A Miner Detail Podcast

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chrysovalantis Kefalas goes on the record!

Chrys Kefalas will join Ryan, the host of A Miner Detail brought to you by Change Montgomery County Radio Network, on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, at 9:00 p.m.  Kefalas is running for the United States Senate in Maryland.   

Henry Marraffa Jr. joins me to discuss his Gaithersburg Mayoral bid

After nearly 20 years serving on the Gaithersburg City Council, Henry Marraffa Jr., a Republican, hopes to move up to the mayor’s seat in this fall’s election. The former council member is focusing his campaign on economic development. He specifically mentioned the MD-355 corridor, Lakeforest and eastern Gaithersburg in general as all having room to grow commercially. He touted past efforts to build out the RIO Washingtonian Center, a commercial hub for restaurants and retail stores, despite early criticism of the development. As for future development projects, Marraffa said that he would like to construct an arena with structured parking on the Gaithersburg Fairgrounds which would serve as a venue for concerts, plays, and high school graduations. First elected to the city council in 1995, Marraffa began serving three years before former Mayor W. Edward Bohrer died in office. That paved the way for the council to appoint Sydney Katz mayor and served in that office until his election to the County Council last year. Marraffa graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring and earned two college degrees: one in engineering from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of business administration (BBA) degree from Southeastern University. He worked as a contractor, including high-profile projects such as the construction of Disney World and the World Trade Center. He cites his business experience as one of his qualifications for mayor. Prior to his election to the city council, Marraffa served on Gaithersburg’s board of appeals. He was appointed to the Maryland Physical Fitness Commission in 1985. He lives in Gaithersburg with his wife Donna. They have five children and six grandchildren.

What happened during the first GOP debate in Cleveland?

Join Ryan, the host of A Miner Detail brought to you by the Change Montgomery County Radio Network, for a special episode to analyze the first GOP debate that occurred last Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio.   

Maryland Young Republicans recap Chicago national convention

The Maryland Young Republicans recently travelled to Chicago for the 2015 Young Republican National Convention. The executive board of the MDYR's will offer a recap of the convention and share some exciting news about the future. 

Meet the new leadership of the Maryland Young Republicans

The Maryland Young Republicans recently held their convention in Annapolis and elected a new executive board. Young Republicans between the ages of 18-40 have an opportunity to join the organization and promote Republican values throughout Maryland.  Ryan Miner, the host of A Miner Detail on the Change Montgomery County Radio Network, will host the Maryland Young Republican's executive leadership team in an hour-long interview that will cover topics ranging from the change of leadership, the organization's goals moving forward to some of the drama that has enveloped the organization with the change of leadership.  Join Ryan tonight at 9:00 p.m. with guests: Kristen Long - Vice ChairNicole Waugh - National CommitteewomanEric Beasley - TreasurerBrandon Cooper - Communications Chairman Do you have questions for the Maryland Young Republicans? Call into the show between 9:05 - 10:00 p.m. at (646) 716-5971.  In full disclosure, I will invite the executive leadership of the Maryland Young Democrats on a later show to present their platform and goals. 

Unwinding the Charleston shooting: An honest conversation on race in America

Charleston, South Carolina experienced an unimaginable tragedy after a racist twenty-one-year-old gunman murdered nine African-American churchgoers during a weekly prayer service at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.  The aftermath of the shooting has once again opened the wounds of racism in America and has ignited a national conversation about white supremacy and the Confederate flag.  Mark Brown, Pastor Exum and Ryan Miner will unwind these delicate racial issues. Ryan and his guests will work to bring attention to the root of the issues at hand and offer solutions on how we can attempt to move forward and live in a post-racial society.  Join Ryan Miner, the host of A Miner Detail, on Wednesday, June 24, at 9:00 p.m. for a new episode of A Miner Detail. 

Update on Maryland's 6th Congressional District Race

Join Ryan Miner, the host of A Miner Detail, live at 9:00 p.m. for an update on the race for Maryland's Sixth Congressional District.  Christopher Scott Mason, a former candidate for the Frederick County Council and current Republican candidate for Maryland's Sixth Congressional District, will join Ryan LIVE at 9:05 p.m. to discuss his congressional bid.   

Positively Present with author Dani DiPirro - Living a Positive Life

Dani DiPirro is an author, blogger, and designer living in a suburb of Washington, DC. In 2009, Dani launched the website PositivelyPresent.com with the intention of sharing her insights about living a positive and present life (something that didn’t always come easy to her!). Anything and everything focused on positive personal development has a home on Positively Present including: tips for being more positive; advice for living in the moment; articles on how positivity can improve you; information on positive personal development; insights on how to share positivity with others; and resources and inspiration for being positively present. In 2012, Dani left her full-time job in Marketing to pursue a career with Positively Present. Since then, she has self-published Stay Positive: Daily Reminders from Positively Present (learn more at StayPositive365.com) and published The Positively Present Guide to Life with Watkins Publishing. Dani has also created e-books on specific topics such as self-love, holiday planning, and organization. She is currently working on her next book. While expanding her career as an author and blogger, Dani also began learning about graphic design and illustration. In 2012, she took her first Nicole’s Classes course online and fell in love with creating illustrations, typography, and design. She has since launched a design studio, Twenty3, in which she creates downloadable content on Etsy, designs products for Society 6, and works with individuals and businesses to help create modern, uplifting illustrations and designs. When she’s not designing, blogging, or writing, Dani can be found with her head in a book (check out what she’s reading on GoodReads), creating images for Instagram (follow her on @positivelypresent), or pinning like a madwoman (take a peek at her Pinterest boards).  

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Search

The Montgomery County Board of Education has begun interviewing candidates to be the next superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools. The eight-member board chose not to renew Joshua Starr's contact, Montgomery County's recently-departed superintendent who left Montgomery County earlier this year in February.  The school system hired the firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to conduct a nationwide search. So far, the search process has been tightly sealed from the public and board members have not spoken about any of the finalists.  During this episode, Ryan Miner will cohost A Miner Detail with former Montgomery County Board of Education candidate Laurie Halverson. Laurie and Ryan will detail the superintendent search process and what parents, teachers, and taxpayers should expect from the search committee.  Join Ryan and Laurie at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 for a new episode of A Miner Detail! 

Community Policing in Montgomery County

In the wake of the events that unfolded in Baltimore City as a result of the death of Freddie Gray and the subsequent arrest of six Baltimore City police officers, Change Montgomery County will work together with the Montgomery County community to develop solutions to address systemic issues that are rooted in our urban areas across our major U.S. cities.  On this episode of A Miner Detail, Ryan Miner will speak with Montgomery County Police, community and church leaders and government officials in an effort to dissect some of the issues that led to the riots in Baltimore City. Ryan and his panel will discuss how to work to bridge the gap between citizens and our police force and offer solutions to address the systemic issues plaguing our urban areas.  Community policing is defined as involving three key components: developing community partnerships, engaging in problem-solving, and implementing community policing organizational features. Explore the tabs below for more information on these central components of community policing. Please join Ryan and his guests on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. for an invigorating discussion on community policing.