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From the County’s website. See also the full health order.

For Immediate Release: 6/18/2008

WSSC Water in Areas Affected by Main Break Safe to Drink According to Latest WSSC Tests
“Boil Water” Advisory Cancelled for Residents and Restaurants

A second negative Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) test has concluded for water samples taken throughout areas of Montgomery County affected by the water main break earlier this week. According to the WSSC, the test results confirm that the water is safe to drink, and the “boil water” advisory for restaurants and homeowners is now cancelled.

“This has been a very difficult week for those residents and businesses affected by the water main break, as well as for the WSSC and County employees who have worked around the clock to make sure that our residents remained safe throughout this ordeal,” said County Executive Isiah Leggett. “This incident has reinforced the County’s strong position for added resources and more focus on addressing the backlog of WSSC maintenance.”

The area affected by the water main break included communities north of the Beltway, with the exception of Rockville City and the Town of Poolesville, which maintain their own water supply systems. County health officials estimated that approximately 1,200 food service facilities were closed initially due the lack of a safe water supply, and then allowed to reopen if they complied with strict public health precautions.

Now that the WSSC has lifted its “boil water” advisory to residents and food service facilities, the following steps are advised to ensure that no health threats remain. Residential water customers should:

• Flush household pipes/faucets– run all cold water faucets for 5 minutes each.

Boil Water Over

• Flush home automatic icemakers and make three batches of ice cubes, discarding all three batches before using. Before using, wipe out icemakers with a solution of two tablespoons of household bleach to one gallon of water.
• Food service facilities should allow water to run for five minutes at each tap to flush the lines with safe water. Misters and drinking fountains should also be flushed, as well as soda machines. Icemakers should also be flushed and cleaned and the first three batches of ice should be discarded.

Questions should go to the County’s Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services at 240-777-3986.

From the County’s website:

County Announces Plan to Reopen Restaurants Under Strict Public Health Precautions While “Boiled Water” Advisory Remains in Effect

Following an initial favorable water sample test result from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) released after midnight, County Executive Isiah Leggett early this morning announced a plan to allow County food service establishments to reopen if they comply with strict public health precautions.

“In announcing the need for food service facilities to close Monday night in order to protect the public health, I pledged that we would work tirelessly to exhaust all remedies to find an acceptable way to reopen these businesses as soon as possible, said County Executive Isiah Leggett. “We have done just that.”

Dr. Ulder J. Tillman, County Health Officer, with the concurrence of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene late Tuesday, approved a plan that will allow food service establishments to reopen if they comply with a set of strict public health precautions applicable during this water crisis. The requirements will apply to food service facilities in areas affected by Sunday night’s massive WSSC water main break. It is imperative that licensed food service facilities comply with the requirements or remain closed. The County will be conducting random spot checks.

Restaurant Safety Requirements   

“Consistent with the requirements, impacted County restaurants and other facilities may resume food operations while we await the final word on the remainder of WSSC’s water tests and the lifting of the ‘boiled water’ advisory,” Leggett said.

The directive, issued by County Health Officer Dr. Ulder J. Tillman, is posted on the County website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. The County’s Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services will be following up with affected businesses today phone and/or in person.

Questions about the requirements should go to the County’s Public Health Hotline at 240-777-4200 or the Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services at 240-777-3986.

Staff will be available at the Public Health Hotline after 5 a.m. The Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services is open for business at 8 a.m.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATING A FOOD SERVICE FACILITY WHILE UNDER A BOIL WATER NOTICE

Pursuant to the Annotated Code of Maryland, Health, General 3-306

 

Wonder why you never got an alert message about the water problems? Katherine Shaver and Dan Morse explain in the Washington Post:

Montgomery County’s emergency e-mail notification system failed to send alerts about Sunday night’s major water main break and the risk for unhealthy drinking water to tens of thousands of residents because the two employees who know how to operate the system were out of town, the county’s top homeland security official said yesterday.

When those two employees couldn’t be reached, a third employee who was supposed to know how to run it said that he had never been trained, said Gordon Aoyagi, the homeland security director. A fourth employee who was found eight hours later knew how to operate it but failed to send out any alerts. Residents and businesses learned of the water problem primarily through the media.

“The system worked,” Aoyagi said. “We failed.”

Patricia Murret and Audrey Dutton write:

Two important figures in Montgomery County government —County Councilwoman Marilyn J. Praisner and Planning Board Commissioner Eugene Lynch — have died.

According to the County Council agenda for next Tuesday, January 22:

10:45 BRIEFING - County Property Use Initiative, a proposal to relocate services from Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA) and County Service Park to GE/Edison Tech Park in Gaithersburg

This meeting will be televised live on CCM Channels Comcast 6, RCN 6, and Verizon 30; repeated on 1/25/08 at 8 pm.

This page has information on additional ways to hear and see this session.

Gaithersblog readers may recall my earlier posts on this topic. Additionally, a Gaithersblog reader has pointed out to me that one of the primary uses the County has in mind for this property — County Liquor and School Cafeteria distribution warehouses — may in fact not be allowed under the current zoning (I-3) for this property. According to the City Code, Part II, Chapter 24, Article III, Division 15, I-3 Zone, Section 24-143 (emphasis mine):

(2)	Public buildings and uses subject to the following requirements:
	(a)	The minimum lot or parcel area shall be at least twenty (20) acres in size.
	(b)	No on-site parking or storage of trucks, either within a building or on the exterior, or motor vehicles other than automobiles for employees and customers of the facility are allowed.
	(c)	All parking areas shall be set back at least fifty (50) feet from any common property line or public right-of-way and shall be screened by fencing or planting at least four (4) feet in height.
	(d)	No distribution uses are allowed. For the purpose of this section “distribution uses” is defined as the primary use of the property for the collection and transfer or dispensing of personal property or equipment to public or private recipients.

Note this restriction on distribution uses only applies to public buildings and uses, and therefore the current Peapod grocery distribution warehouse is not excluded under this rule.

The County is currently asserting that they are not subject to City zoning — Ike Leggett said so in response to a question in his call-in show last month, and County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Diane Schwartz Jones said as much in her presentation at the January 7 City Council Meeting. But for them to come in and blatantly violate not just the spirit but the letter of the City’s ordinances right from the get-go, is pretty offensive in my opinion.

In my mind, this raises the question of whether there will be any sort of controls whatsoever on that property once it is taken over by the County. If the County believes that the City’s zoning doesn’t apply, and the County doesn’t have any zoning for that property because it is outside the jurisdiction of M-NCPPC, would this not mean that the County can do just whatever it likes there? All the assurances that the County might be making about the compatibility of their activities on that property have to be taken with an enormous grain of salt.

Folks, I think that the City of Gaithersburg is about to get 100 acres smaller.

MCPD has just released two new reports, one dated 12/12/07 and the other dated 12/26/07. This post integrates the two reports:

• On Monday 12/10 around 11:30 p.m., an armed robbery occurred when an adult male was leaving a friend's home in the 900 block of West Side Drive in Gaithersburg, and was approached by four armed men. He was forced to turn over his property.

  Suspect: H/M 20 to 25, 5'7" to 5'10", black bandana, handgun
  Suspect: H/M 20 to 25, 5'5" to 5'9", black bandana, handgun
  Suspect: H/M 20 to 25, 5'5" to 5'9", red bandana, knife
  Suspect: H/M 20 to 25, 5'5" to 5'9", red bandana, metal baseball bat

• A rape occurred at the Holiday Inn, #2 Montgomery Village Avenue, Montgomery Village at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Saturday 12/22. A housekeeper reported being attacked in a room she was cleaning. A press release was issued 12/22.

  Suspect: black male, age 22 to 26, 5'6" to 5'8" tall, 140 to 150 lbs.

• A strong-arm robbery occurred at Girard Street and Teachers Way in Gaithersburg on Wednesday 12/19 at 2:30 p.m. The suspect, a 15-year-old male, used physical force to take the victim's (another juvenile's) Chicago Bulls hat. The suspect was arrested.

• Three armed robberies occurred the night of Friday 12/21 in a 90-minute span of time involving black male suspects with handgun(s).

  • 10:12 p.m. in the Unit block of Honey Brook Lane, Gaithersburg. The victim was unloading his vehicle when one suspect accosted him with a handgun. Another suspect demanded property. The victim fled. Property taken.

    Suspects: three black males, ages 18 to 20, all wearing hooded black jackets.

  • 11:14 p.m. in the 200 block of Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg. The victim was accosted from behind while walking to a bus stop. He was struck in the head. No property was obtained.

    Suspects: three black males, all were wearing black jackets, one suspect armed with a hand gun.

  • 10:38 p.m. at Hyacinth Court and Prairie Rose Lane in Gaithersburg. The victim and a friend were accosted after exiting their parked car. One victim was shot with a BB gun.

    Suspects: two black males; one armed with a gun. One white male armed with a BB gun, and one other male. (No further description)

  Honey Brook Lane is off Longdraft, north of Clopper. Hyacinth Court and Prairie Rose Lane are off School Drive, east of Muddy Branch.

• After a call for shots fired, shell casings were found outside of the 200 block of Park Avenue, Gaithersburg, on Saturday 12/8 around 1:30 a.m.

  Park Avenue is in Olde Towne.

• The Horizon 7-11 at 8035 Snouffer School Road in Gaithersburg was the scene of an armed robbery Sunday 12/9 just after 1:00 a.m. The lone suspect implied he had a gun and demanded cash from the register. After obtaining money, witnesses saw the suspect flee on foot into the Summer Ridge apartment complex on Sweet Autumn Drive.

  Suspect: 1/M 35 years, 6'3", heavy set, black jacket, black pants, bandana over his face

• An armed robbery occurred outside the Rite Aid in the 600 block of Quince Orchard Rd., Gaithersburg, on Tuesday 12/11 at 9:45 p.m. At 9:30 p.m., an employee went to the rear of the store near the exit and was confronted by the two suspects who displayed guns and demanded money. The suspects were able to obtain an undisclosed amount of cash. clothing, black leather gloves, 1 armed with a pistol, 1 with a revolver

• On Thursday 12/6 at 11:00 p.m. an armed robbery occurred when an adult male was walking to his car behind Trader Joe's at 18270 Contour Road in Gaithersburg. A suspect approached asking for spare change. The victim declined and was attacked. All suspects were between 18 and 21 years, 5'10" to 6'0". No property was obtained.

  Suspect: B/M blue knit hat, blue winter jacket, brown boots
  Suspect: B/M black winter jacket, khaki pants
  Suspect: red knit hat

• An armed robbery occurred in the parking lot of the Public Storage facility at 19900 Goshen Road in Gaithersburg on Tuesday 12/11 around 7:15 a.m. The male victim was loading his truck when the suspect appeared, holding a gun. The suspect then stole the victim's truck but couldn't get through the exit gate. He then took personal property from the vehicle before fleeing on foot.

  Suspect: B/M 30 to 37 years, 5'10" to 6'3", 190-230 lbs., black puffy jacket, red shirt,black pants

• A strong armed robbery occurred on Tuesday 12/11 around 8:50 p.m., in the parking lot in the 10300 block of Apple Ridge Road in Montgomery Village. The male victim got into a dispute with other male juveniles and a physical altercation ensued. Personal property was taken, both suspects fled.

  Suspect: B/M 15 to 16 years, 5'9" to 5'10", red jacket, blue jeans
  Suspect: B/M 16 to 17 years, 5'9" to 5'10", black jacket, blue jeans

• On Saturday 12/8 around 1:50 p.m. a robbery occurred involving an 18-year-old male victim. He was standing outside of the unit block of School Drive in Gaithersburg when a suspect knocked the victim to the ground.

  Suspect: B/M 15 to 17 years, 5'7", 150, black Northface jacket, black skull cap.

• An attempt abduction occurred when an 11 year old girl was approached by a stranger outside her home in the unit block of Butterwick Court in Montgomery Village on Friday 12/7 around 8:40 a.m. The suspect first gestured for her to come over to him, then he yelled, "Hey you, come here!" The girl ran back into her house to get an adult, but the suspect had left the area.

  Suspect: 6/M 30 to 40 years, 5'3" to 5'4", 150-160, bald, mustache

  Butterwick Court is near East Village Ave & Goshen Road.

• An attempted strong-arm robbery occurred on Saturday 12/21 at 9:00 p.m. in the area of East Village Avenue and Heritage Farm Drive in Gaithersburg. A teen-age boy walking with friends was accosted by three black males (no further description) who demanded money. Two victims were physically assaulted. The suspects fled without victims' property.

  Heritage Farm Drive is near the Woodfield Road end of East Village Ave.

• An attempted robbery occurred on Sunday 12/23 in the 19600 block of Club House Road in Montgomery Village. The victim was playing music on his cell phone when the suspects drove up and told him they did not want to hear his music. One suspect physically assaulted the victim and attempted to take his wallet.

  Suspects: three Hispanic males in a green 4D vehicle. (No further description)

• A peeping tom was seen briefly outside of the 600 block of West Side Drive, Gaithersburg, on Friday 12/7 around 2:20 a.m. The female resident could only describe him as having dark skin and dark hair.

• An indecent exposure occurred in the bathroom at the Barnes & Noble book store, 21 Grand Corner Av. in Gaithersburg on Friday 12/21 at 9:00 p.m.

  Suspect: a male suspect (no further description) wearing a red windbreaker and red sweatpants.

  Grand Corner Ave is in the Washingtonian shopping center.

• Between Thursday 12/6 and Friday 12/7 a theft from vehicle occurred in the 700 block of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg. Both airbags were stolen from one, and personal property was taken from the other. Each had a window smashed to gain entry.

• Three townhouses were broken into (unlawful entry) by suspects with the intention of having shelter.

  • 12/6 to 12/10 1300 block of Travis View Court, Gaithersburg Forced entry.
  • 12/1 to 12/8 10200 block of Wild Apple Circle, Montgomery Village Forced entry.
  • 11/30 to 12/8 9600 block of Brassie Way, Montgomery Village Forced entry.

  All suspects were H/Ms, 18 to 20 years, wearing black shirts carrying black backpacks

• A car burglary occurred when two vehicles in the 200 block of Bookham Lane, Gaithersburg, were broken into between Sunday 12/9 and Monday 12/10. Property was taken.

  Bookham Lane is in Saybrooke.

• Two residential burglaries occurred mid-week that could very well be related. Both were daytime, had rear entries, and similar property stolen. One victim named a possible suspect.

  • Wed 12/5 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. 8400 block of St. Regis Way in Montgomery Village Forced entry, property taken.
  • Tue 12/4 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 8600 block of Sedley Court, Gaithersburg No forced entry, property taken.

• Three thefts from vehicles occurred overnight Wednesday 12/19 into Thursday 12/20 on Duvall Lane, Autumn Hill Way and West Deer Park Road in Gaithersburg. No further details.

  These addresses are between Summit Hall Park and I-270.

• There were at least two vandalisms to vehicles reported involving car windows being shot out with a BB gun. The date of occurrence was Friday 12/21. One incident was in the 2nd District, and the other on northbound MD-270 at Md-370. No suspect(s) seen.

• A suspicious incident occurred on Thursday 12/20 at 3:00 p.m. at Orchard Ridge Drive and Mill Green Avenue in Gaithersburg. Two Hispanic males in a white delivery van approached two 12-year-old girls walking, and began to point and gesture.

  This is in Quince Orchard Park, north of Great Seneca and east of Quince Orchard Road.

• There were several thefts from vehicles in the Montgomery Village Holiday Inn parking lot overnight Thursday 12/20 into Friday 12/21. Forced entry. Property taken. Multiple vehicles were also entered the morning of 12/21 at the Homestead Suites parking lot on Century Boulevard in Germantown.

• Four commercial burglaries are not confirmed to be related, but two of them occurred the same
  night on Goshen Road.

  • Wednesday 12/19 at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Whestone Elementary, 19201 Thomas Farm Road in Montgomery Village. Forced entry. Property taken.
  • Sunday 12/23 at 2:52 a.m. at Dollar Planet, 9116 Rothbury Drive in Montgomery Village. Officers responded to an alarm. Two black males (no further description) were seen running from the area. Forced entry. Nothing taken.
  • Sunday 12/23 to Monday 12/24, 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. at Grape Expectations Beer & Wine, 20207 Goshen Road. Forced entry. Property taken.
  • Sunday 12/23 to Monday 12/24, 11:05 p.m. to 8:15 a.m. at Wing Stop, 20201 Goshen Road in Gaithersburg. Forced entry. Property taken.

• Two thefts from vehicles occurred the evening of Saturday 12/22 at Whetstone Elementary School in Montgomery Village. Forced entry. Property taken.

• A residential burglary occurred in the 8200 block of Amity Circle between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. between Sunday 12/23 and Monday 12/24. No forced entry. Property taken.

  Amity Circle is south of Midcounty Hwy and Washington Grove Lane.

• A residential burglary occurred in the 5800 block of Winegrove Court in Derwood on Tuesday 12/25 between 5:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Forced entry. Property taken.

  Winegrove Court is off Muncaster Road, just south of MD 108.

Another item I missed earlier; Kathleen Miller writes in the Examiner, Montgomery residents: County outreach lacking:

Montgomery elected officials are confounded by a recent survey that reported nearly 60 percent of area residents say the county does not do a good job of listening to its residents, when leaders are reaching out to constituents in town hall meetings, call-in television talk shows and chat sessions over the Internet.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

lis·ten (lĭs’ən)
intr.v., -tened, -ten·ing, -tens.

1. To make an effort to hear something: listen to the radio; listening for the bell.
2. To pay attention; heed: “She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit” (Maya Angelou).

Anyone else think that the “elected officials” are using one of these definitions while the “area residents” are using the other?

FYI, the full survey report (147 pages, in PDF format) can be found here.

What with the holidays, I missed this when it was first reported; a letter from Chuck Floyd in this week’s Gazette called my attention to the change. According to an article by Kathleen Miller in the December 20th Examiner,

Montgomery County officials said Wednesday they will open a $300,000 contract to run a Silver Spring day labor center for competitive bidding next year. Immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland has operated the University Boulevard center since 1994.

The announcement of this change came eight days after Judicial Watch sent a rather extensive MPIA request to the County, asking for details on their relationship with Casa de Maryland.

Kathleen Miller writes in the Examiner, Some day laborers bypass help:

Each day, about the same number of workers gather at convenience stores at University Boulevard and Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring as use a taxpayer-funded center run by immigrant advocacy group CASA of Maryland a half-block away.

Patrick Lacefield, spokesman for County Executive Ike Leggett, said the centers ”manage and regularize what had been a gathering that was impacting residential and commercial areas” and called the program a success.

“We can’t force people to use the center. Obviously lots of people are using the center of their own free will,” he said.

Manuel Rivera, a Silver Spring resident originally from El Salvador, said he went to the 7-Eleven instead of in the county-sanctioned center because of the church vans that he says deliver food to the workers in the store parking lot.

“I get breakfast here every day,” he said in Spanish.

Let’s repeat here: Patrick Lacefield says that the centers ”manage and regularize what had been a gathering that was impacting residential and commercial areas” (emphasis mine). How on Earth does this make any sense whatsoever? How can he use the words “had been” with anything approaching a straight face, when the entire point of the discussion is that these gatherings are still going on? With respect to the impact of solicitation activity on residential and commercial areas, in the context of the County’s cojones-free approach to this problem, all these centers do is create yet another place for solicitation to occur.

I suppose that the most remarkable thing about this quote is that anyone that high up in the County actually admits that these gatherings have any impact on residential or commercial areas whatsoever. Not that they appear to have any intention of actually addressing these problems. They could, for example, enact and enforce an anti-solicitation ordinance. Which, if the County was truly serious about protecting these vulnerable day laborers, would be an excellent way to help stop abusive employers from hiring in the County, while simultaneously providing relief to areas impacted by the solicitation activity. But the County would appear not to be interested in achieving this sort of balance.

Liz Farmer writes in the Maryland Daily Record: As gang-related crime increases, the county prosecutor’s office increases its manpower — and its caseload:

On Halloween night in Rockville, a Safeway cashier was shot in the leg by a group of assailants. A week later, a stabbing assault at a Gaithersburg mall was followed by a fatal stabbing at a nearby bus stop.

Then, five men stabbed and seriously wounded a Gaithersburg man in what authorities described as a retaliatory strike. And the following week, two teens were shot outside the Shady Grove Metro station.

The Gang Prosecution Unit, made possible through state and local funding, handles not just gang violence but all cases where a known gang member has been charged with a crime. The unit handled nearly 400 cases this year, ranging from disorderly conduct to assault to homicide.

According to the Office of the State’s Attorney, today there are about 40 active gangs in Montgomery County and 1,150 members. Approximately 3,600 gang members have been identified in the D.C. metropolitan area.

By comparison, Prince George’s County has about 50 gangs with more than 400 members, and Baltimore City has about 170 known street gangs with about 1,300 members, according to state statistics.