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BERLIN – The EMS employee who sued the Berlin Mayor and Council in July for $200,000 after being fired by the governing body had his case dismissed on Monday by Worcester County Circuit Court Judge David Mitchell. Norris "Phil" Donohoe Jr. was acting as the EMS supervisor for the Berlin Fire Company when multiple complaints of workplace harassment at the establishment were received by the town. On May 1, the town relieved Donohoe of his duties at the fire company. The town’s attorney in the case, Kevin Karpinski, said the firing is a personnel matter and it is not within the confines of the law to reveal exactly why Donohoe was terminated. Donohoe responded to his dismissal with a lawsuit filed on July 12 that asserted Berlin wrongfully terminated his position as retaliation for disputing its claim that the harassment had not ceased. However, Judge Mitchell decided that there was not enough information to prove Donohoe's accusation, and dismissed the cas...

OCEAN PINES – Discussion of two major projects dominated last Wednesday’s town hall meeting, when Ocean Pines Association General Manager Bob Thompson gave residents an opportunity to ask him questions about the future of the community.Thompson began with a report on the two meetings the OPA had with Worcester County officials earlier in the month to approve construction of the new Ocean Pines Yacht Club.The Worcester County Planning Commission denied the OPA's request to begin work on the new facility, citing issues with the number of parking spaces provided for guests.Under the county's code, the proposed design of the Yacht Club parking lot does not meet the required minimum number of parking spaces. One suggested solution was to reduce the 10 feet-wide spaces to 9.6 feet wide so more spaces could fit in the area.Despite the parking issue, Thompson said the county is comfortable with all other components of the project and it meets code standards.He also asserted that it...

OCEAN PINES – Construction for the new Ocean Pines Yacht Club will begin later than expected, as the Worcester County Planning Commission denied the Ocean Pines Association approval to initiate the project earlier this month. "They asked to reduce the parking spots," OPA General Manager Bob Thompson said at last Wednesday's town hall meeting at the Ocean Pines Community Center. According to Thompson, the design did not meet the county's requirement to have one parking space for each 125 square feet of flooring. Because all spaces were originally designed to be 10 feet wide, reducing the width by a few inches could bring them into compliance. OPA representatives suggested incorporating a joint-use agreement for the Mumford's Landing pool parking lot to be used during peak hours of the Yacht Club, so those spaces could be added to the plan. Thompson said the pool only experiences a high volume of use in July and August, and even at those times, it closes at 6 ...

BERLIN – The 100th anniversary of Stevenson United Methodist Church on North Main Street will be celebrated with a free day of worship, dinner and music and more this Sunday. "Three of our previous pastors will join us in a service in honor of this special event," the Rev. Ron Schatz said. Beginning at 2 p.m., the service will feature ministers Alex Slonin, Henry Zolinhoffer and Tom Gross, who will act as the event's guest speaker. A dinner will be held afterwards, along with the southern bluegrass gospel music of Sacred Sounds. During the celebration, guests are invited to take a tour throughout the building until the event's end at 7 p.m. While the building itself has existed since 1912, Stevenson United Methodist Church was first built in 1835 under the name Cedar Chapel on a lot of what is now Buckingham Cemetery off South Main Street. Rev. Schatz said there is no record, but it's likely the congregation began with no more than 20 members. That number...

The Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA) will be working on the Route 90 bridge over the Assawoman Bay to repair roadway lighting systems on the bridge. The work will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 16 and Wednesday, Oct. 17., weather permitting. MDSHA will close the eastbound lane toward Ocean City from 8 a.m. on Tuesday, until 4 a.m. on Wednesday. A flagging operation will be set up to guide traffic across the bridge.  MDSHA will expedite emergency vehicles to cross the bridge leaving or entering Ocean City. Maryland now features free 511 traveler information. Call 511 or 1-855-GOMD511, or visit www.md511.org  for current travel information. Sign up to personalize travel route information through "MY511" on the website. Remember to use 511 safely - Maryland law restricts hand-held mobile phone use and texting while driving. While MDSHA and its transportation partners work hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones, each d...

OCEAN PINES — Amid safety concerns over the wood chip surface of Ocean Pines’ playgrounds, members of the Ocean Pines Association Recreation & Parks Advisory Committee have come up with an idea that could result in the replacement of the wood with a safer and softer surface.   “This is one of the biggest projects we are talking about,” said Ray Foreman, chairperson of the advisory committee.   Back from its first meeting since the summer, the advisory committee began discussing plans for the winter, specifically looking into projects that would improve the community in the long run.    “We don’t think it’s a safe surface to play on. Kids could fall and injure themselves through cuts or simply by hitting the hard surface.”   The wood also is difficult to maintain because it is susceptible to weather damage, Foreman said. He added that a Delaware businessman visited the OPA last year to give a presenta...

BISHOPVILLE — After several years of planning by various county and state agencies, as well as private organizations, Bishopville Pond will undergo a major renovation to aid fish attempting to spawn upstream and to improve the headwaters of the St. Martin River. The pond, which was created by a dam at the northern tip of what is known as Bunting’s Branch, had suffered for years because of pollution filtering down from streams in Delaware. “There needs to be constant flow up and down the river, and the dam has to be opened up for fish and other animals can pass through,” said Roman Jensien, science coordinator of Maryland Coastal Bays. The local organization that is working with the state Department of Natural Resources, the Department of the Environment, the State Highway Administration and a number of other entities to complete a project that has been in discussion for about 10 years. The main concern, according to Jensien, is that the desig...

BERLIN/OCEAN PINES — Although the regularly held Oktoberfest at Ocean City’s R.E. Powell Convention Center will not be held this year, there will be plenty of activities going on throughout the weekend on the other side of the Assawoman Bay in celebration of German tradition, food and of course, beer. FRIDAY, Oct. 12 RockTober North Main Street, Berlin Time: 5:30-9:15 p.m. Admission: Free Under 21 Allowed: Yes In an extension of Berlin’s normally one-day German-inspired extravaganza, the inaugural RockTober will feature four area rock bands to kick the weekend off with a more Americanized influence. “The whole weekend is all about bands, beer, food and fun,” said Michael Day, economic and community development director of Berlin. North Main Street will be closed to traffic from Jefferson to West Street and numerous tables and chairs will be set up in the center of downtown Berlin. This setting will give visitors the opportunity to wal...

BERLIN – Some Berlin residents may have noticed the town has been a little quieter than usual and their suspicions are correct. Damage to the railroad track during August's major storm has prevented trains from moving through the town. "When we have reports of high rain or wind, we immediately send an inspector out to the tracks to survey damage," said Eric Callaway, president of The Maryland & Delaware Railroad Company, the route operator. According to Callaway, a 120-foot stretch of ballast under the track between Pitts Road and Peerless Road was washed out by the 13.5 inches of rain that dropped on the town within a 10-hour period. Ballast, typically made of crushed stone, is placed under railroad tracks to hold the track in place. The track will not reopen until the ballast is replaced and passes inspection. Callaway said if a train were to travel over the track in its current condition, it would derail. From Berlin, trains travel south to Snow Hill to deli...

BERLIN – An election day ploy to thwart the re-election bid of Mayor Gee Williams via a surprise write-in campaign failed on Tuesday, as Williams claimed a 335-122 victory in what was originally an uncontested race. What became known Tuesday morning, however, was that a quiet push to write-in former Councilwoman Ellen Lang for mayor was under way and that the effort appeared to have been well planned. Meanwhile, other municipal races took place without much drama. Deputy Town Administrator Mary Bohlen reported that District 2 Councilmember Lisa Hall beat newcomer and former planning department intern Ronald Marney, 169-68, and District 3 Councilmember Elroy Brittingham received 38 votes of confidence as he ran unopposed. The official District 2 battle was between Hall and Marney, but write-ins Kirk Burbage and Allen R. Mumford each received two votes, while Thomas Taylor Lynch and Thomas Sholtis each earned one vote. The winners will serve four-year terms an...