Wednesday, September 22, 2010

what's up the pike: try the special at nathan's diner


Student Town Project, Park and Planning
- If you missed Kojo Nnamdi's "Kojo In Your Community" event at the Civic Building in downtown Silver Spring, you can listen to it this afternoon at 1pm, or check out this recap of the goings-on. Thayer Avenue and Silver Spring, Singular, among others, live-tweeted the show, largely to make fun of people who spoke - though they did point out that Kojo kept referring to Silver Spring as being in Prince George's County, which is unfortunate.

Meanwhile, local skateboarding advocate Sk8ter Mom says that skaters were blocked from entering the building until someone told Kojo himself, who then asked them to come inside. He interviewed Sk8ter Mom last week, a must-listen after you hear last night's show.

- Jackie's Restaurant owner Jackie Greenbaum will open a Mexican restaurant in Columbia Heights, says the Post. If the prices at Jackie's have scared you off, you might want to come down here instead: "Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served, with an emphasis on portability and price," writes Justin Rude. "No item will cost more than $15, and there will be selections designed to be consumed in the time it takes to walk to the Columbia Heights Metro station."

- Whitney Teal, friend of JUTP and editor of new online news source Colesville Patch, sent us a few links to stories she's been working on in East County. Here's an update on the new Third District Police Station in White Oak (newly cleansed of all that rotten affordable housing); the Colesville Giant's plans to take over a gas station across the street; and good news from the Department of Liquor Control.

- The Montgomery County Planning Department is hosting a contest to see who can best describe our diversity in less than seven minutes. The prompt: "Montgomery County is predicted to become a majority-minority county. The changing face of the county brings a wealth of new ideas, services, products and languages. Express your thoughts about the county’s diversity." (Sounds like an SAT essay, doesn't it?)

Pecha Kucha (peh-chak-cha) is a presentation style developed in Japan by architects who feared their colleagues had become too wordy when talking about their work. Presenters are given twenty seconds to go through each of twenty slides on their topic, or a total of six minutes and forty seconds. For an example of what a Pecha Kucha looks like, check out this one about Indianapolis.

To enter, visit the Planning Department's website.

- And speaking of the Planning Department: check out the photos (above and at right) of a model city made by local students on display at the Department's offices a couple of months ago. I don't have any details (it was sitting in a hallway deep within the staff offices), but I still think it's pretty cool.

25 comments:

April said...

I've never commented here before, but after reading Tweets from last night "Kojo in Your Community", I feel the need to say something.
Sk8ter Mom is in dire need of a reality check. I attended the event last evening, and EVERY TIME someone tried to shift the focus of the discussion to one of the many other issues Silver Spring faces, the skateboarding issue reemerged. I feel that AT LEAST 1/4 of the discussion was focused on skateboarders, and Sk8ter Mom has the nerve to tweet "This is what I begged kids to come out for? To be denied even a chance to speak up?". Did she expect every single skateboarder to have their chance to speak?
I've lived in Silver Spring for just over a year, and I came to this event because I want to get a better pulse on the issues. But as someone detached from this issue, I just want to warn Sk8ter Mom that by sounding like a broken record, people are going to interpret the skateboarders' issues as little more than noise.
I understand the skateboarders get a bad rap...I witness one of the WAMU staffers scolding the skateboarders taking too many cookies before the program began--that was uncalled for. But I think Sk8ter Mom needs to reevaluate the delivery of her message if she wants anyone to take her and the skateboarders' cause seriously.

Terry in Silver Spring said...

Sligo has a link to a witness who says that the skateboarders were asked to leave because they were rude and disruptive, not simply because they are skateboarders.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

lol @ April. You must not have noticed the fact that a whole lot of people are taking us seriously -- we're all over the news, the blogs, and now radio.

We are not here to make you happy, and we won't be amending our message to make it more palatable to you.

Your message seems to be that we're annoying you by talking about skateboarding a lot. Boo hoo. I can live with the fact that I annoy you.

But you care more about the fact that you're annoyed than about the fact that members of our community were denied access to a completely public meeting that they were specifically invited to, and encourage to attend.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

That witness doesn't explain why a bunch of skaters couldn't have been disruptive in the building -- they never got the chance to be, because the security guard stopped them at the entrance. They never got inside until Kojo told a skater to go get them.

April said...

Sk8ter Mom-I'm not annoyed...I just thought it was fascinating that based off of the discussion on Monday evening, the prevailing issue in Silver Spring is apparently skateboarding (as opposed to business development, safety, education, traffic...I could go on and on). But I think your mistaken in believing that by saturating media outlets without careful thought behind the content, focus, and delivery of your message that people will agree with your message. Look at SS Singular's blog--the blogosphere is talking about you, but NOT in a positive way.And we aren't all "haters"--we really aren't! I think the intent behind your work in admirable. But like I originally said--the delivery of your message sounds more like a squeaky wheel instead of meaningful and constructive discussion.

Terry in Silver Spring said...

Sk8terMom,

The attention you're getting isn't actually doing your cause good. Read the discussions about your appearances, don't just count them up.

Sk8ter Mom said...

@ April, we NEVER sought media attention. We got it because skateboarding is the fastest-growing sport in America, and because a whole lot of people really DO care about dealing with childhood obesity, and about kids who have no other recreational opportunities, having something to love and be passionate about. We have gotten so many supportive comments, in person and online, from many in the community.

What happens on one blog is not indicative of the opinions of an entire community. And while we never sought media attention, I'm very happy that it has resulted in more people reaching out to support us.

You say you're not annoyed, and yet I keep getting from you that we're talking about this too much. I would love to stop talking about it so much, and I will do that when decision-making officials decide to start listening.

Sk8ter Mom said...

And @ April, your comments are incredibly unfair because you don't know the first thing about other work I've done over the course of 20 years to better my community...through starting what's now a thriving nonprofit, through board participation, through volunteering in schools and out, through mentoring, and many other activities.

So I've spent 20 years in service to my community and 2 of those on skateboarding...and somehow for you I'm acting as if skateboarding is all that matters. Whatever.

April said...

You say that "skateboarding is the fastest-growing sport in America." Source please (and not from a skateboarding association)? Because a quick Google search reveals that tennis, lacrosse, and yoga are ALSO heralded as the fastest growing sport in the country...
And as someone claiming to be so active in our community, ending your comment with "whatever" does little to continue the conversation.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

April, I have cited those statistics ad nauseum, on my blog, on this blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and I cited them during my in-studio interview with Kojo last week. If you're interested in finding them, you will.

You come on this blog, that has no relationship to me, to rant about me, and then you complain that I don't want to have a conversation with you? Whatever.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

I so much wish folks would realize that "a quick Google search" is not a reliable way to ascertain facts. ANY facts.

April said...

It appears Sk8ter Mom needs a lesson in how research is reported and disseminated, and also how to properly cite research materials. I found the information you reference, and I have several questions about. What age groups were examined? Demographics? How were these statistics gathered and analyzed? Because you don't include a link to an actual report (or, at the very least, page numbers where one can look up the information you're citing), I can't tell how you pulled this information, and I'm very skeptical about the search and reporting skills you used to find this information.
As a librarian who has taught college-level coursework (and no, not as a TA but as a professor), I would FAIL a student who elusively says "find my previous references" to THEN discover that the student doesn't include any solid citations.
And Google is certainly a way you can ascertain MANY basic facts. Libraries are becoming less and less valuable as book vaults BECAUSE of search engines and projects like the Google Book Project. Besides, if you're to come out and say " "a quick Google search" is not a reliable way to ascertain facts. ANY facts.", perhaps you should ALSO be proactive in MoCo's Library issues, who faced a 45% cut in funding and serves ALL AGES of MoCo residents, and offers programing, internet access, access to subscription databases, and, of course, books.
In fact, if I remember correctly, the library was brought up during Monday evening's event, but quickly brushed aside by...guess what? The skateboarding issue.
And so this has come full-circle. My original point (which appears to have been completely missed by Sk8ter Mom) is that there are MANY OTHER ISSUES that Silver Spring, as a community, must grapple with. THAT'S what the event Monday evening should have been about.

April said...

And because I want to practice what I preach, here is a source that details the 45% overall cut to collection at MoCo Public Libraries.

April said...

Hmm, my link didn't work. I think I may have forgotten to put "" around it. But here it is to c/p for anyone interested:
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/libtmpl.asp?url=/content/libraries/newsandevents/directorsreport.asp

Silver Spring Skaters said...

April, I am SO tired of talking to you, and at this point it's clear to me that you have no interest in what skaters are saying. Some people just don't, and I accept that.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

I just need to say one more thing to you.

You seem to think I have some kind of obligation to prove something to you. I do not. I have no obligations to you or anyone other than my children. I'm a mom in this community who has taken the time to build relationships with a whole lot of our community's kids, and to help them advocate for what they want.

Don't like it? Okay, fine. Some people don't. That, however, is your issue. I have no obligation to spend absurd amounts of time explaining things to people who clearly have no interest.

April said...

I've never said I don't have an interest in skateboarding...I'd love to see you c/p where that was stated, or even inferred. I went to a meeting community event designed to talk about community issues (and sure--that can include a portion of time devoted to skateboarding--I am educator and of course interested in meaningful ways to reach out to youth). I'm just baffled that you feel like that skateboarders didn't get a chance to speak at the meeting. Nothing more, nothing less.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

Oops, I lied. YET one more thing.

Skaters aren't asking for one thin dime. So stop telling me about budget cuts that I already know about. We don't need one dollar from the county, and have never asked for one.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

Not true April, because I NEVER SAID THAT! What I did say, is that those skaters who weren't even given the chance to get inside the building, never had a chance to speak.

If they didn't let you in the building, you'd be pretty peeved too.

April said...

This is from your Twitter feed:
"Even though #skaters were brought back in, the show was almost over and only 1 got to speak." I understand you're frustrated they weren't allowed in--in fact, in my original post I said that the cookie scolding was uncalled for, so I think its reasonable to assume I would also find not being allowed to enter the building uncalled for as well. Yes? That was a crummy move on behalf of the staff.
But what were you expecting? This is a timed taping--were you expecting NPR/WAMU to extend their programming? With my little knowledge of radio broadcasting, I can tell you that it doesn't work that way...

Terry in Silver Spring said...

"@ April, we NEVER sought media attention."

Remember when you say things like this that your comments on the blogs are still out there and readable, as are your tweets and own blog entries. An electronic paper trail.

David Adams said...

The point all of us are trying to make to you, Sk8terMom is that you are playing your cause in gross disproportion to the other pressing issues of our community. Skateboarding is important, but your constant and overwhelming presence makes us turn a deaf ear to you. The vast majority of us want other things before skateboarding. As you tell us, deal with it.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

lol @ David.

You speak for everyone huh? No, actually you don't. And a whole lot of people have contacted us and expressed support for the kids, who ask for nothing more than a patch of ground to skate on.

If that bothers you, I'm cool with that.

Silver Spring Skaters said...

Call me crazy, but regarding people who never have, and never will, lift a finger in support of our community's kids who skate, I tend to not look to those folks for advice on how to advocate.

And funny thing, now that we're suddenly getting all kinds of support from the community, I love how people are saying how ineffective our advocacy is.

Terry in Silver Spring said...

"support for the kids, who ask for nothing more than a patch of ground to skate on."


So, open up your backyard to them. They have a skate park at Woodside, another up in Olney, others in the area. That's enough space dedicated to a hobby that only a small percentage of the population takes part in AND a hobby that results in damage.