Figuring out who’s to blame for the failure to keep up with the maintenance of some of Ocean Pines amenities is easy: the responsible parties are — everyone. Rather than a culture of indifference, as Director Frank Daly asserted last week, it was the culture of disagreement on boards of directors that resulted in more… Read more »
Editorial
Gazette Editorial: County tattoo regs are out of step, outdated
One of these days, or years, the Worcester County Commissioners will rewrite their county’s tattoo regulations, which are more out of step with the times than a Lawrence Welk Remembrance Concert during Bike Week. Moreover, Ocean City government will be fine with that, once the average age of its elected officials drops below the half-century… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: Study misses the point on county crime stats
Maryland’s Department of Legislative Services is pretty good with numbers, but in one particular instance, its numbers don’t add up. That’s the case with its study that assigned Worcester County the third highest crime rate per capita in the state, because it simply isn’t so. The error of its study’s conclusion is that “per capita”… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: Rightful place in history granted to Briddletown
What’s in a name? Some pronounce it Briddle, while others favor Brid-dell´, but no matter how a name might be said, its significance lies in what it is and what it represents. For Briddletown, which was officially recognized this week by Worcester County, this neighborhood that encompasses part of Berlin and beyond is as much… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: Maybe time has come for special fire districts
The continuing conflict between volunteer fire companies and local governments is not unlike an inextinguishable coal-seam fire — they smolder below the surface for years before the general pop- ulation becomes aware of it. In both cases, friction can be the cause, as, in the case of these sub-surface coal fires, subterranean rocks grind back… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: Congratulations to OPA election winners
Once more, with (moderate) gusto, as musical conductors are apt to say to their orchestras as their members prepare for another rendition of a previously played symphony. Obviously, the word “moderate” is out of place in this context, but as the new Ocean Pines Board of Directors prepares for this year’s performance, it is appropriate…. Read more »
Gazette Editorial: They can get rough, but town halls are great idea
It can be an uncomfortable business when public officials convene for the sole purpose of hearing from the public, as it’s almost guaranteed that someone in the audience will go into attack mode. Further, that aggressiveness generally is the product of uninformed opinions, the lack of complete information or simply eye-poking for political purposes. Yet,… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: Wild and wonderful Berlin
Something must be in the water in Berlin, although it’s almost certain that town water department would have a handle on that, but almost nowhere do the employees of any business, any government, or any other type of operation voluntarily go before their bosses each year and publicly thank them for their jobs. Neither do… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: OPA too hospitable for Canada geese to resist
The Ocean Pines goose flap that has taken flight since association authorities had the resident flock of 290 Canada geese removed and, presumably, destroyed, reflects the national debate over how to respond to the surge in nonmigratory waterfowl in populated areas. In the past 20 years, according to a University of Nebraska study, the number… Read more »
Gazette Editorial: Our endorsements for the Ocean Pines Board
Property owners in Ocean Pines will soon find ballots in their mailboxes for four seats on the board of directors. Two of those seats will be for a three-year term and the other two will serve the one year left on the terms of members who resigned. This election cycle, property owners would be well… Read more »