By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) “Passion. Passion. Passion. I have been getting it from all angles you could imagine,” Ocean Pines General Manager John Bailey said Saturday. The passion Bailey was referring to was the June culling of about 300 resident Canada geese and the subsequent protests outside board meetings, the formation of… Read more »
News
Ocean Pines voter error was lower
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) Total ballots counted were down slightly and voter error dropped significantly during the 2018 Ocean Pines election, according to preliminary numbers released by the association elections committee last week. According a draft of the 2018 committee report, 7,614 ballots were mailed and 3,119 total ballots were counted, a… Read more »
Berlin HDC approves sign, shingles, replacement shed
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) Burley Oak Brewing Company owner Bryan Brushmiller briefly previewed his new downtown shop, Viking Tree Trading Company, for the Berlin Historic District Commission last Wednesday. The commission was quick to approve new signs for the shop, which is coming soon to 114 North Main Street. Brushmiller said David… Read more »
Committee guidance suggests no operating growth
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) With plenty of time to address variables, the Ocean Pines Budget and Finance Committee on Saturday recommended no growth in the fiscal 2020 operating budget, according to Committee Chairman John Viola. Viola, on Saturday, presented the board of directors with an overview of a budget guidance document created… Read more »
Directors reach compromise on Diller outsourcing motion
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) A motion to seek “comprehensive turn-key HOA Management Services” in Ocean Pines was significantly scaled back on Saturday. Director Esther Diller, in her first official motion since being elected, said the association for decades has used “outdated and poorly integrated software that has limited functionally and a costly… Read more »
OPA again schedules mtg. on country club renovations
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) Plans to renovate the Ocean Pines Golf and Country Club have veered off course again, according to General Manager John Bailey, whose assertion prompted the board of directors to schedule a special meeting this Saturday morning. During a regular board meeting last Saturday, Bailey said the due date… Read more »
Requests for proposals to release for pier, bulkheads
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) In separate motions approved Saturday, the Ocean Pines Board of Directors cast a wide net in gathering information on two hot waterfront topics: bulkhead staging and the sanctuary crab pier. A parallel debate concerned whether board members should be involved in operational issues. On bulkheads, the board ordered… Read more »
Hazmat spill from tractor trailer in Girdletree
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) More than 600 gallons of sodium hydroxide was spilled when a tractor-trailer overturned Tuesday in Girdletree, according to Maryland State Police. Sodium hydroxide, which is more commonly known as lye and caustic soda, is corrosive to metal and can cause severe burns to the skin and eyes if… Read more »
Despite setbacks, town tattoo committee to continue
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) By opining that county laws can’t be tailored to just one community but must apply countywide, the Worcester County Commissioners have blocked the effort to allow tattoo businesses to operate Berlin. Nevertheless, the town’s Tattoo Ordinance Committee on Wednesday night vowed to keep pushing for change. The catch… Read more »
Worcester County braces for rainy, windy weekend
By Josh Davis, Associate Editor (Sept. 13, 2018) Worcester County could see several of inches of rain and some wind this weekend, but appeared to be far enough away from Hurricane Florence’s projected landfall as of midweek to be spared its more serious effects. Brendan Schaper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center, said Tuesday that… Read more »