More of the Same

Stigile: 'Reasonable people can disagree' on Pumphrey parking.

Is it impossible in this city to have a rational discussion about public policy issues without having someone launch an attack on the messenger? In a March 22 posting on Patch, Councilmember Moore encouraged residents to speak out at a public hearing on the Pumphrey parking lot. It was a serious article about a serious issue—whether the current Mayor and Council would honor the approval given by the previous council or would pull the rug out from under Pumphrey Funeral Home, after it had incurred more than $100,000 in planning and legal costs based on the previous approval. Reasonable people can disagree about whether a parking lot should be constructed in an historic district. There are good arguments on both sides of the issue. But …

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Rockville Election 2011

Jordan No Longer a Candidate for City Council

The RedGate Advisory Committee chairman and civic activist cited 'personal reasons' for withdrawing.

Joseph Jordan has withdrawn from the race for Rockville City Council. The civic activist and chairman of the RedGate Advisory Committee said in a news release Tuesday that he would not seek one of four council seats. He has asked the city to remove his name from the ballot for the Nov. 8 city elections, the release said. Jordan said that he had received support for his candidacy "from every corner of the city," but cited "personal reasons" for withdrawing. Jordan is known as a frequent presence at City Council meetings, speaking out on open government issues and raising issues of incivility on the council and of council member's use of city media. He has been an outspoken supporter of RedGate Golf Course as the council has debated the …

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Two Thousand RedGate Fans Can't Be Wrong

Jordan: Petition to keep the golf course 'should not be ignored.'

This year's election for Rockville mayor and council members is less than three months away, and the deadline for candidates to file paperwork in order to be on the ballot is less than a month away. Not all declared candidates have submitted their paperwork to get on the ballot, and there still might be candidates lurking in the wings. Despite all this, it has become apparent that RedGate Golf Course will be one of the more contentious issues on the campaign trail. Since Thursday, more than 30 comments expressing varying views, "facts" and figures on RedGate and its present state of affairs have been posted here on Patch. However, a fact that never gets mentioned is that a petition to keep RedGate an 18-hole golf course, signed by 2,000 …

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Quit Beating Up on City Employees

Stigile: Before 'a rush to judgement,' the city should conduct a 'no-fault investigation' of the fountain incident at the mayor's announcement.

We should all agree that having the fountains come on during the mayor’s campaign event was unfortunate. She and her supporters deserved to enjoy the moment. Once a decision was made to turn off the fountains, steps should have been taken to ensure that the event went forward without mishap. We should also acknowledge that the incident raises important questions about the use of city facilities for campaign purposes. Prudent people should want to get answers to many questions and not rush to judgment. Unfortunately, instead of waiting for a full airing of the facts, Mr. Jordan pounced on the city manager. The words and tone of his posting last week on Rockville Patch were impolite and accusatory. He characterized the city manager's actions…

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City Manager Should Apologize for Fountain Incident

Jordan: Fountain going on during mayor's speech is "one of the most bizarre and arrogant abuses of authority I have experienced."

On Friday evening, June 10, I joined other Rockville residents in Town Center to hear Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio announce her decision to seek reelection. Among those in attendance were Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz, Sen. Jennie Forehand, and former Rockville Mayor Steve VanGrack. Seats were set up in the pavilion area in front of the stage. Many senior citizens took advantage of the seating while other people stood or sat near the sides of the stage. After several short speeches, Mayor Marcuccio began her remarks. Several minutes into the speech, the mayor and all those who turned out to hear her speak became victims of the one of the most bizarre and arrogant abuses of authority I have experienced. Dozens of people were sitting in chairs …

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Advisory Committee: Don't Outsource RedGate Management

Panel recommends hiring golf director; City Council to discuss golf course on Monday.

On Monday, RedGate Golf Course will once again be on the Mayor and Council agenda. This will be an opportunity for the council to discuss their reactions to the National Golf Foundation study that was presented on Jan. 10, to determine next steps and to give some direction to the staff. The RedGate Advisory Committee was invited to submit its response to the NGF report and will be given time on the agenda to speak. The committee's report can be found to the right of this article. The NGF report contains a great deal of information on the history of the golf course, including the controllable and uncontrollable factors that contributed to RedGate's current situation. It also lays out several options that the city might consider going …

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