Iran Urged to Release Potomac Woman
On Thursday, May 24, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution urging Iran to release Dr. Haleh Esfandiari, a Potomac resident.
"Dr. Esfandiari is a 67-year-old grandmother who is a victim of Iran's policy of harrassment," said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md) in a statement. "She belongs back with her family and Maryland and I urge the Iranians to release her now."
Dr. Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center was visiting her mother in Iran in December, 2006 when she was detained by the Iranian government. She was held without charge before being placed in Evin Prison on May 8, and on May 21 she was charged with trying to topple the Iranian regime, according to Cardin.
The resolution was introduced by Cardin and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md) and was co-sponsored by Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and Gordon Smith (R-OR). U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md-8) introduced a similar resolution in the House of Representatives last week.
County Council Approves Budget
On Thursday, May 24 the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a $4.1 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year 2008, which begins July 1. The alloted amount is an increase of $277 million (7.1 percent) from the 2007 approved budget.
A property tax credit included as part of the budget will result in about 80 percent of County homeowners paying less in County property taxes this year than they paid last year.
The budget includes no new taxes. It does include a $613 property tax credit for the County’s 243,000 owner-occupied principal residences, a program which the Council originated in 1998.
The property tax credit household is $392 more than last year’s $221 credit. The credit means that County property taxes on owner-occupied principal residences assessed in FY08 for up to $475,200—80 percent of the total number of such residences—will be lower in the next fiscal year than they were in the current year.
“This is the first budget for a new Council and a new County Executive. It is a challenging time for local governments and Montgomery County is no exception,” said Council President Marilyn Praisner in a statement. “Our revenues are not growing at their previous pace and the State continues to have unresolved fiscal issues. We received a very good budget from the County Executive. The Council agrees that it is time to focus on basic services such as education, public safety and human services for those at risk. The Council’s budget does just that while also improving services in public transportation, the environment and existing infrastructure. And we accomplished this while providing very significant tax relief to our homeowners.”
County Schools Get Budget
The Montgomery County Council unanimously approved a $1.985 billion Fiscal Year 2008 operating budget for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Thursday.
The County Council approved 99.7 percent of the Board of Education’s budget request, providing an increase of $133 million (7.2 percent) over the FY 2007 budget. The FY 2008 budget funds a new salary agreement with the three employee associations. It also includes numerous targeted investments to continue efforts to reform and improve middle schools, strengthen special education, improve high schools, add more counselors and elementary assistant principals, expand the Poolesville High School whole-school magnet program, and increase foreign language translation services.
The FY 2008 budget includes a $2.5 million investment in middle school reform—the first installment of a three-year, $10 million plan. Five schools will be included in the first phase of middle school reform, which focuses on enhancing staff skills, providing an accelerated curriculum with an emphasis on math and reading skills, and improving the leadership structure of middle school. The budget also includes $1.2 million for 16.5 new middle school counselors.
Feldman To Head Montgomery Delegation
At it's annual organizational meeting on May 17, The Montgomery County House Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly unanimously elected Brian J. Feldman (D-15) as its Chairman. Delegate Susan C. Lee (D-16) re-elected as Vice Chairman.
Feldman, who is in his second term in the House of Delegates, is a leading proponent of the biotech industry and has said that he wants Montgomery County to become a hotbed of biotech industry for the U.S. He chairs the House Subcommittee on Banking, Economic Development, Science & Technology and is the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Technology Oversight.
CAN 5K Approaches
For the seventh straight year, the Cure Autism Now 5K will bring runners, walkers and volunteers to Potomac Village on the Fourth of July. Proceeds benefit Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks, formerly separate nonprofits that have merged to fund autism research and find a cure. Potomac’s Susan Pereles, the founder of the Can 5K, hopes to raise more than $200,000 with this year’s race, which will raise the event’s seven-year total to more than $1 million. Register now for the CAN 5K by visiting www.canrun.org.
The Right Dog for You
Getting a new dog can be a lot to think about. Puppy or adult? What breed or breed mix? Where to find your dog? How to evaluate your potential dog? If you’re thinking about getting a dog or puppy, dog trainer Jennifer Lund can help you make an informed choice, so that life with your dog is an enriching experience, rather than a heartbreaking one.
Come figure out the best choice for you and your family at a free workshop, “The Right Dog for You” on Sunday, June 10 at 4:00pm at the Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Rd. The event is free, but register at www.yourdogsfriend.info or 301-983-5913. Sponsored by Your Dog’s Friend and the Montgomery County Humane Society. Your Dog’s Friend is a non-profit whose goal is to keep dogs out of shelters by educating and supporting dog owners.
Volunteer Trail Ranger Program
In anticipation of National Trails Day on June 2, the Montgomery Department of Parks announced a new volunteer trail ranger program for sections of the county's 100-plus miles of natural surface trail.
Volunteer trail rangers will help keep the trails safe and clean by performing light trail maintenance on designated sections and inspecting and reporting problems back to the Department of Parks every three months and after big storms. The initial program sites are at Wheaton Regional Park, Northwest Branch, Blockhouse Point, Rachel Carson Conservation Park, and Hoyles Mill Trail, a connector trail between Black Hill Regional Park and South Germantown Recreational Park.
"We're teeing up motivated volunteers to be our eyes and ears on the trails and report back problems through an official inspection process," said Ben Sugar, Department of Parks Volunteer Trail Coordinator in a statement. "The kinds of people we're expecting to attract with this program are those who already care about the trails because they're out there enjoying them and have a vested interest in seeing them maintained to a high standard."
The two training dates for the program will be Saturday, June 2 and Saturday, June 16. In each session trainees will learn about basic trail standards, how to spot and report significant trail problems, and how to handle simple maintenance issues such as encroaching vegetation.
Potential volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and be available between 3-8 hours every three months for at least one year and be able to work without direct supervision.
For more information on the program and other volunteer opportunities in county parks visit www.parksvolunteer.org.
Democratic Picnic
The District 15 Democratic Caucus and Club is hosting its annual picnic on Saturday, June 16 at the home of Liza and Neal Durant in Potomac. Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and more will be served, and new members and their families are welcome. The price is $10 per person and $15 per family and is free to Caucus/Club members and their families who have paid their 2007 dues. To RSVP, and for directions, email durant8@verizon.net.
Speed Cameras Now Issuing Tickets
Montgomery County Police announced that their Safe Speed Program kicked into full gear on Wednesday, May 2. The automated speed enforcement program uses stationary speed cameras and mobile speed enforcement vehicles to enforce speed limits in residential areas and school zones with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. Previously, violators had been issued warnings, but those warnings will now be citations, said Lucille Bauer, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Police.
In the Rockville/Potomac area, cameras are located on Dufief Mill Road, Bells Mill Road, Quince Orchard Road, Stone Ridge View Drive, Glen Mill Road, and Travilah Road. For a complete list of locations and for more information about the Safe Speed program, visit the Montgomery County Police Department Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police and click on the "Safe Speed" icon on the front page.
Wanted: Volunteers at Lockhouse 8
The Potomac Conservancy is looking for river history buffs to help maintain and staff the River Center at historic Lockhouse 8 on the C&O Canal. This year, the River Center will feature a new exhibit, Backyard to the Bay, which will educate visitors about the Potomac River, its connection to the Chesapeake Bay, and what they can do in their own backyards to protect these resources. The full docent description is available at www.potomac.org/join/volunteer.html. Volunteers who wish to help staff the River Center should contact Judy Welles at weles@potomac.org.
Volunteer at a Local Park
Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission seeks volunteers at local parks in the area. For a full listing of all the opportunities available, contact Jayne Hench at 301-495-2504 or e-mail jayne.hench@mncppc-mc.org.
Critical Blood Shortage
The National Institute of Health Blood Bank has announced an urgent need for type O blood donors. Both local and regional inventories of this blood type are dangerously low. If you are a donor with blood type O, donate today by visiting the NIH Blood Bank located on the first floor of the Clinical Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda. Hours of operation are from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Call for an appointment or directions at 301-496-1048. Convenient, free parking is available for blood donors.
If you have not donated blood before and are not sure if you are eligible, visit www.cc.nih.gov/dtm/html/donrinfo.htm to learn more about being a donor at NIH.
Info on Nursing Homes Available Online
An updated and redesigned resource to help Marylanders select a nursing home is now available on the Web. The “Maryland Nursing Home Guide” includes information on more than 200 comprehensive care nursing facilities and 34 continuing care retirement communities. Among the types of information available are quality of care assessments and results of recent inspection visits. The guide, developed by the Maryland Health Care Commission, is located by clicking on ‘Consumers’ on the commission’s Web site at www.mhcc.maryland.gov.