Hey, Rockville!

Sharon Freeman has a lifetime of experience in international development. She has lived and worked all over the world, but has chosen to make Rockville home for the last 17 years. She is a prolific author and a committed pedestrian with gems of wisdom for Rockville. 33 Gems: Wisdom for Living Pieces of Life's Puzzle and other books by Dr. Freeman Gems of Wisdom for 2024: Connect with others. Diver...

Hey Rockville! Thanks for getting us noticed by Bethesda Magazine! We'll be back with more episodes on January 8th-ish and a terrific lineup of guests. 

The 2023 City of Rockville election saw more non-candidate activity than elections in recent memory. Along with State Senator Cheryl Kagan's splashy mailer and social media activity on behalf of candidates, Affordable Maryland joined Greater Greater Washington and CASA as a prominent endorser. Unlike GGW and CASA, Affordable Maryland is solely a super PAC. Suzan and FOP (friend of podcast) Matt Pe...

A few days before the Rockville Mayor and Council inauguration, Suzan and Jaime sat down and talked about the election results--what was surprising and what wasn't. 

We spoke with two of our neighbors--long-time residents who care deeply about the City but who are not part of the political machinery that operates behind the scenes. We use campaign literature to frame a conversation about what works with voters, and how this election is a little different than previous, especially when it comes to outside interests funding mailers. Where we've eaten lately: Ema...

MCPS is at a crossroads, and Caleb Michaud has something to say about it. With an alarming string of scandals and bad news, fresh voices and perspectives are needed for the good of our kids and the future of our city.

Suzan and special co-hosts Mayor Bridget Newton and East Rockville leader Dr. Debbie Landau speak with some of the women candidates running in the city election. Mayoral candidate Monique Ashton and Council candidates Marissa Valeri, Izola Shaw, and Kate Fulton share their views on women in leadership, building on success while leading for the future, and why the success of our schools is essentia...

Jaime and Suzan, with their friend Matt, talk about the campaign, some other stuff, and the campaign. Lots more has happened since this conversation took place, but if you're just starting to wonder where all the junk mail is coming from, this might be a good place to start. Since this conversation, several public forums for the candidates have been held, and the first campaign finance reports hav...

Izola Shaw is running for Rockville City Council. Her experiences as an advocate for equitable housing and living in Town Center bring a broader perspective to the field of Council candidates. She talks about her ideas for increasing community engagement and Suzan finally admits that it's definitely her at the Dawson's hot bar pretty much every day at lunch. https://www.izola4progress.org/ https:/...

In this episode, we attempt a Zoom interview AND a two-interviewee interview for the first time. Amy and Jonathan are the MCPS PTA Cluster Coordinators for the Richard Montgomery cluster, and they help us understand the value of getting involved with the PTA, which you can do even if you don't have kids in MCPS schools. MCPS is a huge draw for Rockville and Montgomery County and is a vital part of...

Jaime and Suzan interview Stephan Beauchesne, owner of Taste of Montreal and Rice Around the World. We kept it real with guest appearances by the dog and Dave's motorcycle. Small businesses are part of the fabric of our communities, often serving as "Third Places" for the neighborhoods they serve. Stephan shares his experiences as a small business owner and what it's been like to pivot during the...

In this episode, Jaime and Suzan talk to Barry Jackson, a candidate for Rockville City Council, President of the King Farm Home Owners Association, and non-profit professional. He's also a dad and a stroke survivor.  A few things we talked about: Pho Nom Nom--https://www.phonomnom.net/ Barry's candidacy--https://www.votebarryjackson.com/about Bear sightings in Rockville--https://wtop.com/montgomer...

With Andrea and Jaime traveling for work, Matt Perkins pinch-hits as co-host. We interviewed City Council member Monique Ashton about women in leadership, what she loves about Rockville (everything!), and doing the work. Restaurants we talk about: Eko House Il Pizzico Island Pride Cooper's Hawk Paris Baguette

Kate Fulton is the Deputy Director for Operations at the Federal Reserve Board and holds her own when the talk turns to Pizza Hut. 

On February 28, 1972, Indiana Senator Birch Bayh introduced an amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965, which was up for reauthorization. Title IX was part of the Equal Rights Act, which was coming out of committee and on its way to nowhere. But in the spirit of “what can we do,” Senator Bayh tacked it on the HEA as an amendment that made our country and, arguably, the world, a better place...

We're still buzzing from our talk(s) with Matt Perkins and along came Debbie--ride-or-die, flame-throwing, BAMF ecologist. We love her so much! Sometimes, the environmental crisis is overwhelming, but Debbie breaks it down to a personally manageable level. Hope you enjoy her talk as much as we did. University of Maryland Extension Service https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-reso...

"Take 2" with Matt Perkins. We had some technical difficulties the first time so we tried it again. We had even more to talk about this time and managed not to fight too much about Tex-Mex vs. Mexican food.  This discussion centers on what we might experience at the local level when recreational marijuana use becomes legal on July 1. How do we continue to be good neighbors in a time of social tran...

Marissa Valeri, a member of the most recent Charter Review Commission, stopped by the garage to share details of the City Charter and the process for amending it. Rockville Mayor and Council have hearings scheduled at the end of January and in February to begin the process of reviewing the commission's work and possibly adopting their recommendations.  The City Charter is Rockville’s governing doc...