A MESSAGE FROM DAPHNE

I’m back after too long a time from my pond; today I can breathe, all the yesterdays
I couldn't because of the water quality. Thanks to James Goff I can share with you the findings of the tests he has been taking of the pond and the bay. Dr. Jesien expanded his job this summer, to monitoring our water once a week. In the beginning of his testing we didn’t have any rain to add to the test so you will not see it on the sheet. The good news is the pond water has steadily improved over the summer. The round disc show algae, and numbers are PH. You can easily see the improvement over the summer with the discs.

If you ever see James walking around the pond picking up the myriad of things people throw in my pond tell what a great job he is doing… because he is.

Don't forget to click on the image to fill your screen.

ANOTHER SUNSET FOR YOU.

"Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) enacted a regulation
effective April 1, 1999 which requires all recreational waterfront property
owners who set crab pots attached by rope , line or pole in front of their
property or privately owned pier or dock to attach a Crab Pot Bycatch
Reduction Device (CPBRD) to each funnel or entrance to the lower chamber of
the crab pot. This action was taken as a conservation effort to prevent
air-breathing animals (turtles and muskrats) from entering and drowning in
crab pots".

For more information about this regulation visit the following website.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations/crabpot-trd/crabpottrd.html
This site has excellent pictures of the trap you should be using.

Last year I bought two new traps at a shop here in Ocean City. I asked if they were regulation compliant and was told "yes". Looking at the picture I call tell you that the trap does not have the required escape for the turtle. Before you buy take a look at the picture so you won't be mislead.

JUST DO IT!

Assateague Coastkeeper is telling all Worcester County residents to wake up, see what's about to happen to fragile parts of our county because the proposed new zoning regulation is like a swiss cheese version of our Comprehensive Plan. Attend an ACT info meeting in your community for more info. go to www.ActForBays.org

The next meetings are:
May 21 - 7pm Stockton, MD - Methodist Church meeting hall
May 27 - 7pm Berlin - Flower Street Community Center
May 28 - 7pm Bishopville - Wilson Methodist Church
May 28 - 7pm - WOC Association - Lions Club, Airport Road

GREAT BLUE HERON

I had gone up into my non-habitable attic space to set up my tripod for a sunrise picture for the next day when I saw this battle going on across the street. Blue would swing the eel around his head and bang the eel on the asphalt. He did this for about 5 minutes until the eel was finally still enough for him to fly off. This a a big eel. No sunrise picture for the next day. RAIN!

MORE ABOUT PORTOFINO

This time all you have to do is click on the SAVE THE DITCH link. This is well worth your time to see because it has all the information you need and excellent photos.

Save the Ditch

Portofino Request to Build a Marina
Why your help is needed:

This approval of Porotofino would presume that all non-waterfront owners in communities abutting water will have a "rightful use" to justify a boat slip and this could set a precedent for existing communities demanding extensions of boat slips and marinas due to "rightful use" claims. New communities could also use this as an opportunity to demand more boat docks for their developments. Approving this will only cause more harm and conflict amongst various overseeing branches, legal system, lawyers, developers etc.
If this project is approved, it could set a precedent, and create a mass direction of owners, seeking permitting, and/or lawsuits to denying authorities, to be more vigilant in demanding boat slips or extensions to property they own or are to own.

Concerns:

1) The number of unit owners with contiguous water or marsh at the rear of there property, with close proximity, and reasonable vision (to be considered a waterfront property)
2) A possible conditional allowance to a property that from the side view with an argument that it is waterfront due it its close proximity the edge of wetlands or water? If a proposition like this were to be approved, this would set the stage for this and many more problems.
OR
1) The number of property owners within the association and community that has any land that is adjacent to water or marsh have a rightful entitlement to a boat slip.
This decision and result could set a precedent for future permitting, as this will become public enough to be known by current and future community proponents.

You can see this is much more than 16 boat slips for a marina.

At this date the best person to contact regarding Portofino is Jerry Klasuss because you would be asking for the decision of the Shoreline Commission to be overturned. You could say if you wanted, most of the property owners on the canal haven’t had any notice of the marina being built.
Mr. Jerry Klauss, Chairman
Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals
One West Market Street
Snow Hill, MD

Board of County Commissioners, Worcester County, Maryland, at County Government Center, Snow Hill, 2008
The members are


Louise L. Gulyas President James C. (Bud) Church Vice-President Robert L. Cowger, Jr.
James L. Purnell, Jr. (D), Dist. 2
Virgil L. Shockley (D), Dist. 4
Judith O. Boggs (R), Dist. 5
Linda C. Busick (R), Dist. 6

For more information please contact:
Vera McCullough
1vm.mccullough@verizon.net

OTHER PHOTOS
OVERVIEW
http://picasaweb.google.com/savebaywetlands/Overview?authkey=TytAJdXF5BM#
CURRENT BOAT SLIP PHOTOS
http://picasaweb.google.com/savebaywetlands/PlannedMarinaExpansionAbuttingMarshRunningParallelToHighlyTraveledCanal?authkey=n6ApzA936XY#
MARSH/HABITAT
http://picasaweb.google.com/savebaywetlands/ViewsAtPortofinoMarshCanalWaterway?authkey=n21ZFAt0jz4#


If these links aren’t working for you cut and paste them on your browser. They really are worth the time.
Vera