A bill to formalize community policing guidelines for the county’s police department was introduced this week by Council President Nancy Navarro (D-District 4) and Councilmember Craig Rice (D-District 2). Bill 33-19, Police – Community Policing would address “core community policing values,” diversity on the force, engagements with the community, complaints against county officers and other issues.
There is no shortage of opportunities for civic or charitable involvement this week. The Victim’s Rights Foundation and Passion4Learning are both holding gala celebrations, while there are fundraisers planned for WOWD Radio and Shepherd’s Table and Takoma Park Library’s fall sale. On the civic side, there are meetings about saving trees in downtown Silver Spring, PEPCO’s ongoing work, and the Countywide Pedestrian Master Plan.
The Source of the Spring is marking its third anniversary with the launch of a membership program designed to help ensure its finances are stable and the site can continue to operate in the future. The Source launched on Oct. 26, 2016 with a party for friends and supporters on the rooftop of Kaldi’s Social House. Since then, the site has published more than 1,100 posts focused on local news and information.
Attendees can combine activities and advocacy at the second Montgomery Hills Street Fest scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 from 3–7 p.m. The festival will be held on Columbia Boulevard, between Seminary Road and 16th Street, and feature local artisans who specialize in pottery, painting, fused class, jewelry and clay pendants, along with food and entertainment.
The first Long Branch Festival begins Friday night, Sept. 20, for a weeklong celebration of the neighborhoods, businesses and culture of the area, according to organizers. “The purpose of the Long Branch Festival is to celebrate the dynamic neighborhood, businesses and culture of Long Branch,” according to the festival website. “Our goal is to bring communities together and celebrate our diversity, expand understanding of the crucial role of shared public spaces and highlight the value of locally owned stores.
While boundary change is likely to remain emotive however it is pursued, focusing on the process over the outcome could address the most trenchant opposition: a) periodic review and adjustment of boundaries, and b) an independent and binding review commission in charge of the process.
So, are the current efforts to revisit boundary change evidence of an emerging new coalition? The clearest proponents of boundary change appear to be MCPS students themselves.
Rachel Carson Elementary School has been a particularly egregious case demonstrating the need for boundary change. The school has been overcrowded by hundreds of students for over a decade, but the community has rejected boundary change that would reassign students to one of five other underenrolled schools within two miles.
Since the late 1990s, with enrollment numbers swinging back up, MCPS has built new schools in burgeoning upcounty areas, renovated and expanded old schools to accommodate more students, and reopened some that it had closed during the 1980s retrenchment.