Moving

The eastern most part of MoCo is so utterly fucked that we can't take it anymore. Crime has sky rocketed in our 13 months here and there seems no end to that. There is little to no police presence even though we've had car thefts, break ins, and even a few dumb asses firing off weapons! It's just not safe anymore. Traffic (the subject that really started this blog) sucks. It just sucks and it's not getting any better. It's getting worse by the day. There is a lack of citizen involvement, and really that is in part why crime is so bad. This is not to say that I am killing my blog--not that it would really matter too much, no one reads the damned thing. I am going to keep ranting if anyone cares to read it. I'm going to rename it I think but that will come later. I also hope that, with the move to Rockville (yes the epicenter of all MoCo ills) I will have the chance to get more involved with local politics and perhaps make a small difference. I highly doubt that I will be able to but hey, a man's gotta dream right? This is will be busy time so the blog may be quiet for a while. Dan of JUTP if you do read this, you do a good job of covering East County. Please remember, however, it's a blog, not a news service. While I appreciate you trying to cover stories that do get overlooked by the main media, a blog is a place to express your opinion not to play journalist. Leave that to the Gazette and the Post. That said, I will try to keep you apprised of what's coming out of Rockville as much as able.

In closing, I'd say it's been a fun ride but it's been utter hell. I'm glad to be leaving the shit hole that East County has become. I hope that those left will sit up and take notice. Take some pride in what's there. Get involved. If you do, you'll find that crime will go down, Rockville will know you exist and may even help you out some, and people may just come back and say "wow this is a nice place to live now". If not, rest assured that the area will go the way of Langley Park. Yeah, that used to be a really nice area that people went to and *gasp* felt safe at. Now look at it. Don't let what's left of East County become that.

S

You Can Buy Peoples' Rights for a Buck??

First just to be clear. I'm an engineer, not a journalist. I have never said I was a journalist. I write this blog to get the "news" of what's going on in East County and the Briggs Chaney area out to the public, yes. However, this "news" is not and never will be "Fair and Balanced." It is tainted with my personal opinion.

Disclaimer said I will move on.

It seems (as we all know) that DT Silver Spring is NOT a public space. At least not in the eyes of the developers. We all know about the Photo Walk. I was there, as were many other (and may I add better) bloggers (Just Up the Pike, Silver Spring Penguin, Silver Spring Scene), so I'm not going to beat a dead horse here. I would like to note that the Fourth of July was a great day for this. Also, did I mention this took place on Independence Day? A NATIONAL HOLIDAY?? Why, then, was the only US Flag to be seen in Silver Spring the one that is always there? Did the Peterson Cos FORGET that it was the Fourth of July? Oh wait maybe they did, given that they FORGOT that the public has rights in public space. Hell the People's Republic of Takoma Park goes all out decorating for the Fourth. I was rather dismayed and slightly offended that Silver Spring wasn't decked out in red, white, and blue.

In my opinion, this photo walk was good. I'm glad it happened and I think that maybe, just maybe, a few more people know what happened to Chip and the stance of the Peterson Cos. However, I hope it doesn't stop there. As a tax payer I would like to know why the Peterson Cos even THINK that Silver Spring is all theirs. Yes, I understand that this lease with MoCo more or less says that they can do as they please but someone please tell me why that was ever allowed to happen? We, as tax payers, are paying for policing, paying for trash pick up, paying for snow removal, paying for street upkeep. If MoCo had sold that block to Peterson, fine. I understand that the company would want to set their own rules on their own property. I'd even fully support that. The thing is MoCo DIDN'T sell them the land. Peterson is LEASING it. This isn't the end of this battle I fear. Yes, we can go and take pictures for now. (It should be noted that Peterson manages to capitalize on the photo walk by sponsoring a Silver Spring Photo Competition. No doubt this was the idea of newsman-turned rights sucking parasite lawyer IJ Hudson. I'm sorry the man spoke at my High School graduation now.) But if someone on the County or State level doesn't step in and make it clear that this land was developed and is maintained with tax payer dollars, PUBLIC FUNDS, the Peterson Cos will continue ignoring our rights for their own financial gain.

In closing, I urge everyone that took pictures at the photo walk (you can see the rest of our photo walk photos here) NOT to enter their pictures in the Silver Spring photo contest. Doing so, I feel, would deeply undermine anything (no matter how small) that was accomplished yesterday.

Guest Blogger and DBTR Kicks M$ to the curb

Okay, so many things to cover so little time. First there's the Down Town SS Photo Walk, the Fourth of July, my new guest blogger.....damn!! Okay, for starters, Dan of JUTP pointed something out to me today at the aforementioned photo walk (great thing more later). It seems that this part of East County is more or less the bastard child of MoCo. A lot goes on up here but for some reason it's like this part of the county doesn't exist in the minds of those in Rockville. That said, I have realized that I owe the few people that read this blog updates on life, news, whatever in east county. To that end, my fiance Sparow, of www.suburbangard.blogspot.com has kindly asked to be a guest blogger here on Down by the River. This is good as I have less time lately to devote to this than I like. She is also my editor because as some noted today, I can't spell. I am glad to have her here and feel that her insight and feelings on all things East County will benefit this blog (and I hope the few people that read it) well.

That said, I will post more on the Photo Walk later. Tomorrow I hope. I would also like to note that this post comes to you from Ubuntu Linux. Yes, I'm a geek. I have kicked Microsoft to the curb. It's a very liberating feeling. You should try it. As always, please leave your comments.

Happy Fourth Of July!!

Steve

Yelling and Screaming and Rate Hikes....OH MY!!

Last night I decided to attend a meeting of a citizens group called Citizens Involved. Have served for three terms on the City of Takoma Park Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee and one of the founders of the same city's Emergency Preparedness Committee, I was very pleased to hear that this Citizens Involved group was around. In fact, my first impression of them from (credit where it's due and all) Just Up the Pike, led me to believe that these people wanted to change things in the East County area. Hell, I thought they may even like to know my experiences as an appointed member to a public committee that attempted to do what they (so I thought) wished to do. Much to my unpleasant surprise, the meeting last night left me with a bad taste. First, the organizer of this Citizens Involved wished to discuss the BGE rate hike. To facilitate this, she invited some member of the Maryland Public Service Commission, BGE folks, and a host of other peddlers of green energy (it should be noted that the person presenting on solar power was, I'm pretty sure, under the influence of some controlled substance. I hope so at least.) The poor guy from the State got slammed hard by the geriatric residents, as well he should but this was not HIS PERSONAL fault. Ms. York utterly failed to follow her own agenda which itself turned a meeting that may have had some decent outcome into little more than her own infomercial spot. Tempers ran so hot that I was concerned the meeting would end in fisticuffs.

What is the point of this organization? What are they trying to accomplish? No one was invited (or at least showed up) that could do anything to address the concerns of those gathered. Not one elected official. I'm glad to know that Ms. York is so fond of green power. Perhaps she should start a Citizens for Green Power group or at least re-name Citizens Involved because they certainly aren't involved in much more than bitching and moaning. I am going to email Ms. York asking that MY concerns be added to the next meeting agenda. I highly doubt they will be as I'm sure she is already preparing next month's line up.

In short, Citizens Involved is little more than a forum Ms. York uses to show off her own ideas, or leanings. (i.e., the green energy and wholesale power peddlers) She does not bother to invite people that may help or for that matter care. This, coupled with Ms. York's total inability to lead a school of goldfish much less a meeting, left me with the overwhelming feeling that, like the Briggs-Chaney Interchange, Citizens Involved is a disorganized Cluster Fuck.
I'll be at the next meeting. Mainly to see if my concerns are on the agenda. Hell, I may start my own citizens' group.
Stay tuned (those few people that read this) for updates and Ms. York's response to my email.

Lights, Cameras,......CONGESTION!

This blog was never going to be about just traffic. However, it seems that traffic is on my mind more than ever as of late. That said I decided that it is high time I update this blog. Oddly enough, I have gotten emails and comments from readers--other than myself. Amazing. I really thought no-one bothered to read this. But enough of that on to the real post.

It seems that the glorious designers of the new Briggs-Chaney/ Rt 29 overpass thing (I prefer the term cluster fuck) saw it necessary to install not one but two stop lights within about 25-50 feet of each other. This alone is not a problem in my mind as this is a huge intersection and a light is needed, hell even two lights are okay the problem is no one bothered to time the damn things so they cycle in unison. This is causing many cars to be stuck in this intersection as they come off Rt 29 and the cars on Briggs-Chaney (that light now being green) can't move though the intersection. Gods forbid an emergency vehicle needed to get though there. I know that stop light timing can't be easy but this has been like this for weeks now. Anyone else having a problem at that intersection? (yes that was a shameless request for more comments....those comments keep me doing this)

Also, as if we need another reminder that the area is growing way too fast, try traveling east on Briggs-Chaney (toward Old Gunpowder Road and I-95) one morning. It seems that when that Cross-Creek development was put in traffic was light enough for only a stop sign to be needed at that intersection. That same stop sign now backs traffic up to the MoCo Police Station at times. A light is needed there. I have no idea how old that development is but I doubt it's been there more than five years.

My bottom lines:
Please read this and comment
The area is growing faster than the roads, other infrastructure, and Police can handle
Development has totally fucked up Briggs-Chaney road.

One side note, did you know that you can't have ammo shipped to MoCo? Nope, can't do it. Can have it shipped to areas with higher crime rates like Baltimore Co or PG Co though. Stupid.

Police Abuse

First, this is not a bash the police blog. It never will be. Let me say that again THIS IS NOT A BASH THE POLICE BLOG NOR IS THIS POST IN ANY WAY MEANT TO BE COP-BASHING. There. Now I want to hear no complaints. This week's Gazette reported a story that I first heard about when living in Takoma Park. Not to go in to too much detail (I would prefer the few people that read this blog to also read the news. Don't just take my word for it.) but a Takoma Park Police Officer is on trial in PGCO on charges of assault stemming from an incident in which said officer kneed a suspect in the back so hard that this suspect suffered broken ribs. What's very interesting here is not that a cop beat the hell out of a suspect while handcuffing him. What's interesting is that the suspect never brought up any allegations of abuse. In fact, the investigation was prompted by concerns and complaints from his FELLOW OFFICERS AT THE SCENE. This officer is still listed as a police officer on the Takoma Park Police website. Thus leading me to believe he still has a badge and an issued firearm and certainly is still on the payroll. This behavior is wrong and this officer needs to be punished, however, so does every higher ranking officer that allows him to hide behind the cover of being a police officer and not face these charges as a normal everyday citizen. This is becoming a serious issue with Police in MoCo. They (for the most part this is not to say all) seem to have a bit of a "Frat boy" mentality. How can we even expect to control crime when the ones we trust to do so are criminals themselves?


Anyone that reads this blog (and Gods bless you --it should be noted that I do not believe in a "God" so that's a lot coming from me) please read this Gazette article. You may feel free to post your comments here or email them to me at cava.steve@gmail.com if for some reason you do not want your comments shared with the rest of cyberspace. This is not to say that I won't post your emailed comments anyway......

All about this blog

HI There:

Somehow you found this blog. Whether by actively searching for blogs or while randomly typing different URL's into your browser while in a drunken stupor it matters not, YOU ARE HERE.

This is my blog. First, a bit about me. I'm 22. I live near the Burtonsville-Silver Spring line (ok, that would imply that Silver Spring is an incorporated city. It is not. However if you are in the least bit familiar with eastern Montgomery County (AKA East County) you know the area I'm talking about.) I hope that I am able to use this a a bit of a "fill in" blog...for lack of a better term...for this rather forgotten area of east county. While others (namely Just Up the Pike) do a wonderful job of covering this area, I felt that the perspective of someone living in the RT29/Briggs Chaney Road area is missing and, thus, needed. This blog will ( I hope) cover a myriad of topics from crime (a topic all to familiar to this area it seems) to politics to development to the ICC to totally off-topic rants by me (mainly about traffic). I hope you read it, enjoy it, and please email me or post here if I've said something totally off the mark. This is my first blog so I will try to update it as often as possible, but there will be times that I am trying to come up with something witty to say or times that I am just too damned busy to mess with it.

Anyway please check back often and feel free to leave tips, words of encouragement, suggestions, etc.