ThayerAvenue.com

Yes, I put out a call for people to attend the March 8 County Council hearing. And yes, I did not make it to the meeting. And even when life catches up and everyone is busy, I’m not going to make any excuses. My fault – period. Evidently, the council hearing did not go as the anti-bridge contingent would have planned, and reports indicate seven of eight people who actually testified were pro bridge. *facepalm*

That’s annoying. And then, of course, George Leventhal calls me out on Twitter (and Facebook, for that matter):

@ThayerAvenue Dude (may I call you Dude?) you posted on your blog urging people to show up tonite but you didn’t show up yourself!

Thanks, George. Yer a real peach. And congratulations on last year’s fourth place finish in the at-large race. At least you beat Duchy.

He asks, “How are elected officials supposed to know what the public thinks if the public doesn’t show up at public hearings?” Well, George, look at your Facebook page. And the plethora of people who posted on Councilmember Riemer’s Facebook post concerning the matter. Isn’t that why you stay engaged with social media? To communicate with people and hear what they think? Of course, approval for the bridge is far from over. In the meantime:

Step 1: Signs
These will be finished and mounted tomorrow.

Step 2: Show up for shit.
Seems simple enough, right?

Step 3: Hound the Council
According to Councilmember Leventhal, there is a committee discussion on Thursday. I have no idea what that entails and if it’s even open to the public, but I plan on finding out. And if I have to stand on the corner of Maryland Avenue and E. Jefferson Street in downtown Rockville with the aforementioned signs, I will.

Step 4: Wait for the budget discussions
This is really what is comes down to – funding priorities. Let’s face it: Times are tough. Funding for public safety is going to get cut, which means police and fire departments have less. Education funding is going to get cut, which means fewer resources for teachers and students. And we’re still going to approve the bridge? Somehow, I get the feeling that the council members know the bridge will get axed anyway because of budget constraints. If someone tells me this will die in budget discussions, I’ll be happy. But I won’t trust it until I see it.

Okay – so there it is. After constantly attending the most mundane of (ESSCA) meetings in my own neighborhood, I miss this one. So be it. I’ll try not to let it happen again.

And neither should you.

Oh – maybe you can’t read the signs. Because somebody stole them.

First, let’s put aside the fact that our venerable WaPo decided to write about this six weeks after I did (more gripes about the Post in a moment). But to be fair, there’s some juicy stuff in this story. Let’s look at two items in particular:

I think someone pointed the finger at me
All of you who read this blog know the love/hate relationship I have with the East Silver Spring Civic Association. Mostly hate. Or disdain, perhaps. Reading along in the Washington Post story, I came across this:

One victim suspected a man who has posted critical comments about the neighborhood civic association on a local Internet mailing list. (He did not respond to e-mails seeking comment.)

Whoa. Are they talking about me? Can’t be. And anyway, I never got repeated requests for comment, so WaPo is either lying or talking about someone else.

Best Accusation Yet
By far, the best little bit of anonymous guessing in the story was this:

Another neighbor said his “deep, dark suspicion” is that the sign bandit is Bob Colvin, president of the East Silver Spring Civic Association, who is known to take walks late at night.

YES! Bob Colvin, the president of our very own Banana Republic, just got fingered as the sign vigilante. Classic. Of course, we all know he wouldn’t do something like that, and he says as much in the story. But the fact that someone said that it could be him – well, they deserve something. Perhaps my ESSCA membership card. Or a place on the board.

Speaking of ESSCA…

It’s that time of year again. Time to clear off your third Monday of the month for the next 9 months or so. ESSCA gets back into gear (supposedly) on Monday, September 20, with the first meeting of the 2010-2011 season. I’m going to start bringing a snare and cymbal so I can follow up my own snide remarks with rim shots. Be sure to follow @essca for all the live, twittery goodness.

Now back to the Washington Post

Let this “final” news item be another, gentle reminder that the 3rd Annual Silver Spring Zombie Walk is set for October 23. See the web site or Facebook group page for details.

Many of you may have seen a story about the University of Baltimore offering a zombie-centric English class this year. The story made the rounds of national papers (via AP), but what was interesting was the timeline of geographic publication. The story started, appropriately enough, in the Baltimore Sun. Then it went all the way out west and got picked up by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Only then, three days after that, did it actually get picked up by the Washington Post. (Thanks to all who sent the links, by the way.) Scheduling conflict? Lack of interest? Slow to pick up on popular culture right here in the backyard? It was just disappointing to see WaPo be the last in line for what is almost a local story accompanied by a great local angle with the Silver Spring Zombie Walk. That’s all’s I’m sayin’.

One last serious comment:

Go vote in the primaries today. Now. Really.

Bonus:

Nando’s Peri Peri opens tomorrow (September 15).

Janis Joplin once said, “If you ever need a drink, it’s on Sunday, man.” Councilmember Mike Knapp (D-Germantown) seems to agree, with a new proposal that would open the MoCo Liquor Stores on Sunday. Tired of me bitching about parking meters? Then maybe this can get your revenue on.

According to The Examiner, Knapp says the county could raise an additional $1.5-2 million a year. Sure it’s a drop in the bucket, but every bit counts. Plus, hey – booze on Sunday. Not that I’m saucing it up so much, but there have been several occasions when I get a hankering for a martini on the deck Sunday afternoon and I’m fresh out of Hendrick’s. Of course, the effort has its detractors:

The Rev. Wade Martin, senior pastor at Montgomery United Methodist Church, said Sundays are meant to be days focused on one’s faith and families, not for drinking.

“Alcohol can take us away from the intent of what Sundays are all about,” Wade said.

I understand and appreciate the sentiment, but if you want to focus on one’s faith and family, there’s a simple answer: Don’t go to the liquor store on Sunday. Plus it’s a bit of a narrow-minded statement considering the large Jewish population in the area. I have fallen off my Episcopal roots and subsequent training to stock up on Saturday. This is indeed the answer.

I’m hoping that this may lead to other bans being lifted. Something like, say, beer and wine in the grocery stores? Direct wine shipments to the state of Maryland? I’m keeping my fingers crossed but not holding my breath.

Cheers!

In yesterday’s mail, I received a letter addressed to me (or “Current Resident”) with no return address and a red rubber stamp imprint that said “Important Tax Information Enclosed” where the return address should have been.  Of course I opened it. This is what I found:

The basic gist is asking people to support the addition of “a size restriction to the TMX zoned properties.” For all intents and purposes, it’s an anti-Wal-Mart bill solicitation. Take what you will from the photo, because I won’t repeat the text here. They don’t deserve it.

My beef is this: I have no idea who sent this. Did anyone else get this? I want to know who these people are and how I got on this list. If they identified themselves and their agenda, I might be more than happy to get behind their cause. The fact that they didn’t fess up makes me think I might have to fight them.

Step forward and claim responsibility or I will be forced to use this bully pulpit to destroy you. That is all.

Ed. note: Those are clumps of cars at the top of the letter, but now that I look at the image in the actual post, it looks more like women with rollers in their hair.

UPDATE: I got a postcard in the mail today with the same messaging. The return address simply says “Germantown Residents for Smart Growth.” Sorry, but don’t these big box stores belong in farther out suburbs? Places like, well, I dunno, GERMANTOWN? Discuss.

Short answer: NO.

My friendly neighborhood East Siver Spring Community Association (ESSCA) listserv had en email announcing next month’s meeting for March 16. Evidently, Preservation Maryland has been invited to speak about the “pros, cons and process for being designated an historic district.”

My initial reaction: You’ve got to be frakking kidding me, right?

Read on, and the email says, “This is one of several ideas we would like to explore in order [to] be  proactive in protecting our homes from future attempts to rezone or tear them down.”

My next reaction: Over my dead body.

I’ve heard some pretty stupid ideas in the neighborhood, but this one is one of the best in recent memory. No way am I going to be accountable to some neighborhood board before I add on to my house, tear down a tree, or put up a basketball goal in my driveway. It seems that the people who want this sort of action fear change more than the radiation they claim comes from the downtown WiFi signal. And yes, that *has* been mentioned on the listserv in the past. I understand their sentiment, but there is no way I’m going to let this happen.

It reminds me of a great X-Files episode called “Arcadia,” where Mulder and Scully move into a community where the rules include:

• No front lawn decorations
• No one to be outside after 6:00pm
• No pets that weigh more than 16 lbs.
• No basketball hoops

The penalty? Death. My first reaction (and Mulder’s)? Install a basketball hoop.

I’ve found out that in order to run for office in ESSCA, you have to live in the area, attend at least half the meetings over the past year, and paid your dues. Right now I’m one for three. But elections are in May, and you can be damned sure that in May 2010, I’m going to push for a slate of candidates that represent the REAL East Silver Spring – not a bunch of preservationsists that speak as the vocal minority in this community. And I know I have a LOT of people in the neighborhood on my side.

Get ready to step aside, old-timers. You’re in for one helluva ride. And in the meantime, I’m going to come to as many meetings as possible and make for some entertaining dialogue.

Did I hear that number correctly on the radio yesterday? I know times are tough and cuts need to be made, but I’m going to quote a fictional character with an overture that I couldn’t agree with more:

Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don’t need little changes. We need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That’s my position. I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet.

I’d be willing to drive on crappy roads and take a hit or two on economic development offers to pull some of this money back. I hope it gets back in when all is said and done and our current economic crisis is subsiding. And I hope and pray Nancy Navarro wins the District 4 seat on the Council.

In other news…

The Murray Horowitz Era is Over
Reports are out that Murray, one my my favorite locals, was let go as COO of AFI Silver Theatre late last week. My wife was one of his biggest fans. I hope that when we finally get TATV (Thayer Avenue Television) on Public Access, Murray will still be able to join us for one of our highly-anticipated programs, “Mondays with Murray.”

I still haven’t heard details of what happened and where he’s going, so please send them along if you have them.

Dangerous Steps Ahead
I know the ICE enforcements announced by our boneheaded venerable County Executive are much less than in some nearby counties, but I think it’s a bad idea and sends the wrong message for where the county should position itself in terms of immigration reform.

Question: When was the last time you looked at a map of Maryland’s 4th Congressional District? After some recent posts where I lamented the downfall of bipartisanship that cost Al Wynn his seat (not that I was a huge fan of his), I realized that I didn’t know what the district boundaries looked like. All I knew was that I liked Chris Van Hollen in my old district.

This was a surprise. I knew the district extended down into Prince George’s County, but I had no idea it had been gerrymandered so badly. That’s an awful lot of ground to cover when you could really use more federal funds for crime prevention and gang control.

Anyway, that’s my election day fodder for all you taking the time to read. Now get out there and vote. And don’t forget – Democrats vote today, Republicans vote tomorrow.

Here’s to cautious optimism…

Them Slots-Wantin’, Sarah Palin-Lovin’ Lees
I’ll speak specifically of Blair this time – the CEO of Lee Development Group. Silver Spring, Singular had a reference in a recent post about an article by Blair Lee in the Gazette (pronounced ‘guh-ZET-tee’) last month espousing the greatness of Sarah Palin – which I’m disappointed I missed the first time around. I encourage you to read it, but here are some great excerpts:

“As a governor [the media said] Palin lacks foreign relations experience (a question never raised of Governors Carter, Clinton and Reagan)… .” Really? No one ever raised that? That’s difficult to believe. And this one: “You aren’t a woman unless you belong to NARAL and listen to NPR while driving your Volvo to your personal trainer appointment.” Classic. And I thought *I* went too far with the hyperbole sometimes. Of course, he’s interpreting (the Democratically-controlled) media comments, but that’s fine.

Now we have a new column from Mr. Lee about the Maryland slot machine referendum in this week’s edition of the Gazette. It starts like this: “On Nov. 4, more than a million Marylanders will wait in line to cast their meaningless votes for president.”

First of all, screw you. My vote counts as much as the next one. As does yours. Yes, Maryland will be blue. Deal with it. Maybe you and your neocon patsies across the country will stay home on election day and make it a landslide. Second, everybody should go to the polls if for no other reason than to VOTE NO ON THE SLOTS REFERENDUM. A good column from Allan Lichtman about the rationale of a “no” vote is on the Gazette Web site as well.

And with that, I’ll end the political diatribe for the time being.

Zombie Walk: 18 Days and Counting
That’s some transition, isn’t it? Things have been busy lately with the bathroom remodeling (check out the transformation!) and relatives in town, but I’m hoping to have the informational Web site up soon with plans, directions, maps, and tips on making yourself one with the undead.

Our Silver Spring Zombie Walk Facebook Group currently has 83 members (woohoo!), so sign up for updates if you haven’t already.

Buy Local Silver Spring
There’s an initiative afoot to get communities to put more dollars back into businesses that are locally owned and operated. The fledgeling Web site for the project is up and running at www.buylocalsilverspring.com, and there will be more information coming in the next few months. In times like these (which is a phrase that I hated almost as much as “now more than ever” in the post-September 11 days), we need to make sure we support our neighbors around us.

I’ve gotten a lot of flak for backing the proposed Harris Teeter at Falkland Chase, and perhaps I should clarify some things.

I used to live down in Crystal City, and Harris Teeter was the bomb. Moving to Silver Spring several years ago left me with supermarket options that were sorely lacking in good produce, manageable check-out aisles, clean floors, and a friendly staff. I’m not counting Whole Foods in this equation because A) it’s more expensive, and 2) I can’t buy normal toilet paper, Kraft Singles, and Diet Coke there. Sure, Giant and Safeway have produce, but nine times out of ten it goes bad within a day or two of purchase. The Giant up in Wheaton is passable, but we’ve taken to larger grocery trips up to the Giant in Rockville at Randolph and 355. They have a great gourmet foods aisle, good organic produce, and a wide selection of ethnic foods – all at prices more affordable than Whole Paycheck. I’d still shop with the hippies (especially since they reinstated my much beloved cinnamon-cardamom olives at the olive bar – w00t!), but we need an alternative better than the current options.

Ultimately, I don’t want to drive up to Rockville for groceries. If the corporate stooges at Safeway could see it in their hearts to rehab the Thayer store into something new and exciting, I’d be happy without the Harris Teeter at Falkland Chase. Or redo the Giant by the Blairs to incorporate a better selection of the aforementioned food items and – for the love of God – increase the staff to open more registers so the lines don’t run halfway down the aisles.

But that brings us back to (a Harris Teeter-less) Falkland Chase. Eddie Izzard had a good bit (mentioned here before) about history in the United States. He was watching a show about a hotel in Miami where they said, “We’ve restored this hotel to the way it looked over 50 years ago.” No! Say it isn’t so! 50 years? You can’t do that!

Teet or no, I support more dense development at Falkland Chase. I want it to include a good percentage of MPDUs (the *real* and permanent kind – not a temporary fix to satiate the powers that be only to be turned into something else on down the road). And I don’t think Falkland Chase deserves to be saved in its entirity. Don’t want to give up 9 of the 23 acres? Fine. Give them 7. And add some good ground floor retail. Whatever.

I appreciate the efforts of some to save things in the community that deserve to be saved. Moving Tastee Diner was good. Trying to save the Golden House because it used to be a Little Tavern was insane. The bungalows on the 900 block of Thayer were nice, but they were out of place in the development. Still a shame I couldn’t ransack the property for parts, though (most of which had probably been urinated on by that point).

Between the preservationists and the progressives, I think we can find a happy medium – don’t you?

Tonight we have the final primaries in the race for the Democratic nominee for president. Last up: South Dakota and Montana.

<ul> <li><a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/primaries/”>2008 presidential primary and caucus results</a></li> <li><a href=”http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/delegates/d/”>Democratic super delegates pledged to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama</a></li> <li><a href=”http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/delegates/r/”>Republican delegates</a></li> </ul> <p>
It’s been great having these on Tuesdays, as it (happily) coincides with Tuesday night Martini Night at Olazzo. I had to miss the last one (or two) due to other commitments, but I plan on being there tonight. I encourage you to go, if you’ve never been.