Sunday, July 02, 2017

Trump threat posted at Wood Acres ES in Bethesda

The message board in front of Wood Acres Elementary School was broken into sometime between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, and the letters were rearranged to create an assassination threat against President Donald Trump. According to Wood Acres principal Marita Sherburne, the vandalism and threat were reported to both Montgomery County Police and Montgomery County Public Schools security.

A nearby resident discovered the message Saturday, Sherburne said. The message read, "EW, TRUMP! MURDER HIS [EXPLETIVE]" according to ABC 7, to which that resident, Andrew Johnson, provided photos of the message before he removed the letters. A second nonsense message on the other side of the marquee read, "TRUMP! ART THEE PEASANT UNDER ME [space]_{space] YES."

Johnson told ABC 7 he reported the threat to the Secret Service.

This will be the first notable test of whether or not MCPS has whipped itself into shape with regard to the its security cameras, after the alleged gang rape at Rockville High School revealed that many cameras were not being monitored. Several graffiti incidents in 2016 also exposed that many MCPS schools do not have cameras in common areas at all, since not a single one of those cases has been solved to date. Had a camera been recording, suspects would have quickly been identified.

If no security camera footage shows the sign being broken into, we will know that MCPS has failed to cover the front of the Wood Acres property in its video surveillance, despite having over 3 months to correct the problem. Wood Acres is located at 5800 Cromwell Drive.

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

Johnson probably posted those letters himself. Did anyone else actually see it?

Anonymous said...

A security camera just to cover a sign board? That would be an idiotic use of our tax dollars.

"Alleged gang rape"

Shouldn't you note that charges against both defendants were dropped?

Anonymous said...

As 7:09 says, security cameras trained specifically on a sign board would be an absurd waste of resources. Once again the author would have us believe he's some kind of security expert, just as he did when offering his opinions on the price of the surveillance system at a county administrative building several months ago. (In that case the author made the numbers up out of thin air. At least, we have to assume he did, given the fact that he ignored requests for links to the source documents.)

On the off chance the school DOES have footage, let's hope whatever images come back are less blurry than the one used for this post!

Anonymous said...

"PRIDE CAMPAIGN
THANK YOU!
PTA MTG 7PM DEC 2
TOPIC: MATH"

LOL at Dyer's stock photos. Snow on the ground on or before December 2? Is this even from Montgomery County? Also, December 2 was on a Friday, not typically a day for PTA meetings, so this photo is at least two years old.

And did you call 311 to report the unshoveled snow, Dyer?

Anonymous said...

"... according to ABC 7 [Saturday July 1]"

#ReheatedNews

#Microwaved

#BeepBeepBeep

And why didn't you use WJLA's photo? It showed the actual sign, in the daytime.

Robert Dyer said...

7:09: I said cameras recording the area in front of the school, which would include the sign. Security cameras at a school in the age of 9/11 and school shootings are "an idiotic use of our tax dollars?" I doubt many parents would agree with your assessment.

7:45: Nope, I cited the specific cost that the Council approved to spend on the cameras, and then I priced a comparable system for $20,000 less, including installation. I even linked to the sites with those estimates!

7:57: In fact, that is a photo of the sign board in question. No other so-called Bethesda or local news source even has a stock photo of the Wood Acres sign. Again, you try to turn a strength into a weakness. Nice try.

In fact, snow was blocking the County-owned sidewalk outside the school, and it was on an article exposing that hypocrisy by the County that I had the photo of the sign. It is blurry because I zoomed in on the sign, that's all.

The fact that you would research dates and planetary positions to determine something about a stock photo again reveals you are either a paid troll, nuts or both.

Robert Dyer said...

8:04: The story was hand-delivered to ABC 7, after the resident who found the sign tore the letters down. How would I have reported the story first under that scenario, Einstein?

Yes, I have the ABC 7 photo, but I don't have permission to use their photo. The photo was shared by the resident who found the message before he took it down, and is credited as such on their website.

What I do have - which ABC 7 did not - is the reaction from the principal. Your favorite small and slightly-failing magazine has no report at all.

#scooped

Anonymous said...

Nothing to do with "planetary postions", and I was able to determine the day of the week on which December 2 of last year, just by looking at my planner, in about 10 seconds.

Also, the sign was not "broken into".

Robert Dyer said...

8:11: Everyone involved has said the sign was broken into. What is your source for your claim it wasn't?

Anonymous said...

"I cited the specific cost that the Council approved to spend on the cameras"

You provided a number but not a source. Several people asked for a source and you did not provide one. Therefore we are left to assume that you made up the number yourself. Then you proceeded to compare an enterprise-level CCTV system with one intended for home/consumer use.

How about a link to the document that lists this budget item?

Anonymous said...

"cameras recording the area in front of the school, which would include the sign"

Not necessarily. The sign is in a thicket of trees. It would be entirely possible to offer comprehensive coverage of the front of the school building without a good view of the sign. Any decent security manager will be more concerned with the entrances, windows, etc. than with a sign out by the street. And any decent security manager would tell you that it's impractical (and nearly impossible) to capture every inch of a facility on camera.

Robert Dyer said...

9:21: Whoever broke into the sign had to approach it first, and would be seen on a front-facing camera. The sign is easily within range of a wide-lens camera showing who is approaching the school's main entrance. I mean, in post 9/11, post-school-shooting America, surely they have a camera showing who is approaching the front doors, right?

We're about to find out in the next few days.

9:15: Are you too lazy to watch the Council meeting? The amount was never printed, it was read aloud by a staff member. The Council then voted to approve it.

Meanwhile, I did link to the sources for my pricing of an equivalent system for $20000 less than what taxpayers will pay for this. Embarrassing.

#LockThemUp

Anonymous said...

And, @8:11 there goes Dyer being the 1st to being up (in his words)" Your favorite small and slightly-failing magazine has no report at all. #scooped"

Oh, and the alleged "equivalent system" you priced out? Didn't someone set you straight on your little Rockville blog?

I'm not sure why you think you are qualified to determine and price out a system, let alone determine any installation costs and possible labor charges.

Tim said...

These signs should be digital, like at many other MCPS. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

Dyer @ 11:14 - The WJLA article says nothing about the sign being "broken into". The article says only that "someone used the sign..."

Anonymous said...

Dyer @ 10:15 - But that costs money. You would be the first one to whine about "wasteful MCPS spending".

Tim said...

10:15am hello! I'm not Dyer, but thanks for the reply.

Anonymous said...

Stock photo...from 2009.

#LaziestJournalistEver

Robert Dyer said...

10:00: That was you commenting on RockvilleNights.com. Try using the internet, and you'll find anyone can price a camera system - including labor and installation. Welcome to 2017.

Robert Dyer said...

11:04: That title goes to your small and slightly-failing magazine, which hasn't published a report on this story at all. They don't even have a stock photo of Wood Acres, and as carpetbaggers, would need GPS to find it.

Anonymous said...

No, it was me reading Rockville Nights. Surprise! I read more than just this blog.

I asked what made you think you were qualified. Please enlighten us on your professional knowledge and experience in identifying, pricing, and installation of the appropriate and complete system for this type of building. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can look up prices.

Anonymous said...

Is anyone else creeped out by Dyer taking pictures of elementary schools at 3 AM?

Tim said...

11:47 AM is back, with his litany of resentments and grudges against Dyer. Posts the same stuff for over 5 years.
With his obsession about "3 AM", I just assumed he was a Matchbox Twenty fan.

Anonymous said...

Dyer's flunky Dan McHugh is trolling the "You Know You Grew Up In MoCo" FB group, whining about them removing a post by Robin Ficker.

Anonymous said...

Donald Trump, Robert Dyer's brother by another mother, bodyslams and gives a five-finger death punch to the small and slightly failing CNN:

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/340460-dem-rep-trump-cnn-tweet-beyond-disturbing

Anonymous said...

Saith Dyer @ 8:11 AM:

"I have the ABC 7 photo, but I don't have permission to use their photo. The photo was shared by the resident who found the message before he took it down, and is credited as such on their website."

Yet you had no problem posting WJLA's photo on your "Robert Dyer for County Council" Facebook where you posted your article.

Why the double standard?

Robert Dyer said...

7:49: Anybody can share anything on Facebook, including news photos. But you have to have permission to publish a photo on your own website. Welcome to 2017.

Anonymous said...

I still don't get the purpose of that stock photo.

Robert Dyer said...

6:19: It shows the sign in question. Your comment shows the desperation of the small and slightly-failing magazine, which missed the story. Nice try.

8:34: You're struggling, Ayatollah. You're struggling.

Anonymous said...

But you didn't even attribute WJLA's photo that you posted along with your own news article on your Facebook campaign page. Most readers would assume that the photo was your own.

That's plagiarism.

Robert Dyer said...

7:30: That's not plagiarism. I can post anything I want on my Facebook page, just like every other Facebook user. Your magazine missed the story, and I can understand your embarrassment and frustration. But you sound like you're about to join the Taliban in tipping over some ancient statues or something. Chill out. It's a Facebook page, for Pete's sake.

Anonymous said...

You didn't attribute the photo to WJLA. That's plagiarism.

Anonymous said...

"Security cameras at a school in the age of 9/11..."

I'm sorry, did you just use 9/11 as a justification to pay for and monitor a security camera pointed at the signage in front of a school? That has to be one of the most asanine arguments I've ever heard.

Anonymous said...

This is a scoop? A sign was broken into and some BS was written. Get over it. Pranksters and it's summer vacation. This is why local news is a joke.

Robert Dyer said...

7:46: This is my photo of the sign.

7:49: Are you insane? Are you seriously questioning, in the age of terror and school shootings, the wisdom of having a camera showing who's approaching the front entrance of an elementary school? Jack Smith is probably the only person who agrees with you on that.

7:52: Threats against the President are never a joke. Ask the Secret Service, Ted Nugent and Kathy Griffin.

Anonymous said...

@ 7:52 - Actually it was not even "broken into".

Robert Dyer said...

7:56: Evidence for that claim?

Anonymous said...

BB didn't "miss" anything. They reported on ABC 7's story, minus the irrelevant and confusing stock photo and the argle bargle about Rockville HS and "terrism", as W would call it.

Anonymous said...

Dyer @ 7:57 - the fact that ABC 7 never used the phrase "broken into", only "used".

Anonymous said...

Kind of hard to have a school shooting in the middle of the night while school is closed for summer vacation, camera or no.

Robert Dyer said...

8:05: "BB" just linked to the ABC 7 story, 48 hours later. I had the actual school principal's response, which even ABC 7 didn't have.

You like your news reheated in the microwave? Beep beep beep There'll be plenty more news reheated from my sites on "BB" for you today, so just wait for the beep!

8:07: And that negates the actual principal of the school said it was broken into? I don't really care either way, but for some reason, you're making a big deal out of it, so let's stick to the facts.

8:11: Are you that dense that you believe security cameras only operate during school hours?

Anonymous said...

A lot of sour grapes comments from "Anonymous" angry man.

Haters gonna hate.

Anonymous said...

Reading comprehension, Dyer. That is NOT what 8:11 posted.

Anonymous said...

Neither ABC 7 nor your own article said that the principal said that the sign was "broken into".