Ariana Kelly

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  1. Pepco trailed other utilities, didn't call for help until well into snowstorm

    0 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    Pepco trailed other utilities, didn't call for help until well into snowstorm Pepco did not call for major reinforcements to help restore power to its customers until late Wednesday night, well into the storm and several hours after Baltimore Gas and Electric had begun assembling outside contractors for help. Similarly, Dominion Virginia Power began moving its own crews from southeastern Virginia and North Carolina closer to Northern Virginia as early as Tuesday, anticipating weather problems. As a result, it has called in only about 200 outside workers for additional help, a spokeswoman said. BGE had arranged for about 400 extra workers by about 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to its spokesman. Pepco didn't ask for mutual aid until an 8:30 p.m. conference call among mid-Atlantic region utilities - a call arranged by BGE, both companies said. Perhaps because of the earlier calls for help, BGE and Dominion Virginia Power had restored electricity to a greater …

  2. Update on Pepco

    0 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    I have been without power since Wednesday evening.  As of Friday afternoon, I am one of 61,000 Montgomery County residents still without power.We all understand that power interruptions will occur, even with the best performing public utilities. But Pepco is not among the best utilities. In fact, it is one of the worst performing utilities in the country. There are several legislative possibilities being explored at the moment aimed at improving Pepco's performance. One is the Governor's bill that I will be co-sponsoring to establish financial penalties for electric utilities that fail to meet reliability standards. These penalties would be credited directly back to consumers. This is the legislation that has been in the works since the outages this last summer. I am also working with colleagues on another more aggressive bill that would go even further to hold Pepco accountable. The specifics are still under construction.What has become clear is that Pepco is not pro…

  3. The New Digs, Receptions & Swearing In...

    0 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    Session starts today, and things are already hopping! My Legislative Aide and I have finally moved into our new office in Annapolis, which we will be sharing with my friend Delegate Tom Hucker from Silver Spring. It's in Room 210 of the Lowe House Office Building. I hope you will come visit us during the Legislative Session, and bring your challenges and great ideas with you.   My husband is back at home getting the kids all cleaned up for the swearing-in photo-op with the Speaker of the House Mike Busch. This is a big moment for my whole family, who have sacrificed so much for this campaign. I am hoping 3 year old Leo will stand still long enough to smile for the camera as I am sworn-in.  I have no doubt 6-year old Maeve will comply. She has gotten used to this type of thing after the long campaign. My hope for Maeve is that she remembers this day, and keeps dreaming big for herself. Last week she told me she would like to run for office one day. But, no of…

  4. Republican lawmakers planning legislation to stop late-term abortions

    1 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    Republican lawmakers planning legislation to stop late-term abortions Effort prompted by Nebraska doctor's move to Montgomery County by Erin Cunningham | Staff Writer Some Republican lawmakers say they will introduce legislation in the upcoming session that would ban Maryland doctors from performing late-term abortions. While some say the abortion issue has long been settled, a controversial Nebraska doctor's decision to begin performing later-term abortions at a Montgomery County clinic has revived the issue. The doctor, LeRoy Carhart, began working at the Reproductive Health Services clinic Monday, prompting about 300 anti-abortion protesters to rally outside the Germantown facility. Another protest has been planned for Saturday. Now, Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. (R-Dist. 31) of Glen Burnie says he is organizing a group of anti-abortion legislators to introduce a bill that would ban clinics from offering late-term abortions for any reason. Dwyer says the coalition will b…

  5. WJ Student Contributes to Election Day Victory

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    "The Pitch" November 17, 2010   Josh Benjamin, Staff Writer & Ali Jawetz, Online News Editor, Print Copy Editor  Mutale Matambo is a high school junior, a campaign volunteer and a political advocate. His experience with the mid-term election campaign process gave him an interesting view of politics and campaigning as a teenager in high school.   “It was kind of weird at first [working on the campaign everyday], and then I started getting used to it,” said Matambo. “I went to people’s houses, knocked on their doors, and took surveys of who they were going to vote for. I felt really great when I was working.”  Matambo campaigned for Ariana Kelly, a democratic candidate who succesfully ran for the open house seat in District 16, which represents Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Potomac. Kelly is actually a WJ alum , and when she was a student, she volunteered for the Clinton-Gore presidential campaign.   Mata…

  6. Thank you from Ariana and her Family

    0 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    Thank you to the residents of District 16 for electing me to be your new Delegate. I will do my best to serve you responsibly and with integrity. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or needs you have. Ariana  

  7. What's at Stake in This Election

    0 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    Five days before election day we paused the campaign to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the first of the Jewish High Holidays and one of the highlights of a 40-day season of self-reflection that culminates with Yom Kippur ten days later. As a Jewish woman, I treasure this annual opportunity to re-examine my life and recommit myself to my core values. As a Democrat, I think we could all benefit from this opportunity -- especially during high stakes elections. One of my favorite observances from this season is a portion of the Yom Kippur services called Al Chet, a communal confession of the wrongs that “we” – as a community – committed during the past year. And while each congregant may not have committed every enumerated wrong, the community as a whole is taking responsibility for failing to ensure that its members treated each other right. As Maryland has struggled through the economic crisis of the past two years, I’ve often thought about several …

  8. A Proud History of Working for a Living

    1 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    When I am knocking on doors, voters sometimes ask how I earned the endorsements of two of the largest labor unions in Montgomery County: SEIU Local 500 and the Montgomery County Education Association. Here is the answer: I got my first work permit at fourteen. I often walked a mile to work after school, up the sidewalk on Democracy Boulevard to the food court at Montgomery Mall. I remember being scared of the traffic rushing by, but wanting to save the $1 bus fare so I could buy a slice of pizza on my dinner break. My muscles ached by the end of the night, but I powered through to make sure the floor was mopped and all the dishes cleaned before heading home at 10:30 to start my homework. I earned $4.25 an hour. By age 16, I picked up a second job selling jewelry and accessories at a retail store for $5 an hour. I juggled my schedule to make time for schoolwork. I wanted to save money for college. As a student at University of Wisconsin, I worked three (sometimes four)…

  9. Celebrating Women's Equality Day

    1 Comment(s) Posted by Ariana Kelly

    Today is Women’s Equality Day- the day we celebrate 90 years of American women's right to vote. As a student of history, I am moved by the dedication and perseverance of the women and men who led the century-long fight for suffrage.  When my daughter was two, we took a road trip to the Hotel Hermitage in Tennessee. In 1920, this was the headquarters of the pro and anti-suffrage forces who descended en masse on Nashville. Tennessee was poised to become the critical 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment.        (Maeve, age 2, in the lobby of Hotel Hermitage, Nashville)  If Tennessee voted to ratify, women across the country would be enfranchised.  Sitting in the hotel lobby with my little girl, I could still feel the passionate conviction on both sides of the debate. I am extremely grateful that the pro-suffrage side emerged victorious.  As a modern woman running for office in Maryland, I must point out that we ourselves di…