In Brief

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Money Magazine Lauds 3 County Communities

Three communities in Montgomery County were recently ranked among 100 small cities nationwide as CNN Money Magazine's 2008 Best Places to Live. Gaithersburg earned the highest ranking in the county at 29, Rockville was next at 66 and Germantown, an unincorporated area of the county, came in at 81.

The magazine looked at communities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000 and considered such criteria as family income, housing prices, taxes, job growth, nearby colleges, test scores, commute times, air quality, crime statistics, weather patterns, access to entertainment and culture, resident demographics and other factors.

Other Maryland communities on the list included Columbia and Ellicott City, which jointly made it to eighth place. Plymouth, Minn., was ranked the best place to live.

For the full list and more information, visit http://www.money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008.

Chinese City May Become Rockville's Second Sister

Rockville officials announced plans last week to pursue a formal sister-city relationship with Jiaxing, China, after a proposal from members of the local Asian American community. The arrangement with Jiaxing would be the second for the Rockville Sister City Corp., which in October celebrated the 50th anniversary of Rockville's sister partnership with Pinneberg, Germany.

Jiaxing, a 3,915-square-kilometer city in southeast China's Yangtze River Delta, has a population of 3.71 million and, like Rockville, is developing its high-tech industry, Rockville officials said.

U.S. cities began forming sister-city relationships with international cities in 1956, after a call by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for more people-to-people diplomatic exchanges.

The Rockville City Council will extend an invitation to the Chinese city this month. Officials expect to enter a formal agreement in the fall.

A presentation on the sister-city proposal is available in the minutes of the council's July 14 meeting, at http://www.rockvillemd.gov/government/mc, or through on-demand video at http://www.rockvillemd.gov/rockville11.

For information, call the mayor and council's office at 240-314-8290.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Starts Restaurant Week

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Restaurant Week will kick off Monday with special fixed-price meals at more than 30 restaurants. Sponsored by the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, all participating restaurants will offer a three-course dinner menu for $30, and some restaurants will offer a two-course lunch menu for $12 or $15.

Restaurants participating include Assaggi Mozzarella Bar, Bacchus of Lebanon, Bice Ristorante, Brasserie Monte Carlo, Clyde's of Chevy Chase, David Craig Bethesda, Divino Lounge & Restaurant, Doraku Restaurant & Lounge, Famoso Restaurant and Lounge, Faryab Afghan Restaurant, Gaffney's Restaurant, Grapeseed, Jaleo Bethesda, La Ferme Restaurant, La Miche, Lia's, M Cafe & Bar, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, Mon Ami Gabi, New Orleans Bistro, Old Angler's Inn, the OZ Restaurant at the Doubletree Hotel in Bethesda, Passage To India, Persimmon Restaurant, Pizza Zero, Raku Bethesda, Redwood Restaurant, Rock Creek Bethesda, Sushi-Ko Chevy Chase, Tako Grill, Tavira, Tragara Ristorante and Visions Restaurant.

The specials run through Aug. 3; reservations are encouraged. For information, contact the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce by calling 301-652-4900 or visiting http://www.bccchamber.org and clicking on "events & committees." For reservations, contact the individual restaurants.

American Odyssey Relay Early Registration Due

Next Thursday marks the early registration deadline for the first American Odyssey Relay Run Adventure, a 200-mile race with a route that focuses on historic landmarks.

The race will begin April 24 in Gettysburg, Pa., cross the Mason-Dixon Line, stop at a mid-race festival in Boonsboro, Md., continue through Antietam National Battlefield, the C&O Canal, the Appalachian Trail and Harpers Ferry, W.Va., then pass over Riley's Lock into Great Falls Park and finish April 25 near the Washington Monument and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in the District.

The race is limited to 150 teams of 12 runners. Each runner will run three separate legs of the 36-segment race, and each team will need to provide its own vehicle transportation for resting teammates. Relay organizers said the winning team is expected to finish in less than 24 hours.

The race, sponsored by fitness companies Headfirst Sports and Team Fitness League, will benefit the Wellness Community, an organization that supports people affected by cancer. Prizes will be awarded to top finishers, and teams that register by next Thursday will receive long-sleeve race T-shirts for each runner.

Registration per team is $1,140 ($95 per runner). If more than three runners live within 50 miles of the race course, the team is asked to provide three volunteers for the event or pay an additional $75. A registration form, available at the race's Web site, must be filled out and mailed with a check to American Odyssey Relay, 7025 Endicott Ct. in Bethesda. For information, e-mail race director Bob Fleshner at bob@americanodysseyrelay.com. or visit http://www.americanodysseyrelay.com.

Montgomery College Panel Needs Applicants

The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants for a two-year term beginning in September on the Nominating Committee for the board of trustees of Montgomery College.

Letters of application must be received no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The committee consists of two members appointed by the county executive, one named by the Montgomery College Alumni Association and two chosen by the council.

The committee reviews applications for vacancies on the board of trustees and submits recommendations to the governor, who makes the appointments.

Officers or employees of Montgomery College, or persons otherwise subject to the authority of the college, are not eligible for appointment.

Applicants should send a letter expressing interest, including a résumé listing professional and civic experience, to Council President Michael Knapp, County Council Office, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, 20850.

The names of all applicants are published and available for public review. Interviews are open to the public.

Police Issue Warning On Phone Solicitations

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department's financial crimes section are investigating fraudulent solicitations targeting county residents and businesses in the name of Montgomery law enforcement agencies.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office received numerous complaints in May from businesses and residents about individuals requesting and obtaining donations and other services in the name of the Montgomery County Deputy Sheriffs' Association.

Investigators said that Derek Williams, 48, of Orange, N.J., and Daniel E. Soat, 49, of Pompano Beach, Fla., were conducting illegal telephone solicitations using the name and emblems of the deputies group and Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 35.

Williams was arrested on charges of theft scheme and fraud. He was released on his own recognizance. Soat remains at large.

The Montgomery County Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35 do not solicit donations by telephone.

Anyone who has been victimized or has information about such solicitations is asked to call Montgomery police at 301-279-8000.

-- Compiled by SARAH MARSTON