Safety Training Program For Kids Planned In Berlin

BERLIN — A new series of programs conducted by Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services (WYFCS) will seek to prepare children for a wide variety of potentially dangerous situations.

Dubbed “Safety Training For Kids,” the program will focus on giving children tools to make “safe choices” while also providing complimentary education for parents.

According to WYFCS Youth Coordinator Melanie Windsor, it’s crucial that families discuss details when it comes to any possible scenarios where a child might be confronted by a stranger.

“It is important for families, especially children, to have open conversations about the potential dangers they may encounter,” she said. “Often children may be presented with a situation where they are too trusting of a stranger, or they may feel uneasy around a stranger, but want to be polite and comply with what the stranger is doing or saying. Our hope is that children will stop, think, and react appropriately when they are in these types of situations. Education is the key to this type of awareness.”

Led by Sheriff’s Deputy Dale Trotter, the safety training program is set to be one of several “informational nights” WYFCS has planned for parents and children. Besides the hands-on experience offered by Trotter, tips on making safe choices will be taken directly from the National Safety Council and cover subjects like speaking to a stranger alone and practical Internet awareness.

“Children are growing up in a digital age that their parents did not necessarily experience as a child,” said Windsor. “We are hoping to encourage the necessary dialogue between children and the adults in their lives regarding the online world.”

According to Windsor, if the first course proves popular WYFCS will turn it into a regular series of events.

During the Berlin Mayor and Council meeting Monday, Councilwoman Lisa Hall encouraged attendance by all families in town and the surrounding area.

“It’s a very important program … it’s a very good thing for children to learn about safety in their community and around them so it’s a very good resource and it’s at no charge to the community and all children and their parents are invited,” she said.

The program will take place March 21 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Ray room at WYFCS. Interested families should RSVP to Windsor at 410-641-4598 or mwindsor@gowoyo.org.

Wicomico Sheriff’s Deputies Honored With Awards

SALISBURY – Several members of the Wicomico County Sherriff’s Office were recently recognized as recipients of the National Sheriffs Association (NSA) awards.

At last week’s Wicomico County Council meeting, Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis recognized Deputy First Class Chip Oakley, who had been assigned to the Judicial Protection Unit since 2006 and has served at both Wicomico County District Court and Circuit Court.

“Deputy Oakley’s responsibility of safe guarding prisoners is appreciated and recognized on a daily basis,” Lewis said. “In a very busy Circuit Court, our personnel are required to monitor not only prisoners between holding areas and court rooms but also facilitate the movement between prisoners themselves often in high-profile and serious murder cases we are tasked with keeping prisoners separate from one another.”

During the last year, Oakley instituted a system of tracking inmates and their locations, in addition to coordinating the fiscal security of court inmates. He has also been acting supervisor of Wicomico County Judicial Protection Unit that consists of 15 sworn deputies and six civilian personnel.

“We are truly honored to recognize Deputy First Class Oakley accomplishments and announce his selection as this nation’s top recipient of the NSA Court Security Agent/ Professional of the Year Award for 2013,” Sheriff Lewis said.

Lewis next recognized Sgt. Jessica Hill, who was assigned to the School Resource Officers Unit in 2011 to make modifications to the program to ensure it would operate efficiently and effectively.

One primary concern she identified was the lack of coordinating information regarding gangs within Wicomico County school neighborhoods. Hill developed a plan to help collect and disseminate information detained to students who are gang members and their activities within Wicomico County. In turn, she met monthly with each School Resource Deputy and discussed their findings. These meetings laid the foundation for monthly safe school meetings that brought all of the county’s partners to the table from the Board of Education, Salisbury Police Department, the local Gang Enforcement Unit, and local judicial officers.

Hill developed and implemented a school building security survey, which was used to identify security concerns in eight of the Wicomico County public schools. The information included where security cameras should be placed as well as strategies for each of the locations.

“We are truly honored to recognize Dr. Sgt. Jessica Hill’s accomplishments and announce her selection as a recipient of NSA Medal of Merit,” Lewis said. “This medal is awarded for valuable contribution to her community and to the field of criminal justice and law enforcement in Wicomico County.”

In 2010, Deputy First Class Thomas Funk volunteered for an assignment that attached him to the Maryland State Police Apprehension Team, which specializes in locating high risk fugitives and those aggressively avoiding federal apprehension. The unit is made of U.S. Marshals, state troopers, deputy sheriffs and local law enforcement officers who are bringing in federal authority to act anywhere in the nation let alone this town for the purpose of locating the worse of the worst offenders.

“In what was a rainy week day, Feb. 29, 2012, just a little over one year ago that Deputy First Class Funk and his team moved on Tayvon Dobson,” Lewis recalled. “A wanted felon in two states, one for attempted murder with a firearm in Cambridge.”

The investigation by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit indicates Funk was one of the task force members who entered the residence after being admitted entrance. Other members of the task force had formed a perimeter around the exterior of the building.

Team members finally reached a door let to a separate apartment and discovered Dobson standing holding a handgun. Dobson immediately initiated gun fire with law enforcement officers that led to an immediate withdraw from the apartment. While the team retreated down the stairs Deputy Funk found himself trapped on the second floor with an armed felon that was not only determined to avoid apprehension but had already demonstrated his willingness to take a life of a law enforcement officer.

Funk found himself alternating between taking cover while in close quarter gunfire with Dobson. He pulled a mattress and a dresser between himself and the gun fire while trying to keep an innocent citizen on the floor with him to keep from getting shot.

Funk was shot through the shoulder but continued to exchange gunfire. Funk was able to break out a window in the second floor of the home and escape onto a roof before jumping to the ground. Other officers came to his aid and he was transported to the hospital.
He underwent surgery and was released from the hospital the following day.

“We are truly honored tonight to recognize Deputy First Class Thomas Funk’s bravery and professionalism and announce his selection as a recipient of the NSA Medal of Valor and the Purple Heart,” Lewis said.

Diakonia Seeking Restaurants For Dine Out Benefit

OCEAN CITY – Gather your friends and family to come out next month and support Diakonia, which supports those in need, by simply dining out.

Diakonia will be holding its 2nd Annual Dine Out for Diakonia on April 24-25. Dine Out for Diakonia is when restaurants are asked to participate by donating a percentage of their profits on April 24 and/or 25 while community members are asked to assemble friends, families and co-workers and dine out at a participating restaurant.

A meal will support Diakonia’s efforts to provide help and hope to those in need in the community as 100 percent of the profits from the event will go directly to housing, food and support services to those struggling in the community.

Diakonia is inviting all restaurants in the area to join in the event. Participating restaurants select their level of participation ranging from all meals on both days to one meal. They can also choose to donate a flat donation if they prefer. A list of the restaurants will be published indicating the level of participation for each restaurant.  

Diakonia is also asking participating restaurants to join them in promoting the event in the upcoming weeks. Marketing materials will be provided.  

According to Diakonia Executive Director Claudia Nagle, the event came about last year when Diakonia established its first Special Events Committee, consisting of community volunteers who generously support Diakonia’s efforts.  With their many years of experience in the community, members developed ideas for fundraising events and Dine Out Days was one of them.

Last year there were 26 participating restaurants that rose over $6,000.   This year Diakonia is looking for even greater participation, hoping to double the number of participating restaurants and raise $50,000.

“It is a way for local restaurants to support local people in need,” Special Events Chair Debbi Anderson said. “The restaurants do it by donating a portion of their sales and the people in the community do it by just going and enjoying a meal with family, friends and co-workers and in doing so it really supports the people who need our help most.”

New this year, the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association (OCHMRA) is partnering with Diakonia for Dine Out Days in recruiting restaurants to participate in the event. Earlier this month, the OCHMRA had a booth set up at its annual trade expo providing the opportunity for local restaurants to come on board.

Restaurants can currently sign up to participate by contacting Anderson at 410-250-0315 or emailing debbie@diakoniaoc.org for more information and to register.  Diakonia’s Special Events Committee members will also be contacting restaurants to ask for their participation and support in the upcoming weeks.

The registration deadline is April 12 in order to be included in the published list and marketing of the event. Restaurants may register after April 12 but will not be included on the published list.

According to Diakonia, for more than 30 years the organization has been helping individuals and families in Worcester County and on the Lower Shore by providing shelter, food, clothing and the resources to rebuild their lives. Diakonia is the only comprehensive provider of emergency and transitional housing for men, women and families on the Lower Shore.

Diakonia is dedicated to building a foundation for those in crisis or who are homeless while maintaining their dignity and respect, providing hope and assistance and helping them change the direction of their lives, one step at a time.

The services Diakonia provides are funded through support from individuals, local civic organizations, churches, foundations and the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore.  Diakonia also receives support from the state and local governments.

Judge Again Dismisses Wrongful Termination Suit

BERLIN — A visiting Worcester County Circuit Court judge last week dismissed for the second time a lawsuit filed by a former Berlin Fire Department supervisor against the town and its elected officials, alleging wrongful termination and calling into question the town’s authority to fire, suspend or discipline emergency services personnel. The plaintiff’s attorney said today he has filed an appeal with the state’s Court of Special Appeals.

In May, the town terminated EMS supervisor Norris Phillip Donohoe, Jr. after 23 years on the job when at least two EMS employees filed formal complaints that alleged workplace harassment and discrimination. In July, Donohoe filed a civil suit against the Mayor and Council and Town Administrator Tony Carson, seeking at least $200,000 and alleging the Berlin officials did not have the authority to terminate, or even discipline, him over allegations of harassment and discrimination. Instead, Donohoe, in his complaint, said that authority wrested with his immediate supervisors, the fire chief and the fire company president.

In early October, visiting Worcester County Circuit Court Judge David Mitchell dismissed Donohoe’s lawsuit without prejudice, but granted the plaintiff 21 days to amend the complaint. On Nov. 1, 2012, which was 21 days to the day of the initial dismissal in October, Donohoe’s attorney Robin Cockey filed an amended complaint, which followed the same basic facts as the original, but emphasized the termination aspect of the case rather than the disciplinary actions.

Last Wednesday, Mitchell again dismissed Donohoe’s lawsuit against the town of Berlin and its elected and appointed officials, pointing out the defendants were protected by the oft-evoked doctrine of sovereign immunity, which essentially insulates governmental bodies from most civil suits. Berlin Mayor Gee Williams applauded the judge’s decision to dismiss the case behind the doctrine of governmental immunity and pointed out Mitchell ruled there was no breach of contract.

“The court has once again disagreed and we are pleased the judge has dismissed the action and found the claims against the town did not have merit,” said Williams.

However, Cockey said “not so fast” on Tuesday, pointing out the judge’s ruling dismissed the suit under the blanket of governmental immunity and not on the merits of the case. In short, once the judge ruled the town and its elected officials were deemed to be protected by sovereign immunity, there was no reason to move forward with who was right or wrong in the case.

“Judge Mitchell ruled the town’s elected officials were immune under what we often refer to as sovereign immunity, but he didn’t rule on the legality and propriety of their actions,” he said. “The judge did not rule the town acted properly. We don’t reach that question because the doctrine of sovereign immunity essentially immunizes the town and its elected and appointed officials from the suit.”

In 2009, the town and its fire company entered an agreement under which paid EMS personnel were leased to Berlin as a means of making them eligible for state retirement and benefits. From the beginning, Berlin has asserted the “lease” arrangement puts the paid EMS personnel under the direction and supervision of the town and subject to the same personnel policies and employee handbook as other town employees.

When Donohoe was named in formal complaints filed by at least two EMS employees with allegations the nature of which have still not been made public, he was suspended by the town without pay for 30 days and was informed that upon return to work after the suspension, he would be demoted to EMS-paramedic. Donohoe then filed a formal grievance about the disciplinary action and was terminated by the town shortly thereafter.

Essentially, the case boils down to who exactly has the authority to discipline, or in this case terminate, paid EMS personnel. In his lawsuit, Donohoe asserted the chain of command was first the fire chief, then the fire company president and lastly the Mayor and Council.

The allegations of harassment and discrimination in the EMS department of the Berlin Fire Company were cited as the primary reasons for the town’s decision in August to pull all funding for the entire fire company. However, the BFC has alleged the town’s decision to defund the fire company was based on control of scheduling and operations.

Williams said the Mayor and Council in early January asked for a full accounting of the BFC’s financial status, but have not yet received any information. 
“In the meantime, we will simply allow the judicial process to follow its due course,” he said.

That “due course” will include an appeal of the Donohoe case. Cockey said this week he has already filed an appeal in the state’s Court of Special Appeals.

“The judge ruled the town was protected by immunity, but I respectfully disagree,” he said. “Mr. Donohoe has lost a 20-plus-year career and we’re not simply going to accept the position that this is not a rightable wrong.”

K-Coast Opens Art Contest To Area Students

OCEAN CITY — K-Coast Surf Shop recently announced its second annual Art Contest, which is open to local school children in grades fourth through eighth.
Schools currently planning to participate include Berlin Intermediate School, Most Blessed Sacrame…

OCDC Updates City Council On Upcoming Initiatives

OCEAN CITY – In the last 13 years, the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) believes it has set an example of what a private and public partnership can accomplish.

OCDC President Bob Givarz and Executive Director Glenn Irwin presented the Mayor and City Council with OCDC’s annual report this week.

Since 2000, the OCDC has become comprised of 128 members, 11 committees and 8,037 volunteer meeting time hours since its inception.

So far this year, there have been several community legacy funding awards. The façade program received $50,000. Another $50,000 has been secured for the OCDC Business Assistance Program and $50,000 to fund St. Louis Ave. decorative street lights.

To date, the OCDC has renovated 134 buildings within the façade program. That is almost $5 million in private sector investment and a 6-to-1 leverage ratio of private to public dollars. There are currently nine projects underway and three recently approved to be underway.

“We have more façade projects completed through the State program, Community Legacy Funding, than any other city in the State of Maryland,” Irwin said.

A few noteworthy projects that have been completed are the O.C. Café on 4th Street, the Muze Café on Somerset Street as well as a condo building at 505 Atlantic Avenue and Captains Landing on Philadelphia Ave.

Like the façade program, the OCDC Green Building Initiatives Program pays one third of the cost up to $5,000 for qualifying businesses to install energy efficient improvements to reduce long term business costs, such as energy star rated windows and doors, insulation, solar panels, wind turbines, etc.

There have been 18 projects completed in the past two years under this program with five projects currently underway. That is $280,000 in total improvements.

“Another good project in the downtown that is being well received,” Irwin said.

A project completed just a few months ago was the “Cool Roof” project at 102 S. Philadelphia Ave. Irwin explained façade funding cannot go towards roofs but can be used to install cool roofs within the Green Building Initiatives Program. There have been five roofs completed downtown in this fashion.

Another project recently completed under OCDC’s Fence Program is at 901 St. Louis Avenue.

“We are trying to highlight the corners of properties of Ocean City,” Givarz said. “You will see adding a little bit of fencing adds a lot to the property. It is a final touch in detail.”

A new program, OCDC Business Assistance Program, targets vacant commercial spaces in the downtown area, from the Inlet to 17th Street, to attract some new businesses or the expansion of current businesses. This program includes financial assistance, also up to one third not to exceed $5,000, for permanent interior improvement.

“We feel this will be a very successful program,” Givarz said. “To date, all of our projects and programs have been on the exterior of property and buildings. Now we are going inside to see if we can help.”

So far there is one approved applicant and three other properties initiating the approval process for this program.

The OCDC operates and manages seasonal housing in the downtown for city employees. The two properties combined at 108 Dorchester Street and 110 Somerset Street hold housing for 23 employees, and another property at 105 Dorchester Street consists of two buildings and provides housing for 19 employees.

“All four of these buildings have been a success not only for us but for the town and for the neighborhood,” Irwin said. “It is nice having additional people living downtown.”

A project currently underway is the Fat Daddy’s mixed-use project at 216 S. Baltimore Avenue that is planned to be completed by this summer. The project will replace the old Fat Daddy’s building with a new restaurant with additional commercial space and affordable housing on the second floor.

OCDC applied for a predevelopment grant for $90,000 and is awaiting the announcement of approval. Upon approval, it will be the first program under the new State of Maryland program, Smart Growth Impact Fund (SGIF).

Upcoming downtown projects include a Sustainable Communities Plan, a wall mural to be painted on 2nd Street and Washington Lane, the continuation of scenic painting on utility boxes, a Preakness Party on May 18 to benefit public art, a new Main Street sign to recognize Ocean City as Maryland’s newest Main Street community and a Downtown Clean Up Day, among more special events.

“What you have accomplished in 13 years takes some organizations a life time,” Mayor Rick Meehan said. “You have done a tremendous job in branching out to improve the appearance in the downtown, supply new energy downtown, creating new ideas and enthusiasm, and you have really brought the whole community together. Being able to implement design criteria and being able to get the public to buy into that is an accomplishment … I think you have created a great example.”

Coastal Hospice Benefit Announced

OCEAN CITY — The Real Housewives of Worcester County are at it again, but unlike their television counterparts, they are working to ensure another successful Taste of Finer Things to benefit Coastal Hospice at the Ocean.

The 2013 event will be held on April 4 at 6:30 p.m., again at Harrison’s Harbor Watch in Ocean City and is sponsored by the Atlantic General Hospital.

The party supports Coastal Hospice at the Ocean, a planned hospice residence that will provide medical support to patients in a home-like setting. Individual rooms will offer privacy, but also accommodate family members who wish to remain close by. Families and friends will have space to gather together and for individuals to find solitude. Coastal Hospice at the Ocean will also provide room for bereavement counseling and community education. The residence will be located in Berlin, serving, patients from Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset and Dorchester counties.

The “Real Housewives of Worcester County” are led by Committee Chair Stephanie Meehan, who, like many Coastal Hospice volunteers, have a personal connection to the cause and have a desire to spread the message to others.

“We’ve all had family members and friends who’ve used Coastal Hospice. This event is a great way to raise awareness in the community,” Meehan said.

Other committee members include Pam Buckley, Karen Cramer, Cathy Donovan, Marcia Hirsch, Madalaine How, Marsha Howarth, Elaine Jacobs, Donna Leiner, Macky Stansell and Gayle Widdowson.

Participating restaurants providing delicious food at the event will include Adolfo’s, Atlantic Hotel, the Bonfire, Crabs to Go, Embers, Harrison’s Harbor Watch, Hooked, Jules, Macky’s Bayside, OC Wasabi, The Palette, Seacrets, Sweet Disposition and Wockenfuss, with a variety of wine provided by Reliable Churchill. Performer Louis Wright will entertain for the evening.

Reserve online at coastalhospice.org, or call 410-641-5481.

OC’s Annual Irish Parade, Festival Saturday

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City will be glowing with green at the 32nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival, which marches down Coastal Highway on Saturday, March 16.

Sponsored by the Delmarva Irish-American Club, this Ocean City tradition has grown to become the second largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the state.

Leading the parade are grand marshals Molly and John O’Brien, active members of the Delmarva Irish-American Club for more than 10 years. John is the vice-president of the club, serves on the board of directors and runs the DIAC website. Molly works behind the scenes, serving as the parade-day face-painter as well as hand-making Irish-inspired crafts to sell at the parade.

With pipe and drum bands, including the Chesapeake Caledonia Pipe and Drum Band and the Ocean City Pipe Band, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings the sounds of Ireland to the streets of Ocean City. Also participating are several area high school marching bands led by the Stephen Decatur High School Marching Band and numerous festively decorated St. Patty’s Day floats.  

The procession begins at noon at 58th Street and marches south on Coastal Highway to the 45th Street Shopping Center, where the reviewing and judges stand will be located.  Trophies will be awarded for best marching band, best commercial float, best non-commercial float, best motorized unit, best adult marching unit, best youth marching unit, special committee award, judges’ choice award and best overall entry in the parade.

In addition to the celebration on the street, the 45th Street Shopping Center will once again be transformed into a lively Irish Festival complete with live Irish entertainment, dancers, face painting, Irish apparel and plenty of food and drink.  With music provided by Pat Garvey, spectators can enjoy the free-admission festival beginning at 10 a.m. running until 4 p.m.  To avoid traffic delays, viewers are urged to arrive before 10:30 a.m. and to view the parade from 58th Street south to 45th Street.

The Delmarva Irish-American Club was founded in 1980. The membership totals more than 300 and is open to anyone who is Irish, or Irish descent or just likes things Irish. The club has awarded over $250,000 for scholarships to local students from the proceeds of previous parades.

Singing Group Impresses Students; WPS Alumnus Member Of Group

BERLIN — When Yale University’s Baker’s Dozen a cappella group visited Worcester Prepatory School this week for a concert and a student workshop, the response was overwhelming.

“They blew me away,” said Worcester Prep student Elise Harmon.

Of course, Harmon is a bit biased since her big brother, Hunter Harmon, a 2011 Worcester Prep alumnus, is a member of the group. However, with their performance at the school receiving a standing ovation and their workshop with music students afterwards heavily attended, it’s safe to say the Baker’s Dozen, nicknamed the BD, were a hit.

Dr. Barry Tull, Headmaster at Worcester, had nothing but praise for the Dozen, which actually has 17 members, and said he enjoyed seeing Hunter Harmon back on campus.

“It’s an amazing experience for us because he did so much with music while he was here,” said Tull.

While the BD demonstrated its vocal talent during the concert, it was during the workshop with students afterward that members examined the nuts and bolts of singing a song.

Group leader Bobby Dresser told students that the key to a cappella is finding a group “blend” of sound.

“When we’re singing together, one of the most important things in our group sound is just this really broad term called blend,” he said. “And blend is really sort of hard to think about, it’s made of a million different things, but one of the biggest parts of it is your vowel.”

With a cappella, Dresser explained that a song has to be broken up into a series of parts for certain vocal ranges and then built back into a song in a way that the individual pieces fit together seamlessly. He added that one of the reasons the BD sync so well is because they consist of so many different voices with new members only added after extensive auditions.

After going over the fundamentals, the group spent part of the afternoon working with students, culminating with the entire room harmonizing through a few songs from the BD’s earlier concert.

Dresser encouraged all of the students who have an interest in music to pursue it after high school, either through a cappella or a glee group. While some of the members of BD did not sung before college, Dresser pointed out that all of the students at the workshop already have experience and training they can use.

“You guys already have a head start if this is something you want to continue to do,” he said.

Tull agreed and said it was great to have the college students show where music can take them after high school.

“It helps some of our students relate to some of the experiences that they could have,” he said.

The group has already made an impression, according to Elise Harmon, who plans on following her brother’s footsteps in the arts with music and acting.

The Baker’s Dozen is one of the highest regarded and most popular college a cappella groups in the country. Much of that, said Dresser, comes from tradition because the group has been around since 1947. The group visited Worcester as part of the university’s spring break. When not giving lessons at member’s alma maters, the group performs at live and televised venues across the country.

Recently, the group sang the national anthem at Fenway Park in Boston as well as appeared on the Martha Stewart Show.

Senator Helps Nab Alleged Thief

OCEAN CITY — An Ocean City man was arrested on theft and other charges last weekend after State Senator Jim Mathias observed him acting suspiciously in the Teal Drive area early last Sunday morning.

Around 12:30 a.m. last Sunday, Ocean City Police received a call in reference to a suspicious person spotted in the area of Teal Drive. The caller, later identified as Mathias, told police the suspect was acting suspiciously and remained on the phone and reported the location of the suspicious individual until police arrived.

Responding officers quickly located the suspect, identified as Matthew Jacob Bullen, 21, whose court record identifies him as an Ocean City resident, in an alleyway off Teal Drive. While speaking to Bullen, officers noticed a woman’s bracelet with the sales tag still attached fall from the suspect’s pocket. Officers also determined Bullen had an active arrest warrant in Anne Arundel County for prescription drug fraud and other charges.

Further investigation revealed three vehicles in the area had been broken into and that Bullen was in possession of items stolen from those vehicles. Bullen was then arrested and charged by Ocean City Police with theft under $100, theft under $1,000 and willful motor vehicle tampering without the owner’s consent.

Bullen was seen by a District Court Commissioner and was ordered to be held on a $5,000 bond regarding the Ocean City charges, and a $10,000 bond for the outstanding Anne Arundel County warrant. He was then transferred to the Worcester County Jail. Acting OCPD Chief Michael Colbert commended Mathias for his actions and reminded citizens of the importance of partnering with the police department.

“This is a classic example of how police and the community can work together to solve and deter crime in our neighborhoods,” he said. “The Ocean City Police Department continues to encourage citizens to practice pro-active crime prevention by calling police when they see suspicious persons or circumstances.”

Meanwhile, last weekend’s arrest was not Bullen’s first with local and regional law enforcement officials. Just about one year ago this week, Bullen was involved, along with another man, in the theft of a canoe in the Fenwick Island area. Bullen and the other man, the late Nicholas R. Townsend, 23, of Ocean City, were paddling the stolen canoe in the Assawoman Bay around 4:30 a.m. last March 2 when the vessel capsized.

Bullen was able to make it to shore, but Townsend was never seen again. After an extensive search, Townsend’s body was recovered from the Assawoman Bay near Ocean City two weeks later. The investigation revealed after Bullen reached the shore, he allegedly used a brick to smash out a window at a residence on Roosevelt Ave., entered the residence and changed into dry clothes before returning to his own residence. It was then that Bullen reported the capsizing to his roommate.

Bullen was charged in Delaware with theft of a canoe from a residence on Monroe Ave. in Fenwick along with the break-in at the residence on Roosevelt Ave. He was charged with second-degree burglary, theft, criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools. The disposition of those charges in Delaware against Bullen is not known.