BERLIN–It’s time to get down to business.
The Town of Berlin is just percentage points ahead of second place Cazenovia, N.Y. as it heads into the final days of Budget Travel Magazine’s “America’s Coolest Small Town of 2014” contest.
Voters can go to www.coolberlin.org to cast votes. Voters can cast one vote each day until the contest ends midnight Feb. 25. Voters must make sure that they aren’t voting from the same IP address as other voters. Only one vote per day from the same IP address is allowed. For example, if more than one vote comes from a company address, only one will be tallied.
The contest recognizes one town with a population of less than 10,000 residents. “They aren’t just looking for any town,” a town statement read. “They want a town that has a certain something that just can’t be found anywhere else. That certain something captures the essence of Berlin, home to quirky events, namely the annual Bathtub Races, its close proximity to Ocean City and Assateague Island National Seashore, its historic beauty, its Hollywood appeal, as the location for Runaway Bride and Tuck Everlasting, and of course its friendly residents.
But Cazenovia, though with about half as many residents, is a college town located not far from Syracuse. Based on recent numbers, it appears as if the town is going after this with the same commitment shown by Berlin.
The word about Berlin is getting around the state. Mayor Gee Williams told Bayside Gazette after Monday’s council meeting that Gov. Martin O’Malley made mention of Berlin’s “cool status” at a recent Maryland Mayors Conference. Williams was all smiles when he recounted how mayors from towns across the state wished him well in the contest.
“It made you feel good,” he said.
Michael Day, the town’s Director of Economic and Community Development, said that at the end of the preliminary voting, Berlin was holding onto third place. But when the voting reopened in mid-January, the town took the lead.
A win would bring “bragging rights and tons of publicity, which we’ve already gotten,” said Day. “I think it’s already a win for us.”
Day added that Berlin and the contest are picking up speed from media on the western shore. “The governor has Tweeted about us.”
“We’re the only town in Maryland in this,” he added. “We’re hoping it’s also reaching regionally into Delaware. It’s only going to help everyone on the shore.”
Day said that Mark Huey, the social media coordinator for the county’s tourism department, has been working “around the clock” to reach out to every social media friend locally, statewide and to national friends who either grew up in the area, drop in once a year with their skateboards or act out movie scenes on the Boardwalk to ask them to help the word get out to vote Berlin.”
The Town of Berlin is just percentage points ahead of second place Cazenovia, N.Y. as it heads into the final days of Budget Travel Magazine’s “America’s Coolest Small Town of 2014” contest.
Voters can go to www.coolberlin.org to cast votes. Voters can cast one vote each day until the contest ends midnight Feb. 25. Voters must make sure that they aren’t voting from the same IP address as other voters. Only one vote per day from the same IP address is allowed. For example, if more than one vote comes from a company address, only one will be tallied.
The contest recognizes one town with a population of less than 10,000 residents. “They aren’t just looking for any town,” a town statement read. “They want a town that has a certain something that just can’t be found anywhere else. That certain something captures the essence of Berlin, home to quirky events, namely the annual Bathtub Races, its close proximity to Ocean City and Assateague Island National Seashore, its historic beauty, its Hollywood appeal, as the location for Runaway Bride and Tuck Everlasting, and of course its friendly residents.
But Cazenovia, though with about half as many residents, is a college town located not far from Syracuse. Based on recent numbers, it appears as if the town is going after this with the same commitment shown by Berlin.
The word about Berlin is getting around the state. Mayor Gee Williams told Bayside Gazette after Monday’s council meeting that Gov. Martin O’Malley made mention of Berlin’s “cool status” at a recent Maryland Mayors Conference. Williams was all smiles when he recounted how mayors from towns across the state wished him well in the contest.
“It made you feel good,” he said.
Michael Day, the town’s Director of Economic and Community Development, said that at the end of the preliminary voting, Berlin was holding onto third place. But when the voting reopened in mid-January, the town took the lead.
A win would bring “bragging rights and tons of publicity, which we’ve already gotten,” said Day. “I think it’s already a win for us.”
Day added that Berlin and the contest are picking up speed from media on the western shore. “The governor has Tweeted about us.”
“We’re the only town in Maryland in this,” he added. “We’re hoping it’s also reaching regionally into Delaware. It’s only going to help everyone on the shore.”
Day said that Mark Huey, the social media coordinator for the county’s tourism department, has been working “around the clock” to reach out to every social media friend locally, statewide and to national friends who either grew up in the area, drop in once a year with their skateboards or act out movie scenes on the Boardwalk to ask them to help the word get out to vote Berlin.”