Appearing at the Literary Luncheon Series

When I got married 35 years ago, I never imagined that my husband, David Stewart, and I would appear together to discuss our lives as an author, an elected official and a couple. But that’s just what we're going to do at the Friends of the Library's Literary Luncheon Series on November 19 at the Mansion at Strathmore.

David, a constitutional lawyer turned author, has published two books and is working on a third. The Summer of 1787 traces the struggle at the Philadelphia Convention to create the world's first constitutional democracy, while Impeached explores the fiery story of the first presidential impeachment in 1868. What's he working on now? Come to the lecture to find out.

David says of our life together, “It probably helps that we fell in love long before she became a politician and I started writing books.” Maybe he's right, but I like to think our demanding careers give us some really interesting things to talk about at the dinner table. To register for the lecture, luncheon and book signing, visit the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County.

How to Keep Seniors Safe

Seniors already have enough to worry about. Health, finances, and grandchildren are just a few. Our seniors shouldn’t have to worry about being the victim of a scam. Recently, the Montgomery County Police documented a number of scams targeting seniors. These types of crimes against seniors occur more often in elevators of buildings housing medical offices and grocery stores, but can happen anywhere and do not discriminate on whether the victim is male or female.

Usually, but not always, scammers will work with an accomplice to distract the victim by asking for help, or physically bumping into the victim while the other pickpockets the victim’s wallet or purse. In grocery stores, the victims are predominately female, but the scam works the same way. For instance, someone posing as a shopper may ask you to help read a label because they are allergic to peanuts. While you’re distracted by reading the label, the scammer has swiped your wallet or even the whole purse. Fortunately, there are precautions you can take to keep you and your family safe:

Men should carry wallets inside a coat or in a front pocket, not the back pocket. Wrapping a couple heavy rubber bands around it will make it more difficult for a pickpocket to extract.

Watch out for jostling and physical and/or verbal distractions that may be staged.

If you’re aware that you’ve been targeted, don’t be afraid to yell out or call for help!

Women shouldn’t leave their purses in a shopping cart. Always carry your purse with you and make sure it is buckled or clasped.

Set up fraud protection with your credit card companies so they can alert you of suspicious usage if a theft occurs.

Make copies of both sides of your cards and keep them in a safe place at home so you have the information available if they are stolen.

If you are a victim of a scam, call 911 immediately!

What’s the Story with the Lights?

Unbelievable. I’ve scheduled a committee meeting on the morning (9:30) of December 6 to look at the causes, impacts and lessons learned regarding last week’s failure of the central computer responsible for the timing of more than 700 traffic signals. Very few of us avoided the frustration of being stuck in the mess created by off-peak signal timing.

The Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee wants to know how a new $35 million upgrade will affect reliability in the future. Can we accelerate the project, and in this economy, how can we pay for the quicker pace of implementation? We’ll also look into whether the County’s response, including the free Ride On bus service and the frequency of public updates, was adequate to the problem.
Join us for the briefing.

Volunteering at the Ear

Have you heard about the Metropolitan Washington Ear? I recently volunteered to read aloud for the non-profit’s dial-in service that enables visually and physically disabled individuals to “read” (hear) the morning paper.

The Ear’s free services strive to substitute hearing for seeing, improving the lives of people with limited or no vision by allowing them to be well-informed, fully productive members of their families, their communities and the working world. In addition to the dial-in service, the organization offers radio reading and web-cast, audio description, tactile large print atlases and look-up service.

I wasn’t sure what some of these services entailed until I volunteered. I enjoyed my time at the Ear, and I encourage you to pass the information along to anyone you know who could use the services. Better yet, volunteer.

Support for the Equal Benefits Bill

Yesterday, I was proud to stand with a majority of my colleagues in support of Councilmember Navarro’s Bill that will extend benefits to same-sex domestic partners of County contractors and subcontractors. Montgomery County has a longstanding practice of extending equal benefits to same-sex partners of County employees, and it’s only right that the partners of those who work for us get the same rights too. The benefits extended include bereavement leave, family medical leave, sick leave, health benefits, dental benefits, disability insurance, life insurance and retirement benefits.

Montgomery County is made up of so many different types of families, including same-sex couples and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) individuals. It’s our diversity that makes this County so great. Unfortunately, LGBT Marylanders are too often left behind. My colleagues and I stood together yesterday to show our support for full equality under the law for all people, including our LGBT friends and neighbors. This Bill is good for the individual, but it is even better for working families struggling through these tough times. I hope that in the future we can all work together so that every Marylander will enjoy the same equal rights. A public hearing for Bill 37-09 is scheduled for December 1, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.

What Do You Think?--Transit Safety

Here's an excerpt from Tunnel Talk With Jed Millard which will appear in my November newsletter. Let me know what you think.

Sometimes it seems like crime is everywhere, but it may not be as bad as you think. National research indicates that the public perceives a greater likelihood of crime on public transit than actually occurs. This October, the Public Safety Committee held a work session on a report conducted by Montgomery County's Office of Legislative Oversight on transit-related crime. Transit-related crime is defined as crimes that occur: on public transit vehicles; at public transit stops; and in public transit parking facilities.

The most reported transit-related crimes in the County are larceny and robbery, making up over 80 percent of serious reported crimes. Destruction of property and simple assault are the most commonly reported lesser crimes, and make up approximately 75 percent of total crimes reported throughout the entire transit system. Data was also broken down by location of where the crimes were committed with 41 percentat bus stops, 37 percent in Metro parking lots, 14 percentin Metro parking garages, seven percent in Metro stations, and less than one percent on Metro trains.

The four Montgomery County Metro stations with the highest number of reported crimes are: Shady Grove, 20 percent; Silver Spring, 15 percent; Wheaton, 13 percent; and Glenmont 12 percent. It is important to note that transit-related crimes comprise only a small fraction of the approximately 70,000 crimes reported in the County each year. Will this information affect your use of the transit system?

GreenerLiving Workshops

My friends at Bethesda Green are hosting a series of four interactive workshops where you can learn, discuss and practice concrete, practical steps for saving energy in your home from certified experts in the field. A limited number of free spaces are available, so check out the GreenerLiving Workshops.

Water Quality Working Group Named

Yesterday we named ten knowledgeable and committed people to the ad hoc Water Quality Working Group which will monitor environmental issues in Clarksburg as development continues in that emerging part of the county. The group will collect information on all new and pending state and federal regulations regarding water quality, stormwater management and sediment control to analyze how these new requirements will impact future development in Clarksburg. The group also will make recommendations to improve development procedures to ensure minimal impact on the area’s water quality, formulating a report to the Council by Feb. 1, 2010.

They are going to have a challenging task because the world of water quality is changing rapidly. As chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee, I know that water quality issues as a whole are complicated and are in the process of evolving further, so it is great that these folks will be able to focus their attention on working though the complexities. I’m convinced this group of experts and advocates in the environmental/water quality field will provide us with meaningful insights for our decision-making going forward.

I offer my thanks and congratulations to these newly appointed members:

Rick Brush of the Department of Permitting Services
Diane Cameron of Stormwater Partners
Irene Carrato, a civil engineer
John Cook, a Clarksburg environmental activist
Carl Elefane, a sustainability architect
Keith Levchenko, an analyst on environmental issues for the County Council
Mark Pfefferle of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Dusty Rood, an environmental specialist and vice chair of the Montgomery County Water Quality Advisory Committee
Steve Shofar of the Department of Environmental Protection
Richard Thometz, a residential home energy consultant

Learn More About Master Plans

Do you want to know more about what master plans mean to you? This week at our twice annual update, the Maryland-National Capital Planning Commission reminded us that planners will happily visit civic and homeowner associations to explain how the revision process works, how you can participate, and what it will mean to the future of your community.

Foreclosure Show Airing This Week

Watch Council Close Up on County Cable Montgomery this week. My guests and I discuss options for people who are facing foreclosure or who are trying to prevent a financial crisis. Rick Nelson from the Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Phil Robinson from the County’s Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection as well as Henry Williams and Richard Allen from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference join me on the program, The Face of Foreclosure.

Property Tax Credit Deadline Extended--Apply Now

I get a lot of calls in my office about low-income and senior homeowner property tax credits, so I want to be sure everyone knows that the deadline to apply for the credits has been extended to November 2. Here's some more information about the County and State programs:

The State of Maryland has a program that gives a credit against the homeowner’s property tax bill if the property taxes exceed a fixed percentage of the household income. In other words, it sets a limit on the amount of property taxes any homeowner must pay, based on his or her income. Montgomery County offers two supplemental tax credit programs. You can apply for all three programs with one application. The deadline to apply for credits has been extended to Monday, Nov. 2.

The tax credit programs available are:
• Maryland Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit Program
• Montgomery County Supplemental Property Tax Credit
• Montgomery County Senior Property Tax Credit

Who is Eligible?
Even if you have applied for a tax credit previously and been denied, you are encouraged to apply again since the tax credit programs have changed and been improved over the years.
You may be eligible for the Maryland Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit and the County Supplemental Property Tax Credit if:

• Your annual household income is about $64,000 or less
• You own and live in your home in Montgomery County
• You have lived in that home for at least six months, or will live in it for six of the next 12 months
• The combined net worth of everyone in your household must not exceed $200,000. This does not include the value of your principal residence or the cash value of any qualified retirement savings or individual retirement accounts. It does include any other real estate or investments you own.
• Only the first $300,000 of your home’s assessed value counts toward these credits
• The cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville provide additional tax credits to their homeowners under similar programs

If you are at least 70 years of age, you will automatically receive the Montgomery County Senior Property Tax Credit if you receive either or both of the Maryland and Montgomery County Tax Credits.

For more information, call the Tax Credits Telephone Service at 410-767-4433 or 1-800-944-7403 (toll free in Maryland).

New Green Incubator

Last week’s grand opening of Bethesda Green’s Business Incubator was really terrific. What an innovative way of bringing high-quality green jobs and services to the County.

Through a partnership between Bethesda Green and the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, the new incubator will provide workspace and support for several start-up companies focused on sustainable solutions, including a rain barrel manufacturer, two software companies, a community-supported agriculture farm and an energy cooperative. Space is still available, so contact Bethesda Green if your company is interested in the incubator.

Bethesda Green owes its success to its committed team of community and business volunteers that has been raising the green standard for over a year. In addition to the incubator, the organization offers an array of programs, services and opportunities for businesses and individuals, so take a look.

County Sponsors First H1N1 Flu Clinic Friday

If you are in a priority group, you can get the FluMist on Friday. If you're not in a priority group, you will have opportunities in the near future. Montgomery County Health and Human Services will offer its first H1N1 vaccination clinic on Friday, October 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Dennis Avenue Health Center, 2000 Dennis Avenue in Silver Spring.

The County has received 2500 doses of the intranasal H1N1 vaccine (nasal spray), which will offered at this clinic. The County expects to receive injectable flu vaccine (flu shots) in the next several weeks. There will continue to be deliveries of both types of flu vaccine in the coming weeks and months.

The nasal spray form of the vaccine contains a live-but-weakened form of the H1N1 influenza virus. It is licensed for the vaccination of healthy individuals between the ages of two and 49. However, it is not licensed for use in pregnant women or children and adults with chronic illnesses. Health officials expect to begin receiving injectable vaccine shortly. This clinic will be focused on the following priority groups: healthy children from ages two to 18; healthy adults up to age 49 who are caretakers of infants younger than six months of age; and healthy health care workers up to age 49.

The intranasal flu vaccine may NOT be given to pregnant women or children or adults with chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes.

If adults or children received the FluMist form of the seasonal flu vaccination, they must wait 28 days before receiving the intranasal H1N1 vaccine. If the seasonal flu vaccine was given in injectable form (flu shot), there is NO waiting period.

Health officials recommend that everyone consider receiving an H1N1 vaccination when ample supplies become available at a later date.

In addition to local health departments, retail locations and some private physicians will be receiving the H1N1 vaccine as well. For updated information, check the County’s website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/h1n1flu or call the flu hotline at 240-777-4200. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy to Your Arts Content

Visit Strathmore at the intersection of art and life. The non-profit arts center right here in the heart of Montgomery County presents a lively and diverse program of art exhibitions, concerts and performing arts programs as well as literary lectures and events. There truly is something for everyone. I say this not just as a board member but also as a frequent visitor. I particularly enjoy events in the concert hall and look forward to Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder this month. If this concert isn’t your thing, check out the rest of the concert schedule or try some of the programs and events by Strathmore’s resident partners—Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Washington Performing Arts Society, Levine School of Music, CityDance Ensemble, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra and interPLAY. Remember, it's easy to take Metro to Strathmore.

Businesses Put Economic Indicators in Real Terms

In today’s regular update on economic indicators, we learned that the County’s resident employment was 489,000 in July—a decline of nearly 14,000 from July 2008. Also, the value of new construction starts for residential projects is below $158 million to date in 2009 compared to nearly $210 million over the same period last year.

At my invitation, representatives from the business community joined us to explain what these and other indicators mean in real-life terms. Our guests told us that their small and mid-sized businesses were continuing to see revenue losses of up to 40%. While business owners continue to try to avoid layoffs, they asked the Council to consider the fiscal impact of legislation on businesses. Indeed, we need to do just that, and I am continuing to meet regularly with the business community to try to find solutions as we all work our way through the troubled economy.

The full discussion will be re-broadcast on CCM channels Comcast 6, RCN 6 and Verizon 30 on October 2 at 7 p.m., or you can find it online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov.