Usually this type of post goes up on January 1, but I always prefer a bit of distance to identify the biggest stories of past year.  Although this is admittedly from my limited personal perspective and is bound to generate controversy (but hey, that’s what these lists are supposed to do), here’s my list for Rockville in 2010:

1.  Red Gate Golf Course.  This is continued to be a thorny issue and made have seen its thorniest moment when the City Council used $2.4 million in “surplus” money to pay off past debt and the anticipated shortfalls for 2011, and also (once again) punted the decision to another time.  Despite countless meetings and studies, for years the Council has been astonishingly agonized about making a decision on whether to commit to an annual subsidy, integrate it into the recreation program, levy a tax to support it, or to close it down.  Meanwhile, the golf course continues to bleed money and participation rates continue to slide.  Perhaps we need to start over:  if we were offered 130 acres today (Red Gate is the second largest park in Rockville), what would most benefit the community?  I don’t think most people would say golf course.

2.  Snowpocalypse.  Who can forget this snowstorm? There was so much snow it closed the federal government for a week.  The adventurous walked and explored the city in a new quiet way and neighbors found a new reason to talk and help each other.  There was a lot of frustration with snow clearing and the City wasn’t prepared, but remember, the city worked around the clock and conscripted employees into snowshoveling duties to deal with this record snowfall.  We also improved our abilities to monitor and respond to these situations so when this happens again (and it may not be for another fifty years), we’re prepared.  And someone at the City gets two stars for Continue reading →