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Elder reportedly at odds with department

JOSH DAVIS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
The Worcester County Commissioners agreed to waive several thousand dollars in fines given to the Deer Run Offroad Jeep Golf course in Berlin. Reportedly, Commissioner Ted Elder last week had strong words for the county department that imposed the fines.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Sept. 27, 2018) Worcester County Commissioner Ted Elder didn’t care for the stop work order and fines imposed on the Deer Run Offroad Jeep Golf operation in Berlin by Worcester County Environmental Programs and said so in strong terms in a closed-door meeting last Tuesday.

“It was a situation where I thought it was an extreme punishment for the infractions that were there,” Elder said last Friday. “The county had closed the business down and also fined them per day, [instead of doing] one or the other. Either way would have worked to address the problems and I just thought it was a little extreme.”

Elder confirmed the situation was reviewed mostly during the closed session.

“A lot of it had to do with what kind of things we have set up now, and what should be done and what shouldn’t be done. Nothing was decided on,” he said. “There wasn’t any change in policy or procedure, or anything like that.”

“That individual business is still closed until such a time that the corrections are made,” Elder continued.

Sources said Elder had some choice words for the county department that oversaw the inspections.

“I’d rather not comment on this time,” he said. “I’m still looking into several things and I wouldn’t want to publicly comment on anything now, because it would be premature for me to say anything at this point.”

Diana Purnell, president of the Worcester County Commissioners, said what took place and why it took place in terms of the inspections was spelled out in county meeting minutes.

As for Elder’s comments to the department, Purnell replied, “You need to talk to Commissioner Elder about that.”

“We all have our disagreements and whatever. Commissioner Elder is the person you need to talk to.”

Elder is up for reelection in November is what is expected to be a close contest with former Commissioner Virgil Shockley. He beat Shockley by 176 votes in 2014, but Shockley won against Elder in 2010 by 90 votes, and in 2006 by 557 votes.