Saturday, January 12, 2013
Catch up on headlines this week from across Montgomery County.
An attempted murder that may have stemmed from a dice game dispute; a health scare for the mayor of Rockville; school security upgrades and a wedding for the first same-sex couple in Montgomery County. These are just a few of the stories Patch reported this week. Get caught up on top headlines here. Dice Game Dispute May Have Led to Shooting Involving Germantown Man GERMANTOWN—A New Year’s Day shootout in Silver Spring that resulted in attempted murder charges against a Germantown man may have stemmed from a five-month dispute over a dice game and some money. The full story is at Germantown Patch. Gaithersburg Same Sex Couple First To Wed In Montgomery County Court GAITHERSBURG—Gaithersburg's Joe Rouch and Jeff Aberle were the first same …
Monday, January 7, 2013
Gaithersburg's Joe Rouch and Jeff Aberle were the first same sex couple to be married in the Montgomery County Courthouse, The Gazette reports.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Greg Cohen
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Monday, January 7
When same sex marriages became legal in Maryland on Jan. 1, five couples made appointments to be wed when the Montgomery County Courthouse reopened Jan. 2, The Gazette reported, and a Gaithersburg couple was the first to share their vows. Joe Rouch and Jeff Aberle, a couple for more than 13 years, told The Gazette they considered going to Washington, D.C., Massachusetts or even Canada to get married. “But we waited to see what would happen in Maryland, in our home state,” Rouch told The Gazette. “We wanted our family here and that's the most important thing.” Rouch and Aberle were surrounded by nearly 20 family members — including their soon-to-be adopted daughter, 2-month-old Jamie Michelle, according to the report. Read the full story on…
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Cake shops, wedding venues expect to see part of $90 million boost from marriage-equality provision.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
With the passage of Question 6 approving same-sex marriage, some financial analysts say believe that Maryland’s economy could see as much as a $90 million boost, according to a recent Gazette story. Mark Yost, president of the Maryland Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, quoted research from UCLA's Williams Institute that there could be $3.6 million in sales and lodging tax revenue, and $21 million per year from wedding-related businesses. A reporter for the Baltimore Business Journal spoke with Mary Alice Yetskey, the marketing director of Duff Goldman’s Charm City Cakes, who believes that her business will see a “much busier January” than normal. The story also quotes Mark Scurti, an attorney specializing in LGBT issues at Towson’s …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Leggett: 'I believe that it’s about time.'
With Election Day looming, Patch recently sat down with Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett to discuss key issues. Approaching the midway point of his second term in office, Leggett (D) reflected on the upcoming election, the state of the county and its budget, his priorities for the remainder of his second term and persistent rumors about whether he’ll seek higher office in 2014. In this second installment, Leggett discusses why he supports a vote "yes" on Question 6 on the Nov. 6 ballot in favor of same-sex marriage. Click here to view the interview's first installment, in which Leggett discussed the ballot referendum on the Dream Act, which would allow in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
What I once thought was a pretty bright line is getting awfully blurry these days.
President Obama has been roundly criticized in recent weeks for his heavy-handed regulatory move to require employers, including church-affiliated institutions, to offer contraceptive care as part of their health insurance plans. African-American pastors and other religious organizations in Maryland have been making news with their vocal opposition to new laws granting same-sex couples the same legal marriage rights as the rest of us. In the Republican primary campaign, Rick Santorum went on a diatribe against President John F. Kennedy and his iconic speech in defense of the separation of church and state, saying it made him want to "throw up." Really? Is he saying that, if elected, he would obliterate the distinction altogether? It sure …
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Law goes to governor for signature and a likely referendum challenge.
The Maryland State Senate passed same-sex marriage by a 25-22 vote Thursday night. The passage of the bill comes less than a week after the House of Delegates passed the identical bill. The bill now goes to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature. O'Malley issued this statement upon the bill's passage: “I’d like to thank Senate President Miller for his leadership and our legislators in the Senate for their hard work and their vote today for human dignity. All children deserve the opportunity to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home, protected equally under the law. The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family…
Diane Wright
9:48 am on Saturday, January 12, 2013
Congratulations to Joe and Jeff. more ›