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JANUARY 7, 2022
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
VINDICATED
CANDIDATE BACK IN
Circuit court finds Ocean Pines Board improperly blocked campaign of Rick Farr – Page 22
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Public schools committed to staying open Officials credit staff, faculty for keeping classrooms safe
LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY
DIPPING FOR DOLLARS
Nearly 900 “penguins” take a dip in the 48-degree ocean on mild, but rainy New Year’s Day during the 28th annual Atlantic General Hospital Penguin Swim, held on 91st Street. See more photos on page 8.
Penguin Swim bounces back in full AGH fundraiser draws twice as many chilly dippers as covid-crippled 2021 event By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (Jan. 7, 2022) Though rain threatened to compromise the unseasonably mild Jan. 1 weather for the 28th annual New Year’s Day Penguin Swim, the elements held off just long enough for nearly 900 “penguins” to take to the chilly ocean waves off 91st Street. The event, which benefits Atlantic General Hospital, saw 870 participants pre-register to go along with the other contests and Bull on the
Beach parade from the 94th Street restaurant to the water that have each become staples of the annual swim. A couple of weeks of mild and sometimes downright warm weather helped keep the water temperature relatively high at 48 degrees on Saturday. Air temperatures hovered around the low 50s. The turnout more than doubled the 2021 swim, likely due to last year’s event occurring during the worst of the pandemic, but organizers said that participation could have been even greater with a sunny day. “Overall, it went pretty well,” said Kam LaBrunda, the AGH Foundation development coordinator who over-
sees special events. “We would have had more participation if it was sunny. (But at least) the rain held off until right after the swim.” The foundation set a fundraising goal to net $80,000 for AGH. As of Wednesday, the foundation was still calculating expenses from a gross total of about $102,000. Over its 28 years, the Penguin Swim has generated nearly $1.7 million for the Berlin hospital, LaBrunda said. Last year’s swim had to abide by numerous covid-19 protocols and eliminated almost every indoor aspect of the fundraiser at the Princess Royale. Organizers even spread the See CROWD Page 7
By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Jan. 7, 2022) With the number of positive covid cases surging past the highest records since the start of the pandemic, the possibility of moving to virtual learning looms heavy over school districts across the country. But at Worcester County Public Schools, officials are continuing to do everything ‘WCPS has they can to avoid proven that we shutdowns and safely keep stu- can safely have dents in the students in classrooms. person for daily “WCPS has instruction.’ proven that we Annette can safely have students in perWallace son for daily instruction,” said Annette Wallace, the district’s chief operating and academic officer for grades nine through 12, in an email this week. “Our staff and faculty have done an amazing job following our protocols to keep everyone safe.” When the pandemic came on the scene in early 2020, Worcester’s schools followed suit with most other districts and closed for several months to give way to a full virtual learning program. It did not take long to determine that the all-virtual method had more issues than benefits, though, and officials did everything they could to gradually bring students back to the classrooms. The effort began with a hybrid option, and moved to returning all students to in-person learning with mask mandates, and social distancing and testing protocols in place. Students who wished to stay with the See PUBLIC Page 6