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The city council left us with a cliffhanger at the end of 2009. Would they approve the application for a $3 million state bond to finance renovations to the Public Works Department? Would the councilmembers find answers to the questions they wanted resolved before committing to taking out the loan? Could they make this momentous decision before the January application deadline?

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Are you ready for another year of heart-pumping city council action and drama? So are we! But, before tonight's first 2010 council meeting - which may feature the resolution of last year's cliffhanger - let's review the Takoma Park city council highlights of 2009.

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As though that "painful decision" stuff were all a bad dream, later in the Nov. 23 meeting the council sat placidly through a presentation of the architect's latest plan. Finally, Councilmember Josh Wright made the attempt to remind everyone that since the project had been approved the state slashed the city's budget and more economic hardships were on the way. "When are we going to talk about the future of this project?" he asked.

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There he recounted his victory, revealed his campaign stumbles, spoke of his impressions of the electorate, and outlined future plans.

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That's the weather forecast for the city. It's been a long time since we've had peetybeeties (PTBTs - Pitchfork and Torch-Bearing Townsfolk) mobbing a city council meeting, but they could well develop in the wake of the high-pressure challenging conditions that are descending on us like a rapidly deflating hot-air balloon.

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Dear Reader,

Williams eluded our grasp, so far, but Schlegel, who lost the election, submitted to a friendly interrogation by our rubber-hose wielding, shoulder-holstered staff. As their cigarette smoke curled through the shaft of bright light drilling into his smarting eyes, the heavily perspiring Schlegel sang like a chorus girl.

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Dear Readers,

Observing the polls is more fun, and more patriotic, than observing 4th of July fireworks. To some of us, anyway. That's why we sent a staff-person down to city hall where, disguised as a large "I Voted" sticker, he slipped into the room where the ballots were counted after the polls closed November 3.

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Don't talk to us, don't LOOK at us, even. We are ticked off!

Takoma Park let us down tonight, it failed to live up to Your Gilbert's expectations! It did not perform as we predicted. Worse than that - IT COST YOUR GILBERT A DRINK!

We never liked you, Takoma Park, we were lying when we said we did before. We're moving to some NICE city, a city that appreciates us, that doesn't make us LOSE CONTESTS! Silver Spring is prettier than you.

Oh, and here are the election results. Like you care.

The numbers are preliminary. They haven't confirmed all 26 provisional votes and the write-in votes. The curious thing is that while 1728 ballots were issued, there were only 1696 votes cast. Anne Sergeant, chair of the city's Board of Elections and the chief election judge, said that sometime they get "fleeing ballots" - people who get their ballots but don't want to wait in line or for some other reason leave before casting them.

Mayoral race: 1618 votes reported cast
Bruce Williams, 967 (60%)
Roger Schlegel, 633 (39%)
Write-ins, 18

Ward 1: 467 ballots
Josh Wright, 422

Ward 2: 274 ballots
Colleen Clay, 223

Ward 3: 483 ballots
Dan Robinson, 381

Ward 4: 215 ballots
Terry Seamens, 182
Eric Mendoza, (write-ins not yet tallied)

Ward 5: 86 ballots
Reuben Snipper, 67

Ward 6: 202 ballots
Navid Nasr, 56 (31%)
Fred Schultz, 125 (69%)
write-in, 1

- Gilbert

One side says the Public Safety Citizen's Advisory Committee (PSCAC) was hijacked by a bunch of drug legalization lobbyists. The other side says the committee was run by a group of police supporters who wouldn't let them advise on policy. One of the committee members blew up at another over the wording of a paper. The chair resigned, so did a lot of other members, turning the PSCAC into an ineffectual shell. The Chief of Police, who had to sit through the committee's meetings while the battles and drama flamed around him, got fed up and suggested dissolving the committee and forming his own.

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Here are the goods:

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Seth Grimes poses the following set of questions for you armchair political analysts.

-- Gilbert

What percentages do you see in Ward 4 for --
- Terry Seamens
- Eric Mendoza

What percentages do you see in Ward 6 for --
- Fritz Schultz
- Navid Nasr

How many votes will be cast for mayor city-wide?

What percentage of the mayoral vote will go to --
- Bruce Williams
- Roger Schlegel

How many voters will there be by Ward?
1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:

Your score = the sum of the differences between each actual result and your guess, multiplied by 10 for the percentages. Low score wins.

And, don't forget to vote! Polls Takoma Park Community Center - Sam Abbott Citizens' Center, 7500 Maple Avenue. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vote at the Community Center on November 3!

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Here is your OFFICIAL granolapark 2009 Candidate Forum BINGO card. Or download the candidate forum BINGO.pdf. Don't forget to attend or watch the Takoma Voice candidate forum this Sunday, October 25, 7 - 8:45 PM in the Azalea Room in the Takoma Park Community Center, 7600 Maple Avenue.

- Gilbert

The council may euthanize the Public Safety Citizens Advisory Committee (PSCAC). The mayor said that by his informal count a majority of councilmembers are leaning towards dissolving the committee, allowing the Police Chief's Advisory Council to take on some of it's mission.

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