(May 19, 2016) A record 12 candidates will compete for three seats on the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors this year. Last week, the Gazette reported as many as a dozen had filed the paperwork to run for the OPA board. On May 12, the association confirmed all 12 had been certified. Surprisingly, almost… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) George Simon Jr. he has “seen it all” during his decades-long career in construction, and he’s hoping to bring that expertise to the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors in August. “I’ve been in construction and construction sales pretty much my whole life,” he said. “The main thing I can bring to… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) The Ocean Pines Association Elections Committee has its hands full with the largest pool of board of director candidates in community history. A day after the filing deadline, and when news leaked out that a dozen homeowners had done so, the committee went to work on the logistics of putting together election… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) To mirror what is charged in Pocomoke City, the Snow Hill Town Council voted to increase the amusement tax from two percent to five percent during last week’s council meeting. Despite not being a huge moneymaker for the town, certain proposals — including an excursion train linking Snow Hill with Berlin that… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) Balancing the need for free and open elections with an expense estimated to be between $6,000-$7,000 in advertising and equipment fees, the Snow Hill Council voted last week to amend the charter to revise the time a person has to mount a write-in candidacy. Mayor Charlie Dorman said the town’s code had… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) Plans for the Berlin Library are proceeding, with the Worcester County Library Foundation estimating site plan work is about 95 percent finished.   That’s according to foundation board member Ron Casio, who showed the latest schematics to the Berlin Planning Commission last week. Developed by architect Jeff Schoellkopf, the two-story 11,400- square-foot… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) Although OPA General Manager Bob Thompson recently signed a three-year contract extention, the August board of directors election could affect the length of his tenure. According to Director Tom Herrick, the new agreement includes a clause for reevaluation by the newly elected board. That language is as follows: “The contract is agreed… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) The Berlin Planning Commission took the long way around, but it did unanimously grant conditional site plan approval for a new Habitat for Humanity of Worcester County project last Wednesday at Town Hall. Habitat’s latest local endeavor, on 21 Jefferson Street next to Berlin Coffee House in the downtown area, would put… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino will hold his next Town Meeting on Saturday, May 21, at 10 a.m. at the Ocean Pines branch library.   Commissioner Bertino will provide information on issues and developments occurring within the district and the county as well as answer questions with Commissioner President Jim Bunting. Jonathan… Read more »

(May 19, 2016) Without acknowledging his past, Taylor Morrison, 24, said he couldn’t pave the path to his future. “There are some not so pretty parts, but each piece happens for a reason. If not for the bad times, I couldn’t have this now — that took me a while to understand,” he said. “You… Read more »