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June, Special Edition
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Celebrating the Fourth of July This year, Montgomery County will again host two Independence Day fireworks displays on Saturday, July 4 - one in the upcounty area and one down county. Germantown Glory will be held at the SoccerPlex in the South Germantown Recreational Park, 18041 Central Park Circle A concert by Bobby and the Believers will begin at 7 p.m., with fireworks at approximately 9:30 p.m. Blankets, chairs and picnics are welcome. No alcohol is permitted. Food vendors will be on site. The rain date - for fireworks only - is July 5. To reach the South Germantown Recreational Park from I-270, take exit 15B (Route 118 south) toward Germantown. Go for 2.8 miles and turn right onto Richter Farm Road. Go one mile and turn left onto Schaeffer Road. The park entrance is 0.3 miles on the right. Mid-County Sparkles will be held at Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Road, Kensington. Pre-fireworks activities will include children's activities and a musical concert with Superfly Disco beginning at 7:30 p.m. The fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15p.m. The viewing areas will be at the front of the school on the ball field and at the Newport Mill Middle School, 11311 Newport Mill Road. Since there will be no on site parking at either school or at adjacent properties, except for handicapped parking, shuttle buses will pick up passengers, beginning at 6:15p.m., at Westfield Wheaton and the Wheaton Metro Station. Low lawn chairs and coolers are welcome. No alcoholic beverages are permitted. Rain date for the fireworks only is July 5. No shuttle service will be available on the 5th. For more information about the County's fireworks celebrations, check press release. - top Speed cameras are making a difference in safety Watch Captain John Damskey of the Montgomery County Police discuss with the County Council how the County’s SafeSpeed program has resulted in slower vehicle speeds and fewer collisions and describes in detail how the program works. * * * Our County Police believe that there is only one explanation for the fact that over the past two years fatalities resulting from vehicle collisions in the county have decreased 50 percent on county roads - although the number of vehicles has not declined. Speed cameras are improving safety because they are slowing drivers down. It's also interesting to note that none of our neighboring jurisdictions have experienced similar declines in fatalities. According to the Federal Highway Administration, almost one of every three traffic fatalities is related to speeding. And the greater the vehicle speed at the time of impact, the more severe the injuries that result. The county's first 11 speed cameras have reduced roadway speed by 22 percent and reduced crashes by 25 percent. Even one-quarter mile from the cameras, they are still reducing crashes by 15 percent. The cameras also are working to deter aggressive drivers and improve safety for other drivers and pedestrians. Every day, County Police receive more requests from residents who want cameras in their neighborhoods than complaints about the cameras. Yet, to some, they remain controversial. The bottom line is: those who receive a speed camera ticket are breaking the law. And, these speeders are not breaking the law by one or two miles over the limit. They are breaking the law by speeding 11 miles per hour or more over the limit. They are speeding near schools and in residential zones, where our kids and neighbors are playing, walking and driving, putting everyone in jeopardy. I hope that soon, no one in the county will receive another speed camera ticket because that will mean that drivers have slowed down and are obeying the law. And, that makes all of us safer. - top County programs get national coverage Montgomery County people, programs and issues are frequently on local radio and TV and in the pages of the local newspapers. But, some of our departments and agencies are often featured on a national level. The Germantown Library was one of the handful of public libraries from across the country featured in a segment -- entitled "Libraries lend a hand in tough time" -- that aired on NBC's "Today" show on June 11. Reporter Peter Alexander interviewed Nancy Savas, Germantown branch manager, about the changing role of libraries, particularly during the economic downturn. Footage from Germantown - which opened the segment -- showed lines of customers waiting to enter the library when it opened and concentrated on job seekers, children's programs and computer classes. A significant portion of the original segment - including much of the Germantown footage -- was repeated during "NBC Nightly News" on Sunday evening, June 14. View the original segment, at NBC's Today Show. While the introduction of the Commission for Women's new "Mothers and Poverty: An Agenda for Action" on June 10 received extensive coverage in the Washington and Baltimore media, the project also caught the attention of "ElectWomen Magazine," an online media site that provides stories and resources for women running for - or thinking about running for -- political office. It is published by ElectWomen.com, the Kentucky-based women's political blog/website dedicated to electing women to public office. The news of the commission's Agenda for Action was used as the lead article in the June 11 edition. Most recently, the commission received a request for 50 copies of their report from the Communications Consortium Media Center, a public interest media center in Washington, DC, and an organizer of a major meeting in San Francisco later this month centering on a project by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation regarding women and poverty. Participants will include the executive directors and key policy staff members of 12 leading women's foundations from across the country. The commission's agenda for action has obviously struck a chord that is of national interest and focus. See the report at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw. - top It's AT&T Tournament Time - Tiger's Back! Professional golfers will soon be setting their sights on Montgomery County when the 3rd annual AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods comes to Congressional Country Club, June 29 to July 5. The good news is that Tiger Woods is back to play in his own tournament after missing it last year because of knee surgery. The $6 million dollar tournament features an invited field of 120 PGA TOUR professionals. All proceeds from the event benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation and local charities The County has been pleased to work with the Tiger Woods Foundation and AT&T the past two years to help ensure that tournament goers have a first-class experience, not only at the tournament but getting to and from, as well. For more information visit the 2009 AT&T National. - top Learn more about the new law for commercial and recreational vehicle parking Beginning July 1, the County's new legislation regarding heavy commercial and recreational vehicle parking on residential neighborhood streets goes into effect. It is intended to clarify existing law, improve residents' quality of life and make roads safer for all drivers and pedestrians. Heavy or commercial vehicles may only park on a public road where both sides of the road abut properties zoned only for commercial or industrial uses. Exemptions may occur when the vehicle or bus is being used to load or unload passengers, merchandise or materials; the vehicle is being used by the owner or operator to perform work on the premises; or a bus is stopped for a period of time - not to exceed 30 minutes - at an authorized bus terminal. One change in the new law prohibits the parking of recreational vehicles on any public road. Residents may load and unload their RVs, but this exemption may not exceed 18 hours. Also, under the new legislation, no vehicle, regardless of size, will be permitted to park between a sidewalk or roadway curb and the property edge of a public street or highway, except in an emergency. For more information about the new law, you can read a copy of the brochure (in English or Spanish) or to view 5-minute video. - top I was especially pleased when the Housing Association for Nonprofit Developers (HAND) recently honored me with their 2009 President’s Choice Award which was presented earlier this month at the organization’s annual meeting in Tyson’s Corner. This award is especially meaningful to me because HAND members realize what it takes to build and preserve quality affordable housing in the metropolitan area. Montgomery County, with its history of advocacy and fiscal support for affordable housing, could not accomplish its housing goals without participation by the nonprofit development community. In my inaugural address, I said that we must fully address our need to provide more affordable, special need and workforce housing in the county. Part of my mission statement is Affordable Housing in an Inclusive Community, and I have worked hard since I took office to support this agenda. I thank Rob Goldman, president of the Montgomery Housing Partnership, for nominating me for this prestigious award, and I also gratefully acknowledge the expertise and advocacy of HAND, for sharing our vision of preserving and creating affordable housing in Montgomery County. - top |