A year ago, on Dec. 3, 2013, Berlin was on the verge of merely becoming the third-coolest small town in America, according to a preliminary vote conducted by Budget Travel Magazine. The polls, opened in October, asked for nominations of cool municipalities with less than 10,000 people. The rules were simple: the town must have… Read more »

When Berlin became cool, many of its residents began daydreaming about new projects and possibilities that increased exposure could offer. One particular sore thumb in the community stuck out: the former Tyson’s Chicken plant on Old Ocean City Boulevard. The 16-acre property, owned by District 1 Councilmember Troy Purnell, has been dormant for more than… Read more »

Although the incident occurred in late 2013, the fallout from the accident when a state police car hit two teenage pedestrians in Berlin, killing one and seriously injuring the other, continued to ripple throughout the community in 2014. It was Nov. 8 of last year when trooper Nicholas Hager struck Tymeir D. Dennis, 16, and… Read more »

Despite high expectations and early positive reviews, Ocean Pines’ new $4.7 million Yacht Club seemed more like an albatross than a rabbit’s foot by the end of the year. Opened during Memorial Day weekend, the facility’s coming out party included a daylong celebration complete with live music, food and tours of the enormous grounds. The… Read more »

Republicans rolled, Maryland got a new governor, a brand-new district received a brand-new representative, and at least one community saw a significant change in leadership thanks to municipal and off-year elections. Snow Hill chimed in first, releasing the results of the Eastern District Town Council seat on Wednesday, May 7. Preliminary results showed Alison Cook… Read more »

(Dec. 18, 2014) Although he lost the election in November, former District 4 Worcester County Commissioner Virgil Shockley refuses to give up on the issue of broadband. Shockley, the former chairman of the Maryland Broadband Cooperative and current vice chair, has championed the idea of bringing free or cheap countywide wireless internet service for years…. Read more »

(Dec. 18, 2014)  The Pine Tones Chorus will present its Christmas concert at Atlantic United Methodist Church on Fourth Street in Ocean City, Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The concert theme is “The Colors of Christmas” and features a song with that same title by John Rutter, a famous composer of choral music. The… Read more »

(Dec. 18, 2014) More than a year after 16-year-old Tymeir D. Dennis and his then 17-year-old brother Tyheim D. Bowen were struck by a police car while walking across Route 113 in Berlin, many members of the community are still reeling. The police investigation into the crash, claiming the life of Dennis and seriously injuring… Read more »

(Dec. 18, 2014) First Hollywood came to Berlin to shoot movies such as “Runaway Bride” and “Tuck Everlasting.” Now, Berlin Arts and Entertainment is planning to project Hollywood onto the town – literally – during a “Movies on Main Street” program next year. “Every other town around us has movies at the beach, movies at… Read more »

(Dec. 18, 2014) A report asserting that talks between Ocean Pines and Sandpiper Energy have cleared an impasse appears to be erroneous, according to representative from both parties. The report, published in another newspaper, referred to a “breakthrough” in the talks and went on to say that the propane supply company informed the Ocean Pines… Read more »