Editor,
I want to thank the four young gentlemen who came to my rescue on Ocean Pines Parkway, Wednesday, July 20. I had taken too sharp a turn into my friend’s driveway and ended in her ditch.
These young men, each in their separate cars, saw me, pulled over, asked if I was alright and then set to work ingeniously freeing my car.
I am sorry to say that at the time I was still too shaken to get their names and thank them properly. Therefore, I hope that they see this letter and know that I am very grateful for the help given to me by these four good Samaritans.
God bless you and a very sincere thank you.
Patricia Kratz
Ocean Pines
Germantown School thanks supporters
Editor,
On behalf of the Germantown School Community Heritage Center, we extend our gratitude to the Town of Berlin for sponsoring the ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 22, for our new sign purchased through a mini-grant from the Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council.
On Sunday, July 24, our second Annual Gospel Dinner Cabaret was held. The event was a raging success due to the work of the committee and our supporters.
We would like to thank everyone who purchased a ticket, those who traveled a distance, those who prepared the meal, and a special thanks to Ashley Foreman, Chris Waters, Sr., and Chris Waters, Jr., who entertained us with their melodious voices that lifted us to celestial heights. It was an afternoon enjoyed by all.
Barbara Purnell,
GSCHC President
Youth Fishing Contest successful
Editor,
Despite the hot weather, the Ocean Pines Anglers Club held another successful Kid’s Fishing Contest event on July 23 at the South Gate pond, with 88 boys and girls participating.
Lee Phillips again did a fantastic job of organizing and running the event, supported by a large group of club volunteers. It seemed that all involved – both workers and participants – had a very good time on a warm sunny day.
Our club offers thanks to all the sponsors who helped make this event do so well, including the Ocean City-Berlin Optimist Club and the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association for proving financial support for this event; the Maryland Natural Resources Police who provided all sorts of handouts and helpful information booklets for the kids; McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Fenwick Tackle for gift coupons and discounts; the Ocean Pines Fire Department for standby support and, finally, the Ocean Pines Association for their outstanding support. Thanks to these fine organizations!
Walt Boge, Administrator
Clinton’s record indefensible
Editor,
If I supported a candidate like Hillary Clinton, I too would not talk about her or her record (neither does she . . . she hasn’t held a press conference this year), I would simply demonize Clinton’s opponent – as did a recent letter to the editor – and make baseless comparisons to Stalin and Hitler and toss out scary words like “demagogue,” “vindictive,” “loose cannon.”
Ironically, said letter is titled “Be Mindful of History.” Great idea, how ‘bout we talk about the history of Hillary being the enabler for Bill’s sexual exploits, some of them forcible by all accounts. How ‘bout we talk about the history of Hillary’s beginnings as a radical left-wing lawyer and disciple of Saul Alinsky (“Rules for Revolution”) whose book provides a recipe for the radical/socialist takeover of our government and country. How ‘bout we talk about the history of the Hillary led disasters in Libya and Syria, which led to the formation of ISIS. How ‘bout we talk about the history of the Hillary disgrace of Benghazi, where heroic Americans died because of the inaction of her State Department.
And how ‘bout we talk about how she lied to the faces of the parents of the Benghazi heroes as she stood with them at the coffins of their fallen sons, blaming the attack on a video, an intentional lie which she continued telling to the American people for weeks. No we don’t have to call her names and compare her to Hitler, we have the facts.
So unlike the name calling letter-writer, I’ll continue by presenting some facts that are telling as to her basic honesty and integrity, responses of the FBI Director’s (Comey) during testimony at a Congressional committee regard the Clinton email scandal (from the transcript of the hearing).
GOWDY: Good morning, Director Comey. Secretary Clinton said she never sent or received any classified information over her private e-mail, was that true?
COMEY: Our investigation found that there was classified information sent.
GOWDY: So it was not true?COMEY: Right, that’s what I said.
GOWDY: . . . Secretary Clinton said there was nothing marked classified on her emails either sent or received. Was that true?
COMEY: That’s not true. There were a small number of portion markings on, I think, three of the documents.
GOWDY: Secretary Clinton said I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material. Was that true?
COMEY: No, there was classified material emailed.
GOWDY: Secretary Clinton said she used just one device. Was that true?
COMEY: She used multiple devices during the four years of her term as secretary of State.
GOWDY: Secretary Clinton said all work related emails were returned to the State Department. Was that true?
COMEY: No. We found work related emails, thousands, that were not returned.
GOWDY: Secretary Clinton said neither she nor anyone else deleted work related emails from her personal account. Was that true?
COMEY:…There’s no doubt that there work related emails that were removed electronically from the email system.
GOWDY: Secretary Clinton said her lawyers read every one of the emails and were overly inclusive. Did her lawyers read the email content individually?
COMEY: No.
And to add insult to injury this is what the she said to news anchor Chris Wallace regarding Comey’s statements: “Director Comey said my answers were truthful, and what I’ve said is consistent with what I have told the American people, that there were decisions discussed and made to classify retroactively certain of the emails.” Not only does she not deserve to be president, she deserves to be prosecuted by the next president.
Steve Lind, Ocean Pines
Successful year at Kiwanis Club
Editor,
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines – Ocean City is fast approaching the end of the program year as of September 2016. Members accomplished another successful year.
The new year begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2017, and the club will gear up to make it another successful year, but not without the community support, for which the Kiwanis Club says, thank you.
Right now the club is involved in the Boardwalk car raffle, selling chances daily for a new 2016 "race red" Mustang convertible until the last day of Sunfest on Sept. 25. It is obviously a lot of work, but it is important. The club has been sending scholarship checks to colleges for the 17 local young people whom it is assisting this year. The total awards will be $15,000.
It is gratifying to read some of the letters of thanks from the kids and their parents. The club is making a difference with these students. The club also makes a difference with younger children as well. This current year, the club has provided $14,000 to youth activities in our area. This includes six clubs that it sponsors in local elementary, intermediate and high schools.
The Kiwanis Club provides support to the local programs and organizations such as the 4Steps Therapeutic Riding Program, Cedar Chapel School, CASA, Worcester GOLD Infants Pantry and their Christmas program, and back to school supplies for children. It sponsors Cub Scout Pack 480 and a young girls basketball team through Ocean City Parks and Recreation. Contributions are made to the Worcester County Beachbots Robotics Club, the Little Library for children in Berlin, an MSO program for young people in music, and OPA camp scholarships.
Perhaps more important than money, the club donated hundreds of volunteer hours to school art fairs, science fairs, It’s Academic, direct assistance to sponsored school Kiwanis youth service clubs, and our sponsored Cub Scouts. The local Kiwanis Club has also played a supporting role in your community, contributing $1,450 to community support organizations: the OPVFD, the OPA Concerts in the Park and Diakonia, plus hundreds of volunteer hours toward nursing home bingo, dolls for patients, blood drives, our house address signs and others.
So, how does all of this get done? Through member volunteer hours and hard work on fundraisers. All of this is paid for by continuous work on annual pancake breakfasts, the Italian dinner, the "Dawg Team" hot dog and food sales, the wine tasting event, the Boardwalk raffle, the Ducky Derby and weekly donations through Priority One. Of course, it’s not all just hard work – there is the satisfaction of working together to get these results, the weekly meetings, and occasional social events.
So, here comes 2016-2017. The club and community needs members volunteering again – not only members, but also friends and neighbors to participate with and hopefully as members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines – Ocean City. As always, it’s a necessity to get new members to join with Kiwanis team to continue these services for the 2016-2017-program year.
The club appreciatively thanks the community for its continuing support of the events, making it possible to accomplish all that gets done. Please see the club’s website at www.kiwanisofopoc.org and follow them on Facebook at Kiwanis Club of Ocean Pines/Ocean City where you can see all the events and accomplishments and even how to become a member of the club.
Marcus Page, Treasurer
Setting GM contract record straight
Editor,
I’m writing in response to Mike Graves’ letter to the Editor in the August 14th edition of the Gazette. Mr. Graves states that in 2014 the Ocean Pines board “voted to give the general manager a $35,000 a year raise.” This is simply not true and I can’t imagine where Mr. Graves got that figure. The Board in 2014 increased the General Manager’s salary from $150,000 to $165,000, an increase of $15,000, not $35,000.
That 10 percent increase contrasted with no increase the previous year. In fact, in 2011, following his first year as general manager, Bob Thompson’s salary was set at $140,000 to approximate that of his predecessor. A year later, it was increased 7 percent to $150,000, where it remained until the 2014 Board action to increase it by $15,000. The current salary remains at $165,000. So, over a five-year period, the GM’s salary has increased $25,000 (18 percent – an average of 3.6 percent).
Mr. Graves also states: “I am not against the amenities in Ocean Pines – I am against them losing money every year.” Apparently Mr. Graves is unaware that the amenities have made money, not lost money, in each of the last two years. In FY 2015, the aggregate operating profit of the amenities was $177,059. In FY 2016, which ended April 30, the aggregate operating profit was $498,559, representing a $321,500, or 282 percent, increase over the previous year. These figures are widely available on the OPA website and in multiple community newspapers.
Certainly anyone is entitled to their opinions and, in Ocean Pines there are those, like Mr. Graves, who freely share them. That’s fine and to be encouraged. But, far too often those opinions are accompanied by misleading and outright erroneous information.
Unfortunately, too many people in our community accept this information at face value.
Pete Gomsak, Ocean Pines