Page 42 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch May 17, 2013 The Dispatch Forever In Memory Of Our Founder, Dick Lohmeyer (May 25, 1927-May 5, 2005) The Dispatch, Serving Greater Ocean City Since 1984, Is Published By Maryland Coast Dispatch Inc. Weekly On Friday Mornings MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 467 Berlin, Md. 21811 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd. Berlin, Md. 21811 PHONE: 410-641-4561 FAX: 410-641-0966 WEBSITES: www.mdcoastdispatch.com www.facebook.com/thedispatchoc J. STEVEN GREEN Publisher/Editor editor@mdcoastdispatch.com HOW WE SEE IT Cautionary Reactions To Terrorist Allegations In light of word spreading that a local business-owning family has been potentially linked to a terrorism network, it’s natural for the community to be in shock. As news broke yesterday, there were lots of emotions reported and the most common expression was the need for the community to not frequent any resort area businesses owned by Basel and Samir Ramadan, the two alleged ring leaders in this multi-million dollar cigarette smuggling effort that could be profiting from terrorist activities. That’s a reasonable reaction and we agree with the basic premise. Nobody wants to help businesses or operators affiliated with the terrorism world. However, it’s also not as simple of an issue as that. Once we started working on this story, one of the first goals we set in-house was to determine who these individuals are and to determine exactly what businesses they own. It’s not an easy chore. Due to the common nature of their last name and the realization there are other Ramadan families in business in this area, the fact is it’s difficult to ascertain without a tremendous amount of research. Even then, court and business license documents can be dated and names can be generic enough to raise questions. What we have been able to determine we reported in our article on page 6. We will continue to look into the story and dig into what exactly these two own here. In the meantime, we think a little discretion is in order. The kneejerk reaction is to impact what we citizens can and that’s by boycotting their businesses. That’s fine, but we advise for people to be careful with these decisions because you could be hurting families who have no consideration at all in this scheming endeavor. NEWS DEPARTMENT SHAWN J. SOPER News Editor Sports Editor ssoper@mdcoastdispatch.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Seasonal Parking Passes? Editor: As a condo owner, I understand and appreciate the concern of owners being able to have overflow guests park on the street. Perhaps one solution would be to allow condo owners to purchase season parking passes, which can be used on the spots outside the initial prime oceanfront spots. Lee Mikles Ocean City know the child’s name, or a parent who would pour out their last drop of blood for the child,” that’s according to Arizona Congressman Trent Franks. On June 22, 2010, by a vote of 11-0, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) adopted the Common Core Standards (CC). Without input from parents or the state legislature, 11 unelected officials made a decision that will change the course of education in Maryland forever. School officials say that the adoption of CC was state led. I propose that one governor and 11 appointed bureaucrats making an education decision of this magnitude without taxpayers, parents or legislative input is not state led. CC was not developed by the states but rather by a DC-based nonprofit called Achieve, Inc., under the auspices of DC private trade associations, National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) funded by a federal grant of $362 million from U.S. Department of Education. Neither NGA nor CCSSO, had a grant of legislative authority from the states to develop “national standards.” To the extent states had any input in CC, it was limited to offering suggestions that may or may not have been accepted by the people in control. MSDE adopted these standards untested, unpiloted with no cost analysis. Can you imagine a drug company putting a new drug on the market without testing it for years? MSDE has decided to use our children as guinea pigs. Worcester County Superintendent Dr. Wilson and School Board President Robert Rothermel in a recent article stated that “CC impacts decision making rather than adding additional expenditures.” I sure hope they’re right. A white paper from the Pioneer Institute states, “Over a typical standards time horizon of seven years, we project Common Core implementation costs will total approximately $15.8 billion across participating states. This constitutes a “midrange” estimate that only addresses the basic expenditures required for implementation of the new standards.” Testing is not teaching. Students, parents, teachers and I suspect administrators are tired of having to “teach to the test.” CC will require additional testing. Instead of MSA once a year in grades 3-8, PARCC national tests will be conducted twice a year in grades 3-11 for both math and ELA. This high stakes testing will directly link teachers & principals evaluations to student achievement. In my opinion, this additional testing will not foster an environment for learning, but rather a “teach to the test” classroom, removing all creativity for teachers to engage with their students and possibly discourage the love of learning. CC is “No Child Left Behind” on steroids. Dr Wilson and Mr Rothermel stated that “forty-five states are implementing the CCSS that are high quality, internationally benchmarked standards.” A) There are currently 16 states in discussion or taking action from withdrawing from the Common Core Standards. B) Where is the evidence of high quality? C) No information was ever presented to the CC Validation Committee to show how CC stacked up against standards of other high-achieving countries. In fact, the CC website no longer claims that the standards are “internationally benchmarked” – the website now states that they “are informed by other top performing countries.” There is no definition of what “informed by” means. A May 8, Maryland State Education Association survey stated, “82 percent of teachers believe that significant challenges remain to understanding and implementing Common Core in their school.” SEE NEXT PAGE JOANNE SHRINER Staff Writer joanne@mdcoastdispatch.com TRAVIS BROWN Staff Writer travis@mdcoastdispatch.com SALES DEPARTMENT TERRI FRENCH Account Executive Entertainment Editor terri@mdcoastdispatch.com Amenities Applauded Editor: I would like to compliment the vision of those Ocean City Council members, Ocean City Recreation & Parks staff, Ocean City business owners and resident volunteers who participated in the recent ribbon cutting for the Northside Park Outdoor Exercise & Fitness Area. Their joint efforts, programs, products, facilities and services enhance individual health and well-being, community economic and social fabric and the financial health of the Ocean City business sector. Their shared vision is for individuals and communities to be introduced to, develop and maintain active and healthy lifestyles. As we do so, we will desire and support (financially and politically) the appropriate products, facilities and services of business owners willing and able to complement and enhance our leisure interests. Much is accomplished when individuals, communities, government and business share a vision. Rusty Ruszin Ocean City JEANETTE DESKIEWICZ Account Executive jeanette@mdcoastdispatch.com MANETTE CRAMER Account Executive manette@mdcoastdispatch.com ART DEPARTMENT CINDY WARD Art Director art@mdcoastdispatch.com JENNIFER T. O’BRIEN Graphic Artist COLE GIBSON Graphic Artist Webmaster BUSINESS OFFICE PAMELA GREEN Bookkeeper Classifieds Manager classifieds@mdcoastdispatch.com The Maryland Coast Dispatch (USPS #015125) is an official and legal newspaper for Worcester County. Periodical postage paid at Berlin, Maryland, and additional mailing offices.. The Maryland Coast Dispatch, 10012 Old Ocean City Blvd., Berlin, Md. 21811, is published weekly on Friday mornings, 52 weeks a year. Subscription rates are $75 per year, $55 for six months. POSTMASTER: Please send change of address to Maryland Coast Dispatch, P.O. Box 467, Berlin, Maryland 21811. Maryland Coast Dispatch offices are located at Route 346 and Graham Avenue, Berlin, Maryland. Common Core Needs Our Attention Editor: “Put simply, there are really only two options when it comes to who will determine the substance of a child's education: it will be either a bureaucrat who doesn’t