Montgomery County home sales

These sales data were provided by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. To find sale and assessment records for homes elsewhere in the Washington area, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate.

Aspen Hill area

BAUER DR., 14113-H.W. and Donald M. Morton to Sara Hanne and David E. England, $400,000.

EADES ST., 4704-Laura H. McNeely to Maria Cristina and Witold Golab, $250,000.

FRANKFORT DR., 4211-Jalaika and Basam Hasan to Moon Yew Lee, $290,000.

JASMINE DR., 4924-H.M. and Luciano P. Montanaro to Nancy Mayer Whittington and Bryan Whittington, $603,000.

MELINDA CT., 4932-F.P. and Robert D. Brown Jr. to Delphine Crevola and Edouard Al Dahdah, $480,000.

Bethesda area

ARIZONA CIR., 10223, No. 47-Mary Alice C. Silverman to Yeonjung and Ki Yong Kim, $460,000.

BATTERY LANE, 4970, No. 108-Wendy Jan Zweig Schwartz, trustee, to Nataly Schwartz, $230,000.

BELHAVEN RD., 9825-Pourandokht M. Knight, trustee, to Ignacio J. Alvarez, $540,000.

DAVENPORT TERR., 6111-Marjorie R. Nohowel to Karin G. and William F. Weber, $1.11 million.

EXETER RD., 7612-Exeter Land Trust Corp. to Ronald D. Kaplan, $1.42 million.

HIGHLAND AVE., 4405-Paul De La Croix to Maria Gabriela Gonzalez, trustee, $1.47 million.

MASSACHUSETTS AVE., 6206-Scott J. Luka to Sue A. Marcum, $625,000.

MAYFIELD DR., 10011-Bronagh M. Murphy to Dayananda Ka and Anoma Kulathunga, $439,000.

MONTROSE AVE., 10613-N. and Leopoldo Villar to Miyesser Gul Gokpinar, $300,000.

OLDCHESTER RD., 7730-Mahmood P. Pashazadeh Monajemi to Vena Annisa Dilianasari, $769,000.

OSCEOLA RD., 5902-Masayoshi Takahashi to Zhiquan Dong and Yabo Mao, $773,000.

POLLARD RD., 5507-M.E. and George B. Hotchkiss Jr. to Kimberly Sharp and Chad Bishop, $900,000.

RIVER QUARRY PL., 8224-River Quarry Inc. to Gail K. and Gary Kushner, $650,000.

STILL SPRING CT., 8300-Deborah R. Croft to Stephanie Kayden, $750,000.

SWANSONG WAY, 7217-M.R. and Kambiz Majidi to Sam Majidi, $400,000.

TOWN GATE PL., 7807-Leslie S. and Peter W. Estelle to Liya A. and Ronald S. Coopersmith, $1.03 million.

WELBORN DR., 6200-John L. Call Family Corp. to Katherine L. and Patrick M. O'Connor, $829,000.

WESTWOOD DR., 5209-J.A. and George S. Harris to Todd M. Weiss, $1.29 million.

WHITLEY PARK TERR., 5450, No. 509-E.B. and Joshua S. Rosen to Chana Fuchs, $440,000.

Boyds area

OLD BALTIMORE RD. W., 14901-Anne Koehler to Beth Reed and Joseph A. Johnson, $510,000.

Brookeville area

HERITAGE HILLS DR., 19028-S.K. and Guillermo A. Oliva to Rixie L. Scott, $400,000.

Burtonsville area

DUNWOOD TERR., 4241-Theresa and Michael Trigiani to Lemlem K. Yeterawork and Chanie B. Negash, $270,000.

SILVER SPRUCE CIR., 3631-James M. Castonguay to Raquel T. Eligado, $275,000.

Calverton- Colesville area

BETTY LANE, 13206-S.D. and Fred L. Lutes II to Kimberly A. and James S. Fortney, $449,000.

CASTLELEIGH RD., 3008-Erasmo D. Lemus Tejada to Idahor P. Ogba, $365,000.

CRESTLINE RD., 1506-Ana Cruz to Tung Vu, $315,000.

MONTCLAIR DR., 12701-Ann M. and Shane E. West to Jessica and Aaron Kelley, $375,000.

MUSICMASTER DR., 13288, No. 280-Jacqueline D. Wilson to Roberta L. Boyd, $205,000.

OLIVE BRANCH CT., 13108-Daniell D. Harris to Tajinder K. Singh, $433,000.

RABBIT RUN TERR., 11506-Almaz Goshu to Emilia O. and Francis C. Okoye, $360,000.

TRACY DR., 1026-Xinge Wang to Lola and Scott C. Lastrapes, $406,895.

Chevy Chase area

ALDEN LANE, 4-Eleanor T. and Donald E. Clark to Eleanor F. and Matthew A. Nader, $815,000.

CONNECTICUT AVE., 8101C-George J. and J.M. Meiburger to Melinda R. and Timothy A. Schilling, $570,000.

FAIRFAX RD., 6689, No. 81-Margaret H. Henoch to Mary and Michael Cuff, $540,500.

OAKRIDGE LANE, 4200-Rachid and G. Sijelmassi to Jeffrey B. Bingenheimer and Catherine M. O'Connor, $920,000.

WALNUT HILL RD., 8802-Francisco Xavier Valencia to Andrea O. and Robert K. Magovern, $650,000.

Clarksburg area

ARORA HILLS DR., 23112-Hovnanian Homes to Debra and Jeffrey Voiner, $554,267.

BENNETT CHASE DR., 23802-Miller & Smith Homes to Shawn M. Denman, $460,000.

CLARKSBURG SQUARE RD., 13137-Christopher and Heather N. Lorenzo to Julia and Meisam Izadjoo, $590,000.

GRAND ELM ST., 12738-Carol S. and William A. Tomeo to Thanh Du and Yudha Rustaman, $699,900.

ROBERTS TAVERN DR., 23226, No. 1348-US Home Corp. to Malina Heng and Eric Blanton, $343,990.

TURTLE ROCK TERR., 23013-NVR Inc. to Christopher L. and Lee S. Nicholson, $570,725.

WINGED ELM DR., 23047-Helen Sherman to Lesley and Kevin Pascoe, $420,000.

YELLOWWOOD DR., 23114-Beazer Homes Corp. to Bonnie Y. and Anthony Q. Tang, $484,622.

Cloverly-Ednor area

FARMCREST PL., 14501-Carla S. Gales to Windiarini and William L. Rodgers, $205,518.

TWIN RIDGE CT., 17304-Douglass S. and F.H. Abramson to Ann May Lee Travis and Eric J. Travis, $635,000.

Damascus area

JOHNSON DR., 26301-Nancy L. Hays to Christina Elias and Vinicius D. Lima, $325,000.

SHELLDRAKE CIR., 10083-Timothy L. Walley to Jeffrey O'Keefe Pike, $225,000.

Derwood area

BOWIE MILL RD., 17851-Samuel B. Perez to Massimo Vazzana, $250,000.

EPSILON DR., 7525-B.M. and Charles E. Towles to Karen M. Padilla and Rodrigo J. Alegria, $470,000.

KEYPORT TERR., 7706-Alden A. Dima to Gail N. and Christopher R. Valle, $385,000.

MILL CREEK DR., 18021-J.A. and C. Richard Maple to Yelena and Vladimir Salita, $470,000.

Four Corners area

BRANCH DR., 415-C. and Harry L. Sumner to Cynthia A. and Patrick B. Donnelly, $374,900.

CADDINGTON AVE., 1302-B.F. and Alexander W. Geyger to Carol F. and Stephen O. Omokehinde, $325,000.

COLESVILLE RD., 9511-Helen C. Barry to Monica L. and Jeremy D. Price, $543,750.

DENNIS CT., 1112-Jennifer A. Myers to Amina Braimi and Jorge Laure, $284,000.

KIMES ST., 8903-Rehanar Boodoo to Lisa M. Stechschulte, $310,000.

MERWOOD LANE, 9804-Marie Lacouture to Amber J. Mathur, $330,000.

RENFREW RD., 10033-B.L. and Amerigo R. Manzi to Timothy Gaul, $400,000.

SAYBROOK AVE., 9406-Neopito C. Pardo to Larrissa and John R. Strout, $300,000.

SLIGO CREEK PKWY., 9039, No. 705-Linda C. Albright Iverson to Walter I. Ray Jr., $155,000.

STOCKTON RD., 5-John M. Hatton to Rita Carreon and Jason M. Patnosh, $455,000.

Gaithersburg area

BRIARSTONE LANE, 17-Francisco R.C. Perales to Zhong Li, $220,000.

BRIGHTON DR., 5-Freddie Mac to Xiaofei Li and Jeremy Lee, $303,900.

BRISTOL DOWNS DR., 206-Denise C. Loutoo to Klaudia and Nathan Youell, $384,000.

DUVALL LANE, 100, No. 104-Jose F. Carranza to Meital R. and Joseph Mosli, $48,500.

EMORY WOODS CT., 122-Ann Namkung to Don Paul Kovarcik, $320,000.

GARDENIA WAY, 18344-A.K. and Michael W. Byrne to Pamela N. and Chad E. Peterson, $387,000.

HAZELCREST DR., 17700-Aaron P. Nocjar to Niharika Singh and Rakesh Kumar, $352,500.

HUMMINGBIRD TERR., 9229-Lynn G. and Peter A. Tozzi to Loriann Behm, $266,000.

KILDONAN DR., 19406-F. and Erick O. Casasola to Martha A. Lainez and Jorge E. Lainez Vallecillo, $244,000.

STREAMSIDE DR., 18328, No. 304-Alejandro Lara Jr. to Fabio C. Pinto, $121,000.

TULIP DR., 111-Shannon E. Gnall to Tracey Ann Bodo Slotta and Douglas James Slotta, $290,000.

Germantown area

COUNTRY RIDGE DR., 13269-Residential Value Corp. to Jennifer and Daniel G. Walter, $250,000.

CROSSTIE DR., 13813-Household Finance Corp. to Roshni J. and Jignesh B. Patel, $232,000.

LITTLE STAR LANE, 18607-Changyu Chae to Annet Banura, $349,888.

METZ DR., 18125-Bruce N. Curtis to Hui Feng Pan, $225,000.

NOBLE OAK DR., 19010-Pak Y. and Yik F. Lau to Jose A. Menendez, $520,000.

PINEY POINT PL., 18929-Jessica K. and William E. Martin to Angineh Babakhani, $193,000.

QUAIL WOODS DR., 12300-Catrina M. Posley to Nicole and Se Jin Park, $225,000.

ROCKINGHAM RD., 13808-Cheoleon Lee to Emanuel Assurian, $550,000.

ROSEBAY CT., 12, No. 406-Brad Suchy to Margaret Snowel, $344,000.

WATERLOO CT., 19928-Michael D. Ewing to Susan Chirchir, $250,000.

WATERSIDE DR., 20226-Linda M. Rubenstein to Zhuang Ma, $270,000.

Kensington area

DEWEY RD., 11107-Randy L. Canubas to Diane and Daniel Adams, $327,000.

FARRAGUT AVE., 3407-Kenneth W. Baumann, trustee, to Judith R. and Matthew J. Jankowski, $780,000.

UNIVERSITY BLVD. W., 3333, No. 501-Mary J. Kamprad, trustee, to Kimberly M. O'Connor and Joseph J. O'Connor, $228,000.

Laytonsville area

SUNDOWN RD., 6620-Janet and Lawrence Dosik to Wanda Q. and Joseph L. Rogers, $640,000.

VISTA RIDGE RD., 25110-Katherine D. Constantinou to Jennifer C. and Robert C. Calabro, $775,000.

Montgomery Village area

BLUE TEE TERR., 10109-Elizabeth and Robert Burke to Desiree Swain, $200,000.

FOREST VIEW PL., 9906-Donald K. Sassaman to Maria Del Pilar Delgado, $137,000.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY DR., 8509-Paul M. and Valentina Grossman to Naomi B. and Kurt A. Shenk, $335,000.

SAILFISH TERR., 9817-Benton L. Markowitz to Jesse Myers and Catherine Convey, $165,000.

TINDAL SPRINGS DR., 8531-Patricia Vogt to Courtney H. and Mauro Adiel Torres, $348,000.

Norbeck-Layhill area

BRAMBLEWOOD DR., 15430, No. 22B-Patricia S. Nolan, trustee, to Helen W. and Donald M. Morton, $320,000.

CHESTERWOOD DR., 3844-Yazmin and Enrique Borroto to Danielle M. Medina, $164,900.

ENGLISH ORCHARD CT., 12645-V.M. and Stuart Strauss to Crystal T. Levy, $275,000.

INTERLACHEN DR., 15101, No. 121-Greta D. Pignone to Queen E. Hunter, $105,000.

LEESBOROUGH CIR., 11617-Centex Homes to Hitelia and Hernan Castellanos, $416,592.

LEISURE WORLD BLVD. N., 3200, No. 1011-Sue M. Wilson, trustee, to Rajinder S. Sekhon, $150,000.

LEISURE WORLD BLVD. N., 3310, No. 514-Janet C. Halperson to Joyce E. and Jack L. Sandler, $185,000.

MCVEARY CT., 2519, No. 9A-Jeffrey Paul Melia to Jamillah S. Russell, $209,900.

MENTONE RD., 11817-Olga L. and Oscar M. Flores to Delmy Recinos Gonzalez, $210,000.

PONDSIDE TERR., 2333-Rebecca A. and Mark Garfinkle to Aroon and Vanaja Padharia, $435,000.

SELFRIDGE RD., 12322-Residential Value Corp. to Sabrina J. and Bennie Robinson, $256,000.

North Potomac area

APPLE SEED LANE, 56-Neil Kram to Karem M. Carpio and Adolfo Carpio Escobar, $325,000.

ATHENS PL., 9661-101 Geneva Corp. to Phillip Selleh, $468,400.

BAYRIDGE TERR., 914-Robert J. Hinz to Bernadette M. Logose, $275,000.

BUCKSFIELD RD., 101-Lauren A. and Elan J. Sheintal to Liam P. Corballis, $385,000.

COUNTY CT., 15, No. 8-Lauren E. and Bradford M. Goodwin Jr. to Raihan Amin, $259,000.

FERNSHIRE RD., 11920-Evelyn Hansen to Sveylana Konovalova and Dmitriy Krepkiy, $350,000.

FLAGLER DR., 803-Mark T. Blizzard to Vijaya U. Mahamuni, $324,900.

GLACIER CT., 15810-William J. Tyson to Olga and Sergey L. Yefimov, $490,000.

GLEN RD., 12900-Burke & Herbert Bank, trustee, to Shauna and Thomas W. Arata Jr., $1.37 million.

KENDRICK PL., 114, No. 28-David S. Braithwaite, trustee, to Traci J. and R. Michael Smullen, $250,000.

Olney area

FAIR HILL RD., 4801-Pulte Homes Corp. to Diana D. and John F. Kyber, $827,254.

FOUNTAIN GROVE WAY, 18302-Cynthia A. and James S. Pappas to Christy and Brady Darrington, $554,000.

O'HARA CIR., 18014-Reynold Thrasybule to Patrick Corridon, $270,000.

ROLLING MEADOW WAY, 18232, No. 27-Connie Jo Rogers to Christine A. Mahoney, $245,000.

TOTHILL DR., 4813, No. 45-MHP Scattered Site Inc. to Shirley Clarke, $146,026.

Poolesville area

SPATES HILL RD., 17229-S. and Gregory Skenderis to Susanne and Thomas Porch, $548,500.

Potomac area

JEB STUART RD., 8116-E.C. and Gary A. MacDonald to Christopher L. Koefoed, $542,000.

LARKMEADE LANE, 10828-Barbara S. Friedman to Eric A. Pollack and Shannon R. Zlotnik, $1.18 million.

PAISLEY PL., 8116-Charles E. Vela to Halley F. Ascher, $795,000.

PINEY MEETINGHOUSE RD., 13103-D&M Corp. to Mahdieh and Mohammad Emam, $1.5 million.

SUNNYMEADE CT., 12-Roya Sadry to Dilshad Fakroddin and Kenneth R. Bromund, $564,000.

THRUSH LANE, 9417-Joseph Halow, trustee, to Melissa M. and Michael J. Halow, $870,000.

Rockville area

BOU AVE., 5750, No. 1911-Midtown Montrose Corp. to Mojdeh Pashai, $505,000.

BRAXFIELD CT., 12311, No. 432-Linda and Scott Zakszeski to Bartholomew J. Balderston, $139,800.

CARTER RD., 818-Edward L. Tiffey to Katherine O. and Robert L. Tiffey, $440,000.

FOREST LANDING CT., 27-Lin Zhang to Daorong Liu and Chenghong Wei, $365,000.

HARDWICKE PL., 14-J.E. and Jack L. Sandler to David Benish, $507,000.

INMAN PARK CIR., 5821, No. 902-Joel S. Harvey to Jaimee Dong, $250,465.

LYNN MANOR DR., 332-S.S. and Brian F. Hardwick to Olga A. Mandrugina and Charles A. Burge, $495,000.

MAGIC MOUNTAIN DR., 5701-Morton S. Gottlieb, trustee, to Ronit Jolles and Yariv Mazor, $815,000.

NELSON ST., 609-Joel J. Danshes to Aaron M. Faust and Rachel K. Alpert, $538,000.

OLD GEORGETOWN RD., 11800, No. 1415-Toll Brothers to Robert Papineau, $420,981.

PLANTATION LANE, 7118-M.L. and Stephen M. Smith to Andrew K. Swentzel, $665,000.

PLEASANT DR., 1014-Kim Q. Randall to Shila Mashadishafie and Shahram Amin Darolzarbi, $600,000.

POTOMAC CORNER LANE, 14808-Potomac Corner Corp. to Seukli Kim and Joseph S. Son, $640,000.

REDLAND BLVD., 303, No. 13R-Phillip Smith to Priyanthi Fernando, $325,000.

VANDERBILT CIR., 10001, No. 14-Mary M. Koppenhafer to Russell Rufkin, $305,000.

WICKSHIRE WAY, 10905, No. G2-Robert F. Papineau to David W. Parrish, $550,000.

WICKSHIRE WAY, 11014, No. A2-S.V. and James W. Johnson to Dorothy Unger, $520,000.

WILD OAK TERR., 1316-Jeffrey M. King to Samir Benachenhou, $620,000.

Seneca Park area

ALDBURG WAY, 11550-Doksha H. and Haresh A. Laheri to Chandria Jones, $221,000.

LITTLE FOX LANE, 11105-Jason M. Gordon to Prudential Relocation Inc., $280,000.

SHAKESPEARE DR., 20704-Thomas J. Nucci to Prudential Relocation Inc., $365,000.

Silver Spring area

GRUBB RD., 8333, No. G203-Muriel F. and Richard M. Owens to Christopher R. Owens, $265,000.

WASHINGTON AVE., 2200, No. W202-Brian C. Vandell to Mollie and John R. Davis, $266,750.

Takoma Park area

ALLEGHENY AVE., 6508-John N. Verdi to Joanne K. Dawson and Zachary T. Paquette, $290,000.

ASPEN AVE., 7410-Patterson B. Howell, trustee, to Lindsey T. and John J. Tessada, $475,000.

GARLAND AVE., 7307-Craig L. Dean to Anita and David M. Gibson, $680,000.

PARK AVE., 236-Kathy Lynne Brooks to Tara Lan and Chad Lee Blaise, $807,175.

Twinbrook area

ATLANTIC AVE., 13107-Jill L. Russ to Eric Calvo, $350,000.

BROADWOOD DR., 1512-Edward M. Clark to Chan Tha and New Nwe Win, $290,000.

DEAN DR., 317-Sidney B. Stephens III to Marlin W. Pierce, $326,500.

THORNDEN RD., 1220-Laverne L. Hill to Alexandra Vidas, $350,000.

Wheaton area

ARVIN ST., 2714-Brads Corp. to Nancy L. Lamon Kritikos and Michael N. Kritikos, $369,000.

DALEWOOD DR., 12012-Ema M. Nunez to Fasil Adane, $180,000.

GEORGIA AVE., 11611-Centex Homes to Stephanie Streat, $387,095.

HILLSBORO DR., 723-Maurine B. Yost, trustee, to Michael A. Thompson, $320,000.

LESTER ST., 10738-Raymond Pepper to Dana Rico, $295,000.

LINDELL ST., 2703-Carol J. Martin to Jose L. Quintero, $250,000.

OREBAUGH AVE., 11702-Maria E. and Emilio Montenegro to Caryn and Daniel Y. Moshinsky, $400,000.

SEAPORT WAY, 3331-Metasebia Gizaw to Christopher A. Crognale, $317,500.

EDITORIAL: Future of MC school chief in limbo

DISCLAIMER: Montgomery County Daily does not support or deny this editorial, yet publishes it to show a viewpoint.

IMAGINE a corporation with a chief executive officer whose vision and management skills resulted in unparalleled product improvement. Imagine the company about to face some of its biggest challenges. No one would think it a good idea to change leadership. Yet, that is what is about to happen to the Montgomery County school system if officials don't figure out a way to hang on toSchools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast.

Mr. Weast is soon to enter the final year of his third four-year term. Under conditions of his contract, he has until Feb. 1, 2011, to tell the school board if he wishes to seek another term, and the members have a month after that to let him know if they are interested. Mr. Weast has led people to believe he is ready to retire, having accomplished much as one of the longest-serving superintendents in the country. His detractors, as The Post's Daniel de Vise wrote last year, were counting the days to his departure. Some board members are impatient to start a search, and the issue is sure to figure in this fall's school board elections.

FULL STORY: Washington Post

'Your Dog's Friend' searches for space for dog classes

Your Dog's Friend is searching for space for training classes for well-managed dogs. Having previously been in a large space in Rockville, the non-profit company is looking to sign a lease!

Your Dog's Friend is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose goal is to help keep dogs out of shelters by educating and supporting dog owners.Your Dog's Friend offers advice before you choose your dog, after you bring home your new pet, and when you have questions about your dog's behavior. We want to see your dog become your lifetime companion! We believe that fewer dogs will be given up to shelters if we can help dog owners understand what their dogs need and how their dogs learn. Your Dog's Friend is based in Montgomery County, MD. To read a long story about Debra's work with dogs, click here for a story in the Gazette.

WEBSITE: Your Dog's Friend

Bethesda weekend parking: Still free, still too crowded

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett wants to increase parking tickets to help close the County's $800 million budget gap. If the County is looking for parking revenues, it should also look at its overflowing weekend parking in Bethesda.

Photo by Daquella manera.

There are two public parking lots most convenient to most shops in Bethesda: the surface lot at Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues, and the garage inside Bethesda Row with entrances on Elm Street and Bethesda Avenue. Nearby are many pay garages charging $7 for an evening, but the public garages are free, even on busy Saturday nights.

As you might expect, the Woodmont lot is always full on weekends. Any time I've tried to park there, there are typically 3-4 other cars circling around looking for spaces. As soon as someone gives up, someone else comes in. In the garage, it's almost as bad during the day, and just as bad at night. Worse yet, the garage gets backed up with traffic from drivers crawling up the ramps and then, in some cases, right back down again.

SOURCE: Greater Greater Washington

2010 NCAA bracket

Click here for NCAA men's bracket. FYI, don't forget to pick #4 Maryland to win.

Montgomery's inspector general says county officials have interfered

Montgomery County's inspector general said Tuesday that unnamed county officials have withheld information and interfered with several investigations by his office, including some that have proved embarrassing for county government. Inspector General Thomas J. Dagley, meeting with County Council members, cited problems with two cases involving the county's police department and a third looking into payments by the county's Department of Health and Human Services to Centro Familia, a nonprofit that offers services to preschoolers and trains in-home child-care providers.

Dagley, whom the council appointed in 2009 to a second four-year term, said he is worried that his office's ability to make "timely and objective reports" has been harmed. He told a council committee that the problems had intensified in the past year and that as recently as last week, whistleblowers were expressing similar concerns. Montgomery is one of the few local governments in the country with its own inspector general, whose job is to root out waste, fraud and abuse and to audit county spending.

SOURCE: Washington Post

Unions knock Leggett budget for its layoffs, furloughs, wage freezes

Some Montgomery County union leaders are lashing out at County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) because his $4.3 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2011 includes layoffs, furloughs and wage freezes. Walter Bader, chief negotiator and past president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 35, says Leggett illegally denied police officers the pay raises they were to receive in their negotiated contracts.

"He's required to put in what's in the contract," Bader said of Leggett. "He's required to do that. If he doesn't then he is in violation of the law." Under Leggett's proposed budget, released Monday, as many as 232 county employees could lose their jobs, and most government employees will be forced to take 10 days of unpaid leave.

SOURCE: Gazette

Man, 19, stabbed at Rockville Metro station

A 19-year-old man was stabbed Saturday at the Rockville Metro station after a dispute that began several miles away turned violent at the busy transit hub, Rockville police said. The man was taken to a hospital with an abdominal wound that was not considered life-threatening, Maj. Michael England said. A 17-year-old who was with the victim suffered a cut to his abdomen, England said. The trouble began late Saturday afternoon at Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg, England said. Two groups, strangers to each other, began arguing and took the quarrel onto a Ride On bus bound for Rockville.

FULL STORY: Washington Post

Blair athletes honored at winter sports ceremony

The Blair winter sports ceremony was held in the auditorium Monday night from 7:00-8:30 p.m. to celebrate the achievements of Blair athletes during the winter sports season. During the ceremony, each coach gave a speech commending their respective teams for the hard work they put in during the season. Trophies were handed out to athletes across sports and in many categories. The ceremony began with opening remarks from Athletic Director Dale Miller, followed by a welcoming address made by Patsy Hedrick of the Blair Boosters. Acting Principal Myriam Rogers then took the podium to recognize the 134 scholar athletes during the winter those who maintained a GPA of 3.25 or higher, including 36 athletes who earned a 4.0 GPA.

Wylie Conlon

Dale Miller leads a cheer for the athletes at Blair.

FULL STORY: Silver Chips

OPINION: 17 reasons Bob Ehrlich is out for governor; Ripken in?

MARYLAND - In 2006, now-Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's top counties/cities for votes were Montgomery County (190,873), Prince George's County (162,899), Baltimore County (135,567), and Baltimore City (115,136). Then-Governor Bob Ehrlich's top counties for votes were Baltimore County (143,870), followed by Montgomery County (112,071), Anne Arundel County (106,897), and then a giant drop-off to Harford County (57,882). In all, Ehrlich lost in 2006 by almost 117,000 votes. The following is a list of reasons why former-Governor Bob Ehrlich is not running for governor in 2010:

1. Bob Ehrlich has not signed the papers to enter the governor game. Since July 6, 2010 is the filing deadline, he remarkably sit on the bench for 16 more weeks, waiting for the weather to change to win.

2. Ehrlich has not started Spring training to declare he is running for governor.

3. Ehrlich is 100% undecided about playing the governor position in 2010. This explains why Ehrlich is so confessional in public about his reluctance to reenter public service. Further, he has plausible deniability that he ever was running for governor in the first place because he has always always always said he was undecided.

4. Ehrlich is an excellent switch-hitter, and not a one-dimensional person. He is a lawyer, a current talk show host on WBAL, a Princeton graduate (and captain of Princeton's football team), a loyal husband, an energetic father, and a former governor.

5. Ehrlich (along with most other players) wants a nearly-guaranteed win. Otherwise it is not worth the personal sacrifice to lose and be forever rejected by state and national political teams.

6. Ehrlich's support from Maryland voters is shallow, because the State's Republican bench is weak. Since he had almost 60% approval entering Election Day 2006 and somehow lost, even some people who like Ehrlich don't vote for him.

7. Ehrlich doesn't have the cash to recruit a winning roster. This is especially difficult since there is a recession, and the fans can't pay for enough tickets to start a financial wave.

8. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is (thankfully) off the roster. In 2002, Bob Ehrlich's top counties were Baltimore County (170,920), Anne Arundel County (113,968), Montgomery County (113,680), and Harford County (63,553). Kennedy's top counties/cities were Montgomery County (180,576), Prince George's County (150,927), Baltimore City (120,070), and Baltimore County (106,195). In the good 'ole days, Ehrlich won by 66,170.

9. Montgomery County's Executive is O'Malley's perfect scapegoat to watch during a rain delay. In a state run with a Democrat monopoly (and in the midst of facing massive budget problems), some Democrat must be the fall-guy caught sitting on the toilet. In 2010, the witch hunt will not be Baltimore City's problems, but Montgomery County! Facing a current (and growing) budget shortfall of $762,000,000, Ike "The Bathroom" Leggett is no political ally of O'Malley. Besides, Leggett says he can't go to his office bathroom in Montgomery County without needing a policeman to hold his hand! According to The Washington Post: "Leggett's aides said yesterday that his security detail did not want him using the public restroom because walking to and from the facility could expose him to harm. The shower was included [with the $65,000 bathroom and sitting room], an aide said, because Leggett lives about 40 minutes away from the Rockville office and regularly attends evening events without having time to freshen up at home."

10. Governor O'Malley has not given Ehrlich a major issue to rally around. (The budget is not enough).

11. President Obama can help from Maryland's AAA farm team (Washington, D.C.). A rally in Prince George's County can be planned spontaneously by the Commander in Chief. A rally at Navy headquarters is also possible. A rally at Camden Yards will never happen!

12. Tea is not one of Ehrlich's concessions. Ehrlich seems to me more like a coffee or beer man.

13. Candidates on the DL did not have proprietary information. Mike Pappas, Pat McDonough, and Larry Hogan, when they exited the Republican Primary for governor, did not have private declarations from Ehrlich. The bizarre (and false) theory is that they would not have exited the primary contest unless they knew Ehrlich was running. Politics does not always work this way, though it normally does. Sometimes wild pitches and passed balls happen.

14. The coaches should know the facts, not the media. It is out of a genuine respect for Ehrlich that people do not badger him with follow-up questions about his forever-delayed entry. (For instance, his radio contract with WBAL allows him to easily exit, should he desire to do so.) Interestingly, Republicans and reporters allow him to stand behind that (understood) veil of respect. Then again, it is not a reporter's job to push Bob to declare that he is not running. Instead, that job is exclusively part of the job description of party leaders like RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Maryland Republican Chairman Audrey Scott.

15. Ehrlich can respectfully ask for a pinch hitter. What will be Bob's excuse when he decides not to run for governor? My guess is some version of this (which is the truth): "After reviewing my 2002 and 2006 campaign numbers and comparing them to trends within Maryland's borders, I have decided Maryland is essentially the same state that elected Martin O'Malley in 2006." Then, he will politely thank everyone who has asked him to run and wish Republicans luck in 2010. That's probably when he will say that he loves his wife and kids (which he does). Yes, some inside-Republicans will be hurt, but in 2012 or 2014, or in 2022 (when he is 64), most Republicans will forgive him, even begging him (again) to return to the game. The reason is that Bob Ehrlich is one of only a handful of All-stars of the Maryland Republican Party. (God, I miss Connie Morella; and Roscoe Bartlett won't quit the game until death retires him!) Let me throw in some inside-politics trivia that (injured-prone) Jim Pelura made painfully obvious. Pelura whispered the truth to nearly-deaf listeners: In 2006, Bob Ehrlich was the only incumbent governor in America who lost reelection. For that comment, Pelura was ejected for good. Then on his way out, he even had the gall to babble that Ehrlich even lost Baltimore County in 2006. For that, Pelura's name is now cursed, as he will only be a legend if Ehrlich actually (temporarily) retires.

16. Just because there is a stadium, doesn't mean there is a player in it. Didn't Indiana's Republicans learn a great (and ironic) lesson when Senator Evan Bayh from Indianapolis taught them that filing for office is all that matters. Thus, having small campaign staff does not necessarily mean that a candidate exists.

Well, who then can fill Bob Ehrlich's shoes? Cal Ripken, a Republican (believe it or not)! Ripken's issues are ideal for Maryland, and he isn't just a baseball hero, but a man with amazing timing and longevity. Let me just close with one horse story about him.

17. One Baltimore man loves a colt. On May 2, 2009 Ripken and his wife attended the Kentucky Derby, as they do every year. In this race he placed a bet on Mine That Bird, claiming the horse's name appealed to him given his career with the Orioles along with the jockey's name, Calvin Borel. The gelding also wore a saddle with cloth number "8" post position, and had odds set at 50 to 1. Well, that there dark horse actually won that there race! It was the first time since 1913 that a horse won the Kentucky Derby after being given such odds. Although I have no proof of it, my guess is Ripken won more than $66,170, which is the amount of votes Ehrlich won in 2006.

DC offers $25M for Northrop Gruman

The cost of landing Northrop Grumman's headquarters in tax breaks and other public assistance could exceed $25 million. So how have economic development officials in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., determined it's worth dangling that much before the military contractor's executives in the heated competition to lure this latest corporate plum from Los Angeles? Montgomery County conducted an analysis to estimate the direct fiscal impact of having Northrop's headquarters in the county, said Steven A. Silverman, director of the county's Department of Economic Development. That includes the income taxes from the company's 300 executives and property taxes on buildings the company would lease or own, he said.

"We don't do an indirect economic analysis, one where you try to determine how much 300 people with high-paying jobs will spend in the local economy," Silverman said. "A lot of that is intuitive. Those types of studies are easy to poke holes in." FULL STORY: Gazette

Agencies Brace For Deep Cuts In Montgomery County

(AP) - Montgomery County agencies are bracing for the worst as County Executive Ike Leggett unveils his budget proposal for the coming year. The county's projected deficit of $760 million is the worst in the region. Leggett is scheduled to propose his budget on Monday. County schools Superintendent Jerry Weast already is proposing cuts of 252 positions and increased class sizes. Hundreds of other county jobs are expected to be eliminated as well.

In Virginia, Fairfax County has a similar operating budget and is facing a $257 million shortfall. Sharon Bulova, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors, says residents would rather see higher taxes than drastic cuts to schools and other services. Still, the county may give the schools $98 million less than the school board requested. SOURCE: WJZ

MC's hiring 'freeze' proves to be bogus; 1300 employees added

Montgomery County added 1,300 employees at a cost of $25 million to $30 million to its payroll during a two-year hiring freeze, according to a government employees union. Though most of the new hires have been for public safety officials or seasonal summer workers, the county added more than 300 new full-time workers who aren't in public safety, according to county staff. Municipal and County Government Employees Organization President Gino Renne said the county had "no business" hiring those 300 new employees with the county's finances so bad. The county faces a budget gap of more than $760 million, and the union expects "hundreds" of layoffs, wage reductions and possible furloughs in County Executive Ike Leggett's proposed budget. "They called a hiring freeze ... but they ignored it, and they just kept hiring and they're still hiring," Renne said. SOURCE: Washington Examiner

Millionaire tax drops payment from $106M more to $257M less

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is the latest Democrat to demand a tax increase, this week proposing to raise the state's top marginal individual income tax rate to 4% from 3%. He'd better hope this works out better than it has for Maryland. We reported in May that after passing a millionaire surtax nearly one-third of Maryland's millionaires had gone missing, thus contributing to a decline in state revenues. The politicians in Annapolis had said they'd collect $106 million by raising its income tax rate on millionaire households to 6.25% from 4.75%. In cities like Baltimore and Bethesda, which apply add-on income taxes, the top tax rate with the surcharge now reaches as high as 9.3%—fifth highest in the nation. Liberals said this was based on incomplete data and that rich Marylanders hadn't fled the state. Well, the state comptroller's office now has the final tax return data for 2008, the first year that the higher tax rates applied. The number of millionaire tax returns fell sharply to 5,529 from 7,898 in 2007, a 30% tumble. The taxes paid by rich filers fell by 22%, and instead of their payments increasing by $106 million, they fell by some $257 million. SOURCE: Wall Street Journal

Rockville celebrates 150 years

As Rockville looked back on 150 years of incorporation Wednesday night, one fourth-grader looked into the future and predicted flying cars. Anish Senapati, a fourth-grade student at Lakewood Elementary School, read his winning essay about what Rockville will be like in 50 years at the city's sesquicentennial celebration in Town Square. The state legislature granted Rockville's incorporation on March 10, 1860. In his essay, Senapati says Rockville will have no streets because the cars will fly. The world's tallest building, which will function as a factory and tourist attraction, will be one of many skyscrapers located in the city.

"And the mayor will be me," he added, drawing laughs from the crowd of more than 100.

SOURCE:Gazette

County wants authority to buy any business

Montgomery County, Md., leaders want to use taxpayer dollars to make equity investments in local companies, but some residents say they don't want officials making "risky" business decisions with their money. Delegate Brian Feldman, who leads Montgomery's delegation to the House of Delegates, says the proposal would improve the county's ability to compete for new biotech companies. He notes the state already can make equity investments in businesses that have returned millions of dollars to state coffers. The Montgomery County Civic Federation is opposed to the bill, however. The group's president Peggy Dennis worries about the ethics of allowing elected officials to pick and choose which companies get funding. The proposal in the Maryland General Assembly would only apply to Montgomery County.

SOURCE: Business Week

Amazing difficulty finding MC's $4,100,000,000 budget!

Can you find the Montgomery County budget that your tax dollars fund? It's not available in public in print. So let's check the county's "award-winning," and "popular" website....

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ OK, we're at the home page. Nothing about the budget here. Let's try this link at the bottom, which says "Additional Information About Important Issues and Topics," because the budget is pretty important, isn't it? http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/home/home2.asp Hmm. Nothing about the budget here, either. Try clicking on "Departments" to find the budget department. Now click on OMB. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ombtmpl.asp?url=/content/omb/index.asp Nothing about reading the budget on this page. I'll click on a link for the FY2010 budget from last July(!!). http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/ombtmpl.asp?url=/content/omb/fy10/appr/psp_toc.asp It's taken forever, and a lot of independent thinking on my part. But I've finally found a budget. Oh, no! The citizen can only download about 100 large PDF files in order to read the county budget. That's Web 1.0 from 10 years ago! Isn't it time the county website was updated to Web 2.0, where citizens can study the budget in HTML or Flash or some other realtime format? And made available in print so that those without home computers can review it as well by picking up readily accessible copies at local libraries? Let's turn Government 2.no into Government 2.0. Unless someone fears the public having easy access to how their taxpayer dollars are being spent by the County Council...

SOURCE: robertdyer.blogspot.com

Letter to Editor: Solving Maryland's gang problems

Lawmakers in Annapolis are scrambling to pass a series of bills aimed at stemming the growing tide of gang violence across Maryland. This mad dash for legislation to strengthen the ability of law enforcement to identify, arrest and prosecute MS-13 and other gang members poses a question: Where have our elected officials been on this issue?

Gang-related violence and rape, drug dealing, prostitution and crime are nothing new to the law-abiding residents of Maryland. Seemingly new to the issue, however, are the political leaders and law enforcement authorities in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. No surprise that these two jurisdictions are also the playground for numerous illegal immigrants and host to multiple gang-related problems. Unfortunately for surrounding Maryland counties, the gang members do not respect county lines.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson have taken a remarkably dishonest approach to public safety, relying on illegal immigrant support groups such as CASA de Maryland to dictate the terms for handling and arresting illegal-alien gang members. CASA even has lobbied Annapolis against legislation implementing the screening of all foreign nationals in our jails for fear of possible "Hispanic discrimination."

Jurisdictions in Virginia, with lower rates of gang violence and fewer CASA-like groups, have instead successfully partnered with federal immigration and law enforcement authorities. As with economic development and lower taxes, it is time for Maryland to learn from her Virginia neighbors.

BRAD BOTWIN

Director, Help Save Maryland

Rockville, Md.

Smart students change their own grades

Montgomery County school officials have not yet closed gaps in their computer system that allowed students at a high-performing Potomac high school to change dozens of grades using a device that can be bought from Amazon.com for $69. And other school systems, including Fairfax County, remain just as vulnerable, school officials said Tuesday. At least eight students at Winston Churchill High School are believed to have used the readily available device to obtain teachers' passwords for the school system's grading system. The school system, Maryland's largest, has determined that the grades of 54 students were improperly changed in 35 teachers' records.

"There are solutions out there, but we have to figure out which one fits best for us," said Dana Tofig, a spokesman for the Montgomery County schools. "We have to believe that our students are doing the right thing."

At a community meeting Monday night, schools Chief Technology Officer Sherwin Collette said the school system thinks students used a device that connects to the end of a keyboard's cord and then is plugged into the computer. Such devices can record everything that a teacher types without ever running any software on the computer itself. A similar gadget was the 11th-best-selling "computer security device" on Amazon.com Tuesday afternoon.

SOURCE: Washington Post

MC to translate documents into Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and French

Foreign-born Montgomery County residents will see changes in the information produced by county agencies within the next three months.

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) signed the Executive Order on Language Access, which requires county agencies to translate important documents into other languages such as Spanish, Korean, Mandarin for Chinese and French, which are the four most spoken languages in the county other than English, said Lily Qi, community liaison and language access coordinator. Databases with important county documents are being created in the four languages for the county's Web site, she said.

Qi said she is not sure when the site will be updated with the translated information.

"We needed a system of accountability, awareness and efficiency," Qi said. "We have a very long way to go, but we're on the right path."

SOURCE: Gazette

Leggett and cops spar over guns, lack of ethics

Montgomery County awarded more than $600,000 in no-bid payments to nine companies that had ties to county police officers and were part of a controversial tuition-assistance program, Montgomery's inspector general said in a report released Monday.

The government provided little oversight for the program and in many cases appeared to have responded to invoices from the companies simply by cutting checks of as much as $59,800, according to the report. The lack of controls enabled 216 county employees -- police officers, sheriff's deputies and corrections officers -- to take county-funded training classes and, at the end of the courses, purchase deeply discounted guns that one official has called the "candy" to get them to enroll in the first place.

Inspector General Thomas J. Dagley concluded that the close ties among the companies, employees and students enrolled in the classes have "and will continue to expose county taxpayer dollars to waste and abuse until more comprehensive guidelines and monitoring are put in place."

Problems in the tuition program were discovered in July by Sheriff Raymond M. Kight. Two deputies reported that they had attended a two-day firearms training class whose best feature was the deal they could get on a handgun -- $99 for a Glock valued at several times that, Kight said. For fiscal 2009, the county budgeted $775,350 but spent more than $1 million, the report said.

Blasting at Silver Spring Transit Center

Check out this video of blasting at the Silver Spring Transit Center, which will continue at least through the end of March. It's preparing the site for actual construction, which should start later this year and be completed some time in 2011. You'll have to skip to about 0:45 to see the actual blast, but it's still pretty cool. SOURCE: Just up hte pIke

Money burned on I-270

An armored truck carrying U.S. currency caught fire Friday afternoon traveling north on I-270 near Route 121. State police out of Rockville and county firefighters were called to the scene at 2:09 p.m. to help the truck’s driver and two guards, who are employed with Dunbar Armored Inc. All three men escaped without injury, according to a spokesman with the Maryland state troopers.

“We don’t know why it caught fire but it was completely engulfed in flames and we had to close 270 down for a half an hour,” said a spokesman with the state troopers. Northbound traffic was forced to use a single lane for a mile-long stretch of the highway for the next hour, until the fire was completely under control.

“Even after we put it out, we had to give the vehicle some space because whenever there is oil involved another fire can happen, but nothing like that happened this time,” said a spokesman with the state troopers. There were no explosions associated with the fire. Dunbar personnel and the U.S. Secret Service were also called to the scene, but were unavailable for comment as of Monday. No word on how much cash was being carried inside the vehicle or how it caught fire.

SOURCE: Sentinel

Md. Senate protects themselves by killing door-to-door campaigning measure

ANNAPOLIS -- The Maryland Senate slammed the door on a bill Friday that would have allowed political candidates access to private communities and apartment complexes. Sen. Alex Mooney, a Republican who represents portions of Frederick and Washington counties, introduced the measure after noticing more and more homeowners associations and condominium boards were turning away political candidates.

"Free speech is not an easy thing, but it's a basic right in our country," Mooney said.

Individual residents would still be able to deny access to their houses, but the community wouldn't be able to set a blanket prohibition on campaigning. The measure, which failed 21-26, would have allowed associations and boards to set reasonable restrictions, such as disallowing campaigning at late hours. Mooney said the proposal would have benefited first-time candidates and challengers, not incumbents like him who are already known and invited to community events and included in newspaper articles.

SOURCE: WTOP

BAE Systems will vacate Aspen Hill

The big story in Aspen Hill is that BAE Systems -- presently located at 4115 Aspen Hill Road (also known as 13900 Connecticut Avenue, it's on a huge corner lot) -- will be vacating the premises as of April 2010. Originally built as "Vitro Building #4" back in 1969 or so, this is 230,000 square feet of contiguous office space with LOTS of parking. While the rest of the former Vitro Labs properties here wre either torn down or converted -- with the former Building #1 and lot becoming Home Depot -- this one surviving building will be on the market. Vitro Labs was absorved into BAE Systems, but BAE Systems has now leased brand-new a highly secure office space in the booming Shady Grove office district.

Vitro Labs was once Montgomery County's largest civilian employer, providing jobs to over 5000 people in the mid-1980s, and the many stores in the commerical heart of Aspen Hill have relied for years on walk-in

customers on their lunch hour or doing after-work shopping on the way home. Once BAE vacates the building, unless a new long-term tenant is found, this leaves Aspen Hill as a low-wage suburban center without any real core of high-paying jobs in the neighborhood, if you exclude perhaps 30 office groups of mostly dental and optometry practices in the nerby small office buildings. See also http://www.aspenhillnet.net and the basiour listings of stores, shopping centers, nearby schools, etc. Locally developed and maintained by Thomas Harding.

SOURCE: Thomas Harding

BioMed Realty pays $14.4M for Maryland buildings

Property owner BioMed Realty Trust Inc. said Monday that it paid $14.4 million for two buildings in Montgomery County, Md. The buildings, totaling 82,400 square feet, are in Gaithersburg, Md., an area known for its high concentration of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. They are currently leased to AstraZeneca PLC subsidiary MedImmune Inc. and biopharmaceutical company GenVec Inc. The acquisition boosts BioMed's presence in Maryland to 1.2 million square feet. Shares of BioMed rose 29 cents to $15.74 in afternoon trading.

SOURCE: Business Week

Montgomery renters often priced out of homes, report says

For 14 years, Dalila Bounou and her 9-year-old daughter have rented a one-bedroom apartment in Silver Spring that Bounou describes as cramped but safe. But when her monthly rent jumped to $865 in August -- a 7 percent increase -- the payment combined with her electricity bill of up to $300 a month began to feel like too much.

"I like Montgomery, but Montgomery now is very expensive," said Bounou, 40, who works at an in-home child-care center. "Maybe only rich people can stay in this area."

It is a sentiment that Montgomery County tenants' advocates say is becoming more common in a costly housing market where rent increases often soar beyond growth in personal income, according to a report released Friday by the county's first "tenants work group," which held four public meetings and commissioned a survey of Montgomery renters conducted by Salisbury University. Montgomery Executive Isiah Leggett (D) appointed the group, made up of tenants and government officials, in 2008.

The group's report concludes that Montgomery residents living in about 95,000 apartments, townhouses and rental houses are often priced out of their homes, lose security deposits with little explanation and face eviction for no reason.

SOURCE: Washington Post

Regulators close Waterfield Bank in Germantown

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Regulators on Friday shuttered banks in Florida, Illinois, Maryland and Utah, boosting to 26 the number of bank failures in the U.S. so far this year following the 140 brought down in 2009 by mounting loan defaults and the recession.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over Sun American Bank, based in Boca Raton, Fla., with $535.7 million in assets and $443.5 million in deposits. Also seized were Bank of Illinois of Normal, Ill., with $211.7 million in assets and $198.5 million in deposits; Waterfield Bank in Germantown, Md., with $155.6 million in assets and $156.4 million in deposits; and Centennial Bank in Ogden, Utah, with $215.2 million in assets and $205.1 million in deposits.

First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co., based in Raleigh, N.C., agreed to assume the assets and deposits of Sun American Bank and to share losses with the FDIC on $433 million of the failed bank's loans and other assets. It was First-Citizens' fourth acquisition of assets of a failed bank since last July; the others were First Regional Bank of Los Angeles, Venture Bank of Lacey, Wash., and Temecula Valley Bank of Temecula, Calif.

SOURCE: YAHOO

MC County Executive Ike Legget wants more tax on alcohol

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett joined a broad coalition of Maryland citizens in Annapolis to urge a ten cents per drink increase in the tax Maryland imposes on alcohol. Maryland has not increased its tax on wine and beer since 1972 and on its tax on liquor and spirits since 1955. Maryland taxes on these beverages are the fourth lowest among the 50 states. "One dime more can help Maryland meet critical needs," said Leggett. Among those joining Leggett were Delegate Bill Bronrott (at far left) and Montgomery County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg (at far right).

Interview with Delegate Bill Frick

'Trying to influence outcomes quietly' An offbeat interview with a Maryland politician Interview by John Wagner Name Bill Frick Party Democrat Age 36 Home Bethesda Position Delegate representing District 16 in Montgomery County

Growing up, who was the sitcom character with whom you most identified? Alex P. Keaton from "Family Ties." I still identify with him, but somewhere along the line I adopted the politics of Ben 'n' Jerry.

On which television reality show would you be the most likely to excel? I loved "The Mole" on ABC. ... A freshman delegate can be effective like the Mole -- by staying under the radar and trying to influence outcomes quietly.

Check the Maryland Politics blog at 10 a.m. for the complete interview, in which Frick also reveals what kind of tree he most resembles and makes a prediction about how many of his House colleagues will wind up in the Senate after the November elections.

SOURCE: Washington Post on 3/5/10: First Click

Bruce Stern enters race against Van Hollen

BETHESDA, MARYLAND – In the race against Rep. Chris van Hollen (MD-08), a Republican candidate has officially entered the contest. Bruce Stern a lawyer specializing in family and real estate law, has filed papers with the Maryland State Board of Elections to run for Congress. Daniel "The Whig Man" Vovak has made a series of phone calls encouraging candidates to compete with Van Hollen. Yesterday he spoke with Bruce Stern, and congratulated him for filing his papers. Vovak also spoke with Gus Alzona, a Republican Committee member in District 16, who is considering entering the Republican primary. Vovak says, "It's too early to decide whom I would endorse, though I invited both candidates to a party at my home on March 25 (Maryland Day) when I am hosting the campaign launch for Meyer Marks, who is running for State Senator in District 16. Currently, Democrats have a monopoly in Montgomery County, holding every elected seat. I am doing everything I can to revive the county's Republican Party and lead them to victory." Vovak has been in consistent communication with Steve Hudson, the 2008 winner of the Republican Primary for Maryland's Eighth District. Hudson has since moved to Virginia where he practices medicine.

Montgomery County school board approves $2.26B budget

The Montgomery County school board approved a $2.26 billion operating budget for the next school year on Wednesday that allows the school system to operate with the academic programs it currently uses, but could enact deep cuts if the County Council doesn't fully fund the school system's request.

With a unanimous vote, the board approved a spending plan that is $37.2 million more than Superintendent Jerry D. Weast's original budget proposal in December. The operating budget was increased to include additional state aid that wasn't available when Weast drafted the initial budget.

The school system's proposal assumes the County Council will fund its maintenance-of-effort requirement, which mandates under state law that local governments fund their school systems at least at the previous year's level.

For the Montgomery County Council, that means allocating at least $79.5 million for the school system's budget.

SOURCE: GAZETTE

MC loses 30% of its millionaires

Millionaires are moving out of Montgomery County, and the "millionaire tax" is one reason why. In 2008, the General Assembly raised taxes for millionaires from 5.5 percent to 6.25 percent. Now, the county is losing them to states with lower taxes. Some wealthy residents who own homes in other states are establishing residency elsewhere, according to Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. This is not doing much for the county's budget troubles.

The flight of the wealthy has caused a sharp decline in taxable income. Records show Montgomery County lost more than $4 billion in taxable income for the 2007 and 2008 tax years. The number of income tax returns above $1 million for that period were down almost 30 percent. Next year's budget deficit will be more than $761 million, county officials estimate. Much of this shortfall is tied to a few residents who have either lost money in the economy, died or fled from the millionaire tax. The millionaire tax expires this year, but the General Assembly is considering an extension.

SOURCE: NBC

Montgomery County budget shortfall hits $762,000,000

Montgomery County officials are considering laying off as many as 250 employees to help fill a $762 million budget shortfall in fiscal 2011, Chief Administrative Officer Timothy Firestine said Tuesday.

The size of the shortfall has grown by $154 million from earlier this year, when the figure was put at $608 million. Part of the increase was due to the high price tag for snow removal and cleanup following the recent back-to-back blizzards — more than $25 million.

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) said Tuesday that he is weighing several options to trim the budget, but has made no final decisions on his proposed budget, which is due March 15.

"Essentially, everything is on the table," Leggett said of possible cuts.

SOURCE: Gazette

ACLU invades Montgomery County

The ACLU is at it again. This time, they are demanding an apology from a Montgomery County, Maryland, public school teacher. Behind this demand is, as always with this federally-funded outfit, the bludgeon-like threat of a huge lawsuit.

What was the teacher’s offense? Apparently, the teacher threatened a student with detention if she refused—as she repeatedly did—to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The teacher sent the student to the counselor’s office for her refusal to stand.

The ACLU immediately invoked the Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943). That case is often cited as a hallmark of American civil liberties, especially remarkable because it was handed down while the United States was engaged in a world war to defend democracy.

But the Court in 1943 said that students cannot be required to salute the flag or recite the Pledge. That was quite right.

If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us.

The Court did not say that students could not be required to stand quietly while other students recited the Pledge of Allegiance. If we stop for a moment, we can all readily agree that it would be wrong to require, for instance, the children of legal resident aliens to pledge their allegiance to our flag. In the famed 1943 case, the parents of the children who declined to take part in the flag salute and pledge were Jehovah’s Witnesses. These people had a religious conviction that led them to regard pledging allegiance to the flag as a violation of the Commandment against making graven images. We should not force these students to violate their consciences.

SOURCE: Family Research Council

MC can shorten school year

Spring break is in significantly less peril for public schools in Maryland after the State Board of Education decided Tuesday to allow schools to request waivers for the minimum number of days they must be in session this year.

A snowy winter has forced many school districts to come up with creative ways to make up for lost time, including lengthening class days and, in Frederick County, shaving two days off spring break. The state board's decision, which allows school systems to dip up to five days below the 180-day minimum school year, makes it likely that most other districts won't follow suit.

"Hopefully, we won't get any more snow," said Tanzi West Barbour, a spokeswoman for the Prince George's County schools, which has nine days to make up. A five-day waiver would extend its school year by four days.

Montgomery County schools, which had planned a 184-day school year, doesn't plan to extend its year at all -- for now.Loudoun County doesn't plan any changes either, a spokesman said.

SOURCE: Washington Post

Springbrook defeats Whitman, 69-67 in Montgomery County 4A boys basketball

Demetric Austin arrived at Springbrook this school year as a sophomore and immediately joined the starting lineup of the two-time defending Maryland 4A champions. Within a month, though, the 6-foot-6 forward had trouble finishing under the basket, and he found himself on the bench, looking for confidence.

"It got in my head," Austin said of his benching. "I went home saying to myself, 'I'm not there to be a ghost. I'm there to dominate.' "

Austin put his words into action in the Blue Devils' 69-67 home victory over Whitman on Thursday night. Austin scored a career-high 28 points, including 17 in the second half as the ninth-ranked Blue Devils erased a 17-point first-half deficit and held off a furious rally in the final 90 seconds by the Vikings, who missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

Springbrook (18-1) had already clinched the top seed in the Maryland 4A West Region tournament, and Whitman (12-6) was assured of the region's third seed. Yet that didn't temper the pace or emotion of the game.

PHOTO: Springbrook's Demetric Austin, who scored a career-high 28 points, shoots a layup over Whitman's Charlie Waugh (10). (Ricky Carioti - Washington Post)

SOURCE: Washington Post

Federal Disaster Funds Heading To Maryland

President Barack Obama has declared eight Maryland counties disaster zones, making them eligible for federal aid. The funds will go towards storm damage during the month of December.

”"I expect emergency designation for the February storms to be approved soon after Gov. O'Malley makes his request and for Maryland to be reimbursed in a timely manner." - Sen. Barbara Mikulski

Gov. Martin O'Malley issued a statement Saturday following Obama's official Disaster Declaration for Maryland's December snowstorm, which brought more than 20 inches of snow to many parts of the state: "Late yesterday, President Obama issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the December snowstorm, which allows the State and local jurisdictions to recover some of the extraordinary costs associated with that event," O'Malley said.

O'Malley also thanked Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin, Leader Steny Hoyer, and Congressmen Dutch Ruppersberger, Chris Van Hollen and Elijah Cummings for their hard work over these past several weeks to ensure recovery of funds related to both the December as well as the most recent February storms, as state and local governments continue to struggle with snow removal costs during this extreme winter season.

SOURCE: WBAL

Delegate Seeks Ban on Marriages between First Cousins

Maryland Delegate Henry Heller, D-Montgomery County, is putting his foot down and saying no more to marriages between first cousins, unless the parties involved are either over the age of 65 or one person is unable to reproduce (because then it’s ok, right? *insert side eye*).

Heller claims that when first cousins marry, they are “playing genetic roulette,” increasing the chance of birth defects in their children.

If Maryland bans first-cousin marriages, they will be the 25th state to do so. You just can’t make this stuff up. You can see the bill for yourself.

SOURCE: We Love DC

Kaiser reverses decision to end after-hours urgent-care services at facility

Kaiser Permanente has reversed a decision to stop offering its heavily used after-hours urgent-care services in Kensington after members protested, a top Kaiser executive said Thursday.

The HMO, which has nearly a half-million members in the Washington metropolitan area, sent a letter to members three weeks ago informing them that urgent care at its Kensington Medical Center would end effective Feb. 28. The after-hours services were to be relocated to Kaiser's Shady Grove facility, about 10 miles away, Kaiser said.

The Kensington office serves about 125,000 members in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Kensington and parts of the District, and offers basic health care after standard work hours, officials said. Members said they were angry about the inconvenience and lack of notice, coming two months after open enrollment had ended.

SOURCE: Washington Post

MC creek to be restored with state funds

Almost 3.4 miles of Northwest Branch creek in Montgomery County will be restored under a $5.3 million project approved by Maryland's State Highway Administration. The highway administration said that years of runoff had caused erosion and a general decline in the quality of the creek. The project, which the agency said would begin this month, is intended to reduce erosion and reconnect the stream channel to its original flood plain.

Unlike typical restoration efforts using rock to stabilize stream banks, this project will use tree trunks harvested from the Intercounty Connector right-of-way placed along the banks to restore the stream's natural character. Recycling harvested trees promotes the biological health of the stream system. Construction is anticipated to take about two years.

SOURCE: Washington Post

Storm's total cost unknown

Montgomery County officials say they do not yet know how much it cost to respond to back-to-back blizzards last week. They do know that the cleanup, which is continuing, will be expensive and comes at a time when the county can least afford it.

"You don't know how much it costs until all of the bills come in," said county spokesman Patrick Lacefield.

There is "no way to know" when that will be, he added.

Lacefield said now is not the time to focus on the cost. For one thing, the employees responsible for calculating the cost are the same ones busy overseeing the recovery effort, he said. A blizzard in December cost the county about $5.4 million.

Gazette

Rumors about Sen. Mikulski retirement are false

The Vail Spot via Instapundit

I’ve just heard from an impeccable source that Barbara Mikulski, the Democratic Senator who is up for reelection this November, will choose to retire. Mrs. Mikulski is expected to make her formal announcement in the next few days.

Mrs. Mikulski seriously fractured her right ankle last fall just prior to Edward M. Kennedy’s death. Due to the severity of the fracture, she had to have open reduction surgery, that included the insertion of pins, as well as the use of special surgical boots, during recovery. She had tried to arrive in time for Mr. Kennedy’s funeral but was turned away.

Her recovery has been exceptionally slow and she is evidently still in a great deal of pain. Reportedly, she has told her physician that she does not desire to seek reelection. Additionally, friends and family have been saying in the near future she will announce her retirement. Because of the very slow recovery, she has been forced to use a wheelchair, a walker or a cane in order to get around.

If Mikulski does retire, then who would run for her job on both sides? Does Ehrlich jump in the Senate race and leave the race for Governor on the GOP side wide open again?

UPDATE: We are also hearing that Senator Barbara Mikulski’s campaign has done polling in the past week or two.

UPDATE 2 Chris Cilizza on Twitter

Rumors that Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) is retiring are NOT TRUE, according to informed D source.

Update 3 Mike Memoli tweets that he has 2 sources saying it’s not true.

SOURCE: Charm City

Schools bargain with unions

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) is bargaining a contract with the Montgomery County Public Schools, in addition to SEIU Local 500 and the supervisors' union. This video reports bargaining progress by the union's leaders.