Responding to a Delaware lawsuit, feds say they’ll take another look at their approval of US Wind’s construction and operations plan.— PAGE 18 ‘Miracle on 65th
Children’s House by the Sea II, respite for young cancer patients, built with donations, contributions and a little cash — PAGE 78
By Steve Green Executive Editor
(Aug. 8,2025) Fears of unfavorable offshore conditions led to an 11% drop in participation from last year’s White Marlin Open, but the tournament still offers a $7.2 million purse for anglers with one local boat hoping for a $4.2 million pay day.
This year’s White Marlin Open will have 282 boats vying for a $7.2 million purse. Unfavorable offshore conditions reduced participation, particularly among the smaller boats. For comparison, last year brought 318 boats seeking a share of $8.59 million in prize money. In 2023, for the 50th anniversary event, 400 boats competed for a record $10.5 million. With offshore conditions expected to worsen late in the week, this year’s tournament has been extended to a fish three out of seven day tournament with fishing days extended to Sunday (rather than Friday). Last year’s tournament was extended by a day due to offshore wave conditions.
In its pre-tournament update, White Marlin Open officials acknowledged, “Two years in a row, Mother Nature has not been kind, but it hasn’t slowed down the spirit of the WMO.”
This year’s registration of 282 is the lowest since 2013 but unlike back then the purse is $7.2 million compared to $2.47 million.
In its first year in 1974, the White Marlin open attracted 57 boats with a total payout of $100,000.
The following is a look at the tournament’s participation and purse by year dating back to 2005.
2025: 282/$7.2 million
2024: 318/$8.5 million
2023: 400/$10.5 million
2022: 408/$8.6 million
2021: 444/$9.2 million
2020: 433/$6.8 million
2019: 404/$6.1 million
2018: 382/$5.45 million
2017: 353/$4.97 million
2016: 329/$4.42 million
2015: 307 $3.9 million
2014 288/$2.77 million.
2013: 262/$2.47 million
2012: 253/$2.3 million
2011: 237/$2.13 million
2010: 255/$2.13 million
2009: 298/$2.2 million
2008: 300/$2.3 million
2007: 396/$3.1 million
2006: 428/$3.14 million
2005: 449/$2.7 million
Big blue marlin wins day one
There were 128 boats fishing on Monday and the big news was the 920pound blue marlin brought in by the Barbara B. The crew of the Barbara B of Atlantic Beach, N.C. had themselves a memorable day – hooking the massive blue marlin – the fifth largest in tournament history – as well as a firstplace dolphin, a 32.5-pound beauty.
The blue marlin was boated by Timonium resident Drew Osmeyer and reportedly only took about 20 minutes to get into the boat. A gaff was used to secure the blue marlin, resulting in some deformities to the fin area, but the fish was deemed legal by tournament officials. The blue marlin stood to earn $4.47 million after one day of fishing.
The 32.5-pound dolphin, caught by Essex resident Andrew Schreiber on the Barbara B., stood in first place as of Thursday morning and was worth about $54,800.
Also, on Monday, two tuna were weighed in at the exact same amount, 52.5 pounds. First was the C-Student out of Southside Place, Texas, with the yellowfin caught by Kelley Megarity worth $152,000 after one day of fishing. Then came the Bow Down of Cape May, N.J., weighing in a 52.5-
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By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) Chris Larmore, the former Ocean City fire chief who oversaw the merger of the department’s career and volunteer divisions, has died.
The Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) announced his passing in a statement Wednesday.
“It is with our deepest regret that we announce the passing of Life Member 101, Past Volunteer Fire Chief and the Town of Ocean City’s first Career Fire Chief, Christopher N. Larmore,” the statement reads. “Chief Larmore answered his last alarm on August 5, 2025.”
Larmore assumed the role of fire chief in 2008, during one of the department’s most tumultuous periods.
Around that time, disagreements between the volunteers, who felt the company was being pushed aside, and the paid department, who wanted to grow to be the primary provider of fire and rescue service, erupted into public view.
The dissension among both parties, as well as community members, led the city to create a work group, which resulted in the merger of the volunteer fire company, the career fire/EMS division, and the fire marshal’s office into a united Ocean City Fire Department.
From there, the council voted to appoint Larmore, then the company’s fire chief, as the department’s new leader. Larmore volunteered to do the job for nothing but was ultimately given a salary to make him an official city employee.
Larmore would oversee the department for more than a decade.
“Chief Larmore, Life Member #101, was instrumental in combining the Volunteer Fire Company, Career Fire/EMS Division, and Fire Marshal’s Office into the combined Ocean City Fire Department we proudly operate today,” a statement from the fire department reads. “In honor of Chief Larmore’s service, Mayor Rick Meehan has ordered all Ocean City flags to be flown at half-staff.”
fast food joint, or even a car dealership.
“Residential development is going to be less impactful in every single respect,” he said.
By Brian Shane Staff Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) A new site plan for a mixed-use, multi-family development project along the Route 589 corridor could be in the works after Worcester County officials rezoned a 23-acre property from commercial to residential.
Attorney Hugh Cropper told the County Commissioners on Tuesday that the R-3 Multifamily Residential zoning would be less impactful than the existing C-2 General Commercial zoning, because housing would generate far less traffic than other commercial uses like a convenience store,
After an hour of presentation and discussion, the commissioners voted to approve the rezoning in a 6-0 vote with Commissioner Caryn Abbot absent.
In 2013, the property on the east side of Route 589 (Racetrack Road) opposite Taylorville Lane was rezoned from agricultural to commercial. But neighbors appealed the rezoning, and had it reset back to agricultural. Cropper said, at the time, he appealed to the courts and won, so the commercial zoning was re-instated.
From there, the property owners –Maryland Medical Owners II, LLC and Maryland Medical Owners III, LLC – made plans for a 100,000
square foot medical campus operated by Atlantic General Hospital on the 23-acre property, including four operating rooms, specifically for elective surgeries.
If completed, it would have included ancillary services like pharmacies, physical therapy and a wellness center, and would have rivaled AGH’s flagship Berlin hospital in size, Cropper noted.
The project was fully fleshed-out and had earned site plan approval from county officials. However, because of changes to Maryland’s hospital funding model, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, this development plan proved untenable, and the original vision was scaled down.
you’d have to go into Ocean Pines,” he said.
While the Route 589 parcel does butt up against Ocean Pines, any development here would be a standalone enclave and would not provide any vehicular points of access into the Ocean Pines roadway system, Cropper also noted.
When Cropper quoted from the county’s draft comprehensive plan, saying the availability of affordable housing is a major factor in the sustainability of the local economy and quality of life, it elicited a question from Commissioner Chip Bertino (District 5, Ocean Pines).
“Define affordable housing,” Bertino asked Cropper. “How much are we talking about?”
The owners ultimately cut their project in half and built a smaller outpatient medical center, now the Gudelsky Family Medical Center, on the property.
Now, the owners are targeting residential development, Cropper told the Worcester County Commissioners at their Tuesday meeting. Cropper estimated the new R-3 zoning designation could permit a density of up to 137 townhouse units.
‘Okay, so, affordable housing is really a relative elastic term, depending on what the developer decides to do, as opposed to affordable housing being pegged to specific square footage or cost.’
Hugh Cropper,
Attorney
Cropper hedged.
“I can tell you these multifamily units would be more affordable than, say, the houses in Pennington Commons,” he said.
“Well, I would hope they would be,” Bertino said, “but are we talking $200,000 to $300,000? $300,000 to $400,000? Somewhere? Or is it yet to be determined?
Anything more than 20 homes is considered a major residential planned community and faces a litany of governmental check-ins along the way, according to Jennifer Keener, the county’s director of development review and permitting. Even if a builder moved fast, it could take 18 to 24 months, she told the commissioners.
Cropper noted that, up and down the Route 589 corridor, there are no housing options that front the roadway.
“We have no multifamily, we have no workforce, we have no apartments;
“I don’t know how to quantify that,” Cropper replied.
“Okay, so, affordable housing is really a relative elastic term, depending on what the developer decides to do,” Bertino said, “as opposed to affordable housing being pegged to specific square footage or cost.” Cropper agreed.
Moving forward, Cropper said the next step for the property is for the county’s planning commission, and ultimately the county commissioners, to review a residential community site plan, but there’s no timeline for when that might occur.
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tired last summer after 18 years on the bench.
with the occasional paid day off or holiday.
By Brian Shane Staff Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) State prosecutors have charged retired Worcester County District Court Judge Gerald V. Purnell with misconduct in office for knowingly allowing a longtime law clerk to falsify timesheets while still collecting a full salary.
Prosecutors also cited his former clerk, 46-year-old Bridget Lowrie, with misconduct in office. The complaint against both is civil, not criminal, and prosecutors are asking for both Purnell and Lowrie to be fined a penalty of $10,000. Each is scheduled for trial on Sept. 15. Purnell re-
Complaints for both were filed July 30 in Anne Arundel County District Court, saying Purnell failed to notify the judiciary about the conditions of his law clerk’s employment. In the affidavit pertaining to Purnell, Lowrie was identified only by her initials, B.L., while Lowrie’s affidavit does not name Purnell, referring only to “a district court judge.”
Prosecutors say from 2020 until her June 2024 resignation, Lowrie submitted timesheets attesting she worked eight hours a day for five days a week, totaling 40 hours a week,
And while Lowrie did aide Purnell occasionally with administrative duties and performed research assignments, she was paid for a full-time job without actually working 40 hours a week – and Purnell let it happen, according to prosecutors. The complaint alleges Lowrie received paychecks totaling approximately $485,000 over a decade.
According to court documents, they knew each other because Lowrie had appeared before Purnell in his Snow Hill courtroom when she worked as assistant state’s attorney.
In January 2015, Purnell offered Lowrie a full-time clerk position; he had hiring authority as the District Two administrative judge overseeing the Lower Eastern Shore. At the time,
Lowrie was already working full-time as an adjunct professor at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills.
Even as she became employed by Purnell in April of 2015, Lowrie continued to work in that role, teaching courses in criminal justice and paralegal studies, according to court documents.
“Consistent with what he understood to be the practice of the prior Administrative Judge,” Purnell’s affidavit says, “Purnell intended that B.L. would assist him along. He offered B.L. a full-time salary but agreed that she would work as needed at the request and direction of Purnell.”
By December 2020, as the COVID19 pandemic raged and many state employees worked from home, the state judiciary implemented a new timekeeping system called Connect. All employees were now required to enter actual time worked and submit for approval by a supervisor.
While Purnell, 69, was responsible for approving her timesheets, he typically delegated that task to others on the administrative staff, according to a July 24 affidavit from the Office of the State Prosecutor.
“He allowed them to be submitted as showing that she was working full days even though Purnell was aware that B.L. was not working eight hours per day or 40-hours per week,” court documents state.
Lowrie was still employed fulltime with both the courts and at Chesapeake College when she took on another job in August 2023, teaching criminal justice courses at a different college which the affidavit did not identify.
By March 2024, the courts established a new policy on outside employment: Judiciary staffers would now have to start submitting any outside or secondary employment into the Connect software, Mandatory details included the name of the outside employer, job title and duties, start date, whether the role was paid or unpaid, and hours worked.
Lowrie contacted Judge Purnell to talk about the new policy. After that conversation, she decided that she would not complete the form, according to court documents.
At the same time, another new policy outlawed more than one day per week of telework, and required employees sign an agreement acknowledging the policy. Prosecutors say Lowrie also declined to sign the new teleworking agreement.
A few weeks later, on June 7, senior members of the court expressed concern that, despite Lowrie being a 10-year employee of Judge Purnell, some judiciary employees “had not seen her and did not know who she was,” court documents state.
Five days later, the human resources department asked Lowrie to
By Brian Shane Staff Writer
(August 8, 2025) To aid in future development along the Route 589 corridor, Worcester County is considering – but not promising – an extension of water and sewer lines.
Public Works Director Dallas Baker on Tuesday told the county commissioners that his department commissioned a study to evaluate new sewerage service on Route 589 (Racetrack Road) south of Pennington Commons but north of Route 50. The Salisbury-based engineering firm George, Miles & Buhr conducted the study.
While the county has no plans for water sewer service in the area for now, developers have been asking, Baker said.
“The question they ask us is: what do we have to put there? What size pipes? Where do the force mains have to go? What are the lift station requirements?” he said. “Our goal with this study is to answer that question, provide a framework, so when these developers come in, they’re aware of what the county’s needs are.”
The engineering study divided the Route 689 corridor into two sub-sections, with Turville Creek being the dividing line, according to an internal county memo.
The first zone, above Turville Creek, is bound by Gum Point Road to the south and Nottingham Lane to the north. It could have 536 EDUs for an average daily flow of 134,000 gallons per day.
The second zone, below the creek, would extend along the west side of Racetrack Road and butt against Route 50. A portion also extends to the east side of Racetrack Road, at the crossroads of Route 50 and Grays Corner Road. It would have 363 total EDUs for a flow of 90,750 gallons per day.
Each zone would have its own regional sewage lift station, served by a combination of sewer force mains, gravity sewer mains, and water
mains. Sewage collected would be pumped to the existing Ocean Pines treatment plant.
Baker told the commissioners that the fewer pump stations built, the less costly it would be to maintain the system, because each comes with pumps that eventually need replacement and generators that need servicing.
One successful model to emulate is a regional water main in West Ocean City, where project developers know what size water pipes they need to connect with to meet firefighting flow demands, he said.
“That’s been very successful in making sure everybody’s informed up front,” Baker said, “and we want to try to use that same model here. We’re asking for commissioners’ endorsement of the proposed plan, and we will share that with folks as they look to come in and develop.”
Baker also stressed that this plan is not a guarantee that infrastructure will be built. Rather, if development occurs in this area, the plan helps developers understand the county’s expectations and determine their own costs when evaluating a potential project.
“We’re not planning on building this infrastructure ourselves. This would be developer-dependent and (developer-)driven. It’s just a road map.”
The commissioners approved the recommendation unanimously, 6-0, with Commissioner Caryn Abbott absent.
Commissioner Eric Fiori (District 3, West Ocean City) said this was smart planning ahead of development and thanked Baker for the foresight.
“A lot of times, when there’s water and sewer, we end up behind the eight-ball. We end up where development accelerates faster than the plan. This was a wonderful step moving forward, seeing that on the horizon,” he said.
Continued from Page 12
provide a written statement regarding her District Court employment. She quit the next day, June 12.
Purnell spoke the following day, June 13, with the John P. Morrisey, the Chief Judge of the District Court of Maryland, and “discussed his arrangement with B.L.,” the affidavit says, and talked about stepping down from the bench ahead his scheduled retirement at age 70.
Attorneys for both – William J. Murphy for Purnell and William C. Brennan for Lowrie – declined to comment for this story when reached by phone. Notably, court documents also revealed that Purnell suffered a stroke
in the middle of the workday, on June 3, 2024.
A source tells OC Today-Dispatch this happened in the middle of the workday, while Purnell was on the bench trying a case, and that he seemed disoriented enough for court staff to check on him after the docket cleared. Purnell retired shortly afterward. His last day was Aug. 31.
Purnell made history when he became the Eastern Shore’s first African American District Court judge, taking office in 2006 after being appointed by Gov. Bob Erlich. Purnell also worked from 2003 to 2005 as a deputy state’s attorney in Dorchester County.
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) Local boaters are reporting increased shoaling near the Ocean City Inlet’s federal channel.
In late July, just days after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished emergency dredge work at the Ocean City Inlet, the Sunset Marina in West Ocean City took to social media to alert boaters of increased shoaling in the area.
While acknowledging the dredge work improved water navigation in the federal channel, the marina reports it also resulted in increased shoaling in the area immediately south.
“This is a temporary issue that will be addressed when the Army Corps ... dredge ‘Murden’ returns to the area after completing its refit,” the social media post reads.
Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard published a notice to mariners, alerting them that a recent survey from the U.S. Army Corps had identified increased shoaling in the areas between inlet buoy No. 11 and No. 13. They noted an average water level of roughly six feet at low tide.
“Mariners are advised to use caution
in the area,” the notice reads.
Last month, the U.S. Army Corps sent its side-caster dredge Merritt to remove roughly 7,500 cubic yards of material from the Ocean City Inlet in advance of this week’s White Marlin Open tournament. The vessel was sent from the agency’s Wilmington, N.C., district, as its usual dredges – the Murden and Currituck – were unavailable.
However, unlike the Murden and Currituck, which takes dredged materials away, the Merritt casts the material approximately 85 feet from the vessel, where it settles at the bottom of the waterway.
“We appreciate the work, but it doesn’t do the job the Murden does,” Sonny Gwin of the Waterman’s Association of Worcester County said this week.
Gwin noted that shoaling in that channel is not uncommon, and that boaters know to avoid the area. While dredging efforts have helped, he said federal partners have yet to find a permanent solution.
“If you aren’t over by the houses, you are going to hit bottom,” he said.
Gwin added that the shoaling will be addressed when the hopper dredge returns.
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) Winning the White Marlin Open a year after legally representing the winner of the tournament’s top blue is not something you hear every day.
But for Annapolis-based attorney Glen Frost, it’s exactly how his life played out in August 2017, when he reeled in a 95.5-pound white marlin on the last day of fishing in what is dubbed the world’s largest and richest billfish tournament.
Now, eight years later, Frost is reflecting back on those days and the lessons learned in their wake.
“When a lot of money is at stake, there can be a lot of controversy,” he said.
While declaring himself an avid angler, Frost had not participated in a White Marlin Open until 2017, when he joined the crew on the Wire Nut for a week of fishing off the coast of Ocean City. But it was in the afternoon hours on the team’s third day of fishing –and the final day of the tournament –that the tides turned in their favor.
“It was a long day, a slow day, not a ton of action, and out of nowhere a fish hit,” he recalled. “It actually hit one of the lures we had out for a blue marlin.”
Frost said he was given the rod. And after 20 or 30 minutes, a massive white marlin was reeled aboard. At the time, it was the third-largest white marlin caught in the tournament’s history.
“Today, I think it was the fourth largest caught in the tournament,” he added.
Action at the scales was just as exciting when the Wire Nut came into Harbour Island just after 4 p.m. Frost’s first billfish catch would surpass an 86-pound white marlin at the top of the leaderboard to earn first place in the open’s final hours, as well as $1.65 million in prize money.
However, what some might not know is that Frost’s white marlin catch came a year after joining a legal battle against the 2016 winner, Phil Heasley, whose catch was disqualified after a federal court judge ruled the angler and his crew did not pass the required polygraph test and had started fishing before the tournament’s official start time.
Frost’s firm represented anglers in
See ANGLER Page 16
Continued from Page 15
the 2016 tournament – including that year’s blue marlin winner, John Sippel and others – who stood to receive some of Heasley’s $2.8 million in earnings if the court declared the tournament’s only qualifying white marlin invalid.
“Not only did they win the blue marlin money, but they won some additional money as a result of that disqualification,” Frost said of the 2016 litigation.
Within weeks of that ruling, Frost was aboard the Wire Nut with Sippel, fishing in the 2017 White Marlin Open.
“It felt like I won the White Marlin Open two years in a row,” he said, “one through litigation and one through fishing.”
However, Frost said his wins did come with several lessons, including that polygraphs are not the most reliable form of verification. The year of Frost’s win, prize money was held for several weeks after inconclusive results led to additional rounds of testing. The winners were ultimately cleared.
“A court has described that the use of a polygraph is slightly more reliable than a coin flip …,” he said. “This technology isn’t intended to be reliable, but to solicit admissions from people … In this day and age, there’s very reliable methods, including video technology.”
Since 2004, the White Marlin Open has required top prize winners to submit to polygraph testing. It’s a practice the tournament still stands by today.
“Polygraphs are a widely accepted tool in competitive sportfishing and are used by many top tournaments to help ensure fairness,” a statement
from the White Marlin Open reads.
“We work with licensed professionals and continually evaluate our protocols to uphold the credibility and sportsmanship that have defined the WMO for more than 50 years.”
Frost said he has also learned the importance of defining rules and expectations. He said his law firm now
advises clients on working agreements and tax implications related to sportfishing tournaments.
“You are potentially entering a multi-million-dollar business transaction when you enter this tournament,” he said, “and it’s important that you treat these things with a level of formality.”
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) The federal government reports it will reconsider its approval of US Wind’s construction and operations plan and seek a voluntary remand in Ocean City’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
In a Delaware court filing submitted July 28, federal defendants in a lawsuit involving the US Wind project asked for an extension in the case to reconsider an approval of the company’s construction and operations plan and to file a motion for voluntary remand in Ocean City’s separate lawsuit against BOEM.
“Things are fluid at this time,” Ocean City Manager Terry McGean said this week. “We have seen the
Delaware filing but we have not received anything officially about our filing … My understanding is it means the government is going to voluntarily withdraw the approval for the project and send it back for further review.”
Earlier this year, months after the Town of Ocean City and several coplaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging BOEM’s approval of the US Wind project, South Bethany property owner Ed Bintz filed a separate suit in Delaware’s U.S. District Court. The complaint alleges permits and approvals issued to US Wind by both BOEM and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers violated the Coastal Zone Management Act.
The Delaware case has since made its way through the court system. And last Monday, both BOEM and the
Army Corps filed a motion to extend the deadline for its response to Bintz’s complaint to Sept. 5.
As part of the motion, BOEM stated its intent to reconsider an approval of US Wind’s construction and operations plan – which details how a 114-turbine project off the mid-Atlantic coast would be constructed, operated and ultimately decommissioned – and move for voluntary remand in the Ocean City lawsuit.
“The outcome of Interior’s reconsideration has the potential to affect the Plaintiff’s claims in this case,” the motion reads. “Thus, in order to conserve judicial resources, Federal Defendants would also seek a stay of proceedings in this Court, at least until the District of Maryland has had the opportunity to rule on the remand motion.”
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The motion continues, “Continuing to litigate this case before any decision is made in the District of Maryland would potentially waste considerable time and resources for both the parties and the Court. Thus, the extension would allow the Court adequate time to consider a forthcoming motion to stay. And an extension of Federal Defendants’ response date would not significantly impact the proceedings in this case.”
The federal government also argued the extension would align the response dates in the two separate court cases. It has until Sept. 5 to answer Ocean City’s challenge in Maryland’s federal court system.
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“Accordingly, good cause exists, and Federal Defendants respectfully request an extension to September 5, 2025, to (1) allow both Courts the opportunity to evaluate forthcoming motions, and (2) align the response dates to allow Interior to respond consistently across cases,” the motion reads.
US Wind did not respond to requests for comment this week. However, the motion states the company did not object to the federal government extending its deadline to respond.
Gizmo, a 16-yearold Bay female, was killed in a car collision last Saturday.
Superintendent Hugh Hawthorne says an investigation is ongoing.
Park reminds motorists to slow down, remain vigilant
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) A wild horse died on Assateague Saturday night after being struck by a vehicle on Bayberry Drive.
On Monday, Assateague Island National Seashore confirmed a 16year-old Bay female named Gizmo was struck and killed within the developed zone of Bayberry Drive at around 9 p.m. on Aug. 2.
Superintendent Hugh Hawthorne said the motorist reported the incident and remained on scene. The horse, he added, died “very quickly.”
“I can’t confirm anything more about the vehicle at this point because an investigation is ongoing,” he said.
Gizmo, identified through the park’s alphanumeric system as horse T-2DHT-H, was part of the “Mr. Frisky Hooves” band and was often found in the developed area during the summer months, according to the Assateague Island Alliance. Her dam is “Coco” – the only solid buckskin on record in the park’s herd – and her sire is “Llama Boy” – named after the llama-shaped white marking on its coat.
While each horse is identified by the park service using a Keiper number, the Assateague Island Alliance holds “Name that Horse” auctions and raffles, which allows individuals or families to name foals born on the island. Money raised through those auctions go to the park’s wild horse management program.
In the wake of Saturday’s collision, the Assateague Island National Seashore took to social media to remind visitors of the island’s speed limit. The park service noted that speed limits are 25 mph or less throughout the island.
“Wildlife, including horses, is difficult to spot at night and during foggy conditions,” a Facebook post reads. “Drivers should always be vigilant for pedestrians, bicycles, horses, deer, [and] other wildlife.”
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 1, 2025) Four people were sent to the hospital and 13 others were treated at the scene after a carbon monoxide leak prompted an evacuation of the Ashore Resort & Beach Club last Friday.
Officials reported the leak came from a boiler located on the hotel’s ground floor.
“In order for this boiler to be turned
back on, town officials will require necessary repairs, followed by a thirdparty mechanical inspection and a gas company inspection to ensure the system is safe to operate,” Fire Marshal Joe Sexauer said in a statement.
On Aug. 1, just after 11 a.m., the Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) responded to an activated carbon monoxide alarm at the Ashore, located on Coastal Highway near 101st Street.
Because of the number of individuals
requiring medical attention, the department’s incident commander declared a “mass casualty incident,” which triggered additional EMS resources.
“Unfortunately, some scanner platforms and social media pages reported the incident as a ‘mass casualty’ without context, which led to unnecessary fear in the community,” said Ryan Whittington, community and department engagement officer
See HOTEL Page 24
(Aug. 8, 2025) A morning ocean rescue with a happy ending led public safety officials to remind the public to never swim when the lifeguards are not on duty.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 2, the Ocean City Fire Department was dispatched by the 911 Center for a report of a swimmer in distress in the Ocean City Inlet.
Fortunately, an Ocean City Fireboat crew was already in the area near the Route 50 Bridge conducting training and immediately responded. Upon arrival, a trained Ocean City Fire Department rescue swimmer was deployed directly from the boat into the water.
The rescue swimmer quickly located a juvenile male victim who was barely conscious.
Due to rough conditions and large swells, the rescue swimmer had to keep the victim above water while awaiting the fireboat to be repositioned for the rescue swimmer and the victim. The victim was brought aboard and transported to the United States Coast Guard Station for medical evaluation.
“Our rescue swimmers train for See OCFD Page 24
Continued from Page 22
for the Ocean City Fire Department. “To be clear, there were zero fatalities. In Maryland, the term ‘Mass Casualty Incident’ is used purely to describe a situation where multiple patients require care beyond the capabilities of the initial EMS response. It does not imply deaths or critical injuries.”
The OCFD reports 18 people were evaluated, with 13 treated at the scene, one refusing treatment and four others transported to Atlantic General Hospital for elevated levels of carbon monoxide in their blood. Those sent to the hospital were discharged later that afternoon, according to a hospital statement.
“All four individuals were employees working in a first-floor office area adjacent to the building’s boiler room,” a news release from the OCFD read.
The fire department cleared the scene at 1:21 p.m. However, Ocean City building inspectors, representatives from the gas company, and members of the fire marshal’s office remained to conduct an investigation, which revealed a leak in the hotel’s boiler.
In a statement shared Saturday, the Ashore reported that the hotel remains open for business, but that some food service had been impacted.
“Following a thorough inspection by the fire department and the city's building inspector, the cause of the
carbon monoxide leak was determined to be a ventilation issue with the boiler,” the Ashore posted on its Facebook page. “The boiler has been shut down and repairs are being made. As of around 1:30 p.m. yesterday, the fire department and building inspector deemed the hotel safe to operate, at which point staff and guests were allowed back in the building.”
OCFD is reminding all residents, businesses, and property managers to ensure that carbon monoxide alarms are properly installed, tested regularly, and maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidelines and local codes. The department said the incident highlights the importance of carbon monoxide alarms.
Continued from Page 22
this exact type of emergency,” said Fire Chief Josh Bunting. “We continue to stress the importance of not entering the ocean until Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguards are on duty. More importantly, the Ocean City Inlet is not a safe place to swim. It may appear calm from the surface, but conditions can change rapidly, and you never know what lies beneath.”
The Ocean City Fire Department urges all visitors to prioritize safety and always swim near a lifeguard between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and to never swim when the beach patrol is not on duty.
(Aug. 8, 2025) The photo of a local resident with Down syndrome has been chosen to be featured in a celebrated Times Square video presentation next month.
Berlin resident Conor Pellinger’s photo, taken by fellow Berlin resident Heather Bailey, will be one of 500 photos of individuals with Down syndrome that will appear on Sept. 6 on two adjacent ClearChannel Jumbotron screens in Times Square and be live streamed on Facebook Live. More than 2,500 photos were submitted for consideration.
Pellinger, 12, will be entering the seventh grade at Stephen Decatur Middle School in the fall. He is the twin brother of Will and son to Tom and Donna Pellinger.
The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) has organized the video presentation along with a New York City Buddy Walk at the Naumburg Bandshell.
The NDSS event is dedicated to promoting the understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer
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(Aug. 8, 2025) A handful of local chefs will compete at the Berlin Farmers Market this Sunday for a chance to attend 2025’s World Food Championships.
This week, on Aug. 10, Berlin chefs will compete in a Guy’s Grocery Games-style competition at the town’s farmers market. The winner will receive a “golden ticket,” otherwise known as a qualifying slip, to participate in the World Food Championships (WFC) in Indiana in October.
Set to square off at the municipality’s farmers market for WFC’s coveted golden ticket are Justine Zegna of Blacksmith Berlin, Toby Gilbert of Gilbert’s Provisions, Yancey Carapico of The Cap’ns Slice, Brandon Juarez of The Sterling Tavern and Josh Morrison of Roadie Joe’s Bar and Grill, according to a press release from the Town of Berlin.
Judging Berlin’s contest will be local professionals Paul Suplee, the executive chef at Seacrets Hideaway, Phil Cropper, culinary teacher at Worcester Technical High School, and Tami Webber, WBOC’s morning news anchor.
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WFC is a global food sport competition. According to the WFC’s website, the contest is a multi-day, live culinary event that “showcases some of the world’s best cooks competing for food, fame, and fortune across twelve categories: Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Live Fire, Noodle, Rice, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup, and Vegetarian.”
This year’s event is set for October 16-19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. One winner will be selected from each of the 12 categories. These competitors will then spar for the top prize of $150,000. There are over 800 official qualifying events across the globe throughout the year, and on Sunday, Berlin will get in on the action.
Berlin’s director of economic and community development, Ivy Wells, said the Maryland Restaurant Association is coordinating this week’s chef’s challenge in collaboration with Maryland’s Best and the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
The event will be run similarly to the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games with a farmers market twist, Wells noted. On Sunday morning, the competing chefs will choose a protein from one of the Maryland farmers, with options including a seafood item caught by Skilligalee Seafood, a pork item from Foxhound Farm, or mushrooms from The Bay Mushrooms.
Once the participants have made
their first selections, they will pick out three additional ingredients from other Maryland farms at the market to include in their dish. The chefs will then return to their stations, where they will cook the creations live, viewable by farmers market attendees. Cooking is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
“Everyone is welcome to come down and watch the chefs prepare and cook,” Wells said.
The winner will be announced around noon.
Wells said that the Berlin Farmers Market was selected as a qualifying event for this year’s WFC after she attended the Maryland Farmers Market Conference over the winter and asked the organizers to consider the Eastern Shore municipality.
“We have 15 restaurants to choose from, some of the best food on the Eastern Shore, and the best chefs,” the community director said.
The chefs competing on Sunday were chosen by the event planners, each selected based on specific criteria.
Wells added that she is ecstatic about the qualifying event making it to Main Street, particularly at the town’s beloved farmers market.
“The competition will showcase our local chefs and our local culinary scene here in Berlin,” she said.
The winner of Sunday’s contest will get the chance to compete in the World Food Championship this fall. The com-
petition debuted in 2012, according to its website, and has since amassed a global following.
“The WFC platform has revolutionized competitive cooking, known as ‘Food Sport,’ by offering a level playing field, a fair judging system, and innovative culinary programming,” the webpage continues. “Over the years, WFC has facilitated the creation of more than 10,000 new dishes and has partnered with countless local nonprofits, charities, and food banks across the U.S.”
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(Aug. 8, 2025) While police- and physician-reported incidents of child abuse in Worcester County are spiking, abuse reports that come from friends and family have simultaneously nosedived, according to one social services agency.
Abuse reports coming into the Worcester County Child Advocacy Center, or CAC, have increased about 12% increase in the last three years, according to Executive Director Lauren Cooper. About four in 10 cases are for neglect, which includes housing instability, food insecurity, or poor parenting issues.
However, in that same time frame, the agency also saw a 25% decrease in child abuse reporting from family members, friends, and neighbors.
Cooper attributed the drop to what she called “a gap in community awareness” – the fact that anyone from the community can confidentially report child abuse when they see it.
“This tells us there’s need for more public education, and to remind the community that reports can be made anonymously,” she said.
The agency – formerly the Cricket Center – received 1,075 child abuse reports in 2022, and 1,091 in 2023.
Last year, reported incidents rose to
1,205. Among those, reports shared by physicians increased 26%, from 84 in 2022 to 106 last year.
One reason for the spike in reporting, Cooper said, is that police agencies, school personnel, and health care providers – the agency’s top three reporting sources – are increasingly recognizing and reporting abuse. They’re all legally mandated to report child abuse to social services and generate 90% of referrals.
“This tells us that mandatory reporter training and CAC partnerships are strong in Worcester County,” she said.
Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli says a top priority of his office is its “unwavering support and partnership” with the CAC. He’s pledged his personal commitment to make sure the agency has the resources it needs.
The sheriff’s office alone accounts for a third of reports the CAC receives. Overall, reports from law enforcement are up 31%, from 308 in 2022, to 404 in 2024.
“There is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our children,” Crisafulli said. “That principle remains at the very heart of our mission and public service. Our children need to be protected from the potential evils of society.”
The opening of a new satellite location last year in the Pocomoke City area
has also boosted child abuse referrals and forensic interviews.
Past referrals primarily came from the north end of the county, Cooper said, because there was “reluctance and resistance” from residents of southern Worcester County to engage with the CAC.
“We knew that abuse was happening in Pocomoke and those surrounding areas,” she said, “but we weren’t necessarily getting the engagement because of those barriers.”
Barriers include lack of access to transportation for families, or for parents to take time off work or school to make a 30-mile, one-way trip to Berlin for the services CAC offers.
In summer months, law enforcement is the primary source of child abuse referrals. Police may encounter unsupervised minors at a hotel, for example, or officers might find children left in cars with an intoxicated caregiver, Cooper noted.
Getting moved to different environments throughout the summer, like time spent with relatives or attending summer camp, also may present new risks.
Summertime tourists to the Ocean City area are encouraged to report incidents of abuse, too, said Worcester County State’s Attorney Kristin Heiser, the current president of the CAC board of directors.
Her office staffs a dedicated prosecu-
tor at the CAC. To corroborate what children tell them, they’ll seek out video evidence from hotel surveillance footage, or even video doorbells.
Statistically, abuse is mostly committed by someone within the child’s own household, or an adult who has a lot of unrestricted access to them, which is often a parent or a caregiver.
Abuse may occur when the child isn’t around any other adults.
“For example, a mom and mom’s boyfriend, and mom’s kids are there,” Heiser said. “(Authorities) find out when kids go back to school about these incidents, but the kid didn’t feel comfortable sharing with adults until they see their teachers again.”
During the 180-day school year for Worcester County Public Schools, the CAC averages one report of abuse per day from school staff. Cooper said a “seasonal surge” hits September and October when students return to classes after summer break.
Recent reporting also reflects an increase in exposure among children to domestic violence. A child may not be physically harmed during an incident, but “the exposure can leave lasting trauma effects,” Cooper said, “so these cases are just as important to report.”
In the meantime, the CAC is also seeing decreased reports of sexual abuse –which is also the most difficult type of abuse to detect, because investigators
typically have only a child’s statement to work with, and no witnesses or corroborating evidence.
“Many sexual abuse allegations remain unreported – because of feelings of shame, guilt, self-blaming, fear of the perpetrator, because of threats. Or because children don’t realize that there’s a team dedicated to serving them and don’t know where to turn for help,” said Cooper, who was a full-time forensic interviewer in Delaware before joining the CAC.
For victims of sexual abuse, the agency will coordinate with law enforcement and the courts to conduct a forensic interview. It’s a serious sit-down to determine whether a crime has been committed against the child, and if they’re in immediate risk of harm.
Instead of having the child tell their story multiple times, they get it over with once. Conducting a single interview one time, with police and prosecutors in earshot, helps to minimize a child’s trauma, Cooper said.
“We’re asking them before the interview is over: ‘do you have an adult that you can talk to if you’re ever scared or worried or upset about something?’ And often times, they’re naming a teacher or someone that is at school. So that tells us firsthand that children are obviously relying really heavily on school personnel to advocate for them, to report the abuse,” Cooper said.
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To help calm children during a forensic interview, the CAC has turned to an emotional support dog, a two-year-old black Labrador Retriever named Belle. She’s trained to provide comfort to children and to sit with them in the courtroom should they need to testify.
“Having that familiar furry face is always a good thing on a day that they really don’t want to have to relive,” Cooper said.
Ultimately, the CAC team doesn’t just respond to abuse allegations. Cooper said her team works with families on day-to-day needs, too, like helping them make doctor’s appointments, arranging transportation, even providing gift cards to afford basic provisions.
Each child’s case, and the ultimate healing process, is different. That’s why the CAC team will stay close to a family over the months- or years-long process of handling one child’s casework.
Many families will thank them, years later, for the impact made in a child’s life, long after the case has made its way through the courts. Some teens even go into law enforcement or social work based on their experiences with the CAC, Cooper said.
“These kids, they don’t have a voice and they’re the most vulnerable,” she said. “As dark of a job as it can be sometimes, and as hard as the days are, knowing that we saved a child’s life is what makes it all worth it for us.”
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from the group Lucky Shoes.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer
(Aug. 7, 2025) This Sunday, Berlin will be filled with live music and family-friendly community events.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, in addition to the weekly farmers’ market, this time accompanied by a live cooking competition, the municipality will host a variety of summer events for residents and visitors alike. First up is the town’s Art and Vintage Market, held every second Sunday of each month.
Town of Berlin Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells said that at the market, a variety of artistic pieces and vintage items will be available for tourists and Berlin citizens to browse. Like always, it will be held in the parking lot of the Berlin Welcome Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wells added that the event will feature musical stylings
Also kicking off Sunday is a multiday festival from Chamber Music by the Sea. The classical musical group, an organization with a commitment to music education and outreach activities, will begin its annual fair on Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. with a “musical stroll,” Wells said.
According to the community development director, the musical team’s first stop is the Berlin Welcome Center, followed by performances at Reverie Arbor and Wine Bar and the Mermaid Museum.
Chamber Music by the Sea will treat Berlin to its classical sound throughout the week. On Monday, Aug. 11, the group invites community members to a free open rehearsal at the Berlin Public Library at 10:30 a.m. Later that night, at 7 p.m., there is a sound bath collaboration with Zenna Wellness yoga studio on Franklin Avenue.
On Wednesday, Aug. 13, Chamber Music by the Sea will perform at the Atlantic Hotel at 7 p.m. On Thursday,
Aug. 14, at 7 p.m., the musical group will host a concert and reception at Temple Bat Yam. The small ensemble will also perform on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 11 a.m. at the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum.
Wells said that the town is ecstatic for the chamber festival to begin, and with the popularity of shows featuring classical, small ensemble music, like Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” organizers expect the event to yield high attendance.
“Everyone is a fan of ‘Bridgerton,’” Wells said. “Chamber music has a new fanbase now, so if you come down to Berlin, you get to hear some chamber music performed live. There are probably kids out there who haven’t heard this style of music before. We should all be exposed to a variety of different music, and we
have the opportunity to be able to bring this to Berlin, and we’re excited about it.”
More live music will take over Berlin this weekend by way of the Taylor House’s regular second Sunday at the museum event. On Aug. 10, the band Slomfire will perform on the facility’s lawn at 6 p.m. The concert is free.
Berlin residents and visitors are invited to the upcoming happenings around town, organized to foster community togetherness and development. The week will be particularly crowded with live music, a priority of town staff, Wells said.
“We are an arts and entertainment district, so we try to add live music to everything that we do,” she said. “You can never get enough of live music in downtown Berlin.”
(Aug. 8, 2025) The Berlin community is invited to a day of fun, fellowship and celebration with a special event hosted by Dr. William L. Harris, also known as Dr. Shawn Harris, on Sunday, Aug. 17 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Henry Park.
The engaging event aims to inspire youth, honor community leaders and promote active lifestyles through basketball and community service.
Event highlights include a free basketball giveaway, the first 100 children will receive their own basketball, encouraging practice and active play; knockout competition, show off your shooting skills in this exciting classic game; and a threepoint contest, test your accuracy for a chance to win prizes.
Complimentary food and refreshments will be offered.
Harris will also be honoring three outstanding community pillars for their dedication and service — Dr. Darlene Jackson-Bowen, Patrick Henry and Derrick S. Fooks.
Harris is a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, and a member of Prince Hall Free & Accepted Masons. He is a dedicated community leader with extensive experience as a WNBA agent, sports consultant and collegiate athletic director. With a passionate commitment to youth development and community service, Harris strives to inspire young people to work diligently, stay active, and give back to their communities. Harris is the son of Cynthia Harris and the late William E. Smith Jr. and grandson of Joyce Harris Cottman.
“This event transcends basketball; it is a heartfelt celebration of community, health, and active living,” an event press release said. “Dr. Harris’s mission is to empower youth through engagement, encouragement, and opportunities for growth, fostering smiles, friendships, and lifelong memories.”
Organizers wish to give special recognition to Al Hondo Handy, author of Defying Expectations and sports enthusiast and coach; Bernie Fisher, founder of BASIC; Paster Briggs of St. Paul’s Methodist Church; and Council Member Shaneka Schoolfield Nichols, Jason Bowen and Virginia Harris.
The 52nd Annual White Marlin Open is here! Join the Ocean City tradition this weekend and soak in the excitement of the world’s largest billfish tournament. While you’re in town, why not explore the possibility of owning your own beach retreat–or upgrading to that dream home with ocean views?
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(Aug. 8, 2025) The Art League of Ocean City invites the public to a discussion on “Artificial Intelligence in the Arts” on Sunday, Aug. 10, 1-3 p.m. at the Ocean City Center for the Arts, 94th St. bayside. Diane Stulz, a long-time educator and specialist in technology and education, will lead the discussion. There is no charge to attend.
Stulz is Coordinator of Instruction at Worcester Co. Public Schools and offers workshops on artificial intelligence. She will lead a discussion on intellectual property, the role of AI in the visual arts and writing, how to determine AI, and pros and cons. There will be the opportunity for questions and collaboration.
“I will talk about what is artificial intelligence and how it impacts our everyday lives now, because it’s everywhere. We all use it,” Stulz said. “I want to make sure people walk away with something they can use.”
Stulz will discuss the definition of personal intellectual property and what happens when an artist or writer puts things into AI or creates with AI. Stultz will lead activities to show how AI can enhance those activities.
“I just read a study that if we turn too much over to AI, we lose our ability to be creative,” Stulz continued. “You can’t always trust AI. It’s first job is to make you happy. If you tell it what you’re look-
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ing for and it can’t find a source for that, it will just make it up … Rather than telling AI to just edit this piece of work, we need to tell it to highlight any recommended edits and to tell me why.
“As teachers, we have to be cognizant of teaching our students how to use AI so we don’t lose that ability for our students to write or to create or to reason. That’s where AI is really scary for me,” she concluded.
Everyone is welcome to this free discussion, and the Art League will offer light refreshments. Reservations are not required but suggested at OCart.org/classes.
• Revisit the old restaurants and long-vanished hotels, relive summer nights on the Boardwalk, go fishing on the ocean or the bay, and learn about the fires and storms that changed the town forever.
Vanishing Ocean City is available for $49.95 at select locations in Ocean City, Berlin, Ocean Pines and Salisbury. It can also be ordered online at vanishingoc.com. Visit the website for further information and photos.
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The Ocean City Surf Club recently donated $4,000 again this year to the Ocean City Beach Patrol for new ocean rescue boards and the kids water and beach safety activity
made the donation during the beach patrol’s regular weekly gathering at the convention center.
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(Aug. 7, 2025) The Ocean Pines Branch Library parking lot will be milled and repaved Aug. 7-12.
To accommodate this improvement project, the library will adjust its schedule on the following days: Thursday, Aug. 7, branch will close at 1 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 8-11, library will be closed all day; and Tuesday, Aug. 12, library will reopen at 1 p.m.
The schedule is weather dependent and subject to change. If the contractor is unable to complete the work as planned, construction may continue on subsequent days while the library remains open. In such cases, traffic control measures will be in place.
For up-to-date information regarding library hours during the paving project, please contact the Ocean Pines Branch Library at 410-208-4014.
The following Worcester County students completed their program requirements to graduate from Wor-Wic Community College with a certificate (CT), associate of applied science (AAS), associate of arts in teaching (AAT), associate of science (AS) or associate of arts (AA) degree from Wor-Wic Community College this past fall and spring.
Berlin: Ryan Barrett, CT, Criminal Justice; Jacob Henry Bauer, AAS, Business; Alexandra Delaney Burton, AA,
Business; Brodie DeHart, AA, General Studies; Richard W. England, AS, STEM; George P. Eppard-Annis, AAS, Physical Therapist Assistant; Hayden Timothy Gable, CT, Criminal Justice; Chakirah B. Henry, AAS, Education; Abigail A. Hernandez, AAT, Education; Tyler J. Hunter, CT, Criminal Justice; Sarah E. Hyatt, AS, Nursing; Jeffrey R. Jacobson, AA, General Studies; Dylan Michael Jung, AS, STEM; Nicole R. Junkerman, AA, General Studies; Aiden R. Kane, AA, General Studies; Nathaniel Dale Deck Karvoski, AAS, Culinary Arts; Jessica C. Lagas, CT, Criminal Justice; Lindsey Morgan Laughlin, AAT, Education; Lauren Elizabeth Lintz, CT, Criminal Justice; Takia Jena Long, AAS, Criminal Justice; Kimberly Marie-Jean Mackey, CT, Nursing; Alexandra Taylor March, AAS, Business; Josselyne Alexandra MazaChavez, AA, General Studies; Kayla Delaney McManus, AAS, Criminal Justice; Samantha Sheila McManus, AAS, Radiologic Technology; Claire Elise Merritt, AA, General Studies; Tiahna Rena Morris, CT, Culinary Arts; Mandi Kate Moyer, AAT, Education; Helen Yoo Odenwald, AAS, Emergency Medical Services; Landon Gabriel Pryor, AA, General Studies; Lauren Maria Purkey, AA, General Studies; Katherine V. Rimel, AAS, Business; Derrick E. Simpson, AAS, Emergency Medical Services, AAS, Fire Science Technology; and William Christopher Stamnas, AA, General Studies.
Bishopville: Autumn Lynn Drew, AA, General Studies; Thelma Gault Godinez, AA, General Studies; and Kylie Record, AA, General Studies.
Eden: Caroly Dennis Broca-Naranjo, AS, STEM.
Girdletree: Joshua Turner, CT, Criminal Justice.
Ocean City: Jazmine Sobhi Abu-Zaid, AAS, Culinary Arts; Dimitri Anthony, AA, General Studies; Allison C. Cordial, AA, General Studies; Maya Linn Ethridge, AA, General Studies; Anthony Handle, AAS, Emergency Medical Services; Anna M. Hoffnagle, CT, Criminal Justice; Amella Bessie Mehan, AS, STEM; William Brice Melgar-Mejia, AAS, Busi-
ness; Kara Charlotte Mihavetz, AA, Business; Sean Tyler Peterson, CT, Criminal Justice; Abigail Maura Stabinski, AAS, Physical Therapist Assistant; Tina M. Walas, AAS, Physical Therapist Assistant; Delaney Bree Williams, AAT, Education, AA, General Studies; and Ariella Witt, CT, Nursing.
Pocomoke City: Shyneika Dyshell Baine, AS, Nursing; Raymond Chen, AA, General Studies; Rylee Gwen Covington, AAS, Physical Therapist Assistant; Edward T. Fulton, AAS, Welding; Steven Michael Hutchinson, AA, General Studies; Kyle Patrick Jackson, CT, Criminal Justice; Nakai Mechelle Johnson, AS, Nursing; Elisha Kees, CT, Criminal Jus-
Answers on page 50
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, if you long to take your romantic relationship to the next level, this might be the week to focus on your feelings. Your partner may be waiting for you to make a move.
TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21
Tranquility you have been feeling of late enables you to listen more attentively to your inner self, Taurus. Take advantage of slow times to evaluate events and make important decisions.
GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21
You can look forward to an enjoyable week, Gemini. Career issues or family matters are nothing to worry about right now, as everything seems to be moving along smoothly.
CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22
This week you may find satisfaction that will put a smile on your face and boost morale. You also may find yourself embracing some of the core values that have been a part of your life.
LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23
Leo, others may have been asking questions of you since you’ve uncharacteristically been out of the limelight. Reveal what you want to share. Even you are allowed your secrets.
VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22
You have a tendency to avoid conflict instead of facing things head on, Virgo. If you’ve been circumventing something that needs attention, it is time to see it through.
LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23
Libra, if you feel that your power has increased, it may be time to take on some more responsibility right now. Embrace your new role and remain confident in your ability to handle it.
SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22
Scorpio, right now you are going through a period where circumstances are trying to shed light on your hidden motivations. But you’re not ready to show everyone your cards just yet.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21
Sagittarius, your ego may take a hit this week, but you’ll need to roll with the punches. You are finally understanding that simply willing something to happen won’t always work.
CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20
Your actions lately have been going against your nature to want to please others, Capricorn. It will be difficult for you to get back on target, but not impossible.
AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18
It is becoming evident that you might need to bring in a little extra help on a situation that has been brewing for some time, Aquarius. Figure out who you can trust and go from there.
PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20
Your powers of concentration and self-discipline are impressive, Pisces. There are lessons that others can learn about these admirable traits if you’re
to share.
tice; Zachary Troy Outten, AA, Education; John W. Sigrist, AA, General Studies; Regina Andrea Smith, AA, General Studies; Sherita S. Taylor, AAS, Chemical Dependency Counseling; Teirra Nashay Thomas, CT, Criminal Justice; Elizabeth Marie Tull, AS, Nursing; Damien Ward, CT, Criminal Justice; Lucas James Webster, CT, Criminal Justice; and Makayla M. Zajdel, CT, Nursing.
Snow Hill: Krystal Lynnette Beall, AS, Nursing; Jackson Wesley Blake, CT, Nursing; Bradley T. Boyer, AAS, ElectroMechanical Technologies ; Kendyl Ann Cylc, AAT, Education; Raelin D’Asia Hutchinson, AAS, Radiologic Technology; Julian K Meza-Shockley, CT, Criminal Justice; Kernighan P . Mitchell, AA, Computer Studies; and Paul Pierson, CT, Welding.
Stockton: Jacob E. Mendiaz, AA, General Studies.
Whaleyville: Fernando Garcia, CT, Criminal Justice; and Eric Weaver, CT, Criminal Justice.
The Art League of Ocean City announces a bus trip to the Brandywine Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa. on Friday, Sept. 12. The trip coincides with the special exhibit, Andrew Wyeth at Kuerner Farm: The Eye of the Earth.
The bus will depart the ACME parking lot at 94th St. and Coastal Hwy. in Ocean City on Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 a.m. and return at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $95 for Art League members, $115 for nonmembers and covers the bus and admission to the museum. Water and snacks will be provided on the bus. A side trip to Kuerner Farm is available for $12, paid at the museum.
The exhibit brings together 50 paintings featuring the landscape, buildings, and inhabitants of Kuerner Farm, located a short walk from Wyeth’s art studio, in Chadds Ford, PA. Now a National Historic Landmark, the farm and its family in-
spired nearly 1,000 artworks by the artist including some of his most iconic masterworks in both tempera and watercolor.
Highlights in the exhibition include the temperas Karl (1948), Groundhog Day (1959), and Snow Hill (1989), along with watercolor masterpieces like Evening at Kuerners (1970), Wolf Moon (1975), and Loden Coat (1978). Many are major works loaned from both private and public collections nationwide, as well as previously unexhibited works that will be new to public display.
“To see an Andrew Wyeth painting in person is a much different and more profound experience than viewing a print,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League, said. “His technique is amazing. This exhibit will be a delight for lovers of Wyeth’s work. And our bus trips - where you join with fellow art lovers on an art adventure - are always fun and inspiring.”
52ND ANNUAL WHITE MARLIN OPEN
Harbour Island Marina, 419 14th St., Ocean City. World’s Largest Billfishing Tournament. Weigh-ins are held from 4-9:15 p.m. and are open to the public free of charge. Register: https://whitemarlinopen.com/onlineregistration. 866-328-4554
WHITE MARLIN OPEN MARLIN FEST
Ocean City Inlet Beach, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Live music, food and drinks, vendors, live stream of White Marlin Open Weigh-Ins and White Marlin Open and Marlin Fest merchandise. https://marlinfest.com, 866328-4554
STORY TIME AT THE THEATER
Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center, 103 Market St., Pocomoke City, 10:30 a.m.
Join in for a special storytime with stories, songs and games about performing arts and drama. For families. 410-632-5622, www.worcesterlibrary.org
BABY TIME
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. For babies, 0-2 years, and their caregivers to socialize, play, read and explore in the library’s bright play space. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org
OC MAHJONG CLUB
Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Join in for a fun morning of playing tile Mahjong. Feel free to bring your own tile set. All adults welcome. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org
SIPPIN’ WITH SLOTHS
Coastal Wilds, 34215 Peppers Corner Road, Frankford, DE, 6-8 p.m. Music by Bob Wilkinson. Cost is $40 and includes sloth encounter, self-guided tour, and one complementary 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
ESA SURF SERIES
Between 16th and 18th streets, Ocean City, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Amateur surf contest. Rain/no wave date is Aug. 10. https://surfesa.org
ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR
Bear Trap Dunes Clubhouse, Coastal Kitchen Restaurant, 7 Club House Drive, Ocean View, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Featuring more than 40 vendors.
FAMILY LIBRARY DAY: GIANT BOARD GAMES
Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 401 Fifth St., 10 a.m. Classic family board games, giant sized. 410-957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST, SLIGO BY THE SEA, SUMMER MINISTRY
First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City, 1301 Philadelphia Ave., 10 a.m.-noon. Pastor Mark Sigue - Children’s and Family Ministries, Loma Linda Filipino Seventhday Adventist Chruch, Loma Linda, CA. sligochurch.org/sligobythesea, 301-2706777
FISH FRY FUNDRAISER
Pitt Stop Premises, 9040 Worcester Highway, Berlin, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Cost is $8 for sandwiches or $12 for platters. Platters include potato salad, green beans, roll. Soda and water for sale. Place orders in advance: 443-513-1420. Benefits New Bethel U.M.C. Homecoming.
THE NATURE FAKERS
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 2 p.m. President Theodore Roosevelt and writer John Burroughs led a campaign against several prominent nature writers, describing them as frauds and fakers. An informative and humorous talk. 410-641-0650
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/fa rmers-artisans-market
OC CRUZERS ON SOMERSET PLAZA
Somerset Plaza, Somerset Street, Ocean City, 3-6 p.m. Free, family-friendly car show featuring classics, hot rods and customs from the OC Cruzers Car Club. Also featuring a DJ. https://ocdc.org
SUNDAES IN THE PARK WITH FIREWORKS
Northside Park, 200 125th St., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m. Featuring “Guys in Thin Ties” (your alternative ’80s band), activities and entertainment for the kids. Ice cream available for purchase. Bring picnic baskets & beach chairs. Followed by fireworks.
2ND SUNDAY BERLIN ART & VINTAGE MARKET
Berlin Main St. & Maryland Welcome Center Parking Lot, 14 S. Main St., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Takes place during the Berlin Farmers Market. https://berlinmainstreet.com
CONCERTS ON THE LAWN
Calvin B. Taylor House Museum, 208 N. Main St., Berlin, 6-7:30 p.m. Featuring Slomfire. Bring a chair or blanket. Beer,
wine, soda, and snacks available for sale. Donations are appreciated to cover event costs.
https://www.taylorhousemuseum.org/even ts#AugustEvents
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
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
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES MEETING
Sundays - Berlin Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 212 West St., Berlin, 10 a.m. www.jw.org
OC BEACH DANCE PARTY & FIREWORKS
Caroline St. Stage, 2 N. Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Featuring music by Radio Ocean City presents BG & Chrissy. Bring chairs and blankets. Fireworks display begins at 9 p.m.
STORY TIME: WORLD ELEPHANT DAY
Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Crafts, songs and stories. For ages 0-5 years. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org
CHAMBER MUSIC BY THE SEA OPEN REHEARSAL
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 11 a.m. The musicians of Chamber Music By the Sea invite the public to their open rehearsal. Watch the fascinating process of preparing for a live performance. 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. Re-
serve 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, 410629-9383 or Carol, 302-242-7062.
OVEREATER’S ANONYMOUS
Mondays - Worcester County LibraryOcean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 78 p.m. No dues or fees. 410-459-9100
STORY TIME @ THE DELMARVA DISCOVERY MUSEUM
Delmarva Discovery Museum, 2 Market St., Pocomoke City, 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs and crafts that feature one of the museum’s special animals. For ages 0-5 years. 410957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org
STORY TIME
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. Join in for a story time geared for ages 0-5 years featuring seasonal themes designed to support early literacy skills with stories, songs and fingerplays. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org
RADICAL REPTILES
Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 10:30 a.m. Participants will have the chance to engage with a huge variety of reptiles while learning fun, quirky facts about their biology, environment and more. For families. 410-6323495
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
RADICAL REPTILES
Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 2 p.m. Participants will have the chance to engage with a huge variety of reptiles while learning fun, quirky facts about their biology, envrionment and more. For families. 410-208-4014
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP
Atlantic General Neurology at the Atlantic Health Center, 9714 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 3:15-4 p.m. Providing discussions and mutual support, along with education on exercise, nutrition, coping techniques, medications and developments in treatment. Kay Kinnikin, Kay.Kinnikin@TidalHealth.org
SEAFOOD NIGHT WITH THE KNIGHTS Knights of Columbus Hall, 9901 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Held Tuesdays in the Columbus Hall behind St. Luke’s Church. Pre-order crabs Monday or Tuesday morning of that week: 410-524-
7994. Non-seafood options will be available.
SONG CELEBRATION
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 6 p.m. Bring a song and share it with other players and writers. Original compositions encouraged. Listeners welcome. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org
BOOK CLUB @ TIDES & VINE: ‘FIONA AND JANE’ BY JEAN CHEN HO
Tides & Vine, 106 W. Green St., Snow Hill, 6 p.m. An evening of books and wine. Stop by the Snow Hill Library to pick up your book. Must be at least 21 years of age. 410632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org
ATLANTIC COAST SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION MEETING
American Legion Synepuxent Post 166, 2308 Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 7 p.m. There will be two guest speakers from DNR. Doctor Steve Doctor and Sarah Chavez along with the biology team from the MD DNR. The public is invited. Refreshments served. Doors open at 6 p.m.
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 Heroes-OC” 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. 410-6414882, www.htcanglican.org/activities.
MOVIES ON THE BEACH
Carousel Oceanfront Hotel & Condos, 11700 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 8:30 p.m. Featuring “The Lion King.” Free, family-friendly event. Bring blankets, chairs, snack, drinks and warm clothing. Weather permitting. www.ococean.com/things-todo/free-family-fun/
20TH ANNUAL ARTISTS PAINT OC - PLEIN AIR 2025
Art League of Ocean City, 502 94th St., Ocean City. Professional artists set up along the boardwalk, streets, harbors, bay and marshes to capture the beauty of our coastal town while competing for cash prizes. 410524-9433, artleagueofoceancity.org
SURFERS HEALING
Castle in the Sand Hotel Beach, 3701 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City. Surf camp for children and young adults with Autism. https://surfershealing.org
CHAMBER MUSIC BY THE SEA CONCERT AND WORKSHOP
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. Join in for a free family concert followed by a workshop conducted by violinist Elena Urioste at
noon. Everyone is welcome to participate. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org
BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUP
Meets the first and second Wednesday of each month. For non-surgical patients. Atlantic General Bariatric Center, 410-6419568
BABY TIME
Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10 a.m. Songs, stories and giggles. For ages 0-2 years. 410208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org
RADICAL REPTILES
Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. p.m. Participants will have the chance to engage with a huge variety of reptiles while learning fun, quirky facts about their biology, environment and more. For families. 410-524-1818
MERRY MAKERS: ZIPPERED POUCHES
Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 11 a.m. The group will use paper napkins to elevate and transform a plain canvas zipper pouch. Registration required: 410-208-4014. www.worcesterlibrary.org
DECOYS AND CARVERS OF THE EASTERN SHORE
Snow Hill 50plus Center, 4767 Snow Hill Road, 11 a.m. A presentation on local decoy carvers and the trends and traditions of Continued on Page 50
BR, 2 BA 1ST FLOOR CONDO with DIRECT ACCESS TO DOCK & BAY! 427 14TH STREET
HARBOUR ISLAND OCEAN
Beautiful condo, completely furnished & turnkey with fantastic views & oversized deck. Updated kitchen with SS appliances. New refrigerator, stove, dishwasher & microwave. HVAC 1 year old. 2 hot water heaters recently replaced. Both BAs updated. Primary BA has walk-in shower. The rental income is impressive & rentals already booked need to be honored. Rare opportunity to own a Harbour Island "1st floor" unit. This is a "must see" to appreciate the view.
This is a rare opportunity to own a 3-BR Bayfront Condo in Harbour Island. Meticulously maintained unit with new flooring. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances & beautiful finishes. Breathtaking open bay views from your primary suite & living area. You have to see it to appreciate it. I encourage you to take a tour of this unit quickly, as this won't last long!
Welcome to the prestigious Harbour Island! Home of the White Marlin Open. Rarely do these oversized 2 BR, 2 BA units in the K building come on the market. It is a very nice, clean unit. Panoramic views of the bay & Ocean City. Rental potential would be very good. Jacuzzi tub and a new washer & dryer. This is a "must see" to appreciate the size and the view from the balcony.
LUXURY COASTAL TOWNHOME with OVERSIZED BOAT SLIP & LIFT 13000
ready beautifully furnished 3,069 SF townhome with elevator & inlet & marina views. Latest upgrades & finishes throughout including plantation shutters. 1st level 1st family room w/gas fireplacecould be game room, office or 5th BR. 1st level Full BA, custom shower & laundry room. 1st level deck to pier & boat slip. 2nd floor luxurious primary BR suite w/2 walk-in closets, overlooks water, has en suite BA heated floors, steam shower & soaking tub. Another 2nd level BR has en suite BA w/shower. 3rd level has 2nd family room w/gas fireplace, wet bar, dining area, upgraded kitchen granite countertops, SS appliances, wine refrigerator & breakfast bar. 3rd floor BR full bath w/shower & walkin closet. Stunning views from 2nd & 3rd floor decks & crow's nest. Close to inlet, restaurants, shopping, water sports & beach & Boardwalk. Boat slip & lift accommodates 38’ boat w/25,000 lbs. weight capacity.
local waterfowl and wildfowl art. 410-6323495, www.worcesterlibrary.org
STROKE SUPPORT GROUP
Atlantic General Neurology at the Atlantic Health Center, 9714 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 3:15-4 p.m. For stroke survivors, family and friends. 410-641-4765, Betty.Darby-Glime@TidalHealth.org
ARTISTIC KEYCHAIN
Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 3:30 p.m. Using clay, create an art palette keychain. All materials provided. For tweens and teens. 410208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org
TABLETOP ROLE PLAYING GAME
Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 5 p.m. Come play selected role-playing game for teens. Registration required: 410-632-3495. www.worcesterlibrary.org
KIDS PAINT NIGHT
Ocean Pines Community Center, 235 Ocean Parkway, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Cost is $22 and includes materials and instruction. For ages 8 years and older. Pre-registration required: 410-641-7052.
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 resi-
dents, $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.
CASH BINGO
Wednesdays - Ocean City Elks Lodge 2645, 13708 Sinepuxent Ave. Door open at 5 p.m., bingo starts at 6:30 p.m. Food available before bingo and at intermission. Open to the public. 443-605-5028
31ST ANNUAL CAPT. STEVE HARMAN POOR GIRLS OPEN
Bahia Marina at Fish Tales, 2107 Herring Way, Ocean City. Ladies only billfish release tournament benefiting breast cancer research. Raffle tickets, vendors, merchandise & more.
https://www.ococean.com/event/31st-annual-capt-steve-harman-poor-girlsopen/2252
20TH ANNUAL ARTISTS PAINT OC - PLEIN AIR
2025
Art League of Ocean City, 502 94th St., Ocean City. Professional artists set up along the boardwalk, streets, harbors, bay and
marshes to capture the beauty of our coastal town while competing for cash prizes. 410524-9433, artleagueofoceancity.org
SUNSET PARK PARTY NIGHTS
Sunset Park, 700 S. Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m., Featuring “Teenage Rust” (classic rock), sunset over the Isle of Wight Bay and free admission. https://www.ococean.com/things-todo/free-family-fun/sunset-park-partynights/
CONCERTS IN THE PARK
White Horse Park Pavilion, 235 Ocean Parkway, Ocean Pines, 7-9 p.m. Featuring music by Rip Tide. Free family entertainment. Bring chairs, blankets, etc. Food will be available for purchase and BYOB is acceptable. Smoking area is in the rear. 410641-7052
STORY TIME: COLORFUL TRANSPORTATION
Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10:30 a.m. Song, dancing and crafts. For ages 2-5 years. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org
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
RADICAL REPTILES
Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch,
13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. Participants will have the chance to engage with a huge variety of reptiles while learning fun, quirky facts about their biology, environment and more. For families. 410-641-0650
PLAY TIME
Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 10:30 a.m. A variety of activities and toys. Play and socialize with other families. For ages birth to 5 years. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org
RADICAL REPTILES
Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 401 Fifth St., 2 p.m. Participants will have the chance to engage with a huge variety of reptiles while learning fun, quirky facts about their biology, environment and more. For families. 410-957-0878
Crossword answers from page 46
Upscale condo building
Mid-town OC
Must be 18 yrs. old and able to obtain MD Sec. Guard Certification through MSP (Guard Card). Great work environment! All shifts available. Exp. a plus, but will train. Call M-F after 5pm. 410-723-1119
HELP
WANTED
BARBER wanted at Charlie’s Barbershop, Berlin, MD. With clientele. To rent a chair. 443-944-2240
Tidewater Physical Therapy NOW HIRING
Physical Therapist
Ocean Pines, MD - FT/PT licensed PT. $95-$120K, benefits (FT only), growth and future shareholder potential. Physical Therapist Assistant Ocean View, DE - FT/PT licensed PTA (Delaware or compact), temporary license acceptable. $27-$30/hour, M-F schedule, NO weekends. Benefits for FT. Apply on our website at tidewaterpt.com
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
FIRE ALARM TECHNICIAN: Full Time/Part Time
Locally Owned Co looking for an experienced TECHNICIAN. Must have good driving record and some background in Fire Alarm systems. Competitive pay with benefits. 410-641-4411
Now Hiring
MAINTENANCE FT/YR
Experienced preferred. Flexible schedule. Apply in person
Comfort Inn Gold Coast 11201 Coastal Hwy. Ocean City
JOLLY ROGER
Small Engine Mechanic. Ride Maintenance. Year Round. Wage starts at $15/hour & up based on experience. Benefits available. 410-289-4902
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
Seeking YR & Seasonal Rentals! Call Howard Martin Realty 410-352-5555.
FOR RENT
WOC, 1BR/1BA
$1500 per mo. Available 9/1. 410-213-1633
ROOMMATES
ROOMMATE
HOUSESHARE
Looking for mature female to share house in Ocean Pines. Priv. Bedroom, full use of house. $900 per mo., incl. all utilities. No pets, no smoking 443-497-2332
COMMERCIAL
Commercial Space for Lease. ONLY 1 UNIT LEFT! 2-3 Units available, can be divided or joined. Approx. 1000 sq. ft. Busy major road in Town of Berlin. Call 443-880-8885 for more information.
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 LARRY’S HANDYMAN SERVICE
MISC. FOR SALE
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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
DONATIONS
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.
Am I so shallow, That only a thimbleful, Will overflow me??? Classified Deadline is Monday @ 5pm
ESTATE 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
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
BWW Law Group, LLC
6003 Executive Blvd., Suite 101
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 961-6555
Under a power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust dated June 30, 2023, recorded in Liber 8602, Folio 419 among the Land Records of Worcester County, MD, with an original principal balance of $282,970.00, 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
AUGUST 26, 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 $28,000 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. 376024-1)
Howard N. Bierman, Carrie M. Ward, et. al., Substitute Trustees
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BWW Law Group, LLC
6003 Executive Blvd., Suite 101 Rockville, MD 20852 (301) 961-6555
REAL PROPERTY AND ANY IMPROVEMENTS THEREON
6 SUNSET ISLAND DRIVE, UNIT #2C
OCEAN CITY, MD 21842
Under a power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust dated April 28, 2022, recorded in Liber 8375, Folio 218 among the Land Records of Worcester County, MD, with an original principal balance of $463,500.00, 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 AUGUST 19, 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 described as Unit Numbered LUGAU-2C, Phase Four, in "The Garden Condominium II at Sunset Island"
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 $45,000 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. 369883-1) Howard N. Bierman, Carrie M. Ward, et. al., Substitute Trustees OCD-7/31/3t
OF BERLIN, MARYLAND NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING(S)
ORDINANCE 2025-03 AMENDING CHAPTER 8 OF THE TOWN CODE, ENTITLED BUSINESSES, ARTICLE II, BUSINESS LICENSES, SECTION 8-26, RULES AND REGULATIONS ORDINANCE 2025-04 AMENDING CHAPTER 8 OF THE TOWN CODE, ENTITLED BUSINESSES, ARTICLE III, PEDDLING AND SOLICITING, SECTIONS 8-47 THROUGH 8-56, AND ADDING NEW SECTIONS 8-57 AND 8-58 TO UPDATE DEFINITIONS, REGISTRATION, LICENSING REQUIREMENTS, TIME AND LOCATION RESTRICTIONS, AND TO ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS GOVERNING PEDDLERS AND SOLICITORS; AND GENERALLY RELATING TO THE LICENSING AND CONDUCT OF PEDDLING AND SOLICITING WITHIN THE TOWN.
Both ordinances are scheduled for introduction and first reading on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM. A public hearing on the ordinances will be held on Monday, August 11, 2025, at 6:00 PM. Both meetings will take place during the Regular Session of the Mayor and Council at Berlin Town Hall, 10 William Street, 2nd Floor, Berlin, MD 21811.
The hearing is open to the public, and public testimony is encouraged. Persons with questions regarding this hearing may call 410-641-2770 for further information.
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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
To all persons interested in the estate of ROBERT L MANN JR Estate No. 20758 Notice is given that STEPHANIE PHELPS whose address is 319 WOODCREST DR LANCASTER, PA 17602-1389 was on JULY 17, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ROBERT L MANN JR who died on
JUNE 29, 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 17th day of JANUARY, 2026.
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-7/24/3t
QUINN W. MCGINNES
WILLIAMS, MOORE, SHOCKLEY & HARRISON, LLP
3509 COASTAL HWY. OCEAN CITY, MD 21842-3334
OF APPOINTMENT
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20759 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF HANNAH A. ESHAM
Notice is given that Amanda Holly Eckman, 13 Greenwood Ln., Berlin, MD 21811-2033, was on July 17, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Hanna A. Esham who died on January 17, 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 17th day of January, 2026.
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 no-
tice, 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.
Amanda Holly Eckman 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: July 24, 2025
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Estate No. 20749
TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF JOSEPH DICARA SR.
Notice is given that Joseph DiCara Jr., 8075 Vail Ct., Long Grove, IL 60047-5256, was on July 15, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Joseph DiCara Sr. who died on April 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 15th day of January, 2026.
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.
Joseph DiCara Jr. 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: July 24, 2025
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20756
TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF ANNA FERN WEINMAN
Notice is given that Shawn Patrick Weinman, 2 Ivy Ln., Berlin, MD 21811-1616, was on July 17, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Anna Fern Weinman who died on December 30, 2020, without a will.
Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.
All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 17th day of January, 2026.
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.
Shawn Patrick Weinman
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: July 24, 2025
JULY 21, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of TERESA HANLON who died on MAY 31, 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 21st day of JANUARY, 2026.
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 orother 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
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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. 20739 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL JOSEPH CASTRIGNANO SR. Notice is given that Michael Joseph Castrignano Jr., 68 Anchor Way Dr., Berlin, MD 21811-9615, was on July 17, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Michael Joseph Castrignano Sr. who died on June 03, 2025, with a will.
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DIANA KHAN
DK LAW GROUP 10451 MILL RUN CIR STE 755 OWINGS MILLS, MD 21117-5667
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
To all persons interested in the estate of TERESA HANLON AKA: TERESSA DOLORES GUY-HANLON Estate No. 20763 Notice is given that TANYA BLEVINS whose address is 3128 GREENWOOD CT NORMAN, OK 73072-3317 was on
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 17th day of January, 2026.
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.
Michael Joseph Castrignano Jr. 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: July 24, 2025
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BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF MARYLAND
IN THE MATTER OF TPE MD WO73, LLC’S APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO CONSTRUCT A 5.0 MW SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC GENERATING FACILITY IN WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND
CASE NO. 9772
The Maryland Public Service Commission will hold a public comment hearing to consider TPE MD WO73, LLC’s application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to construct a 5.0 MW solar electric generating facility approximately ½ mile northwest of the intersection of Old Ocean City Boulevard and Main Street, Berlin, MD.
DATE: Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. EDT
PLACE: Worcester County Public Library, 13 Harrison Avenue, Berlin, MD 21811
Anyone wishing to view the live stream of the hearing may do so via the Public Utility Law Judge’s (PULJ) YouTube Channel, https://bit.ly/2X6wLiP. The hearing will include a presentation by the Applicant and Parties, followed by an opportunity for members of the public to provide comments on the proposed Project.
Written comments may be submitted electronically or by first-class mail. Comments submitted electronically must be submitted through the Commission’s Public Comment Dropbox, which can be accessed at www.psc.md.us. Instructions are available at www.psc.state.md.us/make-a-publiccomment. Comments submitted by
first-class mail must be addressed to Jamie Bergin, Chief Clerk, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore MD 21202. All comments must include a reference to Case No. 9772. OCD-7/24/4t
Take Notice that Bill 25-03 (Zoning – Multi-family dwelling units in the C-2 General Commercial District) was introduced by Commissioners Fiori, Mitrecic, and Purnell on July 15, 2025.
A fair summary of the bill is as follows:
§ ZS 1-210(b)(21). (Amends the Zoning and Subdivision Control Article to add a permitted use to allow detached multi-family dwelling units as an accessory use to a commercial development, provided at least sixty-five percent (65%) or more of the net lot area for a given parcel be developed with a commercial use or structure permitted in the C-2 District, and a minimum of 15% of open space be provided for the residential uses.)
A Public Hearing
will be held on Bill 25-03 at the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Room 1101 – Government Center, One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 10:35 a.m.
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 and is available for public inspection in Room 1103 of the Worcester County Government Center. In addition, 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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B. RANDALL COATES ESQ. COATES, COATES, & COATES 204 WEST GREEN STREET P.O. BOX 293 SNOW HILL, MD 21863
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20754 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF GEORGE EDMUND LAMBERTSON
Notice is given that Kathy Elliott, 212 Snow HIll Rd., Stockton, MD 21864-2102 and Wanda Stewart, 104 Winter Quarters Dr., Pocomoke City, MD 21851-1041, were on July 22, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of George Edmund Lambertson 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 (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 22nd day of January, 2026.
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.
Kathy Elliott Wanda Stewart 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: July 31, 2025
OCD-7/31/3t _________________________________
CHRIS S. MASON ESQ
WILLIAMS, MOORE, SHOCKLEY & HARRISON, L.L.P. 3509 COASTAL HIGHWAY OCEAN CITY, MD 21842
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
To all persons interested in the estate of WILLIAM A RIGGINS Estate No. 20764 Notice is given that MICHELLE L JOYNER whose address is 2410 RUNNYMEADE RD NW WILSON, NC 27896-1356 was on JULY 22, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of WILLIAM A RIGGINS who died on MARCH 23, 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 22nd day of JANUARY, 2026. 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-7/31/3t
2025-01
RE: Qualifications for Election as Mayor or City Councilman
Pursuant to §4-304(b) of the Local Government Article of the Maryland Annotated Code, Notice is hereby given by the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City, that subsequent to a public hearing and presentation held on Monday, July 21, 2025 at the 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, Charter Resolution 2025-01 was adopted by the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City. Summary of Charter Amendment Resolution 2025-01 is as follows: § C401, Qualifications for Election as Mayor and 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 preceding 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 Charter Amendment Resolution 2025-01 is posted at City Hall, and available in the July 21, 2025, agenda packet online at
oceancitymd.gov and can be obtained by contacting the City Clerk’s office at 410-289-8824. OCD-7/31/4t
Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 106 ”Waterways,” Article II – “Shoreline Development” of the Code of the Town of Ocean City, Maryland, hereinafter referred to as the Code, same being the Port Wardens Ordinance of Ocean City, Maryland, notice is hereby given that public hearings will be conducted in the Council Chambers of City Hall located at 301 Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, Maryland.
Thursday, August 14, 2025 2:00 PM
PW 25-026 A request has been submitted to remove an unauthorized platform on an existing boat
lift. To construct one boatlift on existing pilings and one PWC lift on existing pilings not to exceed 36.5’ channelward. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 151 PINE TREE RD Parcel # 8020A-1327B- in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Stephen & Sharon Norcio
APPLICANT: McGinty Marine
Construction
PW 25-056 A request has been submitted to install one boatlift with four associated pilings not to exceed 22’ channnelward extension. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 2802 TERN DR UNIT 305 Parcel # 4789305 in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Eric Kriczky
APPLICANT: Kayla Short
PW 25-057 A request has been submitted to install one boatlift with four associated pilings not to exceed 20’ channelward. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 113 NEWPORT BAY DR UNIT D Parcel # 3643A113D in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Gregory Tucker
APPLICANT: Kayla Short
PW 25-059 A request has been submitted to install one 10’ x 18’
floating dock within an existing slip, maximum channelward extension of 18’. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 770 94TH ST UNIT D Parcel # 9650 -304 in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Kelly Barr
APPLICANT: Hidden Oak Farm, LLC
PW 25-060 A request has been submitted to remove existing 3’ x 11’ finger pier, re-construct a new 3’ x 21’ finger pier and install one boatlift with associated pilings a maximum channelward extension of 27.5’. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 205 125TH ST SLIP 363 Parcel # 6060AD363 - in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Tracey Anne Deal, Rev. Trust
APPLICANT: J. Stacey Hart
PW 25-061 A request has been submitted to install one boatlift with associated pilings not to exceed past existing pier 17.5’ channelward. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 708 BRADLEY RD UNIT B Parcel # 9351 -B in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Eric Gonzales/Lisa Vible
APPLICANT: J. Stacey Hart
PW 25-062 A request has been submitted to install one boat lift on existing pilings, maximum channelward extension 23’ not to exceed past existing slip. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 2205 PHILADELPHIA AVE UNIT 202A – Slip 53Parcel # 4236 -A202 in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER: Christopher Kernick
APPLICANT: Kayla Short
PW 25-063 A request has been submitted to install one 6’ x 12’ floating dock not to exceed 12’ channelward. The site of the proposed construction is described as being located at 719 RUSTY ANCHOR RD UNIT 8 Parcel # 9160 -8 in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.
OWNER/APPLICANT: Jonathan Zarkauskas
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20766 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF THOMAS J. WIEDECKER SR. AKA: THOMAS J. WIEDECKER
Notice is given that Thomas J. Wiedecker Jr., 1222 Southview Dr., Westminster, MD 21157-5949, was on July 23, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Thomas J. Wiedecker Sr. who died on July 01, 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 23rd day of January, 2026.
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.
Thomas J. Wiedecker Jr. 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: July 31, 2025
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Mayor & City Council Ocean City, Maryland
B01-26 – Eagles Landing Golf Course Flood Remediation
The Mayor & City Council of Ocean City is seeking Proposals from qualified and experienced Vendors to provide for the Eagles Landing Golf Course Flood Remediation and for said work to conform with the Proposal Documents.
BID Documents for the Eagles Landing Golf Course Flood Remediation may be obtained from the Town’s Procurement Department by either e-mailing the Procurement Manager, Matt Perry, at mperry@oceancitymd.gov or Dawn Leonard at dleonard@oceancitymd.gov, 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-BID Meeting will be con-
ducted on TUESDAY, JULY 22ND, 2025, AT 8:00AM AT EAGLES LANDING GOLF COURSECLUBHOUSE. Pre-BID Meeting attendance is mandatory for Vendors intending to submit BID proposals for consideration. The Town of Ocean City will additionally provide a virtual attendance option, via Zoom, to Vendors unable to attend the Pre-BID Meeting in person. A site survey shall immediately follow the Pre-BID Meeting. The last day for questions will be on MONDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2025 AT 3:00PM. Addendum will be posted by close of business on TUESDAY, AUGUST 5TH, 2025. Sealed BID Documents are due no later than MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2025, BY 4:00PM. BID submissions will be opened, read aloud, and then remanded back to staff for further review at the MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION, ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025, AT 1:00PM. BID’s are to be submitted to the Mayor and City Council, Attention: City Clerk; Room 230, 301 North Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842, and the name of the Solicitation (B01-26 – Eagles Landing Golf Course Flood Remediation) must be noted on the outside of the package.
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 APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE
Application has been made by the Undersigned for a Promoter’s License
For: Spectrum Concessions, LLC
T/A: Oceans Calling
Oceans Calling Events – Friday September 26, 2025, through Sunday September 28, 2025
Hours of Alcoholic Beverage Sales – Begins 12 Noon and ends 10:30 p.m. each day
Ocean City Inlet to North Division Street, including the inlet parking lot, the beach, the boardwalk, Ocean City pier, and portions of business adjacent to the boardwalk/ Ocean City
There will be a public hearing on the application in the Board Room, Room 1102 in the Government Center, Snow Hill, Maryland, on: August 20, 2025 @ 9:15 A.M.
The Board welcomes written or oral comments at said public hearing from any interested party.
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NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE
Application has been made by the Undersigned for a Promoter’s License
For: Spectrum Concessions, LLC
T/A: Country Calling Country Calling Events – Friday
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: 08/08/2025
AUTH: Raymond J Austin Chief of Police
October 3, 2025 through Sunday October 5, 2025
Hours of Alcoholic Beverage Sales – Begins 12 Noon and ends 10:30 p.m. each day
Ocean City Inlet to North Division Street, including the inlet parking lot, the beach, the boardwalk, Ocean City pier, and portions of business adjacent to the boardwalk /Ocean City
There will be a public hearing on the application in the Board Room, Room 1102 in the Government Center, Snow Hill, Maryland, on: August 20, 2025 @ 9:25 A.M.
The Board welcomes written or oral comments at said public hearing from any interested party.
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WORCESTER COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS AGENDA
THURSDAY AUGUST 14, 2025
Pursuant to the provisions of the Worcester County Zoning Ordinance, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held in-person before the Board of Zoning Appeals for Worcester County, in the Board Room (Room 1102) on the first floor
of the Worcester County Government Center, One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland. Audio and video recording will take place during this public hearing.
The public is invited to view this meeting live online athttps://worcestercountymd.swagit.co m/live
6:30 p.m. Case No. 25-40, on the lands of Dara and John Wooten, requesting a variance to the side yard setback from 7 feet to 4 feet (to encroach 3 feet) for a proposed landing with steps in the A-2 Agricultural District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1-116(c)(4), ZS 1-202(b)(5), ZS 1122(c)(1) and ZS 1-305, located at 10610 Flower Street, Tax Map 25, Parcel 97, Tax District 3, Worcester County, Maryland.
6:35 p.m. Case No. 25-43, on the lands of Candian Newnam, requesting a variance to the front yard setback from 50 feet to 5 feet (to encroach 45 feet) for an existing deck proposed for outdoor seating in the C-2 General Commercial District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1116(c)(4), ZS 1-210(b)(2) and ZS 1305, located at 5342 Snow Hill Road, Tax Map 63, Parcel 122, Tax District 2, Worcester County, Maryland.
6:40 p.m. Case No. 25-48, on the lands of Michelle and Michael Haas, requesting a variance to the rear yard setback from 30 feet to 24.6 feet
(to encroach 5.4 feet) for a proposed screened porch in the R-3 Multi-family Residential District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1-116(c)(4), ZS 1207(b)(2) and ZS 1-305, located at 70 Watertown Road, Tax Map 16, Parcel 47, Section 11, Lot 339, Tax District 3, Worcester County, Maryland.
6:45 p.m. Case No. 25-49, on the lands of Linda and John Jensen, on the application of Tyler Building Company, requesting a variance to the rear yard setback from 30 feet to 20.59 feet (to encroach 9.41 feet) for a proposed open deck in the R-3 Multi-family Residential District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1116(c)(4), ZS 1-207(b)(2) and ZS 1305, located at 106 Pine Forest Drive, Tax Map 21, Parcel 309, Section 17, Lot 3, Tax District 3, Worcester County, Maryland. 6:50 p.m. Case No. 25-47, on the lands of Kristie and Stephen St. Pierre, on the application of Paul Thornton, requesting an after-thefact special exception for the enlargement of a nonconforming structure (barn) in the A-1 Agricultural District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1-116(c)(5), ZS 1122(d)(1), ZS 1-116(c)(3) and ZS 1305, located at 5956 Whitesburg Road, Tax Map 53, Parcel 1, Tax District 7, Worcester County, Maryland. 6:55 p.m. Case No. 25-46, on the lands of Holly and Matthew Mum-
ford, requesting a special exception to allow a commercial kennel in the A-1 Agricultural District and a variance to reduce the setback from perimeter lot lines for outside pens and runways from 200 feet to 68 feet (to encroach 132 feet), pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1-116(c)(3), ZS 1116(c)(4), ZS 1-201(c)(30) and ZS 1305, located at 8812 Peerless Road, Tax Map 8, Parcel 141, Lot 1, Tax District 3, Worcester County, Maryland.
7:00 p.m. Case No. 25-42, on the lands of Dorkhanai and Mohammad Sharif Roshan, requesting a variance to reduce the Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Buffer from 100 feet to 37 feet (to encroach 63 feet) for a proposed garage in the R-1 Rural Residential District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1-116(m), ZS 1205(b)(2) and ZS 1-305 and Natural Resources Code §§ NR 3-104(d)(4) and NR 3-111, located at 11347 Marina Drive, Tax Map 16, Parcel 91, Block C, Lot 6C, Tax District 3, Worcester County, Maryland.
7:05 p.m. Case No. 25-41, on the lands of Everett Glenn Holland Revocable Trust and Jean Truitt Holland Revocable Trust, on the application of Cedar Hall Energy Center LLC, requesting a special exception for a public utility structure (battery energy storage system) in the R-2 Suburban Residential District, pursuant to Zoning Code §§ ZS 1-116(c)(3) and ZS 1-206(c)(10), located on the north side of Cedar Hall Road at its intersection with the Pocomoke Beltway, Tax Map 91, Parcel 68, Tax District 1, Worcester County, Maryland.
OCD-7/31/2t
COATES, COATES & COATES
SEAN J. COLGAN ESQ. 6200 COASTAL HWY., STE. 300 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842-6698
TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 20755
NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Surrogate’s court of Westchester County, New York appointed Jaclyn Saraceno, 520 Linden St., Mamaroneck, NY 10543-2723 as the Executor of the Estate of Jack W. Saraceno who died on April 08, 2025 domiciled in New York, USA.
The name and address of the Maryland resident agent for service of process is Sean J. Colgan, 6200 Coastal Hwy., Ste. 300, Ocean City, MD 21842-6698.
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 cred-
itor 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.
Jaclyn Saraceno
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: August 7, 2025
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REENA J. PATEL ESQ. LAW OFFICE OF MARIANNA BATIE 1321 MOUNT HERMON RD., STE. B
SALISBURY, MD 21804-5303
OF APPOINTMENT
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 20770
TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF JERRY A. SMITH
AKA: JERRY ANTHONY SMITH
Notice is given that Sundi Truitt, 5784 Homestead St., Salisbury, MD 21801-8203, was on July 28, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Jerry A. Smith who died on June 26, 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 28th day of January, 2026.
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.
Sundi Truitt
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:
August 07, 2025
OCD-8/7/3t
COHN, GOLDBERG & DEUTSCH, LLC
ATTORNEYS AT LAW 1099 WINTERSON ROAD, SUITE 301
LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, MARYLAND 21090
410-296-2550
File #: 461769
Richard E. Solomon
Richard J. Rogers
Michael McKeefery
Christianna Kersey
Kyle Blackstone
Jason Murphy
John Ansell
Jason Beers
Brandon Ewing 1099 Winterson Road, Suite 301
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
Substitute Trustees Plaintiffs v.
Diana J. Brooks AND Byron L. Brooks III AND
Allentown Entertainment, Inc. AND
Bruce F. Bright, Esquire 8203 Atlantic Avenue #8PH Ocean City, MD 21842
Defendants IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND
Case No. C-23-CV-24-000316
Notice is hereby given this 30th day of July, 2025, by the Circuit Court for Worcester County, that the sale of the property mentioned in these proceedings, made and reported, will be ratified and confirmed, unless cause to the contrary thereof be shown on or before the 1st day of September, 2025, provided a copy of this notice be published in a newspaper of general circulation in Worcester County, once in each of three successive weeks before the 25th day of August, 2025.
The Report of Sale states the amount of the foreclosure sale price to be $439,018.99. The property sold herein is known as 8203 Atlantic Avenue #8PH, Ocean City, MD 21842. 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-8/7/3t
MARIANNA BATIE ESQ. BATIE LAW LLC 9748 STEPHEN DECATUR HWY., STE. 112 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842-9358
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 20773
TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF KIMBERLY GRACE HANNAN Notice is given that Theresa Lynn
Hannan, 2103 Points Reach, Berlin, MD 21811-4213, was on July 30, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Kimberly Grace Hannan who died on June 20, 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.
Theresa Lynn Hannan 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: August 07, 2025
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HEATHER R. KONYAR, ESQ. COCKEY, BRENNAN & MALONEY, P.C. 313 LEMMON HILL LN. SALISBURY, MD 21801-4238
TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES ESTATE NO. 20775
NOTICE IS GIVEN that the ORPHANS court of DELAWARE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA appointed DONNA JO PERRY whose address is 462 OLD FORGE RD., MEDIA, PA 19063-5511 as the PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE of the Estate of JOSEPH C. PERRY SR. who died on MAY 23, 2024 domiciled in PA, USA
The name and address of the Maryland resident agent for service of process is HEATHER R. KONYAR ESQ., 313 LEMMON HILL LN., SALSBURY, MD 21801-4238
At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties:
WORCESTER.
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.
TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074 OCD-8/7/3t
SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS ESTATE NO. 20611 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF
PATRICIA ANN WINKELMAYER
Notice is given that Richard
Winkelmayer Jr., 6 Knights Xing, Newark, DE 19713-1155, was on July 29, 2025 appointed personal representative of the small estate of Patricia Ann Winkelmayer who died on March 24, 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.
Richard Winkelmayer Jr.
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: August 07, 2025
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JAMES E. CLUBB JR, ESQ 108 N 8TH ST. OCEAN CITY, MD 21842
To all persons interested in the estate of ANDREA SCHAAF Estate No. 20776 Notice is given that DANIEL JEREMY SCHAAF whose address is 307 E COLLEGE AVE SALISBURY, MD 21804-6505 was on AUGUST 04, 2025 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of ANDREA SCHAAF who died on JUNE 01, 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 4th day of FEBRUARY, 2026.
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-8/7/3t
TARA FISCHER/OC TODAY-DISPATCH
The 18th Annual Berlin Peach Festival was hosted on the grounds of the Taylor House Museum last Saturday amid picture-perfect weather conditions. Approximately 4,000 people converged on all of Berlin with churches selling out of their goods as well as many vendors reporting outstanding sales on event grounds. Live entertainment was provided by the Bilenki Duo and Berlin Airlift.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) A potential cell phone tower in Ocean Pines could benefit the majority of residents, with equipment redirection and small cell towers serving as supplementary support toward more reliability.
Last week, representatives from Milestone Towers, a cell tower building company, and Verizon Wireless hosted a question-and-answer-style town hall for Ocean Pines residents on the intricacies of a possible new cell phone tower within the wooded community’s bounds. The meeting was held virtually.
A possible cell tower could help alleviate Ocean Pines’ spotty reception, a hindrance to the vast majority of the community’s citizens. The connection issue is particularly problematic during the busy summer months when an influx of tourists and parttime residents flock to the coastal neighborhood and its surrounding areas, crowding and straining the nearby network connection sites.
A new tower, representatives said last week, could spread out where cell phone users receive their service, alleviating the overcapacity problem and thus improving residents’ abilities to make calls and send texts.
The project to build a new tower on community property has been led
by Ocean Pines Police Chief Tim Robinson, whose central worry is public safety. While emergency calls can be made with an ‘SOS’ signal, indicated at the top of a phone where bars are typically located, a ‘No Signal’ reading means that no phone calls, including those to 911, will be picked up. The chief has held talks with Ocean Pines officials, carrier representatives, and Milestone Towers over the past several months, attempting to advance the initiative.
Last week’s Q&A session was held to allow residents to ask questions about their specific concerns.
The town hall began with an overview from Matt Forkas, the project manager for Milestone Towers. According to the representative, the company, based in Virginia, has built over 200 cell sites with over 50 municipal landowners, many of which are located in Maryland. A few of these can be found in Worcester’s neighboring county of Wicomico.
If approved by the Ocean Pines Association and the Worcester County government, the cell phone tower will be built behind the maintenance facility at the community’s golf course. Forkas added that two other locations were considered: the OPA Community Center and the eastern part of the golf club, but were ultimately deemed less viable than the chosen
site.
The Milestone Towers representative noted that the area near the golf course’s maintenance building is centrally located, ensuring the maximum amount of community impact possible. It is also in an ideal spot to avoid interfering with Ocean Pines operations.
“The area itself was flat and easy to get to and would cause the least amount of friction for the community itself,” Forkas said.
If erected, the cell phone tower will be approximately 150 feet tall, constructed of steel, with room for up to four wireless carriers to offer service. Signed on are Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. The structure will be camouflaged to resemble a tree, blending in with the Ocean Pines aesthetic. Once passed by the necessary parties, the project will take 12 to 18 months before service goes online and reception noticeably improves. Forkas said that a year and a half is likely a more accurate estimate.
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile will offer service out of the tower upon its completion. Milestone Towers would put up the structure at their cost, while Ocean Pines would not incur any of the build’s price tag. Furthermore, the cell tower will yield funds for OPA. Each carrier is to pay approximately $ 2,500 per month for
the use of the infrastructure, and Milestone Towers and OPA would split the resulting revenue.
Much of the town hall was spent discussing the level of impact OPA residents can expect from the tower. A previous presentation revealed that the area within a one-mile radius of the structure will feel the most benefits. The signal would weaken further from the cell site. Forkas maintained that the houses closest to the infrastructure would experience the most noticeable improvement in reception. However, homes outside the closest zone will also see some connection enhancement.
Paul Plymouth, Verizon’s director of state government and local engagement, said that while the most significant level of impact will be in that one-mile radius, the areas further from the tower will still experience improvements. This is because other wireless connection structures currently in place near Ocean Pines, which are now overcrowded, will feel less of a strain with a new tower available, thus increasing service for all of Ocean Pines.
“What we want to get across is that the network right now is so congested, so putting in that tower makes things a lot better in that general area,” Plymouth explained.
See NETWORK Page 68
Continued from Page 67
“We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve been caught up in Bay Bridge traffic, and it’s like a five-mile backup. What we’re looking to do would essentially eliminate four to four and a half miles of traffic in the backup that you’re experiencing. While there’s still going to be some congestion, and there are some ways we can deal with that congestion, there’s going to be a much bigger impact for the general area.”
He added that the new tower will alleviate reception issues for those closest to the golf course facility. For those furthest away, such as the community’s southeast, there are steps they can take to enhance their connection, if needed.
For instance, Plymouth stated that once the new tower is constructed and pressure is taken off the current infrastructure, equipment from the existing towers can be redirected to OPA’s southeast to enhance service in those neighborhoods not directly within the new build’s impact zone.
Some residents at the town hall inquired why small cell towers, which are smaller structures that target areas within 250 to 600 feet, weren’t being considered. Homeowner Dave Tanner maintained that small cells are less noticeable than a 150-foot tower, preserving Ocean Pines’ natural beauty.
Plymouth stated that a large tower will help improve service to a larger portion of the community, and that if a few streets require additional assistance in the future, small cells may be considered. Still, Verizon would first like to assess the impact of the big tower. Any necessary next steps may then be reviewed.
“We think a tower is the most ap-
propriate first step,” he said. “A cell tower is going to be most appropriate for covering the largest area, helping with coverage and capacity, and in the future, if we need to install small cells, we can do that in a targeted manner. Those small cells just help with capacity. For those who live in the southeastern portion of Ocean Pines, if we build the tower and reposition some of the surrounding equipment, and it turns out not to help the southeastern portion as we thought, then we can consider the small cell route. But we would have the right infrastructure in place with a new tower for those small cells to offload the capacity stress on the network, versus if we just put small cells all across Ocean Pines.”
Officials agreed that the proposed 150-cell phone tower is the best first step and will yield the largest improvement to the community’s reception.
“This is the optimal solution for your area,” added Dave Reinauer, a Verizon representative. “There’s no question. You are going to see significant improvement in all of Ocean Pines as a result of this. Will it be perfect for everyone? No, but it will be the best way to enhance coverage in a fairly quick manner…What I don’t want to leave you with is that once the service is up and running, it’s the end, be-all. It’s a constant process of tweaking our network, updating equipment, and adjusting other cell sites to achieve different orientations. But the first step is this cell site. If you want to enhance your coverage here, this is your way to start. This is the solution.”
Verizon and Milestone Tower representatives maintain that a new cell tower within the limits of the Ocean Pines Association will help alleviate the community’s spotty reception. According to officials, they plan to build new wireless infrastructure, which will likely remedy service issues for roughly 85% of Ocean Pines, and then assess any further improvements that can be made. This will likely come in the form of repositioning existing towers towards the portions of OPA that will experience limited effects from the new structure, particularly the southeast. If this supplemental measure has minimal impact, the carriers will consider using small cells to target specific streets.
The notes from the town hall were forwarded to OPA leadership for review. Forkas said that the next step in the tower initiative is to seek approval from the Ocean Pines Board of Directors, and if approved, the project will then be considered by the county government. The community will be notified with
as they
By Kristin Joson Contributing Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) As a mother of two, one of my greatest fears when my children were young was losing them in a crowded place and not being able to find them. It’s a terrifying thought that many parents share especially in busy beach settings.
But during my 22 years with the Beach Patrol, I’ve been fortunate to witness the safe return of many lost children to their families, thanks to quick action and a few smart precautions. In this article, I’ll share practical tips to help you avoid this stressful situation and keep your beach day safe, fun, and worry-free.
For young children one of the very first things that we encourage you to do when you get to the beach is meet the lifeguard. Take the time to introduce them and reinforce the fact that if they cannot find mom and dad, then they tell the person in the big white chair. Our lifeguards appreciate this so that if a child does get lost, they can work to reunite parties faster and go back to their primary concern – watching the water. This is crucial especially on busy weekends at the peak of summer, when it is not uncommon to have over 30 separated individual cases on our beaches.
Next, you can show your kids the numbered street sign that faces the beach at the dune access. Point out a few distinguishable buildings in the background to help orient them to the area. To a young child standing at the water’s edge, the beach can look like a repeating pattern of umbrellas and chairs, making parents disappear quite easily. Some kids might also be able to memorize your cell phone number. Our lifeguards have the ability to make radio contact with our dispatcher who can place a call to parents if needed.
When kids get panicked, they tend to pick up the pace and cover more ground as they search frantically for something familiar. Additionally, the current can move children along the beach so they exit the water sometimes blocks away from where they entered.
Though these factors can cause children to become lost, lost kids do display several commonalities, like walking at the water’s edge with the wind at their back (the path of least resistance.) These signs can help lifeguards initiate a search with semaphore, otherwise known as our flag language, as a message is sent to each guard.
While lifeguards are visually sweeping the beach, the message is also sent via radio to spread the information to a larger area. During this time, it is extremely important to have a group member stay with the lifeguard closest to where the individual is lost from. Keeping a group member close to
the lifeguard stand allows us to return the lost individual to the correct location, and allows for a good flow of communication. Our Area Supervisors, who patrol on mobile rescue units (ATV’s), will also sweep the area searching for the lost individual. We are proud to say that through this process, we have a 100% return rate for lost parties, with most reunited in ten minutes or less.
In conclusion, if you suddenly can’t locate a member of your family, do not panic and do not start your own search before informing the nearest lifeguard who can initiate the search, and at times, may already know the whereabouts of your child.
A couple years ago at the downtown fireworks display an 11-year-old child became separated from his family in the large crowd of 1,000’s of people. Because of how long the child was missing the Police called in a State Police helicopter, the US Coast Guard as well as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police to begin searching along the water’s edge. As a result, the fireworks display was placed on an indefinite hold until the child could be located and re-united with family members. Fortunately, Beach Patrol staff work this event, and our own Sergeant Tim Uebel located the missing child. Tim is like a Blood Hound when
it comes to locating both lost people and lost items.
Last year a new initiative called the “Find-a-Kid Program,” developed by the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) was started. Wristbands will be offered to guests with children at participating OCHMRA member hotels. These wristbands will have the hotel’s name, address, and phone number printed on them, along with the OCHMRA logo. If the Beach Patrol locates a child wearing one of these wristbands it will assist us in two ways. First it will let us concentrate our efforts to locate the responsible adult at the area where the child originated from since we have had kids walk several miles before someone alerts the SRT. Secondly our Duty Officer (OCBP dispatcher) will contact the hotel listed on the wristband letting them know a child from their hotel has been located.
Taking a few minutes to make a simple plan with your child can go a long way in keeping your beach day safe and your vacation stress-free. Remind them who to go to if they get lost, pick a landmark they can recognize, and check in regularly. A little preparation goes a long way toward peace of mind.
Although you are allowed to be on the beach before and after the Beach
Patrol goes on duty each day some of the longest missing person cases (over an hour) have occurred when a child wonders off and the SRTs are not available to assist. Even with a smaller beach population kids still wonder off, so keep an even closer eye on your family and as always, “Keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard’s in the stand!”
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer
(Aug. 7, 2025) Improvements and new partnerships are coming to the Ocean Pines food and beverage service, including a party boat experience from the community’s Yacht Club to Seacrets in Ocean City.
Since this spring, restaurant group Touch of Italy (TOI) has been the operator of the Ocean Pines Association’s food and beverage services. TOI and OPA signed a five-year contract in January for TOI to oversee the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, the Ocean Pines Beach Club in Ocean City, and the Clubhouse Bar and Grille. The arrangement was inked upon the expiration of previous vendor Matt Ortt Companies’ agreement with the homeowners' association.
Now, with a few months under
their belt, TOI is enhancing OPA’s food and beverage experience.
One such development is the new partnership between the Ocean Pines Yacht Club and Seacrets Coastal Cruises. This party boat ride will now offer a journey through the bay between the OPA establishment and the iconic Ocean City bar and restaurant.
The boat has a restroom onboard and is stocked with a full tiki bar for guests to enjoy during the 35-minute voyage. A round-trip experience is offered, and, according to a press release issued by OPA, private charters for groups of 35 to 45 passengers are available.
TOI founder Bob Ciprietti said that the Yacht Club’s newest experience kicked off last weekend. The boozy Seacrets cruise will be offered through Labor Day and then will hit the
ground running early next summer. For adults, the round-trip ticket price is $24.95. For children, who are also welcome for those visitors looking for a more family-friendly journey, tickets are $14.95.
“In my opinion, it’s an inexpensive Uber on the water,” Ciprietti said.
The TOI founder noted that the new service will offer Ocean Pines residents a fresh and fun way to experience two sought-after Eastern Shore locations.
“I think [the cruise] gives another overall part of the experience that if you come to the Yacht Club and you want to go over to Seacrets and have some great food and some great drinks and entertainment, and you want that vibe, you can hop over, and then you can come back,” he said. “And if you’re at Seacrets, you can do
the same thing. You can hop over to Ocean Pines and come back. It’s a win-win for everybody, and we look forward to its success.”
Ciprietti added that he recently took a Seacrets cruise himself, and maintained that the experience will only be advantageous for the community and its residents.
“I just took this Seacrets cruise this past week, and it was great,” he said. “I saw parts of Ocean City I have never seen before. I think it’s going to be awesome.”
In addition to the new water adventure, TOI is looking to enhance its on-site experience at the Yacht Club. Ciprietti said that throughout the summer, his team has taken feedback from Ocean Piners on the establishment’s service and menu, and the restaurant group intends to make some adjustments leading into the fall and winter.
The food has been an ongoing point of discussion among community members, Ciprietti said, and the Yacht Club is now on its fourth iteration of the menu since TOI took over earlier this year.
“We were constantly getting feedback,” said the Touch of Italy founder. “‘Hey, we like this, hey, we don’t like that.’ The biggest one was, ‘We don’t want you to do Italian.’ And then three weeks later, ‘where’s all the Italian?’”
As such, a few Italian dishes have been added, including the restaurant’s beloved chicken parm, which Ciprietti said has been well-received.
TOI is also preparing to introduce new events and specials this fall. According to Ciprietti, during the offseason, the Yacht Club plans to reinvent its trivia night, host wine and bourbon dinners, and offer cooking classes.
Notably, Ciprietti added to enhance the facility, Ocean Pines has agreed to build an outdoor kitchen at the Yacht Club. The addition will aid in the establishment’s staff’s ability to provide quality and speedy service. While the new kitchen will not be as big as the one indoors, it will be fully functional.
“There are some Saturdays that there are 2,000 people that we serve, and the kitchen struggled a little bit because that’s a lot of people at one time, and we’re only human,” Ciprietti said. “This will give us some diversity in the menu and also speed up the food experience for when you’re at the pool or tiki bar and you want something easy and quick. We’re looking forward to that.”
The outdoor kitchen is expected to be finished in the spring of next year.
Ciprietti said that TOI’s first summer season overseeing OPA’s food and beverage operations has been successful.
“For us, it's a great summer,” he said. “It’s our maiden voyage. The people in Ocean Pines have been
The Art League of Ocean City’s Saturday arts and craft projects continued on Aug. 2 with the children creating starfish sun catchers. The free event continues every Saturday through Aug. 30 from 11 a.m-1 p.m. at the bayfront Ocean City Center for the Arts, 502 94th St., with a new theme every week. All are welcome. Pictured are Adelyn Blaszczyk, far left, Annapolis; center, Dylan and Kylie Fox of Richmond, Va.; and, left, Tessa Rush of Owings.
deck, or under the pergola with a cozy outdoor fireplace. Extras include asphalt driveway, outdoor shower & ADT alarm system. BEAUTIFULLY UPDATED HOME on an OVERSIZED LOT 21
9401 FOOKS ROAD, BISHOPVILLE with Commercial/Home Occupation possibilities in the rear building! Recently replaced front door, pellet stove, water heater, LVP flooring, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances. The primary suite has a 5' tiled shower & gorgeous antique vanity with double vessel sinks. Long asphalt drive leads to an extra-large 65' outbuilding containing 2 garage bays (one is 14'), 2 offices, one with kitchenette, full bath, 45x22 loft storage area, a 12x4 paint storage room, 3 ductless mini-split heat pumps. Also, 2 lean-to's, 40x15
BURLEY OAK BREWING COMPANY
443-513-4647
10016 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin
Sat., Aug. 9: TBA
BUXY’S SALTY DOG & DRY DOCK 28
410-289-BUXY
28th Street Coastal Hwy.
Fri., Aug. 8: Full Circle
Sat., Aug. 9: DJ Wax
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., Aug. 8: True Country & Endless Ember
Sat., Aug. 9: Star Spangled Hustlers & The Runner-Ups
Sun., Aug. 10: No Byscuts & Steve O’Boyle
Mon., Aug. 11: DJ Bobby O & Ryan Jackson
Tues., Aug. 12: Ben Davis & Rogue Citizens Duo
Wed., Aug. 13: Fil Rhythm & Jason Lee
Thurs., Aug. 14: Keith & Chris & Schizophrenic Boogiemen
COCONUTS BEACH BAR
410-289-6846
Oceanfront At Castle
In The Sand Hotel
37th & 38th Streets
Fri., Aug. 8: Darin Engh & Homeskool Dropouts
Sat., Aug. 9: Dylan Canfield & The Everafter
Sun., Aug. 10: Solid Maybe & Doug Kaetz Band
Mon., Aug. 11: Sean Loomis & Callum Toner Band
Tues., Aug. 12: No Hesitations & Johnny Cardo
Wed., Aug. 13: Jack Bannon & The Chest Pains
Thurs., Aug. 14: Jess Arms & The Dunehounds
COINS PUB
410-289-3100
28th Street Plaza On Coastal Hwy.
Fri., Aug. 8: Dust N Bones
Sat., Aug. 9: Jim Long Party & First Class
Tues., Aug. 12: Karaoke
Thurs., Aug. 14: DJ Wax
CRABCAKE FACTORY BAYSIDE
302-988-5000
37314 Lighthouse Rd., Rte. 54, Selbyville, DE
Sun., Aug. 10: Bill Dickson
Wed., Aug. 13: Medium Wave Jay
CRAWL STREET TAVERN
443-373-2756
Wicomico St., Downtown O.C.
Fri., Aug. 8: Shredded Cheddar
Sat., Aug. 9: Fuzzbox Piranha
FAGER’S ISLAND
410-524-5500
60th St., In The Bay
Fri., Aug. 8: Crushing Day, DJ RobCee & Jumper
Sat., Aug. 9: Crushing Day, DJ Dnial & Jumper
Sun., Aug. 10: Dead Eye Stare & DJ
THE DUNEHOUNDS
Coconuts Beach Bar: Thursday, August 14
FIRST CLASS
Coins Pub: Saturday, August 9
Jolly Jellyfish Beach Club: Mondays
ROGUE CITIZENS
Harborside: Saturday, August 9 • 1pm
Pickles Pub: Saturday, August 9 • 9pm
Caribbean Pool Bar: Tuesday, August 12
FUZZBOX PIRANHA
Crawl Street Tavern: Saturday, August 9
The Wedge: Tuesday, August 12 Caribbean Pool Bar: Thursday, August 14
PAW
Friday, August 8
GO GO GADJET
Seacrets: Thursday, August 14
DOC MARTEN & THE FLANNELS
Purple Moose: Thusday, August 14
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
Harborside: Sunday, August 10
Seacrets: Tuesday, August 12
Mon., Aug. 11: DJ Wax, Animal House, DJ & Social Drinking
Tues., Aug. 12: DJ Bobby O & EDM Night
Wed., Aug. 13: Latin Night
Thurs., Aug. 14: DJ Groove
FISH TALES
410-289-0990
22nd St., & Bay
Sun., Aug. 10: Lauren Glick
Tues., Aug. 12: Bilge Rats
Wednesdays: DJ Wax
Thurs., Aug. 14: Blake Haley
GREENE TURTLE WEST
410-213-1500
Route 611, West OC
Sat., Aug. 9: TBA
HARBORSIDE
410-213-1846
South Harbor Rd., West End O.C.
Fridays: DJ Billy T
Sat., Aug. 9: Rogue Citizens & DJ Bigler
Sun., Aug. 10: Oppostie Directions & Charlie Travers
Wednesdays: DJ Billy T
Thursdays: Dust N Bones
JOLLY JELLYFISH BEACH CLUB
443-664-6147
98th Street Coastal Hwy., Plaza Condominium
Fri., Aug. 8: Monkee Paw
Sat., Aug. 9: John Schwartz
Sun., Aug. 10: On The Edge
Mondays: First Class
Tuesdays: Lost Figures
Wednesdays: Joe Mama & Friends
Thursdays: Beach Bandits
PICKLES PUB
410-289-4891
8th St. & Philadelphia Ave.
Fridays: Beats By DeoGee
Sat., Aug. 9: Rogue Citizens
Sundays: Beats By Styler
Mondays: Karaoke w/ Wood
Tuesdays: Beats By Wax
Wednesdays: Beats By Madame Dutchess
Thursdays: Beats By Connair
PURPLE MOOSE SALOON
410-289-6953
Between Caroline & Talbot Sts. On The Boards
Fri. & Sat., Aug. 8 & 9: Tripwire Sun., Aug. 10: Danny Hines (2pm) & The Boh Daddies (10pm)
Wednesdays: Balkan Party w/ DJ Papi
Thurs., Aug. 14: Doc Marten & The Flannels
SEACRETS
410-524-4900
49th St. & Coastal Hwy.
Fri, Aug. 8: 5 DJs, Jah Works, The Way Outs & Kono Nation Sat., Aug. 9: 5 DJs, Dear Zoe, Jah Works,The Way Outs & Garden State Radio
Sun., Aug. 10: 2 DJs, Triple Rail Turn & Amish Outlaws
Mon., Aug. 11: 2 DJs & Blake Haley
Tues., Aug. 12: 2 DJs, Opposite Directions & Turning The Tide
Wed., Aug. 13: 3 DJs, Full Circle Duo & The Benderz
Thurs., Aug. 14: 2 DJs, Faith Noel & Go Go Gadjet
THE WEDGE 410-289-5121
806 S. Atlantic Ave.
Sun., Aug. 10: Jason Lee
Thurs., August 14: Joe Esham
(Aug. 8, 2025) The Art League of Ocean City’s annual “Artists Paint OC Festival and Competition” is Aug. 13-17, when 54 professional plein air artists paint local landscapes in the area. This is the 20th year for the outdoor painting event in the resort with special celebrations planned throughout the festival.
The public is invited to view the art and take home their masterpiece during the “Wet Paint Art Sales” on Saturday, Aug. 16, 5-7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 17, 12-3 p.m. at the Ocean City Center for the Arts, 502 94th St. bayside. Admission is free.
“Fifty artists will be capturing a moment in time on canvas, and this is your opportunity – one that only happens once a year – to purchase these beautiful original paintings of iconic local scenes that are hot off the easel at very affordable prices,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League, said. “And this year, we’re celebrating the 20th year of our plein air festival with some special events, including a collectible poster, now on sale at the Arts Center and around town.”
“En plein air” is a French expression that means “in the open air,” used to describe the art of painting outdoors. The annual Artists Paint OC Festival brings in more than 50 plein air painters to the resort, all professional regional artists. Artists will paint Wednesday through Saturday and compete for more than $11,000 in cash prizes, with $2,500 going to the first-place winner.
On Saturday, August 16, the artists will bring their best work to the Arts Center to be judged by juror Sara Linda Poly. The Wet Paint Art Sale begins at 5 p.m., a free celebratory event that brings the artists together with the public with opportunities to purchase more than 250 justpainted landscapes. The party goes until 7 p.m. and includes live music, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar.
Sunday morning’s Quick Paint on the Boardwalk on Aug. 17, sponsored by the Ocean City Development Corp., is an easy opportunity for the public to watch the artists paint. Artists gather on the south end of the Ocean City Boardwalk near Thrashers to paint against the clock
from 9-11 a.m. They then bring their work to the Arts Center to be judged by plein air artist Kirk McBride where winners will be announced.
"This is an intense competition where artists are given two hours to capture a scene on the Boardwalk in paint, battling weather, subject matter that moves, and painting among crowds of onlookers,” Thaler said. “It is amazing to see what they capture."
The public may purchase the Quick Paint artwork or select from hundreds of other paintings from 12-3 p.m. at the Arts Center. The party begins at 1 p.m. with live music and complimentary refreshments. Admission is free.
For the first time, on Sunday morning from 9-11 a.m. at the Art League table on the Boardwalk near Thrashers, art activities for children will be available with opportunities to win prizes, sponsored by Dough Roller.
Sunday also features the third annual “Kids Paint OC” event, featuring the plein air artwork of youth ages 6-17. The children painted outdoors from July 131 and brought their work to the Arts Center to be exhibited. Kids Paint OC artwork will be on display on Sunday, Aug. 17, from noon-3 p.m., and $575 in cash prizes will be awarded by judges Tamara Mills, fine art coordinator for the Worcester Co. Board of Education; artist David Simpson; and Sasha Mete, a 2025 Art League scholarship winner. The event is made possible by the Art League with support from the Worcester County Arts Council and John Sisson. Sponsors for the “Artists Paint OC Festival” are PNC Bank, Charles and Mechelle Nichols, Shore United Bank, Maryland’s Coast, Reese Cropper III, Laura Jenkins, Longboard Café, Emily and Paul Schwab, Town of Ocean City, OCHMRA, Ed and Emmy Challenger, Virginia and Wayne Outten, Betty Huang, Farming Community of Worcester County, Marian Bickerstaff, Berta Maginniss, and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Assn.
The plein air exhibit and sale continue at the Arts Center until September 27.
choir directors.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer
(Aug. 7, 2025) Classical music — with a twist — is coming to the Ocean Pines Library later this month for a summer concert, hosted by the volunteer organization Friends of the Ocean Pines Library.
According to Jim Meckley, the president of the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library, the classical music event will feature three vocalists with piano accompaniment, two piano soloists, a flute solo, a piano duet, a string trio, and a flute duet. Attendees can expect to hear a diverse range of classical selections, with hints of ragtime, jazz, Latin, Broadway, and popular tunes.
The show will last approximately one hour and is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
Meckley added that each individual on the concert lineup holds a college degree in music education or the performing arts and is from Berlin, Salisbury, or the surrounding areas. The performers are all active or former music teachers, private instructors, and/or choir members, as well as church cantors, organists, and/or
Notably slated to perform is Jennifer Hope Wills, an Ocean City native and graduate of Salisbury University, who has performed in several Broadway shows. Wills’ time in New York City included portraying Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” a four-year run as Christine Daaé in the “Phantom of the Opera,” and a part in “Wonderful Town” opposite Brooke Shields. Wills is the daughter of Bill and Sue Wills of the former Parker Playhouse in Ocean City.
‘I am just always amazed at the talent that springs up in our area, Ocean Pines and Berlin.’ Jim Meckley, FOPL president
Wills has since returned to the Eastern Shore and will attend the Ocean Pines Library concert, singing three songs, two of which are from Broadway productions.
Other performers include Julie Mills, an SU graduate who will sing two songs in a foreign language, a flute solo from retired Wicomico County music teacher Sally Hendon, and a string trio from members of the Salisbury Orchestra, among others.
Meckley said that the string trio will play a classical piece, but is also set to perform a more popular song that event organizers hope will remain a surprise. A vocal trio will also close out the concert with an unexpected ending.
The FOPL president said that the idea behind hosting a classical-themed night is to highlight the talent right here on the Eastern Shore.
“I am just always amazed at the talent that springs up in our area, Ocean Pines and Berlin,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve met a lot of them, so I can make this available to people. However, there’s a lot of talent here that remains undiscovered, as some people move in from larger cities and states. We have a lot of rock and roll and hip hop, but I don’t think we have much on the classical side. I just feel that this year we had to do it.”
The performances will be held in the library’s meeting room, or, if the weather is nice, outside on the new learning center patio. Those looking to attend are encouraged to register by calling the Ocean Pines Library at 410 208-4014 or online through the Worcester Library website. The first 100 people are guaranteed entrance. Meckley noted that there is no cost for the performance, but a free-will offering will be taken at the end of the concert.
By Stewart Dobson Editor
In 1982, Brian Morrison bought a pair of roller skates and painted them green. In 1986, he rented a unit in the Sea Watch condominium in Ocean City, where children undergoing treatment for cancer could escape for a few days of enjoyment with their families and, perhaps, capture a glimpse of hope.
And next Wednesday, the Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation will celebrate the opening of the Children’s House by the Sea II, a one-ofa-kind respite home for critically ill children and their families.
As incongruous as these events might seem, they are bound as the impetus for and subsequent steps of an exceptionally compassionate enterprise, the Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, headquartered in Baltimore.
the Sea II will provide housing for children facing life-threatening illnesses, with a special focus on those with limited life expectancies, larger families, and military families.
The new addition will consist of two three-bedroom, side-by-side townhomes and two stand-alone efficiencies, significantly expanding capacity alongside Believe In Tomorrow's flagship beach respite on 66th Street. In addition, the properties are connected by a walkway to create a larger campus.
"This new respite property is a symbol of everything that is good in this community and the world we live in, " said Morrison, who still expresses amazement the level of generosity he has encountered during the foundation’s 43 years.
Equally remarkable is how those green roller skates started it all.
“I was working ... as a lowly writer for University of Maryland and I was assigned to the Shock Trauma center,” Morrison recalled during a recent interview. “I was ... writing stories that intersected the academic programs of University of Maryland and the Shock Trauma Center.”
As it happened, the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center adjoined the pediatric oncology unit in those days.
“I’d see these sick kids and I started volunteering,” Morrison said. “The crazy story is there was a nurse who told me about a child who wanted a pair of green roller skates. And it was one of those things I just kept thinking about.”
Unable to put that thought aside, Morrison responded by purchasing a pair of skates and, after a side trip to the hardware store for supplies, painted them green. He then presented the finished product to the nurse for delivery to her patient.
Morrison never did meet the intended recipient, however, as she died two weeks later.
“The nurse told me that [the girl] would look at these skates and smile. It was one of those profound moments — it may have been the first time that I felt really, like, good inside at something I had done. And I was looking for that feeling again.”
With annual revenues of more than $5 million, assets exceeding $12 million and a perfect score of 100 in accountability and finance from Charity Navigator, the foundation has gone much farther than anyone could have imagined 43 years ago.
The parent of the Children’s House by the Sea in Ocean City, Believe in Tomorrow has been skating upward ever since, and from 4:30 to 6 p.m. next Wednesday, the foundation will celebrate the grand opening of the
Children’s House by the Sea II on 65th Street, its seventh pediatric respite home.
Like many of the projects that preceded it, the "Miracle on 65th Street," as members and supporters of the foundation refer to it, is the product of a community-led effort, driven by a coalition of local contractors, businesses, and volunteers, who donated their time, materials and expertise.
Unlike its predecessor and next door neighbor, Children’s House by
That desire led him to create support groups for teens with cancer at Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland Medical Center. It also took him to Colombia, Maryland for a visit with businessman Richard (Dick) McCready, whose advice and entrepreneurial spirit he valued. Morrison pitched some of his ideas to McCready, who offered his support.
With McCready’s guidance, along with access to some of his high profile friends and acquaintances — Orioles great Brooks Robinson and Baltimore Colts legend Art Donovan among them — they built a network of supporters and incorporated it under the name Grant-A-Wish Foundation.
Not long thereafter, in 1986, Morrison, who grew up in Catonsville,
began sending families to the Sea Watch unit he had rented. He knew the area, having lived in Salisbury for a time and worked in Ocean City when he was younger. He said he believed offering families a break by the ocean might have some appeal.
August 24, 1986
Dear Brian, I don’t know how we will ever thank you and the Grant-AWish Foundation for a place as wonderful as the condo in Ocean City.
Rogie, like most kids being treated for cancer, seem to lose some of their youth, to grow older long before their time. During our stay in Ocean City, I saw him become a happy little boy again, digging in the sand, making sandcastles and running in and out of the water, not a care in the world.
I don’t know what God has in store for Rogie, somehow being near the ocean has restored more of my faith. How can you not be blessed at a place like that holds so much beauty. I know it’s Rogie’s favorite place, he may never get there again, but we have many wonderful memories that will last forever.
I wish there were more people who could understand what places such as this do for kids that have been through so very much. If in any way we can ever help you, please let us know.
God bless you all, The Bakers
* * *
In 1993, the foundation opened its Children’s House at Johns Hopkins, which provides accommodations for families undergoing treatment at the hospital’s Children’s Clinic and in 1996 the foundation bought its first property on the coast, a townhouse in the Mallard Lakes complex on Route 54.
It also took the bold step of buying a lot on 66th Street, where 25 years ago this year, Children’s House by the Sea opened to become the first respite program of its kind for pediatric cancer patients in the country.
More respite housing followed: Children’s House on the Bay, House on Wisp Mountain, House at Deep Creek Lake, House at Pinnacle Falls (in North Carolina) and now Children’s House by the Sea II.
Altogether, the Believe in Tomorrow Foundation’s programs have provided more than 900,000 individual overnight accommodations to critically ill children and their families. These familes have come from every state in the U.S. and more than 90 countries worldwide, and the response by the beneficiaries of this
kindness has been overwhelming.
August 2007
When our son Christopher was born premature, we were in hope that he would grow into a healthy boy. Our dreams were lost when he was diagnosed with leukemia once he was six.
At the House by the Sea, we were able to connect with the other families and Chris made friends who accepted him due to just being down the same road.
Just to see your child smile by being a pirate on a ship, having a BBQ on the deck, wishing for a hole-in-one at golf, and many other activities make being here so worthwhile.
It don’t matter who you are. Just come as you are and call it home away from home. You are always welcome.
We wish the families a safe journey to recovery road.
God bless, The Kiwa Family
Attracting volunteers and donations is something the foundation has excelled at, despite a drop in name recognition in the early 2000s. That was when when it changed its name from the Grant-A-Wish Foundation, because of a similarly named organization in Arizona, to Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation.
“It was like starting over again, in some ways, at least with our name recognition,” Morrison said, while acknowledging that the new appellation more accurately conveyed the foundation’s message of hope.
As the new home of 65th Street demonstrates, the foundation recovered quite well from that temporary loss of identity, as volunteers, and contributions of time and materials made the Miracle on 65th Street possible.
As of the last accounting by Believe in Tomorrow, the value of the renovation of the Children’s House II on 65th Street is $850,000. Of that, Believe In Tomorrow put in $330,000 in cash. The rest, approximately $520,000, came from donations of services and materials.
As a marquee job of the Homebuilders Care Foundation of Maryland, members of that organization solicited help and contributions from scores of builders and suppliers.
According to Morrison, Igor Conev of Mann Properties led the way on coordinating the labor and materials needed, and Bob Purcell of Beachwood Inc. volunteered as the general contractor.
Dozens of volunteers from the
The 25th Annual Blessing of the Combines returned to Snow Hill last Saturday to celebrate the agriculture industry and local farmers. Approximately 8,000 people attended the event on a beautiful day. A highlight of the event was the annual parade of combines ending on Green Street. The Snow Hill Blessing of the Combines is organized by a small private committee that has been led by the Payne family since its inception. Becky Payne’s three daughters, Kirby, Courtney and Ashley, are all involved, bringing their husbands and friends along, too. Above left,
and
family are presented with a commemorative quilt recognizing the event’s anniversary by the Worcester County Tourism and Economic Development Department.
building industry also donated their time, and scores of suppliers provided the material for this “total gutrehab renovation project,” as the Homebuilders Care Foundation characterized the job last August.
When the new clients begin arriving to the townhouses next week, they will find the many extra touches provided by contractors at their own expense just because they wanted to do it.
As for the mission of Children’s House by the Sea II, priority will be given to military families with critically ill children as well as children with short life expectancies, Morrison said.
July 2025
Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation,
On behalf of our entire family, we want to extend our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude for the incredible gift of allowing us to stay at the House by the Sea.
After more than two years of fighting leukemia, this time away meant more than words can truly express. It gave us the opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and continue to heal.
Watching our daughter, Lo, play at the beach was a huge blessing. She lit up with happiness, running to the waves, giggling as she jumped, and smiling in a way we hadn’t seen in far too long. The beach brought her so much joy — we saw her spirit really shine!
Our days were filled with laughter, run and cherished memories. We loved every moment at Jolly Roger Amusement Park, where Lo rode the carousel more times than we could count on two hands. Mini golf provided time with our sone, 1 to 1, in the late evenings. This bonding time was needed. Dinner at Mancini’s was delicious and a special night out as a family.
We are endlessly grateful for the Believe in Tomorrow Children’s Foundation. Your mission, generosity and kindness of every staff member and volunteer touched our hearts in ways we can never fully replay. What you provide to families like ours is nothing short of extraordinary.
The Sweitzer Family
Morrison is no longer CEO of the Believe in Tomorrow Foundation, having turned the reins over to longtime associate Maryanne Davis in 2024. He is now the person who chases down the Home Depot truck that doesn’t know where to unload its cargo of donated materials.
Living down here full-time now, he attends first night barbecues at the Children’s House when the families for the week have just arrived and get to know each other.
He offers his sympathies and support in whatever lies ahead for his guests, knowing that sometimes there are no happy endings. That is something everyone involved in the program must accept as they prepare to receive and bring hope to the next families, the next families and the next families.
For his part, Morrison said he looks to his five healthy children and counts his blessings.
As for his future with Believe in Tomorrow and the respite housing programs now that he has stepped down from his leadership position, he has a plan.
“I have always said, I started out as a volunteer, and I want to end as a volunteer.” He paused and then added, “And if someone thinks I’m the maintenance man at the house, that would make my day.”
Children’s House by the Sea II, ribbon-cutting ceremony 4:45 p.m. #12 65th Street, Ocean City, on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
■ PRICE RANGE: $, $$, $$$
■ RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted
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
$-$$ | Full bar
Panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, bay and Assateague Island. Enjoy small plates, sandwiches and grilled burgers. Open every day, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
29th to 90th streets
■ 32 PALM
32nd Street in The Hilton, Ocean City 410-2892525, 32palm.com
$$ | 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.
■ 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 selections 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.
■ 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, Ocean City, 410-390-5112
Family owned for over 25 years. Serving the best homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner. Free salad bar with delicious dinner. Local’s favorite. 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
By Deborah Lee Walker Contributing Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) Simplicity is complexity in its infantile state. And it is this straightforwardness that opens the door to comprehension.
Knowledge is the awareness that simmers with an understanding of veracity which cannot be denied.
However, cookery is subjective and the philosophy of truth depends on personal preference. In essence, any given justification of culinary expertise is at best contingent on individual understanding and distinction.
Specifics inspire cognitive consideration. We will take a closer look at the “caviar of the South,” more commonly known as pimento cheese. The gooey concoction of shredded cheese, mayonnaise, and diced red pimentos is considered one of the quintessential Southern foods.
A little history peaks one’ curiosity. How could pimento cheese, the most Southern of foods, possibly have been born outside of the South? And what is more interesting about pimento cheese is not its origin, but how it got where it is today.
The unassuming pimento cheese got its start in New York as a product of the industrial food manufacturing and mass marketing. According to Serious Eats, in the 1870s, farmers starting making soft cheese modeled after the French Neufchatel. Within a few decades, at least five New York companies were marketing an American Neufchatel, and soon they introduced cream cheese, a variant by mixing cream with Neufchatel curd.
Around the same time, sweet red peppers were imported from Spain and became available in the Americas. Within a decade, imported Spanish peppers along with pimentos were being canned and sold by large food manufacturers which in essence boosted their popularity.
Serious Eats further states, “that cream cheese and pimentos were favorites of the practitioners of Domestic Science. Domestic Science was a women-led social reform movement that sought to bring order and scientific precision to all aspects of the home, with a particular emphasis in scientific cooking and a neat dinner table.”
Cream cheese was a perfect food for the Domestic Science: it was mildly flavored and its pure white color connoted purity. Domestic Science encouraged the use of pimentos; their mild flavor was again an attraction that fed into their lifestyle and beliefs.”
It was only a matter of time before the two ingredients were brought together. Dozens of pimento cheese recipe appeared in magazines and cookbooks just before the end of World War I. It wasn’t long before manufacturers saw an opportunity and took it upon themselves to market the cheese. Thus, the infamous cheese became a classic and left its mark
on the pages of culinary history.
Olives are a popular side dish at gatherings. Stuffed olives take this dish to another level. Pitted black olives stuffed with pimento cheese, and pitted green olives stuffed with Alouette Garlic and Herbs spreadable cheese will pop your taste buds and have guests asking for more.
Both cheeses can be purchased at your favorite supermarket which means this dish can be prepared very quickly which is always a plus when entertaining.
Pipe the filling in the olives. If the olives are too small, use culinary tweezers to fill the olives with the pimento cheese. Alouette Garlic and Herbs has a soft texture. Use a small spoon to fill the olives, then wipe with a paper towel to clean up the olives for a clean finish.
For those who want a pimento cheese recipe for your records, a basic pimento cheese recipe follows. Pimento cheese is so versatile and perfect for summer merriment.
In closing, sometimes the simplest dish can be the most memorable part of celebratory occasions. If you love olives, you should give this recipe a try. Enjoy!
Classic Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
4 ounces whipped cream cheese ½ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 ounces grated sharp cheese 8 ounces grated Mozzarella cheese 6 ounces chopped pimentos kosher salt to taste
1. Place pimentos on paper towels to absorb any liquid.
2. Combine cream cheese, mayo, and Dijon in a medium bowl. Using a hand held mixer, thoroughly combine.
3. Add cheddar and mozzarella and again mix well.
4. Add pimentos and carefully mix.
5. Taste for salt, and add kosher salt if necessary.
6. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
7. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper, dried Italian seasoning, and garlic in a jar as a garnish.
Secret Ingredient – Comfort
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
— Neale Donald Walsh
by Steve Green
ext week is Surfers Healing in Ocean City, and I will be out of the office most of the week as a result.
The following is a reprint from August of 2019 after our son Carson participated in the annual event.
“One Perfect Day.”
That’s how Surfers Healing is described by many.
Last week was our family’s fourth time participating in Surfers Healing, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in Ocean City on Aug. 14.
Surfers Healing is a traveling camp providing children with Autism and other developmental disabilities the opportunity to go surfing under the caring and professional guidance of surfers. It was founded by Izzy Paskowitz after he discovered his Autistic son found peace through the rhythms and flows of the ocean. Any kind of water movement also brings peace and calm to our son Carson, 9.
Surfers Healing has become such a wonderful occasion for our family we now plan a “staycation” around it and encourage family and friends to join us.
Surfers Healing never disappoints. However, the night before the event, the weather looked a bit ominous with thunderstorms in the forecast. As luck would have it, the sky was clear the morning of the event. Most of the day was gorgeous and the waves cooperated.
The unique aspect of Surfers Healing for me is I get to just be a dad at this event. Pam and I seem to be involved with volunteering at most of our kids’ activities in some sort. For example, I coach some of Beckett’s sports teams, and Pam and I both help with Carson’s special needs soccer program.
With Surfers Healing, our only involvement is attendance. We support the event with a donation most years and try to be generous through clothing purchases and other means. Outside of that, I get to observe and take in all the sights, sounds and emotions of the day. I will share a few
thoughts on these topics now.
Sights: I love the beach every day, but sitting on the beach and observing these surfers and volunteers on hand work with these kids in the ocean is inspiring and encouraging. Some of the children must be carried in the ocean against their will because they are terrified while others gladly make friends with their surfers immediately. Some kids get over their fears and enjoy themselves, while others run out of the ocean after a few waves unable to deal with the new experience. Some of the sights are disturbing, but they represent the norm for many of us in the special needs community.
Sounds: These run the gamut. There is screaming, some of which is borne out of fear for the unknown from participants, as well as shouts of encouragement from parents to their children. There is lots of laughing and giggling from participants as well as observers.
Above all, the words expressed by a young teen to his parents after his surf session stuck with me. “I surfed, I did it,” he proudly told his mom nearby. His father then told him he knew he could do it. The three of them slowly made their way back to their area hand in hand. Each of them seem to be dealing with their own physical struggles. I later saw that same teen asleep on the beach. After I remarked he was wiped out, his dad said, “it’s unbelievable, he never naps except on Surfers Healing day.” The ocean’s magic at work.
While the sounds of the participants squealing in delight and shrieking in terror are something to behold, it’s overhearing the loved ones on the beach that truly gives Surfers Healing its meaning.
Though kids on the Autism spectrum function best with a schedule, Surfers Healing day is about taking them outside their comfort levels. These kids are put in a unique situation, but they quickly realize the ocean and the surfers’ caring ways erase all that in minutes. It’s something to behold.
Emotions: I’m an emotional guy, especially when it comes to my family, but
I’m smiling more than shedding a tear on this day because Carson is obviously enjoying himself. He doesn’t always show pleasure on his face, as smiling is difficult for him, but he does on this day.
The deeper emotions for me come later looking at pictures and videos of the day because that’s when the gift of reflection allows for some proper processing.
One of my favorite photos this year was Carson first emerging from the ocean. He was scanning the crowd. He looked concerned. He saw me and his mom, but he was seeking out his big brother because he wanted to bear hug him and pick him up. He did that last year and remembered it. Holding his big brother up in the air brought one of his hugest smiles of the day.
Another favorite was a black-and-white photo by Nick Denny showed a wet and smiling Carson pulling in Pam to his head in his trademark awkward fashion. It captures their bond and moment of pride so well.
A parent’s love for a child is boundless. It doesn’t matter if there are random bouts of intense aggression on the way to and from Surfers Healing. That was the case for us on this day, but for several hours in between we were not harping on those unfortunate realities. This is our journey. Our special needs kid needs us, even if he doesn’t act like it sometimes. His family needs him, too, because he provides us a number of gifts – the greatest being a tremendous perspective on life and an ability to remind us what’s really important.
For us, Surfers Healing is an annual highlight of our journey. We get to forget about a lot, while bonding with others needing to be lifted up as well. That’s needed every now and again.
Thanks to all those who make it a reality every August.
(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.)
By Dave Dalkiewicz Contributing Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) It was quite an evening, one in which the spirit was palpable. Such a gathering of the surf community is rarely seen in this day and age. Inspiration could be felt by all. The evening was Thursday, July 31st.
Shaun Tomson was in town for a motivational talk and a showing of the iconic movie
“Bustin’ Down the Door.” Tomson happens to be one of the greatest surfers of all time, known for his ability to maneuver inside the tube of a breaking wave.
But his prowess goes way beyond his surfing skills. He’s an author, entrepreneur, and probably surfing’s best ambassador.
The venue was the Performing Arts Theater in the Roland E. Powell, Ocean City Convention Center, which was excellent for this purpose. Tomson’s message was full of positivity. He came with a card and pamphlet of his “Surfer’s Code,” which was given to everyone.
The “Code” contains 12 lines all beginning with “I Will” and with all 12 referring to surfing though all of the lines can pertain to any person’s station in life. The pamphlet encourages individual and group participation based on the “Surfer’s Code.”
“The Surfer’s Code” is a book by Tomson with Patrick Moser and is used by the Ocean City Surf Club’s Surf Into Integrity program conducted each fall at the Stephen Decatur Middle School.
The evening was the product of many sponsors headed up by Brad Hoffman and his crew with proceeds going to the OCMD Life Saving Station Museum.
“Bustin Down the Door” showed a turning point in the progression of professional surfing with its benefits and problems. Hopefully you were there, inspired.
— Dave Dalkiewicz is the owner of Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop in Ocean City
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) This summer and fall, tournaments will be held at the Ocean Pines Golf Club to benefit local charities and outreach programs.
First up on the community’s golf docket is the 18th annual Ernie Stiles’ Memorial Bavarian Hops Golf Classic, sponsored by the Ocean Pines Golf Members' Council. The nine-hole scramble is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 22, with a 4 p.m. shotgun start at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.
The maximum number of players permitted is 72. The tournament organizers must receive registration by Monday, Aug. 18. An Ocean Pines Association-issued press release notes that entry forms may be hand-delivered to planners Don McMullen or Patty Curtin, or mailed to the Ocean Pines Golf Members Council, P.O. Box 1356, Berlin, Md. 21811.
This month’s tournament will raise funds for local charities Diakonia and the Worcester County Humane Society, the organizations most beloved by the event’s namesake, Ernie Stiles. McMullen, a golf member and organizer, said that over the nearly two-decade run of the golf competition, they have raised approximately $36,000 for local charitable groups.
Each year, organizers aim to secure at least $3,000 for the nonprofits. The Ocean Pines Golf Members' Council also accepts in-kind donations.
“We have raised that money more so over the last six or seven years than in the beginning because we didn’t have a full field in the beginning,” McMullen said. “But it has grown. We hope to be able to contribute to those two charities again.”
The tournament’s entry fee is $25 per person. The competition is formatted as a two-person scramble for nine holes. Men play from the orange tees, while the women play from the charcoal tees.
The event is named after Ernie Stiles, who was a “big golfer,” McMullen said, and lived right on the Ocean Pines golf course on the 16th hole. The former OPA resident passed away in 2018.
Also coming up is the 18th annual golf tournament to benefit the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines. The event is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.
Player registration is $150 per person. According to McMullen, the price includes green fees with a cart and range balls, a grab-and-go breakfast, door prize entry, lunch, and an awards goodie bag. Check-in for the event will begin at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. A lunch buffet and awards will follow at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. The tournament will benefit the outreach program at the veteran’s park.
For more information about either of the upcoming tournaments, individuals can contact McMullen at dmcmullen1@aol.com.
With Bunk Mann
With the White Marlin Open being held this week, it’s important to recall two organizations that have had a positive impact on sport fishing in this area – the Ocean City Marlin Club and the Ocean City Light Tackle Club, pictured above at the Dorchester Street dock circa 1955.
In 1938, there had been 781 white marlin reported caught offshore and in 1939 a total of 1,258 – with no record of any released. By the early 1950s, a “catch and release” program had been encouraged and all true sportsmen began conserving the marlin population for future generations.
To purchase one of Bunk Mann’s books, click over to www.vanishingoc.com. Photo courtesy of Josh “Skip” Bunting Jr.
By Steve Green
Finding sand everywhere this time of year
Night pool dips
Seeing national music acts 20 minutes from home
Hitting the beach early in the day
Seedless watermelon
Getting lucky with a parking spot
Poke tuna bowls
A kid’s excitement for catching waves
Solar yard lights that actually work
Watching adults act like kids
An excited dog at mealtime
Online registration now open for tournament that serves as key fundraiser
(Aug. 8, 2025) The Atlantic General Hospital Foundation has announced the 2025 Robert E. Warfield Memorial Tournament, benefiting Atlantic General Hospital, will take place Thursday, Sept. 18, rain or shine, at Ocean City Golf Club.
As a favorite tradition for many local golfers, last year’s tournament raised an impressive $135,000 to help expand healthcare services and programs for our community hospital. The event will feature a scramble format, with all players enjoying nine holes on both the Newport Bay and Seaside courses.
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. with a 10:00 a.m. shotgun start. Player entry fee includes golf cart and greens fees, lunch, snacks and beverages on the course, and an awards reception with light fare and cocktails. Deluxe
giveaways, tournament awards and team photograph are also included. Additional excitement includes a variety of on-the-course challenges with fabulous prizes.
Team reservations are available now at www.agh.care/golf and must be received by September 11th. Space is limited and entries are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Nongolfers can join in the excitement through the Big Bucks Raffle, with a grand prize of $2,500. Tickets are open to the public and the winner does not need to be present to claim the prize. Raffle tickets can also be purchased online at www.agh.care/golf.
Special thanks to tournament cochairs Max Hutsell and Jordan MacWha, and The Carousel Group, the Legacy Sponsor for 26 consecutive years as Title Sponsor!
EAGLE SPONSORS to date:
AGH Auxiliary, The InterMed Group
Sally H Dowling, MD & Family
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
BIRDIE SPONSORS to date:
AGH Medical Staff
Ashore Resort & Beach Club
Hawkins Electric Service, Inc.
Park Place Jewelers
Taylor Bank
Willow Construction, LLC
CADDIE SPONSORS to date:
Bill Corey / Stewart Title
Don & Kelly Owrey
Mitchell, Hastings & Sweigert Financial Services
GOLF CARTS & GREENS
FEES SPONSOR
The Warfield Family
BREAKFAST SPONSOR:
Bad Monkey
SNACK SPONSOR to date:
Thrasher's French Fries
LUNCH SPONSOR:
Carrabba's Italian Grill - Ocean City
RECEPTION SPONSOR: Ocean 13
CRUSH BAR SPONSOR: Harborside Bar & Grill
HOLE-IN-ONE SPONSORS:
Haley Architecture LLC
i.g. Burton Automotive Group Park Place Jewelers
Snowden Lane Partners
Sponsorship opportunities are still available and include ad space in the event program, signage at the event, and press and social media up to and following the event.
For more information about the tournament, how to become a sponsor, register a team, or purchase raffle tickets, visit www.agh.care/golf or contact Laura Powell at 410-6419858 or AtlanticGeneralHosptitalFoundation@Tidalhealth.org.
Acadia Landing LEWES, DE
Now Selling Single Family Homes from the Upper $400s
Bridgewater SELBYVILLE, DE
Now Selling Single Family Homes from the Mid $500s
Draper Farm MILFORD, DE
Coming Soon Single Family Homes and Villas
liberrtty east MILLSBORO, DE
Now Selling Single Family Homes from the Upper $300s
Milos Haven FRANKFORD, DE
Now Selling Villas from the Low $400s
Newdale acres
ELLENDALE, DE
Now Selling Single Family Homes and T Toownhomes from the Low $300s
Somerton Chase MILLSBOROO, , DE
Now Selling Single Family Hom from the Mid $300s
Plantation Lakes
Golf & Countrry y Club
MILLSBOROO, , DE
Now Selling Single Family , and T Homes, Villas Toownhomes from the Low $300s
Schooner Landing
By Lauren Bunting Contributing Writer
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Secretary, Jake Day, announced this past week that DHCD continues to make Maryland a more affordable place to live by financing $1.64 billion in new development projects and providing $1 billion in acquisition mortgages for first-time homebuyers during Fiscal Year 2025.
In Fiscal Year 2025, the Department financed 3,997 newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated units through its Division of Development Finance, also known as the Community Development Administration – an increase of more than 1,000 additional units from FY2024’s total of 2,949. The Department’s $1.64 billion in project investments also surpassed the previous year’s $1.2 billion in commitments.
“The only proven way to make Maryland more affordable to live is to create more housing opportunities for people of all ages and income brackets. These numbers reflect our
work over the last fiscal year to make that goal a reality,” said Secretary Jake Day. “Every new rental housing unit created and every person we turn into a Maryland homeowner demonstrates the dedication of our team to fulfill the Moore-Miller Administration’s goal to leave no one behind.”
The Community Development Administration is the housing finance agency for the State of Maryland and is responsible for expanding quality, affordable rental and transitional housing opportunities and providing homebuyer assistance programs through mortgage loans, down payment, and closing cost assistance. CDA also works to raise capital in the national municipal bond markets to provide financing at below-market interest rates to help people buy homes, assist nonprofit and for-profit entities construct and rehabilitate multifamily properties, and to help local governments improve and construct public infrastructure.
As part of creating and preserving these affordable rental units in Fiscal Year 2025, CDA: Closed 36 multifamily transactions.
Issued approximately $413 million
in long-term bonds.
Helped affordable housing communities raise $562.3 million in equity through federal Low Income Tax Credits.
The Department also continued to help Marylanders build generational wealth through homeownership with the department’s Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP). The MMP offers mortgage and down payment assistance options that are responsive to an ever-changing housing market, including innovative products like Maryland SmartBuy (assisting homebuyers with student debt) and HomeStart (assisting home buyers with income below 50% Area Median Income).
In FY2025, based on the numbers to date, MMP provided mortgages to almost 4,300 Marylanders and their families in the amount exceeding $1 billion. 68 percent of these recipients were minorities, and 99 percent were first-time home buyers.
For more information, visit the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s website at dhcd.maryland.gov.
Lauren Bunting is the Broker of Record for Keller Williams Realty Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) Resort planners this week gave a local developer their approval to proceed with an uptown condominium project.
On Tuesday, the Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plan for a new condominium complex to be located
DAAYY/TIME
Daily 3-7pm415 14th
Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Fri-Mon 11am-4pm H
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St Unit 55A Harbour Island, Ocean City6BR/4.5BA
on the ocean block of 142nd Street. The development, officials say, will consist of four buildings, with two units in each building.
“We’re happy to have a site plan in front of you tonight,” Planning and Community Development Director George Bendler told commission members. “This is for the Atlantic Edge. This is an eight-unit multifam-
Dypsky/Newport 12430 Old Bridge Rd., West OC2BR/2BA
Shelly Wilson/Salt Life C on Harbour erro r, , 120th St., Bayside 1BR/2BR/3BR/4BR+
T Toowns & SF - Nanette Pavier/Holiday 10366 Keyser Point Rd., W Weest OC 4BR/2.5BASingle
500 Coastal Hwy #1108, Ocean City2BR/2BA
308 Coastal Hwy. #305, Ocean City1BR/1BA
404 N. Chase Strreeet, Ocean Pines 4BR/2.5BASingle
Saturrdday 10am-Noon 105 63r
10am-Noon
Saturrdday 11am-1pm
3rrd d St. #402 Sunset Pointe, Ocean City 2BR/2BA
Moran/BHHS Pen
T Teerry Riley/ReMax Adva
Heaney/BHHS Pen
Hileman/Hileman
$485,000 Sharroon Daugherty/SDG/K 01 Jamaica Avenue, C209, Ocean City 1BR/1BA
12430 Old Bridge Rd, W Weest OC 2BR/2BA
Rosemarie Leonarrdd/Coldwe
Shelly
ily complex that’s proposed across two lots.”
During this week’s presentation, Bendler said the multifamily units would be located on vacant property adjacent to Taylor Bank. He noted that four of the three-bedroom units would be accessed by a rear alley, while four of the five-bedroom units would be accessed by 142nd Street.
“The [four] units are three stories, plus a habitable attic, totaling five bedrooms, four-and-ahalf bathrooms and approximately 2,700 square feet,” he said.
Bendler said the five-bedroom units would each feature four tandem parking spaces, while the three-bedroom units would each feature two parking spaces. Two additional parking spaces would be located between the buildings, he said.
and open doors.
Gillis also pointed out that access to those tandem parking spaces would require the city to eliminate some of its street parking on 142nd Street.
Bendler acknowledged that several of those spaces would have to be removed, and that restriping would be paid for by the developer.
“They have a right to their access points,” he said.
‘The [four] units are three stories, plus a habitable attic, totaling five bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and approximately 2,700 square feet’ George Bendler, Planning and Community Development Director
Bendler told the commission that the project had been reduced from 10 units to eight units, but that it still met the permitted density for the R-3a moderate residential zoning district.
“I do like the tandem parking,”
Commissioner Palmer Gillis said. “I think it’s a great use of space.”
However, Gillis questioned the size of the tandem spaces, which he noted would be partially enclosed. Architect Rick Schoellkopf confirmed the resident would have space to park
He added that his department also included several conditions as part of the project’s approval, including that the two lots must be consolidated and that the draft condominium documents be provided for the city’s review.
“It aligns with the comprehensive plan,” he said of the project.
Following additional discussions on alley access, the commission voted 6-0, with Commissioner Kevin Rohe absent, to approve the site plan as presented.
9748 Stephen Decatur Hwy. #112 Ocean City, MD 21842
1321-B Mt. Hermon Rd. Salisbury, MD 21804 443-856-4676
Monday-Friday www.batielaw.com
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) A decision to rescind all Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) located in federal waters will not affect an offshore wind project near Ocean City’s coast.
That’s the message City Manager Terry McGean delivered last week after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it was taking that action in areas located on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
“These are the ‘new’ lease areas that were being vetted back in 2022-24,” he explained. “It was known as the Central Atlantic planning area.”
On July 30, the Trump administration announced it was closing federal waters to new wind energy development, effectively reversing course on the Biden
administration’s plan to build up the industry.
BOEM, the agency tasked with managing leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, said the action followed the secretary’s order to end what is described as preferential treatment of foreign-controlled energy sources in the department’s decision-making process, as well as a presidential memorandum to temporarily withdraw all areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from offshore wind leasing and to review the federal government’s wind leasing practices.
“WEAs were originally established to identify offshore locations deemed most suitable for wind energy development,” a statement from BOEM reads. “By rescinding WEAs, BOEM is ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the OCS for speculative wind development, and is de-designating over 3.5 million acres of unleased federal waters previously targeted for offshore wind development across the Gulf of America, Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic.”
US Wind, the company developing a 114-turbine wind farm off Maryland’s coast, currently holds an 80,000-acre federal lease for its project, and several other areas have been identified for future development in the Central Atlantic.
Just last fall, for example, BOEM held an informational meeting in Ocean City to present a new call area that spanned more than 13 million acres and started roughly three-and-a-half miles from Ocean City’s shoreline. Municipal officials have gone on record to oppose the agency’s plans.
While those against wind energy projects praised the news, Maryland Energy Administration Director Paul Pinsky lambasted the Trump administration’s “attempt to derail America’s progress toward clean energy, calling the move “an insult to America’s economy, energy independence, and the public’s common sense.”
“Offshore wind means good jobs in places that need them. Offshore wind means energy production without the carbon emissions that make storms stronger, flooding worse, and economic disruptions to local economies more severe. And offshore wind means expanded clean energy production for a state, regional grid and country that all need more reliable energy in a bad way,” he said in a statement.
“More disappointing than its failure of leadership toward more responsible energy is this administration’s tendency to try to use energy policy to change the narrative away from less-then-desirable headlines. The people of Maryland – and beyond – simply deserve a better national energy policy than one based on needless distraction when the news cycle suits. I look forward to continuing to work to move forward the thoroughly studied, much needed, and economically beneficial offshore wind projects slated for Maryland.”
Gateway, the transportation division’s ad contractor, is set to meet revenue goals
By Bethany Hooper Associate Editor
(Aug. 8, 2025) Transportation Manager Rob Shearman said the division’s advertising agency continues to meet its revenue requirements, despite the suspension of the Boardwalk trams.
While the lack of tram service has stalled advertising sales on the tram fleet, Shearman said last week that Gateway Outdoor Advertising, the transportation division’s advertising contractor, is on track to meet the terms of its contract with the Town of Ocean City this year. He noted that revenues for bus advertising are up in 2025.
“The overall picture is that Gateway has definitely been concerned about the impact of the Tram division’s status on their bottom line, but they are continuing to show yearover-year growth in terms of Bus advertising,” Shearman said. “Their contract includes a minimum guaranteed amount for the Town’s share of the revenue – and as of the updated figures they provided us with just yesterday, they seem to be on track to achieve that minimum this year based on bus ad sales alone.”
In 2022, the Town of Ocean City hired Gateway to oversee advertising on the town’s bus and tram fleets, and introduce a new digital ad component on the back of the Boardwalk trams. A contract entered that year specified a 66-34 revenue split, with Ocean City receiving 66% of the share and Gateway receiving 34%. It also set a guaranteed minimum annual town share of $200,000, though it was not specified what portion of that revenue came from bus advertising and what portion came from tram advertising.
While the first year was plagued with lower revenues and technical issues related to the digital tram ads, Shearman said Gateway made up for it in 2024.
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The above chart shows the town’s share of bus advertising revenues in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Transportation
division’s advertising contractor is on track to meet the terms of its contract, despite the suspension of the
“In calendar year 2023 you can see that they did fall slightly more than 7% short of the guaranteed amount.
Given it was their first year taking over the market from our previous ad vendor, we elected not to press the issue,” he explained. “And in 2024 they far exceeded the minimum guar-
Ocean City Lions Club
Outgoing President Scott Stark presented recognition awards for the 2024-2025 service year to (clockwise from top) Sarah and Mike Hooper, Steve McMillan, Chuck Becker and Bill Christmas. McMillan presented Stark with an Appreciation for Service as President award.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS/ OC
Continued from Page 93
antee, more than making up for the small shortfall from their first year.”
However, the company’s business arrangement with the city was thrown for a loop last August when tram service was suspended in the wake of a Boardwalk collision that killed a two-year-old boy. Shearman said Gateway has since focused its advertising on the town’s bus fleet.
“So far in 2025 they are tracking well ahead of their year-to-date, yearover-year revenues, even without the Tram program running,” he explained.
Charts show that as of June 30, the town has received more than $71,000 through ads the company has sold on the city’s bus fleet. At the conclusion of 2024, the town received $203,021 through its share of bus ad revenues.
“The suspension of the Tram program has been heartbreaking for so many more reasons than mere financial ones, but Gateway’s bottom line has certainly been impacted by it,” Shearman concluded. “But it’s my personal and professional opinion that they have shown that they can be great partners with Transportation and the town despite the setback, and I hope the committee and council agree.”
By Brian Shane Staff Writer
(August 8, 2025) Aging, overcrowded, and falling apart, Worcester County’s only animal shelter may be getting a state-of-the-art replacement on a vacant plot across from the Ocean City airport.
It means the Worcester County Humane Society is on a mission to raise millions for a new no-kill shelter and adoption center, and they’re hoping animal lovers on the Eastern Shore will open their wallets to help turn those plans into a reality.
“It’s failing badly, and it needs to be rebuilt,” said Ocean City restaurateur John Fager, who’s leading efforts to raise another $2 million more toward the project’s estimated $5.5 million price tag.
“We’re trying to fundraise all over the place,” he added. “We’re looking for some donors who love animals who would like to maybe have a shelter named after them or have some presence.”
Fager also said fundraising efforts included some state funding. Last year, the state gave $24,000 toward the design process. Earlier this year they secured another $20,000 from the state through a legislative bond.
Founded in 1976, the Worcester
County Humane Society has worked out of its Berlin-area homebase on Eagles Nest Road since 1989. On average, the center steadily takes in 300-400 animals a year, and can house 150 cats and 25 dogs. There are 11 paid employees, and about 40 volunteers who help in the shelter, at their thrift store, or covering fundraising events. The board of directors is also all-volunteer.
The headquarters building is owned by the Town of Ocean City. The city leases the building for $1 a year.
Now, Ocean City is tentatively willing to swap land with the Humane Society: the city would get its property back in exchange for a different city-owned parcel on Route 611, according to board member Anne O’Connell, a shelter board member since 2014 and the group’s treasurer.
“For years, we talked about it, and we finally said, you know what? It’s time to do something,” she said.
A solution emerged after the humane society approached town leaders with their intent to construct a new building. O’Connell said in talks with Ocean City, shelter leaders said they probably couldn’t afford to buy their own piece of land, and hoped
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Continued from Page 95
the city might have another parcel they could build on.
City Manager Terry McGean confirmed that the humane society approached Ocean City leaders asking if they had any other properties they could use, and they have offered the Route 611 site as one of several options for a new shelter site.
He added that the shelter, as valuable as it is to the community, had been somewhat “disruptive” over the year to the several holes on the Eagles Landing golf course and the city welcomes the chance to reclaim the property.
O’Connell said the humane society expects a similar agreement to cover the new location: the town will retain ownership of the property and would lease it for a minimal amount on a long-term basis.
However, using the 3.6-acre parcel is contingent on approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, including an environmental assessment, because of the site’s proximity to the municipal airport, O’Connell added.
“We have a long road ahead of us. But the town is working with us very well. The town has always supported us. We are determined to make this happen,” she said.
Shelter leaders are working with
an architectural firm that specializes in animal shelters and sanctuaries called Design Learned Inc. This consultant recommended building in stages, O’Connell said.
According to preliminary designs, Phase One would be 7,800 square feet with 30 dog kennels and room for about 100 cats. A proposed Phase Two would add 6,300 more square feet.
A draft floor plan shows separate wings for dogs, for cats, and for veterinary care. The medical wing would include offices, exam rooms, operating rooms, even a radiology room and an intensive care unit. Space also would be included for animal quarantine.
And, for families looking to adopt, the new building also would include separate “meet and greet” reception areas for cats and dogs.
For now, the project is strictly in a planning and preliminary stage “but we’re on the road,” O’Connell said, and shelter leaders are forging ahead.
“This is going to be a significant investment and we’re hoping that the community helps us with this, because our whole premise is to help Worcester County, and to care for domestic animals that are homeless for one reason or another,” she said.
Anyone who doesn’t realize that not everything they read is correct needs to pay attention to this: a report making the rounds of some major media outlets declares that Ocean City is the nation’s fifth most dangerous vacation destination. That assertion, as well as the exceptionally thin data used to back it up, should be spread in the fields to help the corn grow.
Nevertheless, a national law firm that specializes in lawsuits involving tragedies at sea and elsewhere on the water gave Ocean City its ranking based on what it says are data, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control on recreational drownings and boating accidents.
It’s wrong, no matter whose data is cited. As reported by this paper, Ocean City records something like 4.5 million beach visits each year, and its Beach Patrol routinely rescues thousands of people annually. In addition, more than 98% of all drowning deaths in Ocean City for almost a century have occurred when the Beach Patrol was not on duty.
So, yes, Ocean City can be dangerous to people who don’t use common sense, and it’s possible that this resort attracts more than its share of people who don’t possess that. But the fifth most dangerous vacation hub in the country? Why not call it the resort with the fifth most foolhardy visitors instead?
Of course, boating accidents do happen now and then, and some of them involve fatalities. But is it a common occurrence? No, it is not. And yes, drownings do occur, but the average rate is less than one per one million beach visits.
As WBAL TV in Baltimore reported last year, the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) estimates the chances of a person drowning while attending a beach protected by USLA affiliated lifeguards (and that includes Ocean City’s) are around 1 in 18 million.
Does that sound like an exceptionally dangerous statistic? So be advised, there’s also a danger in taking to heart everything that’s posted on the internet. It isn’t always so.
For about the third time in as many weeks, the “Maryland State Department of Vehicles (DMV)” has sent me a text advising me that it will suspend my car’s registration, suspend my driver’s license, charge me 35% more at toll booths, and mess up my credit score by prosecuting me if I don’t pay an outstanding ticket by...yesterday.
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By Stewart Dobson
Dear sir, Jam it.
Warmly,
S. Dobson
PS. Come and get me, you rodents.
I’m not kidding. This really is the third one I’ve received, and the reason I recognized at the outset that it was a poor attempt to rip me off was:
1. It’s the MVA, not the DMV, you swine!
2. While I have had traffic tickets, I wouldn’t call any of them “outstanding.”
They were just normal tickets, like speeding and failing to come to a complete stop. That sort of thing and not something truly outstanding like, say, car-surfing naked across the bay bridge while singing the Colts fight song and waving pom-poms. Now that would have been outstanding.
It also would have been at least 42 years ago, since the Colts slipped out of town in the dark of night the following year for Indianapolis
And even then, I would have been 37 years old and well beyond my expiration date for car surfing in a full-length parka, much less one that involved wrapping myself in the breeze.
I do have some standards, after all.
But besidess that, I don’t think it would have looked good on my resume, as I was always shopping myself around to various publications in those days because of management problems.
Generally, speaking these would have been management’s insistence on doing things its way instead of mine.
Let’s see, Mr. Dobson, I see here that you’ve worked at several different newspapers since you entered the field. And what’s this listed under ‘Other Activities?’ A charge of moral turpitude on a motor vehicle?”
“Oh, yeah. I was car surfing and ...
As a rule, employers would just as soon not deal with something like that, no matter how many times you say, “Well, yes, but that doesn’t affect my judgment, sir.”
So no, I have no outstanding tickets, no overdue tickets, and no ordinary tickets pending, so these scam artist yahoos have nothing on me.
In fact, the Maryland State Police have issued an alert to motorists about this scam and have advised the public to delete it immediately and move on.
I hope to help that effort by exposing this rip-off and giving my full support to Maryland’s Finest ... just in case they do stumble across an old file of outstanding tickets with my name on it.
By Steve Green
The phrase “affordable housing” is a challenging topic because it means something different for everyone. For instance, I recently heard a familiar story that’s playing out often around here. A young man who matriculated here and graduated from college two years ago returned home after learning working in the D.C. area was not for him. He was able to score a nice parallel job at a local financial institution but has opted to live with his parents for a bit rather than buy at this time because the price points are too high. It’s a scenario playing out often.
The subject of “affordable housing” came up at this week’s Worcester County Commissioners meeting during a discussion of a potential housing project off Route 589. A rezoning from general commercial to multifamily residential was being sought for property near the existing medical complex built by AGH. After attorney Hugh Cropper, representing the property owner, cited the county’s draft comprehensive plan stating the importance of affordable housing, Commissioner Chip Bertino asked for clarification, saying, “Define affordable housing. How much are we talking about?” Cropper said it was difficult to quantify specifically, saying, “I can tell you these multifamily units would be more affordable than, say, the houses in Pennington Commons.” Homes in Pennington Commons have on average sold for more than $650,000 in recent years. Bertino replied, “Well, I would hope they would be,” Bertino said, “but are we talking $200,000 to $300,000? $300,000 to $400,000? Somewhere? Or is it yet to be determined?”
The fact is affordable housing is contingent on each individual’s or family’s livelihood and life circumstances. For a young single man straight out of college, a $300,000 home is probably out of reach in today’s financing world, depending on income and family’s ability to support. For comparison’s sake, the first property I ever bought in 1999 was a modest two-bedroom bayside condo in Ocean City on Captain’s Quarter Road. I bought it for $89,500. Five years later, I sold it for $166,000. Today, units in the same building are selling for $300,000-plus.
During this week’s discussion, Cropper was unable to answer Bertino’s question as far as price point on the new community development that could feature 137 townhome units. There are too many factors at play, according to Cropper, resulting in Bertino concluding, “Okay, so, affordable housing is really a relative elastic term, depending on what the developer decides to do, as opposed to affordable housing being pegged to specific square footage or cost.”
Back in 2007, it became law in Ocean City for hotels and rentals to install carbon monoxide detectors on a wall inside each room within two years. The law came after a father and daughter died in June of 2006 in a resort hotel room due to a dislodged exhaust pipe from hot water heaters leaking carbon monoxide into the hotel’s first floor. A state law soon followed requiring detection systems in each room.
From initial reports, it appears last Friday’s incident at the Ashore Resort & Beach Club (formerly the Clarion) involved a carbon monoxide leak in the first-floor boiler room due to a malfunction. The emergency detection system appears to have worked as it should at the Ashore, but four individuals were hospitalized briefly and 13 others treated for carbon monoxide inhalation. The situation could have certainly been far worse, and officials are now requiring a third-party inspection before the boiler can be turned back on after repairs.
The scary situation reminds me of an incident my family had in 2023 that results in us bringing our own carbon monoxide detector wherever we go. We were on vacation in Vermont during a massive snowstorm. We were awoken at 3:15 in the morning to a beeping sound. We called 911 and they ordered us out of the rental house, telling us not to open any windows so the firefighters could get an active reading of carbon monoxide levels. Due to the three feet of snow that had fallen, it took over an hour for firefighters to arrive.
While the carbon monoxide level was high on the first floor, once the firefighters were on the bottom floor the readings went above 260 ppm (35 ppm sets off an alarm). It was clear the source was on this floor as the second and third floor detectors had not yet sounded. We would soon learn the exhaust pipe was covered by snow pushed over it by a plow service. Once the firefighters removed the snow, we heard a loud burp come from the vent followed by an overwhelming odor. Once the snow was cleared, the firefighters inside then went about ventilating the house and getting some fresh air inside. The readings immediately began to decline, and we were soon back inside. Altogether, the ordeal lasted about three hours. We were rattled but relieved and grateful the homeowner had functioning carbon monoxide detectors.
From that point on, our trusty plug-in carbon monoxide comes with us wherever we go just as a precaution.
Editor,
I, and many others here on the Shore, are very excited about the many benefits for us and all Americans in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump.
First and foremost is the provision which makes the tax cuts passed during President Trump’s first term permanent, and prevents a four trillion dollar tax increase on all Americans. That tax increase would absolutely wreck our economy (even worse than it was wrecked over the last four years). I know that my husband and I breathed a huge sigh of relief over this.
The OBBB also eliminates taxes on overtime and tips - can you just imagine the benefit to our local hardworking employees?
Another huge benefit is that the OBBB includes the largest ever investment in the U.S. Coast Guard. This is kind of important here in Ocean City - right?
Funds for modernization of our air traffic control system are included. Secretary of Transportation Duffy was stunned to find out when he assumed office that, despite a huge budget presumably for that very purpose, very little was spent or accomplished in that regard over the previous four years.
I personally am thrilled about the Federal School Choice Program which will help parents who are dissatisfied with their local public schools to make another choice that works better for their families. We are blessed to have a good school system
here, but that is certainly not the case everywhere. In Baltimore, as an absolutely tragic example, a huge percentage of students cannot read or do math on grade level. To allow this to continue is just evil.
I hope people will take the opportunity to educate themselves about these and other provisions of the OBBB and also be patient and give time for these policies to work.
Carol Frazier Ocean Pines
The Washington Post reported that on July 23, President Trump denied Maryland’s FEMA request for $15,800,000 to pay for disaster relief for the Georges Creek flood affecting Western Maryland in mid-May. On July 22, Trump granted disaster relief funds for West Virginis, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan (all states that Trump won last year).
Our Governor Moore (Vice-chair of the National Governors’ Association) calls Trump’s blocking support to our state “an insult… and there was no basis for it.” Gov. Moore is appealing the decision. Moore has been working closely with (R) Mayor Hamilton of Westport and (R) Mayor Coburn of Lonaconing in Allegany County right from the start and applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency mid-June. He stated during his 7/27 interview on MSNBC’s The Weekend, “It is unprecedented for a Governor of Maryland to be able to put in for emergency disaster federal relief, especially when we not just hit the cri-
teria - we exceed the criteria, and knowing that the only states receiving any federal support whatsoever, were states that voted for Donald Trump.” He further explained that the areas hit, Allegany and Garrett counties, didn’t support Moore in the election but were firm Trump supporters despite Maryland’s overall democratic support of Trump.
Garrett county voted Trump by 75.7%; Allegany County voted 68.9% for Trump. State Senator Mike McKay (R- Western MD) said to Maryland Matters non-partisan website, “It’s a gut punch and it hurts.” McKay estimates the damages to be $90 million. McKay praised Moore stating “the governor has just hit a home run for the attention to this natural disaster.”
Trump stated yet again last week that he wants to get rid of FEMA. Meanwhile, in the “Big Beautiful Bill” he is using $608 million of FEMA money to build detention centers for immigrants. Moore states “instead of having FEMA focusing on tragedies and natural disasters, we are going to use FEMA on Trump made disasters.”
Trump is providing FEMA support to red states. Why is there no FEMA money for Western Maryland? As a side note, Trump has fired 12,000 federal workers (3,500 in June) from
Maryland. Moore claims this is a direct assault on our state because we did not support him in the last election. Moore concludes saying “this is petty, its partisan and its punishing. And its punishing people who deserve better from the federal government.”
As I stated in my July 25 letter to this paper “Regardless of political party, this moment in time require action from all of us who love and want to protect our home and family. Please call, write or email the White House and our Representatives in Congress …. to save FEMA, NOAA and the National Weather Service.”
Tish Michel Ocean City
Editor,
Teamsters Joint Council 62 consists of more than 10,000 hard working men and women throughout Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The Joint Council is the umbrella organization comprised of 3 different Local Unions who are employed in just about every craft and field imaginable.
At the Teamsters, we believe our strength comes through our diversity. We are quite proud of our record of inclusion and we work hard every day
to make our communities a better place to reside and call home.
As one may imagine, our diversity sometimes leads to internal discussions that can be quite tense. However, we always strive to do right for the common good and we tend to come together by listening and exhibiting good old fashioned common sense.
No matter what side of the political spectrum one may lean, few can argue that dialogue and common sense is a good recipe for success. In following the events surrounding the question of Offshore Wind, it appears to me that more dialogue and common sense is sorely needed.
The local power structure seems so hell-bent on fighting wind that I fear they may be straying from their fiduciary obligations to taxpayers, and their lack of willingness to communicate just appears to be without common sense.
The state of Maryland is in a deep financial pinch, and good jobs are a benefit to all. The wind project will provide several hundred decent paying union jobs that we need. It is disheartening to learn that Worcester County has spent over $200,000 on this fight, and Ocean City has dropped another $400,000 and neither of these amounts include legal fees.
Ocean City Council members have
gone on record as saying, "There is no amount of money that we will not spend to fight wind.”
This has to be a dream come true to every consultant and lawyer who can tell them what they want to hear while submitting invoice after invoice. And this irresponsible behavior is not just in Ocean City, but at the county level as well.
If the county follows through with their threat of eminent domain to fight US Wind that means another $12,000,000 of taxpayer money. That is not a misprint. That is $12 million.
I would like to call on the parties to stop the slanderous accusations and get back to practicing some good old fashioned common sense. Talk to one another. Work something out that results in a beneficial energy source, good paying jobs and please stop wasting so much money. Just talk to one another. Good things happen when you talk.
Sean Cedenio
(The writer is the president of Joint Council 62 of International Brotherhood of Teamsters.)
I am writing in support of the US Wind project, and against the inane and expensive reactions of both the Ocean City and Worcester County councils. I am Professor Emeritus of Marine Science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. My graduate students and I have spent the last decade studying marine life in the wind energy development area (WEA) and potential impacts of wind power on them. Most of the arguments concerning potential impacts of wind power on marine wildlife and ecosystems are nonsense, to wit:
Claim: Turbines will disrupt access to fishing grounds.
Fact: The Maryland WEA is located in a region where fishing activity is minimal. The major fishing activity in the DelMarVa region is for black sea bass (BSB) which live only on live-bottom reef areas that are located to the south and west of the WEA. We surveyed the WEA with towed camera systems for two years and found no live-bottom reefs, and very few black sea bass in the area.
Claim: Ocean and shoreline habitat will be lost.
Fact: Scientific evidence suggests that offshore wind turbines have a net positive impact on marine ecosystems. The coastal seafloor is mostly bare sand and mud with little habitat for fish. The footprints of turbines are small relative to the overall area and will displace few fish. Wind turbines and their armor rock attract fouling organisms and small fish, which in turn feed larger fish. Fish such as black sea bass and tautog need verti-
cal structure for shelter. And many pelagic fish, like tuna, are attracted to large underwater structures. Even if fishers can’t access those sites directly, fish will spill over to nearby fishable areas, increasing total populations.
Claim: Whales will be harmed by impacts with turbines.
Fact: Over 5,000 offshore wind turbines have been built around the world, yet no whale mortality has ever been observed in association with surveying, construction or operation of wind turbines. The leading causes of death for North Atlantic right whales are ship strikes and entanglement with fishing gear (lobster and crab traps). And by providing refuge from ship traffic, noise, and trap lines, turbine farms may actually help whale populations recover.
Fiction: Wind farms are opposed by many of the public and grass-roots organizations
Fact: Most of the anti-turbine disinformation is funded by anti-environmental organizations such as the Ocean Legal Defense Fund, the Caesar Rodney Institute, the State Policy Network, the Donors Capital Fund, and right-wing conservative groups like ALEC and the Heartland Foundation, that support climate denial. Follow the money.
Arguments about impacts of wind
turbines on marine life and fisheries are mostly fiction. What the public should be outraged about is that the Ocean City and Worcester County Councils have committed over $500,000 of taxpayer’s money to oppose offshore wind, not to mention unknown costs of attorney’s fees, and would put taxpayers on the hook for millions more if they seize working waterfront property in a misguided attempt to block wind power development.
Developing wind power will help reduce a host of environmental problems including excess greenhouse gas emissions, reduced air quality, global warming, climate change, increasing storm intensity, and sea level rise. All of these are much greater threats to the health and safety of coastal communities than the appearance of a few turbines a long way in the distance.
Bradley G. Stevens, PhD Salisbury
By Sam Ghaleb Contributing Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) Today, 80 years ago, at 5 p.m., Moscow time, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov informed the Japanese Ambassador that, “...the Soviet Government declares that, as of tomorrow, that is, August 9, the Soviet Union will consider that it is in a state of war with Japan.”
Marshal Stalin had promised the United States and the United Kingdom at the Yalta Conference in February 1945, and reconfirmed, at the Potsdam Conference in July, that the Soviet Union would enter the war against the Japanese Empire three months after the German surrender.
True to his word, three months after the German surrender, the Red Army launched a massive assault against Japanese occupied Manchuria, which the Japanese called Manchukuo. In the interim, Soviet trains had been running nonstop along the 6,000-mile TransSiberian Railway, transporting the men and material for what came to be known as “Operation August Storm.”
The Soviet troops arrayed for the attack on Manchuria were organized in three “fronts.” On Aug. 9, these “fronts” poured into Japanese-occupied northeastern China, a region known as Manchuria, that had been governed by the puppet regime of Manchukuo since 1932.
The Soviet troops were of the Far Eastern Theater of Operation, under the overall command of Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky, who envisioned a giant pincer movement. Never in world history have so many soldiers been assembled under one field commander.
The Transbaikal Front, under Ukrainian Marshal Rodion Y. Malinovsky, with 648,000 soldiers, attacked from the west, across the Inner Mongolian desert and over the Greater Khingan mountain range,
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On April 5, 1945, the Soviet Union informed Japan that the Soviet Union would not renew the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact of 1941, which ensured non-aggression between the two nations through April 13, 1946. At this point, the neutrality pact was still six months from its natural expiration date.
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with Mukden as its primary target.
The attached 36th Army, commanded by Alexander Alexandrovich Luchinsky, was to break off after the initial invasion and head toward Harbin and Qiqihar to meet the Second Far East Front.
The Second Far East Front, with 337,000 soldiers under Gen. Maksim Alexeyevich Purkayev, attacked in the center, largely in a support role, with the primary objectives of securing Harbin and Qiqihar. Upon the successful completion of these objectives, the front was to move toward Port Arthur after the First Far East Front completed its primary objectives.
Finally, from the east, over the Lesser Khingan mountain range, the First Far East Front, under Marshal Kiril A. Meretskov, with 586,500 soldiers aimed for the cities in eastern Manchuria, including Changchun, the capital of Manchukuo.
Its secondary objective was to cut off Japanese escape routes into Korea, and its third objective was to invade and occupy northern Korea. In total, 1,577,725 battle-hardened soldiers, in 89 divisions with the support of 3,704 tanks, 1,852 self-propelled guns, 27,086 artillery pieces, and 3,721 aircraft were assembled for the invasion.
On the Japanese side, Gen. Otoz Yamada's Japanese Kwangtung Army fielded only 700,000 men organized in 25 divisions (two of which were tank divisions) and six independent mixed brigades.
At the beginning of the war, the Kwangtung Army had been Japan’s best, but the best troops had been used where they were needed most. Their replacements were not so good. They were further supported by the 40,000-strong Manchukuo De-
fense Force in eight divisions and the 10,000strong Mengjiang militia from Inner Mongolia.
In terms of machines, the Japanese had 1,215 armored vehicles (most of which were light tanks and armored cars), 6,700 artillery pieces, and 1,800 aircraft. In terms of training, the Kwangtung Army, at this time, was a skeleton force, with its equipment and divisions manned by older men.
Its best troops, by that time, had been sent to the Pacific Theater to fight against the Americans. Thus, the Japanese forces were poorly prepared to
defend against such an invasion. Additionally, Japanese intelligence had failed to realize the scale of the Soviet movement toward the east, perhaps not expecting the Soviet Union to void the SovietJapanese Neutrality Pact.
The attack from the west was a complete surprise to the Japanese, who did not expect the Soviet troops to cross the Greater Khingan mountain range, which was said to be impassable. In addition to the element of surprise, the greater
mobility enjoyed by the Soviet forces, and the usage of airborne units at key airfields, caused the Japanese lines to completely crumble.
Fighting continued despite the fact that the Japanese foreign ministry had expressed Emperor Hirohito's wish to end the war on Aug. 14, 1945.
On the Soviet side, the commanders received orders to continue the campaign, while some of the Japanese commanders were confused as to whether Tokyo was heading toward a cease-fire. Others ignored the political developments and were determined to fight until the last man.
Soviet troops reached the Yalu River vicinity, on Aug. 14, but stiff Japanese resistance prevented them from reaching the river itself in great numbers. On Aug. 17, the Soviet Union demanded that the Japanese forces facing the Red Army surrender by Aug. 20.
The next day, several amphibious landings were made in northern Korea, Sakhalin, and in the Kurile Islands, with the latter politically driven for the goal of postwar occupation.
Although geographically distant from the Manchurian region of northeastern China, the Soviet Kurile Islands Landing operation was considered part of the greater Manchurian Strategic Offensive operation.
The Soviet 87th Rifle Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Fyodor Borisov, and elements from other units landed on various islands, largely overrunning defenses manned by the Japanese 91st Infantry Division (at the islands of Shiashkotan, Paramushiro, Shumshu, and Onekotan), 42nd Division (at Shimushiro), and the 89th Infantry Division (at Iturup and Kunashiri). Japanese troops surrendered on Aug.
23, 1945, but pockets of resistance continued until the very end of the Pacific War.
Back in northeastern China, by Aug. 20, the cities of Mukden, Changchun, and Qiqihar were all declared secure. On Sept. 2, Japan formally surrendered. On Sept. 8, American troops landed at the port city of Inchon in Korea to prevent the Soviet Union from occupying all of Korea.
By the end of the campaign, the Soviet Union had suffered 12,031 killed and 24,425 wounded. Japanese forces suffered more than 60,000 killed. A very large number of Japanese were taken prisoner by the Soviets — by some estimates 600,000.
Though most Westerners, especially Americans, believe the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the events that drove Japan to surrender, the atomic bombs were only part of the equation.
Many historians, such as Tsuyoshi Hasegawa and Dan van der Vat, argued that the Soviet declaration of war was as important, if not more so, in the Japanese decision to capitulate.
Even President Harry S. Truman conceded as much, writing in his diary after meeting Stalin at The Potsdam conference, “He'll be in the Jap War on August 15th. Fini Japs when that comes about.”
The Japanese, through their embassy in Berlin, were aware of the behavior of Soviet troops, especially toward women, as the Red Army advanced into eastern Germany, and they did not want that for their country. Better to surrender to the nice Americans!
During the last months of the war, the Japanese, not knowing the secret agreement for the Soviet Union to declare war on Japan, were seeking Soviet assistance as a neutral power to negotiate surrender terms with the
western Allies.
With the seemingly neutral Soviet Union changing face and abrogating the non-aggression pact, Japan lost its last hope, which affected the Japanese psyche tremendously. In terms of future consequences, the Soviet occupation of Manchuria, and the transfer of all Japanese weapons and equipment — enough to equip a million-man army — allowed Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist forces to recuperate and rebuild, eventually winning the Chinese Civil War.
The Soviet forces were also at the door step of Japan, a few miles away from the northern Japanese Home Island of Hokkaido. With the final date for signing the instrument of surrender fast approaching, and with a lot of pressure from President Truman, Stalin refrained from attacking Hokkaido.
The Soviet Manchurian Operation was a classic large scale Blitzkrieg operation. In a three-week, fast-moving offensive, the Soviets captured Manchuria, south Sakhalin Island, the Kurile Islands, parts of Northern China, and Northern Korea. An area the size of western Europe was overrun by the Red Army in a mere three weeks!
Sadly, Dr. Ghaleb passed away prior to the publication of this article.
Next week: V-J Day
BARBARA A. HAGER
Berlin
Barbara A. Hager, 88, of Berlin, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Aug. 2, 2025, at their home in The Cottages in Berlin.
She was born in Lutherville on February 18, 1937, daughter of the late Charles and Mabel Spera. Barbara married Ronald Hager on Nov. 5, 1955, and they enjoyed 70 years together. They had two daughters, Kathy Lynn and Rhonda Jane, while living in Timonium.
She was a founding member of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Ocean City and attended many services and Bible studies.
Barbara was involved in the Ocean City Art League from its beginning. She loved to paint and participate in workshops and art shows in Ocean City and the Worcester Arts Council of Berlin. She won numerous art awards and spread loving messages with her watercolor cards, many of which were sold at Bishop’s Stock in Snow Hill. Barbara enjoyed traveling with her art friends locally and internationally, sketching, painting and eating.
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They owned apartments in downtown Ocean City and homes in Public Landing, Waves, N.C,. and Herring Creek in West Ocean City, where they had many gatherings with family and friends. Barbara would say, “the door is always open”. Their homes were filled with love, art, crazy times and many books for reading.
Barbara was preceded in death by her brothers, Butch, Rocky and Jimmy Spera and son-in-law Steve Mumford. She is survived by her two daughters, Kathy Huegel and husband John, Jane Hager and husband Michael Dalto.
She also left behind her four grandchildren, Sage Harrington, Cory Harrington, Laurel Harrington and Jason Mumford.
Barbara had six great-grandchildren, Brandon Harrington, Jacob Sturgil, Ellie Sturgil and Cade, Coah
and Cavin Harrington. Plus, one great-great granddaughter, Averie Harrington and one on the way.
There will be a private family graveside service.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Art League of Ocean City, the Worcester Arts Council and the Michael J Fox Foundation.
RICHARD WAYNE ROBINSON Fenwick Island
Richard Wayne Robinson, age 77, passed away on June 30 surrounded by his wife of 52 years, Shari, his daughter, Erin, and his son, Richard Wayne Robinson II (Rob).
They had been on a long-awaited family vacation to the Bahamas with his beloved family, including Erin’s husband, Brad, and their children Owen (14) and Paige (11), and Rob’s wife, Allie, and their children Riley (13), Layla (11), Kaleb (9) and Kira
(4). His children and grandchildren will forever cherish the years they shared with their “Pop Pop.”
Rich, also known as Rick, was born on March 16, 1948, in Philadelphia. He lived with his father, Edward, mother Dorothy and sister Judy in what was once known as the Northeast Village. As a young teen he moved to Dover, Delaware where he made many lifelong friendships. He attended Wesley College and later the University of Delaware, where he earned a degree in Physical Education and served as a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. There he met, Shari and they soon moved to Montgomery County, Maryland where he earned a master’s degree in business management from the University of Maryland. Rick worked for the Montgomery County Recreation Department for 30-years, where he touched the lives of many.
Rich retired and moved to Fenwick Island, DE where he and Shari had vacationed for many summers with their kids. As a resident of Fenwick, he spent time doing what he loved best; golfing, sailing, exercising, and spending time with his friends and family. He worked as a golf instructor for the Original Golf School and shared his love for the game and physical health whenever possible.
Above all, Rich valued the relationships he shared with so many. His unrelenting faith and determination helped him overcome several health issues including two open heart surgeries, prostate and bladder cancer. He was a courageous and genuinely principled person who was always looking for ways to help others. He will be greatly missed.
A celebration of his amazing life
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will be held at Lighthouse Sound on Aug. 17 from 1-3 p.m.
ANNE CHILMAN FRICK
Marco Island, Fla.
Anne FitzGerald Frick, a resident of Marco Island, Fla. and Bethany Beach, passed away peacefully at her home on July 28, 2025.
Born in Bethesda on Jan. 25, 1935, Anne was the daughter of the late Francis J. FitzGerald and Florence Johnson FitzGerald. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joseph L. Frick; her son, Michael Frick; and her daughter-inlaw, Stacey Frick.
Anne was a devoted and loving mother to 10 children: Joseph (Lisa) of Sarasota, Fla.; Gary of Ocean City; Robert (Rhonda) of Bishopville; Theresa Simpson of Marco Island, Fla.; James of Naples, Fla.; Linda (Austin) Nammack of Locust Grove, Va.; Lori Hyatt of Locust Grove, Va.; Carol Lynn (Michael) Nakamura of Rockville; and Craig (Julie) of Gaithersburg.
She is survived by her sisters-inlaw, Sue FitzGerald of Smithville, Tenn. and Julie FitzGerald of Ashland, Va. and brother-in-law, Richard Frick (Angie) of Gaithersburg, Md. She was preceded in death by her three brothers: James FitzGerald, Francis J. FitzGerald, Jr., and Donald FitzGerald. Anne also leaves behind 22 cherished grandchildren.
A viewing was held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at HodgesJosberger Funeral Home located at 577 W. Elkcam Circle, Marco Island, Fla. 34145.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at 10:30 a.m. at San Marco Catholic Church located at 851 San Marco Road, Marco Island, Fla. 34145.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society in Anne’s memory.
Burial will be private.
By Brian Shane Staff Writer
(Aug. 8, 2025) Entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and former world champion pro surfer Shaun Tomson appeared in Ocean City last week where he announced the launch of a new nonprofit dedicated to empowering positive choices.
Onstage at the resort’s performing arts center, Tomson shared he and his wife Carla are starting the Think Twice Foundation. The organization should be up and running in the next month and will align with the smart-choice movement Tomson has been part of for two decades.
“I’m really addressing a fundamental social problem in our society that very few people seem to be aware of,” he said in an interview this week with OC TodayDispatch. “If I can empower one student to think about the choice, then I’ve done my job well.”
Tomson’s July 31 engagement wasn’t just a motivational speaking appearance. He also screened a movie he produced about the early days of 1970s California surf culture, called “Bustin’ Down the Door.”
Attended by more than 500 people, the event raised about $30,000 for the Ocean City Museum Society, according to Christine Okerblom, curator of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum.
The essence of Tomson’s message, simply put, is to make good choices. His well-crafted, 45-minute monologue speaks to the power of positive decisionmaking and the power of “I will.” He tells people: drop a stone, create a ripple, pull the wave.
Tomson, 69, is a legend in the world of pro surfing. He grew up on the east coast of South Africa, where he started his surfing career. Not only did he help develop and create the industry of professional surfing, but he also competed on the pro tour for 16 years and became a world champion in 1977.
Early in his career, he said his South African heritage made it tough to compete. He lost opportunities to surf because others were holding South Africa’s history of racial segregation, called apartheid, against him. “When you’re an individual, your political philosophy may be at odds with the government,” he said.
Tomson eventually developed his own surfing brand called Instinct. Its popularity allowed him to sponsor other surfers, who also became world champs. When he retired as a pro surfer, he sold the brand.
He returned to college to finish a degree in economics before moving permanently to the United States, eventually earning his U.S. citizenship. He joined the retailer Patagonia and ran their apparel division for a few years before starting a sustainable surfing brand called Solitude, which he built up and later sold.
More than 20 years ago, as his public speaking career was taking off, he was
inspired to collect his surf-based wisdom and write his own book. Titled “The Surfer’s Code,” the book celebrates 12 life lessons drawn from surfing, like “I will never turn my back on the ocean” and “I will pass on my stoke.”
When the first version of the book was finally at the printer in 2006, ready for its first run, his life would change forever.
Today, Tomson makes his home outside Santa Barbara, California, with his wife Carla and a teenage son. But before that, the couple had their first son, Mathew, born in 1990.
While away at boarding school in South Africa in 2006, Mathew joined his classmates in what kids called the “choking game,” where a person tried to knock themselves unconscious by restricting their own airway.
Mathew played the game but he never woke up. He was 15 years old.
“That took my life down a completely different path,” Tomson said, blinking back tears.
Just hours before Mathew died, he’d spoke with his father by phone to share a description of surfing he’d written – of a surfer riding inside a tube. He wrote these words: the light shines ahead.
“After I lost my boy and was kind of going through that horrible process of trying to figure out life, I think of those words. To me, those words have really become like a mantra. Sort of a north star. I focused on acceptance. It’s very hard, when you have loss, to focus on not ‘what if?’ but what is,” Tomson said.
After Mathew’s death, Tomson went back to South Africa to be near family. He didn’t much feel like surfing for a long while. But a friend convinced him to get back on his board, he said, early one morning, with the sunrise boiling up through the Indian Ocean like a ball of fire.
“We paddle out towards the sun and I’m crying,” he recalled, “and the first wave comes, and it washes across my face, and it washes my tears away. It was an amazing feeling.
“Then the next wave. Washes my tears away. And the next wave washes
my tears away. And I can feel my son. Mathew’s with me. And I swung around and caught my first wave, and it felt a little bit better.”
That moment, he said, connected him to the words Mathew had written: The light shines ahead.
Tomson has since used the power of words to cope with his grief. He’s become a renowned public speaker whose signature talk has reached Fortune 500 companies, elite universities, and thousands of school-aged kids.
As for his book, “The Surfer’s Code” went through 17 revisions at the printer before becoming a beloved best-seller in the surfing community.
The book’s message became the basis for a local youth program here on Delmarva called Surf Into Integrity, founded by the Ocean City Surf Club. Tomson plans to celebrate the book, now just
called “The Code,” with a 20th anniversary edition printing next year. Orange, he says, is the color of hope. It’s the color of his book. It was the color of that sunrise in South Africa. So, when he meets with young people, Tomson hands out rubber orange wristbands that say: “I will always paddle back out.” He tells kids, when you’re up against a life-or-death decision, and you’re leaning toward making a bad call, just flick that orange band on your wrist, “and that little sting can activate – think twice, think twice, think twice.”
“Based on what happened to me and losing my son and finding a different path, ‘I’ll always paddle back out’ is really important to me,” he said. “People at sort of a first glance might say, ‘oh, you know, that’s about resilience and perseverance.’ But underlying those two is hope. It’s really about hope.”
After three days of fishing, the Billfisher is in line to take home top honors once again in the White Marlin Open. The team and family members are pictured with the 72-pound white marlin that could earn the boat $4.27 million. The Billfisher won $4.4 million in the White Marlin
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pound yellowfin tuna, caught by Stone Harbor, N.J., resident John Grace, worth $258,000 as of Monday.
Tuna dominate second day
Of the 282 registered, there were 212 boats fishing on Tuesday. Early word came from offshore a white marlin measuring 72 inches (larger than the 70inch minimum) would be waiting at the scales at 4 p.m. The rumor turned out true, but the Special Situation, a local Ocean City boat, came up short on
weight, tipping the scales at 67 pounds (below the minimum 70 pounds).
Day two rocked the tuna division with a new first-place tuna, a 95pounder, coming in courtesy of the Mama C out of Virginia Beach, Va. The fish could make angler Tommy Farella of New Smyrna, Fla. and his team about $1.84 million as of Tuesday.
The dolphin division populated a bit on Tuesday with Ocean City’s own RoShamBo weighing in a 27 pounder caught by Rusty Shriever of Leonardtown. The dolphin could pay out $53,815 with five days of fishing remaining.
Billfisher rocks leaderboard
Though seas picked up, there were still 143 boats fishing on Wednesday including Ocean City-based Billfisher, which was built by Duffie Boatworks in West Ocean City.
It was known a white marlin was boated Wednesday based on offshore reports, but it was not confirmed who hooked the fish until the Billfisher came through the Inlet around 4 p.m. Wednesday with six release white marlin flags flying and one boated white marlin.
The Billfisher’s white marlin measured 70.5 inches (just above the 70inch length minimum) and weighed 72 pounds, good enough to qualify for the top spot on the leaderboard. The white marlin, caught by Ocean City’s Dan Gough, took about $3 million away from the Barbara B’s big blue marlin and stands to make $4.27 million after three days of fishing. The Billfisher has been atop the leaderboard before, winning the tournament in 2022 and $4.4 million for a 77.5-pound white marlin. Wednesday’s white marlin catch also reduced the top tuna division payout, as the Mama C’s fish was now worth $814,400 as of Thursday morning.
Lay day on Thursday
Only 13 boats fished on Thursday, leaving about 184 fishing days available for boats heading into Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
To view all the current standings for the White Marlin Open, click over to whitemarlinopen.com.
(Aug. 8, 2025) The Ocean Pines Swim Team Hammerheads recently held an end-of-season pool party with several awards presented.
The season featured time drops across the entire team with championship cuts and personal bests achieved by many swimmers.
At the season wrap event, several awards were presented through the Delmarva Swim Association.
Received the Sandy Hexter Memorial award was Zoe David for her encouragement, selfishness and commitment.
Emily Fink was presented the Hammerhead Award for her work ethic, positive attitude, and being an outstanding role model.
The Ginny Reister Award, named
Honored as rookie of the season on the male side was Santino Carelli. Awarded female rookie of the season was Mila Hernandez. Both swimmers were recognized for their growth, coachability and determination.
after swim team’s founder, was presented to Sara Bianco as the team’s best volunteer.
Bianco was shown appreciation for always helping the team no matter the need.
