Commentary

Commentary Ocean City Today Apr. 22, 2022 Page 53 County hearing shows acceptance

Strong public criticism can lead a government body to change its mind, as was demonstrated this week when the Ocean City Council took a pass on its harshly criticized plan to raise the fee for a beach bonfire permit from $75 to $85.

Keeping that in mind, the Worcester County Commissioners’ 4-3 vote Tuesday night to buy a piece of land for a sports complex in Berlin was not surprising.

The rows of empty seats in the Stephen Decatur High School auditorium saw to that, as did the absence of any great hue and cry from the public at-large and the Ocean City citizenry in particular.

Sure objections were raised, but not an overwhelming number, which suggests that most residents either back the idea of sports complex or don’t see enough wrong with it to warrant raising a big stink.

Whether this Ocean City/Worcester County joint project is a good idea, a bad idea or somewhere in between is not the point, which is that it’s too early to know precisely what the future portends.

Besides, the argument over whether government should involve itself in this project is more a matter of political philosophy than it is of financial risk, since local governments routinely pay for capital projects with bond sale proceeds without any harm to the public.

That’s because this county’s AA+ credit rating — the second highest listed by S&P Global Ratings — means it pays its bills on time and still can. In addition, it is not as if the county is buying land of no value, or that it can’t recoup its investment if things don’t turn out as officials hope.

What happens next is the more critical question. Informal talks between county officials and potential facility operators began at least a year ago, although those conversations will remain a closed subject until a real agreement is in sight.

In the meantime, most residents don’t seem to be that worried. If they were, the hearing room would have been packed, and it decidedly was not.

Ocean City Today

11934 Ocean Gateway, Suite 6, Ocean City, Md. 21842 Phone: 410-723-6397 / Fax: 410-723-6511.

EDITOR ............................................ Stewart Dobson MANAGING EDITOR................................ Lisa Capitelli STAFF WRITERS .................. Greg Ellison, Greg Wehner, ..........................................Jack Chavez, Mallory Panuska ACCOUNT MANAGERS.......... Mary Cooper, Vicki Shrier ..............................................................Amanda Shick CLASSIFIEDS/LEGALS MANAGER .... Nancy MacCubbin SENIOR DESIGNER ................................ Susan Parks GRAPHIC ARTIST .................................... Kelly Brown PUBLISHER........................................ Christine Brown ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ...................... Gini Tufts

reprint from 4/26/2013

PUBLIC EYE Red light for Low-T

What a relief! It turns out that all our troubles, or at least a substantial share of them, are the result of a Low-T epidemic that’s really hitting American men below the belt.

What’s more, this problem can be solved easily by having men shine a red light on their ... um ... on their less-thandynamic duo. That’s what noted scientific expert Tucker Carlson has been telling his viewers: that red light therapy applied to the right location will reverse the documented downward trend of testosterone in men around the world. That downward trend part is true, according to various honest-to-goodness scientific studies that — I don’t know — use a dipstick or something to determine whether we men are due for refill.

I’m still somewhat skeptical, though, especially considering that it took me a while to understand that testosterone was not some kind of Italian soup.

“Say,” I asked my father when I was a kid, “is test-tos-ter-on-ee kind of like minestrone?”

After he wrapped up his choking episode, he explained to me that the former was a hormone that, in too great a measure, would cause men to punch each other in the nose for the sport of it, and in too little of a measure would cause men to make up for it by buying fast boats. Anyway, red light therapy is an actual thing, and is believed to help skin heal itself more quickly. How it is administered beats me, although I would assume that it’s best done by professionals and falls into the “do not try this at home” category. Being aware of the story of the professional baseball player who tried to iron his shirt while he was wearing it (See John Smoltz, who says it’s a big fat lie) you just know there’s a guy somewhere who’s going to do something stupid. “So,” says the emergency room nurse, “tell

By me what the problem is.” “Well,” begins the idiot, “I have this highStewart powered Tac Light and ...” Dobson “HOLY COW! Hey, everyone you’ve gotta come over and see this!” Actual scientists say one reason for the dip in T could be that men aren’t as physically active as they once were and spend more time sitting around in front of the TV than they do in honest-to-goodness manly pursuits that require them to get off their duffs, get outside and chop wood or something. In other words, it’s nature’s way of saying if you don’t need the T to fight off the challengers to your domain, it’s going to fade away. On the other hand, if red light therapy will work on this particular problem, I imagine there’ll be red light districts popping up all over.

By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (April 22, 2022) A man wearing a pirate shirt attempted to steal a dog before leading police on a chase that ended with liquor bottles being smashed on the floor of a liquor store downtown.

Jamal Malik Gambrel was arrested by Ocean City Police at 5:30 p.m. last Saturday near 33rd Street and charged with two counts of theft, four counts of malicious destruction of property, two counts of disorderly conduct, and failing to obey the orders of law enforcement.

Police said numerous people called to report that a black man wearing a pirate shirt, sweatpants, and a black backpack attempted to steal a dog. As officers were getting a description of the culprit, one officer saw a man matching the description walking on the sidewalk near 30th Street. The officer stopped the patrol car and ordered the man, later identified as Gambrel, to stop. The officer got out of the car and told Gambrel to stop again, but instead, Gambrel waved his hand in a downward motion and continued walking, according to the police report. Two of the people who reported the attempted theft started yelling to the officer that the man in the pirate shirt, Gambrel, was the person they were looking for.

Gambrel was told to stop once again by the officer, but he continued to walk before pausing, pointing his finger at the officer, and allegedly saying, “No, you stop.”

Police said Gambrel threw his backpack down and started running down Philadelphia Avenue, taking off his clothes in the process and causing several cars to slam their brakes to avoid hitting him.

The chase continued for several blocks until Gambrel ran into a liquor store where he was eventually detained.

When police entered the liquor store, they saw several broken bottles of booze on the floor. Employees inside the store told police Gambrel ran in and immediately started breaking the bottles. In total, 18 bottles were broken, costing approximately $450$550.

As for the dog, the owner said it was worth $1,000. The owner said Gambrel ran up to them and grabbed the dog by the harness, yelling, “It’s a free animal. Let her go,” as he tried to unleash it.

The owner said he pushed Gambrel away, but that he tried to steal the dog again, which is when the owner admitted to police that he pulled a knife on Gambrel and told him to go away. Police said Gambrel reportedly fled to another store nearby, where he destroyed several bottles of wine and attempted to steale various items.

Employees in the store locked themselves in the bathroom because they were scared, according to police.

A car owner also reported that Gambrel threw a rock at a window of the vehicle and broke it. The cost to replace the windshield was estimated between $700-$1,000.

Jamal Gambrel

Judge sentences Mcleod to five years for role in assault

By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (April 22, 2022) A Capitol Heights woman was sentenced to five years in jail this week after she was convicted of being an accessory to a crime involving a man who fell through the sunroof of a vehicle.

Jameal Danielle Mcleod, 28, was sitting inside a vehicle parked outside of a hotel with Antonio Jermain Epps, 28, of District Heights, when a man who was walking on top of vehicles in the lot fell through their sunroof.

After the man fell, Mcleod and Epps got out of the car to confront him. During the confrontation, Epps shot the man twice and fled the scene with Mcleod.

The pair was found a short time later at a gas station in Berlin.

The man who Epps shot fled the scene as well and was later found at the 15th Street fire station. Police said at the time the man was expected to make a full recovery.

Epps was charged with attempted second-degree murder, and last week was convicted of firstdegree assault and possession of a firearm, both felony charges. Epps was also convicted of several handgun-related misdemeanors and second-degree assault. His sentencing is pending a psychiatric evaluation.

Mcleod pleaded guilty to a felony charge of being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to a five-year jail term on April 14. According to court records, all but 151 days of Mcleod’s sentence was suspended.

Mcleod was also given three years of supervised probation, beginning that day.

Jameal Mcleod

Suspect reportedly hit officer

Continued from Page 51 the door for her to leave and when she started walking toward the door, she bumped into the officer and screamed, “Get the **** out of my way.”

The officer grabbed Smith’s arm to escort her to the side, and she grabbed onto the officer and started swinging her arms, striking the side of the officer’s head multiple times, police said.

Police said Smith was then arrested and that it took three officers to pin her down and handcuff her.

Police said Smith yelled, “**** you, you Asian bitch,” at the OCPD officer. The officer reportedly attempted to grab Smith by the hair to pull her off, but her hair turned out to be a wig and was removed in the process.

Defending Corregidor with guns and mortars

By Peter Ayers Wimbrow III Contributing Writer (April 22, 2022) This week, 80 years ago, Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright IV surrendered the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, and all Allied forces in the Philippines. The island is about 2.21 square miles and is about 30 miles from Manila.

Corregidor was defended by 56 coastal guns and mortars. The largest, of which there were two, were-12 inch guns with a range of 29,000 yards. There were also two 12-inch mortars. The island was equipped with 76 antiaircraft guns, ranging from 50-caliber to three inch. The defenders numbered 11,000 and included two battalions of the 4th Marine Regiment, assorted U.S. Navy personnel and about 1,500 American and Filipino Scouts.

The Japanese pounded the island, day and night, with their artillery and air force. It finally reached a crescendo on May 4, when 16,000 shells and bombs fell on the island. By the end of the day, many of the defenders’ guns had been destroyed.

The next day Maj. Gen. Kureo Tanaguchi led 790 soldiers onto the island shortly after midnight. Another 880 soldiers followed at 5:30 a.m. When three Japanese tanks arrived at 9:30 a.m., the jig was up. Gen. Wainwright radioed the president that, “There is a limit of human endurance, and that point has long been past.”

The general signaled the Japanese that he wished to surrender the Corregidor garrison. About 1:30 p.m. on May 6, 1942, he was taken to Bataan to meet with Gen. Masaharu Homma, commander of the Fourteenth Imperial Japanese Army, who arrived in a shiny Cadillac and demanded, in perfect English, that Gen. Wainwright surrender all Allied forces in the Philippines.

When the American general refused, Gen. Homma replied that he would take him back to Corregidor to do, “...what you damn well please....” Gen. Wainwright acceded to the Japanese’ demand and, at midnight, executed the surrender document.

Another 11,000 American and Filipinos marched into captivity. Allied casualties in the defense of Corregidor were 800 dead and 1,000 wounded, while 900 of the Emperor’s soldiers were killed and 1,200 wounded.

When Bataan and Corregidor surrendered, 11 Navy and 66 Army nurses also became guests of the Emperor. Their story was told in the movie, “So Proudly We Hail!,” starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake.

On Oct. 20, 1944, the effort to recapture the Philippines began when American soldiers landed on Leyte Island. Landings were made on Mindoro Island on Dec. 15, 1944. The first units came ashore on Luzon on Jan. 9, 1945.

On Jan. 23, 1945, the effort to retake Corregidor commenced with daily bombing by the United States Army Air Force. During the next month, 3,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the island. The Navy joined the fray on Feb. 13, and for three days pounded the island.

Three days later, the Thirteenth Air Force dropped 1,000 paratroopers onto the island. Finally, on March 1, 1945, the island was declared secured. Two days later, Manila was also declared secured. The Japanese defenders of Fort Drum, near Corregidor, were finally eliminated on April 13, 1945. Mindanao was invaded four days later.

Gen. Wainwright was liberated from Japanese captivity in August 1945 by the Red Army, in Manchuria, and attended the surrender ceremony aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, on Sep. 2, 1945, over which Gen. Douglas MacArthur presided.

Upon returning to the United States, a ticker-tape parade was held in Gen. Wainwright’s honor in New York City, on Sept. 3, 1945, after which he was presented with the Medal of Honor. Gen. MacArthur, who had received his for leaving, opposed the award to the general he left behind.

Gen. Homma, who suffered disgrace because the conquest of the Philippines had not been accomplished quickly enough, retired. After the war, he was charged with war crimes related to the Bataan Death March. He was convicted on Feb. 11, 1946 by an American military tribunal and sentenced to die.

He was represented in the trial by a team led by Major John Skeen, of Baltimore. Petitions for Writs of Habeas Corpus, Prohibition and Certiorari were filed in the Supreme Court of the United States, and immediately denied, with Justices Murphy and Rutledge dissenting. On April 3, 1946, Gen. Homma was executed by firing squad.

The cost of the Philippines’ involuntary participation in the Japanese’ “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” was 1 million Filipino deaths. On July 4, 1946, it became an independent republic, even though the Japanese had granted it “independence” in 1943, and in 1944 it had declared war against the U.S. That government was headed by José P. Laurel Sr.

Next week: Mandalay Captured Mr. Wimbrow writes from

Ocean City, Maryland, where he

Wainwright ordering the surrender of the Philippines while being monitored by a Japanese censor

Continued on Page 57

POLICE/COURTS

Continued from Page 55

Weed distribution

Zachary Wayne Smith, 25, of Ridgely, Maryland was arrested by Ocean City Police at approximately 1:30 p.m. on April 15 near Second Street and St. Louis Avenue and charged with possession of more than 10 grams of marijuana with distribution intent, and several other charges.

Police said Smith was stopped for a traffic violation and when officers approached the vehicle, they could smell marijuana from inside. Officers also spotted several open containers of cognac and malt liquor in the vehicle. Smith and his female passenger were ordered out of the vehicle so officers could conduct a search.

During the search, police found loose marijuana on the floorboards, a plastic baggie continuing 50 or more unused plastic baggies stuffed inside. Police also found a digital scale and about 100 grams of marijuana individually packaged for distribution.

Police said they believe Smith is involved in a controlled dangerous substance network that sells marijuana.

Smith reportedly told police he uses marijuana and said the bag and its contents belonged to him. Smith also said he purchased the marijuana from a dispensary at an undisclosed location.

Smith admitted to officers that he buys “a quarter or more” of marijuana then packages it into baggies for “a perfect blunt.” He also said he only sells marijuana to his mom and family when they can’t get it when they want.

Police said when they asked if they could look through his phone, Smith refused.