Comments on: Contributor Opinion By Mark Pierzchala: Support Closure Of Princeton Place Fence; Only Open When Smoking Areas Are Provided On Campus http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus.html/ News and views on Rockville, Maryland since 2007 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:01:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Cassie A. http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus.html/comment-page-1/#comment-957 Cassie A. Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:51:00 +0000 http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/25/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus/#comment-957 Along with the majority of people in and around my neighborhood (Plymouth Woods) I am unhappy with the closing of the fence. I feel like there has to be a win/win situation here. I am a part-time student at MC and use the fence opening to attend class, walk to the track, bike to the pike as well as access the bus hub. ><br/>In answer to Anonymous, I HAVE seen some inappropriate behavior. I have see students/faculty toss trash towards the bins, but when it misses, they don't bother to pick it up and actually put it in the can. I have seen smokers put their butts on the ground instead of in the cans. Two weeks ago, I was walking to school on a lovely Friday morning and found a man laying in the roundabout, cigarette in one hand, and the other hand fully down the front of his pants. I have reason to believe he is a student because of the backpack laying next to him. In that situation, how do you explain to a child who might be playing outside that it's inappropriate to masturbate or otherwise pleasure yourself in public?!?<br/>No, I haven't seen people smoking something other than tobacco, as has been reported. But I have seen littering and indecent behavior on the edge of my neighborhood that would most likely not otherwise be there, where it not for the intolerant policy set by the college. <br/>I hope that as many people as possible will attend the meeting on Monday March 16th at the library - the more minds that come together to reasonably and rationally talk about addressing these issues and attempting to come up with win/win solutions for everyone involved - the better our community will be.<br/><br/>And Anonymous - you have a lot of strong things to say, but apparently don't feel like you can own up to them by leaving any kind of moniker? Along with the majority of people in and around my neighborhood (Plymouth Woods) I am unhappy with the closing of the fence. I feel like there has to be a win/win situation here. I am a part-time student at MC and use the fence opening to attend class, walk to the track, bike to the pike as well as access the bus hub. >
In answer to Anonymous, I HAVE seen some inappropriate behavior. I have see students/faculty toss trash towards the bins, but when it misses, they don’t bother to pick it up and actually put it in the can. I have seen smokers put their butts on the ground instead of in the cans. Two weeks ago, I was walking to school on a lovely Friday morning and found a man laying in the roundabout, cigarette in one hand, and the other hand fully down the front of his pants. I have reason to believe he is a student because of the backpack laying next to him. In that situation, how do you explain to a child who might be playing outside that it’s inappropriate to masturbate or otherwise pleasure yourself in public?!?
No, I haven’t seen people smoking something other than tobacco, as has been reported. But I have seen littering and indecent behavior on the edge of my neighborhood that would most likely not otherwise be there, where it not for the intolerant policy set by the college.
I hope that as many people as possible will attend the meeting on Monday March 16th at the library – the more minds that come together to reasonably and rationally talk about addressing these issues and attempting to come up with win/win solutions for everyone involved – the better our community will be.

And Anonymous – you have a lot of strong things to say, but apparently don’t feel like you can own up to them by leaving any kind of moniker?

]]> By: Anonymous http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus.html/comment-page-1/#comment-956 Anonymous Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:19:00 +0000 http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/25/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus/#comment-956 "The impacts on them have been severe and real."><br/><br/>What have they been? Nowhere have I encountered any claim of actual grievances (or seen wrong-doing myself). Perhaps "severe and imaginary" would be more honest. Until someone presents cases of real problems, I can only suspect that this hostility toward the young adult students is a combination of the typical xenophobia of the community resident, the bizzare intolerance for so-called "loitering" (enjoying oneself in one place for some time - rather than all time spent outdoors be for the sole "legitmate" purpose of transporting oneself to "legitmate" destinations), and the equally irrational stigma attached to young people who smoke.<br/><br/>"The Princeton Place residents are defending their children and their property;"<br/><br/>Again defending against what? The argument presented would be much stronger if at least a single example could be mentioned. And "defending their children"?! That's just too much, an extreme claim to make. Empty, baseless, absurdly emotional, and yet it this sort of thinking that leads to such disputes in the first place.<br/><br/>To the author's credit, I believe that he would not have been so unduly generous to the residents of the community if he was not running for city council! It can be seen clearly that he is intelligent and bold when he does not hesitate to point to MC's anti-smoking policy as the original cause of current problems. “The impacts on them have been severe and real.”>

What have they been? Nowhere have I encountered any claim of actual grievances (or seen wrong-doing myself). Perhaps “severe and imaginary” would be more honest. Until someone presents cases of real problems, I can only suspect that this hostility toward the young adult students is a combination of the typical xenophobia of the community resident, the bizzare intolerance for so-called “loitering” (enjoying oneself in one place for some time – rather than all time spent outdoors be for the sole “legitmate” purpose of transporting oneself to “legitmate” destinations), and the equally irrational stigma attached to young people who smoke.

“The Princeton Place residents are defending their children and their property;”

Again defending against what? The argument presented would be much stronger if at least a single example could be mentioned. And “defending their children”?! That’s just too much, an extreme claim to make. Empty, baseless, absurdly emotional, and yet it this sort of thinking that leads to such disputes in the first place.

To the author’s credit, I believe that he would not have been so unduly generous to the residents of the community if he was not running for city council! It can be seen clearly that he is intelligent and bold when he does not hesitate to point to MC’s anti-smoking policy as the original cause of current problems.

]]> By: KeepItOpen http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus.html/comment-page-1/#comment-955 KeepItOpen Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:00:00 +0000 http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/25/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus/#comment-955 But Mark, Montgomery College will not establish a smoking area. You need a different approach. Closing the gate is the problem, not the solution. But Mark, Montgomery College will not establish a smoking area. You need a different approach. Closing the gate is the problem, not the solution.

]]> By: Carl http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus.html/comment-page-1/#comment-954 Carl Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:20:00 +0000 http://rockvillecentral.com/2009/02/25/contributor-opinion-by-mark-pierzchala-support-closure-of-princeton-place-fence-only-open-when-smoking-areas-are-provided-on-campus/#comment-954 I agree with Mark that Montgomery College should establish a smoking area as part of a solution that keeps access for the neighborhood through Princeton Place. ><br/><br/>Mark is a little late in calling in calling on the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee to support a smoking area on Montgomery College Campus - RBAC is already on record in support of a smoking area on the college campus. RBAC Chair, Nancy Breen, has already testified in front of the Mayor and Council in support of that position. <br/><br/>Carl I agree with Mark that Montgomery College should establish a smoking area as part of a solution that keeps access for the neighborhood through Princeton Place. >

Mark is a little late in calling in calling on the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee to support a smoking area on Montgomery College Campus – RBAC is already on record in support of a smoking area on the college campus. RBAC Chair, Nancy Breen, has already testified in front of the Mayor and Council in support of that position.

Carl

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