March 2025 Ocean Pines Progress

OPVFD, OPA working closely to bring Southside firehouse project to referendum

Vote will be combined with annual OPA election; operations to be shifted to Northside station

By ROTA L. KNOTT

Contributing Writer

Shovels are expected to hit the ground in October 2025 for a new Southside fire station, with hopes the facility will be operational by early 2027. To meet that aggressive timeline, the Ocean Pines Association intends to hold a referendum on construction of the new facility this summer in conjunction with the annual Board of Directors election.

Representatives from the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department presented updated plans for a 14,610 square foot new southside fire station to the Board during a Feb. 22 meeting. With the help of an OPA appointed work group, the proposed building has been scaled back from an initial OPVFD design of 19,100

during construction

square feet.

In remarks at the Feb. 22 Board of Directors meeting, General Manager John Viola said the work group reevaluated and reduced the initial proposed footprint of the new building.

Later the work group decided to add 700 square feet back into the plans because space was necessary to make the fire station more functional. Still, the new design landed at about 75 percent of the square footage of the initial proposal, he said.

“It’s been a team effort,” he said of the redesign of the facility. “I believe everybody is on the same page.”

OPA President Stuart Lakernick asked when the new fire station could be operational. “If everything went

Board approves 2025-26 budget with modest assessment increase

The Board of Directors at its Feb. 22 monthly meeting unanimously approved a 2025-26 Ocean Pines Association budget.

It includes a base lot assessment of $875, up $25 from this year’s $850, and a waterfront assessment for bulkheaded lots of $1,515, also up $25 from the current year’s rate.

Total revenues and expenses including operating revenue, bulkhead funding and capital funding for the new budget is $15.027 million, down $4.171 million from the estimated revenues and expenditures in the current fiscal year.

One of the primary drivers of the decrease is the creation of a new Food and Beverage Department, established to accept annual lease payments of $384,000 per year from Touch of Italy, recently selected to lease Ocean Pines’ three food and beverage venues, and 6.5 percent of food sales at three revenues. This change substantially reduces revenue that flows into the OPA.

~ Page 26

Southside fire station

From Page 1

well and perfect, we’re looking at being done January or February of 27?” he asked.

Viola confirmed that general timeframe for completion, saying one contractor estimated it would take about 65 weeks to build the new fire station.

The OPVFD and OPA are now working with an architect and anticipate having final architectural plans in April that they can bring to the Board for approval.

Director Elaine Brady asked if the intention is to send the referendum out to property owners with the annual Board election packet.

“Yes, we believe that is the best way,” Viola responded.

He said more detailed cost estimates for the project are required for Board approval to move forward with the referendum.

The most recent estimate is that the OPA’s contribution to the project would be about $2.5 million, subject to revision as the process continues.

Joe Enste, OPVFD president, said through the pre-planning process the work group was able to fine tune

interior fit-out costs, including what furniture and fixtures are needed.

He said those are the “things we need to make sure that this is going to be functional fire station for now but also for years to come.”

He said it is important to ensure the construction of the new building is in compliance with state, local and national standards.

Because it is a fire station, it has to meet National Fire Protection Association Standards.

That involves everything “from wind ratings to essentially being the last building standing if there is ever a catastrophic event.”

He said that ensures the fire station can continue to respond and provide help to the community.

Among those “fit-out” items are a fire suppression system, vehicle exhaust extraction, and station alerting systems. The work group confirmed pricing for all of those items which are essential in the new facility, he said.

The vehicle exhaust extraction equipment plugs into all the fire apparatus and captures the exhaust fumes, processes and filters them and then releases them back into the environment.

“Right now with our current station all of those fumes and exhaust just go on everything that’s in that engine bay,” Enste said. “Which is not great.”

The station alerting system provides a way to alert the crew in the fire house of an emergency call in a heart-healthy way, Enste said.

Instead of a startling tone, the system offers more gradual sound and visual alerts to personnel.

He said to ensure ease of access for onsite personnel during an emergency, the work group’s updated design shifted some interior walls.

But that in turn limited space in other areas like offices, the kitchen, and living quarters. To accommodate those areas, the proposed building was expanded again by 760 square feet.

“It’s been a constructive team effort very productive, looking at every dollar,” Viola said of the work group’s pre-planning process.

He said the effort saved almost $200,000 as compared to original project estimates.

Enste also confirmed the funding the OPVFD has obtained for the project. He said it has $1.7 million grants and bonds dedicated to the

new fire station, with $1.3 million of the money already sitting in the OPVFD bank account. Additionally, the OPVFD will be able to submit to the state for reimbursement under other bonds.

Finally, the fire department has $750,000 in its bank account from fundraising and additional savings that will be contributed to the project.

The OPVFD evaluated the transition cost to move out of the existing fire house and into trailers to continue operations to fully protect the community while the new construction occurs.

Enste said they tried to eliminate some transition costs to account for price increases elsewhere in the proposed building.

Fire Chief Joe Widgeon said the work group worked hard to develop a solid but cost-effective plan.

“I think now we are to the point where we are good to go,” he said. “This is what it is.”

Director John Latham asked if there are any critical times that OPVFD needs to make sure there is adequate fire and emergency srtvice coverage in south Ocean Pines

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Southside fire station

From Page 4

during the construction period.

“Our plan is to move to the north station,” Widgeon responded.

He said the decision was made that it would be too expensive to house staff in trailers on the south side while the new building is being constructed.

“We have a perfectly good living quarters up north and that’s where we’re going to go,” Widgeon said.

Viola said the cost for trailers to house a temporary station of the south side would be close to $200,000, which the group decided was not a good investment.

Widgeon added that the OPA’s Public Works department adjacent to the south station also plans to lend the OPVFD space in which to work during the transition.

That will allow the OPVFD to maintain fire apparatus on the south side.

While the regular crew will reside and operate out of the Northside fire station while the new facility is being constructed, volunteers can still respond to the apparatus kept on the Southside, he said.

Police chief says he’s checking with multiple vendors to build cell tower

He hasn’t yet decided on a location to recommend to Board of Directors

By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer

Ocean Pines Police Chief

Tim Robinson told those assembled for a Feb. 22 Board of Directors meeting that no decisions have been made and no site selected for a new cellular tower in Ocean Pines. Robinson said he has been in touch with three different tower contractors – not just one that he had mentioned at previous Board meetings – as part of an information gathering effort.

Robinson said he has simply been investigating opportunities for enhanced cell coverage in the community. “We do have some issues,” he said of consistent cell

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phone coverage in Ocean Pines. “I’m driving the committee to try to find something for it.”

He said a committee that is working on the issue is “still in the talking phase and hasn’t done

any more than begin gathering information so there can be an informed discussion about the opportunities for increasing cell coverage in the community.

Milestone Communications of Reston, Va. is one of the contractors the Ocean Pines Association is communicating with regard a cell tower. Milestone is the communications company that built towers at three sites in Wicomico County, including Parkside High School.

During the December Board meeting Robinson said one potential type of arrangement for construction of a new cell tower would be to locate it on OPA property, with the contractor paying the

Chief Robinson during a recnt Ocean Pines Association podcast.

Cell tower

From Page 5

association a one-time fee prior to building the tower and a monthly 40 percent revenue share.

Now, Robinson is saying he has done no more than talk on the phone to each of the three contractors. He said there are no specific sites in Ocean Pines under consideration as tower locations and none of the contractors have performed a site visit.

When the committee investigating options for improving cell coverage in the community has more information, it will make a formal presentation to the Board, Robinson said.

As for member concerns about the impact construction of a cell tower may have on the appearance of Ocean Pines, Robinson said he is cognizant of the need for any structure to blend in with the community. He said people are worried that it will be a “gargantuan massive tower,” but that is not true. The committee is also investigating how a tower could be disguised or camouflaged to meet community standards.

OPA President Stuart Lakernick in a recent interview in the Progress

said some association members may believe the process is much further along than it really is.

Contributing to the misunderstanding was the way a question was asked and answered at the Board’s of Directors Jan. 25 monthly meeting. Lakernick clarified the situation in the interview.

He said that Robinson is free to come back to the Board with a proposal for a cell phone tower located somewhere on OPA property.

“The chief is working on solutions [to cell phone gaps in Ocean Pines],” Lakernick acknowledged, adding that as of Feb. 2 “nothing has been brought to the Board” for discussion with the chief.

That was still true at the Board’s Feb. 22 meeting.

The clear implication was that he expects the chief to do so at a time of his choosing, at which time the Board will have a discussion of whatever proposal the chief will bring to the table and will vote on it.

The chief has said that the OPA would be paid a one-time fee and 40 percent of tower rental fees per month.

During the Public Comments segment of the Jan. 25 Board meeting,

OPA member Dave Tanner urged the Board not to allow a cell tower to be built on OPA property.

He argued that people chose to live in Ocean Pines because of the character of the community and a cell tower would ruin it. He said cell towers degrade property values.

He acknowledged that cellular coverage from certain providers can be spotty at times in Ocean Pines. But, he said, no one has done due diligence to determine the actual

Valentines for vets

The Republican Women of Worcester County have been supporting the “Valentines for Veterans Program” for more than 20 years. Cards made by students from local schools cards were shipped by Linda Dearing and the Copy Central staff, to regional veteran hospitals. Pictured are Vera Beck, RWWC Caring for America Chair and Linda Dearing of Copy Central.

cause of lapses in coverage.

It’s unlikely that a Board majority would agree with Tanner that a cell tower would degrade property values.

At the Feb. 22 meeting, Robinson more or less disputed that contention as well. He said a tower can be disguised is such a way that it blends in with its surroundings.

In addition, it seems unlikely that any tower will be proposed near a residential area in Ocean Pines.

Board approves Jacobs’s motion to study new Board meeting room

Could be used by committees and community groups and for annual meetings; directors aren’t necessarily in favor of it and don’t regard it as a high priority

By ROTA L. KNOTT Contributing Writer

With the intent to get the project on the Ocean Pines Association’s possible “to do” list, the Board of Directors on Feb. 22 voted unanimously to have staff gather information and prepare plans and cost estimates for a dedicated Board meeting room with multi-purpose options.

Director Steve Jacobs offered a motion “to instruct the general manager to prepare estimates of cost, drawings blueprints or appropriate renditions of a modular meeting room that meets the needs of the association for its annual meeting as well as committee meetings. The required material shall be available for consideration no later than the start of budget preparation for fiscal year 2026 -2027.”

Jacobs said his motion is not an attempt to vault construction of meeting space in front of other projects already in the planning stages. He said there has been periodic discussion about the need for dedicated meeting space, but no one has ever actually looked into the potential options.

He said the purpose of his motion was for the Board to acquire professional input and information so it can begin consideration of adding a meeting room sufficient to accommodate the annual OPA membership meeting. The space would also be available to hold the regular Board and committees meetings, as well as for use by community groups, he said.

The annual meeting traditionally has been held in the Assateague Room of the Community Center and before that, in the old Community Hall building, never reaching capacity in all those years.

In presenting his motion, Jacobs said the information provided by the general manager needs to be comprehensive enough to address “the locations of the meeting room, a modular arrangement, space and parking considerations, impact on other activities, quality of acoustics, video and audio capabilities, assurance of quality hybrid connections as well as design and appropriate and reasonable outfitting of chairs and work stations.”

He added that the general manger may also include in his investigation any recommendations to make changes at existing OPA facilities that would address the need for more meeting space. He also said the general manager can make suggestions for changes to the current meeting room at the Golf Clubhouse that would provide for an enlarged pro-shop, larger space for food and beverage seating and other changes that may seem worthwhile.

As background, Jacobs said “over the years there has been discussion and complaints about the audio and video provided at Board meetings, sufficient space for meetings of the Board, the Annual Meeting and committee needs as well as better hybrid or internet connections.” He said in approving the motion the Board is seeking to compile information to gauge the desirability, cost and workability of such an undertaking.

Director Monica Rakowski asked what Jacobs means when he refers to the meeting space as “modular.”

Jacobs said modular may not be the correct term, but his intent is for the space to be able to host large meetings and be temporarily converted into smaller spaces for use by smaller groups.

“Have we exhausted all means of improving what we have?” Rakowski asked.

Jacobs said some improvements have been made to enhance acoustics

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New board room

From Page 7

and to address video for remote viewers but it’s “still a cumbersome situation.” He said video of meetings broadcast via Microsoft Teams lags, lose audio, and the audio doesn’t keep up with video.”

Director John Latham said the Board needs to investigate all options for meeting space but not at the expense of other pending projects like the new fire station, racquet center renovation, roads, bulk-

heads or drainage projects.

Director Elaine Brady said of Jacobs’ motion that is “really just to put this out there,” referring to the notion of creating more meeting space. She said there is no support among the directors for a “Taj Mahal” Board room.

Rakowski agreed that she believes it is worth having a conversation about more meeting space but said it is too early to ask for drawings and cost estimates.

Nonetheless she voted with her

colleagues in favor of the motion with no amendments.

Director Rick Farr supported the motion, including getting some cost estimates for such a project. “I think we at least need some base line for what looking at” from a budgetary standpoint, he said.

sented. Viola waa not asked to comment on the proposal during the Board meeting.

11304 Manklin Creek Road, South Gate Ocean Pines (Manklin Creek & Ocean Parkway)

“It’s a great opportunity to at least have an idea, put something on the radar,” he said.

That doesn’t mean it’s a high priority or that there will be support for building it once the data is pre-

BREAKFAST SANDWICHES

Served on Bagel, Roll or Bread (White, Wheat or Rye Croissant or a Wrap

Egg & Cheese ..................................…

$5.55

Meat, Egg & Cheese …............................ $6.95

Your choice of Bacon, Sausage, Ham, Turkey Sausage,Ham, Taylor Ham or Morning Star Vegetarian Sausage

PLATTERS & OMELETS

Two Eggs Any Way with Meat ............. $5.95

Your choice of Bacon, Sausage, Ham, Turkey Sausage,Ham, Taylor Ham or Morning Star Vegetarian Sausage

Cheese Omelet .................................. $7.00

Veggie Omelet …................................... $7.50

(green peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery)

Western Omelet …................................ $8.00 (ham, cheddar, green pepper, red onions)

Quiche ................................................... $4.00

BAGELS WITH ...

Bagel with Butter ...….......................... $2.50

Bagel with Cream Cheese ….............. $3.95

Bagel with Cream Cheese and Jelly ..... $4.25

Bagel with Peanut Butter and Jelly ..... $5.25

Cinnamon Crunch Bagel

With Butter $3 With Cream Cheese $4.45

Bagel with Nova Cream Cheese ......…... $6.95

Bagel with Sliced Nova or Lox Salmon … $10.95

LUNCH SPECIALTIES

Homemade Soup Small ........................ $3.25

Chicken Pot Pie ...................................… $5.49

Pizza Bagel ~ Plain $5.75 - Pepperoni $6.50

Bagel Dog ............................................. $5.25

LUNCH SANDWICHES

Served on Bagel, Roll, Sliced Bread, Croissant or a Wrap

Includes a Side of Macaroni Salad

Ham …………............................….……. $9.45

Turkey ………...................................….. $9.45

Roast Beef …..................................…… $10.45

Cappicola …….................................….. $9.45

Genoa Salami …................................… $9.45

Italian Combo …...........................…… $10.45

(Roast Beef, Cappicola, Salami and Provolone)

Roast Beef & Turkey Combo ..............….. $10.45

Liverwurst …...............................………

$7.95

Bologna ................................................. $7.95

Chicken Salad ........................................ $9.95

Egg Salad ….............................………… $8.95

Tuna Salad ………..........................…... $10.25

Whitefish Salad ….................………… $10.25

Grilled Cheese ……........................……. $7.25

Add to any sandwich Cheese $1 • Avacado $.50

FRESH PASTRIES

Scone (blueberry, cranberry or raisin) ..$3.55

Lemon/Pecan Bar …….....................…… $2.55

Muffin …….........................……………. $3.55

Croissant Pastry/Danish ……….............. $3.55 Cinnamon Bun ..........................…. $3.55 Éclair ………..................................... $3.95

Big PB Cup/Chocolate Chip Cookie ...... $2.50

Banana Bread ....................................... $3.25

Black and White Cookie (seasonal) ............ $3.65

Mrs. Peggy’s Sugar Cookies Small $2 Large $3

He has been supportive of a Board meeting room in the past, and at one time had presented a proposal for enlarging the Board meeting room in the Administration Building, on the side of the building facing White Horse Park.

The idea never gained traction, and Viola at the time decided not to pursue it.

Junior golf league formed by Ruggiere

Young golfers looking to develop their skills in a fun and competitive environment will have the perfect opportunity through the Ocean Pines Junior Golf League.

Hosted by Matt Ruggiere and the Matt Ruggiere Golf Academy at the Ocean Pines Golf Club, the league offers a team-based format designed to enhance players’ abilities.

Two-pack Cookies ......................... $2.35

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Double Chocolate, Sugar, M&M

Cheesecake ~ Small $2 Large $3.50 Plain, Cherry, Blueberry

Linzer Tart ~ Small $2 Large $2.50

Irish Soda Bread .. Slice $2.00 Loaf $6.50

Dog Biscuits .................................. $2.50

FRESH BAKED BAGLES

Plain • Cinnamon Raisin • Sesame

Onion • French Toast • Garlic

Honey Wheat • Asiago • Everything Everything Wheat • Rye Marble • Egg • Pumpernickel Poppy • Berry

Sundried Tomato • Cinnamon Crunch

1 Flagel (weekends only) .............. $1.40

Bagel ………..............................…. $1.40

Half Dozen Bagels …..........……… $8.00

Dozen Bagels …............….......… $14.50

Cinnamon Crunch Bagel ….....….. $1.90

N.Y. Kaiser Roll ……............….. 75 cents

Portuguese Roll ……........…….. 75 cents

Knot Roll ................................... 75 cents

WHIPPED CREAM CHEESES

Plain • Light • Veggie • Light Veggie

Walnut Raisin • Almond • Scallion

Scallion & Tomato • Chive • Olive

Spinach & Cheese • Nova Spread

Seasonal: Crab, Pumpkin, Strawberry

Plain Cream Cheese 1 lb. …......… $6.40

Flavored Cream Cheese 1 lb. ...... $7.90

Nova Cream Cheese 1 lb …………$10.90

11304 Manklin Creek Road, South Gate Ocean Pines (Manklin Creek Road & Ocean Parkway)

The league will follow a two-person scramble format, with tee yardages adjusted based on age and on-course experience.

Parents are encouraged to caddie for newer golfers, and push carts are permitted. Ridealong carts will not be allowed for golfers or spectators.

Participants will compete for weekly and season-long prizes, with winners announced at the following session. To ensure smooth play, maximum stroke and time limits will be enforced for each hole. Ruggiere emphasized the importance of instruction in developing young golfers, tailoring his lessons to each player’s skill level.

The league will be held on Fridays, with sessions scheduled for 5–7 p.m. in March and April, and 6–8 p.m. from May through July. The cost is $25 per player per session.

The spring session schedule, from 5-7 p.m. is March 14, March 21, March 28 and April 4. The summer session, from 6-8 p.m., is May 2, May 9, May 16, May 23, May 30, June 6, June 13, June 27 and July 11.

Registration is available online at www.ruggieregolf.com under the “Juniors On-Course” tab.

Racquet Center building cost increases $50,000

Adds to the $140,000 approved in December of 2023

By ROTA L. KNOTT

Contributing Writer

The unexpected discovery that a portion of the Ocean Pines Association Racquet Center was built over a sidewalk is driving up the cost of renovating and expanding the building. General Manager John Viola told the Board of Directors in his Feb. 22 report that the estimated additional cost is $50,000.

Upon removal of flooring, contractors working on the project found the existing structure was built on top of a sidewalk. That means a new footing and concrete slab have to be installed to support the structure as part of the renovation and expansion.

“We believe that will take care of some of the issues that we’ve heard about over the years down there. Certainly, once opened up its obvious to see what was going on there,” Viola said.

Additionally, the cost is increasing because existing back walls and windows that the OPA intended to incorporate into the project will not be able to be used. Viola said new windows are needed because the existing ones are outdated and do not meet code requirements.

The Racquet Center renovation and expansion was originally approved by the Board in December 2023 for $140,000. Viola said the primary focus of the renovation and expansion project is to improve the restrooms and create additional square footage for the pro shop.

The Whayland Company submitted the winning proposal for the project that will also include office space for the racquet sports director and additional interior storage.

Voila at the time said he anticipated the project getting under construction in January of 2024 and being completed by May 2024. That didn’t happen, as Viola decided he didn’t want to begin a renovation during the busiest times of the year at the racquet sports complex.

In earlier iterations of the project, there was the possibility of adding a second floor to the building, but that idea was discarded because of cost considerations.

Pickleball requests

At the request of pickleball members, the OPA will be converting one of the Har-Tru tennis courts to a multi-purpose court that can be used for other racquet sports too. Viola said pickleball is now being played on HarTru courts.

“It sounds very interesting to me,” he said, adding “There’s more pickleball that can be done there.”

The pickleball members also asked that the OPA staff squeegee and clean the courts each morning. Viola said that will be done for them.

Finally, he said an email will be sent out to pickleball members every morning telling them about the course conditions, similar to a process used

The renovation of the Racquet Center has turned out to be more of a project than originally anticipated and is costing more.

for golf club members.

“We do want to enhance the customer experience there,” Viola said of making the improvements at the request of the members.

Two Yacht Club bocce courts approved

In response to a resurgence in the popularity of bocce ball, the OPA plans to install two new courts at the Yacht Club.

“Apparently, this is going to be the next big thing in Ocean Pines” Viola said. “And I’m excited about it.”

Viola, who has the authority to proceed with the project but brought it to the Board for review at its Feb. 22 meeting, said the courts will be built to bocce club standard size of 76 x 13. He said there is plenty of space at the Yacht Club for them and Public Works will construct the courts.

“Everything has to be built to specs. Apparently, not like when I was a kid and you just cleared some dirt and you did it,” he said.

After the meeting, Viola told the Progress that the $15,000 ‘top line’ per court cost estimate he shared with the Board is now $20,000 to $23,000 for both based on new estimates by suppliers.

The OPA will offer a bocce membership for $10 per member beginning this spring. Memberships will be available through the Recreation Depart-

March 2025

Bocce courts

From Page 11

ment. He said more than 100 people have already signed up and they are planning to hold tournaments.

Viola said the projected membership revenue is $1,300 for the first year. “Each year that $1,300 goes up easily if everything works out,” he said, adding the anticipated payback is just five years.

Golf course irrigation

Replacement of portions of the irrigation system at the Ocean Pines golf course is proceeding, with the contractor on target to finish the work prior to the busy summer season.

“We’ve been talking about this and will continue to talk about it for the next two years,” Viola said of the multi-year project to replacing the aging irrigation system.

He said the contractor is finishing up installation of the new irrigation on the driving range. Materials have been received for irrigation on holes 2 and 3 and the contractor will begin installing the main lines by the end of February or early March.

Viola said that there has been minimal disturbance to the golf course operations as a result of the project.

Canal bridge repairs

Repairs began on the 4th fairway bridge around Feb. 3, Viola said. The railings have been removed, and the deck boards will be replaced.

He said the bridge was closed for carts and golf play was shifted to begin on the back 9 holes to accommodate the project.

All of the bridge planking is in place, and Public Works will next replace the railings using in house labor. Weather permitting, the remaining work should only take a week or two to complete, Viola said.

Join Ocean Pines Kiwanians for a night of Bingo & Cash Prizes!

When: Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Where: Ocean Downs Casino, Event Room, 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD 21811

Time: Doors Open @ 5 P.M.; Bingo Starts @ 6 P.M.

Ticket and Prize Info:

 $40/person (includes 19 games; $100 cash prize/game)

 “Special 20th Jackpot Game” available after admission in the Event Room - $200 cash prize

 50/50 tickets available throughout the night

 Pull Tabs available throughout the night - $1 each

Ocean Downs provides food and beverage concessions that may be purchased. Alcohol is prohibited in the Event Room, and participants must be 21 to play.

To purchase tickets go to https://kiwanisofopoc.org/bingo. Reserved seating will be available for groups of 8 players, if all tickets are purchased within one transaction. For more details, go to: https://kiwanisofopoc.org/bingo or call 410-208-3115

Net proceeds benefit the children of Worcester County.

Repairs of the bridge on the 4th fairway bridge began in early February, with play on the golf course shifted to the back nine holes to accommodate the project.

The project was approved by the Board in December 2024 at an estimated cost of $40,000.

Street brining

The OPA’s Public Works crew, led by Director Eddie Wells, built a machine to apply brining to the roadways during recent snowstorms.

Annual OPAC Fishing Flea Market

Saturday April 5, 2025

Buy and sell fishing, crabbing and boating items, crafts, etc.

100% of all PROCEEDS SUPPORT OUR Teach kids to Fish and Kids fishing tournament EVENTS!

RENTALS: $10 for 10’ X 10’ space (includes 1 table)

DATE: April 5 Time: 7:00 AM 12:00 NOON

LOCATION: Indoors at the Ocean Pines Community Center (White Horse Park; Assateague Room): (same location as the weekly Farmers Market).

FREE ADMISSION: and you get 1 free (50/50) raffle ticket with a DONATION! ADDITIONAL RAFFLE TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE…

COFFEE and DONUTS: (as long as supply lasts…)

FREE PARKING!

FEATURING: Local Captains Vince Cannuli (Running Tide Charters) and Adam/Ken Thompson (Oppor-Tuna-ty Charters) will be on hand to share their fishing experiences on Bay/Inshore, and offshore tuna/billfish, respectively!

To reserve a table contact: Doug Murphy (918-910-6485), Mike Vitak (443783-1010), Ted Glick (301-395-7738) or Budd Heim (410-726-1968)

Street brining

From Page 12

To be successful, the brining system can only be used during storms that do not start out as rain, he said.

Still, Viola complimented the team for their ingenuity. “They built that contraption,” he said. “It’s very effective.”

Manklin Creek Road repaving

Worcester County will be milling and repaving Manklin Creek Road this spring. Viola said he has been involved in discussions with the county to ensure the project goes smoothly.

He biggest point of concern is from Route 589 to the “four corners” at the intersection with Ocean Parkway. A lot of the county’s planning is focused on that area of Manklin Creek Road, but the entire road beyond Ocean Parkway will be repaved as well.

Viola said the county anticipates doing the work in April once the asphalt plants open for the season. He said he volunteer the police department to provide traffic control while the paving is taking place.

Touch of Italy lease

A Touch of Italy, the new food and beverage lessee at the OPA’s clubs, is preparing for a May 1 take-over of three Ocean Pines food and beverage revenues. The Board of Directors approved and signed a five-year lease agreement with A Touch of Italy in January. The company will manage the Yacht Club, Golf Clubhouse, and Beach Club.

“They definitely hit the ground running, they are excited, there’s much enthusiasm,” Viola said of the new food and beverage tenant. He said staff has been working with the company to ensure a smooth transition, particularly around the booking of banquets and entertainment.

Meanwhile, he said, the company is assembling its staff to be ready for the May 1 start date, Viola said.

Equipment used to mix the brine solution that is used during snow plowing. The brine can’t be used when the storm starts out as rain.

OPA phone system to be replaced

OPA

to

switch to a new vendor, saving $10,000 to $15,000 in annual

ROTA L. KNOTT

Contributing Writer

Replacing old, outdated telephone technology should save the Ocean Pines Association $10,000 to $15,000 per year, according to Keith Calabrese, IT manager. Calabrese told the Board of Directors during a Feb. 22 meeting that the OPA plans to consolidate its telephone system and switch to a new vendor.

He said the OPA will be retiring all legacy phone lines and transitioning to a VOIP, or voice over internet protocol, network with cellular backup.

“One of our major off season projects this year was the telephone system, consolidating and getting rid of legacy lines,” he said. “We’re looking forward to doing that.”

The OPA’s current vendors are Granite Communications and Onsip Junction Networks. The new vendor is Spectrotel of Neptune Township, N.J., General Manager John Viola

told the Progress in a follow-up text message,

Calabrese said the project should provide the OPA with a net savings of about 20 to 25 percent per year on telephone costs. That equates to saving $10,0000 to $15,000 per year on phones.

The OPA will be replacing outdated Cisco phones with new Poly Edge E220 VOIP phones.

Roll-out of the new system will begin within the month and be completed over the next six months, Calabrese said.

He said the Beach Club, Golf Club, and Yacht Club will be the first to receive the new phones. That work will be completed before the start of the busy summer season.

“It’s a perfect test environment for us because it’s closed,” he said of the Beach Club, in particular.

“So if anything goes wrong, we can fix it before anything opens.”

The remainder of the “more complicated locations” like the police de-

expense

partment and administrative offices will be completed after the summer season.

Calabrese also provided an update on another other major IT project, the integration of golf operations and pro shop with the NorthStar club management software system used by the OPA. “We have a major update for the software this year,” he said, adding that the NorthStar integration at the golf course will rollout Feb. 28 and March 1.

He said they have been working hard to train the OPA’s golf staff and get ready for implementation of NorthStar system at the club.

“We’ve got all the key components now integrated correctly with the system,” he said.

NorthStar will have key staff members on site in Ocean Pines in case there are any hiccups, questions or additional training needs once the implementation begins. The work is being completed now during the slower golf season. “Hopefully

we’ll be fully up to speed by the time the season kicks off,” he said.

Additionally, Calabrese said a new version of the overall NorthStar club management software is being released on March 24. It will be a major upgrade implementing a new user interface and many additions to the functionality of the software.

The new version was used in a test environment in Ocean Pines in February so staff had a month to test it prior to implementation.

Calabrese said NorthStar will also have a key role on site in Ocean Pines for roll-out of the new software on March 24.

Director Steve Jacobs asked about the ability for amenities like the golf course and pools to link to OPA’s front desktop to verify whether someone is a member.

Calabrese responded that is possible as the system is now fully integrated.

“So everything from membership to accounting is all in the same system as well as golf operations and inventory,” he said.

Viola added, “We’re getting more. We’re getting better. And we’re saving money on it.”

Jeff Heavner urges Board to take CPI enforcement efforts ‘to next level’

Directors would have to decide what that means and direct staff to implement

By ROTA L. KNOTT

Contributing Writer

Jeff Heavner stepped away from the Board of Directors table during a Feb. 22 meeting and took to the microphone during Public Comments to encourage increased enforcement of the Ocean Pines Association’s governing documents to enhance community appearance.

He said there was a lot of discussion during that meeting about community beautification that has already been accomplished, but there is more to do.

“This Board has made it a mission to address the five supporting pillars of our vision,” he said, adding that one of those pillars is to have

a beautiful community appearance.

Heavner said the Board has set policy and changed resolutions and the Architectural Review Committee guidelines in order to improve the appearance of the community.

“We truly believe that a beautiful community is the key to homeowner value and quality of life,” he said.

The Compliance, Permits, and Inspections office is doing a very good job at addressing violations of the restrictions as called for by the Board, Heavner said. Still, he said, the OPA needs to do more to bolster those efforts at enforcement. “While our community looks fine, it’s not good enough.”

He called on the Board for more aggressive enforcement of the dec-

laration of restrictions and inspections of properties in the community. “We need to take it to the next step,” he said. “I’m not satisfied with what I see.”

When many residents take pride in the community and in their properties, others do not, he said. “It needs to be fixed.” He didn’t specify what additional steps he had in mind for more aggressive enforcement. That would be a Board decision.

Also during Public Comments, Gary Miller, co-chair of the OPA Season Kickoff Committee, announced the date for the 2025 event will be Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is a way to celebrate and showcase everything Ocean Pines has to offer residents, he said.

Miller said last year the event was held in White Horse Park and about 1,000 people attended. “It was a great success,” he said, adding the committee is “going to try to do it better this year.”

For 2025, the committee is shifting the event to the Veterans Memorial Park, where there is more space for activities and vendors and it will be easy to accommodate parking, Miller said.

The volunteer-run Season Kickoff will feature the OPA amenities, advisory committees, local businesses, clubs and organizations, food and beverage trucks and entertainment,

with a DJ. Mille said everyone participating in the event will have the opportunity to demonstrate what they do and bring to the community.

Linda Yurche, chair of the Communication Advisory Committee, encouraged community members to nominate their neighbors for the new Good Neighbor Award. She said everyone knows a neighbor who has stepped up to help in some way. “Let’s celebrate those people,” she said.

Yurche said the program is designed to recognize community members regardless of the size of their contributions.

She encouraged people to nominate residents for doing “those small neighbor things,” like clearing leaves or picking up the mail for someone.

“That small act of kindness is part of what makes Ocean Pines a great place to live,” she said.

Nominations can be submitted to the committee via email at opgoodneighbors@gmail.com. The committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board for the monthly award.

Yurche said there are currently about a half dozen nominations in the committee’s queue. She said they will stay there are be reviewed in future months.

Marlene Ott, a member of the Election Committee, asked about the OPA’s policy on sending out the annual election ballot, particularly as it relates to property owners who are delinquent in paying their annual dues or have property violations.

She said she was informed the OPA was ordering 7,200 ballots for the Board election, but she knows there are more than 8,000 properties in the community with owners that could be eligible to vote.

“What happens to the rest of

Public comments

From Page 18

them?” she asked of that 800-plus difference between ballots ordered and property owners in the community.

Director John Latham responded that if a property owner is delinquent on their annual dues they will not receive an election ballot.

Last year, there were 700 to 800 property owners who were not eligible to receive ballots.

Ott said she wants to make sure enough ballots are ordered to provide to everyone who is eligible to vote in this summer’s election.

Bill Hayes said he received a citation from the Compliance, Permits, and Inspections office for not addressing leaves on his property according to OPA restrictions. He said he is “part of the 1 percent not doing the right thing on my property.”

He took issue with the use of the term “unsightly” with regard to the issue of property maintenance and said that is subjective and based on the opinion of the inspector who wrote the violation letter. He said he is trying to figure out how the drainage channel is his domain.

Hayes also said he had little time to comply after finally receiving the letter, which went to Baltimore and then back to him

By the time he received the letter he had just seven days to come into compliance rather than the 15 stated in the letter, he argued.

Amy Peck chastised the Board for considering an increase in racquet sports amenity rates and entertaining a motion to investigate the options for creating more meeting space in Ocean Pines.

Peck said there are “uncertain economic times” and homeowners are tightening their belts. She said the Board has already funded several costly non-revenue generating projects.

As an example she cited the cost overrun by $100,000 on the new gazebo at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines.

Regarding the proposal to investigate the potential for creating new meeting space, Peck argued that the OPA can’t even get a quorum of members to attend its annual meeting.

She added that there was plenty of space to accommodate members at the last two Town Hall meetings held by the OPA as well. The Board should focus on “needs not wants.”

She said the Board should not

OPA taking five members to court for CPI violations

The Board of Directors voted during its Feb. 22 monthly meeting to find six properties in continuing violation of the restrictive covenants and to suspend the owners’ use of Ocean Pines Association amenities and their voting rights.

Meanwhile, five properties that already had their rights suspended have now been turned over for legal action. Linda Martin, OPA director of business administration, said those five cases should be going to court soon. She said of 310 outstanding violations in the community, 73 of them are pending with legal counsel.

The six properties that had amenity and voting rights suspended on Feb. 22 were 48 Nottingham Lane, which needs to store coolers and other such items out of view; 8 Robin Hood Trail, for needed repairs or replacement of the broken section of the lattice; 18 Grand Port Road for an expired permit; 1216 Ocean Parkway, for a house number.

There were two violations 819 Ocean Parkway for signs and flags and two violations at 219 Ocean Parkway for a trailer and boat on trailer.

The property at 10 Garrett Drive was cited for four violations including a need to clean the roof, remove an enclosure with waterfowl, and repair and paint steps.

Martin said the owners of all of the subject properties received first and second notices of the outstanding violations and none of them requested a hearing before the Board.

The Board also voted to retain a contractor for yard clean up 84 Sandyhook Road.

Dashboard data

As of Feb 1, there were 302 outstanding property violations outstanding with the Compliance, Permits, and Inspections office. Another 99 violations were initiated in during the month, including 72 maintenance, trash or debris; 12 no permit, 5 signs, and 10 miscellaneous, such as parking, permit expiration, trailers, and junk vehicles.

CPI closed out 91 violations during the month, but there were still 310 remaining as of month end, including116 maintenance, trash and debris, 56 no permit, 11 signs, and 127 miscellaneous.

Public Works had 42 open work orders as of January 1 and received 33 new work orders during the month. It had 40 open at end of the month, with 24 of those open work orders for drainage issues.

Martin said that is the lowest the number of drainage work orders has ever been.

The OPA had 61 customer service contacts in January, including 15 for amenities, 10 for CPI, 0 for

proceed with unnecessary expensive meeting space. Instead, she said the OPA could make audio visual improvements in the current meeting

drainage, 31 in general questions or comments, and 5 for public works.

Committee appointments

The Board of Directors appointed two new members to the Architectural Review Committee during a Feb. 22 meeting.

Jason Casares and Philip Grillo were each appointed for a first term on the ARC.

Lakernick opening comments

OPA President Stuart Lakernick recognized Public Works crews during his remarks at a Feb. 22 meeting.

He said they have done an “the amazing job they’ve done over this winter” clearing the community’s 80 miles of snow. “This is no easy task.”

Lakernick thanked OPA General Manager John Viola and his operations team for their hard work on the fiscal year 2025-26 association budget that was to be voted on and approved by the Board later during the meeting.

“The budget for running Ocean Pines is very complex and their professionalism and dedication do not go unnoticed,” he said.

He also said he wanted to “take a moment” to appreciate what makes the community special. He said Ocean Pines is more than just a neighborhood; it is a vibrant, welcoming place where residents can be engaged in community amenities and activities or just relax.

Lakernick likened Ocean Pines to a cruise ship where there is something for everyone - clubs, committee, or just the ability to enjoy peaceful surroundings.

“Our community thrives because of the involvement and sprit of our residents,” he said, and encouraged people to stay engaged and share their ideas for enhancing the community.

Yard waste removal

Republic Services will still collect yard waste on the same day as trash pickup per the OPA’s contract with the company for refuse removal. Linda Martin, director of business administration, said she had received questions about whether the service was still being provided.

Martin said Republic will collect a maximum of four bags per pickup per property. Tree limbs and shrub trimmings need to be cut into 4-foot lengths and tied into bundles weighing no more than 50 u

space at the clubhouse and allow members to make comments virtually during Board meetings.

Peck said the Board should “spare

homeowners from another costly and unnecessary” expenditure for a new meeting room that would be used infrequently.

Board votes to give staff authority to pursue USDA grant

By ROTA L. KNOTT

Contributing Writer

The Ocean Pines Association is seeking a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to help cover the cost of producing its bi-annual activity guide.

The Board of Directors, during a Feb. 22 meeting, approved a corporate resolution authorizing applica-

Yard waste

From Page 20

pounds.

Additionally, the OPA’s Public Works yard will reopen in the spring for yard waste drop off.

Martin also reviewed the regulations regarding property owners’ responsibility to clean leaves from the ditches along their lots and bag them for disposal.

On each lot, the rights-of-way and easement areas are be maintained by the lot owner, according to the restrictive covenants. The ditches are to be clear of debris that could block drainage flow.

The Declaration of Restrictions states that “All lots…shall at all times be maintained in such manner as to prevent their becoming unsightly by reason of unattractive growth on such lot or the accumulation of rubbish or debris thereon.” Resolution M-04 gives the OPA the authority to go onto a lot and clear leaves and debris from the property with a two-thirds vote of the Board.

In the past, property owners could rake the leaves out of their ditches and onto the embankment for Public Works to collect using a vacuum truck.

The OPA stopped using that process and began requiring owners to bag their leaves for collection last year, Martin said.

“You are responsible for your ditch cleaning,” she said to residents. “We’re not trying to be mean.”

She encouraged anyone with questions to call the OPA administrative offices.

General Manager John Viola said that when the OPA used the vacuum truck to collect leaves from the ditches, people would rake all their yard leaves into the ditches. “After we left, if they hadn’t done it, they would and make it even worse in ditches,” he said.

Now, he said, he has seen more people appropriately cleaning out their ditches and bagging the leaves.

tion and administration of a USDA grant under the Rural Business Development Grant program to support printing and mailing of the bi-annual activity guide.

Linda Martin, director of business administration, said the grant application will seek about $20,000 in funding.

The Board resolution states that

the association recognizes that “the administration of this grant requires an authorized representative to execute all necessary documents and agreements on its behalf.”

The resolution also authorized Josh Davis, director of public relations and marketing, to sign all grant-related documents, including the application, agreements, reports,

and compliance certifications. Davis will also administer and manage the grant on behalf of the association.

Unlike the quarterly newsletter published by the OPA, the activities guides are published without paid advertising.

The grant would help substantially to defray the printing and mailing expense of the publication.

NAVIGATING Medicare WITH CONFIDENCE ALYSSA SINAGRA

Gymnasium floor waiting for repairs

By ROTA L. KNOTT Publisher

The radiant floor heating system at the Ocean Pines Association’s Community Center leaked and damaged the gymnasium floor. The OPA hopes to repair the floor using in-house labor from Public Works but is waiting for new floorboards to arrive.

“There was some water damage at the gym,” General Manager John Viola told the Board of Directors during its Feb. 22 monthly meeting. “It’s being addressed.” As of the meeting date, he said the damaged floor was roped off to prevent people from walking on it.

He said two companies provided estimates for boards to repair the existing floor and the OPA was expecting to know the following week whether it would be able to acquire the boards. If the boards come in, then crews should be able to repair

the floor within a week.

“With that said we also are looking down the road possibly maybe a different or alternative type of floor,” Viola added. “I’m encouraged. I’m hopeful that we can get the boards, and we can make adjustments and possibly even correct some of the things that are there now.”

Director John Latham asked Viola to provide more details about the type of heated floor that is in place in the gymnasium. “It’s a little more complicated than probably just a regular gym floor,” he said.

Viola agreed and said there is more to its repair than just replacing a wood floor. The flooring is installed on a slab with radiant heat. He said there are pros and cons to that type of system.

“It is kinda complicated,” he said. “Not a bad thing but there’s a lot to it.”

OPA President Stuart Lakernick

asked if the radiant floor is the heating system for the Community Center.

Viola responded that it is the heating system for the gymnasium, but not the rest of the Community Center building. He said someone must have thought the radiant heat flooring system would be beneficial for a large room like the gymnasium. He didn’t seem convinced, and hinted that a total rep;lacement

could be explored.

Viola added that for some reason in 2017 the gymnasium floor was sanded. “That didn’t exactly help that floor,” he said.

The recent leak was caused by a coupler that was spraying water inside the wall. Because of the type of flooring in the gymnasium, the water seeped underneath it and sat there during a time when nobody was in the space for a few days.

Ocean Pines ‘Season Kickoff’

returns May 17

Event to showcase amenities, local clubs, and businesses; event to move to Veterans Memorial Park from White Horse Park

The Ocean Pines Season Kickoff is set for Saturday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, offering residents and visitors a chance to explore local amenities, clubs, and businesses.

The free-admission event features musical performances, demonstrations, and interactive exhibits. Attendees can ask questions about Ocean Pines amenity memberships and lessons, connect with local businesses, and discover volunteer opportunities and social events. The event also includes giveaways and raffle prizes.

Local restaurants will participate with food trucks, selling a variety of food and beverage options.

A designated dining area will be set up in the new Veterans Memorial Park pavilion.

After the inaugural Season Kickoff at White Horse Park in 2024 sold out of exhibitor spaces and drew nearly 1,000 attendees, organizers have moved this year’s event to Veterans Memorial Park.

The new location allows for additional vendor space, more convenient parking, and increased visibility. The park is located between the South Gate Pond and Racetrack Road.

Nonprofit groups are invited to showcase their clubs and organizations to residents, with free exhibit spaces available to those providing their own table or booth. Organizations requesting a table from Ocean Pines can reserve a space for $20, or $25 with electric service.

Businesses also have an opportunity to participate as exhibitors or sponsors.

Vendor spaces start at $75, while premium sponsorship packages range from $500 to $2,500.

Sponsorship benefits include signage, giveaway underwriting, social media promotion, and advertising.

For event updates, visit OceanPinesSeasonKickoff.com or follow the event’s Facebook group.

To sign up a business or organization, volunteer, or obtain more information, email OPseasonkickoff@gmail.com or contact volunteer event co-chairs Gary Miller at garywm1952@gmail.com or Linda Yurche at lindayurche@gmail.com.

Miller attended the Feb. 22 Board of Directors to promote the event, which he said drew more than 1,000 participants to White Horse Park last year. They’re looking for more in 2025.

TidalHealth named OPA signature sponsor

Healthcare leader deepens commitment to

Ocean Pines Association has announced an expanded partnership with TidalHealth, naming the regional healthcare provider as the Signature Sponsor for Ocean Pines. This collaboration strengthens both organizations’ dedication to fostering a vibrant, engaged community while supporting local events and media, and access to quality healthcare.

As part of the agreement, TidalHealth will serve as the title sponsor for some of Ocean Pines’ most enduring summer traditions, including the Fourth of July Fireworks and Carnival, Family Fun Nights at the Yacht Club Pool, and the Concerts in the Park series.

The sponsorship also extends to the PinesCast podcast and a featured presence in the Ocean Pines Report quarterly newsletter, further embedding TidalHealth’s commitment to the region.

“We are beyond grateful to have TidalHealth as our partner for these events,” Recreation and Parks Director Debbie Donahue said. “Thousands of local families and children look forward to our summer activities each year, and this sponsorship ensures we can continue providing top-notch entertainment, community engagement, and a safe and fun environment for all.”

TidalHealth’s branding will be prominently displayed across promotional materials, including digital and print advertising, event banners, and the cover of the Ocean Pines Activity Guide.

The sponsorship also includes onsite engagement opportunities and live recognition at events, reinforcing TidalHealth’s presence as a dedicated community partner.

Beyond events, TidalHealth’s sponsorship extends to PinesCast, a biweekly podcast that celebrates the region, the amenities, and the people who make Ocean Pines a unique place to live.

“TidalHealth’s ongoing support of PinesCast is invaluable,” Ocean Pines Public Relations and Marketing Director Josh Davis said. “Their partnership ensures we can keep sharing important stories about local history and the people who make our community thrive, while also emphasizing the essential nature of accessible, quality healthcare.”

Roger A. Follebout, Jr., director of

Strategic Communications, echoed that sentiment, highlighting TidalHealth’s broader mission to support the community in meaningful ways.

“We are proud to partner with Ocean Pines as the signature sponsor for this year’s summer events. At TidalHealth, we believe in the power of community engagement and support, and this sponsorship

provides us with the opportunity to directly connect with the individuals and families who make the Pines so special,” Follebout said. “We look forward to seeing everyone out there enjoying the events and continuing to promote health and wellness with us in Worcester County.”

Ocean Pines is the largest yearround residential community in

Worcester County, with roughly 8,500 properties spanning 3,000 acres of wooded and waterfront landscapes.

“Strong partnerships, like this one with TidalHealth, play a vital role in maintaining and enhancing the community’s vibrant and family-friendly atmosphere,” he said.

‘Good Neighbor’ program honors Teal Bay Mitzvah Team

Communication committee seeking nomination for monthly awards

By CINDY HOFFMAN Contributing Writer

Everyone of us knows a neighbor in the community that goes above and beyond, said Linda Yurche, the chair of the OPA Communications Advisory Committee. “Let’s celebrate these people.”

Ocean Pines celebrated the first of these unsung heroes at the February Board meeting through the launch of a new Good Neighbor program.

The Teal Bay Mitzvah Team received the first Good Neighbor award presented by OPA President Stuart Lakernick. Margit Novack and Cyndy Sticknall were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the entire team. Other members of the team include Helen Johnson, Susan Solum, Robin Walukonis, Patty Pickett and Cheryl Hook.

Mitzvah is a Jewish word meaning good deed. Novack, who is the only member of the club that is Jewish, suggested the name and her neighbors agreed.

The group was profiled in the January 2025 issue of the Ocean Pines Progress.

The team has conducted six projects since its inception, including collecting food for Town Cats and Worcester County Humane Society, a sock drive for local nursing homes, Berlin Head Start and Worcester Gold, collecting hygiene products for Diakonia and other local charities, and creating Valentines Day cards for several nursing homes.

They recently held a collection for

the Ocean Pines Police and Volunteer Fire Department. We filled two cars with donations of K cups, stevia, sweetener, and raw sugar, Gatorade and cases of water for the fire department as well as snacks for the police, Novack said.

“Our hope is that other residents will create teams in their own neighborhood to help others as well. We like to think it’s contagious,” Novack said.

They have yet to settle on their next project. When they do, they will be sure to share it on various social media sites so others can participate.

While the Mitzvah Team conducts fairly large scale projects, Yurche said the Communications Committee encourages people to nominate neighbors who regularly do small acts of kindness for others, including helping a neighbor with yard maintenance, rides to the doctor, checking in on elderly or sick neighbors and other gestures.

The Communications Advisory Committee will review all nominations each month and recommend one honoree to the Board of Directors. Once approved, the honoree will be informed and invited to the next Board of Directors meeting, where they will be recognized and presented with a gift card and certificate in appreciation of their contributions to the community.

Examples of potential nominees include those who organize neighborhood clean-ups or block parties, lead food or clothing donation drives,

1,595

assist neighbors who are physically unable to complete yard maintenance, dog walking, or other tasks, regularly pick up litter or beautify the community in other ways, volunteer with local organizations, and Inspire others through acts of kindness and a commitment to the community.

“This program is about celebrating the everyday heroes who make Ocean Pines a better place to live,” Yurche said. “Recognizing and hon-

oring these efforts helps build a stronger and more connected community.”

Nominations can be submitted by emailing OPgoodneighbors@gmail. com. Residents may nominate individuals personally known to them or those they observe performing good deeds in the community.

Honorees will also be featured on Ocean Pines social media channels, and in the weekly “This Week in the Pines” email newsletter.

Margit Novak and Cyndy Sticknall accepted the first Good Neighbor Award on behalf of the Teal Bay Mitzvah at the February meeting of the Board of Directors, with OPA President Stuart Lakernick making the award.

Search Committee remains unfilled

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

Despite a motion passed at the January Board of Directors meeting that gave anyone on the Board the authority to propose appointments to a candidate Search Committee, if the Board president decides not to, there is no indication that anyone on the Board is interested enough in the topic to do so.

Director Steve Jacobs on behalf of the By-laws and Resolutions Advisory Committee offered the motion at the January Board meeting, which then was unanimously passed by his colleagues.

But in a Feb. 23 telephone interview he said there was “no expectation” that he would be the one to propose the appointment of a Search Committee.

“If someone wants to propose one, I’d kick it around,” he said, suggesting that perhaps the secretary would be someone who might do so.

The secretary is John Latham, and there is no indication he would be the one to take action. He’s been busy as the Board liaison to the Elections Committee, a very active committee that he no doubt feels is deserving of his time.

The Search Committee hasn’t been filled for at least two years.

Although the by-laws can be read as to require the appointment of a Search Committee by the president every year, there is no enforcement mechanism.

And there is language that says if no committee is appointed, the validity of the annual Board election is not affected.

Jacobs reads the language as suggesting that in reality it’s discretionary whether a committee is appointed.

The motion adopted in January amending Board Resolution M-09 doesn’t really change that, he said.

The approved change makes it more consistent with the Ocean Pines Association’s by-laws and the Board of Directors candidate vetting process. It was adopted on second reading

Jacobs offered the motion to end what he said was an inconsistency between the Board resolution and the by-laws.

The OPA by-laws provide for the

president’s appointment of a Search Committee, subject to confirmation by the Board. However, as noted by Jacobs, there is a provision that the lack of a Search Committee has no effect on the validity of the election.

For the last several years a Search Committee has not been appointed. At various times, including prior to the last extensive review and mod-

ification of the by-laws, there had been discussion regarding the need for a Search Committee.

If the Board had the authority to do away with it, there would probably be a majority that would vote to do so.

But as the existence of the committee is codified in the by-laws, only a referendum of the member-

ship could amend the by-laws to eliminate it.

Amending by-laws through a referendum isn’t a simple process, and it’s doubtful the issue rises to the level of justifying the expense.

The reality is that the power to appoint a Search Committee is there for the president or the Board to use, with no interest in doing so.

Board adopts $15.027 million budget

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

The Board of Directors at its Feb. 22 monthly meeting unanimously approved a 2025-26 Ocean Pines Association budget that calls for balanced operating revenue and expenses of $12.846 million, capital expenses from the replacement, roads, drainage and new capital reserves of $1.883 million, assessment and interest revenues transfered to reserves of $3.933 million, a base lot assessment of $875, up $25 from this year’s $850, and a waterfront assessment for bulkheaded lots of $1,515, also up $25 from the current year’s rate.

Total revenues and expenses including operating revenue, bulkhead funding and capital funding for the new budget is $15.027 million, down $4.171 million from the estimated revenues and expenditures in the current fiscal year.

There are two primary drivers for the year-over-year reduction in spending.

The first is the creation of a new Food and Beverage Department, established to accept annual lease payments of $32,000 per month or $384,000 per year from Touch of Italy, recently selected to lease Ocean Pines’ three food and beverage venues, and 6.5 percent of food sales at these three revenues.

This revenue stream is projected to bring in $562,315 to OPA coffers next year, up from the current year’s estimated $313,757, a projected $248,558 improvement in the bottom line for food and beverage.

But because the OPA is replacing the current management contract structure with a lease arrangement, substantially less revenue for food and beverage operations will be flowing into the OPA food and beverage operations next year. According to the estimate/budget comparison schedule included in budget documents posted on the OPA Website, the year-over-year reduction in food and beverage revenues is $2.696 million.

The second driver for next year’s reduction in spending is a far less ambitious capital expenditure program.

Projections for next year call for capital spending of $1.882 million,

exclusive of bulkhead repair and replacement, compared to this year’s non-bulkhead capital spending of $3.3 million, a $1.418 year-over-year reduction.

Although not explicitly included in the motion for approval offered by OPA Treasurer Monica Rakowski, the approved budget includes amenity membership dues for next year, with 10 percent or more increases from current year rates typical, daily user fees for access to the amenities by OPA members who choose not to purchase annual or seasonal memberships, fees for services provided by the Department of Compliance, Permits and Inspections, and specific capital expenditures for OPA departments including golf, aquatics, racquet sports and parks and recreation.

Early in the budget process, General Manager John Viola attributed the amenity dues increases to inflationary pressures and statutory minimum wage requirements, among other factors, particularly affecting aquatics.

He said staff surveyed other communities in the area and discovered that Ocean Pines was very favorably priced compared to others.

“A thorough review has been completed by the GM and his team, by the Budget and Finance Committee and the Board of Directors,” Rakowski said in support of her motion for approval.

“The budget was posted on the OPA Website for review by the membership. A public meeting was held Feb. 5 to present the budget to the membership and have an open discussion with the membership to discuss and address questions or concerns,” she said.

The Feb. 5 townhall budget meeting indeed did allow public comments from the membership, but issues raised by four OPA members were not in addressed in a way that satisfied members of the pickleball and platform tennis clubs. A new consolidated racquet sports rate for individuals and families has been included in the new budget, with members of these clubs facing an increase of about 50 percent over the current separate rates for pickleball and platform tennis for a single rate that allows access to all racquet sport courts at the Manklin Creek

ASSESSMENT RATES

Base assessment will increase $25 to $875; waterfront assessment will increase $25 to $1,515

ASSESSMENT RATES

FISCAL YEAR 2025-26

FISCAL YEAR 2025-26

APPROVED ASSESSMENT RATES

Fiscal Year 2025-26

LOT TYPE # OF LOTSRATE

LOT TYPE # OF LOTSRATE

TOTAL 8,513

complex.

They contend that the new combination rate for racquet sports will result in a decline in members and membership revenue, but the approved budget for racquet sports anticipates an opposite result, more members and a revenue increase over current year projections of $65,920.

Even with this revenue increase, the department next year is projected to lose $37,773, compared to a near break-even projected loss this year of $1,332. Pickleball as it has done in years prior offsets losses in tennis and platform tennis. Implicitly critics of this change in membership structure contend that the OPA will lose even more than the projected deficit of $37,773.

The Board of Directors seem to be OK with what could be negative variance to budget next year in racquet sports, and have not have criticized opponents of the membership change or challenged their projections or narratives.

[See article elsewhere in this edition of the Progress for additional coverage of this issue.]

The approved budget also approved increases in Yacht Club and Swim and Racquet Boat slips fees over those included in the original draft budget released in late December. The boat slip fees will increase about 12 percent over the 10 percent in the original budget draft.

[See article elsewhere in this edition of the Progress for additional coverage of this issue.]

The approved budget includes a detailed schedule depicting transfers into and out of the OPA’s vrious

reserve funds (replacement, bulkheads/waterways, roads, drainage and new capital).

An April, 2025, projected yearend balance of $6.543 million is projected to grow to $7.394 million at the end of April, 2026.

The replacement reserve with a April 2025 estimated balance of $5.025 million would grow to $6.061 million a year later, an increase that anticipates a significant contribution toward a new Southside firehouse in the not-too-distant future.

Other details disclosed throughout the budget process include:

• A three percent increase in payroll expense, not an cross-the board salary increase, and a slight reduction in full time equivalent employees from the current 113.85 to 112.59, resulting from fewer seasonal employees, from 39.65 to 38.59. and no increase in the 74 full-time employees currently employed by the OPA.

• Projected NorthStar annual maintenance fees of $98,089; legal fees for legal counsel attending Board meeting, lawsuits and personnel matters, $140,000; $30,000 for Board elections and $15,000 for a Soutside firehouse referendum, although the Board election and firehouse referendum will be combined.

• A ten percent increases in insurance premiums to $233,163 and $59,930 in various taxes

• A substantial portion of prior year operating fund surpluses has been allocated to assessment reduction, without which this year’s increases would haven been much larger.

ESTIMATE/BUDGET COMPARISON

APPROVED 2024-25/2025-26 BUDGET COMPARISON

REVENUES

EXPENDITURES

From Page 26 Approved

• There will be no convenience fees charged by the OPA on those who use credit cards to pay for amenity memberships or retail items sold by the OPA, including gasoline at the Yacht Club marina.

• The marketing and public relations department is netting more sponsorship revenue for its series of podcasts.

• Director of Business Operations Linda Martin said that payroll costs in the Compliance, Permits and Inspections Department are up 25 percent, resulting from the hiring of an administrative assistant and a new inspector. Similarly, the Public Works Department’s expenses are up because the department is fully staffed.

• Viola said it’s a challenge trying to locate staging areas for bulkhead replacement because of complaints from residents. “There’s a cost when we have to move the barges,” he said, but that efforts are made to keep the staging area as clean as possible. The intent is to minimize inconvenience to residents by having bulkhead replacement complete by Memorial Day.

• Parks and Recreation Director Debbie Donahue said her department is trying to improve summer camp finances by keeping more of the deposits paid by those who cancel some or all of the weeks reserved.

• Viola said that once the new Southside firehouse is built and operational, he’ll turn his attention to ideas for obtaining more space for the department. Could it include a new or expanded Community Center?

• The OPA is seeking a liquor license for the Swim and Racquet Club snackbar operation and Viola said that “we’ve been told that we can get it.”

• Viola said that it appears that all lifeguard positions will be filled next year. He also said that a bathroom attendant will continue to be employed at the Beach Club

• Director of Golf Bob Beckelman said that greens and cart fees for those who don’t own property or live in Ocean Pines will be increased next year, to within $100 of fees charged by other local golf courses. These fees for Ocean Pines Association members will not be increased, however.

• Chief of Police Tim Robinson told the Board his department is alu

Board defers to staff in adopting racquet sport membership fees

Directors don’t dispute arguments by proponents of the status quo

By TOM STAUSS Publisher and CINDY HOFFMAN

Contributing

Writer

When the Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2025-26 Ocean Pines Association budget during the Feb. 23 monthly meeting, it accepted the recommendation of Racquet Sports Director Terry Underkoffer to simplify his department’s membership rate structure with a consolidated membership covering all three racquet sports offered at Ocean Pines’ Manklin Creek complex.

In so doing, the Board implicitly placed greater credence on Underkoffer’s determined advocacy for a single rate as the best way to ensure the facility’s financial success in the future, over that of the opposition to the single proffered by two racquet sport clubs at a Feb. 2 townhall meeting.

One club represented pickleball players, the largest cohort of racquet sports members in Ocean Pines and the one that traditionally has produced operating surpluses that come close to offsetting losses in tennis and platform.

The other club represented platform tennis members, a smaller contingent within the racquet sports community.

Both groups will be paying about 50 percent more for a combined racquet sport membership over individual sport rates available in the current fiscal year. That’s about $8 a month more individuals or $14 a month more for families, said Director Elaine Brady at the Feb. 23 Board meeting before the 2025-26 budget was adopted including the consolidated racquet sports rate. Underkoffer has also said that members who don’t want to pay the higher rates have the option of paying a drop-in daily fee, which

Approved budget

From Page 27

most fully staffed, up to 12 officers from the seven on board when he was hired as the new chief. The goal

has been increased modestly in the new budget. The new drop-in rates for residents and OPA members are $10 per day, $13 for non-residents, and a newly established rate of $5 for those aged 13-17.

That’s a $2 increase over the current $8 drop-in fee for pickleball and platform tennis. It’s a $1 decrease for tennis’ current drop-in rate of $11.

No director has directly criticized or attempted to refute the narrative or predictions of the two clubs about a loss of membership and revenue if the consolidated rates were adopted. The tone has generally been respectful of the dissenters, perhaps with the hope that members disappointed in the Board’s decision will nonetheless opt to purchase annul memberships in the new year.

Indeed, General Manager John Viola’s budget for racquet sports is predicated on members doing just that.

He’s also anticipating more members than in the current fiscal year. Despite those increases, the approved budget for racquet sports projects an operating deficit of about $33,000 next year.

In comments at the Feb. 23 Board meeting, directors noted Underkoffer’s advocacy for a single rate and did not address this projected operating loss in the department. They seemed willing to give his program a chance to succeed over time, in much the way that General Manager John Viola with Board support built the Ocean Pines’ golf course into a financial powerhouse with key investments over several years.

No racquet sports member or club representative appeared at the Feb. 22 Board meeting to continue their advocacy for individual rates. Word had already reached them that their advocacy was not likely to change any minds on the Board, that the die was cast for the consolidated rate.

is 14, he said, adding that there’s a sergeant position open and that it could be filled by someone already employed by the department. He said there’s one police vehicle in the capital budget and that overtime

The Feb. 5 townhall meeting was packed with racquet sports members opposed to the proposed change from one sport membership fee to an annual all sports membership fee.

About 75 out of 80 people in attendance were there to make it clear that many racquet sports members are not in favor of this policy change.

Four OPA members spoke during the Public Comments segment of the meeting, which began with a detailed budget presentation by Viola and his management team.

Several members of the Board were in attendance. In text messages to the Progress after the meeting, OPA President Stuart Lakernick and Vice-president Rick Farr indicated they were solidly behind the latest iteration of the 2025-26 budget that includes the consolidated membership including all three racquet sports.

Underkoffer spoke to the audience about his research, which showed that even with the proposed change to an all sports membership fee of $295 per individual and $495 for a family, the cost remains lower than other racquet centers not only in the area but also on the Eastern Seaboard.

He also stated that the membership fees should have increased over the years to keep up with the costs of running the Ocean Pines facility.

Ocean Pines is trying to stay at a level that is affordable and encourages people to play more than one sport, Underkoffer said.

Members of the pickleball and platform tennis clubs showed up in significant numbers to protest the proposed single sport membership to replace individual sport options.

Club members presented a survey of racquet sport club members showed that 84.3 percent are not interested in playing more than one sport.

According to the survey results,

82.3 percent play pickleball, while 12 percent play platform tennis and 11 percent play tennis.

According to the latest version of the 2025-26 budget posted on the OPA Website, there are 302 pickleball members, 59 tennis members and 67 platform tennis members.

The proposed increase would amount to an approximate 50 percent increase in the new combined rate over what pickleball and platform tennis members are now paying for individual memberships. The current rate for pickleball and platform tennis is $325 for families and $200 for individusal.

The new, approved combination rate covering all three racquet sports is $495 for families and $295 for individuals.

Non-resident pickleball and platform players would see a 35 percent increase in membership fees.

Individual tennis members who have paid $295 for this year’s membership would pay the same amount next year for the combined membership. Family tennis members would see a $30 increase from $465 to $495, or about a 6.5 percent increase.

“We are concerned that a fee increase of this size will decrease membership,” OPA member Jim Fergusen said during the Public Comments segment of the Feb. 5 townhall.

He also voiced concern that the drop-in fee increase from the current $8 to $10 for OPA members and from $11 to $13 for non-residents could cause people to go to other facilities in the area.

According to a handout provided by Fergusen, the drop-in fees for pickleball alone generated $30,000 for this fiscal year, or 20 percent of the overall revenue generated from pickleball.

The Fergusen handout said that “under-performing sports programs should have a plan to minimize deficits rather than increasing fees on the most successful program.”

The speakers also raised concerns about the number of courts dedicated to tennis when pickleball players have to wait 20 minutes during peak playing times.

costs will be coming down in the new fiscal year.

He also said that he’s most proud of the grant money he’s been able to bring to Ocean Pines, the most recent example funds used to buy tasers for the department.

• Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department President Joe Enste explained the proposed OPVFD budget for next year that calls for an OPA contribution of $1.12 million,

Approved budget increases amenity dues

Most fees are unchanged from the original budget proposal, with racquet sports and boat slip rentals the exceptions

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

Ocean Pines Association members who purchase memberships in various amenities -- golf course, swimming, racquet sports and beach parking or rent boat slips at the Yacht Club -- will be facing increases in their dues in the package of increases contained in the budget for 2025-26, approved by the Board of Directors on Feb. 22.

There isn’t a uniform percentage increase across all the amenities.

With the exception of racquet sports and marina boat slips, the approved amenity membership rates in the final version of the budget are unchanged from the original draft unveiled in late December.

The most significant change occurred in racquet sports, with the creation of a new consolidated rate that covers all three racquet sports. [See article elsewhere in this edition for details.]

A less significant change has occurred in marina boat slip rates from the original draft of the budget, with year-over-year increases of about 12 percent compared to 10 percent in the original draft.

At the Yacht Club, slip fees for boats under 26 feet will increase from $2,170 to $2,440, up from $2,400 in the original budget draft.

That’s a 12.44 percent year-overyear increase, up from 10.6 percent.

Slip fees for boats from 26 to 39 feet will increase from $2,950 to $3,310, compared to $3,250 in the original proposal.

That’s a 12.2 percent increase, up from 10.17 percent in the original draft.

Slip fees for boats from 40 to 44 feet and live-aboard will increase to $4,680 from the current $4,170, a 12.23 percent year-over-year increase, compared to $4,500 in the original draft, up from a 7.91 percent.

At the Swim and Racquet Club, boat slip fees would increase from $1,570 to $1,760, a 12.10 percent year-over-year increase. The original budget draft increased this rate to $1,730, a 10.19 percent increase.

New jet ski alip rates at this amenity have been set at $1,200.

Approved golf membership increases range from 2.86 to 5.88 percent and aquatics memberships hover around 10 percent.

Approved beach parking membership percentage increases hover around 10 percent.

In the category of family aquatics memberships, summer-only dues will increase from $350 to $385, winter-only dues would increase from $500 to $550, and yearly would

increase from $630 to $695.

For couples, summer-only dues will increase from $310 to $340, winter-only dues would increase from $450 to $495, and yearly from $575 to $635.

For individuals, summer-only aquatics memberships will increase from $210 to $230, winter-only dues from $325 to $$360, and yearly from $405 to $445.

For non-members, daily user fees at the pools will increase from $10 to $12, from $8 to $10 for children 5-7.

For non-residents, the daily fee will increase from $15 to $17, children from $13 to $15.

No fee increases are proposed in annual golf cart packages or daily greens or cart fees at the golf course for members of the Ocean Pines Association or residents of Ocean Pines.

Family golf memberships will increase from the current $2,625 to $2,700 (2.86 percent), family after noon memberships will increase from $1,700 to $1,750 (2.94 percent), individual memberships will increase from $1,700 to $1,800 (5.88 percent), and individual after noon memberships will increase from $1,000 to $1,050 (5 percent)

Cart packages for families will remain at $2,200 and $1,500 for individuals.

Beach parking fees will increase from $222 to $245 for those who don’t purchase other amenity memberships.

For those with other memberships, the rate will increase from $145 to $160.

Ocean Pines Association Director of Golf Bob Beckelman in a presentation to the Budget and Finance Committee Jan. 2 disclosed that he was proposing significant increases in greens fees for non-OPA members or residents of Ocean Pines.

Outside play and package play through organizations such as Pam’s Golf is a significant source of revenue for the Ocean Pines golf operation.

Beckelman said that even with proposed changes in greens fees for outside play, rates in Ocean Pines for this contingent of golfers would be less than at other area golf courses, such as River Run or the golf course on Route 611 owned by the Town of Ocean City. For example, weekend greens fees for outside play during the spring months top out at $115, $95 for play during the week.

During the summer months, that will drop down slightly to $90 and $80 respectively, less for play after noon. Greens fees fluctuate for outside play depending on the time of year. dropping down to $45 during the winter.

In addition to greens fees, outside golfers pay for cart fees, which are the same for all golfers regardless of category, $25 for 18 holes and $15 for nine holes.

From Page 28

Tennis courts tend to be underutilized, especially when compared to actiivity at the pickleball courts. There are eight clay tennis courts and two multi-purpose courts for tennis members.

It was suggested by one of the speakers that a more balanced approach would be to convert some of the underused tennis courts into multi-purpose courts, which could benefit both tennis and pickleball and better reflect demand.

One tennis court can be converted into four pickleball courts.

That idea has received a positive reception by the OPA staff and probably will be implemented.

Racquet sports

Board credits Viola, staff for 2025-26 budget

Members of the Board of Directors praised General Manager John Viola and staff for their work on the 2025-26 Ocean Pines Association budget that was unanimously approved at the Feb. 22 monthly meeting

“A thorough review has been completed by the GM and his team, by the Budget and Finance Committee and by the Board of Directors,” Director Monica Rakowski said. Rakowski also acknowledged the role played by the Budget and Finance Committee.

“They’re all volunteers, and they play a huge role in this. These are our neighbors [and] that really helped John and his staff.”

Director Jeff Heavner emphasized the transparency of the budgeting process.

“Today’s budget approval vote is the culmination of a well-designed and proven process by John Viola and his operational staff,” Heavner said. “This process provided transparency throughout multiple opportunities for opinion. This beautiful, bottom-up balanced budget is the foundation of our strategy … to ensure Ocean Pines remains a premier community with exceptional value and quality of life.”

One of the notable and controversial changes in next year’s budget was the approval of consolidated Racquet Sports membership that covers access to all three racquet sports at the Manklin Creek complex. Several Board members said the adjustment was necessary to maintain the facility’s quality and financial sustainability.

Heavner credited Racquet Sports Director Terry Underkoffler for a thorough financial review.

“Terry concluded that a significant change was required to work towards a balanced Racquet Sports budget,” Heavner said. “These opinions may influence future changes at the Racquet Center that may reduce operating costs and minimize future pricing movements. A strong and sustainable financial position is key to our mission.”

Director Elaine Brady supported the new membership model, calling it long overdue.

“Quite frankly, I’ve always wondered why it wasn’t that to begin with,” Brady said. “The entire complex is for the benefit of all who play

Directors defend racquet

there, and the cost of maintaining that facility is borne by everybody there. Why each sport had a different membership amount never really made sense to me.”

Brady noted that for most members, the increase would only amount to an additional $8 per month.

“Truthfully, part of the reason that the Racquet Center has not been making money over the years is that the majority of the people who play there have had a membership rate well below local market,” she said. “We’re just bringing that up a little bit so that we can get the Racquet Sports Center into a positive position.”

Director Steve Jacobs described the final budget as “lean and mean.”

He also addressed racquet sports, noting that the changes were necessary for financial stability.

“We were told at our [budget review] session that there’s a $70,000 hole to cover in Racquet Sports,” Jacobs said. “We’re talking about basic maintenance – nets, seats, tables, umbrellas, fencing, electric [and] salaries.”

Jacobs noted that pickleball takes

up the most space at the Racquet Center, with 12 courts currently and discussion for converting another court for pickleball use.

“Everyone’s got to share in the cost,” he said. “We have a good and improving Racquet Sports Center. It’s going to get better. It’s deserving of our support, and I hope everyone does that.”

OPA Vice President and Director Rick Farr echoed support for the budget process and commended staff for their expertise and professionalism.

“I really want to give credit to all the directors of the different amenities,” Farr said. “They were very, very well prepared in presenting their budgets and doing the research and giving the reasons why they need to do certain things. It was amazing to see all the hard work that all the directors had and were able to present in a very professional way.”

Director John Latham reinforced the Board’s fiduciary responsibility to all Ocean Pines homeowners.

“Not to support this budget, in my mind, would be fiscally irresponsible,” Latham said. “Each one of

the directors did a thorough job in walking through their respective area of business, and I believe this Board is in support of this budget.”

OPA President Dr. Stuart Lakernick underscored the complexity of the budgeting process and praised Viola’s leadership.

“This budget to run this community is a very complicated process,” Lakernick said. “We have all these different amenities. We have all these different departments with what their needs are. The bottom-up approach that John Viola and his team have taken has ensured that we have … a lean and mean budget.”

Lakernick emphasized that the Board relies on the expertise of Viola and his staff to guide decisions.

“All of his department heads answered every question we had,” he said. “If we had an issue, we asked it, and they were very forthcoming, and he’s got an incredible team. That’s why we hired them. We take their advice, and then we take John’s advice when he gives us this excellent budget, and I’m fully in support.”

Capital spending adjusted in final budget

By TOM STAUSS Publihser

Capital expenditures in the budget approved by the Board of Directors Feb. 22 deviates slightly from the proposed draft budget unveiled in late December, It shows shows relatively modest spending, led by $900,000 on the continuing rebuild of the golf course irrigation system.

The capital summary for spending from the Ocean Pines Association’s general replacement reserves in the approved budget calls for a total spend of $1,194,040, compared to $1,226,044 in the original draft.

The proposed capital budget includes the $1,194,040 in outlays from the replacement reserve, $87,595 in new capital spending, $350,000 from the roads reserve, and $250,000 from the drainage reserve..

Bulkhead repair and replacement is estimated at a cost of $1,199,901, with this outlay from a reserve earmarked for that purpose. This reserve is funded primarily from the

so-called “waterfront differential” paid over and above the basde lot assessment by owners of canalfront properties in Ocean Pines.

With bulkhead spending included, the Ocean Pines Association’s proposed capital budget is $3.081 million.

Contributions to the various reserves to help pay for this spending total $3.932 million. The source of these contributors include interest allocations, casino funds and a transfer of a portion of prior year surpluses.

The approved budget estimates a total reserve balance on May 1 of $6.543 million and a balance of $7.295 million at the end of fiscal 2025-26 on April 30 of 2026.

Golf maintenance is the department with the highest amount of proposed spending from the replacement reserve, which is replenished annually with funds collected from lot assessments. The replacement reserve is the fund that historically carries the largest balance.

In addition to $900,000 in golf

course irrigation system improvements, the proposed capital budget for this department includes $55,000 for a groundmaster 3500D mower, $58,000 for a John Deere 2500 E-Cut mower, $40,000 for repair of a bridge over a canal on hole number four, currently under way, and $11,000 for paving the golf maintenance yard.

Total proposed capital spending for golf is $1,064,000. The final version of the capital budget for golf hasn’t changed from the original budget draft.

There’s $59,840 in proposed capital spending for Aquatics, all out of the replacement reserve.

Items proposed include $4,500 for a cat controller; $6,000 for a pool handicap chair, to be kept in storage in the event an existing chair goes bad; $3,500 for an inverter; $5,500 for a pool vacuum; $30,000 to refurbish pool furniture; and $10,340 to repair a concrete pad at the Mumfords Landing pool.

This, too, is unchanged from the To Page 35

OPA records a positive January operating fund variance of $71,000

For the year so far, the positive variance is more than $731,000

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

The Ocean Pines Association recorded a $71,178 operating fund variance in January. As a result, the OPA’s financial performance for the year so far improved to a net of $731,228.

According to a report issued by Controller/Director of Finance Steve Phillips in late February, January’s results reflected revenues over budget by $2,617 and expenses under budget by $68,561. For the year through January, revenues were over budget by $364,777 while expenses were under budget by $366,451.

The OPA continues to be heading towards another excellent year financially, even if the positive operating fund variance falls short of $1 million, which now seems more or less certain.

At the Feb. 22 meeting of the Board of Directors, General Manager John Viola predicted a year-end operating fund positive variance of $850,000, less than recent years but by most measures still an outstanding result.

As the OPA heads into the final three months of the fiscal year, all amenities with only one exception, tennis, were in the black at the end of January.

All amenities except for pickleball and the Yacht Club were ahead of budget.

One measure of financial success is how well an amenity is performing year-over-year.

Amenities that are not performing as well as they did a year ago include Aquatics, the Clubhouse Grille, and the Yacht Club.

The Yacht Club is off its pace of the year prior by more than $200,000, Aquatics by about $43,000, and the Clubhouse Grille by about $9,700.

As it has been for all of this year, golf continues to be the OPA’s most profitable amenity, with net earnings of $595,901 through January and ahead of budget by $191,689.

General Manager John Viola, in remarks at the January Board of Directors meeting, said that golf earnings are on a pace to cover depreciation expense at the golf course. During January, golf recorded a

$57,885 deficit, but that was ahead of budget by $5,522.

A year ago through January, golf had net earnings of $495,510. The yearover-year improvement was $100,391.

Beach parking continues to be the second highest net producer for the OPA so far this fiscal year.

Through January, this amenity had netted $521,289, ahead of budget by $14,686. For the month of January, beach parking netted 11,496, missing budget by a scant $41. A year ago through January, beach parking had netted $507,370. The year-over-year improvement was $13,919.

Marinas, like beach parking closed during the colder months, were the third highest net producer for the year, with a net of $265,791 and ahead of budget by $50,880.

For the month, marinas lost $1,688, missing budget by $2,051. A year ago through January, marinas had earned $208,731 for the OPA. The year-overyear improvement was $57,060.

The Beach Club food and beverage operation continues its tradition as a cash generator for the OPA with only three months or so of operations. It generated $258,922 in net revenue through January, ahead of budget by $73,823.

During January, the Beach Club was in the red by $5,071, under budget by $2,226. A year ago, the Beach Club had netted $225,877 through January. That’s a year-over improvement of $33,045.

The Yacht Club continues this month as the OPA’s fourth highest net producer so far this fiscal year. Through January, the Yacht Club brought in net revenue of $71,162, missing its budget target by $190,185. During January, the Yacht Club lost $57,555, missing its budget target by $2,989.

Through January of last year, the Yacht Club had netted $275,464. That’s a year-over-year decline of $204,302.

The Yacht Club appears to be on a path to lose money this fiscal year, with the most recent estimate about $17,000 in red ink.

Aquatics remains a revenue generator for the OPA so far this year.

The amenity lost $35,685 in January but had a positive variance to budget of $6,785.

For th year trough January, aquatics recorded net earnings of $55,674, compared to a budget of $23,598, a positive variance of $32,076.

Aquatics has slipped behind last year’s year-to-date performance.

A year ago through January, aquatics had netted $98,951. That’s a year-over-year decline of $43,277.

Though not a high revenue earner for the OPA, the Clubhouse Grille consistently operates in the black. Through January, it had netted $98,091, ahead of budget by $19,983. For the month, it lost $11,116, under budget by $3,841.

Through January of last year,

Net Operating by Department - January 2025

the Clubhouse Grille had produced earnings of $107,760. The year-overyear decrease in net was $9,669.

Racquet sports in the aggregate continue to be a profit center for the OPA, led by pickleball. For the year through January, pickleball netted $76,393, under budget by $3,317.

Pickleball earnings for January were a negative $1,810, under budget by $1,724.

Through January of last year, pickleball had netted $61,286. That’s a year-over-year improvement of $15,106.

Platform tennis was in the red for the month, losing $1,030 but ahead of budget by $1,348. Year-to-date, platform tennis has generated net revenues of $785, exceeding budget by $14,294. Through January of last year, platform tennis lost $17,014. That’s a year-over-year improvement of $17,799.

Tennis, the amenity that generates the least for the OPA in net revenue, was in the red for the month by $8,158, but that was’s a positive variance over budget of $2,2,265. Year-to-date through January, tennis was in the red by $17,187, with a positive variance over budget of $12,333. Year-over-year, tennis improved from losing $24,134 through last January to losing $17,187 this January, an improvement of $6,947. Reserve funds: The OPA’s reserve fund balance through the end of January was $7.681 million, down from $8.062 million in December, $8.24 million in November, $8.593 million in October, $8.877 million in September, $9.15 million in August, $9.39 million in July, and $9.795 million in June.

The replacement reserve as of January 30 was funded in the amount of $5,464,7665, with bulkheads/waterways at $716,297, roads at $1,156,459, drainage at $251,977, and new capital at $93,277.

Balance sheet: As of January 31, the OPA had $40,811,287 in assets, compared to $39,900,754 at the same time in 2023.

Membership: OPA amenity memberships remained at 107 percent of budget by the end of January, no change from December. Total memberships sold through January were 4,189, compared to 4,089 at the end of January the year prior.

Membership dues collected through January were $1,309,359, ahead of budget by $87,011.

All membership categories were ahead of budget with the excpetion of tennis at 94 percent through the end of January.

2/14/2025

Mailloux enters guilty plea in 2022 Gavin Knupp fatality

Hill, Aquatics staff one step away from Sports Core pool addition

Hill anticipates two-week closure in late summer for project’s final phase

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

If the bids exceed the budgeted amount, or for any other reason, the directors are not obligated to authorize the project’s go-ahead.

staff uses for aquatics-related programming.

Former West Ocean City resident awaits March 19 sentencing

By CINDY HOFFMAN Contributing Writer

WFormer West Ocean City resident

ith the inclusion of $225,000 in the 2017-18 capital budget for an addition to the indoor Sports Core swimming pool enclosure, Acting General Manager Brett Hill and the Aquatics Department are a step closer to making the project a reality.

Tyler Mailloux entered a guilty plea to a felony count of leaving the scene of the 2022 fatality of Ocean Pines teenager Gavin Knupp after his lawyer, George Psoras, exhausted numerous motions during a Feb. 24 hearing at the Worcester County Circuit Court.

Aquatics Director Colby Phillips persuaded Acting General Manager Brett Hill to include the proposed addition in his draft budget, and Hill in turn was able to defend the project in budget review discussions in January and February. No director raised objections against the proposal, and the proposed expenditure made it into the final capital budget approved by the board in February.

Opposing attorneys met in the judge’s chambers to discuss a plea deal after a break following the morning court session. Most of the motions by the defense were never heard by the judge because of the plea deal.

In Ocean Pines’ two-step process for capital expenditures, budgetary approval simply gives the general manager the authority to solicit bid proposals for various projects. Once staff recommends a particular proposal from among the minimum of three bids that are supposed to be obtained, the board has final authority over whether to authorize the spending.

Sentencing was deferred to March 19. The state is recommending that sentencing be capped at three years and 227 days. After the hearing, Mailloux was handcuffed, remanded into custody of authorities and taken to the Worcester County jail where he awaits sentencing.

Judge Brett Wilson has the discretion of accepting or modifying the state’s recommendation. If the sentence turns out to be a year or less, it could be served in the Worcester County jail.

If it’s longer, Mailloux could be transferred to the Maryland penitentiary in Jessup, Md.

Mailloux was charged in the deadly hit and run accident in July of 2022 that killed 14-year old Gavin Knupp. Mailloux plead guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of an accident that he “knew/reasonably [should have known] must result in death and death occurred.”

Hill said he is hopeful the board will authorize the Sports Core expansion.

al of the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The addition is to include a new party/ training room and enclosed space for possible future expansion of the existing pool, but in the short term some of the space will be used to store equipment such as aqua bikes, trampolines and other equipment that Phillips and her

During the hearing, Mailloux faced the Knupp family, as Tiffany and Ray, Gavin’s parents and Summer, his sister were in the courtroom for parts of the preceding. They were also represented by Neil Dubovsky, a victim’s rights advocate.

A New-England based company, Structures Unlimited, built the Sports Core pool enclosure roughly ten years ago for a little over $1 million. Hill said he and his staff are determining whether the addition would require the same company to do the expansion, or whether some other contractor can accomplish it.

He said the goal is to accomplish the work this summer, at the same time the pool would be closed for its semi-annu-

al closure for cleaning and water replacement in late August or September. He envisions a two-week closure, with Ocean Pines’ four outdoor pools available for use during that period.

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

WAll three took the stand during the hearing and were asked about the whereabouts of Gavin’s phone, which was turned over to Tiffany and Summer the night of the hit and run. Both women said they had been in possession of the phone but, after moving to Florida, did not know where it was. Ray, Gavin’s father, testified that he had never been in possession of the phone.

vehicle in the garage of DeAngelus’ West Ocean City home that may have been involved in the accident. The state police and the DeAngelus attorney arranged for the car to be picked up several days later, but instead of following through with arrangement that the state police raided the DeAngelus household and removed the vehicle.

the person who took our son and brother begin to be held accountable. We want to again thank Kris Heiser and her team for their tireless efforts to help make this happen. Nothing will bring Gavin back and our fight is far from over, but today was a meaningful step in the right direction. And for that we are grateful.”

Heiser also commented after the plea was entered.

During initial phases of construction of the addition, the pool would not need to be closed, Hill said. Once the addition is completed, the wall between the existing enclosure and the new structure will be removed. “For safety reasons, this final phase will require the pool to be closed,” he said.

Board okays indoor, outdoor fees for pickleball players

“I’m very pleased that we were able to deliver this result for our community,” said Worcester County State’s Attorney Kristin Heiser. “This has been a case that has, obviously, been in the public eye and pending for quite some time.”

Club members predict loss of membership revenue from two-tier

ith pickleball club members predicting a loss of membership revenue, the Board of Directors has approved a two-tiered system for assessing pickleball players for the privilege of playing their favored sport in Ocean Pines.

Annual memberships that cover the use of pickleball courts at the Manklin Meadows complex were set during a board meeting Feb. 23 and were the same as had been proposed by Acting

Psoras, the attorney representing Mailloux, was interested in obtaining Gavin’s phone to explore whether he may have been videotaping at the moment of the accident. Summer testified that she had looked at the phone after the accident and that the only footage was of the deer head that Gavin initially got out of the car to photograph. That footage was posted on social media and had been handed over to the Police. Summer also testified that she was not filming at the time of the accident.

Numerous motions were heard during the hearing including attempts by Psoras to have the State’s Attorney Kristin Heiser removed from the case because she could have been a witness since Psoras communicated with her on behalf of Mailloux the day after the hit and run accident.

The lawyer also attempted to have the Worcester County State’s Attorney Office removed from the case. Judge Wilson rejected the motion regarding Heiser, saying her testimony would be irrelevant to the charges. He also rejected the remov-

11048 Cathell Rd

Pines, MD 21811

On the evening of July 11, 2022, Gavin Knupp was killed in a hit and run accident on Grays Corner Road near the Glen Riddle community. Gavin was being driven by his sister Summer that evening when she stopped the car and he exited the vehicle to look at a deer head that was mounted on a post. When he was returning to the vehicle, he was struck by a black 2011 Mercedes-Benz C300. The driver of the vehicle left the scene of the accident.

Police later found a car with damages consistent with the crash on the property of Ralph DeAngelus, a partner of Matt Ortt Co, which in 2022 was managing the Ocean Pines Yacht Club and other local restaurants. Seventeen charges were eventually filed against Mailloux.

According to the state police report of the incident, a lawyer for the DeAngelus family contacted Heiser to notify her of the presence of a

On August 18, 2023, the case was dismissed by Judge Wilson after Psoras argued that the case should have been initially filed in District Court. The state appealed that decision, prevailed, and the case was refiled. Mailloux opted for a jury trial.

fee structure

General Manage Brett Hill in his draft budget in January. It’s $100 for individual resident and property owners of Ocean Pines and $175 for families.

The drop-in rate for play at the Community Center gymnasium is $3 for residents and $5 for those who don’t live or own property in Ocean Pines.

As of the first week March, the pickleball courts planned for the Manklin Meadows racquet sports complex are not yet ready for play.

Tiffany and Ray Knupp, Gavin’s parents, issued a statement through their attorney following the guilty plea.

Hill told the Progress that the contractor that is restriping two tennis courts for pickleball, American Tennis,

“Today was an emotional and gratifying day. For the first time since our nightmare started, we saw

needs two weeks of constant 60-degree weather to do the work. The hope is that April weather will cooperate, he said.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether the board decision to levy dropin fees on top of membership fees will affect membership, as pickleball club officers predict.

Mailloux pleaded guilty to felony “failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in death, having known or should reasonably have known that the accident might result in the death of another person and death actually occurred to another.”

Gavin’s death sent shockwaves through Delmarva, with neighbors across the peninsula and his family demanding both answers and justice.

Club officers have suggested that the board update board resolution M-02 to list pickleball as an annual fee-based amenity. M-02 states the capital cost for amenities, such as the Community Center, are born by all OPA members

First Shore Federal makes two Board appointments

The First Shore Federal Board of Directors recently appointed two directors, Herb Geary and Sharon Morris.

Geary is a familiar face in Wicomico County where he has assisted clients for 40 years with operational auditing, asset management, accounting systems review and implementation, cost accounting systems, investment and

Herb Geary

Morris financial planning, budgeting and business and strategic planning.

First Shore Federa; is the only mutual bank on Delmarva, with branches in Ocean Pines, Salisbury, and throughout Delmarva.

Before retiring from the public sector, Geary most recently served as managing partner for TGM Group LLC and partner at UHY Advisors specializing in financial institutions, closely held businesses, manufacturing, wholesalers/distributors, construction contractors, local governments, municipalities, boards of education and nonprofit organizations. His partner responsibility had him oversee many of the firm’s complex audit, review and compilation engagements.

Geary is a certified government financial manager and has been awarded the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Certificate of Educational Achievement in Governmental Accounting and Auditing. Geary is also the former Chair of MACPA.

“Herb’s leadership experience and in-depth knowledge of the financial and accounting world is a valuable asset that enriches the perspective of the Board. I look forward to the wisdom and genuine care he brings as he joins us,” said Diane Turner, president and chief executive officer at First Shore.

He has served in many roles over the years a few of which are board member of TidalHealth, Inc., president of the Salisbury Optimist Club, board member of the Salvation Army Advisory Council and chairman of the St. Francis De Sales School Development Committee and Foundation. Geary has taught, coached and mentored in Wicomico County and Salisbury through sports and other activities.

“Herb has a tremendous record of achievement both professionally and personally.  I am confident he will make significant contributions, and we are thrilled to have him join our Board,” said Catherine Mullaney Tyson, chair of the Board of Directors for First Shore.

Morris joined First Shore in 2016 as community reinvestment activity officer (CRA), following a 30-year career in Wicomico County, retiring as assistant director of administration. While employed at First Shore, Morris was instrumental in her role as CRA officer and continued the bank’s “Outstanding” rating for its engagement in affordable housing, economic and community development, education and financial literacy.

“Morris brings a wealth of knowledge with her as a board member to enable us to continue to identify ways to serve our community through banking products and services. Her knowledge of our community, along with her leadership skills enhances our board strength and I look forward to her input on our board.” Turner said.

Morris served in several nonprofit and leadership roles, landing her performance recognition from various groups; United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Wor-Wic Campaign Fund, and a founder of Black Excellence Community Fund. She currently serves as the Salvation Army’s vice-chair, Salisbury Award Trustee, Board of Elections, John B. Parsons Foundation, and is a life member of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church.

“We are very pleased to have Mrs. Morris continue her service to our association and the community,” said Tyson. “Appointments to these key roles reflect First Shore’s standard of high performance and exceptional results from our employees.”

Ocean Pines service area once again exempt from flush tax

Only community in the sate that doesn’t have to pay into Chesapeake Bay restoration fund

The Maryland Department of the Environment has continued te exempt residents in the Ocean Pines Sanitary Service Area from paying the $5 monthly charge to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund. The exemption is good for a year. This exemption will result in an annual savings of $60 per household in the Ocean Pines service area,

“This exemption is due to the exemplary work done by our staff,” County Public Works Director Dallas Baker said. “It’s the Public Works professionals maintaining meticulous reporting methods coupled with the knowledge and experience of our Water and Wastewater operators overseeing the Ocean Pines Wastewater Treatment Plant that make this exemption a reality year after year for those residing in the Ocean Pines SSA.”

The bay fund is a dedicated fund financed by residents and businesses served by wastewater treatment plants throughout Maryland. BRF funds are used to upgrade publicly owned treatment plants throughout Maryland, with enhanced nutrient removal technology to reduce nutrient discharges to the state’s waterways.

The Ocean Pines treatment plant is equipped with technology that meets the criteria for the fee exemption, which requires a maximum effluent concentration of 3 milligrams per liter (mg/l) of total nitrogen and 0.3 mg/l total phosphorous.

“The Ocean Pines treatment plant sets the standard throughout the state for environmental stewardship,” Baker said. “For 2024 the Ocean Pines treeatment plant maintained a yearly flow at 299.5MM gallons, with an average concentration of 2.4 parts per million (PPM) total nitrogen and 0.2 PPM.”

Exemptions are valid for one year and must be renewed annually, and WCPW professionals maintain meticulous reporting standards to secure the exemptions annually for those residing in the Ocean Pines SSA.

From Page 33

Given the somber circumstances surrounding this case, Heiser said it’s difficult to call Tuesday an outright win.

“There is so much loss and so much grief and so much tragedy in this case and so many of the cases that we handle, that, we look for justice, you know, we don’t consider it to be a victory,” said Heiser. “I’m sure the Knupp family is heartened by the fact that there is accountability, but certainly nothing is going to make up for the loss of their son.”

Mailloux admitted to driving the car that fatally struck Gavin Knupp on July 11, 2022. He waived his right to a jury trial Tuesday, and his pretrial release has been revoked. He was handcuffed in court and remanded to the custody of the Worcester County Detention Center pending sentencing.

“There’s a reason for the state’s recommendation that’s important and meaningful to the family, and I think fair,” said Heiser. “The calculations of that recommendation were discussed and debated and critically thought about for so long, I mean years at this point.”

On-line commentary on local newspaper and television social has not been complimentary, with many commentators suggesting that the suggested sentence was too lenient. The DeAngelus family also has been targeted with invective that can only be described as brutal, A recurring theme in the comments is that the family should be charged with covering up a crime. Since she was contacted by the family attorney the day after the fatality, with information about the vehicle’s availability for pick-up, it seems unlikely that Heiser would cave into pressure to prosecute the family.

Sharon

Commissioners temporarily table zoning change that would prohibit utility structures in West Ocean City

Want more time for legal counsel to review letter by U.S. Wind

By ROTA L. KNOTT

Contributing Writer

With attorneys for both U.S. Wind and the owners of a West Ocean City harbor-front property the company plans to purchase alleging a violation of property rights, the Worcester County Commissioners on Feb. 18 tabled action on a proposed change to the zoning code to prohibit utility structures and properties in the in the CM Commercial Marine zoning district.

“This is to me to protect our commercial fishing harbor,” Commissioner Chip Bertino said following a public hearing on the text amendment. Bertino agreed with tabling action on the bill but said his vote isn’t going to change.

“If we do not protect and advocate for ourselves who will?” he added. Outsiders should not be telling Worcester County what is best for the community, he said.

Commissioner Joe Mitrecic said he is “not a fan of eminent domain and would much rather negotiate a purchase price” to secure the property being eyed by U.S. Wind. He also said he doesn’t want to do anything to lower property values, but the county has to protect the commercial harbor. “You know my vote.”

Mitrecic called the debate over offshore wind “an emotional issue.” He said if one windmill is erected offshore of Ocean City “the sunrise will never be the same,” and no one knows for certain what it will do to the fishing and fishing industries or the environment.

“It’s just big money looking for more big money,” Commissioner President Ted Elder said of U.S. Wind’s proposed offshore wind project. He said the company will take resources and then leave.

The commissioners held a public hearing on Feb. 18 on Emergency Bill 25-01, Zoning – Public Utility Operation Center, which was introduced for consideration by all seven commissioners. If approved as an emergency bill it would become effective immediately upon passage.

In December 2024, the commissioners asked planning staff to review the uses associated with the CM Commercial Marine District and evaluate ways to strengthen the protection of the commercial fishing industry in Worcester County within the zoning code.

In response to that request, Planning Director Jennifer Keener drafted the proposed text amendment to address marine uses and public utility operation centers in the zoning and subdivision code. The Worcester County Planning Commission reviewed the text amendment in January and gave a favorable recommendation.

“Are we within our rights to do what we’re doing today?” Bertino asked Worcester County Attorney Roscoe Leslie.

Leslie responded “we wouldn’t have moved it forward if we didn’t think we had grounds to do it.” However, he added that he didn’t have time prior to the public hearing to fully review a lengthy 24-page letter submitted by U.S. Wind’s legal counsel. He said there are always gray areas and ultimately it is up to the courts to decide who is right.

Mitrecic suggested tabling discussion and a vote on the bill until the commissioners could receive a detailed response from their legal counsel regarding the U.S. Wind letter. The commissioners ultimately voted unanimously to table action on the legislation until their next meeting in March.

The bill would remove as a principal permitted use public utility structures and properties in the CM Commercial Marine District. The bill states that the purpose of the CM District is “to prevent the displacement of the commercial fishing industry, which provides significant historic, social, cultural and economic value to Worcester County.” It allows commercial and recreational uses that are supplemental to the commercial fishing industry and which of necessity must be near waterfront.

It further defines “public utility

operation center” as “facilities, structures and any or all uses directly relating to the operation and maintenance of a public utility, including, but not limited to: (1) operating utility system controls; (2) business offices and associated accessory uses; (3) indoor and outdoor vehicular and material storage yards for the constructing, maintenance and or repair of the utility system; (4) incidental fueling and maintenance facilities; or (5) indoor and outdoor assembly, repair, maintenance, testing and storage of utility system components, equipment, tools and supplies.”

In her report to the commissioners, Keener said as a result of multiple rezoning requests in and around the West Ocean City harbor, the county recognized the need to set aside land to preserve and protect the commercial fishing industry, while still allowing compatible uses.

In 1998, zoning regulations were developed and adopted, resulting in the creation of the Commercial Marine zoning district. In 1999, the boundaries of the district were established over the lands within the West Ocean City Harbor. The 2006 Comprehensive Plan promotes the continuation of the seafood landing and processing facilities by way of land use controls and incentives, and the maintenance of the West Ocean City harbor as a working commercial harbor.

“Of the uses listed in the CM District regulations, public utility structures and properties are the least compatible with the marine uses listed. A public utility structure or property could be anything from an unmanned electrical substation, a water or wastewater treatment plant, a gas meter and regulation station, or even business offices for the utility company,” Keener said. She added that these uses are better situated away from the harbor, and preferably outside of the floodplain. In the text amendment she proposed the elimination of this use from the CM District regulations “as there is ample land in the other zoning dis-

tricts where this use is permitted either by right or special exception.”

In addition, staff proposed a public utility operation center definition and use that would be more appropriate for the business offices and maintenance facilities associated with a public utility. It is currently proposed for the C-2 and C-3 Commercial Districts and the 1-1 and 1-2 Industrial Districts.

Tom Prevas, an attorney representing U.S. Wind, said the text amendment violates “the very essence of the United States constitution.” He argued that in passing the bill the county would be discriminating against a particular industry and against a person of foreign origin since the company is Italian-owned.

Bertino took issue with Prevas’s accusation of a bias because of U.S. Wind’s foreign ownership. “That to me just tells me the type of people that are trying to tell us in this community what is best for our community, that they would play that card.”

Others spoke at the hearing in support of the proposed bill.

Ron Sloan called the proposed wind energy project “an egregious corporate effort to desecrate our environment.”

Capital spending

From Page 31

original budget draft.

Racquet sports capital spending actually is less than that proposed in the original draft.

Approved items include $9,500 for patio furniture, $2,350 for bench replacement, all from the replacement reserve. and $22,000 in new capital reserve spending for a pickleball court shade structure.

The total approved spending is $11,850 from the replacement reserve and $22,000 in new capital.

Deleted from the original draft budget for racquet sports is $16,000 each for pickleball and tennis court maintenance.

Included in the approved capital budget is $5,200 for a new baseball scoreboard, for the Parks and Recreation Department, included in the original draft.

Also out of the new capital reserve is $65,595 for a new Ford police department interceptor vehicle, also included in the original draft. The capital budget also includes $53,150 to replace a Ford Ranger used in the Public Works Department.

An odd proposal for a new Board room

In a meeting in which the Board of Directors acted responsibly by adopting a 2025-26 Ocean Pines Association budget with a modest $25 increase in the base lot assessments and another $25 in the waterfront rate paid by most of those who live on OPA-maintained bulkheads, out of left field came a proposal to investigate the possibility down the road a few years from now for a new Board room.

The motion by Director Steve Jacobs was unanimously approved, with some directors politely expressing some apparent reservations but voting for it anyway, perhaps wanting to give their colleague a win. The month prior, the directors approved a motion by Jacobs to authorize the full Board to appoint a candidate Search Committee if a president fails to appoint one by Feb. 1. There’s been no follow-up since then by any director to appoint a Search Committee, and it seems unlikely anyone will unless Jacobs decides to press the matter.

The Search Committee motion didn’t seem to have much effect in the real world, and so it might be for a new Board room, an idea whose time is not now and may never come because, let’s not sugar coat it, there’s little or no need for it.

The latest Jacobs motion doesn’t necessarily mean the Board will ever approve this kind of expenditure, but it has tasked the general manager and his team to spend valuable time to put some proposals together, to investigate possible sites, to work through the inevitable parking challenges. The motion calls for the GM to come up with some cost estimates, even some designs, the latter of which is way premature. If Viola wants to slap together some rough cost estimates, fine, but again all this seems like a waste of staff time.

Perhaps the whole thing can be pawned off on Frank Brown, Viola’s go-to man for rough

sketches.

The less staff time on this, the better.

The motion suggests that the Board room proposal might be more of a mult-purpose room, usable for Board meetings, advisory committees, community groups, and even annual OPA meetings. The latter is a real head-scratcher, as there is no indication that the Community Center’s Assateague Room has reached capacity for these annual affairs. In fact, in recent years it’s been a challenge to hit the quorum of 100 to make the meeting official, or at least one in which Board election results can be certified.

There are a lot of empty seats at annual meetings.

The Board now meets in the Golf Clubhouse meeting room for monthly meetings, with recent enhancements that have improved sound quality and video display. It’s adequate for the purpose to which it serves.

Expanding this room seems like a non-starter. Where exactly would this expansion occur? The view out the windows of this room is scenic, overlooking the the ponds that adjoin the 9th and 18th holes of the Ocean Pines golf course. There’s a nice buffer between the building and the ponds.

Seating for those wishing to attend Board meetings is not at capacity now, and it’s unlikely to be anytime soon, especially since meetings are streamed live and are recorded for later viewing.

If some hot issue arises with a surge in attendance, meetings can always be moved to the Assateague Room.

The Administration Building has a Board room already, one that is used by the Budget and Finance Advisory Committee and the Board for annual budget review meetings. And an occasional meeting as needed. It’s adequate for that purpose.

Let’s give Touch of Italy time to get it right

As it stands currently, the Matt Ortt organization is planning to operate the Ocean Pines Yacht Club and the Clubhouse Grille through the end of April.

Unless there is some change in Matt Ortt’s thinking on this, that means Touch of Italy’s takever of these facilities is, as has been proclaimed to the world, May 1.

That doesn’t give the company much time to prepare to launch its Ocean Pines operations.

There’s a work-around available to this challenge that the Ocean Pines Association could facilitate.

There is nothing sacred about a May 1 reopening of the Yacht Club under Touch of Italy management. Yes, the Golf Clubhouse will need to be open to accommodate golfers on May 1.

A good argument can be made that TOI would benefit from some time to get Yacht Club staff on board and trained, supplies ordered and properly stored, the staff given a shake-down cruise to prepare for a reopening.

Rather than launch on May 1, TOI could instead aim for Mother’s Day or even Memorial Day weekend with a Grand Reopening.

There’s only one opportunity to make a good first impression, and why risk making that first impression less than stellar with a rushed reopening?

This shouldn’t be too difficult to arrange. The OPA could faciitate it by giving TOI a break on its first month’s rent, either all of it or some of it depending on the date of reopening. Better to get it right than to do it quick. - Tom Stauss

In discussion, no director seemed to inclined to consider this proposal a high priority item, and that means it is and will remain a low priority item by default. Director Elaine Brady cautioned that no director is looking to build a Taj Mahal Board room anytime soon.

That’s reassuring, but the best way to dampen that sort of speculation would have been to simply vote down the motion.

Instead, the Board might have inadvertently triggered that sort of speculation by passing it.

Social media probably won’t have much good to say about it, to the extent anyone really takes the idea all that seriously.

A few years back, Viola looked into the possibility of enlarging the Administration building on the side facing White Horse Park to accommodate a larger Board room with more seating for OPA members.

Viola’s proposal really gained no traction at the time. It went up the flagpole and no one soluted.

It might have included a raised dais with Board seating, a not so subtle raising of the directors’ status as representatives of the membership to decision-makers a few cuts above the rest of us. What compelled Jacobs to resurrect this idea is perplexing, but now that it’s on the books Viola and team are obligated to go through the motions of complying with it. Viola might go beyond the call of duty and produce a credible proposal, but surely he must be aware that the odds of this or some future Board authorizing it are not favorable. - Tom Stauss

Ball is now in pickleballers’ court

Now that the Board of Directors has approved a budget that consolidates what has been three separate rates for pickleball, platform tennis and tennis into a single rate for individuals and families, members of the Ocean Pines pickleball and platform tennis communities will have to decide how they want to proceed going forward.

The question is whether they in large numbers will decide to purchase the new combined membership despite having to pay more in the new fiscal year for the privilege, about 50 percent more than the current individual sport rates.

Percentages can sometimes obsure the real dollar impact of an increase.

As noted by Director Elaine Brady at the Jan. 22 Board meeting, that equates in raw numbers to $8 a month for individuals.

A colleague helpfully added later that families would be paying $14 a month over what they’d paying for individual rates.

The groups offered compelling arguments for the status quo during a Dec. 5 townhall meeting on the budget, but were faced with the determined support for consolidation by the man who runs the racquet center on Manklin Creek Road for the association, Director of Racquet Sports Terry Underkoffer.

While the dissenters’ viewpoints were handled with respect, and no one has even tried to refute the projections presented by the pickleball and platform tennis clubs, at the end of the day the Board opted to give greater credence to the vision offered by their department head and General Manager John Viola.

Both believe that over several years, the new, simplified rate structure will deliver department earnings sufficient to cover racquet sport costs. It won’t happen overnight, and so far no plan has been presented that makes break-even operations over, let’s say, five years, a plausible scenario.

Somewhat ironically, this year’s end-of-year forecast has the department losing maybe $1,300, virtually break-even. Next year, with the consolidated rate, the deficit is projected to climb to $33,000, and that’s with rosy scenario membership projections.

In the short term, the 2025-26 fiscal year that begins May 1, it

LIFE IN THE PINES

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By TOM STAUSS/Publisher

seems more likely as not that the OPA will miss the budgeted racquet sports target of about a $33,000 operational deficit for next year. That’s because the approved budget anticipates a growth in membership totals, when a decline seems more reasonable given the increase in rates year-over-year.

Having made a compelling argument for why they supported a continuing of the individual rate policy, will the club members act in a way that hurts the department’s bottom line by declining to purchase the consolidated membership?

If so, it may amount to a good example of biting of one’s nose to spite one’s face, to cite the cliche.

But it may happen anyway. Historically in Ocean Pines, higher amenity fees tend to result in membership declines, at least in the short term, only to bounce back when passions cool over time.

This may well be the pattern for racquet sports over the next five years.

Of course, and Underkoffer seems to anticipate this, some pickleballers may decide not to purchase annual memberships while opting to feed their interest in the sport by paying daily drop-in fees.

Those have been increased, too, from the current $8 for residents and OPA members to $10. A couple of bucks per play may not seem like a deal breaker on the face of it, but if some other pickleball facility still offers a daily rate in the single digits, anything’s possible.

Pickleballers can do the math: They can calculate how many daily drop-in plays it would take to reach the new combined rate of $495 for families and $295 for individuals.

Here’s a helpful hint: It’s 29.5 daily plays for those with individual memberships and 49.5 plays for families.

Two member families who play the sport together would hit the break-even point at about 25 plays, somewhat better than the 29.5 plays for individuals.

For individuals, if they opt to play pickleball every day for a month, paying drop-in fees after that is bad

finance.

Better to have purchased the annual membership even at the higher rate.

Do most individual pickleball club members play their favorite sport more than 29.5 times in a year?

Let individuals think back this past year. How many times per week? How many times in a month? Let’s say someone plays three times a week, or 12 times in the month. Under that scenario, after two months there would only be a few plays left before reaching the magic number of 29.5.

This suggests that pickleballers would be better off buying the new combined membership under most scenarios. Even those who only play once a week or four times per month would be better off paying the annual membership over paying the drop-in fees.

Of course, people don’t always act in their best interests, and in this case there may be some unknown number who drop their memberships and decline to pay daily user fees at the Ocean Pines racquet center, instead taking their business to Ocean City or wherever they think they can find a better deal.

Others may drop their membrships out of spite aimed at the OPA for changing the current rate structure.

Perhaps in their pique they will forget that gas needed to transport someone from Ocean Pines to Ocean

City and back isn’t free. It remains to be seen whether pickleballers and their cousins who play platform tennis abandon Ocean Pines altogether out of pique that their point of view did not sway any current Board member, even Director Monica Rakowski, who early in this year’s budget process at one point suggesting that a consolidated rate structure would amount to the Board shooting itself in the foot.

She might still harbor a suspicion that the combined rate will result in declining membership totals and membership revenues in the coming year, but in the end she voted with her colleagues for a budget that includes the new rate structure. Solidarity with the department head, Terry Underkoffer, was the leit motif of this particular board decision. Will the pickleballers in the end conclude that, under reasonable play scenarios, it makes more financial sense to pay the new, higher rate than paying the new $10 dropin fee?

That is the question only they can answer. We’ll know soon enough when the monthly financials are unveiled beginning May 1.

They include membership totals, and the May and June financials are informative.

Many amenity users buy their memberships in April of the prior fiscal year, but the revenues and memberships sold before May 1 are recorded in the new fiscal year, as accrual accounting calls for.

Look to the May financials for an early clue on how all this will playout.

Pickleballers, the ball is in your court.

Ham radio gains a following in Ocean Pines

By CINDY HOFFMAN Contributing Writer

Most people these days rely on cell phones and computers to communicate, learn and explore our world. But there is a community of amateur or Ham radio operators who communicate via radio frequencies both locally and anywhere on the planet.

Ocean Pines resident Mark Shaw is one of the founders and president of the Worcester Radio Group K3WRG. He got his license to operate in 2019.

Dave VanGasbeck, also a founding member and vice president of the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department, got his first license in 1970, when he was a kid.

“My friend’s dad was a ham radio operator.” VanGasbeck found it fascinating that he could talk to people all over the world. When the covid pandemic hit, he got back into Ham radio and helped found the Worcester Radio Group with Shaw. Other founding members include Rob Korb, Chief Fire Marshall of Worcester County, RJ Rhodes and Dave Fitzgerald, the President of the Berlin Fire Company.

“There is something for everyone [in amateur radio],” Shaw said. “It does not matter what your interests are. Rich, poor, nerdy or not.” When he asks new members what brought them to amateur radio, he gets a wide variety of responses.

Some like it as a hobby because they are into the electronics and the science side of radio. Many others get into it for emergency communications. When all other forms of communication are down due to natural disasters or other emergency situations, Ham radio operators can still communicate over radio frequencies. And not just by voice, but they can text, send pictures and use Morse Code. “Young kids are getting into it and introducing their own technical know-how,” Shaw said.

Amateur radio operators played a huge role during the last hurricane in North Carolina. Cell phones were completely down and people could not call, text or get on the internet. “Their families just wanted to know if they were ok. Ham radio operators in the area were able to relay messages around the world,” Shaw said.

The club is currently looking to formalize a relationship with

It’s

a hobby with a serious mission when disaster strikes

Worcester County Emergency Communications Service so its members can be deployed when they are needed during a disaster.

“This is not just a hobby, it’s an important mission,” VanGasbeck said.

There are currently 84 members of the Worcester Radio Group. Their backgrounds range widely from military and first responders, pilots, and those with IT expertise. Others work for NASA, Rappa Scrapple and Worcester County. Ages in the club range from nine years old to 84. About 20 members live in Ocean Pines.

“My favorite part about it is how many different types of people there are,” Shaw said.

VanGasbeck enjoys the camaraderie of amateur radio. There is a world wide directory for ham radio operators called the QRZ. “It’s like the Facebook for Ham radio people.” Each person has their own page. “When I get on the air and talk to someone about the things I do, I go to the book and look up their call sign and read their bio.” He often meets people with similar backgrounds as his own. “It’s the best group of friends you will never meet.”

And those friends can be anywhere around the world. Shaw has communicated with people in Australia, Russia and Alaska.

Amateur radio does not have to be an expensive hobby. Radios can be very cheap, according to Shaw. “You can apply for a free hand held radio within six months of obtaining your license at QRZ.com.”

Prices for radios range from free to $20 and can go up to the thousands of dollars. “Handhelds are good for using locally. They go for

only a couple of miles,” Shaw said.

There is an antenna on the water tower at the North Gate of Ocean Pines that allows for a 20-30 mile radius. “It’s our own cell phone tower,” Shaw said.

There is no infrastructure needed for ham radios. An operator just needs a wire that acts as an antenna and a radio to contact people all over the world.

Chris Ranck is the group’s youth instructor. He works with 4H and the Boy Scouts and helps young people learn about ham radio and getting their license.

The Worcester Radio Group provides classes, which are free for kids and adults. While it is helpful to take a class, it’s not required to get a license. There are study guides and Apps that provide all of the questions on the FCC exam. Sign up for the classes at K3WRG.com.

The club hosts events throughout the year. One event is called Parks on the Air, which is an opportunity for club members to come out to local parks and set up their stations.

The club usually has about 10 operators set up and about 30-40 guests. Operators get points for the number of parks they contact.

The club also hosts two field days each year, which gives the club members a chance to take equipment out and simulate a disaster scenario and make contacts all over the world.

“In person meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month at the Berlin Fire Company Administrative Center at 6:00 PM. On all other Wednesdays at 8 p.m., the club has a weekly “net” where members get on the radio and have a social hour. If you have a VHF/UHF radio, you can tune in to 443.450 MHz to listen.”

The next classes to get a license are on March 8, 15 and 22 at the Ocean Pines Library. The next Parks on the Air event will be held at Janes Island in Crisfield, Maryland on Saturday March 22, from 9 a.n. to 5 p.m.

For more information on The Worcester Radio Group visit K3WRG.com

Kiwanis offering college scholarships

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City plans to award $18,500 in total college scholarship monies to 2025 graduates of Worcester County public schools. Applications are now being accepted and are due back to Kiwanis no later than Friday, April 11. For more information and an application, see www.kiwanisofopoc.org/scholarships.

Casino to host bingo fundraiser

Diakonia, a local homeless solutions provider, will be raising funds through bingo and other games on Thursday, March 13, at the Casino at Ocean Downs in Berlin. All proceeds go to benefit Diakonia’s programs.

Bingo tickets are $40 ($45 at the door) and can be purchased at Diakonia’s Thrift Store (12507 Sunset Ave., Ocean City, MD 21842), or online at app.aplos.com/aws/events/a_night_on_the_town. Doors open at 5 p.m., with games starting at 6 p.m. There will be two intermissions, in which other

Worcester Radio Group K3WRG during its Summer Field Day event. From left: Chris Ranck, Walker Ranck, Brian Wallace, Neill Carey, Dave Holloway, Arthur Parks, John Willmuth, Dave VanGasbeck, Mark Shaw, Mark Wolinsky.

Public Works crew face grueling schedules in keeping roads clear during snowstorms

Behind the scenes preparation is key to keeping them passable

By JOSH DAVIS Contributing Writer

When the first snowflakes fall in Ocean Pines, most residents cozy up indoors, watching the world turn white from the comfort of their homes.

But for the Ocean Pines Public Works team, snowfall marks the start of long, grueling shifts battling the elements to keep roads safe and passable.

“It all depends on the storm,” Tony Howard, a veteran member of the Public Works crew, said. “This last one was about 12 hours, but sometimes we’re out for 24 hours straight or longer.”

Howard, alongside fellow crew member CJ Rounds, is no stranger to these intense shifts. Their work begins long before the first flake touches the ground.

“The day before a storm, we start loading up equipment, checking everything to make sure it’s running,” Rounds said. “We fill the spreaders and pretreat the roads as much as we can.”

This winter alone, Public Works crews have tackled five snowstorms, often working overnight shifts.

Two of those required plowing 80 miles of road, plus clearing parking lots for essential facilities, including the police department, administration offices, community center, fire stations, the Sports Core Pool, and the Yacht and Golf Club. Two others requiring only salting.

To improve road treatment, Ocean Pines is exploring the use of a brine mix – a liquid solution that prevents snow and ice from bonding to pavement.

“You’ve probably seen the white stripes on the road,” Howard said. “That’s the brine. It stays put better than salt and helps keep roads from icing over – unless it rains first and washes it away.”

Before a big storm, Public Works preps its fleet, which includes six plows, three salt spreaders, and four additional heavy equipment vehicles.

Crews also stock their offices with enough food and strong coffee to last up to 40 hours – the time it sometimes takes to fully clear the roads. The equipment lineup features

and man hours.”

“The storm on Jan. 6-7 was drier and colder, so we had to plow and salt. That took longer to get the roads fully clear,” Wells added.

Salt effectiveness depends on temperature. Above 20°F, it melts

three one-ton dump trucks equipped with salt spreaders and plows, another dump truck with a plow, two pickup trucks with plows, a backhoe, a track loader, and another loader known as “Manitou.”

Once the snow starts falling, the team settles in for a long night. Howard drinks coffee, while Rounds prefers tea.

“Either way, you just keep going,” Howard said.

Both said their bosses, Senior Director Eddie Wells and Deputy Director Nobie Violante, are right there with them.

“Eddie’s out there with us, him and Nobie,” Howard said. “Whatever hours we put in, they’re right there until the end.”

Plowing is a strategic operation requiring coordination.

“We start with the entrances – Ocean Parkway, Manklin, and Cathell Road – and then work our way out,” Howard said. “Two trucks handle the main roads, while smaller trucks tackle side streets.”

But the job isn’t without challenges.

“The hardest part isn’t the snow – it’s the parked cars,” Rounds said. “People leave them at the end of their driveways, and we can’t get through. We have to swerve around

them, leaving piles of snow behind. That’s usually when people call and complain.”

Cul-de-sacs also present difficulties.

“Ideally, we’d clear them completely,” Howard said. “But when cars are in the way, we have no choice but to leave some snow behind.”

Many residents notice the difference in road conditions compared to surrounding areas.

“Ocean Pines takes care of all the roads – not just the main ones,” Rounds said. “Other places might plow the big streets and leave secondary roads alone. We make sure people can get out no matter where they live.”

Still, patience is key.

“People look outside and wonder why their road isn’t plowed yet,” Howard said. “There are over 80 miles of roads here. We get to them all, but it does take time.”

Wells said no two storms are alike, and each requires a different strategy.

“This last event was a wet, heavy snow followed by rain, so we didn’t need to salt because temperatures stayed above freezing,” he said. “But we did have more tree branches down due to the snow’s weight, and that required additional cleanup

ice efficiently, but at 15 degrees and below, it slows down. By 10 degrees, road salt becomes nearly useless, often requiring additional chemicals. At zero, it stops working entirely.

“We pretreat when we know it’ll be an all-snow event,” Wells said. “But most storms here start as rain, which washes away pre-treatment. We salt all main roads after plowing if temperatures are expected to dip below freezing.”

Once the snow stops, the team’s work isn’t over.

“After plowing, we still have to clean the equipment, fix any damage, and start picking up fallen branches,” Howard said. “And then, hopefully, we don’t get hit with another storm right away.”

Despite the long hours and brutal conditions, neither Howard nor Rounds complains.

“It’s got to be done,” Rounds said. “Somebody’s got to do it. We just wait for the call, and then we go.”

For Ocean Pines residents, that dedication is why their roads stay clear when winter hits.

So, the next time you see a plow rolling down the street, remember the team inside – running on coffee, tea, and an unwavering commitment to keeping the community safe.

Public Works crews have been out in force during recent snowstorms to keep the roads clear.

‘History of Ocean Pines’ reprints available

By CINDY HOFFMAN Contributing Writer

History buffs and others who just want to know more about Ocean Pines will welcome the reprint of the 30th anniversary “History of Ocean Pines,” written by the later Bud Rogner.

Rogner compiled an extensive history of Ocean Pines and published a first edition of the book in 1990, updating it for the 25th and 30th anniversaries of the community. The book details key events in Ocean Pines through much of 1990s.

Rogner and his wife purchased a lot in Ocean Pines in 1984. He was a writer for a number of local newspapers and even hosted a radio program on the Ocean Pines home radio station, then WLFX, 97.1.

The re-release of the 30th Anniversary edition was the brainchild of Marlene Ott, a local real estate agent and member of the Historical Task Force for Ocean Pines.

The rights of the book were held by Rogner, who has since passed. “Marlene was able to find Rogner’s family and get their permission. They were pleased to have us do the reprint,” Elaine Brady, a member of the OPA Board of Directors and chair of the Historical Task Force, said.

The book is a reprint, but the cover of the book has been altered from the original 30th Anniversary edition. Ott provided two new pictures for the cover since the old ones were too grainy to reproduce. Both pictures are from original postcards produced by Boise Cascade to promote the community.

“History of Ocean Pines” is chock full of interesting facts about the community, going well beyond the original founding of it in 1968. Here is just a taste of what readers will learn:

Indian bones were reported to have been uncovered in the White Sail Circle area of Ocean Pines in the mid-1960s during the construction of the roads, canals and bulkheads.

There is an old graveyard about 50 feet behind the cluster mail boxes on Admiral Avenue in Ocean Pines for the William Jones family and others born in the 1800s who died around the turn of the century.

A press release from 1968 announced an average lot price at $6500, with a $495 down payment.

The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1973.

White Horse Park was a campground until 1973.

Ocean Pines had an Equestrian Center, where the library and Post Office now sit.

Interested buyers took a ferry from Ocean City to Ocean Pines as Route 90 was not yet built.

That’s just a few of the myriad of fun facts to be found in “History of Ocean Pines.”

The book is just a part of what the Historical Task Force is doing.

“We are one of the largest communities on the Eastern Shore. We have a big history,” Ott said.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ocean Pines, there was an effort to collect memorabilia. All of that is currently in storage. Members of the Historical Task Force are reviewing all of the memorabilia and cataloging it.

“The whole purpose of establishing the Historical Task Force is to finally organize and catalog what was collected,” Brady said. Brady has her own memorabilia as well, since her father lived in Ocean Pines and also served on the board in the 1990s.

The cover of the reprinted Rogner book with replacement photos.

“The task force is still in the early stage of deciding how to display and collect additional information from the earliest days to the present and we will provide additional information as we progress,” Brady said.

She hopes to eventually turn the task force into an official historical society.

To learn more about the history of Ocean Pines, residents and anyone interested will be able to purchase the newly reprinted history book at the OPA Administration office. The cost is $20.

Funds raised from the sale of the book will go back to the Historical Task Force to cover the cost of the reprint. Any profit will be set aside for future costs.

Pines Tones looking for new voices

Forty-year-old group rehearsing for spring concert

By CINDY HOFFMAN Contributing Writer

Do you love the sounds of the 70’s? Sing in the shower? Enjoy singing in your car? If you said yes to any one of these, the Pine Tones are looking for you.

In preparation for its Spring 2025 concert, “Sounds of the ‘70s,” the Pine Tones Chorus will have open rehearsals to build its chorus membership. These are not auditions, but an opportunity for interested folks to try out the group, meet other singers, ask questions, and decide if they want to join.

The Pine Tones welcomes anyone, male or female, no matter their experience, to join them.

Rehearsals for the Spring season begin on Thursday, March 6, at 1:p.m.at the Ocean Pines

Community Center.

“We will have 14 regular rehearsals leading up to the concert,” David Halloway, the president of the Pine Tones Chorus. “A few weeks before the concert, we visit approximately ten nursing homes, retirement centers, and senior centers where we perform mini-concerts as a gift and a way to bring music to seniors and disabled people who might not be able to attend our full concerts. This also allows us to fine-tune the program.”

The Spring Concert is scheduled for Sunday, June 8 at 3 p.m. at the Community Church at Ocean Pines, located on Race Track Road at the intersection of Beauchamp Road. Tickets are $15 and payable at the door.

Chorus members and audience alike will groove to classic favorites like, Moonshadow, Joy

to the World, Love Me Like a Rock, Fire and Rain, and I’ll Be There.

“In the fall, several weeks before the Christmas holidays, we present our concert with secular and non-secular music appropriate to the season. That concert is free and we do take an offering to help defray our expenses for music and directing,” Halloway said.

If you are interested in joining but can’t make the first rehearsal, or aren’t sure yet, contact the Director, Jenny Anderson at (443) 655-5636.

The Pine Tones Chorus has a 40+year history as a non-profit, all-volunteer group of folks who love to sing for their community. They present both Spring and Fall concerts every year, and each season they also travel to several area senior centers to share the music.

CURRENTS CAPTAIN’S COVE

Birckhead litigants file timely appeal

Formally awards defendant CCGYC $151,000 in legal fees

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

As anticipated, the plaintiffs in the Birckhead, Reece/Leslie litigation have filed an appeal with the Virgina Appeals Court within the 30-day window called for in state law. The plaintiffs had 30 days to file their appeal when Accomack County Circuit Court Judge Lynwood signed a final order on Jan. 16 in the protracted litigation.

The deadline for filing was Feb. 16. Defendants CCG Note and Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club received notice of the appeal shortly thereafter, hough no copies of the appeal had been received by the defendants when the filing window closed.

A source told the Cove Currents that the plaintiffs apparently are appealing the $151,227.91 in legal fees to the defendants by Judge Lewis as part of the final order. This seems to have made it possible for the plaintiffs to avoid having to post a bond covering the legal fees, the source said.

Instead, they can pay a modest fee to file the appeal with the Appeals Court, an intermediate court that by state law is obligated to hear every appeal that comes it way.

While the plaintiffs appear to have escaped the immediate need to cover legal fees, a source told the Currents that CCGYC as a party awarded legal fees is free to take action to collect the debt in a process used to collect unpaid annual assessments.

While no one from the Cove association is commenting, options include attaching a lien on homes

owned by the plaintiffs as a prelude to foreclosure. This process is a protracted one and it seems unlikely that the seven plaintiffs are in any immediate danger of losing their homes.

So far, there has been no indication that the other defendant, CCG Note, has asked the Court to award its legal expenses in the case, but that still could happen.

If the $151,000 remains unpaid, the final order stipulates that interest on the unpaid balance also accrues at the “statutory rate,” which an Internet search revealed is six percent.

Plaintiffs Teresa Birckhead, Jim Hayes, William Leslie, Barry Magrogan, Joyce Platterspiel, Linda Reece and Tom Reidy are the named plaintiffs who are on the hook for the legal fees. They’re officers in the Concerned Citizens of Captain’s Cove advocacy group.

The final order reflects a September bench decision in the case and an Oct. 18 written version.

The final order noted that one of the issues in the case, an allegation that a firm called Stonewall had not paid lot assessments owed CCGYC, had been “nonsuited,” another way of saying it had been effectively dropped from the case.

The final order means the plaintiffs can follow through on previous indications that they plan to appeal at least some of the issues litigated in the case. Their attorney, Douglas Kahle of Virginia Beach, had filed some objections to the proposed order when it was issued in October that would form the basis of an appeal.

One issue that has been at the top of the list of likely appeal issues was a decision by retired Judge Revell Lewis III in February of last year pertaining to the ownership and access to Captain’s Corridor in the vicinity of a planned townhome development at the east entrance into Captain’s Cove.

The court determined that CCGYC has no ownership of that section of Captain’s Corridor and can’t deny public access to it. The judge ruled that to the center line of that section of Captain’s Corridor, ownership resides with CCG Note to the east and the owners of the townhome property to the west.

Other issues raised by Kahle and subject to appeal according to his filed objections:

• That the Court committed error justifying the Association’s alleged ultra vires actions by application of the business judgment rule. Ultra vires is a legal term meaning acting outside one’s authority

• That the Court committed error with its interpretation of the 2012 Settlement Agreement given the Agreement required CCG Note to pay $50,000 per year for 20 years to the Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club for debt service on a loan, and given the evidence that the Association has, without cause, after repeatedly acknowledging the existence of that obligation, failed to take action to collect such sums, and has instead levied assessment on the property owners for work that should have been paid for with the sums payable pursuant to the Agreement, all in violation of the Declarations of Covenants and Restrictions for Captain’s

• That the Court committed error with its construction of the terms “improve” and “improving” as those terms define the Association’s scope of authority found in the Declaration, given the parties’ joint stipulation that “putting chip and tar on an uncovered surface, be it dirt, sand or grass” constituted building or constructing a road, not improving an existing road.

• That the Court committed error when it found the Association’s proposal to apply chip and tar on previously uncovered surfaces fell within the scope of its authority to improve existing roads, and did not constitute the ultra vires act of building or constructing new roads.

• Pertaining to the issue of who’s responsible for building out or improving roads in Captain’s Cove, that the Court committed error with its construction of the term “improve” and variation thereof, since words in the Declaration which authorize the Association to levy assessments on property owners must be strictly construed and under the principles of strict construction, “improve” must be read together and interpreted narrowly with the more limiting words such as “maintain,” “repair,” and “rebuild,” which are found in the Declaration and in the Association’s Articles of Incorporation.

• That the Court committed error when it dismissed the Plaintiffs’ claim related to the Association’s obligation to mitigate Starboard Street’s flooding.

• That the Court committed error when it dismissed the Plaintiffs’ claim related to the Defendants’ proposal to allow a firehouse to be constructed on lots designated for residential construction only.

The defendants’ lawyers, during Court proceedings, had rebuttals for most of the assertions in Kahle’s response.

Signing the order opened up a 30day window for an appeal to the Virginia Court of Appeals.

Cove.

Cove receives federal

Army Corps of Engineers rule restricts areas where dredge boat can operate

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club finally received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Feb. 13, allowing the association to resume its dredging program after a year’s hiatus.

In anticipation of receiving the permit, the Cove’s Maintenance Department had placed most of the pipeline used to transport spoil from the canal to transport it to the spoil site and pre-positioned the booster pump used in the progam to minimize set-up time.

The dredging focus will be on Herring Passage, near Cockle Point. Main-

tenance crews had hoped to restart the program the week after receiving the permit, but another major snowstorm to hit the Cove this winter pushed the restart to the week of Feb. 24.

According to CCGYC Senior General Manager Colby Phillips, about 2,000 cubic yards will be removed

from Herring Passage and transported by pipe to the association’s spoil site on Treasure Island.

The equivalent of bout 200 dump truck loads will be transported to the spoil site across Treasure Island Drive, recently deeded over to the association by CCG Note, the Cove’s declarant/developer, she said.

Access to Treasure Island Drive had been denied the association for most of last year pending resolution of litigation filed against CCG Note by seven Captain’s Cove residents. The declarant/developer decided to quit claim its ownership of the causeway to Treasure Island after a local judge ruled in favor of CCG Note and the association on a myriad of issues.

Although the rulings have been appealed to Virginia’s intermediate Court of Appeals, CCG Note apparently felt confident enough in the prospect of prevailing in the appeal to lift its restriction on access to the spoil site, upping the ante by deeding the property to CCGYC.

That in turn made it possible for the association to resume its dredging program.

The dredging is under a tight restriction imposed by the USACE. Portions of Herring Passage can’t be dredged because of a rule concerning wetlands, according to Phillips. A violation could result in a heavy fine that CCGYC wants to avoid.

Multiple lots that adjoin the targeted dredge area are affected by the rule, but the dredging that is permitted should allow boat owners along the canal better access to the canal and passage to Chincoteague Bay.

Once dredging is complete, a new bathymetric survey will be conducted to record the changes.

In addition to the denial of access to Treasure Island, now resolved, another factor in last year’s hiatus in dredging were delays in repairing the community’s aging dredge boat.

What some said was an act of vandalism had immobilized the dredge boat for many months.

Parts for repairs were difficult to find, but eventually were obtained to allow for completion of repairs.

After months of negotiation, the Cove’s insurance company reimbursed CCGYC for the repair costs.

The red circle on the right in the top picture shows this year’s dredge area. The red circle on the top left shows Treasure Island, the Cove’s dredge spoil site. Left photo shows a close-uo view of Herring Passage, ths year’s dredge area. Photo on right depicts the wetlands problem area of Herring Passage.

Residents who filed for review of election critique Currents article

No word yet on when a judge will consider the arguments that litigants hope will result in overturning the 2024 Board election

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

The three Captain’s Cove residents who are seeking to overturn the announced results of the 2024 Board of Directors election recently posted on social media a critique of an article about their legal efforts published in the February edition of the Cove Currents.

The three residents are Virginia Weslowski, Catherine Malstrom nd Patricia Borrelli, candidates in the 2024 Board election.

The article reported that the three residents are “suing” Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club, the five candidates who were announced at the annual meeting of the association in November as the election victors, and CCG Note, the Cove’s declarant/developer, to overturn the

announced election results.

The five directors named in the filing are Michael Glick, James Silfee, Roger Holland, John Costello and alternate director Tim Hearn.

According to the social media post, the three residents “are not suing anyone. This is not a lawsuit. It is a request for judicial review of the election, as authorized by Virginia Code § 13.1-861. (And we are not “defeated!”) The article also claims that nothing had been filed with the court.

In fact, it had been filed for some time before the article appeared, they said.

The article quoted Hearn, one of the named defendants in the filing, that he wasn’t sure the case would be filed as he not been served as of late January.

The Currents obtained a copy of what appeared to be a traditionally prepared lawsuit in early January with attached paperwork that seemed to indicate that it would be filed in Accomack County Circuit Court in due course.

The residents counter Hearn’s comment as quoted in the article that he doubted it would be filed, calling it “an attempt at witness intimidation.”

“...Pot....Kettle,” they wrote. “He also implies that this ‘litigation’ would be expensive if we lose and have to pay legal expenses. Our attorney assures us that there are no provisions for anyone to be charged legal costs,” they say.

The post then critiques the article for “not always accurately” reporting what the case is about.

The residents quote the article that reports that “the developer voted 1201 lots, and that the A Team [Weslowski, Malstrom, Borrelli and two other candidates] received between 1168 and 1188 votes.”

The article “neglects to point out that we are challenging the 1201 number, as county records show CCG Note and CCG Land owning 1134 lots, excluding non-residential lots which cannot be used for voting purposes.”

The article “also fails to mention that the dues-paying members of the Cove voted overwhelmingly for the A Team [Weslowski, Malstrom, Borrelli and two other candidates.]

The developer slate received between 9 and 27 votes while the A team received between 1168 and 1188 votes,” according to the post.

The three residents contend that the article misstates “our primary issue with the election. [The article] correctly states that the 2012 Agreement limits the Developer to a max of three board seats ‘controlled or affiliated’ with the Developer at any one time.

“However, our position is that the u

Cove election

From Page 45

developer has controlled all board seats and that violates the Agreement. This control is based on the fact that all board positions were elected based on the developer’s votes, AND board members have demonstrated that they are controlled through their voting records.”

The post says that “our position is that prior to this election, the developer already had three board positions - Majerus, Pelino, and Felt. None of these three have ever voted in opposition to anything the developer wanted, even when the membership vehemently disagrees. These three may protest the idea that they are ‘controlled,’ but their voting record speaks for itself,” the post contends.

Weslowski, Malstrom and Borrelli then say the article’s final paragraph is incomplete and misleading.

“It states that ‘the Association was unwilling to comply with legal requirements under Virginia law to provide access to the material.’ It leaves out the rest of that sentence which was ‘until prompted with

threat of litigation.’

The post concludes by saying that each of the parties in the filing are being served.

“Since all are based out of state, this is not a quick process. We expect to hear from the court in the next few weeks. The judge will review the documents, and schedule a hearing. He may request additional information, and then make a decision. We will provide updates as things progress. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of us.” They then provide a link to read the case filing.

The three residents in their post do not criticize a statement in the article that says that the “essential question” for Accomack County Circuit Court to decide is the meaning of “controlled” and “affiliated.”

In contending that certain directors are controlled or affiliated by the developer, the three residents argue that all seven directors of the Cove Board vote with the developer 98 percent of the time.

They further argue that the developer “controls” a Board seat when it votes to elect a person to that seat. They are in effect asking the

Court to limit CCG Note to voting for three candidates, rather than the five that received developer votes in the recent election.

As another example of alleged control, the plaintiffs cite a vote on the association’s lot swap program in which directors Mark Majerus, Pat Pelino and Dave Felt voted to accommodate Hearn, not on the Board at the time and not affiliated with CCG Note, on a legal issue related to the program. A judge found against Hearn in the disposition of a lot that he had owned, in which a neighbor through adverse possession acquired ownership of a portion of the lot.

The Cove Board voted to allow Hearn to swap out the compromised lot for another. “Mr. Hearn, an investor in the developer, speculated on the outcome of the suit, lost, and then used his connections with the Board members of the Association to recover his losses at the expense of the association, which lost a buildable lot without adequate compensation,” the filing contends.

The intent of the lot swap program is to enable property owners who own unbuildable lots to acquire

buildable ones from the association’s inventory.

Hearn has said that was treated no differently than any property owner in similar circumstances.

With respect to CCG Note’s use of its three to one voting rights, the issue is the provision in the 2012 agreement in which the declarant agrees not to exercise its three to one voting rights as allowed in the CCGYC articles of incorporation “so long as the Association is not in default of this agreement and so long as the Association is not operating at a deficit at the end of its fiscal year as reflected in its annual audit.”

According to the three residents, it’s up to CCG Note to prove a deficit existed in the prior fiscal year before casting votes on the three to one basis, contending the declarant had not done so.

Another issue cited was a directive from association staff prohibiting voters from contacting the CCGYC’s audit firm, which counts ballots in annual Cove election, to confirm that ballots had been received and recorded.

“This year, that firm told members that they must contact the Association’s staff members for answers to all election related questions,” the filing says. “This was especially consequential because of significant issues with the mailing of ballots.”

Among those issues was whether members on a payment plan would be allowed to vote in Cove elections -- they’re not, as only members with annual dues paid up are supposed to be allowed to vote -- “leaving members, especially members that did not receive a ballot, in the dark as to whether they are qualified to vote.”

Also at issue was the initial denial by General Manager Justin Wilder of access to the Cove member list by opponents of the current Board, citing legal counsel.

“It is not apparent what legal counsel Mr. Wilder was referring to, “as the counsel [hired by Wilder]” responded almost immediately and “provided the Member’s List for voting” in accordance with Virginia law, the plaintiffs contend.

“The association by its director and president Mark Majerus complains that plaintiffs’ concerns about the Election are unfounded, and director Dave Felt agrees with Majerus that “independent oversight of the election by a unlicensed groups of members’ would not be appropriate.”

The filing concludes with the contention that “the Association was unwilling to comply with legal requirements’ under Virginia law to provide access to the material.”

Cove Board members have been instructed by legal counel not to comment on the details of the case.

But alternate director Tim Hearn was not deterred.

He said in a statement that “these claims made by the plaintiffs rely on hypothetical statements that have a limited basis in reality. They claim to know how every voter in the Captain’s Cove Board election process allocated their ballots in the recent election, and every member of the community knows that is just pure conjecture.

“Their claims may secure them more likes on their preferred social media sites, but that is where the credibility ends.

“They didn’t lose the election because of these bogus claims; they lost the election because of a failed strategy that relied on creating divisiveness within the community and pitting full-time residents against lot owners, investors, and the Declarant,” he said.`

Auditors produce financial report for 2022-23 fiscal year

Schedule

shows a deficiency of expenses over revenues of $388,887

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club’s auditing firm has produced an audit report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2023, that had been delayed because of delays in producing one for the fraught year of 2022.

With that audit report finally completed, the auditors quickly completed the one for 2023.

Next up will be an audit report for the year ending Sept. 30 of 2024.

Rosen, Saperstein and Friedlandler as expected did not offer a definitive statement endorsing the accuracy of the numbers that appear in the 2023 report, as they contend that the association did not have adequate accounting records for the prior year, when management of the Cove was outsourced to a subsidiary of Troon Golf for about half of that year.

“We do not express an opinion on the financial statements for 2023,”

they say.

It was the lack of confidence in the opening balances for 2023 that led to that conclusion, according to the audit report.

In any event, the audit report shows that CCGYC had total revenues of $6.680 million in 2023 and expenses of $7.069 million, resulting in a deficiency of revenues over expenses of $388,887.

That result reflects activities in the general fund, the waterfront fund and the capital fund. The schedule showing this result appears on page 4.

This schedule reports general fund revenues of $6.607 million, expenses of $6.907 million, and a deficiency of revenues over expenses of $300,000

Another schedule that appears in the supplemental financial information of the report on page 18 itemizes that $6.907 million in expense. These expenses include $825,767 in bad debt write-offs and $549,471 in

depreciation, which some observers contend are non-cash items and shouldn’t be included as operating expenses.

The Cove auditors disagree.

Cove alternate director Tim Hearn told the Cove Currents that the $388,887 is a real number that accurately reflects activity for the year.

Alternatively, he said a typical business might use EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes and amortization) as a method of showing financial results.

Using that method, he said the Cove would have produced a net positive cash flow of $783,11, or a 12 percent return on $6.68 million in revenues in 2023.The difference between the accounting method employed by the auditors and EBETA is about a $1 million, he said.

He commended the Property Management Team for delivering excellent financial results in the areas of the budget under its control. Bad debt expense is not one of them.

The auditors are now recommending a 90-day write-off policy that the Cove is using, down from the 270day policy used by the prior auditing firm.

It’s more conservative but consistent with sound accounting practice, he said.

During the Feb. 24 PMT meeting, Cove member Tom Barton contended that bad debt expense should not be included in financial reports purporting to show cash flow activity, but Cove Controller Sara Shifflett said that the association is following standard accrual accounting procedures recommended by the auditors.

Barton is a frequent critic of Cove financial reporting, but there is no indication that his arguments are swaying Shifflett, Senior General Manager Colby Phillips or any member of the association’s Board of Directors.

The report shows that the association with general fund cash at the end of year in the amount of $809,629.

Phillips, Barton spar over new Town Hall building

By TOM STAUSSPublisher

SSenior general manager holds her ground against arguments advocating renovation

enior Genera Manager Colby

Phillips was not backing down from her support for a new Town Center building during the Feb. 24 Property Management Team meeting.

Cove association member Tom Barton as he has frequently of late pushed back against the proposal, which is not currently a front burner project to be funded anytime soon

by the Board of Directors. It’s very much in the preliminary design phase, with Phillips using the PMT meeting to show the latest floor plan of the building. She has a working group that is trying to come up with a plan to accommodate every possible function for the building.

It hasn’t changed radically from when it was first unveiled several years ago.

During the Public Comments segment of the hour-long meeting, Barton said there is little community support for a new building, with many residents preferring to spend association resources on a renovation.

“We shouldn’t be entertaining a $2 million project,” he said. “It’s a huge hit on the membership.”

Refurbishing the existing 1970s-era building is the better ap-

proach, he said.

He suggested moving association departments that now reside in the Marina Club building to the Town Hall building and making more of the Marina Club space available to members.

He suggested refurbishing the Town Cemter building with office space

Phillips wasn’t buying Barton’s narrative.

She said that planning for a new building is being driven by the DMA reserve study, not the Board of Directors, and that there is no hard number yet on how much a new building will cost.

She later told the Currents that moving department heads and staff to the Town Center building isn’t workable because there is insufficient space, and the footprint can’t be enlarged because of the pending location of the proposed stormwater management and water quality pond that is a component of the re-development of the Town Center project.

She also said the association would have to make the building ADA-compliant with an elevator for access to offices on the second floor.

She also alluded to recent comments from Cove association president Mark Majerus pushing back on the idea that a new building would be a huge hit on members in the form of higher annual dues.

He has said that as other debt is retired, such as that related to the new Marina Club roof, resources to finance a loan for a new building become available, with no dues increase necessary.

Meanwhile, the focus in the multi-year town center project is a new bathhouse for the town center pool. “We’ll be sending out a request for proposals for that” in the near term, and fixes to the concrete and plaster at the pool are also slated for repairs in the fall, she said.

Other topics addressed during the PMT meeting:

• Phillips said that some modest revisions to short-term rental rules, the product of a work group, will be submitted to the Board for approval in March.

• General Manager Justin Wilder suggested that a new form might be created for long-term rentals in the Cove, noting that there is a $50 u

charge whenever a new long-term lease is executed.

• Community Relations Director Julia Knopf said a new chair of the arts and crafts club is needed, and that vendors who sign up for the Farmers Market by April 8 will receive a 20 percent discount.

• Food and Beverage Manager Charlie Getz announced that a new Marina Club menu is in the works, a mix of current and new items.

• Security manager John Fox reported that in January, his department had a total of 3,000 miles driven with an average of 96.77 miles a day. There were a total of 40 calls for service, 11 for community safety, ten for violations/complaints, and 19 for community service.

• Luann Roche recently met with interested Bluebird enthusiasts and is looking to have more birdhouses built if anyone is interested.

Next up in the multi-year Town Center is a new bathhouse new bathouse, with requests for proposals going out to contracts soon.

Vista Design drew up the floor plan show at right.

Association records large operating surplus in January

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

Just released January financials for Captain’s Golf and Yacht Club show that the association is performing well compared to budget, and well into the c2024-25 fiscal year the association is showing a $705,486 positive variance to budget.

For the month, the association generated $590,305 in operating income, with a somewhat unusual negative operating expense of $417,691, resulting in net income of $1.008 million.

The driver behind this result was a bad debt expense of a negative $843,362. A negative expense effectively is a net positive, and that’s what happened this month.

CCGYC President Mark Majerus said the negative bad debt number under expenses was the result of a one-time accounting adjustment for lot foreclosure activity. It’s not to be confused with bad debt associated with members declining to pay annual dues. It’s a reflection of instructions from the association’s accountants on how to treat the complicated issue of bad debt under the accrual system of accounting.

For the year so far, the association has generated $713,704 in net income, ahead of budget by $705,486. There are eight months remaining in the fiscal year, and it’s possible if not likely that bad debt expense will show up as a negative in future monthly financial statements.

Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club - January 2025 financial results

Emergency response time debated

Phillips says Cove’s hands are tied in supplementing Greenbackville Fire

Department services

By TOM STAUSS Publisher

Emergency response time took up a lot of discussion at the Feb. 24 Property Management Team meeting, with one intriguing idea suggested as a way of supplementing emergency medical technician staffing at the Greenbackville

Volunteer Fire Department fire and EMT station.

The idea was for the Cove association to hire an EMT with funding provided by the county. The EMT would be stationed within Captain’s Cove and presumably would be on the job when the GVFD is not fully staffed.

Greenbackville was approved for 24/7 emergency Services two years ago, but because of the difficulty in staffing, the county has only been able to offer 24-hour service about ten days a month.

There was speculation on why that might be the case, with theories ranging from politics to the county’s

pay and benefit package not attractive enough to keep EMTs on the job. One Cove member said the pay rate amounts to $13 per hour for a trained EMT, but that number has not been vetted or verified.

It was also suggested that the county staffs EMTs at county fire stations according to the number of calls for service.

Greenbackville simply doesn’t have the call volume to justify 24-7 service all month, one resident said,

After giving the in-house EMT idea some respectful attention during the meeting, Senior General Manager Colby Phillps in an e-blast to the membership was much less bullish.

“The EMS issue is a county issue, not an association’s responsibility. Although we also want to see this improved, our hands are tied to what we can do,” she said.

She later told the Cove Currents that the EMT would need to be a county position because in addition to the EMT, the county would need to provide transport to a local hospital for treatment.

As an important interim measure, however, she said the entire Cove Security staff and many other Cove staffers have been trained on defibrillator equipment that can save lives when waiting for EMTs to arrive.

“Minutes can make a huge difference,” she said.

When Greenbackville is fully staffed, response time can be less than five minutes.

When it isn’t, and EMTs have to drive into Captain’s Cove from nearby Oak Hall, response time can climb to just less than 20 minutes.

Phillips told members that if they are concerned about EMT service in the Cove, they can attend meetings of the Board of Supervisors to voice their opinion.

Or she said members could email District 2 County Supervisor Board Roger DeGeorges at rdegeorges@ co.accomack.va.us. He’s a resident and member of the Cove association. Security logs report on the number of EMT calls that are made to Cove Security. The time of the 911 alert, our time on scene and 911 service on scene are included in these files, which are available on the Captain’s Cove Website.

Blonde desk agents greet the membership

By JULIA KNOPF Contributing Writer

Year-round, seven days a week, no matter if you call or drop by the Marina Club, you will be helped by one of who I have affectionately named “The Blonde Desk Agents.” This Blond-esque title is fitting for ladies who are essential to the operation of Captain’s Cove. Eileen Klinefelter, Debbie Hower, and substitute “agent” Mary Cranford keep the mission in line, allowing the rest of us to focus on our jobs.

I have had the pleasure of working closely with these ladies for the past two years, and like many of my coworkers, I have come to rely on them heavily. Not only do they all live in the community, but they all regularly volunteer and participate in work groups and events, further strengthening their ties.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, born and raised, and most recently hailing from York County, PA, Debbie moved to Captain’s Cove three years ago with her partner. Debbie is no stranger to managing a front desk; before joining the Captain’s Cove squad, she was the Front Desk Manager for a Red Lion, PA, medical office. This experience has prepared her for the joys and challenges she sees daily.

Much like Debbie, Eileen made the permanent move to Captain’s Cove in 2017, moving to the shore from Pennsylvania. Born in Altoona, PA, Eileen’s journey took her to Allentown, where she met the love of her life, and favorite person to tease, Tom. Before joining the team, Eileen worked as a corporate assistant for a large convenience store chain.

Their unique experiences have allowed both women to specialize in parts of the Cove Receptionist job. Eileen has become the “Queen of the Spreadsheet”; she is a whizz at Excel and file organization.

Eileen has helped create processes to smooth the interaction with the desk, allowing the ladies to share important information about the community.

Debbie has taken on the difficult task of collections. With her friendly and understanding personality, she will individually call members who may have overlooked a payment or experienced trouble in their portal login. Thanks to Debbie, the associ-

ation has collected dues while maintaining a sense of community spirit.

“I absolutely love it here,” Debbie says when asked about the community. “I love working here, always meeting new people and engaging with other members. My friends and neighbors have become family. I don’t want to be anywhere else.” That passion for the community will quickly become evident if you stop by the desk for a chat or call to ask a question.

While Eileen usually tackles the receptionist desk 3 days a week, she can be found at the Marina Club daily. A certified water aerobics instructor, Eileen volunteers to lead nine classes four days a week. She is passionate about helping others and enjoys problem-solving, whether for members in need or organizing events. Suppose you can’t find her teaching a class or working the desk. In that case, she is likely volunteering with C.E.R.T.(Community Emergency Response Team), Hearts on Wheels, Neighborhood Watch, Potluck, or working with her newest

therapy dog, Breeze.

Debbie and Eileen agree that one of their favorite parts about the Cove Community is all the events. “Family Bingo is my favorite; You never know what’s coming out of Eileen’s mouth.” Debbie jokes. Eileen, who teams with Debbie and me on Bingo and hosts the popular Feud with Friends, enjoys eliciting groans from audience members with her often corny jokes. “What is the sneekiest Bug? A SPY-der.” Eileen offers with a chuckle.

When not working the desk, volunteering, or helping with events, Debbie, the mother of five and grandma to eleven, says she enjoys the community’s quiet. She can be found walking in the woods, enjoying a glass of wine by the fire, or immersing herself in a book.

Always a powerhouse, beyond her Captain’s Cove interests, Eileen enjoys basket weaving and has her certification in dog training for use

as a therapy animal. She previously enjoyed taking her late therapy dog Storm to children’s hospitals and hopes to have her newest pup bringing joy soon. In addition to her furry loves, Eileen’s family holds a special place in her heart; she is the family census taker and enjoys organizing the annual family reunion; this year, they celebrated their 59th reunion.

Looking at all they do, the “Blonde Desk Agents” may be intimidating to some, but their passion for Captain’s Cove and their desire to bring joy to others make them truly special.

I see the connections that they forge with each member or guest who enters the door. They may not always have a solution, but give these ladies a mission, step back, and watch them work!

Julia Knopf is the director of community relations for Captain’s Cove Golf and Yacht Club.

Debbie Hower, Mary Cranford, and Eileen Klinefelter, Captain’s Cove front desk crew.