Congratulations! New Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza Grand Opening

I was very pleased to attend the ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for the new Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring. I joined our County Executive Ike Leggett, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, my County Council colleagues, representatives of civic and business organizations, and hundreds of neighbors and well wishers for this historic event. After the ribbon cutting, the public was invited to tour the new building, which is fantastic, and includes a “great room” and community spaces.

Congratulations to all who worked on the building, whether they were construction workers, county staff, or the tremendous residents who kept a wondrous vision of majestic public space in their hearts and minds.

I know the building will be well-used by the Montgomery County community. And I look forward to joining our neighbors there on November 11th—Veterans Day—when we dedicate the Veterans Plaza to all who have served the United States in uniform.

The Laytonsville Community Parade

The Trachtenberg Office was proud to participate in the Laytonsville Community Parade which was held on Saturday, May 15, 2010. We were pleased to join with the local school children, scouts, and the Gaithersburg High School Marching Band for the parade along Route 108 in the brilliant Spring sunshine. This year’s parade saluted “Our Agricultural Heritage.”

For more information about the Town of Laytonsville, check out http://www.laytonsville.md.us/.

Celebrating the Kiwanis Club’s 43rd Charter Day Celebration at Leisure World

I had the great honor and privilege of addressing the 43rd Charter Day Celebration of the Kiwanis Club of Leisure World this afternoon. Many thanks to the Charter Day Committee comprised of Senator Leonard Teitelbaum, Chair; Norma Flaherty, Virginia DeMatteo, Ed Laskin, Anita McFarlane, Elaine Noss, and Nell Reid. The Kiwanis are a wonderful service resource in our community, and I was thrilled to be with them for their Charter Day Celebration.

Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises approximately 8,000 clubs in 96 countries with over 260,000 adult members. The name “Kiwanis” means “we trade” or “we share our talents” and was coined from an American Indian expression, Nunc Kee-wanis. This was originally the motto of Kiwanis, translated as "We build." The current motto is "serving the children of the world".

For more information about the Kiwanis Club, check out http://www.kiwanis.org/.

Statement of Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg at the 43rd Charter Day Celebration at the Kiwanis Club of Leisure World, May 14, 2010

County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg was the featured speaker at the Kiwanis Club’s Charter Day Celebration at Leisure World. Her remarks from the luncheon event follow.

When I raised my hand back in December of 2006 to take the oath of office, I understood the obligation I had to the residents of Montgomery County. For me, it was a continuation of my life’s work. During these last four years, I have strived to put people first and I have been hard-working and deliberate in my legislative actions, always willing to speak truth to power.

My priorities have been centered around children-their supports in school and out of school; public safety; public transportation; healthy and sustainable development; and the vulnerable, our most needy residents.

An example of this is the role I played in spearheading the Montgomery County Family Justice Center project into a reality. This is a clearinghouse facility that consolidates services for domestic violence victims and their children. In its first year of operation, over 1400 victims from over 100 countries have been served.

I helped lead the effort to reform our disability retirement system. I helped ensure that our procedures are based on a sound, public health foundation; that this important retirement benefit is preserved for those that are eligible; and that all employees have equitable access to the best medical practices.

As the Chair of the Council’s Management & Fiscal Policy Committee, I have worked with colleagues and the Executive branch to define over 2 billion dollars in savings during the first three budget cycles and presently I am playing an important role in defining our long-term fiscal plan in these most challenging times.

When I came to the Council building, I didn’t just want to fill an empty chair, I came to change lives. I believe I have done just that and I know each and every one of you are committed to that principle as well. We understand the virtue of the a well-known teaching from the Torah: “If you save one life, you save the world."

So the question today is “How do we make that commitment in this fiscal climate and complex world?”

We are at a fiscal moment where we can no longer maintain a perfect world, but a decent one where the needs of our residents come first. This will require hard choices but it also provides us with an opportunity-an opportunity to change the political conversation and consequently political will. This is one of those rare political moments when we get to define a new community order.

It’s important to note that everyone can have a voice in that, in small ways and in big ways. We can bring our voice to community organizations; we can participate in our spiritual house activities and provide influence; we can engage with our elected leaders on every level; we can contribute in meaningful activities that give back to our communities; and we can exercise our most precious right-the right to vote in every election. The power to change the world is in all of our hands, not just in mine.

On the Council level, we are struggling with a very difficult financial reality-a billion dollar deficit. We are experiencing a fiscal meltdown resulting from a number of factors. Here in Montgomery County, our tax revenue continues to shrink because of many national trends. In this year alone, our income tax revenue has declined by 21%.

Having less money to spend forces us to reduce county programming. This means our county government will surely look different in the coming years. It does mean less library hours, reduced transit hours, less social service programming for the needy. It will finally force political forces to address the unsustainable nature of the compensation and benefits we have promised to our public employees.

This all sounds challenging but here is the good news: The Executive and Legislative branches have identified three core priorities in this fiscal climate: education; public safety; and the vulnerable. This allows us to truly put people first, understanding that our investments in the people we serve and our commitment to the future in prioritizing our children’s education are of paramount importance.

This moment of crisis also helps us identify leadership we can count on. In the years of the Great Depression, we found FDR. In the turmoil of the 60’s we located JFK. And in 2008, we looked at President Obama for his inspirational and poised leadership. And in 2010, here in Montgomery County, we will need to look at our local leadership and see who has risen to meet the moment; who has seized the opportunity to change that community order; and who has the wisdom to understand that the best policy choices come from both the brain and the heart.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. Let’s have faith in one another and extend our hand in friendship to all of those in our community. Let’s work together because together, we will accomplish extraordinary things.

Statement of Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg on the White Flint Sector Plan

I am very pleased at the Council’s strong affirmative vote in support of the White Flint Sector Plan. During its consideration, we witnessed a very strong, effective and positive collaborative effort among key community stakeholders which has resulted in an exciting plan for a safe, healthy, and pedestrian-friendly urban community. This “partnership” with the community stands as a model for future master plans in Montgomery County.

With this effort, we have worked hard to design a plan which promotes growth, respects established neighborhoods, and incorporates innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions for traffic and mobility.

Our work, however, is not over. I look forward to working with my Council colleagues on the development of a sustainable financing plan for the White Flint plan area and a development coordination mechanism which will give comfort to our neighbors and the business community about infrastructure and financing issues.

Celebrating Roscoe Nix

The Trachtenberg Office attended an inspirational tribute to legendary Montgomery County educator and civil rights activist Roscoe Nix on the evening of Thursday March 4th, held at the Roscoe Nix Elementary School in Silver Spring. Among his many friends in attendance were County Executive Isiah Leggett, County Council President Nancy Floreen, Councilmembers Valerie Ervin, George Leventhal and Marc Elrich, former Councilmember Ester Gelman, former Board of Education President Paul Vance, and past Montgomery County NAACP President Linda Plummer. Our Chief of Staff Alan Bowser represented Councilmember Trachtenberg.

From the Roscoe Nix Elementary School website – Roscoe R. Nix has spent most of his life helping those less fortunate and providing a voice for those who may be afraid to speak for themselves. Mr. Nix took on many roles to be that voice. He provided distinguished leadership in public education in Montgomery County for decades. Mr. Nix served on the Montgomery County Board of Education from 1974 to 1978, being only the second African-American to win election. He sought improved educational opportunities and early childhood initiatives to support increased local resources for Head Start, Title I and lower class size in the elementary grades.

Roscoe R. Nix also served as president of the Montgomery County Branch of the NAACP from 1980 to 1990. During his NAACP tenure, he conceived the idea and was instrumental in creating the African American Festival of Academic Excellence, which celebrates academic achievements of African American Students.

Roscoe R. Nix has been married for over 50 years to Emma Nix. They have two daughters and three grandchildren. They continue to reside in Montgomery County.

"Blessings come to people through someone else's help or through some unknown entity. Because of that, it is our obligation to use whatever it is that one of us has to help those who are less fortunate or who may be afraid to speak for themselves."

--Roscoe R. Nix

Visit the website of the Roscoe Nix Elementary School http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/nixes/about/nixbiography.aspx.

The Trachtenberg Office Attends Silver Spring Action

The Trachtenberg Office was represented at “Silver Spring Action,” an annual community engagement program produced by Impact Silver Spring. This year’s program was co-sponsored by the Silver Spring Regional Center and Silver Spring Town Center, Inc.

The objective of the program was to solicit broad community input and opinion about the use of public space in Silver Spring. After an entertaining introduction segment, participants joined “break out” groups to develop an inventory of public spaces, and to suggest creative uses of the community spaces and alternatives ways of paying for it.

The meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Silver Spring. Our Chief of Staff Alan Bowser attended on behalf of Councilmember Trachtenberg.

The Trachenberg Office Attends Community Outreach Forum

Yesterday afternoon, Naomi Bloch, representing the Trachtenberg office, attended the Community Outreach Forum. This meeting takes place every month at the Executive Office Building, in Rockville and is organized and hosted by the office of Community Partnerships.

The goals of the Community Outreach Forum include:

1. Exchange and coordinate County Government outreach efforts.
2. Help build relationships among County staff and partners in order to foster collaboration
3. Inform ourselves about community issues and best practices.

At yesterday’s meeting Karen Plucinski and Shyana Taqi, the Human Resources Specialist Change Management Team, from the office of Human Resources gave us a very detailed overview of the soon-to-be-launched MC 311 system.

After the MC 311 presentation the meeting talked again about the upcoming 2010 Census and how everyone in the room could help spread the word in order to help make this project as successful as humanly possible. For more information about the Census: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/census.

The Trachtenberg Office Attends Performing Arts Workshop at the Women’s Unit of the Clarksburg Correctional Facility

Naomi Bloch and Wil Gutierrez, representing Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, attended a performing arts workshop at the women’s unit of the Clarksburg Correctional Facility on Tuesday, January 19th. The Workshop is part of Class Acts Arts’ Project Youth ArtReach, a program partially funded by Montgomery County Council grants. Many of the approximately 40 women in the facility are young teenage girls. Tuesday’s workshop was the last of a six-week program lead by renowned artists Cecilia Esquivel and Patricia Vergara from the group Cantare. Students worked in groups and in a supportive, non-judgmental environment in which to share feelings.

Project ArtReach promotes positive youth development by providing juvenile offenders in detention, corrections, and probation settings with arts programs taught by master artists to enhance youth's cognitive, linguistic, social, and civic development. As youth engage with a diverse group of professional artists, they acquire skills in visual, literary, and performing arts. By exploring themes of respect and values from other cultures, youth learn lessons in tolerance, problem solving, and conflict resolution. Programs like the one at the Clarksburg Correctional Facility also help each student's re-entry and become more productive members of society.

For more information about Class Acts Arts and Project Youth ArtReach, click here.
For more information about Cantare, click here.

Councilmember Trachtenberg Introduces Development Oversight Legislation

At this morning’s County Council session, Councilmember Trachtenberg introduced new legislation to require oversight and coordination of new complex development in Montgomery County. Trachtenberg is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Management and Fiscal Policy.

Joining Councilmember Mike Knapp, Chairman of the Committee on Planning, Housing and Economic Development as original co-sponsors are Councilmembers Phil Andrews (D-District 3) and Roger Berliner (D-District 1)

Bill 1-10 amends the County’s laws governing coordination of development and “provides further coordination and oversight of master-planned development … and further coordination and oversight of development districts.”

The bill directs the county executive to designate an employee in the Office of the Executive or in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer as the development coordinator for each planning area for which a newly revised master or sector plan has authorized intensive new development or redevelopment. The coordinator would oversee the financing and development of County infrastructure in the planning area. The coordinator also would serve as the primary point of contact for residents and businesses located in the planning area and the developer of any development located in the area.

In her remarks during the Council session, Councilmember Trachtenberg discussed the need for oversight and coordination for complex. “I am looking forward to the conversation with the community, homeowners, business and developers about this proposal,” said Trachtenberg. She said that the proposal would be discussed in a joint work session of the Committee on Management and Fiscal Policy and Committee on Planning, Housing and Economic Development.

A press event with representatives of the business community, developer community and civic community is scheduled for Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 11 a.m. in the Council Office Building in Rockville, Maryland.

Trachtenberg Office Attends JCRC Nonprofit Training in Rockville

The Trachtenberg Office was represented at the JCRC Nonprofit Training which took place on the morning of January 14th at the Jewish Council for the Aging in Rockville. The training was the first training in a series of three trainings for the Montgomery County nonprofit community.

This morning's training focused on the Nonprofit Board. Some of the topics included types of nonprofit boards, fiduciary responsibility of board members, the composition of nonprofit boards as well as recruitment of new board members. Approximately 50 people attended the training. Questions ranged from term limits for board members to types of insurance to purchase for board members. The training emphasized the importance of board members to communicate the nonprofit's mission to the community at large.

The Trachtenberg Office as represented by Legislative Aide Laurie Edberg.

Something Else Within...

"Wishes"

Wishes are like snowflakes
Falling in the winter
Each one different
Fragile, beautiful.
Touch it, and it disappears.

-S.J.

The above poem is found in Project Youth ArtReach’s most recent anthology of poetry entitled Something Else Within. The poems were written between 2003 and 2008 in Rockville by court-involved young people in workshops led by internationally-recognized Bulgarian poet, Lyubomir Nikolov. Writing within a supportive, non-judgmental environment in which to share feelings, these students in many cases learned to appreciate poetry for the first time.

Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg met with the director of Poject Youth ArtReach, Claire Schwadron, today to discuss future funding opportunities for the program.

Project Youth ArtReach (PYA) is a program of Class Act Arts, Inc., a Maryland-based non-profit arts organization dedicated to bringing diverse arts experiences to schools and communities.

PYA facilitates visual, literacy and performing arts residencies and performances for youth in correctional facilities and probation management programs. These arts based experiences provide incarcerated and high risk youth with opportunities to achieve success.

To learn more about Class Act Arts, Inc. and Project ArtReach, click here.

Duchy Trachtenberg Meets with White Flint Partnership Representatives

Councilmember Trachtenberg met with representatives of the White Flint Partnership to discuss developments related to the White Flint Sector Plan, which is currently being considered by the County Council. Among the subjects discussed were the needs for pro-active community outreach, community partnerships, a sustainable fiscal plan, timely transportation infrastructure, and a transparent oversight framework for redevelopment.

The White Flint Partnership was begun in 2008 by a collaboration of local landowners working to together to transform the White Flint area into an accessible, engaging and vibrant community.

The Partnership’s website is located at http://www.whiteflintpartnership.com/.

To review the draft White Flint Sector Plan, click here.

Residents in Independent Survey Continue to Endorse Montgomery County As Good Place to Live

Montgomery County residents, despite feeling the impact of the nation’s economic downturn over the past two years, again strongly endorsed the County as an “excellent” or “good” place to live and said they are generally happy with the quality of services the County offers. Those sentiments were expressed in the most recent county-wide survey of residents conducted by the independent National Research Center of Boulder, Colo. The results of the 35-question survey were released today.

88 percent of overall respondents rated Montgomery “as a good place to live” (compared to 86 percent in the 2007 survey); 86 percent said the County is “a good place to raise children” (compared to 81 percent in 2007); and 82 percent were happy with the overall quality of life in the County (compared to 79 percent in 2007).

Responding residents continued to give high marks to significant County services including educational opportunities (84 percent rated them “excellent” or “good” compared to 81 percent in 2007) and recreational opportunities (80 percent excellent or good compared to 81 percent in 2007). The quality of fire service, ambulance service, recycling service, parks and public libraries all received “excellent” or “good” ratings of 87 percent or higher—similar to their ratings in 2007.

For the complete press release, click here.

Councilmember Trachtenberg Congratulates Ana Lopez, Executive Director of Community Bridges

Councilmember Trachtenberg congratulates Ana Lopez, Executive Director of Community Bridges, for being chosen a Washingtonian of the Year for 2009; an honor given by the Washingtonian Magazine. This award recognizes her leadership and dedication to improving the lives of the diverse girls and families in the Silver Spring area. Lopez is one of 10 recipients who are featured in the January 2010 issue of the Washingtonian.

For the past 37 years, the Washingtonian has honored men and women who give their time and talents to make this a better place for all of us. Lopez has worked hard to enrich the lives of young girls, and strengthen the community even in the midst of economic and social challenges.

Congratulations, Ana! And thank you for serving our community!

Click here to read the article in the Washingtonian.

Click here for Community Bridges' Home Page.

Silver Spring Public Safety Community Meeting

Despite the cold , snow on the sidewalks and the holiday season in full swing, about 30 concerned Silver Spring residents attended a public safety community meeting hosted by Councilmember Valerie Ervin on Tuesday, December 22. Commander Donald M. Johnson (3rd District – Silver Spring) of the Montgomery County Police Department and Chief Darien Manley and Sgt. Lauryn McNeill of the Maryland-National Park Police discussed crime trends and provided information about ongoing investigations. Wil Gutierrez attended on behalf of Councilmember Trachtenberg’s office.

According to both police departments, crime is down in the Silver Spring area. However, they reiterated that the departments need the help of residents to keep this trend down in 2010. If you see a suspicious or criminal activity, report it to the police immediately so they can provide an appropriate response. The following are the numbers for non-emergency situations:

Montgomery County Police Department: 301-279-8000

Maryland-National Park Police (for suspicious or criminal activities in parks): 301-949-3010

Maryland State Police (for suspicious or criminal activities on highways i.e. I-270, I-495): #77

For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

The Park Police also provided helpful tips to prevent thefts, such as:

• Lock it
• Alarm it
• Hide it
• Leave it at home
• Beware of surroundings
• Don’t wear earphones (so you can hear what’s going on around you)
• Use the buddy system
• Call the police immediately if you’re a victim

The Park Police also wants you to write down the serial numbers of your electronics. In doing so, you help the police track down your belongings if they ever are stolen.

Additionally, the Park Police described their Park Watch program. Both the County Police Department and Park Police answered questions from residents and address community concerns. Reemberto Rodriguez, director of the Silver Spring Regional Services Center, was also in attendance.

Duchy Trachtenberg en Espanol!

The Trachtenberg Office is pleased to announce the launch of our new blog, Duchy Trachtenberg En Espanol!

Through our blog, we hope to expand out connections to the Spanish speaking community and to inform and educate our neighbors about the work of Trachtenberg Office and the Montgomery County Council and Government.

"Duchy Trachtenberg en Espanol" is edited by Wil Gutierrez, a graduate of Goucher College and a resident of Silver Spring, who has joined the Trachtenberg Office. The blog includes links to important community resources such as Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County Library System, Montgomery County’s Latino Health Initiative, Spanish-language media, and other important federal, state and local internet sites.

You can view the Duchy Trachtenberg en Espanol at http://duchytrachtenberg-espanol.blogspot.com/

Our other online resources are Duchy Trachtenberg’s Blog, Duchy Trachtenberg on Twitter, and Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg

Agreement on Fillmore Silver Spring Signed

County, Lee Development Group Sign Land Donation Agreement for Fillmore Silver Spring

County Gets Silver Spring Property Worth $3.5 Million For Free To Open Fillmore Music Hall

Montgomery County and the Lee Development Group today signed a final agreement permitting the construction of a Fillmore Music Hall on the property which formerly housed the J.C. Penney Company in downtown Silver Spring. After completion of the Music Hall, Lee Development Group will donate the land to the County.

Under the terms of the agreement, Montgomery County receives the $3.5 million property at no cost to create a dynamic new music, entertainment, and community use venue in downtown Silver Spring, a move that will bolster economic development and the music scene for that community and the County as a whole.

The new music hall, to be run under contract by Live Nation, will preserve the historic façade of the old J.C. Penney store site on Colesville Road owned by the Lee Development Group – a site vacant for 18 years -- and build a modern, new music and community use venue behind it. The State of Maryland and Montgomery County will contribute $4 million each – for a total $8 million in public investment -- toward the cost of building the facility, which will be owned by the County. The Music Hall requires no ongoing public subsidy.

An economic impact analysis done by the County’s Department of Finance shows an annual cost to the State and County on projected bond issues as approximately $355,000 and annual direct and indirect income to the

State and County from sales, income, beverage, fuel, and other taxes, as well as rent, as approximately $1,067,000. This results in a net annual profit to the public of $712,000.

When the value of Live Nation’s improvements to the County-owned building and Live Nation’s ongoing and structural maintenance work are included – as well as the value of community use and Live Nation community contributions – the net benefit to the public increases by another $951,000 to a total net public benefit annually of about $1,663,000.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Lee Development Group would also provide for free management services for the construction of the facility, a $500,000 value.

The land donation is intended to serve as the required “public use space and public amenity” that is required for County development projects. Almost always such an amenity is provided in conjunction with a development project. In this case, however, the Lee Development Group is providing the amenity up-front – long before they have a development project on the property adjoining the former J.C. Penney site.

“The County’s vision is to bring a dynamic, first-class music, entertainment, and community use venue that will offer a wide range of musical choices to Silver Spring at the former J.C. Penney site,” said County Executive Ike Leggett. “That’s why the County approached the Lee Development Group with this innovative approach, asking them to donate this key property at the gateway to Silver Spring.

“We want to bring Silver Spring revitalization across Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue. We want more customers for Silver Spring businesses and restaurants.

This location will create a dynamic center of music and entertainment with the American Film Institute and the restored Silver Theater directly across the street.

“This is one more giant step toward delivering that vision,” said Department of Economic Development director Steve Silverman. “Now more than ever, we need to take Silver Spring revitalization to the next level.”

”This complex and groundbreaking agreement is finally signed. Now we look forward to working with the County Planning Department to move this project forward,” said Bruce H. Lee, President of Lee Development Group.

More information on the project is available at www.livemusicss.com

Saluting Montgomery County's Veterans

At the Round House Theatre in Silver Spring last night, I attended the "Tribute to America's Veterans" concert sponsored by the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., a local non-profit community organization. Along with County Executive Isiah Leggett and my County Council colleagues--Council President Phil Andrews and Councilmember Valerie Ervin--we enjoyed an evening of great music and moving tributes to Montgomery County's veterans and active duty military women and men.

I had the great honor of joining with Councilmembers Ervin and Andrews to present County Council proclamations recognizing the achievements and sacrifices of two Buffalo Soldiers who were present: Mr. Joseph Hairston and Mr. James Daugherty. And, with surprise, we recognized another Buffalo Soldier in the audience, Mr. Charles Williams. We also presented a certificate of appreciation to one of Montgomery County's most effective non-profit organizations working on behalf of our veterans--Rebuilding Together Montgomery County.

The evening was filled with music performed by Silver Spring's Jonny Grave, and the blues duo, Memphis Gold and Jay Summerour.

Thanks to the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., Building Bridges America, Inc., the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs, and PFA Silver Spring LLC, for a wonderful event.

Celebrating Volunteers at the Family Justice Center

Tonight, I'm participating in a celebration of the hard work of the many volunteers who support Montgomery County's Family Justice Center. All of us should recognize and appreciate their dedication and commitment to improving the lives of those in need.

I'm reminded of a quotation from Sandra Pupatello, a Canadian official who served as Minister of Community and Social Services. "The effects of abuse are devastating and far-reaching...With this investment, we’re not just providing more services, but services that meet the distinct needs of women from a broad range of backgrounds, because domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colours and lives in many different communities."