gaithersblog.net

Chris Robinson writes in the Gazette:

The parent of a Gaithersburg Elementary School student was arrested Wednesday after allegedly making a threatening phone call to the school referencing the shootings this week at Virginia Tech, Montgomery County Police said.

Moore allegedly called the school and asked that his son, a student, be kept inside the building during afternoon recess due to the child being ill, police said.

When a faculty member told Moore a note from the child’s doctor would be required, Moore became agitated and said the school shooting that occurred earlier this week at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. could happen at Gaithersburg Elementary, police said.

WTOP and The Examiner also have stories.

A few notable letters this week:

• N. Schell writes: Legal immigrant followed dream of coming to America

  Recently, I was rear-ended at 50 mph by a young man who wouldn’t speak English. He had no driver’s license or insurance. Even the owner of the car he was driving had no coverage or license to drive.

  I would like to tell Kim Propeack, director of community action at Casa of Maryland (‘‘Police fear waning trust from immigrants,” March 21 article), what it means when an illegal breaks the law by not having the proper identification after causing a serious accident. The day after hitting me and sending me to the hospital, this person went to the Motor Vehicles Administration and paid his $130 traffic ticket. Now the MVA has closed the case and he’s off the hook. He didn’t have to show a valid driver’s license to pay the fine.

• Naomi Sussman Morse writes: Ignored crosswalks endanger pedestrians

  No amount of money thrown at citizen education can counter the fact that there is no oversight, and are no consequences for drivers who speed through pedestrian crosswalks. They do so with impunity.

• Bruce Seidel writes: Why pedestrians are endangered

  Reading Isiah Leggett’s plan for pedestrian safety, one can’t help but suspect the county executive of an alternative motive — justifying millions in revenue through new speed cameras. After all, one of Leggett’s first acts in office was to propose increased gasoline taxes on country drivers.

• E. Beth Dumesco writes: For health’s sake, curb deer

  If the deer weren’t so cute and they looked more like, say, rats, no one would be defending them.

• Three writers: It’s wrong to advocate that illegal immigrants need not abide by our laws

  Jill Gershen:

  The editorial staff has consistently taken the approach that illegal aliens, or as The Gazette prefers to call them, ‘‘immigrants,” are a special group that does not need to abide by the same rules of law that American citizens must.

  Robin Ficker:

  The Gazette’s editorial says that local police ‘‘have more urgent problems” and ‘‘should not be saddled with doing the work of federal agents.”

  I assume that, concomitantly, the newspaper believes that people with federal police powers should ignore Montgomery County warrants.

  Constance Van Hoek:

  Illegal immigration into this country will not be tolerated, nor will the politicians who allow this or think that we should have a guest worker program.

• Norman Ochs writes: Expedite legal immigration

  There are millions of people who wait years to enter America legally. Shorten their legal time to enter by offering them jobs illegal immigrants have. That would reduce the illegal population.

• Chris Robinson writes: Convenience store denied alcohol license

  ‘‘There is no way I can sit here and agree that change is not necessary,” said Commissioner Ann Chapman (D).

  Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz also raised concerns about the sales practice, and said that city employees have responded to numerous calls about intoxicated people outside the Community Museum and the History Park in Olde Towne.

  ‘‘There can be little doubt that early morning intoxication is a serious issue in Gaithersburg,” he said. ‘‘Police regularly respond to reports of individuals hanging out on the patios of private residences and leaving trash strewn across backyards.”

  Update: MoCo over at the New MoCo Progressive points out that this article mentions that the owner does plan on filing an appeal of the ruling.

• Chris Robinson writes: Teens charged in connection to ‘soda bombs’

  Five Gaithersburg teenagers were charged in connection with several homemade chemical ‘‘soda” bombs detonated at Rachel Carson Elementary School and a residence in the Kentlands last month.

• Chris Robinson writes: Road rage spurs high-speed chase through city

  Police believe road rage is a factor in a high-speed car chase in Gaithersburg that ended in a rollover collision outside Forest Oak Middle School last week.

• Meghan Tierney writes: Arrest made in trash fire

  A 26-year-old Gaithersburg man was arrested early Saturday morning after he allegedly set fire to debris he gathered from trashcans in a Gaithersburg townhouse community, according to county fire and rescue officials.

• Sebastian Montes writes: Day-laborer center open for business

  (story updated since Monday)

  But city police will not enforce the [anti-solicitation ordinance] for ‘‘at least several weeks,” Sgt. Rudy Wagner said before Monday’s meeting. Instead, Gaithersburg police will focus on educating day laborers about the rule.

  ‘‘We want to reach out to them, because ultimately our goal is not to make arrests; it’s to get people in compliance [with the law] and using the center,” he said.

• Sebastian Montes writes: Nike missile site to become park

  Gaithersburg leaders are breathing new life into what has for several years been an idling effort to turn a former Nike missile site into a city park.

  But before adding the 13-acre site off Muddy Branch Road to its list of 25 parks, Gaithersburg wants to make sure there aren’t any lingering or unnoticed contamination.

• Sebastian Montes writes: At missile site, ‘on our toes’ day and night

  At any moment, the frequent drills might have been the real thing: Soviet bombers or missiles penetrating U.S. air space en route to destroy Washington.