02/07/2007

Why they came on Friday morning
By Dolores E. Pike

The weather was not conducive to an early morning gathering.  The sky was grey with a slight mist in the air.  But still the people of Ocean Pines responded to the early morning rallying call.  They congregated under the canopy of the venerable Country Club, mingling in groups, chatting, greeting friends.  At 7:30 a.m. everyone gathered around the flag pole for a prayer, the pledge of allegiance and a hearty rendition of "God Bless America."

Ocean Pines residents had responded to the call to appear at a hastily called special meeting of the Ocean Pines Association (OPA) directors to protest the construction of a large sediment pond in front of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial.  Along with being an eyesore, the pond would effectively cut off any future community gatherings at the site.  The drawings detailing the offensive pond had not been made public prior to a late Monday afternoon, January 29  meeting of the Memorial's Board of Directors at which time OPA Director Dan Stachurski flatly stated, according to those present at the meeting, it was a "done deal," already approved by Worcester County and nothing could be done about it.

Of the approximately 200 or so people who came out to protest the location of the pond, there were both long time and newly arrived residents of the Pines.  Jim Hudson grew up in Parkertown, which was the name of the area where The Pavillions is now located, and his father drove a local school bus for 35 years.  Jim, who has lived in Ocean Pines since 1983, is a Navy veteran and has attended Memorial Day ceremonies at the Memorial.  He firmly believes it is a place that brings the community together.  "There have to be other ways to do this," he said referring to the sediment pond or "water hole," as he succinctly put it.

Another long time resident, Oberlin Mason who is 86, has lived in the Pines for 28 years and "loved it from the very beginning." Referring to the sediment pond, he said it is "one of the worst things to happen that I have seen.  I think putting the pond there is like using the basement of a church for the disposal of water."  He has attended both Memorial Day services held to date and deems them "beautiful."  He admits to getting very emotional just talking about the site, having purchased pavers for himself, his brother, his son and his son's father-in-law.   Oberlin saw service in France in World War II as he rode in a tank all the way up to the Elbe River.

Bill Haag, who served in the Army in Germany during the Korea conflict, has lived in the Pines for 14 years and calls the Memorial "inspiring."  He goes on to say "To desecrate it is terrible.  If we start losing our sense of pride in the community, I don't care how much money you spend, it will be a dying community."

Newly arrived residents, Bill and Paula McDaniel, have only lived in Ocean Pines since June but they came to last year's Memorial Day service. Paula said, "It was the most moving experience.  Every age was represented there.  After moving around so much (Bill, as a graduate of West Point, was a career Army officer before they retired here) it is so nice to be a part of a small town ambience."

And last but not least, there is the McMullen family who have called Ocean Pines home since Donald and Miriam McMullen built their home on Canon Drive in 1974.  This past November 35 descendants, friends and family of the senior McMullens, gathered at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial to pay tribute to parents and grandparents, both WW II veterans, who met in Paris, France in 1945 while serving with the U.S. Army. Their son Don McMullen, present at Friday's meeting, said, "I am very upset. I am for the new Center but the Memorial is dear to my heart.  It is sacred ground and should be kept that way.  There needs to be the opportunity to hold special events."



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