06/20/2025 OC Today-Dispatch

County Commissioners will now allow public comments

Officials’ decision marks a total turnaround from views proffered publicly last year

By Brian Shane Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) For the first time, members of the public will soon be permitted to comment at meetings of the Worcester County Board of Commissioners.

Under a proposal from Commissioner Joe Mitrecic (District 7, Ocean City), public comments would be scheduled for the start of every meeting. Comments will be limited to the topic of items of that day’s meeting agenda, and speakers would get two minutes to talk.

“After watching the budget hearings that we had here, and the discussions we had, and seeing everybody sitting out there on their hands, anxious to speak, I’m going to make a motion that we institute a program of public input,” Mitrecic said at the close of Tuesday’s meeting during a period reserved for commissioners’ comments.

the push for public comments but changed to a “no” vote when the motion was on the table.

Fiori at the time said the idea lacked specificity in its execution and, for that reason, he didn’t think the commissioners should alter their usual meeting format.

“The motion was too incomplete,” Fiori explained Feb. 6, 2024. “What was documented was such a range of options, there was nothing to vote on there.”

Abbott agreed, saying, “They didn’t present a way for Worcester County to do it. There was nothing to vote on.”

Other commissioners who opposed that measure argued that the public can still reach commissioners directly through emails, phone calls, and other correspondence.

‘Seeing everybody sitting out there on their hands, anxious to speak, I’m going to make a motion that we institute a program of public input.’

Commissioner Joe Mitrecic

Notably, Tuesday’s unanimous vote in favor of public comments marks a 180-degree shift from positions some of the commissioners took as recently as a year ago.

The commissioners voted unanimously and without any discussion among themselves to pass Mitrecic’s motion, with Commissioner Eric Fiori seconding. The president of the commissioners – a role now held by Commissioner Ted Elder – would have to include the public comment period on each meeting agenda. The policy would take effect at the next scheduled meeting on July 1.

It’s not the first time Mitrecic has sought to include public comment in the county government meetings. He introduced the same motion last year in response to a newspaper editorial critical of county officials for their years of not offering public comment, unlike other local elected bodies, including the Board of Education and the Ocean City Council.

At the commissioners’ Jan. 16, 2024, meeting, Mitrecic said: “I found that disheartening, to say the least. We like to have our constituents involved in local government. The more we have, the better.”

The commissioners voted at that time for Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young research the matter and present his recommendation to the commissioners.

Two weeks later, the commissioners ended up deciding not to adopt public comments during regular meetings – an outcome resulting from Commissioners Caryn Abbott and Eric Fiori flip-flopping on their positions. Both initially supported

Commissioner Chip Bertino (District 5, Ocean Pines) in 2024 noted that public comments can be successful when there’s a back-and-forth dialogue between officials and constituents, rather than a one-way interaction where citizens make a statement that may go unanswered.

A newspaper publisher by trade, Bertino also said some members of the public have been known to use the public comment period for “theatrics” that don’t necessarily help to advance a discussion.

“In my experience as a reporter covering meetings, public comments don’t necessarily provide more effective government,” he said at the Jan. 16, 2024, meeting. “The issues before government are complex, and they’re much more important and detailed than a slogan or a contrite statement.”

Bunting (District 6, Bishopville) at the same meeting said that opening the door to public comments could prolong commissioner meetings.

The commissioners ultimately voted again, in February 2024, to lock in a policy of three minutes for public comment, but that measure failed in a 4-3 vote. Mitrecic at the time called it “a loss for the citizens of Worcester County.”

The Board of Commissioners hold their meetings at a time when many members of the public may be unable to attend, at 10 a.m. every other Tuesday, because of employment obligations.

And, save for once a year at budget time, the commissioners do not hold evening meetings.

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By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) The Worcester County Board of Education approved renegotiated agreements this week with the Worcester County Teachers Association (WCTA) and the Worcester County Educational Support Professional Association (WCESPA). These agreements provide a step increase for eligible employees and an increase for salary scale adjustments, but fall short of the unions’ desires.

The WCTA agreement reflects a step and $3,000 increase to the salary scale, coming in $1,000 under what was formerly negotiated, while the WCESPA agreement reflects a step and $1,500 increase to the salary scale. The support personnel amount is $500 lower than originally negotiated.

The Board of Education had originally intended to offer an across-theboard teacher salary increase of $4,000, and support staff were going to receive an additional $2,000.

The renegotiated agreements with the WCTA and the WCESPA were required after the Worcester County Commissioners did not fully fund the board of education’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget request of approximately $116 million.

The local government came short of this ask, approving $113.8 million to fund the county’s schools.

The commissioners’ contribution is $7.5 million more than last year, with an additional $150,000 for after-school programs. Still, as the county neglected to fully fund the board’s request, the $113.8 million is shy of about $1.1 million for salaries.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s education reform plan, requires new teachers to earn a starting salary of $60,000 by July 2027. FY26’s salary increases are meant to push Worcester County Public Schools, the Maryland district with the lowest starting teacher salaries – around $52,000 – toward this goal.

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Cloudy skies nix Blue Angels at OC Air Show

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 20, 2025) Wet weather and low cloud cover marred last weekend’s air show, as the event’s management team was forced to conclude Saturday’s performance early and ground demonstration teams altogether on Sunday.

As a result, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels did not perform on any of the two show days, disappointing many visitors who had come to see the headliner’s first performance in Ocean City since 2019.

However, Chris Dirato, director of public relations for Air Dot Show Ocean City, said the cancellations were a safety call, as performers cannot fly when the minimum cloud ceiling is below the FAA requirement of 1,000 feet.

“We are obviously disappointed that

we could not stage two complete show days,” he said on Monday. “Mother Nature just would not cooperate this time around.”

show,” which includes some rolling maneuvers, and at least 8,000 feet to perform a “high show,” which includes all maneuvers.

With rain and clouds forecasted for the weekend, OC Air Show officials attempted to dodge the weather by moving show times up by 30 minutes each day of the event. On Saturday, however, the air show was forced to conclude early.

“While everyone worked hard to get as much of the show in as possible, the cloud ceilings and visibility dropped below FAA minimum safety requirements, preventing several scheduled performances from flying, including the Blue Angels,” a statement from the Air Dot Show Tour’s Facebook page reads. “Safety always remains the top priority and today’s conditions left no margin to continue.”

According to the Blue Angels website, the team must have a minimum cloud ceiling of 1,000 feet and at least three nautical miles of horizontal visibility to perform a “flat show,” which features a limited number of maneuvers. The cloud ceiling must increase to at least 4,500 feet to perform a “low

“It was purely based on the minimum cloud ceiling that’s required by the FAA for the performers to fly,” Dirato said of this weekend’s cancellations. “Once it goes below 1,000 feet, it’s a safety issue and we must stand down.”

In response to Saturday’s early conclusion, air show officials announced that accommodations would be made for Saturday ticket holders to attend Sunday’s show. However, cloud conditions did not improve the following day, and demonstration teams remained grounded.

Dirato pointed to the air show’s ticket policy this week, noting that tickets are non-refundable. However, he said event management can make accommodations for discounted admission at next year’s air show should a performance be canceled on one or both days.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will headline the 2026 show, scheduled for June 13-14.

That mission appears loftier now, given the commissioner’s decision to underfund WCPS’ FY26 budget request.

The commissioners’ 2026 operating budget, which includes the choice to short the school system’s funding ask, was approved in a 4-3 vote on June 3.

Commissioners Chip Bertino, Caryn Abbott, Jim Bunting, and Ted Elder voted in favor of the spending plan, while commissioners Joe Mitrecic, Diana Purnell, and Eric Fiori opposed it.

The three dissenting votes argued that the county’s revenue surplus was healthy enough to accommodate every

department’s ask, including the school system’s, while the budget’s ‘yes’ voters were more apprehensive to spend more.

For instance, Elder voiced his concerns that following a special session of the Maryland General Assembly in October, unfunded mandates could be forced onto the state’s counties.

The WCTA and the WCESPA were sent back to the drawing board upon the budget decision, to determine what raise amounts could be given under the county’s $113.8 contribution.

Per the agreements that were negotiated by the unions, and approved by the board of education this week, teachers will receive an additional $3,000, while support staff will

The US Navy Blue Angels jet demonstration team flies over Ocean City on June 13 for a practice run ahead of the 2025 OC Air Show.

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‘Rock and Ride’ officially replaces failed OC Bikefest

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 20, 2025) The organizers of a new motorcycle rally are seeking the community’s support to make this year’s event a success.

This September, OC Rock and Ride will replace OC Bikefest in its attempt to keep the annual bike rally going.

Since OC Bikefest’s promoter, OC Jams LLC, defaulted on its contract with Ocean City, OC Rock and Ride promoter Kickin Events – led by Matthew Odachowski and his son, Tyler – has stepped in to bring the rally back to its roots.

However, the new promoter acknowledged this week it will take the support of riders, vendors, performers, and sponsors to save the event. In turn, Kickin Events says it will honor the $130,000 worth of tickets sold by the previous promoter.

“We need everyone’s help to save Bikefest,” Matthew Odachowski said in an interview Monday. “Just as we have their backs, we hope they will have our back to make sure this event is successful and the best event it can be moving forward.”

Last month, the Ocean City Council agreed to allow Kickin Events to produce this year’s rally after it was announced that OC Bikefest promoter OC Jams failed to pay rent and lease fees as outlined in its agreement with the city. In an effort to keep the event going, the council also agreed to waive ticket fees for the 2025 and 2026 event and facility usage fees in 2025, among other things.

The terms of the new agreement were formalized on May 30.

“I want everyone to realize it’s been 17 days since the final contract was signed,” Odachowski said this week, “and we are working around the clock to make sure all our ducks are in the row.”

Kickin Events noted that OC Rock and Ride is not affiliated with the prior rally owners or operations.

Odachowski said the biggest challenge has been securing entertainment. As soon as its contract with the city was signed, Kickin Events began negotiating with nationally-known performers.

“With the contract, you have to put offers in first and negotiate back and forth …,” Odachowski explained. “It’s been challenging but rewarding at the same time.”

On Monday, the promoter announced a partial entertainment lineup that includes Blandini, Slaughter, Queensrÿche, Quiet Riot, and former American Idol contestant Emma Klein, to name a few. Odachowski said the team continues to finalize bands for Saturday’s festivities.

“We’re working on some unique opportunities,” he said.

Officials say tickets will go on sale Tuesday, June 24. They added this year’s bike rally will include a second stage, with live music starting earlier in the day and running into the evening.

Odachowski said his company is also working with Ocean 13 owner Jeremy Brink to host a “Rock the Mic” competition in the weeks leading up to OC Rock and Ride. Every Friday, from July 4 to Sept. 5, Ocean 13 will choose one winner from its karaoke night to compete on the bike rally’s big stage.

“I think it’s going to be a great event and gives people a chance to do something in their life they thought they wouldn’t be able to do,” Brink said.

The restaurateur added he was excited to lend his support to this year’s rally. Speaking as a board member for the Ocean City Hotel-MotelRestaurant Association, he said the organization’s members “breathed a sigh of relief” when they learned the event would continue in 2025.

“The town needs it, especially going into the off season,” Brink said. “It brings in money and a lot of great people … The Odachowskies are amazing people for doing it.”

Odachowski said this year’s bike rally will feature a completely redesigned layout to improve flow and accessibility, local vendors and returning rally favorites, and new programming, which includes custom bike shows, scenic rides and a Sept. 11 tribute, to name a few. He said the rally will also have a charitable component, as local and regional charities will be participating in the event and benefitting from silent auctions and raffles.

“It’s a new event, with a new focus on the bike rally, the music, the vendors and the community,” he said.

Odachowski said his team is making every effort to ensure the bike rally continues. He noted the yearly event draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Ocean City and surrounding areas and delivers a significant economic boost.

“We’re being watched carefully,” he added, “and we need to make sure it’s the best, safest bike rally ever.”

This year’s OC Rock and Ride will be held Sept. 10-14. Additional information can be found on the event’s website, ocrockandride.com.

"This isn't just about an event. It's about protecting a tradition that fuels our local economy, brings people together, and makes Ocean City come alive every fall,” Tyler Odachowski said in a news release. “As we launch this new rally, OC Rock and Ride, we ask for your support, your patience, and your passion. Whether you're a rider, vendor, performer, enthusiast,

Multi-year Air Show contract up for renewal

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 20, 2025) With a three-year contract fulfilled, Ocean City Manager Terry McGean said the city will pursue an extension with the promoter of the OC Air Show.

In June of 2022, the Ocean City Council signed a three-year contract with the promoter of the OC Air Show to hold events in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Now that this year’s air show has concluded, officials will look to extend the agreement.

“Although the contract was for three years it has provisions for annual extensions and we will be taking advantage of that,” McGean said this week. “There will not be a whole new contract.”

Rather than continue with a yearly memorandum of understanding, where terms are re-negotiated annually, officials in 2022 agreed to pursue a multi-year contract with the organizer of the OC Air Show. Specifically, the agreement mapped out the city’s working relationship with the air show over a three-year period and included terms for the venue, dates, payment, sponsorships, and more.

As part of the arrangement, the air show promoter is required to pay the

city $1 for every ticket sold. The 2022 contract also included some key must-haves for city officials, including language that requires the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Canadian Air Force Snowbirds, or two or more U.S. military single ship jet demonstrations to perform as headline acts.

“The headliners are the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels,” Mayor Rick Meehan said at the time. “Those are the headliners. Those would make the Air Show go and I think we need to have one or the other to do an air

show.”

In 2023, the first year under its agreement with the city, the OC Air Show featured headline performances by the Thunderbirds. The next year, however, the promoter was forced to depart from its agreement after facing several challenges in securing major U.S. military jet teams for the season. The 2024 event was held later in the summer and featured the Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolori team.

The OC Air Show returned to Ocean City last weekend, with the

Blue Angels on tap to perform in the resort for the first time since 2019. However, low cloud cover forced the Blue Angels to ground their demonstrations both days.

It has yet to be determined what, if any, terms will change as the city works with the promoter to extend its contract. In the meantime, the OC Air Show is already making plans for next year’s event, which will take place June 13-14.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will return in 2026. Other performers will be announced at a later date.

West OC cottage destroyed in fire

By Brian Shane Staff Writer

(June 17, 2025) Fire ravaged a West Ocean City cottage midday Tuesday, bringing incoming beach traffic on Route 50 to a standstill as firefighters responded. Nobody was hurt.

The two-bedroom home in the Peterson Cottages enclave, nestled in the woods just off the highway, went up in flames at approximately 12:15 pm.

Residents of the rental cottage said they believe an outlet in a bedroom

caught fire.

Three roommates, all women, were inside the home at the time. The fire happened so fast that resident Cheryl Merendino didn’t even have time to put shoes on. Outside, she stood barefoot in the dirt, her toenails painted a shade of baby blue.

“I just ran,” she said. “I was dialing 911 as I went out.”

Merendino said she was in her bedroom when, “next thing you know, I heard her screaming,” she said, pointing to her roommate, Lisa Bia-

succi. “I came out and I looked in her room and it was on fire. My room was fine. No smoke in there, no nothing.”

Biasucci said the women were getting ready to leave to go work a house cleaning job when the blaze broke out in a bedroom.

“I happened to notice smoke coming out and I got a bowl (of water) – I thought it was something little – we tried throwing it on it. All of a sudden the black smoke just started, and I said, ‘oh my god, Donna, we gotta get

See FIRE Page 15

Fire cause under investigation

from Page 14

outta here,’” Biasucci said. “We all got out okay.”

With the flames out and more firefighters on the property, cottage resident Donna Anastasio sat in the front seat of a grey pickup parked outside the home.

She was laying her head against the seat rest, a lit cigarette in her hand, with specks off soot on her cheerless face.

“I’ve just lost everything,” she said. Anastasio, who’s lived in this cottage year-round since 2017, said she had been in the living room when the back bedroom fire started.

Like her roommate, she tried to fill a Tupperware bowl of water to douse the flames, going back and forth from the bathroom, “but my water doesn’t come out quick enough,” she said.

It’s soon to determine an official cause of the fire, according to Worcester County Fire Marshal Matt Owens, who was at the scene. His team will investigate the cause.

Responding fire departments included Ocean City, Berlin, and Ocean Pines. Firefighters had the fire knocked down in about 10 minutes. Fire police had Route 50 stopped for a spell until they opened one lane to eastbound traffic.

Bike rally relaunches this fall

Continued from Page 13

or concertgoer, this rally belongs to all of us.”

As Kickin Events prepares to take over the bike rally, a family member of the event’s previous promoter continues to face legal trouble in Florida.

Chase Micheal, son of OC Jams President Kathy Micheal, is currently being held without bond in Bay County, Florida, charged with issuing over $538,000 in bad checks. The charges stem from his attempt to turn

the Thunder Beach motorcycle rally into an event that mimics Ocean City’s Bikefest.

According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, he allegedly obtained loans from others to help pay for the entertainment and production costs. He then attempted to repay those loans with bad checks, investigators said.

A trial was set to begin June 16. However, legal proceedings have now been rescheduled to August.

Continued

BRIAN SHANE/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Fire destroyed this West Ocean City cottage midday Tuesday. Nobody was hurt.

Pa. man commits two robberies in one night

and demanded everything in their pockets. The juvenile victims turned over their cell phones and wallets, including about $150 in cash.

By Steve Green Executive Editor

(June 20, 2025) A Pennsylvania man is facing 32 criminal charges, including multiple felonies, after two late-night armed robberies in downtown Ocean City.

On June 12, at approximately 1:17 a.m., Ocean City Police were first informed by two juveniles on 4th Street they were victims of an armed robbery while walking east on 7th Street.

The victims reported to police that two males approached them. One of the individuals, later confirmed to be Judah Stubbs, 26, of Oxford, Pennsylvania, pointed a handgun at them

While police were interviewing the victims, another call for an armed robbery was reported on 19th Street at 2:25 a.m., with the suspect matching the description from the previous incident an hour earlier.

Police were able to locate Stubbs, who was observed by officers entering the parking lot of several businesses ignoring the “no trespassing” signs on premise.

When police tried to apprehend Stubbs, he fled but was detained shortly after. He was initially placed

under arrest for trespassing while police continued to investigate the armed robbery incidents.

A search of Stubbs was clean initially, but police scanned the area where Stubbs was seen hiding and located drugs including a white substance in a bag the size of a “ping pong ball” and another plastic bag, which were both identified as containing a mixture of cocaine and hydrochloride, two known Schedule II controlled dangerous substances.

Officers followed the path Stubbs took evading police and were able to locate multiple pieces of evidence including a fanny pack an officer reported observing Stubbs wearing before hiding. The fanny pack was located in a motel dumpster. Inside the pack was $973 in cash, and a small digital scale with white powder residue and a single edge razor blade. Police concluded Stubbs was distributing drugs.

Also located were the two cell phones belonging to the juveniles from the earlier call as well as their credit cards.

While Stubbs was being questioned, police were able to connect him to a nearby traffic stop of a Honda Accord that occurred in between the armed robbery of the juve-

niles on 7th Street and the next armed robbery on 19th Street. During the traffic stop, two individuals were identified but a review of body camera surveillance showed Stubbs as the front passenger of the vehicle.

Once police connected the traffic stop to Stubbs, the Accord was probed. Police were able to see from the outside a handgun that matched the description provided by the two juveniles. A search of the vehicle confirmed the weapon was a loaded Ruger SR 22-P with a round chambered.

A computer search found Stubbs was prohibiting from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction in Cecil County, police said.

Stubbs is charged with two felonies including four counts of firstdegree assault and four counts of armed robbery. He was also charged with two counts of carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle, illegal possession of ammunition, four counts of reckless endangerment, trespassing, two counts of theft $100 to $1,500, four counts of second-degree assault, possession of a controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting/interfering with arrest, and obstructing and hindering.

Traffic stop leads OC police to recover stolen handguns

By Steve Green Executive Editor

(June 20, 2025) A downtown Ocean City traffic stop resulted in three individuals being arrested for possession of a loaded handgun.

On June 14, around 7:45 p.m., Ocean City police officers conducted a traffic stop near North Division Street and Baltimore Avenue.

All four occupants were identified, and while speaking with the driver, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.

Further investigation revealed that all occupants were under the age of 21 and, therefore, not legally permitted to possess marijuana. Officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle.

Officers recovered a loaded handgun from inside the car and two more loaded handguns in Tyshawn Yerby’s possession. Officers also recovered marijuana from both the vehicle and one of the occupants.

Two of the recovered handguns were later determined to have been reported stolen in Baltimore County in 2023.

As a result of the investigation, three individuals – two adults, and one juvenile – were taken into custody on handgun-related charges.

One occupant was released from the scene.

Oreese Stevenson, Jr., 20, of Baltimore, was charged with five handgunrelated offenses and theft of property valued between $100 and $1,500. He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and held without bond. Yerby, 20, of Baltimore, was charged with 10 handgun-related offenses and theft of property valued between $100 and $1,500. He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and held without bond.

A 17-year-old juvenile from Middle River was charged as an adult with five handgun-related offenses and theft of property valued between $100 and $1,500. The juvenile was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and held without bond.

All three individuals were been transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

“This is an excellent example of proactive policing and teamwork in action,” said Ocean City Police Chief Raymond Austin. “Our officers followed their instincts, acted swiftly, and took three dangerous firearms off the streets. I commend their diligence and the professionalism they demonstrated during

Judah Stubbs

Foot pursuit leads to theft, weapons charges

By Steve Green Executive Editor

(June 20, 2025) Ocean City Police arrested a Baltimore man last week following an investigation into multiple vehicle break-ins, credit card fraud, and weapons charges.

On June 12, at approximately 8:59 a.m., Ocean City officers responded to the 100 block of Wicomico Street for a reported theft. The victim stated she had arrived in town on the afternoon of June 11 and parked her vehicle in that area.

Upon returning to her vehicle the following morning, she observed signs of a break-in and discovered that personal belongings were missing. She also received alerts from her credit card company about unauthorized transactions at several nearby businesses.

Officers obtained a description of the suspect using local security camera footage.

Later that same evening, around 7:46 p.m., a Worcester County sheriff’s deputy patrolling near 8th Street and Wilmington Lane observed an individual matching the suspect’s description. The deputy and an Ocean City police officer on bicycle patrol attempted to stop the individual, who fled on foot.

Officers pursued the suspect, later identified as Terrell Jones, 37, of Baltimore, and were able to apprehend him after a brief chase.

During the pursuit, officers observed Jones discarding several items along his path, including a large bag hidden in a rose bush. Upon recovery of the bag, officers discovered a modified handgun. Additional discarded

property was also recovered and later linked to two separate vehicle breakins, the one reported on Wicomico Street and another unreported breakin from the 400 block of Baltimore Avenue.

Further investigation revealed that Jones is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. Jones also had multiple outstanding arrest warrants, including one from Baltimore County and another for a violation of probation from Baltimore City Circuit Court.

Jones was arrested and charged with two counts of the theft ($100 to $1,500), four counts of theft scheme ($100 to $1,500), two counts of credit card fraud, two counts of credit card theft, three counts of rogue and vagabond, nine handgun related offenses, failure to obey a lawful order,

disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and three counts of pedestrian-related traffic violations. Jones also had outstanding arrest warrants from Baltimore County and Baltimore City courts.

Jones was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and ordered held without bond. He has since been transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

“This case is a great example of teamwork and vigilance,” said Ocean City Police Chief Raymond Austin. “Thanks to the alert response of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy and the close coordination between our agencies, a dangerous individual was quickly identified, pursued, and safely taken into custody. I also want to recognize the diligent investigative work of our officers in recovering stolen property and uncovering the full scope of this suspect’s criminal activity.”

In a statement on the agency’s app, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office stated, “This case highlights the strong collaboration between our agencies and the importance of proactive policing in protecting our community. “

Alcohol license checks planned at OC businesses

(June 20, 2025) The Ocean City Police Department, in partnership with the Worcester County Health Department, will be conducting alcohol compliance checks throughout the summer season at bars, restaurants, and alcohol retailers across the resort.

These enforcement efforts are part of a continued commitment to safeguard minors from the dangers of underage drinking. To ensure compliance with Maryland alcohol laws, individuals under the age of 21, working under the direct supervision of plainclothes law enforcement, will attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages from local establishments.

“Our top priority is protecting the health and safety of our youth,” said Ocean City Police Chief Raymond Austin. “Preventing access to alcohol is a critical part of reducing risky behavior, potential harm, and long-term consequences for underage individuals.”

The Ocean City Police Department urges all business owners and employees to remain vigilant and responsible when checking identification. Selling alcohol to someone under 21 is not only illegal, it can endanger lives, damage reputations, and result in serious legal and financial consequences for both the seller and the business.

The Ocean City Police Department responded to a motor vehicle collision that occurred at 11:24 a.m. on June 17, near 15th Street and

enue. Ocean City Fire/EMS treated three individuals on the scene before transporting them to Atlantic General Hospital with minor injuries. The

liminary investigation revealed the at-fault vehicle, a Chrysler, was traveling westbound on 15th Street and attempted to turn onto St.

at-fault vehicle failed to yield to the vehicle traveling southbound on St. Louis Avenue.

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Mailloux moved within jail after complaint

change

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 20, 2025) Tyler Mailloux, a Berlin man serving 18 months for a traffic offense in the hit-and-run accident that killed 14-year-old Gavin Knupp, will now have an opportunity to earn credits toward his sentence after being moved to another unit of the Worcester County Jail.

However, an administrative appeal the inmate filed this spring continues to work its way through the legal system after a circuit court judge last week denied the county’s request to dismiss the case.

Mailloux seeks jail housing

Mailloux has been incarcerated in the Worcester County Jail since Feb. 25, when he entered a guilty plea to a felony count in Knupp’s death. Nine days later, he was moved to a more confined unit, known as a special management area, at his own request.

Since that time, however, Mailloux has sought the jail’s permission to be placed back into the general population, which his attorney, George Psoras, argued will give him an opportunity to earn diminution credits that can reduce his sentence.

With those requests denied, Mailloux’s attorney filed a petition in April seeking a judicial review of the jail’s actions.

“The respondents’ actions are arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion,” the petition reads. “These decisions violate the statutory authority regarding the housing of inmates and are unlawful and prejudice the substantial rights of the Petitioner.”

In his April petition, Psoras claimed his client was being “improperly classified and placed” in a special management area, despite multiple requests to move him back into the general population. As a result, he said Mailloux was precluded from opportunities to earn diminution credits.

“Because of his current arbitrary and improper classification, and Respondents’ denial of his and his counsel’s request for reclassification, he continues to lose the opportunity to earn up to an additional ten days a month reduction of his sentence,” the petition reads.

Psoras also alleged Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser had a private conversation with the warden regarding Mailloux’s housing status, and that he had been advised he could not share the conversations

he had with jail staff with the state’s attorney.

Heiser declined to comment on the case when contacted by the OC Today-Dispatch last week.

County responds to petition

After the petition was filed this spring, Worcester County attorney Roscoe Leslie filed a motion to dismiss the case on behalf of Warden Tim Mulligan, the Worcester County Commissioners, and the Worcester County Jail.

The county’s attorney argued that Mailloux’s rights were not violated, as jail management has the discretion to assign an inmate jobs and determine whether an inmate’s performance is worth earning diminution credits.

“In this case, Petitioner cannot claim a substantial right to a diminution credit that he has never attempted to earn through work that he was never selected to do,” the motion reads.

Leslie also argued the court had no oversight in the warden’s actions, which he claimed are not quasi-judicial in nature. He also said the Mailloux had failed to follow the jail’s grievance procedure for inmates.

“Before seeking judicial relief, he should be required to follow the appropriate administrative procedures,” the motion reads.

Mailloux’s attorney responded to the county’s motion, arguing against the county’s claims. He also said his client had followed the jail’s grievance procedure.

“The petitioner has made such an appeal to the Warden several times, directly and through counsel, which have been denied,” he wrote.

Mailloux’s attorney requests additional evidence in case

In a motions hearing last Thursday, it was shared that Mailloux has been relocated to another area of the

jail as part of a routine reclassification. In that new housing unit, he will be eligible to earn diminution credits.

However, Judge Brett Wilson denied the county’s request to dismiss the case. And the following day, Psoras filed a motion to permit discovery. While mandamus cases are typically based on the records of the administrative proceedings, the court can permit additional evidence if there’s a “strong showing” of fraud or extreme circumstances outside the scope of record.

“At the hearing, the Court authorized the Petitioner to conduct discovery regarding his allegations that his classification and denial of work and vocational opportunities was based on informal and other extrinsic factors evidencing the existence of fraud or extreme circumstances that occurred outside the scope of the administrative record and for which remand is not a viable alternative,” the motion reads.

On Monday, Leslie filed a response to Psoras’ request, arguing the petitioner had not met the criteria for allowing discovery. He also noted that Mailloux had been granted his reclassification.

“There is nothing in the Petition constituting a ‘strong showing’ of fraud or extreme circumstances –only unverified and unsubstantiated allegations and averments,” he wrote. “There are no documents, no affidavits, no details – no evidence at all.”

It should be noted that the court has rejected a subpoena Psoras filed ahead of last Thursday’s hearing, which compelled the warden to produce documents in relation to Mailloux’s housing status. Among the documents requested were copies of any correspondence between the warden and the state’s attorney involving Mailloux.

Retiring Taylor: Schools will always be ‘part of my heart’

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) This week, at his last Board of Education meeting as superintendent of Worcester County Public Schools, Lou Taylor gave an emotional goodbye to the academic system that has been a part of his life for 60 years.

Taylor announced his retirement in January. Effective July 1, the superintendent will round out a 41-year career in education and a 60-year involvement in Worcester County Public Schools.

In an emotional address to the Worcester County Board of Education at its Tuesday, June 17 meeting, the last of his tenure, Taylor said his goodbyes to school system personnel with whom he has had the “distinct pleasure” of working over the years.

“Thank you to this board and all the board members before you,” Taylor said. “Thank you to our school leaders and central office leaders, who inspire, and I see this every day, our staff and students to be their best every day.”

The superintendent continued, expressing his gratitude for his executive leadership team.

“We have been through some of the most challenging times together that this system has ever experienced,” Taylor shared. “I’m so grateful to have had all of you by my side as we navigated them … I wouldn’t have been who I am, leading through the pandemic and this political climate that we’ve had, without your expertise. This is a heartfelt thank you.”

“Thank you to our teachers,” Taylor added. “You’re the reason our students are not only learning academically but learning to be the greatest versions of themselves.”

Taylor also thanked Ivory Smith, the president of the Worcester County Education Support Personnel Association, and Worcester County Teachers Association President Beth Shockley-Lynch for their stellar support.

“You have been wonderful, and still are wonderful to work with,” he said, addressing Shockley-Lynch and Smith. “I don’t know where I’d be without you … I think we are the envy of the state, that the superintendent gets along well with the leadership of our associations. It’s because of the professionalism of you two that make that happen. I will be forever grateful.”

Taylor thanked the school system’s families and urged them to remain involved. Finally, he said goodbye to the facilities’ young learners enrolled in WCPS now and throughout his long career.

“Most importantly, I want to thank the thousands of students I have had the opportunity to work with for 41 years,” Taylor said. “Worcester County

has great students. They have forever. For the past 41 years, I have had the chance to walk beside them, watch them grow, and to excel in areas that none of us thought were possible.”

The superintendent’s ties to WCPS began as a five-year-old kindergarten student in 1965 at Ocean City Elementary School.

“Worcester County Public Schools is and will always be a large part of my heart,” a teary-eyed Taylor said. “Thank you for 60 of my 65 years, learning and growing. Because I started as a fiveyear-old, I remember distinctly, on 89th Street in Ocean City, my mom walking me to the bus stop to get on the bus that day, and it has been an absolute joy since, both personally and professionally. I leave all of you with this: May God bless you, may God bless our kids, our families, our community, and may God always bless Worcester County Public Schools.”

Taylor grew up in Worcester County and eventually graduated from Stephen Decatur High School. He began his career as a physical education teacher at Berlin Middle School, now Berlin Intermediate School, before accepting an assistant principal position.

In 1991, Taylor moved to SDHS as an assistant principal before advancing to the facility’s principal and leading the school for 17 years. Under his reign, SDHS became the first Maryland Blue Ribbon School in Worcester County.

Taylor also established the Worcester County Education Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing student achievement in WCPS. Before his current role, Taylor served as chief operating officer and was named superintendent in 2016. His nine years in the position will end on July 1.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Worcester County Board of Education members expressed their gratitude for Taylor’s years of service.

“I came on board in 2016 just after [Taylor] came on as and was appointed superintendent,” said Elena McComas, board member. “... He honestly breathes Worcester County Public Schools … have we had our differences?... I drove him crazy, and he drove me crazy. But, we were able to sit down and work out our differences together, and that is the sign of a wonderful leader … He also had the unique ability to surround himself with outstanding people and then let them do their jobs. Many times, that is a rare gift in leaders. We are touted as one of the best school districts in Maryland, and in large part it is because of [Taylor].”

Board member Jon Andes, former county superintendent of schools, addressed Taylor’s parents, who were in attendance Tuesday afternoon, sitting in the front row at their son’s final board meeting as superintendent.

“Thank you for making him who he

Lou Taylor

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WCPS announce changes to school leadership posts

(June 20, 2025) At Tuesday’s Worcester County Board of Education meeting, several school-based administrative appointments and transfers were announced effective July 1.

Pocomoke Elementary School (PES) Principal Joshua Hamborsky will transfer to Snow Hill Middle School (SHMS), filling the vacancy left following Principal Matthew Record’s move to the Chief Safety and Academic (Secondary Education) Officer role.

Also joining the SHMS administrative team is Kristina Salvarola, who is transferring from her current role as Assistant Principal at Snow Hill High School (SHHS) to succeed Karen Baker following her retirement.

SHHS Athletic Director Christopher Adkins will replace Salvarola as the school’s interim Assistant Principal. Melissa Freistat, current principal of Pocomoke Middle School (PMS), returns to PES as principal to succeed Hamborsky. Freistat previously served as Assistant Principal at the school.

Christina Welch, principal of Buckingham Elementary School (BES), will transfer into a leadership role with the Worcester County Judy Center. As incoming Superintendent Annette Wallace has shared a goal to have every child reading on grade level by third grade, Welch’s role will be a key component in this work moving forward.

Succeeding Welch is Danielle Jackson, a nine-year veteran of the school system who most recently served as Assistant Principal at PMS. She brings a strong background in early childhood education to the role, particularly in reading and math intervention.

The board also appointed Joseph Stigler to succeed Freistat as principal of PMS. Since joining the school system in 2011, Stigler previously served as Assistant Principal at PMS and currently serves in that role Pocomoke High School (PHS). Joining Stigler at PMS is Elizabeth Berry, who was appointed to succeed Jackson as Assistant Principal. A 22-year veteran in education on the shore, Berry is returning to the Pocomoke community where she once taught before becoming principal at Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Somerset County.

BES Assistant Principal Jeffrey Postell will transfer to Pocomoke High to fill the vacancy left by Stigler’s promotion, and Ashley Miller, school counselor at Showell Elementary, will replace Postell as interim Assistant Principal at BES.

“I am pleased to have worked closely with my successor, Dr. Wallace, in deciding the leadership teams for our schools moving forward,” said Superintendent of Schools Lou Taylor. “She has a clear vision forward, and I believe the changes announced today are another step toward realizing that vision for student success. Congratulations to those announced today

Taylor attends last bd. meeting

is, because without you, he wouldn’t be who he is,” Andes told Taylor’s folks. “I thank you, I praise you, I commend you for making this five-year-old going to kindergarten, you put him on the bus ... When you put him on that bus, you probably never realized that, so many years later, he would be one of the most highly regarded and successful superintendents of schools in Maryland. It’s because of you.”

The goodbyes continued, rounding out the superintendent’s last meeting.

“I want to thank you for your kindness and your love … I love you, you’re my friend,” said board member Donald Smack.

“[Taylor] and I have been kicking around a little longer than the rest of you, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the time we’ve had together and the leadership he’s demonstrated … I believe your service will serve as a model for future superintendents,” member William Gordy added.

Todd Ferrante, president of the board of education, also said goodbye, recalling his long relationship with Taylor.

“When I was younger, I knew who Lou Taylor was, but as time has gone on, I’ve gotten to know more of who Lou Taylor is as a person,” he said. “He wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves Worcester County Public Schools. His leadership has shone through in the last

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nine years he has taken on this superintendent position…he has developed the trust of the teachers, support staff, bus drivers, and everyone he has come in contact with.”

According to Ferrante, Taylor is the reason he became involved with the school system in his professional life. Around 2011, Taylor came to him about starting the Worcester County Education Foundation, which has raised over $1 million for the school system to date.

“His passion is contagious; he’s going to be missed,” the president said. “On behalf of this board, I want to thank you for all you’ve done … You get up every day thinking about how you’re going to improve the school system. You haven’t lost it. I have a feeling that no matter what happens in the future, you will still be somewhere, supporting Worcester County Public Schools.”

When Taylor retires next month, the school system’s current chief operating officer, Annette Wallace, will fill the vacant seat.

“We know we have another great leader who is going to take the reins and do a fantastic job,” Ferrante noted.

As for Taylor’s future, he acknowledged in April on Ocean 98 radio he wanted to “recharge” but is strongly weighing a political post. He said, “If I can get rested and I can get rejuvenated, possibly running for District 6 county commissioner. All the stars have to line up.”

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Berlin planners sign off on old chicken plant rezoning

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) Citing a change in the neighborhood’s character and a previous designation mistake, Berlin’s Planning Commission is recommending rezoning parcel 57 at Heron Park from R-1, residential, to B-2, shopping and retail. The reclassification will allow for the space’s redevelopment.

The planning team motioned to stamp their acceptance of the rezoning at its Wednesday, June 11 meeting. Pending final approval from the Berlin Town Council, Heron Park’s parcel 57’s zoning status as R-1 will be amended to B-2. The designation will pave the way for Palmer and Sandy Gillis of the development company Coastal Ventures Properties (CVP) to rehab the former poultry processing plant building for commercial use.

CVP entered into a contract to purchase parcel 57 from the Town of Berlin in April. The property is the former site of the old Tyson Foods poultry processing plant, which is now non-operational.

The arrangement’s conditions include the rezoning request. If parcel 57 remains R-1, the Gillis’ attorney, Mark Cropper, said the agreement will not close, and the project will not go forward. However, the town’s planning commission is recommending the reclassification, which the town council is expected to greenlight at an upcoming meeting.

“I am in full support of this project as a town resident and a council member,” said Jay Knerr, a councilman in attendance at the planning commission meeting. “We firmly believe CVP will do a great job rehabbing this derelict property. It will be a nice addition to the Town of Berlin. We want to see it happen.”

The commission asked Knerr if he believed his endorsement to be the council’s majority opinion. Knerr re-

sponded, “That is my belief, yes.”

While the establishments to enter the space have yet to be determined, Cropper noted that the area will likely see office and/ or retail space.

Still, the Berlin Town Council has included a list in the contract that dictates what can and cannot operate on the property. Prohibited uses of the site are pawn shops, gun shops, tanning salons, massage parlors, adult video and book shops, adult entertainment facilities, check cashing facilities, tattoo parlors, liquor stores, and gambling facilities.

“Quite honestly, we don’t know yet what’s going to go there, but it will be consistent with the provisions,” Palmer Gillis said.

If the council follows the planning commission’s recommendation, parcel 57’s status as an R-1 residential site will be modified to B-2 shopping and retail. Cropper argued at last week’s meeting that the change is necessary as the neighborhood’s character has changed.

“As far as a change in the character of the neighborhood…you have a residentially zoned parcel of land on which there has been an industrial use which is now owned by the Town of Berlin,” Cropper said. “The Town of Berlin has no intention of continuing the industrial use on that property. In fact, it is going to be utilized much, much differently.”

Specifically, the attorney cites the abandonment of the former poultry processing plant.

“Part of the proposed redevelopment of the chosen property is parcel 57, which is under contract by CVP for retail/ commercial uses,” Cropper continued. “So, there has been a change in the character of the neighborhood to the extent you had a very significant industrial use on the property, which has been dormant now for many years. It’s never going to resume being an industrial use. It’s only

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

A conceptual plan outlines the developer’s intent to focus on the northern section of parcel 57 for a potential office building with retail eyed along Old Ocean City Boulevard later.

Gillis, town under contract for land

sale near park

going to be utilized as approved by the Town of Berlin, and part of the principal reuse of the property is essentially retail and commercial, so that in and of itself is a change in the character of the neighborhood that would warrant the rezoning.”

Cropper added that the rezoning should take place as the current classification as residential was likely a mistake, considering the property used to be home to an industrial site.

“With regards to the mistake argument, I think that’s a very easy argument under the circumstances because this property has been utilized as the Tyson processing plant for decades and yet it’s zoned R-1 residential,” he said. “The use that has been on this property for decades is industrial, but it is zoned residential. I believe that is a mistake.”

Cropper said he was “stunned” when he realized the parcel’s current zoning was R-1.

“I actually didn’t believe it at first that we were seeking a change of zoning from R-1…for the very reason Tyson’s plant has been there for as long as I can remember, I mean a long time,” he noted.

Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said that Berlin purchased the property in early 2016. At this time, it was rezoned R-1, as the municipality intended to turn it into a park. That mission was never realized, but the residential distinction remained.

The Berlin Planning Commission is thus recommending the parcel 57 rezoning request. The body noted that in addition to the classification mistake and the neighborhood’s character change, the town’s comprehensive plan aims to promote businesses and job opportunities. The property’s redevelopment to retail and office space would propel this objective.

Earlier this spring, CVP and the town entered into an agreement to purchase parcel 57, consisting of approximately 9.35 acres of land area, for $1,200,000. The purchase price includes the allocation of 15 sewer Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs) to the property. Furthermore, Gillis committed to constructing at least one office or retail building in the designated space within two years of closing as part of the redevelopment plans. CVP is responsible for the reengineering costs associated with the site.

The agreement notes that Gillis plans to construct an office building on the rear end of the property, denoted as “Phase I,” and a retail space along Old Ocean City Boulevard, designated as “Phase II.”

The Berlin Town Council will soon hold a public hearing on the rezoning request and then vote to approve or disapprove it.

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Art League of Ocean City awards 100th scholarship

(June 20, 2025) The Art League of Ocean has awarded its 100th scholarship to Worcester County students seeking a degree or career in the visual or performing arts, continuing a tradition that began in 1991.

“The Art League’s scholarship program has made significant community

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impact over the years and remains an important part of our mission,” Amy Rothermel, Art League board member and chair of the scholarship selection committee, said. “Thanks to the generous support from our members and tributes to memorialize loved ones, we awarded our 100th scholarship this year.”

The winners for 2025 are:

• Sascha Mete, Stephen Decatur High School, $5,000 scholarship from the Sidney Beckstead Award.

• Tirzah Hill, Stephen Decatur High School, $1,000 scholarship from the Katherine Ellen Brown Fund at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

• Ana Pen Rodriguez, Stephen Decatur High School, $1,000 scholarship from the Eva Fox Award.

• Ja’Mari Savage, Snow Hill High School, $1,000 scholarship from the Jim Adcock Award.

• Ella Schloesser, Snow Hill High School, $1,000 scholarship from the Inga Tuvesson Award.

• Jessica Beck, returning scholarship recipient, $1,000 from the Schwab Family Scholarship, Paul & Emily Schwab.

• Aiden Clayton, returning college recipient, $1,000 from the Katherine Ellen Brown Fund at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

• Savannah Chisholm, returning college recipient, $1,000 from the Macon Katherine Chandler Fund.

• Abbigale Weeks, returning college recipient, $1,000 from the Vera Cross Scholarship, Virginia and Wayne Outten.

The Art League scholarship programs adhere to a nondiscrimination policy, in both principle and practice, and do not discriminate against candidates on the basis of race, creed, color,

gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or physical challenge.

religion,

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Pictured, from left, are scholarships winners Savannah Chisholm, seated, and standing from left

Tirzah Hill, Jessica Beck, Ana Pen Rodriguez, Abbigale Weeks, Ella Schloesser and Ja’Mari Savage, and corporate partner Brandon Bell and daughter. Bell, of We Are Limitless Studios, an Art League Corporate Partner, gave an inspirational talk to the recipients as well as a copy of his book. Not pictured were Sascha Mete and Aiden Clayton.

Eight historical films planned for screening on Sat.

(June 20, 2025) The Ocean City Film Festival will screen eight films with historical significance to the Town of Ocean City on Saturday, June 21, on the 94th St. tennis courts next door to the Ocean City Center for the Arts. Doors open at 6 p.m., and admission is free. In the event of rain, the screenings will move indoors to the Arts Center.

The eight films to be screened were originally part of the “Historical Film Challenge,” a contest with the goal of producing short films that celebrated Ocean City’s 150th anniversary as a premier beach resort. The films were previously screened once at the Ocean City Film Festival in March 2025, and were one of the most popular film blocks during the festival.

The films to be screened include:

- The Henry Hotel, directed by Marlon Wallace, about Charles Henry who went through segregation to create the now famous landmark that bears his name. 18 minutes.

- The Conner Stories, directed by Don Lehman, about brother and sister Bob and Barbara Conner who were born and raised at the Conner’s Inn on 10th St. 15 minutes.

- Tales from the Dock: The Legacy of Hooper’s Crab House, directed by Maurice Waters, about a cherished family-owned establishment.13 minutes.

- 150 Years of Smiles, directed by Fiona O’Brien, about the Ocean City economy built by influential women in the 20th century and ten miles of beach. 13 minutes.

- Eyes of the Fort, directed by Megan Dodson, about the Delaware beach towers and the Army’s Coast Artillery Corps during World War II. 9 minutes.

- Greetings from Ocean City Maryland, directed by Jesse Bowes, about collecting 100 years of Ocean City history with 100 post cards. 7 minutes.

- Unparalleled Butchery: Assateague 20, directed by B.L. StrangMoya, about Colonel Henry Norwood’s party of 19 English refugees stranded on Fenwick Island in January 1650. 11 minutes.

- Down on the Boardwalk, directed by Davis Mears, that tells a brief history of the Ocean City boardwalk. 3 minutes.

The Ocean City Film Festival and the Historical Film Night are programs of the Art League of Ocean City, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the visual arts to the community through education, exhibits, scholarship, programs and community art projects.

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Ocean Aviation’s founder recognized at FAA meeting

(June 20, 2025) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will present Michael Freed, founder of Ocean Aviation Flight Academy, with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, the agency’s highest honor for certified pilots, last week during the Maryland Aviation Association (MAA) meeting at the Princess Royale Hotel in Ocean City.

Established in 2003, the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award recognizes pilots who have demonstrated professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise by maintaining safe operations for 50 or more consecutive years without accidents or violations.

Over the course of five decades, Freed has built a legacy rooted in safety, discipline, and excellence. As both a pilot and educator, he has made safety the cornerstone of his work, training hundreds of future aviators with that same philosophy.

“This award is deeply meaningful to me — not just as a pilot, but as someone who has spent a lifetime committed to excellence and safety in aviation,” said Freed. “Safety isn’t optional in aviation — it’s everything. I’ve always believed that if you train with purpose and fly with discipline, you can achieve great things. I’m proud of the careers we’ve helped launch and the legacy we continue to build at Ocean Aviation.”

As founder and director of Ocean Aviation Flight Academy, Freed has led the school for over 18 years in Ocean City. In 2022. he expanded the program by opening a second location in Georgetown, Del. Today, the academy is recognized as one of the leading flight training institutions in the Mid-Atlantic

region, launching the careers of pilots now flying for major airlines, international carriers, and the U.S. military.

The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award presentation took place during the Maryland Aviation Association’s annual meeting.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Mike Freed, right, of Ocean Aviation was awarded the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from representative MIke Bevan.

Bragging rights at stake in Berlin’s bathtub races

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) The Berlin Chamber of Commerce will host the 35th annual Berlin Bathtub Races beginning at 6 p.m. tonight, June 20.

This year, the creative and competitive tradition will be held on Friday, June 20, on Main Street in downtown Berlin. A parade of the homemade tubs will begin at 6 p.m., with races to follow, kicking off at around 6:15 p.m.

Each year, the Berlin Bathtub Races provide local businesses with a fun advertising method, as they hitch up their modified, road-capable bathtub and compete against their neighbors in a series of heats. The winner receives bragging rights for their speed and style, and their name is added to the trophy, known as the Turner Cup.

The winning trophy winter is a tribute to the late Jesse Turner, the former owner of the Main Street repair business, the Berlin Shoe Box. Turner helped get the races off the ground and actively participated in the tradition, coming up victorious on several occasions.

Community members are encouraged to crowd the sidelines and watch as the racers dart downtown. During the contest, food vendors will be available for attendees to pick up dinner and snacks. The chamber will also be selling event t-shirts and conducting its annual 50/50 raffle drawing.

“The Bathtub Races are a one-of-akind, high-energy event that brings the community together for a night of fun and friendly competition,” the Berlin Chamber of Commerce’s website reads. “Participants race creatively designed, bathtub-inspired vehicles down Main Street, competing for speed, style, and bragging rights. Whether you’re a racer or a spectator, there’s plenty of excitement with themed races, team costumes, and laughter.”

For more information about the Berlin Bathtub Races, visit https://berlinchamber.org/event/bathtub-races/.

Event emcee Al Reno calls a heat during last year’s Berlin Bathtub Races on Main Street.

Remember

it’s time to go if on beach and hear thunder

By Kristin Joson Contributing Writer

(June 20, 2025) We all know lightning is dangerous, but did you know the beach may be one of the worst places to be during a lightning storm?

The Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) wants to remind beachgoers of the very real dangers lightning poses and explain how the Patrol operates to keep you and your family safe when storms roll in.

It often seems like vacationers are more worried about shark attacks, thanks in part to the popularity of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, but statistics show your concern should lie elsewhere. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), lightning is nearly 50 times more deadly than sharks. While shark-related fatalities in the U.S. average less than one per year, lightning strikes kill an average of 49 people annually, with hundreds more seriously injured, many with life-altering effects.

Despite the risks, it’s easy to think,

it won’t happen here... or to me. But in and around Ocean City, more than a dozen people have been struck by lightning in recent decades. Tragically, five of those incidents were fatal.

OCBP follows strict safety protocols any time thunder is heard, light-

Graphics, such as the above, serve as reminders to beach-goers to exercise caution during summer storms.

ning is seen, or a Severe Weather Warning is issued. Not only are all SRTs keeping a watchful eye on changing weather conditions, but our centralized command center is also monitoring conditions around our area and will alert the SRTs when radar detects approaching weather systems that could become dangerous to our beach population, The moment a lifeguard hears thunder; swimmers are immediately cleared from the water. Lifeguards then begin alerting beachgoers about the danger of being near the ocean during a storm.

According to the National Weather Service, if you can hear thunder, you’re close enough to be struck. That’s why OCBP urges everyone to begin packing up and seeking shelter indoors at the first rumble. Once lightning is visible, the beach is cleared immediately. Leave your belongings behind. Your safety is far more important. You can retrieve them later when the threat has passed.

At this stage, guards are instructed to prioritize their own safety as well. Once all beach patrons are directed to safety, they seek shelter off the beach themselves. High winds often accompany lightning storms, turning umbrellas, chairs, and tents into dangerous projectiles, another reason the only safe place during a storm is indoors.

NOAA also reports that 25% of lightning fatalities occur near water, and other vulnerable locations include golf courses, sports fields, and, of course, beaches. This is why OCBP takes these storms so seriously.

Following lightning activity, guards wait 30 minutes after the last visible strike or rumble of thunder before allowing anyone back on the beach. If lifeguards are not in their stands, the beach is not safe. Please obey the directives of the Beach Patrol to keep you and your loved ones safe and so that our SRTs do not need to leave a place of safety to “remind” you to stay off the beach. When they return to their posts, it is a clear signal that it’s safe to resume beach activities.

Bottom line: If you hear thunder or see lightning, stop what you’re doing and head indoors immediately. It’s the only guaranteed way to stay safe. Always follow Beach Patrol instructions, they’re there to protect you. And remember NOAA’s life-saving slogan: “When Thunder Roars,

EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST

We

Foundation’s women’s fund presents grants to charities

(June 20, 2025) The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Women’s Fund recently awarded $65,000 to nonprofits serving Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties. These grants support programs which address the unmet needs of women and girls to create positive change in their lives. The Women’s Fund is a giving circle at the Community Foundation which allows members to have a team-approach to philanthropy and charitable networking.

The recipients include:

Art League of Ocean City to create a new community of young women leaders that will work together to brainstorm, create, provide, lead and execute arts

programming that supports women.

Because I Am My Sister’s Keeper to support initiatives for girls ages 14-18 with educational sessions, field trips, and scholarships.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore for the Overcoming Obstacles program, where young girls will engage in team building and develop resilience through obstacle course exercises.

Célébrez la Femme to create the Empowerment Expo, an expansion of their annual Empowerment Summit.

Chesapeake Housing Mission to fund two Women’s Builds and a 1 Year to Empowerment team build.

Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake to provide 30 scholarships to 3rd8th grade girls to participate in the Girls on the Run program at their school.

Help and Outreach Point of Entry to support the women’s care program, which provides assistance, supplies, and support for at risk female clients.

Lead4Life Inc. to build workforce opportunities for formerly incarcerated women in the reentry program through career coaching and support for CNA or cosmetology programs.

Oshun’s Garden to expand the Sista Circle program, empowering Black women and addressing gender-based violence.

Salisbury Elite to support female centered programming and a self-care themed women’s empowerment event.

The Child & Family Foundation (1 Year to Empowerment) to support programming to empower middle and high school girls to make healthy choices.

The Salvation Army of Salisbury to expand the Girl Guards and Sunbeams programs, which provide mentorship, character development, and life skills training for girls ages 6-18.

Village of Hope to support transportation needs of transitional housing residents to ensure access to employment, medical care, childcare, and educational opportunities.

Worcester County Economic Development to aid the creation and delivery of a dynamic workshop and seminar aimed at empowering women.

Worcester County GOLD to support GOLD’s VAULT (Vast Amounts of Useful Little Things) and Dignity Boxes with items for women and girls in need.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

recipients of the 2025 Community Foundation Women’s Fund grants received a combined

the needs of women and girls in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester coun-

Arts Council awards $17K in grants to local charities

(June 20, 2025) The Worcester County Arts Council (WCAC) has announced the award of $17,150 in Community Arts Development Grant funding to support nine arts projects and events presented by local nonprofit organizations during the upcoming granting cycle beginning July 1.

These grants will support a wide range of creative and innovative initiatives that promote artistic excellence and provide meaningful cultural experiences to residents and visitors across Worcester County. Projects were selected based on artistic quality, community outreach, public impact, and administrative merit. Funding for this program is provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Representatives from the recipient organizations were honored and recognized for their contributions to the local arts community during WCAC’s annual Art Celebration, held on June 11, 2025. A group photo taken during the event features both the newly awarded grantees as well as those whose projects were successfully presented during the FY2025 grant cycle.

“This program is at the heart of our mission,” said Anna Mullis, Executive Director of the Worcester County Arts Council. “By providing financial support to local organizations, we help create opportunities for artists, engage audiences of all ages, and strengthen the cultural fabric of our communities. These projects not only spark creativity, but also bring people together through shared experiences in the arts.”

Since the inception of this grant program, WCAC has awarded nearly $500,000 to assist local groups in presenting high-quality arts programming that engages the community and inspires creativity.

FY2025 Community Arts Development grant recipients included:

Art League of Ocean City – Kids Paint OC 2025

Berlin Heritage Foundation –Year-Round Community Events 2025–2026

Friends of Assateague State Park –Ballet on the Beach Dance Festival

Furnace Town Foundation – Renaissance Faire

Furnace Town Foundation – Summer Music Series

Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra – 2025 Fall Concerts

Pine Tones Chorus – “The Joy of Christmas” Concert

Town of Berlin / Arts & Entertainment District – Oktoberfest Live Music

Town of Berlin / Main Street –Farmers Market Live Music

9748 Stephen Decatur Hwy. #112 Ocean City, MD 21842

NEW LOCATION

1321-B Mt. Hermon Rd. Salisbury, MD 21804 443-856-4676

Monday-Friday www.batielaw.com

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Representatives receiving grants were, back, from left, Bob Johnson, Pine Tones Chorus; Stacey Phillips, Ocean City Elementary and Showell Elementary schools; Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, Art League of Ocean City; Heather Nottingham, Berlin Heritage Foundation; Kristie Clattenburg, Ward Foundation; Rebecca Pille, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra; Ivy Wells, Town of Berlin/Main Street Program; Kelly Buchanan - Worcester County Parks and Recreation; and, front, Claudia Nagle, Furnace Town; Amber Hall, Pocomoke Elementary School; Julie Mills, Berlin Intermediate School; and Rina Thaler, Art League of Ocean City.

HAPPINESS

Scholarships presented

(June 20, 2025) The purpose of the Women’s Club of Ocean Pines is to promote civic and social activities which include educational and community outreach opportunities to benefit the Ocean Pines community. During the year, members raise funds for scholarships and community awards.

The Women’s Club of Ocean Pines awarded three $2,000 scholarships to deserving seniors from Stephen Decatur High School. The awardees are Adam Baker, Mara Sharon Minkey and Marley Noonan in recognition of their academic achievements, extracurricular involvement and dedication to their community.

In addition, $2,500 was awarded to these local organizations: Coastal Hospice, Delmarva Women’s Chorus, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra,

Ocean Pines Parks and Recreation, Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department, Women Supporting Women and the Worcester County Veteran’s Memorial.

Student achievements

The following represents a collection of media announcements distributed this week.

Megan Gore of Ocean City excelled during the spring 2025 semester at Hofstra, achieving a GPA of at least 3.5 to earn a spot on the Dean's List. Her major is Theater Arts.

Brittyn Leonard of Ocean City received a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise & Sport Science from Frostburg State University.

Approximately 600 students at Bridgewater College were named to the Spring 2025 Dean's List including Addison McDaniel, a health and exer-

cise science major from Berlin; Rafe Parsons, a business administration major from Berlin; and Reagan Sterrs, an elementary education major from Berlin.

Julianna Fohner of Ocean City is one of 1,053 students who earned a spot on Shenandoah University's President’s List for the Spring 2025 semester.

Bianca Becchinelli of Berlin graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts degree this spring.

Abigail Reynolds, of Berlin, graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the College of Charleston.

College of Charleston congratulates over 2,100 students named to the President's List for Spring 2025 including Elaina Elrick of Berlin majoring in Communication and Political Science and Hunter Simons of Berlin majoring in Biology.

The following students from the area have been named to the dean's list at Frostburg State University in recognition of outstanding academic achievement for the spring 2025 semester: Noah Fisher of Berlin, Paige Etnoyer of Snow Hill, Logan Intrieri of Berlin and Parker Intrieri of Berlin.

College of Charleston congratulates over 1,880 students named to the Dean's List for Spring 2025 including Madilyn Nechay of Berlin who is majoring in Public Health; Abigail Reynolds of Berlin is majoring in Hospitality/Tourism Management; and James Barrett of Ocean City is majoring in Finance.

Commonwealth University congratulates Tyler Leitzel, of Ocean City for being named to the Spring 2025 Dean's List at the CU-Bloomsburg campus.

Justice academy graduate

The Ocean City Fire Department has announced the graduation of Fire Investigator James Lerch from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy. Lerch began his career with the Office of the Fire Marshal as a Fire Safety Inspector on March 11, 2024. Since then, he has completed numer-

Investigator James Lerch

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

ous courses in code enforcement and inspections and successfully graduated from Fire Investigator School through the University of Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute.

Lerch began the rigorous police academy on Jan. 2 and officially graduated on June 11, 2025. During his time at the academy, he was appointed Squad Leader and was recognized by academy leadership for his outstanding dedication and commitment to supporting his fellow recruits.

“Investigator Lerch has shown exceptional drive and professionalism since the beginning of his career,” said Acting Fire Marshal Joe Sexauer. “His achievement at the academy further demonstrates his leadership and unwavering dedication to public safety. We are proud to have him representing our department.”

Lerch will now begin a period of field training alongside various shifts within the Ocean City Police Department before returning to his full-time role in the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Mural meeting planned

The Beach to Bay Heritage Area will be hosting another community planning meeting for a new public mural in the downtown of Pocomoke City on Tuesday, July 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Delmarva Discovery Museum.

The theme of the mural will be based on the town’s Native American namesake. Assistance and guidance will be offered by the Pocomoke Indian Nation. Community engagement will help determine themes, content and location of the mural.

According to the Americans for the Arts, murals enrich a city’s landscape by

adding personality and character. They invite conversation and make communities feel welcoming by creating a unique environment for locals and visitors.

“We have seen a trend across the country in both rural towns and urban cities that murals are becoming more and more a way of expressing our heritage, our stories” says Lisa Challenger, Executive Director of the Beach to Bay Heritage Area.

All interested members of the community are invited to attend this planning session. Community planning sessions are free and a light dinner and refreshments will be provided. Funding for the project has been provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Teach a kid to fish

The Ocean Pines Anglers Club will host the annual Teach A Kid To Fish Day on Saturday, June 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the South Gate Pond at Veterans Memorial Park.

Kids of all ages are invited to “test the waters” and learn fishing skills and techniques from members of the Ocean Pines Anglers Club and DNR. A wonderful opportunity for parents and grandparents to introduce a new generation to the sport of fishing.

The pond is stocked with several species of fish and participants will have the opportunity to try out their newly learned skills. Participants are encouraged to bring insect repellent and sunscreen. Please bring your own rod. Bait and water will be provided. There will be a drawing for a free rod and reel.

The event is free. No pre-registration is required. Info; contact Frank at 443-542-3500 or Kevin at kpowell@oceanpines.org

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Spectacular Bay View! 2 Bedroom Cottage with a Million Dollar View of Assateague Island, Sinepuxent Bay & 1000ft. Pier! This Cottage has Drywall Interior Cathedral Ceiling, Skylights & Updated Bow Window in Dining Area. Spacious Kitchen with Gas Stove & Built-in Microwave. Full Size Washer/Dryer. On a Corner Lot with Courtyard & Shed. Call Tony Matrona 410-641-1671 Lot # 473 $309,900

Ravens Roost #44 presents $12K in local scholarships

(June 20, 2025) Ravens Roost #44 of Ocean City recently announced the presentation of annual scholarship awards. This year, scholarship awards totaling $12,000 went to six students at three area high schools.

The 2025 scholar/athlete awardees were Brooke Berquist, Stephen Decatur High School; Ava Snelshire, Stephen Decatur High School; Mike DePalma, Worcester Preparatory School; Jackson Fernley, Worcester Preparatory School; Jillian Coulbourn, Indian River High

School; and Sara Labarias Indian River High School

The Ravens Roost Scholarship Committee awards individual scholarships based on SAT/ACT scores, grade-point averages, participation in athletics, community service, work history, letters of recommendations, and an essay on how athletics are important in today’s society.

Ravens Roost #44 has awarded $270,900.00 in scholarships over the last two-plus decades.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Stephen Decatur High School student-athletes Brooke Berquist, center top, and Ava Snelsire were recognized by Ravens Roost #44 member Elena McComas. Above, Worcester Prep graduates receiving Ravens Roost scholarships at the school’s graduation from Committee Co-Chair Don McMullen were Michael DePalma, left, and Jackson Fernley.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION SUCCESS

On May 8, the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation held its annual Anniversary Celebration to commemorate the hospital’s 32 years of service to the Delmarva community. The celebration was hosted at Brooklyn Meadows Estate, outside Berlin, where roughly 550 supporters were treated to delicious food and beverages and hours of live music. Through the generous support of over 100 monetary sponsors, 50 in-kind sponsors and the event attendees, the Atlantic General Hospital Foundation’s Anniversary Celebration Committee was able to raise more than $191,000 in support of the hospital’s mission to improve community health.

AGH Foundation staff and Anniversary Celebration Committee co-chairs recently presented a special gift to Brooklyn Meadows Estate owner Patrick Brady and event partner Alyson Kendall as a token of gratitude for hosting this year’s event. Pictured, from left, are Jessica Jersey, AGH Foundation donor relations officer; Laura Powell, AGH Foundation community relations officer; Sarah Evans, Anniversary Celebration Committee co-chair; Kourtney Duffie, Anniversary Celebration Committee co-chair; Brady; Kendall; Jessica Giardina, Anniversary Celebration Committee co-chair; Sarah DelliGatti, Anniversary Celebration Committee co-chair; Toni Keiser, AGH vice president of public relations; and Hillary Mozeik, AGH Foundation assistant.

Who’s Where When

BUXY’S SALTY DOG & DRY DOCK 28

410-289-BUXY

28th Street Coastal Hwy.

Sat., June 21: Full Circle

Sundays: Local Party w/ DJ Deogee

Wednesday: Karaoke w/ DJ Hundley

CAPTAIN’S TABLE

410-289-7192

15th & Boardwalk

In The Courtyard Marriott

Fridays & Saturdays: Phil Perdue

CARIBBEAN POOL BAR

410-289-6181

In The Plim Plaza Hotel

109 N. Atlantic Ave.

Fri., June 20: Nick Hundley

& Big Nobody’s

Sat., June 21: Star Spangled Hustlers

& Royal Flush

Sun., June 22: No Byscuyts

& Steve O’Boyle

Mon., June 23: DJ Wax & Ryan Jackson

Tues., June 24: Free State Duo & Dust N Bones Duo

Wed., June 25: Nick Hundley & Jason Lee

Thurs., June 26: Dave Sherman & Schizophrenic Boogiemen

COCONUTS BEACH BAR

410-289-6846

Oceanfront At Castle

In The Sand Hotel

37th & 38th Streets

Fri., June 20: Darin Engh & The Royal Flush Band

Sat., June 21: The Day Drinkers & Chris Diller Band

Sun., June 22: Whiskey Train & 33 RPM

Mon., June 23: Sean Loomis & Blissful Wizards

Tues., June 24: The Bilenki Duo

& The Callum Toner Band

Wed., June 25: Joey Fitz & The Dunehounds

Thurs., June 26: Honeydu Duo & Full Circle

COINS PUB

410-289-3100

28th Street Plaza On Coastal Hwy.

Fri., June 20: Beach Bandits

Sat., June 21: Jim Long Party & The Rockoholics

CRABCAKE FACTORY BAYSIDE

302-988-5000

37314 Lighthouse Rd., Rte. 54, Selbyville, DE

Fri., June 20: Joey Fitz

Sun., June 22: No Hesitations

Wed., June 25: Fil Rhythm

CRAWL STREET TAVERN

443-373-2756

Wicomico St., Downtown O.C.

Fri., June 20: Derek Woods Band

Sat., June 21: C-Burch & The Noize

FAGER’S ISLAND

410-524-5500

60th St., In The Bay

Fri., June 20: Petty Coat Junction,

Love Hate Mixtape & DJ RobCee

Sat., June 21: Big Machine, Vertigo Red & DJ Vybe

Sun., June 22: DJ Cruz

Mon., June 23: DJ Wax, The 1974, DJ Dnial & Decade 80

Tues., June 24: DJ Bobby O, Bryan Clark & Latin Night

Wed., June 25: DJ Bobby O

Thurs., June 26: DJ Groove

& The Rockoholics

Best Beats On The Beach

FULL CIRCLE

Dry Dock 28: Saturday, June 21

Seacrets: Wednesday, June 25 (Duo)

Coconuts Beach Bar: Thursday, June 26

Pickles Pub: Thursday, June 26

PETTY COAT JUNCTION Fager’s Island: Friday, June 20

Purple Moose Saloon: Friday & Saturday, June 20 & 21

JOEY HARKUM BAND W/ KAVOOSI

WILL HILL BAND

Greene Turtle West: Friday, June 20

OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS

Harborside: Sunday, June 22

Fish Tails: Wednesday, June 25

DEREK WOODS BAND

Crawl Street Tavern: Friday, June 20

AMISH OUTLAWS

Seacrets: Sunday, June 22

SCHIZOPHRENIC BOOGIEMEN

The Wedge: Tuesday, June 24

Caribbean Pool Bar: Thursday, June 26

BEACH BANDITS

Coins Pub: Friday, June 20

Jolly Jellyfish Beach Club: Every Thursday

DESERT SHADE

Pickles Pub: Saturday, June 21

ROYAL FLUSH

Coconuts Beach Bar: Friday, June 20

Caribbean Pool Bar: Saturday, June 21

Who’s Where When

FISH TAILS

410-289-0990

22nd St., & Bay

Sun., June 22: Colossal Duo

Wednesdays: Opposite Directions & DJ Wax

Thurs., June 26: Joe Wood

GREENE TURTLE WEST

410-213-1500

Route 611, West OC

Fri., June 20: Will Hill Band

HARBORSIDE

410-213-1846

South Harbor Rd., West End O.C.

Fridays: DJ Billy T Sat., June 21: Cecilia’s Fall & DJ Harvey Cinco

Sundays: Oppostie Directions & Wayne Blake

Wednesdays: DJ Billy T

Thursdays: Dust N Bones Duo

JOLLY JELLYFISH BEACH CLUB

443-664-6147

98th Street Coastal Hwy., Plaza Condominium

Fri., June 20: Shortcut Sunny Sat., June 21: Indentity Crisis

Sun., June 22: Big Deck Energy Party

Featuring On The Edge

Mondays: First Class

Tuesdays: Lost Figures

Wednesdays: Joe Mama & The Friends

Thursdays: Beach Bandits

PICKLES PUB

410-289-4891

8th St. & Philadelphia Ave.

Fridays: Beats By DeoGee

Sat., June 21: Desert Shade

Sundays: Beats By Styler

Mondays: Karaoke w/ Wood

Tuesdays: Beats By Wax

Wednesdays: Beats By Madame Dutchess

Thursdays: Beats By Connair & Joey Harkum Band w/ Kavoosi

PURPLE MOOSE SALOON

410-289-6953

Between Caroline & Talbot Sts. On The Boards

Fri. & Sat., June 20 & 21: Surreal

Sat., June 21 (2pm): Sean Loomis Sun., June 22: Good Noizz

Wednesdays: Balkan Party w/ DJ Papi

SEACRETS

410-524-4900

49th St. & Coastal Hwy.

Fri, June 20: 4 DJs, Tommi Boi, Hometown Radio & Coming Alive

Sat., June 21: 5 DJs, Coming Alive, Tommi Boi, Hometown Radio & Stealing Savanah Sun., June 22: 3 DJs, South Penn Dixie & Amish Outlaws

Mon., June 23: DJ Wax & Blake Haley

Tues., June 24: DJ C-Miller, John McNutt Duo & Steal The Sky

Wed., June 25: DJ E-State, Full Circle Duo, The Benderz & Ballyhoo w/ Joint Operation (Ticket Event)

Thurs., June 26: Faith Noel, DJ Mary Jane & Kristen & The Noise

THE WEDGE 410-289-5121

806 S. Atlantic Ave.

Sun., June 22: Jason Lee

Mon., June 23: Lauren Glick

Tues., June 24: Schizophrenic Boogiemen

Wed., June 25: Kasey Briggs & Charlie Travers

Thurs., June 26: Joe Esham

GOOD NOIZZ

Purple Moose: Sunday, June 22 • 2pm

VERTIGO RED Fager’s Island: Saturday, June 21

by Steve Green

Grateful.

The Adventures of Fatherhood

Over the course of our 12year special education journey with our Carson, 15, from prek 3 through ninth grade and six different county public schools, one truth has stood out above all: it takes a team to navigate the positives and negatives. We rely heavily on the individuals around Carson each day. Not only to keep him safe and in a good place, but also for lots of communication because he’s nonverbal.

While we absolutely care about milestones, successes, and setbacks, we measure everything against progress — and that has always been the ultimate goal for our Carson. We just hope he continues to mature and gain confidence to help him function in life with us and without us.

It was a memorable freshman year for our guy. He transitioned well into the big high school at Decatur and tried many new things, including three sports through the school’s Unified program. Unified has been a huge blessing in our life, and Carson is proud to be involved in it.

I tried to attend every Unified event. I wanted to support him, but I also was curious and wanted to observe it all from a distance. I wil never forget one of the first points he scored in tennis in the fall. I think it was by accident, but he returned a serve and it went in. He jumped a little bit before hitting the racquet of his teammate to celebrate. I was lucky enough to get a picture. A small moment but an outstanding memory. Similar situations unfolded in the winter’s strength and conditioning and spring’s bocce season. It turns out he’s a great speed walker and a solid bocce player.

As his freshman year closes, we extend a heartfelt thank you to the incredible special education team that has surrounded Carson with support, empathy, and consistency at Stephen Decatur High School as well as Worcester Tech. There are many individuals who are part of Carson’s village. We are appreciative of all who contributing to his success in school. We know firsthand how much effort,

patience, and care go into this work and we see it. We feel it. We are blessed by them.

There are unfortunate moments along the way that are difficult to explain to those who don’t know about students with disabilities and special needs. It’s ugly at times, including a difficult morning drop off that involved me forced into the classroom.

The disability wins sometimes and it’s not even close. We try to learn from the losses and quickly move forward beyond the unfortunate reality that some behaviors will simply go down as unexplainable, though we will never stop trying to prevent them.

Most importantly, as school gives way to summer, we celebrate the wins because they represent progress and most often overachieving.

We are deeply appreciative of the public school system and the support it has given us every single day.

Happy belated Father’s Day to all the males who show up and out for their children.

In some ways, it seems like yesterday I became a father for the first time, but the reality is my oldest son, Beckett, is now 17 and Carson is 15.

Everything – most importantly life perspective – changed when I became a dad.

Over recent years, it’s been a pleasure to keep up with some new fathers embarking on their journeys. I often speak candidly with fathers of young kids. The excitement and anticipation of their wives being pregnant and awaiting the big day was fun to observe. Then came the baby announcements on Facebook and the beaming photos of a new chapter beginning in their lives. It’s one of the beautiful things about social media in my estimation.

During several conversations with these guys, I always try to emphasis the importance of soaking it all in and, most importantly, remaining engaged and present in their little one’s lives. I have no doubt these young dads will remain passionate and committed to their families.

Unfortunately, many babies born in our country are not so fortunate. Some kids will never meet their father. It’s the case for my two adoptive sons whose birth fathers we do know anything about, as their birth mothers were unable to share with them their intentions to place their babies for adoption. There are many other stories of fathers not being involved in their kids lives due to marriages falling apart, addiction issues and misjudgments.

It’s something I think about whenever I see the billboard on Route 50 advertising fatherhood.gov – which is a product of the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse aimed at encouraging and promoting responsible male parenting and role modeling.

While I am sure the site provides appropriate resources for some, I am encouraged by what I see out of fathers in our area in general. I see dedicated dads coaching their kids in sports; cheering on their daughters at horse, dance and cheer competitions; running the gauntlet of school drop-offs in the mornings; meeting with teachers for parent conferences; and juggling responsibilities with their wives.

I know my role in my house. Pam is the MVP of the family. She serves multiple roles and does it well. I have learned a lot from her. I like to think she has a partner who will do whatever it takes to ease her load.

Maybe it’s the circles I travel in, but I see great fathers all around me who are engaged, dedicated and committed to their families.

On Father’s Day this year, I had a first. Beckett used his own money to buy me a Father’s Day card. He even got one for his little brother, Carson.

The handwritten messages were especially memorable, but also was the fact Beckett learned something the hard way. The envelopes come for free with the cards.

I think this was more of a lack of awareness move than a cost cutting measure. (The writer is the executive editor of OC Today-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@octodaydispatch.com.)

Always best for swimmers to talk with lifeguards

Club’s Surf Fest planned for this weekend in resort

By Dave Dalkiewicz Contributing Writer

(June 13, 2025) Kristin Joson is a writer/columnist for this newspaper, concentrating on the ocean beach and shoreline water in conjunction with the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP.) Her primary theme is safety. So many people that come to visit are simply not familiar with the area and her writing is absolutely good advice. One of her major topics has been, and I’m sure will be, rip currents. These are ocean currents that can carry a swimmer farther out into the ocean. For a lot of people this will be out of their comfort zones. Consult your local OCBP surf rescue technician, or lifeguard, or the internet, for more information.

Ironically, rip currents can be an advantage for the surfer, especially on a day with bigger surf. They act as conveyor belts and assist the surfer in paddling out to the “zone” where the waves break that hopefully he or she will be able to catch and ride. Paddling is a huge part of surfing. Any surfer will spend much more time paddling than riding a wave or actually surfing. Thus, being a good paddler becomes a significant aspect of any surfing activity.

Rip currents can be many things. A bane for the swimmer and a boon for the surfer, they’re subject to change and can open or close at any time. They can be affected by the changing tide, going from low to high or high to low. Swell and wind direction as well as velocity can also be factors regarding rip currents.

As a reminder, don’t forget about the Ocean City Surf Club (OCSC) Surf Fest this weekend. Things kick off on Friday evening, June 20 with an awards and scholarship “party” presentation at Barn 34 restaurant, located at 34th Street and Coastal Highway, Ocean City.

On Saturday, June 21, there will be the Team Challenge, Anything Goes Surf Contest on the beach in front of the Castle in the Sand Motel at 37th Street, Ocean City. At the same location, on Sunday, June 22 a surf swap meet will take place. This will be a first-time event and hopefully a success. The OCSC is a non-profit civic organization dedicated to surfing in the Ocean City area.

— Dave Dalkiewicz is the owner of Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop in Ocean City.

Swipe cards, longer hours for Pines pools discussed

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) Despite this summer just getting started, the Ocean Pines Association’s Aquatics Advisory Committee is looking at improvements for next year, which could include swipe cards and a later pool closing time on weekdays.

OPA’s aquatic advisory crew met last week to discuss potential enhancements to Ocean Pines’ five swimming pools. The conversation included upgrade suggestions, but not all of them would, or could, be initiated for the current warm-weather season.

To improve convenience at Ocean Pines pools, the aquatics group intends to investigate the possibility of obtaining swipe cards for entry into the facilities and their restrooms. If the initiative reaches fruition, it would likely be for next summer, said Gary Miller, the chair of OPA’s Aquatics Advisory Committee.

Miller noted that the idea of using cards or other measures to access the pool and its bathrooms to reduce congestion was previously suggested to the OPA Board of Directors and staff, but the project never got off the ground. Committee members argue that more research is needed.

“I think we need to keep an eye on how the lines are and how bad the crowds get and see if it’s really an issue that needs addressing,” the committee chair said.

The possibility of swipe cards came up at a January meeting of the aquatics group. At that time, Miller spoke about an ongoing problem at the Ocean Pines Beach Club in Ocean City, where non-pool members were using the amenity’s restrooms.

Miller had said that bathroom attendants and cameras had been implemented to mitigate the issue, but these measures weren’t successful. The possibility of distributing a swipe card was mentioned, which would limit restroom entrance to members. The card could also be used as an admission key to the pool grounds to limit excessive

lines during peak hours.

Committee members added at the January meeting that steps other than a physical card could be taken to address the crowds. For example, a QR code may be given to residents when they purchase their aquatics memberships, which would act similarly to a swipe card but electronically. Last week, the aquatics team agreed to continue to pursue this project for next year.

Also on the committee’s recommendation docket for summer 2026 is leaving one of the pools open later during the weekdays to give more time to residents who work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Swim and Racquet does have lengthened hours, but only during weekends.

Miller noted that this year, in a departure from seasons past, Swim and Racquet is open until 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to give homeowners additional access to the summertime amenity. Still, the pool closes at 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The aquatics committee chair said the extended weekend hours are “good,” but they do not give working folks extra time to enjoy the pool after their long days during the week.

To be more accommodating to all Ocean Pines residents, the aquatics team will recommend to the association that one pool be open Monday through Thursday to a time later than 6 p.m. next summer.

Making the suggestion for a year from now will provide OPA staff breathing room to arrange operation dealings, if the community leaders opt to uphold the recommendation.

“It will give [OPA] more time to plan if they have to hire more lifeguards, or whatever,” said Mary Hastler, aquatics committee member.

The OPA Aquatics Advisory Committee will look into these improvements, along with others that may arise this summer, as recommendations to propose to community staff ahead of next season.

9005 W. BISCAYNE DRIVE LITTLE SALISBURY OCEAN CITY

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Join Our Team At Long & Foster Ocean City ! Interested in a Career in Real Estate? Classes Forming Now! Visit www.longandfoster.com/careers

vanishing vanishing OCEAN CITY

With Bunk Mann

The China Seas Motel was located on the oceanfront at 51st Street. Designed to resemble a Chinese “junk” (a commercial fishing boat seen on the rivers of China), the unique building attracted much attention on Coastal Highway.

The motel had been built in 1963 after lower land values following the March Storm of 1962 spurred development in North Ocean City. This was one of the first motels north of 33rd Street. It contained 32 units.

The China Seas was destroyed in an early-morning fire on May 8, 1969. The building had not opened for the season and was empty at the time of the fire. The motel was never built.

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

Things I Like...

By Steve Green

Air

Show

rehearsal day

The sights and sounds of the harbor

Hearing my son tell a story

Restocking the bird feeders

The first ocean dip of the summer

Looking forward to corn on the cob

Weekends with no shoes

Sand on the Boardwalk

A thick hot dog off the grill

Sports pages hanging above urinals

Exhausted kids on summer nights

Photo From Bunk Mann’s Collection

DECATUR 70TH REUNION HELD

On Wednesday, June 11, Stephen Decatur High School’s Class of 1955 celebrated 70 years since graduation with a reunion at the Berlin Beer Company. The group represented the first

from the new Stephen Decatur High School, which was founded in 1954. The school’s creation combined the “island kids” at Ocean City High School with the inland group from Buckingham High School in Berlin. Nineteen members of the graduating class attended. The 40 members of the 69-person class who are deceased were recognized. Pictured, front from left, are Helen Mae Ellis Chamblin, Helen Rounds Tinsman, Joyce Davis Davis and Virginia Hudson Pepper; middle, Gloria Truitt Nolan, Betsy Barrett Ludlam, Nancy Davis Owens, Joanne Quillen Jackson, Fay Collins Wooten, Roy Watson and Norma Wainwright Rickards; and, back, Mary Dean Rouchard, Clifford Dypsky, Dale Cathell, Bob Murray, Jane Disharoon Bunting and Bob Gray.

Ocean Pines will launch new bocce league

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 19, 2025) The Ocean Pines Association’s first-ever season of its new bocce league kicks off this week with a series of matches among the 72 registered community members. Organizers hope the initial summer yields healthy participation, with a long-term plan to schedule games against regional divisions.

A waiting list will be distributed sometime this July for interested residents who missed sign-ups for the current season, extending from now through August, to get their names down for the bocce league’s fall play schedule.

The new bocce league officially begins its summer season today, Thursday, June 19. A series of matches will start at 4 p.m., with a game played on each of the Yacht Club’s two new courts. Subsequent contests will occur at 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. According to Michael Galello, the bocce club director, the league will have contests scheduled every Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday throughout the summer.

The new sports league consists of 72 members, divided into teams. Galello noted that there are eight groups of two members and 14 crews of four members. The two-member teams have matches on Thursdays and Fridays, while the four-member teams will play on Thursdays and Fridays or Sundays and Mondays.

The club director said one of the teams, the “Red Roosters,” is currently “loose,” with no set individuals. Instead, as a gesture of appreciation to the Ocean Pines Board of Directors and the operations leadership for making the new Yacht Club bocce courts a reality, four members of the board and/ or OPA General Manager John Viola will play in the first match today, acting as substitutes.

That team’s future as the season goes on is still up in the air.

“I set up [the Red Rooster], I kind of

put it together,” Galello said. “It’s kind of a loose team, you know, whoever is available will play. If somebody legitimately comes to the table and wants to play in the league and they can come with four people, I’ll slip them in instead.”

The new league is kicking off with the completion of the two new professional bocce courts at the community’s Yacht Club. The enhanced play areas are replacing an existing, outdated bocce space.

The new courts are made of synthetic material rather than natural. Galello said this decision was made to give the stations an extended lifespan, which is estimated between 15 and 18 years.

Galello expects additional improvements to the courts after the season ends. He noted that the area surrounding the play sites was built with a base for pavers, although they have not yet been added.

“We’re not going to install the pavers this year; we ran out of time,” he said. “The pavers will probably be installed in

the fall or spring. It’s kind of a minor part of all this. We wanted to open up and start playing.”

PHOTO COURTESY BRICE STUMP

graduating class

OC AIR SHOW SNAPSHOTS

This year’s OC Air Show was foiled by Mother Nature on Saturday and Sunday with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels grounded by cloud cover and unsafe flying conditions. However, Friday’s weather cooperated just enough for the jets to fly over Ocean City. The rehearsal was cut short by rain and thunderstorms.

Thursday’s rehearsal day in Ocean City may have provided the best weather day for the Blue Angels demonstration team, which is

during the first of two practice sessions.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN SHANE/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

PHOTOS BY BETHANY HOOPER/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

pictured

PHOTOS BY MIKE DETWILER PHOTOGRAPHY/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

The A-10 Thunderbolt II CAS demonstration team is pictured above left during Friday’s rehearsal day. Above right, the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper is pictured performing.

COMMUNITY/SCHOOLS

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENTED

Every year the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City raises funds throughout the year for scholarships awarded to graduating senior students in Worcester County. Pictured, from left, are Kiwanis Club Scholarship Committee Chair James Maratea, recipients Owen Sperry (York College of Pennsylvania), Payton Piercey (Stevenson University), Lily Olsen (Salisbury University), Lucas Magathan (University of Maryland College Park), Tirzah Hill (Liberty University), Graham Geiser (University of Tennessee), Ava Snelshire received the Robert Wolfing Honor Scholarship (Hood College), Angelina Li received a Patricia Winkelmayer Memorial Scholarship (University of Maryland College Park), Brooke Berquist received the Roy Foreman Memorial Scholarship (University of Maryland College Park) and Kiwanis Club President Tom Southwell. The remaining three of the total 12 Kiwanis scholarship recipients were not able to attend — Josephine Palmer who received a Patricia Winkelmayer Memorial scholarship and Riley Herzog and Lin Zheng who receive Excellence Scholarships.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

WORCESTER YOUTH SUPPORT

Worcester Youth & Family Counseling Services held its annual “Shine on The Shore Luau” fundraiser on June 12 at Sunset Grille. The Kiwanis Club of Ocean Pines-Ocean City annually supports this organization with a donation of $2,500, which was presented earlier this spring.  Kiwanis members attending the function included John Hanberry, Teri Westbrook, Tom and Skip Flanagan, WYFCS Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Leggour, Jan and Bob Wolfing, Ron and Bette Wildgust and Jim Spicknall.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC

PT ASSISTANT PINS EARNED

Earning their pins in a physical therapy assistant ceremony at Wor-Wic

from left, George Eppard-Annis of Millsboro, Del.;

College

of

Julia Cornish, Natalie Flynn, Madison Paolone and Brittney Wallop of Salisbury;

Copes of Hebron; Rylee Covington of Pocomoke City; and Tina Walas and Abigail Stabinski of Ocean

GUEST SPEAKER ATTENDS

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Community

were,

Zachary Johnson

Delmar, Del.; Alexis Bosley,

Monika

City.

The Worcester County Arts Council is pleased to announce its FY 2026 slate of officers, presented during the annual Arts Celebration held on June 11. The newly announced officers are President Tamara Mills, Vice President Kate Cashman, Treasurer Alex Sousa and Secretary Barbara Johnson. Pictured, from left, are Sharon Sorrentino, Administrative Assistant; Cashman; Johnson; Anna Mullis, executive director; Jen Backof, Board member; Alyssa Maloof, Board member; and Mills. Not pictured were Sousa and Ko Gang.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC

On May 14, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City heard from guest speaker Russell Lederman of Dankmeir Optical.  Lederman shared his information about the 3D night vision telescope he invented as well as 3D Astronomy “Space Walker” binocular. Lederman is pictured with Kiwanis Club President Tom Southwell.

FAGER’S ISLAND MARKS 50 YEARS IN OC

and

SUBMITTED PHOTOS/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

An Ocean City landmark, Fager’s Island on 60th Street celebrated its 50th Anniversary in style on Monday during a special deck party featuring free admission and live music from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. The restaurant and bar was transformed for the anniversary celebration to welcome many past employees as well as state dignitaries, including former Gov. Larry Hogan with wife Yumi who are pictured above with owners Michelle and John Fager.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Back in 1975, Fager’s Island was the first bar and restaurant to be built on the bayside in what was then the growing midtown area of Ocean City. John Fager changed the look of the typical local bar scene by adding large glass windows and a magnificent view of the Assawoman Bay at sunset. He combined good music

fine food with a relaxed Key West-style atmosphere and the rest was history. Over the next several decades, the midtown bayside would grow to host several popular bars and restaurants, but Fager’s, at 60th Street, was the first. Fager would later add two hotels to his operations as well as launch another successful brand in the Bad Monkey Bar and Grill in Ocean City and West Ocean City. Above left, the anniversary celebration was a reunion of sorts for many current and past employees. Above center, Mayor Rick Meehan proclaimed June 16 as Fager’s Island Day in observance of the milestone anniversary. Above right, Damon and Jack Fager are pictured in the fine dining room. Below are some other scenes from the event, including John Fager, below right, with his son Thomas and daughter Malorie.

Dining Guide

■ PRICE RANGE: $, $$, $$$

■ RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted

DOWNTOWN

South end to 28th Street

■ BUXY’S SALTY DOG SALOON

DRY DOCK 28

28th Street, Ocean City, 410-289-0973, buxys.com, drydockoc.com

Destiny has a new home in Ocean City. From the ‘burgh to the beach, Buxy’s is your home away from Pittsburgh. Come see what all the locals already know and have known – Buxy’s is the place to come to meet friends, relax and be social with no attitudes. House specialties include “The” Cheesesteak Sub, Primanti-styled sandwiches, pierogis, egg-rolls and homemade crab dip. Dry Dock also features a full menu with soups, salads, kick starters, pierogis and craft pizza.

■ CAPTAIN’S TABLE

15th Street and Baltimore Avenue, in The Courtyard by Marriott, Ocean City 410-2897192, captainstableoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

A local tradition for over 60 years featuring hand cut steaks, premium lobster and perfectly prepared regional seafood. Breakfast daily 7:30-11 a.m. Open daily for dinner: Sunday through Thursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4-10 p.m. Happy Hour, seven days a week, 4-6 p.m.

■ COINS PUB & RESTAURANT

28th Street Plaza and Coastal Highway, Ocean City 410-289-3100, www.coinspuboc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

American style local restaurant serving seafood, steaks and chefs specials. Check out the off season weekday specials. Early bird; daily, 25:30 p.m. Sunday’s early bird specials, all day and all night. Happy Hour; daily, 2-5:30 p.m. with food and drink specials. Open Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. Dine-in, carry out.

■ CORAL REEF RESTAURANT & BAR

17th Street in the Holiday Inn & Suites, Ocean City 410-289-2612, coralreefrestaurant.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Enjoy traditional Eastern Shore cuisine and local favorites that are sure to please your entire party! Choose from a selection of house specialty entrees such as sharables, handhelds and seafood. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featuring specialty rums. Open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

■ CRAWL STREET

19 Wicomico St., Ocean City, 443-373-2756, crawlstreet.com

Established in 2020 just a short walk from the legendary Cork Bar. Don’t leave without trying the famous wings, but everything on the menu is solid, including flatbreads, tacos, salads, sandwiches and seafood platters. Be sure to check out the live music offerings as the nightlife is top of the line.

■ DISTRICT 24 CRAFT BAR, JAY’S CAFÉ & BLU CRABHOUSE & RAW BAR

2305 Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City 410-2893322, district24oc.com

There is more at District 24. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, pastries and coffee at Jay’s Cafe. CRAFT Pizza, Beer & Cocktails at CRAFT Lounge. Fresh Seafood at BLU Crabhouse & Raw Bar. Enjoy an elevated dining experience with great chophouse dishes and charcuterie boards, along with a Wine Spectator Award Wining Wine Menu at Embers Rooftop Restaurant. There is something for everyone at District 24 like live music in the courtyard, mini golf, arcade play and axe throwing.

■ FISH TALES

2107 Herring Way, Ocean City, 410-289-0990, ocfishtales.com

Bayfront marina dining offered here with a huge menu to satisfy guests of all ages. Enjoy a drink from a hanging chair or fish tacos at your table while the kids play in a playground build in the sand. Food and drink menus offer enough of a variety to meet all needs.

■ HARBOR WATCH

806 S. Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City 410-2895121, www.harborwatchrestaurant.com

$$-$$$ | Reservations | Kids’ Menu | Full bar

Celebrating our 41st anniversary with fresh seafood, an award-winning raw bar, mouthwatering steaks and the best view of the Ocean City Inlet and Assateague Island. Open every day. Monday through Wednesday open at 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday open at 11:30 a.m. Call for banquet and large-party details.

■ PICKLES PUB

706 Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 410-2894891, picklesoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Easy to find with plenty of free parking, serving lunch, dinner and entire diverse menu until 1 a.m. Also nightly entertainment year-round and a great place to watch all the sports on an ocean of televisions including a giant high-def screen. Also four pool tables on site. Lunch and dinner and entire menu until 1 a.m. Open all year from 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m., seven days a week.

■ PIT & PUB

2706 Philadelphia Ave. and 12701 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, pitandpub.com

Ocean City’s home of Pulled Pork and the finest barbecue, the legendary 28th Street Pit & Pub and the Northside Pit & Pub are known for serving up delicious smokehouse specialties. Grab a brew and enjoy the live sports action on one of the big screen TVs. Happy hour daily. Familyfriendly atmospheres at both locations. Weekend entertainment.

■ THE WEDGE BAR

806 S. Atlantic Ave, Ocean City, www.thewedgeoc.com

$-$$ | Full bar

Panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, bay and Assateague Island. Enjoy small plates, sandwiches and grilled burgers. Open every day, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

MIDTOWN

■ 32 PALM

32nd Street in The Hilton, Ocean City 410-2892525, 32palm.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Elevated cuisine, locally sourced ingredients and allocated spirits are prominently featured in our lounge and dining room. Open year-round for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Routinely updated menus with the highest quality local ingredients for fresh seafood any time of the year!

■ THE BONFIRE

71st Street, Coastal Hwy., Ocean City, 410-5247171, thebonfirerestaurant.com

Celebrating more than 50 years as the best seafood and prime rib buffet in Ocean City. It’s all here – the service, the atmosphere and finest, freshest seafood available and quality meats. Save room for the decadent desserts available as well including homemade donuts.

■ COCONUTS BEACH BAR & GRILL

3701 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, 410-289-6846, castleinthesand.com

A tropical open-air patio steps from the beach. A unique place for lunch or dinner with a menu featuring all the customary items and a few Ocean City-based surprises. Guests can also enjoy beach service for lunch and cocktails. Be sure to check out the daily entertainment schedule.

■ FAGERS ISLAND

201 60th St., Ocean City, 410-524-5500, fagers.com

$$ | Full bar

Dine on the island with an award-winning bayfront restaurant featuring American & Regional dining with a global influence and popular destination featuring impeccably prepared American and Pacific Rim cuisine. Also enjoy our outdoor decks and bar with live entertainment and 32 wines by the glass. A place where the joy of food & the presence of the table are of utmost importance. Dine on fresh seafood and our famous Prime Rib. Enjoy beautiful sunsets over the water. Open 11 a.m. daily. Fine dine at 4:30 p.m.

■ HOOKED

8003 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 410-7234665, hookedoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

A Common Ground Hospitality concept, a passion driven restaurant group servicing the coastal community. The goal is honor creativity and innovation by design. With passion at the heart of everything, unique dining concepts are paired with honest hospitality and well-made food sourced with fresh local ingredients and seasonal harvests. Craft and full bar available. Open daily 11:30 a.m.

■ LONGBOARD CAFÉ

6701 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 443-6645693, longboardcafe.com

$$-$$$ | Full bar

Casual Dining … Refined. Open for lunch and dinner. A wide range of gourmet burgers, innovative tacos, salads and sandwiches to full dinner entrees featuring fresh local fish prepared in a variety of styles, beef, shellfish and pasta. All our sauces, salsas, dressings, etc. are meticulously house made. We use fresh local sources wherever possible and premium ingredients such as our chuck, brisket and short rib custom blended burgers. Closed Tuesday. Call for reservations.

■ MARLIN MOON RESTAURANT

3301 Atlantic Ave., in the Double Tree Hotel, Ocean City 410-289-1201, marlinmoonocmd.com

$$ | Full bar

Winner of the Maryland People's choice award, Marlin Moon continues to offer its famous, locally loved dishes and famous happy hour. Enjoy creatively crafted cocktails, fresh selections from the raw bar and luscious desserts. Happy Hour, every day, 3-6 p.m., featuring drink specials. Breakfast, 7:30-11:30 a.m.; Lite Fare, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Dinner, 4-10 p.m.; and Bar open noon to 11 p.m.

■ SEACRETS

49th Street, Ocean City 410-524-4900, www.seacrets.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Open Sunday through Friday at 11 a.m., 10 a.m. on Saturdays, close at 2 a.m. Enjoy a tropical atmosphere and dine under the palms in our outdoor, kid friendly dining area or try a Seacrets Beachin' Cocktails in the Bay with live music every day open to close. The club is open every night in the summer. Try our famous jerk chicken with homemade honey mustard sauce, Pushcart Trio, a true Jamaican dish or a hearty wrap, sandwich or delicious burger. We have it all at Seacrets.

tions include crab cakes, prime rib, Philly-style cheese steaks, various seafood, kids menu plus full breakfast menu.

■ DIRTY HARRY’S

100 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, DE, 302539-3020, Beach-net.com/dirtyharrys

$ | Kids’ Menu | Full bar

Don’t let the name fool you, the food is home cooking at its finest. Owned and operated by Ginny Swann and family for 19 years. Popular for the breakfast but getting rave reviews for lunch and dinner, too.

■ NANTUCKETS

Route 1, Fenwick Island, DE, 302-539-2607, nantucketsrestaurant.com

Serving the beach great food and spirits for over 30 years. David and Janet Twining will wow you with the finest foods and drinks in the area. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by what one of the coast’s finest dining establishments has in store for guests. Everything here is a house specialty.

■ TWINING’S LOBSTER SHANTY Rte. 54, Fenwick Island, Del., 302-436-2305, twiningshanty.com

Reservations | Kids’ Menu “A funky little place at the edge of town.” Classic New England fare, lobsters, steaks and burgers. Bird watching and magical sunsets await. Open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are suggested.

■ ALBERTINO'S BRICK OVEN & EATERY

13117 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 410-2502000, albertinosoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Featuring the best brick oven pizza, always handmade with fresh ingredients, Italian-American mouth-watering seafood specialties, traditional Italian pasta dishes, apps, soups and salads. Full bar with large local craft beer selection.

■ CAROUSEL OCEANFRONT HOTEL & CONDOS

118th Street, Ocean City 800-641-0011, www.carouselhotel.com

The Carousel Oceanfront Resort offers a family friendly casual dining experience with their Reef 118 restaurant. Offering dinner Thursday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m., featuring AYCE Crab legs. Serving breakfast on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. Their new "Go for 2" happy hour features $10 appetizers as a buy one get one free. $1 oysters during all open hours.

■ THE CRAB BAG

13005 Coastal Highway Ocean City, 410-2503337, thecrabbag.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Featuring consistent hot steamed crabs, eat in or carryout. The Crab Bag is also an Eastern Shore style seafood house specializing in preparing and serving the biggest and the best blue crabs available. The extensive menu promises something for everyone. Winter hours, Friday-Sunday, open 11 a.m.

■ CRABCAKE FACTORY USA

120th Street, oceanside, Ocean City, 410-2504900, crabcakefactoryusa.com

Full-service family restaurant, carry-out and sports bar. Outside seating available. Menu selections include prime rib, chicken Chesapeake, steamed shrimp, beer battered fish, real Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, and a kids menu. Casual attire, full liquor bar, no reservations. Open Year Round. World-Famous Crabcakes are served all day starting at 8 a.m. and can be packed on ice for you while you are eating breakfast.

■ JOLLY JELLYFISH BEACH CLUB

9800 Coastal Highway, Ocean City 443-6646147, jollyjellyfishbeachclub.com

Oceanfront bar with casual island style outdoor dining with awesome ocean views focused on cool beach vibes. Open for lunch and dinner and suitable for the entire family. Diverse menu available for every type of diner and featuring a cocktail menu with six housemade kegged cocktails. Every Sunday all summer features a “big deck energy party.” Entertainment daily, 4-7 p.m. Located in the Plaza Condominium with plenty of free parking.

■ VISTA ROOFTOP RESTAURANT

13801 Coastal Highway, located in the Fenwick Inn, Ocean City, 410-390-7905, vistarooftopoc.com

$$-$$$ | Full bar

Enjoy a wonderful meal overlooking the ocean and bay. Some of the most unique views in Ocean City. Steaks, seafood, burgers, soups, salads and lite fare. Happy hour, 3-6 p.m. New this year is a boozy brunch Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Live music.

■ CRABCAKE FACTORY BAYSIDE

Route 54, Fenwick Island, DE, 302-988-5000, CCFBayside.com

Same award-winning crab cakes and bloody marys. Enjoy waterfront dining. Full-service family restaurant, carry-out & sports bar. Outside seating available. Open daily year-round. Menu selec-

■ ASSATEAGUE BAR AND GRILL 9636 Stephen Decatur Highway, West Ocean City 443-664-8158, abarngrill.com

$$ | Full bar Full service, family friendly, casual dining to please everyone. Offering breakfast lunch and dinner with breakfast being served all day. Classic American cuisine with a selection of delicious Maryland favorites. Happy hour everyday from 16 p.m. with bar specials and tasty bites. Daily specials Monday through Friday. Dine-in and carry-out.

■ BREAKFAST CAFE

12736 Ocean Gateway, Route 50 east, West Ocean City, 410-213-1804, breakfastcafeofoc.com

All the traditional breakfast options available here in a casual, diner setting. Open daily closing at 2 p.m.

■ CANTINA LOS AGAVES MEXICAN GRILL 12720 Ocean Gateway #7, West Ocean City 410-390-3914, cantinalosagaves.com

$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

Ocean City’s newest Mexican restaurant and bar. Offering delicious and generous portions of the tastiest traditional and not so traditional #MexicanEats you have ever tried. Open daily at 11 a.m. Serving food until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Bar open til 11 p.m.

■ DUMSER’S DAIRYLAND

West Ocean City: Route 50 east; Boardwalk locations: 501 S. Philadelphia Ave., 49th Street, 123rd Street, Ocean City, dumsersdairyland.com

This classic ice cream shop is a tradition for many families. Voted O.C.’s “Best Ice Cream” for the past 20 years, Dumser’s is celebrating decades of serving the shore, and the ‘40s-style décor takes you back in time. With locations throughout Ocean City, treating your tastebuds to this signature homemade ice cream is easy. The 123rd Street location offers lunch and dinner menus in addition to a wide variety of ice cream treats.

■ GREENE TURTLE WEST

Route 611, West Ocean City, 410-213-1500

Proudly serving West Ocean City since January 1999, The Greene Turtle features a beautiful 80seat dining room, large bar area with 54 TVs with stereo sound and game room with pool tables. With an exciting menu, The Greene Turtle is sure to please with delicious sizzling steaks, jumbo lump crab cakes, raw bar, homemade salads and more. Live entertainment, Keno, Turtle apparel, kids menu, carry-out.

■ HARBORSIDE BAR & GRILL

12841 Harbor Rd., West Ocean City, 410-2131846, weocharborside.com $$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar Home of the original Orange Crush drink with an extensive menu offers a wide variety of appetizers, fresh seafood, steak & pasta entrees, as well as juicy burgers and sandwiches. Whether seeking a full dining experience or just a crush or two, the team will be sure to take excellent care of you and yours. Monday-Wednesday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. ■ OC DINER 12744 Ocean Gateway, Rt 50 east, West Ocean City, 410-390-5112

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Salad bar and dinner are back. Local’s favorite, homemade meals. Breakfast served all day. Kids’ menu. Dine-in and carry-out. Open 7 days a week: Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m

UPTOWN 91st to 146th streets

FENWICK ISLAND

WEST OCEAN CITY

Grilled watermelon slices with feta, drizzle

By Deborah Lee Walker Contributing Writer

(June 20, 2025) There was a time when youth prevailed and life could not be better. Modeling in New York City landed me a national campaign with St. Pauli Girl beer. This memorable experience was exciting and the highlight of my career.

A few years later, I was on scholarship at the Lee Strasberg Institute for acting in Los Angelos and New York City, and was invited to study in London. Before I knew it, I was jet setting across the country, dining in the finest restaurants, and enjoying a life of luxury.

Now that I have turned the ripe age of sixty-seven, I cannot remember a time where a little extra belly padding has not graced my waistline.

Wrinkles seem to magically appear out of thin air and my two-hundreddollar jar of face cream doesn’t seem to do the trick anymore.

And if that is not enough, reminders are posted throughout my home since my memory has turned to a path of slight decline. The mirror of constant reflection is not always easy to digest.

Change is an intricate part of life and acceptance is necessary if one values their sanity. As progression follows, I have come to relish the art of entertaining with all of its incredible wonders.

Cooking is about following carefully calculated recipes. However, the freedom to incorporate one’s style and improvise is also an important.

And while we are on this subject, let us not forget the importance of minimalism. Achievement is not always based on complexity. Simplicity is intricacy in its infantile state.

Finally, food is connected with recollections. Each plate holds a lifetime of recollections that can never be replaced. By incorporating these reminiscences into the menu, one embellishes the past, present, and future.

That being said, summer is synonymous with grilling. But how often do we think about grilling fruits? Grilling intensifies the flavors as the natural sugars caramelize. Juicy fruits can even get juicier, and the smoke from the grill adds depth of flavor. Specificity equates knowledge, let us discuss the possibilities of grilled fruit in more detail.

Fruit kabobs with a spiced Cool Whip dip are delicious and simple to make. Always clean the grates of your grill, followed by a dusting of cooking spray. Cook whole pieces of fruit, then cut into desired shape. Skewer the fruit, be mindful of shape and color. Add a few pinches of cinnamon, all-

spice, nutmeg, and Chinese 5 spice to the Cool Whip. Adults and children will be a fan of this dish.

Salsa is popular year-round. Take advantage of the summer and offer a grilled fruit salsa. This tasty twist can be served with chips or be presented as a side with grilled meats or fish.

Grilled fruits, poblanos, tomatoes, sweet onions, and cilantro are finely chopped and mixed with agave syrup, lime juice, and kosher salt. This colorful dish is not only eye catching but will add a wow factor to any menu.

Years ago, I was staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hawaii. Breakfast is predictable, but not in this case. A slice of pineapple that had been soaked in dark rum and grilled was offered as a garnish on my plate. I have never seen such effort go into an embellishment.

Marinate four slices of pineapple inn one cup of dark rum, two tablespoons brown sugar, and one teaspoon of ground cinnamon, two teaspoons vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Allow the rum mixture to drip off and grill two minutes on each side.

Preparing grilled fruits are as easy as it gets and the options are endless. Following is a recipe that is comprised of grilled watermelon slices adorned

with crumbled feta and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. The sweetness of the watermelon, saltiness of the feta, acidity of the balsamic glaze and smokiness of the grill make a delicious bite. Enjoy!

Ingredients sliced watermelon feta cheese, crumbled balsamic reduction

1. Place slices of watermelon on a grill. Grill for 4 minutes on each side or until sear marks are achieved. Once the slices are placed on the grill, do not move them, or you will have a confusion of grill marks.

2. Remove watermelon and place on serving plates or platter.

3. Drizzle balsamic reduction on the slices and follow with a dusting of

crumbled feta. Serve immediately. If you wait, the balsamic reduction will bleed on the watermelon and will not be as attractive.

* Balsamic reduction can be found in the vinegar or dressing section at your favorite supermarket.

Secret Ingredient – Harvest

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.

— Robert Louis Stevenson

Candidates forum planned for Pines Board

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 19, 2025) Candidates for the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors election will have the opportunity to appeal to voters later this month, during a question-and-answer forum.

OPA’s Elections Committee will host its annual candidate forum on Friday, June 27. The event will kick off at 5 p.m. in the Clubhouse Meeting Room at 100 Clubhouse Drive. Residents are encouraged to send their inquiries for the four campaigners at elections@oceanpines.org. Questions will be added to the list and may be asked during the panel.

Running for the three open seats in the 2025 election, in ballot order, are Stuart Lakernick, Steve Jacobs, Monica Rakowski, and Amy Peck. Lakernick, the body’s current president, Rakowski, treasurer, and Jacobs, director, are the incumbents. The sole challenger, Peck, who ran last year, is vying once again to break into the governing group.

As part of the campaign leading up to the election, the board-hopefuls have curated bios that can be found on the OPA website.

• Lakernick has served as the board’s president this past year. Under his reign, his bio states, the

community has seen the construction of a gazebo at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines, enhanced beautification efforts, and an improved racquet center sports building, “all while keeping assessments low and budgets balanced.”

“We’ve also increased public safety by adding new police officers to our force, ensuring quicker response times and greater community presence,” he said.

Under Lakernick's leadership, improved landscaping and signage, including the installation of electronic banners to replace the analog marquees, have also occurred.

If elected again, the current president’s priority will be “getting shovels in the ground for the much-needed Southside Firehouse.”

The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department and OPA are working to replace the Southside Firehouse at 911 Ocean Parkway, Ocean Pines. The project will include constructing a nearly 15,000-square-foot facility to replace the existing, deteriorating building. Construction is estimated to begin in October, and the work is expected to take approximately 65 weeks.

OPA’s estimated financial contribution to the project is $3.4 million, with a 10% contingency for unfore-

seen expenses. Per the board's approval last month, a referendum on matters pertaining to the South Fire Station’s funding will take place in accordance with this year’s board of directors’ election.

A public hearing on the referendum will be held on Friday, June 27, at 2 p.m. at the South Fire Station, 911 Ocean Parkway.

• The question to be asked of the Ocean Pines members on the 2025 Board of Directors election ballot is as follows: “Do you authorize the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of

CROSSWORD

Directors and Administration to proceed with the construction of a new South Fire Station at a target cost to OPA, Inc. of up to $3.4 million, with a possible cost variance of up to ten percent (10%)?”

The notice of the public hearing includes details to be discussed at the June 27 gathering, such as the fact that the existing South Station was constructed in 1981 and no longer meets safety standards.

The structure’s conditions are inconsistent with the National Fire Pro-

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20

Aries, the universe is giving you a chance to get in some rest and relaxation before you have to tackle your very long list of tasks. Soak it all up while the break lasts.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21

Taurus, you value comfort and security, which is probably why you will want to revisit some of your investments over the next few days to figure out if you are maximizing your money.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21

You excel at seeing both sides of a situation, Gemini. Follow your intuition as you try to navigate a tricky situation at work that requires you to make a firm decision.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22

This is a great week to work behind the scenes, Cancer. Consider stepping back from any projects you had planned and let someone else take the lead for a little bit.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23

Don’t try to cram too many experiences into this particular week, Leo. You may be disappointed by the results if you take on too much. It’s best to spread everything out.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22

Virgo, aim for balance right now. Everything may seem like it is up in the air, so if you focus on two or three important things in your life you can tackle them successfully.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23

It isn’t the job of someone else to make you happy, Libra. You have to figure out how to do that on your own. A bit of conflict over miscommunication may arise this week.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22

Exercise caution if you are thinking of changing things up, Scorpio. People are used to routine and too much change at once can lead to a lot of floundering and lack of effort.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21

Touch base with your dearest friends, Sagittarius, especially if they haven’t heard from you in a long while. This might be the week to make some plans and reconnect.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, spring cleaning has long passed, but you might want to revisit some organizing and decluttering projects at home. Get rid of as much as you can.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18

Aquarius, slowing down and taking stock of your situation is a good idea this week. Not everything needs to be done in a day, so pace yourself and make a good plan of action.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20

Try turning off all the excess noise in your life right now, Pisces. Focus on your own thoughts and feelings this week, rather than what others want from you.

Four candidates eye three seats

Continued from Page 58

tection Association (NFPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, are not compliant with modern building codes, and consist of mold, gas line issues, and drainage problems. Furthermore, the public hearing announcement reads, “the building's condition makes it challenging to recruit and retain both volunteer and career staff, negatively impacting the quality of service we can provide to our community.”

As such, if reelected, Lakernick hopes to oversee the construction work of the new fire facility.

“I bring experience, a steady hand, and a strong vision for continued progress,” the president said. “...Together, we can keep our community safe, beautiful, and thriving.”

• Steve Jacobs, a current board director, is also running for reelection. Jacob’s bio explains that he is a member of Temple Bat Yam in Berlin and a former member of the Ocean Pines By-Laws and Resolutions Advisory Committee and the Golf Advisory Committee. He is also the former president of the Hardings Run Homeowners Association in New Jersey.

Jacobs was employed for around nine years for republican and democratic members of the U. S. House of Representatives, “worked for two small private, general practice law firms,” was employed by the Attorney General of Maryland, assigned to the Department of Human Resources in Howard County to litigate child support cases,” he said.

• Monica Rakowski, who has served as Ocean Pines treasurer on the OPA Board of Directors for the past three years, is also running for reelection to the governing body.

Rakowski notes that she is a professional services consultant who provides accounting practices, project management, implementation, and training for Fortune 500 companies.

“If re-elected, Ocean Pines' finances will remain my top priority,” Rakowski said.

The treasurer’s bio adds that she will ensure the community has a suitable reserve balance to address road issues, drainage, and any other crucial projects that may arise.

She also vows to support the Southside Firehouse renovation, safety, property values, and OPA beautification.

• Amy Peck is the only challenger in the 2025 election. According to her bio, the homeowner has a paralegal and teaching background, allowing her to “research issues and rigorously evaluate projects for cost-effectiveness and community benefit…and [utilize] active listening, empathy, and clear communication skills.”

“These tools are essential for engaging with diverse homeowners, addressing concerns, and fostering consensus,” Peck said.

Peck served on the OPA board from October 2021 to August 2022 after being appointed to carry out the remainder of a former member's term, who had resigned. She also ran for the election last year but was edged out by incumbents Rick Farr and Jeff Heavner. The repeat challenger hopes to secure a seat this time around.

Peck’s candidacy stems from her belief in fiscal responsibility. She notes that if elected, she intends to focus on essential needs like safety, OPA’s resources, natural beauty, and maintaining infrastructure instead of “chasing flashy projects.”

“I am here to listen, serve, and advocate for every resident in Ocean Pines. Together, let’s build on the strong foundation laid by our Founders to create a future that honors our past while meeting today’s needs,” her bio concludes.

Ocean Pines residents will hear about the candidates’ platforms more in-depth at the forum on Friday, June 27. Homeowners are encouraged to submit their questions to elections@oceanpines.org. Inquiries will be asked live during the panel.

Steve Jacobs Stuart Lakernick

Amy Peck

Monica Rakowski

Calendar

Fri., June 20

35TH ANNUAL BERLIN BATHTUB RACES

Historic Downtown Berlin, 124 N. Main St., 6 p.m. Featuring themed bathtub races, team costumes, Hulu hoop fun during race intermission, food vendors, Bathtub Race t-shirts and 50/50 ducks. https://berlinchamber.org/event/bathtub-races/

MESSY ART WEEK

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Drop in to make some messy art projects of your own creation and design. For ages 6-11 years. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

PLAY TIME

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10 a.m. Join in for imaginative play and social interactions. For ages 0-5 years. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

OC MAHJONG CLUB

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Join in for a morning of playing tile Mahjong. Feel free to bring your own tile set. All adults are welcome. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

JUNETEENTH JOY

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 11 a.m. Drop in and create some crafts to celebrate Juneteenth. For ages 0-11 years. 410-2084014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

INTERNATIONAL HORSESHOE CRAB DAY

Ocean City Life-Saving Museum, 813 S. Atlantic Ave., 11-11:30 a.m. Hands-on program will spotlight one of Earth’s oldest living creatures — the remarkable horseshoe crab. Roaming oceans for more than 450 million years. Included with admission fee. www.ocmuseum.org

FANDOM FRIDAY: COZY GAMES

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 3:30 p.m. Drop in for crafts, quizzes and discussions about the monthly topic. For ages 12-18 years. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

SIPPIN’ WITH SLOTHS

Coastal Wilds, 34215 Peppers Corner Road, Frankford, DE, 6-8 p.m. Music provided by Bryan Scar. Featuring sloth encounter, self-guided tour of the park and one complimentary glass of wine. Tickets: https://book.singenuity.com/469/activity/details/2284/rates. 302-829-1548

KIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BINGO

Fridays - Knights of Columbus, 9901 Coastal Highway, behind St. Luke’s Church. Doors open at 5 p.m., bingo starts at 6:30 p.m. Light snacks available before bingo and at intermission. 410-524-7994

Sat., June 21

7TH ANNUAL FISH N PADDLE SALTWATER SLAM

Atlantic Tackle, 12930 Sunset Ave., Ocean City. Weigh-in Festival held from 12-4 p.m. at the Atlantic Tackle and The Shark on the Harbor. (Park in boat ramp parking lot.) Featuring DJ, food, drinks and vendors. https://fishnpaddle.com

46TH ANNUAL OCMC SMALL BOAT TOURNAMENT

Ocean City Marlin Club Inc, 9659 Golf Course Road. Weigh-ins are from 3-6:30 p.m. at the Fisherman’s Marina. https://members.ocmarlinclub.com/Tour naments

OC SURF FEST

Castle in the Sand Hotel - 37th St. Beach, 3701 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, 8 a.m. Anything goes team challenge, OCPD demonstration, Tug-of-War and more. Sign up at: OceanCitySurfClub.org. Schedule of events: https://ocsurfclub.org/programs/oc-surf-fest/. Tommy, 443-366-5885

BEACH 5 SAND SOCCER

Ocean City beach at Dorchester St., 1

Dorchester St., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost is $550 per team. 919-607-0864, beach5sandsoccer@yahoo.com, http://www.beach5sandsoccerseries.com.

TEACH A KID TO FISH DAY

Veterans Memorial Park, Race Track Road, Ocean Pines, 9-11 a.m. Kids of all ages are invited to come learn fishing skills and techniques. Bring insect repellent, sunscreen and your own rod. Bait and water provided. There will be a drawing for a rod and reel. 443-542-3500

WALK WITH A DOC

Southgate Pond, Race Track Road, Ocean Pines, 9-10 a.m. AGH President Don Owrey will discuss AGH’s partnership with TidalHealth, then the group will walk around the park’s trail. First 10 participants receive $10 Wal-Mart gift card. 410641-9268

SUMMER FUN KICKOFF

Germantown School Community Heritage Center, 10223 Trappe Road, Berlin, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Rides, face painting, animal encounters, fire trucks, free food and fun for all. The event is free and open to all. 410-641-0638, germantownschool@gmail.com

OCEAN PINES FARMERS & ARTISANS

MARKET

Saturdays - White Horse Park, 239 Ocean Parkway, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shop for everything from fresh local produce to unique handmade artisan goods. Also featuring family-friendly activities, music and unique shopping experiences. Open to the public, year round. 410-641-7052,

https://www.oceanpines.org/web/pages/f armers-artisans-market

BBQ CHICKEN

St. Paul United Methodist Church, 405 Flower St., Berlin, 11 a.m. 1/2 BBQ chicken platter with two sides, roll and drink costs $15 or 1/2 BBQ chicken, roll and drink for $12. Proceeds benefit St. Paul United Methodist Church Men’s Ministry.

SCHOOL’S OUT SWIM PARTY

Ocean Pines Sports Core Pool, 11144 Cathell Road, 5-8 p.m. Swimming, music, fun games, food and more. Cost is $7 for swim members, $9 for residents, $11 for non-residents and $3 for non-swimmers. Bring a towel. 410-641-5255, OceanPines.org

FILM NIGHT

Art League of Ocean City, 502 94th St., 68 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Featuring “Ocean City History Films.” Free event. 410-524-9433, megan@artleagueofoceancity.org, www.artleagueofoceancity.org

Sun., June 22

7TH ANNUAL FISH N PADDLE SALTWATER SLAM

Atlantic Tackle, 12930 Sunset Ave., Ocean City. Weigh-in Festival held from 12-4 p.m. at the Atlantic Tackle and The Shark on the Harbor. (Park in boat ramp parking lot.) Featuring DJ, food, drinks and vendors. https://fishnpaddle.com

46TH ANNUAL OCMC SMALL BOAT TOURNAMENT

Ocean City Marlin Club Inc, 9659 Golf Course Road, Ocean City. Weigh-ins are from 3-6:30 p.m. at the Fisherman’s Marina.

https://members.ocmarlinclub.com/Tour naments

SUNDAES IN THE PARK WITH FIREWORKS

Northside Park, 200 125th St., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m. Featuring “Josh Christina & The Revivals” (Tribute to piano men). Kids enjoy free activities and entertainment. Ice cream and beverages available for purchase. Free event concluding with fireworks.

BERLIN FARMERS MARKET

Sundays - Pitts Street, Commerce Street and Main Street, Berlin, May through October, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine. Producers only market featuring more than 50 farmers, food cultivators, bakers, distillers, seafood, meat and more. Also featuring a petting farm (9-11 a.m.), free kids art station and live music. TheBerlinFarmersMarket.com

SEWING FOR A CAUSE

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES MEETING Sundays - Berlin Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 212 West St., Berlin, 10 a.m. www.jw.org

Mon., June 23

STORY TIME: TURTLES

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Crafts, songs and stories. For ages 05 years. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

MOVIES AND MUNCHIES

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 2 p.m. Join in as the group paints with all the colors of the wind. Muchies included. 410-2084014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

THE FASTEST PLANE: PAINT OUR WORLD WITH STORIES, MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 3-6 p.m. An entertaining, international, dynamic program that weaves the power of dance, theatre, music and storytelling together. For families. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

FIBER CRAFT MEET-UP

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 4 p.m. Bring your work in progress for community and shared knowledge. Held in the meeting room or in the garden, weather permitting. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

T.O.P.S. OF BERLIN - GROUP #169

Atlantic General Hospital, Conference Room 1, 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 56:30 p.m. Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a weekly support and educational group promoting weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle. Rose Campion, 410-641-0157

BRIDGE

Mondays - Ocean City 50plus Center, 104 41st Street, Ocean City, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Reserve a spot: Tish, 410-804-3971. www.Worcoa.org/oceancity

DELMARVA WOMEN’S A CAPELLA CHORUS

Mondays - Ocean Pines Community Center, 239 Ocean Parkway, 6:00-8:00 p.m. All ladies who love to sing invited. Mary, 410-629-9383 or Carol, 302-242-7062.

OVEREATER’S ANONYMOUS

Mondays - Worcester County LibraryOcean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 7-8 p.m. No dues or fees. 410-459-9100

DECOYS AND CARVERS OF THE EASTERN SHORE

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 5:30 p.m. Learn about local decoy carvers and

Sundays - Buckingham Presbyterian Church, 20 S. Main St., Berlin, 10:30 a.m. to noon. Learn how to sew while making a difference. 410-641-0234

CALENDAR

trends and traditions in wildfowl and waterfowl art. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

Tues., June 24

STORY TIME: SUMMER

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 401 Fifth St., 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs and crafts. For ages 0-5 years. 410957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org

SENSORY STORY TIME

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. Make some new friends to play with and improve language and motor skill development. For ages 0-5 years. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ADVENTURES IN RHYTHM

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 10:30 a.m. Children will be introduced to the drum-set and many percussion instruments, their names and history, how they are played and how they are applied in various styles of music. Ages 4-11. 410632-3495

OC KNITTING GROUP

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Do you love to knit or crochet? Bring whatever project you happen to be working on. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

LET’S MAKE … PAPER CUP VASES

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 1 p.m. Make small table vases using household materials. All materials provided. Registration required: 410641-0650. www.worcesterlibrary.org

ADVENTURES IN RHYTHM

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 2 p.m. Children will be introduced to the drum-set and many percussion instruments, their names and history, how they are played and how they are applied in various styles of music. Ages 4-11. 410-208-4014

CROSS FARMS POP-UP FARMERS MARKET

Tuesdays - Flower Street Field across from Henry Park, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Accepting Maryland Department of Agriculture FMNP (WIC & Seniors) Checks and Maryland WIC Fruit & Vegetable Checks. Also offering a "Produce Bucks" program, which doubles purchases for eligible residents. https://www.facebook.com/theberlinfarmersmarket.

BEACH HEROES-OC

Tuesdays - Volunteer beach clean-up group meets from 9-10 a.m., year-round. Trash bags, grippers and gloves provided. Check the Facebook page “Beach HeroesOC” for weekly meeting locations. All are welcome.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES MEETING

Tuesdays - Berlin Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 212 West St., Berlin, 7 p.m. www.jw.org

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY

Tuesdays - Worcester County Health Department, 9730 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 3:30-4:30 p.m. TOPS is a weekly support and education group promoting weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. 410-289-4725

OC KNITTING CLUB

Tuesdays - Worcester County LibraryOcean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m.

ARGENTINE TANGO PRACTICE

Tuesdays - Experienced dancers and others interested in watching or learning more are welcome, 7-9:30 p.m. No partner required. Info: TangobytheBeach.com.

ZUMBA TONING TUESDAYS

Tuesdays - Northside Park, 200 125th St., Ocean City, 5:30 p.m. Zumba with optional light weights. zumbajoyceoc@gmail.com

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND WELLNESS GROUP

Tuesdays - Holy Trinity Cathedral, 11021 Worcester Highway, 2-2:45 p.m. Use the weight loss program/app/plan of your choice. Free and open to everyone. 410641-4882, www.htcanglican.org/activities.

Wed., June 25

MOVIES ON THE BEACH

Carousel Oceanfront Hotel & Condos, 11700 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 8:30 p.m. Featuring “Encanto.” Free, familyfriendly event. Bring blankets, chairs, snack, drinks and warm clothing. Weather permitting. www.ococean.com/things-todo/free-family-fun/

BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUP

Meets the third and fourth Wednesday of each month. For surgical patients. Atlantic General Bariatric Center, 410-641-9568

PRESSED-FLOWER BOOKMARKS FOR TEENS

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 401 Fifth St., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Create a custom bookmark choosing from an assortment of pressed flowers and leaves. For ages 12-18 years. 410-957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org

BABY TIME

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10 a.m. Songs, stories and giggles. For ages 0-2 years. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ADVENTURES IN RHYTHM

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Children will be introduced to the drum-set and many percussion instruments, their names and history, how they are played and how they are applied in various styles of music. Ages 4-11. 410524-1818

COFFEE & CRAFTS: MAGNETS ROCK!

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 2 p.m. Join in every month for a new crafts. Ma-

terials provided. Limit 30. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP

Atlantic General Hospital, Conference Room 1, 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 34 p.m. The goal of the group is to provide participants with hope for the future. Gail Mansell, 410-641-9725, Gail.Mansell@TidalHealth.org

DIY RAINBOW LOOMS

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 3:30 p.m. Learn how to make a mini loom and knit a rainbow tube. Best of ages 12-18 years. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

SUMMER VISION

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 4 p.m. Create a colorful, uniquely you summer vision board using magazines, stickers, newspapers and more. All materials provided while supplies last. For tweens and teens. 410-208-4014

FAMILY FUN NIGHTS

Wednesdays (through Aug. 20) - Ocean Pines Yacht Club Pool, 1 Mumford's Landing Road, 6-8 p.m. DJ, games and prizes. Food available for purchase. Admission is $3 for OP swim members, $5 for OP residents, $7 for non-residents and free for non-swimmers. Cash only. 410-641-7052, oceanpines.org

KIWANIS CLUB MEETING

Wednesdays - Ocean Pines Community Center, 239 Ocean Parkway, 8 a.m. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Last Wednesday of the month meetings are offsite and information can be found on the website and Facebook. www.kiwanisofopoc.org.

Thurs., June 26

CONCERTS IN THE PARK

White Horse Park Pavilion, 235 Ocean Parkway, Ocean Pines, 7-9 p.m. Featuring music by David Smith. Free family entertainment. Bring chairs, blankets, etc. Food will be available for purchase and BYOB is acceptable. Smoking area is in the rear. 410-641-7052

STORY TIME: COLORFUL FOOD

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10:30 a.m. Songs, dancing and crafts. For ages 2-5 years. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

PLAY TIME

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 10:30 a.m. Join in for a variety of activities and toys. Play and socialize with other families. For ages 0-5 years. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ADVENTURES IN RHYTHM

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. Children will be introduced to the drum-set and many percussion instruments, their names and history, how they are played and how they

are applied in various styles of music. Ages 4-11. 410-641-0650

OC CHESS CLUB

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Enjoy a relaxing game of chess every Thursday at the library. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

BACK IN ACTION PHYSICAL THERAPTY FREE SEMINAR

Ocean Pines Community Center, 235 Ocean Parkway, 11 a.m.-noon. Join Dr. Sandra Kappes for “What is my core & why do I need to strengthen it?” Register: 410-641-7052. www.oceanpines.org

MOVIE MATINEE

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 2 p.m. June marks the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s first big summer blockbuster. Come experience this nail-biting action thriller on the big screen. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ADVENTURES IN RHYTHM

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 401 Fifth St., 2 p.m. Children will be introduced to the drum-set and many percussion instruments, their names and history, how they are played and how they are applied in various styles of music. Ages 4-11. 410-957-0878

FIRESIDE CHAT

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 3 p.m. A popular and entertaining book discussion featuring books you have read and want to share. Come find your next great read. 410-6410650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

POP CULTURE BOOK CLUB: ‘GLITTER AND CONCRETE: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF DRAG IN NEW YORK CITY’ Game Theory Board Games & Coffee, 1822 Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 5 p.m. Join the Ocean City Library with Game Theory Cafe for an afternoon of popular culture nonfiction. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

YOUTH POLLINATOR CLASS

Berlin Main St. & Maryland Welcome Center, 14 S. Main St., 5-6 p.m. Join beekeeper Lauren and members of the Berlin Horticulture Advisory Committee. All ages are welcome to come learn about the importance of pollinators in our community and plant.

Crossword answers from page 58

o

62 OC Today-Dispatch

AMERICAN LEGION

Assistant Manager, PM Shift

2 Line Cooks, experience required. Part-time.

Apply at Post, 2308 Philadelphia Avenue or call for information at 410-289-3166

Small seasonal boutique Oceanfront Hotel in Ocean City has the following jobs available:

• DESK CLERKS (3-11pm) Reservation computer program experience needed.

• LAUNDRY

Apply online at info@ocbreakers.com or call 410-289-9165

Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.

CLEANERS WANTED

Vacation rental cleaners needed for OC and The Pines. Exp. preferred, but not required. OC PURIFIERS. Call or text 443-397-1189 or email Karen@ocpurifiers.com

MAINTENANCE FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND

Competitive Salary, Health Insurance, 401K, Paid Vacation. Apply in person or call.

Pyramid Condo 9500 Coastal Hwy., OC 410-524-4479

TOWN OF BERLIN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER ACCOUNTANT I CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CHIEF PLANT OPERATOR - WATER RESOURCES

We are looking for motivated individuals to come to work for the Town of Berlin.

Overview of employee benefits: Members of the Maryland State Retirement System (LEOPS for Police Officers), a competitive health benefits package including a health reimbursement account, employer-paid life insurance, 100% tuition reimbursement, vacation accruals based on tenure, 12 sick days per year, 16 paid holidays per year, two personal days per year, and much more!

Apply: Qualified candidates can submit a confidential Town of Berlin application online or to directly to the Town’s Human Resources Director at kjensen@berlinmd.gov. Applications can be found under the employment section of our website at https://berlinmd.gov/employment/ or you can pick one up at 10 William Street Berlin, MD 21811. EOE/M/F/V/D.

TikTok® EXPERT PART TIME

Looking for help with TikTok Live® and to monetize. I have millions of viewers! 410-206-6590

SPEEDWORLD

Small Engine Mechanic. Year-round. Wage starts at $15/hr & up based on experience. Benefits available. 443-754-1047

RENTALS

RENTALS

WATERFRONT BAYSIDE

Newly remodeled 2BR, 2BA Condo in North OC. Full kitchen, LR, DR, W/D, balcony for sunsets. Perfect for crabbing, fishing, kayaking. 10 min. walk to beach. Weekly summer rentals & long term seasonal Nov.-May. Contact Julie, 443-223-4623

YEARLY RENTAL Robin Drive Available Immediately 2BR, 1BA, Furnished. Ideal 2 mature adults w/strong work history. $2,000/mo. Background required. Call/text 703-819-7400

YR Ocean Pines. Two story, 3BR, 2.5BA, screened porch, open decks, fireplace, large garage. No smoking, no pets. Good credit. $2,400 per month, plus all utilities. 301-509-6515

House for Rent

Year-Round Rental 3BR, 2BA House for Rent in downtown Berlin, MD. House is newly renovated with all new appliances, bathroom fixtures, HVAC, full-sized W/D and quartz countertops. Rent is $2800/month plus utilities. Contact Jessica @ 410-641-3333 for more information.

Seeking YR & Seasonal Rentals! Call Howard Martin Realty 410-352-5555.

5000 sq.ft. Building for Rent, just outside Berlin. Bathroom, office and break room. $1600/mo. Call 443-366-5935 or 443-235-1529.

SUMMER BAYSIDE CONDO near Jolly Rogers. 2BR, 2BA, W/D, A/C, Wi-Fi, fully furnished. Sleeps 4-6. 2 units available. May-Sept. Call Mike at 410-603-6120. www.mbjcproperties.com

2 Bedroom / 1 Bath Laundry on premises. 877-289-1616 www.bbapartmentsoc.com

Carquest Auto Parts & Marine, now has an opening for a PARTS ASSOCIATE at our location in Ocean Pines. We will train the right person. Must be reliable and have great customer service experience. Call: 302-228-2353

Industrial Space

Yard and Storage Shed.

Approx. 10x25+/Route 90/Bishopville. Call 443-497-4200.

2 Office/Retail Spaces available in West Ocean City. Approximately 1656 sq. ft. and 1728 sq. ft. Call 443-497-4200

SERVICES

LARRY’S HANDYMAN

SERVICE

No job too small. Entrance doors, interior doors, storm doors, shower doors, drywall repairs and paint, laminate floors, interior paint. Over 40 years of carpentry experience. Please call Larry, 410-251-9066

MISC. FOR SALE

Get Boost Infinite! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 855-977-5719

Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HDDVR Upgrade, 80,000 OnDemand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-855-4076870

Do you have an old bicycle not being used? It could mean a world of difference to a hard-working international student. We are looking to get as many bikes as possible. Your donation will be taxdeductible. Contact Gary at 443-975-3065.

YORKIE PUPPIES FOR SALE Small, home raised. Available now. 302-934-8913

www.baysideoc.com www.octodaydispatch.com

June 21st,

MISC./OTHER

Each one to the heart, Cuts that trickle away life, A day without you!

CLASSIFIED AD NETWORK

REAL ESTATE

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC Home Standby Generator. Act now to receive a FREE 5-Year warranty with qualifying purchase. Call 1-855-993-0969 today to schedule a free quote. It’s not just a generator. It’s a power move.

VEHICLES WANTED DONATE YOUR CAR/TRUCK/ RV - Lutheran Mission Society of MD Compassion Place ministries help local families with food, clothing, counseling. Tax deductible. MVA licensed #W1044. 410-228-8437 www.CompassionPlace.org

We Buy Houses for Cash AS IS! No repairs. No fuss. Any condition. Easy three step process: Call, get cash offer and get paid. Get your fair cash offer today by calling Liz Buys Houses: 1-866-541-7929

SERVICES DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-337-5228 www.dental50plus.com/ MDDC #6258

BWW Law Group, LLC

6003 Executive Blvd., Suite 101

Rockville, MD 20852 (301) 961-6555

SUBSTITUTE

TRUSTEES' SALE OF REAL PROPERTY AND ANY IMPROVEMENTS THEREON

128 B NEWPORT BAY DRIVE OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

Under a power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust dated March 23, 2006, recorded in Liber 4670, Folio 399 among the Land Records of Worcester County, MD, with an original principal balance of $428,000.00, default having occurred under the terms thereof, the Sub. Trustees will sell at public auction at the Circuit Court for Worcester County, at the Court House Door, One W. Market St., Snow Hill, MD 21863, on

JULY 8, 2025 AT 4:05 PM

ALL THAT FEE SIMPLE LOT OF GROUND, together with any buildings or improvements thereon located in Worcester County, MD and more fully described in the aforesaid Deed of Trust.

The property, and any improvements thereon, will be sold in an "as is" condition and subject to conditions, restrictions and agreements of record affecting the same, if any, and with no warranty of any kind.

Terms of Sale: A deposit of $26,000 in the form of certified check, cashier's check or money order will be required of the purchaser at time and place of sale. Balance of the purchase price, together with interest on the unpaid purchase money at the current rate contained in the Deed of Trust Note, or any modifications thereto, from the date of sale to the date funds are received by the Sub. Trustees, payable in cash within ten days of final ratification of the sale by the Circuit Court. There will be no abatement of interest due to the purchaser in the event additional funds are tendered before settlement. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE FOR THE PURCHASER. Adjustment of all real property taxes, including agricultural taxes, if applicable, and any and all public and/or private charges or assessments, to the extent such amounts survive foreclosure sale, including water/sewer, ground rent and front foot benefit charges, to be adjusted to date of sale and thereafter assumed by purchaser. Purchaser is responsible for any recapture of homestead tax credit. All transfer taxes and recordation taxes shall be paid by Purchaser. The purchaser shall be responsible for the payment of the ground rent escrow, if required. Condominium fees and/or homeowners association dues, if any, shall be assumed by the purchaser from the date of sale. Purchaser is responsible for obtaining physical possession of the property, and assumes risk of loss or damage to the property from the date of sale. The sale is subject to post-sale audit of the status of the loan with the

loan servicer including, but not limited to, determination of whether the borrower entered into any repayment agreement, reinstated or paid off the loan prior to the sale. In any such event, this sale shall be null and void, and the Purchaser's sole remedy, in law or equity, shall be the return of the deposit without interest. If purchaser fails to settle within ten days of ratification, subject to order of court, purchaser agrees that property will be resold and entire deposit retained by Sub. Trustees as liquidated damages for all losses occasioned by the purchaser's default and purchaser shall have no further liability. The purchaser waives personal service of any papers filed in connection with its failure to settle within ten days of ratification and expressly agrees to accept service by first class mail at the address provided by the Purchaser as identified on the Memorandum of Sale. The defaulted purchaser shall not be entitled to any surplus proceeds resulting from said resale even if such surplus results from improvements to the property by said defaulted purchaser. Sub. Trustees will convey either marketable or insurable title. If they cannot deliver one or the other, or if ratification of the sale is denied by the Circuit Court for any reason, the Purchaser's sole remedy, at law or equity, is return of the deposit without interest. (Matter No. 372188-1)

Howard N. Bierman, Carrie M. Ward, et. al., Substitute Trustees

OCD-6/19/3t

PETER S. BUAS, ESQ.

WILLIAMS, MOORE, SHOCKLEY & HARRISON, LLP

3509 COASTAL HIGHWAY

OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

NOTICE

OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20645 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF HELEN J. OSTROWSKI

Notice is given that Jeffrey Ostrowski, 109 High Sheriff Trl., Berlin, MD 21811-2046, was on May 29, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Helen J. Ostrowski who died on April 08, 2025, 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 29th day of November, 2025.

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 ear-

lier 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.

Jeffrey Ostrowski Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 05, 2025

OCD-6/5/3t

MICHAEL B. MATHERS ESQ. WEBB, CORNBROOKS, WILBER, VORHIS, DOUSE & MATHERS, LLP P.O. BOX 910 115 BROAD STREET SALISBURY, MD 21803-0910

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20679 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF CAROL STOGRAN

Notice is given that Craig Stogran, 8 Phillip Ln., Ledyard, CT 06339-1116, was on May 30, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Carol Stogran who died on April 16, 2024, with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 30th day of November, 2025.

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.

Craig Stogran Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest Date of publication: June 05, 2025

OCD-6/5/3t

Erin M. McCormack Esq. 101 Monument Street Salisbury, MD 21804 443-742-8330

IN THE ORPHANS’ COURT FOR (OR) BEFORE THE REGISTER OF WILLS FOR WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND IN THE ESTATE OF: SAMIR AHMED HAFEZ ESTATE NO. 20691

NOTICE OF JUDICIAL

PROBATE

To all Persons Interested in the above estate:

You are hereby notified that a petition has been filed by Lalia Hafez, 701 Homewood Drive, Pocomoke, MD 21851 for judicial probate of the will dated August 18, 2020 and for the appointment of a personal representative. A hearing will be held at One W. Market Street, Court Room 4, Court House, Snow Hill, MD 21863 on July 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. This hearing may be transferred or postponed to a subsequent time. Further information may be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills. Terri Westcott Register of Wills One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074 Phone: (410) 632-1529 Newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest Publication Date: June 12, 2025

OCD-6/12/2t

NOTICE

The Worcester County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed funding for the Lewis Road Sewer Project. If you wish to speak or attend in person, we encourage you to pre-register by calling the County Administration office at 410-6321194. Speakers will be allowed to address the County Commissioners for up to two (2) minutes. Public Comment may also be submitted in advance by email at wchearing@co.worcester.md.us on or before 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on Monday, June 30, 2025. Anyone not planning to speak may view the public hearing live on the County website at https://worcestercountymd.swagit.com/live. The Public Hearing will be held at: Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at

A.M.

in the County Commissioners’ Meeting Room Room 1101 Government Center, One West Market Street

Snow Hill, Maryland 21863

In accordance with the provisions of Sections PW 5-305(b) and PW 5307(b) of the Public Works Article of the Code of Public Local Laws of Worcester County, Maryland, the Worcester County Commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider the estimated cost of construction and to extend public sewer to the expanded service area to serve residential and commercial properties along Lewis Road as follows:

1. The total revised cost of the public sewer expansion project is estimated at $4,498,000 which will provide a total of 60 equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) with sewer service. In 2021, the Commissioners approved $2,025,000 in grant funding for the project, $507,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant and $1,518,000 from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grant. In 2025, USDA awarded the County an additional $2,473,000 for the project, of which $1,855,000 is grant and $618,000 is loan. The conditions of the loan are at an interest rate of 2.5% with a term of 40 years, with no prepayment penalty. If the County accepts the 2025 grant and loan, the loan will be repaid by the Lewis Road customers through an estimated payment of $105 per EDU per quarter for 40 years. Repayment would begin three months after disbursement of the loan.

2. In addition, should the project be completed in FY26, the Lewis Road customers would be joining the Landings Sanitary Service Area and would be assessed their FY26 proposed rates as follows:

a. $60 water only base rate to cover water operation and maintenance costs for the service area

b.Once hooked into sewer, $360 base rate to cover water and sewer operation and maintenance costs for the service area

c.$15 charge for the Bay Restoration Fund

d.Unbuilt and unconnected lots would have an Accessibility Charge of $306 per EDU

e.In addition to the base rate, the Lewis Road customers would have the following consumption rate charges:

i.$5.00 per thousand gallons between 0 and 22,500 gallons

ii.$15.00 per thousand gallons over 22,500 gallons

The case file for this proposed project may be reviewed at the Department of Environmental Programs, Room 1306, (3rd Floor)Government Center, One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland, 21863. These documents may be reviewed at the Department during the regular business hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday (except Holidays). Anyone who has questions should contact the following: Robert Mitchell, Director of Environmental Programs, at (410) 632-1220, extension 1601; Quinn Dittrich, Enterprise Fund

Controller, at (410) 632-0686, extension 1201; Dallas Baker, Director of Public Works, at (410) 632-5623.

All interested citizens are encouraged to attend the hearing and express their views on this matter. Both written and oral testimony will be accepted.

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OCD-6/12/2t

WEBB, CORNBROOKS, WILBER, VORHIS, DOUSE & MATHERS, LLP

MICHAEL B. MATHERS ESQ. P.O. BOX 910 115 BROAD STREET

SALISBURY, MD 21803-0910

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 20694

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Surrogate’s Court of Passaic County, New Jersey appointed (1) Karen P. Fox Martino, 8 Woods End, Oakland, NJ 07436-2338 as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Loretta H. Fox who died on September 11, 2019 domiciled in New Jersey, America.

The name and address of the Maryland resident agent for service of process is (1) Michael B. Mathers, 115 Broad St., P.O. Box 910, Salisbury, MD 21801-4912.

At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: Worcester County.

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

(1) Karen P. Fox Martino Foreign Personal Representative Terri Westcott Register of Wills

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of Newspaper: Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: June 12, 2025

OCD-6/12/3t

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20683 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH DOROTHY

STIEMLY

AKA: ELIZABETH D. STIEMLY

Notice is given that Margaret

Bollhorst, 606 Cypresspointe Dr., Severna Park, MD 21146-4100, was on June 02, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elizabeth Dorothy Stiemly who died on May 18, 2025, 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 2nd day of December, 2025.

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.

Margaret Bollhorst Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 12, 2025

OCD-6/12/3t

CONTRACTOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Proposals are requested for the rehabilitation of the Historic Tyree African Methodist Episcopal Church at 10049 Germantown Road, P.O. Box 605, Berlin, MD 21811. Work includes careful rehabilitation of the 110-year-old church including HAZMAT remediation; structural, mechanical, electrical, and roof repairs; kitchen and bathrooms updates; ADA and concrete installation; and various finishes.

Project is partly funded by the MD Historical Trust. All work must comply with the Secretary’s Standards and all State regs., incl. EEO.

Proposals must be rec’d before July 9, 2025, at 11:59 at Tyree AME Church, PO Box 605, Berlin MD 21811. Contact: Rev. Dawn Hobson at dawnhobson30@gmail.com or 301-440-6732.

Contract awarded to the lowest proposal from a qualified firm conforming to the project schedule.

A pre-proposal site visit can be

arranged upon request. Please email Rev. Dawn Hobson at dawnhobson30@gmail.com or call 301-4406732.

OCD-6/12/2t

McCabe, Weisberg & Conway LLC 312 Marshall Avenue, Suite 800 Laurel, Maryland 20707 301-490-3361

Laura H.G. O’Sullivan, et al., Substitute Trustees

Plaintiffs vs. Kelley E. Galyen

Defendant IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND Civil No. C-23-CV-24-000074

NOTICE

ORDERED, this 9th day of June, 2025 by the Circuit Court of WORCESTER COUNTY, Maryland, that the sale of the property at 5 Evergreen Court, Berlin, Maryland 21811 mentioned in these proceedings, made and reported by Laura H.G. O’Sullivan, et. al, Substitute Trustees, be ratified and confirmed, unless cause to the contrary thereof be shown on or before the 14th day of July, 2025 next, provided a copy of this notice be inserted in some newspaper published in said County once in each of three successive weeks before the 7th day of July, 2025, next.

The report states the amount of sale to be $285,000.00.

Susan R. Braniecki CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND

True Copy Test: Susan R. Braniecki Clerk of the Circuit Court Worcester County, MD

OCD-6/12/3t

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20687

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF ELIZABETH FARWELL AKA: ELIZABETH A. FARWELL

Notice is given that Carol Meekins, 8247 Sea Biscuit Rd., Snow Hill, MD 21863-4306, was on June 03, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Elizabeth Farwell who died on May 09, 2025, 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 3rd day of December, 2025.

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.

Carol Meekins

Personal Representative True Test Copy

Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 12, 2025

OCD-6/12/3t

WEBB, CORNBROOKS, WILBER, VORHIS, DOUSE & MATHERS, LLP

MICHAEL B. MATHERS ESQ. P.O. BOX 910 115 BROAD STREET SALISBURY, MD 21803-0910

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

ESTATE NO. 20696

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Surrogate’s Court of Passaic County, New Jersey appointed (1) Karen P. Fox Martino, 8 Woods End, Oakland, NJ 07436-2338 as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Edward J. Fox who died on August 24, 2005 domiciled in New Jersey, America.

The name and address of the Maryland resident agent for service of process is (1) Michael B. Mathers, 115 Broad St., P.O. Box 910, Salisbury, MD 21801-4912.

At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: Worcester County.

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

(1) Karen P. Fox Martino Foreign Personal Representative

Terri Westcott Register of Wills

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House

PUBLIC NOTICE

The motor vehicles described below have been abandoned. The owners and lien holders are hereby informed of their right to reclaim the vehicles upon payment of all charges and costs resulting from the towing, preservation, and storage of the vehicles.

The failure of the owners or lien holders to reclaim the vehicles within three weeks of notification shall be deemed a waiver by the owners or lien holders of all rights, title and interest and thereby consent to the sale of the vehicles at public auction or to have it otherwise disposed of in a manner provided by law.

These three weeks of notification begins on DATE: 6/20/2025

AUTH: Raymond J Austin Chief of Police

Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of Newspaper:

Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: June 12, 2025

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NOTICE

OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS

TOWN OF OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 110 of the Code of Ocean City, Maryland, hereinafter referred to as the Code, same being the Zoning Ordinance for Ocean City, Maryland, notice is hereby given that public hearings will be conducted by the Board of Zoning Appeals for Ocean City, Maryland in the Council Chambers of City Hall located on Baltimore Avenue and Third Street, in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland on:

Thursday, June 26, 2025

AT 6:00 PM

Pursuant to the provisions of Sec-

tion 110-93(2), Powers of the Code, an application has been filed under Section 110-94(3) and 110-94(2)(b) to request (1) a special yard exception for a proposed dwelling to be 3.5 feet from the front lot line along Marine Circle; (2) a special yard exception for a proposed dwelling to be 3 feet from the front line along 133rd Street; (3) a special yard exception for a proposed dwelling to be 0.0 feet from a side lot line; and (4) a special parking exception to waive 1 out of 2 required off-street parking spaces. The property is described as Lot 8 of the Sundowner Mobile Home Park Plat. It is further described as being located on the north side of 133rd Street and is locally known as 116 133rd Street, in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.

APPLICANT: JOHN STANTON (BZA 2722 #25-09400007)

AT 6:10 PM

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 110-93(3), Powers of the Code, an application has been filed under Section 110-95(1)(a) to request a variance of 1.1 feet from the 5-foot side yard setback requirement for a proposed dwelling to be 3.9 feet from the side property line. The property is described as Lot 15, Block 18, Section 1D of the Caine Woods Plat. It is located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Fiesta Road and

139th Street and is locally known as 13812 Fiesta Road in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.

APPLICANT: MARY LEWIS (BZA 2723 #25-09500003)

Further information concerning the public hearings may be examined in the office of the Department of Planning and Community Development in City Hall.

Christopher Rudolf, Chairman Maureen Howarth, Attorney OCD-6/12/2t

NOTICE

The following individuals are applicants for nomination to Governor Moore for appointment to the Circuit Court for Worcester County and/or the District Court for Worcester County:

Heather Leigh Allison Clarke Patrizia Juliana Coletta Magistrate Diane Genevieve MarieJeanne Karsnitz

Chris Schiller Mason

Lenora Fanelli Mihavetz

Kristina Louise Watkowski

The Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission for Commission District 1 – Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester Counties - will accept

signed, written comments regarding the listed applicants for use in its evaluation process.

Comments must be received by Thursday, July 24, 2025.

Please address your comments to:

Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission for Commission District 1

c/o Administrative Office of the Courts, Maryland Judicial Center 187 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Fourth Floor, Annapolis, MD 21401

Debra Kaminski - (410) 260-1271 debra.kaminski@mdcourts.gov

Maryland Relay Service: TTY/Voice (800) 735-2258 OCD-6/19/1t

NOTICE

OF PROPOSED CHANGE IN ZONING

EAST SIDE OF GREENRIDGE LANE ROAD

850 FEET SOUTH OF OLD BRIDGE ROAD, WEST OCEAN CITY

TENTH TAX DISTRICT

WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND

Pursuant to Section 1-113 of the Worcester County Zoning Ordinance, Rezoning Case No. 449 has been filed by Hugh Cropper on behalf of Mark R. Odachowski, property owner, for an amendment to the Official Zoning Maps to change approximately 18.67 acres of land located on the East side of Greenridge Lane Road, 850 feet south of Old Bridge Road, West Ocean City, in the Tenth Tax District of Worcester County, Maryland, from R-2 Suburban Residential District to R-4 General Residential District. The Planning Commission has given a favorable recommendation to the rezoning application.

Pursuant to Sections 1-113 and 1114 of the Worcester County Zoning Ordinance, the County Commissioners will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 10:30 A.M. IN THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING ROOM

WORCESTER COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER –ROOM 1101

ONE WEST MARKET STREET

SNOW HILL, MARYLAND 21863

At said public hearing the County Commissioners will consider the rezoning application, the staff file on Rezoning Case No. 449 and the recommendation of the Planning Commission, any proposed restrictions on the rezoning, other appropriate restrictions, conditions or limitations as may be deemed by them to be appropriate to preserve, improve, or protect the general character and design of the lands and improvements being zoned or rezoned or of the surrounding or adjacent lands and improvements, and the advisability of reserving the power and authority to

approve or disapprove the design of buildings, construction, landscaping or other improvements, alterations and changes made or to be made on the subject land or lands to assure conformity with the intent and purpose of applicable State laws and regulations and the County Zoning Ordinance.

Maps of the petitioned area, the staff file on Rezoning Case No. 449 and the Planning Commission’s recommendation, which will be entered into record at the public hearing, are on file and available to view electronically by contacting the Department of Development, Review and Permitting, Worcester County Government Center, One West Market Street, Room 1201, Snow Hill, Maryland 21863 Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. (except holidays), at (410) 632-1200 as well as at www.co.worcester.md.us.

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

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NOTICE OF PASSAGE OF

BILL 25-02

WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Take Notice that Bill 25-02 (County Government – County Real and Personal Property and County Buildings) was passed by Commissioners Abbott, Bertino, Bunting, Elder, Fiori, Mitrecic, and Purnell on May 20, 2025. A fair summary of the bill is as follows:

The bill amends Section 4-404 of the County Government Article of the County Code to refine restrictions on camping at certain locations including County property, clarifying the ability of the County to remove abandoned personal property on County and other property, and making violations of this provision a misdemeanor rather than a civil citation.

This is only a fair summary of the bill. A full copy of the bill is posted on the Legislative Bulletin Board in the main hall of the Worcester County Government Center outside Room 1103, is available for public inspection in Room 1103 of the Worcester County Government Center once County Government Offices are opened to the public. In the interim, a full copy of the bill is available on the County Website at www.co.worcester.md.us.

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

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JOSHUA I. BIENSTOCK, ESQ. BIENSTOCK LAW, LLC

21 CHURCH ST., STE. 600 ROCKVILLE, MD 20850-4207

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20707 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF JULIA COLETA SMET

AKA: JULIA SMET

Notice is given that John M. Smet, 7801 Wingate Dr., Glenn Dale,

MD 20769-2024, was on June 11, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Julia Coleta Smet who died on November 07, 2024, 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 11th day of December, 2025.

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.

John M. Smet

Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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JOHN F. ROBBERT ESQ. CHESAPEAKE LEGAL COUNSEL LLC 2661 RIVA RD., STE. 410A ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401-7335

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20686 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF MAJORIE L. DODGE

AKA: MAJORIE DODGE WORTH

Notice is given that Stephanie Staib, 313 Reed St., Milton, DE 19968-1640, was on June 12, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Marjorie L. Dodge who died on March 19, 2025, 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 Decem-

ber, 2025.

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.

Stephanie Staib Personal Representative True Test Copy

Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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NOTICE

Disposal of Surplus Vehicles and Equipment to be Auctioned on GovDeals.com

"Disposition of County Personal Property no longer used by the County"

The following described personal property, including vehicles, furniture and equipment, have been determined to be no longer required for County use by the County Commissioners of Worcester County, Maryland and deemed to be surplus property:

SURPLUS VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT

Surplus vehicles, listed by make and model (with model year), as follows: Ford F150 2WD (2001); International 2674 (1991); Ford F250 4x4 (2004); Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4 (2014); Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2WD (2006); Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 (2005); Ford Econoline 150 VAN (2006); Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4x4 (2003); Ford F350 CREW CAB DUMP (2006); Dodge Caravan (2006); Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4 (2012); Ford Crown Victoria (2008); Ford Crown Victoria (2009); Ford Crown Victoria (2008); Ford Crown Victoria (2009); Ford Crown Victoria (2010); Chevrolet Tahoe (2009); Chevrolet Tahoe (2013); Chevrolet Tahoe (2013); Chevrolet Tahoe (2012); Chevrolet Tahoe (2013); Ford Crown Victoria (2011).

Surplus equipment, including: Bannerman Turf-Topper BTD20H (1994); Kings Sprayer K3PTH150B12.

Surplus furniture and miscellaneous equipment, including: Portable PA System With Amplifier; Wood Desks and Shelving; Ornamental Light Poles; LB White Heater; Hydraulic Hose Machine; Misc Automotive Filter/Parts/Manuals; Coats Tire Mounting Machine Model 40-40A; Old Battery Powered Tools; Tire Balancing Machine, Hunter Road Force; Electrical Power Banks; Soda Machine, Industrial Air ILA3606056 Air Compressor; Parts Washer; Ranger T-5-500; Misc Soccer Goals; Misc Gas Powered String Trimmers; Misc Printers; Misc Computers.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE AND CONVEYANCE: The County Commissioners propose to solicit competitive bids via an Internet-based auction system operated by GovDeals, Inc. for which the winning bidder pays a buyer's premium of twelve and one-half percent (12.5%) of the winning bid for each transaction so that there is no net cost to the County. All of the above referenced surplus property will be offered for sale "AS IS, WHERE IS." The County Commissioners make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind, expressed or implied, as to the merchantability or fitness for any purpose of the property offered for sale. The County Commissioners warrant to the buyer that the property offered for sale will conform to it description. The County Commissioners reserve the right to reject any and all bids as they see fit and to withdraw from sale any of the items listed. Payment in full by successful bidders shall be made to Worcester County Commissioners.

OPPORTUNITY FOR OBJECTIONS: Anyone objecting to the proposed conveyance of the above surplus vehicles and equipment shall do so in writing prior to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2025, or in person at the regularly scheduled meeting of the County Commissioners to be held at 10:00 a.m. on July 15, 2025 in the County Commissioners Meeting Room, Room 1101 - Government Center, One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland 21863.

WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

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Mayor & City Council Ocean City, Maryland

PROPOSAL SOLICITATION

B02-26 – Life and Disability Insurance Benefits

The Mayor & City Council of Ocean City is seeking Proposals from qualified and experienced Vendors to provide for the Life and Disability Insurance Benefits and for said work to conform with the Proposal Documents.

BID Documents for the Life and

Disability Insurance Benefits may be obtained from the Town’s Procurement Department by either emailing the Procurement Manager, Matt Perry, at mperry@oceancitymd.gov or Joshua Weaver at jweaver@boltonusa.com, or by calling (410) 723-6643 during regular business hours, or via the Solicitations tab on the Town’s (https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/procurement-bids/) website. Vendors are responsible for checking this website for Addenda before submitting their BID’s. The Town is not responsible for the content of any Proposal Document received through any thirdparty service. Vendors are responsible for ensuring the completeness and accuracy of their Completed Proposal Documents.

A pre-proposal meeting is not applicable for this Invitation to BID.

BID Documents are due no later than TUESDAY, JUNE 24TH, 2025, BY 10:00AM. BID’s are to be submitted electronically to Joshua Weaver at jweaver@boltonusa.com with the name of the Solicitation (Life and Disability Insurance Benefits) must be noted on the correspondence.

Late BID Documents will not be accepted.

Minority Vendors are encouraged to compete for the Award of the Solicitation.

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of BRUCE GORDON KNUTSON Estate No. 20705 Notice is given that HEATHER MCDONALD whose address is 339 REDWOOD GROVE CT., MILLERSVILLE, MD 21108-1876 was on JUNE 11, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of BRUCE GORDON KNUTSON who died on MAY 22, 2025 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 11th day of DECEMBER, 2025

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.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074 OCD-6/19/3t

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 20695

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Register of Wills court of Sussex County, Delaware appointed (1) Catherine Northcraft, 21068 Cool Spring Rd., Milton, DE 19968-3318 as the Administrator of the Estate of Catherine Northcraft who died on December 07, 2023 domiciled in Delaware, USA.

The name and address of the Maryland resident agent for service of process is (1) Ellen Ora Vanderham, 2708 Appleseed Rd., Finksburg, MD 21048-2206.

At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: Worcester County.

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or (2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

(1) Catherine Northcraft Foreign Personal Representative Terri Westcott Register of Wills

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of Newspaper: Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: June 19, 2025

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of KEVIN JAMES MCKEE Estate No. 20703 Notice is given that ERIN MARIE MCKEE whose address is 101 MARTINIQUE CIR., OCEAN PINES, MD 21811-1704

was on JUNE 11, 2025 appointed personal representative(s) of the small estate of KEVIN JAMES MCKEE who died on APRIL 27, 2025 with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074

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SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of DIANE H. CHURCH Estate No. 20701 Notice is given that THOMAS D. P. CHURCH whose address is 35 LOOKOUT PT., BERLIN, MD 21811-1539 was on JUNE 10, 2025 appointed personal representative(s) of the small estate of DIANE H. CHURCH who died on OCTOBER 03, 2024 with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not

served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074 OCD-6/19/1t

LAURA A. VAN METERKNOEPFLE, ESQ.

LAW OFFICE OF LAURA A. VAN METER, LLC P.O. BOX 686

MILLERSVILLE, MD 21108-0686

SMALL ESTATE

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 17847

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF FRIEDA ANNA BRUCE

Notice is given that Kim Marie Armstrong, 2836 Woodmont Dr., York, PA 17404-7804, was on June 10, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Frieda Anna Bruce who died on February 12, 2019, with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

Kim Marie Armstrong

Personal Representative True Test Copy Register of Wills for Worcester County Terri Westcott One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative:

Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS

TOWN OF OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2 Administration, Article IV, Division 5 of the Code of the Town of Ocean City, Maryland hereinafter referred to as Code, same being the Board of Adjustments and Appeals Ordinance for Ocean City, Maryland, notice is hereby given that public hearing will be conducted in the Council Chambers of City Hall located at 301 Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, Maryland.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

At 3:00 PM

BAAV 25-041 - A request has been submitted for a variance from TOC Code Section 38-71 (a)(5) Minimum Elevation Requirements, to reduce the minimum 3’ freeboard elevation requirement above the AE-6 flood zone by approximately 2.3 feet for a lateral extension to the rear of an existing interior townhouse unit, and to match existing the lowest floor elevation approved by BAA variance 2002-004. Locally known as 501 Bayshore Drive Unit 7- parcel number 112-20-5347 Lot 7.

Owner: Guy and Laurie Sosnowski

Applicant: Guy and Laurie Sosnowski

BAAV 25-042 - A request has been submitted for a variance from TOC Code Section 38-71 (a)(5) Minimum Elevation Requirements, to reduce the minimum 3’ freeboard elevation requirement above the AE-6 flood zone for a lateral extension to the rear of an existing single-family house, and to match existing the lowest floor elevation of the primary structure located in the X zone. Locally known as 321 White Heron Court - parcel number 116-05-5313A Lot 29.

Owner: Phillip and Anne Creek

Applicant: Mills Creek Builders –Kevin Rohe

BAAV 25-043 - A request has been submitted for a variance from TOC Code Section 38-71 (a)(5) Minimum Elevation Requirements, to reduce the minimum 3’ freeboard elevation

requirement above the AE-6 flood zone for a lateral extension of open unenclosed decks to the rear of a proposed single-family house, which will otherwise meet required minimum elevation. Locally known as 315 South Heron Gull Court - parcel number 116-11-6071A Lot 97.

Owner: Keith and Shelley Coffin

Applicant: Keith A. Coffin

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SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 20698 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF JERI LYNN SMITH

Notice is given that Gregory Smith, 30 Brookside Rd., Berlin, MD 21811-1819, was on June 09, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Jeri Lynn Smith who died on March 11, 2025, 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 shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

Gregory Smith Personal Representative True Test Copy Register of Wills for Worcester County Terri Westcott

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication:

SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 20699 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL JAMES VANCE Notice is given that Renata Louise Vance, 8839 Old Ocean Rd., Berlin, MD 21811-2226, was on June 10, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Michael James Vance who died on May 15, 2025, with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

Renata Louise Vance Personal Representative True Test Copy Register of Wills for Worcester County Terri Westcott One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 20697 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF GAIL J. MICHNAY

Notice is given that Denise Gottloeb, 1064 Ocean Pkwy., Berlin, MD 21811-1662, was on June 09, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Gail J. Michnay

who died on April 07, 2025, with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

Denise Gottloeb Personal Representative True Test Copy Register of Wills for Worcester County Terri Westcott One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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ALEXANDER M. PAGNOTTA

183 HARRY S. TRUMAN PKWY., STE. 104 ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401-7579

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Estate No. 20710 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF GEORGE A. PURNELL

Notice is given that Frances S. Purnell, 1546 Teal Dr., P.O. Box 460, Ocean City, MD 21842-5555, was on June 16, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George A. Purnell who died on May 13, 2025, 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 16th day of December, 2025.

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.

Frances S. Purnell

Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20704 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF SANDRA PECK

AKA: SANDRA ANN PECK

Notice is given that Ryan B. Wolfgram, 17994 Woods Overlook Dr., Dumfries, VA 22026-3111, was on June 12, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Sandra Peck who died on June 05, 2025, 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 December, 2025.

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 Reg-

ister of Wills. Ryan B. Wolfgram

Personal Representative

True Test Copy

Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street

Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

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SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

ESTATE NO. 20706

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF LLOYD F. ASBURY

AKA: LLOYD FRANCIS ASBURY

Notice is given that Mary P. McCormick, 64 Battersea Rd., Berlin, MD 21811-1818, was on June 12, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Lloyd F. Asbury who died on May 20, 2021, with a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

Mary P. McCormick Personal Representative True Test Copy Register of Wills for Worcester County Terri Westcott

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: June 19, 2025

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the following vessel has been abandoned for more than 540 days on the property: 38 Driftwood Lane, Berlin Md 21811. The vessel is described as a 2003 Bennington Pontoon Boat, 22 ft. cream in color. VIN # MD7155BP, hull identification number ETW22182A303. Nicole Stickley, nicolestickley@gmail.com. Application for the title will be made in accordance with Section 8-722 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Natural Resources Article if this vessel is not claimed and removed from the above property within 30 days of this notice.

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TOWN OF OCEAN CITY PUBLIC HEARING CHARTER AMENDMENT RESOLUTION 2025-01

RE: Qualifications for Election as Mayor or City Councilman

Notice is hereby given by the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City, that a proposed Charter amendment was introduced and further amended at the Work Session of June 10, 2025. A public hearing and presentation of a Charter Resolution is scheduled for July 21, 2025. Summary of proposed Charter Amendment Resolution: Section C-401, Qualifications for election as Mayor or City Councilman: 1) amends the existing charter provisions that a candidate for election must be a resident within the corporate limits of the Town of Ocean City for a period of four (4) months proceeding an election, and extends the residency requirement to a period of two (2) years proceeding the election; 2) adds a requirement that a candidate for election must not possess, for two (2) years preceding the election, a rental license at the location in which they have identified as their domicile for the purposes of their candidacy unless said location is a multiple-family dwelling which maintains a rental license for the other units; not the domicile of the candidate ; and 3) adds a requirement that once elected to office, the official must continue to be a resident of and domiciled in the corporate limits of the Town of Ocean City during the term for which they are elected and abstain from obtaining a rental license for their domiciliary residence throughout the term of office, or be subject to disqualification under Charter Section C-408.

An exact copy of the proposed amendment is posted at City Hall, available online at oceancitymd.gov on the City Clerk webpage and can be obtained by contacting the City Clerk’s office at 410-289-8824.

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Hotel renovation complete

The Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort announced the completion of a comprehensive $20 million renovation, ushering in a new level of luxury and comfort for guests on the Ocean City, Maryland, beachfront. The extensive transformation includes a complete redesign of all 333 suites, featuring spacious two-room suites with full kitchens, two- and three-bedroom apartment size condominiums, oceanfront and jacuzzi suites, into tranquil, coastal-inspired havens.

The newly renovated accommodations showcase a contemporary aesthetic with a calming pastel color scheme that complements the resort's stunning oceanfront location. Every detail has been carefully considered to provide guests with a refreshing and relaxing seaside escape.

A key highlight of the renovation is the reimagined oceanfront restaurant, The Current Oceanfront Cafe. Featuring a stylish new tile sun deck, The Current offers guests’ panoramic ocean views and an inviting open-air dining experience. The seasonal menu, developed by the resort’s Executive Chef, Brent Creeger, perfectly complements handcrafted cocktails and the soothing sounds of the ocean.

Further elevating the guest experience, the resort now features a state-

of-the-art fitness center, completely upgraded four story Atrium where the hotels Olympic size indoor pool and Tiki Bar are located that allow our guests to enjoy the beach life, rain or shine! We seamlessly blended modern amenities with sophisticated design throughout the hotel.

Hospice leader appointed

The Coastal Hospice Board of Directors announced the appointment of Ann Lovely as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Lovely has served as Interim President & CEO since June 2024, guiding the organization with strength and compassion through a period of transition.

A steadfast leader and one of Coastal Hospice’s longesttenured team members, Ann brings more than 25 years of dedication, experience, and deep knowledge of hospice and palliative care to her new role. Her appointment is a reflection of her exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to the patients, families, and communities served by Coastal Hospice.

“Our deepest gratitude to Ann for leading us this past year with such care, clarity, and purpose,” said Mor-

gan Fisher, Chair of the Coastal Hospice Board of Directors. “She has skillfully navigated challenges, strengthened internal and external relationships, and laid a foundation for continued growth and excellence.”

Ann began her hospice career in 1999 as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Coastal Hospice while attending Wor-Wic Community College, pursuing a nursing degree. She became a Registered Nurse Case Manager, mentoring new hires and student interns. After completing her bachelor’s in nursing, Ann quickly rose to the ranks of clinical leadership, becoming Education Coordinator, bringing end-of-life education to healthcare professionals in the community, and later becoming Manager of Quality and Education. During the past 25 years, Ann has been involved in almost all aspects of the organization and has worn many hats, serving throughout the years as Director of Quality Assurance, Compliance, Infection Control, Education, Medical Records, Access Services, and Chief Clinical Officer.

“It’s been quite a journey, and I’m both honored and humbled to take on this role,” said Ann Lovely. “I’m looking forward to continuing the incredible work we’ve all been doing together and to building on the strong foundation we’ve created as a team.”

As Coastal Hospice celebrates 45

Continued on Page 74

REAL ESTATE MARKETPLACE

The lot is located in the sought-after community of Montego Bay in quite North Ocean City. This lot is zoned for a Mobile Home, Modular, and Stick built

www.larryholdrenrealestate.net • email: ocmdhre@gmail.com

Ann Lovely

years of service across Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties, Ann Lovely’s leadership promises to carry the mission forward, promoting dignity and quality of life for patients and families who face life-limiting conditions.

Health system recognized

TidalHealth announced that Epic, the country’s leading provider of electronic medical records (EMR) systems, has named the Delmarva health system to its “Honor Roll” at the Cum Laude level for its remarkable achievements optimizing its EMR and implementing best practices.

The program is based on nine components: ease of use for providers, ease of use for nurses, enterprise data and analytics, financial, health information exchange, infrastructure stability and performance, patient experience, population health, and staying current with Epic’s latest features.

As part of this achievement, TidalHealth has been awarded a grant totaling $291,000. The funds will be provided in the form of a credit to be applied to current and future Epic advancements supporting TidalHealth’s ongoing efforts to enhance its electronic health record (EHR) infrastructure and patient care systems.

Mark Weisman, MD, Vice President of Information Technology, Chief Infor-

mation Officer and Chief Medical Information Officer at TidalHealth, stated, “This Cum Laude recognition reflects the dedication and hard work of our entire team. Our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve patient outcomes and streamline clinical workflows remains at the forefront of our mission. TidalHealth’s accomplishment on the Epic Honor Roll Grant Program underscores its drive to continuously push for excellence, adopting innovative solutions that enhance healthcare delivery.”

Currently, TidalHealth hospitals in Salisbury, Maryland and Seaford, Delaware are both utilizing Epic. Transition to the same electronic medical record system is expected early in 2026 at Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Maryland, which recently joined the health system.

Partnership is announced

Private Wealth Advisors Christine Selzer, CFP®, Brian Selzer, CRPC™ and Brody Grove, CFP® have joined Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC from Merrill Lynch. Their private wealth advisory practice will operate as Allegiant Private Wealth and is supported by Administrative Assistant Kendall Holmes and Client Relationship Manager Melanie Konoski. Their office is located at 12319 Ocean

Gateway Suite 101.

“We were looking for a partner that offers independence, places financial planning front and center, and demonstrates a shared commitment to enhancing the client experience. Ameriprise checked all the boxes,” said Christine Selzer. “We are deeply committed to serving the full range of our clients’ financial needs and providing excellent customer service. The move to Ameriprise will enable us to continue to grow and help more peo-

June 19 - 26

ple reach their financial goals.”

The practice chose the name Allegiant Private Wealth to reflect who they are and what they are about. The word “allegiant” means consistency, dedication, reliability, trustworthiness and an unwavering commitment – all of which are the team’s core values.

Allegiant Private Wealth has over 45 combined years of wealth management experience serving individuals and families in the Ocean City-area and across the United States.

W Weest OC 2BR/2BA

Macafee Ct. The Parke, Ocean Pines4BR/3BA

Laurreen Bunting/Keller W 87 Boston Drive, Ocean Pines3BR/2BA

404 N. Chase Strreeet,

Power of 2 T Teeam/Hilema

SUBMITTED

Pictured, back, Brody Grove; middle, Kendall Holmes, Christine Selzer and Melanie Konoski; and front, Brian Selzer

OC Council strikes deal to raise new museum funding

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 13, 2025) A preservation easement between the city and the Maryland Historical Trust will allow for accessibility improvements at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum.

Public Works Director Hal Adkins and Museum Curator Christine Okerblom came before the Ocean City Council on Tuesday with a proposed preservation easement between the city and the state agency.

While the easement gives the Maryland Historical Trust the authority to oversee and approve exterior modifications to the building over the next 50 years, officials say it will also free up grant funding to improve the museum.

“This is really to keep the building as it is, to date,” Okerblom explained.

Plans to make the Ocean City LifeSaving Station Museum more accessible have been in the works for years.

And in 2023, the town inched closer to making the project a reality when it received a $600,000 state grant for ADA improvements.

With money in hand, the city began its design of an addition to the east of the existing facility. As proposed at the time, the plan called for a new lobby area and elevator, connecting visitors to the museum’s second floor by a walkway.

“You’ll note it was built freestanding in a sense to minimize the negative impacts on a historic building that was built in 1891,” Adkins told the council this week.

However, when project bids came back in the summer of 2024, cost estimates ranged from $1.22 million to $1.47 million.

The bids were ultimately remanded to staff for further review, which effectively ended the conversation at the council level.

See MARYLAND Page 78

New legislation will impact local real estate industry

By Lauren Bunting Contributing Writer

(June 20, 2025) This week’s article is the fifth edition summarizing all of the real estate related legislation that passed during the 2025 447th Maryland General Assembly session. The session convened on January 8th and adjourned on April 7th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a recap of all of the pertinent legislation affecting the real estate industry, and below is the summary on all of the Property Management related legislation that passed.

HB 273 Late Payment PenaltiesCalculation – Effective October 1, 2025

Landlords may charge a late penalty of 5% of the amount of the unpaid rent rather than of the total amount due.

HB 767 Notice Procedures for Evictions– Effective October 1, 2025

Landlords will provide notice to a tenant when a court has issued a warrant of restitution for a failure of a tenant to pay rent, a breach of lease, or a tenant holding over listing the initial date of eviction as set by the courts.

HB 1076 Landlord and TenantNotice of Landlord Entry– Effective October 1, 2025

A landlord must provide written notice to the tenant at least 24 hours

FOR FASTEST SERVICE: We need your address & contact information and exact brand name, model #’s and quantity. Email us a copy of your

prior to planned entry into the unit, unless an emergency exists. A landlord may only enter between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, or as agreed to by the tenant.

HB 1152/SB 896 Pet Policy Disclosure (Pet Policy Transparency Act) –Effective October 1, 2025

Landlords must provide the property’s pet policy on the property’s website and as part of an application form for a rental unit on the property.

SB 32 Expedited Hearing and Service of Summons for Active Duty Service Members– Effective October 1, 2025

The District Court shall hold a hearing on a tenant holding over within 45 days if the landlord or the landlord’s spouse is on active duty with the United States military. The use of private service of process is also allowed if the summons is not delivered within 10 days.

SB 856 Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act– Effective July 1, 2025 POSITION: Oppose as Introduced

This requires a landlord to provide the informational pamphlet on mold to each tenant at the time the lease is signed and at tenant request; perform a mold assessment within 15 days after notice; and remediate mold within 45 days after the assessment is completed, if possible.

Lauren Bunting is the Broker of Record for Keller Williams Realty Delmarva in Ocean City.

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Maryland Historical Trust granted easement

Continued from Page 75

“At that time, if you recall, we never came back to you,” Adkins said. “We didn’t come back with any recommendation, we didn’t come back to award it, we didn’t come back at all.”

In total, Adkins said $142,564 had been spent designing the ADA-accessible project, with the idea that the $600,000 grant would cover the cost. However, the city has since learned it must sign an easement with the Maryland Historical Trust to access that funding.

“I was unaware, and the engineering department was unaware, over a year or so ago, when we pursued the design and expended the $142,000, that in fact the grant document states you have to sign this [easement] no matter what, if you want your money back,” he said.

The easement as proposed will come with certain parameters, Adkins said. Signing the agreement would give the Maryland Historical Trust oversight of modifications to the building’s exterior.

“By signing this document, you will then have to go through them every time you wish to renovate the outside of the building,” he said, “whether it is siding, whether it is roofing, whether it is doors, whether it is windows, whether it is tones, whether it is textures.”

He added that the proposed ease-

ment line would also extend three feet from the east, west and south sides of the building and nearly seven feet from the north side of the building. While he supported the easement, Adkins said he did have concerns about that boundary.

“I would hope they would put terminology in any 50-year term document that would allow us to maintain and renovate the Boardwalk – as in the decking, stringers and beams underneath of it, that may fall in that yellow box – without being at the mercy of the Maryland Historical Trust,” he said.

Adkins said the council had two options – to reject the easement and find another way to cover the $142,564, or pursue the easement and find a way to repurpose the money into other, lesscostly accessibility projects at the museum.

Okerblom said the grant funding could be reallocated to install accessible doorways, 3D models for the visually impaired, and an interactive touch table that will include information on second-floor exhibits.

“We went back to the drawing board to establish new ways which we could increase accessibility to the community without going over budget,” she said. “We identified three specific projects that would increase accessibility.”

For his part, Adkins said the easement would protect the historic build-

ing. Okerblom added that signing the agreement came with other benefits.

“Maryland Historical Trust does award grant money when it comes to historical buildings that they have easements with, and that would open us up to funding for exterior restoration projects that we wouldn’t otherwise be privy to. That’s definitely a benefit,” she said. “And they will allow you to use the existing material on the building. Right now, we do have vinyl siding on part of the building … We can keep the vinyl siding, and replace it with vinyl siding.”

Councilman John Gehrig said he was fine with seeking permission for exterior modifications. However, he questioned if the agency would require improvements to be made.

Officials agreed to grant a 50year easement to the Maryland Historical Trust in exchange for a $600,000 state grant to improve the Life-Saving Station Museum in downtown

“Any modifications, we need to go to them for approval, but they can’t mandate modifications or improvements or anything else themselves, right?” he asked. “Can they impose their will on this building?”

“This is only the exterior, and only if we make a request to change it,” City Solicitor Heather Stansbury replied. “They don’t mandate changes on it.”

After further discussion, the council voted 6-0, with Councilwoman Carol Proctor absent, to move forward with the preservation easement, but to have it address Adkins’ concerns involving the easement line.

“We will make sure the decking is of no consequence to them,” Stansbury said.

New condo building coming to OC

Development needs 11 parking spots, will be built on a vacant midtown space

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 20, 2025) The construction of a four-unit condominium will move forward on 51st Street.

On Tuesday, the Ocean City Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan for a threestory, four-unit condominium at 9 51st Street. The new residential facility will feature two, three-bedroom units and two, four-bedroom units.

“This one is pretty straightforward, I think,” Chair Joe Wilson said.

Architect Rick Schoellkopf submitted the site plan on behalf of his client, 51 Ocean Inc., and its principal, Stephen Lewis.

Planning and Community Development Director George Bendler told the commission this week the project would take place on a vacant lot in the R-3 residential district.

“This doesn’t go against what is permitted in the R-3 zoning district,” he said.

Bendler said the proposed building will have no nonconformity and no Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) determinations. He said the site plans conforms to the city code.

“It has been a vacant lot for some time,” he explained, “and they are proposing to build a four-unit, threestory project with a habitable attic.”

Bendler noted that the building will be accessed from 51st Street, with parking and storage underneath and living space above. He added that the building requires 11 parking spaces, which the applicant has included in the site plan.

For his part, Schoellkopf said the site

plan presented before the planning commission “really shows the system works.” He said the proposed project has enough space to accommodate a habitable attic and its required parking.

“We were able to do it without any nonconformity,” he said of the parking, “without any craziness.”

After a brief discussion, the planning commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan for the 51st Street project.

Schools, county rec ink contract

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 2o, 2025) Community collaboration and healthy lifestyles are the priority of a recently approved joint agreement between the Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) and the Worcester County Department of Recreation and Parks, in which each party will have access to the other’s facilities.

The Worcester County Board of Education approved the arrangement at its Tuesday, June 17, meeting.

Dwayne Abt, the school system’s assistant superintendent of human relations and operations, presented the action item.

The contract says that school system amenities like athletic fields, gymnasiums, and auditoriums will be available for use by the county’s recreation and parks department during non-school hours. In turn, WCPS will have access to recreation and parks properties for school-related events and activities, “further expanding the resources available to students and staff,” Abt said.

“This cooperative agreement enhances the efficient use of public resources and strengthens the county’s commitment to youth, development, healthy lifestyles, and lifetime learning,” he added.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

The proposed 51st Street condo building will offer two, three-bedroom units and two, four-bedroom units. OC’s planning commission approved the site plan this week.

Planning commission to talk code, authority

By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor

(June 20, 2025) With a new zoning administrator hired, resort planners say they will schedule a planning commission workshop later this summer.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Ocean City Planning Commission, Planning and Community Development Director George Bendler announced the city has hired a new zoning administrator to fill a vacancy left by Kay Gordy’s retirement.

The new employee will start this August. Bendler suggested the commission hold a workshop on the com-

mission’s authority later that month.

“I'd like to move that to August 19 to get that training done for everyone,” he said. “She'll be present, I'll be fully staffed and everybody can be on the same page.”

Earlier this month, Commissioner Palmer Gillis requested the commission hold a workshop that focuses on the authority of the planning commission, as well as nonconforming uses and structures.

While he acknowledged the city’s code on nonconforming use, he argued the commission was misinterpreting the code. In turn, the city approved projects he said were no good for the surround-

ing neighborhood.

“When you read the nonconforming use code, I think we’ve been misinterpreting it for many years, and I think we need to understand what the history of that is,” he said. “The second thing is … I think there are some items in there where a project is not good for a neighborhood. What leeway or tolerance do we have to turn it down on a site plan? If we believe it negatively impacts a neighborhood, what authority do we have to turn it down?”

The commission agreed to hold a workshop on the two subjects in July. Back on the agenda this week, how-

ever, Bendler said the workshop would be postponed to Aug. 19. Bendler on Tuesday also encouraged commission members to attend an upcoming commissioner training hosted by the Maryland Municipal League. He noted the training was required and was offered online and in-person.

Attorney Maureen Howarth said the training could address the commission’s questions on authority.

“It's great training if it's been a while, or if you haven't done it,” she explained. “I know you guys have been asking a lot of questions lately about authority and stuff. I recommend doing it.”

Rec group, schools joint use terms greenlit

Depending on scheduling, each entity – denoted in the document as “Board” for the school system and “County” for Worcester’s recreation and parks – will have access to the other’s facilities, with no cost for using the property incurred.

“Subject to the schedule developed by the County and the Board or its agents, the County and third parties authorized by the County shall be entitled to use Board Property without charge for community recreational and educa-

tional purposes for the benefit of Board students, the Board and the County at large,” the contract reads. “...Subject to the schedule developed by the County and Board, the Board shall be entitled to use County Property, without charge, for Board educational and recreational activities and/or programs.”

Still, some fees may be imposed if school system or county personnel are required to be on site during events organized by one entity on the other’s property.

For instance, the board of education may ask that school system leaders be present at a recreation and parks activity hosted at a high school’s gymnasium. In this case, the county would be required to pay for the required staffing.

“The County shall timely reimburse the Board for expenses which are incurred by the Board outside normal working hours in providing staff or other personnel as the Board deems necessary to monitor and/or be present during the County’s (or any third-

party) use of the Board property,” the contract says. “The Board shall timely reimburse the County for expenses which are incurred by the County outside normal working hours in providing staff or other personnel as the County deems necessary to monitor and/or be present during the Board’s use of County property.”

The board greenlit the agreement this week. Per its passage, the contract will go into effect on July 1 and extend for one calendar year.

SDHS to get LEDs through upcoming replacement work

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2o25) The Worcester County Board of Education approved an LED lighting retrofit at Stephen Decatur High School this week to equip the facility with fixtures geared toward energy sustainability.

The board of education met on June 17 and voted to proceed with a lighting project at SDHS.

According to Sam Slacum, the school system’s maintenance and operations manager, the initiative will involve replacing all current fluorescent and halogen fixtures at SDHS with LEDs.

Worcester County Public Schools will partner with contractor Mid-Atlantic Energy Solutions on the scope of the work, which will cost $652,758.

Slacum maintained that the project will be fully funded through a grant from the Maryland Energy Administration and Delmarva Power’s rebate program.

“No local money is being put toward for this,” he said.

The maintenance and operations manager added that while exact numbers have yet to be finalized, he expects the school system to “save on lighting about two-thirds of our current spending.”

The LED lighting retrofit is necessary at SDHS to keep costs down and enhance the school’s visibility.

“[The project will] improve energy efficiency, reduce long-term utility costs, and provide better quality lighting for students and staff,” the proposal document reads.

As many of the current lighting fixtures at Stephen Decatur have reached their useful lives, they are less efficient, which has led to an increase in required maintenance and higher energy consumption.

Mid-Atlantic Energy Solutions will handle the work. Slacum said that the company, based in Salisbury, was the only response to Worcester County Public Schools’ request for proposals for the replacement effort. Still, the school official is confident in the contractor’s ability to handle the lighting project.

Slacum added that all of the current fixtures at SDHS will be replaced with LED.

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Sign auction to raise funds for Berlin center

Retired street signs to be used in fundraiser for Berlin community center

By Tara Fischer Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) This summer, old street signs will be available for bidding via an online auction hosted by the Town of Berlin to raise money to support the municipality’s community center effort.

According to Sara Gorfinkel, executive assistant to Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall, the town’s public works team has spent the past two years replacing street signs with more up-to-date reflective tape and lettering to ensure compliance with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. The signs are now also

higher on poles than previously.

During this process, residents asked about Berlin’s plans for the old signage and if they could take or purchase them. This sparked the idea to organize an online auction for the banners. The proceeds from the sales will go toward the development of a planned community center in town.

Gorfinkel noted that the auction was Tyndall’s brainchild, while she created the sale site to “reflect the mission of the auction, information about the community center, and the Town of Berlin" and uploaded all of the signs, around 160, that will be available for bidding.

The auction will begin promptly at midnight on July 1 and is expected to last about two weeks. The town is using the ClickBid system for the initiative, which Worcester Preparatory School referred them to as the school uses it

for its silent auction fundraising efforts. The mayor’s assistant maintained that the site is “very user-friendly.”

The auction can be accessed at https://cbo.io/app/public/bidapp/to bm/auction.

To participate, on July 1, individuals can upload their credit card information, bid in increments of $5 on the signs, and even set a max bid for easy use.

“If there's one sign that you want, you can put in however much money you would be willing to spend on it, and then you can have the system bid for you in $5 increments,” Gorfinkel said. “If you say, ‘I really want this sign and I’ll pay $100 for it,’ then it will bid for you up to $100. Then it will tell you whether or not you need to add more money or if you did or didn’t get the sign.”

Gorfinkel said the base price for most signs will be $20, while the more vintage street markings will start at around $30 or $35.

The money from the auction will help the town’s community center come to fruition. Specifically, the proceeds

will be used for a historical display in the facility. While what exactly will be included in the exhibit is currently unknown, it could incorporate plaques, archive materials, or display boxes.

“We really want to highlight the history of Berlin and the families that have made Berlin what it is,” the executive assistant said. “We know that the archives and the history are really important to the Town of Berlin, so we are specifically raising money to put aside for that. We have the Taylor House Museum, so it won’t be anything on that level. Still, we want it to be peoplefocused and just a really good resource so people feel their history is reflected in the community center.”

The community center is an ongoing project for the Town of Berlin. The dream has been on the docket for decades, but has started to make headway over the past few years. The future structure, which will provide meeting space, recreational activities, services, and amenities, will be lo-

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OC TODAY-DISPATCH

Some of the signs set to be auctioned off by the Town of Berlin as an online fundraiser for the new community center are pictured.

Medical clinic to be added to new Buckingham school

By Brian Shane Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) A community medical clinic that will be built into in a future Berlin elementary school drew the attention of one county official this week during a schematic review of the project.

“We have the hospital; we have a number of medical facilities right there in Berlin. So, I’m just curious as to why that’s needed,” Commissioner Chip Bertino asked during Tuesday’s meeting of the county commissioners. “What’s the justification for it? That’s the part I’m missing.”

Throughout Maryland, public schools are including expanded medical care beyond a simple nurse’s office, especially for schools where the feeder population is impoverished, according to Worcester County Public Schools Superintendent Lou Taylor.

“We can bring the medical care to our kids,” he told the commissioners.

For Title I schools, where 40% or more of the population come from lowincome households, families may not be able to afford a doctor’s visit, or just don’t have access to medical care in their own communities, Taylor also said.

Buckingham is Worcester’s only Title I school in the north end of the county, “so it’s only purposeful that we house that there,” Taylor added.

Bertino (District 5, Ocean Pines) then wanted to know how much money a medical facility in the school would cost the Board of Education. Taylor said no taxpayer dollars would be touched, because the cost would be borne by the medical facility con-

tracted to provide services.

“We give the space, and then the hospital or medical facility that does it takes care of all that,” Taylor said.

The community medical space will be located in a far corner of the school, with its own separate exterior entrance. It would be accessible from the inside from both the administrative offices and the nurse’s station.

So far, there’s no medical provider contracted to occupy the space. To get there, the state outlines a process for the school system to follow, according to Annette Wallace, chief safety and academic officer. The board of education has partnered with Chesapeake Health for a similar medical space that services Pocomoke City-area schools, she added.

The conversation was part of the board of education’s broader presentation Tuesday of the new Buckingham Elementary, a $71.4 million facility scheduled to open for the 2029-30 school year. It will replace the current Buckingham property, built in 1978.

Taylor said the schematic design for the new Buckingham began in January and the school board approved it last month. This includes a floor plan, a site plan, and preliminary architectural renderings and elevations.

The 90,700-square-foot, two-story building will house classrooms for Grades 2, 3, and 4 upstairs, while prekindergarten classes will be closest to the gymnasium and cafeteria downstairs, according to architect Allison Shockley with design firm Becker Morgan Group.

See COMMISSIONER Page 86

Online auction begins July 1 for center fundraising effort

Continued from Page 82

cated at 130 Flower Street.

Advancement of the planned facility has been made possible via a partnership between the Town of Berlin, Berlin Community Improvement Association (BCIA), SHOREUP! Inc., and the Worcester County Commissioners, who worked to combine four parcels of property on Flower Street, formerly the site of the Flower Street School.

The upcoming auction is another initiative that will aid the center's creation.

Gorfinkel said that the bid contest will appeal to those who decorate with and collect street signs, specifically those who are nostalgic about the road they grew up on or currently live on. The town’s inventory of signage varies, and the executive assistant is excited to see participants’ responses.

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“William Street is really William Street, but sometimes it says, ‘Williams' with an S,” Gorfinkel said.

“We have one that is spelled W-I-L-LA-M. It’s missing the second I, so there are some unique signs that I think people will be interested in purchasing.”

Bid winners will be able to pick their signs up in Berlin sometime this summer. A time and place will be communicated at a later date. Additionally, if someone who lives far away buys a sign, they can pay an add-on fee to have their item shipped.

The auction will help Berlin reach the community center dream. If anyone does not want to bid or is unsuccessful in obtaining a sign, they can donate directly to the future facility efforts on the town’s ClickBid webpage.

“I am excited to see the response,” Gorfinkel said. “I’m hopeful we’ll be able to raise money for the community center.”

Some signs have seven of its type available, while others are one of a kind. “N Main Stree” signs, for instance, have multiple copies. Others are special in that they are misspelled.

Opinions

Weather can’t be taught to behave

Let’s face it, we might complain about the vagaries of coastal weather, but our only option is to do the best we can with what it gives us.

That was painfully apparent last weekend, when crummy conditions forced an early shutdown of the OC Air Show on Saturday and the show’s cancellation on Sunday.

That, however, is just the way things sometime work at the beach and there is nothing to be done about it. Ask any resort business operator and they will tell you that just a few days of bad weather can flush months of planning, business modeling, revenue and expense projections right down the storm drain.

Such occurrences of bad luck are especially difficult for events of a short duration, like the air show, to absorb. That’s most likely why, to answer some of the questions being asked by ticketholders, and those who booked lodging for the weekend, Air Dot Show handled the cancellation the way it did.

As for the people who asked why the show wasn’t rescheduled, the answer is that would have been impossible to do. The performers have tight schedules too and must move on to the next show, wherever it is.

Also asked was why air show management waited so long before it announced the cancellation. Answer: even a slim chance of brief Blue Angels appearance was worth waiting for if a window of opportunity opened.

And nonrefundable tickets? Air Dot Show is a business and businesses need money to cover their costs — plus a little profit — or they won’t be in business for long.

Like some of the outdoor entertainment venues in town, air shows are dependent on the weather, which means things might not work out.

When that happens, there’s nothing to be done except salvage what you can and hope to do better the next time around.

PUBLIC EYE

It’s time to get serious

With so much going on locally and around the world, it occurs to me that a better use for this space, at this time, would be to addresssome of the serious questions and circumstances that affect us all.

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By Stewart Dobson

Such as:

When men of a certain age do the grocery shopping, why do they do it with their mouths open?

Is it a law of physics or some other unseen force that draws them to center of the aisle, where they remain completely motionless for extended periods, obligating other shoppers to dodge, swerve and detour around them, as they gaze upwards ... with their mouths open?

Several possible explanations for this behavior come to mind.

• They have gone slack-jawed in thought as they ponder the great mysteries of the supermarket, including, “Where am I? What am I doing? How did I get roped into this? What is a gluten, anyway, and why does it have to be free?”

• They are struck dumb by the realization that after years of saying, “I know what I’m doing” they have arrived in a place where they have no idea what they’re doing.”

• Referencing reason number 2, they are emitting a silent scream.

***

This just in from the World of Medical Science: Numerous studies and tests have proven that, no, you do not have to wait 30 minutes after you’ve eaten to go swimming. Eating beforehand does not increase a per-

son’s risk of drowning. The fact is it simply makes no difference.

Your parents might have told you otherwise, but either they didn’t know what they were talking about, or they did know better but were lying so they could take a break from keeping an eye on you.

As for the not knowing aspect, you will find no comfort in pointing out to them that they really were wrong about some things.

Let’s say you drop in for a visit with mom and dad and there they are ... twisting up a couple of joints.

“Whoa!” you say. “What’s this, Dad? Aren’t you the one who told me, “that whacky weed will make you go crazy, boy.”

And he says, “Whaaaaaaaat? Got any candy bars?”

Contender, the 14-foot great white shark cruising around Hatteras Canyon 2o some miles off the Outer Banks doesn’t appear to be headed north. That’s nice to know, considering that Contender is the largest male great white ever recorded in the North Atlantic by the nonprofit marine life tracker OCearch.

We like to keep an eye on things like this because they provide interesting insights into our world.

This includes the documented fact that great whites also go shopping for food with their mouths open, suggesting that men in supermarkets aren’t befuddled, they’re busy thinking, “Dang, I’m hungry. I could eat this entire store and everyone in it.”

Another fascinating fact about a great white of this size, should you ever encounter one, is that it will not be concerned about whether you waited 30 minutes before going in the water.

Between the Lines

By Steve Green

It’s unclear today what changed over the last 16 months on public comments at Worcester County Commissioners meetings, but the outcome should be viewed as good news nonetheless. Government meetings should include an opportunity for citizens to address their elected representatives. It’s a simple conclusion, but an opinion not shared by some commissioners as recent as last year.

In February of 2024, following a motion by Commissioner Joe Mtirecic and a second by Diana Purnell, the commissioners voted against allowing a set time for public comments at their meetings. In support of the motion to allow citizens the opportunity to speak were Mitrecic, Purnell and Commissioner Ted Elder, while opposition came from Caryn Abbott, Chip Bertino, Jim Bunting and Eric Fiori. Strong comments against public comments came from the four dissenters who each expressed their own reasons. Bertino, then commission president, said, “A lot of times, sometimes, it can be a stage … for theatrics. It doesn’t necessarily improve a discussion.”

This week, a similar situation played out with Mitrecic once again motioning for public comments being added to the bi-weekly commissioner meetings. Fiori seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously without any statements from commissioners. Mitrecic said later he didn’t know what changed but he figured he would try again at this week’s meeting.

If I didn’t know better, based on the passionate opposition stated last year, I would think the other commissioners may just have drama fatigue over a difficult budget season and wanted to avoid more criticism. Or maybe they just accepted the horrendous optics of not allowing constituents to address them in a public meeting.

***

This week’s announcement of administration changes within Worcester County Public Schools came at an unfortunate time – the last day of school. The news was announced by the school system after most schools had adjourned for the year because the board of education reviewed the moves at its meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Therefore, for some parents and students, the news of losing a principal, for example, put a damper on end-of-year celebrations. Some parents were unaware of the changes until they read about them on social media.

There were a couple reasons behind the poor timing. While I understand the criticism, the logistics should prevent a repeat next year. First, the superintendent of school selection process pushed the administrative changes to the June meeting rather than the typical May meeting. If the news had come out in May per usual, principals would have been able to address the change with families and teachers before school let out. Finally, schools were supposed to close on Thursday, June 12 but three days were added due to snow closures.

***

Hoping for the best seems to be the mantra on Assateague Island National Seashore where there are no lifeguards this summer. There’s no justification to the popular beach at the national park not being guarded. At its best, it’s an unintended consequence associated with federal budget reductions. At its worst, it’s a tremendous public safety risk considering hundreds of people of all ages swim in the ocean at the federal park each day.

There has been no discussion of the situation in local governments, but neighboring Accomack County (home to the Virginia side of the national seashore) is contemplating options like providing its own personnel through the Town of Chincoteague or asking the state’s federal legislators to seek reconsideration by the administration. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine plans to try and address the matter through the federal budget process evidently. The problem is the timing is off and it’s unlikely at this point staff will be able to be hired for this summer. A major issue is also the fact visitors from other states are unaware the national seashore does not have lifeguards like it has had every other year. A small notice is included on Assateague’s website. It reads, “There are currently no lifeguards on Assateague Island National Seashore Beaches, in MD & VA. Beaches are open for swimming & other water activities. Visitors are urged to be aware of rip currents & plunging surf. Assateague State Park (MD) has lifeguards.” ***

The OC Air Show was plagued by weather last weekend, unfortunately. On Friday, I was able to sneak over to Ocean City to watch rehearsal day before the rain came.

While on the Boardwalk taking it all in, I watched as two retired men, twin brothers who both served in the Navy, cried together watching the Blue Angels perform. The whole patriotic pride aspect of these air shows is something that’s often forgotten by those of us who have not served our country. In between their tears of pride were eruptions of huge applause. I overheard their wives sitting on a nearby bench while smiling, saying it just means more to them. They were right.

Political tolerance needed within country Editor,

As a Patriotic American, the night of November 5, 2024 and the days following were joyful and hopeful. I felt positive and excited about the future for the first time in years. My husband and I prayed together, thanking God for giving America a chance to turn the “Ship of State” back to the ideas and principles of the founding. I also understood that not everyone agreed with us, but I thank God enough did.

The last few months have seen many positive pro-America policies put into effect. Some of President Trump’s policies have had immediate positive effects and for others we just need to wait and see. After four years of the Biden presidency (11 million plus illegal aliens and tons of fentanyl and other poisons flooding across our border; inflation completely out of control costing families like mine hundreds of additional dollars per month for gas and groceries and other essential goods; trillions of dollars more added to the national debt with nothing to show for it; and the absolute horror of the Afghanistan withdrawal- I could go on and on) I am more than willing to give President Trump and his policies a chance. I have always thought that motivation is the key to life - “Why do we do what we do?” I trust President Trump’s “America First“ motivations and I know that his policies are firmly rooted in that idea. I understand the trepidation some locals feel about the “one big beautiful bill”, but I urge my fellow Eastern Shore residents to give it a chance. A lot of the cuts to programs like Medicaid are targeted at

removing fraud and abuse so the program can continue to serve those who need and are legally entitled to it. We simply cannot go on spending two trillion dollars per year more than we take in. This bill lays the groundwork for getting the debt under control.

All that said, I simply do not understand the hatred and fear directed toward President Trump and his policies. President Biden’s policies starting on day one had immediate negative consequences for Americans like me. We “suffered in silence”, watching our nation being systematically undermined by our “leaders”. We saw decisions being made (who knows by whom?) and policies being put into place that in no way benefited America. We gritted our teeth and persevered in our daily lives and wondered when the American people were going to wake the heck up.

Thank God a majority of Americans did just that last November. Carol Frazier Ocean Pines

Lifeguards needed on Assateague beach

Editor,

I was a lifeguard for two years with the Ocean City Beach Patrol and 17 years with the Assateague Island National Seashore.

Over those years, I made numerous water rescues and responded to medical emergencies. There were no drownings on protected beaches (North Beach and Chincoteague).

Several days ago I read with disbelief that the Feds had determined lifeguards were “non-essential personnel,” and there would be no coverage at all.

Continued on Page 86

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Continued from Page 85

Anyone who lives or works around an ocean environment realizes how stupid, myopic and short-signed that decision is. They will post “no lifeguard on duty” and “swim at your own risk” signs and the state beach will respond if requested. These measures will be little if any help in an emergency that requires an immediate response. With this in mind there is a strong likelihood of fatalities on the seashore this season. I can only pray that I am wrong.

Nicholas Morris Berlin

All letters are subject to editing for clarity and potentially libelous material

A rendering shows the exterior of the new Buckingham Elementary School, which is estimated to be completed ahead of the 2029-2030 school year.

Commissioner questions clinic

Shockley shared other unique elements of the plans, such as the pick-up

and drop-off lane that would let 100 cars queue without spilling onto West Street. Energy-efficient glass will keep sunny parts of the building from overheating. A tiered amphitheater, one available for public events, will be built into a naturally occurring 8-foot slope on the property.

Plans also call for entrances and vestibules to be locked and accessible only to staff during school hours.

“We were thinking about safety before we even got started with the schematic design,” Shockley said.

Shockley added that this design phase will last through September. From there, Becker Morgan will draft

construction documents before getting final approval from the state next June. The bidding and permitting process will take most of 2026 before groundbreaking in May 2027. Construction is scheduled to last through summer 2029.

Notably, school officials this week also announced that Buckingham Elementary Principal Christina Welch would be moved into a new role for the 2025-26 school year. She’ll be overseeing the Judy Center, an early learning program with hubs at three elementary schools in the county, including Buckingham. The new Buckingham principal will be Danielle Jackson.

Photo by Stephen Pryce Lea

Photo

Longtime Worcester County clerk retiring

Colleagues, friends reflect on Harrington’s 40-plus year career at courthouse

By Brian Shane Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) Sherry Harrington got her first job at age 13, at Farlow’s Pharmacy in Berlin. She spent nights after school and weekends in the summer working for the late pharmacist Bennett Bozman.

By the end of the summer of 1977, a neighbor of her future husband invited her to come work for him. His name was Frank Hales, and he was the county’s elected Clerk of Court. She was 18.

“He hired me in his backyard,” she said.

Sherry never left. For 47 years, she’s been employed at the historic Worcester County Courthouse in Snow Hill. She’s worked under five county clerks, eight governors, and certainly seen her share of courtroom dramas.

Over time, she got married, raised a family, and became a grandmother.

Now, at age 66, Sherry is calling it a career. Last week her colleagues at

the courthouse threw her an intimate retirement party, one full of old friends and co-workers, where fond memories were shared.

Her last day on the job will be June 30.

“I’m excited,” Sherry said. “This is a new chapter of my life and I’m excited to start it. Little bit scary and it was a hard decision to make. But, I tell you, I’m honored to have worked for the Maryland Judiciary. It was a great experience.”

She could have retired 20 years ago, but she stuck around this long for one simple reason: she loved her job.

“It was challenging,” she said. “There was something new every day. I learned everything about all of the departments in the clerk’s office. And I’ve enjoyed it all.”

Her first duty was working in land records, sometimes having to do research from a library of handwritten record books dating to the 18th century.

“This is right where I started,” Sherry said of the windowless courthouse room where a spread of sweets and fruit were laid out for her retirement celebration. “My desk was right here. Of course, it was larger, because they renovated. There used to be a vault and that’s where we kept our exhibits from court.”

Today, though, “everything’s on the computer,” she remarked. “There certainly has been a lot of changes.”

Over the years, she moved up the ranks. She was the juvenile clerk, jury clerk, courtroom clerk, and then the supervisor for the criminal side of the courthouse office.

In 2013, Worcester County Clerk of Court Susan Braniecki appointed Sherry as her chief deputy, where she oversaw the entire office.

Braniecki, who’s worked with Sherry since 1986, said her institutional knowledge will be tough to replace.

“It’s hard to find somebody that stays with one organization this long, especially with changing times,” she said. “But she’s always there to help and give advice to newer and fresh people who might not know why we do the things we do. We’re going to miss her for that.”

Regan Smith, today an attorney in private practice, was an assistant prosecutor when Sherry was the courtroom clerk. He recalled how she was always making sure to keep the docket straight and that the evidence went where it was supposed to.

“We had like, 10, 12 cases we had to work through in a day, so we had to go very quickly,” he said. “Occasionally, one of us would miss something and she was always sure to

remind us. All the lawyers had tremendous respect for her and her ability. (The judge) would tell you he ran the courtroom – but, she did.”

Judge Dale Cathell smiled and recalled that Sherry was “just a baby” when she started her courthouse career.

It was Sherry who helped Cathell to develop a color-coded system for organizing mountains of paperwork, at a time when a judge could hear as many as five cases a day in circuit court. Sometimes, they’d be up until 2 a.m. keeping the files straight.

“She was always cheerful,” Cathell said. “She always brought humor to the courtroom, even when she was mad. And she’d be mad, occasionally – at me, sometimes! And when she did, I didn’t know what to do with her.”

Sherry received citations from the Maryland Judiciary, and from both state Sen. Mary Beth Carozza and Del. Wayne Hartman on behalf of the Maryland General Assembly. Hartman came to the Snow Hill courthouse in person to present the recognition.

“You don’t hear this anymore,” Hartman said. “I have a feeling there’s not going to be many more 47year citations. So well-deserved. Thank you for your service to the citizens of Worcester County.”

S. Harrington

Tentative deal reached over Wor-Wic teacher salaries

By Brian Shane Staff Writer

(June 20, 2025) Unionized teachers at Wor-Wic Community College say they have a tentative contract offer in hand after months of negotiations with the school to raise their pay.

Late Tuesday, the school offered a three-year contract with the Wor-Wic Community College Faculty Association, or WWCCFA, according to spokeswoman Laura Paddack. Salaries would be renegotiated annually under the terms of the agreement. A union vote for contract ratification could come in the next two weeks.

The contract offer comes after more than a year of collective bargaining, where the union claims to have been stonewalled for months by the college in its effort to collectively bargain for raises. About 40 of 70 full-time Wor-Wic teachers are in the union.

Paddack alleges the school tried to run out the clock on the prescribed time to negotiate by spending an extended amount of time on non-economic items, like office hours, discharge, issuing technology, effective dates of items, the college technology committee, and days on

campus.

Wor-Wic spokeswoman Gwenn Garland did not respond at press time to requests for comment.

Paddack said the union is considered to be “off contract” because the most recent collective bargaining agreement expired June 15. A new contract for 10-month employees would run from Aug. 15 to June 15.

Now, the union needs a two-thirds majority to confirm the new contract as presented. If ratification fails, then both sides would go back to the table and teachers would continue to work for another year under their prior agreement, according to Paddack.

Union members have made several claims about their employment. They say a majority of instructors are underpaid while school administrator salaries increase. Wor-Wic teachers don’t get tenure and are all at-will employees on two-year employment contracts, Paddack said.

The union also alleges that some departments are understaffed and lack adjunct instructors, which prevents full-time teachers from taking sick or personal leave.

“Despite months of attempts by the WWCCFA to negotiate with the Wor-Wic administration, there has

Pay increases not disclosed yet

been no movement toward WWCCFA’s requests to be compensated fairly,” the union said in a June 12 press release.

The union on Feb. 28 had presented its proposal for 7% teacher raises, according to a flyer distributed on campus. The contract offer that came in late June 17 does includes a salary increase, one that Paddack declined to disclose.

Most recently, the school and the union met for three hours on June 9 in a what was to be their final bargaining session. With 20 minutes left in the meeting, the school gave teachers a nonnegotiable counterproposal for raises of 2% to 4%, according to the union. Paddack said it left the union no time to consider the offer.

“We’re basically at a spot where we’re take it or leave it,” said Paddack, who’s also a longtime Wor-Wic English teacher. “They would not present their financial package to us until all the noneconomic stuff was finished. For the last year, we’ve been asking, and they insisted we deal with the other contractual items first. Sadly, we kept getting strung along and agreed to that.”

Following that bargaining session, union members sat in on the college’s June 12 Board of Trustees meeting, as a show of force for good-faith bargaining.

“We sat and listened to President [Deborah] Casey say that (Wor-Wic) wants to keep rolling unused funds over, year-after-year, for new sports initiatives – meanwhile, teachers who have been here for over a decade are still being paid below market value,” math teacher and union member Pamela Jones said in a prepared WWCCFA statement.

Some concessions were made in the union’s favor, Paddack noted, but they were made blindly without knowing what the financial package would be. Those concession include lowering required days on campus from four to three, and dropping required weekly office hours from five to four.

The Wor-Wic teachers’ union is still relatively new. It formed in 2023 after the Maryland legislature changed state law in 2021 to allow community college staff to unionize. The organization says it has the backing of the state teachers’ union, the Maryland State Education Association, or MSEA.

“A take-it-or-leave-it negotiation tactic does a disservice to both the faculty and the board,” said MSEA Managing Director Tamara Robinson in a statement. “We all want Wor-Wic to be positioned to serve the community, and the faculty who have stood by the college expect only fair working conditions.”

Soviet Union parade served as war’s victory celebration

Marshals rode white, black stallions to kick off event with music, much fanfare

By Peter Ayers Wimbrow III Contributing Writer

(June 20, 2025) This week, 80 years ago, General of the Army Aleksei Antonov, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, ordered a parade to celebrate his country’s victory over Germany. The order commanded that each Front (roughly the equivalent of an army group) would be represented by a combined Front regiment of 1,059 soldiers. The order dictated how each, “. . . combined regiment will be armed....” The order directed the combined regiments to arrive in Moscow on June 10, “. . . having 36 combat colors from selected Front units that are the most distinguished in action and all the captured enemy standards, whatever the number selected to be carried in the parade proper.”

The Supreme Commander-inChief, Armed Forces of the USSR and concurrent People’s Commissar of State for National Defense, Marshal

of the Soviet Union Joseph V. Stalin, in an order published on June 22 in the country’s major newspapers, ordered that Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov would be the Parade Inspector, while Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky would command the Victory Parade itself. Preparations and parade organization were assigned to Col. Gen. Pavel Artemyev who was commanding gen-

Continued on Page 90

24 Hour Awake Staff

Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky, wearing two Hero of the Soviet Union stars

eral of the Moscow Military District and commanding officer in charge of the Moscow City Garrison.

On June 24, 1945, at 10 a.m., Marshals Zhukov and Rokossovsky entered Red Square from opposite ends. Marshal Zhukov rode a white stallion and Marshal Rokossovsky a black stallion. The band of 1,400 musicians, conducted by Maj. Gen. Sergei Chernetsky, played “Glory to the Russian People.”

The two marshals met in front of the Lenin Mausoleum, and together rode in front of the assembled soldiers, sailors and airmen, saluting them as they passed. Then they returned to the Lenin Mausoleum, where Marshal Zhukov dismounted, took the rostrum and addressed the assembled soldiers, sailors, airmen and citizens, which address was broadcast, by radio, to the nation.

He congratulated, “...the brave Soviet soldiers and all the people with the Great Victory over Nazi Germany.” As the band played the national anthem, Marshal Zhukov took his place on the dais, above Lenin’s tomb, with Marshals Stalin, Semyon Budenny and Kliment I Voroshilov, Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov and Interior Minister Levantry Beria. In May 1995 on his 100th birthday, a statue of Marshal Zhukov on that stallion was unveiled just outside Red

Square.

Following Marshal Zhukov’s address, Marshal Rokossovsky led the victorious Red Army in review. The following Fronts were represented in the parade: Karelian, led by Maj. Gen. Grigory Kalinovsky and Marshal Kirill Meretskov; Leningrad, led by Maj. Gen. Andrei Stuchenko and Marshal Leonid Govorov; First Baltic, led by Lt. Gen. Anton Lopatin and General of the Army Ivan Bagramyan; First Belorussian, led by Maj. Gen. Ivan Rosly and Col. Gen. Kusma Trubnikov.

Leading the Second Belorussian, were Lt. Gen. Konstantin Erastov and General of the Army Vasily Sokolovsky; Third Belorussian, led by Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky; First Ukranian, led by Maj. Gen. Gleb Baklanov and Marshal Ivan Konev; Second Ukranian, led by Lt. Gen. Ivann Afonin and General of the Army Andrei Yeremenko; Third Ukranian, led by Maj. General Nikoli Biryukov and Marshal Rodion Malinovsky.

The Fourth Ukranian was led by Lt. Gen. Andre Bonddarev and Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin; Fleet, land and air personnel of the Soviet Navy, under Navy Contingent Commander Vice-Admiral Vladimir Fadeev; Moscow Military District Armed Forces of the Soviet Union under Garrison and District Commander Col. Gen. Pavel Artemyev. The First

Polish Army Color Guard Company led by chief of the Army General Staff, Gen. W adys aw Korczyc, was the only non-Soviet unit in the parade.

Because of inclement weather, the fly-over, which would have been led by Chief Marshals of Aviation Alexander Novikov and Alexander Golovanov, was cancelled.

From 1946 onward, the parade was held on May 9, which became, and is still, a national holiday —Victory Day. In 1995, for the 50th Anniversary, 6,000 veterans marched in review in Red Square. Again, they were separated into their respective Fronts. President and First Lady Clinton were on the reviewing stand with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and other leaders of Allied countries and Russian dignitaries.

The standard Russian military parade was held later in the day on Kusnetsovskaya Prospekt to commemorate the opening of the WWII Memorial & Exhibition on Poklonnaya Gorra. It was supposed to rain that day, as well, but, thanks to scientific advances, and the disbursement of $250,000, it didn’t rain on the Russian parade!

In 2005, the veterans rode in trucks before the reviewing stand. In attendance were Presidents Putin and Bush, the leaders of other Allied

Continued on Page 91

DAVID REED KRUPER

Bishopville

David Reed Kruper, 78, of Bishopville and Smithton, Pa., passed away peacefully at his home in Maryland on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Reed, as he was known to his friends and family, was born on July 14, 1946 in Mount Pleasant, Pa., son of the late John H. and Donna M. (Durstine) Kruper, and spent his childhood in Smithton and McKeesport, Pa.

He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Mary Frances (Miller) Kruper; daughter Amanda Lynn (Kruper) Evans, son-in-law, David Christian Evans; two grandchildren, Olivia Grace and Isaac Reed Evans; two brothers, Bennett Dean Kruper and sister-in-law, Brenda, of Terra Haute, Ind. and Todd Curtis Kruper of Fair Haven, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Reed graduated from South Huntington High School, Ruffsdale, Pa., and Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, West Mifflin Pa., and was a United States Air Force veteran, 19641968. He was an airplane mechanic, was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., and had a tour in Thailand during the Vietnam War. By trade, Reed was an electrical contractor and previous owner of Kruper Contracting, Inc. He also worked for Pratt Whitney Aircraft, West Palm Beach, Fla., US Steel, West Mifflin, Pa., GC Murphy Co. and Canova Electric, both in McKeesport, Pa., and retired from Donegal Center, Donegal, Pa., owned by the late Robert Bruno, one of his many mentors.

Spending time with his grandchildren was his favorite thing in the world, whether he was singing in the truck with Olivia on the ride home from school or creating a train village in his garage for Isaac, these moments brought his biggest smiles. He was known around town as a handyman and was known to accept peach pie as payment for his work. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, time at his friend Jack’s cabin and his vacation beer (Corona with a lime) on the beach in Ocean City. In retirement, he enjoyed woodworking and gun repair. In both of his homes, his garage was always open for visitors.

Reed followed in his parent’s footsteps by always being involved in his community. He was the mayor of Smithton for two terms, a lifetime member of Lt. Wayne F. Forsythe American Legion, Post 790, where he was the commander for many years, Marion Masonic Lodge #562, and the Smithton Volunteer Fire Department, member of Hope Memorial Lutheran Church, where he served on church council, Sons of the American Revolution Captain John Smoot Chapter, Delmarva Irish American

David R. Kruper

OBITUARIES

Continued from Page 89

Club, and National Rifle Association. Family and friends may pay their respects at his Celebration of Life on June 22, 2- 4 p.m., at Mio’s, Selbyville, Del. or at his Memorial at L L Barthels Funeral Home, Smithton, Pa. on June 28 at 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hope Memorial Lutheran Church, PO Box 771 Smithton, Pa. 15479 or Coastal Hospice, 1500 Ocean Parkway, Berlin, Md. 21811.

IRVA

LILLIE HARP

Berlin

Irva Lillie Harp, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2025, at the age of 94.

Born in Philadelphia on June 28, 1930, to Leonard and Sarah Seither, Irva was a loving and steady presence in the lives of all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her

WORLD WAR II

Continued from Page 89

countries and most of the former Soviet Republics. For the first time, Germany’s Chancellor and Japan’s Prime Minister were present, even though a peace treaty between Russia and Japan has never been signed.

In 2015, the U.S. and other Western countries boycotted the celebration and recognition of the enormous sacrifice the U.S.S.R. made to help in the defeat of the Axis countries. The soldiers, sailors and airmen were led by a color guard carrying The Red Banner raised by Soviet soldiers above the Reichstag, in Berlin, in May 1945, followed by the Russian flag.

The banners of the former Soviet Fronts were carried by soldiers wearing period uniforms. Soldiers from India, China, Serbia, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus were among the 16,000 participants that day.

The veterans were accorded a place of honor in the second row of the reviewing stand behind the leaders of foreign counties and President Putin. Presidents Raúl Castro and Nicolás Maduro were there, but President Obama was not!

There were also parades in: Minsk, Belarus; Yeravan, Armenia; and Donetsk. Ukraine held its parade, in Kyiv, on May 8.

Thanks to the miracle of the internet, all these parades can be seen on “You Tube,” in the comfort of your home.

Next: Mindanao

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own. He can be contacted at wimbrowlaw@gmail.com

beloved husband, Edward Harp, who passed in 2013 after 64 wonderful years of marriage. Irva is survived by her daughter, Barbara Miccolupi of York, Pa., and her son, Edward Harp and his wife Deborah of Berlin, MD.

She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: Gregory Harp (Gretchen) of Macungie, Pa.; Christine Reptsik (Joshua) of Berlin; Christopher Miccolupi of York, PA; and Daniel Miccolupi (Lydia) of York, Pa.

Her great-grandchildren include Amber Plachko (Jacob) of Kutztown, Pa.; Mackenzie Harp and Camryn Harp of Macungie, PA; and Isabell, Monica, and Josephine Miccolupi of York, Pa. Irva is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

Irva raised her family in Allentown, Pa., while working in retail before retiring to Cape Coral, Florida, in 1988. She later moved to Berlin in 2008, where she continued to share her warmth and kindness with everyone around her.

A private celebration of Irva’s life will be held at a future date for immediate family.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.burbagefuneralhome.com.

NORMAN ‘KIRK’ SCOTT

Berlin

Norman “Kirk” Scott, age 59, passed away on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at his home in Berlin.

Born in Salisbury, he was the son of Mary Shockley Williams, Norman Frederick “Freddie” Scott, and his stepfather, Calvin F. Williams.

Kirk graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 1983. He then attended Wesley College and Salisbury University. After college, he worked in the hospitality industry mainly in Ocean City. He was a lifelong enthusiast of sports cars and his love for motorcycles was just as deep. A loyal HarleyDavidson rider, Kirk made an annual trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, for Bike Week, where he found community among fellow riders and joy in the roar of the rally. These trips were sacred to him—part escape, part celebration of the freedom he cherished.

When not riding or driving, Kirk could be found at his local gym, where he took tremendous pride in his workouts and desire to stay fit.

In addition to his parents, he is also survived by his daughter, Ashley Baer (Dan), a brother, Michael Williams (Rita), two grandchildren, Ava Baer and Daniel Baer, two nephews, Blake Williams and Luke Williams, a half-sister, Renee Scott, and his special uncle, William “Bill” Shockley.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bethany United Methodist Church, 8648 Stephen Decatur Highway, Berlin, Md. 21811. A reception and fellowship immediately following service. Letters of condolence can be sent to the family via www.burbagefuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of The Burbage Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Norman Kirk Scott can be made to the American Diabetes Association at www.diabetes.org.

OBITUARY NOTICES

Obituary Notices cost $50 per week for Print and Online Publications. E-mail: editor@octodaydispatch.com Mail: 11934 Ocean Gateway, Suite 6, Ocean City, Md. 21842 Fax: 410-723-6511 $ .

Irva Harp

Norman Scott

PHOTOS COURTESY FISH IN OC

Hannah Melvin released the first white marlin of the Ocean City season at 7:25 a.m. on Saturday, June 14 while fishing on the Wrecker with Captain Bobby Layton. The ladies also scored some tuna.

Above right, Captain Dale Lisi of Foolish Pleasures had a great day in the Washington Canyon putting this group on 13 yellowfin tuna.

PHOTOS COURTESY FISH IN OC

The lady anglers on the Instigator, above left, took top honors in the stringer category in the Tuna & Tiaras with 327 pounds of tuna. The largest tuna of the Tuna & Tiaras Tournament was this 185.5 pound bigeye caught by the ladies of team Sea Hag, above center. This crew, above right, had an awesome day on board the Boss Hogg with Captain Brian Porter when they put 16 fat yellowfin tuna in the boat.

Below left, this big knothead sea bass was the fish pool winner on board the Morning Star with Captain Monty Hawkins. Below middle, Judy Schaible was at it again on the Ocean Princess with Captain Victor Bunting landing three very nice keeper flounder over 20 inches. Below right, Austin caught this big 22-inch flounder while fishing on the On the Run with Captain Dave Ca rey.

Sports & Recreation

in last weekend’s Tuna & Tiaras ladies tournament. See page 92 for more tourney photos.

Ladies tuna fishing tourney gives $143K in prize money

By Steve Green Executive Editor

(June 20, 2025) Last weekend’s Tuna & Tiaras Ladies Only Tuna Tournament featured 63 all lady teams competing for over $143,000 in prize money. Approximately 4,592 pounds of tuna were caught over two days. The final boat results were as follows:

Daily Heaviest Tuna: Sea Hag, 185 pounds, $6,075; Reel Chaos, 111.5 pounds, $6,075

Daily Heaviest Tuna Stringer: Instagator, 327 pounds, $5,670; Playmate, 140.5 pounds, $5,670

Single Tuna: Sea Hag, 185.5 pounds, $22,500

Stringer Split: Instagator, 327 pounds, $9,900; Sea Hag, 287

pounds, $5,940; Sea Flame, 212.5 pounds, $3,960

Stringer: Instagator, 327 pounds, $15,750

Single Tuna Split: Sea Hag, 185.5 pounds, $13,387; Instagator, 146.5 pounds, $8,032; Reel Chaos, 111.5 pounds, $5,355

Mahi: Water Damage, 10.5 pounds, $8,325

Small Boat Single: Off The Hook, 46.5 pounds, $2,700

Small Boat Stringer: Tom Cat, 138 pounds, $2,475

Women Supporting Women, Sea Hag, 185.5 pounds, $3,150

Captains Calcutta: Sea Hag, 185.5 pounds, $18,900

Route 113 Outboard Jacket: Off The Hook, 46.5 pounds, $5,000

SEASON’S FIRST WHITE MARLIN CAUGHT

One of the most anticipated catches of the summer season is the first white marlin. On Saturday, June 14, around 7:25 a.m., the Wrecker, captained by Bobby Layton and mated by Zach Little and Cody Smith, reported angler Hannah Melvin caught and released the first marlin of the season offshore. The catch will earn $5,000 from the Town of Ocean City. With the Wrecker a member of the Ocean City Marlin Club, the catch is eligible for the club’s annual $5,000 prize as well. The marlin was released.

This year’s catch came about two weeks later than last year when the first white marlin was caught on June 2. In 2023, the first white marlin of the season was also caught and released on June 2. In 2022, the first white marlin was reeled in on June 7. The year prior to that, the town recorded a white marlin catch and release on May 23, the earliest date ever recorded since records have been kept by the Ocean City Marlin Club. The latest catch date ever recorded for a white marlin was July 20, 1936.

The team on the Off The Hook won about $7,700 for its single tuna of 45.5 pounds and the stringer of 113.5 pounds

PHOTO COURTESY FISH IN OC