Morning Notes
Tiger Talks Future Of Congressional Tournament — Tiger Woods was at Congressional Country Club on Monday for an annual press gathering ahead of his AT&T National PGA event (June 24-30) and discussed the possibility of moving the tournament to another course in 2015. Congressional’s membership will vote later this year on whether to bring the tournament back from 2015-2017. The Tiger Woods Foundation, which hosts the event, must also re-up with AT&T or find another sponsor. [Washington Post]
Suburban Hospital Breast Cancer Experts Discuss Risk-Reducing Mastectomies — After actress Angelina Jolie revealed she had a preventive double mastectomy because of a BRCA gene mutation known to raise the risk of breast cancer, two doctors at Suburban Hospital answered questions about the procedure and in what circumstances to pursue the operation. [Suburban Hospital]
Congressman John Delaney Backs Doug Duncan For County Exec — First-term Sixth District Congressman John Delaney (D) endorsed former County Executive Doug Duncan for the same job in next year’s Democratic Primary. Duncan has announced his intention to run for his old job and it’s expected County Executive Isiah Leggett will run against him. The only candidate to have officially filed paperwork is Councilmember Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg). Duncan endorsed Delaney in his Congressional race last year. [Maryland Juice]
MCFRS Celebrates National EMS Week — The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service is celebrating National Emergency Medical Services Week by recognizing its dual role firefighters/EMTs and firefighters/paramedics. [MCFRS]
Flickr pool photo by diarmaid20814
Morning Notes
B-CC Takes First, Walter Johnson and Whitman Second and Third At Gymnastics Final — Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School senior Julia Konner won all four individual events, bars, beam, floor and vault, at the Montgomery County Gymanstics Championship on Tuesday. B-CC won its second straight county title and fifth in six years. Walter Johnson and Whitman finished second and third, respectively. [The Gazette]
Comptroller To Advocate For Internet Sales Tax At Union Hardware — Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot thinks Congress should pass the Marketplace Fairness Act and he’ll join small business owners at Union Hardware (7800 Wisconsin Ave.) this morning to talk about it. The bill, which the Senate passed, would require online and catalog retailers that make more than $1 million a year to collect sales tax, even if the purchase is made in another state. Small business owners, who must collect sales tax, have argued the lack of an online tax puts them at a disadvantage.
Political Training Program Targeting Women Has Bethesda Ties — Emerge Maryland, a class of 21 women recruited as potential candidates for political office, will graduate in June. Bethesda resident Susan Turnbull, a former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, helped create the program. The women will have had 70 hours of training over seven months when it’s all done. Wendy Cohen, a Bethesda resident and rumored candidate for District 16 state delegate, took part in the class. [Bethesda Magazine]
Politicians Jump On Union’s Boycott Bandwagon — A who’s who of politicians with aspirations for high-up positions in state government say they will join a union boycott of the upcoming Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee Spring Ball. Union officials are boycotting the fundraiser because the Committee, County Council and Montgomery voters agreed last fall to support Question B, which took away Police effects bargaining rights. [Maryland Juice]
Morning Notes
O’Malley Talks 2016 On Overseas Trade Visit — During an eight-day economic development tour in the Middle East, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said he’ll spend the latter half of this year deciding if he’ll run for President in 2016. [Washington Examiner]
WSSC Forms Safety Committee On Large Water Mains — The water and sewage utility previously wanted all development near large water mains to be set back 80 feet from pipes, an idea County officials opposed. Now, WSSC has formed an ad hoc committee to discuss safety measures developers should take. [The Gazette]
Imagination Stage’s 2013-2014 Season Includes Two World Premieres — “Lulu and the Brontosaurus” and “Cinderella: the Remix,” will debut at the Bethesda children’s theater (4908 Auburn Ave.). Also in the 2013-2014 season, announced this week, is “Lyle the Crocodile” and “Rumpelstilltskin.”
County Invites Residents To Celebrate Restoration Of Lower Booze Creek — The County recently finished a restoration project of the Lower Booze Creek in the Bannockburn neighborhood and is asking residents to attend an event from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 18. Participants at the event can learn about the design and construction of the project and take a tour of stream restoration techniques. The project entrance is along Helmsdale Road and Selkirk Drive. [Montgomery County]
Flickr photo by Juan Esandi
Morning Notes
County Council Meets With Mikulski — Members of the Montgomery County Council this morning will continue their series of informal discussions with federal and state elected officials when they sit down with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) at noon. Past meetings have included Sen. Ben Cardin (D) and Rep. John Sarbanes (D). [Montgomery County Council]
Chevy Chase’s Persimmon Reopens — Persimmon, the Wisconsin Avenue restaurant (7003 Wisconsin Ave.) that had been closed since July for renovations, reopened on Saturday with a new look and new menu. [Bethesda Magazine]
Fitness Studio To Open Wednesday — The Bar Method, a women’s workout studio with more than 65 locations, is ready to open Wednesday on the ground floor of the Lionsgate Condominium (7710 Woodmont Ave.) according to the Bethesda Urban Partnership.
Flickr photo by im_apatel
Morning Notes
Chevy Chase Village Will Get Second Shot At Ethics Exemption — Chevy Chase Village will get a second hearing before a state ethics board in March to try for an exemption from ethics rules for its Village Board members. Two members of the Village’s seven-member Board resigned last year after learning they would have to disclose detailed financial records under a ramped up state law. [The Gazette]
Ervin Looks To Be Joining Crowded County Executive Field — Silver Spring County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin says she’s in serious discussions with two national Democratic campaign operatives about running her prospective 2014 county executive campaign. Ervin would likely join fellow council members Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg), George Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park and former County Executive Doug Duncan (D). County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) has yet to announce if he intends to run for a third term. [Washington Post]
Top Maryland Republican Not A Fan Of Purple Line Project — Maryland House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-St. Mary’s, Calvert Counties) said citizens can’t take more taxes that would help raise money for transportation projects such as the Purple Line. He also said too much state transportation money is spent on mass transit that doesn’t benefit people living in rural areas who don’t use it. [Baltimore Business Journal]
New Chair, Vice Chair For Citizens Advisory Board — Marc Korman and Jad Donohoe were elected chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board on Monday. The group meets monthly and advises county policymakers on issues in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac. Korman said future topics include development at Chevy Chase Lake, the budget, bikes and education.
Morning Notes
More Snow Expected Later Today — Another inch of snow is expected this evening, with a Winter Weather Advisory from the National Weather Service in effect from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. [National Weather Service]
Most Marylanders Happy With Gov. O’Malley, But Not For President — A new poll has Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) with a 54 percent approval rating, but says only 25 percent of Marylanders want him to run for President. O’Malley has long been rumored to be seeking higher office after his second term ends in 2014. [The Gazette]
Summer Camp Expo This Weekend — White Flint Mall (11301 Rockville Pike) will host its 18th Annual Camp & Summer Programs Expo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday) and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. [White Flint Mall]
Flickr photo by ehpien
Morning Notes
Chevy Chase Village Can’t Find Board Volunteers — After Chevy Chase Village lost its appeal, two of its Board members resigned instead of facing more stringent ethics filings. Now the Village is appealing again after having little success finding replacements. [The Gazette]
Metro Ridership Down Past Projections — A fare increase and drop in the amont of fare the federal government gives its workers was expected to lead to a decline, but not nearly as much as reported. Metrorail raised $4.1 million less than projected. [Washington Examiner]
O’Malley Coming to Chevy Chase to Fill War Chest — Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), a presumptive 2016 presidential candidate, will come to a Chevy Chase home for a PAC fundraiser. Minimum contribution is $1,000. [Politico]
Developer Buys Up-Zoned White Flint Property — Foulger-Pratt bought the building at 11600 Nebel Street, part of the White Flint Sector Plan, for $5.1 million. The property is a small office building now but can be built into the type of high rise, mixed-use development going on throughout the White Flint area. [citybizlist]
Flickr photo by Ochinko
Morning Notes
Duncan To Run For County Executive — At a meeting with supporters on Tuesday, former three-term County Executive Doug Duncan (D) announced he will run for his old job in the 2014 election. [Washington Post]
From Olympic Swimming to High School Swimming — Gold medalist swimmer and U.S. Olympian Katie Ledecky is back at the Stone Ridge School in Bethesda for her sophomore year and her high school swimming team’s swim season. She’ll likely swim in most events. [The Gazette]
Pet Photos With Santa on the Row — Bethesda Row is hosting pet photos with Santa this Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Bethesda Lane. The cost per family is $10 and all the proceeds go to the Canines for Veterans program, which provides disabled veterans with service dogs. [Bethesda Row via Facebook]
Morning Notes
Metro Hopes to Open Bethesda Station Elevator Next Week — Metro hopes to have the Bethesda Metrorail station elevator reopened next week for the first time since May. Metro needed to rehab the elevators before embarking on the replacement of the station’s three escalators, among the longest in the western hemisphere. [The Gazette]
B-CC Football Coach Resigns — Rich Noland, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School football coach who took the Barons to back-to-back playoff berths for the first time since the 1950′s, stepped down. Noland, an AP psychology and U.S. history teacher at B-CC, said he wanted to spend more time with his kids. [Washington Post]
Duncan Said To Be Considering Executive Run — Three-term former County Executive Doug Duncan reportedly met with donors and supporters yesterday morning to discuss a run for his old job in 2014. Center Maryland’s Josh Kurtz says Duncan’s reemergence could be behind current County Executive Isiah Leggett’s potential reversal on whether to run again. Leggett previously said he would not run for a third term in 2014. [Center Maryland]
Flickr photo by Fotomoe
Morning Notes
Leggett To ‘Think About’ Running Again — After maintaining that this will be his last term as county executive, Isiah Leggett now says he will think about running again in 2014. Councilmembers Phil Andrews and George Leventhal have already announced their intentions to run. Other councilmembers rumored to be interested have said they will wait until Leggett decides. [Washington Examiner]
Businesses Report No Real Boost From ‘Small Business Saturday’ — The marketing event from American Express is a good idea, some Bethesda retailers said, but still lacks the punch of Black Friday. [The Gazette]
Bethesda Tae Kwon Do Master Offers Self Defense Tips — With police asking people to be aware of their surroundings this holiday shopping season, one Tae Kwon Do instructor offered tips for avoiding robbery or theft. [WUSA9]
Morning Notes
Bethesda Salon Receives $19,000 Pepco Bill — It was wrong, at least according to salon owner Ira Ludwick, who owns the Ira Ludwick Salon at 10400 Old Georgetown Rd. Pepco eventually said it had charged him for the wrong meter based on the way the landlord labeled equipment. [WUSA9]
Chevy Chase Village Having Difficult Time Finding Board Volunteers — After two board members quit because of more stringent state ethics rules, the Village’s seven-member governing body is down to five and finding replacements hasn’t been easy. [The Gazette]
Residents For Better Transit, Unsure of Bus Rapid Transit — Some expressed skepticism of plans for a sizeable Bus Rapid Transit system proposal at a public meeting this week in Silver Spring. At issue: The removal of one lane of traffic in some areas to provide for a BRT-dedicated lane. [Greater Greater Washington]
Civic Association Sues County Over Brickyard Farm — The West Montgomery County Citizens Association on Monday filed suit against the county and School Board for unlawfully conspiring to replace a popular Potomac organic farm with soccer fields. The School Board owns the land. [Washington Post]
Two Jump In To County Executive Race, Others Wait — Councilmembers Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg) and George Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park say they are in for the 2014 County Executive race. County Executive Isiah Leggett has repeatedly said he won’t run again, at least as it stands now. Councilmembers Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring), Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park and State Del. Ben Kramer (D-Dist. 19) are also widely expected to run. [The Gazette]
Flickr photo by ehpien
Trio of Bethesda, Chevy Chase Residents Heading to Human Rights Hall of Fame
On Sunday, the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights will induct three Bethesda/Chevy Chase residents into its Human Rights Hall of Fame.
Karen Britto, Susan Lee and Dr. Bernice Sandler will receive recognition for their work in promoting racial and gender equality.
The Office of Human Rights has inducted six classes of honorees into the Hall of Fame since it began in 2001. Residents can nominate candidates, to be reviewed and selected by a panel of community representatives.
Britto, a former District 16 Maryland State House Delegate, and Lee, a current District 16 Maryland State House Delegate, will both be recognized for the advances they made for minority women in politics. Sandler, “the Godmother of Title IX“, will be honored for her gender equality work in education.
The ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28 at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown.
Bios for Britto, Lee and Sandler, as presented by the Office of Human Rights, follow:
Karen Britto (Chevy Chase) – former and first African American Chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee and former District 16 Delegate. Britto was nominated for her dedication to promoting human rights and improving the quality of life for all Montgomery County residents, particularly women and minorities.
Susan C. Lee (Bethesda) – As a committed civil rights and women’s rights activist, Lee helped bring to the forefront important issues impacting minorities and women. She has played a critical role in bringing together diverse ethnic, faith and women’s organizations in Montgomery County to advance common civil rights efforts, eliminate discrimination and promote better understanding and cooperation between those communities. Lee was the first Asian American woman elected to the Maryland General Assembly in 2002 and has been a champion legislator of civil rights and women issues.
Dr. Bernice R. Sandler (Chevy Chase) – a visionary and pioneer for gender equality in education, Dr. Sandler has spent more than 50 years advocating for women’s rights. She has been a part of many “firsts” in the fight for gender equality. In 1970, she was the first person to testify before Congress about gender discrimination in education. She then became the first person appointed to staff a Congressional committee specifically on issues concerning women’s rights. In 1971, she wrote the first federal policy report regarding sex discrimination in education. As a result of these efforts, she was appointed to chair the first federal advisory committee on Women’s Educational Equity.
Other inductees include Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger and WUSA9 anchor JC Hayward.
Photo via Maryland State Assembly
Morning Notes
Citing New Ethics Rules, Chevy Chase Village Board Member Steps Down — Peter Kilborn, on the Board of Managers for Chevy Chase Village, recently stepped down from his post because of stringent ethics disclosure rules some say will force many small town council members like him to do the same. Kilborn said a change in the state law made too much work for him and would have forced him to disclose his wife’s financial information. [The Gazette]
Walter Johnson Boys, B-CC Girls Win County Cross Country Titles — The Walter Johnson High School boys and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School girls took home county cross country titles over the weekend in Gaithersburg. Walter Johnson had five runners finish between eighth and 18th place. B-CC repeated as county champs with the top two finishers. [MoCoRunning]
Cardin Likely to Stroll, Potomac Independent Making Waves — A new Washington Post poll has U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D) easily winning his second term, thanks in small part to Potomac independent Rob Sobhani, who has spent more than $4.6 million of his own money to split the anti-Cardin vote. [Washington Post]
Flickr photo by ehpien
Part Two of Our Conversation With Ike Leggett
Part one can be found here. In the second half of Bethesda Now’s sit-down with County Executive Isiah Leggett, we discussed a potential gas tax, the ongoing battle over police over bargaining rights, attracting millenials and his legacy if he remains out of the 2014 county executive candidate field.
Bethesda Now: What’s your reaction to the FOP’s request for an investigation into whether you and other county officials acted illegally in promoting your view on the effects bargaining referendum?
Leggett: We’ve already looked at that. So I don’t know what it is that needs to be reviewed. We can give them the opinion of the county attorney. I wouldn’t have authorized any kind of effort unless we had some legal opinion that said it was appropriate. That happened.
I’m not sure there’s anything from our perspective to look at this if they’re going to challenge, legally, the position of the county attorney. But there’s nothing for me to look at unless a court gives it a different legal analysis. Based on the county attorney’s opinion, we are doing things that are appropriate.
We are simply defending the county law. We are not going out to create a new law. Under the auspices of that, we are doing what is appropriate. That’s a little bit different than saying you’re going out to do something that you’re fighting for that’s not there. But we’re defending the law that’s already been enacted.
Morning Notes
Prosecutors Try To Shut Down Car Chase Defendant’s Website — Montgomery County prosecutors want to shut down the website of Reeco Richardson, the only survivor of a March car crash at Chevy Chase Circle. Richardson is charged with car theft after a high-speed police chase resulted in the crash. Richardson alleges police caused the accident. Prosecutors argue the website will taint the jury pool. [Washington Post]
Urban Outfitters Opening at Montgomery Mall — The store is set to open this month. [Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row]
O’Malley Defends Business Climate, Budget Tactics In Radio Show — Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) playfully challenged Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) to a push-up contest and defended his state when asked about businesses leaving for Virginia. [WTOP]
Dance Bethesda Accepting Applications — The Bethesda Urban Partnership is accepting applications for the 2013 Dance Bethesda Concert, set for March. The deadline for applications and audition videos is Nov. 16. [Bethesda Urban Partnership]
B-CC Beats Whitman On Gridiron For First Time Since 1999 — A 7-3 win Saturday at Whitman gave the Barons (3-2) their first win in 13 years against their cross-town Bethesda rival. Whitman (2-3) didn’t score in four second-half red zone trips. Last season was B-CC’s first in the state playoffs in 16 years. [Washington Post]
Flickr photo by Bill in DC
