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Wednesday, March 12, 2014
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Council members call for task force on Purple Line Coalition would work with state, county agencies n
BY
RYAN MARSHALL STAFF WRITER
Two Montgomery County Council members in districts where the Purple Line is slated to go want the county executive to create an official advisory work group for the project. Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Bethesda and Councilwoman Cherri Branson (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring sent a letter asking County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) to turn the Coalition of Purple Line Neig-
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BY CHRISTOPHER NEELY SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
A call from Gaithersburg resident Stuart Helfman — about a dead deer in his backyard — was a routine service request for Montgomery County 311 operator Tamara Tyler. But the Jan. 24 conversation marked a milestone for the call center — its 2 millionth inquiry since it launched on June 17, 2010. For MC311, the milestone serves as a positive measurement of the call center’s relevance in the Montgomery County community.
$3.5 million for Strathmore tops county’s wish list n
for a walk?’
BY
County 311 Call Center helps get answers to residents’ questions
“[MC311] began as a call center consolidation effort by the county,” MC311 Director Leslie Hamm said. “They wanted to take all of the smaller customer service hotlines in the county’s bigger departments and bring them together.” The call center, with 43 customer service representatives, takes calls for all 37 of the county’s departments. That adds up to an average of 40,000 to 50,0000 calls a month from Montgomery County residents. Allen Mitchell, a customer service representative for nearly three years, said the type of calls usually depend on
See DISCUSSIONS, Page A-10
Legislators seek state money for big projects
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Rhonda Palmer talks to a caller whose front yard was damaged by a plow during the recent snow. Palmer has worked at the 311 call center in Rockville since 2010. She’s one of 43 customer service representatives there who handle residents’ inquiries.
‘Can I take my
bhorhoods, an informal group of civic and homeowners associations along the Purple Line’s route, into a formal task force. The group would work with county and state agencies to address issues such as noise, tree preservation, safety and the aesthetics of the project. President Barack Obama recently included $100 million in his proposed budget for the long-awaited 16-mile light-rail project that would run from Bethesda to New Carrollton, a key step forward in the project that will include a mix of state and federal money.
KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER
Money to expand The Music Center at Strathmore and renovate the Strathmore Mansion is among the 31 local funding requests Montgomery County lawmakers have asked of the state. Lawmakers annually ask the state to borrow money to help fund capital projects in their district. The requests are known as “bond bills.” This year, state lawmakers from across the state have asked for about $40 million for projects in their districts. “It’s tough,” Sen. Roger
the time of day. “In the morning, I mostly get Ride-On calls for buses,” Mitchell said. “As the day goes on, we get a lot of permitting service calls and a lot of health and human services calls, like questions regarding food stamps.” Mitchell, who works from 6:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., said he gets about 70 calls per day, which is about average for most customer service reps. In special circumstances, such as the chain of snowstorms that recently hit the
See 311, Page A-10
Manno said. “We’ve got about one-third of that [to work with].” Only $15 million — $7.5 million in each chamber — is expected to be given to local projects in the fiscal 2015 capital budget that Gov. Martin J. O’Malley (D) proposed. Montgomery’s delegation has asked for a total of about $12.3 million. The requests range from $60,000 for a Metropolitan Ballet Theater relocation and expansion to $3.5 million for the project at Strathmore in North Bethesda. Also on the list are $2.5 million for a new Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Station and $200,000 to restore the historic Seneca Store in Poolesville. Manno (D-Dist. 19) of Silver Spring said the county does not lobby collectively for any proj-
See PROJECTS, Page A-10
Athletic trainers on the sidelines County schools considering a second year for the pilot program n
BY
LINDSAY A. POWERS STAFF WRITER
Dr. Carter Mitchell said he was on the sideline of a high school football game this school year when a player was hit and fell to the ground. Mitchell ran out on the field with Becky Taylor, a certified athletic trainer assigned to Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring as part of a pilot program that started this year at 11 Montgomery
County public high schools. “When I got out there, he couldn’t feel his legs or arms and couldn’t move his legs or arms,” said Mitchell, an orthopedic surgeon at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney who works closely with Taylor in the program. For Mitchell — who attends some Sherwood games with Taylor — the incident highlights the importance of having trainers at school games. “It’s having trained professionals on the sideline when they’re needed,” he said. The program is serving as a test for the school system, which has never be-
fore had athletic trainers on staff, according to William Beattie, the school system’s director of systemwide athletics. “We’re seriously considering the addition of athletic trainers,” Beattie said. “We wanted to see what it would look like.” The program, which could continue for a second year, involves nine athletic trainers from three health care vendors, Beattie said. The trainers — two of whom are assigned to a couple of schools — cover
See TRAINERS, Page A-10
SPORTS
BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW Five Montgomery County basketball teams advance to high school state semifinals.
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TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Becky Taylor, a certified athletic trainer with MedStar Sports Medicine, works Tuesday with a student at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring.
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