Don, in reading your blog above, watching (well, listening to) the video, and reading some of your other comments in other articles/blogs on the Patch, and then browsing the library of videos on you tube, you seem to have a very negative view on the Village and MVF. It made me wonder why you still live in the Village. And still you run for the MVF Board (3 times) only to keep coming in dead last because you're so out of touch with the residents. In viewing your continued remarks in this vein in what I watched of the video posted of the Candidates Forum, I was wondering if perhaps your campaign could promote a more appropriate branding/marketing campaign that is more in line with your "game changing" views, perhaps "dwindle" or "diminish" as antonyms for "flourish." Vote for Don and help "diminish" the Village (i.e. Make (someone or something) seem less impressive or valuable). Don, with a "friend" like you, I agree, the Village definitely has no shot of "flourishing" if you're elected, as apparently your goal is to overturn everything that's been done to work towards improving the Village. I recommend less time in front of the PC and heading out into the Village to see firsthand all is not doom and gloom as you would have us believe.

Ed,

PART 1
I appreciate that you took the time to read my blog, my campaign video on YouTube, and other YouTube videos, and the Candidate Forum video. I also appreciate the fact that you took the time to frame a well written response on this blog.

You wondered aloud why I live in the Village and perhaps why I have run for a position on the MVF Board. You deserve an answer.

I continue to live in the Village because it is home to me and my family and has been for forty-four years. Only two or three people in the Village have lived here longer.

Running for the MVF Board of Directors is an honor. This is my third campaign. It is not just about winning or losing. And you need to know this; there is no shame in running and losing, the only shame lies in not running at all when you have something to offer. Campaigning for office provides the opportunity to express myself on the issues I consider important and to do so in all the various media you alluded to. This certainly beat the three minute Residents Time at MVF Board meetings.

Ed,

PART 2
Now, about the issues. Please tell us where you stand on the recent top ten issues of critical importance to the Village? What issues are important to you? What is you position on the issue most important to you? What would you say to Village leaders in promoting your position on each issue you consider important?

1. Watkins Mill Middle School
2. Webb Tract
3. Goshen Road widening
4. M83 Route selection
5. South Valley Project
6. MV Golf Club
7. Vision 2030
8. Gaithersburg East Master Plan
9 Town Sector Zoning
10. MV Business community

Beyond just the issues, where do you stand on the following goals that assist in focusing on the means MVF will employ and the outcomes residents can expect? Which goals are most important to you? Where would you like to see improvements made?
1. Promote the quality of life for MV residents.
2. Ensure the safety and security of the residents of MV and their property.
3. Promote an economic development environment for the community businesses that serve the residents of MV.
4. Position MV with the County Executive, County Council, and the Maryland delegation to ensure the recognition we deserve and the protection against government overreach and interference we need.
5. Encourage the pride of MV residents in maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the community needed to boost property values.
6. Foster the democratic process.

Ed,

PART 3
Ed, You are wrong when you say I want to overturn everything. I do want to scrap the four-story parking garage at the ProfessionalCenter just behind the Courts of Whetstone, to scrap the relocation of MVF offices to the Montgomery Village Shopping Center, and to abandon the South Valley Restroom and Concession Stand. Where do you stand on these issues? Where do you stand on M83 and Goshen Road widening? Unless you are all-in on these projects, you might find yourself feeling a little negative in framing your opposition. This is the nature community activism. Don't let it bother you. Take your public positions on the issues, even if you stand alone.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

I certainly agree with you that the top-down governance of the Village is a problem, but how can you get a more democratic system when the MVF is a corporation and is run as such, and even if it wasn't, very few residents want to participate in and invest their time to help out? Also, were you one of the Villagers who opposed the CSAAC office location in Montgomery Village?

Darla,

No, I did not oppose the CSAAC office location in Montgomery Village. For those who are unfamiliar with it CSAAC stand for Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children. Our Delegate Kirill Reznik has been a leader in the cause for autism in Annapolis.

You are correct that MVF is a corporation. It is a 501c4 not for profit. I understand how corporations work. I retired from IBM's Federal Systems Division after twenty-seven years. I also served as the president of the Center for National Software Studies, a 501c3 not for profit. The lesson I learned in both of these experiences is that democracy is more about access and civility than it is organizational power and bureaucratic structure.

Residents have opportunities for access through committee participation, Resident's Time, and MV News letters to the editor. Increasing Resident's Time from three minutes to five minutes serves to increase access and increase democracy.

On committee participation, improvements are needed to make it more open. The restrictive MVF Board approval process for committee participation should be eliminated. If a Village residents want to serve on a committee, it is their right not subject to approval. Similarly, committee members should not be subject to removal by the MVF Board. Finally, MVF Board oversight of committee activities should be done with a light touch and without interference and control.

Don, sorry to say but even if you 'tone down' your comments and spew nothing but flowery positives or grace your readers with beautiful prose and poetry, you are pursuing something that will never be attained. You just weren't destined to be accepted into the 'Good Ole Boys Club'. I recall yet another individual the Board didn't want to run for MVF Board (and I was even requested not to cast my vote for him/her) & now that the individuals is 'on board' (in agreement with most everything others want) this individual has suddenly become 'The Prodigal Son' believing he/she was accepted into the 'fold' because of all his/her 'omnipotent accomplishments' when it reality he/she was accepted because he/she is a 'yes man/woman'!

And MVF is so hyped up on names & name changes & new PR "Flourishing in the Village". Maybe Montgomery Village Foundation itself should have a name change...Montgomery Village Monarch. LOL!

Sharon,

You make a good case for the Game Changing Transformation I am committed to and eager to lead.

Still waiting with 'bated breath' for Ed to tell me proximity of where he resides in Village & if he actually has the 'fortune' of an HOA that 'looks after his best interest' and the interest of other homeowners (and home market value). I'm turning blue w/wild anticipation. LOL!

Don O’Neill, The ending of most all of your postings end with "You have a friend in me". Have you received the authorization to use that from the author of that phrase, Randy Newman? That phrase is the most popular phrase taken from the movie "Toy Story". If you have not received copyright authorization is that not the same a stealing?

Pete,

You're forgetting something... the music.

Notice I AM quoting from article: "How much of someone else's work can I use without getting permission?
"Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports. There are no legal rules permitting the use of a specific number of words, a certain number of musical notes, or percentage of a work. Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on all the circumstances." Now with all that boring, unnecessary information, I think the bottom line of original question "If you have not received copyright authorization is that not the same a stealing?" was merely to 'catch' candidate in some illegal action of deceit & thievery. These blogs end up to be far more entertaining (in a sad 'Let's Get 'Em sort of way) than educational/open-minded & respect for all points of view unfortunately. Tis said that we should respect diversity but saying and actually practicing are two different things. The irony is MV boasts of possessing 'support FOR & pride IN diversity' but failed to 'advertise' that if you voice diverse opinions, you can expect to be attacked. Hummm! Maybe we should transform Lake Whetstone into a leper colony for all those who don't fit the mold or refuse to jump on bandwagon. LOL!

Sharon,

I recognize when someone has superior knowledge. On the issue of copyright you have certainly demonstrated that you do. Thanks for sharing.

Mr. O'Neill,

You were helpful in another discussion, responding when I posed a question regarding salaries for the Board of Directors.

Who is a wage earning and/or salary earning employee of Montgomery Village, and what are they paid?

jnentz1,

This question is best directed to Dave Humpton at dhumpton@mvf.org, the Executive Vice President of the Montgomery Village Foundation and responsible for the paid staff at MVF.

Sharon Adams:

Thank you.

I have reread some of the comments again & don't know why you thought comment "It made me wonder why you still live in the Village" deserved an explanation, Don! There was no wonderment; there was no question from person adding comment. It was,pure & simple 'rhetoric and sarcasm'. There are any # of reasons people stay where they are & explaining why is not owed to anyone. But some of us are here because our home market value is so much in the toilet (not from recession but absent MVF & HOA) that we can't sell our homes for their true value no matter how maintained we have kept them. With that said, I have litte patience or tolerance for anyone who says "if you don't like the way things are, JUST MOVE". That snippant remark and attitude never brought about any needed improvements to any community!

My family being residents of Middle Village, I have wondered why more people don’t run for the various homes corporation and condominium boards. Then after reading blogs such as this, I know why. There are those on Patch talking of civility, dysfunctional boards, and attacking those that are serving. I see why no one wants to run and be attacked by such uncivil, dysfunctional residents.
I sure as H - - - would not.

Don, in follow-up to your questions and statements, I came up with a list of some of the reasons I won't be voting for you, as much as I tried to find something positive that could redeem your constant negativity about the Village, MVF, MVF Board, and your fellow candidates.

Ten Reasons Not to Elect Don O'Neill:

1.) Don believes Montgomery Village's children don't deserve a clean, safe, and maintained restroom with soap and running water, along with clean and maintained facility for food to be served, for them, their teammates, their families, and visitors overall to sporting events held on the field in South Valley Park, by MVSA. Also Don doesn't support MVSA.

2.) Don believes in personal attacks on volunteers in Montgomery Village, of conduct not becoming of a MVF
Board Member. Further, he called the MVF worthless and then wouldn't own up to it once questioned by residents.

3.) In Don's 44 years living in the Village, he hasn't volunteered with his HOC (Whetstone), MVF, Friends of Whetstone Lake (FOWL), nor does he attend MVF Board meetings beyond residents time.

4.) Don chose to not attend and participate in MVF's Vision 2030, Long Range Facilities Planning, or the MVF Branding/Marketing Initiative (which came up with "flourish"), but actively criticizes the work of the volunteers/residents who did after the fact.
5.) Don has a track record of providing misinformation to the community, elected officials, and media to mislead others into his conspiracy theories and baseless accusations.
6.) Don's not sure what the role of the MVF Board is; seems to think he's running for District 2 on the County Council, with farther reaching powers to change Library and Master Plan names, and control decisions outside the scope of the Village.
7.) Don doesn't think Public Safety is a top issue for the Village and lacks solutions on what he would do as an MVF Board Member.

8.) Don thinks overcrowded schools that have our children having to hold classes in portable classrooms outside of the school buildings is acceptable, and opposes new school building options, so that we can increase the busing of our children to schools in other communities.
9.) Don doesn't believe Montgomery Village and its residents deserve a Town Center as a central gathering place for residents to be proud of, with a more conveniently located MVF offices and conference space to hold MVF meetings, event space, mixed-use office and retail, restaurants with outdoor dining space and more upscale options available, a real chain supermarket again, etc. Don believes residents should have to hop on a bus or into a car and head elsewhere for the same offerings that our demographics would actually also allow.
10.) Don believes MVF doesn't have any partnerships with elected officials and the City of Gaithersburg, and keeps mentioning this to the community. Don, no one is buying this, because we regularly see both actively coming to MVF-sponsored events; Gaithersburg event sent their head of planning to meet with the Vision 2030 Committee to help review what Gaithersburg has planned and help identify the Village's demographics and discuss the Village's planning goals. MVF is in regular touch with these individuals, and you'd even notice this even if you just read the MV News past the Letters to the Editor section to just read you biweekly letters criticizing others.

Ed,

PART 1
It was a long wait, but I appreciate your response. I especially like your use of the Top Ten format. It can be very effective.

You need to keep in mind that while you are entitled to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your facts. In fact, I would have preferred to see you actually state your opinions directly instead of attempting to state what I believe.

Let me add some facts to the discussion following your Top Ten list:

1. Facts Matter: I have been involved with MVSA since its inception. I coached Little League baseball for the MVSA including an All Star team from the Village in a championship game against Gaithersburg on a hot 4th of July in South Valley Park. I still have some team shirts from those days along with my MVSA badge as well as some fond memories.

In addition, my wife and I organized the first annual Montgomery Village Tennis Tournament and Barbecue for 200 participating members. These were the days when a highly competitive Village-wide tennis ladder brought together players from all over the Village in challenge matches and tournaments, some with teams from other communities around the county.

Our sons played every sport MVSA offered, made numerous All Star Teams, participated in the Mini-Terps Beltway League representing Montgomery Village (and coached by Bob Bryan, father of Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blow Fish fame!).

PART 2
2. Facts Matter: I was asked a genuine question, "How much are the Board of Directors paid?" My genuine response, "MVF Board of Directors members are paid what they are worth... nothing. They work for free!" Serving on the MVF Board is pro bono and is considered an honor.

Facts: Matter: There are many ways to serve the community. You listed a few. Here are some of the ways I have chosen:
a. Testified in Annapolis at the December 19, 2012 Board of Public Works (BPW) in opposition to South Valley restrooms [2012]. View BPW Testimony Opposing South Valley Park Project at http://youtu.be/1qumvqqkjDU
b. Spoke and wrote in opposition to the Midcounty Corridor Study M83 Option 4 at the September 27, 2011 MCDOT public hearing and wrote letter for the public record [2011]
c. Testified at the August 10, 2011 Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee Public Hearing for Montgomery County in opposition to gerrymandering and followed up with a letter to Governor Martin O’Malley [2011]
d. Spoke and wrote on Goshen Road right sizing [2010]
e. Spoke and wrote on the Montgomery County Planning Commission Mandatory Referral calling for a roll back of the plans for the Webb Tract [2010]
f. Led the successful fight to obtain a Route Protocol agreement with the County to divert Webb Tract traffic away from Montgomery Village [2008-2009]
g. Led the successful fight to defeat Watkins Mill Middle School project on Centerway Park [2007]

PART 3
4. Facts Matter: My participation in Vision 2030 included the briefing sessions for each of the three charettes. For the record, a charette is a meeting in which all stakeholders in a project attempt to resolve conflicts and map solutions. Accordingly, I spoke before the Vision 2030 enthusiasts during the feedback session in opposition to the following features presented:
a. Extending Centerway Road through to Watkins Mill Road. As a result, this was dropped.
b. The four story parking garage at the Professional Center right behind the Courts of Whetstone. Despite objections, this continues to be shown on the Vision 2030 planning diagrams.
c. The relocation of MV Offices to the MV Shopping Center. Despite objections, this continues to be shown on the Vision 2030 planning diagrams.

PART 4
5. Facts Matter: Ed, here you have taken a bridge too far. Please scrutinize your own work with this in mind.

Facts Matter: I am quite sure what the role of the MVF Board is. The foremost responsibility of a board member is its fiduciary responsibility to protect the interests of Village residents above all others. The current board violated its fiduciary responsibility in the memorandum of understanding between MVF and MVSA.
In a democracy, both citizens and even MVF Board members do have far reaching powers to change things. Montgomery Village faces a lot of challenges, some internal and some external.
For the most part, internal challenges are self-imposed and under the control of the MVF Board.
However external challenges involve, the State, the County, and the business community. Government affairs issues with the County and State include Town Sector Zoning, Gaithersburg East Master Plan, M83 Midcounty Selection, Goshen Road widening, Webb Tract development, and Lake Whetstone dredging. Business development issues involve the Nike Site, Golf Course, Professional Center, Shopping Center, and Watkins Mill Development. We need to promote an economic development environment for the community businesses that serve the residents of Montgomery Village.

PART 5
Facts Matter: Promoting the quality of life for MV residents is the top priority. Ensuring the safety and security of the residents of MV and their property is the second priority in the citizen centric-goals I have advocated for several and which appear earlier in this blog. I will include these goals again here as follows:
a. Promote the quality of life for MV residents. 
b. Ensure the safety and security of the residents of MV and their property. 
c. Promote an economic development environment for the community businesses that serve the residents of MV. 
d. Position MV with the County Executive, County Council, and the Maryland delegation to ensure the recognition we deserve and the protection against government overreach and interference we need. 
e. Encourage the pride of MV residents in maintaining the aesthetic appearance of the community needed to boost property values. 
f. Foster the democratic process.

PART 6
Facts Matter: Ed, here you go again. As in item 5, you’ve taken a bridge too far.

Facts Matter: The question is not do Montgomery Village resident’s “deserve... more conveniently located MVF offices”. The question is do we need it. The answer to that question is no... on cost alone.

10. Facts Matter: Why then did MVF Board member and candidate throw up his hands when asked whether the library could bear the name of Montgomery Village? This would be a good place to demonstrate concrete results for the partnership you claim has been ongoing.

I just wonder Don if you think that the Village News has to be The Don O’Neill News.

It seems you are intent on having a critical Letter to the Editor in each and every issue.

Although you may think this puts you further (or better?) in the public eye, I think you are doing a detriment to your candidacy and giving yourself nothing but a black eye.