2015 MDDC News Organization of the Year Celebrating 161 years of service! Vol. 162, No. 29 • 50¢ SINCE 1855 January 12 - January 18, 2017 TODAY’S GAS “Anti-Semitic Threats” PRICE $2.41 per gallon Community Center evacuated while couple receives hate mail Last Week $2.34 per gallon ment anti-white, anti-police and ir- association had instructed them to By Kathleen Stubbs @kathleenstubbs3 ritating. take it down. A month ago The writer of the letter cited in- Newton said the city is review- $2.31 per gallon ROCKVILLE – Law enforce- stances of violence against police in ing the incident. She said she was A year ago ment is investigating two anti-Se- Dallas and elsewhere and drew a disgusted by the hate shown in the $1.99 per gallon mitic crimes this week after a Jew- yellow star at the bottom. criminal actions committed against ish community center received a “This in the name of Austin (a the Franklins. AVERAGE PRICE PER GALLON OF bomb threat and a couple received disabled white man tortured on “I personally have no tolerance UNLEADED REGULAR GAS IN MARYLAND/D.C. METRO AREA an angry letter after displaying a video by blacks) and the dead police for hate of any kind and am sick- ACCORDING TO AAA Black Lives Matter banner. officers is annoying and disgrace- ened at the increase in racist, anti- The bomb threat, which his be- ful,” the writer said. “Your lack of Semitic and any kind of bigoted ac- INSIDE ing handled by Montgomery County care and your racism is very annoy- tions,” Newton said Monday. police, was one of several across the ing and disgraceful, and for this we Rappoport said the Rockville country at Jewish community cen- would like to award you a gold star. Police Department's Criminal In- ters on Jan. 9. Enjoy the mayhem.” vestigation Unit is investigating the Rockville Police said they are “I think it shows a lack of char- case. investigating after a Jewish couple COURTESY PHOTO acter,” City Mayor Bridget Donnell A letter with this star and “Jude” Newton said she and the City who support Black Lives Matter Newton said. were found on a Rockville couple’s Council will discuss how they will saw their car defaced with eggs at According to Acting City Po- windshield. respond to the incident. the end of last week, had toilet paper lice Chief Bob Rappoport, Mikey taking down the Black Lives Matter “I think now we will continue hung from a tree outside their con- and Sonya Franklin told police the banner they had displayed outside the conversation and ascertain dominium and received a letter that letter was left on the windshield of their condominium. They removed called their support for the move- their vehicle within a day of their the banner after their homeowners’ See “Hate Crimes, ” page 8 Legislative agenda Metro fires another inspector ference to remind the public Metro is We finish up our preview By Kathleen Stubbs of the coming legislative ses- @kathleenstubbs3 putting safety first, which he said in- sion. volves not overlooking misdeeds. He did not confirm or deny whether he Page 11 Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has fired another track in- fired more inspectors. spector in connection with falsifying "It's important to remember that reports, a former track inspector said thousands of Metro employees do a Jan. 4. great job and routinely put safety David Stephen, spokesperson for first,” Wiedefeld said. “However, a Amalgamated Transit Union Local true culture of safety requires that we 689, said Jan. 5 that union members, hold ourselves and each other ac- including track inspectors, could not countable. We cannot condone falsifi- be available for interviews. Stephen cation of documents, and I stand by the actions we have taken that hold said Metro’s firing individuals after PHOTO BY JIM DAVIS both frontline and management em- safety issues occur fails to address the A Rockville police officer suffered minor injuries this week after a car ployees accountable." problems themselves. accident. “It’s their responsibility to hold Metro spokesperson Sherri Ly the systemic problems of the system said Wiedefeld’s statement was relat- Rockville officer injured in crash ed to his December firing of six track accountable, and they have not done Creel did not sustain any signifi- inspection department employees in By Neal Earley that,” Stephen said of Metro. cant injuries, but was transported to a All-Sentinel Trap Thomas, one of the termi- connection with falsifying reports, in- @neal_earley cluding four inspectors and two super- nearby hospital for a “checkup,” ac- team named! nated Metro track inspectors, said he cording to Brian Paul, a lieutenant is filing a grievance against Metro for visors. Wiedefeld said at a board com- A Rockville city police officer mittee meeting Dec. 15 he had fired was released from the hospital with with the Rockville City Police Depart- We name the best high firing him. The inspector said he was ment. school athletes in our county being a whistle-blower for pointing four track inspectors and two track in- minor injuries after an automobile ac- spection supervisors, adding that six cident in his cruiser Saturday night. Police said Claros Cruz had a .16 for 2016. out safety concerns and considers the blood alcohol content after the crash. Page 24 firing to be retaliation. more inspectors were awaiting termi- Duglan Renan Claros Cruz, 22, nation or suspension without pay and was charged with driving under the in- Claros Cruz was also charged with Thomas said at a news confer- driving without a license, reckless dri- ence hosted by Amalgamated Transit 10 more were pending in the adminis- fluence after he hit Rockville City Po- trative process and might be disci- lice Officer Seth Creel, who was trav- ving and holding a learner’s permit Union Local 689, one of Metro’s while driving without supervision. unions, that Metro notified him Jan. 4 plined. eling southbound near the 1000 block Wiedefeld had said he made that of Rockville Pike. Police say Claros After he was hit, Creel was he was being fired for falsifying trapped inside his car, and it took 20 records. decision to fire the six and discipline Cruz’s while driving his 1997 Honda struck Creel’s cruiser as he was at- minutes for Fire and Rescue personnel Wiedefeld released a statement to free him, according to Paul. during the two-hour union news con- See “Metro,” page 8 tempting to make a left turn. 2THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENTINEL JANUARY 12, 2017 EFLECTIONS R The Montgomery County Sentinel, published weekly by Berlyn Inc. Publish- ing, is a community newspaper covering Montgomery County, Maryland. Our of- fices are located at 22 W. Jefferson January 21, 1965 Street, Suite 309, Rockville, MD 20850. Founded in 1855 by Matthew Fields. All mail to: P.O. Box 1272, Rockville, MD 20849-1272. Subscription Rates for The Montgomery County Sentinel – Weekly Montgomery County world’s largest medical center by mail: $40.00 per year & $26.50 for Se- nior Citizens. (USPS) 361-100. Each week The Sentinel visits a plore. that acts slowly—over a period of cial organs for defective natural ones memorable story from its archives. One of these new paths was the several years—may perhaps be re- was brought closer in 1964 by the Bernard Kapiloff At the National Institute of launching of a “crash program” dur- lated to such disorders of unknown development of several types of arti- PUBLISHER E MERITUS Health in Bethesda, the groundwork ing 1964 to exploit the accumulating cause as: ficial hearts and kidneys. Lynn G. Kapiloff for several new and exciting pro- evidence that leukemia is caused by • Rheumatoid arthritis – the In addition, further refinements CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/ grams of medical research was laid viruses. Armed with a $20 million painful disabling and sometimes were made on miniaturized regula- PUBLISHER during 1964. The results of this work supplement to its budget, NIH’s Na- completely crippling disease in tors and pacemakers which boost [email protected] and the research that will be based tional Cancer Institute will direct which the lining of the bone joints natural organs which are still partial- Mark Kapiloff upon it in this coming year will sure- this unique developmental program becomes inflamed and swells. ly effective. During December a ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ly influence the course of medical with the hope that it will produce a • Multiple sclerosis – the conference was held at NIH where [email protected] progress around the world. vaccine which may at last prevent disease of young adults where the experts in the field of hemodialysis, EDITORIAL For NIH, headquartered here in this form of cancer. breakdown of the protective cover- the process involved in the operation Montgomery County, may well be Viruses are also now suggested ing on the nervous tissue brings on of both natural and artificial kid- Brian J. Karem EXECUTIVE EDITOR considered the world’s medical cap- as the cause of other diseases, many such symptoms as lack of coordina- neys, discussed the problems and [email protected] ital. Through its own programs, of which have been traditionally tion of movement, extreme weak- exchanged ideas. managed by some of our nation’s generally considered of non-infec- ness, and progressive paralysis. Another device, the heart-lung Brandy L. Simms most prominent administrative and tious origin. Last month a three-day • Myasthenia gravis – a dis- machine, a temporary artificial or- SPORTS EDITOR research scientists, and the great conference of scientists from all order in which eyelid drooping and gan used during open heart surgery – [email protected] many more investigations it sup- over the world was held at NIH to periods of extreme exhaustion can a whole new field that has developed MARK ROBINSON ports at various other public and pri- discuss the tactics for studying the cause almost total disability.