The recent announcement that the Maryland Board of Public Works has designated Worcester County one of three fund managers to oversee distribution of casino monies set aside to provide loans to small, minority and woman-owned businesses, is great news for small businesses locally that have had trouble getting traditional loans to expand or modernize in… Read more »

The story on Page 1 this week concerning who did or did not do what at the scene of a Dec. 26 accident at routes 818 and 50 comes after a week of sorting through rumors, speculation and conjecture in search of facts. Although what was written was documented and double-checked, facts are at a… Read more »

The innumerable amount of people walking through the streets of downtown Berlin this season gives a hint at how profitable the area has become for businesses. As Berlin grows, so does the area around it, and thus the search for the next center of prosperity in town begins. When talks began to institute a major… Read more »

At this week’s Berlin Town Council meeting there was an amount of ire, some of it deserved, directed at Gee Williams for his decision to ignore calls to force the Atlantic Hotel ownership to tear out the windows installed without the permission of the historic district commission. The question isn’t whether Williams overstepped his bounds,… Read more »

Although the reason is suspect, it’s a good thing the OPA board of directors caved to the pressure of budget meeting attendees by deciding to re-think the $45 assessment increase. However, rather than focus too intently on reducing the operating costs the directors should consider cutting the contribution to reserves. While the operational increase is… Read more »

The Town of Berlin met late Wednesday to consider a proposal by the Chamber of Commerce to help obtain a permanent home for itself and the town’s Visitor Center. The Chamber has an opportunity to relocate their offices to 14 S. Main Street with the assistance of a $125,000 Community Legacy Grant and $150,000 grant… Read more »

Working in partnership with the Main Street Maryland Program, the Berlin Chamber of Commerce has put together an outstanding, innovative schedule for the coming year. By adding events, and considering adding even more and by re-tooling other events to make them more visible and practical, the town is all set to take advantage of the… Read more »

Berlin Mayor Gee Williams’ success has been his ability to bring business acumen to the office. But this same administrative skill could turn into a liability for two important reasons. First, in the private sector it is the business owner who pays for errors in judgment. When an elected official does so, no matter how… Read more »

Upcoming votes by the Berlin Town Council and Worcester County Commissioners will decide whether the area opts out of regulations requiring sprinklers in newly-built single family homes. Those for the measure argue this may help save lives and make fighting fires safer, something that everyone can certainly get behind.  Unfortunately, this is another unnecessary regulation… Read more »

Today is a day we honor the service and courage of our surviving veterans and we also choose to honor their service by taking time out to recognize the service and loss of their deceased comrades. As the holiday season approaches the membership of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation are making a larger push… Read more »