Sunday, May 19, 2013
'People,' 'testified' and 'college' also were big in Nancy Navarro's budget statement.
When Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro summarized the fiscal 2014 county budget, the words "county," "budget" and "Montgomery" naturally featured prominently in her statement. Council members tentatively approved the spending plan in a unanimous straw vote Thursday. Other words that Navarro was fond of in describing the $4.8 billion plan: "percent," "funding," "college," "testified," "people" and "providing." See what else Navarro (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring thinks of the budget in the word cloud above. Read Navarro's statement here. SPEAK OUT: What words would you use to describe the Montgomery County budget? What would be the big words in your word cloud?
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Council members: Post article was the first they heard of Metro's decision not to operate the center.
A communication breakdown over the Silver Spring Transit Center led to harsh words for Montgomery County officials by County Council members Wednesday. Of particular concern to council members was a letter the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority sent to the executive branch on April 12, stating the transit agency would not operate and maintain the transit center. (See the attached PDF for the full text of the letter.) Council members said they did not know of the letter before it was reported in The Washington Post on April 25. They demanded to know why the executive branch had not immediately shared the letter with the council. The executive branch intended to share the letter with the council, but wanted to first sort out the …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro is expected to introduce the resolution Tuesday
A proposed County Council resolution urges the governor and state lawmakers to tighten restrictions on gun and ammunition sales. Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro, D-Dist. 4, is expected to introduce the resolution Tuesday. The resolution asks state leaders to: The Council is scheduled to take up the resolution at its next meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 22. A copy of the resolution is posted at the County Council website. Some Background A state taskforce directed to study the adequacy of gun policies as they relate to people with mental illnesses issued a report on Jan. 2, 2013. Among the report’s nine recommendations was the finding that there was no mandate that mental health professionals and social workers report threats of …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
What do you think of Councilman Roger Berliner’s list of council ‘wins?’
In his last day as president of the Montgomery County Council, Roger Berliner spoke with reporters in Rockville, recounting a year that included continued budget wrangling, squabbles over Pepco's performance and steps to aid small businesses and stimulate economic development. Click here to a see a video of Berliner’s remarks. Councilwoman Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4) of Silver Spring took the reins as the council’s new president on Tuesday. But before he stepped aside during Tuesday's council meeting, Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac outlined what he sees as the council’s greatest accomplishments during his yearlong term. Click here to read Berliner’s remarks in their entirety. The council on Tuesday also released a list of accomplishments …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
New council president says she'll emphasize economic development and educational equality in 2013.
Montgomery County's unity as well as its diversity will be the keys to keeping the state's "economic engine" revving next year, said Nancy Navarro, the new Montgomery County Council president. The council president, which changes hands at the end of each year, sets the agenda and steers the council on broad policy initiatives. "It is clear that a majority of residents are minority, so it is fitting that the face of our council leadership reflects that change," said Councilman Craig Rice, referring to Navarro, who is the council's first Latina president. Rice was chosen to serve as the council's vice president. Rice, (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown, Tuesday announced Navarro's nomination in Spanish, spurring a standing ovation and a unanimous …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Montgomery County Councilmember joined Casa de Maryland’s Familia es Familia campaign that pushes the passage of both same-sex marriage and the Dream Act.
For Nancy Navarro, vice-president of the Montgomery County Council and representative for Wheaton and parts of Silver Spring, legalizing same-sex marriage in Maryland is about familia. She recently spoke at a rally for Casa de Maryland, the state’s largest immigrant advocacy group, that brought together supporters of same-sex marriage and the Dream Act under the campaign title “Familia es familia.” Navarro’s brother Pedro is gay, she said. “Familia es familia resonated with me,” she said. “After talking to my brother about it, I asked him if it was ok for me to relay the personal family experience and he said, of course.” Navarro said that her brother, who used to live in Maryland but now lives in Austin, came out to her and her sister …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
County Council committee votes to fund evening and weekend social clubs in higher crime areas of Montgomery County.
An evening and weekend social program for youth in East Montgomery County may become the model for an expanded recreation program in other parts of the county. The Teen Escape Club currently offers monthly events for teens at the East County Community Center. Activities that range from basketball tournaments to talent shows to summer festivals are organized by a group of high school students and staffed by the county’s recreation department. In the eastern part of the county, where police have identified the county’s most persistent crime and recreation department officials admit there is a dearth of teen activities, the escape club events have been well attended. The County Council recently issued a proclamation to the group for creating…
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Montgomery County Council districts changed on March 7, affecting about 20 percent of residents.
Many East Montgomery County residents went to sleep in District 4 Tuesday night. When they woke up Wednesday morning, they were part of District 5. Montgomery County Council districts changed on March 7, 90 days after a redistricting plan that moved about a fifth of the county's residents into a new district was approved. The new bounds of District 5, which is represented by Councilmember Valerie Ervin, a Democrat, include parts of many communities in East County like White Oak, Hillandale, Colesville, Cloverly and Burtonsville. District 5 also includes downtown Silver Spring and Takoma Park. (See a map of the new district attached to this article.) Communities west of New Hampshire Avenue are still in District 4 and represented by …
Friday, March 2, 2012
A new teen-led group works to bring free nights out to East Montgomery County youth.
For Steven Washington, a senior at Springbrook High, the Teen Escape Club was a fresh start. Even at 17, he realizes those don’t come along very often. He helped to start the youth activity group a little over a year ago when he was working at the Montgomery County Recreation Department. It was a job he got after being required to perform volunteer work for “doing trouble,” said Washington, who is now president of the group. Now in its second school year, the group organizes events that draw dozens of students from East Montgomery County to the East County Community Center each month. Students come for events such as talent shows, open mic nights and basketball tournaments, like the three-on-three games going on last Friday evening. The …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Teen Escape Club hosts events for youth in East Montgomery County.
A group of teens from Blake, Paint Branch and Springbrook High Schools were honored with a proclamation from Montgomery County Council Tuesday. The Teen Escape Club was initiated by Councilmember Nancy Navarro (D-Dist 4) in 2010 as a way to engage East County high school students in positive evening activities. The club, which is supervised by the department of recreation, hosts art contests, music jam sessions, video game competitions and other chances to "just munch on free snacks and talk in a safe, unpressured environment," reads the proclamation. Police previously identified White Oak and Briggs Chaney as among the most high-crime areas in the county and Navarro described the club as part of a comprehensive approach to lowering …
Costco Gas Man
7:17 pm on Monday, May 20, 2013
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