APRIL 3, 2025
FREE
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
Bertino pledges to fight rate plan Proposal to bail out debt for sewer, water districts would lean heavily on OP
TARA FISCHER/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino tells Ocean Pines residents he opposes a county proposal to cover debt in county water-wastewater funds by having Ocean Pines pick up a large share.
By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (April 3, 2025) Worcester County and Ocean Pines officials pledged at a public meeting this week to fight a proposed budget plan that could increase Pines ratepayer bills to make up millions of dollars in water and wastewater debt despite the wooded community’s minimal contribution to the deficit. At a March 29 meeting of the Ocean Pines Board of Directors, Worcester County Commissioners Chip Bertino and Jim Bunting told board members that one budget plan could raise water and wastewater quarterly bills by an estimated $32 for the 18,000 ratepayers within 11 Worcester County service areas. Last month, the proposal was presented at a Worcester County Commissioners meeting as a solution to covering financial insufficiencies. The spending blueprint has not been approved yet, but Bertino said it is the
only option at present. Ocean Pines officials argue the plan will unjustly affect Pines residents and have urged community members to join their efforts to oppose it. “We need your support,” OPA Director Elaine Brady said, addressing the Ocean Pines homeowners. “We’ve got to fight this thing.” Those living in the Ocean Pines service are being encouraged to email the commissioners and write letters to the editors to raise awareness of the financial plan. Bertino and Bunting are also set to host a town hall on Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at the Ocean Pines Library, and a public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, at 6 p.m. in Snow Hill. “The Ocean Pines service area is in the crosshairs of a very unfair proposal,” Bertino said. The attempt to launch a community rally follows the FY26 Water/Wastewater Enterprise Funds budget presentation at a county commissioners meeting on March 18. The proposal to raise rates by about $32 See OP BOARD Page 4
Kids to take over class Not really, but two does will become part of a new instructional program at Worcester Tech By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (April 3, 2025) Worcester Technical High School’s live stream, called the “Kidding Kam,” is offering agricultural students a deeper dive into the intricacies of animal health this semester. The Kidding Kam is a project spearheaded by the WTHS agricultural program to provide students with a deeper look at the labor process of goats. A press release by Worcester County Public Schools announcing the initiative says that the endeavor is in partnership with the University of Maryland Ex-
tension and allows students to manage and help the animals as they prepare to “kid out” or give birth. The Kidding Kam has been featuring two pregnant does, or adult female goats, named Faith and Samantha. Faith is recognizable by her brown and white coloring, while Samantha is dark brown, almost black, and white. The animals are being housed in the WTHS’s agricultural lab. Worcester Tech’s IT Department and Digital Audio ProSee NOW Page 3
Offering the Pelvic Wave
80% Effective in Treating Urinary Incontinence CALL TODAY!
Spelled Different Because We Are Different® FYZICAL-DELMARVA.COM
FYZICAL of Ocean Pines 11204 Racetrack Rd, Suite 101 • Ocean Pines, MD, 21811 410-208-1525
FYZICAL of West Ocean City 12472 Sea Oaks Ln, Unit 1 • Berlin, MD 21811 410-747-3522