Buyer Beware! Take a Good Hard Look at the Candidates

The following post was submitted by Christine Perry of Mt. Airy

Let the buyer beware. Colleen Colvin’s letter to the Times on April 18 confirms the suspicion among Mt. Airy town residents – we have not heard the last from the landowners of the failed South I-70 Annexation.

Colvin brings up some valid points; she states that the next council need be intelligent and tenacious enough to deal with complicated issues on the county and the state level and also endorses two individuals, Dave Pyatt and Chris Everich, both outspoken advocates of this reckless annexation. I hope nobody has forgotten that these families in the South I-70 stiffed the town for half of a $22,000 legal bill because they did not feel they should have to pay.

Not to my surprise, it appears that Colvin is banking to get Everich and Pyatt into office so they can join with Scott Strong to form a three person voting bloc that will throw caution to the wind and annex these folks once and for all. My opinion is only confirmed by seeing Pyatt and Everich’s campaign signs sit on the property of Dr. Paul Burkett’s dental practice. Burkett is a landowner in the South I-70 area and his interest best served by having Pyatt and Everich elected.

I am glad that Ms. Colvin brings up her concerns regarding the issue of Plan Maryland. Councilmen Pyatt, Strong and Helt recently approved an application to submit to the State of Maryland for sustainable community designation. This designation is tied to Plan Maryland, two principles of which are public transportation and equitable, affordable housing. How can we be assured as town residents, that if the state dangles the money applied for in front of these men, the same thing Colvin is so concerned about, will come to fruition? Mount Airy will certainly become similar to Gaithersburg, Germantown or Frederick.

Lastly, Colvin states in her letter that in a July 2009 issue of the Gazette, Everich was quoted as saying, 

"the proposed business parks [in the South I-70 area] will destroy the character of this community." 

 Everich is currently advocating annexing the Harrison-Leishear property on Route 27 at the corner of North Main Street to build a community center.  This annexation includes a proposed business park.  Won’t this business park destroy the character of the community too?  What hypocrisy!  Mr. Everich seems to pose a risky vote to this community by his political flip flopping and pandering to earn support.

 Christine Perry 

Mt. Airy

Guest Blogger

What is this, Nazi, Germany?

Doesn’t Feel So Quaint or Charming Anymore, 

Does It?

 

 

Every citizen or business owner has the right to put ANY candidates sign on their property or in their window! It’s their choice, not to mention, their right. But be careful, Mount Airy.  If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice signs popping up, and then signs disappearing.  Why? Because the kind folks in our Town have been asked to “please remove THAT SIGN” from their yards. In one case, someone has contacted a corporate office to report the business and the owner was forced to remove the candidates sign from their window. 

 

Oh, and then we have the Carroll County Times letter to the editor from my friend, Susie Cole. Susie, where have you been? Haven’t heard from you since 2010! You see, Susie is not a Town resident, but she feels compelled to tell the Town residents who they should vote for, since she can't vote.  Really, Susie? Our residents are much smarter than that. 

 

When those with opposing views use their power and authority to ask law abiding, free citizens to “please take a sign down,” we are entering into scary territory. Reporting businesses to their corporate offices isn’t exactly conducive to creating a friendlier business environment, is it? What is this? Nazi, Germany? Doesn’t feel so quaint or charming anymore, does it?  If anyone thinks they will win the election based on how much they intimidate others to put a sign up, or take a sign down, they’re sadly mistaken. 

 

We’re all sick and tired of hearing candidates berate each other. We want candidates with a  Pro-the People, and Pro- Mt. Airy, mind set. We want solutions.  Never mind all this talk about Pro-Growth quorums and “friends with the developers.”  Bob King said it right in his Blog post, We Deserve Better. 

  Pro-Growth and Pro-Developer are terms that have been used over the past 6 years to scare residents. However, I am not pro-growth. I am pro- Mount Airy.  My philosophy is that we must all work together. The business community, the development community, the residential communities and the government. We all have a stake in the outcome and the future of our Town.

Shame on you, Susie Cole. Shame on you, Todd Eudy.  And the rest, you know who you are. Shame on you for intimidating residents and using the same old antics, scare tactics and bullying to get what you want.   

 

At the end of the day, it’s the little check mark in a box that will determine this election, not a sign on a lawn. At the end of the day, such behavior will leave a sour taste in the mouths of residents who only wish for peace and prosperity, and for some to stop clinging to the days of hate and anti-rhetoric towards anything with the word “growth.” At the end of the day, it will be the one thing people remember when it’s time to put a check mark next to your name, or decide to skip over it and put a check mark next to the candidates who stand with them, not over them.  

 

Leave the citizens alone! Let them decide what they want to post in their windows and on their properties! 

IT’S YOUR TOWN, LET’S HEAR YOUR VOICE!

Attention 

Mount Airy Residents! 

 In the Spring of this year, Be Local Mt. Airy, a local organization aimed at actively seeking to strengthen our town’s sense of community, sense of place, and local self-reliance, set out to perform a community needs assessment. After months of focus groups and then analyzing and assessing the data collection, they've finally launched their official community survey. 

On December 3rd, a message was sent out to focus group participants announcing the final survey launch.

This survey is for you if you…..

 

• Live in the 21771 zip code

• Are 9-99+ years of age

• Have thoughts and opinions you want to share?

Note: This survey asks about your wishes and concerns. The question and responses came directly from your fellow citizens during the spring needs assessment. The survey does not ask what you like most about Mt. Airy. Participants in the needs assessment and the 2008 survey were very clear about that: small town / rural feel, sense of community, community events and sense of safety.

Please invest a little time to share what is important to you. To make sure your opinion counts complete the entire survey before exiting out.

Click on the appropriate link below:

ADULTS:AGES 18 & UP

YOUTH: AGES 9-17

Please forward this BLOG POST to friends, neighbors, family members or co-workers who live in the 21771 zip code!!!!
 

**If you would you like a paper copy of the survey please contact: 

Erin Tunkel        erintunkel@shattuckandassociates.net
Teresa Shattuck teres@shattuckandassociates.com
Bill Butts             billbutts@hotmail.com

Thank you to BeLocal Mt. Airy and the Mt.Airy Kiwanis Club for all your hard work; we all look forward to the final results!

Mount Airy, We Can Do Better!

Welcome to the Mount Airy Blog!

My name is Donnamarie Needle, and I’m married to Norm Needle, my husband of 21 years. We have two children; Josh, age 15 is a freshman at Linganore High School and Alexa Rae, age 11 is a fifth grader at Twin Ridge Elementary School. Josh plays percussion for the Linganore HS Marching Band and he’s also the drummer in his own band. Alexa swims competitively for the Health Unlimited Hurricanes and The Mount Airy Ridge Seals and plays club soccer for LUYAA’s Black Venom, a WAGS team.

We moved to Mount Airy in 1996 when Josh was 18 months old. Like many Mount Airy residents, we were attracted by Mount Airy’s small town charm and thought it would be a perfect place to raise a family, away from the congestion, crime and big development of Germantown and Montgomery County. We liked the idea of being part of a small, close knit community within walking distance to schools, downtown shopping, a bite to eat or a Sunday stroll for ice cream.

Mount Airy is our home, and I’m proud to be able to give our children the opportunity to grow up in a Town where everyone really does know your name. For the most part, Mount Airy has been good to us, with the exception of politics, or should I say the political shenanigans that we have witnessed over the years.

How it all started.

During the summer of '99 Mount Airy imposed a water ban. Apparently, during times of drought, Mount Airy had difficulty with its water supply. (Really?) If you recall the summer of ‘99, it was pretty brutal and a water ban with two small children didn't make for a fun summer.

Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled with being cooped up inside all day, banned from filling up a baby pool or running the sprinkler for some relief. Why didn’t Mount Airy have enough water? Who was doing something about it? Why was the Town continuing to permit the building of new homes in Summit Ridge and Twin Ridge and other parts of Town while all of Mount Airy was under a water ban?

With a 5-year old and 9 month old in tow, I decided to march right up to Town Hall and lodge my complaints directly to Jerry Johnson, the Town Mayor. He seemed empathetic to the plight of a young mother without a sprinkler and listened intently to my passionate protest, however, it was apparent that his hands were tied.

I came away from that protest with the realization that we obviously didn’t do enough research on adequate infrastructure or Town politics when we selected Mount Airy as the perfect place to raise a family. Soon after I became aware that schools located .5 miles from our home were only for Carroll County residents and that our kids would attend Middle School and High School way beyond the Town limits.

There were many questions. Why didn’t Frederick County have more than just an elementary school in Town? Had we chosen the wrong side of Town to live? Besides, what crazy person decided to put a county line right through the middle of a Town anyway? The entire school thing never made any sense so when there was a rumor about a possible Mount Airy High School in 2005, I got involved. That was the moment of my descent into politics.

Political shenanigans; that’s the reason for this blog. Tina Grogg's article in The Grogg Report not only tells it like it is, but what perfect timing! As we sit here with only a few days left until Mount Airy's next election, the old fear-mongering "crew" has surfaced. Over the next few days we will introduce the truth about Mount Airy's Crazy Town politics. I hope you will follow along with me and my fellow bloggers on our journey to Election Day 2010, as we expose the shenanigans and focus on how Mount Airy really can do better! Yes we can!