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. 

Uncorked Grows Into A Signature Event

DiVine mesmerized the crowd at Rockville’s Uncorked Wine and Music Festival on Saturday. This vine-covered performer characterized the uniqueness and growth of the event as she walked along the streets then blended into the scene. A few years ago the music festival was much smaller in scope and not as well-attended. The Town Square was new with saplings along the streets. Now the trees and the festival have grown so that a large green performer on stilts easily disappeared in the crowded street setting.

Locals didn’t want to miss Uncorked, especially when they spied clusters of grape-shaped balloons decorating the streets. People also came from around the beltway to taste the Maryland wines, often comparing them to Virginia’s reserve. Although there might be Maryland wine festivals in other parts of the state, this is the only one in the DC area.

Intent on discovering a favorite Maryland wine at the Festival, I brought together a small band of tasters, both friends and strangers. One of our participants recently moved to College Park from Seattle and decided to go to Uncorked after interviewing for a job in Rockville and seeing the banners. As the gang made their way through the selections from the wineries, people learned of our mission and would make recommendations. Everyone preferred dry reds, so the group searched for the best red wine. Maryland wines are often fruity and white, but the group wanted to know how Maryland’s contributions compare to the wines they usually consumed.

Although the decision was close and the tasters couldn’t try all of the wines offered, the group decided the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Boordy Vineyards was best. The Cabernet was smooth, refined, and more complex than other selections. Established in 1945, Boordy is Maryland’s oldest family-run winery. Located on a 230-acre farm in the Baltimore countryside, the winery specializes in oak-aged cabernets and it shows. Elk Run’s Merlot and Basignani’s Lorenzino Reserve were also favorites.

This year, the City of Rockville ordered 3,000 wine glasses, up from last year’s 2,000. The supply ran out around 4 PM when the event was still crowded and going strong. At the time, Superland was performing their new-era funk on the main Plaza stage. A sure sign of a good show, the crowd grew during their performance as more and more people were drawn to their “raucous horn section”. The headliner stage showcased the best of our area’s local talent and I’ve been told Bill Kirchen’s “rockabilly rave-up” was amazing when he took the stage at noon.

The Wine and Music Festival is a rare opportunity to introduce our local music talent and vineyards to a broader audience. Terrapin Station Winery tweeted “Rockville Uncorked is in the bag and what a day! This is our third year, and we thought we could predict the wine we needed but we sold out of three wines today.” If Terrapin Station is any indication, the outcome was prosperous for all.

Colleen McQuitty, Rockville’s special event manager, had many people tell her how much they enjoyed the local musicians and Maryland wines. She described it as “A good crowd having a good time.”

As Ernest Hemingway said “ Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.” Uncorked certainly is our proof.

Bridge To Lakewood Elementary Opened

Just in a nick of time before school starts, the pedestrian bridge which connects Glenmore Terrace and Lakewood Elementary School over Wootton Parkway has passed inspection and is now open.

As we reported previously, the bridge was closed February 3rd then removed on July 15th after an inspection questioned the bridge’s structural integrity. The replacement bridge was installed August 25th.

The City of Rockville reports that work will continue into the early fall on the Americans with Disability (ADA) compliant approach to the bridge from Glenmore Terrace. Pedestrians will be able to safely travel across the bridge at all times during this continued construction.

Carmen’s New Truck Welcomes The New School Year

Last night when my family went to Carmen’s Italian Ice for a lazy summer evening treat, the parking lot in Woodley Gardens was packed. We’d never seen it so full. Turns out, Carmen’s took delivery on their brand new truck and owner Jason Mandler was sharing his enthusiasm with the community by giving away free custard.

The Chevy truck was outfitted in England with many special features including these cones on the front which light up. The vehicle had finally made it through customs and passed the restaurant health inspection so everyone at Carmen’s felt like celebrating. We certainly appreciate Carmen’s ongoing generosity to the community.

Today the truck was put into service for the very first time at Ritchie Park Elementary’s Sneak Peek. Students turned out to meet their teachers, find their friends, and tour their classrooms, which now include five portables. Unfortunately, three of them were put on the only remaining blacktop for basketball and foursquare.

This didn’t stop the kids from enjoying giant blowup games, a moon bounce, Potomac Pizza and Carmen’s. Parents could buy newly-designed t-shirts, join the PTA, sign up for International Night, and donate to the school supply drive. Summer really will be over next week.

How have other schools welcomed the new year? What changes are you seeing at your schools?

Join ABC7 And Me At The MCPS Back-To-School Fair

This Saturday over 8,000 people are expected at the Carver Educational Services Center for the school system’s Third Annual Back-to-School Fair from 11 AM until 2 PM. I’m going to be at the ABC 7 booth telling everyone about TBD.com and Rockville Central. Please stop by and say hello!!

The City of Rockville will also be on hand with information about City programs, services, recreation programs, and foreign-language resources. They’ll have registration information to get you started.

You’ll also be able to find out about NOAA, the Newseum, the Audubon Society, the Nationals, and the Girl Scouts, among many others.

Besides visiting the information booths, A full line-up of entertainment will be hosted by Angel Santiago on the Washington Talent Agency Main Stage. Here’s the schedule:

11:00 AM Watkins Mill HS Marching Band
11:30 AM Kaiser Permanente – Professor Bodywise’s Traveling Menagerie
12:00 PM Washington Talent Agency Performance
1:15 PM InToneNation singers from Montgomery Blair HS

On the Kaiser Permanente Stage Bill Grimmette will tell stories at 12 noon and the Kids on the Block puppet show will grab your attention at 1:15 PM.

The Imagination Stage will give 20-minute demonstrations:
11:45 AM Create a Story for grades K-1
12:30 PM Create a Character for grades 2-3
1:15 Fundamentals of Acting for grades 4-5

You’ll also find hip hop, salsa and Haitian dance every 25 minutes and reading every hour, plus demonstrations from Kicks Karate, Leap on Love Art, and Gymboree. Vision and hearing screenings will also be provided.

With so many people attending, you can be assured of getting there by taking a bus from your local high school starting at 10:30 AM. They will leave from Richard Montgomery, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Blair, Einstein, Kennedy, Northwest, Seneca Valley, Springbrook, Paint Branch, Wheaton, and Watkins Mill.

See you there!

Montgomery County Ambulance Fee Not On The Ballot

The Montgomery County Board of Elections (BOE) did not find the required number of valid signatures on the petition to bring the “Ambulance Fee Bill” on the General Election ballot as a referendum question in November. The BOE verified only 13,021 valid signatures meeting the requirements set by Maryland Election law, but 15,366 valid signatures were needed on or before August 4th.

Under the Montgomery County Charter, in order to have a local Bill placed on the ballot as a referendum question, a Petition must contain the signatures of five percent (5%) of the registered voters in Montgomery County, Maryland. 50% were due on August 4th with the remainder due on August 19th.

On Thursday August 19, 2010, the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association submitted the final group of signatures on petitions to place the law authorizing an ambulance transport fee on the ballot in November. On their website they report over 52,000 voters in Montgomery County who signed the petitions against the fee. They believe the number of signatures gathered for these petitions was the largest number ever recorded for a ballot referendum in Montgomery County and likely the State of Maryland.

However, in a case last June, Jane Doe v. Montgomery County Board of Elections, the Maryland Court of Appeals decided that the state law requires a voter to sign his or her name on petitions exactly as it appears on the statewide voter registration lists. So, if you have a middle initial on your voter registration or a hyphenated name, etc., you must sign petitions the same way. Apparently, many signatures were rejected under these more stringent requirements.

Montgomery County’s Ambulance Reimbursement program was approved by the County Council in May and signed into law by the County Executive. County residents will not pay anything under the new fee. The fee will be billed directly to residents’ insurance companies. If County residents don’t have insurance, the fee will be waived. Non-residents would be responsible for the fee unless given a “need-based waiver”.The fee is projected to net at least $12.7 million in the first full year of operation. Surrounding counties with ambulance fees include Fairfax, Frederick, Prince George’s, Charles, Carrol, Arlington, Washington, and Prince William. Close-by cities with the fee include Baltimore, Alexandria, and Washington, DC.

The Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association warned that studies show citizens hesitate to call for help when there is a fee. They contend that the fee could make fundraising much more difficult for local fire companies and it’s unfair for the county to charge for a service provided by volunteers.

Weekend To Weekend Pick 8-19-10: Swanky Exhibit Opening

Intuitive Paint, the new exhibit at VisArts, doesn’t open until  opened on July 6th, and you can be one of the first to view it and meet artists Mike Dowley and William Whitaker at their opening reception. Attending a VisArts reception always leaves me feeling very cosmopolitan and loving our Town Center. Elevate your being by immersing yourself in their paintings and the excitement of the opening. You can also meet all of the VisArts artists working in their studios. The crowd at these openings has grown over the past couple of years.

Friday, August 27th, 2010
6:30 to 8:30 PM
VisArts, 155 Gibbs Street, 2nd floor

Artisits Mike Dowley and William Whitaker flatten space through the use of line and color in their art. Whitaker’s technique focuses on painting familiar images and utilizing false perspective to enable viewers to create their own interpretation of the images. Dowley draws from personal memories and cultural traditions to evoke familiar feelings in his work which features textured brushwork and dense colorful shapes.

Mike Dowley received an MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design, and is currently an Artist in Resident at Georgetown University. He has exhibited in New York, Georgia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

William Whitaker received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has exhibited in Rhode Island, California, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Read their thoughts on the exhibition. Really, it’s right here in Rockville!

During the past three years, I’ve often highlighted events in and around Rockville. For a year and a half I researched and wrote the Weekend to Weekend listing of all the happenings in Rockville before we asked Helen Triolo at Rockville Living to automate the process and encouraged everyone to post event announcements on her wonderful calendar. For a while I picked the best of the week to highlight here on Rockville Central. Now I’m back at it again with the W2W Pick.

Algae In Lake Needwood But I Was In It!

My husband and I after the race!

Lake Needwood is suffering from an algal bloom of Microcystin which is a toxic substance produced by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Montgomery Parks tells us “The water can cause minor skin irritation and gastrointestinal discomfort in humans and has been reported to result in health problems to animals that drink infected water.”

Notices have been posted to avoid all contact with the lake water. Dogs or other pets should not be allowed to drink the water or swim in the lake. The boat rentals are still operating, but don’t get wet.

A Post Now piece quotes Doug Redmond, an aquatic biologist in the Park Planning and Stewardship Division, as saying “The first time we were aware of the problem was last summer.”

Last summer? The article explains that an expert on algae noticed it in the lake, took samples, and contacted the authorities. Apparently the Montgomery Parks Department doesn’t take regular samples.

Participants cleaning off in Lake Needwood.

Back on May 1st, I spent a fair amount of time in Lake Needwood participating in the RunAMuck 5K. We were wet and covered in mud from racing through the lake. The annual Washington DC RunAMuck includes hills, walls, obstacles and a few dashes through the lake and mud pits! What a blast! We didn’t see any algae nor did I hear reports of any sickness.

I certainly hope the bloom doesn’t prevent next year’s RunAMuck. Many energetic and slightly crazy people would be very disappointed.

POTD: The Calm Before The Fair

This one’s by Rockville Central editor Cindy Cotte Griffiths. She took it as she was helping set up for the Montgomery County Fair (which just has a few days left). I like the morning rainy-dreary feel.

Uncorked Wine and Music Festival Is A Regional Destination [Updated]

Several people have told me the Festival is not until the Fall. Let me clear this up!

Uncorked Wine and Music Festival
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Noon till 6 PM
Rockville Town Square (Be there or … you know what.)

Last year they ran out of wine glasses about half way through the event and wine enthusiasts had to make due with plastic cups. This year they only have 2,000 glasses again, so get there early and pay your $10 to enjoy the tastings. You also might want to be there at noon because my Rockville Central partner, Brad Rourke, will be performing with The West End! The event is free but you need to pay to taste the wines.

Growing in popularity, Uncorked was absolutely packed with smiling and friendly people exchanging opinions about our Maryland wines last year. In my case, I asked a woman to join our group and since then we’ve become friends and volunteer together for Montgomery Women. I’m looking forward to an even better time this year.

As I wrote in my 2009 review:

People were gladly standing around to share their opinions on scents and tastes. Complete strangers were enjoying each other’s opinions. From Elk Run’s “Montgomery College” to Solomon’s Island fruity wines, people would take a sip and inevitably make a comment and enter into a conversation about wine.

THE WINE

Look at this list of participating Maryland Wineries, the best our State has to offer:

• Basignani Winery
• Boordy Vineyards
• Bordeleau Winery
• Elk Run Vineyards
• Frederick Cellars
• Gilly’s Craft Beer and Fine Wine
• Running Hare Vineyard
• Solomons Island Winery
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard
• Terrapin Station Winery
• The Bottle Shop
• Woodhall Wine Cellars

If you love wine, you will be happy to know Rockville has a brand new wine bar!  Two weeks ago Jackie’s Wine Club opened next to Lola’s Cafe (same owner) [8/29 CORRECTION: the owners are not technically the same]. Although they are late to the table, this new little bistro is attempting to participate in Uncorked. Either way, you can easily stop by since the location is 12 North Washington Street. The wine list from around the world sells from $12 to $38.  You can buy by the glass or bottle and they’ll have regular tastings. Also they’re offering exclusive cheeses, imported meats & pate, and a variety of cold and hot tapas. You’ll want to unwind in this is the little corner.

THE MUSIC

The West End at Uncorked 2008

The music is top notch and it’s all FREE! Here’s the band lineup and descriptions from the City of Rockville site:

Noon to One PM:

The West End on the Maryland Stage
Together, The West End produces straight-ahead Americana rock. The band was formed when neighbors Mike Shawn, Monique DeFrees and Brad Rourke got together and they felt a musical kinship. Neighbor and friend Matthew Taylor fills out the sound. In 2007 they released their first EP, Risen, which was named an “editor’s pick” by the influential Smother.net. In 2008 they followed up with their first full-length CD, This Ride Could Be My Last.

Bill Kirchen and Too Much Fun on the Plaza Stage
You wouldn’t be wrong to refer to Word to the Wise, the latest outing from songwriter, singer and Titan of the Telecaster Bill Kirchen, as a “duets” album. The record—Kirchen’s second for Proper American, hit May 25. The new album opens with the rockabilly rave-up “Bump Wood.” On his first Proper album, Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods, Kirchen saw his challenge as “trying to write some songs that were more from the heart and closer to the bone. I wanted to let go of my stance of writing attitude-laden truck-driver songs—I’ve done enough of those to last a lifetime. But, as with any of my albums, I love so many kinds of music that I haven’t figured out a way to focus down and just do one specific thing.”

Kevin Mittleman on the Gibbs Stage
Kevin Mittleman first began playing guitar at age 17 after becoming enamored with the sounds of Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. He soon gravitated towards Jazz at age 21 and began his studies under local Jazz Guiatr Master, Paul Wingo. While studying at Berklee, Kevin attended private lessons with Jazz Legend Mick Goodrick, a period which would prove to be pivotal in his development as a guitarist. He has performed in various venues in Boston and the DC area as well as The Knitting Factory in NYC. In 2005 Kevin co-founded The School of Music LLC in Rockville, MD where he currently teaches guitar.

One Thirty to Two Thirty PM

Kevin James on the Gibbs Stage
A veteran of the Washington, D.C., area acoustic music scene, Kevin draws on elements of pop, rock, country and Irish folk music. His easy-going manner and sense of humor combine with tasteful guitar playing, bluesy harmonica and heart-felt singing to create lively and entertaining performances. An award-winning songwriter, Kevin received national acclaim for his song “USS Indianapolis—Let History Remember.” Most recently his song “When Dixie Was Young” won honors in the Billboard Magazine song contest.

Two to Three PM

Mama Jama on the Maryland Stage
Since 1990, Mama Jama have been intoxicating Bay music lovers with their eclectic blend of rock, reggae, calypso and blues. The band plays everywhere, from week-long performances at local bars and restaurants to benefit concerts to the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival. “You can’t sit down when we play. We just make you feel good.” Drummer and original member Larry Griffin is joined in the band by John Gladstone—the other remaining original member—Avon Lucas, Henry Sar, Fallah Dadzie and Mike McHenry.

Big Light on the Plaza Stage
San Francisco-based rock band Big Light first emerged in 2007 as a vehicle for aspiring singer/songwriter/guitarist Fred Torphy to get his songs into the world. Now hailed as one of the fiercest young rock bands on the Bay Area scene with a growing national buzz, Big Light is poised to release its debut full-length album, Animals In Bloom, through reapandsow on March 2. With band members Fred Torphy, drummer Bradly Bifulco, bass player Steve Adams and guitarist Jeremy Korpas, Big Light quickly climbed the S.F. club circuit, going from bar gigs to headlining The Independent to playing support at the legendary Fillmore; they’ve shared bills with Spoon, Broken Social Scene, The Mother Hips, Dead Confederate, Everest and Howlin Rain to name a few. Listening to the new album and watching the band evolve at such a rapid rate onstage, one gets the feeling that Big Light is poised to get a lot bigger.

Three Thirty to Four Thirty PM

Hand Painted Swinger on the Maryland Stage
Hand Painted Swinger, formerly the PestStrips, is one of Washington D.C.’s most sought after cover-original bands, playing an electric arrangement of hit songs spanning over the last five decades. Since their first show in 1991, the band has performed more than 1,000 cover songs at hundreds of mid-Atlantic venues all while promoting two self produced original full length CD’s. Hand Painted Swinger continues to tour the Washington D.C. area entertaining fans of all ages.

Four to Five PM

Toby Walker on the Gibbs Stage
Toby Walker is a unique, accomplished fingerstyle guitar virtuoso adept at blues, rags and hot country picking, coaxing more out of a guitar than anyone can imagine. He is also a skilled singer and songwriter who draws inspiration from traditional and contemporary music.
Toby takes this foundation and creates something uniquely his own and has been eagerly received in concert halls, festivals, schools and coffeehouses throughout the U.S., England and Europe.

Four Thirty to Six PM

Superland on the Plaza Stage
Formed in 2004 at the University of Maryland, Superland quickly became College Park’s favorite band. Featuring a raucous horn section playing funk classics from the ’60s and ’70s, the band was soon familiar throughout the region. On the way, Superland has played shows with local favorites Chuck Brown, the Bridge, and the Pietasters, as well as funk icons Papa Grows Funk and Sam Kininger. In 2008, Superland’s horns crossed generations to back up guitar legend Tom Principato in a reunion with vocalist George Leh, and later that year Superland released its first studio recording, “Taste the Mangos,” featuring all original compositions.

THE COOKING

If you are not into local music or wine, you might enjoy cooking!

One to Two PM

Chef Patrice Olivon, the Program Director of Culinary Arts at L’Academie de Cuisine, “uses humor, anecdotes, and charm to captivate live audiences and television viewers.”

Three to Four Thirty PM

Suzanne Carreiro, Cookbook Author & Independent Food and Wine Consultant, looks “at its ancient recipes, traditions and the people who pass them on.”

See you there!

Pepco Might Be Able To Improve Service In Four Years

“We know it’s a frustrating summer for our customers.” was one of the first sentences uttered by Pepco’s senior officers at yesterday’s Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing to investigate their shortcomings. Halfway through the hearing, it became apparent that Pepco might be saying the same thing for a few more years.

The PSC had stacks of letters indicating a broad sense of unhappiness with Pepco’s reliability. They believe the community has been pushed to the breaking point. Those who have lived elsewhere with more severe weather don’t understand why the weather disrupts power service in Montgomery County. More importantly, people are saying their power is knocked out on a regular basis when there isn’t a storm.

The July 25th storm received an in depth review since it was the first one and the most severe. Pepco had crews and contractors on hand before the storm hit and within 16 hours additional assistance arrived. Over 90% of the outages were caused by trees. Pepco asserted that cost is never a consideration when they work to restore power as quickly as possible. Since the first storm was on a Sunday, which paid double time, there was no problem getting crews and sustaining contractors to work. Pepco secured help from First Energy in Akron which was the closest neighbor not in the tract of the storm. Other companies came to help as their areas were cleaned up. The staging area was at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. They adjusted the way crew deployment was dispatched. Heavy equipment went first for trees then smaller crews with smaller trucks did service drops. Pepco believes they did “a good job of restoration to customers”.

In 2006 Pepco had a plan to improve average performance in four years. During this time there were slight improvements in the duration of outages but not in the frequency. They added distribution automation, increased the amount of URD (underground residential distribution) cable replaced, and added some underground residential distribution. Every year they identified pockets of feeders with problems then worked to bring them up to a level of standard. Pepco also strengthened partnerships with the County and State forestry groups because most outages are from trees on private property. They have worked with Department of Transportation and City of Rockville foresters about trimming or dropping trees.

Although Pepco’s executives stated their system was “robust”, their improvement strategy still has them in the bottom 25th percentile for reliability. Pepco is “dead last” for utilities in Maryland. They openly admitted they still have problems. Now they want to implement additional multi-year programs for tree trimming and cable replacement hoping to see an overall improvement in another four years. Unfortunately, it is not a nicely planned program with a start and end date.

The Commission wanted to know why improvement was not more urgent. Pepco contended it’s impractical to think they can address every problem in a year. They are addressing significant problems but must do so across the entire system.

Since their actions during the last four years didn’t work, the Commission wanted to know how their current strategy will be different compared to four years ago. Pepco intends to implement more aggressive measures to improve circuits which will have immediate benefits. Their reliability group has the sole purpose of evaluating the performance of the system. Circuits with problems are assigned to the engineer department for improvement. Substation improvements are done once and provide better service for years. 2% of the feeders are replaced across the system on an annual basis. They are replacing the cable in entire subsystems. Increased costs for an improved vegetation management program were brought up during rate discussions this year.

Looking at areas hardest hit from storms, Pepco knows tree trimming alone will not solve all the problems. During significant storms, trees standing 20 feet off the pole line cause outages, especially in older communities. A recent study showed that when trees were involved in outages, over 75% of the trees were outside the normal trimming area. Over half of those trees were found to be in poor health and rotted. They are looking at how they can become more aggressive. This involves rerouting cable and undergrounding wires in critical areas.

When yesterday’s hearing ended, they all agreed this was just the beginning. With Pepco’s lack of progress and long game plan, it certainly feels like a beginning. At a very minimum, customers can expect to suffer through a few more years of poor service.

The PSC discussed the increase in complaints. Unlike 15 years ago, Pepco believes consumers have educated themselves on the system and transformers, so they are more knowledgeable and more likely to speak up about problems. More people are working from home and since they are losing their livelihood, they are more likely to complain. If you would like to speak about the problems you are experiencing with Pepco, the PSC will be holding a public hearing on August 30, 2010 at 6 PM in Montgomery County Council Building. Photo identification is needed to enter.

Although I listened to the day’s proceedings as much as possible, I couldn’t cover the entire session which lasted from 9:30 AM until 3:50 PM with a mid-day break. Speakers were not routinely identified and the live video quality often prevented viewers from identifying speakers. If you watched, please let us know your impressions and any other information you think is important.

Art Demos At Rockville Memorial Library

Judith Heartsong in her studio

VisArts goes next door to a neighbor! Several artists are bringing their skills to the Rockville Memorial Library for a very special program, Reading and the Arts: An End of Summer Celebration for Children and Their Families on August 21, 2010 from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Two separate programs will include story readings from art-related picture books. The first story time will be in the morning at 10:30 AM and the next at noon. The art demos will follow the storytimes.

At 11 AM until noon, the first set of demonstrations will feature Karen Askin showing basic wheel and clay techniques, Judith HeartSong demonstrating watercolor still life, and Anne Sanderoff-Walker showing weaving techniques on a studio loom as she makes a scarf. If you are interested in reading more about Judith and Anne’s work, read my Rockville Living article Handcrafted Locally And Destined to Last A Lifetime where I featured their work.

Anne Sanderoff-Walker with her loom

The second set of demonstrations, beginning at 12:30 PM, includes Eileen Martin’s fused glass, Bertrand Mao’s Chinese calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting, and Janet Barnard’s table loom weaving. When I’ve visited Eileen’s studio I’ve stared in awe at how she masterfully bends glass.

All these passionate artists are sure to inspire the kids AND the adults. Together they are crossing innovative frontiers in the art world. Free opportunities to witness their talents should never be missed.

Sponsored by the Rockville Chapter of the Friends of the Library and VisArts, the event will also include snacks and prizes. Registration is not necessary.