Supreme Court to Hear River Dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court will review the findings of the “Special Master” appointed to mediate a dispute about the disposition the Potomac River.
Maryland owns the river “from shore to shore” as part of a treaty granted to Lord Baltimore by King Charles I in colonial times. While the Special Master, an attorney from Maine, agreed that Maryland owns the river, he also stated that Virginia is free to draw water from it.
Maryland argued that it has a right to control the amount of water drawn from the river, and how that water is accessed.
“Certainly, this is a great boost to those of us who want to protect the river,” said Del. Jean Cryor (R-15).
It is feared that by allowing Virginia unfettered access to river water, the flow may drop below levels considered optimum for the river’s health. “It is more than a question about water, it is a question about protecting the nation’s river,” Cryor said.
A court spokesperson indicated that the Supreme Court will not hear the case until its next session, which begins in the fall.
Clipper Removed from Canal
The Canal Clipper, the mule-drawn canal boat that provides visitors tours in Great Falls, Md., will not operate in 2003. The National Park Service removed the boat from operation for safety reasons after a marine survey conducted on the Canal Clipper revealed irreparable deterioration of wire mesh in the boat’s hull. The Canal Clipper had been in service for 30 years.
Boat rides with park rangers in period clothing will remain available at the canal in Georgetown. For information about the canal boats, call the Georgetown Visitors Center at 202-653-5190.
Correction
The Sports Briefs section in the April 23 Potomac Almanac incorrectly named the Capital Open at Avenel, the new name for the golf tournament that was previously the Kemper Open. Call 301-469-3737; tickets are available through Ticketmaster outlets by calling 202-432-SEAT.
Keep Inspector General, Some Say
County Council members Phil Andrews (D-3) and Tom Perez (D-5) were joined by representatives from six organizations and former County Executive Neal Potter to call for the retention of the county’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
County Chief Administrative Officer Bruce Roemer has called for eliminating the OIG and opening a new office of an “Accountability Office” in his own department as a cost savings measure.
If Roemer’s proposal is implemented the county will save just over $300,000. The total county budget is over $3 billion.
The OIG is independent of other county government agencies and works to stop fiscal abuse. “We have one office whose sole mission is to ferret out waste,” Andrews said.
The office has saved the county from abuses in the department of liquor control, fleet management services and pension investments, according to Andrews. “We get a very big bang for the buck,” Perez said.
Diverse groups such as the NAACP, the Montgomery County Taxpayers League, Common Cause/Maryland, Montgomery County Civic Federation, NOW and Neighbors for a Better Montgomery came to speak in favor of the OIG. “This position is all about open and accountable government,” said Margaret Greene of Common Cause.
The County Council must vote to approve the change in order for it to take place.
Police Evacuate
On April 28 at approximately 9:30 a.m., the Montgomery County Police headquarters in Rockville was evacuated.
A department employee was opening a letter addressed to “The Montgomery County Police Department - Chief” and discovered a white, powdery substance.
The building was evacuated for approximately two and one-half hours while the county Hazardous Incident Response Team responded and tested the substance. Field tests gave a negative result for hazardous substances. The substance will be tested further.
Sending such a letter is suund, sending such a letter is a felony subject to up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call 301-279-1602.
Residential Burglaries
* On April 11 at 3 p.m., a home on the 11100 block of Powder Horn Drive in Potomac was broken into. The garage door was broken out. Nothing was taken.
* On April 10 at 5:36 a.m. a house on the 11500 block of Kimbark Court in North Potomac was broken into. The knob on the garage door was turned. A purse, wallet, cell phone, and cash were taken.
Commercial Burglary
Between 5 p.m. on April 21 and 5:45 a.m. on April 22, Hitt Contracting’s construction site at Holton Arms School was burglarized. Padlocks were cut and an ATV vehicle and different tools were taken.
Armed Robberies
* On April 22 at 10:15 p.m. a 15 year old Bethesda girl was waiting for her mother in the 4400 block of Willard Ave. She was approached by two men who grabbed her purse. She threw the purse and a shopping bag at them. Both suspects then displayed long, thin knives before taking the purse and some other items and fleeing.
* On April 21 at 2:25 p.m. the Staples on Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda was robbed. A suspect was observed carrying an item out the door. He was recognized by an employee as a chronic shoplifter who followed him to the parking lot. Another suspect pulled a knife and threatened the victim who then backed off. The vehicle was last seen turning on Bradley Boulevard toward Potomac.
Vendors Wanted
The Potomac Community Center indoor flea market and community yard sale is seeking more vendors.
The sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 31, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with set up at 7:30 a.m. at the community center.
The booth size is 8 feet square in the community center gymnasium and social hall. Cost: $25 per space, 6 foot folding table rental $5. Call 301-983-4471.
Stolen Nuclear Gauge
Montgomery County Police and the Maryland Department of the Environment are investigating the theft of a moisture density gauge. The gauge was stolen from a construction site at 7303 River Road in Bethesda on April 21.
The device contains small amounts of radioactive material and is used to measure moisture in soils and other aggregates. The gauge is a CPN International model MC1DR and is not a threat to public health as long as it remains locked in the shielded position in the device.
The gauge was stored in a case measuring 17 inches by 30 inches by 14 inches and weighs about 40 pounds. It is labeled “Caution Radioactive Material.” Call 301-657-0112.