See more National Walk to School Day pics here.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Park Hills Celebrates National Walk to School Day!
On October 8th, the Park Hills Civic Association recognized National Walk to School Day. In cooperation with the Presidents' Council of Silver Spring Civic Associations, (PREZCO), Park Hills placed "Drive Safe, Walk Safe" posters throughout the neighborhood and distributed pedestrian safety flyers to parents of children attending the Silver Spring International Middle School and the Sligo Creek Elementary School.
See more National Walk to School Day pics here.
See more National Walk to School Day pics here.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Silver Spring Town Center Inc. to Honor America's Veterans
Silver Spring, Maryland. October 7, 2008. The Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. is pleased to announce its "Tribute to America's Veterans" benefit concert to be held on Sunday, November 9, 2008 at the Round House Theatre in downtown Silver Spring.
The evening of entertainment will feature performances by Michel Baytop, acoustic blues guitar, and the internationally known jazz group, the Marcus Johnson Project.
Among the special guests at the benefit concert will be soldiers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, a Vietnam veteran.
The event will benefit Operation Second Chance, a local non-profit organization which provides recreational opportunities for wounded American soldiers. http://www.operationsecondchance.org/ The organization's goal is to provide support for the Soldiers and Marines while they are at WRAMC and then to further assist them when they transition either back to duty or back to civilian life.
The Silver Spring Town Center Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that has been established to provide community-based programming for the new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza to be located at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring. The SSTCI is the result of a long process of community involvement and engagement to support the development of downtown Silver Spring. It was created to infuse community spirit and involvement in the new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza (which will be completed in 2009). Check out the Silver Spring Town Center Blog at www.silverspringtowncenter.blogspot.com
Ticket information to follow.
The evening of entertainment will feature performances by Michel Baytop, acoustic blues guitar, and the internationally known jazz group, the Marcus Johnson Project.
Among the special guests at the benefit concert will be soldiers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, a Vietnam veteran.
The event will benefit Operation Second Chance, a local non-profit organization which provides recreational opportunities for wounded American soldiers. http://www.operationsecondchance.org/ The organization's goal is to provide support for the Soldiers and Marines while they are at WRAMC and then to further assist them when they transition either back to duty or back to civilian life.
The Silver Spring Town Center Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that has been established to provide community-based programming for the new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza to be located at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring. The SSTCI is the result of a long process of community involvement and engagement to support the development of downtown Silver Spring. It was created to infuse community spirit and involvement in the new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza (which will be completed in 2009). Check out the Silver Spring Town Center Blog at www.silverspringtowncenter.blogspot.com
Ticket information to follow.
Give Fees a Chance - Washington Post Editorial
Cash-strapped Montgomery County should approve an ambulance charge.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008; A18
EVEN AFFLUENT Montgomery County is feeling the strain of an uncertain economy. With a $4.3 billion budget in fiscal 2009, the county is facing a quarter-billion-dollar shortfall in fiscal 2010, so local leaders are looking for ways to save. They may start by eliminating free ambulance rides. Isiah Leggett (D), the county executive, has proposed an ambulance transport fee that would generate an estimated $14.8 million for fire and rescue services. Critics counter that the fee would deter residents from calling 911. But most neighboring counties have ambulance fees, and there's no evidence that residents are reluctant to request ambulances as a result. The fee would make only a small dent in the deficit, but every dent counts.
Mr. Leggett's office says county residents -- even the uninsured -- wouldn't pay a penny of the fee. Insurance companies would cover most of the cost, and the county would make up the rest. It gets a little more complicated for nonresidents who request an ambulance . Nonresidents who have insurance will only have to make up the difference between what their insurance pays and the cost to the county. Nonresidents who don't have insurance will have to pay for the entire ride unless they secure a waiver. The fees run from $300 to $800. There's no data on how many ambulance riders don't have insurance.
An ambulance fee is an easy sell in some counties. In Montgomery, it has met resounding opposition. As of last week, the County Council had received 1,000 calls opposing the fee and only about 50 in favor. Montgomery's well-organized volunteer firefighters ferociously oppose the measure. They contend the fee would harm their ability to raise funds. The county shouldn't take for granted the thousands of hours of service that firefighters donate. But if fundraising efforts bring in less as a result of the fee, Mr. Leggett has promised to make up the difference.
Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville), chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee, opposes the measure and worries that the fee could motivate insurers to raise their rates. Mr. Leggett's office counters that insurers in the Washington area already factor ambulance costs into their budgets. Since insurance companies determine their rates regionally, the executive's office argues, Montgomery residents already are paying for the ambulance rides. Insurance companies have yet to weigh in on the proposal.
The council is scheduled to vote on the fee this month. There's no question that the county's underfunded fire and rescue services need cash. Before the county levies yet another tax on overburdened residents, it should give the ambulance fee a chance. It works for other counties, and there's no reason to believe it wouldn't be successful in Montgomery.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008; A18
EVEN AFFLUENT Montgomery County is feeling the strain of an uncertain economy. With a $4.3 billion budget in fiscal 2009, the county is facing a quarter-billion-dollar shortfall in fiscal 2010, so local leaders are looking for ways to save. They may start by eliminating free ambulance rides. Isiah Leggett (D), the county executive, has proposed an ambulance transport fee that would generate an estimated $14.8 million for fire and rescue services. Critics counter that the fee would deter residents from calling 911. But most neighboring counties have ambulance fees, and there's no evidence that residents are reluctant to request ambulances as a result. The fee would make only a small dent in the deficit, but every dent counts.
Mr. Leggett's office says county residents -- even the uninsured -- wouldn't pay a penny of the fee. Insurance companies would cover most of the cost, and the county would make up the rest. It gets a little more complicated for nonresidents who request an ambulance . Nonresidents who have insurance will only have to make up the difference between what their insurance pays and the cost to the county. Nonresidents who don't have insurance will have to pay for the entire ride unless they secure a waiver. The fees run from $300 to $800. There's no data on how many ambulance riders don't have insurance.
An ambulance fee is an easy sell in some counties. In Montgomery, it has met resounding opposition. As of last week, the County Council had received 1,000 calls opposing the fee and only about 50 in favor. Montgomery's well-organized volunteer firefighters ferociously oppose the measure. They contend the fee would harm their ability to raise funds. The county shouldn't take for granted the thousands of hours of service that firefighters donate. But if fundraising efforts bring in less as a result of the fee, Mr. Leggett has promised to make up the difference.
Phil Andrews (D-Gaithersburg-Rockville), chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee, opposes the measure and worries that the fee could motivate insurers to raise their rates. Mr. Leggett's office counters that insurers in the Washington area already factor ambulance costs into their budgets. Since insurance companies determine their rates regionally, the executive's office argues, Montgomery residents already are paying for the ambulance rides. Insurance companies have yet to weigh in on the proposal.
The council is scheduled to vote on the fee this month. There's no question that the county's underfunded fire and rescue services need cash. Before the county levies yet another tax on overburdened residents, it should give the ambulance fee a chance. It works for other counties, and there's no reason to believe it wouldn't be successful in Montgomery.
New library building might lack volume - Gazette
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer | Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008
While details for the proposed Silver Spring Library project are beginning to take shape —with the library designed to nearly double in size — some residents say the new building as planned won't be big enough to accommodate a growing Silver Spring population.
Library administrators held a public meeting Thursday night at the current library, 8901 Colesville Road, to present the results from three previous programming meetings in which residents suggested which services they'd like to see at the new library. Other meetings to discuss the design and land-use of the 66,000-square-foot site at the corner of Wayne Avenue and Fenton and Bonifant streets are ongoing.
Thursday's meeting, which drew about 30 people, was the final opportunity for public input before a Program of Requirements (POR) would be submitted to County Executive Isiah Leggett (D).
Recommendations call for an increase in collections - from 100,000 volumes in the current library to 160,000 - and a total of 46 personal computers.
"These are the options we are recommending but whether or not they ultimately get included [is uncertain]," said Rita Gale, a public service administrator for Montgomery County Public Libraries. "Because [the recommendations] represent money, when you add space it means extra funds."
A 2,000-square-foot children's room and three rooms for tutoring for children will be recommended, as will 1,500 square feet of the collection space for teens.
A 12-computer lab with specialized software for disability resources also will be recommended accompanying a collection of disability resource materials. A 150-seat public meeting room is also in the POR.
Affordable housing units and possibly a Purple Line station will also be on-site. Retail space to be put in a smaller lobby specifically for Purple Line users, in the form of a printing service or possibly even an art gallery, will be considered as well.
Some residents were concerned that uncertainty with the site would lead to major changes in the size and use of the library, but Gary Stith, director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, said it was two separate issues.
"None of those considerations have constrained what they are including," Stith said of the POR. "The configuration of the library will be affected but the size of the library will not be affected."
The new POR will call for about 32,000 square feet of program space. The size of the building will depend on how many stories are planned, but the building is currently projected for 50,000 square feet, said Gregory Lukmire of The Lukmire Partnership, the library's Arlington, Va.-based architect. The current library is about 25,000 square feet and holds about 100,000 volumes in its collection, Gale said.
Even with the substantial size increases from the previous POR, several residents were concerned the library wouldn't be big enough to serve Silver Spring's growing population.
"It's the proportional use of the thing," said Jim Polk, treasurer of the Silver Spring Friends of the Library, referring to the Rockville Library, which is more than 100,000 square feet but has a smaller population surrounding it. "… What we are trying to say is you are ignoring population but you can't because we have tremendous growth."
Gale said population is not used as an indicator for how many people a library will actually serve.
"You're thinking that 88,000 people are going to come and use this library," she said, referring to an estimate of Silver Spring's population.
Stith added that the proximity of the Long Branch Library, located on Garland Avenue about 1.5 miles from the proposed site downtown, also affects how many residents the new library will serve.
In addition to concerns over the library's capacity to serve Silver Spring, resident Pete Pytlowany said the people that use the library most – children and teens – aren't the ones making recommendations at meetings.
"The demographic that comes to these meetings is not the demographic that shows up in the library during the day," he said. "In terms of usage, that should be the way these decisions are made."
The second of three design meetings to discuss the layout of the library and how the site will be used was held Tuesday night and the last design meeting will be 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring.
While details for the proposed Silver Spring Library project are beginning to take shape —with the library designed to nearly double in size — some residents say the new building as planned won't be big enough to accommodate a growing Silver Spring population.
Library administrators held a public meeting Thursday night at the current library, 8901 Colesville Road, to present the results from three previous programming meetings in which residents suggested which services they'd like to see at the new library. Other meetings to discuss the design and land-use of the 66,000-square-foot site at the corner of Wayne Avenue and Fenton and Bonifant streets are ongoing.
Thursday's meeting, which drew about 30 people, was the final opportunity for public input before a Program of Requirements (POR) would be submitted to County Executive Isiah Leggett (D).
Recommendations call for an increase in collections - from 100,000 volumes in the current library to 160,000 - and a total of 46 personal computers.
"These are the options we are recommending but whether or not they ultimately get included [is uncertain]," said Rita Gale, a public service administrator for Montgomery County Public Libraries. "Because [the recommendations] represent money, when you add space it means extra funds."
A 2,000-square-foot children's room and three rooms for tutoring for children will be recommended, as will 1,500 square feet of the collection space for teens.
A 12-computer lab with specialized software for disability resources also will be recommended accompanying a collection of disability resource materials. A 150-seat public meeting room is also in the POR.
Affordable housing units and possibly a Purple Line station will also be on-site. Retail space to be put in a smaller lobby specifically for Purple Line users, in the form of a printing service or possibly even an art gallery, will be considered as well.
Some residents were concerned that uncertainty with the site would lead to major changes in the size and use of the library, but Gary Stith, director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, said it was two separate issues.
"None of those considerations have constrained what they are including," Stith said of the POR. "The configuration of the library will be affected but the size of the library will not be affected."
The new POR will call for about 32,000 square feet of program space. The size of the building will depend on how many stories are planned, but the building is currently projected for 50,000 square feet, said Gregory Lukmire of The Lukmire Partnership, the library's Arlington, Va.-based architect. The current library is about 25,000 square feet and holds about 100,000 volumes in its collection, Gale said.
Even with the substantial size increases from the previous POR, several residents were concerned the library wouldn't be big enough to serve Silver Spring's growing population.
"It's the proportional use of the thing," said Jim Polk, treasurer of the Silver Spring Friends of the Library, referring to the Rockville Library, which is more than 100,000 square feet but has a smaller population surrounding it. "… What we are trying to say is you are ignoring population but you can't because we have tremendous growth."
Gale said population is not used as an indicator for how many people a library will actually serve.
"You're thinking that 88,000 people are going to come and use this library," she said, referring to an estimate of Silver Spring's population.
Stith added that the proximity of the Long Branch Library, located on Garland Avenue about 1.5 miles from the proposed site downtown, also affects how many residents the new library will serve.
In addition to concerns over the library's capacity to serve Silver Spring, resident Pete Pytlowany said the people that use the library most – children and teens – aren't the ones making recommendations at meetings.
"The demographic that comes to these meetings is not the demographic that shows up in the library during the day," he said. "In terms of usage, that should be the way these decisions are made."
The second of three design meetings to discuss the layout of the library and how the site will be used was held Tuesday night and the last design meeting will be 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring.
Silver Spring music hall clears major hurdles - Gazette
Council approves laws allowing for transfer of Lee Group land
by Janel Davis | Staff Writer | Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
The County Council approved a pair of landmark land use bills on Tuesday, one of the final steps necessary in opening a Fillmore music venue on Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring after almost six years of negotiations with two separate companies.
The council also signaled their intentions to recommend the county executive accept the donation of the former J.C. Penney site from the Lee Development Group for a public amenity and public use space for a future project.
For the first time, the county is on tap to subsidize a for-profit music venue, broadening the scope of economic development in the county.
The zoning provisions, the first of their kind in Montgomery County, would give the County Council the authority to deal with public amenity requirements in certain business districts.
The donated space would have to be located in an arts and entertainment district.
Council members approved the provision 7-2, with Councilmen Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park and Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac casting dissenting votes.
A second piece of legislation also provides developers donating land — in this case the Lee Group — protections from changes in project and site plan approvals. The provision passed unanimously.
"As a council member I am more sensitive that this is the place where land use decisions rest," said Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park, who proposed the amended land use rules on Tuesday. "The buck stops here. We're the ones that set the policy."
The originally proposed legislation, submitted by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) would have given the authority to the county executive.
"These measures make the opening of the Fillmore music, live entertainment and community use venue a reality by 2011," Leggett (D) said in a statement.
The net public benefit of the project would be $1.6 million annually from the very start, Leggett continued. The venue is expected to generate 30 county jobs with an average annual salary of $45,000, county officials have said.
The new land use rules take effect immediately and could also apply to other arts and entertainment districts, in Wheaton and Bethesda.
Currently the Planning Board has discretion in accepting the space as an amenity, which is usually accepted after a developer finishes its project. Lee Development would provide the J.C. Penney land before nearby land owned by the company would be developed.
"This is a huge step in the process," said Bruce Lee, president of Lee Development Group. "This is a good deal for Silver Spring. Hopefully Fillmore will do for [that side of Colesville Road] what the AFI Theater did on the other side in attracting other businesses like Discovery Communication."
The Lee Group has not yet moved forward on developing its adjacent property, a project that is not feasible in the current sluggish economy, Lee said.
Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson has been the most vocal opponent of the land use changes, saying the changes would take away their discretion in dealing with planning matters in some situations and would offer unfair advantages to some projects. Hanson and other board members have supported the project overall, but not the zoning changes involved with it. He had no comment following Tuesday's vote.
Leggett maintained that the changes in land use law were necessary to spur development along that portion of Colesville Road across from the AFI Silver Theater.
Under the deal, the county and state have each contributed $4 billion toward the music venue. Live Nation will pay another $2 million toward the project. The land donated by the Lee Group is valued at $3.5 million. The county will retain ownership of the land and lease the space to the Fillmore, for a total of $3.26 million in rent over the term of the lease.
The Fillmore is required to host a minimum of 70 events each year with an objective of hosting 150 events. The venue must also a number of public uses, and hold no event after 1 a.m., to satisfy community concerns about late events, loud music and drunken concert goers.
With most of the council members congratulating county officials and the Lees, Berliner and Elrich maintained their opposition.
"I think this was a bad deal with the Fillmore folks. … I think this was a poor use of taxpayer's dollars," said Berliner.
Elrich agreed.
"I'm concerned that what's being touted as a new economic development tool is actually an old economic development tool," Elrich said. "This is not about the Fillmore. This is about zoning issues. We've been told to give the Lees what they want or else they will go elsewhere. Anybody that's been involved in the conversations knows that this is pretty much spot zoning."
The councilmen intend to cast dissenting final votes on the land acceptance resolution to the county executive next week.
by Janel Davis | Staff Writer | Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
The County Council approved a pair of landmark land use bills on Tuesday, one of the final steps necessary in opening a Fillmore music venue on Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring after almost six years of negotiations with two separate companies.
The council also signaled their intentions to recommend the county executive accept the donation of the former J.C. Penney site from the Lee Development Group for a public amenity and public use space for a future project.
For the first time, the county is on tap to subsidize a for-profit music venue, broadening the scope of economic development in the county.
The zoning provisions, the first of their kind in Montgomery County, would give the County Council the authority to deal with public amenity requirements in certain business districts.
The donated space would have to be located in an arts and entertainment district.
Council members approved the provision 7-2, with Councilmen Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park and Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac casting dissenting votes.
A second piece of legislation also provides developers donating land — in this case the Lee Group — protections from changes in project and site plan approvals. The provision passed unanimously.
"As a council member I am more sensitive that this is the place where land use decisions rest," said Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park, who proposed the amended land use rules on Tuesday. "The buck stops here. We're the ones that set the policy."
The originally proposed legislation, submitted by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) would have given the authority to the county executive.
"These measures make the opening of the Fillmore music, live entertainment and community use venue a reality by 2011," Leggett (D) said in a statement.
The net public benefit of the project would be $1.6 million annually from the very start, Leggett continued. The venue is expected to generate 30 county jobs with an average annual salary of $45,000, county officials have said.
The new land use rules take effect immediately and could also apply to other arts and entertainment districts, in Wheaton and Bethesda.
Currently the Planning Board has discretion in accepting the space as an amenity, which is usually accepted after a developer finishes its project. Lee Development would provide the J.C. Penney land before nearby land owned by the company would be developed.
"This is a huge step in the process," said Bruce Lee, president of Lee Development Group. "This is a good deal for Silver Spring. Hopefully Fillmore will do for [that side of Colesville Road] what the AFI Theater did on the other side in attracting other businesses like Discovery Communication."
The Lee Group has not yet moved forward on developing its adjacent property, a project that is not feasible in the current sluggish economy, Lee said.
Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson has been the most vocal opponent of the land use changes, saying the changes would take away their discretion in dealing with planning matters in some situations and would offer unfair advantages to some projects. Hanson and other board members have supported the project overall, but not the zoning changes involved with it. He had no comment following Tuesday's vote.
Leggett maintained that the changes in land use law were necessary to spur development along that portion of Colesville Road across from the AFI Silver Theater.
Under the deal, the county and state have each contributed $4 billion toward the music venue. Live Nation will pay another $2 million toward the project. The land donated by the Lee Group is valued at $3.5 million. The county will retain ownership of the land and lease the space to the Fillmore, for a total of $3.26 million in rent over the term of the lease.
The Fillmore is required to host a minimum of 70 events each year with an objective of hosting 150 events. The venue must also a number of public uses, and hold no event after 1 a.m., to satisfy community concerns about late events, loud music and drunken concert goers.
With most of the council members congratulating county officials and the Lees, Berliner and Elrich maintained their opposition.
"I think this was a bad deal with the Fillmore folks. … I think this was a poor use of taxpayer's dollars," said Berliner.
Elrich agreed.
"I'm concerned that what's being touted as a new economic development tool is actually an old economic development tool," Elrich said. "This is not about the Fillmore. This is about zoning issues. We've been told to give the Lees what they want or else they will go elsewhere. Anybody that's been involved in the conversations knows that this is pretty much spot zoning."
The councilmen intend to cast dissenting final votes on the land acceptance resolution to the county executive next week.
Land-Use Votes Put Music Hall On Track - Washington Post
Council Action In Montgomery A Win for Leggett
By Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008; B01
The Montgomery County Council signed off yesterday on a pair of land-use measures designed to open one of Live Nation's Fillmore rock clubs on a vacant stretch of downtown Silver Spring by 2011.
The two votes were the last major hurdles for the controversial plan and a victory for County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who invested substantial political capital in selling the community and the council on the most high-profile building project of his tenure.
Under the deal, the council and the Maryland legislature will spend $8 million in taxpayer funds to build a Fillmore at the site of a former JCPenney store on Colesville Road. Lee Development Group will donate the land, worth about $3.5 million, to the county. And Live Nation will rent the building from the county to produce rock concerts for up to 2,000 people.
The council's action was a relief to community supporters, many wearing "Finalize the Fillmore" stickers, who have been working for more than six years to bring a live music venue to Silver Spring. After the votes, Bruce Lee, president of Lee Development, hugged and congratulated council members and Leggett aides.
"There were a lot of moments when I didn't think I'd see this day," Lee said. "This is huge."
In backing the plan, council members rejected the advice of the county's chief planner, who had called the zoning changes a "blank check" for developers.
But supporters such as council member Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring) said the music hall will be the capstone of Silver Spring's "renaissance" and generate millions in tax revenue. "We've done the right thing here. It doesn't look pretty and it hasn't been easy, but I'm glad we're moving down the road on this now," she said.
Proponents of the plan scrambled to rewrite the measures moments before the vote yesterday to ensure the necessary support.
The deal relies on the Lee group providing the land in exchange for protection and flexibility to eventually build on the surrounding site. The music hall, which would count as the Lee group's required public amenity and public-use space, would be built first, before the developers commit to an adjacent project.
Typically, the county's Planning Board negotiates with developers for open space, such as plazas, as part of the approval process. Leggett's initial proposal would have eliminated that discretion when the county executive accepted a donation of property for arts and entertainment.
But amendments approved yesterday on a 7 to 2 vote put the decision in the hands of the council, which would have to pass a resolution backing any initiative. Council member Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), who brokered the deal, called the changes a "significant rebalancing of the powers."
"This is the place where land-use decisions rest," she said of the council.
Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson reiterated his opposition in a letter to council members the day before the vote.
"We do not oppose the Fillmore; we oppose the damage the proposed amendments inflict on the integrity of planning and development review," he wrote, saying the changes mean that planners cannot ensure "a well-designed project at a strategic location in Silver Spring."
The dissenters on the council, Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda) and Marc Elrich (D-At Large), said the measures would set a bad precedent for land-use decisions and tried unsuccessfully to make last-minute changes. Elrich said the council was under pressure to write legislation for a narrow interest that would result in less public-use space, usually outdoors and free, in exchange for indoor space with an admission fee.
"We've been told, 'Give the Lees everything they want or this project goes someplace else or doesn't happen at all.' That's a problematic way to do business," he said. "This legislation goes far beyond protecting the Lees and basically gives them a deal we would not give to anyone else."
In a separate vote, the council unanimously approved a measure that would at least double the usual life span of approval for construction to 10 years, in addition to a five-year extension Leggett had initially proposed. Hanson had also warned against extending the approval period, saying it could slow construction in downtown Silver Spring by allowing the Lees to retain development rights but not use them for years.
The project, initiated by Leggett predecessor Douglas M. Duncan (D), had threatened to derail several times. Negotiations to open a Birchmere Music Hall collapsed early in Leggett's term, and a counteroffer from the owner of the District's 9:30 Club had appealed to some council members who did not want to use taxpayer money for the project.
By Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 8, 2008; B01
The Montgomery County Council signed off yesterday on a pair of land-use measures designed to open one of Live Nation's Fillmore rock clubs on a vacant stretch of downtown Silver Spring by 2011.
The two votes were the last major hurdles for the controversial plan and a victory for County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who invested substantial political capital in selling the community and the council on the most high-profile building project of his tenure.
Under the deal, the council and the Maryland legislature will spend $8 million in taxpayer funds to build a Fillmore at the site of a former JCPenney store on Colesville Road. Lee Development Group will donate the land, worth about $3.5 million, to the county. And Live Nation will rent the building from the county to produce rock concerts for up to 2,000 people.
The council's action was a relief to community supporters, many wearing "Finalize the Fillmore" stickers, who have been working for more than six years to bring a live music venue to Silver Spring. After the votes, Bruce Lee, president of Lee Development, hugged and congratulated council members and Leggett aides.
"There were a lot of moments when I didn't think I'd see this day," Lee said. "This is huge."
In backing the plan, council members rejected the advice of the county's chief planner, who had called the zoning changes a "blank check" for developers.
But supporters such as council member Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring) said the music hall will be the capstone of Silver Spring's "renaissance" and generate millions in tax revenue. "We've done the right thing here. It doesn't look pretty and it hasn't been easy, but I'm glad we're moving down the road on this now," she said.
Proponents of the plan scrambled to rewrite the measures moments before the vote yesterday to ensure the necessary support.
The deal relies on the Lee group providing the land in exchange for protection and flexibility to eventually build on the surrounding site. The music hall, which would count as the Lee group's required public amenity and public-use space, would be built first, before the developers commit to an adjacent project.
Typically, the county's Planning Board negotiates with developers for open space, such as plazas, as part of the approval process. Leggett's initial proposal would have eliminated that discretion when the county executive accepted a donation of property for arts and entertainment.
But amendments approved yesterday on a 7 to 2 vote put the decision in the hands of the council, which would have to pass a resolution backing any initiative. Council member Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), who brokered the deal, called the changes a "significant rebalancing of the powers."
"This is the place where land-use decisions rest," she said of the council.
Planning Board Chairman Royce Hanson reiterated his opposition in a letter to council members the day before the vote.
"We do not oppose the Fillmore; we oppose the damage the proposed amendments inflict on the integrity of planning and development review," he wrote, saying the changes mean that planners cannot ensure "a well-designed project at a strategic location in Silver Spring."
The dissenters on the council, Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda) and Marc Elrich (D-At Large), said the measures would set a bad precedent for land-use decisions and tried unsuccessfully to make last-minute changes. Elrich said the council was under pressure to write legislation for a narrow interest that would result in less public-use space, usually outdoors and free, in exchange for indoor space with an admission fee.
"We've been told, 'Give the Lees everything they want or this project goes someplace else or doesn't happen at all.' That's a problematic way to do business," he said. "This legislation goes far beyond protecting the Lees and basically gives them a deal we would not give to anyone else."
In a separate vote, the council unanimously approved a measure that would at least double the usual life span of approval for construction to 10 years, in addition to a five-year extension Leggett had initially proposed. Hanson had also warned against extending the approval period, saying it could slow construction in downtown Silver Spring by allowing the Lees to retain development rights but not use them for years.
The project, initiated by Leggett predecessor Douglas M. Duncan (D), had threatened to derail several times. Negotiations to open a Birchmere Music Hall collapsed early in Leggett's term, and a counteroffer from the owner of the District's 9:30 Club had appealed to some council members who did not want to use taxpayer money for the project.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Broad Acres Park Clean Up - Community Service Day - October 25, 2008
THE FRIENDS OF BROAD ACRES PARK ARE KICKING OFF ITS FIRST CLEAN-UP BY CELEBRATION
COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY
The Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed Program, the State’s Attorney’s Office of Montgomery County, partnering organizations and local residents, will be gathering together to celebrate Community Service Day.
Come meet your neighbors and get involved as you help us clean up Broad Acres Park and park land surrounding Northwest Park Apartments and Forest Park Apartments.
Broad Acres Park is currently under renovation and we need volunteers to help clean up the surrounding areas in preparation for its completion in the Spring. Please join us as we gather to launch a new Weed & Seed Initiative called “FRIENDS OF BROAD ACRES PARK”
When: October 25, 2008
Where: Broad Acres Elementary School
710 Beacon Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20903
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
THIS IS A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT!
VOLUNTEERS SHOULD DRESS TO GET DIRTY. PLAN TO WEAR LONG PANTS, BOOTS AND GLOVES.
For more information about this great event contact:
Victor Salazar, Weed & Seed Program (240) 876-1077
George Simms, State’s Attorney’s Office (240) 777-7383
Gretchen Hilburger, CSAFE, (301) 439-0972
Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Center, (301) 565-7300
COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY
The Northwest Park Oakview Weed & Seed Program, the State’s Attorney’s Office of Montgomery County, partnering organizations and local residents, will be gathering together to celebrate Community Service Day.
Come meet your neighbors and get involved as you help us clean up Broad Acres Park and park land surrounding Northwest Park Apartments and Forest Park Apartments.
Broad Acres Park is currently under renovation and we need volunteers to help clean up the surrounding areas in preparation for its completion in the Spring. Please join us as we gather to launch a new Weed & Seed Initiative called “FRIENDS OF BROAD ACRES PARK”
When: October 25, 2008
Where: Broad Acres Elementary School
710 Beacon Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20903
Time: 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
THIS IS A RAIN OR SHINE EVENT!
VOLUNTEERS SHOULD DRESS TO GET DIRTY. PLAN TO WEAR LONG PANTS, BOOTS AND GLOVES.
For more information about this great event contact:
Victor Salazar, Weed & Seed Program (240) 876-1077
George Simms, State’s Attorney’s Office (240) 777-7383
Gretchen Hilburger, CSAFE, (301) 439-0972
Dwayne Jenkins, Silver Spring Regional Center, (301) 565-7300
Monday, October 6, 2008
National Walk to School Talking Points
Why Walk or Bicycle to School? Talking Points
International Walk to School Day (October 8, 2008)
The following information can be helpful in communicating with the public and media during International Walk to School Day and Month.
Topics include:
Trends in school travel
Reasons for walking: Safety, physical activity and concern for the environment
Safe Routes to School
Background on the event and a list of participating countries
Trends in school travel
Fewer children walk or bicycle to school than did so a generation ago.
In 2001, 16 percent of students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or bicycled to or from school. (The 2008 National Household Travel Survey, which is currently being conducted, will highlight the newest trends in school travel.)
In 1969, 42 percent of students walked or bicycled to school.
Less than half of students who live within a mile of school walk or bike to school even once a week.
This is an opportunity lost. Walking or bicycling to school gives children time for physical activity and a sense of responsibility and independence; allows them to enjoy being outside; and provides them with time to socialize with their parents and friends and to get to know their neighborhoods. The entire community benefits when there is less traffic congestion and improved air quality as a result of fewer vehicles on the road.
Changes in school size and location have affected children’s ability to walk or bicycle to school.
Over the past several decades schools have been moving out to the edges of towns where land is less expensive and more available.
In 1969 about 45 percent of students lived less than a mile from school. By 2001 only 25 percent of students did.
School consolidation and more distant school locations tend to go hand in hand - bigger schools require more land.
In addition to creating more conducive conditions for walking and biking to school, smaller, neighborhood schools have other documented benefits for students and the community. Neighborhood schools encourage civic engagement and help strengthen sense of place in communities. Students at these schools perform better academically and have higher graduation rates. ,
Increasing distances between school and home can cause significant impact on a school’s transportation budget. For example, the state of Maine saw its school transportation costs increase six-fold between 1970 and 1995, despite decreases in enrollment. This increase has been attributed to school construction patterns and school locations.
Steady increases in gas prices are straining school transportation budgets across the country.
Average cost per student transported using bus service in 1980-1981 was $466. In 2004-2005 the average costs was $737.
As of July, 2008 average diesel fuel prices in the U.S. were 66 percent higher than a year ago. ($4.73 dollars/gallon in 2008 vs. $2.85 dollars/gallon in 2007).
Walking and bicycling to school can be low-cost alternatives to bus service for some children.
Perceptions about traffic can lead to even less walking or bicycling. As more children are driven, more parents become convinced that traffic conditions make it unsafe for walking or bicycling and they join the line of cars at the school.
Travel to school accounts for 7 to 11 percent of non-commuting vehicle traffic. This figure does not include trips during which parents drop their children off on the way to work.
Studies in some cities show that 17 to 26 percent of morning rush hour traffic can be school-related. ,
If more children walked or bicycled to school, it would reduce the number of cars near the school at pick-up and drop-off times making it safer for walkers and bicyclists and reducing traffic congestion.
It takes about five to ten minutes for children to walk a quarter of a mile or bicycle an entire mile.
Walking or bicycling to and from school is an easy way for children to get some physical activity each day, which all children need.
Safety
Walking and bicycling need to be safe transportation options. This means creating safe environments and teaching safety skills to walkers, bicyclists and drivers.
Safe walking and bicycling environments include:
Neighborhood schools that are within walking and bicycling distance from homes
Sidewalks or bicycle-paths that connect homes with schools
Child-friendly opportunities to cross streets (such as the presence of adult crossing guards, raised medians or traffic and pedestrian signals)
Slow vehicle speeds accomplished through roadway safety measures (traffic calming) and/or police enforcement where needed
Vehicle speed is a key element in safety. Driving slower saves lives.
A pedestrian hit by a car traveling 40 mph has a mere 15 percent chance of survival.
At 30 mph, those odds increase to 45 percent.
By contrast, a pedestrian has an 85 percent chance of survival if hit by a car moving at 20 mph.
Safety education includes working with:
Children - to provide them with basic safety skills, such as how to choose where to walk and cross streets, obey crossing guards and be visible to drivers.
Parents - to create awareness of the need for pedestrian and bicyclist safety education and opportunities to walk and bicycle and the importance of practicing safety skills with their children.
Drivers - to alert all drivers to the presence of walkers and bicyclists and the need to slow down.
Law enforcement - to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety with school zone enforcement.
Local officials - to identify changes needed to improve walking and bicycling conditions around schools.
Teaching children walking and bicycling safety skills can help create lifelong traffic skills.
Short periods of skills-based training can significantly improve child pedestrian behavior.
Physical activity
Physical activity contributes to overall health.
Experts recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of age appropriate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. , , ,
Many kids are not getting the exercise that they need.
As age or grade in school increases, physical activity participation drastically declines.
Less active children are more likely to be overweight.
Research shows that overweight children are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity in adulthood. , ,
In 2006, over 17 percent of children aged 6 to 11 years old were overweight.
Between 1976 and 2004 the percentage of overweight children aged 6 to 11 years old almost tripled.
The most recent nationwide health survey indicates that within the past few years the upward trends in childhood obesity may be leveling off. Data from the 2007-2008 survey will help to better understand the most recent trends in childhood obesity.
Walking and bicycling to school offers an opportunity for children to get physical activity as part of their daily routine.
The U.S. public health initiative Healthy People 2010 recognizes walking and bicycling to school as opportunities to increase physical activity among children.
Walking and bicycling to school is associated with higher levels of physical activity throughout the day and greater physical fitness. ,
Potential benefits of physical activity for youth include:
Weight and blood pressure control
Bone, muscle, and joint health and maintenance
Reduction in the risk of diabetes
Improved psychological welfare
Physical activity is associated with improved academic performance in children and adolescents.
Environment and air quality
Private vehicle emissions contribute to air pollution and global climate change, both of which threaten human and environmental health.
Passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and SUVs together account for 62 percent of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is responsible for one third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the US.
Air pollutants can be especially harmful to children because their respiratory systems are still developing.
Air pollution has negative effects on lung development in children and can reduce lung function, increase respiratory infection, and aggravate asthma symptoms.
Childhood asthma rates more than doubled from 1980 to the mid-1990s and they remain at historically high rates today. Presently, asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases and is a major cause of childhood disability.
At least 14 million school days are missed annually due to asthma.
Walking and biking to school provide opportunities for children and families to reduce their carbon usage and contribute to the health of the environment.
If a family chooses to walk to school (rather than drive a personal vehicle) they can reduce their carbon use by .164 metric tons annually. If half of the students at an average size elementary school choose to walk to school their impact could be a savings of over 39 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. This is the equivalent of the carbon-removing abilities of 1000 trees.
Leaving the car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year.
Schools placed in neighborhoods near residential areas with a good street and sidewalk network have more students arriving by bicycle and on foot. Air quality is measurably better at such locations.
Exposure to nature and time for free outdoor play can have multiple health benefits including stress reduction, relief of ADHD symptoms in children, and increased cognitive and motor functioning. , , ,
The daily walk to school offers children an opportunity to spend time in the natural environment. When appropriate and safe, walking and biking to school is an experience that can help children develop a sense of independence that is important for development.
About Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by parents, other community members, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to enable and encourage children to safely walk or bicycle to school.
In July 2005, Congress passed federal legislation that established a national Safe Routes to School program. The program dedicates a total of $612 million towards SRTS from 2005 to 2009.
In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center for Safe Routes to School is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration.
Many communities launch SRTS programs as a result of Walk to School events.
More than 50% of schools that hold registered Walk to School events conduct walking and/or bicycling promotional activities throughout the year.
Nearly 50% of Walk to School events are part of SRTS programs.
About Walk to School
In 2008, more than 6,500 schools in the United States are estimated to participate in International Walk to School Day. Approximately 4 million people from 42 countries will participate (see next section).
Since 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (UNC HSRC) has been the National Coordinator for Walk to School events in the USA. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, also part of UNC HSRC, has filled this role since the event began in 1997.
In 2007, registered participation in International Walk to School Day increased by 35% compared to the previous year, reaching a record high of 2,755 registered events.
Walk to School events extend beyond the recognition of a single day. More than 60 percent of 2007 event organizers reported that their Walk to School events resulted in policy or engineering changes that would improve safety for walkers and bicyclists, such as increased traffic enforcement near the school or the addition of walkways.
Organizations supporting International Walk to School Day in the U.S. include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
The Partnership for a Walkable America founded Walk to School Day in the United States in 1997 and began with two events in two cities: Chicago and Los Angeles. Canada and Great Britain already had Walk to School events in place.
Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States joined together in 2000 to create International Walk to School Day. Over 2.5 million walkers were estimated to have participated.
International Walk to School Day received the Stockholm Partnership for Sustainable Cities Award in June 2003 from the King of Sweden.
International Walk to School Day (October 8, 2008)
The following information can be helpful in communicating with the public and media during International Walk to School Day and Month.
Topics include:
Trends in school travel
Reasons for walking: Safety, physical activity and concern for the environment
Safe Routes to School
Background on the event and a list of participating countries
Trends in school travel
Fewer children walk or bicycle to school than did so a generation ago.
In 2001, 16 percent of students between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or bicycled to or from school. (The 2008 National Household Travel Survey, which is currently being conducted, will highlight the newest trends in school travel.)
In 1969, 42 percent of students walked or bicycled to school.
Less than half of students who live within a mile of school walk or bike to school even once a week.
This is an opportunity lost. Walking or bicycling to school gives children time for physical activity and a sense of responsibility and independence; allows them to enjoy being outside; and provides them with time to socialize with their parents and friends and to get to know their neighborhoods. The entire community benefits when there is less traffic congestion and improved air quality as a result of fewer vehicles on the road.
Changes in school size and location have affected children’s ability to walk or bicycle to school.
Over the past several decades schools have been moving out to the edges of towns where land is less expensive and more available.
In 1969 about 45 percent of students lived less than a mile from school. By 2001 only 25 percent of students did.
School consolidation and more distant school locations tend to go hand in hand - bigger schools require more land.
In addition to creating more conducive conditions for walking and biking to school, smaller, neighborhood schools have other documented benefits for students and the community. Neighborhood schools encourage civic engagement and help strengthen sense of place in communities. Students at these schools perform better academically and have higher graduation rates. ,
Increasing distances between school and home can cause significant impact on a school’s transportation budget. For example, the state of Maine saw its school transportation costs increase six-fold between 1970 and 1995, despite decreases in enrollment. This increase has been attributed to school construction patterns and school locations.
Steady increases in gas prices are straining school transportation budgets across the country.
Average cost per student transported using bus service in 1980-1981 was $466. In 2004-2005 the average costs was $737.
As of July, 2008 average diesel fuel prices in the U.S. were 66 percent higher than a year ago. ($4.73 dollars/gallon in 2008 vs. $2.85 dollars/gallon in 2007).
Walking and bicycling to school can be low-cost alternatives to bus service for some children.
Perceptions about traffic can lead to even less walking or bicycling. As more children are driven, more parents become convinced that traffic conditions make it unsafe for walking or bicycling and they join the line of cars at the school.
Travel to school accounts for 7 to 11 percent of non-commuting vehicle traffic. This figure does not include trips during which parents drop their children off on the way to work.
Studies in some cities show that 17 to 26 percent of morning rush hour traffic can be school-related. ,
If more children walked or bicycled to school, it would reduce the number of cars near the school at pick-up and drop-off times making it safer for walkers and bicyclists and reducing traffic congestion.
It takes about five to ten minutes for children to walk a quarter of a mile or bicycle an entire mile.
Walking or bicycling to and from school is an easy way for children to get some physical activity each day, which all children need.
Safety
Walking and bicycling need to be safe transportation options. This means creating safe environments and teaching safety skills to walkers, bicyclists and drivers.
Safe walking and bicycling environments include:
Neighborhood schools that are within walking and bicycling distance from homes
Sidewalks or bicycle-paths that connect homes with schools
Child-friendly opportunities to cross streets (such as the presence of adult crossing guards, raised medians or traffic and pedestrian signals)
Slow vehicle speeds accomplished through roadway safety measures (traffic calming) and/or police enforcement where needed
Vehicle speed is a key element in safety. Driving slower saves lives.
A pedestrian hit by a car traveling 40 mph has a mere 15 percent chance of survival.
At 30 mph, those odds increase to 45 percent.
By contrast, a pedestrian has an 85 percent chance of survival if hit by a car moving at 20 mph.
Safety education includes working with:
Children - to provide them with basic safety skills, such as how to choose where to walk and cross streets, obey crossing guards and be visible to drivers.
Parents - to create awareness of the need for pedestrian and bicyclist safety education and opportunities to walk and bicycle and the importance of practicing safety skills with their children.
Drivers - to alert all drivers to the presence of walkers and bicyclists and the need to slow down.
Law enforcement - to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety with school zone enforcement.
Local officials - to identify changes needed to improve walking and bicycling conditions around schools.
Teaching children walking and bicycling safety skills can help create lifelong traffic skills.
Short periods of skills-based training can significantly improve child pedestrian behavior.
Physical activity
Physical activity contributes to overall health.
Experts recommend that children get at least 60 minutes of age appropriate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. , , ,
Many kids are not getting the exercise that they need.
As age or grade in school increases, physical activity participation drastically declines.
Less active children are more likely to be overweight.
Research shows that overweight children are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity in adulthood. , ,
In 2006, over 17 percent of children aged 6 to 11 years old were overweight.
Between 1976 and 2004 the percentage of overweight children aged 6 to 11 years old almost tripled.
The most recent nationwide health survey indicates that within the past few years the upward trends in childhood obesity may be leveling off. Data from the 2007-2008 survey will help to better understand the most recent trends in childhood obesity.
Walking and bicycling to school offers an opportunity for children to get physical activity as part of their daily routine.
The U.S. public health initiative Healthy People 2010 recognizes walking and bicycling to school as opportunities to increase physical activity among children.
Walking and bicycling to school is associated with higher levels of physical activity throughout the day and greater physical fitness. ,
Potential benefits of physical activity for youth include:
Weight and blood pressure control
Bone, muscle, and joint health and maintenance
Reduction in the risk of diabetes
Improved psychological welfare
Physical activity is associated with improved academic performance in children and adolescents.
Environment and air quality
Private vehicle emissions contribute to air pollution and global climate change, both of which threaten human and environmental health.
Passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and SUVs together account for 62 percent of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is responsible for one third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the US.
Air pollutants can be especially harmful to children because their respiratory systems are still developing.
Air pollution has negative effects on lung development in children and can reduce lung function, increase respiratory infection, and aggravate asthma symptoms.
Childhood asthma rates more than doubled from 1980 to the mid-1990s and they remain at historically high rates today. Presently, asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases and is a major cause of childhood disability.
At least 14 million school days are missed annually due to asthma.
Walking and biking to school provide opportunities for children and families to reduce their carbon usage and contribute to the health of the environment.
If a family chooses to walk to school (rather than drive a personal vehicle) they can reduce their carbon use by .164 metric tons annually. If half of the students at an average size elementary school choose to walk to school their impact could be a savings of over 39 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. This is the equivalent of the carbon-removing abilities of 1000 trees.
Leaving the car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year.
Schools placed in neighborhoods near residential areas with a good street and sidewalk network have more students arriving by bicycle and on foot. Air quality is measurably better at such locations.
Exposure to nature and time for free outdoor play can have multiple health benefits including stress reduction, relief of ADHD symptoms in children, and increased cognitive and motor functioning. , , ,
The daily walk to school offers children an opportunity to spend time in the natural environment. When appropriate and safe, walking and biking to school is an experience that can help children develop a sense of independence that is important for development.
About Safe Routes to School
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by parents, other community members, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to enable and encourage children to safely walk or bicycle to school.
In July 2005, Congress passed federal legislation that established a national Safe Routes to School program. The program dedicates a total of $612 million towards SRTS from 2005 to 2009.
In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center for Safe Routes to School is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration.
Many communities launch SRTS programs as a result of Walk to School events.
More than 50% of schools that hold registered Walk to School events conduct walking and/or bicycling promotional activities throughout the year.
Nearly 50% of Walk to School events are part of SRTS programs.
About Walk to School
In 2008, more than 6,500 schools in the United States are estimated to participate in International Walk to School Day. Approximately 4 million people from 42 countries will participate (see next section).
Since 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center (UNC HSRC) has been the National Coordinator for Walk to School events in the USA. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, also part of UNC HSRC, has filled this role since the event began in 1997.
In 2007, registered participation in International Walk to School Day increased by 35% compared to the previous year, reaching a record high of 2,755 registered events.
Walk to School events extend beyond the recognition of a single day. More than 60 percent of 2007 event organizers reported that their Walk to School events resulted in policy or engineering changes that would improve safety for walkers and bicyclists, such as increased traffic enforcement near the school or the addition of walkways.
Organizations supporting International Walk to School Day in the U.S. include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
The Partnership for a Walkable America founded Walk to School Day in the United States in 1997 and began with two events in two cities: Chicago and Los Angeles. Canada and Great Britain already had Walk to School events in place.
Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States joined together in 2000 to create International Walk to School Day. Over 2.5 million walkers were estimated to have participated.
International Walk to School Day received the Stockholm Partnership for Sustainable Cities Award in June 2003 from the King of Sweden.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Silver Spring Civic Associations Support National Walk to School Day
PRESS RELEASE
Immediate
October 1, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Chambers, 301-588-1716
Wednesday, October 8, 2008, is National Walk to School Day. President’s Council of Silver Spring (Prezco) has organized a pedestrian safety campaign to educate and encourage motorists and pedestrians to “Drive Safe” and “Walk Safe.” During the morning of October 8th, twelve civic associations involved in Prezco will educate motorists and walking children and adults in their neighborhood to drive and walk cautiously and safely at dangerous intersections and streets. Education will include: “Drive Safe, Walk Safe” yard signs; articles written in neighborhood newsletters, list serves, and websites; publishing school bus stop times and locations in neighborhoods; hand made signs and citizen presence at dangerous intersections and streets; letters written to organizations or businesses asking their members and patrons to drive and walk safely in their neighborhoods; and working with the neighborhood’s elementary school to help organize Walk to School Day events. For example, parents in the Indian Spring neighborhood will organize and participate in the Walking School Bus to Highland View Elementary School during the morning of October 8th. National Walk to School day encourages children to walk to school to promote personal and environmental, healthy living and educates them about safe practices for walking on streets.
President’s Council of Silver Spring (Prezco) is a coalition of twelve civic associations in Silver Spring who advocate for the concerns and needs of their citizens. In early 2007, Prezco made pedestrian safety a priority to advocate for increased pedestrian safety on the streets in Silver Spring. Each civic contributed to a list of unfriendly pedestrian roads, intersections, and situations in their neighborhoods. Eighty pedestrian safety problems were identified and included in a chart organized by the roads primary, secondary, and jurisdictional status, in addition to coding the problems as hot button issues or ones that could be easily fixed, such as restriping a crosswalk. In September 2007, this chart was submitted to the County Executive, County Council, and at the time the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT). All three were very receptive and responsive to Prezco’s advocacy on this issue. In particular, DPWT has worked well with Prezco to alleviate the unfriendly pedestrian situations in our neighborhoods. Since June of this year, eighty percent of the pedestrian safety problems identified by Prezco have either been resolved or the projects have been completed. When County Executive Ike Leggett and Councilmember Valerie Ervin announced Montgomery County’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative last December, they credited Prezco's plan as its inspiration.
Immediate
October 1, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Chambers, 301-588-1716
Wednesday, October 8, 2008, is National Walk to School Day. President’s Council of Silver Spring (Prezco) has organized a pedestrian safety campaign to educate and encourage motorists and pedestrians to “Drive Safe” and “Walk Safe.” During the morning of October 8th, twelve civic associations involved in Prezco will educate motorists and walking children and adults in their neighborhood to drive and walk cautiously and safely at dangerous intersections and streets. Education will include: “Drive Safe, Walk Safe” yard signs; articles written in neighborhood newsletters, list serves, and websites; publishing school bus stop times and locations in neighborhoods; hand made signs and citizen presence at dangerous intersections and streets; letters written to organizations or businesses asking their members and patrons to drive and walk safely in their neighborhoods; and working with the neighborhood’s elementary school to help organize Walk to School Day events. For example, parents in the Indian Spring neighborhood will organize and participate in the Walking School Bus to Highland View Elementary School during the morning of October 8th. National Walk to School day encourages children to walk to school to promote personal and environmental, healthy living and educates them about safe practices for walking on streets.
President’s Council of Silver Spring (Prezco) is a coalition of twelve civic associations in Silver Spring who advocate for the concerns and needs of their citizens. In early 2007, Prezco made pedestrian safety a priority to advocate for increased pedestrian safety on the streets in Silver Spring. Each civic contributed to a list of unfriendly pedestrian roads, intersections, and situations in their neighborhoods. Eighty pedestrian safety problems were identified and included in a chart organized by the roads primary, secondary, and jurisdictional status, in addition to coding the problems as hot button issues or ones that could be easily fixed, such as restriping a crosswalk. In September 2007, this chart was submitted to the County Executive, County Council, and at the time the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT). All three were very receptive and responsive to Prezco’s advocacy on this issue. In particular, DPWT has worked well with Prezco to alleviate the unfriendly pedestrian situations in our neighborhoods. Since June of this year, eighty percent of the pedestrian safety problems identified by Prezco have either been resolved or the projects have been completed. When County Executive Ike Leggett and Councilmember Valerie Ervin announced Montgomery County’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative last December, they credited Prezco's plan as its inspiration.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Parents, nonprofit study ways to close achievement gap - Gazette
IMPACT Silver Spring report seeks to build relationships as a way to improve education for minority students
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer | Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008
A Silver Spring nonprofit organization has released a report examining challenges facing minority students and parents in the county public school system and offering recommendations to help close the achievement gap in a racially, ethnically diverse population.
Six diverse parents with children in Montgomery County Public Schools spent six months working with IMPACT Silver Spring to prepare a 43-page report that calls on schools to improve the relationship between parents, students and teachers through a variety of programs.
The report was completed in August and distributed last week to several MCPS administrators.
Some of the recommended programs have been used in MCPS schools and others were modeled after programs in cities such as Chicago and Sacramento. But whether the programs promote teachers meeting in their students' homes or discussing reading assignments one-on-one with students, all programs looked to improve teacher-student relationships on a school-by-school basis.
"MCPS has done a lot and we really believe that," said IMPACT Executive Director Frankie Blackburn. "This [report] cannot be done by top-down government structure. The theory is that you start doing a bottom-up strategy and it spreads faster when you start having success."
Locally, Springbrook High School in Silver Spring has implemented a Summertime Teacher-Student Book Club in which students were given a list of 93 books this summer, chose two and then met with teachers to discuss the books. IMPACT's parents thought the program could be implemented in diverse schools to strengthen the relationship with parents and teachers.
The parents were also shown a video of a Teacher Home Visit program in Sacramento where teachers meet with a student's family twice a year in their home. The teachers are paid a stipend to cover travel costs and time commitment.
"It's a teacher coming to a home without any paper or asking questions," said parent participant Sara Mussie of Takoma Park, a native of Ethiopian and mother of two children in the county school system.
Previous IMPACT programs were recommended to MCPS, including an overnight retreat of parents and teachers, which was conducted at Piney Branch Elementary School in 2006.
"The main challenge is helping teachers understand the needs of different cultures because so many cultures and languages are represented [at Piney Branch]," said Principal Bertram Generlette. "IMPACT really helps to make that happen."
A program from Chicago's Logan Square Neighborhood Association was also recommended. Called Literacy Ambassadors, the program matches a teacher with four to five families for weekly meetings in one of the families' homes. The group discusses a reading assignment together and a meal is provided for the gathering.
School board member Chris Barclay (Dist. 4) of Takoma Park went to Chicago with IMPACT to observe Literacy Ambassadors and was encouraged to see it included in the report. Because the recommendations came from the same parents who will benefit from them, the priority should be high, Barclay said. But it will be difficult to conduct the programs systemwide.
"It's going to probably be more about what kinds of things hit for the particular school and community and, given the resources of that particular school, what works for them," said Barclay, who has three children in MCPS.
How the study was done
The six parents came from a group of about 20 who took six workshops with IMPACT in 2007.
These parents – one African American, one Latino and four Africans – committed to two meetings per month for the past year to develop the report.
The goal was to create a school where teachers served students and parents of all backgrounds equally, thus closing the achievement gap.
In addition to examining programs from around the country and meeting with each other, the parents interviewed 14 teachers, 13 parents and 16 students of different genders, ethnicities and grade levels.
A 10-page section of the report contains anonymous testimonials from these interviews.
One high school teacher suggested colleagues attend students' sports and extracurricular activities. Another high school teacher spoke of how going on a police ride-along in his students' neighborhoods helped understand their background.
Teachers who keep parents involved by contacting them regularly by phone or through Internet grading are the most effective, one immigrant parent said.
"It's exciting to know how different they were, each person's country had a different take on education and what they have learned," said Takoma Park resident and Caribbean-born Sherron Allen, one of the six parents who conducted the report.
The multicultural classroom
Many of IMPACT's longstanding relationships are within the diverse Silver Spring and Takoma Park area at schools like Piney Branch that have certain characteristics allowing them to benefit the most from a closer parent-student-teacher relationship.
"The criteria is having a principal with some level of empowerment to be able to manage the demands coming down from a system and still be able to balance relationships with the community," said Ray Moreno, director of schools for IMPACT. "There has to be a sense that people in the community and teachers really want to create a situation that's not just best for their kid but best for every kid."
IMPACT is pursuing a "pilot program" at Piney Branch and Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, which would establish IMPACT programs with the hope of "changing the culture" of the school.
When discussing the achievement gap, IMPACT and the parents are more interested in the cultural aspects, while Moreno acknowledged that MCPS generally looks at the gap through standardized test scores.
Blackburn said participation in school programs, getting jobs in high school and staying out of trouble are more important goals for students. Barclay agreed.
"If you look at state tests, for me that's not going to be the bottom line," he said. "My daughter is not going to take a state test to get a job."
Immigrant parents must work to close the achievement gap even before their children start school, said West Africa native Akibou Obaonrin, another of the six parents who participated in the study.
"The gap doesn't start in fourth or fifth grade, it starts sometime before our kids were born," he said. "… Because if we don't know exactly what to do to get them ready, they are going to accumulate a lack of understanding."
Challenges facing parents
When Obaonrin moved to the United States in 1998 to unite with his family, he knew he wanted to assist his daughters' education as his father, a PTA president for 10 years in Africa, did for him. After years of struggling to understand the school system and communicate with teachers, Obaonrin decided to embark on the Silver Spring Loves Teachers study.
"If you don't go to the school, you might have information but sometimes you might not understand it," he said. "… I knew that and I was just following what I saw of [my father] and what he taught me."
Both Obaonrin and Mussie spoke of major differences between school systems in the United States and Africa, where parents only go to their child's school if they did something bad. When they come to the U.S., many immigrant parents are reluctant to seek out teachers, they said.
At Piney Branch, Generlette said bilingual staff members, as well as IMPACT staffers working at the school two hours per day, will help teachers make calls home to parents to discuss their children.
Mussie said the recommended programs in the study would promote positive, informal interaction with teachers and immigrant parents.
"When my son started school, I was saying ‘hi' and ‘bye' to the teacher, that's about it," she said. "I didn't know how to [be more involved], I didn't know if I had to. It's a lot more than that."
The following six parents
contributed to the Silver Spring Loves Teachers report:
Berhanu Bedane
Originally from Ethiopia, Bedane has four children, two of whom are students in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Eddy Carranza
A Montgomery Blair High School graduate, Carranza is from the Dominican Republic and has four children, three of whom are in MCPS.
Fini Kondeh
From Sierra Leone, Kondeh has three children, two of whom are in MCPS.
Akibou Obaonrin
Originally from Benin, Obaonrin has two children in MCPS.
Sara Mussie
Now an employee for IMPACT Silver Spring, Mussie is from Ethiopia and has two children in MCPS.
Sherron Allen
Born in the West Indies, Allen has a son in the pre-kindergarten program at Rolling Terrace Elementary School, which is an MCPS school.
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer | Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008
A Silver Spring nonprofit organization has released a report examining challenges facing minority students and parents in the county public school system and offering recommendations to help close the achievement gap in a racially, ethnically diverse population.
Six diverse parents with children in Montgomery County Public Schools spent six months working with IMPACT Silver Spring to prepare a 43-page report that calls on schools to improve the relationship between parents, students and teachers through a variety of programs.
The report was completed in August and distributed last week to several MCPS administrators.
Some of the recommended programs have been used in MCPS schools and others were modeled after programs in cities such as Chicago and Sacramento. But whether the programs promote teachers meeting in their students' homes or discussing reading assignments one-on-one with students, all programs looked to improve teacher-student relationships on a school-by-school basis.
"MCPS has done a lot and we really believe that," said IMPACT Executive Director Frankie Blackburn. "This [report] cannot be done by top-down government structure. The theory is that you start doing a bottom-up strategy and it spreads faster when you start having success."
Locally, Springbrook High School in Silver Spring has implemented a Summertime Teacher-Student Book Club in which students were given a list of 93 books this summer, chose two and then met with teachers to discuss the books. IMPACT's parents thought the program could be implemented in diverse schools to strengthen the relationship with parents and teachers.
The parents were also shown a video of a Teacher Home Visit program in Sacramento where teachers meet with a student's family twice a year in their home. The teachers are paid a stipend to cover travel costs and time commitment.
"It's a teacher coming to a home without any paper or asking questions," said parent participant Sara Mussie of Takoma Park, a native of Ethiopian and mother of two children in the county school system.
Previous IMPACT programs were recommended to MCPS, including an overnight retreat of parents and teachers, which was conducted at Piney Branch Elementary School in 2006.
"The main challenge is helping teachers understand the needs of different cultures because so many cultures and languages are represented [at Piney Branch]," said Principal Bertram Generlette. "IMPACT really helps to make that happen."
A program from Chicago's Logan Square Neighborhood Association was also recommended. Called Literacy Ambassadors, the program matches a teacher with four to five families for weekly meetings in one of the families' homes. The group discusses a reading assignment together and a meal is provided for the gathering.
School board member Chris Barclay (Dist. 4) of Takoma Park went to Chicago with IMPACT to observe Literacy Ambassadors and was encouraged to see it included in the report. Because the recommendations came from the same parents who will benefit from them, the priority should be high, Barclay said. But it will be difficult to conduct the programs systemwide.
"It's going to probably be more about what kinds of things hit for the particular school and community and, given the resources of that particular school, what works for them," said Barclay, who has three children in MCPS.
How the study was done
The six parents came from a group of about 20 who took six workshops with IMPACT in 2007.
These parents – one African American, one Latino and four Africans – committed to two meetings per month for the past year to develop the report.
The goal was to create a school where teachers served students and parents of all backgrounds equally, thus closing the achievement gap.
In addition to examining programs from around the country and meeting with each other, the parents interviewed 14 teachers, 13 parents and 16 students of different genders, ethnicities and grade levels.
A 10-page section of the report contains anonymous testimonials from these interviews.
One high school teacher suggested colleagues attend students' sports and extracurricular activities. Another high school teacher spoke of how going on a police ride-along in his students' neighborhoods helped understand their background.
Teachers who keep parents involved by contacting them regularly by phone or through Internet grading are the most effective, one immigrant parent said.
"It's exciting to know how different they were, each person's country had a different take on education and what they have learned," said Takoma Park resident and Caribbean-born Sherron Allen, one of the six parents who conducted the report.
The multicultural classroom
Many of IMPACT's longstanding relationships are within the diverse Silver Spring and Takoma Park area at schools like Piney Branch that have certain characteristics allowing them to benefit the most from a closer parent-student-teacher relationship.
"The criteria is having a principal with some level of empowerment to be able to manage the demands coming down from a system and still be able to balance relationships with the community," said Ray Moreno, director of schools for IMPACT. "There has to be a sense that people in the community and teachers really want to create a situation that's not just best for their kid but best for every kid."
IMPACT is pursuing a "pilot program" at Piney Branch and Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, which would establish IMPACT programs with the hope of "changing the culture" of the school.
When discussing the achievement gap, IMPACT and the parents are more interested in the cultural aspects, while Moreno acknowledged that MCPS generally looks at the gap through standardized test scores.
Blackburn said participation in school programs, getting jobs in high school and staying out of trouble are more important goals for students. Barclay agreed.
"If you look at state tests, for me that's not going to be the bottom line," he said. "My daughter is not going to take a state test to get a job."
Immigrant parents must work to close the achievement gap even before their children start school, said West Africa native Akibou Obaonrin, another of the six parents who participated in the study.
"The gap doesn't start in fourth or fifth grade, it starts sometime before our kids were born," he said. "… Because if we don't know exactly what to do to get them ready, they are going to accumulate a lack of understanding."
Challenges facing parents
When Obaonrin moved to the United States in 1998 to unite with his family, he knew he wanted to assist his daughters' education as his father, a PTA president for 10 years in Africa, did for him. After years of struggling to understand the school system and communicate with teachers, Obaonrin decided to embark on the Silver Spring Loves Teachers study.
"If you don't go to the school, you might have information but sometimes you might not understand it," he said. "… I knew that and I was just following what I saw of [my father] and what he taught me."
Both Obaonrin and Mussie spoke of major differences between school systems in the United States and Africa, where parents only go to their child's school if they did something bad. When they come to the U.S., many immigrant parents are reluctant to seek out teachers, they said.
At Piney Branch, Generlette said bilingual staff members, as well as IMPACT staffers working at the school two hours per day, will help teachers make calls home to parents to discuss their children.
Mussie said the recommended programs in the study would promote positive, informal interaction with teachers and immigrant parents.
"When my son started school, I was saying ‘hi' and ‘bye' to the teacher, that's about it," she said. "I didn't know how to [be more involved], I didn't know if I had to. It's a lot more than that."
The following six parents
contributed to the Silver Spring Loves Teachers report:
Berhanu Bedane
Originally from Ethiopia, Bedane has four children, two of whom are students in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Eddy Carranza
A Montgomery Blair High School graduate, Carranza is from the Dominican Republic and has four children, three of whom are in MCPS.
Fini Kondeh
From Sierra Leone, Kondeh has three children, two of whom are in MCPS.
Akibou Obaonrin
Originally from Benin, Obaonrin has two children in MCPS.
Sara Mussie
Now an employee for IMPACT Silver Spring, Mussie is from Ethiopia and has two children in MCPS.
Sherron Allen
Born in the West Indies, Allen has a son in the pre-kindergarten program at Rolling Terrace Elementary School, which is an MCPS school.
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