JUNE 4, 2026
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
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OP board gives GM extension Solid performance by Viola, good financials lead directors to give him another five years
PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCKINGHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CAREER DAY Among those attending the recent Buckingham Elementary’s Career Day was Berlin business owner Jeffrey Auxer, who talked about the process to create his unique pieces with students. See more photos on pages 18 and 19.
Council confirms parcel’s size Park’s property boundaries adjusted so town can sell 8-plus acres to developer By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (June 4, 2026) Efforts to revive a dilapidated industrial site that was once home to a Tyson Food poultry plant in Berlin are moving forward after the Town Council voted this week to confirm the parameters of the property to be sold.
That decision concluded a months-long, near-project-ending debate over how much of the parcel could be turned over to developers. At the Berlin Town Council meeting Tuesday night, the council, with Councilmember Shaneka Nichols absent, agreed to a second amendment to the land disposition agreement between the town its buyer, Coastal Venture Properties. Under the contract terms, the 8.64-acre parcel is inn the town’s Heron Park. Before the boundary line
adjustments approved this week, parcel 57 measured around 9.7 acres. CVP, formed by developer Palmer Gillis and his wife, Sandy, aims to develop the property into a mix of commercial space with medical and professional offices and a restaurant or retail operation. The move to affirm the property plat follows contentious discussions between the town and CVP last month. See PARCEL Page 3
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By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (June 4, 2026) The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors last week expressed its confidence in General Manager John Viola by giving him an option to extend his contract until the summer of 2031. Citing the association’s continued financial and operational success, the directors voted unanimously Saturday to authorize an extension to Viola’s contract. Before last week’s motion, Viola’s agreeJohn Viola ment with the association had his term ending on June 30, 2028, with the option to extend until June 30, 2029. That contract was executed in July of 2024, with Viola expected to receive an annual salary of $210,000. Last week’s vote gives the GM two more one-year extensions, meaning that he could maintain the top OPA position until June 30, 2031. “The motion is to authorize granting to the general manager options for two more one-year renewal terms under his existing contract,” said See CONTRACT’S Page 3
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