Weekly Update

Police Department

• Morris Waters was arrested for Trespassing at the Lynnhaven Apartments
• Rick Welch was arrested for Trespassing at a residence on Moore Street.
• Cane Cottman was charged with Theft of a watch from the Show Show. He was also charged with Possession of CDS.
• Two vehicles were damaged with cut tires at Wendy Court Apartments
• Shawn Collins was cited for Shoplifting at Walmart
• Johnny Lee Collins was charged with Disorderly Conduct at Walmart

EMS Department

• Thursday was Director Barry Contee's last day on the job. Mike Thornton has been appointed as the Acting Director of EMS.
• The city received the first check for reimbursements of Medicare Funding for EMS from the federal government. The check totalled $37,031.00. There should be no further delays in receiving reimbursements for services provided.

Public Works

• Paving projects continued with many being completed. The Skate/Bike Park pad was completed in Cypress Park; the resurfacing of Berwyck Circle; and multiple patch areas including Fourth Street. Next week they will be working at Winter Quarters Golf Course.
• Crews worked on picking up bulk items in the city as well as brush piles.
• Crews chipped many large branches and recycle the mulch.
• Crews completed winterizing the Fairgrounds.
• Crews continued work on the Cypress Park Nature Trail.

MARVA Performing Arts Theater News

• The Balcony seats arrived and were installed by contractors last week. Unfortunately, the lower seating was not built to specifications and had to be sent back to the manufacturer for replacement. This will delay the permanent seating for a few weeks.

Pocomoke River Discovery Center

• Bids were awarded for construction of exhibits. The bulk of the contract will go to a company located in Dulles, Virginia in the amount of one million dollars.

Historic Christmas Home Tour

Laura and I have been particularly busy in recent weeks preparing for the Christmas Home Tour being conducted by the Costen House (photo on right) and held this past Saturday. The tour was well attended it was a delight to see many folks from Pocomoke City and the Snow Hill area as well. Folks were very gracious with their compliments, and that means a lot to the owner of an older home.

It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to maintain any home. You can multiply that several times when you are talking about homes that are 100 years old or more. I enjoy opening the home and sharing with others the architecture of our home and the many stories that go along with the history of this house of which we have become caretakers.

This is something I find very common among those who purchase historic homes, and that is the sense of being a "caretaker" of history. The oldest homes in Pocomoke City that remain after the many fires that came and ravished the city since it was incorporated are found on Walnut Street. The architecture represented in the 200 block is a great representation of the time period from the late 1800's through the 1920's. It is wonderful to see the effort that is placed into these homes by our neighbors.

It is not unusual to find many folks who visit the area and take a stroll on our block. Particularly during the warmer months. Many of them stop and ask questions when Laura and I are sitting out on the porch swing. Walter and Pam Eskowitz (keepers of "Littleton's Bed and Breakfast") have introduced many to this area. Most who stay at the inn take a stroll and take a lot of photos of the area, and it is nice to see the interest in our community.

Thanks again to all those who participated in the tour and to those who take the time to maintain their homes. A special "thank you" to those of you who decorate for the Christmas Season and share the joy of the season with your neighbors.

Weekly Update

Police Department

• An unidentified male subject attempted to pass a counterfeit $100.00 bill in the Rite Aid. The bill was rejected and the subject fled.
• James McDonald was arrested for DWI. His passenger, Wendy Higgins was charged with Possession of CDS including marijuana and crack cocaine.
• Anthony Holden, 42, was arrested for trespassing and MDOP following a Domestic Disturbance at the Pocomoke Inn.
• Richard Smith, a Wal-Mart employee, was charged with theft of several items he was taking out of the loading area of the store.
• Eugene Zawatski was arrested at Midway Chevrolet on an outstanding warrant from Pennsylvania.
• Zelmayia Kelley and Willima Samuel were charged with attempted theft following an incident at the Shore Bank where they tried to cash a bad check.
• Gary Watts of 107 Fourth Street reported that someone had thrown a brick through one of his windows and also poured some type of oil on his parked vehicle.
• A store window at 202 Clarke Avenue was reportedly damaged.
• Officers responded to a complaint that two vehicles were racing on Rt. 13. One of the vehicles was located and the driver arrested.

Fire Department

• A review and refitting of all Fire Hydrants was commissioned this week to insure that all hydrants are fitted with universal threads and are functioning properly.

Public Works

• One of our paving contractors was in town and has scheduled work on Fourth Street, Berwyck Circle, the Golf Course paths, and the Bike/Skate Park Pad for the coming week.
• Our new well site received approval from the Worcester County Planning Commission and the County's Comprehensive Water and Sewer Plan adjustments have been forwarded to the Worcester County Commissioners for approval.
• Crews winterized all of the water supply lines at the City Docks and at Cypress Park.
• One of our trucks has been outfitted with a Snow Removal Blade in the event of a significant winter storm.
• Crews cleaned out ditches behind Eighth Street and several other areas around the city.
• Crews continued work on the Cypress Nature Trail and new extension area.

MARVA Theater Update

• The balcony seating arrived and was installed by contractors this week. Unfortunately, the primary seating was not made to specifications and had to be returned to the manufacturer for modifications. This will cause some set backs in a grand opening date.

EMS Department

• Thursday, December 13th, will be the last day of employment for Director Barry Contee. Interviews are being conducted this coming week for a new director.