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Homeland Security Chief To Lose Job In Overhaul
Gordon Aoyagi, who has worked for Montgomery County 23 years, took over the homeland security department after serving as county fire administrator.
(By Larry Morris -- The Washington Post)
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Ryan said in a news release that his experience "as an advocate for the needs of veterans, shepherding ideas into laws and analyzing complex budgets" would serve District 4 constituents well. He pledged not to take campaign contributions from developers.
Earlier in the week, Don Praisner, the widower of the late council member, said he would either run for the seat or get behind a candidate who he believes would best carry out his wife's legacy.
"I will do one or the other, definitely," he said. "I know time is getting short and at some point, I, family and friends have to decide what it is we are going to do. I haven't really made up my mind yet."
Praisner is retired from the CIA and serves on the board of directors of several local nonprofit organizationsthat help people with disabilities and children.
As for the fine print of the special election, candidates must only be residents of the eastern county district by the day of the general election, so one could in theory move into a rental property or buy a house in the district after the deadline for filing.
Candidates who were not registered with a political party as of Nov. 19, 2007, can qualify for the ballot by filing a petition with the signatures of 1 percent of registered voters, or 1,000, in District 4. Non-affiliated candidates must declare their intent to run by 5 p.m. March 22 and file petitions by April 15.
K-9 Help for Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg police got a new crime fighter this month. Max, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois from the Czech Republic, will replace retiring K-9 Buddy, who was trained to sniff out narcotics.
Besides drug work, Max will be trained to assist officers with apprehensions and searches, Police Chief John King said. Max and his handler, Cpl. Chad Eastman, began training at the D.C. police K-9 academy this week.
The department was able to acquire Max with a $7,000 gift from the newly created Gaithersburg Police Foundation. King said Max made a strong first impression during his first day at the academy, when he responded to commands in Czech.
"He's a bilingual dog," King joked. "A smart dog."
