A partnership between several Maryland tourism and natural resource groups has resulted in a new web site called Wilds of Worcester. WoW offers information on outdoor activities including kayaking, birding and exploration away from the usual beach scene in Ocean City. Visitors can also find information on camping, hiking, boating and biking. Check out the Wilds of Worcester and add some adventure to your next visit to Worcester County, MD.

The Delmarva Shorebirds are in search of a candidate to fill the big wings of Sherman the Shorebird. Sherman must be available to appear at all home games in addition to other special events and marketing opportunities. A complete job description and list of requirements are available online.

The Delmarva Shorebirds invite all fans to Support Our Troops Night on Saturday, June 14th at Shorebirds Stadium with the help of local VFWs. The evening will feature an auction of special red, white and blue player jerseys, and the night will be capped off by one of Shorebirds stadium’s famous fireworks displays. Game time is 7:05 PM. Don’t miss it.

The 3rd Annual Ball and Chain Century is scheduled for Sunday, July 20th, in Salisbury, MD. The event offers both metric and full century courses starting from the Mid Delmarva YMCA and taking riders on a tour of the flat roads of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties. The Ball and Chain Century benefits the Erin Drew Foundation and is supported by the Ocean Velo Club.

The 6th Annual Rusty Rudder 5K took place on Sunday, June 1st, in Dewey Beach, DE.

The Bike MS Tour de Shore will take place on June 7th and 8th at Salisbury University. Options are available for one or two day rides from 30 to 150 miles. Event planners are expecting over 500 participants for this fundraiser benefiting the National MS Society.

The FCA Heart and Soul 5K is scheduled for Saturday, June 7th, at Lake Forest High School in Felton, DE.

The 4th Annual Tour de Talbot bike ride will take place on Saturday, June 7th, starting from Idlewild Park in Easton, MD.

The River Run 5K Run/Walk and Kiddie Run is scheduled for June 8th at River Run Golf Club in Berlin, MD.

The Seashore 5K Dash will be run on Sunday, June 8th, at the Grove Park in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

The 21st Dover Mile will take place on The Green in Dover, DE, on Saturday, June 14th.

The 5th Annual Blue Gold All-Star 5K and 1 Mile Walk is scheduled for Saturday, June 14th at the Irish Eyes restaurant in Lewes, DE.

The Fathers Day 5K at the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, DE will take place on Sunday, June 15th.

The 6th Annual Classic Catering 4 Miler/5K will take place on June 21st at the Rudder in Dewey Beach, DE.

The Bill Degnan 5K Run will start from Cape Henlopen High School on Sunday, June 22nd, in Lewes, DE.

The Georgetown Library 5K will start from North Bedford Street Park in Georgetown, DE, on Thursday, June 26th.

Pedal Delmarva will hold their fourth event of the season on June 28th in Berlin, MD.

On Saturday, June 28th, Jungle Jim’s Adventure World will host the Jungle Jim’s 5K located off of Rt. 1 in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

The Green Turtle West 5K Run/Walk will be held on Sunday, June 29th, in West Ocean City starting from the Green Turtle restaurant. The event benefits the EMTs of the Ocean City Fire Department.

The month of May continues the Spring schedule for walks and runs all across Delmarva.

Saturday, May 03, 2008: Race for the Ribbon 5K 10:00 AM, Fishing Pier, Cape Henlopen State Park, Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE.

Sunday, May 4, 2008: TCBY 10K Shiver & Pretzel 1M Walk. 09:00 AM, Breakwater Junction Trail/Tanger Outlets, Highway One, Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Thursday, May 8, 2008: 5K for Letty & Lung Cancer Awareness. 6:30 PM, People’s Plaza, Bear, DE.

Saturday, May 10, 2008: Run for the Arts 5K. 09:00 AM, Jo n M. Clayton School (Old IR High School), Main St., Dagsboro, DE.

Sunday, May 11, 2008: Surf Bagel 10K/5K/Mini Bagel Run. 08:45 AM, Cape Henlopen High School, 1270 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE.

Saturday, May 17, 2008: Courageous Christopher 5K Run/Walk. 10:00 AM, Asbury United Methodist Church, 1401 Camden Ave., Salisbury, MD.

Saturday, May 24, 2008: Classic Run 10 Mile & 5K. 8:00 AM, Radcliffe Creek School, 201 Talbot Boulevard, Chestertown, MD.

Sunday, May 25, 2008: Masser 5 Miler. 07:30 AM, Cape Henlopen High School, 1270 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE.

Monday, May 26, 2008: 2nd Dewey Beach Liquors 5k at the Cork. 8:00 AM, Dewey Beach, DE.

Saturday, May 31, 2008: Run for Danielle 5K. 07:30 AM, Cape Henlopen High School, 1270 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE .

The month of May brings the triathletes out of hibernation. The local season was kicked off by the Nanticoke River Swim and Triathlon which started from Cedar Hill Marina in Bivalve, MD, on May 4, 2008.

Cambridge Multi-Sport will host the annual CMS Sprint Practice Triathlon on Sunday, May 25th, at Horn Point Lab near Cambridge, MD.

The Pocomoke Triathlon is scheduled for Saturday, May 31st, 2008, hosted by the Lower Shore Family YMCA in Pocomoke City, MD.

The Tuckahoe Triathlon will take place on Saturday, June 7, 2008, at Tuckahoe State Park near Queen Anne, MD.

Young triathletes can participate in the Escape from School Youth Triathlon on June 7th at Lums Pond State Park in Bear, DE.

The Eagleman Ironman 70.3 race is being held June 8,2008, in Cambridge, MD.

The Sprint Tri at St. Andrews is scheduled for Sunday, June 15th at St. Andrews School in Middletown, DE.

Triathletes can Escape from Fort Delaware on Saturday, June 28, 2008, in Delaware City, DE.

The First Annual Soft Shell Half Century hosted by the Salisbury Jaycees will take place on Saturday, May 24th, starting in Crisfield, MD. Cyclists will have a choice of 20 and 50 mile courses starting from Crisfield High School and traveling through various scenic and historic areas of lower Somerset County. A registration fee of $35 includes a t-shirt and rider packet. Event registration is available at Active.com or with a printable form.

Also on May 24th, the Shorebird Metric Century will take riders on 15, 35 or 65 routes starting from Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on Hobbs Road in Salisbury. The event benefits the American Cancer Society, and the $45 registration fee includes a t-shirt, two fully stocked rest stops, and a free lunch at Perdue Stadium following the ride. Registration is available on Active.com or with a printable form.

On Saturday, May 31st, Pedal Delmarva will host their latest event starting from Berlin, MD. A registration fee of $35 includes the rider’s choice of a dozen different routes along with energy drinks, healthy snacks and a cookout following the ride.

The Lower Shore Family YMCA will host the 6th Annual Pocomoke Triathlon on Saturday, May 31st. The triathlon will include a 1/2 mile swim, 14.3 mile bike ride, and 3.5 mile run.

The Bike MS: Tour de Shore is scheduled for June 7th and 8th starting from Salisbury University. Participants have the option of staying in SU dorms with all meals provided. Routes from 30 to 150 miles offer riders of all abilities the opportunity to tour the flat roads of the Eastern Shore.

Whether you are carving turns in a bowl or grinding a rail downtown, you want to have an off the hook board to ride. Warehouse Skateboards is the best place to shop for decks, trucks, wheels and complete skateboards including brands like Element skateboards. You might have a whole line of tricks that you can land, or you might just be learning to pop an ollie. Either way, Warehouse Skateboards has the decks and hardware to get you through your next session. If you have shredded your old shoes or cargos, Warehouse has a huge inventory of the latest clothes to replace your old threads. No posers allowed. Next time you are shopping for skate stuff, click on over to Warehouse Skateboards, your skateboarding headquarters.

The NFL draft is in the books, and the analysts are trying to figure out which teams benefited the most from their picks. Players are reporting for voluntary workouts in many locations across the country to start getting ready for the upcoming season. If you are a hardcore sports fan and you need a daily dose of football talk, then check out AddictSports.com where you can begin the process of determining the best football picks for the upcoming season. Visitors to AddictSports.com can also check out the latest discussion on fantasy sports leagues as well as baseball talk on every team in MLB. Get your daily dose of sports at AddictSports.com.

The month of April brings more athletic events to the Delmarva calendar. The 2008 Eastern Shore Senior Games will kick off the month beginning on April 3rd with the golf competition followed by opening ceremonies and various events on April 4th. Senior Games events include swimming, tennis, track and field as well as many others. The games are organized by Salisbury University, and competition is open to participants age 50 and above.

St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church wants you to “Catch the Spirit” at a 5K Run/Walk on April 12th. The event will be held at The Billy Gene Jackson Park on Jersey Road in Salisbury. In addition to the 5K, the event will offer a one mile walk, DJ music, a post race party, and prize drawings. Registration will start at 8:00 AM with the 5K race beginning at 9:00 AM. The Catch the Spirit 5K benefits the Jessie L. Parker Scholarship Fund. The cost of entry is $12 in advance or $15 on race day. The first 100 registrants will receive a free t-shirt. Entry forms are available at Vernon Powell.

April 12th is also the date for the Ocean City Half Marathon and 5K. The Half Marathon will begin at the inlet in Ocean City. The 5K will start from the park and ride in West Ocean City. Registration information is available online along with race details. The event will be followed by an after party at the Francis Scott Key resort.

The Pemberton Panda 5K will also take place on April 12th which proves to be a busy day for running events this year. This is a 1st Annual event for the Pemberton Elementary School PTA. The 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run will take place at Pemberton Elementary School with check in from 7:30-8:45 AM followed by the 5K start at 9:00 AM. All participants that pre-register for the event will receive a free t-shirt. The 5K race will be timed by the Eastern Shore Running Club. Registration forms are available online.

The Zoo Stampede 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, April 19th. The event supports the Salisbury Zoo. Race day registration will take place from 7:30-8:30 AM at the East Gate of the Salisbury Zoo. The 5K race will start at 9:00 AM, rain or shine. The entry fee is $18 in advance or $20 on race day which includes a free long sleeve tech shirt to the first 125 applicants. Entry forms are available at Vernon Powell or online. The Zoo Stampede will be followed by Earth Day activities from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Salisbury Zoo.

The 3rd Annual Ben Layton Memorial 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, April 26th, at the east entrance of the Salisbury Zoo. The event benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Participants may also follow a 2 mile fun walk course. Event registration will begin at 5:30 PM followed by the 5K Run at 6:30 PM and the 2 mile fun walk at 6:40 PM. The 5K also includes a free buffet dinner provided by the Local Owner Restaurant Association for all registered participants along with shirts for the first 200 entries. The early registration fee will be $25 until April 11th and $30 after that date. Registration forms are available on benlayton5k.com or you can register online at active.com.

Another event that will take place on April 26th is the Wee Race at Wicomico Stadium in Salisbury. The event benefits the Beautification Committee of the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and it is sponsored by VP Shoes in Salisbury where you can pick up an entry form. The race fee of $8.00 allows youth ages 2-9 years old to compete in four race divisions from 100 yards to 440 yards.

The Seashore Striders of Delaware list several events taking place in April including The Race for Jill Sunshine 5K in Milton, DE, on April 5th, the Arbor Day 5K Run in Ridgely, MD, on April 12th, the Oxford Day 10K Run in Oxford, MD, on April 26th, and the LDAF Race For Autism 1/2 Marathon/Team Relay/5k/Kids Fun Run in Lewes, DE, on April 27th.

Registration is already closed for the April 26th Pedal Delmarva event, but you can check out their web site for future cycling tours.

Another source for shore events is the Talbot County Multi-Sport Calendar.

With all of these events taking place in our region, there are plenty of opportunities for residents to support local organizations and improve health and fitness through participation in these great activities.

A group of local citizens has organized an effort to raise seed money for a skatepark in Wicomico County. They have established a presence online to promote their cause at SalisburySK8Park.com. The initial goal of Salisbury Skatepark supporters is to raise $30,000 in order to qualify for a grant from Maryland’s Program Open Space.

A Salisbury Skatepark Fundraiser has been scheduled for Sunday, March 30th, at the Wicomico Civic Center. The event will include live music and skateboarding for an admission fee of $10. Details about the fundraiser are available on the Salisbury Skatepark web site. Friends of the Salisbury Skatepark can also pay a visit to MySpace.

The issue of a skatepark in Wicomico County has been discussed at various times over the past several years. One of the first actions of the current Wicomico County Council was to remove funding for a skatepark from their inaugural budget. That action leads me to question a statement made on the Salisbury Skatepark web site.

“Both the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County are in favor of this project, and are willing to donate the land for the skatepark. If the matching funds can be raised, either the City or the County will submit the grant application to the state and work together with us on the construction of the park.”

If the current County Council did not support funding of the skatepark, then I would say that it is stretching it to say that Wicomico County supports a public skatepark. I also wonder why a staff member of the Wicomico County Parks & Recreations Department is listed as a contributor/contact on the Salisbury Skatepark site.

Salisbury Skatepark also claims that “the act of skateboarding is illegal within city limits.” I think the act of skateboarding is probably illegal on private property that prohibits skateboarding and in public areas that are not meant for skateboarding like stairways and railings, but skateboarding as a means of transportation is not illegal.

Salisbury Skatepark needs to stick to the facts, or they will only undermine their effort before it gets off the ground. The biggest obstacle to a public skatepark is the risk of liability that must be taken on by the government entity that owns the park. This same risk of liability is what keeps local governments out of the swimming pool business. Both the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County need to publicly clarify their stand on the issue of a public skatepark to avoid any misconception about their involvement in the Salisbury Skatepark project.

The March calendar is full of opportunities to support local organizations while you follow the 5K courses laid out for upcoming events. Four weekends in March will be occupied by 5K events in the Salisbury area including the 5th Annual Tim Kennard 10 Mile River Run and 5K Run/Walk which will kickoff the month on Sunday, March 2nd. The race is named for a man who lost a courageous battle with cancer, and loyal friends have carried on the cause which benefits Coastal Hospice programs for pediatric cancer care as well as programs for grieving children who have lost a sibling or parent to cancer. The River Run starts at the Maggs Gym on the campus of Salisbury University with 10 mile runners leading the way at 8:30 AM. The event is preceded on Saturday with a Family Sports and Fitness Expo along with registration at the Maggs gym and a pasta dinner at the SU Commons. Registration forms are available online, or you can register at Charmcityrun.com or Active.com.

The Mid-Shore Family YMCA will host the Funny Bunny 5K Run/Walk on March 8th with a starting time of 9:00 AM. The morning will also include a 100yd Bunny Dash, 1/2 Mile Kids Run and an Easter Egg Hunt. Your $15 registration includes a Funny Bunny t-shirt. The registration form can be printed online or you can register on the YMCA web site.

The 9th Annual St. Paddy’s Day 5K Run and 2 Mile Walk will take place on Saturday, March 15th, at the Salisbury Elks Club. The St. Paddy’s Day Run supports the Alzheimer’s Programs & Services of MAC, Inc. The first 200 entries will receive a race t-shirt, and the event will be concluded with a post race awards party. Registration is available on Active.com, or you can sign up on race day. Registration begins at 2:00 PM followed by the start of the run at 3:00 PM.

Rounding out the 5K events for March is the Bennett Middle PTA Viking 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, March 29th, at Pemberton Historical Park. The Viking 5K is a departure from the normal road races in the area. The Viking 5K will take place on the woodland trails of Pemberton Park with scenic views of the Wicomico River and Pemberton Hall. The first 100 entries for the Viking 5K will receive a free t-shirt. Registration forms for the Viking 5K can be printed online, or you can sign up on race day. The Viking 5K is part of an effort to promote exercise and fitness at Bennett Middle School. Race day registration will start at 9:00 AM followed by the 5K start at 10:00 AM.

The Eastern Shore Running Club is an active supporter of all of these local events, and the ESRC web site is an excellent source for information on local and regional running events.

Check out all of the commercials that were shown during Super Bowl XLII on MySpace.com/superbowlads.

The All Star team from West Salisbury completed an improbable run to the LLWS on Monday night. After going 1-3 in pool play and being assigned the 4th seed in the region, West Salisbury upset the 1st seed and then finished off with a win over Northampton, PA, to get to the World Series. Craig East pitched a complete game two hitter and helped his own cause with a two run home run that gave his team the final cushion in the 4-0 win. Canaan Cropper contributed the other two RBI’s with a base hit that he stretched into a double following a throw to home plate. East had command of a biting curve ball that left many PA batters frustrated at the plate.

West Salisbury’s first game in the LLWS will be on Saturday, August 18th, against the team from Arizona. The game will be televised at 3:00 on ABC. The team will have little time to rest as they play their second game on Sunday, August 19th, against Minnesota. That game will be televised on ESPN2 at 8:00 p.m. Follow the LLWS at Espn.com.