by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 10:59 pm

Wondering how much Guinness and corned beef was sold over the two St. Patrick’s Day weekends at Shenanigans? The team kept track — 31 kegs of Guinness, for example — see more in post below:

by Ocean City Today on March 20, 2023 at 9:00 pm

Representatives from the nonprofit We Heart Berlin briefed the Berlin Parks Commission skate park plans, which is quickly headed toward the design phase.

by Ocean City Today on March 20, 2023 at 9:00 pm

Plans to renovate and revitalize the historic hotel are advancing with council members' approval of a request to seek air rights over a city-owned alley. #majestichotel #downtownoceancity #oceancitytoday #octoday Plans to renovate and revitalize the Majestic Hotel are advancing with council members' approval of a request to seek air rights above a city-owned alley.

by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 7:02 pm

Residents Share Route 90, Route 589 Concerns At Town Hall Meeting Charlene Sharpe Associate Editor BERLIN– Residents shared frustration regarding Route 90 and Route 589 traffic at a recent meeting in Ocean Pines. Several residents brought up the need for the widening of Route 90 and Route 589 at a town hall meeting hosted by Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino last Wednesday. Officials stressed that both were state roads but said they would continue advocating for improvements and communicating with representatives of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). “We’ll have a better gauge this summer when we meet with them one on one,” said Weston Young, the county’s chief administrative officer. At Bertino’s meeting at the Ocean Pines library last week, Young told attendees that county staff communicated regularly with MDOT and Maryland's State Highway Administration (SHA) regarding projects in Worcester County. He said each year, the county sent MDOT a letter outlining local transportation priorities. He said at the moment, staff wanted to make sure progress continued on Route 90, which then-Gov. Larry Hogan announced some funding for in 2021. “Governor Hogan and his staff have put a lot of things in motion that hopefully it’ll be hard to unwind and we can work towards dualization of Route 90 then we can focus on our other needs such as dualization of Route 589,” Young said. Young said he and Dallas Baker, the county’s director of public works, met with MDOT officials each summer during the Maryland Association of Counties convention in Ocean City. He said that gave them the opportunity to advocate for local improvements. When asked if residents would have more opportunities to comment on potential Route 90 improvements, Young said it was likely. “The last feedback we got, they’re accepting comments throughout,” he said. A resident who was relatively new to Ocean Pines asked if there was room for a Route 589 expansion. Bertino said it would be expanded on the opposite side but noted any expansion was a long way away. He said he’d served on a stakeholder committee related to Route 589 about 20 years ago. More: BERLIN– Residents shared frustration regarding Route 90 and Route 589 traffic at a recent meeting in Ocean Pines. Several residents brought up the need

by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 5:58 pm

OPA Contribution Plan To Address Police Recruitment, Retention Bethany Hooper Associate Editor OCEAN PINES – An effort to implement a new contribution plan for the Ocean Pines Police Department led to a larger discussion last week about the association’s lack of participation in the Law Enforcement Officers Pension System (LEOPS). Last Saturday, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve a defined pension and equivalent contribution plan for the Ocean Pines Police Department. General Manager John Viola said the plan is expected to help with recruitment and retention efforts. “This will make us competitive with every other municipality and every other police department in the area,” he said. “The cost of this would probably increase the budget by $175,000 a year.” As proposed, the plan will amend the police department’s current 401(k) plan. Association President Doug Parks said the revision would include a 5% employee contribution, a 5% employer match and a 15% employer discretionary contribution, which would be provided at the end of each fiscal year. “Ocean Pines would like to be more competitive with other agencies who offer pension plans to their departments,” he said. “The recommendation from the general manager is to amend the current 401(k) plan.” Director Frank Daly questioned how the contribution plan compared to those of other police departments. “How does this proposed plan exactly compare to what’s called LEOPS?” he asked. “And how does it compare with Ocean City, which I understand has a better pension than LEOPS, because that’s going to be our competitor.” Viola said the proposed plan was similar to the LEOPS program. “This basically puts us right there,” he said. Director Colette Horn questioned how the program would be funded. She asked if the annual cost of $175,000 was included in the coming year’s budget. “This was not part of the budget process because we didn’t know what we could or couldn’t do …,” Viola replied. “What I would ask for is to transfer from our realized retained earnings of approximately $175,000 to cover this in the budget year starting May 1.” Director Steve Jacobs noted the association was not a municipality and couldn’t participate in the LEOPS program. He questioned if there were other large homeowners associations in Maryland wanting to join LEOPS. “There are very few homeowners associations of our size that provide police coverage …,” he said. “If it’s a small number it might be possible to get a change in statute to recognize that some homeowners associations acting like a municipality, as is in this case, should be allowed to enter LEOPS.” More: OCEAN PINES – An effort to implement a new contribution plan for the Ocean Pines Police Department led to a larger discussion last week about the

by Ocean City Today on March 20, 2023 at 4:00 pm

While the number of people vying for 2023 seasonal positions is still down, police are optimistic about the staffing pool after the last two rounds of tests. #oceancitypolice #ocpd #octoday #oceancitytoday While the number of people vying for seasonal positions is still down, Ocean City police are optimistic about the staffing pool after the last two rounds of tests.

by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 3:40 pm

Ocean City Police Department issues call for public's help locating burglary suspect. Public Assistance Needed: The Ocean City Police Department is currently investigating a burglary and theft that occurred on March 18, 2023, between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the area of 72nd Street. After stealing the victim’s credit cards, the suspect used the credit cards at a nearby business. If anyone can identify the suspect, please contact Ofc Walker at rwalker@oceancitymd.gov or the police department at 410-723-6610. Anonymous tips may be left by calling 410-520-5136 or submitted via https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/police/crime-tips. Please reference case number 2023-000569.

by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 2:51 pm

FATAL ACCIDENT UPDATE: Deceased Identified As Berlin Woman (The following is a Maryland State Police press release on the fatal accident Saturday.) BERLIN -- State police continue the investigation into a Worcester County fatal crash that occurred Saturday afternoon in Berlin. The deceased is identified as Linda Brown, 69, of Berlin. She was the operator of a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. Brown was pronounced deceased on the scene. The second vehicle involved was a tractor trailer, a Volvo Truck with a 2015 Trailer. The driver is identified as Marius Bouw, 72, of Arapahoe, North Carolina. There were no reported injuries to the truck driver. On Saturday, March 18, shortly after 3:30 p.m., troopers from the Berlin Barrack responded to US 113 northbound at Georgetown Road in Berlin for a reported crash. The preliminary investigation and witness accounts of the incident indicate the driver of the Tacoma failed to stop at a stop sign, driving west on Georgetown Road attempting to cross the northbound lanes of US 113. The tractor trailer was traveling northbound on US 113 when the crash occurred. Troopers from the Berlin Barrack responded to the scene. The Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division also responded to the scene. Members of the Berlin Fire and EMS Department provided assistance along with officers from the Berlin Police Department and deputies from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. Personnel from the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration were also on scene providing detours and road closures. The investigation continues. Photo of accident scene by Jack Orris

by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 2:28 pm

More acts announced for Freeman Arts Pavilion this summer: When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.

by The Dispatch on March 20, 2023 at 12:04 pm

Vanishing Ocean City With Bunk Mann Granville D. Trimper was the grandson of Windsor Resorts/Trimper’s Rides founder Daniel B. Trimper. Long active in the family business, he was the public face of the famous amusement park for many years prior to his death in 2008. Granville is credited with bringing rides such as the Tidal Wave roller coaster and the Himalaya to the park as well as conceiving the idea for Trimper’s Haunted House on the Boardwalk. He also founded the Wheels of Yesterday car museum in West Ocean City. Granville served on the Ocean City Council for 18 years and became interim mayor following the death of Harry Kelley in 1985. He was a lifetime member of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company, a past president of the Ocean City Lions Club and served as a Worcester County Commissioner. In 2000, he was honored by the Chamber of Commerce as Ocean City’s Citizen of the Year. To purchase one of Bunk Mann’s books, click over to www.vanishingoc.com. Photo courtesy Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum