Cheerleaders Commit To Returning To Ocean City

OCEAN CITY — Although there is no contract in place, the organizers of the annual cheerleading events in Ocean City have confirmed their intentions to return to the resort in 2014.

Concerns arose last week after an email circulated by Global JBS, a full-service firm that handles the destination management for the annual conventions, indicated the future of the two cheerleading events in Ocean City was in doubt until more information was learned about the proposed 1,200-seat performing arts center’s impact on the floor space available at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center.

In an email to hoteliers, Global JBS Housing Coordinator Jeana V. Colby said she could not confirm bookings for next year in Ocean City, “until a decision is made on the proposed changes to the Convention Center.” She added, “we are at a standstill … we desperately want this competition to remain in Ocean City. If the proposed changes to the Convention Center were to be made, we would lose a large portion of floor space that is required to run this competition.”

That email sent shockwaves through the local business community because the February cheerleading event has a reported economic impact of more than $9 million on the Ocean City area through hotel rooms, restaurants and other sales. The same economic boost is reported during a sister convention in April.

Yesterday, as a result of a conference call last Thursday afternoon with Mayor Rick Meehan and Convention Center Director Larry Noccolino, among others, Tina Galdieri, managing partner of Epic Brands, which organizes the annual cheerleading events in Ocean City, reported an intention to return to Ocean City next year.

“We have not signed our contract yet, but we are definitely coming back for 2014,” Galdieri said in a phone interview. “We felt really good about our conversation and that they were really sure even during the expansion times that we had a couple backup plans. Whether we go on various weekends, whether we have a different awards place for our cheerleaders … we have a couple different solutions and we felt very comfortable that the people in Ocean City are really willing to work with us.”

According to Global JBS, the cheerleaders and their families reserved 2,385 rooms the weekend of Feb. 22-24 at an average nightly room rate of $125. Total room nights were reported at 4,823 with a total hotel revenue calculated at more than $600,000, according to Global JBS. Harrision Group Director of Sales Ruth Waters reported last week the company recorded 1,500 room nights over the weekend at its various properties in Ocean City. Similar bookings are expected for the April return of the cheerleaders, which Galdieri reports is the all-star competition and separate from February’s event that involves recreation, school and dance participants.

Galdieri applauded the city for reaching out quickly to the organization and assuaging their fears.

“The city reached out to us very quickly with phone calls. They realized we do bring a lot of business to Ocean City,” she said. “We were happy to have the conversation early on.”

Noccolino confirmed Epic was happy to hear the city is willing to tweak design plans to satisfy the group’s specific needs.

“We feel extremely good about this and the biggest part of it is the partners at Epic want to return to Ocean City for many years to come. We are working with them and the architect at Becker Morgan as well as our city engineer, Terry McGean, and we all feel we can make this work, not just for Epic but all our clients,” Noccolino said.

Although it’s known the city businesses benefit from the cheerleaders, the convention center’s bottom line also sees significant revenue. According to a city analysis, the two cheerleading conventions result in more than $67,000 in revenue for the city.

Noccolino said he reached out last Friday to another large convention, the Sweet Adelines, which is held in late April each year and attracts about 2,300 attendees.

“Sweet Adelines were happy with our proposal as well,” he said. “We also reached out to Church of God [held in early February with approximately 6,600 participants]. We believe we are quelling their fears, showing what we can do and they are feeling better about things.”

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, Councilman Brent Ashley asked for an update on the cheerleading event after reading about it in the media last week.

Meehan reported on the conference call with Epic.

“During that call, we had the opportunity, which was a good opportunity to discuss with them the new auditorium or performing arts center, which it doubles as, and their ability to utilize that and they had a couple of concerns. We are in the very final stages of architectural design, it is really finished, but we can make changes, and they had some concerns about being able to use that because of the depth of the stage and height, and they wanted to make sure that it would be able to accommodate their event,” Meehan said. “We were able to show them how, or with minor modifications, which was good to know at that time, that first area of seating at the front of the stage is not permanent seating and those seats can be removed and we can actually extend that stage out which would accommodate what they need.”

Ashley would like to see more timely communication between the city and council members when issues that could impact Ocean City severely arise.

“I would request, as a council member, when anything like this happens I would like to get an update from somebody because I have people calling me and I don’t know what to tell them other than read the newspaper,” Ashley said.

City Manager David Recor said typically the situation would have been included in his weekly Friday report, which last week was not distributed due to the Center for the Arts opening on Friday night.

Ashley was not satisfied, saying, “This happened before Friday … the email went out on Tuesday.”

Recor responded the city was able through “good communication” to resolve the issue by Friday.

“There are issues like this that come up during the course of running this hundred million dollar company. If you look at it as a business, in the course of a week that require constant decision making, so yes the issue came up earlier in the week, we immediately scheduled the conference call with the event promoter and before Friday we had resolved the issue with good and effective communication,” Recor said. “We also learned that we should be reaching out to the other event promoters that have booked the convention center to involve them in a similar dialogue and [Convention Center Director] Larry Noccolino will be doing just that.”

Ashley voiced his displeasure and took exception to the “good communication” assertion.

“Well it’s not because when you’re talking potentially millions of dollars lost in revenue for these hotels and so forth and people are calling me and I don’t know what to tell them … so I don’t agree with good communication,” Ashley said.

Recor said if there are any questions in the future that Ashley and any of his colleagues can communicate with him.

During the conversation, Meehan expressed disappointment that “misinformation” caused this panic among the business community. He said it was premature and caused an unnecessary uproar.

“It was positive. You can throw out negatives, and you can try to throw out misinformation, which I think happened,” Meehan said. “We have a lot of partners in town and rather than working with us sometimes it’s almost like they work against us.”


Worcester Seeks More School Tech Funding

SNOW HILL — The Worcester County Commissioners agreed this week to submit a proposal for $400,000 worth of funding to the state with the request it be considered one-time non-recurring and not part of the Maintenance of Effort (MoE) funding the county owes the Board of Education annually. At the same meeting, the commissioners also agreed to at least meet MoE funding for the board next year.

Half of the $400,000 proposal will be for new student computer tablets, which will be used in next year’s Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test.

“With the restraints of budgets in the past several years, we are interested in providing greater access for our students to technology, through the purchase of tablets that may be used for the new PARCC assessments that go along with the Common Core standards as well as for classroom use,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jerry Wilson.

Commissioner Virgil Shockley asked if those tablets are intended to be used with a new broadband Internet system that has been in the works since last year but is not yet in place.

“We’re continuing to work with the broadband,” said Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Dr. John Gaddis. “The tablets also will work with our present infrastructure with the Wi-Fi that’s been set up as well to help us prepare for the PARCC assessments. The broadband we’re still working on trying to find who we can buy service from. We’ve made some more phone calls. That’s a weekly journey that we’re on with the state with the grants for who actually owns and can provide the service.”

Though the tablets will work with the current Internet system, Gaddis told the commission that an eventual upgrade to broadband would make the tablets “enhanced dramatically with speed and presentation” regarding the PARCC.

Also in the realm of technology, Wilson requested $100,000 of non-recurring funding for a school business systems software upgrade.

“With the current system, it does not allow comparability for budget purposes and does not allow close planning, and analysis except through developing projects staff must support,” Wilson said.

The final request was for an additional $100,000 to complete the architectural and engineering feasibility study for Showell Elementary School (SES). Wilson reminded the commission that the school has been on deck for renovation or replacement for years.

“The current facility is not adequate to accommodate the current enrollment and programs,” he said, adding that there are presently nine portable classrooms at the site. SES was built in 1976 with additions attached in 1990.

The commission won’t make a final decision to approve or deny the $400,000 until their budget is completed this spring. However, they did at least agree to forward the requests to the state level since approval for funding to be labeled “non-recurring” and not be included in the school’s MoE hinges on authorization from the Maryland State Department of Education.

With next year’s calculated MoE, which mandates the same amount of per-pupil spending as the previous year, the commissioners did agree to at least fund the minimum which would be an increase of $23,186 from last year. While meeting that minimum is required, Wilson warned the commission that only reaching MoE would have a negative impact on schools.

“As we have discussed, funding at this level would not allow the school system to maintain current programs, provide employee salary increases, or increase resources for technology,” he said.

Volunteers Restore Kayak Launch

WEST OCEAN CITY — Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) volunteers braved a brisk Monday morning to begin restoring and repairing the damage at the Lewis Road Kayak Launch in West Ocean City caused by Hurricane Sandy last fall.
On Monday, MCBP voluntee…

‘Home Show’ Kicks Off In OC

OCEAN CITY — The 29th Annual Home, Condo & Outdoor Show will be making its annual appearance in Ocean City and the Roland E. Powell Convention Center this weekend.

The event will be held on Friday, March 8, from noon-6 p.m.; Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 10, from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

The “home show” features all-under-one-roof convenience and will display an exciting array of the latest home improvement products and services for your primary residence as well as your second home.

Exhibitors will be featuring kitchens, baths, furnishing, accessories, energy conservation, water treatment, security, and financial services, outdoor living displays and so much more.

Professionals will be on hand showcasing ideas on decorating, remodeling, accessorizing, renovating, landscaping, and even building a home. Many exhibitors will be offering show specials and bargains at this show. Attendees are encouraged to browse, shop, compare and find the right products and services at the best prices.

One of the highlights of the annual event is the Art & Craft Fair, which will feature a wide assortment of creative, unique gifts and accessories.

Additionally, there will be free drawings, valuable door prizes, a $50,000 Temple Bat Yam raffle drawing and free parking.

Couples Workshop Geared To Variety Of Relationships

BERLIN — Partners looking to build a better foundation for their relationship are invited to attend a Couples Enrichment Workshop hosted by Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services (WYFCS) in March.

The workshop isn’t just for couples in troubled waters, said organizers, but for any pair at any commitment or satisfaction level who would like to grow their partnership.

“There are some very basic and simple strategies that can be very effective,” said Dr. Jennifer Leggour.

The enrichment workshop is currently scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 12. It will be a four-week course that will take place every Tuesday starting next week from 6 to 7 p.m. Caryn Horn, a WYFCS therapist who specializes in relationships, will conduct the workshops. She explained that each class will have a central theme.

“It’s going to be split so that each time we meet there will be a topic,” she said.

Themes will include things like communication, supporting your partner, managing anger in a relationship and validating your partner. Though it will be spread over four weeks, Horn emphasized the inter-linking structure of the workshop with each session laying the groundwork for the next. Communication is usually the underlying problem in most relationship conflicts, she added.

Leggour admitted that “often times there can be a stigma associated with formal [couples] therapy,” which is why WYFCS decided to conduct a less formal enrichment workshop.

“So we were thinking maybe if we offered a workshop it would seem a little less threatening, a little less scary and you could learn some valuable tools,” she said.

With it being a more informal setting, Leggour also noted that all couples should be comfortable attending and taking home skills that can be applied at any level of a partnership.

“I see the skills as valuable for any couple at any level in their relationship,” she said. “These are things that you can use in your dynamic whether you’re feeling good or you’re feeling in distress. They’re helpful tools.”

Horn agreed that even non-married partners should feel relaxed in the workshop.

“It could really be for anyone,” she said. “Couples who are married, not married, dating serious, any spectrum of commitment.”

The workshop itself will focus on promoting the communication that couples often neglect and will include role-playing, basic strategies for problem solving, and suggestions for further enrichment activities outside of the workshop.

“There’s making a bucket list of what the couples want to do in their lifetime,” said Horn as an example.

Depending on the success of the first four-week workshop, WYFCS might expand the enrichment work into a regular event.

“We’ll see what happens but there’s some opportunity for expansion,” said Leggour.

According to Horn, some states are currently looking at legislation that would encourage couples to attend some type of therapy or enrichment workshop either prior to getting a marriage license or before a divorce. Leggour took this as a sign that a lot of attitudes on relationship counseling in the mainstream are favorable.

“So there’s a lot of value being placed on trying to be healthy and save your relationship,” she said.

For the workshop, an ideal class would probably be about 10 members or five couples, said Horn.

Each of the four sessions will cost $25, though most insurance will be accepted. Daycare will be available. To register for the WYFCS Couples Enrichment Workshop, call 410-641-4598 or visit their office at 124 North Main Street in Berlin, which is also where the workshop will be hosted.

Boardwalk Surf Shop Continues To Expand Size, Offerings

OCEAN CITY – Quiet Storm on the Boardwalk has become the largest surf shop in Maryland as it has tripled in size over the last few years to keep up with demand.

In April of 2011, a ribbon cutting was held when Quiet Storm opened its doors at its new location on the Boardwalk at North Division Street. The store joined Quiet Storm’s growing list of locations with stores also located in mid-town Ocean City, Rehoboth, and Hilton Head in South Carolina.

Quiet Storm Surf Shop has been serving a wide range of customers since 1984 offering a variety of surfboards, skateboards, clothing and accessories for men, women and kids.

Bill Dreilbelbis and his partners, Dale and Kelly Loeser, bought the property, which once was entirely Edwards Department Store. At that time Edwards’s was 32,000 square feet. When Quiet Storm moved in, it took over 22,000 square feet, which was half of the first floor and the entire upstairs, leaving Edwards 10,000 square feet stocked with its bestselling items.

“They gave it [Edwards] three years, it was still producing really well, but we [Quiet Storm] were growing so rapidly that we needed the space,” Manager/Buyer Meredith Moore said. “We were just out of room, which is a good thing.”

When The Dispatch last spoke with Moore, immediately following the grand opening, she was in the process of establishing the second floor as the girls/juniors section. The downstairs held boys/men’s, sunglasses, shoes, accessories and hard goods, which includes Quiet Storm’s selection of skate boards, surf boards, body boards and skim boards.

Last year, Quiet Storm closed its doors for renovations, while Edwards closed its doors for the last time sharing its storefront with Quiet Storm. Edwards will re-open at its new storefront between 2nd and 3rd streets on the boardwalk.

Last Saturday, Quiet Storm re-opened, now taking up the entire 32,000 square feet of the property. With more floor space on the first floor, Quiet Storm has been rearranged to make room for the growth in merchandise, including Quiet Storm’s own brand name.

The sunglasses collection has been moved to take up most of the right-hand side of the store until you reach the boys/men’s department in the back, and the hard goods have been pushed to the back, all to make room for the most significant change in the store’s expansion, which is the shoe department that has taken over the entire left-hand side of the store.

Quiet Storm has taken on new brands and many new styles of shoes to become a “full blown” shoe department, Moore and co- manager/buyer Caleigh Wooten explained.

Wooten, who buys for the men’s department, said the store has ordered 6,400 pairs of Vans in at least 50 different styles. The shoe department will also mostly be made up of Sanuk, Reef and Rainbow, along with Sperry, Billabong, Roxy, O’Neill, and Toms. There is a shoe to be found for everyone from a tourist who forgot their flip flops to the perfect pumps for a night out on the town.

“In Vegas, we picked up a bunch of different shoe lines, so we are going to have tons of wedges and heels to offer as well as … more flats, heels, wedges, boots, and dressy sandals,” said Moore, who buys for the girls/junior department.

Quiet Storm staff took the opportunity to attend Magic, a fashion trade show, in Las Vegas to pick brands and styles to bring on board in the new and improved Quiet Storm.

“We have been going to Vegas and picking up different lines there, trying to do something a little different than all the other surf shops, and carrying other brands that you wouldn’t necessarily see in every surf shop,” Moore said.

Upstairs in the girls/juniors department, Moore is adding a woman’s section, as well as Edwards’ house ware and gift section.

“I have picked up more boutique styles and brands, but still resort looking, and at a good price,” she said.

Wooten is doing the same in the boys/men’s department, adding more of a selection for the older males. She explained this section is mostly where Quiet Storm’s own brand will come into play, which Dreilbelis has mostly been designing himself.

“We will have Quiet Storm brand tee’s and tanks at a good price,” Wooten said. “They are in really fun colors, bright, for all ages, and we will have different designs.”

Along with the growth of Quiet Storms fashion selection, the popular hard goods section will expand in the near future to offer an even larger variety of skate, surf, body and skim boards.

“We are trying to have a multitude of different prices for different customers but you are still going to have the same quality of what you’re purchasing,” Wooten said.

Moore concluded Quiet Storm is excited over the expansion and the additional floor space to showcase the new items.

“It shows that we are getting a good reaction,” she said.

Wooten added, “Every year we have been here we have grown in size … customers have really taken a liking to Quiet Storm.”