Reader’s Note From Tom Miner: Hunger In Montgomery County

Photo from Manna

How You Can Help Reduce Hunger in Montgomery County – and Have a Blast at the Same Time!

Hunger is a hidden but all too prevalent problem in our county. In Montgomery County, a family of four requires an income of $70,000 just to be minimally self-sufficient. The high costs of housing, health care, food, transportation, and utilities are squeezing more and more families. When funds are low, the rent, doctor, and utility companies get paid first and what’s left is what people spend on food; often there just isn’t enough money to buy the food their family needs.

Children of low income families are especially vulnerable. These school kids often receive subsidized school breakfasts and lunches to sustain them through the day. But what happens on the weekends?

Manna Food Center is the main food bank on Montgomery County. In 2005, Manna started the Smart Sacks program that provides these target school kids with a Smart Sack of healthy, yet kid-friendly food every Friday so they will have something to eat over the weekend.

Manna provides 1,400 Smart Sacks every Friday to schools, including the schools right here in Rockville.

Photo from The Digits!

Here’s how you can easily help: Come to the Benefit Concert, Saturday, September 11^th, at the Woodley Gardens Swim Club.  The Digits!, a local rock cover band I helped to form in 2001, will provide the entertainment.  Attendance is free, but we are asking for $5 donation.  Additionally we will have a Silent Auction to raise additional funds for this cause.  This will be the 5th year we have organized this community event and each time we have raised $2000 to $6000. 

Saturday, September 11, 2010

7:30 PM to 11:30 PM

Woodley Gardens Pool, 850 Nelson St., Rockville, MD

How will The Digits! raise money and donations for this good cause?

1. Ask for a $5 donation from each fan attending the event.
2. Many fans are donating items for the Silent Auction.  Please consider contributing to the Silent Auction.  Contact Dawn Sumner Titmus for Silent Auction ideas and details.
3. Fans bid on and “buy” Silent Auction items.  Items are available for viewing and bidding from 7:30 to 10:30.
4. Online donations can be made.  Click here.  Please designate you online donation to the Smart Sacks Program and The Digits!

The Digits! past 4 Benefit Concerts raised up to $6000 for each event!  All of the money we raise (100%) is given directly to the cause we are working for.  Manna Food Center is an efficiently run organization.  According to GuideStar, ninety-four cents of every donated dollar Manna receives goes directly to feeding the hungry.

Bring friends and family, your cooler and extra chairs!  This is a wonderful, relaxing atmosphere around the pool.  Enjoy some good music, sing along, dance with neighbors, and watch friends sing with The Digits!  – knowing you are helping a worthy cause.

The Digits! are donating the entertainment.  Woodley Gardens is proving the beautiful pool setting.  All we need is YOU and your generosity!

For more information, see www.TheDigitsBand.com or http://www.facebook.com/TheDigits

Check here for more information from Manna.

This is a Reader’s Note. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us using our contact form if you would like to submit something!

Contributor Opinion By Sima Osdoby: Why I am Supporting Cheryl Kagan

This Contributor Opinion is by Sima Osdoby:

Why I am Supporting Cheryl Kagan and Why I Believe She Deserves Your Support to be our Next State Senator

At the District 17 Democrats state senate debate Tuesday night in the Rockville Library, the candidates were asked to describe an issue they cared deeply about but that did not get a lot of attention. Cheryl Kagan described her commitment to be a champion for non-profit organizations in the state legislature.

Talk of economic development often ignores this key element of the economy, despite its importance, especially in our area. Nationally, non-profit organizations–ranging from the Johns Hopkins University to local food pantries like Manna Food–pump over a trillion dollars a year into our economy and employ one in ten workers. In our Metro area, closer to one-sixth of the workforce is employed by non-profits.

Like every other sector of the economy, the non-profit sector has particular issues that must be addressed if it is to grow, thrive and continue to carry out essential functions. But in a stressed economy, nonprofits are called upon even more to meet basic needs, even as they have fewer resources to count on.

Cheryl has a long history in the non-profit world. I have known and worked with her over the years at the national and local levels as she worked with groups promoting public policy like gun control and reproductive choice, and most recently when she was Executive Director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, which distributed over a million dollars a year to sustain and enhance valuable non-profits, mostly in Montgomery County.

Cheryl understands the funding, personnel and other needs of non-profits, and has pledged–not only last night, but throughout the campaign–to serve as a liaison between our state government and the non-profit sector if elected. That’s just one more reason why she deserves our support in her campaign to be our next State Senator.

Sima Osdoby

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Editorial Opinion by Cindy Cotte Griffiths: Board of Appeals Brought To Court

Originally, back in March 2010, the Rockville City Council voted to instruct the City Attorney not to represent the Board of Appeals when they were petitioned by 15 members of the community for a court review concerning their decision to approve a Special Exemption for Victory Court, an 86-unit affordable senior housing development planned for property owned by Montgomery County on Fleet Street. (For the record: Phyllis Marcuccio, Bridget Newton and Piotr Gajewski voted against representing the volunteer Board while John Britton and Mark Pierzchala voted to allow the salaried City Attorney to represent the Board.)

Obviously as the Chair of one of our City’s Commissions, I was tremendously concerned about how these volunteers were treated. Roy Deitchman, a member of the Board of Appeals for seven years resigned over the matter. At the time, I could only put myself in the Board’s shoes and imagine being left alone to defend my Commission against this group in court.

In April when Montgomery County assigned an attorney to respond to the Petition for Judicial Review, the Mayor and Council reversed their decision in a 4-1 vote with Bridget Newton continuing to oppose the representation. The minutes from the April 12, 2010 meeting state “Councilmember Newton said she did feel the Board’s decision was flawed and would vote to not go forward with the City’s response.”

The members of the Board of Appeals dedicate many hours of service without compensation. I strongly believe the City they serve should represent them.  One of the City Attorney’s duties is to “Defend challenges to decisions/actions of the Mayor and Council, Boards and Commissions, and staff.” The majority of our elected officials eventually did the right thing.

Yesterday I went to Judge Greenberg’s Circuit Courtroom to see what would happen with this Petition brought by Alice Lui and 14 others. Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio and Councilmember Bridget Newton were in attendance along with Alice Liu and Noreen Bryan.

The City Attorney was present to represent the City of Rockville. Montgomery County, the owner of the property, and Victory Housing, the developer, both had attorneys present. The Board of Appeals was represented by Alan Sternstein a member of the Board of Appeals, who pointed out that he was not being compensated.

Judge Greenberg held the hearing to a one-hour time limit and explained he had read all the documents submitted. Since the attorney representing Montgomery County decided not to speak, this left 15 minutes for each of the other attorneys. Obviously what was heard in the courtroom was not the full argument on either side. I’m sure someone with a legal background could find fault with my descriptions since the words spoken quickly in a limited time period might not have been as accurate as all the many stacks of evidence in this matter. Regardless, I am going to attempt to portray what occurred in the courtroom because this issue is important to our City.

The attorney, Mr. Chen, representing the petitioners in this matter attempted to list issues, reusing numbers in his description. He stated that the deciding agency did not render defining reasons and there was an absence of evidence. He was also concerned about how the amended decision evolved, which he believed was eligible for review. He also stated that the Board of Appeals was required by State Code 66B to go over and above anything in our City’s Zoning Ordinance to make sure that a special exemption would not adversely affect the health of the neighborhood. A development cannot change the character of a neighborhood. He also stated that the “neighborhood” was not properly defined. Notices were sent to everyone in a ¼ mile radius of the property but the Board of Appeals never legally defined the area in their decision. There is also concern about what is planned in the 59-foot buffer area especially the parking. When he mentioned that the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Rockville stated affordable housing must be scattered-site, the Judge asked about whether this was a recommendation rather than a requirement. He responded that the State Statute 66B requires it to be “complied with” so scattered means scattered. Using the ¼ mile radius area, it is overly impacted by affordable housing. The Board of Appeals did not address this situation. Another issue mentioned was that adequate accessibility to public transportation, medical services, shopping and recreational/community services had to be determined since the proposed housing would serve people with disabilities. The petitioners believe there was no attempt to do so by Victory Housing other than to say all of these existed “in Rockville”.

Personally, I do not discriminate on the basis of income. Having neighbors (who might not make as much money as the people living in the townhouses of Courthouse Square or the single-family houses on South Washington and Argyle Street) living in apartments does not lower housing values or adversely affect our neighborhood. To believe otherwise is discrimination. I say this with my house being less than a block from the Victory Court site and a stone’s throw from those bringing this petition. Also, the Victory Court location is across the street from City Hall, a few blocks from Town Square and the Metro, with bus stops and sidewalks surrounding it. I love my neighborhood because it is so close to everything, an excellent location for all of the amenities mentioned.

Now, let me review the responses from the other attorneys.

The City’s Attorney indicated that she had fully responded in writing. Ms. Daniel used her time to explain that the concerns over the “flat roof” were unjustified. Throughout the body of the Board’s original decision, a flat roof was mentioned three times, which she detailed. Clearly the intention was to approve a flat roof. About the concern that the amendment signed by all three Board members after the January hearing should have required an additional meeting, she stated the document evidenced what occurred in the January hearing and did not require another hearing since it simply corrected the decision. There is nothing in the law requiring a new hearing. Even if the Court found an error, there would still not need to be a hearing. She stated that the only reason everyone was in Court was because these neighbors were not happy with the decision. As to the area used for this case, other legal cases have clarified that it need not be “strictly defined in any way”. She explained that no one was confused as to the area used in this case. The petitioners never raised the issue and said, “Hey, I don’t know what neighborhood you are talking about.” The City and neighborhood all had the same area in mind when the development was discussed.

When representing the Board of Appeals, Mr. Sternstein stated that to contend that there was some other design other than a flat roof was inconsistent since it was always very clear it was a flat roof. When the 39-foot roof was specified to comply with City’s Zoning, it actually gave the developer even less leeway because it could be higher. He pointed out that Ms. Liu testified that the 39-foot height was moving the project in the right direction and Ms. Bryan stated it went a long way to fit into the neighborhood. He added that their attorney stated the Board was in fact responsive. No harm to the petitioners’ properties was ever defined. He also wanted comment about the photos provided by the petitioners showing a balloon raised to the height of the building. A citizen demonstrated to him exactly how the photo had been cropped and manipulated. He had actually been present when the balloon was raised so he urged the Court to be careful.

The attorney for Victory Housing, Mr. Kline, addressed the issue that “the case before you is the absence of evidence”. He believed the evidence in this appeal was the most he had ever seen. Everybody had a chance to put into the record everything they had to say. These hearings occurred on four Saturdays and lasted all day, one even from 9:30 AM until 5:30 PM. There is a substantial body of evidence. It’s all in the record and the questions were all asked. With so much evidence, it puts it in the “fairly debatable category” but a decision had to be made by the Board. He defended the use of a 59-foot buffer which is landscaped. The City Staff determined it was adequate. With evidence on both sides, the presumption goes to the Board of Appeals. When you get into the issues, the petitioners have “no basis for them.” In Maryland a Board can correct a decision without a public hearing and there was no change from what was stated in the public hearing.

The attorney for the petitioners spoke again in response, stating that if facts were discussed after the January hearing and before the Board issued their corrected decision, then there should have been another hearing. Even if his petitioners benefitted from the clarification that the roof was to be 39-feet high, they had a right to know what was going on. He said they need to see what is in the Board’s emails to make sure the decision was exclusive to the Board of Appeals and that there were no emails sent by City Staff or the developer.

Judge Greenberg ended by stating “Thank you very much for this well-briefed case.” Then he said it wouldn’t be very long until he gave his written opinion.

This is my first time attending a court case and attempting to describe it to our readers. Obviously, this housing project for seniors is in my neighborhood and I have a special interest because I volunteer on one of our City’s Commissions. I strongly believe we all volunteer to make our City a better place. I hope this incident does not deter others from coming forward to serve. 

Contributor Opinion By Scott Maravilla: Cheryl Kagan Is Our Future

Photo from the candidate's website

This Contributor Opinion is by Scott Maravilla:

Cheryl Kagan, candidate for State Senate from District 17 (Rockville, Gaithersburg, Garrett Park) is our future. She represents the aspirations of a mid-Montgomery County region that’s growing and changing. A County native, Cheryl has seen this change unfold over her lifetime, understands the promise and challenge change offers, and embraces it. Indeed, she’s helped shape it: as a member of the House of Delegates representing us in Annapolis for eight years; as a leader in the non-profit world directing grants to charitable organizations here; as a volunteer on local boards and commissions.

Not long ago, my community, King Farm, was just that: a farm. Now it’s an example of Smart Growth: homes built within walking or biking distance of schools, stores, businesses and mass transit. Smart Growth is part of Cheryl’s economic agenda for our region; her campaign headquarters in Downtown Rockville exemplifies the ideal.

I’ve gone door-to-door with Cheryl in my neighborhood, talking to voters and sharing ideas. Like me, my neighbors quickly perceive that Cheryl–with her focus on economic development, fiscal reform and balanced transportation–represents the future of our community. That’s why we need her representing District 17 in the State Senate.

Scott Maravilla

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Contributor Opinion by Aileen Klein: Montgomery County Public Library Cuts

The following piece was submitted by Aileen Klein and edited by Cindy Cotte Griffiths. The information on policies, fees, and the budget was provided via memorandum from Parker Hamilton, the Montgomery County Public Library Director.

The operating budget that was approved for MCPL was $28.8 million and 348 positions, an approximate 23.1% reduction in budget since the FY10 approved budget. This is a drastic cut considering that in FY07 the operating budget was $40M. Collectively, these reductions will increase waiting times for customers at services desks, result in slower accomplishment of library operations functions, and decrease the accessibility and availability of library materials.

Not only has the budget decreased, but the number of library patrons has increased tremendously during this time period. It seems when the economy is bad, people turn more and more to their libraries to help them find jobs, use the free computers, access the free internet, and get free help from the librarians. Many people applying for jobs are unfamiliar with doing so on-line and need help from the library staff.

Changes in policy and fees

The following changes in policies and fees were instituted on July 6, 2010:

• The number of holds a customer can place was limited to 15 holds (down from 35) per library card. This includes Interlibrary Loan requests.
• Library accounts of customers who owe more than $25 (was $15) were blocked. Customers are not be able to place holds, check items out, or renew items.
• A $2 replacement fee for lost or stolen library cards was reinstated.

These are the major features of the FY11 MCPL operating budget:

1. Consolidation and reduction of library service hours into three levels, effective July 6th, 2010.

2. “Year round” service on Sundays runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at seven branches (it was eight
branches). For the seven branches (including the interim Gaithersburg location which hours have yet to be determined) that are open on Sundays, there will be a reduced complement of both information and circulation staffing. The Sunday branches are Bethesda, Germantown, Marilyn J. Praisner, Rockville, Wheaton, Silver Spring, and the Gaithersburg Interim Facility.

3. A reduction of 80 merit system positions from virtually all units and position classes in the Department; a countywide staff furlough; and reductions to Sunday, Substitute, and Page authorization levels.

4. Staff-led programs will focus on early literacy, all other programming will be done by Central Administration (using FOLMC grant funds) and/or volunteer-led efforts, with a substantial amount of volunteer-led programming being supported by the Friends of the Library Chapters as supported by local book sale efforts.

5. A 45% reduction in the library materials (books, magazines, CD’s, DVD’s, etc) budget, down to a base of $3 million.

6. Significant reductions in administrative and support staff and general operating expenses, and support for the Literacy Council of Montgomery County. These reductions include substantial reductions in office supply budgets for all units, suspension of equipment purchasing, and aggressive targets for the reduction of paper, toner, and mailing costs.

As the County Executive has stated in several forums, we find ourselves in an unprecedented crisis. Hard choices had to be made and acted upon. MCPL was given a target to meet, and we proposed the best library system we would build from the ground up, given our new and substantially reduced target.

These are difficult times for the County and the library system in particular. It is our continuing mission, despite the challenges we face, to connect our residents with knowledge, ideas, and information, and to be Where the County Reads, Meets, and Learns.

How You Can Help

The Friends of the Library (FOL) is the fundraising branch of the library system, much as a PTA is to the school system. The FOL is made up entirely of volunteers and is always looking for more people to help. There are so many things to do, especially now when our library is being used so heavily. The Friends of the Library is the one who will be paying for the children’s programs, arranging for and running author talks, special events, and book sales for the public.

Rockville is fortunate to have two libraries, Rockville Memorial Library in Town Square and the Twinbrook Library at 202 Meadow Hall Drive. Both are seeking new members and volunteers.

You may contact the Rockville Friends of the Library by emailing Rockville@folmc.org or the Twinbrook Friends of the Library by emailing Twinbrook@folmc.org.

You will be welcome at either.

Both of our libraries have programs and events which can be seen by going on the Friends of the Library website. There is a calendar on the front page and details of events can be found by selecting the individual library on the left side of the page.

The main way that the FOL raises money is through membership ($25/year), donations, and book sales. The Rockville Chapter holds weekly book sales each week at Out to Lunch Wednesday’s in front of Giuseppe’s Pizza from 11-2. Their big winter book sale will be held on Saturday, November 13.They are always seeking volunteers to help with their many book sales and book sorting activities.

I urge you to get involved and support our libraries.

By Aileen Klein, Vice President FOL, Rockville Chapter and FOLMC Board of Trustees

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to hello@rockvillecentral.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point! Please also note that Rockville Central does not endorse candidates in election campaigns. Supporters of all candidates are encouraged to submit opinion pieces for consideration.

Reader’s Note By Anne Robbins: A Glorious Wedding

Sean Mahoney Robbins and Joanne Dennie Robbins

Saturday, August 14th was one of the happiest days of Dave and my lives, when our only son, Sean Mahoney Robbins, married his dream girl, Joanne Dennie Robbins; it was also one of the happiest days of their lives, as the photo shows.

You can see how debonair the groom looks, as well as his best man, his father, Dave Robbins, who is right in back of him, as well as the Rev. Glen Dameron who officiated at the ceremony.

Friends and family came from all over including his first friend, Jay Ravida, and lots of Irish cousins, including JoAnne Mahoney Gillespie from Orange County, Calif., who recited the tradition Irish Blessing.  Sean, whose godfather is Jimmy Carter, had a whole wall of a video showing him with the Carters, from baby, through adulthood; President Carter, and his wonderful wife and partner, Rosalynn Carter, are truly “the Carpenter’s Apprentices”, and have been great role models for Sean to follow.

Joanne has a big family, and they were all there “gussied up”, and looking great, particularly her little nieces and nephews.

The Big surprise of the day was the bride’s father, Bud Dennie, who cut a “mean rug,” and is really ready for primetime.  The bride’s mother was  all in silver, and my parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Mahoney, were honored by a quote from one of their letters: An Irish Marriage Proverb, which was written in Gaelic in the program, and translates, “Two Shorten the Road.” Our daughter, Brennan, and her fiancee, Dallas Albers, were part of the wedding party, and, Dallas, a singer, sang at the reception, which made everyone’s day, and reminded us, that there soon will be another wedding for the Robbins Clan.

Anne Robbins is a former councilmember of the City of Rockville.

This is a Reader’s Note. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us using our contact form if you would like to submit something!

Reader’s Note From Rotraut Bockstahler: Rockville Chorus Visits Sister City

The Rockville Chorus with the support of the Rockville Sister City Corporation visited Pinneberg, Germany in June.  Under the musical guidance of Bryan Seith, director of the chorus, several concerts were held in different venues.

Dinslaken, Germany (click for full size)

The chorus entertained in civic auditoriums, village squares and in several beautiful churches.

The chorus group first visited Dinslaken, Germany to join  German and Norwegian choruses  and to  participate in the RUHR2010 DAY OF SONG. On the 5^th of June, music events were held in nearly every town and village in the Ruhr Valley. The visit culminated with the televised concert of 66,000 participants in the Schalke Soccer Stadium at Gelsenkirchen.

The concert, led by Steven Sloane, included  Bobby McFarrin in a 2 ½ hour program that covered a wide variety of contemporary and classical music.

Hamburg, Germany (click for full size)

The chorus then visited Pinneberg and was warmly welcomed by Sister City hosts.  During a tour of St Mary’s church  in Lübeck, the chorus was asked to sing after services.  Our sister city of Pinneberg arranged  for a concert at St Michaels Cathedral in Hamburg.  The church, magnificent in white and gold was a beautiful setting for a program of inspirational music.  The last evening, the chorus joined the youth orchestra of the Pinneberg Music School in a performance at the famous baroque church at nearby Rellingen.

For the chorus members, the highlight of the trip was living with their German host families whose hospitality was unsurpassed.

The Rockville Chorus wishes to thank the Rockville Sister City Corporation for their support and the Rockville Senior Center for supplying the transportation to and from the airport.

A membership application form, information and the activities schedule of the Rockville Sister City Corporation can be found under www.rocknet.org/Community/SisterCities/.  You can also leave a message at 240-314-5029 to receive a callback from a member of the RSCC board.

The Rockville Chorus rehearses at the Rockville Senior Center at 7:30 pm on Monday nights starting in September.  Auditions are held in September. Please contact Julie Farrell at 240-314-8682 or by e-mail at jfarrell@rockvillemd.gov and request an audition date and time.

Rotraut Bockstahler is a former RSCC board member, former RSCC vice president, former RSCC president, and former president of the Rockville Chorus.

Contributor Review By Chas Hausheer: Just Two Persons’ Opinion About Againn Tavern

Photo from Againn Tavern website

Chas Hausheer visited the new Againn Tavern with his wife, Sheila Sweeney, and sent along a Contributor’s Review.  Againn has a popular location in Washington, DC and describes itself as a contemporary British Isles Bistro with extensive single-malt Scotch, whiskey, and beer selections. Againn is pronounced “a-g-uin” from the gaelic “at us” or “with us”.

Againn Tavern has moved into and opened up in the former Houstons property on The Pike. Being big fans of the previous occupant, curiosity tinged with high expectations – oh and hunger – drew the wife and me to try them out for a recent Saturday lunch.

For those who were familiar with Houstons the first thing you will become aware of is that the décor has been changed a bit; brighter lighting and a bit more of an open feel are the first things you will notice. Shutters have been removed from the floor to ceiling windows in the front dining area and the fully functional open flame gas sconces have been relegated to the bar only. I saw nothing different in there but I did notice later that their web site offers rental of personal scotch lockers. I’m betting they smell a whole lot better than my gym locker.

Price wise, they are definitely as upscale as Houstons if not a little more so but with a brand new menu. They call it comfort food with a strong organic bent and stress locally produced produce. Good for our local growers and green in every sense the word is used today. Again for Houstons’ fans there is still a spinach and artichoke dip. It is on our “to do list” for our next visit.

We enjoyed a very fine lunch and dessert with top notch service. Granted they were not very busy at the time but our drinks were refreshed without prompting – a sign that your wait person is not forgetting you and just what I like.

We both had the day’s specials – me a delightful chicken sandwich on a cibatta roll. The wife had a poached tuna sandwich garnished with hardboiled egg slices and some kind of mayonnaise mix. Both came with small salads of mixed field greens. She also had a side of a delicious cold tomato and basil soup. The table bread was tasty and hearty; may have been some kind of multi grain. Our portions were generous and though neither of us has a refined palate (although she reads Bon Appétit) we found ourselves doing the full mouth smile and nod at each other with our first tastes. For dessert we shared what is called Eton Mess. It was lemon curd, berries and some small pieces of meringue. As yummy as it was the being served in a canning type jar, albeit it quaint did make getting the last little sweet morsel a bit difficult. Not to fear we did mange though; ‘will and way’ you know.

We had a very genial chat with the general manager Marciel Vizcarra. She is attempting to adjust things to the more family centered Rockville clientele. Towards this end a limited children’s menu has been added along with some kiddy distracting place mat games and crayons. I did get a kick that the coloring page for the children we saw is Magritte’s “The Son of Man”.

Being from a family that tends to dine in a larger troupe one new wrinkle is bound to please similar groups, that is, Againn does take reservations. As much as we loved Houstons I feel we will most definitely return again to Againn.

Their web site is AgainnTavern.com and they are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Note they do plan to open for brunch in the near future. The full address is 12256 Rockville Pike and their phone number is 301-230-9260.

This is a contributor review. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us, RockvilleCentral@gmail.com, if you would like to submit something!

Reader’s Note from Temperance Blalock: Speed Cameras and Traffic Citations

Chart by Temperance Blalock

After seeing today’s POTD: Speed Sentinel, Temperance Blalock sent along this chart and Reader’s Note:

There’s a great deal of information available on the City website regarding speed cameras and traffic citations (http://www.rockvillemd.gov/police/speedcameras.htm). The “raw data” for many of the fixed-pole camera locations is presented, and I thought I’d play around with it and see what underlying trends I might be able to find. The “average speed” in itself wasn’t really helpful, other than to show broad trends of speed decreasing. I would have much rather seen the “average speed” only for the speeding ticket recipients.

The total numbers of vehicle passes and citations issued, by themselves, didn’t really show anything. However, when I divided the number of vehicle passes by citations issued, to get a number for “citations issued per vehicle pass”, I found an interesting pattern.

The “spike” in Fall 2009 was repeated almost uniformly in the five locations that I plotted. What do you suppose that this could “mean”? Is there a coincidence that it occurred shortly before the City election? Or perhaps the cameras were all recalibrated around that time? Or could the citizens of Rockville have suddenly been spontaneously seized with the urge to drive recklessly?

by Temperance Blalock

If you would like to contribute a Reader Note or other piece of writing, please send submissions to Hello@RockvilleCentral.com. The more community voices, the better Rockville Central will be. Please remember that the views of contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.

Lunching In The DMV: Seven Seas Chinese Restaurant

Dskco — now going by ‘Marie’ — dined at Seven Seas Chinese Restaurant the other day and filed a positive report in her blog Lunching In The DMV:

Food came out fast! The menu is big and offers Chinese and Japanese food. We opted for only Chinese food and ordered ‘Shrimp Lo Mein’ for $8.95. It was a good amount of noodles. It wasn’t overly salty, drenched in soy sauce or oily. I thought it was great! I’d definitely order it again. . . .

I enjoyed the food a lot. It tasted like good ingredients were used. The service was fast but for some reason we had 3 different servers

Read her full review, it’s worth the click!

Lunching in the DMV is a local Rockville blog reviewing restaurants throughout the metro DC area. Whenever she writes about a restaurant in Rockville, we post a link to her article. She stops by all those places you wonder about to let you know whether you should. We’re happy to share her experiences with our readers.

Contributor Opinion by John Cooper-Martin: Cheryl Kagan Will Make a Great State Senator for District 17

By John Cooper-Martin:

A life-long Democrat, Cheryl Kagan won election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1994.  She proudly represented District 17 (Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park) in Annapolis, for eight years.  There, she earned a reputation as an independent-minded legislator and was particularly effective in her work on the Appropriations Committee.  This is the very same District she will serve, if elected State Senator.

After eight years in the House, Cheryl chose not to seek reelection.  She continued advancing important issues by serving as the first-ever Executive Director of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation.   Under Cheryl’s guidance, the Foundation distributed over $1,000,000 each year to deserving nonprofit organizations primarily in Montgomery County (MD) and Sussex County (DE).  Grants, capacity-building programs, and leadership institutes provided support for worthy organizations working on behalf of the underprivileged, the environment, education, the elderly, and the arts.  Following the untimely death of the Foundation’s Chair, Cheryl coordinated the creation of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation as well.

Over the years, Cheryl has committed her time and talents as a political and strategic consultant and spokesperson.  Her candidates and causes have been at both the federal and local levels and have included electing progressive Democrats; reducing drug and alcohol dependence; and creating affordable housing for working people.  Most recently, she earned the title of “Professor Kagan” for the course she teaches on State & Local Government at Montgomery College.  For many years, she has been a regular Democratic commentator on CBS TV’s Washington D.C. affiliate and other media outlets.

An active volunteer, Cheryl served eight years on the Maryland State Arts Council and just completed six years as Vice President of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.  She was appointed by the County Executive to the Charter Review Commission and by the Chancellor to the Board of Advisors of the Universities at Shady Grove.  She currently serves on the boards of the American Jewish Committee and Americans for Democratic Action.  She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery (Class of 2002) and continues to volunteer with the organization.  Along with her husband, David Spitzer (a career Montgomery County public school teacher), Cheryl is the founder and co-host of “Folk ‘N Great Music,” which brings nationally known acoustic singer-songwriters into an intimate performance setting.  Cheryl’s commitment to supporting the artists has resulted in their series becoming the first unionized house concert venue in the country!

Twice recognized as one of Maryland’s “Top 100 Women,” Cheryl was also selected by Montgomery County’s Business and Professional Women as a “Woman of Achievement” and as both a Blaustein and Comay Fellow by the American Jewish Committee.  The Greater Washington Board of Trade twice recognized her for leadership on behalf of the Intercounty Connector, and The Baltimore Sun named her as one of their “Rising Stars.”

Cheryl has been endorsed by several organizations, including NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland to the Sierra Club, Firefighters, Service Employees, and others  They believe, as I do, that Cheryl will be a more effective champion for the environment, working families, or women’s reproductive choices.

We need a leader, in Annapolis, representing us; Cheryl Kagan is a leader.  These are hard times, for Montgomery County, and the rest of Maryland.  Cheryl will be a champion, for the causes that are important to us, as citizens of Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park.  Cheryl’s legislative priorities include: focusing on our fiscal priorities, supporting public education, improving transportation options, promoting public safety, providing affordable housing, protecting our environment, defending reproductive choice, delivering on health care issues, disclosing and limiting campaign finances, and celebrating diversity. These are some of the reasons why so many organizations and people have endorsed Cheryl.  For all of these reasons, and many more, I urge you to vote, for Cheryl Kagan, Democrat for State Senate, representing District 17, which is Rockville, Gaithersburg, and Garrett Park, in the Primary Election, September 14th.  Also, you can learn more about Cheryl, including how to support her to win this election on her website: www.CherylKagan.org.

John Cooper-Martin

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to rockvillecentral@gmail.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

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Contributor Opinion by Art Stigile: 10 Questions for RedGate (UPDATED)

>In our recap of Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, we promised a full list of Art Stigile’s questions about RedGate Golf Course from Citizen’s Forum. Thanks to Art’s courtesy, here they are:

Image from RedGate Golf Course

[UPDATE: Art has provided backup for his assertions in this piece; they are here.]

Next week the RedGate Advisory Committee will present its recommendations for improving the financial condition of the golf course. In anticipation of the meeting, I have 10 questions that I would like to ask the Advisory Committee. I believe they are hard, but fair, questions that should be asked of the Committee, which after all, serves primarily as the golfers’s advocacy group. I won’t be able to ask all of them tonight, but I will start tonight and finish up next week. I have already emailed them to the Chairman of the Advisory Committee and to the Mayor and Council.

1. When Rockville agreed to establish the golf course in 1974, golfers promised to pay all of the expenses of the golf course and not saddle taxpayers with any of the cost. In exchange, RedGate would be run like a business that focused on meeting the needs of golfers, without a lot of meddling by taxpayers. Setting RedGate up as a separate Enterprise Fund was essential to carrying out this deal. Through 1999, golfers lived up to their bargain with taxpayers. However, Redgate has run deficits in each of the past 10 years, and taxpayers have been forced to fill the gap. Are today’s golfers willing to live by the original deal struck with taxpayers, and if not, why should taxpayers feel obligated to subsidize golf?
2. RedGate is expected to run a deficit of $674,000 this year, and taxpayers are once again going to have to fill the hole. If you do the math, that works out to a taxpayer subsidy of about $19 for every round of golf played at RedGate. Does the Advisory Committee agree that this is incredibly excessive? How would you define the appropriate level?
3. Redgate is expected to end the current year with a negative balance of about $2.4 million. This figure is more than double the revenue that we expect to collect from golfers for the entire year. The cumulative losses are expected to grow to $5.9 million by the end of FY 2015, which by then will be more than 5 times RedGate’s annual income. My question is this. How and when do you propose to repay taxpayers for this debt?
4. Rockville has operated for several years with a requirement to run a General Fund reserve equal to 15 percent of revenue. At the June 21^st meeting of Mayor and Council, staff testified that incorporating RedGate into the General Fund would immediately reduce the General Fund reserve to 13.6 percent in FY 2011 and reduce it further each year, leaving it at just 2.7 percent in FY 2015. This is a recipe for financial suicide. It would result in the loss of Rockville’s Triple A rating, make it extremely expensive to issue debt, and it would make it very difficult to operate the City budget. In light of this testimony, do you agree with the staff recommendation to keep RedGate as an Enterprise Fund, separate from the General Fund? If not, how do you suggest that Rockville deal with the dangerous drop in the General Fund reserve that would be caused by folding RedGate into the General Fund?
5. When RedGate was created in 1974, it provided Rockville’s middle income golfers with their first opportunity to play quality golf at an affordable price in the local region. Today, there are numerous public golf courses within easy driving distance, including several that are owned by the County. In light of RedGate’s declining customer base and large and growing deficits, wouldn’t Rockville taxpayers be justified, indeed, be smart, to say “let’s end this wasteful duplication of services, close RedGate, and direct golfers to any of the other public course in the area?”
6. The biggest flaw in the 2006 business plan was the assumption that fees would rise by about 5 percent per year. If fees had, in fact, risen by those amounts, RedGate’s revenues would be about $400,000 higher in FY 2011, and we wouldn’t be discussing the need for a new business plan. Instead, fees have stayed flat for five years, and they are likely to remain flat, given the over-saturation of the local golf market. But if fees stay flat, then the only way to eliminate the $924,000 deficit that is projected for FY 2015 is to double the number of rounds of golf played to more than 70,000. However, the number of rounds has not exceeded 50,000 since 2002, and the highest number in the past five years was 41,116 in FY 2008. Doesn’t this mean that under any realistic scenario, the only way that Rockville can continue to operate the golf course is through large and growing taxpayer subsidies?
7. Last year, you vigorously opposed consideration of an option to turn RedGate over to the Revenue Authority without a long list of preconditions. Now, several large golf course operators have expressed interest in operating RedGate. Given the sharp deterioration of RedGates finances, are you now willing to support turning RedGate over to some other management company without strings, or do you continue to insist on preconditions, even if it means that taxpayers would have to continue to pay large subsidies for golfers?
8. The 2006 business plan specified various measures of success, including that RedGate’s budget would return to surplus by 2009. However, it was totally silent about what would happen if these measures were not met and losses continued to rise. When I began in 2008 to point out that RedGate was off-track and the business plan would not succeed, the Chairman of the Advisory Committee advised me that I just needed to give it time to work. Now the flaws are abundantly clear, and we are considering yet another rescue plan for RedGate that, by necessity, would depend on large taxpayer subsidies for several years. My question is this. In exchange for continuation of taxpayer subsidies for a defined period of time, would the Advisory Committee agree to a business plan with hard targets that, if not met, would require closing the golf course?
9. RedGate has been operated by the same manager for many years. Despite his best efforts, deficits have risen, and they are projected to grow as far as the eye can see. Given the results, would the Advisory Committee agree to a new business plan that includes replacing the current manager?
10. Finally, from FY 2011 through FY 2015, taxpayers are going to have to spend about $4.2 million to cover RedGate’s deficits. That’s a lot of money, and there are many other ways to spend that money for the benefit of taxpayers. For example, we could put another 6-7 police officers on the street with that money. We could double our support of caregiver agencies, which certainly would make sense in this recession. We could use it to pay for replacing about 2.5 miles of water lines, instead of borrowing the money, or we could pay for about a third of the cost of converting the old Post Office to a police headquarters. We could actually fund the Mayor’s dream of creating a Rockville Science Center for our kids, which I have to say as a proud father whose daughter left Einstein High School a year early because she was bored, and who just graduated at age 20 with her Masters in Engineering, the Science Center would be the best new investment in kids that Rockville could start. Or, we could just cut the property tax rate and let taxpayers keep the money. My list could go on for an hour. My question is this. Could you tell us why golf should have priority over so many other public services that obviously would provide greater public benefits, and why the golf subsidy shouldn’t be the first thing on the chopping block in the FY 2012 budget?

Art Stigile

This is a Contributor Opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such pieces for consideration — the more voices the better. Simply send them to rockvillecentral@gmail.com. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!