The Dispatch April 17, 2020
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Town Budgets For ‘Less Vigorous Year’
See Page 2 • Photo by Chris Parypa
Berlin Relocates Annual Fireworks
Bunny Visit:
The Ocean City Fire Department brought some Easter cheer to neighborhoods last Friday offering Submitted Photo a ride to a special visitor.
See Page 7 • File Photo by Chris Parypa
Drive-Thru Pantry Helping Families
See Page 4 • Submitted Photo
Courts Adjusting To New Normal
Full Moon Beauty: A smaller verson of April’s full Pink Moon is pictured rising over downtown Ocean City
last Thursday.
Photo by Jim Halvorsen
See Page 6 • File Photo
Berlin Budgets For ‘Less Vigorous Year,’ Not A ‘Collapse’
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BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – Town officials are expecting at least 5% less revenue in the coming fiscal year as a result of the ongoing health crisis. The Berlin Town Council met Monday to begin reviewing the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget. As proposed, the budget projects a more than $310,000 drop in revenues in the coming fiscal year. “We’re taking a very conservative approach with revenues,” Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said. The proposed budget includes revenues of $5,856,759. While the town is set to see roughly a $153,000 gain from assessment increases, a variety of other income streams are expected to be reduced as a result of the impact of COVID-19. “The news is not really bright out there,” said Finance Director Natalie Saleh. She said municipalities had been advised to expect a reduction in highway user revenues. The town is also expecting to see slots revenue reduced $150,000 in the new fiscal year. The town has also abandoned plans for a previously discussed tax increase in an effort to ease the stress on citizens during a time when much of the economy is shut down.
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Mayor Gee Williams added that the revenue projections were estimates. “It’s not likely that it’ll get better but it might get worse,” he said. As far as expenses, most departments were able to cut costs. Fleetwood said the administration budget, estimated at slightly more than $1 million, was expected to decrease nearly 40%, primarily because there was no capital outlay. The building and grounds portion of the budget is also set to experience a substantial decrease, as Fleetwood is recommending cutting the expense of having town hall cleaned by a cleaning company. Instead, he said town staff would handle the cleaning of town hall while a contractor would still be used to clean the town’s public restrooms as well as the police station. Councilman Dean Burrell praised the fact that town hall employees were willing to take on additional duties. “To have your staff step up, it really says a lot,” he said. While the police budget is set to increase $54,017, or 3%, Chief Arnold Downing said that was primarily due to the addition of the building maintenance expense to the budget and the inclusion of a 9% pay increase for officers. Fleetwood said he was advocating for the pay increase after studying police salaries in the region and determining that Berlin officers were paid
less than others. “They need this pay raise,” he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind about that… I’m concerned if we don’t do something for our pay some of our younger guys and gals will leave.” While the public works budget initially presented Monday was set to increase from $71,110 to $133,872, or 85%, to allow for the hiring of a new director, Fleetwood told the council he’d rather postpone hiring a department head and instead use that funding to provide town staff with a 2% salary increase. Williams pointed out that existing staff were currently taking care of public works needs and that the town would not have any capital projects in the coming year. Councilman Thom Gulyas said he supported providing employees with a pay increase. “I think they’ve gone a little too long without something…,” he said. “The most important aspect of any business is going to be your employee.” He added that police absolutely needed a pay increase. “If the town is not safe nothing is worth being here, not our homes not our businesses, nothing. I think it’s prudent we move forward with this.” The proposed budget includes few changes for economic development and finance. As for the streets budget, the town is anticipating a 26% reduction
April 17, 2020
in expenditures. Fleetwood stressed that some streets would still be paved, as prioritized by the street study the town had done several years ago. Planning Director Dave Engelhart presented a departmental budget with few changes. “You’re budgeting for a less vigorous year than this year for sure but not a collapse,” Williams said, referencing the permits and new development the town would review. Engelhart confirmed he did not expect a “collapse” and expected development to continue because borrowing money was cheap at the moment. “I don’t anticipate that changing,” he said, adding that COVID-19 would however affect all industries, including those that supplied raw materials to builders. “It’s a matter of ... will they have the supplies they need to build. I think those costs will rise because supply’s going to get tighter. It’s a guess right now where we’re going with the economy.” The proposed budget can be viewed on the town’s website. Officials are expected to hold another budget work session focusing on utilities April 27. While the public cannot attend due to COVID-19 restrictions, Williams encouraged residents to submit questions in advance of the meeting and to watch the discussion live through Facebook.
April 17, 2020
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Drive-Thru Food Pantry Serves 200-Plus Local Families
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
Vehicles are shown lined up at last week’s drive-thru food pantry on Flower Street in Berlin. Submitted Photo
BERLIN – Members of a local nonprofit haven’t let the COVID-19 outbreak stop them from helping those in need. In an effort to continue to provide meals for the community amid current social distancing requirements, the Stevenson United Methodist Church’s Spirit Kitchen is now operating a drivethru food pantry in conjunction with Worcester Youth and Family and Buckingham Presbyterian Church. Last week the pantry distributed more than 10,000 pounds of food to more than 200 families. “We were happy to be able to do it,” said Vicky Nock, a member of Stevenson United Methodist Church who
April 17, 2020
helped create the Spirit Kitchen. For nearly a decade, the Spirit Kitchen has offered members of the community a free hot meal every Wednesday. Nock said volunteers didn’t know what to do when churches were ordered to close to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Working with the Maryland Food Bank and partner groups, Nock and her fellow volunteers researched health guidelines and came up with the concept of a drive-thru food pantry. Volunteers, who wear masks and gloves, are able to distribute food without coming into close contact with anyone. “They just drive up and pop their trunk,” Nock said. “We don’t want any close interaction.” Though the first drive-thru event wasn’t quite as organized as Nock planned, those in need were able to get bags of food. By the second event, held April 8, Spirit Kitchen volunteers had a routine down and were able to distribute 10,660 pounds of food in two hours. Luckily Berlin police were able to help organize the array of vehicles entering and exiting the pantry, which operated in the driveway in front of the Head Start building on Flower Street. “The traffic, there was no end to the cars,” Nock said. Thanks to the Spirit Kitchen’s partnership with the Maryland Food Bank, those in need were able to get meat, bread, vegetables and canned goods. “We try to think about what can be made with what we have,” Nock said. The Spirit Kitchen was even able to provide some toilet paper to attendees. “That’s the number one asked for item in shelters and such,” she said. “They were really happy to have that.” Nock said the food leftover after the event was given to needy families in the area. Canned goods were added to the blessing box outside Buckingham Presbyterian Church. Nock said the next drive-thru food pantry was scheduled for April 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. She advises anyone who plans to attend to have cleared out their trunk in advance so volunteers can easily load the food. She says the Spirit Kitchen will continue to host events every two weeks as long as they have the volunteers and funding needed to do so. “I feel it’s the right thing,” she said. “The lord wants us to do it.” She said she was thankful for the group’s volunteers who’d stepped up to ensure those in need could continue to receive food during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s such a huge undertaking to do it outside,” she said. Though the Spirit Kitchen operates at Stevenson United Methodist Church, the food served is purchased through donations and grants. Donations can be sent to Spirit Kitchen, c/o Stevenson United Methodist Church, 123 N. Main St., Berlin, Md. 21811.
April 17, 2020
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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Judges, Attorneys Adjust To New Way Of Doing Business
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BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
SNOW HILL – With Maryland’s top judge this week extending limitations and restrictions on the state’s legal system through at least June 5, local judges and attorneys continue to navigate a new but temporary normal in the daily machinations of the local legal system. Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Mary Ellen Barbera on Tuesday issued a pair of second-amended administrative orders expanding and extending statewide judiciary restricted operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic through June 5. Barbera first issued orders March 17 limiting court proceedings and access to courthouses and other facilities where individuals typically gather during the daily operations of the legal system. As a result, legal situations requiring immediate and urgent action such as bail reviews, child custody cases, juvenile detention cases, and domestic violence protective orders and the like continue on a daily basis, albeit most often under remote technological circumstances with few exceptions. Otherwise, there are few if any trials held and cases that would have, under normal circumstances, been adjudicated and verdicts and sentences meted out remain unresolved for the
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most part. Barbera issued two amended administrative orders on Tuesday, one of which extends the new normal for the state’s judiciary system until at least June 5. The second offers guidance to judges and court system stakeholders on the potential release of certain inmates at-risk of contracting or spreading the coronavirus while in custody under specific circumstances with a focus on ensuring public safety. In short, if there are non-violent inmates in custody whose health are at risk, or who put jail staffers or other inmates at risk of infection, they could be released under specific circumstances. That does not mean, however, that prison doors are automatically going to swing wide, allowing a potentially dangerous element back into society. Under the first order, Circuit Court and District Court judges are “encouraged to communicate with justice system stakeholders to identify at-risk incarcerated persons for potential release to protect the health of at-risk incarcerated persons during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, with careful regard for the safety of victims and communities in general; with respect to the statutory rights of victims; and with due consideration given to public health concerns related to inmates who may have contracted COVID-19.”
In terms of the second order that extends restrictions and limitations on the state’s judiciary system, Worcester County Circuit Court Administrative Judge Brian Shockley said this week the courts will adjust and adapt to the changing directives and maintain some semblance of a working and effective legal system. “These are difficult times for everyone, but the court is committed to performing its core functions in a manner that is safe for all parties, attorneys and court staff,” he said. Despite the public perception Maryland’s legal system is essentially shut down, Shockley said it is largely business as usual, albeit in a uniquely different way. “Contrary to popular belief, the courts are not closed,” he said. “We continue to operate, but in a limited capacity. We continue to process all pleadings and matters that do not require a court hearing. Additionally, we continue to hear emergency matters such as bail reviews, guardianships, child welfare cases, juvenile detentions and emergency custody cases. Whenever possible, hearings are conducted using remote video technology, thereby eliminating the need for inperson attendance.” Shockley said no trials are being held, particularly jury trials, given the physical limitations of the courthouses
April 17, 2020
and the social distancing directives. “Given the difficulty in safely assembling jurors in the courthouse during these times, all jury trials are suspended through June 5,” he said. “We continue to operate our very important drug court program with our participants using remote video technology. Our pro se family law project is still available to provide assistance in family law, domestic violence and guardianship matters.” Meanwhile, with the physical courthouses essentially closed, trials are not being held, creating a backlog of cases that will need to be adjudicated once the restrictions are eased. On the bright side, crime appears to be down significantly with most adhering to the stay at home directives, suggesting a “flattening of the curve” of a different sort. Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser said having the courts basically shut down is creating challenges in terms of quickly and efficiently adjudicating cases, but acknowledged the backlog could be eased somewhat further down the road because of lower crime rates, at least locally. “We are grateful that crime is down, and law enforcement is in agreement generally that a very high percentage of our Worcester County citizens are abidSEE PAGE 36
Health Protocols Outlined For Positive Virus Cases
April 17, 2020
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – As COVID-19 cases continue to increase locally, Commissioner Chip Bertino reminds citizens that health officials have procedures in place to respond to the pandemic. “We are all concerned about the COVID-19 virus and what impact it is having on our community,” Bertino said. “Many have contacted me sharing their concerns and frustrations.
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We’ll all be glad when this is over.” As of Thursday, there were 25 COVID-19 cases in Worcester County, according to Maryland’s coronavirus website. The site is now breaking down the number of cases by zip code as well, listing 11 in the 21811 area. “The state is only releasing case numbers by zip code if that area has more than eight positive COVID-19 cases,” said Travis Brown, public affairs officer for the Worcester County
Berlin Relocates Annual Fireworks BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – The Town of Berlin has partnered with Worcester County to relocate the annual fireworks display to the athletic complex at the south end of town. Both municipal and county officials this week approved a plan to move the town’s July 3 fireworks show to the Northern Worcester Athletic Complex on Buckingham Lane. “The idea was there’s a lot of green space down there, a lot of nice looking grass fields, so the idea would be to detonate the fireworks down there where you could have more of a family atmosphere,” Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said. Fleetwood asked the town council to approve the plan to relocate the fireworks at a meeting Monday. He credited Ivy Wells, the town’s economic and community development director, with reaching out to Tom Perlozzo, the county’s director of recreation and parks, tourism and economic development, about moving the event. “I think it’s a great idea,” Fleetwood said, adding that there was more green space at the complex and that it would allow space for vendors. He said he and Wells had met with Perlozzo and the county fire marshal at the athletic fields to go over the plan and had not identified any concerns. He said he’d also asked Perlozzo about the county providing some funding for the fireworks. “He didn’t say no,” Fleetwood said. Following the council’s approval of the relocation of the fireworks, Perlozzo asked the Worcester County Commissioners to sign off on the move at their meeting Tuesday. “We think it’s a great opportunity to promote a new community event,” Perlozzo said. Commissioner Chip Bertino asked about the cost of getting involved. Perlozzo said the town would pay for the fireworks and the only cost to
the county would be what it paid its parks and recreation staff to attend the event and host some family-oriented activities. “Are we opening ourselves up for other communities to ask for the same thing?” Bertino said. “Would we be able to say yes or accommodate them if we do it for Berlin?” Perlozzo, who pointed out that he’d organized similar festivities during his time working for the Town of Ocean City, said that if there were similar requests from other communities the county would be able to handle those.
Health Department. “These are reported cases, not everyone is being tested - only the most ill cases are being tested. Other cases with milder symptoms would not be reflected in the data, so do not consider one area of the county as less risk than any other just because of the case counts or map data. COVID is considered widespread in MD. We should all be acting like we have it, or our neighbors do. Everyone needs to be practicing social distancing, good hand hygiene, infection control practices.” Bertino said that in response to all of the inquiries he was getting from community members, he reached out to Worcester County Health Officer Becky Jones for more information on the county’s procedures when someone tests positive for the virus. “Our Communicable Disease nursing staff conducts an intensive investigation including interviewing the positive case and any contacts—who are then contacted and interviewed,” Bertino said. “The positive case and any identified contacts are then followed by our Isolation and Quarantine team until they are released from Public Health monitoring. Due to privacy regulations, no identifying information can be released regarding any positive cases or contacts.” Bertino said the Department of
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Health and Human Services had privacy rules to protect health information. “So far in Worcester County, when a work history has been identified by any of our positive cases, the management/employer has been extremely cooperative in the investigation process,” Bertino said. “The Health Department certainly recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenging time for everyone.” The Worcester County Health Department continues to promote simple ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19, such as handwashing and social distancing. Citizens are asked to avoid crowds and stay home except for essential travel. The department recommends covering your nose and mouth with some sort of face mask if you do have to go out. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency has also created a “Rumor Control” website to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the pandemic. “The health department I believe has been doing an excellent job to ensure county residents stay safe,” Bertino said. “But in fact, it’s up to all of us to adhere to health safety guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. By each of us doing our part, the quicker we’ll be able to return to our regular lives.”
Hogan Issues Face Mask Order, Talks Responsible Recovery
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
“We’re starting to develop a roadmap for the recovery of our economy. I assure you the plan will be well thought out and safe, but there is reason for hope and optimism now,” said Gov. Larry Hogan Wednesday. File Photo
OCEAN CITY – Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday afternoon announced a new executive order mandating face masks or other face covering for residents visiting retail establishments such as grocery stores, convenience stores and other essential retail businesses effective early Saturday morning. In his weekly COVID-19 update, Hogan said despite the deadliest 48hour period in Maryland over the last two days, there are positive signs the curve is flattening and there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” His positive comments were tempered somewhat by the announcement of an executive order he signed on Wednesday requir-
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ing citizens to wear face masks or other face coverings when visiting essential businesses such as grocery stores, convenience stores and other essential retail businesses until further notice. The executive order also requires essential businesses open to the public such as grocery stores, convenience stores and other retail operations to require employees to wear masks or other face coverings. In order to give residents and businesses time to adjust to the new requirements, the executive order will become effective at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Hogan said the executive orders already in place including the stay-athome directives, the social distancing directives and the closure of non-essential businesses are achieving the desired results in terms of flattening the curve and the new executive order requiring masks is the next step in that evolution. Hogan said if Marylanders observe the face mask requirements in places open to the public, it could expedite a return to reopening the state and jumpstarting the economy again. “Wearing masks may be something we all have to become accustomed to in order to reopen our state,” he said. On a positive note, Hogan said despite a spike in the number of deaths in Maryland over the last two days, there are signs the proactive measures initiated in the state are starting to achieve the desired results. Hogan said he and state officials are in the early stages of planning for the reopening of the state and the recovery of the economy. “Fortunately, we are seeing signs these actions are achieving results,” he said. “Over the past few days, we’ve seen the hospitalization rates stabilizing. We’re now in a position to move from the containment and mitigation phase to roll out the recovery phase. More information on that will be presented likely next week.” Hogan said there is no timetable for the reopening of the state and that it was largely dependent on citizens continuing to observe the stay-at-home and social distancing directives in place, including the face mask order set to take effect this weekend. “There are signs of cautious optimism,” he said. “We’re starting to develop a roadmap for the recovery of our economy. I assure you the plan will be well thought out and safe, but there is reason for hope and optimism now. However, it is absolutely critical for all Marylanders to stay at home, avoid crowds and closely follow all of the directives.”
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Compromise Eyed Area Airports Score Federal Relief Funding On OC Intersection
April 17, 2020
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – There will not be a new traffic signal at 3rd Street to accommodate the new Boardwalk tram configuration, but it appears a compromise hybrid solution is in the offing. At different times over the last year or so, the town of Ocean City has asked the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to install a traffic signal at 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue, but the request has gained little traction. Each time the town has made a formal request, MDOT officials have listened carefully, but has said traffic studies have shown a new signal at the intersection is not warranted. Complicating the issue is a new Boardwalk tram pattern will be established in the upcoming season. Late last year, the Public Works Department unveiled its new state-of-the-art facility at St. Louis Avenue between 2nd and 3rd streets that, among other things, will house the Boardwalk tram operation. As a result, each day throughout the summer, the trams will cross Philadelphia Avenue at 3rd Street to reach the Boardwalk and to return to the public works facility each night. Moving the tram operation has escalated the importance of a new traffic signal at 3rd Street. Even before the new facility on St. Louis Avenue, however, resort officials suggested the new signal was warranted because traffic often stacks up on the side streets in the downtown area. Earlier this winter, several options were on the table including a firehouse-style signal that would blink yellow and turn red allowing the trams to cross Philadelphia Avenue as needed. Another option considered was a HAWK pedestrian hybrid signal similar to the current signals at Seacrets at 49th Street and at the Clarion uptown. During Tuesday’s Transportation Committee meeting, City Engineer Terry McGean said neither of those options were approved by the State Highway Administration (SHA) and instead adjustments will be made to the existing traffic signals in the area. “The last option we were trying to explore was a signal similar to a firehouse signal that would change for pedestrians and the trams only, but the state shut down that idea,” he said. “The alternative is to adjust the signals at 5th Street and 2nd Street. It’s not ideal, but that’s what they’re willing to do.” Mayor Rick Meehan said that option would have to do for now. “I think that’s the best-case scenario for this season under the circumstances,” he said. “We can work with that situation for this season and reevaluate it to come up with a better solution for next season.”
OCEAN CITY – Airports across Maryland this week were awarded nearly $108 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding including healthy fiscal shots in the arm for facilities in Ocean City and Salisbury. Maryland’s full bipartisan congressional delegation, including Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen along with Congressman Andy Harris on Tuesday announced the roughly $108 million in CARES Act funding for regional airports across the state. More specifically, six airports on Maryland’s Eastern Shore will receive the federal grants including over $18 million for the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport and $30,000 for the Ocean City Municipal
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Airport in West Ocean City. The CARES Act funding for the airports falls under a series of grants from phase three of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airport improvement program. The $10 billion in funding is being provided for the FAA to continue critical safety and capacity projects as planned regardless of current financial circumstances related to the COVID19 pandemic. Harris said the injection of federal funding for regional airports around the state including six in his district on the Eastern Shore was critical in terms of assuring they remain operational and planned improvement projects continue unabated. “I support our local regional airports and the rural communities they serve on the Eastern Shore,” he said. “These small businesses support badly need-
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ed jobs in our local communities, and during this pandemic and economic disruption.” The Lower Shore’s delegation in Washington including Harris, Cardin and Van Hollen among others issued a statement regarding the injection of federal CARES Act funding for regional airports across the state including Ocean City and Salisbury. “Maryland’s airports, large and small, have always been critical economic hubs for our state and the entire mid-Atlantic region,” the state delegation’s statement reads. “Amid the COVID-19 crisis, our airports face unprecedented financial challenges, all while supporting our region’s response to this pandemic. These federal funds will help Maryland’s airports, their thousands of workers, and the communities that rely on them.”
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County Reduces Proposed Budget By $15 Million
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
April 17, 2020
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – Worcester County officials cut more than $15 million from the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget in anticipation of the financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a virtual meeting this week, staff presented the Worcester County Commissioners with a revised spending plan for the coming year. Though the budget presented last month showed an $11 million shortfall, the document presented this week showed just a $272,504 difference between revenues and expenditures. “Estimated revenues and requested expenditures have been adjusted based on potential impacts of COVID-19,” said Harold Higgins, the county’s chief administrative officer. As the county is now anticipating less revenue as a result of the current health crisis, staff presented a revised budget for fiscal year 2021 to the commissioners during a video teleconference Tuesday. Proposed revenues have been reduced from $209,931,786 to $205,694,286 million. Proposed expenditures have been reduced from $221,258,000 to $205,966,790. Expenditure cuts have been made in just about all areas of the budget. The Worcester County Board of Education requested budget of $98,529,-
Morning View:
The view from the South Point boat launch early Thursday morning shows the moon setting on the horizon with Mars directly above it, Saturn to the right, then Jupiter and the Milky Way all around. Photo by Jim Halvorsen
334 has been revised to $94,611,239. Requested grants to towns have been adjusted from $7,242,640 to $5,986,250. The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office requested budget of $8.8 million has been reduced to $7.5 million. Proposed funding for volunteer fire and ambulance companies has been cut from $9.4 million to $7.9 million. The county is advertising no change to the current tax rate of $0.845 per $100 of assessment.
“It is the intent of the county to keep the county real property tax rate the same,” Higgins said. A virtual public hearing on the proposed tax rate and fiscal year 2021 budget is set for May 5. When asked if they were sure the meeting would have to be held virtually, staff said it would depend on state restrictions regarding gatherings. The commissioners indicated that if restrictions were lifted, the hearing could be held in the commis-
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sioners’ meeting room and livestreamed. When the commissioners asked if they’d be getting more detail on the budget than the brief summary in this week’s meeting packet, Higgins said they would. “We’re working on that now,” Higgins said. “The only thing that’s different is we’re not going to bring department heads in but prior to I guess that first meeting in May we’ll have a detailed schedule with everything out there and our recommendations.” Higgins said essentially the revised budget honored maintenance of effort funding for the school system, included county pay raises and featured minor adjustments to EMS funding. The revised budget presented this week is available on the county’s website, co.worcester.md.us. Citizens who would like to comment during the video teleconference public hearing on May 5 must register in advance. Public comment may also be submitted via email or in writing by 4 p.m. on May 4.
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Freeman Stage Adjusting Season
April 17, 2020
SELBYVILLE – The Freeman Stage announced this week plans to tweak its summer season and push its opening back by at least a month. According to a press statement from The Freeman Stage, the “Stay at Home” mandates from the government have impacted a wide range of businesses throughout the nation. Those that are seasonal — like many of the small businesses in the Maryland and Delaware beach resort areas — have been particularly hard hit. Instead of opening their doors this shoulder season, they have been forced to stay closed. The Freeman Stage — the openair performing arts venue, which is a program of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation — was scheduled to announce its 13th season lineup in mid-March, with tickets going on sale soon after. Instead, the nonprofit was forced to hit the pause button like many entertainment venues across the U.S. The season, which was originally slated to begin Memorial Day weekend, has currently been pushed back to late-June, with the organization currently working to reschedule several performances. “The Freeman Stage is a place to create everlasting memories with family and friends and experience
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the joy of the arts — and our goal is to continue that in 2020,” said Patti Grimes, executive director. “Although the situation changes daily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working tirelessly to present the arts this summer.” While the organization is reworking the season to make it feel “right sided” for where they think the situation may be this summer, that could still change, Grimes added. “We are going to continue to remain fluid with the ever-changing environment and while we do not know what kind of requirements or restrictions will be mandated by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention or the government, we’re going to adapt based on what we hear from the authorities,” Grimes said. In the meantime, the stage is continuing to bring the arts to its patrons via social media. It started a series, “The Stage is Yours,” on its Facebook page where artists can submit a short bio and video performance, which is shared to its over 30,000 followers bi-weekly. The staff is also working with schools to provide arts experiences virtually through distance learning and recently held a “Q&A video chat” with sponsors, which 125 sponsors attended.
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Grace Marie Scheu JUPITER, Fla. – Grace Marie Scheu, 83, of Jupiter, Fla., passed away April 11, 2020 in Stuart, Fla. Born on Dec. 9, 1936, in Bronx New York, she met her husband, George in Ocean City, Maryland. They married in 1959 and moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught elementary school for many years at Ursuline Academy until she retired. She GRACE and her husband spent MARIE SCHEU 43 wonderful years together. Together they raised as a daughter, Gigi and a son, Greg. Before moving to Jupiter, Fla., she spent the summer months in Ocean
Obituaries
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City. She will be remembered for all of the lives that she touched through teaching and volunteering with her church, Holy Savior, in Ocean City, as well as the countless hours that she spent volunteering to help children at Caring Children Clothing Children in Stuart. Grace was preceded in death by her beloved husband, George “Alan” Scheu. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Greg Scheu and Kim Scheu of Raleigh, N.C., and her daughter, Virginia (Gigi) Suntum, of Palm City, Fla., and four cherished grandchildren,
Michael and Christopher Scheu and Casey and Olivia Suntum. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Treasure Coast Hospice, 1201 SE Indian Street, Stuart, Fla. 34997 (www.treasurehealth.org); or Caring Children Clothing Children, 7985 SW Jack James Dr., Stuart, Fla. 34997, (www.4Csmartin.org). Under the present COVID19 circumstances, a memorial service for Grace will be announced at a later date. She will be laid to rest at St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine Church and Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Mealey Funeral Home, Wilmington, Del. (www.mealeyfuneralhomes.com)
Lillian Margaret Luciano OCEAN CITY – Lillian (Lou) Margaret Luciano (nee Hewitt), 97, wife of the late Alex P. Luciano, Sr., died at Stella Maris on April 12, 2020. Prior to being admitted to Stella Maris in March of 2019, Lou lived at Warren Place Senior Apartments for 8 ½ years. Before that, she resided in Ocean City for nearly 40 years. Lou is survived by three children, a daughter Carole Taylor (Steve), Timonium, and son Mark Keska and son Alex Luciano, Jr. (Karen) of Bishopville.
April 17, 2020 She also has three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. While living in Ocean City, Lou was employed as a bus driver in the resort town. She was the first woman to be a full-time, year-round bus driver in Ocean City. She loved driving the bus and continued until age 70, retiring after 17 years of service. She then workLILLIAN ed 10 years as a recre- MARGARET ation aide at Friendship LUCIANO House, an assisted living home near Berlin. She was also a member of Friendship United Methodist Church in Berlin. Lou had many accomplishments that she was very proud of. She received her GED at age 83 from the Worcester County Board of Education. She was a 40-year member of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company Women’s Auxiliary, including Member of the Year in 2009; an Elk’s Lady Member of the Year, 1999-2000; a 25-year member of the Women’s Club of Ocean City; a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary; and a graduate of the Ocean City Citizen Police Academy. She also volunteered for many years with the Ocean City American Legion. She also completed a course for the local Community Emergency Response Team in 2008. Interment will be private. No flowers, please.
Obituaries cost $50 to appear in The Dispatch and photos are no extra charge. Direct all inquiries to editor@mdcoastdispatch.com, fax to 410-641-0966 or mail to P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Md. 21811.
April 17, 2020
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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Resort Prepping Transit Operations Amid ‘Holding Pattern’
Page 14
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – While a return date to full operation of the resort’s municipal bus service and Boardwalk tram service remains much in doubt, steps are being taken to hit the ground running when restrictions related to the ongoing pandemic are eased. While the season has changed to spring, the town’s municipal bus service remains on a limited winter schedule because of the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Behind the scenes, however, resort transit officials are working to prepare for what hopefully will be a summer season at some point including the hiring, screening and training of drivers and proactive steps to ensure social distancing direc-
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tives are observed for drivers and passengers, whatever that may look like in the new normal. During a Transportation Committee meeting on Tuesday, Public Works Director Hal Adkins said despite the current restrictions, the transit department is preparing for a time when some of the restrictions are eased for the municipal bus and Boardwalk tram operations. “We’ll continue with the winter schedule until there are changes in the state restrictions or our own restrictions,” he said. “At some point, we have to be ready for the next stage from a logistical standpoint. There are certain things we have to complete, but we’re still in a holding pattern.” Adkins said it remains uncertain just when some of the restrictions are eased and the transit operations can
begin to ramp up for an eventual summer season. “We have to do screening, drug testing, get the requisite number of hours on buses for new drivers and other things like that,” he said. “If we don’t do all of those things in anticipation of reopening at some point, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. We are setting a goal to be ready by May 15 however this plays out. Whether we open by May 15 or Memorial Day or June 15, we will be ready.” Mayor Rick Meehan agreed it was appropriate to move forward as if the summer season was going to be normal, with the understanding there will likely be some phasing in terms of easing the restrictions. “There are a lot of unknowns at this point,” he said. “We haven’t had to deal with it today, but there will be a time
April 17, 2020
when we do have to deal with it. We really need to be prepared.” Adkins pointed out there are budget issues to consider. Even if there is a return to some semblance of normal at some point, the town has already lost Easter weekend and Springfest with big weekends still much in doubt. Last week, the Mayor and Council endorsed a proposed Plan B fiscal year 2021 budget that includes expected revenue losses, but there are still goals to meet even under that reduced spending plan. “Even with the current situation, the budget under Plan B that you all approved last week still calls for $1 million in revenue from the transit system,” said Adkins. “If we don’t allow standers, or if we allow sitters only with social distancing, we could slowly bleed to death.” Even when the restrictions are eased, there will still likely be some phased in social distancing requirements, including limitations on the number of passengers allowed, said Adkins. “Maybe standing won’t be permitted,” he said. “Standing people block the way for others using the bus and there are just more interactions in terms of the social distancing requirements. Even with sitting passengers, there might have to be some social distancing rules in place. It might be hard to run at full capacity, at least when we first get up and running.” Meehan said limiting the number of passengers and discouraging people from using the bus, at least in the short term, runs counter to the town’s policy in recent years. “It’s ironic we’ve been working for years to get people out of their cars and onto the bus,” he said. “Now, it might be the opposite. A lot of people might feel safer in their cars.” Meanwhile, the transportation division continues to take steps to ensure the safety of drivers and riders. “Our drivers are wearing masks for the most part,” said Transportation Director Mark Rickards. “They are very familiar with our customers during the offseason and the customers are used to using the back door to avoid interaction.” Meehan said that’s a good policy that should be maintained going forward. “I really do think we should make it mandatory for the drivers to wear masks,” he said. “It is for their safety first and foremost, but it’s also for the public perception that we’re doing everything we can. I think that’s a good policy.” Operations Manager Steve Bartlett said the public can rest assured the municipal buses are safe. “The buses are cleaner than when they arrived from the factory,” he said. “They are cleaned from end to end and top to bottom at least twice a day including every surface. We are doing everything we can to keep the entire fleet clean.”
Man Faces Charges For Threatening To Burn House Down
April 17, 2020
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man was arrested and charged last week with threatening to burn a residence down during an alleged jealous tirade at a downtown residence. On April 3, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were dispatched to the 5th Street area for a reported disorderly individual. Before the officers arrived on the scene, they were advised the suspect had left the area in a vehicle and was heading south on Philadelphia Avenue. OCPD officers located the suspect vehicle at Worcester Street and made contact with the occupants, including Frank Jenkins, Jr., 43, of Ocean City, and a female. Ocean City Communications advised the officer Jenkins had allegedly threatened to burn down the house of the victim who had called 911. According to police reports, the female advised the officers she and Jenkins had just arrived home from 5th Street, where an argument but no physical altercation had occurred. The female reportedly told police she was at a residence on 5th Street visiting a male friend and Jenkins, with whom she was in a relationship, became upset because she was spending time with another man. According to police reports, OCPD officers interviewed Jenkins briefly, who allegedly told police he learned his girlfriend was “with the guys” at 5th Street and that he drove to 5th Street to pick her up and bring her home. OCPD officers responded to the 5th Street residence and interviewed the male individual who had called 911. The victim told police he was at his residence with the female, whom he had met days earlier, when Jenkins called her. The alleged victim told police he could hear Jenkins through the phone stating he was “on his way up there” and began making death threats against the victim and his girlfriend, according to police reports. A short time later, Jenkins arrived
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at the 5th Street residence as advertised and began screaming his girlfriend’s name. According to police reports, the victim stuck his head outside a window and told Jenkins to stop yelling because he was going to wake the neighbors. According to police reports, Jenkins yelled to the victim “I am going to burn your [expletive deleted] house down.” At that point, the female left with Jenkins and the victim called 911, fearful Jenkins would return and follow up on this threat to burn the house down, according to police reports. Based on the evidence and testimony, Jenkins was arrested and charged with arson threat and two counts of violating Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) directives related to the ongoing pandemic. After a preliminary hearing, Jenkins was ordered to be held without bond and remained in custody this week. For Jenkins, the arrest last week was the second this year in Ocean City for a similar incident. On February 1, Jenkins was arrested and charged with first-degree assault for
an incident in the downtown area and was out on bail when the alleged arson threat at 5th Street occurred last week. Around 1:40 p.m. on February 1, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer observed a suspect later identified as Jenkins allegedly striking the rear and passenger side of a vehicle with his hands, according to police reports. The officer observed as the vehicle attempted to leave a downtown apartment complex parking lot and observed two females standing near it attempting to stop Jenkins from hitting it. As the officer approached the scene, he observed one of the females start to walk away. The officer reportedly observed Jenkins approach the female from the rear and forcibly grab her by the hood of her sweatshirt, causing her body to jerk backwards. The officer intervened and separated the parties. Jenkins was handcuffed and was instructed to sit on the curb. The officer approached the vehicle and observed a metal golf club on the ground adjacent to it. The officer made
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contact with the male driver of the vehicle, who was reportedly in extreme pain. The driver informed the officer while he was seated in his vehicle, Jenkins allegedly approached him and struck him numerous times in the left arm with the golf club, according to police reports. Ocean City paramedics responded to the scene and treated the driver for a possible fractured left forearm and separated left shoulder. The driver refused any further treatment and was not transported to the hospital. The officer interviewed the female whose hood Jenkins grabbed. The victim told police she had been in a relationship with Jenkins for several months. The victim reportedly told police she had arrived at the apartment complex that afternoon to remove her personal belongings and that an argument ensued with Jenkins, according to police reports. The female victim told police Jenkins allegedly struck the male driver multiple times with the golf club. Jenkins was charged with first- and second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property.
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Mayor Wants BFC, Town To Partner On Funding Needs
Page 16
BY CHARLENE SHARPE
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – Mayor Gee Williams encouraged the Berlin Fire Company to join the town in efforts to have Worcester County address EMS funding concerns. As Berlin Fire Company (BFC) President David Fitzgerald shared the agency’s annual budget request with the town council this week, Williams invited him to join the town in asking the county to change its “archaic” funding system. Williams stressed the town wouldn’t be able to provide all the financial support the fire company needed. “We just don’t have the money,” he said. “Neither does any other town.” As Berlin’s elected officials began budget discussions this week, Fitzger-
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ald presented requests for grants for fire and EMS service. He said 57% of the EMS calls and 40% of the fire and rescue calls the BFC handled were in town limits. The fire company has a proposed budget of $744,862 while the EMS budget is just under $1.5 million. The budget shows the BFC receiving $225,000 (30%) of its fire budget and roughly $352,000 (23.5%) of its EMS budget from town grants. Fitzgerald told the council that based on a staffing model created with the help of Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers, the BFC EMS unit was understaffed. He said the department should have four EMS providers on duty, something that the emergence of COVID-19 had proven, as responders needed to decontaminate after treating patients.
“That’s another $200,000 a year that needs to come from somewhere,” Fitzgerald said. Williams said the need for EMS funding was the reason Worcester County’s mayors had banded together to approach the Worcester County Commissioners to ask them to form a task force to find a solution to the EMS funding problem. “The system we have right now is broken…,” he said. “I think that if you can make a case for why additional personnel is needed it’s going to need to be done in a coordinated effort.” He said the town could no longer afford to give the fire company $600,000 a year. “Those days are gone,” he said. “We can’t do that. We don’t think it’s necessary.”
April 17, 2020
He said the growing need for EMS funding had been a problem for years but had come to a head. “The assumption that we can keep coming up with $100,000 here, $100,000 there, it’s done,” Williams said. “It’s not going to happen.” He invited the BFC to join the town in its efforts to change the county’s funding system. “This divide and conquer approach, it’s no longer working,” he said. “We need a unified, coordinated effort … Everybody trying to do their own thing, we’ve outgrown that situation. The whole county has. Let’s join forces and see what we can get done. It’s reached a point of no return. It’s a crisis within a crisis.”
Adjustments OK’d To School Contracts BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – School officials in Wicomico County this week approved contract amendments for two school projects. On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Board of Education voted unanimously to authorize contract amendments to incorporate a guaranteed maximum price for HVAC projects at Wicomico Middle School and East Salisbury Elementary School. In a memo to the board, Leisl Ashby, facility services director for Wicomico County Public Schools, said the contract for the Wicomico Middle project would include an amendment in the amount of $582,533. “This project is an extension of HVAC work completed back in 2016,” she wrote. “The remaining work includes first floor fan coil unit replacements, associated multi-zone VRF heat pumps and replacement of existing radiators.” Ashby said the contract for the East Salisbury project would include an amendment in the amount of $676,519. “This project is an extension of the air conditioning that was added to the main two-story building in Summer 2018,” she wrote. “The remaining work includes replacing the existing boiler and chiller in the 1954 wing and replacing the PTAC units with VRF in the 1968 wing.” Ashby noted that both projects are expected to conclude before the start of the next academic year. The school board this week also awarded a contract for HVAC renovations at Glen Avenue Elementary School to Wilfre Co. Inc. The company was chosen as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
How Would Ocean City Reopen?
April 17, 2020
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – When Ocean City should start planning to reopen to some degree and just what that might look like was the subject of lively debate during an impromptu Mayor and Council meeting on Thursday. The Mayor and Council met on Thursday to continue discussions on the town’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief agenda included continuing to meet the needs of the town’s at-risk residents in terms of food and medicine and healthcare, the continued “stay at home” messaging and new messaging for welcoming back visitors when the time is right and ultimately certain benchmarks for relaxing some of the restrictions in terms of the beach and Boardwalk closure, lodging rental restrictions and a gradual plan to reopen the resort incrementally. It didn’t take long for the conversation to move toward the latter. In his weekly update on Wednesday, Gov. Larry Hogan sent mixed messages including a report on the two deadliest days for Maryland thus far during the COVID-19 pandemic and a new order mandating face masks in publicly accessible businesses such as grocery stores and convenience stores, for example. Hogan’s midweek update also mixed in signs of hope, including tentative plans to begin relaxing some of the restrictions in the near future and reopening the state’s economy to some degree. Those hopeful messages set the tone for Thursday’s impromptu Mayor and Council special meeting and set the stage for a lively debate. All involved appeared to agree it was time to start planning on reopening Ocean City to some degree and start returning to some semblance of a new normal, whatever that might look like. However, the biggest takeaway from Thursday’s meeting is it doesn’t appear any of the directives put in place weeks ago are going away any time soon. For now, the consensus appears to be continuing with the consistent message to follow state and local stay-at-home and social distancing directives. At the same time, there appears to be a consensus to prepare a secondary marketing campaign advising visitors something to the effect of “the time isn’t right yet, but when it is, Ocean City will be ready to welcome you with open arms.” Council President Lloyd Martin said as much in his opening remarks at Thursday’s meeting. “We need to continue to work together and be consistent with our messaging right now,” he said. “It has been tough for everybody, but what we’re doing is working and if
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
we continue to follow the guidelines and observe the directives, we can start transitioning to reopening.” Councilman Matt James echoed those sentiments and said similar discussions about messaging had taken place during the Tourism Commission meeting earlier this week. “In terms of our governmental messaging, I think there have been some concerns about how it’s being received,” he said. “We’re working on a friendlier message from the mayor. While now is not the time to travel, we will welcome you with open arms when the time is right.” However, Councilman John Gehrig quickly launched into the broader message about beginning to prepare the town for reopening as soon as the time is right. Gehrig said it’s not as if the coronavirus was suddenly going to go away and everything was going to return to normal, but the town needs to start getting back to business in the new normal. “There is a financial incentive for the media to keep the bad news coming,” he said. “When you look at the numbers, it’s starting to be more encouraging. Our residents need to hear the truth and our businesses need to prepare. That’s the message. We need to be honest and say we’re going to live life with coronavirus in it. We need to continue to look after and take care of those at high risk and provide services to them, but the world can’t stay shut down until there is a vaccine.” There has been some discussion of reopening the town’s hospitality industry incrementally and on a limited basis including limitations on capacity, for example. Gehrig scoffed at the notion most businesses could survive with their capacities decreased greatly. “When the time comes when we can reopen to some degree, we can’t tell restaurants to take out 50% of their tables,” he said. “That’s like putting a bullet to their head. Most of them work on 15% margins, 50% of the costs don’t go away by taking 50% of the capacity away.” Gehrig used another analogy to illustrate his point. “If you have a peanut allergy, don’t eat a PBJ,” he said. “But don’t tell the rest of the world you can’t make peanut butter. At some point, we have to get ready to reopen.” For his part, Martin agreed it was time to start planning for reopening for the summer season, but said those parameters would likely be dictated by the state. “I don’t disagree,” he said. “At some point, we have to get reopened eventually. We have to follow the state’s lead and we have to have a plan. People are biting the bullet to get back to work. We all are, SEE PAGE 19
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Suspect Falsely Claims Virus To Police Salisbury Supporting Businesses
Page 18
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
OCEAN CITY – In a case becoming increasingly familiar, a local man facing assault and other charges last week falsely told police he was infected with the coronavirus, forcing officers to take serious and time-consuming containment measures. Around 5:45 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers were alerted by a female victim that she was being followed by a vehicle and wanted to speak to an officer. The alleged victim provided a description of the vehicle and told police it was still following her while she was speaking with officers. OCPD officers located the female victim in her vehicle along with a male passenger. The victims reportedly told police the vehicle had been following them and they were afraid something bad was going to happen if the police did not intercede. OCPD officers located the suspect vehicle in the area of 141st Street and stopped it to investigate. OCPD officers learned one of the passengers in the vehicle, Justin McCargo, 31, of Ocean City, was wanted on a warrant for his arrest. According to police reports, the officers ordered McCargo out of the vehicle to affect his arrest on the warrant, but he reportedly refused and resisted. After
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
McCargo continued to refuse to cooperate and resisted attempts at arrest, an OCPD armed and pointed his conducted electrical weapon, or Taser, at the suspect and he complied and was taken into custody. During the arrest process, McCargo continued to resist, assaulting an OCPD officer in the process. When a transport van arrived to take McCargo in for booking, he continued to scream for help and tried to escape to the point OCPD officers had to force him to the ground and apply a violent prisoner restraint device, or VPRD on him. During that process, McCargo allegedly kicked and injured another OCPD officer. According to police reports, while McCargo was being detained on the ground, he told OCPD officers “I have the virus,” and cough ed in their direction. OCPD officers were instructed to don proper protective personal equipment while dealing with any individual infected by COVID19. OCPD officers determined McCargo had not tested positive anywhere in Worcester, Wicomico or Sussex County, Del. McCargo was charged with two counts of assault on police officers, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, violating state of emergency directives and making a false statement to police.
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – As local eateries and retail shops struggle during the global health crisis, the City of Salisbury is taking steps to drum up support for local businesses. Mayor Jake Day said efforts to support small businesses began last month, shortly after Gov. Larry Hogan announced the closure of restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters to stop the spread of COVID-19. Through a series of business roundtable meetings, he said, officials focused on actions both government entities and community members could take to minimize the economic impact on small businesses. “It wasn’t enough to act fast, we needed to be consistent,” he said. “So we’ve held those roundtable discussions every Tuesday, which are mainly focused on recovery efforts.” Day noted one of the first industries to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was the food service industry. He said the local real estate community reported this week 60% of eateries did not pay their rent for the month of March. “We started talking about ways we could help,” he said. To that end, officials took to social media to promote local restaurants in the Salisbury area by ordering carryout meals and posting pictures to Facebook and Twitter. “It helped in the early days,” Day said. “We were demonstrating this wasn’t about helping small businesses when we get through all of this, but helping them out right now. The need was immediate.” The city and KindSBY – the community’s kindness initiative – also teamed up to launch a giving portal to support first responders during the pandemic. Through community donations to Wicomico Grows Kindness, a nonprofit for KindSBY, meals are being purchased from locally owned restaurants to feed first responders and healthcare workers. “It was an opportunity for people
April 17, 2020
in the community to donate,” Day said. “With donated funds we bought $3,500 worth of food for nurses, doctors and first responders, and we spent it at local businesses. We continue to encourage people to give through that fund.” Day said community members can also purchase gift cards to downtown restaurants and retail shops through the city’s Downtown Salisbury website. “It’s everything from Angello’s Scoops to the Lurking Class Skate Shop to Shady Sun to Enza’s Organic Salon,” he said. “It’s not just restaurants, but retailers too. They are also hurting.” Most recently, the city launched its SBY Takeout Bingo, a game that rewards community members who support local restaurants. Those who order food, merchandise or gift cards from any four restaurants listed on the Bingo card will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to a Salisbury restaurant of their choice and a Downtown Salisbury swag basket. Day said participants will receive one entry for every four locations patronized. Patrons are asked to take pictures or screenshots of their receipts and submit them through the city’s online submission form no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 15. “It encourages the community to diversify and spread the love to different businesses,” he said. Day said Salisbury is one of many municipalities across Delmarva to adopt programs and campaigns to support local businesses. Each Monday, Day holds a teleconference with local elected officials across Maryland, Delaware and Virginia to share their efforts. “Every community is coming up with creative ways to do this, coming up with ways to help small businesses … ,” he said. “It’s good to see us learning from each other. … I’m impressed by our community’s willingness and desire to help these businesses … To see people jumping in and saying, ‘I want to give what I have to help a small business’ is moving and powerful.”
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FROM PAGE 17 but I think our residents understand and our businesses know that we have to follow the state’s lead. I believe the town is ready already, but right now is not the time to turn it all back on.” Councilman Matt James said there were numerous questions circulating in the community about reopening and relaxing some of the restrictions. “Will the lodging restrictions be extended?” he said. “Will all of these restrictions expire and just go away? Will the beach and Boardwalk reopen with proper social distancing? We’re all looking for definitive answers and these are the questions we’re all asking.” Councilman Dennis Dare said the town’s emergency operations plan continues to evolve and at this point, reopening and relaxing some of the restrictions are further down the priority list. “We haven’t formulated what that will look like,” he said. “This meeting is probably premature. If you listened to Gov. Hogan yesterday, we’re far away from expanded testing and we’re probably two weeks away from the peak.” Mayor Rick Meehan said the town should stick with the “we miss you but stay at home” message, but start preparing for when that message might change. “In the interim, we should continue to let everyone know we’re thinking about them and Ocean City will be ready when the time is right,” he said. “Those messages give people hope we’ll be back to normal at some point. Those messages let people know we will be here when the tide turns and that resonates with our visitors.” However, Meehan agreed there was little certainty in terms of when some of the declarations he put in place can be relaxed and when the town can start considering reopening to some degree. “The questions about when are valid,” he said. “Right now, the declarations are in place until April 30, but I didn’t hear any dates from the governor yesterday. For what it’s worth, the court system remains closed until June 5, so maybe that’s an indicator. April 30 was a solid date at the time, but it’s a moving target. We don’t want to extend that date until we can gauge where we are in a couple of weeks.” Meehan said Ocean City and the surrounding area have been fairly progressive with some virus-related initiatives, but now was not the time to suddenly invite thousands of visitors into the equation. “We can manage our population, but those numbers can change dramatically if we open up and suddenly add another 25,000 or 50,000
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people to the mix,” he said. “There will be a gradual rollout for recovery, but we don’t want to do that too quickly. We don’t want to lose all of the ground we’ve gained. The worst possible thing is to relax a lot of these things and fall back into an even worse situation.” In short, Meehan said it was fine to plan for reopening and a return to normalcy, but the town must resist the temptation to put those plans into effect too early. “We’ve been proactive and been out in front of some of the things even the state is doing,” he said. “Let’s plan to be open, but let’s plan to open safely. This is going to be with us for a while, but hopefully we can get up and rolling incrementally at some point soon.” Gehrig re-emphasized his earlier points, suggesting it might be okay to plan to reopen at some point with the understanding there will be limitations and some might choose to stay away regardless of what the rules are. “I’m not saying let’s open today or tomorrow, but let’s have a plan,” he said. “We have to have a plan for success, but success doesn’t mean the coronavirus is suddenly gone. It’s going to be here. We need to prepare to live with it. Everybody needs to make personal decisions. If you’re at high risk or if you’re afraid, stay home and quarantine. For others, we’re here for you.” In a letter to the editor this week, Hospitality Partners President/COO and Carousel Group Managing Partner Michael James echoed some sentiments expressed during the virtual meeting, adding in his own thoughts on the broad issues associated with the extended societal shutdown. “We should obviously evaluate the actual risks of the virus based on the facts, not the worse-case scenario or motivations of ambitious politicians. Other factors should also be considered when determining what actions will be taken. We need to consider what governmental actions are appropriate and most effective, and what actions are counterproductive to the overall public health,” James wrote. “I feel strongly that we need to be concerned about the assault on civil liberties when citizens are threatened by police or public officials to not congregate. We should be realistic about the actual damage to families and marriage that will occur when jobs are lost and understand that high unemployment will fuel more substance abuse and suicide. We should weigh the effects of social isolation, which will most likely lead to an increase in mental illness and more depression at a time we have a shortage of mental health professionals. We need to accept the fact that businesses are failing and will continue to fail. We now need to determine how we can reduce the number that will fail.”
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April 17, 2020
April 17, 2020
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Local Company Offers ‘Spread A Little Sunshine’ Campaign
Page 22
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – A resort-based company is looking to help those in the local service industry through a new campaign. Last week, Ultra Solar & Wind Solutions – a residential and commercial solar contractor and certified SunPower dealer – announced the launch of its “Spread a Little Sunshine” campaign. For every residential SunPower solar system sold from now until the end of June 2020, the company will donate $500 to a service industry employee of a customer’s choice. “We know that our region’s bartenders, chefs, servers, musicians, DJs, and other service industry workers have seen their income devastated by the required shutdown of the places they work,” said Ultra Managing Partner Brandon Caprarola. “This is a program that helps people not only save money by going solar for their own homes, but also helps someone out financially in a time they need it the most.” Bryan Russo, commercial sales and
Concept Aims To Help Service Industry
marketing manager, said the campaign is simply a way to give back to the community. As Eastern Shore residents themselves, he said the Ultra team recognizes the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the personal and professional health and welfare of those in the region. “It has been really inspiring to watch how this community has come together through difficult times,” he said. “Even in the face of something so scary, there are people out there willing to help … This is us trying to do our part in any way that we can.” Russo said the campaign is a winwin for both customers and service industry workers. As residents look for affordable ways to go solar and power their homes, they can also help a neighbor in need. “Everyone knows someone impacted by the economic loss of this ‘great pause’ if you will,” he said. “I wanted
to find a way to help and empower people. Your electric bill is going to keep coming regardless of what’s going on. If you look at it, now more than ever, switching to renewable energy and solar power makes sense. You can save immediately and make a change.” Officials said Ultra offers a variety of finance options on residential solar systems, so going solar can be done without any initial investment. Ultra sales representatives will guide the customer through each step, and everything can be done online or over the phone. “We realize that not everyone may be in the position to go solar right now,” said Ultra’s Residential Sales Manager Andrew Timmons, “but we know that everyone wants to save money on their monthly bills and knows someone close to them that has no idea how they are going to pay their monthly bills. There’s no cost to find out if solar
April 17, 2020
is a viable option for you and helping a friend is absolutely priceless.” Russo said there are also opportunities for service industry workers to work for Ultra as independent contractors in the interim. “Renewables aren’t going away,” he said. “While there are businesses that have no idea what tomorrow will bring or what it will look like, renewable energy and solar continue to move forward.” For more information on Ultra’s “Spread a Little Sunshine” campaign, or its job and training opportunities, contact Bryan Russo at brusso@ultrasolarandwind.com with “Spread a Little Sunshine” or “Join the Team” in the heading of the email, or call 410213-5097. “We want to keep this hyperlocal and help folks in our seasonal community …,” Russo said. “It’s a chance for us to put something out there that helps people.” To learn more about Ultra Solar & Wind Solutions, or SunPower solar panels, visit www.ultrasolarandwind.com or www.sunpower.com.
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Wicomico Council Tables Airport Water Agreements April 17, 2020
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – Officials in Wicomico County voted last week to table two agreements that would have allowed a water main extension project to proceed. On April 7, the Wicomico County Council voted 4-3 to table two resolutions approving a pre-annexation agreement and a water system agreement between Wicomico County and the City of Salisbury for the construction, maintenance and operation of a water system at the Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport. “The people that live between WorWic and the airport have concerns about this,” Councilman Joe Holloway said. Last November, Wicomico County secured $4.4 million in funding from the State Board of Public Works to run a water main roughly six miles from the Wor-Wic Community College water tower to the airport campus. At the time, officials said the project would enhance fire protection service in the area, address water quality issues at the airport and increase development
potential at the airport’s business park. Before construction could begin, however, the city – which owns the water tower – required a pre-annexation agreement and water system agreement for the extension of water utility service to the airport. During a legislative session this week, Holloway made a motion to table both resolutions until more information could be provided to nearby residents. He noted the council was supposed to discuss the two agreements in another work session prior to a vote. “I think the county executive’s office needs to reach out more and explain … ,” he said. “I think we are all surprised this came up as a vote tonight.” Council President Larry Dodd agreed. He said he was concerned citizens were not given the opportunity to voice their concerns. “They feel like we are voting on it without a work session during this pandemic, and they aren’t allowed to come into the building to voice their opinions,” he said. “I’ve been accused of doing this underhandedly during this pandemic.” Holloway said many in his district
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had called and emailed him regarding the pre-annexation agreement and how it would affect fire service in the area. “The people that have the fire service, Parsonsburg Fire Department, are very concerned, and when you add the annexation word in there I think that’s what lights people up because I have received a lot of phone calls and emails today …,” he said. “They are worried about getting annexed.” Councilman Bill McCain explained the county must petition for annexation. He noted, however, that the agreement did not allow annexation for 30 years. “They don’t understand that,” Holloway replied. “It hasn’t been explained to them properly.” Wicomico County Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg added the new water main would be denoted as a denied access line by the state. He said neither the city nor the county would have the authority to expand the service area. “The other thing I can say is the Walston Switch right of way from the intersection of Mount Hermon Road to Airport Road is all on airport property,” he
said, “so we are in total control over it.” Holloway and Council Attorney Robert Taylor, however, continued to question some of the language in the preannexation agreement. “I will say the language is very confusing and hard to read,” Taylor said. While he acknowledged his own desire for another work session, Councilman John Cannon also recognized the need to approve the agreements. “I think we need to move this forward to get the airport where it needs to be,” he said. Motions to table both resolutions passed with Holloway, Dodd, Councilman Ernie Davis and Councilwoman Nicole Acle in favor and McCain, Cannon and Councilman Josh Hastings opposed. “The citizens on that side of the county heard about this pre-annexation agreement and they do not know exactly what that means,” Holloway said. “I think you need public hearings on this or you can have a town hall to explain it. That’s why I’m asking for a vote to table.” Hastings and McCain urged the council to move quickly on the matter.
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Wicomico Council Opposes Letters To Governor, Mayor
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BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – Highlighting the inappropriate nature of the missives, officials in Wicomico County agreed to hold off on sending letters of concern to the Maryland governor and Salisbury mayor regarding COVID-19 mandates. Last week, the Wicomico County Council agreed not to send letters to both Gov. Larry Hogan and Salisbury Mayor Jake Day regarding mandates surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. In March, Hogan declared a state of emergency and catastrophic health emergency in response to the COVID19 pandemic and issued an executive order prohibiting large gatherings, closing non-essential businesses, and requiring all persons to stay at home unless conducting essential activities.
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The governor also ordered anyone entering Maryland to self-quarantine for 14 days. Following on the heels of the executive order, resort officials in Ocean City also took measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus by closing the beach and Boardwalk and placing lodging restrictions on hotels, motels and shortterm rental properties through April 30. On April 1, Worcester County adopted its own emergency measures restricting all non-essential short-term rentals in West Ocean City, Ocean Pines and other unincorporated areas. In an open work session last week, Council Attorney Robert Taylor told the legislative body he had drafted a letter to Hogan in response to concerns that were voiced by county officials in recent weeks. He said the letter would seek clarification from the governor’s
office regarding a county’s ability to order that people from other states cannot enter or remain in a county or to order hotels, motels and other lodgings not to rent to them or allow them to reside at their facilities. “This derives from concerns that were expressed last week when some council members became aware that some of the surrounding counties were passing these short-term rental bans,” he said. “The concern was people might come down there, be turned away, and wind up here.” Taylor told the council it was unclear if the state allowed local governments to take such actions. “In other states – New Jersey being a case in point – the governor has specifically given the counties, within the last couple of weeks, permission to do things like that,” he said. “It’s un-
April 17, 2020
clear in Maryland … [The governor] should give them the authority or be clear. There should be no uncertainty about it like there is now.” Councilman Bill McCain said he did not support sending the letter. “I feel like we’re wasting our time,” he said. Taylor told the council the Eastern Shore could expect an influx of visitors and nonresident property owners in the coming weeks, particularly if bans and closures are lifted. He said those actions could put the county in a position to impose similar restrictions to protect Wicomico County residents. “Any sickness that develops, from the people who come and spread it to the local residents, will come to this hospital here,” he said. “That’s the net result of what’s going to evolve here.” Councilman John Cannon said he was in favor of sending a letter that had the support of the county executive’s office. He noted that Director of Administration Wayne Strausburg was sharing similar concerns with the governor’s office on a weekly basis. “I think it’s a matter not so much about what we are saying, but how we are presenting ourselves …,” he said. “For the council to send a letter independently is a bit rogue and we should work through the executive branch on this.” Many council members, however, were not in favor of sending any letter. “I think what you are talking about is already being addressed through Wayne,” Councilman Ernie Davis said. “It should go through the executive, and it’s already being addressed.” The council last week also agreed not to send a letter of concern to the Salisbury mayor. On April 4, Day issued an order limiting the maximum occupancy in commercial buildings, discontinuing self-serve foods and product sampling and establishing sanitation and social distancing practices. “This results from a concern that was raised by somebody in the executive branch … they thought that the mayor’s order was unauthorized legally,” he said. “I think there’s grounds for that concern. There’s also concern about the fact that the order relating to the stores would essentially bifurcate the county. You’d have one rule for inside the city of Salisbury that didn’t apply to the county. That could result in confusion.” Cannon, however, said concerns about the mayor’s order should be addressed individually. “I don’t like the letter,” he said. “It should be discussed one on one. I don’t want to start laying out a gauntlet.” .Councilman Joe Holloway agreed. “What the mayor does in Salisbury is what the mayor does in Salisbury,” he said. “It’s his town, not ours.” McCain questioned why the council attorney would write the two letters. “We are the county council,” he said. “Why is Mr. Taylor writing letters and bringing them to the county council?” With no further discussion, the council agreed to hold off on sending the letter to Day.
Court Rejects Appeal Of First-Degree Assault Conviction
April 17, 2020
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
SNOW HILL – A Silver Spring, Md., man, sentenced in 2019 to 20 years in jail after being found guilty by a jury of first-degree assault for attacking a woman with a metal flag pole, had his appeal denied this week. In January 2019, a Worcester County jury found Max Schindler, now 41, of Silver Spring, guilty of first-degree assault for beating and choking a woman on a downtown Ocean City street during the summer of 2018. In March of that year, Schindler was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the first-degree assault conviction, but quickly appealed on the belief the evidence presented at trial did not support the firstdegree conviction. This week, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals denied Schindler’s appeal, opining the evidence and witness testimony presented at the trial was ample to support the first-degree assault charge. As a result, Schindler will be required to serve the remainder of his term although he has avenues for further appeal he has not yet exhausted. Around 3:40 a.m. on June 3, 2018, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported active fight in the area of 12th Street. Officers located an apparent female victim who told police her boyfriend, later identified as Schindler, was angry because of an incident that occurred earlier, but there had been no fight and refused to talk about the incident. However, OCPD officers observed the victim and found her to have several injuries including cuts, places where pieces of skin were missing and fresh blood on her knee cap and legs. OCPD officers also observed a deep scratch mark on the victim’s shoulder blade and upper back along with a red mark near her eye that appeared to be turning into a black eye, according to police reports. The victim also had deep red marks all over her neck, upper chest area and arms. While one officer was interviewing the victim, another officer was taking detailed statements from witnesses who had observed the altercation. According to witness reports, the victim and Schindler were having a verbal argument before Schindler tackled the victim to the ground. The witnesses told police Schindler punched the victim in the face with a closed fist and then grabbed her around the neck with both hands. The witnesses told police Schindler continued to choke the victim with both hands for about 30 seconds while he stood over her and screamed in her face. According to witness statements, Schindler then picked the victim up off the ground by her neck, bringing her back to her feet. The witnesses told police Schindler then gr-
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abbed the victim around the neck and dragged her to the opposite side of the intersection. Witnesses told police the victim was able to escape Schindler’s choke hold and ran across Philadelphia Avenue screaming for help. The witnesses told police the victim pulled a flagpole from the ground at a nearby apartment complex for self-defense. However, witnesses told police Schindler grabbed the flagpole from the victim and began hitting her with it as if he was swinging a baseball bat, according to police reports. Witnesses said the flag fell off the pole and Schindler began stabbing and jabbing the victim with the end of the flagpole. The witnesses told police the victim was screaming for help and that she was in fear for her life. At
that point, the witnesses interceded, grabbing the victim off the ground and walking her away toward 12th Street, which is when the police arrived. On appeal, Schindler asserted the evidence and witness testimony was not sufficient to support a first-degree assault conviction, which relies heavily on intent to cause serious physical harm. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals this week denied the appeal, opining the evidence was more than sufficient. “Even if the contention was preserved for our review, Mr. Schindler would not prevail,” the opinion reads. “We have stated that although the state must prove that an individual charged with first-degree assault had a specific intent to cause serious physical injury, a jury may infer the
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necessary intent from the individual’s conduct and the surrounding circumstances. … Here, the state produced evidence that Mr. Schindler repeatedly pushed [the victim] to the ground, dragged and pulled her down a street while she was on the ground, repeatedly struck her with a metal object and with a lot of force and choked her for as long as 30 seconds. The natural and probable consequence of being repeatedly and forcefully struck with a metal object and choked for up to 30 seconds is serious physical injury. We conclude that this evidence was sufficient for the jury to infer that Mr. Schindler specifically intended to cause the victim serious physical injury, and hence, the evidence is sufficient to sustain the conviction for first-degree assault.”
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Assault, Child Abuse Arrest OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man was arrested on assault and child abuse charges last week after an incident at a downtown residence, continuing a pattern of similar incidents in recent months. Around 4:30 a.m. on April 4, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to the area of 14th Street for a reported domestic assault in progress. OCPD officers observed a suspect, identified as Burt Foskey, 41, of Ocean City, whom they knew from previous encounters, running east on 14th Street toward the Boardwalk. OCPD officers met with the female victim who was reportedly upset and who told police Foskey had allegedly dragged her through the residence by her hair and had assaulted her. The victim told police Foskey had looked through her phone while she was asleep and found that she had been communicating with another male, according to police reports.
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The victim told police her two young daughters heard the commotion and came into the bedroom where the alleged assault was taking place. According to police reports, Foskey picked up one of the girls and shoved her back into a wall and pushed her in the face with an open palm. The victim reportedly yelled at the girls to run and get help and they ran across the street to a neighbor who called 911. OCPD officers interviewed the children who corroborated the story. Foskey was arrested for assault
and child abuse. According to police reports, OCPD officers had been to the residence 14 times since the end of October for similar incidents.
Arrested On Consecutive Days OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City man was arrested on back-to-back days after allegedly launching expletive- and racial slur-laced tirades at his neighbors and police officers in the downtown area. Around 5:15 p.m. on March 31, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD)
April 17, 2020 officer was patrolling in the area of 8th Street when he was responded to a report of a disorderly individual. Upon arrival, the OCPD officers observed a male suspect later identified as Bret Wurster, 57, of Ocean City, walk out of his residence and scream at two other individuals across the street. According to police reports, Wurster then directed his expletive-laced tirade at the arriving officers. Wurster reportedly went back inside his residence, but came out again a short time later. He was repeatedly told to calm down and stop yelling, but continued to shout expletives at the police officers on scene. Ultimately, he was arrested for disorderly conduct. While at the OCPD booking facility, Wurster defecated and urinated on his cell’s floor, according to police reports. Officers knew Wurster was aware there was a toilet in his cell because they saw him drinking from it earlier. Around 10:45 p.m. the next day on April 1, OCPD officers returned to the 8th Street area because of complaints about Wurster, who had been released after the prior day’s incident. Similarly, Wurster was found to be banging on a neighbor’s door and screaming expletives and racial slurs, according to police reports. When officers arrived, Wurster allegedly directed his expletive- and racial-slur tirade at police. Finally, Wurster was arrested again and charged with disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct. While Wurster was being transported to the booking facility again, he allegedly spit in the face of an OCPD officer transporting him. According to police reports, Wurster spit on the transport officer while yelling at him.
Delaware Fugitive Arrested OCEAN CITY – A Bishopville man wanted on a fugitive warrant from Delaware was arrested in Ocean City last week after fleeing from police. Around 1 p.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the area of 120th Street observed an individual whom he knew from previous encounters. The officer did a background check and confirmed the suspect was William Stewart III, 29, of Bishopville. The background check also revealed Stewart was wanted on an active warrant from Sussex County for failure to appear in court to face a theft by false pretense charge. According to police reports, Stewart ran across Coastal Highway and through the parking lot of a store on 125th Street. He then ran behind a bank toward a restaurant at 126th Street. Stewart reportedly ran to a now-defunct restaurant on 126th Street and attempted to conceal himself on the porch. An OCPD officer pulled up in his vehicle with the emergency lights and siren on and advised Stewart to stop, according to police reports. Instead, Stewart began walking away again and the officer was forced to draw his Taser and ordered Stewart to stop. Stewart continued to try to escape before being subdued, according to police reports. He was arrested on the fugitive warrant from Delaware and was also charged with resisting arrest.
Tree Planting Begins For Wicomico Park Development
April 17, 2020
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SALISBURY – The first phase of tree planting began at Pirate’s Wharf this month as county officials transitioned to the next step in the park’s development. Last week, contractors began the process of planting roughly 7,500 saplings at Pirate’s Wharf, a county-owned property located along the Wicomico River. Steve Miller, director of Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism, said native shrubs and trees – including loblolly, pine, bald cypress, eastern red bud and several types of oak – from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources forest tree nursery will
Campaign To Honor Vets, Health Workers
OCEAN PINES – Along with honoring local veterans, the annual Flags for Heroes display this year will also highlight those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. A dedication ceremony planned for May 16 was canceled, but the patriotic display of several hundred flags in the field between Route 589 and the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines will still go up as planned. “We decided that we want to go ahead with the project, because we feel people need it at this very difficult and scary time,” Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation President Marie Gilmore said. “It seems to me that this project is a perfect opportunity to thank and honor the medical professionals, police, EMTs, firefighters and teachers in our community.” Each year, flags are placed in honor of local heroes, including servicemen and women, first responders, teachers, family members, doctors and hospital workers, or anyone who has been an inspiration. Flag sponsorships are $50, and flags will be on display from Armed Forces Day, May 16, through Flag Day on June 14. Gilmore said volunteers would place the flags while following the rules of social distancing. The project is co-sponsored by Rotary Club of Ocean City/Berlin and Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation. “We hope this will be a positive reminder that, even in such an unprecedented and frightening time, there are so many people in our community who inspire us each day,” Gilmore said. For sponsorship forms, visit www.opvets.org/events/flags-for-heroes2020. The Memorial Foundation is also seeking corporate sponsors, with sponsorship levels ranging from $250 to $2,000. For more information, contact Cliff Berg at 302-540-2127 or email cliff0917@aol.com.
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be used to develop forested areas on roughly 14 acres of existing farmland. “There’s already an existing forest on the other side of the road that’s part of the property,” he said. “This will add to that.” In 2018, County Executive Bob Culver announced the county had received an $820,000 grant from the National Parks Service through the Land and Water Conservation Fund to create a public park on the 340-acre property. And with the help of matching grants and a financial commitment from the Wicomico County Council, the county was able to leverage the federal funding to generate $1.8 million for the first phase of the project. Last June, officials with Davis, Bowen & Friedel presented the public with a draft master plan for Pirate’s Wharf Park. In the first phase of the park’s de-
velopment, the master plan proposed a 1,500-square-foot pavilion with an adjacent comfort station and playground, a boat ramp and soft launch area, a fishing pier and observation deck, and three parking sites. The plan also featured wildlife corridors and historical markings along an extensive trail system. In an interview this week, Miller said phase-one improvements for the park also include new vegetation on six areas of the property that had been used as farmland. He explained that contractors had started planting the first three areas last week. “It’s going to take time for them to grow into forested areas, but it will eventually be part of a trail system on the waterfront side of the property,” he said. “There will be a couple different trails that weave through and around this forested area. There will also be
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meadow areas and different habitats people can walk through as part of that overall trail system.” Miller explained the tree planting comes as the county transitions into the next phase of development at the park. “We are now transitioning to actual design plans,” he said. “We are hoping later this spring and early this summer to start bidding out portions of the project. There’s a lot of permitting that will go into that.” Miller said the goal is to begin construction of several park elements in 2021. The federal grant stipulates the project must be completed by 2022. “It’s a process that will take some time, but it’s moving along little by little …,” he said. “Especially now, when it seems like everything’s come to a screeching halt, it’s nice to know there are some things moving forward.”
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OCFD Promotions OCEAN CITY – The Ocean Fire Department has announced the promotions of Lieutenant Derrick Simpson and Lieutenant David Peterson to battalion chief. Simpson started with Ocean City Fire Department in May of 1999 as a parttime Firefighter/EMT and was hired fulltime as a Firefighter/Paramedic in February of 2006. Simpson has served in a variety of roles including overseeing the department’s SCBA Maintenance Program. Effective April 13, Simpson will command ‘A’ Shift and oversee fire operations and response. Simpson DERRICK SIMPSON lives in Berlin with his wife Shannon and three daughters. Peterson was hired with the department as a part-time Firefighter/EMT in 1993. In November of 2000, he was hired as a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic. Peterson has been the commander of the department’s Dive Team for the last five years and oversees nearly 20 public safety divers. BeDAVID ginning May 11, Peter- PETERSON son will command ‘D’ Shift and oversee equipment and fleet operations. Peterson lives in Berlin with his wife Dawn. “We would like to congratulate Battalion Chief Simpson and Battalion Chief Peterson on their well-deserved promotion,” said Fire Chief Richie Bowers. “We thank them for their continued service to the residents and visitors of Ocean City and Worcester County.”
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SALISBURY – Paul Davis Restoration of the Delmarva Peninsula, a leading provider of fire and water damage clean up and restoration services, is helping to keep local fire departments and first responders safe. In the midst of COVID-19, the restoration franchise office will deep clean and apply disinfectants to municipal and volunteer service facilities in Wicomico and Worcester county including the Salisbury Fire Department headquarters. The company is offering the treatments to Sussex County and beyond with a goal to help as many firefighters and first responders as possible. Frank Willing, Paul Davis’ local office owners and his team of technicians have donated time, expertise, labor and supplies to the efforts to give back and help keep communities safe. “We follow the Paul Davis social purpose credo as defined by the desire to do good while doing good work,” said Willing. “Since the COVID-19 crisis now escalates in Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan has issued a Stay at
April 17, 2020
Home Order. We have general concerns about keeping people healthy and will continue to help contain the spread of the disease.” The in-kind service initiative aligns with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) efforts to work with partners around the globe to expedite the development and availability of medical products to stop the outbreak.
Hospital To Get Proceeds REHOBOTH BEACH – On Saturday, April 18, SoDel Concepts’ restaurants will raise funds for the Beebe Healthcare COVID-19 Relief Fund, which was organized by the Beebe Medical Foundation to support Beebe health care workers on the frontline of the pandemic. During the state of emergency due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, SoDel Concepts has offered takeout at 11 of its 12 restaurants. Online ordering and payment are available at each location. “For everyone’s safety, we’ve strongly encouraged contactless curbside pick-up,” said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts. On April 18, 100% of the sales will go to the foundation. The community can donate directly by visiting beebehealthcare.org/donate-funds-covid-19-relief. “The doctors, nurses and other health care providers are doing a remarkable job of caring for our community in this crisis, and we are committed to their wellbeing and safety,” Kammerer said. “We want to help them get the resources they need to continue the fight.”
Charity Offers Donation OCEAN CITY – Swim Ocean City Director Corey Davis donated $500 to Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli in Ocean City to help with the restaurant’s 50% discounts to medical staff, grocery store workers and postal service employees. “I wanted to do something for the people who are taken for granted at times and the backbone of the community,” said Davis. “They give up so much of their personal life so everyone else can have a better quality of living. These are the individuals that give a lot more than they receive and are often under appreciated.” Rosenfeld’s is a traditional, kosherstyle, full service Jewish deli restaurant. While Rosenfeld’s has always provided discounts to firemen, first responders and military personnel, owner Warren Rosenfeld wanted to extend this discount to help feed medical professionals on the front line who are in close contact with COVID-19 patients every day. “Offering the medical professionals the 50% discount was the right thing to do. It gives them an incentive to buy food that they otherwise might not buy. It lets us do a really good thing for the community, recognizing the people right SEE NEXT PAGE
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April 17, 2020
now that are truly on the front lines,” said Rosenfeld. Swim Ocean City is a local nonprofit organization that raises funds for research and awareness of traumatic brain injuries and promotes the positive effects that sports have on the brain and body. Every summer in July, Swim Ocean City hosts Ocean Games -- an open water swim competition -- to help raise funds. Unfortunately, this year Ocean Games was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Yacht Club Sets Record BERLIN – The Ocean Pines Yacht Club on Sunday shattered its own records for delivery and carryout sales. On Easter Sunday, the Yacht Club sold 281 family meals. Designed to feed a family of four, that means the Yacht Club fed more than 1,100 people in a single day. Because of state mandates related to COVID-19, the restaurant temporarily moved to delivery and carryout only, on March 18. After a modest start, sales have grown each week and hit a new peak over the holiday weekend. Ralph DeAngelus, cofounder of the Matt Ortt Companies that runs the Yacht Club, said Easter Sunday was especially gratifying. “It was a grueling day, but the Matt Ortt management team hung in there and is immensely proud, not only of this accomplishment, but of the whole three weeks of delivery service,” DeAngelus said. Along with setting sales records, the Ortt Companies have also made it a point to give back to the community. On Easter Sunday, the Yacht Club donated and delivered family meals to the night shift working at the Atlantic General Hospital Emergency Room. Additionally, he said all tips received since March 18 would go to hourly staff laid off because of COVID-19. “Our goal from day one has been to acquire $10,000 dollars in tips to give to the staff on their first day back to work,” he said. “We can’t wait to see the look on their faces when they walk through the door on their first day of work and we hand each one of them an envelope with the tip money that we earned from all these deliveries. “We want them to know how much we appreciate and missed them, and we think this will be a great start to their summer,” DeAngelus continued. “We are absolutely confident we will hit our goal of $10,000, as the Ocean Pines residents have been so very generous.” The Yacht Club is currently open for delivery and carryout from Wednesday through Sunday from 4-8 p.m. Orders may be made starting at 3:30 p.m. each day. To order, call 410-641-7501 or order online at http://toasttab.com/ocean-pines-yacht-club. A special menu for delivery and carryout service is available at https://www.opyachtclub.com/restaurant-menu. “The greetings we get from Ocean Pines residents when we arrive at their door with these family meals has
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch been heartwarming to say the least,” DeAngelus said. “Everyone has been so appreciative and generous that it has made all this work truly rewarding. DeAngelus added, “We have our fingers crossed that this ends over the next couple of weeks and things get back to normal in May. We talk everyday of how much we can’t wait to see a filled-up deck with Great Train Robbery on stage, the tiki bar pumping out drinks, and people eating outside and dancing in the moonlight. It’s coming. We can feel it.”
Salisbury Property Sold SALISBURY – Tonney Insley and Chris Peek recently settled on 924 W. Isabella Street. Peek brought the buyer, a trucking company that plans to use the property to run their daily operations. Tonney had the property listed for sale for just over three months before it sold. Betsy Cottingham, the seller, said, “the transaction with Tonney was quick and easy.” The property was initially purchased by Cottingham as an investment back in 2013. Over the years, it has been occupied by several small businesses, but when it became vacant at the end of 2019, Cottingham decided it was time to sell. Peek had a perfect buyer who operates a small trucking company. The property and building suited all their needs and the settlement actually happened before initially planned. The buyer said, “Our agent, Chris Peek, did an excellent job for us and we will use him and SVN Miller in the future.”
Wealth Of Knowledge
BY COLLIN MACOMBER
SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH
BERLIN – When approaching or living in retirement, your nest egg is hopefully the largest it has ever been. Retirement, in most instances, means you are moving from accumulation to distribution. This is a critical juncture in your financial lifespan. Why would you take unnecessary risk to chase higher returns which could result in equally large losses? Unfortunately, this situation is far too present with the current “Corona Crisis” and the quickest bear market the United States has ever experiCOLLIN enced. To give some MACOMBER context, the second and third fastest bear markets both took place during the Great Depression. Fortunately, there are alternatives, like indexing, available to reduce the volatility that we have experienced thanks to COVID-19. What is indexing? Indexing allows you to track a popular market index such as the S&P 500. The most attractive feature for pre-retirees and retirees is these investment options offer a 0% floor, meaning you simply cannot lose any of your principal or interest already credited. The price is
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these products come with either a participation rate or a cap. A participation rate is the percentage of the index return you will experience. For instance, if you had a 75% participation rate and the S&P 500 saw an increase of 10% that year your account would be credited 7.5%. A cap allows you to experience all the returns of the index up to the specified cap. For example, if you had a 12% cap and the S&P 500 increased 15% you would get 12%, however if the S&P 500 increases 10% you would be credited all 10%. Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and third richest man in the world, lives by two rules -- don’t lose money and never forget rule number one. If you had $100,000 invested in the market and you lost 50% what return would you need to get back to $100,000? Many people will say “I lost 50% so I would need 50% to be even.” Losing 50% would mean you lost $50,000 and now have $50,000 left. In order to grow the $50,000 back to $100,000 you would need to double your money or receive a return of 100% which is a difficult task. During a great bull market, you receive a portion of the upside gain with indexed products in trade for protection from the downside. (The writer is an investment advisor with Key Financial Services. The entire KFS team can be reached at 410-629-0357.)
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The Adventures Of Fatherhood By STEVE GREEN
n general, parents are incrediby hard on themselves. I’ve long thought this was the case, but the quarantine of 2020 has been revealing. I see the pressure imposed every day at home as well as through conversations with friends. My wife is an overachiever. She’s giving homeschool her all, but with it comes inevitable frustrations. Distance learning is challenging. Everyone – from the teachers and administrators at school to the parents and kids at home – is doing the best they can in impossible circumstances. However, reality is tough these days because people are out of their elements. Parents should not be teaching their own kids. Children should not be utilizing bedrooms as classrooms. Parents need to work for balance and success, and kids need to be in school for their academic and social wellbeing. The fact is people are struggling. While “continuity of learning” is the goal, we are kidding ourselves if we think it’s the same for everyone. Technology is amazing most of the time, but it’s not always perfect, leading to frustrations for all. Virtual learning is just not the same type of well-rounded education our children deserve. Most parents know this full well and subsequently have put a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves to be all things to their children. I know this is certainly the case with my wife and our sixth and fourth graders. I came across an article on the subject of parents overwhelming themselves at home during this period of closure on fatherly.com. It’s an interesting perspective from a fellow writer dad, Patrick A. Coleman, and here are some excerpts. I recently interviewed the amazing Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Senior Vice President of Curriculum & Content for Sesame Workshop (the people be-
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hind Sesame Street), who offered a very apt description of what families are facing. “Parenting is hard enough as it is,” she said. “And now we’re doing hard parenting in hard times.” Damn straight. But here’s the thing about this unique and isolated moment: When the parenting gets hard, parents need to be less hard on themselves. That expansive world of child-rearing you once lived in — with its caregivers, inlaws, school staff, playdates and family outings — has been compressed into the boundaries of your home. Worse, so has your standard workday. Parents everywhere are now expected to be, simultaneously, an employee, an educator, an entertainer, a coach, a nurturing protector, an information technology pro and a moral guide. And if that sounds impossible, that’s because it is impossible. None of us have enough time, energy or mental capacity to give all of our new roles the energy they deserve. I know this doesn’t sound like a peptalk. It’s not, really. That said, I want to release you from some of the stress you are feeling and maybe focus your priorities a bit. In fact, you should have one priority: Care for your family. ... Of course, the children complicate things, simply with their presence. Also, there’s tremendous pressure to make sure that educational standards are met. And, of course, with screen time being the big bad evil, and the rise of childhood obesity and the insidious moral decay brought about by video games you have to make sure your kids are doing something active and educational and social and spiritually edifying … and … and … And, bullshit. You don’t have to do any of those things. You only need to provide a stable environment where your kids feel safe and loved. That’s it, and you’re al-
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ready doing a damn fine job of that simply by keeping your children home. What else do they actually need? They need to be fed at regular intervals. They need a fairly stable routine that has them waking and going to bed at roughly the same time every day. They need to be able to play. They need to know … you love them dearly. Everything else is extra. Education? Look, every one of your children’s peers is going through the same thing right now. It’s highly unlikely that what happens over the next weeks and months will put your child ahead or behind. You can only do what you can do. And frankly, if meeting every educational milestone will break you, then you need to focus on not being broken and relax the standards. It’s okay. Screen time? I’m going to stop just short of suggesting the evils of screen time are an all-out myth. The truth is that we simply don’t know. The research is still out. I think you can be forgiven if screen time creeps up during a pandemic. Your child’s mind will likely not be forever altered for the worse. … You can’t do everything and you should not be expected to. However, you are your kid’s anchor. Their world has already been destabilized and they need you to offer them a place where they can feel sheltered, and where they can still feel like children. This will all get sorted out eventually. We’ll all meet back up in the sunshine. It’s a long haul, but if you lean into love and turn away from the bullshit, you’ll make it through okay. This is your permission to let some things go. It’s the only way we’ll survive. (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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Operations Changes For County Libraries
April 17, 2020
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
BERLIN – Library operations, plans for a new branch and budget modifications highlighted a meeting of the Worcester County Library Board of Trustees this week. On March 23, the Worcester County Library shuttered its branches in accordance with Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order closing all non-essential businesses in the state of Maryland. Since that time, library staff have transitioned to telework, and all events and meeting room reservations have been canceled through April 30. But Library Director Jennifer Ranck told the board this week the digital library remains open. In addition to digital collections, patrons have access to online resources, educational tools, research databases and virtual programming. Ranck said the library’s closure has made officials rethink how it delivers programming in the future. “We might continue with virtual programming,” she said. “I think there might be some energy for that. Those that can’t join us for a program on Tuesday at 2 p.m. can watch it online on Thursday evening.” Ranck told the board that patrons are using email and social media to connect with the library. She added that patrons can also register for a virtual card to access the library’s digital collection. Ranck also noted that library staff continue to work from their homes, but continue to hold Zoom virtual meetings, create and execute virtual programs, complete webinars, and more. She said the goal for the coming weeks is to establish a plan for the library’s reopening. “I think in the next couple weeks we should begin to transition into coming back a couple days a week to prepare for the reopening …,” she said. “I’m hoping that happens sometime in May.” As plans move forward for a new Pocomoke branch, Ranck told board members she presented site options and schematics to the Worcester County Commissioners this week. Resulting from those conversations, she said, was the desire for more information related to the cost of a new facility. She said the discussion was focused on a building that was shared between the library and the senior center on a piece of property offered by the City of Pocomoke. “They wanted a detailed cost estimate …,” she said. “I’ve got some companies to go ahead and do that already and we should have that done in May.” Ranck told the board this week each of the county departments had been asked to reduce its budget requests for the coming fiscal year by 5%. She said the library has made changes to personnel and book costs and removed a new vehicle from its budget to accommodate the county’s request. “We should still be in good shape,” she said
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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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
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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.
Education Funding Bill Must Be Delayed The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
April 17, 2020
HOW WE SEE IT
In trying to form budgets for the next fiscal year, governments across the country are predicting – guessing is the better term – how much of a disastrous economic impact the COVID-19 health crisis will have. On the state front, Comptroller Peter Franchot reported last Friday the state should expect a 15% loss – about $2.8 billion – to the state’s general fund. The number is derived from losses in revenues from drastic drops in sales, income and withholding taxes and various fees. It’s going to be months before the economic recovery takes place for citizens, businesses of all sizes and government. There will be a tremendous adjustment period in the coming months. We worry life may in the future be known as pre-COVID-19 and postCOVID-19. The economy will surely rebound in time, but this will be a longterm recovery that will take years, according to leading economists.
Consequently, Maryland is not in a position to launch the pricey recommendations of the Kirwan Commission, a state task force charged with overhauling schools. The state, like other governments and every business, will use its reserves to balance out the losses from this unprecedented economic shutdown. It will take years to rebuild these emergency funds to adequate levels. It’s imperative to ensure dollars are available in the event of emergencies like this in the future. We have learned Mother Nature is not the only type of emergency reserves are needed for in this country. We think a pause is needed on the approved education bill, which currently sits on Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk awaiting his signature. Hogan has instituted a budget freeze and said clearly any bill increasing state spending will not advance. Clearly, the Kirwan bill – officially called Blueprint for Maryland’s future, is
just that, needing millions annually over 10 years to reform education. Hogan should veto the education reform bill for now and legislators should not override it. Maryland needs to recover before advancing programs and initiatives it cannot fund. There is an amendment in the legislation allowing for a delay should Maryland’s budget revenues drop by 8% at any time. Public education is to still be funded, but only at the Maintenance of Effort level, which keeps with inflation annually. Approving this bill without a promise and commitment of state funds will result in unfunded mandates for local education systems. The initiatives proposed to improve education are all well intentioned and necessary, but they are not emergencies. Formalizing a plan to get Maryland’s economy on track, citizens back to work and the marketplace open are more important at this time. Critical funds will be immediately needed to support these efforts.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Maryland Needs To Open Editor: (The following letter was addressed to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.) You have a very difficult job. We understand and appreciate your effort. But now is the time to agree that the curve has been flattened. We cannot keep the State closed in a quest to eliminate the curve. If you and other politicians insist on an extended shutdown, you can add millions of ruined lives to your resume. The economic destruction is and will be enormous to both private industry and government. Why is coronavirus the only illness exempt from a reasonable risk analysis? Where is the perspective? Next will politicians eliminate sugar from the food supply to combat diabetes? Ban all environmental factors that are known to cause cancer? Force all citizens to get a flu vaccine every year? Quarantine all people susceptible to HIV until a cure is found? Permanently evacuate all areas where mosquitos carry malaria? Ban suicide? Ban motor vehicles? Ban humans? The absurdity is beyond comprehension. You, unlike other governors, understand how economies function and the destruction occurring each day Maryland remains closed. So why are you not taking concrete steps to open immediately? Is this about federal funds? What can be more important than the lives of all of the constituents? The fastest way to increase the state’s coffers is to open back up. Politicians are destroying this country. Please be bold, stop the insanity and open. Everyone can wear masks and maintain social distance. Restau-
rants can reduce seating. Vulnerable people can remain at home. No doubt there are many solutions that creative minds will find if you just let them. The people have a choice. It is time for us to make it. Yes, sadly, some people will catch the virus. Presumably the hospitals have used the past month to prepare. We mourn for those who have succumbed to this virus and worry greatly for the health care workers on the front line. We must strike a balance, however, between those at risk from the virus and those at risk from shuttering the economy. This is not a case of "money vs lives". It is "lives vs lives". I do have a question that requires an answer. Does the state have the constitutional authority to order a business to close for an extended period of time? And to determine what is an essential business and what is not? And require these businesses to pay taxes while they are closed? Again, I appreciate the pressure you are under. Imagine what it will be when the federal government is unable to bail everyone out. Sue Seboda
Take Back Our Lives Editor: With the daily news cycle currently filled with stories regarding COVID-19, I truly believe that it is essential to our region and our country to put politics aside and insist that our elected officials at the local, state and federal level deal with the coronavirus threat in a responsible manner. Initial concerns were warranted and sincere, but it quickly
became obvious that political grandstanding was irresistible. Creating fear translated into higher cable TV ratings and meant even more opportunity for politicians at all levels to gain a platform and to then ramble on as if they were suddenly knowledgeable about the actual threat and what needed to be done. Instantly, it became fashionable for governors and mayors to make declarations and create panic in our community. Network and cable news channels would provide cover by creating even more fear with sensationalism and by extrapolating the problems seen in New York City over the entire USA. While no facts supported the narrative, the “threat” of our hospitals being overrun and future supply shortages became the story, which again created panic. According to every published report I’ve seen, the actual threat of illness and/or death is extremely low to citizens in our area, especially for healthy people without underlying health issues. But we never see or hear a report that puts the numbers in the prospective of a country with 330,000,000 citizens. It would be nice to hear 329,950,000 Americans will survive the virus. As of Monday, April 14, Ocean City had zero reported COVID-19 cases. Worcester County had approximately 20 cases, but zero deaths. So, to again stoke fear and panic, some continue to warn that any out-of-state visitors will surely bring the virus and expose us to an outbreak, as if we have no control SEE NEXT PAGE
April 17, 2020
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR of our own actions while we’re out and about. We should obviously evaluate the actual risks of the virus based on the facts, not the worse-case scenario or motivations of ambitious politicians. Other factors should also be considered when determining what actions will be taken. We need to consider what governmental actions are appropriate and most effective, and what actions are counterproductive to the overall public health. I feel strongly that we need to be concerned about the assault on civil liberties when citizens are threatened by police or public officials to not congregate. We should be realistic about the actual damage to families and marriage that will occur when jobs are lost and understand that high unemployment will fuel more substance abuse and suicide. We should weigh the effects of social isolation, which will most likely lead to an increase in mental illness and more depression at a time we have a shortage of mental health professionals. We need to accept the fact that businesses are failing and will continue to fail. We now need to determine how we can reduce the number that will fail. While there are definite risks associated with lifting restrictions and allowing people to move around freely to conduct business, and live to their lives, I believe there are greater longterm risks associated with not doing so. Economic risks as well as other risks. We need to take back our lives. And We need to get back to work. I feel we all also need to work to educate, protect and help those identified as high risk and those most vulnerable to the coronavirus. And those at high risk will also need to use common sense, ask for help when needed, and work to protect themselves. We all know the routine since it has been the mantra for three months and it makes sense. Practice good personal hygiene, keep your distance, avoid touching your face and if you’re not well stay home and limit your exposure. Let’s all do our best to be responsible and use common sense. Michael James Ocean City
Common Sense Policies Needed Editor: I submit this view as one shared by many condo owners and local businesses whom operate seasonal rental business in Ocean City. It is time to cease canceling events and reopen Ocean City with “common sense” policies in place now that the Pandemic is starting to wane and the statistics suggest much lower mortality rates than hyped in the news with “reliable” news reports also starting to suggest that it may not be the virus itself, but individuals predisposed to secondary infections that are at most risk of serious illness caused by CO-
Between The Lines
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
VID-19. The implication of all this is the vast majority of folks have a fairly benign reaction to the virus. Thus, let’s protect the at-risk and release the rest of us from “lock-down purgatory”. Although, condo owners are “nonresidents” by definition, many of us spend a significant amount of time in OC. Nonetheless, we are often viewed as “second class citizens” by many locals, including apparently, government officials. It is important that OC residents and government remember it is OC businesses and condo owners that are the lifeblood of this community, paying the majority of the fees and taxes that allow Ocean City to operate and be the successful vacation destination site it has been for so long and for so many. Thus, canceling major events well in advance of planned dates may in retrospect appear to have been a knee jerk overreaction to early news reports that is likely to have caused more harm than good. It is worth noting that, although certain business subsidy programs rolled out by the federal and state governments may prove helpful to businesses during the closing of the country, they generally do not help the condo business owner class in OC as we do not hire employees, but generally do all the hard work ourselves or through use of OC independent contractors. Thus, despite the loss of revenue to the condo owner due to overly aggressive government closures, ongoing costs such as taxes, mortgages, fees, etc. continue unabated. One might think the city would be looking for ways to help mitigate impacts to this important constituency through some sort of property tax abatement or tax deferral program, but I am going to suggest that idea has, as they would say a snowballs chance in h-edouble toothpicks. This is because the city will continue to need its revenue to survive, just like the condo owners, make sense? Now is the time to reopen the city. Some will read this and think that it is insensitive to the tragic loss of life that is occurring as a result of COVID-19, and I can assure you that is not my intent, but we must also realize that loss of economic status, occurring at unprecedented levels across this country will result in mental illness, and other ailments, including spikes in suicide related to loss of employment that may well far exceed the damage caused by the virus. The time is now. Let’s reopen OC using targeted policies that make sense and are based on fact, not hyperbole. Let’s save what remains of the summer season before it is too late for many. It is time for OC government to now do its job and fulfill its obligations to the many businesses and owners who are the heartbeat of this great city. John Fenn Ocean City
Page 33
By Publisher/Editor Steve Green
There has been a major shift this week regarding COVID-19. Rather than robust fear and anxiety, I am seeing drastic increases in frustration and impatience as the days mount and livelihoods become increasingly jeopardized. It’s been almost five weeks since the local economy was shut down with the closure of restaurants, bars, real estate and retail stores followed closely by the shuttering of most hotels and other nonessential businesses. A noticeable rise in tensions has surfaced this week. Not even the injection of some one-time stimulus dollars was enough to stave off criticism and concerns over when the economy will open. Some major venom toward Gov. Larry Hogan has been showing up daily on a Facebook page called “Reopen Maryland.” Organizers of the page are planning a “peaceful protest” in Annapolis on Saturday at noon. Modeled after a similar event in Michigan, protestors will line up in their vehicles “as a unified voice to demand the reopening of our state. Enough is enough,” the Facebook page contends. At Thursday’s Ocean City Mayor and Council meeting, a sense of urgency was sought by Councilman John Gehrig. Not one to shy away from expressing his opinion, Gehrig was vocal during the meeting, encouraging his colleagues to join him in seeking a plan for getting Ocean City open as soon as safely possible. Gehrig is hoping the resort will improve its messaging through better marketing, reminding visitors Ocean City will soon be ready for you rather than continue with the previous statements to stay away because it’s unsafe. “I’m not saying let’s open today or tomorrow, but let’s have a plan,” he said. “We have to have a plan for success, but success doesn’t mean the coronavirus is suddenly gone. It’s going to be here. We need to prepare to live with it. Everybody needs to make personal decisions. If you’re at high risk or if you’re afraid, stay home and quarantine. For others, we’re here for you.” Mayor Rick Meehan agreed with the sentiment to get out front with planning, but indicated it’s still a waiting game to a degree. “We can manage our population, but those numbers can change dramatically if we open up and suddenly add another 25,000 or 50,000 people to the mix,” Meehan said. “There will be a gradual rollout for recovery, but we don’t want to do that too quickly. We don’t want to lose all of the ground we’ve gained. The worst possible thing is to relax a lot of these things and fall back into an even worse situation.” What is happening in Ocean City currently is occurring in most tourist locales around the country. For example, in a letter to Dare County Commissioners, Kitty Hawk Kites CEO John Harris reminded his elected officials, “Outer Banks businesses need to open back up at the earliest feasible time and do what business they can. They will still need assistance but at least it will give them a shot at surviving.” Harris continued, “I’m almost 73. I am aware that opening the Outer Banks may put people in my age bracket at increased risk. But at this point, I have been educated on how to protect myself. It’s up to me to do that. It is up to the restaurants and businesses to put the best policies and practices in place, so that they can protect their employees and their customers. But let’s open those bridges to a trickle of visitors at least. Let’s make the Outer Banks the haven it was for malaria victims in the 1800’s. It is a haven and a place to heal for everyone. Let’s find a way to let our visitors come here to heal in spirit, while providing a way for our tourism industry to endure. It’s a big challenge to balance public safety and our local economy, but we have to find a way to do it. If we don’t, we will suffer the consequences of a lower quality of life.” The worst thing for the region would be to reopen for a few weeks, record a huge spike in cases due to out-of-towners visiting the shore and then for the state to impose tough restrictions all over again. There’s no guarantee this will happen, but the chances are incident rates will climb when restrictions are lifted. One thing that is known is the state will take a drastic approach if the virus becomes a huge public safety concern once again. When the incidences do jump inevitably, the hope is the health care system will be better prepared now than in March. Another week should provide enough evidence to confirm Maryland is heading toward the down side of the curve. Once that’s a definite, we need to phase out the restrictions. One official in Annapolis suggested a plan under consideration is a four-month phasing out of restrictions – the first month restaurants will be able to have 25% of their occupancy, followed by an increase of 25% increments over the next few months. I think that plan is ridiculous. I sure hope the governor’s intentions are swifter. These sorts of measures amount to living in fear. Once an adequate number of tests are available in the state, I believe a gradual phasing out of the restrictions is proper over weeks not months. Hogan reported more details will be coming next week on the state’s plan to bring businesses back on line. I hope to see a timeline released. This will provide business owners what they most need right now – hope.
The Dispatch Classifieds
Page 34
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
$15/Week For Minimum Of Five Lines • $2 Thereafter Per Line Display Classified Ads: $20/Week Per Column Inch (Contract Discounts Available)
TECHNICIANS
HELP WANTED CLEANERS: Cleaners needed. Male or Female. High School students welcome to apply. PT, but can lead to FT beginning in May. Call 410-422-4826. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SUMMER CLEANERS: Now hiring Summer cleaners for 2 condo’s. 2x wk or more, min. Must be dependale & have own trans. 267-254-0111. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SOUTHSIDE GRILL WOC: Hiring Line Cooks, Kitchen Help, Dishwashers. YR, FT or PT. Ambitious, willing to work individuals only. Pay neg. based on performance. 9923 Stephen Decatur Hy. 410-2131572. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
PT CHURCH PIANIST/ ORGANIST/ACCOMPANIST: Salaried (negotiable), 6-8 hrs per wk. Accompanies worship service hymns & special music. Please submit contact info & res. to: St. Matthews By-the Sea, UMC, Attn: SPRC, 1000 Coastal Hwy, Fenwick Island, De 19944 or email: smbts@verizon.net
Call 410-352-5252
Ride the B
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OC!
I NDI AN RI VER MA RI NA NOW H IRI NG!
•RAMP ATTENDANT •CUSTODIAL/GROUNDS •FUEL DOCK •BOATYARD For additional information, please contact the Marina office at 302.227.3071 AA/EOE
CASHIER/ SALES ASSOCIATE Must be friendly & dependable FT/PT-Year Round 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
Storm Shutter & Window Installers
Local specialty contractor seeking individuals for our storm shutter division and window division. Experience in storm shutters, windows & doors, and garage doors is a plus, but training is available. Driver’s license and transportation required. Please forward resume to: paola@masterjackwindows.com. Applications available on site at 11935 Hammer Road, Bishopville, MD
$1000 SIGNING BONUS FOR PLUMBERS with POSEIDON PLUMBING HOME SERVICES! We offer paid training, vacation and personal days. We also offer a quality benefits package including health, dental, vision and life ins. Wage is BOE from $15-$30. Based in the Berlin/OC area. What we require: -Min. 4 years experience -Valid Driver's License -Reliable form of contact -Background Check -Ability to pass a drug test -Positive attitude and willingness to learn If you feel that you can fill this position call us to set up an interview. We can be reached at 410-251-1096.
POSEIDON PLUMBING & HOME SERVICES
PUT YOUR LOGO IN COLOR FOR JUST $10
CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Md. 21811
Deadline For Insertions, Cancellations And Payment Is 3 p.m. Tuesday. Pre-Payment Is Required. We Accept Visa & MasterCard.
Peninsula Irrigation, Inc. is expanding & currently seeking exp. installation & service technicians. Exp. pref., but will train right person. Must be self-motivated, have drivers license & transportation.
April 17, 2020
Currently hiring manpower for
•STUCCO & EIFS MECHANICS • CARPENTERS •CONCRETE BLOCK •COATINGS SPECIALISTS •FLAT CONCRETE •CONCRETE REPAIRS •PT WELDER •COMMERCIAL CAULKING •WINDOW & DOOR INSTALLERS Experience Preferred. Tools, transportation & a valid driver’s license are a plus.Competitive benefit package available. Please apply in person at 11935 Hammer Rd, Bishopville, MD, or apply online: http://allstatesconst.com/delmarva-renovations-careers
ROOMMATES
RENTALS
OP ROOMMATE: Spacious Master BR w/BA in quiet home. 5 mi. from the beach. Prefer mature female, long term. $950 per mo. + shared util’s. 410-963-4366. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SUMMER ROOM FOR RENT: $600 for April. Summer Rental May 1-Sept 1. $3,500 per person + sec. dep. & elec. 4 spots available. 443610-4665. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– SNOW HILL:Young woman seeks same to share adorable 2BR cottage. Upscale renovation. Central Air, W/D. Downtown near river. Walk to everything. $395/month. No smoking/pets. 410-972-9411. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
SEASONAL RENTAL: 2BR, 2BA, NORTH OC. Luxury, Modern, Reno., First fl. Townhouse w/hardwood flr., deck, pool, parking. Sleeps 5. $12,500 for May-Sept. No pets or smokers. Cred. ck., ref.’s, sec. dep. For families or professionals. Vic 410-422-5164. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– YR, MONTEGO BAY: Multiple properties. 3 & 4BR. From $1,200-$1,600 per mo. + util.’s. 443-513-1150. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WEEKLY RENTAL: 4BR, 2 1/2BA. Fully furnished. W/D, Pool, Tennis court. Quiet community. 7 miles from the beach. $2,500 per wk. Call Mike for details. 410-877-3894. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WEEKLY, SEASONAL OR YEAR ROUND. West OC cozy loft apt. Available now. Access to everything. Electric & wifi included. 410-726-5236 or 443-513-0227. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– YEAR-ROUND WEST OCEAN CITY RENTALS: Efficiency, 1 Bdrm, 2 Bdrm & 3 Bdrm. From $750 per month. Call 410-430-9797. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– YEAR-ROUND: 11212 Gum Point Road/Berlin Waterfront Rental. 4 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom $1,300 per month. Call 410-430-9797. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
COMMERCIAL WEST O.C. OFFICE/RETAIL SPACES AVAILABLE: 1 OfficeRetail and 1 Warehouses. Plenty of Parking. 443-497-4200. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
LOOKING EVERYWHERE? The Dispatch classified pages can point you in the right direction.
Ceja’s Landscaping & More!
SERVICES HOUSE CLEANING BY LOCAL COMPANY, EVERCLEAN: 8 years in business. Affordable rates. Reliable service. Discounts available. 443-856-5301. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– HANDYMAN SPECIALIST: General maintenance of all types, All powerwashing. Build/Stain/PWash Decks. Drywall repair. Painting. Property Management. Call for any other odd jobs! Joe 443-610-4644. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
•YARD MAINTENANCE •PAINTING •POWER WASHING 410-251-3425 410-202-2545
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Legal Notices
LEGAL RATES Legal advertising rate is $7 per column inch. Deadline for all legal advertising is Tuesday at noon. For more information, call 410-641-4563 or fax 410-641-0966.
THIRD INSERTION
LESLIE CASE DIPIETRO ESQ. PROCINO-WELLS & WOODLAND, LLC 616 WILLIAM STREET BERLIN, MD 21811
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:
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18244
(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
To all persons interested in the estate of RICHARD R. NEVILLE, ESTATE NO. 18244. Notice is given that WILLIAM WALLACE NEVILLE, 24 LINKS LANE, BERLIN, MD 21811, was on, MARCH 31, 2020 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of RICHARD R. NEVILLE, who died on DECEMBER 26, 2019, 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 30th day of SEPTEMBER, 2020.
(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 APRIL 03, 2020 WILLIAM WALLACE NEVILLE Personal Representative True Test Copy
The Dispatch
April 17, 2020
LEGAL RATES: Legal advertising rate is $7 per column
inch. Deadline for all legal advertising is Tuesday at noon. For more information, call 410-641-4563 or fax 410-641-0966.
TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 4-03, 4-10, 4-17
THIRD INSERTION
B. RANDALL COATES ESQ COATES, COATES, & COATES P.O. BOX 293 SNOW HILL, MD 21863 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18243 To all persons interested in the estate of ALLAN BAKER MYERS, AKA: ALLAN B. MYERS, ESTATE NO. 18243. Notice is given that JOHN WAYNE MYERS, 245 SOUTH MAIN AVENUE, ALBANY, NY 12208, was on MARCH 30, 2020 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ALLAN BAKER MYERS, who died on DECEMBER 11, 2019, 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 30th day of SEPTEMBER, 2020. 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, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine 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
Legal Notices
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
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 APRIL 03, 2020 JOHN WAYNE MYERS 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 4-03, 4-10, 4-17
THIRD INSERTION
HEATHER R. KONYAR, ESQ. 313 LEMMON HILL LANE SALISBURY, MD 21801 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18237 To all persons interested in the estate of DAVID SCOTT DEANGELIS, ESTATE NO. 18237. Notice is given that CRYSTAL DEANGELIS, 735 BRADLEY ROAD, UNIT 210, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842, was on, MARCH 26, 2020 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of DAVID SCOTT DEANGELIS, who died on FEBRUARY 19, 2020, 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 26th day of SEPTEMBER, 2020. 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, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine 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 APRIL 03, 2020 CRYSTAL DEANGELIS 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 4-03, 4-10, 4-17
FIRST INSERTION
JAMES W. ALMAND ESQ. AYRES JENKINS GORDY & ALMOND, PA 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 200 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18249 To all persons interested in the estate of SHEILA K. ZIMMER, ESTATE NO. 18249. Notice is given that ROBERT F. ZIMMER, 1579 BRIMFIELD CIRCLE, SYKESVILLE, MD 21784, was on, APRIL 7, 2020 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of SHEILA K. ZIMMER, who died on MARCH 19, 2020, 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 7th day of OCTOBER, 2020. 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, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine 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 APRIL 17, 2020 ROBERT F. ZIMMER 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, 4-17, 4-24, 5-1
FIRST INSERTION
B. RANDALL COATES ESQ COATES, COATES, & COATES P.O. BOX 293 SNOW HILL, MD 21863 SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18250 To all persons interested in the estate of RAYMOND SMITH GINN, ESTATE NO. 18250. Notice is given that RAYMOND J GINN, 26288 KENSINGTON LANE, SALISBURY, MD 21801, was on, APRIL 8, 2020 appointed Personal
Page 35
Representative of the small estate of RAYMOND SMITH GINN, who died on AUGUST 7, 2019, 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 an 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. A claim not served or filed within that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication APRIL 17, 2020 RAYMOND J GINN 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, 4-17, 4-24, 5-1
FIRST INSERTION
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 18252
To all persons interested in the estate of LINDA S. MATRICCIANI AKA LINDA SUSAN MATRICCIANI, ESTATE NO. 18252. Notice is given that LAUREN CHRISTINE BUETTNER, 1218 CARROLLTON LANE, BERLIN, MD 21811, was on, APRIL 13, 2020 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of LINDA S. MATRICCIANI, who died on MARCH 18, 2020, 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 13th day of OCTOBER, 2020. 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, except if the decedent died before October 1, 1992, nine 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 APRIL 17, 2020 LAUREN CHRISTINE BUETTNER 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, 4-17, 4-24, 5-1
Page 36
… Judge Extends Restrictions On Court Operations Through June 5
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
FROM PAGE 6 ing by the governor’s orders, which is also good news,” she said. Despite the tentative June 5 extension, Heiser said while some cases could be heard after that date, most jury trials could linger well into summer under the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (MSSA) interpretation. “MSAA is interpreting the court’s latest orders to mean that courts will continue to operate in a restricted manner, as they currently are, until at least June 5,” she said. “For six weeks after that, no jury trials will be allowed, meaning we get to the end of July before the Court will even contemplate scheduling jury trials. One can only imagine what precautionary measures will be required at that point in time, and what the public’s reaction to getting a jury summons will be.” Heiser echoed Shockley’s sentiments about the physical limitations of the court facilities and social distancing and a return to normal. As a result, the system could look different even after the restrictions are eased. “Our courthouses, like many other public buildings, are not really designed to allow for social distancing and neither is the jury selection process,” she said. “I believe that significant changes will have to be made to a variety of court operations because of that fact.” In terms of Barbera’s second order regarding the potential release of inmates because of concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Heiser said her office remains receptive to the concept, but is not in a rush to simply open the doors of correctional facilities. The MSSA is following the guidelines issued by Barbera and each individual will be reviewed on a caseby-case basis. “I understand that other counties and other State’s Attorneys have taken many different positions with regard to those incarcerated during this unprecedented shutdown,” she said. “In Worcester County, we continue to work to make sure that any person who poses a threat to public safety continues to be held, whether they are pre-trial or post-trial, but pre-sentencing.” Heiser said with public safety and public health resources dedicated to battling the pandemic, considering releasing certain inmates and adding them to an already-stressed community could be premature. “Our commitment to keep the citizens of Worcester County safe remains the same, regardless of any
April 17, 2020
health crisis or economic shutdown,” she said. “In fact, it could be argued that it is even more imperative now than ever to make sure that dangerous criminals are not back on our streets. Our police, first responders, doctors and nurses on the front lines are already facing significant challenges simply dealing with the virus.” In some cases, those who have been charged with crimes remain in custody awaiting trials that keep getting pushed back. In other rare cases, some detainees have already had their cases adjudicated and are awaiting sentencing hearings. Heiser said all cases regarding the potential release of inmates would be weighed carefully on a case-by-case basis. “However, with the assistance of the warden and the Office of the Public Defender, we are also evaluating each locally-incarcerated defendant’s circumstances on a case by case basis, considering their overall health and risk level for contracting COVID19, in addition to the normal legal factors which would weigh in favor of or against release,” she said. “Certainly, if there are any individuals who we expect to receive a sentence of incarceration which is less than the time they have already served pending trial or sentencing, we would consider that fact as well. I will say that it is not unusual for the defendant’s expectation of sentence to be far less than the state’s expectation of sentence or the sentence for which the state intends to argue.” Like Shockley and his colleagues on the bench all across Maryland, Heiser said court closures do not necessarily mean significant downtime for prosecutors and her staff. Instead, they are utilizing the time to make the judicial process even more efficient when the time is right and the restrictions are relaxed. “In the meantime, our prosecutors still participate in bond reviews and respond to motions and we are preparing for the full reopening of the courts by increasing our technological capabilities and software systems,” she said. “Because of the shutdown, my entire team has had an increased ability to focus on this huge data review and implementation project, which will be ongoing until at least the end of June,” she said. “The system will interface with the courts’ electronic filing system and will greatly increase our efficiency in the office, so that when we can start trying cases again, we will be even better prepared. We are all making the most of the situation as best we can.”
The Dispatch Is On The Web: Expanding Our Reach. Broadening Our Commitment. www.mdcoastdispatch.com
April 17, 2020
Sports
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In The News A Look At Local Sports This Week In Years Past
BY SHAWN J. SOPER
MANAGING EDITOR
With spring high school sports seasons on indefinite hiatus, The Dispatch thought it might be interesting and fun to take a look back at what was making local sports headlines this same week in years past. Many of the players went on to do great things in college both athletically and academically and some now even have kids of their own in local youth sports programs. The following is a look back at the last five, 10 and 20 years. The following is a brief glimpse of what was making headlines on the sports pages of The Dispatch this week five years ago: •Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team stayed on a roll this week, beating old rival Salisbury School, 161, on the road for their fourth straight win. The Mallards record now stands at 6-1 on the season after the win over the Dragons. Since its only loss of the season to D.C. power Bullis back on March 28, Worcester has now won four straight including wins over Salisbury School and St. Maria Goretti in the last week. Against Salisbury School, just about everybody got involved in the 161 win. Wyatt Richins led the way with eight goals and three assists, while Patrick Petrara scored two goals. Sam Cantello scored a goal and dished out three assists, while Tucker Brown scored a goal and had an assist. Will Pedigo, Porter Bunting, and Ross Dickerson each scored single goals. Dickerson was dominating at times, grabbing 14 of 17 faceoffs and scooping up seven ground balls. Carter Hill
and Jason Cook each had an assist, while Wade Walter and Jack Fager combined for five saves in the net for the Mallards. The win over Salisbury School came on the heels of a 16-6 Mallard victory over St. Maria Goretti last week. Petrera led the attack in that win with five goals, while Cantello scored three times and dished out three assists. Brendan Miller also scored three times and had an assist, while Reid Carey scored two goals. Richins scored one goal, but dished out four assists, while Brown had a goal and three assists. Dickerson won 22 faceoffs and scooped up 13 ground balls. Walter recorded 10 saves in the net. •Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team continued to plow through the early part of its 2015 schedule with a resounding 19-0 win over North Caroline last Friday. The Seahawks are now 4-0 to start the season with wins over Saints Peter and Paul, Kent Island, Easton and now North Caroline. During the four-game streak, the Seahawks have outscored their opponents by a combined 64-11 and are averaging 16 goals per game while giving up less than three per game. •Stephen Decatur’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team collected two wins against Bayside North opponents last week, beating Easton, 7-5, followed by a 10-0 rout of North Caroline last Friday. The Seahawks are now 3-1 after the first segment of their schedule, their only loss coming to Kent Island, 10-9, back on March 30. Decatur opened with an 8-4 win over Saints Peter and Paul and have now collected wins over Eas-
This week 10 years ago, Worcester Prep’s Molly Dickerson moved the ball on offense against Sussex Tech in a game won by the Mallards. Photo by Shawn Soper
Decatur’s Corey Gwin scores on diving shot this week five years ago. Gwin scored three goals in the win over Easton. Photo by Shawn Soper
ton and North Caroline since the loss to the Buccaneers. Decatur faced Easton on a cold, rainy, dreary field at home and prevailed, 7-5, in the low scoring contest. Corey Gwin led the attack with three goals, while Steve Alther scored twice. Matt LeCompte and Shane Moore each scored single goals. Dryden Brous won seven faceoffs, while Will Hastings collected six saves in the net. The following are some of the highlights of The Dispatch sports pages from this week 10 years ago: •Worcester Prep’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team enjoyed a successful week, beating Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) rival Salisbury School on the road before routing visiting James M. Bennett at home. The Mallards got out to a big lead against Salisbury School on Monday and held on for what turned out to be a fairly tight game against the Dragons. Jackie Wangel scored three goals and dished out three assists in the win, while Tory Dickerson added two goals. The win extended Worcester’s lead in the ESIAC standings to two games. The Mallards were back in action on Tuesday against Bennett and had a much easier time with the Clippers. The game started slow with neither team able to get much going on offense, but Worcester got it cranked up in the latter part of the first half and led 8-0 at the intermission and cruised to the 13-3 win. Mackenzie White led Worcester with four goals. Worcester goalkeeper Melanie Leiner, who was pitching a shutout until Bennett scored on a penalty shot halfway through the second half, finished with 12 saves. •Decatur’s Paul Stortini tossed a fiveinning no-hitter on the mound and Brian Hudson delivered all the runs his pitcher would need as the Seahawks blanked visiting Crisfield, 16-0, on Tuesday to improve 8-2 on the season. It was already 12-0 in the second inning when Hudson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. One swing of the bat later, Decatur led 16-0 as Hudson launched a bomb to right center to clear the bases. Hudson drove in seven runs all day including four on one big swing in the second. Hudson’s big day at the plate came
on a day when just one run would have done as Paul Stortini was nearly perfect on the mound. Stortini pitched a no-hitter and scattered a handful of walks in a five-inning game shortened by the slaughter rule. He also helped his own cause at the plate with a couple of hits. Decatur’s record now stands at 8-2 on the season including a 6-2 mark in the Bayside South. •Stephen Decatur’s varsity softball team continued its dominance on Tuesday, routing visiting Crisfield, 19-0, in a slaughter rule-shortened game behind a combined no-hitter by two pitchers and plenty of offensive firepower at the plate. Freshman Holly Melson started the game for Decatur and did not give up a hit through four innings. Another young Seahawk pitcher, Blakelyn Harrington, came on to close out the game and pitched a perfect fifth inning to complete the no-hitter for the Seahawks. With the Decatur pitchers tossing a combined no-hitter, just one run would have been enough Tuesday against the Crabbers, but, just as they have done all year, the Seahawks pounded the opposition at the plate. Senior Ali Justice had three hits and drove in four runs, while Shelby Jones also collected three hits and drove in two. Kylie Nottingham also had a big day, going 2-3 at the plate and driving in three runs. The following is a little snippet of the top sports stories in The Dispatch this week 20 years ago: •Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team routed conference rival Salisbury School, 15-2. After the game was relatively close through the first half, the Mallards used a big third quarter to pull away from the Dragons. Mike Heiderman led the offense with five goals, including three in the decisive third quarter. Trip Dyer and Tosh Tryon scored two goals each, while Andrew Lynch, Justin Roberts, David Schaeffer and Ben Bauer scored single goals. Goalie Chris Trumpower dominating in the net with 11 saves. •The foursome from Peninsula Bank won the 14th Annual Chamber Cup golf tournament and earned a trip to Myrtle Beach for a golf weekend. The winning foursome included Tom Mears, Will Esham, Doug Cook and Joe Harrison.
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Horoscopes
ARIES (March 21 to April 19): Don't be put off by a seemingly too-tangled situation. Sometimes a simple procedure will unsnarl all the knots and get you in the clear fast and easy, just the way the Lamb likes it. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): It's a good time to go through your work space – wherever it is – and see what needs to be replaced and what can be tossed (or at least given away) without a second thought. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Someone who disagrees with your position might try to intimidate you. But continue to present a fair argument, regardless of how petty someone else might be while trying to make a point. CANCER (June 21 to July 22): You might find yourself exceptionally sensitive to family matters this week. An issue could come to light that you had overlooked. Ask other kinfolk to discuss it with you. LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22): You might have more questions about a project (or perhaps someone you're dealing with on some level) than you feel comfortable with. If so, see which can be answered, which cannot, and why. VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22): It's a good time to clean up and clear out what you don't need before your tidy self is overwhelmed by "stuff." Then go celebrate the Virgo victory over clutter with someone special. LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22): You might feel a mite confused about why
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something you were sure couldn't go wrong didn't go all right either. Be patient. Things soon move into balance, exactly as you like it. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21): At this decision point, you could be moving from side to side, just to say you're in motion. Or you could be considering making a move straight up. What you choose is up to you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21): Although your finances should be in an improved situation at this time, thrift is still the savvy Sagittarian's smart move. Advice from a spouse or partner could be worth heeding. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19): Taking on a new challenge brings out the Goat's skills in maneuvering over and around difficult spots. Best of all, the Goat does it one careful step after another. (Got the idea, Kid?) AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18): Your well-known patience might be wearing thin because of a disturbing (and seemingly unending) problem with someone close to you. This could be a time to ask for help. Good luck. PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20): Be careful about a new venture that lures you into a "just look and see" mode. Be sure that what you're being given to see isn't hiding what you should be seeing instead. BORN THIS WEEK: Aries and Taurus give you the gift of leadership and the blessings of care and concern for all creatures. © 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
Things I Like ...
OCEAN CITY vanishing
April 17, 2020
WITH BUNK MANN
This postcard image (circa 1909) shows an Ocean City in the time before paved streets and traffic jams. Photographed from the old water tower on Somerset Street the view looks east across Baltimore Avenue toward the ocean. The tall brick chimney in the foreground was part of the town’s electric power plant while the original Atlantic Hotel took up the entire block across the street. The Pier Building can be seen behind the Atlantic Hotel with the pier stretching out into the ocean. The small building on the end of the pier contained a roller skating rink. All these buildings plus Dolle’s Candyland, the Casino Theatre, and the Seaside Hotel were destroyed in a huge fire that began in the power plant on Dec. 29, 1925. To purchase one of Bunk Mann's books, click over to www.vanishinPostcard image from Bunk Mann’s Collection goc.com.
The Dispatch Crossword Puzzle
By Steve Green
Being able to not leave the house on a nasty day Watching the sun rise from my kitchen Giving a good referral to a small business owner Not having an ashtray in the house Supporting restaurants throughout carryout Looking forward to the beach Movies with my kids at home Thinking about the Class of 2020 Office lunch deliveries Little footprints in the sand Hearing my son sing in the shower ANSWERS ON PAGE 30
Organizers Tweak Annual Native Plant Sale Fundraisers
April 17, 2020
BY BETHANY HOOPER
STAFF WRITER
SNOW HILL – Native plant sales will return to Worcester County this year with a few modifications. On May 1 and May 2, the Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) will continue to host its 13th Annual Native Plant Sale despite the ongoing pandemic. Complying with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and practicing proper social distancing, the plant sale will continue by pre-order and curbside pickup only. Lower Shore Land Trust Executive Director Kate Patton said this year’s 2020 Delmarva Pollinator Festival has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted, however, that the native plant sale would continue, albeit with a few changes. “This year we are doing pre-order only,” she said. “We will not allow browsing or for people to show up and look through our plants.” Unlike previous plant sales, Patton said this year individuals will order and pay for the plants online and schedule a time for curbside pickup at the Lower Shore Land Trust building in Snow Hill. While detailed instructions will be emailed to those who pre-order plants, she explained the nonprofit will have multiple pickup times and parking locations in an effort to limit contact. “We have spread out our pickups throughout the day, and we are asking people to pick a time,” she said. “There will be specific parking places, and everything will be prepaid.” Patton said she was pleasantly surprised by the number of pre-orders the nonprofit had already received. While she was at first hesitant to order too many plants for the sale, Patton said she is now reaching out to suppliers for more. “When we decided to go forward with the plant sale, we had a really good response,” she said. “I think people are excited to be out in their backyard and get their plants in.” Patton said the native plant sale is one of Lower Shore Land Trust’s largest annual fundraisers. Not only does it bring in unrestricted funding for the nonprofit, but it also provides critical habitats for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, bird and certain types of insects. “Because of habitat loss and development, the number of pollinators has declined,” she said. “And we are dependent on having these pollinators for many reasons. Most of the food we eat is pollinated in some fashion. It’s not just up to the farmers. Residential and public areas can have a tremendous impact.” This year’s plant sale includes more than 65 varieties of native plants, shrubs and trees. Patton said a copy of the nonprofit’s native plant guide – which lists the plants and growing conditions – is available online during the pre-order process.
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“We have plants that are good for pollinators, we have shade plants, we have sun-loving plants …,” she said. “They are all native to this region, so if they are put in the right conditions they will do really well.” Patton said the Lower Shore Land Trust will also work with Ocean City this year to offer residents a rebate program. “If they purchase a pollinator package from us, they will be reimbursed by the town,” she said. “They will order directly from us, and then they have to submit their receipt to the town.” Patton encouraged everyone to preorder through the nonprofit’s native plant sale. As many stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19, she said households now have additional time to spend in their yards. “We recognize there are a lot of
needs in our community, and we are doing our part to provide whatever services we can,” she said. “This helps reduce stress while also making a positive impact.” For more information, email kpatton@lowershorelandtrust.org or call 443234-5587. To pre-order native plants online, visit https://fs20.formsite.com/LSLT/ihd8eilad8/index.html Patton said certain plants may be restocked as they are sold out. Along with the LSLT’s plans, the Assateague Coastal Trust’s 21st Annual Native Plant Sale will be adjusted to mirror the times. An online plant sale store has been created at ActForBays.org/plant-sale. ACT’s Billy Weiland said many of the veggies and herbs available sold earlier in the month than years past. “With the situation that’s taking place,
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many in the community are using their time to tend to yards and gardens. It is a wise use of time, and I think that it should symbolize something good to our neighbors.” Though some of the tomato and pepper plant varieties have sold out, there are still select varieties available, and ACT’s inventory of native sun and shade pollinator plants will still be available for those looking to add a touch of prestige, with a side of well intentioned eco-mindedness to their gardens. To protect the health of the community and maintain the social distance protocol, ACT will notify individuals of the receipt of their order and arrange for a time of pickup on May 2nd. Orders will be available for pickup during specified times at the ACT office at 9842 Main St. in Berlin.
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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
April 17, 2020