With the pandemic finally ebbing and life in Wicomico County resuming a more-normal progress, 2022 was a year of progress and action, balanced by tragedy and some deep reflection.

The following are some of the news stories we’ll remember from the past year.

Deputy killed

Wicomico County Sheriff’s Deputy Glenn R. Hilliard was shot and killed at an apartment complex in Pittsville on Sunday, June 12, while attempting to apprehend a fugitive who was wanted on multiple felony warrants in multiple jurisdictions.

The suspect, later identified as Austin Jacob Allen Davidson, 20, of Delmar, was captured late Sunday night. Davidson was charged with murder, assault, reckless endangerment and felony firearm use in a violent crime.

During his funeral service, held one day before what would have been Hilliard’s 42nd birthday, Sheriff Mike Lewis announced he had posthumously promoted Hilliard from deputy first class to corporal. He also awarded him the sheriff’s office Medal of Honor which he presented to Hilliard’s wife, Tashica.

Hilliard joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2012. Before that he served in the Berlin and Crisfield police departments. He also had worked as a seasonal police officer in Ocean City and as an instructor for Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy.

 Here Is Home

 New housing was expected to boom in Salisbury with 8,094 units of single-family houses, townhouses, duplexes, apartments and assisted living on the drawing board, with some already under construction, Mayor Jake Day announced in March.

The rush to develop was spurred by the Here Is Home incentive -- which waives city fees normally charged to developers.

To address housing issues in the city, in October 2021, Day announced the new initiative aimed at increasing the city’s housing stock, as well as affordability, as the city faced a housing deficit.

To incentivize the construction of new housing stock, the Here Is Home incentive makes use of fee waivers. Property owners and real estate developers must sign an agreement with the city waiving any and all fees associated with development – including annexation fees. Projects that stay on a defined timeline will pay nothing in city fees.

To meet the requirements, a project must receive permits by Feb. 28, 2023, and break ground by Oct. 31, 2023.

If they meet all the requirements, developers will be reimbursed for a range of fees including building plan review, building permits and water and sewer connections.

The program also offers a minimum payment in lieu of taxes for Habitat for Humanity and Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services. One Habitat house is currently under construction on Barclay Street.

Julie Giordano

Republican Julie Giordano, a 41-year-old public schools English teacher and political newcomer, was elected County Executive in November – the first woman to ever hold the post in Wicomico’s history.

Giordano prevailed in a three-way race, defeating Ernie Davis, a Democratic County Council member, and Libertarian Muir Boda, a Salisbury City Council member.

A resident of Hebron and a Baltimore native, Giordano has been teaching for 16 years in Wicomico County. She holds a bachelor’s in Communications/Public Relations and a master’s in Leadership from Salisbury University. She has been a Wicomico County resident for 20 years.

Since 2006, the Wicomico County Executive has served as the chief executive officer of the county. Serving full time, the executive crafts and submits the annual county budget to the County Council, recommends measures for legislative action and oversees all county employees. The executive holds veto power over certain legislation and is a public face of Wicomico County government.

Giordano defeated Acting County Executive John Psota in July’s Republican primary.

Davis, 58, and Boda, 49, faced no primary opposition.

During the campaign, Giordano said she was running because a leadership vacuum had affected the county’s operations.

Giordano has said she will implement the already-approved county Water and Sewer Plan, expand broadband throughout our county and help the county grow by touting the airport, Civic Center, port and baseball stadium.

At her swearing-in ceremony held Dec. 6 at James M. Bennett High School, Giordano attributed to a committed campaign effort for her victory – and encouraged students in the audience to follow her lead.

“Hard work is hard work. Success takes hard work,” she said, addressing her students in the audience. “Your path is never set. When you want something you go for it. As much as I loved being your teacher, I could not wait to wake up this morning,” said Giordano.

The Ross

 A building that some doubted would ever be built is now nearing completion and soaring over Salisbury’s skyline.

The Ross, a 14-story, 165-foot-tall structure that will offer student housing by next fall, is being built at 130 and 132 E. Main St., using the historical facades of the existing buildings and adding 10 more stories.

It now towers over the 90-foot-tall One Plaza East a block away which previously was Salisbury’s tallest building.

The Ross was one of the first projects to take advantage of a new tax incentive for Downtown apartment and hotel projects. HORIZON – or a Hotel Or Residential Incentive Zone -- offers city and county property tax abatements that lower the amount of taxes owed for a specified period of time.

The project got its start when developer Nick Simpson of Mentis Capital Partners first acquired 130 E. Main St., which was built in 1921 as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Building. He later bought 132 E. Main St.

Since the close of the theater the structure was used as office space called the East Main Street Professional Building. 

Simpson later acquired the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce’s office next door as part of The Ross complex.

The Ross will feature two- and four-bedroom floor plans, totaling 358 beds in 101 units. A foot bridge over a landscaped alleyway will connect the to the top level of the city’s parking garage.

Micah C. Stauffer

In a unanimous vote held in a special meeting in June, the Wicomico County Board of Education selected  as its next Superintendent of Schools.

Stauffer had served Micah C. Stauffer as the school system’s Chief Finance and Operations Officer, where he worked in all aspects of the school system by leading the areas of Finance, Human Resources, employee relations and planning and construction.

A lifelong Wicomico resident, Stauffer is a 1991 graduate of Wicomico High School in Salisbury.

Superintendent of Schools Donna Hanlin announced in November that she would retire on June 30. Hanlin served six years as Wicomico’s superintendent.

Stauffer was formally introduced in a meeting held at West Salisbury School. The seven school board members voted unanimously to appoint him to a four-year term.

In recent weeks, the board had narrowed its candidates to three educators – Frederick L. Briggs, the school system’s Chief Academic Officer; and Eric L. Minus, a leader in the Baltimore County Public Schools system.

In his first public comments after his selection was announced, Stauffer said he was honored to have been selected, and thanked his colleagues and family for supporting his ambitions to serve the public schools.

Stauffer was first hired by Wicomico County Public Schools as a substitute teacher, and in 1998 began teaching science at Parkside High School, where he also coached baseball and golf.

He served as an Assistant Principal at Wicomico Middle School and Mardela Middle and High School.

As Principal of Mardela Middle and High School and Parkside High School, Stauffer worked to ensure that all students receive opportunities to succeed at the highest levels.

Stauffer earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, his master’s degree from Salisbury University and his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership/District Administration from Wilmington University.

County Council elections

All but one of Wicomico County’s council contests were decided by the Nov. 8 election night – the battle for an at-large seat on the seven-member board.

It took days of counting final mail-in and provisional votes before Republican James Winn could be declared the winner over Democrat Brad Gillis.

Winn prevailed by just 430 votes – 12,753 to 12,323.

Winn, who lives in Mardela Springs, received 24.36 percent of the at-large vote spread among four contenders, compared to 23.54 percent for Gillis, who lives in Salisbury.

As in previous elections, the top vote-getter among at-large candidates was Council President John Cannon of Salisbury. When the final votes were counted, he received 15,578 votes or 29.76 percent.

Megan Outten of Salisbury finished fourth with 11,621 votes or 22.20 percent.

Two of Wicomico’s council members are elected at-large, while five are elected within districts. 

Both Winn and Gillis were first-time political candidates.

A self-acknowledged conservative, Winn has lived in Wicomico for 18 years and graduated from Parkside High School in 2011. A small-businessman and craftsman, he and his father own and operate Acme Ceramic Tile Co.

Gillis is a principal at NAI Coastal and Gillis Gilkerson, a construction and development company in Downtown Salisbury. His mother is a retired Wicomico County public school teacher; his father is entrepreneur and developer Palmer Gillis, a former Salisbury City Council member.

A council veteran who has served on the body for 12 of the last 16 years, Cannon is owner of Cannon Management & Rentals. His family has played a role in Wicomico politics for decades.

Winn’s victory means the County Council will have five Republican and two Democratic members.

In the race for the District 1 seat, political veteran Shanie P. Shields of Salisbury defeated Republican newcomer Kyle E. Cole of Hebron.

In District 2, Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce chair Jeff Merritt turned back Democrat Talana D. Watson. The District 3 winner was Shane Baker, who defeated incumbent Larry Dodd in July’s GOP primary.

Democrat Josh Hastings was the automatic winner in District 4, following Republican Kyle Lemonte Brown’s departure from the race over a residency requirement error.

In District 5, Joe Holloway of Parsonsburg defeated fellow Republican AJ Angello in July, which guaranteed him a return to the council. 

The new membership breakdown means new voting matrixes for the council, as Republicans hold a 5-2 majority on the board.

Incumbents Bill McCain, Ernie Davis and Nicole Acle were already set to depart the council, with McCain retiring, and Acle and Davis leaving to pursue other elected offices. 

School board elections

During summer and fall campaigning, the most-intense battles for Board of Education seats involved the at-large contests, where four people vied for two seats.

In the end, Bonnie H. Ennis and Kristin N. Hazel were the winners, defeating third- and fourth-place finishers George M. Demko and Darren J. Lombardo.

Ennis retired last year after 44 years as a classroom teacher and administrator with Wicomico County Public Schools.

Hazel is a small-business owner who lives in Salisbury. She is the mother of a child on the Autism Spectrum, and seeks to serve as an advocate for students with special needs.

In District 1, incumbent Allen C. Brown defeated challenger Luc Angelot. Brown was first appointed to the Board of Education in 2017 and elected to serve a four-year term in 2018. After 40 years of service to Wicomico County Public Schools, he retired as Assistant Superintendent for Student Services.

In District 2, Gene Malone of Salisbury, who served as Board Chairman, defeated challenger Karin Miller of Salisbury. Malone was appointed to the Wicomico County Board of Education in 2016 and elected to serve a four-year term in December 2018. He is a Vice President with First Shore Federal Savings and Loan Association.

In District 3, Susan W. Beauchamp beat Leonard Arvi. Beauchamp has been a business owner and practicing accountant for 35 years. In District 4, David Plotts defeated incumbent Ann Brittingham Suthowski. Plotts works for the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, currently as Controller. In 2019, he was appointed as the parent liaison to the school board's Parent Advisory Committee, from Pinehurst Elementary School.

The District 5 race pitted incumbent school board member John Palmer of Delmar against challenger Jake Blank of Salisbury, with Palmer coming away the winner.

Palmer was first appointed in 2015. Palmer had a 21-year career in the U.S. Navy, ultimately becoming a Master Chief. He recently retired from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, where he was the Facility Supervisor for the campus physical plant.

General Assembly elections

It was an election year in Maryland, which sent voters to the polls in primaries in July and a general election in November.

After easily defeating incumbent Addie Eckardt in the Republican primary, Johnny Mautz rode his momentum to victory in the District 37 state Senate race.

Mautz defeated Democrat Naomi Hyman, taking 62 percent of the vote total. In July, Mautz won with 75 percent of the vote against Eckardt. 

Mautz, who gave up his seat in the House of Delegates to challenge for the Senate, grew up in St. Michaels and Easton before graduating from the University of Dayton in 1994 and Ohio Northern University Law School in 1997. He and his family own and operate the Carpenter Street Saloon in St. Michaels.

A Pennsylvania native who now resides in Easton, Democratic opponent Hyman worked as an educator for more than 40 years in settings ranging from large corporations to small community-based organizations.

In the race to fill Mautz’s open House seat, businessman Tom Hutchinson of Woolford prevailed, joining incumbent Chris Adams of Salisbury in the two-member District 37B seat.

Adams and Hutchison, both Republicans, defeated Democrat Susan Delean-Botkin of Oxford.

A Salisbury business owner, Adams was first elected in 2014. Born in Salisbury, he attended Wicomico Senior High School and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business from Salisbury University.

Hutchinson is a small-business owner known for his redevelopment work with Cambridge Main Street.

In the District 38 state Senate race, incumbent Mary Beth Carozza pummeled Democrat Michele Gregory. Carozza, who is from Ocean City, was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2014 and later elected to her position as state senator in 2018. Gregory has served on the Salisbury City Council since she was elected the position in 2018.

On the House of Delegates side in District 37A, incumbent Democrat Sheree Sample-Hughes easily defeated Republican Donna Bradshaw.

In District 38A, incumbent Republican Charles Otto of Princess Anne defeated Democrat Todd Nock of Pocomoke City.

Republican incumbents Carl Anderton and Wayne Hartman were the unopposed winners in districts 38B and 38C, respectively.

DAF Tank

Wicomico County Council members continued their effort to limit the storage of liquid organic fertilizer by adding an exception for liquid organic fertilizers stored by farmers on agriculturally zoned land.

The vote ended a nearly three-year battle over huge slurry tanks, which those who live near the tanks consider a nuisance but agricultural proponents regard as an asset.

In October, council members voted to include an exception for storage tanks used by farmers and located in agriculturally zoned districts.

In previous months, council members had discussed the possibility of passing an outright-ban on the open-top storage of liquid organic fertilizer in all zoning districts of Wicomico County. 

Residents living near a dissolved air flotation storage tank – also known as a DAF tank – in Mardela Springs have complained for years of the health and environmental risks that come with living near the tanks, and most notably, the noxious smell that lingers on their property. 

Broadband connectivity

By year’s end, the county’s agreement with Talkie Communications was seeing good results with rural homes finally receiving long-desired connectivity.

Talkie qualified for and received $9.8 million in state grant funding to build fiber-optic Broadband Internet service in Wicomico County.

With support from the County Executive’s Office, Talkie Communications applied for and has been awarded grant funding from the Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband to provide broadband to unserved portions of the county.

In January, Acting County Executive John Psota signed a letter of support backing Talkie Communications of Chestertown as the Wicomico government’s choice to connect rural neighborhoods and communities

The coordination between Wicomico County’s Executive Office, the Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband, and Talkie Communications will make service available for purchase to more than 700 homes and businesses that are now unserved. 

The total estimated cost of the project is $13.3 million. In addition to the state’s grant portion, Talkie Communications will pay the approximately $3.5 million unfunded balance.

According to Psota, no county funds are being used for this project. Once started, the project is estimated to take up to three years to complete.

Wicomico has listed 10 distinct areas county-wide where broadband Internet service is lacking. High-speed Internet access has become more of an issue over the last two years, as more people have had to work from home through the Covid-19 pandemic. The problematic situation became even more evident when students in rural areas had difficulty taking classes online, and school board officials had to scramble to offer cellular technology options.

The so-called “modified hot spots” didn’t always work, however. Officials also found that a significant percentage of homes that had broadband access weren’t hooked up, because families couldn’t afford the service.

Carolyn “Lyn” Ringer Lepre

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents in May appointed Carolyn “Lyn” Ringer Lepre as the next president of Salisbury University.

Lepre was serving as interim president of Radford University in Virginia when she was tapped for the Salisbury post.

Lepre, whose academic background is Mass Communications and Journalism, has served as interim president at Radford since 2021. She succeeds Charles Wight, who had led the university since July 2018.

Prior to her role as interim president, Lepre was Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Radford. As Provost, she collaborated with the academic leadership team and the student-centered faculty and staff to advance critical initiatives designed to foster the delivery of high-quality academic programs and experiences and support the Radford strategic plan.

Lepre joined Radford University following a tenure at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.  While at Marist, among other administrative appointments, she served as Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts and as the Director of the college-wide Honors Program.

Lepre attended Miami University, where she earned a bachelor’s in English and Journalism. She received her master’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and her doctorate in Mass Communication from the University of Florida.

Twin bears born

At the beginning of 2022, the Salisbury Zoo’s female Andean bear, Chaska, gave birth to twin boys. The blessed event occurred Sunday, Jan. 16.

Newborn bears are fragile, according to zoo officials. At birth, Andean bear cubs weigh less than 1 pound and will not open their eyes for more than a month.

Pinocchio, the father of the cubs, has remained separated from Chaska and the babies. He has access to his den and the bear yards, which is visible to the public. This separation mimics behaviors of wild Andean bears as the male does not stay with the female and cubs.

The birth was the third for Chaska, who just turned 12 years old – but her first birth to twins. Chaska is an experienced mother and is attentive to her two cubs.

Through the Salisbury Zoo’s partnership with Ecuador, the zoo has been able to continue its long-term commitment to the conservation of this species.

It is estimated there are fewer than 10,000 Andean bears left in the wild. They are the only bear found in South America and live in the Andes Mountains region.

Jay Copeland 

Salisbury resident and popular “American Idol” contestant Jay Copeland was heralded at several points during the year, first as a top finisher in the ABC-TV hit show and later as the star of a hometown concert.

The 23-year-old Salisbury University alum has gained favor since first auditioning for “Idol” in early spring. Later, he was invited to present a concert in Downtown Salisbury.

In Salisbury, Copeland presented a strongly attended family-friendly concert, where he performed “Idol” hits and other favorites, live on an outdoor stage used for the National Folk Festival. 

“Our community partners and I are so proud of everything that Jay has accomplished, both here at home and as an ‘American Idol’ contestant,” Mayor Jake Day said.

“This event is a representation of the power that the arts have to bring together a community. We are excited to have the opportunity to host Jay for his first solo performance in this new stage of his career.”

 Oak Ridge Church

Oak Ridge Church held a grand opening celebration of its new worship auditorium on Sunday, Sept. 25, at its east Salisbury campus on Route 50 at Tilghman Road.

The special event featured two services, as well as activities for youngsters, breakfast sandwiches and specialty coffee.

This new 20,000-square-foot addition to Oak Ridge’s Salisbury campus is the culmination of more than 12 years of planning and sacrificial giving.

The goal was to create a new adult worship auditorium that could accommodate future growth using the latest state-of-the-art technology, which simultaneously facilitates a life-changing in-person and online experience.

It is the only facility of its kind on the Eastern Shore.

“We believe that the church should exist for the local community, not the other way around,” said Brian Moss, Lead Pastor of Oak Ridge Church.

81st National Folk Festival

Despite some weather challenges that hampered attendance on its second day, the 2022 version of the National Folk Festival was another stunning success.

The city of Salisbury and the National Council for the Traditional Arts have announced the final attendance estimates for the multi-year residency of the festival.

Through five years of partnership from 2018 to 2022, including four in-person presentations of the festival, more than 400,000 people visited Downtown Salisbury to attend the event.

“Never in Salisbury’s history has an event brought so many people to our city, right into the heart of Downtown, until the National Folk Festival,” said Mayor Jake Day. “This festival has forever changed Salisbury and cemented our foothold in the arts and culture space. We are proud to have been the place where some 400,000 people congregated to sing, dance, laugh, and learn together – it was the greatest honor.”

Each year, tens of thousands of attendees filled the streets of Downtown Salisbury, shopped at boutiques on the Plaza, and ate at mainstay restaurants–all while enjoying the art, culture, and heritage ushered in by the National Folk Festival.

“Since the beginning, the National Folk Festival exceeded all expectations. Its success is felt not just during the festival weekend, but year round,” says National Folk Festival Local Manager Caroline O’Hare.

“The festival has been a catalyst for growing civic pride, new artistic and cultural endeavors, and a regional economic impact in the tens of millions of dollars brought about by welcoming over 400,000 attendees to Salisbury since 2018,” O’Hare said.

The National Folk Festival was originally slated to stay in Salisbury for the customary three years starting in 2018, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city got to serve as host for two additional years.

Even though the National Folk Festival will move on to a new host city, the music will play on here at home. Following the model of previous National Folk Festival host cities, Salisbury will host the Maryland Folk Festival, a similar but brand-new festival for our city and our state.

“The Maryland Folk Festival is an exciting new chapter for our community and one I feel very lucky to be part of,” said O’Hare, who is now the events and culture manager for the city. “Attendees will have the opportunity to experience world class musicians, dancers, storytellers, artisans, and more. As a legacy festival of the National, we will continue our mission to produce a free, large-scale, multicultural event that shines a light on the diverse traditions, cultures, and artistry found in Maryland and across the country. The festival's impact is underlined by our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as we state proudly – all are welcome in Salisbury.”

Tiny Houses

 Salisbury’s first tiny home village was built on city land on Anne Street to house members of the city’s homeless population.

The village includes 24 single-occupancy houses, plus one more that will serve as an office. Each house is 8 feet square with room for a built-in collapsible bed, plus donated mini refrigerator and microwave. They also have heat and air conditioning.

The houses sit on beds of gravel and linked with concrete walkways. There will be green spaces with container gardens and a privacy fence.

While the 25 tiny homes are in place, the city was still awaiting delivery of equipment for a central bathroom building that will be shared by all of the residents.

At last count, Wicomico County had an estimated 100 chronically homeless people living on the streets, but the Covid-19 pandemic may have added to the numbers.

 Airport Parking

 Travelers using the Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport now have an automated system instead of a human attendant when they pay for parking in the airport’s lot.

In use since early March, the system replaces a former contractor who supplied attendants to man the exit gate. The airport made money from the parking fees, but only after manpower, supplies and other expenses were deducted.

Now officials expect to see a better profit using the new machine.

Parking lot users get a ticket upon entering. The system offers an option to prepay by entering a credit card upon arrival or at a separate station in the baggage claim area. Both make exiting the airport quicker. The credit card is not billed until the parking ticket is scanned at the exit.

The system does not accept cash, only credit or debit cards.

The lot at the airport costs $2 per hour for short-term parking and $10 per day for long-term.

 Lot 30 housing

 A city parking lot sitting between Route 50, West Main Street and the Wicomico River is set to become the site of affordable housing in Salisbury’s Downtown.

In April, City Council members authorized Mayor Jake Day to enter into a revised land disposition agreement with Green Street Housing LLC for the sale and redevelopment of Lot 30.

The project will include 80 apartments with rents priced for low- to moderate-income residents, with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, according to plans submitted to the city by Green Street.

The project planned for Lot 30 will include two five-story buildings, one of which will have common areas and amenity spaces for the apartments and commercial space of up to 10,000 square feet on the ground level. The commercial space will house a public market – a place that Day said could offer fresh produce and other foods from multiple vendors.

The other building will have four stories of apartments above ground level parking.

  Civic Center renovations

 The Wicomico Civic Center will soon shed its dated 1970s appearance thanks to a $5.5 million federal grant that will pay for major upgrades to the 43-year-old facility.

The American Rescue Plan money awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration will be combined with $1.4 million in state and local funds that is already in hand, county officials announced in May.

Plans designed by the Becker Morgan Group, a Salisbury-based architectural and engineering firm, include an expanded box office and lobby, safety barriers along the north and west sides of the building, improved wayfinding, improved Americans with Disabilities Act access to the building, an expanded food court and better connectivity between the Civic Center and the Wicomico High School campus.

The county has had plans to renovate the building for several years, but until now lacked the funding to complete all of the work.

In 2016, the old lime green seats and bright blue doors left over from the building’s construction in 1979 were replaced. New seating upholstered in charcoal was installed and tile floors were replaced with carpeting.

The renovations also included the installation of lower-tier seats in the Normandy Arena that can be retracted electronically.

At the time, the work was the first major rehabilitation of the facility since it was built in 1979 to replace a building that was destroyed by fire in 1977.

 Revival closes

 Salisbury’s live theater Revival that had a promising start when it opened a year closed its doors for good in October.

“Over the past 18 months, we have opened a live venue despite the uncertainties of the post-pandemic world, a nationwide labor shortage, and increased operating costs due to inflation,” the theater’s management said in a Facebook post. “Despite doing all we could to adjust to the times, it was simply not enough for us to stay viable.”

A satellite of the Milton Theater, Revival was lured to Salisbury by City Center owner Bret Davis who also helped launch the popular Mogan’s Oyster House and Two Scoops Ice Cream & Waffles at One Plaza East.

Revival offered some of the same variety of entertainment as the Delaware location, but the Salisbury space in the third floor of the City Center was a different sort of venue for the theater. Instead of traditional theater seating, Revival customers were seated at tables around the stage and were able to order drinks and food from a menu.

The space also was rented out for community events, including a series of meetings this year to draft a public art plan for Salisbury.