BRIGITTA MULLICAN RUNNING FOR ROCKVILLE CITY COUNCIL - 2015 ELECTION

Sign outside Mayor and Council debate
in October 2013

The 2015 election is underway in Rockville, as Brigitta Mullican has announced she is running for a City Council seat. Mullican, a retired budget analyst with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has run for the council and for the office of Mayor in the past. 

The Twinbrook resident has been very active in the city, serving as a Planning Commissioner, past president of the Twinbrook Civic Association, and most recently, as President of the Rockville Sister City Corporation.

Mullican's campaign has a Facebook page.

Winners of this year's election will be the first in Rockville history to serve 4-year terms, following a a charter amendment by the current Mayor and Council last July.

If you are interested in running for Mayor or a Council seat, a Candidate Information Packet is available now on the city's website. 

Candidates running who have press releases can send them throughout the campaign to Rockville Nights by email to robert1999 [at] hotmail [dot] com.

The filing deadline to run is Friday, September 4, 2015.

PETITION TO REINSTATE HOWARD AT TWINBROOK SAFEWAY NEARING SIGNATURE GOAL

462 customers of the Twinbrook Safeway on Veirs Mill Road have signed the Reinstate Howard Abrams' Employment Status at Safeway petition online, nearing the goal of 500 signatures. You can still add your signature to the list.

Abrams was apparently terminated while on his annual vacation, and unjustly so in the view of his loyal customers and the grocery employees' union, which is contesting the move. Many customers have threatened to shop elsewhere if the "World's Best Cashier" isn't reinstated soon.

NEW STUDY SHOWS MILLENNIALS ARE DRIVING MORE THAN THEIR PARENTS

True or false: Are millennials less passionate about driving, and American car culture, than their elders? You'd certainly get that impression from the media. But the full parking lots at Richard Montgomery High School and Montgomery College might make you wonder why those claims don't match what's happening on the ground in Montgomery County.

With all due respect to Father Ripper, it turns out the answers can indeed be found in the MTV video games.

Automotive News reports that a new MTV survey of 3,600 millennials completely debunks the idea that Generation Y has given up driving. Rather than confirm the assertions that millennials prefer transit or bikes to cars, the study indicates they are actually driving more than their parents did.

MTV's "Millennials Have Drive" survey found that the "average number of miles driven by millennials is 934 miles a month compared with baby boomers’ 544 miles and Gen X’s 790 miles." Meaning millennials are driving nearly twice as far per month as their parents.

Do millennials, as we've been assured, prefer public transportation to driving their own vehicle? Not according to the survey results, which show that 80% of millennials drive as their primary form of transportation.

How about that canard you've heard so often in recent years, that millennials would rather have an iPhone than a car? The MTV study slices and dices that claim, as well. 2 out of 3 respondents said they would rather give up social media for a day than their car. Even more said they'd give up texting for a week, before giving up their car for the same length of time. If you've seen how many 11-year-old kids are disrupting movie theaters with their smartphone screens, you already know how absurd the "iPhone over car" line was to begin with - kids already have these phones before they get their drivers licenses.

What makes the MTV study far more accurate than previously-hyped surveys?

The sample size of 3,600 millennials, for one. Zipcar's oft-cited "We prefer iPhones to cars!" survey only polled 303 millennials. MTV's study is more credible, as a result. The APTA "Millennials and Mobility" study also surveyed far fewer millennials, and, interestingly, the Rockefeller Foundation won't even say how many millennials it surveyed - despite the media running wild promoting their anti-car "results."

Second, MTV's study is new, and was therefore not skewed by the economic downturn that crimped millennials' spending ability. The recession was used and abused by many a "War on Cars" champion to claim Americans of all ages were driving less, just as states making 16-year-olds wait longer to obtain licenses was twisted to say "kids are less interested in driving."

Now we know they are driving more than their parents. Bring me up, Carson!

ROCKVILLE SNOW UPDATE: MCPS CLOSED, FEDERAL GOVT. CLOSED, TRANSIT & FORECAST #RKV

Gov. Larry Hogan mans the Maryland
Emergency Management Agency
Operations Center war room

Winter Storm Octavia is expected to leave Rockville by 6:00 AM this morning. Don't try to convince the National Weather Service of that, as its Winter Storm Warning is scheduled to remain in effect until noon today.

The good news is that accumulation has not reached the maximum forecast of 8-10" in Rockville; the bad news is that it is currently 13° F in Rockville, meaning that what's down isn't going anywhere soon.

"Stay off the roads, if at all possible," Maryland Governor Larry Hogan advised residents at a press conference at the state's emergency management agency last night. Hogan is tackling his first major weather event as governor.

Montgomery County Public Schools are closed, as is the federal government.

Metrobus service is suspended at this hour "until further notice." Check their alert page throughout the day for changes in service.

Metro subway is currently expected to operate after 5:00 AM.

Ride On buses will operate on the S "snow" schedule today. Expect delays on all routes.

MARC and MTA Commuter Bus are both impacted by the storm.

MARC Train:
Camden and Brunswick Line, no service.
Penn Line, "S" schedule.  Only trains with an "S" under the train number in the timetable will operate.  Some trains may be cancelled due to a lack of equipment.

Commuter Bus:
Only Bus 201 (Gaithersburg-to-BWI) will operate today.

Forecast:

Expect some sun through the clouds by the late morning. We'll reach a high of 28° around 4:00 PM, and winds will range from 4-7 MPH. Overnight, it will be cloudy with a low of 10° by sunrise on Wednesday. Winds will be light.

Stay tuned to @RockvilleNights on Twitter for updates.

PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY IN ROCKVILLE

On this President's Day holiday, Rockville is not without its own U.S. Presidential history. Such as the day of August 26, 1814, when President James Madison traveled through Rockville on his long escape from the burning White House.

President Madison, and General William Henry Winder, stopped by the Montgomery Courthouse in Rockville after crossing the Potomac at Riverbend Park, before continuing on to Brookeville.

MOCO SNEAKING ONE PAST YOU AGAIN: STATE LEGISLATION WOULD EXTEND TERM OF MNCPPC CHAIR

We just got (temporarily) through the soap opera that was (and will be) the proposed Independent Transit Authority, which saw Montgomery County try to sneak a bill through in Annapolis to enable such a tax authority to be created. Less than two weeks later, the MoCo political machine is at it again, quietly handing off another developer-friendly bill to the General Assembly.

Bill MC/PG 105-15 (House Bill 652) would change the consecutive term limit provisions for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Presently, commissioners who serve as Chair or Vice-Chair of the body may not serve more than 2 consecutive 4-year terms.

HB 652 would change that limitation, allowing a commissioner appointed from Montgomery County to serve two additional consecutive terms, as long as he or she serves as Chair or Vice-Chair.

Since commissioners are appointed by the County Executive, and not elected by voters, this would give a tremendous amount of political power to a Chair who could serve for 16 years in the role - longer than most would serve in any single county office. Christina Ginsberg, a Rockville resident and former president of the Twinbrook Civic Association, says the provision could create a "development czar who would have more power and a longer term than our elected officials."

The bill had its first reading in Annapolis yesterday. I can recall no public announcement or media coverage of this significant change being proposed, other than on the legislative and delegation websites. Even more troubling: no matter how many ways I try to search for this legislation on the County Council website, I get no results. This despite Council attorneys having apparently commented on the issue, according to a transcript of a December meeting of the commission. So much for "open data." By the way, the commission itself, not surprisingly, is in favor of MC/PG 105-15).

With developers wielding more influence in county politics than ever before, it's time to ask serious questions about this legislation.

ROCKVILLE PIKE PLAN WORKSESSION TONIGHT AT CITY HALL

A Mayor and Council worksession is scheduled for 7:00 PM tonight at City Hall, regarding the Rockville Pike plan. This first session will concentrate on roadway design and building heights, two topics likely to have the most impact on city residents in the future.

There is supposed to be a Community Forum segment prior to the worksession. Call the City Clerk's office at 240-314-8280 today to sign up to speak.