Gardening In Rockville: Tune Into The Final Rockville Central Radio Friday

This week President and Michele Obama started a vegetable garden at the White House. In Rockville, we have our own garden spots. Tomorrow, we’re signing off with a blossoming burst of a Gardening Show! We’ll go live at noon at >Rockville Central Radio.

Jerry Wujek, who worked to create the Fallsgrove Community Garden, will talk about the plan for this soon-to-be-installed space.

Then Michael Twitty, who will be installing a Heirloom Garden at the Beall Dawson House for the Montgomery County Historical Society, will tell us all about this vintage endeavor.

Even though it’s still chilly, we are certainly thinking about warmer days! And planting the seeds for new beginnings!

How to listen? Just go here on your computer. Or, feel free to just call into our listener line at 646-200-3332. While you’re on the phone, you can hear the whole show. AND . . . you can ask questions too.

In fact, we encourage it. So call in at 646-200-3332! Press 1 in order to let us know you have a question!

This Friday’s show will be our last regular episode of Rockville Central Radio.

Just about a year ago, on April 4, 2008, we started the show. We’ve been suprised and delighted by callers and guests over the past year and have enjoyed talking to everyone. We’ve learned so much about Rockville and the people who make it special. It’s been lots of fun!

But, while some shows have had significant audience, there are too few regular listeners for us to justify continuing.

We want to thank our most dedicated guest, Ruth Hannesian of the Animal Exchange. She has been a guest on the show for almost every episode. She has never failed to delight us while at the same time teaching us something about our animal friends. Thank you Ruth!

We’re always trying new things at Rockville Central. Some of them work, and others don’t! We think it’s time to say goodbye to this effort to make room for new features.

Rockville Central Radio Friday To Feature Maestro Piotr Gajewski

We have a boffo show lined for Friday’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio! We go live at noon.

This week’s show features National Philharmonic conductor Maestro Piotr Gajewski. The National Philharmonic recently announced its lineup of concerts for 2009-2010 and it looks wonderful.

Piotr, whom many Rockville Central readers know as a member of the City Council, will join us to talk about what concertgoers can expect and point out a few highlights of the season.

Just a few:

• The National Philharmonic will kick off the season with an all-Beethoven program that will feature renowned pianist Misha Dichter performing the composer’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Choral Fantasy. The Fantasy will also showcase the 200-voice National Philharmonic Chorale, sopranos Esther Heideman and Danielle Talamantes, mezzo-soprano Yvette Smith, tenor Colin Eaton and baritone Jason Stearns.

• To celebrate Mendelssohn’s 200th birthday, the National Philharmonic will perform the composer’s recently rediscovered grand choral Symphony No. 2.
• Opera star Kendall Gladen joins the National Philharmonic in the sultry role of Carmen in the simply staged concert performance of one of the world’s most famous operas.
• Acclaimed pianist Leon Fleisher performs Prokofiev’s demanding left-hand piano concert, Piano Concerto No. 4.

Piotr is widely credited with building the National Philharmonic to its present status as one of the most respected ensembles of its kind in the region. The Washington Post says he is an “immensely talented and insightful conductor,” whose “standards, taste, and sensitivity are impeccable.” He has studied with the legendary Leonard Bernstein.

How to listen? Just go here on your computer. Or, feel free to just call into our listener line at 646-200-3332. While you’re on the phone, you can hear the whole show. AND . . . you can ask questions too.

In fact, we encourage it. So call in at 646-200-3332! Press 1 in order to let us know you have a question!

Just go here to listen every Friday at noon.

Rockville Central Radio To Feature Gary Skulnik, Clean Energy Entrepreneur

We have a thrilling show lined for Friday’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio! We go live at noon. (But if you miss it, you can always listen in later.)

This week’s show features Gary Skulnik, co-founder of alternative energy company (based right here in Town Square) Clean Currents. Yesterday, Clean Currents announced that Pepco customers could sign up for electricity delivery at less than the going Pepco rate.

Gary co-founded Clean Currents, LLC after several years of working in the nonprofit environmental field as an advocate for clean energy solutions to global warming. He founded the Clean Energy Partnership in 2004, a non profit green business group based in Maryland, where among other things, he led efforts to market global warming solutions to small businesses. Gary was the lead advocate for passage of the landmark 2004 Maryland Renewable Portfolio Standard and the 2006 Maryland Healthy Air Act.

Rockville Central Radio Taking A Break This Week

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Rockville Central Radio Friday To Feature Adam Pagnucco Of Maryland Politics Watch

We have a gob-smacking show lined for Friday’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio! We go live at noon. (But if you miss it, you can always listen in later.)

This week’s show features one of our favorite guests, the always-insightful Adam Pagnucco of the most visited political blog in Maryland, Maryland Politics Watch. Adam is a great political observer and analyst. We’ll be talking about the District Four race in Montgomery County, and the money race and what it means for various politicians.

How to listen? Just go here on your computer. Or, feel free to just call into our listener line at 646-200-3332. While you’re on the phone, you can hear the whole show. AND . . . you can ask questions too.

In fact, we encourage it. So call in at 646-200-3332!

Just go here to listen every Friday at noon.

Listen To Dr. Mac West On Rockville Central Radio — Anytime!

You may not have been able to tune into today’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck! You can always listen to past episodes, whenever and as many times as you like.

Rockville Central Radio To Feature Evolutionary Biologist Dr. Mac West

We have an incredible >show coming up for you tomorrow, and you won’t want to miss it!

We’ll have as our special guest Dr. Robert “Mac” West, an evolutionary biologist who will be the featured speaker at next week’s Science Cafe in honor of Darwin’s 200th birthday.

Rockville Central Radio Features the Pink Bank Possibilities

Tune in this Friday to >Rockville Central Radio and imagine the Pink Bank as a special destination in Rockville.

Our guest is BD Wortham-Galvin, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. We’ll discuss the students’ presentations on the adaptive re-use of the Pink Bank from last weekend’s charrette.

Believe me, even though I have an affinity for the Pink Bank and would like to see it remain in our city scape, the students managed to surprise and energize me with their ideas about sustainability.

Councilmember Phyllis Marcuccio will join the discussion since she came out to hear the results, which included some exciting ideas about the Pink Bank as a location for a Science Center, an effort she has been supporting.

Just go here to listen on Friday at noon. Or call in at 646-200-3332. We’d like to have you join in!

Professor Wortham-Galvin passed along this invitation: The student presentations from the Pink Bank Charrette will also appear in an exhibit entitled “Subsequent Action” this Friday and Saturday at the School of Architecture on the University of Maryland campus in College Park. With a reception at 6 PM and lecture at 7 PM on Friday, February 13th, and a symposium from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 14th. The general public is invited to both events.

Rockville Central Radio To Feature Silver Spring Penguin, Author Russoli

We have a >fab show coming up for you this Friday, and you won’t want to miss it.

First up, we’ll have Jennifer Deseo, founder and publisher of the Silver Spring Penguin, along to talk about what’s new in Montgomery County. The Penguin is a news site that is well worth keeping tabs on — and it’s a model for a new kind of journalism.

Then, we’ll also have local author Dominic Russoli on the show, who will talk about his book, The Making of Men.

Just go here to listen on Friday at noon. Or call in at 646-200-3332.

Rockville Central Radio To Feature Mark Pierzchala On TCAT

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Rockville Central Radio Skipping A Week

Many >Rockville Central readers have become regular listeners to our weekly Rockville Central Radio show, which is pleasing to no end. Cindy Cotte Griffiths and I really enjoy doinbg the show and it is gratifying to know people like to listen.

Rockville Central Radio Tomorrow Features Human Rights Commission Chair

We have a smashing show lined for tomorrow’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio! We go live at noon. (And, you can always listen to past episodes on that page too, just scroll down.)

Next week starts out with two rather important celebrations — Martion Luther King, Jr. Day, and the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Rockville Central Radio Tomorrow Features Chef Roberto Donna Of Baci Restaurant

We have a boffo show lined for tomorrow’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio! We go live at noon.

Here are the guests:

• From the new Baci Restaurant on N. Washington Street: Owner Chris Amodeo as well as James Beard Award Winning Chef Roberto Donna. Chef Donna frequently appears on television including the Food Network’s “Iron Chef” program, the “Today” show during the 2006 Winter Olympics, Comcast’s “The Fretz Kitchen”, and PBS programs. He has won world-wide acclaim for his Galileo and Laboratorio restaurants in the DC area and is now a part of this new venture in Rockville as Executive Chef at Baci Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar.

• Catherine Tuck-Parrish, deputy city manager. Friday is her last day before moving on to the private sector and she has graciously agreed to put the festivities on hold and talk to us.

• Mary Lou Jacobs, head of the community resources department for the City, to talk about the process nonprofits need to go through to apply for City funds.

This is going to be a very cool show.

How to listen? Just go here on your computer. Or, feel free to just call into our listener line at 646-200-3332.

Just go here to listen every Friday at noon.

Report: State Shorted MCPS $20 Million Or More

>Adam Pagnuccco at Maryland Politics Watch reports a blockbuster scoop: Superintendent Jerry Weast says that, due to a miscalculation, the State shorted Montgomery County Public Schools between $20 million and $25 million.

That is a significant amount of money and could have helped avoid any number of anxious conflicts over the last year.

Here is how Adam explains it:

In Maryland, state aid to public schools is driven by a wealth formula. “Wealthier” school districts receive less aid per pupil than “poorer” school districts. One component of this wealth formula is real property value as calculated by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). . . . In FY 2009, state aid for MCPS was actually cut because Montgomery County’s wealth level allegedly increased in comparison to other counties. At the time he learned of the cut, Dr. Weast claims he complained of an error in the calculations to the County Executive, County Council and state delegation. In a memo to the Board of Education released [Tuesday], Dr. Weast says he has been proven correct. SDAT now admits that it overestimated the value of real property in Montgomery County by $15.8 billion because it double-counted new homes. The result is that Montgomery lost $20-25 million in state aid due from the wealth formula. That money was instead paid out to other school districts in the state.

This remarkable revelation is likely to have serious political and budgetary ramifications.

We’ll be talking more about this with Adam when he is a guest on Rockville Central Radio tomorrow, so be sure to listen. Just go here or dial 646-200-3332.

Rockville Central Radio Tomorrow: Maestro Piotr Gajewski

Happy New Year!>

We have a stunning show lined for tomorrow’s edition of Rockville Central Radio! We go live at noon.

This week’s show features National Philharmonic conductor Maestro Piotr Gajewski who is conducting a special set of concerts to mark his 50th birthday.

Piotr, whom many Rockville Central readers know as a member of the City Council, has a remarkable background and is a singular talent. He is widely credited with building the National Philharmonic to its present status as one of the most respected ensembles of its kind in the region. The Washington Post says he is an “immensely talented and insightful conductor,” whose “standards, taste, and sensitivity are impeccable.” He has studied with the legendary Leonard Bernstein.

We’ll also have as a guest the always-insightful Adam Pagnucco of Maryland Politics Watch. Adam is my favorite political observer and we”ll talk about the year that was in Montgomery County — there were some huge stories and he will break it down for us as only he can.

How to listen? Just go here on your computer. Or, feel free to just call into our listener line at 646-200-3332. While you’re on the phone, you can hear the whole show. AND . . . you can ask questions too.

In fact, we encourage it. So call in at 646-200-3332!

Just go here to listen every Friday at noon.