hungry? dirty clothes?

This map provided by WSSC shows areas on water use restriction after this morning's water main breaks. If you live in the pink area, you might want to start boiling your water. Maybe.

UPDATE: You can wash clothes and dishes, but you might want to keep a pot of water on the stove.

If you don't have food at home, you're out of luck: Montgomery County has ordered restaurants in areas affected by this morning's water main breaks in Derwood and Wheaton to close up shop "until further advised," as announced by County Executive Ike Leggett barely an hour ago:

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, joined by County Health Officer Dr. Ulder J. Tillman, today ordered food service facilities, including restaurants, fast food outlets, food markets and mobile food trucks, to remain closed until further advised . . .

“Nothing is more important than protecting the health of our families,” said Leggett. “Until WSSC can assure us that restaurants have an adequate supply of potable water to perform all of their food preparation and serving activities, we must issue this directive. I hope this will only be necessary for a very few days. We are working closely with WSSC in order to minimize the impact of this directive.”

The county's already placed water use restrictions on a vast swath of the east side, including Wheaton, Glenmont, Olney, Ashton and Sandy Spring, Cloverly, Colesville, Fairland, West Laurel, and parts of White Oak, Calverton and Burtonsville. (Check out maps at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's website to see if you're affected.) For the next three days, local residents are advised to boil water used for drinking, cooking or cleaning food, while doing laundry or running the dishwasher is forbidden.

Finally: if you live in Congressional District 4, don't forget to vote in the special election tomorrow. You can find your polling place here.

Read more!

montgomery's indoor picnic features chili, paper ballots

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: Chevy Chase study insists Purple Line can't get federal funding; Takoma Park movie premieres at New York film festival; Pedestrian hit at 29 and Briggs Chaney last weekend; Man jumps in front of Red Line train at Wheaton.

Catherine Leggett, wife of County Executive Ike Leggett, Olney Theatre manager Amy Marshall, and Delegate Karen Montgomery at the Lamb, Ham and Vegetarian picnic last Sunday.

A diverse menu and a recent legislative victory were more than enough for Maryland's movers and shakers to brave the rain and attend Delegate Karen Montgomery's seventh annual Lamb, Ham and Vegetarian picnic held last Sunday in Brookeville.

Despite uncooperative weather conditions, Montgomery (D-Dist. 14) entertained dozens of friends and colleagues at her home on Market Street, portions of which date to 1813. Between directing people in search of trash bags and jumping up to check the oven, she explained the secret to her cooking. "You put enough garlic and spices in," she says. Montgomery made the lamb and chili herself, while the roast beef, ham and rice were prepared by others. The biscuits, meanwhile, came from New Orleans-themed local eatery Popeyes.

The delegate - whose sprawling district stretches from Damascus in the west to Burtonsville in the east - also received a certificate celebrating her recent success in ensuring that voter ballots can be easily recounted. Montgomery has been "working to ensure transparency, accuracy and accountability in our voting system," said Bob Ferraro of SAVE Our Votes, a nonprofit group demanding verifiable election results.

so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .

County Executive Ike Leggett speaks inside Delegate Karen Montgomery's living room.

Maryland uses computerized machines from Diebold, the same company responsible for the ballot controversy in Ohio during the 2004 election. Demanding that they be able to provide recountable election results - whether on paper or electronically - was a "four-year struggle," says Montgomery, who was concerned about studies that proved they could easily distort voting records. "Two guys who had been indicted and jailed for computer fraud were working for Diebold," she says. "I frankly believe that using those Diebold machines that the election was stolen when Bush won. We need to have a record . . . that can be counted."

Elected officials from across the state came out to support Montgomery, including Dels. Dan Morhaim (D-Dist. 11) and Charlie Barkley (D-Dist. 39) and Craig Zucker, representing Comptroller Peter Franchot (D). In addition, County Executive Ike Leggett (D) said a few words about Montgomery to an assembly in her living room. "I'm so happy to be here with the three delegates that represent me," says Leggett, who lives in Burtonsville. "I feel at home."

Her next challenge in the State House will be the ongoing budget crisis, which she states is a symptom of the national economic slowdown. "It is not fair to tear into our people for what is a federal problem," she said, referring to the Bush administration's policies, earning her a round of applause from the crowd.

Alongside the lamb and chili was a surprise birthday cake for James Offord, Montgomery's perennial campaign chair and a Tamarack Triangle resident. Offord, who jokes he's turning "thirty-nine again," became friends with Montgomery after meeting her at the Olney Theatre several years ago and has since worked on all of her campaigns. As an African-American, Offord faced criticism for supporting a white candidate. "There's always subtle racial tension," says Offord. "People wanted to know why I was supporting this white woman and I said 'She's the best candidate. Race doesn't matter'."

Read more!

student leaders, transit advocates team up for purple line push

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: Planning Board approves requirements for SilverPlace headquarters; New building on FDA campus dedicated; Metro plans rapid-bus expansion along 16th Street, Veirs Mill Road by 2009.

As Downcounty residents pored over the MTA's latest plans for the Purple Line last Wednesday, a group of student leaders met with members from the Action Committee for Transit at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School to learn how to make the proposed transitway between Bethesda and New Carrollton a reality.

"I think students and people in general are vested in the interest for transit," says Ben Moskowitz, senior at Walter Johnson High in Bethesda and student member of the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Roughly ten students, representing their schools' student government associations and newspapers, came from as far away as Watkins Mill High in Montgomery Village and Centennial High in Ellicott City. ACT President Ben Ross says it's just a sign of how popular the Purple Line is across the region.

"All I can say is . . . it is not just students that we see support from Upcounty," says Ross. "We leafletted the Metro stations two years ago and letters came from all over the County . . . people just look at that map and say 'this makes so much sense'."

so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .

Deirdre Smith and Carlos Abinader from the MTA gave a brief presentation on the project, including an explanation of light rail and Bus Rapid Transit, the two technologies proposed for the Purple Line. Abinader, who lived in Germany for several years, stressed how important transit can be to its users. "Kids, adults, everyone, they live it, they breathe it, they ride it," says Abinader. "It's wonderful."

One student from Whitman High in Bethesda expressed concerns about the line's effects on existing residential neighborhoods. "Things will be impacted," responds Abinader, "but we are trying to minimize any impacts."

A successful student-led protest against proposed Ride On cuts last winter encouraged ACT to reach out to high schoolers. "You need a few people who are really committed and it'll sweep the schools," says ACT Vice President Hans Riemer, who recently left a position as youth coordinator for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. "Student empowerment, that's the core tactic . . . talking to students about their power."

The students joined Ross for a round-table discussion about ways to generate interest in the Purple Line, with suggestions ranging from additional student meetings to a new Facebook group. Alex Blocher, a junior at Blake and president of its SGA, says he hopes to reach out to people who don't see the utility in the project right away. "People who have a reason for it . . . who actively travel Montgomery County are aware of it," states Blocher, "but the general population isn't as aware as I'd like it to be."

Moskowitz knew about the Purple Line for years, but first became interested in supporting it after working on Steve Silverman's County Executive campaign in 2006. As the campaign and his position on the Board took him across the County, he "became even more passionate about it in my car driving from Bethesda to Silver Spring and once even taking the Metro from Glenmont to White Flint."

Although he'll be going to the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, Moskowitz hopes events like this will groom a new generation of student advocates. "The biggest advantage we have is there's a lot of people who have time to stay with this," he says.

Riemer looks forward to the possibilities. "I know that high school students in Montgomery County are some of the most organized around," says the East Silver Spring resident, who ran for County Council two years ago. "What if you could get the media to see young people care about the Purple Line rather than focusing on the people carping about what they might lose?" Read more!

don praisner wins district 4 special election

District 4's new councilmember is Calverton resident Don Praisner, widower of Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, who passed away during surgery in February. The Montgomery County Board of Elections' unofficial results report that Praisner, a Democrat, beat Republican Mark Fennel with two-thirds of the vote.

Turnout in District 4, which stretches from Derwood and Glenmont in the west to Burtonsville and Four Corners in the east, was about ten percent, slightly lower than during the special primary election last month. Don, who promised to carry on the legacy of his wife - who represented the district since its creation in 1990 - plans to finish what would have been her fifth term, which ends in 2010.

Just Up The Pike congratulates Don Praisner for his win. We wish him success in the County Council and hope he knows to expect us at his new office after he's all settled in.

Read more!

district 4 votes for open council seat today

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: Single immigrant men learn cooking and cleaning at home; Sandy Spring residents expect child care center to kick-start revitalization; Thayer Avenue proposes UFO commission for Silver Spring.

Today is Election Day! No, really! It's the special general election to fill the County Council seat left open by the passing of Marilyn Praisner, who passed away in February. While Democrat Don Praisner is the favored winner in left-leaning District 4 - which stretches from Derwood and Glenmont in the west to Four Corners and Burtonsville in the east - there is a growing concern that a paltry turnout could mean a win for Republican Mark Fennel.

The Praisner campaign, which until recently was "very quiet" according to Don himself, sent out a mailer to residents of the sprawling district warning that "the Republicans are counting on Democrats staying home" come Election Day. Last week, Maryland Politics Watch's Adam Pagnucco explained how Fennel could finish the deal with just a few hundred votes.

If you've got twenty minutes at some point in your day, why not swing by your local polling place and cast a vote? Our Republican readers might note this is the first time in a long time in MoCo your party's got a fighting chance; if you're a Democrat, you'll probably want to put the kibosh on that immediately.

ALSO: The Just Up The Pike camera tragically disappeared some time last week, possibly in Burtonsville, possibly in College Park, possibly at my house. If you happen to see a Nikon Coolpix S9 with a photo of Don Praisner in it at any of these places, please send it my way!

Read more!

what's not to like about a blog?

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: Gazette and Maryland Politics Watch speculate on Fennel's ability to win special election; Burtonsville demands funds, attention for revitalization; Planning gives 814 Thayer condo project the go-ahead.

Ever since the 2006 elections, Montgomery County's politicos have been all over the burgeoning community of bloggers that's developed over the past couple of years. From County Executive Ike Leggett holding a special "blogger briefing" on the Fillmore to Council President Mike Knapp writing about the most mundane details of his daily life online, it's clear that Your Elected Officials have taken to blogs as a way to speak out but also listen to what their constituents have to say.

Which brings me back to Don Praisner's ice cream fundraiser at Seibel's last Saturday, where I found myself talking to Dale Tibbitts, Councilmember Marc Elrich's chief of staff, and former Planning Board Chairman Derick Berlage, both of whom had come out to support his bid for County Council. Berlage could not understand what Just Up The Pike was, and he fiddled with the business card I'd given him with a puzzled look on his face. "Columbia Pike?" Berlage says, frowning. "What is this? Is it supposed to be online?"

"It's a blog. A lot of people read blogs now," I say, attempting not to sound boastful. I turn to Tibbitts, who I first met trying to nail down an interview with his boss last spring. "You read blogs, right?" I ask.

Tibbitts is a large man with a commanding presence, and when he sighs, the whole room feels it. "No, actually, I don't," he replies. "There are a lot of things on Just Up The Pike I don't really agree with, so I don't read it. I don't read any blogs, not Maryland Politics Watch, nothing. Their beliefs are not in line with what I believe."

Now, I'm not going to complain that Marc Elrich's chief of staff doesn't read my blog, as he can choose to read or not read whatever he wants and, besides, I'm just a kid with an Internet connection. But I'm nervous that someone, particularly someone who works in government, would be so unwilling to hear opinions that differ from their own. (Note that when I interviewed him last year, Elrich went out of his way to say he does "read blogs" and back in 2006 he even kept one for a little while.) After all, aren't our elected officials - and the people they hire as aides - obligated to serve all of their constituents, not just the ones who voted them in?

Maybe you can pull that on the national level. President Bush's approval rating may be the lowest in recorded history but he's still satisfying a hundred million people. But here in Montgomery County - activist-driven, blogger-boosted, paralysis-by-analysis Montgomery County - you can't turn a deaf ear to anyone without them screaming even louder until you pay attention.

I'm especially curious about what Tibbitts finds so objectionable here at JUTP or Maryland Politics Watch. We strive for at least an impression of objectivity here, and God help me, if I've ever expressed an opinion here, I'll try never to do so again. Read more!

before election, praisner treats supporters to ice cream

County Council candidate Don Praisner, pictured here at IHOP last month, held an ice cream social this weekend for friends and supporters.

About sixty well-wishers came out to Seibel's Restaurant in Burtonsville Saturday for an ice cream social and fundraiser supporting Democrat Don Praisner's bid for his wife's former County Council seat.

"It's kind of continuing a tradition my mom had," says daughter Alison Praisner Klumpp, a teacher at Fairland Elementary School. While it wasn't a yearly event, the social was held "quite frequently" by Councilmember Marilyn Praisner (D-Calverton), who passed away in February.

The Praisner family reserved two rooms in the back of the restaurant to entertain a steady stream of family and friends, including a number of countywide elected officials. Councilmembers Phil Andrews (D-Rockville) and George Leventhal (D-At Large) came out, as did Dale Tibbitts, chief of staff for Councilmember Marc Elrich (D-At Large).

According to Don Praisner, who goes up against Republican Mark Fennel in a special election May 13, the event is a great opportunity to catch up with friends, family and well-wishers. "People seem to enjoy ice cream, and a little iced tea," he says. "The kids show up."

After a heated, six-week campaign between four candidates for the Democratic nomination, Praisner has dialed down his campaign considerably, saying it's "very quiet" since the primary April 15. He will be talking to the Democratic Club at Leisure World this week and has already participated in a televised debate on Channel 16. Praisner stirred up a minor controversy when he mentioned property tax advocate Robin Ficker, who worked on Fennel's campaign during the primary. "He got very upset," says Praisner, "and said 'Robin's not on my campaign anymore'."

In a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans "four-to-one" and his wife was extremely popular, Praisner says, he knows he'll have some explaining to do if he loses next week. "I'm telling people if I lose, I'll have to leave the country," he jokes. "[Fennel] has the problem of name recognition, except for signs."

Read more!

hardman, york create resident-driven district 4 wiki

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: Movie reviewer calls dystopian thriller Blade Runner a "commentary" on Downtown Silver Spring redevelopment.

Seeking to bring District 4 residents together, Eileena York of the East County civic group Citizens Involved and former County Council candidate Thomas Hardman have created a wiki, or user-generated website, to discuss major issues affecting the area.

"I'm trying to bring people together in a way they can speak to each other," says York, a Burtonsville resident. "It's not a political forum and it's not a structural forum."

The website, at www.district4mc.org, runs on the same software as Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, and can be edited by anyone. Although it currently has one page, York and Hardman hope to expand it - and encourage other residents to log on - through monthly meetings held throughout District 4, which stretches from Four Corners and Burtonsville in the east to Glenmont and Derwood in the west.

York is hopeful that the wiki will bring people across the sprawling district together. "Maybe by doing this it'll be more effective, I don't know," she says. "I just think there needs to be more cohesiveness in our district."

One of the site's main goals is to provide the new District 4 County Council representative - voters will choose between Democrat Don Praisner and Republican Mark Fennel May 13 - with a list of their constituents' wants and needs each month. It will not only advocate for the district but could also help find individuals willing to run for County Council in 2010.

"If someone's going to actively champion our causes in District 4 they're not gonna pop up at campaign time," says York.

The first meeting for the website will be held at 7:30 pm Thursday, June 5 in the Burtonsville Long and Foster office. Future meetings may be held in Northwood and Aspen Hill; Hardman and York would like to have them in a different community each month. Read more!

praisner, fennel head into district 4 special election

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: County considers increase in energy tax; Live Nation talks to Silver Spring, Singular about the Fillmore.

Don Praisner, seen at the IHOP in Calverton, won the Democratic nomination for the County Council seat opened by his wife Marilyn's death two months ago.

With a turnout of just over eleven percent, District 4 voters nominated Democrat Don Praisner and Republican Mark D. Fennel to run in the special election for the open County Council seat May 13. Praisner, widower of recently passed Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, garnered 3288 votes, according to the County Board of Elections. School Board President Nancy Navarro was not far behind with 2940 votes, while advocate Steve Kanstoroom and consultant Pat Ryan trailed them both.

With MoCo political gadfly Robin Ficker as campaign manager, Fennel's aggressive sign-deployment and promises to lower property taxes earned him the favor of Republican voters. The Aspen Hill resident beat Calverton real estate broker John McKinnis, with 898 votes to McKinnis's 771. Meanwhile, Spencerville's Robert Patton won 114 votes, while IT specialist Thomas Hardman, also of Aspen Hill, earned 96 votes.

As Marilyn's legacy hung over their heads, front-runners Praisner and Navarro waged an often-bitter campaign, made worse by allegations that School Superintendent Jerry Weast privately met with prominent unions to endorse Navarro, crippling her credibility. Adam Pagnucco from Maryland Politics Watch pointed out yesterday that a low turnout more or less ensured Praisner's victory, despite Navarro's larger campaign budget. District 4's two gigantic retirement communities - Leisure World in Aspen Hill and Riderwood Village in Calverton - guaranteed the 75-year-old Don a massive base of senior citizens, known to be the most hardcore of voters.

On top of that, he enjoyed strong name recognition from his wife, who sat on the Council for seventeen years and had been active in the Calverton community since moving there four decades ago. Praisner also had the support of County Executive Ike Leggett and four councilmembers eager to have a fifth vote for slower growth when the Council tackles its Annual Growth Policy this summer. Read more!

don praisner, picking up where marilyn left off

Part EIGHT of our "District 4 Head-to-Head Tour," which seeks to interview all eight candidates running in a special election to replace Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, who passed away in February. A primary will be held April 15, followed by a general election May 13.

Don Praisner at the IHOP in Calverton. For more information about his platform and biography, check out his campaign website.

In a special election born out of tragic circumstances but recast as a means for change in East County, there is one candidate who wishes to preserve the status quo. It has been over two months since Councilmember Marilyn Praisner passed away after forty years together, but Don Praisner is more determined than ever to ensure that her job is completed.

"I don't think anybody could hit the books as hard as Marilyn did," says Don over coffee at the new IHOP in Calverton, on Tech Road. "I'll try to work as hard as possible, but I don't think anyone could carry the workload she did."

In February, Marilyn passed away from complications due to heart surgery after a car accident last fall left her with a collapsed lung. Ten weeks later, Don remains surprised by her death. "Longevity was one of the characteristics of Marilyn's family," says Don. "I thought she would be around long after I was gone."

His candidacy to replace her was quickly endorsed by a slew of local elected officials, including County Executive Ike Leggett and four council members who voted for a slower pace of development for last year's Annual Growth Policy. With the loss of Marilyn, the coalition - made up of councilmembers Elrich, Trachtenberg, Andrews and Berliner - is anxious for a fifth vote to make it a majority. "Marilyn . . . she was for managed growth, not a moratorium," says Don. "My philosophies are the same."

so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .

For forty years, Don and Marilyn lived in Calverton, a planned community straddling the Montgomery/Prince George's county line.

Known as an obsessive fact-checker, Marilyn would work long hours at the Council Office Building in Rockville, including Sunday afternoons. "She wanted to read everything she could . . . to be satisfied she knew of the issues," Don says.

He sometimes worried if his wife's hard work was worth the time and energy spent. "I've been surprised by all of the people I've met who made favorable comments about her," says Don. "I always said 'Why are you spending so much time on the job?' because it's never appreciated."

Over the past few months, he has ripped into Navarro and other candidates who try to compare themselves to his spouse. At a candidate forum in Cloverly two weeks ago, he told Navarro that "[Marilyn] was disappointed with you because you were not an independent voice," while claiming that she would "undo some of the work my wife did."

Don was unfazed by the Post's endorsement of School Board president Nancy Navarro for the Democratic nomination. "When they supported Marilyn, they always made some kind of backhanded compliment," says Don. "They pointed out some of Nancy's weaknesses, like leadership and independence. I think independence is important," he adds, pointing out that sixty percent of Navarro's funds come from unions.

Nonetheless, Don says he would put all bitterness aside if he lost the primary. "I'm a good Democrat," he states. If the voters reject his bid for office, he would like to play golf with his daughter, currently stationed with the government in Hawaii. "Of course, I'd also hope to be taking office for County Council," he says, smiling.

A Praisner campaign sign on Galway Drive in Calverton.

When I ask, as I have of all the other candidates, what the biggest problems facing East County are, Don echoes statements made by his wife when I spoke to her last year. "The same problems facing the County as a whole," he says. "A decline in revenues and an increase in services . . . one thing that distinguishes District 4 from the rest of the County is a need for jobs." The budget deficit is also a major concern. Don is cold to the idea of increasing property taxes to reduce it, as Leggett proposes. "I'd have to look at the services that will be cut if we don't," he laments. "Ike has a very difficult decision to make."

For the past forty years the Praisners have lived in Calverton, a 1960's-era planned community of fifteen hundred homes straddling the Montgomery/Prince George's line. During that time, the neighborhood has changed "some ways for the better and some ways for the worse," Don says. "We've become a cut-through between I-95 and Cherry Hill."

Dealing with two different counties reveals each jurisdiction's strengths and weaknesses, Don explains. "There are some places where P.G. does a better job . . . police response is better than Montgomery County," he says, though MoCo is "more sensitive to the social problems we have."

Disagreements between the two counties, however, have stymied attempts at coordinated planning and even threatened to tear the neighborhood apart. Fifteen years ago, the community rejected A-287, a proposed road that would have extended Clover Patch Drive across what is currently Riderwood Village, connecting Cherry Hill and Powder Mill roads and offering an alternative to congested Calverton Boulevard. Montgomery residents approved of it, says Don, "but Prince George's just didn't want the traffic in their backyard. It was a problem that was splitting our community, and we were very concerned about the consequences of that issue."

Even earlier attempts at regional planning were less than successful. "When Marilyn first got on the council, she recognized that what happens in your county affects us here," Don says. In 1990, Marilyn arranged the signing of a tri-county planning agreement between Montgomery, Prince George's and Howard counties, though it has since been ignored by all three.

"I'm not sure whether it's feasible or not" to pursue regional planning again, says Don. "I think it would take State intervention, someone with a club saying 'Hey! Get in shape!' And even then it'll be difficult."

A new restaurant under construction in WesTech Village Corner, one of several new developments in Calverton.

As former Vice President of the Calverton Civic Association, which represents the neighborhood, Don has been "in dialogue" with a number of developers seeking to build in Calverton and throughout East County, he says, though "it's not always a harmonious one."

One of the biggest proposals currently on the boards is for LifeSci Village, a 185-acre mixed-use community planned on the current site of the Percontee concrete recycling plant on Cherry Hill Road. In a November newsletter, Marilyn expressed concerns about the project, which Don shares. "It's an attractive plan, but I don't think it's ideal for East County," he says. Mixed-use is popular now, but "a developer isn't going to build an office building if he can't fill it. You can't ignore the marketplace."

Developers have made promises in the past that were not fulfilled, he warns, holding up the Orchard Center shopping center at Cherry Hill and Broadbirch as an example. "When the developers first brought this to us, a lot of promises about white tablecloth restaurants were made," says Don. Instead, a McDonald's and a Starbucks were built. "We're not totally happy with it, but we're glad it's here."

"They do good business here," Don says, motioning to the restaurant we're in. "Place is packed on Sunday mornings."

Burtonsville residents should be especially careful as its village center is redeveloped, considering all of the growth in Howard County and at the massive Konterra "mini-city" outside Laurel, he notes. "What is the marketplace willing to put into the village?" asks Don. "I guess they'll have to find their own personal niche. They can't compete with the Konterras of the world . . . but you have to fight to get as close to what you want as possible."

More than anything, patience is important. As a teenager, Don lived in Wheaton, where "the sign for Wheaton Plaza was there for eight to ten years before they actually built the plaza," he jokes.

Read more!

an apology

Forty years ago, Don and Marilyn Praisner moved to a newly developed subdivision on the furthest edges of Silver Spring called Calverton. While the community they settled in has changed dramatically since then, they remained as stewards and leaders. Many newer residents such as myself, whose family moved here in 1999, cannot fully appreciate former Councilmember Marilyn Praisner's impact on our community as we were not here to witness much of her work.

While Marilyn and I did not agree on a lot of issues, I recognize that a piece I wrote last month, entitled "is marilyn praisner the new ronald reagan?", was insensitive. In it, I suggest that County Executive Ike Leggett's attempts to commemorate her life and career were excessive. However, I appreciate what she has done, and I want to see her legacy carried on in some form.

We all mourn the passing of Marilyn, though none of us can comprehend the loss her widower carries in his heart. Tomorrow morning - just in time for the special election - the "District 4 Head-to-Head Tour" draws to a close as we interview County Council candidate Don Praisner. Read more!

john mckinnis, putting down roots

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE: Congressional candidate Donna Edwards moving into National Harbor in Oxon Hill; Post examines rift created by District 4 opening.

Part SEVEN of our "District 4 Head-to-Head Tour," which seeks to interview all eight candidates running in a special election to replace Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, who passed away in February. A primary will be held April 15, followed by a general election May 13.

John McKinnis at the Calverton Starbucks. For more information about his platform and biography, check out his campaign website.

At first glance, you can't tell that John McKinnis is a father of four, a successful business owner, or a Republican candidate for County Council. The news that he's thirty-two seems startling. He doesn't look as old as he is, and his actual age betrays his accomplishments. McKinnis is late for our meeting at the Calverton Starbucks, a few blocks from his home, but it's forgivable: he most likely put those ten minutes to good use.

McKinnis was one of a handful of candidates who drove to Four Corners last week for a late-night debate hosted by the Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association and unfortunately scheduled for the same time as one in Burtonsville. The event didn't let out until 11:30, he says, but as a former resident of Northwood he identified with the neighborhood's current struggle to stop the installation of soccer fields on a meadow in North Four Corners Park.

"I'm very concerned about that park and that rec center," says McKinnis. "My wife's Sweet Sixteen was in that rec center . . . we used to walk to that park."

so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .

A native of Michigan, McKinnis has lived in East County for several years, moving from Four Corners to a newly-built home off of Cherry Hill Road in Calverton in 2001. While he is "not directly involved" with the politically influential Calverton Civic Association, he has been a coach in the Calverton Recreation League. Now that he's put roots down, McKinnis is impatient for results from a government he doesn't see as functional. "As an investor in our community, you have to demand a rate of return," he says.

"I think there needs to be some kind of sanity on this council right now . . . they're not focused on anything," says McKinnis, who last ran for District 14 delegate two years ago. The current emphasis on so-called "quality-of-life" issues, which often refers to land use and development, is no longer relevant when "people are just trying to survive," he laments.

As a Republican on an entirely Democratic council, McKinnis says he could offer a different perspective, enabling him to act independently. "Because I'm not in the trench of one direction, I can stand up and say 'we don't need to fall in line with this'," he says.

County residents are used to a high level of government services, making any program cuts very unpopular. McKinnis claims that he's willing to take the blame for those decisions. "Let me be that fall guy on the council," he says. "This isn't about party lines, it's about leadership . . . and this fiscal crisis requires direct leadership."

Montgomery County is facing a $300 million deficit, and McKinnis blames the school system's increasing demands for funding. "I think if you look primarily at our fiscal situation right now . . . a lot of people should be held responsible, but it starts with her," he says, referring to current school board president - and Democratic District 4 candidate - Nancy Navarro. "I guess this is the inconvenient truth of where our County is."

As a father of four, he expresses dismay towards many MCPS policies, including its recent decision to give students on free and reduced lunch higher priority in being assigned to Blake High School during the choice process for Northeast Consortium eighth-graders, which ended last year. "I have four incredible children, they're so talented, and you're gonna do everything you can to give them their dreams," says McKinnis. One daughter is an aspiring gymnast; his seven-year-old son is playing piano; his eldest son, age twelve, does music and theatre. He recently started working with the same manager as teen idols the Jonas Brothers.

In a few years, he'll have to be thinking about the Consortium, McKinnis says. "You look at Blair, the technology achievements being made there . . . there are certain schools that kids are going to gravitate to because of those achievements," he states. "I want to see [my son] going to a school not because of his color but because of what interests him."

McKinnis's four children are split between the public schools and Forcey Christian School on East Randolph Road, which has "a huge diversity of families," he says. His wife is a teacher at Burtonsville Elementary, and through her, he's learned a lot about the difficulties educators are facing in the school system. Increased attention to gifted-and-talented programs and special education has shortchanged students "in the middle," he laments. Meanwhile, problematic students are being swept under the rug by administrators unwilling to admit that they hamper the educational experience for other students.

"You are in denial of what your employees put up with," says McKinnis of the school system's administration. "I've known teachers who've been written up because their kids aren't above grade level. There's so much pressure on them . . . they're the sacrifice in this line of fire and the kids are suffering."

Nonetheless, problems in the school system and the county budget have been perennially pushed aside in favor of a bigger issue. "We talk about development," McKinnis laments. "None of this matters if our house isn't in order." Read more!

well-attended b'ville candidate forum invites debate, criticism

WHAT'S UP THE PIKE [COMING UP SOON]: County Council special primary this Tuesday; long-awaited Praisner and McKinnis interviews coming up over the weekend; "green" buildings planned for Burtonsville Town Center.

Burtonsville residents wait for a candidate forum at Paint Branch High School to begin last Wednesday evening.

Property taxes and the revitalization of Burtonsville took center stage Wednesday night during a candidate forum at Paint Branch High School sponsored by Citizens Involved, an East County civic group. Nearly two hundred people came out to hear hopefuls for the open County Council seat - for which a special election will be held on Tuesday - and for the Congressional elections in November.

Current school board president Nancy Navarro (at right), who won the Washington Post's endorsement today, said she was frustrated by an "amazing disconnect between what I hear are very important issues - land use and development - and no discussion about poverty or education," she lamented, saying it was necessary to "listen to everybody to prioritize our needs."

Consultant Pat Ryan, who volunteers for the non-profit group Action In Montgomery, bristled at Navarro's suggestion that she was the only one to mention low-income people. "I've been talking about affordable housing at every forum," Ryan said. In addition, he promised to talk to the State Highway Administration, who have continually rejected a request by local business owners for a sign on Route 29 announcing the Burtonsville Crossing shopping center. "I've dealt with pigheaded bureaucrats for the past thirty years," he said. "I know how to deal with them."

Steve Kanstoroom, an Ashton resident who's made headlines for representing disenfranchised Sandy Spring landowners, stressed his history of advocacy. "I've been advocating for people full time, double time, paid staff since 2003," he says. "I'm bringing to you all the services other parts of the County get." He was unfazed by the Gazette's recent endorsement of Pat Ryan for the Democratic nomination. "The Gazette recently endorsed Al Wynn," scoffed Kanstoroom. "The Gazette endorses people who don't win."

so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .

From left to right, Democratic candidates Pat Ryan, Don Praisner, Nancy Navarro and Steve Kanstoroom listen to Daniel Straub from Citizens Involved speak before the forum began.

Don Praisner, widower of former Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, stressed the need for optimism about the Council's ability to handle the budget crisis. "You have to have some trust in government," he said, but noted that they have a difficult decision to make. "We've put ourselves in a position that either we have to break the charter [limit on property taxes] or cut services."

The crowd thinned out considerably after the Democratic candidates spoke, and as a result, the Republican candidates who followed were more light-hearted. "If County statistics are accurate, there are probably three Republicans in the room, and I'd appreciate your vote," said Spencerville resident Robert Patton.

As his campaign manager, perennial candidate and MoCo gadfly Robin Ficker (at right) was bullish on Mark Fennel's chances of winning the Republican nomination of Tuesday. "No one was talking about fiscal policy before, but we made property taxes the issue," says Ficker as he flagged down cars on Old Columbia Pike, campaign signs in hand. During the debate, he planted a question about his latest referendum - which would require all nine Councilmembers to vote for raising the limit on property taxes in order to lift the current cap - earning him the ire of most Democrats and Republican John McKinnis, who didn't agree with his proposal.

"No offense, Robin," said McKinnis, addressing him in the audience, "but there are other was we can do it and we can do it right."

Aspen Hill resident Thomas Hardman (at left), who for $100 self-financed his campaign, promise to deal with code enforcement, citing the problems he's seen in his own community. "Neighbors do not have the right to ruin people's lives by having truck tire fires in their yards because they like to see things burn," he deadpanned. However, he disappointed members of the Paint Branch PTSA who asked candidates to pledge their support for funding the high school's modernization. "I've found that sometimes you make commitments and you have commitments that prevent you from keeping them," he said.

Congressional candidates Peter James (R) and Donna Edwards (D) were both invited to the event, but only James showed up, making up for his opponent's absence by holding up a sheet of notebook paper with a drawing of Edwards' face on it. James promised a "money-back guarantee" if elected, offering to put his salary in a trust fund and return it to voters if he didn't hold to his promises. "If you don't see any action, you can vote for Donna Edwards and she can be in for another sixteen years," he snapped.

Jonny Akchin, Edwards' field organizer for Montgomery County, spoke in her place, but many residents were not satisfied, approaching him after the event to ask where she was. "It's a very large district. She can't talk to everybody," Akchin lamented. He claimed that the campaign had not received word of the event until earlier that day, and Edwards had already made plans.

After the forum, Council candidates expressed frustration with the format, in which each speaker took turns answering a series of questions handed in by audience members. While responses were limited to forty-five seconds, the event dragged on for nearly three hours, delaying another debate immediately following in Four Corners. "I tried to make it as fun as possible, but I was tired," says McKinnis, who was the second-to-last to speak. "I was falling asleep through some of my answers."

As a result, many candidates did not go to the second meeting, according to Adam Pagnucco at Maryland Politics Watch. They included Praisner, who didn't want to travel there at ten o'clock. The Burtonsville forum "wasn't handled right, to have a candidate stand up and answer twelve consecutive questions," he says. "It's just not fair to the candidates." Read more!

robert patton, back in burtonsville and on the defense

Part SIX of our "District 4 Head-to-Head Tour," which seeks to interview all eight candidates running in a special election to replace Councilmember Marilyn Praisner, who passed away in February. A primary will be held April 15, followed by a general election May 13.

County Council candidate Robert Patton, left, and his brother and campaign manager William, at the Starbucks in Burtonsville. For more information about Robert Patton, check out his campaign website.

If you've ever been to the Turf Center on Route 198 in Spencerville, you've bought sod from the Pattons, who've been landscaping Montgomery County yards for seventy years. Last Monday, I talked to two Pattons - Republican District 4 candidate Robert and his brother and campaign manager William, himself a former council hopeful - about Burtonsville, McMansions, and just what's wrong with the County establishment.

It was hard to get a word in between their rapid-fire conversation, and you can clearly tell how close they are. "We bounce ideas off each other all the time," says Robert. "I guess that's an advantage. I got more than one head to think with."

Robert decided to run because he was frustrated by politics and politicians. The County Council is distracted by "issues they feel aren't that important because it meant they didn't have to deal with other things," Robert laments. "I understand that new problems have new needs . . . but what tends to happen is you neglect your core responsibilities. On basic terms, it's your schools, your police force, your roads. Everything that makes the basic quality of living."

Meanwhile, those in his own party aren't holding true to their own ideals. "The Republicans are saying 'we gotta cut spending' but you ask them 'you wanna build the Purple Line' they all say yes," says Robert. "I don't think it's a worthwhile investment . . . who's gonna ride the Purple Line but the people who watch kids in Bethesda?" he says, suggesting that a line on Route 29 would be more successful.

"I could never play their game," he adds. "I might never be successful in politics but I'd sleep better at night knowing I tried."

so much more AFTER THE JUMP . . .

"You know with Howie Denis and Steve Silverman there was a better feeling on the council," says William. He points out that former Democratic councilmember Silverman and the Patton brothers represented a horse farm on Route 198 that was shut down because their weekly equestrian shows caused "a lot of traffic on the roads, and people complained," Robert says. "Now they have a hundred fifty houses and now they have traffic every day instead of just on Sundays . . . there's animosity between the farm and the neighbors when we'd really just want to see a farm."

"I hate these McMansions with yards that you could cut with a weedeater, they're so small," says Robert. If elected, he would seek a minimum one-acre lot for new homes in East County - or seek other uses for the land altogether.

"We're looking at what's a better use for the land after the father's done with his land and he wants to pass it on to his kids - like a driving range or a church or something," adds William.

Robert questions the commitment of people who complain that the East County doesn't have enough amenities. "They move here for the government jobs and they make a lot of demands but they aren't planning to retire here," he says.

While he supports the proposed Burtonsville Access Road, Robert's skeptical about further development in the village center. "I think there are a lot of amenities out here. I'm kind of partial to the green space," he says. "Burtonsville's always sort of looked like an afterthought. It was meeting a demand. It was never architecturally pleasing . . . I don't begrudge Burtonsville, but I wouldn't take a girlfriend here, maybe to Seibel's for a milkshake."

Suddenly, Robert and William launch into nostalgia. "There was a tractor dealership where the Free State used to be," says William.

"I used to go to the Amish Market for ham sandwiches," Robert adds. "Even when I was a kid I used to go there it was a Chesapeake Bay Seafood House. My parents took me there when I got A's on my report card."

William laughs. "Who thought we were gonna have a Starbucks in Burtonsville. This used to be a driving range."

Robert replies with a sigh. "That's sort of the kind of rural flair this area used to have."

The rural village charm isn't what drove Robert out of the Burtonsville area twe