Armed Robbery
<bt>According to police reports:
A 20-year-old man from Potomac was sitting in his car in the 7900 block of Tuckerman Lane on Oct. 7 at 4:45 p.m. when he was approached by a suspect who showed him the butt of a gun.
The suspect — reported to be a black male, 20 to 23 years old, 5-foot-7 to 5-8 tall and 160 pounds — pulled the Potomac man out of his car, reached into his pockets and removed cash. The suspect then ran to a green Chevy Malibu, occupied by two black males, which was parked two rows behind the victim's car. The suspect was reported to be wearing a black jacket with a silver zipper, a black skull cap and black pants.
<sh>Off-Road Riding?
<bt>Ginny Barnes, a Potomac environmentalist, will represent both West Montgomery County Citizens Association and the Sierra Club's Montgomery County Group this Thursday, Oct. 17 before the Planning Board. She will present her concerns regarding the use of mountain bikes in parks, especially conservation parks.
David Scull, a representative of MORE (Maryland Off-Road Enthusiasts), will also testify before the Planning Board about the increasing popularity of off-road cycling. MORE is concerned about the design of trials for mountain bike users and access to a variety of trails within the park system, according to Planning Board documents.
This item was originally scheduled before the Board on June 5, 2002, but due to time constraints was removed from the agenda.
This fall, the Planning Board is scheduled to complete the Public Hearing Draft of the Blockhouse Point Conservation Park Master Plan. Blockhouse Point Park, located off River Road in Potomac, is one location that MORE thinks could be suitable for mountain-bike trails. However, due to fragile nature of the ecosystem, horseback riding and biking is currently prohibited in most of the park.
Planning Board staff is currently developing a planning and implementation program for natural surface trails. Later this fall, Planning staff is scheduled to also present the draft program to the Planning Board as an amendment to the Countywide Park Trials Plan. A Public hearing will be scheduled at that time to seek community input and after the hearing and Planning Board worksessions, the approved program will be included in the Countywide Park Trails Plan.
Call 301-495-4600
<sh>Potomac in Moscow
<bt>High school senior Kyle Tadken, 17, helped formulate and organize a 5K run in Moscow to honor the victims of Sept. 11.
Tadken would have been a senior this year at Wootton High School except for the fact that his father was assigned to the American Embassy in Moscow.
Kyle organized the community and volunteers to contact corporate sponsors, design a T-shirt, obtain government approval and select a site for the run.
About 100 people gathered for the run, according to the Moscow Times.
The Moscow Times interviewed Tadken for its story: "Even though we are so far away from home, [the Sept. 11 attacks] still got to us," he said. "We decided to do something that people would remember."
<sh>Illegal Dumping
<bt>The Scotland AME Zion Church on Seven Locks Road has been the site of illegal dumping twice in the last month.
In one case the dumping of debris was so extensive, it obstructed one of the entrances to the church. It took eight church members to clear the mess, said Odelia Cooper, a trustee of the church.
On another occasion, bamboo limbs were discarded behind the church and one church member made three trips to the county waste division with his personal truck.
Both incidents were reported to Montgomery County Police, who ask for help from the community in identifying the culprits.
<sh>Maritime Center
<bt>The Senate Military Construction Appropriations bill passed Conference Committee last week and is expected to be passed by both the House and Senate, according to the office of U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D).
The bill includes provisions for military installations, including $12.9 million to construct a new facility for the National Maritime Technology Information Center at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) at Carderock. The planning and design of the installation began last year using funds allocated in the FY01 Military Construction Appropriations bill.
The construction of the center will make the state of Maryland a focal point for maritime technology both nationally and internationally, according to Mikulski.
<sh>Residential Burglary
<bt>A burglary took place at a residence on the 6500 block of 79th Place, Cabin John, between 12:01 a.m. and 9:13 a.m. on Oct. 6. Burglars cut the screen on the front door, and a purse, wallet and cell phone were taken.
<sh>Get Recreation in Shape
<bt>There is a critical need to fill six vacancies on the Western Area Recreation Advisory Board, which serves Potomac, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and North Bethesda/Garrett Park.
The board advises the county executive, County Council, the Department of Recreation and the Planning Board on area recreation and park needs. The board encourages the development of desirable parks and recreational opportunities and makes recommendations to on budgets, recreation programs, services and facilities.
Members serve three-year terms without compensation and meetings are usually held the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road.
Interested residents who live in the western area of Montgomery County — Potomac, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, North Bethesda/Garrett Park— should apply by Oct. 25. Send a letter and brief resume, including work and home phone numbers, to County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St., Rockville, Md. 20850.
<sh>Access General Plan
<bt>Versions of Montgomery County's General Plan as well as current master plans and sector plans are available to be downloaded at http://www.mc-mncppc.org, the Montgomery County Park and Planning web site.
Montgomery County's General Plan, "On Wedges and Corridors," was recognized as a national model in land use planning when it was adopted in 1964.
The General Plan lays broad goals and objectives for planning in Montgomery County, which are implemented through area-specific master plans and sector plans.
The 2001 Potomac Master Plan was approved by the County Council and Park and Planning Commission. This fall, Council is expected to approved the sector plan that accompanies the Master Plan.
Call 301-495-4600.
<sh>Sentencing Hearing
<bt>The sentencing hearing for Elsa Newman, originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11, 2002, has been rescheduled for Dec. 18, at 9 a.m.
Newman, 49, of Bethesda, was convicted on Aug. 6, 2002, by a Montgomery County Circuit Court jury on one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, one count of attempted first degree murder, one count of first degree assault, one count of first degree burglary and one count of use of a handgun in a felony or crime of violence. The conviction was reached after a seven-day trial before Circuit Court judge Nelson W. Rupp Jr.
Newman faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, according to the office of the state's attorney for Montgomery County.
<sh>Deer Hunt
<bt>Park and Planning authorized a managed deer hunt at Blockhouse Point Conservation Park in Potomac from Monday to Friday, Dec. 9-13. Managed hunting was approved to help protect the park's natural ecosystem and to reduce deer impacts.
Hunting activities will be monitored by Park Police and wildlife staff, according to Park and Planning. Participants will be required to pass a state shooting proficiency test. Safety provisions will include the establishment of safety boundaries surrounding all homes and roadways.
Residents around Blockhouse Point Park will be notified of the deer hunt by mail, and signs will be posted throughout the park. The Park will be closed to the public until 1 p.m. daily on the scheduled days of operation in December.
Addition information about the County's Deer Management Program is available at www.mc-mncppc.org/environment/deer, the Park and Planning web site, or by calling 301-949-4149.
<sh>Itching for Vendors
<bt>Vendors are wanted for the Potomac Community Center Indoor Flea Market and Community Yard Sale, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The flea market will take place at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road. Booths are available to vendors for $25 and tables for $5. To register, call Linda Barlock at 301-983-4471.
<sh>Sept. 11 Memorial
<bt>The design of Montgomery County’s memorial to the events of Sept. 11 will be selected from a public competition.
Both individuals or groups of artists and landscape architects are invited to submit designs for the memorial that should include recognition of the 11 Montgomery County residents who lost their lives during the attacks. The memorial will be located in Courthouse Square Park in the heart of Rockville on a site donated by the City of Rockville.
Submissions must be postmarked by Oct. 21 and semi-finalists will be notified in early November. Proposals will be due in January 2003, and the finalists will be notified in February.
The memorial will be dedicated on Sept. 11, 2003. Call public art consultant Francoise Yohalem at 301-816-0518; fax to 301-816-0343; email to francyo@earthlink.net; or visit www.mcrd.net and click on “Call to Artists.”