(Dec. 31, 2015) Seven candidates ran for two vacant seats on the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors this year with, typical to the community, no shortage of fireworks and controversy.
The first seat opened up in April, when the Gazette reported that 67-year-old Sharyn O’Hare would not seek a second term.
At least partially responsible for her decision, she said, was an increasingly confrontational board of directors.
“Everything changed after [the 2014] election,” she said, adding that it was difficult to watch fellow female director Terri Mohr lose her re-election bid.
“[Women are] not an in-your-face type,” she said. “I think women tend to solve problems. We don’t have to man up and beat on our chest. We don’t do that. The anger expressed by a couple board members is unacceptable. When I ran, I honestly felt it was an honor and a privilege to run for the board. I really did, and I still do. What I don’t understand is the animosity of current board members.”
O’Hare said she hoped to focus her life after politics on the more positive aspects of the community, including the Worcester County Veteran’s Memorial.
Two months prior, in February, board member Marty Clarke walked out of a budget meeting in frustration and hinted he would also not run for re-election.
Clarke suggested a number of changes to the fiscal year 2016 budget before the meeting, including eliminating the so-called “five-year” plan.
“If the board passes a budget with the five-funding-year plan in it or some other $130 a person charge and calls it something else – if that passes I am not going to run for reelection, and I may or may not finish my term,” Clarke said at the time.
In a May 7 issue of the Gazette, Clarke, also 67, confirmed he would indeed not run again.
“I gave my word to the new, so-called ‘majority’ if they voted for the budget, I’m not running for re-election, and I wanted to run for re-election,” Clarke said.
The two-time director did not, however, rule out the possibility of running again in the future, and encouraged other association members to run, regardless of whether they live in the community full time.
The seven new candidates – three former directors, one former candidate and three new faces – were announced on May 11. They included former directors Ray Unger, Terri Mohr and Bill Zawacki, as well as Slobodan Trendic, who also ran the previous year, but dropped out early, citing personal issues.
Former police officer Thomas Herrick, Delmarva Chorus director Carol Ludwig and attorney Cheryl Jacobs had not previously sought office in the community.
On July 11, Mohr won the candidate draw, meaning her name would be placed first on the ballots and she would speak first during forums.
Things then took a strange turn when Trendic was charged with numerous traffic offenses stemming from an incident that occurred on June 20 in Ocean Pines.
Trendic was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Other charges included leaving the scene of a property damage accident, negligent driving, and violation of a license restriction related to corrective lenses.
At the time, Trendic told the Gazette he had hired a lawyer, who advised him not to speak about the case, and said he had no intention of dropping out of the board race.
“I will let people judge for themselves, and when the truth comes out they can make their own decision,” he said. “I’m entrusting the legal system.”
Four days later, Trendic participated with the other six candidates in a political forum at the community center.
The Gazette published an additional story on the incident after obtaining the police report. The crash apparently took place at 82 Windjammer Road at the home of Lanny and Kay Hickman. Allegedly, $11,000 in damage was done to Hickman’s vehicle, a Ford SUV.
Pfc. James Minton authored the report, and said a trail of leaking fluid from Trendic’s vehicle led him from the site of the crash to Trendic’s home. Minton added that he “smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from [Trendic’s] breath and person.”
In a phone interview, Trendic blamed the incident on high blood pressure and Crohn’s disease. He remained in the race.
On July 30 the community got one final look at O’Hare and Clarke as board members, and their perpetually-adverse relationship did not disappoint. Less than five minutes into the meeting, O’Hare asked Clarke to clarify his comments during a June 25 board meeting in which she was absent.
According to the minutes, Clarke, addressing a CPI violation on Tail of the Fox Drive, said, “Sharyn must have forgotten it’s illegal to offer a house for sale without a written listing.”
“Marty, did you in fact make that statement?” O’Hare asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
O’Hare, obviously not amused, said General Manager Bob Thompson “made it very clear” the property was not for sale.
“You are accusing me of doing something illegal,” she said. “This is my professional career, Marty.”
“I stand by the statement,” Clarke said.
“You are wrong,” O’Hare said.
“Okay, sue me,” Clarke said.
Two hours later, at the conclusion of the meeting, O’Hare thanked the board, general manager and the staff for what she called, “a very interesting three years.”
“I’m glad to have the opportunity,” she said.
Prompted by several board members to mark the occasion of his own retirement, Clarke simply said “ditto.”
On Aug. 8, Tom Herrick and Cheryl Jacobs were announced as the top vote-getters, and both were elected to three-year terms on the OPA Board of Directors. Herrick received 1,669 votes to finish first in the pool of seven candidates, while Jacobs finished second with 1,480 votes.
“I feel great,” Herrick said after the results were announced during the association’s annual meeting. “I tried my best. I hoped my platform resonated with the people and I think it did.”
Jacobs said she was “overwhelmed.”
“I’m so appreciative of the help I got and I’m going to work so hard to make this an even better community than it is already,” she said.
Trendic finished third with 1,195 votes, followed by Mohr (873), Ludwig (651), Zawacki (620) and Unger (219).
On Aug. 17, Jacobs was elected the new vice president of the board, and Herrick was named secretary.
Pat Renaud won the presidency in a 4-3 vote, although the decision was not without its share of controversy.
Dave Stevens accused Renaud and other directors of potentially violating community bylaws, by attempting to hold a meeting to discuss the election of officers without inviting the entire board. The meeting fell through, but the intention was still vigorously questioned.
“I feel anything I did was within the bylaws as I understood them,” Renaud said. “I’m looking forward to a good, positive year when we’re all going to try to work together, and I will work very hard to try to make sure that happens.”
During a special meeting to elect new officers, attorney Joe Moore advised the directors that the meeting would not have violated bylaws because two of the new board members had not been officially sworn in. On the following day, Moore backtracked in a memo sent to the directors and said he regretted any controversy caused by his prior advice.
“It is appropriate, in my judgment, for me to express my regret to the board members collectively, for my inadvertent responsibility in causing the controversy which, was unfortunate and one for which I will accept responsibility,” he wrote.
On Sept. 3, the Gazette reported that Trendic was found guilty of DWI during a trial at the Worcester County District Court in Snow Hill, held on Aug. 26.
The court merged two charges – driving while impaired by alcohol and negligent driving of a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life and person – and ordered Trendic to pay a $400 fine and court costs.
Hickman hinted that an additional lawsuit was “certainly possible,” although no further action has been filed to date.
The first seat opened up in April, when the Gazette reported that 67-year-old Sharyn O’Hare would not seek a second term.
At least partially responsible for her decision, she said, was an increasingly confrontational board of directors.
“Everything changed after [the 2014] election,” she said, adding that it was difficult to watch fellow female director Terri Mohr lose her re-election bid.
“[Women are] not an in-your-face type,” she said. “I think women tend to solve problems. We don’t have to man up and beat on our chest. We don’t do that. The anger expressed by a couple board members is unacceptable. When I ran, I honestly felt it was an honor and a privilege to run for the board. I really did, and I still do. What I don’t understand is the animosity of current board members.”
O’Hare said she hoped to focus her life after politics on the more positive aspects of the community, including the Worcester County Veteran’s Memorial.
Two months prior, in February, board member Marty Clarke walked out of a budget meeting in frustration and hinted he would also not run for re-election.
Clarke suggested a number of changes to the fiscal year 2016 budget before the meeting, including eliminating the so-called “five-year” plan.
“If the board passes a budget with the five-funding-year plan in it or some other $130 a person charge and calls it something else – if that passes I am not going to run for reelection, and I may or may not finish my term,” Clarke said at the time.
In a May 7 issue of the Gazette, Clarke, also 67, confirmed he would indeed not run again.
“I gave my word to the new, so-called ‘majority’ if they voted for the budget, I’m not running for re-election, and I wanted to run for re-election,” Clarke said.
The two-time director did not, however, rule out the possibility of running again in the future, and encouraged other association members to run, regardless of whether they live in the community full time.
The seven new candidates – three former directors, one former candidate and three new faces – were announced on May 11. They included former directors Ray Unger, Terri Mohr and Bill Zawacki, as well as Slobodan Trendic, who also ran the previous year, but dropped out early, citing personal issues.
Former police officer Thomas Herrick, Delmarva Chorus director Carol Ludwig and attorney Cheryl Jacobs had not previously sought office in the community.
On July 11, Mohr won the candidate draw, meaning her name would be placed first on the ballots and she would speak first during forums.
Things then took a strange turn when Trendic was charged with numerous traffic offenses stemming from an incident that occurred on June 20 in Ocean Pines.
Trendic was allegedly driving while intoxicated. Other charges included leaving the scene of a property damage accident, negligent driving, and violation of a license restriction related to corrective lenses.
At the time, Trendic told the Gazette he had hired a lawyer, who advised him not to speak about the case, and said he had no intention of dropping out of the board race.
“I will let people judge for themselves, and when the truth comes out they can make their own decision,” he said. “I’m entrusting the legal system.”
Four days later, Trendic participated with the other six candidates in a political forum at the community center.
The Gazette published an additional story on the incident after obtaining the police report. The crash apparently took place at 82 Windjammer Road at the home of Lanny and Kay Hickman. Allegedly, $11,000 in damage was done to Hickman’s vehicle, a Ford SUV.
Pfc. James Minton authored the report, and said a trail of leaking fluid from Trendic’s vehicle led him from the site of the crash to Trendic’s home. Minton added that he “smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from [Trendic’s] breath and person.”
In a phone interview, Trendic blamed the incident on high blood pressure and Crohn’s disease. He remained in the race.
On July 30 the community got one final look at O’Hare and Clarke as board members, and their perpetually-adverse relationship did not disappoint. Less than five minutes into the meeting, O’Hare asked Clarke to clarify his comments during a June 25 board meeting in which she was absent.
According to the minutes, Clarke, addressing a CPI violation on Tail of the Fox Drive, said, “Sharyn must have forgotten it’s illegal to offer a house for sale without a written listing.”
“Marty, did you in fact make that statement?” O’Hare asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
O’Hare, obviously not amused, said General Manager Bob Thompson “made it very clear” the property was not for sale.
“You are accusing me of doing something illegal,” she said. “This is my professional career, Marty.”
“I stand by the statement,” Clarke said.
“You are wrong,” O’Hare said.
“Okay, sue me,” Clarke said.
Two hours later, at the conclusion of the meeting, O’Hare thanked the board, general manager and the staff for what she called, “a very interesting three years.”
“I’m glad to have the opportunity,” she said.
Prompted by several board members to mark the occasion of his own retirement, Clarke simply said “ditto.”
On Aug. 8, Tom Herrick and Cheryl Jacobs were announced as the top vote-getters, and both were elected to three-year terms on the OPA Board of Directors. Herrick received 1,669 votes to finish first in the pool of seven candidates, while Jacobs finished second with 1,480 votes.
“I feel great,” Herrick said after the results were announced during the association’s annual meeting. “I tried my best. I hoped my platform resonated with the people and I think it did.”
Jacobs said she was “overwhelmed.”
“I’m so appreciative of the help I got and I’m going to work so hard to make this an even better community than it is already,” she said.
Trendic finished third with 1,195 votes, followed by Mohr (873), Ludwig (651), Zawacki (620) and Unger (219).
On Aug. 17, Jacobs was elected the new vice president of the board, and Herrick was named secretary.
Pat Renaud won the presidency in a 4-3 vote, although the decision was not without its share of controversy.
Dave Stevens accused Renaud and other directors of potentially violating community bylaws, by attempting to hold a meeting to discuss the election of officers without inviting the entire board. The meeting fell through, but the intention was still vigorously questioned.
“I feel anything I did was within the bylaws as I understood them,” Renaud said. “I’m looking forward to a good, positive year when we’re all going to try to work together, and I will work very hard to try to make sure that happens.”
During a special meeting to elect new officers, attorney Joe Moore advised the directors that the meeting would not have violated bylaws because two of the new board members had not been officially sworn in. On the following day, Moore backtracked in a memo sent to the directors and said he regretted any controversy caused by his prior advice.
“It is appropriate, in my judgment, for me to express my regret to the board members collectively, for my inadvertent responsibility in causing the controversy which, was unfortunate and one for which I will accept responsibility,” he wrote.
On Sept. 3, the Gazette reported that Trendic was found guilty of DWI during a trial at the Worcester County District Court in Snow Hill, held on Aug. 26.
The court merged two charges – driving while impaired by alcohol and negligent driving of a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life and person – and ordered Trendic to pay a $400 fine and court costs.
Hickman hinted that an additional lawsuit was “certainly possible,” although no further action has been filed to date.