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There isn’t much in the press this week about the up-coming Council election. All I’ve been able to find are one general article, a sidebar and an endorsement letter in the Gazette, and a tangentially-related article in the Washington Post.

First, the Post story:

• Kirstin Downey writes, Hispanic Officials Urge Immigrant Voters to Get to Polls:

  (This was at a “news conference in Arlington attended by several Spanish-language news organizations”)

  The event was opened with a prayer by a Methodist minister, the Rev. David Rocha. Comments by speakers were greeted with shouts of “Sí se puede” (Yes, we can), the rallying cry used by Cesar Chavez in organizing farm workers in California.

  Carlos Solis, who is running for the Gaithersburg City Council, said the interests of all immigrants, not just Hispanics, are at stake.

  “This is a fight for all and for everyone,” he said.

  The speakers said that elections are often determined by just a handful of ballots, and that individual voters have the ability to swing an election.

  Solis is running on a “One Gaithersburg” campaign platform with Ahmed Ali, who was born in Bangladesh, and Ryan Spiegel, a lawyer.

  “Many anti-immigrants are afraid,” Solis said. He said that if he and his colleagues won, they could “get control” of the city.

  “We’re all one pueblo,” he said.

• City officials back their candidates:

  The endorsement letter comes from Mayor Sidney A. Katz and the two continuing council members, Michael A. Sesma and Henry F. Marraffa Jr.:

  The Nov. 6 election is an especially important one for Gaithersburg. City voters will choose three new members of our five-member City Council. We will be voting for Jud Ashman and Cathy Drzyzgula for City Council.

This is the one general article in the Gazette:

• Patricia M. Murret and Chris Robinson write, City voters prepare to head to polls Tuesday:
  

  The election that will bring three new faces to the Gaithersburg City Council is less than a week away and some residents say the race is a toss-up.

and it appears with this sidebar in the print edition:

• Chris Robinson writes, New voting machines unveiled:
  

  No one attended a seminar Friday afternoon at City Hall about how to operate the machines, said Sarah Paxton, executive assistant to the city manager and an elections coordinator.

This really is a slow week for Gaithersburg coverage in the Gazette. Perhaps this is a reflection of the transition from Chris Robinson to Patricia M. Murret as the primary Gaithersburg reporter (I’ve heard that Chris is leaving the Gazette to pursue other interests), or perhaps there just isn’t that much going on, other than the election — there were no Council or Planning Commission meetings last week, for example.

Anyway, this is what we have; I’ll make a separate post of the election coverage.

• Meghan Tierney writes, Olde Towne bank robbery trial begins:
  

  The trial of a Gaithersburg man charged with the armed robbery of an Olde Towne bank in April began Tuesday in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville.

  Timothy James Denzel, 30, of the unit block of Russell Avenue was charged with armed robbery April 27.

• Chris Robinson writes, Commercial vacancy rising in Gaithersburg:
  

  Gaithersburg’s overall vacancy rate is 14.7 percent for the third quarter of 2007, which includes July through September, the report states. There is about 5.1 million square feet of office space in Gaithersburg, according to the outlook report.

• Sebastian Montes writes, Pickup truck bill comes, goes:
  

  Del. Saqib Ali (D-Dist. 39) of Gaithersburg introduced the Fairness to Pickup Truck Owners Act of 2008 earlier this month in Annapolis after ongoing talks with several Village residents — some who own pickups, some who do not, he said. The bill would have blocked homeowners associations across the county from prohibiting residents from parking any personal-use passenger vehicle in their community.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Seneca Valley senior sparkles at football game:
  

  Seneca Valley High School senior Sarah Mealy of Germantown was aglow Saturday night.

  The 16-year-old, an accomplished baton twirler, performed at halftime of the SVHS-Damascus football game. But she didn’t use any ordinary baton. This one was rimmed in fire.

• Patricia M. Murret writes, Plenty of frights at night:
  

  As little ghosts and goblins (and princes and princesses) seek treats around neighborhood streets tonight, the sounds of galloping hooves and clashing sabers could echo from near the Gaithersburg-Germantown border as a headless Civil War cavalryman rides his bright-eyed horse.

Of special note in the following is the item listed as “Redevelopment of 2-12 East Diamond Avenue”. This would include both the brick building now known as Roy’s Place and the strip shopping center known as the Galanis Center. This would represent yet another major change in Olde Towne.

Agenda - Historic Preservation Committee Meeting, 11/1/2007
Posted 10/26/2007

CITY OF GAITHERSBURG
31 South Summit Avenue
Telephone: 301-258-6330

AGENDA
HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Council Chambers at City Hall at 7:30 p.m.

The Historic Preservation Advisory Committee
will conduct a site visit at 112 Meem Avenue
at 6:30 p.m., prior to the meeting.

I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of October 16, 2007 - deferred
Minutes of September 18, 2007

II. PUBLIC HEARING

HAWP-29F
Applicant: Beverly Stalker
11 Brookes Avenue
Tree Removal
Background Material

III. RECOMMENDATION TO HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION

Plaque for Artifacts under Covenant (Kentlands)
Applicant: Gil Price
801 Inspiration Lane

IV. DISCUSSION

Redevelopment of 2-12 East Diamond Avenue

V. UPDATES

1. December Meeting
2. Crown Farm Site Visit 
3. MAHDC Training - February 20, 2008
4. City Elections on November 6, 2007

VI. ADJOURNMENT