Business

BERLIN — Teaching three separate forms of martial arts, Infinity Martial Arts, a training school that opened last month off Route 113, is headed by instructors who can offer an experience like no other in the area: the opportunity to compete in international tournaments. The owners, brothers Tim and Mike Otwell, come from a family of martial artists and specialize in taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and eskrima, an art that emphasizes weapon-based fighting. Coming from the Baltimore area, the brothers, who were both introduced to martial arts before turning 10 years old, trained for years under Carlos Patalighug Jr., who runs a well-known martial arts school called Kick Connection in Pasadena, Md. Those at Infinity Martial Arts still have a close, family-like, link to Kick Connection and representatives from the Pasadena school have come to Berlin and helped with instruction. Both schools are the only two martial schools in Maryland that are certified through the In...

BERLIN — Since moving to Berlin two years ago, Pete and Jennie Livolsi have wanted to bring authentic Italian cuisine to the town. The culinary couple’s dream is coming true, as Si’culi is set to open Saturday on North Main Street. Named after an ancient Sicilian tribe called the Siculi, the restaurant is a nod to Pete’s family heritage. The couple added an apostrophe to the restaurant’s name with the hope that guests would be able to pronounce it easier. Just as Livolsi’s grandparents prepared their food, almost everything in Si’culi is made in-house from scratch. “We’re sticklers for freshness,” he said. “You’re not going to get the authentic flavor of Italy with frozen ravioli.” Both chefs — who have a combined 27 years of experience in the profession — said although some breads and pastas are store-bought, most are hand-made and everything on the menu will eventually be pre...

BERLIN — A quick glance into James Coltellino’s art studio, Gecko Image Laser Works, reveals just how many different works can be crafted using a single technique. Known as “Jungle Jim,” partly because of the magnificently colorful tropical tattoos that cover most of his body, the long-time local artist specializes in using a high-powered laser to etch designs into an array of materials such as wood and glass. “The mediums I use are pretty much anything,” said Coltellino, who added that hard metals such as steel are difficult to utilize because of their solidity. While his works come from a desire to create art, the Berlin studio, located in the Chamber of Commerce on South Main Street, acts as place to display and sell the art he produces. A sign displaying the studio’s name is one representation of the laser machine’s precision. Consisting of a paper material made by a panel manufacturer, Trespa, two different colored lay...

BERLIN — The restaurant formerly known as Goober’s on Pitts Street in Berlin will soon be transformed into a family-style English pub specializing in comfort food — a dining option owner Cody Bates believes is missing in the downtown area. “The thing about Berlin is that every [business] is a little bit different,” said Bates. He hopes his new restaurant, the BurleyInn Tavern, will provide a niche for those looking for traditional food at an affordable price. BurleyInn will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and offer options such as chicken and dumplings and mashed potatoes with gravy. Head Chef Anthony Grasso said the menu will feature high-quality foods, but at reasonable prices. “Doing everything from scratch right away doesn’t mean it needs to be priced like fine dining,” he said. A beer, wine and liquor license has been obtained for the restaurant, which will also provide entertainment soon after opening. Bates, who...

BERLIN — With its relaxing classical music, colorful array of stuffed animals and layout crafted with a high attention to detail, it’s plain to see World of Toys — a new shop on North Main Street — isn’t a run-of-the-mill toy store. Opened one month ago by Olga Kozhevwikova, World of Toys is stocked with many high quality brands that provide everything from simple entertainment to lessons as they play. “I just try to bring what’s best for the children,” Kozhevwikova said. “Toys that are carefully chosen make a world of difference in a child’s growth.” Toys manufactured by Melissa & Doug, a reputable and high-end toy company, represent the majority of products on the shelves. Melissa & Doug creates a wide variety of toys, from play sets to puzzles, and is well known for making all products in the United States and using real wood while including no toxic substances in any toy. “That’s what makes ...

OCEAN PINES — Mariners’ Country Down carries with it a bit of local legend and a significant amount of local history. And this summer it will be one of the places from which the produce comes for the Ocean Pines Farmers Market, which opens next weekend in White Horse Park. Christine McDowell, who will be the market manager, is also proprietor of The Good Farm, a local CSA and organic produce concern. As her reach in the community grew, she sought out more land on which to raise the vegetables and livestock that her regular customers have come to expect. It was almost by chance that she crossed paths with the people who own Mariners’ Country Down and was allowed by them to begin using some of their land. Mariners’ Country Down used to be a major craft village but now acts as the family homestead. The family members, though, wanted to put the fecund land to use and McDowell wanted land to use. It was a perfect fit. With the help of Ric Gresia running the opera...

BERLIN — There are two essential parts to rehabilitation: having the initial therapy and strengthening the afflicted area to prevent relapse and improve overall health. The difficulty for many patients is that after insurance pays for the therapy, the insured is often left to their own devices for the continued, if necessary work. The disconnect between therapies covered by insurance and the real healing work that ought to continue afterwards never made a lot of sense to Bobby Hammond, who owns Atlantic Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in the Pines Plaza. But as the owner of Atlantic Health and Fitness, the gym adjoining the therapy office, he was in a unique position to do something about it. He began adding an additional month of access to the gym at no extra charge once patients finished their therapeutic course. As a result, not only have patients' physical therapy improvements been longer-lasting and more stable, but many have elected to stay on beyond the month to con...

SNOW HILL — The success of The Palette, the restaurant owned and run by Phil Cropper over the last three years, has been primarily the result of commitment to local, quality food. Because it is centrally located, the Green Street restaurant has established a reputation with diners in every direction, drawing people from Salisbury as well as the greater Berlin area and Pocomoke. When he opens The Palette Pantry this week as part of the monthly Snow Hill First Friday event, Cropper will deepen the town’s retail appeal by complementing without competing with the other area area shops. Although the town has no shortage of restaurants each has its own niche, and Cropper expects to capitalize on his niche by providing what might be best called a take-out DIY experience. The hard work that was so critical to the restaurant’s success had to do with Cropper's commitment to making as much as was reasonable from scratch using local sources. The result was distinctive spice bl...

BERLIN — The one thing that Richard and Debbie Seaton agree on without question is that it is nice to have a little breathing space. As the owner and person primarily responsible for running Toy Town Antiques, Debbie is happy not to have to hold her breath every time more than three people are in their shop at once. Until last week, Toy Town Antiques occupied a small shop on Main Street’s east side. The store was reasonably stocked, but even so she understood how little of what they had they could safely display. And even though the store wasn’t cluttered, when it was busy there wasn’t a lot of room for customers to move around as they browsed. As the person primarily responsible for filling the shelves in Toy Town Antiques, Richard has developed an excellent understanding of the shopping experience from the perspective of an antiques enthusiast. When you’ve spent as much time as he has haunting different markets and private collections around the countr...

BERLIN — When Jeffrey Auxer started offering Saturday glassblowing classes it was primarily to get people introduced to the art. It started with making Christmas ornaments but quickly grew to include flowers and paper weights and solidly-booked Saturdays. There is something so primitive in the feeling one has molding molten glass into an object and seeing it solidify before one’s eyes.  Watching white-hot sand transform into pure art is experience no amount of scientific understanding or practical or even spiritual knowledge can quite get at. It’s an experience that people not only begin to crave but are also bound to want to share and Auxer said it is not uncommon for people to bring friends back or to return time and again until they’ve completed all of the available projects. But working the glass is only a small part of the attraction of Jeffrey Auxer Designs on Jefferson Street. Auxer said that he regularly schedules demonstrations for groups, at no ...