Politics & Government

Schools Open and TP Sees Bump In Burglaries This Week In News

It's been a busy first week here at Takoma Park Patch.

It's been a busy first week here at Takoma Park Patch, even if we've only been live since Thursday.

Monday evening politicians and the public got a chance to vent their frustration with Pepco. Takoma Park City Councilman Reuben Snipper (Ward 5) stressed the need for better communication from the public utility at the Monday evening public hearing.

"There needs to be multiple methods of informing," Snipper said. "Pepco needs to coordinate with businesses, and they have to do a better job of handling apartment buildings."

Find out what's happening in Takoma Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In crime news, a string of burglaries in Takoma Park continues a trend set in August. Takoma Park residents saw an increase in burglaries in August, said Takoma Park Police Chief Ronald Ricucci. There were 16 in August compared to just eight in July. And only three days into September there have been two more, both on Sept. 2.

School started this week for children in Takoma Park. Patch reporter J.J. Smith reported on the nervousness students and parents were sharing. Anxiety over attending a new school is not only common among incoming sixth-graders at Takoma Park Middle School, it is also an affliction among their parents.

Find out what's happening in Takoma Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But Renay Johnson, the school's principal, is emphatic that the upper-class students at her school are "as gentle as can be," even if they might be taller and older.

In related school news, children at Takoma Park Elementary School can stretch out and enjoy the room now. After a $9.4 million renovation the school now has an extra 35,000 sq. ft. of space, Montgomery County Schools PIO Dana Tofig said. With 16 extra classrooms, TPES can now fit 562 students.

"It's just awesome," said TPES PTA President Shruti Bhatnager, who toured the new rooms. "The rooms are such a nice size," she said.

 Each room comes equipped with a storage area in the classroom and cubbies for each student's personal items.

Takoma Park went digital this week. Craig Terrill is working on his plan to get information out to the citizens of Takoma Park more effectively through social media. His job didn't exist three weeks ago, but he has already started networking and has launched a campaign to guide the city's government into the digital age. Through Twitter and Facebook, Terrill hopes to give citizens more access to everything from city events to how to participate in the government process.


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