“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked in “Romeo and Juliet” to show that what we call something doesn’t change what it is. That perspective is applicable in the case of the newly minted Worcester County Chamber of Commerce, which, for all purposes, is still the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce. It will continue serving its… Read more »
Editorial
Pay studies find what officials already knew
For many people, it often seems that no matter who conducts a government pay study, the findings will show that the pay scales aren’t what they should be. Almost as frequently, the researchers conclude that the pay plan should be restructured. Skeptics might opine that the first conclusion arises out of the research firm’s desire… Read more »
Thankfully, area has been spared in 2023
As area residents count their blessings this week, they might overlook one of the most significant reasons to be thankful that they live where they do. And, no, it is not residing near the beach, and it isn’t the low crime rate, good schools, recreational opportunities, low tax rates, access to healthcare or the population’s… Read more »
Public has role to play in fire station outcome
As has happened in many communities, Ocean Pines is experiencing friction between its volunteer fire company and the local governing authority, as it and its counterparts elsewhere grapple with rising costs versus the need to maintain an excellent level of service. Fortunately for Ocean Pines, this has been a low-volume discussion, which on the surface… Read more »
Buckingham victim of political payback?
Last week’s demonstration in support of building a new Buckingham Elementary School in Berlin brought out scores of residents and parents who obviously believe that the state’s denial of funding for the project was a political decision. There’s no reason to believe otherwise, considering the flimsy justification the Interagency Committee of School Construction used to… Read more »
Wind farm problems don’t include whales
Because people arguing against offshore wind farms have plenty of ammunition at their disposal, we should dispense with unproven contentions that just won’t go away. Among the legitimate assertions opponents have employed during hearings — as opposed to the puppet show staged in Ocean City recently — is how turbine materials will be disposed of… Read more »
Understanding EDUs and why they exist
What is an EDU, anyway? As the discussion continues over the future of Heron Park in Berlin and the parcels within it that are or could be for sale, the big snag in the process seems always to come down to who gets the EDUs attached to a specific piece of land. The general public… Read more »
Cardamone clears air on OP police shakeup
Lt. Brian Cardamone, chief of staff at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, has had his say, and that is the end of it. No amount of story-bending or tale-twisting regarding last December’s burglary of an Ocean Pines Police Department storage shed and the aftermath of that event will change the facts as he laid them… Read more »
Volunteer fire services in trouble everywhere
Years ago, volunteer fire companies enjoyed a special status in small communities, where prospective volunteers weren’t so much recruited as they were coordinated, as applicants sometimes had to wait until openings in the ranks became available. As for funding, that was easier too back then because these volunteers were the friends and neighbors of the… Read more »
Pragmatic govt. now on endangered list
National politics isn’t our bailiwick, but here we are, risking a brickbat or two at a time when political strategy too often involves vilifying and defaming opponents instead of debating opposing points of view without coming to blows. Nothing illustrates that more than Tuesday’s vote in the House of Representatives to evict Kevin McCarthy from… Read more »