FULL "DISCLOSURE:"

WASHINGTON POST

PROMOTES

FORT TOTTEN

DEVELOPMENT TO

WHICH IT HAS

MULTIPLE

RELATIONSHIPS

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Once again, the Washington Post has failed to disclose its relationships with an interest about which it has written.

Yesterday's Post editorial page offered wholehearted boosterism for a controversial redevelopment of what is currently an affordable apartment complex near Fort Totten.

Once again, there's just one problem: the Post did not disclose the many ties the paper and company have with the developer, the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

For starters, the Cafritz Foundation and the Meyer Foundation are partners in their project to redevelop and "revitalize" DC neighborhoods. And the Meyer Foundation was started by Eugene Meyer... past editor and publisher of The Washington Post. No conflict of interest there, right?

Who else is helping to "develop communities" in DC with the Cafritz/Meyer foundations?

Bank of America - According to CNBC on August 14, 2007, Washington Post Co. Director Warren Buffett "bought a major stake [in] Bank of America."

Fannie Mae - According to Reuters, just 6 days ago, Post Co. Director Warren Buffett "has joined Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) in a bid to buy $3 billion in tax credits from mortgage giant Fannie Mae."

M&T Bank - According to the New York Times, this bank's "largest investor is billionaire Warren E. Buffett."

PNC Bank - Again from the NY Times, in 1994, Buffett bought "[a] stake of 8.3 percent, or almost 20 million shares," in PNC Bank.

Wachovia Bank - According to the Huffington Post(!!), "Buffett sounded upbeat about the prospects of Wells Fargo bank, of which Berkshire is the largest shareholder. He believes its cost of capital and investment spreads have never been better, and that the Wachovia acquisition is a great franchise that will pay off."



There's nothing illegal about having these kind of connections. But journalistic ethics demand that the paper disclose them when covering the story, especially when it's an editorial piece endorsing a controversial development project!

By the way, I also enjoyed the editorial because it took shots at those of us who don't believe Bethesda Row can be rebuilt everywhere, even in residential neighborhoods. And it touched on one of the new tactics used in these controversial situations - a group of residents who come forward to endorse a project, speaking directly from suspiciously-familiar talking points. Of course, the Post was suggesting that these people come forward on their own, rather than being orchestrated.

The Post won't ever cover that kind of thing, but you'll return here to read about that and everything that is really going on in Montgomery County, only on RobertDyer.net.

"WHERE'S

MY FLU

SHOT?"

Montgomery County residents want to know! Big Government at all levels has failed to provide the H1N1 vaccine it insisted on controlling. Officials at all 3 levels of government said they knew best who should receive the vaccine, and how it should be distributed, many months ago.

The Washington Post, area TV stations, and other local media have refused to hold our county, state, and federal elected officials accountable for the lack of vaccine. Recent stories, if you've noticed, include updates on who is being deputized to give the vaccine, but no information on when the actual vaccine will be available.

Not to a few hundred people, or to the Powers-that-Be, but to everyone at hospitals, doctors' offices, and pharmacies across the county.

When is that going to happen?

Call your county councilperson, state legislators, and congressperson, and ask them, "Where is my flu shot?"

An H1N1 shot that becomes available after everyone has H1N1 is a complete failure of government to execute the basic services we pay outrageously high taxes for.

Check out more (new) photos from the Damascus Community Fair on my photos page at www.RobertDyer.net.

GANSLER DECLARES

COUNCIL'S

$80 MILLION

SCHOOL BUDGET

CUT ILLEGAL

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler correctly stated that the smoke and mirrors budget approved by the County Council illegally charged MCPS $80 million. As a result, our county now faces tens of millions of dollars in fines.

Can I recap the budget process this year (in fairness, Councilmember Nancy Navarro was not yet elected when it was negotiated and passed)? The council made a few trims. It took away COLAs from public safety employees and teachers. Then it got big bags of Federal funny money a.k.a. "stimulus funds." But that left an $80 million deficit. That's when the council taxed MCPS, taking $80 million of the school system's available funds.

Now our elected officials must be held accountable. An $80 million cut for public schools was an off-the-wall idea at a time when every dollar is needed. There are tremendous needs in special education, and funds make a huge difference in how many kids with special needs will be mainstreamed into "regular" classes. We still have a colossal achievement gap, and a graduation gap.

I believe we will be unable to close this gap until we close the gaps in technology, nutrition, and early education for lower-income students (and future students).

But we can't do that when funds are being diverted from schools to the special interests that got the councilmembers elected!

We can only hope there will be accountability, and that the state board of education will put children first, not politics. Doug Gansler did just that, and should be commended for his decision. Gansler had every reason in the world to favor his home county, and is taking a political risk by avoiding that temptation. Other politicians here and at the state level would do well to follow Gansler's example, and hold themselves accountable.

It's past time to simply "grow up" and accept the fact that we have not a simple shortfall, but a structural deficit that absolutely must be fixed. On present course, we have years ahead in which expenditures will exceed revenue. Now is the time to establish what our priorities are, and fix our stuctural deficit. Period.

We're not doing that by taking $80 million away from poor kids in our public schools.

MEDIA,

ELECTED OFFICIALS

SWEEP PUBLIC

SAFETY CONCERNS

UNDER THE RUG

IN

TRAFFIC LIGHT

CATASTROPHE

Reporters Trip Over Each Other to

Protect Elected Officials from Criticism

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

24 hours later, I have yet to hear one politician, anchorperson, or reporter note the serious implications Montgomery County's traffic computer failure has had on public safety.

While the resulting traffic jams are outrageous enough, time wasted is merely a minor issue in comparison to the danger to the public. Imagine you are having a heart attack, and you are in an ambulance stuck in mile after mile of traffic on the way to the hospital. Imagine a house on fire, and fire trucks crawling to get there as a result of this traffic light debacle.

This is just the latest in a series of incidents which has revealed our elected officials' dangerous weakness on public safety issues. Whether it is the inability of the county to operate emergency communication systems during a water main break, or to make a simple computer fix, the fabled "experience" the local media always praises in our elected officials is clearly, and definitively, the wrong kind of experience. As President Obama would say.

Then we've had the matter of the executive and certain members of the council repeatedly trying to undermine and cast shadows upon our police department. That is one of the most dangerous tactics I have ever witnessed in the history of Montgomery County. They've also shut down an education program that was designed to allow public safety employees to expand their minds and career skills. The same sort of educational and artistic pursuits the executive and council have advocated for others at taxpayer expense, they will deny to our police officers and firefighters. They've even tried to take away retirement benefits from disabled police officers injured in the line of duty. There appears to be no limit to how low this council will go to get more money for the people and interests who got them elected. Even when it means reducing public safety.

Ike Leggett stated last evening that he [now after all this] has a $35 million plan to upgrade the traffic computer systems. Well, not only do we have no money at this time... ...but the county just spent many times $35 million to buy the Webb Tract!

So let's get this straight... we spent tens of millions to purchase the Webb Tract so the elected officials could pay back the interests that got them elected before replacing an ancient computer system that controls every traffic light in the county?

Once again, it's Politics First, Safety Last for our politicians.

"IKE?"

"YES, HAL?"

County in Chaos as Traffic Computer Fails;

Elected Officials Focus on Restaurant

Menus as Residents Spend Hours Commuting

"Ike, I've been wondering..."

"Yes, Hal?"

"With the county council spending hours on restaurant menu reform this week, how was my system allowed to fail?"

"Well, Hal, you're just not that important. Telling people how to cross the street, and what foods they should eat... now that's important! That's what government is all about!"

Could this conversation be real? If you spent all of yesterday trying to get to and from work, you might think it did occur.

For those of you just joining us, Montgomery County's traffic computer has failed, and all stoplights are incorrectly timed for rush hour. This has resulted in massive traffic jams countywide.

As our elected officials told us, this is the most efficient and effective government we've ever had. And that's why a simple computer fix - for a computer that should have been replaced ages ago - is taking not hours, but days.

What a conclusion to a week in which 8 of 9 council members announced a new way to make contracting more expensive for taxpayers, failed to provide the promised H1N1 vaccine, held hours of hearings on "restaurant menu reform," and in which it came to light that $400,000+ cut from the police academy recruiting budget was given instead to a council-connected non-profit currently under investigation by the FBI for being unable to account for $900,000 it received in taxpayer funds.

Wanna get away?

"Ike?"

"Yes, Hal?"

"I've been thinking... With all you and the other politicians have said about getting people to abandon their cars, and use mass transit... Will I, as a traffic computer, eventually become obsolete?"

"No, Hal, of course not."

How about this for "leadership." Confronted with a traffic crisis that has a dreadful impact on public safety, whether the media will admit it or not, our "leaders" have generously offered to let you take RideOn for free today.

Just one problem: the RideOn buses will be on the same jammed roads as the cars. Brilliant.

When will the problem be fixed? "(shrugs)... I don't know."

Sound familiar?

Meanwhile in the county council hearing room....

The council is comparing calories between the Whopper and Big Mac. We're fortunate to have their leadership, focused like a laser beam on the crisis at hand.

"Ike?"

"Yes, Hal?"

"May I eat a Whopper?"

"No! It's terrible for your health. You'll clog your circuits! I recommend arugula."

Can you imagine how our national reputation will be further damaged once this story hits the AP? What will all of the big firms we are trying to get to relocate here going to think? Move to a county that can't even control its traffic lights?

This turn of events is simply beyond belief. Once again, the most basic functions of government have been neglected - public safety, public health, fiscal responsibility, the transportation system - for social issues, and old-fashioned tomfoolery.

The traffic lights don't work. But, hey, with this "menu reform," residents unable to make intelligent decisions about food for themselves may consume 100 less calories per day when Big Government tells them what they can and cannot eat!

Had enough? Apparently not in 2006. So how about 2010?

While you're thinking about it... read this press release for an event so ironic, you'd think it was scripted:

"The Great Commuter Stress Out" - Telework Exchange and HP invite you to beat the heck out of your commute at "The Great Commuter Stress Out" event on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Join us during your lunch break from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza, located at 13th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.
Take a whack at car-shaped piñatas filled with prizes. Enter to win desktop punching bags, receive free massages, enjoy food and drinks, and listen to relaxing music. Plus, you'll learn how to beat your commute and telework. It's free to all. For more information go to: http://www.teleworkexchange.com/greatcommuterstressout.asp?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Telework%20Exchange%20Weekly%20Blasts&org=2022&lvl=100&ite=525&lea=608526&ctr=0&par=1

I'm not making this up.

"Ike?"

"Yes, Hal?"

"Did they say 'telework'?"

Exclusive photos of John Deere tractors and lawn tractors from the Gladhill Bros.' display at the Damascus Community Fair. Only on the photos page at www.RobertDyer.net!

Gladhill Bros. sells and repairs John Deere vehicles of all kinds at its 2 locations in Damascus and Frederick.

THE

(FAR) LEFT

HAND DOESN'T

KNOW...

Well, it was just yesterday that I mentioned how the county council's secretive deliberations are so hard to keep track of. And later in the day, I found another great example.

Remember the Centro Familia scandal? You know, the one where a non-profit that has close connections to several County Council members, Chris Van Hollen, Del. Anne Kaiser, etc., couldn't account for $900,000 in your taxpayer money. Which it had received under the "oversight" of said County Council. And the latest thing hanging in the air was that Centro Familia was requesting another $400,000+ in taxpayer funds this past summer.

But, as usual, the public never heard the final decision.

Then, George Leventhal, Duchy Trachtenburg, and the county HHS announced new guidelines for nonprofits, which they emphasized were merely to help agencies comply.

Turns out they're going to need a lot of help: Centro Familia is now under investigation by the FBI.

That's not the worst part, however.

The worst part is that, with the tacit approval of the County Council, HHS went ahead and gave the next batch of Montgomery County Spendable Kash ($400,000+) to Centro Familia.

But we only know this because the Washington Post mentioned it offhand, months after it happened.

Centro Familia has not been found guilty of anything by any court of law yet. But for the council to give that massive sum to an organization it knows is under investigation by not only the Inspector General, but also the FBI(!!) is simply outrageous. It is one of the most fiscally irresponsible expenditures I have ever witnessed in the history of the county. What more do you need to know about the members of this council after they have allowed this to happen?

It's 6 AM. Do you know where your tax dollars are?

ANDREWS'

REVERSIBLE

270 LANES:

BRILLIANT, OR

GOING THE

WRONG WAY?

It's often hard to find out what is going on in our county government. This is partly because the Powers-that-Be don't want you to know what's going on. (That's why you tend to hear about things after the public hearings are over, and the council has voted). And it is partly because the Washington Post has essentially ceased to cover county politics, with the exception of recapping a press release.

One item of business we've heard a little about is Council President Phil Andrews' proposal for reversible lanes for I-270. As you would imagine, these lanes would be southbound in the morning, and northbound in the evening.

But not much has been clarified beyond that in the media.

If this proposal is to add 2 reversible lanes either in the middle of, or to the sides of, the existing lanes, this would be an excellent idea. But only if they are completely toll-free, and open to all vehicles.

However, if these are "HOT" lanes, for which taxpayers will pay again for the roads they funded, that would be unacceptable. Converting 2 existing lanes into reversible lanes would be equally unacceptable. This would not only be insufficient volume-wise - and potentially dangerous like the Bay Bridge - but it would also make the fairly quick use of 270 southbound in the evening into another traffic jam. Which is total hypocrisy from those who talk non-stop about "alternative working schedules" and telecommuting. (When lawyers can telecommute into the courtroom, and janitors can wax floors over the internet, that just might work. Until that day... probably not).

270 has to increase capacity. There is no way around it. Toll lanes are for the rich, a solution to the intentional fouling of our transportation system by the Powers-that-Be for a variety of motivations. HOT lanes will keep the rich moving, so they can keep funding the politicians that carry out their business. Isn't that grand?

Join me in not letting this happen.

New photos from Bethesda Row and the Damascus Community Fair on the photos page at www.RobertDyer.net

H1Nnone:

VACCINE DEBACLE

PUTS PUBLIC

HEALTH AT

RISK

Remember when Big Government was going to "take charge" and control the production and distribution of the H1N1 vaccine? The Powers-that-Be have gotten it. But you, lowly citizen? Maybe after you've gotten the swine flu, they'll have the vaccine for you.

What's happened here is a failure at the Federal, state, and county level. All 3 are controlled by Democrats, by the way. Government knew best, they said, who should receive this vaccine. But even some of the at-risk group members are being turned away at county vaccination clinics.

Have you ever waited in a line this long that didn't have concert tickets, an autograph, or a driver's license at the end for you?

What have we learned? Our county continually shows it is simply not prepared to deal with disasters or emergencies. Even one that is a slow moving event such as H1N1. Our state and Federal governments failed to produce and distribute the vaccine they insisted they should have total control over.

If there had been a terrorist-induced smallpox outbreak or anthrax attack, you can easily recognize that our county would have been absolutely devastated.

Now that your, and your family's, health has been put at risk by your elected officials, what decisions will you make at the ballot box next year?

Exclusive!

COUNTY WASTES

TAXPAYER

FUNDS ON

PAST-DUE

LIBRARY AD

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

A Montgomery County Public Libraries ad celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month promoted free concerts from September 26-October 24.

Just one problem: the ad ran in the October 28 Gazette newspaper.

That means the ad is irrelevant, and therefore was a complete waste of the taxpayer money spent to place the ad in the newspaper. It has been some time, in my recollection, since such an out-of-date ad has appeared in a publication. The reason, I imagine, is that no one would pay the exhorbitant rates to place an ad that is of no use. Well, almost no one.

By the way, we're now a full month past the Board of Elections meeting at which the Democratic majority voted to deny early voting sites to Damascus and Poolesville - and to approve an early voting site in Rockville without adequate access for the disabled - and the Washington Post has yet to write a single word about it! The biggest political story of the year, and the Post has - intentionally and deliberately - ignored it.

It's outrageous. But that's why the Post is failing, and you are turning to RobertDyer.net to find out what's really going on in Montgomery County.

New pictures on my photo page, including Barnes & Noble at Bethesda Row and a Damascus VFD ambulance. Go to www.RobertDyer.net

Start your weekend early this morning by watching another new video from the Celebrate Damascus parade vaults on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net.

DAMASCUS ES

ADA

NON-COMPLIANCE

ISSUES & MORE

AT

COUNCILMEMBER'S

DAMASCUS

"OPEN MIKE"

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!

Last evening, I made the trip to Damascus to attend County Councilmember Mike Knapp's "Open Mike" town meeting. It was actually not a bad trip up 270 this time, especially once past Gaithersburg.

It was worth the drive because the reason I went was to raise the subject of Damascus Elementary's non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Or, more specifically, the failure of the county to bring it into compliance. I say worth the drive because Councilmember Knapp had not heard about this, and he and his staff assured me they are going to investigate what can be done to correct the problem.

The meeting was held at the Damascus Recreation Center on Oak Drive, in the Social Hall. Other issues discussed included the potential widening of Route 27. I would definitely oppose that. Not only would it ruin what is a pleasant, 2-lane rural road, but there just isn't room. I know that goverment can (mis)use its power of eminent domain to seize whatever it wishes. But let's be realistic: How have we advanced public safety if 18-wheelers are literally driving past the front steps of homes on Ridge Road?

Clearly, a bypass would be the lesser of two evils, although I've yet to see a right-of-way for that mapped. I think for the moment, and given the budgetary constraints of this time, a better course would be to do some intersection improvements, time the lights better in downtown Damascus, and study the effect of the Woodfield Road extension on 27 traffic.

How's this for a bold prediction: I was told that a Ridge Road real estate listing is touting a 60% reduction in traffic on 27 after the extension opens. That would be great... unless you live on Woodfield Road, I imagine. A bit overly optimistic, but I guess we could use some more optimism these days.

Rest assured, I'll keep you updated on the disability access situation at Damascus ES.

But the Route 27 issue touches on the importance of keeping what's great about Damascus intact. It's a beautiful place at night. When I arrived at the Recreation Center - and you have to understand that you drive down an access road where the facility is surrounded by forest - a sliver of a moon had risen above the horizon. You feel like you are out in the country - and you are - and the sky looks totally different than it does downcounty. There's a fresh scent in the air. The overall atmosphere is very peaceful.

When you drive down 27 towards Germantown, you're essentially on a mountain as you round the bend at Cedar Grove ES. In the daytime, you might see Sugarloaf Mountain. But at night, you see hundreds, if not thousands, of twinkling lights at a lower elevation in the distance off to the (slightly) right. I don't know if that's Germantown, Clarksburg, or Urbana.

But I do know I'll enjoy rural Montgomery County as long as it lasts - and hopefully that will be a long time.

OK, a full picture of the new Bethesda Row Georgetown Cupcake storefront is finally on my photos page at www.RobertDyer.net.

EXCLUSIVE Photos of the new Five Guys and Georgetown Cupcake storefronts on Bethesda Avenue on my photos page at www.RobertDyer.net!

FREE COOKIE

THIS MORNING!

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

If you stop at the marked stop signs on Springfield, Ridgefield, etc., this morning from 8:00-8:30 AM, you will receive a free cookie!!

It's the annual Springfield "I Stop for Safety - and Get A Cookie" event, this morning.

I wonder how many free cookies the well-connected people gave the state to get the right turn onto Westbard from River Road shut off...

CONGRATULATIONS

ANNE

AND

GEORGE

!!!

FULL "DISCLOSURE:"

WASHINGTON POST

COLUMNIST TOUTS

POTENTIAL NBC-U,

COMCAST DEAL;

FAILS TO MENTION

POST HAS

FINANCIAL

RELATIONSHIP

WITH BOTH

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

The Washington Post's Tom Shales wrote a feverishly favorable column endorsing the idea of a takeover of NBC-Universal by cable monopoly Comcast. One problem there: the Post has a long-standing financial relationship with both NBC/Microsoft and Comcast. Shales failed to "disclose" that major conflict of interest in another blatant disregard for ethics at the failing Post. The same Post that has failed to cover the early voting site scandal here in Montgomery County.

PLEASE STAND

BY

Internet service issues are making it difficult to upload videos and large photos this week. I apologize for the slowdown in new content. In the meantime, enjoy the tons and tons of videos and photos already there on www.RobertDyer.net!

Apparently, a Pepco transformer exploded at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Sangamore Road yesterday afternoon, temporarily knocking out the traffic signals there. I'm not sure what the extent of the power outage was for nearby residences. I wasn't there, but got a report from someone who was.

Watch me being chased by a killer bee (or was it a Swarmin' Hornet?) at the Celebrate Damascus parade this past July on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net!

FIVE GUYS &

GEORGETOWN

CUPCAKE INCH

CLOSER TO

BETHESDA ROW

OPENINGS

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

This past Saturday, I stopped by Bethesda Row to check on the progress of the soon-to-open Five Guys and Georgetown Cupcake storefronts.

Neither one is opening tomorrow, but Five Guys will open sooner. I predict that because the permanent sign has already been installed outside. And a paper taped to the storefront says they are now hiring for the Bethesda Row location.

Georgetown Cupcake isn't quite that far yet, but I could hear people working behind the blacked-out storefront.

I have exclusive photos which you will see very soon.

~ + ~

The temperature is falling outside, so I have a new video from the vaults - from the Celebrate Damascus parade this past July 10. Watch it now on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net. I'd hoped to have more stories from the history of Damascus for you today, from yesterday's event at Damascus ES. But even though the Gazette article suggested there would be historical speakers and exhibits, I did not find any, and left shortly after arriving. To make up for that, enjoy the previously-mentioned new video from a past event.
There was one interesting historical note in last week's Gazette: the owner of the 50-year-old Richard gas station was once the projectionist at the historic Druid Theater.

Another bonus: a new photo of a Case JX95 tractor! Find it on my photos page at RobertDyer.net.

COUNTY

DOES SLOPPY

JOB ON

SPRINGFIELD

SPEED BUMPS

Middle Bump on Ridgefield Violates

Maryland State Law Prohibiting

Speed Bumps on Steep Hills

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

I went personally to Springfield and Ridgefield Roads to examine the results of the World's Fastest Placement of Speed Bumps in history.

The results were about what one would expect from a rush job.

On the block of Springfield between Ogden and Parkston, the new Speed Bump 15 MPH signs are blocked by trees. That is a major traffic engineering blunder.

And about that 15 MPH, that's slower than the regular 20 MPH bumps you find elsewhere. That's ridiculous. 15 in a 25 MPH zone? Again, terrible traffic engineering. Just terrible.

Aside from the ugly, ugly aesthetics of the bumps, the 2nd bump on Ridgefield is illegal under Maryland state law - you cannot place a speed bump on a steep hill.

That one has to go, unless the county is above the law.

And the rush job made a mess of streets, and maybe even peoples' cars. There are wet asphalt tire tracks going in all directions from the bumps, as the workers did not allow them to fully dry. At least one sign is crooked - on the day of installation! That same sign has an ugly black paint smear across the top, too. This is how things are done in the 20816 zip code? Probably not after next November's election.

Why the rush job? Aside from the well-connected residents who ordered these up, the pending controversy over the Cromwell bumps probably created an urgency to get these down before new guidelines went into place. But we all knew there weren't going to be any changes to the rules.

I think it would have been smarter to place the bumps in a careful manner, because this county council is 100% in favor of speed bumps. They have totally ignored any other opinion brought to them, and anyone who has heard a presentation by Tracy Wroe, the county's "bump engineer," knows how passionate he and the county are about placing these obstacles down everywhere.

In a time when special needs kids are being cheated by the budget, and low income senior citizens are having their subsidized dentures being taken away by the county council, these bumps are monuments to wasteful spending and immoral priorities.

SPEED BUMP

RUSH JOB

ON

SPRINGFIELD,

RIDGEFIELD

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

County contractors are placing speed bumps on Springfield and Ridgefield Road as I type this.

I thought the county had no money? Somebody is working under a lot of political pressure in this particular instance. These are being put down lightning fast - literally. There are some inside political strings being pulled in this case, especially in light of the controversy in the Springfield neighborhood over the issue. If only government worked this fast on everything else!

Watch an exclusive video of the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department's Super Water Cannon (Tower 729 in technical terms) this morning on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net. Did I mention it's exclusive?

BLOOD DRIVE

In memory of firefighters

Carlos Alfaro Sr. & Carlos Alfaro Jr.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

8am - 4pm

Fire Station

16111 University Blvd. E.

Silver Spring, MD

Donate Blood..

Call to sign-up: 301-440-9294

Steve Mann

7 DAYS LATER,

WASHINGTON POST

FAILS TO

REPORT ON

EARLY VOTING

DECISION

The countdown continues...

Seven days after 3 Democrats on the county Board of Elections approved a list of early voting sites provided by the Democratic Central Committee and all-Democrat County Council, the Washington Post has failed to print a word about it.

The Post is a journalistic embarrassment. This is a major story in county politics, the Post's coverage of which has gone from one-sided to almost nonexistent.

FARM ISSUES

ON THE

BACKBURNER

AGAIN

Did you know that the Farm Aid concert was held yesterday? Probably not, as it was not covered by the mainstream media.

You have heard about the wonderful farmers' markets, local produce, and wonerful, wonerful, wonerful things the state (and the county, using state money in a shell game) is doing for farmers ad nauseum, however.

How can that be?

Easy. They don't want the people of Montgomery County, Maryland, or the United States to know about some of the real farm stories out there. The ones that don't make limousine liberals feel good as they check-out with their reusable (a.k.a. germ-contaminated) cloth shopping bags at Whole Foods. And the ones that reveal the embarrassing record of our elected officials - at all levels - on farm issues.

So let me share with you the letter written by Farm Aid organizer, Willie Nelson:

Dear Friend,

Before I ever picked up a guitar, I was picking cotton in a small town in Texas. And no matter where my music career has taken me, I’ve never let go of my love of the land and my respect for the proud people who farm it.

Family farmers love the land they work, and they take the best possible care of the soil and water because they eat the food they produce and drink the water beneath their fields. They make decisions around a kitchen table, not a boardroom table far from the fields.

I started Farm Aid in 1985 as a way to help keep family farmers on the land. While the struggles have changed over the years, farmers still aren’t getting a fair chance to make a living.

That’s why I’m asking for your help today. For more information on how you can help the cause, please visit www.farmaid.org. You can support Farm Aid’s hotline for farmers in crisis and provide emergency assistance to farm families who are on the verge of losing their land, their homes, and their livelihoods.

Thanks for your time and thanks for helping to support America’s family farmers.

Stay strong and positive,

Willie Nelson

~ + ~

Readers of this blog were able to participate vicariously in my own project supporting local agriculture, and the next generation of farmers, in Montgomery County over the summer.

And you can watch the many farm-related videos on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net right now.

There's a new one today - your invitation to join a "Pig Club." What's that? You'll have to watch to find out...

Watch a medical helicopter take off from the roof of Johns Hopkins Hospital right now on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net. Exclusive video!

COUNTDOWN

OF SHAME FOR

WASHINGTON POST

It turns out my blog entry on the Montgomery County Board of Elections' early voting decision was an exclusive. There is no news report anywhere else on the internet, according to Google and Google News. Just one of many exclusive stories I have broken over the last few years.

Now, let's start a countdown until the Post prints the results of the board's vote:

DAY 3

In the meantime, have you ever seen a lawn tractor pit crew in action? Watch now on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net.

RobertDyer.net

SCOOPS

WASHINGTON POST

AND GAZETTE...

...AGAIN!

Yesterday's Washington Post and Gazette editions contained ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the Montgomery County Board of Elections vote selecting 5 Early Voting sites chosen by the county Democratic Central Committee and Democrat politicians. The meeting ended long before the deadline for either paper's printing.

Neither paper's website had the story either. Remember a few weeks ago when I said the Post no longer covers Montgomery County politics? I am vindicated again. Let me get this straight... neither newspaper covers major votes by the county's Board of Elections?

You read the full story here on RobertDyer.net yesterday.

Today you can watch a new video of a talking goat on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net. He's making more sense than the Powers-that-Be in Montgomery County.

DEMOCRATS

ON

BOARD OF

ELECTIONS

DENY EARLY

VOTING SITES

FOR DAMASCUS,

POOLESVILLE

5 Sites Chosen Discriminate Against Rural Voters

Yesterday afternoon, the Montgomery County Board of Elections voted 3-2 along party lines to select five early voting sites recommended by the county's Democratic Central Committee.

The sites selected were:

• Bauer Community Recreation Center, Rockville
• Germantown Recreation Center (substitute for Blackrock, which declined use)
• Marilyn Praisner Community Recreation Center, Burtonsville
• County Executive Office Building, Rockville
• Silver Spring Civic Building

Three alternate sites were designated at:

• Long Branch Recreation Center, Silver Spring
• Mid-County Community Center, Silver Spring
• Upper County Community Center, Gaithersburg

Robert Dyer, a member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, released the following statement in response to the highly partisan Board decision:

"The sites selected by the Democratic majority on the Board of Elections constitute a blatant attempt to suppress early voter turnout in Damascus and Poolesville. Neither town has convenient access to an early voting site.

Furthermore, the three Democrats on the Board selected a site - the County Executive Office Building - that is not easily accessible to disabled voters over the Damascus Recreation Center, which has convenient access for the disabled.

The Executive Office Building also lacks convenient parking in general, again in contrast to the Damascus site, which has ample parking.

The Democrats also selected a facility that has not even been constructed yet - the Silver Spring Civic Building - over the established Damascus Recreation Center. Board staff warned the Board members that the Silver Spring facility will not likely be ready in time for the September 2010 primary.

Board President Jerrold Garson dismissed the need for early voting in Damascus, stating that "only 13,000 voters" would be excluded.

I could not disagree more with Mr. Garson's statement. To discriminate against, or discourage, 13,000 voters or just one voter is completely unacceptable.

The Board's decision was strictly partisan. All three Democrats on the Board simply approved the five sites recommended by the county Democratic Central Committee and Democratic County Council members. Site recommendations I offered, and the official recommendations of our Republican Central Committee, were entirely ignored.

It is well known that our rural areas are underserved by mass transit. The Board knows this, and proceeded ahead with its partisan plan anyway.

Several Democrats touted the ability to vote on a Saturday, and on Labor Day. Damascus voters who do not drive will not have access to early voting on either day. The county eliminated weekend and holiday service on the Route 90 Ride-On bus in April 2009. Route 90 is the only bus serving the town. This discrimination is outrageous.

I believe voters in Damascus and Poolesville will hold the Democratic Party responsible for their lack of access to early voting in the 2010 elections."

Breaking News:

ROBERT DYER

DEMANDS EQUAL

ACCESS TO

EARLY VOTING

FOR

DAMASCUS AND

POOLESVILLE

2010 Early Voting Site Selection Process

Discriminates Against Upcounty, Rural Areas

I am at this moment at the Montgomery County Board of Elections, about to testify in support of voters in the Poolesville and Damascus areas. Voters in those areas deserve equal access to early voting, and the current site proposals threaten to discourage turnout of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians... all voters.

Read my speech as I am delivering it live!:

*** ***

I’m Robert Dyer, an elected member of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, and a registered voter.

I’m here today to represent myself, and the voters of Poolesville and Damascus.

It’s unfortunate that 99% of voters don’t even know this issue is being decided right now. And that some races in the 2010 elections may be decided in this room this afternoon.

Examining the State Board’s selection formula and criteria, it is clear they were devised to discriminate against rural areas in Montgomery County, and statewide. Agricultural areas are, by nature, low density, and underserved by transit. Farms are large, and septic systems require lower density residential areas.

5 sites is an arbitrary number. What is magic about the number 5? And if we were to have 5 sites, why would they not be spread evenly throughout the county in Rockville, Poolesville, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Damascus?

We first have to establish that early voters are a new set of voters. That was the supposed logic behind early voting. By expanding the number of days one could vote, we were told, those who found Election Day or absentee ballots too inconvenient would finally be able to vote.

If early voters are not new voters – but rather, voters who would vote anyway, even if early voting was not available – then early voting is a complete waste of the taxpayers’ money. Money itself is an issue. If the county and state do not have the funds to execute early voting in a fair and just manner, they have no business offering early voting.

Now, the question is, who among this group of new voters will be encouraged to vote, and who will be discouraged? If early voting is all about convenience, and convenience is the draw for this new type of voter, then making early voting inconvenient in rural areas would suppress turnout among that population.

Why should Silver Spring and Gaithersburg determine a close election, and not Damascus and Poolesville?

Why is it acceptable for a Poolesville resident to have to drive to Gaithersburg to vote, but not for a Gaithersburg voter to drive to Poolesville?

I reject this notion that those of us who do not reside in Rockville, Gaithersburg, or Silver Spring are somehow children of a lesser God.

Robert Dyer thinks the voters of Poolesville, Barnesville, and Beallsville are important. This Board will show its opinion of those voters by its actions regarding a Poolesville early voting site. I realize the state guidelines make that difficult.

What will not be difficult for you, however, is to designate the Damascus Recreation Center as a site. With all due respect, you must have a site in Damascus. I’ve been in the center. It is an outstanding facility, with plenty of parking.

The Damascus site will allow the voters of Damascus, Clagettsville, Clarksburg, Etchison, Laytonsville, Cedar Grove, and Hyattstown to exercise their early voting rights.

Another compelling reason for the site, is that a majority of Montgomery County’s police officers and firefighters live in the Damascus area. They work long shifts at all hours, and deserve to have convenient access to early voting.

The voters of Montgomery County will recognize that any action of this Board will, by default, be decided by the Democratic members’ votes. As a result, voters will hold the Democratic Party accountable for any disparity in early voting accessibility.

So I respectfully ask you to join me in calling for a fair and equitable early voting site plan.

Join me in standing up for the voting rights of residents in our rural areas.

Join me in supporting the men and women of our police and fire departments who live in the Damascus area.

Join me in unequivocally supporting the Damascus Recreation Center voting site.

Thank you for your consideration.

FIRST

HALLOWEEN

DECORATIONS

SPOTTED

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

The first Halloween decorations of the year were spotted on Searl Terrace on Sunday. Wasn't Searl Terrace also the location of the first lightning bug this summer? It seems that Searl Terrace is the street for the avant-garde in Bethesda.

DOMESTIC

VIOLENCE

TRAGEDY IN

MOUNT AIRY

A horrific domestic violence incident in Mount Airy has left all four members of a family in that town dead. The father was a Montgomery County Public Schools employee, the mother worked at a veterinary hospital in Damascus, and the family once lived in Olney. Police investigators have ruled the deaths as a murder-suicide.

This incident does not call for more of the predictable calls for gun control. Rather, it demands we examine the kind of proactive solutions I and others have advocated to stop domestic violence before it happens. Mental health issues, the ability of domestic violence victims (and adult women, in general) to carry a firearm, and long-overdue legal reforms will do more than red herring gun control laws to reduce violence against women and children.

NEW

DAMASCUS

SAFEWAY

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

The Grand Opening of the new Safeway on Main Street is still underway. Where the old Safeway was like many others of the chain's stores, the new one is unlike any other I have been in.

Besides the impressive building exterior, the store has a Signature Cafe, Starbucks, and Bergmann's Dry Cleaners.

Unlike some newer grocery stores downcounty, this one doesn't force you to park in a creepy garage - there's plenty of surface parking for the great American automobile.

Inside, it's difficult to move anywhere without an employee offering you a sample of one food or another. When I entered the store, I was presented with a "seedless grape" on a toothpick. Another gentleman asked if I'd like to try the Asiago cheese.

They've got Hungry Man sandwiches. In fact, both the Safeway and the Weis Markets have a full selection of Hungry Man dinners. The Westbard Giant, in contrast, has reduced the number of Hungry Man meals. To make room for more arugula, I guess! Well, you can still find a real dinner for real men in Damascus.

Giant does have the best Halloween candy selection of the three chains, though.

Now, what I actually came in for was to meet a pressing need for caffeine. Fortunately, it was met at the first Starbucks in Damascus - inside the Safeway. I ordered the Pumpkin Spice Frappucino, which is a Halloween special. Overpriced at almost $5, but I have to admit it was delicious. Even though I'm usually a McDonald's Iced Coffee guy.

But, when in Rome...

At the new, upscale Damascus Safeway, you have to think like a billionaire.

What about the old Safeway? It has been stripped of all signage, and the contents were auctioned off 5 days ago. I suspect it will be torn down to make way for...???

You have it preserved on photos and video, though, thanks to me. This morning, you can watch a new video showing the old store, and the new store, on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net. Another moment in Damascus history, exclusive on the Robert Dyer Channel.

Watch more exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage from the lawn tractor pull at the Damascus Community Fair on the Robert Dyer Channel, at www.RobertDyer.net.

You can watch how a lawn tractor with a roller attachment smooths the track for the next tractor pull.

LEGGETT,

COUNCIL:

CAUGHT IN

DEVELOPERS'

WEBB

With no money and a massive budget shortfall again pending, the Montgomery County Council has voted to purchase the Webb Tract in Montgomery Village. Are they using the barter system, or did the seller accept an IOU?

Remember, these are the same people who cut your public school budget by $80 million this year, and took back COLAs and step increases from teachers, police officers, and firefighters.

The Washington Post and other local media failed to even give the straight story on the Webb Tract, and instead chose to parrot the county's press release - as usual. (By the way, has anyone else noticed Ann Marimow has vanished from the Post, and that the Post has essentially ceased to provide full coverage of the executive and council?).

So let me give you the truth. Here's how it works. First the developers pay the councilmembers, and get them elected. Then the scheme goes into motion: The council will sell extremely valuable land near the Shady Grove Metro station to one or more of those developers at a sweetheart price. That's on top of the fact that this is the worst possible time for the county to sell land - it's at an all-time low in value. A fiscal conservative who knows how to manage the affairs of the county would never sell that land at this time.

In order to free up the land so they can give it to the developers, the county must first move what's there elsewhere (and some other "assets" such as the liquor warehouse near the Kentlands).

Hence, the plan to move a lot of junk, plus public safety training facilities, to a residential neighborhood in Montgomery Village called the "Webb Tract."

I don't recall there being a public hearing, or even a charade... I mean, a charette. Sorry.

This was ham-fisted, faux-green, Big-and-Beholden-to Developers-Government at its best.

Two notes on the public safety part:

This Webb Tract scheme is actually going to reduce public safety, as it will not be possible to conduct flashover training at the new site. Councilmember Mike Knapp has admitted this, and has correctly opposed the Webb Tract training site, in favor of renovating the current training center.

My other point is that they just replayed the program on the Rockville Channel where they interviewed two of the great architects in Montgomery County history. You know, this was back when there was actually some creativity in the design of buildings, and you see these around Rockville.

One of the structures they designed was the Fire Training Academy. So how can they tear down that historic tower, for instance.

The whole thing is ridiculous.

Speaking of ridiculous, what has happened to Marc "No Developer Influence" Elrich? First, he was helping developers in Bethesda by trying to print new money for the wealthiest schools in the county, to end the moratorium.

Now Councilmember Elrich is proposing to give developers a tax cut! While he voted to give you an 8% property tax increase this year!

It's outrageous.

Although I believe we should reduce the Impact Tax on single family home builders, and townhome builders to a lesser extent, it would be a tremendous mistake to cut the tax on any more of these disastrous mixed-use debacles. Single-use zoning worked fine, and we need to get back to that.

The other thing we should be encouraging is more affordable apartments in downtown Bethesda. Dr. Yes and the Planning Board are helping keep rents high by approving only those buildings that cater to the rich or the homeless. Talk about a man of extremes! What about the rest of us?

Elrich says he wants to increase the number of development projects in the county. Huh? "No Developer Influence?"

This is very much a case of a leopard trying to change his spots.

IT HAS BEGUN:

WOODFIELD ROAD

EXTENDED

CONSTRUCTION &

DESTRUCTION

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Just since I was over at the new Safeway on Main Street last week, the long-planned extension of Woodfield Road to Ridge Road has begun. I've actually stood on the "cliff" in the parking lot behind the Lutheran Church on Ridge Road, and looked down upon the future road at that end.

A wide swath of forest has been clearcut, and in dirt form, the future state highway is taking shape. All of the talk has been about the disastrous ICC. But here is another significant project that may have more effect on traffic congestion than the Road to Konterra.

Woodfield Road-extended actually has some positive aspects. Residents north of the downtown, and those coming south from Carroll and Howard counties, will be able to bypass the jam at Ridge Road and High Corner St. Likewise, northbound drivers can avoid the same jam by taking Woodfield. It will be faster to get to the Post Office and Safeway, among other businesses in the Damascus Centre. Not to mention the Damascus Library and Senior Center.

The Damascus Centre is also taking shape as a model of shopping center redevelopment. It could be argued that, since downtown Damascus actually is a town center (unlike Westbard), residential development might make sense within the Damascus Centre property. That aside, the temptation to go to mixed-use has been avoided.

What is emerging instead is a two-story commercial development that serves the needs of the community, much like the successful renovation of Little Falls Mall on Sangamore Road. Not a colossal tower of empty condos with failing first floor boutiques (Rockville Town Center, anyone?).

And it is pretty exciting to watch a new road taking shape out of the raw wilderness.

The downside is the loss of trees and green space. Woodfield Road has the potential to become far more dangerous than the relaxed boulevard it is now, north of Main Street. Currently a dead end, it will have fast-moving through traffic in both directions. Not to mention that the new "shortcut" is bound to boost the number of vehicles using Woodfield during both rush hours.

My biggest concern is the effect on the spring that runs parallel to the road across from the Damascus Centre. It is currently unspoiled green space and a waterway that, county officials admit, has already suffered environmental damage as a result of runoff from previous construction at the shopping center.

Obviously, a new paved highway alongside the stream will not increase its health. And it's terrible anytime you lose forest and green space.

So I have reservations about this, but overall, this is preferable to widening Route 27 and ruining its 2-lane, rural character, I guess. In any case, it is going to be fascinating to watch the road take shape in the months ahead.

DAMASCUS

HERITAGE

DAY

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

On Sunday, I went to the annual Damascus Heritage Day at the Izaak Walton League in Damascus. The Izaak Walton League is not only about nature, but the site also has multiple shooting ranges. That gave a surreal atmosphere, as you will hear on the videos I shot. While lectures were being given on the history of Damascus, you could hear guns blazing in the background.

There were vintage tractors, and the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department brought over their historic fire engine: believe it or not, a 1945 Ford Oren Pumper. It looks great, and I have photos from all angles.

The most fascinating part of the day was learning all about the history of Damascus. I found out answers to questions I had - like what happened to the Druid Theater (apparently, it was failing financially, and sold to Rite Aid). Some other interesting facts about the Druid: they refused to show R-rated movies; at one time you couldn't enter the theater if you were wearing jeans(!); and Rite Aid destroyed a historic mural that was on a wall inside the building.

Two speakers - Renee Jackson and Dan King - talked about their ancestors in Damascus. Renee Jackson brought other family members to the event, and mentioned that her family's farm was on Oak Drive. The farm is now the site of the John T. Baker MS and the Damascus Recreation Center.

In addition to that interesting fact, the past of landmarks such as Tom and Ray's Restaurant, the Weis Markets, and Damascus ES and Damascus High School were revealed. For example, did you know that the sites of Tom and Ray's, and the fitness center between SunTrust and Burger King, used to belong to historic houses?

Speaking of houses, tune in to the Robert Dyer Channel this morning at www.RobertDyer.net to watch an exclusive video of Dan King describing an 1800s-era Damascus home. What it looked like, what it was made of, the building materials, and more.

Besides the VFD's fire engine, there were vintage John Deere and Farmall tractors - some actually working, pulling hayrides around the IWLA grounds.

On the way back to downtown Damascus, the view coming around the bend on Mullinix Road is one of the great ones that might make you gasp - like the one of Sugarloaf Mountain in the distance further down Ridge Road. Another reminder that we need to do all we can to preserve the natural beauty of this area without Big Government interference.

Stay tuned for more video and photos from this great event!

DAMASCUS

OLD SAFEWAY

AUCTION TODAY:

"EVERYTHING

MUST GO!"

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Everything in the "old" Safeway is being auctioned off today to the highest bidder.

Need a forklift?

Hurry!

EXCLUSIVE

COVERAGE

OF

DAMASCUS

HERITAGE

DAY!

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Stay tuned for the full story about Damascus Heritage Day, but enjoy an exclusive video and photo from the event at www.RobertDyer.net right now!

All I have time to tell you is that I went to the Damascus Heritage Day yesterday at the Izaak Walton League. I learned a lot of relevant things about the history and landmarks of the town. There will be photos and video for you, as well as more from the events in Damascus and Germantown last weekend.

Today there is a new photo of Montgomery County Police vehicles at the 5th District Police Station open house. Exclusive on www.RobertDyer.net.

Watch a new video of the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department right now on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net!

DAMASCUS

COMMUNITY

FAIR,

PART II

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!!

Before I go on to Sunday, the new Safeway in Damascus had its grand opening last weekend. Unfortunately, Safeway failed to advertise the big Opening Day last Thursday. As a result, I missed it. But on Saturday, the Grand Opening weekend was underway. The old Safeway store, across from the new one in the Damascus Centre, has been stripped of all signage. It's a shame to see a classic grocery store design facing demolition. I took some photos of the old and new stores. And a video showing how close the old store is to the new store.

The new Safeway has a Starbucks, naturally; Bergmann's Cleaners; and a Signature Cafe with outdoor dining. There isn't a grocery store with all of that in Bethesda, that's for sure.

They were giving away samples of Rancher's Reserve steak in the parking lot out front. And the building was decorated for the Grand Opening.

~ * ~

As you can tell from the photo in yesterday's entry, the weather on Sunday was fantastic. It was quite a change from Saturday. There was Blackjack again, stirring up a cloud of gravel dust as I parked at the American Legion. While I couldn't get that shot of Blackjack tearing around below the water tower, I was able to finally get two photos of the water tower from the perspective of the Damascus VFD fairgrounds.

A Case tractor was pulling free hayrides. Speaking of tractors, I finally was able to get pictures of the Gladhill Bros. display.

Gladhill Bros. has been selling tractors for over 70 years in Damascus. 70 years! They are a John Deere dealership with a second location in Frederick. They will also service your tractor, as well.

At the Fair, Gladhill Bros. had several lawn tractors, plus a front-loading full size John Deere. I want a Gator T/S. I'll have to settle for the photos I took of it for now. The other smaller John Deere I want is the ATV they sell. In Gladhill Bros.' massive toy display, they had a tiny scale toy of the ATV you could buy.

The Gladhill family is one of the most important in town, and Gladhill Bros. is a major sponsor of the fair. They helped put on a pedal tractor pull outside the VFD Activities Building, for example.

There was a dog show, and I have some video of that. And a special program for grandparents, as Sunday was... Grandparents' Day.

What I had to check out was the lawn tractor pull across the street, though.

Go watch the video of a small lawn tractor hauling a John Deere on the Robert Dyer Channel at http://www.robertdyer.net/, and you will have a front row seat yourself.

A country music band was playing on a stage adjacent to the Activities Building. There was a fashion show inside the building. You could also buy food inside, or from a walk-up window outside. There were hamburgers, pizza, french fries, and fried chicken, and everything smelled great.

I also made a new friend, Jack. Jack is a donkey or burro or something like that. He has a sign on his fence that says, "I BITE. MY NAME IS JACK, AND SERIOUSLY, I DO BITE." Jack was chewing whatever he had there to eat. He appears quite calm, perhaps in a Harry Callahan kind of way.

I can really only try to give you the highlights here, as it would be impossible to describe the thousands of exhibits and entries in the fair. I'm looking forward to going again next year.

DAMASCUS

"BEAUTY SPOT"

TO CLOSE

PERMANENTLY

ON

OCTOBER 1, 2009

The Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services has announced it is permanently closing the Damascus Beauty Spot (a strangely-named trash site that accepts lumber, wood, demolition debris, fencing, mattresses, and "bulky" trash in quantities up to 499 pounds) on October 1, 2009.

Why?

"For environmental compliance reasons," says the county government. What does that mean? Is there a health hazard to local residents from this site? Or is this simply another case of the county executive and council treating the Upcounty as second-class citizens again, bearing the heaviest burden of our elected officials' budget "cuts?"

DAMASCUS

COMMUNITY

FAIR

This past weekend, I attended the Damascus Community Fair on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, I started by visiting the Montgomery County Police 5th District police station Open House in Germantown.

When I first arrived at the station, the roads were blocked off, and there were no indications of where to park. The parking lot by the Transit Center doesn't look like a good place to leave a car you want to find in one piece when you return. So I parked at Hoyt's - sorry, the Regal Theater.

The first thing that happened was that the Park Police helicopter took off right in front of me. After the smoke cleared, I went across the street where there were several motorcycle officers and their motorcycles. Next to those was one of the new Dodge Charger police cruisers, and a mounted police officer on his horse. I've got pictures of those, which you will see at www.robertdyer.net as they are uploaded.



The motorcycles are Harley Davidsons. One great video I took was of an officer demonstrating fighting techniques with the nightstick/baton. Available soon on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.robertdyer.net.



Then I went up the driveway between the police station and the Germantown Volunteer Fire Department, and the rest of the Open House was dominated by the VFD. I took pictures of the various fire equipment, and of a Montgomery County Police S.W.A.T. armored vehicle. There was a DJ from some radio station broadcasting in the center, and the smell of hot dogs grilling in the air. Free hot dogs.



Speaking of dogs, among the honored guests were several specially-trained FEMA dogs.



Finally, the Germantown VFD put on an impressive display of their firefighting equipment. Arranging 2 fire trucks on the street, they attached hoses from a hydrant by Hoyt's... sorry, Regal.. to a pumper truck, and then to a ladder truck with a water cannon on top.



One firefighter turned on the hydrant, and you could see the water move through the previously-flat hose. The now-round hose fed the high-pressure water into the pumper truck. Another firefighter activated the outgoing hose, and it expanded quickly as the water approached the ladder truck. The water went up into the water cannon and spewed out in a torrential blast, soaking some unlucky bystanders in the VFD driveway.



The best part is, you will be able to watch this demonstration on the Robert Dyer Channel, as if you were right there with me! Stay tuned for that; I'll let you know as soon as that clip is uploaded.



Then it was time to hit the road to Damascus for the main event: the 2009 Damascus Community Fair. Apparently, the water cannon demonstration must have penetrated the clouds, as rain began to fall in Damascus as I entered the downtown area. There was no rain in the forecast! Fortunately, I had umbrellas behind the seat.



The first thing you notice as you round the bend on Lewis Drive is the impressive monument/memorial in front of the American Legion, Post 171. Next door is the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department Activities Building, and the community fairgrounds.



The second thing you notice is a big, purple monster truck named Blackjack. It announces itself with a roar and a cloud of gravel dust as it returns riders to the airplane-style boarding staircase.



The third thing that gets your attention is the massive John Deere Turbo Combine parked prominently across from the VFD Activities Building. Next to that was a booth for the Damascus Emergency Preparedness Team, one of the few county organizations that is actively developing plans for disasters, disease outbreaks, or terrorist attacks.



Across from their booth were two state agriculture booths. One was actually a trailer with interactive agricultural displays. Both had brochures, and got milk? pencils.



Behind the combine was the local merchants/organizations tent. This had displays for the Damascus Library, Damascus Heritage Society, Damascus Community Bank, and others. Also businesses such as Robys Photoshop (I think that's in the same shopping center as the Weis Markets). There was a caricature artist drawing any victim who sat in the chair. I saw a familiar John Deere logo on a piece of cloth, which turned out to be a John Deere pillowcase (more on John Deere later). This and other sewn items and jewelry were being sold by Sharon and Esther Rea, who are putting the proceeds towards a December-January mission trip to Bolivia. They are trying to raise $4000. The Pleasant Plains of Damascus DAR organization had a table, as well.

If you come out of that tent, you can go forward towards a ring set up for livestock competitions. On Saturday, there were swine being shown; on Sunday, goats, including one who was very talkative.

Next to that was another tent where a band was playing Saturday, and where the always-active Damascus Lions Club was giving away all the free popcorn you could eat.

Meanwhile, Blackjack was tearing up a meadow across the street. On Saturday, the area between the gravel parking lot and the grassy field was clear. This set up a great scene of Blackjack rampaging around the field backed by forest, with my favorite Damascus landmark - the water tower - visible above the trees in the distance. But I was unable to get that "money shot" of the monster truck below the water tower. Even though I could see it, the tower appeared invisible against the fog and clouds through the viewfinder. When I tried to take the shot on Sunday, the monster truck was hidden behind trailers and trucks parked over there for the lawn tractor pull contest. Oh well.

It was also hard to get many photos in general, due to the rain. I took some of the exhibits inside the Activities building. Have you ever seen an Xbox 360 controller cake? You will now, when I upload my picture of it.

I saw that the Weis Markets store gave a special award to a yeast bread entry. I took a picture of a giant pumpkin and a giant sunflower. Both won awards. The 4-H club not only showed its imagination through the many exhibits - ranging from food to artwork to hand-sewn clothing - but also how much work went into the projects.

There was a very impressive exhibit on the history of Damascus, with lots of photos and other preserved items.

The rain kept falling outside. But as you can see from the photo, Sunday was a beautiful day.

Stay tuned for Part 2

New video, and a new photo from the Damascus Community Fair are available now at www.RobertDyer.net!

DAMASCUS

COMMUNITY

FAIR

Another www.RobertDyer.net Exclusive!!

This past weekend, I attended the Damascus Community Fair on Saturday and Sunday. I also visited the Open House at the Montgomery County Police station (5th District) in Germantown.

As usual, I have brought back many photos and videos which are only available on www.RobertDyer.net, and which you will be seeing as I upload them.

I'll have all the details from both events, but right now I only have time to upload the first video. It is of the Blackjack monster truck at the fair. Watch it now on the Robert Dyer Channel at RobertDyer.net.

Robert Dyer Channel

Angus Burger Video

Passes

1000

Views!!

1,000 views and still more every hour. Have you watched it yet?

Hurry to the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net now, or click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iuiekyKXME

UPCOUNTY

NEEDS BOTH

NEW HOSPITALS

Last week, a driver crashed into a utility pole in Mount Airy. He was rushed to... Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown!

This is further evidence of the current void in emergency medical services in the Upcounty. I suspect that the driver was taken to the Trauma Center in Washington County, as has been the case in other serious accidents. Frederick Memorial Hospital does not have equivalent facilities. Of course, Mt. Airy is in Carroll County, but it is right next to Damascus. So if Washington County was the closest trauma center in that case, where would a similar patient in Damascus or Clarksburg be transported?

The good news is, we finally have two organizations proposing to build hospitals in upper Montgomery County: Adventist (Germantown) and Holy Cross (Clarksburg).

The bad news is, Big Government and political payoffs are getting in the way. Maryland officials are seeking to have only one facility built. Big Government, in all of its convoluted regulatory madness, has invented some kind of "certificate of need" process. This is designed to award potential hospitals to the organizations and developers who donate the most money to Gov. O'Malley and elected officials further down the chain of power.

We can't let politics get in the way of public safety in the Upcounty.

Both hospitals need to be built, and I would insist on two assurances: that we are getting a net gain in beds within Montgomery County (we currently have a critical lack of hospital beds, and are totally unprepared for a major disease outbreak or terror attack), and that one of these hospitals will (eventually) have a Trauma Center.

Having both hospitals and a trauma center is literally a matter of life and death for future patients in the Upcounty, as well as in southern Frederick and Carroll counties.

WELCOME

BACK FROM

LABOR DAY

VACATION

All of you who were fortunate enough to travel over the weekend may have missed the latest videos on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net, including one of the Mt. Airy Volunteer Fire Department in the Celebrate Damascus parade.