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JULY 26, 2019
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
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Annual Ocean City event to feature assortment of food, music and vendors this weekend – Page 26
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Brutal heat claims a life in Worcester State health dept. confirms temperature-related death
MORGAN PILZ/OCEAN CITY TODAY
SIGNED ON The Fenwick Inn and OC 360 sign at 138th Street rests on two parked cars Tuesday after collapsing during the heavy storm and strong winds that battered the area overnight. No injuries were reported. On the upside, the storm was caused by the clash created when a cool front pushed its way east and ended the heat wave of last week.
Worker video calls for great service Chamber, HMRA believe employees will help push OC above its competitors By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (July 26, 2019) Training staff to be friendly and conversant about Ocean City’s pleasures and services is the intent of a video being developed by the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce and the Ocean City HotelMotel-Restaurant Association. HMRA Executive Director Susan Jones said the concept is to produce a welcome video that resort businesses can use with new employees to help them generate a culture of kindness. “Over the last year, we’ve talked
about how we make Ocean City different than other destinations because we are competing globally,” she said. “Obviously, service in one way that people can comSusan Jones pete.” Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Melanie Pursel said this spring the organizations worked on a handful of management-level customer service training sessions. “How to impower your frontline staff with customer service skills and decision making,” she said. While enlightening leadership is critical, Pursel said the experience
helped this latest effort to relate the need for stellar customer service directly to employees. “We thought it would be a good idea to put together a video Melanie Pursel that each employer could incorporate into their onboarding or training that was universal across the entire city,” she said. “It’s about customer service and making [staff] feel how they’re a part of making this city run.” Jones said the pair realized the proposed platform would provide an ideal means to present a unified message for new hires at numerous resort See WORKER Page 70
By Rachel Ravina Staff Writer (July 26, 2019) A Worcester County woman suffered a “heat-related death,” Maryland Health Department officials confirmed last Thursday. The woman was not identified, and state officials would say only that she was between the ages of 45 and 64 years old. Fur- Travis Brown ther, beyond acknowledging that heat was a factor, officials said the other circumstances leading up to her death were unknown. What is an accepted fact, however, is that the temperatures and the end of last week were brutal. Temperatures skyrocketed during a heat wave See LAST Page 70
Charges filed after attack on lifeguards By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (July 26, 2019) After a bystander video captured a young woman assaulting an Ocean City lifeguard earlier this month, the two Beach Patrol members she allegedly attacked while being escorted off the beach filed charges on Saturday. Police arrived on the beach by 13th Street shortly after JenSee WOMAN Page 71
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JULY 26, 2019
Ocean City Today
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JULY 26, 2019
PAGE 3
Ocean City Today
Communications shelter bid proposal rejected by county The cost, however, caused the By Rachel Ravina commissioners to hit the brakes. Staff Writer (July 26, 2019) Worcester “This is a ridiculous number for County’s Department of Emergency this building,” said Worcester County Services will revise a proposal to ren- Commissioner Joseph Mitrecic. “I’m ovate its communications shelter in sorry I can’t support it.” “I know we Snow Hill after having its plan unan- need it and it needs to be done, but imously rejected by the county com- you could have a local company come in and (build it in place) and it would missioners last Tuesday. Billy Birch, director of the depart- be much cheaper than this.” ment of emergency services, said James Hamilton, emergency serv$300,000 had been allocated in the ices assistant director, acknowledged 2018 budget to replace the 12-foot by Mitrecic’s reservations. “…We recognize how large of a 28-foot structure. That money was number this is and carried over to the 2019 budget, Birch we want to make said, and now ‘This is a ridiculous number for sure there’s no surthis building... needed to be incorprises,” Hamilton porated in this I’m sorry I can’t support it.’ said. year’s financial Worcester County Worcester County Commissioners plan. Commissioner, President Diana His proposal, Joseph Mitrecic however, was to Purnell also questioned the shelter’s spend $374,000 plus possible overexpense. “Anything specific within this ages for a complete replacement building to be constructed by a Penn- building that make[s] it cost so sylvania company. much because it sounds like you can The communications shelter, buy one of those sheds?” she asked. which houses a generator and com- “I mean really, you can buy one of munications equipment such as those sheds for a couple thousand radio, fiber optic and microwave sys- dollars.” Additionally, Birch noted the “sigtems, sits under a water tank adjacent to the Worcester County Government nificant amount of fiber optic, microwave and other items” could lead Center in Snow Hill. The fiberglass and wood structure to up to $75,000 in additional exwas manufactured in 1994 for the penses. It’s unclear how much the state, state, and was relocated to Worcester County between 1998 and 2001, ac- which also uses the facility for its cording to county personnel. The equipment, would contribute. generator is nearly 20 years old. Bertino moved to deny the bidding Commissioner Chip Bertino said selection and over expenditure and calling the building a “shack” would asked Birch to revise the proposal. be a polite characterization, but that Commissioner Ted Elder seconded the motion. it did provide a vital service.
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