MoCo Charter Review Gets Underway

The >Frederick News Post tells us that Montgomery County’s quadrennial charter review is revving up.

Think taxes are too high? Are there too many people on the Montgomery County Council or should there be more? Should the mix of at-large and district representatives be changed? Suggestions for improving county government are wanted by the Charter Review Commission. The commission seeks input from residents, civic groups, organizations, county agencies, employees and other people.

Sadly, there is little in the way of ‘lectronic linkage beyond some basic info at the MoCo pages. If you actually want to see a copy of the charter, it appears you must either go to another website, make a phone call to 240-777-7900, or — get this — you need to send a SASE. And if you have something to say, it must be in writing and submitted by October 31.

Hey, now I feel included!

POTD: Thanks For The Gumball

> The gumball machine at a personal fave, QL Barbershop, next the Regal Theaters. Queen and Linh rock. Hey, look, it’s me in the mirror!

Monthly Scrapbooking and Stamping Club

RC friend Jean Fitch tells us that she’s started a monthly “Scrapbookin, Stampin & other Craftin” club. Here’s her invite to all RC readers:>

The Potomac-Rockville Scrapbookin, Stampin & other Craftin Group invites you to join our group & participate in our monthly (3rd Sat, 1-4pm @ Rockville Presbyterian Church) get togethers. For our next meeting please . . . Grab your craft project du jour & come enjoy the camraderie + RPC’s A/C on July 21st!

For more, visit the club’s website.

Thanks Jean!

In Defense of Rockville; Thanks Bill Hickman!

You might have missed a letter to the editor in Saturday’s Washington Post. Bill Hickman, a fan of >Rockville, rose to the defense of our fair city (Rockville Rocks All Year Long). Bill didn’t agree with a Post writer’s suggestion that The Fantastic Four movie was “as grim as February in Rockville.” Damn right, Bill.

Bill pointed out many cool attributes of Rockville in the dead of winter, like Upper Watts Branch Forest Preserve; music at Strathmore; taking in a Maryland Nighthawks basketball game; and artwork on display at Glenview Mansion.

I’d like to add that a visit to any snowy slope in town , mobbed by out-of-school kids and parents alike, would tell even a casual observer that February in Rockville is far from grim. Not to mention Cub Scout Pack 928′s Blue & Gold Banquet, where more than 100 scouts, family and local celebrities dine on a Rockville restaurant’s fabulous barbecue at a local church hall. We could go on and on, couldn’t we?

Thanks, Bill. And Washington Post beware – we won’t let such slander go unanswered!

POTD: Gave Proof Through The Night

> I told you I like flags.

POTD: Banner Day

> I don’t normally like all the banners cities put up to try to generate enthusiasm…but for some reason I like them along MD-28 going east towards downtown.

Greystone Grill – not for the casual diner

I really didn’t want my first post on the blog to be negative, but it’s always easiest for me to write about what’s bugging me. Although I had heard some >negative comments about Greystone Grill, I thought we should at least give it a whirl. Last Saturday was the perfect opportunity — we arrived before five for an early dinner. The restauarant had just a few other occupied tables, and we were seated promptly.

The waiter brought the menus, and described each item in elaborate detail. About five minutes into the presentation I broke the news to him that we were actually just interested in a light dinner, and would be ordering soup and appetizers. The change in his attitude was noticeable, but he dutifully took our order. I didn’t think much about this until he returned and announced that another group had come in , he was going to be serving them, and that a diferent person would take over our service. Wow — We’ve eaten out in many restaurants–often ordering several appetizers for dinner–and this has never happened before.

I don’t know anything about the pecking order in restaurants, but we felt like we were not as valuable as the other table that might be ordering pricier items, and that he was passing us off to a more junior staff member. I’m not sure when a $55 order for appetizers and a couple of beers on a slow Saturday afternoon wasn’t worth much, but maybe this is how it is at Greystone Grill. In the interest of full disclosure, we were wearing shorts and T-Shirts, but if that wasn’t acceptable, they should have let us know at the door. On a somewhat positive note, our replacement waitress was quite pleasant (and we did leave a 20% tip — I hope she got it).

Foodwise, our daughter reported that the crab-corn soup was good. The mussels were fine according to my husband. Our son was most disappointed with the kid burger served on a ciabatta roll (note to Greystone — kids want soft squishy rolls with their kid burgers!). My beef w/peanut sauce on skewer appetizer was not good — too darn sweet (and I am not a picky eater!). Even if I did feel like spending a hundred bucks or so for a meal, I don’t think we’ll be going back to Greystone Grill — maybe we’re just not their type of patron. I’m anxious to try the rest of the establishments in Town Square–can’t wait for our trusted favorite, Lebanese Taverna to open!

Mayor and Council Debates

>Rockville Reports has a notice that applications are now being accepted for televising the candidates’ forums and debates that will be happening this election season.

The City will televise up to three debates or candidates’ forums. In order to be considered, hosting organizations need to fill out an expression of interest by September 4, and agree to abide by the campaign policy of Rockville.

This may sound boring — but it is important. Candidates’ forums and debates are among the small handful of ways citizens can actually find out about the people who are vying to lead the city. The stakes, in my view, are high.

Typically, a great deal of focus is placed on the candidates in the time leading up to (and during) such events. Will they show? How will they perform? What will they say?

All that is important, but there is another place to look too. In the time between now and the debates, groups who are considering hosting such events would do well to think carefully about how these things will actually unfold. Debates can be vital, engaging, inspirational, educational — or they can be dry, dull, off-putting. This does not mean they need to be glitzy and silly. But it does mean that something other than the typical written-questions-with-one-minute-to-respond format would be helpful.

The key ingredients, it seems to me, are a thoughtful moderator, a format that allows room to probe, time to really answer questions, and careful attention to addressing people’s aspirations and hopes for this city. (Two election cycles back, I wrote something about that.)

I encourage you to use the “comments” section of this post to discuss just what it is that would be useful in candidates’ forums. Maybe organizations who are planning to sponsor their own could join in, too. After all, this goes to just what kind of relationship we want (and can have) with our elected leaders. That’s important — too important to be left to think about at the last minute.

What do you think?

POTD: Tomato Time

> It’s the first full day of summer, and tomatoes are coming! Now can someone tell me why my cantaloupe plant is withering?

Weekend to Weekend

>Events in Rockville

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Growers Only Farmers’ Market Rockville Town Center Plaza between Gibbs St. & Maryland Ave., 9 AM -1 PM. Local farmers come together to sell fruit, bread, flowers and more.

Montgomery County Heritage Weekend in Rockville – A special shuttle bus will run from the Town Center to the Historical Society and the Baptist Cemetery.

**At the Beall-Dawson Historical Park, 103 W. Montgomery Avenue, 12 PM – 4 PM. Learn about the history and geology of our City. Tour the House & medical museums, plus the current exhibit, Mining Montgomery. Dig for “gold”, see a rocking chair-making demonstration, and visit with Dr. Stonestreet.

**In Rockville Town Center Plaza:
1 PM – 4 PM sculptor demonstration by John Jason Sonnier. Children can try stone sculpting.
2 PM match stones to buildings in a scavenger hunt.
4 PM DinoRock! Large puppet concert on the stage.

**At the Historic Baptist Cemetery, Corner of Jefferson & W. Mont. Ave., gravestone rubbings & walking tours of historic and geological Rockville at 12:30 PM & 2:15 PM.

Bauer Drive Community Day Festival, Bauer Drive Community Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, 1 PM to 6 PM. Entertainment, music, children’s games and activities, food and MORE! FREE! All ages. For more info, call 301-468-4015.

The West End, Grog & Tankard, 2408 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington DC (okay, it’s not actually in Rockville but you’re not going to want to miss this!), 8 PM. Take a trip down to this Rockville band’s very first CD release party! Primitive-style Americana rock at its finest.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Montgomey County Heritage Weekend in Rockville:

**At the Beall-Dawson Historical Park, 12 PM – 4 PM. See Saturday description.

**At the Latvian Museum & Church, 400 Hurley Ave., demonstrations of weaving, knitting, doll making, and folk dancing. Exotic amber exhibit, food & gift shop.

Live it up!!, City of Rockville, 7 PM, Rockville Town Center Plaza between Gibbs Street & Maryland Ave., Free. First in a series of recreation events in our new Plaza. Featuring music, dancing, and exhibits by local artists discovered through the “Hidden Rockville” program. Free beach balls to the first 150 attendees! Bring along a lawn chair for comfortable seating.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Reading Buddies, Rockville Library, 21 Maryland Ave, 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Read with a buddy every Monday, June 18-July 23. Bring a buddy and, if you like, bring your sleeping bag or pillow and read together. There will be a buddy to read with you if you don’t bring your own. Read whatever you choose! Come 5 or more times and receive a free book and certificate! All ages! No sign-up, just come! Register at the Children’s Desk.

ALSO, don’t forget to sign up by July 31st for the the Summer Reading Program “Reading Road Trip” at any Montgomery County Library. Children can log their reading and win prizes. Sponsored by The Friends of the Library.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Paul Hadfield – The Funny Guy, City of Rockville’s Kids, Parks & The Performing Arts Series, Village Green at Fallsgrove, intersection of Falls Grove Blvd and Falls Grove Dr. 7:30 PM, Free. The kids just love his physical comedy, juggling, unicycling, and ladder walking. As an adult you’ll find that you can’t resist laughing. You may even wind up in his act. Bring along a lawn chair or blanket for comfortable seating. All performances are held outdoors weather permitting. To verify location and obtain directions call 240-314-8682 after 6:30 p.m. on the day of the show.

Mr. Shine presents “Rock and Read Around the World”, Rockville Library, 2 PM. He’s a first grade teacher traveling all the way from Colorado to play original, zainy, educational songs for ages 6 and up.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Sandra Dean, Chris Bloskey & Joel Hoskins playing classic rock, Out to Lunch Wednesdays, City of Rockville, Food & Farmer’s Market, E. Montgomery Ave, 12 PM – 1:30 PM.

KayDee Puppets will perform “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “The Frog Prince”, Twinbrook Library at 202 Meadow Hall Drive, 7 PM, for ages 5 & up. Call 240-777-0240.

The Tempest presented by
The National Players, City of Rockville, Rockville Civic Center Park on the grassy area behind The Cottage, 7:30 PM.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

James Mabry, Concerts in the Square, City of Rockville, Rockville Town Center Plaza, 6 PM – 8 PM. Enjoy the area’s best music with local and national entertainers each Thursday.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Rockville Civic Center – 50th celebration, 603 Edmonston Drive, at the corner of Baltimore Road, 12 PM -5 PM. Activities throughout Civic Center Park: Glenview Mansion, formal gardens, and cottage – F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre – Croydon Creek Nature Center – Rockville Climbing Gym – 153 acres of parkland. Tours of the formal gardens, historic trees, Glenview Mansion, Civic Center Park

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Brooker & Bullen playing an edgy modern folk, Sunday Afternoon Concert Series, City of Rockville, Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park, 2 PM. Free, no tickets required.

Weekend to Weekend will publish event listings occuring in & around our coverage area (map) on Thursdays. If you know of a fun, educational, or community event, please email cindycgblog@gmail.com. The inclusion of events is at our discretion.

Rockville Catching Bethesda!

But not in a good way.>

The Washington Post reports that Montgomery County police in Bethesda have seen an “alarming” rise in the last two weeks in smash-and-grab robberies from parked cars. At 162 incidents in May, the number has more than doubled from last year.

Don’t get cocky, though: “The district with the second-highest number of reported thefts from vehicles is Rockville, which had 86 during the same period.”

Thieves target cars parked in the business district during the day, and on residential streets at night. What are they taking? GPS devices, iPods, cell phones. You know…the stuff you leave in your car.

According to the article, MoCo Police Capt. Wayne M. Jerman, commander of the Bethesda station, says car owners need to keep those things out of sight. But,

[h]e said some owners of GPS devices have hidden them in their cars but left the suction cup they are generally attached to on the dashboard, defeating the purpose of concealing the gadget. . . . “If we can get people to be aware and remove the valuables, that would help tremendously,” Jerman said. “Like the stray dog theory. If a stray dog keeps getting fed, they’re going to come back.”

As Town Center grows and more businesses open, there’s no question there will be more parked cars throughout the day, with more opportunities for theft.

Keep your stuff hidden, or take it with you.

(Image ZDnet.)

POTD: Kids These Days

> Looking through the window at a carrel at the new library in Town Center, I noticed this sign that says: “COMPUTERS FOR TEENS AGES 12-18 ONLY”. I wondered if that meant this particular computer…or if it was an observation on society!

Planning Chair Frowns on Whining

The Gazette >tells us that Steven Johnson, Rockville Planning Commission chair, is irked at the “tiresome” complaints about the a-borning Twinbrook Neighborhood Plan lodged by Twinbrook Citizens Association President Christina Ginsberg, Saying of them that they are “a bit of a whine.”

Comments such as that by city officials (even volunteers) about citizens are unfortunate. But there is a larger issue at work here, too.

At issue appears to be a classic staff/citizen rift. The Planning Commisssion, says Ginsberg, does not provide information timely and slants its questionnaires so that they will result in positive assessments of the current draft plans. Meanwhile, the Commission seems to believe, citizens are not giving them enough room and flexibility in which to make plans — demanding answers about zoning that would come out later in the process.

Each side has an understandable interest: planning in a way that is most beneficial to Rockville as a whole (on the one hand); and really knowing what is going to happen in the neighborhood moving forward (on the other).

It’s too bad that the very mechansim that is supposed to minimize such friction — commuity outreach , that is — appears to be the very thing that is causing it.

Who knows how this process will move forward. But, in the future, people who are designing such mechanisms would do well to really ask, as they go about this important work, just what is it we are after? “Input” that we will then do with as we will? Or a real understanding of the concerns and aspirations of the community?

While we all might quickly say it’s the latter we are after, we need to make sure our plans and actions don’t send the message that we really just want the former (and that only grudgingly).

One way to approach this is to ask: What would it really look like if we went about planning in partnership with the community, rather than just seeking “input?”

What do you think?

Armani Staying Put

>WTOP reports that Armani, the capuchin monkey who used to be in the posession of Elyse Gazewitz until he was taken by authorities, will not be returned:

The county contends Gazewitz is in violation of laws against exotic pets. Gazewitz claims the county seized her monkey illegally from her Rockville home. . . . In the meantime, Armani is doing just fine at the Catoctin Zoo in Thurmont, Md., according to June Bellizzi, the zoo’s general curator.

Of course, there is a movement to secure human rights for the monkey. Armani’s Wish has been set up, where you can buy “Free Armani” T-shirts and other pro-monkey-freedom wear.

Here’s how they put the issue:

Recently Armani, a young male Black Cap Capuchin, was ripped from his surrogate mother’s arms by Animal Control. Animal Control went to the house, commented how nice everything was for Armani, yet removed him claiming his status was illegal in the state of Maryland. After being with the only mother this young primate knows, Animal Control placed him into a Zoo and sent Elyse, Armani’s mother, a bill for $1,344.20 per month for the Zoos care.

You decide.

POTD: Not Yet Dressed Up

> Call me old-fashioned, but it is nice to see mannequins again that are not so anatomically correct.