Parking Transaction Time In Rockville Town Square

As everyone knows, I started out as a> real booster for the parking system that we have in Town Square. I thought it was pretty neat and I enjoyed interacting with it.

But with use, I’ve discovered to my frustration that every transaction just seems to take longer than it should. I know I am an impatient fellow, but I am often tapping my toe in frustration. In fact, I will go out of my way to use a parking meter, driving blocks out of my way, because it is faster to feed a meter than the machines.

I know part of that is definitely me. But I wanted to check and see just how long it takes to park, under the best of circumstances. So I made this video:

As you can see, the transaction took almost one full minute, from the point at which I pressed the “go” button until when it said I was done. Yes, I talked a little bit in the transaction, but I also had a perfect dollar bill at the ready and I wasted no time wondering what to do next with each screen — so I think this was a very fair test.

Certainly much fairer than the video I started to shoot a few days earlier, when there were people ahead of me in line:

I am not someone who thinks we need to provide free parking — we’ve got to pay for it somehow. But, I think that we need to make it easy to pay.

Some options are:

• Upgrade software (is this possible)
• Gate-and-ticket system like most county garages
• Parking meters at every stall
• Some kind of EZ-Pass type prepay system

The key here is convenience, in my mind. The system has to work speedily and easily.

I am certain this is now cost prohibitive, so I am probably just compaining. If even ten percent of people are exhibiting the same characteristics as me, we are leaving revenue on the table.

The Inaugural View From Our Fair City

This afternoon >Barack Obama was inaugurated 44th President of the United States. The leaders of Our Fair City were kind enough to make the Mayor and Council chambers available to watch the ceremony for those who could not make the trip into DC. (The Lincoln Park Community Center and the Rockville Senior Center also hosted similar gatherings.)

I attended with my family and enjoyed myself thoroughly — it was a wonderful feeling to watch our nation’s orderly transfer of power with my fellow citizens.

The mayor and council chambers were reconfigured to make it more theater-style, and the seats were mostly filled by 10:30. In a darkened room, there was a constant buzz of conversation. Even here, at this remote location, people brought cameras and flashes popped, people capturing the event.

While the crowd held a tinge of partisanship, it was much more about the ceremony. Amidst the chit chat, there was a solemn tone to the room. Coffee brought in shortly before eleven, and a line formed immediately, chatter and jostling. It was a capacity crowd, with citizens even sitting at the normally reserved chairs for the City Manager.

I saw city council members Piotr Gajewski and Phyllis Marcuccio, as well as city manager Scott Ullery. There may have been other notables, but those are the ones I saw.

Obama and Bush appeared together, and the room erupted in applause as they approached the limo. Each time he appeared, a woman behind me told her toddler children, “There’s Barack Obama! See, look!” It’s not every day we treat presidents (or presidents-elect) as the celebrities they truly are. To a civic geek such as myself, it warmed my heart.

A cheer and then a hush — and then finally another resounding cheer — filled the room as Barack Obama took the oath of office. You can see the scene by clicking on the YouTube video link:

“We have chosen hope over fear,” said President Obama. “The time has come to choose our better history.” I am proud to have as president an orator who is up to the weight of his words — and who is unafraid to raise his rhetoric so high.

And I am proud to live in a town that embodies the “spirit of service and responsibility to one another” that President Obama called us to in his inaugural speech.

Now, as a city, as neighbors, as individuals: What will we do to make real this call to step forward? What will you do?

Double Celebration

Yesterday Rockville celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Richard Montgomery High School. The 37th annual event was interwoven with excitement about Barack Obama’s Inauguration.>

From the start, Soul in Motion and Body Moves Dance Company brought the crowd alive dispersing their high energy and infectious enthusiasm. After their positive drumming energy and brightly designed skirts left the stage, the audience repeatedly declared “Yes, it was beautiful!”

Theo Anderson of the Human Rights Commission joked about how difficult it was to follow the performance and said “You’ll get no dancing out of me!” Yvonna Love, the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, declared the next day’s Inauguration a manifestation of MLK’s dream.

The guest speaker, Joe Madison, spoke early in the program because he had to go to a rehearsal for a TV1 broadcast on Inauguration Day. He made every effort to join us in Rockville because he appreciates our City. Known for his tagline “What are you going to do about it?”, he didn’t disappoint. He told us that we should enjoy the Inauguration and go to all the balls, but come Wednesday morning “it’s going to be all business”. He put MLK’s life in perspective and emphasized that he had impacted the world by the time he died at 39. He decided to go from being an observer to being a participant. He remains a moral compass for us today. Mr. Madison believes that the great divider in American society today is education as he provides a sobering description of our society.

The emotional songs from Renee Barnes, including a one with Philip Miller, moved the audience embracing the fact that we are all “on the wings of a dream”.

Mayor Susan Hoffmann admitted that one of the highlights of her year is celebrating MLK’s life and she believes that all things are possible again. His message resonates with each of us today and every day and in his words “The time is always right to do right.” She said we need to remember to encourage each other within our community and appreciate each other while embracing our diversity. We need to do right and always strive to do better.

Mayor Hoffmann and Chairperson Love then awarded the F. Michael Taff Award to the Arc of Montgomery County for their efforts to further the rights of people with disabilities.

The high school nominees for the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Ward stood to be recognized and the award winner Shyiesha A. Smith (pictured here at the reception with her dad) was recognized for her advancement of Martin’s values. She volunteered for over 1,000 hours in the community doing voter registration, sports registration, elementary school tutoring, and youth counseling. This fine and caring young woman embodies the belief that “When one succeeds, we all succeed.”

Those attending commented that each year the celebration gets better. Rockville Community Mediation Administrator, Janet Kelly, and the Human Rights Commission did indeed do it again!

A Glimpse of the Second Graders at the National Philharmonic

Yesterday I was let in on a secret. I found out what goes on when all t>he Montgomery County Public School second graders go on a field trip to hear the National Philharmonic at The Music Center at Strathmore. This week, November 18–20, 2008, the National Philharmonic is presenting an interactive concert twice each day to accommodate more than 10,000 students. Music Director and Conductor, Piotr Gajewski, invited me to this delightful experience which provided a glimpse at his professional life beyond the Rockville City Council.

When the house lights went down, the kids cheered. Maestro Gajewski explained that an “overture” is a piece played at the beginning of a performance. As the music started, I looked out over the crowd in the 1,976-seat concert hall and to my amazement, there was no wiggling. One boy in the back was even conducting along. Maestro explained that he chose the “Overture to Candide” because it was composed by his teacher, Leonard Bernstein. Teachers are important and he was glad that the kids brought their teachers along. The Maestro has a wonderful speaking tone with the children, filled with his enjoyment of the music.

Since it is almost exactly four years since Strathmore opened, the kids sung “Happy Birthday to Strathmore” with an orchestral accompaniment. A large screen above the stage highlights the musicians and instruments. Throughout the performance the children were an enthusiastic audience, clapping at every opportunity so that little bursts of applause peppered the morning.

Although Maestro Gajewski explained that you don’t usually get to stand up and sing with an orchestra, the kids probably left thinking it was an everyday occurrence. My son, a second grader at the performance, had brought home the music to “The Berry Pickers’ Song”, so we sung it together. I had no idea he had memorized the words and motions to perform with the National Philharmonic. The percussion section produced the sounds of smoke and steam from the “Little Train of Caipira”. The woodwinds sounded the train whistle while the horns and trombones brought a cow to life. All the children were on their feet and knew the words. The final note brought giggles from this engaged audience.

Composer Russell Peck, narrated his “The Thrill of the Orchestra”. He teaches all about the instruments, explaining how and why the musicians play. “It is like a listeners dream come true. There are so many magical things they could do.” At one point, the drums demonstrated their power and had the audience ducking. The brass musicians made a nasty sound with their mouthpieces but then played a beautiful piece through their instruments. The kids expressed their delight by clapping along to the classical concert without adult constraints. By the end of his piece, Mr. Peck had passed along the thrill of performing.

These second grade performances have recently been expanded to include fifth graders. The “All Kids, All Free, All the Time” program offers children ages 7-17 free admission to all National Philharmonic subscription concerts. The 2008-2009 season will feature 18 concerts at Strathmore, including Sunday matinee performances. With these initiatives, the National Philharmonic strives to make classical music and concert going a part of daily life for young people.

From me, the National Philharmonic gets a standing ovation!

Ruth On The Cockatiels

>Rockville Central friend Ruth Hanessian has another one of her fabulous YouTube videos up, and no it is not a humorous dig at a political figure or anything boring like that. No, this one, like all of Ruth’s videos, is chock full of information!

It’s about The Cockatiels!

(You can see the video again here, if the embedded version above isn’t working.)

Keep ‘em coming, Ruth!

Ruth Is On The Video!

As >Rockville Central readers may know, one of my favorite people in town is Ruth Hanessian of Animal Exchange. Her shop (in the center just south of the Giant) is an honest-to-God crossroads. I always meet someone fun when I go there to buy my crickets. (I have a gecko.)

Ruth is a bird expert. Prodded by her friends, she has created a video on how to feed birds by hand and posted it to YouTube. I’ve embedded it below:

(If you are reading this by email, the video won’t come through and you will have to come to the site.)

For those of you who are privileged to know Ruth, you understand what a monumental leap this is for her (she is not known as an Internet early-adopter).

I hope this is just the beginning of a series of how-tos!

Daryl Davis In Rockville Town Square

>Rockville Central friend Roald Schrack was on hand to catch renowned blues and boogie-woogie artist Daryl Davis play a few days ago in Rockville Town Square and caught it all on video. He was kind enough to make some of it available:

(If you are getting this in email and can’t see the video, click here to come back to Rockville Central and see it.)

Thanks Roald!

Interview With Council Member Piotr Gajewski

As a part of >Rockville Central’s ongoing effort to tape an interview the Mayor and each member of the City Council, I visited Rockville City Council Member Piotr Gajewski yesterday and we had a great conversation.

Here is the interview.

(If you can’t see the video, click here. Sometimes YouTube has issues; please be patient.)

I’ve already posted an interview in this series with Council Member John Britton and Mayor Susan Hoffmann.

Interview With Mayor Susan Hoffmann

As a part of >Rockville Central’s ongoing effort to tape an interview the Mayor and each member of the City Council, I sat down with Rockville Mayor Susan Hoffmann yesterday and we had a terrific discussion.

Here is the interview. Stay tuned for more!

(If you can’t see the video, click here.) (UPDATE: YouTube is having issues today; please be patient.)

Note that late last year, I was on hand to capture the Mayor’s thank you speech (along with Council Member Piotr Gajewski’s) on election night. That video is here.

I’ve already posted an interview in this series with Council Member John Britton — here it is.

Also, note that YouTube limits uploaded videos to ten minutes, so I edit these conversations down — however, I always preserve the sense and intent of the subject’s words. Mostly, I cut myself out so they can do the talking!

Interview With Council Member John Britton

It’s a few days more than 100 since the current Mayor and Council were sworn in last year, and here at Rockville Central we thought it would be interesting to check in with each of them on how things are going, what they see the key issues are, and how they plan to move forward. I have invited each member of the Council and the Mayor to sit down with me on-camera for an informal interview.>

Here is the first such interview, between me and Council Member John Britton:

(Can’t see the video? Click here!) (UPDATE Note: YouTube appears to be having difficulties, 4/8/2008 in the morning. Please keep trying.)

(UPDATE: I have gotten some emails on this so . . . if anyone is offended by my slovenly dress or ripped jeans . . . I am sorry. I mean no disrespect to anyone. If you know me, you know there are few who have a greater respect for those in government than I do. I am just a pretty casual fellow.)

Visit VisArts in Rockville

Yesterday was the first time I went to >VisArts and, simply stated, everyone needs to go!

On the first Friday of the month from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, the galleries and studios are open, and people perform at HearArts. Since I’ve been listing this event in Weekend to Weekend, I took the whole family over. One minute I was on the street in Rockville, and then suddenly I was in a gallery with lots of people appreciating art. The second floor gallery is a decent size with all types of artwork - photography, paintings, and three-dimensional pieces.

VisArts makes it easy for children to enjoy art with their VisKids! room. Kids can learn about techniques and go home with their own creation. However, children love to explore and interact with their surroundings, so just being at VisArts can inspire a child. Unbeknownst to him, I videotaped one of my sons in the gallery. Artwork can reach all of us, even though we may not be as free as a child to express it.

As I wandered in and out of the resident artist studios, I was reminded of the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. We now have artists working publicly right here in Rockville! To be able to see the artist’s workspace, talk with the artist, understand the technique, and then buy the piece, is an absolutely unique and wonderful experience. Each studio strives to be open to the public 30 hours per week, so that at least one should be open during gallery hours.

We met all three of the artists sharing the jewelry studio. Their area is overflowing with creativity and an excited spirit of possibilities. Mimi Harris loves to work with animal themes and she showed my sons a necklace made out of snake vertebrae, which intrigued me so much that I find myself wanting it today. Pamela Hill-Byrne’s “Zig Zag Brooch” is on display in the gallery. Johnnie Gins makes wall art and rugs out of old ties. A client commissioned one with all of her late husband’s ties, prompting my husband to quip “You’d be able to continue to walk all over me.”, but he was only kidding - I think.

Each month, HearArts combines literature with music. As I marveled at Karen Fricke’s quilts, I could hear the vibraphone. By the time I entered the event room, someone was singing. The crowd then asked the fiction author if he would like to sing a few paragraphs of his work, but he declined and the audience chuckled. HearArts is a casual time for sharing and learning from each other.

VisArts is a beautiful white space, like a new canvas, ready for an art scene to flourish in Rockville. We all need to find it in the Rockville Town Center! One reader tried to attend an event and never did locate it. You enter through double doors which look like an office building entrance on Gibbs Street, between La Tasca and Beall Avenue.

VisArts is available for weddings, corporate events, workshops, and conferences. Family workshops, scouting programs, children’s classes, and summer camps are offered along with many special events.

Hoffmann, Gajewski Thank You Speeches On Video

I could only be one place at a time when the election returns came in, and I happened to be at >Giuseppe’s Restaurant on Regal Row when the news came in, so I was able to catch Susan Hoffmann’s and Piotr (Peter) Gajewski’s acceptance speeches. They were holding tandem election night parties. (Another successful council candidate, John Britton, was holding his celebration a few doors down at Tara Asia.)

Here are Mayor-Elect Hoffmann’s and Council Member-Elect Gajewski’s thank you speeches:

I didn’t see any other video cameras at the time, so I think this may be the only copy of it!

(If you are receiving this in email, the video won’t come through and you will have to come back here to Rockville Central to view it.)

Making The Streets Safe for RMHS Students

It appears there’s a nascent conflict brewing over what to do about all the pedestrian traffic that is going to be making its way into the soon-to-be-open new version of >Richard Montgomery High School. According to The Sentinel, the principal of RMHS, Moreno Carrasco, has asked for the City to install pedestrian safety measures across Fleet Street into the new front entrance. (UPDATE: The Gazette has it too.)

The new entrance faces E. Jefferson Ave, right along the curve. (Map of the area.)

Carrasco’s concern is that Fleet Street is, for some motorists, a cut-through to get them onto Rockville Pike. It’s a windy road with some blind curves. (The photo shows a student jaywalking exactly where E. Jefferson and Fleet Street meet.)

“We have to make this road uncomfortable for people to drive on,” says Carrasco in The Sentinel. “I don’t want to have to be the principal who has to send a letter out that a student got hit here.” Carrasco made his case recently at the first post-summer City Council meeting, flanked by a number of students and parents in RMHS t-shirts.

The issue is not as simple as it may look. Solutions need to fit into existing City traffic plans, and it may be that there is no safe way (short of a bridge) to get pedestrians across Fleet Street on this curve.

To help visualize what we are talking about, I made a little video this morning, called I Love The Smell Of Fleet Street In The Morning.

Make sure your sound is on!

Interested Rockville residents may want to bring the subject up at tomorrow’s (Sept. 25) Traffic & Transportation Commission meeting, at 7:30pm at City Hall in the Black-Eyed Susan Conference Room.

As always, comments here at Rockville Central are welcome.