Filing Suit
<bt>Two families have filed suit against the Board of Education's lottery in the Chinese Immersion Program.
Amber Hsu, one of the plaintiff's in the case, said that the board violated its own notification procedures when it brought up the item and voted on it on the same day, without posting it on the agenda. "It wasn't on the agenda, but that's just a small part," Hsu said.
she said that if the Board had followed its own regulations, it would have opened up the process for public comment. "There was no resolution that was open for public comment for 30 days," she said.
She also finds the administration of the lottery to e unfair. The county conducted the lottery by writing interested student's names on popsicle sticks and placing them face down on a table.
Hsu said that it is possible to distinguish one stick from another, which makes it difficult to have an anonymous lottery. "Even little strips of paper folded up would have been more random," she said.
She thinks that a county as technologically savvy as Montgomery county should have some sort of computerized system for administering the lottery. "It doesn't seem like Montgomery county," she said.
The Board of Education is set to hear another appeal of her case on Thursday of this week, she said. If the board grants her appeal, she said that she would be likely to drop the suit.
If it goes forward, the case for a stay will be heard on Aug. 2.
<sh>Board of Appeals
<bt>The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants for a four-year term on the County Board of Appeals. The term of Donald Spence (Democrat) expires in September. Spence also serves as chairman of the board and has indicated that he will not apply for reappointment. Letters of application to serve as chairman and/or member of the board, including a resume, should be addressed to Steven Silverman, council president, and must be received no later than Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 5 p.m., in the Office of the Montgomery County Council, Stella B. Warner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. For information about the position and how to apply, call Justina Feber at 240-777-7938.
<sh>Nominees Sought
<bt>The Potomac Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for its annual Potomac Day celebrations scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30. The chamber seeks nominees from the public for the awards of Citizen of the Year, Businessperson of the Year and Youth of the Year.
The Citizen of the Year must be an individual or organization in Potomac that has made a contribution to the welfare of the citizens of the local, regional, or national communities. The Businessperson of the Year must work or do business in Potomac, be a member of the Potomac Chamber of Commerce and must have made contributions to the welfare of the community. The Youth of the Year must be a senior high school student who resides in or attends high school in Potomac and has exhibited scholarship, leadership and community service attributes.
Many activities are planned for Potomac Day, including a car show, parade, art show and the Potomac 5K “Fun Run.” Sponsorship is needed on a variety of levels to get the day running as planned.
For more information, visit www.potomacchamber.org.