JUNE 18, 2026
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
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OPA board of directors ballots go out Mon. Five candidates compete for one of three seats open on the seven-member body By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (June 18, 2026) Ocean Pines homeowners will have the opportunity to cast their votes for the community’s board of directors beginning next week, as ballots for the Ocean Pines Association’s annual election are slated to be distributed on Monday.
Five candidates are competing for three seats on the seven-member Ocean Pines Board of Directors. Incumbents Board President John Latham and Director Elaine Brady are seeking re-election. Director Patrick Lehnerd is running to retain the seat he was appointed to this spring following the early resignation of former Director Steve Jacobs. Challengers Amy Peck and William “Bill” Pickett are also looking to break into the community’s governing team. According to the Ocean Pines Elec-
tions Committee, electronic and paper ballots are scheduled to be sent out to voting-eligible homeowners on Monfat. The completed forms must be submitted by noon Wednesday, Aug. 5. Election results will be tabulated by the firm handling the neighborhood’s voting process, MK Election Services, and the vote-counting will be open for public viewing. A link to observe the count will be made available as the voting deadline nears. Candidates have said that communication, fiscal responsibility, infra-
structure planning, and community engagement are among their top priorities. Lehnerd, who joined the board in March, cites more than four decades of engineering and leadership experience in the defense and space industry. During his career, he served in positions ranging from engineer and team lead to program manager and director. Lehnerd said communication is one of the association’s greatest challenges. See OPA Page 3
Fire trucks will parade through town Maryland firefighters hope relocating event to Berlin will boost participation
PHOTO COURTESY OF GARRETT NEVILLE/GOOD BOY MFG.
RACING TUBS The 36th Annual Bathtub Races were held on Main Street in Berlin last Friday night. Above, two of the competing teams are pictured during a heat on Main Street before hundreds in attendance. See page 20 for more photos.
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By Tara Fischer Staff Writer (June 18, 2026) Firefighters from across the state will travel through the Town of Berlin this weekend as part of the annual Maryland State Firefighters Association Parade. In a move that steers the event off its usual Ocean City route, the MSFA will host its annual firefighter parade in Berlin for the first time on Saturday. The event, open to any department from Maryland that wishes to attend, will kick off at 2 p.m. Participants will proceed north on Main Street near Berlin Furniture and end at the Taylor House Museum. The fire departments will stage See FIRE Page 6
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