FEBRUARY 27, 2025
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
FREE
Speed cams catch more than 9,000 Berlin’s system recorded more 3,000 in one month
SUBMITTED PHOTO/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH Members of the Rho Kappa History Honor Society recently visited first-grade classrooms at Ocean City Elementary, Showell Elementary and Buckingham Elementary schools to share the inspiring story of Ruby Bridges in honor of African American History Month. Through this program, they helped young students learn about courage, perseverance, and the importance of history.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (Feb. 27, 2025) The speed cameras implemented in Berlin last summer have been successful in reducing speeding on Flower Street and Seahawk Road, officials said this week. Each apparatus has two camera heads, for a total of six among the three locations of Flower Street at Railroad Avenue, Flower Street at Peach Lane, and Seahawk Road near Stephen Decatur High School, and records when drivers’ speed ticks past 12 mph over the posted legal limit of 25 mph. All cameras were live in August. That month, the devices picked up 3,113 speeding violations. That figure has steadily decreased, and in December, the safety technology recorded 926 incidents of drivers going 37 mph or over. In total, from July-December, there 9,084 speeders issued tickets. See CAMERAS Page 11
OPA OK’s $12.8 million budget New meeting Created from bottom up, plan reflects ‘foundation of our strategy,’ Heavner says
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (Feb. 27, 2025) The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors unanimously approved the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget at the community’s regularly scheduled meeting last Saturday. The final spending plan includes revenues and expenses of $12,846,393 and sets the basic nonwater assessment rate, which consists of 6,775 lots, at $875 (up from $850). The assessment rate for the 78 lots
classified as non-water/ estate is $1,313; the 1,361 water lots will have an assessment of $1,515 (from $1,465). The assessment for the six water/ estate lots is $2,273, and the 288 water/ non-bulkhead lots will have an assessment of $965. The sole water/non-bulkhead/ estate lot assessment is $1,448. “The budget approval vote is the culmination of a well-designed and proven process by [OPA General Manager] John Viola and his operational staff,” OPA Board of Directors member Jeff Heavner said. “This process provided transparency throughout multiple opportunities for opinion. This beautiful, bottom-
up balanced budget is the foundation of our strategy … to ensure Ocean Pines remains a premier community with exceptional value and quality of life.” The budget was created with input and collaboration from Viola and his staff, the OPA Budget and Finance Committee and public feedback. This included a Feb. 5 budget town hall, where homeowners had the opportunity to ask questions and express their concerns. The work towards completing the financial document began last September. During this year’s budget process, a point of contention was the introduction of a single racquet center memSee OP BOARD Page 11
space for OP? Well, maybe By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (Feb. 27, 2025) Ocean Pines leadership will consider a new multi-purpose meeting space, provided a cost analysis, drawings, and blueprints are compiled. Per a unanimous vote by the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors, General Manager John Viola will prepare estimates of cost, drawings and blueprints of “approSee NEW Page 5
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