As politicians, businesspeople, some economists and libertarian-minded individuals agitate for an end to the covid-19 lockdowns, the argument invariably brings up the relatively small percentage of virus-related deaths versus the economic ruin these restrictions will cause. But the question that’s seldom discussed, as we argue over whether the exercise of common sense might negate the… Read more »

Democrat or Republican, you have to hand it to Gov. Larry Hogan for the way he has handled the coronavirus outbreak in this state. An almost accidental governor after winning his first term over weak Democratic competition, Hogan, a Republican, has demonstrated leadership qualities that many voters hoped for, but were unaware of at the… Read more »

Welcome to the dystopian future, when government officials are ephemeral figures that appear only on computer screens, finding food entails risk and the few souls who do venture out into an uncertain world do so with covered faces. The hottest commodity is toilet paper, so much so that it could become the preferred medium of… Read more »

Our current stay-at-home circumstances, along with the other government restrictions on public movement, are as close to martial law as most of us ever hope to see. All that is missing from the current scene is the military patrolling the streets to ensure compliance with the various executive orders that have been issued to stem… Read more »

Some of us are working from home, some of us are working at our offices and job sites, and some of us aren’t working at all. Such is the new abnormal in a world turned outside-in by the spread of the novel corona virus. As of early Wednesday morning, no cases of COVID-19, as the… Read more »

Legal or not, a board of directors that unanimously consents to vote via email on a particular action, and then votes unanimously to take that action risks running afoul of the Elvis provision of politics. That would be, considering the propensity of the public to think the worst of an otherwise harmless circumstance, the “Suspicious… Read more »

Ocean Pines officials are absolutely right when they insist that parameters be set on how the money in the new capital reserve fund may be used. If one thing has been proven in Ocean Pines year after controversial year, it’s that people are inclined to believe all sorts of things, regardless of the truth of… Read more »

For the money, last Friday’s Art of the pARTy fundraiser at the Atlantic Hotel in Berlin had to be one of the best deals around for area foodies. Had another $20 been added to the ticket price of $49 and change, that still would have been a decent price for a 12-station buffet that featured… Read more »

Lisa Kershner, the state’s public access ombudsman, and Maryland Public Information Act Compliance Board Chairman John “Butch” West, issued a joint statement last week declaring their support for legislation that would strengthen the state’s public information law. Since the law was instituted 50 years ago, most government documents have been available for inspection by any… Read more »

Of the many questions regarding the application of wastewater spray irrigation for Ocean Pines or any other area, the least critical is whether public health will be adversely affected. Strict environmental regulation and monitoring of effluent used in spray irrigation have eliminated the public health concern, as has been evidenced all across the Eastern Shore…. Read more »