La Tasca
141 Gibbs Street, #305
301-279-7011
Monday, June 30, 2014
WORLD CUP SPECIALS AT LA TASCA IN ROCKVILLE (PHOTOS)
Friday, June 27, 2014
HAS CHICKEN OUT CLOSED IN ROCKVILLE?
If the restaurant has closed, hopefully a fast food chain that doesn't currently have a restaurant in Montgomery County will move in, and make use of that drive-thru (Chicken Out did not use the drive-thru, but it is still there).
Thursday, June 26, 2014
SHOULD N. WASHINGTON STREET SLOW DOWN?
A change in Rockville policy could give the city's Public Works Director broader, but more defined, authority to determine parking and - in practice - throughput on roads in Business Districts. Some on the Montgomery County Council have sought similar power to slow down traffic, but in many cases those county roads are actually controlled by the State Highway Administration.
Part of an increasingly nationwide effort to reduce speeds, the objective is not always purely about public safety. For some, it is sincerely a safety or business development issue. A few proponents are part of the "war on cars," who seek to make driving as painful as possible, in the hopes of forcing drivers to "get out of their cars," and use public transit. Others include developers seeking to maximize development potential of properties along busy roads and highways, such as Rockville Pike. Plans for outdoor cafes on the curbside of roads where cars rush by have, understandably, sounded quite preposterous. Seeking to lower the embarrassment level for themselves, many have seized upon the idea of taking control of those roads, and forcing traffic to slow to 25 MPH (or even 10 MPH, in New York City). That concept is specifically being floated for state roads in the White Flint area, as well as for parts of Georgia Avenue, to name a few.
One Rockville street targeted by the potential new policy is N. Washington Street. Under the proposed policy, it could become a two-lane road with street parking. Should N. Washington Street become a 2-lane crawlspace like Maryland Avenue? A potential problem, which of course is the source of much traffic on N. Washington, is that it functions as a bypass or parallel route for MD 355. It is also an alternative route to reaching parts of the town center area. Snarled capacity on N. Washington could have a direct and negative effect on 355 traffic.
Public Works Director Craig Simoneau told the Mayor and Council Monday evening that the new policy would actually better define his existing powers to make road classification and parking decisions. Mayor Bridget Newton expressed concern that these decisions not be removed from the discretion of the city's elected officials. Simoneau argued that he currently possesses more leeway on these matters, and that a new policy would clarify his authority.
Part of an increasingly nationwide effort to reduce speeds, the objective is not always purely about public safety. For some, it is sincerely a safety or business development issue. A few proponents are part of the "war on cars," who seek to make driving as painful as possible, in the hopes of forcing drivers to "get out of their cars," and use public transit. Others include developers seeking to maximize development potential of properties along busy roads and highways, such as Rockville Pike. Plans for outdoor cafes on the curbside of roads where cars rush by have, understandably, sounded quite preposterous. Seeking to lower the embarrassment level for themselves, many have seized upon the idea of taking control of those roads, and forcing traffic to slow to 25 MPH (or even 10 MPH, in New York City). That concept is specifically being floated for state roads in the White Flint area, as well as for parts of Georgia Avenue, to name a few.
One Rockville street targeted by the potential new policy is N. Washington Street. Under the proposed policy, it could become a two-lane road with street parking. Should N. Washington Street become a 2-lane crawlspace like Maryland Avenue? A potential problem, which of course is the source of much traffic on N. Washington, is that it functions as a bypass or parallel route for MD 355. It is also an alternative route to reaching parts of the town center area. Snarled capacity on N. Washington could have a direct and negative effect on 355 traffic.
Public Works Director Craig Simoneau told the Mayor and Council Monday evening that the new policy would actually better define his existing powers to make road classification and parking decisions. Mayor Bridget Newton expressed concern that these decisions not be removed from the discretion of the city's elected officials. Simoneau argued that he currently possesses more leeway on these matters, and that a new policy would clarify his authority.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
ROCKVILLE MONTGOMERY COUNTY 2014 ELECTION RESULTS FOR COUNTY RACES
Early election returns show County Executive Ike Leggett and all Montgomery County Council incumbents prevailed in Tuesday's election. In the open seat races, things weren't quite so predictable.
In District 3, unseemly ageism attacks on Gaithersburg Mayor Sid Katz by the Washington Post, and other allies of his primary opponents, appear to have backfired - big time. Katz is squarely in the lead for Phil Andrews' old council seat, and the few voters who turned out Tuesday clearly voted for name recognition, and steady, experienced leadership over youthful exuberance. That said, with the unofficial defeat of current city councilmember Tom Moore, Rockville lost the opportunity to have a city resident on the county council.
Katz will be unopposed in the November election, meaning he will be a de facto councilmember-elect once voting results are final.
All Democratic At-Large councilmembers appear to have won their primary race, although the vote totals of challenger Beth Daly and incumbent George Leventhal were what passed for drama Tuesday evening.
Here are the standings as of early this morning:
DISTRICT 3
Guled Kassim 458
Sid Katz 5,578
Tom Moore 4,527
Ryan Spiegel 3,074
(no Republican candidate in District 3)
AT-LARGE
Democrats
Beth Daly 36,787
Marc Elrich 53,394
Nancy Floreen 49,094
George Leventhal 42,835
Vivian Malloy 23,829
Hans Riemer 46,473
Republicans
Robert Dyer 10,283
Chris Fiotes 9,586
Adol T. Owen-Williams II 9,474
Shelly Skolnick 9,794
In District 3, unseemly ageism attacks on Gaithersburg Mayor Sid Katz by the Washington Post, and other allies of his primary opponents, appear to have backfired - big time. Katz is squarely in the lead for Phil Andrews' old council seat, and the few voters who turned out Tuesday clearly voted for name recognition, and steady, experienced leadership over youthful exuberance. That said, with the unofficial defeat of current city councilmember Tom Moore, Rockville lost the opportunity to have a city resident on the county council.
Katz will be unopposed in the November election, meaning he will be a de facto councilmember-elect once voting results are final.
All Democratic At-Large councilmembers appear to have won their primary race, although the vote totals of challenger Beth Daly and incumbent George Leventhal were what passed for drama Tuesday evening.
Here are the standings as of early this morning:
DISTRICT 3
Guled Kassim 458
Sid Katz 5,578
Tom Moore 4,527
Ryan Spiegel 3,074
(no Republican candidate in District 3)
AT-LARGE
Democrats
Beth Daly 36,787
Marc Elrich 53,394
Nancy Floreen 49,094
George Leventhal 42,835
Vivian Malloy 23,829
Hans Riemer 46,473
Republicans
Robert Dyer 10,283
Chris Fiotes 9,586
Adol T. Owen-Williams II 9,474
Shelly Skolnick 9,794
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
ROCKVILLE RESIDENTS DIVIDED ON LONGER COUNCIL TERMS AT PUBLIC HEARING
Rockville residents had the opportunity to address the Mayor and Council on the proposed lengthening of 2-year elected terms to 4 years at a public hearing last night. A majority of city voters supported the proposal on last November's ballot. Far fewer turned out to speak at the hearing Monday night at City Hall.
Former city councilmember Mark Pierzchala testified in favor of the change, but lamented the "construct" of the less than 17% of registered voters who voted speaking for the other 83%. Pierzchala, an expert on surveys and statistics, urged the mayor and council to put a second issue - moving city elections to presidential years - back on the ballot again in 2015. That particular calendar change was rejected by city voters in 2013. This time, Pierzchala suggested, the ballot question language should include a statement explaining the benefit intended by the initiative's supporters - namely, increasing voter turnout.
Resident Joe Jordan, who served on the Rockville Charter Review Commission, noted that the majority of voters who didn't turn out last November had the same chance to vote as those who did. Jordan also spoke in support of 4-year terms Monday night.
Twinbrook Civic Association President Christina Ginsberg was more skeptical of the change. Ginsberg said elected officials' efforts to avoid frequent elections, and put forward additional changes that would favor incumbents, were "very dangerous." She recommended the council take the opposite approach, and make changes that would reduce the advantages of incumbency. Such changes, she said, could motivate new challengers to run. Ginsberg mentioned several ideas, including public financing, campaign finance reform, and a limit on how many mailings city candidates could send out.
Another resident, who lives in the Rockshire neighborhood, said she and her husband specifically chose to move to Rockville 37 years ago for its frequent elections, which she believed made municipal government more accountable.
The Mayor and Council are now expected to act on the change to 4 year terms, on the basis of voters' recommendation last November.
Former city councilmember Mark Pierzchala testified in favor of the change, but lamented the "construct" of the less than 17% of registered voters who voted speaking for the other 83%. Pierzchala, an expert on surveys and statistics, urged the mayor and council to put a second issue - moving city elections to presidential years - back on the ballot again in 2015. That particular calendar change was rejected by city voters in 2013. This time, Pierzchala suggested, the ballot question language should include a statement explaining the benefit intended by the initiative's supporters - namely, increasing voter turnout.
Resident Joe Jordan, who served on the Rockville Charter Review Commission, noted that the majority of voters who didn't turn out last November had the same chance to vote as those who did. Jordan also spoke in support of 4-year terms Monday night.
Twinbrook Civic Association President Christina Ginsberg was more skeptical of the change. Ginsberg said elected officials' efforts to avoid frequent elections, and put forward additional changes that would favor incumbents, were "very dangerous." She recommended the council take the opposite approach, and make changes that would reduce the advantages of incumbency. Such changes, she said, could motivate new challengers to run. Ginsberg mentioned several ideas, including public financing, campaign finance reform, and a limit on how many mailings city candidates could send out.
Another resident, who lives in the Rockshire neighborhood, said she and her husband specifically chose to move to Rockville 37 years ago for its frequent elections, which she believed made municipal government more accountable.
The Mayor and Council are now expected to act on the change to 4 year terms, on the basis of voters' recommendation last November.
Monday, June 23, 2014
CENTRA CARE INSTALLS SIGN ON ROCKVILLE PIKE (PHOTOS)
 |
| Artist rendering of the future Centra Care urgent care center |
Bottom photo courtesy Adventist HealthCare
Friday, June 20, 2014
DORITOS JACKED TEST FLAVOR 404 REVIEW (VIDEO)
It's time to try out the second of 3 mystery Doritos Jacked "test flavors." This time, it's the yellow-label Doritos Jacked Test Flavor 404. The ingredients include molasses, brown sugar, onion, garlic, and two kinds of citrus. What does that add up to?
Watch my review and find out! Plus our expert tells us what he's doing to get ready for the World Cup games.
Watch my review and find out! Plus our expert tells us what he's doing to get ready for the World Cup games.
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