Author Looks To Share Family’s ‘Message Of Hope’

BERLIN — Sheldon Larmore’s new work of non-fiction, “Be Quiet and Listen,” has shot from the gate since being published this winter.

The book focuses on the life of David Larmore, Sheldon and wife Sara Belle Larmore’s son who was born severely handicapped. While some might first mistake the story for a tragedy, Sheldon is adamant that David’s life is about faith and hope.

Born with Spina Bifida, David was not expected to lead anything resembling a normal life, according to his father.

“At his birth, we were told to expect nothing and appreciate anything. We were advised not to bond with him but to put him in an institution,” said Sheldon. “Of course, our answer was an immediate ‘no.’”

Sheldon and Sara Belle went the opposite direction. While doctors advised them to institutionalize David and not form attachments, they did everything to offer him a normal life.

“David never knew he was handicapped,” said Sara Belle.

She called her son an “overachiever” who spent so much time volunteering and thinking about others that he never dwelled on the ways he was different. It was that idea of selflessness that led Sheldon to write, “Be Quiet and Listen.”

“We felt we had a message of hope to share with families who have or are facing the same problems we faced with a physically handicapped child,” he said.

Though David spent most of his time in a wheelchair battling physical and mental challenges, he still managed to devote thousands of hours volunteering. He was recognized on many occasions for his efforts, especially in the face of his disabilities. Awards included the Rotary Club’s “Four-Way Test Award,” Maryland’s “Most Beautiful People Award” and a certificate of appreciation from the Salisbury City Council given only hours before his passing, and many others.

However, Sheldon asserted that the book is not about David’s awards as much as his “courage, faith, and determination.”

While the will was there to write David’s story, his father admitted that the process was difficult in the beginning. Having spent most of his life teaching elementary school and then serving in school administration, Sheldon was inexperienced with writing long-form non-fiction. Sara Belle had also spent most of her life as an elementary school teacher.

“I’ve never written or dreamed of writing,” said Sheldon. “The only experience I have as far as writing goes are office memos, letters to parents or simple kinds of grant writing.”

The book, like David, was born without great expectations.

After writing the initial chapter, Sheldon said that he felt overwhelmed and the story took a backburner for the next four years. When friends began to ask about whether the book would ever see the light of day, Sheldon managed to claw out another four chapters before the scope of the project again ground to a halt.

It wasn’t until Sheldon received what he believes was a call from a higher being that “Be Quiet and Listen,” began to fall into place.

“All of this is a very God-inspired kind of thing,” he said. “And we say that humbly.”

According to Sheldon, he and Sara Belle both felt a “push” to work on the book. While Sheldon was writing, he said that Sara Belle was essential doing layout work and keeping everything on schedule.

Sheldon gave special thanks to Tate Publishing for the agency’s support. First contacting Tate with only 13 chapters of the book complete, Sheldon said that a casually sent email resulted in several return calls from the publisher, including one by the owner, all expressing interest in, “Be Quiet and Listen.” Sheldon admitted that he was nervous sending in those first 13 chapters for review but that the response from Tate was incredible and the partnership has been “like a match made in Heaven” ever since.

Since being released by Tate on Feb. 5, Sheldon said more than 400 copies of the book have sold just by word of mouth in the community. With “Be Quiet and Listen” now on Amazon and available through other retailers, the Larmores’ goal that the story will reach a wide audience and that the book’s message will help those struggling in similar situations or anyone at all who finds themselves facing challenges in life bigger than they ever expected to beat. But by putting trust in family, God and people, Sheldon promised nothing in life is too heavy.

“We saw miracles and had many prayers answered throughout [David’s] life,” he said, adding that while David remained physically handicapped until he passed, his son was “emotionally and spiritually healed.”

The Larmores also hope that David’s story becomes a bestseller and financially successful. Their reasons, though, are inarguably altruistic — 100 percent of all proceeds from the book will go toward purchasing supplies, equipment, respite care, ramps, canes, crutches and the like for handicapped individuals who need the assistance but can’t afford it.

“The community gave so much support, love and hope to David that we see this endeavor as a way for him and us to give back to the community that so willing shared with us,” Sheldon said.

With the book seeing early success, Sheldon and Sara Belle Larmore are now working to advertise “Be Quiet and Listen,” while traveling the area for book signings. “Be Quiet and Listen” is currently available through Tate Publishing or visiting the author’s website at www.sheldonlarmore.tateauthor.com. Copies are also available on Amazon, or at Henretta’s Attic or the Community Pharmacy, both in Salisbury. The book can also be obtained by emailing the Larmores at larmore03@comcast.net.

Air Show Will Go On Even Without Blue Angels, Promoter Reports

OCEAN CITY – The organizer of the OC Air Show assured the Mayor and Council this week the show will go on in June, despite the possible grounding of headlining military acts, such as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, due to the looming possibility of sequestration.

The Blue Angels are scheduled to make their inaugural appearance in Ocean City as they headline this year’s OC Air Show on June 8-9.

This week Bryan Lilley of Ocean City Air Show LLC came before the Mayor and City Council to announce additional acts in this summer’s show. Besides the Blue Angels, military performers will be USN F-18 Hornet Demo, the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles, and the F-22 Raptor Demo Team. So far civilian acts will be the Red Bull Helicopter, Mike Wiskus and the Lucas Oil Pitts, and the Geico Skytypers.

Lilley added it has been a challenge thus far to nail down host hotels to house performers. At this point, the event is in need of 49 rooms per night. He acknowledged those who have come on board, such as the Quality Inn, Marriott Courtyard, Park Place Hotel, the Grand Hotel, Coconut Malorie, Castle in the Sand, and new this year the Clarion Resort Hotel.

“Anything the council can do to encourage the hotel community to assist in being able to host these teams and be able to keep our full-fledged line-up and top performers. The rooms are critical,” Lilley said.

On top of listing the support received so far by the hotel community, Lilley announced the sponsors committed to date, which includes but is not limited to 5 Hour Energy, Taylor Bank, Bacardi, Geico, Hooters, Eastern Aviation Fuels, Coca-Cola, Ocean View Grill, De Lazy Lizard and new this year is Ford.

“As we have in the past, we are anxiously looking forward to the OC Air Show this year. It is a terrific event and you have done a great job. Promoting it and providing the acts necessary to make it successful,” Mayor Rick Meehan said.

Before Lilley could get away, Meehan questioned him over sequestration’s impact on the OC Air Show. The impending appropriation will result in $85 billion in automatic budget cuts unless the Congress comes up with an alternative plan by Friday, March 1.

“With military support or without military support, our full intention is to move forward with an air show,” Lilley said. “We are planning for all cases, and in all cases there will be an air show in Ocean City on June 8 and 9.”

According to the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) earlier, possible sequestration cuts will have a significant impact on the entire U.S. air show community.

ICAS furthered, the military’s senior leadership is making contingency plans in the event politicians do not reach some agreement. Last month, ICAS provided some details on those contingency plans for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. In each case, those plans call for massive restructuring and emergency cost-cutting steps, including a reduction in non-essential flying. 
Also, if no compromise is reached by Friday and sequestration cuts are implemented, the four service branches will institute a hiring freeze and begin furloughing civilian defense employees. They will eliminate all non-essential travel. They will suspend many defense contracts, and they will delay a large number of construction and maintenance projects.

Several air shows across the nation have canceled events this year while the question of sequestration remains in play, including the 2013 Indianapolis Air Show scheduled for June 15-16. The show’s scheduled headliners were also the Blue Angels.

Indianapolis Air Show Chairman Robert Duncan explained sponsors began dropping out when the news spread of the Blue Angels possibly being grounded for the event.

Closer to home, the annual Langley air show, which was to feature the Thunderbirds and set for May, has already been cancelled as a result of the government stalemate. Next up could be the Oceana Air Show, which had tapped the Blue Angels, set for September. Oceana officials seem to be waiting out the March 1 deadline before taking an action.

Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia spokesperson Kelley Stirling told Military.com if the Blue Angels could not appear for its fall show, “that would mean our show gets canceled regardless.”

According to Lilley, military performers as well as the OC Air Show are planning ahead. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Blue Angels intend to fly for certification in March that will allow them to perform in the 2013 air show season.

“We as a company have looked at it and already come up with detailed plans of a what-if scenario to be prepared,” he said.

Lilley concluded he is confident the OC Air Show will remain to be successful. Not only is the air show free of charge but it is a beach front event where the airplanes become flying fireworks, or a reason for people to come to the beach versus an air show at an air field or facility where people attend solely based upon the aviation perspective.

Federal Spending Cuts Would Carry Big Impact In Md.

BERLIN — With the clock ticking on the expected billions of dollars of cuts in funding for several programs including furloughs and layoffs of employees in Maryland and across the nation, bipartisan federal lawmakers late yesterday were no closer to reaching an accord on the anticipated sequestration.

Earlier this year, federal officials avoided an approaching “fiscal cliff” with an 11th hour agreement to stave off drastic cuts in programs and of jobs, but the accord was temporary and that bill is expected to come due today, March 1, if Congress could not come to an agreement on the budget. Depending on one’s political bent, the pending “sequestration” is either a necessary purging of unnecessary spending, or the draconian result of a stubborn, bipartisan impasse. In either case, the anticipated spending cuts triggered by sequestration will have serious consequences in Maryland and its counties, and across the nation.

According to a White House state-by-state report on the expected consequences, Maryland is expected to lose over $14 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting about 200 teaching jobs at risk. In addition, around 12,000 fewer students would be served and roughly 30 fewer schools would receive federal funding. Head Start services would be eliminated for about 800 students in Maryland and many after school programs would be reduced or cut out altogether.

Because of its close proximity to the nation’s capital, around 46,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed in Maryland, reducing gross pay by around $354 million. Local and regional airports across the country could have their air traffic control towers shut down, including the Salisbury-Wicomico-Ocean City Airport, which would be among the airports to have their towers closed as of April 1.

As of late yesterday, it remained uncertain if Congress could find some middle ground to avoid sequestration and the associated dramatic cuts. One thing that is certain, however, is the battle is clearly divided along partisan lines. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley said this week the spending cuts would seriously derail the progress the state has made in its economic recovery.

“These are job-killing cuts that are an economic threat to Maryland,” said O’Malley. “Too many moms and dads in our state will lose jobs, too many children will lose access to programs like Head Start and too many of our most vulnerable Marylanders will lose assistance from the safety net we’ve worked so hard to protect. If Congress cannot come together with a balanced approach to avoid these automatic cuts, we will reverse much of the progress we’ve made in Maryland creating jobs and expanding opportunities for more families.”

State Senator Jim Mathias said state lawmakers are keeping a close eye on the situation and are hoping an agreement can be reached.

“Everybody is very concerned about it,” he said. “We’re really starting to catch our wind in Maryland in this recovering economy and people are starting to get their confidence back. We can’t afford another setback, so hopefully they’ll reach an agreement to avoid this.”

However, Delegate Mike McDermott cautioned against the “sky is falling” mantra being professed by many Democrats and the media.

“This is really much ado about nothing,” he said. “In a trillion dollar budget, we’re talking about around $80 billion in cuts. So much government money is utilized on things that are a waste, you wouldn’t even notice if they were cut. It would be like riding over a speed bump.”

McDermott acknowledged the expected cuts could impact several federal, state and local programs, but suggested the cuts still represented an increase for many.

“If the government plans on increasing spending by 7 percent, and sequestration says only expand by 5 percent, that’s still an increase,” he said.

U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski said the proposed spending cuts will seriously derail slowly recovering federal, state and local economies.

“Sequester will cripple air transportation, causing ripple effects across the economy and costing us jobs we can’t afford to lose,” she said. “Sequester will be devastating to local economies and the national economy.”

Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Andy Harris said the president and Democratic leadership seems content on letting the deadline pass without a resolution.

“House Republicans have already passed two bills that would offset President Obama’s sequester set to take effect on March 1,” said Harris. “The Senate has failed to pass anything and, in fact, President Obama and Senate Democrats have failed to even put a plan forward. The House has done its job, but the Senate and the President have not.”

Council Moves Forward Planned Code Changes

OCEAN CITY – A couple of favorable recommendations made by the Planning and Zoning Commission came before the Mayor and City Council this week to amend code sections and were quickly approved.

Planning and Community Development Director Matt Margotta and Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith proposed to reinsert language in the DMX zone to allow low impact commercial use to be reviewed through the conditional use process in order to protect the surrounding neighborhoods.

In late January, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing to consider amending a section of the town code to include miniature golf as a conditional use in the DMX zoning district. There were no public comments.

At that time, testimony was given by Smith on the history of the DMX zoning district and the intent of the Downtown Design Overlay Zone District to be exclusionary to protect the residential nature of the district. Smith pointed out, adding the miniature golf as a conditional use would safeguard the existing residential portions of the mixed-use district while allowing a new commercial use that would be of low impact to the neighborhood.

The commission voted 6-0 to forward a favorable recommendation to the Mayor and City Council.

This week Councilwoman Margaret Pillas asked why miniature golf was not included in the DMX zoning district as a conditional use in the first place.

Smith explained when the district was formed the addition of allowing miniature golf facilities as a conditional use was simply left out, and it has never been brought to the city’s attention because there has never been any requests for such a use in that area. However, there have been a few miniature golf courses in the downtown area in the past but none were within the DMX district.

A recent request was made by Old Pro Golf who has an interest to build a nautical themed mini golf on property in the DMX zone. The property is owned by the Trimper family and is currently being used for parking but began as a water park, Water Flume, and then transitioned into the Tank Battle amusement.

In late November, the Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider amending the code related to parking regulations determining how to calculate required parking spaces in mixed uses.

The commission reviewed the current ordinance and listened to testimony given by Smith and attorney Joseph E. Moore, concerning a challenge from an out-of-state attorney as to the final tabulation of parking spaces for mixed uses. The commission voted 6-0 to recommend amending the code for clarification but not change the intent or the enforcement of the code’s interpretation.

The recommended language states, “Where a fractional space results after tabulating the total number of required spaces, the parking spaces required shall be construed to be the next highest whole number.

“In the case of mixed uses, or uses with different parking requirements occupying the same building or premises, or in the case of joint use of a building or premises by more than one use having the same parking requirements, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately, except that in such mixed uses the computation shall not be subject to the base minimum requirement specified in section…above for individual uses; and that the parking requirements for permitted accessory retail and services uses in a hotel, motor or motor lodge containing 50 or more dwelling units may be reduced by the following percentages: retail sales, offices and service establishments, 30 percent; restaurants and dining rooms, 50 percent; ballrooms, banquet halls, meeting rooms and auditoriums, 70 percent.”

The council voted 5-0, with Mary Knight and Joe Mitrecic absent, to move both recommendations forward to ordinances.

Commissioner Alleges MDE’s $25K Fine ‘A Money Grab’

OCEAN CITY — With upgrades to the Mystic Harbour wastewater and water treatment plants ongoing, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has fined Worcester County $25,000 and set a deadline for upgrades no later than Aug. 31.

Worcester isn’t taking the fines with a smile, however, with County Commission President Bud Church calling the action by the state a “money grab” and accusing MDE of going on a “witch hunt.”

“The state is well aware that we are putting a state-of-the-art, new sewer system in [Mystic Harbour] that exceeds the standards that are required … There have been some delays but for the state to fine us that $25,000 is just absurd. And I feel very comfortable in saying it’s nothing more than a money grab,” he said.

The current system is held together “with duct tape and bubblegum,” admitted Church. However, he argued that Worcester has been sincere in its efforts to upgrade the plant in an acceptable timeframe.

“We’re still in the process of getting that online, getting that to where it’s 100 percent compliant,” he said.

Worcester, and the Eastern Shore in general, is often unfairly targeted by state agencies, claimed Church.

“It would be interesting to see why they haven’t fined some other jurisdictions in the other metropolitan areas that may have had much worse cases than we’ve had but that’s the way it is in the state,” he said.

The original fine MDE asked for when it entered into a Consent Order with the commissioners on Jan. 7 was significantly higher than the final $25,000 that Worcester will be required to pay, according to Church. Still, he viewed it as MDE trying to nickel and dime counties.

“I think they’re looking for every place in the world that they can fine a municipality, a county government, anyone they can go out there and pick up $25,000 here and $50,000 there,” he said. “I think they’re on a witch hunt for big money.”

Along with the fine, all upgrades to the Mystic Harbour wastewater treatment plant must be completed by Aug. 31. Church expects Worcester to meet the deadline as long as Mother Nature plays along.

“It all depends on the weather,” he said. “It’s been non-stop rain and it’s very hard to put in a sewer plant when it’s raining an inch or two once or twice a week. But I think with a little better weather we’ll be fine.”

The fine go into the state’s Clean Water Fund.

Worcester Students Continue To Improve AP Test Scores

SNOW HILL — Maryland has once again topped the nation in terms of average Advanced Placement (AP) scores in public schools, and Worcester County can boast its students are continuing to improve

The announcement that Maryland once again leads all other states in terms of AP testing success came from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s office this week.

“Because of the better choices we’ve made together to invest in our children’s future, we’ve built the No. 1 public schools in the nation,” wrote the governor in a prepared statement. “Thanks to our hardworking students, our dedicated educators and our outstanding parents, Maryland’s high school students have achieved the nation’s best performance on AP exams for seven years in a row, outperforming their peers and gaining the skills they need to learn, earn and grow in the future.”

O’Malley underlined the state’s commitment to education by referencing the 45 percent total increase in school funding statewide since 2006, despite the weak economy.

“Those investments are giving our principals, our teachers and our students the resources to continue to lead the nation in graduation rates, student achievement and the highest participation rate in AP science, technology, engineering and math exams in our state’s history,” he wrote.

But while Maryland’s 29.6 percent average of students who scored a 3 or higher on one or more AP exams in 2012, which rose two points from 2011, was enough to top the nation it paled in comparison to Worcester’s average.

“We were above the state average in AP,” said County Assistant Superintendent for Education Dr. John Gaddis. “We were at 59 percent, which is one of the highest that we’ve ever had. So we’re very proud of that.”

According to information from Worcester County Public Schools, participation in AP increased by 12 percent, or 47 students, last year compared to 2011. Mastery scores, where a student scores a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam also saw a significant rise from 51 percent in 2011 to last year’s 59 percent. It should be noted that Worcester includes all students in their AP average while the state focuses on seniors-only.

The most successful AP programs in Worcester were Statistics, Psychology and Calculus with 83, 75 and 65 percent mastery scores, respectively. The most popular courses were AP US History, Calculus and Psychology.

Despite the fact that Worcester beat the state average of the best performing state in the country by 30 percent, Gaddis said the county wants to see more.

“Even though 59 percent is above the state average, nowhere else in the county do we accept 59 percent,” he said.

Earlier this month, the College Board, which holds purview over AP programs, the PSATs and the SATs, visited Worcester to meet with educators.

“They have done a thorough study of our system and what we’re doing with AP for our students, and we’re going to be meeting with them later in March to discuss what they’ve found so that we can strengthen our program overall,” Gaddis said.  

Even with participation rates in the program climbing, Gaddis added that Worcester expects to see a boost in student involvement with the end-goal of having all students take at least one AP course.

“We feel we can get more participation from students with higher results,” he said.

Starting students earlier is also something the county strives toward, encouraging younger students who might traditionally wait until they are upperclassman to enter AP courses.

“More kids as sophomores are starting to take AP courses as well which is a good thing,” he said.

With the much discussed Common Core system set to be implemented in public schools across the country, Gaddis is not predicting any earth-shattering changes with how the county handles its AP program but would like to see a better “alignment of course work and testing,” with Common Core tying everything together.

Standards for the future in both participation and mastery scores will constantly be rising, said Gaddis, and judged not as much by the lower state-averages but by the benchmarks already set by Worcester. However, he did stress that while the school system expects the utmost of students it is also impressed with the efforts made last year. Gaddis attributed the success to a trinity of commitment between teachers, administrators and students.

The system works, he continued, because teachers are committed to high expectations in the classroom while administration is committed to offering those teachers the latest and most effective training. Finally, students have to be committed to wanting to succeed in their AP courses.

“Kids who are taking our AP courses are taking them seriously and they understand the expectation,” Gaddis said.

Berlin Fire Company, Council Hope To Avoid Mediator

BERLIN — With Berlin’s budget season approaching, both town leadership and Berlin Fire Company (BFC) representatives agreed that the dispute between the two agencies over funding might be nearing resolution.

As has been the tradition with the conflict, however, neither side could make any guarantees.

“I certainly hope that we have all that we need so all of this can be considered during our budget process,” said Mayor Gee Williams.

While the BFC was included in the budget last spring, it was only a few months later that the Town Council severed all funding with the company over a number of issues including alleged employee harassment and scheduling disagreements. Company officials have stated that they hope to recover as much of the roughly $600,000 they lost as possible and fear that ongoing funding cuts could negatively impact things like equipment maintenance and training programs.

There are two approaching conditions that might affect the BFC getting on the town’s budget. First, an investigation by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service Systems (MIEMSS) on the handling of an accident scene in late December has yet to yield a judgment.

“The investigation is still in progress and pending,” said BFC President David Fitzgerald.

Secondly, earlier in the winter the council requested private financial information from the BFC. Both the town and company leadership stepped back to let their respective attorneys handle that discussion.

Williams confirmed this week that the information finally seems to be on its way to the council.

“I have no reason to doubt that they’re getting together the information we need,” he said.

Williams said that he hopes some kind of agreement can be reached over funding before the town finishes its annual budget process this spring. The ball is in the company’s court, explained Williams, with delivering that financial data.

“We’re just basically letting them do what they need to do but I think the more timely we get the information the better it is for everybody,” he said.

Though the BFC has been asking since the split began last summer to involve an unbiased, third-party mediator in the dispute, Williams said this week that the council would like to avoid going that far.

“Everybody keeps saying that we have to have a mediator,” he said. “I think that we can work this out without having to have a third-party in it as long as we all take it one step at a time.”

Fitzgerald felt the same and said that it would be “ideal” if the town and company can settle their troubles without needing outside intervention.

But while the BFC hopes to see some funding returned this cycle, Williams has made it no secret that he doubts the council will give back the full $600,000 annual grant that had been the tradition.

This week, the council approved a $300,000 contribution from the general fund to the new stormwater utility every year. With that $300,000 spoken for, Berlin no longer has more than $600,000 excess in the general fund, so to restore the entire grant to the BFC this spring would require shifting monies within the budget or a tax increase.

But while the funding dispute continues, both the company and the council agreed that fire service remains excellent. Last Thursday the BFC responded to a fire at town hall, which was quickly extinguished, prompting the mayor this week to formerly write the organization a letter of thanks and to say that their “differences have nothing to do with the provision of services by the volunteer fire company in its firefighting capacity.”

Death Penalty Repeal Escapes Senate Committee By 6-5 Vote

BERLIN — The debate over a possible repeal of Maryland’s death penalty intensified this week after a key Senate committee passed Gov. Martin O’Malley’s latest attempt to abolish capital punishment.

Early in the current session, O’Malley made repealing the death penalty a top priority this year, but gaining the approval of the Senate Judiciary Proceedings committee was considered a major stumbling block. The governor’s last effort to repeal capital punishment in the state in 2009 died in the same committee and never came before a full vote.

However, the committee narrowly approved O’Malley’s death penalty repeal bill by a vote of 6-5 this week, sending the measure to the vote on the Senate floor, where 26 of the state’s senators have either co-sponsored the bill or have declared they would support it. The bill is expected to have an easier road in the House although that chamber has not yet taken up the debate.

“It would seem to me that, especially in tough times, if there is something that we’re doing through our government that is expensive and does not work, than we should stop doing it,” O’Malley said on Tuesday. “The death penalty is expensive and does not work. And for that reason alone, I believe we should stop doing it.”

In essence, Maryland stopped “doing it” years ago. The last execution in Maryland was Wesley Baker in 2005. In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was up to the individual states to determine their own policies on the death penalty. The Maryland General Assembly reinstated the death penalty by legislation in 1994 and since then, just five convicted felons have been put to death.

A common point made by advocates of repealing the death penalty is the chance of putting to death a wrongly convicted inmate and there appears to be some merit to the argument. Since the Supreme Court ruling in 1978, 11 inmates have been removed from death row in Maryland for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the accused had their sentences overturned on appeal and were sent back to prison for life without parole. A few were totally exonerated, including a case in 1993 when an inmate was determined to be innocent by DNA evidence.

It remains to be seen if the full Senate will approve the bill, but at least one local Senator will not be supporting the legislation. Delegate Jim Mathias (D-38), who represents Worcester and the lower shore, said this week he continues to be an advocate for keeping the death penalty on the books.

“I honestly believe it’s a deterrent,” he said. “It’s an important tool a prosecutor needs in certain extreme cases and I really believe the very threat of it prevents some violent crimes.”

To illustrate his point, Mathias related the story of a Baltimore City police officer who confronted an armed suspect in a robbery. The suspect got the drop on the officer, but did not pull the trigger. When the officer asked the suspect why he didn’t shoot him when he had the chance, the suspect reportedly told the officer because Maryland had the death penalty.

To further illustrate his point, Mathias this week presented a letter from former Wicomico County State’s Attorney Richard Warren to the Baltimore Sun in 1979 about the prosecution of Ellwood Leuschner for the murder of two children in Wicomico County and his questioning about the murder of a third child on the eastern shore of Virginia around the same time.

According to the letter, Warren successfully prosecuted Leuschner for the murder of Troy Krause and Rusty Marine in 1977 at a time when Maryland did not yet have the death penalty back on the books. When Leuschner was asked about his involvement in the murder of a third boy in Virginia during a lie detector test, he said, “I want you all to know for sure I had nothing to do with that boy. I wouldn’t kill anyone in Virginia because they have the death penalty.”

Warren said in the letter Leuschner’s statement proves the death penalty is a deterrent for at least some criminals and might have saved the Krause and Marine children if Maryland had the option open in 1977.

“That it will not deter all people at all times is more than self-evident,” he wrote. “But does it deter some people at some times? Leuschner seems to be saying that if Maryland had provided a death penalty in 1977, he would not have killed Rusty Marine and Troy Krause.”

In the letter, Warren said the Leuschner admission about Virginia and its death penalty should be taken under consideration during any discussion of repealing it.

“Does the death penalty have a deterrent value? Does life imprisonment provide a satisfactory substitute?” he wrote. “The Leuschner case ought to be given serious consideration by anyone approaching those questions with an open mind.”

Offshore Wind Bill Expected To Pass Soon

OCEAN CITY — A future offshore wind energy farm, proposed as close as 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City, inched closer to reality this week with the anticipated passage by the entire state Senate now the only stumbling block from a legislative standpoint.

Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 was passed last Friday by the House by a vote of 86-48. The Senate Finance Committee passed the legislation by a vote of 7-4 on Tuesday, setting up a final vote before the entire Senate, which is expected to approve the offshore wind bill.

In each of the last two years, the House has approved the governor’s offshore wind initiative, but the stumbling block has been the Senate committee vote. The bill has stalled in the Senate Finance Committee the last two years and the session has expired before a vote could be taken on the Senate floor. However, Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller this year swapped out members of the Finance Committee to ensure the bill’s passage.

Senator Jim Mathias (D-38) said this week he voted for the bill in committee after a couple of amendments he deemed critical to his district were approved. One of the amendments would offer protections to the businesses that use the most energy and would be forced to pay the highest fees.

“We were able to get a couple of good local amendments on the bill before it came out,” he said. “For one, to the extent possible, the Public Service Commission will be required to afford protections to businesses in the state.”

Mathias said another amendment attached to the bill by the Senate Finance Committee would clearly identify where the transmission line would connect the offshore wind field to the mainland. Early recommendations suggested the main transmission line cross over or under Assateague Island to a distribution facility inland, but that was taken off the table when conservation groups rallied against the plan. However, the transmission line has to come ashore somewhere and that would likely be in Worcester County, presumably somewhere in Ocean City.

“Another amendment could determine where the main transmission line comes ashore,” said Mathias. “When talking about upgrades to the grid, the assumption has always been the transmission line will come ashore somewhere within the Delmarva Peninsula. The amendment that passed would ensure that it comes ashore in Maryland.”

Proponents of the offshore wind farm, which could initially place as many as 40 wind turbines in an approved location anywhere from 10 miles to 30 miles off the coast of Ocean City, praised the positive votes by the entire House and the Senate Committee this week.

“This is a great day for our future, for our kids and for our climate,” said Environment Maryland Executive Director Tommy Landers. “Maryland has so much to gain by moving toward real energy solutions like offshore wind power, and we have so much to lose by not doing so.”

Opponents have pointed out the potential surcharge on monthly electric bills for Marylanders to subsidize the development of the offshore wind farm, which were projected at $3 in some of the earlier attempts. The current bill projects the monthly surcharge at $1.50, but opponents are still wincing at taxpayers basically subsidizing what will largely be a private enterprise.

Delegate Mike McDermott (R-38B) has opposed the offshore wind bill from the start. McDermott said the relatively low monthly surcharge only masks what will be much larger costs when businesses pass their increased energy costs on to consumers.

“It would be bad enough if this was the only electricity tax we had to pay over the next 25 years, but this is just the beginning,” he said. “While businesses in Maryland will be charged the lion’s share of the taxes and fees associated with this boondoggle, it is the consumer who will actually be footing the bill. As a result, you will be paying much higher prices for every quart of milk and every piece of clothing you buy from a store as a result of the wind tax.”

McDermott said several amendments were offered in the House, but were rejected by supporters intent on passing the legislation.

“I offered an amendment to this bill which would have required our energy providers to purchase their green energy mandates from the cheapest source available so our families could be spared the high costs,” he said. “This was rejected by those who are under their own mandate from the governor to advance this bill no matter the cost.”

Another amendment attempted in the House would have ensured the wind turbines and associated equipment are made in the U.S. and not overseas as expected.

“Instead of focusing on real energy policies that could move Maryland forward and make our region energy independent, those in charge will strap our future to a horse that can’t win, place or show,” he said. “These folks would not even allow us to pass an amendment that would require the equipment be manufactured in America, and they tell us this is a ‘jobs’ bill for Maryland.”

Resident Questions Berlin Youth Club Funding

BERLIN — Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services (WYFCS) visited the Berlin Mayor and Council Monday to give a regular report on the organization’s free youth program.

Following the report, a resident voiced concerns that WYFCS “doesn’t have a presence” on the east side of town with the Berlin Youth Club. However, Mayor Gee Williams defended the organization’s efforts and said he believes all parts of town benefit from the youth club.

Resident Gabe Purnell told the council Monday that he harbors some concerns over the demographics that make up the Berlin Youth Club and those attending WYFCS events.

“Approximately how many African Americans do you have on average?” he asked Youth Club Coordinator Melanie Windsor.

According to Windsor, out of the pool of between 50 and 55 kids that regularly take part in the club, roughly 25-30 are African American and represented about 49 percent of the group’s population with the remainder 38 percent Caucasian and 13 percent Hispanic.

Purnell also inquired about the number of activities hosted by the club. Windsor estimated the club plans two to four per month. Activities often include things like fieldtrips with the group visiting Wallops Island, the Winterfest of Lights, Old Pro Golf, the Harlem Globetrotters and many others this year. When an event isn’t a field trip, Windsor said that kids will often have an in-house activity at WYFCS’ Main Street office.

For example, the non-profit recently began to offer a monthly art night for youth which, like all of the club’s programs, is free.

“I was very pleased with how many kids showed up,” said Windsor of the first two nights which suffered through rough weather but still managed to bring in 14 and 11 participants, respectfully.

However, Windsor explained that during the school year the club usually only schedules events on days when kids are out of class. Meetings per month increase dramatically in the summer when students are on vacation.

Still, after learning that the town funds the club with an annual $24,000 grant to WYFCS, Purnell asked the council to re-consider that during budget planning.

“That’s a lot of money I believe being paid and what we’re getting I don’t see, and this is a very small town, I don’t see any presence at this point and time on the east side,” Purnell said. “And that’s where this whole program was supposed to be focused primarily because of the at-risk kids … I just think the council needs to take a long and hard look at it.”

The mayor disagreed with Purnell’s assessment and referenced the percentages of students involved with the youth club. With 49 percent of the total numbers, Williams didn’t feel that African Americans were under-represented. Furthermore, he didn’t think that the best approach is to overly worry about demographics opposed to whether the club is doing its job and reaching the kids in Berlin.

“I think we can just respectfully disagree that it is a problem because why have a youth program that doesn’t expand the horizons of all of the children involved regardless of their racial or ethnic heritage?” he asked.

The Berlin Youth Club, which is approaching its third summer, is taking the “long-view,” according to the mayor.

“The idea over time is that someday we have a community, just hopefully like a country, where all of these different ways of defining ourselves by dividing ourselves is just ancient history,” he said.

Until then, Williams reiterated his belief that the club is entirely inclusive and a benefit to the town.