Committee pols pick light rail for Purple Line

By Jennifer Deseo | Jan 26, 2009

ROCKVILLE — Montgomery County officials are close to making up their minds about how the Purple Line mass-transit project will roll.

During a meeting of the county council’s transportation committee last Thursday, council members Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal and Roger Berliner (all Dems) gave much love to the project’s light-rail mode. If the full council votes on Tuesday to back the light-rail ride, they would join MoCo exec Ike Leggett and the county planning board on that trip.

“I’m looking forward to great joy in riding mass transit from Takoma Park to Rockville,” Leventhal (at large) quipped with his colleagues.

The transit project, which would connect Bethesda with New Carrollton through downtown Silver Spring, could have swung with a bus-rapid transit ride. Chevy Chase residents dig that option because they believe fewer trees will be destroyed along the Capital Crescent hiker/biker trail, which has been proposed as a possible light-rail route.

If a light-rail system ultimately is built, trees along the trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring will fall to make way for overhead power lines, reps for the state transit administration said.

“There’s no constituency more adversely impacted by the Purple Line light-rail alignment than those who use the trail, who live near the trail,” Berliner told transportation planners Thursday. “It’s a refuge from the daily struggle in an urban environment. It’s essential that we make the trail experience the best it can be.”

Still, Berliner said he favored a light-rail ride on the trail, as long as the path was widened to 16 feet where possible. MoCo exec Leggett told The Washington Post he was cool if the trail went out to 12 feet in width.

Committee members also said they’d keep the cost of pimping out the trail off the Purple Line’s tab. Tapping other funds, they said, would keep the Purple Line’s bottom line looking pretty when it competes for federal funding.

“For the first time ever, we’ll have a complete loop around Washington, DC, via a hiker/biker trail,” Leventhal beamed. “Without the Purple Line, we’d never be able to do this.”

As for downtown Silver Spring, committee members leaned towards cruising that ride down Bonifant Street, through the new Silver Spring library site at Fenton Street and Wayne Avenue, then on (not beneath) Wayne to the Long Branch area.

Still, legislative analyst Glenn Orlin convinced the committee to ask for a legit study of a possible Wayne Avenue tunnel. Rolling that light-rail ride underground could shave three minutes off the ride, Orlin said. It could also tack on $335 million to the price tag, he admitted.

And residents near the intersection of Wayne and Dale Drive will have to hoof it to either Mansfield Road or Cedar Street. Committee members, Leggett and the planning board agreed that a station at Dale Drive wasn’t going to happen.

Photo of Phoenix’s light-rail line courtesy of Flickr user Simax105.

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The Early Bird

By Jennifer Deseo | Jan 26, 2009

After last Tuesday’s patriotic love fest, the weekend felt like a major letdown. No free U2 concerts. No ticketless masses huddled for warmth and camaraderie. Not even a football game — just a pathetic Terps loss to Duke that’s better off forgotten.

So now what?

The Penguin newsroom is dedicating this week to moving onward and upward. (Frankly, we’re just eager for Wednesday’s episode of “Lost” to roll around.) Here’s what we’ve got boiling on all burners:

Monday

2:00 p.m. The county council’s fiscal policy committee talks economic indicators, plus spending guidelines for FY 2010 capital and operating budgets. Hit it at the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), seventh floor. It’s free and open to the public.

2:00 p.m. The county council’s planning and economic development committee gets the full scoop on Silver Spring’s redevelopment, specifically, what’s shaking in Fenton Village, South Silver Spring and Wheaton. The rundown rocks the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), fifth floor. It’s free and open to the public.

7:00 p.m. Silver Spring’s neighborhoods committee holds its monthly powwow at the Silver Spring Regional Center (8435 Georgia Ave). This gig is free and open to the public.

Tuesday

10:00 a.m. The full county council votes on whether to support a light-rail version of the Purple Line mass-transit project. The heavy deliberation hits the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville) and is open to the public.

Wednesday

7:30 p.m. Silver Spring’s transportation and pedestrian safety committee holds its monthly meeting at the Silver Spring Regional Center (8435 Georgia Ave). It’s free and open to the public.

Thursday

11:00 a.m. The county council’s planning and economic development committee flips through a report from the affordable housing task force. The talk hits the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), seventh floor, and is open to the public.

2:00 p.m. The county council’s transportation and environment committee mull over MoCo exec Ike Leggett’s smart growth initiative. Hit it at the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), seventh floor. It’s free and open to the public.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user MBorowick.

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Local Licks: Lionize

By Jennifer Deseo | Jan 23, 2009

Back in the collegiate day, I knew a dude who tacked a billboard-sized poster of Bob Marley to his dorm-room wall. It had a golden lion standing stalwart on the beach, and Marley’s dredlocked visage sailing over it. There was also some reference to peace, one love and stuff.

But as beautiful as Marley’s songs of freedom were, I think his tunes and image served another purpose for this dude. They were aural and visual stimulation, something to set the mood when Dude entertained others or himself (and I’m not talking in the biblical sense).

Let’s face it: For many Americans, that’s exactly what reggae is. It’s an experience enhancer. And not that there’s anything wrong with that. If something deserves celebrating, then by all means, celebrate it.

That’s how Silver Spring’s Lionize (above) rolls — sick reggae grooves with a fun-loving rock and roll attitude.

In the tune “Remedy”, the band’s soulful lead singer can get a room swaying with his pangs for an illicit plant:

Don’t try to sell me your low grade
Don’t try to tell me you’re looking out
Don’t try to sell me your stems and seeds and sticks
I know a bad deal when I see it

What’s particularly tasty about Lionize is not that they sing about illegal stuff, but that they don’t care if they sing about illegal stuff. Best of all, the band doesn’t pretend to be channeling Marley — no Jamaican affect, no calls of peace and freedom for the suburbs (except in their cover of Bad Brains’ “I and I Survived”).

Lionize is just straight-up fun, with crunchy psychedelic guitar and wacked keyboard work for good measure. Take a drag from their MySpace page, then go for the full hit at 8:00 p.m. Friday night (that’s tonight) at the 9:30 Club (815 V St NW, The District). Fifteen bucks gets you through the door.

Photos courtesy of Lionize.

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This Weekend

By Jennifer Deseo | Jan 22, 2009

Strangely enough, it’s the weekend again.

It feels like it was only yesterday when Penguin staffers returned to their respective duties, hung over from all those inaugural parties. The throbbing in our calloused feet had barely subsided, and our calf muscles were still sore from hours of standing in the cold.

Jack had just shaved that ridiculous beard, Sawyer was traveling shirtless through time, and Cheech had Hurley and Sayed stashed in the garage of his mansion. Oh, Wednesday came and went so fast!

Alas, time marches on in its inexplicable pattern. And again, we’re faced with the prospect of another weekend. At least, I think we are.

Thursday

8:00 p.m. The Stroyka Theatre Company performs the dark comedy “The House of Yes” at the Round House Theater (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $20 each ($15 for students and seniors).

Friday

8:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) rolls out George Bernard Shaw’s comedy “Arms and The Man”. Tickets are $18 each ($15 for students and seniors).

8:00 p.m. The Stroyka Theatre Company performs the dark comedy “The House of Yes” at the Round House Theater (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $20 each ($15 for students and seniors).

10:00 p.m. Event producer 88 blasts Loda, a music and multimedia event. Hit it at Gallery Lounge (1115 East-West Hwy) with $10 and convincing ID for my man Eddie at the door.

Saturday

8:00 p.m. Soprano Jennifer Ellis Kampani and guitarist Richard Savino perform secular and liturgical tunes from baroque Spain. Hit it at the Woodside United Methodist Church (8900 Georgia Ave). Tickets are $28 each ($15 for students, $25 for seniors).

8:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) rolls out George Bernard Shaw’s comedy “Arms and The Man”. Tickets are $18 each ($15 for students and seniors).

8:00 p.m. The Stroyka Theatre Company performs the dark comedy “The House of Yes” at the Round House Theater (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $20 each ($15 for students and seniors).

Sunday

3:00 p.m. The Stroyka Theatre Company performs the dark comedy “The House of Yes” at the Round House Theater (8641 Colesville Rd). Tickets are $20 each ($15 for students and seniors). Buy one ticket to this performance, receive the second one free.

Lead photo of Sawyer’s love shack courtesy of Flickr users Ewen and Donabel. Click here for more photos from their tour of the “Lost” set in Hawaii.

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Silver Spring starts inaugural on high note

By Jennifer Deseo | Jan 19, 2009

A nasty blast of Arctic air put Silver Spring in a deep freeze Friday night, but that didn’t stop the hood from jump starting the extended inaugural weekend.

Nearly 36 hours before The District’s “We Are One” musical extravaganza, blues artist Jonny Grave tore shit up at an intimate performance inside the Pyramid Atlantic Arts Center.

The twenty-something Silver Springer told listeners he learned all his dirrrrrty-ass ghee-tahr licks from Daddy. But his narrative vocal style had hues of Bob Dylan and Tom Wait. (Daddy performed one tune during the gig [below left], and his voice was definitely more Johnny Cash than Jonny Grave. For real.)

Many of Grave’s old timey songs were chock full o’ train imagery, but he also tipped his hat at Fenton Village’s Bonifant Street. (That street may have a train of its own before too long.) Grave described the narrow street as a model urban thoroughfare, with its small restaurants and gun shop. His new album, “Gone Everywhere But Home”, includes a technically tricky tune called “Bonifant Street Rag”.

He even gave a shout out to the Quarry House Tavern, home of the fried pickle and birthplace of Grave’s blues career. The basement bar on Bonifant and Georgia Avenue inspired another song on the new album.

That same evening, things got thumping at Gallery Lounge in South Silver Spring. At the door, a twenty-something couple surprised the bouncer when they flashed convincing ID from Barack Obama’s Aloha State. The two were in town for the Inauguration, and wouldn’t let the biting cold keep them from partying, they told the bouncer.

Illinois had equal representation at the lounge, which hosted the Loda dance party that night. According to one witness, Chi-Town deejay Stacy Kidd tore shit up while revellers got down on the dance floor.

Lead photo from a previous Loda event courtesy of Flickr user SexyFitsum. Photos of Jonny Grave performance by J. Deseo/SSP.

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The Early Bird

By Jennifer Deseo | Jan 19, 2009

There’s some serious government business going down all over the damned place, before, during and after the Inauguration.

If you plan on getting anywhere on Tuesday, check out Metro’s website for schedules and station closures. The county’s Inauguration website can give you the rundown on parking and Ride-On bus service.

Now … brace for impact!

Throughout the week

Participating restaurants and merchants throw some good Inauguration deals at downtown Silver Spring, including a couple of parties. For more info, click here.

Monday

All day. The county observes Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday by taking the day off. County offices, courts and libraries are closed. Parking at county-owned garages, lots and curbside meters is on the house.

On the flip side, Ride-On and Metro mass transit run on regular weekday schedules. Even better, the county’s liquor depot on Colesville Road is open for business, thus eliminating the need to smuggle hooch from Morris Miller over the border.

9:45 a.m. The AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Rd) rolls a free screening of the 1970 documentary “King: A Filmed Record … From Montgomery to Memphis”. Get your ass in the queue by 9:00 a.m., when the box office doles out four tickets per person.

Can’t make this gig? Hit the 1:30 p.m. screening (see below).

11:00 a.m. The GapBuster Learning Center (8216 Georgia Ave) hosts “day of service” activities to celebrate MLK’s birthday. Get down with arts and crafts, a health expo, a film about King and the civil rights movement, and a pledge to 40 days of nonviolence. (I’m talking to you, Penguin mailroom guys!)

This event is free and open to the public until 3:00 p.m.

1:30 p.m. The AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Rd) rolls another free screening of the 1970 documentary “King: A Filmed Record … From Montgomery to Memphis”. The queue gets moving around 12:00 p.m., when the box office dishes out four tickets per person.

Tuesday

10:00 a.m. The AFI Silver Theatre (8633 Colesville Rd) blasts the Inauguration ceremony on its big screen for lucky ticket holders. Free tickets to that gig disappeared last week, before anyone even knew they were being distributed.

Feeling jilted? A line for standby tickets forms at 11:00 a.m., with standby scrubs entering the theater at 12:00 p.m.

11:30 a.m. Barack Obama and Joe Biden swear in front of everyone and their brother to uphold the Constitution as president and vice president, respectively, of the United States. Security checkpoints open at 8:00 a.m. in The District for that early-morning pat down.

Ain’t got a ticket? Don’t need one if you watch the gig on the National Mall, west of Fourth Street. Just don’t pack a thermos, backpack, firearms or other banned substances. (Sorry, Penguin mailroom guys.)

2:30 p.m. The Inaugural parade rolls down Pennsylvania Avenue, with security checkpoints opening at 7:00 a.m. The ticketless masses can stand along the curb on a first come, first served basis.

All night. Silver Spring brandishes a couple of big, presidential balls:

  • McGinty’s Public House (911 Ellsworth Dr) hosts a sold-out gig for the area’s Dem Club.
  • Galaxy Billiards Cafe (8661 Colesville Rd) hosts a party for the nonprofit Imapct Silver Spring. Ten bucks gets you through the door.
  • Jackie’s Restaurant (8081 Georgia Ave) does a Hawaiian luau, complete with spit-fired pig. No word on what it’ll cost for you to hit this gig.
  • The Quarry House (8401 Georgia Ave) holds an Inauguration brawl, with garage punk by The Ubangis. No word on a cover charge.

I don’t know when any of these gigs start or end, so just show up.

Wednesday

7:30 p.m. Silver Spring’s commercial and economic development development committee holds its monthly meeting at the Silver Spring Regional Center (8435 Georgia Ave). Shake off the hangover and hit this free event.

Thursday

11:00 a.m. The county council’s public safety committee considers using bait cars to nab car thieves. The Fifth Amendment goes through the ringer at the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), seventh floor. It’s free and open to the public.

2:00 p.m. The county council’s transportation and environment committee muses over plans for the Purple Line mass-transit project. Hit it at the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), seventh floor. It’s free and open to the public.

7:30 p.m. The county council holds a public hearing on projects related to MoCo exec Ike Leggett’s smart growth initiative. This gig drops at the council’s office building (100 Maryland Ave, Rockville), third floor. It’s free and open to the public.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Alessio85.

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