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BERLIN — The time line for fully implementing new stormwater management policies approved by the Berlin Town Council last week will probably be a year, Water Resources Director Jane Kreiter said last week. The process will be on two tracks: establishing the fees for commercial property owners in time for the July 1 effective date and submitting applications for grants and loans to help further fund the new program. The council approved Ordinance 2013-01, which established a stormwater utility department, and Resolution 2013-01, which established a funding mechanism for the new department, on Jan. 28. The new rule asserted that “The costs of improving, maintaining, operating and monitoring the stormwater system should be allocated, to the extent practicable, to all property owners based on the impact of runoff from the impervious areas of their property on the stormwater management system.” The utility would be funded in part by a flat $50 annual fee for residentia...

OCEAN PINES — General Manger Bob Thompson left the relative comfort of a mortgage and insurance brokerage business to manage the eclectic and economically diverse community of Ocean Pines, the largest year-round community in Worcester County. He said wanting to be an impact player who could help by being connected with his community drew him to Ocean Pines. But one can only guess (because he’s not saying) whether his 23 years in the military, active and reserves, prepared him for budget season in Ocean Pines. Thompson was preparing for a Feb. 2 “town hall” event to explain the proposed fiscal 2013-2014 budget to a community that has few qualms with contention, when he agreed to this interview on Jan. 30. Bayside Gazette: Could you describe what goes into developing the budget for a new fiscal year at Ocean Pines? Bob Thompson: The process starts in September, when I have staff meetings with our eight department managers. They compile their annual department...

OCEAN PINES — To paraphrase a famous quote, sometimes murder mystery dinners are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get. Get a Clue Productions, the brainchild of Ted and Maria Demetriou, will perform an audience interactive whodunit at the Woodlands of Ocean Pines on Feb. 8. The murder mystery will be a bit different from the usual Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple fare. You never read about Miss Marple crooning a sultry a cappella country tune in western attire. The country music-themed show will be performed improv style, which is likely to spice up Valentine’s Day date night with a bit of comedy and surprising twists. Audience members will be part of the murder investigation, the troupe said. “See how well your detective skills are at solving a murder while you enjoy dinner and a show with your sweetheart!” according to an announcement for the event. But don’t forget to bring your country boots and hats. The Demet...

BERLIN — Both the town of Berlin and the Berlin Fire Company have asked investigators from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems to review the emergency response to a fatal accident on routes 818 and 50 that occurred Dec. 26. Specifically, the parties are asking why a Berlin police officer had to drive one of the three ambulances that responded to the call, when other emergency and firefighting personnel were on the scene. Both the town and the fire company have received confirmation that MIEMSS officials have received their requests and documentation. The accident claimed the life of Stephen Mumpower, 26, who was a passenger in a Toyota driven by Amberle Booker, 25, as the two were heading north on Route 818, the stretch of road that leads out of downtown Berlin and to Route 50. Booker pulled into the path of Christopher Keenan, 24, who was headed west in a Dodge, toward Salisbury, according to a witness at the scene. Although both parties calling ...

BERLIN — The work on a stormwater management system for Berlin took a different tack on Monday, as the Berlin Town Council directed town attorney David Gaskill to draft an ordinance instituting a fee structure that would charge homeowners $50 per year per residence, and non-residential property owners $25 per year per equivalent residential unit. The rates are revised from what the University of Maryland suggested, because the town proposes to subsidize the effort by drawing on its contingency fund. One ERU is equivalent to a 2,100 sq. ft. residence, Town Administrator Anthony Carson explained during the work session. The fees are meant to pay for a new stormwater utility department and the mayor and council stated that their intent was to adopt a “fair and equitable” proposal that would have the least economic impact on the community. How the fee would affect — and be perceived by — residents appeared to be a major concern for the mayor and coun...

OCEAN PINES — Five Ocean Pines property owners filed a petitioner’s memorandum in the Worcester County Circuit Court on Jan. 2 to ask for a judicial review of the basis behind the Worcester County Commissioners’ 4 to 3 vote in September to approve reclassifying farmland so it could be used for commercial purposes by local developers.  Jack Burbage of the Burbage Group owns the 30-acre property, which is located just south of Ocean Pines off Route 589. The petitioners are contending in the memorandum that the county commissioners incorrectly found that there has been a substantial change in the character of the neighborhood where the property is located and also found, incorrectly, that the rezoning is compatible with the county’s comprehensive plan. The group had filed a lawsuit on the matter in October 2012 after the commissioners voted 4-3 the previous month to approve Burbage’s rezoning request. Commissioners Madison Bunting, Bud Church, Merril...

(Nov. 30, 2012) The Casino at Ocean Downs may add table games, but no decision has been made about whether to do it. During Monday’s meeting of the Local Development Council in Snow Hill, Joe Cavilla, general manager of the casino, said he hopes to have an answer about table games by March. Table games are now allowed at the casino following the passage of Question 7, the referendum question on the Nov. 6 ballot in Maryland. In addition to deciding whether to add table games, the company must determine where to put them because the casino’s floor space was not designed for them. The casino has 800 slot machines and Cavilla does not want some of them removed to make room for table games. In addition to being able to add table games, the Casino at Ocean Downs may increase its entertainment offerings. The legislation legalizing slot machines at five casinos in the state permitted the Casino at Ocean Downs to have only a single piano played by one person. It also...

OCEAN CITY — After kayaking, canoeing and dogsledding for thousands of miles, David and Amy Freeman arrived in Ocean City last week. They would have arrived earlier, but they were pinned down in Barnaegat, N.J., during Hurricane Sandy. They stayed there an additional four days to help owners of a kayak shop clean up. “Their shop was really hard hit, so we were delayed about a week by the storm,” David said Nov. 20. Their journey began in Bellingham, Wash., in April 2010, and they expect to reach Key West, Fla., their final destination, in early April. Their 11,747-mile trip will include 6,300 miles by kayak, 3,524 miles by canoe, 1,800 miles on dogsleds and 123 miles on foot. So far, they have endured temperatures of 54 degrees below zero and they were approached by humpback whales in Alaska along the Pacific Coast. “Two swam up to us,” David said of the whales. “They stopped 15 feet from us. We could see a giant eyeball. It was the mo...

WORCESTER COUNTY — Parades and an assortment of activities are planned in and around the Berlin area to put residents and visitors in the holiday spirit.  Berlin: n An estimated 3,000 people line Main Street annual to watch Berlin’s annual parade. The 42nd installment is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6. Rain date is Dec. 13. This year, the theme of the parade will be “Berlin’s Home Town Christmas.” Approximately 90 entries, ranging from floats to marching bands representing Stephen Decatur, Snow Hill, Pocomoke and Worcester Tech high schools are expected to participate in the parade, sponsored by the town of Berlin, in cooperation with the Berlin Chamber of Commerce. Donations made by Berlin area merchants help cover the cost of conducting the parade.  The parade will begin at 7 p.m. in front of the firehouse and follow along North Main Street, concluding at the corner of South Main and Tripoli streets. Santa will be last to mak...

BERLIN — Initiation to further test a pilot program that helps determine the efficiency of electricity and water utilities for commercial and residential properties was approved by the Berlin Mayor and Council at its Tuesday, Nov. 13 meeting. "We've seen five presentations over the past nine months, and one thing that's impressive is that you own this technology," Town Administrator Tony Carson said at the meeting. Carson was addressing Costa Apostolakis, CEO and founder of NexGrid, a Virginia company that focuses on managing energy consumption, who was asked by the town to provide a demonstration of the program's capabilities. "The ultimate payoff is for people to be able to reduce the cost of their water and electric bills," Mayor Gee Williams said. NexGrid has been developing a relationship with Berlin since it started providing hotspots for the free Wi-Fi service that started this summer. These gateways also provide a portal that can communicate with ...