POTD: Closed!

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Here’s a nifty shot by Rockville Central friend Jonathan Smith. It’s from the day they closed Maryland avenue to work on that big huge courthouse they are working on. Thanks Jonathan!

Cake Dreams Opens Today

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Photo by Jonathan Smith

Rockville Central contributor, Jonathan Smith, contacted the owners of our newest Rockville establishment, the enticing Cake Dreams, for a sneak preview. Rush on over for a cupcake to welcome them to the neighborhood!

2010 is shaping up as a hot year for the food business in Rockville. Buffalo Wild Wings is here for the end of football season, and I’m sure will be a destination during March madness. I’ve already eaten four times at PitaHut, the great new falafel and shwarma joint where Chopstix used to be. And just today I tried our latest delicious newcomer, CakeDreams. The chocolate cupcake is just incredible. More on that in a moment.

Photo by Jonathan Smith

Michelle and Kevin are Rockville people. Kevin’s been here all his life, and Michelle a majority of hers (originally from NY). They have one daughter at Rockville High School, and another at Montgomery College. Michelle was an art student and is a graduate of L’Academie de Cuisine’s Pastry Arts program and has enjoyed some critical acclaim. A recent wedding cake she created for a Naval Academy wedding is about to be featured on the cover of The Knot!

Back to that chocolate cupcake. My wife was thrilled with me when I brought one home to her. It was rich and moist and fudgy. Made from scratch with really good chocolate. And it was FRESH. We found it to be way way better than what you get at the grocery store, or other small bakeries for that matter.

Photo from Cake Dreams Website

Cake Dreams is located at 90 West Montgomery Avenue (two doors down from Bombay Bistro) and opens today from 11 AM to 7 PM.

Jonathan Smith

Contributor Opinion by Jonathan Smith: Post Election Blues

>What to do? What to do? The elections were such an interesting diversion for several months. Now that they are over, how do we scratch that community involvement itch?

1. Stay Tuned. The 2009-2011 Season of the Rockville Mayor and Council is just around the corner. President Obama’s inauguration hooked me on political kick-off events so I’m planning to attend the November 22nd Inauguration of the Mayor and Council at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. I’ve even invited out of town guests – former Croydon Avenue neighbors of mine who are coming to support our former neighbor and new Mayor.

2. Get “Localer”. These Rockville Central folks are great, but are they *really* local? Where is the coverage of HOA debates (“that pink paint is WAY too pink”)? How about community pool scandals (“another ‘code brown’ closure”)? Or commercial vehicle parking rants (“Bob parked his business van in the neighborhood again”)? Several Rockville neighborhoods have community email lists; the Twinbrook Neighbors listserv is up to 200 subscribers after 18 months. Sign up for yours, or establish your own. Two neighborhood friends and I are trying to bootstrap the eminently unofficial New Mark Commons Clubhouse on Google Groups (NMC neighbors only please). I don’t feel that I know nearly enough of my neighbors, and those I do know I typically only see during the summer. We’re dreaming of block parties, sharing tips about local firewood vendors, and trading tips on shrubbery most loved by the deer. I’m just wondering how to best attract the interest of the people in my neighborhood.

3. Speak Out. I’m sure several of the past Rockville controversies still live, including the Montgomery College Fence, Beall’s Grant and Victory Housing. And I’m sure that the new Mayor and Council will make decisions with which you disagree, maybe even starting with the first meeting of the new administration on November 23rd at City Hall. Just remember that we can be passionate about issues without being mean, and it is easy for people to misinterpret your tone in emails. I (nearly) always obey the golden rule of email – never hit SEND under the influence of strong emotion.

4. Join the Party. There are always numerous vacancies on City boards and commissions. I spent about eight years as a member of the Montgomery County Landlord Tenant Affairs Commission, and about a year on the Rockville Arts Commission. Both were very rewarding ways to get more involved with the community. Of the lengthy list of Rockville’s current vacancies, the Cultural Arts Commission is missing a whopping six members and there is one vacancy on the highly influential Planning Commission. Apply to the City Clerk at 240-314-8280 – and it doesn’t hurt to make your interest known to the Mayor and Council Members.

Me – I’m thinking about writing more opinions for Rockville Central.

Jonathan Smith

I most certainly hope that Jonathan will keep contributing for Rockville Central!

This is a contributor opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such opinions for consideration — the more voices the better. We especially welcome people who disagree with us. 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!

Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. We are encouraging towards all people who choose to run for office the city and try our best to make ourselves open to all.

Contributor Opinion by Jonathan Smith: Judging Candidates on their Campaigns

>We’ve heard a lot of debate around candidates’ views on city issues, and maybe even more about politeness. But I’ve been thinking about another characteristic: campaign quality. The ability to put together an effective, cohesive campaign says a lot about each candidate’s ability to govern.

Let’s start with organization. Candidates who persuaded others to actively work on their behalf will be much more effective in persuading citizens, businesses, and colleagues in the Rockville, County and State governments. They also strike me as the type who would be able conduct more effective outreach to the community – readers of Rockville Central must agree that outreach is a critical issue for most of the hotbed issues of the last year (e.g., The Fence, The Senior Residence, The Low-Income Housing). Which candidates have campaign managers? Which candidates have district or neighborhood managers helping to get out the vote in various parts of the City?

A natural outgrowth of a good organization is a diverse funding stream. City elections are fairly inexpensive and many of the candidates are running self-funded campaigns and report little spending. While I’m glad that those candidates are involved, I am most impressed with candidates who have persuaded their neighbors to chip in a couple of dollars. This *suggests* to me that the candidate is more connected to the community, and that the community believes in that individual or their views.

Running a campaign can be complicated, but its nothing like running the City. Where candidates lack prior elected experience, I’d love to see them demonstrate expertise in organizing a campaign.

Best regards,
Jonathan Smith
New Mark Commons

This is a contributor opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such opinions for consideration — the more voices the better. We especially welcome people who disagree with us. 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!

Rockville Central does not endorse candidates. We are encouraging towards all people who choose to run for office the city and try our best to make ourselves open to all. We actively encourage candidates to submit opinion pieces and other news. We don’t include every last bit, but we try to be fair to all and give useful information about what is happening.

POTD: Sign Of The Times

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This sobering shot is by Rockville Central reader Jonathan Smith.

On the other hand, $65 is not a bad deal.