FREEDOM AREA CITIZENS’ COUNCIL

Representative Roscoe G. Bartlett is Guest Speaker at August FACC Meeting

Now serving his sixth term in the United States House of Representatives, Roscoe G. Bartlett considers himself a citizen-legislator, not a politician. Prior to his election to Congress, he pursued successful careers as a professor, research scientist and inventor, small business owner, and farmer. As one of three scientists in the Congress, he also serves on the Science Committee. Due to his experience, he also serves on the Small Business Committee.

Bartlett was raised on his grandfather's farm in Moreland, Kentucky. He attended graduate school at the University of Maryland College Park and returned to Maryland in 1961 after purchasing a 145-acre dairy farm in Frederick County. While running the farm he worked for Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Bartlett later joined IBM and worked there on numerous biomedical engineering projects. With IBM's assistance, he formed his own research and development company, Roscoe Bartlett and Associates. He also taught anatomy and physiology to nursing students at Frederick Community College. His company later diversified into land development and home construction. Over ten years, his firm built more than 100 homes in Frederick County, many of them solar powered.

Still an active farmer, but retired from teaching and building homes, he was first elected in 1992 to represent Maryland's Sixth District. Bartlett continues
to raise sheep and goats on his farm and commutes the 50 miles to Washington, D.C. when Congress is in session.

In the 108th Congress, Bartlett serves as Chairman of the Projection Forces Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee. On July 21, 2004, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett announced that he secured $1 million in federal funding for the Fort Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative. The Fort Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative will build upon the existing efforts of Fort Detrick
and the Frederick County leadership to make the base facility's many unique resources more readily available to the commercial sector.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett will host a series of Open Doors throughout the Sixth Congressional District during the first week of August. He will be at the Carroll County Senior Center in Westminster on Tuesday, August 3 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Citizens are urged to call for an appointment.

The contents of this article were taken from Representative Bartlett's official web site at http://www.bartlett.house.gov/, where you can also obtain more
information.

FACC Encourages Community Involvement

Citizens organizations like the FACC are challenged these days to keep people interested in participating in local governance issues. This is perhaps even more difficult in areas like ours, where there is no municipal representation or legally representative voice in county government. By virtue of its long-standing civic participation, the FACC continues to provide a platform for Freedom citizens to effectively channel their voice and standing with state and local officials, as well as with various government agencies.

With all the time demands on people these days for family, work and other important interests, it’s understandable that many find it hard to make time to volunteer for civic activities or to even attend an evening meeting once in awhile. Even so, we encourage all of our civic-minded neighbors to join the FACC to stay informed and perhaps become more involved, as we come together to make our community a better place. Many retirees, for example, may now have both the time and professional skills, which could be important assets to a volunteer organization like the FACC. Previous civic experience is not necessary, as volunteers are always needed to develop new programs and attend the variety of public meetings, which impact our community. Civic activities are a great way to give back to the community and become involved in what’s going on. Annual household membership in the FACC is still only $10 and includes our bi-monthly newsletter the Informer.

This year has seen the FACC welcome speakers from county government, local service organizations and one of our elected officials. In addition to hosting Representative Roscoe Bartlett next month, we plan to include speakers from the public schools and other important citizens organizations this fall.

The FACC continues to support Freedom area concerns through active participation in the Council of Governments and recently concluded its service to the county’s Growth Task Force, which wrapped-up by delivering its growth management recommendations this past April. Importantly for our area, these recommendations for the first time, included specific criteria to address the need for adequate facilities like roads, water, police, fire and
rescue services in addition to schools, when considering new development approvals. School overcrowding and lack of available water, for example, have been cited in recent decisions to halt new development approvals in the Freedom area until 2010.

For more information on FACC, please visit us on the web at www.freedomareacitizens.org
Together, we can make a difference!

The Freedom Informer

Published bimonthly by the Freedom Area Citizens' Council
P.O. Box 142
Sykesville, MD 21784

EDITOR:
Nicole Musgrave-Burdette

PRODUCTION:
Mike Naused
Deborah Dugan

E-MAIL:
editor@freedomareacitizens.org