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SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
OBITUARIES Guy R. Ayres City solicitor from 1982 to 2019 had lasting impact on Ocean City — page 67 FREE
Holiday sees another drop in police calls Traffic, ordinance violations dominate police responses
MORGAN PILZ/OCEAN CITY TODAY
BUILDING PERMITTED
By Josh Kim Staff Writer (Sept. 6, 2019) Labor Day weekend marked the beginning of the end for Ocean City’s busiest season, and according to the Ocean City Police Department, it also marked another decrease in calls for service. Police department spokeswoman Ashley Miller said that from Friday, Aug. 31, to Tuesday, Sept. 3, there was 1,580 calls for service—18 fewer than last year’s holiday weekend. Calls of service were dominated by city ordinance violations, 216, which include smoking on the Boardwalk, alcohol citations and public consumption of alcoholic beverages. Traffic stops were next, with 188 traffic-related calls, 11 of which were See SEASON Page 64
Building a sand castle during the last Family Beach Olympic Games of the season on the beach of the Carousel Hotel on 118th Street, Thursday, Aug. 29, from left, are Jessica, 13, Samir, Jenna, 10, and Nemeen Naoum of New Jersey. See more pictures on page 19.
Rips, surf keep Beach Patrol busy By Morgan Pilz and Rachel Ravina Staff Writers (Sept. 6, 2019) Strong rip currents and surf conditions resulted in a busy Labor Day weekend for the Ocean City Beach Patrol, which made 264 rescues over the course of the fourday holiday. Of those rescues, 25 took place on Friday and Saturday, 61 on Monday, and the most rescues happened on Sunday with 153 rescues, said the beach patrol’s public information coordinator, Kristin Joson. Most rescues were considered assists, said Ocean City Beach Patrol Capt. Butch Arbin, who cited tropical
activity as a reason for the stronger waves. “The rescues made were more of an assist in the sense that we didn’t want people to be afraid,” Arbin said. Kristin Joson “If a person didn’t respond, we were spread out, so we don’t have the ability to do the more preventive type [of guarding]. Several times this weekend we pulled people out of the ocean a couple spots and then we would talk to them about conditions and let them back in.” Many lifeguards returned to the resort to work Labor Day weekend,
allowing for 32 stands to observe 10 miles of beach, Arbin said. “Forty of our people drove over 110 miles, or at least the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Butch Arbin bridge, or Pennsylvania or New Jersey,” Arbin said. “One girl drove all the way from Miami, Florida, to work the weekend and another guy drove all the way from Indiana, so people really stepped up to help bring the numbers up.” The increased number of guards also meant it was possible to perform See STRONG Page 59
Worcester sees 13th rabies case with sick raccoon By Elizabeth Bonin Staff Writer (Sept. 6, 2019) This Worcester County Health Department confirmed the 13th case of rabies this year when a man brought a sick raccoon to the Nature Center at the Pocomoke River State Park at Shad Landing in Snow Hill last Wednesday. Staff members at the park noticed that the raccoon wasn’t moving, which is a symptom of paralytic rabies, according to Angela Richardson, rabies program coordinator for environmental health. See RABIES Page 64
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
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Ocean City Today
New state regulations aim to increase renewable energy By Oct. 1, 26.2 percent of consumer electricity must come from Tier 1 resources By Elizabeth Bonin Staff Writer (Sept. 6, 2019) In accordance with Maryland’s goal of reaching 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, energy consumers will be required to purchase a certain amount of green energy as of Oct. 1. At that point, a law passed by the Maryland General Assembly this year requires consumers to purchase at least 26.2 percent of the electrical power from Tier 1 renewable resources, including at least 5.5 percent from solar energy. Other Tier 1 sources include wind, biomass, anaerobic decomposition, geothermal and small hydro, though solar energy is the most popular. The bill, known as the Clean Energy Jobs Act, passed through Maryland’s General Assembly in May without Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature. Igor Conev, a property manager at Mann Properties in Ocean City, said the simplest way to explain the bill is that the state government is regulating what kind of electricity consumers must buy. “Whether you’re a believer in global warming or not, the fact of the matter is that there’s more demand for electricity,” Conev said. “Companies are trying to find new ways of producing electricity, which is why there’s a boom in solar panels, especially in our areas.”
Conev added that up until now, electricity in Maryland was unregulated. He said Mann Properties regularly works with electricity brokers to get the best per kilowatt rate for clients. “Renewable energy is typically more expensive, so where it’s going to affect owners is their bottom line,” Conev said. As an example, he explained that Mann Properties received a quote a couple of years ago from a company out of Washington state that had solar farms in Maryland. They would charge 8.5 cents per kilowatt, as opposed to the company’s current 6.4 cents per kilowatt. Though that’s a large jump, Conev said that with time and technology progression, the price will decrease. According to a newsletter from Utility Savings Solutions, an East Coast energy broker, Maryland customers could absorb a $1-3 megawatt per hour increase. Even though green energy will be a higher up-front cost, Conev believes it is worth the investment. He advises consumers to take a look at their personal budgets and ensure that they’re using energy efficient lights, appliances and thermostat settings. “We all have to be more aware and less wasteful,” Conev said. “Then you can control your cost.” Conev added that if a consumer enters in an energy contract by the end of September, he or she will not be required to meet the new standards for renewable energy.
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