The 54th annual Waterfowl Festival, a three-day celebration of the Eastern Shore’s culture, returns on Nov. 14-16, drawing about 15,000 visitors to downtown Easton. Known for its walkable layout and family-friendly atmosphere, the festival showcases art, music, and heritage connected to the Chesapeake Bay.

This year, artists Josepha Price and Jen Wagner will debut a new collaborative exhibit at The Market at Dover Station, spotlighting Indigenous contributions to local waterfowl traditions.

‘Tell real stories’

Wagner, a glass artist who started participating in the festival in 2019, said she wanted to move beyond visual art and tell deeper cultural stories.

“I wanted to look for an opportunity to step outside my normal mediums and tell real stories that need to be told,” Wagner said. “Whenever I dream something up, the first person I call is Josepha.”

Price, who is of Cherokee heritage, said the concept grew after she and her mother attended a powwow.

“We thought, what if we did something about Indigenous culture and waterfowling?” Price said. “I’ve never seen that in all the years of participating in the Waterfowl Festival.”

The result is a hands-on, family-friendly exhibit featuring works from Indigenous and local artists, as well as historical artifacts from Price’s mother, Cindy Sharer, a former Smithsonian researcher who helped lead an archaeological dig in nearby Crownsville. Visitors can handle items such as pelts, birding and fishing arrows, bows, and a grindstone for grinding corn.

“My mom has loaned us things, so that we can have a touch table for kids. She’s loaning us a grindstone with a mill. She pulled corn and braided it together, so that kids can grind corn on site. And she’s loaned me a bunch of pelts for people to touch,” Price said. “We have carvings. We have birding arrows and fishing arrows. We’ve got bows, and we have two speakers.”

Chief Donna Abbot of the Nause-Waiwash will speak on Friday at 4 p.m., and Sharer will speak on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. about some of her artifacts.

Looking ahead to next year

Wagner said next year they hope to show how people of color contributed to the community in ways that can be reflected within the confines of a waterfowl art show.

“I feel like these two things go side by side,” she said. “We’ve pulled in some of our friends in the art exhibit piece of it, who are honoring the Native American piece. And next year, we will be telling the story of their African American descendants, and how they lived off the land and worked on the water,” she said.

Price said the exhibit is free and family-friendly, and is stationed in an accessible part of town.

“There’s going to be signage to guide people in, and it’s going to take up a significant area,” she said.

Wagner said she hopes people come away with a sense of awe and wonder.

“I’m always incredibly amazed at how advanced those societies were,” she said. “I love seeing the ingenuity, and I want people to just kind of imagine making those tools, working with them every day, and understanding that early intelligence and ability to live off the land. We know, when the colonizers came, that is who they learned from. So we just want people to say, ‘wow, I didn’t know this,’ or ‘I didn’t think about this before.’”

For more information, visit waterfowlfestival.org.

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

Doughty, who resigned Friday, was appointed to the council in 2023 by then-Mayor Jack Heath to fill the seat vacated by Muir Boda, who left to lead the city’s Housing and Community Development Department. Doughty later won election to the District 2 council seat in November 2023 and has served as council president since.

In a social media post Monday, city officials outlined the eligibility requirements for applicants seeking to represent District 2. Candidates must have lived in Salisbury for at least one year and currently reside in District 2. They must also agree to remain in the district through the end of Doughty’s term, which expires Nov. 2, 2027. In addition, applicants must be registered voters in Salisbury and at least 21 years old, according to the city charter.

Residents who meet those criteria can submit a letter of interest and a résumé to the City Clerk’s Office by 4:30 p.m. Nov. 21. Materials can be delivered by mail to: City Clerk’s Office, City of Salisbury, 125 N. Division St., Room 308, Salisbury MD 21801.

You can also email it to jenglish@salisbury.md or hand deliver it. Regardless of how you send it, the information must reach the city clerk’s office no later than 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2025, as city code calls for council vacancies to be filled within four weeks.

On Monday, Council Vice President Angela Blake briefly addressed Doughty’s departure.

“I just want to give D’Shawn Doughty our thanks for his service and wish him the best in all his endeavors,” Blake said. “And anyone for District 2 who would be interested and inclined to fill that seat, please have a résumé and a letter of intent to the clerk’s office by Nov. 21, by 4:30 p.m.”

A question of location

One issue that’s been raised since Doughty’s resignation involves allegations the council member lived outside the city limits for the last year.

Salisbury Elections Board Chair Susan Carey confirmed the board reviewed a report and “voted in favor of further investigating the complaint that was filed.”

She said the complaint questioned “the residency compliance of an elected official” but would not comment on whether it specifically involved Doughty.

Doughty, meanwhile, told The Sun that he resigned “out of respect, not because of any violation.”

“I understand that emotions can run high in moments like this, but my actions and decisions were made in good faith and in accordance with the City Charter and Maryland law,” Doughty told The Sun on Tuesday. “I stepped down not out of guilt, but out of respect – for the office, for the public trust, and for the belief that leadership sometimes means putting the City’s stability above personal pride. I remain proud of my record, my integrity, and my love for this community,” Doughty said.

Doughty did not respond to questions on whether he served while legally living outside of city limits.

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

The decision, announced last Friday, drew mixed reactions. Supporters applauded the move, calling the colorful crosswalk unsafe and unfairly preferential. Opponents said it symbolized inclusion and acceptance — and that removing it erases progress for LGBTQ+ residents.

Among the critics was local artist and activist KT Tuminello, who had staged a hunger strike in protest. As road crews tore up the street in near-freezing temperatures Tuesday morning, friends helped Tuminello into a car. Before leaving, he raised a fist toward City Hall and cursed the mayor.

The Shore Pride Alliance [SPA], which designed, paid for and created the rainbow crosswalk, is also frustrated with the situation.

“We know that rainbow crosswalks have never been divisive, political or exclusionary, something affirmed by empirical research that has found time and again that symbols of inclusivity are uniting and help counter marginalization,” the group said in a statement. “We remain confident that love and inclusion cannot be truly erased and that the spirit of our crosswalk will persist until such time as it can be reinstalled.”

Tensions flare at City Council

On Monday night, the crosswalk came up at a City Council meeting.

Salisbury resident Joe Venosa criticized former officials for installing the crosswalk and potentially exposing the city to liability, but said “getting rid of it is far worse.”

“The fact remains certain — you don’t have a mandate to do this. You should not do it,” Venosa said. “Please think of constituents who are really going to feel it on a human level.”

Resident Suzanna Mallow said she was struck by the phrase “liberty and justice for all” in the Pledge of Allegiance that opened the meeting.

“For the first time, probably since I’ve moved here, I started thinking, is this still my town? I’m really starting to think it’s not,” she said.

Taylor, during administrative comments, said he felt that some speakers were trying to create division.

“There’s this want to create separation between my values and other people’s values, to seem superior to what I value,” he said. “And I think we’re probably more on the same page than not. I think a lot of this stuff is generated to create a political backdrop, and I don’t think that’s particularly healthy.”

“I’m. On. Your. Team,” he said, pounding the table for emphasis. “I’ve been here my whole life … You guys piling up on me like you’re superior, I don’t get it. I’m this bigot and racist or whatever you want. I’m sick of it. OK? I’m not that person.”

Councilwoman Michele Gregory fired back.

“Mr. Mayor, if you don’t want to be called a bigot, don’t do bigoted things,” she said.

“I would just ask that you take a minute and breathe and learn that public office and being in the public eye means you’re going to take criticism that you don’t like,” Gregory said. “But that does not mean you get to scold the people that are making you feel bad by their criticisms.”

Replacements won’t be free

SPA officials noted that the crosswalk was created with the approval of the Salisbury Arts Council. In 2018, a public request for proposals [RFP] was sent out by the city’s Arts and Entertainment District. SPA submitted their idea and it was selected by the arts council.

Since that original approval, SPA has applied for and received permits from the city for all needed maintenance and repainting. When SPA redesigned the crosswalk in 2021, the nonprofit filed an amended proposal and got permission to modify the original design.

“Shore Pride Alliance has repainted the crosswalk every year at no cost to the city,” the group said in a statement. “SPA pays for the permit to block the road and repaint. Paint and needed supplies have been purchased by the non-profit. Labor has been provided free of charge using volunteers from the community. The upkeep of the crosswalk has been at no cost to the city.”

By contrast, Taylor’s original plan would have come with a city-funded price tag. Salisbury launched its “Crosswalk Canvas” art initiative in May, promising $3,000 to the winning artist. The winning design would be on the crosswalk for the next two years, and then another contest would be held. But the mayor told The Sun earlier this week that the city would not be moving forward with the plan “as most of the submissions were pornographic.”

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor made the announcement last Friday, saying this would be part of a repaving project on Market Street, running from Main Street to South Division Street near City Headquarters and the Wicomico County Public Library. The rainbow crosswalk, paid for, created and maintained by Pride volunteers, became Maryland’s first when it went up in 2018.

Taylor said there was never a formal contract between the city and the Shore Pride Alliance for the work, with the project initially approved by then-Acting Mayor Julia Glanz. Glanz was in charge while former Mayor Jake Day was deployed overseas. Day now serves as Maryland’s housing secretary.

“She just decided that, hey, this is a cool thing, we’re gonna do it, without regard to is this legal, is this appropriate?” Taylor said. “And since that time, when I raised an issue with it, they came after me as if I was a bigot, and that’s not at all where I’m coming from.”

Day said just that in a Facebook post over the weekend, replying to Taylor’s announcement that the crosswalks would be painted over by saying, “Lotta words just to say you’re a bigot.”

Day added that while the rainbow is a crosswalk, “it represents something more.”

“I’m watching my neighbors for whom this was a beacon of acceptance cry out as this affirms that a hateful minority has weaseled their way into temporary power,” Day wrote. “I’m sure it makes people rethink what kind of place they’re living in – and if they’re wanted here.”

‘Rainbows are not political’

The announcement also sparked confusion from some residents, who didn’t see what the problem was.

KT Tuminello, a local musician and advocate, said he doesn’t understand Taylor’s motivation.

“I just don’t get it,” he said. “Rainbows are not political – it’s just a rainbow. The rainbow can be anything you want it to be. I’m not telling you what that’s for. It’s whatever you want it to be. It’s just a piece of art.”

He said he understands the need for roadwork but argued the rainbow crosswalk is a cultural landmark.

“After they’re done with the work that they say is roadwork, we want to just be allowed to repaint one of these,” he said.

Until Sunday night, Tuminello said, he served on the Salisbury Public Art Committee.

“I resigned last night,” he said. “We have an entire committee dedicated to just art on public property – and they should be the arbiters.”

“To me, this represents people I know that have killed themselves because of people just like Randy Taylor – that’s what it means to me,” Tuminello continued. “That’s why I’m so passionate about it. That’s why I get loud. That’s why I get upset. Because he’s telling me my friends don’t matter.”

Tuminello was at the site of the downtown crosswalk just after midnight Sunday and remained there as of Monday afternoon. He said he’s on a hunger strike and won’t move until Taylor agrees to a compromise. A city official at the scene said milling of the street is expected to begin Tuesday.

“I intend to stay here until I either have handcuffs on me, they have to put me in a hospital – because I am disabled – or Mayor Taylor just agrees to allow us to repaint one crosswalk, which would be the original crosswalk, the very first in the state of Maryland,” Tuminello said.

Is it legal?

One argument made by the mayor is that he’s following state and federal laws by doing this. Officials from the Maryland State Highway Administration [SHA] said they’ve reminded Salisbury officials through this that the road is not owned or maintained by the state. As a result, it’s outside their jurisdiction.

Charlie Gischlar, a spokesman for SHA, said for their projects, Maryland follows the guidance of the Federal Highway Administration.

According to that guidance, “When transverse crosswalk lines are used, they shall be solid white, marking both edges of the crosswalk, except as noted in the Option.”

That option adds, “For added visibility, the area of the crosswalk may be marked with white diagonal lines at a 45-degree angle to the line of the crosswalk or with white longitudinal lines parallel to traffic flow.”

Taylor cites broader issues

Taylor said the question of whether crosswalks can legally be anything other than white is part of the issue, but “the primary issue is viewpoint discrimination.”

“If I allow them to do something like this, then I’ve got to let the swastika in,” he said. “There’s a whole bunch of folks that have had and wanted to do that same thing – well, just make more crosswalks … but it wouldn’t be artful, it would be political. And we don’t want to go down that road as a community.”

Taylor said he waited for a year after taking office before acting on the crosswalks and even tried to find a compromise.

“We tried to go to a more of a compromise with the canvas crosswalker approach, which wasn’t, I don’t think, taken seriously, as most of the submissions were pornographic – which was not helpful,” he said. “We couldn’t find a compromise.”

On the hunger strike, Taylor said of Tuminello, “I like KT and he’s well-intentioned. But we disagree, and that’s the way it’s gonna have to be.”

Asked if he expects issues when milling begins, Taylor said, “I hope not.”

“I think it’s one of these things where nobody’s ill-intended here. My feelings on this have been well known. In the same way that the prior mayor acted upon it, I’m acting upon it as well.”

Part of a larger infrastructure plan

“This is part of the last leg of the urban greenway project, which started with Carroll Street,” Taylor said. “Market Street needed to be repaved like five years ago. So, this will finish that up. We did the upgrades to the handicap ramps on the sidewalks, so it’ll look good.”

“We’re spending an additional $1 million this year on general infrastructure, and the paving and the sidewalks being a big piece of that,” he said.

Taylor said former Mayor Jake Day had decreased the roads budget and, “at some point, you start falling into a hole. So last year, I budgeted a $1 million catch-up payment in the form of a bond issue, so we can catch up a lot of these streets and get more normalized. We can incrementally increase our budget and absorb that over time.”

He said Salisbury has roughly 86 miles of road and the plan is to get on a better schedule for regular repaving.

“We did Vine, we did Church, we’re going to do Snow Hill Road … and then, hopefully, next year, we’ll expand into about another $300,000, so we’ll have about $1.2 million annually – and that ought to keep us creeping back up on catching up.”

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

There, while briefing a group of Pakistani commandos about Operation Desert Storm, the Annapolis resident felt the memories he’d pushed aside come flooding back. They were scenes of mass graves, bombed-out neighborhoods and the haunting evidence of atrocities committed during the war.

“It was like I was back there watching it all again in technicolor,” Fenzel said. “I literally had to stop talking.”

That moment, he said, forced him to confront the reality of post-traumatic stress.

Fenzel, 63, spent 25 years in the U.S. Army, much of it in Special Forces, serving through the end of the Cold War and both Gulf War operations. He later worked in the White House during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, helping develop emergency response tactics in the aftermath.

For Fenzel, Veterans Day is not just about nostalgia or remembrance. It is a call to action.

“Veterans Day is for the living veterans, but if you don’t put it in the right terms, it becomes just nostalgia – and Veterans Day is patently not nostalgia,” he said. “If you want to view it in the most simplistic terms, it should be viewed as a to-do list: You care for the veterans. You teach those values that matter to all of us today, you live those values.”

He highlighted opportunities for residents to honor service through events beyond this week. Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 13 is one example, where volunteers place wreaths at national cemeteries and help maintain the grounds.

Fenzel will share these reflections in person as the guest speaker at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Ceremony at 11 a.m. on Tuesday in Ocean Pines. The event will include patriotic music and a salute to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Looking back over his career

His path to the military was almost inevitable. A third-generation service member, Fenzel followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who fought in World War I, and his father, a Korean War veteran.

“I was drawn to Special Forces because of what it demanded — physically, mentally, and morally,” he said. “It wasn’t just about being a soldier. It was about being part of something bigger.”

He joined the Army at the tail end of the Cold War and was first stationed in Germany before entering the elite ranks of the Special Forces, where he would serve for the next quarter-century.

After completing qualification training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fenzel was assigned to a Special Forces A-Team. Within a week of arriving, Iraq invaded Kuwait.

“As a brand-new team leader, my boss told me, ‘Your team is going to be the first to deploy into Saudi Arabia as part of what became known as Desert Shield,’” he recalled. “We were literally the first American unit to touch ground in Saudi Arabia after the invasion.”

Operation Desert Shield began on Aug. 2, 1990, followed by Operation Desert Storm on Jan. 17, 1991 — the start of a period that would shape Fenzel’s understanding of both leadership and loss.

Dealing with PTSD as a soldier

Even as a team leader in combat, Fenzel said he believed he was handling the stress of war well. “You just move on to the next thing, report it, and keep going,” he said. “But the things you see don’t just disappear. They stay with you.”

He first confronted the full impact of post-traumatic stress months after Desert Storm, during that briefing in Pakistan. Standing before 500 soldiers, recounting the events of Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he was suddenly overwhelmed by memories he had long pushed aside.

“It was the strangest thing I’ve ever experienced,” Fenzel said. “Images of atrocities — swimming pools full of bodies, homes where women had been raped, blood on the walls — came back in vivid detail. I literally had to stop talking. Thankfully, one of my men took over the presentation for me.”

Fenzel said that moment taught him the profound power of memory and the lingering effects of war. He eventually found an outlet in writing. Today, he is the author of four novels, including The Sterling Forest, The Lazarus Covenant, The Fifth Column and Retribution, released earlier this year, which allowed him to process the experiences he could not leave behind on the battlefield.

For more information about the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Foundation and the Worcester County Veterans Memorial, visit www.WoCoVets.org.

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

Wicomico County took the first step in its effort on Nov. 4, voting 6-1 to approve a gas rights and development agreement and to authorize WAGA Energy Inc. as the sole-source vendor to convert landfill gas into grid-quality fuel. Cecil County also hopes to work with WAGA, but its effort is still in the negotiation stage. WAGA runs more than 50 similar operations worldwide, including 20 in North America and three each in Pennsylvania and New York.

“This is cutting-edge technology,” said Adam Corry, Wicomico County’s deputy public works director. “That gas is being produced [in our landfills]. You want to harness that, reuse it, have a great product go out, and then benefit our enterprise with it – we’re onboard 100% and we’re very happy about it.”

Under the deal, Wicomico County will lease land to WAGA and receive annual royalties that could total about $500,000 annually, with projected revenues of up to $10 million over 20 years and nearly $2 million in federal tax credits, according to the company’s estimates. WAGA plans to invest $24.5 million in the facility’s construction and another $4 million through local contractors, the company states in their proposal. The Cecil contract has yet to be finalized.

How it works

Corry said the project will use emissions already produced at the county’s Newland Park Landfill, converting them into renewable natural gas instead of simply flaring them off or using them for small-scale electricity production. The county had faced state-mandated upgrades to capture more methane under new Maryland regulations that took effect in January 2025 — but those costs will now likely be covered through grants tied to the new project.

He added that about $2 million in well-field upgrades will be needed but could be funded through the state’s Local Government Energy Modernization Program.

Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano said she was excited about the opportunity to lead the state in the use of this cutting-edge technology, adding that one more council vote is needed before the agreement becomes final.

This would be a first-of-its-kind project for the Eastern Shore.

A push for more energy

The project arrives as Maryland faces mounting pressure to meet rising energy demand. PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator for Maryland and 12 other states, has warned that energy consumption is increasing faster than new supply — driven largely by the growth of data centers in Frederick and Prince George’s counties.

Based on data from PJM and Maryland utilities, the Maryland Public Service Commission estimates the state’s energy demand is expected to grow at an annual rate between 0.3% to 0.32% from now until 2032. That doesn’t take into account demands from the three data centers under construction.

At the same time, the cost of electricity, both on the Eastern Shore and across Maryland, is rising. Over the last five years, Maryland’s average cost of electricity rose by 1.2 cents to 15.1 cents per kilowatt-hour by the end of 2024, according to a study released in October by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The researchers found that inflation and the cost of maintaining the grid infrastructure were the biggest drivers of costs.

Some of Maryland’s older power plants, including the coal-fired Brandon Shores and oil-fired H.A. Wagner facilities, have delayed their planned 2024 closures until 2029 to keep the grid stable. PJM officials say the state “needs all available sources” until replacement generation is ready.

Working toward the future

That’s where these two projects could help out. The Wicomico project, as it’s further along, would mark the first renewable natural gas facility of its kind on the Eastern Shore. Similar projects are being tested in Baltimore, Jessup and Accokeek.

Meanwhile, Cecil County Executive Adam Streight said their project is moving forward as well, adding that the county issued a request for proposals and received three bids, with WAGA being the top offer.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Streight said. “When I first came into office almost a year ago I was briefed on it and I just thought it was fantastic. But, obviously, there’s a lot to the process before we sign the bottom line. Hopefully, that should be soon.”

Kyeisha Elliott, 37, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. On Nov. 7, Wicomico County Circuit Court Administrative Judge S. James Sarbanes ordered her to serve five years of active incarceration, with another five years suspended in favor of probation. Elliott had been free on pretrial release before sentencing.

Her son, Mykel Elliott, 18, was convicted Oct. 24 of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, gang participation, and related offenses following a five-day jury trial before Chief Judge Kathleen Beckstead. He will remain in custody until sentencing, according to Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes.

Prosecutors said the April 16, 2023, shooting stemmed from a gang feud over a video posted online. Elliott and others tracked the victims to Pizza City in downtown Salisbury in the early morning hours, where they opened fire — killing 14-year-old Xavier Cordei Maddox and wounding several others.

In a statement Monday, Dykes said the elder Elliott helped her son in the hours and days after the killing by impeding the police investigation and assisting him in evading authorities.

“Violent criminals in our county are increasingly protected and emboldened by those around them who obstruct police investigations,” Dykes said. “Those who do so contribute to the violence in our society and must be held accountable just as the actual perpetrators are.”

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

Doughty was appointed to the council in 2023 by then-Mayor Jack Heath to fill the seat vacated by Muir Boda, who left to lead the city’s Housing and Community Development Department. He was later elected to the District 2 council seat in the Nov. 2023 race and has served as council president since then.

In a social media post Friday, Doughty said, “Sometimes purpose calls us into rooms we never imagined — and then, just as boldly, it calls us into new ones.

“Serving as president of the City Council has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I’ve poured my heart into this city because I believe in what Salisbury is becoming. I’ve seen neighbors rise to meet challenges, young people discover their voice, and partnerships form that will change lives long after any one of us leaves office.”

Doughty added that a new opportunity arose that will require him to spend more time outside the city.

“After much prayer, reflection and conversation with those I trust, I’ve made the difficult decision to step down as Council President, effective immediately,” he said. “This decision isn’t about walking away — it’s about walking faithfully. Leadership isn’t about holding a title; it’s about holding true to your values, even when the path shifts.

“I will always carry Salisbury in my spirit, and my commitment to this community doesn’t end here — it simply continues from a different place.

“To everyone who believed in me, worked beside me, challenged me and held me accountable: thank you. Together, we proved that integrity still matters, that hope still leads and that service still changes lives. This city raised me, trusted me and allowed me to serve. And for that, I’ll forever be grateful.”

In a phone interview Friday, Doughty confirmed he was resigning from the council entirely.

“As I said in the letter, I decided to step down to focus on my personal well being, and my professional and personal opportunities, and just to make sure that I’m doing the best for the citizens of Salisbury. But I’m never too far away,” he said. “I’m always willing to help, and I’m excited for Salisbury and for Salisbury being the shine life for the Eastern shore.”

Southgate Grille in Ocean Pines announced Wednesday on social media that it will add a $2 charge for water service, citing a 185% year-over-year rate increase. The restaurant said its quarterly water and sewer bill jumped from $3,094.93 to $10,862.51 between July and September, compared to the same period last year.

“If we want to stay in business, we have to maintain our profit margin,” the post read.

Worcester County Commissioner Chip Bertino, who represents Ocean Pines, said the higher rates reflect rising operational and regulatory costs, not an attempt to shift other communities’ expenses onto local ratepayers.

“It was decided that each service area would be responsible for its own debt and shortages,” Bertino said. “Despite what you may hear on the grapevine, Ocean Pines ratepayers are not paying for other service areas.”

Bertino said costs have increased due to more expensive treatment chemicals, new testing requirements for contaminants such as PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — and maintenance needs for aging infrastructure. Capital improvements in the current budget total about $1.2 million, he said, and without a rate hike, the system would have faced an $864,000 shortfall.

Rates are based on a $209 equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) fee, up $2 from last year. Usage charges range from $5 per 1,000 gallons up to 22,500 gallons and $15 per 1,000 gallons beyond that. New accessibility fees also took effect this year for undeveloped properties with one or more EDUs.

Recent bills reflect summer use

New accessibility fees also took effect this year for undeveloped properties with one or more EDUs.

“Undeveloped properties that hold EDUs are guaranteed future access to public water and/or sewer, and play a key role in supporting the operation and maintenance needs of the Sanitary Service Areas (SSAs) where they are located,” Bertino said. “Accessibility fees ensure that all properties that benefit from access to a public water and/or wastewater system contribute proportionally to the costs to build and maintain that infrastructure (e.g., treatment plants, pump stations, mains). Without these fees, existing, connected users would be required to shoulder all these costs.”

In short, he said those fees help the county establish uniform and transparent rates across service areas, ensuring enough funding is available to cover current operational costs and establish a reserve for future infrastructure.

“Unfortunately, ever-increasing costs and an enhanced regulatory environment are realities that the County must manage,” Bertino said. “You don’t like the increases. I don’t like the increases. But it’s imperative that the Ocean Pines Water/Wastewater facility and all our water facilities, for that matter, be properly maintained and updated when necessary and operated efficiently in the best interests of all of us.”

Bertino noted that recent bills reflect summer water use, which typically spikes with lawn watering and other seasonal activities.

Southgate Grille said it hopes customers understand the need for the new charge. “We don’t want to charge for water,” the owners wrote, “but we have to recover our costs.”

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.

McKinley Cornish, 71, was convicted in September of attempted first-degree murder, illegal possession of a firearm and related charges. Chief Judge Kathleen L. Beckstead of the Wicomico County Circuit Court handed down the sentence.

According to Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes, the attack happened June 24, 2024, after Cornish became angry over a domestic dispute with his wife. Cornish kicked in the door of his stepdaughter’s bedroom while she was on the phone with 911, fired a warning shot into the wall, and then shot her eight times in the stomach, shoulder, arms and legs.

“Incredibly, the victim survived the attack,” Dykes said in a statement.

Cornish fled with the gun and was found the next day in Franklin City, Virginia. He was prohibited from possessing the gun because of prior criminal activity.

“The victim will forever be scarred by Cornish’s actions, but should never have to fear for her safety again,” Dykes said in a statement. “A firm sentence like the one imposed in this case shows the community that gun violence, particularly by those who are prohibited from possession of firearms, will not be tolerated in Wicomico County.”

Have a news tip? Contact Eastern Shore bureau chief Josh Davis at jdavis@baltsun.com or on X as @JoshDavis4Shore.