7/14/2023 Ocean City Today

SNELSIRE DRAFTED

Tram driver incentives show results

City approaches full roster, because of signing bonus

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Ocean City Boardwalk tram employee totals have jumped up since last month thanks to a $250 bonus offered to drivers and conductors.

“Staffing has increased markedly since last we spoke, directly as a result of the recently enacted signing bonus,” Transit Manager Rob Shearman told members of the city’s Transportation Committee at a meeting Tuesday.

Sun sets on Sun & Surf

stages of demolition.

By Remy Andersen Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) The walls of the Sun & Surf Cinema are coming down, as the complex enters its final

The eight-plex movie theater at 14301 Coastal Highway was an iconic staple of uptown Ocean City, reeling in moviegoers for more than 50 years.

Built in 1972 by Muriel and Reba Schwartz, of Dover, the Sun & Surf began as a twin theater, with two more screens added in 1974. Ac-

cording to Deadline, in the year that Sun & Surf first opened, the average cost of a theater ticket was $1.70, which would amount to $9.41 today once adjusted for inflation.

The top 10 highest grossing movies that year, according to “The Numbers” website, included “The Godfather,” “The Poseidon Adven-

Last month, the numbers were looking dismal, with just 18 drivers and 17 conductors on the payroll. The annual employee goal for the trams, which run regularly from Memorial Day to Labor Day with some one-off weekends before and after, is 25 of each.

During the committee’s last meeting in mid-June, members pushed to offer some type of incentive to draw more applicants, with the effort resulting in a $250 employee signing bonus. As of Tuesday, Shearman said

June crime stats decline from last year

Police Department over the past three years, with 9,285 in June 2021, 7,921 in June 2022 and 7,812 in June 2023.

Both categories combine to create the total calls to service.

“In terms of (the) recap from June, I think we fared very, very well,”

• Hang-ups during 911 calls more than doubled this year with 1,089 in June 2023, 495 in June 2022 and 476 in June 2021.

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Total calls to service in the month of June have continued to decline for the Ocean City

While citizen calls for service went up by 346 calls compared to June of last year, officer calls to service went down by 455, according to June statistics presented at the Ocean City Police Commission monthly meeting.

Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said.

Buzzuro broke down the OCPD’s top 25 calls to service:

• Traffic stops rose to 1,469 this June, while the total last year was 1,133 and 1,002 two years ago.

Buzzuro said these can be attributed to misdials.

“I don’t know why the number has doubled with people accidentally (dialing) 911 on their phones, but that’s

Former SDHS pitcher headed to Major League, picked in 17th round by Tampa Bay – Page 59

STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY

The curtains closed on the Sun & Surf Cinema Tuesday morning as what was left of the structure was ripped down by Absolute Demolition to make way for a residential project. The theaters sold the last tickets in September, after 51 years of showtimes in uptown Ocean City.

Crowds trekked uptown to see ‘The Godfather,’ ‘The Poseidon Adventure’

Police calls continue to fall from 2021, as compliance becomes more prevalent

June crime statistics show continuing decline in calls

Continued from Page 1

what we’ve kind of come to the conclusion of, so the good news is it’s not that true calls for emergency, but otherwise they’re still dialing the number,” Buzzuro said.

• City ordinance violations dropped to 839 this year from 1,441 in June last year and 1,685 the year before.

• Calls to assist Ocean City Emergency Services rose to 306 in June 2023, while there were 216 last year and 237 in June of the year prior.

• Alcohol violations have gone down this year to a total of 299 for this June, 406 in June 2022 and 648 in June 2021.

• Police had 199 calls for welfare checks this past June while there were 252 last year and 270 the year before.

• Police were called to 40 fewer vehicle collisions this June compared to June 2021, when there were 231. There were 319 calls to car accidents in June 2021.

• Calls involving controlled dangerous substance violations went down to 119 for June 2023, after being at 255 in June 2022 and 190 in June 2021.

• Noise complaints went down to 117 this year compared to 155 last year and 230 the year before, but animal control complaints went up to 108 this year while there were 94 in June 2022 and 86 in June 2021.

• “Be on the lookout for..,” or BOLO calls, dropped to 90 in June 2023, with 116 in June 2022 and 161 in June 2021.

• Calls for domestic disputes and assaults went down to 59 this past

EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST

June, after totaling at 78 last year and 118 in June 2021.

• Civil disputes have dropped over the past three years, with 33 this year, 51 in June of last year and 71 the year before.

• Warrant arrest calls were at 28 in June 2023, while it was 35 in June 2022 and 47 in June 2021, and all weapons violations calls followed a similar path with 26 this year, 36 last year and 49 the year before.

“Producing the numbers that you just saw are pretty impressive,” Buzzuro said.

The OCPD’s number of custodial arrests has gone down over the past few years with 487 this past June, 519 in June 2022 and 773 in June 2022, while criminal citations remained mostly average.

“You (Buzzuro) made a good point when you said it’s not because we’re decreasing enforcement, it’s compliance,” said Mayor Rick Meehan.

• Drug arrests also trended down with 28 in June 2023, 48 in June 2022 and 78 in June 2021.

• Drug citations for marijuana dropped to 15 in June this year, compared to 142 in 2022 and 152 in 2021. Adult possession and use of Cannabis became legal July 1.

• Weapon arrests have gone down over the past three years with 111 in June 2021, 79 last year and 59 in June this year. Both firearms and weapons followed a similar consistent downward trend, but knife arrests were always higher. The “other” weapons category remained between 24-28. All three of these categories combined make up the

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Number of drivers, conductors now near goal

Continued from Page 1

the division had 22 drivers and conductors. The number of supervisors, techs and sellers were also at or above the stated goal.

Shearman added that more trams have been deployed this year compared to last year at this time and that ridership is up about 6 percent.

“Again, with additional staffing, we’re seeing a return on that already,” he said.

Currently, seven trams run up and down the Boardwalk at staggered times from noon to midnight. The city has eight, but Transportation Operations Manager George Peake said one is currently out of service.

As of now, four trams start at noon, with the rest coming on later, both overlapping and relieving the early drivers.

Councilwoman Carol Proctor, who serves on the Transportation Committee, and Mayor Rick Meehan, committee chairman, inquired about possibly staggering the shifts differently so more trams are available at night.

Proctor said she recently rode a tram the length of the Boardwalk around 9:30 p.m. and noticed some large groups getting turned away because there was no room and no more trams were coming.

“By the time I got off at 15th Street it was full. And I noticed people waiting,” she said.

Shearman said that while the employee numbers are looking good, the division is still not fully staffed and some of the drivers do not want to work at night, which makes staffing the trams during later hours challenging.

He said, though, that he would look into trying to move some of the staff members to later shifts to accommodate the crowds at those times.

In the bus division, Shearman said ridership for this June compared to last June is “pretty much lock and step.”

“It’s pretty much what we predicted and expected with the rate increase,” Shearman said, referring to a $1 bump in the ride-all-day cost instituted before the start of the summer.

“And the deployments, so far that is panning out the way we envisioned it.”

He also said the number of drivers is about steady with where it was last year.

“Overall morale is better now than this time last year,” Shearman said of the bus drivers. “So far it looks like bus staffing is where we want it to be.”

‘The Godfather,’ ‘Deliverance’ led box office sales in 1972

ture,” “What’s Up Doc,” “Deliverance,” “Jeremiah Johnson,” “Cabaret,” “The Getaway,” “Last Tango in Paris,” and “Lady Sings the Blues.”

“Ocean City saw its first high-rise condo being built in 1970, and the opening of the Route 90 Bridge in August of 1971,” said Bunk Mann, the author of “Vanishing Ocean City, Ghosts in the Surf” and “Ocean City Chronicles.”

“This gave rise to major growth in the northern part of town,” he continued. “Enough was developed so that this area could have importance to the community.”

The annexation to the Delaware line occurred in 1965, along with a sewer placement.

“This gave the Sun & Surf its market, bringing people into town who were looking for something to do,” Mann said. “Ocean City could now see its season becoming year-round, as previously the season ended on Labor Day.”

Fox Theatres claimed ownership in 1980, with the theater seeing an-

other extension of four more screens in 1982. In 2015, Sun & Surf underwent a renovation that saw the addition of new luxury recliners.

The theater’s final day of operation was on Labor Day of last year, with its immediate closure proceeding the day after. The 2.73-acre site, which includes the theater and surrounding property, was listed for sale with a price tag of nearly $7 million earlier in 2022.

Soon after, the developers of the Cambria Hotel downtown began planning construction of an eightbuilding complex with 56 three-bedroom townhouses at the site of the shuttered theater. The demolition will pave the way for groundbreaking of the project.

Fox Theatres, which runs theaters in Ocean City and Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, still owns the four-screen Fox Gold Coast Theatre on 113th Street, beside the Gold Coast Mall, which still honors Sun & Surf passes and gift cards. The theater underwent a renovation in 2018 that included updating the restrooms and adding heated recliners.

Compliance means fewer calls

Continued from Page 3

Continued from Page 1 total.

“It’s interesting, the correlation between drug arrests and weapon arrests,” said City Council President Matt James.

• Smoking citations were 57 this year while there were 352 last year. The last time smoking citations were

below 241 was in June of 2019, which had 41 citations.

“We’ve already had a couple instances where noncompliance has led to a physical interaction,” Buzzuro said of smoking violations. “That’s unfortunate but that comes along with that type of enforcement, so we just have to be cognizant of that.”

LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY

A tram drives along the Boardwalk downtown on Fourth of July weekend. Transportation officials reported on July 11 that a $250 signing bonus offers for driver and conductors is paying off with an upswing in the number of employees hired since last month.

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Cannabis businesses receive new customers, and new bills

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Business might have gone up in the legal cannabis market since July 1, but so did the cost of doing business.

With the legalization of cannabis use for anyone 21-and-over on July 1, dispensaries were subject to a conversion fee that, once paid, allowed them to sell recreational cannabis along with prescription marijuana they had been providing since December 2017.

The cost: 10 percent of the business’s total gross revenues for 2022, which must be at least $100,000 but not more than $2 million. Dispensaries that became operational after Oct. 1, 2022 must pay a flat rate of $25,000.

Such a price placed a “tremendous burden” on every dispensary in the state, said Robert Davis, co-owner of Hi Tide, a dispensary on Marjan Lane in West Ocean City. Davis is also the pharmacist and clinical director there.

“We were given a very short period of time, and then also we’re trying to remodel our stores and increase our capacity all at the same time, so there’s a tremendous amount of capital needed for that.”

Cannabis businesses can pay the fee in installments as long as it’s finished by Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Fiscal and Policy Note for HB556, the law that legalized adult use and possession. The money from conversion fees goes to the Maryland

HUNTER HINE/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Since the legalization of cannabis on July 1, local dispensaries have been enjoying new customers, but the conversions fees required to update licenses has placed a heavy burden on cannabis business around the state. Pictured is Hi Tide Dispensary in West Ocean City.

Dispensaries across MD still face advertising constraints

Cannabis Administration and is credited to the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund.

Businesses that don’t convert their medical license to include recreational sales would no longer be allowed to operate under the license after July 1.

Even with extra bills, Hi Tide is enjoying the expanded market.

“I think the community is very excited that it’s finally able to be purchased without the stigma of what it was,” Davis said. “I mean, as a medicine it did very, very well in helping people, but now it’s available to people that might not have went through the trouble of getting their card and now it’s much more open that way.”

The long lines outside dispensaries on July 1 were not all that unusual, Davis said. For Hi Tide, medical patients lined up outside the business’s doors even before legalization.

“We open at 10 a.m., people want to move through their day, so they usually get here a little bit early in the morning anyway,” Davis said.

Usually about 30 minutes after opening, the line dissipates and business levels-out, Davis said.

With recreational cannabis now available to the entire over-21 population, including out-of-state visitors (although it’s still illegal to transport cannabis across state lines), Hi Tide’s customer base is still about 50 percent recreational, 50 percent medical, Davis said.

Medical card holders, however, are exempt from the state’s 9 percent tax on cannabis products, and patients get to jump to the recreational customers in line when they enter Hi Tide’s queuing system.

There hasn’t been a situation yet where Hi Tide runs low on their Cannabis inventory, and Davis doesn’t anticipate the situation arising, but the business does reserve 20 percent of their product for medical patients only.

“The state of Maryland has a very good system in place. All the products grown in the state and processed in the state and sold in the state in the closed network that they have,” Davis said. “They have tremendous production capabilities and we’re not having any shortcomings whatsoever.”

Hi Tide does business with every cannabis grower and processor in Maryland, which helps the business create a variety of choices for customers and patients, Davis said.

Before July 1, medical dispensaries were subject to advertising restrictions, and even after the passage of legal recreational cannabis, restrictions continue.

HB556 states that dispensaries, growers and processors of cannabis may not advertise “through specified forms of media unless at least 85 per-

cent of the audience is reasonably expected to be at least age 21,” according to the law’s “Fiscal and Policy Note.”

The Maryland Cannabis Administration’s website still only provides advertising FAQs for medical cannabis, and it states that dispensaries can place signs on their properties, but billboard or advertising signs cannot be placed within 500 feet of public parks, libraries, or primary and secondary schools, among other places.

“The advertising restrictions are pretty over the top. With the state they don’t allow us to put signs or to promote our business through signs and certain types of advertising, so (it’s) kind of extreme, but the state does what it does,” Davis said.

On June 28, Hi Tide posted a disclaimer on Facebook telling customers that the site is constantly sending the business warnings, and that if information on the page isn’t up to date, the dispensary’s profile might have been suspended or shut down.

“Facebook and Instagram do not allow any kind of cannabis businesses to do any kind of anything, and that also seems to be true of banking,” Davis said. “All these companies have chosen to keep cannabis companies as if they don’t exist.”

Facebook’s hemp and related products advertising policy page says that the site doesn’t allow ads that promote THC products, cannabis products or CBD products.

CBD is another active ingredient in cannabis that has been shown to help treat diseases like some childhoodepilepsy syndromes, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

“We are a very regulated business to begin with, so I’m not sure why they would have such restrictions against us since we are a U.S.-based business, fully licensed,” Davis said. Davis assumes, like any other business requiring age identification, the dispensary will at some point find people trying to purchase recreational cannabis with fraudulent ID’s.

“We do have VeriScan here, which is actually a scanning system that checks for the birthdate obviously, but more importantly it checks to make sure that’s not a fake ID,” Davis said.

Davis said that Hi Tide has felt a strong reception from the public for recreational cannabis, and that the company has faced no backlash.

“We’re just thrilled that the traffic flow and the flow of patients has been very manageable, and we’re just very happy that we’re able to keep our customer service levels high,” Davis said.

Resort continues waiting for launch of digital tram ads

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Screens that were recently installed on the backs of the Boardwalk trams were supposed to begin flashing advertisements weeks ago. Instead, they currently display a blue error message, and town officials are not letting it go.

“The boards are all now all installed but we have not seen any content deployed on them as of yet,” Transit Manager Rob Shearman said of the empty screens at a Transportation Committee meeting earlier this week.

“So that is a major area of concern for all of us here in the building right now,” Shearman continued. “And we will be pressing [new ad contractor] Gateway to provide us updates between now and your next meeting because that is a major hot button topic right now.”

City officials signed a contract last year and transitioned to Gateway Outdoor Advertising with hopes of increasing revenues from ads placed on trams and buses. Company officials floated a plan to install equipment on the backs of the town’s eight trams that ride up and down the Boardwalk to display ads digitally. The goal was to sell the spaces, which can flash multiple ads at multiple-second intervals, to local businesses to generate more revenue than simply selling the static spaces on the tops.

Shearman said the wiring of the equipment was more complicated than expected and took longer than planned, which pushed back the initial goal to have the screens up and running by Memorial Day, and then the air show. Most recently, the goal was July 1, which has come and gone as company officials continue working out kinks in the wiring.

“That’s a major area of concern and we’re continuing to press Gateway to lean on their vendors and get that solved for us,” Shearman said.

He said he had a meeting set with Gateway officials last week to talk

See SCREENS Page 10

Correction

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about when they will be able to turn on the screens, and promised to keep committee members up to date.

Mayor Rick Meehan, who chairs the committee, said that if the update is not positive that he wants Shearman to tell company officials that Transportation Committee members want to talk to them.

He also said that once the screens are ready that they can start displaying city tourism and other promotional ads to help sell the spaces to paid advertisers.

Shearman also provided an update on the revenue that Gateway has raised since taking over the ad contract in the fall. All in all, he said the numbers are not where officials had hoped, which he attributed to the change in vendors.

“Unfortunately, [it was] a lessthan-smooth transition from one to the next,” Shearman said.

Meehan said it was expected that the ad numbers would not be up to 2019 levels, which was the last time the revenues were higher, immediately after the transition.

“We’re being confident that what Gateway told us is it’s going to take a year or two to jump it back up where it needs to be,” he said.

Hartman appointed to state board

(July 14, 2023) Del. Wayne Hartman (R-38C) has officially been appointed to the Maryland Tourism Development Board by House Speaker Adrienne Jones.

The board’s mission is to guide activities to develop and market the state

as a destination for tourism.

“I am pleased to appoint Delegate Wayne Hartman to serve as a House of Delegates representative on the Maryland Tourism Development Board,” Jones said in a news release.

“I am confident that Delegate Hart-

man will share his extensive experience and leadership skills with the Maryland Tourism Development Board and that his expertise will benefit the tasks of the Board.”

Hartman said in the release that he was honored to be apportioned to the board.

“I look forward to working with the Board to increase Maryland’s tourism rates and overall competitiveness,” he said.

Hartman also scored 100 percent in the Maryland Free Enterprise Foundation’s annual roll call publication, indicating a strong pro-business and pro-jobs growth position.

“My business score from the Maryland Free Enterprise Foundation reflects my voting record during session in Annapolis,” Hartman said in the release. “I will always remain committed to supporting economic development, job creation, and a strong business climate throughout Maryland.”

Wayne Hartman

HUNTER HINE/OCEAN CITY TODAY

A screen on the back of a Boardwalk tram displays an error message as it awaits digital advertisements that transportation officials had hoped would be running at the beginning of the summer.

City developing express bus routes for Oceans Calling

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Ocean City transportation officials are working on a list of express bus routes to create a smoother travel experience during the Oceans Calling Festival downtown this fall.

At a Transportation Committee meeting Tuesday, Transit Manager Rob Shearman told members that he is working with a consultant for the promoter of the three-day festival on a plan for deploying buses. He said the consultant asked for a list of the stops the city buses make on a daily basis and expressed some concerns about the number.

“It slows service down,” Shearman said of the feedback. “Particularly when the headlining concerts let out.”

The solution, he said, is a developing plan to run the buses in express mode over the weekend so passengers get used to boarding where they are let off.

Mayor Rick Meehan, who chairs the Transportation Committee, suggested making a public service announcement with all of the details once they are finalized not only for the festival goers, but also the regular passengers, so everyone is aware of the schedule.

Shearman said 1,000 to 2,000

people ride the buses on a daily basis during that time of year.

“We will make sure our daily riders are adequately informed of what is going on,” he said.

Dozens of big-name performers are set to take multiple stages throughout the duration of the event, which is set for Sept. 29-Oct 1 and host roughly 50,000 people each of the three days.

Besides the transit plans, officials are working out details surrounding security, parking, law enforcement and the overall footprint of the festival to ensure everything goes smoothly. This will be the first year for the festival after last year’s plans were canceled due to the threat of inclement weather.

MALLORY PANUSKA /OCEAN CITY TODAY

A bus stop is shown on 25th Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City. Transit officials are working on an express bus route plan for this fall’s Oceans Calling Festival to better accommodate all of the people who are going to be downtown.

OC Council opens two project bids

By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Ocean City staff members are reviewing bids for two separate projects following official openings at a work session this week.

Councilman Tony DeLuca and Deputy City Manager JR Harmon opened bids on Tuesday for a cart lease contract at Eagles Landing Golf Course,

and for renovations to the former Bank of Ocean City building downtown.

Three bids came in for the cart lease, two of which were below the $169,000 annual projected budget. Two of the respondents also submitted five-year bids, with all of them offering GPS for the carts.

For the old Bank of Ocean City building at the corner of Baltimore Av-

enue and Dorchester Street, which is set to become a part of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station museum, the four bids received all came in over the $550,000 budget.

Council members voted unanimously to send both groups of bids to staff members for review and recommendation for approvals with no other public discussion.

An architectural rendering from several years ago shows the planned design for the former Bank of Ocean City Building on the corner of South Baltimore Avenue and Dorchester Street downtown. Bids were opened July 11 for the planned renovation project.

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School board sees residents in “Red for Ed” on Tuesday

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Worcester County residents showed solidarity with teachers, bus contractors and other education professionals by wearing red shirts to the Worcester County Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening.

Megan Seyler, a Stephen Decatur High School teacher, posted on Facebook Monday calling people to show their support for staff by wearing red to the meeting, and asking for people to share how Worcester County Schools have positively affected them or their children.

Seyler said the idea comes from “Red for Ed,” and that wearing it shows unity.

“I love teaching. I love teaching in Worcester County. But I choke up when I think/talk about stuff I won’t be able to provide for my daughter as I continue to stay in Worcester,” Seyler said in a Facebook message. “I

Some showed up to the July 11 Worcester County Board of Education meeting wearing red to show support for teachers, bus drivers and school support staff. They shared concerns about personnel salaries with the board. Pictured is Megan Seyler, a Stephen Decatur High School teacher, in red, addressing board Chairman Todd Ferrante and Superintendent Lou Taylor.

School staff, alumni share salary concerns

don’t want to leave and that’s why I try to get community people engaged.”

The Worcester County Commissioners’ maintenance-of-effort funding vote left the school system with a $4.5-million shortfall for its 2024 budget. Maintenance-of-effort is the term the state uses to refer to county funding of a school system that is the same on a per-pupil basis from one year to the next, with no increases beyond that.

At its June meeting, the board voted for cuts in funding to tutoring programs, summer academies, afterschool programs, school supplies, the outdoor 2024 graduation ceremony and other areas.

The board has yet to renegotiate employment agreements with teachers and education personnel associations, so the board unanimously voted to extend the 2022-2023 negotiated agreements at the Tuesday meeting, and signed the forms.

Before the agreements were extended, the board opened the floor to public comments, and Seyler was the first person wearing red to address the board.

“I’m going to be selfish for about two minutes, something that teachers are often not allowed to do,” Seyler said.

Seyler said she’s been a Worcester County resident all her life and that she is proud to have taught a decade at the school where she graduated. However, she continued, the feeling of pride has dimmed.

If not granted a step pay increase and a cost-of-living-adjustment next year, her paychecks will be smaller next year because of the about 9.5 insurance premium increase, she said. The board previously told school employees there were 4 percent and 4.5 percent raises coming.

If only granted a step increase next year, Seyler said she would be able to make over $10,000 more in salary if she worked at a Wicomico County school.

If she had been a veteran teacher in Wicomico County, she would’ve gotten $2,500 in retention bonuses from a state grant award for covid recovery, something Worcester County didn’t do, Seyler said.

Seyler said that if the school had given grant bonuses, commissioners wouldn’t have been able to “hold this grant over our heads.”

“In addition to not knowing my salary for next year, after-school academy has been cut at my school.” Seyler said. “There goes my extra money to pay for soccer and dance classes for my kindergarteners.”

Seyler wondered what might become of the 2027 budget request, which would include a $60,000 starting salary for first-year teachers that is mandated by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, she said.

“The need to financially provide for my family is not selfish,” Seyler said. “I chose to become a teacher, (a) profession that shapes all professions, and (it) should allow me to pay my bills without supplemental employment. The lack of stability and my financial future as a teacher in Worcester County, a county I love, is exhausting. Next year will be a deciding year for me.”

Rose Zollinger, a 15-year school counselor at Snow Hill High School, who was also in a red shirt, told the board that she remembered how well-compensated staff was, and how

revered this county’s public school system was around that state when she first got a job there.

“I did feel like I had won the professional lottery,” Zollinger said.

Zollinger quoted a study titled Pennsylvania’s Best Investment: The Social and Economic Benefits of Public Education by Dana Mitra, Ph.D., associate professor of education at Pennsylvania State University, which showed that people who graduate quality education are more likely to find employment, have stable families and be productive citizens, and that they are less likely to commit serious crimes or be enrolled in welfare programs.

“A quality public school education positively impacts every aspect of its society, and a quality education does

See SOME Page 16

By Jack Chavez Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) The Worcester County Commissioners discussed the following during their meeting on Tuesday:

Jail med services

The commissioners unanimously approved extending the contract with Wellpath, which provides medical services to the Worcester County Jail, for one year — until June 30 next year.

The total costs, including additional requests to help the Medical Assisted Treatment program, come to about $1.7 million, about $200,000 over the approved FY24 operating budget account for the contract.

Procurement officer Nick Rice told the commissioners that Wellpath, the county’s vendor since 2011, was for-

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merly contracted under five-year intervals, but with changes in the medical industry the old contract model was no longer efficient.

He and jail Warden Fulton Holland Jr. thought it’d be prudent to extend for one year this time to implement changes, and upon assessment next year be in a position for another multiyear extension.

Street name

The commissioners unanimously approved the naming of a private road as Bay Point Lane off South Point Road in Berlin. Three homes use the lane as a shared driveway on a single lot among five total lots in the community. Development, Review and Per-

mitting Director Jennifer Keener wrote in a memo that the permit for a third home in 2007 should have triggered a mandate that the roadway be named by the commissioners.

Request to bid

The commissioners unanimously approved requesting qualifications from housing rehabilitation contractors. In a memo to the commissioners, Rice wrote that the Department of Housing and Community Development will no longer issue waivers when less than the minimum three bids are received for a given project and instead require a new procedure involving these qualification requests. The requests are meant to establish

a pool of qualified contractors for all Community Development Block Program projects.

Rec center addition

The commissioners unanimously approved the Recreation and Parks Department’s request to award the bid for the Worcester County Recreation Center storage addition project to Delmarva Veteran Builders for $355,500, considerably lower than the total approved project amount of $632,000 from the county’s Program Open Space funding. The project will address the overflow of fitness and youth sports equipment that is spilling over into the gym area of the recreation center.

Some criticize school funding cuts

Continued from Page 15

not come cheap,” Zollinger said. “As such, I implore this board to fully fund the already agreed upon salaries for my children’s highly qualified educators, to prioritize paying hardworking bus drivers accordingly, to prioritize paying invaluable support staff a living wage.”

Brian Robertson, a man who graduated from the local system, said that outcomes and impacts are often more telling than budgets and test scores, and listed accomplished professionals who had come from his high school class.

He said that the mentors who taught these students receive a salary that’s $10,000 less than what a McDonald’s manager makes.

“It’s quite the bargain,” he said.

“I’m extremely disappointed that after tirelessly working through a

pandemic, that the public school system in this county is being inappropriately funded,” Robertson said.

The funding that Worcester County recently used to buy a rescue vehicle should have gone to the schools, Robertson said in reference to $324,000 that commissioners approved for the Sheriff’s Office to buy an armored rescue vehicle.

None of the speakers testified against funding teachers and personnel, but some shared worries about cuts the board members made at their last meeting, and expressed concerns over how the board treated commissioner requests for a more detailed budget.

Jennie Rice directed one statement to board Chairman Todd Ferrante, saying that he shouldn’t have made cuts on after-school programs, summer programs and the outdoor graduation ceremony.

“This is not a funding issue, it’s a priority issue,” Rice said.

Rice thanked board member Katie Addis for opposing the cuts.

Jana Hobbs, who said she has 30 years of education experience, told the board that teachers do deserve money, and kids do deserve afterschool programs, but that the board should work together with the county on the budget.

“We’re all adults, we need to stop acting like children who lost their favorite toy,” Hobbs said.

Several commenters also asked the board to incorporate more evening meetings into the schedule so that people who work during the day can attend and voice concerns. Addis later forwarded a motion to move three future meetings to the evening, though it wasn’t seconded, and the motion died.

Two dogs rescued from house fire

Three firefighters injured, family pups saved in Shad Row blaze on Wednesday

(July 14, 2023) A residential house fire earlier this week in Ocean City that resulted injuries to several firefighters had a happy ending for two family dogs that were found and rescued during the incident.

According to a news release, just before 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, Ocean City Firefighters responded to a report of a fire at a house in the 1500 Block of Shad Row.

After receiving multiple 911 calls reporting the incident, the release said an assistant chief arrived on the scene and confirmed a working structure fire, “with the added urgency of two dogs trapped inside.”

After arriving, firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, while simultaneously searching of the residence. Their efforts paid off when they successfully located both dogs, ensuring their safety before handing them over to the homeowners.

The release said one firefighter sustained a medical emergency during the incident and went to Atlantic General Hospital for further evaluation and treatment. Another two firefighters sustained minor in-

juries.

Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers expressed admiration for the work and professionalism displayed by the firefighters who responded to the call.

“Our firefighters demonstrated exceptional skill extinguishing the fire

and conducting the search for the trapped dogs,” Bowers said in the release “Their dedication to protecting life, property, and our community is truly commendable.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office.

Video

shows police punching D.C. man during arrest in OC

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Videos circulating on social media and Washington, D.C. television news show an Ocean City police officer punching a D.C. man as he allegedly resisted arrest after refusing to comply with Boardwalk smoking ordinances or accept a citation.

Police arrested 34year-old Denzel Elam Ruff about an hour after midnight on July 6 on the Boardwalk by Dorchester Street, according to the police report. Ruff is a golf coach and professional caddie, according to his LinkedIn page.

“We’ve already had a couple instances where noncompliance has led to a physical interaction,” Buzzuro said of smoking violations in general at a July 10 Police Commission meeting. “That’s unfortunate, but that comes along with that type of enforcement, so we just have to be cognizant of that.”

In one video posted to Twitter, by-

See VIDEO Page 20

PHOTOS COURTESY RYAN WHITTNGTON

Ocean City firefighters tend to a blaze the morning of July 12 at a home in the 1500 Block of Shad Row in Ocean City. Two dogs were rescued and several firefighters were injured in the fire, which is still under investigation.

Denzel Ruff

Video circulates online, police say use of force under review

Continued from Page 18

standers yell at police as they try to handcuff Ruff. Public safety aides (PSAs) can be seen blocking onlookers and telling them to stand back.

Police eventually bring Ruff to the ground, and someone tells the officers to “get off of him” and ask, “Why are you doing that?”

As the police try to grab Ruff’s arms on the ground, Ruff turns onto his side. One officer then punches Ruff in the head with one hand while grabbing Ruff’s neck with the other.

The officer who hit Ruff was wearing a blue and black uniform.

PSAs wear yellow and black uniforms, seasonal police officers wear blue and black uniforms and full-time officers wear exterior vests, said Ash-

ley Miller, deputy communications manager for the OCPD.

“Our officers are permitted to use force, per their training, to overcome exhibited resistance. All uses of force go through a detailed review process,” Miller said. “In this instance, the use of force will go through a multi-level examination by the Assistant Patrol Commander, the Division Commander, and then by the Office of Professional Standards. This case is still going through the review process.”

Around 12:40 a.m., police and PSAs were walking south on the Boardwalk when Ruff allegedly asked police about the Boardwalk smoking ordinance, and officers told him people could be fined for violating it, ac-

cording to the police report.

The report states that Ruff told police “Who’s going to pay that? Not me,” then walked down the Boardwalk and smoked his vape.

Officers wrote that they approached Ruff and tried to issue a citation. They told Ruff to stop but he continued to walk away from officers and ignore their commands, according to the report.

Police said a PSA and an officer stood on either side of Ruff, told him he was being detained, and attempted to put handcuffs on him.

Ruff reportedly did not comply and an officer forced Ruff to the ground.

Officers allege in the report that Ruff continued to refuse to put his hands behind his back, and kept his arms underneath his stomach to avoid the handcuffs. The report states that Ruff yelled that he would fight the police.

Two officers and a PSA struggled with Ruff on the round until they could handcuff him, according to the report.

The report does not mention the punch.

Ruff allegedly continued to “thrash and throw” his shoulders as officers escorted him to the 10-block of Dorchester Street, and police put Ruff in a “Violent Person Restraint Device” there.

The OCPD charged Ruff with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, fail-

ure to give proper ID information and second-degree assault, according to the police report.

“The Ocean City Police Department shall provide the highest degree of ethical behavior, professional conduct, and quality police services to all residents and visitors. We strive to ensure all laws and town ordinances are followed to ensure the Town of Ocean City remains the familyfriendly atmosphere it is known for,” Miller said.

Miller noted that the Boardwalk is a smoke-free zone, which applies to “cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vaping, ecigarettes, marijuana, and any other matter or substance that contains tobacco,” she said.

The beach has designated smoking receptacles that smokers and vapers must be within 15 feet of, she said.

In June 2021, a video went viral that showed Ocean City Police kneeing a man in the ribs and tasing another man during the arrest of four people on the Boardwalk.

That incident began after one man refused to comply with smoking ordinances and continued to vape. Police arrested him.

The three others involved were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, assault and resisting arrest after a crowd reportedly became hostile to police after the arrest of the first man.

The Ocean City mayor’s office did not comment in time for this article.

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HUNTER HINE/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Police punched Denzel Elam Ruff, 34, of Washington, D.C., during an arrest, after Ruff allegedly refused a smoking citation. Video of the arrest is circulating social media, local news and D.C. news. Pictured is the Boardwalk by Dorchester Street where the arrest took place.

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Police arrest five on handgun, other charges

Two adults, three juveniles led officers on high-speed chase into West Ocean City

(July 14, 2023) Two adults and three juveniles were arrested on handgun possession charges earlier this week after leading Ocean City Police officers on a chase in and outside of town limits.

According to a news release, Ibrahim Santwa Kanu, 19, of Woodbridge, Virginia; Matthewos Mulugeta, 20, of Arlington, Virginia; and two 17year-olds and one 16-year-old, all of Lorton, Virginia, face firearms and other charges stemming from the incident that started just after 11 p.m. on July 10.

The release said officers attempted to stop a vehicle the five individuals were riding in for driving without headlights on 17th Street and Baltimore Avenue. The vehicle did not stop and officers did not continue to pursue.Officers on stationery patrol, however, tried to stop the vehicle

around 34th Street.

The release said the vehicle then fled “at a high rate of speed.” Officers reportedly saw the vehicle run several red lights and make several unsafe lane changes.

Officers at 59th Street attempted to stop the vehicle with stop sticks, but did not completely succeed desire blowing out several of the tires. The vehicle continued driving west on the Route 90 bridge, leaving Ocean City.

Officers reportedly provided a broadcast of the vehicle’s description to fellow allied law enforcement personnel and drove out to the intersection at St. Martins Neck Road to ensure the vehicle did not become disabled on the bridge. Officers then

saw the vehicle stopped near the western part of the bridge with multiple people exiting.The vehicle continued on Route 90 after four occupants exited the vehicle.

As officers approached the group of occupants on the bridge, the release said they saw Kanu throw a bag over the side of the bridge into the bay below. Ocean City Police officers detained all four individuals on the bridge.

Due to the vehicle failing to stop, occupants fleeing on foot, furtive movements by the occupants, and throwing the bag into the bay, officers conducted frisks of the four individuals detained. Three of the individuals were juveniles and did not have any weapons on them. When officers frisked Kanu, they found a loaded handgun.

Members of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police responded in a boat to recover the floating bag beneath the bridge. An officer retrieved the bag from the bay and told Ocean City officers that a handgun was inside it. Ocean City officers met the DNR police at the shoreline and took custody of the bag and loaded handgun.

Officers continued searching the area for the vehicle and driver. Members of the Ocean City Police Department Special Enforcement Unit eventually found the vehicle parked at a gas station on Racetrack Road in Berlin. They reportedly saw the driver vehicle enter the gas station. Members of the Ocean City Police Department and Maryland State Police responded to the gas station and detained Mulugeta.

M. Mulugeta

Ibrahim Kanu

Worcester County man gets 40 years in fatal stabbing

(July 14, 2023) A Worcester County man was sentenced last week to serve 40 years in prison for his role in a fatal stabbing at a West Ocean City motel in January 2022.

According to a news release, Sherronte Robins, 41, of Stockton, was found guilty after a trial in Worcester County Circuit Court in March of second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment stemming from the incident.

Police were reportedly dispatched to the local motel on Jan. 24, 2022,

Philly residents arrested on stolen vehicle, gun charges

in response to reports of an assault. After arriving, they found a male victim lying on the ground unresponsive with a stab wound to the neck area. The man was pronounced dead soon after emergency responders arrived.

The release said an ensuing investigation by the Maryland state Police Homicide Unit turned up surveillance footage showing the victim leaving Robins’ room at the motel holding his throat and eventually collapsing to the ground.

Robins is seen on the video throwing an object, which police recovered and found to be a 1-inch steak knife covered in blood, out of his room. Police promptly took Robins, who was on scene when they arrived, into custody.

(July 14, 2023) Two Philadelphia residents were arrested in Ocean City last week on theft and handgun charges after officers discovered them in possession of a stolen vehicle in a local “no parking” zone.

According to a news release from the Ocean City Police, just before 3 p.m. July 4 officers were patrolling the 100 block of Third Street when they saw an SUV parked next to a red “no parking” curb.

Officers learned after running the tag and identification number that the vehicle had been reported stolen during an armed car jacking on June 29 in Philadelphia.

Officers used City Watch footage to determine when the vehicle was parked on the curb and what the occupants looked like, and issued a broadcast of their description to fellow law enforcement.

Two of the occupants, Jackson Rodriguez De Sena, 18, and Briana Hughes, 21, both of Philadelphia, were detained after returning to the vehicle while officers were still on the scene.

Members of the Philadelphia Police Department informed Ocean City

officers that there was a Beretta handgun inside the vehicle when it was stolen in Philadelphia. Local officers found a Sig Sauer handgun inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle and learned that the handgun was stolen out of Reading, Pennsylvania. Officers promptly arrested Rodriguez De Sena and Hughes and later found the Beretta handgun from the vehicle.

Rodriguez De Sena was arrested on charges of unauthorized removal of a vehicle; unlawful taking of a motor vehicle; stealing property with value at least $25,000 but less than $100,000; theft at least $100 but less than $1,500; and several firearms charges. He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and has been held without bond.

Hughes was also arrested on charges of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle; stealing property with value at least $25,000 but less than $100,000; theft at least $100 but less than $1,500; and several firearms charges. Hughes was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and held without bond.

Worcester man sentenced to 19 years in two local cases

(July 14, 2023) A 46-year-old Worcester County man is set to spend the next 12 years behind bars following conviction in two separate cases.

According to a news release, Eddie Collick, of Stockton, was sentenced to a total 19 years in prison on June 29 for charges stemming from a street racing incident in August 2020 in Snow Hill, and a drug case in September 2022.

The release said a Worcester County judge ordered Collick to serve four years for failing to immediately stop his vehicle at the scene of an accident involving death and 15 years for distribution of cocaine. The judge suspended seven years of the cocaine sentence, which is to run consecutive to the other charge, and ordered three years supervised probation, for a total 12 years locked up.

The traffic charge originated from a collision on Aug. 14, 2020, in the

area of West Market Street and Coulbourne Lane in Snow Hill. Worcester County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene and identified two victims who were ejected from the vehicle and lying in a field. The victims ultimately died from injuries they sustained.

The release said further investigation and accident reconstruction revealed that Collick had been engaged in street racing with the victims’ vehicle, causing the victims’ vehicle to lose control and crash into a utility pole. Collick reportedly failed to stop his vehicle and remain at the scene as required by law.

The drug charges resulted from an investigation conducted jointly by the members of the Ocean City Police Department’s Narcotics Unit and the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team in September of 2022. During the course of the investigation, Collick reportedly distributed cocaine to an undercover police officer in Ocean City, and was promptly arrested.

Sherronte Robins

Jackson De Sena Briana Hughes

Eddie Collick

Peach chipotle, apple butter smothered barbecued ribs

By Deborah Lee Walker Contributing Writer

(July 14, 2023) There is nothing better than yummy, lip-smacking, finger-licking ribs.

Peach chipotle and homemade apple butter are two of my favorite barbecue sauces.

Peaches are in season, so now is the time for the pickings.

Peaches and chipotle are a great combination. The level of heat can be adjusted according to personal preference.

Apple butter barbecued ribs are a fusion of tradition and originality. Luscious apple butter is fitting for fall foliage and a creative coating for juicy ribs. The secret is to allow the flavor of the apple butter to come through, and at the same time tone down the sweetness and intensity of the warm spices.

Following are three recipes: peach chipotle barbecue sauce, apple butter barbeque sauce, and a basic rib recipe for barbeque ribs. Remember, ribs can be eaten year-round. Too cold for the grill? No worries, your trusty oven is another option.

Peach Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1-pound peaches

¾ cup water

6 tablespoons tomato paste

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 adobe chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon sauce

3 large cloves garlic, chopped ½ sweet onion, chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

1 rounded tablespoon light brown sugar

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat.

2. Allow mixture to simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree the mixture.

4. Serve immediately or freeze future use.

Homemade or store-bought apple butter is the first consideration when making apple butter barbecue ribs. Homemade tastes much better but store-bought saves a lot of time.

Barbeque sauces freeze well and makes wonderful gifts. Simply fill small canning jars and finish with a rustic ribbon.

What type of mustard is a factor when making homemade barbecue sauce. Typically, yellow mustard is the preferred mustard. I find a touch of Dijon mellows out the yellow mustard.

Ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce adds depth of flavor while garlic powder, onion powder, and crushed rosemary enhance the savoriness of the sauce.

Crushed red pepper flakes add heat and texture. You can replace the pepper flakes with your favorite hot sauce. Just remember, hot sauces have their own unique flavor which will affect the barbecue sauce. If one wants extra heat with no additive flavors, try Chinese chili oil. Use it spar-

See HOMEMADE Page 27

CROSSWORD

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20

Aries, there are tips and tricks to learn through observation of others, particularly if those people are doing something with style. Keep your eyes peeled for inspiration.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21

Taurus, let other people know what you are feeling by wearing your heart on your sleeve a little more often. You don’t have to be stoic all of the time. It is alright to ask for help as well.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21

It may seem like the days this week will trickle by at a snail’s pace, Gemini. It is perfectly fine to enjoy some slow-moving days for a change to help you recharge.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22

Cancer, kick up your flirtatious nature, particularly if you have your eye on someone and are eager to start a relationship. Those who are attached can rekindle the passion.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23

Leo, share your optimism and levelheadedness with someone who could use your support right now. You have an uncanny way of making others feel relaxed just by being in your company.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22

An interesting travel opportunity comes your way, Virgo. However, at first glance it might not seem like the type of trip you would normally take. Keep an open mind and be surprised.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23

Libra, if you do not like the way things are going in one of your relationships, it is alright to speak up and encourage change. You are an equal partner and compromise is necessary.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22

Scorpio, you have to jump on every opportunity to get ahead that is presented to you, even if it may temporarily upset your schedule and life. The investment will be worth it.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21

Get involved with helping others as much as possible, Sagittarius. This way you will be in the unique position to help someone close to you who needs it soon enough.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish when you lay on the charm. Others will flock to you this week and want to hear what you have to say.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18

Enjoy every meeting of minds that you encounter, Aquarius. Each relationship and discussion can help broaden your horizons, and you can use that information wisely.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20

Pisces, no matter how good a partnership looks on paper, if you are not meshing with this individual then it is not a partnership worth pursuing. Focus your attention elsewhere.

Homemade recipes provide flavor

ingly, it will sneak up on you.

Once the sauce is made, lightly simmer for 15 minutes. This final step helps the ingredients come together for a better tasting barbeque.

* I appeared on Delmarva Life and did a cooking segment on Apple Butter Barbecued Ribs. If you would like to watch the cooking segment, Google Delmarva Life, Deborah Walker, Apple Butter Barbecued Ribs.

Apple Butter BBQ Sauce

Homemade Apple Butter

4 pounds soft apples such as Fuji, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups apple cider

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

tiny splash fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in

a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 90 minutes. Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree apple mixture

2. Remove lid and continue to reduce until the apple butter becomes very dark and thick. Towards the end, you will have to constantly stir so the apple butter does not burn.

3. Transfer apple butter to a container and allow to cool completely. Top with tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use. Apple butter can also be frozen.

Yields about 4 cups

Barbecue Sauce

1 cup homemade or store-bought apple butter

½ cup ketchup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon crushed rosemary

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 to 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large sauté pan. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Ribs

2 full slabs of baby back ribs, cut in half chicken broth

1 large onion, quartered

5 cloves garlic, chopped

3 stalks celery, quartered

1. In a large Dutch oven, add enough chicken broth to cover the ribs.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and lightly simmer until fork tender. Approximately 45 minutes.

3. Cover ribs liberally with your choice of barbecue sauce. Place ribs on a grill or under the broiler until a nice sear is achieved.

Secret Ingredient – Originality

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

— Herman Melville

Worcester GOLD collects supplies

(July 14, 2023) Worcester County GOLD, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has run a school supplies for students program for more than 25 years, providing backpacks filled with grade-appropriate supplies to local students in need.

The program has been a great success, with the organization receiving 300 to 500 student school supply re-

quests from agency users — caseworkers, nurses, therapists, and advocates who work directly with families in need in Worcester County.

GOLD representatives encourage community members to help by shopping for a student or making a donation. By supporting this program, donors can ensure that a child in need has all the necessary supplies

to start the school year on the right foot. Even a small donation can go a long way in helping GOLD reach the goal of providing every child with the supplies they need.

Anyone interested in shopping for a student, making a donation, or learning more about the program, visit GOLD’s website at WorcesterGOLD.org.

Dining Guide

■ PRICE RANGE: $, $$, $$$

■ RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted

DOWNTOWN

South end to 28th Street

■ ANGLER RESTAURANT

312 Talbot St., Ocean City 410-289-7424, www.angleroc.net

$$ | Reservations | Kid’s menu | Full bar

$6 cruise with $15 lunch or dinner food purchase. Serving lunch, dinner, and lite fare. Seafood is our specialty and great landlubber choices. Boat Bar Happy Hour is 3-6 p.m. Open daily. For lunch, dinner, and Lite fare. Dine in or carry out available.

■ ANTHONY’S CARRYOUT

1608 N Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, (corner of 17th and Coastal Hwy) 410-213-4803, anthonyscarryoutoc.com

$$ | Sandwich shop

American restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. Locally baked rolls with overstuffed and oversized subs, sandwiches, hand cut Idaho fries, fried chicken and much more. Thinly shaved slow roasted roast beef and hams daily. Breakfast sandwiches stuffed meats, eggs and cheese piled high. A must try!!! Open daily, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

■ CABANAS BEACH BAR & GRILLE

Located in the Plim Plaza Hotel, 109 N Atlantic Ave., 2nd Street & the boardwalk, Ocean City, 410-524-1776, www.cabanasoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Open to the public. A full-service restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner inside and Signature smash burgers, fresh cut fries, handhelds, signature salads, and much more. Indoor and outdoor bar. Fresh squeezed crushes, frozen drinks, tropical libations. Dine in or carry out. Open 7 days a week starting with breakfast 8-11 a.m. The kitchen is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at least 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The bar is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at least midnight Friday and Saturday.

■ CAPTAIN’S TABLE

15th Street and Baltimore Avenue, in The Courtyard by Marriott, Ocean City, 410-2897192, www.captainstableoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

A local tradition for more than 60 years featuring hand cut steaks, premium lobster and regional seafood. Open for breakfast and dinner every day. Happy Hour: 7 days a week, 4-6 p.m. Breakfast: Monday through Friday, 7:30-10:30 a.m.; Saturday through Sunday, 7:30-11:30 a.m. Dinner: Sunday through Thursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 410 p.m.

■ CARUSO’S PIZZA & SUBS

Downtown & Boardwalk across from Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Ocean City, 410-289-1990, oceancitymdpizza.com

$$ | Kids’ menu Pizza, subs, calzones, stromboli’s. Fresh lemonade, orange crushes and beer. Open 7 days a week. Dine in or carry out available.

■ COINS PUB & RESTAURANT

28th Street Plaza and Coastal Highway, Ocean City 410-289-3100, www.coinspuboc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

American style local restaurant serving seafood, steaks and chefs specials. Check out the off season weekday specials. Early bird; daily, 25:30 p.m. Sunday’s early bird specials, all day and all night. Happy Hour; daily, 2-5:30 p.m. with food and drink specials. Open Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. Dine-in, carry out. Ordering online www.coinspuboc.com.

■ CORAL REEF RESTAURANT & BAR

17th Street in the Holiday Inn & Suites, Ocean City 410-289-2612, www.coralreefrestaurant.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Traditional Eastern Shore cuisine and local favorites. Choose from a selection of house specialty entrees such as sharable, handhelds and seafood. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featuring specialty rums. Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Happy Hour, every day, 3-6 p.m.

■ DUMSER’S DAIRYLAND

Caroline Street, Wicomico Street and S. Divi-

sion Street on the boardwalk, Ocean City www.dumsersdairyland.com

Ice Cream is made daily. Stop by any Dumser’s location for homemade ice cream, milk shakes, sundaes, floats and much more. Open 7 days a week.

■ FISHTALES BAR & GRILL

21st Street and the Bay, Ocean City 410-289-

0990

$-$$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Fishtales located in a premier outdoor beach location on the bay with the best sunsets. Come for the best local fare in town. We offer lunch and dinner with great happy hour food and drink specials. Kids play area too. So, sit back and enjoy. Open 7 days a week.

■ HAMMERHEADS RAW BAR & GRILL

913 Atlantic Ave. on the boardwalk, Ocean City, 410-289-0006, www.hammerheadsocmd.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Oceanfront deck. Try our Seafood steam pots and 1/2 lb burgers, creative cocktails like the shark and tank and rum punch bucket. Take a break from the beach with a cool frozen drink or one of our refreshing fresh squeezed fruit crushes. Open 7 Days a week, noon to 10 p.m. Dine in or carry out is available.

■ HARBOR WATCH RESTAURANT

806 S. Atlantic Avenue, Boardwalk & Inlet, Ocean City 410-289-5121, www.harborwatchrestaraunt.com

$$-$$$ | Reservations | Kids’ menu | Full bar

The highest quality seafood, unlimited sides, award-winning raw bar, certified angus beef and home to the best view of Ocean City, Inlet and Assateague Island. Open daily, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Raw Bar specials, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m, featuring half priced steamed shrimp and $4 draft beer. Call for banquet and large-party details.

■ OCHO RIOS JERK & TINGS

11805 Coastal Hwy, Ocean City 443-664-7275, www.ochoriosjerkandtings.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Authentic Jamaican food in Ocean City. Serving lunch and dinner. Yardies’ Jerk Wings, soups, salads, chicken seafood, beef, oxtails to curry goat and coco breads. Finish off a delicious meal with Jamaican rum cake and fried sweet plantains. Vegan options are available. Open 7 days a week, Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

■ PICKLES PUB

706 Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City 410-289-4891, www.picklesoc.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Open daily. Serving food until 1 a.m. Free parking across the street. Daily food and drink specials. Live entertainment 6 nights a week. Lots of pool tables. Liquor store attached. Game room. 30+ drafts on tap. Dine in or carry out.

■ PIZZA MAMBO

710 Philadelphia Ave., between 7th and 8th Streets, Ocean City 410-289-1200; 7205

Coastal Hwy., Ocean City, 410-524-0090, ocpizzamambo.com

$$ | Kids’ menu

Serving pizzas with homemade crust, sauces, and 100 percent cheese. Specialty pizzas, wings, appetizers, and salads. Also, calzone, subs, and sandwiches. Fast free delivery with 2 locations. Open year round. Order online at ocpizzamambo.com

■ TOAST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

221 Wicomico St, Downtown Ocean City, Inside Emerson Towers on the Bay 410-237-7070, www.toastocmd.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Serving NY specialty pizzas, home of the Super Slice Challenge, brunch breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches & subs, Italian & Seafood. Relocated to Ocean City’s downtown bayfront. Check out Facebook for daily specials, days & hours open. Dine in and carry out available. Open 7 days a week. Serving brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 3-9 p.m. Happy Hour 1-6 p.m.

■ THE WEDGE BAR

806 S. Atlantic Ave., Boardwalk and Inlet, Ocean City www.thewedgeoc.com

$-$$ | Full bar

Panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, bay and

Assateague Island. Enjoy small plates, sandwiches and burgers grilled on Ocean City’s only Josper grill. Happy Hour, Sunday through Thursday, 3-5 p.m. Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.

MIDTOWN

■ 32 PALM 32nd Street in The Hilton, Ocean City 410-2892525, www.32palm.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Elevated cuisine, locally sourced ingredients and allocated spirits are prominently featured in our lounge and dining room. Open year-round for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Routinely updated menus with the highest quality local ingredients for fresh seafood any time of the year. Happy Hour, every day, 3-6 p.m.

■ THE BONFIRE

7009 Coastal Hwy, Ocean City 410-524-7171, thebonfirerestaurant.com

$$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

The ultimate all-you-care-to-eat seafood and prime rib buffet. 150 feet of delicious food with prime rib carving to order station, chicken, ham, steamed and fried shrimp, briskets, salad and soup bars, homemade desserts, and so much more. Crab legs are available by the pound. Check out the early bird specials. A special section of foods for children when the kids are happy so are the parents. Plenty of seating for large parties. Call for reservations. Voted the best buffet in Ocean City for 6 years. Open 7 days a week, Monday through Friday, 4 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.; and Sunday, 4 p.m.

■ MARLIN MOON

3301 Atlantic Ave. in the Double Tree Hotel, Ocean City 410-289-1201, www.marlinmoonocmd.com

$$ | Full bar

Winner of the Maryland People's choice award, Marlin Moon continues to offer its famous, locally loved dishes and famous happy hour. Enjoy crafted cocktails, fresh selections from the raw bar and luscious desserts. Happy Hour, every day, 3-6 p.m., featuring July drink specials. Breakfast, 7:30-11:30 a.m.; Lite Fare, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Dinner, 4-10 p.m.

■ MACKY’S BAYSIDE

54th Street & The Bay, Ocean City 410-7235565, info@macky.com

$$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

Macky’s Bayside Bar & Grill, where life is good!

Macky’s is open daily during the season and features chef inspired specials, an awesome happy hour, and the best bayside sunset on the Eastern Shore. Visit mackys.com to check out our music schedule and upcoming events. Come hang out where life is good, Macky’s Bayside Bar & Grill open all summer long!

■ PGN 29th Street, Ocean City, 3301 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City 410-289-8380, 410-289-4083, www,pgncrabhouse.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Beer & Wine

Know for their famous steamed crabs. Dining in or carry out is available. Casual seasonal seafood stop for the all-you-can-eat specials. Steamed crabs, chicken and corn on the cob. You can find clams, ribs, crab cakes, seafood platters and more. You can call for daily specials. Open 7 days a week. 11 a.m.

■ SEACRETS 49th Street, Ocean City 410-524-4900, www.seacrets.com

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Open Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday, 10 a.m. through midnight with island atmosphere. Jamaican jerk chicken, appetizers, sandwiches, paninis, pizza and fresh seafood.

Sunday, 7-11 a.m. buffet or A la carte. Serving Dinner; Bamboo Lounge, Sunday through Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Bistro, Friday, 3-10 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reef 118 Restaurant, Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy cocktails in the Bamboo Lounge, Sunday through Thursday, 4-10 p.m., Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

■ SQUARZ PIZZA & RESTAURANT

In Montego Bay Shopping Center, 12825

Coastal Hwy, Ocean City 443-664-8149, www.squarzpizza.com,

$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

New Ownership. Open 7 days a week at 4 PM. Serving soups, salads, build your own pizza, small plates, sandwiches, dinner entrees and desserts. Full bar and HH 7 days a week, 4 to 6 PM. Dine in special menu that changes weekly in addition to the regular menu. Wide variety of gluten free options. No fryers on premises, Dine in, carry out and delivery available. Check out the menu and order online. 10% of entire check excluding alcohol.

■ VISTA ROOFTOP RESTAURANT

Located on the 8th Floor of the Fenwick Inn, 13801 Coastal Highway, Ocean City 410-3907905, VISTAROOFTOPOC.COM, @VISTAROOFTOPOC

$$-$$$ | Full bar

Ocean City’s newest rooftop dining Open Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to midnight. New at Vista Boozy Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, July 22 and 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Happy Hour, 3-6 p.m. Serving Lite Fare, 10 p.m. to midnight.

■ WHISKER’S PUB

11805 Coastal Hwy., Located in the Ocean City Square Shopping Center 410-524-2609, whiskerspub.com

$$/$$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

Under new management. Serving lunch and dinner with new menu items. Finger foods, savory sandwiches, soups, salads, and delicious entrees. One of the highlights is the famous burgers. High quality ingredients and cooked to perfection. Also, serving fresh seafood, steaks, and chef’s special dishes. Open 7 days a week at 3 p.m. Happy Hour, daily, 4-7 p.m. Dine in, carry out and curbside pickup. Come for the food and stay for the fun.

OCEAN PINES

■ CLUBHOUSE BAR AND GRILLE

100 Clubhouse Drive, Ocean Pines 410-6417222, Oceanpinesgolf.org/dining

$$ | Full bar

Indoor and outdoor dining with sweeping views of the 18th green and pond, the Clubhouse Bar and Grille serves freshly prepared breakfast and lunch items with a full bar menu. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday. Carry out also available.

■ OCEAN PINES YACHT CLUB

1 Mumford Landing Road, Ocean Pines 410641-7222, www.OPYachtclub.com

$$-$$$ | Full bar

The Ocean Pines Yacht Club offers casual coastal cuisine for lunch and dinner in a beautiful bayfront setting. Fresh seafood, signature drinks, live music and more. Open daily at 11 a.m.

WEST OCEAN CITY

■ CANTINA LOS AGAVES MEXICAN GRILL

12720 Ocean Gateway #7, West Ocean City 410-390-3914, cantinalosagaves.com

$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

Ocean City’s newest Mexican restaurant and bar. Offering delicious and generous portions of the tastiest traditional and not so traditional #MexicanEats you have ever tried. Open daily at 11 a.m.

Serving food until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Bar open til 11 p.m.

■ OC CHOPSTICKS Asian Bistr

■ BAHAMA’S CRAB SHACK CARRYOUT & OUTLET

Oceanside MD/DE Line and Coastal Hwy, Fenwick 302-537-5882

Premium seafood, fat crabs by weight, sandwiches and dinners. Open daily at 10 am, closed Wednesdays. Seafood, chicken, homemade soups, super crab cakes, steamed shrimp, fresh clams, soft crabs, scallops, oysters, and snow Crab Claws.

■ CAROUSEL OCEANFRONT HOTEL & CONDOS 118th Street, Ocean City 800-641-0011, www.carouselhotel.com

Enjoy one of four restaurants in the Carousel.

Serving breakfast; The Bistro, Saturday through Sunday, 7-11 a.m. proudly serving Starbuck’s brand. Reef 118 Restaurant, Saturday through

12741 Ocean Gateway, Suite 890, West Ocean City (Outlets Ocean City) 410-801-1111, www.occhopsticks.com

$$ | Beer | Premium Sake

Authentic Chinese, Japanese and Thai food. Dine-in and carry out. Lunch specials, dinner and lite fare. Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. and Friday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

■ PIZZA TUGOS

9935 Stephen Decatur Hwy., West Ocean City 410-524-2922, pizzatugos.com

$$ | Full bar | Celebrating 40 years in Ocean City. Offering pizza, wings, burgers, subs, salads, pasta and more! Open daily at 11 a.m. Serving food until 2 a.m.

Strict rules exist for safely digging holes on beaches

By Kristin Joson Contributing Writer

(July 14, 2023) I have come to realize that most people have no idea that digging deep holes in the sand can be dangerous.

Even a small deep hole can break a leg if not seen by someone jogging or casually walking along the crowded beach.

Just last weekend while enjoying a day at the beach, I nearly missed falling in a hole while taking pictures. Deep holes always make me cringe, realizing the parents have no idea they could be digging their own child’s grave.

Whenever you go to the beach, you will see people of all ages digging in the sand. Digging a hole is normally viewed as a chore, however at the beach it suddenly becomes a fun way to pass the time!

Lifeguards know that these holes, even shallow ones, can collapse and kill. They monitor digging holes and will inform diggers that the sand can be a serious hazard.

Often these holes are hard to spot with umbrellas and beach goers blocking the view of the hole. Lots of people dig holes or tunnels in the sand, but they don’t know their holes can quickly cave in and trap those inside.

The rule is simple and straightforward: you can dig holes on the beach if they only take up a small area and are no deeper than the knees of the smallest person in the group. There is absolutely no tunneling allowed. Never leave your hole unattended and always fill it back in so it isn’t a hazard to others.

The crews that clean the beach overnight while we are all sleeping encounter large holes that can cause damage to the equipment and are a danger to the equipment operators. So please think about others before you dig.

About 14 summers ago in Ocean City I was actually on the scene when an 11-year-old boy was attempting to dig a tunnel between two holes. The tunnel collapsed and he was buried alive, headfirst, with only his feet exposed. There was nothing he could do to save himself. The more he struggled the tighter packed the sand around him became.

Lucky for him a girl noticed the trouble and alerted a family member who began efforts to free the child from the sand that not only was trapping him but also taking his life.

As several minutes passed, the situation became frenzied when the mom screamed for help. The scream of terror brought several nearby beach patrons to assist with unearthing the trapped child, however, these efforts were making little

progress and were making the situation worse, which is usually the case with a bystander response.

As the first lifeguards arrived on the scene they immediately went to work and with a more organized effort were able to recover the lifeless body of the boy. (This is a skill that surf rescue technicians are trained in and practice each season for emergencies such as these.)

They performed CPR and this story had a happy ending. In fact, we still keep in touch with the family who remains forever grateful.

For some hole diggers, the story can have a deadly ending. We try to tell people about the dangers of digging holes in the sand before their often-intricate, pit digging plans get too far underway.

There is something about a day at the beach that makes people want to dig and most people don’t realize the dangers. Digging a shallow hole to lie down in and get covered up for a picture is funny and safe. But anything deeper than the knee is not.

Out on the beach digging holes has become just another part of the vacation like looking for sand crabs or eating fries on the boardwalk.

Our SRTs always do their best to monitor the different situations on their beaches, but on a day when the water is busy and the beach is crowded with umbrellas, diggers can make dangerous amounts of progress in the sand, not even realizing the potential for danger before they are asked to fill in their holes.

SRTs are often asked by hole diggers why deep holes are not allowed. Let us review the facts.

Deep holes are dangerous just about anywhere they are found, and people usually try to avoid falling into them. Sand holes are particularly dangerous because they can collapse on the people digging them.

Also, the vacation-oriented mindset of hole diggers clouds judgment and people tend to underestimate the possible dangers of jumping in and out of a giant sandpit.

Many times, people want to get their picture taken in the hole that they dug, not realizing that at any given moment the sand can cave in around them.

Once a person is buried in the sand it is very difficult if not impossible to dig them out and have a positive outcome. Sand shifts back into place even as people try to move the sand off a trapped victim.

Interviewing several people that

See HOLES Page 30

33RD STREET & OCEANSIDE

BEACH

Holes in sand could end up being deadly for beachgoers

attempted to help the 11-year-old boy referred to in the above Ocean City emergency confirmed that this was exactly what was happening to them. As they feverishly attempted to remove the sand that was trapping the boy, more sand just as quickly took its place.

One might be amazed that it would take 40 people 30 minutes to free a buried victim. Just as a person can drown in a small amount of water it does not take a very deep hole to trap a child and once trapped due to the nature and instability of sand holes a person could parish before being freed

Hence the rule that the hole may only be as deep as the knee of the smallest person in the group of people digging the hole.

I have heard some people say that people being buried alive under the sand is an old wives tale that lifeguards use to scare people into obeying a rule. Let’s look at the startling statistics.

An 18-year-old died May 2021 while he and his 17-year-old sister were digging a hole in the sand on a New Jersey beach — three days after a 13-year-old boy was killed while tunneling into a sand dune in Utah.

More than several dozen young people have been killed over the last decade on beaches in the United States when their hole or sand tunnel collapsed on them.

Harvard researcher Bradley Maron, who has been tracking sand hole collapses worldwide for the past decade says that 60 percent have been fatal.

When you look at sand hole collapses worldwide the number dramatically increases and if you look at entrapments that do not end in the death of the trapped individual, the statistics would report hundreds each year.

Interestingly, people always ask about sharks, which have never been a problem in Ocean City, however, national statistics comparing sand hole collapses to shark attacks confirms that you are far more likely to experience a sand hole collapse than a shark attack.

(A person has a one in 3,748,067 chance of a shark attack fatality).

So instead of asking every lifeguard how many shark attacks there were this year, people should ask how many sand hole collapses occurred.

The truth is, it does happen on our beach and as recently as this past week, when a young adult male was digging a deep hole.

As he sat in the hole the sand began caving in on him burying him up to his upper chest and making breathing difficult and freeing himself impossible.

What made the situation more critical was the fact that his head was below the surrounding sand and there was a real danger of further collapse had he attempted to free himself. Luckily for this guy, our staff were able to free him with no further injury.

It is unbelievable that a vacation could end so tragically, but it does happen. Use your common sense and keep your hole digging to a safe depth. Remember, if you do dig a hole, never leave it unattended and make sure that you fill it in before you leave for the day.

As our dunes are recovering from this past winter’s storms and trying to become more substantial, the dune grasses are flourishing. We are finding that children are being drawn to play in the dunes and dig.

Although this has never been allowed, we want to urge parents and beach patrons to stay off the dunes to allow them to grow and continue to protect our beach.

The Ocean City beach has one of the cleanest, finest sand you will find anywhere. Enjoy it, but please do so in a safe manner.

One thing that you can always do to remain safe is limit beach activity to a time when lifeguards are on duty.

The last two sand hole fatalities that occurred in Ocean City occurred after the SRTs went off duty (yes people have died in sand holes on our beaches).

Remember to always keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard’s in the stand; it could save a life, yours! As added protection for you and your friends, always locate the nearest stand with a guard and swim on that beach.

PHOTO COURTESY KRISTIN JOSON

Ocean City Beach Patrol rookies practice digging out a victim buried in the sand at rookie graduation the first week of July. They are working as a team to pull the sand away from the hole.

NOW PLAYING

July 18: DJ Jeremy Karaoke Party, 9 p.m.

July 19: “Support your local bartender night” featuring DJ Wax, 9 p.m.

HAMMERHEADS RAW BAR & GRILL

913 Atlantic Ave. on the boardwalk, Ocean City 410-289-0006 / www.hammerheadsocmd.com

July 14: Troy Mawyer, 7-11 p.m.

July 15: Bryan Dorsey & AJ Fox, 1-5 p.m.; Josh Pryor, 7-11 p.m.

July 16: Endless Ember, 1-5 p.m.

MACKY’S BAYSIDE BAR & GRILL

54th Street and the bay, Ocean City 410-723-5565 / mackys.com

July 14: DJ Casper, 10 p.m.

July 15: DJ Vybe, 10 p.m.

July 16: Trivia with Brandon Speedbump Myers, 10 p.m.

July 17: DJ Vybe, 10 p.m.

33 RPM

THE ANGLER RESTAURANT

312 Talbot St., Ocean City, 410-289-7424 / www.angleroc.net

July 14: 33 RPM, 7-11 p.m.

July 15: Chris English, 5 p.m.

July 16: Rogue Citizens Band, 5 p.m.

July 18: Dune Hounds, 5 p.m.

July 19: Aaron Howell, 5 p.m.

July 20: Full Circle Duo, 5 p.m.

CAPTAIN’S TABLE

15th Street and Baltimore Avenue, Located in The Courtyard by Marriott, Ocean City, 410-289-7192/7191 / Captainstableoc.com

Friday & Saturday: Phil Perdue, 5-9 p.m.

CAROUSEL BEACH BAR - TSUNAMI

In the Carousel Hotel, 118th Street, Ocean City 410-524-1000 / www.carouselhotel.com

July 14: DJ Nigel, 7-9 p.m.

July 15: DJ Nigel, 7-9 p.m.

July 16: Chino Rankin, 5-8 p.m.

July 20: Chino Rankin, 5-8 p.m.

CARRIBBEAN POOL BAR

In the Plim Plaza Hotel

109 N. Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City 410-289-6181 / www.plimplazaoc.com

July 14: Family Tradition, 1-5 p.m.; Kaotik, 7-11 p.m.

July 15: Dunehounds, 1-5 p.m.; The Runner Ups, 7-11 p.m.

July 16: No Byscuyts, 1-5 p.m.; Endless Ember, 7-11 p.m.

July 17: Dave Sherman, 1-5 p.m.; Matt Tichon, 7-11 p.m.

July 18: Reform School, 1-5 p.m.; Dust N Bones Duo, 711 p.m.

July 19: Matt Tichon, 1-5 p.m.; Jason Lee, 7-11 p.m.

July 20: Mike Mead & Eric Wolf, 1-5 p.m.; Mercury Agency, 7-11 p.m.

COCONUT’S BAR & GRILLE

3701 Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City, 21841 410-289-6846 / castleinthesand.com

July 14: Darin Engh, noon to 4 p.m.; Monkee Paw, 5-9 p.m.

July 15: On the Edge, noon to 4 p.m.; Low Tide Lovers, 5-9 p.m.

July 16: Darren O’Neill, noon to 3 p.m.; No Clue Trio, 4-8 p.m.

July 17: Nate Clendenen, noon to 3 p.m.; Remy & Lyons, 4-8 p.m.

July 18: Carley Twigg, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Endless Ember, 3:30-7:30 p.m.

July 19: Ben Davis, noon to 3 p.m.; The Rogue Citizens, 4-8 p.m.

July 18: Redneck Ball w/DJ E-State, 10 p.m.

July 20: DJ Casper, 10 p.m.

PICKLE’S PUB

706 Philadelphia Avenue, Ocean City, 410-289-4891 / picklesoc.com

July 14: Beats by Deojee, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

July 15: Desert Shade, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

July 16: Beats by Deojee, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

July 17: Karaoke with Wood, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

July 18: Beats by Wax, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

July 19: Beats by Deojee, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

July 20: Beats by Wax, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

SEACRETS

49th Street and the Bay, Ocean City 410-524-4900 / www.seacrets.com

July 14: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Full Circle, 5-9 p.m.; DJ Tuff, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Anthem, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; DJ Cruz, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; DJ Bobby-O, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; The Benderz, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

July 15: Bobby-O on De Bay, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; DJ Tuff, noon to 2 a.m.; The Benderz, 1-5 p.m.; Anthem, 5-9 p.m.; DJ Cruz, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; DJ Bobby-O, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Party Fowl, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; Lost in Paris, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

July 16: DJ Connair on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; DJ Bobby-O, 4-8 p.m.; Triple Rail Turn, 5-9 p.m.; DJ Tuff, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Storm, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; Lost in Paris, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

July 17: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Blake Haley, 5-9 p.m.; DJ Tuff, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Storm, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; Hometown Radio, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

July 18: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Opposite Directions, 5-9 p.m.; Zion Reggae Band, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; DJ Tuff, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; The Way Outs, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

July 19: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Full Circle Duo, 5-9 p.m.; Spokey Speaky, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; DJ Connair, 9 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Kono Nation, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

July 20: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; John McNutt Band, 5-9 p.m.; DJ Cruz, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Spokey Speaky, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Go Go Gadjet, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

VISTA ROOFTOP

13801 Coastal Highway, Ocean City 410-390-7905 / www.vistarooftopoc.com

July 14: Steve Kuhn, 4-7 p.m.

July 15: Sara Freih, 4-7 p.m.

July 16: Rachael Quillen, 4-7 p.m.

July 17: Marcella Peters, 4-7 p.m.

July 18: Sara Freih, 4-7 p.m.

July 19: Taylor Knox & Brian, 4-7 p.m.

The Angler Restaurant: Fri, July 14, 7-11 p.m. 9am - 7pm

July 20: Matt Tichon, noon to 3 p.m.; Lime Green Band, 4-8 p.m.

COINS

28th Street and Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 410-289-3100 / www.coinspuboc.com

July 14: Lennon LaRicci and the Leftovers, 7 p.m.

Every Saturday: “Jim Long” Get Off the Beach Party, 3:306:30 p.m.; Shortcut Sunny, 8 p.m.

July 20: Drake Burd, 4-7 p.m.

WHISKER’S BAR & GRILL

11070 Cathell Road, Suite 17, Pines Plaza, Ocean Pines 410-208-3922 /www.whiskersbar.com

July 14: Dance with Beats by Followers, 8 p.m.

July 17: Industrial Night, 8 p.m.

July 18: Ladies Night; Karaoke w/DJ Wood, 8 p.m.

Submit calendar items to: editor@oceancitytoday.net. Submission deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, the week of publication. Local submissions have priority. Area event listings are subject to space availability.

Fri., July 14

ART EXHIBIT RECEPTION

Worcester County Arts Council, 6 Jefferson St., Berlin, 5-7 p.m. Featuring a juried art competition and exhibit titled “Summertime.” Winners announced during this free event. Light refreshments offered. On display until July 31. www.worcestercountyartscouncil.org

Sat., July 15

SUMMER NIGHT JAM

Northern Worcester Athletic Complex, 9906 Buckingham Lane, Berlin, 5:307:30 p.m. Water Fun. Wear a bathing suit and water shoes and get ready to get wet. Free, family-friendly festival. Tyler Keiser, 410-632-2144, Ext. 2505, tkeiser@marylandscoast.org. No registration required.

27TH ANNUAL ART HANSEN MEMORIAL YOUTH FISHING CONTEST

Veterans Memorial Park, Race Track Road, Ocean Pines, 9-10:30 a.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Bring fishing rod and reel. Bait is provided. For ages 4-16 years. Trophy and prizes awarded. Younger children can fish but not compete. Free event. 610-505-1697

SPORTS DAY AT THE BEACH

Westside Rt. 50 Shopping Center (next to Hooper’s Crab House), 12913 Ocean Gateway, Ocean City, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Autographs by Al Bumbry and Ken Singleton (10 a.m. to noon), silent auction and mystery boxes. Buy, sell and trade sports cards and memorabilia. Admission is $5/adults and $2/kids 9 and younger. 443-978-0680

WALK WITH A DOC

South Gate Pond, Ocean Pines. 9 a.m.

Join in for the monthly Walk with a Doc. Alyce Marzola, amarzola@atlanticgeneral.org

TINKER TIME: LETTER WRITING STATION

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Drop in anytime and visit the letter writing station and pen a note to a friend. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ASSATEAGUE ADVENTURES

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. A ranger-led adventure featuring crafts,

puppets, stories and cool props from Assateague Island National Seashore. Children and their families are invited. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

STEM SATURDAYS

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 9 a.m.4 p.m. Join in any time during the day to use your creativity and build using one of the STEM building kits. For all ages. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

CHILDREN’S CRAFTS IN THE COURTYARD

Art League of Ocean City - Courtyard, 502 94th St., Ocean City, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Engage in hands-on activities from painting to paper crafts and beyond. In case of inclement weather, classes will be held inside. Held every Saturday until Labor Day. artleagueofoceancity.org

CHICKEN SALAD CARRYOUT

Bishopville Volunteer Fire, 10709 Bishopville Road, 12-2 p.m. Cost is $8 per pint. Preorders: 619-922-9950 by July 10.

KIDS COFFEE HOUSE

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 12 p.m. Enjoy light refreshments, self-guided activities/crafts and an open mic to showcase songs, poems, stories and more. Families are welcome. All ages. 410208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

AN EVENING OF REGGAE

Germantown School Community Heritage Center, 10223 Trappe Road, Berlin, 6-9 p.m. Featuring “Island Sounds” band. Donation at the door is $10 and limited food platters are available for an additional $10 fee. Participants can bring snacks and beverages. 410-641-0638

DELMARVA CHORUS HOSTING ‘COFFEE, TEA & 20’S HARMONY’

Ocean Pines Community Center, 235 Ocean Parkway, 7 p.m. Great show, door prizes, 50/50 raffle, homemade desserts and show donation of $10. Dress up for the Roaring 20’s. Tickets: Jeanette, 410726-3279.

FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

Saturdays - White Horse Park, 239 Ocean Parkway, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Shop for everything from fresh local produce to unique handmade artisan goods. Open to the public.

Sun., July 16

SUNDAES IN THE PARK & FIREWORKS

Northside Park, 200 125th St., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m. Music by The Players Band (Jamaican Ska Reggae) activities for children and fireworks. Ice cream and beverages for sale. Free event. Bring your picnic basket and beach chairs.

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES MEETING

Sundays - Berlin Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 212 West St., Berlin, 10 a.m. www.jw.org

Mon., July 17

STORY TIME: SUMMER FUN

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Fun in the sun story time. Stories and songs about summer as well as time to play with bubbles. For ages 2-5 years. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

MONDAY MOVIE MATINEE: SUMMER READING EDITION

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 2:30 p.m. Watch movies related to this year’s summer reading theme. Snacks provided. For ages 6 years and older. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

T.O.P.S. OF BERLIN - GROUP #169

Atlantic General Hospital, Conference Room 1, 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 5-6:30 p.m. Take Off Pounds Sensibly is a weekly support and educational group promoting weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle. Rose Campion, 410641-0157

OC BEACH DANCE PARTY

Caroline St. Stage, 2 N. Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Free event held every Monday from July 10-Aug. 28. Grab your beach chair or blanket for an evening of interactive entertainment hosted by local DJs. For all ages. www.ococean.com, 410-250-0125

FIREWORKS ALONG THE BOARDWALK

2 N. Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, 9:30 p.m. Dazzling spectacle of fireworks scheduled every Monday night from July 10Aug. 28. www.ococean.com

DELMARVA WOMEN’S A CAPELLA CHORUS

Mondays - Ocean Pines Community Center, 239 Ocean Parkway, 6:00-8:00 p.m. All ladies who love to sing invited. Mary, 410-629-9383 or Carol, 302-2427062.

OVEREATER’S ANONYMOUS

Mondays - Worcester County LibraryOcean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 7-8 p.m. No dues or fees. 410-459-9100

Tues., July 18

BERLIN BRANCH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Food, games, kids activities and more. Dino Fradelos, AKA the “Dean of Doo Wop” and DJ The Paulman host a dance party at 2 p.m. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

RETRO 60’S COSTUME AND CRAFT MORNING

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 301 Market St., 10:30 a.m. Featuring a DIY lava lamp demonstration, good-vibes sand and string art projects and smiley buttons. Wear groovy threads for costume contest. Ages 8 years and older. 410-957-0878

OC KNITTING GROUP

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Bring whatever project you happen to be working on. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

BLOCK PARTY

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 11 a.m. Babies, toddlers and preschoolers play with blocks and other toys while socializing with other families. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

AMBERLINA’S ADVENTURES!

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 2 p.m. Join Amberlina for a fun, interactive afternoon of dancing, stories and more. For ages 4 years and older. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ZUMBA

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 5:306:30 p.m. Join Zumba instructor Joyce Landsman for an hour of movement. These classes uplift and improve mood. Registration required: 410-524-1818. www.worcesterlibrary.org

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES MEETING

Tuesdays - Berlin Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 212 West St., Berlin, 7 p.m. www.jw.org

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY

Tuesdays - Worcester County Health Department, 9730 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 3:30-4:30 p.m. TOPS is a weekly support and education group promoting weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. 410289-4725

ARGENTINE TANGO PRACTICE

Tuesdays - Experienced dancers and others interested in watching or learning more are welcome, 7-9:30 p.m. No partner required. Info: TangobytheBeach.com.

CALENDAR

BEACH HEROES-OC

Tuesdays - Volunteer beach clean-up group meets from 9-10 a.m., year-round. Trash bags, grippers and gloves provided. Check the Facebook page “Beach Heroes-OC” for weekly meeting locations. All are welcome.

OC KNITTING CLUB

Tuesdays - Worcester County LibraryOcean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m.

Wed., July 19

BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUP

Held via Zoom the third and fourth Wednesdays of each month. For surgical patients. Atlantic General Bariatrics Center, 410-641-9568.

EASTERN SHORE SEWISTS

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10 a.m. Promoting the needle arts through sewing education, activities and textile crafts. For artisans of all skill levels. 410-6410650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

John H. “Jack” Burbage, Jr. Regional Cancer Care Center, 9707 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 1-2 p.m. For survivors and current patients battling breast cancer. Women Supporting Women, 410-5487880

STROKE SUPPORT GROUP

Atlantic General Neurology, 314 Franklin Ave., Berlin, 3-4 p.m. For stroke survivors, family and friends. 410-641-4765, bglime@atlanticgeneral.org

FAIRYTALES FOR ADULTS: ESSENTIALS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 5:30 p.m. Dr. Sandra Burke talks about the symbolic wisdom of original fairytales and their transformational power. Bring your favorite fairytale. Q&A to follow. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

KIWANIS CLUB MEETING

Wednesdays through Aug. 25 - Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 8 a.m. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Third Wednesday meetings are offsite and will be updated monthly on the website and Facebook. Guests are welcome. www.kiwanisofopoc.org

Thurs., July 20

CHESS CLUB

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Com to the library and bring your boards. All are welcome. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

CONCERTS IN THE PARK SUMMER SERIES

Cypress Park, 7 Bridge St., Pocomoke

City, 7 p.m. Free concert featuring “On The Edge” (top 40 variety hits). Free event. Pack a picnic and bring a lawn chair. Boaters also welcome. downtownpocomoke.com, 410-957-1333, ext. 111

SUNSET PARK PARTY NIGHTS

Sunset Park, 700 S. Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m. Free concert featuring Saved by Zero (80’s rock cover band). Beverages, including beer, are available for purchase. Bring your own seating. https://ocdc.org, 410-289-7739

CPAP MASK FITTING

Atlantic General Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Diagnostic Center, 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin. A free mask fitting clinic for patients who are having trouble adjusting to their CPAP equipment. Appointment is required: Robin Rohlfing, 410-641-9726.

STORY TIME: MR. JAKE’S FAVES

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10:30 a.m. Join in for another of Mr. Jake’s favorite stories. Stick around for a fun craft. For ages 2-5 years. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

BUILD TOGETHER!

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 10:30 a.m. Use your creativity and engineering skills to complete a variety of building challenges. For ages 5 years and older and parents. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

GENEALOGY WORKSHOP

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 11 a.m. This workshop starts with a 20-minute lesson on genealogy research, followed by a Q&A session. Bring a laptop, tablet or papers containing family information. Register: 410-208-4014.

LUNCH & LEARN

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 12:30-1:30 p.m. To help local businesses navigate the legalization of cannabis. Presentation by Douglas W. Desmarais from Smith & Downey, P.A. Bring your own lunch.

https://chamber.oceancity.org/events/

SALISBURY ZOO: ZOO-TO-YOU PROGRAM

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 301 Market St., 2 p.m. The Salisbury Zoom will bring four different animals to the library. Registration required: 410-957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org.

BAD ART CRAFTERNOON

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 3 p.m. Leave your skills at home for this stress free craft time using recycled materials and art supplies. All supplies provided. For ages 12-15 years. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

ZUMBA

Worcester County Library - Berlin

FLYING HIGH

Dundalk resident and college student Raquel Ziolkowski seems to be having the time of her life and getting some much-needed R&R leaping on the beach in Ocean City. Ziolkowski’s father, Ted, Ziolkowski, said he and his family vacation at the resort regularly and he submitted the photo of his daughter so she could see it when they visit.

Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 4:30-5:30 p.m. Join Zumba instructor Joyce Landsman for an hour of movement. These classes uplift and improve mood. Registration required: 410-641-0650. www.worcesterlibrary.org

BEACH SINGLE 55 PLUS MEET AND GREET

Thursdays - Harpoon Hanna’s, 39064 Harpoon Road, Fenwick Island, DE, 4-6 p.m. 302-436-9577, BeachSingles.org.

ONGOING EVENTS

FREE SUMMER PROGRAMS

OC Life-Saving Station Museum, 813 S. Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, July 3-Aug.

25. Held Monday through Saturday, 1010:30 a.m. Mondays feature History of Our Surfmen; Tuesdays, Beach Safety; Wednesdays, Knot Tying; Thursdays, All About Sharks; Fridays, Land, Sky, & Sea; Saturdays, Aquarium Feeding. www.ocmuseum.org

ALL TOGETHER NOW: COMMUNITY JOURNALING PROJECT

Pocomoke library, 301 Market St., during the month of July. Contribute your ideas, sketches, drawings of favorite memories. Read through pages already filled out to learn about others through their writing and art. 410-957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org

GOTTA CATCH’EM ALL SCAVENGER HUNT! Ocean Pines library, 11107 Cathell Road, all day, July 3-14. Pick up your Pokedex and scavenger hunt instructions from the library and see how many Pokemon you can find hidden throughout the library. Find them all for a free goodie bag. For ages 5 years and older. 410-

208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

KIWANIS 2024 “LOTTERY RAFFLE” TICKETS ON SALE

Every Saturday at the Ocean Pines Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $20. A tickets is good for all 365 days of 2024 drawings of the Maryland evening “Pick 3” drawing. There are 17 Special Dates that pay up to $250. See www.kiwanisofopoc.org.

CREATIVE KIDS CORNER

Ocean City library, 10003 Coastal Highway, all day, every day in July. Come grab an art kit to create at the library or take it with you. Most supplies included. For all ages. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

BOOKOPOLY

Held all summer, all day at every Worcester County library branch. Let the game choose your next read. Play a round or a few to try a different genre than you normally read. Book selections for adults and teens. www.worcesterlibrary.org

Crossword answers from page 26

PHOTO COURTESY VICTORIA WESSELHOFF

Snow Plowers Needed Dependable plowers with truck & insurance for services in Ocean City, Bethany, Lewes and Rehoboth areas. Call 610-459-5857

Cleaners - Vacation rentals needed for OC and the Pines. Experience preferred but not required. OC Purifiers. Call or text 443-397-1189 or email karen@ocpurifiers.com.

Experienced Boat Yard Help Needed. Year-Round Outboard Motor Technician/Mechanic Needed For Basic Outboard and Boat Service. Call Harbor Marine, W. Ocean City, 410-213-2296

HIRING

Code of Enforcement & Building Official. Full-time with benefits for the Town of Selbyville. Complete job description at Selbyville.delaware.gov

Thunderbird Beach Motel

HIRING NOW FOR:

- PT, PM FRONT DESK CLERK

- PT NIGHT AUDIT

Midnight-8am

Apply in person

Monday-Friday, 9am-2pm. 32nd St. & Baltimore Ave.

Hiring Cooks, Audio/Video Techs, Maintenance Staff, Painters, Carpenter, Plumber, Housekeeper, Liquor Store Attendant, Boat Mates, Receivers Apply in person or online at seacrets.com

HERKER PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

An Innovative Approach to Property Maintenance

FULL-TIME MECHANIC for a property maintenance company in Frankford, DE

MINIMUM 3 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR Repair & maintenance for 2 & 4 cycle engines, and trucks.

WE OFFER: Great, competitive pay, paid holidays and vacation, partial health and Simple IRA.

Email resume to Gherker@comcast.net or call 610-459-5857

HIRING

THE LOWER SHORE CLINIC IS GROWING!

We are building a new team and expanding our services thanks to a $4 million funding stream. We are a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center that offers integrated behavioral health services, outpatient therapy, substance abuse, and primary care services. We offer a rich benefit package, competitive salaries, and tuition assistance. We hope you join our team!

Check out our website lowershoreclinic.org.

HERKER PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

An Innovative Approach to Property Maintenance

Seeking (2) full time FIELD MANAGERS for full service landscaping & property maintenance company in Frankford & Delaware beach resort areas. Salary position, benefits include partial health, Simple IRA, holidays & vacation.

(2) OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Customer Service, MS Word & Excel, knowledge of Basic Office Procedures; Strong Math Skills are a plus.

WE OFFER: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, competitive pay, great benefits, paid holidays and vacation.

Email resume to Gherker@comcast.net or call 610-459-5857

RENTALS

Seeking YR & Seasonal Rentals! Call Howard Martin Realty 410-352-5555.

1 Office/Retail Space available in West Ocean City. Approximately 1656 sq. ft. Call 443-497-4200

Industrial Warehouse

Spaces: 2100 sq. ft., 1867 sq. ft. and 1500 sq. ft. Masonry construction, 18 ft. high ceiling, large garage door, bathroom. Route 90/Bishopville. Call 443-497-4200.

Commercial Warehouses

600 and 800 sq. ft. spaces

West Ocean City and Bishopville, MD

Yearly Leases Only Call 646-812-1212

Standard Poodle Puppies. Cream or black. Born May 10th. $1000. Vaccinated, microchipped. Jasjas123@gmail.com, 843-455-3517

DONATIONS

Do you have an old bicycle not being used? It could mean a world of difference to a hard-working international student. We are looking to get as many bikes as possible. Your donation will be taxdeductible. Contact Gary at 443-975-3065.

Classifieds 410-723-6397 www.baysideoc.com www.oceancitytoday.com

GE 5100btw Window Air Conditioner. Brand new in box, $125. Toro Personal Pace 22” Cut Lawn Mower in good condition, $100. Call 302-545-6175.

VEHICLES

For Sale 2009 Santa Fe, 183k miles. Many new parts. Runs perfect. $4500/obo, Ocean City. Joe, 609-458-6213. WE BUY CARS Running or not. 302-732-3529

BOATS/PWC 2006 Kawasaki STX 12 F Jet Ski in perfect working condition. $5000 repair work at Bayside Jet Ski. Motor has only 43 hours. $6000. Call Jim at 410-428-9080.

SERVICES

BUDGET

443-664-5797

LOCAL & EAST COAST MOVING

Full Packing Service

Piano Movers - Full Service

ROOMMATES

House to Share Fully Furnished Room. No Smoking/No Pets. $200 Security Deposit. $700/Month, Utilities Included. 443-880-2317

Serving

District of Columbia since 1908.

MARYLAND STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK

FOR SALE

Prepare for power outages today with a GENERAC home standby generator. $0 Money Down + Low Monthly Payment Options. Request a FREE Quote. Call now before the next power outage: 1-855993-0969

HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 877-738-0991.

www.facebook.com/OCBudgetMovers

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WILLIAMS, MOORE, SHOCKLEY & HARRISON

CHRISTOPHER T. WOODLEY ESQ.

3509 COASTAL HIGHWAY

OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 19779

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, FL appointed Mary Ann Calero, 1010 West Fribley Street, Tampa, FL 33603 as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Helen Virginia Keppler who died on March 20, 2014 domiciled in Florida, USA.

The Maryland resident agent for service of process is Christopher T. Woodley whose address is 3509 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842.

At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: Worcester County.

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

Mary Ann Calero

Foreign Personal Representative Terri Westcott Register of Wills

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of Newspaper: Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: June 29, 2023

service of process is VICTORIA L.

O'NELL whose address is 6200 COASTAL HWY, STE 200, OCEAN CITY, MD 21842. At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: WORCESTER COUNTY

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for WORCESTER COUNTY with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent's death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for WORCESTER COUNTY

ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE

SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074 OCD-6/29/3t

AYRES, JENKINS, GORDY & ALMAND P.A.

VICTORIA L. O’NEILL ESQ.

6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 200 OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

ESTATE NO. 19794

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Common Pleas Court of Chester County, Pennsylvania appointed Lauren Gibbons, 19 Abby Road, Avondale, PA 19311 as the Executor of the Estate of Ronald A. Wollaston who died on February 21, 2023 domiciled in Pennsylvania, America.

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of Newspaper: Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: July 06, 2023

OCD-7/6/3t

NOTICE OF PASSAGE OF BILL 23-05 WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Take Notice that Bill 23-05 (Zoning – Multi-family dwelling units in the C-3 Highway Commercial District) was passed by Commissioners Bertino, Bunting, Abbott, Elder, Fiori, Mitrecic and Purnell on June 20, 2023.

A fair summary of the bill is as follows:

§ ZS 1-211(b)(26). (Amends the Zoning and Subdivision Control Article to add a principal permitted use to the C-3 Highway Commercial District to allow multi-family dwelling units as an accessory use to a commercial development, provided at least sixty-five percent (65%) or more of the net lot area for a given parcel be developed with a commercial use or structure permitted in the C-3 District.)

This bill becomes effective fortyfive (45) days from the date of its passage.

This is only a fair summary of the bill. A full copy of the bill is posted on the Legislative Bulletin Board in the main hall of the Worcester County Government Center outside Room 1103, is available for public inspection in Room 1103 of the Worcester County Government Center and is available on the County Website at www.co.worcester.md.us.

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

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NOTICE

OCD-6/29/3t

VICTORIA L. O'NEILL ESQ.

AYRES JENKINS GORDY & ALMAND P A

6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY SUITE 200

OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

NOTICE

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES ESTATE NO 19781

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the REGISTER OF WILLS court of MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA appointed TERESA L. DEBIAS whose address is 352 RIVER ROAD, COLLEGEVILLE, PA 19426 MATTHEW

S. DUKA whose address is 3069 LONG ROAD, GREEN LANE, PA 18054 as the CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of JEANETTE S DUKA who died on FEBRUARY 10, 2023 domiciled in PENNSYLVANIA, USA

The Maryland resident agent for

The Maryland resident agent for service of process is Victoria L. O’Neill whose address is 6200 Coastal Highway, Suite 200, Ocean City, MD 21842.

At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: Worcester County.

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

Lauren Gibbons

Personal Representative Terri Westcott Register of Wills

TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ESTATE NO. 19458

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, VA appointed Lisa J. Berkman, 5111 Marshal Farm Court, Fairfax, VA 22030; and Lori N.M Mills, 8801 Talbert Road, Lorton, VA 22079 as the Co-Executors of the Estate of Marvin Wray Michell who died on July 29, 2022 domiciled in Virgina, America.

The Maryland resident agent for service of process is Jacqueline Loren Grein whose address is 63 Bramblewood Drive, Ocean Pines, MD 21811.

At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: Worcester County.

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign

personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

Lisa J. Berkman

Lori N.M Mills

Foreign Personal Representatives

Terri Westcott Register of Wills

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of Newspaper: Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: July 07, 2023

OCD-7/6/3t

TOWN OF OCEAN CITY ORDINANCE 2023-12

RE: Employee Housing, Non-accessory

Notice is hereby given by the Mayor and City Council of Ocean City, that Ordinance 2023-12 was introduced for first reading at their meeting of July 3, 2023. Second reading is scheduled for July 17, 2023. A complete text of the ordinance is available for review in the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842, or online at oceancitymd.gov in the July 3, 2023, agenda packet. This ordinance amends Chapter 110, Zoning, to allow employee housing accessory and non-accessory in various zoning districts as stated in the ordinance and to incorporate new supplemental zoning regulations that include minimum standards for employee housing and identify a tiered approval process. Further recommendation for an appropriate rental or lease agreement duration will occur on second reading.

OCD-7/13/1t

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR LEASE OF SPACE

Worcester County, Maryland

The purpose of this public hearing is to hear comments on leasing approximately four by five feet of floor space in the front lobby of the Government Center located at One West Street, Snow Hill, MD 21863. The proposed lessor is State Employees Credit Union of Maryland (SECU) for the purpose of providing at Automated Teller Machine (ATM). The proposed lease term is five years with zero consideration.

The public hearing will be held on TUESDAY, August 1, 2023 at

10:35 A.M.

in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Room 1101 –Government Center

One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland 21863

For additional information, please contact County Administration at (410) 632-1194 or visit the County website at: online at www.co.worcester.md.us.

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

OCD-7/13/3t

NOTICE

OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS

TOWN OF OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 110 of the Code of Ocean City, Maryland, hereinafter referred to as the Code, same being the Zoning Ordinance for Ocean City, Maryland, notice is hereby given that public hearings will be conducted by the Board of Zoning Appeals for Ocean City, Maryland in the Council Chambers of City Hall located on Baltimore Avenue and Third Street, in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland on:

Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 6:00 PM

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 110-93(3), Powers, of the Code, an appeal has been filed pursuant to the provisions of Section 110-95(1)(a) requesting a variance to the front yard setback on Philadelphia Avenue to have a covered patio deck for outdoor dining leaving a minimum remaining setback of .33’. The site of the appeal is described as Lots 6-10 and Lot 43, Block 18, of the Edward Shute Plat, further described as located on the north-west corner of 15th Street and Philadelphia Avenue, and locally known as 1501 Philadelphia Avenue, in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.

APPLICANT: SP BURGER, INC.

C/O BRANDON PHILLIPS – (BZA 2658 #23-09500009)

Further information concerning the public hearings may be examined in the office of the Department of Planning and Community Development in City Hall.

Christopher Rudolf, Chairman Maureen

Howarth, Esq., Attorney OCD-7/13/2t

THOMAS K. COATES ESQ

COATES, COATES & COATES, P.A.

6200 COASTAL HIGHWAY, SUITE 300

OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Estate No. 19805

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF KIMBERLY ANN PHILLIPS

Notice is given that James Richard Phillips IV, 9719 Golf Course Road, Ocean City, MD 21842, was on July 06, 2023 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Kimberly Ann Phillips who died on June 8, 2023, with a will.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 6th day of January, 2024.

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

James Richard Phillips IV Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative:

Ocean City Digest

Date of publication:

July 13, 2023

cated at:

Call: 410-723-6397

Fax: 410-723-6511 or E-mail: legals@oceancitytoday.net

OCD-7/13/3t

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE

Application has been made by the Undersigned for a "B" B/W/L 7 Day and Request to Designate as Multiple License #2 for a Class: "B" BEER-WINE-LIQUOR License: 7

Day, By: Anjeeb Shrestha, 12046 Pimlico Lane, Berlin, Maryland 21811.

For: Cambria Liquor, LLC

For the premises known as and lo-

T /A: The View

13 St. Louis Avenue

Ocean City, Maryland 21842

There will be a public hearing on the application in the Board Room, Room 1102 in the Government Center, Snow Hill, Maryland, on: July 26, 2023 @ 1:00 P.M.

The Board welcomes written or oral comment at said public hearing from any interested party.

OCD-7/13/2t

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE

Application has been made by the Undersigned for a Request to Modify Licensed Premises, Ocean Calling Event - September 29, 2023 through October 1, 2023. Hours for Alcoholic Beverage Sales - Begins 12 Noon and ends 10:30 p.m. each day for a Class: "EF" BEER-WINE-LIQUOR

License: 7 Day, By: Richard W. Meehan, 465 14th Street, #18, Ocean City, Maryland 21842; Anthony J. Deluca, 2 48th Street, Ocean City, Maryland 21842; Terence J. McGean, 12104 Sugar Hill Court, Bishopville, Maryland 21813

For: Mayor And City Council Of Ocean City

For the premises known as and located at:

T/A: Mayor And City Council Of Ocean City

Ocean City Inlet to N. Division Street, including the inlet parking lot, the beach, the boardwalk, and portions of businesses adjacent to the boardwalk

Ocean City, Maryland 21842

There will be a public hearing on the application in the Board Room, Room 1102 in the Government Center, Snow Hill, Maryland, on:

July 26, 2023 @ 1:15 P.M.

The Board welcomes written or oral comment at said public hearing from any interested party.

OCD-7/13/2t

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE

Application has been made by the Undersigned for a Promoters' License to be used for the Oceans Calling Event September 29, 2023, through October 1, 2023. Hours for Alcoholic Beverages are 12 Noon and ends 10:30 P.M. each day for the Class: Promoter's License, License: 7 Day, By: Richard W. Meehan, 465 14th Street, #18, Ocean City, Maryland 21811; David H. Smalley, 29389 Robinson Road, Spring, Texas 77385

For: Spectrum Concessions, LLC

For the premises known as and located at:

T/A: Spectrum Catering, Concessions and Events

Ocean City Inlet to N. Division Street, including the inlet parking lot, the beach, the boardwalk, and portions of businesses adjacent to the boardwalk

Ocean City, Maryland 21842

There will be a public hearing on

the application in the Board Room, Room 1102 in the Government Center, Snow Hill, Maryland, on: July 26, 2023

@ 1:15 P.M.

The Board welcomes written or oral comment at said public hearing from any interested party.

OCD-7/13/2t

JAMES J. COLLINS THE COLLINS FIRM

1501 FARM CREDIT DR #2000 MCLEAN, VA 22102

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF APPOINTMENT

OF FOREIGN PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES ESTATE NO 19795

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the SUPERIOR COURT of WASHINGTON DC, appointed DENISE YVONNE TURNER whose address is 10535 JOYCETON DRIVE, UPPER MARLBORO, MD 20774 as the PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE of the Estate of MARGARET ANN JACKSON who died on JANUARY 7, 2019 domiciled in WASHINGTON DC, USA.

The Maryland resident agent for service of process is DAMIAN J. O’CONNOR whose address is 201 CHIEFTAN LANE, BOONSBORO, MD 21713. At the time of death, the decedent owned real or leasehold property in the following Maryland counties: WORCESTER COUNTY

All persons having claims against the decedent must file their claims with the Register of Wills for Worcester County with a copy to the foreign personal representative on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the foreign personal representative mails or delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Claims filed after that date or after a date extended by law will be barred.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074 OCD-7/13/3t _________________________________

NOTICE

Eastern Shore Natural Gas is planning the Worcester Resiliency Upgrade to augment the area’s energy supply ensuring both reliability and affordability for local businesses and residents. The project includes a liquefied natural gas storage facility in Bishopville, Worcester County, Maryland, with low-profile horizontal storage tanks; along with additional pipeline looping and upgrades to existing meter and regulator stations.

Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company is the interstate natural gas transmission pipeline subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation. Eastern Shore has safely and reliably served the natural gas transportation needs of the Delmarva

Peninsula since 1959.

A public information session is scheduled on July 19, 2023, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Worcester County Library, Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave, Berlin, MD 21811, where residents are invited to learn more about the project. Use of library meeting space does not constitute endorsement of this organization, this program or its content by the Worcester County Library.

For more information, please contact us at:

Toll-Free Project Hotline: 1-844366-3764

Email: WorcesterResiliencyUpgrade@esng.com

OCD-7/13/1t

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR COUNTY-WIDE HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR LIST

The Worcester County Commissioners are requesting qualifications from licensed contractors to establish a list that will be used for bidding on Requests for Proposals associated with the rehabilitation or renovation of dwellings funded under the Community Development Block Grant, and managed by the Worcester County Housing Rehabilitation Program. This program provides grant and loan funding to owner occupied properties for general rehabilitation, septic installation, well installation, HVAC installation, and lead abatement services.

The following Maryland licensed contractors are requested:

General rehabilitation – MHIC

Lead Abatement – MDE HVAC Installers

Septic Installers Well Installers

Bidders may quote to fulfill any of listed functions with the appropriate license. Worcester County's review process, selection criteria, and award and proposal format guidelines are also described in this Request for Qualifications (RFQu).

Proposal submission deadline is Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The County's Housing Program Coordinator and the Worcester County Commissioners will review Proposals. Three (3) copies of your Proposal must be received in the Worcester County Commissioners Office at the address shown below no later than 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. Envelopes shall be marked "County-Wide Housing Rehabilitation Program Qualified Contractor List" in the

lower left- hand corner. Handwritten, email and facsimile transmissions, as well as proposals received after the deadline, will not be considered.

Address all submissions to:

Worcester County Commissioners Office Nicholas Rice, Procurement Officer

One W. Market Street, Room 1103

Snow Hill, MD 21863

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

OCD-7/13/1t

C. LEE GORDON, ESQ. PARKER COUNTS

129 N. WASHINGTON STREET EASTON, MD 21601

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Estate No. 17697 TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF HELEN W. CZAPIEWSKI

Notice is given that Brian Windsor, 1610 Montmorency Drive, Vienna, VA 22182, was on July 07, 2023 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of Helen W. Czapiewski who died on November 12, 2018, with a will.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 7th day of January, 2024.

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Brian Windsor Personal Representative

True Test Copy

Terri Westcott Register of Wills for

Worcester County

One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication:

July 13, 2023

OCD-7/13/3t

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR AGRICULTURAL EASEMENT ACQUISITION

Worcester County, Maryland

The purpose of this public hearing is to hear comments on petitions to sell an agricultural easement to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) on the following properties in Worcester County:

1. Aydelotte, Ben, TM 92, P 62; Aydelotte Road; 114.4 acres

2. Drew, Kathy and Mark, TM 10, P 55; 11539 St. Martins Neck Road, Bishopville; 28.5 acres

3. Drew, Kathy and Mark, TM 10, P 99/100; 11828 Back Creek Road, Bishopville; 29.6 acres

4. Hahn, Jimmy and Theresa, TM 90, P 6; 356 Hickory Point Road; 71.2 acres

5. Holland, Mark and Candy, TM 100, P 1, 134; Tulls Corner Road; 50.01 acres

6. Levinh Farms Inc.; TM 92, P 69; Sheephouse Road, Pocomoke City; 144.93 acres (new owners, previous owners applied in FY22 and FY23)

7. Queponco Farms, Inc., TM 49, P 71; 6636 Basket Switch Road, Newark; TM 187.75 acres (re-application, FY22 and FY23)

8. Riley, Whitlock, et al; TM 31, P61; 8720 Evans Road, Berlin; 470.4 acres

The public hearing on these applications will be held on TUESDAY, August 1, 2023 at 10:30 A.M. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Room 1101 –Government Center One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland 21863

Additional information is available for review at the Department of Environmental Programs, Worcester County Government Center, Suite 1306 (3rd floor), One West Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland, 21863 during regular business hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Questions may be directed to Katherine Munson, Planner V, by calling (410) 632-1220, extension 1302 or email at kmunson@co.worcester.md.us

GINA D. SHAFFER SHAFFER

LAW OFFICE

836 S. MAIN STREET, SUITE 101 BEL AIR, MD 21014

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

Estate No. 19802

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ESTATE OF JAMES W. JUMP

AKA: JAMES WARD JUMP SR.

Notice is given that Judith Brest, 27 Harborview Drive, Berlin, MD 21811, was on July 10, 2023 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of James W. Jump who died on May 31, 2023, with a will.

Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent’s will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 10th day of January, 2024.

Any person having a claim against the decedent must present the claim to the undersigned personal representative or file it with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Six months from the date of the decedent’s death; or

(2) Two months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claims within two months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. A claim not presented or filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. Claim forms may be obtained from the Register of Wills.

Judith Brest Personal Representative True Test Copy Terri Westcott Register of Wills for Worcester County One W. Market Street Room 102 - Court House Snow Hill, MD 21863-1074

Name of newspaper designated by personal representative: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: July 13, 2023

OCD-7/13/3t

Shop wins best ice cream in nation

By Cindy Hoffman Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Budget Travel’s “Coolest Small Town in America” in 2014 is now officially the home to the nation’s best independent ice cream shop in the United States, according to a poll conducted by USA Today.

On July 7, USA Today announced the results of the contest in which readers could vote once per day. Nominations were submitted by a panel of experts and that list was narrowed to 10 of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards.

Island Creamery beat out nine other shops nationally. The local shop was neck-and-neck with An’s Dry Cleaning in San Diego throughout the four-week contest, but in the end the small locally made ice cream shop pulled ahead for the win.

“The healthy competition made it fun,” said Jen Sorrell, the manager of the Berlin and Salisbury stores.

“This happened because of all the hard work of the family, staff and customers. It’s such a blessing.”

Island Creamery is a family-run business. Kelly and Robin Conklin opened their first shop in Chincoteague in 1975, where they live. Their son, and Sorrell’s fiance, Drew, oversees operations in Maryland. His brother and sister,

Cole and Courtney run production and the flagship shop in Chincoteague.

Sorrell was thrilled to share this win with the family.

“We are a team. We love each other first and foremost. This brings us even closer.”

She said her 12 year-old son, Gavin’s jaw hit the floor when he realized the contest was not local, but nationwide.

“It’s a big humongous deal,” Sorrell said.

“We are the best!” confirmed Gavin.

“I keep going back to that level of humility. It’s so humbling,” Sorrell said. “We all did this, the entire town. It’s something that brought this town together.”

Sorrell is working with the town to come up with some sort of celebration. “We will get creative,” she said.

CINDY HOFFMAN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

The Island Creamery in Berlin won the coveted USA Today Readers’ Choice Award for best independent ice cream shop in the United States. Pictured from left are Drew Conklin and Jen Sorrell, who own and operate the family business, with staff members Eva Konyar, Lauren Kemp, Cooper Ludt, Gavin Erickson, Jordan Gilmore and Nia Smith.

Jolly Roger made America’s Most Loved Theme Park list

(July 14, 2023) Ocean City’s Jolly Roger Amusement Parks recently secured a spot on travel blog airportparkingreservations.com’s list of the top 20 Most Loved Theme Parks in America.

According to a news release, the index looked at several factors, including the number of rides and roller coasters, the cost of entry, and the number of Instagram posts for each park. Jolly Roger Parks ranked number 19 out of 20, sitting along the ranks of Six Flags, Dollywood and Walt Disney World.

“For a beachside amusement park like ours, it is truly an honor to be recognized with the big boys in the entertainment industry,” Steve Pas-

REAL ESTATE REPORT

tusak, the vice president of Jolly Roger, said in the release.

Pastusak added that the parks pride themselves on offering customers “the best of both worlds: thrilling rides at affordable prices.”

“With five different parks, including Jolly Roger at the Pier, Jolly Roger at 30th Street, SpeedWorld, Splash Mountain Water Park, and Jolly Roger Mini Golf, we have a multitude of unique rides and something for all ages,” Pastusak said.

“We are proud to be recognized as one of the best, and we can’t wait to celebrate with another #MyJollySummer.”

Jolly Roger Parks are comprised of Jolly Roger at the Pier, Jolly Roger at

30th Street, SpeedWorld, Splash Mountain Water Park, and Jolly Roger Mini Golf. Founded in 1964 by Charles “Buddy” Jenkins, the parks

The ferris wheel at Jolly Roger at the pier is shown. The Jolly Roger Parks properties recently secured a spot on a travel blog’s list of 20 of the most loved amusement parks..

offer a wide range of new-aged and nostalgic family-friendly fun in Ocean City, with rides, amusements, games, waterslide and more.

Real estate bills pass MD General Assembly

By Lauren Bunting Contributing Writer

(July 14, 2023) As a continuation to past two weeks’ articles, below are items that passed from the report on the 2023 Maryland General Assembly session. Next week’s article will complete reporting on the list of real estate- related legislation.

SB 579/HB 728 –Residential PropertyService Agreements – Prohibitions, effective June 1

Service agreements which bind a property owner to a future contract for the maintenance, purchase, or sale of residential property may not

be in effect for longer than one year or be recorded as a lien against the property.

SB 443/HB 662 – Real Estate Brokers, Salespersons, and Associate Brokers - Continuing Education Courses, effective Oct. 1

The 15-hour continuing education requirement for a new licensee’s first renewal period will consist of required classes in contracts, disclosures, property management, advertising, deposits, professionalism, condominium and HOA laws, and real estate financing.

SB 651/HB 1235 – Real EstateReal Estate Brokerage Services and Termination of Residential Real Estate Contracts (The Anthony Moorman Act), effective Oct. 1

When a buyer properly terminates a real estate contract, the holder of the escrow funds shall return the buyer’s deposit within 30 days. Sellers may object by filing for mediation or initiating court action within 10 days of receiving notice of the deposit release.

HB 1225 – Real Estate BrokersDisability or Death and Termination of Employment of a Broker, effective Oct. 1

This bill allows the owner of a real estate company to remove a terminated broker and petition the Real Estate Commission to reissue a certificate and pocket card to another broker.

HB 11/SB 483 – Private Well Safety Act, effective Oct. 1

The bill requires that properties with a private or domestic water supply undergo water quality testing as a condition of sale.

Buyers may waive the water quality testing requirements in writing, and test results are valid for three years.

HB 98/SB 403 – Condominiums - Mandatory Insurance Coverage –Alterations, Oct. 1, 2023 Allows detached condominium units to obtain property insurance coverage as HOAs, with unit owners insuring their individual dwellings and the association insuring common areas.

— Lauren Bunting is the Broker of Record with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City

New school committee questioned by old one

Group appointed by county to look at possible policy for future construction

By Jack Chavez Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) A new committee created by the Worcester County Commissioners last week is meeting some pushback in the community before it has even met.

Last week, the commissioners instructed Chief Administrative Officer Weston Young to form a committee

comprised of himself, the county’s engineer and procurement officers and one school board member so that it may look at ways to create policy for future school construction endeavors.

The committee will also weigh the ongoing Buckingham Elementary School replacement project.

The issue for some is that a Buckingham Planning Committee already exists.

In a letter to the editor, Buckingham teacher Melissa Reid pointed out that the committee includes commis-

sioners Diana Purnell, Jim Bunting and Eric Fiori as well as Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall and two councilmembers, two board of education members, three teachers, school Superintendent Lou Taylor and Young.

“That planning committee has been meeting for the last (nine) months to discuss the needs for a new school that will educate Berlin children now and for the next 50 years,” Reid wrote. “The majority of people serving on that committee are both Worcester County residents and Worcester County taxpayers who have taken our role on that com-

mittee very seriously.”

The existing committee fulfills the need and desire for local control, Reid wrote, which was also the main reason that Commissioner Joe Mitrecic voted against the new committee.

“It’s not our position to (delegate this committee),” said Mitrecic, the only commissioner to vote in opposition. “Ours is either to fund the school or not fund the school. (The new committee) is also very county-heavy. They only have one person from the school board and no commissioners from the

See LOOKING Page 44

grant

By Jack Chavez Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) With Worcester County Public Schools accepting a grant to expand its Pre-K3 before- and afterschool programs, school officials are hoping that they will be able to help more local families obtain childcare, which will help them economically and is crucial to their children’s development.

The $600,000 Pre-K3 expansion grant will allow the school system to double its childcare programs at Berlin, Pocomoke and Snow Hill elementary schools — the county’s Title I schools. Each currently offers classes that can hold up to 20 children with one teacher and assistant.

Title I is a federal and state education program that supports low-income families.

Wait lists for all three programs, before

the grant was accepted, were sometimes longer than the registration for the program itself, school board President Todd Ferrante said.

Pocomoke and Buckingham, even after the grant, still had a waitlist, he said, but Snow Hill’s waitlist as of right now looks to be eliminated.

The cost of sending a child to a private provider can be a burden for some families, a hardship that Ferrante said he hopes the program can address.

“I’m not sure exactly (what private provider tuition is in this area),” he said. “But I do know that it was expensive when our daughter was 3 years old. (The provider) was very good and certainly helped develop her skills at an early age for literacy and her cognitive skills, motor skills, everything of that nature. But the cost is up there and it can be hard for everyone to afford.”

These programs can be critical, especially for children who don’t have siblings or consistent contact with peers, to develop critical social skills. Pre-K3 programs build foundations for math and literacy, Ferrante said.

“I think these kids need the opportunity,” he said. “I don’t know if some of these parents would be able to afford (private providers) and I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with taking children to private providers. I’m sure there are a lot in our area that do a very good job. But they may not have the opportunity or the finances to do that. Those results will carry forward in subsequent years when we see how they will develop.

“This grant helps a lot of families.”

The Worcester County Commissioners did not give concurrence to the board of education for accepting

the grant, but at a June meeting

Commissioner Chip Bertino did commend the board for bringing the matter to them in the first place.

Ferrante said he hopes the results will sway the commissioners to fund the program in the future if they can’t get funding from the state.

“I hope to be able to show them the success of the program,” he said. “The Pre-K3 grant was available this year but the state wasn’t sure when they’d be able to do away with the grant. We wanted to be able to stay within the application process because if they decide to do it next year we want the opportunity to be involved.

“I think everyone understands, especially for Title I populations, they certainly need some of these opportunities that perhaps the other populations won’t be getting as far as Pre-K3 is concerned.”

Looking at school construction

Continued from Page 43

way I understand it.”

However, Young pointed out that there are key differences between the new committee and the one that exists.

“This committee is more for trying to set a policy for all future school construction so this isn’t just for Buckingham,” he said. “In the case of what (exists) now, the conceptual planning committee, that’s more towards what features or classroom sizes, more what goes into the school, community and teacher and parent input.

“I think this is the first phase of an attempt to try to set expectations for funding of future schools.”

Young tied the new committee’s purpose to a state formula that dictates how much state funding goes to a school construction project based off of enrollment and square-foot requirements.

Anything the state doesn’t fund is left to local funds, or county money in other words, to cover.

Current enrollment, Young said, is not a good way to determine funding

needs. “But the state loves their formula,” he said.

“You should look at how long you expect a school to be in service,” Young said. “If that’s for 40 years or more, you should assume what enrollment is going to be in 40 years. I experienced it a lot in Wicomico County where you go build a school and then in a few years there are portable classrooms. Why? Well, we outgrew it. You outgrew it because you stuck to the state formula.”

While not delving into specifics, Young said he imagines the group can come up with a policy that, if need be, can be tweaked again four years down the road.

“The tricky thing with this is this doesn’t touch on cost per square foot,” Young said of examining the formula. “You could have a 50,000square-foot building that costs (considerably more) if building materials become more expensive.”

The commissioners said last week they would like to have suggestions from the new committee by September.

Class learns lots of lessons in bread-making fundraiser

(July 14, 2023) In early June, Worcester Preparatory School teachers Annie Seipp and Hannah Showell and their students, presented members of the Atlantic General Hospital Board of Trustees with a donation raised from the annual third grade bread sale.

The fundraiser is part of a handson learning lesson combining English, science, social studies (civics and community), mathematics and philanthropy. The project is modeled like a small business, with the young entrepreneurs baking bread, selling it

to lower school classmates in a “café,” and donating the proceeds to charity.

The project involved researching ingredients, creating posters, giving verbal presentations, and rotating jobs — from baker to cashier — to learn all the facets of running a business.

The class partnered with Bad Monkey in West Ocean City where they learned how to make and bake the bread. At the end of the bread sale, the students counted the money they raised ($388) and donated the proceeds to AGH.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Worcester Preparatory School third grade students stand in front of their school with a check they donated to Atlantic General Hospital during their recent, annual bread sale fundraiser. Pictured in the back row from left with the students are Head of Lower School Sara Timmons; AGH Board of Trustees President/CEO Donald Owrey, Donor Relations Officer Steven Tyson and Vice President of Public Relations Toni Keiser; and third grade teachers Hannah Showell and Annie Seipp.

Wayne Littleton, the director of Randy’s Crew, right, presents a donation check to Pocomoke High School teacher Joseph Stigler and other staff members the organization’s recent Mexican Fiesta in your Backyard fundraiser. The donation was used to buy dress clothes and shoes for the graduating seniors. Randy’s Crew is a fundraising organization that benefits the Worcester County Humane Society and Town Cats, a local organization dedicated to the welfare of homeless cats.

Where did all the fireflies in Worcester go?

By Jack Chavez Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) Years ago, an evening June drive down Ocean Gateway could rival the best Christmas lights drive-through with the amount of fireflies fluttering about.

Your windshield might even be glowing by the time you arrived.

But these days the glowing summertime embers are scarce. Five minutes for a child 20 years ago would be more than enough to get a nice collection of fireflies jarred up but today tracking them down would be more of a scavenger hunt.

So where did they go?

“Fireflies are unique,” said Emily Zobel, an entomologist and the University of Maryland agriculture faculty extension assistant for Dorchester County. “They’re a type of beetle, not a [member of the order of] true bugs. They typically like to lay eggs in moist environments — creekbeds, ponds. That’s why they’re lighting up around there. It’s males trying to attract females and lay eggs right there.”

She added that the number of fireflies decrease when their homes are

affected.

“When you have things like development, taking away from marshlands and droughts and we lose those habitats, you tend to see a decrease.”

According to data from the Xerces Society for Conservation there are three species of fireflies endangered in this area. One, the Bethany Beach firefly, is critically endangered.

Is climate change partly to blame, too?

“There’s always a climate change angle,” said Paula Becker, natural resource biologist with the Natural

Heritage Program. “Everything we do is impacted by climate change. A cooler, wetter spring will result in larger egg hatches. Warmer, drier springs, the numbers will drop. If they like to lay their eggs in moist soil, and the soil dries out, you’re going to have a lower hatch rate.”

The data on firefly populations isn’t too thorough either. It can take a long time for the science community to react to such an issue because it depends on word-of-mouth reports to begin with.

The “windshield test,” has been a major factor in bringing awareness to the issue, Becker said. In other words, people have been noticing less dead bugs on their windshields.

“That’s really what triggered a lot of the research that began in the late ’70s and early ‘80s (about diminishing insect populations in general),” Becker said. “A lot of people said we should look into that. For several decades, we’ve noticed that the populations of insects, in general, are declining. Except for the ones that bother us like mosquitoes.”

The realization has been slow, she added.

“It’s been creeping up on us,”

Becker said. “Fireflies haven’t been atop anyone’s research list until fairly recently. In the last decade is when a lot of the current research started.”

The two biggest efforts Becker said she knows about are “community science efforts” — Firefly Atlas (fireflyatlas.org) and civilian research facilitated by Massachusetts Audubon.

And fireflies, as Becker puts it, aren’t just “wicked cool to watch.” They serve valuable functions to the local ecosystem. As pretty as they are, neither the larvae nor the adult firefly are welcome sights for a variety of insects that they prey upon.

“Fireflies larvae eat soft-bodied insects and other critters in your lawn,” Becker said. “Mosquitoes, slugs and snails, other insects, some of which we find to be pests. For a lot of people that is their one saving grace, for people who don’t like insects in general, which I still don’t get.”

Becker added that fireflies among the earliest pollinator species out there, too. It’s not a job they’re as effective as, or known for as, say, a honeybee, due to their relatively sleek features that don’t catch pollen as

‘Magical’ beetles were once prevalent during spring and summer, but rarer today

PHOTO COURTESY BRUCE MARLIN

PHOTO COURTESY ANDY MUDRAK

Fireflies used to be extremely common in the mid-spring to early summer period. But in recent years, they’ve been spotted less and less. Climate change, habitat loss and light pollution are some of the main culprits.

See FIREFLIES Page 47

FDI-1867K-A © 2023 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

MCBP annual horseshoe crab survey done

Survey helps keep eye on health and populations of local prehistoric arachnids

By Jack Chavez Staff Writer

(July 14, 2023) The annual Maryland Coastal Bays Program horseshoe crab survey is finished and the staff of the nonprofit are now crunching the numbers and analyzing the trends as they determine ways to better foster the population of the aquatic arachnids in the coastal bays region.

Horseshoe crabs — a misnomer that often confuses people who think they’re akin to actual crabs — are considered living fossils. Evolution has left them more or less unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.

On Maryland’s coast, they play a vital function in the health of the ecosystem.

“They are really important, especially during spawning season because eggs provide a food resource to various fish, reptiles and bird species,” MCBP environmental scientist Carly Toulan said. “Really there’s an emphasis on the birds. [On] Skimmer Island and the northern end of Assateague near the [Ocean City] inlet, you’ll see during peak spawn season hundreds of birds feeding on the eggs. It’s a huge resource. Protein. It fattens them up really well — not only local birds and year-round residents but our migratory species as well.”

It’s still a little early in the process to make any definitive conclusions from the survey. Let alone the fact that a single year is unlikely to produce any

alarming findings if there hasn’t been some sort of drastic change. But

Toulan did say that she’s noted from talking to volunteers that the counts have been somewhat lower this year.

“There haven’t been as many females as we’ve been seeing but once

Fireflies losing fertile ground

Continued from Page 46

well, but they do pollinate some plant and flower species.

“But of course, the thing we think of [most often] is their whole magical nature,” Becker said. “They’re just little magic, flashing jewels in trees. That is just so cool.”

Ginny Rosenkranz, a horticulturist at the University of Maryland Extension Wicomico Office, said that the fireflies are doing much better in the inner-land farm areas than on the coast, where they deal with light pollution and more development taking away egg-laying soil.

“Our beaches used to be just beach,” Rosenkranz said. “Now, goodness, people want to build right on the beach as close as they can. I think like with a lot of different insects, the habitat for the larvae has been so disturbed they don’t actually have that many hatching out.”

There are multiple ways that people can help create safe havens for fireflies in this area.

Rosenkranz points to light pollu-

tion. For fireflies that rely on their bioluminescence to attract mates or prey, areas with too much light can be a hindrance. Turn off the floodlights outside if they’re not necessary.

Zovel pointed out that rain gardens, which catch rain runoff instead of letting it collect in the sewers, can help create the moist breeding ground that fireflies love.

Becker pointed out that for all the aesthetic benefits of a freshly mowed lawn, it heavily compromises the ideal habitat for fireflies, especially grounded females looking to attract a mate and insect-hunting larvae. If you’re dealing with a homeowner’s association that requires mowed lawns, reserve a corner for a firefly habitat and “just let it grow.”

“Go fireflies,” Becker said with enthusiasm. “Anything we do to benefit fireflies will also benefit other species like birds or butterflies or any number of beneficial insects of vertebrate animals. It’ll then benefit us. It’s not just about helping fireflies but if that’s your goal, good on you.”

I get the total numbers and look at everything across the board, it might be different,” she said. “Populations have been stable in the coastal bays since we began monitoring [a little over 20 years ago.] The populations have been very stable. If they’re drastically lower this year, we’ll sit down and think about why that may be.”

Maryland Coastal Bays undertakes some efforts to promote education about the horseshoe crab to locals and visitors alike. Just recently, the nonprofit teamed up with the Harrison Group, a local hotelier, to put up signs around Sunset Island, a popular spawning locale.

“Hopefully we can educate people visiting coastal bays, staying at the Oceanic Motel, visiting Sunset Island, just have an understanding of what they’re seeing, why it’s happening, and learn a bit about horseshoe crabs and their importance,” Toulan said.

The signs also help people identify stranded horseshoe crabs and learn how to safely remove them from obstructions.

“That’s the overarching goal,” Toulan said. “To increase education and give passive education.”

She said Maryland Coastal Bays hopes to have a clearer understanding of the survey data by next month.

PHOTO COURTESY MARYLAND COASTAL BAYS PROGRAM

Maryland Coastal Bays Program recently finished its annual horseshoe crab survey and hopes to finish processing its findings by next month. MCBP carefully monitors the prehistoric arachnids, whose eggs provide a crucial food source to both year-round and migratory birds and other wildlife.

REMY ANDERSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY

REMEMBERING GAVIN

More than 100 people participated in a memorial paddle out Tuesday to mark one year since the hit-and-run death of Ocean Pines resident Gavin Knupp. Family, friends and others gathered on the 36th Street beach and swam out to sea on their longboards with flowers in hand.

COMMUNITY/SCHOOLS

OPTIMISTS GIVE TO RANDY’S CREW

Wayne Littleton, director of Randy’s Crew, accepts a $1,000 check from Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club President Christina Dolomount-Brown during the organization’s May 4 dinner meeting.

OPTIMISTS GIVE TO VETS

Two members of the Worcester County Veteran’s Memorial in Ocean Pines accepted a check for $3,000 from the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club to support their youth program on April 6. Pictured, from left, are Susan Pantone, vice president of the Veteran’s Memorial Committee; Marie Gilmore, president; and Optimist member Bill Hickey.

SURF CLUB SCHOLARSHIPS

ART LEAGUE DONATION

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

The Ocean City Surf Club awarded two $5,000 Scholarships at its. Pictured from left, Stephen Decatur High School graduates Kameron Harris and Jacob Urbanski poe with Ocean City Surf Club Event & Media Chairman Brad Hoffman and OC Surf Club President Tommy Vach with checks for $5,000 scholarships. The funds were awarded at the surf club’s OC Surf Fest Kick-off Party on June 16.

RELAY FOR LIFE DONATION

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Wayne Littleton, the director of Randy’s Crew, left, presents a donation check to representatives from Relay for Life of Worcester County at the organization’s recent Mexican Fiesta in your Backyard fundraiser. Randy’s Crew is a fundraising organization that benefits the Worcester County Humane Society and Town Cats, a local organization dedicated to the welfare of homeless cats.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League of Ocean City, pictured left, accepted a donation of $4,500 from B.J. Summers representing the Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. The grant will fund Art League residencies for three women artists to create work to be exhibited in March 2024 in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

LOTTERY SALES

Pictured, from left, are Kiwanis member Mark Page and Lottery Raffle co-chair Tom Southwell at the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean PinesOcean City’s lottery raffle booth on June 10 at the Ocean Pines Farmers Market. The group sells raffle tickets for $20 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at the market. Winners are based on the daily Evening Maryland Pick 3 drawing. Proceeds help support the club’s Scholarships and Youth Programs. One ticket offers 365 chances to win up to $250.

PHOTO COURTESY ROGER PACELLA

PHOTO COURTESY ROGER PACELLA

PHOTO COURTESY DAVIS LANDIS SR.

COMMUNITY/SCHOOLS

PINES ART

SUMMER ART SATURDAY

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Members of the Harrington family, from Baltimore, hold up paintings they completed during a free summer art Saturday on July 1 at the Ocean City Center for the Arts on 94th Street.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Members of the Menzie family, from New York, hold up the paintings they completed at the summer art Saturday event.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

The Wechstein and Morello families, from Knoxville, Tennessee, hold up their variations of the paintings attendees completed at the summer art Saturday event.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Claire Shockley poses at her Artisan Nut Brittles booth at Arts Day in the Pines. Her booth was one of several at the event.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Art League of Ocean City volunteers Connie Corbett, Amy Peck, Bruce Campbell and Craig Chamberlain pose for a photo during Arts Day in the Pines.

Daniel Laughlin of Willards paints a seashell at the Art League of Ocean City’s Arts Day in the Pines on July 9 at Veterans Memorial Park in Ocean Pines.

Pieces are on display at the Worcester County Arts Council’s juried show at the gallery on Jefferon Street in Berlin. The subject, “Summertime,” was open to the artists’ individual expression and interpretation and will be on display through the month of July.

July ‘Summertime’ exhibit on display Berlin art gallery

(July 14, 2023) During the month of July, the Worcester County Arts Council is hosting a juried art competition and exhibit featuring 39 entries submitted by 29 emerging and established artists who work in all media.

The subject, “Summertime,” was open to the artists’ individual expression and interpretation.

The artwork in the competition was reviewed by local artist Grover Cantwell.

Monetary prizes will be awarded, and winners will be announced during a free public reception set from 5-7 p.m., July 14, at the Worcester County Arts Coun-

CHECK PRESENTATION

cil Gallery, at 6 Jefferson St. in Berlin. Light refreshments will be offered. The exhibit, with multiple artistic pieces, will be on display at the gallery until July 31.

Along with the featured exhibit, new artwork created by 30 local artists and gallery members is on display and available for attendees to buy. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information about the Worcester County Arts Council’s programs and services, visit worcestercountyartscouncil.org.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Fiona O'Brien of Saltare Elementis Dance Collective, left, accepts a check to create her new film, “Roots,” from Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League of Ocean City. The grant was sponsored by the Ocean City Film Festival and the Worcester County Arts Council. “Roots” was inspired by the Eastern Shore and shot in Ocean City and will premiere at the 2024 Ocean City Film Festival in March.

Students from all over Italy working here in Ocean City

(July 14, 2023) Among the barrage of foreign students working in Ocean City this summer, students from all over Italy can be found at nearly a dozen businesses.

According to a news release from the Ocean City chapter of the Sons and Daughters of Italy, the students recently gathered at a dinner hosted by members of the organization.

And instead of traditional Italian fare, they enjoyed an American-style barbecue, featuring pulled pork and chicken and the usual sides, which the release said is something the students never eat in Italy.

The students come from throughout Italy, from big cities such as Bologna and Milano, and small towns like Caserta and Suave. They are working at the Original Green Turtle, Fagers Island, Telescope Pictures, De Lazy Lizard, and more locations.

Ocean City’s Sons and Daughters of Italy Chapter hosts a welcome dinner annually for the students, who have been coming here for years.

The organization is always looking for new members to join in its mission to preserve Italian heritage in America. Visit sonsofitalyoceancity.com for more

information and for membership applications.

Kiwanis Club annual meeting held

in June, officials elected

(July 7, 2023) Once a year, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean PinesOcean City holds an annual meeting where officers are elected for the upcoming fiscal year from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024.

On June 21, the Kiwanians hosted that meeting, where Bob Wolfing was elected president for a second consecutive term, Candy Foreman was named president-elect, and two new board members, Jim Maratea and John Hanberry, were inducted.

The meeting also featured reports on student leadership programs, scholarships awarded, lottery raffle sales and other fundraising efforts, and more.

Kiwanian of the Month awards were also presented for February through June.

For more information about the club, visit kiwanisofopoc.org, or follow the organization on Facebook at Kiwanis Club of Ocean Pines-Ocean City.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Students from Italy pose for a photo during a recent dinner with members of the Ocean City chapter of the Sons and Daughters of Italy. Pictured with the students are organization President Vinnie Mollicone in the second row, far right, and Vice President Joann Ward, fourth from right, last row.

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID LANDIS SR.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines - Ocean City pose for a picture with awards they received at the club’s annual meeting June 21. Pictured, from left, are Jim Maratea, who was recognized for chairing the scholarship committee; Ed Ahlquist, chair of concessions; Mark Page, who received the Lifetime Service Award for his 14 years of service to the club's foundation; and Kiwanis Club President Bob Wolfing, who chose the recipients.

Actions on video speak louder ...

There’s no way of knowing with absolute certainty whether an Ocean City police officer’s punch to the head of a Boardwalk vaping ban offender last Thursday was necessary or an overreaction. People will believe what they’re inclined to believe.

The charging documents say the suspect resisted arrest, which the department affirmed, saying the officer’s use of force to achieve compliance was within departmental policy.

But outside of the participants themselves, who know exactly what happened, the argument over the right or wrong of this incident is subject to personal points of view.

Besides, that’s not the point. The public, the police and elected officials can debate the circumstances all they want, but the fact remains that, warranted or not, police action of this nature never looks good.

When the Town of Ocean City’s tourism and marketing department spends millions of dollars a year to advertise itself as a happy place to be, it doesn’t need violent video of police activity costing revenue by generating headlines and social media viewers in metropolitan areas.

The financial damage that this clip may have done can’t be quantified, but it hardly bolsters the image the resort is trying to build with its sunny winky man logo and message. It makes no difference if a potential customer is pro-police or sympathizes with the person being restrained, some prospective vacationers will wonder what kind of place this is.

Also beside the point is whether the metropolitan press is to blame for purposely hyping this story or is guilty of a handwringing, anti-police editorial bent. These media outlets are what they are and there’s nothing to be done about it — other than to avoid giving them something to hype.

Yes, the police have a difficult job to do, because Ocean City, like every other resort town, attracts all kinds of people, some good and some not so good.

But as they protect the good folks in the visitor and residential population from these not-so-good people, everyone needs to remember that a thousand words of explanation is no match for a negative video that’s making the rounds.

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 ............................ Mallory Panuska

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR .......................... Lisa Capitelli

STAFF WRITERS ................Jack Chavez, Cindy Hoffman, ..........................................Hunter Hine, Remy Andersen

ACCOUNT MANAGERS .......... Mary Cooper, Vicki Shrier ..................................................................Renée Kelly

CLASSIFIEDS/LEGALS MANAGER .............. Laura Blair

SENIOR DESIGNER ................................ Susan Parks

GRAPHIC ARTISTS ............ Kelly Brown, Jane Leibowitz

PUBLISHER........................................ Christine Brown

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ...................... Gini Tufts

Be a man about it

Men, according to headline after headline after headline, are in crisis. They don’t know how to be men anymore, because they’re confused, lost, weak and diminished, and need help finding their way back to masculinity. That’s what is being written, which leads me to ask, what the hell are they talking about?

So, let’s clear that up: there’s no such thing as the standard-issue man. We are short, tall, fat, thin, smart, stupid, kind, cruel, crude, refined, funny, serious, juvenile, grown up, sensitive, insensitive and ... in charge.

Oh wait, maybe that’s it. We’re not as much in charge as we used to be, according to Hawley, who apparently forgot his unmanly scamper away from those Jan. 6 capitol rioters, while a real man like John Wayne would have stood his ground and said, “Well, pardner, I may take a beating, but I’m gonna take a few of you down with me.”

By Stewart Dobson

This men-in-trouble assertion came as a surprise to me, as I had always assumed that being a man was relatively simple: you go fishing, tell jokes that involve women and bodily functions and how on this one occasion you were laughing so hard at a joke that you lost the biggest fish you ever saw and liked to bodily-functioned yourself right there on the spot. And then go home and behave.

That’s pretty much it, in my opinion, unless you’re a golfer, in which case all the above apply, except that instead of losing a big fish, you were laughing so hard that you missed your 2-foot putt and liked to ... and so forth.

Other than that, being a man is pretty easy. You do what you’re told at home and never ever tell any of those stories like the ones you do when you’re fishing or golfing. Or laugh hysterically when the dog resolves a minor digestive problem in its own special way. Be stoic. And don’t say, “If he does that again, we’re gonna need a new house ...hahahaha!”

Nevertheless, many notable people from left-wing New York Times writers to rightwing Sen. Josh Hawley have penned essays about the demise of American masculinity, whatever that’s supposed to be.

That’s similar to what a friend of mine once said when a guy the size of school bus told him, “I’m going to eat your lunch.”

“Okay,” said my friend, “you may eat my lunch, but I am going to get a couple of sandwiches out of it, so think it over.”

Meanwhile, the left side of this man discussion, would suggest that my friend should have dropped the whole macho “Oh yeah?” approach in favor of ... I don’t know, couples therapy?

So, look, here’s the deal. Here are a few men rules:

1. It’s okay to cry under any circumstance ... just say it’s a kidney stone.

2. Don’t say anything that might be construed as offensive to those around you. For instance, say “A-orifice” instead of the more natural expression.

3. Don’t be an A-orifice.

4. Be respectful to women and remember they never have and never will think like you, so it’s just easier this way. Then go fishing or golfing and get it out of your system.

5. You can always point at the dog. After all, they don’t call him “Man’s Best Friend” for nothing.

New county committee unnecessary, redundant Editor,

I am writing in response to the Worcester County Commissioners’ latest vote to form a commission to oversee local public-school construction.

One of the reasons Mr. Joe Mitrecic voting no for the formation of this commission was because of the existence of the Buckingham Planning committee that has already been working on planning the new Buckingham Elementary School that will replace the existing 50-year-old school located in Berlin.

I am one of many members of that planning committee, which also includes three county commissioners:

Eric Fiori, Diana Purnell, and Jim Bunting, as well as the mayor of Berlin and two town council members, two Worcester County Board of Education members, three teachers, the principal and vice principal, several parents, the superintendent and assistant superintendents of Worcester County Public schools, the chief financial officer of Worcester County Public Schools and other central office staff.

That planning committee has been meeting for the last nine months to discuss the needs for a new school

that will educate Berlin children now and for the next 50 years. The majority of people serving on that committee are both Worcester County residents and Worcester County taxpayers who have taken our role on that committee very seriously.

Worcester County prides itself on having local control of life in our community. The existing committee is already fulfilling that desire for local control. Who best to decide what a school located in Berlin needs than Berlin elected officials, Berlin parents, staff who will be working in the new building and central office staff who have spent their professional lives as educators, as well as trained architects who have built many elementary schools on Delmarva?

This type of committee was used when Ocean City Elementary and the new Showell Elementary school were built and resulted in two beautiful schools that serve the needs of the Ocean City, Ocean Pines, and Bishopville communities in Worcester County.

There are many questions raised by the creation of this new commission, such as: would this newly formed commission meet with the existing Buckingham planning committee to discuss what has already been done? We have already approved a

Ocean Downs brings in more than $8.6 million during June

(July 14, 2023) Oceans Downs

Casino off Route 589 contributed more than $8.6 million from slot machines and table games to the state’s total more than $163.7 million revenues during the month of June.

According to a news release, the local casino’s revenue was up 1.5 percent from June 2022, while the state as a whole saw a minimal increase of 0.6 percent.

Casino gambling contributions to the state from this June totaled a little more than $69.43 million, which was up 1.6 percent compared to last year.

Contributions to the Education Trust Fund were about $50,43 million, an increase of 1.5 percent. Casino gaming revenues also support the communities and jurisdictions where they are located, the state’s horse racing industry, and small, minority- and women-owned busi-

nesses.

According to a different news release, Maryland’s 10 retail and 10 mobile sportsbooks also combined to generate more than $2.8 million to the state last month.

Each sportsbook contributes 15 percent of taxable wins to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs.

Oceans Downs is one of six privately owned casinos across Maryland that offers slot machines and table games. The others are MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Live! Casino & Hotel in Anne Arundel County, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore in Baltimore City, Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County, and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County.

The local casino and four others also have retail sportsbook licenses.

design and layout of the building; will this newly formed commission be able to override that work? Who will have the final say on a design? When will this newly formed commission meet? Will the meetings be open to the public, will they be held in the Berlin community?

Why don’t the three county commissioners who have already been part of the planning process feel they can share their thoughts and concerns with the Buckingham planning committee they already are a part of? In all of the meetings so far, the questions the county commissioners did ask were clearly and thoroughly answered by the professional architects already hired to design the school.

Again, Worcester County elected officials often complain about what they see as over regulation on a variety of local issues, yet the six county commissioners just voted to create an extra layer of regulation over funding for local schools. Will they do the same for all other government building that takes place in Worcester County or just for the construction of Buckingham Elementary?

As a resident of Worcester County and a taxpayer, I do not want my taxpayer money spent on forming a redundant commission to do a job that is already being done by highly qualified professionals and locally engaged community members.

Melissa Reid Berlin

Artists display their works at Berlin library

(July 14, 2023) The Worcester County Arts Council recently announced the current library gallery exhibit, featuring paintings by two local artists and members Beth Cooper and Carol Gentes.

Beth Cooper presents “Shore Sampling,” which is made up of 16 different works highlighting glimpses of life on the Eastern Shore.

Carol Gentes’ display, “Under the Sea” consists of 12 mixed media pieces depicting ocean creatures.

The exhibit will be on display in the Berlin library branch until Sept. 21.

Artwork is available to buy and may be viewed during the library’s regular business hours.

For more information about featured artists, visit worcestercountyartscouncil.org.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Artist Carol Gentes poses with her work, “Under the Sea,” made up of 12 mixed media pieces depicting ocean creatures at the Berlin library branch. The artwork, along with Beth Cooper’s “Shore Sampling,” will be on display until Sept. 21.

Medical equipment donated to Atlantic General Hospital

(July 14, 2023) Atlantic General Hospital’s respiratory therapy department recently received two pieces of medical equipment that will be used to treat future patients.

According to a news release Lora and Jim Pangratz, the parents of 26year-old Andrew James (AJ) Pangratz, donated a CoughAssist airway clearance device and a Bi-Pap machine to the hospital in memory of their son.

AJ Pangratz, who had Duchenne

muscular dystrophy, passed away on Nov. 11 at Atlantic General due to complications with covid.

“It just ended up being too much for his body,” Lora Pangratz, who became a volunteer chaplain at Atlantic General in March, said in the release. “My husband and I really wanted to be able to help others by donating his CoughAssist and his BiPap machine. It brings us comfort to know that it will be used to help other patients.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO / OCEAN CITY TODAY

Jim and Lora Pangratz pose with Atlantic General staff with respiratory equipment to the hospital in memory of their son, AJ, who died of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in Nov. 11.

Gold badge member Quillin recognized for service years

By Steve Price Contributing Writer

(July 14, 2023) This week we recognize gold badge member and past president of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company, J.D. Quillin III.

Firefighter Quillin and his family have long been recognized as pioneers in the Ocean City hospitality industry. Following his service in the U.S. Army Reserves, J.D. returned to Ocean City in the early 1960s to join his father, mother and brother Michael, in the ownership and operation of several well-known motels in the resort. These properties included the Surf and Sands Motel, the Satellite Motel and the French Quarter Motel.

The family previously constructed the first rooming house in Ocean City – known as the Holiday House built in 1947. J.D. retired from the motel business in 2000.

Following a lifetime interest in fire trucks and having the upmost respect for then-Fire Chief Al Harmon, Quillin joined the OCVFC on Oct. 19, 1961. Firefighter Quillin also became a member of the Ocean City Rescue Squad.

The Rescue Squad, formed in 1960, was an early predecessor of today’s well-respected Ocean City Paramedic / EMS Division. The squad consisted of 15 members and one ambulance and were dispatched for service by the Ocean City Police Department.

Members were trained in advanced first-aid by local physician Dr. Frank Townsend. Dr. Townsend also arranged for additional member training at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This included using dogs for training to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, for humans. Quillin recalls saving a man’s life after receiving the CPR training.

With his 62 years of membership, J.D. is one of the longest-tenured members of the fire company. During his 25 years of active service, Quillin has served as fire company chaplain, president and as a member of the board of directors. Firefighter Quillin served as lieutenant and later captain on Engine #709.

He was recognized and well respected for his skills in using selfcontained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, during emergency responses, such as working structure fires (with heavy smoke conditions) and hazardous material exposures. J.D. recalls the opportunity to train young firefighters in the safe and proper use of SCBA as his greatest accomplishment in the fire service.

J.D. cites the ’62 storm as the most significant event of his firefighting career. He responded with “Fish” Pow-

Invasion of Sicily goes way of Allies in Operation Husky

ell and other members of the fire company to a reported structure fire at the Powell property on 74th Street. However, fire units were unable to reach the property due to a breach from the ocean across the roadway at 69th Street. J.D. also remembers meeting his future wife, Sandy, and her family, while evacuating people from the Coronado Condominium after the storm.

We thank Firefighter Quillin for his service to our nation and for his many years of service to our community as a member of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company.

For membership information or to learn more about your volunteer fire company, visit ocvfc.com

By Peter Ayers Wimbrow III Contributing Writer

(July 14, 2023) This week, 80 years ago, elements of the British 5th Infantry Division wrested control of the 700-year-old Sicilian city of Augusta from the Napoli Division commanded by Count Giulio Cesare Gotti Porcinari. Augusta is a city of 35,000 people on the west coast of Sicily on the Ionian Sea. This action was part of the Allied effort to capture the isle of Sicily — “Operation Husky.”

On a map, Sicily is at the toe of the Italian boot and looks as if it is being kicked. It is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and is roughly triangular in shape, with an area of 10,698 square miles. Planning for this invasion had begun in January

1943, at the Casablanca Conference, when the Americans finally agreed with the British to invade Sicily. The invading force of the Fifteenth Army Group, commanded by Sir Harold Alexander, consisted of the British Eighth Army, commanded by Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery (“Monty”), on the right, and the U.S. Seventh Army, commanded by Gen.George S. Patton Jr., on the left. Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Ike”) was overall commander of the Allied armed forces, while the overall naval commander was Adm. Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham (“ABC”). Amphibius landings were supported by the British 1st Airborne Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. George F.

Continued on Page 58

J.D. Quillin III.

American paratroopers of the 504th PIR bound for Sicily, July 1943

WORLD WAR II

Continued from Page 57

Hopkinson, and the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division commanded by Maj. Gen. Matthew Ridgway.

Adm. Cunningham’s naval force was divided into two task forces: the Eastern Naval Task Force, commanded by Adm. Bertram Home Ramsay, and the Western Naval Task Force, commanded by Adm. Henry Kent Hewitt. The Mediterranean Air Command, under the command of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, provided air support. The Mediterranean Air Command included RAF units and the American Ninth and Twelfth Air Forces, commanded by Lt. Gens. Lewis H. Brereton and Carl Spaatz.

Defending Sicily was a combined Italian-German Army — the Italian Sixth Army — under the command of Gen. Alfredo Guzzoni. He commanded not only the Sixth Army, but also all other troops, including, theoretically, the German troops. Axis defenders totaled about 260,000, of which 60,000 were German, split between the army and the Luftwaffe.

That there were not more German troops defending Sicily was due to the success of “Operation Mincemeat,” which involved a clever ruse by the British to convince the Germans that an attack was coming somewhere other than Sicily, e.g. Greece or Sardinia.

In order to do this, the British ob-

tained a corpse, disguised it as a major, and attached documents indicating an invasion of Greece, and dumped the corpse off the coast of Spain, where it was recovered by a Spanish fisherman.

Ultimately, copies of the documents were conveyed to the Germans, who then began taking steps to strengthen the defenses of Greece, such as transferring the 1st Panzer Division from France to Salonika, and several fighter squadrons to Greece. Even after the invasion of Sicily, they were still so convinced that the attack was coming in Greece, that they sent Field Marshal Erwin Rommel there to prepare the defenses!

Details of Operation Mincemeat’s implementation can be found in the 2021 film of the same name starring Academy Award winner Colin Firth, and the 1956 film, “The Man Who Never Was,” starring Academy Award winners Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame.

Despite the success of Operation Mincemeat, the invasion encountered disaster at its inception. Prior to the amphibious landings, the two Allied Airborne Divisions, were to pre-

cede the landings. A force of 136 British gliders left Tunisia, being towed by American aircraft. Sixty-five of the gliders were released too early and crashed into the sea, killing 252 British soldiers. Only 87 of the remaining soldiers arrived at their target, Ponte Grande Bridge, outside of Syracuse.

Although they were able to capture the bridge, they didn’t have enough strength to hold until reinforcements arrived. By that time, only 15 remained and they were out of ammunition. Others of Gen. Hopkinson’s 1st Airborne Division fared no better. The general himself had to be fished from the sea by a British ship!

Thirty-three aircraft veered off course near the Sicilian coast, and were devastated by Allied naval antiaircraft fire, losing 13 of the planes. Enemy fire accounted for another 21. Some of the remaining pilots refused to proceed and returned to Tunisia. Only 40 precent of the 5,000 British paratroopers had landed in their assigned drop zones.

The Americans suffered similarly. “Friendly” naval anti-aircraft fire, accounted for 229 casualties, of which 81 were fatalities, including Brig. Gen. Charles L. Keerans Jr., the 82nd Airborne’s assistant division commander. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica sank a landing ship, a troopship, a destroyer and a hospital ship.

The American portion of the landings was led by the 1st Infantry Division (“The Big Red One”), commanded by Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr., who, with assistant commander Theodore Roosevelt Jr., formed the “Teddy & Terry Show,” and the 3rd Infantry Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Lucian Truscott.

The Big Red One landed near the 1300-year-old coastal city of Gela, and was almost immediately met with a counterattack by the Liverno and the elite Hermann Göring Divisions, commanded by Domenico Chirieleison and Joseph “Beppo” Schmid. But, as would happen at Normandy, when the Axis divisions approached the beaches, Allied ships opened fire with their big naval guns and ended the Axis’ threat. The same occurred near Syracuse, when Count Porcinari’s Napoli Division, counterattacked the British.

Soldiers from Gen. Patton’s Seventh Army captured the 2600-yearold city of Palermo, the capital of Sicily, on July 22, 1943. Today, it has a population of 700,000. Nineteen days later the 1,600-year-old port of Messina was captured, by Gen. Truscott’s 3rd Division, from Gen. Patton’s Seventh Army.

The Americans arrived, ahead of Monty’s Eighth Army, but too late to catch the last ferry to the mainland. The scene is replicated in the movie “Patton,” when the British march into Messina, only to find a grinning Patton, portrayed by George C. Scott, for which he won an Academy Award, awaiting them, at the head of his soldiers.

The Axis had realized that an evacuation of Sicily was inevitable. The first Axis troops began crossing the Straits of Messina to the Italian mainland on Aug. 1. By Aug. 18, 60,000 German and 75,000 Italian troops had been evacuated from Sicily.

In 38 days, the Allies captured the island and about 122,000 Axis soldiers. Approximately 9,000 Germans and 5,000 Italians were killed, while 13,500 Germans and 32,500 Italians were wounded. After 38 days of combat, Sicily was in Allied hands at a cost of 25,000 casualties.

Next week: Hamburg

Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own. He can be contacted at: wimbrowlaw@gmail.com.

General Alfredo Guzzoni, Supreme Commander of Italo-German forces in Sicily $1,445.

Snelsire drafted by Tampa Bay

Former Stephen Decatur baseball player selected by Rays in 17th round

By Lisa Capitelli Contributing Editor

(July 14, 2023) Hayden Snelsire is proof that if you work hard, you can accomplish your dreams.

The Stephen Decatur High School alum was selected on Tuesday in the 17th round (pick 513) of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

“It’s been my dream since I was like 9 or 10. That’s when I really started to get into baseball,” he said. “I didn’t know what it would take – I knew it wouldn’t be easy – but I knew I would really have to work at it.”

Not only did it take hard work and dedication to the sport, but Snelsire said the people around him –coaches, teammates, friends and family – helped him get to where he is today.

A little bit of luck and good health – “blessed” to be relatively injuryfree – throughout his high school and college baseball career was also key to accomplishing his goal, he said.

Snelsire was at his parents’ home on Tuesday in the GlenRiddle community watching the draft online with his mom, Jocelyn, and college roommate, Nick Kreider.

“Eric (his father) and I are so proud of him. He has worked hard and sacrificed a lot to put himself in this position and we are so excited to

see all of that hard work pay off,” Jocelyn Snelsire said. “Seeing him reach his goals is the most rewarding feeling as parents. We have always done everything we could to give our kids the best opportunities for success and then it’s up to them to take advantage of those opportunities. Hayden has always been the kid to make the most out of what he is given.”

Snelsire, who started playing tee ball around the age of 4, then advancing to Berlin Little League followed by travel ball, said he had hoped to get drafted as he was in talks with several MLB teams, including the Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Fransisco Giants.

“It was just when and where,” he said.

Snelsire said he received a call from the Tampa Bay organization before the third day of the draft. Snelsire was told if he was still available between the 16th and 20th rounds the Rays were going to take him.

He then got a text during the 16th round that the team was going to pick him next.

Snelsire said he didn’t want to get too excited until he saw his name just in case something happened.

“It was exciting and stressful, but cool to see,” he said. “Once I saw my name, all the emotions came over me. I just think about everything I put into the process.”

After he was drafted, Snelsire said many people came to his parents’ house to celebrate his accomplish-

ment.

“It’s still surreal. It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he said on Wednesday. “I think it will once I get on that flight down to Tampa. I’m still just living my life as normal, other than people [reaching out] to congratulate me.”

The 22-year-old had a successful career pitching for Division III Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, earning more time on the mound with each season.

“I came into my body in college and I was able to train harder and get a lot stronger and bigger,” he said. “I was able to throw harder and pitch better overall [compared to high school].”

His freshman year, Snelsire made five appearances in relief. In 11 innings, he struck out 15, allowed 12 hits, seven runs (five earned) and walked three.

As a sophomore, Snelsire started in 10 games. He finished the season with a 6-2 record, logging a 3.75 ERA.

In 50.1 innings, Snelsire struck out 50, gave up 47 hits, 27 runs (21 earned) and walked 17.

Snelsire started in all 12 games he played in during his junior year, finishing with a 6-3 record.

In 60.2 innings, the right-handed pitcher struck out 65, allowed 78 hits, 41 runs (29 earned) and walked 10.

“His junior year was the first time he was asked to step into a leadership role and be our guy, and he did a great job,” said Randolph-Macon Head Coach Ray Hedrick.

During the 2022-23 season, Snelsire made an appearance in 12 games, 11 of which he started.

“He had a good summer and was more prepared to lead the team this season,” Hedrick said.

As a senior, Snelsire recorded 107 strikeouts in 69.1 innings - the thirdhighest total in program history. He also had two complete-game shutouts.

His 13.89 average strikeouts (per nine innings) ranked Snelsire first in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and sixth in the nation.

He gave up 58 hits, 28 runs (23 earned) and walked 18. He wrapped up his senior year with an 8-2 record and a 2.99 ERA.

Snelsire broke the baseball program’s record with his 237 career strikeouts. He was third with 21 career wins, fifth with 33 games started and ninth with a career winning per-

See RANDOLPH-MACON Page 60

(Far left) A 12year-old Hayden Snelsire pitches for his Berlin Little League AllStar team during the Eastern Regional championship in Bristol, Connecticut, which was televised on ESPN. (Left) Snelsire was named Bayside Conference South Pitcher of the Year in 2019, his senior year playing for Stephen Decatur High School.

PHOTO COURTESY RANDOLPH-MACON ATHLETICS Hayden Snelsire

Randolph-Macon standout ready for MLB, Tampa Bay

Continued from Page 59

centage of .750 (21-7) according the Randolph-Macon Athletic’s web site.

For his performance on the mound, Snelsire earned All-American Second Team accolades by American Baseball Coaches Association/ Rawlings. He also received All-Region First Team honors by American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings and was named to the All-State First Team by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID).

He graduated in May with a business degree.

Because of covid he was granted an extra year of sports eligibility, and last week he committed to University of Virginia to play baseball and for graduate school. This was before he was drafted by the Rays, so he will not be attending University of Virginia.

“I just want to thank my coaches, especially at Randolph-Macon, Coach Ray Hedrick, because he did a lot for me during this process, not only with Major League Baseball, but with graduate school also. He went above and beyond,” Snelsire said.

Snelsire was also successful on the mound during his time playing for Stephen Decatur.

He scored a spot on the Bayside South Conference First Team his junior year. Snelsire was named Bayside South Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2019 as a senior, and also earned a place on the Bayside South First Team.

During his senior year as a Seahawk, Snelsire threw 41.1 innings in nine games. He struck out 65, walked 12 and allowed 29 hits and 11 runs (three earned).

“He is super intelligent on and off the field. [He had] a low-key de-

meanor on the field and controlled his emotions, thus the tempo of the game,” said Rich Ferro, head coach of the Decatur varsity baseball team. “[He was] very cerebral with his game planning and attacking hitters. [He was] coachable and a great teammate.”

Ferro is looking forward to watching Snelsire pitch at the Major League level.

“His hard work and game intelligence has given him a shot,” Ferro said. “On and off the field Hayden will compete and be successful.”

Snelsire was also a member of the Decatur golf team, where he qualified for the state championship tournament three out of his four years competing.

Even though golf has been secondary to baseball, he still enjoys the sport.

“I still play golf all the time. As a pitcher we have a little more free time than other players,” he said. “I’ve lost a little bit of my touch I had in high school. I do it more for fun now, but I don’t get to play as much as I’d like to.”

Snelsire said he will head to Tampa in the next week or so to take a physical and sign his contract with the Rays.

“He’s got a lot of mileage in that arm. [At 22] he’s an older pitcher, but they’re getting a guy who still has a lot in the tank, with room to grow and improve,” Hedrick said. “There’s a lot of perseverance and determination in Hayden Snelsire. He kept his head down and did his thing. He’s a worker. No one can question his work ethic. He’s coachable and just a great kid. He checks all the boxes. You couldn’t find a better human being, and family.”

Art Hansen Memorial Youth Fishing Contest set for Sat.

(July 14, 2023) The Ocean Pines Anglers Club will host the annual Art Hansen Memorial Youth Fishing Contest this Saturday at the South Gate Pond.

Registration is from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Veterans Park in Ocean Pines. The contest will be from 910:30 a.m.

Participants should bring their own fishing rod and reel. Bait will be provided.

There will be three age groups for young anglers: 4-7, 8-11 and 12-16.

A trophy will be awarded for the biggest fish in each age group with special prizes for the top three.

Children younger than 4 years of age can fish but will not be eligible

for a trophy. This is a free event. All registrants will receive a prize. There will also be drawings for two grand prizes.

Funding for the event is provided by the Anglers Club, the Ocean City/Berlin Optimist Club, Ocean Pines Recreation and Parks Department, and the Atlantic Coast Sportfishing Association.

For more information, call John McFalls at 610-505-1697.

This is the second event presented by the Ocean Pines Anglers Club this summer.

On June 17, more than 60 young anglers participated in the annual “Teach a Kid to Fish Day” at the South Pond in Ocean Pines.

Fins, placement big deal in surfing

By Dave Dalkiewicz Contributing Writer

(July 14, 2023) Fins are an often overlooked aspect of how a surfboard works in the water.

They are part of surfboard design that can make a big difference. Even fin placement can make a large difference.

Some elementary common thought and rather folkish sayings prove to be quite true. One of these basic sayings is “you only need one.” Another basic one is ”a fin or fins will keep the nose in front and the tail in back.”

A fin or fins helps the surfer “steer” the surfboard, much as a rudder on a boat. Regardless of the number of fins the placement will be toward the rear of the board and on the bottom, of course.

The basis is one fin and was the standard for a long time and is still valid to this day. Variations have occurred from time to time and we will touch on some of these in this discussion.

Without a fin or fins a surfboard will tend to slide out of the wave es-

pecially on a turn or “slide ass” (please excuse the language!) as it was referred to before the fin.

At one point two surfers, Wally Froiseth and John Kelly, I think, decided to carve a v-shape in the tail of their wooden surfboards. This helped to give their surfboards more direction. It gave them more ability to “steer” the boards.

Tom Blake is generally considered to have put the first fin on a surfboard. This was a significant advancement in the pursuit of high performance at the time. The era was the first part of the 20th century or the 1900s. At this time all surfboards were made of wood.

By the 1950s Californian Bob Simmons was making surfboards with wide tails and using two fins out toward the rails or edges of surfboards. Simmons had injured one of his arms and to my knowledge the thought was that a wider board would be easier for him to paddle. Still, as far as I know, single fins were, more or less, the standard.

Single fins and nine- to 10-foot boards were pretty much what was going on through the 1960s, although by the later part of that decade surfboards began to get shorter.

Regional softball championship in Ocean

City, region

It is good to note that all of this change, this evolution, was meant to increase the performance level of the sport of surfing.

As the boards became shorter the thought emerged that single fins weren’t really getting the job done. This was probably due to boards becoming wider, at least in the aft section, and multi-fin boards began to be seen.

Two fins or twin fins became popular around this time, which was in the early 1970s.

Single fins were still widely used, though some started to experiment with a single plus two smaller fins placed just forward of the single and out toward the rail of the board. This was probably the start of three fins as we know it today.

So much can be said about a fin or fins on surfboards, but due to the brevity of this column there is only so much room.

Hopefully we will continue with future articles on surfboard fins. You only need one, as the saying goes, but there’s more, a lot more, that can be said. Stay tuned.

— Dave Dalkiewicz is the owner of Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop in Ocean City

(July 14, 2023) Over the next three weeks, nearly 350 girls’ softball teams will make their way to the Eastern Shore for the United States Specialty Sports Association, or USSSA, Eastern National Championships.

According to a news release, the championship series has been hosted on the shore since 2007, drawing over 4,200 teams and generating an estimated total economic impact of more than $200 million.

This year’s estimated economic impact is nearly $17 million.

The growth of the tournament is due in part to the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Sports Alliance, or MAASA, a formal sports marketing partnership between Ocean City and Wicomico and Worcester counties.

Earlier this spring, association officials announced an intent to return to the shore for the next three years.

The event runs from July 11-29. Tournament games are open to the public with no admission fee charged. Parades are also scheduled on July 11 in downtown Salisbury and July 18 in downtown Ocean City.

For more information, visit WicoSports.org.

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