Monday, May 21, 2012
Meet the candidates for town council and mayor tonight at 7 p.m.
Residents will have the opportunity to hear from the candidates in the upcoming council and mayoral election in Kensington tonight at 7 p.m. at a candidates' forum. This year two are running as incumbents— Mayor Peter C. Fosselman and Councilman Sean McMullen. But three newcomers are vying for their seats— Glenn Cowan and Tracey Furman for council, while Stowe Teti will run against the current mayor. The forum will be held at Town Hall. Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include the names of the challengers as well as corrected to include the name of McMullen as an incumbent. We regret our error.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
In an interview on ABC News, the president says he supports same-sex marriage. The issue is likely to go to referendum in Maryland this fall.
President Barack Obama picked the day after a decisive vote in North Carolina to announce that his "evolution" on the issue of same-sex marriage was complete—he now supports it. In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Obama said: I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage—at a …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Join us at 2 p.m. Friday for a live blog with David Moon, the blogger behind Maryland Juice.
The special session. Ike Leggett's future. Doug Duncan's future. Presidential politics. Gubernatorial politics. It's an exciting time for Maryland. Join us at 2 p.m. Friday where Patch editors and Maryland Juice's David Moon discuss Free State politics. What topics should we cover? Let us know in the comments ...
One incumbent and two newcomers file to run for office in Kensington.
Despite an upcoming election that includes a mayor's race and two council seats, only three candidates so far have filed to run for office in the town of Kensington. Mayor Peter Fosselman is running for a fourth term this spring, while Councilwoman Lydia Sullivan announced she won't run for re-election earlier this year. Glenn Cowan, of Fawcett Street, and Tracey Furman, of Detrick Avenue, have filed to run for the town's two open council seats. Candidates have until May 14 to file to run for office. The town is set to host a candidates' forum on May 21 at 7 p.m. to prepare for the June 4 election.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A suit filed by Democratic Senators Delores Kelley and Jim Brochin says the plan violates the Maryland Constitution and protects the political voice of Baltimore City at the expense of Baltimore County.
UPDATED (1:13 p.m.)—Two Baltimore County state senators have filed suit in the state Court of Appeals seeking to overturn Maryland's recently enacted legislative redistricting plan. Democratic Senators Jim Brochin and Delores Kelley, in a suit filed Tuesday, claim the new districts violate the Maryland Constitution and a 2002 Court of Appeals ruling that governs redistricting. A copy of the lawsuit is attached to this story. The suit is one of four seeking to overturn Gov. Martin O'Malley's redistricting plan. At the heart of the 17-page complaint are allegations that the commission that redrew the state's 47 legislative districts unfairly protected the city's political power in Annapolis, while diluting the county's representation. "For …
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Kensington's current mayor Peter Fosselman announced Monday night he would run for a fourth term.
Mayor Peter Fosselman will be running for a fourth term as the town's mayor. Fosselman announced his plans during the town hall meeting Monday night. On Tuesday, he e-mailed Patch explaining his decision, noting his supporters including some residents and business owners, asked that he run again. "The main reason is to carry out the first steps of redevelopment now that the sector plan has been approved," Fosselman wrote. He also said he'd focus on improving the town's economy, the town's reputation after residents spent years duking it out over the sector plan and "repairing internal relationships to bring back a sense of community." The election is Monday, June 4.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Volunteers at polling places on Tuesday solicited signatures on a pledge to support the recently passed law.
In front of Robert Frost Middle School in Rockville, Sharon Vignati and Denise Woodard, armed with clipboards and pens, asked voters Tuesday evening to support an issue that wasn’t on the primary election ballot. In February, the Maryland General Assembly voted to legalize same-sex marriage. Vignati and Woodard want to make sure that stays in place. Opponents are attempting to collect 55,736 valid signatures from Maryland voters by June 30 to block the new law from taking effect on Jan. 1, The Washington Post has reported. If they get the necessary signatures, voters would be asked on the November ballot whether to repeal the law. “We’re asking people to sign a pledge that if it goes to the ballot, that they’ll vote not to let (the repeal…
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Campaigners and election judges said several factors may have affected the voter turnout.
The turnout for the Maryland primary was low throughout Montgomery County, however Kensington residents told Patch Tuesday that they believe a number of items affected the low turnout. Some— like election judge Robin Watson— believed the redistricting affected voters, while others— like election judge Marilyn Emery— thought it could be the public schools' spring break and upcoming Easter holiday. So, what do you think caused the low voter turnout? Take our poll below and discuss your opinion in our comments section below.
In the Montgomery County Board of Education primary, Morris Panner took the No. 2 spot for the At-Large ballot; Fred Evans and Rebecca Smondrowski took the top spots for District 2.
Although the Republican presidential primary bolstered Maryland into national headlines Tuesday, locally Montgomery County voters also narrowed the field for the Board of Education’s general election in November. The unofficial results show that Phil Kauffman and Morris Panner beat out the two other candidates on the ballot to advance to the general election for the at-large seat. Kauffman received 60.3 percent of the vote, and Panner received 17 percent of the vote. The next runner-up, Lou August, received 11.9 percent of the vote. "I am really honored to have received the support I did," Panner, a resident of the Town of Somerset in Chevy Chase, told Chevy Chase Patch. "It is such an important time in our [c]ounty's history and a …
The 2011 decision that moved Maryland's primary election day to April also caused it to coincide with Montgomery County Public Schools' spring break and may have contributed to a low reported voter turnout in Montgomery County, MD.
Updated, 11:30 a.m.: Spring break may be partially to blame for low voter turnout throughout Montgomery County during Tuesday’s primary elections. While Montgomery County traditionally sees turnout around 20 percent during primary elections, according to Board of Elections member Nahid Khozeimeh, Tuesday's voter turnout totaled much lower at 14.79 percent. Many polling officials and campaign representatives worried that spring break played a large part in the low turnout, with longtime election judges, campaigners and voters spending the week before Easter and Passover on vacation with families. “We’re probably looking at single digit returns,” Majorie Roher, public information officer for the county's Board of Elections, guessed on …
Danila Sheveiko
4:54 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Thanks for the discussion - certainly very informative. You did not, however, discuss the $4 million for Westfield's Costco project that includes a gas station - slated to be the busiest in Mongtomery County by far - shoehorned next to outdoor swim & tennis club, single-family residences, and the Down-County school for children with special needs, including oxygen tanks. Please see uploaded … more ›