MARCH 26, 2026
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
FREE
Wastewater must have motivated microbes Study in Pines to determine if warmth helps bacteria remove nitrogen from waste
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIM JOHNSON
YEAR’S FIRST BORN ON ISLAND Assateague Island National Seashore has a new resident as Johnny’s Star and Dewey welcomed their new foal this month. The colt is pictured with his mom Johnny’s Star last week.
(Almost) everything must go With Town Hall about to be renovated, Berlin officials to sell what they don’t need By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (March 26, 2026) As the Town of Berlin prepares to vacate Town Hall for upcoming renovations, officials this week approved plans to label a wide range of items as surplus property and offer them to the public through a sale aligned with the town-
wide yard sale scheduled for April 4. At Monday’s Town Council meeting, Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said staff are still identifying items to be included. Furniture to be added to the sale consists of file cabinets, tables, chairs, and other miscellaneous goods. “Usually, we like to have a detailed list, but unfortunately, every day we’re coming across things and going, ‘Oh, we forgot about interior doors,’ or whatever,” Bohlen said. “The best we can do at this point is
say we are cataloging things as we go, and the intent is to hold a yard sale, or along with the town yard sale.” The town plans to open Town Hall to the public for a walk-through preview on Thursday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing potential buyers to view available items ahead of the community yard sale scheduled for that weekend. A social media post announcing the event states that those interested in touring the Town Hall should call See TOWN Page 6
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By Brian Shane Staff Writer (March 26, 2026) When hungry microbes living in sewage treatment tanks get too cold, they go to sleep and can’t do their job: eating up harmful nitrogen compounds to prevent them from polluting local waterways. That’s why the Worcester County Commissioners last Tuesday unanimously approved a performance study for the Ocean Pines wastewater treatment plant. The goal of the 16week study is to help the public works department understand how better to keep sewage tanks warmer after a winter of historically frigid conditions, among other outcomes. “I don’t think I’d be a good steward of the plant if I said, ‘OK, well, let’s just let things keep going the way we’re going and hope for the best.’ We’ve got to take a look and see, are there things that we can be doing better?” Public Works Director Dallas Baker told the commissioners. Study results would show not only whether the plant needs insulation wraps to keep treatment tanks warmer in winter, but whether performance could be improved by additional mixing or oxidation, according to Baker. The no-bid contract would go to the See WARM Page 7
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