With the state’s reassessment of property values in the Ocean City tax area this year, the public will get to see just how business-friendly the Worcester County Commissioners are. The stunning spike in valuations — a 47.7 percent increase for residential properties and 32.5 percent for commercial real estate — offers mouth-watering financial possibilities for… Read more »
Editorial
Letter to the Editor
The following is a letter that Ocean City resident Vince Gisriel recently sent to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore regarding a proposed sports complex in Worcester County. The letter references another letter Gisriel sent to members of the Ocean City Sports Complex Task Force opposing the project. Dear Governor Moore, Enclosed you will find a… Read more »
12/21/2023 Editorial
Letter from the Editor
Just so there’s no misunderstanding … When it comes to social media, it is one aspect of our current technology that I have never used and don’t want to use, since I blame it for many of the ills of society. It is, in my view, more of an anti-social media because it allows cowardly… Read more »
Call it what you want, it’s still OP’s chamber
“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 »
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 »