore as other states have done.” Evan Richards, representing State Senator Katherine Klausmeier (D-8-Baltimore County), said climate change was reason enough the expand offshore wind energy off of Maryland’s coast. “It’s no secret that offshore wind is a solution to the climate change we must address,” he said. “The General Assembly has taken great steps to assure we can do that, including offshore wind. Such a large amount of energy generated will help the state reach its clean energy goals.” BOEM designated a Wind Energy Area (WEA) off the coast of Ocean City of about 80,000 acres. Both of the secondphase projects would be sited in that WEA. Ørsted’s Skipjack I project would generate 120-megawatts. The proposed Skipjack II would generate 760-megawatts, or would about six times the size of the initial project. The number of turbines for Skipjack II will be dependent on an award from the PSC and the size of the award, according to Ørsted officials, who also said Skipjack II, if approved, would be sited about 20 miles off the coast of the resort. Skipjack I is proposed to be sited about 19.5 miles off the coast, by comparison. Similarly, US Wind’s Marwin project would include 22 turbines. Its proposed Momentum Wind project, for which the company has applied to the PSC for more ORECs, would include 82 turbines. The company’s already-approved Marwin project includes 22 turbines sited about 17 miles off the coast of the resort. Next up was Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, who delivered perhaps the most compelling testimony in opposition to awarding ORECs for the secondphase projects. “To be consistent, Ocean City continSEE PAGE 12
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City Engineer Fears ‘A Wall of Turbines’ On Horizon
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FROM PAGE 10 ues to support clean energy,” he said. “The promised jobs by this industry will clearly benefit all Marylanders, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the future of Ocean City.” Meehan said he testified last year when the Skipjack project switched from the eight-megawatt turbines to the 12megawatt turbines. “At the time, the project consisted of 21 turbines and it was clearly stated the turbines would be sited at least 20 miles off our coast,” he said. “That’s right in the PSC record on that hearing. Why would
you consider awarding ORECs that will allow turbines less than 20 miles off the coast? That would contradict the commissioners’ own opinion.” Meehan pointed out the first ORECs for the two projects were issued by the PSC in 2017 and there is still not one turbine installed four years later. “This does not have to happen now,” he said. “Allowing turbines 13-17 miles off our beach would be the mistake of a lifetime. It would be irreversible and destroy the pristine view of the horizon millions of residents, property owners and visitors have enjoyed for generations. We can-
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not rely on US Wind or Skipjack to protect the future of Ocean City. We must rely on you. We only get one chance to get this right and this is your chance.” City Engineer Terry McGean spoke at the virtual PSC hearing on Tuesday from his personal perspective and not from his official capacity with the town. “Tonight, I’m speaking in my individual capacity,” he said. “In January 2020, US Wind indicated their switch from sixmegawatts to 12-megawatts was a good thing because they could build fewer turbines farther from shore. People who saw the renderings were shocked, so shocked, in fact, that they thought the town of Ocean City was exaggerating the project. Those renderings that scared so many people showed 61 turbines. We viewed that as our worst-case scenario.” McGean said the increase in the number of turbines proposed, and their increased height during the lengthy approval process was reason for concern. “Never in my worst nightmare did I envision 104 14-megawatt turbines in this lease area, never,” he said. “US Wind will argue if you don’t issue more ORECs, you will be delaying offshore wind development in Maryland. Don’t believe them. The awarding of additional ORECs will result in a wall of turbines across the horizon of Ocean City. They will be the dominant feature on our horizon both day and night.”
After state and local officials made their pitches during the hearing, there was a steady stream of public speakers both in favor and against expanding offshore wind off the coast of Ocean City, in an alternating fashion that almost seemed planned. There was a steady stream of speakers from environmental advocacy groups that spoke in favor of the expansion. There were local individuals who spoke in strong opposition to the expansion of the two projects. One local resident pointed out those who spoke most adamantly about proposed expansion of the projects were not from Ocean City or even the Eastern Shore. Assateague Coastal Trust Executive Director Kathy Phillips pointed out the public uproar in the resort decades ago when the beach replenishment project created the dunes that blocked views from lower level beachfront condos, and now they are accepted and even viewed as an asset. One local resident, Linda Linzey of Ocean City, said the town’s official position in opposition does not necessarily reflect the views of many residents. “Most Ocean City residents approve of wind energy and turbines off the coast,” she said. “Building turbines off the coast of other communities has been an attraction, not a deterrent. I can’t imagine vacationers will cancel an excursion to Ocean City because of these little blips on the horizon.”
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October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 13
Berlin Confirms Support For Trick-Or-Treating Return
Page 14
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – Halloween trick-or-treating is set for Sunday, Oct. 31 in Berlin. Police Chief Arnold Downing announced this week that trick-or-treating would take place on Halloween, Oct. 31, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. “We are advising folks if they do not want to participate in trick or treating to please have their lights off,” Downing said. As a result of questions from citizens in recent weeks, Downing shared the town’s Halloween schedule this week. Families can trick or treat from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31. Downing also said some other security measures will be followed as the town has in years past. “We will be reviewing the sex offender list to be sure all of those people are in compliance and we’ll be periodically checking those homes,” he said. Downing added that his department would seek volunteers to check candy at Berlin Town Hall. “If we don’t get someone to volunteer we’ll have some of our staff come in and take care of that,” he said. When asked if Washington Street, which typically draws thousands on Halloween, would be closed to vehicle traffic, Downing said it would depend on what residents there had planned. Councilman Jack Orris said he thought a clo-
Over the years, thanks to the spirit of homeowners, Washington Street has become a major draw on Halloween night in Berlin. File Photo
sure was merited. “Although they’re not doing a theme, they are planning on having fun,” he said. Officials agreed to block vehicle traffic on Washington Street that evening. “We’ll make sure the barricades are there,” Mayor Zack Tyndall said. Councilman Jay Knerr asked Downing if the department had considered scheduling trick-or-treating on Saturday instead of Sunday. Downing explained that a date change would create confusion and that law enforcement encour-
aged adults to schedule their Halloween events on Saturday so Sunday could be reserved for family trick-or-treating. “We don’t want to confuse folks on what day it will be because they’ll be here two days if you go ahead and say Saturday,” Downing said. “We’ll go ahead and push out that Saturday is for the adults and Sunday is for the kids.” Following Monday’s meeting, Orris said he’d reached out to Washington Street residents to discuss Halloween since the street in years past has drawn
such a large number of visitors. “From those discussions, I wanted to get a road closure on the radar early so folks, including fire and law enforcement, can plan accordingly,” he said. “I also want to point out that trick-or-treating is available town-wide to houses that wish to participate and while the Washington Street area is popular, other areas in town can be visited by trick-or-treaters.” Last year the town encouraged homeowners to not give out candy as a result of the pandemic.
Superintendent: Masks 'Working For Us' In Reducing Quarantines
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 15
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN PINES – Universal masking will keep Worcester County students in the classroom, Superintendent Lou Taylor reiterated last week. Taylor, a guest speaker at Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino’s town meeting last Thursday, spoke primarily about the need to keep kids in class and the ramifications of not following the state’s mask mandate for schools. Regardless of individual opinions regarding masks, Taylor said the mandate was keeping more kids out of quarantine. “It’s working for us,” he said. “We’ve estimated that if we were not in the mask protocol that we would have over four times at home without instruction today.” In August, Taylor advised parents masks would be optional, as they were during summer school, for students attending Worcester County’s public schools in the fall. When the state board passed an emergency regulation requiring masking, however, he reversed course and implemented a mask requirement in Worcester County Public Schools. He told a standing-room-only crowd at Bertino’s meeting that learning gaps were a real concern in the wake of the pandemic and that his focus had to be on keeping kids in school. He said Worcester pioneered several of the mitigation strategies in use throughout the state and had students in classrooms more than any other county last year. “Worcester County has led the way in getting kids back to school,” he said. Taylor explained that the CDC guidelines for schools — that physical distancing of three feet can be adopted in classrooms where mask use is universal — meant that if students were masked, very few needed to quarantine after a classmate tested positive for COVID-19. That provides fewer childcare difficulties for parents and keeps many kids from missing class. “We don’t want to send students home for long periods of time with limited instruction,” he said. He added that there had been no exposures in Worcester County’s public schools. “As cases of COVID-19 arise in our schools, we have been able to confidently state that there have been zero student exposures within the school,” said Taylor. “Everything is out of school and brought in. Those students that have been excluded have done so because of exposure outside of our school environment.” Bishopville resident Richard Addis said positivity rates weren’t any better in public schools than they were in some private schools that didn’t have mask mandates. “I don’t disagree with you or argue that point,” Taylor said. “You may have a good point there. I don’t know that. This is not a personal thing with me. I care about this community. I care about our educational system and the thing that I want to make sure is that our kids get a
Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor outlined current quarantine rules at last week’s meeting. Photo by Charlene Sharpe
quality education and give them the best opportunity to learn in the classroom.” Audience member Darren Lombardo asked why the school system had given up its authority to the state. “They have jurisdiction to remove
things,” Taylor said. “One thing is funding … All 24 jurisdictions have done this throughout our state. There’s nobody that has taken on the role of saying we’re not following what you say.” He said the school system received
roughly $20 million from the state. “They can take 20% of our funding on the spot,” he said. “They can also get an additional up to 30% of our funding, which is another $6 million.” He said that if that funding was eliminated, he’d have to go to the county for more financial support. Bertino said that most people in attendance at Thursday’s meeting probably found the mask mandate ridiculous but that officials had to consider more than that. “Please understand we also have a responsibility with the oaths that we took, with the responsibility we have not only for your point of view but the point of view of people who disagree with you and may disagree with us to ensure that our schools remain open and as the superintendent said, that those kids stay in those classrooms.”
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‘Flagship Hotel’ Proposed As ‘Worthy Addition’ To Downtown
Page 16
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – It was learned this week a seldom-used, city-owned parking lot could be the lynchpin for a major redevelopment project in the very south end of the resort. For decades, there have been attempts to redevelop the old Holt’s Landing property at the base of the town at South Philadelphia Avenue to no avail. Numerous meetings have been held with hopes discussed, but the development of the vacant property has yet to
occur. Recently, a development group behind other notable projects in the resort has begun moving forward with a potential resort hotel complex on the site, but has run into challenges with meeting the required amount of parking for the odd-shaped parcel. Sarantis Properties is well into the planning and design of a new luxury 90room hotel on the site with a full-range of upscale amenities. The property offers some of the best panoramic views in Ocean City near the Inlet. Adding intrigue to the discussion, the Harrison Group is also considering redeveloping
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the old Oceanic Motel nearby, according to city planning officias. Architect Keith Iott, representing the Sarantis family, on Tuesday pitched to the Mayor and Council the concept of leasing or buying the old Whiteside Property on nearby South Philadelphia Avenue from the town in order to make its project work. For years, the Whiteside property was used by the town as a staging area for the Boardwalk trams and other public works department functions. When the town built the new public works facility at 2nd Street and St. Louis Avenue, the Whiteside property became obsolete. The structures on the site have been demolished and it is now largely a gravel overflow parking lot in the downtown area. The town has held onto the property for future use in the redevelopment of that area and it now appears that opportunity is presenting itself. “We want to lease or buy the Whiteside parking lot jointly with the Harrison family,” said Iott. “We need approximately 34 parking spaces with the old Holt’s Landing property. If the Harrison’s had access to those parking spaces, it might change how they redevelop the Oceanic Motel site.” Iott explained Christos Sarantis and Sarantis Properties have made other significant investments in Ocean City. “They are already invested in the Town of Ocean City,” he said. “I first met
October 1, 2021
Christos when they redeveloped the Coldwell Banker property at Old Landing Road. It’s been a welcome addition to the town. They also purchased the old Phillips site at 141st Street and they are developing a nice, mixed-use project. They are vested in the town.” Iott said he has worked on and off on redeveloping the Holt’s Landing property for nearly two decades and the proposed Sarantis project represents a real opportunity to move forward. “I worked on this property for 18 years and it really is a chance of a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “They want to develop this as a flagship hotel. The challenges are extreme because the property is boarded by three city streets and the only access is Philadelphia Avenue. They really need those 34 spaces at Whiteside.” Iott vowed the proposed Sarantis project could be the lynchpin for the redevelopment of the entire south end of town. “This will be a worthy, worthy addition to the Town of Ocean City,” he said. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity to redevelop this part of Ocean City.” Council Secretary Tony DeLuca pointed out there is usually a staff recommendation included in a request such as the one presented on Tuesday. When asked what his recommendation was, City Manager Doug Miller said he did not SEE NEXT PAGE
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October 1, 2021
recommend a lease, but rather recommended a sale of the property, if that was the direction the council wanted to take. When asked about the timeline for the overall project, Iott said the goal was to get going by the second or third quarter of 2022. There would obviously be layers of approval to work through before ground could be broken. “The family would be amenable to working with the town planners,” he said. “They would be all for that. A lease would be the most straightforward approach. If there was a street realignment or something of that nature in the future, a lease would allow the flexibility to do that.” Councilman Mark Paddack said the entire proposal would be complicated. “There are a lot of moving parts,” he said. “The Harrisons are involved, the OCDC (Ocean City Development Corporation) has concerns, you have the Windsor Group in the same area redeveloping some of Trimper’s. I think there is a lot of potential to redevelop this entire end of town. I think the project is a good fit.” Iott agreed there were a lot of moving parts, but said the Sarantis family was taking the lead at this point with its hotel project. “We want to participate in any effort to redevelop this end of town,” he said. “The Sarantis family is just willing to be first.” Some members of the council questioned why they were getting such an early look at the proposal when it hadn’t been vetted by staff for recommendations yet. “I asked for this to be placed on the agenda,” said Mayor Rick Meehan. “It has been sitting for 30 days. Sometimes, the only way to move things forward is to request that it be put on an agenda. We have two developers hoping to redevelop this area in a way we all desire.” City Solicitor Heather Stansbury suggested referring the Whiteside lot request back to staff for review before making any motions. DeLuca then made a motion to refer the issue back to staff for review with a planned quick turnaround. “It makes sense to lease it,” he said. “These things take forever. We can lease it, and then meet with the various groups to move forward with these projects. There is some sense of urgency.” DeLuca made a motion to refer the request back to the staff level for review with a sense of urgency and have staff come back with some recommendations as soon as the next Mayor and Council work session, a motion seconded by Councilman Peter Buas. The council approved the motion with a 6-0 vote with Councilman John Gehrig absent.
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 19
Woc park-and-ride Favored option For Workforce housing
Page 20
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – Ocean City is working on identifying potential locations for one or more affordable seasonal workforce housing projects and the park-and-ride in West Ocean City has emerged as the front-runner. On Tuesday, the Mayor and Council heard a presentation from Holtz Builders of Wisconsin expressing a desire to build one or more dormitory-style seasonal workforce housing projects in and around the resort area. Holtz Builders has had success in developing seasonal workforce housing in other resort areas to help address labor shortages and provide clean, safe and affordable accommodations for employees, both international J-1 visa students and domestic employees. The company has expressed an interest in developing a project in Ocean City to help with the resort’s critical seasonal employee shortage and affordable housing needs. Holtz Builders President Dan Bullock, with Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lachelle Scarlato, earlier this summer scouted potential locations, each with its challenges. The first and favored option is to build dormitory-style workforce housing on a portion of the park-and-ride in West Ocean City. The conceptual plan calls for three
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
buildings on the park-and-ride property, each four stories high that would house as many as 1,000 seasonal workers. The option is preferred because it’s located in and around a favorable public transportation system including a shuttle into town and a connection with the city’s municipal bus system. Another option is the town’s municipal parking lot at 100th Street uptown. Another option discussed is repurposing some of the area around the old 94th Street mall, which is privately owned. In the downtown area, Holtz has identified a site on Dorchester Street, but Bullock said the small site might not accomplish the workforce housing goals. Yet another option is the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) model block downtown. The OCDC for years has been piecemeal acquiring property around Somerset Street for it model block program, and the site could be targeted as a potential area for workforce housing. Whatever site or sites ultimately chosen, Bullock said Holtz is ready to invest $20 million into seasonal workforce housing in Ocean City. Holtz would build and operate the workforce housing facilities. The town’s role would be partnering in property acquisition or assisting with grants or tax abatements and such. However that plays out, Scarlato said on Tuesday the labor shortage in the resort is acute.
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“The single biggest challenge facing Ocean City at this time is a lack of seasonal workforce,” she said. “Holtz Builders offers affordable, fair workforce housing. We are at a critical juncture. We had great numbers of visitors this year. In many cases, businesses had to meet that challenge with one fourth of the staff.” Bullock said Holtz Builders is best suited to take the lead on developing affordable seasonal workforce housing in the resort. “We’re the nation’s most experienced operator of seasonal workforce housing,” he said. “Holtz is also the most experienced builder of seasonal workforce housing. The first step is the acquisition of land. We need a space that’s accessible to the employers and the workforce needs access to the public transportation system.” Bullock said Holtz would build one or more projects at its own expense and somewhat defined the town’s role in the process. “Having the housing affordable is the key,” he said. “We can talk about things like tax abatements or grants later. A parking exception might be important because most of the seasonal workers don’t have vehicles. They tend to ride bikes and use public transportation.” Bullock said the key is keeping the cost of living here and working here af-
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October 1, 2021
fordable for seasonal employees. “We want to keep the rent down,” he said. “The focus is on safety, functionality and affordability. It’s truly a communitybased solution. We’ve done 15 of these projects. We have it figured out.” Council Secretary Tony DeLuca said it might be short-sighted to focus on a single project to start. “We probably need 3,000 beds,” he said. “We have over 4,000 seasonal workers in a typical year. We will probably need more than one property. We might need two or three or more of these facilities.” Mayor Rick Meehan said he preferred the park-and-ride option to start and build from there. “I think this is a good site,” he said. “We probably need multiple sites, but we can only build one at a time. I think we should move forward with the appropriate early steps to see if this is viable. This is the site we have the most control over.” Councilman Mark Paddack said the park-and-ride makes sense, but questioned who would benefit from such a project the most. “The transportation hub is in place,” he said. “What benefit would this have to the taxpayers that own that property? I see the benefit to the business community. I also see some conflict with our private sector business owners that rent to the seasonal workers.” There was some question about the status of the J-1 program and if it would be restored to pre-pandemic levels. Scarlato said the number of visas issued was directly related to the availability of housing. “The state department doesn’t put limitations on the number of visas,” she said. “The limitations are based on the availability of affordable housing.” DeLuca emphasized the importance of looking at the bigger picture. “I don’t see why we can’t do three to four of these in five years,” he said. “It’s critical to Ocean City. Why can’t [City Manager] Doug Miller start working with Holtz on the park-and-ride? Why can’t we start exploring the 100th Street site? We can form a panel from the council to work with the OCDC.” DeLuca made a motion to start preliminary work on the park-and-ride location and 100th Street and form a panel to work with the OCDC and the private sector on the other identified sites. Councilman Lloyd Martin said he preferred the park-and-ride as a preliminary site, but held out reservations about losing the 100th Street municipal lot in the future. “I really like the park-and-ride option,” he said. “We can work with the private sector on the 94th Street option and see if there is any potential there. With 100th Street, we could solve one problem and create another one.” DeLuca amended his motion to include preliminary planning on all the proposed options and to work with the OCDC on the potential downtown options. The motion passed 6-0 with Councilman John Gehrig absent.
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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COPS & COURTS Burglary Arrest For Intruder OCEAN CITY – A New Jersey man was arrested on burglary and other charges last weekend after allegedly walking into a downtown residence uninvited. Around 3:15 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to a residence on Robin Drive for a reported burglary that had already occurred. Ocean City Communications advised a male suspect, later identified as Jordan Hannah, 31, of Roebling, N.J., had walked into the complainant’s residence and was still inside the house, according to police reports. As OCPD officers approached the residence, they reportedly heard Hannah screaming expletives and urging the couple who occupied the residence to fight him. The complainants yelled to the arriving officers, “Get this guy off our property,” and “he won’t leave us alone,” according to police reports. Meanwhile, Hannah reportedly continued to yell and scream despite the officers’ orders to lower his voice. According to police reports, Hannah exhibited signs of intoxication. OCPD officers interviewed the female occupant of the residence, who told police she was asleep on the couch in her living room and woke up finding Hannah standing next to her, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police she yelled at Hannah to get out. The victim told police she awakened her brother, and together they were able to get Hannah out of the residence. The male victim was asleep on a couch on the porch and was awakened by the commotion of the female victim and her brother getting Hannah out of the unit. The male victim ordered Hannah to leave the property, while the female victim called the police. At that point, Hannah was arrested for fourth-degree burglary, disorderly conduct, failure to obey a lawful order and noise violation. During a search incident to the arrest, Hannah remained uncooperative, and yelled at the officers they were being racist, according to police reports.
Handgun Found After Exhibition Driving Stop OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was arrested last week after allegedly being found with a loaded handgun in his vehicle after a stop for exhibition driving. Around 10:55 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were patrolling in the area of 36th Street when they observed a vehicle rapidly accelerating toward the intersection in an egregious manner, according to police reports. The officers conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Alonzo Carr, 28, of Allentown, Pa. As officers approached the vehicle, they detected the strong odor of marijuana. The officers conducted a probable cause
search and located a .38-caliber handgun in the glove compartment with one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine, according to police reports. Carr reportedly told the officer he did not know the loaded handgun was in the vehicle and that his girlfriend has a concealed carry permit and might have left the weapon in the vehicle, according to police reports. Carr was arrested and charged with carrying a loaded handgun. He was also cited for exhibition driving, which carries a maximum sentence of 60 days and/or a $1,000 fine.
Disorderly Conduct OCEAN CITY – In what was a recurring theme last weekend, a Pennsylvania man was arrested for disorderly conduct and issued over a dozen citations for exhibition driving and inciting a crowd uptown. Around 10:45 p.m. last Thursday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was patrolling in the uptown area and observed a vehicle traveling south on Coastal Highway in the area of 132nd Street. The officer reportedly observed the vehicle come to rest in the bus lane, rev its engine, spin its tires and skid from side to side before continuing south, according to police reports. A crowd had formed and reportedly encouraged the driver, later identified as Dennis Edmunds, Jr., 21, of West Grove, Pa., to continue spinning his wheels in what was described as a “burnout.” According to police reports, the crowd was blocking the entirety of the sidewalk. OCPD officers conducted a traffic stop and identified Edmunds as the driver. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and was issued 14 traffic citations, many of which carry fines of over $500.
Two-Year Sentence For Fighting OCEAN CITY – A Baltimore man, arrested in May on multiple charges after a violent stretch that began with a fight on the public sidewalk, pleaded guilty last week and was sentenced to two years in jail. Around 1:55 a.m. on May 31, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the midtown area observed three men engaged in a fight on the public sidewalk at 57th Street. OCPD officers identified the primary aggressor as Zachary Graves, 22, of Baltimore. The officers asked the other two combatants, identified as Stansberry Bea, 21, of Essex, Md., and Gabriel Melgar, 24, of Baltimore, to sit on the curb near a police cruiser, to which they complied. However, Graves started to walk away from the scene and OCPD officers ordered him to stop. When Graves started running, an OCPD officer gave chase and tackled him to the ground. Graves reportSEE NEXT PAGE
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
... COPS & COURTS edly resisted and refused to put his hands behind his back to allow officers to handcuff him, according to police reports. Meanwhile, Bea and Melgar reportedly ran to the scene and prevented OCPD officers from detaining Graves. With the help of his fellow combatants in the initial fight, Graves was able to break free again and ran from police. One OCPD officer was able to grab Graves, but he reportedly struck the officer in the ear and face with a closed fist. An OCPD officer deployed a conducted electrical weapon, or Taser, on Graves and he fell to the ground. According to police reports, even after he had been tased and handcuffed, he continued to resist. He was ultimately placed in a violent prisoner restraining device and it reportedly took eight officers to move him to a transport vehicle because of his violence and aggression. At the Public Safety Building for processing, Graves was placed in a temporary holding cell, which is monitored through video surveillance. According to police reports, Graves assaulted another detainee in the holding cell, pushing him to the ground and repeatedly punching him in the head with a closed fist. Because of his violence, Graves was moved to a different area of the booking section, but even then, his aggression continued, according to police reports. He reportedly screamed at and spit in the face of a female booking officer. All in all, Graves was charged with multiple counts
of assault on the initial combatants in the fight, including Bea and Melgar, who were also charged with assault and obstructing an investigation. Graves was also charged with assaulting officers, resisting arrest and fleeing and eluding. Last week, Graves pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree assault and was sentenced to two years in jail. Melgar last week pleaded guilty to obstructing and hindering. Bea still faces charges of second-degree assault, resisting arrest, obstructing and hindering and affray. He is scheduled for trial in November.
Two Sentenced For Assault OCEAN CITY – Two Maryland men, arrested in May after a fight that began at the Inlet lot and spilled over into the downtown area, each appeared in court over the last two weeks with similar outcomes in their cases. Around 5:25 p.m. on May 1, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported fight at the Inlet parking lot. A witness had reported two men, later identified as Ellis Smith, 42, of Gaithersburg, Md., and Kwame Smith, 36, of Germantown, Md., were squaring up as if they were going to fight. OCPD officers arrived on scene and observed Ellis Smith lunge at Kwame Smith. Kwame Smith was able to avoid the attempted attack and the OCPD officers separated the two men. Ellis Smith then ran away toward the Boardwalk, but Kwame Smith reportedly ran after him yelling “Do something then,” according to police reports. By now, a crowd had gathered around the scene and were moving away to avoid
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getting caught up in the altercation, according to police reports. The two men then ran to Baltimore Avenue and the argument continued. OCPD officers followed, and when Ellis Smith turned to Kwame Smith and yelled “let’s do this,” he was taken into custody for disorderly conduct. When Ellis Smith was being taken into custody, he reportedly pulled away from the officers attempting to handcuff him and a resisting arrest charge was added. Meanwhile, when officers attempted to take Kwame Smith into custody, he reportedly walked away from them and crossed the street. An OCPD officer grabbed Kwame Smith by his elbows and attempted to handcuff him. Kwame Smith reportedly braced his arms and refused to be taken into custody until OCPD officers had to execute a takedown to force him
onto the ground. Even once on the ground, Kwame Smith reportedly continued to resist, but was finally detained. Kwame Smith was transported to the hospital for injuries sustained during the conflict before being taken back to police headquarters for processing. Each of the men were charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct, affray and resisting arrest. Last week, Kwame Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and was sentenced to six months with all but 17 days suspended. On Monday, Ellis Smith pleaded guilty to seconddegree assault and was also sentenced to six months, but all of his sentence was suspended. Ellis Smith was placed on probation for three years, while Kwame Smith was placed on probation for one year.
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Pines Considering New Election With Motions Hearing Postponed
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN PINES – With no action taken at a court hearing this week, the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) Board of Directors is now considering a motion to conduct a new election. In an ongoing legal battle to determine the eligibility of disqualified board candidate Rick Farr, a hearing was scheduled in Worcester County Circuit Court on Monday to consider motions for dismissal and summary judgement. But before arguments could be heard, Judge Sidney Campen and the attorneys agreed to postpone the hearing over procedural matters. As a result, the court did not take any action on the motions. “Clearly, you are not ready to move forward with your motions …,” Campen said. In the meantime, the association’s Board of Directors held a special meeting on Thursday to consider a motion to conduct a new election, but with ballots featuring the names of the three remaining candidates – Frank Daly, David Hardy and Stuart Lakernick. “Candidate Farr was ruled ineligible during the conduct of the 2021 Board of Directors election,” the motion reads.
“The Ocean Pines community has made it clear to several board members that they want their 2 votes to count. Holding a new election of the 3 eligible candidates will give the OPA community a chance to vote again with 2 valid votes.” While the meeting was held too late to be included in this week’s paper, President Larry Perrone said in an interview on Tuesday that the board had agreed to wait for Monday’s motions hearing to proceed with the election process. “If the judge ultimately rules Farr to be eligible, the board will have to decide what to do at that point …,” he said. “I’ve heard enough from the community that they want a new election with the three eligible candidates and that their votes should count. I don’t disagree with that.” In July, Association Secretary Camilla Rogers disqualified Farr, one of four candidates in this year’s election, after receiving an anonymous tip about the candidate’s homeownership status in the Pines. That same month, the Board of Directors voted in closed session to proceed with this year’s election and ballot count, but to invalidate all votes for Farr. According to the association’s bylaws, candidates must be a recorded property owner within Ocean Pines on Jan. 1 of the year in which the election is held.
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The OPA contends that Farr was not an owner of record, but a successor trustee to the property listed on his candidate application, while Farr’s attorney asserts he has been the “equitable and beneficial owner” of the property since 2000, based on his status as a beneficiary of the Farr Living Trust. In August, Farr’s attorney, Bruce Bright, filed a complaint in Worcester County Circuit Court seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the election until the court could rule on his client’s
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eligibility status. While the suit was initially filed as a class action complaint, it was later amended to include the names of several co-plaintiffs in the case. “These voters all voted for Mr. Farr before his candidacy was disqualified (in closed session of the Board) and the Board decided (in closed session) to proceed with the election and counting of all votes except those cast for Mr. Farr,” Bright said in a recent letter to the editor. “The effect of that (closed session) decision by the Board, in my view, partly disenfranchised those voters who had already submitted a vote for Mr. Farr.” Within a day of filing suit in circuit court, Judge Beau Oglesby signed off on a temporary restraining order prohibiting the counting of ballots and the certification of election results while the court considers the complaint brought against the association and its Board of Directors. That order expired on Aug. 30, the same day the court denied Farr’s motion for a preliminary injunction. While that action allowed the association to proceed with its election count, the Board of Directors voted to wait until this week’s motions hearing before moving forward. Perrone said this week that pending litigation between Farr and the association could take months, or possibly years, to resolve. He said not only would the new election address the co-plaintiffs’ concerns, but would allow the community to seat new directors. “Our goal is to do what’s best for Ocean Pines,” he said. “Protecting our bylaws is what this is all about. Seeing that this could take months or possibly years, it’s time to move forward with holding an election and getting new board members seated.” If approved, Perrone said new ballots could be mailed out within two weeks. He noted a new election could cost the association anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000. “The court has ordered that we maintain ballots from the original election,” he added. “That has been done and they will be maintained in a secure location.”
Fenwick Approves Plan To Tackle Bayside Flooding
October 1, 2021
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
FENWICK ISLAND – A three-part plan to address bayside street flooding will move forward with the town council’s approval. Last Friday, the Fenwick Island Town Council voted unanimously to a threepart plan that includes replacing backflow preventer valves, developing a flood-reduction project on Farmington Street and researching options for a town-wide mapping of all pipes and drains. “We have water that comes up from the bay, overtop the bulkheads, and swamps everybody, and then there’s stormwater flooding, which seems to be the most urgent concern that we have,” Mayor Vicki Carmean said. “We have no final answers, and everybody who lives on the bayside knows you’re going to get flooded at some time or another … I would like to come up with a three-part plan to get started.” Officials said the first step of the three-part plan would be to replace 18 backflow preventers throughout town. “All the flapper valves that are in town right now are in some way, shape or form inoperable …,” said Public Works Manager Mike Locke. “To date, we have put in 24 of these backflow preventers and we are seeing great results.”
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Carmean noted the replacement of the 18 valves would cost roughly $32,603. “It won’t solve the problem, but it will make it better,” she said. After further discussion, the council voted unanimously to purchase the 18 replacement valves. “The people on the bayside have been suffering for quite some time as we all know,” said Councilwoman Jacque Napolitano. “We have to do something to help out here, and I think it’s worth a try.” Carmean said the second step of the three-part plan is to have the Fenwick Island Infrastructure Committee work with engineers from George, Miles & Buhr to develop a flood-reduction project for Farmington Street. She noted that money budgeted for the project would address flooding issues near Our Harvest and along the roadway. “I think the infrastructure committee and the residents of that street all need to have some input on what happens,” she said. Carmean added the final step of the three-part plan would be to have the infrastructure committee make recommendations for a pipe and drain master plan. “I’d like to have the infrastructure committee take a look at another proposal put out by the Resiliency Imple-
mentation Plan to create a master plan of all the valves and drains in town,” she said. “We have no big picture of all the valves and drains. We have no idea where they are. So there is a company that can do this, and they use their technology to put the information on a computer program so that if we have a problem with flooding we can see where the pipes and drains are and maybe make adjustments.” Carmean said it would take an estimated $68,000 to develop an inventory of the town’s pipes and drains.
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“It doesn’t make sense to me that we’re going from one wet spot to another and saying, ‘What can we do?’” she said. “It’d be nice if we had this mapped out.” After further discussion, the council voted 7-0 to approve steps two and three of the three-part plan. “We have an issue, bayside flooding, that’s been going on in this town forever, and little Band-Aids have been put on the problem for years and years,” she told community members last week. “We can no longer do Band-Aids.”
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Middle School Expansion Project Moving Forward
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
Fiddlers Event: The U.S. Navy Country Current bluegrass band had the crowd singing along and on its feet during last Saturday’s performance during the Berlin Fiddlers Convention.
Photo by Steve Green
NEWARK – The Worcester County Board of Education approved bids for the addition at Stephen Decatur Middle School last week. On Sept. 21, the school board voted 5-0 to approve bids totaling $11,093,860 for the addition of a new wing to Stephen Decatur Middle. School board member Jon Andes, who was superintendent when the facility was originally built, made the motion to approve the bids. “It’s so nice to have this wing finally done 25 years later,” he said. The addition will add 24,000 square feet to the school. The new wing will include 12 general classrooms as well as four science labs and storage and meeting space. Joe Price, the school system’s facilities planner, told the school board bids were opened in mid-August and that 51 bids had been received for 23 bid packages. Whiting-Turner Contracting Corporation, the project’s construction manager, reviewed bids prior to the recommendation for approval. According to a timeline shared earlier this year, construction should begin this fall and be complete by December 2022. At Tuesday’s meeting the board also approved the school system’s FY 2023 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The document, required by the state, is a six-year plan that allows the Maryland Interagency Commission on School Construction to identify and schedule funding for public school construction needs. “The FY 2023 Capital Improvement Program includes a summary of previously approved projects and identifies future project requests, including roof replacement projects at Snow Hill Middle/Cedar Chapel Special and Pocomoke Elementary Schools, a Buckingham Elementary Replacement School project and a Snow Hill Elementary Replacement School project,” the board’s agenda read. Current projects listed in the CIP include the new Showell Elementary School, which was completed in 2020; a Pocomoke Middle School roof replacement, which is currently underway; and the Stephen Decatur Middle addition. Price said the Pocomoke Middle School roof replacement was expected to be done by now but that the contractor hadn’t ordered enough materials and the work had been delayed. Crews are now working 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. each day so as not to interfere with instructional time during the school day.
Worcester County’s Sports Complex Focus Turning To Route 50 Property
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 27
“VANISHING OCEAN CITY”
BUNK MANN’S BEST-SELLING BOOK IS BACK IN PRINT
• The history of Ocean City, Md., from its beginning in the 1870s to the present day. Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino is pictured with attendees at last week’s town meeting. Photo by Charlene Sharpe BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN PINES – Worcester County officials are now considering a Route 50 location for a sports complex. During a town meeting last Thursday, Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino told constituents that while the initially proposed Route 589 site was off the table, a location on Route 50 was being considered. “The sports complex I think is going to happen,” he said. “What that impact is going to be to the county remains to be seen.” Though county officials have been talking about a potential sports complex for years, residents of Ocean Pines — Bertino’s district — were quick to voice concerns earlier this year when they learned a site on Route 589 near its intersection with Route 113 was being considered. Pines residents were worried about the adverse impact additional traffic on the already congested Route 589 would have on the Pines community. Bertino said the site was no longer being considered. “There is interest in a parcel along Route 50 and at this time there is nothing more that can be said other than the county is pursuing securing a land appraisal for this particular property,” he said. When asked if there had been any impact study done regarding a potential complex, Bertino said there had not. “There’s no plan that’s been presented, there’s no partnership that we have, and at this point there’s no piece of property for the sports complex,” he said. “The impact study is something that I think needs to be done.” He added that he did think a sports complex would be built and that he wasn’t opposed to the idea but wanted to make sure county residents didn’t
foot the bill. Costs for things like marketing, maintenance and management will add up, he said. “What happens is the cost of that gets gobbled up by the general fund, by the budget,” he said, adding that it would gradually become an accepted part of the budget and could contribute to the need to raise taxes. Bertino pointed out there were complexes in Wicomico County and in Delaware. “They’re not going to roll over and play dead,” he said. County resident Caryn Abbott asked why the sports complex wouldn’t be built in the southern part of the county. “They sure could use it,” she said. Bertino agreed. “We need to balance the development of this county to include the southern part,” he said. “Please make your voices heard.” When asked what a complex would include, Bertino indicated it was hard to say. “What’s not to be included? There could be a water park, there could be 11 to 12 sports fields, an indoor sports complex,” he said. “I didn’t hear anything about a rodeo or carnival setting but I don’t know. There has yet to be any sort of plan presented to us.” An audience member suggested the land near the county’s recreation center in Snow Hill as a possibility. Bertino said former county staff had ruled out most properties. “They were evaluated and reviewed by people who no longer work for the county and they were designated to be inappropriate and would not work,” he said. “I do believe those decisions were made because of interests that fell outside of what was best for Worcester County.” Bertino stressed that the commissioners would hold a public hearing before making a final decision regarding the specifics of a sports complex.
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Some Permitting Delays Shortened
Page 28
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
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SALISBURY – Environmental health officials in Wicomico County say permitting delays have eased, but concerns remain over staffing. Wicomico County Health Officer Lori Brewster and Environmental Health Acting Director Dan Williams came before the Wicomico County Council last week with an update on permitting delays within the health department’s environmental health division. “I do want to give you a summary in the overall increase in applications we are seeing across the county,” Brewster told council members. In recent months, Wicomico’s septic issues have taken center stage as county leaders have met with real estate agents, developers and officials with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to discuss failing septic systems. In addition to state regulations and soil standards making it difficult and costly to install and replace septic systems, officials noted staffing shortages at the health department have led to monthslong permitting delays. Brewster noted the department had reported a 48% increase in building permits, a 91% increase in new construction permits and a decrease in land evaluations. She added permits for tank-only septic replacements declined 36% in Wi-
October 1, 2021
comico, but permits for complete septic system replacements had increased. “Replacement systems are up 22%, which is of concern because that means we’ve got failing septic issues,” she said. Despite upticks in permit applications, Brewster noted completion times for processing those permits had improved. “You will see the completion times are generally declining, which is a good thing,” she said. “I will tell you when we see an increase, sometimes that can be related to weather because you don’t want us out there trying to perc a piece of property in the rain, or just issues with the type of system having to go through approval with the Maryland Department of the Environment.” Williams added the number of completed permit applications had also improved. “Taking a snapshot of July and August, in 2019 we had 64 applications completed in that time period,” he said. “In 2020 we had 68. In 2021 we’ve had 104. So our numbers are going up.” Councilman John Cannon noted permit applications for septic replacements took an average of two months to approve. He questioned how that compared to other counties. “I would say we are probably two to three weeks longer,” Williams replied. But officials attributed those delays to staffing shortages. “We had a candidate that was extremely interested in coming … and he had to turn us down,” Williams said. “He can’t afford to live here on that salary.” He told council members the starting salary for an environmental specialist within his department was about $38,000. “And that’s for a college graduate with a degree in the sciences,” he said. “There’s also a one-year training experience, and he’s required to do that at his own expense to obtain his license. There’s a $200 licensing fee.” Brewster said the Maryland Joint Chairmen’s Report highlighted potential salary increases for environmental specialists, and that health officers and environmental health directors have asked for annual salary reviews. “The positions are in the state system … the county budget is funding them,” she said. “But just because the county’s funding them does not mean I can increase the salary to those positions. That is dictated by the state.” Cannon, however, suggested the acting county executive and county council send a letter supporting a salary increase. “We’re paying the bill,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be better for us to send a letter, for us to appeal to whomever?” Brewster said it would be beneficial. She also suggested supplemental funding for environmental health positions. “In other jurisdictions, the county realizes there is a pay inequity with the private sector, and they provide supplemental funding for the positions in environmental health,” she said. “So that could be a possibility of a faster fix if we can look into that.”
Assateague Coastal Trust Announces New Coastkeeper
October 1, 2021
BERLIN – The Board of Directors of Assateague Coastal Trust, the Waterkeeper Alliance program for the lower Eastern Shore, has announced current Assateague Coastkeeper Kathy Phillips will be passing her duties to Gabrielle Ross next week. “After 15 years at the helm of the Assateague Coastkeeper patrol boat, ACT’s advocacy programs, and administration of this powerful and effective 50-year-old organization, I am pleased to see the ACT Board move the organization forward by splitting the formerly combined Coastkeeper/Executive Director staff position into two separate staff positions,” Phillips said. “This will allow the Assateague Coastkeeper more time to pursue policy, legislative, and compliance clean water initiatives within the coastal watershed.” For her part, Ross expressed excitement about the position. “I am thrilled to be joining Assateague Coastal Trust as the new Assateague Coastkeeper,” Ross said. “As a young girl I enjoyed exploring Delmarva with my family learning how to fish, clam and crab. I found an escape in the coastal waters of Delmarva, where the rich fertile soils, bountiful waters and seemingly endless landscapes fueled my passion in conservation and environmental stewardship.” ACT Board President Jim Rapp said he is looking forward to the transition be-
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
tween Phillips and Ross. “We know Kathy Phillips is transitioning to a welcomed full retirement in 2022, and ACT will miss her presence on the water and on the frontlines of environmental protection,” he said. “But we have full confidence in our new Coastkeeper, Gabby Ross. Gabby’s commitment to protecting and defending local waterways has been reflected through her career field work with the Maryland Park Service, Delaware Natural Resources, and her citizen advocacy in forming a grassroots citizen activist group named Concerned Citizens Against Industrial CAFOs (CCAIC). We are excited to welcome Gabby to the ACT Team knowing her education, her experiences in the field and in community organizing will make the transition from our current Coastkeeper, Kathy Phillips, to the newest, and third Assateague Coastkeeper, a smooth one.” In 2020, Ross received the Waterkeepers Chesapeake Water Warrior Award for her efforts protecting Wicomico County’s Paleo Channel underground aquifer, introducing new zoning laws to protect citizens from expanding poultry operations and working with citizens and environmental partners to introduce the Community Healthy Act in the Maryland legislature. When she is not working, she enjoys birding the coastal byways, gardening, painting coastal landscapes, and
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New Assateague Coastkeeper Gabrielle Ross will assume her responsibility on Oct. 4. Submitted Photo
paddling with her dogs Maverick and Goose. “I am looking forward to growing with ACT, protecting the coastal waterways
so that they may flourish for future generations and inspiring others to get involved in their local communities to motivate change,” Ross said.
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
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Planned Dredging Project Hits Snag Over Needed Dumping Site
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
FENWICK ISLAND – Delays in permitting and uncertainty regarding a public-private partnership between the town and a local developer have cast a shadow over a dredging project in Fenwick Island. Last Friday, the Fenwick Island Town Council voted unanimously to spend $51,000 for soil and archeological studies of the Little Assawoman Bay. While the town had already completed some of the testing to apply for a dredging permit, officials last week said the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) did not accept them. “My understanding is there was already geotechnical and chemical makeup done. At this point, they have not been accepted by DNREC. We have to do them again,” said Fenwick Island Dredging Committee member George Murphy. “In addition to that, the Army Corps has placed another caveat on us, and that’s an archeological review of the area we intend to dredge.” Plans for a dredging project in the Little Assawoman Bay began in earnest in 2018, when the town council hired former DNREC administrator Tony Pratt to guide them through the funding and permitting processes. By the following year, Anchor QEA, a Lewes-based engineering firm, was brought on board to provide design, bidding and construction managements services. Simply put, the estimated $1.1 million dredging project is expected to address shoaling in the back-bay system and connect boating channels along Fenwick’s bayside canals to the main channel in the Little Assawoman Bay. As part of that effort, between 17,000 and 19,000 cubic feet of dredged material would be moved to another site for reuse. Since 2019, the town has worked with the Carl M. Freeman Companies to relocate the material to one of its properties, making the public-private partnership one that would save the town millions of dollars. Last week, however, officials announced the Freeman Companies has decided to accelerate its project timeline for the identified spoil site – a parcel of land off Route 54 that has been approved for a 70-lot subdivision. “We have a draft MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Freeman. It was never signed, it was never agreed to,” said Councilman Bill Rymer, member of the town’s dredging committee. “Freeman is reconsidering their own timing and have basically told us they do not expect to wait for our spoilage. They are going to press on.” Officials said it is yet to be seen if the town can reach some sort of agreement with Freeman Companies to place the
October 1, 2021
dredged materials on the site of the developer’s proposed hotel project. They noted, however, that it would increase the cost of the project. “The consultants came out and said this could increase to $1.3 million or $1.4 million,” Rymer said. “Because we never got this stuff finalized, we’re now playing catch-up. Freeman is changing their approach … but it’s the fact that we’re following behind them.” Rymer noted the town will now need to complete two more studies to secure dredging permits for the project, in addition to seeking another site to place the dredged material. Those two setbacks, he said, will push the project start date into the fall of 2022. Resident Bernie Merritt, former councilman and dredging committee chair, told councilmembers last week he didn’t like the insinuation that the committee wasn’t doing its job. He then went on to highlight the committee’s efforts in the past two years. “A lot of this has turned around in literally the last 60 days,” he said. “This has flipped.” Rymer said his explanation of the situation wasn’t an accusation toward anyone, but simply the facts. In response, Merritt encourage the town to secure an agreement with Freeman, as its property was the only feasible location for placing dredged material. “I’d just hate for the town to miss this public-private partnership,” he said. “We can’t do this without them, moving this material to that location. We can’t afford to ship it out of here. It would be millions of dollars to freight it out of here.” Rymer agreed. “If we can’t make it happen with Freeman, you now have to start involving DNREC into where would they allow us to put it,” he added. During Friday’s meeting, Mayor Vicki Carmean asked the council for a motion to complete the two dredging studies at a cost of $51,000. Residents, however, questioned why the town would proceed with the two studies if it hadn’t identified a place to put the dredged materials. “Before you spend $51,000, you better go out and try to find, first, an alternative location,” said resident Bill Weistling. “If you have to truck this material out of here, that $1 million is going to go up to about $3 million or $4 million and you’re wasting the $51,000.” Rymer, however, noted there was still a chance the town could work with Freeman to identify another location. “By no means did they say no,” he said. After further discussion, the council voted 7-0 to complete the two studies using $51,000 from the town’s dredging fund. “I want to be sure that money is there if we want to nail down the permitting process,” Carmean said.
Sunfest Returns To Ocean City
October 1, 2021
OCEAN CITY – The resort’s Inlet parking lot will welcome back Sunfest this weekend after a one-year break caused by the pandemic. Kicking off yesterday, Sunfest is celebrating its 46th year in Ocean City, featuring a variety of arts and crafts vendors, a huge food tent, drinks and live music. Enjoy free live entertainment all day long throughout the weekend with the only ticketed concert this year being Friday night’s Eli Young Band. Ocean City officials announced last week Saturday night headliner Blues Traveler was being replaced by a free concert as a result of a recent injuries sustained by the band’s lead singer. “Blues Traveler is very sad to announce the cancellation of the remainder of their 2021 tour dates, due to the injury John Popper sustained in the band’s recent bus accident,” said a statement from the Town of Ocean City. “The band will not play at Sunfest on Saturday, Oct. 2. Tickets can be refunded at place of purchase.” The city will be providing regular Parkn-Ride service for the Sunfest event. Cost is $3 all day from the park-and-ride to the South Division Street station from 6 a.m.2 a.m. Additionally, the Boardwalk tram provides access to the Sunfest grounds for only $4 per person one-way. Sunfest hours of operation are Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The live entertainment schedule is as follows: Friday, Oct. 1 Outdoor Stage 10:15 a.m.: Rick K. Road Trip 12:30 p.m.: Lennon La Ricci & the Leftovers 2:30 p.m.: Jesse Garron's Tribute to Elvis 4:30 p.m.: The Stickers 6 p.m.: DJ Kutt Indoor Stage 11:30 a.m.: Among the Stars 1:30 p.m.: The British Invasion Experience 3:30 p.m.: Rick K. Road Trip 8 p.m.: Eli Young Band (tickets required) Saturday, Oct. 2 Outdoor Stage 10:15 a.m.: Sapphire 12:30 p.m.: Rick K. Road Trip 2:30 p.m.: Blind Wind 4:30 p.m.: Guys In Thin Ties 6 p.m.: BK & Chrissy of Radio Ocean City Indoor Stage 11:30 a.m.: The Stickers 1:30 p.m.: Hitch a Ride 3:30 p.m.: Grand Illusion Sunday, Oct. 3 Outdoor Stage 10:15 a.m.: Slap & Bop Calypso Noon: The Resistors Band 2 p.m.: Mike Hines & the Look 4:30 p.m.: Controversy - A Tribute to Prince Indoor Stage 11 a.m.: Bob Lougheed & the Memphis Mafia 1 p.m.: Glass Onion Band 3 p.m.: Mzz B & Company
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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The Inlet parking lot is pictured transformed into Sunfest grounds during a previous year’s event.
File Photo
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Pines Tournament Raises Money In Freeman’s Honor
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BERLIN – The Ocean Pines Platform Tennis Association raised more than $6,000 for charity during a Sept. 25 tournament honoring Jim Freeman. Freeman was an active Platform Tennis member and former club president who passed away on March 15. Funds raised during the tournament will go to Semper Fi and America’s Fund, a nonprofit that serves veterans from all branches of the military, in honor of Freeman’s service in the U.S. Marines. Tournament co-chairs Michael Petito and Karen Kaplan said the event featured mostly Ocean Pines players. However, in the final match, out-oftowners Ginger Patron and Theresa Christofferson played against Platform Tennis members June Freeman and Tracy Jones. “The large crowd was mesmerized by their long rallies and was dazzled by finesse shots from both teams,” Petito said. “Ginger and Theresa emerged victorious, and June and Tracy, who played valiantly, were runners-up.” Petito thanked event sponsors Pohanka, Pittsville Motors, Chick-Fil-A, Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, SBL Signs, Food Lion, The Big Liquor, Walmart, and A Bagel And... He said the tournament also received support from the Ocean Pines Marketing and Public Relations Department, Racquet Sports Manager and Tennis Pro Terry Underkoffler and
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
Submitted Photo
Participants in last week’s fundraising tournament are pictured.
Recreation and Parks Director Debbie Donahue. “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our members, as well as that of local sponsors,” he said. “It was
an outstanding event for a wonderful cause.” Kaplan added, “Our members went above and beyond with their generous monetary donations and contributions
towards the tournament and the aftercelebration. We could not have done it without their support, both on and off the courts. They are an amazing group of people.”
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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SNOW HILL – COVID-19 vaccine boosters are now available through the Worcester County Health Department. Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for use as a booster. This means you will need to have already received two doses of Pfizer and meet certain qualifications. These boosters are for people 65 years and older and residents in longterm care settings should receive a booster shot at least six months after their primary series; people aged 50– 64 years old with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot at least six months after their primary series; people aged 18-49 years old with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot at least six months after their primary series, based on their individual benefits and
October 1, 2021
risks; and people aged 18-64 years old who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot at least six months after their primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks. Residents must bring vaccination cards for proof of receiving two doses of Pfizer in the past. If you need proof of your vaccination, visit myirmobile-.com/. Proof of vaccination is required. To schedule your booster appointment, visit WorcesterHealth.org. If you need help scheduling your appointment, call 667-253-2140. These clinics are operated in partnership with the Worcester County Department of Recreation and Parks and the Town of Ocean City.
New Library Director Welcomed BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – County officials recently welcomed Wicomico Public Libraries’ new executive director to the post. Members of the Wicomico County Council met this month with Seth Hershberger, the library’s new executive director, to offer their congratulations and support. “We do look forward to meeting with you more often,” Council President Larry Dodd said this week. Hershberger earned his master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri, according to the library. And in 2004, he joined the Peace Corps and helped to establish two primary school libraries in Pacific island villages in the country of Tonga. After returning to the United States, Hershberger became the assistant director – head of public services at Cass County Public Library in Missouri for 10 years. He then worked in the U.S. Embassy in Guyana, serving as a public diplomacy professional associate and community liaison officer with the U.S. State Department. “I ended up in D.C. for a while working that job remotely,” Hershberger told county leaders this week. “I went to look for jobs back in public libraries, and now this.” Hershberger, who began his tenure on July 19, said he was eager to work with county leaders in promoting the library and its services. “The public library is a county asset that requires maintenance and investment and development,” he said. “I look forward to working with members of the council. I think that will be my role, conveying how I think the library is a worth-
while investment for this council.” Hershberger described Wicomico Public Libraries as a vital community asset that improves the quality of life for residents. “My vision for the library is to make it a place where everyone feels they are supported,” he said, “that they belong there, and that it belongs to them.” Hershberger said he and library staff were working to promote services offered at the three library branches, and to inform residents of library resources available to the community. “I’m really excited to be here …,” he said. “The board made it clear to me that they view my role as helping to raise the profile of the public library in the community, letting people know we are here and encouraging people to take advantage of the resources we offer.” For his part, Councilman Josh Hastings welcomed Hershberger to the post. He said he was eager to see the library move forward under Hershberger’s leadership. “We had a little bit of a tumultuous end with our past director of the library,” he said. “I think it’s important to acknowledge that. But we want to make sure that we’re now forward looking.” Councilman John Cannon agreed. “I’m really impressed with your focus on where you think the library needs to be heading,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how new developments occur. I have a lot of confidence in what I think you’ll be bringing to this county.” Wicomico Public Libraries announced Hershberger as its new executive director in June, roughly eight months after the resignation of former executive director Ashley Teagle. In a meeting last October, Teagle attributed her resignation to several issues, most of which pertaining to the council’s control over the library system.
Ocean City Presents Annual Beauty Spot Award Winners
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and Council doled out the Beautification Committee’s annual Beauty Spot awards last week to various deserving property owners. Each year, the Beautification Committee sponsors the awards to recognize efforts of property owners who contribute to the town’s aesthetics through exceptional maintenance of their homes, condos and businesses. By planting trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses and other decorative items, the award winners help beautify not only their own property, but the town as well. The Beautification Committee accepts nominations for potential beauty spot properties through mid-summer. Committee members then review the nominated properties and utilize a rating system to assign points to the eventual winners. In years past, the committee would drive around the resort seeking out properties for the annual awards, but the eventual winners now come through the nomination process. The awards are based on a number of factors that contribute to the property as a whole. The judging is based on such factors as the percentage of flowers and ground cover, the percentage of trees, shrubs and grasses and creative landscaping. In some cases, efforts to disguise unattractive areas of a property,
Community members recognized for beautifying their properties were honored at City Hall last Monday.
such as a dumpster, for example, are recognized. Beautification Committee Chair Donna Greenwood, with Mayor Meehan’s assistance, on Monday presented the annual Beauty Spot awards to the winners in various categories in person. Last year, because of COVID restrictions, the annual awards were announced in a virtual ceremony. On Monday, eight winners were announced in the residential category in-
cluding the Hoffmans at 32nd Street, the Siegels at Dolphin Street, Pamela Schultz at Edgewater Avenue, the Lawrences at Loop Road, the Taylors at Nantucket Road, Judy Jameson at West Biscayne Drive, Pam Mason at Chesapeake Drive, the Kallises at Bering Road and the Wheelers at 14th Street. In the condominium category, awards went to Tiara West, Orleans Court, Triton’s Trumpet, and the Gateway Grand. In the commercial category, awards went
Photo by Shawn Soper
to Jolly Roger Park and the Fager’s Island shopping center. Awards in the restaurant category went to Beach Barrels, Barn 34, and Layton’s at 93rd Street. In the hotel category, awards went to the Atlantic Hotel and the King Charles Hotel. Retail awards went to Malibu’s Surf Shop and Sunglass City. Boardwalk awards went to the Villasantas and the Taphouse Restaurant. Finally, a special beauty spot award went to the Caine Woods Association.
Fenwick Island Plans To Survey Residents Canceling Ticket
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
FENWICK ISLAND – Property owners in Fenwick Island are being asked to fill out a resident survey. Last week, the Fenwick Island Town Council agreed to pay roughly $700 in postage fees to mail out a resident survey to each household in Fenwick Island. Mayor Vicki Carmean said the survey would be used to identify the community’s thoughts and opinions regarding various town aspects. “I think it’s very important the town council understands and respects the opinions and concerns of all its residents,” she said. “I know there are many people in the community who have ideas and opinions, and the council needs to listen and learn from all of you, so we
can better represent you.” Carmean said the short survey can be filled out anonymously and returned to town hall, either by mail or through the town hall drop box. She noted the idea was taken from other Delaware communities. “It allows residents to score various aspects of the community on a scale of one to four, one meaning you are happy with everything and four meaning that there is room for improvement,” she said. “It’s been done by other communities very effectively, and I thought it could be done here.” Resident Alex Daly asked if surveys could also be sent to town businesses. “It doesn’t pertain to the businesses, it’s about how you feel living here,” Carmean replied. “If this works, we can do it for the businesses too.”
October 1, 2021
When asked why the surveys had to be completed anonymously, Carmean said they didn’t. “It’s up to you,” she said. “If you want to sign it, you can.” Resident Lisa Benn said she wanted to see a survey mailed to each individual resident. “I just didn’t want the costs to run up,” Carmean explained. With no further questions, the council voted 7-0 to fund the resident survey. The council last week also made a plea to property owners to provide the town with any relevant contact information in the event they need to be reached. “This information will remain confidential …,” Carmean said. “So far the response from the community has been wonderful.”
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Program Will Help Fund Police Clerk BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
FENWICK ISLAND – The cancellation of a parking ticket program is expected to help fund the cost of a new police clerk. Last Friday, the Fenwick Island Town Council voted unanimously to cancel a parking ticket program used by the police department to write parking tickets and maintain a computerized listing. “It’s not very cost effective,” said Mayor Vicki Carmean. During last week’s town council meeting, Carmean announced that the council agreed in a recent executive session to hire a police clerk for the Fenwick Island Police Department. In addition to writing reports and applying for grant funds, Carmean said a new clerk would allow the police building to remain open when officers were in court or patrolling roads. “Any time a police officer leaves the building, and we only have that one person there, we have to shut down the police building …,” she explained. “My feeling is if we have a police clerk in the building, then we can leave it open for members of the public to come up and ask questions or get information.” Carmean said the police clerk would relieve some of the town clerk’s duties and could manage parking tickets. To that end, she proposed ending a contract with the town’s current parking ticket vendor, which is charging the town roughly $8,000 a year for its services. “I’m sure in some big city this is cost effective,” she said. “But they are taking $8,000, about 30% of what we’re bringing in this year, and this can be done quite easily and effectively by the police clerk.” Police Chief John Devlin agreed the parking ticket system was not the right fit for Fenwick Island. “This is not the kiosk out front,” he clarified. “It’s the machines we’ve been writing tickets with the last couple years. It’s up to date and high tech, but it is geared for a larger community than here.” Officials noted the town spent more than $500 each month for the parking ticket program. In addition, a fee of $3.50 was tacked on for those who paid parking tickets through the vendor’s system. “It’s just extra money,” Devlin said. “We were doing fine with the old system, and didn’t really need the new system.” After further discussion, the council voted 7-0 to cancel the town’s parking ticket program. Savings, they noted, will be used to fund the new police clerk position.
Lieutenant Retiring After 26 Years With Ocean City Police
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 39
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – Long-time Ocean City Police Department Lieutenant Brian Mongelli was feted with a special retirement ceremony at City Hall last week after a remarkable 26 years with the department. Mongelli began his career with the OCPD as a seasonal officer in 1992 and was hired as a full-time officer in 1995. In the years since, Mongelli has risen steadily through the ranks to lieutenant, where he served most recently as the lead in the internal affairs department. On Monday, Mayor Rick Meehan recalled his earliest connections with Mongelli during the often-contentious collective bargaining negotiations. “I got to know Brian a number of years ago when the OCPD was successful in gaining collective bargaining and he served on the committee,” he said. “It was a little contentious at the time and during the negotiations, we really became connected.” Meehan said Mongelli was instrumental in brokering an agreement over collective bargaining for the OCPD. “We reached an agreement, and everybody grabbed each other’s hands tightly,” he said. “That really brought the Mayor and Council and the police department and the town together. We developed a mutual respect and that set to
OCPD Lt. Brian Mongelli is pictured at last week’s retirement ceremony with his family and members of the Mayor and Council. Photo by Shawn Soper
tone for the relationship we have today.” For his part, Chief Ross Buzzuro said Mongelli’s retirement continues a recent string of retirements for the department’s top brass. “It’s a bittersweet moment,” he said. “For me, it’s like here we go again. We’re losing one of our brightest and best. The number of people he has helped in his career is truly amazing. He has done a tremendous job. He has headed the professional standards division. He has street smarts and book smarts.”
Mongelli then delivered an emotional response to the kind words. “I’m truly humbled by the kind words,” he said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve the Town of Ocean City. I’m very proud and it’s a great place to work. You don’t get to have a career like this by yourself.” Mongelli then thanked the council for its support of the department, Buzzuro and the command staff and his colleagues in the department. He also thanked his family and especially his
wife. “I’m thankful for all of the officers I worked with,” he said. “Being in internal affairs, they made my job easy for the most part.” Mongelli fondly recalled his 26 years of service to the department. “When I look back at my career, I was very blessed,” he said. “There were some really tough days and I’m going to leave this job with some scars on my body and some things I wish I could unsee, but I have no regrets.”
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Officials Discuss Beach Replenishment, Inlet Shoaling
Page 40
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – Parallel natural and man-made processes regarding beach replenishment and the dredging of the Inlet were the subject of debate last week. The federal Army Corps of Engineers hopper dredge Murden is currently in Ocean City dredging sand from the Inlet as part of the Assateague Bypass project, which removes material in and around the navigation channel with an emphasis on the ebb and flood shoals that traditionally trap sand moving southward toward Assateague. The hopper dredge then deposits the material removed from the Inlet at the north end of Assateague where it counteracts erosion on the barrier island. The Inlet and other channels in and around the commercial harbor naturally fill in and are in continual need of maintenance dredging, the problem has become even more acute in recent years. In recent years, some vessels operating out the commercial harbor have found it difficult, if not impossible, to
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Army Corps Weighing New Options For North Jetty, Navigation Channel
pass through the Inlet even on the highest of tides because of shoaling. Meanwhile, on a parallel course is the beach replenishment project, which is set to get underway this fall. Ocean City’s beaches are replenished every four years, or occasionally more frequently if the beaches are severely damaged and eroded during hurricanes or coastal storms. The resort’s beaches have been replenished five times since the inception of the Atlantic Coast of Maryland Shoreline Protection Project. Beach replenishment began in Ocean City in 1994 through a 50-year agreement with the town, Worcester County and the state of Maryland partnering with the federal Army Corps of Engineers, which provides over 50 percent of the funding for the massive un-
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dertaking. The overall project includes a wider, elevated beach, a protective sea wall along the Boardwalk and a vegetated dune system from the end of the Boardwalk to the Delaware state line. The Coastal Resources Legislative Committee, or Green Team, earlier this month got a briefing on the federal Army Corps of Engineers study of ways to mitigate the silting in of the Inlet channel and how to address a scour hole. During last week’s Mayor and Council meeting, a review of the Green Team meeting and the recommendations from the Army Corps on the Inlet were presented. City Engineer Terry McGean explained the Army Corps was considering two options. The favored option
October 1, 2021
called for closing the existing gaps in the north jetty and extending it northward in a hook to collect more sand and prevent it from essentially sucking into the Inlet. The preferred alternative also calls for moving the navigation channel in the Inlet to the south where it is naturally deeper. In terms of the scour hole, the plan calls for filling it with stone, rather than dredging it, which is part of the first alternative. With the Inlet dredging project ongoing, and beach replenishment set to begin, Councilman Mark Paddack asked if the two projects were mutually exclusive. “There is no mention of any adjustments for beach replenishment,” he said. “Do you have a copy of the study? A couple of years ago there was a study of the Inlet and the scour hole?” McGean said he did review the Army Corps study and that it did not consider beach replenishment as it directly relates to the Inlet. “I do have a copy of the study,” he said. “It looks at ways to avoid continued shoaling in the Inlet. It’s not part of beach replenishment.” Paddack said it looked as if the two projects were directly related, however. “It looks like there are two things going on here,” he said. “On the one hand, they’re trying to mitigate sand in the Inlet. Another federal agency is pumping sand onto the beach that migrates into the south jetty.” McGean agreed there were some correlations between nourishing the beach by pumping sand from offshore shoals every four years, and the silting problem that exists in the Inlet. When the Inlet was created during the famed 1933 storm, it was fortified with stone jetties on either side to make it permanent. A side result over the years has been a change in the historic sand migration patterns. “They do work together somewhat,” he said. “We do replenish the beach. The beach is going to erode no matter what. The Inlet acts like a funnel for sand and the shoals form. It the mid1990s, there was a very extensive study. If the Inlet wasn’t there, that sand would naturally migrate to Assateague.”
Coordinator Post Approved As Wicomico’s Criminal Cases Grow
October 1, 2021
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – A new victim/witness coordinator is expected to benefit the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office. Last week, the Wicomico County Council voted to authorize the hiring of a victim/witness coordinator within the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office and to approve the use of contingency to fund the position. Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Gilbert, chief of the office’s Prosecution Integrity Unit, said the victim/witness coordinator would assist prosecutors as they contend with a backlog of pending cases. “Victim/witness coordinators are in essence the most effective force multipliers our office has,” he said. “They shoulder the administrative burden of coordinating schedules, reminding witnesses of upcoming hearings and court dates, and that’s to say nothing about their crucial work in keeping victims involved and informed in the prosecution of their case, or cases that involve them.” In early September, State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes came before the county council seeking a host of budget amendments within her office, including a funding request to hire a new victim/witness coordinator. “It is a cost-effective way to increase the number of cases prosecutors can handle if they don’t have to be that frontline contact with witnesses,” she said at the time. Back on the agenda last week, however, Councilman Ernie Davis made a motion to table the resolution. He questioned why the hiring of a new position was being voted on as a resolution, and not a legislative bill. “They put this in here, but we’ve never discussed this with the state’s attorney as far as what this victim/witness coordinator is going to do,” he said. “I think we need to table it until we get more information on this because this is the first time something like this has come up in a resolution.” Councilman John Cannon, however, said the council was not voting to hire a victim/witness coordinator, but voting to give the state’s attorney the authority to hire. He added the matter could be presented as either a resolution or a legislative bill. “It was decided through legal that it could be a resolution,” he said. With no further discussion, a motion to table the resolution failed. In his presentation last week, Gilbert told council members the circuit court division currently employed one victim/witness coordinator who’s assigned to 12 prosecutors. “That’s over 800 cases that this single victim/witness coordinator is responsible for,” he said. “An additional vic-
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tim/witness coordinator would greatly help our prosecutors focus on what they’re best at and help us to better keep crime victims informed and involved at a time when it’s desperately needed.” Gilbert noted that prosecutors’ caseloads have doubled since 2019. “Right now our prosecutors are dealing with caseloads that are in some instances twice as high as they were in 2019,” he said. “And every minute they spend coordinating schedules, signing subpoenas, is a minute they are not spending preparing for trial … I want to stress how central victim/witness coordinators are to our mission.” Officials said not only were they seeking approval for the hiring of the position, but $28,930 in contingency funds to pay the employee for the remainder of the fiscal year. The full salary is set at $34,650. With no further discussion, the council voted 6-1, with Davis opposed, to authorize the hiring of a victim/witness coordinator, and to use contingency to fund the position. The county council last week also voted to allow a one-time $1,500 signing bonus for three lateral hires at the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.
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Worcester County History Week Events Announced
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BERLIN – From Pocomoke to Ocean City, Berlin to Ocean Pines, there’s something happening at every corner of the region during Worcester County History Week, scheduled for Oct. 10-16. History Week evolved from an annual tour of historic homes presented by the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum. This year, along with the continuation of the home tour, events are planned at the Sturgis One Room Schoolhouse Museum and the Delmarva Discovery Museum in Pocomoke, the Julia A. Purnell Museum in Snow Hill, the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum in Berlin, the Ocean Pines Association, and the Worcester County Libraries and Worcester County Tourism. Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum Curator Christine Okerblom is
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among the organizers of the expanded event this year. “History week opens the door to our region's past, allowing residents and visitors alike to learn more about Worcester County's rich history,” she said. “Our local libraries, museums, and historic sites have come together to create Worcester County History Week. We hope that this weeklong event becomes a fall tradition for all who attend.” Among the scheduled events, Alec Staley, the local history librarian for Worcester County Libraries, will host educational sessions both in Snow Hill and Ocean Pines. "Worcester County Library is excited to join History Week, and to show our commitment to preserving local history,” he said. “The first libraries in Worcester County were the Friendly Library in Ber-
lin, the Snow Hill Library, and the Pocomoke City Library, all operating in the early 1900s. These libraries were all independently operated by donations or through a subscription service.” Later, Staley said, Ocean City formed a small, independent library around 1950. “It was not until December 8, 1959, that Worcester County Library was formed into a publicly funded system that now includes the Snow Hill, Pocomoke City, Berlin, Ocean City, and the relatively new Ocean Pines library,” Staley said. “During History Week, we will be showing old photographs, documents, and newspaper clippings to celebrate Worcester County Library’s history, and our deep connection with the community." The full lineup of events, as of this
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week, are: Oct. 12: Delmarva Discovery Museum (2 Market Street, Pocomoke City), Ocean Pines Players Theater Company Brings History to Life, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Regular admission. Experience an interactive play, featuring a historical Marylander and hosted by the Delmarva Discovery Museum. Oct. 13: Delmarva Discovery Museum, Storytelling by Cheryl Doughty of the Pocomoke Indian Nation, 11 a.m. Regular admission. Oct. 10-16: Sturgis One Room Schoolhouse Museum (209 Willow Street, Pocomoke City). Donations accepted. The Sturgis Museum will offer discounted annual memberships and tours. The Sturgis Museum, retaining its original integrity, speaks of life and education in a rural, African American community. Oct. 16: Julia A. Purnell Museum (208 West Market Street, Snow Hill), FiberFest! Traditional Arts and History Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Discover local fiber and traditional arts, history, and culture at the annual festival held at the museum grounds in Snow Hill. The event will include food trucks, craft vendors, live music, craft demonstrations, animals, and more. Oct. 10: Calvin B. Taylor House Museum (208 North Main Street, Berlin), Homecoming Harvest, 2-5 p.m. Free. A community outreach event celebrating past, present, and future generations of Berlin families. Genealogy records and census records for research will be available, and oral histories will be collected. The event will also include performances by local musical groups. Oct. 16: Calvin B. Taylor House Museum, Ocean Pines Players present “Clara Barton,” 2-4 p.m. Free for members, $10 for nonmembers. The Ocean Pines Players will perform an original play about the life of Barton, to coincide with a newly displayed artifact of a letter written by her. An exhibit by the NABB Research Center will be on display. The museum will also offer free admission to all Eastern Shore locals during History Week. Oct. 10: Ocean Pines Association (Community Center, 235 Ocean Parkway, Ocean Pines), History Panel, 2-4 p.m. Free. The History Panel will feature guest speakers with a long history in the Ocean Pines community. Attendees at the event, which will be free and open to the public, will hear first-hand accounts of the speakers’ experiences as Ocean Pines evolved from a small resort community to a thriving, year-round home and vacation destination. Oct. 13: Worcester County Libraries, History of Libraries in Worcester County, 5 p.m. (Snow Hill branch) and Oct. 14, 2 p.m. (Ocean Pines Branch) Free. Some of the libraries in Worcester County date to the early 1900s. Join Local History Librarian Alec Staley in learning about the history of the local libraries. Oct. 16: Worcester County Tourism’s SEE NEXT PAGE
… Local Museums Offering Expanded Schedule This Year
October 1, 2021
Harbor Day at the Docks. This free waterfront festival celebrates the county’s rich history and maritime heritage, as well as the exciting sport fishing and commercial fishing industries. Event highlights will include seafood cooking demonstrations, crab-picking contests, fish-cleaning demonstrations, local angler displays, nautical artisans, educational exhibits, entertainment, food, and fun children’s activities. Oct. 11-15: Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum (813 South Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City) presents History of our Surfmen, 1 p.m. Offered for free, the museum will take a close look at equipment that was used by the United States Life-Saving Service to conduct a rescue. This program will be held inside the museum's boat room. Open Nominations: Ocean City LifeSaving Station Museum, Annual Spirit Award. The museum invites locals to submit nominations for the Spirit Award, honoring those who have helped preserve local history. Both individuals and organizations are eligible. Visit www.ocmuseum.org for nomination requirements. Open Submissions: Ocean City LifeSaving Station Museum’s Lou Parsons III Memorial Photo Contest. Lou Parsons was a beloved member of the Ocean City Museum Board for many years. In honor of Parsons, the museum will host a photo contest. Visit www.ocmuseum.org for requirements. Online entries will be accepted until Oct. 1. A winner in each category will be announced on Oct. 16, along with a grand prize winner. Oct. 10: Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, Historic House Tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets, $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers, are available at www.ocmuseum.org. The Ocean City Museum Society will host its third annual Historic House Tour. Spend the day discovering the history of everyone’s favorite beach town. This event will allow guests to step into the past and tour some of Ocean City's oldest homes, churches, and establishments. At each location, an educator will be on-site to discuss the unique history of the building. Oct. 11: Ocean City Life-Saving Sta-
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tion Museum, Fall Photo Opportunity, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free, stop by the museum for a unique, fall photo opportunity. Pose with a display of fall flowers, pumpkins, and hay located on the boardwalk in front of the museum’s shark display. A staff member will be onsite to take each family photo. Oct. 12: Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, Book Signing and Reading with Local Author. Free admission; book purchases are an added charge. Local author Maria Grosskettler will sign copies of her newest book, "Tracks." In addition to reading a selection from her book, she will share her experience of researching Berlin history. “I am a local author, but also a local historian. Researching the history of Berlin truly created this story,” Grosskettler explained. “It is powerful to look through archives and learn about people who once walked the streets of Berlin. I took what I learned from history, crafted a story, and shared it with the world.” For the author, a love and appreciation of the town radiate throughout the story. Her husband, the son of two Ocean City Boardwalk business owners, was raised in Berlin. With decades of
memories and vast knowledge, his contributions spawned countless plots in the mind of his wife. “I’ve always had an imagination and always have been a storyteller but hearing so many stories from my husband about growing up here in small-town America threw me right into the project,” she explained. “We’ve actually joked lately to some of our friends that we wonder what other couples who aren’t writing a book talk about! It’s been a really great process since I am a history lover, and he loves this town.” Grosskettler, an elementary school teacher in Annapolis, is passionate about encouraging children to read in an age where phones and games win much of their attention. By ending each chapter with a cliff-hanger and working hard to hook young readers, she hopes that kids never forget the value of literacy and old-fashioned storytelling. “We have to find ways to keep our students reading for life,” she said. “By writing from different perspectives and making each chapter new and exciting, I hope I reeled them in.” Oct. 13: Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, Preserving of the Past.
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Free limited space is available, and registration is required. Visit www.ocmuseum.org. Join Assistant Curator Cara Downey and local history librarian Alec Staley in learning how to preserve old photographs and paper. Oct. 15: Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, Paranormal Event. Tickets are available at www.ocmuseum.org. Space is limited. Follow along with the Dead of Night Paranormal team and experience the spirits that occupy the Ocean City LifeSaving Station during evening hours. Oct. 16: Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, History Comes to Life, 14 p.m. Free. Actors from Ocean Pines Players will portray figures from Ocean City's storied past. Meet Zippy Lewis, who made a living selling shipwreck remains. Ocean City's first doctor, from 1900, will share what it was like being the only physician in town. Last but not least, meet Laughing Sal, known as the Laughing Lady. More info: www.ocmuseum.org. For more information on Worcester County History Week, visit www.facebook.com/WorcesterCountyHistoryWeek.
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October 1, 2021
October 1, 2021
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October 1, 2021
BUSINESS And Real Estate News
The Moore Team of Keller Williams Delmarva celebrated the grand opening of its new office in Ocean Pines on Nicholas Lane last week with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce was on hand to welcome the team. Photo by Jeanette Deskiewicz
Company Plans Rebranding
BUS TRIP: SAT 11/6 QUEEN ESTHER AT SIGHT & SOUND THEATER $100 per person Incl.’s: Bus, Lunch & Show Hershey Farm Restaurant and Inn for Buffet Lunch. •7:30am Board Bus at Stevenson UMC •12:30pm Lunch •3:00pm Show •11pm Arrival in Berlin Questions, call or text: Pat Oltman 443.614.2518 or Jill Gray 410.713.9139 Checks to be made out to Stevenson Women and can be mailed to: Stevenson UMC Women 123 N Main Street Berlin MD 21811
BERLIN – Georges® Mixes, one of the fastest growing producers of high quality, non-alcoholic mixes in the United States, announced the company will begin operating under a new name, George’s® Beverage Company LLC, effective immediately. The rebranding strategy reflects the evolution of the company and its vision for the future. “We see growth and opportunity for our brand as we get closer to the spirits side of the industry,” said Greg David, owner, George’s® Beverage Company LLC. “We recently obtained our wholesaler license to distribute alcoholic beverages which opens the door to expanding our product line to include craft spirits, and ready to drink (RTD) packaged beverages. We also have several mixers in the pipeline for release and plan to continue developing innovative ways to bring our high-quality, all natural, robust flavors to our customers and retail clients.” George’s® newest addition to the mix family is a Piña Colada made with real natural coconut milk, lime and pineapple. Another exciting product release with partner McCormick® is near. The company’s ownership has not changed. George’s® Beverage Company was founded by Greg David, Theda Bakis, Alex Esham and Peter Cotgreave with one goal in mind: to bring customers a premium product, built on strong values and unparalleled customer service. The team will continue to deliver new products with the same intent and commitment to the communities it serves.
Financial Planner Awarded SALISBURY – Michael Sise, Certified Financial Planner and Partner With CFS, Inc. (Comprehensive Financial Solu-
tions), has been selected as a 2021 recipient of The American College of Financial Services’ NextGen Financial Services Professional Award. A national award, NextGen honors a select group of financial services professionals, under 40, who have demonstrated outstanding performance and leadership in their careers, and a desire to give back to the community. From a total nomination list of over 100 financial professionals across the country, The American College selected six recipients for its 2021 award. With recipients from California, New York, Iowa and Ohio, Michael is one of two representing the financial planning industry along the East Coast. This award arrives shortly after Sise earned his fifth professional designation – Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®). He has been with CFS for five years and became partner in 2019. Sise’s eligibility for this award not only highlights his professional performance, but his participation in the local community. He is an instructor for Adult Education Courses at Wor-Wic Community College and was previously an Adjunct Professor at Salisbury University. He also serves on financial committees for Stevenson United Methodist Church and the Delmarva Chicken Association and coaches youth sports in Berlin.
Pediatrician Added SALISBURY – Chesapeake Health Care has welcomed new pediatrician Dr. Maria Sofia Avendano-Welch. Avendano-Welch, or “Dr. Sofie” as she is known, graduated from the Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation Institute of Medicine in Manila, Philippines. She completed her SEE NEXT PAGE
October 1, 2021
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... BUSINESS NEWS pediatric residency training at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. From 2004 to 2017, she was the Medical Director at the Wicomico Middle School Wellness Center. Before joining Chesapeake Health Care, she was a full-time pediatrician with Jose F. Alvarado and Associates in Salisbury. “I love my work,” she said. “I am so grateful for the privilege of being able to take care of children and adolescents.” Avendano-Welch provides primary care for children of all ages, from newborns to teens. She brings her boardcertified knowledge and training, along with a warm, caring, and friendly personality to our patients. “We are very fortunate to have Dr. Sofie join our pediatric team here at CHC,” said Brian Holland, CEO of Chesapeake Health Care. “She is not only an expert physician, but she is a compassionate doctor who truly enjoys caring for her patients.”
Salisbury Property Sold SALISBURY – Senior Advisor Wesley Cox of The Hanna Team with SVN Miller recently closed on the “Mr. Tire” property located at 909 S. Salisbury Blvd, Salisbury. The property has been operated as a tire center for nearly 100 years with Mr. Tire taking over the location seven years ago. Within six hours of putting the property on the market, Cox generated multiple offers with a buyer in place within the first 24 hours. The property was sold to an out-of-state investor and Mr. Tire will continue to operate out of the property. The property was sold as a net leased investment property with a publiclytraded national credit tenant in place which gave the investor confidence in their new investment. This is the third net leased investment Wesley has sold recently within three blocks of one another totaling approximately $2,500,000. After the transaction was completed, Wesley said, “My client’s best interests are my top priority and after creating an asset disposition plan for my client I immediately implemented a nationwide aggressive marketing campaign, and I was able to secure the best deal for my client within 24hours.”
The Macky and Pam Stansell House at Coastal Hospice was the beneficiary of proceeds raised by the Montgomery Financial Services (MFS) Annual Client Appreciation Party at Windmill Creek Vineyard & Winery. The event raised $5,645. Pictured, from left, are Kristen Burns, Director Of Marketing, MFS; Merrie McElrath, Marketing/Event Coordinator, MFS.; Jeff Montgomery, President, MFS; Tammy Patrick, Director of Advancement, Coastal Hospice; Nicholas Craven, Vice President, MFS; Dr. Mark Bowen, Community & Provider Relations Liaison, Coastal Hospice; Joani Gursky, Director of Operations, MFS; and Joan Chung-Montgomery. Photo by Grant Gursky
West OC Property Settled OCEAN CITY–Andy Ball and Allison Conick with SVN Miller have settled on 12630 Ocean Gateway in West Ocean City. They represented the sellers John and Debbie Rogers of Ocean City. John and Debbie Rogers owned and operated the garden center for 38 years. The effect of the pandemic on their 2020 income, their ability to find employees and the difficulty getting supplies added motivation to retire from the intense seasonal work. They will continue to maintain a landscaping business in concert with their son. Ball and Conick were able to bring several offers to the seller. Neighboring Trader Lee's Shopping Center owner proved to be the most logical buyer. The property was under contract within one week and settled $20,000 over the asking price in early September. “SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate was very attentive to us during the analysis of our property, the multiple offers and seeing through settlement,” Debbie Rogers said. “We would highly recommend Andy Ball and Allison Conick to anyone looking to buy or sell commercial
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Board Members Announced BERLIN – The Sussex County Land Trust (SCLT), a non-profit conservation organization, has announced the appointment of three new board members – Tracy Adams, Ring Lardner and Michael
Page 47 Dickinson. Adams is an active partner in the daily operations of her family businesses, Melvin L. Joseph Construction, M.L. Joseph Sand & Gravel, Stockley Materials and Citation Rentals. A Sussex County native, Adams graduated from Laurel High School and later earned her Associate Degree in Turf Management and Landscape Design. Her family farm is part of the Farmland Preservation Program and is currently operational raising grain and truck crops. Lardner brings over 18 years of experience in project engineering and construction administration in residential and commercial development to his new role as board member in the SCLT. In 2021, Lardner assumed responsibility to lead the Milford Municipal Engineering Department at Davis, Bowen & Friedel, Inc. (DBF). Prior to joining DBF, he was responsible for portions of New Castle County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit. Dickinson was born and raised in East Stroudsburg, Pa., the older son of two public school teachers. In 2005, Dickinson joined the rapidly expanding SoDel Concepts team. He became the general manager of Bluecoast Seafood Grill and Raw Bar in Bethany Beach. In the years that followed, Dickinson assisted in opening three new SoDel restaurants while maintaining his duties as GM. In 2016, he became the Vice President of Operations for SoDel Concepts, overseeing operations in 10 restaurants, a wedding and event venue, and concessions at Delaware’s two largest amateur sports facilities.
Who Said Only The Wealthy Can Invest?
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE
BY KRISTIN COANE
SPECIALS TO THE DISPATCH
BERLIN – Young adults have weathered difficult times the past two decades, but now they’re witnessing an unprecedented job market, where even those with little to no work experience can dictate terms. It’s important that we steer our young adults to good saving and investing habits now, while they have the capacity to earn increased income. This job market may not always be the reality, so it’s good to build a treasure chest when they have the opportunity. Here are some tips to get them started: Invest when you’re young. You don’t have to wait until you have a lot of money — power of compounding interest makes
time your greatest ally. When you start early, you can accumulate substantially more wealth with less invested capital. In fact, you can start small — $50 to $100 a month — and increase the amount as you earn more. Investing regularly and automatically allows your money to work even harder than you do. The advantage of starting an investment program before you start making a lot of money is that you learn to live on less. Many graduates just starting out in the work world barely earn enough to make ends meet. There is one way to empower your ability to save a portion of what you do earn: Take control of your vocabulary. Instead of saying, “I can’t spend that much money” for something you want, say “I don’t want to spend that much money.” The second version implies a choice
and you choose not to overspend. We’d be happy to help you open an investment account and determine where to invest your savings every month. It’s never too early to start and no amount is too small to get started. Diversify. Don’t invest all your money on one big KRISTIN COANE stock tip you read about or receive from a friend. Spread it out over a portfolio of investments, which is less likely to lose money. At some point, you’ll want to establish a strategic asset allocation. There are three basic types of assets: stocks, bonds and cash instruments (like CDs and money market accounts). Stocks represent the biggest risk — meaning a higher
October 1, 2021 chance of losing money for the potential of higher gains — followed by bonds, then cash. It’s particularly important to establish an emergency fund for your cash account. That way if any big expense comes up — like a car repair — you won’t have to tap your investments to pay for it. The longer your money stays invested, the better its potential to grow (and the lower your risk of losing it). Invest tax deferred. Even if your employer doesn’t offer a retirement savings account, you can open your own. Anyone with earned income under age 50 can contribute up to $6,000 a year to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), in which you choose which securities to invest. With a “traditional” IRA, you can deduct that amount from your current income taxes, and the account grows tax-deferred until the money is withdrawn. If you open a Roth IRA, you don’t get the tax deduction, but you won’t have to pay taxes on withdrawals. Whether graduating from high school or college, or transitioning with some time off, don’t get too wrapped up in the pursuit of money. Pursue your interests, and the money will likely follow. Invest time in learning about the job(s) that interest you while also investing in meaningful friendships and worthwhile hobbies that develop healthy habits and expose you to new opportunities. Start now and your rewards will grow with time. Your career, friends, family and activities are all seeds you plant now for a secure and happy future. (The writer is part of the team at Key Financial Services in Berlin. The team can be reached at 410-629-0357.)
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Chris Parypa’s Photo Of The Week:
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Each week staff photographer Chris Parypa is tasked with submitting a photo from his vast library to be featured in this space. Above is an aerial view from West Ocean City. To purchase any of Parypa’s photos, click over to www.chrisparypa.com.
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
People in Society Ocean 13 owners Steve Bowers, John Campbell and Jeremy Brink hosted the Downtown Association Committee of OCDC for their September After Dark.
by Jeanette Deskiewicz Featuring Those Helping Causes In The Resort Area
Taking orders at the September crab cake dinner were Diane Morris, Peggy Murray and Vina Bailey at Stevenson United Methodist Church.
In the Stevenson United Methodist Church kitchen, Joe Sise, Sonny Nock, Ed Horner, Barry Neeb, and John Savage cooked up the 2nd Friday crab cake dinners.
Showing off some of their beachy handmade items were Barbara Herzog and Dottie Daniel at the Pine’eer Artisan Gift Shop 2nd Annual Sidewalk Sale.
At the Freeman Arts Pavilion 13th Annual Arts & Jazz Festival, Brian and Amy Miller of Salt Town Candle Co. sold candles scented and named after our local towns.
Proud grandmas Carol Frankowski and Debbie Gosser hung out poolside while their grand-dog took a dip at the Ocean Pines Aquatics’ Annual Doggie Swim.
Downtown Association Committee of OCDC members Marjorie Hagood and Tiffany Phillips sold the 50/50 tickets during the After Dark event last month.
Sea Foam Creations Designer Kathy Shelton and Emily Dopp had a variety of jewelry for sale during the 13th Annual Arts & Jazz Festival held at the Freeman Arts Pavilion.
Holding down the fort inside the Pine'eer Artisan Gift Shop while the 2nd Annual Sidewalk Sale took place outside, were Carol Brown and Terry Devine.
Ocean Pines Aquatics’ Eva Mills was thanked by Gina Castagna of the Worcester County Humane Society for making sure all dogs swam safe at the Annual Doggie Swim to benefit the shelter.
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
HOROSCOPES ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Cosmic changes create a potential for disruptions in your travel plans. In the meantime, you might want to consider shifting your focus to another area of your life that needs attention. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): It's a good time for beauty-loving Bovines to enjoy something special for the senses. It will restore your spirit and return you to the workaday-world ready for the next challenge. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): With your planetary ruler, Mercury, going retrograde, you might want to slow down the pace in pursuing some of your projects. Rushing things could be counterproductive. CANCER (June 21 to July 22): Tensions begin to ease in those once-testy relationships. This helps create a more positive aspect all around. Expect to hear news that could lead you to rethink a recent decision. LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22): The pace of activity that had slowed last week now begins to pick up. This is good news for Leos and Leonas who have career-building plans that need to be put into operation. VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22): Venus offers encouragement to romanceseeking Virgos who are ready to get up, get out and meet more people, one of whom could be that long-sought soul mate. LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22): An ongoing problem with a co-worker might
need to be sent to arbitration. Get all your facts together so that you have a solid base from which to make your argument. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21): You are usually decisive about most matters. But you might want to defer your decision-making this week until you get more facts. Someone is holding out on you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21): That quiet period is ending, and a new burst of activity creates some problems at the workplace. But things are soon resolved, and everything goes back to normal. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19): Relationships could be either helpful or hurtful as you pursue your career goals. You might have to make some difficult choices depending on what your priorities are. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18): You might still have some doubts about a career move that could involve a lot of travel. If so, continue to check things out until you feel secure about making a decision. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20): Love rules, as Venus continues to exercise her cosmic influence on both single and attached Pisces. New developments might cause you to change your travel plans. BORN THIS WEEK: You often think of others before you consider your own needs. You enjoy helping people and would make a fine teacher or caregiver. © 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
THE DISPATCH Crossword Puzzle
ANSWERS ON PAGE 86
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Things I Like... By Steve Green
vanishing
OCEAN CITY
October 1, 2021
WITH BUNK MANN
Celebrating a win with my son
Restaurants that only serve breakfast
Not getting a pile of ones from a cashier Being stumped by a diverse menu
A fishing trip with a lot of catching Leaving the office after deadline Teens who talk to parents
Wrap-around front porches Learning a new appliance
When my memory serves me right Cold fruit and peanut butter
This week's Vanishing Ocean City column is sponsored by Ørsted, the world leader in clean energy. Learn more at orsted.com/md-de The first bridge to carry automobile traffic into Ocean City was approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 1916 but did not officially open until July 4, 1919. Known to locals as the “State Roads Bridge,” it had a single lane in each direction. It crossed the Sinepuxent Bay at its most narrow point and entered Ocean City at Worcester Street in the center of the old downtown. This bridge was damaged in the Hurricane of 1933 that destroyed the nearby railroad bridge and also created the Inlet. For the three days it took to repair the State Roads Bridge, no automobile traffic was able to enter or leave Ocean City except by the long and sand-covered route through Delaware. The photo above was taken four days after the hurricane in 1933. The State Roads Bridge was replaced by the current Route 50 Bridge in 1942. To purchase one of Bunk Mann's books, click over to www.vanishingoc.com. Photo courtesy Travis Langworthy
SU Students Donate Books To Local School
University Works With Groups On Economic Project October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
SALISBURY – How can the impact of a pandemic on the economy be shown? Local agencies behind the federally funded Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project are working to answer that question. In spring 2020, local economic and workforce development professionals from the Mid-Shore Regional Council and other organizations teamed with data visualization specialists from Salisbury University’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC) to apply for a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to establish the program. Their mission: create data-driven tools that local governments, businesses and organizations need to understand an economic crisis such as a global pandemic and to gauge the corresponding economic recovery. “The Mid-Shore Regional Council’s goal was to support our counties by creating resources that would help the economic development offices support the business community as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Executive Director Scott Warner, who is managing the project with Greg Padgham, leader of the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. SEE PAGE 54
Salisbury University’s chapter of the Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) international honor society for accounting, finance and information systems recently donated copies of the book Charlotte’s Web to 180 third- and fifth-grade students at East Salisbury Elementary School. Members initiated the project to help promote literacy and a love of learning. The book was selected based on its reading level and message of positivity, friendship and love. Pictured, from left, are SU BAP members John Delnegro, Lindsey Behrman, Kristie Born and Ian Leverage with Dr. David Emerson, advisor.
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Page 54
FROM PAGE 53 “The tools we are creating will result in data-driven strategies that will help the region recover from the economic shock of the pandemic, build additional resiliency against future events, and be a resource of reliable data for discussions, decision making, and grant applications.” In addition to the two regional councils and the ESRGC, partners include the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, and Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot County economic development offices. More than a year into the two-year project, the team is ready to release the suite of tools it has developed to date: A central website introduces the project and houses all products that have been developed. It also offers quick, easy access to key economic indicators and uses publicly accessible data from resources such as the U.S. Census Bureau,
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American Community Survey and County Business Patterns. Data visualizations include interactive dashboards, web mapping applications and interactive reports, in addition to key points and summaries. Using information from the Maryland Comptroller’s Office, the ESRGC developed a series of dashboards that show Maryland sales tax collections across years, county boundaries and industries. Users can filter for fiscal year, region, and specific industry groups. The tax data visualizations correspond with a second line chart that shows the number of statewide COVID-19 cases and plots the influx of federal economic stimulus. The local economic development offices in Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties administered a 50-question survey designed by SU’s Business, Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON). The survey will be repeated at regular intervals, and data will be used
to track business sentiment local and regionally, identify challenges facing the region, and assist in long-term planning and the development of public policy. The ESRGC is developing visualization tools to showcase survey results. While much of the data used for the project is not new information, the ESRGC team has spent considerable time shaping it into a useful format. “At the ESRGC, we are data people,” said Dr. Michael Scott, dean of SU’s Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology. “We spend a lot of our time collecting data, massaging data and turning it into information people can use. Many of these data sources exist elsewhere, but were not in a form that was particularly useful for anyone to be able to use it to make actual decisions. An extreme amount of work was necessary to get this data into a place where you could actually see it, use it, touch it and make
October 1, 2021
actionable decisions with it.” Scott predicts the tools created will have many uses, including providing decision makers a way to track the status of the local economy with information they need to understand long-term trends and anticipate challenges. The data also can be used for planning purposes. “It’s important to be able to think about the impact of the pandemic, what can we now do and how can we put various support structures in place so that if something like that was to happen again, we would be ready,” he said. Project manager Erin Silva, who leads the ESRGC’s web development and data visualization team, said the group has avoided focusing solely on creating tools for the pandemic, but is taking a broader approach to create tools that can be used in any economic crisis. “We’re not just looking at right now and what has happened over the past year and a half,” she said. “We’re trying to figure out how we can position ourselves to make use of this time and experience to better respond to future economic downturns. We’re preparing for the future.” Scott added, “We will eventually move past this crisis. There are some segments of the economy that have moved past it already. There are others that have not. But this will not be the last blip that the regional economy has to face. We are hoping that now that these things are built, they can be maintained relatively inexpensively and be useful for a long time.” The Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project ultimately will become part of the Delmarva Index, a tool the ESRGC has developed as a centralized repository that provides streamlined access to data and visualization of information about the Delmarva Peninsula. “The internet is a firehose of information,” Scott said. “We curate that data, make sure it is valid, make sure it is error free — at least as much as we can — and then publish it in a way that people can access it easily. That is the goal of the Delmarva Index. This pandemic response data collection effort is just an extension of that project for a very specific set of data regarding economic activity pre- and post-COVID-19.” The tools also will become part of the strategies employed by both regional councils. The Mid-Shore Regional Council and the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore are recognized by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as Economic Development Districts and are required to develop and maintain regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies. Project partners shared the information publicly this summer in a series of meetings with the governing bodies of Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties. Scott and Silva, along with their partners, invite feedback from users. “I would really encourage people to reach out and ask questions,” Scott said. “The creative energy of the majority often finds things that end up making our projects better.” To access the Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project, visit https://recovery.delmarvaindex.org. The complete Delmarva Index can be found at https://delmarvaindex.org.
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
STUDENTS In The News
Page 55
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Direct: 443-386-1967 Email: gregsellsmdhomes@gmail.com Second grade students at Worcester Preparatory School conducted a science experiment last month that also turned into a sweet afternoon snack. In this activity, students created their own ice cream in a bag and explored the best way to chill the ingredients to have them become a creamy delicious treat. Above, from left, Carter Harrison, Grant Messner, Nora Rafinski and Grace Tunnell pause shaking ice cream ingredients to pose for the camera. Below, Priya Garg, Bianca Prosekova and Freddy Hertrich eagerly await the final results. Bottom, Marshal Hidell and Avrum Gudelsky stop to see if the ice cream mixture is starting to freeze.
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October 1, 2021
Lifeguards Wrap Up Ocean City Coverage Season Sunday
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 57
GUARDING THE BEACH
BY DAMIEN SANZOTTI
SPECIALS TO THE DISPATCH
OCEAN CITY – I have really enjoyed spreading the word about beach safety each week in The Dispatch. The beach patrol and I really appreciate the commitment of Editor Steve Green and the opportunity to work together to get the safety message out to the public each week. I wanted to recap some important beach safety tips since this is my last article of the 2021 season and the last weekend this season the lifeguards will be guarding the beach. There is no question only swimming when lifeguards are on duty and swimming in front of a lifeguard is the basic and most important action to ensure beach safety. It seems easy enough, but late in the fall season when our beach coverage is less than 20% of peak season (under 200 yards between stands in July to 1,100 yards, or 11 football fields, between stands after Labor Day), I keep seeing people that have not gotten the message. As our mobile units tour up and down the beach on our ATV’s, we see large numbers of people swim in between two lifeguards. Rip currents are unpredictable and simply put, it just makes sense to be close to the expert, the lifeguard, when in need. Another important tip that is even more obvious than swimming near a lifeguard is learning how to swim. Learning to swim is one of the best things people can do to protect themselves from drowning. Studies show people learn to swim best during childhood, which makes it a parent’s responsibility to make sure their children learn to swim. If someone does not know how to swim, they should not be in the ocean. Unfortunately, we have made rescues where people are pulled into deeper water by a rip current, only to find out the person cannot swim. Once someone begins to panic and actively drown, they generally have 10-60 seconds until the situation becomes grave. With so many currents and unknowns in the ocean, people should not be in the ocean if they do not know how to swim. Knowing how to swim and understanding how a rip current works will give you the needed tools to be a successful swimmer in the ocean and therefore a safe swimmer. The last tip I would like to leave you with pertains to rip currents. If you find yourself caught in a rip, don’t panic or fight the current. You must swim out of the current by swimming parallel to shore and then into shore. If you are unable to swim out of the current, just float and tread water and call or wave for assistance. An easy way to remember what to do if you find yourself being pulled away from the beach, in the “grip of the rip” is to remember the letters “R.I.P.”. R means relax and do not panic; I refers to I need help (draw attention to yourself so help can start to you); and p represents swim “parallel” to escape the pull of the current and then swim back to safety on the beach. If you are on a guarded beach, help will be on its way. I want to give the following warning one more time. The beach patrol strongly
encourages all beach patrons to restrict any beach or water-related activities to times and locations when and where beach patrol personnel are on duty, never swim alone, always stay within the limits of your swimming ability and never rely on a flotation device in place of your swimming ability. The Ocean City Beach Patrol, Ocean City Police Department, OC Fire and EMS, Ocean City ComDAMIEN munications and all the SANZOTTI public safety workers have done a tremendous job this season. Furthermore, many of the media outlets, such as this paper, have also been invaluable in helping the beach patrol serve its mission by educating the public with the use of these
publications. We all know having the knowledge necessary to prepare yourself is the first step in any situation. If you or someone you know would like to begin the greatest adventure of a lifetime as a Surf Rescue Technician with the beach patrol for the 2022 season, visit our website at www.ococean.com/ocbp. We have our next Pre-Employment Physical Skills Evaluations for positions during the 2022 season, scheduled during February and March in Salisbury, Annapolis and York, Pa. We will conclude testing for 2022 at Ocean Pines in April and Ocean City in June. Thanks for reading and have a great winter season. For more information on the Ocean City Beach Patrol and Beach safety tips you can log on to our website www.ococean.com/ocbp. To get current
information about the Beach Patrol as well as daily stats and current beach conditions, you can follow the Beach Patrol Instagram or “like us” on the Official OCBP Facebook page. Remember, “Keep your feet in the sand till the lifeguard’s in the stand.” Please don’t let someone you love enter the ocean when the SRT’s are not on duty. It is not only dangerous to them but may put others in danger if they attempt to help you in an emergency. Even our most experienced personnel don’t let their children swim on an unguarded beach, even though they personally have rescued hundreds from the Ocean City surf. (The writer has been with the beach patrol for 18 years and is currently a sergeant. He is a physical education teacher at Berlin Intermediate School.)
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
The initiation on Saturday, Sept. 25 was among the largest class of new members to Ocean City Elks Lodge 2645. Fifty-one members joined the lodge. The new members enjoyed the social quarters after the induction and several have volunteered either to be a greeter at the front door or to be a server when we have food service. Submitted Photos
COMMUNITY News In Photos
The Ocean City Surf Club donated food and beverages to the Ocean City Police Department and supporting law enforcement agencies to express appreciation for their service to the community. Above, Surf Club President Tommy Vach and club Environmental Chairperson Effie Cox are pictured with representatives of the Ocean City Police Department.
Until its meeting last week, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City didn't know much about the TOPSoccer program. Every spring and fall River Soccer Club holds a weekly TOPSoccer program allowing players with disabilities to participate in a modified soccer activity with their peers. The players are assisted by volunteers from local high schools who typically donate their time to help the players. The volunteers provide a valuable resource by becoming buddies with the participants who need help and direction throughout the one-hour sessions. Above, Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City President Steve Cohen, a soccer and lacrosse official, is pictured with TOPSoccer program director Pete Bussa. The local program is the only club of its kind on the lower Eastern Shore.
The Ocean City-Berlin Rotary Club recently installed officers for the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Pictured, from left, are Dr. Larry Michnick, secretary; Margaret Mudron, treasurer; Frank Baker, sergeant at arms; and Brian Shockley, president. The club meets every other week at the Residence Inn in the Marriott Hotel in Ocean City. For more information or meeting dates, email the club at ocberlinrotaty@gmail.com.
Arts Center Opens New Exhibits Just Walk Scavenger Hunt On Tap
October 1, 2021
OCEAN CITY – The Art League of Ocean City announced a new buildingwide art show at the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th St. bayside with the theme “i am.” The exhibit is part of a trio of free inperson First Friday art openings on Oct. 1 from 5-7 p.m. with satellite openings also taking place at the Princess Royale Oceanfront and Coffee Beanery. The “i am” show will fill all the galleries at the Arts Center with work exploring the theme of embracing identity through art. “Identity is made up of many factors — gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, class — each influencing how we understand ourselves, express who we are, and relate to those around us,” said Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League. “This all-media group show seeks to explore the theme of identity to promote self-acceptance and acceptance of others. The artists will share what identity means to them through their own unique perspective.” The Thaler Gallery will feature artwork by Stephanie Lael Barrick, Kim Bemis, Jesse Halpern, Jinchul Kim, Kacie Neeb, Jinsoon Oh, Emmanuel Porquin, Deborah Rolig, and Halie Torris. The Galleria will host an open group show featuring members of the Art League and local artists and judged by Deborah Rolig and Dee Gray. Mitzi Patelski will display her work in the artisan show-
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case. Studio E will feature two short films created locally – "Mr. Tindley" by Bryan Russo and a preview of "Peer" by Marlon Wallace. The Spotlight Gallery will display the “Wall of Compassion,” an installation of mandalas created during healing art workshops hosted by the Art League throughout the community. The Wall of Compassion project is funded by a grant from the Worcester County Arts Council. The First Friday receptions continue at two sites in North Ocean City. The main lobby gallery at the Princess Royale Oceanfront, 9100 Coastal Hwy., opens a new exhibit of art by Jim Adcock of Bishopville. Originally from Baltimore, Adcock graduated from the Maryland Institute of Art, where he majored in painting and art education. He has taught art in Baltimore County schools and at Michaels stores in Rehoboth Beach, Del., and Ocean City. A second satellite gallery on 94th St., located a block from the Arts Center at the Coffee Beanery, continues a show of Ocean City artist Bilbo. Bilbo, who attended Baltimore Junior College and the Maryland Institute of Art, is an ink painter, using Zen art at its highest expression with a thoughtful use of empty space and brush strokes. Refreshments at the Arts Center are sponsored by PKS Investments. All shows will be on display until Oct. 30.
TRUSTS
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SNOW HILL – In celebration of Walk Maryland Day on Oct. 6, the Worcester County Health Department invites the public to participate in a self-directed Just Walk Scavenger Hunt. Residents can get in their steps from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Byrd Park in Snow Hill, Cypress Park in Pocomoke and Stephen Decatur Park in Berlin. Residents are encouraged to walk through the park and look for Just Walk wellness pumpkins. Those who report the number of wellness pumpkins found, along with a photo taken at one of the parks will be entered into a raffle drawing for a chance to win a free prize. Submissions should be emailed to crystal.-
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CAPTAIN’S TABLE 410-289-7192 15th St. & Baltimore Ave. In The Courtyard Marriott Fridays: Phil Perdue COCONUTS BEACH BAR & GRILL CASTLE IN THE SAND HOTEL 37th & 38th St. 410-289-6846 Friday, Oct. 1: Darin Engh, Monkee Paw Saturday, Oct. 2: Union Road, Rick & Regina Sunday, Oct. 3: Shortcut Sunny, The Dunehounds Wednesday, Oct. 6: The Dunehounds Thursday, Oct. 7: Kevin Poole & Joe Mama COINS PUB 410-289-3100 28th St. Plaza On Coastal Hwy. Saturday, Oct. 2: Shortcut Sunny Sundays & Wednesdays: DJ Wax CRABCAKE FACTORY BAYSIDE 302-988-5000 37314 Lighthouse Rd., Rte. 54 Selbyville, DE Friday, Oct. 1: Rick & Regina Wednesday, Oct. 6: Full Cirlce Duo CRAWL STREET TAVERN 443-373-2756 Wicomico St. Downtown O.C. Friday, Oct. 1: Three On The Tree Saturday, Oct. 2: Rogue Citizens CORK BAR Saturday, Oct. 2: Lennon La Ricci FAGER’S ISLAND 410-524-5500 60th St. In The Bay Friday, Oct. 1: Firekite, DJ RobCee Saturday, Oct. 2: No Go Romeo, DJ Hook, Crash The Room Monday, Oct. 4: OC All Star Band Jam, DJ Rob Cee
DJ ADAM DUTCH Purple Moose: Saturday, Oct. 2 Thursday, Oct. 7
DJ BK Greene Turtle North: Friday, Oct. 1
DJ HOOK Fager’s Island: Saturday, Oct. 2
BEATS BY STYLER Pickles Pub: Fridays, Sundays, Mondays & Wednesdays
DJ BILLY T Harborside: Friday, Oct. 1 Sunday, Oct. 3 Thursday, Oct. 7
DJ TUFF Seacrets: Friday, Oct. 1
DARIN ENGH Coconuts: Friday, Oct. 1
GREENE TURTLE NORTH 410-723-2120 116th St. & Coastal Hwy. Friday, Oct. 1: DJ BK HARBORSIDE 410-213-1846 South Harbor Rd., West O.C. Friday, Oct. 1: DJ Billy T Saturday, Oct. 2: Side Project , DJ Jeremy
LENNON LA RICCI Cork Bar: Saturday, Oct. 2
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 61
Who’s Where When Sunday, Oct. 3: Opposite Directions, DJ Billy T Thursday, Oct. 7: DJ Billy T
THREE ON THE TREE Crawl Street Tavern: Friday, Oct. 1
FIRST CLASS Ocean Club/Clarion: Friday & Saturday, Oct. 1 & 2 Lenny’s Beach Bar: Friday Oct. 1
OCEAN CLUB 410-524-3535 10100 Coastal Hwy. In The Clarion Hotel Friday & Saturday, Oct. 1 & 2: First Class LENNY’S BEACH BAR & GRILL Friday, Oct. 1: First Class Saturday, Oct. 2: On The Edge OCEAN PINES YACHT CLUB 410-641-7501 1 Mumford’s Landing Rd., Ocean Pines Saturday, Oct. 2: Eclipse (The Ultimate Journey Tribute)
SOCIAL Purple Moose: Friday & Saturday, Oct. 1 & 2
FIREKITE Fager’s Island: Friday, Oct. 1
ON THE EDGE Lenny’s Beach Bar: Saturday, Oct. 2
THE DUNEHOUNDS Pickles Pub: Saturday, Oct. 2 Coconuts Beach Bar: Sunday, Oct. 3 & Wednesday, Oct. 6
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS Harborside: Sunday, Oct. 3
FULL CIRCLE DUO Crabcake Factory Bayside: Wednesday, Oct. 6 Seacrets: Thursday, Oct. 7
PICKLES PUB 410-289-4891 8th St. & Philadelphia Ave. Friday, Oct. 1: Beats By Styler Saturday, Oct. 2: The Dunehounds Sunday, Oct. 3: Beats By Styler Mondays: Beats By Styler Tuesdays: Beats By Wax Wednesdays: Beats By Styler Thursdays: Beats By Wax PURPLE MOOSE 410-289-6953 Between Caroline & Talbot Sts. On The Boardwalk Saturday, Oct. 2: DJ Adam Dutch Friday & Saturday, Oct. 1 & 2: Social Thursday, Oct. 7: DJ Adam Dutch SEACRETS 410-524-4900 49th St. & Coastal Hwy. Friday, Oct. 1: John McNutt Band, Cherry Crush, DJ Tuff, Steal The Sky Saturday, Oct. 2: Full Circle, DJ Cruz, The Way Outs, High Five Swan Dive Thursday, Oct. 7: Full Circle Duo
Six-Day OktoBIRDfest Features Tours, Social Events
Page 62
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BERLIN – Delmarva Birding Weekends is partnering with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery to host the 2021 “OktoBIRDfest x Dogfish Head” birding extravaganza – a fusion of birds, boats, bikes and beer. Like spring migration in late April, fall migration in mid-October offers high numbers of species for nature lovers to enjoy as warblers, herons, and egrets trade places with waterfowl, hawks, and eagles. During OktoBIRDfest, nature lovers can register for just one field trip or multiple field trips each day of the 6-day event. Registration for the Oct. 13-18 event is now open at https://delmarvabirding.com Guided by local, fun-loving birders with decades-long experience, the walking tours, bike treks, boat trips and kayak paddles will accommodate visitors from the curious nature lover to fowl fanatics. On Wednesday, participants can combine history and nature on a Harriet Tubman boating or walking tour. On Thursday, Chincoteague Bay, Bombay Hook, the 2,200-acre private Newport Farms, and Fowler Beach will delight
bird lovers. Rounding out the week, Friday-Monday, are trips to the Delaware Botanic Gardens, a Sunday trip on the Shorebird Explorer out of Ocean City, a paddle around the East End Lighthouse at Cape Henlopen, a jaunt around Prime Hook and numerous Delaware Bay boat cruises. Dogfish Head Founder & Brewer, Sam Calagione, said the brewery’s nature-centric mindset made this partnership an easy marriage. “Mother Nature is at the heart of everything we do at Dogfish, because without the natural agricultural ingredients with which we craft our recipes, our beers would not exist. That’s why we are continuously seeking new ways to protect and give back to the Earth, especially in our local community.” Making a return for this special week is Dogfish Head’s Binoculager. First brewed for our Winter Delmarva Dogfish BirdINNg Weekend, Binoculager is a delicious amber lager made with toasted sunflower, flax and pumpkin seeds, brewed with bird-watching in mind. Grab this draft-only exclusive at Dogfish
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Head Brewings & Eats and enjoy a pint with a burger or take a growler home with you. “The October weekend is spectacular,” said Southern Delaware Tourism Director Scott Thomas. “Imagine hiking a dunes trail at Cape Henlopen to be met with a Peregrine Falcon dive bombing a flock of shorebirds. Or spend Sunday morning at Delaware Seashore State Park enjoying the beautiful yellow of fall warblers. That’s what the weekend is all about.” “This is our biggest fall nature-oriented weekend,” said Melanie Pursel, Tourism Director for Worcester County. “People will be amazed by the number of eagles and flocking herons, but they will see a lot more than that walking, paddling, and boating with guides in untouched parts of Delmarva. Delmarva Birding Weekend trips are so good that the governor issued a tourism award for them in 2018.” Social events for this year’s OktoBIRDfest include “tally rallies” at Grain on the Rocks in Lewes, the Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen in Milton, RaR in Cambridge, Burley Oak in Ber-
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lin, Mispillion River Brewing in Milford and Irish Eyes Pub in Lewes, where participants can add to the species checklist and swap nature stories with new friends. After the feathers have settled and the birding and imbibing are done, outdoor enthusiasts can start recharging their engines for the next birding extravaganza January 20-23, 2022 when seals join birds for some spectacular winter wildlife watching. Sponsors for the events include Dogfish Inn, Worcester County Tourism, Southern Delaware Tourism, the Boardwalk Hotel Group, and Jolly Roger Amusement Park. Special thanks also go to the private property owners who allow us access to their properties for this weekend. Additional sponsor and registration information, field trip descriptions and other resources for Delmarva Birding are available at www.DelmarvaBirding.com. To become a sponsor or for additional information, contact Dave Wilson (443-523-2201) at Conservation Community Consulting at dmvbirds@gmail.com.
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Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Musicians’ Union Agree On Contract
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BERLIN – Reinforcing its status as one of the nation’s leading professional regional orchestras, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore have agreed to a new three-year contract. “Musicians aspire to play with a union orchestra because of the high quality of performances and the opportunity to share the stage with other first-rate musicians,” said Mid-Atlantic Symphony Board President Jeffrey Parker. “This contract, the first in the MSO’s 24-year history, reflects the efforts of Music Director Julien Benichou to elevate the quality of our musicians and validates our status as the only professional orchestra serving southern Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.” “The committee is extremely pleased that management believed that a collective bargaining agreement would further the artistic growth of the orchestra and that musicians unanimously supported the ratification,” said Luis Engelke, who serves as Vice President of the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, Local 40-543, Amer-
File Photo
The Mid-Atlantic Symphony is pictured performing last year.
ican Federation of Musicians and was instrumental in organizing the musicians and negotiating the contract. “This was a collegial and collaborative venture.” The contract agreement came just days before the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra opened its 2021-2022 season, with performances in Easton, Lew-
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Every Monday: TOPS Meeting 5-6:30 p.m. Atlantic General Hospital, Berlin. Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a support group promoting weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Call Rose 443-880-8444. Every Friday: Bingo Knights of Columbus will host with doors open at 5 p.m. and bingo beginning promptly at 6:30 p.m. Held at the Columbus Hall at 9901 Coastal Highway, behind St. Luke's Church. Light refreshments available. Call 410-524-7994 with any questions.
Every Sunday: Berlin Farmers Market Main Street will be closed every Sunday through September from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in downtown Berlin. A producers only market featuring produce, flowers, baked goods, art and homemade products. Free parking.
Every Tuesday: Dancing The Delmarva Hand Dance Club holds dancing at the Selbyville Elks Lodge 2173 from 5:30-9 p.m. delmarvahanddancing.com.
Every Wednesday: Bingo Elks Lodge 2645, corner of Sinepuxent Avenue and 138th Street in Ocean City. has bingo all year. Doors open 4:30 p.m. with first game sharply at 6:30 p.m. Kitchen open for light fare. 410-2502645.
Oct. 2: Hunter’s Ride Community members are invited to Windmill Creek Winery on Oct. 2 to celebrate the 5th Annual Hunter’s Ride. Created in memory of Hunter Hudson, a 19-year-old community member who passed away in 2016, the annual event raises funds for local organizations. Registration will be held between 9-11 a.m., and the ride begins promptly at 11 a.m. For more information on Hunter’s Ride, call Janice Hudson at 410-2511249. Registration is $15 per rider. For those who can’t attend but would like to support the event, donations can be sent to Hunter’s Ride, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, 1324 Belmont Ave, Suite 401, Salisbury, Md. 21804.
Oct. 2: Kids Fall Crafts 10 a.m. at the Ocean Pines library branch, come make and take home fun crafts while supplies last. Kids ages 3 and up.
Oct. 2: First Saturday Writers 10 a.m. at the Berlin library branch, novice and established writers gather to share fiction, non-fiction and creative writing projects. Drop-ins welcome. Register under events at worcesterlibrary.org
Oct. 2: Fried Chicken Drive-Thru Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church in Willards will host starting at 11 a.m. Menu includes breast, drumstick, thigh, wing, mashed potatoes, green beans, apple sauce, coleslaw and dessert. Price is $14. 410-835-8809. Oct. 3: Crab Feast The Church of the Holy Spirit at 100th Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City will be having a fund-raising crab feast from 2 to 5 p.m. Food will be serv-
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Things To Do
Things To Do ed until 4:30 p.m. The dine-in menu will include crabs, fried chicken, corn on the cob, hush puppies, lemonade, iced tea, soda and desserts. Carry-out will also be available. The carry-out meal will include six crabs, two pieces of chicken, corn on the cob, hush puppies, dessert and a drink. Crabs are medium large/large and will come from Rippon's Seafood. The chicken is being provided by Higgins Crab House. In addition to the food, there will be a chance auction and a 50/50 drawing. The cost for adults is $45; for children ages 6 to 10, it's $20; children under 6 eat free. Tickets are available now, by contacting the Church office at 410-723-1973 or by calling Monica at 443-235-8942. Proceeds will benefit the Church of the Holy Spirit and its outreach programs. Oct. 3: Touch A Truck Day From 10 a.m.-noon, free event at Stephen Decatur Park offering opportunity to see and learn about the awesome trucks and equipment the Town of Berlin uses. Bucket trucks, dump trucks, police vehicles, fire truck and more. Fun for all ages.
Oct. 3: Blessing of Animals St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury provides its annual animal blessings in its courtyard on St. Peter’s Street downtown at 4 p.m. All members of the public and their animal companions are invited to participate in the Sunday event. Pets should be on a leash or in a carrier. 410742-5118 or stpeteschurch.net.
Oct. 5-7: Basic Boating Course The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering the Maryland Basic Boating Safety Course at the Ocean Pines Library, 11107 Cathell Rd. Cost: $20 for all three evenings. Register or get more information by calling Barry Cohen at 410-9354807, or Email: CGAUXOC@Gmail.com. Oct 8: Crab Cake Dinner Stevenson United Methodist Church will host a crab cake carryout only dinner, 46:30 p.m. Cost is $12 for one sandwich with green beans, baked potato and coleslaw; $20 for two crab cake sandwiches with the sides; and $8 for just a crab cake sandwich. Baked goods available.
Oct. 9: Festa Piccola The Sons and Daughters of Italy Lodge in Ocean City is well-known for its annual St. Joseph’s Festival in the spring, where traditional home-made Italian foods were sold for 10 consecutive years, until the pandemic hit. The festival, held to raise money for lodge charities and high school scholarships, had to be canceled. Not willing to concede to the pandemic, the Lodge has planned Festa Piccola, offering many traditional foods and bakery items that lodge members have cooked and sold at the St. Joseph’s Festival, but for carry out only. Festa Piccola will open its doors at the St. Andrews Parish Hall at 14401 Sin-
epuxent Avenue, at 11 a.m. and serve hot foods until 6 p.m. The carry-out menu will have ravioli and meat balls, Italian subs, hearty minestrone soup. New items will be home-made meatballs to be puchased separately and homemade tomato sauce. Admission is free. The only cost is the food purchased.
Oct. 9: Job, Resource Fair Job and Resource Fair at the Worcester County Library. Setup begins at 9 a.m. Please contact Elena Coelho at 443783-6164 or ecoelho@worcesterlibrary.org for more information. Oct. 15-16: Church Fundraiser Rain or shine, Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Awesome yard and bake sales and basket auction at St. Andrew's Church, 33384 Mackenzie Way, Lewes, Del. Ethnic food for sale. Proceeds benefit ministries of St. Andrew's. Oct. 9: Fall Festival Showell Elementary will host its annual PTA sponsored Fall Festival from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The family friendly event is open to the public. Children’s wristbands will be sold at the door for $20 and include unlimited access to all activities, hayrides, games, touch a truck, petting zoo, inflatable obstacle course, pirate ship bounce house, dunk tank, Scholastic book fair and much more. There will be raffle baskets and a 50/50 raffle, as well. There will be many carnival games, a moon bounce, balloon animals, candy, and prizes. Open to the public. Come casual or dressed in your favorite costume and enjoy the festivities.
Oct. 16: Moondance At Rackliffe Join the Rackliffe House for an evening of live music, dancing, sips and bites, 710 p.m. Live music by Everett Spells, libations from local breweries and distilleries and savories and sweets from local caterers. $75 per person, must be 21 years old. Casual elegant attire includes three drinks with options to buy additional tickets. Limited available, reserve early at rackliffehouse.org or call 410-6414179. Oct. 16: Pink Party Benefit The 6th Annual Hope Palmer Pink Party at Sunset Grille from 2-6 p.m. featuring $1.98 beer, crushes, drinks and wine. Cost is $25 cover charge, which will be donated directly to the Atlantic General Hospital’s Burbage Regional Cancer Care Center. Checks will be presented in the name of Rena Bishop.
Oct. 16: Car/Bike Show From 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (rain date, Oct. 23), the 15th Annual Cruizers for Christ Car/Bike Show will be held at the Whaleyville United Methodist Church, located at 11716 Sheppards Crossing Road, Whaleyville. Trophies will be given to the Top 20 and "Best in Show". There will be vendors, a silent auction, gospel music, and food for purchase, including scrapple sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs,
October 1, 2021 and baked goods. 410-641-0059.
Oct. 16; Harbor Day At The Docks Event from 10 a.0m.-5 p.m. at the Commercial Fishing Harbor in West OC. A free maritime heritage festival featuring seafood cooking demonstrations, crab picking contests, fish cleaning demonstrations, local fisherman displays, nautical artisans, educational exhibits, entertainment, food and fun kids’ activities. HarborDayOC.com Oct. 17: Puppy Penguin Swim The Atlantic General Hospital Foundation will host the Puppy Penguin Swim and Yappy Hour from 1-3 p.m. Local dogs and pups will have the opportunity to play in the water at Ocean City’s Residence Inn by Marriott while the adults partake in Yappy Hour drinks and food. Entry is $20 per pup (one pup per person). Pups each get a free gift, with a complimentary drink for their adults. Learn more and register at www.agh.care/puppyswim or call 410-641-9671.
Oct. 20: Fall Meeting The Ocean Pines Boat Club Annual Fall General Meeting in the Assateague Room of the Ocean Pines Community Center. Doors open 6:30 p.m. for socializing and light refreshments. Meeting begins at 7 p.m. Speaker is Lyndsey Odachowski on the subject of "Medical Cannabis in Maryland." The public is invited.
Oct. 22-24: Beach Maze Part of O.C.Toberfest, on North Division Street & Boardwalk in Ocean City. Experience the thrill of a giant Halloween Beach Maze. Children of all ages can enjoy a pleasant scream as they meander the sands of the giant, bigger and better beach maze. Wicked witches, pirates of the sand, scary scarecrows, ghouls in the graveyard, zombies and more will add to the excitement. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. Free. Drive-in Movie Saturday night 7 p.m. at the Inlet. Oct. 23: Beer Festival Octobertfest Shore Craft Beer Festival at Sunset Park, 12:30-4:30 p.m. A celebration of great, local beer with delicious food from food trucks, live music. Admission charge. Nov. 5: Fall Glow Walk Put your glow (sticks) on and enjoy a fun free walk starting in Stephen Decatur Park and the downtown (approximately 4.5 kilometers). Hosted by the Berlin Parks Commission in partnership with the Worcester County Health Department Just Walk Worcester program. Free raffle entry for every walker. Registration starts at 4:45 p.m.
Nov. 6: Sight & Sound Bus Trip Stevenson United Methodist Church’s Women’s Group is organizing a bus trip to Sight & Sound Theatres in Ronks, Pa. to see Queen Esther. Bus leaves the church at 8 a.m. on Nov. 6 and returns at 11 p.m. Reservations due Oct. 10. Checks to be made out to Stevenson Women, 123 N. Main Street, Berlin, Md. 21811. Questions, Pat Oltman, 443-6142518.
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 65
Worcester’s Hartnett Earns Milestone 525th Career Win The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
In The News
SPORTS
Page 66
Worcester Prep Boys Split Pair Of Games
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
BERLIN – Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity soccer team split a pair of games this week, falling to Cape Henlopen, but rebounding with a win over Gunston on Monday. After starting the season with a perfect 3-0 mark, the Mallards took their first loss of the season on the road last Friday, falling to Cape Henlopen, 2-1. After a scoreless first half, Cape scored twice in the second, while Worcester got its lone goal from Dylan McGovern. Worcester played man-down for the final 30 minutes of the game against Cape. On Monday, the Worcester boys rebounded with a 3-2 win over Gunston on the road. The Mallards led, 2-1, at the half on a pair of goals by Dylan McGovern. McGovern added another goal in the second half to complete the hat-trick.
BERLIN – Worcester Prep girls’ varsity soccer coach Carol Hartnett earned her milestone 525th win with a 3-0 victory over rival Saints Peter and Paul. For 27 years Hartnett has been a familiar face and voice at the Berlin prep school. In addition to teaching health and physical education at Worcester Prep, Hartnett has been a fixture on the sidelines and courtside at the Berlin school. In addition to coaching the girls’ varsity soccer team, Hartnett at different times over the years has coached
Decatur Boys Suffer First Loss Of Season
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
BERLIN – Stephen Decatur’s boys’ varsity soccer team suffered its first loss of the season this week, falling to Parkside on the road. The Seahawks started the season in impressive fashion with three straight wins over Easton, Crisfield and Mardela. On Monday, they traveled to Salisbury for an important early Bayside South rivalry game and fell to the Rams, 2-0. Decatur is now 3-1 on the season. The Seahawks were scheduled to play Wicomico at home on Thursday in a game played too late to be included in this edition. Next up for the Seahawks is a road game at North Caroline next Wednesday.
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
October 1, 2021
the girls’ varsity lacrosse team, middle school and varsity girls’ basketball. While her victories as coach are many over the years, she earned a special one with her 525th as head coach of the girls’ varsity soccer team last Tuesday with the fitting 3-0 win over Saints Peter and Paul in Easton. The Mallards and the Sabres have had an intense rivalry in all sports over the years, so it was appropriate Hartnett’s 525th career win came in Easton. Following the game, Worcester Prep Athletic Director Matt McGinnis awarded Hartnett with the major milestone. In her typical humble way, Hart-
nett was quick to share the honor with her charges. “Anybody who knows me, knows it’s not all about winning,” she said after the game. “It’s everyone on the team who contributes to a win.” Hartnett has impacted hundreds of young people in her nearly three decades at Worcester Prep. It’s a job she wouldn’t trade for anything. “I’m lucky to do a job I love as a teacher and a coach,” she said. “I try to be someone who makes a difference. At WPS, we work hard together, we play hard together and we succeed together.”
man caught eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Next up for Decatur is another Bayside South game against
Parkside on the road, a game that was moved from Friday night to Saturday at noon in Salisbury.
Decatur Falls In Shootout With Wicomico, 47-41
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
BERLIN – Stephen Decatur’s varsity football team lost a wild one to Wicomico High, 47-41, last Friday for their second straight loss. After dominating on their way to a 2-0 start with wins over Bennett and Indian River, the Seahawks have now dropped two straight. Decatur lost to Kent Island two weeks ago, 4213. Last Friday, it was a big Bayside South rivalry showdown at home with Wicomico and the game lived up to the hype. In the end, it was Wicomico winning out the 47-41 despite a big offensive night for the Seahawks. Quarterback Ashten Snelsire went 28-44 passing for 516 yards and five touchdowns. Zimere Handy caught six passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Handy also ran for one touchdown. Marqui Henry caught six passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, while Brycen Cole-
Decatur’s varsity cross-country teams turned in strong performances last week in a Bayside Conference meet at City Park in Salisbury. The girls’ team finished first among the six schools competing, while the boys’ team finished second. The Decatur girls’ team was led by Amber Marshall, pictured above. Photo by James Cathell
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 67
with Scott Lenox We had some tough fishing conditions during first full week of fall. The wind blew hard for several days, resulting in a rough ocean so both offshore boats and bottom fishing boats had to stay at the dock. The other unfortunate byproduct of the wind, and a little rain, was dirty water conditions in the back bays. Thankfully there were still a few fishable days for the ocean going boats and flounder, rockfish and sheepshead were hungry enough in the back bays to eat despite the dirty water. There were a few billfish caught last week, but for the most part white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish have mostly moved on. It seems we’ve had another year where we miss most of the southern migration of billfish because we couldn’t get to the canyons thanks to the wind. There are already good numbers of white marlin being caught off the Outer Banks of North Carolina and that’s a sure sign the billfish have mostly left our area. The good news for offshore fishermen is the tuna have just started biting. The tuna fish showed up in great numbers for some boats last week with plenty of yellowfin tuna and a few bigeye tuna mixed in. Large skirted ballyhoo and spreader
bars trolled in 50 to 100 fathoms inside the Baltimore and Poorman’s Canyons produced the most bites and there were some very nice fish caught. The yellowfin tuna are averaging 30 to 50 pounds with the occasional 70 pounder and the bigeye are pretty consistently over 80 pounds. These fish should be around through the end of October and maybe even November if the water temperatures stay above 65 degrees. The ocean bottom fishing fleet only got to fish three days last week, but it was good when they did get to go. Sea bass was the main target for the party boat fleet and there was good fishing with some limits of 15 fish over 12 1/2” for some anglers fishing on the Judith M, Ocean Princess, Angler and Morning Star. The ocean bottom charter fishing fleet was targeting flounder more than sea bass and fishing was good for them as well. Captain Kane Bounds of the Fish Bound and Captain Chase Eberle of Chasin’ Tides Charters were targeting flounder on small pieces of ocean structure and had success. Skirted flounder rigs baited with Gulp or strip baits did the trick on fish up to 7 pounds and there SEE PAGE 68
This angler released a sailfish last week while fishing on a trip with the crew from Tipsy Tikis. Submitted Photos
Page 68
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021
Above top left, Mike Monteleone and Roy Butler caught their limit of flounder over ocean structure. Above top center, Big Bird Cropper caught this 37” rockfish at the Route 50 Bridge and released it to see another day. Above top right, RJ Phipps and his dad had six keeper flounder fishing with Rich Daiker at the Route 50 Bridge. Above left, Captain Kane Bounds of the Fish Bound put this group on some jumbo flounder on a day they also released a large cobia. Above right, this trio caught three keeper flounder and a Spanish Mackerel while on board Ocean City Guide Service with Captain John Prather. Opposite page, top left, this shooter hit his mark on a big catfish while fishing with Captain Marc Spagnola of Dusk to Dawn Bowfishing. Opposite page, top right, Mikey Pitarra caught this 29” rockfish on a live spot at the “secret location.” Opposite page, middle left, David Moore has been catching and releasing some big red drum up to 49” in the Assateague Surf. Opposite page, middle right, Blake Gunther and Justen Kreiser caught tog, drum, rockfish and keeper sheepshead at the south jetty. Opposite page, bottom left, “Sea Bass” Bob lived up to his nickname on board the Morning Star with Captain Monty Hawkins. Opposite page, bottom right, Bob Haltmeier caught these nice croaker while fishing at the Oceanic Pier in downtown Ocean City.
... Fish In OC FROM PAGE 67 were some limits of four fish per person over 16 1/2”. Flounder fishing in the back bay was tough last week thanks to dirty water conditions, but the fish were hungry enough for anglers to have some decent catches. The best time to fish with the cleanest water seemed to be at the bottom of the outgoing tide where water was the warmest and clarity was the best. Captain John Prather of Ocean City Guide Service had keeper sized fish for his anglers on several days last week despite the tough fishing using live bunk-
er in the East Channel. Rich Daiker had several good days as well last week with seven keepers on two different occasions. Rich also used live bunker at the Route 50 Bridge. Flounder should be in our back bays through the end of October and the Route 50 Bridge and OC Inlet will be the best spots to catch a keeper. As we move further into the fall and water temperatures drop species like rockfish, bluefish, trout and red drum will become more active and more and more anglers will be targeting them. There are some of these fish being caught at the bridge and at the south jetty. Live bait like bunker, spot or mullet fished on the bottom or lures cast and retrieved are effective methods for catching if fished on the right tide. Toothy crit-
ters like sheepshead and tautog are being caught around the route 50 bridge, Martha’s Landing, the north jetty sea wall and the south jetty. Sheepshead and tautog feed on crabs and crustaceans so the best baits are green crabs, white crabs, peelers and sand fleas. Blake Gunther has been catching tog and sheepshead at the south jetty on the new Fish in OC tog jigs baited with live sand fleas. Tautog need to be 16” to keep and anglers are permitted to keep 2 fish per person right now. There is no minimum size on sheepshead, but a creel limit of four fish per person. Next week is our 5th Annual Ocean City Inshore Classic fishing tournament with registration on Friday, Oct. 8 from 5-7 p.m. at the Sunset Marina activity
room. The Inshore Classic is a fish any or all of 32-hour tournament with lines in Saturday morning, Oct. 9 at 7 a.m. and lines out on Sunday afternoon Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. Scales are open Saturday from 47 p.m. and Sunday 3-5 p.m. Awards will be held at the Ocean City Marlin Club on Sunday night. Categories include rockfish, flounder, tautog and open. Last year we paid out over $14,000 and with a new $500 Calcutta this year payouts should be higher. We hope to see you there. Until next week, tight lines. (The writer is the owner of Fish in OC and host of Ocean City’s fishing television show Hooked on OC. He has worked in the fishing industry and been fishing the waters in and around Ocean City for over 25 years.)
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 69
Page 70
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Fall Into Our Local Antiques, Collectibles And Country Craft Stores For Unique Gifts & Decorations
4
OCEAN CITY – The Atlantic General Hospital Foundation is adding a fun new event to the festivities leading up to the big Penguin Swim plunge on New Year’s Day -- the Puppy Penguin Swim and Yappy Hour. On the afternoon of Oct. 17, local dogs and pups will have the opportunity to play in the water at Ocean City’s Residence Inn by Marriott while the adults partake in “Yappy Hour” drinks and food. Entry is $20 per pup (one pup per person). Pups each get a free gift, with a complimentary drink for their adults. Learn more and register at www.agh.care/puppyswim or call 410-641-9671.
1&2 3
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Good Beer Festival Set For Next Week
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Visit Our 1950s Retro Texaco Station!
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late great chevy car show
Mardela Fire Co. BBQ Chicken
Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 11731 Somerset Avenue Princess Anne, MD 21853 410-651-2238 www.somersetchoiceantiques.org Find Us On Facebook
“Somerset Choice Station”
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ANTIQUES & MOVING SERVICE
Come Take A Gander At Our Fall Decor! Rte 50-Mile Marker 104, Hebron, MD
OPEN EVERY DAY 10AM-5PM
410-742-0010
Attention Local Antique Dealers & Stores
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4
Join Us For These Upcoming Advertising Dates October 8 November 19 & 26 December 10 & 17
See Your Ad Here For Just $29/Week! Call Jeanette: 410-641-4561
Puppy Penguin Swim In Ocean City Oct. 17
October 1, 2021
7
OPEN YEAR-ROUND SATURDAY& SUNDAY
Park & Flea
Downtown Salisbury, Md. On Busy Rte. 13 Between Rte. 50 And Main St.
Antiques, Collectibles, Yard Sale, Plants And Produce 8
Buy, Sell, Trade
SUNDAY ALL SPACES ONLY $5 NO RESERVATIONS-COME EARLY 410-603-3930 www.parkandflea.com
SALISBURY – Wicomico County’s Good Beer Festival returns to Pemberton Park in Salisbury on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 8-9. The festival features unlimited sampling from over 30 breweries. This year’s menu has been expanded to include craft beer, domestics, ciders and seltzers. “Considering seltzers have become exponentially more popular over the past couple years, it’s time for them to make an appearance at the festival,” said Recreation Superintendent James Simmons. “We’ve also added ciders and domestics to the lineup.” Attendees will also notice a few new additions to this year’s event, including live chainsaw carving demonstrations and axe throwing. The Humane Society of Wicomico County will also be on site with adoptable dogs. Tall Tales Brewing Company will sponsor the Carni Beer Games, which include a keg toss, beer shot put, cornhole and ring toss. Attendees can also sign up on site to take part in Tall Tales relay races Friday and Saturday. On Friday night, Froggy 99.9’s Whiskey & Randy will be looking for brave volunteers to take part in their Adult Spelling Bee. Participants will battle it out on the main stage for a Tall Tales gift card, Tall Tales merchandise, a medal and bragging rights. The festival also features music, regional cuisine and craft vendors. “We packed the roster full of entertainment and activities,” Simmons said. “There’s truly something for everyone at this year’s event.” Festival hours are Friday, Oct. 8 from 5-10 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 9 from noon-5 p.m. Tasting tickets include a sampling glass and as many samples as one can responsibly consume. Advance ticket sales are available online only at www.GoodBeerFestival.com. Organizers recommend attendees purchase tickets in advance to avoid lines at the gate. Ticket sales at the gate will be cash-only.
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 71
The Dispatch Classifieds $15/Week for Minimum of Five Lines • $2 Thereafter Per Line Display Classified Ads: $20/Week Per Column Inch (Contract Discounts Available) Deadline for Insertions, Cancellations & Payment is 3pm Tuesday Pre-Payment is Required. We Accept Visa & MasterCard
CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811
HELP WANTED OFFICE ASSOCIATE: White Horse Park is seeking a Community Office Associate. Team player with exc. customer support skills. Knowledgeable in various clerical & accounting services. Send res: whpckmd.yahoo.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– JOHNNYS PIZZA: Now hiring! Driver. Apply within. 56th St. or call 410-726-7061 to apply. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DENTAL HYGIENIST: Part-time Dental Hygienist needed at a team oriented dental office. Welcoming, patient first, family environment. Please send resume to: dentistryinthepines@gmail.com
CARPENTERS & CARPENTERS HELPERS
Must have: Tools, Transportation, Driver’s License
Exp. Required! PATTERSON & SONS BUILDERS
Call 410-641-9530
CASHIER/ SALES ASSOCIATE Must be friendly & dependable FT/PT - Year Round & Seasonal - Various Shifts Competitive Hourly Wage Benefits Available
To Apply-go online www.petromg.com *Employment *Retail *OC MD *Cashier Wine Rack *Search *Cashier Sales Assoc.-Wine Rack Rt. 50 Wine Rack 12827 Ocean Gateway West OC, MD
Work With the Best Ocean City has to Offer ... We Invite You to be a Part of our Family!
ROOMS DIVISION MANAGER We are currently recruiting for a year round Rooms Division Manager for our Oceanfront Convention Hotel (250 rooms with 85 adjacent condominiums). The preferred candidate should have a minimum of 3 years hotel front desk management with working knowledge of housekeeping, inventory/revenue experience, good verbal communications and telephone etiquette. Qualified candidates only should apply. Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package available. Apply in person, Mondays thru Saturdays, 10am-4pm.
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT CLARION RESORT FOUTAINEBLEAU HOTEL 10100 COASTAL HIGHWAY OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 Phone: 410-524-3535 x.7128 Fax: 410-723-9109 EOE M/F/D/V
Check Out The Dispatch’s E-dition Online:
mdcoastdispatch.com
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ADVISOR
Nutrient management advisors needed for Worcester and Somerset county offices of University of Maryland Extension. Individual will develop nutrient management plans for agricultural producers; BS in an agricultural, environmental or natural resource science or an equivalent combination of education & experience required along with knowledge of agricultural production practices and cropping systems. Other basic knowledge and skills required include the ability to use personal computers, ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, ability to use simple analytical equipment, ability to perform basic mathematical and algebraic calculations, and ability to complete reports and records correctly. Individual must pass nutrient management certification exam within one year of employment. Preference given to certified nutrient management consultants. Background check required. This is a contractual position with benefits. For a detailed position announcement and to apply, go to https://ejobs.umd.edu, position numbers are 126589 (Somerset) and 126629 (Worcester); Applicants are encouraged to apply for both. Best consideration date is October 8, 2021. EEO/AA
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
The Dispatch Classifieds CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811 Work With the Best Ocean City has to Offer ... We Invite You to be a Part of our Family!
Full Time Year Round Positions ~EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT ~HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR ~FRONT DESK AGENT ~NIGHT AUDIT ~MAINTENANCE ~PAINTER ~ROOM ATTENDANT ~ROOM DIVISION MANAGER ~SERVERS ~BARTENDER ~HOSTESS/HOST Seasonal Positions ~SECURITY ~GRILL COOKS ~SERVERS ~BARTENDER ~HOSTESS/HOST ~BUSSER ~FOOD RUNNERS ~POOL ATTENDANT ~WAREHOUSE CLERK ~BEACH STAND TOP WAGES! EXCELLENT BENEFITS! HOUSING AVAILABLE! FAX RESUME & SALARY REQ. to: 410-723-9109 Online at www.clarionoc.com APPLY IN PERSON Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CLARION RESORT FONTAINEBLEAU HOTEL 10100 COASTAL HWY. OCEAN CITY, MD. 21842 EOE M/F/D/V
October 1, 2021
WORCESTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTANT 1
JIMMY’S KITCHEN NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS
ACCOUNTANT I- Full Time, State Benefits. Duties include preparation and management of budgets, internal auditing activities, cash collections, accounts payable, submitting of monthly and quarterly reports, management of agency’s purchasing card program, and internal control monitoring. This position may be frequently required to travel to all sites of the Worcester County Health Department. Background check required. APPLY ONLINE at www.jobapscloud.com/md by October 7, 2021.
HOSTS REGISTER BUSSERS WAIT STAFF KITCHEN HELP
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability. Appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available upon request by calling 410-632-1100 ext. 1221.
APPLY IN PERSON NO PHONE CALLS! Open Mon-Thurs 7am-12:30pm 1300 Coastal Hiwy, Fenwick Isle
AUTOMOTIVE GREAT-GREAT-GREAT OPPORTUNITY! We are part of a large automotive group with parts stores, service centers, and a used car dealership. Fast paced, energetic atmosphere with advancement opportunities! We have several locations and currently have an opening at our Ocean View, DE location for Service Advisors. Excellent Pay and Benefits including Company Matched Retirement Plan, Vacation, Holiday Pay, Health Insurance, Discounts, and Much More!!!
Please Call Matt For More Information 302-344-9846
Currently Hiring Manpower For:
Carpenter | Laborer | Painters Stucco & EIFS Mechanics Concrete Work o Experience preferred. o Tools, transportation & valid driver’s license are a plus. o Excellent pay and a competitive benefits package available. Please Apply Online: https://www.allstatesconst.com/delmarva-renovations-careers
Or Contact Our Office at 410-352-9800
FRONT DESK ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT A beautiful award winning community in Ocean View, DE is seeking a self-motivated, driven, and goal-oriented administrative assistant. Must be organized and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills and be computer proficient in MS Office and have the ability to learn a variety of software programs. Excellent customer service skills are a requirement of the position. Previous experience in working with HOAs preferred but not required. Full-time, year-round, 40 hours/week. Interested candidates should email resume with salary requirements to: Susan.Brewer@casinc.biz or fax 302-537-4075 EOE
PART-TIME SCHOOL CUSTODIAN
Worcester Preparatory School, a coeducational college preparatory day school serving over 400 students in grades PK-12, is currently seeking a PT custodian to clean school buildings daily from 3:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. CJIS Background Screening required. EOE
Contact: Heather Parsons 410-641-3575 or hparsons@worcesterprep.org
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION HELP NEEDED Must have valid driver’s license and own transportation. TOP PAY FOR THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS PLEASE CALL JENNA AT 410-726-1840
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HIRING AT BOTH LOCATIONS
Berlin’s Newest Eatery! Now Hiring: HOSTESS WAIT STAFF KITCHEN EXPO. Call Matt at 302-593-4141 or email thesterlingtavern@gmail.com
APPLY IN PERSON South Location 31st St. Coastal Hwy. 410-289-2581 North Location 128th St. Coastal Hwy. 410-250-2304
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
The Dispatch Classifieds CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811
RENTALS
COMMERCIAL
WINTERRENTAL: Downtown OC, 2BR/2BA apt. $800 per mo.+ gas & elec. Wifi & basic cable included. Occupancy limited to 2. No smoking/pets. Call 410-202-6353 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WINTER RENTAL: Small 2BR/1BA lower level cottage. 2 blocks from boards. Available Oct. 1-April 1. $850/month includes utilities and basic cable. Laundry mat on premise. No Smoking/No Pets. Call 410-952-5234. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
RESTAURANT FOR LEASE: Restaurant for lease. Ocean Pines, Call 443-880-2486 for info ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– STORAGE WEST OCEAN CITY: 2 car garage with attached work room. 775 sqft. Call 410-7260075. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 12X24 CONTRACTOR SHOP: Near Ocean Pines. $180/month + security deposit includes electric. Call Steve 410-251-3412, leave message. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FOR LEASE: Retail Banking Center with drive thru. Contact Brian Gamm. 443-880-2225. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WEST O.C. OFFICE/RETAIL SPACES AVAILABLE: 1 OfficeRetail and 1 Warehouses. Plenty of Parking. 443-497-4200. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
WEEKLY RENTALS Poolfront: $245 Efficiency: $275 2 BR Apartment: $385 4 BR House: $585
Burgundy Inn 1210 Philadelphia Ave.
410-289-8581
YARD SALE ESTATE & GARAGE SALE: Sun, 10/3. 8am-1pm. 107 Cedar Ave. Berlin, Maryland. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The Dispatch Legal Notices LEGAL RATES Legal advertising rate is $7 per column inch. The deadline is Tuesday at noon. For more information call 410-641-4563 or email classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Third Insertion NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18877 To all persons interested in the estate of ELIZABETH ANN GOURLEY, ESTATE NO. 18877. Notice is given that BARBARA ENTWISTLE, 8453 CEDAR LANE ROAD, BERLIN, MD 21811 was on, SEPTEMBER 02, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ELIZABETH ANN GOURLEY, who died on JULY 11, 2021, without a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any ob-
jection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 2ND day of MARCH, 2022. Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of
the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 BARBARA ENTWISTLE Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-17, 09-24, 10-01
Third Insertion WILLIAM L CALLAHAN JR. 11304 RHODE ISLAND AVE. BELTSVILLE, MD 20705 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18878 To all persons interested in the estate of DONNA JEAN FAULCONER, ESTATE NO. 18878. Notice is given that JAMES LYNN FAULCONER, 4232 KENNY STREET, BELTSVILLE, MD 20705 was on, SEPTEMBER 09, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of DONNA JEAN FAULCONER, who died on AUGUST 6, 2021, with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 9TH day of MARCH, 2022. Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.
Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 JAMES LYNN FAULCONER Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-17, 09-24, 10-01
Third Insertion RAYMOND D. COATES JR, ESQ. COATES, COATES, & COATES, P.A. 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY SUITE 300 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 18888 Notice is given that the REGISTER OF WILLS COURT of NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DE, appointed ROBERT M BOWMAN, 305 WILLIAMS STREET, SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ 07076 as the PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE of the Estate of KATHARINE M BOWMAN AKA KATHARINE MOIR MCCREADY BOWMAN who died on MARCH 27, 2020, domiciled in DELAWARE, USA. The Maryland resident agent for service of process is RAYMOND D COATES JR, whose address is 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 300, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842. At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following MARYLAND counties: WORCESTER. All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 17, 2021 ROBERT M BOWMAN
Page 73 Foreign Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-17, 09-24, 10-01
Second Insertion RAYMOND D. COATES JR, ESQ. COATES, COATES, & COATES, P.A. 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY SUITE 300 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18893 To all persons interested in the estate of HOWARD ELTON CATHELL JR, ESTATE NO. 18893. Notice is given that JAMES PATRICK CATHELL, 42 MYSTIC HARBOUR BOULEVARD, BERLIN, MD 21811 was on, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of HOWARD ELTON CATHELL JR, who died on AUGUST 11, 2021, with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 15TH day of MARCH, 2022. Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 JAMES PATRICK CATHELL Personal Representative
True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-24, 10-01, 10-08
Second Insertion VICTORIA L. O’NEILL ESQ. AYRES, JENKINS, GORDY & ALMAND, P.A. 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY SUITE 200 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18895 To all persons interested in the estate of WALTER D HYLE III, ESTATE NO. 18895. Notice is given that DAWN M BLOSS, 18 CEDAR LANE, STEWARTSTOWN, PA 17363 was on, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of WALTER D HYLE III, who died on SEPTEMBER 1, 2019, without a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 16TH day of MARCH, 2022. Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 DAWN M BLOSS Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
The Dispatch Legal Notices LEGAL RATES Legal advertising rate is $7 per column inch. The deadline is Tuesday at noon. For more information call 410-641-4563 or email classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-24, 10-01, 10-08
First Insertion MARIANNA BATIE, ESQ. LAW OFFICE OF MARIANNA BATIE 9748 STEPHEN DECATUR HIGHWAY SUITE 112 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18907 To all persons interested in the estate of NORMAN LEWIS SQUIRES, JR, ESTATE NO.18907. Notice is given that DONALD LEE SQUIRES, SR, 45 MIDFIELD ROAD, NEW CASTLE, DE 19720, was on, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of NORMAN LEWIS SQUIRES, JR, who died on AUGUST 22, 2021, without a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 24TH day of MARCH, 2022. Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim
forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication OCTOBER 01, 2021 DONALD LEE SQUIRES, SR. Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 10-01, 10-08, 10-15
First Insertion VICTORIA L. O’NEILL, ESQ. ARES, JENKINS, GORDY & ALMAND, PA 6200 COASTAL HWY, SUITE 200 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18900 To all persons interested in the estate of KATHLEEN MARY GALLOWAY, ESTATE NO. 18900. Notice is given that GARY GALLOWAY, 13349 PEACH TREE ROAD, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842, was on, SEPTEMBER 20, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of KATHLEEN MARY GALLOWAY, who died on MAY 12, 2021, with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 20TH day of MARCH, 2022. Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or
(2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication OCTOBER 01, 2021 GARY GALLOWAY Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 10-01, 10-08, 10-15
First Insertion VICTORIA L. O’NEILL, ESQ. AYRES, JENKINS, GORDY & ALMAND, PA 6200 COASTAL HWY, SUITE 200 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 18912 Notice is given that the REGISTER OF WILLS COURT of YORK COUNTY, PA, appointed JULIE M. HARMAN, 613 PLEASANT VIEW ROAD, LEWISBERRY, PA, 17339 as the EXECUTOR of the Estate of SUSAN E. CHOPPER, who died on MARCH 25, 2021, domiciled in PENNSYLVANIA, USA. The Maryland resident agent for service of process is VICTORIA L. O’NEILL, ESQ. whose address is 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 200, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842. At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following MARYLAND counties: WORCESTER. All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the
creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication OCTOBER 01, 2021 JULIE M. HARMAN Foreign Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 10-01, 10-08, 10-15
First Insertion CHRISTOPHER F. DRUMMOND, ESQ. 119 LAWYERS ROW CENTREVILLE, MD 21617 NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 18864 Notice is given that the CIRCUIT COURT-PROBATE DIVISION of PENELLAS COUNTY, FL, appointed KAREN TIPPET POPULARLAWHORN, 48060 POST OAK ROAD, ST. INIGIOES, MD 20684, as the EXECUTOR of the Estate of JOHN J. POPULAR, JR., who died on JUNE 14, 2021, domiciled in FLORIDA, USA. The Maryland resident agent for service of process is N/A. At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following MARYLAND counties: WORCESTER. All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication OCTOBER 01, 2021 KAREN TIPPET POPULAR-LAWHORN
October 1, 2021 Foreign Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 10-01, 10-08, 10-15
First Insertion SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18902 To all persons interested in the estate of WAYNE EDWARD SMITH. ESTATE NO. 18902. Notice is given that LISA SMITH, 107 79TH STREET, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842, was on SEPTEMBER 20, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the SMALL ESTATE of: WAYNE EDWARD SMITH, who died on AUGUST 13, 2021 with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having any objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claims will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication OCTOBER 01, 2021 LISA SMITH Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for
Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 1x 10-01
First Insertion SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18758 To all persons interested in the estate of WILLIAM ROBERT ROSS, JR., ESTATE NO. 18758. Notice is given that, CAROL DYRDEN ROSS, 2033 WILDWOOD TRAIL, POCOMOKE CITY, MD 21851, was on SEPTEMBER 24, 2021, appointed Personal Representative of the SMALL ESTATE of: WILLIAM ROBERT ROSS, JR., who died on APRIL 16, 2021 with a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney. All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having any objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claims will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication OCTOBER 01, 2021 CAROL DYRDEN ROSS Personal Representative True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 1x 10-01
Month-Long 17th Annual Sand Castle Home Tour Kicks Off
October 1, 2021
OCEAN CITY – For the past 16 years, the Sand Castle Home Tour has helped sustain the nonprofit Art League of Ocean City and provided important seed money toward building the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th St. In 2021, the home tour will also raise money for 11 other area nonprofit organizations. The nonprofit community partners who are participating in this year’s ticket sales are the Ocean Pines Association Recreation & Parks Dept., the River Soccer Club, the Delmarva Discovery Museum, Habitat for Humanity Worcester County, Food Bank of the Eastern Shore, Stevenson United Methodist Church, Samaritan Ministries, Worcester County Humane Society, LPGA Amateurs Eastern Shore MD/DE Chapter, Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines/Ocean City and Worcester Preparatory School. "Five dollars of every ticket sold by these community organizations will be donated back to their nonprofit,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art
Amusement Park Plans SunFunOC Next Weekend
OCEAN CITY – Summer may have come to an end, but Trimper’s Rides is looking to keep the fun going with its SunFunOC weekend, Oct. 8-10. Trimper’s Rides is celebrating visitors loyalty with the 2nd Annual SunFunOC event in the 103,000-squarefoot park. Offered all weekend will be $3 rides, games and food. A face painter will be in the park to transform your little ones into their favorite character, ghost or goblin. On Friday night at 7, kick off the weekend with Lights on Freak Street Neon Car Show. Let the weekend fun continue with the first annual BBQ Cook-Off from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. Proceeds from the $10 tasting ticket will be donated to Diakonia to support those in need. The event will feature Trimper’s own Smoked chef along with some of Ocean City’s top BBQ experts including Cowboy Coast Saloon, Pit & Pub, Ocean 13, The Greene Turtle and Boxcar on Main. Closing out the weekend on Sunday, Oct. 10 will be the rock sounds of Roast-John from 1-4 p.m.
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Virtual Event Features Unique Videos Featuring 10 Residences
League said. "Over the past year, it has been challenging for nonprofits to raise funds, as many in-person fundraisers have been cancelled due to COVID. In an effort to help other organizations continue to provide vital services that support the community, the Art League engaged other area nonprofits and asked them to partner on this endeavor. The home tour has become a signature event for the Art League of Ocean City. In 2020, 1,800 people took the virtual tour, and Thaler expects that num-
ber to increase this year. "It is a win-win situation," she said. “Ticket purchasers can support a cause important to them while they enjoy a fabulous tour of Delmarva's finest homes, without leaving their own home.” Additional nonprofit organizations that would like to participate in the Sand Castle Home Tour as a community partner should contact Aubrey Sizemore at aubrey@artleagueofoceancity.org. The Art League previously issued a
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special code to each participating nonprofit, and anyone interested in supporting that organization should contact them for their unique code. Ticket purchasers who use the code will receive a $5 discount off the regular price of the ticket, and the nonprofit they choose to support will also receive $5. Tickets are now available for purchase at www.SandCastleHomeTour.com. In 2021, the tour will remain a virtual event, but has been expanded in length to the entire month of October. The tour will feature 10 of the greater Ocean City area’s most captivating residences. Tourgoers will enjoy cinematic videos of homes and an opportunity to hear the vision and inspiration behind the homes directly from the homeowners, builders, architects, and designers through featured videos and design tips.
Sunfest Kite Festival Now Underway In Ocean City
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
The beach in front of the host Kite Loft is pictured during a previous installment of the Sunfest Kite Festival.
October 1, 2021
Submitted Photo
OCEAN CITY – The Kite Loft’s annual Sunfest Kite Festival returns this weekend on the beach between 4th-6th streets. Hosted by The Kite Loft, the annual Sunfest Kite Festival in Ocean City is billed as “a kite flying extravaganza and funfest for kite fliers and spectators.” Whether you have one kite, a collection of hand-crafted art kites or a trailer full of show kites, everyone is welcome to fly on the spacious Ocean City beach and to set up ground displays. The event is free for kite fliers and spectators. Spectators can view the kites and activities from the Boardwalk or while walking on the beach. Kite fliers will fill the sky with hundreds of kites and decorate the beach with colorful banners, ground bouncers, bols and more. Kite fliers can participate in pop-up themed kite flying activities. The schedule is flexible based on wind and weather conditions. Team and individual sport kite fliers will demonstrate precision maneuvers and choreographed routines throughout the day. On Friday, Oct. 1, a pop-up night kite light show will be held preceded by numerous activities including a kite flier’s choice homemade ground display and a focus on winged things like birds, dragons, planes and angels. On Saturday, Oct. 2, there will be numerous opportunities to fly kites as well as a kids kite giveaway with children 512 able to earn their wings by flying a free kite courtesy of The Kite Loft. Children must be present to get a kite. Limited to 60 participants. Additionally, there will be a pop-up night kite light show. On Sunday, Oct. 3, kite fliers are encouraged to show their patriotic pride with U.S. and Maryland kites. There will also be an opportunity for kite fliers to show off their favorite homemade kite followed by one last pop-up night kite light show. Spectators can also participate in some Sunfest Kite Festival group activities such as candy drops, kite games, Boardwalk dancing, running of the bols, kids kite giveaway, and free kite flying lessons.
Hardwire Awarded Major Army Contract For Protective Gear
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
POCOMOKE – Worcester Countybased Hardwire LLC this week was awarded its first delivery order for the U.S. Army’s next generation Modular Scalable Vest (MSV) program. Hardwire, based in Pocomoke, develops and manufactures protective gear for the military, law enforcement and even the private sector. The Army’s MSV program will replace heavy body armor systems with new lightweight armor and carriers developed and produced by Hardwire. The Army’s top priority for the MSV program is to lighten the load for its troops in soft, tailorable vests. Hardwire’s patented armor was the lightest evaluated for the program and one of the first chosen for production. The contract announced this week is scheduled to run for the next nine years. Hardwire’s soft body armor is the lightest-weight soft armor system in the Department of Defense arsenal. The local company is the sole source manufacturer of soft armor for the U.S. Special Opera-
Standing before a testimonial from a Texas police officer crediting Hardwire armor for saving his life are, from left, President/COO Emily Tunis, Senator Mary Submitted Photo Beth Carozza and Chairman/CEO George Tunis.
tions Command, the U.S. Marine Corps and is now a supplier to the U.S. Army via Bethel Industries, the prime contract awardee and Hardwire’s partner in the MSV program. Hardwire CEO George Tunis said this
OC Capital Projects Move Forward
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – Resort officials this week got good news on a couple of capital project bids coming in under budget. The Mayor and Council reviewed bid recommendations for ongoing projects in the resort, including canal dredging and the Boardwalk seawall sheet pile recoating. Each year, the town contracts with a private company to dredge various bayside canals and channels that naturally silt in over time and often become unnavigable. The project is done in phases with a couple of canals dredged each year. This year, the town received two bids for canal dredging, which is a pay-as-youproject paid for in a line item in the general fund. The total budget for canal dredging this year was $435,000. The two bids received in August were remanded to staff for review and a recommendation. By and large, the town generally accepts the low bidder, unless extenuating circumstances exist, and sometimes go with a slightly higher bid if the company is local.
Both bids received for canal dredging this year came in under the $435,000 budgeted. One bid came in at a little over $407,000, while the low bid came in at just over $387,000. Based on the recommendation from staff, the council on Tuesday unanimously approved the low bid from Brittingham Construction and Landscape at $387,175. Councilman Mark Paddack questioned a line item in the bids entitled stakeout. Engineering Manager Paul Mauser explained that covers the expense of surveying the parameters of the canals to be dredged and differentiate them from what would be considered private property. “We prefer to have a surveyor stake out the exact limits of the canals,” he said. Another project’s bids reviewed and approved this week involved the seawall sheet pile recoating. The project was budgeted at $1.8 million and the town received two bids in August for review. The low bid came in at a little over $1.4 million, while second higher bid came in at over $4.2 million. Naturally, the council approved the low bidder, ProCoat LLC.
Stevenson United Methodist Resuming In-Person Church Services Every Sunday At 9 a.m. – Sunday School Back in Session
Stevenson United Methodist Church
123 North Main St., Berlin, Md. 410-641-1137 • www.stevensonchurch.org
– Service Also Livestreamed On Facebook
week his company is prepared to live up to the major Army contract. “Our job now is to deliver perfect quality exactly on time,” he said. “Hardwire’s highly automated armor lines bring a level of quality and consistency that had not previously been possible. Our factory looks more like a Tesla factory and nothing like the armor factories of the past. Hardwire and Bethel have made a step change in modernizing body armor production.” Variants of the Hardwire military-grade armor systems are also available to civilian law enforcement. Hardwire armor is already worn by tens of thousands of offi-
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cers nationwide and has brought several officers home in the last year alone. “Our vision was to blend superior military technology with the needs of the civilian sector to ensure we had the most tested, durable and trusted armor in the world,” said Tunis. “That vision is now a reality.” U.S. Congressman Andy Harris, who represents the Eastern Shore, praised Hardwire for its innovation and the economic impact for the Lower Shore. “This is great news for our troops, for the Lower Shore and for Hardwire,” he said. “I have visited the manufacturing facility and it is clear they strive for excellence in producing life-saving products for our men and women in uniform from the military to law enforcement. Their innovation and skilled workforce produce tremendous protection for our warfighters and reliable value to our country.” State Senator Mary Beth Carozza was touring Hardwire when the company received the news about the Army contract. “Hardwire consistently produces topquality, lightest-in-the-world protective armor for our military, law enforcement and school systems and we are fortunate that Hardwire is based right here in Pocomoke, providing high-tech and high-paying jobs,” she said. “It was exciting to be on hand the same day that Hardwire received official word about this major Army award. George and Emily Tunis lead a strong and talented team, excelling in providing the best quality protective armor for our military and law enforcement.”
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October 1, 2021
October 1, 2021
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… Council President Suggests Project’s Timing Is Off
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FROM PAGE 7 in August, the cost estimate had soared to around $12 million, which would be lowered by the $1.5 million from the sale of the old firehouse to around $11 million. Unsatisfied with the hike in the estimate, the Mayor and Council requested McGean, Bowers and the design team come up with something more fiscally palatable. Nonetheless, the estimated cost of the new Station 3 was still included in the approved $49 million bond sale at roughly $12 million. The idea was once the bond sale goes through and the cost estimate for the new station is reduced, any leftover funding could be diverted to other projects listed in the bond, including the redevelopment of Baltimore Avenue, for example. On Tuesday, McGean and Bowers re-
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turned with a revised preliminary design for the new station, which reduced the exorbitant price tag while still meeting the department’s needs. “Last month, we told you the building size and the price tag had gone up significantly,” said McGean. “We believe the design we’re presenting here today meets all of the department’s goals. It represents concessions made by all parties.” With the revised design, the new estimate for the Station 3 firehouse at 65th Street dropped to just over $9 million, which, after the sale of the old station, could be reduced further to around $7.6 million. McGean said simply reducing the size of the proposed station did not represent a one-to-one reduction because of the economy of scale and certain fixed costs regardless of the size of
the new station. “It’s important to remember where we were with this project a year ago,” he said. “Although it is still more than what was estimated in April, it is still less than what we would have paid.” Council Secretary Tony DeLuca thanked McGean, Bowers and the entire staff for whittling down the exorbitant price tag presented for the preliminary design last month. He then made a motion to move forward with the amended design. However, before a vote was taken, Councilman Peter Buas had a few questions. Buas questioned if there was a firm agreement in place with the volunteer company to contribute the revenue realized from the sale of the old Station 3. “I’m just wondering if this is prema-
October 1, 2021
ture,” he said. “Do we know if we have nailed down a deal with the volunteers about the sale of the old firehouse?” McGean explained there was not a firm contract and there were more steps in that process to accomplish, but that the volunteers have agreed in principle to transfer the sale proceeds to the new Station 3 firehouse. “We have a commitment from the volunteers about the contribution from the sale of the old firehouse,” he said. “That can be going on with a parallel track.” Buas also questioned the impact of the more expensive Station 3 on other projects in the capital improvement plan (CIP) approved last spring. “We’re about 25% over on this project,” he said. “Do you have any idea how that will impact the CIP? My concern is when we did the CIP in spring, the new firehouse was listed fairly low on the priority list.” McGean explained the overage in the estimate on the new firehouse would not move the fiscal needle significantly. Buas asked DeLuca if he would consider amending his motion to make approval of the new firehouse design contingent on a formalized agreement with the volunteers. McGean suggested a way to move forward with the design plans while continuing to firm up the agreement with the volunteer company. “We’re still in the relatively early stage of the design,” he said. “We will bring the design development back to you. Maybe the motion could be to allow us to continue to move forward while excluding the contribution documents.” Bowers said he was confident there would be no problem with the volunteers’ contribution to the new station from the sale of the old firehouse. “This town has worked for decades with the volunteers and now the union,” he said. “I believe their word is good. We have worked well with them in the past.” A vote was called on DeLuca’s original motion, which passed 5-1 with Council President Matt James opposed and Councilman John Gehrig absent. When asked about his vote in opposition later on Wednesday, James said he supported the project, just not the price tag at this point. “I voted against it,” he said. “I support the project, but I don’t support overspending. Everywhere you look there are supply chain issues. I had to get paint for a project at the hotel and local stores didn’t have what we needed. I had to drive to Rehoboth for the paint we needed.” James said he just didn’t think the price was right for the new firehouse, even with the reductions from the revisions. “I just don’t think we’re getting the best deal,” he said. “We built Station 4 less than 10 years again at $2.7 million, and that was under the $3.5 million that was budgeted. I get things have changed a lot, but we’re double where we were in April and quadruple what we paid for Station 4. I would like to see it rebid. Long-term, the project needs to be done. This is just not the best time.”
October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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OBITUARIES William Pace Hunter BERLIN – William Pace Hunter “Bill”, beloved father, friend, and member of the “shore family,” died suddenly of natural causes on Sept. 22, 2021, in Berlin. He was born on Aug. 28, 1942. To his friends and family, he was larger than life with a brilliant sense of humor and wit. He spent his career at IBM and retired at the age of 51 to Berlin where he and his beloved wife Karen built a home on the water and spent time much time on their boat. He was passionate about “his” town of Berlin and thrived in being a small-town guy. He loved attending every festival and concert possible and was always ready with a funny story from his debut as an extra in “Runaway Bride,” which was filmed in Berlin. First and foremost, Bill was a loving father who provided many extraordinary times throughout the years and was always there for his daughters. He was never judgmental and relished in hearing of their adventures. He would send random, odd gifts in the mail and always had them smiling and laughing their whole lives. Bill created a myriad of his own “signature” words and if you were extra special, he would adorn you with a ridiculous nickname, like his daughters “Noodle” and “Herman.” A tribute to his generous and caring nature, dozens considered
Party To Celebrate Home Tour Supporters
OCEAN CITY – Tickets are now available for what the Art League of Ocean City is calling “the pARTy of the year.” “We’re having a small party that’s a big fundraiser for the arts, and it’s on a rooftop with one of the best views in town,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League of Ocean City, said. “This will be the pARTy of the Year.” The Art League invites supporters of the arts to the Spain Wine Bar on the rooftop of the Cambria Hotel, 13 St. Louis Ave., Ocean City, on Sunday, Oct. 10 from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person and available at the nonprofit’s website ArtLeagueofOceanCity.org. For the health and safety of everyone, the event will be held entirely outdoors, and attendance will be limited to 125 people. The party celebrates the generous homeowners and sponsors of the 17th Annual Sand Castle Home Tour, a virtual event running Oct. 1-31 at www.SandCastleHomeTour.com. It also will feature authentic Spanish tapas and paella, an open bar including signature Sangria, live music, a raffle for a trip to Sedona, and an opportunity to collect original artwork created at the event. “The annual Home Tour is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and it provided the seed money to build the beautiful Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th Street,” Thaler said. “Even though things are a bit reshuffled this year, we hope our supporters will come out, watch the sunset with us, and toast your local arts community.” The rain date is Monday, Oct. 11, and the Art League will notify ticketed guests.
Bill their “best friend.” But even his closest friends had trouble keeping up with Bill. He regularly rode 40-60-miles on his bike, walked the “boards”, played golf, and went to the gym. If anyone knew Bill, they have tons of “stories” of various escapades that go back decades. Besides being the main character of his friends’ stories, Bill was also an amazing storyteller himself. He capWILLIAM PACE HUNTER tured your attention from start to finish. Bill had an unmistakable laugh that will never be forgotten by those who loved him. He brought his larger-than-life energy into whatever room he entered in a positive uplifting way. Bill was an incredibly giving person to his friends and community. If you were a friend in need, he would find a way to make it seem like you were doing him a
favor by accepting what he was offering. He was always there to give you a ride, do some internet research or simply listen. He spent countless hours assisting the Noel Community that provides meals to the less fortunate in the community. A fellow Noel Volunteer said of him, “Bill was the Noel Community” and that “Bill did everything”. He was the first to volunteer for any need, regularly made the lunches, was “chief Chef” for weekend breakfasts, and, through his vast network of friends, secured generous donations that help fund the program year-round. Bill was one in a million and when someone is larger than life, it’s all the more difficult for those left behind. He is survived by his daughters, Michele (Herman) Slade and Jenny (Noodle) Quinn. Other survivors include his grand-children, Hunter Slade, Amanda Slade, Bailey Lynch and Graham Lynch; his step-grandchildren, Lauren Reece, Alexa Gutschenritter, Jackson Quinn
and Sam Quinn; his great grandson, Kai Slade; and his cousins who were like siblings, James Somes, Barbara Doane and Suzanne Raeside. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Karen DosterHunter and his parents, Frank Hunter, and Barbara Pace Hunter. A celebration of life will be held on Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. at Pines Point Marina. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made in Bill’s memory to The Noel Community. Checks should be written to The Noel Community and mailed to The Noel Community, c/o St. Paul’s by-the-Sea, 302 North Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, Md. 21842. The Noel Community is 100% volunteer run and all donations are tax deductible. The Noel Community provides a holiday dinner every year, lunch every Saturday and several days during the week to the less fortunate in the area. Letters of condolence may be sent via: www.burbagefuneralhome.com.
‘Level Of Destruction Is Shocking’ For Furnace Town
Page 82
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – Vandalism has resulted in the temporary closure of Furnace Town. The historic site remains closed this week after staff discovered extensive vandalism at Furnace Town last Wednesday. “There’s an active police investigation and because of the level of vandalism we had to enlist the services of a restoration company,” said Claudia Nagle, executive director of Furnace Town. Nagle said she arrived at Furnace Town last Wednesday to find seven of
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
the historic site’s buildings damaged. Doors and windows were broken, lights were knocked off buildings and artifacts were destroyed. Nagle said the restoration company spent three days getting things closed off and cleaned up. Because the buildings are so old, making repairs and replacing broken items is expected to be a slow process. “We have to identify craftspeople that can do the restoration work and we have to work with the insurance company to get the repairs made,” she said. Nagle and Furnace Town volunteers have spent much of 2021 trying to renew interest in the historic site, which was closed to visitors much of 2020 because of COVID-19. The van-
dalism, coming just as the nonprofit was celebrating some successful 2021 events and preparing to entertain school groups this fall, was devastating, Nagle said. “The level of destruction is shocking,” she said, noting that Furnace Town hadn’t experienced anything like this before. She encourages anyone with information about the vandalism, which occurred last Tuesday night, to contact the Maryland State Police. Furnace Town volunteer Eddie Dean is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone providing information that can lead to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for the vandalism.
October 1, 2021
“The damage was extensive and widespread and the individuals should be prosecuted to the fullest degree,” Dean wrote on his Facebook page. Nagle said Furnace Town was grateful for the outpouring of support from the community following the vandalism. She asks supporters to be patient for now. “We will have opportunities for people to assist us when we get all the details sorted out,” she said. While Furnace Town is closed to the public for now it is operating on a limited basis. Nagle said weddings planned near the iron furnace are expected to still take place and she’s hopeful that the “Halloween in the Forest” event can still be held later this month.
Two New Fenwick Council Members, Attorney Appointed
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
FENWICK ISLAND – Two new members were appointed to the Fenwick Island Town Council last week. Last Friday, residents Richard Benn and Bill Rymer were sworn in as the newest members of the Fenwick Island Town Council. The two councilmen were appointed by the town council last week to fill two vacancies that resulted from the resignations of Councilmen Bernie Merritt and Gardner Bunting. “We have confidence that Richard and Bill will take their responsibilities to the town very seriously and will do their best to serve the community,” said Mayor Vicki Carmean. On Aug. 20, both Merritt and Bunting submitted their letters of resignation following an organizational meeting in which election winners Natalie Magdeburger, Janice Bortner, Jacque Napolitano and Paul Breger were sworn in as the newest members of the town council. In separate statements, the incumbents said they were stepping down over differences in vision and misleading information. “I loved being part of the Fenwick Town Council for the last 5 years, but after this campaign that was built on hysteria and facts that were distorted, I decided that the new council had a vision for this town that I could not support, so therefore I decided to remove myself from the Council and all my Committee Assignments,” Merritt said in August. “I only wish continued success for the Town of Fenwick Island.” To that end, Carmean – the only remaining incumbent – announced plans to accept letters of interest from community members interested in serving the remainder of the two-year terms. “We have two vacancies for two council members whose terms have not expired, and the charter tells us we can appoint someone to fill those vacancies,” she said in August. “So I am offering until Sept. 15 for letters of interest to come to me.” In last Friday’s council meeting, Car-
The full Fenwick Island Council now consists of, from left, Bill Rymer, Natalie Magdeburger, Paul Breger, Vicki Carmean, Jacque Napolitano, Janice Bortner and Richard Benn. Photo by Bethany Hooper
mean said she had received letters of interest from five people willing to serve. “All five people are wonderful individuals with many talents,” she said. “In the September 15 executive meeting, the current five members of council reviewed the qualifications of those five. It was not an easy decision for the council members to make, but we finally decided on Richard Benn and Bill Rymer because they have been involved in town activities in recent years.” With no discussion, a motion to appoint Benn and Rymer passed unanimously last week. Following a swearing in ceremony, Rymer was appointed to replace Breger as the town’s new treasurer. Rymer, a retired chief financial officer and former certified public accountant, became a full-time resident last year, though his family has owned property in Fenwick Island since 1980. In addition to holding several leadership positions at his church, Rymer has participated in town meetings and is involved with the Fenwick Island Society of Homeowners (FISH). Rymer said this week his foray into town politics began earlier this year, when his concerns regarding commercial development motivated him to support the campaigns of the four newly elected
councilmembers. He said he is eager to serve the town in his role as a new councilmember. “It is important to have a good balance between a thriving commercial district and the residential community,” he said. “I also wanted to see greater community involvement in committees and the removal of the previous restrictions on public participation during town council meetings (both of which are being realized). I am honored to have been selected to serve the Fenwick community and look forward to helping the Town Council to the best of my ability.” Benn did not return interview requests this week, but Carmean noted she first became acquainted with Benn in 2015, when his sister, Julie Lee, was elected to the Fenwick Island Town Council. In recent years, he has served the town as a member of its budget committee, as well as an active observer and commentator of town affairs. “He is very astute when it comes to understanding contracts, commercial activities and investment trends,” Carmean said this week. “Of course, during COVID it was difficult for anyone to participate in committee meetings, but Richard remained in touch especially regarding economic decisions, the proposed commercial building changes, and Charter &
Ordinance activities.” The council last week also announced new committee assignments and the selection of a new town attorney. “As you know, our former town solicitor resigned in August and we are happy at this time to introduce Mr. Luke Mette from the firm Armstrong Teasdale,” Carmean said. “Council feels very confident that Mr. Mette’s firm will do a good job representing the town by putting our ordinances and our people first.” She added that council members Bortner, Magdeburger and Breger were also leading a search for Fenwick Island’s new town manager. Former Town Manager Terry Tieman submitted her resignation in August, following the town election. “At this time, there is nothing to report except a steady stream of applicants,” Carmean said. Resident Bill Weistling, one of the four incumbents to lose their seats in this year’s election, asked if members of the public would join the search committee. “In years past, when the town council hired town managers, there was always a search committee composed of the entire town council, but also members of the public,” he said. “Are you planning on having members of the public be part of your search?” Magdeburger said it was something to consider. “Right now, we’re taking in applications. We’re also in communication with somebody who’s sort of a consultant that can come in and give us a better idea of what we need and how it’s going to be done,” she replied. “But I think that’s a great idea, and maybe we’ll consider bringing in the public when we get to the final stages, when we’re making decisions.” Weistling said he thought the council could benefit from the public’s input. “Obviously, there are six new council members who have never served on the council before,” he said. “It’s an important task to hire a town manager, so I think you should get some independent members of the public to help participate in that search.”
Costly Stormwater Pipe Repair OK’d By Berlin Council
October 1, 2021
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – Town officials agreed to move forward with the repair of a stormwater pipe on Washington Street. The Berlin Town Council on Monday voted unanimously to approve spending up to $110,000 on a stormwater pipe repair at 105 Washington St. “The owners of that property have been very reasonable but they’ve got an issue smack dab center of their driveway,” Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said. Jamey Latchum, the town’s stormwater and wastewater superintendent, said the pipe had failed and that there were now sinkholes on the property at 105 Washington St. He said he was seeking funding to make the repair and to do modeling to determine how the repair would impact the surrounding area. Darl Kolar of EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc. said the town would need to get approval from the Maryland Department of the Environment before moving forward with the project. “They will tell us at a minimum what we have to do,” he said. South Main Street resident Ed Hammond told the council he was upset to see the stormwater repair on Monday’s agenda because he hadn’t been notified of it. A 2019 memorandum of understanding between Hammond and the town states that he’ll be informed of any stormwater projects that will impact his land on South Main Street. Hammond said that the project on Washington Street, while listed as a repair, would actually increase the flow of water toward his property dramatically. He said he didn’t want to stop stormwater improvements in town but wanted to see Berlin take a more comprehensive approach to the issue. “The Band-Aid process you’re doing, what it’s doing is shunting water off onto my land,” he said. He said the entire Bottle Branch system should be reviewed. “Define problems, get people who are affected at the table and try to come up with what is the best solution instead of doing mandates,” he said. Mayor Zack Tyndall said town officials had intended to talk to Hammond about the project after funding for it was approved. “That’s not a conversation, that’s a notice,” Hammond said. Tyndall told the council the repair and modeling would cost close to $110,000. “The stormwater fund is not in a position to handle large capital items like this,” he said. He suggested using some of the town’s American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project. The council voted 5-0 to move forward with the repair and replacement of the pipe as well as downstream modeling for a price not to exceed $110,000.
2021 Sunfest Kite Festival The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 83
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 1-3
KIDS KITE FLY
On The Beach At 5th Street
SATURDAY, OCT. 2, AT THE KITE LOFT
FREE KITES To The First 60 Kids Ages 5-12. We Will Help You Assemble And Launch Your Kite On The Spot.
Ocean City, Maryland, the Capital of Kiting, welcomes kite flyers from around the world to come fly on the beautiful beaches. Everybody of any age, locals and visitors alike, are encouraged to bring your kites and fly on the beach.
THIS IS A FREE EVENT OPEN TO ALL.
GIANT KITES WILL BE DISPLAYED BY OUR FEATURED INTERNATIONAL KITE FLYERS For More Information, Please Call The Kite Loft At 410-289-7855 Or Go To The Web At www.kiteloft.com
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Enough With Plastic Editor: In the 1960’s the idea was to save the rain forest, so we switched from wood to plastic (vinyl siding and laminated flooring). Today our food comes wrapped in it, our cars are built with it and we wear clothes made of it. After all, plastic is made to last and it does. Every step of its lifecycle, plastic creates greenhouse gas emissions. The world now produces 380 million tons of plastic every year. Public hearings are scheduled on installing up to 173 wind turbines off shore of Ocean City. These turbines have plastic components: the plastic coating around the copper wires and the turbine blades are made of polymer composite materials. Life cycle of wind turbines are 20 to 25 years. The US currently has three landfills that accept these 14- to 19-ton wind turbine blades – Lake Mills, Iowa; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Casper, Wyoming. Is Ocean City landfill next?
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Letters To The Editor At what point do we say enough is enough when it comes to the use of plastic. Margaret Pillas Ocean City
Disappointing Decision Editor: I am deeply saddened and dismayed to hear that Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall has terminated Judy Ashton’s services of maintaining Main Street’s Memorial Garden. Surely there’s another less important area that the $3,200 funding could be cut from in the town’s budget. Furthermore, if successful in getting the beautification grants, use that money to pay her. After all, someone has to take care of the area and no one is more qualified than Ms. Ashton. Sallye Eschenburg Berlin
Partner Network A Vital Resource For Entrepreneurs Editor: The US Small Business Administration (SBA) utilizes a resource partner network to deliver free one-on-one mentoring to small businesses across the country. SCORE is one of the SBA’s key resource partners offering personal assistance on a variety of business topics including: business planning, human resources, recordkeeping, financing, marketing and more. SCORE is an all-volunteer organization comprised of both retired and career-active individuals who give back to their communities by sharing their knowledge and expertise with local entrepreneurs. There are four regional chapters in Maryland offering a combination of inperson, virtual and phone counseling. All counseling services are free and training sessions are either free or low-cost.
October 1, 2021 Running a small business can be challenging in the best of times, but the pandemic has brought unique challenges that many small businesses hadn’t planned for, making it more complicated. It’s more important now than ever before for small business owners to take advantage of all the opportunities and resources available to them. “Maryland is fortunate to have a talented and dedicated team of SCORE mentors serving all counties in the state,” said Steve Umberger, District Director of the SBA Baltimore District Office, “small business owners can benefit from the wealth of knowledge SCORE mentors possess and willingly share.” Effective Oct. 1, SCORE’s Mid-Shore Chapter serving Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties merged with the Southern Maryland Chapter that serves Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. By joining forces, the newly expanded Southern Maryland Chapter, based in Annapolis, Md., offers Eastern Shore entrepreneurs increased access to mentors and a broader range of experience to address the ever-increasing demands placed on both start-up and expanding small businesses and those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information about starting or operating a small business and to find a mentor near you, visit sba.gov or score.org. To learn about COVID-19 relief options for small business, including the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), visit sba.gov/disaster. Steve Umberger (The writer is the district director of the SBA Baltimore District Office.)
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October 1, 2021
The Dispatch Forever In Memory Of Our Founder, Dick Lohmeyer (May 25, 1927-May 5, 2005) The Dispatch, Serving Greater Ocean City Since 1984, Is Published By Maryland Coast Dispatch Inc. Weekly On Friday Mornings MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Md. 21811 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd. Berlin, Md. 21811 PHONE: 410-641-4561 FAX: 410-641-0966 WEBSITES: www.mdcoastdispatch.com www.facebook.com/thedispatchoc J. STEVEN GREEN Publisher/Editor editor@mdcoastdispatch.com
NEWS DEPARTMENT SHAWN J. SOPER Managing Editor ssoper@mdcoastdispatch.com CHARLENE SHARPE Staff Writer/Copy Editor csharpe@mdcoastdispatch.com BETHANY HOOPER Staff Writer bhooper@mdcoastdispatch.com CHRIS PARYPA Photographer
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The Maryland Coast Dispatch (USPS #015125) is an official and legal newspaper for Worcester County. Periodical postage paid at Berlin, Maryland, and additional mailing offices. The Maryland Coast Dispatch, 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin, Md. 21811, is published weekly on Friday mornings, 52 weeks a year. Subscription rates are $75 per year, $55 for six months. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Maryland Coast Dispatch, P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Maryland 21811. Maryland Coast Dispatch offices are located at Route 346 and Graham Avenue, Berlin, Maryland.
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Questions Abound After Calm Weekend How We See It
No matter the reason, the good news is the volume of vehicles and troublemakers in Ocean City last weekend was down considerably. The data confirms what the eyes saw – a lot less people were in Ocean City than expected last weekend and there were minimal problems with those who were visiting the resort. According to police data, significant reductions were seen in all major categories, including a 19% decrease in traffic stops, a 36% dip in calls for service, a 45% decline in traffic citations, a 73% plummet in tows, a 57% drop in exhibition driving charges and 52% less arrests. Overall, there was a tremendous drop in police activity. No matter the weekend’s surprising calm, the questions now facing local authorities are many. Was the decline a direct result of previous years’ crackdowns by police through the special enforcement zone? Did the massive fines imposed last year and towing policy make a difference? Have the unruly realized Ocean City is not the place? Will the pop-up rally return on another weekend soon? Was this year’s quiet a trend in the right direction or an anomaly? The answers to these questions cannot be determined today. There is too much uncertainty. It’s impossible to make sound conclusions. What’s known is it was the quietest pop-up rally weekend since 2018 when weather was to credit for cutting down on the hostile activity. It was a relief. Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said in a statement Sunday, “This year, the combined measures of the Ocean City community and our allied agencies resulted in a significant decrease from last year’s event. While we experienced isolated incidents, the event overall was much different than years past.” Time will tell whether all the various changes in enforcement are bearing fruit. The pop-up weekend did not become the unruly nightmare it’s been in recent years over the course of one year and the city would be wise to not rest on its laurels. The pressure must continue to be applied. All indications are the city understands this is not a trend yet, but there’s reason to be optimistic moving forward. There’s a difference between being hopeful and celebratory. There is no reason to rejoice anything yet. Law enforcement’s message of no tolerance through major fines and tows to the troublemakers may be resonating, but this year’s relative peace could have also just been an outlier. This time next year the picture will be clearer. In the meantime, the city must approach next September in the same manner as it has in recent years.
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Between The Lines by Publisher/Editor Steve Green Though it sounds too good to be true at this juncture, there are some exciting developments on the seasonal workforce housing front. The crisis will take years to address, but some behind the scenes work by local officials has now reached the point of public discussion. The West Ocean City park-and-ride is a chronically underused space. The expansive lot is mostly used as a shortcut for residents avoiding summer traffic. There are some weekends when people do actually use it for parking and take advantage of the shuttle service into Ocean City, but it’s only during the biggest events a handful of times a year. It’s the parking lot’s chronic underutilization that makes it a logical site for a potential workforce housing complex. The seasonal employees who could reside in the new housing would have access to mass transit or live close enough to town to safely bike or walk onto the island. At this point, the conceptual plan proposes three dormitory-style buildings on the property. The four-story structures would be able to accommodate about 1,000 seasonal workers, according to Holtz Builders of Wisconsin. The company has experience building and managing these sorts of projects. If it comes to fruition, it will surely help the ongoing labor crisis in Ocean City. While some unique pandemic factors have contributed to the worker shortages seen the last two years in Ocean City, the scarcity of housing cannot be understated as a major cause. There were many instances last spring when prospective job hunters with plenty of service industry opportunities never came to the area after not being able to secure housing. Additionally, it was reported this week a 54-person seasonal housing building is under construction in downtown Ocean City on Dorchester Street. This project is obviously much smaller in nature than the grand plans under the Mayor and Council’s review this week, but it’s welcome news nonetheless. The beautiful facility will surely be gobbled up by seasonal workers in quick fashion next year. There is a new normal for schools. Each day appears to be about managing the pandemic and the consequences imposed by health protocols. Pivot is once again the key word for health officials, teachers, students, administrators and families. As a parent to school-aged kids, I share in the sentiments expressed recently by families on the sidelines of my son’s middle school soccer game. While we all expressed relief and pride about even being able to play other schools, each of us had our own quarantine horror stories to share. There is a pervasive stress looming over households regarding the dreaded call of a being a close contact and needing to quarantine. It’s one thing to get sick. The protocols are clear if symptoms arise. One must get tested and quarantine until the test results are obtained. If a kid is positive, the guidance is clear as far as moving forward dependent on vaccination status. It’s not the positive test result that scares parents. The most difficult part of all this is being dinged as a close contact and needing to quarantine while healthy. It’s why masking is a must in school. Without a covering, per current protocols, there would be many more close contacts. Quarantine times can be cut if vaccinated with a negative test, but it’s inevitable kids will be relegated to home learning and be out of school for days. This means missed sports games and important school instruction and events. There is tremendous anxiety associated with the whole process. I just hope each day not to get a phone call with the dreaded news, but it appears to be inevitable at this rate. A review of school statistics confirms one month in positive cases are happening on a routine basis in schools. As of the last update on Sept. 29, “outbreak-associated cases” – as the state refers to it – have occurred over the last week at the following Worcester County schools: Most Blessed Sacrament (three positive cases), Ocean City Elementary (two positive cases), Pocomoke High School (four positive cases), Seaside Christian Academy (four), Showell Elementary (11), Snow Hill High (six), Snow Hill Middle (17) and Worcester Preparatory School (five). As far as Wicomico County goes, as of Sept. 29, “outbreak-associated cases” have occurred at far less schools: James M. Bennett High (four), Parkside High (26), Prince Street Elementary (two) and Salisbury Christian (three). Each of these positive cases comes with a host of quarantines, the lengths vary based on where and when the exposure occurred, mask wearing and vaccination status. For example, Carroll County’s dashboard reported this week 248 positive cases among students and teachers have resulted in 1,405 students being quarantined in the first month of school. School officials there are contemplating their own close contact quarantine rules, including no quarantine necessary unless a close contact develops symptoms or if a person was not wearing a mask at time of exposure. Health officials are not in favor of that change. For years, parents of school-aged kids have fretted over raising them in the tech/social media age. Nowadays, technology’s concerns have been replaced by COVID-19 and the associated protocols in place governing their kids’ lives. All the while everyone is hoping to not get an incoming call from a “410-632” number anytime soon.
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Puzzle Answers
R
October 1, 2021
The Adventures of Fatherhood
by Steve Green
(Editor’s Note: The following column is a reprint from the summer of 2015.)
PUZZLE ON PAGE 51
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ainy weekend days test my parenting mettle. The saving grace for last Saturday – the first day of significant rainfall in a few weeks – was the morning was fine, and we were able to get out of the house early for a soccer game and lunch. Once it started raining around mid-day, it essentially didn’t stop until sometime overnight. On the way home, like everyone else with a cell phone, we got the message about a tornado warning in effect and heard word one was spotted in the southern end of the county. We raced home and were spooked enough by the warnings and the fire alarm to head toward our basement, which is unfinished and the last place Pam and I would ever want to be with our children for an extended period of time. For a while, Beckett, 7, was fine just sitting on a stool because he had his Kindle. That all changed when we found out the wireless Internet does not reach the basement. The whining then came. Although I love technology, my tech support skills are limited. I could not solve the issue and was not willing to turn on my hot spot on my phone, so he started exploring the basement. Being an explorer by nature, Carson, 5, was already one step ahead of him, touching anything and everything without a care in the world. Of particular fascination was a flashing green light underneath the HVAC system. Both kids wanted to know what that was for and I had no answer for them. Good or bad, I’m more of the “we have a guy for that” type when it comes to those sorts of household things. Eventually, with them not taking no for an answer, I just made something up about moisture control.
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Beckett didn’t buy it and pointed out I wasn’t much help to him at that moment. I would neither fix his Kindle nor allow him to touch strange things that may or may not cause him harm and certainly would make him dirty. That was humbling and to deflect some of the criticism I pulled up the radar on my phone to prove I do know a little something about something that might interest him. He was impressed with my meteorology knowledge.
M
ore and more, the word “so” is being used to start sentences in our society. Despite it being a pet peeve of mine, I am guilty of it as well and have found myself saying it a lot more than I care to admit. As a result, I have instituted a self-imposed restriction on the word, or more specifically starting a sentence with it. It appears that was a little late in coming because Beckett is starting to do it as well now. As a matter of fact, on Wednesday morning, he was looking over some awards and citations from a banquet this week and fixated on the “key to the city” I received from the Town of Ocean City. Proving his love affair with the Boardwalk arcade is still alive and well, he asked, “So [elongated with a few extra o’s for effect], does this mean we can get into Funcade anytime we want now because we have a key to everything in Ocean City?” He doesn’t forget much.
B
eckett has now been on the cover of local newspapers three times in his short life, and the fact it has not included this very paper was not lost on him. Two of the cover photos were submitted by his school – Worcester Prep
– and used as “fill” photos on the papers’ front page. The first one came in 2008 when he was just 6 months old. It was actually a photo of him, Pam and me with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the school’s annual Christmas bazaar. Surely that paper’s editor didn’t know he put his competitor on his front page. That made for some good laughs. Twice this summer he has been featured on the front page of another paper. One was for being chosen as a runner-up in the Mr. Peach contest and just last week he was featured on the same paper’s front page for a summer camp he attended at his school two months ago. That was again another fill photo on the front page, for some strange reason. Beckett doesn’t seem to think much of being the cover boy. It’s one of those “oh, cool” type of reactions that doesn’t get a second thought normally. However, he did point out something to me last weekend. “How come I have never been on the front page of your paper?,” he asked. He didn’t accept it when I told him he was featured on the inside of the paper several times or that hundreds of words are written about him each week in this rambling. “Just put me on the cover every week moving forward,” he ordered. Now every time he sees a newspaper around the house or at the office he picks it up to see if he’s on the front page. When he’s not, even if it’s the Wall Street Journal, he shoots me a look, holds it up so I can see it and throws it to the floor. That’s some high expectations. (The writer is the publisher and editor of The Dispatch. He and his wife, Pamela, are proud parents of two boys. This weekly column examines their transition into parenthood and all that goes along with it. E-mail any thoughts to editor@mdcoastdispatch.com.)
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October 1, 2021
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
October 1, 2021