Monday, April 22, 2013
Julius Persensky, who served on Gaithersburg's City Council from 1980 to 1995, died Saturday, April 20.
Former Gaithersburg City Council member Julius Persensky died Saturday, April 20, the city announced. Persensky had served on the City Council from 1980 to 1995 and continued to serve the city in numerous roles after his elected service expired, Mayor Sidney A. Katz said in a statement. " 'J,' as he preferred to be called, dedicated a considerable amount of his personal life to public service. I had the honor of serving with him when he was a member of the Gaithersburg City Council ... a time period that saw much growth and innovation in Gaithersburg," Katz said. "J’s thoughtful leadership and passion for community service helped set this city on a path to greatness." Persensky worked as a member of the city's Community Advisory Committee…
Incident is fourth such occurrence since 2005.
(UPDATE April 22) The Maryland Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently announced that for the fourth time in eight years, it has taken action against Montgomery County Public Schools regarding a student’s right to decline to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance. This most recent incident involved Enidris Siurano-Rodriguez, a 10th-grade student at Damascus High School, who was protesting U.S. government policies toward Puerto Rico, which is her family's native country. According to the ACLU’s press release, Siurano-Rodriguez initially was sent to the principal’s office, where the assistant principal “improperly demanded to know why she persisted in sitting during the Pledge.” The school then contacted the student’…
Gaithersburg's Community Advisory Committee will meet with the Mayor and City Council at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will hear from the city's Community Advisory Committee for an annual update at Monday evening's work session. In its presentation—available in full on the city of Gaithersburg website—the Community Advisory Committee will touch on the following points: The full work session agenda is available on the city of Gaithersburg website.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Security scares after the Boston bombings dominate several jurisdictions and other state news you may have missed.
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Sunday, April 21
By Patch Staff Running clubs across Maryland had members who ran in the Boston Marathon, the bombing story follows a trail to Montgomery County and hoaxes send local law enforcement scrambling statewide. Read more in state news: Suspects in Boston Marathon Bombings Have Maryland Ties The investigation into the Boston Marathon bomber case turned to Maryland on Friday with media flocking to a Montgomery County neighborhood to hear the suspects' uncle say he was ashamed of what his nephews are accused of doing. Marathon Tragedy: How a Tragedy Hit Home in Maryland Monday's terror attack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon shocked the country and touched communities far from Massachusetts, including many right here in Maryland. Chevy …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, calls Maryland postal workers selfless for the risks they sometimes face in national letter threats.
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Wednesday, April 17
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, (Dist. 5) Wednesday thanked Maryland postal workers, some of whom may face increased risk in cases of dangerous substances being mailed in threats against Washington officials. Federal investigators searched a mail sorting facility in Prince George's County Tuesday night for clues to the origins of a ricin-laced letter sent to Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, according to The Washington Post. The U.S. Senate's mail sorting operation is located at 6330 Columbia Park Road in Landover. An FBI spokesperson would not divulge the location of the bureau's investigation, but several outlets published images of hazmat trucks parked outside of the Landover facility on Tuesday. Hoyer issued the following statement thanking …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
The city of Gaithersburg is recognizing the month of April as Arab American Heritage Month.
The city of Gaithersburg is recognizing the month of April as Arab American Heritage Month. Gaithersburg’s Multicultural Affairs Committee celebrated with a reception of traditional food and with displays recognizing the following Arab Americans for their caring actions and advocacy: Helen Thomas, Ralph Nader, Candy Lightner, Edward Said, Dr. Imad-ad-Deam Ahmad, and Samira Hussein. Mayor Sidney A. Katz presented a proclamation for the month-long celebration following the reception at the Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council meeting.
City Manager: Oktoberfest will remain in Kentlands, Celebrate Gaithersburg will have a new date and theme.
Gaithersburg's Oktoberfest festival will remain in Kentlands and expand, while Celebrate Gaithersburg will have a new date and theme, City Manager Tony Tomasello told the Mayor and City Council during a fiscal 2014 budget presentation Monday. Oktoberfest, held for the past 21 years in Kentlands, will expand toward Market Square and Main Street, The Gazette reported. The festival also will add another stage of music while the beer garden and Bavarian dancers will return, with some additional activities for families, city Arts and Events Division Chief Denise Kayser told The Gazette. The city considered major changes to both Oktoberfest and Celebrate Gaithersburg. In January, Kayser suggested scrapping Kentlands Oktoberfest for a summer …
Two councilmembers seek to ban tobacco alternative from public places.
Electronic cigarettes, an increasingly popular alternative to traditional tobacco products, may soon be classified as cigarettes and therefore banned in all public places and on sidewalks, according to a recent Washington Post story. District Councilmembers Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) and David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced a bill that would end the trend of “e-cigarettes” being used in restaurants, bars, Metrobuses and office buildings. Alexander, chairwoman of the District government’s health committee, described the e-cigarettes as being “used to usurp the smoking ban” and stated “we don’t know what the ill effects of this [e-cigarettes] are, and it’s still a bother to some people." Other cities and state governments are getting …
Monday, April 15, 2013
Gaithersburg police officers were stationed at City Hall for Monday's Mayor and City Council meeting.
Two Gaithersburg police officers stationed in the hallway leading to City Hall's Council Chambers during Monday evening's Mayor and City Council meeting provided a stark reminder of the bombings at the Boston Marathon earlier in the day. "Our presence at City Hall is precautionary," Officer Dan Lane, a Gaithersburg police spokesman, told Patch. "There are no known threats or concerns." There is no other increased police presence in the city but officers "are vigilant and reminded to remain aware of their surroundings and any suspicious activities that may occur," Lane said. Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz opened the meeting with a moment of silence, asking those in the audience to keep the victims of Monday afternoon's bombings in their …
The Gaithersburg Mayor and City Council will meet Monday at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Gaithersburg residents will have an opportunity to voice their opinion on the fiscal year 2014 budget and proposed property tax increase at Monday evening's mayor and City Council meeting. City Manager Tony Tomasello's propsed budget is the largest in Gaithersburg history. It does not propose an increase in Gaithersburg's property tax rate, but would be exceeding the constant tax rate set by the state. Joining Mayor Sidney Katz and the Council will be members of the District 17 delegation, who are attending the meeting to give a brief presentation on highlights of the 2013 legislative session. Sen. Jennie Forehand, Dels. Kumar Barve, Jim Gilchrist and Luiz Simmons are expected to attend. The full agenda can be viewed on the city of …
Nadia Biznis
4:47 pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Um...yeah, about Puerto Rico... a U.S. Territory... it IS therefore part of the US. There is even a very active movement there to lead it to statehood. So..."her family's native country?" Wow. Not much educating going on in our schools, eh? more ›