[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 21, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S7263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     RECOGNIZING DOLLE'S CANDYLAND

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I would like to pay special 
tribute to the Dolle family on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of 
Dolle's Candyland of Ocean City, MD. For the past century, Dolle's has 
been one of the jewels of Ocean City's famous boardwalk, helping 
thousands of vacationing families build warm summer memories and 
providing treats for lucky relatives and co-workers back home.
  For its entire history, this Eastern Shore landmark has been presided 
over by men named Rudolph Dolle. The first of the line, the grandfather 
of the current proprietor, left his home in New York in 1910 to install 
an old-fashioned hand-made carousel on what was then the small Ocean 
City boardwalk at the corner of Wicomico Street. Soon after the Dolles 
built their carousel, the man who sold saltwater taffy next door fell 
upon hard times and offered to sell his business to Rudolph and his 
wife Amelia. Sales of salt water taffy quickly became the family's main 
livelihood and were followed by homemade fudge and caramel popcorn.
  The original merry-go-round burned to the ground in 1925 but the 
candy business continued to flourish. In 1910, shop hands cooked the 
saltwater taffy in small copper kettles before it was cut and wrapped 
piece by piece by the store's employees. Today, the copper kettles can 
cook 150 pounds of taffy at once, and the pulling, cutting, and 
wrapping is now performed by machines that can produce 650 pieces of 
taffy every minute, allowing Dolle's to sell an average of almost 3,000 
pounds of taffy per day during the busy summer season.
  The flagship store has been enlarged but remains on the original site 
at Wicomico Street and the boardwalk. A second store further north in 
Ocean City is now open, and Dolle's now offers other homemade candy 
treats, including caramels, gummy bears, and seasonal chocolates for 
the holidays.
  Four generations of the Dolle family have worked behind the counter 
and in the kitchen. They take great pride in their customer service and 
civic engagement and provide free shipping to all orders sent to 
military addresses.
  I urge my colleagues to join me today in honoring the Dolle family on 
the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Dolle's 
Candyland, and in sending along best wishes for many more generations 
of the Dolle family who will continue the family business and tradition 
on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD.

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