The Ocean Pines Association election forum last Wednesday was an interesting exercise in … filling up the allotted time and letting the public see who was running. Beyond that, it offered no new revelations, few, if any, bold visions and no detailed plans for solving whatever problems were identified. That’s hardly the fault of the… Read more »
Editorial
Better background checks
In the aftermath of the Charleston, S.C. church massacre, the public’s focus has turned to the appropriateness of flying the Confederate battle flag at government institutions, rather than on the greater problem of how a deranged black-hating person like Dylaan Roof got a gun in the first place. Hauling down that flag at South Carolina’s… Read more »
To grow or not to grow: Berlin facing big decision
It’s far too early in the conversation about the possible development of the Bay Club outside Berlin for anyone to take a definitive position, other than to express a willingness to listen. The prospect of a project that would entail the construction of 300 or so luxury homes and, perhaps, the town’s annexation of that… Read more »
Sandpiper metaphor for larger things in Pines
The question of whether the Ocean Pines Association should attempt to re-open contract discussions with natural gas supplier Sandpiper Energy is easy to answer: The OPA has nothing to lose by trying. That is the direction the OPA’s board of directors appeared to be heading as of mid-week, with a closed meeting set for Wednesday… Read more »
OP directors right to want ‘just the facts’ in decision
No matter how simple it might seem for the Board of Directors to establish a policy regarding community groups’ use of Ocean Pines Association facilities, the reality is that deciding who pays what is an exercise fraught with danger. Okay, maybe not real danger, but it is still an uncomfortable and awkward business of deciding… Read more »
Memorial becomes more than anyone could foresee
Ten years ago, it was a nice gesture and a source of pride. After all, proponents and boosters had worked hard, raised some money and saw to the installation of a nice park area near the South Gate in Ocean Pines. Now, the Worcester County Veterans Memorial is something else entirely. Since that comparatively inauspicious… Read more »
Little spending to get stadium info worth it
There’s something about the public funding of arenas, stadiums and other significant venues that seems just plain wrong, considering that private enterprise is often among the principle beneficiaries of these facilities. It is, in some cases, no different than erecting a building for any commercial operation and justifying it by saying the business it generates… Read more »
Police called to help elsewhere sad situation
It’s a sad state of affairs indeed when local law enforcement agencies are called on to help quell violence in any jurisdiction other than their own, and it’s even more unsettling when they are needed in a metropolitan area. This isn’t to suggest that our police aren’t capable of doing the job if called upon…. Read more »
Money, emotion battle science in zoning dispute
Zoning fights such as the one taking place in Berlin between the developers of a would-be Dollar General on Old Ocean City Boulevard and the town’s Planning Commission, almost always end badly for one party or the other. Although that would seem to be stating the obvious, the issue in such cases is not just… Read more »
Questions remain on ARC
The firestorm over an Ocean Pines resident’s application to operate a gun sales business out of his home is now over as the county application for a zoning variance was withdrawn last week. While guns in homes are an emotional trigger for some, the real issue here was whether county and OPA regulations for home-based… Read more »