OCEAN PINES — Although we often think of it as a passive idea, “ambience” is an active one. It suggests how our surroundings make us feel and deepens our general experience. Ambience is the “it” that is a kind of Holy Grail for restaurateurs. In an age where the dining public is better educated and… Read more »

BERLIN — There are a thousand schools of painting and Shirley Eppard subscribes to every one. Well, almost every one. Over the last four decades, Eppard has taken just about every class she could and as a result has become a student of technique. Some painters, she said, aren’t particularly interested in the technique, focusing… Read more »

 OCEAN PINES — Ray Unger’s neighbors don’t really even bat an eye anymore when they see one of his planes taxiing along in front of their homes. The remote control (RC) airplane enthusiast has been using the street as a practice runway for his scale model bombers and jets for years and the sessions have… Read more »

 BERLIN — One of the great Christmas myths is that traditions have to be inherited. At first, the term tradition seems to demand that whatever the holiday practice happens to be it must have always been. This, of course, cannot be true. Traditions are inaugurated by families, individuals and cultures all the time. In the… Read more »

OCEAN PINES — The country music coming from the Community Center gym on any given Monday and Wednesday morning doesn’t sound, upon first listen, like workout music. It lacks the driving beat that tends to mark official exercise.  And, strictly speaking, exercise is a secondary aim for the Ocean Liners, the line-dancing club that occupies… Read more »

BERLIN — Setting cliches aside as much as possible, the common link between art and life is choice. Success is learning from the affects of the choices, how what a person planned relates to what actually happened and, in the very best cases, how they can improve both their choices and outcomes as they get… Read more »

By Tony Russo Staff Writer BERLIN — There has been kind of an inside joke, of which artist Patrick Henry is as much a part as the subject of, regarding the color red. As the story goes, he had to break out a deep, vibrant red for a reproduction he painted a few years ago… Read more »

BERLIN — Lit votive candles in hand, more than 100 people gathered at the Berlin Farmers Market parking lot Friday to participate in the group’s annual candlelight ceremony and walk. Some of those participating in the vigil had survived breast cancer and some were the friends and family members of survivors, but many were walking… Read more »

 OCEAN CITY — More challenging economic times call for more creative solutions and business owners are looking for new ways to expand and grow their businesses beyond the expected.  Angela Reynolds, of Fager’s hotel group, has been working on partnerships with other local business to provide unique experiences for travelers seeking experiences outside of the… Read more »

 BERLIN — Over the last several years, one of the most reliable things about Berlin has been its ability to manufacture small events and give them the room to grow into large ones. It is an approach that has worked almost consistently and one the town hopes to continue with the inauguration of Octoberfest this… Read more »