8/18/2023 Ocean City Today

OC Today

AUGUST 18, 2023

MIXED-USE FACILITY

Ocean City has agreed to fund half of proposed Somerset Street project cost – Page 15

SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY FREE

Two hearings lie ahead for

Margaritaville

Will help decide how development proceeds on former Phillips property

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) Plans to build a smaller Margaritaville resort between 13th and 14th streets in downtown Ocean City gained some traction this week with a City Council vote to set a hearing on the developer’s request to obtain air rights over an alley that bisects the property.

The project was introduced as an alternative after developers ran into snags with a proposed larger resort that called for more conference space and amenities. The original project, which needs a special zoning designation to come to fruition, is still on the table, but plans request the city’s abandonment of an alley so the throughway can be used to join two separate parcels. The public hearing on the request is scheduled for Sept. 5.

The smaller project also needs an approval from council members as plans move through the planning stages. The request to obtain air rights over the alley will be set for hearing following the council’s unanimous vote at a work session Tuesday.

THE WINNER

“It’s a smaller hotel with less conference area, less amenities,” local attorney Hugh Cropper, who represents the developers, said Tuesday. “But it is still a very good development. It would be very much a positive for Ocean City.”

Cropper has said developers still prefer the

Marijuana smell test applied in vehicle stops, searches

Police use cannabis odor as cause to comb minor’s cars for contraband

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) Although a new state law prohibits law enforcement from searching vehicles based on the odor of cannabis alone, Ocean City police continue to search cars based on smell as

long as all the occupants are under 21 years old.

Ocean City Police Cpt. James Grady said at the Police Commission on Monday that Worcester County State’s Attorney Kristin Heiser has told the OCPD officers they can search minors’ vehicles if they smell cannabis.

“They [State’s Attorney’s Office] wanted us to try to search vehicles based on the smell of CDS [controlled dangerous substances] if all the occupants

were under 21, because they’re not allowed to legally have it. If everybody is 21 or over and we smell the odor we can’t search the car,” Grady said.

The General Assembly passed HB1071, which legalized marijuana and specifically governs cannabis evidence. The bill states that police cannot stop or search a person, vehicle or vessel based on certain kinds of cannabis evidence alone,

See REASONABLE Page 8

PHOTO COURTESY WHITE MARLIN OPEN

White Marlin Open staff help lift a 640.5-pound blue marlin off the transom of the Floor Reel at the Harbour Island Marina. Caught last Friday by John Ols, the boat’s owner, the fish took the tournament’s top prize of more than $6.2 million. See story on page 65. See SMALLER Page 9

Some OC Boardwalk trams flashing in-house city ads

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) Digital video screens on four out of the Boardwalk's seven functioning trams are now flashing in-house city advertisements after months of waiting for the new technology.

However, with no revenue coming in from commercial advertisers and three of the screens still displaying error messages, the new program is still not where members of the city’s

Transportation Committee want it to be.

“Tell [the ad contractor] we’d like to see some ads on there next week. That will sell the program,” Mayor Rick Meehan, who chairs the committee, said at a meeting Tuesday.

The city signed a contract late last year with Gateway Outdoor Advertising to market and sell ads on resort buses and trams. While the company got off to a slow start, Transit Man-

See OFFICIALS Page 7

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CINDY HOFFMAN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Digital ads for city events are displayed on the back of a Boardwalk tram. Four of the seven functionong trams now have working screens that flash city house ads, but officials want all of them working and want to see outside advertisers buy space.

10615 POINT LOOKOUT ROAD • OCEAN CITY

$5,599,900 • JUST REDUCED! $4,999,900

THIS HOME IS A SHOW-STOPPER!

Custom 6BR/6BA/3HBA/ new construction west facing bayfront estate designed and built by David Bradley of Bradley Construction w/ views of both Assawoman Bay and skyline from the property’s L-shaped pool and swim-up bar. Features exceptional craftsmanship w/astute attention to detail, custom finishes/woodwork, and architectural details. A welcoming orange crush bar made w/Port Rush quartz and 1stfloor Den/bedroom ensuite complete w/Murphy bed. Expansive family room has a wall of windows and glass sliders overlooking the bay. Gourmet chef's kitchen just off family room includes plenty of bar seating w/endless bay views. Kitchen boasts GE monogram ss appliances including 6-burner gas range, expansive center island, custom farm sink, w/vegetable sink, hone marble and quartz countertops. White custom Fabuwood cabinets w/undercounter lighting, appliance garages and custom pull outs for easy storage. Floating shelves in kitchen made w/reclaimed wood, and a designer tile backsplash. An expansive butler’s pantry, mud room w/custom shelving, laundry room, half bath on the main floor. White oak stairs, and custom-made glass elevator. 2nd floor spacious ensuite Bayfront bedrooms, each w/its own private balcony. A 4th ensuite bedroom which has been designed as a bunk room w/custom bunk and trundle bed complete w/a port hole. A coffee bar, refrigerator, and full-size laundry on 2nd floor. 3rd floor primary bedroom ensuite w/bay views, cathedral ceilings, turret cupola, coffee bar, fireplace, exquisite tile work, two enormous closets w/wood detailing and shiplap, and expansive covered porch. Primary bath has insulated tub w/jets and faces the bay w/a 6’x6’ circular Anderson window. Bonus room w/soaring ceilings and cupola; separate refrigerator, bar seating, a private deck, half bath, and laundry. A saltwater pool and spa, cabana area complete w/2 outdoor TVs, 2 refrigerators, custom cabinetry/countertops, fire pit area, permits for three lifts and a transient boat, a 50ft pier, dock and ramp. Parking for 6 cars. MLS MDWO2012190

Breathtaking 5BR/4.5BA waterfront estate on 2+ acres is coming soon! If you are looking for an incredible home on a beautiful piece of property with breathtaking views overlooking Assateague Island, look no further. This home boasts 6,482 sq.ft. of luxury. The family room overlooks the water with soaring ceilings and a beautiful custom fireplace. The chef's kitchen is amazing, with lots of room for prepping food and enjoying home cooked meals, and the spacious breakfast area is off the kitchen and provides plenty of room for family and friends. The kitchen has lovely granite countertops, a butler's pantry, mini bar, and plenty of cabinets for storage. This home also has a formal dining room and formal living room, perfect gathering space for everyone to enjoy for years to come. The large primary bedroom suite is on the first floor with beautiful views overlooking the water. There are hardwood floors throughout the home. On the second floor you will find four additional spacious bedrooms and three baths, and a home theater/game room. There is also an additional room over the garage with a full bath. Off the back of the home there is a 40'x12' brick patio facing the water, which is perfect for outdoor dining and grilling. This home also comes with a Community Dock area with assigned boat slips. Slip number three is the owners. If you’re tired of the hustle and bustle, but you still want to be close to Ocean City, golf courses, and everything Assateague Island has to offer, this is the perfect home for you. Come take a tour today, put your finishing touches on it, and turn your dream of owning a Waterfront estate into reality. Your family and friends are sure to make memories that last a lifetime here. Come see for yourself. Schedule your showing today and consider making this dream home yours.

MLS MDWO2015282

This waterfront 4BR/3.5 bath custom built home in the highly desirable community of Bay Point Plantation is extraordinary. It encompasses endless water views and was built with the finest materials, custom upgrades and impressive attention to detail. Every aspect of this home is beautifully oriented to take advantage of views, sunrises and sunsets. The main floor has 10-foot ceilings and expansive water views. The gourmet chef’s kitchen has water views, custom shaker cabinets, under counter lighting, Subzero refrigerator, six burner stove, other high-end appliances, an oversize walk-in pantry, quartz countertops and a custom walnut center island. The chef in your family is going to enjoy cooking in this unbelievable gourmet kitchen. The kitchen flows to the dining area which also overlooks the water. There is a screened in deck off the kitchen, perfect for outdoor dining. An open deck at the side with a gas grill for outdoor barbecues which can be enjoyed while watching the sunset night after night. The spacious family room has water views and overlooks the pool and spa with another deck. This home has an abundance of natural light and a feeling of serenity. There is a gas fireplace to enjoy during cozy winter nights. The southern exposure brings spectacular winter sunrises into view. The wet bar with Subzero wine cooler is adjacent to the family room. The main level also has a beautiful study with built-in storage, half bath and a butler’s pantry designed for entertaining and prepping food with a second dishwasher. On the upper level is the primary bedroom suite with custom closets, lavish primary bath, upgraded tile and heated flooring. There is a deck off the primary suite for enjoying expansive water views and the natural beauty of the preserve. There is also a laundry room on this level, two additional bedrooms, a full bath and a deck off the third bedroom. The lower level has a fourth bedroom, full bath, plenty of storage, custom built-in cabinets and another laundry room. There is an elevator which goes from the lower level up to the upper level of the home. There is a two-car oversize garage on the right side of the home and an additional garage on the left side of the home. The outdoor entertaining space in this home is spectacular. There is a 30x15 saltwater in-ground heated pool with adjacent spa. There are outside Sonos speakers, ceiling fans, a golf cart storage area, custom industrial grade shades and lighting, and an irrigation system. This home has a resort feel and plenty of outdoor space to suit everyone. Enjoy the gas fire pit area off the pool in the Fall when a chill begins to take over the night air. The home comes with a boat slip at the adjacent marina with direct access to the bay you are only minutes away by boat from the inlet and West Ocean City. Bay Point Plantation is a gated community providing extra peace of mind and a close community feel. There are only 33 lots with a 142-acre nature preserve with wooded trails and spectacular views of the marsh. This stunning home is offered for sale for $2,399,900. Please ask for the upgraded features list for a complete list of upgrades. MDWO2014864

Luxury 5BR/6BA/2HBA Bayfront home with pool hits the market! This luxury home has 145 feet of water frontage with direct bay views and offers southern exposure. As you walk in the front door of this lovely home you will immediately fall in love with the attention to details and upgrades throughout. An elegant foyer with marble flooring greets you as you enter with your eyes drawn to the beautiful Bayfront views and the swimming pool in the courtyard. On the first level you will find a kitchen designed for access in and out to the pool area with plenty of seating and room for entertaining family and friends. Also on the first floor, you will find a Bay front office or playroom for the kids. This home is complete with a home elevator so either take the spiraling stairs to the second level or take the elevator up to the second level. You will be mesmerized by the amazing Bayfront views and endless sunsets this home offers. There are 6 decks off the home for privacy. On the second level you will find a professional chef’s kitchen complete with large center island, high end appliances and plenty of cabinet space adjoining a beautiful, spacious dining room overlooking the bay. The family room is also complete with a gas fireplace for chilly winter nights, making this the perfect home for year-round liv ing or a vacation home. Also, on this floor, you will find a second office, home theater room, or game room. On the third level you will enjoy waking up to the endless water views from your primary bedroom. The primary bath has custom finishes throughout with extensive tile work. The primary bedroom also has a fireplace for romantic evenings and relaxing. Also on this floor are three additional bedrooms, which are spacious and separated nicely from the primary bedroom. This home is over 6000 ft.² and is one of the few Bayfront homes available on the market. So, if you’re looking for a home at the beach, also offering all the thrill of the day with attention to detail look no further. Come take a look at 733 Bradley Rd. today before it’s sold!

11602 S. HILLS DRIVE • BERLIN MD $1,699,900

WATERFRONT WITH BOAT SLIP 2.03 ACRES!

11714 TURVILLE LANE $2,399,900

733 BRADLEY ROAD • OCEAN CITY $3,200,000

BOAT SLIP & 30 X 15 SALTWATER POOL !

NANCY REITHER-SMITH

Realtor® • Licensed in MD & DE

Office: 410-524-1203

Direct: 410-723-8574 / Cell: 410-603-5050

Email: nreither@cbmove.com

HERON HARBOUR ISLE HOME WITH

BOAT SLIP

304 S. HERON GULL COURT OCEAN CITY• $1,650,000

This single-family 4BR/4.5BA home with deeded boat slip is located in the sought after community of Heron Harbour Isle. This beautiful home has an open floor plan with a spacious family room with a 2-story stone fireplace. The family room flows into the kitchen which has plenty of cabinet space, a center island, breakfast bar and additional storage. Off the kitchen is the dining area where you will love having meals with your family and friends. Off the family room and dining area there is a screened-in porch, perfect for relaxing and enjoying morning coffee. Off the screened-in porch is a deck with a barbecue grill for crab feasts and grilling your favorites. Also on the first level of this home is the spacious primary bedroom with walk-in closets and a large bathroom with shower and soaking tub. There’s also a study on the first floor making remote work possible in a nice quiet area. The first level also has another full bath, laundry room and a half bath. On the second level there are three additional bedrooms and two more full baths. This home has lots of room for everyone to visit and there’s also a bonus room over the garage which could be used as a fifth bedroom or game room. The home also has a wrap-around porch, two-car garage and a deeded boat slip. The seller belongs to the Heron Harbour recreation association, which has tennis courts, indoor heated pool, fitness center, sauna, Olympic size outdoor pool, and a kiddie pool. The home is located very close to restaurants, shopping, and the beach. Come take a look today. This home is being offered partially furnished and is ready for your immediate enjoyment.

MDW02015676

This beautiful 2BR/2BA Direct Oceanfront Fountainhead Towers condo is now available for sale! Wake up to incredible sunrises to start your day with the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand. From the minute you walk in the door you’ll fall in love with the breathtaking views and open floor plan. The kitchen with breakfast bar opens up to the family room. The dining room is off the kitchen and makes a great gathering place to enjoy home cooked meals with friends and family.The large living area is off the dining area and has four glass sliders leading to a large ocean front deck with completely unobstructed views of the beach and ocean.The balcony is huge,boasting 30 feet x 9 feet.There’s also a Bayside balcony which is approximately 14 feet x 7 feet, perfect for watching Ocean City's amazing sunsets. This is one of the few buildings that comes complete with two balconies.The primary bedroom overlooks the ocean with glass sliders for endless views of the beach and ocean.The primary bath has been redone and has a shower,closet and double vanities,and there is a second spacious bedroom and additional bath. The hot water heater and HVAC were replaced in 2018. The hurricane shutters were just replaced in June of 2023. There is a washing machine and dryer in the unit. On the bay facing balcony there is a separate owner's closet just for the use of unit 1606. This condo is located at 116th St. The condo has an outdoor swimming pool on the beach side, which you are sure to love.The condo also has tennis and pickleball courts.The condo is conveniently located close to restaurants,shops and entertainment, and has easy access into and out of Ocean City. The condo is being sold fully furnished. The condo association is on site and there is also on-site year-round security.Come take a look today before it’s sold! MDWO2014856Are you looking to build your dream home?

Look no further than this beautiful residential lot in the community of South Point Farms. This beautiful building lot is in a prime location on the corner with beautiful bay views. The lot is approximately 2.76 acres and it’s located off 611 in Berlin Maryland.At the entrance of South Point Farms is a public boat ramp and public pier with water access for boating fishing,crabbing,paddle boarding, and kayaking.If you are looking for a peaceful,tranquil location with unbelievable Bay views this is the prime spot.There are multiple world-class golf courses close by and Assateague National and State Park as well for days on the beach. No builder tie-in required. Come take a look today and enjoy the good life on South Point Farms! MDW02014122

COMMERCIAL

main that will supply a hotel, shopping center, office complex, medical center, professional center, etc. Lot is cleared. Buy it Now Before It's SOLD!!! Owner Financing is available. MLS DESU184528

Why not build? There's nothing like building the house of your dreams! Large cul-de-sac (11,566 Sqft.) home site in the very desirable Colonial Village location in Ocean Pines. Close to the Yacht Club, Yacht club pool and marina and Mumford's Landing Pool, and located only a few miles from Ocean City’s famous beaches.

Ocean Pines is an amenity rich community w/restaurants, shops, tennis, recreational facilities, golf, ball fields, pickleball courts, basketball court, playground, 12 parks, 6 trails, indoor and outdoor pools, 2 marinas, beachfront beach club at 49th Street in Ocean City, and the farmer's market.

This beautiful 2BR/2BA Direct Oceanfront Fountainhead Towers condo is now available for sale! Wake up to incredible sunrises to start your day with the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand. From the minute you walk in the door you’ll fall in love with the breathtaking views and open floor plan. The kitchen with breakfast bar opens up to the family room. The dining room is off the kitchen and makes a great gathering place to enjoy home cooked meals with friends and family. The large living area is off the dining area and has four glass sliders leading to a large ocean front deck with completely unobstructed views of the beach and ocean. The balcony is huge, boasting 30 feet x 9 feet. There’s also a Bayside balcony which is approximately 14 feet x 7 feet, perfect for watching Ocean City's amazing sunsets. This is one of the few buildings that comes complete with two balconies. The primary bedroom overlooks the ocean with glass sliders for endless views of the beach and ocean. The primary bath has been redone and has a shower, closet and double vanities, and there is a second spacious bedroom and additional bath. The hot water heater and HVAC were replaced in 2018. The hurricane shutters were just replaced in June of 2023. There is a washing machine and dryer in the unit. On the bay facing balcony there is a separate owner's closet just for the use of unit 1606. This condo is located at 116th St. The condo has an outdoor swimming pool on the beach side, which you are sure to love. The condo also has tennis and pickleball courts. The condo is conveniently located close to restaurants, shops and entertainment, and has easy access into and out of Ocean City. The condo is being sold fully furnished. The condo association is on site and there is also on-site year-round security. Come take a look today before it’s sold! MDWO2014856

This beautiful first floor 2BR/2BA condo is in Harbour Club in the fabulous community of Heron Harbour Isle. This unit is being sold furnished, is in pristine condition with luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout and has a lovely beach décor. There is a large dining area flowing off the kitchen. The kitchen is sure to delight the chef in your family with granite countertops, new white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. The living area is very spacious for entertaining. There is a large deck off the family room. You will enjoy spending time with family and friends enjoying the cool summer breezes. The primary bedroom is spacious, and the primary bath vanity area has been upgraded. The second bedroom is perfect for family or guests. Imagine yourself in this beautiful condo in one of the nicest communities in Ocean City. Heron Harbour Isle is amenity rich with two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a kiddie pool, fitness center, social room, sauna, locker room, two HarTru tennis courts, sidewalks and piers. Come take a look today and make memories that will last a lifetime.

MDWO2015286

COMMERCIAL

Prime commercial location in Selbyville of 10.09 acres. This is a rare commercial development opportunity on the busy intersection of Lighthouse Sound Rd. (Route 54) and Hudson Rd. There are already many existing new homes surrounding this property and more than 3,200 additional homes are coming soon. This is the perfect location for a shopping center, multiple smaller retail businesses, and/or medical or other professional offices to serve these homes and the entire Selbyville, Bayside, Fenwick, Ocean City area. The Seller will finance up to 70% of the purchase price at 1 percent below the current prime lending rate for up to 5 years. If you are interested in only the highly visible corner piece on Hudson Rd. and RT 54 seller will sell a 2-acre parcel on that corner for $1.28 million. At $640,000 per acre this is an incredible business opportunity. The property is located 8 miles from the beach. DESU2044978

Beautiful 3BR/2BA rancher in Bethany Meadows hits the market! As you pull into the driveway you will notice the beautiful yard, covered porch and attention to detail. Upon entering this home, you will see a family room that is warm, welcoming and perfect for entertaining guests and family. The kitchen is off the family room and has plenty of cabinet space and a breakfast bar, and the dining area is off the kitchen. This open concept home is perfect for the way we live today. There’s a beautiful sunroom off the dining area that leads to the side yard. The primary bedroom and bath are spacious. The other two bedrooms are also a good size and there is another full bath. In the back of the house there’s a shed for your bicycles and beach toys. This home is very well cared for and is in a sought-after community with much to offer, including an outdoor swimming pool. Come take a look today and make this beautiful home yours.

MLS DESU2044912

Commercial land 3.94-acre prime location served by water and sewer from Selbyville. This land is across from the new development of Coastal Villages. 1,000 feet of road frontage. Also available for sale is Tax ID 533-17.00-156.04 which has 7.29 acres for $490,000 (MLS- DESU2028756) this has a density of 16 lots. Both pieces are served by water and sewer in Selbyville. OWNER FINANCING IS AVAILABLE! Come take a look today before it's SOLD! MLS DESU2028754

OCEAN BLOCK 3BR/2BA

34862 WEST LINE RD SELBYVILLE, DE • $2,900,000

11604 COASTAL HIGHWAY, UNIT 1606 OCEAN CITY • $749,900

Ocean City starts new alert system for emergencies

(Aug. 18, 2023) Ocean City public safety officials recently announced that OC Alert, powered by Rave Mobile and Smart911, is now available to residents.

OC Alert is a free trial service that allows individuals to sign up for notifications sent from state and local authorities. The system keeps residents and travelers informed on potentially hazardous situations involving weather, traffic and other emergencies.

OC Alert enables residents and travelers to Ocean City to sign up for free at smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=oceancitymd to receive timely and actionable emergency alerts through email, text or voice messages.

Users can identify what they would like to be notified about and when they are alerted.

Ocean City residents and travelers can also download the Smart911 app to sign up for OC Alert and receive key information needed in emergencies.

The Smart911 app provides enhanced functionality by sending targeted alerts based on the user’s location.

App users will receive the highest priority National Weather Service alerts, including hurricane, flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings based on real-time locations.

Download the Smart911 App on the Apple Store or Google Play or by texting “Smart911” to 67283.

“Keeping our residents and visitors safe is the number one priority,” Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald said in a news release. “We encourage all residents and visitors to sign up for OC Alert in order to be prepared should an emergency occur.”

OC Alert is trusted by thousands of institutions including state and local authorities, businesses and educational institutions. The system sends millions of messages daily and during critical situations.

Community members are encouraged to sign up for OC Alert and input or update their information and notification preferences at alerts.smart911.com or in the Smart911 app. To learn more, visit oceancitymd.gov/oc/alerts/.

OC buses, trams have fared well after fare bump

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) Despite a $1 increase in bus and tram fares this season, ridership seems to be holding steady, according to totals reported through the end of July.

“We assumed the fare increase would affect ridership about 10 percent. That didn’t occur,” City Manager Terry McGean told members of the city’s Transportation Committee Tuesday.

Just before the first trams started running for Springfest at the beginning of May, City Council members approved a request to raise the fares from $4 to $5 in the division, and $3 to $4 for one-way bus rides. The change was made to help cover in-

Officials call for new advertisers

Continued from Page 3

ager Rob Shearman said Tuesday that the metrics are improving, with new clients signed on and more revenue coming in.

“I think Gateway has really finally shown their capability as far as attracting new customers,” he said.

The digital tram ads, however, which company officials pitched as a new, innovative addition for this summer, are not materializing as quickly as staff and committee members had hoped.

“We understand that this has been a rollout that hasn’t been quite as up to speed as the aggressive timeline that we originally set,” Shearman said after reporting that the Gateway techs will likely not be coming to town to troubleshoot the three outof-service screens for another week or week and a half.

Meehan pointed out that company officials may not be aware of the urgency of fixing the screens given the impending close of the tram season at the end of summer.

But on the upside, Meehan said the ads that are running, which right now are only city house ads, look “terrific.”

“When they are working, they look really really good,” he said.

Meehan suggested offering significant discounts for advertisers to entice more customers.

“If Jolly Roger puts on there, ‘follow me to the Jolly Roger,’ everyone else is going to want to be on there too,” Meehan said.

He and the other committee members said they wanted an update on plans to sell some commercial ads, and fix the non-functioning screens, within the week.

creased costs for fuel and staffing since covid.

The new fares were expected to result in fewer passengers. But on Tuesday, Transit Manager Rob Shearman presented unexpected figures.

While bus ridership was down about 5 percent from July of last year to this year, the drop was not nearly as significant as staff had projected.

In the tram division, Shearman said deployments, or the number of trams out on the boards, were in line with last year for the month of July.

In turn, the number of trams and

riders were up compared to June, which Shearman attributed to staffing that increased as a direct result of a signing bonus offered for drivers at the beginning of the summer.

Tram revenue was also up in July, rivaling totals from pre-covid 2019, because of the fare increase.

“We beat 2019; that’s really good,” said Councilman Tony DeLuca, who sits on the Transportation Committee.

As the summer winds down, department officials are working on advertising end-of-season bonuses to

encourage bus drivers to stay on for fall events.

Officials are also working to recruit drivers in both divisions for next summer.

Committee members have said they want to get a jump on recruiting employees, as the department typically runs into challenges with the demands of the jobs.

A recruitment video has also been shot and is ready for launch, and McGean said he is working with human resources and budget staff members to come up with ways to entice a quality workforce for 2024.

MALLORY PANUSKA/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Several buses are shown parked at the South End Transit Station downtown. Ridership and deployments for both buses and trams have remained pretty steady this summer despite an increase in fares.

namely, the smell of burnt or unburnt cannabis.

It also prohibits officers from searching based on possession of cannabis that doesn’t exceed the personal use maximums, or if money is “in proximity” to cannabis without other evidence of intent to distribute.

The law also states police cannot search any part of a car that isn’t “readily accessible” to a driver or that doesn’t likely contain evidence of the driver’s condition if the officer is investigating a person for only driving under the influence of cannabis.

Even a combination of the evidence still wouldn’t warrant a search, according to the statute, which also makes no mention of whether the search prohibitions exclude minors.

So far, since July 1, when adult recreational use of marijuana became legal, Ocean City police have recovered evidence in at least two instances involving searches of cars occupied by minors after an officer detected the odor of cannabis.

“We got a ghost gun out of the car, a fully loaded ghost gun out of the car, so it’s out there and it’s going to be interesting depending on how the defense attorneys handle this case, how far they push it, but [State’s Attorney] Kristin Heiser’s office is ready

suspicion’ enables car searches

to try it,” Grady said on Monday.

A “ghost gun” is an untraceable handgun assembled from parts bought online.

Grady was referencing a July 21 case when police arrested Jaylen Ahnarie Sudler, 20, of Smyrna, Delaware, and charged him with possession of a firearm as a minor, possession of a firearm without a serial number, having a loaded handgun in a vehicle, having a handgun in a vehicle and obstructing and hindering.

under the age of 21 a search of the vehicle was conducted,” police wrote in the report.

Police found a bag in reach of the Sudler, the left rear-seat passenger. Inside was a 9mm handgun with no serial number and a 24-round magazine.

gun with a loaded, extended magazine in Davis’ waistband.

Around 3 a.m. on July 21, police pulled over a sedan near 37th Street and Coastal Highway because part of the license plate was unilluminated and couldn’t be fully read, according to a police report.

Sudler was a passenger.

While police were speaking with the driver, they reportedly smelled cannabis coming from the car. All four occupants allegedly told police they were underage after police asked.

“Due to all the occupants being under the age of 21, and it being illegal to possess Marijuana (THC)

A backpack containing 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, four bags of cannabis and a digital scale with cannabis residue was also found in the search. Police found another bag of cannabis inside the car.

When police tried to handcuff the people from the car the report said Sudler tried to flee, and officers arrested him for the handgun.

On Aug. 12, police again searched a vehicle occupied by minors based on the smell of cannabis.

Policed arrested Markez Davis, 19, of Milford, Delaware, on nine charges, including possession of a firearm, five counts of theft and stealing credit cards, according to a report.

Davis was charged for what was found on him, and was presumably also charged based on evidence that police found in the search of a vehicle after his arrest.

The search of his alleged accomplices’ car was based on police smelling cannabis inside and the fact that all the occupants were minors.

Police detained Davis on Aug.12 because officers thought he matched the description of someone tampering with cars nearby. Someone who witnessed the incident couldn’t identify Davis, so police said he was free to go. Davis allegedly agreed to speak with police.

While talking to him, police asked Davis to empty his pockets, which he reportedly agreed to do, and pulled out a debit card and three credit cards.

Then police found a 9mm hand-

Police detained another person while Davis was getting processed. The person told police Davis had been involved in tampering with and stealing from cars, along with other friends. The person said the other friends were in a car on 62nd Street.

Police found the car and detained the driver, then they smelled cannabis coming from it.

“Due to all of the occupants of the vehicle being under 21, officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle,” police wrote.

Inside the car, police found a credit card and a prescription medication, both of which did not belong to the passengers. They also found a single 9mm round of ammunition.

Davis was charged with five counts of theft — the four cards found on him, presumanly along with the one from the car.

Heiser said her role in the search protocol was that she provided guidance on the issue to the OCPD in a memorandum in May.

She said it is common for police to ask her for guidance when a law changes and police run into situations or think of hypotheticals.

Although HB1071 states police can’t search based on certain kinds of cannabis-related evidence alone, the presence of evidence found in conjunction with cannabis smell, or any other type of cannabis-related evidence, could constitute “reasonable articulable suspicion.” Reasonable suspicion is a lower standard than probable cause, Heiser said.

Therefore, if a vehicle smells like cannabis, and everyone in the car is too young to possess cannabis in the first place, then both facts in conjunction could be considered reasonable suspicion that something illegal is going on, Heiser said.

From her perspective, Heiser said she wants to make sure that police in Worcester County are following the law, but she also wants to prevent crime.

Smaller hotel plans advance

Continued from Page 1

larger project, which needs 90,000 square feet of contiguous space to create a planned overlay district, or POD. The designation would allow for more creativity and flexibility between the developer and city officials than building the project with a traditional site plan.

The developers own about 84,000 square feet at the former Phillips Beach Plaza property, but need roughly 6,000 square feet more to ac-

commodate their plans. Initially, they were set to obtain it through a rightof-way along Baltimore Avenue. A petition for referendum filed in the fall nixed that approach, though, and essentially pushed the project back to square one.

The smaller project still calls for 257 rooms and 12 stories, but fits within the property the developers already own because of the new design and the elimination of some conference space and amenities.

RENDERING COURTESY BECKER MORGAN GROUP

A new rendering is shown for a planned Margaritaville hotel between 13th and 14th streets downtown. The plans include less conference space and amenities than original, larger plans.

OC Balloon Fest moves out of area due to permitting

By Remy Andersen Staff Writer

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) Hot air balloons are no longer set to soar across the sky later this month following the cancelation of what was supposed to be the inaugural Ocean City Balloon Festival.

According to a Facebook post from the Ocean City Tourism page updated Monday, the event, which was planned for Aug. 25-27 at the OC Elevate soccer fields in West Ocean City, has been scrapped.

Instead, the Original Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival, which it is once again called, will move back to the Triple Creek Winery in Cordova. Organizer Alex Spies of the American Farm Foundation has hosted the event at the Talbot County location for years and was planning on moving it to Ocean City this year before running into issues obtaining event permits from the county.

The festival had the support of City Council members and had already sold a few hundred tickets at the time of cancelation.

But because it was set for a venue

outside of city limits, the organizers needed to obtain approvals from Worcester County. In the end, according to city officials, that was the event’s demise.

“I think the promoter needed to get some specific, pretty substantial permits from the county,” City Manager Terry McGean said during a Tourism Commission meeting Monday.

McGean addressed the cancelation after Councilman Will Savage, who serves on the commission, brought it up.

Savage said it was “just not a good look” for Ocean City to promote and market an event that ended up getting nixed so close to the scheduled date.

Tom Perlozzo, the city’s director of

tourism and business development, said he and Sports Marketing Manager Don Abramson told the promoter what needed to be done at the county level to hold the event. But past that, there was not much they could do.

“We don’t know if it got done or didn’t get done,” Perlozzo said during Monday’s meeting.

In the promoter’s defense, Kim Mueller, the city’s director of sales, pointed out that the process to obtain permits from the county is extensive. She said she experienced it firsthand during the recent taco fest held in the parking lot of the convention center.

“[Promoters] say that once they get to Worcester County, they have to

move the event to Ocean City this year at the end of August but they ran into permitting issue with the county and had to move it back.

jump through hoops that they don’t have to jump through any place else in the state or the nation,” Mueller said Monday.

At a Worcester County Technical Review Committee meeting last Wednesday, numerous concerns were brought up about the balloon fest, primarily regarding the event’s troubled history with scheduling and obtaining multiple permits from various agencies.

Spies, who initially requested the meeting with the committee, presented blueprints along with a prediction that the festival would attract 3,000 visitors.

He said the production would fea-

See ORGANIZER Page 12

Hot air balloons hover in the sky over a vineyard in Talbot County during the 2021 Chesapeake Bay Balloon Festival. The organizers were supposed to

PHOTO COURTESY CHESAPEAKE BAY BALLOON FESTIVAL

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Organizer failed to get county OK

Continued from Page 10

ture hot air balloons, local bands, food trucks and vendors, and would have been sponsored by the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce.

Kristen Tremblay, the county’s zoning administrator, expressed concern that too little information had been presented to them through the organizers of the festival, including the expected attendance.

No flame certifications, stage specifications, or restroom permits had been obtained. The sheriff’s department had yet to be contacted by the promotors, and the Department of Emergency Services had not received any emergency or safety plans.

A site plan showing parking, vendors, emergency and first aid services had yet to be brought to the fire marshal’s office.

With the need for emergency response of primary concern, officials said traffic patterns would pose a great issue for the days of the festival. It was again brought up that organizers would need to obtain permits for that as well, which could have been done months prior.

The 5-acre site plan of the event was presented through a phone screenshot. With the organizers needing to contact multiple agencies, Spies was advised that obtaining all the permits would be impossible to accomplish on time, as the process is lengthy.

A similar event slotted to take place in Hartford County had to move to the Mason-Dixon fairground after public safety became a major concern. Issues also arose with festivals in Carroll and Talbot counties.

At a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Aug. 10, the night after the Technical Review Committee meeting, Spies requested that the event receive a special exception permit, however, the request was unanimously tabled.

With concerns for increasing hotel prices, Spies suggested moving the event to a different location, particularly a wooded area with wind protection for the balloons.

“There’s just no real way around it,” he said. “We wanted to give it a try.”

Board Attorney David Gaskell said tabling the issue would be the best decision to save money. It would also give Spies the chance to obtain the necessary permits.

However, it was noted that the exception permit would only be good for one year.

Furthermore, the dates of the event could not be changed. The opinion, which was required for submission in writing, could not be signed until September. The appeal period would last 30 days.

“You’d have to jump through several hurdles,” Gaskell said.

Recovery Home Improvement, Inc. is an independent contractor and is not an affiliate of Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC or it’s affiliated companies. TM & © 2018 MGM. © 2018 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved.

Resort Council seeks middle ground on fees

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) Ocean City Council members want to find a happy medium between fairly charging promoters to host special events on resort property, and getting the best bang for their buck.

Council members got their first look Tuesday at a proposal to overhaul the city’s special event fee structure to cover equipment, manpower and other costs more adequately, while remaining competitive with surrounding venues.

And while more conversations are pending, several of the council members made it clear that they were not happy with some aspects of the proposal, but support making equitable changes.

Special Events Director Frank Miller presented the proposed numbers, which would noticeably raise application fees for all events. The proposal would also create a tiered system that aims to charge fees based on size, crowd, profits and other details.

Currently, the city’s special event fee structure, which Miller said has not been adjusted since about 2014, charges flat amounts for property rental, manpower and equipment regardless of the size or type of event.

“The fees have pretty much remained the same for almost 10 years,” Miller said.

Over time, more and larger events have been added to the calendar. And compared to other similar destinations, such as Virginia Beach, the city’s flat fees may be creating missed revenue opportunities, according to a staff evaluation.

Members of the Tourism Commission balked at a first draft of the changes when they were first presented in March, forcing staff to make adjustments. The original proposal would have bumped up costs for some smaller events by more than 100 percent, which members of the commission found unacceptable.

However, with a flat $570 application fee and other space use and review charges depending on various details, some promoters would still be charged much more than they currently pay with the latest proposed changes.

Councilman John Gehrig, who has voiced concerns about aspects of the plan during Tourism Commission meetings, was the first, and loudest, to speak out.

He began by asking if those who pushed for the new structure were happy with some event costs going up by thousands of dollars.

“What is the problem that we’re trying to solve?” Gehrig asked as he pointed out that public events, especially larger ones, bring in visitors and generate revenue throughout the

Players fight for a ball during a game at a sand soccer tournament on the beach. Special events such as the annual competition could soon be paying more for city property, equipment and manpower through a new proposed fee structure.

FILE PHOTO/ OCEAN CITY TODAY

Ideal structure would cover costs, stay fair

resort.

He said he does not want to see promoters, or would-be promoters, getting scared off by high costs off the bat.

“This isn’t just adjusting fees,” he said. “This is major. It’s like we’re punishing promoters. At the time when we need to be embracing promoters.”

After discussions that included explanations about some of the changes, and details about negotiation possibilities, most notably with

large events, Gehrig said he could not support the new structure as presented.

Councilman Peter Buas also expressed concerns about the negotiation aspect, as he said it could create a non-level playing field.

Mayor Rick Meehan said he had concerns about the large jumps in costs as well.

Meehan was the catalyst for discussions on the fees after he openly expressed concerns last year about potential lost revenue opportunities with a long-running sand soccer tour-

nament that pays a flat fee to rent the beach.

Meehan said Tuesday, though, that he agreed with Gehrig that the new structure, as proposed, might not work for all events.

“One size just doesn’t fit all,” he said.

There was a consensus among staff members and the elected officials, however, that they should encourage third-party providers to take on security, public works, emergency and other services during events. The move would reduce the use of city

manpower and give promoters more control over events.

Council members also said that they are not opposed to updating some of the fees, but the large jumps were not favored.

Other details, such as efforts to attract notable promoters, and discounts for nonprofits and out-of-season events were also discussed during Tuesday’s work session, but no votes or decisions were made.

Staff members said they would like to have the new rates, whatever they may be, implemented by January.

Council OKs bond issue for half of mixed-use facility

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) With a new design and higher price tag, plans for a police substation and employee housing facility in the Somerset Street parking lot are finally advancing.

Ocean City Council members this week voted 6-1, with Council President Matt James opposed, to approve half the estimated total $4.26 million cost for the three-story, mixed-use project through a bond reimbursement resolution.

City Manager Terry McGean presented details of the project, which has undergone changes since introduction roughly two years ago, at a work session Tuesday.

He said the city’s projected debt service will be about $70,000 a year if the costs come out as expected.

The Ocean City Development Corporation will cover the other half of the construction costs with revenue derived from the inlet parking lot fund.

The first version of the project called for a three-story building with police bicycle storage and public restrooms on the first floor, and housing for seasonal police officers and public

safety aides on the second and third. Council members initially signed off on that version and gave OCDC members the greenlight to work with city staff to develop the design.

Last year, development corporation members submitted drawings for the building and agreed to pay for the design if the city would cover preconstruction costs. At the time, OCDC’s architect estimated the building would cost $2.2 million, and

council members authorized funding for pre-construction services.

Corporation and city staff members began developing the design and hired a construction manager to take the reins. After several meetings, the decision was made to change the design to incorporate a new police substation into the building.

The latest plans call for a police substation with a public lobby, offices, interview rooms, bicycle storage

and public restrooms on the first floor; a roll call room, report-writing areas and offices on the second floor; and employee housing on the third. McGean said the building will accommodate a total of 16 beds in four suites.

The relocation of the roll call room and other activities from the Worcester Street substation will also free up the existing building to become a

RENDERING COURTESY BECKER MORGAN GROUP

A rendering shows the proposed design of a three-story, mixed-use police substation and housing facility in the downtown Somerset Street parking lot. The project has been through several alterations and delays, and council members voted Aug. 15 to cover half of the estimated cost through a bond issue. See HIGHER Page

OC gearing up for ‘busy couple of months’ in events

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) A typical assumption for a resort town like Ocean City is that the fun winds down as soon as the sun sets on Labor Day weekend.

But in reality, the end of summer now means the start of one of the most event-heavy seasons of the year.

“We are about to roll into a very busy couple of months,” Special Events Director Frank Miller said Monday during a Tourism Commission meeting.

Starting off with Wine on the Beach Sept. 8 and 9, sizable touristheavy events are set for every weekend leading up into November. And then comes the Winterfest of Lights, which staff members said will be bigger and more expansive this year.

“Things will be going on in town that will make this a larger impact than just Winterfest,” Miller said.

The changes and additions include a new layout, larger holiday lights displays, the return of the tram to Northside Park, and partnerships with businesses and organizations across the city.

Tom Perlozzo, the city’s director of tourism and business development, said the event, which will still run from Thanksgiving weekend through New Year’s, will have a large tent with new offerings inside, which could include amusement rides courtesy of a local provider.

Higher cost, new design proposed

Continued from Page 15

command center for special events.

Architects created a new design based on the revised plans, and local firm Gillis Gilkerson was selected as the construction manager through a bid process. They priced out the new design and estimated the cost at $4.26 million, or roughly double the original projection. The change was a product of what a staff report called “real world current construction costs based on actual quotes from sub-contractors.”

McGean confirmed Tuesday that the change in design had nothing do with the jump in costs. He also said the new design has potential for more benefits than the first one.

“I think it does a number of things,” McGean said of the proposed building. “It provides a good neighborhood presence for the police department downtown. It frees up storage space for the Beach Patrol. And it gives us … a new command center to deal with special events at the inlet parking lot.”

FILE PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Crowds of people gather during the first night of Winterfest 2022 at Northside Park. City officials are planning to make this year’s holiday event a little different, with more offerings and a more expansive footprint.

OC marketing team focused on recruiting workforce now

By Mallory Panuska Managing Editor

(Aug. 18, 2023) Coming off of the success of the summer tourist “Catch a Ride” campaign, members of Ocean City’s outside marketing team hope to expand their focus to a more permanent clientele.

At a Tourism Commission meeting Monday, representatives of marketing firm BVK teased the company’s latest efforts to transform the new “Somewhere to Smile About” campaign and winky smiley face logo into a recruitment method for summer and seasonal workers.

“The idea of leveraging the lifestyle brand of tourism marketing is becoming more and more popular,”

Victoria Simmons, BVK’s senior vice president of travel, said during a presentation on the company’s efforts to attract more residents and workers to cities in Wyoming and Maine.

The “Why Relocate?” campaigns, which transitioned to “Why Hospitality?” during covid, were created to address the issue of aging populations and the departure of young people.

Simmons said BVK staff want to hear from city officials about both seasonal and long-term gaps in workforce and create a campaign to help address the issues.

The firm was hired in December 2021 to rebrand and market the resort with new tourism and recruitment techniques. Representatives regularly update officials on the progress.

Nia Kaylor, BVK advertising and marketing vice president, detailed how company officials plan to use the “Somewhere to Smile About” tagline to target audiences to recruit workers for specific sectors. She said the com-

See CATCH Page 20

MALLORY PANUSKA/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Members of the city’s Tourism Commission listen to representatives with marketing firm BVK give an update on the success of the summer Catch a Ride campaign.

‘Catch a Ride’ campaign delivered

Continued from Page 18

pany will use tactics such as “day in the life” shoots to show how people live in Ocean City, as well as existing content to market the campaign on social and digital platforms.

And if the efforts have feedback similar to the “Catch a Ride” campaign implemented to showcase the brand and attract visitors this summer, it will be considered a success.

Lauren Murray, BVK’s director of brand experience and activation, said the campaign that launched in early May with the unveiling of a VW bus and plans for pop-up footprints in three feeder cities was a huge hit.

The marketing efforts, which included advertising the campaign on social media and at the pop-up

events in Baltimore, Philadelphia and D.C., garnered more than 279 million impressions and 60,000 engagements.

Altogether, 4,710 entries were collected for chances to win free night stays with use of a the old-time bus concierge, and other road trip-style prizes. Of those, there were 2,685 opt-ins, or respondents who wanted to stay engaged.

Murray said while the numbers may seem nominal at just a few thousand, the roughly 20 percent of entries that resulted in opt-in engagements showed that the campaign was working.

“It tells us we’re onto something,” she said.

Murray also reported “positive sta-

Winterfest upgrades on horizon

Continued from Page 16

He said staff are also looking into grants to help fund some other new elements, which aim to put Ocean City in the running for competition with other regional events, such as Schellville in Rehoboth Beach.

“We need to make this citywide,” Perlozzo said. “Turn Ocean City into a Christmas town this winter. So,

we’ll do our best.”

Leading up to Winterfest, the city is also gearing up for OC Bike Fest Sept. 13-17, OC AdventureFest Sept.

22-24, Oceans Calling Festival Sept.

29-Oct. 1, Endless Summer Cruisin’ Oct. 5-8, the inaugural Bronco Beach Bash Oct. 14 and 15, Sunfest Oct. 1922, and Ocean City Running Festival Oct. 28.

tistics” for the number of media impressions, event interactions, and more to the campaign and accompanying logo and tagline.

And despite some online backlash against the blue and yellow winky smiley face, city officials said that the overall feedback has not been bad.

Councilman Will Savage, who sits on the Tourism Commission, said he has seen the logos everywhere during the summer and thinks they look good and have had a big impact.

Jessica Waters, the city’s director of marketing and public relations, said the smiley face appeals to people who are not from Ocean City, especially children.

Susan Jones, the executive director of the Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, said staff in her office have fielded first-time callers from places up north such as Vermont and Rhode Island. She said her members have not had many visitors from those areas previously, and believes that the marketing campaign helped spread the word about Ocean City.

Tom Perlozzo, the city’s director of tourism and business development, said the examples are indication that the brand and logo are “catching on” and he looks forward to presenting marketing plans for the fall.

OCPD stats show 911 hang ups way up from years past

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) Emergency calls to Ocean City’s 911 center that ended in hang-ups were up significantly in July, Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald reported to the Ocean City Police Commission on Monday. He said resort police experienced 503 more 911 calls that ended in hang-ups than were received in July last year.

The emergency call center handled 1,272 hangs-ups in July, as compared to the 769 hang-ups in July 2022 and 653 in July 2021, according to monthly statistics presented at Monday’s session.

“If you even look for the last two years, technology has improved on phones. The SOS feature, people can set it, if they fall, to dial 911,” Theobald said. “The majority of it we handle internally, but that’s technology. We have to respond to the call, if we get it, and follow up on it.”

Citizen calls to service were up by 502 over last year, with 3,588 in July 2023, 3,086 in July 2022 and 3,201 in July 2021. Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said that minus the increase in 911 hang-ups, citizen calls for service were almost the same as last year.

Officer calls for service were down by more than a thousand in July at 3,681, while it was 4,789 last year and 5,036 the year before.

Total calls for service, which includes both officer and citizen calls, were 7,269 in July, down from 7,875 in July last year and 8,237 in July 2021.

These totals exclude business checks as well as traffic stops and assists to citizens calls. The latter two were included in the top 25 calls for

service for the OCPD.

Police traffic stops increased to 1,096 in July 2023 from 922 in July 2022 and 782 in July 2021.

Calls to assist the fire department and emergency services have steadily risen since July 2021, which had 284. In July 2022, 329 calls came in, and there were 394 this year.

“That’s a number we’re going to keep an eye on,” Buzzuro said in reference to the assist fire and EMS statistics.

Buzzuro said most of the top 25 calls for service show decreases.

City ordinance violations dropped from 1,348 in July 2022 to 527 in July 2023. There were 1,351 in July 2021.

Police had 754 calls to assist a citizen or motorist in July this year, while there were 955 last year and 830 the year prior.

Parking complaints and violations also went down to 664 this year compared to 757 in July 2022 and 899 in July 2021.

Domestic assaults and disputes dropped to 86 in July 2023 from 106 in July 2022. July last year was nearly the same as July 2021.

Noise complaints and violations were almost halved compared to 2021, Buzzuro said. July 2023 had 75 calls, while July 2021 had 147 and July 2022 had 103 calls.

Controlled dangerous substance violations were at 22 this year, down from 139 last year and 95 in July 2021.

Warrant service attempts and arrests were also down, with 16 in July 2023, 33 in July 2022 and 69 in the year prior.

Police enforcement in July was also generally down compared to years past.

See POLICE Page 22

Smith Island

BEACH RESCUE

should assistance be needed.

Police start recruitment for 2024

Custodial arrests were at 335 this July, while there were 352 last year and 456 in July 2021.

Police gave out 16 criminal citations in July, as compared to 22 last year and nine in 2021.

Officers performed 18 drug arrests last month, while two years earlier the number was in the mid-to-high 30s. Only one citation was issued for marijuana this July, compared to 79 last year.

Smoking citations also dropped to 45 from 277 last year. Some of the

drop could be attributed to easily “camouflaged” electronic smoking devices, but some of the smoking citation drop must be attributed to a certain level of compliance, Buzzuro said.

DUI arrests jumped up to 50 in July, relative to 27 in that month in 2022 and 41 in 2021. Buzzuro said he believes some of the DUI increase could be related to marijuana use going up with the legalization of adult-use cannabis on July 1.

Weapons arrests were at 24 this year, which includes guns, knives and

“other.” That total was just one more than experienced in July 2021, but 43 fewer than July 2022. There were 10 arrests this year for guns and knives, each.

Buzzuro said the new restrictions on vehicle searches this year that came alongside the legalization of marijuana, have led officers to search fewer people and vehicles. These searches would have revealed weapons violations in some instances, he said, thus affecting this July’s weapons numbers.

Legislation passed in concert with marijuana’s legalization prohibits police from searching people and vehicles based on the smell of cannabis and other cannabis related evidence alone. Other factors must come into play.

The commission also discussed seasonal recruitment for next summer.

So far, five people have applied for seasonal positions next year with the police department. Of those, Buzzuro said, one applicant failed, two conditional employment offer hires were made and two applicants are still in the hiring process.

As for full-time officers, the department has six in the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy at WorWic Community College who graduate in mid-December, Ashley Miller, deputy communications manager for the OCPD, later reported.

There are also two job openings and police anticipate a third in January. Miller said they are hoping to put three new officers into the January academy to fill these spots.

LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol members give aid to a beachgoer in distress earlier this month. Members of the Beach Patrol reminds swimmers and beachgoers that it pays to remain in sight of lifeguards

front passenger seat.

Under the seat, police found a plastic bag containing a digital scale, a folded one dollar bill and meth.

Police also found a glass smoking tube, and a spoon with burn marks in the trunk.

DUI crash

Erin Elizabeth Burke, 55, of Salisbury, faces 12 charges, including DUI, reckless driving and failure to avoid a collision, according to a police report.

Police said Burke was the driver of a 2015 Ford Escape that caused an accident on Aug. 12, around 1:10 p.m. Three people were sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Burke allegedly drove through the red light at the 33rd Street intersection, failed to yield to several vehicles, and caused a multi-vehicle crash.

Three cars were towed and there was a large traffic back-up as a result, police said.

Police said Burke admitted to drinking vodka while on prescribed medica-

tions.

Burke failed several sobriety tests, and allegedly admitted she should go to jail.

Police arrested her for DUI, and she later blew a .21 on an alcohol breath test.

Disorderly Conduct

Officers charged Jordan O’Neal Walls, 22, of Lucedale, Mississippi, with disorderly conduct after he allegedly punched objects and laid down in the street, according to a police report.

Police said they saw Walls punching and kicking signs and light poles on Wicomico Street on Aug. 12, around 10 p.m.

The security guard of a nearby bar reportedly approached Walls and asked him to calm down, but Walls allegedly turned toward him and assumed a fighting stance.

The officer learned that the bar the security guard worked for had asked Walls to leave before police arrived.

After Walls left, he was laying down in the street blocking cars, according

to the report. When cars started honking at him, he would stand in front of them in a fighting stance.

Officers arrested Walls.

Arson threat

Devonne Jermaine Wedge, 21, of Bladensburg, received six charges from the OCPD, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and threatening arson, according to a police report.

On Aug. 13, around 1:30 a.m., police saw a man riding a bicycle on the Boardwalk and stopped him to give him a citation since people are not allowed to ride there from noon to 2 a.m.

Wedge had been walking with the cyclist and protested the detainment. Wedge reportedly walked up to police and they told him to stay back. An officer stuck out an arm to stop Wedge from getting closer and Wedge pushed it away, according to the report.

Another officer stepped in to keep Wedge away, and Wedge allegedly said he would beat them up. At that point, Wedge was arrested.

While Wedge was being taken to the transport car, he allegedly screamed at police, saying, “I’m going to burn that dude’s house down, kill his family, and punch the mustache off his face.”

Pushing down a lamp post

Officers charged Alper Muhammed Ozdemir, 22, of Holbrook, New York, with intoxicated endangerment and malicious destruction of property, according to a police report.

On Aug. 13, around 1:20 a.m., police went to an uptown bar in reference to a man vandalizing property.

On their arrival, officers saw the bar’s security guards surrounding Ozdemir in the parking lot. Security told police that Ozdemir damaged one of the bar’s lamp posts.

Police saw the lamp post bent over with one end in the bay.

Ozdemir told police the damage to the lamp was accidental. Police wrote that they saw security camera footage that showed Ozdemir shaking and pushing the lamp post until it fell into the water.

Tide pools can be fun, but could end up posing danger

By Kristin Joson Contributing Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) This is the time of the year when visitors to the beach could possibly be entertained by the formation of tide pools.

I remember playing in them when I was a kid, and it was always a good time.

Water that forms a pool on the beach is a normal occurrence that typically happens during this time in the season. We commonly refer to them as tide pools.

However, they are not only formed by the outgoing tide but are also formed when large waves are driven further onto the beach by wind or during storms.

Tropical activity in the Atlantic during this time of the year can cause larger than usual waves and surf conditions (also causing stronger rip currents and dangerous shore break). When this happens, these waves bring more water onto the beach, and if it

becomes trapped in a low area, a “tide pool” may form.

These low areas on the beach are formed as waves push sand into large mounds running parallel to the shore with the area behind the mound (to the west) lower than this newly formed retaining mound.

As water is pushed over this mound, it cannot make its way back into the ocean as runoff and becomes trapped in the low-lying area.

Although the amount of water, the size of the low-lying area and the depth of low-lying area, may vary from a few inches to a few feet deep and the size may be as small as a backyard

pool or as large as several city blocks, most tide pools are only a few inches deep and less than a block long.

Because of the relatively small quantity of water, the sun heats it and it is much warmer than the ocean and it usually has no wave action, making it very inviting.

When a child comes to the beach and finds a tide pool, they become very excited. It is like having a backyard pool on the beach. However, tide pools pose their own dangers.

Because a tide pool seems like the perfect place for small children to play, parents often do not give the same attention to their children as

they would if they were playing in the ocean or in a pool.

Further complicating this is the fact that most often the tide pool ends up forming behind the guard stands and often behind umbrellas and other shade structures, making it impossible to see from the surf rescue technician’s stand.

This means that the SRT (lifeguard) is only scanning this area as part of their secondary scan giving much less attention to this water hazard than the large body of water directly in front of them if they can even see it clearly.

Parents often have a false sense of

PHOTO COURTESY KRISTIN JOSON

A young boy plays in a tide pool on an Ocean City beach. While the warm, shallow water formations can be fun for beachgoers, Beach Patrol staff warn there may be dangers lurking.

Making the best burger for America’s favorite pastime

By Deborah Lee Walker Contributing Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of perseverance is a continued effort to do something, even when it is difficult or takes a long time.

In theory, this might sound easy but in reality, it is a difficult thing to do.

Five years ago, I made the semi-finals in Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger contest. I was determined to

come back and take the gold.

Years of rejection did not dampen my spirits. It just made me even more determined, even when others thought I should let it rest.

That being said, I am very proud to announce I have once again reached the semi-finals. I will be flown to Atlanta, Georgia, and will compete at the Atlanta Braves Stadium.

For obvious reasons I cannot discuss my burger, but I would like to share the thorough, comprehensive process that goes into such a competition.

See BALLPARK Page 36

Inside Out Car Care in WOC takes detailing to next level

By Cindy Hoffman Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) The sea air can be hard on a vehicle around here, so proactive maintenance is important to keep it in top shape.

Joe Farro, who has a car detailing business, Inside Out Car Care in Salisbury, is well aware of that, and so has just opened a second site in West Ocean City, at 12472 Sea Oaks Lane, unit 8, just off Stephen Decatur Highway.

Farro said the paint used on cars has changed. When the EPA took lead out of paint, it made the paint softer.

“Nowadays, you have to protect your paint, because it just doesn’t last the way it used to,” Farro said.

Farro’s staff is certified in paint correction and ceramic coating. He said his team stays up to date on the newest products available to help vehicle paint last longer.

He recommends vehicle owners who want to keep their car body looking nice to consider getting a ceramic coat on their cars.

Farro admitted that he was hesitant to get into ceramic coating at first, as he was worried it might be the next snake oil business, but he

has been doing it for six years now and it works.

“Ceramic coatings are made to be a sacrificial layer over the painted surface of your vehicle. The coating is designed to take the brunt of whatever is impacting it, preserving the paint underneath, but it’s not bulletproof,” Farro said.

“The ceramic coating will make it easier to clean and the slick surface will keep it clean for longer. Bugs and dirt don’t hold to the surface as easily, so it will make your paintwork a lot shinier.”

Farro said the ceramic coating is a two-day process.

“This gives me the time to do any correction of the paint. Some cars are dull or you see spider webs in the paint, we have to take those out first.”

He said the prep and correction process he and his team do before adhering the ceramic coating is the most important step.

Farro cautions people who have paint protection plans from the dealership. He said the warranty can only be used once, so he said if you have a five year warranty, don’t address the issues with the paint right away, wait until closer to the end of the war-

See AWARD Page 38

PHOTO COURTESY JOE FARRO

A newly detailed car sits in the parking lot of Inside Out Car Care in West Ocean City.

CROSSWORD

ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20

Do not fight your emotions over the next few days, Aries. You need to embrace your feelings or you might not grow in your relationships. Show everyone the true you.

TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21

Taurus, capture all of your great ideas on paper or in digital form to refer to later on. You’re feeling creative right now, and soon you can turn this into projects that have legs.

GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21

Time isn’t on your side right now, Gemini. You may wonder how you can add hours to the day, but you must make due with the time you have.

CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22

Cancer, you are seemingly more irresistible than ever before and you’re not quite sure what to do about this newfound attention. You may want to retreat, but enjoy the limelight.

LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23

Leo, roll with whatever energy you feel coming off of the people around you. If everyone is subdued, then take that cue. If others are revved up, then you will want to light your own fire.

VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22

Hush your inner critic, Virgo. You are doing the best possible job you can at this time. You’re simply too hard on yourself and you need to cut yourself some slack.

LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23

People do not operate as efficiently when they are running on fumes caused by stress, Libra. It’s time to slow down and let others handle things for a change.

SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22

Scorpio, lately you have taken on the role of project manager and it fits you perfectly. Even though you’re juggling multiple tasks and details, somehow things will work out fine.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21

You’re usually content being the world explorer, Sagittarius. However, lately you find the most comfort sticking closer to home. Do whatever makes you happy.

CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20

Capricorn, fantasy keeps moving closer to reality for you this week. Don’t count out any of those dreams you have been having as they may be inspiration for new plans.

AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18

You cannot help being unusually focused on all of the little details, Aquarius. It could be a way to quiet your mind, which has been running nonstop for a few weeks.

PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20

This could be your chance to indulge a little more, Pisces. Whether it’s a big purchase or a night out on the town, do not resist the opportunity to get out and have fun.

Water depth, condition concerns

Continued from Page 26

security due to the shallow depth of most of these tide pools but those of us in water safety realize it only takes 1 inch of water to drown a toddler.

A second hazard associated with this phenomenon is the risk of injuries from running and jumping into such a shallow area.

Although not a safety concern, another potential issue has to do with the trapped water becoming stagnant, dirty, and smelly.

Therefore, the public works maintenance department sculpts the beach to facilitate the drainage of these tide pools after they have remained for a couple of days, although in most cases the beach is self-correcting, and the water is allowed to drain on its own.

Sometimes you might find a tide pool that behaves more like a waterslide or river than a pool. I got to witness this a few years ago in the northern area of Ocean City.

In this instance wave action was bringing more water into the low area while breaks in the retaining mound allowed water to flow back into the ocean resulting in strong currents formed in the tide pool.

When this happens the tide pool becomes far more dangerous as peo-

ple playing in the water might find themselves washed into the ocean.

This action is the perfect model of what is happening out in the ocean as waves come across the underwater sand bar and make way back out to the deeper water, which is the mechanics and cause of the deadly rip currents you have heard so much about.

Ocean City is a barrier island, which is a dynamic ever-changing environment, located between the ocean and a back bay, and behaves in a unique way compared to other types of beaches around the world.

Rip currents, tide-pools and steep drop offs at the crest of the beach, as well as other natural occurrences, are all very normal and have existed for all of my years of coming to Ocean City and for hundreds of years before.

What is different, are recent changes in worldwide weather events, such as warmer ocean waters closer to shore, changes in prevailing ocean currents in recent years, increased tropical activity in the Atlantic, and an overall change in climate patterns (based on historical data from NOAA).

Warmer water is a major contributor to topical storm activity. These tropical events are like giant engines

that use warm, moist air as fuel. All of the special circumstances can also be seen at barrier island beaches throughout the world based on prevailing weather patterns.

Although I have given some cautions about tide pools, they can be fun when enjoyed safely. This season small tide pools have already formed in a couple of locations. Hopefully you will be lucky enough to see one and pass along our cautions to the people you are with.

And remember, you can always introduce yourself to the lifeguard and ask them any questions that you have. They are a more than happy to inform you about the current beach conditions.

As we move into the late summer season, Ocean City can expect more exciting and fun acts of nature to reveal themselves. You never know what you are going to get with Mother Nature.

Another annual occurrence that has already begun is the reduction in the number of available staff due to other obligations, such as returning to school, which results in a greater distance between our lifeguard Stands. So, make sure you walk and swim in front of the nearest SRT.

Md. Coastal Bays Program looking for nurdle hunters

By Cindy Hoffman Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) What the heck is a nurdle?

A nurdle is a small plastic pellet that is the raw material used to create virtually all plastic products.

The pellets are made and shipped all over the world to manufacturers to make anything from water bottles to sunglasses to medical equipment and car parts.

Nurdles are small — about 5 mm or the size of a BB — and because of that, some can spill into the environment from trucks, trains and ships and other freight carriers. From there, they wash up on our beaches by the millions.

The Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) has joined the NurdlePatrol.org campaign to track and remove nurdles from this coastline.

“We are in our first phase of determining if there is a nurdle issue locally,” Liz Wist, the education coordinator for Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP), said.

The Nurdle Patrol started in Texas in 2018 after a large number of plastic pellets washed up on Mustang and North Padre Islands. The project has expanded across the nation since.

“By becoming part of the Nurdle Patrol community science program, you are helping add to the bigger picture about where nurdles have ended up, all while bringing awareness about the impacts of plastic pollution,” Wist said.

Volunteers can do this on their own after watching an online training. After conducting a survey, they can submit their findings into the NurdlePatrol.org database to be part of the national survey.

The best thing about this, besides helping the environment, is anyone can do it anytime and each survey only takes 10 minutes.

The basic process is this. Go to the newest high tide line at the beach, bay or other water body and look for small plastic pellets.

They are small, so bending over or getting on your knees is the best way to look. Once you find one, start your timer for 10 minutes.

Then go to the next high tide line and look for pellets. After 10 minutes, stop the clock and submit the findings to NurdlePatrol.org. Even if no nurdles are found, that is a data point that can be submitted.

Data includes information on location, amount collected, length of col-

lection time, and number of volunteers involved.

Data from all over the country is being reported through this website. Nurdles need to be disposed of properly after collection. Simply put, this means throwing them out in a lined trash can.

Anyone of any age can participate in a nurdle survey.

MCBP provides all the materials needed to conduct nurdle surveys.

The materials include tweezers, a glass vial, instructions and a carrying bag, which can be picked up at the MCBP office during office hours at 8219 Stephen Decatur Hwy in Berlin.

To schedule a pick-up time for materials, contact Gregg Atkin at gatkin@mdcoastalbays.org

PHOTO COURTESY MARYLAND COASTAL BAYS PROGRAM

Nurdles are small plastic pellets, seen here in the glass vial. They are the raw material used to create everything plastic. They are often dispersed during transport and end up in waterways and oceans. Volunteers can help collect data by conducting 10-minute surveys of the beaches.

NOW PLAYING

CRAWL STREET TAVERN

19 Wicomico Street, Ocean City 443-373-2756

Aug. 18: Rogue Citizens, 9 p.m.

Aug. 19: Risky Business, 9 p.m.

HAMMERHEADS RAW BAR & GRILL

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

Aug. 18: Naked Nation, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 19: Bryan Dorsey Duo, 1-5 p.m.; Rogue Citizens (duo) 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 20: Tim Cyphers, 1-5 p.m.

MACKY’S BAYSIDE BAR & GRILL

BLAKE HALEY

Seacrets: Monday, Aug. 21, 5-9 p.m.

THE ANGLER RESTAURANT

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

Aug. 18: CBD, 5 p.m.

Aug. 19: Brian Bishop, 5 p.m.

Aug. 20: Aaron Howell, 5 p.m.

Aug. 22: Chris Sacks, 5 p.m.

Aug. 23: Chino Rankin, 5 p.m.

Aug 24: AJ Fox, 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

Every Friday: Phil Perdue, 5-9 p.m.

CAROUSEL BEACH BAR - TSUNAMI

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

Aug. 18: DJ Nigel, 7-9 p.m.

Aug. 19: DJ Nigel, 7-9 p.m.

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

Aug 24: 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

Aug. 18: Family Tradition, 1-5 p.m.; Pistol Whipped, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 19: Dunehounds, 1-5 p.m.; Permilla Project, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 20: No Byscuyts, 1-5 p.m.; Jason Lee, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 21: Dave Sherman, 1-5 p.m.; Spencer Joyce, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 22: Reform School, 1-5 p.m.; Ray Holiday, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 23: Nick Hundley, 1-5 p.m.; Endless Enber, 7-11 p.m.

Aug. 24: TBD, 1-5 p.m.; The Rogue Citizens, 7-11 p.m.

COCONUT’S BAR & GRILLE

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

Aug. 18: Darin Engh, noon to 4 p.m.; Mercury Agenda, 59 p.m.

Aug. 19: Kevin Poole & Joe Mama, noon to 4 p.m.; Low Tide Lovers, 5-9 p.m.

Aug. 20: Margot & Valerie, noon to 3 p.m.; No Clue Trio, 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 21: Sean Loomis, noon to 3 p.m.; Chris Sacks Duo, 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 22: Keri Anthony, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Bilenki Duo, 3:30-7:30 p.m.

Aug. 23: Kevin Poole Solo, noon to 3 p.m.; The Dunehounds, 4-8 p.m.

Aug. 24: Kevin Poole Solo, noon to 3 p.m.; The Chest Pains, 4-8 p.m.

COINS

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

Aug. 18: Tear Off the Roof, 8 p.m.

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

Aug. 23: Support your Local Bartender Night, DJ Wax, 9 p.m.

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

Aug. 21: DJ Casper, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Aug. 22: DJ Vybe, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Aug. 23: Trivia w/Brandon Speedbump Myers, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

PICKLE’S PUB

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

Aug. 18: Beats by Deojee, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aug. 19: TBA, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aug. 20: Beats by Deojee, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aug. 21: Karaoke w/Wood, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aug. 22: Beats by Wax, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aug. 23: Beats by Deojee, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Aug. 24: 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

Aug. 18: 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.; 9 Mile Roots, 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.; Turning the Tide, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

Aug. 19: Bobby-O on De Bay, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; DJ Tuff, noon to 2 a.m.; Turning the Tide, 1-5 p.m.; 9 Mile Roots, 5-9 p.m.; DJ Cruz, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.; DJ Bobby-O, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Hometown Radio, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; Garden State Radio, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

Aug. 20: 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.; Lost in Paris, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

Aug. 21: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Blake Haley, 5-9 p.m.; My Hero Zero, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Aug. 22: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Opposite Directions, 5-9 p.m.; My Hero Zero, 9 p.m. to 1:30 am.; DJ Tuff, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Aug. 23: Bobby-O on De Bay, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Full Circle Duo, 5-9 p.m.; Dear Zoe, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; DJ Connair, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Aug. 24: 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.; DJ Davie, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Locals Night: Last Go Go Gadjet and Hoop Tea Party!, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Go Go Gadjet, 10 p.m. to 1:50 a.m.

VISTA ROOFTOP RESTAURANT

Located on the 8th Floor of the Fenwick Inn, 13801 Coastal Highway, Ocean City vistarooftopoc.com / @Vistarooftopoc

Aug. 18: Steve Kuhn, 4-7 p.m.

Aug. 19: Sarah Freih, 4-7 p.m.

Aug. 20: Rachael Quillen, 4-7 p.m.

Aug. 21: Marcella Peters, 4-7 p.m.

Aug. 22: Steve Kuhn & Glenn Stern, 4-7 p.m.

Aug. 23: Taylor Know & Brian, 4-7 p.m.

Aug. 24: Drake Burd, 4-7 p.m.

WHISKER’S BAR & GRILL

In the Ocean City Square Shopping Center, 11805 Coastal Hwy., Ocean City 410-524-2609 /www.whiskersbar.com

Aug. 18: Dance w/ Beats by Followers, 8 p.m.

Aug. 21: Industrial Night, 8 p.m.

Aug. 22: Ladies Night and Karaoke w/DJ Wood

Ocean Pines resident Lois Schultz, the Pine’eer Craft Club’s August Crafter of the Month, poses with some of her homemade creations.

Lois Schultz named crafter of month for August 2023

(Aug. 18, 2023) Members of the Pine’eer Craft Club have named Ocean Pines resident Lois Schultz as the August 2023 Crafter of the Month.

Schultz and her husband moved to Ocean Pines 10 years ago from the Philly area when their son attended Salisbury University. She joined the craft club soon after and currently serves as assistant shop treasurer.

Schultz grew up in Finksburg, where she began crafting in the third grade when her grandmother taught her to embroider. Never losing the urge, Lois has been dabbling in crafts ever since. She makes jewelry, painted earring screens, mermaid crowns and even fairies made from silk flowers.

“After I saw a YouTube video about making Flower Fairies, I gave it a try,” Schultz said in a news release. “They have become a big hit in the shop! I enjoy making special orders of the Bride and Groom Fairies, so they match the real bride and groom too.”

Schultz said witches, mermaids and Disney princesses are some of her favorite creations. She gets to be

as imaginative as possible in decorating all her petite masterpieces. Managers report that the fairies are definitely one of the most popular staples of the shop, with loyal shoppers checking the spinning rack for the latest maidens whenever they pop in.

Schultz can also recycle and craft — she turns aluminum cans into earrings.Termed “beerings,” the pierced treasures join many of the other uniquely crafted and 100 percent handmade gifts in the Pine’eer Artisan Gift Shop.

The release said the Pine’eer Artisan Gift Shop is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, except holidays. The club is always seeking new crafters and meetings are open to the public. They are held the third Thursday of the month in the community center.

Artisans who would like to sell their creations at the shop can contact shop managers Debbie Jiwa or Barbara Herzog, or email opcraftclub@aol.com for more information.

Since inception 49 years ago, the craft club has donated nearly $179,000 back to Ocean Pines.

OC Film Festival screenings set for Aug. 19

Entries set to be shown at 7 p.m. to public at outdoor arts center venue midtown

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Ocean City Film Festival is hosting Film Challenge Night, showing the entries for the sixth annual Ocean City Film Challenge, next week.

Set for 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, the event, which will feature all 20 film challenge entries, will take place

at the Ocean City Center for the Arts at 502 94th St. bayside.

All are welcome, and advanced tickets are not required. A $5 donation at the door is suggested.

According to a news release, the films will be screened outdoors on the tennis courts next to the arts center, weather permitting. In case of inclement weather, the films will be shown indoors at the arts center.

The challenge inspired filmmakers to produce an original short film no

longer than 15 minutes and made between July 1 and July 31. Films must have been shot in or outside of Ocean City, with the resort central to the premise.

“Ocean City is a beautiful landscape, and there’s so much that filmmakers can take advantage of right here in town,” B.L. Strang-Moya, creative director of the OC Film Festival, said in the release. “This year, we challenged filmmakers to explore their creative boundaries by featuring

the resort in new ways.”

OC Film Festival officials will announce the winning films on Film Challenge Night and award prizes. Prizes include an Ocean City hotel stay, swag bag, and two all-access passes during the 2024 OC Film Festival. The films will also be screened at the film festival in March.

The Ocean City Film Festival and Ocean City Film Challenge are programs of the Art League of Ocean City.

OP vets memorial hosting golf tournament

Annual fundraiser slated for Sept. 20, proceeds to go to foundation’s ed programs

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation’s 16th annual Veterans Memorial Tournament is set for next month at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.

Slated for Wednesday, Sept. 20, the event is the major fundraiser for the memorial foundation’s education programs, which include tours of the memorial grounds by all Worcester County fifth-grade students.

The annual tours are part of a collaboration between the foundation and Worcester County Board of Education. Tours are led by volunteer docents who share their knowledge of veterans’ sacrifices, the history of different service branches and flag etiquette.

Complementing the sessions, JROTC cadets from Stephen Decatur, Snow Hill and Pocomoke high schools provide hands-on guidance in proper flag handling and folding, helping foster intergenerational connections and respect for the nation’s heritage.

All students also receive an activity guide to reinforce the lessons and encourage ongoing conversations about their family’s contributions and military service history.

The golf tournament will feature a scramble best ball format with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Registration is $125 per player and includes tournament entry, golf cart, lunch and access to prizes.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at various levels, ranging from $100 to $2,000.

To download a tournament or sponsor form, visit

oceanpines.org/documents/10184/9 1707/2023+Veterans+Memorial+Fo undation+tournament+brochure.pdf ?t=1691761836548.

The foundation also accepts donations, gift certificates and prizes for the tournament’s silent auction. All contributions are tax-deductible.

The Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the tax ID EIN# 20-3130695.

For more information, contact Marie Gilmore at 410-726-2881 or opmarie@aol.com; or Don McMullen at 443-388-2941 or mcmullen1@aol.com.

TIDEWATER 32OCC ADVENTURE SYLVAN S3 CRS DC

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, 4-10 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.

■ CRAWL STREET TAVERN

19 Wicomico Street, Ocean City 443-373-2756, @crawlstreettavern

$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

Come join the Crawl Street Tavern family with great food, drinks and fun. Serving breakfast,

lunch and dinner. Good home cooking from cream chip beef, pancakes to their famous crab cake sandwiches, burgers, finger foods, tacos, steamed shrimp, salads, wings, soups and much more. Open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 2 A.M. Dine in or take out. No delivery.

■ DUMSER’S DAIRYLAND

Caroline Street, Wicomico Street and S. Division 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.

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 VISTAROOFTOPOC.COM / @VISTAROOFTOPOC

$$$ | Kids’ menu | Full bar

Check out this beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean, bayside view and looking down Coastal Highway. Now open. Serving lunch and dinner with a Happy Hour menu. Soups, salads, house specials, starters, fork & knife specials to fabulous deserts. The drink menu is a must including specialty cocktails, martini list to crushes. Check out the menu online for more information.

■ 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.

■ CANTINA LOS AGAVES MEXICAN GRILL

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

$$ | Kid’s menu | Full bar

■ 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 Sunday, 7-11 a.m. buffet or A la carte. Serving

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

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.

OC Jeep Week set to return to resort during Aug. 24-27

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Town of Ocean City and event promoter Brad Hoffman with Live Wire Media are preparing for the return on Aug. 24 of the resort’s marquee Jeep event.

OC Jeep Week 2023, set through Aug. 27, will feature hundreds of Jeeps from across the country participating in familiar events that have made the tourist attraction popular over the last decade.

“I’ve never been more excited to host our Jeep event. It is truly an uplifting experience for all who attend from the off-road and Jeep community,” Hoffman said in a news release. “People wait all year for this, kids bug their parents to say – when are we going to Jeep Fest? Their happiness is my happiness.”

The end of summer is always the time for Jeep owners and fans to come to Ocean City for the ultimate Jeep vacation.

People will come to ride on the sand during the sunrise beach crawl on Thursday, Aug. 24, which will begin this year at the inlet parking lot and head north toward 30th Street.

After that, drivers can take their Jeeps on a custom-made sand course, courtesy of Delmarva Jeep Events

and title sponsor KICKER, on the beach at Somerset Street.

The release said the hub and nucleus of the event is the Roland E. Powell Convention Center at 40th Street, where Jeeps will line up for show and shine events on Thursday and Friday.

Also at the convention center, partner dealership i.g. Burton will be on site with all the newest makes and models of Jeeps. Attendees can take view and drive the vehicles.

Featured guest Patrick Parker, better known as Sgt. Push-up, will also be at the event. Parker has become famous for doing one million pushups

Christmas in July event raises $8K for OC Young Prof.

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Young Professionals Committee of the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce raised nearly $8,000 at the group’s annual Christmas in July celebration on Sunday, July 23, at the Residence Inn by Marriott.

According to a news release, more than 100 people attended the event, which also included live music from Side Project, raffle prizes, and an appearance from Santa Claus.

and raising awareness for child hunger. His mission now is to educate the public with an anti-bullying campaign.

Jeep week will also feature industry vendors, starting off with KICKER Audio and Audio Works doing on-site sales and installations. Participants can outfit Jeeps or 4x4’s at the Vendor Village.

After hours parties with bands and music will also be featured each night at venues around town.

For more information on the schedule and other details of OC Jeep Week visit oceancity.com/events-calendar/oc-jeep-week/.

All funds go toward the Young Professional’s Christmas Spirit Campaign, which aims to provide joy to underprivileged children in Worcester County during the holiday season donations of gifts and toys.

The young professionals hope to reach 200 students by December.

“The Young Professionals are so grateful for the support and generosity displayed by our community,” Ricky Pollitt, the chairperson of group, said in the release. “The impact this event will have is beyond measure, and I can’t thank everyone enough for helping us achieve such a high mark.”

The 2023 Christmas in July was sponsored by 28th Street Pit & Pub,

PHOTO COURTESY LIVE WIRE MEDIA

Jeeps ride along a sand course in downtown Ocean City during OC Jeep Week last year. This year’s event is set for Aug. 24-27.

Ballpark burger inspired by typical hot dog

Continued from Page 27

Originality is a must if one wants to stand out from the competition. The sport of baseball and munching on mouthwatering hotdogs are one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Since Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger semifinals are held at baseball stadiums, one might consider creating a burger that is inspired by the iconic hotdog.

The name of the burger is just as important as the taste. Remember, the name of the burger is the first introduction to the judges. It needs to grab their attention; entries are coming in from all over the country.

With that thought in mind, allow me to introduce a burger called A Ballpark Special. I will start from the bottom and work my way up.

“Details” elevate one’s entry from the others.

A brioche bun is the roll of choice. Its consistency supports the burger and at the same time allows the different components to shine. A regular bun simply will not support this burger. I did experiment with a pretzel bun, but it was heavy and not as pleasing to the eye.

A “mound” of cheesy goodness is nestled in a half-pound burger for a yummy surprise. Cheddar and pimento cheese create a gooey, oozy filling that “strikes out” the competition.

Baseball is as American as apple pie and cheddar and pimento cheese are cheeses that are indicative of this country.

What is a hotdog without onions and relish?

A spicy cucumber, pepper slaw “steals” the show. Paper thin slices are more attractive to the eye than shreds of veggies. In addition, the

thin slices allow the natural beauty to come through by way of color and texture.

Chili is a popular topping for hotdogs. Avocado chili fritters add flavor and texture. The breading is seasoned with chili powder and smoked paprika. The burger is rich and a fried components adds contrast in consistency and taste.

A ballpark special sauce is the final touch to this burger. Brown mustard is infused with mayo, prepared horseradish, cream cheese and sweet pickles.

Then the entire burger is garnished with chopped peanuts. Peanuts add texture and are synonymous with ballpark food.

Every element of A Ballpark Special must be carefully chosen for a delicious, cohesive bite. There is a fine balance between too little and too much.

This is just a sampling one must consider when entering a culinary competition. Every aspect of the burger must be examined to the fullest for a winning entry.

Before you know it, the World Series will be here. If burgers are on the menu, A Ballpark Special is a sure way to wow your guests and coincide with the theme of baseball playoffs.

The burger can be replaced with a veggie burger if one is a vegetarian. Enjoy!

A Ball Park Special

Ballpark Special Sauce

¼ cup brown mustard

½ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

2 sweet gherkins

¼ cup cream cheese

Spicy Cucumber, Pepper

Salad

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper seeds

½ cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 small kirby cucumbers

1 small red, yellow, and orange bell peppers

1/2 small red onion

Avocado Chili Fritters

3 avocados

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

2 cups unseasoned panko breadcrumbs

1 ½ tablespoons chili powder

1 ½ tablespoons smoke paprika

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

6 cups canola oil

Ground Beef Patties

3 pounds (73/27) ground beef

3 teaspoons kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons black pepper

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup pimento cheese spread

Hamburger Buns

6 large brioche buns

Garnish

½ cup roasted chopped peanuts

1. Combine brown mustard, mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, sweet gherkins, and cream cheese in a small bowl. Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree the mixture until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to

2. Combine rice vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, crushed red pepper seeds, and parsley, in a medium bowl. Slice cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion on a mandoline, add veggies to the rice vinegar mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use. Five minutes before plating, strain mixture in a metal sieve.

3. Set up for the dredging station follows: 2/3 cups flour in a small bowl, 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of water mixed well in a small bowl, then combine 1/3 cup flour, cornmeal, panko, chili powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a pie plate, mix well.

4. Peel the avocados and cut into strips. Dip each strip in the flour, then the egg wash, and the panko mixture.

5. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry strips until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Place cooked avocado strips on a cooling rack.

6. Divide ground beef into 6 equal patties. Make a well into the ground beef and add 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center. Form the ground beef t enclosed the cheese ball. Spread 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper on each side of the patty. Turn the grill to medium- high. Grill the burgers for 5 minutes, then flip and grill for another 4 minutes.

7. Place each bun, cut side down on the grill and toast for 1 minute.

8. Garnish the entire burger with chopped peanuts.

Secret Ingredient – Perseverance

“Fall seven times and stand up eight.”

— Japanese Proverb

Group continuing to take donations for spirit campaign

Continued from Page 35

with support from Coastal Life Realty Group, Delaware Elevator, Royal Plus Electric, Lifemed Institute, the Delmarva Shorebirds, Direct Mortgage Loans, Deeley Insurance, OC Beach Vacations, Pickles Pub, Captain’s Quarters at the Millville Boardwalk, de Lazy Lizard, iHeart Media and 94.5 KHI.

The young professionals will continue taking donations for the Christmas Spirit Campaign, with volunteers set to begin shopping for students in November.

The professionals work with area guidance counselors and other organizations to identify students from local schools.

Vendor spots still available for Wor. Co. Fair in Sept.

(Aug. 18, 2023) Vendor spaces are available and fundraising events are set for the Worcester County Fair on Sept. 15-17.

To become a vendor, email worcofair@gmail.com.

A BINGO event with for and prizes to benefit the fair is set from 6-8 p.m., Aug. 25, at the Ocean Pines Community Center for $2 a card and eight games.

The fair office is also accepting donations of gently used books for the event book sale and selling raffle tickets for a 36-inch Blackstone Grill. The drawing will be Sept 17.

Many volunteer service hour opportunities are available as well.

To learn more, and share info, find WorcesterCoFair on Facebook.

Robert Keenan named new Wor. Co. recycling manager

(Aug. 17, 2023) The Worcester County Commissioners recently named Robert Keenan the new recycling manager in the Solid Waste Division of Public Works.

“Bob is a great guy who is always willing to help and goes above and beyond when taking on a project,” Public Works Director Dallas Baker said in a news release. “His energy and enthusiasm make him a great fit to lead the recycling team in Worcester County.”

Keenan, who previously served as the recycling crew leader, brings over 35 years of solid waste experience to his new position.

Following a 30-year career with the Baltimore Bureau of Solid Waste, where he served as the assistant superintendent, he relocated to the Eastern Shore and joined Worcester County Public Works in 2018.

“I am grateful that the commissioners have given me the honor of serving the residents of Worcester County,” Keenan said. “My goal is to educate each and every resident on what and how to recycle.”

Keenan is responsible for planning, coordinating and managing all Worcester County recycling projects and programs to meet state mandated goals, and to educate the public about the benefits of recycling.

Keenan lives with his wife, Wendy, and their cat, Salem, in Ocean View. They have three adult children.

Students and their families will then pick up their presents from the OC Chamber office on Dec. 9.

To make a donation or sign up to be a volunteer, visit occhamberfoundation.org/spirit-christmas-campaign. For more information on the Young Professionals, contact Ricky Pollitt at ricky.pollitt@ja.org

During his time off, he can be found at the beach or The River Church in Roxana.

For more information about recycling in Worcester County, visit co.worcester.md.us/departments/pu blicworks/recycling.

Robert Keenan

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Pictured, from left, are Young Professionals Committee of the Greater Ocean City Chamber committee members Ricky Pollitt, Jeremy Brown, Santa Rob, Fran Agostino, Tonya Agostino, Corey Boerner, Jess Foy, Journey Smith and Brooke Sharbaugh at the group’s Christmas in July fundraiser on July 23 at the Residence Inn by Marriott.

Award-winning Inside Out Car Care comes to West OC

Continued from Page 28

ranty, so the dealer has to address all of the issues.

Farro offers different types of ceramic coating at Inside Out Car Care, with one- three- and five-year warranties.

If there are any issues with the paint during this time, Farro said to bring it back and he will take care of it.

“I stand behind it,” Farro said.

He also encourages his customers to come in for a free annual inspection of the ceramic coating. If there are any issues, he will do a rejuvenation of the ceramic coating at no charge.

This can be done during an annual detailing of the interior of the car, another maintenance need for many people, especially those who hit the beaches regularly.

Farro also does headlight restoration.

He said headlights used to be made out of glass, but now they are made of plastic, which becomes cloudy over time.

“With daylight running lights, the heat from the lights is on the plastic 24/7, which accelerates the oxygenation process of the plastic.

“There is no way to prevent it, it is going to happen.”

Farro uses a five-step wet sanding process to take off the top cloudy layer of the plastic. Then it is polished back to clear.

Inside Out Car Care is insurance industry-approved for water and mold restoration. Its Salisbury shop just won the best award from “Coastal Style” for Wicomico. He expects to do the same at his Ocean City shop next year. https://waxthatcar.com/

Joe Farro, the proprietor of Inside Out Car Care, recently opened a shop in West Ocean City.

Your Healthiest You Conference in Salisbury

(Aug. 18, 2023) Women Supporting Women, a local nonprofit organization that has dedicated the last 30 years to providing awareness, education and support to individuals who are affected by breast cancer, is hosting its third annual Your Healthiest You Conference Integrative Health and Wellness event in September..

The event is set 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept.30, at Oak Ridge Baptist Church at 347 Tilghman Road in Salisbury.

According to a news release, the keynote speaker for the event is

Marcy Brenner, a performing songwriter, recording artist and author.

Brenner is the subject of an awardwinning documentary, “Dead Girl Walking,” which tells the story of her cancer diagnosis and treatment. She will share her message through speaking, music, and segments from the documentary.

“As a two-time breast cancer survivor, I came to realize the unexpected gifts that I received from my cancer diagnosis,” Brenner said in the release. “My journey taught me that we have a choice about happiness and

to live while you are alive. Part of dealing with stress and the tough things in life is learning how to find the gifts in them.”

The conference includes the following vendors and breakout sessions:

• Vitality Cryocare

• Restoration Wellness

• Little Green Witch Apothecary

• Holly Holistic Health – Essential Oils

• All Shore infusion & Wellness Center

• Holistic Wellness - Reconnecting

with yourself through rest

• Olympia Fitness - Movement classes

Gwyneth Bradshaw, a registered dietitian with Fixer Upper Fitness, will speak about nutrition.

The cost for the event is $10 per person, which includes breakfast onthe-go provided by Sprout.

Register online at womensupportingwomen.org or call 410/548-7880. Funding for the event is provided through a grant from The Women’s Fund, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore.

Worcester County Tobacco Retailers Care About Our Kids!

The Worcester County Health Department and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department work together to prevent the sale, distribution, and consumption of tobacco products by those under age 21. Out of the 145 tobacco retailers in Worcester County, 69 retailers were randomly visited between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, by local law enforcement for the purpose of attempting to buy tobacco products by an underage cadet. The following tobacco retailers had an employee who requested an ID and refused to sell tobacco to a person under the age of 21. Please join the Worcester County Health Department and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department in congratulating these establishments. Please stop in and say “Thank You” to:

It is illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product—including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes—to anyone under 21. The federal minimum age of sale applies to all retail establishments and persons with no exceptions.

Calendar

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., Aug. 18

CAPT. STEVE’S POOR GIRLS OPEN

Bahia Marina at Fish Tales, 2107 Herring Way, Ocean City, 4-9 p.m. Rose all Day - scales open at 4 p.m. Vendors, raffle tickets, tournament merchandise and other fun events. Tournament benefit the American Cancer Society. http://www.poorgirlsopen.com, 410430-1157

STEAM SOCIAL

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 11 a.m.noon. Join in for an hour of open-ended STEAM activities. Build, experiment and create with a variety of materials. For ages 5 years and older. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

FIRESIDE CHAT LUNCHEON

Golden Sands Ocean Resort, 22nd Floor

Atrium, 10900 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 1-3 p.m. Fireside Chat Luncheon with US Senators Cardin and Van Hollen. Cost is $38 for Ocean City and Salisbury chamber members and $50 for prospective members. https://chamber.oceancity.org/events/

CHAMBER MUSIC BY THE SEA FESTIVAL

All Hallows Episcopal Church, 109 W. Market St., Snow Hill, 7 p.m. Ticketed concert. Music by Boccherini, Tom Poster and more. Tickets: www.wced.foundation/events.

Sat., Aug. 19

CAPT. STEVE’S POOR GIRLS OPEN

Bahia Marina at Fish Tales, 2107 Herring Way, Ocean City, 4-9 p.m. Spiked Seltzer Saturday. Scales open at 4 p.m. Vendors, raffle tickets, tournament merchandise and other fun events. Tournament benefits the American Cancer Society. http://www.poorgirlsopen.com, 410-430-1157

5TH ANNUAL CLASSIC CAR, TRUCK & BIKE SHOW AND BBQ CHICKEN SALE

St. Paul United Methodist Church, 405 Flower St., Berlin, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Food, trophies, door prizes and dash plaques. Registration held 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fee is $10 per vehicle. All are welcome. Rain date is Aug. 26. Oather Mumford, 443-614-6191

WALK WITH A DOC

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

AGHRx RediScripts Pharmacy manager

Jeff Kugel, PharmD, will discuss immunizations. Alyce Marzola, amarzola@atlanticgeneral.org

TINKER TIME: NATURE JOURNALS

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Drop in anytime. Assemble your own nature journal. 410-632-3495, 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

‘STEM N DA COMMUNITY’ BACK 2 SCHOOL STEM EVENT

Salisbury University, Wayne St. Fields (behind Seagull Stadium), 1301 Wayne St., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Open to K-12 in Worcester, Somerset, Wicomico and Accomack counties. Over 50 STEM vendors, water rockets, dunking booth, food trucks and more. schoolars4stem@gmail.com, 410-2518821

ASSATEAGUE ADVENTURES

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m. A ranger-led adventure featuring crafts, puppets, stories and cool props. All children and their families are invited. A different adventure each week. 410-6410650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

30TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY ANTI-DRUG MARCH, RALLY AND FUN DAY

Richard Allen School, 316 S. Railroad Ave., Georgetown, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The march will begin at 11 a.m. Fun Day activities will be held from noon to 4 p.m. There will be entertainment,games, food, bounce houses, train rides and more. Vanessa Neal, 302-854-6692

CHAMBER MUSIC BY THE SEA FESTIVAL

Calvin B. Taylor House, 208 N. Main St., Berlin, 11 a.m. Free open-air informal performance on the lawn of the museum. www.wced.foundation/events

CHILDREN’S CRAFTS IN THE COURTYARD

Art League of Ocean City - Courtyard, 502 94th St., 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 in-

side. Held every Saturday until Labor Day. artleagueofoceancity.org

‘GLOVES UP GUNS DOWN’

Germantown School Community Heritage Center, 10223 Trappe Road, Berlin, noon to 4 p.m. Hosted by Lamar Sturgis, Stop The Violence!!, this event will enhance your boxing skills while gathering together with people in the community. The event is free and lunch will be served. 443-477-8675

VIDEO GAME DAY: TOURNAMENT MODE

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 12 p.m. Join in for head to head competition during the Nintendo Switch Tournament or come to watch. All games provided by the library and rated E-E10. For ages 11 years and older. 410-208-4014

SUMMER MUSIC @ FURNACE TOWN : AMPERSAND TRADITIONAL AMERICAN MUSIC

Furnace Town Historic Site (Nassawango Iron Furnace), 3816 Old Furnace Road, Snow Hill, 5-8 p.m. Tickets Free-$10. Furnace Town is thrilled to welcome Ampersand to celebrate the end of summer, traditional Furnace Town style! Come on out from 5-8 p.m. for food, music and more! 410-632-2032

$5 FILM NIGHT: OC FILM CHALLENGE

Art League of Ocean City, 502 94th St., 8 p.m. The premiere of the films entered into the Ocean City Film Challenge. Winners will be announced. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Doors open at 7 p.m. ocmdfilmfestival.com/ocmd-filmfestival-events/, 410-524-9433

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., Aug. 20

30TH ANNUAL TENT SERVICES

Richard Allen School, 316 S. Railroad Ave., Georgetown, 3 p.m. Encourage individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by drugs or alcohol. Speaker will be Rev. Tony Neal. A Testimony Service will also be held. Open to the public. 302-381-3711

SUNDAES IN THE PARK & FIREWORKS

Northside Park, 200 125th St., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m. Music by Front Page News “Classic Rock,” 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., Aug. 21

STORY TIME: PETE THE CAT

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 10:30 a.m. Read some stories of Pete the Cat, songs, games and crafts. For ages 2-5 years. 410-524-1818, 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

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS NIGHT

Worcester County Library - Ocean City Branch, 10003 Coastal Highway, 5:30 p.m. An evening of high adventure, fantasy and magic with this tabletop roleplaying game. All experience levels welcome. For adults and teens. Registration requested: 410-524-1818. www.worcesterlibrary.org

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., Aug. 22

PLAY TIME

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 301 Market St., 10:30 a.m. Join in for a variety of activities and toys. Play and socialize with other families. For ages 2-5 years. 410-957-0878, www.worcesterlibrary.org

KINDNESS ROCK PAINTING

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 10:30 a.m.

Design a message through your artwork to add to the library’s Kindness Walk next to the Butterfly Garden. For ages 25 years. 410-641-0650, www.worcesterlibrary.org

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, join in for a block party. Play with blocks and other toys while socializing with other families. 410-632-3495, 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

BEACH HEROES-OC

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

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES MEETING

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

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY

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

OC KNITTING CLUB

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

ARGENTINE TANGO PRACTICE

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

Wed., Aug. 23

BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUP

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

FIRST STATE DETACHMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE MEETING

American Legion Synepuxent Post 166, 2308 Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 12 p.m. Any Marines and Navy Corpsman

who have served in our Corps, living in Worcester and Sussex counties, are welcome. 410-430-7181, websergeant@firststatemarines.org

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP

Atlantic General Hospital, Conference Room 1, 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin, 5:30-7 p.m. The goal of the support group is to provide participants with hope for the future. Gail Mansell, 410641-9725, gmansell@atlanticgeneral.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., Aug. 24

OC JEEP WEEK

Roland E. Powell Convention Center, 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, 6:45 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Featuring a Beach Crawl, Sand Course, Vendor Village, Show and Shine and Deck Party at Hilton Garden Inn from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Show your event badge for a 10 percent discount. www.oceancityjeepweek.com

STORY TIME: PIP THE BEACH CAT

Worcester County Library - Ocean Pines Branch, 11107 Cathell Road, 10:30 a.m. It’s National Maryland Week. Come and celebrate with a great story and a fun craft. For ages 2-5 years. 410-208-4014, www.worcesterlibrary.org

PLAY TIME

Worcester County Library - Snow Hill Branch, 307 N. Washington St., 10:30 a.m. Join in for a variety of activities and toys. Play and socialize with other families. For ages 2-5 years. 410-632-3495, www.worcesterlibrary.org

CHESS CLUB

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

HEROES UNITE!

Worcester County Library - Pocomoke Branch, 301 Market St., 2 p.m. Stop the villainous Kraig. Use your art and writing skills to create a hero to help save the world. For ages 6 years and older. 410-957-0878, 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.

ZUMBA

Worcester County Library - Berlin Branch, 13 Harrison Ave., 4:30-5:30 p.m. Join Zumba instructor Joyce

PAINTING OC

Landsman for an hour of movement. These classes uplift and improve mood. Registration required: 410-641-0650. www.worcesterlibrary.org

ROMANCE BOOK CLUB: ‘A LOT LIKE ADIÓS’

The Buzzed Word, 11805 Coastal Highway, Unit C, Ocean City, 6 p.m. Join the Ocean City library with The Buzzed Word for an evening of Queer Romance and wine. 410-524-1818, www.worcesterlibrary.org

SUNSET PARK PARTY NIGHTS

Sunset Park, 700 S. Philadelphia Ave., Ocean City, 7-9 p.m. Free concert featuring The Dunehounds (jam band). Beverages, including beer, are available for purchase. Bring your own seating. https://ocdc.org, 410-289-7739

ONGOING EVENTS

TURTLES HIDING ON THE BOARDWALK! Find all of their hiding places and win your own stuffed turtle, Aug. 18-Sept. 1. Pick up your game card from any participating business or from the Boardwalk Information Booth, between N. Division and Caroline streets. Take your finished game card to the Information Booth to claim your prize. For kids 12 years and younger. events@ocdc.org or 703-731-6515.

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

COMMUNITY BOOK SWAP

Pocomoke library, 301 Market St., during the month of August. Bring a gently read book to share and take another. 410-957-0878

CREATIVE KIDS CORNER

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

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.

Crossword answers from page 28

PHOTO COURTESY FRANCOIS BURGER

Artist Barbara Kern-Bush, of Pocomoke City, paints a scene last weekend on the Ocean City Boardwalk during the Artists Paint OC Festival’s Quick Paint. The event, which took place from 9-11 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 12, brought in artists from all over. Easels were set up in various locations on and around the Boardwalk and by the inlet.

August 18, 2023 Ocean City Today 42

Year-Round Outboard

Motor Tech/Mechanic

Needed for basic outboard and boat service, winterizing outboards and shrink wrapping boats. Training available.

Excellent starting salary. Call Harbor Marine Inc., W. Ocean City, 410-213-1383

HIRING

Code of Enforcement & Building Official.

Full-time with benefits for the Town of Selbyville. Complete job description at Selbyville.delaware.gov

Beachwood Custom

Builders Now Hiring for Experienced Full-Time Trim Carpenter. Valid Driver’s License A MUST. Vacation and Benefits. Contact Lauren@beachwoodinc.com

MARKETPLACE

Delmarva Towing and Recovery Hiring Drivers

Up to $2000 a week. Contact Jerry at 410-600-5959.

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.

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.

FOR SALE

Jet Ski For Sale. 2012

WHISPERING WOODS COMMUNITY WIDE YARD SALE (WOC, off Rt. 611) Saturday, Aug. 26th, 8am-noon.

Items for the whole family!!

Yard Sale Barkley Estates Main Street, Selbyville August 26, 8am-2pm

RENTALS

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

Yamaha VX Cruiser, 132 hours, 110 hp, speed 50 mph. Very well taken care of. Has been winterized and summerized and is in storage in Berlin. $3000. 410-903-6680

VEHICLES WE BUY CARS Running or not. 302-732-3529

Run your business card in our SERVICE DIRECTORY CALL 410-723-6397 for pricing!

Individual must be highly organized for front desk to handle reception, public notices, classifieds, and other various clerical duties. Good phone skills required. Must be detail oriented and have computer skills. For full time employment, we offer health insurance, dental insurance, and 401K. No nights or weekends.

Hiring immediately

Email resume to: cbrown@oceancitytoday.net

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.

Advertise

MISC. FOR SALE

DISH Network. $64.99 for 190 Channels! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call today! 1-855407-6870

MISC. SERVICES

FREE high-speed internet for those that qualify. Government program for recipients of select programs incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet service. Bonus offer: Android tablet FREE with one-time $20 copay. Free shipping & handling. Call Maxsip Telecom today! 1-888-592-5957

410-723-6397

PETS/PET SUPPLIES

Are you a pet owner? Do you want to get up to 100% back on Vet Bills? Physicians Mutual Insurance Company has pet coverage that can help! Call 1-888-928-1656 to get a free quote or visit insurebarkmeow.com/mddc SERVICES

DENTAL INSURANCE from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Coverage for 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! 1-855-337-5228 www.dental50plus.com/ MDDC#6258

JAMES E. CLUBB, JR., ESQ.

1 08 N. 8th Street

Ocean City, Maryland 21842

TRUSTEE'S SALE OF TIME-SHARE INTERVALS INTHE OCEAN TIME CONDOMINIUM OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

By virtue of a Claim of Lien recorded among the Land Records of Worcester County, Maryland, and pursuant to the Order of the Circuit Court for Worcester County, Maryland, Case No. C-23-CV-23-000168, the undersigned Trustee will offer for sale at public auction at the Ocean Time Condominium building located at 13 136th Street, Ocean City. MD 21842, the following described property located in the Town of Ocean City, in the Tenth Election District of Worcester County, Maryland, on

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2023 AT 9:00 A.M.

Each time interval being one week per year of the corresponding unit, each unit being part of the Ocean Time Condominium as established pursuant to a Condominium Declaration and Bylaws recorded among the Land Records of Worcester County, Maryland, and subsequent TimeShare Instruments as to each condominium unit, and recorded among the aforesaid Land Records.

The property will be sold in an as is condition and subject to conditions, restrictions and agreements of record affecting the same, if any, and with no warranties or guarantees. A secured party may bid and shall be excused from deposit requirements. The Trustee reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

Terms of Sale: A deposit in the full amount of sale per time interval will be required at the time of sale, such deposit to be in cash or check. Cost of all recordation and transfer taxes and all other incidental settlement costs shall be borne by the purchaser. The date of settlement shall be fifteen (15) days after final ratification by the Circuit Court for Worcester County, Maryland, time being of the essence; otherwise, the deposit will be forfeited and the property will be resold at the risk and expense of the defaulting purchaser, or in any manner designated by the Trustee; or, without forfeiting deposit, the Seller may exercise any of its legal or equitable rights against the defaulting purchaser.

For more information, call: James E. Clubb, Jr., Esq. Trustee

410-289-2323

JAMES E.

OCD-8/10/3t

CLUBB, JR., ESQ.

108 N. 8th Street

Ocean City, Maryland 21842

TRUSTEE'S SALE OF TIME-SHARE INTERVALS INTHE LIGHTHOUSE POINT VILLAS CONDOMINIUM OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

By virtue of a Claim of Lien recorded among the Land Records of Worcester County, Maryland, and pursuant to the Order of the Circuit Court for Worcester County, Maryland, Case No. C-23-CV-23-000170, he undersigned Trustee will offer for sale at public auction at the Lighthouse Point Villas Condominium building located at 14409 Lighthouse Avenue, the following described property located in the Town of Ocean City, in the Tenth Election District of Worcester County, Maryland, on

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2023

AT9:30A.M.

Each time interval being one week per year of the corresponding unit, each unit being part of the Lighthouse Point Villas Condominium, including an undivided interest in the common elements thereof, as established pursuant to a Condominium Declaration and ByLaws recorded among the Land Records of Worcester County, Maryland, and subsequent Declarations of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions as to each condominium unit, and recorded among the aforesaid Land Records.

The property will be sold in an "as is" condition and subject to conditions, restrictions and agreements of record affecting the same, if any, and with no warranties or guarantees. A secured party may bid and shall be excused from deposit requirements. The Trustee reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

Terms of Sale: A deposit in the full amount of sale per time interval will be required at the time of sale, such deposit to be in cash or check. Cost of all recordation and transfer taxes and all other incidental settlement costs shall be borne by the purchaser. The date of settlement shall be fifteen (15) days after final ratification by the Circuit Court for Worcester County, Maryland, time being of the essence; otherwise, the deposit will be forfeited and the property will be resold at the risk

and expense of the defaulting purchaser, or in any manner designated by the Trustee; or, without forfeiting deposit, the Seller may exercise any of its legal or equitable rights against the defaulting purchaser.

For more information, call: James E. Clubb, Jr., Esq. Trustee 410-289-2323

OCD-8/10/3t

Rosenberg & Associates, LLC

4340 East West Highway, Suite 600 Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 907-8000

www.rosenberg-assoc.com

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEES’ SALE OF IMPROVED REAL PROPERTY

310 15TH ST

OCEAN CITY, MD 21842

Under a power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust from Irvin D. Webber dated July 15, 2005 and recorded in Liber 4489, folio 77 among the Land Records of Worcester County, MD, default having occurred under the terms thereof, the Sub. Trustees will sell at public auction at the Circuit Court for Worcester County, at the Court House Door, One W. Market St., Snow Hill, MD 21863, on

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 AT 3:55 PM

ALL THAT FEE SIMPLE LOT OF GROUND, together with the buildings and improvements thereon situated in Worcester County, MD and more fully described in the aforesaid Deed of Trust. Tax ID #10-041260.

The property, which is improved by a dwelling, will be sold in an "as is" condition and subject to conditions, restrictions and agreements of record affecting the same, if any, and with no warranty of any kind.

Terms of Sale: A deposit of $53,000 in the form of certified check, cashier's check or money order will be required of the purchaser at time and place of sale. Balance of the purchase price to be paid in cash within ten days of final ratification of sale by the Circuit Court for Worcester County. Interest to be paid on the unpaid purchase money at the rate pursuant to the Deed of Trust Note from the date of sale to the date funds are received in the office of the Sub. Trustees. There will be no abatement of interest in the event additional funds are tendered before settlement or if settlement is delayed for any reason. The noteholder shall not be obligated to pay interest if it is the purchaser. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE FOR THE PURCHASER. Adjustment of all real property taxes, including agricultural taxes, if applicable, and any and all public and/or private charges or assessments, to the extent such amounts survive foreclosure sale, including water/sewer charges and ground rent, to be adjusted to date of sale and paid at execution of the deed, except where the secured party is the purchaser, and thereafter as-

sumed by the purchaser. Condominium fees and/or homeowners association dues, if any, shall be assumed by the purchaser from the date of sale forward. Cost of all documentary stamps, transfer taxes and settlement expenses shall be borne by the purchaser. Purchaser shall be responsible for obtaining physical possession of the property. Purchaser assumes the risk of loss or damage to the property from the date of sale forward. Additional terms to be announced at the time of sale.

If the Sub. Trustees are unable to convey good and marketable title, the purchaser's sole remedy in law and equity shall be limited to a refund of the deposit without interest. If the purchaser fails to go to settlement, the deposit shall be forfeited, to the Trustees for application against all expenses, attorney’s fees and the full commission on the sale price of the above-scheduled foreclosure sale. In the event of default, all expenses of this sale (including attorney’s fees and the full commission on the gross sale price of this sale) shall be charged against and paid out of the forfeited deposit. The Trustees may then re-advertise and resell the property at the risk and expense of the defaulting purchaser or may avail themselves of any legal or equitable remedies against the defaulting purchaser without reselling the property. In the event of a resale, the defaulting purchaser shall not be entitled to receive the surplus, if any, even if such surplus results from improvements to the property by said defaulting purchaser and the defaulting purchaser shall be liable to the Trustees and secured party for reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses incurred in connection with all litigation involving the Property or the proceeds of the resale. Trustees' file number 22-000886MD-F-1.

Diane S. Rosenberg, Mark D. Meyer, et al., Substitute Trustees OCD-8/17/3t

Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. 1966 Greenspring Drive, Suite LL2 Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland 21093 (410) 238-2840

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEES' SALE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

703 141st Street, Ocean City, MD 21842

Under a power of sale contained in a certain Purchase Money Deed of Trust from Telma Yuman and Adolfo Yuman, dated October 27, 2006 and recorded in Liber 4809, Folio 624 among the Land Records of Worcester County, Maryland, with an original principal balance of $280,000.00, default having occurred under the

terms thereof, the Substitute Trustees will sell at public auction at the Circuit Courthouse for Worcester County, Courthouse Door, 1 West Market Street, Snow Hill, MD 21863, on

Monday, August 21st, 2023 AT 11:00AM

ALL THAT FEE-SIMPLE LOT OF GROUND and the improvements thereon situated in Worcester County, MD and more fully described in the aforesaid Purchase Money Deed of Trust. The real property is known as 703 141st Street, Ocean City, MD 21842, Tax ID #10178576. Tax Map 0118, Grid 0014, Parcel 9404A.

Terms of Sale: The property will be sold “as is” and subject to conditions, restrictions, easements and agreements of record affecting same, if any and with no warranty of any kind. A deposit of $22,000.00 in the form of cash, cashier’s check, certified check, or other form as the Substitute Trustees determine acceptable, is required at the time of auction. Balance of the purchase price to be paid in cash within ten days of final ratification of sale by the Circuit Court for Worcester County. At the Substitute Trustees’ discretion, the foreclosure purchaser, if a corporation or LLC, must produce evidence, prior to bidding, of the legal formation of such entity. The purchaser, other than the Holder of the Note, its assigns, or designees, shall pay interest on the unpaid purchase money at the rate of 4.625% per annum from the date of foreclosure auction to the date funds are received in the office of the Substitute Trustees.

In the event settlement is delayed for any reason , there shall be no abatement of interest. All due and/or unpaid private utility, water and sewer facilities charges, or front foot benefit payments, are payable by the purchaser without adjustment. Real estate taxes and all other public charges, or assessments, ground rent, or condo/HOA assessments, not otherwise divested by ratification of the sale, to be adjusted as of the date of foreclosure auction an assumed thereafter by the purchaser. Cost of all documentary stamps, transfer taxes and settlement expenses, and all other costs incident to settlement, shall be borne by the purchaser. Purchaser shall be responsible for obtaining physical possession of the property. Purchaser assumes the risk of loss or damage to the property from the date of sale forward.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. If the purchaser shall fail to comply with the terms of the sale or fails to go to settlement within ten (10) days of ratification of the sale, the Substitute Trustees may, in addition to any other available remedies, declare the entire deposit forfeited and resell the property at the risk and cost of the defaulting purchaser, and the purchaser agrees to pay reasonable attorneys' fees for the Substitute Trustees, plus all costs incurred, if the Substitute Trustees have filed the appropriate motion with the Court to resell the property. Purchaser waives personal service of any paper filed in connection with

PUBLIC NOTICE

The motor vehicles described below have been abandoned. The owners and lien holders are hereby informed of their right to reclaim the vehicles upon payment of all charges and costs resulting from the towing, preservation, and storage of the vehicles.

The failure of the owners or lien holders to reclaim the vehicles within three weeks of notification shall be deemed a waiver by the owners or lien holders of all rights, title and interest and thereby consent to the sale of the vehicles at public auction or to have it otherwise disposed of in a manner provided by law.

These three weeks of notification began on 08/10/2023.

All vehicles will be sold at auction on-line at www.govdeals.com. For details call 410-723-6643.

Ross Buzzuro Chief of Police

such a motion on himself and/or any principal or corporate designee, and expressly agrees to accept service of any such paper by regular mail directed to the address provided by said bidder at the time of foreclosure auction. In such event, the defaulting purchaser shall be liable for the payment of any deficiency in the purchase price, all costs and expenses of resale, reasonable attorney's fees, and all other charges due and incidental and consequential damages, and any deficiency in the underlying secured debt. The purchaser shall not be entitled to any surplus proceeds or profits resulting from any resale of the property. If the Substitute Trustees cannot convey insurable title, the purchaser's sole remedy at law or in equity shall be the return of the deposit without interest. The sale is subject to postsale confirmation and audit of the status of the loan with the loan servicer including, but not limited to, determination of whether the borrower entered into any repayment agreement, reinstated or paid off the loan prior to the sale. In any such event, this sale shall be null and void, and the Purchaser's sole remedy, in law or equity, shall be the return of his deposit without interest.

NOTE: The information contained herein was obtained from sources deemed to be reliable, but is offered for informational purposes only. Neither the auctioneer, the beneficiary of the Deed of Trust, the Substitute Trustee nor his agents or attorneys make any representations or warranties with respect to the ac-

curacy of information. PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS ARE URGED TO PERFORM THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPERTY PRIOR TO THE FORECLOSURE AUCTION. For additional information, please contact the Substitute Trustees.

Mark H. Wittstadt and Justin T. Hoy, Substitute Trustees Tidewater Auctions, LLC 305 West Chesapeake Avenue, Suite 105 Towson, Maryland 21204 410-825-2900

www.tidewaterauctions.com

OCD-8/3/3t

IN THE ORPHANS’ COURT FOR (OR)

BEFORE THE REGISTER OF WILLS FOR WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND

IN THE ESTATE OF:

GEORGE D. ENGLAND ESTATE NO. 19580

PUBLIC NOTICE TO CAVEAT

To all persons interested in the above estate:

Notice is given that a petition to caveat has been filed by Carl J. England, 709 94th Street, Unit 10, Ocean City, MD 21842 challenging the will dated August 31, 2020.

You may obtain from the Register of Wills the date and time of any hearing on this matter.

Terri Westcott

Register of Wills

Name of newspaper: Ocean City Digest

Date of publication: August 10, 2023

OCD-8/10/2t

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. 19833

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Surrogate’s Court of Rockland County, NY appointed Maureen L. Hayes, 23 Kevin Drive, Orangeburg, NY 10962 as the Administrator of the Estate of Hugh J. Hayes AKA: Hugh John Joseph Hayes who died on October 20, 2019 domiciled in New York, 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.

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:

AUTH:

(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.

Maureen L. Hayes Foreign Personal Representative

Terri Westcott Register of Wills

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

Name of Newspaper:

Ocean City Digest

Date of first publication: August 03, 2023

NOTICE

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OF PROPOSED CHANGE IN ZONING

NORTHWEST SIDE OF JARVIS ROAD AND EAST OF WORCESTER HIGHWAY (US ROUTE 113)

FIFTH TAX DISTRICT WORCESTER COUNTY, MARYLAND

Pursuant to Section 1-113 of the Worcester County Zoning Ordinance, Rezoning Case No. 440 has been filed by Hugh Cropper, IV on behalf of Nicholas & Virginia Borodulia, property owners, for an amendment to the Official Zoning Maps to change an approximately 8.905 acres of land located on the northwest side of Jarvis Road, approximately 175 feet north of Bunting Road and 400 feet east of US Route 113 (Worcester Highway), in the Fifth Tax District of Worcester County, Maryland, from A-1 Agricultural District to A-2 Agricultural District. The Planning Commission has given a favorable recommendation to the rezoning application.

Pursuant to Sections 1-113 and 1114 of the Worcester County Zoning Ordinance, the County Commissioners will hold a

PUBLIC HEARING on

TUESDAY, September 5th, 2023

AT 10:30 A.M.

IN THE COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING ROOM

WORCESTER COUNTY

CENTER – ROOM 1101

ONE WEST MARKET STREET

SNOW HILL, MARYLAND 21863

At said public hearing the County Commissioners will consider the rezoning application, the staff file on Rezoning Case No. 440 and the recommendation of the Planning Commission, any proposed restrictions on the rezoning, other appropriate restrictions, conditions or limitations as may be deemed by them to be appropriate to preserve, improve, or protect the general character and design of the lands and improvements

being zoned or rezoned or of the surrounding or adjacent lands and improvements, and the advisability of reserving the power and authority to approve or disapprove the design of buildings, construction, landscaping or other improvements, alterations and changes made or to be made on the subject land or lands to assure conformity with the intent and purpose of applicable State laws and regulations and the County Zoning Ordinance.

Maps of the petitioned area, the staff file on Rezoning Case No. 440 and the Planning Commission’s recommendation, which will be entered into record at the public hearing, are on file and available to view electronically by contacting the Department of Development, Review and Permitting, Worcester County Government Center, One West Market Street, Room 1201, Snow Hill, Maryland 21863 Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. (except holidays), at (410) 632-1200 as well as at www.co.worcester.md.us.

THE WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

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CHRIS S. MASON ESQ

WILLIAMS, MOORE, SHOCKLEY & HARRISON, L.L.P.

3509 COASTAL HIGHWAY

OCEAN

CITY, MD 21842

SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of DIANE FROSTROM Estate No. 19843 Notice is given that MARK FROSTROM whose address is 940 BISHOP ROAD, POCOMOKE CITY, MD 21851 was on AUGUST 11, 2023 appointed personal representative(s) of the small estate of DIANE FROSTROM who died on APRIL 22, 2018 without a will.

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

All persons having any objection to the appointment shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

TERRI

ONE

SMALL ESTATE NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of ANNA LOUISE PURNELL Estate No. 19849 Notice is given that ALEXANDRA STANLEY whose address is 1214 LOCHWOOD CIRCLE, SALISBURY, MD 21804 was on AUGUST 09, 2023 appointed personal representative(s) of the small estate of ANNA LOUISE PURNELL who died on FEBRUARY 28, 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 shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice. All persons having an objection to the probate of the will shall file their objections with the Register of Wills within six months after the date of publication of this Notice.

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:

August 24, 2023 at 6:00 PM

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 110-93(2), Powers, of the Code, an appeal has been filed pursuant to the provisions of Section 11094(1&2) requesting special use and parking exceptions to allow temporary special event tents to include vendors during Delmarva Bike Week in a parking lot. The site of the appeal is described as Lots 131, 132, & 133 of the Neptune Development Plat; further described as on the west side of Herring Way, locally known as Fishtails, 2107 Herring Way, in the Town of Ocean City Maryland.

APPLICANT: HARRISON’S CUSTOM CYCLES

(BZA 2660 #23-09400011)

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

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

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

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claims will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

All persons having claims against the decedent must serve their claims on the undersigned personal representative or file them with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned on or before the earlier of the following dates:

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

(2) Thirty days after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the claims will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within thirty days from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not served or filed within that time, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE

SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS

To all persons interested in the estate of GRANT E. POWELL JR. Estate No. 19847 Notice is given that NOREEN C. POWELL whose address is 3 FREEPORT LANE, BERLIN, MD 21811 was on AUGUST 09, 2023 appointed Personal Representative of the estate of GRANT E. POWELL JR. who died

on JUNE 19, 2023 without a will. Further information can be obtained by reviewing the estate file in the office of the Register of Wills or by contacting the personal representative or the attorney.

All persons having any objection to the appointment (or to the probate of the decedent's will) shall file their objections with the Register of Wills on or before the 9th day of FEBRUARY, 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.

TERRI WESTCOTT, Register of Wills for Worcester County ONE W MARKET STREET

ROOM 102 - COURT HOUSE

SNOW HILL, MD 21863-1074

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PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 110, Zoning, of the Code of the Town of Ocean City, Maryland, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be conducted by the Planning and Zoning Commission in the Council Chambers of City Hall located at 301 Baltimore Avenue in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland on:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

At 7:00 pm

Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 5, Conditional Uses, a request has been filed under the provisions of Section 110-514(8), Uses permitted by Conditional Use in the LC-1, Local Commercial District to permit an 18-hole miniature golf course with an accessory kid’s playground. The site of the proposed use is described as Lot 143 of Parcel 3261, Lot 144 of Parcel 3262 and Lot 145 of Parcel 3263 of the Neptune Development Plat; further described as located on the west side of Philadelphia Avenue and the east side of Herring Way, and locally known as 209-213 Philadelphia Avenue, in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland. Required parking to be provided on Lot 154 of Parcel 3272 of the Neptune Development Plat; further described as located on the east side of Herring Way, the north side of Dolphin Street and west side of Philadelphia Avenue, and locally known as 1901 Philadelphia Avenue, also in the Town of Ocean City, Maryland.

APPLICANT: LUX QOZP PROPERTIES 4, LLC, C/O MIKE RAMADAN, PRINCIPAL AND NICK’S GOLF, LLC, C/O NICHOLAS GERACIMOS, PRINCIPAL (FILE #23-12100003)

No oral or written testimony will be accepted after the close of the public hearing.

Public hearings that are not completed at one meeting may be continued without additional advertised notice provided the Commission Chairperson announces that the hearing will be continued and gives persons in attendance an opportunity to sign up for written notice of the additional hearing dates.

For further information concerning this public hearing, please contact the Department of Planning and Community Development, Room 242, City Hall, 301 Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842. Phone 410-289-8855.

Md. sportsbooks generate millions

(Aug. 18, 2023) Maryland’s 10 retail and 11 mobile sportsbooks, including Ocean Downs Casino off of Route 611, combined to generate more than $3.3 million in contributions to the state for the month of July, and $25.3 million for all of Fiscal Year 2023.

According to a news release, each sportsbook contributes 15 percent of taxable wins to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs.

Statewide handle in July totaled more than $247.4 million, with mobile handle accounting for 96 percent of the total at over $237.5 million. Mobile wagering delivered more than $3 million in state contributions, while retail sportsbooks contributed over $231,300 for the month.

The state’s sports wagering market added Crab Sports and operate iGaming Cloud as a new mobile licensee on July 13, becoming the 11th mobile sportsbook.

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission also issued a mobile sports wagering license to

Greenmount Station and operator partner Parx Interactive this week. The betParx mobile platform conducted a successful controlled demonstration on Aug. 8, and launched operations soon after.

The release said a detailed summary of each sportsbook’s July 2023 results, including handle, hold percentage, prizes paid, promotional play, taxable win, and contribution to the state, along with a summary of

statewide handle and hold by sport, is available for download at mdgaming.com.

Maryland’s sports wagering market launched with five retail locations in December 2021. The first seven mobile sportsbooks launched in November 2022. As of the end of July, there were 10 retail locations and 11 mobile operators. More retail locations and mobile sportsbooks are expected to launch in the near future.

(Aug. 17, 2023) The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency helped to generate nearly $1.6 billion in contributions to the state during Fiscal Year 2023 from lottery ticket sales, the state’s six casinos, sports wagering and daily fantasy sports.

According to a news release, from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, the combined contribution to the state included $848.1 million from casinos; $714.3 million from the lottery; $25.3 million from sports wagering; and $1.2 million from daily fantasy sports. Maryland Lottery and Gaming is the state’s fourth-largest

source of revenue after income, sales and corporate taxes.

“The Maryland Lottery launched in 1973 with the mission to generate revenue for the state’s good causes,” Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin said in the release. “As we’ve been celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, we’ve also been navigating a gaming landscape that is continually evolving, most recently with the addition of sports wagering. But as we adapt to new responsibilities, we’re always mindful of that core mission, and we’re proud to do our part.”

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Percolation test crucial to parcel subdivision

Land owners should watch absorption rate of soil and look at management areas

By Lauren Bunting Contributing Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) Land owners looking to subdivide existing parcels should understand the soil testing process, commonly referred to as a percolation, or “perc,” test, as well as management areas and their significance.

A percolation test is a test to determine a soil’s absorption rate, hence the term “perc” test.

All of the soils within our county are considered seasonal soils, meaning they have a fluctuating seasonal water table. Some fluctuate more than others.

Even soils that are considered well drained, or having seasonal high-water tables between 4 to 6 feet or more, can still have significant surface silt or clay in our area. The silt and clay affect the soils’ percolation rate. Soils are required to meet a

percolation rate of less than 60 minutes per inch in the upper soils. The “wet-season” in Worcester County is whenever the majority of the county’s 16 monitoring wells are within 0.5 standard deviation of the wet season mean. Typically, this falls from November to May. It may not be “in-season” during that whole time and never has been, but it fluctuates.

The county’s monitoring wells are always read along with a particular site project as a comparison. The county wells have been monitored for 20 to 30 years, so data is well established. In soils with water tables closer to the surface, the management area of the county becomes important. Applications for soil evaluations in Worcester County are due every year by Dec. 31.

Eagle Title expands into OC and Delaware

(Aug. 18, 2023) Maryland-based title company Eagle Title recently expanded into Ocean City and Delaware.

According to a news release, the move marks a significant milestone in the company’s growth strategy. The Eagle Title is a trusted and reliable partner in the Delmarva real estate industry, serving clients in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

With over a decade of experience and

commitment to excellence, Eagle Title has built a strong reputation for delivering exceptional title services — offering peace of mind to clients throughout the real estate transaction process. The company's expansion responds to the increasing demand for professional and reliable title services in the region.

“We are excited to bring our title services to the state of Delaware," Eagle Title CEO Jay Walsh said in the release.

“The expansion to the beaches aligns perfectly with our strategic growth plans, allowing us to serve our clients in this dynamic real estate market."

Eagle Title's expansion to Ocean City and Delaware will provide a comprehensive suite of title services to the region's home buyers, sellers, lenders, builders and real estate professionals.

The company's highly skilled team of title professionals, combined with state-

of-the-art technology, ensures efficient and accurate title searches, title insurance, and closing services, making the real estate transaction process seamless and stress-free for clients.

Eagle Title will operate out of an office on Ocean Gateway in Ocean City and an office in Georgetown in Delaware. Both locations will offer residential, commercial and builder services.

Hunting license lottery entries due Aug. 23

(Aug. 18, 2023) Hunt clubs interested in obtaining a hunting lease agreement on Chesapeake Forest Lands can enter a lottery for available tracts in Worcester and Wicomico counties.

Officials with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will accept online entries until Aug. 23.

Winning clubs will have the right to obtain 10-year lease agreements, at the

price listed on the department website, for the upcoming hunting seasons, 2023-2024 through 2032-2033.

The department advises entrants to visit the Chesapeake forest tracts before making a selection, as some sites have limited access. Hunt clubs are expected to help maintain access roads, gates and signs on the leased property.

Rules and guidelines for the lottery are as follows:

• Only hunt club members at least 18 years of age can participate in the lottery.

• A hunt club must have at least two members licensed to hunt in Maryland with one person designated as the club president.

• Each member may fill out a lottery form. Only one submittal per person will be placed in the lottery.

The drawing is set for 2 p.m., Aug.

24. Winning entries will be awarded the first available tract they choose. The Chesapeake Forest Lands comprise 187 management units totaling more than 76,000 acres in six lower Eastern Shore counties. The state purchased the lands to manage and protect them, and to expand opportunities for public access for outdoor recreation like canoeing, birding, fishing and hunting.

August 17 - August

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

Positive Energy, Triple Crown plans approved

Worcester County Technical Review Committee votes for some changes, additions

By Remy Andersen Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) A site plan revision and a minor site plan review was approved for Positive Energy by the county Technical Review Committee last Wednesday.

The site plan revision consists of additions to the marijuana dispensary building and an off-site parking area, with the review focusing on the parking area.

According to the review, the edges of the parking area will be curbed or buffered as will the space between all parking areas.

Landscaping in the parking areas will consist of one tree planted for each six parking spaces.

Other requirements for the plan included adding a crosswalk, relocating the bike rack, providing the height and type of the light fixtures, and providing vehicular access to adjacent properties.

Storm Water Management Concept Plan approval has been received for both the site plan revision and review.

Positive Energy is located at 9939 Jerry Mack Road in West Ocean City.

In addition, the preliminary plat review of Phase II of the Triple Crown Residential Planned Community was approved by TRC.

This proposal features 30 singlefamily units located on the northerly side of Gum Point Road east of Preakness Drive in Ocean Pines.

The county Environmental Programs department said gas permits could be required and that plumbing permits would be required and obtained for each residence. There will be a $6,500 payment to the Ocean Pines Association for sewer connections due at closing. Water and sewer infrastructure would need to be installed.

According to a memo from the Fire Marshal’s Office, fire hydrants would need to be located within 3 feet of the curb line. The fire lanes would have to be no less than 20 feet in unobstructed width, able to withstand live loads of fire apparatus, and have a minimum of 13 feet 6 inches of vertical clearance.

Both the Positive Energy site plan and the Triple Crown preliminary plat review will have no negative impact to the surrounding State roadway network, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Ocean City Fire Department, in collaboration with the Town of Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department, recently held a senior fire camp for children to immerse them in he the world of public safety.

Children between the ages of 9 and 14 attended the new camp, which was held from July 31 through Aug. 3.

According to a news release, the camp offered participants a comprehensive view of the critical role of first responders in safeguarding the community. It also aimed to inspire and recruit young minds to pursue careers in public safety, and fostered a sense of leadership and trust between youth and officials.

The camp piggybacked on the success of the department’s junior fire camp, and delve deeper into the world of public safety. Under the guidance of experienced firefighters and profes-

for children

sionals, participants gained hands-on experience and knowledge, preparing them for potential future roles in serving the community.

Ocean City Fire Chief Richie Bowers expressed his enthusiasm for the camp in the release.

“Our mission is not only to protect and serve the community but also to inspire the next generation of dedicated public safety professionals,” he said. “By allowing young campers to work alongside our first responders in

Positive Energy is located off of Jerry Mack Road in Ocean City. The Technical Review Committee approved a minor site

and review

the marijuana dispensary that was presented at the group’s meeting on Aug. 9.

Mixed reviews recieved for county landings

By Remy Andersen Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) In an attempt to strike a balance between recreational boaters and commercial operators and their use of county boat ramps, the Worcester County Commissioners agreed Tuesday that the facilities can be shared, with commercial users limited to two parking spaces.

The decision, which amended the county code governing boat landing access, is something of a victory for commercial operators, who would have been granted one parking space in the regulations put before the commissioners.

The 4-2 decision, with Commissioner Eric Fiori abstaining and Com-

missioners Chip Bertino and Jim Bunting opposed, mirrors an option presented to the commissioners on Aug. 1 by Ocean City attorney Mark Cropper.

Cropper, who represents Marc Spagnola of Dusk to Dawn Bowfishing in a dispute with some South Point residents over whether his client should be able to use the ramp there, advised the commissioners at that time the best resolution of the argument would be to open ramp access to everyone, while allowing commercial users two parking spaces.

Otherwise, Cropper argued, prohibiting his client’s access would mean that all commercial use of every

CUSTOM HOME ON CUL-DE-SAC WITH CURB APPEAL

county-owned ramp would have to be banned as well.

Although it went unmentioned Tuesday and at previous hearings on the debate, a letter to the commissioners in 2008 from the Department of Natural Resources and contained in their meeting packet made clear that they did not have the authority to close their state-funded facilities to commercial use.

The letter from Robert P. Gaudette, then the DNR’s director of boating services, reminded the commissioners that the county’s ramps were funded with state Waterway Improvement money.

“Since both commercial boats and recreational boats contribute to the

Waterway Improvement Fund, the commercial watermen cannot be denied access to use these facilities,” he wrote.

He added that the county needed to make launching facilities to everyone “to insure eligibility for future Waterway Improvement Fund Grants.”

The one caveat that remains in play, however, is that commercial operators cannot interfere with ramp access by recreational boaters.

Commissioner Joe Mitrecic pointed out that having two spots for commercial users would allow them to use the spaces however they need, but that there are “always going to be issues with the boat ramp.”

WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONER BRIEFS

By Remy Andersen Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Worcester County Commissioners discussed the following in their meeting on Tuesday:

Slurry Seal Application

The commissioners unanimously agreed to allow the Department of Public Works to piggyback on Howard County’s contract with Slurry Pavers for the application of a slurry seal on county roads. The price for this application is $3.08 per square yard.

county to take advantage of Howard County’s increased buying power and allow work to start in the fall. Funding amounting to $1 million for the purchase of the slurry seal was approved in the current FY24 operating budget.

Dewatering equipment &

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Co-listed wth Mia McCarthy, KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY of DELMARVA

Howard County awarded Slurry Pavers the bid on these services for a one-year term with five one-year renewal options. The total estimated contract over the six years is $34 million. The existing contact will allow the

The commissioners contracted with Davis, Bowen and Friedel to handle the Ocean Pines biosolids dewatering equipment and building design. Five proposals were received and were opened on July 19. A three-member evaluation team decided that Davis, Bowen, and Friedel represented the best value to Worcester County.

The total contract award amount is $426,942.96. The project will involve

Continued on Page 53

Camps successful in learning

Continued from Page 51

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a controlled environment, we aim to ignite their passion for public service and instill essential leadership skills. This camp plays a crucial role in capturing the minds of our youth and showcasing the rewarding nature of serving the community.”

The Ocean City Fire Department has hosted nearly 140 kids in summer camp programs this year. The success

of the senior fire camp would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors, including the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company, The Alaska Stand, Polock Johnny’s, Fisher’s Popcorn, and Uniform’s Unlimited.

For more information about the senior fire camp and other community programs, visit camps.oceancitymd.gov.

Pictured is the South Point Boat Ramp, one of many county landings that have been the subject of debate over whether commercial users should have access.

QUICK PAINT ON BOARDWALK

WORCESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONER BRIEFS

design, bidding, and construction phase services in the Ocean Pines wastewater service area.

Beach engineering

The commissioners awarded J. Stacy Hart & Associates Inc. the Public Landing beach engineering services contract. Four proposals for the contract were opened on July 11, with J. Stacy Hart & Associates winning the $18,000 job.

Fitness room free

The commissioners agreed to make the fitness room at the Recreation Center to free to all retirees of Worcester County government, the board of education and public school bus contractors.

The commissioners made the fitness room free for all active county employees in 2015, and voted to include active board of education in

2018. The current annual membership for the fitness center is $85.

Financial service modules

The commissioners unanimously approved the purchase and addition of two additional modules to the administration’s current financial software. The first module will be for requisitions and will allow departments to request purchase orders.

The second module will be used in reports on employee benefits. The purchase price is $63,370, with an additional annual charge of $8,563.

REMY ANDERSEN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Pictured is Fred Jackson from King of Prussia, Pennsylvania painting on the Boardwalk.

PHOTO COURTESY FRANCOIS BURGER

Pictured is Dennis Young from Newcastle, Delaware painting on the Boardwalk.

REMY ANDERSEN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Pictured is Nancy Thomas from Ridgely, Maryland painting in the inlet parking lot.

REMY ANDERSEN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Pictured is Pearl Regmi from Baltimore painting near the Boardwalk.

PHOTO COURTESY FRANCOIS BURGER

As part of the Artists Paint OC Festival, the Quick Paint event brought in artists from all around, taking place from 9-11 a.m. on Sunday. Easels were set up in various locations on and around the Boardwalk by the inlet. Pictured is Sara Syarto from Bristow, VA painting near the Boardwalk.

County stalls plans to donate scoreboard

SDHS equipment may no longer be going to athletic complex after evaluation

By Remy Andersen Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) The decision of whether to go with a used or new scoreboard for the Berlin Seahawks Pop Warner football program will have to wait until county recreation department personnel evaluate the options and costs.

The Seahawks, who play at the Northern Worcester County Athletic Complex next to Buckingham Elementary School in Berlin, thought they had a winner when Stephen Decatur High School offered to donate the school’s old scoreboard.

But in seeking permission to accept and install the gift, county Parks Superintendent Jacob Stephens and Recreation Department Director Kelly Rados advised the county commissioners Tuesday that moving and setting up the scoreboard would cost roughly $17,500, not including electrical work.

In addition, the commissioners were told that the proffered Decatur scoreboard is 30 years old, causing some to wonder whether a more

current model might be the better alternative.

According to a memo from Rados

to the commissioners, the request to accept the donation came from Berlin Pop Warner President Tony Morris, who also asked the county to cover the cost of foundation work as well as wiring and painting the scoreboard. Morris said his organization would handle the accessory’s relocation and storage until the

work could be done.

Given the board’s age and the costs of installation, however, the commissioners agreed with a suggestion from Board of Commissioners President Chip Bertino to direct Recreation and Parks to research the cost of buying and setting up a new scorekeeping system.

REMY ANDERSEN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

The scoreboard posts at Stephen Decatur High School wait installation of a new board. The old scoreboard was set to be donated to the Berlin Seahwaks Pop Warner football program at the Northern Worcester County Athletic Complex but the plans have run into snags.

BOE finalizes agreements with employee orgs

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Worcester County Board of Education on Tuesday approved renegotiated contracts that include pay increases and bonuses for teachers and other school personnel, including school bus contractors.

After the vote, Superintendent Lou Taylor, board Chairman Todd Ferrante, Dwayne Abt, chief operations and human relations officer for WCPS, and Beth Shockley-Lynch, president of the Worcester County Teachers Association (WCTA), signed the agreements.

The renegotiations came after the Worcester County Commissioners in the spring voted against granting the school board’s request for increased spending this fiscal year. Instead, a five-member commissioner majority agreed to provide “maintenance of effort funding,” which means essentially the same amount of money spent the year before, based on the student population.

That decision left the school system $4.5-million short of what it had budgeted for, including pay raises for

teachers and other personnel. As a result, the board in June eliminated summer academies, after-school programs, the outdoor 2024 graduation ceremony along with other programs and supplies.

In the two months since, the board has been renegotiating pay agreements with the teachers association, the Worcester County Educational Support Personnel Association (WCESPA) and the school system’s bus contractors.

The negotiations provided that Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds and Maryland’s Leads grant funds would be used to help pay for all employee bonuses that were added in the new agreement.

ESSER funds are covid relief money granted by the federal government to states, according to the Maryland State Department of Education. States then allocate the money to schools.

The Maryland Leads is similarly intended to use federal funds for overcoming pandemic-related learning loss for local education agencies, according to the state education depart-

ment.

Board member Katie Addis cast the only dissenting vote. Addis said she is happy that ESSER funds are being used to help pay teachers, but she and other personnel agree that ESSER grant money is always assigned to the county without negotiation.

“The Board of Education really didn’t sacrifice anything in this negotiation process,” Addis said. “I do still

feel that there are unnecessary spending cuts that could be made for our teachers and support staff to make them whole.”

The negotiated agreements are retroactive to July 1.

Per the agreements with the teacher association, teachers will receive a 1.14 percent cost-of-living adjustment, a $100 increase in longevity

The Worcester County Board of Education voted to approve new negotiated contract agreements with teacher, personnel and school bus organizations. Before the vote, some spoke to the board wearing “Red for Ed,” in support of teachers. A few shared concerns about teacher compensation regarding the new agreements. Pictured is the meeting on Tuesday.

Coast Kids summer camp deemed success

(Aug. 18, 2023) This June and July, Assateague Coastal Trust’s Coast Kids program ran four weeks of nature summer camp for kids aged 6 to 12 years.

During the first two weeks, according to a new release, participating campers explored eight different locations across the region. They learned about plankton and the bay’s food web, fish, amphibians, reptiles, owls, forest habitat, edible wild plants, and macroinvertebrates in creeks, all while crabbing, paddle boarding, hiking and horseback riding.

Coast Kids added two weeks of Wild Scientists camp, which were held at the trust’s office. The campers studied backyard life, including insects, soil organisms and birds to create a beautiful pollinator garden.

They were empowered to make a difference by taking steps to make the world a more environmentally friendly place.

Countless hands-on science experiments taught them about plastic and its alternatives, renewable energy, carbon footprint and climate change.

The release said Coast Kids Camp has been a successful camp for years.

Thanks to generous support, 25 percent of the spaces were reserved

for scholarship recipients.

Organizations including the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Maryland Coastal Bays Program, and Carol and Ray Armstrong donated funds to help support the program, and an array of people helped make it happen.

For more information about Coast Kids events, visit ActForBays.org or email Coast Kids Director, Verena Chase, at coastkids@actforbays.org.

Teachers worry raises not enough

Continued from Page 55

pay, bringing the total to longevity pay to $1,600, and a one-time bonus of $2,250 for the 2023-2024 school year.

Agreements with the educational support personnel association state that school personnel will receive a 1.64 percent cost-of-living adjustment, the same longevity raise and total as teachers and a one-time $1,000 bonus for the 2023-2024 school year.

Contractual changes with school bus contractors raise the hourly wage by 50 cents, bringing the total wage to $25.50. Per vehicle allotment also in-

creased from $20,920 to $22,385, and bus contractors will receive a retention bonus of $1,000.

Before the agreements were signed, the board recognized members of the public who wished to speak.

Megan Seyler, a teacher at Stephen Decatur High School, told the board that she believed the four percent cost-of -living adjustment, which the teachers association originally asked for, was already too low.

“In the long term, every year we get slighted on COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) as a ding to my retirement. In the short term it's a battle between low COLAs and high inflation,” Seyler

said. “It's deciding between a full grocery load of food or filling up my gas.”

Mary Malone-Hathaway, also a Stephen Decatur teacher, said she worries that recent budget cuts might affect her daughter’s learning experience as she enters kindergarten.

“I’m nervous what the next 12 years look like for her. Not only for myself and the bottom line, but what that means for opportunities for her moving forward,” Malone-Hathaway said. “Whether it’s after-school programs for enrichment, or god forbid, she needs some remediation or stayafter with a teacher, those opportunities may not be there for her.”

Attendees of the Assateague Coastal Trust’s Kids Coast Camp complete a project during the program, held this year in June and July.

BLESSING OF THE OCEAN

SATURDAY CRAFTING

Brittany Lescalleet, of Westminster, visited the Ocean City Center for the Arts on Saturday, Aug. 5, to make a piece of art to take home. Free crafts for kids are available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday in August at the Arts Center at 502 94th St.

PAINTING PRESENTATION

KIWANIS SPEAKER

PHOTO COURTESY RITA DANHARDT

Altar boys and girls from St. Mary Star of the Sea and Holy Savior Church lead a group of parishioners and other worshippers toward the beach at 17th Street for the parish’s annual Blessing of the Ocean ceremony Aug. 15

PHOTO COURTESY RITA DANHARDT

Father John Solomon, the priest at St. Mary Star of the Sea and Holy Savior Church, blesses the waves on the beach at alongside alter boy Colt Ward during the well-attended Blessing of the Ocean ceremony.

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID L. MESSICK

White Marlin Open Founder Jim Motsko was presented a large painting of a white marlin at an awards ceremony following the tournament on Saturday, Aug. 12. Pictured, from left, with the painting are Motsko, artist Joanne K. Guilfoil, and Motsko’s daughters, Madelyn and Sasha.

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID LANDIS SR.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines-Ocean City President Bob Wolfing presents a $1,000 check to Children's House By the Sea Programs Director Mary Decker Brown after she was the guest speaker at the weekly meeting on Aug. 9.

SUBMITTED PHOTO/ OCEAN CITY TODAY

PHOTO COURTESY RITA DANHARDT

Father Solomon speaks to a group of parishioners and other worshippers on the beach during the Blessing of the Ocean ceremony before performing the annual blessing ritual into the waves.

Offshore wind, marine-life deaths

Editor,

Do you remember the line from “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy and her companions are on their way to Oz and are afraid of being attacked? The line was “Lions and tigers and bears - oh my! Lions and tigers and bears - oh my!”

Well, I have revised that to “Murphy and Carney and Moore - oh my!” referring to the three Democrat governors of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland who are absolutely determined to go full steam ahead on offshore wind, no matter what evidence of harm to wildlife and commercial fishing and the economy is presented.

I read Doug Miller’s letter to the editor of Aug. 11 with interest, also.

I’m not entirely sure from whence his information comes, but I would like to dispute a couple of his points. First, I don’t understand equating people who oppose industrial size wind turbines a few miles offshore with “culture wars” in Florida.

Regarding Mr. Miller’s statement that concern about whale deaths is nonsense, I beg to differ.

The concern is well-founded and

what we are asking for is a moratorium on construction until the issue can be studied completely - including necropsies on the dead creatures that includes what damage there may be to their ears due to the impact of the loud sonar necessary to the building process.

Over 60 whales have washed ashore along New England, New York and New Jersey since December, 2022, where surveying for the turbines has been underway for a while. Has that ever happened before? I don’t recall anywhere near this number of whale deaths at any time in the 45 years I have lived near the Atlantic coast.

Mr. Miller also contends that the Europeans are not having any “notable bird and whale die-offs” after years of offshore turbines. This is simply not true; many European countries are having significant difficulties, inclusive of marine traffic incidents, marine life deaths and population decimation.

Finally, don’t forget that just recently the IPCC warned that the green lobby needs to cool down on the alarmist global warming claims.

A good person to listen to on the whole global warming agenda is

Bjorn Lomborg - an environmentalist who believes wholeheartedly in manmade climate change but has common sense ideas for how (and even whether) to deal with it that won’t destroy lives (both human and animal).

So, do I sound like a culture warrior?

Carol Frazier Ocean Pines

Sports complex spending problems Editor,

On a list titled “The Visit Experience” prepared for the Tourism Commission by Baseline Perceptions Research on Oct. 14, 2021, the overwhelming top three reasons given by visitors to the beach were: the beach (87 percent), the Boardwalk (74 percent) and shopping (70 percent).

Next amusements and mini-golf drops to 47 percent and the list continues down to 7 percent.

The mayor has pulled up all of his connections in a last-ditch effort to promote one final grandiose scheme with a sports complex study group.

It’s interesting that an unbiased consideration on spending tax dollars will be considered by mostly politicians and workers under them in the local government bureaucracy. In addition, some of the wealthiest men on the Eastern Shore have been appointed to this committee.

With all the hundreds of millions of dollars these individuals are worth

one should wonder, if a “sports complex” is such a money-maker, why don’t these multimillionaires pay for it? Why should this group determine how to spend our tax dollars or someone else’s tax dollars in the State of Maryland?

Let’s take a look at the numbers in the Ocean City Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and then have a quick summary of the three studies on the “sports complex” dating back to 2017, and one additional study from Saint Mary’s County.

The CIP calls for spending on the “sports complex” $8.1 million in Fiscal Year 2024, $91.2 million in Fiscal Year 2025, for some reason it skips Fiscal Year 2026, and for $67.6 million to spend in Fiscal Year 2027.

The total is $166.9 million, of which $127.04 million will come from state grants. It leaves $39.86 million to be funded, I guess, by bond in Ocean City.

This is the way it is written in the Ocean City capital plan today. It could change many times in the future. The grandiose largely crowned (not elected) clever politicians in Ocean City by circumventing the will of the county taxpayers will ultimately have to seek Ocean City taxpayer approval for a near $40 million dollar bond.

Now on the studies.

The county spent $75,000 on a study in 2017, and among the com-

Continued on Page 60

Officials get look at inlet shoaling

Courtesy of the offices of State Sen. Mary Beth Carozza and the Angler restaurant, county and state officials on Thursday were scheduled to tour the Ocean City Inlet aboard the Angler headboat and see for themselves the seriousness of the constant shoaling occuring in the inlet channel.

These shifting sands and rapidly building shoals have made navigating this narrow cut a difficult and occasionally hazardous business for vessels with a draft of any significance.

With the multi-million-dollar White Marlin Open just concluded, the economic value of the inlet should be obvious to local businesses and officials, as billions of dollars in sports fishing vessels steam into town, followed by a generally wellheeled crowd of friends, families and spectators.

And that’s just for one week. Ocean City’s offshore sports fishing industry brings in millions of dollars each year, making the preservation of a well maintained channel a necessity.

Unfortunately, the Town of Ocean City and Worcester County government remain divided on the issue of which authority should be the local party responsible for the inlet’s condition.

It’s a ridiculous argument considering the inlet’s importance to local tourism and the economic impact on the town. Given how focused on tourism Ocean City officials are, they should join the county in not just asking, but screaming for help from agencies and funding sources further up the government food chain.

Undoubtedly, skeptics will say the federal government would not allow inlet shoaling to reach the crisis stage, and the response to that is, yes, it absolutely would.

That is precisely what occurred at Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Inlet on the Outer Banks. Ultimately, the state and county governments had to step in to keep their inlets viable.

The importance of Carozza’s inlet tour Tuesday lies in its ability to make state officials aware of how critical the situation is, and how, if things get worse, they might be called on to help. A unified approach in that regard would be the way to go.

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 ................Cindy Hoffman, Hunter Hine, ..............................................................Remy Andersen

ACCOUNT MANAGERS .......... Mary Cooper, Vicki Shrier ..................................................................Renée Kelly

CLASSIFIEDS/LEGALS MANAGER ...... Christine Brown

SENIOR DESIGNER ................................ Susan Parks

GRAPHIC ARTISTS ............ Kelly Brown, Jane Leibowitz

PUBLISHER........................................ Christine Brown

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ...................... Gini Tufts

Make deadline or else

When I’m asked how I manage to fill this space each week, my go-to answer is, “It beats me.”

All I know is I have less than an hour to bang out something coherent (or sort of coherent) so I don’t get yelled at by the real authorities at work, who are, apparently, everyone but me.

By Stewart Dobson

That’s just how it is in this business at this scale. If you are working on one thing, that means that you’re not working on the other thing, or the other, other thing on which someone is impatiently waiting.

The funny thing is, these people are yelling at me, “Hey, let’s wrap it up, bud. We have deadlines, you know,” are doing this because ... they don’t want to get yelled at by me for missing deadlines.

Clearly, this makes no sense. First of all, if I’m the one making people late, why would I yell at them for being late? Secondly, I don’t yell at people (anymore).

There was a time I might have done that, but I was generally more prone to throwing things, a bad habit I picked up from my friend Gee Williams of Berlin, who was the only person I know who could plant a tape dispenser a good three inches into the drywall from 15 feet away.

It's a fact, folks. Unfortunately, we didn’t have speed guns in our office back then, when

Gee was my editor and I was a reporter, because I suspect he topped 95 mph, maybe more if he went with the four-fingered grip.

I don’t remember why he threw it, but I seem to remember having to call on the fire company to employ its Jaws of Life to extract that thing from the wall.

In any event, I was deeply impressed by this approach to editing, just as I was by his ability to communicate his concern about quality control on the printing end.

It is 100 percent true that I happened to walk into the office on a Friday morning as he was busily tearing an 80-some page newspaper into confetti.

“Where’s the party?” I asked innocently.

“You’ll see,” another reporter replied, as Gee took somewhere around 1,600 stampsized pieces of paper, stuffed them in a big manila envelope, sealed it with a pound of tape from the recently rescued tape dispenser, scribbled out an address, took it to the receptionist and said, “Mail this to the printer, please.”

That was it. Nothing else was enclosed, no phone call made in advance and no little attached note saying, “Strong letter to follow.” All I’m going to say is that you could have framed and hung the following week’s edition in a museum.

It was then that I realized that actions really do speak louder than words, and that yelling is no substitute for creativity.

Speaking of which, it is now 12:56 p.m., and I’m wrapping this up with four minutes to spare. So, no yelling, please.

MD retailers designate Sen. Carozza Legislative All-Star

(Aug. 18, 2023) The Maryland Retailers Association has recognized Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38) as a 2023 Legislative All-Star for her support of the retail business community.

“We have some of the most creative retail operators right here on the Shore who offer quality products to local residents and visitors alike,” Carozza, who represents businesses in Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties, said in a news release. “I will continue to support policies that give these operators the flexibility they need to be job creators and to be successful with their businesses.”

Carozza worked with retailers association on legislation assigned to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, on which she serves. Her efforts helped ensure that the concerns of Maryland retailers were considered on several

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Continued from Page 58

ments the county staff said was they thought that “the projected economic impact was overly optimistic.”

In 2019, Ocean City spent $49,400 on a study and withheld the results for 22 months, then paid another $49,400 for a fluff update to the study, which was released in November 2022.

The study had placed us in the South Atlantic region, the wrong region. We are in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The study among other things stated that the participation of all outdoor and indoor sports had declined from 2014 through 2018 except cheerleading. The study warned to be prepared to lose money from annual operations. The South Atlantic region has better year-round weather, thus a longer playing season than the Mid-Atlantic region.

Then there was the Saint Mary’s study ($52,000) that the Ocean City politicians never talk about. First, Saint Mary’s is only one hour from D.C., not three. It has a higher per capita income, is nearer to population centers, and has a higher population from which to draw.

The study concluded that out of 11 sports complexes reviewed, 10 were still losing money from operations at a combined annual loss of $6.1 million annually. The study said that the “sports complex” would require a 25 percent operating subsidy annually.

Now let’s go back to “the visit experience” study.

Last on the list of reasons to come to the beach were trade shows or sports tournaments at 7 percent. No wonder the rich guys on [Mayor Rick] Meehan’s Committee don’t want to

pieces of legislation, most of which were opposed by the retailers association, including:

SB 250 – Environment – Climate Crisis Plan – Requirement

The bill would have required climate crisis plans at the county level, creating a patchwork of policies with a variety of standards and compliance deadlines that would have further encumbered the daily operations of retailers.

The Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee did not advance the bill.

SB 260 – Maryland Paint Stewardship bill

The bill would have set a dangerous precedent by awarding state taxing authority to a private entity without addressing organizational issues and costs.

The bill passed the full Senate by a

See CAROZZA Page 61

put their own money in and would rather use the public’s tax dollars.

The millionaires on Meehan’s new committee will benefit by adding a few more room occupancies to their hotels and a few more dinners sold in their restaurants while the Ocean City taxpayers will be paying the costs of the annual budget shortfall as well as paying for a near $40 million bond.

I feel an obligation to mop up the vomit of these grandiose Ocean City politicians by disclosing the truth, much of which has not been disclosed within the “sports complex” fantasy. As if the golf course and the airport aren’t enough, mayor, here we go again on your final boondoggle.

I will say that Councilman [John] Gehrig’s repeated threat a year ago “if you don’t vote for the sports complex your taxes will go up” would have gotten him thrown out of office if Ocean City had opponents in their so-called elections, or more accurately coronations. I hope these facts shed light on the task force’s decision.

Petitions are hard work for a guy turning 75 but I was honored to meet so many good people and normal politicians in competitive races while working on the county petition.

Frankly, I am watching and waiting till after the ’24 presidential election, and may have one more petition in me if I feel the Ocean city resident taxpayers are ready. That would be to dissolve the Ocean City government and turn it over to the county commissioners where the political class is humble and respects the value of a dollar.

Remember, people come to Ocean City for the beach and the Boardwalk. Tony Christ Ocean City

Carozza’s votes favor retailers

35-12 vote but was not passed by the House of Delegates before the end of the 2023 legislative session. Carozza voted against the bill.

SB 916 – Environment – Ethylene Oxide – Prohibition

The bill would have prohibited the use of a chemical compound used in a wide variety of manufacturing production and industries, including the production of textiles, personal products like shampoo and laundry detergent, and automotive products like antifreeze and brake fluid, as well as in the sterilization of spices and medical equipment.

The bill was not advanced by the

OCVFC VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee.

SB 222 – Environment –Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment and Producer Responsibility for Packaging Materials

The bill intends to have packaging producers take more responsibility for the life cycle of products, but penalizes packaging producers and increases the cost of products.

The bill passed the General Assembly and was signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore (D) on May 8. Carozza supported amendments to the bill designed to reduce the burden on retailers and voted against final passage of it.

Robert “Bo” Duke served 22 years with OCVFD, chief twice

By Steve Price Contributing Writer

Continued from Page 60 (Aug. 18, 2023) This week we proudly recognize current life member and former Deputy Chief / Volunteer Fire Chief Robert “Bo” Duke III.

Chief Duke grew up in Berlin and moved to Ocean City in 1985 following his graduation from Stephen Decatur High School and attending the University of Maryland, College Park.

Bo has been an employee with the Harrison Group for the past 36 years and currently serves as a project manager for the company.

Chief Duke married his wife Hayley in 2022 and they enjoy a “blended family” including four children –Robbie and Kennedy Duke and Tyler and Remi Howard.

His hobbies include hunting and fishing.

Bo has competed in the White Marlin Open since 1998 and won the event in 2010 catching the second heaviest white marlin in tournament history while fishing aboard the boat – Shelly II.

Bo was urged to join the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company by his good friend, current Deputy Chief / Volunteer Fire Chief Jay Jester.

During his 22 years of active service, Chief Duke has served in a wide variety of roles in the OCVFC, including but not limited to the following: a member of the board of directors, lieutenant on Tanker 719, platoon captain, engineer and assistant fire chief.

He has twice served as chief of the volunteer fire company – first in 2012 and again in 2015. He has been the recipient of several volunteer fire company citations including Firefighter of the Year in 2002, Member of the Year in 2006 and the Chief’s Award in 2005.

Chief Duke recalls the Aug. 24,

2002, fire at the Siesta Villa Condos on 51st Street in Ocean City as the most significant event of his firefighting career. He and other members of the OCVFC used an unorthodox laddering of the balconies to rescue an unconscious, severely burned victim from the structure.

The victim was flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center and later transferred to the burn center in Baltimore.

Duke received the Medal of Valor, the Colborn Silver Cup from the Maryland State Firemen’s Association, and several other commendations recognizing his heroic efforts in the incident.

Chief Duke said his greatest accomplishment was the opportunity to respond and represent the state of

SUBMITTED PHOTO/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-38C) participated in the ribbon cutting and official grand opening of Skin Fitness in Berlin. She is pictured with business operator and niece, Amanda Frock.

Robert “Bo” Duke III

Duke fished WMO since 1998

Continued from Page 61

Maryland, the Town of Ocean City and the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company during the recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2005.

Bo Duke and David Cropper, both of whom later served as chiefs for the OCVFC, were key members of the Ocean City Disaster Relief Team stationed just outside of New Orleans in Jefferson Parish.

“We did a lot of good for those communities cut off from the rest of

the world,” Chief Duke said. “I am proud of the work our team did there and I was proud to serve alongside the other members of the team from Ocean City”.

We thank Chief Duke for his longstanding dedication to the safety and well-being of the residents and visitors to Ocean City as well as his willingness to respond to other communities devastated by natural disasters.

For membership information or to learn more about the volunteer fire company, visit ocvfc.com.

Ocean City Today .com

RELIABLE & LOCAL NEWS

Gen. Patton slapped soldiers in hospitals for being nervous

By Hon. George A. Jones Jr. Contributing Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) This week, 80 years ago, the “Slaps Heard ‘Round the World” were still reverberating throughout the Allied Armies.

On July 10, 1943, the Seventh U.S. Army, commanded by Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr., and Gen. Bernard Montgomery’s Eighth British Army invaded Sicily. General Patton’s Seventh Army was relegated to support and protect Monty’s Eighth Army.

General Patton was not happy with the role assigned to him and began finding ways to expand the mission and the glory of his army. Due to Monty’s McClellen-like advance, Patton saw victory over the Germans and Italians as well as Montgomery in the conquest of Messina.

After much hard fighting, Messina fell to American forces. Not a perfect campaign, but good enough. Patton had conquered all of his foes and was riding high. Unfortunately, Nemesis was stalking the battlefield and the wheel of fortune was turning.

On Aug. 2, 1943, Pvt. Charles H. Kuhl reported to an aid station where he was diagnosed as exhausted and transferred to the evacuation hospital for evaluation. Gen. Patton would visit the hospital on the day Pvt. Kuhl arrived.

Patton noticed that unlike the other soldiers, who were obviously physically wounded, Pvt. Kuhl appeared to be unscathed. To Patton’s question of where he was hurt, Kuhl replied that he was nervous and could not take it. Patton exploded like a grenade and slapped Kuhl in the face and kicked him out of the tent. Afterwards, Kuhl was returned to the tent where it was determined that he had

a high temperature and malaria.

A week later, Pvt. Paul Bennett found himself at the 93rd Evacuation Hospital with a fever, dehydration, fatigue and confusion. Pvt. Bennett’s request to be allowed to return to his unit was denied by the medical officers. A final click of fortune’s wheel brought Gen. Patton and Pvt. Bennett together. Gen. Patton inquired as to Pvt. Bennett’s injury and was informed by the private that he was nervous. Then, the general burst into a rage, slapping Bennett and brandishing his pistol.

Both incidents were traumatic to the two privates and to the medical officers and personnel, but not so much to many of the high-ranking officers who accompanied Gen. Patton and to the other wounded soldiers. The Army doctors were less understanding and forgiving of Gen. Patton’s outburst for it disturbed the good order of the hospital and interfered with their duties.

News of the two slapping incidents soon began to seep out. Official reports were filed and rumors spread amongst the troops. It was not long before the news fell on the desks of Gens. Omar Bradley and Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Ike”). They were not happy, but they knew their bad old man and thought it best for the war effort to keep the incidents under wraps.

The next act of the war would be the invasion of Fortress Europa where Gen. Patton would not play a direct role. His Seventh Army was planned for dissolution, so there was no problem that Patton had nothing to command.

What should be done? Patton was scolded and apologies were de-

General Patton

manded and given, and mostly accepted by the soldiers, including Pvt. Kuhl. Gen. Patton knew that his actions, which he thought would be beneficial to the privates’ efforts to overcome what he considered cowardice, would not be tolerated in Ike’s democratic army, and by the powerful army of the newspapermen like Drew Pearson, who spread the story of the slaps to the American home front.

There were a few calls for Gen. Patton’s removal by citizens and politicians, but Gens. Eisenhower and George C. Marshall and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, knew that to fire Gen. Patton would greatly weaken the crusade for Europe.

President Roosevelt reminded reporters of President Abraham Lincoln’s response to those who called for the removal of General Ulysses S. Grant due to the general’s propensity to get drunk. To punish and protect Gen. Patton, Ike would use Patton’s absence from command of a standing army to execute the most effective ruse since the Greeks left a wooden horse outside of the gate of Troy.

The Germans knew that invasion was imminent, but were unsure where it would take place. The Allies created a phantom army opposite Pas de Calais, France, commanded by Gen. Patton in order to divert German forces from Normandy. Gen. Patton missed participating in the invasion of Normandy, but his mere existence hampered German response to it.

Within a year of the slaps, Gen. Patton returned to the war with the U.S. Third Army that broke out of Normandy, liberated France and defeated the German offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge. Soon the ripples caused by the slaps dissolved in the depths of history leaving a faint residue — the question of why this happened and what is courage.

It is my opinion that the slapping incidents were not foreign to military life in war during the first half of the decade of the 1940s. The mass of the American soldiers grew up during the Great Depression. Their officers were born during the last decades of the 19th century. The world view of officers and enlisted men was more traditional/classical.

Their ideal was to do their duty and be honorable citizens. That was the ideal and not the reality. They were not demigods and Mars is a hard taskmaster. They were free men of a constitutional republic. They were neither slaves, subjects, nor cannon fodder. They demanded that their status as free born men be respected.

World War II was the hinge point between the old and the new. Gen. Patton was a creature of the late 19th century by birth, and a citizen of the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome, by reading.

He represented the old school that collided with the advance guard of the modern.

He could trace his family far back in Virginia history. Patton’s ancestors numbered numerous Confederate officers and Virginia Military Institute alumni. He grew up revering the romantic ideal of great warriors. Patton believed that a man must be brave for his honor and glory.

His fellow soldiers and country depended upon his courage, but also the courage of his countrymen. Patton thought that a man feared shame more than death or dishonor and used shaming to strengthen a man’s courage. Patton knew that running away would destroy an army.

As we have seen, many did not see any fault in Patton’s reaction to the two privates and it was not until Drew Pearson responded to the alleged abuse of the common man that Patton found himself in trouble.

Were the privates deserving of the rage of Patton? The concept of courage has been discussed in many of the great books ranging from, “The Iliad, Plato’s dialogue “Laches,” and Stephen Crane’s “The Red Badge of Courage” (WWII Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy played Henry Fleming in the movie version of “The Red Badge of Courage.”)

Different answers have been given. Socrates stated at the end of “Laches” to his interlocutors that they all were equally confused and needed better teachers than themselves to define courage.

Let me end by allowing Gen. Patton to speak for himself: “All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened. The courageous man is the man who forces himself, in spite of his fear, to carry on. Discipline, pride, self-respect, self-confidence, and the love of glory are attributes which make a man courageous even when he is afraid.”

In other words, do not take counsel of your fears.

Next week: Death of Tzar Boris III of Bulgaria

OBITUARIES

BEVERLY MATTOX Selbyville, Delaware

Beverly Mattox, 85, of Selbyville, Delaware, passed peacefully on August 10, 2023, at Delaware Hospice in Milford.

Bev was born in Baltimore, Maryland on Sept. 10, 1937, and was the only child of the late Thelma Kelly Meredith Brown and William Morton Meredith.

An active educator for over 50 years, after college she served as a teacher, principal, project director and training specialist. In the mid-1960s she was one of the first teachers to wear pantsuits. Always a trailblazer, she was reprimanded by administrators because her lipstick was “too pink”. She always championed women’s rights.

Beverly conducted programs for school systems and organizations in 26 states and Canada. She addressed more than 400 groups with her specialized knowledge of parenting and women’s friendships.

She was a member of Washington Plaza Baptist Church and attended Sound United Methodist Church, always singing in the choir. She directed the”Especially For You project and the Prayer Bears project in her church.

She worked tirelessly for the less fortunate, always running bags of donations to veterans, women’s shelters, and other church projects. She was recognized as a Jefferson Award winner on Delmarva for all of her philanthropy.

She is survived by two daughters, Leanne Ruark and husband Gary of Eden, and Leslie Knopfler and husContinued on Page 64

Omar Bradley

Beverly Mattox

Continued from Page 63

band Dave of Grandy, North Carolina.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Tony Mattox, in 2018. They met on the beach in Ocean City in 1954, honeymooned in Ocean City in 1958, and bought their first condo on 32nd Street in 1972, also in Ocean City.

There will be a remembrance of life service, which all are invited to, at 10 a.m., Aug. 25, at the Sound United Methodist Church, 37894 Sound Church Road. After the service, at the annex next door, there will be a luncheon for all.

Condolences may be sent by visiting bishophastingsfh.com

THOMAS “TOM” W. SNYDER

Newark, Maryland

Thomas “Tom” W. Snyder, 79, of Newark, Maryland, passed away on Aug. 5, 2023, peacefully in his home surrounded by family.

Tom was born on May 16,1944, in Milton, Pennsylvania, to the late William “Bill” D. Snyder and Emily M. Snyder.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Deborah Snyder; son Rodney Snyder (Lynne); and siblings Jack, Dan and Betty.

He is survived by his daughter, Bernice Scott (Andrew); stepchildren Rebecca Braun (Klaus), Jason Gaskill, and Kristin Perry (Rob); grandchildren Kelsey, Karley and Adrianne Snyder, Drew and Lydia Kappelmeier, Avery Scott, Sydney Chandler, Sheyanne Aleshire, Jarrett Aleshire, Kristin Braun, Clayton Gaskill, Abigail Gaskill, and Sophia and Brandon Perry; siblings Lois, Maryann, Linda, Robert and Joe; and many nieces and nephews.

Tom was raised and worked on the Snyder Family Dairy Farm in Millmont, Pennsylvania, where they grew corn and hay, raised young heifers and had milking cows.

He graduated from Mifflinburg Joint High School in 1962. After graduation he went to work for Asplundh Tree Expert Company. He then got married, started a family, and moved on to be an auto mechanic and school bus driver before going back to work the Snyder Family Farm.

In 1972, he moved his family to Berlin (Saint Martin), Maryland, to work on the Hudson Dairy Farm. For a short time, he worked at Eastern Shore Gas.

In the mid ‘80s, he went back to being an auto mechanic and then owner of Bridge Texaco in Ocean City, which later became Bridge Shell and then finally Bridge Auto Repair.

He retired in 2007 where he spent his “Glory Days” hunting his special spot that he liked to call “Ridge Road,” processing deer, farming and canning produce at County Line Farm with owner John Hales and many of his good buddies.

He was a loving husband, dad, ”Pappy” and friend who also enjoyed fishing, NASCAR and his many pets. He was a “salt of the earth” kind of man who lived a simple life and didn’t like to see anything go to waste.

We all love and miss you dearly and look forward to seeing you in heaven one day.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are in the care of Eastern Shore Cremation and Funeral Service, 504 Franklin Ave., Berlin, Maryland 21811.

To send condolences to the family, visit easternshorecremation.com.

ROBERT J. CLEARY

Youngstown

Robert J. Cleary, 86, passed away Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

He was born Oct. 13, 1936, in Youngstown, a son of William Cleary Sr. and Ruth Landahl Cleary.

Bob obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University and he

proudly served in the United States Air Force. He had an illustrious career as a salesman with Easco Aluminum.

Bob was an active member of St. Edward Church in Youngstown. He served on the parish council and devoted many hours to volunteering at the food pantry.

Outside of work and community service, Robert enjoyed spending time pursuing activities that brought him joy. He had a passion for gardening and took great pleasure in tending to his plants and flowers. Fishing was another activity that brought Robert immense happiness, especially when he could partake in Canadian fishing trips with his brother Bill.

One destination close to Bob’s heart was Ocean City. Over the years, he became enamored with this coastal town and eventually acquired property there.

Bob is survived by his brother, Joseph Cleary, of Ridgefield, Connecticutt.; and nephew Joseph Cleary Jr., of Buffalo, N.Y.

In addition to his parents, Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Carol (Papagna) Cleary; son Michael Cleary; and brother William J. Cleary Jr.

Calling hours will be held from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at St. Edward Church, 240 Tod Lane, Youngstown, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served in the church’s Assembly Room after the service. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.

Arrangements are by HigginsReardon Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel.

$1,445.

Robert Clearly

Thomas Snyder

Floor Reel qualifies lone WMO billfish

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) Although John Ols was the man to reel in the 640.5-pound blue marlin that won a world record single fish payout in the White Marlin Open last week, he insists that catch was a team effort.

“It’s the boat, not the angler. It’s the boat and the crew and everybody else that got the boat together … without a great captain and a great mate, none of this would’ve been possible,” Ols said.

“I might have been the one on the reel, but it’s not the story. The story is the boat, and the captain and the mate,” he added.

Ols landed the fish aboard the Floor Reel on Friday to earn him and his team $6,235,436 in prize money. Ols has fished in the Open off and on since around 2005, and won in the heaviest tuna category in 2006.

But this year, Ols had a new boat and a new crew that included “one of the top mates in Ocean City,” Rob Belcher, and Capt. Dave “Big Wave” Warren.

Ols bought Floor Reel from Spencer Yachts in Wanchese, North Carolina, on March 1. It was built around 2015, according to Ols, who added it was the last boat by Wanchese custom builder Buddy Cannady, before he died.

After some refurbishing, the vessel hit the water around early June. Gregory Poole Marina, also in Wanchese, rebuilt the motors.

The boat is named for Ols’ line of work: hardwood, vinyl, ceramic and carpeted floors. He is vice president of Stonemark Flooring, located in Monrovia and Gambrills, Maryland.

Once Ols got the boat to Ocean City, he hired Belcher and secured Warren for a week from his work in Mexico. The group was joined by anglers Chet Rohrbach, Floyd Leavell, Jim Mckeever, Joseph Thurlow, Joseph Zimmer and Luke Mitchell.

For their first two fishing days, Monday and Wednesday, the crew had no releases and no catches to make the leaderboard.

“We caught a couple dolphin, but nothing to go to the scales with,” Ols said. “That was it.”

Like many other teams, Floor Reel declared lay days for Tuesday and Thursday.

On Friday, the final day of the tournament, the team had one last chance to enter a fish.

Around noon, the Floor Reel was moving south by Poor Man’s Canyon following the direction given in a report of ocean conditions.

Along the way, Warren spotted something in the water and dropped the lines back in. Around 1:15 p.m., they hooked the blue.

It had been decided Monday that if something took the line, Ols would take the chair.

“All I have to do is turn the crank over,” he said. “The captain did all the driving. He did. He drove in circles, he drove chasing it backwards, he went forwards, so the guy up on the top of it had to do all the controlling.

“If it wasn’t for him, we would never have a chance of weighing that fish,” Ols said.

Throughout the fight, the marlin never breached, Ols said. No one saw it until it was beside

the boat, which happened four or five times before the blue had been worn down enough to land.

The team gaffed the fish and dragged it through tuna doors on the stern at 3:02 p.m. It was the biggest marlin Ols had ever caught.

Floor Reel turned back to the scales at 3:15 p.m., reached the inlet by about 5:20 p.m., and eventually docked after waiting behind a long line of boats.

“I guess you could say it was great,” Ols said. “Friends and family got on the boat with everybody else and it’s emotional. It definitely is. Definitely trying to stay low key because it’s not over till it’s over. It’s an experience. The crowd was loud. They lit up.”

Conveniently, Ols, who lives in Laytonsville, Maryland, but also has a house in the Harbour Island community, had a quick trip home after leaving the 14th Street marina.

On Saturday, Ols got the call to take a polygraph test, a uniquely good sign at the White Marlin Open.

A Berlin resident was still smoking the marlin filets for Ols and the Floor Reel team as of Thurs-

Two new WMO prize records set at 50th

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) Although the 50th annual White Marlin Open went without a qualifier for its namesake species, the offshore fishing event set two tournament and world records for total and single-boat payout.

“The only glitch was there was no (qualifying) white marlin caught, but everything else was fantastic. The weather was a little bit bumpy, but overall, it worked out tremendously,” said Jim Motsko, founder and co-director of the Open.

Organizers distributed $10,509,679 to the winners, beating the previous tournament record of $9.2 million in 2021.

The record-breaking single-boat payout was $6,235,436 — more than half the total overall prize

PHOTO COURTESY WHITE MARLIN OPEN

John Ols, of Laytonsville, Maryland, caught the only qualifying billfish of the White Marlin Open aboard Floor Reel last Tuesday. The 640.5-pound fish won the team $6,235,436. Pictured is the team with the blue marlin at Harbour Island Marina, on 14th Street.

No white marlin qualify at Open

money awarded.

“That’s going to be hard to beat as a world record,” Motsko said.

The top prize went to the Floor Reel crew whose team member John Ols, of Laytonsville, Maryland, caught a 640.5-pound blue marlin.

It beat the record set last year by Jeremy Duffie, of Bethesda, who won $4.5 million for the Billfisher team, for his 77.5-pound white marlin.

Ols caught the blue on Friday. Two other billfish were brought to Harbour Island Marina on Friday, the only other possible billfish contenders brought to the scales the whole week, but neither met the minimum size qualifications.

Thomas Kuranoff caught a blue marlin on No Limit, but it was only 112 inches, falling short of the 114inch minimum length for blues. There is no minimum weight for blue marlin.

Skirt Chaser angler Chris Wisemiller brought a white marlin to the marina that met the minimum 70inch length, but the fish, at 67.5 pounds, failed to meet the 70-pound minimum.

“That’s (fishing) one thing that we can’t control, obviously. I mean, it was good to some people. Some boats did real well; other boats did not,” Motsko said.

“The fish that were here were all pretty much smaller fish, but who knows, a big one can show up any time,” he added.

Last year, the tournament introduced a new swordfish calcutta, but for the second year in a row, no angler entered a qualifying fish.

Despite the lack of billfish contenders, many were released over the five-day tournament.

On Monday, 378 boats fished, with anglers releasing 226 white marlin, and 18 blue marlin, according to the Open’s species count page.

Just 22 boats fished Tuesday, and only one white and one blue each were caught and released.

Wednesday had 383 boats out, resulting in 198 white and 14 blue marlin released.

Sixty boats went out Thursday. The day ended with five white marlin released and one blue.

On Friday, 357 boats fished and 127 white marlin were released, along with 14 blue marlin releases, according to the species count.

As for the rest of the billfish species, 10 sailfish and one spearfish were released throughout the tournament. One swordfish was boated but not taken to the scales since it didn’t meet tournament minimums, Motsko said.

Of Floor Reel’s $6.2 million payout, $1,886,800 came from the Level P heaviest white marlin winner-takeall added entry level calcutta. It cost

$20,000 to join and had 107 entered boats.

Rules state that if no qualifying white marlin are caught, this payout falls to the heaviest blue marlin.

The Level WM heaviest white marlin winner-take-all calcutta made up $1,548,600 of the team’s winnings, an entry level that cost $10,000 and had 175 boats entered.

Another $1,050,200 of Floor Reel’s cash award was from the Level E heaviest white marlin calcutta. There were 237 boats entered into Level E, and it had a $5,000 entry fee.

First place for tuna went to Brian Stewart, of Shady Side, Maryland, who brought a 265-pound bigeye to the scales Friday that he caught aboard Reel Tight. The crew earned $1,019,441 for the tuna.

Chris Mentlik, of Street, Maryland, caught a 247.5-pound bigeye tuna Wednesday on the boat Fishlik. He held first place until Stewart’s bigeye was weighed. Mentlik and his team won second place and $366,662 for the bigeye.

Game Over angler John Zimmerman, of Boyton Beach, Florida, took third for the 221.5-pound bigeye he caught Thursday. The Open awarded Game Over $169,929.

Rusty Shriver, of Leonardtown, Maryland, finished in fourth place with a 215-pound bigeye tuna that he caught on Ro Sham Bo Thursday, earning the group $1,753,478.

The money came from the new $50,000 AC heaviest white marlin winner-take-all calcutta, which had 37 boats entered. Since no white marlin qualified, and no angler who placed above Shriver had bought into the added entry level, he won the

See FOURTH Page 67

Angler fights blue marlin for seven hours, then line breaks

day morning, Ols said. Much of the meat will get donated to the food bank.

“It’s been mostly draining with a bunch of [people asking] questions or [trying to] talk. I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and really get a game plan on some of these things. You don’t ever set up and prepare to win. Not in these type of tournaments,” Ols said.

On the other side of things, angler Doug Reynolds, who was fishing on the boat Ro Sham Bo, lost what may have been a qualifying blue marlin after a seven-hour fight.

Still, his fellow Ro Sham Bo angler, Rusty Shriver, caught a 215-pound bigeye on Thursday that won the team $1,753,478.

“It helped ease the pain some,” Reynolds said of the payout.

On Friday, the Ro Sham Bo was fishing just above the Baltimore Canyon when the blue hit at 8:30 a.m. and Reynolds took the reel.

After about 45 minutes they had the fish beside the boat, but it was still “green,” or full of energy, and took another run once a mate let go of the leader.

“When you’re fighting a fish like that, you think about the money,” Reynolds said. “You know that fish can be worth a lot of money, and everybody on the boat, everybody’s pulling for you and rooting for you.”

Reynolds said that was the best

look they got of it and could tell that it was long and fat. He said it was a definite contender, but almost certainly below 1,000 pounds.

“Our fish was big. I mean, they knew it was big,” Reynolds said.

“I sat in that chair the whole time, I drank, I don’t know how many Gatorades, water, never went to the bathroom because I was just sweating. I mean, I was just sweating like crazy,” Reynolds said.

The crew saw the marlin jump several times a few hundred yards from the boat, but later on, the crew suspected the fish was dead for the last three or four hours of the fight.

“We just weren’t making any headway. We tried a bunch of different things to try to get the fish to the top,” Reynolds said.

One way this can happen is if the tail gets wrapped in the line, Reynolds said. When the marlin gets pulled backwards, it can’t breathe and dies. Although, they don’t know for sure.

The line eventually broke at the reel, which was followed by silence among the crew.

“You could hear a pin drop,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said his legs felt like JellO and he could hardly stand up from the fighting chair.

Despite the loss, Reynolds said he plans to fish in the Mid-Atlantic, fiveday fishing tournament, which starts Monday.

Continued from Page 65

PHOTO COURTESY WHITE MARLIN OPEN

Ro Sham Bo placed fourth with the 215-pound tuna that Rusty Shriver caught on Thursday, but the team won nearly $1.8 million for the fish. They were the team with the heaviest fish that entered into the new $50,000 AC anniversary calcutta, so Ro Sham Bo won the entry level’s payout. Pictured is the team and their catch at Harbour Island.

Fourth-place tuna wins $1.8 million

Continued from Page 66

money.

The heaviest wahoo was caught Tuesday by John Harris, of Boyertown, Pennsylvania, who was an angler on Shooting Star. The 57-pound fish won Shooting Star $4,700.

Captain Deadley angler Chad Jackson, of Ft. Myers, Florida, caught a wahoo weighing 55 pounds on Monday and snagged second place and $31,065.

Mathew Gessler, of Chads Ford, Pennsylvania, weighed in a 46-pound wahoo on Friday and earned his Boy’s Toy team $29,065.

First place for dolphin fish went to Andrew Spangenberger, of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, who fished on Roncito, and caught a fish weighing 50.5 pounds to win $32,065.

Timothy Goodman, of Palm Beach, Florida, reeled in a 32-pound dolphin on Friday for second place. The Open awarded his team on the Aquila, $82,520.

On Wednesday night, Will McAteer, of Kent Island, caught a 31pound dolphin aboard Maverick to place third and win $30,065.

Top three boats in the points division: Fin Planner, 17 white marlin releases, 1,190 points; Max Bet, 16 white marlin releases 1,120 points; Taylor Jean, 13 white and one blue marlin releases 1,085 points.

Top release boats: Fin Planner, 17 white marlin releases, 1,190 points; Max Bet, 16 white marlin releases 1,120 points; Trash Man, seven white and three blue marlin releases, 1,015 points.

Top three anglers: Brian Demile, Trash Man, six white and two blue marlin releases, 770 points; Bernard Linney, High Yield, 10 white marlin releases, 700 points; Dave McKendrick, Taylor Jean, seven white and one blue marlin releases, 665 points.

Eight fewer boats registered this year compared to the 49th Open, but the total payout was approximately $1.7 million more than the previous year’s total of $8.6 million.

“My family worked hard. My daughters, my grandchildren, everybody was working 12-hour days for about 10 days straight,” Motsko said.

His daughters, Sasha Motsko and Madelyne Rowan, help run the tournament.

The first White Marlin Open took place in 1974 with 57 boats registered and a guaranteed $20,000 in prize money.

“We got a lot of publicity because it was the 50th. A lot of people recognize what we’ve been doing. Sometimes people just forget about it, but we’ve been here for a long time,” Motsko said.

The 51st White Marlin Open is slotted for Aug. 5-9 next year. Motsko said planning will begin in another two-to-three weeks.

MidAtlantic tourney starts Monday

(Aug. 18, 2023) As the final weeks of summer drift by, white marlin and blue marlin typically get frisky and in a hungry mood, which bodes well as the annual MidAtlantic tournament kicks off Monday.

This year, August has a “Blue Moon” where a full moon occurs twice in the same month and the days following the first full moon on Aug. 1 saw a dramatic increase in billfish catches along the canyons.

Patches of nutrient-rich cobalt blue water brought forage species for marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin to feed on and that scenario got the juices flowing for those heading to the canyons in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Anglers and captains retuning to Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May, New Jersey, and Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland, have chat-

ted about encounters with billfish and an increase in the number of release flags flying from their riggers verifies what they are reporting.

The timing couldn’t be better as the 2023 MidAtlantic tournament is right around the corner.

The staff at Canyon Club Resort Marina and Sunset Marina have been hard at work preparing for the tournament where teams will battle it out for bragging rights and a shot at a portion of the lottery-like purse.

According to Tournament Director Aaron Hoffman, registration has been very steady.

“We’re about 30 percent ahead of where we were last year at this time,” he said, adding online registration at the tournament’s web site www.themidatlantic.com is the quickest and easiest way to secure a spot in the lineup. “Port caps are once

again set at 125 boats in Cape May and in Ocean City, so by registering online ahead of the late registration on Sunday, Aug. 20, you can be sure you’ll get your spot in the tournament.

“Additionally, you can pay your calcutta fees online as well, which cuts down on the time required when picking up your tournament packet prior to the captain’s meeting,” he added.

Hoffman also highly recommends securing transient dockage space quickly as well.

Canyon Club Resort Marina will once again be the tournament’s headquarters, and at Sunset Marina, the event’s designated satellite venue.

Nightly dockside hospitality is scheduled for both marinas and tournament participants will receive spe-

PHOTO COURTESY WHITE MARLIN OPEN

The Reel Tight team won $1,019,441 for their 265-pound first-place bigeye tuna. Angler Brian Stewart, of Shady Side, Maryland, caught the fish Friday, the final day of the white marlin open. Pictured is the team at the Harbour Island weigh-ins.

Registration higher than last year so far for MidAtlantic

Continued from Page 67

cific information in their registration packet.

The 2023 MidAtlantic gets underway on Sunday, Aug. 20 with late registration, calcutta entries and a welcome cocktail party from 1-4:30 p.m. at Canyon Club Resort Marina and Sunset Marina.

Participants select three days of five available Monday, Aug. 21 through Friday, Aug. 25 to fish for white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin.

The entry fee of $3,000 covers all dockside entertainment, dining and hospitality for the week while the total cash purse is drawn from the tournament’s 11 sanctioned calcuttas.

BOAT WATCHING

Danger of rip currents, shore breaks

By Dave Dalkiewicz Contributing Writer

(Aug. 11, 2023) As much as can be said about ocean safety it can never be too much.

We’ve covered it in previous articles/ columns but once again it’s not a case of too much. Let’s just say that too much is never enough.

Rip currents and heavy or big shore break are probably the two most significant, dangerous, noteworthy factors regarding the ocean shoreline.

Often referred to as rip tides, they are not tides, though can be more prominent as the tide goes too low. In a 24-four hour cycle there are generally two low tides and two high tides roughly six hours apart. So the “rips,” as they are often referenced, are not tides but currents.

The term “rip current” is probably the most proper. The current is one which will head out to sea and any swimmer, bather, or anyone in the water can easily get caught up in a rip.

The idea is to try and stay calm, not freak-out, and swim parallel or even diagonally to the beach. Never,

ever, try to swim against the rip current. In this manner the swimmer will tire quickly and make a bad situation worse, exacerbating a difficult situation.

A big, heavy shore break is another potentially dangerous situation and probably has much to do with head, neck, and back injuries, though there are those that would disagree with this previous statement.

Timing of the wave frequency and trying to get under the breaking wave would all be helpful in an attempt to make the shore break a less dangerous situation. In the parlance of the surfer, a duck dive would be about the same as getting under a breaking wave.

Speaking of, the rip current is actually a benefit to the surfer by helping to paddle out past the breaking wave, especially in bigger swell and surf conditions. The surfer will look for rips in an effort to make for an easier paddle out. Rip currents are not always that easy to spot but suffice to say that when they are it can make things easier.

Ironic, though, it is the surfer who can become a lifeguard in “off hours,” as in before 10 a.m. and after 5:30 p.m. Many a surfer has helped a

swimmer in distress and undoubtedly will continue to do so.

Regarding more information consulting a lifeguard, or surf rescue technician, would be a great idea. Most SRTs are eager and enthused to being helpful. It’s easy to figure that it’s part of the job, one in which the beach can be a most safe place to be.

Ocean safety can never be spoken about too much, and hopefully this has been a good example.

— Dave Dalkiewicz is the owner of Ocean Atlantic Surf Shop in Ocean City

SPORTS BRIEFS

Successful tournament

The Greater Berlin Minority Scholarship Committee presented the 17th annual Samuel S. Henry Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament at GlenRiddle Golf Course on July 20.

A full slate of golfers, with 37 hole sponsors and wonderful weather, contributed to a great tournament.

The committee thanks all the teams, hole sponsors and contributors for making this event a success.

Continued support has made it possible for Greater Berlin Minority Scholarship Committee to award eight scholarships this past school year.

These “side bets” have an additional entry fee and there’s a calcutta for every species in the tournament. Participants may enter any or none but as they say, “ya gotta be in it to win it,” and last year’s total cash purse topped $5.23 million.

Worthy of note, the entry fee for Christi On the Board Reward calcutta was increased this year to $3,000, which will increase the payouts.

This calcutta pays out each time a participant has the heaviest, second heaviest or third heaviest white marlin, blue marlin or tuna on the scoreboard at the close of each days weigh-in session.

For more information contact Hoffman at 609-884-0177 or visit www.themidatlantic.com to find facts, figures and information about The MidAtlantic complete breakdown of calcuttas, rules, points, and a tournament week schedule. Follow on social media: Facebook at The MidAtlantic Tournament; on Twitter @midatl and on Instagram @themidatlantictournament.

The committee thanks those for helping assist Stephen Decatur graduates to attend college.

First place gross with a 59 was the team of Linwood Harmon, Kenny Ethridge, Madison Harmon and Scott Schafer.

First place net was the team of Donnie Berkey, Kenton Yoder, Joe Noble and Victor Rolli with a 52.3.

Second place net went to Sammy White, Regan Haldeman, Bruce Hunter and Lee Webster with a 54.8, in a tie breaker. The team of Todd Ferrante, Bryan Taylor, Ken Lazorchak and George DelRicco finished in third with a 54.8.

HUNTER HINE/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Thousands of people flocked to the inlet beach and parking lot for Marlin Fest, a celebration that has coincided with the White Marlin Open since 2020. Pictured are attendees lined up on the inlet jetty to watch competing boats heading back to the Harbour Island Marina scales on Monday.

Total payout for Poor Girls Open at $196K

All-ladies fishing tourney again benefits American Cancer Society programs

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) On Thursday, the 29th annual Capt. Steve Harman’s Poor Girl’s Open fishing tournament kicked off with 147 registered boats and 735 lady anglers, but teams can still sign up through Saturday.

However, groups who sign up now, as the tournament has already begun, cannot join entry-level calcuttas.

“[It’s] just like you can’t bet on a game after it has started,” Shawn Harman, co-owner of Bahia Marina, which is hosting the tournament.

There is also an approximate $196,000 total payout on the table.

Teams can fish one of three days, and there are two days left to compete for cash prizes by earning catchand-release billfish for points, or weighing tuna, mahi and wahoo at Bahia Marina on 21st Street, bayside.

It costs $450 to enter a boat, which includes four anglers. Two more team members can be added for $50 each, with a maximum of six women per boat.

Bahia Marina is hosting the daily weigh-ins each day from 4-9 p.m., which are running later into the evening than last year. There, attendees can enter raffles and find official merchandise.

Calcuttas include four billfish release categories – one of which pays out winner-take-all – along with categories for each of the meat fish species. Entry prices for calcuttas range from $100-$1,000.

Junior anglers who are 16 and younger can compete in their own division.

The 28th annual Open featured 797 lady anglers fishing on 161 boats, with a total of $243,265 paid out to winners.

One of the hallmarks of the Open is its support for the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer initiatives. Last year, the tournament fundraised $105,000 for the American Cancer Society.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Aug. 20, the Ocean City convention center on 40th Street will play host to the awards banquet and luncheon. Center Plate is catering the event, which will also feature auctions, announcements of raffle winners and an awards ceremony.

Attendees can also participate in the Battle of the Bras. For this event, contestants enter a decorated bra along with a $25 entry fee. Throughout the tournament people will enter donations toward each bra, which count as votes.

Both the entry fee and donations go to the American Cancer Society. The winner will be announced at the awards banquet and will receive a $100 gift card to Fish Tales.

There is also a challenge for Best Dressed. At weigh-ins, teams will be judged on their outfits, and winners will earn a prize basket along with a Cruisin’ Tiki boat ride for six people. Winners will also be announced at the awards banquet.

The cancer society uses tournament donations for breast cancer research, services for breast cancer patients and caregivers, and program development, said Mary Bellis, senior community manager with the foundation.

Bellis helps provide ACS volunteers that support the Open.

The American Cancer Society also runs the “Pink Ribbon Classic at the Beach Series,” which includes a variety of local activities to raise aware-

ness about breast cancer and fundraise for the nonprofit.

Bellis said that while the Open is not part of the Pink Ribbon Classic, its donations benefit the Pink Ribbon Classic and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a 3-5 mile walk to raise money for breast cancer research, among other programs.

The Pink Ribbon Classic at the Beach events are all slated for October during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Activities include:

- Mah Jongg Tournament, Oct. 11. Registration at 9 a.m., play starts at 10 a.m. at Golden Sands Resort on 109th Street. Entry costs $40, and includes breakfast and lunch. There are cash prizes for the top three players. Invitations will go out at the end of August. For more information, contact Bellis at 410-726-1893, or mary.bellis@cancer.org.

- Pickleball Tournament, Oct. 13, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Manklin Meadows Racquet Sports Complex in Ocean Pines. Entry costs $40. For more information, contact Becky Gerguson at 410-446-1816, or rcoltferguson@gmail.com.

- Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Oct. 21, 8 a.m. sign in, walk begins at 9 a.m., South First Street and the Boardwalk. To register, visit www.makingstrideswalk.org/oceanci

tymd.

- Deck Da Tatas, Oct. 25, 6-10 p.m., at Buxy’s Dry Dock 28, 28th Street. For more information, call 443-365-4006.

- Pamper For Charity Raffle, Oct. 1-31. Tickets available at A Perfect Day Face Spa in West Ocean City. Since 2005, the Open and its adjoined events have raised over $1.8 million for the American Cancer Society through the Harman family. The tournament has existed since 1994, when Capt. Steve Harman, who was Shawn’s brother, and his wife Pam held the inaugural Open. Their goal was to provide women with the chance to compete for prizes and money in a ladies only tournament while also raising money for local charities.

Harman died in February 2004 and organizers renamed it in his honor that year.

For more information about the Poor Girls Open, visit https://poorgirlsopen.com/, or call Bahia Marina at 410-289-7438.

To learn more about the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345. Cancer Survivors Network available at www.cancer.org, a 24-hour-a-day cancer information center; and 1-800-2272345 for patients to access ACS services.