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Festival Crowd Plans Include Downtown Vehicle Closure

Page 4

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – Expect major delays, plan ahead and be prepared for significant traffic pattern alterations, including the closure of the downtown area to vehicles, are the biggest takeaways from the resort’s plans for next weekend’s major music festival.

The inaugural Oceans Calling, featuring many nationally known and popular acts, is set for next weekend, Sept.

30-Oct. 2 in and around the Inlet and the pier. The concerts will take place all day, culminating with the headline acts – Dave Matthews, the Lumineers and Alanis Morrisette – each night.

The event is expected to draw 40,000 ticket holders to the resort over the weekend, which will likely create some logistic challenges for the town’s municipal transportation system, especially when the concerts for the major acts conclude each night. While some of the plans have been discussed at different levels, the government this week issued a release explaining the details for moving waves of concertgoers to and from the event and it included a few new elements.

For example, perhaps the biggest takeaway is the downtown area south of the Route 50 bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic between 9 p.m. and mid-

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

night each night of the three-day festival. The south turn lane off the Route 50 bridge will be restricted to emergency vehicles and mass transit vehicles only during those hours.

Vehicular traffic south on Philadelphia Avenue will be diverted onto North Division Street and north on Baltimore Avenue during the festival. In addition, a traffic pattern will be established to direct all southbound traffic on St. Louis Avenue to 2nd Street toward Philadelphia Avenue.

Another significant traffic pattern alteration involved Baltimore Avenue between South Division Street and Talbot Street during those designated hours of the festival when the largest crowds are expected to be attempting to leave the downtown area. Northbound traffic on Baltimore Avenue will be restricted to just one lane for private vehicles. The middle lane will be utilized to stage mass transit vehicles, while the easternmost lane on Baltimore Avenue will be designated for pedestrian use only during the festival.

The long and short of it is, Ocean City is essentially discouraging concertgoers from attempting to drive into and near the festival venue. The town’s release suggests parking in the downtown area will be extremely limited and festivalgoers are encouraged to utilize the town’s other parking areas and use

the municipal bus system to reach the venue.

Those who are coming to the event from outside town limits are encouraged to use the Park-and-Ride facility in West Ocean City. There are also municipal parking lots available at the convention center and at 100th Street that will be served by the municipal bus system throughout the three-day event.

Whether one is parked at his or her hotel or other accommodations, or at one of the municipal lots further uptown and away from the festival, the town will be providing bus service throughout the event. The “ride all day” pass is $3 and allows pass holders to ride from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Despite the availability of the municipal bus service, moving the throngs of people coming to and leaving from the festival is expected to create challenges, according to the town’s release.

“Concertgoers should anticipate bus demand after the event to be extremely high,” the release reads. “This will result in limited availability and delays for those leaving the event. Pack your patience when leaving the event. Transportation will be limited and delays are expected. Know what transportation method you would like to use and have a backup option.”

Another significant takeaway from the town’s Oceans Calling transporta-

September 23, 2022

Pictured is a graphic explaining changes in place for next weekend’s Ocean s Calling.

Submitted Image

tion plan released this week involves ride-share platforms such as Uber and Lyft, for example. The official drop-off and pick-up location for Oceans Calling for ride-shares will be at the downtown park at 3rd Street along the bay near St. Louis Avenue. The walk from the SEE PAGE 65

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County Extends Potential Sports Complex Land Buy Contract

September 23, 2022

BY CHARLENE SHARPE STAFF WRITER

SNOW HILL – The Worcester County Commissioners agreed this week to extend the settlement date for the purchase of 95 acres for a sports complex.

The commissioners voted 4-3 on Tuesday to extend the settlement date for the Route 50 property being considered for a sports complex to Jan. 31.

“My understanding is the sellers are amenable to this date,” said Roscoe Leslie, county attorney.

In April, the commissioners voted 4-

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3 to pursue the purchase of a 95-acre site owned by the Harrison family to develop a sports complex. A settlement date of Sept. 29 was set for the $7.1 million sale.

In the months since, county officials had an environmental site assessment completed. While it revealed no major issues with the property, the commissioners voted in August to spent $28,000 to have a consultant evaluate Route 50 access options for the site. There’s also been a change in plans as far as funding for the project. Though commissioners initially planned to buy the land with

bond funds, the bond resolution eventually voted on didn’t include the word acquisition. At that point, staff confirmed that the commissioners would have to identify a different way to fund the $7.1 million purchase.

Leslie said this week they still hadn’t done that and as a result needed to extend the settlement date. He said he’d drafted a contract amendment to extend the date to Jan. 31, 2023.

Commissioner Jim Bunting questioned Commissioner Joe Mitrecic about comments he’d read in the newspaper regarding a feasibility study un-

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derway by the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) related to the proposed sports complex.

“MSA is doing a study,” Mitrecic said.

“They are also looking at how much they could possibly fund this project. Because of what was just passed last year in the last session, they got $250 million. I believe it was to fund these types of projects. They’re still doing their study.”

Commissioner Chip Bertino asked whether MSA would potentially be providing a grant or a loan.

“It could be a combination of grants SEE PAGE 71

Council Abandons Property To Project Developer

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BY SHAWN J. SOPER

MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – A key next step in the development of the potential Margaritaville project downtown was taken this week with approval of an ordinance on second reading that will abandon a section of right-of-way along Baltimore Avenue to the developer, the first of what will likely be several similar ordinances.

A major renovation of the Baltimore Avenue corridor between North Division Street and 15th Street is in the works including undergrounding utilities, widening sidewalks and improving the overall aesthetics along the prominent corridor in the resort.

The project will be done in phases, although the exact timeline remains uncer-

tain, and the final price tag is unknown.

In the meantime, the town is in the process of abandoning and conveying an unused portion of the Baltimore Avenue right-of-way to the private-sector property owners along that section of the corridor. Baltimore Avenue is somewhat unique in that the original deeds show the right-of-way as 75 feet, but the current roadway only utilizes about 45 feet from curb to curb.

A review of the ancient deeds for Baltimore Avenue reveals a no man’s land of sorts of about 20 feet in some areas that will eventually be deeded back to the private property owners along the corridor.

Over the decades, private property along the corridor has steadily encroached on the original right-of-way platted over

a century ago. In some cases, the private property owners have signs, landscaping or even parking areas in the long-forgotten town-owned right-of-way.

For that reason, the town is in the process of abandoning and conveying that narrow strip of right-of-way back to the private property owners. It’s a process that will likely take several steps and multiple ordinances, but the first applicant in the process is the developer of the proposed Margaritaville project along Baltimore Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Street.

A planned overlay district has been approved for the proposed Margaritaville project, which requires a site of at least 90,000 square feet to qualify for the designation.

While the portion of right-of-way pro-

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posed for abandonment and conveyance to the Margaritaville developer adds up to about 6,000 square feet, it is needed for the project to meet the requirements for the planned overlay district (POD) designation.

Again, all of the property owners along the corridor will have the opportunity to apply for and receive the narrow strip of right-of-way, but it just so happens the Margaritaville project is the first.

On Monday, the Mayor and Council had before them for second reading an ordinance that will convey the 6,000 square feet of right-of-way to the developer. Local resident and former councilman Vince Gisriel called into question what appears to be an accommodation for the proposed massive project.

“When I first heard this plan, it seemed rather innocuous to me,” he said. “As I understand it, this ordinance tonight is one of several possible ordinances. This ordinance addresses a single block. I’m concerned you’re setting a precedent that could hurt the town.”

Although it wasn’t related to the ordinance before the council on Monday, Gisriel pointed out the town has already essentially granted to air rights over an alley that bisects the proposed Margaritaville project to the developers.

He essentially said at each step of the process the town has made accommodations for the project.

“If you pass this, it includes the abandonment of 6,000 square feet,” he said.

“I don’t think that was the original intent of the planned overlay district. I think 6,000 square feet has a tremendous amount of value and you’re ready to just give it away with this ordinance.”

Councilman John Gehrig pointed out the eventual abandonment and conveyance of the long-forgotten narrow strip of right-of-way along the corridor was going to made available to all of the property owners and the Margaritaville project just happened to be first.

“The Baltimore Avenue conversation has been going on long before my time up here,” he said. “It’s not just this one abandonment and conveyance. It’s available to every single property owner along that strip. It’s not just an ordinance created for a single property owner. They have an opportunity and we’re trying to expedite it for them.”

Councilman Mark Paddack agreed the right-of-way abandonment and the Baltimore Avenue revitalization project has been discussed for decades and it was just a next step in that process.

“This is not something new,” he said.

“This predates me but at some point, that last component between North Division Street and 15th Street revitalization is here before us now. It was talked about by previous councils long before this group took the leadership role to say let’s take a look at this for the future.”

Paddack questioned Gisriel’s assertion the town was simply abandoning the strip of right-of-way without any compensation. He said the Margaritaville project SEE NEXT PAGE

… Right-Of-Way Conveyance Paves Way For Margaritaville Complex

September 23, 2022

just happened to be the first applicant.

“You say the town is just giving that property away,” he said. “That property is owned by the town but it’s being utilized by adjoining property owners for their signs, for their steps, for parking but the town wasn’t taxing the use of that property. Now that we’re moving forward with this as the first, it’s a boiler plate for the start of the rest of the properties. It has to start somewhere, and this is the first one.”

Paddack said the town would be receiving increased tax revenue from abandoning and conveying the strip of right-of-way back to the private property owners.

“I want to remind the public this property is going back on the tax rolls,” he said. “It’s going to generate revenue back to the Town of Ocean City that wasn’t collected before. It helps us keep this constant yield tax rate where our residents and non-resident property owners are not seeing tax increases.”

Paddack said any measures that increase the tax base allows the town to continue to offer the services and amenities it provides to residents and guests.

“We have the vision and foresight to create and improve our employee pay, hire more employees to keep the town

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

clean and safe as best we can,” he said.

“It’s going to be taxed. No, it won’t be a lot of money, but it will create revenue for the town to allow us to do what we do.”

Although it was not germane to the right-of-way abandonment and conveyance issue, Paddack also referenced the conveyance of the air rights over the alleyway that bisects the potential Margaritaville property as another example of revenue generation.

“Overall, for the project, when we look at the air rights, there are going to be hotel rooms in those upper levels over that alleyway,” he said. “I share some of the same concerns as the residents in the area about the density of the project, but this project currently fits into the strategic plan and planning and zoning are going to hash it all out, but those rooms are going to generate room tax revenue from the day they open until 30 or 40 or 50 years down the road.”

After considerable debate, the council voted 6-1 with Council President Matt James opposed to approve the ordinance on second reading that will convey the narrow strip of right-of-way between 13th Street and 14th Street to the private property owner, facilitating a next step in the Margaritaville development process.

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Mixed-Use Retail, Seasonal Housing Project Approved

Page 10

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BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – Satisfied it meets the various code requirements including parking and a lighting plan, for example, resort planners this week approved a site plan for the redevelopment of an uptown commercial mixed-use and seasonal employee housing project.

Members of the Ocean City Planning Commission had before them on Tuesday a site plan review for the redevelopment of an existing commercial facility at 82nd Street and Coastal Highway for a mixed-

use project with retail on the first floor and seasonal workforce housing with 33 beds on the second floor. The building is currently home to the Hatland retail business, but the property owner, Avi Sibony, is proposing a redevelopment of the existing structure to include workforce housing for employees of his multiple businesses in town.

The structure was built in 1985 as home to a savings and loan company. It has remained commercial since, although it has gone through different incarnations over the years. Most recently, it has been home to the Hatland retail store.

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Zoning Administrator Kay Gordy explained the proposed project, with a waiver from the parking requirements from the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), met the requirements for a mixed-use project with seasonal workforce housing on the second floor. Gordy explained the project would have required 19 parking spaces, but with the BZA waiver, the project as planned will provide 14.

The applicant and architect Keith Iott said the property owner had planned to expand the existing retail space on the site by removing the second floor. However, he said the owner changed gears and wanted a design that would create workforce seasonal housing for his employees.

“The original scenario was to hollow out the second floor and make it all retail,” he said. “He then thought a good plan was to provide affordable workforce housing on the second floor for his employees.

The idea is this isn’t just for seasonal employees. Many of his businesses are opened year-round, so these rooms will be occupied for much of the year.”

The plan calls for seven rooms on the second floor that would accommodate 33 employees. Iott explained the rooms would provide 40 square feet of net living space for each tenant, which is more than the code requires, along with the appropriate amount of open areas, common areas and kitchen areas.

Of course, aesthetics are subjective, but Iott said the plan represents a significant improvement over the existing build-

September 23, 2022

ing’s predominantly black exteriors.

“Honestly, the existing building is pretty horrific,” he said. “We’re going to soften the color pallet considerably. I don’t know what the idea was with the black, but it is pretty rough. The building does have some nice features though that we want to take advantage of.”

Questions were raised about the possibility of including eight-foot sidewalks on the property’s Coastal Highway frontage, an accommodation the planning commission has sought for redevelopment projects in recent years, and Iott said it could be accomplished. There were also questions raised about the potential impact on lighting from the facility’s retail and parking areas on the neighboring residential areas, and Iott assured the commission the detailed plan would ensure all lighting would be cast or deflected onto the property.

Planning Commission Chair Pam Buckley said she liked the plan as presented as it continued a recent trend for mixeduse redevelopment with a workforce housing component added.

“I really like when we have a project with a business and employee housing,” she said.

Planning Commissioner Joel Brous made a motion to approve the site plan for the proposed redevelopment projects with conditions, including the eight-foot sidewalks, an approved lighting plan, ample bike racks and the staff recommendations.

The commission approved the motion unanimously.

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Police Accountability Board Convenes

September 23, 2022

BY CHARLENE SHARPE

STAFF WRITER

SNOW HILL – Members of the new Worcester County Police Accountability Board stressed their commitment to fairness at their inaugural meeting last week.

Last Thursday, the board—mandated

by Maryland’s Police Accountability Act —held its first meeting at the Worcester County Government Center. The group, made up primarily of retired law enforcement officers, met with leaders of local law enforcement agencies and talked about the board’s duties.

“Thank you for taking on this challenging task,” Belin Police Chief Arnold Downing said.

The Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021, which replaced the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights as the system for police discipline, went into effect July 1. As a result, Worcester County must have a police accountability board, a charging committee and a trial board.

The seven-member accountability board—appointed by the county commissioners, met for the first time Sept.

15. Roscoe Leslie, county attorney, said the accountability board would be at the top of a three-tier system. The board will help appoint members to the charging committee, which will review complaints and investigations of police misconduct when they occur.

“Your board doesn’t get into the nuts and bolts of complaints,” Leslie said.

“That’s for the charging committee.”

The other piece of the new system, the trial board, will convene if the officer being disciplined doesn’t agree with the discipline recommended by the charging committee.

Members Quincy Shockley, Greg Tate, John Simms, Mary Burgess, Carol Frazier, Joe Theobald and Jerrod Johnson introduced themselves and heard from the heads of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Berlin Police Department, Snow Hill Police Department, Ocean City Police Department and Pocomoke City Police Department.

“This is a new frontier for us,” Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro told the board.

Sheriff Matt Crisafulli praised the fact that Worcester County appeared to have a well-balanced board with open minds.

“This is a critical component of moving our county forward,” he said.

Several chiefs pointed out that the new system was a big change for law enforcement but said historically, citizen boards were more lenient in their discipline than police agencies were. Nevertheless, Downing said the new system was on the minds of officers.

“We’re going to have officers freezing up and not doing something because they’re scared of doing the wrong thing,” he said.

He said training was the key to overcoming that.

“I think it’s a task we’re up to,” he said.

“It’s not going to be easy.”

SEE PAGE 70

September 23, 2022

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Page 13

Mayor, Council Debate Allowing E-Bikes On Boardwalk

Page 14

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – The discussion about allowing electric bikes, or e-bikes, on the Boardwalk under certain conditions continued this week at the Mayor and Council level with no clear consensus.

In 2020, the Mayor and Council passed an ordinance prohibiting the growingly popular e-bikes on the Boardwalk at all times when regular bicycles were allowed. The ordinance prohibiting all e-bikes on the Boardwalk at the time passed on a narrow 4-3 vote. While all agreed the higher-class e-bikes that can reach speeds of up to 28 mph could be dangerous and would not be appropriate on the Boardwalk, some on the council asserted the lower-class e-bikes could present an opportunity for those with disabilities or recuperating from an injury to enjoy the Boardwalk bike-riding experience during the town’s posted hours.

Last week, the issue about prohibiting all e-bikes on the Boardwalk and potential Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) civil rights violations was raised at two separate times at the subcommittee level, first at the Police Commission and then again two days later at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). In both cases, City Manager Terry McGean proffered research into the town’s policies on vehicles for those with disabilities on the beach led to a look

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into the validity of the town’s e-bike prohibition on the Boardwalk and its potential ADA implications.

After considerable debate, BPAC members came up with a series of recommendation to allow the lowest class of e-bike on the Boardwalk during regular bicycle hours with certain stipulations. During Monday’s review of the BPAC meeting from last week, chair and Council Secretary Tony DeLuca reviewed the committee’s discussion of the issue.

“We recently met with the Police Commission on this subject,” he said. “Interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act may require the council to allow e-bikes on the Boardwalk with certain stipulations.”

DeLuca outlined the BPAC recommendations for the full Mayor and Council. For example, the committee recommended only allowing class-one e-bikes on the Boardwalk in order to comply with ADA laws, and only at times when all other bicycles are allowed.

The committee also recommended setting the speed limit for e-bikes on the Boardwalk at 10 mph. Another recommendation from the committee, and perhaps the one that caused the most heartburn for some on the council, was to require those with valid disabilities to bring their e-bike to the Public Safety Building to register it and obtain a sticker to attach to the bike to help with the en-

September 23, 2022

forcement of the proposed ordinance amendment. Councilman John Gehrig, in particular, had an issue with the registration and sticker requirement.

“Making people come to register and get a sticker to ride a bike on the Boardwalk seems like overkill,” he said. “Does it really matter though? If somebody is on a regular bike on the Boardwalk, we don’t regulate how fast they can go.”

Gehrig asserted whether the issue was a class-one e-bike or a class-three e-bike, or any other bike for that matter, it was the responsibility of the operator and not the vehicle itself to follow the rules.

“It’s the behavior, not the bikes,” he said. “To make somebody go and get a sticker to ride a bike on the Boardwalk on a beautiful 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. morning seems like overkill to me. We’re saying we’re allowing them, but we’re making the hurdles so high.”

For his part, DeLuca said the original ordinance had its genesis in preventing the higher-class e-bikes from blazing down a crowded Boardwalk with other bicycles and pedestrians. He said the issue has now resurfaced because of concerns about possible ADA violations.

“The reason we have the ordinance now is we can’t differentiate between the class-one and the class-three ebikes,” he said. “We just want to follow the state’s rules and the federal rules.

We don’t want somebody going 28 miles

per hour down the Boardwalk on an ebike. That’s the reason we have the ordinance now, but it could be challenged at some point.”

The debate circled back to sending the issue back to the Police Commission for further review and a recommendation, along with a recommendation from the staff. Council President Matt James said the police commission had discussed the issue and was already prepared to make a recommendation.

“I think the Police Commission was ready to make a recommendation,” he said. “The reason it didn’t is because it was waiting to hear from the bike commission. I think our police officers have better things to do on the Boardwalk then be looking for a sticker on a bike passing by.”

McGean said easing the prohibition on certain e-bikes on the Boardwalk under certain conditions was not necessarily an action item for the Mayor and Council on Monday.

“I don’t think you’re ready to act on this tonight,” he said. “We can come back with some staff recommendations after consulting with the police, or we can take it back to the police commission.”

Councilman Mark Paddack pointed to the split 4-3 vote on the Boardwalk ebike issue two years ago. Paddack said there was discussion at the time about SEE PAGE 16

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September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 15

Board Approves Feasibility Study For School Replacement

Page 16

BY BETHANY HOOPER

STAFF WRITER

SALISBURY – A feasibility study recommending the replacement of an elementary school will advance to the state board of education with the support of school system leaders.

Last week, the Wicomico County Board of Education voted to accept a final feasibility study for Fruitland Primary School. The study, which recommends a full building replacement, will now advance to the state for approval.

“The feasibility study was reviewed with the School Building Commission on August 25, where they unanimously recommended option E, new replacement school,” Cayla Campbell, facility planner, told board members last week. “The study was then presented at a board work session, where there was consensus that option E, new replacement school, best meets the needs of the students served by this facility and should be the recommended option to move forward for the Fruitland Primary project.”

Campbell noted that the school system recently completed a facility study to assess the condition of Fruitland Primary and offer recommendations for renovations, additions, or replacement.

“With input from senior leadership, it was determined the pre-K through second program used for the new 650-stu-

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

dent Beaver Run Elementary School would also meet the needs for the Fruitland Primary students and community and was used as a basis for this study,” she said.

Campbell noted that the feasibility study presented five options, ranging from limited renovations to full replacement. She said option E, or full replacement, will be presented to the state for approval.

“If the feasibility study is approved here today, it will be submitted to the

state in support of a planning request in the FY 2024 CIP,” she said, “and we will proceed with finalizing the educational specification.”

A motion to accept the feasibility study and authorize its submission to the state for approval passed 6-0, with board member Tonya Laird Lewis absent.

The board last week also voted to approve the fiscal year 2024-2029 Capital Improvement Plan and fiscal year 2024 capital budget.

The capital planning document, which

lists the Mardela Middle and High School renovation and addition, the Wicomico High School roof renovation and Fruitland Primary project planning as its top priorities, will advance to the acting county executive and the state.

“We reviewed the Educational Facilities Master Plan to show how special initiatives, projected enrollment, capacity, and the facility needs indexes are used to prioritize our funding requests,” Campbell said. “We stress the importance of data-driven decisions.”

FROM PAGE 14 allowing those with disabilities or recovering from surgeries or injuries to use low-level, pedal-assisted e-bikes on the Boardwalk, but the potential ADA issues that have surfaced two years later were not considered.

“The ordinance passed in 2020 was a split 4-3 vote,” he said. “There was considerable discussion at that time about the ADA issue. Why was this not brought up in 2020?”

Paddack said the town could be tiptoeing a thin line when determining who and who should not be issued a sticker allowing the use of an e-bike on the Boardwalk.

“What right to we have to ask a person what their disability is?” he said.

“Anybody can come and get the sticker for a class-one e-bike. I’m okay with that.”

Again, McGean explained how the ebike issue arose. He said the town has a right to regulate their use on public property including the Boardwalk but cautioned against going too far.

“The research led to a closer look at e-bikes,” he said. “We had an issue with prohibiting those with disabilities from using an e-bike on the Boardwalk when we allow other bikes on the Boardwalk.

You can regulate them, but you have to have a good reason to regulate them.”

After considerable debate, it was decided to send the e-bike issue back to the Police Commission for further review and a recommendation, including a recommendation from the staff, before any action was taken. Paddack said the town had to be careful with any action taken regarding the use of e-bikes and ADA requirements.

“I’d bring it back to the Police Commission,” he said. “I agree with Councilman Gehrig. It’s not the bike that’s the issue.

It’s the behavior of the operator operating an inanimate object. We need to be careful with this. We don’t want our city solicitor defending the town against an ADA discrimination suit.”

… Commission To Revisit E-Bike Issue

Water, Sewer Plan Amendment OK’d For Campground

September 23, 2022

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SNOW HILL – A local campground can pursue an expansion following approval of a water and sewer amendment this week.

The Worcester County Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the Worcester County Water and Sewerage Plan requested by Island Resort Campground. Connections of the campground are hoping to expand it by 62 sites.

“This is merely a planning approval,” said Mark Cropper, the campground’s attorney. “We can’t do anything until we get by this step in the process.”

Cropper told the commissioners the campground, which is located on the site of what was once a surface mine, had proven successfully since it was established in 2005. As a result, he said his client wanted to add 62 lots to the campground and needed an amendment to the county’s water and sewer plan to do so.

According to county staff, the proposed expansion will require additional wastewater treatment capacity. The campground plans to modify its existing wastewater treatment plant and add a 15-acre spray irrigation field.

During Tuesday’s public hearing, Assateague Coastkeeper Gabrielle Ross spoke against the proposed changes.

She said that tributaries in that area fed the Newport Bay, an impaired waterway.

“Adding more waste to an already impaired body of water is not a good idea,” she said.

Cropper Island Road resident Charles Gunzelman said that in the 30 years he’d lived there he’d noticed a decline in the creek’s water quality. He said he hoped the water would be monitored going forward if the expansion came to be.

Cropper stressed this was a planning amendment and there would be other steps in the campground’s expansion process.

“The next step in the process is with the Maryland Department of the Environment. To the extent the Maryland Department of the Environment or any other state, local, or federal regulatory agency believes that approving this amendment, or allowing these additional 62 lots, would in any way impair this or other waterways, I am fairly confident they would let us know that and that would be reflected in the denial of the permit or conditions of issuance,” he said.

The commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the water and sewer amendment.

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 19

Page 20

Assault, Malicious Destruction OCEAN CITY – A Pennsylvania man was arrested last weekend after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and then trying to kick in the door to their motel room.

Around 4:30 a.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported domestic assault and malicious destruction of property at a downtown motel at 5th Street. Officers met with the front desk clerk who reported a male in the parking lot, identified a Christopher Doyle, 47, of Palmyra, Pa., had been in an argument with his girlfriend and had kicked the door to their unit multiple times, according to police reports.

Officers reportedly located Doyle in the parking lot. Doyle told police he had been in an argument with his girlfriend because she was jealous because he was talking to some other female and he left the room.

When he returned to the room to retrieve his belongings, she had locked him out, which is when he kicked the door. Doyle denied any physical assault had occurred, according to police reports.

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

COPS & COURTS OCPD officers then spoke with the female victim, who advised she had been sleeping in the room and when she awoke, she went to the balcony and observed Doyle speaking to another female on the Boardwalk five floors below their room.

The victim told police an argument ensued when Doyle returned to the room.

The victim told officers during the argument, Doyle grabbed her by her arms and pushed her on a bed, according to police reports. The victim reportedly told police she was able to leave the room and went to the front desk where the night clerk called the police.

The clerk also issued the victim two new coded room keys so Doyle could not return. The victim then went back to the room on the fifth floor and locked the door.

She told officers Doyle returned, and when he found the door locked, he began kicking it hard multiple times. The front

desk clerk told officers she could hear the noise from Doyle kicking the door from five floors below, according to police reports.

OCPD officers checked the door and found severe damage to it in the area on the handle side. There was also damage to the paint and surface of the door, according to police reports. The clerk estimated the value of replacing the door at around $2,500. Based on the evidence and testimony, Doyle was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and malicious destruction of property.

Family Scrap Leads To Arrest OCEAN CITY – A West Virginia man was arrested last week after allegedly scrapping with his girlfriend, her daughter and the daughter’s juvenile child in a midtown condo.

Around 8:30 p.m. last Thursday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers

September 23, 2022 responded to a residence at 88th Street for a reported domestic assault. Officers arrived and discovered the screen door and the front door to the unit were propped open and all of the lights in the unit were on, according to police reports.

OCPD officers observed a male in a back bedroom later identified as David Peacoe, Jr., 58, of Harper’s Ferry, W.Va. OCPD officers interviewed Peacoe, who advised he was staying in the unit with his girlfriend, her daughter and her three grandchildren, according to police reports.

Peacoe reportedly told officers he had been on the Boardwalk consuming alcoholic beverages all day, and that he had been intoxicated earlier, but no longer felt intoxicated. Peacoe told police he got into an argument with his girlfriend because he had missed a family dinner, according to police reports. OCPD officers noted Peacoe had a scratch on his face that was still bleeding, but he reportedly told officers the wound was old and had nothing to do with the incident.

OCPD officers interviewed the girlfriend, who reported Peacoe was asleep while the family was having dinner and began to argue when he woke up. The girlfriend reportedly told police to stop arguing in front of the children when her daughter intervened, according to police reports.

The girlfriend said Peacoe at one point lunged at her daughter and grabbed her by the face. Peacoe reportedly pushed the daughter into a bathroom and the girlfriend attempted to pull him off, according to police reports. The victim’s juvenile child then got involved and attempted to pull Peacoe away, according to police reports.

The girlfriend was then able to pull Peacoe to the floor to allow her family to escape, according to police reports. During that portion of the incident, the victim reportedly told police that’s when Peacoe got the fresh scratch on his face. After officers sorted out the incident, Peacoe was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.

Motorcycle Theft Arrest OCEAN CITY – A Washington, D.C., man was arrested last weekend for allegedly stealing a motorcycle after being found sleeping in a vehicle early last Saturday morning.

Around 4:45 a.m. last Saturday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a downtown municipal parking lot for a report of a group of people sleeping in a vehicle. The officer arrived and found three people sleeping in the vehicle including an adult male later identified as Omar Davis, 34, of Washington, D.C., an adult female and a 12-yearold child, according to police reports.

According to police reports, the officer observed a Kawasaki motorcycle parked in a space next to the vehicle in which Davis and the others were sleeping. OCPD officers conducted a registration check on the vehicle and learned its tags were associated with a different motorcycle reported stolen in Washington, D.C. about two weeks earlier, according to police reports.

Ocean City Communications reportedly confirmed the Kawasaki motorcycle had been reported stolen in Alexandria, Va. on September 7. Davis was arrested at that point on suspicion of stealing the motorcycle. When questioned, Davis reSEE NEXT PAGE

September 23, 2022

... COPS & COURTS portedly told police he had borrowed it from a friend in Washington, D.C. to come to Ocean City for Bike Week.

Davis provided a name for his friend and told officers he owned multiple motorcycles and that he lent the Kawasaki to Davis to come to Bike Week in Ocean City, according to police reports. Davis reportedly told police he was not sure if his friend was the registered owner of the motorcycle. OCPD officers contacted the registered owner of the motorcycle, who advised he had reported it stolen and his insurance carrier had issued him a check for $3,800, or the value of the stolen bike.

Davis was arrested and charged with motor vehicle theft under $25,000. The woman and her daughter were released from the scene.

Church Property Trespassing OCEAN CITY – An Easton man was arrested last weekend after first being found trespassing on an uptown church property and then resisting arrest and providing false identification information to police.

Around 3:30 a.m. last Friday, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer patrolling in the north end of town observed a male suspect enter the property of a church and pace back and forth. The suspect, later identified as Fray Hylton, Jr., 29, of Easton, was on church property at an early morning hour in an area conspicuously marked with “no trespassing” signs, according to police reports.

Based on the evidence, Hylton was ar-

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch rested at that point for trespassing. When asked for his name, Hylton reportedly identified himself at Trey Williams, and repeated the false name multiple times, according to police reports. He asked officers to allow him to write down his name and wrote Trey Williams and provided a fake date of birth, according to police reports.

When officers attempted to take him into custody, Hylton tensed his arms and wriggled away from officers in an attempt to avoid being handcuffed. It was only after Hylton was booked at police headquarters following his arrest when OCPD officers determined his real identity through fingerprinting. He was charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and providing false identification to law enforcement officers.

Jail Time for Trespassing OCEAN CITY – A Glen Burnie man, arrested in August on various weapons charges after allegedly being found with a knife and a fighting ax while passed out in a downtown motel parking lot, pleaded guilty this week to trespassing and was sentenced to 46 days.

Around 8:10 a.m. on Aug. 4, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer was dispatched to a motel parking lot at 8th Street to assist Ocean City EMS. A motel staffer directed the officer and Ocean City EMS to the parking lot where a suspect, later identified as Alejandro Laurie, 35, of Glen Burnie, was lying on his side in the parking lot.

Ocean City EMS attempted to wake Laurie first by touching his arms and speaking to him, and then rolling him on his back and performing sternum rubs,

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according to police reports. Once Laurie was rolled on his back, the officer and EMS staffers observed a four-inch knife sticking out of the side of his pocket. The knife appeared to have cut a hole in Laurie’s pants pocket, according to police reports.

The OCPD officer removed the knife so EMS staff could safely continue to render aid to Laurie, who was not conscious, according to police reports. Next to Laurie on the ground was a wooden staff that was adorned with colorful feathers, tape and hair ties, according to police reports.

Laurie eventually became responsive and was evaluated by Ocean City EMS, but he denied further treatment and EMS left the scene.

Laurie was arrested for carrying a concealed deadly weapon. Ocean City Communications advised Laurie was also

Page 21 wanted on a warrant out of Anne Arundel County for failing to appear in court for a second-degree assault arrest. Laurie reportedly told officers he did not know he was not allowed to carry the knife and asked police if they were going to take his staff, according to police reports.

Police examined the staff and determined there was something concealed under the tape that was not consistent with the wooden handle. When the tape was cut away, officers observed a concealed glass or clear rock material underneath. It was determined the staff was actually a fighting ax under the town’s code and additional deadly weapons charges were added. On Monday, Laurie pleaded guilty to trespassing and was sentenced to 46 days. The other charges against him were placed on the stet, or inactive, docket.

Page 22

Bicycle Event Prompts EMS Concerns

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

BY CHARLENE SHARPE

STAFF WRITER

SNOW HILL – Concerns about the cost of the Sea Gull Century have prompted county officials to begin exploring a special event permit process.

The Worcester County Commissioners this week agreed to have staff begin developing a special event permitting process. The decision came after the Department of Emergency Services reported that the Sea Gull Century had agreed to provide just $3,000 of the estimated $20,000 cost of fire and EMS services during the bicycling event.

“I don’t want to see the citizens of the county suffer because of this event,” Commissioner Jim Bunting said.

The Sea Gull Century Tour, a bicycling event that includes a 100-mile course and a 63-mile course, is held each October. While the event is based in Wicomico County, about 60% of the course is in Worcester County, according to county officials. Director of Emergency Services Billy Birch told the commissioners Tuesday that after reviewing numbers from years past, his department determined that the event was having a significant impact on local emergency services. Last year, call volume doubled the day of the event.

Birch said he’d been in contact with the SU Foundation and the organiza-

September 23, 2022

tion had agreed to provide partial funding for the cost of fire and EMS response. While negotiations are ongoing, at this point the foundation has reportedly offered to pay slightly more than $3,000. The quote provided by local fire companies, however, assesses the cost of the service provided during the event at about $20,000. Fire company representatives present confirmed that they have to upstaff in order to be able to provide EMS service to the nearly 5,000 bicyclists participating in the event as well as area residents.

Commissioner Josh Nordstrom said the event was a unique one and suggested it was the foundation’s duty to set up an agreement or memorandum of understanding with the county. He said it was important Worcester County residents have access to EMS services.

“Minutes count,” he said. “When you don’t have an ambulance in the area you have an emergency, that could result in serious harm or death. We want to prevent that. It’s the county taxpayers that are paying for these EMS services. We want to keep them in the towns and Worcester County not out at some event.”

He said the county would have to keep trying to work with the foundation to address Worcester’s cost concerns.

Commissioner Chip Bertino said county representatives had tried to work with the foundation.

“They told us to pound sand,” he said.

Birch said the cost projections wouldn’t generate revenue for the fire companies but would simply cover the cost of upstaffing.

Commissioner Joe Mitrecic, referencing an earlier joke he’d made about milling the road during the race, said the county should write another letter to the foundation.

“I was joking about milling the road but that can happen,” he said. “They won’t be bringing any bikes if we mill the road.”

Commissioner Ted Elder said it was critical that the county have enough resources for its citizens. Bunting agreed and asked if the county could create a relevant fee. Staff said that some jurisdictions had a special event permit.

“I’m not going to say how I actually feel about this group turning you down in offering to help with the cost of it,” he said, adding that the cost of EMS should be covered, whether it was covered by the foundation or the county. “I would suggest that in the very near future so next time this happens they either pay or they won’t be in Worcester County.”

The commissioners voted unanimously to have staff begin setting up a special event permitting process. Mitrecic pointed out that local municipalities like Ocean City had similar programs set up.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” he said.

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 23

First OC AdventureFest This Weekend

Page 24

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

BY BETHANY HOOPER

STAFF WRITER

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OCEAN CITY – Organizers of a new festival say they are hoping to replace the unsanctioned pop-up car rally with a weekend of fun and support for military and law enforcement organizations.

This weekend, military and law enforcement personnel, residents and visitors are invited to take part in OC AdventureFest, a festival to benefit first responders and service members and their families.

Held Sept. 22-25, the event features an outdoor, sports and gun show, K-9 exhibitions, concerts, a memorial ride, and more.

“Our goal is to get this event up and running,” said co-organizer Cliff Sutherland, “bringing economic impact to Ocean City while providing law enforcement and military with their own week and deterring unsanctioned H20i participants.”

OC AdventureFest organizers Rebekah Jones, Mike Alexander and Sutherland are no strangers to producing and executing successful events. In addition to their past involvement with the MountainFest Motorcycle Rally in Morgantown, W. Va., the friends are three of the four founders of OC BikeFest.

And while the trio is no longer involved in those events, Sutherland said it was the connections made at these motorcycle rallies and relationships with the Hogs and Heroes Foundation – a nonprofit community of motorcycle riders that support public safety, U.S. military and Wounded Warriors – that ultimately spurred the creation of OC AdventureFest.

“We had a great relationship and [founder] Andy Mutchler came to us and said, ‘We have a great idea about an event’” he recalled.

Sutherland said it was during this conversation that Mutchler pitched the idea for a festival to be held in the days following Bike Week. With a strong police and military presence in town for a festival, organizers are hoping to deter some of the activity associated with the unsanctioned pop-up car rally, which is expected to return the same week.

“We’re all getting together to make Ocean City the place for military and law enforcement to come while also getting rid of the unsanctioned H2Oi event,” Sutherland said.

September 23, 2022

In addition to biker games, raffles, vendors, motivational speakers and K-9 exhibitions, OC AdventureFest features the Ocean City Gun Show, presented by Showmasters, Boom Boom Firearms Training, the Mid-Atlantic Sports & Outdoor Show, and a gun auction, which will be held from noon to 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23.

“There’s usually only a few of those in the whole country,” Sutherland noted.

Organizers report the show will also feature a memorial ride and walk to honor the late Corporal Glenn Hilliard.

“On Saturday, Hogs and Heroes and Rommel Harley-Davidson, our title sponsor, are doing a memorial ride and walk honoring Corporal Hilliard,” Sutherland explained. “The ride leaves from Rommel Harley-Davidson and will arrive at the convention center, while a walk to the Boardwalk and back will honor our men in blue.”

Rounding out the festival will be a concert series.

Performances by Kashmir the Live Led Zeppelin Show with special guest Dave Bray USA on Sept. 23 and Priscilla Block with special guest Lauren Weintraub on Sept. 24 will be held at the Ocean City Performing Arts Center.

“They are truly amazing musicians and singers,” Sutherland said.

Organizers say admission to the outdoor, sports and guns shows will give attendees access to all the events taking place inside the Ocean City convention center, the host for this weekend’s festival, while tickets can be purchased for any of the the concerts. Saturday’s biker games and K-9 exhibition, as well as a memorial service and prayer, will be free and open to the public.

But Sutherland noted OC AdventureFest is more than an entertainment opportunity. Organizers will be giving away 20% of proceeds, including a portion of ticket sales, to nonprofits that support military and law enforcement, including Maryland C.O.P.S., U.S. Kennels, Patriot Point, Ocean City Helping Heroes Foundation, and the Hogs and Heroes Foundation.

“This is about our charities,” he said, “supporting our law enforcement and military nonprofits while having a good time.”

For more information, or to purchase show or concert tickets, visit ocadventurefest.com.

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 25

Commission To Explore Accessory Unit Regulations

Page 26

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

BY CHARLENE SHARPE

STAFF WRITER

BERLIN – A discussion regarding accessory dwelling units dominated a meeting of the Berlin Planning Commission last week.

The Berlin Planning Commission last Wednesday hosted a lengthy discussion about accessory dwelling units — things like garage apartments — and whether they should be permitted in town. In the end they asked staff to review the regulations in place in towns similar to Berlin and report back.

“We’re not the only people with this problem, this thought process,” commission member Matt Stoehr said.

Planning Director Dave Engelhart said some commission members had requested that accessory dwelling units be placed on the agenda for discussion.

Currently, town code defines accessory living quarters as an accessory building used by guest of a home’s occupants on a temporary basis. The units can’t contain a kitchen and can’t be rented. He said the current regulations dated back to the 1970s.

“They didn’t want a proliferation of rental units and the parking problems they brought on some streets,” he said.

He acknowledged that there were units around town that didn’t conform with the regulations.

September 23, 2022

member Ron Cascio said.

He added that neighbors would advise Engelhart’s office if too many people were parking on the street. Engelhart, however, said that it would still be difficult to enforce.

“That’s a big hurdle,” Stoehr acknowledged.

Cascio said he believed neighbors would essentially police places that had accessory dwelling units. He said the world had changed and it was time for Berlin to update its code. Cascio said currently, the majority of the town’s rentals were at Oceans East.

“It’s segregation,” he said. “We’re putting all renters in one place.”

He believes the town should provide options for homeowners who want to move their mother-in-law or young adult children into an accessory unit on their property. He added that there were people who couldn’t afford the rent at local apartments who might want to rent an accessory unit.

“There’s a lot of people who we could accommodate with the proper provisions —the main one being that one of the buildings is occupied by the property owner,” he said.

Chandler said people were fleeing the exact thing Cascio was advocating for.

“They’re heaped in on each other… they’re trying to escape that,” he said.

Chandler stressed that he didn’t want

“When we know about it, we try to enforce it,” he said. “It’s not always that easy.”

Commission member Newt Chandler said he liked the existing regulations. He said longtime residents of the town’s R1 and R-2 residential districts had bought where they had so they could have the “quiet enjoyment of their property.”

Chandler said more and more people from metropolitan places were moving to Berlin and he didn’t want them making changes that increased density in the R1 and R-2 districts.

“These people are coming from places where they’re used to being packed in so it doesn’t bother them,” he said, adding that it would, however, change neighborhoods that had long been considered quiet.

Commission member Austin Purnell disagreed and said the code should be updated.

“Modern times call for some modern revisions,” he said. “With sensible regulations you can do it.”

He added that it was a way homeowners could bring in more money to help pay their mortgage.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity there,” he said.

Engelhart asked how parking would be handled if accessory dwelling units were allowed in town.

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“This is a place where people can buy a piece of property and enjoy quiet living and not a bunch of noise next door,” he said.

Purnell said commission members often argued in favor of infill development and that could be accomplished with accessory units.

“Even if you allow it doesn’t mean everybody’s going to do it,” he said.

Cascio agreed and said the proper regulation—related to minimum and maximum square footage, parking and licensing—could ensure it didn’t cause problems.

Resident Marie Velong said a lot of the concerns being expressed related to potential accessory units being rented when she felt in many cases they might simply be used by family members of the property owner.

“It’s not all about rentals,” she said.

Resident Gina Velong pointed out that the problems Chandler was concerned about—noise and parking, for example—could be created just as easily by someone who purchased a home.

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2 Fatal Motorcycle Collisions Reported During Bike Week

September 23, 2022

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

BERLIN – A motorcycle-vehicle collision late last Thursday afternoon claimed the life of a Virginia man and injured his female passenger, the second fatal motorcycle accident in the area in as many days.

Around 4:40 p.m. last Thursday, Maryland State Police (MSP) troopers from the Berlin barrack responded to the area of Route 610 and Route 50 for a reported motor vehicle crash. According to the preliminary investigation, a 2016 Harley-Davidson motorcycle was traveling south on Route 610 and attempted to cross Route 50 when it was struck by a 2017 Nissan Rogue that was traveling west on Route 50.

The operator of the motorcycle, identified as Richard Banning, 61, of Virginia, was flown by Maryland State Police helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore for treatment of his injuries, but was declared deceased the next day.

The passenger on the motorcycle, a 69-year-old female, was flown by MSP helicopter to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional Hospital in Salisbury for treatment of her injuries. No other injuries were reported as a result of the collision.

The incident remained under investigation this week.

That fatal motorcycle collision came

… Concerns Over Parking, Noise

cial workers,” Chandler replied.

Stoehr noted that if there were existing accessory dwelling units, if the town updated the code to allow them they’d have to be updated to meet requirements, something that could be an expensive proposition.

Cascio said concerns like the ones being raised were all part of the discussion that should accompany any code change.

“Zoning is never stagnant, it’s always dynamic and it’s because life and situations have changed,” he said. “Now situations have changed.”

Engelhart said if the commission wanted to open the code up to allow for family members to live in accessory dwelling units, they could change the language but not so much that renting accessory units was permitted.

“That’s one way of allowing it but not allowing it to explode,” he said.

Cascio agreed that was one way.

“The other way is to have it rented under serious conditions,” he said. “I think it’s a matter of discussion.”

The commission agreed to ask staff to research accessory dwelling unit regulations in towns comparable to Berlin.

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

just one day after a different fatal motorcycle collision in Ocean City. Around 5:15 p.m. last Wednesday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a reported motor vehicle collision on northbound Coastal Highway in the area of 100th Street.

The victim, identified as Nicholas Ramirez, 32, of Deltona, Fla., was flown by MSP Trooper 4 to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

OCPD officers had attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the motorcycle in the area of 67th Street, but the motorcycle fled from officers who did not immediately pursue.

A detailed description of the motorcyclist and the motorcycle was broadcasted to fellow officers.

A short time later, Ocean City Communications dispatched officers to the motor vehicle collision at 100th Street.

Ramirez was identified as the motorcyclist who had fled from officers at 67th Street a short time earlier, according to police reports.

The OCPD Traffic Safety Unit continues to investigate the collision. Northbound traffic on Coastal Highway was reduced to one lane of travel for roughly two hours following the collision.

Page 27

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September 23, 2022

September 23, 2022

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Page 29

Wicomico Receives $128K in Opioid Settlement

Page 30

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BY BETHANY HOOPER STAFF WRITER

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SALISBURY – Wicomico County will receive a payment of $128,000, in addition to grant funding opportunities, for its participation in a multi-billion-dollar settlement against four national drug companies.

On Tuesday, Andrew Illuminati, attorney for the county’s law firm, met with members of the Wicomico County Council to provide an update on the county’s participation in a $26 billion settlement with drug distributors McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. and drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson for their alleged roles in the country’s opioid epidemic.

As a result of that settlement, Illuminati noted Wicomico County would be receiving a first-year payment of $128,281, with a potential to receive more in available grant funding.

“The funding should be available by the end of next month …,” he told the council this week. “Once that payment is received, that money needs to be spent on abatement and we have to figure out how broad that definition is.”

In December, the county council voted to opt into a settlement with the major drug companies. Specifically, the settlement resolved allegations that the three distributors failed for years to monitor and report suspicious orders of opioid products, which resulted in diversion of those drugs on a

massive scale, as well as claims that Johnson & Johnson deceptively marketed its fentanyl products to health care providers and patients.

“A number of years ago, Wicomico County filed suit in United States District Court for the District of Maryland against the aforementioned defendants in an opioid-related lawsuit …,” Illuminati said at the time. “At the same time Wicomico County filed its lawsuit, a number of political subdivisions across the United States filed similar lawsuits against the same defendants, resulting in what’s called multidistrict litigation with all the lawsuits being consolidated.”

Since that time, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh has announced the state’s participation in the settlement, joining 41 other states, five territories and the District of Columbia. He noted in a news release last September that McKesson, AmeriSourceBergen, Cardinal Health and Johnson & Johnson could pay over Maryland and its subdivisions over $500 million.

Back on the agenda for discussion this week, Illuminati said the settlement agreement called for Wicomico to receive more than $128,000 by this fall.

“The attorney general’s office, along with the numerous other parties involved, formed an agreement to distribute the funds from the settlement,” he explained.

“It looks like the payment of those funds is going to be made.”

In addition to the payment, Illuminati

September 23, 2022

noted the county would be eligible to receive grant funding for abatement as part of the settlement.

“The total guarantee over 18 years is over $1.8 million,” he explained.

But Illuminati said it may not be the only opportunity the county has to receive settlement funding. He noted pending litigation involving retail pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS could result in additional compensation.

“The belief of outside counsel is there will be another massive settlement agreement,” he said, “which could be additional abatement revenue for the county.”

When asked how the county’s settlement money could be used, Illuminati said it depended on how the term “abatement” is defined.

“It’s unknown at this point,” he replied.

“We need better guidance.”

Under the settlement agreement, the distributors will also adopt extensive monitoring and reporting programs to address suspicious orders and diversion of opioids, and Johnson & Johnson will cease its sale of opioids.

“No amount of money could ever compensate for the devastation wrought by the opioid epidemic,” Frosh said in a statement. “But these settlements will bring much needed funds to address the harms Marylanders have suffered. The funds will provide addiction treatment, prevention, and other abatement programs across the State to help Marylanders recover.”

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Page 31

Appeal Denied In Worcester County Assault Case

Page 32

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

SNOW HILL – A Salisbury man, sentenced in 2017 to 10 years for a first-degree assault conviction after attempting to run a Worcester County Sheriff’s deputy off the road, had his appeal denied yet again last week.

On Jan. 1, 2017, Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Hayes was on uniformed patrol in the area of Route 50 and Route 589 and observed a vehicle suspected of being involved in a hit-andrun collision reported earlier in Ocean City. The same vehicle had reportedly fled from a Maryland State Police (MSP) trooper at the MSP Princess Anne barrack a day earlier.

The deputy observed the driver, later identified as Glenn Carmean, now 53, of Salisbury, commit several traffic violations in the area of routes 50 and 589. In addition, the deputy observed front-end damage on Carmean’s vehicle consistent with the reported hit-and-run collision in Ocean City.

The deputy initiated a traffic stop to no avail and a pursuit ensued. According to police reports, Carmean attempted to ram the deputy at speeds of over 100 mph during the pursuit. The deputy was able to slam on the brakes of his patrol vehicle to avoid the collision by merely inches, according to police reports at the time.

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

The chase continued into Wicomico County, and after being pursued for roughly 35 miles, Carmean crashed in the median of Route 50 at Hobbs Road near the Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. He was reportedly pulled from his vehicle reeking of alcohol and an open bottle of liquor was recovered from the vehicle.

In September 2017, Carmean was convicted of first- and second-degree assault, driving while impaired, attempting to elude police, reckless driving and other traffic violations. In December of that year, Carmean was sentenced to 10 years for the first-degree assault conviction and a consecutive three-year sentence for the driving while impaired conviction.

In October 2019, Carmean, through his attorney, filed a motion for evaluation and commitment to the county health department for drug and alcohol addiction.

The court ordered the evaluation, and when the outcome was returned, the court denied the request for commitment.

A year later, Carmean again filed the same motion, and the court denied the request. In December 2021, Carmean filed the same motion for a third time and the court granted the motion for another evaluation. In February 2022, a hearing convened via Zoom from the Eastern Correctional Institution where Carmean was being incarcerated.

According to an appeal Carmean subsequently filed with the Maryland Court

of Special Appeals, the lower court indicated in court records from that hearing it would take the matter into consideration.

In March, the lower court filed an order indicating it was denying Carmean’s request for consideration of commitment for a third time.

Carmean then filed an appeal with the Court of Special Appeals asserting the lower court had indicated it was open to the possibility of granting Carmean’s request for commitment for drug or alcohol addiction but did an about-face and then denied the motion.

Last week, the Court of Special Appeals upheld the lower court’s denial of Carmean’s appeal for consideration of commitment for drug or alcohol addiction, citing the February Zoom meeting had not been transcribed and there was nothing in the record to suggest the lower court indicated it was considering the motion.

“On appeal, Carmean asserts that, at the hearing on his motion, the judge indicated on open court record that he was going to grant his request, but in an unexpected decision later denied it,” the appeals court’s opinion reads. “He maintains that denial created ambiguity and denied him any transparency. The state responded it was Carmean’s obligation to produce the transcript from the February 2022 hearing, which he failed to do. Without the transcript, we cannot address this issue.”

September 23, 2022

The Court of Special Appeals opinion released last week asserts there is nothing in the record to suggest the lower court considered granting Carmean’s motion, his third attempt at the same motion. The high court’s opinion also suggests the lower court is not obliged to provide a reason for denying such a motion.

“In short, there is nothing in the record before us to support Carmean’s claim that at that February 2022 hearing the court agreed to grant his request for commitment to the Department of Health,” the opinion reads. “As for Carmean’s claim that the court’s denial of his request lacks transparency, we note that Health General code does not require a court to set forth its reasons for its ruling on a request for commitment for treatment. Moreover, whether to grant or deny such a motion is a decision that the legislature has left to the court’s discretion.”

The appeals court opinion released last week reiterated there was nothing in the record from that hearing in February indicating the lower court was considering granting Carmean’s motion.

“There is nothing in the motion before us to indicate that the court believed it was prohibited from granting Carmean’s request,” the opinion reads. “Accordingly, we hold that the court’s order denying Carmean’s request for commitment to the department for treatment is not appealable.”

September 23, 2022

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Discussions On Fenwick Parking Ratios Continue

Page 34

BY BETHANY HOOPER STAFF WRITER

FENWICK ISLAND – Discussions on parking ratios and commercial development highlighted a public hearing this week on proposed parking amendments.

On Monday, Fenwick Island residents and business owners gathered at town hall to share their concerns pertaining to a proposed ordinance amendment that would, among other things, change parking ratios in the commercial district.

Citing concerns from the business community, the town council agreed to hold a second public hearing this week to gather input and ideas.

“We need to solve the problem,” Mayor Natalie Magdeburger said. “The only way to do that is to work together and hear each other.”

In July, several members of the Fen-

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

wick Island business community came before the town council to share their opposition to a proposed ordinance amendment that would establish new, more stringent parking ratios for new or redeveloped commercial properties.

As written, the amendment would, for example, change restaurant parking ratios from one per 100 square feet of patron space to one per 50 square feet of patron space and retail parking ratios from one per 300 square feet of floor area to one per 250 square feet of floor area.

But Southern Exposure owner Tim Collins told council members this week the proposed changes would only hurt commercial development.

“We have some deep concerns about what Fenwick Island will look like in terms of commercial development in the future …,” he said. “I will tell you a majority of

the commercial property owners in this town are deeply concerned and opposed to any proposed changes in this ordinance, which are very restrictive.”

He said an informal survey conducted on a busy Saturday evening in August showed that 300 parking spaces were not being utilized within a one-block radius, with 159 spaces being located at restaurants. He noted that the town’s Business to Business parking initiative, in which business owners would work together to share unused parking spaces, would be a first step in addressing the parking shortage that exists in town.

“It shows you if we come together and work on this to come up with a parking plan, spaces are there to be used …,” he said. “We can sit down and work this out.”

Magdeburger, however, told Collins that while the town was eager to see the

September 23, 2022

Business to Business initiative begin, it had yet to receive any plans.

“Because it was the summer season, the dialogue had paused …,” she said.

“The council has yet to see a plan, and that’s something the ad hoc parking committee is looking for.”

Collins said commercial property owners were looking to meet with the mayor, council and ad hoc parking committee to resolve the parking issues.

“This cannot be done singularly by the Fenwick Island business community,” he replied. “We’ve got to work together.”

For her part, Magdeburger told community members this week the proposed ordinance only sought to address eroded parking ordinances in the commercial district.

She said an amendment implemented in 2013 had reduced parking requirements by 62%. As a result, required parking for a restaurant with 3,500 square feet of patron space, for example, had decreased from 70 spaces in 1995 to 35 in 2013.

“We have to come up with a solution,” she said. “If there’s not enough parking, then our businesses won’t be successful … People will come to eat at a restaurant, won’t find parking, and leave.”

Warren’s Station owner Scott Mumford, however, argued the proposed ordinance addressed parking issues that only existed during the summer season.

He asked the council to hold off on approving the ordinance amendment and work with businesses to implement the Business to Business initiative.

“This problem lasts six to eight weeks,” he said. “And you are talking about imposing regulations for a six- to eight-week problem, not a 52-week problem … It’s a slippery slope.”

Resident Roy Williams said he was in favor of the proposed ordinance amendment, as it protected the town’s residential property owners.

“The business community has a responsibility to create enough parking for their business. I don’t think that’s been happening lately, and I would like to see that happen in the future …,” he said.

“The council, in my opinion, has a responsibility to the residents, and I think this ordinance being proposed would cover that.”

Resident Betsy Patten agreed, noting that her neighbor had witnessed business patrons parked on their street littering and urinating.

“Think of the side effects we residents have to deal with,” she said.

Resident John Nason, a member of the town’s charter and ordinance committee, said he had heard nothing new from the business community at Monday’s hearing. He said the proposed amendment would reverse changes the town council had made in 2013.

“The real genesis of this came from the dramatic changes that took place in 2013 that placed Fenwick Island as an outlier among coastal communities in terms of parking requirements …,” he said. “That’s really the turning point that brought us here today.”

HDC Approves Storefront Upgrades

September 23, 2022

BY CHARLENE SHARPE STAFF WRITER

BERLIN – Improvements are coming to storefronts on Pitts Street and William Street following approval by historic district officials.

The Berlin Historic District Commission approved changes to 17 William St. and a block of storefronts on Pitts Street —both properties owned by Jack Burbage —at a meeting last Wednesday. Commission members said they were pleased to see improvements following the successful renovation of the neighboring corner restaurant, 410 Social.

Samantha Pielstick, Burbage’s property manager, approached the commission seeking approval for plans to upgrade the structures. She said on Pitts Street, the plan was to repaint the building that encompasses a trio of shops.

“It said in the historic register it is a building of significance because of its location but not necessarily its architecture,” she said. “There isn’t anything to really change on the front of this building.”

She said the building would be repainted, including a dark trim and a green awning. Pielstick said that while Burbage wasn’t set on green he definitely wanted the awning to be a color other than black to differentiate the structure from the 410 Social building.

Commission members praised the changes.

“All in all it’ll be another improvement,”

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

commission member Laura Stearns said.

Nornie Bunting, chair of the commission, said he liked the fact that the proposed changes were minor.

“It’s simple,” he said. “It’s staying to what it is.”

Following the commission’s approval of the changes on Pitts, Pielstick presented plans for changes to 17 William St. The building, which is adjacent to 410 Social, will be painted a darker shade of tan than it currently is now.

“We anticipate keeping it as a stucco painted building,” she said, adding that if cracks were found they would be repaired.

She said the arches on the building would be retained and that a box would be constructed to hide the utility boxes currently on the exterior wall.

Commission members said they liked the color and the fact that the building would retain its own individual look.

“These are individual buildings, they need to stay that way,” Bunting said.

Commission member Mary Moore said she liked the plans other than the stripes shown painted on the lower section of the structure.

“It’s a little too decorative,” she said. “I think the simpler the better.”

Her peers agreed and the commission approved the plans without the painted stripes and with minor changes to the appearance of the windows.

“You did a lot of work on this,” Moore said to Pielstick. “Thank you.”

Page 35

Path Improvement Workshops Set Major Assateague Roadway Closes

Page 36

BY BETHANY HOOPER

STAFF WRITER

OCEAN CITY – A series of workshops on proposed bike path improvements will be held in October.

In last week’s meeting of the Ocean City Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, City Engineer Paul Mauser, committee president, presented members with an update on the town’s bike strategic plan.

As the town considers possible bike path improvements along 94th and 146th streets, Mauser said officials will gather public comments and suggestions at two public hearings scheduled for next month.

“The idea is to have three options displayed for each corridor …,” he told committee members this week. “We are trying to avoid having a stand-up presentation.”

Earlier this year, the town hired Toole Design Group, a national consultant, to develop a strategic plan that will be used to expand Ocean City’s bicycle network.

In recent years, the resort has embarked on a multi-phased initiative to install a continuous bike path from one end of town to another without using Coastal Highway. With the help of a strategic plan, officials say the town will have designs and cost estimates for several proposed biking corridors, including Coastal Highway, 94th Street, 146th Street and town alleys from 27th to 94th streets.

As part of its strategic planning process, Mauser and Toole Design came before the council in February to present options for three significant bike path proj-

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

ects – one at 94th Street, one at 146th Street and another along the town alleyways from 27th to 94th streets.

After considerable debate, however, the Mayor and Council agreed to throw out plans for utilizing the town alleyways after it was learned the proposed bike path called for the elimination of 125 parking spaces.

Instead, the council recommended having a workshop to discuss potential design options for improved biking paths along 94th and 146th streets.

“The plan was to invite all of Little Salisbury, including 94th, Mooring, Salt Spray, Dory and those feeder roads that have to utilize the 94th Street corridor …,” Mauser said last week. “At Caine Woods, we’re looking at 141st Street and north.”

Mauser told committee members that the town has scheduled a workshop for Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 5-7:30 p.m. in city hall.

But with 1,500 addresses in the Little Salisbury neighborhood and 2,000 addresses in the Caine Woods development, officials suggested holding two workshops.

“Given the number of people, you may want to split it up into two different workshops,” said City Manager Terry McGean, “one for 94th Street and one for Caine Woods.”

After further discussion, officials agreed to hold a second workshop on Oct. 26, with a time and location to be announced.

“I’ll decide on the order, which one will go first,” Mauser said.

BY SHAWN J. SOPER

MANAGING EDITOR

ASSATEAGUE – A major roadway in Assateague Island National Seashore closed indefinitely on Sunday for a significant construction project, park officials announced last week.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m., Old Ferry Landing Road closed for a construction project.

The closure will be in effect from the intersection of Bayberry Drive and Old Ferry Landing Road and will affect vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. The area of Old Ferry Landing Road will also be closed to all boat and kayak landings.

The project includes replacing and raising the existing bulkhead at Old Ferry Landing Road.

In addition, the boardwalks around the landing will be replaced and the connection to the marsh boardwalk will be rerouted and raised. Other minor work will be done in the parking lot area.

Assateague Island National Seashore officials said last Thursday the project is necessary because of the deteriorating condition of the bulkhead and boardwalk in the area of Old Ferry Landing Road and constant maintenance is needed, especially in the winter.

After each winter storm, pieces of the boardwalk detach and end up in the bay or in the parking lot, requiring periodic closures and maintenance. At times, even a strong south wind can cause

September 23, 2022

damage to the existing facilities in the area.

The project is being funded by park entrance and pass fees and is an example of visitors’ fee dollars at work.

Roughly 80% of all revenue from Assateague Island National Seashore entrance fees or the local sales of various federal interagency passes stay right in the park to fund this type of visitor-related project. The other 20% goes into a fund which can be used by parks with no entrance fees or very low fee revenues.

Other examples of projects on the barrier island funded in the last year with entrance fee revenue include a new boardwalk at the Maryland Visitor Center, the renovation of a well on the island, the design of a new freshwater distribution system for the island, the reconstruction of the state line fence, and the replacement of the entrance sign at the visitor’s center.

Other projects slated for later this winter include major renovations to the Life of the Marsh and Life of the Forest trails to make them more accessible, safer and longer-lasting.

According to National Park Service officials, it is difficult to predict how long Old Ferry Landing Road will be closed during the project as the construction is very weather-dependent.

A rough estimate is the area will be closed at least into November, and possibly the end of the calendar year.

Resort Officials Address Grease Container Issues

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

BY SHAWN J. SOPER

Committee To Discuss Code Changes

MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – Recent complaints about leaking or overflowing kitchen grease containers around the resort was the subject of an informal discussion during a Mayor and Council meeting this month.

Nearly every food service operation in Ocean City has a large container on or near the property, typically in the rear and out of sight, for disposing of kitchen waste. Private sector companies provide the containers to the various restaurants and food service operations and empty them at regular intervals for rendering and recycling the products.

Lately, however, there have been reported problems with the kitchen grease bins leaking or overflowing with more frequency. Following a review of the agendas for the various subcommittee meetings coming up this month, Councilman Mark Paddack broached the subject with City Manager Terry McGean.

“The grease containers around town, is that a Town of Ocean City function, or is that something we contract out?” he said.

McGean said the town is not involved in supplying the grease containers or the collection of the byproducts.

“We don’t contract it out,” he said. “The grease containers are the responsibility of the properties. Each individual business contracts those out.”

McGean explained the current situation with some of the containers around town.

“What has come up is we have a specific vendor that is having some issues with the containers that were in poor condition,” he said. “They’re not getting emptied, and they are overflowing in some cases. The town is not directly involved with the disposal of kitchen grease, but we have become involved with a lot of the cleanup effort.”

McGean said the town has reached out to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to assist with correcting the problem.

“I will say that through some efforts, we were able to find somebody from MDE,” he said. “They contacted Valley Protein and magically, after MDE con-

tacted Valley Protein, we started making some progress.”

Paddack said he has been getting an increasing number of complaints from his constituents about some of the problems with the grease containers.

“I’ve gotten calls about it,” he said. “It’s not a taxpayer issue but it’s impacting them. It’s concerning that a private sector company would allow this stuff to potentially contaminate our waterways, damage our residents’ private property and, based on what you’ve said, some efforts are being made.”

McGean said he believed the problem was now being addressed.

“It’s been a challenge for us,” he said.

“Hopefully, we’re making some progress now.”

Following discussion at the council

Page 37

level, members of the Coastal Resources Legislative Committee (Green Team) revisited the issue last week.

Gail Blazer, environmental engineer for the town, said Ocean City had two laws that addressed littering on public property and discharging liquids onto public property. She questioned if amendments were needed to address the litter and contamination that resulted from overflowing grease containers.

“Is there anything in this code we should put to give it a little more teeth?” she said.

Ultimately, the committee agreed to work on a code amendment that would better address the ongoing grease container issues and provide a better enforcement mechanism.

“For the next meeting, we can work on a code amendment and have it ready to recommend from this committee,” said Planning and Community Development Director Bill Neville.

Page 38

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

September 23, 2022

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

COMMUNITY News In Photos

The Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club hosted a crab feast at Hooper’s Crab House on Sept. 11. Pictured at the event are George Mess and Margaret Alcott.

The Worcester County Humane Society’s Kerry Cettei and Heather Melson were guest speakers at a recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City. Cettei, left, and Melson, right, are pictured with Tim Lund, the club’s president.

Submitted Photos

The Worcester County Garden Club recently learned about small-scale sustainable farming from Jeanne Vander Clute, owner and operator of Splendid Earth Farm in Berlin. Vander Clute, right, is pictured with Deborah Young, president of the garden club.

American Legion Post 166 received five awards during the American Legion’s Department of Maryland State Convention. Post Adjutant John Bussard, left, and Post Commander Tom Wengert are pictured with the plaques Post 166 received.

Kara’s Garden, a produce stand in Crisfield, donates its proceeds each year to the TidalHealth Foundation for cancer care in memory of Kara Tawes Evans. Craig Tawes, second from left, and his wife, Terri, third from the left, present TidalHealth Foundation President, Jessica Hales, right, and Foundation Director Donna Murray, left, with the most recent donation.

The First State Detachment of the Marine Corps League held its 16th annual Frank Conlon Memorial Golf Tournament at Ocean City Golf Club this summer to raise money for the Semper Fi & America's Fund that provides programs to assist combat-wounded, severely ill veterans and their families in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Pictured, First State Detachment Commandant Bob Broderick and Frank Del Piano, commandant, Department of Delaware, Marine Corps League, present a $10,000 check to Marine Corps Major Chuck Jedlicka and Command Sgt. Major Adrian Lopez, who received the funds on behalf of the Semper Fi & America's Fund.

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

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September 23, 2022

People in Society

Elisha Thomas, Linda Hilliard and Dominick Hilliard paused for a photo at Byrd Park during the county fair.

by Charlene Sharpe Featuring Those Helping Causes In The Resort Area

Worcester Technical High School’s Future Farmers of America group sold honey at the fair. Pictured are Dominick Hayward, Trent Lee, Cecilia Uebel, Zoey Richardson and Paige Kendall.

Roxanne Farrare, Deirdrie Givens and Shawnice Hayman represented Chesapeake Health Care at the Worcester County Fair Sunday.

Lisa Murphy, Wyatt Murphy and Shriya Gupta served food at Byrd Park during the county fair.

Mark Williams, president of the Worcester County Fair board, and Susan Todd, vice president of the fair board, paused for a photo Sunday.

Elisha Thomas, Linda Hilliard and Dominick Hilliard paused for a photo at Byrd Park during the county fair.

Saritha Briddell and Kesha Morton-Hudson were among the numerous members of the Briddell Family Foundation at Byrd Park for the Worcester County Fair.

Dan Spotts and Dave Cooper of Atlantic Tactical Firearms Training paused for a photo at Byrd Park.

James Chartier represented Hansen’s Craftory at the Worcester County Fair.

Mary and David Spann are pictured at the Worcester County Fair Sunday.

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 43

Page 44

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

Freeman Arts Pavilion’s Photo Of The Week:

Each week during the season the Freeman Arts Pavilion submits a photo of the week from the Selbyville venue. Above, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Fogerty performed in front of a sold-out crowd at Freeman Arts Pavilion Saturday, Sept. 10.

Photo by Natalee DeHart/Freeman Arts Pavilion

Atlantic General Appoints New Chief Nursing Officer

September 23, 2022

BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital and Health System officials have announced that Mandy Bounds, DNP, MSN, RN, CPQH, CCRN, will join the organization Oct. 31 to serve as the new chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services.

Bounds has more than 16 years of experience in healthcare, with a background in nursing administration; hospital quality, safety and patient experience; and nursing education.

Most recently, she has overseen acute and critical care services, infecMANDY BOUNDS tion prevention, patient safety and patient experience initiatives in various roles at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health.

Bounds started her nursing career as a licensed practical nurse in long term care after completing the certificate program at Wor-Wic Community College.

Nine months later, she joined UM Shore Regional Health as a bedside critical care registered nurse after earning an associate degree in nursing at Wor-Wic. In 2010, she earned her BSN from Wilmington University and transitioned to the clinical coordinator role for their Critical Care Unit. She continued her education as she gained progressive management experience, earning her Master of Science in Nursing and then a terminal de-

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

gree in nursing practice from Wilmington University.

Bounds served as director of patient safety, experience and high reliability at UM Shore Regional Health for nearly two years before becoming the director of acute and critical care services in March.

Bounds strives for excellence in pa-

tient care, with a focus on quality, safety and patient experience, and is committed to building a strong workforce. She is well-versed in Magnet recognition programs, Leapfrog Safety Grades, Joint Commission accreditation, and shared governance programs.

Bounds is a visiting professor for Chamberlain University’s doctoral nurs-

Page 45

ing practice (DNP) program and is an adjunct faculty member for the nursing programs at Wilmington University, where she strives to inspire and empower nurse leaders to have a strong impact on healthcare delivery.

She has lived on the Eastern Shore, where she met her husband and started her family, since 2004.

Youth Film Festival Announced For Berlin

BERLIN – The annual Wild and Scenic Film Fest is expanding this year to include the region’s youth.

The Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT), the Coast Kids program and Assateague Coastkeeper will bring the inaugural Wild Child Youth Film Festival to Berlin.

The Wild Child Youth Film Festival focuses on films that both celebrate the splendor of the planet and speak to environmental concerns Earth faces. The program for the evening will feature 16 short films especially curated to please families.

Films include Cracked, which documents a little girl trying her best to help nature in a drought-stricken village; Cormie, the Pickpocket Cormorant that

is showing off his very special “fundraising” tricks; and Maneuvers, a funny experimental film combining skiing with stop motion animation.

ACT will host the Wild Child Youth Film Festival at Burley Oak Brewing Company (outdoors) in Berlin on Sunday, Oct. 9. Films start at 6:30 p.m. with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Highlights include a build your own bird feeder lesson with Coast Kids, live animals with Scales and Tales, a Lucky Chance auction with gift baskets and goodies from numerous local businesses and raffle items throughout the evening.

Street Kitchen food truck will sell delicious tacos. In the event of inclement weather, the event will move indoors to the MacMullin Hall at Assateague Coa-

stal Trust’s office building on 10959 Worcester Hwy. in Berlin.

“We are so excited to finally be able to offer the wonderful Wild Child films at a special family event,” said Coast Kids Director Verena Chase. “Wild Child is a natural extension of the Coast Kids program to inspire children to learn about the local fauna and flora and become environmental stewards.”

Ticket price is $5 for one ticket, $25 bundle gets six tickets plus one free 30-ounce eco-friendly water bottle.

Advance tickets are available at www.actforbays.org/wildchild.

The kids’ festival is in addition to the 12th Wild and Scenic Film Festival, which will be held on Nov. 17 at Seacrets’ Morley Hall in Ocean City.

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Page 46

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

New Hires SALISBURY – CFS, Inc. (Comprehensive Financial Solutions) provides personalized solutions to its clients across Delmarva and throughout the United States, including financial planning, small business retirement plans, tax, insurance, and wealth management.

The recent hires for two new, additional client services associates showcases CFS’s continued growth and commitment to pursue excellent care to its clients. CFS is thrilled to announce its two newest team members, Michelle Hicks and Shanna Hearn. As client service associates they will continue implementing operational procedures while increasing efficiencies.

Hicks joins the firm with over 14 years in the financial industry and brings a deep understanding of retirement accounts, budgeting and account management. She will be working primarily with Michael Sise, certified financial planner, ChFC, CPFA, AIF, CRPC. Originally from Corning, N.Y., Hicks moved to the shore MICHELLE HICKS in 2005 with her husband, Dwayne. They enjoy traveling and visiting their four children and ten grandchildren. Hicks is an avid crafter who enjoys painting, gardening, crocheting, jewelry-making, sewing, woodworking and more.

Hearn joins the firm with 15 years in the hospitality industry and brings an immense talent in client care and working in a fast-paced environment. Working with Tim Gonzales, certified financial planner, AAMS, Hearn has an associate's degree in business management. Upon the birth of her son, she decided to make a career change from hospitality to the financial industry.

Originally from Delmar, SHANNA Hearn resides in SalisHEARN bury with her family and enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

We are excited for both new professionals to be part of the CFS team. They have already brought so many new ideas and have enjoyed getting to know our clients.

Company Expansion FRANKFORD – Mercantile Processing Inc. (MPI), a Delaware-based merchant services and point of sale com-

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BUSINESS And Real Estate News pany, is excited to announce its company growth.

MPI's headquarters is located in Sussex County, Del., with a second location in Havre de Grace, Md. Over the past month, MPI has ramped up its hiring efforts, bringing on pivotal positions to include: national sales director, head of marketing, bank relationship manager, and a payroll specialist. Expanding both offices and adding to their well-organized team is a strategic plan set by the CEO Kyle Morgan and CRO Kathryn McMillan to continue the growth plan of its local company.

Tim Funk, national sales director, will be managing the independent agent division of MPI. Funk will be responsible for engaging and managing new agents, ISOs, and partners with MPI for their products, including processing, payroll, gift, and point of sale. With 15 years of industry experience and over 10,000 LinkedIn connections, he is sure to be a great fit at MPI. Shelby Loudon, head of marketing, will continue to drive the brand experience of MPI as well as coordinate company events and advertising efforts to meet sales goals. Loudon joins MPI with just under 10 years of marketing experience, and she is well-versed in the creative space and looks forward to taking MPI's brand to the next level.

Jake Vacura, bank relationship manager, based out of Frederick, Md., joins MPI with four years of experience. When asked why he joined MPI, he stated, "I was looking for a company that I could call home for quite some time, and MPI exceeded my expectations." Vacura is tasked with managing bank relationships.

Some of these responsibilities include working with bank partners to establish a program and work toward bank branches referring processing, payroll, gift, and point of sale clients to MPI. Additionally, Vacura will be responsible for training bank personnel on the product line, meeting sales goals, and providing ongoing sales support.

Amanda Crisostomo, payroll special-

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ist, has six years of experience specializing in training and accounting. In this role, Crisostomo will assist with demos, presentations and onboarding new merchants around the payroll services. She will help drive premiere payroll experiences as well as provide escalated support to MPI's payroll customers.

"This is just the beginning. We have set high expectations and plan to release much more exciting news in the months ahead," stated Morgan.

Provider Welcomed SALISBURY – TidalHealth is pleased to welcome Akhil Parashar, MD, to TidalHealth Cardiology in Salisbury.

Parashar specializes in electrophysiology, which is used to diagnose and treat heart conditions that affect the electrical activity of the heart muscle. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine and echocardiography by the National Board of Echocardiography.

Parashar received his medical degree from All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. He completed his residency in internal medicine and research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, a cardiology fellowship at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa, and a AKHIL fellowship in clinical car- PARASHAR diac electrophysiology at Montefiore Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Parashar’s interests include outcomesbased clinical research and database building. He has participated in and authored many research publications and has presented at several scientific and professional conferences. He is a member of the Heart Rhythm Society, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and Sigma-Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society. He re-

September 23, 2022 ceived the Paul & Mary Neuhauser Award for the Best Graduating Fellow in the Cardiovascular Fellowship Program at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

When Parashar is not treating patients, he enjoys traveling to new places and learning different cultures and traditions.

He relaxes by swimming laps and reading contemporary literature and topics concerning world affairs.

Property Sold SALISBURY – John McClellan, CCIM, SIOR, and Kelly Jeter of The McClellan Team at SVN Miller Commercial have sold 31440 Winterplace Parkway in Salisbury, Md. Vehicles for Change (VFC) will be moving in and establishing a training facility in the warehouse.

The nonprofit organization plans to grow their reentry internship program. Individuals who are reentering the workforce after incarceration will be able to develop and practice the skills needed to service and repair automobiles. The end goal is to create and develop skilled workers to enter the workforce and make an impact/contribute to the community in which they live. Employers are aggressively seeking qualified employees for skilled positions, and this transaction will help address the need of one critical local industry.

Vehicles For Change is a Baltimorebased nonprofit that trains certified automotive service technicians. The organization was established in 1999 and provides the tools necessary to achieve financial stability for families through car donations and internship programs. VFC has impacted over 24,000 families and awarded over 7,000 cars to low-income families.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is when a transaction has a positive impact on the community. A huge thank you goes to Sandy Angello and Pohanka Automotive Group for trusting me to work with VFC as they searched the region for the perfect building. I was pleased to be able to facilitate their search and ultimately find them a new building where their program could be housed,” said McClellan.

The McClellan team worked with Christian Phillips of NAI Coastal who represented the seller in this transaction.

Nichole Paneck of WesBanco Bank and Travis Martz with Kagan Stern Marinello & Beard, LLC completed the closing.

River Rally Set For This Weekend

September 23, 2022

BERLIN – The Lower Shore Land Trust will hold a River Rally on Sunday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m.-noon at Ayers Creek Adventures.

The event is a celebration of World Rivers Day, which is marked by millions of people in more than 100 countries on the fourth Sunday in September.

Join organizers at 9 a.m. for coffee and pastries then explore Ayers Creek by kayak or on a paddle board. The $20 registration fee includes launch if you bring your own boat or enjoy discount rates for rentals available on the registration site.

Registration fee also includes a shirt.

At 11 a.m., Chrissy Ehrhart of Zenna Wellness Studio will be leading a yoga practice to give thanks to the waters that flow. All paddlers participating in River Rally during World Rivers Day are welcome. Bring your mat or a towel and join fellow paddlers to offer sun salutations in gratitude. At will donations accepted.

Participants are welcome to paddle past 11 a.m. for an additional boat rental fee.

Register at https://lower-shore-landtrust.networkforgood.com/events/47436river-rally-2022. For more information contact info@lowershorelandtrust.org or 443-234-5587.

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 47

WHOLE HOUSE ELECTRICAL ASSESSMENT & SAFETY INSPECTION

A $249 VALUE FOR ONLY $99 • Check the electrical service panel and wiring • Tighten screws and lugs on circuit breakers to ensure proper functioning • Apply Noalox on branch circuits’ aluminum wires • Check all outlets with tester for loose connections, open grounds, neutral wires, proper polarity

• Test/inspect GFCI outlets and breakers • Check for double tapped breakers to eliminate overloading a circuit breaker • Survey for proper surge protection • Check smoke detectors and make recommendations for compliance with local electrical codes

Call 410-641-1434 Worcester County Lic. #M917 • Maryland Lic. # 3506

Temple Bat Yam Celebration Planned

OCEAN CITY – Temple Bat Yam is hosting a community celebration to honor the 25th anniversary of its permanent House of Worship on Oct. 8 from 6-9 p.m. at The BLU Mezzanine in Ocean City.

The temple invites its members and the surrounding Eastern Shore communities to join the celebration. The event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit temple and will feature an iconic view of the bay, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, plus gifts from the organization’s supporting sponsors including silent and live auctions, a treasure chest of jewelry, and a wingspan 50/50 raffle. Tickets are $50 per person.

Temple Bat Yam has served the growing Jewish population on the Delmarva Peninsula since 1992. Prior to the construction of its permanent building in 1997 on Old Worcester Highway in Berlin, members congregated in various locations in Ocean City for more than five years. This fundraiser will allow needed interior renovations of its sanctuary, the addition of stained glass to the memorial foyer and refreshening.

Temple Bat Yam is a Reform Jewish congregation committed to the ideals and eternal truths of Judaism. Its intent is to maintain the traditions and lessons of the rich Jewish heritage while respecting the realities and integrity of interfaith marriages and interfaith families. Tickets are available at www.templebatyam-oc.org, by emailing Temple Bat Yam at TempleBatYam97@aol.com, or by calling 410641-4311.

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Lifeguards Wrap Up Coverage Season This Weekend

Page 48

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

GUARDING THE BEACH

BY DAMIEN SANZOTTI

SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH

OCEAN CITY – I have really enjoyed spreading the word about beach safety each week in The Dispatch. The beach patrol and I really appreciate the commitment of Editor Steve Green and the opportunity to work together to get the safety message out to the public. I wanted to recap some important beach safety tips since this is my last article of the 2022 season and the last weekend this season the lifeguards will be guarding the beach.

There is no question that only swimming when lifeguards are on duty and swimming in front of a lifeguard is the basic and most important action one can take to ensure beach safety. It seems easy enough, but late in the fall season when our beach coverage is less than 18% of peak season (under 200 yards between stands in July to 1,100 yards – 11 football fields – between stands after Labor Day), I keep seeing people that have not gotten the message. As our mobile units tour up

and down the beach on our ATVs, we see large numbers of people that go out to the beach and swim dead center between two lifeguards. Rip currents are unpredictable and simply put, it just makes sense to be close to the expert, the lifeguard, when in need.

Another important tip that is even more obvious than swimming near a lifeguard is learning how to swim.

Learning to swim is one of the best things people can do to protect themselves from drowning.

Studies show that people learn to swim best during childhood, which makes DAMIEN it a parent’s responsibility SANZOTTI to make sure their children learn to swim.

If someone does not know how to swim, they should not be in the ocean.

The last tip I would like to leave you with pertains to rip currents. If you find yourself caught in a rip, don’t panic or fight the current. You must swim out of the current by swimming parallel to shore and

then into shore. If you are unable to swim out of the current, just float and tread water and call or wave for assistance (this is why swimming ability is critical). An easy way to remember what to do if you find yourself being pulled away from the beach, in the “Grip of The Rip” is to remember the letters “R.I.P.” R = Relax and do not panic (panic causes even the best swimmers to drown), I = I need help (draw attention to yourself so help can start to you), P = Swim parallel to escape the pull of the current and then swim back to safety on the beach. If you are on a guarded beach, help will be on its way.

Never swim alone, always stay within the limits of your swimming ability and never rely on a flotation device in place of your swimming ability (you could suddenly lose your flotation if hit by a wave).

If you or someone you know (no certifications required) would like to begin the greatest adventure of a lifetime as a Surf Rescue Technician with the beach patrol for the 2023 season, visit our website at JoinBeachPatrol.com. We have one more

Pre-Employment Physical Skills Evaluations in Ocean City for positions during the 2023 season, on October 8th, before we begin off-site testing, starting in March at Salisbury YMCA, Arundel Aquatics Center, York College and Salisbury University. We will conclude our testing for 2023 at Ocean Pines in April and Ocean City in June.

Thanks for reading and have a great winter season. Remember, “Keep your feet in the sand till the lifeguard’s in the stand.” So please don’t let someone you love enter the ocean when the SRTs are not on duty. It is not only dangerous to them but may put others in danger if they attempt to help you in an emergency. Even our most experienced personnel who are now parents don’t let their children swim on an unguarded beach, even though they personally have rescued hundreds from the Ocean City surf.

(The writer has been with the beach patrol for 19 years and is currently a sergeant. He is a physical education teacher for the Worcester County Public School system.)

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September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 49

Bank Branch celebrated: Shore United Bank celebrated the opening of its first Ocean City bank branch on 34th Street and Coastal Highway last week with the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce. Shore United Bank has 30 branches throughout Maryland and Delaware, including one in West Ocean City and Submitted Photo now Ocean City. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held last Friday with bank officials, chamber representatives and local dignitaries in attendance.

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

Chris Parypa’s Photo Of The Week: Each week staff photographer Chris Parypa is tasked with submitting a photo from his vast library to be featured in this space. Above a bagpiper is pictured busking on the Boardwalk last weekend. To purchase any of Parypa’s photos, click over to www.chrisparypa.com.

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September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

THE DISPATCH Crossword Puzzle

ANSWERS ON PAGE 74

HOROSCOPES ARIES (March 21 to April 19): The on that steady course, as you continchange that you'd hoped for is down ue to work out workplace problems. Be the line. But, you still need to be patient patient. All will soon be back in baluntil more explanations are forthcom- ance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21): You ing. Continue to keep your enthusiasm might feel confident about taking a in check.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20): Your promising offer, but stay alert for what social life expands as new friends come you're not being told about it. Don't fret. into your life. But, while you're having Time is on your side. fun, your practical side can also see SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. some positive business potential within 21): People dear to you might be planyour new circle. ning a way to show appreciation for all GEMINI (May 21 to June 20): Your you've done for them. Accept the honworkplace situation continues to im- or graciously. Remember, you deserve prove. Look for advantages you might it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19): have missed while all the changes were going on around you. A trusted Congratulations! Your self-confidence is on the rise. This could be a good time colleague can help.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22): Re- to tackle those bothersome situations sist the urge to hunker down in your you've avoided both at home and at bunker until things ease up. Instead, work. get rid of that woe-is-me attitude by getAQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18): ting up and getting out to meet old You feel obligated to return a favor. (Of friends or make new ones. course, you do.) But, heed advice from LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22): Now that those close to you and do nothing until you're back enjoying the spotlight again, you know for sure what's being asked you should feel re-energized and ready of you. to take on the challenge of bringing PISCES (Feb. 19 to March 20): those big, bold plans of yours to com- Your loving reassurance helped revive pletion. a once-moribund relationship. But, be VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22): A for- wary of someone who might try to do mer friend would like to repair a rela- something negative to reverse this postionship you two once enjoyed. Your itive turn of events. positive response could have an equalBORN THIS WEEK: You are a wonly positive impact on your life. Think a- derful matchmaker who can bring peobout it. ple together to form long-lasting reLIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22): Re- lationships.

2022 King Features Synd., Inc. sist making impulsive decisions.

Stay ON PAGE ©46 ANSWERS

Page 51

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 52

Things I Like...

By Steve Green

vanishing

OCEAN CITY

September 23, 2022

WITH BUNK MANN

Watching football with friends S’mores on a bonfire

Clebe McClary’s story

Emotional post-game speeches

My son’s love for ringing our church bell A pool still warm in late September The Handmaid’s Tale A clean kitchen Roasted oysters

Capping a road trip off with a drink A palm tree with Spanish moss

The Coast Guard Tower at the Inlet is one of just a few still standing in the United States today. A unique piece of Ocean City’s history, plans for it began in 1938 after the Coast Guard leased a small piece of land at the south end of the Boardwalk. Work on the 50-foot tall steel tower was completed in 1939 at a cost of $5,000.

The tower was an important part of coastal defense in World War II. Manned 24 hours a day it was used to monitor the offshore shipping lanes where German submarines sunk several merchant ships in 1942. During the Cold War era of the 1950s and ‘60s Russian subs patrolled off the coast. The Coast Guard was tasked with reporting any planes that flew by and logging in every boat that went in or out of the Inlet.

The tower reverted back to the Town of Ocean City on Dec. 6, 1977. No longer manned, it remains a silent spectator looking out on the wide Atlantic Ocean.

To purchase one of Bunk Mann's books, click over to www.vanishingoc.com.

Photo circa 1940 courtesy of the Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 53

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RECEPTIONIST Accounting firm seeking front desk receptionist. Fulltime, year-round position. Some Saturdays Feb – April.

Please email your resume to cpa@cgcpa.pro References will be requested.

NOW HIRING! PAYING TOP DOLLAR! •LINE COOKS •FOOD RUNNER •SERVERS •BARTENDER •BARBACK Please apply in person.

Greene Turtle West Rt. 611, West OC 410-213-1500

EOE

Sunset Island, Ocean City, MD Come join our Team in a Friendly, team-oriented environment at the Beach, in a beautiful bayside community, with stunning water views in Ocean City, MD. Now hiring, Grounds Maintenance Assistant.

Full-Time, Year-round. Excellent people skills are a must, and you must be able to work mornings and weekends. Valid Driver’s license required. $15-18/hr to start based on experience. Health and retirement, and paid holidays.

Send resumes to kelly.quinn@casinc.biz or fax 410-520-0398.

CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811

WEST OC’S MOST FUN PLACE TO WORK AND MAKE $$$$

FULL MOON SALOON HIRING FULL & PART TIME

SERVERS APPLY WITHIN

12702 OLD BRIDGE RD. WEST OCEAN CITY

Chairside

DENTAL ASS’T. Experience Preferred Ocean View Email Resume:

molarbiz@yahoo.com

INDIAN RIVER MARINA IS NOW HIRING! •FUEL DOCK •DOCK HANDS •RAMP ATTENDANTS •BOATYARD •NIGHTWATCH •MAINTENANCE •SHIP STORE CLERK •GENERAL CLERICAL (SEASONAL YEAR ROUND)

Apply Online at delawarestatejobs.com For additional information, please contact the Marina office at 302.227.3071 AA/EOE

AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIANS GREAT-GREAT-GREAT OPPORTUNTIES!!!

Full Service automotive center, now has openings for

Technicians Must be dependable.

Fast paced, energetic atmosphere with advancement opportunities!

Call Matt 302-344-9846

Excellent Pay & Benefits !!

Locations in Long Neck, Ocean View & Ocean Pines

Hiring FT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT A beautiful award winning community in Ocean View, DE is seeking a motivated, driven, and goaloriented administrative assistant. Must be organized and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. Must be computer proficient in MS Office and have the ability to multi – task.

Must have excellent customer service skills. Previous experience in working with HOAs a plus, but not required. Full-time, yr round 40hrs/wk.

ALL POSITIONS Apply within 100 Coastal Hwy. Fenwick Center Fenwick Island, De. 302-841-7662

Interested candidates should email resume w/salary requirements to: Susan.Brewer@casinc.biz EOE

Now Hiring For: Currently Hiring Manpower For:

Carpenter | Laborer | Painters Stucco & EIFS Mechanics Concrete Work o Experience preferred. o Tools, transportation & valid driver’s license are a plus. o Excellent pay and a competitive benefits package available.

Please Apply Online: https://www.allstatesconst.com/delmarva-renovations-careers

Or Contact Our Office at 410-352-9800

Line Cooks Prep Cooks Host/Hostess

Call Matt at 302-593-4141 or email thesterlingtavern@gmail.com

LOOKING EVERYWHERE? CHECK HERE FIRST! PRINT & ONLINE

THE DISPATCH

HELP WANTED

SERVERS ALL KITCHEN POSITIONS HOSTESSES APPLY IN PERSON

•Lobster Shanty, 37310 Lighthouse Rd, Fenwick (Rt. 54) •Nantuckets, 601 Coastal Hwy, Fenwick

Page 54

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch Classifieds $15/Week for Minimum of Five Lines • $2 Thereafter Per Line Display Classified Ads: $20/Week Per Column Inch (Contract Discounts Available) Deadline for Insertions, Cancellations & Payment is 3pm Tuesday Pre-Payment is Required. We Accept Visa & MasterCard

CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811 MILITARY MUSEUM SEEKING HELP INTEREST

Masterjack Windows,Doors, & Storm Shutters 11935 Hammer Road, Bishopville. Maryland 11815 410-352-5000

Now Hiring

INSTALLERS Construction Background A Plus. Some Tools & Valid Driver's License Required .•Competitive Pay •Benefits Package • Performance Bonus Contact Our Office For Interview Find us at Masterjackwindows.com

FULL-TIME PERSONAL BANKER

Farmers Bank of Willards has a full-time Personal Banker position available for our North Ocean City location. Looking for professional and motivated individuals with extraordinary customer service skills. Cash handling experience & excellent computer skills a must.

Please email resume to neli.gabby@fbwbank.com or call Neli at 410-250-1512 Application cut off is 10-07-2022 “Equal Employment Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer”

Check Out The Dispatch’s E-dition Online: www.mdcoastdispatch.com

Looking for those interested in helping veterans, teaching history, and working together to help make a military museum to honor veterans in our local communities and to teach people about the facts of war. The museum will be tentatively established in the WorcesterWicomico County area. I’d like to have the military museum be dedicated to both before and after the founding of the United States so as to show where our collective cultures come from, I need help trying to piece this all together.

Please, send an email at valorondelmarva@gmail.c om or call Tyler 443-3971074 Serious interest only.

RENTALS WINTER RENTAL : 10th St. in OC 2BD/1BA. $850/month incl. cable.

No pets or smoking. Call Joe at 443-235-8382.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WINTER RENTALS: OC & West OC. $750 per month studio & $1,000 per month 2BR/1 BA. Call 410-430-9797.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––– WINTER RENTAL: 3BR/2BA. 117th St. $1350 per mo. + Utlil.’s (no pets,no smoking) Call 410202-2632.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––

HOUSE FOR RENT Year-round

4BR, 3.5BA, Garage, West OC. $2750/Mo. + Electric.

No smoking.

410-213-1633

WINTER WEEKLY RENTALS Utilities Included AVAILABLE NOW 410-289-8581

ROOMMATE ROOM(S) FOR RENT: Seeking Roommate(s). YR or Seasonal.

Non smoking, pets welcome. Single Family Home, 94th St. area.

Call/text for more info. 410-7265200.(Job inhibits phone calls, text if can’t reach by calls).

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––

COMMERCIAL WEST O.C. OFFICE/RETAIL SPACES AVAILABLE: 2 Office/Retail Spaces for Lease.

Plenty of Parking. 443-497-4200.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT:

Available immediately, Approximately 1300 +/- sq ft. $2,200 mo. + util.’s, Please call / text 443-754-5605 or email johanna@ocrooms.com

2ND FLOOR APT Year-round

1BR, 1BA, West OC. $1000/Mo. + Electric.

No smoking/pets 410-213-1633

Wrap all my wishes Around your little finger With loves spider silk!

The Dispatch Legal Notices LEGAL RATES Legal advertising rate is $7 per column inch.

The deadline for all legal advertising is Tuesday at noon.

For more information call 410-641-4563 or fax 410-641-0966.

Third Insertion NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

ESTATE NO. 19369 To all persons interested in the estate of PHYLLIS MARIE COLLIER, ESTATE NO. 19369. Notice is given that BARRY E. FISHER, 2139 GROTON ROAD, POCOMOKE CITY, MD

21851, was on SEPTEMBER 02, 2022, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of PHYLLIS MARIE COLLIER, who died on JULY 09, 2022 with a will.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the

CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811 estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 2ND day of MARCH, 2023

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal repre-

sentative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 55

The Dispatch Legal Notices LEGAL RATES Legal advertising rate is $7 per column inch.

The deadline for all legal advertising is Tuesday at noon.

For more information call 410-641-4563 or fax 410-641-0966. personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 09, 2022 BARRY E. FISHER Personal Representatives True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-09, 09-16, 09-23

Third Insertion THOMAS K. COATES, ESQ. COATES, COATES & COATES, PA 6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 300 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 19371 To all persons interested in the estate of ELBRIDGE WARREN CROPPER, AKA: ELBRIDGE W. CROPPER, ESTATE NO. 19371. Notice is given that KAREN RABEAU CROPPER, 13040 NORTH SHORE ROAD, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842, was on SEPTEMBER 06, 2022, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ELBRIDGE WARREN CROPPER, who died on AUGUST 24, 2022 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 6TH day of MARCH, 2023 Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 09, 2022 KAREN RABEAU CROPPER Personal Representatives True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-09, 09-16, 09-23

Second Insertion NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 19376 To all persons interested in the estate of JULIE ANN SCHMIDT, ESTATE NO. 19376. Notice is given that STEVEN SCHMIDT, 19731 BUCKLODGE ROAD, BOYDS, MD 20841, was on SEPTEMBER 08, 2022, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of JULIE ANN SCHMIDT, who died on

JANUARY 12, 2021 without a will.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 8th day of MARCH, 2023 Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 STEVEN SCHMIDT Personal Representatives True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-16, 09-23, 09-30

Second Insertion NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: 410-641-4563 • Fax: 410-641-0966 Email: classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com Mail: P.O. Box 467, Berlin MD 21811 tice is given that ALLISON VAN HEE, 66 ROCKWELL PLACE, BROOKLYN, NY 11217, was on SEPTEMBER 06, 2022, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of DOUGLAS VAN HEE, who died on AUGUST 02, 2022 without a will.

DOUSE & MATHERS, LLP PO BOX 910 115 BROAD STREET SALISBURY, MD 218030910

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.

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 19382

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 6TH day of MARCH, 2023 Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 ALLISON VAN HEE Personal Representatives True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-16, 09-23, 09-30

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 19373

Second Insertion

To all persons interested in the estate of DOUGLAS VAN HEE, ESTATE NO. 19373. No-

MICHAEL B MATHERS ESQ WEBB, CORNBROOKS, WILBER, VORHIS,

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To all persons interested in the estate of NANCY J ADKINS, ESTATE NO. 19382.

Notice is given that HAL O ADKINS, 10334 GOLF COURSE ROAD, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842 was on SEPTEMBER 12, 2022, appointed Personal Representative of the estate of NANCY J ADKINS, who died on AUGUST 30, 2022 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 12TH day of MARCH, 2023 Any person having a claim against the decedent must

present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates: (1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or (2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 HAL O ADKINS Personal Representatives True Test Copy TERRI WESTCOTT Register of Wills for Worcester County Room 102 - Court House One W. Market Street Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 3x 09-16, 09-23, 09-30

First Insertion

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That The Farmers Bank of Willards has filed an application to establish a branch in Ocean City, Maryland: The Farmers Bank of Willards 8700 Coastal Highway Ocean City, Maryland 21842 Any person wishing to comment on this application may file his or her comments in writing with the regional director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation at the appropriate FDIC office located at 350 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, New York 10118 not later than October 23, 2022. The non-confidential portions of the application are on file at the regional office and are available for public inspection during regular business hours. Photocopies of the non-confidential portion of the application file will be made available upon request.

Name of Newspaper: Maryland Coast Dispatch Date of Publication SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 The Dispatch Is On Facebook, Instagram & Twitter!

Follow Us Today & Get Daily News Updates As They Happen!

Page 56

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

STUDENTS In The News

Students in Lauren Truitt's first grade class at Ocean City Elementary learned about how to be safe when riding the school bus and designed their own school bus with a favorite bus safety rule.

Submitted Photo

BERLIN – The following represents a collection of media releases announcing local student achievements.

•Named to the dean's list for the spring 2022 semester at Washington University in St. Louis were Maddie Simons, of Ocean City, who graduated in May from the university’s College of Arts & Sciences, and Maya Natesan, of Salisbury, who is enrolled in the university's McKelvey School of Engineering.

•A total of 386 Wor-Wic Community College students have been recognized for superior performance by

being named to the dean’s list for the recently completed spring term. Worcester County students who maintained a grade point average of 3.5 or higher while taking six or more credit hours during the spring term include: Berlin: Lance Adams, Jimmy Barrios-Hernandez, Emma Berrie, Jurgita Blake, Kayden Boecker, Emma Bosley, Landon Boudreaux, Rumina Bowers, Nicholas Burak, Layla Chrysanthis, Aiden Ciurca, Jaimeson Coats, Berdetta Colbert, Zachary Conway, Christopher Cooke, Benjamin Cooper, A'nilah Derrickson, Kira DiPietro, Sawyer Ellis-Gaal, Lauren Farrell, Ramona Gray, Liam Hawley, Charletta Henry, Sawyer Hudson, Eunice Huesca, Jarrett Humphress, Juliana Jaeger, Allison Johnston, Amanda Jones, Salina Kc, Tetiana Kovaliuk, Albert Linamen, Alora Lockhart, Olivia McLaughlin, Wendi Mikulski, Julia Miller, Austin Mora, Conor Perry, Connor Plumley, Brianna Romersa, Emily Sandt, Celina Scott, Michael Sidell, Molli Spicer, Sarah Stephan, Abigail Stone, Taylor Takacs, Alyson Thiel, Madison Thumma, William Tinkler, Michael Todd, Ryan Wallace and Michele Wood Bishopville: Pedro Brown Eden: Julie Somers Newark: Lauren Lewis, Mohammad Nawaz and Brooklynn Pugner Ocean City: Jillian Alascio, Ella Ames, Piper Bandorick, Kayla Brady, Henry Brous, Megan Card, Danielle Consigli, Benjamin Cropper, Nathaniel Elko, Kaitlyn Ewing, Kathleen Ewing, Jordan Ferguson, Monica Garcia, Miranda Garliss-Griffith, Gabrielle Griffith, Connor Herr, Devon Kramer, Jessica Lavelle, Rife Leonard, David Megafu, Hannah Mourlas, Yasmeen Sbih, Morgan Schroeder, Brenda Smith, Emily Staley, Ian Todd and Hailey Turk Pocomoke City: Haley Abbott, Samantha Baysinger, Amber Bloomfield, Brian Butler, Michelle Craig, Tuan Doan, Patrick Giordano and Gary Hillard Jr. Showell: Emily Stitely Snow Hill: Shyneika Baine, Brendan Birch, Alexia Figgs, Matthew Gravenor, Kimberly Horst, Kiersten Lehmann, Aaron Schmucki and Samantha Stewart •Berlin resident Emma Berrie has enrolled at James Madison University for the fall 2022 semester. Berrie's selected major is dietetics.

•Thomas Emge of Berlin has earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University College of Health Professions. The award is given to students who perform at a superior level in their coursework.

September 23, 2022

Emma McGuire, 5, in Ocean City

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Abby McGuire, 8, in Ocean City

Page 57

Adam Hall Jr., 17 months, in Chincoteague

Savannah, 2, and Vienna Winter, 3 months, in Fenwick Island

KIDS of the Summer (Part 5) Each August for the past 15 years we have produced a Kids of Summer photo series, spotlighting kids of all ages, from near and far, enjoying some common summer activities.

This week represents the last gallery of pictures. We look forward to returning next year Beckett Guinoo, 8, Chase Bartnik, 7, Brayden Guinoo, 3, with more photo submissions. and Aubrey Bartnik, 13, in West Ocean City

Kylie Jane Mooney, 10, and Emma, 5, and Abby McGuire, 8, in Ocean City

Waverly Alexander, 1, in Ocean City

Finnley Pearson, 1, in Fenwick Island

Traigh Durkin and Sawyer Alexander, both 7, in Ocean City

Charlotte Gladwin Straw, 6, on Assateague

Tanner Gladwin, 14, in West Ocean City

Ethan Gladwin, 15, off Ocean City

Page 58

Who’s Where When BUXY’S SALTY DOG 410-289-0973 28th St. & Coastal Hwy. Saturday, Sept. 23: TBA COCONUTS BEACH BAR & GRILL Oceanfront Castle In The Sand 37th & 38th St. 410-289-6846 Friday, Sept. 23: Darin Engh, Buckskin Whiskey Trio Saturday, Sept. 24: Kevin Poole & Joe Mama, The Chest Pains Sunday, Sept. 25: Rick & Regina, Colossal Fossil Sauce Thursday, Sept. 29: Bilenki Duo, Kevin Poole & Joe Mama COINS PUB 410-289-3100 28th St. Plaza On Coastal Hwy. Friday, Sept. 23: First Class Saturday, Sept. 24: Jim Long

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

Best Beats

DJ ROBCEE Fager’s Island: Friday, Sept. 23

On The Beach BEATS BY WAX Pickles Pub: Tuesdays & Thursdays

DJ YEMI OC Fontainebleu Resort: Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24

ROYAL FLUSH Crawl St. Tavern: Saturday, Sept. 24

STEVE BOWERS OC Eateries: Saturday, Sept. 24

JIM LONG BAND Coins Pub: Saturdays

CORK BAR Sunday, Sept. 25: TBA CRABCAKE FACTORY BAYSIDE 302-988-5000 37314 Lighthouse Rd., Rte. 54 Selbyville, DE Friday, Sept. 23: Tear The Roof Off Wednesday, Sept. 28: Lost N Found

DJ ADAM DUTCH Purple Moose Saloon: Friday-Sunday, Sept. 23-25 Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 27-29

CRAWL STREET TAVERN 443-373-2756 Wicomico St., Downtown O.C. Friday, Sept. 23: Lennon LaRicci & The Leftovers Saturday, Sept. 24: Royal Flush Thursday, Sept. 29: DJ Willdabeast FAGER’S ISLAND 410-524-5500 60th St. In The Bay Friday, Sept. 23: DJ RobCee, Sons Of Pirates, Hydrafx Saturday, Sept. 24: Sons Of Pirates, The Poprocks Monday, Sept. 25: Side Project, DJ Hector

DJ BILLY T Harborside: Friday, Sunday &Thursday

SLAMM Purple Moose Saloon: Saturday, Sept. 24

JASON LEE OC Eateries: Friday, Sept. 23

DJ DEOGEE Pickles Pub: Fridays, Sundays & Wednesdays

BAND OF MAKE BELIEVE Seacrets: Saturday, Sept. 24

KAROAKE W/JEREMY Harborside: Saturdays

GREENE TURTLE WEST 410-213-1500 Rt. 611, West O.C. Saturday, Sept. 24: TBA HARBORSIDE 410-213-1846 South Harbor Rd., West O.C. Fridays: DJ Billy T Saturday, Sept. 23: The Rogue Citizens, DJ Jeremy Sunday, Sept. 25: Pickin’ Party, DJ Billy T Thursdays: DJ Billy T

TEAR THE ROOF OFF Crabcake Factory Bayside: Friday, Sept. 23

DARIN ENGH Coconuts Beach Bar: Friday, Sept. 23

SONS OF PIRATES Fager’s Island: Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 59

Who’s Where When OC EATERIES 443-252-3700 12849 Ocean Gateway, Rte. 50, West OC Friday, Sept. 23: Jason Lee Saturday, Sept. 24: Steve Bowers Thursday, Sept. 29: DJ Karaoke

FIRST CLASS Coin’s Pub: Friday, Sept. 23

LENNON LARICCI & THE LEFTOVERS Crawl St. Tavern: Friday, Sept. 23

KEVIN POOLE & JOE MAMA Coconuts Beach Bar: Saturday, Sept. 24 & Thursday, Sept. 29

THE ROGUE CITZENS Harborside: Saturday, Sept. 24 • 1 p.m.

Pickles Pub: Saturday, Sept. 24 • 9 p.m.

FULL CIRCLE DUO Pier 23: Friday, Sept. 23 Seacrets: Thursday, Sept. 29

RICK & REGINA Pier 23: Saturday, Sept. 24 Coconuts Beach Bar: Sunday, Sept. 25

STEAL THE SKY Seacrets: Saturday, Sept. 24

THE CHEST PAINS Coconuts Beach Bar: Saturday, Sept. 24

THE POPROCKS Fager’s Island: Saturday, Sept. 24

PICKIN’ PARTY Harborside: Sunday, Sept. 25

OC FONTAINEBLEU RESORT 410-524-3535 10100 Coastal Hwy. In The OC Friday & Saturday, Sept. 23 & 24: DJ Yemi OCEAN PINES YACHT CLUB 410-641-7501 1 Mumford’s Landing Road, Ocean Pines Friday, Sept. 23: Josh Christina Saturday, Sept. 24: Kittyback PICKLES PUB 410-289-4891 8th St. & Philadelphia Ave. Fridays: Beats By Deogee Saturday, Sept. 24: The Rogue Citizens Sundays: Beats By Deogee Mondays: Karaoke with Wood Tuesdays: Beats By Wax Wednesdays: Beats By Deogee Thursdays: Beats By Wax PIER 23 410-289-3323 12817 Harbor Rd., West OC Friday, Sept. 23: Full Circle Duo Saturday, Sept. 24: Rick & Regina PURPLE MOOSE SALOON Between Talbot & Caroline Sts. On The Boardwalk 410-289-6953 Friday-Sunday, & Tuesday-Thursday Sept. 23-25, 27-29: DJ Adam Dutch Saturday, Sept. 24: Slamm SEACRETS 410-524-4900 49th St. & Coastal Hwy. Friday, Sept. 23: DJ Bobby O, DJ Tuff, High Five Swan Dive Trio, Late Last Night, Turning The Tide Saturday, Sept. 24: DJ Bobby O, DJ Cruz, John McNutt Band, Band Of Make Believe, Steal The Sky Monday, Sept. 26: Believe In Tomorrow Beach Bash Thursday, Sept. 29: Full Circle Duo, DJ Connair

Page 60

Seahawks Suffer First Loss To Kent Island

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

SPORTS

Worcester Boys Rout Salisbury Christian

September 23, 2022

In The News

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

BERLIN – Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity soccer team cruised past host Salisbury Christian, 6-0, on Monday to improve to 3-0-1 on the season.

The Mallards opened the season last week with an 8-1 win over Salisbury

School, followed by a 1-1 tie with Gunston. Late last week, the Worcester boys beat Delmarva Christian on the road, 4-1.

On Monday, the Mallards beat Salisbury Christian on the road, 6-0. Worcester led just 1-0 at the half, but scored five unanswered goals in the second half to cruise to the 6-0 win and improve to 30-1.

Mallards Tie Salisbury Christian, Record Now 2-1-1

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

BERLIN – Worcester Prep’s girls’ varsity soccer team has had an up and down start to the season, including a 3-3 tie with Salisbury Christian on the road on Monday.

After an opening season loss, the Mal-

lards beat Gunston last week, 5-1, scoring all of their goals in the first half.

On Monday, the Worcester girls traveled to Salisbury Christian and played to a 3-3 tie in a unique game. Worcester scored each of its goals in the first half and led 3-0 at the break. Salisbury Christian then scored three unanswered goals in the second half and the game ended in a tie.

Decatur quarterback Brycen Coleman delivers a pass in the Seahawks’ 31-14 loss to Kent Island last weekend, the team’s first loss of the young season.

Photo courtesy J.P. Cathell Photography

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

BERLIN – Stephen Decatur’s varsity football team suffered its first loss of the young season last week, falling to Kent Island, 31-14, on the road.

Decatur played the Buccaneers close for a while and trailed just 7-6 at the end of the first quarter, but Kent Island scored 22 unanswered points and took

a 28-6 lead into halftime. The Seahawks added a touchdown in the third quarter, but the damage had been done and Kent Island cruised to the 31-14 win.

Quarterback Brycen Coleman completed 16 of 26 against Kent Island for 173 yards and one touchdown. He also ran 11 times for 27 yards. Luke Mergott caught four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, while Ethan Bradshaw had three catches for 48 yards.

Worcester Prep Golf Team Wins 3rd Straight

Tough Guy Of The Week:

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

This week’s Hammond Family “Tough Guy of the Week” award went to A.J. Trimble for his outstanding performance in the Seahawks’ win over Indian River in week two. Pictured above is Trimble (center) flanked by Bobby Hammond (left) and Coach Jake Coleman (right).

Submitted Photo

BERLIN – Worcester Prep’s varsity golf team won a quad meet last week at Prospect Bay for their third straight match win.

The Mallards shot a low 154 as a team to beat three other Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference schools in the match. Vanesska Hall was the medalist for Worcester with a low 36, while Mike DePalma shot 37, Aleksey Klimins shot 40 and Frank Miller shot 41.

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 61

with Scott Lenox Happy fall y’all. That’s right, we’ve officially reached the end of summer and the beginning of my favorite time of year. I’m not talking about pumpkin spice or leaves changing color. I’m talking about cooler temperatures and some of the best fishing of the entire year. Throw in a heaping helping of lighter crowds and you’ve got one happy fishing columnist. I hope to see some of you out there.

The weather has shown glimpses of fall and what’s to come over the past couple of days with some daytime highs only reaching into the 70s and lows getting down into the 50s at night. Local waters have responded by cooling down a few degrees and the fishing has responded well. More species are being caught on a regular basis in our back bays, and offshore fishing has picked up a little with some billfish, tunas, wahoo and mahi being caught.

Offshore fishing was decent between the Poorman’s and Baltimore Canyons last week with some good catches of white marlin, blue marlin and even a few sailfish. Boats fishing the daytime shift did ok, but boats going and staying overnight fared better. There was a good bite at dawn and at dusk for both billfish and tunas that most day charter boats missed

out on, but overnight boats got to take advantage of. One overnighter in particular was absolutely insane. The crew of the private boat Instigator fishing out of Sunset Marina had an incredible offshore overnighter that produced a wahoo, two swordfish and six bigeye tuna up to 243 pounds. Overnight boats also did better on billfish releases as the private boat Knot Again saw a blue marlin and 6 white marlin releases and the private boat DA Sea saw a blue marlin, four white marlin and a sailfish.

Ocean flounder fishing picked up even better this past week thanks to slightly cooling ocean temps and calm seas.

Flounder from just legal size at 16” all the way up to over 8 pounds are being caught on ocean structure by the ocean bottom fishing fleet in depths from 100 to 160 feet. The best baits for ocean flounder are strip baits or big Gulp baits fished on a bucktail teaser rig or a “chicken rig”. Chicken rigs are basic top and bottom rigs with two small bucktails or skirted hooks on dropper loops close to the main leader above a sinker. Back bay fishing is improving with the cooler water temperatures as well as most species that we see in Ocean City are available in September SEE PAGE 62

Captain Austin Ensor of Primary Search put this group on a 51” swordfish and a lineup of gaffer mahi.

Submitted Photos

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

Above top left, this 40-pound cobia ate a flounder rig and ended up on the deck of the Angler with Captain Chris Mizurak. Above top middle left, this limit of flounder was caught on board the Judith M fishing out of Bahia Marina. Above top middle right, the private boat Instigator fishing out of Sunset Marina had an insane overnighter with a wahoo, two swordfish and six huge bigeye tuna up to 243 pounds. Above top right, Captain Brian Porter of the Boss Hogg helped these anglers find a big bigeye in the Poorman’s canyon. Above left, Shawn Flaherty, Big Bird Cropper and Karl Heinrich had keeper rockfish and bluefish up to 15 pounds from the Route 50 Bridge. Above right, Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had a first this month when an angler landed a yellowfin tuna.

Opposite page, top left, this group had a great day on the Reel Chaos with Captain Anthony Matarese with a blue marlin release, a sailfish release and a pile of mahi. Opposite page, top right, Blake Gunther tricked this 24” flounder into eating a Gulp jig in the OC inlet. Opposite page, middle left, this crew had a great day at the south jetty with tautog, sheepshead and bluefish thanks to Captain Jason Mumford of Lucky Break Charters. Opposite page, bottom left, Captain Wayne Blanks of Bayside Guide Service took some big bluefish from the Route 50 Bridge this week. Opposite page, bottom right, Willie Zimmerman of the RoShamBo put this group on a pile of fish including a nice 33 pound bull dolphin.

... Fish In OC FROM PAGE 61 and October. Sheepshead, tautog, croaker, trout, a few black drum and red drum are being caught at the north and south jetties.

Flounder are being caught all over the bay, but the best fishing is around the Route 50 Bridge, the OC inlet or the East Channel. Live bunker, mullet and spot fished on a live bait rig will give you your best chance at landing a keeper fish over 16”, but Gulp, minnows and shiners fished on a top and bottom rig like our Deadly Double will catch more fish. There are plenty of bluefish and rockfish at the Route

50 Bridge right now and that should continue through November or early December depending on the weather. Smaller bluefish and rockfish in the 15” to 24” range are being caught on lead head and shad bodied baits like the Thing A Ma Jig or Roy Rig while larger fish are being caught on live bait or larger hard bodied crank baits, or “stretch” lures.

Fish larger live bunker or spot, or “dredge” larger artificial baits in the deeper water around the main span of the Route 50 Bridge for a chance at a larger bluefish or rockfish. Big Bird Cropper and Shawn Flaherty are masters at “dredging” and caught some big fish last week. Bird and Karl had a day with matching 32” keeper rockfish, and Shawn dredged up a huge 38”, 15 pound bluefish.

Recently, members from the surf fish-

ing team representing Fish in OC participated in the 39th Annual Hatteras Village Invitational surf fishing tournament and brought home men’s first place honors. Some of their heaviest competition wasn’t there, but they’ll still take the firstplace trophy. There are a couple of surf fishing tournaments yet to come this year with the AMSA Ronald Bounds Memorial and the Ocean City MidAtlantic Surf Fishing Tournament. Good luck to those guys and anyone fishing these events.

The next fishing tournament on the schedule is the 6th Annual Ocean City Inshore Classic put on by Fish in OC and Hooked on OC presented by TC Backer Construction. This is an awesome inshore event with categories for rockfish, flounder, tautog and open (multiple species) and there have been some awesome pay-

outs recently. Last year we had just 31 boats and we paid out over $15,000. During the Inshore Classic you can fish any or all of 32 hours from lines in at 7 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 8 until lines out at 3 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 9. Registration is Friday, Oct. 7 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Sunset Marina activity room and scales action takes place at Atlantic Tackle Saturday and Sunday. Scales are open 4 until 7 p.m. Saturday and from 3 until 5 p.m.

Sunday.

I hope to see you there. Until next week, tight lines.

(The writer is the owner of Fish in OC and host of Ocean City’s fishing television show Hooked on OC. He has worked in the fishing industry and been fishing the waters in and around Ocean City for over 25 years.)

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Every Sunday: Berlin Farmers Market From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., several streets will be closed to allow producers to display their goods. Live music from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Every Monday: TOPS Meeting 5-6:30 p.m. Atlantic General Hospital, Berlin.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a support group promoting weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Call Rose 443-880-8444.

Every Monday: Acapella Chorus All ladies who love to sing are invited to the Delmarva Woman’s Acapella Chorus, Ocean Pines Community Center, 239 Ocean Parkway, 6-8 p.m. Contact Mary 410-629-9383 or Carol 302-242-7062.

Every Tuesday: Tango Practice Argentine Tango practice 7-9:30 p.m. Experienced dancers and anyone interested in watching or learning more are welcome. No partner required. More information at TangobytheBeach.com.

Every Tuesday: TOPS Meeting Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a weekly support and education group promoting weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Meetings are held at the Worcester County Berlin Health Department at 9730 Healthway Drive, Berlin from 3:30-4:30 p.m. every Tuesday. 410-289-4725.

Every Tuesday: Dancing The Delmarva Hand Dance Club holds dancing at the Selbyville Elks Lodge 2173 from 5:30-9 p.m. delmarvhanddancing.com.

Every Tuesday: Beach Cleanup Beach Heroes, an volunteer Ocean City group, holds cleanups 9-10 a.m. year-round.

Trash bags, grippers and gloves provided.

Check the Facebook page "Beach HeroesOC" for weekly meeting locations. All are wel-

Things To Do come.

Every Wednesday: Bingo Elks Lodge 2645, corner of Sinepuxent Avenue and 138th Street in Ocean City. Has bingo all year. Doors open 4:30 p.m. with first game sharply at 6:30 p.m. Kitchen open for light fare. 410-250-2645.

Every Thursday: Beach Singles Join the club, 55 plus, at Harpoon Hanna’s in Fenwick Island, 4-6 p.m. 302-436-9577 or BeachSingles.org.

Every Friday: Bingo Knights of Columbus hosts with doors open at 5 p.m. and bingo beginning promptly at 6:30 p.m. Held at the Columbus Hall at 9901 Coastal Highway, behind St. Luke's Church.

Play every game for just $24. Light refreshments available. Call 410-524-7994 with any questions.

Sept. 24: Assateague Adventures Berlin library branch will host a Ranger-led adventure featuring crafts, puppets, stories, cool props and live animals from Assateague Island National Seashore. A different adventure each week for all ages.

Sept. 24: Drive-Thru Luncheon Powellville UM Church will host from 10 a.m. until sold out at 35606 Mount Hermon Road, Powellville. Drive thru luncheon features oyster fritter sandwiches, homemade chicken salad, homemade soups including peas and

dumplings and vegetable beef. Bake sale items will be available. No pre-orders. Call 410-835-8796 or 443-880-8804 for more details.

Sept. 24-25: Renaissance Faire From 10 a.m.-6 p.m., the 2nd Annual Renaissance Faire at Furnace Town Historic Site, 3816 Old Furnace Rd., Snow Hill. Cost is $15/adult, $10/children ages 5-14. www.furnacetown.org.

Sept. 28: Monthly Meeting The First State Detachment of the Marine Corps League meets at the Ocean City American Legion Post 166 on 23rd Street and Coastal Highway at noon. Any Marines and Navy Corpsman who have served in the Corps, living in Worcester and Sussex counties, are welcome to join. 410-430-7181 or email websergeant@firststatemarines.org.

Sept. 28: Addiction Story Wor-Wic Community College will host Tony Hoffman from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on at the college campus on the corner of Route 50 and Walston Switch Road. The free event is part of Wicomico Goes Purple, a countywide effort to promote substance misuse prevention, treatment and recovery. Hoffman will speak about his opioid addiction and recovery, and how he went from being incarcerated to becoming a world-class BMX racer and Olympic coach.

Sept. 29: Chorus Singers Inviting new singers, both ladies and gentlemen to join the Pine Tones Chorus. 1 p.m.

Ocean Pines Community Center, Dave, 1610-213-7472.

Sept. 30: Fish Dinner Bowen United Methodist Church in Newark will host 4:30 till 7 p.m. fried flounder dinner, green beans, mac and cheese, cornbread, beverage, and dessert. Cost $10 carry outs available.

Oct. 1: 5K Run/Walk The Wor-Wic Community College Foundation is sponsoring a 5K Run/Walk, along with the 2022 Law Enforcement Team Cup Challenge, at 9 a.m., at the college campus on the corner of Route 50 and Walston Switch Road in Salisbury. Check-in and registration begin at 8 a.m. The entry fee is $25 per person, or $35 per person after Sept. 28. Proceeds will benefit the students of Wor-Wic. For more information or a registration form, visit the college website at www.worwic.edu or call 410334-2807.

Oct. 1: Block Party Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates, along with the other healthcare providers located on Woodbrooke Drive in Salisbury including Chesapeake Healthcare, Peninsula Imaging and TidalHealth, are hosting a “Block Party” from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., open to the entire community. This event will feature free health screenings such as flu shots, BMI, and blood pressure, education, as well as various other organizations.

Oct. 2: Crab Feast The Church of the Holy Spirit at 100th Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City will be having a fund-raising crab feast from 2 to 5 p.m. Food will be served until 4:30 p.m. The dine-in menu will include crabs, fried chicken, corn on the cob, hush puppies, lemonade, iced tea, soda and desserts. Carry-out

September 23, 2022 will also be available. The carry-out meal will include six crabs, two pieces of chicken, corn on the cob, hush puppies, dessert and a drink. Crabs are medium large/large and will come from Rippon's Seafood. The chicken is being provided by Higgins Crab House. Cost for adults is $45; for children ages 6 to 10, it's $20; children under 6 eat free. Tickets are available now, by contacting the Church office at 410-723-1973 or by calling Monica at 443-235-8942. Proceeds will benefit the Church of the Holy Spirit and its outreach programs. Refunds will be provided only in the event that the crab feast must be canceled.

Oct. 8: Chicken, Dumpling Dinner The Bishopville Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary will be holding a chicken and dumpling carryout from noon-2 p.m. at the main station. Chicken, dumplings, green beans and sweet potatoes, $14 per dinner. Extra pint of Dumplings is $7 per pint. Call 619-922-9950 to reserve your dinner and pint by Oct. 3.

Oct. 9: Youth Film Festival Wild Child Youth Film Festival will be held outside at Burley Oak Brewery. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the films start at 6:30 p.m.

Rain location is MacMullin Hall at ACT office, 10959 Worcester Hwy, Berlin.

Oct. 11: Animal Blessing In honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who loved all animals and whose feast day, the Church of the Holy Spirit in Ocean City will hold a Blessing of the Animals ceremony from 11:30 a.m. till 1 p.m. in the church parking lot. The church is located at Coastal Highway and 100th Street. Pets should be on leashes or otherwise under their owners’ control. Any size, shape or type of pet is welcome.

Oct. 11-13: Basic Boating Course The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering the Maryland Basic Boating Safety Course virtually. Cost is $20 for all three evenings. Register or get more information by calling Barry Cohen at 410-935-4807, or Email: CGAUXOC@Gmail.com.

Oct. 12: AARP Meeting Ocean City AARP Chapter 1917 will meet at 10 a.m. in the Ocean City Senior Center located on 41st Street and Coastal Highway (behind the Dough Roller restaurant). Please arrive early at 9:30 for a social half-hour and refreshments. Our guest speaker will be provided by Tidal Health. New members are welcome. Call Bob McCluskey at 410-250-0980 with questions.

October 22: Furnace Town Halloween From 4-8 p.m., Halloween in the Forest at Furnace Town Historic Site, 3816 Old Furnace Rd., Snow Hill. Spooktacular games, music and trick-or-treating. Cost is $5/person. www.furnacetown.org.

Oct. 22: Knupp Event The Ocean Pines community is coming together to honor Gavin Knupp by renaming the skate park. Gavin was passionate about skateboarding along with many more outdoor activities. He loved encouraging others to #doitfortheskateedit. Event at the Sinepuxent Brewing Co. is for the first ever benefit in honor of Gavin Knupp. Food, beverages, give-aways, 50/50 raffles, silent auction items and more.

Nov. 9: AARP Meeting Ocean City AARP Chapter 1917 will meet at 10 a.m. in the Ocean City Senior Center located on 41st Street. Please arrive early at 9:30 for a social half-hour and refreshments. Guest speaker will be from the Sierra Club. New members are welcome.

Call Bob McCluskey at 410-250-0980 with questions.

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 65

OBITUARIES Linda Strawley OCEAN CITY – Linda, “TuTu,” Strawley, of Lahaina, peacefully departed in the comfort of her home on Sept. 2, 2022.

Linda was born on Feb. 22, 1945 and lived with her family in Cape May, N.J. She is predeceased by her parents, Harry and Margaret Stratton. Linda graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School and became a lab technician at Newcomb Hospital in Vineland, N.J. She married Michael in 1966 and had two amazing children, Michael and Karyn. Linda volunteered at Our Lady LINDA Star of the Sea school as STRAWLEY a Teacher’s Aide. In 1978 she and her husband established The Bearded Clam Bar in Ocean City, where Linda quickly became known as “Boss Lady.”

Linda made Maui her home over 30 years ago and embraced the Aloha and the Hawaiian spirit. She worked at the Kapalua Logo Shop where she was nominated for The Aloha Award and was a passionate volunteer for the Salvation Army. Linda was a member of Waiola Church in Lahaina where she assisted with Sunday School.

Linda is survived by her sisters, Har-

riet DiGiacomo and Laura DeCamillo; her children, Michael Strawley Jr. (Hollie) and Karyn Saunders (Scott); her grandchildren, Dylan and Jayde Essex and Jamison and Jillian Strawley; and nieces and nephews Lori DiGiacomo, Jodi Brand, Joe DiGiacomo, Dawn DeCamillo, Dana Fiocca, Scott Culver and Christine Jaidar.

Linda loved crabs – hard, soft, crab cakes, you name it. Her baked stuffed potatoes were legendary. She was an avid reader and always had an author to share. Linda also enjoyed golf and walking. She became a wordsmith through Scrabble and played with friends and family near and far. She was a loving and supportive mother, sister, TuTu and friend. Her smile, laughter and positivity were contagious. Linda will be greatly missed but she will continue to have a place in the hearts of many.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Linda’s memory be made to The American Cancer Society or Islands Hospice in Maui.

A celebration of life will take place at a date to be determined.

He punawai Kahe wale ke Aloha, august old Loko I Ke Aloha … Love is a spring that flows freely, love gives life within.

A hui hou … until we meet again.

… Major Traffic Lane Adjustments 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.

FROM PAGE 4 park to the concert venue is estimated at around 5-10 minutes, according to the release.

The town reminded ride-share users the demand will be high, especially when the major concerts conclude each night, and the number of drivers will be limited. It should also be pointed out the cost of ride-shares is demanddriven, so the prices should be inflated.

In the release, the town reiterated the downtown area south of the Route 50 bridge will be closed to private vehicle traffic on the nights of the festival, so ride-shares, taxis or friends will not be able to pick up concertgoers in that area following the event.

For all of the above reasons, the town’s release encourages concertgoers to consider alternative means of transportation to the event, including walking or riding a bicycle. Just last week, town officials approved the riding of bicycles on the Boardwalk during the three-day event.

The town’s release issued this week also provided estimated walk times to the event from various locations. For example, walking from the north end of the Boardwalk at 27th Street to the concert venue is around 2.3 miles and is expected to take around 45 minutes.

From 40th Street, the trip is expected

to be about 55 minutes on foot or a 13minute bike ride. From 30th Street, expect a 45-minute hike or 10 minutes by bike. From 20th Street, the walk is reduced to an estimated 30 minutes, or an eight-minute bike ride. Finally, from 10th Street, the walk is expected to take 15 minutes, or five minutes by bicycle.

Another transportation alternative suggested is the OC Bay Hopper water taxi, which will offer dedicated trips for concertgoers from three locations including its home base at 118th Street, the Ocean Pines Yacht Club and Pier 23. The service will run each day during the festival from noon until 11:40 p.m.

Reservations are required, however.

Finally, the release suggests having a plan in place for any contingencies.

For example, have a reunification center designated if one gets separated from the individual or individuals with whom they go to the concerts. Have a transportation method plan in place, but know the alternatives if those methods prove challenging, as they likely will. Of course, it goes without saying plan for a sober ride home and don’t drink and drive. Ocean City police and public safety personnel will be assigned throughout the area to assist concertgoers and provide traffic control conditions.

Marlene Ott Associate Broker, CRS LTG

Marleneott.com

11001 Manklin Meadows Lane, Ocean Pines, MD 21811 Office 410-208-3500 | Cell 410-430-5743 Fax 410-208-3501 | marlene@marleneott.com

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

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Berlin Fiddlers Convention Returns Sept. 23-25

Page 68

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

BY BETHANY HOOPER STAFF WRITER

BERLIN – The stage is set for the return of the Berlin Fiddlers Convention this weekend.

A variety of bluegrass acts will perform downtown this weekend at the 30th annual Berlin Fiddlers Convention, presented by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce.

Held Sept. 23-25, the festival will feature live music, vendors, local crafts and more.

“This is one of the biggest Berlin events,” said Megan Hines, chamber board member and chair of the Fiddlers Convention Committee. “Free live music from amazing local musicians, good beer and lots of things to see and do.”

The Berlin Fiddlers Convention will kick off Friday with performances from The String Buzzards at 6 p.m. and Tim Finch and The Eastman String Band at 8 p.m.

The action then picks back up on Saturday with festivities continuing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Beginning at noon, the Fiddlers Convention will host a national flatpicking, fiddle, and youth competition at the corner of Broad and Main streets.

While the competition was judged through virtual submissions last year, organizers note performers at this year’s festival will be judged live in four different categories: an adult open, a youth open,

The 30th annual Fiddlers Convention will return to downtown Berlin this weekend. Above, a crowd is pictured on Main Street during last year’s festival.

File Photo

the flatpicking contest and the fiddle category.

“There is over $2,000 is prize money,” Hines said.

Following the competition, The High and Wides will take the stage to conclude Saturday’s festivities. Organizers note the festival will also feature rows of vendors and artisans, as well as food and drinks.

“Both Friday and Saturday, there will be beer available on Main Street, and Saturday will include about 20 local food vendors and

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producers/makers,” Hines added. “Many of the shops will be open late as well.”

The Fiddlers Convention wraps up on Sunday with a traditional Sunday gospel and bluegrass jamboree, to be held on the lawn of the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum from noon to 3 p.m.

Berlin’s own Stevenson’s Crossroads, a bluegrass and gospel band, will be performing.

Organizers added that Sunday’s festivities will coincide with the season’s final

Berlin Farmers Market, which will continue to be held in the area of Pitts, Main and Commerce streets.

For more information on the Berlin Fiddlers Convention, visit berlinchamber.org or email berlinmdchamber@gmail.com.

While parking is available downtown, organizers note a free shuttle – courtesy of Ocean Downs Casino – will also be available to transport festival attendees.

“People should bring their own chairs to watch music,” Hines added.

Beauty Spot Award Winners Lauded

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Winners of the 2022 Beauty Spot awards, pictured above, were recognized at Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting.

Submitted Photo

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and Council on Monday doled out the Beautification Committee’s annual Beauty Spot awards to various deserving residents and property owners.

Each year, the Ocean City Beautification Committee sponsors the awards to recognize the efforts of property owners who contribute to the town’s aesthetics through the exceptional maintenance of their homes, condos and businesses. By planting trees, shrubs, flowers, ornamental grasses and other decorative items, the award winners help beautify not only their own property, but the town as well.

The Beautification Committee accepts nominations for the awards through mid-summer. Committee members then review the nominated properties and utilize a rating system to assign points to the eventual winners. In years past, committee members would drive around the resort seeking properties for the annual awards, but the eventual winners now come through the nomination process from their neighbors and other members of the community.

The awards are based on a number of factors that contribute to the property as a whole. The judging is based on such factors as the percentage of flowers and ground cover and the percentage of trees, shrubs, grasses and creative landscaping. In some cases, efforts to disguise unattractive areas of a property, such as a dumpster, for example, are recognized.

On Monday, Beautification Committee Chair Donna Greenwood, with the help of Mayor Rick Meehan, presented the annual Beauty Spot awards to the winners in various categories. Greenwood said the annual awards represent a fraction of what the committee does throughout the

year.

“The Beauty Spots are just one of the things we do in Ocean City,” she said. “Some of our newest projects have included decorating the firehouses and the dedication of the Donna Abbott Garden at the convention center. She was here for many, many years. We also come in and decorate City Hall for the holidays every December.”

Meehan thanked Greenwood and the committee members for their diligence in keeping the town looking good.

“I just want to thank the committee,” he said. “We see so many people in here getting awards tonight. It goes to show just how much everybody cares about Ocean City and keeping it such a beautiful place to live.”

On Monday, eight winners were announced in the residential category including the Ciriles, the Nocks, the Fishers, the Woodards, the Taylors, the McLaughlins, the Milociks and the Kaufmans. Four condominiums earned Beauty Spot awards including the Virginian, the Bay Princess, Seal Beach and a property on the Boardwalk at 24th Street.

In the restaurant category, awards went to Blue Fish, Papi’s Tacos and Malia’s Café. In the hotel-motel category, Beauty Spot awards went to the Days Inn, Castle in the Sand and Hyatt Place. In the commercial category, awards went to 85 N’ Sunny and Coastal Resort. In the retail category, Beauty Spot awards went to Sunsations on 9th Street, and Sunglass City, also on 9th Street.

In the Boardwalk category, awards went to Shenanigan’s, Davinci’s by the Sea and Franco’s Pizza. Special awards that didn’t fit neatly into any of the categories included the Montego Bay Civic Association, Believe in Tomorrow and residents who beautified the dune crossing at 121st Street.

Page 69

Commissioners OK Route 50 Property Rezoning Request

Page 70

BY CHARLENE SHARPE STAFF WRITER

SNOW HILL – The Worcester County Commissioners approved a request to rezone property on Herring Creek despite concerns from neighbors.

Following a public hearing Tuesday, the commissioners voted 6-1 to rezone 2.25 acres on Route 50 at Herring Creek.

The rezoning is expected to allow Blue Water Development to pursue construction of a new office on the site.

“They have a proven track record,” Commissioner Bud Church said.

Attorney Hugh Cropper told the commissioners he was seeking rezoning of the 2.25 acres on the north side of Route 50, east of Herring Creek, because a mistake had been made when it was labeled R-2 residential. He said it should be reclassified as C-2 general commercial and noted that the county’s comprehensive plan designated the site as commercial.

He added that the site’s building envelope was also not conducive to residential development. Cropper told the commissioners Blue Water Development owner Jack Burbage wanted to buy the property to build a new corporate office there.

“In 30 years, no one’s been able to touch this property,” he said. “It doesn’t work as residential.”

Several area residents shared concerns about development plans for the site, noting its proximity to Herring Creek.

… New Police Board Meets With Chiefs

FROM PAGE 12 Snow Hill Chief Andy McGee said he too was worried officers wouldn’t be as proactive as they had in the past with the new accountability procedures.

“It’s going to be a struggle,” he said.

Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser said local agencies communicated and worked well together, things that would aid in the transition to the new system. She also addressed the importance of training.

“The number one thing is give them the staffing they need, give them the funding they need, and give them the training they need and then wind them up and let them go,” she said.

The accountability board is set to meet quarterly. Members assured the law enforcement officials present they were committed to ensuring everyone was treated fairly.

“I think that you collectively, as those in charge, should feel very comfortable after today,” Theobald said. “I know one thing, this is the first time we’ve met our peers and we’ve all stressed the same thing—everything will be treated fairly.

Everything will be looked at through a clear lens. I think that message should be brought back to your people. We take this seriously. It will be done correctly.”

Tate agreed.

“I think these meetings are going to help,” he said.

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

A Waterview Drive resident said that if the land was rezoned commercial, it could eventually be the site of a commercial water sports business.

Cropper said deed restrictions would limit development to an office building.

Several neighbors referenced a conceptual plan created for the property.

They said it showed the new building too close to the water, in what should be a buffer zone. Silver Point Lane resident John O’Dell said the plan showed an office building with more than 90 parking places.

“If you have that much runoff into the creek it’s got to have a bad effect on the creek,” he said.

Another Silver Point Lane resident said rezoning the property could open the door to future commercial development in the area.

“We’re very concerned as neighbors how this is going to change the character of our creek,” he said.

Area resident Joe Albero also referenced the concept drawing and how it showed a building just 30 feet from the water.

Cropper said the drawing neighbors had apparently seen was simply one possibility of what could go on the site.

He added that when development proceeded, there would be multiple boards that would review and weigh in and even host public hearings on the site plan.

Cropper pointed out all the neighbors frustrated that the concept plan showed

September 23, 2022

a building in the buffer zone had homes right on the water themselves.

“All these people, they’re 20-, 25-feet from the creek,” he said.

Patrice and John Lehmann, who own a 100-year-old home on Silver Point Lane, said they didn’t want to see the property rezoned because it could be turned into something else like a restaurant or bar in the future.

“You go to your home to rest, recharge,” Patrice Lehmann said. “You don’t want to see commercial traffic.

That’s not what a home and a place of rest is about.”

Ron Smith, representing a local fishing group, said the water in the area was already impaired and prone to fish kills.

“This is just going to set us back,” he said.

Cropper, reiterating that any development would be subject to various reviews and hearings, said that homes on Silver Point Lane were on septic systems.

“That’s the stuff that impacts the creek,” he said, adding that commercial development on the site in questions would be subject to the latest requirements related to wastewater and stormwater. “Any development is going to be subject to strict scrutiny.”

Commissioner Chip Bertino said that while the drawing neighbors had shown the commissioners might have been conceptual, he couldn’t unsee it.

“I can’t support this,” he said.

Commissioner Ted Elder said he had reservations about the rezoning but that it would be subject to further review as development proceeded.

“I think they’ll need to meet with the neighbors and get a plan that suits everybody,” he said.

Church spoke strongly in support of the rezoning and reminded those in attendance he’d been in the local real estate industry for half a century.

“I think it’s appropriate,” he said.

He praised the Burbage family specifically.

“They don’t do anything halfway,” he said. “Jack is a friend of mine, I’ll admit that. They have a proven track record. If I had any doubt, I’d vote against it.”

Commissioner Diana Purnell said the project would come before the commissioners again.

“When you come back you better have something better than what you got today,” she said.

Staff said the project would likely be reviewed by county boards and the critical area commission but wouldn’t necessarily come back before the commissioners.

“I’m torn about this,” Commissioner Jim Bunting said, adding that the rezoning had been favorably recommended by the Worcester County Planning Commission.

The commissioners voted 6-1, with Bertino opposed, to approve the rezoning.

anxiety and was in therapy, and that he hated to make the incident sound like her fault, but she had an episode near the family’s vehicle in the parking lot, according to police reports. Premo reportedly told police he went to the parking lot to bring the juvenile back up to the room and he grabbed her by her shoulders and she blacked out.

Premo told officers the juvenile fell to the ground and that she had a bloody nose, but he did not know how that happened because there had been no physical contact, according to police reports.

Premo reportedly told police bystanders got involved when the juvenile fell to the ground, but they did not understand the situation.

Premo reportedly told police all three family members returned to the room until police arrived. OCPD officers interviewed the adult female, who advised the juvenile did have a nosebleed, but there were no marks on her. The adult female did say there had been a physical scuffle, but when the officers told her witnesses had reported Premo had pushed the juvenile against the wall by her neck, the adult female nodded her head yes, according to police reports.

At that point, the juvenile came out of the bathroom and she reportedly had blood all over the front of her white sweatshirt, according to police reports.

The victim was crying hysterically and said her nose hurt and she had difficulty speaking because she was crying, ac-

cording to police reports.

The victim reportedly told officers she was arguing with Premo and went downstairs. She told police Premo put his hands around her neck and head and pushed her against a wall, according to police reports. The victim told police she remembered her mother attempting to get Premo to stop. The victim told officers the last she thing she remembered was waking up on the ground with a bloody nose, according to police reports.

OCPD officers then interviewed several witnesses who all shared a similar account of the incident. The witnesses each said they observed the victim outside crying when Premo arrived and put his hands around her throat, causing her legs to be suspended several inches off the ground, according to police reports.

The witnesses reportedly each said when the mother attempted to intervene, Premo struck the juvenile victim in the face with his elbow. The witnesses told officers when they attempted to intervene, Premo released the victim and she fell to the ground, but she could not break her fall because she was unconscious, according to police reports.

The witnesses reportedly told officers the victim was kicking her feet while Premo held her by the throat, but suddenly went limp and stopped kicking before she fell to the ground. Premo was arrested and charged with first- and seconddegree assault and child abuse.

Assault, Abuse Charges For Uptown Incident

BY SHAWN J. SOPER

MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – A West Virginia man was arrested on first-degree assault and child abuse charges last weekend after allegedly choking and hitting his daughter outside an uptown hotel in front of witnesses to the point she became unconscious.

Around 7:50 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to an uptown hotel for a reported domestic assault. Officers met with hotel employees who advised a physical altercation had occurred between a juvenile female and her father, according to police reports.

There were reportedly several other witnesses outside the hotel lobby area who reported they observed a father strangle his daughter. The witnesses also pointed to an area on the ground that had several spots of fresh blood on it, according to police reports. The area with the blood spots was reportedly right next to the hotel’s main door.

OCPD officers went to the room on the fifth floor where the family was staying and made contact with the father, identified as Derek Premo, 41, of Charles Town, W. Va. When asked what happened between he and his daughter, Premo reportedly told police the family had been at the beach and were going out to dinner.

Premo told police his daughter had

84-Bed Seasonal Housing Project Approved In OC

September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Page 71

BY SHAWN J. SOPER MANAGING EDITOR

OCEAN CITY – The goal of achieving more affordable workforce housing in town inched closer to reality this week when resort planners signed off on a proposed boarding house for 84 seasonal workers on a vacant lot in the downtown area.

On Tuesday, the planning commission had before them a site plan review that proposed a three-story-plus rooming house or boarding house on a downtown lot on Dorchester Street that has been vacant for a decade. It’s no secret Ocean City is experiencing an acute shortage of seasonal workforce housing and there are several projects going through various stages of the design and approval process.

The planning commission on Tueday reviewed plans for a proposed boarding house or rooming house on Dorchester Street. The plan calls for 10 large rooms with the capacity to house 84 individuals. The rooming house or boarding house distinction is important because the code for those designations offers relief from stringent parking requirements.

For example, the developer has already received a waiver for what would have been 16 required parking spaces.

The conventional thinking has been most summer seasonal workers that would stay in rooming houses or boarding houses would not likely have vehicles. Zoning Administrator Kay Gordy explained the history of the site proposed for the project.

“The property was once a multi-fam-

ily apartment site that was demolished in 2012 and has been used as a temporary parking lot by the current owner for several years,” she said. “It’s a unique property in that it is planned for employ-

ee housing but does not include any commercial use.”

Gordy said a staff review of the proposed project met the requirements for a boarding or rooming house in the

FROM PAGE 7 or loans,” Mitrecic said. “Or, if they find it feasible they could in fact pay for it all.

Who knows.”

As far as how MSA came to update the study, Mitrecic acknowledged that the Town of Ocean City asked the agency to update a study that was done in 2019.

“If there’s interest in moving forward, the state is dealing with Ocean City on this not the county,” Bertino said. “I don’t understand how the county is part of this process if they’re working with Ocean City.”

Mitrecic said the county would have input. He added that Ocean City had paid for the study because the town wanted to work with the county.

“Ocean City voiced the opinion they’d like to partner with us and put an indoor

venue on the property once it was developed or along with the development of that property,” Mitrecic said.

He said the county was simply doing due diligence in hiring a consultant to review site access and waiting for the information from MSA. When asked whether county officials had met with Berlin leaders, Mitrecic said that would occur after the access study was complete.

“Who in the county is going to lead this project?” Bertino asked.

Mitrecic said the county needed the results of the MSA study.

“If we decide to move forward with it and we find funding, we’d have to hire a company…,” he said. “I was contacted by a gentleman last week that does these types of things and said he’d be interested in bidding design and every-

thing else. The group that was in here and spoke to us does that also. We’d have to send out an RFP (request for proposals) at that point in time to do a design and get a final cost. The Stadium Authority is going to give us an approximate cost I believe when they’re done doing their study.”

The commissioners voted 4-3, with Bertino, Bunting and Commissioner Ted Elder opposed, to extend the contract.

As far as whether the sellers would agree to another extension if this one didn’t prove long enough, Mitrecic indicated it was likely.

“If they don’t sell it to us, I don’t believe they want to sell it,” he said. “The reason they’re selling it is because it’s for the sports complex. As one of the biggest hoteliers in the area it certainly affects them.”

State Offshore Fishing Records Fall:

New state records for two offshore fishing species likely fell on back-to-back days this week. On Wednesday, Captain Willie Zimmerman and the team of the Ro Sham Bo brought a 393-pound swordfish, above right, to the scale at the Ocean City Fishing Center, likely setting a new state record. The new record sword will be confirmed by the state’s Department of Natural Resources before going into the books. The big sword continues a trend of toppling the record books for the species. In the Big Fish Classic last year, the crew on the Reel One weighed a 301-pound swordfish to set the new state record. One week later during the White Marlin Open, the crew on the Jersey Boys weighed a 318-pound sword on the tournament’s last day to bounce the Reel One from the state record books.

On Tuesday, the crew on the Top Dog with Captain Ryan Knapp hauled in a huge longfin albacore which will also be a new state record. The fish topped out at 78 pounds and beat the old state record for the species set in 2004 by four pounds. The potential record longfin albacore will also be verified and confirmed by the DNR.

… Extension Allows County More Time

Photos courtesy of Fish In OC/Hooked On OC

code.

“It fits in well with the comprehensive plan, which encourages in-fill and redevelopment,” she said. “The goal here is to provide affordable seasonal workforce housing.”

Applicant Harry How, representing the developer, explained some of the elements of the proposed 84-person seasonal housing project.

“Most of the rooms are for eight people, but one of the larger ones is for 15 people, along with one room for the resident manager,” he said. “The first floor would include a kitchen and common areas, and the upper floors would have a lot of living space. We’re trying to give them plenty of space for themselves and lots of common areas.”

Planning Commission Chair Pam Buckley said she was pleased with the amount of open areas included in the plan.

“It looks like you have some good living spaces in the design,” she said.

“That part looks good. You can’t have enough living space, especially with eight people in a room. I really like the plan.”

The commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan for the proposed project.

Page 72

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022

Letters To The Editor Reasons To Vote Against Question A Editor: I am opposed to the use of public funds to build and operate the Worcester County Sports Complex. From its inception, I have seen flaws in the way this project unfolded and was approved by a slim majority of our County Commissioners.

I have tried to pin our county officials down to a realistic cost of this project but without success. The Bond Bill is for $11,198,830. However, within the text of the bill are the figures of $14,560,000 and $15,584,381. I was initially told by the County Finance Officer and the Bond Counsel that $15,584,381 was the total cost to the county for the project; and yet, the Commission President signed a contract to purchase the land for $7.15 million, raising the revised cost to over $20.3 million. What is the real cost estimate? With the economy as it is today, is this the right time to be building a non-essential capital project?

I attempted to have a dollar figure put on the ballot question to give voters who might be unfamiliar with the project some idea of the cost but to no avail. The question of whether to vote For or Against the bond issuance for the Sports Complex will appear on the County ballot as Question A. The condensed statement on the ballot question will read "The purpose of this question is to determine whether the County Commissioners may finance a portion of the costs of designing and constructing a Worcester County Sports Complex by issuing a bond."

Why was I denied this reasonable request?

The public hearing on the land acquisition and the Bond Bill was held on April 19, 2022 to gauge the public's interest regarding the project. Public notices announced that a hearing would be held on the "proposed purchase of

property" and that a portion of the bond proceeds would fund "acquisition". Yet, the Commission President signed the Contract of Sale one day before the first public notice was printed and two weeks before the public hearing. Why? We have also learned that not all the Commissioners had a chance to see the contract before it was signed by the Commission President. Why? The Worcester County Sports Complex appeared in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the very first time in the FY23-FY27 document. It has never appeared in any CIP going back as far as 2010, and yet it suddenly appeared in the current CIP, and it shows it as an FY23 project. Usually, capital projects appear on a CIP well in advance of their scheduled funding. This project has the appearance of coming out of nowhere. According to an article in the Maryland Coast Dispatch dated Nov. 5, 2021, Commissioner Bertino indicated that the sports complex and a public safety building, "...hadn't been reviewed or discussed by the commissioners prior to their inclusion in the CIP." Why? I urge all Worcester County voters to vote against the use of public funds for the construction and operation of a sports complex. Vote against Question A. Vincent dePaul Gisriel, Jr. Ocean City

Family Deserves Answers Editor: Where’s the justice for Gavin Knupp, 14, run over and killed by a motorist whose owners live in the wealthiest neighborhood in this town?

Imagine same situation, black family owned the car, and the car was deemed to be the manslaughter weapon. They would be in jail fast, no time or means to flee to Mexico. Law enforcement – as directed by attorney advice – totally screwed this one.

“Protect the rich, they might sue.”

Absolutely sickening.

Rodger Rudolph Berlin

Offshore Wind Provides Economic Opportunities Editor: The Lower Shore Workforce Alliance (LSWA), which provides job training opportunities to residents of the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, and US Wind, Delmarva’s leading offshore wind developer, both recognize the need for serious investment in workforce development as the Lower Shore prepares to be a major participant in the U.S. offshore wind industry.

LSWA, a division of the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland (TCC), implements and coordinates training and employment programs operated throughout the Lower Shore that enable eligible participants to become economically selfsufficient and productive members of the community.

Offshore wind presents an unprecedented opportunity for the region, both in the development of a homegrown source of clean, renewable energy and in the development of a local workforce to power this new domestic industry.

LSWA is excited to work with leaders like US Wind to train Marylanders on the Lower Shore to build out a regional supply chain.

An important component in this effort is the U.S. Department of Commerce’s $22.9 million award to the state of Maryland for the “Maryland Works for Wind” program. This initiative is focused on training Marylanders for the coming offshore wind industry removing barriers for those who have been historically left out and preparing thousands of workers for good-paying, clean energy jobs. LSWA, in partnership with Maryland Department of Labor, has received funds to develop the

offshore wind workforce throughout the lower Eastern Shore. US Wind has thrown their support behind this effort and has expressed its intentions to partner with other Maryland employers, organizations, labor unions and minority-owned businesses in developing a local workforce for this 21st Century industry.

Already, US Wind has committed to supporting diverse communities holding several MBE community outreach events with organizations throughout the Eastern Shore. Such engagement will reach more than 8,000 certified Maryland-based MBE firms to inform and encourage participation in their projects and offshore wind development generally. Building on the groundswell of support for this clean energy resource, LSWA and US Wind will be holding an informational workshop this fall that will focus on providing interested businesses and workers on the Lower Shore a pathway for getting involved in the offshore wind industry, including the specific workforce development needs that exist. The meeting will also include discussion on new tourism-related jobs, offshore wind industry trends, best practices, and leveraging community resources.

Expected attendees include Arcon Training Center, Crystal Steel, WorWic Community College, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, workforce development experts, local county and municipal officials, and business and industry leaders.

We look forward to supporting workforce development in the offshore wind energy sector for decades to come.

Bob Hendricks Salisbury (The writer is the Business Services Manager for the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, a division of the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.)

Confederate Flag Concerns Editor: It is disheartening to observe Georgetown Historical Society commitment to flying the Confederate Flag knowing it offends so many people.

The Confederate Flag is symbol of infamy and inhumanity towards Black Americans and others.

The Georgetown Historical Society apparently has no interest in the concerns or feelings about those who find the Confederate Flag extremely offensive.

Rather than find a place to fly the flag that does not offend the Georgetown Historical Society has no interest in any compromise.

The taxes of Black Americans living in Georgetown should not be used to support the Confederate Flag.

Finding a way forward here can’t be that difficult for the Georgetown Historical Society.

Greg Thrasher Selbyville, Del.

September 23, 2022

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 ONLINE WEBSITES: mdcoastdispatch.com facebook.com/thedispatchoc twitter.com/thedispatchocmd instagram.com/thedispatchocmd J. STEVEN GREEN Publisher/Editor editor@mdcoastdispatch.com

NEWS DEPARTMENT SHAWN J. SOPER Managing Editor ssoper@mdcoastdispatch.com CHARLENE SHARPE Staff Writer/Copy Editor csharpe@mdcoastdispatch.com BETHANY HOOPER Staff Writer/Copy Editor bhooper@mdcoastdispatch.com CHRIS PARYPA Photographer

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The Maryland Coast Dispatch (USPS #015125) is an official and legal newspaper for Worcester County. Periodical postage paid at Berlin, Maryland, and additional mailing offices. The Maryland Coast Dispatch, 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin, Md. 21811, is published weekly on Friday mornings, 52 weeks a year. Subscription rates are $260 per year.

POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Maryland Coast Dispatch, P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Maryland 21811. Maryland Coast Dispatch offices are located at Route 346 and Graham Avenue, Berlin, Maryland.

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

No Need To Tighten Fenwick Parking How We See It

At the height of the summer season, it could be argued parking is tight in Fenwick Island. This is not unlike most beachfront communities. The problems, though, do not require a massive change to parking ratios in the commercial district.

A proposed ordinance, one that was mysteriously not vetted through the town’s ad hoc parking committee, would reduce restaurant parking ratios from one per 100 square feet of patron space to one per 50 square feet and retail parking ratios from one per 300 square feet to one per 250 square feet.

Rather than drastically impact their livelihood, members of the business community find the proposed changes “very restrictive,” preferring to address the seasonal parking issues through the Business to Business parking initiative that allows operators to partner on sharing unused parking spaces. For example, Southern Exposure owner Tim Collins, a long-time business operator in town, noted on a Saturday evening in August there were 300 parking spaces not being used within a oneblock radius – 159 of those situated at restaurants. Collaboration on shared space during high demand seems wise.

Through increased dialogue and awareness of individual business open times, he, along with others, believes opportunities exist to ease constraints.

We agree with long-time family business owner Scott Mumford of Warren’s Station. At this week’s meeting, he said, “This problem lasts six to eight weeks.

And you are talking about imposing regulations for a six- to eight-week problem, not a 52-week problem … It’s a slippery slope.”

There is no need for these sweeping changes unless the goal of Fenwick’s elected officials is to make it impossible for commercial businesses to succeed, resulting in the town becoming a residential community. This would be the wrong direction, as a balance is needed.

Like many other communities, Fenwick Island seems to be working through a challenging environment among property owners. A balance is needed between new residents who see Fenwick Island as becoming overly commercial vs. those long-time property owners who understand the seasonal complexities of the beach communities.

The proposed parking changes would be an example of going too far. An ordinance change is not needed, especially one with huge ramifications. It’s too much. The changes made in 2013 should stand. Allowing the businesses to work together on the issues deserves an opportunity.

Page 73

Between The Lines

by Publisher/Editor Steve Green It’s natural for there to be logistical concerns about next weekend’s first-ever Oceans Calling Festival. It’s certainly one of the largest special events Ocean City has ever hosted, but its unique nature as far as its schedule of events creates some interesting challenges.

The chief concern is how 10,000 to 15,000 leaving the festival grounds on the beach around the Inlet will safely exit. The transportation plan was announced this week and it’s intricate. There are many layers to the operation, but it chiefly involves the downtown area being closed at 9 p.m. to vehicles in preparation for thousands of pedestrians – many of whom will be soaking up the vibes and drinks throughout the day – spilling out into the streets. Upon leaving the festival, the idea is for the people to either hang out and frequent downtown bars or walk north to N. Division Street to meet buses or to 3rd Street for ride shares and taxis. Lane adjustments will be made to allow for easier access to mass transit. It’s going to be complicated and interesting to observe how it plays out. There seems to be confidence in the plan in place, but officials seem to acknowledge inevitable challenges will arise.

The good news is many concert-goers will simply walk or bike home.

Hotels along the Boardwalk and elsewhere have seen a significant boost in occupancy rates at summer prices for the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 2. There are dozens of hotels within a short walk from the festival. It appears visitors took advantage of this convenient option. A quick Airbnb search finds high occupancy and soaring rates, especially within a couple miles of the Inlet. This will help ease the crunch of the roads. It’s simply unclear at this point how difficult getting around safely will be. A high police presence is expected when the festival ends each night to help people – many of whom will be unfamiliar with the resort.

With any new event, there are concerns. There will be ups and downs, but the concert organizer and the city will learn and tweak plans from night to night as needed. Some pivoting will be required, but the big thing currently is keeping an eye on the weather. From the outset of this event’s planning, Mother Nature has been the biggest unknown. Let’s hope for the best on that front.

In Berlin election news, as has been reported, the filing deadline has come and gone. I have been unchallenged in my bid to represent District 1. It’s understandable for some folks to have concerns about my role as a newspaper editor and an elected official. I have addressed it on social media and in casual conversations with residents, but I should get my views on the record. One Berlin resident called me recently to inquire how I would balance my journalist duties and councilman role. “I am not concerned. I am just interested to see what your plans are,” he said. I can appreciate it and understand it. I also am grateful for the benefit of the doubt being extended to me by our competitors in this industry.

Active media members traditionally do not seek public office. This is no secret, but I am ready to be a part of the government process and be involved in policy making. I have published hundreds of editorials on matters germane to Berlin over my 25-year career as a newspaper editor and publisher, and I am ready to put my ideas and beliefs toward the greater good of the town. In other words, it’s time to get off the sidelines and into the game.

Rather than viewing it as a conflict of interest, my role as a newspaper editor since 1997 provides me with tremendous knowledge, a deep perspective and keen awareness of the Town of Berlin and the issues that have surfaced over the last 25 years and before that. Combine my educated views with a passion to serve the town, along with years of experience working on non profit boards, and I am confident I will be a solid council person. I will actually be the only elected official on the council who owns a business in municipal limits.

In anticipation of this run for public office, in January of this year, I began shifting much of my daily editing responsibilities to other personnel in our newsroom. Our capable team handles a majority of the newspaper editing responsibilities these days, while I focus on managing and operating the business side. I still write a lot, including editorials and columns, and I will continue sharing my perspective on the news as well as this community.

I understand there may be some concerns with me holding office and being a newspaper editor and publisher, but I have and will make numerous efforts to steer clear of conflicts of interest. For example, I worked with a private graphic designer in Berlin on my campaign materials rather than utilizing the services of my own art department at the newspaper.

Furthermore, I will abstain as needed when issues of potential conflict arise, such as legal advertising contracts, of which my newspaper will not bid on to keep things clean. I will also not share private contents of executive sessions as doing so could hurt the town in some respects.

I ask for the citizens’ trust in my ethics and morals. I will not let them down. I will be the first to accept criticism and apologize if I do cross the line. For what it’s worth, I also do not plan to write about myself in this space again.

Page 74

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

Puzzle Answers

A

September 23, 2022

The Adventures of Fatherhood

by Steve Green

PUZZLE ON PAGE 51

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Episcopal Church 3 Church Street Berlin MD 410~641~4066

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positive COVID test brought our boy home from boarding school last weekend.

Rather than quarantine at school in a designated isolation area for five days, Beckett, 14, wanted to come home and “serve my time” – as he put it -- in his own room with his family.

Fortunately, he was asymptomatic when I picked him up Friday and nothing ever materialized for him before he was dropped back off on Tuesday.

School protocol requires a five-day quarantine followed by a week of masking.

It took our boy a bit to accept this was a time to come home and isolate.

There was not going to be any socialization. On the drive back Friday, he asked if I could take him to the Decatur football game that night. He also wanted to go to the Boardwalk on Saturday, swim in the pool with his brother and hit the skate park on another day.

Unfortunately, all the answers to his many requests were “no, you have COVID.” To this day he disputes the result, and I honestly wondered if he ever had it because he seemed fine.

It was good to have him home after about five weeks away. After he understood he couldn’t do anything, he fully embraced the isolation mode. He basically relaxed the whole time, and it seemed to be just what he needed. We couldn’t spend a ton of time with him, as we wanted to be careful with our distance. I will never get used to masking in my own house, but none of us wanted to get it so we did what we had to do.

Though our time together was reduced, I did spend about seven hours alone in the car with him going back and forth to school. He’s not into long talks at this age, but we did have numerous small chats on a variety of topics – like sports, girls, school and friends – that I needed.

It’s inevitable to feel a bit disconnected from him. I never dreamed my life

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as a dad would involve my high schoolaged son not going to school here. I miss being able to catch up with him each day after work, watching him play sports down the street from my office and the little things that come with living together. It’s a massive adjustment.

Though I long for those sorts of mundane things, it’s tough to explain why I’m not sad about the whole thing. A busy life has a way of filling in the gaps left behind in time and space. Instead of watching him play soccer at my alma matter, I log on to his school’s YouTube channel and watch his team play. If close enough, we travel to watch.

What makes him not being home all the time easier is how happy he seems with his school. When I dropped him off Tuesday, it was obvious he was well liked and has made many friends in a short time. A few casual chats with school folks on campus revealed they have gotten to know him. His grade level dean remarked how funny he was and how we all love his stories. It’s comforting to know he’s at a place he enjoys.

One thing I realized after my conversations with Beckett is he likes knowing when he will be back home.

It’s something he looks forward to but doesn’t require. There seems to be a comfort level with knowing when he will be coming back home. It’s not that he’s not content at school. It just seems he likes knowing when he will see us again and when he can hang with his friends here.

We were discussing how he’s going to have his school friends and his home friends. He said it was nice how different everyone was at the separate places. When he goes to college, he will have those friends as well.

While it’s only been a little over a month, we noticed some subtle differences with Beckett. First, he was not tied to his phone the whole time he was home. This was a refreshing change.

We have restrictions on phone time at our house, and there are some rules on usage at his school. Not sure exactly what brought on the change, but he seemed less fixated on it during his time home.

During a couple conversations, I picked up on a realization on his part about the differences between freedom and independence. The nature of boarding school is to keep the kids busy throughout a schoolwide schedule. For instance, when I took him back on Tuesday, it was during his soccer practice.

From 3:45 to 5:45 each day is practice. If the students do not play sports, they must engage in a club activity.

Every student must pick what’s called a co-curricular to take part in after the day’s last class. During this two-hour period, the students are not to be “on dorm.”

Therefore, while the kids are not free to do whatever they wish, there is a certain amount of independence expected.

I don’t know all the details, but I assume there are some daily struggles for Beckett. He has admitted there are challenges, and I can understand it.

A comment that has stuck in my head is, “Dad, I have learned there’s a huge difference between freedom and independence.”

Even before he left for school, there was a certain self-awareness with our kid. He seemed to know certain things were going to be tough. He said, “it’s going to be hard without you guys because you do so much for me.” After that comment, we spent much of the summer trying to let go a bit and encourage him along the way.

It was interesting to see some of these improvements with him during his five days at home.

(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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September 23, 2022

The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch

September 23, 2022